In the late 1970’s the genial science historian James Burke wrote and presented a ten-part series entitled Connections, which became appointment-tv for my husband and me. He had a way of applying past lessons to present circumstances that was both fascinating and entertaining and sometimes–as in this video–loaded with the prescience that comes from actually listening to history. At about the 3:30 mark, you find Burke once again presenting past as prelude: ” The last time a world empire fell... Read more