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3) Vietnam
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English
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A part of the series America in the 20th Century. It was the longest war in America's history and the most divisive in more than a century. This program explores the genesis of America's painful military "quagmire" from the roots of Vietnamese nationalism through a century of French colonial rule to the first Indochina war; it then takes viewers from John F. Kennedy's initial deployment of military advisers through increases and escalations under...
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The disintegration of Iraq, the rise of ISIS, the civil war in Syria, the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, the promise and peril of the Arab Spring.... The Middle East has long vexed the United States and challenged policy makers for generations. What role should America play in the region? For some, the nation's restraint has been a sign of disciplined leadership. But for others, it has been a sign of diminished strength and influence....
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Should the United States, with its enormous military might, act as a global sheriff, policing the world's trouble spots? The proposition team argues that a policeman is necessary in an otherwise anarchic international system, and nobody besides the U.S. is capable. The opposition team argues that, necessary or not, the U.S. is in relative decline and has neither the power nor the legitimacy to play a world police role.
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This program, part two of the China New Empire series, picks off where the first episode left off: after the death of Mao Zedong. Though twice purged by Mao for ideological moderation and economic pragmatism, Deng Xiaoping eventually succeeded him as China's new 'Paramount Leader'. Deng's regime saw the emergence of China as the economic powerhouse we know today. As one historian comments: "During Mao's final years it was 'strong nation, poor population.'...
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In recent years, one focus of the debate over affirmative action has been its use in education, especially race-based admissions policies at universities. In a 2003 ruling involving the University of Michigan, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a limited consideration of race in admissions to allow colleges to create a diverse student body. However, voters in Michigan have since passed an amendment to the state constitution that bans the use of affirmative...
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Martin Smith draws on in-depth interviews with Iraqi politicians and American policymakers and military leaders to explore and explain how the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) became a major force so quickly. What does it mean for the U.S. to be back in Iraq, fighting a new war on terror, less than three years after American troops pulled out of the country? Smith delivers a revelatory look at how ISIS grew out of the disaffection of Iraqi Sunnis...
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There are two different Arctics. One is the storybook land of snow and polar bears, while the other has become a breeding ground of petroleum plants and pipelines. Can the two coexist? What fate awaits the natural Arctic if the technological one expands without restraint? This program explores those questions as it follows research taking place on Bylot Island, home to a portion of Sirmilik National Park, in Canada's Nunavut Territory. Here, scientists...
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Its investment in global development programs tops $150 billion. It dwarfs other United Nations agencies both in size and scope. Yet until this two-hour program was filmed, no camera crew had ever been allowed access to the inner workings of the World Bank. This two-part documentary provides a rare glimpse into both the inner workings of the World Bank and its efforts to bring economic stability to Africa. A case study tracks the fortunes of proposed...
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English
Description
Each year the number of ships traversing the Northwest Passage rises, raising concerns among local and indigenous communities. As this program illustrates, the trend shows no sign of stopping, since what were once extremely dangerous waters are becoming more and more accessible to global commerce. Ports such as Churchill, in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and Murmansk, near Russia's border with Norway and Finland, expect to see business and maritime...