The Thatcher Government

Realated to the 80s and 90s, and the novel Nice Work by D.Lodge, we have talked about Margaret Thatcher´s government in the UK.
Here is the Iron Lady herself...

Talking about the controversial sinking of the Belgrano in the Malvinas War

The Lady on socialism...

From her speech you can see many characteristics of her government

David Lodge: Nice Work

Here are two links about David Lodge:

In our blog from last year

An interview:

Fall Of The Berlin Wall 20th Anniversary

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” American President Ronald Reagan famously demanded in 1987 in front of the Brandenburg Gate. The Soviet leader didn’t exactly rush forward at the controls of a bulldozer, and whether the speech had an effect or was simply an example of surfing on the tides of history, with the collapse of other soviet satellite states and mass demonstrations for reform in East Germany, the Berlin Wall did come down, marked on November 9 of 1989.

The Berlin Wall wouldn’t be officially demolished until the summer of 1990. A temporary crossing through the wall was opened at the Brandenburg Gate on December 22, just before Christmas. The wall separating east and west Berlin was first constructed in 1961, went through four generations of reconstruction, but today is almost entirely vanished except for a sometimes recognizable path marked by information stands and a few remaining sections left as an art project. For 2009 in Berlin, a series of special events and exhibitions celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the “peaceful revolution” that lead to the reunification of Germany and a divided Berlin.

The celebration year started with a performance of the Irish band U2 in front of Brandenburg Gate and it will climax on the date of the anniversary, November 9th with a grand public party at Brandenburg Gate. The "Festival of Freedom" begins with an open-air concert at Pariser Platz by the Staatskapelle Berlin conducted by Daniel Barenboim. After the concert, the fall of the Berlin Wall will be symbolised with the toppling of a domino wall along the entire wall path. by knocking over dominos. Hundreds of thousands are expected to fill the street festivals in one giant party.

this link will help you with the understanding of the fall of USSR.


source:www.bargaintraveleurope.com//youtube.com

Growing up during the Apartheid Era

As I posted in the previous entry, whenever we can listen to or read about someone who gives us first hand experience on a historical event we have to take advantage of that situation to know and even "feel" what it was all about.
Some time ago I asked my South African friend Marianne Pieterse to write something about her memories of growing up during the Apartheid_the barbaric set of laws that made racism legal in that country for years_ and she committed to the task with such a zeal and dedication that we got into her skin and we could get a glimpse of what it was like to live in South Africa in those times.
To read what Marianne sent us, click here and to dowload the PPP I prepared for the class, click here.

I think that all of us learned a lesson...

No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.Nelson Mandela


I detest racialism, because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black man or a white man. Nelson Mandela

I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.Nelson Mandela

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.Nelson Mandela

The last one is one we should believe in!!!

Vietnam War (part 2)

One of the best ways of learning history is through first hand impressions.This is something that we can´t count on very often, but when there´s an opportunity to do so, we should take it.
Here is an interview to a man from Laos who fought in the Vietnam War,Barbara Bezuch could talk to him.The interview is in Spanish.

Escondidos para vivir

Esta frase fue la que mas me llegó, por eso la escogí para ponerla como titulo. Lo que sigue a continuación es una entrevista realizada a Nouporn Prapotip un hombre de 75 años de edad que estuvo en la Guerra de Vietnam, que actualmente está radicado en Verónica partido de Punta Indio.

Por qué crees vos que empezó la Guerra de Vietnam? Que se decía por allá?

Había mucha gente y poca tierra. Toda arena y montaña la gente tenía mucha hambre.

Yo peleaba en contra de Vietnam junto con los de Camboya porque ellos querían pasar para el lado de mi tierra (Laos) (Conflicto interno antes de la guerra.)

En Vietnam la guerra se originó entre en Norte y el Sur, en el Norte estaban los vietnamies y en el Sur “los yankees”. Murieron muchos yankees ya que no sabían vivir en la selva “muerta hambre, muerta cualquier cosa mucho calor y sabes que estar cuerpo así sin la ropa sin nada pelear así…..matar matar no mas con los yankees no hay otra mujer, hombre no importa chico grande no importa” Yo estuve en la guerra de Vietnam y mis vivencias son: “yo estaba en la frontera cuidando que los Vietnamies no se pasen, yo estaba en la “playa” (arena) escondido en la arena. Hacíamos unos agujeros y nos tapábamos con arena teníamos una pajita y respirábamos por ahí tres días estuve así” “los yankees no se escondían iban así caminando no mas peleando y nosotros no estábamos escondidos por ejemplo, el oficial nos decía donde nos teníamos que esconder y los yankees venían como paseando y nosotros salíamos de nuestros escondites y los matábamos”

Que te acordás de cuando terminó?

Yo me fui antes de que termine

Y vos porqué te viniste para acá?

