Stories about History from March, 2008
Romania, Hungary, Austria: Marshal Antonescu; “Political Irrelevance”
At A Fistful of Euros, Douglas Muir writes about Marshal Antonescu of Romania, and Alex Harrowell writes about an “outbreak of arseholes in Central Europe.”
Brazil: March for the end of the Gaza Strip
“It is said that each Palestinian expelled from their land – and not just since 1948, when it the state of Israel was created – keep a key which they always carry with them. This is not the key for their car, office or a shed lost somewhere between Jordan,...
Trinidad & Tobago: Fooling Ourselves
West Indies Cricket Blog quotes “Trinidad and Tobago cricket boss” Deryck Murray to underscore the point that “we are fooling ourselves”.
Cuba: Can You Hear me Now?
News that Cubans will now be allowed to buy cell phones has been met with differing reactions by Cuban bloggers…El Cafe Cubano: “Cubans on average earn about $20 a month and cell phones in Cuba are selling for $260 and above. Do the math…”; Uncommon Sense: “I do not begrude...
Japan: Views on Yasukuni, the movie
A documentary film about the controversial Yasukuni shrine, shot by a Chinese filmmaker through funding by a Japanese government agency, has sparked debate and discussion after a group within the ruling LDP party convened a screening to assess its "neutrality". Bloggers offer differing views on the move and on the idea of their government subsidizing what some see as a "political" film.
Lebanon: Genetic origins of Lebanese
A genetic study on Lebanese origins reveals chromosomes left by Phoenicians, Crusaders and Arabs, reports finkployd in detail.
Armenia: Sevan Museum
Robert Dietrich posts photographs of some of the treasures he recently discovered at a small museum outside of the capital. The Peace Corps Volunteer says he was overwhelmed by the amount of items dating back thousands of years and in urgent need of being displayed properly.
Belarus: Freedom Day Protest
On Tuesday, March 25, police broke up an opposition rally in the capital of Belarus, beating protesters with truncheons and detaining dozens of people. Veronica Khokhlova translates two bloggers' first-hand accounts and a foreign political analyst's view on the Belarusian opposition's strategy.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: New UNESCO Heritage Site; New Cross Memorial
Elia Varela Serra reviews bloggers' reactions to one of the main news in the Bosnian blogosphere this week: the addition of the Višegrad stone bridge to UNESCO's World Heritage List. Also, she reports on the controversy caused by plans to build a memorial to the Serbian war victims in Sarajevo.
Kuwait: Stop Demolishing Kuwait Facebook Group
Rampurple draws our attention to a new Facebook group named Stop Demolishing Kuwait's History.
Russia, U.S.: A Foreign Policy View
Valery Dzutsev offers a view on why “there is so much tension between the US and Russia.”
Macedonia, Greece: More on the Name Dispute
More on the Macedonia-Greece name dispute – at Halfway Down the Danube and Foreign Policy Blog.
Trinidad & Tobago: Politics & Sport
Notes from Port of Spain makes his case for leaving politics out of the upcoming China Olympics: “Once you establish the principle that global sports meetings can be boycotted on political grounds, there's no end to it – no country on earth is 100 per cent virtuous.”
Hong Kong: Revitalizing Tai O
The Hong Kong government has organized a competition for revitalizing a traditional fishing village, Tai O. Diumanpark pointed out that the word “revitalizing” is a cover up of “commercialization”, which, eventually would destroy the local culture and character[zh].
South Korea: Fashion Wave
Metropolitician blogs about the cultural background for the potential rise of Korean fashion wave.
Bangladesh: Remembering a genocide
The 3rd World View and Mash write about an online initiative called the Bangladesh Genocide Archive – an attempt to document various testimonies, memories and articles of the events of 1971.
China: Remembering Our Predecessors
A number of intellectuals, media and cultural workers have written a joint declaration [zh] to commemorate their predecessors, who died for seeking and speaking the truth, before Ching Ming Festival.
Russia: Russians/Americans “are NOT stupid”
Finally, a Russian answer (RUS) to the famous/infamous “Americans are NOT stupid” video (via LJ user maliar, RUS).
Kosovo, Serbia: Reactions to Del Ponte's Organ Smuggling Story
Douglas Muir at A Fistful of Euros examines former Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte's story on organ smuggling in Kosovo and links to the readers’ reactions at B92 site.
Poland: Krakow Ghetto Memorial March
Kasia in Kazimierz writes about the March of Remembrance dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the liquidation of Krakow Ghetto.
Taiwan: Religious buildings–a way to explore how cultures mix
The popular image of multi-culturalism as a mosaic, a salad bowl in which different cultures mix but keep their integrity, is misleading. Cultures are more like soups, flavored with many ingredients, some identifiable. –From the book ‘Cultures and societies in a changing world,’ written by Wendy Griswold. Taiwan has a...
