Kristoff & WuDunn Ch: 11-14

All four of these chapters have really impacted me.  From chapter eleven, discussing how a husband from Pakistan would constantly beat his wife Saima Muhammad because of his anger of having no job, was sad to me. Her husband owed $3,000 in debt and that is a lot to some people, especially in the living conditions that Saima and her family were living in.  She soon joined an organization and made a huge improvement and started her own little embroidery business.  She was able to pay off her husbands debt and remain her daughters in school.  "Saima became the tycoon of the neighborhood, and she was able to pay off her husband's entire debt, keep her daughters in school, renovate the house, connect running water to the house, and buy a television."  This chapter really made me proud of how hard Saima worked and was able to surpass her obstacles and help her family.  Chapters twelve and thirteen were quite inspirational as well.  I admired the determination of Zhang Yin in chapter twelve and how she worked immensely hard and never gave up.  Even with no english education, she managed to travel here to the U.S. and work for her business.  Knowing that she later become a billionaire with a net worth of $ 4.6 billion dollars, is amazing and really made me value that true meaning behind dreams and hard work combined, make everything possible. Chapter thirteen was quite different dealing with the gential cutting of young girls.  This chapter was not my favorite because it was quite brutal and gruesome and knowing that this is a culture thing, makes matters more complicated.  Chapter fourteen was interesting and a good way to wrap up the book because it discussed how the world is today with everything we learned about women and their struggles.

Quiz Question: Who is Zhang Yin?

Research Proposal: Why have women been mistreated so unfairly and poorly throughout the world?

Kristoff & WuDunn Ch: 6-10

In chapter six, Kristoff and WuDunn discuss more about the sufferings women have gone through in foreign and rurual countries.  From India, to Ethiopia to Congo, women have been raped, beaten, slaved, and killed because in some mens eyes, women of a certain lower class, don't and shouldn't exist as having rights and being honored or even respect at most.  In the beginning of the chapter, Kristoff and WuDunn express in telling how in rural areas, a lot of women die because they don't receive the proper medical care during and after childbirth and die from complications of fistulas.  "Fistulas like hers are common in the developing world but, outside Congo, are overwhelmingly caused not by rape but by obstructed labor and lack of medical care during childbirth."  The story a girl named Mahabouba Muhammad was told and how she was sold and rape and beaten by the man who bought her.  Women are not treated equally whatsoever, and i believe it's time that all these instances and experiences come to a rise and show how badly these women have been treated over the years in India and Africa and other places.

In chapter seven, Kristoff and WuDunn really explore and got into the rural areas and get information and personal experience of women who have suffered tremendously.  In the beginning of the chapter, Kristoff and WuDunn go into depth of why so many women in India and Africa die during childbirth.  Whether it's because of the lack of medical resource, no money to pay the local doctor, or being nieve to getting medical help when pregnant, many women have died or have lost their babies during childbirth.  A woman named Prudence had a difficult childbirth and eventually, ended carrying her dead baby in her stomach for some days and that was poisoning herself.  The local doctor, Dr. Pipi was quite upset with Prudence because he didn't understand why she never came in before childbirth and got medical care and pre-natal advice to better help her and her baby.

In chapter eight, nine, and ten  Kristoff and WuDunn discuss the medical care world for women in third world countries need.  In chapter eight, a woman named Rose visited a maternity clinic in Kenya.  She was not recognized because she hardly went to the clinic.  She went there because she was pregnant and wasn't feeling too well at all.  After the doctor saw her, he concluded she had an infection and it was threatening her life as well as her baby's life.  The doctor put her on a program that would help her nutrition and take care of the infection she had.  CARE and AMDD, were outreach programs that are dedicated to helping clinics, like the one Rose went to, and making sure the women there get the necessities they need during their pregnancies and during childbirth.  In chapter nine, Nick discusses his trip to Afghanistan and how he met a man who studied and learn english at a university.  Nick learned from the man that his mother never had been to a clinic before. To Nick, this was surprising news, but to the people in Afghanistan, it wasn't at all.  Chapter ten has a completely different turn and discusses how a family who was poor in China and didn't have enough money to send their daughter to school or get an education.  The father wasn't concerned about sending his daughter to school because he saw that as a "waste" of money because his daughters were going to be selling socks or working in the fields regardless.

