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Talk:Retirement of General Shinseki

Here's a snippet from Google:

 * Bush, Kerry asserted, "even fired the army chief of staff" because "he didn't like what he was hearing." General Eric Shinseki faced heavy criticism from within the administration after suggesting that an invasion force needed to be several hundred thousand strong to properly pacify Iraq. Shinseki in fact retired, though it is unclear whether he did so under pressure.

Is it generally the practice of Wikipedia to create separate articles for each individual point raised during a Presidential debate? I didn't even know it was the practice to create separate articles for each Presidential debate, let alone for each point raised during such debates. -- Antaeus Feldspar 19:03, 1 Oct 2004 (UTC)

 * LOL. This is the first time the United States has chosen to hold a presidential debate since Wikipedia came into existence. Remember, the World Wide Web is only 10 years old...

 * It is Wikipedian practice to create several short articles on a topic, when it's likely that there will be partisanship and bias amoung contributors. Evercat and I both know that I am a biased writer. But after the dust settles, the small articles can be consolidated into one main article.

 * If I tried to create an article on Candidates' positions on major issues in the 2004 US Presidential Election, the edit war would make Palestine look like a picnic. --Uncle Ed 19:21, 1 Oct 2004 (UTC)

 * If that's true, if this is the accepted Wikipedian practice, then it seems a good associated practice to follow might be to create a category for these short articles -- Category:Debate Points In The 2004 Presidential Campaign, or something of that nature? It would help make sure none of these smaller articles get left out when the time for consolidation arises.  -- Antaeus Feldspar 19:32, 1 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Quick repair section
I deleted this sentence:

 * This had been reported by the New York Times and the Washington Post when it occurred.

The phrase this had been reported apparently refers to the FACT that Shinseki had been forced into retirement for making critical remarks. If that is what the sentence is intended to convey, then let's rephrase it like this:

 * The New York Times and the Washington Post both said that Bush's reason for retiring Shinseki was to shut him up.

But I think the sentence was really meant to convey the idea that the 2 papers ran article which were about the retirement.

What I'm getting at, is whether the papers are backing up the "forced retirement" claim, or not. --Uncle Ed 20:09, 1 Oct 2004 (UTC)

 * Well, if the NYT and the Washington Post did support the retired-to-silence-him thesis, then yes, it should go back in, although for clarity I'd favor a phrasing more like:

 * ... an interpretation that had also been taken by the New York Times and Washington Post when the retirement was announced.

 * The Rumsfeld thing might also need to go in; if it's unprecedented for a general's retirement to be announced so very far in advance of it actually happening, then it supports the perception that the retirement in fact happened under pressure. That perception is not proof, but it does mean that Kerry stating it as so was not entirely unreasonable.  -- Antaeus Feldspar 00:15, 2 Oct 2004 (UTC)

 * You've given me food for thought: what if (1) Rummy announces the retirement, because he thinks Shinseki isn't a team player; and then (2) Shinseki starts making increasingly critical or "disloyal" statements in public? Rather than being "retired for mouthing off", wouldn't this mean "mouthing off in response to being retired"? --Uncle Ed 14:10, 4 Oct 2004 (UTC)

 * That is possible. You bring up a good point, one where I'm not aware of the factual basis:  I had assumed, that like most people in the private sector and most people in civilian civil service, the General chose his time of retirement, and interpreted Rumsfeld's announcement of it as merely a move to undermine his authority, turning him from "the guy in charge" into "the guy who's in charge temporarily but whose days are numbered."  But do Army generals in fact get their retirement dates chosen for them?  That's something I don't know, and it would very much need to go in if "announcing the retirement" really meant "making a unilateral decision on retirement, with the consent of consultation of the principal."

 * As for whether the General's views on Iraq changed because of Rumsfeld's move -- it's possible. What in fact I think is very likely is that the situation was "chicken and egg" to some extent -- he was critical of the White House's plan for the war; his criticism got him either early retirement or early announcement of retirement; that show of non-support prompted him or freed him to be even more critical, et cetera...  But unfortunately, it's all speculation on our parts.  Unless his recorded views on the war changed really markedly with his retirement/announcement-of-same, then all we really have to go on is "the Bush campaign said this", "the Kerry campaign said this", "General Shinseki said this."  -- Antaeus Feldspar 16:29, 4 Oct 2004 (UTC)

 * My understanding of military politics is that there's a time for debate, and then after the commander makes his decision you "close ranks": i.e., shut up, salute, and do your best to make the plan succeed. I recall Shineki as a Clinton-era holdover who never supported the Bush administration. IMHO Bush put up with it as long as he could, then eased him out.

 * As for what we should put in the article, I would say that my speculations and yours (while providing food for thought), probably ought not be in the article. Let's focus on public statements by Shinseki and Rumsfeld, et al. Or if some columnist or politician says it was a policy dispute, then quote that POV. I'll do a little googling... --Uncle Ed 16:46, 4 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Washington Times quote
June 11, 2004:
 * "Gen. Shinseki ran afoul of Mr. Rumsfeld last year after he publicly opposed the secretary's decision to cancel the Army's $11 billion Crusader artillery program. The general also challenged civilian Pentagon officials on the issue of Iraq, saying in congressional testimony that the United States would need several hundred thousand troops to stabilize and occupy Iraq after a war."

Robert Novak column

 * Rumsfeld had defied precedent by announcing 14 months in advance Shinseki's retirement as chief of staff in June 2003, making him a lame duck.

Jed Babbin
Columnist Jed Babbin says Shinseki was "the protégé of Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye, and as political as his mentor" and should have been fired as soon as Rumsfeld took office.

 * I'm sorry, but that's a really horrible quote to put in there. "Horrible" as in "it would make Wikipedia look bad to have that in there, making us look like we're just a forum on partisan gossip."  I'll take a look at that article to see if it contains anything more than his opinion and speculation on the subject, but as it is it's not more worthy to go in the article just because it's a columnist's POV assertions, rather than our own.  -- Antaeus Feldspar 17:19, 4 Oct 2004 (UTC)

 * If that's a cut, I won't revert it. "When in doubt, leave it out" is my motto. And here are some more comments. --Uncle Ed

 * Top army officers have also made little secret of their resentment of the way Rumsfeld and Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz -- who, like other top Pentagon civilians in the Bush administration, have never served in combat -- dismissed the former Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Eric Shinseki. Shinseki presciently warned before the war that at least 200,000 troops would be needed to occupy Iraq after an invasion. Wolfowitz denounced that estimate as wildly off the mark, while, in a major break with tradition, neither Rumsfeld nor Wolfowitz attended Shinseki's farewell ceremony where he cautioned against a 12-division strategy for a 10-division army.

 * Many officers still are rankled by the treatment of former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki, who last spring was sharply criticized in public by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz for suggesting the occupation would require significantly more troops than the initial war. At Rumsfeld's direction, the number was whittled back, with Rumsfeld and other senior officials arguing that "shock and awe" would collapse any opposition and the Iraqi people, as Vice President Dick Cheney said in a March 16, 2003 interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," would greet U.S. troops "as liberators."

Lots of partisan politics being discussed here. A number of interesting questions are raised by the Shinseki retirement:

 * Was Wolfwitz right about shock and awe?
 * Yes: the war ended so fast that historians simply call it an "invasion".
 * No: the war's still going on: insurgency, rebellion, terrorism, etc.

 * Was Shinseki right about troop requirements for the occupation?
 * Yes: The occupation failed (or is failing), and Rumsfeld finally had to increase troop strength to the level Shinseki recommended
 * No: The occupation has not failed (or is not likely to fail), and Rumsfeld has NOT had to increase troop strength to the level Shinseki recommended --Uncle Ed 17:32, 4 Oct 2004 (UTC)

 * March 13, 2003: Breaking all precedent, Rumsfeld had announced 14 months in advance that Shinseki would be stepping down as chief of staff. Thus, the general was a longtime lame duck February 25 when Sen. Carl Levin, senior Democrat on Armed Services, asked him how many troops would be needed to occupy Iraq. His "several hundred thousand" answer was so far from the official line that it confirmed Rumsfeld's view of Clintonite generals out of control. While Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz declared Shinseki "wildly off the mark" and Rumsfeld also disagreed, the general stuck to his estimate. That left it to the secretary of the Army in testimony before Senate Armed Services last Thursday.

