Feature and above photo by M. V. Jantzen.

Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, may be rubbing his hands over what he claims is the death rattle of the crumbling American Empire, but ‘Merica still boasts some significant holdings around the globe.

The following guide gives a brief summary of how each region came under US dominion and how modern day colonists can best experience its unique cultural and geographical bounty.

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Photo by Abnel Gonzalez.

Colonized by Spain in the late 15th century and then acquired by the United States as a spoil of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Puerto Rico’s political status is rather nebulous.

As a self-governing non-incorporated territory, citizens enjoy a relatively large amount of autonomy, similar to that of a state. Their government consists of an executive branch headed by a governor, a legislature, and a judicial branch.

Unlike a state, however, Puerto Rico has no voting representation in the US Congress-even though the citizens are still subject US federal law and taxes. In addition, Puerto Ricans are disenfranchised from presidential elections, only voting in primaries.

This vague political standing has created divides among Puerto Ricans; there are those who favor independence; those who want closer ties to the US as a full-fledged state; and those who support continued commonwealth status. Although a referendum is held every few years to revisit the island’s status, it remains a commonwealth.

Visiting:

A popular tourist destination in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico benefits from mild maritime tropical climate and exotic geography, if not economic prosperity.

Common recreational activities include horseback riding, scuba diving, rainforest exploration, and boat tours of bioluminescent bays.

While the locals are friendly and sociable, it’s generally not recommended to engage in political discussions, especially in regards to the United States.

And the rare upside to being a commonwealth? Drinking age is 18. Spring-breakers can start on those famous piña coladas a few years early.

Okinawa Prefecture, Nippon-koku (Japan)

Photo by A. P. Campbell.

Accounting for one-percent of Japan’s land mass, the Ryukyu Islands of the Okinawa Prefecture host over 25,000 U.S. soldiers-that’s two-thirds of the amount installed in Japan after WWII. Before being annexed into Japan in 1879, the islands were an autonomous kingdom, the remains of which have been sadly effaced by the mid-century military campaigns.

Already somewhat resentful of Japanese colonialism, the citizens of Okinawa outright oppose the US occupation of the islands, citing noise pollution, environmental damage, and crimes committed by the US military against civilians.

Despite their repeated appeals to the mainland government, the US still maintains a significant presence in the strategic position near China and Taiwan.

Visiting:

The only subtropical region of Japan, Okinawa has a perennially temperate climate and excellent waters for all types of sports and activities, such as surfing, diving, and fishing.

For those seeking adventure, the Iriomote National Park contains lush Amazon-like jungles and mangroves. Canoeing and guided cruises up the Urauchi River also prove quite popular with visitors.

Exploring the Ryukyu historical sites presents some problems as there are little traces left, but the restored Shuri castle and the village of Taketomi offer insights into the islanders’ heritage.

Factoid: Karate originated from Okinawa, a synthesis of Chinese kung fu with indigenous martial arts

United States Virgin Islands

Photo by Joe Shlabotnik.

Passed along from one colonizer to the next since the 17th century, the US finally came into possession of the Virgin Islands after buying them off Denmark in 1917.

By this time no indigenous populations remained, killed off by disease and massacre after first contact with the Europeans. Most of the existing population descends from the African slaves brought over to work on sugar plantations and are part of the Afro-Caribbean culture throughout the region.

The Virgin Islands have a system of government similar to other US territories but unlike the others, most citizens are quite apathetic towards self-determination and therefore remain a territory by default of lack of voter turn-out on referendums.

Visiting:

This is resort country. With tourism being the main generator of economic activity, the islands are geared for your (expensive) pleasure: golf courses, casinos, scuba diving, horseback riding, white sandy beaches, four star restaurants, and designer goods can all be found. Kind of like giant stationary cruise ships-in fact, this is on what many of the tourists arrive.

Republic of Korea (South Korea)

Photo by Gin_E.

Originally part of a unified country that was conquered by Japan in the early half of the 20th century, South Korea was severed from the northern region due to bungled Soviet and American attempts at de-colonization.

While the division was never intended as a permanent solution, the outbreak of the Cold War and subsequent Korean War ensured reunification remained a distant hope. Throughout its existence, capitalist South Korea has depended quite heavily upon the US, which effectively created the nascent nation.

Although Korea has emerged as an independent first world country within the last 20 years, the US still maintains 29,000 troops throughout its territory and uses what some observers call manipulative diplomatic/ economic tactics to influence its protégé.

