Word: cambodians
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...knowing Reed's support for Lenin. Unfortunately the biases of some modern historians are not as well known as those of Reed. Wouldn't people read William Shawcross' book, Sideshow: Kissinger, Nixon and the Destruction of Cambodia--and especially the section where he places the ultimate responsibility for the Cambodian tragedy directly upon the United States--more closely if they knew that he had stated, on the record, that he didn't think a leftist movement could be capable of comitting such atrocities...
Prompting massive national protests--including those at Jackson State and Kent State, where students died--the U.S. bombing and invasion of Cambodia in 1970 will never rank as a popular event in American history. Those leftover sentiments--right or wrong--have shaped the analysis of recent Cambodian history--especially regarding the brutality of Pol Pot--and prevented reasonable assessment. Most efforts to discuss the issues generally reduce to a guilty hysteria which places the blame for all atrocities upon the United States. Guilt may be a justifiable response to the Cambodian invasion but to label it a definitive history...
...leading the reader along a carefully documented historical trail, he seduces the reader into accepting his undocumented conclusion that the United States ultimately bears responsibility for the Cambodian tragedy. To the otherwise uninformed reader, it comes as a shocking revelation to discover that Prince Sihanouk--with whom Shawcross heavily empathizes--provides evidence which thoroughly demolishes most of Shawcross' conclusions and substantially weakens his others...
...Hope is not a well-written book. Even analyzing it for content, it has far too many gaping holes to pretend to serve as a definitive history of the events leading up to the Cambodian holocaust. Yet, what little new information Sihanouk does provide is so damaging to Shawcross' positions that one has to wonder if any of his conclusions will stand up under the light of serious scrutiny...
Eberstadt is convinced the United States is not directly at fault for the creation of the Khmer Rouge, but Gooi says the U.S. played a "large role" in demoralizing the Cambodian people and consequently in causing the radical takeover...