If you haven't seen this post before (it was posted on this day last year and this day the year before that), it's a reminder that protesting a wrong your government is doing is legal - it is part of our democracy. And when 100,000 people do it, as they did on this day in 1970, it sends a message.

As an outgrowth to the violence that met the anti-War protests at Kent and Jackson State Universities only a few days earlier, a mass demonstration and protest to the Vietnam War and our incursion into Cambodia on April 30th was organized and a march on Washington was held on May 9th.

It was the biggest demonstration of its kind, and the most peaceful. This was the demonstration made somewhat famous by the presence of President Nixon, walking through the crowd unannounced and without Secret Service in the middle of the night, talking with protesters.

News reports remarked Nixon thought the exchange with the demonstrators was "interesting". At a time when the word "interesting" could either mean enthusiasm, revulsion or the Chinese Curse - it was hard to pin down exactly what Nixon meant. But suffice to say, this demonstration brought mass opposition to the Vietnam War very much to the forefront.

Here is a special broadcast as presented by NBC News on May 9,1970.

In an episode never before seen at the United Nations, violence erupted on the floor of the General Assembly while U.S. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson delivered a Foreign Policy Address. The violence, stemmed from protests to the actions of the Belgian government over the situation in the former colony of the Congo, and the death of a much loved leader Patrice Lumumba, sparked a demonstration that turned nasty and forced Stevenson to step down from the podium while the protesters were removed.

Stevenson is 15 minutes into his address when the violence breaks out, and the tapes kept rolling.

Here is a special report, aired some 45 minutes after the incident occurred on February 22, 1961.

Who said the UN was boring?

Since this month marks the 47th anniversary of the celebrated Selma to Montgomery Alabama Civil Rights March, I thought I would add a word or two from then-Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach and a press conference he delivered regarding the violence that was facing the marchers on their historic trek.

Katzenbach was also in the midst of drafting legislation that would be the Civil Rights Voting Amendment of 1965.

Here is the entire press conference as broadcast live by ABC Radio on March 18, 1965.

I am always fascinated to listen to assessments of dissent from the past. How much it resembles the present, how often it was distorted in the past - how spot-on or miles-off the observations were.

Marya Mannes, a name that's all but forgotten now, was a writer, journalist and social commentator who mixed caustic with clever, often with keen insights and sometimes mixed results.

In this commentary, which came from the same Newsfront broadcast as yesterday's Milton Friedman entry (May 5,1968), she talks about the then-current state of dissent in our country. The peaceful versus violent protests that were sweeping the U.S. at the time (end destined to get much worse as the year went on), and where youth was fitting into the picture.

Bear in mind that Mannes was born in 1904, and at the time of this commentary she was 64. So there is a goodly amount of "generation gap" to sift through. But the thing that I noticed, and something many people were concerned with at the time, was the seeming co-opting of peaceful anti-war protest by a violent minority.

Sound familiar? This was something that plagued the Peace Movement in the 1960's, and something which has confronted just about every movement of this kind throughout history. The strong desire to keep the Occupy Movement peaceful has been in large part a desire not to fall into the patterns of the past - breaking with the protest movements that have gone on before and trying something new. Which is why OWS has been successful and continues to gain momentum - not because of it's violence on the parts of the protesters, but because of the peace and non-violence of the protesters. The violence has been perpetrated by the Police, and not a reaction of the police to violent actions. Of course, our mainstream media has chosen to focus, as it always has, on violence because it largely feels that chaos is more attractive to viewers.

Every movement has had its fair share of malcontents, chaos merchants and infiltrators. There are people who simply want to disrupt and destroy for no other reason than that they can.They have been largely isolated and shunned by the peaceful majority and that most likely will continue in the coming weeks and months.

But it hasn't always been that way. And this commentary by a respected member of the Fourth Estate gives some idea of what people were thinking at the time.

Reference points are always good to have now and then.

It's interesting to draw parallels between the state of the Labor Movement in 1969 and the state of the Labor Movement now. For one thing, the rank-and-file numbers have changed. For another, in 1969 there wasn't the concept of "outsourcing", and multi-national corporations were only just beginning to creep into the picture. China was knee-deep in the Cultural Revolution, India was pretty much isolated and the tag "made in Japan" still had a certain drawback, except in electronics.

