Sunday, October 16, 2016

THE WORLD CAPTURED BY TRAIL BLAZING PUBLICATIONS

Special  editions   of   American  publications  which  covered  the  good, bad , beautiful ,   ugly   and  fascinating  events  and  places  of the   globe  . Life  magazine  closed down several times, eventually   for  the  last  time  this century .
 
In its heyday ,Life  especially covered the  American  way of  life and  world  events .The  above  book  contains  more than  5000  superb  photographs  ;  an  annual   digest  of   major  events over  the  period   does not mentioned   the  election of   a  Labor  government  in  Australia in 1972 , but  records   a "Conservative "   victory  in  1975.
 

Still alive is  the  National Geographic  in which  inventor Alexander Graham Bell played  a  large part in its early life .The   above 1988  centennial issue  contains  extensive  fold  out  covers  of  the magazine  over the  period , a  quick scan  revealing  Australia  featuring  on  at least  four-  two relating to the  way of life, a  surfboat riding a big  wave  on one , boxing kangaroos ,  and  the    Murray River . Papua New Guinea  dominates  two  covers. 
 
In what amounts to a  letters  to the editor section, Members  Forum, there  are several references to  an  article  , Wool-Fabric of History  , published May 1988, Jean Smiling Coyote  of Chicago , Illinois , saying  it read like propaganda from the wool industry , there being no mention of the widespread  destruction of the vegetation (and consequent soil erosion) by domesticated sheep and the continuing massacre  of competing  herbivores  and  predators  in sheep-ranching  areas.
 
The Geographic's  coverage of the Persian  Gulf , with its vast oil reserves , drew  interesting comments  such as  : Americans will need  to learn more about  the nations of the area  as its future economic  destiny increasingly depended upon it ...The US policy in the area    had  failed  and should change , if the CIA had not overthrown  Mohammed Mossadegh  of Iran  1951-53  and supported the shah  and his SAVAK (secret police ) the relationship with Iran  and much of Middle East would be  very  different .
 
Fleas , the  widespread  use  of  DDT  in Burma, Vietnam, India  and southern Africa  and   AIDS  were other  topics of  discussion .