Our Politics

Category: Literature

  • A Political Reading List (Left)

    A Political Reading List (Left)

    Books about Left-Wing Politics

    Listen Liberal by Thomas Frank – Understanding Democratic Party

    Noam Chomsky on Anarchism by Noam Chomsky – Understanding Anarchism- roots, Chomsky, being critical

    Who Rules the World? by Noam Chomsky – Foreign Policy and Global Economics

    Indefensible 7th myths of the Global Arms Trade by Paul Holden – Arms Trade Globally and Security

    A peoples History of the US by Howard Zinn – US History through Working-Class People

    Breaking through Power by Ralph Nader – US politics

    War is a Racket by Smedley Darlington Butler – Why all wars are connected to Banks

    Troops, Trolls, and Troublemakers: A Global Inventory of Organized Social Media Manipulation by Samantha Bradshaw, University of Oxford – How Social Media Influences Politics

    Viking Economics: How the Scandinavians Got It Right-and How We Can, Too by George Lakey – Progressive Economics applied the world’s happiest/most productive Workers

  • The Man

    The Man

    He has words, not common words, but words meant to cut, cut the fabric of the soul.
    Words meant to entangle his victims in the anxiety and ego of modern life.
    The words he speaks are not common, yet spoken with passion and hate.

    The words walk on their own throughout my mind, planting seeds of infidelity in my self belief.
    My belief in self remains unscathed and yet, I can feel the words of his, slip and slide down my ear. Like pollution bleeding from a factory wall it erodes my soul like an acid.

    The word, the word is weakness, the topic, the man, the result, a short temper, a quicker reaction, a fiery hell burning the insides of my soul.
    The house may be burning down, but the foundation remains the same. The windows covered in smoke, the foundation remains the same. The floor bending from the heat, the foundation remains the same.

    And of the mighty words which weakness we do praise, another crawls out, and its here to stay. The word is alone. How long are you going to stay alone before you cut the vines of weakness, before you machete the epic failures of your masculinity away? He asks. A reply?
    Slow, methodical, violence on the self. In perpetuity.

  • What I See

    I see more courage and dignity in the eyes of those who have not everything, but nothing. I see men who wear many clothes, the finest money can offer and those that wear less. I see more character in the ones with less to wear and more worn on the strapping of their heart. I see a nation staring at itself in the mirror and the images cracks, it is not a pretty picture and yet it is not the only picture that can be. Men can write history which ever way they want, when they want, for who they want, but it is the poor man that will write the future. It is the men who say I demand change, not those who ask for it, a wise former slave who proclaimed himself Fredrick Douglass once wrote, “Power concedes nothing without demand”. I am not here for you to follow me on an endless journey, but to plant the seeds for you to begin your own. Money does not make might, money does not make one’s character and might does not make right. We have growing problems in this world we have been given. We have the tools to solve those problems. We have technology to solve many of those problems yet we resist. The resistance does not shoulder the burden on the backs of the wealthiest or strongest among us, but the weakest. People who are too poor to make sure food isn’t an issue this week, or next week or a year from now. People who are plagued with disease, rising costs, who shoulder the burden our society puts on them. Drugs, violence, food, shelter, these are not the problems of a man in a golden tower. But the problems of a man who is tasked with changing his reality.

    We do not seek conflict on our own, but others order us toward that conflict. We do not lust for blood or gold by nature but are commanded to it by a culture of lust. Lust for silver, lust for more goods, things you don’t need, you don’t want and by the time you get it, it breaks down and ends up in the trash next week. Where are the saviors of this world? Are they the men who speak the words of injustice? Or the men who hear and see the injustice and commit themselves to ending it? This speech is not giving you a guide to ruling the world, instead, it says look inward. Be the person you want to admire, be the change you wish to see in the world. Don’t utter words of compassion, offer arms of embrace. Don’t give money to write problems off, act to solve them. IF You die tomorrow or five minutes from now, what will you say at your own funereally? Will you quote Caesar and say “I came, I saw, I conquered”. Or will you be bold solve the ills of the worlds before you die only to realize that in solving those problems you never really died? A man who cures cancer lives on forever. A man who cares for a small boy and makes a positive difference in that one child’s life lives forever. My advice to you is not to go out a fight in some war somewhere or to pick up a pitchfork and or to bath in the ease of common life. My advice is simply, Live Forever.

