Culture Taylor Swift’s ‘Errors’ Tour? The superstar singer, supporting Harris for president, tests whether political activism is bad for business. Credit: image via Shutterstock “You can kiss your sales from your Republican audience goodbye, Taylor. I hope you enjoyed them while you had them,” wrote the podcaster Megyn Kelly after the billionaire singer-songwriter Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president. In Kelly’s estimation, Swift did so at the most opportunistic moment and in the most annoying way possible, and ought to pay a price for it. She held off until just after former President Donald Trump’s less-than-stellar performance in his televised September 10 debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, and then posted a picture on Instagram with a cat posed on her shoulder along with a note. After laying out her reasons for endorsing the Democratic ticket of Harris and Gov. Tim Walz (MN), the singer signed off with the words “Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady.” This was a dig at the Republican vice presidential hopeful, Sen. J.D. Vance (OH), who wants the tax code changed to further incentivize childrearing and has characterized some of his opponents using the term Swift embraced. It was also a shot at Trump himself, who amplified rumors of Haitian refugees in the U.S. eating cats and dogs in his debate with Harris. Her post-debate endorsement kicked off two new debates. One debate was about Swift’s influence on the election. The other, arguably more interesting debate was about the repercussions for Swift’s brand from her political activism. Swift’s endorsement, like a great many of her words and actions, made headlines. “Swift outswaggers Trump with her Kamala Harris vote,” the front page of the Los Angeles Times blared. In her Instagram note, she explained her own choice and encouraged her supporters to cast their own informed votes. On the choice to endorse at all, Swift argued that she was pushed into it by Trump and his campaign. “Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site,” she wrote. “It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.” Swift endorsed Harris as a “steady-handed, gifted leader” who embodies “calm and not chaos.” She also praised Gov. Walz, who she said “has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.” She told supporters that they ought to do their own “research” to cast an informed choice, and gave them a reminder: “Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it’s much easier to vote early.” The hope of Harris supporters is that many of Swift’s fans, known as “Swifties,” will register and vote early, giving the ticket a boost in what is shaping up to be a close election in the electoral college. Conversely, the hope of Trump supporters is that the endorsement will turn out to be ineffectual or, better yet, backfire. Early evidence is mixed. “Taylor Swift’s impact on voter engagement is undeniable,” Andrea Hailey, chief executive of Vote.org, told the New York Times. “The important thing to remember is that Taylor’s work serves as a model that everyone with a platform can use to encourage Americans to participate in civic engagement.” Ryan James Girdusky, author of the National Populist Newsletter and a contributing editor of The American Conservative, poured cold water all over similar assessments. “Following Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris, there was no noticeably significant voter registration surge in crucial swing states compared to 2020,” he wrote. “Republicans out-registered Democrats in North Carolina, Florida, and Pennsylvania in the week that followed her endorsement.” The effects on Swift’s reputation are easier to quantify, at least in the short term. Morning Consult ran surveys and found that her negatives among Republicans have climbed to 57 percent today, up from 35 percent in February. It’s still true that 49 percent of voters overall have favorable vibes toward Swift, but the bottom line, according to the consultancy, is that she has become “more polarizing.” That’s not necessarily bad news in politics. Polarization can be an effective way to win elections. But businesses typically aim for the widest support possible, and Swift’s business had been booming. Swift’s Eras Tour concert ticket sales are forecast to reach $2.2 billion, and the tour film did over $100 million in advanced ticket sales. On the U.S. leg, Swift brought in “an estimated $13 million in ticket sales per night, attracting an average of 72,000 spectators per concert,” Statista reported. Swift also amassed her dragon’s horde in a novel way. “In October 2023, Taylor Swift accomplished a feat no other musician had before: she became a billionaire primarily off of earnings from her music and performances,” Forbes reported. The fact that Swift did this without any “side hustles” may be impressive. Nevertheless, in theory it should render her business more vulnerable to reputational damage that comes along with political bad blood. The Los Angeles Times published a spate of letters in response to its cover story about her endorsement that were surprisingly hostile. One writer brought up the famous quote by basketball superstar Michael Jordan. “Republicans buy sneakers too,” Jordan quipped. That didn’t stop him from making political donations to progressive politicians during the height of his career, but it did make him less of an outspoken activist. On top of that, many critics have pointed to a “get woke, go broke” dynamic in popular entertainment that could apply here. Sometimes cultural political shifts by content makers can alienate part of their original audience. Swift had released songs that contained such themes, particularly 2019’s culture-war courting song and music video, “You Need to Calm Down.” More recently she zagged. In her hit song “Anti-Hero,” Swift even took a shot at her own past self as “the problem.” “Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism / Like some kind of congressman?” the narrator asks. “I wake up screaming from dreaming / One day I’ll watch as you’re leaving.” Yet so far evidence that Swift’s Harris-Walz endorsement is driving away a mass of fans is only anecdotal. Some fans who are also Trump supporters have complained publicly and sold off their concert tickets. These have found ready buyers. Her music continues to be in heavy rotation on the radio and streaming. Her song, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” was at number 34 on Billboard’s Hot 100 at press time, for instance, down from number 26 the week before. Swift’s publicist, Tree Paine, was asked for a statement from Swift speaking to her Republican fans but did not deign to reply. The post Taylor Swift’s ‘Errors’ Tour? appeared first on The American Conservative.

