Response to "Understanding Citizenship..." and "The Dumbest Generation..."

I agree with Diane Cameron, who says that the average graduate sees going to schol as just an investment into the future, but not as an insight into the knowledge that can be gained. I agree that this message is often a whisper in a world that demands success for comfortable survival.

It is sad that our generation might be considered the dumbest generation because we may be smart at how to think, but not in our factual knowledge. "Since the tests measure not knowledge but pure thinking capacity...then...ignorance of facts...reflects not dumbness but choice." This sounds like the tests might need to be reformed to show how much we know about history. Yes, I believe those who don't know about history are doomed to repeat it. I think that this generation is more able to bypass the actual information, being so smart as to not learn it but get full credit in classrooms by mindnumbing worksheets and other boring ways of retaining knowledge. As the generation's mind needs a greater stimulus, a more proactive approach to learning must be enacted.

1984: Last section

In the final analysis, how accurate was Orwell in his vision of the future? In what ways does our contemporary society compare to his idea of society in 1984? Are there examples in which he was correct? What is most opposite? Do you see a potential for aspects of Orwell's "vision" to come true?

Orwell's vision, although extreme at times, talks of a future that doesn't seem too far off after certain changes in the way our country deals with things. Domestic spying is a big concern, as it allows the government to access things without having a reason, and without notifying the person first. Of course, an eventual notification is required, but what good does that do when you are being taken away for something that you have just been informed of? It seems that we don't have a form of three minutes of hate and also that we aren't being brainwashed, but there is always an underlying form of it, and with the media dictating much of what we see (in the goings on around us), the infrastructure of their information could easily be tampered with, creating a decrepit system. This could happen as the government vies for more power and it is slowly given to it. This could be controlled by the close monitor of it, and looking into what it is asking. Also, that they ask their citizens first instead of taking actions: pretty soon, the government will be a person's whole family, including their overprotective parents and their big brother.

Does Domestic Spying Help the United States?

Domestic spying is overall, a death trap for all those who value freedom. Since the president has the power to command wiretaps without a court order, a heightened "Executive Power" is on the rise. As long as he can get a court order within three days of the actual wiretap, he is in the clear. This is a total breach of security, because, as Krauthammer explains that people weren't told because of dangerous sources finding out, it still supports the fact that people weren't told of what was going on. As Barr goes on to say, "Tomorrow, it may be your phone calls or e-mails that will be swept up into our electronic infrastructure and secretly kept in a growing file attached to your name." If we had more trust in our government, this would be no problem, because we would believe that they had our best interests at heart. But, with different debated conspiracies, Americans' can never be too watchful over the government: a mustang fighting under the reins of the people.

North Korea Packet

I agree with David Kang. First off, the "Axis of Evil" speech was one of the worst things that could have been made. It gave the United States a halo for pointing it out and the middle eastern countries mentioned a slap on the wrist both to their ego and their meaning within the world. Kang doesn't deny that North Korea is dangerous, but he is simply looking for a way to "ameliorate" or make better the current situation. He says, "A North Korea that feels threatened and perceives the U.S. administration to be actively atempting to increase pressure on it is unlikely to trust the United States." When looking back on our history, the Munich analogy can be compared in this case in the fact that this might be considered appeasing our enemies, but when millions of innocent lives are at stake if extreme violence breaks out, diplomacy might work a little better. Of course, we need a new leader to make any of these changes happen, as the President's attempt at tying up loose ends has just ended up in a giant knot.

Thin Gruel

This article hits upon a very controversial topic in the literary world: is sensorship ok? I believe there is a difference between textbooks and novels, and school districts must carefully monitor that fine line. Textbooks are supposed to be filled with truth and be as unbiased as possible. Novels, on the other hand, can be biased because they are the thoughts of the author and a student should be introduced to different opinions. The five pieces that most astonished me (that were banned) were Brave New world, Great Gatsby, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the Scarlet letter and the Harry Potter series. To limit someone's creativity by not allowing their works is horrible, and it narrows the mindsets of those who are limited.

