The Post-Modern Legacy?

We live in an increasingly global world.  It used to be that we didn't know what was happening in another country until the letters finally reached our mailboxes.  Not only that, we live in an increasingly technology driven world, such that those letters have finally been turned into instantaneous emails, news reports, and blog postings, all pushed to our smart phones, tablets, and laptops whenever we feel like checking.  This new way of living has both its positives, but also its negatives, though.  Similarly, we live in a world where the Apple iPhone might be designed in America but its manufactured in another country altogether.  More So, when we have trouble working our iPhones, we end up calling tech support and in most cases, those people aren't answering our phone calls from the same country.  The question we have to ask is, have we bettered our way of living or have we worsened it?  

Another issue that we face as a society is that of money.  Everything seems to be driven by money rather than for the better good of society.  Schools all take federal funding but they vehemently discriminate against students who have learning disabilities because those of us who have LD's just happen to learn differently but are considered to have a mental illness.  Simply put, the majority of society is still ignorant even with a smartphone in their pockets.  It would seem that even though we have made advancements as a society, we have begun to generate a more segregated society, where its no longer just class boundaries or wealth, but also our IQ levels.  In other words, society still works on more subtle principles of slavery, they just come in the form of burger flippers and gas station attendants.  

To continue on a similar theme from another blog posting, our increasing reliance on technology is growing to become a ticking time bomb similar to the scale we faced during the attack on Pearl Harbor.  We put everything on the internet that shouldn't even be connected to the internet unless it has a secure connection.  In addition, we don't upgrade what needs to be upgraded and end up with extremely vulnerable computer systems connected to the internet.  Our inability to recognize the risks is leaving our entire country vulnerable to attacks that could render our financial system, air traffic control system, and multiple other systems useless.  

If we are going to consider this current era we live in as a post-modern era, than one is to assume that we have already advanced to a place where risks on the internet have been mitigated.  Similarly, we would be a society that understands that all students deserve and innately possess the right to an education.  Let's ensure that what is written about our era speaks for the values of our country and not simply to the value of a dollar or a small subset of society.  

A New Cold War?

In chapter 22, Strayer discusses the world impact of Communism.  From it's simple beginnings to its underpinning as the foundation of nations, Communism has ultimately written many pages of what we know as history.  One of the more historically important aspects of Communism, however, is that of the nuclear arms race, primarily existing between the United States and Russia.  Historically, the United States was able to secure the majority of V2 Nazi rocket scientists at the end of World War II while Russia managed to only return a handful of scientists who had worked on the V2 program.  The importance of this event is indicative of a race that happened in parallel to the nuclear arms race -- the space race.  The space race has just the same historical importance as the nuclear arms race in that it was for national pride.  John F. Kennedy himself publicly stated that in ten years time, the United States would land man on the moon, and on that fateful day in 1969 Apollo 11 landed the first humans on the moon.

And while the space race is a rather historical legacy of the war between Democracy and Communism, it would seem as though the Cold War never really ended.  While, one might consider the fall of the Berlin Wall as an ending of the Soviet Union, and it in essence was, one could still say that the Cold War is in full effect and might even be heating up.  There is evidence of this in the fact that China, a Communist nation, has been taking the place of Russia as the adversary of  the United States just in cyberspace.  This notion of a digital Cold War is but spawning another race, this time firmly held in the world of ones and zeros.  

Hundreds of terabytes, if not thousands of terabytes of data have been stolen and compromised out of a fight to be the superior nation, mainly at the hands of the Chinese.  What should be noted, however, is that if the digital cold war were to go hot, it wouldn't be the traditional soldier in the "crosshairs" so to speak but the citizens of the United States who are affected the most.  A case study to what might occur includes the cyber attacks against Estonia as perpetrated by Russia and Russian sympathizers.  As a result, banking systems were taken offline, giving no access to banking information for any of Estonia’s citizens.  More devastating was the fact that the internet was basically brought offline for an entire country.  And while the incident is driven by pride of the moving of a statue, this incident is almost as symbolic as the first dropping of the atomic bomb in World War II.  

These are the new fears we face in this modern world.  It used to be a fear of being cut off from food, water, and shelter, but has escalated to adding the potentially for no communications, a destroyed financial system, and worse yet, potential disinformation at the hands of the "perceived" enemy whom ever they may happen to be as it's extremely easy to filter the true location of where network packets come from.  