  • “A Persian Requiem” Book Analysis

    “A Persian Requiem” Book Analysis

    A Persian Requiem is a 1969 novel by Iranian author Simin Daneshvar. A Persian Requiem is set in the Iranian city of Shiraz during the early 1940s. During this period, Iran was under occupation by both the British and the Soviet Union due to its strategic importance as a supply route during World War II and was in a stranglehold under the autocratic rule of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, who came to power in 1941. The central characters in the novel are Zari, a young, traditionally-minded woman, and her husband Yusef, a prominent member of the landed elite and a staunch nationalist who is resentful towards both the corrupt Iranian government and loss of Iranian sovereignty. In the background, political factions such as the communists and tribal leaders openly rebel against the government and compete for power, thus destabilizing Iranian society. Zari attempts to carry on with a normal life and keep her family shielded from outside events. The killing of Yusef due to his persistent opposition to British domination and political corruption ultimately shatters Zari’s efforts at maintaining a normal family life. The novel ends with Yusuf’s funeral service, which eventually turns into a city-wide uprising in opposition to colonialism and political corruption.

    One of the main themes explored in A Persian Requiem is the loss of national identity and resentment towards colonial rule. This theme is shown several times throughout the novel. For example, Zari describes the presence of foreign troops in Shiraz as unreal and akin to “watching a film.” This idea is further shown when Yusef meets with Captain Singer, a member of the British occupying force in the city and states that the Iranian people “never had the chance to fight” and that they are suffering the consequences of defeat “without ever having tasted victory or even an honorable defeat.” Additionally, Captain Singer mentions to Yusuf that the British are entitled to Iranian natural resources because “they do not need it all.” The British are also depicted as taking advantage of the Iranian people by trying to get ahold of their resources and placing strains on their medical systems. Through such sequences, Daneshvar is saying that the British occupation of Iran has demoralized the Iranian people, and that continued colonial influence and occupation has robbed Iran of the independence that it deserves as a nation.

    The theme of the disconnect between the individual and authority and the idea of grassroots political change is also explored in A Persian Requiem. For example, the Iranian government is described by Yusef as not following through on its promises of political liberalization and instead brought “only bribery, excuses, hated and executions.” Additionally, Yusef states that “instead of books, teachers, medicine, and health care, they sent us soldiers armed with bayonets, guns, and hostility.” The Iranian government is portrayed as being weak at its core and unable to address the threats Iranian society faced on a continual basis. For example, the Iranian army is mentioned as “worthless even in the face of a group of local upstarts” and lacking the proper training to deal with foreign invaders and internal threats. This perceived weakness is one of the main factors as to why the British government kept its hold on Iran for many decades and as contributing to the rise in anti-government insurrectionist movements led by the communists and local tribal chiefs.

    The role of women in the Middle East is shown in A Persian Requiem. Zari is initially depicted as accepting the traditional role that women in Iranian society followed and as holding in her emotions despite her deep-seated resentments. Zari holds in her emotions until the moment when her frustration becomes reaches its peak in which she erupts in an outburst at Yusef, stating that he is “the one who took my courage away from me.” Zari ultimately becomes transformed by the death of her husband, articulating the core that was previously suppressed and emerges as an independent woman in defiance of the traditional societal norms within Iran. For example, when addressing a group of local officials about the proper public involvement in Yusef’s burial, Zari recognizes the need to speak out against social injustices by stating that she “concluded that “one has to be brave in life for the sake of those who are living.”

    In conclusion, A Persian Requiem explores several different themes include the loss of national identity, the divide between the individual and government, and the role of women in Middle Eastern cultures. Simin Daneshvar is effective at illustrating the numerous social and political issues that characterized Iran during the 1940s and highlights the long-standing effects of colonialism and foreign domination on a people yearning for independence. Additionally, A Persian Requiem highlights the social and political issues within Iran that eventually came to a head a little more than a decade after the book’s publication with the Iranian Revolution. Because of its portrayal of life in Iran during a critical juncture in the country’s history, A Persian Requiem will continue to be viewed by critics as one of the most influential Iranian novels in recent memory and may serve to influence future works on life in the Middle East.

  • The Blind Mayor

    The Blind Mayor

    By Marco Palladino 4/4/17-Creative Writing
    It was the Mayor’s first day in office after a blurry campaign, his adversaries remained like specs in the eye toward an unforeseen victory. The Mayor would start his first day in office by flirting with his secretary, who at first he had mistaken for a coat rack. He came into his office with a blindingly bright pair of blue pants. He would make it to his desk only to find that someone had un-wheeled his chair so when he sat down, it was lopsided and made him look at people bent with a goofy stare at the ceiling. He would sign his first bill with a pink pen with a little Hawaiian girl holding a ukulele on top. The Mayor was on the front page of the newspaper with the pen, the bill covered in pink ink, his intern smiling with his forearm crutches and a shirt that read I am with the fool-hearted and blind.

