WithÂout Thomas JefÂferÂson and John Adams, AmerÂiÂcans wouldÂn’t have the DecÂlaÂraÂtion of IndeÂpenÂdence. Rather strangeÂly, both men died on the same day, exactÂly fifty years after the signÂing of the DecÂlaÂraÂtion — July 4, 1826.
Thinking Big About John Adams
I’m watchÂing the new HBO minisÂeries “John Adams” and findÂing it fasÂciÂnatÂing. The series is based on a book by Pulitzer Prize winÂning hisÂtoÂriÂan David McCulÂlough (also author of 1776 and TruÂman). And below we have McCulÂlough givÂing us, if you will, the quick eleÂvaÂtor pitch for Adams — that is, two minÂutes on what made Adams a parÂticÂuÂlarÂly noteÂworÂthy foundÂing father. (The video, by the way, is proÂduced by BigÂThink, a fairÂly new site that posiÂtions itself as the “thinkÂing man’s YouTube.” They’re backed by HarÂvard’s ex-presÂiÂdent, LarÂry SumÂmers, and othÂer folks with deep pockÂets. Whether they’ll be able to turn a profÂit on intelÂlecÂtuÂal media, I’m sadÂly doubtÂful. But that’s not meant to take anyÂthing away from what they’re doing. And if anyÂone wants to throw a few milÂlion dolÂlars our way, we’ll conÂsidÂer takÂing it.)
Dith Pran on Genocide
Dith Pran, a phoÂtoÂjourÂnalÂist and politÂiÂcal activist who surÂvived The Killing Fields in CamÂboÂdia, and whose expeÂriÂence was narÂratÂed in the 1984 film by the same name, has died at 65. You can revisÂit his phoÂtoÂgraphÂic work here, and watch a talk he gave in 2006. Here, Pran recounts what hapÂpened in CamÂboÂdia — how The VietÂnam War spread to CamÂboÂdia, empowÂerÂing the murÂderÂous Khmer Rouge — and quesÂtions whether we’re genÂerÂalÂly getÂting closÂer to makÂing genoÂcide a thing of the past.
History, Power and our Global Society
Here’s a new, free course from StanÂford UniÂverÂsiÂty. Taught by James SheeÂhan, the HisÂtoÂry of the InterÂnaÂtionÂal SysÂtem (iTunes) offers a hisÂtorÂiÂcal view of interÂnaÂtionÂal polÂiÂtics in the 20th cenÂtuÂry, explorÂing how interÂnaÂtionÂal playÂers have attemptÂed to project their will and proÂtect their interÂests, all while negoÂtiÂatÂing fluÂid and not always manÂageÂable exterÂnal forces. The course looks back at comÂmuÂnism, fasÂcism and libÂerÂalÂism, then moves through the Cold War to the present day, and ends with curÂrent events in Iraq. An imporÂtant hisÂtoÂriÂan and one of StanÂford’s finest lecÂturÂers, SheeÂhan was recentÂly PresÂiÂdent of the AmerÂiÂcan HisÂtorÂiÂcal AssoÂciÂaÂtion. So far four lecÂtures have been postÂed (see here), and there will be more to come.
NOTE: This course has been added to our colÂlecÂtion of Free Online CoursÂes, where you can find about 120 top-notch coursÂes.
William F. Buckley v. Gore Vidal — 1968
William F. BuckÂley, Jr., the intelÂlecÂtuÂal force behind the strand of conÂserÂvatism that peaked with Ronald ReaÂgan, died yesÂterÂday. (See NY Times obit.) Here, we have some vinÂtage BuckÂley. The video clip below feaÂtures BuckÂley and Gore Vidal going at it, almost comÂing to blows, durÂing the conÂtestÂed presÂiÂdenÂtial camÂpaign of 1968. It offers a good reminder that AmerÂiÂcan politÂiÂcal disÂcourse hasÂn’t been agreeÂable for quite some time. ComÂparÂaÂtiveÂly, things look downÂright civÂil today.
The Secret History of Silicon Valley
What set the stage for SilÂiÂcon ValÂley to change the entire landÂscape of techÂnolÂoÂgy? What made comÂpaÂnies like Google, Yahoo and Hewlett Packard posÂsiÂble? AccordÂing to this talk preÂsentÂed at Google by Steve Blank, it all goes back to the afterÂmath of World War II. It starts when StanÂford UniÂverÂsiÂty and its engineering/electronics departÂment began to focus heavÂiÂly on milÂiÂtary R&D. And it conÂtinÂues durÂing the KoreÂan War, when the UniÂverÂsiÂty starts develÂopÂing new techÂnoloÂgies that conÂtribute to milÂiÂtary intelÂliÂgence (or what Blank calls “spook work”) and varÂiÂous weapons sysÂtems. The next thing you know you’ve got a brain trust in the Bay Area that starts spinÂning out comÂpaÂnies lik Fairchild SemiÂconÂducÂtor, the father of all semiÂconÂducÂtor comÂpaÂnies, and, with that, SilÂiÂcon ValÂley becomes SilÂiÂcon ValÂley.
The Long Shadow of Henry Kissinger
Although he hasÂn’t served in govÂernÂment for more than 30 years, HenÂry Kissinger still exerÂcisÂes more powÂer interÂnaÂtionÂalÂly than JimÂmy Carter, George HW Bush and Bill ClinÂton comÂbined. That’s a strong claim, and it comes from ProÂfesÂsor JereÂmi Suri, who has a new book out on the forÂmer SecÂreÂtary of State. In a wide-rangÂing and fast movÂing conÂverÂsaÂtion (MP3 — iTunes — Feed), Suri talks about Kissinger’s legaÂcy and how his realpoliÂtik forÂeign polÂiÂcy shapes AmerÂiÂcan deciÂsion makÂing down to this very day.
Malcolm X at Oxford University 1964
We love findÂing these vinÂtage media gems. Below, we have MalÂcolm X speakÂing at Oxford UniÂverÂsiÂty in 1964. In this clasÂsic speech, you get a good feel for MalÂcolm X’s presÂence and mesÂsage and also the social issues that were alive durÂing the day. You’ll hear X’s famous claim that libÂerÂty can be attained by “whatÂevÂer means necÂesÂsary,” includÂing force, if the govÂernÂment won’t guarÂanÂtee it. Then there’s his notion that “intelÂliÂgentÂly directÂed extremÂism” can achieve libÂerÂty more effecÂtiveÂly than paciÂfist strateÂgies (e.g., what MLK had in mind). You can lisÂten to the speech in its entireÂty here (Real Audio), someÂthing that is well worth doing. But we’d also encourÂage you to watch (see below) the draÂmatÂic closÂing minÂutes and pay some attenÂtion to the nice rhetorÂiÂcal slide — to how we get from HamÂlet’s doubts (“To be or not to be”) to takÂing up arms against state enshrined racism. This piece of video is added to our YouTube playlist.
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