Casey today raised some important questions about North Korea, namely, why can't that many people go there to visit. While some of what I say here may resonate with all of you, it is far better for me to direct you to links to a very good film shot in 2003 by a British film crew inside North Korea. Not all the parts are on YouTube, but most of them are.
Part 1 of 8 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhAeli1DZRw
Part 2 of 8 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcGbbznRTVw&feature=related
Part 4 of 8 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWYII8yy5QM&feature=related
Part 5 of 8 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG_eiy3RzD0
Part 6 of 8 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QlHt3sSlPk&feature=related
Part 7 of 8 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BviJHKGYi4&feature=related
missing - part 3 and part 8. But this will give you a very good glimpse into what life is like in Pyongyang. And just remember that these kids are the same age as you.
Part of the reason why so few people are allowed into North Korea (DPRK) is that the government wants to isolate its people from interacting with people from other cultures and customs. It is mass segregation, even from each other. Here, we think nothing of going from Eureka to Arcata or Fortuna, or even to the Trinity River or the lake. But for North Koreans, everything they do is being watched by somebody else, all the way up to the top. It is a place where originality is discouraged, and where its citizens must be subservient to the state at all times. It is a place where electricity is rationed, markets are discouraged, and where service to the state is compulsory.
Here is a link to the official US travel warning on North Korea:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5137.html
Enjoy the video!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty - a comparison
This is adopted from Cambridge Illustrated History: China by Patricia Buckley Ebrey
The Han dynasty was contemporaneous with the Roman Empire and has often been compared to it. Han and Rome both had strong governments that expanded geographically, promoted assimilation, and brought centuries of stability to the central regions. Both managed to deal with enormous problems of scale, ruling roughly similar numbers of people over roughly similar expanses of land. Both developed bureaucratic institutions, staffing them with educated landowners. Both invested in the construction of roads, defensive walls, and waterworks. Both were threatened by barbarians at their frontiers and often used barbarian tribal units as military auxiliaries.
The contrasts between the Han and Roman empires are equally instructive. China was a civilization based much more profoundly on crop agriculture. Not only did animal husbandry play less of a role in agriculture, but cities and commerce played a lesser role in the overall economy. Cultural cohesion was also of a different order in Han China than in Rome. Perhaps because of the Chinese script, it is much easier to talk about a common culture among the elite in Han China than in the Roman Empire. As the influence of Chinese culture increased in frontier areas with the presence of Chinese garrisons and magistrates, members of the local population learned to read Chinese in a logo graphic script that fostered the basic Chinese premises and hindered articulation of distinctly local values. Even if Latin became a lingua franca in the Roman Empire, other written languages continued to be used, including Greek, Hebrew, and Demotic Egyptian, which facilitated the survival of non-Roman ideas in a way unknown in China. What we know of the values of the Dian, Yue, and Xiongnu come almost entirely from texts written in Chinese.
Review of 08312011 Class
Hey Everybody,
Just finished up the open house, and had some great conversations with some of your parents.
Today in class I collected the chapter 2 section 2 homework, which was pg. 141 #1-4. I also gave you all the extended assignment schedule stretching out to next week. As of today, our first chapter test is scheduled for Monday, September 12th. Here are the other assignments:
1. Read Economist article (see prior post) and answer the questions on the back of the second sheet of paper. I'm really looking forward to see your answers for number five! - Due Tuesday September 6th (we will work on this in class tomorrow, as well as have some discussion as to why the revolution began, generally.
2. Section 3 on Rome and the origins of Christianity - due Wednesday, September 7th
Reading Check on pages 146, 147, 151
Section Review pg. 151 # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
3. Section 4 on Islam, Holy Roman Empire, and the Renaissance & Reformation - due Friday September 9th
Reading Check pages 154, 155, 156, 157, 159
Section Review pg. 159 # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8
There is also a chapter Assessment & Activities on pgs 162-63 that we will look at and do some problems from. I haven't decided which problems yet, but will have that information for you soon.
Christianity after Jesus
- Emperor Nero persecuted Christians from 54 to 68, and Jerusalem was destroyed in 88 CE. However, after 100 CE, persecution went down significantly.
- Christianity was popular because it was a personal religion, it included a belief in an after-life, it was easy to understand and pass along, and as a result resulted in many communities forming which practiced it regardless of wealth or status.
- Christianity was adopted by Emperor Constantine, who served from 378 to 395, as he himself was a Christian. It then became a State Religion, and all other religions were banned.
- After the Roman Empire fell, Christianity became an important political institution in its own right.
