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War: The Afterparty

Why The Project Starts In Guatemala

August 27, 2014 by briangruber No Comments

IMG_9771The theme of the first stop of the Afterparty tour will be “In Search of Jacobo Arbenz.” In 1954, the American Central Intelligence Agency engineered a coup of Guatemala’s democratically elected president. Along with the overthrow of  Iranian president Mohammad Mosaddegh by the CIA and British MI6 in 1953, the coup would become a model for covert regime changes for years to come.

In a synchronicity moment, politico and poet Steve Villano invited me to one of Bob McBarton’s fabulous Luncheon Society events, featuring Nixon White House attorney and author John Dean.  Apropos of nothing in particular, the name Stephen Schlesinger came up. Stopping in my tracks on the way to our cars after the event, I asked if he was the same guy who co-wrote the authoritative account of the overthrow, “Bitter Fruit,” and, yes, he was, indeed.  One thing led to another, and Steve V hooked me up with Steve S, who wrote the book with one of my favorite foreign affairs authors Steve Kinzer.

imagesImmediately and graciously accepting my invitation for a call, we spoke earlier this week.  I will include more excerpts of our chat, and hopefully a longer live conversation, but here are some highlights:

On the overthrow:

The overthrow was one of the worst foreign policy ventures of the  20th century. Gratuitous.  It distorted the history of that country. Could have been a shining beacon of democracy in Central America.

The times we have intervened, we always make the situation worse. We refuse to acknowledge that local indigenous leaders can do good things. We use a narrow lens.  Iran is a twin example from that era.

On “War: The Afterparty”

No one has investigated the aftermath. I think it is a great idea. Yours are exactly the questions you should be asking and those are exactly the countries you should be visiting. A missing story that has not really been told.  The story has never been visually done.

Stephen SchlesingerListening to experts, books, intellectual stuff. is easy. That’s not the big issue. Humanize it—finding people, like the union people who were trying to organize in 1954, just trying to give people the chance to have their little plot of land. Bring home the fact that this was a very temperate type of reform. Not an attempt to destroy the United Fruit company, but to create a middle class. Find people who were active in that part of the movement. The peons. Give people a visual sense. Go out to see the land in question. Humanizing the conflict is the most important thing. The Mayans would have been the beneficiaries who would have benefited most from land reform.. Instead,they were the ones who suffered the worst. Exterminated. Illustrate the real history to a wide audience.

Is there a link between the overthrow and the 35 years of civil war that followed? Or the current emigration crisis?

Civil war definitely followed the overthrow. Doesn’t mean there might not have been other right-wing attempts. The Spanish social class was ousted in 1944  so they wanted power back. The left was benefitting from the reforms so unlikely they would have become revolutionaries.  The French revolution had a land reform program. Produced thousands of new farmers. They became the middle class, the most conservative people.

Emigration is a little more complicated as Guatemala has still not come through with any Arbenz reforms. The dispossessed are still enormous in Guatemala. Terrible poverty, so people will do anything to get a job. Terrible circumstances, gang warfare and drug smuggling, which produced so much turmoil and so much killing.

If we had left Guatemala alone in the fifties, there could have been a stalwart democracy, spreading throughout the region, resulting in a much more stable region.

Was Arbenz a Communist?

Arbenz was from a military background. He was a bit naïve, and did not understand the emotional impact of the cold war in the US. He was open to the notion that to create a viable society, you needed a middle class, to give people a stake in their own society through land reform.He was willing to let communists be part of a coalition in the assembly, and that made him vulnerable. French President Mitterand had communists in his cabinet. Arbenz never did that.

He made two mistakes—he should have paid more attention to ideologues in Washington who wanted to make his situation a case of where the communists were going to take over. He didn’t understand that there were ways of dealing with that issue. Arevalo managed to spend 5 years without the US overthrowing him.

The Eisenhower administration was looking for a cause celebre to prove that they could roll back communism. Second point, he could have rallied the troops in those final days and then might have maintained power. He felt so undermined by the bombings and fake radio broadcasts, the psychological and emotional terror, that he lost his nerve.

