Archive for February, 2010

I have to do a paper for school about a story with a certain theme and I picked the theme of how being in the military can compromise relationships. I’ve already read Dear John which was a good one. Anyone have any other ideas? I need one more book, hopefully one that’s good and interesting.

Does it have to be lovers only the boy in the striped pyjamas is about the relationship between two boys .

The civil rights movement started right after WWII when 1 million black soldiers where discharged from the military and they had to go back to civilian life. First rate soldiers where treated like second class citizens, and they refused to let that be their reality. All these men went back home and decided if a man can’t go into a bar and drink a cold beer amongst other men, then the "STATUS QUE" had to be "CHANGED". This started out breaks of resistance all over America from these men. The one thing that service brought them was how to organize and plan. With these new tools, they would inspire other black people like Martin Luther King, Malcolm X to take up their cause. The American media blocked a lot of turmoil in the country and refused to shine light on it. The Germans reported this news all across the world (the miss treatment of black people), and America was the laughing stock of the whole world, thats when thing began to change for black people, not because white people where nice enough to give us equality.

I learned of this first hand from two grandfathers who fought in WWII. I also have read other books that talk about how black American soldiers were forced to give up their seats to German prisoners of war, simply because they were white. http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s8048.html
Not to mention the Tuskegee Airmen, who had to fight discrimination to become the first black Airmen, and they escorted fighters all over Europe and never lost one. http://www.tuskegeeairmen.org/Tuskegee_Airmen_History.html

You are right when you say that this was an impetus to the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, some soldiers even stayed in Europe, because of being treated equally. Those that returned, many did not get the benefits of the GI Bill like their white counterparts did.

So yes the Status Quo needed to change. But to be fair, many white Americans joined in the fight and gave up their lives as well.

How did America’s racist attitude toward the Japanese affect the US military’s strategy in winning the war? I have to have 10 sentences about this and backing it up with information.

It did not bring all americans together as our concentration camps made clear and while a country is not a race our attitude — compare with Germany — was stupidly racist. This was most evident in our decision to drop the atomic bombs.

Any of the Sterling Point history books would be good. They are history and biography books for teens. most of the are around 200 pages.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=sterling+point+book+series

With a surprising statement thus:

“The Igbo had lost out; they licked their wounds and returned to the East, where they all had a dull Christmas in 1966”

This is coming from no other person than Dr. Reuben Abati of the exalted editorial page Board of The Guardian, I feel shamed that in Nigeria there still exists a person who would overtly display his hatred for other ethnic groups in the country and in this case, the Igbo nation is Abati’s target.

I had always admired Rueben Abati who seemed to me a sound mind, man of unbiased and unprejudiced mind who as a journalist should advocate peace rather than wastefully use his ink and try to achieve unattainable feats as an anti Igbo bigot until he came up with his infamous vexatious article which he titled ‘Obasanjo, secession and the secessionists’ in The Guardian newspaper of Lagos, Nigeria (December 2001)

An article with such an antipathy content coming from a foremost participant in the “Patitos’ Gang” a national program with the sole objective of pointing out the ills in our Nigerian society bereft of ethnicity, I find ironical because most of us look up to him as a nationalistic individual capable of articulating and projecting solutions to problems confronting the nation, but this proved not to be as he would roll out his carefully arranged assails to try to overwhelm the image of a section of the country, which to me reveals that it may take long before the people of Nigeria truly embrace another with one love.  

Reuben Abati, a seasoned journalist abandoned his profession and ventured into history, and very inaccurately gave accounts on the January 1966 attempted coup in Nigeria, the one sided story of Reuben Abati grotesquely distorted the account and had nothing to suggest that it represented the interest of his people, the Yoruba race, instead Reuben Abati poured venom on the Igbo for reasons not quite made clear by him, after reading the Reuben-Baby article I still could not fathom what could have necessitated it especially as the journalist turned historian used the Igbo situation as his case study to buttress Obasanjo’s prowess capable of uniting the country, surprisingly in the time of peace. 

