Category: History & Culture
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Taxes, Tithing, and Rumors: The Peasantry in the French Revolution
Complaints of an unfair tax system. Cries of inequality and a widening income gap. Rumors of impending doom. No, we are not talking about 2013. These were the themes which put a twist in the French Revolution of 1789. Here’s a short essay I wrote on the subject a while back. As the French bourgeoisie…
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The Aftereffects of Stalin: An Essay (Part II)
The tragic scope of the Stalin era left virtually no one untouched. From the millions who died of starvation due to agricultural collectivization in the early 1930s, to the twenty million who died from the Great Terror of the late 1930s, to the twenty-seven million who died in World War II, nearly every family had…
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The Aftereffects of Stalin: An Essay (Part I)
How did the Russians deal with the Stalin era? Here’s part 1 of an essay I wrote a while back on the topic. The effects of human tragedy and trauma manifest themselves daily in the hearts and minds of those who have struggled through trials and yet survived. On a person level, people keep on…
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Mixing real historical figures into a work of fiction. Vietnam 1945.
My untitled third novel that I’m currently working on is set during two different time periods in Vietnam. The first is 2000 and the second is 1945. Nineteen-forty-five is the crucial year in modern day Vietnam. It’s the year that the Japanese completely overthrew the remnants of the French Empire in Indochina. It’s the year…
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An Economic View of the Roaring 20s.
With The Great Gatsby in the theater, I thought I’d post an essay I wrote a while back summarizing Frank Stricker’s view of the economic policies of the 1920s and what they might have meant for Reaganomics of the 1980s. This is a fact back essay highlighting Stricker’s point of view only, and not necessarily…
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Do the Dirty Deed, Just Don’t Look Them in the Face
Even after living in Asia for the better part of twenty years, there are certain cultural instincts built into me from my American upbringing that have a hard time adjusting to my Asian surroundings, but I am adapting. Let’s talk about concealing vulnerability. Today, I’ll put it in the context of traffic. Traffic in Penang…
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Essay: A Historical Overview of Vietnam from WWII through the Vietnam War
From time to time, I like to post complete essays of mine which touch upon topics near and dear to my heart. If you know me, you won’t be surprised that this one is about Vietnam. I try to give a broad overview of the historical context which led to the Vietnam War of the…
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History: Did you know?
Today’s topic: Harry S. Truman. Here’s a paragraph I wrote about him which emphasizes his inexperience when he assumed the office of the Presidency on April 12, 1945. Truman had served as Vice President for only a matter of weeks before Roosevelt’s death. His senatorial background gave him limited experience in the realm of foreign…
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Culture: Not Always Black and White
I was reminded earlier today about how culture and cultural differences can be tricky waters to navigate. We all come with certain assumptions about the world which have been instilled deep within us by our culture, our parents, our religion, and our environment. But when cultures clash, life can get messy. Each culture’s values are…
Author Mark W Sasse 