- However, Europe was never united again after the fall of Rome in 476 CE. This is quite unlike other civilizations like China and India. (Just for reference, China's Han Dynasty was booted from power around 220CE, but it was reunited by the short-lived Sui Dynasty in 581-617, and then continued as the Tang Dynasty from around that time until 907 CE. Unification of China came about through war.)
Just finished up the open house, and had some great conversations with some of your parents.
Today in class I collected the chapter 2 section 2 homework, which was pg. 141 #1-4. I also gave you all the extended assignment schedule stretching out to next week. As of today, our first chapter test is scheduled for Monday, September 12th. Here are the other assignments:
1. Read Economist article (see prior post) and answer the questions on the back of the second sheet of paper. I'm really looking forward to see your answers for number five! - Due Tuesday September 6th (we will work on this in class tomorrow, as well as have some discussion as to why the revolution began, generally.
2. Section 3 on Rome and the origins of Christianity - due Wednesday, September 7th
Reading Check on pages 146, 147, 151
Section Review pg. 151 # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
3. Section 4 on Islam, Holy Roman Empire, and the Renaissance & Reformation - due Friday September 9th
Reading Check pages 154, 155, 156, 157, 159
Section Review pg. 159 # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8
There is also a chapter Assessment & Activities on pgs 162-63 that we will look at and do some problems from. I haven't decided which problems yet, but will have that information for you soon.
Christianity after Jesus
- Emperor Nero persecuted Christians from 54 to 68, and Jerusalem was destroyed in 88 CE. However, after 100 CE, persecution went down significantly.
- Christianity was popular because it was a personal religion, it included a belief in an after-life, it was easy to understand and pass along, and as a result resulted in many communities forming which practiced it regardless of wealth or status.
- Christianity was adopted by Emperor Constantine, who served from 378 to 395, as he himself was a Christian. It then became a State Religion, and all other religions were banned.
- After the Roman Empire fell, Christianity became an important political institution in its own right.
- However, Europe was never united again after the fall of Rome in 476 CE. This is quite unlike other civilizations like China and India. (Just for reference, China's Han Dynasty was booted from power around 220CE, but it was reunited by the short-lived Sui Dynasty in 581-617, and then continued as the Tang Dynasty from around that time until 907 CE. Unification of China came about through war.)
Economist Article etc.
Also, if you loose your Economist article, here is a link to it on the Economist's website:
http://www.economist.com/node/21526892
There are also additional articles on there should you feel inclined to read a bit more. And of course I encourage you all to get a subscription to the Economist, as it is the most comprehensive political affairs and business magazine in English today.
Later on tonight, I will also answer the question about access to North Korea. However, I used to work at an NGO (non-governmental organization) called the Nautilus Institute. They frequently publish extremely pertinent information about the secretive North Korean state, as they have offices in Sydney, Australia, San Francisco, USA, and also Seoul, Korea. On their website right now is an article about intelligence collection in the South China Sea. They also have information on Kim Jong-il's recent trip to Russia as well as the six-party talks.
http://www.economist.com/node/21526892
There are also additional articles on there should you feel inclined to read a bit more. And of course I encourage you all to get a subscription to the Economist, as it is the most comprehensive political affairs and business magazine in English today.
Later on tonight, I will also answer the question about access to North Korea. However, I used to work at an NGO (non-governmental organization) called the Nautilus Institute. They frequently publish extremely pertinent information about the secretive North Korean state, as they have offices in Sydney, Australia, San Francisco, USA, and also Seoul, Korea. On their website right now is an article about intelligence collection in the South China Sea. They also have information on Kim Jong-il's recent trip to Russia as well as the six-party talks.
History of the War on Terror (WOT)
Hi All,
Foreign Affairs just sent me an email about a recently published book about the ongoing WOT.
For those of you interested in doing something on terrorism for your History Day, this could be a useful guide for you as you start your research. Below is the content of the email.
Foreign Affairs just sent me an email about a recently published book about the ongoing WOT.
For those of you interested in doing something on terrorism for your History Day, this could be a useful guide for you as you start your research. Below is the content of the email.
