Total War- Afghanistan

Last week a series of airstrikes were carried out in Farah, Afghanistan. The number of civilian deaths is uncertain, estimates range from 100-147. American officials believe that 100 is an exaggeration but have not yet issued their own count. Two young girls, who were badly burned in the strike, recounted the event. They said "We were very nervous and afraid and my mother said, 'Come quickly, we will go somewhere and we will be safe'". Women an children ran to take refuge in a large compound, which was then hit. The effects of the bombings were so destructive that villagers couldn't identify their own relatives, leading to the skewed casualty count. Airstrikes like these have caused Afghans to turn against the American backed government. The article says "The events in Granai have raised sharp questions once again about the appropriateness and effectiveness of aerial bombardment in a guerrilla war in which the insurgents deliberately blend into the civilian population to fight and flee". The Taliban are using this weakness to their advantage. The Taliban's goal was to exploit the thinly spread American forces and provoke an aerial battle over the civilian villages. The air strike came only after hours of heavy combat. After all the destruction and civilian death, it is unsure whether the Taliban were still in Granai when the bombing occurred. The official report by the Afghan report said that 140 civilians were killed, 25 injured, and 12 homes ruined. The US military believes these numbers are too high. One villager was interviewed saying, "Why do they target the Taliban inside the village? Why don't they bomb them when they are outside the village? he went on to say, "The foreigners are guilty, Why don't they bomb their targets, but instead they come and bomb our houses?"
Although we have moved onto a new unit, this article reminded me so much of the "Total War" video that I had to blog. Despite great advancements in military technology, airstrikes are still killing more civilians than enemies. The targets were in fact civilian homes and compounds that the civilians sought refuge in. Although the Americans did in fact do the bombing, they are not entirely at fault. If the Taliban would stop using civilians as cover or deliberately provoking air-strikes, many of the civilian deaths could be avoided. The mans belief that "The foreigners are at fault" may not be entirely true, but after going through such a traumatic event I am sure that it is very difficult to see the whole story. Regardless of whether it is 147 dead or less, are aerial bombings really necessary in Afghanistan? The Taliban may not have even been in the village when they occurred and they are raising animosity in the civilians against the American backed government. I hope that the Obama Administration can find a more effective way to combat the Taliban, without causing the loss of so much innocent life.

Roxana Saberi , a 31 year-old Iranian American journalist was arrested in January and tried this week as a spy. Saberi reported for BBC, NPR, and Fox News. She was originally arrested for buying alcohol and then for working a journalist without a valid press card. In less than 2 weeks, she as charged of being a spy, tried by the Revolutionary Court, and sentenced to 8 years in prison for espionage. The evidence of espionage was ever made public. This case is expected to have negative implications for US-Iran relations, especially because Obama has been reaching out to the Islamic Republic. Hilary Clinton said she was "deeply disapointed" by Ms. Saberi's verdict. Reza Saberi, her father believes that Roxana was "weak and frail" and that the interrogators pressured her to get statements they later used against her in court. Ms. Saberi is contemplating going on a hunger strike because of the verdict. The Saberi's believe that her lawyer had not been allowed to argue the defense case adequately. Ms. Saberi's verdict is considered very harsh, even for espionage. Iran authorities have not released details of the charges against her. Public knowledge of Saberi's case is low in Iran, the local media have not reported her trial. 

I found this article to be relevant because we just started studying US-Iran relations, focusing particularly on nuclear weapons. The relationship has been stressed for a long time, and events, such as Ms. Saberi's conviction can have a large impact on the already tension filled relationship. This article left me with many questions: What are the detailed charges? Does the Iranian government have any evidence? Why is her sentence so harsh? Why is this story not being told  by the local media? This story is evocative of something that would happen in the Cold War, when each country suspected each other of having spies. This recent development is not ideal considering the strained relationship and suspicions of the two countries. I hope that Ms. Saberi's innocence is proved and that journalists may continue to do their job without fear of government action. 