Check me on the timing, but the passage above suggests the following order of events:

1. Rumsfeld announces Shinseki's retirement.

2. Shinseki contradicts Wolfowitz & Rumsfeld on "occupation" troop strength.

Kerry camp says that 1 was a punishment for 2. Interesting, if Shinseki got slapped for doing something he hadn't even done yet! --Uncle Ed 18:29, 4 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Kerry debate quote

 * The president ... went to Cincinnati, and he gave a speech in which he said, "We will plan carefully. We will proceed cautiously. We will not make war inevitable. We will go with our allies." He didn't do any of those things. They didn't do the planning. They left the planning of the State Department in the State Department desks. They avoided even the advice of their own general, General Shinseki. The Army chief of staff, said. "You're going to need several hundred thousand troops." Instead of listening to him, they retired him. (emphasis added for Wikipedia talk page)

Is this equivalent to saying Bush "retired him for saying we needed more troops"? I don't think so, not after studying this matter so intently. Okay, maybe he insinuated that idea...

But the context was a bit larger. Kerry was saying that Bush didn't listen to him (Kerry) or to Shinseki, and that Bush broke his promises:

 * to plan carefully
 * to proceed cautiously
 * not to make war inevitable
 * to go with our allies

I was in the army 5 years. From what I have been able to see of the war-planning process, it definitely was careful. They even brought MOPP gear -- masks and charcoal-laden suits to protect against chemical and biological weapons. (It turned out they didn't need them, but if (a) they hadn't brought them and (b) Saddam had used chem or bio, everyone including me would have said Bush didn't plan carefully.

The invasion plan was done so well that American and British casualties were very low. I'd call that proceeding cautiously. In fact, the shock and awe worked so well that (as Bush said later in the debate) they enemy just folded up and went home.

Bus did NOT make the war inevitable. Saddam could have avoided it, if he had simply begun cooperating with the arms inspectors. Ironically, if the Democrats are right about Saddam never having had and WMD, Saddam could have proven this easily via such cooperation. Instead, he chose not to cooperate. The war wasn't inevitable: letting the UN and all see that he had no WMD (if that was really true then) would have prevented it.

So, either:
 * He had WMD, but needed more time to hide them; or,
 * He had no WMD, but didn't want to admit he had been bluffing.

Either way, he was playing tricks that precipitated a war.

I'm not sure how mush allied troop strength Bush promised to send to Iraq, but the number of countries exceeded those who fought alongside us in the Korean War (15 then). I don't think Bush promised to bring France and Germany; Spain came, but left after a terrorist attack during their elections; Russia never was an ally.

Hmm. A friend tells me I'm making too much of this. --Uncle Ed 17:58, 5 Oct 2004 (UTC)

 * Honestly? I'd agree.  It's getting into whether Shinseki was right in his assessment of troop demands.  For purposes of this article, it doesn't really matter -- especially if the Bush admistration's assertion that his assessment of troop demands had nothing to do with his retirement is true.  I think the salient points are these:

 * Shinseki's interpretation is that he was forced into retirement;
 * Kerry's interpretation is that he was forced into retirement specifically for his assessment of troop requirements;
 * Bush's interpretation is that he wasn't forced into retirement at all;
 * The facts so far do not make any of these interpretations so compelling that the others are thereby falsified.

Even if we had the word of an oracle that Shinseki's projections were completely wrong and incompetently so, all that would do is substantiate an interpretation not on the table: that Shinseki was forced into retirement over his troop projections and that forced retirement was justified. That, however, would be a hard bar to meet the standards of proof for; it wouldn't be enough just to say "in retrospect, Shinseki was wrong because he said we'd need this many troops and we succeeded with this lesser amount" (and even that is presuming that everyone could agree that we've "succeeded"). You'd have to prove that the projections could be seen by any reasonable observer to be inaccurate beforehand -- and you couldn't even get a consensus from all reasonable observers now that those projections were inaccurate. -- Antaeus Feldspar 18:19, 8 Oct 2004 (UTC)

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Midsomer Norton

Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Bath and North East Somerset, England, 10 mi south-west of Bath, 10 mi north-east of Wells, 10 mi north-west of Frome, 12 mi west of Trowbridge and 16 mi south-east of Bristol. It has a population of around 13,000. Along with Radstock and Westfield it used to be part of the conurbation and large civil parish of Norton Radstock, but is now a town council in its own right. It is also part of the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset.

Midsomer Norton is characterised by the River Somer which runs the length of the town centre, the river itself was regenerated with new plant life during the summer of 2012 in a bid to improve the aesthetics of the town centre. The Town has a long history which can be seen through a number of early churches which remain, but really started to grow and become a transport hub with the development of the Somerset coalfield. For many years the coalmines provided employment for local men until they ceased operations in the 1960s, around the same time that the town's two railway stations also closed. Afterwards, good employment opportunities still remained for the town with elements of the print industry, and although some of these plants have also now begun to close, overall employment levels in the area remain very high.

Midsomer Norton provides shopping and service industries for the surrounding areas and supports several music venues and bands. The town has four primary schools and two large secondary schools. Midsomer Norton is home to a leisure centre, several sports clubs and provides youth opportunities such as Scouts and Guides. It has been the birthplace or home to several notable people.

Name
"Norton" means 'northish enclosure' from the Old English, while the use of its forename to distinguish it from other 'Nortons' is of late origin and not mentioned until 1334. Sources point to the town being situated midway between two branches of the River Somer; the Somer itself and Wellow Brook, which joins the Somer a short distance to the east near Radstock.

The spelling "Missomerys Norton" may be a variation.

Eilert Ekwall wrote that the village "is said to be so called in allusion to the festival held at midsummer on the day of St. John, the patron saint."

John Wesley wrote of the appalling local road conditions which ensured it was reachable "only in midsummer." As Simon Winchester notes in his book The Map that Changed the World, "...the roads on this part of Somerset were atrocious, thick with mud and as rough as the surface of the moon".

'Norton Canonicorum' and the priory
In some church records the town is referred to as 'Norton Canonicorum' as an alternative to Midsomer Norton, and this may be because of the local Priory's link to Merton Priory in London until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538.

Prehistory
The area at what is now Langley’s Lane in Midsomer Norton was an important and rare area of Mesolithic activity focused around an active tufa spring.

Roman
The Fosse Way runs through the south-western edge of the town between Westfield, Somerset and Stratton-on-the-Fosse.

Middle Ages
The parish was part of the hundred of Chewton.

Following the Norman Conquest William the Conqueror gave large parts of north Somerset, including the manor of Norton to Geoffrey de Montbray, bishop of Coutances, and Norton was held under him by Ulveva. From about 1150 until 1300 the manor was held by Alured de Lincoln. From 1387 the manor was held by the family of Thomas West, 1st Baron West and his descendants.

18th and 19th century: mining and landmarks
The Duchy of Cornwall owned most of the mineral rights around Midsomer Norton and various small pits opened around 1750 to exploit these. Coal mining in the Somerset coalfield gave the town and area its impetus as an industrial centre.

Around 1866 an obelisk Crimean War monument with two marble plaques, was built at the site of St Chad's well, by the mother of Frederick Stukeley Savage for the benefit of the poor. The obelisk was in the grounds of Norton House, a Georgian mansion built by Thomas Savage, an investor in coalmines in the area, in 1789. The house itself has since been demolished but other features of its estate are still visible at Silver Street Nature reserve (see below).

Governance

There are two electoral wards in the town from which Midsomer Norton elects its own Town Council with an elected Mayor. It is part of the North East Somerset constituency, which elects a Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The Palladian council offices were built in the mid to late 18th century. Midsomer Norton Town Hall was commissioned by a local brewer, Thomas Harris Smith, designed in the Italianate style and completed in 1860.