Reuben in his desperate attempt to call a dog a bad name in other to hang it falsely described the January 1966 attempted coup as the first attempt by any ethnic group in Nigeria to succeed; it is a pity that as a journalist trained to properly and factually carry out thorough researches before making submission, Reuben would discard the more useful aspect of his profession just because he was trying to paint the Hausa-Fulani ethnic group in Nigeria white while sinking the Igbo nation in black. It is really not the aim of this article to delve into the history of the Nigerian-Biafran War, but certain corrections should be given here for posterity sake so that the deceived do not go about deceiving the undeceived.

In 1953, Northern parliamentarians violently walked out of the Lagos parliament, the Northern parliamentarians were protesting the motion for the self-rule moved by Chief Anthony Enaharo, the reason was because the North felt they were backward and as a result not ready for independence because it was then assumed that going with the rest of the nation independent of the British colonial government could spell disaster for them since they considered the Northern region backward economically, politically and socially. The educational underdevelopment of this Northern region was believed to have necessitated the fears of the North more than anything else. Would Abati be surprised to learn that the North again came up with refusal in the early months of 1960 but was persuaded by the British to opt for independence with the rest of the nation?

Again, this would creep into Nigeria politics shortly after Yakubu Gowon took over as the Military Head of State of Nigeria; the North had secretly nurtured its ambition to succeed from Nigeria but with the discovery of oil in the Niger-Delta region of Oloibiri, the North stunned the entire world with a u-turn made on the move. Just how Reuben Abati has decided to join the group of Nigerian political elite who arbitrarily try to rewrite history or even remove it from our school curriculum is unimaginably unprecedented because history whether documented or oral cannot be wished away. It remains a fact in the minds of the people.

Was it not for the fear of succession by the south-western part of the country that the North carefully came up with the arrangement that produced Olusegun Obasanjo as the democratic president of Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1999? Did the Yoruba who with the sudden unexplainable death of Abacha cry for succession and was appeased? With this development, all the major peoples of Nigeria have at one time or the other advocated for the succession of their ethnic group. Does Abati not know this? If he does, why did he decide to pick on the Igbo?

It was unpleasantly interesting to know that Reuben Abati has not woken up to the realities of modern events. Abati appears not to have found proper situations of with a view to what occurred and what did not occur. Many years ago a false impression existed in our history, government and political science text books where misleadingly created by the North that the 1966 attempted coup was an Igbo motivated, but this has since been discarded and consigned to the dustbin of oblivion where it rightly belongs. However, for the understanding of Abati and other anti Igbo bigots, I wish to state here that the officers that carried out the coup were nationalistic inclined and not tribal as the North made us to understand. The Yoruba at that time really had this understanding, so this particular complaint came from the northern quarters.

I expect Abati and others who want the Igbo crucified to fully understand the background under which coups are executed. People who came up with the notion that the coup was an Igbo affair brought to fore the typical Nigerian orientation of suspicion for one another made possible as a result of the making of Nigeria in which the British forcefully put together through experiment unaccountable and indeterminable number of ethnic groups as one for selfish reasons without their consent. It is mainly as a result of this that the ethnic groups and the individual Nigerians are often expecting quota system from our system. Perhaps, Abati expected quota system from military men who would readily put their lives on the line to take over a government.

If the number of ethnicity of officers involved in coup plot is a yardstick for determining the nature of a particular coup in nation, then we can conclude that all the coups in this nation are Hausa-Fulani affair. Reuben Abati and other anti Igbo bigots should grow up and learn that we are Nigerians before our respective ethnic groups. We know what Abati wants. It is only in this country that a person like Reuben Abati who has personally expressed antipathy for a particular ethnic group suddenly arises to take part in presidential contests, yet they emerge as victors because in the first place, they have been programmed to win.

 The Late Gen Murtala Mohammed massacred a number of persons in Asaba, Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku, Isheagu and other Igbo towns and communities yet he successfully became the Head of State of Nigeria.

