Progess from This Year

Throughout this year, we have been doing extrodinary amounts of writing.  From essays to op-eds, we seem to be working on our writing everyday. This has really helped me to make my writing more straight forward; I have also greatly improved on the way I phrasing things and my word choice. Looking back at the essays from the begining of the year, I can now see where it needed to be improved on, and agree with the comments.  Our homework posts on the blog also helped contribute to our progression, because it forced us to be constantly taking a stance on a certain subject.  I know this doesn't have to do with history, but I am really glad that my handwriting somewhat improved.  It looked awful on some of those inclass essays, especially when I was running out of time. Well, overall, I'm glad I took this class, because I actually learned something.

Media and Its Effects on Society

Media has had and continues to have a tremendous effect on our society.  It is extremely interesting to note the affects and power of advertising.  For instance, propaganda, a form of advertising, has been used through out the years. During the rise in Communism, slogans and rhetoric influenced people into being for the party.  These ideas were not bad, wanting to promote equality and such; however, it did lead to a corrupt totalitarian version of China.  It will be interesting to see China progress throughout the next hundred years, as they are now totalitarian, yet support capitalism because that boosts the economy.  Our economy has not been doing too well recently, and media that promotes the flow of money is greatly beneficial at a time when the movement of money seems to be more sedentary than it was before. In the past, media such as Rosie the Riveter made a huge impact, as it influenced American women to go out into the workforce.  Today, beneficial media would help stimulate the economy.  However, living in society today, we are constantly being exposed to thousands of ad campaigns each day from seeing labels, commercials, product placement, and more.  Although we are constantly being pitched at, we are not completely immune or uninfluenced by the media.  Hopefully, this will help give us a chance to stimulate the economy.

The Torture Issue

Currently, the issue of torture exhibited the United States has been a reoccuring topic in the news.  It is a controverial issue as well.  Some, who are for torture, believe that it is a nessecary, effective form of interrogation.  Others, agaist torture, believe that it is unconstitutional and violates basic human rights.  I found it interesting that this issue connected with some of our upfront articles on historical and current government action being concealed. For example, the history and numbers behind the Stalin purges are still concealed today.  The United States was founed upon just principals such as having a government for the people.  It is interesting, though, that these procedures were hidden from the public until recently.  Aside from China and developing countries in Africa, toture is generally not condoned. With bribes and lobyist influencing government procedures, this is yet another thing that seems to make politics questionable.

Arc de Triomphe Research Questions

Why is there a gap in between the years that the arc commemorates?  It commemorated the time of Napoleon Bonaparte and the WWI effort, but it completely ignores the segment that connects the two - the colonial era.  Why did France leave out this significant piece of history?  Is it scared that recognizing the full truth will alter the image of France?  What does this show about France?  Because France has changed significantly since these happenings, is L'Arc de Triomphe still a relevant monument that accurately portrays France?

Symbols of Strength

The propaganda posters of Rosie the Riveter greatly increased the role of women in the war effort.  During WWI, women were viewed much differently than during WWII.  Originally, American women were not really seen as involved in the war effort.  When the men left to go fight, the women were left with no choice but to assume the jobs of the men back home.  It was seen as just a temporary thing.  They believed that everything would go back to the way things were when the men got back.  After the war, however, the image of women in society began to shift from being an obedient housewife to being independent and free.  This brought about the 1920's image of the flapper.  During WWII, the image of women continued to change and gain momentum.  For example, Rosie the Riveter was a propaganda poster that portrayed a strong working woman.  This image gave women a newfound strength that allowed them to participate in a wider range of jobs including those that were thought to be traditionally for men.  With new ideals for women, people were now able to freely contribute to the war effort, with out feeling tied back by society.

WWII in Our Culture

Saving Private Ryan

The Sound of Music

The Diary of Anne Frank

A Separate Peace

The Sunflower

Band of Brothers

Valkyrie

Letters from Iwo Jima

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

Maus

Hidden Agenda

During the rise of Communism in China, the ideas and rhetoric that sounded beneficial to the country held a hidden agenda that created a corrupt society.  Communism's ideals of trying to create complete equality do not appear to be bad.  However, in practice, the rules and regulations lead to a mob like mentality that caused chaos and a reversal of power, rather than equality.  For example, the first excerpt clearly shows the reversal of power.  Instead of treating everyone equally, there is a complete switch, in which the peasants and government are abusing the former people who held power.  Although the communists say they are just trying to enforce equality and redistribute land, they are in fact creating an extreme imbalance of power in which one group holds complete control over the other.  The excerpt on page 769 also demonstrated the destruction of lives that happened through the rise of the Red Guards.  The Red Guards had a mob mentality - acting impulsively and taking the law into their own hands.  The excerpt reminded me of The Red Scarf Girl, a novel that I read in 8th grade.  In this book, a girl grows up through the time of the cultural revolution in China.  As the Red Guards gain more and more power, a sense of fear is instilled in the society. 

