Nuremberg Trials

Wow, this movie has been quite interesting so far. First off, I would like to say that I think Alec Baldwin plays the role of Justice Jackson extremely well. The way that he crushed Hermann during the part of the trial that was shown today was absolutely amazing. I was captivated by his performance and I really felt the anger that the real Jackson must have felt during the trials. Now, I would also like to praise the actor who plays Hermann. He pulled the part off perfectly. He was clever, and evil with a menacing grin on his face. I at first did not dislike him because he seemed like he was a good man who was caught in the unfair justice system for the losers of war. However, as the trial went on, I began to realize how obnoxious and arrogant Hermann was acting and I realized that he really is a bad guy. The aspect of a trial usually doesn't interest me much but I was captivated by the Nuremberg Trials. The fact that they were willing to give a fair trial to twenty one Nazis was appalling to people at the time. This was the first time ever that losers of war were granted a fair trial and it was meant to set an example for the rest of the world and for future generations. So far this movie has been an intense ride, I cannot wait to finish it!

Reaction to the Class

So this entire class has been quite a ride. At the beginning of the year I had no idea what to expect from AP Euro and the dreaded "Maz" because of all the things that I had heard. The first few weeks were a little intimidating, I'm not going to lie. I remember having to memorize all of those presidents and important figures along with their titles and countries that they represented. The homework has been a very distinctive part of this class as there was rarely a time when we did not have it, but it was a taste of what college will be like for us. The tests were good because they were just right, not too hard but not too easy either. I can definitely say that I have learned a lot of information in this class. Now when people ask me the president of Egypt, I can say Mubarak instead of my usual response of "iunno". As the year went on, I got used to the workload and managed to get most of my work in on time. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the roundtable discussions as well as any other activities where we got to debate. It was interesting to see my classmates personify someone from history. Which brings me to the meeting of minds discussion we will be having shortly. I am very excited for that because everyone gets to dress up and it'll be interesting to see each person's take on their character. One of my favorite parts of the course was when we read the power of one. I thought it was a wonderful book and doing the project with my other classmates was fun as well. So overall I thought this class was great and a lot of fun. Even though our work load was more than a typical class, I think it helped me to become more time efficient and also helped me prepare for college.

Connection Across Time

The al-Qaeda attack on September 11, 2001 is very similar to the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Both attacks were defining moments in US history. Both attacks took the country by surprise and rallied its people against a battle against tyranny. Lastly, both of these attacks pushed the United States into declaring war against the country who initiated the attack. These attacks had a strong impact on Americans at the time. It boosted national pride and really brought everyone together. The attacks on 9/11 and at Pearl Harbor were 60 years apart but they were fundamentally the same.

Global Warming

This is a sad painting to say the least. It depicts two penguins holding on while standing on the last piece of iceberg left. After learning about the dangers to the Global Environment such as the greenhouse effect and CFC's, I have a better knowledge about global warming. I think this particular painting symbolizes two things. First of all it symbolizes that global warming is a real issue and must be dealt with. It is imperative that humans help the environment because not only do animals depend on the environment, but humans do as well. Since it was the humans who are responsible for global warming, it should be their duty to reduce or reverse the effects that they have had on the environment. Second, I believe that it symbolizes that nature suffers from man's doing. The penguins are embracing each other, forced to survive on one last hope and that is for man to undo the destruction that he started. This painting is sad but it is a good metaphor for what humans have caused to the natural environment.

Sudanese Girl

This painting titled "Sudanese Girl" depicts a girl presumably in Darfur during the crisis. I think it captures the mood of the natives of Darfur very well and transfers it to the viewer of the painting. Her eyes seem to be staring off into nothingness because what she has seen throughout the war must have caused her to avert her eyes. The expression on her face is solemn and has a tint of disgust at what is occurring in Darfur. Her right arm is wrapped around what seems to be a the arm of a person who is lighter skinned. This could symbolize that just because people are different does not mean they have to fight. They can instead, be there to support each other as the girl is supported by the arm. The use of the color red definitely draws the image of blood to my mind and there was certainly no lack of blood during this crisis. I think overall this painting is a good depiction and symbol for the horrible crisis occurring in Darfur that we must not forget.

9/11 Painting

This painting contains a ton of symbolism. First of all there is a ray of light shining on a group of people consisting of workers, policeman and firemen. I believe that this shows that all the people who died during 9/11, including the policemen and firemen who tried to help, will find salvation. The American flag is being raised in the background and this symbolizes that even though America has just gone through this horrible and traumatic event, Americans will join together and national pride will be stronger than ever before. The Statue of Liberty is in the back to show the ideals that the United States was established on, liberty. 9/11 is the biggest event to occur in the 21st century and will always be remembered. I think this event really defined the United States in the early 21st century. It brought together all the Americans and this painting does a good job of depicting that.