Politics Joe Biden, Temporary King The president relives his glory days in Delaware while he can. Credit: image via Shutterstock President Joe Biden may be pushed aside in Washington, D.C., but, as far as he is concerned, in Wilmington, he is still on top of the world. And why not? His name is on the city’s Amtrak station, the nearest highway rest stop, and a slew of other civic landmarks. Local restaurants for decades have claimed to be his “favorite” lunch spot. Ice cream parlors all over the state proudly feature photos of him sampling their wares. He has spent about 40 percent of his term out of the White House, mostly on vacation in Delaware. And since he announced that he would not be seeking the Oval Office again, Biden has been at home more than ever, forsaking the bitter present to sink into sepia-toned reminiscences of past glory.  Whenever possible, Biden uses his remaining powers to compel others to share in these reveries. Recently he invited the heads of state for India, Japan, and Australia to Wilmington to discuss their alliance with the United States against China. It was the first time the president had brought any foreign leaders to Delaware—also probably the last time—and Biden invested the affair with all the “personal touches” of an old man reorganizing his curio cabinet. He personally led the three on a tour of his house, a stately DuPont mansion in the Wilmington suburbs built on a manmade lake—“the kind of place a thousand Italian guys died building,” Richard Ben Cramer once remarked. There, he regaled them with tales of how he bought the estate and fixed it up. Since his days in the Senate, the house has been Biden’s obsession: He famously rode the Amtrak home every day just so he could wake up under its roof. On those trips, he would often study architectural magazines or dream up new improvements to his property. Soon he will have all the time in the world for it.  But a tour of the house alone wasn’t enough. Biden also dragged his visiting dignitaries down memory lane at his old high school, where for two days they discussed foreign policy—and how far Uncle Joe has come since his teenaged stutter. In high school, as Biden frequently reminds his audiences, he was a real dud: the poor kid, not exactly popular, until he overcame his speech impediment. Just like Demosthenes, who recited aloud for hours on end with pebbles in his mouth, he trained himself out of it. And now look at me, Biden declared to his captive audience: “I don’t think the headmaster of this school thought I’d be presiding over a meeting like this!” The respective heads of India, Japan, and Australia politely applauded the senescent in the president’s chair, perhaps smiling inwardly at his impending departure from global politics.  Biden’s communications advisor John Kirby glossed the president’s antics that weekend as public-mindedness—“showing a place and a community that shaped so much of the public servant and the leader that he became”—but the truth behind Biden’s odd behavior is something stranger. It isn’t just that the addled president, newly cut loose by his own party and free from the scrutiny of the other, is running victory laps in his head. It is that because the president’s time is limited, it is his prerogative to run as wild as he pleases until at the appointed hour his handlers lead him away from sight. What I mean is that Joe Biden is the American incarnation of the temporary king, that ancient, savage office so vividly described in J.G. Frazer’s Golden Bough.  The origins of the temporary king are obscure, but its practice more or less runs along these lines. Every year during a public festival in ancient Babylon, Frazer writes, the true king temporarily abdicated his office to an imposter. During that time, “a prisoner condemned to death was dressed in the king’s robes, seated on the king’s throne, allowed to issue whatever commands he pleased, to eat, drink, and enjoy himself, and to lie with the king’s concubines.” His brief rule always ended in execution: “At the end of the five days he was stripped of his royal robes, scourged, and hanged or impaled.” Why? Hard to say. Frazer theorizes that the temporary king was a salvific figure, a fool who died in the robes of royalty to redeem the world, prefiguring, and, by the hard-headed Scotsman’s lights, discrediting, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.  In any case, I have found it useful, especially in recent months, to think of Biden’s presidency as in the tradition of temporary kingship. The United States is not Babylon. But the analogy is compelling nonetheless. No one, not even within Biden’s party, has ever considered him a real president. Rather, he was a sacrifice offered up in the hopes that a real president might be found. His nomination in 2020 was a stopgap solution, a fix put in place until the Democratic Party could find a more suitable leader among the also-rans. (The same could be said of the electorate’s thoughts in November.) His term was similarly unreal, marked by the continuation and resurrection of both his predecessors’ policies, a holding pattern from which the future real president would emerge. And his downfall, if Biden’s premature ejection from power could be dignified with that grand term, was in actuality only the end of the dream, for, at last, the true president had been discovered, at the side of the temporary king all along.   Of course, there are other elements of the temporary king which do not pertain to Biden at all. (In some traditions, Frazer tells us, he is required to stand on one foot for his entire short reign.) But others are striking. Frazer writes that in 16th-century Persia the Shah Abbas the Great was once warned by his astrologers that a serious danger hung over the person of the king. Remembering the custom of temporary kingship, Abbas abdicated the throne, giving it over to a Christian, hoping that the danger might fall upon him instead. “The substitute was accordingly crowned, and for three days,” Frazer writes, “he enjoyed not only the name and the state but the power of the king. At the end of his brief reign he was put to death: the decree of the stars was fulfilled by this sacrifice; and Abbas, who reascended his throne in a most propitious hour, was promised by his astrologers a long and glorious reign.”    This, if we can substitute a literal for political execution, is more or less the story of Joe Biden, that unfortunate man who, during a period of turmoil, was placed in the role of the presidency to absorb the shocks and blows of national distress until the time came that he could be safely removed. Now that time is fast coming—actually, it is arriving in slow motion—and Biden is spending his remaining days doing as any other temporary king would: eating, drinking, and making merry. He knows his time is limited, so he’s going out on top, even if only in Delaware. The post Joe Biden, Temporary King appeared first on The American Conservative.