Quiz Question: What countries have the most women "sex-slaved" in the world?

Research Question:  What defines social standing in determining who should be treated right or wrong? Why do women get excluded from that group as social outcast if they're lower class? Is it a cultural thing in India or China to behave this way?  

Kristoff & WuDunn Ch:1-5

In chapter one, Kristoff and WuDunn begin this chapter by revealing the life of Meena, who was a lower-class Indian girl, who was used as a sex slave.  She was captured when she was about six years and was taken to the Brothel, where she was prostituted and beaten there.  She faced many horrible experiences, including two pregnancies, and many drug intake.  Finally, she was abel to escape and was set free because the brothel didn't want her causing anymore trouble.  She married a man named Kubuz, and they had two daughters.  Even though Meena was married and was trying to start her life over again, she wandered about her other two children back in the brothel and wanted to go and rescue them.  She finally did rescue her daughter Naina and son Vivek.

In chapter two, Kristoff and WuDunn discuss the issues that young girls have faced with in India dealing with sex trafficking and their abusing environment.  Sex slave has been going on for awhile, especially in India.  Kristoff and WuDunn discussed how Nick went to India and visited Meena and during his trip, he ran into a police officer there who spoke decent english and had an interesting conservation.  Sex slave in India is common because they use the poor lower-class girls to please the men who are engaged to middle/upper-class girls and to keep the girls virtue, they have the men sleep with the prostitutes at the Brotherl.  Before this book, i never knew had in depth prostitution was in India.  This book has really opened my eyes to how things are there.

In chapter three, women's rights was discussed in terms of speaking up for themselves and putting a voice for society to hear.  Kristoff and WuDunn brought up a good point in way many young girls and women are abducted and taken into the brotherl prostitution world; women don't say anything or fight back or speak up about their awful mistreatments.   "One of the reasons that so many women and girls are kidnapped, trafficked, raped, and otherwise abused is that they grin and bear it."  Women do put up fights sometimes to their mistreatment, but as long as they take it and don't fully put an effort in stopping sex slaves from being forced, they will continue to be mistreated and used.

In chapter four, Kristoff and WuDunn discuss how rape is quite endemic in South Africa as well.  A medical technician named Sonette Ehlers went there to produced national attention to this matter in South Africa.  Ehler developed a tactic tool that would help women not get rape, called the Rapex.  The violence level against women in these countries are immense.  "Violence against women by an intimate partner is a major contributor to the ill health of women. Rape is so stigmatizing that many women do not report it, and thus researchers have difficulty tabulating accurate figures."

In chapter five, Kristoff and WuDunn discuss how the Bible relates and supports the stoning of girls not bleeding during their wedding night. This book to be quite honest, is not my favorite, but it does discuss a lot of stuff that's going on in the world, that women have been suffering from.   Kristoff and WuDunn discuss how many men in India and China use women solely for sex and don't view women with any rights, according to social standing.

Quiz Question:  What does "sex slave" mean?

Research Proposal: Why is the culture in India so focused on social standing, that it allows for men to sleep with other young girls, involuntary because of them being poor lower-class level?        

Amandla! A Four Revolution in Four-Part Harmony

South Africans have always expressed themselves through music, dancing, very up-lifting beats and ritual dances.  Amandla! is a documentary was made in 2002 that truly depicts how much South Africans suffered during the Apartheid and really does show how much injustice there was against the South Africans. Many playwrights, poets, and activists came together to give their story and experience during the Apartheid during the 1940s through the 1990's.  The Apartheid in total simplicity took every single human basic right from the black citizens of South Africa and separate them from society and what they were used to.  Throughout the Apartheid many Africans were stripped of their homes and relocate to certain "designated" areas like camps with many little houses next to each other.

