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Southeast Asia History books:
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Top Reddit reviews mentioning Southeast Asia History books:
James S Scott speculates that this is actually very common. His main case study is Southeast Asia, where there is a lot of evidence of people fleeing heavily agricultural civilizations for a horticultural life in the highlands both as a result of conflict and simply because the life of the latter is freer and (at least in many ways) richer as compared to the heavily-taxed life of an agricultural serf in a stratified society. Of course, horticulture might not be rice paddy cultivation but it's still agriculture. Nonetheless, he finds signs that this is a worldwide dynamic that shows up where ever you have a geographic or temporal transition between densely settled agriculture and a lower-density space that makes "less civilized" lifeways possible. One space he keeps coming back to is the Eastern/Midwestern US of the 1500s and 1600s, when the post Columbian contact plagues and their associated population collapses gave the survivors plenty of elbow room to make this transition.
The Jakarta Method: Washington’s Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World by Vincent Bevins > In 1965, the U.S. government helped the Indonesian military kill approximately one million innocent civilians. This was one of the most important turning points of the twentieth century, eliminating the largest communist party outside China and the Soviet Union and inspiring copycat terror programs in faraway countries like Brazil and Chile. But these events remain widely overlooked, precisely because the CIA’s secret interventions were so successful.
>In this bold and comprehensive new history, Vincent Bevins builds on his incisive reporting for the Washington Post, using recently declassified documents, archival research and eye-witness testimony collected across twelve countries to reveal a shocking legacy that spans the globe. For decades, it’s been believed that parts of the developing world passed peacefully into the U.S.-led capitalist system. The Jakarta Method demonstrates that the brutal extermination of unarmed leftists was a fundamental part of Washington’s final triumph in the Cold War.
If anyone wants a more specific case study, The Jakarta Method, by Vincent Bevins is a really good (and horrifying) historical account on the US/CIA's intervention in the affairs of another nation.
Yes, and indeed certain anthropologists theorize that real-world hill tribes do in fact deliberately live in terrain that is difficult or useless for lowland states to access in order to escape serfdom, slavery, military conscription, corvee labor, etc.
Good to see a Yew reference, and this quote in particular. Canada's future is one of national dissolution/disintegration; definitive dominance by one ethnic group over others, with all the attendant unfairness; or Singapore-style authoritarianism. The shiny, happy, peaceful, libertarian co-ethnic state just ain't possible here in the actual real world; in the actual world, the *only* way to keep the peace in a multi-ethnic polity is through strong-man government.
Yew's book, From Third World to First, is highly worth reading. It's close to the beginning where he frankly admits that he realized quite early on what a problem it was going to be to get ethnic Chinese, Malays, and Indians to live peacefully together.
Well there's a lot to unpack here, but let's start at the top, the writer of fortunate son was John Fogerty, who actually did serve in the military in the 60s, and while the song was obviously speaking directly to the war in Vietnam, it addresses the age old disparity of race/class/economics and who gets sent to fight this countries wars, which historically can be traced back to antiquity. If your interest in the history specific to Southeast Asia and Vietnam particularly I would recommend this: https://www.amazon.com/Vietnam-History-Stanley-Karnow/dp/0140265473 Or this: https://www.amazon.com/Vietnam-History-Stanley-Karnow/dp/0670746045 There are thousands of books from Veterans themselves that would offer 1st hand perspectives as well, and I would be happy to recommend some,, and you can't go wrong actually sitting down with some veterans and talking to them. You'll find an amazing cross section of beliefs, values and perspectives on many subjects.. The VA has wonderful volunteer programs for supporting veterans (I should know, I'm a 10 year Army Veteran and Counselor for Homelrss Veterans at the VA). As for the rest, I would propose that no one is more "anti-war" than those tasked with fighting it. And to presume that a song writer who writes songs about social disparity, and over reach of government is likely not "pro-communism" or "pro-censorship"....just sayin...
I don’t know if this what you’re looking for but The Art if Being Ungoverned by James C. Scott blew my mind when I read it in undergrad. https://www.amazon.com/Art-Not-Being-Governed-Anarchist/dp/0300169175
I’ll see if I can find a free copy somewhere, or if you have a university library access it’s probably online.
We literally have committed more genocide and industrialized murder in the 20th century than anyone else in the world previously.
https://www.amazon.com/Jakarta-Method-Washingtons-Anticommunist-Crusade/dp/1541742400
This person seems more interested in insulting you than having a conversation, but these sentiments don't come from nowhere. I'd encourage you to familiarize yourself with the history of the agency if you are seriously interested in it.
There's a new book out called The Jakarta Method that details some of the CIA's activities during the Cold War that I'd recommend. It's hard to get more recent histories due to document classification, but it will give you a perspective that will help explain why people feel so strongly about this issue.
It’s obviously an unofficial term but it’s obvious to anyone the distinction between third world countries and first world countries. Similar to how the USA is undoubtedly the World Leader, it’s unofficial and there’s no award or criteria crowning them World leader but it’s undisputed.
