"Every Barbie Doll is More Harmful Than an American Missile"

Every Barbie Doll is More Harmful than an American Missile"

"Every Barbie doll is more harmful than an America missile", the very first line in chapter 24. 

After my initial shock at having read this in a history book, I am then immediately transported to a time of tea parties and dolls.
While I was quite tomboyish growing up- I did have my occasional affinity for such girlie things as dolls and dress up parties.
In retrospect, the effect tat these particular dolls can have on a child is one of materialism just as much as one of vanity. I remember playing with the dolls' flamboyant wardrobe and flashy cars and thinking that "boy, it sure would be nice to have the same things one day", somehow relating such possessions to some measure of attainable happiness-  if only. 

As impressionable kids, our toys do matter in shaping who we are as adults.
Luckily i come from a modest family and my parents did not rely on toys to give my siblings and i a memorable childhood. I can only imagine a childhood submerged in Barbie doll culture, as a product of such, one could come to idealize the Barbie doll lifestyle, cherish the materialism and superficiality of it all. Growing up I only had a couple of Barbie dolls that I barely played with. So uckily I turned out alright. :)

I have appreciated Strayer's attention to these sensitive matters. His ideal perspective is necessary in dealing with the issues of modern day society; his affinity for bringing to the forefront of thought the social issues surrounding historical events is just the type of mentality we need to arm ourselves with as we continue into the 21st century. These are the values we need to inculcate in the coming generations- those of critical thought and discovery. Strayer's Ways of the World has been the best history textbook i have come across so far and wish to delve into it more thoroughly once the class is over.

European Renaissance

Renaissance Humanism finds its roots in the aftermath of the plague. Mass suffering and deaths caused by the 1348 plague had a deep psychological effect on those who experienced and survived it. People no longer saw value in living life for the afterlife and sought to make their current life better. 

They began to embrace classical humanistic ideals to better their life. These classical humanistic ideals are rooted in ideology of Classical Era seminal thinkers such as Socrates. Socratic ideals still shape a large part of 21st century culture. And while much of his work is to be embraced; like his focus on the human experience, what it means to be happy and his emphasis on rationality, not all his legacy is to be upheld so blindly; the idea that humans are the most intelligent, most important life form on the planet is rooted in Classic Socratic values. And if we analyze current modern era problems that plague us, particularly the state of our planet and the state of humanity, we could trace back its beginnings to Socratic values of upholding the human agent as superior to all. Were we not so arrogant as to lead our lives unquestionably as such, perhaps we wouldn't be questioning if we will be the cause of our own extinction in a few hundred years.

This 14th to17th century post-plague time period is often referred to as the European Renaissance. This was a pivotal time for humankind bc it led to the wide spread of capitalism, fueled the demand in slavery and led to the consequent industrial revolution.

This wide spread of capitalism is somewhat ironic. Ironic bc fueled from a noble place, fueled from the tragic lessons of the Plague and fueled from a yearning for less suffering and a better life, it leads to the wide spread of misery for centuries to come. With Slavery alone, leaving scars that for many have yet to heal.  Humanistic values have led to more suffering of those who were already marginalized. And yet it is still worth noting that the Humanistic Rebirth and some of its tenets such as capitalism have many core ideals which are heavily embraced today.

The Motives of Western European Powers in Colonizing the Americas

Countries like Spain, Portugal France and Britain were geographically at an advantage to colonize the Americas; they were not only physically closer but the wind blew in a fixed direction; once they learned the directions of the currents, they were in a prominent position for intercontinental travel to the Americas. Adding to this, Europeans had many motivators driving them to the Americas. In the 16th century, they had realized their marginal place in Eurasian commerce and were looking to get gain riches and power. The Americas were untapped land to them full of possibilities to help them up their status in society. In addition, impoverished nobles and poor commoners wanted a piece of the action in the colonies, while missionaries wanted to spread Christianity and persecuted minorities were in search for new life. (Strayer P406)
There is also the aspect of human nature which seeks adventure. Coming to the Americas was the ultimate voyage and appealed to a particular side of the human spirit, appealed to our need for exploration, our need to search and satisfy a craving for more.  Coming to the Americas was the ultimate adventure.

The Great Dying

The Great Dying Ch 15.

It is perplexing to think that thriving societies with populations “estimated  at some 10 to 20 million declined to about 1 million by 1650”.  This decline due in large part to the diseases brought to the America’s by the Europeans; described by some scholars as “the greatest tragedy in the history of the human species" and to this day, seen by many natives as the last robbing of their  dignity (p407).

In an interview with Cesar Leon, a dear friend of mine who grew up in Southern California and is one of the many federally recognized Indigenous People of Mexico, tells me his own accounts of the horror stories of 16^th and 17^th Centuries' great dying.  Cesar was candid enough to share some of the stories that have been passed down to him. Stories that have been passed down from generation to generation and that to this day do not fail to both, inflict continuous pain in those who know all too well about them and depict a very dark time in our history, to those of us who learn about them and hurt for them. Cesar  tells stories of life and of death on past and modern reservations. Not all personal accounts, but accounts of family members who suffer from poverty, alcoholism and lack of a future and lack of opportunities. Generations continue to be ravaged by the European brutality of centuries past.
In 17^th Century North America, the arrival of the Christians brought with them an epidemic of small pox which killed 9/10s of the population. This sweeping of their people did not begin to alleviate, nor did the population begin to grow again until the 19^th century: well over 200 years later.