Visiting:

As the fourth largest economy in Asia, South Korea offers all the luxuries of most modern countries. Museums, theater performances, resort hotels, nightclubs, sports stadiums, and consumer goods abound in the urban areas.

For more touristy destinations, visit Gyeongju, the capital of the ancient Silla Kingdom. Tombs, temples, and other archaeological sites serve to enrich visitors’ knowledge about Korea’s distant past.

Or if you’re feeling courageous, take a tour of the world’s most heavily guarded border, the Korean Demilitarized Zone near the 38th parallel. An observatory offers binoculars to view into the neighboring totalitarian state.

You can also take a peek at the Third Tunnel of Aggression, one of the many tunnels North Korea clandestinely dug under the DMZ for a possible future invasion.

South Korea is also a popular and lucrative destination for teaching English.

American Samoa

Photo by Taiger808.

Comprising the eastern part of the Samoa Islands chain in the South Pacific, American Samoa was made into a non-incorporated territory in 1899 after Germany and the US agreed to divvy up the archipelago.

Although officially listed by the UN as a non-self-governing territory, American Samoa maintains its own representative democracy. However, day-to-day government is rooted in time-honored customs which often supersede the edicts of federal law.

Villages consist of several extended families, or aiga, and are headed by fonos, or village councils. The fonos in turn are made up of chiefs, matais, which head each family. The matais and fonos primarily supervise communal property, as there is no real ownership within the family, and keep peace in the villages.

This sense of collectivity extends so far that traditional Samoan house are built with no walls, only blinds to be lowered during bad weather and intimate moments.

Visiting:

Given the American Samoans’ deep cultural beliefs based on courtesy, called fa’asamoa, visitors should follow some simple rules of etiquette.

Always ask for permission before doing anything within a village, no matter how inconsequential it may seem. Dusk is reserved as a moment for prayer, so if you happen to be within a village during that time, stop all activity and wait for the ritual to end. Do not eat or drink while walking around in a village. And always take off your shoes before entering someone’s home.

Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary and National Park of American Samoa allow visitors to explore biologically diverse rainforests and coral reefs where you can see flying foxes, sea turtles, and an assortment of colorful tropical fish.

If you want a more relaxing activity, just take a walk along the gorgeous beaches or watch the traditional Samoan dance, the Siva, in which dancers’ delicate hand and food movements weave a story.

Republic of Iraq

Photo by James Gordon.

The cradle of some of the oldest civilizations on the planet, Iraq possesses a rich and varied history. Unfortunately, much of this unique heritage has been erased as archaeological sites and museums were destroyed and plundered during the initial years of U.S. occupation.

After 24 years of a brutal dictatorship, Iraqis again got the short end of the stick as the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein ushered in an unwelcome foreign occupation and violent political instability.

Even though control has been officially handed over to the installed democratic government, the US maintains a heavy military presence with nearly 150,000 troops and no clear intentions towards departure.

Visiting:

Speaking English, driving cars late at night, being in city centers, traveling without armed security, and not wearing body armor in Iraq proper are not recommended as these actions can get you killed.

Although some optimists are already planning tourist resorts near Baghdad, it will be several years before those dreams are realistic.

However, if you absolutely have a yen to go, the northern region-Iraqi Kurdistan-experiences very little of the upheaval of the war-torn parts.

Distant Horizons offered the first organized tours earlier this summer and other intrepid travelers have made the trek without too much hazard to life and limb. With ancient citadels, Roman ruins, gorgeous mountainous terrain, and friendly locals, some consider it well worth the risks.

Territory of Guam

Photo by Drew Vigal.

Like Puerto Rico, Guam was ceded to the US as spoils of the Spanish-American War. Unlike Puerto Rico, however, Guam doesn’t experience the same relatively high level of self-government as a commonwealth, instead relegated to territory status.

Guam does, at least, have the popularly elected government following the typical Western three-branch structure. And while generally happy to be a part of the US, most Guam citizens still desire more autonomy, which the US has denied due to doubts over Guam’s solvency.

The fact that nearly one-third of Guam’s land-surface is covered by federal military bases might also play a significant part in the US’ decision.

Visiting:

A hotspot for tourists, Guam has all that you would imagine from a tropical island destination: excellent diving (you can see WWI and WWII shipwrecks), ecologically rich forests and oceans, and paradisiacal beaches.