Culture Put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame Degenerates need examples, too.  The story of Pete Rose is the story of America. It’s my story. It’s our story. A life failed, in the richest and most spectacular fashion. A miserable, downtrodden, hopeless romance with the juice. A desperate desire to fix. And the supreme knowledge that any day—and for Pete it was Monday—life comes falling down no matter how well we play our cards.  And so I couldn’t help but feel a sweet pang of sadness and twisted fate when, leaving the Megalopolis screening on a rainy, cold September night, I read Pete had died. In that moment, whatever triumphs he manufactured on the diamond didn’t matter much to me. As a 37-year-old, I never really knew Pete the player. But I knew Pete the gambler.  I know the smell of a casino floor at 7 AM, when beleaguered baccarat players are scooping up their winnings as cold-blooded, red-eyed monsters gear up for a day at the horse track. When I worked for Citizen Free Press, I had too much money and too much time and too much anger to know what to do with. I’d throw whatever I could at the ponies, or the wheel, or the gridiron. Anything, really. Didn’t matter. The Buffalo Thunder Casino and Sportsbook was a slumlord’s paradise—where riches went to die, and for three long, arduous years it was my pain palace.  I knew each bookie by name. Paula, Ben, Julio. Paula was my favorite.  March Madness was always the toughest month for me, with games running 13 hours straight for an entire week. On those days, I was one of the first through the Thunder’s door. Paula offered coffee or a stale croissant—the perks of being a degenerate—and asked which channel I wanted the big screen on. Looking for an edge one morning, I asked Paula who the best handicapper was in the joint and she pointed to the corner.  There sat John—a tall, bronze man of Aztec descent who would’ve made a fine warrior centuries before. Smoking was prohibited in the casino but every time I looked in John’s direction, I spotted phantom smoke curls, whipping and jumping off his bald head. Maybe it was just the steam rolling off his brain. Maybe it was the same pain I felt, showing itself in ways unknown. Whatever it was, John was cooking. John would sit there from sun up to sun down with a long sheet of games in front of him. Depending on the time of day, men would huddle around John and ask for his take on a litany of games. He loved to give advice. John knew baseball, he knew basketball, he knew football. Hell, John knew soccer and the horses too. More than anything, John knew himself: a gambler.  Early one morning, when no one was around, I stood up, walked to the corner, and pushed out my hand—“I hear you’re the best sports bettor in this wormhole.” A big, bellicose laugh rang from his innards. “Who told you that?” I pointed to Paula. “She just takes my money.” He laughed again. This time, so did I. John told me to take a seat. He wanted to know: Who did I like? “Duquesne ML,” I replied. I had just watched the Dukes rip the living, beating soul from my VCU Rams in the A-10 Final and the underdogs looked primed to make some noise in March. John laughed again. It wasn’t in his nature to bet underdogs. He liked betting favorites and he liked to bet them big. “Who do you got?” I asked. “South Carolina women. Spread. -35.5.” He cackled. I could see the steam rising from underneath his ballcap.  There are many ways to bet on sports. The moneyline (or ML) is the simplest to understand. You pick a team and if that team wins, you win. But sometimes a team is favored to win or lose by so many points that the ML is not a worthwhile bet and that’s where the spread comes into play. So, when John told me he was betting “South Carolina women’s spread by -35.5” what he was telling me was that he expected a rout. A 36-point rout to be exact.  I marveled at his confidence. “Thirty-six points?” I asked incredulously.  “The girls are different, man. They’re mean. They don’t stop. They’ll keep grinding and win by 40. Watch.” I didn’t lay the bet but I took a seat near him that allowed me to monitor the South Carolina game. Sure enough, the Gamecocks fired on all cylinders and they didn’t let up either. They beat Presbyterian by more than 50 points. John was right. After that day, John always looked for me when I came barreling through the door. I learned that he had been a baseball coach at a high school in Santa Fe for a couple decades and, nearing the end of his career, guided the best prospect he ever coached to a full scholarship at the University of Oklahoma. “The kid washed out,” he told me in a disappointed growl. And so it was that John had become an addict. First through love, and then through pain. And didn’t I know that feeling myself? Isn’t that why I was there? The extra point I missed against Hermitage. The team I quit on. I could tell you of all my big wins (and bigger losses), but that’s never what it was about. It was about glory days. Gone. Out there somewhere, floating in the time and space that turns forever.  The morning after Pete died, my editor sent me a thread about the late Reds’ gambling career. A young man, not unlike myself, hit Harrah’s sportsbook far too early one morning and noticed a sunken figure in the corner. After a couple hours of betting thoroughbreds and harness racing to themselves, the two men struck up the kind of bizarre friendship I’ve come to know too well—awkward, brief, and all-knowing. Brothers from another dimension.  The man in the corner was, of course, Pete Rose. “DO NOT say anything to him or ask him for anything. He hates that,” instructed the bookie when Mr. Prewitt asked if his bleary eyes were correct. It must’ve been tough for Rose. A pariah to the game he loved but an anti-hero for the rest of us. “When I was a little kid, we used to see him at the old Latonia,” read one comment. “Met him myself at Mandalay Bay” another. Rose was not the first, nor will he be the last, man of baseball (or any other sport) to bet on games. Recently, Major League Baseball has done everything in its power to sweep up a major gambling scandal involving Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani to cover bad bets. Ohtani, whose English is still poor, said he was “shocked” to learn of the situation, but commentators have questioned how Ohtani couldn’t have known about the infractions.  “Mizuhara has a gambling issue,” explained Tom Ellsworth. “He’s got a friendship that truly developed with Ohtani. Mizuhara said: ‘I asked him if he’d pay off my marker, several million dollars.’ And so apparently, over the course of several weeks, $500,000 at a time, which was the max for a wire transfer, went from Ohtani’s account to a bookmaker… The problem I have with Ohtani’s story—it was multiple transfers over three weeks. Wouldn’t you notice?” Ohtani is currently at the end of “a season for the ages” according to MLB’s own article published Monday profiling his unbelievable 2024 performance. Whether Ohtani gambled or not (and there’s no evidence he did) is sort of irrelevant. Given Rose’s history, Ohtani shouldn’t have been anywhere near someone that was known to have a gambling issue.  That amount of gambling occurring so close to one of the sport’s top players is unnerving. Yet the media refused to dig into it. Turn on Sportscenter tonight and you won’t find investigative journalists beating down the Ohtani mansion; you’ll find highlights of the Japanese-born stud running the bases and batting for the cycle as the year climaxes in October.  