The biggest issue during the Apartheid, other than rights being removed from the Africans and living in complete misery, was the fact that they took their leader, Nelson Mandela and imprisoned him for "life".  Many of those who gave their testimony in Amandla! show the complete gratitude for making through the Apartheid and shared their most vivid memories about their experience.  

One thing that they all agreed on was the thing that kept them sane and intact, was expressing themselves through music, dancing, and poetry.  Many turned to expressing their sorrows and pain through songs that later became famous and almost every African would know a certain song and begin singing from their soul and heart.  Singing and composing songs of meaning and of what describe what they were going through and how they felt, was the one and only thing Africans could hold on to during the Apartheid.  Through all the segregation, many Africans turned to simply just singing about their feelings and the everything that was surround them.

This movie for me was extremely meaningful and emotional because i actually watched this movie while i was in South Africa this past summer.  I watched this movie during one of my seminars i had to attend for my program that i went through and seeing this movie in class, made me have flashbacks and it has an emotional connection to me.  I went to lectures and seminars that discussed the Apartheid and what South Africa went through and how the people there have suffered tremendously throughout the years. I also went to a village where i learned about the Xhosa people and i met a lady who was called "Mama Zulu" and she taught me a lot of different new things about the culture and rituals of South Africa.  

Goldstein Chs: 5,6,7,& 8

In chapter five, Goldstein discusses the issues of the UN and how its reforms were going through quite a lot in the 1990s in order to try and restore peace.  "Having gone from famine to feast in the mid-1990s, the United Nations had a bad case of institutional indigestion."  Throughout 1995 and 1999, the UN had put together and ignited two peace operations in eastern Croatia and Haiti.  Goldstein also discusses a story about a UN worker and his experience within the UN, Kofi Annan. Throughout this chapter, Goldstein revolves it around peacekeeping and how the peace was kept and how it was tried to be kept.

In chapter six, Goldstein discusses the fourteen UN peacekeeping missions worldwide in 2011 and how much each one of them have varied up till this present day.  Goldstein brings up the mission that occurred in Sierra Leone and how it was removed from the list because the peacekeepers from there basically quit.  Along with Sierra Leone, Goldstein mentions that the five big African missions are slowly going to become like Sierra Leone and the peacekeepers are going to leave and chaos is going to break out.

In chapter seven, Goldstein introduces a story about his friend, Jerry Bender visiting Angola's while the war was going on there.  He mentions that everything there was quite unsettled and the price valued had depreciated greatly.  "The war and the government's misguided economic policies had destroyed the money economy, despite the funds pumped into each side by exports of oil and diamonds, respectively." Angola had suffer from a civil war and has up to this day, continued suffering.  Goldstein also discusses how the world's task in trying to reduce war, has been greatly undone and something that the UN has not considered or at least, their tactic aren't really working.

In chapter eight, Goldstein focuses more on the aims for peace movements being worked on.  "I have lived through four waves of peace activism in the United States."  If peace is really wanted to its fullest potential, then you must work incredibly hard for it because it is by far, not going to be served on a silver platter. Goldstein recalls his first big peace movement in San Francisco when tens of thousands of people went screaming into the streets to end the Vietnam war.

Invisible Children/KONY 2010

What has been going on in Northern Africa is devastating and horrible.  It has not just "recently" happened; it has been going on for 29 years now.  Since Joseph Kony came into power in Uganda, he has started his militia called the "rebels" and the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) with a main sole purpose, to overthrow Uganda's government.  Invisible Children: Rough Cut is a documentary film that was made in 2006 by three friends who decided to basically backpack through Africa to find a story.  Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, and Laren Poole adventured to Northern Africa in the spring of 2003 and captured their footage on film, that has internationally become an overnight deeply moving phenomenon.  The war situation in Northern Africa is out of control and there is no infrastructure to help stop the chaotic "rebels" from lashing out and continuing their unspeakable crimes.  Invisible Children: Rough Cut shows first hand the situation of the children in Uganda.  Jason, Bobby, and Laren documented how bad things are in Uganda currently and most shocking of all, their footage is uncensored, unedited, and unscripted; their video is all real footage with sad evidence of the children's turmoils.  Africa has been known for it's poverty, wars, and unstable government, but this documentary takes the truth of what's really happening in Africa to a whole another level.

