Mao’s Revolution – What Remains?

These talks at UCBerkley presented online are great (second place goes to the University of Chicago). From the description:\

China expert and Harvard political scientist Roderick MacFarquhar joins UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism Dean Orville Schell for a lecture and discussion of the lasting impact of Chairman Mao’s Communist Revolution in China

Qing Culturalism and Manchu Identity

A really fascinating lecture on Qing culturalism and Manchu identity by Frederic Wakeman in a series of lectures of China at the turn of the 20th century, entitled “Transitions from Culture to Nation.”

Jared Diamond – How Societies Fail-And Sometimes Succeed – Long Now Foundation

Jared Diamon is a captivating and articulate speaker whose are ideas are a type of common sense that just makes sense, even without the countless hours of research. From the description:

Jared Diamond articulately spelled out how his best-selling book, COLLAPSE, took shape.

Mao’s Bloody Revolution

via popperslist documentaries

From the description:

Revealed Series: Mao’s Bloody Revolution – Section 1 of 4 A documentary offering a portrait of Mao Tse-Tung, one of the 20th century’s most controversial leaders. Author and former BBC correspondent Philip Short looks at Mao’s life from his childhood and rise to power to his death in 1976. The programme examines the legacy of Mao’s rule of China and features exclusive interviews with some of Mao’s inner circle, as well as dramatic unseen footage from the period of the ‘cultural revolution‘.

Inner Trip – Reiyukai Buddhism

This documentary is an interesting event, especially when contrasted with the gunboat diplomacy of Matthew Perry and the Treaty of Kanagawa which allowed christianity to be spread in Japan, albeit pretty unsuccesfully.

Current Event – Korean Reunification

I personally feel like this picture sums up the efforts of Korean Reunification by these two leaders quite well, but for more depth and background, let’s do a “current event” update.

Roh Moo Hyun and Kim Jong Il met in Pyongyang and signed a vague accord, pledging to work towards peace. The ultimate goal of reunification is obviously a long ways away because of the enormous cultural differences and hardline opposition in the South. The Independent isn’t even sure if the two countries are working towards reunification at all. Koreans, or at least businessmen speculating on land near the DMZ, seem to think the country will reunite and that that’s profits to be had.

al Jazeera presents an in-depth look at the current situation between the two Koreas.

Part One:

Part Two:

Just a note: I really like these al Jazeera in-depth news coverages; a guest on the show is actually from the country in question and theres only one of the usual American partisan pundist. So from here-and-on, I’ll be trying to syndicate current event coverage, focusing on northeast Asia.

The Changing Dynamics of U.S. and Japan Relations

The Japan Studies Program at the University of Washington presents the third Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Lecture. Mr. Toyoo Gyohten, president, Institute of International Monetary Affairs and senior advisor, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., is the featured speaker. In his talk, entitled ‘The Changing Dynamics of US-Japan Relations: Stability During Turbulent Global Economic Change,’ Mr. Gyohten discusses his views on how the US-Japan relationship is critical to global stability at a time when countries such as China and India are becoming stronger global economic powers

Intelligence Squared – A Booming China Spells Trouble

This past year was the first year for this Oxford-style debate series on NPR, Intelligence Squared, and I thought that every debate was thoughtful and provoking. This debate on the rise of China is my favorite from an American viewpoint, split up into an annoying 11 parts of youtube.

The Life of the Buddha

The Life of the Buddha.

The Lost Treasures of the Ancient World – China

North Korean Human Rights – Google Tech Talks

A presentation with Adrian Hong, who was recently arrested by Chinese authorities for helping North Korean refugees, at Google on June 29th, 2007.

The Mongol Invasion of Japan

A British educational television show focusing on the research of Kezno Hayashida, an archaeologist, on the failed Mongol invasion of Japan and the infamous ‘kamikaze’ that saved Japan.

A Day in the Life of North Korea

Apparently filmed by a Dutch crew, and presented by Al Jazeera.

via Smashing Telly