Geography

The main geological feature in this area of the Mendip Hills south of Hallatrow consists of Supra-Pennant Measures which includes the upper coal measures and outcrops of sandstone. The relics of the industrial past are very evident within the area, including the distinct conical shape of the Old Mills batch overlooking the town. Midsomer Norton lies on the River Somer which rises to the west of Chilcompton and on the Wellow Brook which rises near the village of Ston Easton. The town therefore occupies two valleys of the Mendip Hills and these merge west of Radstock. The combined river then flows east reaching the River Avon near Midford, thence to Bath and through Bristol into the Bristol Channel at Avonmouth.

On the southern fringes of the town is the 2 ha Silver Street Local Nature Reserve, on the site of the estate of Norton House, an eighteenth century mansion built by the coalmine-owning Savage family but demolished in 1937-8. It contains a broad-leaf woodland around several ponds, a restored nineteenth-century wellhead that supplied water to the house, and a grassland field. The woodland is leased to the Somerset and Dorset Heritage Railway Trust by Bath and North East Somerset Council and the meadow in the stewardship of Somervale School.

Along with the rest of South West England, the Midsomer Norton has a temperate climate generally wetter and milder than the rest of England. The annual mean temperature is about 10 °C (50 °F) with seasonal and diurnal variations, but the modifying effect of the sea, restricts the range to less than that in most other parts of the United Kingdom. January is the coldest month with mean minimum temperatures between 1 °C (34 °F) and 2 °C (36 °F). July and August are the warmest, with mean daily maxima around 21 °C (70 °F). In general, December is the dullest month and June the sunniest. The south-west of England enjoys a favoured location, particularly in summer, when the Azores High extends its influence north-eastwards towards the UK.

Cloud often forms inland, especially near hills, and reduces exposure to sunshine. The average annual sunshine is about 1,600 hours. Rainfall tends to be associated with Atlantic depressions or with convection. In summer, convection caused by solar surface heating sometimes forms shower clouds and a large proportion of the annual precipitation falls from showers and thunderstorms at this time of year. Average rainfall is around 800–900 mm (31–35 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, with June to August having the lightest; the prevailing wind direction is from the south-west.

Midsomer Norton flood alleviation scheme
For many years, the centre of Midsomer Norton was prone to flooding. Sometimes several times a year, the Somer rose up during prolonged rainfall and flooded shops, particularly where the high street is at its lowest point in the middle between Martin's newsagent and the former Palladium cinema.

To prevent future deluges, a major flood alleviation tunnel — completed in 1977 – was constructed beneath the high street to remove excess water when the town centre was threatened with flooding. The infrastructure comprises a sluice gate situated at the top of the high street near Somervale School through which the water is carried under the town via a pre-cast concrete culvert several metres in diameter to an outlet further downstream at Rackvernal. Since it began operation, no flooding has occurred to the high street and an Environment Agency report confirms that the relief scheme remains in good condition and continues to serve to its 100-year standard.

Despite the success of the scheme, some outlying areas of the town are now rated at increased risk of flooding from Wellow Brook due to climate change and the increased provision of housing in the vicinity. In 2008 a new monitoring station was installed at nearby Welton through which data on water pressure and flood levels can be collected via metal tubes placed in the river linked to a telemetry box. This facility is now providing the Environment Agency with extremely useful information for use in future assessments of flood risk.

Industry and commerce

For hundreds of years mining was an important industry for the area, and there were a number of mines in Midsomer Norton, e.g. Old Mills, Norton Hill, and Welton. However the seams were thin and with the hilly nature around, not easily worked. Generations of miners who worked in the difficult conditions of the local collieries are remembered at the Radstock Museum. The coming of the railways, particularly the Bath extension of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway (S&D) in 1874, transformed the conveyance of coal out of the area.

The last pit in the town, at Norton Hill, closed in 1966. Despite modernisation in the early 1960s, this final pit lapsed into unprofitability due to local geological difficulties and manpower shortages.

One of the town's best known businesses was Prattens, manufacturer of prefabricated buildings, founded in 1912. It was acquired by Beazer in 1980 and its factory in Charlton Road was demolished in the 1990s.

Midsomer Norton traditionally hosted other industries and became a major manufacturing centre for printing and packaging. Some 2,000 people (27% of total employment) work in this industry locally. Following the decline of mining, these companies expanded on local trading estates and in Welton. The sites of the disused collieries in the area have subsequently been developed for light industry.

In recent years some large local firms have closed or relocated blaming poor transport links. Packaging company, Alcan Mardon closed in 2006, although its social club remains. Polestar Purnell, based in nearby Paulton also closed the same year with the loss of 400 jobs. In August 2011, the town's largest remaining employer, Welton, Bibby & Baron, the largest producer of recyclable paper bags in Europe, announced the closure of its site in Welton, which it occupied for 150 years. The company, known locally as ‘Welton Bag’ planned to move to larger premises at Westbury in Wiltshire, but promised to transfer all 400 jobs to the new site.

The business parks remain busy however, and the town and environs has its share of national trading companies including supermarkets and retail outlets. The town's High Street has free parking. Many inhabitants commute to Bath and Bristol for employment and shopping.

Dial-a-Ride services for the elderly and handicapped are well used, along with the local Community minibus set up by the local Rotary Club in 1967 under Midsomer Norton & Radstock Community Service Vehicle Trust. This vehicle is for use primarily by organisations in the area serving the disabled and infirm.

The railways

The town was previously served by a station on the Somerset and Dorset Railway (S&D) but this closed in 1966, and by a second station on the Bristol and North Somerset Railway at Welton in the valley. The railways were separate, the S&D being administered by the Midland Railway and the London and South Western Railway companies (later the London Midland and Scottish Railway and the Southern Railway) and the North Somerset being run by and then owned by the Great Western Railway. The stations were both called "Midsomer Norton and Welton" (the B&NSR station was originally called just "Welton"); under British Railways, the S&D station was renamed as Midsomer Norton South after a short period as Midsomer Norton Upper; and is currently being restored with occasional open weekends with engines in steam. The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust operates steam trains for a mile up to Chilcompton Tunnel. Today the nearest operating railway stations are at Frome (10.5 miles away) and Bath Spa (11 miles), the latter of which is the most easily accessible via regular direct bus routes.

Culture
Midsomer Norton's railway station was mentioned in Slow Train by Michael Flanders and Donald Swann:

Children's author Roald Dahl sold kerosene in Midsomer Norton and the surrounding area in the 1930s. He described the experience in his autobiographical work Boy: Tales of Childhood (published 1984):

"My kerosene motor-tanker had a tap at the back and when I rolled into Shepton Mallet or Midsomer Norton or Peasedown St John or Huish Champflower, the old girls and the young maidens would hear the roar of my motor and would come out of their cottages with jugs and buckets to buy a gallon of kerosene for their lamps and their heaters. It is fun for a young man to do that sort of thing. Nobody gets a nervous breakdown or a heart attack from selling kerosene to gentle country folk from the back of a tanker in Somerset on a fine summer’s day."

The Waugh family connection with Midsomer Norton began when Dr Alexander Waugh, father of Arthur Waugh and grandfather of Evelyn Waugh and Alec Waugh moved to Island House, which had been built in the early eighteenth century, in The Island in the centre of the town in 1865. The family later moved to a house in Silver Street. As a boy, Evelyn Waugh spent his summer holidays in Midsomer Norton with his maiden aunts. He later described his visits there: "I suppose that in fact I never spent longer than two months there in any year, but the place captivated my imagination as my true home never did."

The Palladium cinema was opened as the Empire in 1913 in a building which had previously been a brewery. It closed in 1993 and various attempts were made to turn it into a club and shop, before Wetherspoons announced in January 2015 that they had acquired the site and intended to seek planning and licensing permission to convert it to a pub, which opened in September 2018 with the name of the Palladium Electric in reference to one of the cinema's former names. The town was left without cinema for almost two decades. Cinema was brought back to the town under the Palladium name in 2012 with a new community cinema at the Town Hall. In 2013, permanent cinema equipment was installed in the building and an upgrade in 2018 saw new release cinema return to the town for the first time in 25 years.

