History
Nuclear War Scenarios
(one of two in a series)
“The likelihood of a nuclear catastrophe is greater today than during the cold war, and the public is completely unaware of the danger.” Former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry
This year is the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Most Americans, if they think about the issue at all, probably think the threat of nuclear war ended with the break up of the Soviet Union. They believe peace through strength, mutually assured destruction (MAD) and deterrence worked. Nuclear war was avoided and America won the ...
Abolishing Nuclear War
“Nuclear weapons do not provide security. They are instruments of mass suffering. Preventing nuclear war is a public health imperative.” Physicians for Social Responsibility
We can abolishing nuclear weapons. It is a realistic, achievable goal. It is not a Utopian fantasy. But people must demand the United States change course and join the worldwide effort to abolish them. The politicians will not act unless pressured by people.
We know what needs to be done. We know why it must be done. We know how it can be done. We have the blueprints to make it happen. We ...
Silence is Consent
“He was very emaciated. He had no shoes on, his pants were tattered, he had a kind of a rope or string holding his pants up. Filthy. Probably hasn’t bathed in months, probably hasn’t eaten in days...”
“He puts out his hand, and so I beckoned him to come to me. I said, ‘Come here.’ And he reaches out and he holds my hand, and he kisses my hand and he says, ‘Shukran' (thank you).
He “didn’t make it home. He walked 12 kilometers to get some food, picked up scraps off the ground cause that’s all that was left...and when he left, he was killed by the ...
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.
...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...