Final Blog For The Year!

This is my last blog for the semester, I enjoy blogging this semester than last year. I like modern world history more than ancient history. What I like about this class is that I learn new facts that wasn't mention, when I was in high school. I can't wait for summer to start, I am in summer mode which makes me want to do nothing related to school! I will be enjoying being home relaxing like the cat reading the newspaper! Well, instead of the newspaper, I will be reading my favorite books, writing the book I never finish, practice the guitar and bass, go out with friends, and etc. I also, decided to start a new blog about my summer adventures and when school starts in the Fall, I will make a new blog about music history! It was fun as it lasted, but at least I am continuing blogging in other topics that I really enjoy!

See You Soon =]

KMR

Chapter 23- Independence and Development in the Global South

There is going to be two parts of this blog. The first part is going to be my opinion of whatever section I decide to blog about. The second part is a paragraph that is part of my essay do on Friday for history class, an interesting part is that I have to use Chapter 23 as part of the essay.

Part One

Since, I don't have the textbook with me at hand for this week. I went to the library and only photocopy half of the chapter because I don't want to pay after the 10 pages (10 pages are free). Tomorrow I will photocopy the other half of the chapter, to see if I can use any other examples for the essay. The introduction of the chapter is a quote from Nelson Mandela:

"During my lifetime I dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and equal opportunity. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." (Strayer, 691).

Mandela's quote is a great opening for chapter 23, it shows how someone who is like anyone else made a great difference in their country. He is destined to be a positive leader and encourage others who feel the same way, to do something about it, not just complain and waiting for a miracle to happen. A miracle happens when an individual or group of people deicide to fix the issue, no matter what obstacles are in the way. There is a small crack that can be broken, it can take years, but is worth the wait. Being passionate, clever and strong to speak up mentioning ideas, there are risks of being killed, kidnapped, going to jail, exile and etc. Just for speaking up WHICH could be a positive change for the country, most importantly the future generations. When the "echo" spreads, it doesn't matter if is across the ocean or neighboring country, the inspiration of a better change takes effect. Another country is India, wanting the british empire to get out of their country.

Part Two

To be honest I don't know what topic to choice for my paper. What I know I want to talk about the violence in Tunisia, I feel like there is no news coverage in the United States about that particular country. But checking out the Al Jazeera website and going to the Region in Turmoil, Tunisia was the first country to start the small revolution then "Echo" through the other countries near by. Looking over the timeline of Tunisia, there is a lot of violence and crimes happening, while the revolution is occurring. I know I have to have a page or paragraph of the essay, but I am still doing research.

PS: I am excited that the end of the semester is really near =] Some more blogs coming soon and sadly my blogging days are coming to an end!

-KMR

Chapter 21- The Collapse and Recovery of Europe

I was suppose to blog this on Sunday, but I totally forgot til this morning I got a reminder. In this chapter it mentions World War I & II, Great Depression, Hitler/Nazis, and the Cold War. To be honest, this is one of my favorite part of history is the only events that I can remember since high school, by watching documentaries on the History Channel and my grandfather telling me the history. The section that got my attention is about Hitler and the Nazis, "the German expression o European fascism, which took shape as the Nazi Party under the leadership of Adolf Hitler." (Strayer,p.638). This whole movement is one of the worst in history, some of the ideas they believe is so stupid; violence can be use to solve anything. What kind of mentally is that? That's a psychopath who doesn't have better things to do, then make corruption plans to destroy societies. Hitler targeted the Jews being the symbol of negative for Germany,destroy the "TRUE" German culture. In Hitler's book Mein Kampf (My Struggle), he "outlined his case against the Jews and his call for the racial purification of Germany in vitriolic terms." (Strayer,p.640). Trying to purified a country for a correct race is ignorant thought, but that my opinion on that. It doesn't matter what country an individual is from there is no place in the world that has a perfect race, all parts of the world now is being a mixed of different races. My question to Hitler would be "If a family who has blonde hair, pale skin , blue eyes and their religion is Judaism , are they still going to be sent to the camps?" To be honest, I don't know that answer for this reply, but I have a close friend of mine. Who's father is from Germany and he is a Jew. He and his twin brother have pale skin, blue eyes and blonde hair; there mother was a lawyer and was involved in the Nazis Party because she wanted her family to be safe and lie about them being Jewish. There mother would be a spy for the people who hated the idea of fascism, they never got caught. The story is really long, I don't feel like posting the whole thing. Two months ago I was watching a program in the History Channel about Hitler wasn't just a dictator, but was a God to his followers, it was more of a cult than a political movement. I will try to find a clip of this program and post it on my next blog.

-kmr

HATE BEING SICK!!!!!

UGH....I HATE BEING SICK!!!! Just waked up from a really long sleep, hoping my fever will go down, it hasn't yet! Which means I can't go to class tomorrow, since there is a quiz and current event article (postcolonial Africa or Arab) that was assign for homework. I will like to share the article and give my opinion on the situation.

Here is the link for the article that I found interesting http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110325/ap_on_re_us/libya_diplomacy

Comment: The article's name is "NATO takes command of part of Libya operation" first of all what is NATO? I did a mini research, NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization is "an association of European and North American countries, formed in 1949 for the defense of Europe and the North Atlantic against the perceived threat of Soviet aggression. By 2005, the alliance consisted of 26 countries, including several eastern European nations. NATO's purpose is to safeguard member countries by political and military means." (mac's dictionary). Having the NATO get involved seems like a modern colonization plan, trying to change the ideas of another country without being asked for any particular reason. History seems to repeat itself through time, instead of some European countries; United States is part attempt of colonization. I don't understand why United States have to get involved in other countries business. I know this is going to be out of topic, but a good example is US being in Iraq, "retrying to change the government system" it's a colonization of settling a government. The US has been in Iraq for some years now, has US finish establish democracy and ready to leave Iraq for good? Now my question is what is going to happen, is there going to be another war or at least try to solve the issue in peace. A modern day colonization sounds to funny to be true, I mean now with advance technology, no country is will like to be taking over. I don't know what else to say, but I hope my opinion is clear.

