– H.W. van Loon Commentary – Reigns Of Terror – March 18, 1938 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
While people attempt to make sense out of the events this past week in Paris and Beirut and other parts of the world where terrorism is alive or waiting, here is a reminder that the madness has always been with us to a certain degree.
A commentary from the Historian, journalist and author Hendrik Willem van Loon, who had a weekly program over the Blue Network in the 1930s. Van Loon, through means of storytelling, and historic perspective, puts what was going on in 1938 – the eve of War, the threat of Germany – the Spanish Civil War – the rise of Fascism and the invasion of Ethiopia as part of an ongoing insanity slowly taking over the world then. The blind fanaticism – comparing it to the days following the French Revolution.
It makes for interesting listening – maybe no comfort in light of the current events, but at least some understanding that what we are going through now, with extremist groups and blind devotion to distorted ideals, is something that has been part of our culture for a very long time – perhaps even part of our DNA.
In any event – here is that commentary from H.W. van Loon from March 18, 1938 – called Reigns Of Terror.