Dear Reader, Ten years ago, with al Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks, the global jihadist movement burst into the public consciousness. The costs of the attacks and Washington’s response were staggering—not only in blood and treasure but in psychological terms. A decade later, with Osama bin Laden dead and al Qaeda discredited and on the run, it has become clear that the terrorists did not win. But neither did we. The U.S. vs. al Qaeda, the latest eBook from Foreign Affairs, is a living history of 9/11 and the war on terror. This must-read collection is available for purchase in an easy-to-read PDF format or for your e-reader of choice (Kindle, Sony, Nook) for only $8.95. It brings together important parts of the story as they appeared to contemporaries, such as:
I’ve also contributed a brand new essay—not available anywhere else—reevaluating America’s response to 9/11 and President George W. Bush’s foreign policy. And The U.S. vs. al Qaeda includes a rich documents section featuring major speeches by Presidents Bush and Barack Obama, private correspondence between bin Laden and his deputies, and pivotal U.S. legislation. With more than 20 articles and additional material, The U.S. vs. al Qaeda is an indispensable guide for understanding the war on terror and how it has transformed U.S. foreign policy. Best, Gideon Rose Editor, Foreign Affairs |
 |
Buy The U.S. vs. al Qaeda: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/ |
Monday, August 29, 2011
Review of 08292011 Class
Today, we had a good discussion about the importance of studying history, as a follow-up to the 30-minute essay you all did last Friday. I then handed out the course syllabus (see last post), to give you an indication of where we are headed this year.
In the second half of the class, we learned about different forms of government as they existed in ancient Greek times. There is democracy, direct democracy, tyrants, and oligarchy. Four groups of five to six were formed based on these different forms of government, and ideas were then generated as to why each separate form of government was advantageous versus all the others. I thought it was a very useful discussion with some practical implications for today's governance situation.
Finally, there is no homework for tonight, but for Wednesday you are expected to do #1, 2, 3, and 4 on page 141. I know that some people have already done this, but with the disorganization that was last week, hopefully we can get everybody on the same page now. I'm going to continue talking about Greece tomorrow, and then switch to section 3 and Rome for Wednesday and Thursday (and probably next week as well).
In the second half of the class, we learned about different forms of government as they existed in ancient Greek times. There is democracy, direct democracy, tyrants, and oligarchy. Four groups of five to six were formed based on these different forms of government, and ideas were then generated as to why each separate form of government was advantageous versus all the others. I thought it was a very useful discussion with some practical implications for today's governance situation.
Finally, there is no homework for tonight, but for Wednesday you are expected to do #1, 2, 3, and 4 on page 141. I know that some people have already done this, but with the disorganization that was last week, hopefully we can get everybody on the same page now. I'm going to continue talking about Greece tomorrow, and then switch to section 3 and Rome for Wednesday and Thursday (and probably next week as well).
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Class Organization
In order for us to better prepare for the year ahead, its important to know where we're going to be going. With an interest in maintaining open communication with all of you, below is my plan for how this year is going to transpire. This plan is, of course, subject to change, based upon the needs of the class.
Organization
Chapter 1: The Legacy of the Ancient World (3000 BCE – 1600 CE)
August 22nd – September 9th (three weeks)
Chapter 2: Revolution and Enlightenment (1600-1800)
September 12th – September 23rd (two weeks)
Chapter 3: The French Revolution and Napoleon (1789-1815)
September 26th – October 7th (two weeks)
Chapter 4: Industrialization and Nationalism (1800-1870)
October 10th – October 21st (two weeks)
Chapter 5: Mass Society and Democracy (1870-1914)
October 24th – November 10th (three weeks)
Chapter 6: The Height of Imperialism (1800-1914)
November 14th – December 2nd (three weeks)
Chapter 7: East Asia under Challenge (1800-1914)
December 5th – December 16th (2 weeks)
Christmas Break (12/19 to 1/2)
Dead Week – January 3rd to 7th (Presentations)
Finals Week – January 9th to Jan. 13th
Chapter 8: War and Revolution (1914-1919)
January 17th to February 3rd (3 weeks)
Chapter 9: The West between the Wars (1919-1939)
February 6th to February 16th (two weeks)
Chapter 10.3 – Revolutionary Chaos in China
February 21st to February 24th (1 week)
Chapter 11: World War II (1939-1945)
February 27th to March 16th (three weeks)
Chapter 12: Cold War and Postwar Changes (1945 – 1970)
March 19th to March 30th (two weeks)
Chapter 13: The Contemporary Western World (1970 – Present)
April 2nd to April 27th (three weeks + 1 week vacation)
Chapter 15: Africa and the Middle East (1945 – Present)
April 30th to May 11th (two weeks)
Chapter 16: Asia and the Pacific (1945 – Present)
May 14th to May 25th (two weeks)
Dead Week – May 29th (Presentations)
Finals – June 4th to June 7th
CIA Factbook - For Your Reference
Hi All,
The most comprehensive site for economic facts divided by country and region is the CIA Factbook, found HERE. Inside you can examine national statistics for every country, including GDP, unemployment, inflation, etc. It also gives a good breakdown of household consumption, taxes, investment, industries, electricity and oil production and consumption, and many other useful statistics. There's also info on military investments, geography, history, transportation, and government. Check it out!