Reflection on the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Last week each person in our class was assigned to be either a historian, a mediator, a Palestinian or an Israelite. We each presented information based on which side or what position we held. Before our whole week on the Arab-Israeli conflict, I really had no idea on what this conflict was about. Sure I had heard about it before but why it occurred and what was happening in this war were questions that I could not answer. However, after much research and debate on the subject, I can now say I have a clear idea about what the reason for this conflict was. I can also understand on how this conflict was able to carry on for so many years because it really is hard to come up with a plan that satisfies both sides. I really enjoyed the part where we got with the other members of our group and stated what our group wanted and what we were willing to give up. After all the research for my own position, Palestine, I had a strong opinion that Palestine was being wronged more in this war. Therefore the debate was heated and everything that the Israelites were saying seemed to make me angry. However, I listened to the proposals by the historians and mediators and I was able to accept the plans if the Israelites do as well. It was really fun and I enjoyed pretending to be a Palestinian. It has also taught me a lot about this war so now I am no longer clueless.

Response to "America held captive to utopian ideology"

After reading this article by Patrick Buchanan I was amazed but not surprised about what the contents said. I actually agree with most if not all of what Buchanan had to say. One of the first things that I found to be very interesting was the fact that China has maintained a 10-12 percent annual growth ever since Deng Xiaoping dispensed with Maoism. 10-12 percent may not seem like much but with China's vast population it is a HUGE increase. The fact that China is building dozens of nuclear power plants and also tying the nation together with bullet trains and highways just boggles my mind. During the summer of my freshman year I visited China during the summer and this was the first time I had done so since I was about eight years old. I don't remember much from my trip when I was eight but I remembered enough to notice the unfathomable change that the country has undergone in the six years that I haven't been there. I had stayed in Beijing for a week or so and was amazed to find that it was very similar to the United States in terms of how industrialized and structured the city had been. Since then, China has taken Germany's title as the world's leading exporter and China is set on a path to overtake Japan as the world's second largest economy this year. One thing that I disagree with Buchanan is that he thinks being captive to a utopian ideology is perilous to the republic. I think this is true to a certain extent. As the leading power in the world, I believe the United States has an obligation to set the example for the rest of the world and it is doing a good job by setting many regulations to help the environment and other areas. At the moment, it is not helping the United States at all as China's economy is growing at such a rapid rate. However, as soon as China catches up and is no longer considered a third world country, I think China will or at least should begin to set up similar regulations seeing as how it will be one of the largest, if not the largest, powerhouses in the world. So Buchanan should not be attacking the United States for doing what is right. Instead, he should dwell on the fact that it will be China's turn to set the example for the rest of the world in the near future.

Connection Across Time

Tsutomu Yamaguchi, pictured on the left, is a survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Yamaguchi died a few months ago due to stomach cancer. He was an engineer working in Hiroshima when they dropped the bomb. He was badly burned and returned to Nagasaki two days later and was bombed there as well. He survived both bombings and is the only person recorded who has achieved the same feat. In recent years he has talked openly about his bombing experience and has become a vocal support of nuclear disarmament. After his death, the mayor of Nagasaki said "a precious storyteller has been lost".

Taking Cover By David Fredenthal

I think this painting is a very good depiction of war for many of the soldiers. These soldiers were drafted into war but many of them were still young, and had never been exposed to the atrocities of war before. The soldier depicted in this painting is in a fetal position which could symbolize that he is still a child. He is not ready to take on the burdens of war. Also, his hands are red and bloody, which shows the unnecessary bloodshed in this war. The color used in the majority of this painting is dark and drab. It creates a dark mood and the shading also puts a dampener on the entire painting. The soldier seems to be trying hard to walk away from this affair with his life and that seems like it would be the general situation that most soldiers at the time were going through.

Man Without a Gun By Lawrence Beale Smith

This painting caught my eye because of the vivid colors and wonderful detail that it possessed. When looking at this picture, the facial expression of this soldier really stands out to me. His facial expression is hard to define, it is obviously not a happy one but it does not seem like he is sad either. He seems like he's been through a lot and has seen horrible things throughout this war. It is important to note that the title "Man Without a Gun" and the red cross symbols on his helmet and arm show that this soldier did not kill people on the battle field. Rather he did the opposite; he is a nurse and he tends to the injured. What is so important about this painting is that it portrays a man doing a job that is often overlooked in this war. It portrays those men who are not there to fight but rather to help the injured. The pile of boots to his left is a symbol of death to me. It shows that all of those soldiers have passed and their boots are stripped off and placed in a pile. To the right of him seems to be a pile of bloody towels. This is there because the man's job is to help the injured and he has to change the bloody gauze of the injured. Lastly, the background is a forest and in a way symbolizes how many is traveling into the unknown and disrupting the wilderness by fighting and killing. Smith does a good job of portraying a job that is very respected and yet often overlooked during a time of war.

The Morning After By Ed Reep

One look at this painting and I can tell that it is certainly not a happy scene. The first thing that i noticed was that the men were wearing tattered clothing and helmets. This showed that these men have endured much throughout this war. Second, I noticed that they seem to be staring at a dead tree perhaps. I took this tree to be a landmark of where they could have buried one or more of the friends that they lost during this war. The use of dark colors creates a very solemn and gloomy mood. The title itself, "The Morning After" implies that there must have been a battle of some sort the day before and now these men have come to mourn the deaths of their friends. The artist, Reed, painted this the morning after many of his friends were killed by a German bomb. He said "I painted these men with dazed looks, and clouds up above that seemed to reach like a dragon, like in the Goya's Disasters of War. Everything seemed to be tragic, terrible, and meaningless."