Archive for October 2015

Pope Francis lands at Andrews AFB The most recent major Italian “Invasion” of America, entirely friendly and widely welcomed, was launched this week by Pope Francis as he clambered down his Alitalia jet at Andrews Air Force Base.  Some may object that Pope Francis is Argentine and that is true.  But he is also deeply…

Was Napoleon Italian? Napoleon crossing the Alps The Duke of Wellington, Napoleon’s nemesis, famously said, “Being born in a stable does not make one a horse.”  Wellington was a phlegmatic Englishman who insisted that being born in Dublin, Ireland in 1769 did not make him an Irish “anchor” baby. Wellington’s maxim applies equally to Napoleon…

12 Caesars Suetonius dishes the dirt on old Rome Making the Case for Limited Government Suetonius’ Twelve Caesars (www.amzn.com/0140455167) belongs on the short list of books designed to bring active minds closer to the founding principles of Conservatism (along with Voltaire’s Candide on the error of Utopian socialism…http://americanconservativeinlondon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/voltaire-conservative-of-enlightenment.html and Orwell’s Animal Farm on the nature of political extremism…http://americanconservativeinlondon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/animal-farm.html).…

Two Columbus Myths Columbus and Queen Isabella Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA Our historical view of Christopher Columbus is conditioned by two competing mythologies. According to the first myth, Columbus was a heroic Italian explorer who sailed the ocean blue in 1492 and discovered America.  His first voyage to the New World was funded by the…

Italy’s Air Force Readers may be forgiven for believing that the Italian Air Force is simply a line of clothing created by the rag trade (http://www.aeronauticamilitareofficialstore.it/en/?redirect=1).  In fact, Italians took to the air with the dawn of aviation and Italian military aviation has had a remarkable history. Just consider the following… Caproni Ca.20 Monoplane World’s…