Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Chalmers Johnson
Perhaps what I found most interesting about this book was the sense it gave me that the United States has essentially followed in the footsteps of the British. In essence, it is picking up where the British Empire left off, but with today's issues driving them, rather than old issues such as the spice trade. I spent the last three months in England taking, among others, a course entitled "The British Empire". This coupled with Johnson's continued mentioning of various bases and efforts established by the British and taken over by the Americans leads me to believe that though this is not his primary argument as such, it certainly is a consequence of it. Of course one could argue that an empire may naturally emerge out of the loss of another, but I believe that Johnson intentionally mentions, for example, the US took over the Middle East during the Gulf War after the Brits left, its occupation of the Persian Gulf alongside the Brits, and the United States taking charge of the Suez canal situation, thereby forcing Britain to relinquish their holdings in the area.
Why We Fight...
Since dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, the reasons for the United States' involvement in wars are increasingly convoluted and include (but are not limited to): the desire to protect oil reserves overseas, preemptive defense of the "homeland", humanitarian intervention, and the establishment of puppet governments internationally to attain these goals.
Production Techniques:
panning- the slow filming of the planes on the airstrip both at the beginning and end of the film give a sense of the U.S.' somber military might.
quickly flashing through images - stirs up a rapid succession of emotions and ideas in the viewer
close-ups - especially of the retired NYPD cop's eyes, evokes sadness and longing
Persuasive Techniques
emotion - aggressive language makes the viewer want to join in the retired cop's efforts to overcome the sadness of losing his son
nostalgia - black and white shots as a reflection of American ideologies, liberties, etc.
plainfolk - children being interviewed evoked a sense of innocence and ignorance
nostalgia - twin towers being mentioned, ass well as 9/11 several times.
plainfolk - NYPD retired cop showing that everyone was touched by the attackes of 9/11
Production Techniques:
panning- the slow filming of the planes on the airstrip both at the beginning and end of the film give a sense of the U.S.' somber military might.
quickly flashing through images - stirs up a rapid succession of emotions and ideas in the viewer
close-ups - especially of the retired NYPD cop's eyes, evokes sadness and longing
Persuasive Techniques
emotion - aggressive language makes the viewer want to join in the retired cop's efforts to overcome the sadness of losing his son
nostalgia - black and white shots as a reflection of American ideologies, liberties, etc.
plainfolk - children being interviewed evoked a sense of innocence and ignorance
nostalgia - twin towers being mentioned, ass well as 9/11 several times.
plainfolk - NYPD retired cop showing that everyone was touched by the attackes of 9/11
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The Corporation
Perhaps my biggest issue with this movie is the way they seem to associate making a profit with necessarily damaging the earth and society. Perhaps this is stemming from my business background, but I feel, as Sam mentioned in class, that the filmmakers used the term "profit" too often. Perhaps a better way to phrase it might have been that corporations are detrimental to society and the environment because they seek money-making opportunities through irresponsible means. The most interesting business class that I have taken to date focused mainly on the issue of corporate social responsibility. The fact that such a concept exists, in my mind, is already a step forward.
34, 35...
34...
The kitchen debate was a colorful example of the tensions between the Soviet Union at that time. Interesting time for an exhibition of American commodities.
With the division of Berlin, there were travel corridors set up so that each occupying country could get to the city from their side of Germany. How were these organized?
The Berlin wall was built to keep East Germans in. I thought it was merely to separate the two factions...
The domino theory assumed that if one country became communist, other neighboring ones would follow. Sound like the type of rationalization the U.S. is using today.
Yugoslavia was kicked out of the Soviet bloc in 1948 by Stalin.
35...
Over 90 nations achieved independence between WWII and 1980. How many between 1980 and the present, i wonder?
After the British flag was removed, India flew two flags: one representing a Muslim state, the other a Hindu state.
Approximately 10 million people fled India once the terms of partition were established. Even more terrifying is that half to a million people died in the process.