    The Mayor loved listening to rap music loudly in his office, specifically Biggy Smalls. When people would visit him, the music continued to play loudly because the Mayor couldn’t find the right knob to turn it down. The public works administrator would usually leave the room saying racial slurs and something or other about the niggerizing of American music. The Mayor would also play games on his interns by sneaking up on them at night when the office lights were dim. These games usually ended up with an intern having a near heart attack, falling and flapping out of their chair like a drunk baby out of a car seat. He would sometimes scare them by making growling noises and then let his dog Midget loose. Midget was a short and heavy bulldog who had a habit of gnawing on the intern’s leg, enough to rip their pants and slobber all over their new clothes. The intern with crutches would be used to fending off the dog like a David versus Goliath battle, with the dog weighing nearly double the interns’ weight. He would whack the dog repeatedly, quoting Shakespeare in the process. “All was lost, But that the heavens fought,” the intern said.

    The intern would get back at the Mayor by calling as fake people about fake problems, while making fun of his blindness. He would call with strange names like Partially Sighted and Juno No See-alot. He would call as a Republican to ask him to support Trump’s Wall, the Mayor would reply “I don’t understand why we need a wall, I can’t see it anyway.” The intern would call as a Democrat to push healthcare, he would reply “I am blind” and hang up. After a few hours of prank phone calls, the intern would begin to get some work done having kept the Mayor busy for a while. The Mayor would also ride into town with a cowboy hat on with his secretary and spend taxpayer money on lavish lunches and dinners for himself and his wife Jenifer.

    The Mayor would love to go to lunch with people in town, spending 2 to 3 hours eating and talking to the locals. He was often seen consuming large amounts of alcohol during lunch time and would ride back to the office on a two-person bike with the secretary on the front. The Mayor was known for making obscene and lewd comments toward police officers on the ride back. Sometimes he would have conversations with red fire-hydrates and insult them calling them red faced and no good. He was also caught going to cockfights downtown with illegal Mexicans. These fights are well known and the police remain unable to stop them. Often there is gambling and prostitution, it’s thought to be managed by former Nazis. How long can our City remain vigilante against crime when the mayor clearly can’t see the problem?

    Don’t let the “Blind Cowboy” bike Oklahoma City off the Cliff. Don’t let the Mayor create blind justice. Go to www.NotSeeMayor.com
    Paid for by the Women Against “The Blind Cowboy”: Mayor Thomas Gore. Sponsored by the Oklahoma Republican Party- We Need a Mayor that can see the future. Vote for John W. Harreld, A man who’s vision is impeccable.2020.

    This story is dedicated to my Grandmother: Jean T Bonanno who lived with blindness later in her life and struggled with it. December 15, 1929 – April 20, 2014.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gore

  • “They Die Strangers” Book Analysis

    “They Die Strangers” Book Analysis

    The book They Die Strangers: A Novella and Stories from Yemen is a fiction book written by Mohammad Abdul-Wali and published in 2002. The book is a series of thirteen short stories which cover a range of topics that are unique to Yemen. The stories showcase the struggles that the average Yemeni goes through daily. The book also includes sections that describe the author and some history of Yemen, which illustrates the overall context of the short stories shown throughout the book. Some of the themes in They Die Strangers: A Novella and Stories from Yemen include deep poverty, civil conflict, police, culture, masculinity, among others. This paper seeks to explore several of the sections and discusses the major themes that they address.

    The book begins by discussing the North Yemen Civil War, which lasted from 1962 to 1970, and how the country was divided because of the war. This historical background is relevant today due to the current Civil War in Yemen and the fact that the war is fought along religious lines between the Sunni-dominated Yemen government and the Houthis, a Shi’a rebel group that seeks to put in place a new government in Yemen. The book also gives some background on the author, who was born in Yemen but lived in Ethiopia for most of his life and how he was viewed as an outsider in Ethiopian society. The theme of the individual’s being perceived as outsiders and as disconnected from their culture is shown throughout his writings. The opening chapter also talks about the fact that the divide between religion in both Yemeni politics and the author’s own personal life. The author also mentions being married to a Swedish wife, having an administrative position as director of the aviation authority, and spending two years in jail for political activism. As such, one can conclude that the author attempts to tell his life story in an indirect way through fictional story-telling.

    One of the more notable parts of the book was entitled The Last Class. The Last Class follows the story of a group of young students who had a passionate, young, and energetic teacher in his 20’s who inspired them to expand their knowledge and take an active interest in what was being taught in school. The teacher would come in, and the students would always be excited about everything that he discussed in their lesson because he taught with such passion and brought the school lessons to life. For example, the teacher would go over lessons not included in the curriculum such as the history of Yemen, which is often ignored by the government and glossed over by the media and society of Yemen. The writing in The Last Class was very realistic even for a work of fiction and left a personal mark on the reader.

    Another section called The Slap is about how a small boy gets disciplined by his father through physical punishment. The boy gets hit once in the side of his face, and his cheek turns bright red. His father says that he hits him because that is the only way that he will learn right from wrong. Additionally, a man with tuberculosis is depicted in this section, which is a disease that was all but eliminated in the developed world during the latter half of the 20th Century. This portrayal makes one remember that much of the world remains under-developed and poor to the point in which diseases considered to be eradicated in the developed world are still present and represent an existential threat to the lives of numerous people.

