D Block History

This class has definitely been my rowdiest history class ever. But I think that fit in nicely with the tone of the class and the way we learned together. The connections we made as a class and by ourselves from the unit we were studying to something happening today were astounding. I know that my ability to recognize those connections and then convey them eloquently whether through speech or writing has drastically improved since the beginning of the year. I think this is due to the unique format of the class whether it was watching a movie like the Battle of Algiers or reading a current New York Times article. I also know for a fact that I would not have learned or grown as a student nearly as much without our exceptional teacher, curriculum, or class dynamic.

Releasing The Will of The People

As differently as these two stories were told, I found that they fit nicely together. At first, the peasants, or the general population, are shown as timid and afraid to speak out. However, with a little push from the new leaders, it didn't take long for them to accuse the old leaders of their wrongs and demand punishments. I believe the same goes for the Red Guard. The peasants or general population, or in this case high school seniors, finally relinquished their anger after being encouraged by their new government. Although the second story is told in a more violent manner, it only seemed confusing to me at first because the second story was the aftermath of the encouragement from the new government. In both cases, the lower class or newly empowered people finally rose up after some nudging by their new leaders.

Cold War Memories

I interviewed my dad about his experience in the Cold War. He told me that in his school they had regular bomb shelter drills and he can still remember the shrieking of the bell. Since the entire country was worried that the U.S. was going to be bombed, even as little second or third graders, the teacher would rush them into the bomb shelter or to take cover under their desks. Also, he said that although the Olympics may seem to get a lot of attention nowadays, during those times they were much more competitive and aggressive. He said that the competition between who got more medals between the United States and the USSR became very personal and energy and tensions ran high.

Like every sophomore, I have read Things Fall Apart, the story of white settlers disrupting the life of an African man. Also, I have read The Kite Runner, the story of two best friends in Afghanistan. Besides that, I sadly have not seen or read much about 20th or 21st C African or MENA life.

Allies Among the Middle East

It is interesting to note which of the countries the United States is allies with and how they relate geographically to the rest of the Middle East. The Unites States' allies are either greatly involved in producing the oil that we need, like Saudi Arabia, or they seem to be on the outskirts of the Middle East. For example, Turkey and Israel are on the edge of what is classified as the Middle East and it seems as though they are on the edge of the politics of the area as well; almost as if they are being pushed out. Israel, as we well know, obviously does not have good relations with much of the Middle East and if you compare it geographically, it is about as far west as you can get in the Middle East. Turkey also does not seem to belong anywhere. Europe rejected it, and the Turks were not comfortable with the military power of the rest of the Middle East, so it seems to fall into the pattern of the United States' allies. If you're not in agreement with the rest of the Middle East, the United States will take you in it appears.

Tanzania and its Education

Tanzania was one of the few African countries that attempted to create a socialist society, mostly through their current president at the time, Julius Nyerere. He promoted nationalizing industries, restricting foreign investments, caps on income, but after almost twenty years he left the country without much progress and rural and urban poverty. Nyerere claims that he improved the social and economic conditions, but just looking at the education in Tanzania tells us that this is not entirely true. Although Tanzania's adult literacy rate of 69.4% is higher than the average African region og 60.1% and the male and female education enrollment is 83% and 80%, if Nyerere's only claim to success is of bettering the social and economic conditions (i.e. education) than there is not much to claim.

Petra, Jordan

Research questions for the ancient city of Petra:

-Why was it built in the first place?

-What does it represent for Jordan and the rest of the world?

-Does it reflect any current politics in the Middle East?

-What is the attitude towards the city from Jordan, the Middle East, in particular Israel?

My questions are mostly focused on what this old, amazing piece of history means in recent times. Also how the politics in the Middle East affect the preservation and the city itself.

