“Pity the Nation” by Kahlil Gibran

04/02/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary kahlil gibran, pity the nation

Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion.Pity the nation that wears a cloth it does not weaveand eats a bread it does not harvest. Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero,and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful. Pity a nation that despises a passion in its dream,yet submits … Continue reading “Pity the Nation” by Kahlil Gibran

It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Tết/Đã bắt đầu trông như Tết rồi

28/01/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary 2025, capstone education, it's beginning to look a lot like tet, lunar new year, reaching new heights, tet

Here's my latest song inspired by It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas. (I uploaded another version last year.) The Vietnamese version is below. Thanks to các cháu Thảo, Thanh và Duyên for their help! Reaching New Heights together! 😉 Enjoy! Peace, MAA It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Tet It's beginning to look a lot like TetEverywhere you … Continue reading It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Tết/Đã bắt đầu trông như Tết rồi

The Larger Shift

22/01/202521/01/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary asian century, BRICS, china, decline of the west, europe, india, morris berman, russia, the larger shift, us decline

Photo from El Confidencial Below is a post by Dr. Morris Berman a US historian and social critic whom I've known for many years. He points out the obvious when referring to "the tectonic shift from West to East," which is why I use the hashtag #Asian Century often and with confidence. (I've lived in … Continue reading The Larger Shift

“Trump’s election is a crisis like no other, not only for the U.S. but the world”

20/01/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary andrew coyne, canada, hatred, inauguration, martin luther king jr., the globe and mail, trump

Credit: Evil Trump P-ñata Brand: Aztec Imports, Inc. “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”✨― Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail On the occasion of Trump 2.0's inauguration, I thought it … Continue reading “Trump’s election is a crisis like no other, not only for the U.S. but the world”

War…huh…yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing

20/01/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary children, e-commerce, east germany, edwin starr, german democratic republic, lazada, peace, toys, vietnam, war

Here are some of "toys" I've seen advertised on Facebook by Lazada, a Singapore-based e-commerce company and one of the largest e-commerce operators in Southeast Asia, according to its Wikipedia entry. These ads reminded me of this classic 1970 song performed by Edwin Starr. Down by the Riverside, also known as "Ain't Gonna Study War … Continue reading War…huh…yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing

Israel in Five Years: A Prediction

17/01/202505/02/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary gaza, greater israel project, israel, jordan, Lebanon, palestine, palestinians, shir hever, syria, Zionism

I asked (Sifu) Dai Leon, a New Zealand-based US expat and one of the smartest, most knowledgeable, most well-informed, and best-connected people I know, about Israel's fate in five years. He had this to say: The country, formed by CIA-MI6 allying with Anglo & Jewish Mafias with ties to Talmudic Zionist Cult, has been instrumental … Continue reading Israel in Five Years: A Prediction

“I Am No Longer Interested”

16/01/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary allyship, gaza, genocide, hypocrisy, idf, israel, lila tamea, linkedin, muslims, palestine, palestinians, people of color

Lila Tamea I saw this post on LinkedIn and asked the author Lila Tamea for permission to share it on my blog. Her message is spot on and resonates with me and many others with a conscience and a moral compass. I, too, have no time for those colleagues who call themselves anti-racist or who … Continue reading “I Am No Longer Interested”

My Story & My Family: Amidst War & Destruction in Jabalia

15/01/202520/01/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary ahmed moeen serdah, ethnic cleansing, gaza, genocide, idf, israel, jabalia, palestine, palestinians

This is a repost of a story shared by Ahmed Moeen Serdah on LinkedIn about his experiences during the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. If you'd like to help Ahmed and his family, here is his GoFundMe account. Peace, MAA Photos by Ahmed Moeen Serdah Every time we think we have witnessed the utmost … Continue reading My Story & My Family: Amidst War & Destruction in Jabalia

Shattered

13/01/202513/01/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary equity, ethnic cleansing, gaza, genocide, humanity, ismail aderonmu, james baldwin, justice, morality, shattered

Copyright: Arsgera | Dreamstime.com This is a LinkedIn post by Ismail Aderonmu, an award-winning journalist and a kindred spirit. His message resonated with me, especially about the genocide shattering something in him (and me). I also appreciated Ismail's reference to "keep pushing - for justice, for equity, for the forgotten, the muzzled, the erased, and for … Continue reading Shattered

A Message from Gaza

12/01/202514/01/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary azhaar amayreh, end the genocide, ethnic cleansing, extermination, free palestine, gaza, genocide, israel, palestine, starvation

This is a repost from Azhaar Amayreh, a Palestinian woman in Gaza who is struggling to survive the genocide, along with her daughter. Please consider making a donation to support her and her daughter. This photo is from Azhaar's LinkedIn post. The autocratic, despotic, tyrannical Israeli-hand systematically and with pre-planned engineered precision, massacres, annihilates, eliminates … Continue reading A Message from Gaza

An International Educator in Vietnam

Information, Insights & (Frequently) Intrigue

Author: Mark A. Ashwill