"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.