Communism in China is really not anything like the ideals of communism.  It created a way to change the mindset of  the proletarian population, flipping the positions of power.  It also created much chaos, anger, and destruction of social norms, making China dependent on other forms of government.  This gave the Red Guards along with Chairman Mao a chance to assume complete control, taking advantage of the chaotic situation.

Cold War

Neither of my parents had much to say about the Cold War.  My mom was living in Canada at the time and my dad didn't really remember being effected all that much by it.  Although I couldn't find much oral history for this time period, my mom did have an interesting story about how my grandparents escaped from China during the rise of communism.  My grandparents were very, very lucky.  They escaped just before it was too late.  At that time the idea of communism was subtly starting to gain influence in the society.  People were really buying into the propaganda and supporting the idea.  My grandfather, however, was getting scared.  He owned a gold fountain pen tip making factory.  He also had a street named after him, and was worried that he may be one of the first targets if communism took off.  The times were getting scarier by the second.  My grandmother is Chinese, but she was friends with a Japanese family.  When they fled, they left behind a few brick of gold that they said she could have.  My grandmother could not take it though, because she realized there was Japanese print on the gold, and she could be arrested or killed if she were caught with it.  My grandparents agreed that it was time to leave.  My grandfather decided to use his gold pen tips as currency, as they escaped out of the country and then flew to Canada.  They were lucky to have made it, but a few of my grandfathers friends were not so lucky.  They tried to escape a few days later, but were stopped at the border and arrested.  

Novels or Movies on Middle East and Africa

Much of the entertainment media today does not cover the Middle East or Africa.  I have, however, read a few books and seen a few movies with plots based there.  For English class, we read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.  And like most people in our class, I've seen Hotel Rwanda and Blood Diamond.

Areas of Corruption

Building on to what Justin and Kyle said, I believe that the low populations in these oil-rich regions creates a huge gap between the rich and poor. Kyle mentioned that the heads of oil companies are in a state of huge monopoly because of this great location. I agree with this, but from a different perspective the monopoly from the oil industry seems to also give the oil company owners much power over the rest of the population.  Justin brought up the idea of having a denser population in these regions to solve the problem.  This is an interesting thought, however, I was thinking that having more regulations over the oil industries would promote a more fair market.  Consequently, this would give more rights and higher to the workers, lessening the gap between the rich and poor.  Often times, these huge industries use their money to have much more influence over the law. Regulating these companies would rid corruption, allowing the poorer, vast majority of the population to have an increased standard of living.

Nigeria's Ongoing Issues

Nigeria is one of the wealthiest and largest country in Africa.  Unfortunately, like many places in Africa, it is still suffering from many problems.  For example on WHO/AFRO it says the adult literacy rate is only 11.1%.  This is drastically different than the world we live in, where it is hard to find someone illiterate.   Also the life expectancy is 45 years.  This is relatively good for Africa, but compared to us, only half our lifetime.  Although these problems are similar to those of other African countries, the real problem seems to be derived from the turmoil and divides between the country.  The textbook insinuates about the oil reserves, but does not directly state that Nigeria is under somewhat of an indirect rule.  It seems to be tied down politically due to foreign oil interests.  Though the government was able to profit greatly from the oil industry, much of its population is neglected and suffering.  The government was also having trouble with internal corruption as it "ruthlessly suppressed all opposition."  Not only does Nigeria have political unrest, but it also has deep religious divides rooted hundreds of years back.  The Muslim verses Christian conflict is still ongoing today.  Not only is it anguished by the present day conflict, but it also has historical divides fueling it.  As Muslim cattle herders moved to Nigeria, trying to get away from the dry Sahara grasslands, they ran into conflicts over land with the preexistent Christian farmers.  

It is ironic that one of the wealthiest countries in Africa could have such alarming statistics.  Although it seems that the wealth would mitigate the problems, it is the deep divides that torment Nigeria, throwing it off balance.

l'Arc de Triomphe as a Symbol

The Arc de Triomphe has been and continues to be a major symbol of what France is and strives to be.  This monument dates back to 1806 when Napoleon wanted to build an arc glorifying the French army, Grande Armée.  It was finished in 1836, complete with four towering reliefs along each of the sides.  One of the most significant of these is La Marseillaise.  Similar to the nationalistic song, the artwork symbolizes the calling forth of the people of France.  Not only does the Arc de Triomphe bring us back to the nationalistic roots of France, but it also has continued to be present through out the times.  For instance, during WWI an unidentifiable French soldier lost his life.  By burying him beneath the monument, he symbolizes both the effort and the loss of the war.  In 1961, John F Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy paid their respects to the WWI tomb of the unknown soldier.  Two years later, after his death, his wife requested that an eternal flame, like the one above the tomb, was placed above his grave at the Arlington National Cemetery.  Being one of the major symbols of France, many events have been centered around it. More recently, in 1995 during the time of the Algerian opposition movements, a bomb went off near the Arc de Triomphe, wounding seventeen people.  The Arc de Triomphe is more over a representation of the triumph of France's past, the history through their eyes and what they strive to be.

