hey guys,
The premiere of "Darfur Now" is tomorrow, November 9th, at the Landmark Embarcadero Theater. It is a documentary about what's happening in Darfur, and it follows the story of 6 people, including Don Cheadle (actor/activist), George Clooney, a chief prosecutor in the ICC, and a former Darfurian rebel, who have dedicated their lives to fighting the ongoing genocide.
Here is the trailer:
Two things:
1. I hope you all want to/do see it
2. If we can organize a group of 15+ people to go together, we can have a conference call with Don Cheadle at the end of the month. I don't know about anyone else, but I think Don Cheadle is amazing and would love to chat with him...
The only thing about that is that we would probably have to go relatively soon.
Anybody interested?
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Ralph and Hitler Youth
On Monday, Ralph, a surviver of the Nazi Genocide came to talk to our class. He talked about Mr. Samuel, a middle-class Englishman who had saved his life through the kindertransport. Yesterday we saw a video of a man who had been a former Hitler-youth, and had been so fanatical that he had tried to continue fighting even after Germany had surrendered.
I personally consider Ralph to be a surviver, and do not consider the members of the Hitler youth to be perpetrators in the sense that we are defining them.
What do you think? Ralph considers himself a surviver, but he escaped while very young. Is there an age limit? An amount of suffering one has to undergo?
Although the Hitler youth were essentially brainwashed, is it a person's responsibility to think for themselves at some point? If you do consider him a perpetrator, would he have been more or less culpable had he known his actions were wrong, but had done them to survive?
I personally consider Ralph to be a surviver, and do not consider the members of the Hitler youth to be perpetrators in the sense that we are defining them.
What do you think? Ralph considers himself a surviver, but he escaped while very young. Is there an age limit? An amount of suffering one has to undergo?
Although the Hitler youth were essentially brainwashed, is it a person's responsibility to think for themselves at some point? If you do consider him a perpetrator, would he have been more or less culpable had he known his actions were wrong, but had done them to survive?
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Spectrum?
after watching the film on Hitler Youth, and discussing groups at lick and beyond, i thought i would ask a couple of follow up questions...
1. what exactly does it mean to have a "choiceless choice?" i know this is something that has come up a lot, but can anyone relate to being in such a position of a "rock and a hard place?"
2. when talking about how to categorize the Hitler Youth in terms of perpetrators, bystanders, or upstanders, we decided that there must be a spectrum of perpetrators. What does this spectrum look like to you? How would you factor in the fact that many of the Hitler Youth were a) vulnerable to the extensive and invasive Nazi propaganda, and b) facing a "choiceless choice?"
3. Groups at Lick: Did the open dialogue about the social groups in our class bring up anything for you that you didn't get the opportunity to share in-class? If so, what? Despite the slightly awkward/uncomfortable nature of the conversation, did you think it was productive and/or interesting?
Thoughts?
1. what exactly does it mean to have a "choiceless choice?" i know this is something that has come up a lot, but can anyone relate to being in such a position of a "rock and a hard place?"
2. when talking about how to categorize the Hitler Youth in terms of perpetrators, bystanders, or upstanders, we decided that there must be a spectrum of perpetrators. What does this spectrum look like to you? How would you factor in the fact that many of the Hitler Youth were a) vulnerable to the extensive and invasive Nazi propaganda, and b) facing a "choiceless choice?"
3. Groups at Lick: Did the open dialogue about the social groups in our class bring up anything for you that you didn't get the opportunity to share in-class? If so, what? Despite the slightly awkward/uncomfortable nature of the conversation, did you think it was productive and/or interesting?
Thoughts?
Suspending The Constitution: Pakistan
As we have discussed in class this past week, the rise of the Hitler and the Nazis all came about legally. Hitler was able to use the Weimar Constitution to suspend the Constitution and the rights of the people through Article 48, which gave him the power to seize all control if he believed the republic was in danger.
Within the past week, the president of Pakistan, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, abolished the Supreme Court and suspended the Constitution declaring a "state of emergency" in Pakistan. Musharraf, who is both the head of the military and the country which is against the Constitution of Pakistan, has abolished the Constitution in efforts to maintain his power in both.
Here is the address of the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/07/world/asia/07lawyers.html?_r=3&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Similar to what occurred in the Weimar Republic with Hitler and the Nazis, what is happening in Pakistan closely resembles the beginning stages of what Hitler did to rise to power as a dictator. Both president Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Hitler declared a "state of emergency" thus allowing them to suspend the Constitution and democracy.
