“Is not the present after all in large measure the prisoner of a past that obstinately survives, and the past with its rules, its differences and similarities, the indispensable key to any serious understanding of the present?” – Fernand Braudel, The Perspective of the World: Civilization and Capitalism 15Th-18th Century, Vol. 3
“Liberalism is trust of the people tempered by prudence. Conservatism is distrust of the people tempered by fear.” – William E. Gladstone
I’ve been referred to as the mouth of truth (“La Bocca della Verità“). That has gotten me into trouble too many times in my life but, heck, you can’t be silent when the country is dominated by idiots that wrap themselves in the flag.
The Day’s Rant will provide a long view of political and social events. Periodically I will comment on the news du jour but that is not the main focus. I want to understand the larger historical and social patterns that affect current events.
Jeff Siegel
