USSR Final Assignment: The Soviet Union - A Dystopian Nightmare

5 Best things about socialism:

1. The soviet union encourages a high GDP

2. Socialism eliminates class struggles and wealth inequalities

3. Socialism ensures health care for everyone

4. Socialism ensures a high quality education for everyone

5. Socialism allows for an increase in productivity

5 Worst things about socialism:

1. Socialism deprives people of basic rights

2. Socialism violates people's privacy

3. Socialism relies on forced slave laborers

4. Socialism is inefficient because the central government owns all means of production

and distribution

5. Socialism benefits few at the expense of many

5 pieces of evidence against socialism:

1. Socialism deprived people of such basic rights such as rights to privacy, equality and

freedom of speech.

2. Soviet socialism led to the creation of a black market economy

3. So many people died in the forced labor camps, or were left without a family and place

to go

4. Soviet grain production was extremely low, which means agricultural instability

5. Estimates from the CIA and Khanin showing the national income were made

purposefully low to create the illusion of higher incomes than expected

5 words we looked up:

1. Blockheaded: Stupid, dull, intelligent

2. Artel: ​a cooperative association of craftsmen living and working together.

3. Consolidated: ​combine (a number of things) into a single more effective or coherent

whole.

4. Opportunism: ​the taking of opportunities as and when they arise, regardless of

planning or principle.

5. Procurement: ​the action of obtaining or procuring something.

The Middle East at the Beginning of the 20th Century: write-up

           When viewing the instructional video of the Middle East from The Map as History site, there were many facts being presented. The reader of the facts, in my opinion, did not speak quickly enough for me to follow his train of thought and link his ideas together. The lesson seemed to be lacking an overall goal of study and clear point, demonstrating the inability to connect it to class discussion. It was hard to understand, however there was a lot of information given about the evolution of different belief systems in the Middle East.

Ch. 19 - A Leader Tries to Shape a Master Race: thoughts and reflections

          In a time of economic depression and hurt national honor, the people of a nation are most likely to group together and seek a savior from the current situation. If not for the wounded economy and people, the Nazis Party would have never gained enough power to rule over the country of Germany. Adolfo Hitler was the leader of this party and had extreme unrivaled power over his fellow Germans. The man got what he wanted, and this included the systematic murder and mistreatment of the native Jews. To be able to carry out systematic murder of a people, Hitler believed and taught that the Jews  were responsible for the current depression in the country. He blamed them for their loss of the war and made them out to be below the non-Jews in Germany. They were not of the "master race" that would purge the land of all lower races. This is how he created reason for his massacre of the Jews in Germany under his new regime.  

          For many people, they either did not understand why they had lost their freedom to Hitler's regime or did not care. These people did nothing to stop Hitler and his rule. Others did not obey his authority and rose up because they understood the truth about their ruler, and did not like it. For all those who stood by and watched the Holocaust happen, Hitler was a fearsome and scary authoritarian figure, and because of his power, it was too dangerous do anything for the Jews. This type of overly powerful totalitarian figure in charge of the government would be needed for this type of slaughter to occur again. If people are too scared of rising up against a monarch, then there is nothing to stop that monarch from doing whatever they wish to their people.  

The Communist Manifesto: thoughts and reflections

          In this summery of the Communist Manifesto, there are three key and essential components of "Marxism" being described. The first is the belief that the bourgeois rule everything. These high or middle class citizens control the wealth and lives of everyone else. The bourgeois are exploitive, and only care for their own wealth and power as they try to gain more of it. It is also said that the government has all of its attention directed towards the wants of the bourgeois. In this way, they control the state and society, not only the economy. The second essential component of Marxism is the abolition of private property. Marks believes that property is a form of social power and not personal power. By thinking of property this way, if it becomes public, then there is no loss of personal power, but a change of social power to become more equal. The third key component of Marxism is the inclusion of revolution. This is more accurately specified as a "workers' revolution". The end goal of the communist party and of Marxism is to give immediate results by forcing society to go though a revolution, where the working class rises up and takes the power and money of the bourgeois. This would then be spread evenly for everyone to share, and create an equal society and state. 