———

Many thanks to Steve and much more to come on the Arbenz story.

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War: The Afterparty

Kickstarter FAQ’s for the Project

August 26, 2014 by briangruber No Comments

images

Frequently Asked Questions from the Kickstarter site for “War”The Afterparty”

Updated FAQ available throughout the project at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wartheafterparty/war-the-afterparty#project-faqs.

  • Why are you doing this?

    I am astonished that a smart, principled world leader like the United States of America can get itself into quagmires like Iraq and Vietnam. The spectacle of a two trillion dollar war of choice in Iraq, resulting in Islamist takeovers of major cities and expanded Iranian influence, not to mention tens of thousands of violent Iraqi deaths and wounded veterans, invites a new approach to how and why we wage war. What we are doing is not working. I looked at a world map and realized you could circumnavigate the globe with every country along the way visited by the American military or affected by a covert regime change. If this was necessary during a perceived existential threat from the Soviet Union and world communism, during a time of American economic hegemony, why are we spending and projecting military power as much or more once the Cold War was over? I want to find out.

    Last updated: Tue, Aug 26 2014 12:58 PM PDT
  • Why a “field audit” and why not just do this from home?

    The book is a taxpayer/ citizen audit of sorts of the last fifty years of military engagements and covert actions, comparing promised versus actual outcomes. I’m traveling through the scenes of those conflicts to explore how the local narratives differ from the narratives Americans get from our press and our government. In each country in my round the world walkabout, I will seek out stories and characters that illuminate the after effects of war, after the media attention has faded or, if you will, after the party is over. You will be able to participate via social media conversations and interviews and google hangouts and to support the project via crowd funding sites Kickstarter and Patreon.

    Last updated: Tue, Aug 26 2014 1:00 PM PDT
  • Where are you going and isn’t this sort of dangerous?

    I plan to go to four regions:
    Central America; Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama.
    Europe; France, Germany, Serbia (Bosnia, Kosovo).
    Greater Middle East; Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan
    SE Asia; Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia.

    I planned to go to more countries, and still may, depending on funding. but my writing group counsels focus and more time for going deeper in each place.

    If visa restrictions and outright civil war make entry dangerous or impossible, I will select regional countries that allow me to tell the story as effectively. If there are warning signs, or the need to depart quickly, I will. There is an element of risk to life anywhere, and certainly to travel. I proceed based on the premise that we are far too fearful of travel and of other cultures, that people are more welcoming and open than we might believe, and that street smarts and proper safeguards will make the risk manageable.

    Last updated: Tue, Aug 26 2014 1:07 PM PDT
  • What are your credentials for doing this?

    If I believed that only journalists or academics working for major institutions were qualified to tell stories or explore important questions, i would stay home. I believe there are far smarter and more credentialed writers, and I intend to curate and share their work with my audience. I also believe that the web allows for travel, research and content aggregation opportunities never before available. I have a lot of experience interviewing politically and culturally prominent people, from Senators and Cabinet officials to authors and public intellectuals from my C-SPAN and FORA.tv days. I am told I have a unique ability to draw people out, coming well prepared with a real passion for knowledge and insight. First and foremost, i do this for myself, to probe for answers to important questions about war and peace, and then, i intend to share what I find through social media, the book and multimedia outlets. My bio is on this site and athttp://thevisionproject.com/about/about-brian-gruber.

    Last updated: Tue, Aug 26 2014 1:12 PM PDT
  • Why should I pledge to this project?

    You are supporting an important, serious, and unique exploration of why, how and when we fight, asking whether it is time for a new approach to war.

    You are able to participate up close and personal, tracking the author, asking questions via Twitter and Google Hangout, reading daily dispatches from the field, learning at your own pace in an entirely new way.

    You will get valuable rewards, including signed books, ebook copies for your friends as a sponsor, invitations to exclusive events and public acknowledgement for your support.

    You will be able to see a Kickstarter project unfold first hand, see the book being written in real time and affect the final product and conclusions. You will get an education, a grounding in foreign affairs and military history in a unique and engaging way.

