Article's Subtitle: > People who study the past don’t always have special insight into politics. Recent events have made that crystal clear. Um, yes? Over th

Article's Subtitle: > People who study the past don’t always have special insight into politics. Recent events have made that crystal clear. Um, yes? Over the millennia, ruling classes sometimes kept historians as advisors. And often had historians tutor their children. But history is far too poor a guide to day-to-day events and decisions for historians to be useful as either small-picture oracles, or as leaders.