The town is commemorated in "The Sheriff of Midsomer Norton", by Somerset band The Wurzels. Midsomer Norton hosts the only unofficial carnival on the West Country Carnival circuit. Originally, floats travelled through the main High Street but road improvements put paid to the larger vehicles and for many years the procession was held on the main Fosseway through Westfield. Since 2014 however, the carnival has returned to the High Street following changes made to the traffic layout.

The town's free newspaper is the Midsomer Norton, Radstock & District Journal. The other local weekly paper is the Somerset Guardian, which is part of the Daily Mail and General Trust. The monthly magazine, the Mendip Times, also includes local features.

Somer Valley FM (97.5FM and online) is the Community Radio for the district. There is also a community website where residents can discuss local issues called Midsomer Norton People.

In 2016 the town's first LGBT Pride celebration event was held at The Wunderbar who had previously been host to comedians Matt Lucas and Ed Byrne. The event was held again in 2017.

Music scene
Throughout the 90's and early 2000 The alternative live music and DJ scene in Midsomer Norton flourished with help of venues such as The Stones Cross, The Wunderbar who promoted unsigned bands for over 25 years.

On the first Friday of every month the Paradis Palm Court Trio perform free classical concerts in the Town Hall. Choir concerts (male voices in particular) command a local following and the Lions club is a promoter of such attractions usually held in the Methodist or Parish churches.

There are a number of local brass bands. In 2006 Midsomer Norton hosted the European Open Marching and Show Band Championship which saw many bands from all over Europe visit the town.

Midsomer Murders
Anthony Horowitz, the original writer of Midsomer Murders, borrowed part of the name of the town when he adapted Caroline Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series for television in 1997. Although no filming of the show has ever taken place in Midsomer Norton or the surrounding parishes, some names of other nearby locations have been used by the producers in creating their fictional county of Midsomer, including Midsomer Wellow (Wellow), Midsomer Magna (Chew Magna), Midsomer Morton and the main settlement of Causton (Corston). Despite some occasional confusion, there is no other link between Midsomer Norton and the television series.

Religious sites and communities

The Old Priory, which was a hotel and restaurant, dates from the early to mid 17th century. Another old building is the Catholic Church of the Holy Ghost, which is a 15th-century tithe barn converted by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. It is a grade II* listed building. For many years, the local Catholic community were served by Benedictine monks from the now defunct Downside Abbey, formerly under the Diocese of Clifton.

The Anglican Church of St John the Baptist has a tower dating from the 15th century, although the upper stages are from the 17th century, but the rest was rebuilt in Gothic Revival style by John Pinch the younger in 1830–1831 and was extended in the 20th century with new chancel and lady chapel. It is a grade II* listed building. The churchyard includes a memorial to the 12 miners killed in 1839 when their rope was severed. St. John's is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells. The Patronage vests in Christ Church, Oxford.

The Methodist Church in the town's High Street celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2009. In 1746, John Wesley's travelling preachers, based in Bristol were invited in the mid-1700s to support the local society, the man himself first coming in 1767. By the middle of the 1800s, the congregation had outgrown the original chapel erected in 1775 in Rackvernal Road (now demolished). In the 1990s, the present church building and adjoining hall were totally refurbished and linked, the facilities being well used by the local community. Local Methodists are part of the Bristol District of the Methodist Church and in the North East Somerset & Bath Circuit.

The Baptist Church have their building in Welton but hold their Sunday morning service at Paulton Rovers Football Club now in order to accommodate their congregation.

The Salvation Army meet in their citadel at Stones Cross. There is a successful Scout group, the 1st Midsomer Norton Scout Group based at Radstock Road, providing scouting to around 140 boys and girls per week, and a similarly popular Guide group a short distance away at Rock Hall.

Education
First schools for children up to 11 include Midsomer Norton Primary, St. John's Church of England, Welton Primary, Longvernal Primary, Westfield Primary and Norton Hill Primary. In addition, St Benedict's Catholic Primary School on the edge of Midsomer Norton with a 'Midsomer Norton, Radstock' postal address, is actually part of the neighbouring Somerset County Council's education service.

There are two local secondary schools. Norton Hill School has approximately 1,400 students from the age of 11 to 18. In 1999, it became a Technology College and in 2007 changed specialism to become a Maths and Computing College. In 2006, Norton Hill was also awarded a second specialism as a Language College. The school was described by Ofsted in 2007 as outstanding in every respect. The school has received both the Sportsmark Award by Sport England and Artsmark Silver Award. Somervale School which has foundation status, is a specialist Arts College. In 2008, the school was the first in Bath and North East Somerset to win the Eco-Schools Silver Award. The number of pupils on the school roll had fallen to 603. This fall prompted the school to propose a federation with nearby Norton Hill School in March 2009 called the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership. This is now in place with Alun Williams as the overall head teacher of both schools within the federation. In October 2010 the federation was confirmed as an academy. Somervale School was awarded ‘Good’ in June 2022 and Norton Hill School was awarded ‘Good’ in March 2023. The two schools share a sixth form called the Midsomer Norton Sixth Form which is based across the two school sites.

The town is served by a further education college, the Somer Valley branch of Bath College, in neighbouring Westfield. It serves 1,000 full-time students and 5,000 part-time students. The College has steadily expanded since it opened in the 1940s to serve the Somerset coalfields. As a Community College, it has expanded its range of vocational programmes, and has become an established part of the community. The college works with local employers to provide training programmes that meet the needs of both employers and employees. This ranges from short skills workshops, through to NVQs, BTEC, Higher National Diplomas and apprenticeships.

Media
Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West and ITV West Country. Television signals are received from the Mendip TV transmitter.

Local radio stations are BBC Radio Somerset on 95.5 FM, Heart West on 102.6 FM, Greatest Hits Radio South West on 102.4 FM and Somer Valley FM, a community based station which broadcasts from the town on 97.5 FM.

The town is served by the local newspaper, Midsomer Norton, Radstock & District Journal.

Sport

South Wansdyke Leisure Centre provides a wide range of activities including swimming. Norton Hill and Somervale School also have sports facilities used by town and local groups. In 2010, additional leisure facilities were constructed including a skate board park and new children's play area. In 2023, parts of the existing playground were removed and placed on the side of the building where a new playground was erected.

There are several football clubs including Welton Rovers F.C. who play in the Western Football League, Welton Arsenal, and Norton Hill Rangers.

Midsomer Norton has its own Cricket club, as do Midsomer Norton Methodists, and a Rugby union team.

In 2002, the World Professional Billiards Championship was held at the Centurion Hotel, part of L&F Jones, Midsomer Norton.

Notable people

 * Peter Alexander (born 1952), actor who appeared in Emmerdale Farm
 * Thomas William Allies (1813–1903), historical writer specialising in religious subjects
 * Sir Frank Beauchamp (1866–1950), owner of coalmines in the Somerset coalfield
 * Joan Beauchamp (1890–1964), suffragette and co-founder of the Communist Party of Great Britain
 * Kay Beauchamp (1899–1992), Communist who helped found the Daily Worker
 * William Bees (1871–1938), English recipient of the Victoria Cross for services in South Africa
 * Arthur Bulleid (1862–1951), antiquarian
 * Don Carter (1921–2002), footballer for Bury and Blackburn Rovers
 * Walter Cook (1894–1973), footballer for Plymouth Argyle, Brighton & Hove Albion and Stockport County.
 * Chloe Davies (born 1998), paralympic swimmer.
 * David Fisher (1946–2013), award-winning artist.
 * Jody Gooding (born 1981), professional beach volleyball player, lives in the town.
 * Frederick Gould (1879–1971) MP for Frome, 1923–24 and 1929–31
 * Sir Ronald Gould (1904–1986), General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers
 * Elizabeth Hallam-Smith (born 1950), historian and former librarian of the House of Lords Library.
 * Anita Harris (born 1942), actor, singer and entertainer.
 * Bert Head (1916–2002), footballer for Torquay United and Bury FC.
 * Denise Johns (born 1978), professional beach volleyball player for Great Britain who lives in the town.
 * Uriah Maggs (c.1828–1913), founder of Maggs Bros Ltd, long-surviving antiquarian bookseller
 * Adrian Monk (1917–2004), Falkland Islands politician.
 * Professor Leslie Rowsell (L.R.) Moore (1912–2003), Professor of Geology at Sheffield University
 * Sedge Moore (born 1958), musician with The Wurzels
 * Gareth and Kim Paisey from indie pop band Los Campesinos!.
 * Frederick Pratten (1904–1967), cricketer
 * George Rowdon (1914–1987), cricketer for Somerset
 * Samuel Evans Rowe (1834–1897), Methodist missionary to South Africa
 * Ashley Steel (born 1959), business person
 * Duncan Steel (born 1955), writer on space science
 * Karen Steel (born 1953), geneticist
 * Sir Reginald Thatcher (1888–1975), composer and Principal of the Royal Academy of Music
 * Dr. Geoffrey Tovey (1916–2001), expert in serology and founder of NHS Blood and Transplant Service
 * Chris Urch, award-winning playwright
 * Mike Veale, former Chief Constable of Cleveland Police and Wiltshire Police
 * Steve Voake, children's author
 * Arthur Waugh (1866–1943), author and member of a literary family
 * Tim Weaver, born 1977, novelist
 * Louise Whittock (1896–1951), actress and singer with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
 * C. J. F. Williams (1930–1997), philosopher
 * Maisie Williams, born 1997, actor famous for Game of Thrones