City of Petra

You might not know about the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, unless you have seen the Indiana Jones movies, but it is an amazing sight. It was built in the 4th century B.C.E. by the Nabataens and was a great trading city, but by the 12th century it was just ruins. The western world didn't know about the city until a Swiss explorer rediscovered it in 1812. Then in 1994, after Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty, Petra finally became the tourist attraction it was supposed to be. However, as Neil MacFarquhar argues in his article, A Fabled Place Forsaken, Contaminated by War, the combination of the Palestinians rebelling against Israeli occupation and the 9/11 attacks dramatically decreased the tourism in Jordan, especially in Petra. He also argued that due to middle eastern politics, many citizens don't want tourists, particularly from Israel to come back. One man was quoted saying, "I don't think people [the Israelis] will welcome ... it will be very difficult. It is difficult to forget what is happening there." It is astounding to me that the politcs and the turbulance of the middle east can even affect the tourism of an otherwise incredible ancient city.

Other articles:
Petra becomes one of the 7 new wonders
ancient city of Petra

The Wretched of the Earth

Franz Fanon's work of The Wretched of the Earth is supposed to be fiery and inspirational, yet I believe it's actually just unhelpful. Fanon says that, "Europe undertook the leadership of the world with ardour, cynicism and violence," and has "a succession of negations of man, and an avalanche of murders", justifying "her crimes" and legitimizing "the slavery in which she holds four-fifths of humanity". He even writes that Africans should not try to imitate Europe in any way because, "a former European colony decided to catch up with Europe. It succeeded so well that the United States of America became a monster, in which the taints, the sickness and the inhumanity of Europe have grown to appalling dimensions."

Fanon goes over and over the point that Africans need to go in a new direction, and not follow the European or American way. He declares that they "must turn over a new leaf... work out new concepts, and try to set afoot a new man," but he offers absolutely no solution to this dilemma. I think it's pointless to just point out a "problem" like this and not give any effort to solve it.

"The Lines a German Won't Cross"

I found an interesting article in the NY Times about modern Germany. "The Lines a German Won't Cross" discusses the way Germans strictly adhere to so many unwritten social and legal rules that it is astounding when compared to the U.S. or other European countries. The author states that he can't blame Germans for Ordnung (order) or, "the unwritten road map of one society's concerted effort to permanently banish the instability and violence that have marked its history". He says it's understandable by looking at their past; they let "a little charismatic speaker with an even littler mustache" order them around and it was followed with horror and chaos. 

However; Germany may be doing well now, but I think it was partly their strict adherence to the rules that led to their downfall of WWII. Germans blindly followed irrational laws and social regulations, like boycotting all Jewish stores or not speaking up when people heard the terrors of ghettos and camps. They blindly followed a man who was crazy with his rules and where did that leave them? Maybe if they weren't so focused on staying within the boundaries, someone would have questioned the leadership more. It is a lesson to all of us not just to follow the rules because they are there and perhaps we should think for ourselves a little bit more. 

Below is the cartoon that went along with the article

Women Needed

The proof that World War II was by nature even more of a total war than the first world war are the WACs and the WAVEs that served. The WACs, or the Women's Army Corps, was first created in 1942 because the war took such a toll that there was a shortage of men. Over 150,000 were put in uniform for this total war, despite initial concerns that it was not a women's job. The WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, were accepted straight into the Navy in 1942. By 1943, there were 27,000 women serving in the continental United States and eventually other overseas locations. These two programs show that WWII had a much larger effect on the entire globe than first world war did. During WWI, women were kept at home or in factories, making supplies for the war, but none of them actually saw any combat. The second war war was so consuming that social norms were set aside and women had to step up and serve.

Movies and Books of WWII

Movies

• Casablanca - A story of a man during the early stages of World War II in Casablanca, when Nazis come into town as well as a former lover.
• Pearl Harbor - Two friends' journey of being fighter pilots during the war and experiencing the horrors of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - A movie about a man who starts aging backwards and lives through World War II and its repercussions. 

Books 

• Diary of Ann Frank - Ann Frank's journey during the beginning of World War II, while hiding in an attic. 
• The Sun Flower by Simon Wiesenthal - The story of Simon Wiesenthal in a concentration camp and how he deals with a dying Nazi soldier asking for forgiveness. Many other authors, politicians and people have written their answer in the second half of the book.