KONY 2012 is a 29 minute long video that was posted on YouTube by one of the three boys who made Invisible Children: Rough Cut, Jason Russell.  After his experience in Africa, and what he had discovered, he felt compelled to truly help and put Joseph Kony out into the light for the rest of the world to see him and know who he is and he's been doing in Uganda for the past 29 years.  All this was inspired by a boy named Jacob, who Jason met while being in Uganda.  Jacob forever impacted Jason's life and left him speechless when Jacob told Jason a story about his older brother being killed by the rebels and he remembers his brother everyday.  Since that night in Uganda with Jacob, Jason made it his mission to help Jacob and other kids just like him who are running for their lives from the rebels and Joseph Kony's militia.  Joseph Kony has been abducting children from the ages of 5-14 years of age.  Kony uses the young boys as soliders and the young girls as sex slaves.  He completely brain washes them and has them do tremendous horrible things to make sure they follow him and obey him.  Kony brain washes them completely to the point where they kill their own parents.  Russell documented this film in hopes to help raise awareness for the young children of Uganda who are currently struggling to survive and stay out of the reach of the rebels.  By making Kony famous and exposing him, Russell's plan is to cover America with posters, flyers, t-shirts, etc. and make the government see that the people care enough to make this issue noticed and heard.

All this truly affected and impacted me because ever since i came back from South Africa this past summer, i was truly touched by the children there and i couldn't ever imagine anything happening to them like what's happening to the children in Northern Africa.  Even though Uganda is being runed basically by the rebels, it's spreading and if we don't help, it will eventually spread down to South Africa.  Kony's mission is to overthrow Uganda's government and i fear that if that day ever comes, all of Africa will be in great danger.  The children of Uganda are crying for our help and this video and youtube document both are evidence an proof of what's happening overseas.  Joseph Kony needs to be arrested and needs to put to an halt with his crimes.  He is the world's #1 Crime Lord in the world. His army the LRA is number one and needs to be stop.  I know the United States has several issues of its own, but we as a united country, i believe that we need and should reach out and help those who don't have a voice, don't have a safe environment, don't have a childhood, and especially, those who are living in fear every second of every minute of every day.  

Parenti Part IV: Ch. 13,14,15,&16

In chapter thirteen Parenti opens up and discusses the issues that are going on in South America, specifically Rio.  In Rio, the crime rate is insanely high and the violence, gangs, mobs, and drug industry is basically out of control and the government is trying its best to somewhat "restore" Rio.  The police has been involved and have started their own groups in midst to try and protect Rio, some have been good and some unfortunately have been bad.  Gangs have formed left and right and have been in a complete sheer violent uproar against the police and armed forces of Rio. " Vidigal is hostile, under the control of Comando Vermelho (CV), one of Rio's gangs known to shoot at police helicopters."  Parenti was first hand experiencing the violent gangs and seeing how bad of a condition Rio is.  "Indeed, the gangs of RIo run the favelas and the city's retail drug trade. Inside the communities they carry machine guns openly as if they were the police, tax local economic activity as if they were the revenue service, and operate informal courts and mete out punishments as if they had a legal code."  Parenti also discusses how climate change is actually contributing to Rio's violent chaotic runs, "Rio allows us to forecast political issues linked to climate change because, in many ways, it is a city produced by extreme weather elsewhere. A brutal rhythm of drought and flooding hundreds of miles away in Brazil's arid Northeast, or Nordeste, has fueled Rio's growth. As weather patterns grow more chaotic and extreme due to global warming, outmigration from the countryside will increase."

