When looking at our own political scene today it's hard not to draw connections to the Watergate scandal of 1972; a Republican president attempting to elicit information that could be used to harm their Democratic rival in the race in an illegal way. Similarly, both times the President was elected and the scandal-plagued their time in office, and both times the media played a large role in what narrative was dictated to the American people about what was happening.
Watergate was a political scandal that took place leading up to the election of 1972 between the incumbent, Republican, candidate Richard Nixon and Democratic candidate George McGovern. In an attempt to gain "dirt" on the Democratic candidate George Mcgovern Four Ex-CIA operatives and a member of the Committee to re-elect the President often called CREEP were caught on June 17th. Though no direct evidence link was found connecting the President to the incident it became clear that something wasn't right. The Washington Post picked up the story and played a key role in pushing the scandal into the spotlight of most Americans. The administration came under fire, resisting attempts at government probing and refusing to release tapes discussing the scandal. Causing a constitutional crisis in which the supreme court unilaterally ruled, in Nixon Vs. The United States, that Nixon must hand over the tapes. When it was discovered that Nixon did indeed play a role in covering up the scandal the republican party who had clung to Nixon throughout his Presidency now were forced to turn their back. The mounting pressure and looming impeachment forced Nixon to resign on August 9th, 1974.
Compare that to the 2016 scandal that started with the Russian Hacking of the DNC's servers releasing private information. Then as many Americans discovered after the infamous 2016 election between Doland Trump and Hillary Clinton that there might be collusion between the Trump Campaign and the Russian Government. At first, James Comey ex-director of the FBI started a probe but was soon fired with little to no reasoning given. Then Robert Muller was appointed to lead the Southern District of New York's investigation into possible Russian Collusion. They discovered that big names such as George Papadopoulos, a former Trump Campaign Manager, and Doland Trump Jr had both met with Russians in an effort to try and gain campaign information that would damage Hillary Clinton. More recently Rodger Stone and Michael Cohen two extremely senior and close personnel to Trump have been arrested in their efforts to cover up something pertaining to the Russian Collusion scandal. Michael Cohen said as of Feb. 27, 2019, that "He [Trump] is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat." Yet it seems that the Republicans learned their lesson from last time, realizing the importance of having news on your side, in fact, Roger Ailes the founder of Fox News promoted its founding due to the importance of having news on your side even stating to Nixon that, “Television is not a gimmick, and if you think it is, you'll lose again." Now, it seems that Fox News is doing its job, churning out a constant stream of pro-GOP content in which Trump is never to blame for anything. It seems to be working too, ask any Trump supporter why the most recent development in this scandal isn't Trump's fault and chances are that they'll give you a ready-made answer straight from Sean Hannity, Fox and Friends, or Tucker Carlson. Yet, we see all the warning signs, perjury, hush money, obstruction of justice and the president's close personnel being arrested and charged. We as the American people must learn to study the past and consider the blatant paterns in history and how this might end up this time.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/glanton/ct-met-dahleen-glanton-trump-nixon-corruption-20181130-story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/richard-nixon-and-roger-ailes-1970s-plan-to-put-the-gop-on-tv/2011/07/01/AG1W7XtH_blog.html?utm_term=.8f0ad3839b7e
https://www.britannica.com/event/Watergate-Scandal
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/09/20/us/politics/russia-trump-election-timeline.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/27/us/politics/michael-cohen-trump.html
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Media Coverage and the Vietnam War
In the spring of 1965, US troops were deployed to Vietnam. At this time, newspapers, radio, and television networks sent their journalists to report on the war. At one point, there were around 600 journalists in Vietnam. The United States Military Assistance Command even helped journalists by giving them military transportation. Their close proximity to the war resulted in the death of more than 60 journalists. However, not all journalists were on the battlefield. Many gathered stories from the United States Public Office’s daily briefings in Saigon. The effect of this extensive media coverage is widely debated.
The uncensored press were given great access to the Vietnam War and the stories they collected often were broadcasted in homes across the country. One side believes that the media created a disadvantage for the United State by providing information to North Vietnam and decreasing support for the war at home. These factors are said to have been major reasons for US defeat. However, many historians point out that media coverage did not display US policy in a negative light until 1968. It is also argued that the increasingly negative news did not influence the American public, it merely reflected the feelings that were already there. Although journalists were uncensored, there are only a few cases where a journalist was found guilty of violating military security.
One of the major turning points of public opinion resulted from the media coverage of the US defeat of the Tet Offensive. Here, the Vietcong overtook 120 South Vietnamese locations. Although the US regained lost ground, the incident was a political defeat. Images of Marines fighting the Vietcong to save the US embassy in Saigon was a great shock to the American public. Images and videos that were shown across America like one of a South Vietnamese general executing a prisoner made the public question the morals of their allies. Once the public saw the scale of the war through the media, there was a popular feeling that they had been lied to by their leaders.
The disillusionment of the American public was produced by many factors. The increased media coverage only serves as one of those factors.
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Richard Feynman
As a small child, I had always been interested in learning about Physics. That is probably why one of my childhood heroes was Richard P. Feynman. For my 12th birthday, my dad got me his book and I read it that very night. I even had a small poster of him playing the bongos in my room. That is why I chose to briefly write about his life here.
Born to middle-class parents in 1918, in Queens NY, Feynman showed an interest in engineering at an early age. It is said that he was repairing radios in grade school and that he created a home burglar alarm system. From an early age he had also accepted atheism and though both his parents were Jewish, he did not believe in Judaism. In high school, he quickly moved on to the highest math classes and an IQ test estimated his high school IQ at 125 ("high but merely respectable"). He scored the highest scores by a large margin on the notoriously difficult Putnam competition. He had taught himself basic calculus, infinite series, trigonometry and some advanced algebra by 15. As a senior in High School, he won the NYU math competition. He was rejected by Colombia but he was accepted into MIT. He began studying Mathematics but switched to Electrical Engineering, and later switched again to Physics.
He published two papers as an undergraduate. One was titled "The Scattering of Cosmic Rays by the Stars of a Galaxy" and the other was "Forces in Molecules", which gave rise to the Hellmann-Feynman Theorem. He got his graduate degree from Princeton University, after receiving a perfect score on the physics entrance exam and an almost perfect score on the Math exam. Some of the attendees at his first seminar were Einstein, Wolfgang Pauli, and Von Neumann. His graduate thesis was "The Principle of Least Action in Quantum Mechanics". Arguably his most significant work, it also introduces a new notation called a Feynman Diagram.
Even before he graduated fully from Princeton, he was involved in the Manhatten Project, where he met and connected with numerous big shots in Physics (Oppenheimer, Ernest Lawrence, Robert Wilson, Niels Bohr, Klaus Fuchs). In this time he developed: the Bethe-Feynman formula (for determining the yield of a nuclear bomb), the Isotron (to isolate uranium), a new algorithm to calculate logarithms more quickly. He also spent a lot of his free time cracking combination lock for fun and pranking his fellow scientists. His High School sweetheart, whom he planned to marry, died at this time too. I found it interesting that although he did so much tremendous work in this time, his wage of $300 per month was half of what he needed to make a living.
Because of his involvement in the Manhattan Project, Feynman was fired from Cornell, where he had been hired as a professor. During this time he was believed to be clinically depressed and burned out (partially due to the death of his father). In the time he did work at Cornell he explored many, many branches of Quantum Physics, yet he was said to be restless. He rarely slept in the same dorm and liked to have short-term relationships with undergraduates, hire prostitutes, or sleep with the wives of friends. He did receive job offers at UCLA and UC Berkeley but ended up working at CalTech instead, after spending a lot of time in Rio de Janeiro. In this period of his life, he became an enthusiastic bongo player, and he also wrote "The Feynman Lectures on Physics" along with several biographies (one of which was the one my dad got me and that got me excited about his life). He continued his fruitful study when in 1965 he shared the Nobel Prize with Schwinger and Tomonaga for their work on Quantum Electrodynamics.
Sadly he passed away at the age of 69 due to kidney failure and was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena. His last words were "I'd hate to die twice. It's so boring". He has undoubtedly done more for science than most people ever will.
