And you thought you could relax this month? In the August 8th edition of the Wall Street Journal, Andrew Roberts writes, "What is it about the month of August? Why should we still persist in regarding it as a quiet time–with Congress in recess, business slowed down, and people on holiday–when so many world-historical events take place in this month?" Is it the copycat effect? (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this show).
It’s a major month for war, and he lists some of the conflicts that began in August: World War I (August 4, 1914) Hitler invaded Poland (August 31st, 1939) Bombs dropped on Hiroshima (August, 1945) Vietnam War began (August, 1964) Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia, August , 1968) Invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein (August, 1990)
Other August conflicts: The Berlin Wall was built in August, 1961 and Nelson Mandela was arrested in August, 1962. China’s Cultural Revolution began in August of 1966.
Did the invaders think that their opponents would be caught napping? Roberts has a theory about this. He writes: "(An) explanation might be that principal political decision-makers often take vacations in August, leaving less competent lieutenants in control." For instance, "When Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev went on holiday in August, 1991, he found that the people he left behind in Moscow were so incompetent that they failed to detect a full-scale coup growing."
If YOU want to have a GOOD TIME this summer, take your e-book reader out to your hammock and download Transformation (the sequel to Whitley Strieber’s Communion) or his wonderful novel The Secret of Orenda (which is getting GREAT reviews and has NEVER been published before!)
Heading for the beach? Be sure to take your tote (subscribers have a coupon that gives them $3 off!)
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