askhistorians

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A number of films and television shows set in the 20th century U.S. imply or explicitly show that major labor unions were, to one degree or another, extensions of the mafia. How accurate is this? And if it is accurate, how did it such control come about?	9
In the years and decades following WWII, were there attempts made in Germany, Poland, and the rest of Europe to enact affirmative action programs for Jews, Roma, and other oppressed minorities? If not, why not?	8
Why have bidets and other poop-sluicing devices traditionally been much more common in Japan, southern Europe and the Middle East than the rest of the world?	7
When and how did the arrow become the universal symbol for pointing directions? Were actual arrows once used for this purpose?	5
Can one (or more) of you fine folks provide a brief overview of antisemitism in the African-American community post slavery?	5
Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice" was written and performed when the Edict of Expulsion had been in place for more than three centuries. Would anyone in Shakespeare's audience have had any idea what a Jew was beyond what he had read in the Bible?	4
Many ostensibly communist/socialist regimes in the 20th century ended up not only as dictatorships, but dictatorships run by what seem to be men of the most vile, sadistic, and narcissistic temperaments. Is there a reason for this, or is it merely historical coincidence?	4
Imagine someone were arrested for a simple crime, such as larceny, in a communist country during the 20th century. Could this person expect a more-or-less fair trial, or would he be subjected to the same kangaroo court proceedings that political prisoners received?	3
Was the so-called "missionary position" actually advocated by missionaries? If so, how exactly did they go about this, and why?	3
With respect to the Age of Sail, do we have an idea of the physique of the average enlisted sailor on a man-o-war? Fiction generally depicts them doing demanding physical work with relatively little caloric intake — were they ripped?	3

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