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It's difficult to imagine, in these times, why on earth anyone would want to be in a position of power. Witness President Obama's attempt at health care reform being schadenfreudely decimated by a poorly-designed Web site; his approval rating at its lowest -- 39% -- though nothing like the 9% now enjoyed by the dysfunctional US Congress. Take France's President Hollande, who inherited a mess that he claimed he could fix, only to find himself completely powerless with a 15% approval rating and over 3 more years to endure. Or just imagine being president of the ravaged Philippines... It's no wonder that America is transfixed on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK and a mythological time when leaders led and protesters still mattered. Manuel García, Jr. offers his perspective on those turbulent years of 1963-1968, from nuclear testing to civil rights, the Vietnam War, and myriad assassinations. The next decade, in South Africa, is addressed by Michael Barker in Part II of his look at Laurens Van Der Post, who befriended conservative leaders such as Prince Charles and Margaret Thatcher to make his radical opinions heard. (Also on South Africa, read Paul Buhle's praising book review of Ruth First and Joe Slovo in the War Against Apartheid.) Among the myriad contemporary crises, the one ongoing in Syria is falling out of the news, but Gilles d'Aymery continues his analysis. This one is brief, and he's pretty saddened by what he sees out there with regard to the strange bedfellows, including so-called leftists, behind the conflict.
The 1980s were not trouble-free either, as South Korean activists faced repression and torture under the military rule of Chun Doo-hwan. The new movie on the subject, National Security, is a major event in world cinema and a film not to be missed according to Gregory Elich. Returning to the '60s, Bill Ayers's latest book, Public Enemy: Confessions of an American Dissident, begged to be satirized by Jonah Raskin, who saw things slightly differently from the underground. We can't speak for Ayers's book, but Raskin's review is a veritable masterpiece. And speaking of the underground, it so happens that Peter Byrne is a cemetery aficionado and he takes us on a world tour of the most majestic resting places; while now very much in the present, Mr. Raskin submits the first of his observations from Paris -- a young city, and a city meant for the young. We conclude with the solemn poetry of David Francis and Guido Monte, and your letters with praise for Gilles d'Aymery's insights on Libya's mayhem, perspective on Aymery's and Manuel García's point-counterpoint on the matter, and a word from France where mayhem reigns supreme.
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Manuel García, Jr.: Fifty-Year Look Back 1963-2013 (Part I: 1963-1968)
A personal review of American history observed and experienced from 1963 to 1968. More...
Michael Barker: Who Was Laurens Van Der Post? - Part II of II
Part II of an examination of the Jungian legacy of famed environmentalist Laurens Van Der Post. More...
Gilles d'Aymery: Leftists, Saudi Arabia, & Syria
The author continues his analysis on the events in Syria, questioning the role of Saudi Arabia in the conflict, and the Marxist revolutionaries who've jumped on the anti-Assad bandwagon. More...
Gregory Elich: National Security
A review of the remarkable South Korean film National Security, a major event in world cinema and must-see for those who care about the political state of the world. More...
Paul Buhle: Of Champions And Martyrs
The telling of Ruth First and Joe Slovo's battle against Apartheid is an achievement for which author Alan Wieder deserves great credit. More...
Jonah Raskin: Mock Review Of An Inflated Memoir
Bill Ayer's latest book, Public Enemy: Confessions of an American Dissident, begged to be satirized by Jonah Raskin, who saw things slightly differently from the underground. More...
Peter Byrne: Whistling In The Graveyard
In his cemetery-loving confessional, the author takes us on a world tour of the most majestic resting places. More...
Jonah Raskin: Paris I: Memories & Laughter
Jonah Raskin submits Part 1 of his observations from Paris -- a young city, and a city meant for the young. More...
David Francis: Where Is Home
Escape from real life in front of videos or the cafe where the blind lead the blind. More...
Guido Monte: For the 87 Immigrants Who Died in Niger
Another sad story of immigrants, by Guido Monte, translated by Adele Ward. More...
Praise for Gilles d'Aymery's insights on Libya's mayhem from a friend of Phil Greenspan and the American Iranian Friendship Committee; perspective on Aymery's and Manuel Garcia's point-counterpoint on Libya; and a word from France where mayhem reigns supreme and the president's approval rating is in the can. More...
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