But the similarities are still the same - struggling to get a piece of the American Dream, fighting for a decent wage and, in the case of the Farm Workers, a struggle to get recognition at all.

Cesar Chavez: “Certainly as a laboring man in America, he (the Mexican American) has been totally and completely been forgotten. He’s the only working man in America that’s not been included under the Beneficial Labor legislation that this country has offered other working men. He’s the only working man in America who does not have a union. The American farm workers excluded from the National Labor Relations Act, you have to resort to the same kind of struggle that unions had to fifty years ago. Ours is the beginning and all we’re asking for at this point really is recognition. And any good union guy, any trade unionist will understand that, when you’re fighting for recognition, it’s a long fight.”

So the playing field and the rules have changed. The basic concept of earning a decent wage and achieving a level of dignity hasn't. Some things are just universal and timeless.

In October of 1969, NBC Radio as part of their Second Sunday series, ran this documentary on the State Of The Unions as they existed some 42 years ago.

It was a week of spin, shock and spy charges with not a dull moment in sight. The week began with England's loss to Germany at the World Cup and continued with the G20 Summit and resulting protests. The Congo celebrated 50 years of independence. The BP catastrophe continued with new accusations, spin and political ramifications all doing nothing to stop the oil gushing but keeping the MSM busy. And shades of the "good old days" of the Cold War with allegations of sleeper spies unearthed in court and more than casual embarrassment from the State Department and The Kremlin. A fun week all around.

(Meanwhile . . . )

It was Al Jazeera's turn this week to comment on the political ramifications of the BP/Gulf Of Mexico debacle, laying their own set of accusations down and their speculations of how this is all going to pan out.

(Nothing says G-20 quite like a nice riot)

From the CBC Program The Current, reports on the 28th of the outcome of the G-20 summit and the resulting protests which dealt a goodly amount of mayhem throughout downtown Toronto. Since the rest of the world is teetering on the edge of continued disaster, the frustration has been multiplied over recent months. How this particular stinking bag of circumstances is going to pan out is anybody's guess at this point.

(Anna Chapman - no longer your dad's idea of a spy)

When news broke of an alleged sleeper spy ring uncovered by the FBI with the most unlikely group of defendants appearing in Federal Court, shades of the "good old days" of the Cold War began springing up in newsrooms and editorial departments around the world. Particularly when photos of one of the defendants, Anna Chapman began to circulate. The embarrassment portion of the program came since the U.S. and Russia were enjoying warmer relations than they had in years. As this installment of the BBC World Service's Newshour program from June 29th brought to light.

(the Russians were perplexed)

The Voice of Russia, in their newscast of June 29th offered little in the way of detailed explanation over the spy ring charges. That was something for the Kremlin to deal with. The newsreader was suitably non-plussed and quickly went on to other news items.

(President Joseph Kabila during the Congo's 50th birthday - Even the Belgians showed up)

Fifty years ago this week, The Congo declared independence from their colonial influence from Belgium. Not fifty of the most tranquil years, The Congo (or Republic of Congo as they are now known) weathered through civil wars, political upheavals, name changes (it was Zaire for a while), insurgencies and overthrows to achieve at least tenuous stability under President Joseph Kabila. How long their stability will stay is uncertain. But at least they've come this far. This report came from the BBC Africa Service program Africa Today from June 30.

(Raymond Domenech -portrait of a man in deep merde)

Not satisfied with public scorn and ridicule over the French team's dismal show at the World Cup, lawmakers took up the cause and took time out to grill coach Raymond Domenech over why the football team did so poorly during the games in South Africa. Despite the closed door inquiry, the French Press went into warpdrive, looking for leaks, rumors and speculations as to how their team did so badly. Radio France International's Focus On France program offered some insights.

(with disturbing regularity)

Suicide bombings have become a regular, almost daily occurrence of late in Pakistan. The latest bombing in Lahore casts doubt on just how strong the current government is and where this is all heading and just how stable the government is. This episode of Global News from July 2nd via the BBC covers the bombings as well as UK views on the current Immigration Reform issues in the U.S.

