chapter 21

In the beginning of the twentieth century the balance of power was portrayed by the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente.  The Triple Alliance was Germany, Austria, and Italy and The Triple Entete was Russia, France and Britain.  The great war was started and began when Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand got killed in June 1914.  The war lasted more than four years and nationalism, competition and the expansion of militarism were the factors that contributed to it.  As the war continued the phrase "total war" began to arise which needed mobilization of the contries populations.  People involved themselves in propoganda, campaigns and signs to try and benefit the war. The treaty of Versailles ended the war.  Germany lost and needed to pay reparations and accepted sole respinsibility for the start of the war.  Germany then later on had resentment and wanted pay back. 

Putins Challenge

This article is based on a project on centre/periphery on the people of the Ciracassin community who's based mostly in New Jersy.  They use the metaphor from the novel Last of the Mohicans in relation to the last person in the tribe of the Ubykh, Ciracassin. This tribe no longer exists neither does their language. I find it sad that this can happen.  People can lose importance of their heritage because of what happens in our world of colonization. People are either forced to migrate or even killed and have to adapt to what is culturally accepted and lose their own heritage and where they come from.  1.5 million Circassians were liked or died from disease and the rest of 90% of our world of 5-6million are split between the Russia's. Now after reading this article it made me mad to think people would even consider to hold the Olympics there knowing the history and deaths that occurred there. For Putin to ignore the history and deny the heritage of the Circassian people is shameful and makes him a weak character. He will be doomed if he chooses that route and he will be known as Putin the terrible. 

Dolores Huerta

Dolores Huertas is an inspirational woman who has accomplished so much to be thankful for. From being the cofounder of the united farm workers, civil rights avtivist, feminists to being a key speaker in word of action to believe in the philosophy of non violence. She has dedicated her self to the right and belief of human right. I enjoyed her speech a lot and aside from being knowledgable she is of good strong character and very humerous. She covered a lot of interesting points and facts in her speech and one was how economic and political powers triggers many issues we struggle with today. It's amazing how she puts things and makes you really question what's going on. Just like how we depend on other countries for there natural resources because the United States is the only developed country that does not own it's own. She also talked about the violence of poverty. Our wages do not let us keep up with the cost of living. She states we are helpless but what can we do about it? If we are fed up with the system we need to vote. For us to be a democracy we need to vote in order for change. She inspires for you to want to make change. It takes faith but non-violence is transformative.

Chapter 20 (607-614)

In this second wave the European conquest was focused on Asia and Africa and it changed these societies. It was influenced by education and religion. Education was based on missionary schools. The means of being able to read and write held the status of knowledge which was stated to have some kind of magical powers. This power meant that they can get ahead in life by better pay and escape from colonial power. Education is important and holds true to society around us now. Education does allow the promise to a better future. So I guess it does hold some type of power in regards to getting ahead in life and we should be so thankful that we have that opportunity compared to those colonial days where it was not as easy to obtain. Religion transformed new identities and Christianity spread in places such as New Zealand, Pacific Islands, and non-Muslim. Christianity was associated with the modern education and in Africa they found new opportunities and freedom in the missions.

Thomas Massaro, Living Justice

In society today we are inflicted upon the rationalism of what we believe we deserve and what we hold true to right and wrong. We believe we deserve the best and demand respect from others, but yet can we truly say we do that upon others as well? It's a question that we all rationalize to ourselves. This segment of reading explains the dignity of every person and human right. What does this truly mean? Massaro thought to believe if Catholics followed certain guidelines there would be a balance of equality between different classes. It stated "all humans are made in the image and likeness of god," god is our creator, so we should as well be seen with high standards and be respected as we do with god, but in reality people do not follow this. People rationalize this to make them believe what they deserve, but yet there actions speak differently, it is in ones nature to be selfish. The church sees human equality very significant in the connection with god and how it reflects on how we treat one another. The importance to this is that no matter what god sees us all as equals. But we can't hold this completely true with the church for there are still major controversies on certain rights that churches disagree with making it a contradiction of what they say and the equality of human right.

Women And The Colonial Economy

The lives of African women were altered by colonial economies in many ways. Women had a lot of responsibilities aside from child care and household duties, they were almost equal to men in labor plus more. There was a lot of expectation for women and duties they needed to fulfill. This does not surprise me at all because till this day women still carry the amont of responsibility and roles that men do not give women credit for. It surprised me to read how women working hours increased from fourty six hours per week in pre colonial times to more than seventy hours per week by 1934. That's crazy! While men took advantage and profited off of cash crop agriculture they took no consideration to the women who helped make things work. Women took care of things at home and even took care of the men who worked in the cities and who earned low wages. This time in South Africa basically seperated married couple, men were in the cities while woman took care of life at home. Women learned how to get through these tough times and took certain opportunities in economic enterprising. Beyond the roles woman played during this time European and African men still tried to control woman, which is not a surprise because women till this day are still fighting for their equality.

The French Revolution

The French revolution had its great influence from the American revolution, but differed in certain ways.  The French revolution started with the conflicts it had within its own French society.  French government was in the brink of bankrupcy and so what did they do? King Louis called the estates general which consisted of three estates.  They wanted to raise taxes on the people opposed from the privilaged.  But these three estates composed of two percent of the first and second estate, the clergy and the nobles.  The rest consisted of the common people in the third estate, which the first and second estate tried to control.  This lead for the majority of these commoners to start the Nation Assembly, which gave the authority to make the laws for the country.  This resulted in the declaration of the rights of man and citizen.  The French revolution had justified the rights of the common people.
This reform in France was much needed, but I also think they came about it wrong.  I do agree with the commoners that it is not fair for the rich people to try and make the poor pay taxes, but their was a lot of violence and just becuase they were aristocrats some were innocent, but still got there heads cut off by the guillotine.