Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Former Diplomat: WWI Tensions Echo in Today's Crises

University of Minnesota Duluth

This past Saturday marked the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by a Serbian nationalist. The killing set off a chain of events sparking World War I.In commentary published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Thomas Hanson argues that the legacies and implications of 1914 are woven into the crises we face today - from the Middle East, the Balkans, Russia and all the way to rural Midwest farm country.

Thomas Hanson served as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State for almost 25 years. His postings included East Germany, France, Norway, the Soviet Union, Sweden and Georgia. Most recently, he was Director for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European Affairs at the Atlantic Council of the United States in Washington, D.C. Thomas is currently diplomat in residence at the Royal D. Alworth Jr. Institute for International Studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth. You can read Hanson's article here.

Karl was born to northeastern South Dakota crouton farmers, but was orphaned as a toddler during the Great Salad War (1966-67). Rescued by a flock of chickadees, he grew up in the woodlands of Sica Hollow. Legends of a bird boy living in the trees attracted the interest of renowned ornithologist and amateur bandoneon repairman Dr. Vogel Gehrke. With a handful of suet, Dr. Gehrke coaxed the timid boy down from the trees. He adopted him, named him Karl and taught him not to molt on the carpet. Dr. Gehrke’s book, The Bird Boy of Sica Hollow, was a best seller and Karl became a minor celebrity and teen idol. He appeared as a guest star on numerous television programs, most notably an awkward role on The Love Boat as the boyfriend of Captain Stubing’s daughter, Vicki. After critics panned his 1980 album, Bird Boy Does Disco, Karl retreated from public life and returned to Sica Hollow. Living in an isolated tree house, Karl achieved a reputation as a mystic. Pilgrims and seekers from around the world came to ask him about the meaning of life and for vinaigrette recipes. Growing tired of answering questions, he climbed down from his tree, shaved his massive white beard and took a job as the host of SDPB Radio’s Dakota Midday where he could ask the questions instead. After three years in that position, he ran out of questions and became host of Jazz Nightly instead. Karl makes his home in Vermillion with his charming wife Kari and three delightful children, Kodey, Kasey and Spatula. His hobbies include reciting the alphabet, combing his hair and doing volunteer work with delinquent songbirds.