Been a bit quiet lately, due to a mix of Real Life and Football*. The latter is clearly not part of the former, but it is sent to test us just in case Real Life isn't doing its job properly.**
I've always thought History was important. I'm probably biased in that, because I enjoy it as a subject, as I'm confident, so do you. However, this article argues, cogently, that it is even more important and immediate and vital than I'd given it credit for. And the US Department of Defense [sic.] seems to agree as it employs 300 PhD qualified historians at any one time!
https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/03/10/the-history-crisis-is-a-national-security-problem/
That is a staggering statistic. If I had to have a stab at a number, before reading the article, I'd say that the UK equivalent would be 1/2 dozen at most. Even after reading, I'd be in the low double digits. Anyway, plaudits to the US DoD.
* I've managed to attend 2 Grimsby games, and watch one on line in the last 8 days, and I should be at another on Saturday, due to the fixture computer throwing up 3 London/S.East games in 2 weeks. Last Saturday at Sutton United, was particularly pleasurable due to seeing MANY friends and acquaintances, both new and old. Some folk I know well or quite well and like, some I know quite well and don't particularly like, some I hardly know but they seem pleasant, others are just folk on 'nodding terms' (no idea of each other's names but we recognise each other). 'Mr Michael' (father of a buddy) was there with his fast growing grandsons. Also rewarding was seeing one of our loose collective of south east exiles (himself the son of an exile, never having lived in Grimsby) with his small son and friends. The ground being a bus journey away, it was easy to get them there. Apparently the boys, with no connection to Grimsby, love coming to these games because they have a sense of freedom that they can't get at say, Chelsea or Arsenal, even if they can get hold of £££ tickets. They were having a grand old time stood at the front by the barrier, chanting along with the crowd, slapping the goalscorer's hand as he ran past in celebration. Old school! This speaks of a desire to be part of a community. In the metropolis it is easy to feel unconnected.
** I mean, how is this a penalty to the yellow team?!
https://twitter.com/jamrobertspics/status/1766513065426592026?s=12&t=FTPg9pGSHEJC1fkAgEJiZQ
You have been quiet. I expected to see you refighting Kesselsdorf by now.
ReplyDeleteMea culpa. When I’ve had my days out I feel duty bound to give the Margravina my attention.
DeleteAs you should to maintain harmony.
DeleteI have long maintained that in order to prosecute war when he needs to, a prince must take care to keep domestic strife to a minimum. 😉
DeleteChris
The number looks really big until you consider the fact that many of them teach as faculty at our service academies, senior staff colleges, and service command and general staff colleges of which there are many.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a Lieutenant, one of my collateral duties was "battalion historian " during our deployment to Iraq in 2003. I interviewed quite a few of the historians from the US Center for Military History to better understand and do my job. I kept detailed notes and logbooks in between doing "my real job" and thought I would be writing a detailed history of our battalion at war.
In the end, all they wanted the "historian" to do was fill out our meritorious unit citation application (4 pages). Lol.
I still have all those notes and scribblings...
Glad to get your input on this one Steve as you have direct experience. I know the US military is much much bigger, but I can’t imagine the UK employing proportionately similar numbers. Possibly to our detriment. Would love to know what the number is.
DeleteWould you ever write up your notes or is that verboten?
Chris
I could as nothing I wrote down was classified. It was all just comings and goings, operstions we took part in, and reflections afterwards. I should fish them out of the attic.
DeleteI guess it would be interesting to look back on at some point. And useful for anyone doing a unit history of that campaign, or personal memoir to check against.
DeleteChris
Well done Chris. Your Grimsby watching is almost on a par with Mr Freitags online gaming...quite a notable achievement!
ReplyDeleteAh, but Mr F keeps it up week after week. This is a blip.
DeleteChris
If history is so important, it is a shame that its lessons are so often ignored or forgotten by those who make policy.
ReplyDeleteIndeed.
DeleteIn partial mitigation, politicians could argue that history keeps changing. Historians keep coming out with new takes as new evidence emerges or views of the same evidence changes.
Chris
I just wish our leaders and at times those in the military, took more notice of history, when relating to certain areas, conflicts etc. One reason that the former Afghan leader, Mohammed Karzai, was unpopular at home, was that he came from the same tribe/clan as one of his predecessors installed by the British in the 19thC. So a bit of research would have suggested it might be wise to choose someone else...
ReplyDeleteThat’s a very good point. Has the FO lost all that institutional memory or were they overruled by the senior coalition partner?
DeleteIf NATO had taken notice of history they probably wouldn’t have tried to stay there either, and stick to punishment raids.
Being mostly Ulster Irish ( both teams) an interest in history goes with the territory, biased and probably misinformed at times especially when my brother decided to join the army of occupation and ended up stopping various cousins in South Armagh while other members of the family conspired to kill him! All a matter of perspective of course!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain caveadsum1471
Had similar tales from a pal who had friends on both sides.
DeleteChris
Thanks for the link to the article. The tenet is the call for more funding and valuing of history from K (or at least primary) to university. There is a similar swing away from Humanities here in Oz, driven by having graduates 'job ready'. What a stupid phuckin' expression. Under this mis-guided pretext this has seen an increase in funding and focus on so called 'stem' subjects (highly desirable) at the expense of humanities (not at all desirable). ALL knowledge is important if we are to have a broad and deep society and civilisation.
ReplyDeleteThen there is the general under-valuing of any sort of expertise and considered, researched and studied knowledge over simple popularity and point-of-view. Fortunately, I don't think it is as bad as portrayed. The noise and chatter in on-line echo chambers is not the main stream. As an example, objective, evidence-based science was generally the dominant driver of decision-making during covid, but we need to be aware and alert to the stupid idea that an entitlement to an opinion and respectful voicing of same means that all opinions have equal merit .
Regards, James
Hi James, thanks for your comment. I couldn’t agree more. I don’t know the position on STEM vs Humanities over here in Blighty. The common view in the media (no doubt written predominantly by humanities/arts graduates) is that we have too much of the latter and not enough of the former. I found myself nodding along with everything you said.
DeleteChris