Class Warriors Presentation: Russia

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2009/10/21/color-photography-from-russian-in-the-early-1900s/544/ 

WW1: Air Trafficking & Radio Control

Charles Bovill and His Leap in Air to Ground Communication Technology

By Edward Orville

Leaf Tree Publishers - $15.99

          Charles Bovill founded an era of advancements in the field of air to ground and inter-plane communications and air trafficking. His inventions made the modern world possible. Today, these kinds of air to ground communications are used every day in airports, military bases, flight schools, and more. They are necessary to convey warnings, orders, tips, and other things to and from pilots and ground control stations. Without these methods of communication, anything involving air travel would be highly dangerous and much more difficult.

          Charles Bovill's inventions, the S-phone and the Eureka, enabled some of the early methods of air to ground communications in planes. The S-phone, invented in the 1940s,  enabled pilots to have a much greater accuracy in low visibility situations such as flying through storms and fog. This greatly aided the plane's ability to drop supplies, people, and weapons such as bombs. They also allowed pilots and ground control agents to communicate up to thirty miles away with little chance for interference or enemy interception. It was relatively easy to carry and transport as well, as it was just a large phone that was usually stored in a briefcase. The S-phone was even used between gunboats when fighting in or guarding coasts, seas, or other bodies of water.                

          The S-phone and the Eureka combined aided in a great deal of communication between pilots and ground control and even from pilot to pilot or in other methods of transportation such as boats. This communication changed the realm of military tactics as well as many other methods of air and sea travel forever and paved a path towards newer, more advanced methods of long range radio communication. This book goes into riveting detail about Charles Bovill's life and inventions as well as their use throughout history and how they lead to modern technology.

Video: 

http://streaming.britishpathe.com/hls-vod/flash/00000000/00040000/00040291.mp4.m3u8

Lines in the Sand & Remapping the World: thoughts and reflections

          The article, "Lines in the Sand", looks back to the Middle East to describe boarders that were created by Lawrence in 1918. These boarders were created while looking at the regional characteristics of the Middle East. Establishing countries that were independent and self-sufficient, Lawrence was able to keep religious groups together and retain existing national boarders. Unlike this culturally and economically sound version of the Middle East, the finalized map created by Britain and France was drawn for imperial interests, mainly of oil. After World War 1, these two world powers created boarders that cut through existing social and cultural groups. This created unstable countries and halted the progress that those countries could have otherwise made if not for their poor social situations. It is unfortunate that the uneducated decision making of France and Britain has lead to the modern Middle East.

Ch. 17 - We Wage War to End War: thoughts and reflections

          Throughout history there has been almost continuous world conflict. In certain circumstances this conflict is inevitable. As can be seen before the start of World War 1, the large world powers of Europe sought to control as much wealth and power as they could. In this way, these rival countries were already facing off against each other before  the war. War was inevitable for these Europeans nations because of their industrial rivalry, and the murder that started the war, the death of Archduke France Ferdinand of Austria. In the past, conflict has helped to fuel industries, that profit from war, and give work to citizens. It also creates a national image for the country involved in conflict as its citizens gather together to fight for their country. During World War 1, the national image of countries were greatened even more than before when new technologies, as products of war, effected the lives of all the country's citizens. These new innovations also spread to effect the lives of all Europeans and more. Tanks and planes created new means of transport, and new communications and medical achievements made during the war effected the world after its end. 

          It is okay to violate the sovereignty of another nation when they pose a threat. This can also be true if they had previously been a national threat and needed to be secured. With this threat of government occupation, many countries keep neutralities going between other countries. However, in the case of World War 1, it was the violation of the sovereignty of Serbia that pulled the trigger on France Ferdinand, beginning the War to End All Wars.