title: Midsomer Norton


text:
Category:Emmet County, Michigan

Articles related to Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan.

title: Category:Emmet County, Michigan


text:
Richard A. Whiting

Richard Armstrong Whiting (November 12, 1891 – February 19, 1938) was an American composer of popular songs, including the standards "Hooray for Hollywood", "Ain't We Got Fun?" and "On the Good Ship Lollipop". He also wrote lyrics occasionally, and film scores most notably for the standard "She's Funny That Way".

He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936 for "When Did You Leave Heaven" from the film Sing, Baby Sing.

Early life and education
Whiting was born in Peoria, Illinois, United States, into a musical family. His father, Frank Whiting, was a real estate agent and gifted violinist; his mother Blossom was a piano teacher. Together they instilled a love of music in their son and worked towards nurturing his natural gift of piano playing. He attended the Harvard Military School in Los Angeles. Upon his graduation, Whiting started a vaudeville act with his college friend Marshall Neilan. The pair briefly toured the United States writing songs, singing, and playing the piano; although neither one had the stage presence or singing talent to become full-time performers. They broke up the duo and went their separate ways: Neilan to Hollywood, where he would go on to be a successful film director and actor, and Whiting to Detroit to try to jump-start a career as a professional songwriter. In 1913, Whiting began his career as a song plugger for Jerome H. Remick publishing company. Within a year he was the manager of the Detroit office, being paid US$25 per week. As an occasional talent scout, Whiting nurtured the careers of several songwriters from the day, most notably George Gershwin; Whiting heard Gershwin playing one day and gave him a job as a song plugger for Remick company. This act of kindness resulted in a lifelong friendship between the two powerhouse composers. To supplement his income at the time, Whiting worked with a local hotel's Hawaiian band, playing piano in light blackface, earning him an extra $10 a week.

Career
In 1914, Whiting had his first two hit songs: "I Wonder Where My Lovin' Man Has Gone" and "It's Tulip Time in Holland." The latter song became a massive hit, selling over a million copies. Whiting received none of the royalties, however, having sold off the publishing rights to Remick in exchange for a Steinway grand piano. During his time at Remick Whiting had a substantial output, mostly with former bank-clerk Ray Egan, including 1918's, "Till We Meet Again". The song quickly became the largest sheet music seller of all time, even today: at last count the song was said to have sold over 11 million copies. Other hit songs written by Whiting during his time at Remick include "Where the Black-Eyed Susans Grow" (1917), "The Japanese Sandman" (1920), "Bimini Bay" (1921, lyrics by Egan and Gus Kahn), "Ain't We Got Fun?" (1921, lyrics by Egan and Kahn) and "Ukulele Lady" (1925, lyrics by Kahn).

In 1929, Whiting moved to Hollywood, where there were more opportunities for songwriters during the Depression. In Hollywood he wrote a number of film scores and classic songs. With Johnny Mercer he wrote the theme song of Tinseltown, "Hooray for Hollywood", shortly before his death. During his career, Whiting collaborated with such songwriters as BG DeSylva, Johnny Mercer, Neil Moret, Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger, Gus Kahn, Oscar Hammerstein II, Haven Gillespie, Seymour Simons, Nacio Herb Brown, Harry Akst, Walter Donaldson, Ray Egan, and Sidney Clare, to produce a number of hits (listed below). He also wrote a number of scores for Broadway plays.

In the film, Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round (1932), a song performed by The Boswell Sisters, titled "Rock and Roll", written by Richard A. Whiting and Sidney Clare, is sometimes credited as the first use of that term.

Whiting died from a heart attack in 1938 at the age of 46, at the height of his career. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 1970. A tribute to Whiting's music, along with a medley of his best-known songs, formed part of the 1980 Broadway musical A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine. His Steinway grand piano was donated to the Great American Songbook Foundation by his granddaughter Debbi and can be seen on display.

Whiting was married to the former Eleanor Youngblood, a manager whose clients included Sophie Tucker. He was the father of singer/actress Margaret Whiting and actress Barbara Whiting, and the grandson of Rep. Richard H. Whiting.

Film scores

 * Our Dancing Daughters (1928)
 * Close Harmony (1929)
 * Innocents of Paris (1929)
 * The Dance of Life (1929)
 * Why Bring That Up? (1929)
 * Sweetie (1929)
 * Pointed Heels (1929)
 * Monte Carlo (1930)
 * Safety in Numbers (1930)
 * Let's Go Native (1930)
 * Follow Thru (1930)
 * Paramount on Parade (1930)
 * Playboy of Paris (1930)
 * Monkey Business (1931)
 * Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round (1932)
 * One Hour with You (1932)
 * Red-Headed Woman (1932)
 * Blonde Venus (1932)
 * Handle With Care (1932)
 * Adorable (1933)
 * My Weakness (1933)
 * She Learned About Sailors (1934)
 * 365 Nights in Hollywood (1934)
 * Bottoms Up (1934)
 * Bright Eyes (1934)
 * Coronado (1935)
 * Four Hours to Kill! (1935)
 * The Crusades (1935)
 * The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1936)
 * Anything Goes (1936)
 * Rhythm on the Range (1936)
 * Sing, Baby Sing (1936)
 * Varsity Show (1937)
 * Ready, Willing, and Able (1937)
 * Hollywood Hotel (1937)
 * Cowboy from Brooklyn (1938)

Broadway show scores

 * Toot Sweet
 * George White's Scandals of 1919
 * Take a Chance which featured two major hits with music by Whiting "You're an Old Smoothie," and "Eadie Was a Lady"

Selected songs

 * 1916 "Coaling Up in Colon Town". L: Raymond Egan
 * 1917 "Bravest Heart of All". L: Raymond Egan
 * 1917 "I Wonder Where My Buddies Are To-Night". L: Raymond Egan and Billy Rose
 * 1918 "Dress Up Your Dollars in Khaki (And Help Win Democracy's Fight)". L: Lister R. Alwood
 * 1918 "I'll Love You More for Losing You a While". L: Raymond Egan
 * 1919 "Eyes of the Army". L: Raymond Egan
 * 1919 "Hand in Hand Again". L: Raymond Egan

Free for All
Original Music by Richard A. Whiting, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Act 1 consists of
 * "I Love Him, the Rat" sung by Anita Allen and Joe Butler (Perpetual Student at Leland Stanford)
 * "Free For All" sung by Michael Byrne (a Radical Poet) and The Gang
 * "The Girl Next Door" sung by Anita Allen and Steve Potter, Jr. (Son of Stephen, Sr.)
 * "Living in Sin" sung by Gracie Maynard, Joan Summer (Youngest of the Gang), Joe Butler (Perpetual Student at Leland Stanford) and Andy Bradford
 * "Just Eighteen" sung by Joan Summer (Youngest of the Gang) and Andy Bradford
 * "Not That I Care" sung by Anita Allen and Steve Potter, Jr. (Son of Stephen, Sr.)
 * "Slumber Song" Sung by Marishka Tarasov and Michael Byrne (a Radical Poet)

Act 2 consists of
 * "When Your Boy Becomes a Man" sung by Silver Dollar Kate and Anita Allen
 * "Tonight" sung by Marishka Tarasov and Anita Allen
 * "Nevada Moonlight" sung by Joe Butler (Perpetual Student at Leland Stanford), Gracie Maynard and Ensemble

Richard Whiting was also referenced in the 1980 Broadway show  a Day in Hollywood/ a Night in the Ukraine where a medley of his songs are performed in the first act. One of the actors comically portrays him during the song It All Comes Out of the Piano.