    Abu Rupee is another interesting passage in the novel. It follows a boy who talked with an old man who ran around painting people as donkeys or dogs. It is an amusing section and can be applied to society today how people are afraid to speak together, so people are forced to mock each other through art. Abu also discussed how the papers only care to print lies to make money and support the rich. That is akin to how the media slants news stories in the Western world and similar to the themes discussed in Noam Chomsky’s film The Myth of the Liberal Media which details how the media is only there to serve corporate interests. The man would go around painting pictures of people and talk about returning to Yemen and how it important his homeland is to his identity. Abu Rupee takes place in Ethiopia and then back to Yemen. The man in Abu Rupee eventually went to back to live in Yemen, and the people there would call him “Madman.” Even though he would speak the truth about how things were, he was regarded as crazy. The man made the young boy want to become an artist instead of a businessman. Abu Rupee is one of the better stories he wrote which shows class issues, poverty, and the migration of Yemeni residents to other countries, which has only increased in recent years.

    In conclusion, They Die Strangers: A Novella and Stories from Yemen was a well-written book despite being primarily fiction. Many of the themes Mohammad Abdul-Wali touches upon in this work include rampant poverty and inequality, civil conflict, masculinity issues, and the role of government in society. The main strength of the novel is that is mirrors the daily lives of people in an increasingly important area of the world and gives them a voice that they would have lacked otherwise.

  • Rape Jokes- Feminists Say No

    Rape Jokes- Feminists Say No

    Tackling the topic of humor is a particularly difficult area because it can be extremely subjective. A joke might be funny to one person or group of people but considered not funny to a different individual or group. Is it proper to make jokes about pain and suffering? Well yes. Many jokes in the realm of satire are explicitly mocking something or stating something that is obviously false to be funny. Without knowing it people like politicians or leader or even ordinary people can say something seriously and people can misconstrue it as a joke. An example of this was when President Donald Trump said: “No one cares about black people more than I do.” While many laugh at this because it an obvious fallacy he didn’t intend it to be a joke. Now for people who tell jokes, it is different because they set up the context to make jokes funny. George Carlin explains this very well below.

    He goes more into words themselves rather than jokes, but he makes a good point, its the context that matters. People who make jokes about racism often don’t do it to put different ethnic groups down but, in fact, to shine a light on problems in society. Historically if you look at people like (history of Satire on wiki link below) Johnathan Swift jokes about eating babies in his work “A Modest Proposal”(http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html) where he talks about killing kids and selling them for food. The work is meant to shine a light on the fact that there are children everywhere who can barely eat who often starve or face death and disease without help. The church at the time, of course, didn’t do great things advocating against condom use, but that’s a topic for another time. Sometimes jokes have little purpose(to change society) and are just funny. If you say eating children jokes are wrong (Modest Proposal) then you often put yourself in a box where you have to declare everything else immoral because its “wrong”. If a rape joke is wrong because it can encourage a culture of more rape then that’s an argument that must be defended. I don’t have a defense for it here, but when you try to change the way people talk all you end up doing is marginalizing large groups of people without fixing the root of the problem. It’s not Swifty making jokes about treating children inhumanely in his work that pushes that culture to do such, but indeed society’s lack of moral itself. If rape was absent in a society would it be moral to make a joke about it?

    Also, this seems very much like a gendered issue. A teacher of mine, need not be named, said its ok to make jokes about men getting rape but not women. That statement itself sets itself up for failure. If you’re going to make the argument about rape culture than you shoot yourself in the foot especially if you live in the United States. The United States is the only country to record more male rape than female rape in an area because of the massive prison populations we have(not entirely true link below to shed light).Male rape is never talked about and when it is not much is done about it. Why?The saying goes “MEN CAN TAKE IT”. Feminist can’t argue about female rape jokes and leave men out. Because rape in prisons still happening at high rates- population of prisoners still high and little political will to change it. But again these conversations are land minds because you will just keep getting bogged down more until you come to the conclusion a jokes a joke. It can be more, it can be less. I am not defending jokes that attack people(direct personal attacks), I am defending jokes that shine a light on issues. At the end of the day, words are just words and we shouldn’t ruffle our feather if someone makes a bad joke(or an even shittier one.

