Volkhard Windfuhr, 74, has been living in Cairo since 1955. He joined SPIEGEL as its Middle East correspondent in 1974. Since then, he has reported on the major crises in the region and met and interviewed nearly all Arab leaders, including the three Egyptian presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sad[...]
Posts Tagged ‘History’
February 10th, 2011 - 5:12 am § in America
Map I: First USA Map, Sold!
First map of the original states. Created right after the Treaty of Paris, which marked the formal end of the American Revolutionary War, the Buell map shows the 13 new states and territory east of the Mississippi River. Virginia extends from the Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River. The map was given[...]
February 8th, 2011 - 1:47 am § in America
Fox Edits Declaration of Independence
This Sunday, during the SuperBowl, Fox took fair and balanced to a new level. In a rare display of patriotism, Fox had NFL players read the Declaration of Interdependence. What a patriotic act! Glen Beck should be proud! Of course, the Declaration was edited to remove content that might offend G[...]
January 30th, 2011 - 1:47 pm § in Misc.
Chapati … A Precedent for the Twitter Revolts in North Africa?
Indian meals begin with chapati .. a true wonder bread. This morning, reading an Indian view of the events in Egypt, I made a discovery … chapatis are a symbol of the use of social networking for revolution! From Chapatimystery.com In late 1856, rumors swept across northern India about a new r[...]
January 28th, 2011 - 11:56 pm § in Misc.
Egypt: Change
‘from the Hindu Bigger plot to destroy political system’ Calling the anti—government protests “part of a bigger plot to shake the stability and destroy legitimacy” of Egypt’s political system, Mr. Mubarak said, “we aspire for more democracy, more effort to combat unemployment and pover[...]
January 25th, 2011 - 3:17 am § in Uncategorized
When Ambition Collides With Intellectual Honesty
It’s okay to lie through your teeth when you’re running for public office, but not when you’re publishing historical research. Funny how that works, isn’t it? Maybe we should require politicians to be truthful and let academics get away with whoppers because nobody reads thei[...]
January 18th, 2011 - 5:26 am § in Misc.
Caligula’s Statue Found!
(from The Guardian) The lost tomb of Caligula has been found, according to Italian police, after the arrest of a man trying to smuggle abroad a statue of the notorious Roman emperor recovered from the site…..The statue is estimated to be worth €1m. Its rare Greek marble, throne and god’[...]
What Could Possibly Be More Important Than Politics?
I do my best thinking in two places, both of which are in the bathroom. But I type in the kitchen, where the computer is located, usually after I’ve been drinking. Tonight I’m drinking St. Remy’s, an imported French brandy that costs $16.95 at the state liquor store. Alcohol is cheap; they mi[...]
Is War Inevitable?
No, of course not. War is a human behavior, and we choose our behavior. By simple logic, it follows that we can eliminate war. Totally and permanently. I’m sure your initial reaction is, that’s a very bold statement. Yes, it is. After all, throughout history, human warfare h[...]