France's colonies gained independence while it was busy fighting a war to save Algeria. The ironies of empire...
The kitchen debate was a colorful example of the tensions between the Soviet Union at that time. Interesting time for an exhibition of American commodities.
With the division of Berlin, there were travel corridors set up so that each occupying country could get to the city from their side of Germany. How were these organized?
The Berlin wall was built to keep East Germans in. I thought it was merely to separate the two factions...
The domino theory assumed that if one country became communist, other neighboring ones would follow. Sound like the type of rationalization the U.S. is using today.
Yugoslavia was kicked out of the Soviet bloc in 1948 by Stalin.
35...
Over 90 nations achieved independence between WWII and 1980. How many between 1980 and the present, i wonder?
After the British flag was removed, India flew two flags: one representing a Muslim state, the other a Hindu state.
Approximately 10 million people fled India once the terms of partition were established. Even more terrifying is that half to a million people died in the process.
France's colonies gained independence while it was busy fighting a war to save Algeria. The ironies of empire...
Chalmers Johnson...
Ch. 6
Now that the Cold War has ended, the United States has new motives for establishing military bases around the world which include: global military dominance, interception of both local and international communications, control of oil sources, employment and financial guarantee for U.S. military personnel, and securing this personnel with comfort and entertainment around the world.
"Today, one could throw a dart at a map of the world and it would likely land within a few hundred miles of a quietly established U.S. intelligence-gathering operation..." p. 155
"The fatal flaw of Echelon is that it is operated by the intelligence and military establishments of the main English-speaking countries in total secrecy and hence beyond any kind of accountability to representatives of the people it claims to be protecting." p. 167
"When the Afghan conflict is over, we will not leave Central Asia. We have long-term plans and interests in this region." p. 185
Ch. 7
Since its post-Soviet Union establishment of an "empire of bases", the United States' presence in countries around the world have served as self-perpetuating imperial initiatives and motivators of war.
"The Korean War, though ended in stalemate, nonetheless projected us onto the Asian mainland." p. 189
"Our 1999 war against Serbia, our two wars with Iraq, and our war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan allowed us to expand our empire of overseas bases into the broad southern Eurasian region..." p. 189
"The most astonishing aspect of the German downsizing, however, is the number of bases the United States decided to retain..." p. 198
Ch. 8
The United States continues to attempt to justify its occupation of Iraq with unsubstantiated claims, while more convincing reasons for its military presence in Iraq and the Middle East include the need to protect oil fields, the influence of Israeli interests, and the need to influence U.S. politics at the time of Bush's election.
"The permanent deployment of American solider, sailors, and airmen whose culture, lifestyles, wealth, and physical appearance guarantee conflicts with the peoples who live in the Middle East, is irrational in terms of any cost-benefit analysis." p. 253
The lack of evidence that there are any weapons of mass destruction left in Iraq...
The lack of strong evidence that Saddam Hussein had ties to al-Qaeda...
Now that the Cold War has ended, the United States has new motives for establishing military bases around the world which include: global military dominance, interception of both local and international communications, control of oil sources, employment and financial guarantee for U.S. military personnel, and securing this personnel with comfort and entertainment around the world.
"Today, one could throw a dart at a map of the world and it would likely land within a few hundred miles of a quietly established U.S. intelligence-gathering operation..." p. 155
"The fatal flaw of Echelon is that it is operated by the intelligence and military establishments of the main English-speaking countries in total secrecy and hence beyond any kind of accountability to representatives of the people it claims to be protecting." p. 167
"When the Afghan conflict is over, we will not leave Central Asia. We have long-term plans and interests in this region." p. 185
Ch. 7
Since its post-Soviet Union establishment of an "empire of bases", the United States' presence in countries around the world have served as self-perpetuating imperial initiatives and motivators of war.