With ESPN advertising its own gambling app in between innings, there’s simply too much money and prestige at stake to rip up the floorboards and reveal the underbelly of our games. The rot has become so corrosive that Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson addressed the millions of points-obsessed fantasy bettors complaining after a Ravens win in which Jackson barely threw the ball. “This is a ‘TEAM’ sport,” Jackson wrote on ?. “I’m not out here satisfied when I threw for 300yds but took a L. If I throw for 50 yds and we WIN, that’s wtf matters. Yall stop commenting on our socials about the yds yall fan duel or parlays ain’t hit.” It’s never been clearer—gambling is destroying bank accounts and the games we love. And it’s changing the way we view athletes. In the bygone era, casinos were physically isolated and served (mostly) as weekend escapes for thrill seekers. Now, the casino is in the pocket of most Americans except those, ironically, who live in states with large Indian populations that still thrive on brick-and-mortar locations. Games run around the clock for millions of Americans who can bet on an incredible array of sporting events—odds for cricket, table tennis, jai alai, and even chess are only a swipe away. Nothing could be worse for an addict—and we’re minting them daily, by the tens of thousands.  Pete Rose wasn’t perfect. Mizuhara’s not perfect. I’m not perfect. The millions of Americans out there betting every night aren’t perfect. It’s a struggle everyday. For Pete. For Mizuhara. For me. For all of us. Depriving the Hall of one of the great players and personalities to grace the baseball diamond fails to tell the whole story. Of baseball. Of America. Of our people. Rose’s induction should serve as both a reminder and a warning. If there ever was a time to make it so, it is today. Pete to Canton. Send it. The post Put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame appeared first on The American Conservative.

“She says I am real and you are not.” The post ‘Mary’: The Alex G song that carved a crevice into Remi Wolf’s heart first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

from World Alternative Media: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

by Stefan Stanford, All News Pipeline: CBS News legal contributor Rebecca Roiphe said on Wednesday that arguing special counsel Jack Smith’s evidence brief breaches former President Donald Trump’s right to a fair trial is not “far-fetched” due to the documents’ level of detail. During an appearance on CBS News, the former Manhattan prosecutor discussed the “unusual” level […]

  To properly explore America’s rich history, you will need to step off the beaten path and explore small towns that still hold echoes of the past. Beyond the bustling cities, you’ll find hidden gems, places where history lovers can genuinely get to learn about the fabric of the nation’s story. Each of the towns we’ve listed in this piece has a rich historical past and will transport you back in time, where you’ll be able to see America’s heritage and beauty. From colonial settlements to former mining boomtowns and quaint villages, read on to discover 10 U.S. historic towns that are worth adding to your bucket list.   1. Jonesborough, Tennessee Main Street in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Founded in 1779, the oldest town in Tennessee is definitely a hidden gem for any history aficionado. Jonesborough preserves stories of frontier grit and Appalachian heritage and has been nicknamed the “Storytelling Capital of the World.”   You will enjoy strolling the brick-paved streets of this charming town, where you’ll feel like stepping into a time capsule. While visiting, you will have a chance to witness colorful buildings dating back to the 18th century that line Main Street.   However, it’s much more than picturesque charm when it comes to Jonesborough. In the early 1800s, more specifically, in 1820, this historic town became home to The Emancipator, the first newspaper in America that fought exclusively for the abolition of slavery. This fight for abolition is one of Jonesborough’s most notable contributions to history.   Whenever you visit this beautiful Tennessee town, make sure to head to Chester Inn Museum, which was known as a hub for local political discussions. As for the Old Jonesborough Courthouse, it further illustrates the town’s role as a center of community life and regional governance. And don’t forget to visit the International Storytelling Center, which showcases the town’s ongoing tradition of preserving history through oral storytelling. The center hosts events that attract visitors from all around the globe.   2. Taos, New Mexico Taos Bueblo in Taos, New Mexico. Source: Wikimedia Commons   This town has a rich history that offers you a glimpse into the artistic as well as cultural heritage of America’s Southwest. It was founded in 1615 and has been a meeting ground for Native American, Anglo, and Spanish cultures for around four centuries.   The Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic Landmark is the centerpiece of the historical narrative of Taos. This adobe settlement was continuously inhabited for over 1,000 years. It showcases a way of life that persisted through centuries of change. In fact, the Taos Pueblo is a testament to the resilience and heritage of the Taos people. Make sure to tour the multi-story structures when visiting this iconic monument. You’ll also learn about traditional crafts here and gain insight into a community that predates European settlement.   Other historic landmarks worth visiting in Taos include the Kit Carson Home and Museum, the 18th-century San Francisco de Asis Mission Church, and the Taos Art Colony, on top of the multiple vibrant galleries and museums in town.   3. Wickford, Rhode Island Smith’s Castle in Wickford, Rhode Island. Source: Wikimedia Commons   This small coastal village was established in 1709, so it has a rich historical legacy dating back to the early colonial period. Wickford houses one of New England’s best-preserved collections of colonial as well as Federal-period architecture. This makes it a top destination for those interested in exploring the area’s maritime past and history enthusiasts in general.   The historic harbor of the village has served since the 17th century as a vital port. This site is a must-see when visiting Wickford. Also, when you head to the waterfront, you’ll be able to witness how it’s lined with beautifully restored 18th and 19th-century homes. Many of these were once owned by sea captains and merchants. These same buildings that have stood for over two centuries house today antique shops, local boutiques, and plenty of galleries.   Key historical sites you need to visit when in Wickford include the Old Narragansett Church, which was built in 1707 and is New England’s oldest Episcopal church building. Also, a significant landmark to see is Smith’s Castle, built in 1678 on the site of Roger Williams’ trading post.   4. Berkeley Springs, West Virginia Berkeley Springs State Park, Berkeley Springs, Virginia. Source: Wikimedia Commons   On top of being a small town with colonial history and natural beauty, Berkeley Springs is also known for its long-standing tradition as a wellness destination. When it was established in 1776, the town was known as Bath. This name is reminiscent of the famous English spa town. It then quickly became America’s first spa resort.   The centerpiece of this West Virginia town is Berkeley Springs State Park. This is where, for centuries, natural mineral springs attracted countless visitors, including George Washington. The President used to frequent the area for its reputed healing properties.   