The Forgotten War

Despite being a patriotic American, the War in Iraq is not a topic often on my mind. It is not frequently shown on the news, talked about on the radio, or in other media venues. Celebrity gossip and reality tv appear to be much more important to Americans, judging by our media. After we began our War Unit I decided to learn a bit more about what is happening in Iraq. I found a blog by an Iraq Veteran that shared my same belief. The soldier, Paul Rieckhoff  says, "In 2004 after spending a year patrolling the streets of Baghdad, you know what the top news story was? It wasn't the growing threat of roadside bombs, or the burgeoning problems at Walter Reed. It was Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction." Contrary to the World Wars or Vietnam, the War in Iraq is certainly not part of the average Americans daily life. Recently it has started to become a bit more talked about on the news. Reickhoff agrees he says," On the 6th anniversary of the war in Iraq, the national tone could not be more different. Admittedly, the media is still covering Jennifer Anniston's relationship woes life it's national news, but in Washington at least this week the politicians are listening."  

The Pentagon announced in March that they would being to phase out the use of stop-loss (the involuntary extension of a service member's duty). This is really good news for the troops and their families, an extension of service can be devastating. With the announcement of the end of stop loss the US must prepare to have a lot more veterans come home. Readjustment can be difficult, especially if soldiers feel unappreciated like Reickhoff did. Hopefully Americans can spend a little less time obsessing over Britney Spears and a little more on appreciating all of the sacrifices made by soldiers and their families. 

The 10,000 Hour Rule in Everyday Life

  Last Friday while getting ready for school I was listening to Eric and Kathy ( a popular morning radio show on 101.9 fm). Eric mentions how some people have been doing things for a very long time, but still are not good at them. He goes on to mention The Outliers, specifically focusing on the 10,000 hour rule. They began to have people call in with examples of things they have done for over 10,000 hours, but are still not experts at. Some common examples include driving, golfing, tennis, and cooking. This concept clearly made a lot of people question the amount of time that they have been doing something and how good they were at it.

From the calls and personal experience I have discerned that there are some things you just can't master regardless of how much time you put into it. Gladwell's argument relies on three factors: time, opportunity, and talent. He clearly privileges time and opportunity over natural talent. The majority of the callers were not familiar with Gladwell or his argument, so they often argued that some people are just talented or gifted, while others are not. Previous to hearing the caller's opinions I had agreed with Gladwell's argument, that the amount of time and opportunity allotted to practice is in direct proportion with the amount of success one ultimately achieves. However, when callers began to discuss simple things like driving, cooking, and baking I began to realize that talent and natural aptitude play a large role in daily life. I have tried to bake cookies hundreds of times, but they are never really anything special. Am I not focused enough ? Do I have less opportunity than other talented bakers? Are circumstances outside of myself (such as work or school) affecting my baking? Probably not, baking is just something that doesn't come naturally to me. I thought it was interesting to apply Gladwell's argument to simple things instead of athletics or computer programming. 

The Silver Lining of the Recession

The recession. It seems as if we can't escape the negative news about it. We hear about it on tv, the radio, from our friends, teachers, parents... it all seems pretty depressing. When I was looking at a news website, I found an article titled "A silver lining to the economic crisis?" Interested in hearing some POSITIVE news I continued to read the article. It began with some quotes from the prominent US preacher, Jim Wallis, who believes that the recession will allow us to make  changes in our lives. He says "The important question is: how will the crisis change us?".He believes that we can use the recession  to re-evaluate our consumption habits. Americans have always been huge consumers, we constantly buy new products when we don't really need them or just discard objects instead of getting them fixed. His belief is shared by a group featured in the article called, The Compact. The Compact is a group that tries to avoid consumerism by making changes such as getting books from the library instead of purchasing them or by re-selling old items instead of throwing them out. Martin Raymond, a founder of the company called The Future Laboratory, which does market research to identify future trends says that changes like getting books from the library or re-selling old items are becoming more and more popular. People are seeking out others in an attempt to rely less on consuming. Raymond believes that these changes are creating a heightened sense of community, he says "People are trying to understand that we are all in this together, not just in an idealistic, altruistic way, but in a practical way."