In chapter fourteen, Parenti drifts from South America and goes onto Mexico and discusses the issues going on south of California. Parenti discusses how there is somewhat of a war in Mexico, "close to thirty thousand people have been killed here since 2006, when President Felipe Calderon deployed the military into the border cities to fight the drug war. By 2009, more than eleven hundred of the dead were soldiers, police, and security officials."  Parenti spent some time researching and doing studies close around the border of Juarez.  Climate change has been a great issue, and Parenti is beginning to discover we're all connected in a sense that climate change is and will continue to affect us, whether we want to accept the fact or do anything about it.  "The meltdown of northern Mexico provides another illustration of the catastrophic convergence: policies that create poverty and violence are now colliding with the new realities of climate change, and together these three fores are creating socially destructive forms of adaptation." Parenti addresses the issue that in recent December of 2008, Forbes magazine called Mexico a "failed state" and that basically climate change is affecting it greatly and the narco world is taking advantage and trying to take control of the governmental world.

In chapter fifteen, Parenti discusses his experience meeting and being able to shadow Jose Romero around Mexico for his research.  An issue was brought up that many Mexican citizens are wanting to come to America even more because of the climate change and it's affect on Mexico.  "Climate change will increase the number of people trying to enter the United States. Recall the estimates that by 2050 as many as 250 million to 1 billion people will be on the move due to climate change."  Parenti discusses how America itself, is basically becoming the image of a failed stated because civilization is turning into ruins with violence all over the place and countries are fight each other.

In chapter sixteen, Parenti discusses how our civilization is in crisis because of this big issue that many have turned away and put under the rug.  Climate change is happening and it's only getting worse and worse as days go by.  Countries have already expressed their sincere proof of climate change affecting their environment by violence and creating a huge amount of chaos.  Ultimately, Parenti has addressed the issue of how climate change is affecting everyone in general.  And whether or not, administrators want to do something about it, plans needs to be put forth to restore our earths normal habitat/environment.

Quiz Question: What is one of Rio's biggest gangs that shoots down police helicopters?

Research Proposal:  In terms of climate change, is aggression and violence different for different countries due to culture?

Parenti Part III: Ch. 9,10,11,&12

In chapter nine, Parenti discusses his journey in East Afghanistan in September 2006.  When he was visiting Nangarhar, there was a severe drought, that the United Nations discovered four years prior to Parenti's visit.  The wells running dry in Afghanistan had been "the most severe drought in living memory".  Once again, climate change has been the root problem to many disasters in the world and is  suggested to many reason why Afghanistan suffered one of it's most devastating droughts.  In 2008, the British government had come together produce a statement and overall, consensus of what would happen to Afghanistan due to the climate change.  Famine, lack of rain, lack of natural resources, and much more was endured by the people of Afghanistan.  "British government researchers see a link between global warming and conflict in Afghanistan".  Climate change has drastically been doing severe damages within the world and has immensely created chaos and destruction.  Parenti describes all this as "the dialectical connection between climate change, war, and environmental degradation become mutually reinforcing".

Parenti begins chapter ten by stating the chaotic and raged state of people living in Kyrgyzstan because of huge price increase to communal services that included water and electricity.  "The crowds, protesting price hikes soon turned into mobs and armed gangs and they attacked government buildings".  All this commotion was occurring because the lack of resources, which ultimately was happening because of this issue of the climate change.  President Bakiyev had to enforce army men into the streets to try and restore order and get the people under control.  Parenti discusses how the continent of Asia became about it's ruins and terrible and constant wars with violence, drought, poverty, famine, etc.  Finally in August of 2010, the climate began to shape up and water was blessed upon the lands of Afghanistan.

In chapter eleven, Parenti states the infamous truth about Pakistan and India being in continuous struggle. Water has been the main resource and is what both sides fight for, because water is basically a lifeline for their survival.  With the climate change being so erratic, the effects of it has been devastating and has been increasing an enormous amount of sheer violence.  Parenti states that "As climate change beings more extreme weather, monsoon disruptions, flooding, drought, and rapid glacial melting, it plays an ever-greater role in shaping the India-Pakistan conflict".  With many factors playing a role into the sad wars of India-Pakistan, the reasons behind the wars have created a reasoning of "beliefs" "religion" "ethic" etc.

Chapter twelve, Parenti discusses the suffering of India's Deccan Plateau and how the farmers are greatly being hit hard by the declination of rain.  "There is declining rain, and this affects yields, and the prices are still low," states Linga Reddy Sama, who is cotton farmer herself in the village of Jaamni.  India ha always been know to suffer form poverty, especially with the climate change.

