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Today

Decoration Day

On May 30, 1868, the United States observed Decoration Day (the predecessor of the modern “Memorial Day”) for the first time.

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Thought

Karl Kraus

My public and I understand each other very well: it does not hear what I say, and I don’t say what it wants to hear.

Karl Kraus, about his newsletter, Die Fackel.
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links

Townhall: And Now, Behind Door No. 3

. . . a brand new future!

Well, maybe. Americans have so far shown a bit too much old-brand loyalty.

Click on over to Townhall.com, and then come back here. We’ve quite a good show:

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Today

On Wisconsin!

On May 29, 1848, the territory of Wisconsin officially became a state. In December, a second state constitutional convention had been held — producing a document less radical than the first, which had been voted down by the people earlier in the year — and soon after the territorial legislature called for a popular vote, by referendum. The measure passed, and Wisconsin became the thirtieth of the United States of America, the last east of the Mississippi to enter into the union.

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by Paul Jacob video

Video: The War We Aren’t Winning

Government to citizens: go shop yourselves to death; leave the warfare to us…

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Today

Greek voters

On May 28, 1952, the women of Greece gained the right to vote.

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Today

The Model T Era Ends

On May 27, 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi began his attack on Palermo, Sicily, as part of the Italian unification.

In 1927 on this date in May, the Ford Motor Company ceased manufacture of the Ford Model T, the last of this model coming off the line the day previous. Over 16 million Model T Fords had been sold, and was a world transformative product. On the 27th, the company began to retool plants to make the Ford Model A.

Exactly 70 years later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Paula Jones could pursue her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Bill Clinton while he was in office.

In 2015, 27 May, the commercial space company SpaceX was approved as a contractor to the U.S. military for satellite launches; SpaceX would go on to compete for contracts against the Boeing-Lockheed Martin United Launch Alliance, currently the primary military launch provider

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Thought

Karl Kraus

War: first, one hopes to win; then one expects the enemy to lose; then, one is satisfied that the enemy too is suffering; in the end, one is surprised that everyone has lost.


Karl Kraus, Die Fackel, no. 46 (October 9, 1917).

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Thought

Isabel Paterson

In arguing against free enterprise capitalism, the collectivist always adopts the false assumption of a fixed number of jobs in that system. Conversely, in arguing for collectivism, he always assumes that there will be as many jobs as there are workers. The government will make the jobs.


Isabel Paterson, The God of the Machine, 1943.

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Today

Freedom of Religion

On May 26, 451, the Sassanid Empire defeated the Armenians at the battle of Battle of Avarayr, but guaranteed them freedom to openly practice Christianity.

On May 26, 1328, scholastic philosopher and Franciscan friar William of Ockham and other Franciscan leaders secretly exited Avignon, fearing a death sentence from Pope John XXII. On the same day in 1538, the city of Geneva expelled John Calvin and his followers, who headed to exile in Strasbourg.