Godspeed

Among the many attractions of living in Northern Virginia, is the great city of Alexandria. One of the many historical cities on the esat coast, Alexandria was established by British colonists in the 17th century and its architecture still shows the elegance of the past today. A few miles down the road from my house, past the jail where a certain Moussaoui is embarking on a long journey, you can see the Potomac river. Yesterday, given the exquisite weather, we decided to visit the Godspeed, on a temporary visit to Alexandria, on her way to Jamestown.
Back in 1607, a group of 104 English men and women set sail from England . After a four month journey, they formed a settlement on the banks of the James River : Jamestown.

Their three ships, among them the Godspeed, were very small by our standards, yet they persevered and started an adventure that is today's United States of America. Next year we will celebrate the 400th anniversary of that foundation. Jamestown is ready for the big celebration. It has even ordered new replicas of the 3 small vessels. Hence the port visit of the Godspeed on her way down the coast from her native shipyard.

And yet, by world standards, 400 years is a very short time. The church where I was baptized in Briey, France, was built in 983, on the ruins of an even older church. Its altar, a masterpiece by Ligier-Richier was already 300 years old when the Godspeed docked in Virginia.

I believe that history is a very accurate guide in world politics. The Hadditha horror, the Iraq quagmire in general, and the hubris of powerful ideologues have all happened before. The present political debacle suffered by the descendants of the 104 Virginia colonists, in the sands of Hammurabi, was entirely predictable to the historian.