Ultimately, these concerns drive the innovation of entire countries such that a way of life not be destroyed over the ideology of but a few.  Sadly though, there might not be a happy ending as we saw when Apollo 11 landed on the moon, but a constant reminder that our information might be stolen or poisoned and we might not even know it at any time.  

Freedom, liberty, and justice for all?

The Constitution of the United States of America is a seminal document that is not only unique amongst the world’s countries but also fraught with controversy, miscommunication, and misinterpretation.  The Constitution not only serves as a defining document in the United States, but also as the goto for those asserting their “rights” to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and every other freedom that gets thrust into the media’s tight, sweaty grip.  But what does the first amendment actually mean?  We have numerous organizations that attempt to define what this amendment means for all of us living in the U.S., the ACLU for example.  But it should seem extremely transparent to anyone tuned in that there has been a reversal in discrimination in this country in that we have gone from a country with a religious background to a country worshiping science and anti-Christian sentiment.  

The words of the constitution get misconstrued mainly because they come from a different era.  They come from an era where the Catholic church was oppressing everyone who didn’t maintain it’s beliefs, hence that one keyword in the first amendment “abridge.”  It wasn’t even isolated to those who were non-Catholic but also those within the Catholic hierarchy.  A timeless example being that of Copernicus.  His theory of a heliocentric universe revolutionized astronomy and physics to the point that as Bishop, he was condemned.  These events in the Catholic church were the very same events that lead our founding fathers to do things differently and the rights we have were meant as a means of oppressing tyranny, not the other way around.  

It would seem that we, in America, accuse, oppress and discriminate against what is not popular and well, this has happened for hundreds of years, thousands of years even.  But we fail to maintain any semblance of our founding father’s ideals in that we cast vast nets amongst all those who disbelieve in evolution, for those not married to science, for those who are scientists but religious -- Christian or otherwise.  The Bible doesn’t preach oppression, it is supposed to teach acceptance.  And while it gives rather black and white principles, it also teaches respect for others.  There are plenty of Christians and Muslims for that matter who are accepting, loving, and respectful of others -- “Love your neighbor as yourself” -- which begs us to wonder why discrimination is so rampant in our society.  

In a documentary following the EOD (explosive ordinance disposal) units in Afghanistan, one US soldier was interviewed and stated he was Muslim and said he had no problem with fighting terrorism as he believes Islam is not about extremist ideals but about tolerance for others.  Another example -- all be it negative -- is a group who calls themselves Christian yet condemns the fallen soldiers of this country plastering rather socially unacceptable words and slurs on picket signs in protest of ideals that have no relation to Christianity what so ever.  Their actions not only abridge others but also forfeit their right to peaceful demonstration on such grounds -- social embarrassment aside.  This group of people is in no way a church, or a representation of Christianity as a whole, either Catholic or Protestant, or even non-denominational.

Even so, we have set a course for disastrous consequences however we look at social dynamics, both globally, but also domestically, and it would seem it’s bound to get worse before it gets better.

Do we misinterpret history?

As one studies history, at some point it because rather obvious that some level of interpretation is required in order to make sense of a time when there was no internet, no computer, no phone, not many civilizations or peoples making use of writing, not much in the way of helpful tools in understanding just what took place.  But the question to be asked is a question in which we begin to question just what historians such as Strayer are saying with regard to the civilizations of history.  One clear example which comes to mind is Stayer’s history -- no pun intended -- of misrepresenting religions, namely the Christian religion.  In previous chapters, Strayer would seem to misinterpret the teachings of Paul as they pertain to the understanding of women in the church -- such that they were required to be quite.  However, these passages are not fully interpreted in their original context -- something that many who might be more apt to discriminate the church in a modern sense tend to do.  

Furthermore, if we are to consider current chapters such as chapter 10 in which discussions of the Crusades take place, we see once again, that Christendom is placed into a negative light and subsequent connotation.  A notion which is relatively revolutionary but is, at the same time, novel, is the notion of considering what is Godly to remain Godly and what is worldly is to remain worldly.  While many civilizations attempted to raise themselves, or certain peoples to the level of being gods, the problem historians seem to face is understanding that Christianity does not allow for such occurrences.  And when the occurrences take place, they are dealt with swiftly and harshly as can be evidenced in many stories told in the Bible.  