Hit songs

 * "Ain't We Got Fun?"
 * "Beyond the Blue Horizon" (music by Whiting and W. Franke Harling, words by Leo Robin)
 * "Breezin' Along with the Breeze"
 * "Eadie Was a Lady" (music by Whiting and Nacio Herb Brown)
 * "Guilty" (music by Whiting and Harry Akst, words by Gus Kahn)
 * "Have You Got Any Castles, Baby"
 * "Honey"
 * "Hooray for Hollywood"
 * "Horses" (Byron Gay, Richard A. Whiting)
 * "It's Tulip Time in Holland"
 * "Love Is on the Air Tonight"
 * "Miss Brown to You"
 * "My Future Just Passed"
 * "My Ideal" (music by Whiting and Newell Chase, words by Leo Robin)
 * "On the Good Ship Lollipop"
 * "Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride"
 * "Sentimental and Melancholy" (words by Johnny Mercer)
 * "She's Funny That Way" (words only; music by Neil Moret)
 * "Silhouetted in the Moonlight"
 * "Sleepy Time Gal" (Music by Ange Lorenzo & Richard Whiting, lyrics by Joseph R. Alden & Raymond B. Egan)
 * "The Japanese Sandman"
 * "They Made It Twice as Nice as Paradise"
 * "Till We Meet Again"
 * "Too Marvelous for Words" (words by Johnny Mercer)
 * "When Did You Leave Heaven?"
 * "Where the Black-Eyed Susans Grow"
 * "Where the Morning Glories Grow"
 * "You're an Old Smoothie"
 * "You've Got Something There"
 * "Ukulele Lady"

Recordings
Frank Sinatra recorded Whiting's "Too Marvelous for Words" on his album Songs for Swingin' Lovers!. Sinatra also recorded Whiting's "She's Funny That Way" on his album Nice 'n' Easy, and other songs such as "My Ideal".

Tony Bennett recorded many of Whiting's songs, such as "My Ideal" on his album Here's to the Ladies, "True Blue Lou" and "She's Funny That Way."

Margaret Whiting (his daughter) recorded and made famous several Whiting hits including "Guilty", "Too Marvelous for Words" and "Ain't We Got Fun?"

Other notable artists to record Whiting songs:

 * Louis Armstrong
 * Tony Bennett
 * Chet Baker
 * Josephine Baker
 * Nora Bayes
 * The Boswell Sisters
 * Al Bowlly
 * Dave Brubeck
 * Henry Burr
 * Cab Calloway
 * Cher
 * Shirley Horn
 * Maurice Chevalier
 * Eric Clapton
 * Rosemary Clooney
 * Nat King Cole
 * John Coltrane
 * Perry Como
 * Ray Conniff
 * Bing Crosby
 * Doris Day
 * Bobby Darin
 * Vaughn De Leath
 * Kenny Dorham
 * Tommy Dorsey
 * Eddy Duchin
 * Bob Dylan
 * Eliane Elias
 * Ruth Etting
 * Alice Faye
 * Michael Feinstein
 * Ella Fitzgerald
 * Helen Forrest
 * Judy Garland
 * George Gershwin
 * Stan Getz
 * Benny Goodman
 * Eydie Gormé
 * Annette Hanshaw
 * Coleman Hawkins
 * Billie Holiday
 * Bob Hope
 * J.J. Johnson
 * Al Jolson
 * Isham Jones
 * Dave Koz
 * Diana Krall
 * Frances Langford
 * Abbe Lane
 * Peggy Lee
 * Liberace
 * Jeanette MacDonald
 * Fred MacMurray
 * Wynton Marsalis
 * Dean Martin
 * Mary Martin
 * Tony Martin
 * Carmen McRae
 * Ethel Merman
 * Bette Midler
 * Glenn Miller
 * Wendy Moten
 * Michael Nesmith
 * Anita O'Day
 * Renee Olstead
 * Joe Pass
 * Oscar Peterson
 * Dick Powell
 * Diana Ross
 * Art Tatum
 * Shirley Temple
 * Artie Shaw
 * Bobby Short
 * Frank Sinatra
 * Jo Stafford
 * Kay Starr
 * Rod Stewart
 * Tiny Tim
 * Rudy Vallee
 * Fats Waller
 * Fred Waring
 * Ian Whitcomb
 * Paul Whiteman
 * Margaret Whiting
 * Andy Williams
 * Joe Williams
 * Carol Woods
 * Lester Young

Modern day usage
In 2006, the film A Good Year starring Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard featured the song "Breezin' Along with the Breeze" with music by Whiting and lyrics by Haven Gillespie and Seymour Simons

In 2009, Renee Olstead used the song "Ain't We Got Fun" written by Whiting, Raymond B. Egan and Gus Kahn for her album Skylark

In 2010, Boardwalk Empire used the music from Whiting's "The Japanese Sandman" in the first five episodes of the show. A version with lyrics by Raymond B. Egan appeared in the show on October 24, 2010.

In 2010, Enrique Iglesias used a segment of "On the Good Ship Lollipop" written by Whiting and Sidney Clare for Bright Eyes in his YouTube video for the song "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)"

In 2011, Diet Coke used Whiting's music to the song "Hooray for Hollywood" in their Oscar commercial which played nationwide in movie theaters.

title: Richard A. Whiting


text:
Yū Kikumura

Yū Kikumura (菊村 憂) was allegedly a member of the Japanese Red Army, an armed militant organization.

Arrest in The Netherlands
Police arrested Kikumura in Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam in 1986 when they found him carrying a bomb in his luggage. After spending four months in prison, a judge ruled the search of his luggage was illegal and he was deported to Japan.

Arrest in the United States
Kikumura was arrested on April 12, 1988, at a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike by a state trooper who thought he was acting suspiciously. He was found carrying three 18-inch (46-cm) mercury fulminate pipe bombs hidden in fire extinguishers containing roofing-nail shrapnel. Prosecutors believe that Kikumura had planned to bomb a US Navy recruitment office in the Veteran's Administration building on 34th Street in Manhattan on April 14, the anniversary of the U.S. raid on Libya.

Imprisonment
Kikumura was indicted on several counts of interstate transportation of explosive devices and passport violations. After a bench trial on stipulated facts, Kikumura was convicted on November 29, 1988, to serve 30 years in prison. Then U.S. attorney Samuel Alito represented the prosecution. In 1991, his sentence was reduced to 21 years and 10 months.

Release
Kikumura, Federal Bureau of Prisons # 09008-050, was released on April 18, 2007. He had served a sentence of 221 months (slightly more than 18 years) at Florence ADMAX USP.

Upon Kikumura's release he was sent back to Japan via San Francisco International Airport. Upon arrival in Japan he was immediately arrested on charges of falsifying official documents. He was released in October 2007.

title: Yū Kikumura


text:
Richard Whiting

Richard Whiting may refer to:

 * Richard Whiting (abbot) (1461–1539), last Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey before the Dissolution of the Monasteries
 * Richard A. Whiting (1891–1938), writer of popular songs, father of singer Margaret Whiting and actress Barbara Whiting Smith
 * Richard H. Whiting (1826–1888), U.S. Representative from Illinois
 * Richard Whiting (rugby league) (born 1984), English rugby league player

title: Richard Whiting


text:
Élie Halévy

Élie Halévy (6 September 1870 – 21 August 1937) was a French philosopher and historian who wrote studies of the British utilitarians, the book of essays Era of Tyrannies, and a history of Britain from 1815 to 1914 that influenced British historiography.