    Other Topics
    Male Rape – Look at Ancient Greeks/ Look at Military gay sex history(sailors/army…etc)
    Female Rape- Highest in Middle East/ Dress has nothing to do with the probability of rape. Machines will lower it(sex robots).
    Child Rape- Seems to be High among elites-PizzaGate/Australian Boy Sex crack down/Hard to stop men in high places.
    Sex- Church historically against condom use, which has killed many.
    Hunger- Yemen Starving, US-led, Saudi-Led, World Hunger Can be Ended, You’re to Blame

    (Disclaimer not edited, RAW)XXX

    1. Some Jokes/Satire…etc
      “Don’t Drop the Soap”
      “What the difference between a cop and a robber? Cops have badges.”
      How many cops does it take to shoot a black man? One.
      Whats the difference between bombs and healthcare? One is paid for.
      Whats the most dangerous kind of black man? A black man who can vote.
      Data extraction facility- Hand
      Data storage facility- my balls
      Why couldn’t the blind Nazi read? Because he could notsee.
      Every Heard of Ethiopian food? Neither have they?

    Famous Comedians
    Bill Hicks- Grade A
    George Carlin Grade A
    Daniel Tosh
    Anthony Jeselnik
    Rick and Morty Cartoon Grade A

    Satirical Works
    Modest Proposal Johnathan Swift
    Cannibal Cars – Mark Twain

    Sources
    http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/feb/21/us-more-men-raped-than-women
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire

  • The Village in the Forrest

    The Village in the Forrest

    Isene Dagelaish
    4/12/17
    The Village in the Forrest
    I live in a small village in India. Every day I walk two miles to provide fresh water for my family. I carry two buckets on a pole. My shoulders buckle as I hike up the mountain. Our village is far from any remnants of civilization. We have no electricity or running water. Everyday my grandfather wakes me up early to get water for the family. I want to go to school like my brother, but I need to get water for us. Water is life.

    My body aches from the heavy pails of water I carry. The trip gets longer in the summer when the sun stays in the sky all day. The hot sun makes tiny beads of sweat fall off my head and bounce off my feet as I traverse the rough terrain. The sun rises early and sets late, the sun makes my skin hot like our pan that cooks the chicken for supper. I dream of a day when I can rest or sleep in late.

    I love reading. I try to read the book my brother brings home, but I don’t know all the words, I get stuck a lot. He says I am a girl, and I shouldn’t read. I run to my room, and my eyes flood my pillow with tears. But it’s ok now. Soon papa will return from farming and get the water for us. Soon I will be the one reading. Soon I will be the one sleeping in late. Soon…

    Water

  • The Concept of Victimization in the Books “Noonday” and “War Porn”

    The Concept of Victimization in the Books “Noonday” and “War Porn”

    A common theme evident in nearly all pieces of literature that focus on the notion of war and the effects of warfare on civilians and combatants is the idea of victimization. Though all wars are unique in their victimization of both soldiers and non-combatants, there are commonalities with victims of all wars. Two examples of recent literature that highlight the concept of victimization in warfare are “War Porn” and “Noonday.” Both novels focus on the effects of war from the perspective of both those involved in the combat and the civilians who experience the consequences of war. Both novels share a connection in their portrayal of the costs of warfare on those who participate and the idea that all combat serves to turn individuals into victims.

    “Noonday” is a 2015 novel written by Pat Barker. The third in a series of books set over the course of World War One, “Noonday” is set in Great Britain in 1940 during the Battle of London. The novel follows the experiences of Elinor Brooke, an ambulance driver who works beside her friend Kit Neville, and her husband Paul, an air-raid warden. Originally students at the Slade School of Fine Art in the years immediately preceding World War One, Elinor, Kit, and Paul soon find themselves caught up in another war, this time at home. As the fighting and destruction steadily increase, the constant specter of death makes all three of them reach out for quick relief. “Noonday also explores the emotional impact of war as fought on the home front and how warfare affects the relationship dynamic that exists between different people.

    One way in which warfare victimizes both the combatants and civilians is because it reduces personal desires and results in increased complacency. Because of the unpredictable nature of warfare, people become accustomed to the violence and destruction that stems from it and often are forced to put their personal desires on hold. Pat Barker explores the idea through her description of Elinor and all the people in her household coming to accept the “searchlights over the church at night, blacked-out houses, the never-ending pop-pop of guns in the marshes.” Barker also compares the sound of gunfire to “almost like a child’s toy.” Through such lines, Barker is essentially saying that people eventually become desensitized as warfare continues to engulf their way of life. Additionally, the idea of war placing life on hold is further explored when Elinor is described as looking at the “brown lawn, the wilting shrubs, and flowers; everything seemed to be suspended.” Such lines allude to the idea that war creates inertia that prevents people from moving forward and that uncertainty at times results in decay. Barker also describes the effects of war on previously-existing family routines. For example, she describes the war and the subsequent uncertainty about the future as breaking down all the “normal routines” that Elinor and her family previously followed.

