vietnam war

“The Four F’s of Moving Forward in Challenging Times”: A Critique

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary , , , , , , , , ,

United States and Vietnam two folded flags together Below is a 1770-word response to this recent 541-word blog post by Nancy Napier, a distinguished professor emerita and former director of the Center for Creativity and Innovation at Boise State University’s College of Business and Economics. That's more than 3 times as long as the original … Continue reading “The Four F’s of Moving Forward in Challenging Times”: A Critique

“Qualities incomprehensible to the ‘think tank’ specialists”

Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary , , , , ,

Below is an excerpt from Ho Chi Minh - An Appreciation by Wilfred Burchett. It was published in 1972 but its relevance in 2020 is obvious. It would be interesting to have a discussion, especially with young Vietnamese, about their interpretation of Burchett's wartime reflections. Thanks to his son, George, for the heads-up. If it … Continue reading “Qualities incomprehensible to the ‘think tank’ specialists”

“Da 5 Bloods” & the USA’s Ongoing Failure to Overcome Its Past

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary , , , ,

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

"Medicine Old and New" by Wilfred Burchett

Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Books, Commentary , , , , ,

Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi in 1966. Screenshot from documentary "Vietnam North." Below is chapter six in its entirety from a 1966 book entitled Vietnam North: A First-Hand Report by prominent Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett. In it he wrote about the ingenuity of Vietnamese medical professionals in successfully confronting difficult medical and surgical issues created … Continue reading "Medicine Old and New" by Wilfred Burchett

Reflections on the passing of General Giap and the end of an era

Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary , , , , , , , ,

Hot off the digital press, a retrospective view of the passing of the legendary Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap, who died six years ago this Friday at the age of 102 in Hanoi.  Click on the image to read the article in its entirety.   Here are two photos that will appear in the forthcoming Vietnamese … Continue reading Reflections on the passing of General Giap and the end of an era

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day from Viet Nam!

Mark A. Ashwill Events , , ,

Beyond Viet Nam:  A Time to Break Silence, a speech Dr. King gave at the Riverside Church in New York City on 4 April 1967, a year to the day before he was assassinated is always worth a read and a listen on this or any other day:  text and audio.  His friendship with Thích Nhất … Continue reading Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day from Viet Nam!

The Importance of Speaking Up About “Things That Matter”

Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary , , , , ,

After telling an acquaintance who is well-known in Viet Nam circles that I intended to write about the rhetorical bombshells that Thomas Vallely dropped in an early 2018 interview about Bob Kerrey and Fulbright University Vietnam, he warned me about possible backlash.  In case you're just tuning in, Vallely is Senior Adviser for Mainland Southeast Asia … Continue reading The Importance of Speaking Up About “Things That Matter”