The truly disturbing fact about all this was not the incessant epidemic sweeping the Americas, nor was it the rapid decline in population or overall mass suffering.  As horrid a part of history this all represents, what is truly disturbing is the European attitude to this mass dying and the very commentary it represents on the human condition; many rejoiced at this suffering and mass dying, going as far as calling it God’s work. God’s work in the sweeping of these people that were somewhat inferior to their own; their own with an inflated sense of superiority as they held their blood soak cloaks and as they walked around in their stiff slops.
Still there were those who came from Europe with more noble intentions- a search for adventure and a calling to help- or at least one can hope.

The Meaning of Religion

Chapter 11 of Strayers Ways of the World, details the spread of Islam. prominent between 600 and 1600 and encompassing parts of Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, it was more than a religion, it became a cultural phenomenon and a way of life. It is one of the largest and most influential of all religions. But with the main religions of the world having such profound and persistent part of our history, and an  pervasive hold on most civilizations- it is imperative that we at some point ask ourselves what the true implications of religion's hold in our past and present societies are. 

On the surface- it would appear that religious devotions is intrinsically motivated by an individuals thirst for spiritual depth. It would also appear on the surface, that religion serves a benevolent purpose for/in our society..

As we take a deeper look, starting with many of our civilizations of the Classical Era, in a world where the population was already soaring to levels that had been unimaginable just a few thousand years before, in a tumultuous world that was reacting to the full effects of the agricultural revolution and in a world where imperial struggles for power and control were, as they continue to be today, at the forefront of historical events.  It seems as though religion has always been a seminal part of frictions between groups of peoples.
With all of the above considered, It would appear that religion is not only a cause for many of these struggles but also a failed attempt at keeping the masses under localized control of one governmental entity. As we have seen in our studies, once a religion was adopted and implemented, it was forced upon the masses. And this generally came with promises of eternal bliss for the good and of eternal damnation for those who did bad. This is seeing with Islam, which continues to have a pervasive hold in today's political climate. Many of its tenets, if applied successfully to the masses, ensure an obedient society which is too afraid to rebel or ask questions, too occupied with endless ritual to concern themselves with everyday realities of this life, and so hopeful that just maybe it will just be better in a different life. And not coincidentally, this religion embraced commercialism and trade- which was imperative for the marginal Arabia where it originated. Mecca became an important trade center. Islam's pervasive need to gain control over the masses was even more apparent during the 18th century, which is when its proselyting nature became more apparent. This proselytizing nature is second only to Christianity.
It is important to recognize the dangers of religion as we study about their hold in our past and present societies. If we continue to see religion as a necessary part for all to adopt, we will continue to see blood shed and repeat the same mistakes.
The word Muslim means 'one who submits'. Unfortunately, blind and unquestioning submission by entire groups of  people is dangerous and leaves much to question about our future.

Heresy in the Roman Empire.

The split of the western portion of the empire from Constantine's Eastern portion:

 With the adoption of Christianity Constantine paved the way for the later Roman Empire fully adopting Christianity. At this point- Christians are no longer persecuted as they were during the previous Western Empire.
 A dangerous shift for humanity happened at this point; heresy no longer meant a cold shoulder to those who did not conform, but rather, heresy now became a crime punishable by law; those who institute and enforce laws working against individual thought are committing an atrocity against human rights. The root of all progress and great accomplishments have come from those individuals who are willing to be different, have original thought and ultimately become outcasts of society: Socrates, Einstein and  Newton to name a few.
In the end, the criminalization of heresy is just one expression of the intolerance which has come to be exemplified in our history. 

Eurasian Empires 500 BCE- 500 C.E.

 Of the world's largest and most powerful empires, the Persian Empire strikes me as one of the most impressive. Under the leadership of Monarch Cyrus (557-530 BCE) and that of Darius (522-486 BCE) and with a conquest which reached all the way from Egypt to India and encompassing about 35 million people, it consisted of a realm of distinctive "peoples, states, languages and cultural traditions" p99.

I find the Persian Empire impressive, not because they were more sophisticated or advanced in any way, because they were not. And not because their authority was more peaceful and less bloody than any of the other empires because in fact they were not. And in fact, the Persian empire ruled with an iron fist of sorts. Ways of the World touches on an incident where Darius was once interrupted while spending time with his wife, infuriated, Darius orders him and his whole family killed. Again, not a sophisticated ruler by any means.
What did strike me as perhaps an interesting aspect of the Persian Empire was their affinity for cultural diversity. Perhaps even the the ancient melting pot of all the empires and resembling a modern American melting pot of the 21st century.

Indeed, a "general policy of respect for the empire's many non-Persian cultural traditions also cemented the state's authority". Attesting to that, is the fact that In 539 BCE, Cyrus allowed the return of exiled Babylonian Jews to Jerusalem. Local religious cults were upheld in Egypt and Babylon. Like this, the kings were able to establish more authority by gaining the trust and respect of the people.

My Paleolithic Blog from the first week is still missing (have not had time to re-write, been doing catch up on assignments)