Editor’s Introductory Note: This perceptive essay was first posted at Brandon Smith’s Alt-Market.us. It is reposted with permission. — In terms of geopolitics one could argue that allies don’t have to like each other, they just have to provide a mutual benefit that serves the greater purposes of peace. One could also argue that through cultural exchange the good habits of one country could easily influence the bad habits of another, but that kind of influence can also happen in reverse. Though we might think of American culture as the content driver of the planet, the reality is that our…

On August 12, 1865, British surgeon Joseph Lister (pictured) performed the first antiseptic surgery using a carbolic acid (aka phenolic acid) solution spray on his instruments and bandages. — On August 12, 1867, US President Andrew Johnson defied Congress when he suspended Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. — And on August 12, 1908, Henry Ford’s company built the first Model T car. — Today’s feature article is an essay by our friend Brandon Smith, the Editor of the highly-recommended free site Alt-Market.us. He is also the Editor of the by-subscription e-newsletter, The Wild Bunch Dispatch. — We need more entries…