You're Next... An American Threat

Upon reading this propaganda, I was immediately appalled. It is a shocking image full with threats. It is physically threatening, showing a muscular Uncle Sam pulling up his sleeves, ready to finish anyone or anything off who is in his way. And it is socially and mentally threatening by using the racial slur of "Jap" and warning that the "Japs are next". It is hard to comprehend how anyone could create a poster like this, but by looking back at history it can be easier to understand or explain (but not necessarily excuse) it. 

On December 7th, 1941, America was at a standstill. The entire country was shocked. The Japanese had launched an unprovoked bomb raid of Pearl Harbor, using about 440 warplanes, killing about 2,400 and injuring 1,200. It is not surprising that this ignited a fire of anger, resentment and racism within American hearts towards the Japanese. Due to that anger and fear, Japanese internment camps were set up in 1942; imprisoning about 110,000 Japanese Americans, as well dropping two atomic bombs on Japan. It is easy to pass judgement on whoever made this poster as a horrible, racist person. And not that anyone would make a poster like this today, but weren't similar feelings stirred when two planes, piloted by Islamist terrorists, crashed into the World Trade Center on 9/11? These attacks killed almost 3,000 innocent lives. I would not believe anyone who says that there is no racism towards Muslims or people of Middle Eastern descent in the U.S. You just have to look at an airport security line; who is more likely of being pulled off to the side for an extra search?

I sometimes have trouble using historical or temporal relativism as an explanation for this type of propaganda. And from a moral standpoint, the poster is plain horrible. But it is not so far fetched to understand how this poster was created at such a time and how it helped urge Americans to dedicate their time to WWII and boost morale. Obviously the image shows that Americans thought the Japanese as pure enemies, like in a video game, and not as another country with the similar goals, filled with real human beings. I am not saying that a poster exactly like this would be made today, advocating the war in Iraq, rather that the poster is very significant to current times. My first impression of this piece of propaganda was that it was offensive in so many different ways. And when trying to apply this poster to modern times, it gets me thinking; is this what Americans are thinking (maybe not so outright violently) silently about our war on terrorism? Do Americans think of Islamist terrorists just as people we have shoot down as in our video games and not as sons or brothers? I think some do. Perhaps Iraq is next for the Americans who want "finish the job". 

Bomb Disposal Units

One out of every ten bombs that the Germans dropped during the Luftwaffe over Britain did not go off. And this 10% proposed as much as a danger to the British population as the 90% that exploded did. The responsibility fell on the Air Raid Precautions, which was formed by the British Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, in 1935 and the Bomb Disposal Units. The Air Raid Wardens had to locate the unexploded bombs, evacuate the area and inform the Bomb Disposal Unit of the bomb. The BDU would then send someone to the area to defuse the bomb. German manufacturers changed the bombs in 1940 though, by added anti-handling devices meaning that the bomb would explode if the fuse was removed. This changed the way the BDU handled the bombs and they then had to cut into the bomb and take out the explosive contents, making it much harder for them to handle the bombs. 

Created for Empathy

It is obvious that the video about the atomic bomb shows the world that Americans now have serious remorse about the decision to murder an innocent city (or two). It is easy for us now to judge the government for making that choice and to judge the rest of the country who were proud to be Americans after winning the war. It doesn't take much thought to declare how awful it was that the United States obliterated two entire cities. However, I believe that the video was made partly so people now can understand what both our government and the Japanese citizens had to go through. I can't imagine facing the responsibility of deciding the fate of hundreds of thousands of people, both Americans and Japanese. Am I saying that they made the right decision? Or that I would have done the same thing too? No, not necessarily. That video, though, was created to make us realize what a different time it was back then. Not one of us knows what it must have felt like. And who are we to announce what we would have done instead? We cannot until we are truly faced with the same situation.