Some questions to consider:
-Given what occurred in the Weimar Republic after Hitler rose to power, what is the danger in what is happening in Pakistan today?
-What measures could or should be taken to prevent the democracy of Pakistan from being abolished?
-As Arron mentioned in his earlier post on "neighbors", what role, if any, should other nations involve themselves in the situation? Will "help" be beneficial or non beneficial?
-What are the differences, if any, between what occurred in Germany and what is occurring in Pakistan today?
Feel free to respond to whatever else you may think of!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Aaron and Aileen's Week Summary!
Hey everyone, it's Aileen (F block) AND Aaron (H block). Double Threat...
Anyway, so here is an update about what we covered in class:
We learned about the different political parties that existed in the Weimar Republic in the early 1930s. They were KPD, SPD, Center, and the Nazis. After each group representing each political party presented their platforms, the undecided voters evaluated the benefits and disadvantages of electing each party, and they finally made a decision. In both classes, the SPD came out with the victory.
Next class, we explored the course theme of obedience related to Nazi Germany. We read a excerpt from a German professor who experienced life under of the Nazis. Because of the "small steps" the Nazis used, he wasn't aware of the damage these measures would cause in the long term. We also talked about military obedience, how age affects obedience, and when it is appropriate to disobey.
Yesterday, both classes covered different material:
F block: We uncovered the role of obedience in Hitler's Nazi Youth Movement. Hitler's Youth Movement was intended to get the young to follow Hitler's ideology. Hitler was able to persuade these young minds and turn them against the Jews. We then learned through film about one man's experience during Hitler's youth movement. He explains that he was unaware of what was actually going and that he was easily persuaded by Nazi propoganda. Nazi beliefs became his own conviction.
H block: Yesterday we had a visitor, Ralph Samuel, who was a survivor of the Holocaust. We learned that through the Kindertrasnport, he was able to survive the extremities of the genocide. Ralph stated that even though the US did not pass the Act in Congress to allow unaccompanied children into the US, Britain began a system to transport children into England, called the Kindertransport. By the time the Kinderstransport stopped in the September of 1939, 10,000 children were saved. Ralph was about 8 years old when he was flown to England to meet his new family. However, a few months later he was evacuated to the countryside where Mrs. Strachey took him and 7 other children to stay with her during the war. His purpose in talking to many different schools is to memorialize Mr. Epstein, the father who took him in, as well as the other 6 million Jews that died. The moral of his talk is that anyone can make a difference.
Have a good blog week!
Anyway, so here is an update about what we covered in class:
We learned about the different political parties that existed in the Weimar Republic in the early 1930s. They were KPD, SPD, Center, and the Nazis. After each group representing each political party presented their platforms, the undecided voters evaluated the benefits and disadvantages of electing each party, and they finally made a decision. In both classes, the SPD came out with the victory.
Next class, we explored the course theme of obedience related to Nazi Germany. We read a excerpt from a German professor who experienced life under of the Nazis. Because of the "small steps" the Nazis used, he wasn't aware of the damage these measures would cause in the long term. We also talked about military obedience, how age affects obedience, and when it is appropriate to disobey.
Yesterday, both classes covered different material:
F block: We uncovered the role of obedience in Hitler's Nazi Youth Movement. Hitler's Youth Movement was intended to get the young to follow Hitler's ideology. Hitler was able to persuade these young minds and turn them against the Jews. We then learned through film about one man's experience during Hitler's youth movement. He explains that he was unaware of what was actually going and that he was easily persuaded by Nazi propoganda. Nazi beliefs became his own conviction.
H block: Yesterday we had a visitor, Ralph Samuel, who was a survivor of the Holocaust. We learned that through the Kindertrasnport, he was able to survive the extremities of the genocide. Ralph stated that even though the US did not pass the Act in Congress to allow unaccompanied children into the US, Britain began a system to transport children into England, called the Kindertransport. By the time the Kinderstransport stopped in the September of 1939, 10,000 children were saved. Ralph was about 8 years old when he was flown to England to meet his new family. However, a few months later he was evacuated to the countryside where Mrs. Strachey took him and 7 other children to stay with her during the war. His purpose in talking to many different schools is to memorialize Mr. Epstein, the father who took him in, as well as the other 6 million Jews that died. The moral of his talk is that anyone can make a difference.
Have a good blog week!
