Business Casual
Published 14 Sep 2018Thanks to Cheddar for sponsoring this episode! Check out their video on the iconic ad campaign that saved Old Spice here: https://chdr.tv/youtu8b4a6
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Jabzy
Published 25 Apr 2015First, Second and Third Anglo-Dutch Wars. I left out the Fourth War because it really wasn’t connected to the previous 3.
Also – I hope you don’t mind I used ‘Netherlands’ throughout the video despite the fact the term didn’t come until much later.
World War Two
Published 5 Jun 2020The SS are the elite force of the Third Reich, representing everything good about the German race. But half of them will one day be foreign-born non-Germans. How did this happen?
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Or join The TimeGhost Army directly at: https://timeghost.tvFollow WW2 day by day on Instagram @World_war_two_realtime https://www.instagram.com/world_war_t…
Between 2 Wars: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…
Source list: http://bit.ly/WW2sourcesHosted by: Spartacus Olsson
Written by: Francis van Berkel
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Francis van Berkel
Edited by: Mikołaj Cackowski
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Map animations: Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)Colorizations by:
Dememorabilia – https://www.instagram.com/dememorabilia/Sources:
Bundesarchiv
Riksarkivet, image no. Fo30141711140064, Fo30141711140100_67, Fo30141711140102, Fo30141711140092
National Museum of Denmark
National Archives of Denmark
National Library of Norway
Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe
USHMM
from the Noun Project: Glasses by Yeong Rong Kim, Smile by The Icon Z, family tree by Kid KitaroSoundtracks from the Epidemic Sound:
Johannes Bornlof – “The Inspector 4”
Philip Ayers – “Trapped in a Maze”
Reynard Seidel – “Deflection”
Johannes Bornlof – “Deviation In Time”
Fabien Tell – “Last Point of Safe Return”
Rannar Sillard – “March Of The Brave 10”
Gunnar Johnsen – “Not Safe Yet”Archive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
World War Two
1 hour ago (edited)
If you came for the glory of the SS you will be disappointed by this video, there is nothing cool about the SS, truly nothing. They represent the most terrible part of humanity and perpetrated the worst crimes against humanity that you can imagine, things a short video like this cannot do justice on its own. To understand the depths of these horrors we recommend that you follow our War Against Humanity series, also hosted by Spartacus here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsIk0qF0R1j4cwI-ZuDoBLxVEV3egWKoM
TimeGhost History
Published 20 May 2020The Dutch reconquered most of the Indonesian cities on Java and Sumatra, but the Indonesian War of Independence continues as the international community grows tired of the Dutch attitude.
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Isabel Wilson and Joram Appel
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Isabel Wilson and Joram Appel
Edited by: Karolina Dołęga
Maps: Ryan Weatherby
Sound design: Marek KamińskiColorizations:
Carlos Ortega Pereira (BlauColorizations) – https://www.instagram.com/blaucoloriz…Bibliography: https://bit.ly/IndoSources
Image Sources:
Nationaal Archief
Tropenmuseum, part of the National Museum of World Cultures
Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia
Tukangpulas – https://www.instagram.com/tukangpulas…The icons from The Noun Project by Adrien Coquet
Archive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
TimeGhost History
1 day ago
We have seen two colonial offensives, two peace agreements, civil wars and multiple foreign interventions. And yet, 1949 is the most deadly year of the entire Indonesian War of Independence. And, without spoiling the episode, stuff doesn’t end in 1949. Indonesia will stay the stage of revolts, colonialism, civil war and ideological purges for decades to come. We won’t get to cover that in these series, as these are exclusively about the Indonesian War of Independence from 1945 to 1949. We might revisit the area in the future though. If you want to support that, and share in the decision of what series to make next, you can support us on www.patreon.com/timeghosthistory or https://timeghost.tv.
Cheers, Joram and Izzy
TimeGhost History
Published 13 May 2020The international community forces the Dutch to end their first colonial offensive with the Renville Agreement. However, as the Dutch, the Indonesian Republicans and the multiple other groups continue fighting, an impasse devolops.