Born to middle-class parents in 1918, in Queens NY, Feynman showed an interest in engineering at an early age. It is said that he was repairing radios in grade school and that he created a home burglar alarm system. From an early age he had also accepted atheism and though both his parents were Jewish, he did not believe in Judaism. In high school, he quickly moved on to the highest math classes and an IQ test estimated his high school IQ at 125 ("high but merely respectable"). He scored the highest scores by a large margin on the notoriously difficult Putnam competition. He had taught himself basic calculus, infinite series, trigonometry and some advanced algebra by 15. As a senior in High School, he won the NYU math competition. He was rejected by Colombia but he was accepted into MIT. He began studying Mathematics but switched to Electrical Engineering, and later switched again to Physics.
He published two papers as an undergraduate. One was titled "The Scattering of Cosmic Rays by the Stars of a Galaxy" and the other was "Forces in Molecules", which gave rise to the Hellmann-Feynman Theorem. He got his graduate degree from Princeton University, after receiving a perfect score on the physics entrance exam and an almost perfect score on the Math exam. Some of the attendees at his first seminar were Einstein, Wolfgang Pauli, and Von Neumann. His graduate thesis was "The Principle of Least Action in Quantum Mechanics". Arguably his most significant work, it also introduces a new notation called a Feynman Diagram.
Even before he graduated fully from Princeton, he was involved in the Manhatten Project, where he met and connected with numerous big shots in Physics (Oppenheimer, Ernest Lawrence, Robert Wilson, Niels Bohr, Klaus Fuchs). In this time he developed: the Bethe-Feynman formula (for determining the yield of a nuclear bomb), the Isotron (to isolate uranium), a new algorithm to calculate logarithms more quickly. He also spent a lot of his free time cracking combination lock for fun and pranking his fellow scientists. His High School sweetheart, whom he planned to marry, died at this time too. I found it interesting that although he did so much tremendous work in this time, his wage of $300 per month was half of what he needed to make a living.
Because of his involvement in the Manhattan Project, Feynman was fired from Cornell, where he had been hired as a professor. During this time he was believed to be clinically depressed and burned out (partially due to the death of his father). In the time he did work at Cornell he explored many, many branches of Quantum Physics, yet he was said to be restless. He rarely slept in the same dorm and liked to have short-term relationships with undergraduates, hire prostitutes, or sleep with the wives of friends. He did receive job offers at UCLA and UC Berkeley but ended up working at CalTech instead, after spending a lot of time in Rio de Janeiro. In this period of his life, he became an enthusiastic bongo player, and he also wrote "The Feynman Lectures on Physics" along with several biographies (one of which was the one my dad got me and that got me excited about his life). He continued his fruitful study when in 1965 he shared the Nobel Prize with Schwinger and Tomonaga for their work on Quantum Electrodynamics.
Sadly he passed away at the age of 69 due to kidney failure and was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena. His last words were "I'd hate to die twice. It's so boring". He has undoubtedly done more for science than most people ever will.
Saturday, February 23, 2019
1964 Immigration Act
1965 Immigration ActOver this winter break, I traveled down the coast, touring various UC and private colleges. Our end goal was to get to our grandparent’s house. My grandparents were first-generation immigrants from India. My grandpa was allowed to come to the US to pressure his education in optical engineering and later work for Aerospace. I was interested in the policies that allowed him to come to the US and found the Immigration and Nationality Acts of 1965.
Here is a little bit of history preceding the Acts of 1965: In the early 1900s, South Asians, mainly Punjabi laborers, migrated to the United States and worked along the Pacific Coast. They were often targets of anti-Asian xenophobes who believed that Asians were a threat. It was argued that they were cheap laborers and dangerous individuals who were a threat to national security. They were prohibited from owning land or leasing land. Many were driven out of cities and towns.
During WWII, the United States alliance with India created changes in these immigration and discriminatory acts. The Luce-Celler Act of 1946 gave South Asians the right to become naturalized citizens. However, discriminatory national origins quotas were still in effect. This limited India’s immigration to 100 people per year.
The 1964 Immigration Act was a product of the Civil Rights movement in the US. The act banned discrimination on the basis of sex, race, nationality, and place of birth when granting immigrant visas. Now, the laws were based on a system of preference that prioritized professional status and family reunification. Although it may not have been Congress’s intention, individuals from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh came in increasing numbers.
In this time, India worked to expand its education systems and created many educated workers that were then able to compete in a growing, global market. Immigration from India doubled every decade.
My grandpa fell under this educated category and was able to integrate fairly easily into American society. They are proud Punjabis but equally proud Americans.
Here is a little bit of history preceding the Acts of 1965: In the early 1900s, South Asians, mainly Punjabi laborers, migrated to the United States and worked along the Pacific Coast. They were often targets of anti-Asian xenophobes who believed that Asians were a threat. It was argued that they were cheap laborers and dangerous individuals who were a threat to national security. They were prohibited from owning land or leasing land. Many were driven out of cities and towns.
During WWII, the United States alliance with India created changes in these immigration and discriminatory acts. The Luce-Celler Act of 1946 gave South Asians the right to become naturalized citizens. However, discriminatory national origins quotas were still in effect. This limited India’s immigration to 100 people per year.
The 1964 Immigration Act was a product of the Civil Rights movement in the US. The act banned discrimination on the basis of sex, race, nationality, and place of birth when granting immigrant visas. Now, the laws were based on a system of preference that prioritized professional status and family reunification. Although it may not have been Congress’s intention, individuals from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh came in increasing numbers.
In this time, India worked to expand its education systems and created many educated workers that were then able to compete in a growing, global market. Immigration from India doubled every decade.
My grandpa fell under this educated category and was able to integrate fairly easily into American society. They are proud Punjabis but equally proud Americans.
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Edith Windsor
After learning more about LGBT+ rights in class and browsing YouTube, I found out about a woman named Edith Windsor.
Edith Windsor was an American LGBT+ rights activist whose landmark case caused the Supreme Court to federally recognize same-sex married couples and grant rights to a variety of federal benefits that, at the time, only heterosexuals had.
Windsor met Thea Spyer in 1963 at a Greenwich Village restaurant that catered to lesbians on Friday nights. They danced all night together and saw each other at parties for the next two years. It wasn't until 1965 that they began dating. In 1967, Spyer proposed marriage and from then they began their 40-year engagement, sealed with an inconspicuous diamond brooch so as to not raise attention.
They shared an apartment in Greenwich Village and their careers flourished. After returning from a trip to Italy in 1969 the couple learned that the Stonewall Inn uprising had occurred the night before. From then on they decided to live their lives more openly, marching in pride parades and joining LGBT+ organizations.
In 1977, Spyer discovered she had multiple sclerosis and with time running out along with the hope that marriage could be in their future, they, along with six friends, flew to Toronto and were married by Canada's first openly gay judge.
They lived the rest of their lives together and when Spyer died in 2009 Windsor found herself denied the unlimited spousal exemption from estate taxes available to married straight couples. A law known as DOMA, passed in 1996, kept her from full tax benefits. She would have to pay $363,053 in taxes. She sued and claimed that the law, in only recognizing marriages between a man and a woman, unconstitutionally gave same-sex married couples "differential treatment."
In 2013, the Supreme Court overturned the law in a 5-4 ruling, citing the Fifth Amendment guarantee that no one shall be "deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law." For the first time, same-sex marriages were given the same recognition and benefits always enjoyed by straight couples.
Edith Windsor died on September 12, 2017, at the age of 88.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/us/edith-windsor-dead-same-sex-marriage-doma.html
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/12/550502373/edith-windsor-lgbtq-advocate-who-fought-the-defense-of-marriage-act-dies-at-88
https://youtu.be/IgfsJXlxo9E
Edith Windsor was an American LGBT+ rights activist whose landmark case caused the Supreme Court to federally recognize same-sex married couples and grant rights to a variety of federal benefits that, at the time, only heterosexuals had.
Windsor met Thea Spyer in 1963 at a Greenwich Village restaurant that catered to lesbians on Friday nights. They danced all night together and saw each other at parties for the next two years. It wasn't until 1965 that they began dating. In 1967, Spyer proposed marriage and from then they began their 40-year engagement, sealed with an inconspicuous diamond brooch so as to not raise attention.
They shared an apartment in Greenwich Village and their careers flourished. After returning from a trip to Italy in 1969 the couple learned that the Stonewall Inn uprising had occurred the night before. From then on they decided to live their lives more openly, marching in pride parades and joining LGBT+ organizations.
In 1977, Spyer discovered she had multiple sclerosis and with time running out along with the hope that marriage could be in their future, they, along with six friends, flew to Toronto and were married by Canada's first openly gay judge.
They lived the rest of their lives together and when Spyer died in 2009 Windsor found herself denied the unlimited spousal exemption from estate taxes available to married straight couples. A law known as DOMA, passed in 1996, kept her from full tax benefits. She would have to pay $363,053 in taxes. She sued and claimed that the law, in only recognizing marriages between a man and a woman, unconstitutionally gave same-sex married couples "differential treatment."
In 2013, the Supreme Court overturned the law in a 5-4 ruling, citing the Fifth Amendment guarantee that no one shall be "deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law." For the first time, same-sex marriages were given the same recognition and benefits always enjoyed by straight couples.
Edith Windsor died on September 12, 2017, at the age of 88.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/us/edith-windsor-dead-same-sex-marriage-doma.html
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/12/550502373/edith-windsor-lgbtq-advocate-who-fought-the-defense-of-marriage-act-dies-at-88
https://youtu.be/IgfsJXlxo9E
Saturday, February 16, 2019
The Conscience of America
Modern Conservatism is greatly based on political developments in the 1960s, although the primary source of influence is up to debate. Was it Barry Goldwater and extremism which laid out the foundation of Southern Conservative support, or was it Ronald Reagan's charisma that roused up the voters? These political figures and events each contributed significantly to the multifaceted Conservatism we have today, but perhaps the most influential of them all was the publication of The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater.
Goldwater's The Conscience of a Conservative was a summary of his own conservative ideas which greatly reflected on American insecurities during the time. In his book, he discusses topics such as education, labor unions and policies, civil rights, agricultural policy and farm subsidies, social welfare programs, and income taxation. He adds religious appeal to his book by stating that there exist "laws of God" and "truth of God," and that his ideas align directly with the will of God. His emphasis on the government exerting control over the people and the American political incline towards socialism (to which he opposed) appealed to the American populous, especially when contrasted with Lyndon B. Johnson's new "Great Society" plan.
Barry Goldwater was not unaware of the potential of social movements across America when he first published the book. He suggested a principled and individualistic challenge to the status quo, putting emphasis on popular ideas such as civil disobedience to increase its appeal. He writes that "the first principle of totalitarianism" is "that the State is competent to do all things and is limited in what it actually does only by the will of those who control the State." His condemnation of authoritarianism and socialism reflected American opposition towards Communism and the support for civil rights, which made Conservatives realize that their ticket to victory would be to follow his methods and gain public support. This message which strongly resonated within the American populous contributed to Republican success with Ronald Reagan. As John McCain once said, he "transformed the Republican Party from an Eastern elitist organization to the breeding ground for the election of Ronald Reagan."
Through Goldwater's efforts, the Republican Party was able to appeal to the American public with more liberal and progressive concepts. However, this eventually led to his conversion to a libertarian politician. He was considered a radical Conservative politician. He eventually left the Senate and began criticizing many in the Republican Party, including the "money making ventures by fellows like Pat Robertson." He began to advocate for gays to serve openly in the military, abortion rights and many policies that modern Leftists would support. While Goldwater's liberal influence on modern conservatism still remained, his divergence from conservatism allowed the Republican Party to change from supporting social progress to advocating for the status quo. This change, accompanied by popular Republican Goldwater's change in political mindset, polarized the American political environment. Therefore, rather than saying that Goldwater and his The Conscience of a Conservative led to the creation of modern Conservatism, it would be more accurate to say that his departure from the Conservatives contributed to the current political situation of the United States and the current state of the Conservative Party.
Goldwater's The Conscience of a Conservative was a summary of his own conservative ideas which greatly reflected on American insecurities during the time. In his book, he discusses topics such as education, labor unions and policies, civil rights, agricultural policy and farm subsidies, social welfare programs, and income taxation. He adds religious appeal to his book by stating that there exist "laws of God" and "truth of God," and that his ideas align directly with the will of God. His emphasis on the government exerting control over the people and the American political incline towards socialism (to which he opposed) appealed to the American populous, especially when contrasted with Lyndon B. Johnson's new "Great Society" plan.
Barry Goldwater was not unaware of the potential of social movements across America when he first published the book. He suggested a principled and individualistic challenge to the status quo, putting emphasis on popular ideas such as civil disobedience to increase its appeal. He writes that "the first principle of totalitarianism" is "that the State is competent to do all things and is limited in what it actually does only by the will of those who control the State." His condemnation of authoritarianism and socialism reflected American opposition towards Communism and the support for civil rights, which made Conservatives realize that their ticket to victory would be to follow his methods and gain public support. This message which strongly resonated within the American populous contributed to Republican success with Ronald Reagan. As John McCain once said, he "transformed the Republican Party from an Eastern elitist organization to the breeding ground for the election of Ronald Reagan."
Through Goldwater's efforts, the Republican Party was able to appeal to the American public with more liberal and progressive concepts. However, this eventually led to his conversion to a libertarian politician. He was considered a radical Conservative politician. He eventually left the Senate and began criticizing many in the Republican Party, including the "money making ventures by fellows like Pat Robertson." He began to advocate for gays to serve openly in the military, abortion rights and many policies that modern Leftists would support. While Goldwater's liberal influence on modern conservatism still remained, his divergence from conservatism allowed the Republican Party to change from supporting social progress to advocating for the status quo. This change, accompanied by popular Republican Goldwater's change in political mindset, polarized the American political environment. Therefore, rather than saying that Goldwater and his The Conscience of a Conservative led to the creation of modern Conservatism, it would be more accurate to say that his departure from the Conservatives contributed to the current political situation of the United States and the current state of the Conservative Party.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Richard Aoki
After hearing about Grace Lee during class I looked into more Asian-American activists and came across Richard Aoki.
Richard Aoki was born in San Leandro, California to Japanese-American parents. During WWII, he and his family were interned at a camp in Topaz, Utah for three years. During the 60s and 70s he developed a militant ideology in response to the injustice he faced simply because he was Japanese.
After his discharge, Aoki settled in West Oakland where he encountered African-Americans from the south that shared their experience with acts of bigotry. He, as he put it, "began putting two and two together and saw that people of color in this country really get unequal treatment and aren't presented with many opportunities for gainful employment."
After high school, Aoki served in the U.S. Army for eight years. However, as the war in Vietnam began to escalate, he decided against a military career and, following his discharge, enrolled in Merritt Community College.
While there, he met and grew close to Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, founding members of the Black Panther Party. The organization was founded one month after Aoki transferred to UC Berkeley and he subsequently became one of the first members of the Black Panther Party, eventually being promoted to the position of "Field Marshall." He was the only Asian American member that had a formal leadership position.
As field marshall, he used his military experience to help members defend the community. He helped develop "shotgun patrols" which involved following the police as they patrolled neighborhoods in Oakland and chronicled arrests with cameras and tape recorders.
In addition, at Berkeley, Aoki established the Asian American Political Alliance that supported the Panthers and opposed the Vietnam war. He participated in local labor struggles on behalf of groups like Filipino Americans who worked in agricultural fields. He also reached out to other radical student groups and formed the Third World Council that sought to create a Third World College where they could have classes that were relevant to their communities. They staged a strike that lasted an entire academic quarter that ended when UC Berkeley agreed to create an ethnic studies department. Aoki was one of the first to teach an ethnic studies courses there.
He continued to teach and remained politically active while his participation in the Black Panther Party waned. He died in 2009 at the age of 70.
After his death, Seale told the Contra Costa Times that Aoki "was one consistent, principled person, who stood up and understood the international necessity for human and community unity in opposition to oppressors and exploiters."
Sources:
https://www.thoughtco.com/asian-american-black-panther-richard-aoki-2834877
https://aaregistry.org/story/richard-aoki-brilliant-panther/
Richard Aoki was born in San Leandro, California to Japanese-American parents. During WWII, he and his family were interned at a camp in Topaz, Utah for three years. During the 60s and 70s he developed a militant ideology in response to the injustice he faced simply because he was Japanese.
After his discharge, Aoki settled in West Oakland where he encountered African-Americans from the south that shared their experience with acts of bigotry. He, as he put it, "began putting two and two together and saw that people of color in this country really get unequal treatment and aren't presented with many opportunities for gainful employment."
After high school, Aoki served in the U.S. Army for eight years. However, as the war in Vietnam began to escalate, he decided against a military career and, following his discharge, enrolled in Merritt Community College.
While there, he met and grew close to Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, founding members of the Black Panther Party. The organization was founded one month after Aoki transferred to UC Berkeley and he subsequently became one of the first members of the Black Panther Party, eventually being promoted to the position of "Field Marshall." He was the only Asian American member that had a formal leadership position.
As field marshall, he used his military experience to help members defend the community. He helped develop "shotgun patrols" which involved following the police as they patrolled neighborhoods in Oakland and chronicled arrests with cameras and tape recorders.
In addition, at Berkeley, Aoki established the Asian American Political Alliance that supported the Panthers and opposed the Vietnam war. He participated in local labor struggles on behalf of groups like Filipino Americans who worked in agricultural fields. He also reached out to other radical student groups and formed the Third World Council that sought to create a Third World College where they could have classes that were relevant to their communities. They staged a strike that lasted an entire academic quarter that ended when UC Berkeley agreed to create an ethnic studies department. Aoki was one of the first to teach an ethnic studies courses there.
He continued to teach and remained politically active while his participation in the Black Panther Party waned. He died in 2009 at the age of 70.
After his death, Seale told the Contra Costa Times that Aoki "was one consistent, principled person, who stood up and understood the international necessity for human and community unity in opposition to oppressors and exploiters."
Sources:
https://www.thoughtco.com/asian-american-black-panther-richard-aoki-2834877
https://aaregistry.org/story/richard-aoki-brilliant-panther/
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Peter Norman
We all know Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ famous black power photo at the olympics. However, no one knows much about another face in the photo. The man on the left is Peter Norman, and he is more than that white guy in the photo who got a medal. His support for Civil Rights is an important story that should be told.
Peter Norman was an Australian sprinter. After the 1968 Olympic Games, he never competed in another despite qualifying. And though the AOC denied this, there is strong evidence to suggest that the reason he wasn’t allowed back was due to his support of Smith and Carlos’ protest.
The AOC highlighted Norman due to him breaking the Australian record in sprinting, but went on to say his achievements were “dwarfed” due to his support of the protest. The badge he wore on his chest, reading “Olympic Project for Human Rights,” may have caused him his career.
Norman’s nephew has spoken about Norman, saying that as soon as he got home he was hated and ostracized by his community. At the time, Australia was also in the midst of a racist battle, with the “White Australia” policy, which prevented enforcements of racial aspects of the immigration law and was extremely hard on the aboriginal people. Norman was an advocate for anti-racism, but no one expected him to be so bold at the olympics.
Carlos and Smith already wanted to make a statement, but when Carlos forgot his black gloves, it was Norman who suggested they share a pair and one wear a glove on his left hand. Norman couldn’t truly protest with them, but he wanted to show his support and asked for an “Olympic Project for Human Rights” badge.
Norman never ran in the olympics again, and wasn’t invited even to the Sydney olympics. Despite being the fastest sprinter in his country’s history, there was no public outcry for the disrespect shown to Norman. He was shunned.
Luckily, not everyone forgot the solidarity shown by Norman. The United States Olympic Committee flew Norman to Sydney to be a part of their delegation. The AOC still denies that Norman was not brought back to the olympics due to racism and anger at Norman showing support, but they still have never given a clear answer as to why he was never picked, despite the fact that his sprinting times would have won him gold at future olympics that he was not allowed at.
Peter Norman died of a heart attack in 2006. At his funeral, Smith and Carlos both spoke and carried his coffin. Norman was a brave man, who stood for human rights when he didn’t need to, and paid the price for it. His didn’t care that his amazing sprinting time was obscured by the salute, he didn’t care that he would be shunned by his country. He stood in solidarity as an ally and supporter of the anti-racist movement. He still stands as one of the best examples of what an ally should be.
In 2012, a motion of apology was passed in federal parliament for his “treatment upon his return to Australia and the failure to fully recognize his inspirational role before his untimely death in 2006”. He was also awarded the Order of Merit. In the end, Norman was never bitter or held a grudge. Instead, he stated how proud he was to be a part the salute. Norman should be remembered for his heroic stance despite the consequences.
Sources:
https://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/24/sport/olympics-norman-black-power/index.html
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/peter-norman-to-be-recognised-for-role-in-1968-black-power-salute-20180427-p4zc2y.html
Peter Norman was an Australian sprinter. After the 1968 Olympic Games, he never competed in another despite qualifying. And though the AOC denied this, there is strong evidence to suggest that the reason he wasn’t allowed back was due to his support of Smith and Carlos’ protest.
The AOC highlighted Norman due to him breaking the Australian record in sprinting, but went on to say his achievements were “dwarfed” due to his support of the protest. The badge he wore on his chest, reading “Olympic Project for Human Rights,” may have caused him his career.
Norman’s nephew has spoken about Norman, saying that as soon as he got home he was hated and ostracized by his community. At the time, Australia was also in the midst of a racist battle, with the “White Australia” policy, which prevented enforcements of racial aspects of the immigration law and was extremely hard on the aboriginal people. Norman was an advocate for anti-racism, but no one expected him to be so bold at the olympics.
Carlos and Smith already wanted to make a statement, but when Carlos forgot his black gloves, it was Norman who suggested they share a pair and one wear a glove on his left hand. Norman couldn’t truly protest with them, but he wanted to show his support and asked for an “Olympic Project for Human Rights” badge.
Norman never ran in the olympics again, and wasn’t invited even to the Sydney olympics. Despite being the fastest sprinter in his country’s history, there was no public outcry for the disrespect shown to Norman. He was shunned.
Luckily, not everyone forgot the solidarity shown by Norman. The United States Olympic Committee flew Norman to Sydney to be a part of their delegation. The AOC still denies that Norman was not brought back to the olympics due to racism and anger at Norman showing support, but they still have never given a clear answer as to why he was never picked, despite the fact that his sprinting times would have won him gold at future olympics that he was not allowed at.
Peter Norman died of a heart attack in 2006. At his funeral, Smith and Carlos both spoke and carried his coffin. Norman was a brave man, who stood for human rights when he didn’t need to, and paid the price for it. His didn’t care that his amazing sprinting time was obscured by the salute, he didn’t care that he would be shunned by his country. He stood in solidarity as an ally and supporter of the anti-racist movement. He still stands as one of the best examples of what an ally should be.
In 2012, a motion of apology was passed in federal parliament for his “treatment upon his return to Australia and the failure to fully recognize his inspirational role before his untimely death in 2006”. He was also awarded the Order of Merit. In the end, Norman was never bitter or held a grudge. Instead, he stated how proud he was to be a part the salute. Norman should be remembered for his heroic stance despite the consequences.
Sources:
https://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/24/sport/olympics-norman-black-power/index.html
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/peter-norman-to-be-recognised-for-role-in-1968-black-power-salute-20180427-p4zc2y.html
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Maintaining a Meritocracy: The Case for Affirmative Action
Maintaining a Meritocracy
“Started from the bottom,” noted famous rapper Drake, “now we here.” That’s the purpose of a meritocracy, defined as the “holding of power by people selected on the basis of their ability”. It is an American ideal for any one of us to achieve our greatest dreams on the sole basis of our merit, and empowering oppressed groups by creating more room for them in schools is key to honoring that ideal. Today I proudly defend Affirmative Action’s role in upholding a meritocracy and providing fair opportunities for Drakes somewhere to lift up American people everywhere.
But why Affirmative Action? Why discriminate against some to benefit others? Why not simply look at students’ scores rather than races and leave it at that? While many argue that Affirmative Action is essentially reverse racism, this could not be further from the truth. It’s quite simple, actually: according to one accredited law professor, “black unemployment, poverty, and homelessness are twice that of whites. Wealth accumulation for blacks is one-twentieth of what it is for whites. Similar disparities exist for Hispanics. Racial profiling in the criminal justice system is rampant”. So, as Drake explained, not everyone is starting from the same place. As one of the many long-term results of slavery, Jim Crow laws, and segregation, discrimination against people of color has left us in a constant game of catch-up. Black people were not able to purchase the same housing as their white counterparts throughout the twentieth century, as systemically, the Federal Housing and Veterans administrations often forced builders to deny African-Americans the sale of homes. According to Richard Rothstein, research associate of the Economic Policy Institute, “whites who were permitted to buy benefited from ensuing decades of equity appreciation; this wealth helped finance college for their children and was later bequeathed to them. Black families, prohibited by federal policy from buying into these initially low-priced suburbs, lost out”. Even as late as the 2007 housing crisis, black people were disproportionately targeted “for exploitative subprime loans and exposed to foreclosure — more than whites.” Thus we see that these people of color are already made to start with less average stability in their lives, and it passes through generations, creating a cyclical problem. One now-Harvard professor accredits Affirmative Action for changing his life. To uphold a meritocracy, race-based Affirmative Action is necessary for equalizing those who have started with less and those who have been privileged to benefit from more; and clearly, it is races that are being targeted and made to lose out, thus the policy needs to be “race-based”.
Just look at us: in Los Altos High School, less than 1.8% of students are black. And when we see who is coming in through the back entrance, from buses or skateboards or walking, versus those driving through the front entrance with our nice new cars and thousand dollar bikes, it’s clear as day; this is not equitable. This is a generalization, but it holds quite representative.
It’s hard, though, to give up a privilege we have been offered our entire lives. And I could stand here and argue that if Affirmative Action is supposed to bridge these gaps and help minorities, well—I’m an Asian-American and I have only been hurt by this policy. Consider the Harvard case most recently in the news, where Harvard was reported to have created quotas for Asian-American students as well as unquantifiable, non-academic gauges like “personal ratings” that allowed admissions officers’ own racial and gender preferences to take center stage. I would say most definitely my older brother was hurt by this kind of thing last year when he applied and got rejected from most of his top colleges, nevermind his high SATs nor his perfect GPA. And nonacademic gauges are entirely unfair and subject to racism, but they do not fall under lawful Affirmative Action, which is why Harvard was sued. Yet, what my brother and myself do understand are the quotas: our family has not been barred from purchasing affordable housing, and Asian-Americans statistically make much closer to the white man’s dollar, if not more, than any other minority. We have been represented in politics, in high-level business positions, something that other people of color still aggressively fight for today. So we must accept that we have these advantages and understand that we have benefitted and will continue to benefit from diversity making it up to such high positions.
At the end of the day, however, we will all be waiting for our college admissions and we might be annoyed to find that some with lower scores than ourselves got into colleges we were rejected from. Firstly, I’d like to disprove just how much people of color are said to benefit from Affirmative Action: in most Texas schools, fewer than 10% of applicants will be considered under the policy. In fact, white people with lower scores than their colored counterparts took significantly more of those spots at the University of Texas at Austin. But additionally, whether it be their parents’ income and subsequently decided neighborhood or the harsher treatment of African-American/Latino students, people of color are often not given access to the same resources as their white counterparts in high school. Of course, then, they cannot be judged solely based on these scores and grades. But, what about the white students, you might ask? How is it their fault that they were supported by their parents and that their classmates were not to the same extent? Well, Susan, how is it the fault of students of color that people in high positions are constantly rooting for their families’ downfall and never giving them the chances to advance in life?
We need Affirmative Action. As Drake would say, “Started from the bottom, now we here. Started from the bottom… now the whole team here.” And it’s Affirmative Action that gets the whole team here.
Operation Mongoose
"Operation Mongoose" was the code name for the Cuban Project, a covert CIA operation with the mission to remove Communist Cubans from power after the failure to do so in the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Although the Cuban Missile Crisis is most often remembered as a time of great fear, this operation doesn't have the same somber tone as most of the Cold War, because of the various proposals for how to assassinate Fidel Castro.
In the early 60's, the CIA came up with the first of many proposals to end the communist leader's life. One of the earliest, and arguably most well-known, attempts on Castro's life was with the use of an exploding cigar. While the cigar wouldn't have actually exploded, it was laced with a dangerous chemical that would certainly kill anyone who put the cigar in their mouth. However, the cigar never actually made it to Castro, instead landing in the hands of some unidentified person.
In 1963, the US decided to exploit Castro's love of scuba-diving, and created an exploding seashell. They were hoping that Castro would find the shell on one of his scuba trips, and they would be able to detonate the explosives in the shell. However, this proposal never came through, because it was abandoned shortly after being proposed on the grounds of it being too impractical. Later that year, the US tried once again to target Castro's love of the ocean by poisoning one of his diving suits. The result of this plan is unclear: some people say Castro was given the wrong suit, others say the idea never even left the drawing board. But one thing is clear: attacking Castro's love of diving really wasn't working.
Another idea was to lace a pen with poison, and to inject it through a needle so thin, you couldn't even feel it. This plan, however, didn't end up being executed, because the planned day for delivering the pen happened to be the exact day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. This caused the CIA to withdraw their support of this attempt on Castro's life, and never followed through with the plan.
One of the most insane plots thought up by the CIA was to sabotage one of Castro's speeches and make him seem insane, causing him to lose support from the Cuban people. They planned to do this by lacing the broadcasting station where Castro gave his speech with a LSD-like substance, which would cause him to suffer from vivid hallucinations during his speech. They also planned to dust his shoes with thallium salts, which would have caused all his hair to fall out. Both plans were abandoned for being too unstable.
In all, these admittedly insane plots really reveal the desperation of the US government during the Cold War. Because of the rampant fear in America, the government was willing to turn to any means necessary to deal with their enemies, even if the ideas themselves were crazy. While the US never successfully assassinated Castro in one of their more than 600 attempts, the Cuban Missile Crisis was eventually solved, and Castro lived on into his 90's, finally passing away in 2016 as the man with the most attempted assassinations in history.
Source
NBC
PBS
The Atlantic
In the early 60's, the CIA came up with the first of many proposals to end the communist leader's life. One of the earliest, and arguably most well-known, attempts on Castro's life was with the use of an exploding cigar. While the cigar wouldn't have actually exploded, it was laced with a dangerous chemical that would certainly kill anyone who put the cigar in their mouth. However, the cigar never actually made it to Castro, instead landing in the hands of some unidentified person.
In 1963, the US decided to exploit Castro's love of scuba-diving, and created an exploding seashell. They were hoping that Castro would find the shell on one of his scuba trips, and they would be able to detonate the explosives in the shell. However, this proposal never came through, because it was abandoned shortly after being proposed on the grounds of it being too impractical. Later that year, the US tried once again to target Castro's love of the ocean by poisoning one of his diving suits. The result of this plan is unclear: some people say Castro was given the wrong suit, others say the idea never even left the drawing board. But one thing is clear: attacking Castro's love of diving really wasn't working.
Another idea was to lace a pen with poison, and to inject it through a needle so thin, you couldn't even feel it. This plan, however, didn't end up being executed, because the planned day for delivering the pen happened to be the exact day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. This caused the CIA to withdraw their support of this attempt on Castro's life, and never followed through with the plan.
One of the most insane plots thought up by the CIA was to sabotage one of Castro's speeches and make him seem insane, causing him to lose support from the Cuban people. They planned to do this by lacing the broadcasting station where Castro gave his speech with a LSD-like substance, which would cause him to suffer from vivid hallucinations during his speech. They also planned to dust his shoes with thallium salts, which would have caused all his hair to fall out. Both plans were abandoned for being too unstable.
In all, these admittedly insane plots really reveal the desperation of the US government during the Cold War. Because of the rampant fear in America, the government was willing to turn to any means necessary to deal with their enemies, even if the ideas themselves were crazy. While the US never successfully assassinated Castro in one of their more than 600 attempts, the Cuban Missile Crisis was eventually solved, and Castro lived on into his 90's, finally passing away in 2016 as the man with the most attempted assassinations in history.
Source
NBC
PBS
The Atlantic
Sunday, February 10, 2019
The Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party was one of the most influential political groups in history. It was founded as a response to the extreme racism and police brutality in post-war America. After coming back from war, black Americans still experienced extreme hatred despite what they were promised overseas. It was also founded in response to the assassination of Malcolm X, who is widely credited with co-opting the Black Power movement. They were founded by two Oakland locals, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton. They were both very interested in communism, and would later utilize communism in the expression of their core values.
The panthers differ from the works of Dr. King in that they realize the use of violence may be neccessary to achieve racial justice. In the words of Malcolm X, “Concerning nonviolence, it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.” They believed that they should not be nonviolent when no one is telling their oppressors the same thing. They are constantly under attack, and they should be able to fight back.
The most famous product of the Panthers were their Ten Point Plan. This represented their core values - an end to police brutality, economic liberation of black people, adequate housing for black people, representation of black people and government, and monetary reparations for centuries of oppression. It also demands for black people to be exempt from military service. This was meant to reflect how unfair it is to be fighting for a country that actively kills black people for being alive. They are also avid supporters of black nationalism, which focused on economic liberation from capitalism and a sense of pride within the black community.
The works of Marx and Lenin clearly influenced the formation of the Panthers. Throughout their speeches, works, and protests they show their support for the disruption and dismantling of corrupt white capitalist society. They see the connection between capitalism and white supremacy - white supremacy tells black people they are nothing, and capitalism allows for white people to keep them in poverty. Poverty creates violence, which is then reprimanded by extreme police brutality. Black people are then put in jail due to unfair juries, and are then turned into legal slaves at the hands of the American court justice system.
Obviously, the Panthers were not popular among government officials. Most members were jailed, fined, put on FBI watchlists, or combinations of the above. An FBI bureau, COINTELPRO, described them as a "black nationalist hate group". They saw danger in radical racial justice, and thought that the unrest the Panthers would inevitably cause would do more harm than good.
Black women also had a key role in the Panthers. Women such as Kathleen Cleaver, Angela Davis, and Erika Huggins actively fought for the rights of black women, who were victims of both white capitalist society and male-dominated society. However, it was not always this way. In the first stages of the party, the Panthers were openly misogynistic and reinforced toxic masculinity.
The Black Panthers not only changed the course of black America, they also were one of the first prominent groups to draw the connection between whiteness and capitalism, and therefore a network of oppression.
The panthers differ from the works of Dr. King in that they realize the use of violence may be neccessary to achieve racial justice. In the words of Malcolm X, “Concerning nonviolence, it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.” They believed that they should not be nonviolent when no one is telling their oppressors the same thing. They are constantly under attack, and they should be able to fight back.
The most famous product of the Panthers were their Ten Point Plan. This represented their core values - an end to police brutality, economic liberation of black people, adequate housing for black people, representation of black people and government, and monetary reparations for centuries of oppression. It also demands for black people to be exempt from military service. This was meant to reflect how unfair it is to be fighting for a country that actively kills black people for being alive. They are also avid supporters of black nationalism, which focused on economic liberation from capitalism and a sense of pride within the black community.
The works of Marx and Lenin clearly influenced the formation of the Panthers. Throughout their speeches, works, and protests they show their support for the disruption and dismantling of corrupt white capitalist society. They see the connection between capitalism and white supremacy - white supremacy tells black people they are nothing, and capitalism allows for white people to keep them in poverty. Poverty creates violence, which is then reprimanded by extreme police brutality. Black people are then put in jail due to unfair juries, and are then turned into legal slaves at the hands of the American court justice system.
Obviously, the Panthers were not popular among government officials. Most members were jailed, fined, put on FBI watchlists, or combinations of the above. An FBI bureau, COINTELPRO, described them as a "black nationalist hate group". They saw danger in radical racial justice, and thought that the unrest the Panthers would inevitably cause would do more harm than good.
Black women also had a key role in the Panthers. Women such as Kathleen Cleaver, Angela Davis, and Erika Huggins actively fought for the rights of black women, who were victims of both white capitalist society and male-dominated society. However, it was not always this way. In the first stages of the party, the Panthers were openly misogynistic and reinforced toxic masculinity.
The Black Panthers not only changed the course of black America, they also were one of the first prominent groups to draw the connection between whiteness and capitalism, and therefore a network of oppression.
1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty
After WW2, both the Soviets and the Americans would start testing their nuclear weapons to intimidate the other side and show them just how powerful they really were. These nuclear tests caused lots of damage to the surrounding environment, and this caused some people to voice their opinions against these nuclear weapon tests. The 1954 Bikini Atoll test showed how harmful these nuclear weapons really were. Scientists had measured the danger zone to be half of what it truly was, and the sailors on a Japanese fishing vessel that was supposedly in the safe zone got radiation sickness. After this event, many scientists began to talk about the harms of nuclear fallout and contamination to the world. This sparked discussion on what should be done to keep the world safe.
Talks about banning nuclear testing began in 1955, when the United Nations Disarmament Commission brought the United States, the U.K., Canada, France, and the Soviet Union together to talk about safer ways to conduct their tests. The idea of having verified underground testing was brought up, so nuclear fallout would not contaminate the surrounding area, but the Soviets rejected this. They were afraid that having inspections on site would allow for spies to find out they didn’t have as many missiles as they claimed they did. Eventually, the Soviets and the U.S. agreed to suspend testing from 1958-1961.
During the 60’s, Kennedy was urged to conduct more tests as the U.S. had reason to believe that the Soviets had secretly been conducting their own tests. Kennedy didn’t want to have an arms race, but rather a peace race where they could find a solution to end the conflict without the use of nuclear weapons. However, Kennedy decided to start conducting more tests in early 1962 after his diplomatic agreements failed.
It seemed like both sides would keep on testing their nuclear weapons without considering the harm that it would cause, until after the Cuban Missile Crisis. After Kennedy and Khrushchev realized that they had come dangerously close to nuclear war, they decided they needed to ease tensions. The two men reopened talks about banning nuclear tests.
In Moscow in 1963, the two sides, along with Britain, finally came to an agreement with the Partial Nuclear Test Ban treaty. The treaty prohibited nuclear weapons from being tested in the atmosphere, underwater, or in space. The test could not have radioactive debris fall outside the nation it was being tested in either. Finally, the three powers pledged to end the arms race and to end the environmental contamination caused by their weapons.
Sources: https://www.wired.com/2009/08/dayintech-0805/
https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/nuclear-test-ban-treaty
Talks about banning nuclear testing began in 1955, when the United Nations Disarmament Commission brought the United States, the U.K., Canada, France, and the Soviet Union together to talk about safer ways to conduct their tests. The idea of having verified underground testing was brought up, so nuclear fallout would not contaminate the surrounding area, but the Soviets rejected this. They were afraid that having inspections on site would allow for spies to find out they didn’t have as many missiles as they claimed they did. Eventually, the Soviets and the U.S. agreed to suspend testing from 1958-1961.
During the 60’s, Kennedy was urged to conduct more tests as the U.S. had reason to believe that the Soviets had secretly been conducting their own tests. Kennedy didn’t want to have an arms race, but rather a peace race where they could find a solution to end the conflict without the use of nuclear weapons. However, Kennedy decided to start conducting more tests in early 1962 after his diplomatic agreements failed.
It seemed like both sides would keep on testing their nuclear weapons without considering the harm that it would cause, until after the Cuban Missile Crisis. After Kennedy and Khrushchev realized that they had come dangerously close to nuclear war, they decided they needed to ease tensions. The two men reopened talks about banning nuclear tests.
In Moscow in 1963, the two sides, along with Britain, finally came to an agreement with the Partial Nuclear Test Ban treaty. The treaty prohibited nuclear weapons from being tested in the atmosphere, underwater, or in space. The test could not have radioactive debris fall outside the nation it was being tested in either. Finally, the three powers pledged to end the arms race and to end the environmental contamination caused by their weapons.
Sources: https://www.wired.com/2009/08/dayintech-0805/
https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/nuclear-test-ban-treaty
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Sunday, February 3, 2019
Tsar Bomba
When talking about the Cold war it can often be difficult to picture the truly terrifying and awesome nuclear arsenal that each side had at their disposal. The nuclear capabilities of the Soviet Union were optimized in the detonation of the Tsar Bomba the largest man-made explosion ever made. It had been the culmination of months of hard work and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's desire to display the might of Soviet Science and Research.
The bomb weighed 27 tons, was 26 ft long, had a diameter of 7 ft and a blasting force of 50 megatons (compared to the 15 kiloton detonation above Hiroshima). The bomb, known to the Soviet's as Tu-95, was released at 34,000 feet above Mityushikha bay, a Soviet weapons testing site. Two Tu-16 bombers were assigned to the task one in order to drop the payload itself and a second smaller bomber was tasked with photographing the ensuing blast. The parachute given to the payload weighed one ton and was expected to slow down the bomb enough to give the bombers a 50 percent chance of surviving the blast from 30 miles away. The payload detonated at 11:32 Moscow time and its effects were catastrophic. The bomb created a 5-mile wide fireball incinerating and instantly killing anything within this range. The mushroom cloud extended 40 miles high and nearly 63 miles across. The flash from the bomb was visible from more than 630 miles away. Soviet Villages more than 100 miles away experienced the shockwave as windows shattered and roofs collapsed. An eyewitness from the blast stated, "The clouds beneath the aircraft and in the distance were lit up by the powerful flash. The sea of light spread under the hatch and even clouds began to glow and became transparent. At that moment, our aircraft emerged from between two cloud layers and down below in the gap a huge bright orange ball was emerging. The ball was powerful and arrogant like Jupiter. Slowly and silently it crept upwards... Having broken through the thick layer of clouds it kept growing. It seemed to suck the whole Earth into it. The spectacle was fantastic, unreal, supernatural."
All in all the bomb demonstrated that the next great war might be the last. And posted a new question, should humanity be allowed to have such destructive capability?
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170816-the-monster-atomic-bomb-that-was-too-big-to-use
http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2018/ph241/castandea1/
location of blast
photograph from bomber
Saturday, February 2, 2019
The Cursed Soviet Hero
When we discuss Soviet achievements in technology and astronomy, it is often difficult to realize that their advances are not only products of Communism, which is a despicable political philosophy to the majority of us, but also a result of sacrifices and hard work. Many Soviet scientists, engineers, and other personnel contribute to the nuclear and space race not only because their cruel premiere demand so, but also because they crave knowledge and advancements in their field of interest. Daniel Ghasemfar's article illustrates the story of Yuri Gagarin as a young boy who crawled his way from the depth of hell to becoming a national hero. To Gagarin, there is only one hero - a man named Vladimir Komarov who was buried under his success and fame.
Vladimir Komarov was born on March 16, 1927, to a poor family that relied on various unstable low-paid jobs. He himself became a poor laborourer in 1941 on a collective farm. At a young age, he demonstrated an interest in aeronautics and collected magazines and pictures about aviation. He was presented with the opportunity to enter the First Moscow Special Air Force School at the age of fifteen. In 1945, he graduated from the flight school with honors and entered the Chkalov Higher Air Force School in Borisoglebsk in Voronezh Oblast for his first year of combat training. He completed his training at the A.K. Serov Military Aviation College in Bataisk and graduated in 1949, receiving his pilot's wings and position as a lieutenant in the Soviet Air Force. He was promoted to senior lieutenant in 1952, and later assigned as the chief pilot of the 486th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 279th Fighter Air Division in the Prikarpate Region. Continuing his interest in aeronautics, he left eh position in 1954 and enrolled in an engineering course at the N.E. Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy. In 1959, he was promoted to senior engineer-lieutenant and became a test pilot at the Central Scientific Research Institute at Chkalovsky, eventually earning the title of engineer-captain later that year. His successes gave him the opportunity to participate in the selection process for cosmonaut. Although qualified, he was not chosen in the top six candidates due to the age, height, and weight restrictions.
Komarov's engineering qualifications allowed him to remain within the training program, eventually becoming the third highest paid cosmonaut in the Soviet Union. (below Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov) He was given the opportunity in May 1962 to participate in planned dual Vostok missions when one of the participants, Georgi Shonin, demonstrated incompatibility in a g-force environment. In April 1964, Komarov was declared space-flight ready along with seven of his peers. This group was eventually reduced to four people including Komarov. By July 6, 1964, he was assigned the commander of the back-up crew for Voskhod 1. On the morning of October 11, 1964, Komarov went on his first mission on Voskhod 1 along with two other civilians. The mission lasted just over 24 hours, and he earned his position as a colonel as well as awards of the Order of Lenin and Hero of the Soviet Union.
At this point in time, Komarov's life had been bejeweled by prestige and successes. He rose from the slums of Moscow to national hero, much like Yuri Gagarin. Their roads finally intersected in 1965, when he was assigned to work with Yuri Gagarin in supervising preparations for the flight of Voskhod 2. They went on a tour with a few other cosmonauts through Leningrad. This exchange initiated the unbreakable friendship between Komarov and Gagarin. They were both assigned to the Soviet Soyuz program, which started in the early 1960s. Komarov, as an experienced engineer, saw many fatal design problems with the Soyuz module. He, Gagarin, and several other senior technicians inspected the module and found 203 structural problems. Their concerns were ignored by the design team who had a strict deadline set by the premiere of the Soviet Union during the time, Leonid Brezhnev. Despite knowing that the mission would not be successful, Komarov decided not to resign his position as the commander of Soyuz 1, because his dear friend Yuri Gagarin would be in his position if he did. Gagarin, knowing the situation, desperately called for the postponement of the mission. He wrote a 10-page memo and gave it to his best friend in the KGB, Venyamin Russayev, but no one dared to send it up to Brezhnev. Everyone who saw that memo, including Russayev, was demoted, fired, or sent to diplomatic Siberia.
Komarov told Russayev that he was "not going to make it back from this flight."
Russayev asked, "Why not refuse?"
Komarov answered, "IF I don't make this flight, they'll send the backup pilot instead."
"That's Yuri, and he'll die instead of me. We've got to take care of him," Komarov said as he burst into tears.
On the launch day, April 23, 1967, Gagarin showed up at the launch site and demanded to be put into a spacesuit. Some observers said that he tried to resist the guards and board the flight to save his friend. The spacecraft left the ground with Komarov on it at 00:32 UTC. Soon after the launch, a solar panel failed to unfold, leading to a shortage of power for the spacecraft's systems. Problems arose with the orientation detectors, making it difficult to control the spacecraft. By the 13th orbit, the automatic stabilization system was completely dead, and the manual system was only partially working. The flight director decided to abort the mission after Komarov's report during the 13th orbit. After 18 orbits, Soyuz 1 headed towards Earth and reentered its atmosphere. In spite of the technical difficulties, Komarov was able to maneuver the spacecraft in the right direction.
As Komarov headed towards the Earth's surface, U.S. intelligence was listening in through a National Security Agency facility at an Air Force base near Istanbul. Komarov told ground control officials that he knew he was about to die. Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin called on a video phone telling him he was a hero. His wife also called to talk about what to say to their children. Everyone was crying on the phone.
When the parachutes failed to open during the descent, Komarov cried in rage. He "[cursed] the people who had put him inside the botched spaceship." He let out his last curses as his body melts inside the accelerating capsule before crashing into the Earth's surface. Soyuz 1 hit the ground with the force of a 2.8-ton meteorite, instantly flattening the capsule.
Before the flight, Komarov had demanded that his funeral be open-casket so that the Soviet leadership could see what they had done. His funeral was open-casket, but only charred bones remained. The only recognizable part of his body was his heel bone. No apology was given by the administration, and his fellow cosmonauts published a response in Pravda, depicting his death as a voluntary sacrifice for the motherland. His best friend, Yuri Gagarin, was the only one who demonstrated anger against the administration. He gathered Russayev in his family apartment to relieve his anger.
Gagarin said to Russayev, "I must go to see the main man [Brezhnev] personally."
Russayev was also angry and said, "I'll get through to him somehow, and if I ever find out he knew about the situation and still let everything happen, then I know exactly what I'm going to do."
It was rumored that Gagarin had the opportunity to see Brezhnev and threw a drink in Brezhnev's face. It is up to you to decide whether or not this is true.
Although Komarov was honored a hero upon his death, neither Komarov nor Gagarin was happy with the result. What they wanted was the Soviet administration to recognize their mistakes and apologize or make sure that such mistakes would never happen again. Of course, this would never happen, as the administration ignored even the national hero's own words of frustration regarding his friend's death.
I really hope Gagarin did throw a drink in Brezhnev's face.
Vladimir Komarov was born on March 16, 1927, to a poor family that relied on various unstable low-paid jobs. He himself became a poor laborourer in 1941 on a collective farm. At a young age, he demonstrated an interest in aeronautics and collected magazines and pictures about aviation. He was presented with the opportunity to enter the First Moscow Special Air Force School at the age of fifteen. In 1945, he graduated from the flight school with honors and entered the Chkalov Higher Air Force School in Borisoglebsk in Voronezh Oblast for his first year of combat training. He completed his training at the A.K. Serov Military Aviation College in Bataisk and graduated in 1949, receiving his pilot's wings and position as a lieutenant in the Soviet Air Force. He was promoted to senior lieutenant in 1952, and later assigned as the chief pilot of the 486th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 279th Fighter Air Division in the Prikarpate Region. Continuing his interest in aeronautics, he left eh position in 1954 and enrolled in an engineering course at the N.E. Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy. In 1959, he was promoted to senior engineer-lieutenant and became a test pilot at the Central Scientific Research Institute at Chkalovsky, eventually earning the title of engineer-captain later that year. His successes gave him the opportunity to participate in the selection process for cosmonaut. Although qualified, he was not chosen in the top six candidates due to the age, height, and weight restrictions.
Komarov's engineering qualifications allowed him to remain within the training program, eventually becoming the third highest paid cosmonaut in the Soviet Union. (below Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov) He was given the opportunity in May 1962 to participate in planned dual Vostok missions when one of the participants, Georgi Shonin, demonstrated incompatibility in a g-force environment. In April 1964, Komarov was declared space-flight ready along with seven of his peers. This group was eventually reduced to four people including Komarov. By July 6, 1964, he was assigned the commander of the back-up crew for Voskhod 1. On the morning of October 11, 1964, Komarov went on his first mission on Voskhod 1 along with two other civilians. The mission lasted just over 24 hours, and he earned his position as a colonel as well as awards of the Order of Lenin and Hero of the Soviet Union.
At this point in time, Komarov's life had been bejeweled by prestige and successes. He rose from the slums of Moscow to national hero, much like Yuri Gagarin. Their roads finally intersected in 1965, when he was assigned to work with Yuri Gagarin in supervising preparations for the flight of Voskhod 2. They went on a tour with a few other cosmonauts through Leningrad. This exchange initiated the unbreakable friendship between Komarov and Gagarin. They were both assigned to the Soviet Soyuz program, which started in the early 1960s. Komarov, as an experienced engineer, saw many fatal design problems with the Soyuz module. He, Gagarin, and several other senior technicians inspected the module and found 203 structural problems. Their concerns were ignored by the design team who had a strict deadline set by the premiere of the Soviet Union during the time, Leonid Brezhnev. Despite knowing that the mission would not be successful, Komarov decided not to resign his position as the commander of Soyuz 1, because his dear friend Yuri Gagarin would be in his position if he did. Gagarin, knowing the situation, desperately called for the postponement of the mission. He wrote a 10-page memo and gave it to his best friend in the KGB, Venyamin Russayev, but no one dared to send it up to Brezhnev. Everyone who saw that memo, including Russayev, was demoted, fired, or sent to diplomatic Siberia.
Komarov told Russayev that he was "not going to make it back from this flight."
Russayev asked, "Why not refuse?"
Komarov answered, "IF I don't make this flight, they'll send the backup pilot instead."
"That's Yuri, and he'll die instead of me. We've got to take care of him," Komarov said as he burst into tears.
On the launch day, April 23, 1967, Gagarin showed up at the launch site and demanded to be put into a spacesuit. Some observers said that he tried to resist the guards and board the flight to save his friend. The spacecraft left the ground with Komarov on it at 00:32 UTC. Soon after the launch, a solar panel failed to unfold, leading to a shortage of power for the spacecraft's systems. Problems arose with the orientation detectors, making it difficult to control the spacecraft. By the 13th orbit, the automatic stabilization system was completely dead, and the manual system was only partially working. The flight director decided to abort the mission after Komarov's report during the 13th orbit. After 18 orbits, Soyuz 1 headed towards Earth and reentered its atmosphere. In spite of the technical difficulties, Komarov was able to maneuver the spacecraft in the right direction.
As Komarov headed towards the Earth's surface, U.S. intelligence was listening in through a National Security Agency facility at an Air Force base near Istanbul. Komarov told ground control officials that he knew he was about to die. Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin called on a video phone telling him he was a hero. His wife also called to talk about what to say to their children. Everyone was crying on the phone.
When the parachutes failed to open during the descent, Komarov cried in rage. He "[cursed] the people who had put him inside the botched spaceship." He let out his last curses as his body melts inside the accelerating capsule before crashing into the Earth's surface. Soyuz 1 hit the ground with the force of a 2.8-ton meteorite, instantly flattening the capsule.
Before the flight, Komarov had demanded that his funeral be open-casket so that the Soviet leadership could see what they had done. His funeral was open-casket, but only charred bones remained. The only recognizable part of his body was his heel bone. No apology was given by the administration, and his fellow cosmonauts published a response in Pravda, depicting his death as a voluntary sacrifice for the motherland. His best friend, Yuri Gagarin, was the only one who demonstrated anger against the administration. He gathered Russayev in his family apartment to relieve his anger.
Gagarin said to Russayev, "I must go to see the main man [Brezhnev] personally."
Russayev was also angry and said, "I'll get through to him somehow, and if I ever find out he knew about the situation and still let everything happen, then I know exactly what I'm going to do."
It was rumored that Gagarin had the opportunity to see Brezhnev and threw a drink in Brezhnev's face. It is up to you to decide whether or not this is true.
Although Komarov was honored a hero upon his death, neither Komarov nor Gagarin was happy with the result. What they wanted was the Soviet administration to recognize their mistakes and apologize or make sure that such mistakes would never happen again. Of course, this would never happen, as the administration ignored even the national hero's own words of frustration regarding his friend's death.
I really hope Gagarin did throw a drink in Brezhnev's face.
Communist Asia: China and Korea
There is no doubt that an alliance had formed in the East when both China and North Korea had turned into a Communist regime. While Americans feared that the transformation in China would signify a rapid spread of Communism, situations in North Korea was largely ignored. Even during the Korean War, the American public did not fully comprehend the role North Korea played in the Communist crusade. Many simply thought of it as a "strange war fought in a strange land." Just what was the relationship between this "strange" land and China, and how did it influence the political environment in the Communist East?
A year after the foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on September 9, 1948, the People's Republic of China recognized it as a legitimate nation and initialized their diplomatic relations. The Korean War soon followed, acting as a catalyst to their friendship. In fact, North Korea's Prime minister Kim Il-Sung secretly visited Beijing to discuss with Chinese Communist Party chairman Mao Zedong and his delegation about his strategy in the Korean War. This demonstration of sincerity contributed to Chinese participation in the Korean War in October 1950, although the primary reason was to keep the United Nations Command away from the Chinese-Korean border (the Yalu River). This decision completely transformed the outcome of the war, leading to the survival of the DPRK and the establishment of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and the DMZ through the signing of the Korean War Armistice. Even after the Korean War, the Chinese provided economic support to Pyongyang, helping with the reconstruction and economic development in North Korea. Up to this point in history, the relationship between North Korea had become increasingly close.
By 1956, China had become an increasingly influential Communist state. With support from the Soviet Union, China backed pro-China Korean figures known as the Yan'an faction in their attempt to remove Kim Il-Sung from power. This incident became known as the August Faction Incident and contributed to North Korean fears of Chinese influence. The relationship between the two Communist states had further deteriorated in the 1960s, when the Korean Workers Party publicly criticized the Cultural Revolution and its leader, Mao Zedong. Communist China responded to this insult by recalling its ambassador from Pyongyang in October 1966.
The contentious period between China and North Korea eventually came to an end as Nikita Khrushchev consolidated power within the Soviet Union and became the Premiere of the U.S.S.R. With its internal political chaos resolved, the U.S.S.R. became evermore powerful. In spite of the uneasy political tension between the two nations, the Sino-North Korean Mutual Aid and Cooperation Friendship Treaty was signed in 1961. This did not signify an end to the conflict between the two nations, as demonstrated by the withdrawal of the Chinese ambassador in 1966, but it did strengthen the global Communist movement, as it did signify the formation of a Communist military coalition in Asia. The treaty was prolonged twice, with its expiration date extended until 2021.
These events which led up to the modern diplomatic relation between China and North Korea demonstrate that the relationship between the two Communist states cannot be simply characterized by its military alliance. The extension of their military treaty is simply motivated by the dying Communist crusade. Underneath the coat of alliance, Chinese expansionist policy generated political tension. The nuclearization of North Korea also contributed to the tension. It can be concluded that the two states are essentially adversaries and are bound together only by Communist interests.
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