The Silly Old Lady story especially struck me funny...this is probably because I can imagine myself as this old eccentric old lady, and to be banned to reserve a pristine figure of an older woman is politically incorrect. Not all people are the same...I'm sure many kids might have a grandmother that is a bit "kooky" and it isn't all that uncommon. Of course, banning the story of the blind mountain climber might hit an ultimate peak (no pun intended) because the whole purpose of a children's story is to show the difficulties of the main character and what they do to overcome it.

1984

Winston lives in a world of learned response...nobody is allowed to write, everyone is afraid they are being watched every moment of their lives, and people can get arrested by the "Thought Police". Even worse, the Ministry of Truth deletes any information that may make them look bad, virtually deleting the existence of a person or major event in the time frame of a couple of minutes...so far, this book is intriguing because of what these people face...

Candidates: Healthcare

Obama says that all Americans will be covered by healthcare and will pay a smaller premium.
Clinton says that no American will be turned down by existing healthcare rejections (or having a disease before applying) and working families will have a certain percent of their incomes that is set in stone for being the maximum amount owed to healthcare expenses. John McCain proposes that each individual be given a $2500 tax credit, or $5000 for a family. This seems like a lot, but if someone gets into a big accident, that won't even make a dent in it. Ralph Nader says that it should be "single payer national healthcare" but the site didn't elaborate on it.

BNW: Why are the World Members Happy?...(etc.)

The world members are trained to be content with their environment, or if they aren't, they are supposed to combat it with daily doses of soma. This reliance on the drug is unhealthy and blinds the world members of the current state of affairs, such as their taking away education and individuality, which would create an outrage if instated anywhere that wasn't so brainwashed. The truth doesn't always bring happiness and vice versa: happiness isn't always brought on by the truth. To create a society that is dependent upon soma (which is distributed by the government) and other material items that the government supplies, the world members are more easily influenced, because they are the puppets that depend on the strings (items the government provides) that attach them to the puppetmaster (government). So, here they are--happy, but without a clue, and with the government erasing all senses of liberation--or at least the freedom to make their own choices. The truth, as John finds out, isn't as "pretty" as the citizens have been told to believe. With the ecstacy video that we viewed, many users said that it put them into an automatic state of relaxation and made them happy, dancing with everyone and having a "grand old time". This is much like soma; however, there are much healthier ways to get your troubles off of your mind without totally paralyzing it, like playing a sport, instrument, or going to counseling. :)

Ecstacy/Binge Drinking

1) Which issue is the greater public concern? (Use information from the video or other sources to defend your choice)

It seemed like the ecstacy useage was high, but yet when the movie said at least 70% of college students drink before they're old enough (it was that or that they binge drink--which doesn't seem accurate), then this might be a bigger issue. Since binge drinking seems more common, this might be the greater public concern. Because it is legal (for some students), it might not be as heavily enforced as something that isn't allowed at all.

2) What could the government do to address this public concern? (Have a specific plan)

The public could make a statement that while out in public, people shouldn't be drinking so much that they could kill themselves. It is a big problem and would be hard to stop, but it is a problem, according to the movie. I think the government could give fines if it is apparent that they have had too much to drink...I don't necessarily think that a law should be set for a certain amount of drinks, because it's different for different people, but only that they behave themselves in public.

Last section of BNW

Wow, this section is not what I expected it to be...but the whole book wasn't what I expected it to be. Yes, I'll admit I was one who when first told of Brave New World thought we were going to hear a more adult version of the Pocahantas story...

I found it interesting how Bernard has changed so much from being one who stuck out in a crowd to being one who will do anything to fit in with it. This is especially visible when John locks himself in a room, not wanting to come out. He realizes that he is, unfortunately, just an attraction, and is valued because he is different.