Built in 1815, the historic Roman Bath House in Berkeley Springs still offers, up to this day, therapeutic baths. This provides a direct link to the early days of the town when it was a popular retreat for colonial elites. The Museum of the Berkeley Springs is located nearby and provides a glimpse of the town’s rich history and its development as a wellness center, as well as its role in the early settlement of the region.   Another interesting thing to know is that Berkeley Springs is home to one of America’s smallest state parks, the Berkeley Springs State Park, with a compact size of about 4 acres. Here, you can see the original stone bathhouse foundations. You can also dip your feet in George Washington’s Bathtub. This natural rock basin serves as a quirky reminder of Berkeley Springs’ unique appeal.   5. Jerome, Arizona Overview of the old mining boomtown of Jerome on Cleopatra Hill, Arizona. Source: Picryl   The unique history and stunning scenery of this former mining boomtown turned artistic enclave continue to fascinate visitors up to the present day. Known as the “Wickedest Town in the West,” Jerome was founded in 1876. It became one of America’s richest copper mining towns. At its peak, the town was a thriving community with a population of 15,000. However, after the mines closed in the 1950s, Jerome became nearly a ghost town.   As a history lover, the first thing you need to do when you’re in town is to explore the Jerome State Historic Park. The latter is home to Douglas Mansion which showcases mining artifacts as well as the fascinating history of the town. You also have to visit the Gold King Mine Museum, which offers a glimpse into the daily life of miners. As for the Jerome Sliding Jail, this is also a site worth seeing. This jail had moved 200 feet downhill because of land shifts, so it speaks to the geological challenges of the area.   6. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Carmel Mission in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Source: Wikimedia Commons   This coastal gem fascinates with its European-style village atmosphere as well as its artistic heritage. 1902 was the year when Carmel was founded, after which it quickly attracted writers, artists, and intellectuals. They all sought inspiration from its vibrant creative community and stunning natural beauty.   One of the most notable residents of Carmel-by-the-Sea was poet Robinson Jeffers. His stone home, known as Tor House, still stands until today as a symbol of Carmel’s literary past.   Carmel Mission Basilica should be on top of your list as a history enthusiast whenever visiting this beautiful California small town. The basilica was established in 1771 by Father Junípero Serra. It is considered one of the state’s most beautiful and well-preserved Spanish missions. Carmel Mission Basilica has also played a significant role in the early development of the region and stands as a testament to California’s colonial past.   While wandering in town, you’ll also have the chance to see plenty of fairytale cottages, hidden passageways, and historic inns. Carmel-by-the-Sea is, in fact, an architectural treasure trove.   7. Micanopy, Florida Micanopy town in Florida. Source: Flickr   This small Floridian town is known as the oldest inland settlement in the state. Micanopy is named after a prominent Seminole leader called Chief Micanopy. It was founded in 1821 and played a significant role in the Second Seminole War. The well-preserved 19th-century architecture of the town showcases its rich past. Micanopy’s charming streets are also lined with moss-draped oak trees that are a gem to marvel at.   If you’re in town, make sure to visit first the Micanopy Historical Society Museum. It showcases artifacts and stories from the early days of the town as a trading post. The museum also highlights the development of Micanopy into a Southern agricultural hub. The Herlong Mansion, an 1845 beautifully restored home, stands as a symbol of the antebellum heritage of the town. The historic Micanopy Cemetery is located nearby and contains graves that date back to the early 1800s.    8. York, Maine Cape Neddick lighthouse (The Nubble) in York, Maine. Source: Wikimedia Commons   This is one of New England’s oldest towns. It has more than 380 years of history, and it’s famous for its coastal charm. York was founded in 1630 and was originally settled as Agamenticus. After that, it was incorporated as York. This made it one of the first English settlements north of Massachusetts. York’s early colonial history is marked by its role as a trading center. This history is also reflected through its resilience during conflicts such as King Philip’s War.   York is full of iconic landmarks that appeal to history junkies. The Old York Historical Society oversees several well-preserved landmarks. This includes the Old Gaol, which was built in 1719. This is one of America’s oldest surviving jails. If you want to learn about York’s maritime post, then the best place to head to is the John Hancock Wharf and Warehouse. And for a taste of 18th-century life, check out the Emerson-Wilcox House. To see colonial-era buildings, head to the picturesque Old York Village. It’s located near the York River. Don’t forget about the picturesque Nubble Lighthouse (Cape Neddick Light), which sits on a rocky island just off York’s coast. This lighthouse was built in 1879.   9. Beaufort, North Carolina Beaufort Historic District in Beaufort, North Carolina. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The rich history of this picturesque coastal town dates back to the year it was founded, 1709. This is the third-oldest town in North Carolina, and it was a key port during colonial times. Beaufort has a storied maritime legacy that still captivates visitors up to this day. The town’s history is intertwined with tales of pirates, including the infamous Blackbeard, whose flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, was discovered just off its coast.   Start by exploring the Beaufort Historic Site. This preserved area features 18th and 19th-century homes, a jail, and a courthouse. As for the Old Burying Ground, it was established in the 1700s. This is another must-see. It features weathered tombstones that will provide you with intriguing stories of seafarers and settlers.   Make sure also to visit the waterfront at Beaufort. It’s lined with historic buildings showcasing the maritime heritage of the town. The North Carolina Maritime Museum houses artifacts from pirate lore and shipwrecks, so it’s also recommended to history buffs.   10. Chagrin Falls, Ohio Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Source: Wikimedia Commons   This historic village in Ohio is known for its 19th-century charm. It was founded in 1833 and built around its namesake waterfall on the Chagrin River. The latter served as a power source for the mills and factories that spurred its early growth. The town was an industrial hub in its early days, where it became a center for manufacturing wooden products. It attracted entrepreneurs and craftsmen during that time.   The beautifully preserved Chagrin Falls Historic District is definitely the first thing to explore when visiting this picturesque town. The district features Victorian-style homes, unique shops housed in restored 19th-century buildings, and brick-paved sidewalks. The beauty of Chagrin Falls’ small-town appeal is further illustrated by the iconic 1875-built Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop.   It goes without saying that the picturesque waterfall which you’ll see in the center of town is the main highlight of Chagrin Falls, and it reflects the village’s connection to its industrial past.