Yakubu Gowon would pass for a leader who became an elder statesman because he rather chose the use of force in piloting the Nigerian nation out of crisis rather than seek diplomatic means which resulted in the death of more than 3 million people, the Igbo once again was at the receiving end. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo resorted to the besieging of an Igbo town which caused many Nigerians (Igbo) to die of hunger and starvation, and kwashiorkor, yet he would successfully lead the nation first as a military leader, then as a civil leader for 8 years.

Reuben Abati, as the clever one may be eying the presidency of the nation or ministerial portfolio but he knows that his possibility of realizing this aim lies with Northern support.

The Igbo may have lost out as Reuben Abati puts it but certainly not licking their wounds, as for the dull Christmas, what dull Christmas? Dull Christmas in contextual use in Nigeria has come to signify marginalization and oppression of the various ethnic groups of Nigeria in the hands of a particular ethnic-group destined to rule the nation. The Yoruba have had theirs, with the suddenly unexplainable death of MKO Abiola, they cried. The Tiv had cried earlier before the Yoruba, the people of Niger Delta believe themselves to losing out and are crying. People from Ishan, Auchi, Ibibio, Efik, Kalabri, Edo, Ekoi etc can hardly imagine getting to Aso-Rock as a president of the nation as things stand at the moment. Have they lost out?

It is unfortunate that in this country we tend to want to achieve greatness by maligning the Igbo race even without any reason to do so, yet we continue to preach one Nigeria as we have seen Reuben Abati do. After going through this article of Reuben Abati, it was difficult for me to point out his grievance, as I could not tell why he decided to get at the Igbo without any reasons real or unreal. Whatever masterminded him to venture into such a needless and unknown journey, he must remember that the Igbo are a people not an individual and many of who are greater than the only one Igbo man who seemingly slighted him, and by creating an imaginary dull Christmas of 1966, he has slighted history and the Almighty God who allowed an even of that magnitude to take place or did God sleep?

Emeka Esogbue
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/is-reuben-abati-the-newest-anti-igbo-bigot-676749.html

Built by the British during the 1880’s Fort Siloso is Singapore’s only conserved coastal fortification. The Fort is positioned on the Sentosa which is a well known resort island. The fort is now reinstated as a museum, and is open for public viewing. Here visitors can explore the war history of Singapore and observe Asia’s biggest collection of guns that dates back between the17th and 20th century.

Fort Siloso is a coastal weaponry battery and is among the twelve coastal batteries that formed the ‘Fortress Singapore’ at the beginning of World War Two.

Even though there are remnants of other batteries found on Singapore, Fort Siloso is the only restored battery. A Philippine word ‘Siloso’ means ‘Jealous Person’.

The core of the Fort Siloso is the Surrender Chambers portraying the British Surrender and the Japanese Surrender which were two important events that occurred in Singapore.

Fort Siloso opened its doors to the public in 1975 as the Singapore Gun Museum. The Gate Guard is a 7-Inch RML Gun Barrel. The collection includes over thirty-five guns. There is also a Carronade that was given to the Museum by Lt. General Peter Hunt in 1971.

Tunnel complexes, buildings and gun emplacements are very well conserved. However in some cases alterations have been made in order to allow easy access to tourists. Exhibits based on Singapore’s military history and the Fort’s military history can be seen all over the Fort.

For veterans and families Fort Siloso serves as a vital window to the colonial history of Singapore. It is also a constant reminder of the years of war.

At present Fort Siloso’s bunker has become an exceptional tourist attraction. It is also called as the Battle Box. The fort also brings war history to life by displaying well crafted animatronics, wax figures and audio-visual effects.

Those who wish to further explore Fort Siloso and Singapore’s war history can do so by staying at any Sentosa Island hotel. For luxurious accommodation and a unique resort hotel experience travellers can board in at the nearby Sentosa Island resort that offers superb facilities and designer guestrooms.

Naveen Marasinghe
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/showcasing-the-war-history-of-singapore-733551.html

Thailand

Thailand is usually the best place to start for the first time independent traveler. It’s very easy to get around and there are always lots of other backpackers about to chat and hang out with.

Thailand is a mixture of forests to the North for Trekking and some of the best beaches in the world in the south.

