British Civil Wars

Today's email (to my son and his family):

references:
Simon Schama, History of Britain
Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels
civil wars, wars of taxation, of legitimacy ... since the Seventeenth Century

You mentioned Power of Art, I tried it after a few difficulties with BlockBuster, I loved it, rewatched it: loved it a great deal less. Watched it again with Jan, liked it still less. (Had very nice associations about Columbia's history proffesor James Shenton, who polished his lectures, delivered some in costume: wore a raccoon coat for the 20s.)

Now I'm watching Hist of Britain, more annoyed than ever. (Disk 1 hasn't been available, so I started with 2, 3 ... I'm amidst 3.) But last night I started his British civil wars stuff. Now I'm very glad to be putting up with the over-minute rhetorical style. 17th C. literature was supposed to be my thing, though I never did get too far with the "history" part of it. Now it's crystal to me: it's MY history, its Ivan Illich's history, it's OUR history ... it's US history!!!! And sOOO essential for King George / Pres George, Tea Party, Whiskey, Shay's ... taxation, representation ... stuff. And I see it crystal clear, the reason no one will address what I've saying, especially since 1970: I deny that the government governs me With My Consent!!!! The media, the institutions, can't allow it heard that anyone denies their epistemological crutch.

The Nazis don't like to be seen as Nazis, especially when the shoe fits.
Americans have to pretend that they choose the mold they're forced into.

A duck can't represent a goose, and no Lilliputian can rightly supervise how Gulliver tells Lilliput about London.

PS: Simon also helped me settle a fact I'd slipped on: Liz was Boleyn's daughter! Now I see the resemblance through and through.

And I'd slipped a link: Liz would have gotten syphilis at birth, but not from Katherine, from Anne who got it from Henry who got it from Katherine.