    Another way in which war victimizes individuals is through its displacement of people. An example of war disrupting family life shown in “Noonday” is through the character of Kenny. At the start of the war, Kenny was evacuated from the city of London and was brought in by Elinor and her family. Kenny is characterized as a relatively shy and quiet boy. Additionally, Kenny is portrayed as longing for his mother and loitering at the end of the driveway hoping that she would come to retrieve him. Through her portrayal of Kenny as quiet and longing to return to his family, Barker is alluding to the fact that war leads to isolation and the feeling of emptiness. The fact that war also impacts family dynamics is also shown in “Noonday” when Paul seeks to bring Kenny back home to London to be reunited with his mother. When Paul and Kenny find the location of Kenny’s mother, she is portrayed to be in a state of shock and ignores Kenny initially. She then lashes out at Paul, asking him why he brought Kenny back and that she “cannot have him” because “there is nothing left.” Such actions on the part of Kenny’s mother show that the war shattered the old family structure that she attempted to provide for her son.

    The idea of war victimizing individuals through its destructive nature and its dehumanizing of civilians is also explored in “Noonday.” For example, Paul alludes to the notion of war dehumanizing civilians when he is putting away the toy soldiers that Kenny brought along when he went back to London to be with his family. When putting the toy soldiers away, Paul makes the conclusion that warfare turns civilians into playthings by devaluing them. An example of the destructive nature of war as shown in “Noonday” is through Pat Barker’s portrayal of the City of London after being bombed by the Germans. For example, the streets of London are described as “reduced to charred and smoldering ruins in which at any moment you felt a fire could break through” and as having “bodies lying on the sides of the road, lifeless, sodden heaps of rags.” Such imagery illustrates the fact that the nature of total warfare is highly destructive and does not make a distinction between both civilian and military targets. An additional example of the effects of war on civilians occurs when Barker mentions that the shelter that Kenny was staying at was hit during a bombing run and that he and his family were among the civilians who were killed.

    The fact that war victimizes people at a personal level is also explored in “Noonday” through the character of Alex, who is Elinor’s nephew. When coming home from the hospital after being wounded in battle to visit his dying grandmother, Alex is described as feeling very tense and anxious to move on. Such lines illustrate the fact that warfare negatively affects individuals by increasing tensions within them and making them have a sense of unease about what might happen to them. Additionally, when discussing Elinor returning home from her shift as an ambulance driver, Pat Barker states that warfare often has the effect of aging people at an increased rate. The main ways in which war ages people and increases their overall level of stress is through its unpredictable nature and the constant feeling of continually being under siege from an outside invading force. The idea of warfare resulting in people questioning their will to live is also shown in “Noonday.” For example, Paul is described as having “more or less made up his mind he was going to die” due to the escalation of the bombing raids during the Fall of 1940 and that such acceptance freed him from any “fear or moral scruple.”

    “War Porn” is a 2016 novel written by Roy Scranton and is set during the early years of the Iraq War. The book itself consists of three distinct, yet interconnected storylines. The first plotline is narrated by an American soldier, Specialist Wilson, and describes Wilson’s service during the war’s early years and his experiences in US-occupied Iraq. The next focuses on the experiences of Qasim al-Zabadi, an Iraqi math professor who is split between remaining in Baghdad or fleeing to the countryside to be with his family. The third plotline cuts back to Utah, where a Columbus Day barbecue in 2004 is overshadowed by the appearance of an Iraq War veteran named Aaron. Linking the three storylines are interludes where Scranton channels a voice declaiming the amalgamated collection of the delusions and anxieties that underwrote the Iraq War in both American and Iraqi culture. “War Porn” explores the overall effects of the Iraq War from both the perspective of American soldiers and Iraqi civilians. Additionally, Scranton explores the idea of victimization in warfare through several examples throughout the text.

    One of the key areas of victimization, as presented in “War Porn”, is the notion that war desensitizes combatants. The idea of warfare desensitizing its combatants is examined through the portrayal of Aaron during the earlier chapters. For example, Aaron is shown as being relatively reluctant to talk about his experiences in Iraq and states that the fact that he had to kill people was “not a bad deal, either” and that it was “easier than working for it.” Aaron also states that he is not ashamed of his time in Iraq and that he had to follow the contract that he signed regarding his military service. The idea of desensitization is shown through the portrayal of Specialist Wilson and his fellow during the initial occupation of Iraq by the US military. For example, Scranton mentions Sargent Chandler, one of Wilsons fellow soldiers, as asking his commanding officer, Lieutenant Krauss if he could shoot one of the Iraqi children who got in the way of the convoy that he and Wilson were traveling in. Additionally, Jason Carruthers, another one of Wilson’s fellow soldiers mentions to his drill sergeant that the main reason he enlisted into the military was to “jump out of planes and kill people.”