Brave New World (through Chapter 11)

I found it interesting when Bernard offered to take Lenina to the "Savage Reservation"--well more interesting that there was such a thing. Also, it's convenient that Bernard is a psychologist and has a license to get into it. I also find it interesting that there's an ice cream soma bar; I believe the "soma" is a relaxing drug that is given to the citizens to reduce, if not eliminate, hostility (in this book). The director mentions that it is the alpha's duty to conform and act infantile, even if they do not have to (and are smart enough to see through it) (p. 98). This reading was interesting because each thing is unexpected.

Norway's healthcare system

The article I found (well, a little longer than that--187 pages to be exact is Called "Health Systems in Transition") is about Norway's health system. It mentions the valuable outcome to having national health care and mentions some downfalls to having this type of system. It says that there is a local, regional and national level. The national level is run by the Ministry of Health and Care Services and provides the majority of services. The municipalities "have the right to levy taxes proportional to income". The rate per person spent on health care in Norway was approximately $3572 U.S. dollars. This was higher than the average rate of other European countries, who spent $2326 per person. Many general practitioners have their own practices, but are paid through the government. Even though the need for physicians would seem high, they are already employed, and only 500 medical students are admitted yearly. Their education is funded by the government. I found this article interesting because Norway's system sounds like it works really well. Obviously the U.S. is larger and might not be able to sustain the success right away, but it would be a great idea to try it. America is full of capitalism, however, and that doesn't leave too much space for generosity.

Reaction to Brave New World

Wow. What a story. Well, I definitely give Huxley some credit for a vivid, yet bizarre imagination. Imagine a world where the children are as promiscuious as described in the book. All childhood innocence is gone--well, it's still there, because they don't know that what they are doing was once considered morally wrong, but yet our standards of innocence today are shattered by the revelation that the kids are "playing" in the leaves. Also, that people would be "mass produced" is a crazy idea. I'm a firm believer in individuality and this would be a horrible way to make a population...that you could potentially end up with a relative is somewhat disturbing. Also, I think the brain-washing is horrible. Yes, it is effective, but at what cost? To incite fear or a preconceived notion into one's head is villanous; creating a thought that one would automatically adapt as their own is horrible because it stops the seed of individuality in its tracks. Overall, though, the concepts in the book are important to discuss because it not only let's us look into what the future could hold, but also what we want to avoid now to eliminate the possibility of a society similar to the Brave New World's society.

Machiavelli and the Mullahs

Wow, this is some good advice. I love the 3 step process that is laid out before us (and is aimed towards the president's plans) "Self-reliance, the importance of being feared, and the need to take the initiative once conflict is inevitable". If only this approach was taken initially...

The Prince (10-18)

While reading this section, I found two quotes that relate to the contemporary United States:

"Moreover, a Republic trusting to her own forces, is with greater difficulty than one which relies on foreign arms brought to yield obedience to a single citizen" (p. 32).

This, I saw as relating to the struggle for oil, and since we are reliant on the middle east for some oil, we are weaker because of it. Oil is not a literary "weapon" as "arms" would be, but it has the same demand. When reading the NPT, it mentioned that Pakistan and Iran haven't joined, for fear of losing their existing nuclear capabilities, and this need for oil and makes the United States "turn the other cheek".

"In his private dealings with his subjects his decisions should be irrevocable, and his reputation such that no one would dream of overreaching or cajoling him" (p. 48)

This quote seemed like a good idea. Many times, when people are put into a position of power, they favor a certain group of people and can be persuaded with their decisions. This quote says that his say should be it, and that he must keep his reputation as having the last say in things. He must not be swayed by his citizens, but be able to "stand on his own two feet".