Bangkok is a buzzing city criss crossed with canals & rivers.  The sky line is one of high rises, shopping malls & international hotel chains but at the canal banks and side streets of the city the traditional side of Thai life is clearly visible.  The business hub of the city is easily navigated using the skyrail & underground but the more touristy areas around the Koh San road are less well supplied & Tuk Tuks are the main mode of transport.  Negotiate hard with your tuk tuk driver – a taxi will always be cheaper & has the advantage of air conditioning however be sure to agree that you’re charged according to the metre as opposed to agreeing a fixed price.  Taxis will only take you at an agreed price after 3pm as from this point on your in to rush hour and they are highly likely to spend hours with you stuck in traffic!

Your main point of call will be the Koh San road as this is where all the hostels and guesthouses are located. This is one long street where there is a market every night and lots of bars and restaurants to choose from even a McDonalds and Burger King for those who are want something more to home. For the best food though go to the street hawkers. You will get some of the best Pad Thai you will have ever eaten for around 20 Baht.

South Islands

Most people come to Thailand for the beaches and Diving. The main Islands in the south are:

Koh Tao

A backpacker Island where everyone comes to dive and mainly to learn how to dive. There are some great beaches here and also a good nightlife.

Koh Pan gan

This is the party island of Thailand and where the famous Full Moon party is held each month. This if you have not heard is one big crazy party on a beach which attracts at least 10,000 people each month to get as fucked up as possible. Get here a few days early during the peak months if you want to get accommodation though.

Koh Samui & Phuket

These islands are crammed full of package holiday tourists on their yearly holiday for 2 weeks in the sun. I would strongly suggest avoiding these two islands.

Koh Phi Phi

This island did get severely damaged by the Tsunami and having seen the before and after myself it truly is remarkable how quickly is has got back onto its feet. There is one main area/town where everybody stays but it’s still big enough not for everyone to be on top of each other. The Beach is like a postcard or you can get a boat to the lagoon where the Leo Dicapro film ‘The Beach’ was filmed and chill there for the day.

Vietnam

Vietnam was ravaged by war but is now a great place to visit. I suggest starting your trip off in Hanoi and working your way down the country.

Hanoi

Hanoi is the capitol of Vietnam and is a great introduction into the Vietnamese way of life. The city is always bustling and carful when crossing those roads as those motorbikes don’t stop.

The city centre is located around Hoan Kiem lake, just of the lake is the old quarter which is the main area for budget hostels and guesthouses. Hanoi is a great place to just go out and wander. Each street has its own trade and each shop will only sell products to do with that trade so you end up having streets only selling shoes or kitchenware. It’s weird to see but that’s the way they do it.

If you get tired and hot whilst walking around you can always stop off for some Bia Hoi. You will see all around the city lots of people sitting on little plastic chairs on the street, this is where they sell the Bia Hoi. This is officially the cheapest draft beer in the world. A glass should set you back about 10p/20 Cents.

Ha Long bay

This is north of Hanoi and is available from all travel agencies in the city as either overnight trip. This is a must for anyone in the area as it is UNESCO heritage site and is for a good reason.

The bay has close to 2000 limestone islands with of caves to explore and a few lagoons to go kayaking in. When you go out to the bay you go out on a traditional junk ship where you will get your own room and dinner and breakfast served.

Hoi An

Hoi An is located on the coast and actually has a pretty decent beach. It is the also the place to come for tailor-made clothes. There are too many tailors to mention here with the main road pretty much consisting of them. You can get literally anything made here all you need to do is take a photo of the item you want and they will make it for you. A good quality suit will cost around $50-$100.

Nha Trang

Is a beach resort just over halfway down the country. This city is very developed with a good long beach stretching the entire length of it. There is not much to do culturally here but it’s a good place to unwind after more than a few very long bus journeys to get this far. If you choose to just relax on the beach all day the only time you need to move from it is to go to the toilet as there are so many hawkers selling you pretty much anything you require from books, drinks to a BBQ of fresh fish. There is a big nightlife here with a couple of main place to go to. These are the Why Not Bar and the Sailing Club which is right on the beach but more expensive for it.