    Another example of victimization Roy Scranton focuses on in “War Porn” is the idea of war stealing other people’s dignity and the dehumanization of civilians. An example of this concept is when Aaron shows Matt and the other party-goers a series of pictures that he took during his time as a guard at an internment camp in Iraq. The pictures reveal that many of the Americans stationed at the internment camp mistreated the Iraqi insurgents that they captured. For example, several of the pictures show US forces dehumanizing the Iraqi prisoners by assaulting them, forcing them into uncomfortable and cramped cells, and torturing several to the point of death. Moreover, Aaron states that such actions are often committed out of pure boredom. The fact that Aaron is showing Matt and the other party-goers the pictures that he took at the internment camp indicate that he is violating the dignity of others by showing graphic pictures of prisoners being held by the US occupational forces in Iraq.

    An additional example of victimization shown in “War Porn” is the idea of governments using up other people and countries to accomplish specific goals. An example of this theme occurs when Specialist Wilson describes how his unit captured scorpions and used to fight against other scorpions and various insects they found. The soldiers had the scorpions fight against other insects until death and named each of the winning scorpions Saddam. This example serves as a metaphor regarding the past support countries such as the US and Israel gave to Saddam Hussein during the war against Iran during the 1980s and then later turning against him when he invaded Kuwait in 1990.

    In conclusion, the idea of victimization is often a common theme in numerous war novels. The examples of victimization are often unique and are based on the context of the war that is being portrayed in the novel itself. Both “Noonday” and “War Porn” explore the idea of victimization in the cases of World War Two and the Iraq War. The primary areas of victimization shown in “Noonday” include the ideas of warfare creating uncertainty, displacing individuals, dehumanizing civilians, and the notion of war victimizing people at an individual level. On the other hand, “War Porn” explores the concept of victimization through its portrayal of the desensitizing effects of war on those who serve in the military, the idea of war as stealing other people’s dignity, and the idea of governments taking advantage of either individual countries or people to achieve certain goals. Despite the differences in their portrayals of victimization, both “Noonday” and “War Porn” focus on the effects of war in both individuals and combatants and highlight the overall destructive nature of warfare.

  • This I Believe

    This I Believe

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    This I Believe in all the principles that make our country strong. The main principle that makes our country strong is freedom and democracy. Those principles make our country a shining beacon of light for all the repressed people throughout the world to look up to. Despite the strengths of the principles that make our country strong, the values that we hold dear are being threatened every day by a variety of things. Those threats have become more and more pronounced over the past several decades.

    The biggest issue facing our country is the decline of the American Dream. Through policies put forward by the federal government and by foreign threats alike, the prospects of average American citizens of finding the American Dream are becoming dimmer and dimmer. Throughout the past few decades, we have seen a major decline in the standard of living for the middle class and a widening disparity between the rich and the poor in our society. We have seen the elites in our society bring down the economy through their own unbridled greed and selfish interests. We have also been attacked by outside groups looking to bring down our country and way of life.

    Despite the negative events that have impacted us throughout the last several decades, we have seen countless acts of humility and unity throughout our everyday lives. After the 9/11 attacks, there was a sense of unity in this country that had not been seen for many decades. In addition, when natural disasters hit, we have seen that people were willing to risk their own lives by helping their less fortunate neighbors. Those examples of humility helped me to understand that while the American Dream is threatened, many people are willing to look past that and still help their fellow man.

    I believe that the American Dream will someday be renewed. Our country is not one to turn its back on pressing issues and harsh challenges. Through faith and sacrifice, we can overcome any problem that we face as a country. Furthermore, by overcoming such challenges, our country will become much stronger and continue to remain as a beacon of light beckoning people from all across the world looking to find freedom and the pursuit of happiness.

  • My Experiences at the American Legion Boys State Program (June 2011)

    My Experiences at the American Legion Boys State Program (June 2011)

    There are some moments in life that are the result of hard work and determination. One such moment in my life was getting the opportunity to attend the New Jersey Boys State program during the early summer of 2011. There was never a more important and prestigious program that I was able to attend before it. It was the culmination of many long and arduous years of hard work and determination that finally paid off towards my favor. Most importantly, attending Boys State helped me reach the conclusion that the political and law fields are where I want to seek a career for myself after college graduation.

    The Boys State Programs is run by the American Legion and is a hands-on mock government program that is meant to educate each participant about how the political process works. Roughly 900 delegates are selected from towns all across New Jersey and meet for a week at Rider University. The delegates are then divided up into 16 cities which make up several counties. The residents in each city elect their representatives and pass laws relating to the problems facing the city. The delegates also elect state officials such as the governor, lieutenant governor, and two senators. Throughout the week, there are many other activities for the delegates to take part in such as sports, band practice and seminars relating to several careers.