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Joram Appel
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Joram Appel and Isabel Wilson
Edited by: Karolina Dołęga
Sound design: Marek KamińskiColorizations:
Dememorabilia – https://www.instagram.com/dememorabilia/
Carlos Ortega Pereira (BlauColorizations – https://www.instagram.com/blaucoloriz…
Jaris Almazani (Artistic Man) – https://instagram.com/artistic.man?Research Sources: https://bit.ly/IndoSources
Visual Sources:
Nationaal Archief
National Archives NARA
Tropenmuseum, part of the National Museum of World CulturesIcons from the Noun Project by Wonmo Kang, Creative Mania & Claudia Revalina
Archive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.
Music:
“Other Sides of Glory” – Fabien Tell
“Remembrance” – Fabien Tell
“Sailing for Gold” – Howard Harper-Barnes
“Last Point of Safe Return” – Fabien Tell
“It’s Not a Game” – Philip Ayers
“Moving to Disturbia” – Experia
“March Of The Brave 10” – Rannar Sillard
“March Of The Brave 9” – Rannar SillardA TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
TimeGhost History
Published 6 May 2020The Dutch are desperate to regain control over their colony as the Lingadjatti Treaty failed to deliver. They launch a brutal military offensive which they mask as “police actions” in an attempt to satisfy the international community.
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Joram Appel
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Joram Appel and Isabel Wilson
Edited by: Karolina Dołęga
Sound design: Marek KamińskiColorizations:
Carlos Ortega Pereira (BlauColorizations) – https://www.instagram.com/blaucoloriz…
Dememorabilia – https://www.instagram.com/dememorabilia/
Jaris Almazani (Artistic Man) – https://instagram.com/artistic.man?ig…
KlimbimResearch Sources: https://bit.ly/IndoSources
Visual Sources:
Nationaal Archief
Tropenmuseum, part of the National Museum of World Cultures
Archive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.Music:
“Last Point of Safe Return” – Fabien Tell
“Guilty Shadows 4” – Andreas Jamsheree
“Epic Adventure Theme 4” – Håkan Eriksson
“Symphony of the Cold-Blooded” – Christian Andersen
“Disciples of Sun Tzu” – Christian Andersen
“March Of The Brave 10” – Rannar Sillard – Test
“Remembrance” – Fabien Tell
“Moving to Disturbia” – Experia
“Deflection” – Reynard Seidel
“Heroes On Horses” – Gunnar Johnsén
“Not Safe Yet” – Gunnar Johnsen
“Ominous” – Philip Ayers
“Last Point of Safe Return” – Fabien Tell
“Epic Adventure Theme 4” – Håkan Eriksson
“Walk With Legends” – Bonnie Grace
“Epic Adventure Theme 4” – Håkan ErikssonA TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
TimeGhost History
Published 29 Apr 2020The Indonesian War of Independence is heavily fuelled by the gangs of youngsters who go by the name of Pemuda. They engage in clandestine guerrilla fighting as their revolution takes a violent turn.
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Isabel Wilson and Joram Appel
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Isabel Wilson and Joram Appel
Edited by: Karolina Dołęga
Sound design: Marek KamińskiColorizations:
Dememorabilia – https://www.instagram.com/dememorabilia/
Jaris Almazani (Artistic Man) – https://instagram.com/artistic.man?ig…
Carlos Ortega Pereira (BlauColorizations) – https://www.instagram.com/blaucoloriz…Research Sources: https://bit.ly/IndoSources
Sources:
Tropenmuseum part of the National Museum of World Cultures
Nationaal Archief
Imperial Wars Museum: SE7034; SE5663Music:
“Deviation In Time” – Johannes Bornlof
“Disciples of Sun Tzu” – Christian Andersen
“Epic Adventure Theme 4” – Håkan Eriksson
“Guilty Shadows 4” – Andreas Jamsheree
“Last Point of Safe Return” – Fabien Tell
“Magnificent March 3” – Johannes Bornlöf
“March Of The Brave 10” – Rannar Sillard
“The End Of The World 2” – Håkan Eriksson
“The Inspector 4” – Johannes Bornlöf
“The Unexplored” – Philip Ayers.
