Tag Archives: vietnam

Freedom

Posted on August 31, 2021 by alanpzendell

Alan Zendell, August 31, 2021 One of the first things we Americans learned as children was that we lived in “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” We heard it repeatedly until it became a mantra, … Continue reading →

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Presidential Christmas Messages

Posted on December 25, 2020 by alanpzendell

Alan Zendell, December 25, 2020 It wasn’t too long ago that the worst thing we had to bear on Christmas was a presidential address filled with empty platitudes. One of the more heartfelt was Harry Truman’s first such address in … Continue reading →

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Stress Tests

Posted on December 12, 2020 by alanpzendell

Alan Zendell, December 12, 2020 Stress tests have been used ever since people have been building and manufacturing things to assure their safety and soundness. Would you get on an airplane if you didn’t know that every piece of the … Continue reading →

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Why the Woodward Tapes Matter

Posted on September 11, 2020 by alanpzendell

Alan Zendell, September 11, 2020 In 1974, the United States lived through what felt like its worst existential threat since the Civil War. We’d defeated the British twice early in our history, the Spanish in the 1890s, and been instrumental … Continue reading →

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Madman Diplomacy

Posted on March 4, 2019 by alanpzendell

Alan Zendell, March 4, 2019 Donald Trump, who never met a boast he couldn’t embrace, recently declared that it was his feigned irrationality that forced Kim Jong Un to negotiate. That was before the second summit between the two men … Continue reading →

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Shithole Countries and the Free Press

Posted on January 13, 2018 by alanpzendell

Alan Zendell, January 13, 2018 Since the end of the second world war, we’ve had a succession of presidents who, regardless of their overall political philosophies, all believed that increased trade and friendly, cooperative interaction with other nations were the … Continue reading →

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Bad Behavior

Posted on November 18, 2017 by alanpzendell

Alan Zendell, November 18, 2017 I’ve always liked Al Franken. As a comedian he was smart and funny. As a Senator he’s been a refreshingly level-headed voice supporting decency and progressive values. That said, it’s hard to have sympathy for … Continue reading →

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Things We Take For Granted

Posted on October 29, 2017 by alanpzendell

Alan Zendell, October 29, 2017 Growing up in the years after the second world war, it was easy to believe that America was the land of the good guys. We were nobler and fairer than the rest of the world, … Continue reading →

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War Drums

Posted on October 8, 2017 by alanpzendell

Alan Zendell, October 8, 2017 Back in the 1960s, Donald Trump and I were among millions of young American men who did everything possible to avoid being drafted and sent to Vietnam. At least according to interviews published decades later, … Continue reading →

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Then (1974) vs Now (2017)

Posted on August 18, 2017 by alanpzendell

Alan Zendell, August 18, 2017 My generation remembers the anxiety of the last months of the Nixon administration. Years of disillusionment over Vietnam, Nixon’s attempt to subvert the 1972 election process, the painful progression of Watergate, and the week by … Continue reading →

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