Author: Vasco de Sousa

bookmark_borderWell, who should play Ronald Reagan?

Posted on by Vasco de Sousa

While some see President Reagan as the man who won the cold war, others remember him as having changed the economy at home.  Some might paint him as a kind of Scrooge, the character so well portrayed by Michael Caine (or, to keep in the Reagan Era,  very un-Reagan-like actors Bill Murray or George C. Scott.)

But President Reagan wasn’t all about war and money.  He was one of the most charming Presidents in the 20th century, far more charming than many actors are off the set. Continue reading “Well, who should play Ronald Reagan?”

bookmark_borderMelting hearts to bring down a wall of ice

Posted on by Vasco de Sousa

Whatever happened in Iran Contra, that didn’t win the cold war.

The Berlin Wall didn’t come down until after Reagan left office, but most of us knew that the fall of communism was just a matter of time. By the end of Reagan’s presidency, Perestroika, Glasnost, and sympathetic soviet characters in children’s cartoons showed us that we no longer saw the Red Peril as a serious threat. Continue reading “Melting hearts to bring down a wall of ice”

bookmark_borderBreaking News: Chinese Rebels capture Beijing – November 6, ’11

Posted on by Vasco de Sousa

Hong kong Nov. 6  “There was an extroardinary outburst of enthusiasm here today when a report came from Shanghai that the native city of Pekin [Beijing] had been captured by the Rebels.” The Washington Herald reports. “Rebel flags appeared everywhere.”

Rebel Flag in China
Flag of the Chinese rebel uprising

The rebels also captured Zhenjiang, apparently peacefully. “There was no disorder.” And in Shanghai, a section of Admiral’s fleet hoisted the rebel flag. Continue reading “Breaking News: Chinese Rebels capture Beijing – November 6, ’11”

bookmark_borderHeads will roll

Posted on by Vasco de Sousa

On November 3, 1798 six men were beheaded in Cairo, on the orders of General Napoleon Bonaparte.  They lost their heads only months after General Bonaparte landed “The Army of Egypt” to liberate the Egyptian people from the terror of the Mameluke Beys. Now, Napoleon was seen by many as the Mameluke.

So, what happened since June?

Continue reading “Heads will roll”

bookmark_borderDo we know the Truth about Reagan?

Posted on by Vasco de Sousa

Last time, we remembered the birth of a Homicidal Robot called The Terminator, a personification of the fears in nineteen eighties.

Whether a metallic robot or an action hero, Arnold “Arnie” Schwarzenegger played characters with tough little sayings. Arnie could make a cliché cool, but it was all about getting straight to the point. While President Ronald “Ronnie” Reagan “did not recall” what happened in the Iran Contra Affair, Arnie would later pulled out of his mess on Mars with Total Recall. Continue reading “Do we know the Truth about Reagan?”

bookmark_borderThomas Jefferson seen through Canadian eyes

Posted on by Vasco de Sousa

“Economics and reason alone do not rule history.” says Reginald C Stuart in The Halfway Pacifist.

Reginald C. Stuart may present Thomas Jefferson as an idealistic dreamer who is out of touch with human nature, an “Anglophobe” and even a “fatherly” despot, but one gets the feeling that Stuart likes Jefferson despite everything.

Jefferson on the Canadian flag
Thomas Jefferson

Continue reading “Thomas Jefferson seen through Canadian eyes”

bookmark_borderDid Jefferson support a Balanced Budget amendment?

Posted on by Vasco de Sousa

Back in 1997, when a Balanced Budget amendment was put forth by the US Senate, the Committee on the Judiciary quoted Thomas Jefferson almost from the start.

Towards the top of Senator Orrin Hatch’s report it affirms that “the public debt is one of the greatest dangers to be feared by a republican government.”

On September 3 this year, another politician claimed that Jefferson saw a balanced budget amendment as the solution, and his aids had the quote to prove it.

Continue reading “Did Jefferson support a Balanced Budget amendment?”

bookmark_borderTen great British history films.

Posted on by Vasco de Sousa

On screenjunkies.com, Honora James made a list of the top ten “English historical movies”, whatever that means.  Not only did Honora list a flick about a Scot as the top “English movie”, but she left out a few of the treasures that show the Sceptred Isle in its true splendor.

So, I’ve made my own list of great motion pictures that tell us about the history of Britain. Continue reading “Ten great British history films.”