Textbook Edits

It makes sense for the textbook to begin with background information and the rise of fascism in various countries in a chronological order. And also it helps that it keeps going into the actual combat of the war year by year and battle by battle. However, it becomes confusing when the textbook back tracks to the Holocaust. I wish when informing us about Hitler's rise to power in Germany the textbook would stop at just that; his rise to power. When it treads on into how they had the Nuremberg Laws and the Kristallnacht, it is not easy connect those events to the Holocaust. If they gave the whole view of how German society changed, especially for the Jews, and then onto the Holocaust, I believe it would be much more effective. Also I wish they had a longer, more detailed timeline at the end of the chapter including all events, battles and the terrors of the Holocaust. Lastly, I would title my chapter, "World War II: The Second War to End All Wars".

A Doctor for the Army

Conversation with my mother:

Me: Do you know anyone who enlisted in WWII?

My mom: Yes, my father enlisted in the war. He wanted to be in the navy, but they wouldn't accept him.

Me: Why not?

Her: His eyes; he wore glasses. So he joined the army instead and became a captain. He was trained in San Luis Obispo as a doctor and was going to be sent out somewhere in the Pacific when the war ended.

Me: So he never was actually going to fight in the war?

Her: Well, he was going to be in the place of combat as a doctor and had army training, but I don't think he was the one who would ever take part in actual combat. Before that though, he was in Texas with the German POW's because he spoke German.

Me: Do you know what he did with the Germans in Texas?

Her: He took care of them; he was their doctor.

Me: Do you know how he felt about treating Germans?

Her: Not happy I guess, but it was part of his oath that he took. He also did some translating for them since he spoke German.

Me: Do you know what his motivations were to join the army?

Her: He was Jewish and was passionate about Hitler or the Nazis not succeeding, so it was his effort to make sure that didn't happen. He felt a need to do his part to try to stop them. Even up to his death he wouldn't even buy a Volkswagen car.

A Different Kind of Punch?

The first propaganda poster I saw immediately struck me as different than ones we have seen previously from WWI. It said "Keep punching... every day!" with a picture of a burly man hitting a man that looks suspiciously like Hitler and a man punching in at a time slot for his job. This WWII poster is much more outright violent than the ones I saw from the earlier time period. It actually shows physical harm towards the enemy, when before it was much more focused on the American troops and what we needed help with. I think a partial reason for the shocking depiction of Hitler being punched is because America had just been through a horrifying, grand war. Violence could not be hidden from the public because soldiers had come home and had spread their terrifying war stories. Also I believe that there is violence shown because Americans really were upset about their opposition this time around. There was great dislike for Hitler and the Nazis late into the war and it made people angry. Whereas before, it seemed that America was just dragged in because it was a world power. This poster was supposed to lead people to think that if they punched in hours, it would be a direct hit towards Hitler and the Nazis and I would think it was effective.


Appeasement-Here To Stay

For many of us appeasement in our lives is a result of just being plain tired, at least it is for me. Often when I try to appease someone it is because I am too tired to care that deeply about the issue at hand anymore. It usually is not worth it to me to keep fighting over it, just so I can be right or get my way. I have a friend who I can often get in arguments with over unimportant issues. She is the type of person who will never admit she is wrong and unless I truly care about the matter, I will often end the conversion with a "whatever, it doesn't matter" because I know she will never admit that she is in the wrong. And since I have known her for a while, I know that this trait in her will not change and I am tired of trying to alter it. Maybe if it is a topic I that I am passionate about, I won't so easily surrender, but I think that appeasement is here to stay.

Insane or Just Evil?

In an article found in the New York Times, Hitler is now being explored about whether his type of rule can be attributed to having psychological issues. It is a much debated topic and a new book by Dr.Fritz Redlich has been released stating that although Hitler had other physical ailments, he should not be classified as insane. The article quotes Dr. Redlich saying that Hitler knew what he was doing and did it with passion and enthusiasm and that he blames much of his physical issues on his half-Jewish father, thus partly a reason for his anti-semitism. Although Dr. Redlich would disagree with me, I think it is sad and wrong to try to explain and simplify Hitler because it would only bring out excuses. We may not ever really know how insane Hitler actually was, but we should look past his mental state nevertheless because it will never change or excuse his horrendous actions.