Quiz Question: What war with Pakistan is another country involved with?

Research Proposal: How can climate change be reduced to end this struggle with war and violence and dispair? 

Parenti Part II: Ch. 4,5,6,7,& 8

In chapter four, Parenti begins with the death of Ekaru and how his killing is a concrete result of climate change.  The world is not the world's leaders are not fundamentally thinking about the repercussions of their "logic" analysis and solution to try and end climate change by "warfare".  "The situation is so bad in some areas that people are now killing each other for water-shooting it out for control of wells and pasture.  This is perhaps the most direct example of how climate change plays out as violence" Parenti liberally states his opinion about the true facts that are currently happening in the world.  He saw first hand what climate change was doing to our world, more specifically East Africa.  Parenti discusses how tribes were turning on each other and raiding each other's tribes for resources by using violence to get what they needed.  Parenti also, shockingly gave the statistics of Kenya's annual drought-fueled violence during the summer of 2008.  From August 5th to September 4th, many people were killed because of climate change.

In chapter five Parenti addresses the issue of the clouds being the "main" resource to the residents of East Africa, Kenya how distraught the residents have been because of droughts that have consequently devastated them agriculturally.  "Climate plays a key role in socioeconomic activity-our economy is very weather dependent.  Most Kenyan farmers rely on the two rainy seasons, one in the spring, the other in autumn" Chief Meterologist James Muhindi states.  Parenti goes above and beyond to establish and ultimately publish, this book in regards to what the world is going through with climate change and wars by making all the way across to East Africa.  

In chapter six Parenti discusses the history of the British annexing, and ultimately shaping, East Africa in the early 1890s.  Throughout this chapter, Parenti lays out the fundamental history and background of Africa and it's territorial owners that fought over the land.  Africa is one of the places that is in drastic needs of help because of the how bad the climate change has affect it's cultural land by tribes becoming desperate and raids being created so people could get resources and barely get by life.

In chapter seven, Parenti introduces the leader Mohammed Siad Barre, a social reformer who came into somewhat power.  Parenti discusses the fall of the lion when the emperor Haile Selassie was in reign and how the Sahelian drought devastated many Ethiopian farmers, oil prices were tripling, and the economy was in horrid value.  In attempts to restore order, Selassie ordered an military army to control the public under chaos.  Siad Barre saw the craziness that was happening on the border and took initiative to seize Ogaden, and did.  War broke out because of the seize.  These wars were shadowing powers from the Cold War.

In chapter eight, Parenti discusses how the climate change has greatly affected the small land place of Kisangani.  Kisangani basically, turned into ruins.  Kisangani was fully disconnected with the outer world and society itself.  Parenti describes how Kisangani wasn't even connected to the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Kisangani was technically part of the failing state.  "War makes states" is a quote from Charles Tilly's essay recalls the facts that organized-crime style protection rackets came close to taxation by the states.  War had deeply made holes in states pockets because of the European war was becoming so expensive to maintain and keep forth with all the ships, cannons, and fielding armies, that the project of taxation and administration became more developed in terms of this outcome.

Quiz Question: How bad was the condition of Kisangani? Was it connected to the DRC or society for that matter?

Research Proposal: Africa is a living proof of the negative outcome of climate change.  Can't the leagues/united  nations reunite and come to a consensus of how to deal with this issue? Because it's only becoming worse and worse and countries are starting to experience it first hand, like the death of Ekaru Loruman. 

