communism
Mao the Poet
Mao Zedong believed in the radical transformation of every aspect of Chinese life. “Art” under Mao meant extolling the glories of communism.Sarah Campbell discovered a strange footnote to Mao’s biography: he was a poet, and not altogether a bad one — but he might have had himself persecuted as a reactionary.
How a US aid agency hoped hip-hop might fuel a Cuban revolution
The US Agency for International Development does development and aid work around the world, but it’s also sometimes accused of carrying out clandestine programs for the government. A new AP report says its latest effort was an attempt to topple the Castros with hip-hop.
To understand life in East Germany, all you need is this board game
The board game called Bürokratopoly isn’t about getting filthy rich, though players might feel filthy after they’re done playing. The popular German game was created by dissidents in communist East Germany years ago as a satire about power and corruption. Now it has become a teaching tool for German kids trying to understand what it was like to live in the Communist East.
Two Americans went to North Korea as tourists — now they’re both going on trial for ‘hostile acts’
North Korea’s official news agency says two Americans being held in the country will face trials for unspecified crimes against the state. Adam Cathcart, an expert on northeast Asia, says this move is part of a long established pattern. North Korea’s official news agency says two Americans being held in the country will face trials for unspecified crimes against the state. Adam Cathcart, an expert on northeast Asia, says this move is part of a long established pattern.
Undercover reporters reveal what life is really like inside secretive North Korea
North Korea’s dictatorial regime tries to control what outsiders know of North Korea and what North Koreans know of the outside world. A new WGBH Frontline documentary offers a rare glimpse of life inside the country… gathered from film smuggled out by undercover reporters.
