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Tag Archives: vietnam
Presidential Christmas Messages
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
Stress Tests
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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Tagged Bush, charismatic leaders, civil war, Clinton, constitution, demagogues, depression, divisiveness, equality, fox news, hyperpartisanship, inclusion, John Roberts, misinformation, nine-eleven, Obama, Roger Ailes, social media, supreme court, Trump, Trumpism, vietnam, watergate
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Why the Woodward Tapes Matter
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
Madman Diplomacy
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
Bad Behavior
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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Tagged access hollywood tapes, admission of guilt, Al franken, apology, ethihcs, morality, narcissism, North Korea, roy moore, senate ethics committee, Trump, Twitter, vietnam, xi Jinping
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Things We Take For Granted
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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Tagged american exceptionalism, complacency, government, market crashes, moral bankcuptcy, Obama, Olympics, partisanship, russia, space exploration, Trump, vietnam
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War Drums
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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Tagged deferment, diplomacy, iran, japan, Kim Jong Un, Missiles, narcissism, North Korea, nuclear weapons, Rocket Man, Seoul, South Korea, threats, Trump, vietnam, war as a last resort
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Then (1974) vs Now (2017)
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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Tagged Alexander Haig, base of support, Gerald Ford, instability, John Kelly, Mike Pence, moral center, Nixon, Trump, truth, vietnam, voters, watergate
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