  Indigenous communities living in the Amazon rainforest are well-known for producing their food through ecological cultivation strategies in defined portions of terrain called chagras. The soil is used to grow foods, including up to 100 different vegetal species, that can coexist in biological balance without altering each other’s natural life cycles. Chagras reflect a profound understanding of the relationship between humans and their environment, embodied in agricultural practices and reproduced through traditional knowledge about the interactions between plants, animals, minerals, and the spiritual ancestors shared by all community members.   Traditional Knowledge and the Chagra Photograph of individuals in a chagra. Source: Visión Amazonía.   Chagras are located next to malocas, traditional houses where daily life and ritual activities occur and where different families from the same community interact. Although the term chagra is used for the defined parcels of territory cultivated to provide food for the community, in a broader sense, the chagra agricultural model is a complete alimentary system based on traditional ecological, social, and spiritual knowledge of the biological relationships between vegetal species, relationships with the soil, production cycles, diseases, and plagues.   This system has survived for several centuries and has developed in conjunction with the biological and cultural evolutionary processes of the Amazon rainforest, which have allowed for the domestication of numerous species and the preservation of a broad genetic base for many plants and animals.   A man collecting with traditional basket. Source: Agencia de Noticias de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia.   Indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest have preserved sophisticated knowledge of these relationships. The chagra presents balanced, reciprocal, and sustainable strategies to preserve the cohabitation of humans and vegetal and animal species in a shared environment. These practices have been passed from generation to generation through oral history and practice-based learning, which include the retelling of mythical stories and bio-spiritual explanations that all community members must learn from childhood.   Although the chagra model refers principally to the cultivation of food, some of the related practices linked to this alimentary system include hunting, gathering fruits and vegetables, and fishing. These practices have specific gender and age divisions and work in conjunction to ensure the well-being of the community and all organisms inhabiting the rainforest.   The Chagra Production Cycle  Woman collecting cassava in a chagra. Nancy Padua, 2021. Source: Open Democracy.   The chagra’s production cycle has been designed over centuries to avoid disturbing the natural balance of the ecosystem. The first step to setting up a chagra is selecting an adequate portion of land, which depends on the location, soil type, and surrounding vegetation. Before selecting the parcel, communities often need to negotiate with the land’s spiritual owners to allow human intervention, a task the local shaman or women often carry out. In a special ceremony, tobacco smoke is spread over the field to protect the cultivation process and establish shamanic relationships with the world of guiding spirits that guard the forest.   After the spiritual and spatial preparation of the terrain is completed, all the vegetation is cut during the dry season between December and February. This happens in two stages: the socola, where small vegetation is removed, and the tumba, where the bigger trunks are cut in collective efforts that can gather men from neighboring communities.   Any organic material remaining is burned to release nitrogen, with the resulting ash fertilizing the soil. The terrain is allowed to cool for a period of two weeks, after which the women of the community take over the protection and correct functioning of the chagra.   Photograph of some of the food collected from a chagra. Source: Agencia de Noticias de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia.   When the rainy season comes, between March and July, the levels of the rivers rise, and the sowing period begins. Women know the seeds’ different properties and each plant’s growing processes. Some of the main products grown and collected in the chagra include yuca (cassava), corn, banana, pineapple, coca, tobacco, and peanuts.   Some areas of the chagra are reserved for peppers and sacred herbs and plants. As different species start to grow, the women eliminate competitor weeds, burning them to transform them into nutrient-rich ashes, which are then used to fertilize the other plants. No species is considered a threat or waste, as most of them can be repurposed to benefit the chagra in some way.   After the chagra completes its productive cycle, the shaman conducts a closing ritual, and the terrain is abandoned to allow it to recover. The community then moves forward with finding a new parcel of land to start the productive cycle of a new chagra over again. The parcel left behind is often used for hunting, as many rodents come to feed on the remaining cassava.   The Cultural Importance of the Chagra: The Principle of Complementarity Photo of a chagra, Valentina Fonseca Cepeda, 2019. Source: Infoamazonía.   Chagras are biological and social spaces for preserving traditional cultural knowledge. They are also an example of how communities exercise their right to food sovereignty in Latin American countries that often give more priority to the capitalist models that exploit the valuable natural resources located in ancestral territories.   Together with the malocas, chagras are sites where ancestral knowledge is taught to younger generations, instructing them in how to cultivate and collect food and reinforcing a strong sense of community and cultural identity. In addition to sharing this specialized knowledge, they are places for acquiring and learning social values related to ethics, health, nutrition, and rituals, which makes the whole process surrounding the chagra one of the cornerstones of social formation in these indigenous communities.   One of the main cultural principles of livelihood and well-being among these communities is complementarity and interdependence. This refers to the reciprocal relationships between men and women, as well as the physical and spiritual worlds. These relationships ensure the correct balance in life through collaboration and collective work. For instance, in the chagra, the principle of complementarity is reflected in how poisonous, itchy, edible, and sacred plants can coexist without any problem.   