Friday, May 07, 2004
History Lesson
Danny Schecter is the proprietor of Media Channel.org. Today he shares this story on his daily blog:
"Class: it is time for a history lesson. Let's get in our time machines and go back fifty years to May 7 1954. The place is a small town called Dien Ben Phu in the mountainous region in the north of Vietnam. The French colonial army had been convinced that its long war with Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh soldiers was on the verge of victory. But they didn't count on the military genius of a General named Vo Nguyen Giap. On this day, after a 56 day siege, the French surrendered in defeat. 16 years later Giap's forces would drive the Americans out.
The western press spoke then of the Dien Ben Phu's 'fall;' the Vietnamese, of its liberation. Fifty years later, Giap, now 92 is giving interviews in the garden of his home in Hanoi. He was asked about Iraq. His response:
'Any forces that would impose their will on other nations will certainly face defeat,' he said. 'All nations fighting for their legitimate interests and sovereignty will surely win.'
AP reports: 'Giap emphasized the powers of today shouldn't underestimate weaker countries' desire for independence Vietnam 'proves that if a nation is determined to stand up, it is very strong.' There were commemorations of this anniversary today in Vietnam and France. "
This is an excellent resource that features links to many stories that ABCNNBCBS doesn't cover. Worth a look.
| Permalink Here
Danny Schecter is the proprietor of Media Channel.org. Today he shares this story on his daily blog:
"Class: it is time for a history lesson. Let's get in our time machines and go back fifty years to May 7 1954. The place is a small town called Dien Ben Phu in the mountainous region in the north of Vietnam. The French colonial army had been convinced that its long war with Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh soldiers was on the verge of victory. But they didn't count on the military genius of a General named Vo Nguyen Giap. On this day, after a 56 day siege, the French surrendered in defeat. 16 years later Giap's forces would drive the Americans out.
The western press spoke then of the Dien Ben Phu's 'fall;' the Vietnamese, of its liberation. Fifty years later, Giap, now 92 is giving interviews in the garden of his home in Hanoi. He was asked about Iraq. His response:
'Any forces that would impose their will on other nations will certainly face defeat,' he said. 'All nations fighting for their legitimate interests and sovereignty will surely win.'
AP reports: 'Giap emphasized the powers of today shouldn't underestimate weaker countries' desire for independence Vietnam 'proves that if a nation is determined to stand up, it is very strong.' There were commemorations of this anniversary today in Vietnam and France. "
This is an excellent resource that features links to many stories that ABCNNBCBS doesn't cover. Worth a look.
| Permalink Here