Buffers Between Peace and Violence

After reading a few posts, I looked more into an article on the Franz Fanon's view on violence against injustice. I believe that these controversial ideas were brought about by the harsh extremeness of the times, and the lack of systems for the people.  Before colonialism, most major revolutions, that brought about good change, were actually achieved through radical uprisings and violence.  Ironically, this violence was able to bring about a more just world, as it did during the French Revolution.  With this prior knowledge, his belief in necessary violence is not surprising.  Although I too do not believe that violence should be the path to freedom, we have to take into account the differences between our society today and the times he lived in.  Currently, we have many established organizations and systems, such as the United Nations and our government, that help maintain the peace.  What I mean to say is that we have the means to bring about change in a civil way; we just have to work the system.  In order to more fully understand his position, we must realize that his society was completely different from ours.  He lived in a time where there were no systems to work, no means to help the people's voice be heard, and consequently no buffers between peace and violence; just two distinct groups - the oppressors and the oppressed.

War Economy

During WWII Britain's attempts to strengthen militarily only led to a neglection of its home front.  Everything from prices to taxes was changed to meet the high demands of the military.  For example in order to collect the equivalent of half a trillion dollars, the government doubled taxes, sending all of it towards the war effort.  The very highest tax rate was a shocking 98.5%.  With out the necessary money, people were unable to afford many things.  This made a major impact on the economy, slowing it down greatly.  Industries for luxury goods were cut back and even banned by the government.  The bare minimum, food and clothes, were available though rations.  This sparked the need for more, causing the Black Market and other crimes to emerge.  Although the government was trying to look out for the best interest of Britain, it took a large toll on the country itself.  Unemployment rates began to rise, impovrishing the streets of Britain. 

WWII Memories with the Help of NBC

Ending a war usually lifts our spirits, because we know that we have ended the killings and violence.  It is when we know we have accomplished something by saying that this calamity will never happen again.  We celebrate the end of a war, because we have no regrets about ending it. However, to this day the memory of the end of the war does not quite match that of the past.  Today we are thankful that we ended the war, yet there is still a small sickening feeling to look back at what we had done.  I found the video very shocking and informative.  Even before seeing the video, killing thousands of innocent people seemed like the wrong option to end a war.  I accepted it, though, because like many people, I thought this was our only option to end the war.  After viewing the video, however, the new found insight to the situation really shocked me and altered my perspective.  It showed that there were clearly other ways to cease the fighting - a simple act of telling Japan they could keep their emperor could have been the necessary step towards reconciliation.  From my point of view, the systematic killing of any group of people is unjust - especially when they are innocent.  The US is a symbol of everything our founding fathers strived to achieve.  We must lead by example, choosing the better option, rather than one that one that stains our acclaimed honor with the thousands of lives we took that day. 

When only taking into account what NBC stated, not releasing the bomb seems like the just option.  However, history is about viewing the story from all angles in order to have a deeper understanding of why the event took place.  Given the information that Japan was prepared to surrender earlier, we seem to question the actions; but, seeing it without this information gives us a much different facet to the situation.  In any given situation, it is humanly impossible to correctly predict the exact thoughts, plans, future tactics, and agenda of a separate entity.  This is partly because we cannot read minds, and partly because it is constantly changing.  By dropping the bomb to end the war, we lost thousands, but saved millions.  In the end, its the greater good that matters most.  We are able to celebrate the end of the war knowing that we have strived to do what is right.  Even in the hardest of times, when right and wrong have blurred into grey, we have risen to a situation with clear values and good intentions for a better future.

Textbook Rewritten

World War II was comprised of many different counterparts.  It had a much more tangled system of alliances than WWI because many countries were split by the agendas of contending groups.  It also was the time period of the Holocaust and persecution of Jews.  Because the situation was so complex, I would not lump the entire years from 1933 to 1945 as one chapter named WWII.  Instead, I would have a chapter that focuses on the gravity of the Holocaust and a different chapter that is split into sections on the different contending parties in the war. I would also include a timeline at the beginning of these chapters to show how the events fit into the greater scheme of things. 

