History


Summer Reading

“I am looking at a witch hazel blooming in a garden The bright yellow flowers in the middle of wintertime And I tell my heart be strong like the witch hazel flower And you will not be injured by this dark and troubled time.”   From the folk song “Witch Hazel” by Tom Gala. Some nice renditions are available online. In these dark and troubled times, one refuge is reading. Escape novels can be useful, but more serious books can also provide perspective and comfort. This article talks about some recent reading I found cathartic. ...

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THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY

As a former world history teacher at Wausau West and Newman high schools, I am dismayed by the attacks on this academic discipline in contemporary United States.  As Mark Twain said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.”  History is a story of the past and cannot be repeated because change has occurred, but history does present us a narrative of the development of contemporary society.  According to Twain, human behavior and the development of societies follow rhythmic patterns that are consistent over time. In that way we can discern repeating ...

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Who is “threatening” whom in the Middle East?

For many decades U.S. presidents, foreign policy elites, pundit talking heads, mainstream news media and most politicians of both major parties have accused Iran of being “a threat” to the Middle East and world peace. But is this true? In reality who is “threatening” whom in this region? Hypocrisy is not a good basis for foreign policy. The historical record does not support this bi-partisan, militaristic “group think” about Iran. The United States has too often been “part of the problem rather than part of the solution” in the Middle East as in other ...

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Ruminations on No Kings Day

(No Kings Day in Brule, WI. Photo Credit Phil Anderson) “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” James Baldwin (1924 – 1987) American author, poet and civil rights activist On Saturday, June 14, 2025, America “faced” the threat of Donald Trump to our nation. Although the people protesting his egregious behavior may not change anything immediately, the huge numbers pouring into the the streets, all over the country, clearly show momentum is building and change is possible. The latest estimate is 13 ...

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JUNE 2025 THOMAS STREET NEIGHBORHOOD TOUR WITH THE FRIENDS OF WAUSAU HISTORIC LANDMARKS.

  Citizens for a Clean Wausau and the Friends of Wausau Historic Landmarks teamed up in the Thomas Street Neighborhood this month. With the Friends of Wausau Historic Landmarks, we learn about the history of Wausau, the ornate landmarks, the lumber barrons, and how Wausau was formed.  This month was a unique blend of the beauty, as well as the damge done from former factories in the area. Thomas Street was the home to Crestline (the area is now owned by Wauleco/Sentry Insurance) and across the street was the former site of Connor Industries, where St Vincent ...

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Genocide in Gaza

Hitler murdered 6 million Jewish people during World War II. The world expressed shock and disbelief when the atrocities committed in the concentration camps were discovered. Jewish people were killed in mass shooting operations, through deliberate privation of food and water, through brutal treatment and the gas chambers. Compare the plight of the Jewish people then to the plight of the people in Gaza today. There are roughly two million people crammed onto a narrow strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea that are prohibited from leaving the area. Food and medical ...

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Gold Dome Bridge to Nowhere

The “Star Wars Dome” Proposal Prioritizes Illusion Over Fiscal Reality While national defense is vital, the proposed continental missile shield—dubbed a “Star Wars Dome”—ignores practical and economic realities. Israel’s Iron Dome system protects a nation smaller than New Jersey (8,469 square miles), while scaling such technology to cover the continental U.S. (3.8 million square miles) would require staggering investments in infrastructure, maintenance, and iterative upgrades. Even if technically feasible, the system would likely be obsolete by deployment ...

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Jalisco and the Refugee Crisis

  Jalisco state in Mexico rings in the ears with mariachi music and brightly dressed dancers twirling, while onlookers toast glasses of tequila.  Both this iconic music and the even more iconic drink fermented and distilled from the blue agave are said to have been born there.  Nat King Cole and Elvis sang the praises of Guadalajara, Jalisco's capital, and the beaches of Puerto Vallarata will undoubtedly tickle the memory circuits of many folks from Central Wisconsin.  Colorful and inspiring, Jalisco is also home to one of Mexico's  brutal drug cartels and ...

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RETURN OF THE ROBBER BARONS 3.0

THE POLITICIAN WILL HAVE TO DISGUISE HIMSELF Non-Partisan Leader Cartoon 1917 https://digitalhorizonsonline.org/digital/collection/ndsu-npl/id/45/rec/68 North Dakota State University Archives The Non-Partisan League was formed by the farmers of N.D. because neither the Republicans nor the Democrats of that time were serving their interests. The League would go on to establish the public Bank of North Dakota in 1919 which serves the people of N.D. to this day.   Americans are frightened and appalled by the current assault on traditional federal ...

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A WAR CORESPONDENT

Those of us born in the 1940’s and 50’s well remember the Cuban missile crisis when the Soviet Union placed missiles in Cuba that were minutes from destroying Washington DC and other major US cities. And we all remember President Kennedy’s speech to the American people telling us that the Soviet Union meant no harm and was just defending itself from American aggression and that Cuba was a sovereign nation and had every right to allow Russia to place missiles on its soil. There was nothing to worry about.   Of course, we all know exactly the opposite ...

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