When I mentioned to an acquaintance in the southern U.S. state of Georgia that I shared some strands of DNA with a family of slaveowners there, he replied that I am "living proof of evolution to a higher state of being!" While that simple truth put a smile on my face, it also offers a … Continue reading Telling Truth in All its Complexity
vergangenheitsbewältigung
Trumpism is Exactly Who Many of US Are
Image courtesy of CounterPunch Here's my latest essay for CounterPunch in which I expand upon this 23.1.21 blog post Agree to Disagree? It Depends. Below is an excerpt to whet your appetite (or not). During the dark years of Trump and MAGA madness, I often heard from disbelieving and exasperated colleagues that this is not who … Continue reading Trumpism is Exactly Who Many of US Are
American History for Truthdiggers
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
“Da 5 Bloods” & the USA’s Ongoing Failure to Overcome Its Past
Da 5 Bloods is timely, powerful, educational and important. Says Netflix, which is airing this movie and has a lot at $take with a production budget of $35–45 million, one of Spike Lee's more expensive movies. Here's one nod in the company review to the Vietnamese, routinely neglected in US portrayals of the US War … Continue reading “Da 5 Bloods” & the USA’s Ongoing Failure to Overcome Its Past
Comments in Response to “A Letter from Vietnam…”
Below is a sampling of my favorite comments - in no particular order - in response to my 30 April 2020 CounterPunch essay entitled A Letter From Viet Nam on the Occasion of the 45th Anniversary of the End of the War. Most are from Facebook and Twitter; some are comments posted here and sent … Continue reading Comments in Response to “A Letter from Vietnam…”
NGÀY 30/4/2020 – LÁ THƯ TỪ VIỆT NAM NHÂN 45 NĂM NGÀY KẾT THÚC CHIẾN TRANH
Here's a Vietnamese translation of my 30.4.20 essay A Letter From Viet Nam on the Occasion of the 45th Anniversary of the End of the War on Facebook. The translator is Ngô Mạnh Hùng. (Cảm ơn bạn Hùng nhiều!) Bình luận về “NGÀY 30/4/2020 – LÁ THƯ TỪ VIỆT NAM NHÂN 45 NĂM NGÀY KẾT … Continue reading NGÀY 30/4/2020 – LÁ THƯ TỪ VIỆT NAM NHÂN 45 NĂM NGÀY KẾT THÚC CHIẾN TRANH
Coming to Terms with the Past by Honoring Historical Truth: The Case of Fulbright University Vietnam
Here's my latest essay about Fulbright University Vietnam. Below is an excerpt from the conclusion to whet your appetite (or not). Education is one way to heal the past, assuming it is objective, comprehensive, and truthful. FUV has yet to live up to its billing as a university with a mission grounded in the liberal … Continue reading Coming to Terms with the Past by Honoring Historical Truth: The Case of Fulbright University Vietnam
“More Demons Unleashed After Fulbright University Vietnam Official Drops Rhetorical Bombshells”
This 17 August 2018 CounterPunch article is the third in a trilogy. Here are the first and second articles. This should be my last word about this sad story. Pardon the nasty military metaphor but it's not nearly as nasty as some of the quotes from "one of the most influential figures in the US-Viet Nam relationship you’ve never heard … Continue reading “More Demons Unleashed After Fulbright University Vietnam Official Drops Rhetorical Bombshells”
“Vietnam needs to embrace its history fully”
This well-known and often misquoted quote by George Santayana (1863-1952), a Spanish-US American philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist who was born in Madrid and died in Rome, literally assumes there is something learned in the first place that has since been forgotten. This is not the case with people who don't learn the good, the … Continue reading “Vietnam needs to embrace its history fully”
An Open Letter to the People of Viet Nam
The open letter below, an initiative of Veterans For Peace (VFP), is further proof that the US has yet to overcome its participation in the American War in Viet Nam ("Vietnam War") in the spirit of Vergangenheitsbewältigung, a German term that means the "struggle to overcome the [negatives of the] past". VFP is "an international … Continue reading An Open Letter to the People of Viet Nam
An International Educator in Viet Nam 
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