The Viet Minh, or League for the independence of Vietnam, was a nationalist organization that was created during World War II. It was an underground army established by Ho Chi Minh fighting against foreign occupation by using guerrilla warfare. The Viet Minh de-emphasized the communist social revolution to attract broadest possible coalitions. After Germany had conquered France, German's ally, the Japanese, moved into Vietnam. Japan did not have enough resources to rule over Vietnam as France had. The lack of control over the Vietnamese led to the formation of many nationalist organizations. The most effective being the Viet Minh.
In 1960, the National Liberation Front (NLF) was founded by the main members of the Viet Minh. The NLF operated in South Vietnam and swore to overthrow the South Vietnamese government in order to reunify Vietnam. The Viet Minh began to fade as their members began to join the NLF. During the French Indochina War (1946–1954), the VPA (Vietnam People's Army) was often referred to as the Viet Minh. In the context of the Vietnam War (1959–1975), the army was referred to as the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) or the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). This allowed the U.S. Military, and the general public, to distinguish northern communists from the southern communists, or Viet Cong. However, northerners and southerners were always under the same command structure.
by Dancing with Fire June 21, 2011
A member of the Vietnamese political and military movement led by Ho Chi Minh that challenged the Japanese and defeated the French between 1941 and 1954.
When the Japanese surrendered to the Allies, the Communist Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, reasserted independence as a democratic republic. The French moved in militarily to try to reclaim the nation, ultimately supporting the government of Bao Dai along with the United States and Britain. The Chinese began supplying Ho Chi Minh with weapons, and fighting in the country continued through the 1950s.
by Dancing with Fire September 08, 2012
Boxing is often labeled as old-school in nature. The perseverance and mental fortitude required from a successful fighter is unique from other sports. When a boxer demonstrates courage and tenacity inside the ring, he is often labeled as a "throwback" to the golden days of boxing.
Boxing is an explosive, anaerobic sport. The act of throwing punches, round after round, while contending with an attacking opponent is a daunting task. It is perhaps the most physically demanding sport of all. The sport has been estimated as approximately 70-80% anaerobic and 20-30% aerobic. Anaerobic means to conduct an activity without oxygen. Anaerobic exercise, like boxing, stresses the muscles at a high intensity for short periods of time. As a boxer, one must punch, slip, and block with split second movements and reactions. A boxer must be prepared to fight with intensity, round after round. The body must be conditioned to throw the same explosive punches in the last round that you started with in round one.
by Dancing with Fire January 18, 2011
South African Boer “pioneers” who trekked away from Cape Colony and civilization to settle deep inland on the South African frontier.
By the beginning of the eighteenth century thousands of trekboers were living permanently on grazing farms in the interior, some of them temporarily migrating each winter to the coast, so that their cattle might enjoy its sweet grass, but generally moving farther into the plains when their land was exhausted or when their journeys of exploration had revealed more attractive grazing or water. These people rarely put up permanent dwelling places; their homes were the wagons parked by a water point on the `loan places' they had registered with the Company. Their farms usually approximated to the conveniently-managed size (for Africa) of 6,000 acres, and they generally marked out this area in a rough and ready manner by trotting a horse from the wagon along all four points of the compass for half an hour.
by Dancing with Fire June 24, 2011
Hezbollah - or the Party of God - is a powerful political and military organization in Lebanon made up mainly of Shia Muslims. It emerged with financial backing from Iran in the early 1980s and began a struggle to drive Israeli troops from Lebanon. Hostility to Israel has remained the party's defining platform since May 2000, when the last Israeli troops left Lebanon due in large part to the success of Hezbollah's military arm, the Islamic Resistance. Hezbollah's popularity peaked in the 2000s, but took a massive dent among pro-Western Lebanese people when it was at the center of a huge, destructive war with Israel following the capture of two Israeli soldiers in 2006. Hezbollah is the strongest member of Lebanon's pro-Syrian opposition bloc which has been pitted against the pro-Western government led by Saad Hariri. It has several seats in parliament and has ministers in a national unity government formed in late 2009. It also blocked the election of a new president by repeatedly boycotting sessions of parliament. The stalemate ended on 21 May 2008, when the group reached a deal with the government under which its power of veto was recognized.
Washington has long branded Hezbollah a terrorist organization and has accused it of destabilizing Lebanon in the wake of Syria's withdrawal of its troops from the country following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The movement long operated with neighboring Syria's blessing, protecting its interests in Lebanon and serving as a card for Damascus to play in its own confrontation with Israel over the occupation of the Golan Heights. Hezbollah leaders have continued to profess its support for Syria, while stressing Lebanese unity by arguing against "Western interference" in the country. As well as a political clout, Hezbollah has wide popular appeal by providing social services and health care. It also has an influential TV station, al-Manar. Hezbollah's biggest test came in mid-2006, when its fighters captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border attack, killing a number of others. The incident triggered a fierce month-long war with Israel, which ended in a ceasefire. Having survived a massive military onslaught, Hezbollah declared victory, enhancing its reputation among many in the Arab world.
by Dancing with Fire January 30, 2011
by Dancing with Fire April 09, 2013
Getting off scot-free refers to someone getting away without payment, either monetary or otherwise. In fact in modern usage, it often refers to suspects who are not convicted of a crime. If a person feels that the suspect should have been convicted, he might say, “That guy is getting off scot-free.” Often the term is confused with the frugality that is occasionally attributed to the Scottish. Actually, the term scot predates old Gaelic that would have been spoken by the Scots. In fact the word has its origins in Scandinavian language and probably descends to the English language via Anglo-Saxon.
To get off scot-free implies evasion, purposeful or otherwise of the dues one is supposed to pay. It is frequently an annoyance to others if people duck out of paying what everyone else must pay. This is especially the case if the scot of a bar tab is avoided, since everyone else will have to pay extra to make up for the person getting off scot-free.
by Dancing with Fire December 17, 2010