Ho Chi Min City (Saigon)

This is the Vietnam you see in the films. Streets packed out with so many bikes, fumes that make it hard to breathe and just general chaos. There a quite a few museums here to visit which are mainly to do with the war but are all worth a visit and even the strongest man will hold back tears at the photos of the suffering they endured.

From here you do a day trip to the Cu Chi tunnels where the North had a series of small tunnels which they used to fight the south. You can go down some of these tunnels but be warned that they are very small and it’s best not to do it on a hangover like I did. Also here you can fire an array of automatic weapons and rifles which is not that cheap as you pay per bullet.

Cambodia

Cambodia has had quite a nasty past with its dictator Pol Pot but is recovering maybe not as fast as its neighbors’ but it is getting there. Cambodia is surrounded by Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and has the Mekong go through the country into Laos.

Phnom Penh

Is a typical Asian Capitol city, will not loads to do but getting there is a great experience if you come from Vietnam. From Saigon you can get a boat which will take you 2 days to get here but you do see some real Vietnam and Cambodia on the way.

The two main places to see in and around Phnom Penh are the Killing Fields where around 200,000 people were executed during 1975-1979 when the Khmer Rouge reigned. You can see millions of bones and thousands of skulls that have been recovered from the pits.

Also go to S-21 which used to be a high school which was converted to a prison also during the Khmer Rouge where they imprisoned up to 20,000 people and repeatedly tortured and killed from this.

Two to three times a day they show a film which goes into detail of what went on in the prison with interviews from survivors and prison guards.

Sihanoukville

Is a beach resort about 3 to 4 hours bus ride away from Phnom Penh and has a decent enough beach which all long has hostels/guesthouses, restaurants and bars where you can chat with new found friends and enjoy a nice cold beer. You can dive here but I would not waste your money as the visibility is very poor and the reefs not having much sea life.

Siem Reap/Angkor Wat

Siem Reap is the city closest to the temples of Angkor Wat. The town itself does not have much to offer apart from a market in the centre of town where you can get some new clothes and souvenirs. Every night most people head down to the aptly named Bar Street to meet and hang out with friends.

The temples of Angkor are quite spectacular and are very worth the visit. You get the choice of either a 1 day or 3 day pass. It is recommended to go for sunrise over Angkor Wat as this is quite amazing but can get very busy.

There is so many temples to see here most still in great condition. Although my favorite is the one which has been taken over by the jungle and most of it are ruins.

You can either hire a tuk tuk driver to take you around which is advised if you do the one day trip or just hire a bike and go around at you own pace.

Laos

Laos is landlocked and borders Burma, China, Vietnam, Thailand and Vietnam. Laos was involved in the Vietnam War mainly due to its proximity to the country and is one of the most under developed country in the region.

Vang Vieng

The town where you leave remembering nothing. This place is just one big drunken haze. You get a tractor inner tube and float down a river and stop off at bars on route and get free shots of lao lao whiskey and then drink buckets of more lao lao whiskey and coke until 6pm then when you think you have enough you go over to an island which is just bars (smile is the best) until middnight when the curfew kicks in. Love this place

Try the rope swings at each of the bars. The first bar has the biggest whatever other bars may claim.

Luang Prabang

Very beautiful town and is very quiet compared with Vang Vieng. The night market seems to run on forever with lots of goodies. Also if you go here you have to go bowling one evening after 11pm – you will see what I mean.

Wikidtravel
http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/where-to-backpack-within-south-east-asia-723346.html

With a surprising statement thus:

“The Igbo had lost out; they licked their wounds and returned to the East, where they all had a dull Christmas in 1966”

This is coming from no other person than Dr. Reuben Abati of the exalted editorial page Board of The Guardian, I feel shamed that in Nigeria there still exists a person who would overtly display his hatred for other ethnic groups in the country and in this case, the Igbo nation is Abati’s target.