Parenti Part I: Ch. 1, 2,& 3

In the beginning of chapter one, Parenti begins by describing the death of a pastoralist from the Turkana tribe, named Ekaru Loruman.  He was killed by the tribe called the Pokot, that was resident next to the Turkana tribe.  The Pokot had sent out an enormous cattle raid, that ended up killing Ekaru.  Parenti shocked me when he discussed how the Turkana people do not bury the people who were killed in a raid because they have a superstition that if they bury those who were killed in a raid, more deaths and attacks will continue into their tribe.  The bodies of raided victims are left on the ground, where they remain until they basically decompose; i thought this was extremely shocking because i didn't know tribes would just "leave" dead bodies on their land.  Parenti describe that many raids occur in tribes like Pokot and Turakana, which are in East Africa, because in the duration of droughts, many crucial resources become scarce and the men of other tribes go raiding into other tribes in hope of getting resources for their tribe. Parenti discusses how our global environment is drastically altering our earth's systematic behavior.  Just by that 1 degree Celsius increase, in over a hundred years, is changing our earth's flow, which ultimately Parenti ties this connection to the death of Ekaru-the reasoning behind this book, poverty and scarce resources due to global climate changing creating "cattle raids".

In chapter two, Parenti states a quote that really shows how bad our global environment is decreasing to, "Food insecurity, for reasons both of shortages and affordability, will be growing concern in Africa as well as other parts of the world. Without food aid, the region will likely face higher levels of instability-particularly violent ethic clashes over land ownership."  This quote from Dr. Thomas Fingar, completely describes and puts into words what happened to Ekaru in Turkana.  Ekaru is a living proof of how our earth's atmosphere is changing, and not for the good of it.  Parenti discusses how countries all over the world are coming together and saying how this earth's issue is on the verge of creating various issues in terms of countries staying strong and still standing.  

In chapter three, the old war act of the "counterinsurgency" (COIN) was discussed and shown in a way that Parenti lets us readers fundamentally understand the seriousness of our earth's climate change. Parenti brought out a very good point in my opinion, in how because of the climate change and lack of resources that's causing poverty worldwide, politicians are now focusing on "warfares" when in reality, that's not what the world needs.  Instead of leaders allowing mini wars to break out throughout the world because of this climate change, they need to come together and realize and come to a resolution that helps us deal with the change in the climate and not solve it by administering more wars. 

Quiz Question: What is the purpose of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)?

Research Proposal: With all this commotion and concern about the climate change, why are there so many people coming into terms of acting out in violence and creating a bigger issue, instead of trying to unite and help resolve this serious problem at hand?  

Brewer, Ch. 4,5,6 & Conclusion

In chapter 4 four, Brewer begins by stating about the the Korean War and how President Truman sent U.S. forces into Korea to help discontinue the growth of communism there. However, Brewer also states that the U.S. had more fear in on shoulder other than just communism in Korea; Europe, Japan and the Middle East were stirring up conflict and discomfort that was making the U.S. prepare for a Cold War.  Once again propaganda was used to manipulate the views of Americans by telling them they had to go and fight communism in Korea or else everything would be "taken away" or they would be fight communism in "Wichita" instead of in Korea.  I thought it was completely interesting how Brewer stated that during the World War II, Koreans differentiated between "Good Asian" and "Bad Asian."  The Chinese had been labeled with the term "Good Asian"with associated with South Koreans and the term "Bad Asian" had been labeled as the Japanese which associated with North Koreans.

During the Vietnam war the U.S. was involved in, Brewer brought out a crucial and good point in how "propaganda" really works and it's usage.  In chapter 5, Brewer clearly stated that many government leaders had idea how to present a logic reasoning as to why U.S. troops were in Southeast Asia fighting.  Many Americans didn't know what to believe.  U.S. troops being in Vietnam was solely used at America's dispense in trying to establish a power signal to the Soviet Union.  That was America's true intentions and WHY they were in Vietnam fighting, but in the meantime, they told Americans that U.S. troops were in Vietnam because they wanted to prevent "communism" from spreading.  The Soviet Union was gaining an immense amount of power and had America paranoid.  Brewer brought up a good point that i agreed with since the beginning of the book, propaganda has been used and manipulated to America's beneficial use.  Whether lies or manipulation are being created underneath the truth, America, i believe, has always used propaganda in every war and will continue to do so.