Iran: the Struggle for Democracy

I thought these articles were very informative. It was great that they included the students' opposition to the strict policies of the government, which started in 1997. Granted, I didn't know much about anything in 1997, except maybe some Harry Potter trivia, but it was great to find out that this uprising of wanting reform from the youth has been taking place. They specifically called for "separation of mosque and state" and now, more than ever, it shows that although a country might have been founded under a general religion, it is best to separate it from ruling, because there will always be someone who is different and could be offended. If they are to have rights like anyone else, it is best to separate all partiality factors, including religion. Khomeini, who I also didn't know by name, rejects western culture, and could also be the reason he is following such a strict representation of Islam. Also, the country's background information helped me to understand the conflicts and how they were putting a dividing line between the youth (and citizens for a revolution) and strict fundamentalists, who go so far as to eliminate those rights of people who worship differently or not at all. Also, it was informative to learn that (on both sides of the coin), oil is a huge bargaining chip and can make countries greedy.

The Prince

It made a lot of sense when Machiavelli was talking about how when certain governments are new, they are susceptible to being weak and if promising people too much, the people will overrule the weakened leader, but also, the next leader will take precautions to be less weak. I loved the way he told this, because it's true. Governments now cannot simply be overrun in the course of weeks or months; we have to wait until elections. If the government wasn't as strong as it is now, it could be done, but now it is extremely powerful.

I didn't like that Machiavelli believes that so many sacrafices for the state were made necessary. It seems like he believes in keeping the state strong, but yet, when some of the people in the state have to be sacraficed, it kind of defeats the purpose of having someone ruling over others. It's as if it isn't for their own good anymore.

Summary and Views on "Should the United States Preemptively Attack Iranian Nuclear Facilities?"

From Mario Loyola's perspective, we, as the United States, should follow through with different sanctions and punishments for Iran's choice to not let the United Nations in to inspect facilities for traces of weapons of mass destruction. Since Iran doesn't have any weapons, we should basically "get them when they're down" and inflict some kind of wound to put them in their place, and to further ensure safety from being the target of W.M.D.s.

Edward N. Luttwak sees this problem in a different way. He tells of the small percentage of people that are actually working against the United States and there are some that have stayed loyal to the way the government was when ruled by the Shah, and many still practice religion different from most Iranians and have opposite ideals from the "extremism" taking place there. He also says that the people of the country are oppressed culturally and socially, and who are we to tear these people down when they could eventually be our allies?

I tended to agree with Luttwak, because even though Iran is making/attempting to make W.M.D.s, you never know when another revolution will come along and the Iranians are more free to do the things they would like to happen.

Response to Quote--February 13th

By Wendesday Feb.13 post a response to your blog regarding the following quote. Actually spend sometime thinking about your response.

“In seasons of pestilence some of us will have a secret attraction to the disease--a terrible passing inclination to die of it. And all of us have like wonders hidden in our breasts, only needing circumstances to evoke them.”

In your response include what this statement means, how it applies to Heart of Darkness, and at least one other book you have read for in Senior Social or A.P. Lit and Comp.

Well, I think that this quote means that when so many are overcome with a disease, they are more willing to die right away than to suffer from it and likewise, watch others they know and love suffer from it. It is appealing to some because by dying early, it would eliminate the suffering, personally and socially, within a group of people. In Heart of Darkness, Marlow tells us how Mr. Kurtz realizes all he’s done to the natives, while first setting out to do good “carrying” “the white man’s burden”. He means to do well and civilize this tribe of people. However, this goes astray when he starts getting ivory and becomes a figure with much power in the Congo. This leads him down a spiral of greed, exposing what truly lies in his heart; evil desires. As he has his last breaths, he says, “the horror, the horror”, showing he actually found what he was doing wrong. Instead of civilizing the natives, he corrupted them for his own personal gain, and I believe this was his realization at what he, as a human, was capable of doing.