I had always admired Rueben Abati who seemed to me a sound mind, man of unbiased and unprejudiced mind who as a journalist should advocate peace rather than wastefully use his ink and try to achieve unattainable feats as an anti Igbo bigot until he came up with his infamous vexatious article which he titled ‘Obasanjo, secession and the secessionists’ in The Guardian newspaper of Lagos, Nigeria (December 2001)

An article with such an antipathy content coming from a foremost participant in the “Patitos’ Gang” a national program with the sole objective of pointing out the ills in our Nigerian society bereft of ethnicity, I find ironical because most of us look up to him as a nationalistic individual capable of articulating and projecting solutions to problems confronting the nation, but this proved not to be as he would roll out his carefully arranged assails to try to overwhelm the image of a section of the country, which to me reveals that it may take long before the people of Nigeria truly embrace another with one love.  

Reuben Abati, a seasoned journalist abandoned his profession and ventured into history, and very inaccurately gave accounts on the January 1966 attempted coup in Nigeria, the one sided story of Reuben Abati grotesquely distorted the account and had nothing to suggest that it represented the interest of his people, the Yoruba race, instead Reuben Abati poured venom on the Igbo for reasons not quite made clear by him, after reading the Reuben-Baby article I still could not fathom what could have necessitated it especially as the journalist turned historian used the Igbo situation as his case study to buttress Obasanjo’s prowess capable of uniting the country, surprisingly in the time of peace. 

Reuben in his desperate attempt to call a dog a bad name in other to hang it falsely described the January 1966 attempted coup as the first attempt by any ethnic group in Nigeria to succeed; it is a pity that as a journalist trained to properly and factually carry out thorough researches before making submission, Reuben would discard the more useful aspect of his profession just because he was trying to paint the Hausa-Fulani ethnic group in Nigeria white while sinking the Igbo nation in black. It is really not the aim of this article to delve into the history of the Nigerian-Biafran War, but certain corrections should be given here for posterity sake so that the deceived do not go about deceiving the undeceived.

In 1953, Northern parliamentarians violently walked out of the Lagos parliament, the Northern parliamentarians were protesting the motion for the self-rule moved by Chief Anthony Enaharo, the reason was because the North felt they were backward and as a result not ready for independence because it was then assumed that going with the rest of the nation independent of the British colonial government could spell disaster for them since they considered the Northern region backward economically, politically and socially. The educational underdevelopment of this Northern region was believed to have necessitated the fears of the North more than anything else. Would Abati be surprised to learn that the North again came up with refusal in the early months of 1960 but was persuaded by the British to opt for independence with the rest of the nation?

Again, this would creep into Nigeria politics shortly after Yakubu Gowon took over as the Military Head of State of Nigeria; the North had secretly nurtured its ambition to succeed from Nigeria but with the discovery of oil in the Niger-Delta region of Oloibiri, the North stunned the entire world with a u-turn made on the move. Just how Reuben Abati has decided to join the group of Nigerian political elite who arbitrarily try to rewrite history or even remove it from our school curriculum is unimaginably unprecedented because history whether documented or oral cannot be wished away. It remains a fact in the minds of the people.

Was it not for the fear of succession by the south-western part of the country that the North carefully came up with the arrangement that produced Olusegun Obasanjo as the democratic president of Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1999? Did the Yoruba who with the sudden unexplainable death of Abacha cry for succession and was appeased? With this development, all the major peoples of Nigeria have at one time or the other advocated for the succession of their ethnic group. Does Abati not know this? If he does, why did he decide to pick on the Igbo?

It was unpleasantly interesting to know that Reuben Abati has not woken up to the realities of modern events. Abati appears not to have found proper situations of with a view to what occurred and what did not occur. Many years ago a false impression existed in our history, government and political science text books where misleadingly created by the North that the 1966 attempted coup was an Igbo motivated, but this has since been discarded and consigned to the dustbin of oblivion where it rightly belongs. However, for the understanding of Abati and other anti Igbo bigots, I wish to state here that the officers that carried out the coup were nationalistic inclined and not tribal as the North made us to understand. The Yoruba at that time really had this understanding, so this particular complaint came from the northern quarters.

