history

Book Discussion: Waco by Jeff Guinn

This entry was posted in Book discussion and tagged books history Texas Waco on by

It’s been thirty years since the disastrous events near Waco, Texas. In the nineties I read and reviewed five books related to them; I’ll link to them at the end of this review. Jeff Guinn’s Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and a Legacy of Rage is a new addition to the literature.

The first third of the book, except for a short introductory chapter, is about the history of the Branch Davidians before the ATF raid. Much of what it covers predates Vernon Wayne Howell’s taking leadership and assuming the name David Koresh. This is an important area for anyone studying the matter in detail, but I was more interested in information about the ATF raid, the subsequent siege, and the final assault on the buildings. Getting through the material about the Adventists and the earlier leaders of the group was an effort for me.
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Lully and music under Louis XIV

This entry was posted in History Music My writing and tagged France history music on by

Jean-Baptiste LullyHere’s my latest for the Online Library of Liberty: “The Politics of Music Under Louis XIV.” Under Louis, successful art was art which he liked, by people he liked. In music, that meant Jean-Baptiste Lully, who got monopoly privileges from the king.

There are lots of famous German and Italian composers from that period, but French composers who weren’t Lully didn’t have much of a chance. Lully finally killed himself by conducting too vigorously.

New article: “Bach’s Ode to Caffeine”

This entry was posted in My writing and tagged coffee history music on by

I’ve got a new article up on the Liberty Fund website: “Bach’s Ode to Caffeine.” Johann Sebastian Bach’s cantata, “Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht,” more often known in English as the “Coffee Cantata,” was likely first performed at Zimmermann’s Coffeehouse, where he was a regular performer. It’s a miniature comic opera in which a father wages a one-man War on Coffee.

If you’d like to hear the cantata, I highly recommend this performance on YouTube:

The use and misuse of “fascism” 1

This entry was posted in Commentary Writing and tagged fascism history usage on by

The word “Fascism,” as it’s too often abused in political discourse, has come to mean nothing more precise than “bad.” There are clearer words for governments that exercise improper power, such as “authoritarian” and “totalitarian.” Fascism is supposed to denote a certain kind of authoritarian system. Writers need to exercise precision when using the word, rather than tossing it around as a general insult.

In its original sense, the word comes from the Fascist Party of Italy and refers to Italy’s government under Benito Mussolini before and during World War II. It’s used more broadly to indicate governments that follow policies similar to Fascist Italy or people who (allegedly) support those policies. Just what are those policies?

The best place to start is with Mussolini’s own words. The History Guide provides some key writings by Mussolini. The page is in English; my Italian isn’t up to any serious reading. Near the beginning we find the most important point:
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