The principle of complementarity is the basis on which the cultural significance and biological functioning of the chagra are constructed. Through the tumba, burning, and cultivation of the terrain, the landscape is constantly revitalized by selecting and facilitating the growth of palms and trees that produce food for fish, animals, and humans.   A Bio-Spiritual Model for Protecting the Amazon Rainforest Photo of women in a chagra, Stefan Ruiz. Source: Gaia Amazonas   Contemporary exploitative capitalist models of agriculture could learn much from the chagra. They demonstrate ecological ways different species can co-exist and grow in a single defined space. Their logic opposes intensive agricultural systems based on fast rates for producing single species in single terrains, an economic dynamic that harms the soil and serves individual and institutional interests, often excluding the communities that own the ancestral territories. The model of the chagra is a result of broader socio-cultural structures of reciprocity between indigenous communities and the environment.   Historically, the cultural and biological integrity of the Amazon rainforest has been threatened by colonial and capitalist exploitation. Since the 1970s, the chagras have been becoming less and less diverse and extensive due to indigenous slavery and the exploitation of natural resources such as quinoa and rubber. Additionally, and more contemporarily, intensive palm oil and soy farming and extensive livestock farming produce increasing levels of deforestation that, day by day, are destroying the biological and social fabric of the rainforest.   Although this has forced many communities to abandon their territories, putting them in a situation of displacement, others are organizing themselves into political and activist groups, simultaneously fighting for their right to their territory and protecting the Amazon rainforest. These efforts include the preservation of the chagra as a holistic bio-spiritual model for coexisting with the environment, assuring a correct and balanced use of natural resources through relationships of reciprocity.   Women transporting just-harvested yuca, Juan Gabriel Soler. Source: Gaia Amazonas   Chagras are sources of knowledge and wisdom that could be used to solve the many problems generated by the world’s industrialization, where natural resources are becoming less and less available and where the effects of capitalist exploitation of the environment are altering the ecological balance of nature around the globe. The model of the chagra speaks to ecological harmony and considers biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture crucial knowledge for mitigating the effects of global warming and the unequal distribution of rights to the land in different countries.   Chagras are currently in danger of extinction, as many multinational corporations are expanding their power over their lands, causing immense damage to the forest. This results from illegal occupation of the land as well as through violent interactions with the communities. Nonetheless, many NGOs and organized indigenous communities remain, fighting for the protection of their environment and land justice in the Amazon rainforest.

  Those interested in British politics enjoy pitting certain politicians against each other, comparing and contrasting the most impressive individuals from our past. When it comes to the question of Britain’s best prime minister, it’s hard to come up with an objectively correct answer. Yet some names certainly come up more than others during these discussions.   Clement Attlee is one of these names. As the leader of the Labour Party, he won an impressive election victory in 1945 and remained in power until 1951. Though far from perfect, his tenure as prime minister proved to be a political milestone, and many consider Attlee to be one of the greatest politicians in British history.   Clement Attlee’s Upbringing William Ewart Gladstone by John Everett Millais, 1881. Source: Royal Academy of Arts   Clement Attlee was born on January 3, 1883, in the village of Putney, an area that is now part of London. At the time, the Liberal Party was in power, and William Gladstone was in the middle of his second term as prime minister. The Conservative Party was the other main force in British politics. The Labour Party, on the other hand, hadn’t been created yet.   Being the seventh child and fourth boy, Attlee grew up in a large, religious family fronted by a wealthy father who worked as a solicitor. He was an intelligent child who liked reading books and poetry. He particularly enjoyed the work of Alfred Tennyson.   Attlee started preparatory school at the age of nine before moving on to Haileybury as a teenager. The school was a prestigious institution with idyllic grounds and an impressive reputation. Prospective students had to pass an entrance exam and have wealthy parents if they wanted to study there.   Attlee didn’t stand out from the crowd at Haileybury despite his early signs of intelligence. He was an adequate (but unexceptional) student, though his love of language and written communication remained, for he was a member of both the College Literary Society and the Shakespeare Society.   Like his older brothers, Attlee went on to study at Oxford University. He studied Modern History, specializing in the Italian Renaissance. He was also a member of the debating society during his time at Oxford.   The Dawn of a Political Career Keir Hardie by William John Monkhouse, 1905. Source: National Portrait Gallery UK   The Labour movement came into being towards the end of the Victorian era. A Scottish politician named Keir Hardie formed the Independent Labour Party in 1893 and the Labour Party in 1900.   Meanwhile, Clement Attlee was looking for a career change after disliking his work at his father’s law firm. His heart simply wasn’t in it, and he craved a greater sense of purpose.   In October 1905, Attlee went for a walk in Stepney in the East End of London with his brother Lawrence. They found a culture of poverty, poor housing, and insecure unemployment. This had a profound impact on Attlee’s view of the world, shattering the notion that individual failings and idleness were the source of poverty. Attlee offered his services to a charity in Stepney and helped working-class boys in the area.   Politically, Attlee wasn’t impressed with either the Conservative Party or the Liberal Party. The latter had won the 1906 election with a landslide victory and were embarking on an agenda of redistributive taxation and welfare reforms. But Attlee didn’t believe these reforms went far enough.   In January 1908, Attlee joined the Stepney branch of the Independent Labour Party. This was his springboard into the wider London socialist movement, and he soon established himself as a hard worker.   However, the party had little electoral success in the early years of the twentieth century. Even in working-class areas, it was hard to break the two-party stronghold of the Liberals and Conservatives.   