The chapter on the Holocaust would not only show what happened, but also follow individuals through their experiences.  Although some believe that oral history should not be considered history at all, I think that it is important to get more perspectives on the situation.  Often times when studying the Holocaust, we view it from afar, just as a historical event, because we are not given the perspective of the many individuals who have suffered unjustly.  Historical writing comes from a detached angle.  I'm not saying that textbooks should impose their views on people, but because what Hitler did was so heinous, seeing through the eyes of someone who was persecuted would be greatly beneficial.  By having this perspective, like they do at the Holocaust museum, we can follow them, and better grasp the gravity of it all through their experience.

The chapter that focuses on the war would be split into sections about each contending group, so that students are able to understand where each side is coming from and why the alliances have become so tangled.  By fully understanding the viewpoint of all of the sides, we are better able to understand the chain of events, and what sparked each outcome.  The timeline would be a reference point in the front of the chapter.

By separating it this way, we are able to see the situation more clearly.  To me, strings of events are interesting, yet it is more important to understand why they happened.  When we are able to see things through the perspective of the groups and people of the time, we are able to get a greater understanding of the past.

The Time of WWII

When World War II began to take off, my grandfather, William Brown, was there to witness it.  At the time, he was only ten years old, so he never did see the battle front.  However, he was there, back at the home front.  My grandfather grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  He lived in a relatively small town, but through this close community, he was able to witness the progressive change in the average American lifestyle.  Originally, the community started off as fairly friendly, sometimes keeping to themselves.  As time went on, though, people began to open up and come together more.  There was a stronger sense of patriotism, and with that a nascent sense of American values evolved.  As time passed on, out of the depression and into the forties, then fifties, a new lifestyle also formed.  People began to place a lot more value in the life they had: they put an emphasis on morals that would help both their family and the nation.  For instance, people began to strive for the 'perfect' American family; one in which children respected their parents, where the father worked and the mom took care of issues at the home.  This was greatly different from the twenties, when women were much more independent.  The war also influenced their actions.  Many people went to church or temple, and put much weight on not being wasteful, especially with food.  From small aspects like food to larger ones such as the roles of a family, the war greatly impacted and altered peoples views on life.

Appeasement on Different Levels

Appeasement engenders our daily life, because it is usually the easy way out of a situation. It is also a way to maintain the peace, at least for the time being. On the smaller scale, we appease our friends and family by doing favors for one another. On the larger scale, as many people have said, we appease the demands of society. Appeasement on the smaller scale, like giving a car room instead of cutting them off, is generally thought of as courtesy. These minute details actually do influence our lives greatly. Some even believe that they reflect who we are as people. On the greater scale, appeasement can affect a situation to an even greater degree. For instance, the appeasement of nations can either lead to peace, or temporary peace with rising tension. We must be careful to asses the situation, because often times appeasement on this scale is a way to avoid the underlying conflict.

Controversy between State and Law

Starting off with the line, " after 62 years after his death, Adolf Hitler could loose his citizenship," Der Spiegel's article in the online economist was very thought provoking. This article interviewed German political figures on the issue of revoking Hitler's German citizenship. Many people, such as Isolde Saalmann, would like to take a symbolic step forward through this act. When Hitler became a German citizen in Braunschweig, he wrote down fraudulent information in order to quickly receive his papers and gain influence in government. Much of Braunschweig today is behind this revocation; however, the German constitutional law states that they cannot take a person's citizenship if he would become stateless. This is an interesting toss up - should we follow the constitutional law or acknowledge the horrid past and make a symbolic change for the future.

Similar Tactics to Power

My first reaction to the film was that it was a really sad situation, yet it is amazing the people are still holding strong and fighting back to the oppression by continuing their education. Looking back on it, you can really see the influences that fascist groups have over human psychology. The Taliban seem to use fascist tactics that have been used throughout the past to gain support at the same time as instilling a sense of fear and power. They have been trying to be the new totalitarian form of government through forcing people to conform to their radical views and have taken rash and quick momentary actions, such as throwing acid in girls faces and creating mass chaos. Although they seem to be a shady, unidentifiable group with no single leader, they have definitely used similar tactics as the nascent Nazi group when they rose to power. The Nazis were originally seen as a hoodlum gang, rather than a form of government. They gained support because Germany was suffering from the bad economy due to the aftermath of the war. They were able to steadily gain support through propaganda which convinced much of the youth. By taking control over the newspapers and other forms of communication, they were able to spread their ideas, scapegoating Jews, and creating xenophobia. These were all major contributing factors in their rise of support. Also, studies have shown that when a group does something that would normally be seen as unjust, people are much more likely to follow along because no one else is acting out. (group behavior) By creating a single ideal and mindset that many people conformed to, the Nazi party was able to take control of Germany. The Taliban too have been using similar tactics to gain support. They are primarily using fear to force people to conform to their leadership and their fundamentalist ideals. Their control over many parts of the middle east has greatly taken a toll on these countries economy and more importantly, their future generations. Hopefully the Taliban will be stopped and the millions of innocent people who are living in fear can get the education and the peace that they deserve.