On This Day In History Dec 22 – Dreyfus Shows Why Not To Trust Governments

History has lessons and echoes for us. For example, from Dec 22:

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]In 1894, French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of treason in a court-martial that triggered worldwide charges of anti-Semitism.[/perfectpullquote]

Put not your trust in governments in the grip of collective delusions. Actually, put not your trust in governments perhaps.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]In 1989, Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu, the last of Eastern Europe’s hard-line Communist rulers, was toppled from power in a popular uprising.[/perfectpullquote]

Possibly, how to deal with governments that aren’t to be trusted. Although machine gunning might be thought a tad extreme these days.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]In 2001, Hamid Karzai was sworn in as prime minister of Afghanistan’s interim government.[/perfectpullquote]

That government worked well, didn’t it?

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The president of Guinea, Lansana Conte, died nearly a quarter of a century after seizing power in a coup; he was believed to be in his 70s.[/perfectpullquote]

Ahem.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]1958 – France — General Charles de Gaulle
General Charles de Gaulle is elected President of France with a large majority.[/perfectpullquote]

Well……it’s not all bad though, today’s the day that Chipmunk Song reached number 1

And the world’s first crossword was published:

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]1913 – U.S.A. — First Cross Word Puzzle
1913 : The first crossword puzzle was published, which was created by Arthur Wynne, a Liverpool journalist, and published as a “word-cross” puzzle in the New York World[/perfectpullquote]
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Tim Worstall

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  • "Well it's not all bad" presumably refers to the election of De Gaulle who kept us out of the EEC as well as starting decolonisation of French Africa despite numerous assassination attempts.

    How many Heads of State have resigned, with honour, twice? (I am not including mere PMs like Churchill, Gladstone and Disraeli, and Sihanouk's second was not with honour.)

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