In chapter six, the September 11th attack was brought up a lot and the "Operation Iraqi Freedom."  Brewer states how President Bush announced war on Iraq in March 2003 in terms of defense for the attack of the Twin Towers.  Many Americans were open and patriotic to the declaration of war in Iraq because President Bush informed them that this war was for America's safety and also, help Iraqis be free in their own living situation in Iraq.  This brought up a lot of memories from the Twin Towers attack.  I remember this day so vividly because i was getting ready for school that morning and then i heard my older brother yelling for my mom to go and watch the news.  Then i went to the living room and saw the Twin Towers falling down, crumbling to the ground.  About 45 minutes later, my principal of my private school, called my mother and told her school was cancelled due to the tragic event and of everything that was happening.  Many Americans were confused as to our troops going to Iraq and fighting for other reasons like helping free the Iraqis.  "The United States will use this moment of opportunity to extend the benefits of freedom across the globe" is what President Bush stated.  Americans didn't want to hear that our U.S. troops were going to Iraq and putting their life on the line to help Iraqis; Americans only wanted revenge in my opinion because many were devastated and incredibly angry because many lost loved ones in the Twin Towers.

Brewer has a strong voice and is very opinionated.  Throughout the book, i realized that Brewer wrote about many points in American history that involved war and propaganda.  She truly introduced  how propaganda was and has been used during the times of war and how political leaders use it to manipulate themes.  Whether it's our political leaders using propaganda to protect us or lie to us, propaganda has been the only tool leaders have turned to, to keep the calm and democracy intact.

Quiz Question: Who was the first President to visit China and the Soviet Union in 1972?

Research Proposal: During the attack of the Twin Towers in New York, why did many Americans become impulsive and began to segregate ALL types of Middle Eastern people as to Muslims who were all the same type as Bin Laden?  

Weekly reading: Brewer- Introduction, Ch. 1,2, and 3

 Susan Brewer began the introduction with the term propaganda and how she reflects on it’s true meaning during times America has gone to war.  In chapter one, Brewer discusses the terrorist attack that took place on 9/11 and the campaign that President Bush introduced to America that promoted War in Iraq.  During that time America was in war with Iraq, I remember President Bush constantly stating that our troops were invading Iraq because we were “protecting” and “defending” our country from any attack of creating America to become insecure to its citizens.  Brewer made a good and clear point that made me reminisce during the actual state of America being in war with Iraq when she stated that “American must go to war, announce officials, to secure their own safety, liberate the Iraqi people, and spread the democracy in the Middle East.”  When I read this, I remembered of all the confusion many Americans were in when our troops were in Iraq and the lingering question of “why are our troops still in Iraq” that many US citizens asked.

Brewer concentrates a lot on the term “propaganda” and ties it a lot into the topic of September 11^th.  At first I was hesitant in trying to understand her point of view in terms of what she thought and believed in reference to America’s wars and it’s true reasoning behind war decisions.  Brewer strongly states and enforces that during the time of America being at war, politics and truth clash and produce an ideal theme in making the public believe a certain reason or logic that is ultimately a cover-up for more deeper and political reasoning.  For example, Brewer gives examples of the World War II during the conflicts with Germany and Japan.  Also, the same tactics in using themes like “War for America’s safety and protection” were presented when America was in search for Saddam Hussein and had troops invade Iraq.

During the Philippines war America and the Filipinos were fighting for the Philippine Islands.  America was in this to gain the land and natural resources.  McKinley administrated a lot towards this war in Philippines.

All in all, this book so far seems to lay out a different point of view and establish and question the reasoning behind America’s wars during the century. 

Quiz Question: What does propaganda mean?

Research Proposal:  When America goes into war, how and why are themes usually presented in a different way using propaganda to ensure safety? Doesn’t that defeat democracy and involving the public to updated news and truth?

    

Introduction

Hi guys!
My name is Perla Jimenez and i'm a senior already! My major is biology with a minor in chemistry. I'm pre-med and hope to be taking my MCAT in December and then applying to medical school soon :) I'm so excited for this class because friend told me about it and at first i didn't have a clue what it really entailed.  So on the first day, i was happy to know of all the material we're going to be learning and how this class seems to be very liberal in terms of everyone being "open" to others opinions, thoughts, and perspectives. I love classes like that because it truly allows us students to be open and express our own individual point of view and how we see things, which allows us to see how others view stuff.