History: The Year is 1884

I've uploaded year 1884 to the TSP Wiki...

http://tspwiki.com/index.php?title=1884

Here are some one liners...


The Fabian Society's Incremental Socialism -- Socialism needs a middle ground between violence and passive resistance. The Fabian Society is incremental, disguising the wolf in sheep's clothing.

The Battle for the Bottom -- It's the US Presidential elections and neither of these guys is good, but they are bad in different ways.

The Battle for North Vietnam -- France has invaded North Vietnam but they can't hold it. Sound familiar?

In Other News -- Huckleberry Finn, the steam turbine, and the Washington Monument.

The Fabian Society's Incremental Socialism

The socialist movement is split between violence and passive resistance. The nihilists engage in violent revolution because it is in man's nature to fight and in nihilism nothing is really good or bad, so blowing people up is just inconvenient. (WHAT?!) Count Tolstoy is a Russian aristocrat who advocates socialist passive resistance. His appeals are respectfully ignored. That leaves the middle ground: an incremental march toward socialism. The Fabian Society has formed in London for this purpose. Their coat of arms is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Their stained-glass window pictures a hammer and tongs in the hands of the Fabians as they beat on the Earth until it burns red. The motto etched into the glass reads, "Remould It Nearer to the Hearts Desire". Their arguments sound sensible at first. Nothing too alarming. Their goal is to beat down society bit-by-bit until it accepts REAL socialism. ^[1]

"Socialism means equality of income or nothing, and that under Socialism you would not be allowed to be poor. You would be forcibly fed. clothed, lodged, taught, and employed whether you liked it or not. If it were discovered that you had not character and industry enough to be worth all this trouble, you might possibly be executed in a kindly manner; but whilst you were permitted to live you would have to live well."

-- "The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism" by George Bernard Shaw who joined the Fabian Society in 1884. ^[2]

My Take by Alex Shrugged
Today most young people think that "socialism" is what you do on Facebook and Twitter, but a little over 100 years ago it meant the kindly and manageable release of undesirables and social misfits from the burden of their lives. ([Click here]) Hitler's idea of blending eugenics with socialism led to the death of millions and cast suspicion on family connections... as if there was an anti-socialism gene. In the modern day, people think that the UK represents socialism, but it is socialism-lite: Less money, equal misery and no shooting people in the head.... officially, that is. I've mentioned this before, but in 2010, Fabian Socialist Virginia Ironside was promoting the murder of handicapped children by smothering them in their cribs.... for the good of the child... you see. ([Click Here]) It is a nightmare on the installment plan. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

The Battle for the Bottom

The US Presidential campaign has turned into a war of insults and accusations that have the virtue of being true. What other virtues the campaign had is a mystery. The Republican candidate is James Blaine... a swell guy who will gladly sell his vote to you... for the right price. (About 1.2 million in 2010 dollars. Pocket change.) The Mulligan Letters are found in an old book and scrawled across the bottom are the damning words, "Burn this letter!" The chant goes up, "Burn, burn, burn this letter!" Grover Cleveland is the Democrat contender. He is the "honest as George Washington" candidate... until it is revealed that he fathered an illegitimate child. He admits that he paid support for the child, but he is NOT the father. He says he was covering for his married friend since Cleveland is a bachelor. He did the honorable thing as any good man would. (WHAT!?) The cry goes up from Republicans, "Ma, Ma, Where's my Pa?" At this point the Republican candidate probably would have won if it hadn't been for an unfortunate remark by one of his spokesmen who said that Democrats were engaged in rebellion, drunkenness and "Romanism" meaning CATHOLICISM! Angry New York Catholics show up at the polls and 1,000 votes tip the state for Grover Cleavland. Democrats win the race to the bottom! ^[7]

My Take by Alex Shrugged
Make your own connections to the current Presidential elections. There was no good choice or "lesser of two evils". Both candidates were questionable but in different ways. The win for the Democrats broke the 6 election losing streak.... the worst in US history. President Grover Cleavland went on to ignore the spoils system (mostly), leaving Republicans in their positions if they were doing a good job. He vetoed pensions for the military and the non-military disabled. When Texas was ravaged by drought he vetoed a bill appropriating money to buy seed for Texas farmers. With the Federal government well into the black he tried to lower taxes. He modernize the military for defense, but refused to intervene overseas. On the creepy side, he married his friend's daughter and the USA had a 21 year-old First Lady, the youngest in history. The people were OK with it.... but I think he DID have sex with that OTHER woman. ^{[8] [9]}

The Battle for North Vietnam

I have to mention this. France has found the resources of North Vietnam irresistible, and they see a way to trade with the Chinese covertly by sending merchants up the Red River to avoid the normal Chinese customs agents. Unfortunately the same river is crawling with pirates. To solve this and many other problems, troops have been allocated to the local French Commandant for merchant escort duty and protection. That would make sense if that is what he used them for. Instead he decides to invade North Vietnam and take Hanoi. But he doesn't have enough troops to HOLD Hanoi. The French become extremely disruptive to Vietnam and Taiwan and mainland China. While many of the Vietnamese collaborators are making money hand-over-fist, the consensus is that the French should take a hike. This is the Tonkin War. As you might guess, it will end in a draw with everyone claiming victory... and then the folks back home in France disavowing everything. It becomes a real mess and the Vietnamese people are disrupted to the point where the French, in their attempt to drag Vietnam into modern era, actually cause it to slide back. It's a lose-lose for everyone, but France will not give it up until the United States decides to lend a hand some time after World War 2. ^{[10] [11] [12] [13] [14]}

In Other News

• Mark Twain publishes "Huckleberry Finn". Critics will count it as his best work because he has taken the time to do it right. It illustrates to an uncomfortable degree the racism of yesteryear. It is still worth reading. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

• Sir Charles Parsons invents a practical steam turbine engine. The previous steam turbine over-stressed 19th century materials, so Parsons split the steam into multi-ganged sections and reduced the energy hitting any single blade. ^[15]

• The Washington Monument is completed. It was supposed to be several columns but they ran out of money. Once the outside was done, it took several years to build the inside ironwork and to touch up everything. ^[18]

This Year in Wikipedia

Year 1884, Wikipedia.