November 11

1918 - Armistice Day: Fighting in World War I came to an end with the signing of an armistice between the Allies and Germany.

After four brutal years, WWI ended on the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month."

So, what did WWI accomplish? It:
1. Destroyed the 'old order of things' (especially in Germany, Russia, Austria, and Turkey)...Which has had massive consequences.
2. Ushered in the advent of the Communist Hell State...Starting with Russia.
3. Saw the beginning of America's international influence on a large scale.
4. Was the beginning of total, unrestricted warfare...Involving civilians as participants and casualties in exponential numbers.
5. Resulted in the death of over 15,000,000 people (8.6 million military, and 6.4 million civilians).
6. Created a perfect petri-dish for the 1918-19 Spanish Flu, which killed over 20,000,000 people.
7. Ended without a clear-cut victor...Germany wasn't 'defeated,' and hardly lost a battle on German soil.

Of all the disasters of WWI, it is the last one which cost humanity the most.

Germany quit the war, but wasn't defeated, and many Germans at the time believed they should resume the battle as soon as they could to reestablish their historic place in the world...And to put an end to the unreasonable reparations forced on them, which killed the German economy.

As a result, what WWI really accomplished was:
1. The founding of Leninim/Stalinism.
2. The founding of Nazism.
3. The resumption of WWI with an even greater and more horrific evil in WWII.

So, we must recognize and honor the end of WWI, but also should look back with disdain on those who didn't bring it to a proper end...Which caused the Armistice to be nothing but a cease-fire between 1918 and 1937-in-Asia/1939-in-Europe.

1215 - The Fourth Lateran Council was convened by Pope Innocent III.

It was here that the Church first defined 'transubstantiation': The Eucharist changing invisibly into the body (bread) and blood (wine) of Christ.

The Council also attempted to define papal primacy over secular leaders, which had been, and continued to be, a huge problem between the various European kings and the Pope.

On a side note, the Council also determined Jews and Muslims should wear clothes to enable them to be distinguished from Christians...Very nice.

1620 - The Mayflower Compact was signed: An agreement by 41 Pilgrims calling for a "body politick” designed to guarantee "just and equal" laws.

The Pilgrims felt they landed in a world outside that owned by the London Company, therefore they were outside the reach of British rule...They soon found this wasn't the case in the eyes of the British crown, though.

The importance of the Compact is it provided for the basis of all governments in what eventually became the thirteen American colonies.

1921 - President Harding dedicated the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

1923 - The Eternal Flame was lit at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

I hope you will someday be able to visit this amazing site...There have been few moments in my life more powerful than the two days I spent at Arlington, and even fewer than the time I spent at the Tomb.

1972 - The U.S. Army turned over its base at Long Bihn to the South Vietnamese army, symbolizing the end of direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War.

In other words, we turned tail and left the South Vietnamese to be slaughtered by their northern brothers.

"It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it." - General Douglas MacArthur

1992 - Russian President Boris Yeltsin told U.S. senators in a letter that Americans had been held in prison camps after World War II and some were "summarily executed," but that others were still living in his country voluntarily.

No one should be shocked by this statement, but not being shocked doesn't take away the sting of its reality.

1995 - The European Union's 15 member-states decided to pull their envoys out of Lagos to show their anger at Nigeria's execution of human rights leaders.

I'm sure the Nigerians were really upset by this action...Scared, too.

1998 - President Clinton ordered warships, planes and troops to the Persian Gulf as he laid out his case for a possible attack on Iraq. Iraq, meanwhile, showed no sign of backing down from its refusal to deal with U.N. weapons inspectors.

Clinton should have taken care of this problem during his administration, but didn't have the testicular fortitude to do it...Instead he 'spoke loudly, and carried a wiffle-ball bat.'

Keep this in mind the next time you think about voting for a peacenick Commander-in-Chief.

Question: I thought Billy and his Democrat pals have been saying there was no need to worry about Iraq? Hmmmmmm.

2004 - Yasir Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, died in Paris.

HAPPY YASIR's DEAD DAY!!! WoooooooooooooHoooooooooooo!

Good riddance to dead murderers...I hope he suffered terribly, and wish it lasted longer.

I also hope he's getting his '72 Virgins' in Allahville...Of course, I'm of the opinion the 72 are gorillas, and they do the devirginizing.