As such, the Crusades are a prime example of misinterpretation of what God has said in the Bible.  As Stayer puts it the “notion that God wills it” evidences this point rather clearly in that the Bible clearly deals with battles and wars, but at the same time, does not give dramatic license to simply running down one’s neighbor is they happen to not be Christians.  The notion of loving one’s neighbor as oneself plays into further plays into this concept.  As a result, it would seem as though we shine a harsh light on Christianity instead of isolating those who decided to be more human and fall into what would be considered human nature.  This also plays into the notion of all having their judgement day as the Bible would allude to, without regard of nationality, religion, or similar designator that humanity might first pass judgement on.  

The Crusades deserve far more than simply 500 words in order to truly understand just what occurred and why it occurred.  Obviously, Catholicism played a large role in being the driving force of the Crusades, yet at the same time, the human nature of conquering peoples with their respective religion builds into what can be thought of as the cyclical cycle of history in that the Crusades were surely not the first time a civilization attempted to lay ruin to another, regardless of religious ferverosity.  One final thought to leave this posting is to consider the events that lead up to the pilgrimage to America by the Protestants from English.  The events leading up to this defining moment in history stem from the growing animosity towards Protestants by the Catholics -- both of which are within the realm of Christendom.  Would it be fair for modern society to pass judgement on the protestants simply because they are considered Christian?  This is where the line has to be drawn when considering the events of the past, context is everything when brought to bare with interpretation, and as such, we must strive to not stereotypically assume when drawing such interpretations.

Has America become the new Rome?

This post’s title has fast become the growing question amongst historians as of late in which it has been debated that America is now considered to be that of the historical Roman Empire.  While such a question would tend to illicit much emotional debate over such a proposition, it’s rather short-sided to assume that the United States has become that of an empire.  The emphasis of this debate might stem from the fact that America, much like many early empires, took part in imperialistic tendencies in as much as America attempted to grow its land acquisition with throughout its early history but also recently as well.  And while this might be the case, it was the going trend at the time to try and acquire land through as could be seen in the events following -- World War I and World War II for starters.  

But in mentioning the current political as well as military role of America within the world today, it still resembles that of the Roman empire.  This notion is rather faulty as the United States is a country not an empire.  More so, the role America plays in today’s world is that of a globalized police force in that our Navy has patrolled many of the shipping lanes in multiple oceans for at least a century.  Without such a force during the second world war, this world might have a different face.  Similarly, current world affairs might be drastically different as well.  It could be said that a strong military holds much in the way of influence, yet the mere notion of freedom, liberty might hold an even longer reach when attempting to draw influence amongst the world’s continents and countries.

If we move to chapter 5, a series of questions are proposed.  These questions were “What is the purpose of life?  How should human society be ordered?  What is the relationship between human life in this world and the moral or spiritual realms that lie beyond” (128)?  These questions can have multiple answers from all walks of life both in the early civilizations but also in today’s modern societies.  To qualify the concept of order, Strayer writes of the legalist perspective as stating “Legalists generally entertained a rather pessimistic view of human nature.  Most people were stupid and shortsighted.  Only the state and its rulers could act in their long-term interests.  Doing so meant promoting farmers and soldiers, the only two groups in society who performed essential functions, while suppressing artisans, merchants, aristocrats, scholars, and other classes regarded as useless” (128).  

What’s interesting about this quote is that we tend to see the standard interpretation of the different peoples in society.  In this case, China didn’t consider those in the less physical realms of work “worth” any contribution to society.  As a result, they ended up facing oppression while those who farmed or were soldiers tended to reap the benefits.  This would seem to draw on future sentiments by Communist dictators such as Mao Zedong.  If we were to draw on these legalistic notions as a means of comparison to America’s early history.  It was the tyranny of the British king that forced the early settlers out of England and into what is now the United States.  But what is intriguing is the fact that our founding fathers sought to create a society where all peoples could coexist freely, where there was a sense of acceptance.  With the ease with which suppression of a civilization’s people creates turmoil, it’s not hard to fathom why as Strayer points out “...no philosopher or ruler ever again openly advocated its ideas” (129) even though legalistic ideas did play a role in further Chinese leadership.