“Try and Catch Us Now” – David CelesteArchive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
TimeGhost History
1 day ago (edited)
For the research of this episode about Indonesian revolutionary culture in 1946, I mostly turned to the diaries and writings of those who were there. Reading the untouched experiences was so absorbing and allowed for writing a bottom-up narrative. Something that didn’t make it into the video was the work of Chairil Anwar, a poet who died young a few years after the War of Independence. Dwelling about the life and death of the individual during the revolution, his poetry defied Indonesia’s antagonists. In his poem “Notes for 1946”, he writes of how it felt to be among the young generation of Indonesia: “We – running dogs, hunting hounds – we get to see only a moment of this drama we play in.” I’d definitely recommend reading his work if you’re interested!
Cheers, Izzy.
TimeGhost History
Published 22 Apr 2020In Indonesia, following the end of the Second World War catalyses the end of brutal Japanese rule. Their exit prompts the Dutch to begin restoring their prewar colonial status over the archipelago. But nationalist spirits are brewing, their opportunity to proclaim Indonesian independence is transpiring.
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Watch the Prologue to the Indonesian War of Independence series right here: https://youtu.be/IkKJSRaeOik
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Isabel Wilson and Joram Appel
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Isabel Wilson and Joram Appel
Edited by: Karolina Dołęga
Sound design: Marek KaminskiColorizations:
Dememorabilia – https://www.instagram.com/dememorabilia/
Jaris Almazani (Artistic Man) – https://instagram.com/artistic.man?ig…Sources:
Archive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.
Tropenmuseum, part of the National Museum of World Cultures
Imperial War Museum Arts: Ronald Searle, SE5895 , SE-5865, SE5663, SE5724
RijksmuseumMusic:
“Deviation In Time” – Johannes Bornlof
“Last Point of Safe Return” – Fabien Tell
“Deflection” – Reynard Seidel
“Disciples of Sun Tzu” – Christian Andersen
“Split Decision” – Rannar Sillard
“Other Sides of Glory” – Fabien Tell
“Last Man Standing 3” – Johannes Bornlöf
“Magnificent March 3” – Johannes Bornlöf
“Deviation In Time” – Johannes BornlofA TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
TimeGhost History
1 day ago (edited)
For the last decades, writing colonial histories on events such as the Indonesian War of Independence has been a difficult task. Due to the incriminating nature of the events, records were either never made or have been regularly “lost” since. Political interest in the events was minimal in both The Netherlands and Indonesia, but times are changing. In recent years, a lot more research power has been allocated to this topic by Dutch and Indonesian Universities and Research collectives. Finding colonial truths is a huge focus of academia right now and their work has allowed us to get real with colonialism in this series. We’re sure that even more sources and stories will surface in the coming years, allowing for more books and documentary such as ours to be made. We’re interested to hear what you think about this episode! Make sure to let us know in the comments!Cheers,
Izzy
TimeGhost History
Published 15 Apr 2020This is the prologue to our five-part Indonesian War of Independence Miniseries. It sets the stage of brutal colonial repression, a growing sense of Indonesian Nationalism and ultimately the desire to be free.
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by:
Spartacus Olsson and Joram Appel
Directed by: Astrid Deinhard
Produced by: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Joram Appel and Isabel Wilson
Edited by: Wieke Kapteijns, Guido Becker
Sound design: Marek KamińskiColorizations by: Dememorabilia – https://www.instagram.com/dememorabilia/
Research Sources: https://bit.ly/IndoSources
Visual Sources:
Tropenmuseum, part of the National Museum of World Cultures
Wellcome ImagesIcons retrieved via The Nounproject: gold by Phạm Thanh Lộc, slaves by Salaidinovich, silver by Marie Van den Broeck, spice by ahmad, Opium Poppies by Matt Wasser.
Music:
“Disciples of Sun Tzu” – Christian Andersen
“Weapon of Choice” – Fabien Tell
“Guilty Shadows 4” – Andreas Jamsheree
“Road To Tibet 5” – Rannar Sillard
“Sailing for Gold” – Howard Harper-Barnes
“The Inspector 4” – Johannes Bornlöf
“The Dominion” – Bonnie Grace
“Heroes On Horses” – Gunnar Johnsén
“Not Safe Yet” – Gunnar JohnsenA TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
TimeGhost History
2 days ago (edited)
This is the prologue to our new ‘Indonesian War of Independence’ mini-series. Now, we initially only wanted to do five episodes, but episode one became double as long as we imagined, so we decided to cut the historical context out and put it in a prologue. These series are mainly written by Joram and Isabel, two historians from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Now, you might say that we are not in the best position to talk about European Imperialism because of that. However, as we’re both academically trained historians, we believe that we’re able to overcome any bias through the use of academic methods and peer-reviewed academic sources. If anyone is interested to take a look at our source-list, you can find it right here: https://bit.ly/IndoSourcesThese mini-series have been chosen out of a bigger selection by our TimeGhost Army. They fund almost our entire production – this would not exist without them. Become one of them to choose future series and to support the creation of content just like this! You can do that at patreon.com/timeghosthistory or https://timeghost.tv.
