The full “I Have a Dream” speech. The place: The LinÂcoln MemoÂrÂiÂal. The Date: August 28, 1963. The Why: To bring about many small changes in AmerÂiÂcan sociÂety, which evenÂtuÂalÂly and colÂlecÂtiveÂly bring us to TuesÂday. Take it away MarÂtin:
When the twin towÂers were takÂen down in SepÂtemÂber 2001, AmerÂiÂca looked to make sense of what hapÂpened. And it wasÂn’t long before many startÂed turnÂing to The Clash of CivÂiÂlizaÂtions and the RemakÂing of World Order, a book writÂten by Samuel HuntÂingÂton, the HarÂvard poli sci proÂfesÂsor who passed on last week.
The book itself was an elabÂoÂraÂtion upon a conÂtroÂverÂsial artiÂcle that HuntÂingÂton pubÂlished in ForÂeign Affairs in 1993. In the openÂing lines, he wrote: “World polÂiÂtics is enterÂing a new phase… It is my hypothÂeÂsis that the funÂdaÂmenÂtal source of conÂflict in this new world will not be priÂmarÂiÂly ideÂoÂlogÂiÂcal or priÂmarÂiÂly ecoÂnomÂic. The great diviÂsions among humankind and the domÂiÂnatÂing source of conÂflict will be culÂturÂal. Nation states will remain the most powÂerÂful actors in world affairs, but the prinÂciÂpal conÂflicts of globÂal polÂiÂtics will occur between nations and groups of difÂferÂent civÂiÂlizaÂtions. The clash of civÂiÂlizaÂtions will be the batÂtle lines of the future.” ParÂticÂuÂlarÂly he sugÂgestÂed, it would be the “West verÂsus the Rest,” and withÂin the latÂter catÂeÂgoÂry, he lumped in Islam.
Below, we have postÂed HuntÂingÂton’s 1997 appearÂance on the CharÂlie Rose show, where he expandÂed on his world view. You can also get Edward Said’s genÂerÂal retort, The Myth of the Clash of CivÂiÂlizaÂtions, here and Noam ChomÂsky’s thoughts on the conÂcept here.
If you could sync up a phoÂto with every name and event menÂtioned in BilÂly Joel’s “We DidÂn’t Start the Fire,” you’d have a monÂtage that offers a pretÂty good glimpse into the secÂond half of the twenÂtiÂeth cenÂtuÂry. That’s what a UniÂverÂsiÂty of ChicaÂgo grad stuÂdent figÂured out when he put this viral video togethÂer. We’ve added it to our YouTube playlist. Thanks Bob for the tip!
Here we have the odd couÂple. The agnosÂtic filmÂmakÂer and one of AmerÂiÂca’s most influÂenÂtial reliÂgious figÂures engaged in a liveÂly conÂverÂsaÂtion. It’s actuÂalÂly a rather genÂtleÂmanÂly exchange from the late 1960s, and it’s added to our video colÂlecÂtion of CulÂturÂal Icons. Part 1 appears below, and you can get Part 2 here.
You can find this video perÂmaÂnentÂly hostÂed in our colÂlecÂtion of 235 CulÂturÂal Icons.
We’re less than two weeks away (finalÂly, at long last) from the next US presÂiÂdenÂtial elecÂtion, and that means that it’s a good time to deciÂpher AmerÂiÂca’s conÂvoÂlutÂed elecÂtoral sysÂtem. So here’s a piece from The ComÂmon Craft Show, which does it in a fairÂly creÂative way:
Is there such a thing as the benign use of interÂnaÂtionÂal force? It’s a quesÂtion that Noam ChomÂsky and William F. BuckÂley, leadÂing thinkers from the left and right, took up in 1969. And, of course, the whole quesÂtion of VietÂnam loomed in the backÂground. As you’ll see below (and in Part 2 here) the debate is remarkÂably civÂil. And when BuckÂley threatÂens to punch ChomÂsky in the face, it’s said much more lovÂingÂly than when he offered to do the same to Gore Vidal in 1968.
As an interÂestÂing aside, when BuckÂley died earÂliÂer this year, ChomÂsky revisÂitÂed the 1969 debate and BuckÂley’s legaÂcy and essenÂtialÂly saw him lookÂing a lot betÂter than his conÂserÂvÂaÂtive heirs — although I’m not sure that ChomÂsky was realÂly passÂing along a deeply felt comÂpliÂment here.
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With the gyraÂtions of the world marÂkets, 1929 was sudÂdenÂly very present last week. All too present. What realÂly went down in ’29? Below we present “The Crash of 1929,” a docÂuÂmenÂtary that aired as part of PBS’ The AmerÂiÂcan ExpeÂriÂence Series. Part 1 appears below. You can get the remainÂing parts here: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.
RelatÂed ConÂtent
Free PresÂiÂdenÂtial BiograÂphies on iTunes: FDR and Beyond
In case you missed it, here’s a paired down verÂsion of last night’s secÂond presÂiÂdenÂtial debate in all of its uninÂspirÂing gloÂry:
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