In a more literal sense, Ralph Ellison’s novel The Invisible Man tells of how a colored man struggles to find his place within society, and joins a group that he wants to believe in and speak for. He finds out that the group is corrupt when he starts mentioning his more proactive agenda in his speeches. When Clifton, another “brother” working for the group gets pushed into the street into oncoming traffic, it creates an uproar. However, he was found to be in contempt of the group’s policies, but dies before we know much. The narrator (whose name is never mentioned) tells himself that Clifton’s “bad luck” could have been his own, and says it was almost better for Clifton to die before anything major happened. Towards the end of the book, when Clifton had already passed, all chaos breaks loose as the Brotherhood looks for the narrator, who has separated from them and gone to preach his own beliefs. The narrator always says how it was almost best that Clifton died when he did because he didn’t know the fullest extent of the Brotherhood’s expectations and beliefs, and the “season of pestilence” would be the Brotherhood’s obscure beliefs that eventually turned on the colored members, advocating to eliminate those who are against their views. The narrator, at one point, wishes that he could have or at least wonders what would have happened if he escaped the Brotherhood, to avoid the violence and cowardice that staying alive has made him resort to. So, in a sense, he has taken the hard road and wishes, at times, to have just left when it was easier than to bear the pain.

Darfur: Should the U.S. Send Peacekeeping Troops?

I think if the United Nations, NATO and the African Union are not helping Darfur, the United States should. Yes, our relations with other countries might diminish, but we have to think of the real reason we would be in Darfur. The mass killings of citizens by the janjaweed helps give this atrocity a "genocide" rating, and if the United Nations isn't going to step in, we can't just be an innocent bystander. I don't think the U.S. always has a right to be the "global police", but when innocent people are being killed and nobody will stop it, it's time to intervene.

This intervention, like mentioned in the reading, doesn't have to be an air strike, but rather funding to peacekeeping groups (African Union peacekeepers) and "to lobby the United Nations". Something needs to be done.

Heart of Darkness: Part II

Marlow sees the Africans as savages, but yet he says that he also sees that they are human. "The mind of man is capable of anything..." (p. 32). This means that although Marlow and the rest of the crew are civilized, the Africans on shore are still humans and capable of becoming more civilized in their ways. He also makes a comment about how they (the natives) wouldn't know much about time; "I don't think a single one of them had any clear idea of time, as we at the end of countless ages have. They still belonged to the beginnings of time--had no inherited experience to teach them as it were." This shows that although the natives aren't civilized, they didn't have a choice in learning those things because they haven't had the experiences that would cause such civilities.

He doesn't think that skin color should make a difference, but many times when he sees a black man, even the one on the ship that would help him, he would call the "n" name.

I think that Marlow's character is trying to say colonization isn't a bad thing. He talks about the natives being "not inhuman" and so it is kind of like saying they have potential to become more civilized, which chalks up to being more human-like.

Kurtz is a man that many men know. He sells/trades ivory and is known anywhere where they need ivory--which would probably mean that he is known in many places (all of Europe).

Heart of Darkness

This means that although you take the world away from someone to have all the glory, the thought is still there that is justified, wanting something strong enough that people can make "sacrafices" to it. This could be a quote on justice and imperialism in the sense that the "sacrafices" made would be those who are forced into this new way of life, "because their noses are flatter" and the thought of domination was justifed by needing something to command and rule.

Marlow talks a lot about maps, saying that if he saw white space on one, he would plan to discover a land mass himself. "But there was one yet--the biggest, the most blank, so to speak--that I had a hankering after." Fulfillment, in Marlow's eyes, is conquering another land mass, even with natives, showing how he supports colonialism in this effort as well. You can't have expansion without it.

Should the United States drop out of the United Nations

Despite certain setbacks of the U.N., including it's lax standard of using force and it's expensive remodeling bills, the U.S. should emphasize the need for a revised United Nations. The Defense Monitor states that "Beyond a carefully revised Security Council, the increased us of the UN to avert, restrain, or intervene in disputes between and within nations calls for improved military planning capabilities under the direction of the Security Council" (p. 77) As we saw "Beyond the Gate" in class, it became a question of whether or not the UN actually cares about what they are doing. They are helping to help sustain peace, but with orders not to fight for natives unless the UN members are being shot at. These orders must be revised before we can get anywhere new.