Biography
Élie Halévy was born in Étretat, Seine-Maritime, where his mother had fled as the German army marched on Paris. His father was the playwright Ludovic Halévy, his brother was the historian Daniel Halévy. His family was of Jewish descent, but his parents were Protestant and he was brought up as a Protestant. Halévy grew up surrounded by musicians, scholars, and politicians. After studying at the École Normale Supérieure, he received his doctorate in philosophy in 1901 with the theses The Platonic Theory of Knowledge and The Origins of Philosophical Radicalism. The latter formed the base of his first major study, The Formation of English Philosophical Radicalism (3 vols., 1901-1904).

In an article of 1893, Halévy suggested that the great moral question of modern thought was how the abstract idea of duty could become a concrete aim of society. This question had first attracted him to the utilitarians, and he found at the core of their answer a fundamental contradiction. Utilitarianism, he said, was based on two principles: first, that the science of the legislator must bring together the naturally divergent interests of individuals in society; and, second, that social order comes about spontaneously through the harmony of individual interests. To Halévy, this exemplified two fundamental human attitudes toward the universe: the contemplation of the astronomer and the intervention of the engineer.

In 1896, Émile Boutmy invited Halévy to lecture on English political ideas at the newly founded School of Political Science, known today as the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po). After 1900, he alternated this course with another, on the history of socialism. At the same time he helped found the Revue de métaphysique et de morale. Halévy remained at Sciences Po until his death in 1937.

Halévy's teaching led him to undertake annual trips to England, during which he became the intimate friend of many of the most important scholars and political figures of the age. He thoroughly explored the Jeremy Bentham manuscripts at Cambridge for his work on philosophical radicalism and over the years developed a deep and intensive knowledge of all the sources of 19th-century English history. In 1901 he began to work on the first volume of his masterpiece, the History of the English People in the Nineteenth Century (published from 1913 onwards). In this first volume, he described England in 1815 and sought to explain how England avoided violent social change. "If economic facts explain the course taken by the human race," he wrote, "the England of the nineteenth century was surely, above all other countries, destined to revolution, both politically and religiously." Neither the British constitution nor the Established Church was strong enough to hold the country together. He found the answer in religious nonconformity: "Methodism was the antidote to Jacobinism."

He did not write his history in chronological sequence, nor did he live to complete it. The second and third volumes of this history (1923) carried the story up to 1841. Then Halévy, profoundly moved by World War I, turned his attention to the period from 1895 to 1914. The two volumes on this period (published in 1926-1930) were written with considerable detachment, considering the immediacy of the problems he discussed. Together with Célestin Bouglé he would republish a set of Saint-Simonian lectures of the 1830, bundled in the 1924 work Doctrine de Saint-Simon.

In lectures of 1929, revised in 1936 (published in 1938; The Era of Tyrannies), Halévy argued that the world war had increased national control over individual activities and opened the way for de facto socialism. In opposition to those who saw socialism as the last step in the French Revolution, he saw it as a new organization of constraint replacing those that the Revolution had destroyed. Wallas translates: The age of tyrannies dates from the month of August, 1914, that is to say from the time when the belligerent nations first adopted a form of social organisation which may be defined as follows:
 * (1) In the economic sphere, the nationalisation, on a vast scale, of all the means of production, distribution and exchange; and at the same time an appeal by the Governments to the leaders of the trade unions for support in carrying out this policy. State Socialism, therefore, is combined with syndicalist and "corporatism" elements.
 * (2) In the intellectual sphere, the "nationalisation of ideas" in two different forms, one negative, that is to say the suppression of all expressions of opinion which were thought to be opposed to the national interest, and the other positive. I shall call the positive aspect "the organisation of enthusiasm."

The whole of post-war Socialism is derived from this war-time organisation far more than from Marxism. The policy which it offers to men who have often been drawn to it by their distaste for and hatred of war is the continuation of war-time organisation in time of peace. That is the paradox of post-war Socialism.

In what proved to be his last work (which he did not live to complete), Halévy began to bridge the gap between 1841 and 1895 with a volume entitled The Age of Peel and Cobden (1841-1852). A liberal individualist to the last, Halévy died at Sucy-en-Brie on 21 August 1937. His publishers posthumously commissioned R. B. McCallum to contribute a supplementary essay to link this volume with the concluding ones, the whole appearing under the title Victorian Years in 1961.

In French
Most of these are online free.

 * (1896). La Théorie platonicienne des sciences. Paris: Félix Alcan.
 * (1901-1904). La Formation du radicalisme philosophique. Paris: Félix Alcan.
 * (1901). La Jeunesse de Bentham 1776-1789.
 * (1901). L'Évolution de la doctrine utilitaire de 1789 à 1815.
 * (1904). Le Radicalisme philosophique.
 * (1903). Thomas Hodgskin (1787-1869). Paris: Librairie Georges Bellais.
 * (1913-1946). Histoire du peuple anglais au XIXe siècle.
 * (1913). L'Angleterre en 1815.
 * (1923). Du lendemain de Waterloo à la veille du Reform Bill.
 * (1923). De la Crise du Reform Bill à l'Avènement de Sir Robert Peel: 1830-1841.
 * (1946). Le Milieu du siècle: 1841-1852 (posth.)
 * (1926). Épilogue 1. Les impérialistes au pouvoir: 1895-1914.
 * (1932). Épilogue 2. Vers la démocratie sociale et vers la guerre: 1895-1914.
 * (1938). L'Ère des tyrannies, préf. de Célestin Bouglé. (posth.)
 * (1948). Histoire du socialisme européen. Paris: Gallimard (posth.)

Works in English translation
Most of these are online free.
 * (1928). The Growth of Philosophic Radicalism. New York: The Macmillan Company [London: Faber & Faber, 1952; Clifton, N. J.: Kelley, 1972].
 * (1930). The World Crisis of 1914-1918: An Interpretation. Oxford: Clarendon.
 * (1932, 1949–52). History of the English People in the Nineteenth Century. Translated by E. I. Watkin. London: Ernest Benn, Ltd. online
 * (1949). England in 1815.
 * (1949). The Liberal Awakening (1815-1830).
 * (1950). The Triumph of Reform (1830-1841).
 * (1951). Victorian Years (1841-1895).
 * (1951). Imperialism and the Rise of Labour (1895-1905).
 * (1952). The Rule of Democracy (1905-1914).
 * (1956). Thomas Hodgskin. London: Ernest Benn, Ltd.
 * (1965). The Era of Tyrannies. Essays on Socialism and War. Translated by R. K. Webb. Notes by Fritz Stern. New York: Doubleday [London: Allen Lane, 1967].

Selected articles

 * Halévy, Élie (1921). "Chartism," The Quarterly Review, Vol. 236, No. 468, pp. 62–75.
 * Halévy, Élie (1922). "Where England Stands at Present," The Living Age, Vol. 314, No. 4078, September 2, pp. 569–574.

title: Élie Halévy


text:
Withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq (2007–2011)

The withdrawal of the United States troops from Iraq began in December 2007 with the end of the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 and was mostly completed by December 2011, bringing an end to the Iraq War. The number of U.S. military forces in Iraq peaked at 170,300 in November 2007.

The withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq was a contentious issue in the United States for much of the 2000s. As the war progressed from its initial invasion phase in 2003 to a nearly decade-long occupation, American public opinion shifted towards favoring a troop withdrawal; in May 2007, 55% of Americans believed that the Iraq War was a mistake, and 51% of registered voters favored troop withdrawal. In late April 2007 Congress passed a supplementary spending bill for Iraq that set a deadline for troop withdrawal but President George W. Bush vetoed this bill, citing his concerns about setting a withdrawal deadline. The Bush administration later sought an agreement with the Iraqi government, and in 2008 Bush signed the U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement. It included a deadline of 31 December 2011, before which "all the United States Forces shall withdraw from all Iraqi territory". The last U.S. troops left Iraq on 18 December 2011, in accordance with this agreement.

