Category: history

The recent “no-fly” zone has proved that Nato is not needed. In the case of Germany and Turkey’s apparent objections, it seems that Nato was not even heeded.

Nato is a relic of the Cold War. It serves to annoy China and Russia, two countries who feel targeted by it. It is nothing more than a bunch of red tape, at worst, and a dangerous blade at the best.

Machiavelli stated that forts provoke attack. Homer, the writer of the Odessy, stated that the unsheathed blade provokes like nothing else.

That’s not saying that having a military will always draw a nation into war, even though some of the founders feared that. Having a permanent military alliance, however, with all its expensive red tape, will cause problems.

In times of economic crisis, when the military is under threat of cuts, many strategist naturally fear losing their jobs. They are hard at work proving that they are needed. Big, long wars tend to start in times of threatened budget cuts.

This crisis can be dealt with by the EU, the Arab League, and the United States. When I first heard of the UN resolution, I was hoping that the Arab league would sort it out.

The Russian and Chinese objections are nothing new. That’s an old habit of theirs to pretend that they don’t interfere in other countries’ internal affairs. I guess Warsaw pact, the invasion of Tibet, the civil war in Angola and Mozambique, terrorism in South Africa and the Korean War, among others, never happened. Oh, and No Chinese troops are outside of China, no Russian troops outside of Russia. If you believe that, I have a bridge I’d like to sell you…

Nato gives them an excuse, however, to kick up a fuss. Nato supposedly exists to get rid of the Russian empire, or to get rid of communism. It doesn’t exist to protect civilians against Gadaffi. But in reality, it’s just a jobs program for a bunch of bureaucrats who like to think of themselves as strategists.

The UN didn’t need Nato to call the no-fly zone. (And the strikes didn’t start when they did because of Nato either. They started because of the French election.) Nato needs to be disbanded. It’s getting in the way of an intelligent defence policy, and it’s getting in the way of co-operation between the northern and southern (such as Berber) powers of the Western World.

I’d still like to see the Arab League take a leading role in defending civilians, or at least see another North African country get involved. It was inspiring to see the conflicts in other countries resolve with so little bloodshed.

In October, I had no idea what was going to happen in North Africa.  Yet, I felt drawn to write a history of the “Barbary pirates.” I didn’t yet realize what would happen this year, nor did I know that Hollywood was already working on a film on that subject.

The first time I remember hearing any details about “Tripoli” was on board an old American ship, which was turned into a museum.  I think it was the Constitution.  I was just a school kid who might have seen a few pirate movies and heard a we war stories from elderly relatives.

My godmother was the first female conductor of the US navy.  But there were so many other naval battles, why is “Tripoli” still remembered?

Continue reading Why is Tripoli so popular with historians?

Today, in 1804, Stephen Decatur led a small band in a ketch to destroy a warship.  Horatio Nelson is said to have called it “the most bold and daring act of the age.”

Well, I can’t verify Nelson having said that, but if he did then he was blockading Toulon at the time.

What we can verify is that the USS Philadelphia wasn’t really captured in the first place, it got stuck on a coral reef and it’s captain surrendered.  It’s Captain, William Bainbridge, is repeatedly quoted as having been a large man, six foot tall and heavily built, who also surrendered to the French.

Commodore Preble (the US didn’t have admirals at the time, the word seemed too aristocratic) said that it would have been more honorable if the crew had vowed to die fighting.  He concluded that courage might have saved them.

Well, Stephen Decatur was the kind of man who would die fighting.

Supposedly, a film is under way about the Tripolitan War, to be directed by Ridley Scott.  Will it be about Decatur?  Or about Eaton?  Will it feature the burning of the Philadelphia?

There are so many great scenes in that war that play in my head like a film.  Personally, if I were making it though, I wouldn’t chose Scott.  I’d chose an American director, and one who likes to read screenplays.

I loved Gladiator and other films by Scott, but they were very stylised.  I think Decatur would benefit more from a literalist, like Speilburg (or Hitchcock if it had to be a Brit).

So, what did Decatur do at the Philadelphia?  Well, that’s another story.

Anyway, I think Bruce Willis should play Eaton, or maybe Vin Diesel.  They have that same kind of attitude, without being too large to be believable.

For Decatur?  We need casting.  Russel Crowe is far too old, so are most of the stars out there.

And for the music?  “Stuck in the mud” would work for the capture.  “The Roof is on fire” for the destruction.  If you want an old timer, Tina Turner’s music might work.