    Finally, you will ensure that I have enough resources to stay out of trouble, complete the project and eat. The daily budget for the project is $60, including all travel, lodging, food, incidentals, visas and emergencies. It will be an exercise in creative, low cost travel.

    Last updated: Tue, Aug 26 2014 1:20 PM PDT
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War: The Afterparty

Kickstarter Launch Events in Sacramento and San Jose This Week

by briangruber No Comments

GuatemalaWonderful feedback on last night”s launch of the Kickstarter campaign amidst a flurry of logistics, social media interactions and calls. Inspiring! Brilliant! Courageous! Much needed! Adventurous! Crazy!

A highlight was talking to one of the authors of “Bitter Fruit,” Steven Schlesinger, who provided important insights and leads.  The book, co-written with Stephen Kinzer, is IMHO the authoritative study of the overthrow of Jacobo Guzman and subsequent decades of civil war.  More on that chat later in the week.

Progress on the Kickstarter campaign can be seen any time by going to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wartheafterparty/war-the-afterparty. Or search on Kickstarter for War The Afterparty. As they say in Chicago, vote early and vote often. Or, pledge and Share, in this case.

I have my first nights lodging in Guatemala City nailed down. I will travel where the leads and instincts take me, so I am not booking in advance, though searching via nbso online casino two go-to lodging sites, airbnb and the more unpredictable couchsurfing.org. While traveling, I often encounter the kindness of strangers so I am expecting to befriend people along the way, and anticipate the occasional lodging or meal invitations. Another phenomenon I am counting on–constant, serendipitous encounters with people with stories to tell.  Already, the Guatemala host revealed in passing that this week, he is teaching a class on Jacobo Guzman, and that his grandfather was there for it all and loves talking about it. Another potential host is an L.A. Times reporter in the country on an environmental project. So, official sources and experts, sure, but the witnesses of those who were there.

I have described the project as a kind of taxpayer/ citizen audit of the last fifty years of military engagements and covert actions, comparing promised versus actual outcomes. It has been suggested to me that I can write that book comfortably at home, sitting on my couch, using Skype.  My intent on the trip is to explore how local narratives differ from the narratives we get from our press and government, seeking out stories and characters that illuminate the after effects of war, after the media attention has faded or, if you will, after the party is over.

IMG_9382Special thanks to the fabulous LiAnne Mattheney (pictured right), who is organizing two events this week to promote the Kickstarter campaign, tonight in Sacramento and Thursday in San Jose. If you are in the area, please ping me so I can give you an navigation and directions. Free food and wine!

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War: The Afterparty

War: The Afterparty Launches

by briangruber No Comments

You are invited to change the way we look at war. I am excited to announce the launch of the “War: The Afterparty” Kickstarter. Please check out the project, a round the world field audit of the last 50 years of American military and covert interventions. Support for this project, especially in these first few hours, is critical to its success. Share the announcement with your friends and pledge what you can. Thanks in advance!
Brian
www.kickstarter.com/projects/wartheafterparty/war-the-afterparty

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War: The Afterparty

Kickstarter Campaign Countdown….

August 25, 2014 by briangruber No Comments

Kickstarter Campaign Countdown….

Launching in the next day or two pending Kickstarter approval. Parties to celebrate and share details n Sacramento and San Jose.

War: The Afterparty

by briangruber No Comments

Kickstarter campaign announcement. The Kickstarter will launch tomorrow at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wartheafterparty. Preview is up till then at:   https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wartheafterparty/1741872289?token=546e4f6e

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
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War: The Afterparty

The Vision Project | Welcome to The Vision Project

by briangruber No Comments

The Vision Project | Welcome to The Vision Project

All of the content for “War: nbso online casino The Afterparty” book project will be stored at my website.

War: The Afterparty

Music For War, The AfterParty (long version) (wave)

by briangruber No Comments

Music For War, The AfterParty (long version) (wave)

Music for Brian Gruber’s Multimedia Project titled “War : The AfterParty” (composed by Camélia Ben Naceur)

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Brian Gruber is an author, writing coach, and marketing consultant living on the Thai island of Koh Phangan. He has spent 40 years studying, leading, and founding new media companies and projects.

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