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American ground troops had been in Vietnam for only a couple of months, but they represented a significant escalation in the history of the war. Listen to IF Stone’s speech at the Vietnam Teach-in, Berkeley, California on May 21, 1965….
Posted in Activism, Asia, Audio, California, History, Politics, San Francisco, US Military, Vietnam, War
Tagged Vietnam, Vietnam War, Wars and Conflicts
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In 1950 the CIA’s Colonel Lansdale reported that:
“The Binh Xuyen were participating in one of the world’s major arteries of the dope traffic, helping move the prize opium crops out of Laos and South China. The profits were so huge that Bao Dai’s tiny cut was ample to keep him in yachts, villas, and other comforts in France.”… More>>
Posted in Asia, Books, History, Politics, Vietnam, War
Tagged Binh Xuyen, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, France, Hmong people, Vang Pao, Vietnam War
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Under President Franklin Roosevelt the RFC (Reconstruction Finance Corporation) provided the financial underpinning of the New Deal. Jesse Jones was the brains behind the operation. As head of the RFC he was the most powerful fiscal officer since Alexander Hamilton….More>>
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A.P. Giannini, the son of immigrants, loaned to immigrants when other bankers refused. In the 20th Century he built a vast Western banking empire, fueling California’s growth, and created a national system of branch banks to serve ordinary people. When most banks closed at 3pm, Giannini kept his banks open until nine or ten at night for workers.
After a disastrous earthquake and subsequent fires levelled much of his hometown San Francisco in 1906, Giannini created new confidence. He set up a temporary bank immediately, collecting deposits, making loans, and proclaiming to all that San Francisco would rise from the ashes. Then he made it happen… More>>
Posted in Biography, California, Essays, History, San Francisco
Tagged A.P. Giannini, California, San Francisco
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