The prevalent Chamarro culture, a blend of Micronesian, Spanish, American, and Asian traditions, offers a unique fusion cuisine with fresh seafood delicacies, world famous BBQ, red rice, Filipino noodles, and coconut and taro based dishes.

An aside-much like their neighbors the Samoans, the Chamarro are fairly devout and have a culture strongly rooted in respect. Try to err on the side of modesty and utmost civility and you will avoid any major faux pas.

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Photo by US Army.

The other theater of the two-front war on terror, Afghanistan has pretty much gotten the shaft for the past 30 years. Suffering from internal conflicts exacerbated by foreign meddling, chaos and violence have become routine for Afghans.

After the Soviet retreat in 1988 failed to stem civil war, the resulting power vacuum allowed the despotic and religiously radical Taliban to seize power. And unfortunately for the US, who spurred the Soviets into invading in the first place, the Taliban’s rise to power also aided the success of al-Qaeda training camps-as evidenced by the 9/11 attacks.

After enduring six years of draconian rule, Afghanistan was again invaded, this time by US forces intent on destroying the terrorist home base. It’s been seven years of near anarchy ever since.

Visiting:

Non-essential travel to Afghanistan is not recommended, especially in the southern and eastern regions where bombings occur on a regular basis. Dangers typically include remnants of the Taliban, al-Qaeda, roving bandits, land mines, clan warfare, drug traffickers, and US air strikes.

Guided tours may be your safest bet for first time excursions, but they shouldn’t be considered impervious to the political turmoil. Situations can shift in an instant and it’s advised to be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Keeping that in mind, essential sites to see include the effaced Buddhist statues of Bamiyan, the Blue Mosque in Mazari Sharif, and the archaeological-site rich cities of Herat and Balkh.

Those seeking less of a thrill are advised to attend the traveling exhibition of the newly revealed Bactrian Hoard. You’ll learn about Afghan culture without putting your life in peril.

Any of your own tips for visiting these American outposts? Share in the comments!

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/10/14/from-iraq-to-samoa-the-travelers-guide-to-outposts-of-the-american-empire/feed/ 0 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/09/15/10-revolutionary-acts-of-courage-by-ordinary-people/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/09/15/10-revolutionary-acts-of-courage-by-ordinary-people/#comments Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:00:47 +0000 Robyn Johnson http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=655 Here are 10 people who stood up for peace and human rights. And inspired countless others to do the same.

When looking back through the mystique of history, we tend to impose super-human status to those who stood up for their beliefs in a revolutionary way.

For some of them, the decision to act was conscious defiance to the status quo. For others, they were simply in the right place at the wrong time, and found themselves acting on behalf of others lacking the courage to speak out.

We should rightly remember these people. But we should also remember that they were (or are) ordinary human beings, who made a choice.

And just like them, the rest of us have the opportunity to choose to engage in creating a better world. In short, we can be revolutionary every day.

1. Lt. Ehren Watada Refusing The War

Lt. Ehren Watada

The first commissioned officer of the U.S. armed forces to refuse deployment to Iraq, First Lieutenant Ehren Watada created a furor with his objection and public denunciation of the war in January 2006.

Watada entered into the army fully believing the official justifications for the invasion. However, after researching the history of Iraq and the events leading to the American invasion, he concluded that the war was based on false evidence presented to Congress-specifically the existence of the elusive weapons of mass destruction.

Watada therefore believed his own involvement would be constituted as crimes against peace under command responsibility. He asked to be deployed to Afghanistan, where he felt there was a true moral imperative to defend the United States, but when the army refused his request or his resignation, Watada did not board the plane with his unit.

Military authorities subjected Watada to a court martial in February 2007 and the judge declared a mistrial after deciding Watada’s defense of not following unlawful orders could not be decided in a military court.

When a new court martial date was set, Watada’s attorney claimed double jeopardy-his client could not be tried again under the same charges. Today Watada works at Fort Lewis with the continuous threat of a 6-8 year prison term looming over him for the crime of speaking truth to power.

2. The Unknown Rebel at the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests

The Unknown Rebel

Little can be verified about the lone protester who faced-off with the tanks of the People’s Liberation Army on June 5, 1989.

As the column of tanks drove down Chang’an Avenue to quell the Tiananmen Square protests, a single unarmed man in a white shirt blocked their path and continually thwarted their attempts to maneuver around him by stepping in their way.

