We've been sleeping
in that tent ever since the last update, it's been so hot here. This doesn’t
include Helen, obviously, but me and the kids have been out there every night
and it's lovely and cool. I need to take it down tonight though as the lawn man
comes tomorrow :(
I struggled with
Tree of Smoke, a sprawling epic concerning the American experience in Vietnam
that blurred the line between fiction and reality. It probably would have been
easier to follow if I was American and older, and had experienced the impact of
Vietnam on the previously accepted certainties of American life following the
heroism of WWII - that America was the good guy and was saving the world for
democracy and that the American military was all-powerful. Vietnam ended that
perception for millions of people as it became clear that America wasn't
particularly interested in democracy or self-determination for others, were
more interested in protecting capitalism than liberty, were unwelcome by the
locals who considered them an occupying force, and that their military wasn't
nearly as effective as they'd assumed. Quite a jolt for the top nation
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