Looking forward to meeting all of your parents this Wednesday evening. Hope you all had a relaxing first weekend of a busy school year. See you in class tomorrow, and be ready to learn about ancient Greece! In college, I was lucky enough to take an entire 10-week class on ancient Greece. So while we only have two or three days to review the important contributions they have made to existing political and economic institutions, it is my hope that this brief introduction will be sufficient to keep you interested and plugged-in.
The most comprehensive site for economic facts divided by country and region is the CIA Factbook, found HERE. Inside you can examine national statistics for every country, including GDP, unemployment, inflation, etc. It also gives a good breakdown of household consumption, taxes, investment, industries, electricity and oil production and consumption, and many other useful statistics. There's also info on military investments, geography, history, transportation, and government. Check it out!
Looking forward to meeting all of your parents this Wednesday evening. Hope you all had a relaxing first weekend of a busy school year. See you in class tomorrow, and be ready to learn about ancient Greece! In college, I was lucky enough to take an entire 10-week class on ancient Greece. So while we only have two or three days to review the important contributions they have made to existing political and economic institutions, it is my hope that this brief introduction will be sufficient to keep you interested and plugged-in.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Greek History
Historical and political developments in Greece have always played an important role in understanding the origins of democratic governance. However, because of time constraints in this class, we will be unable to develop a comprehensive overview of ancient Greek history and its impact on our contemporary lives. If you are interested in increasing your understanding, there are online resources you can use to understand the context surrounding the lives of Plato, Aristotle, Athens and Sparta, and Alexander the Great.
Donald Kagan of Yale University is one of the foremost experts on Greek history, and his class, Introduction to Ancient Greek History, is online. It includes full video, audio, transcripts, readings, and handouts. Of particular interest to us is his lecture on the Rise of the Polis in session four, where Dr. Kagan discusses the ethics and virtues through a discussion of the Illiad and the Odyssey.
Dr. Kagan has also written a book named The Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace, and below is CSPAN video where he discusses his book. You can also watch his Charlie Rose interview on YouTube as well.
Donald Kagan of Yale University is one of the foremost experts on Greek history, and his class, Introduction to Ancient Greek History, is online. It includes full video, audio, transcripts, readings, and handouts. Of particular interest to us is his lecture on the Rise of the Polis in session four, where Dr. Kagan discusses the ethics and virtues through a discussion of the Illiad and the Odyssey.
Dr. Kagan has also written a book named The Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace, and below is CSPAN video where he discusses his book. You can also watch his Charlie Rose interview on YouTube as well.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
State Formation
Hi Students, below is a video of a highly regarded historian and political scientist Francis Fukuyama. In the video he discusses some of the themes we talked about today. Below are some key points:
Also, here is video of Jared Diamond of UCLA and Fukuyama (of Stanford now) from last year at the LA public library. Enjoy!
On the Origin of Political Order.
You can also check out his Facebook Page as well.
- States have centralized source of authority
- Authority is backed by a monopoly of power, meaning it can coerce you into following its rules
- States are territorial
- States are stratified and hierarchical, with the development of social classes
- Religions become much more institutionalized than before (no more ancestor worship)
Its important to realize before many places didn't develop state-based institutions before they were forced to by outsiders. This is why there were not real countries in Africa (aside from Egypt) before European colonialism. Furthermore, there are no real records of the first state emerging from a tribal society. But this is something anthropologists and others from speculating on their development.
Enjoy the video!
Also, here is video of Jared Diamond of UCLA and Fukuyama (of Stanford now) from last year at the LA public library. Enjoy!
On the Origin of Political Order.
You can also check out his Facebook Page as well.
Welcome!
Hello Students,
This blog will give us the opportunity to continue class after the final bell each day. I will be posting readings, answers to homework & quizzes, and relevant videos of mainstream economics for your convenience. It is my hope that you check this blog as often as possible to look forward to what we will be doing in class, as well as to enhance your own exploration of World History.
Furthermore, you are encouraged to post comments on any of the posts. Good luck!
Mr. Joy
This blog will give us the opportunity to continue class after the final bell each day. I will be posting readings, answers to homework & quizzes, and relevant videos of mainstream economics for your convenience. It is my hope that you check this blog as often as possible to look forward to what we will be doing in class, as well as to enhance your own exploration of World History.
Furthermore, you are encouraged to post comments on any of the posts. Good luck!
Mr. Joy
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