Charlie Smith

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“Terrorism Is A Very Small Problem”

November 22, 2015 in Excerpts, Politics | Permalink

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Military historian Gwynne Dyer deems terrorism “the weapon of the weak,” and he’s right. Compared to the threat from traffic accidents–not to mention climate change!–such small-scale evil is a mere drop in the dead pool. We mostly give these acts outsize importance because horrible deaths bother us more than mundane ones, and because of their sheer nastiness and needlessness excites our sense of fairness. 

When it comes to the Islamic State, I think there’s more at play. Ignoring the organization probably won’t work. It’s carved out territories as bases of operation, and a lack of response will probably lead to attempts to acquire more “attention-getting” weapons. That doesn’t mean a ground war is a good idea (wow, it’s not), but attempts to degrade military might and financial holdings probably is needed.

The most hopeful note from Dyer is that he doesn’t believe ISIS has enough in the way of resources to spread much further, the surprise factor they initially exploited now a thing of the past.

From Charlie Smith at the Georgia Straight:

Don’t panic. Terrorism is a very small problem. And any western president or prime minister who thinks they’ll severely damage ISIS by dropping bombs on its fighters is terribly mistaken

That was the message author and historian Gwynne Dyer brought to SFU Woodward’s in a March 25 sold-out lecture at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.

“Well, we lost two people in the last year to terrorism and we lost about 250 a month on the roads,” Dyer said. “You know, the Americans lost 3,000 people on 9/11, but they also lost 3,000 people on the roads and another 3,000 to gunshot wounds, mostly delivered by their nearest and dearest. 

“The scale of the terrorism is tiny compared to its presence in the media,” Dyer continued. “Really, we should, as much as possible, ignore it. We certainly don’t need to overreact by sending troops to the Middle East or aircraft to do God knows what in terms of useful activity. It’s just dumb.”

In fact, according to Dyer, if western countries expand their bombing campaigns against ISIS into Syria, it will only make the Islamic State stronger.•

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“Charlie Smith Has Become The Object Of Historical Research Because He Has Obtained The Incredible Age Of 130”

February 1, 2011 in Excerpts, Urban Studies | Permalink

"...memories of slavery, the Civil War and Jesse James."

Some people tell a certain story at a particular time and everyone wants to believe it, even though it couldn’t possibly be true. Usually, these tall tales have something to do with unattainable wealth of one kind or another and our deep desire to possess it. Charlie Smith was just such a storyteller and his wealth was longevity. No one will argue that he didn’t have a very good run, but Smith didn’t make it as close to 137 as he wanted people to believe.

Smith became something of a minor celebrity in the 1960s-70s with his “memories” of life on plantations and on the frontier, claiming to have been born in 1842 (though documents uncovered later put lie to these assertions). His renown grew to the point that he was invited to watch the moon launch at the Kennedy Space Center. He doubted aloud (without irony) that the space mission was anything but a hoax.

Life magazine took Smith very seriously in its October 13, 1972 issue, providing an interesting story if not a factual one. An excerpt from the article:

“A researcher from the Martin Luther King Center in Boston traveled to Barstow, Florida, late last month to stick a microphone into the deeply furrowed face of Charlie Smith. The purpose was to add Smith’s recollections to the center of the black oral history bank.

What could this retired candy store owner from backwoods Florida have to offer? Among other things, memories of slavery, the Civil War and Jesse James.

Charlie Smith has become the object of historical research because he has obtained the incredible age of 130. He is the oldest living American. For three hours Smith talked into the tape recorder, and even sang a couple of frontier ballads. He described being lured onto a slave ship in Liberia by tales of ‘fritter trees’ in far-off America, then being put on an auction ship in New Orleans. He wound up on a Texas plantation owned by a Charlie Smith, whose name he adopted. Freed during the Civil War, Smith told of years as a cowpuncher, gambler, bootlegger and outlaw.”

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