Author: Mark A. Ashwill

The Trumpy Mindset: A COVID-19-Related Example

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I recently noticed this exchange on Facebook about the above graphic. (Yes, it's old news. JPMorgan expects US GDP to slow to 2.8% in the fourth quarter and then shrink by 1% during the first three months of 2021.) Comment: The country that started the pandemic has the least effect on GDP. Mmmmh… Response: Sad … Continue reading The Trumpy Mindset: A COVID-19-Related Example

Leonardo’s Smile: Support for Vietnamese Orphanages

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Supporting children who can no longer live with their parents to have access to safe and loving homes. In loving memory of Leonardo Vu Massa. "Leonardo is a great smiler. His smile can brighten up even the darkest moments in our life." There are few personal losses in life more devastating and traumatic than the … Continue reading Leonardo’s Smile: Support for Vietnamese Orphanages

Fulbright University Vietnam Professor Gets the Ax

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This post definitely falls into the intrigue category. Buckle your seat belt, dear reader. It's one hell of a story. Christopher Balding (CB), a one-time Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV) professor recently went down in professional flames because of a red line he chose to cross for 15 minutes of infamy while indulging his hatred of … Continue reading Fulbright University Vietnam Professor Gets the Ax

American History for Truthdiggers

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The swampy environs of Jamestown, Virginia, claim the life of another 17th-century English settler in this painting by National Park Service artist Sydney King. (National Park Service / Public Domain) I highly recommend this 2018-19 series of articles written by Maj. Danny Sjursen, a retired U.S. Army officer and former history instructor at West Point. Danny … Continue reading American History for Truthdiggers

Kamala Harris, US VP-Elect & Daughter of International Students

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US vice president-elect and senator from California, Kamala Harris, speaking in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 27, 2020. Source: Eric Baradat/AFP I've seen several articles about the status of the new vice president-elect as the daughter of international students. It's heart-warming. The irony is that both of her parents - Shyamala Gopalan and Donald Harris are … Continue reading Kamala Harris, US VP-Elect & Daughter of International Students

US Thanksgiving as a Celebration & a National Day of Mourning

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Wamsutta Frank James by statue of Massasoit, in Plymouth, MA on the National Day of Mourning in the 1970s. (Courtesy of guest) Yes, it can be both. I like what Kisha James said in this WBUR interview. She's a Wellesley College senior, enrolled Aquinnah Wampanoag/Oglala Lakota, and granddaughter of Wamsutta (Frank B.) James (1923-2001), who … Continue reading US Thanksgiving as a Celebration & a National Day of Mourning

“International recruitment – The US eagle could soar again”

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Photo: iStock I was intrigued by the title of this article, hoping it broke new ground. It didn't. The author trotted out the same tired old arguments in support of international students, including economic and political. These are some of the same arguments that activist international students have criticized because they are viewed primarily as … Continue reading “International recruitment – The US eagle could soar again”

“Turning an eagle eye on Vietnam’s attraction for the ‘eagles'”

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Garment workers at a factory in the southern Long An Province, February 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. It's rare and refreshing to see something so honest in print. It's a sensitive issue but also an important one. When talking about foreign direct investment (FDI) in Viet Nam or wherever, the human element, which should always … Continue reading “Turning an eagle eye on Vietnam’s attraction for the ‘eagles'”