From Watering Hole to Coffee Shop (Chapters 1 - 3)

The commonality of coffee shops demonstrates how far we have come as a society, yet at the same time, illustrates how similar some would think we are to the societies of history.  Much like how we sit in Starbucks, talking with friends and family, creating what could be considered the modern watering hole, the peoples of history have done similarly, creating the first settlements by most forms of water.  Even though we live in a time where information is rather abundant and taken for granted such that many people use the same coffee shops to learn how to access information on devices that grow smaller and smaller and smarter and smarter, Robert Strayer argues for the notion that societies that lacked technology let alone writing ability still have the ability to convey history.  He writes "Some historians identify 'real history' with writing and so dismiss the Paleolithic era as largely unknowable because its people did not write.  Others, impressed with the rapid pace of change in human affairs since the coming of agriculture, assume that nothing much of real significance happened in the Paleolithic era -- and no change meant no history" (12).  This quote would seem to illustrate a common theme in history -- we only assimilate what we want assimilated -- oral, written, illustrated, or though song and dance.  But there is a hidden notion within this quote that could be easily missed.  What Strayer is actually getting at is the notion of a common ancestry -- a lack of writing not equating to the "juicy" tidbits we commonly find in history books but to a history of where we came from as would be alleged by the majority of historians.

Both Strayer and the previous passage indicate a newly minted mainstream belief system.  But how is it that Strayer comes to find such history in the Paleolithic communities as he commonly refers to them?  A third notion which can be gathered from the previous passage is that of interpretation.  Interpretation is the keyword of most of this era of history.  We know -- to some degree -- that it happened, but it's through our interpretations with which our understanding of the past comes to be formed.

In continuing the analysis of Strayer's writing, something that resonates rather strongly is the idea that the biblical history of society as assimilated by Catholicism (early Christianity), only focuses on the regions where events took place.  There was obviously more going on in the world, but biblical history is governed around a specific region which should be considered as we attempt to understand the Paleolithic as well as subsequent civilizations.  But what is also of interest is the account of "relative equality between the sexes with no-one having the upper hand" (27).  This interpretation doesn't seem to last very long, though, as the very next passage dictates a rather distant reality of sexual aggression and power by the San peoples.  These accounts would also seem to coincide with biblical evidence of the time.  By comparison, one might consider the social impact of the Chumash peoples by a similar light.  The proliferation of "wealth" is a major factor in our interpretation of a people who began developing separate trades and a primitive class system -- something the San would most likely detest.

In subsequent chapters, Strayer moves into the notion of the birth of civilizations, but also the birth of inequality, something that is alluded to in biblical history as well in reflected regions.  It's been thoerized that as man moved from the the necessity of shared responsibility in the home to a more laxed societal role, more time was freed up in order to take on the upper echelons of social leadership.  As a result, a change in social status also became evident in that women were still left at home while men were now in a position of power.  If we were to fastforward to Jesus' time, we would be rather astonished by the fact that the women of Christendom were the ones to carry the message of Jesus' resurection as it was obviously known at this time that women held little chance of social credibility.  Other themes that Strayer touches upon are that of slavery.  It's rather interesting that slavery much like the social standing of different people was not shared in the same light as it is today -- social oppression.  Similarly, slavery of the day had more hope for the offspring of current slaves in that they had the, most likely slim, possibility of becoming freed citizens. 

The current state of society as well as the growing societies of chapter three would seem to be more similar than different -- the only difference being the obvious advent of electronic technology.  We still face a world of oppression, we still face a world of slavery, it's just a matter of interpretation in how we choose to see the world around us and how we choose to interact with it. 

A Note on Works Cited and Formatting

Everyone writes, whether it's a blog, magazine article, book, or in the academic fields.  But what is new is the use of works cited pages, even in most average blog postings in that if people write and use the works of others, a works cited page is included as a means of validation.  The works cited section plays an important role in demonstrating the strength of one's writing as well as one's ability to find and validate information, but also in the validation of one's own information.  More so, to include a works cited page is to show one's maturity in writing and writen communication.  Similarly, MLA format will be used to cite works especially external quotations.