“En el año 1975 vino una avioneta desde Vietnam a Camboya y yo me tuve que escapar si no te morís” Mi señora y mis tres hijos quedan allá y tres años mas tarde fui a buscar a mi familia. Para ir a buscarlos tuve tres días escondido en una cueva y tuve que pelear.

Y por qué estabas escondido?

Porque yo no tenía armas. Y tuve que pelar con mis hijos en la espalda en una mochila. Y estuve tres días sin comer.

Y te quedó algún contacto de esa gente que te acompañó en esas peleas?

Si, algunos están acá, otros en Francia y algunos en Alaska. El 26 de noviembre del 1979 yo estoy en Argentina a las 6 de la tarde y no sabía que comer ni nada. Yo no entendía ni idioma ni plata ni nada.

Cómo se pronuncia este nombre?

Ho Chin Minh (jo chi mi)

Vos lo conociste?

Si, me gustaba como pensaba

China tenía dominada a Vietnam, no podían cruzar para ningún lugar y peleaban por frontera

Yo no se si la ideología era comunista pero si se que los políticos manejaban coimas. Buscan la tierra, buscan gente, busca viviendas buscan casa. Y ahora Vietnam está allá en mis tierras también. Mis tierras tenían oro, plata cuando fue el americano se roba todo y ellos nos dieron armas, tanques pero nosotros no sabíamos usarlos.

Mataron algún familiar tuyo?

Si mataron a mi cuñado por “Buchón” porque él peleaba con nosotros pero le informaba a los Yankees. Lo ataron de las manos y al mar. Lo mata los militares de nuestro país.

“No se si yo loco, cualquiera o no se…mi idea era solamente matar. No se si tenia miedo solo tenía que matar”

Y mataste a gente?

Uh! Millones

Con que mataban uds, que tipo de armas tenían?

Nosotros no precisar tantas armas una cuchilla o un sable. Teníamos que matar para poder “VIVIR”

Te sentiste culpable de matar a tanta gente?

No yo tenía que matar para poder vivir…..

Thanks, Bábara , this must have been a great experience for you and you certainly knew how to transmit it to all of us!!!

Vietnam War

Vietnam is a small country to the south of China, Vietnamese means non-chinese people of the south

For much of Vietnam's history it has been under foreign rule, primarily by the Chinese. In 1860, France began its domination of the area and had, by the late 19th century, implemented its colonization in a number of regions around the Gulf of Tonkin. During WWII, the Japanese government took control of much of the area and set up a puppet regime that was eventually forced out by the Vietnamese at the end of that war in 1945

After WWII and until 1955,France fought hard to regain their former territories in the region, but with a poorly organized army and little determination among the troops, their efforts soon collapsed. The French were finally defeated at Dien Bien Phu on the 8th of May 1954 by the communist general Vo Nguyen Giap.

Between 1955 and 1960, the North Vietnamese with the assistance of the southern communist Vietcong, tried to take over the government in South Vietnam, and in November 1963 President Diem was overthrown and executed. The following year, the North Vietnamese began a massive drive to conquer the whole country aided by China and Russia.

Fearing a communist takeover of the entire region, the United States grew more and more wary of the progress of Ho Chi Minh and the Vietcong (National Liberation Front)

With the cold war at its height, the US leaders were worried that an attack on North Vietnam by the US would create tensions with the Chinese and Russians that would, in turn, lead to a larger conflict and possibly WW III. This created a difficult situation for the US and would eventually lead to many internal conflicts, which ultimately prevented the US from forming a firm policy for the region. The US was also faced with a number of cultural differences between the two countries, and what was considered corrupt by the US government was considered legitimate by South Vietnamese standards. It was difficult for the US to portray South Vietnam as a hard working, hard fighting democracy; corruption was widespread among officials and the armed forces. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was disorganized due to the low morale of it's leaders and their singular interest in personal gain. Therefore the US had a great deal of difficulty in holding the army together in South Vietnam and saw only one solution, that was to start taking care of things for themselves. By 1950 the US began sending their first troops, firstly in an advisory role, which slowly escalated into a full blown commitment.

The large-scale involvement of the US came under the tenure of President Lyndon B. Johnson and hisGulf of Tonkin Resolution. Johnson had replaced John F. Kennedy after he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas 1963. As president, he was torn between the differing strategies the US had for Vietnam. The increasing involvement and the escalation of troop involvement meant there were more casualties and more problems at home. But Johnson, who was always concerned about his image, and as president, held the power to halt the war in Vietnam, could not face the thought of being regarded as the first president in US history to loose a war.

The pressure around him grew so intense, that he was only left with one option and that was not to run for a second term. Basically, he handed the hot potato to Richard M. Nixon.

Antagonists

North Vietnam US - South Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Lyndon B Johnson Vo Nguyen Giap Richard M Nixon Nguyen Van Thieu

Trabajo realizado por Bezuch-Díaz-Dal Mastro

Sand Animation on WW II

Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of "America's Got Talent." She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and "sand painting" skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII.
Just incredible!!!!

Thanks to Wenceslao Michailovsky