"The Korean War, though ended in stalemate, nonetheless projected us onto the Asian mainland." p. 189
"Our 1999 war against Serbia, our two wars with Iraq, and our war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan allowed us to expand our empire of overseas bases into the broad southern Eurasian region..." p. 189
"The most astonishing aspect of the German downsizing, however, is the number of bases the United States decided to retain..." p. 198
Ch. 8
The United States continues to attempt to justify its occupation of Iraq with unsubstantiated claims, while more convincing reasons for its military presence in Iraq and the Middle East include the need to protect oil fields, the influence of Israeli interests, and the need to influence U.S. politics at the time of Bush's election.
"The permanent deployment of American solider, sailors, and airmen whose culture, lifestyles, wealth, and physical appearance guarantee conflicts with the peoples who live in the Middle East, is irrational in terms of any cost-benefit analysis." p. 253
The lack of evidence that there are any weapons of mass destruction left in Iraq...
The lack of strong evidence that Saddam Hussein had ties to al-Qaeda...
Monday, May 26, 2008
McKibben, finally...
From the the period ranging between 1712 and the present, the United States, and many other developed nations, have been engaged in a individually-minded consumerism which can no longer be reliant on our most efficient-and now rapidly diminishing- resource: oil.
Without more scientific evidence to disprove him, I find McKibbens' main points- that of a concern about peak oil and sustainability- spot on. If there is anything with which I do not agree, it is his list of possible solutions. Though I do believe in the immediate need for a return to smaller-scale living revolved around communities and "localism", let's say, I don't think he proposes a good way in which to get everyone on the same page. Firstly, the biggest problem the U.S. has had historically, as far as I can tell, is their tendency to replace the need for brains with the benefit of muscles. But put it this way: if anyone works out long and hard enough, they can get strong. A brain takes much more time and dedication to develop... Education, I believe, should be at the forefront of this nation's efforts, and it has always taken the back seat. All the most recent education-improvement efforts seem to have either been misappropriated, or un-appropriated. With intellectualism comes the ability to have a more varied discourse, greater minds offering ever-greater ideas, as well as an ability to learn from past experiences. Culture seems like a natural progression from education, and what other way to preserve it than with strong community ties? So basically, as I mentioned in a previous blog, I believe that what is more urgently important is not finding another type of energy source capable of sustaining our bloated planet- a "band-aid" of sorts. Instead, teach the people how not to cut themselves in the first place-educate them on a new and better type of living, but do so intelligently and in a way that makes it valuable to them. As much as we like to think we care about others, our basic instincts are survival-based, and we must keep this in mind when teaching others that there is in fact a greater force out there than ourselves. I'm not worried about peak oil, I'm worried about peak ignorance....
Without more scientific evidence to disprove him, I find McKibbens' main points- that of a concern about peak oil and sustainability- spot on. If there is anything with which I do not agree, it is his list of possible solutions. Though I do believe in the immediate need for a return to smaller-scale living revolved around communities and "localism", let's say, I don't think he proposes a good way in which to get everyone on the same page. Firstly, the biggest problem the U.S. has had historically, as far as I can tell, is their tendency to replace the need for brains with the benefit of muscles. But put it this way: if anyone works out long and hard enough, they can get strong. A brain takes much more time and dedication to develop... Education, I believe, should be at the forefront of this nation's efforts, and it has always taken the back seat. All the most recent education-improvement efforts seem to have either been misappropriated, or un-appropriated. With intellectualism comes the ability to have a more varied discourse, greater minds offering ever-greater ideas, as well as an ability to learn from past experiences. Culture seems like a natural progression from education, and what other way to preserve it than with strong community ties? So basically, as I mentioned in a previous blog, I believe that what is more urgently important is not finding another type of energy source capable of sustaining our bloated planet- a "band-aid" of sorts. Instead, teach the people how not to cut themselves in the first place-educate them on a new and better type of living, but do so intelligently and in a way that makes it valuable to them. As much as we like to think we care about others, our basic instincts are survival-based, and we must keep this in mind when teaching others that there is in fact a greater force out there than ourselves. I'm not worried about peak oil, I'm worried about peak ignorance....
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