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Another one goes...
Tuesday, Jul 7, 2009 2:22AM / Members only
While the world is still busy mourning the death of the King of Pop...Few, I believe, will mourn for the subject of this piece, the longest serving Secretary of Defense in the history of the United State of America:
Robert McNamara (1916-2009)It would not be a surprise at all if some of you have never heard of this man; after all, most of us here on AnD are well below the age of 50 and have never been involved in the anti-war movement during the height of the counter-culture frenzy in the 60's, where his image, like the infamous George Dubya in the 21st Century, were the targets of students and activists all over the world.Robert McNamara is the longest serving Secretary of Defense in the U.S's history, where he served in JFK's and Lyndon Johnson's office throughout most of the 60's. He is mostly known as the prime architect of the Vietnam War, bringing in an army of 500,000+ strong into active duty in the jungle. And indeed, many people hated him for that.But this entry is no obituary, I don't consider myself knowledgeable to write about a comprehensive account on what the man had done or achieved in his lifetime, especially when it involves such heavy subject as the Vietnam War or the U.S.'s foreign policy during the peak of the cold war. I'm simply trying to share my admiration of this man who, after all the wrongs he had done or misjudgment he had made, is able to come forward and admit all his mistakes and share publicly the lessons he had learned from it all.Yes, I'm talking about the wonderful documentary he partake in, THE FOG OF WAR, made by the always mind-blowing documentary director, Errol Morris. The film is based on a intimate interview between the director and McNamara, which revolves mainly around the Vietnam War and the veteran's view on the War on Terror and the U.S.'s foreign policy at large. It is a rare and candid account of an once influential politician expressing his regrets and doubts about the choices and actions he had made in the past and what he would hope to see in the future. It is simply one of the best documentary films I've seen about political figures recounting their past. Oh and it won the Oscar for best documentary in 2003 as well, if that helps to convince anyone.Even though there may be things he omitted to say or embellished it a little; but to be able to sit down and recount one's wrongdoings is a virtue we all praise. However, at the end of the day, how many of us can actually achieve that, as it often alienates ourselves from our deep-rooted believes, our friends and colleagues, and our worldview.We Chinese have a long list of historical denials and outright lies...I sincerely hope that someday, someone will be courageous enough to give us a glimpse of the truth, even if it hurts...D....Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgjF3dvhyoA -
VIIV
Friday, Jun 5, 2009 6:26AM / Members only
The great Czech author Milan Kundera once wrote:"The struggle against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting..."
It's good to know that after 20 yrs, some people still remember, and will never forget...proud of every single one of the 100,000+ who made it to Victoria park tonight...
we should always cherish the freedom we still enjoy here in HK...
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Smokers' Delight...
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 8:31PM / Members only
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New novel from Eileen Chang!!! 張愛玲新作!!!
Tuesday, Feb 17, 2009 4:23AM / Members only
"人性是最有趣的書，一生一世看不完。" -------- 張愛玲
"Human nature is the most interesting book that can never be finish in a lifetime."
-------- Eileen Chang
Indeed, and the same goes for Eileen Chang's writings, precisely because human nature is the canvas and paintbrush of her art. Never can one find flat characters in Chang's novels, they are all propelled by the same contradictions and self-deceptiveness that are common in all of us when we strive to live our lives.
Some find her work melodramatic and pessimistic, but none can deny the fact that she is one of the most important and beloved writer to have emerged from China's long literary history.
I have no desire, and certainly is not articulate enough, to write about Eileen Chang and her work. As a huge fan of her work, however, hearing about the arrival of her new novel on Feb 22nd is already making me itch all over. So consider this a scratch on where it itches.
I say excited, but that comes with a sense of shame. This book, according to Chang's last will, is not intended to be publish but to be destroyed when she passed away in 1995. According to the sales pitch from the publisher, this is Chang's semi-autobiographical story of her relationship with the writer and WWII Japanese collaborator Hu Lancheng (胡蘭成), a love affair which one can also find resemblances in Lust, Caution. So this is, as they say, her side of the story. Again, voyeurism always sales...
Soong Yee Lon (宋以朗) inhereted the legal right to administrator Chang's work from his parents, the great scholar Soong Kei (宋淇) and Kwong Mun Mei (鄺文美), who were close friends and supporter of Eileen Chang. His decision to release this book will surely be both admire and criticize by many, but ask this question before you make a judgement: what would the world be if Max Brod did not publish Kafka's work against his will?
I'm not taking side, i'm just damn happy to be able to read Chang's new novel in less than a week. Even if this is against her wish. And there are news that two of her novels written in English will also be available later on this year. This must be an ailing period for Eileen Chang in her grave, but 2009 turns out to be a great year for us Chang Fans...
Read. Learn. and Play.
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Loser's Lament...
Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009 3:55PM / Members only
