Inserting images and links seemed to have failed as abysmally on here as on typepad, but at least there are cute icons showing me what I can do, if I could do it. Although it seems to be working this time around. Whoops, maybe not. My ability to change paragraphs disappeared! Oh, well, here's to a run-on paragraph. I simply wanted to comment that history does repeat itself, and I've noticed that the history at the turn of the last few centuries seems to have markedly similar characteristics. I just ran across the following quote in G.M. Trevelyan's ILLUSTRATED SOCIAL HISTORY referring to the period of 1793-1815 and found it scarily apt: "Coming at a critical moment in our social development, the long war was a grave misfortune. With its violent disturbances of economic life, and its mood of 'anti-Jacobin' reaction against all proposals for reform and all sympathy with the claims and sufferings of the poor--the war formed the worst possible environment for the industrial and social changes then in rapid progress. The modern English slum town grew up to meet the momentary needs of the new type of employer and jerry-builder, unchecked and unguided by public control of any sort. A rampant individualism (my definition: selfishness), inspired by no ideal beyond quick money returns, set up the cheap and nasty model of modern industrial life and its surroundings. Town-planning, sanitation and amenity were things undreamt of by the vulgarian makers of the new world, while the aristocratic ruling class enjoyed its own pleasant life apart, and thought that town building, sanitation and factory conditions were no concern of government." Since this was written in 1942, one must wonder if this wasn't also a social commentary on the turn of the 1900 century when robber barons ruled the earth. Those of you more familiar with that era might want to check and see if there weren't similar comments about that period. Want to draw a comparison to the turn of 2000?