(The "oh shit" moment seen 'round the world)

And finally, with the stunning upset of England by Germany in this week's round of World Cup finals, BBC 5 Live offered on June 28th an in-depth look at what happened, how it happened, why it happened and what's next.

The mind can only wonder what next week will bring. But it will bring it soon enough.

(By 1970 just about everybody was sick of the war)

By 1970 protest to the War in Vietnam had taken over just about every school campus and large city in the country. Until our latest excursion, the Vietnam War was the longest period of time the U.S. had been engaged in active combat. No end was in sight. People were questioning what we were doing there at all in the first place. Americans were being drafted at increasing numbers in direct correlation to the numbers of flag draped coffins arriving home.

Then as now, our Foreign Policy was under scrutiny. The final straw came with the invasion of Cambodia early in 1970, triggering a mass of protests throughout the country that further escalated with the dramatic and bloody confrontations at Kent and Jackson State.

But despite all that, there was a segment of the population who still believed in the war, felt we needed a victory and almost all of them were still somewhere in the period of the "Last Great War", believing Vietnam was akin to World War 2 and we had no right to protest. The protesters were "duped by Communists" or were "idiot kids". If anything, it signified just how wide the gap in generations really was.

This documentary,produced by NBC News in May of 1970, attempts to survey what the protests were leading to and how would the Vietnam nightmare end. The numbers of guests are quite large - almost everyone it seems was interviewed and it's instructive to get, at least a sampling, of what was going on in the country forty years ago.

And . . .even Donald Rumsfeld shows up. As Director of The Office Of Economic Opportunity, he is asked if the protests to the Vietnam war have anything in common with the state of Poverty.

Donald Rumsfeld (Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity): “The problems of the poor depend in, of course a great deal on the economy and they also depend on the sources available. But indeed they also depend on the attitudes of the non-poor to the extent that the American people will interest themselves in these problems and involve themselves. Why there’s a tremendous amount that can be done in terms of inclusiveness and hiring and firing and the opportunities that individuals have. I think the exciting thing I see and what we saw this weekend in Washington is that we’ve seen a great many young people come to Washington. People who value life, people who recognize the importance of group activities, who are concerned about individual identity and individual opportunities, and the resource that’s there for this country. The brains, the energy, the emotion, the enthusiasm to the extent that this society can have the wisdom to include them, to listen to them and to provide constructive ways that they can help make this the kind of country they’re anxious to have. I think the problems of our society including the problems of the poor can be . . really handled in a very wonderful way.”

I realize at the time you would be hard pressed to imagine Donald Rumsfeld as Defense Secretary some thirty years later. Although just by listening to his words, his characteristic mangling of language and his breezy disconnect with folks of lesser economic bearing, it really makes you wonder how he managed to, not only survive, but flourish in Washington. The only thing that comes to mind is I,Claudius.

And maybe we are more like ancient Rome than we thought.

(Chicano Moratorium Day - 1970 - not so different 40 years later)

In my ongoing look at the history behind Immigration, the Latin-American community, the history of protest, the history of racism and the fact that some things just never change, I ran across this documentary produced by Los Angeles radio station KNX in 1970. Part of their "Assignment '70" series, this one was called The Silent Minority. It was produced in December of 1970, capping a year of wide ranging protests, a lot of which turned violent and sparked outrage particularly in Los Angeles with the murder of journalist and newsman Ruben Salazar and several others during one march.

Kind of an annoying documentary (only in the sense they keep up with the music bed that overpowers the voices at times), it nonetheless focuses on a situation that's as much a part of American society now as it was then - racism and how, in its subtle as well as overt forms, has overshadowed solutions to problems for decades.

Russ Powell (KNX Newsman): “When California was re-districted in 1961 the more than one million Mexican-Americans were left without a single political district in which they had a majority.”

Martin Castillo: “I remember the reapportionment of California. I went up to Sacramento as a matter of fact, at my own expense to try to prevail upon the power structure that then existed to reapportion it one area where we get one guy elected. And they turned me down flat.”

