Re: pax magni fratris

Michael Lorrey (retroman@together.net)
Sat, 20 Dec 1997 13:50:45 -0500


Anton Sherwood wrote:
>
> : > It's amazing how the Cold War, the nuclear era, was one of the most
> : > peaceful periods in Europe's entire history. It still is peaceful,
> : > apart from some fringe areas like Yugoslavia that don't have anything
> : > more advanced than primitive artillery, and a bad distribution of guns.
> :
> : I think that phrase should read "was one of the most peaceful periods
> : in Europes entire history *since the Roman Empire*. Peaceful periods
> : in Europe tend to not last a generation, Europe was at peace for quite
> : a bit longer than that in the first couple of centuries AD.
>
> For most of the intervening period, though, I doubt anybody thought
> much about the concept of peace *throughout Europe*. How long did
> the average *county* go between wars? Much more than a generation,
> I'd imagine.

If you want to pick nits, Grafton County here in NH has not seen combat
in the local area since the mid 1700's. We have always been much more
heavily armed than even the average american.

>
> : In at least one incident the U.S. Army deliberately sent a group of
> : Indians blankets from an area undergoing an epidemic (cholera?),
> : with predictable results.
>
> (Smallpox.)
> I've recently read, if memory serves, that this happened at least once
> in colonial days - fallout from one of those endless British-French
> quarrels - but there's no hard evidence that US forces ever did it.
> For whatever that's worth.

Actually, that last one I heard of was the Cherokee people after they
were forced marched from Georgia to Oklahoma, and it was smallpox.

>
> : There's a new case in this morning's newspaper involving a shooting
> : outside a high school. When caught in school with a gun, it's argued
> : whether or not suspending them is appropriate!!

Yes, school used to be much more peaceful when hunter safety was taught
in the school, the school had a rifle or trap team, and high school
JROTC was a popular extra-cric activity. In those days, kids were taught
through experience and with positive role models that guns required
responsible handling. Blame the NEA.

>
> Not all schools are so lenient. I keep hearing about children being
> suspended for possession of an inch-long plastic G.I.Joe weapon, or
> for giving one another Midol or aspirin or lemon-drops!

Or the kid in kendergarten or 1st grade or some such who was suspended
for kissing a girl, ugh. ;)

-- 
TANSTAAFL!!!
			Michael Lorrey
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