The March 30, 2009 edition of Newsweek proclaims that history does not repeat itself but that themes and parallels abound our history. Take, for example, this article by Michael Kazin on how Obama's populist message parallels others in history. So, your assignment is to comment on how accurate the parallels are between now and points in the past are. Does Kazin have a valid point? Commentary is manditory; good commentary is rewarded. Click on the pictures below to make them bigger and more readable.