Although in forty years the proportions have changed (whites are no longer the majority racial group in California), the subtle and not-so-subtle vestiges of racial profiling and discrimination are still very much evident. The heat may be on Arizona at the moment, but taking a walk around Los Angeles and seeing the occasional sign posted declaring "Arizona Had The Right Idea" makes one wonder if anything actually has changed in 40 years.

It would be nice to think so - but there is that thing called Reality that's always showing up.

As the week galloped along, the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico took on cataclysmic proportions as news of grossly underestimated amounts of oil flowing from the accident site came to light. On the other side of the world, the crackdown in Thailand continued and word that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra would be speaking in Paris on May 31st brought fresh anxieties of more protests. And finally, a Late Night Live sit-down interview with Christopher Hitchens at ABC Radio National in Australia. Some week.

(The storm, the quiet, the crackdown in Bangkok)

From ABC Radio National's PM daily news roundup, word that the ongoing Thai crackdown on redshirt protesters also netted an Irish/Australian responsible for delivering some flaming rhetoric during the height of the protests. Also on this May 25th broadcast, news of an Israeli diplomat expelled from Australia and the criticism because of it.

(Stumping a new book on a visit to Sydney with a surprisingly civil chat)

However you feel about Christopher Hitchens (and I know there is probably an equal number of you hating his guts for various reasons), having the chance to sit and listen to a civil interview with him being conducted in a civil articulate manner as it happened on the ABC Radio National program Late Night Live was somewhat refreshing. Maybe it's our media . . . who knows? Anyway, here is an hour long interview done live on the 26th.

(If the finger being used to point blame could plug this hole . . .)

The saga of the Gulf Oil Spill seems to have no end in sight. It has already surpassed the infamous Exxon Valdez disaster of the late 80's in sheer magnitude and amounts of oil spewing out and destroying mile after mile of coastline. Now the Blame Game is in full engagement. But as this May 27th installment of the BBC World Service program Newshour asks, what is the political price going to be?

( . . and all he got was a lousy T-shirt)

From Radio France International's English Service, their program Focus On France from this past Friday (May 28th)talks about the upcoming visit of former Thai Premier Thaksin Shinawatra and fears that he will refuel the fires of protest back in Bangkok and how the French feel about that as he prepares to deliver his speech on May 31st.

(New Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi - some folks aren't happy)

And finally, from The BBC World Service Africa Service comes This Week In Africa, a roundup of events taking place the past week and broadcast earlier today (May 29th). Among the news items is the report of the recent elections in Ethiopia and the victory of Meles Zenawi and how the opposition is crying foul and demanding a recount . . .how unusual or maybe how unusual if they didn't?

So that's it from the rest of the world. As always, if you thought this week sucked, there's always next week and it should be coming up shortly.

(Lord of The Admiralty Winston Churchill - very dark days just ahead)

I've had a number of requests over the months to post some complete Winston Churchill addresses. Churchill is certainly a familiar voice to most people, but in the context of soundbites; short excerpts from famous speeches or radio addresses during the years of World War 2. Tonight I thought I would include a complete speech he gave in Manchester on February 1940, when the War in Europe was relatively new and the dark days of the Blitz were just ahead. Churchill had not become Prime Minister yet, but was still Lord of The Admiralty. That too would happen shortly after this address.

Winston Churchill: “Even if we look at numbers alone we have no need to feel that the task we have taken up is beyond our competence. I cannot pretend or venture to forecast what the course of this war will be, whether it will be long or short. Whether it will be dull and grinding or burst suddenly into furious flame. But I am quite sure that the British Empire and the French Republic and French Empire, once they have got on the move, and they are on the move, are far stronger together in physical energy and in psychic strength than Hitler’s Germany.”

It's also interesting to note that even Winston Churchill was not immune to heckles from the audience, as was evidenced by two shouting protests mid-way through his speech, briefly halting his address. A technical note: Because this is a shortwave broadcast, the sound goes from great to weird and distorted in places and back. In 1940 that was the best available technology at the time.

Some things, even in history, never change.