    I was utterly surprised when I was selected. My history teacher and my guidance counselor felt that I was an excellent candidate for Boys State due to my strong academic performance and strong interest in history and politics. My parents were thrilled at my selection and felt I deserved it due to the fact that my academic performance had improved markedly so during my time in High School. Upon hearing the news about me being selected, my family began preparing for me to attend it as soon as possible with the utmost speed.

    Despite my initial excitement towards attending, I had a feeling of anxiety towards the idea of having to stay away from home for a week at an unfamiliar place. When I attended the orientation for Boys State, I was surprised to see that several of my classmates were attending it as well. Seeing them helped assuage me from some of my anxiety towards attending the program. Despite the fact that I felt less anxious about staying away from home, the prospects regarding meeting new people still made me feel relatively uneasy. The day that I embarked on my journey to Rider University approached fast and I felt ready to go. I met up with my counselor and fellow delegates at the local American Legion post and then proceeded with them on a bus to the university.

    While I was on the bus traveling to Rider University, I began to hear an extremely loud and persistent thud coming from the motor of the bus. It sounded almost like a knocking sound when listened to closely. At first, I thought the noise was nothing major and just a minor annoyance, but it did not stop and instead grew louder and louder as the trip progressed. My fellow delegates and I began to fear that the bus was going to break down in the middle of the road. Ultimately, the bus driver pulled over to check out what damage had occurred. Upon his further inspection, it appeared that the motor of the bus was seized and could not run. The bus breaking down could not have come at a worse time, as it was hot enough outside to boil water along the road and we had to be at the campus within the next hour. My anxiety level increased dramatically and I feared the worse. After the dramatic breakdown of the bus, a more reliable one was swiftly brought in and we made it to the campus in a short amount of time.

    When we were divided up into our respective cities, my anxiety began to drop, as I found out that I shared several interests with my fellow delegates. One person had a huge interest in politics and history just like me while another person was also interested in record collecting like me. Another delegate from my city even started a yhatzee club in his school and taught me and several other people how to play it. In addition, many of my fellow delegates came from diverse backgrounds all throughout the state. I then realized that there were people that shared the same interests as me and that it is not that hard getting to know new people who come from much more diverse and varied backgrounds than the ones I am accustomed to from my previous experiences.

    The dorm room that I was assigned was clean and orderly for the most part, but the furniture in it, especially the bed that I had to sleep on, was dilapidated and worn down from decades of use. In addition, the food that was served to us was second-rate in quality, especially the food served to us for breakfast and dinner. After getting settled in our dorms and having our first meal there, our cities counselor called us into a meeting to discuss how the political aspects of Boys State worked. After the meeting, our city had its first election for the mayor of it. I decided to run for mayor along with four other people. I tried to run an energetic campaign that focused on the needs of my city and how to find practical and forward-thinking solutions for the issues that it faced. Despite my persistent efforts, I lost the election, but received the second largest amount of votes out of all the candidates. I ultimately was appointed as the city public works administrator by the person who won the mayoral election. Although I lost the election, I gained a great insight into how to run a campaign and how local politics works.

    There were several current political leaders that spoke to us at the seminars. The first person that spoke to us was Congressman Leonard Lance, who spoke in well-expressed terms about his experiences attending Boys State nearly 40 years earlier. Moreover, former Bush Administration Press Secretary Ari Fleischer spoke at a later assembly about what path to take when getting started in politics. The most noteworthy person to speak to us was Governor Chris Christie, who had a question and answer period in which any delegate could as him a question. I was unable to ask him anything due to the fact that several hundred delegates formed a line to talk to him. Although I was not able to ask him a question, seeing Governor Christie was inspiring to me because I knew that he came from a relatively average background and was able to succeed in politics.

    Another fun experience at Boys State occurred on the second day. After we had lunch, our counselor divided up our city into two teams for a dodge ball game. The game quickly became very intense and exciting, although several participants were resistant to playing it at first. The game got very intense at time, but luckily no one walked away with any serious wounds once it ended. After the epic game was over, we learned that the team that won it would get an award for it at the graduation ceremony. My team won it, so I was thrilled to get the award at the graduation ceremony.

    On the last day of Boys State, a picnic was held for all the delegates and their families before the main graduation ceremony from the program. When my parents came to the picnic, they were very proud that I was able to attend such a program and noticed that I had grown as a person during my short time there. At the graduation assembly, current U.S. Senator Robert Menendez spoke to the delegates about his experiences attending Boys State and how it changed him as a person. During the graduation ceremony, I felt a sense of deep pride and cheerfulness in what I was able to accomplish.

    After I had packed up my bags, I felt a feeling of sadness as I left my city and my delegates. I had grown as a person and met many new and diverse people that I could build a lasting friendship with. I also had a feeling of satisfaction knowing that I was able to take part in such a great and educational program. Most importantly, I realized that a career in politics is what I might want to pursue in the future.