Reply
Mon 5 Jan, 2004 02:50 pm
It is said that without understanding of our past, history repeats itself. I would like to start a thread of places in the past that you might want to visit, in order to understand either problems, or quirks, in our modern world. Submit as many as you want, with reasons why you would want to visit them. The reasons can be as serious or as silly as you want. I will start with a short list:
An authentic English opium den, just to see if things were better or worse when it was the "war for drugs" vs. the "war against drugs."
Versailles in it's prime, to see if Marie Antoinette's breasts were indeed so flat and small as to inspire the worst champagne glass ever, the coupe.
A dinner party in Uganda under Idi Imin's rule, just so I could ask, "is this an arm or a leg, because none of this looks like chicken wings..."
Fernand Point's restaurant, so I could watch a culinary tradition develop from it's infancy.
Enough for now, please add more...
The meeting during which Hunt, Liddy and others plotted the Watergate breakin...
New York City Sweatshop before any labor unions were formed.
The Vatican at the time of Roderigo Borgia et familia.
I would like to have walked into California with Jedediah Strong Smith to look into the eyes of the startled Spanish, who did not expect an overland crossing in at least a few generations.
I would like to be present when Jesus, if indeed there was a Jesus, would have been crucified. See for myself if my belief is true that he was a composite of different men and notions of the time.
Put me on Oak Island in Nova Scotia, when whoever constructed the Money Pit were at it. I want to know why they dug such an elaborate, booby-trapped hole and what the heck they put down there.
Then its off to England to watch some Shakespearean premieres, and perhaps discover if the Bard actually wrote his own plays.
Finally, a trip to the holy land in search of the historical Jesus.
Curiosity is my motive in all cases.
I would like to be at the feet of the Sphinx, just before they closed up the room that rests between its paws. No modern human has been in there to see.
The vast, proud, seemingly invincible Spanish Armada moments before I drown to death.
To be Thomas Jacksons constant companion and confidant during the Seven Days. Why, oh why was he so uncharacteristically slow and ineffective? Though his command might not have completely counteracted the other problems, this in my opinion was the best chance for defeating the AoP and winning.
I would love to have been with Hannibal during the Second Punic War. How the hell do you get a herd of elephants across the Alps?
I would like Mike Sherman to accompany me to Philadelphia Dec. 26, 1960, to witness Vince Lombardi's only playoff loss. We mustn't repeat this mistake! :wink:
In the room during the discussions on the Declaration of Independence.
(With deodorant for all.)
I would also like to have been present when the great pyramids of Egypt were being built. How'd they do that with the available labor force?
Stonehenge. Ah, to speak with the people in charge of putting up them there slabs. Why, for one thing. And How, for another.
To be a Bolshevik embroiled in the three Russian 'revolutions.'
To have been around before the Generalísimo's men killed two of my relatives for teaching Catalan.
To have encouraged Trotsky to have fought Stalin, brought up the 'Georgian question,' etc.
To have been around as member of the Résistance.
To have revolted against the French monarchy.
To have been around when Charles I was executed.
To have followed Che Guevarra about; I think that that would have been interesting...
I would like to have been around when homo sapiens first appeared on Earth.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace