Author Archives: buzzanco

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About buzzanco

Historian, Agitator, Sicilian

Ken Burns’s War Stories

Posted on September 23, 2017 by buzzanco

[Original version at History News Network, 21 September 2017] I began my first book on Vietnam (Masters of War) with a poem, Adrian Mitchell’s “To Whom It May Concern”: You put your bombers in, you put your conscience out. You … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Policy, Ken Burns, Military, PBS, Politics, Uncategorized, Vietnam | 1 Comment

Vietnam: The Commodity

Posted on September 15, 2017 by buzzanco

(Talk given at Blaffer Gallery, University of Houston, for The Propeller Group exhibit, 13 September 2017) I’m not an artist nor an art historian, yet art is necessary to any reasonable and meaningful examination of the past. The way people … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Cuba, Race, and African Liberation

Posted on May 25, 2017 by buzzanco

  Twenty-six years ago, on May 25th, 1991, the last Cuban troops left Angola.  Beginning in 1975-76, Cuban forces (eventually numbering around 350,000) entered Angola in support of the the ANC’s struggle against apartheid and, more specifically, to support the … Continue reading →

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Rope-a-Dope Trump (Don’t Get Rid of Him)

Posted on May 19, 2017 by buzzanco

If you’re a fan of the Sweet Science, or were alive in the 1970s, or even just heard of Muhammad Ali, then you’re familiar with “The Rumble in the Jungle,” his epic bout against then-Heavyweight Champ George Foreman in Kinshasa, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Does Russia Matter?

Posted on May 14, 2017 by buzzanco

Memes aren’t great ways to learn a lot about history or politics, though they’re used that way a lot.  Still, some are funny and make a good point in a few lines in a way that might take paragraphs otherwise.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitutional Crisis, Foreign Policy, History, Politics, Repression, Russia, Trump, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Blows Against the Empire (San Francisco, 17 March 2017)

Posted on March 18, 2017 by buzzanco

“Many people think it impossible for guerrillas to exist for long in the enemy’s rear. Such a belief reveals lack of comprehension of the relationship that should exist between the people and the troops. The former may be likened to … Continue reading →

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KNSB 7 (or, Kid Blast and Me)

Posted on March 11, 2017 by buzzanco

They called Joe “Crazy, ” the baby they called “Kid Blast” I had a hundred nicknames for Kelsey.  Some lasted years, some one or two times. Many were the ones my dad had used on me–ciudrule, cafone, testa dura, pazzo, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Fake News Not New News

Posted on February 18, 2017 by buzzanco

Yeah, Trump’s attacks on media are more pointed and virulent (obligatory “he’s despicable” here), but it’s really not anything new. Reagan often “went over the media’s head and directly to the people,” and Fox News emerged and owes its profits … Continue reading →

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Who You Gonna’ Believe, Me or Your Lyin’ Eyes? Trump and Media

Posted on January 22, 2017 by buzzanco

Love Them, They’re Liberals (An Occasional Series) Headlines on the NY Times website today (January 22d) “White House Pushes ‘Alternative Facts.’ Here Are the Real Ones” “With False Claims, Trump Attacks Media on Turnout and Intelligence Rift” And from HuffPo … Continue reading →

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Memo to Jill Stein: “I Cost Hillary the Election”

Posted on January 18, 2017 by buzzanco

I don’t know any of the Little League candidates running who ran for Prez in 2016, but I do have some advice for them, which I offer here: Take the Rap. Take the hit.  Stand up, say it loud and … Continue reading →

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