Cheers,
Joram
The Tank Museum
Published 8 Feb 2019Curator David Willey gives chapter and verse on the German Main Battle Tank, Leopard 2, which first entered service with West Germany during the Cold War.
The Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank was kindly temporarily loaned to The Tank Museum by the Historic Collection of the Royal Netherlands Army.
Some stills and footage: © All rights reserved. (AR2011-0034-009, PA01-2016-0139-076, IS2010-3030-24, IS2011-1021-15, IS14-2017-0003-049, B11-ATHENA-020) reproduced with the permission of DND/CAF (2019)
At 8:55 Leopard 2 from The Arsenalen Museum, Sweden.
Support the work of The Tank Museum on Patreon: ► https://www.patreon.com/tankmuseum
Visit The Tank Museum SHOP: ► https://tankmuseumshop.org/
Twitter: ► https://twitter.com/TankMuseum
Tiger Tank Blog: ► http://blog.tiger-tank.com/
Tank 100 First World War Centenary Blog: ► http://tank100.com/ #tankmuseum #tanks #tankchats
World War Two
Published 24 Mar 2020Hans Oster opposed the Nazis and tried to oppose them from early on. As a member of the Abwehr, he tried to do whatever he could. During the war, his efforts increased with a dramatic outcome.
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Or join The TimeGhost Army directly at: https://timeghost.tvFollow WW2 day by day on Instagram @World_war_two_realtime https://www.instagram.com/world_war_t…
Between 2 Wars: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…
Source list: http://bit.ly/WW2sourcesHosted by: Spartacus Olsson
Written by: Isabel Wilson, Joram Appel and Spartacus Olsson
Produced and Directed by: Spartacus Olsson and Astrid Deinhard
Executive Producers: Bodo Rittenauer, Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Arnaldo Teodorani and Isabel Wilson
Edited by: Iryna Dulka
Map animations: Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)Colorizations by:
Dememorabilia – https://www.instagram.com/dememorabilia/Sources:
Picture of Dresden, courtesy Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi…
Collection of Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira, N2658
Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe
Picture of Gijsbertus Jacobus Sas, courtesy ANP Historisch Archief https://www.anp-archief.nl/page/21998…
Picture of Hans Bernd Gisevius, courtesy Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand https://www.gdw-berlin.de/en/recess/b…
id by Flatart from the Noun Project
people by ProSymbols from the Noun Project
documents by Srinivas Agra from the Noun ProjectSoundtracks from the Epidemic Sound:
Johannes Bornlof – “Deviation in Time”
Andreas Jamsheree – “Guilty Shadows 4”
Fabien Tell – “Last Point of Safe Return”
Reynard Seidel – “Deflection”
Jo Wandrini – “Puzzle of Complexity”
Gunnar Johnsen – “Not Safe Yet”Archive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
World War Two
Published 19 Mar 2020In today’s episode of Out of the Foxholes, we answer exciting questions concerning Dutch and French colonies in America, British defence strategies in India and French soldiers stuck in Britain post-armistice.
