Save One Life, Save the World?

An extraordinary feel-good movie, One Life, about how one "ordinary" British man, Nicholas Winton, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, saved 669 Jewish children in Czechoslovakia from the Holocaust in 1939, is now streaming in the U.S. It does, unintentionally, raise uncomfortable questions as to what humanitarians can do to save the lives of the children of …

NATO’s 75th Anniversary: It Has Helped Stabilize Europe. Clifton Truman Daniel Recalls His Grandfather’s Momentous Act

If NATO existed in 1914 and 1939, European nations, Britain, and the U.S. abided by a collective security treaty -- that an attack on one of them would be treated as an attack on them all -- World War I and World War II would have been prevented, President Harry Truman contended. Indeed, since NATO …

Americans Are Taking Over Europe

Into Europe: Americans are moving to Europe, and turning the US into a country of emigration. 0:00 Introduction 1:25 1-Americans Are Emigrating 2:17 Sponsored Segment 3:26 2-How Many Americans Are Emigrating? 5:32 3-European Countries Want Americans 8:02 4-A Silver Bullet for Ageing Europe? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKGmveMKEWE&t=52s

What Has Happened to Hungary and Viktor Orban??

What the heck has happened to Hungary?? Its Prime Minister Viktor Orban is now allied with Russia's Vladimir Putin to spread worldwide authoritarianism?? He calls for Ukraine's surrender and says if Donald Trump is elected, the U.S. won't give Ukraine "a penny." I visited Hungary in 2016, and it seemed so proud of its long …

Why Did Europe Dominate the World?

Three different theories on how Europeans came to dominate the world between the 1500s and the 1700s through the 20th century are explored in three short videos posted on my Substack. Click.

Honor and Shame in Western and Eastern Cultures Are Handled Differently

One cultural generalization is that Western and Eastern, or Asian. perspectives on honor, shame, guilt, innocence, and fear are different. Westerners tend to believe in transparency, full disclosure, publicly reporting on conflicts, and “telling it like it is,” even if embarrassment is the result. Honesty is a high value in Western cultures. It is the …

Why Slender Threads?

A 10-minute podcast in which I explain the rationale behind this blog and accompanying Substack on the Slender Threads of history -- global, national and personal. Click to listen: https://jimbuie.substack.com/p/podcast-6-why-slender-threads

Art Movements: A Brief History in 23 Minutes

Behind the Masterpiece: This YouTube.com channel "is an effort to discuss art without intimidation, narrating captivating stories and offering insights into why certain works have endured throughout history. I am an art history enthusiast and it is my honor to offer deep dives into the world's most recognizable pieces, explaining artistic style, movements, the time …

Rules-Based International Order Is Under Attack in Ukraine, Middle East

After World War II, in order to prevent another world cataclysm, countries banded together to create a rules-based international order, a way to resolve international disputes, prevent territorial wars, and end or at least reduce unlimited slaughter. These rules have by no means been perfect, but a series of agreements -- the United Nations Charter, …

Are Filipinos Hispanic?

Reading the twisted history of race in America, I wonder what my grandson, who is Filipino-American but at eight just likes to call himself American, will identify on his census and other forms as his racial identity when he is of age: Asian, Hispanic, Caucasian, of Northern European ancestry, or mixed race? He is of …