Eventually onlookers pulled the student back into the crowd, where he disappeared.

Yet despite his anonymous, brief appearance, the media coverage of his nonviolent act resounded throughout the global community.

Stuart Franklin’s famous photo of the stand-off went on to become one of Life’s “100 Photos that Changed the World” and TIME listed the Unknown Rebel as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Rumors still abound about the protester’s identity and whereabouts. Most believe he was executed shortly after the rebellion and others claim that he lives in hiding in mainland China or Taiwan.

3. Gandhi’s Salt March to Dandi

Gandhi with his supporters / Photo GandhiMemorial

Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt March to Dandi in 1930 alerted the world to the burgeoning Indian independence movement.

Gandhi’s defiant act was the first campaign against British imperialism since the National Congress’ declaration of independence earlier that same year.

A pioneer in mass non-violent protest ever since his expatriation in South Africa as a young man, Gandhi chose to defy the British salt laws by organizing a 248 mile trek to a coastal town to illegally make salt from the sea.

By the time he and his thousands of followers reached the sea, word had spread across the country and millions of impoverished and malcontented Indians took up the civil disobedience by disregarding the salt laws.

While Gandhi’s march did not directly bring about national independence, it was vital in turning world opinion against British policies in India.

For his life-long struggle for freedom, Gandhi is immortalized as the nation’s founding father and remains one of the world’s most beloved figures.

4. Rosa Parks’ Sit Down for Civil Rights

Rosa Parks refusing to sit at the back

Popularly remembered as the woman who quietly refused to give up her seat for a white passenger on a segregated bus, thereby launching the Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks was already steeped in black politics long before her iconic arrest.

A secretary of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP since 1943, she was well aware of the group’s attempts to challenge the Jim Crow laws on public transportation and supported their plans to instigate a bus boycott.

Rosa Parks reputes the common myth that her unwillingness to get up was due to aching feet. “No” she said, “the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”

Although instrumental to the Civil Rights movement, Parks went on to live in anonymity after the protests, working as a seamstress for almost a decade and not receiving national recognition until later in life.

5. Aung San Suu Kyi and Freedom From Fear

Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest.

Aung San Suu Kyi came from a prominent political background-her father helped liberate Burma from British colonial control after WWII and her mother was the fledgling nation’s ambassador to India.

Spending most of her younger adult years studying and raising a family abroad, Aung San Suu Kyi always felt that the time might come for her to take up her family’s legacy and fight against the oppressive military dictatorship that had overthrown the civilian government initiated by her father.

That moment came when Aung San Suu Kyi returned to Burma in 1988 to care for her ailing mother. Her visit coincided massive public demonstrations against the junta, and she joined the fray.

Emerging as the most compelling leader of the popular revolt, Aung San Suu Kyi helped found an opposition political party, the National League of Democracy. In 1990 she was voted in as Prime Minister in the first multi-party elections – a triumph that was nullified by the military government, which had already placed her under house arrest.

When the junta offered her release in exchange for permanent exile, Aung San Suu Kyi refused. Instead, the courageous and principled leader continues to live under house arrest, despite the constant peril to her life and the decades-long separation from her family.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s tenacious dedication to see a better Burma has led to countless international awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize.

Read her essay Freedom From Fear.

6. John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-In for Peace

John Lennon and Yoko Ono on their bed

While most celebrities use the publicity surrounding their weddings as a way to further their careers, John Lennon and Yoko Ono actually took advantage of the media’s voyeurism to stage a protest for peace during their honeymoon.

Of course, being the bastions of the 60s avant-garde, their altruism necessarily took the unexpected and quirky form of a “bed-in.”

Between March 25-31, 1969, Lennon and Yoko invited the press, expecting to document a more scandalous spectacle, into their hotel room in the Amsterdam Hilton while they sat in bed and spoke of peace.

After the success of this inspired stunt, they went to Montreal’s Queen Elizabeth Hotel for another seven-day protest from May 26-June 1. It was here that they first recorded the anti-war anthem “Give Peace a Chance” among luminaries such as Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg.

Scoffed at by the major media, Lennon and Ono’s demonstration inspired many others throughout the decades to perform bed-ins in passive protest of war. “Give Peace a Chance” remains the emblematic anti-war song of the 1960s.

7. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” Speech

Martin Luther King Jr. addresses the crowd.