Ask your own question for Out of the Foxholes here: https://community.timeghost.tv/c/Out-…
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Or join The TimeGhost Army directly at: https://timeghost.tvFollow WW2 day by day on Instagram @World_war_two_realtime https://www.instagram.com/world_war_t…
Between 2 Wars: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…
Source list: http://bit.ly/WW2sourcesHosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Rune Væver Hartvig
Produced and Directed by: Spartacus Olsson and Astrid Deinhard
Executive Producers: Bodo Rittenauer, Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Rune Væver Hartvig
Edited by: Mikołaj Cackowski
Map animations: Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)Colorizations by:
Norman Stewart – https://oldtimesincolor.blogspot.com/
Dememorabilia – https://www.instagram.com/dememorabilia/Sources:
IWM H 3508, D 1725
gold by Phạm Thanh Lộc from the Noun Project
Rum by Andrejs Kirma from the Noun Project
sugar by Maria Zamchy from the Noun ProjectSoundtracks from the Epidemic Sound:
Hakan Eriksson – “Adventure Theme 3”
Johannes Bornlof – “The Inspector 4”
Reynard Seidel – “Deflection”Archive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
World War Two
Published 12 Mar 2020The Fallschirmjäger were Germany’s own paratrooper branch, designed to deal a swift and fatal blow behind the enemy’s lines. They were deployed with great success in Scandinavia and the Benelux, but they come too close to the sun when they attempt to invade Crete.
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Or join The TimeGhost Army directly at: https://timeghost.tvFollow WW2 day by day on Instagram @World_war_two_realtime https://www.instagram.com/world_war_t…
Between 2 Wars: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…
Source list: http://bit.ly/WW2sourcesHosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Joram Appel and Izzy Wilson
Produced and Directed by: Spartacus Olsson and Astrid Deinhard
Executive Producers: Bodo Rittenauer, Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Joram Appel and Izzy Wilson
Edited by: Mikołaj Cackowski
Map animations: Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)
Sound design by: Marek KaminskiColorizations by:
Julius Jääskeläinen – https://www.facebook.com/JJcolorization/
Ruffneck88 – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi…Sources:
IWM E 3066ESoundtracks from the Epidemic Sound:
Rannar Sillard – “March Of The Brave 4”
Reynard Seidel – “Deflection”
Rannar Sillard – “Easy Target”
Gunnar Johnsen – “Not Safe Yet”
Johannes Bornlof – “Last Man Standing 3”
Fabien Tell – “Last Point of Safe Return”Archive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
World War Two
1 day ago
This is the first of many proper specials that we want to do to add on the weekly World War Two episodes, the War Against Humanity series, the Biographies, our Out of the Foxholes Q&A series and our upcoming On the Homefront sub-series. In these specials, we’ll cover any additional topics in depth — think about hardware, tactics, special forces, bills or decryption systems. We’re interested to hear your suggestions! What do you want to see covered in an upcoming special epsiode?
TIK
Published 22 Feb 2016The classic history book looking at the battle of Arnhem and Operation Market Garden. Cornelius Ryan’s A Bridge Too Far.
Have you seen my popular Operation Market Garden Documentary?
https://youtu.be/vTUC79o4KmcAlso, if you haven’t done already, follow me on Twitter!
https://twitter.com/TIKhistory
If you were hovering above Earth looking to be born randomly into any time period in human history, you’d pick now if you had any brains. And if you could pick a place, you’d pick a Western liberal democracy, and probably the United States of America (though as much as it pains me to say it, you wouldn’t be crazy to pick Canada or the U.K. or Holland). Sure, if you could pick being rich, white, and male — and didn’t really care too much about the plight of others — you might take the 1950s. But even then, your choices for food, entertainment, etc. would be terribly curtailed compared to today. If you chose to be a billionaire in 1917, you could still die from a minor infection, and good Thai food would be entirely unknown to you. You’d certainly never enjoy watching a Star Wars movie on an IMAX screen in air conditioning. In other words, while your homes would be bigger and cooler if you were a billionaire in 1917, a typical orthodontist in Peoria in 2017 is in many respects much richer than a billionaire a century earlier.
Still, that’s not the deal on offer. You have to buy an incarnation lottery ticket, and the results would be random.
I’m not big on dividing people up by abstract categories, and I certainly don’t mean them to be pejorative. But as a historical matter, being born poor, gay, black, Jewish, ugly, weird, handicapped, etc. today may certainly come with some problems or challenges, but on the whole those traits are less of a shackle or barrier than at any time in the past. The only trait where I think it might be a closer call is dumbness. All other things being equal, a not-terribly-intelligent person with a good work ethic and some decent values might have had more opportunities before machines replaced strong backs. But even here, I can think of lots of exceptions.
Jonah Goldberg, “America and the ‘Original Position'”, National Review, 2017-12-22.
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