I expect Abati and others who want the Igbo crucified to fully understand the background under which coups are executed. People who came up with the notion that the coup was an Igbo affair brought to fore the typical Nigerian orientation of suspicion for one another made possible as a result of the making of Nigeria in which the British forcefully put together through experiment unaccountable and indeterminable number of ethnic groups as one for selfish reasons without their consent. It is mainly as a result of this that the ethnic groups and the individual Nigerians are often expecting quota system from our system. Perhaps, Abati expected quota system from military men who would readily put their lives on the line to take over a government.

If the number of ethnicity of officers involved in coup plot is a yardstick for determining the nature of a particular coup in nation, then we can conclude that all the coups in this nation are Hausa-Fulani affair. Reuben Abati and other anti Igbo bigots should grow up and learn that we are Nigerians before our respective ethnic groups. We know what Abati wants. It is only in this country that a person like Reuben Abati who has personally expressed antipathy for a particular ethnic group suddenly arises to take part in presidential contests, yet they emerge as victors because in the first place, they have been programmed to win.

 The Late Gen Murtala Mohammed massacred a number of persons in Asaba, Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku, Isheagu and other Igbo towns and communities yet he successfully became the Head of State of Nigeria.

Yakubu Gowon would pass for a leader who became an elder statesman because he rather chose the use of force in piloting the Nigerian nation out of crisis rather than seek diplomatic means which resulted in the death of more than 3 million people, the Igbo once again was at the receiving end. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo resorted to the besieging of an Igbo town which caused many Nigerians (Igbo) to die of hunger and starvation, and kwashiorkor, yet he would successfully lead the nation first as a military leader, then as a civil leader for 8 years.

Reuben Abati, as the clever one may be eying the presidency of the nation or ministerial portfolio but he knows that his possibility of realizing this aim lies with Northern support.

The Igbo may have lost out as Reuben Abati puts it but certainly not licking their wounds, as for the dull Christmas, what dull Christmas? Dull Christmas in contextual use in Nigeria has come to signify marginalization and oppression of the various ethnic groups of Nigeria in the hands of a particular ethnic-group destined to rule the nation. The Yoruba have had theirs, with the suddenly unexplainable death of MKO Abiola, they cried. The Tiv had cried earlier before the Yoruba, the people of Niger Delta believe themselves to losing out and are crying. People from Ishan, Auchi, Ibibio, Efik, Kalabri, Edo, Ekoi etc can hardly imagine getting to Aso-Rock as a president of the nation as things stand at the moment. Have they lost out?

It is unfortunate that in this country we tend to want to achieve greatness by maligning the Igbo race even without any reason to do so, yet we continue to preach one Nigeria as we have seen Reuben Abati do. After going through this article of Reuben Abati, it was difficult for me to point out his grievance, as I could not tell why he decided to get at the Igbo without any reasons real or unreal. Whatever masterminded him to venture into such a needless and unknown journey, he must remember that the Igbo are a people not an individual and many of who are greater than the only one Igbo man who seemingly slighted him, and by creating an imaginary dull Christmas of 1966, he has slighted history and the Almighty God who allowed an even of that magnitude to take place or did God sleep?

Emeka Esogbue
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/is-reuben-abati-the-newest-anti-igbo-bigot-676749.html

Basically im in 12th grade and were working on our senior Research projects and i chose the topic. "why america didn’t attack russia immediately after world war two". so if anyone has any recommendations please do say

Because it would have been unpopular.
There were only some idiots like Patton who wanted it

I’m interested in the history of the Vietnam war (mainly US as opposed to French, but both is ok). I want to understand the overall history – strategy and tactics, major campaigns and battles, etc.

I have Stanley Karnow’s << Vietnam: A History >>. That is good but broader than I want and not deep/detailed enough in terms of military history.

I also have books on specific battles like Ia Drang, the siege of Khe Sanh and the Khe Sanh "Hill Fights". They are very informative and I like them, but I also want something broader that gives the big picture from a military perspective.

Chickenhawk by Robert Mason

"Personal account of the helicopter war."