In 2014, the advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from Syria to Iraq's western provinces prompted the U.S. to intervene again, alongside other militaries, to combat ISIL. In January 2019, Secretary Pompeo put the number of U.S. troops in Iraq at approximately 5,000. In early 2020 the Iraqi parliament voted to withdraw all remaining troops and the Iraqi Prime Minister told the U.S. to start working on troop withdrawal.

Polling
Immediately before and after the 2003 invasion, most polls within the United States showed a substantial majority supporting war, though since December 2004 polls consistently showed that a majority thought the invasion was a mistake. In the spring of 2007, surveys generally showed a majority in favor of setting a timetable for withdrawal. However, in this area responses can vary widely with the exact wording of the question. Surveys found that most preferred a gradual withdrawal over time to an immediate pullout.

2004 U.S. presidential election
The issue was one on which John Kerry and George W. Bush differed in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. Kerry said in August 2004 that he would make the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq a goal of his first presidential term. However, he did not offer a deadline or a timetable, and proposed an increase in deployment size in the immediate future. In the debate, he said that he reiterated that withdrawal was a goal, if an initial troop increase works.

In the debate, Bush did not offer any timetable or estimate of troops, either increasing or decreasing, but said only that the commanders of the troops in Iraq had the ability to ask for whatever force they needed. In general, this is consistent with his earlier remarks. When questioned about troop strength, Bush and then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said that they were using the troops asked for by the general staff.

Congressional proposals and acts
On 17 November 2005 Representative John Murtha (D-PA) introduced, a resolution calling for U.S. forces in Iraq to be "redeployed at the earliest practicable date" to stand as a quick-reaction force in U.S. bases in neighboring countries such as Kuwait. In response, Republicans proposed a resolution that "the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately," without any provision for redeployment, which was voted down 403–3.

On 16 June 2006 the House voted 256–153 in a non-binding resolution against establishing a deadline for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Republican then-House Majority Leader John Boehner, who argued against a deadline, stated "achieving victory is our only option", and "we must not shy away". On the other hand, Democratic then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi argued that a deadline is necessary, and stated stay the course' is not a strategy, it's a slogan", and "it's time to face the facts."

On 27 March 2007 Congress passed H.R. 1591, which called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq by March 2008. However, President Bush vetoed the bill and the House of Representatives failed to override the veto. Congress then passed H.R. 2206, which provided funding for the Iraq War through 30 September 2007 and was signed into law by President Bush on 25 May 2007. H.R. 2206 included eighteen benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet.

On 9 May 2007 Representative Jim McGovern introduced H.R. 2237 to the House, "To provide for the redeployment of United States Armed Forces and defense contractors from Iraq." The bill failed with a vote of 255 to 171, 13 of the Nays coming from Democrats representing districts won by John Kerry in 2004.

On 12 July 2007 the House passed H.R. 2956 by a vote of 223–201, for redeployment (or withdrawal) of U.S. armed forces out of Iraq. The resolution requires most troops to withdraw from Iraq by 1 April 2008.

On 18 July 2007, after an all-night debate, the Senate blocked the passage of a bill that would have set a troop withdrawal timetable with a vote of 52–47. The withdrawal would have started within 120 days, and would have required that all troops (except an unspecified number could be left behind to conduct a very narrow set of missions) be out of the country by 30 April 2008.

McGovern-Polk proposal
George McGovern and William R. Polk published a detailed proposal for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq in their book Out of Iraq: A Practical Plan for Withdrawal Now. A sizable excerpt was published in the October 2006 edition of Harper's magazine. This plan was completely abandoned. Some of the basic features of their proposal included:

 * The first soldiers to be sent home should be private security contractors.
 * An international stabilization force of 15,000 soldiers to be established. Troops will be drawn from Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt, funded by the U.S. This force would remain for two years after the departure of U.S. troops.
 * Transport, communications, and light arms equipment currently used by U.S. forces should be donated to the new multinational force.
 * In place of a new Iraqi army, a national reconstruction corps should be established, modeled on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
 * The immediate cessation of work on U.S. military bases.
 * U.S. withdrawal from the Green Zone.
 * Release of all prisoners of war.

ANSWER, NION, UFPJ positions
The three largest coalitions which organized demonstrations against the invasion of Iraq in 2003, United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER), and Not in Our Name (NION), have all called for the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops, "out now." The anti-war movement has debated whether to support existing proposals in Congress.

The UFPJ legislative working group has endorsed Murtha's redeployment proposal "because it is a powerful vehicle to begin the debate on the war," though the organization as a whole has not taken a position. ANSWER, on the other hand, has stated that "Murtha has not adopted an antiwar position. He wants to redeploy militarily to strengthen the hand of U.S. imperialism in the Middle East."

Burner Plan
The Burner Plan, formally entitled A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq, was a 36-page policy paper presented 17 March 2008 by Darcy Burner and other 2008 Democratic congressional candidates, in cooperation with some retired national security officials. The plan outlined policy measures the candidates pledged to support in the 2008 United States presidential election.

Withdrawals under President Bush
On 13 September 2007, President Bush announced that the 168,000 American troops in Iraq at that time would be reduced by 5,700 by Christmas and that additional troops would be withdrawn bringing the total U.S. troop level down from 20 to 15 combat brigades by July 2008. By the end of 2008, U.S. troops in Iraq had been reduced to 146,000.

2008 U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement
In 2008 the American and Iraqi governments signed the U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement. It included a specific date, 30 June 2009, by which American forces should withdraw from Iraqi cities, and a complete withdrawal date from Iraqi territory by 31 December 2011. On 14 December 2008 then-President George W. Bush signed the security agreement with Iraq. In his fourth and final trip to Iraq, President Bush appeared in a televised news conference with Iraq's prime minister Nouri al-Maliki to celebrate the agreement and applauded security gains in Iraq saying that just two years ago "such an agreement seemed impossible".

President Obama's speech on 27 February 2009
On 27 February 2009, at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, President Barack Obama announced his revision to the original date of withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq. The revision was to extend the original date of 30 June 2009 for an additional 10 months, to 31 August 2010. President Obama reaffirmed commitment to the original complete withdrawal date of 31 December 2011, set by the agreement between the Bush administration and the Iraqi government. President Obama defined the task of the transitional force as "training, equipping, and advising Iraqi Security Forces as long as they remain non-sectarian; conducting targeted counter-terrorism missions; and protecting our ongoing civilian and military efforts within Iraq".

August 2010 partial withdrawal
On 19 August 2010 the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division was the last American combat brigade to withdraw from Iraq.

In a speech at the Oval Office on 31 August 2010 Obama declared: "the American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country."

About 50,000 American troops remained in the country in an advisory capacity as part of "Operation New Dawn," which ran until the end of 2011. The U.S. military continued to train and advise the Iraqi Forces.

Full withdrawal (2011)
With the collapse of discussions about extending the stay of U.S. troops, President Obama announced the full withdrawal of troops from Iraq, as previously scheduled, on 21 October 2011. The U.S. retained an embassy in Baghdad with some 17,000 personnel, consulates in Basra, Mosul and Kirkuk, which have been allocated more than 1,000 staff each, and between 4,000 and 5,000 defense contractors. President Obama and al-Maliki outlined a broad agenda for post-war cooperation without American troops in Iraq during a joint press conference on 12 December 2011 at the White House. This agenda included cooperation on energy, trade and education as well as cooperation in security, counter-terrorism, economic development and strengthening Iraq's institutions. Both leaders said their countries would maintain strong security, diplomatic and economic ties after the last U.S. combat forces withdraw.

President Barack Obama paid tribute to the troops who served in Iraq on 14 December 2011, at the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina. As the last of the American troops prepared to exit Iraq, he said the United States was leaving behind a "sovereign, stable and self-reliant" Iraq. On 15 December, an American military ceremony was held in Baghdad putting a formal end to the U.S. mission in Iraq. The last 500 soldiers left Iraq on the morning of 18 December 2011. At the time of withdrawal, the United States had one remaining soldier, Staff Sergeant Ahmed K. Altaie, still missing in Iraq since 23 October 2006, and had offered a $50,000 reward for his recovery. On 26 February 2012, his death was confirmed.