Following the start of the First World War, Attlee joined the army in September 1914 and put his political career on hold. In April 1917, he suffered severe shrapnel wounds in Iraq, and in August 1918, he was hit by a piece of timber while being shelled in France. Thankfully, none of these injuries were life-threatening.   The Rise of the Labour Party Ramsay MacDonald by John Lavery, 1931. Source: National Portrait Gallery UK   When Clement Attlee returned from the army in January 1919, he found a new political landscape.   Before the war, only sixty percent of men could vote. After the war, all men and most women over the age of thirty could vote. Trade union membership also increased during the war years. These factors gave the Labour Party a boost.   After the collapse of David Lloyd George’s coalition government in October 1922, there was a general election in November. The Labour Party made significant progress, winning 142 seats and performing particularly well in working-class areas. Attlee himself became a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Limehouse in Stepney.   Though the Conservatives managed to win the next election in December 1923, they didn’t have a majority in the House of Commons, resulting in a hung Parliament. Labour, as the second-largest party, formed a coalition with the Liberals, enabling them to command a majority in the House of Commons. Ramsay MacDonald became the first Labour prime minister.   While the coalition didn’t last long (the Conservatives returned to power in October 1924 with a big majority), Labour’s time in power solidified them as a serious force in British politics. Their success continued in May 1929 when they became the largest parliamentary party for the first time.   However, they lacked the numbers they needed, and it would be many years before a governing Labour Party secured a majority on their own.   The War Cabinet Photograph of Winston Churchill by Yousuf Karsh, 1941. Source: National Portrait Gallery UK   Clement Attlee became leader of the Labour Party in December 1935. Under his direction, the party published Labour’s Immediate Programme (1937), clarifying his vision for what Britain would look like under a Labour government. The document included the nationalization of power and transport industries.   But there were bigger issues facing Britain (and the world) at this time. The growing threat of the Nazis during the 1930s developed into a global conflict when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Though Attlee supported Britain’s involvement in the war, he disliked the current Conservative prime minister, Neville Chamberlain.   Winston Churchill replaced Chamberlain in May 1940. Though Churchill held conservative beliefs, he had a lot of respect for Attlee and gave him several ministerial positions in the coalition government during the Second World War. The most prestigious position held by Attlee was that of Deputy Prime Minister. This required Attlee to chair Cabinet meetings when Churchill was on military trips abroad.   (Other Labour politicians also played important roles in the coalition government. Herbert Morrison, for example, was the Home Secretary during the Second World War.)   Clement Attlee’s Time as Prime Minister Photograph of Clement Attlee from Vandyk Photographic Studio, c. 1950. Source: Government Art Collection UK   Following Adolf Hitler’s suicide and the Russian victory at the Battle of Berlin, the six-year conflict in Europe came to an end. Soon after, Britain held a general election, and Clement Attlee’s Labour Party scored a comfortable majority, taking 393 seats in the House of Commons.   Attlee had developed a firm grasp of administration and management during his political career, essential skills for any prime minister.   When it came to foreign affairs, Attlee’s government oversaw Britain’s withdrawal from South East Asia, marking the shift from empire to Commonwealth with the independence of India (1947), Pakistan (1947), Burma (1948), and Ceylon (1948).   Attlee also had to face the early stages of the Cold War. Well aware of the threat posed by the Soviet Union, he made sure Britain signed up to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, better known as NATO. In 1950, he traveled to Washington and spoke with the President of the United States, Harry S. Truman, about the Korean War and helped to prevent the use of nuclear weapons.   Domestically, socialist principles influenced Attlee’s management of the economy. The government made efforts to standardize working conditions, empower trade unions, and nationalize industries like coal, steel, mining, and the railways.   Yet Attlee’s greatest long-term achievement was the creation of Britain’s National Health Service (commonly referred to as the NHS). The health service came into effect in the summer of 1948 and gave free healthcare by removing fees or insurance premiums.   Attlee’s time in office also saw the creation of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a more comprehensive childcare service, with the latter helping to provide care for impoverished and orphaned children.   Clement Attlee’s Legacy Photograph of Clement Attlee shaking hands with President Truman by an unknown photographer, 1945. Source: The Digital Collections of the National WWII Museum, New Orleans   Debates concerning Britain’s greatest prime minister—as fascinating as they might be—can often get heated among those with an interest in British history. Political biases naturally come to the fore, with some refusing to acknowledge the flaws of Clement Attlee’s premiership.   The biggest red flag against Attlee’s legacy is the brevity of his time in government. Having put most of its pledges into practice, the Labour Party lacked the sense of excitement that had been key to the party’s success in 1945. This allowed Winston Churchill’s Conservative Party to emerge victorious in the 1951 election. Photograph of Clement Attlee by Yousuf Karsh, 1944. Source: National Portrait Gallery UK   Moreover, the nationalization schemes implemented by Attlee’s government had a short shelf life and were largely undone by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party several decades later. It’s important to acknowledge these shortcomings and stress that Attlee was far from a perfect prime minister.   Nevertheless, Attlee still deserves credit for the changes his party carried out, both at home and abroad. The creation of the National Health Service proved Attlee was a politician ahead of his time. This, along with the shift from empire to Commonwealth and Britain’s decision to join NATO, helped to solidify his legacy.   Regardless of your own political biases, it’s hard not to commend the achievements of Attlee’s Labour government.