A country can make the Great Leap Forward from third world to first world with proper leadership and clear targets and willingness of the people, Singapore is a perfect example https://www.amazon.com/Third-World-First-Singapore-1965-2000/dp/0060197765
Third world countries are developing and undeveloped countries and I really don’t see how it’s offensive to group all these countries together but anyway people take offense at whatever these days. It’s possible to move from third world to first world if countries put the work in, sadly most countries don’t seem to be able to do so, especially African countries that give all sorts of excuses (colonialism etc)
A first World country has a high standard of living, influenced by factors such as education, GDP per capita, standard of healthcare while most third World countries are basically shitholes, no offense.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Stolen-Valor-Vietnam-Generation-History/dp/096670360X
Dominick Montiglio was never in the Green Berets, but the sort of people that like to believe what they want to believe cannot be swayed by evidence that contradicts that.
Hm, the Jakarta method, rhe example I gave is awesome. he blends personal accounts with the history of the CIAs strategy of violent meddling specifically in Indonesia with US strategy globally like in a way that reads like good, very sad literature
Read his memoirs! It's a hefty read but you can't get any better than that.
From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000 https://www.amazon.sg/Third-World-First-Singapore-1965-2000/dp/0060197765
The Jakarta Method: Washington's Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World
One of the best (and recent) books that discusses the origins of US involvement in Vietnam is Fredrik Logevall's 2012 Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America's Vietnam. The book received praise from historians in this field as well as doing well in the commercial market. Its about 800 pages, but a great read.
If you are interested in books that discuss only US involvement as well as US combat operations in Vietnam, let me know.
I have done a bit of archival research concerning how the US Information Agency, after being established by Ike in 1953, conducted operations supporting Ngô Đình Diệm's government. Spoiler alert... things ended poorly.
I would also recommend anyone looking for a more detailed source material read The Jakarta Method (written by the author of that article). It's sources are quite detailed and extensive, and include how this methodology influenced CIA operations in numerous other countries.
"The Art Of Not Being Governed" might interest you:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300169175/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_7?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
have you heard of the cold war? backing horrible rightwing groups was US foreign policy for decades.
Many of these stories have been discredited with a little bit of investigation. See below book
And below link describing the most disturbing of these incidents where “combat veterans” claimed to have done terrible things for the military when a little bit of investigation revealed that 5/6 of the interviewees never even saw combat
Heeeeeere comes the down votes baby!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clean_Break:_A_New_Strategy_for_Securing_the_Realm
https://www.amazon.com/Jakarta-Method-Washingtons-Anticommunist-Crusade/dp/1541742400
Oh no... Turns out White and Jews can be terrorists too :( this might be the biggest reveal the brainwashed west has to go through.
<strong>Embers of War</strong> by Fredrik Logevall is another good book that provides additional context.
Again, America is worse on every front, all it takes really is *an* attempt at an unbiased appraisal of world history and you'll see as much.
https://www.amazon.com/Jakarta-Method-Washingtons-Anticommunist-Crusade/dp/1541742400
It also triggered a 'nuclear' (without the radiation) winter and led to crop failures and mass starvation. The resultant social upheaval in Indonesia led to a Muslim take over. Simon Winchester wrote an extremely readable account of this in 'Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded.' I highly recommend the book and the author.
Started reading this book about Karkatoa and I LOVE IT!
Absolutely fascinating and I love the way it’s written. Exactly the style of writing I love. If I wrote a book, i’d write it like this.
I assume you know all the death and suffering is responsible for in Indonesia ? I suggest you read this misterrrrr
My source is: https://www.amazon.com/Embers-War-Empire-Americas-Vietnam/dp/0375756477
Fredrik Logevall clearly mentions that both the PCF and Socialist leaders agreed that maintaining order in Indochina (which meant crushing the Vietminh) was the first priority before any sort of actions could be taken to give Independence or Autonomy to Indochina.
Manufacturing Consent is great for conveying the kind of compounding self-selection of state and media apparatus. It's useful to have a conception of problems as systemic and reoccurring, and not just the result of bad actors.
Oh, The Jakarta Method also seems like a very good text. I haven't read it yet, but by all accounts it's a great overview of the disgusting anti-communist networks that were nourished by the US following WW2, and of the repeated mass murder that was used to enforce the impoverishment of the global south.
Exactly, for those interested in more detail about the times and his thought process should checkout From Third to First World: The Singapore Story It covers his and Singapore's struggle with Communism in Singapore and Malaysia as well as perceived and real threats through out the East-SouthEast Asian region. The climate back then stoked violence and war. Things are very different today.
Have you heard of the Cold War? There was a global assault on anything resembling the left. Have you heard of the Indonesian genocide, facilitated and coordinated by the US and UK? Have you heard of the death squads in El Salvador and Nicaragua exterminated entire villages and bayoneting babies? Have you heard of Gladio? Have you heard of the Vietnam War? Laos? Cambodia? Tens of millions killed in SE Asia alone.
The only communist regimes that survived were the ones that were authoritarian, because they were all under constant assault by global capital. If they were democratically elected, they were assassinated or overthrown in a coup. Even non-communists weren't spared. Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Iran, Congo, Greece, Italy, the list is endless. All because of the big bad Russian boogeyman. Things haven't changed much.
To put it briefly: Allende died, Castro survived.
Read The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins to get a better idea of what the "democratic" countries did to secure their power.