I know I will be way better on Monday, hopefully my fever goes away by tomorrow morning. I will update on my health condition and the next chapter blog by Sunday.

-KMR

Chapter 20- Colonial Encounters

I hope everyone in class.... do their blog tonight or tomorrow, I wouldn't like to take a quiz just because someone didn't do the blog. Before reading the chapter, I skim through it, I remember from looking at a picture two young boys with chopped off from hand from one arm only. Not without looking at the title of picture or section, I knew it was something that was taking place in the Congo area. I was surprise I remember something from my high school history class, to be honest I didn't really pay to much attention. I don't understand how people can harm someone without any feeling of regret, pain, or guilt. In the caption is given an explanation "These young boys with severed hands were among the victims of a brutal regime of forced labor and undertaken in the Congo during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Such mutilation was punishment for their villages' inability to supply the required amount of wild rubber." (Strayer,p.600).

The section that got my attention is about economies = forced labor and the power of the state. Taking over a colony just not for the better of THEIR SOCIETY but the for the conqueror, that just looks bad for that particular country. Many might think the British were the invader of Africa when it was also, other European countries. One of the survivor from Congo, describing the scary life living in Congo under the Belgium. The testimony is a little bit long, the end of the testimony for me is the most important, "When we failed and our rubber was short, the soldiers came to our towns and killed us. Many were shot, some had their ears cut off; others were tied up with ropes round their necks and taken away." (Strayer,p.599). This goes back with the picture I saw before even reading the chapter, it proofs that this wasn't a lie a African man was saying to make the white men look bad, it was a reality and I do believe the people in the Congo never thought that a white men can be a good person. Since, the white men represent themselves through their actions of violence.

In my opinion the colonial invasion was a form of slavery. European countries going to their homeland, demanding, harming and controlling over the people. Forcing them to do labor without any pay or rights, I understand some of the material goods aren't available in Europe. There are more positive ways of solving that issue, for sure not going around and committing violent acts to other human beings. Making agreements and talking in peace can solve the problem, plus positive outcomes could had happen for both countries.

Chapter 22- The Rise and Fall of World Communism

For Friday's assignment is to read Collapse by Jared Diamond....which I will read later tonight and tomorrow afternoon (going to read half of the printed copy). In my midterm blog I mention how I am going to blog during my spring break. Being lazy and wanting break from school assignments, I didn't blog on Chapter 19 and 22. Late night I post CHAPTER 19, as promise Chapter 22 is for today.When I heard the word "communism" different figures come up in my mind; Karl Marx to Fidel Castro.

I found really interesting that communist feminism, the roots of this move was in Russia, a small group of women took shape in pre-world war 1 "the new communist government almost immediately issued a series of laws and decrees regarding women" (Strayer,p.669). A lot of rights were given to women; political equality to not taking the last name of their husbands. It was a huge change in Russia, that I bet it got the attention all over Europe to the States. A organization was created in 1919 called "Zhenotdel (Women's Department), all women and radical leaders, promoted a "feminist agenda in the 1920s." These women would promote their beliefs everywhere that their voices can be heard. Unfortunately, Stalin got rid of the Zhenotdel in the 1930. It's a fact that the men who were communist and weren't didn't like the idea of women having a voice in society. But, it was a great risk they all took, but at least women rights were given to all women, to have a choice, that others didn't have during that time. In China, the women seem to have heard the news of communism feminism, but it was unheard of to act that way. It took Chinese women at least 50 years to finally have a voice and encourage their women to have more rights. The slogan was "Women Can Do Anything" (Strayer, p.670).

Sadly, the limits of women being able to speak out during the communism era wasn't as fair. Even, men who are communists didn't like the women being part of the movement, it was a men ideas. Sorry for the blog being short this week, I am doing other assignments at are due next week. By, next week I can have longer blogs about whatever chapter is next.

-KMR

Chapter 19- Internal Troubles,External Threats

Spring break was fun as it lasted....to be honest I was to lazy to do blogs and other homework assignment. But, there is no more excuses since Spring break is over and finals are just around the corner. Chapter 19 mentions;China, the Ottoman Empire and Japan. What got my attention was the small section "New Perceptions of the "Other." "They held many aspects of Chinese and Indian civilization in high regard; they freely mixed and mingled with Asian and African elites and often married their women; some even saw the move technologically simple peoples of Africa and America as "noble savages" (Strayer,p.563). Very interesting that before anything, that change the current events in the world... not too much racism occur. Examples given in the text mentions during the eighteenth century they were honored but decreased by the nineteenth century, known as "John Chinaman" traits given as weak, shy, and etc; later in the late nineteenth century the European were scared of them, another nickname "Yellow Peril." That wasn't the only race that was disrespectful to, Africans were known as slaves then demoted to be "primitive." Demoting anyone by using the word primitive has no feeling.... that word can understood like prehistoric, barbaric, rude, unsophisticated, undeveloped and the list can go on. The biologists in the nineteenth century started to rank human beings as plants and animals. They declare that the WHITE RACE was the HIERACHY of all baby races, just reading that small paragraph made me laugh...that is the most ignorant idea in science, proving that the white race is the REAL HUMAN RACE. This idea of white race is the real race, spread all over Europe, many people started to agree that other races are "weaker races."

I know the blog has to be more about the whole chapter 19..but this section was the only interesting topic that got my attention. Will be posting Chapter 22 soon!!!

-KMR