One of the finest orators and civil rights leaders of the 20th century, Martin Luther King, Jr. did much to change the United States’ policy on racial discrimination.

After helping to launch the Civil Rights Movement by heading the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, King founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a black religious organization that directed nonviolent protests against segregationist authorities throughout the 1960s.

The zenith of Dr. King’s career came on August 28, 1963 with his “I Have A Dream” speech, given at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Watch the full speech here.

On the symbolic steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King spoke to 200,000-300,000 dissidents and millions of television viewers, rallying for a world free of prejudice in which people would not be “judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

Dr. King’s historic speech was a major deciding factor in the passage of the National Voting Act and Civil Rights Act.

For his part in advocating racial harmony and equality through nonviolent means, King became the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

Although an assassin lamentably cut his momentous career short in 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. and his words continue to inspire the oppressed everywhere.

8. Ahmad Batebi, Iran’s Happenstance Hero

Ahmad Batebi with the bloody shirt.

The subject of a provocative cover of The Economist that created a global backlash against Iranian human rights abuses, Ahmad Batebi’s accidental role in the Iran student protests of 1999 irrevocably altered the course of his life.

The famous photo shows Batebi waving a bloody shirt-that of a fellow protester shot by plainclothes police-an act many interpreted as a rallying cry of rebellion against the government’s autocratic policies.

However, according to a recent interview in the New York Times, Batebi had wandered into the crowd of dissidents, and after using the shirt to staunch the bullet wound of a fallen student, waved the bloodied garment to dissuade others from joining the rabble.

Regardless of his intent, the published photo sealed Batebi’s conviction as an agitator. The international recognition of advocacy groups did nothing to mitigate the eight years of unimaginable physical and psychological torture he suffered at the hands of prison guards.

However, global attention to his case did save Batebi from the fate that his more unfortunate comrades suffered – an anonymous and brutal death.

In 2008, Batebi finally escaped from prison with the help of underground Kurdish revolutionaries and now lives in the United States, where he works for nonviolent political reform in his homeland.

9. Nelson Mandela’s Dedication To Justice

Nelson Mandela just after his release

An anti-apartheid activist and leader of the African National Congress in his early political career, Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for political agitation against the South African government.

Yet his struggles only galvanized the cause for racial equality, and he endured to become the nation’s first black president, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and an international symbol of freedom.

At first committed to passive resistance, Mandela played a major role in the ANC’s many demonstrations and conferences of the 1950s.

However, after the Treason Trial of 1956-1961, when 156 dissidents, including Mandela, were arrested, tried, and eventually acquitted, for a communist conspiracy to overthrow the government, the rebellion took a more violent turn. Mandela became head of the ANC’s militia, the Umkhonto we Sizwe.

After committing sabotage against several military and government installations, Mandela was arrested and this time found guilty. He spent nearly three decades in prison before mounting international pressure forced his release in 1990, when he made a speech addressed directly to the nation. Watch the video of his release.

Despite the years of hard labor and harsh conditions he had suffered, Mandela publicly took up the cause of armed struggle again if political negotiations to end apartheid were not initiated.

Because of his courage, commitment and leadership, the country went on to hold its first multi-racial elections in 1994 and dismantle racial segregation.

10. Thich Quang Duc’s Self-Immolation

Thich Quang Duc burns on the street.

The unprecedented media coverage of the Vietnam War brought the brutal realities of human conflict into the world’s living room for the first time, but few images failed to shock more than Thich Quang Duc’s suicide-protest.

A devout Mahayana Buddhist monk, Thich Quang Duc spent most of his life in service and teaching, heading monasteries and rebuilding nearly 30 temples. Because of his esteemed position within the community, he was chosen to carry out the infamous mission of martyrdom on behalf of persecuted Vietnamese Buddhists.

On June 11, 1963, the 76-year-old monk, seated in a full lotus position in the middle of a central Saigon intersection, publicly denounced the South Vietnamese government’s oppressive policies and called for religious equality.

Then, to the horrified onlookers, Thich Quang Duc’s fellow monks poured gasoline over his body and he calmly set himself aflame.

While many people still disagree about the tenor of Thich Quang Duc’s suicide, his deed was a decisive turning point in the Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam, which ultimately ushered in a regime change.

For his selfless act Thich Quang Duc was deemed a bodhisattva, an enlightened being who delays nirvana to help those in need, and his intact heart became a holy relic.

What do you think of this revolutionary courage? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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