Monday, November 5, 2007
in case you're interested...
hey -
so i think i posted a while back about a "Dream for Darfur" event that's happening in the bay area on November 18th, and now that it's already November 5 (6 more weeks until 2nd semester!!) I thought I would post a reminder:
What: SF Bay Area "Dream for Darfur" rally/Symbolic Torch Relay/Die-In -> an event hosted by Martina Knee of the SF Bay Area Darfur Coalition to protest China's fueling of the genocide in Darfur.
Who: U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) will be speaking, and I've included a link to her bio and every piece of news regarding her involvement in helping end the genocide in Darfur --> http://lee.house.gov/index.cfm
When: Sunday, Novemeber 18th, 10:00 - 11:00 AM.
Where: Frank H. Ogawa Plaza (City Hall) (Oakland, CA)
so i think i posted a while back about a "Dream for Darfur" event that's happening in the bay area on November 18th, and now that it's already November 5 (6 more weeks until 2nd semester!!) I thought I would post a reminder:
What: SF Bay Area "Dream for Darfur" rally/Symbolic Torch Relay/Die-In -> an event hosted by Martina Knee of the SF Bay Area Darfur Coalition to protest China's fueling of the genocide in Darfur.
Who: U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) will be speaking, and I've included a link to her bio and every piece of news regarding her involvement in helping end the genocide in Darfur --> http://lee.house.gov/index.cfm
When: Sunday, Novemeber 18th, 10:00 - 11:00 AM.
Where: Frank H. Ogawa Plaza (City Hall) (Oakland, CA)
Broadway (between 14th & 15th Streets
Oakland, CA 94612
* REALLY COOL: "Olympic Dream for Darfur official events in the US are organized by the Save Darfur Coalition, STAND, and the Dream for Darfur. They feature a torch that started its journey in Chad, just across the border from Darfur, will continue to the sites of previous genocides, several cities in the US, and arrive at China's doorstep in December."
Here is the link where you can sign-up to attend this event:
http://www.savedarfur.org/page/event/detail/olympicdreamfordarfurofficialevent/4jv5j
Also, I've been in contact with Martina Knee (the organizer of the event) and she sent me tons of posters, flyers, postcards, etc., so if you want one, please just let me know and I'll give you one...or three.
Thanks guys!
Oakland, CA 94612
* REALLY COOL: "Olympic Dream for Darfur official events in the US are organized by the Save Darfur Coalition, STAND, and the Dream for Darfur. They feature a torch that started its journey in Chad, just across the border from Darfur, will continue to the sites of previous genocides, several cities in the US, and arrive at China's doorstep in December."
Here is the link where you can sign-up to attend this event:
http://www.savedarfur.org/page/event/detail/olympicdreamfordarfurofficialevent/4jv5j
Also, I've been in contact with Martina Knee (the organizer of the event) and she sent me tons of posters, flyers, postcards, etc., so if you want one, please just let me know and I'll give you one...or three.
Thanks guys!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Article in Chronicle by Guest Speaker Roxanne
Hey guys, I know it's not my blog week, but I noticed that Roxanne, the guest speaker who came to F Block to talk about the Armenian genocide, had an opinion article in the Insight section of the Chronicle today. She argues for the passing of the Armenian Genocide Resolution in Congress. Here's the link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/11/04/INTDT2UPH.DTL
A point of hers which I found interesting:
"The United States has numerous military bases in the area - in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Bulgaria, the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan - from which we can operate.
The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Turkish Daily News have all quoted U.S. officials saying that if Turkey cut off our base or supply lines, it would not greatly affect our military operations. And, according to a recent article in Defense News, the Armenian genocide resolution wouldn't even "dent" U.S. arms sales to Turkey. Several years ago, when France passed a similar resolution, arms sales between France and Turkey were back to booming within months."
This flies in the face of the counterargument I've read often in other media that if Turkey were to stop allowing United States military to use their land and airspace, the military's mission would be hindered and it would put the US at risk.
What do you all think about this and the rest of Roxanne's argument?
A point of hers which I found interesting:
"The United States has numerous military bases in the area - in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Bulgaria, the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan - from which we can operate.
The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Turkish Daily News have all quoted U.S. officials saying that if Turkey cut off our base or supply lines, it would not greatly affect our military operations. And, according to a recent article in Defense News, the Armenian genocide resolution wouldn't even "dent" U.S. arms sales to Turkey. Several years ago, when France passed a similar resolution, arms sales between France and Turkey were back to booming within months."
This flies in the face of the counterargument I've read often in other media that if Turkey were to stop allowing United States military to use their land and airspace, the military's mission would be hindered and it would put the US at risk.
What do you all think about this and the rest of Roxanne's argument?
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