This article called to mind many of the topics we have covered in class.  Such as the "Culture of Affluence" article and its study of affluent communities. The article stated "The rich are the least likely to experience the security of deep social connectedness that is routinely enjoyed by people in communities where mutual dependance is often unavoidable."  As more and more people are losing their jobs, people can no longer hire help, they  become increasingly reliant on help from the community. This fosters the growth of friendship and has been proven to lead to a stronger sense of security. The workplace is also becoming less competitive as people become more concerned with the well being of their co-workers. Like we read in some of the AIG comments, people are cutting back on hours or giving up privileges so that their co-workers do not lose their jobs. As people become less competitive and more sympathetic to those in need, the Cycle of Poverty could become less defined. In class, we talked about how prejuidice or shame often cause people to be trapped in this cycle. As more and more wealthy people are getting laid off, they might be less inclined to judge the unemployed. The recession could alleviate some of the tensions between social classes, because everyone is affected by it. It is too soon to tell if these changes will last, but perhaps they can be a positive legacy of the recession. 

Ford's Empire has Fallen

In February Ford's sales fell 48% from February 2008. GM, Toyota, and Nissan also reported a sharp decline in sales last month. Globally, Carmakers have been hit hard by the economic downturn. People are reluctant to make expensive purchases in the current economic state. Concern over jobs, home value, and other assets have made people less inclined in making large purchases. If these levels of car sales persist it is predicted that every major automaker may need government aid. 

After discussing Ford and his empire just a few days ago it is shocking to see how much it has changed due to the state of the economy. Ford used to be able to not only create the cars, but create the market for them as well. Advertising used to be able to convince some car owners to replace their perfectly fine old models with the newer, flashier models. However, as Americans have begun to be more frugal, they are less tempted to have the newest model available. Less emphasis is placed on social standing today then in the 1920's, so the pressure to have the most current model is not as high. However, when the economy improves, I would not be surprised if the pressure to stay current rises. 

Another Susie American

Nadya Suleman (aka Octo-mom) has been receiving a lot of media attention recently. Her decision to give birth to 8 children, when she already had 6 other young children, has sparked a lot of debate. Today the babies were not the cause of the media attention, instead Suleman has expressed interest in purchasing a 1.2 million dollar home. This seems very unwise, seeing as that she is currently unemployed and living on food stamps, and this is not likely to change due to the fact that she needs time to raise her large and very young family. Nadya Suleman lives with her mother Angela, who hasn't paid the mortage in 10 months, she owes over $20,000 in back payments. 

Decisions like the Suleman's have greatly contributed to our economic problems. I find it frustrating that someone could continue to be so careless with their finances. Her decision to have a family of 14 is certainly questionable, buying a home that she cannot afford would be incredibly irresponsible. While she is an extreme example, I hope that people who have made decisions like hers, or are contemplating them, will remember the impact that they will have on the nation's economy.  

PETA=KKK?

Interesting title, and in a weird way true. This week, PETA members dressed up as KKK members outside the Westminster Dog Show in New York. PETA, a well known animal rights group annually protests at the Westminster Dog Show. Their justification for wearing the KKK clothing is that the American Kennel Club is trying to create a "master race" of dogs. The AKC promotes pure breeding of dogs, which can have negative consequences to their  health. The group members passed out brochures implying that the Klan and AKC have the common goal of "pure blood lines" 

I was shocked when I saw this image on the Internet. I believe that the PETA members were wrong to dress as members of the KKK. The Ku Klux Klan was a terrible terrorist organization, and remains a symbol of oppression and hatred. Whatever point PETA was trying to make, they could have done it in a much more respectful and considerate way. It is very ignorant of them to use this symbol in such a lighthearted manner. After studying the role that the Ku Klux Klan had in Reconstruction , I found that the comparison between their actions and the actions of dog breeders to be a very weak one. I hope that PETA can find ways to send their message in a less offensive way. 

Romanticizing the Snow Day

I love the Pure Michigan commercials; you are probably familiar with the narrator's soothing voice, the pretty piano music, and breathtaking pictures. However, one of my favorite ad campaigns, took one of winter's best novelties, the snow day, a little too far. One of the most exaggerated lines in the ad is, "The first step into fresh powder is like stepping into a new world." This is just a little too excessive, it elevates the already great snow day into a supernatural experience. I love snow days, but they really can be inconvenient. I love snow days, but this ad fails to recognize the downside of them. The impossible and dangerous driving conditions, missing tests you studied for, cancelled sporting events... Snow days definitely aren't as perfect as they seem to be in the Pure Michigan advertisement. 

To watch this ads and all their other great ones visit: www.michigan.org and click on "View Our Ads" 

Agency and Oppression: A New Look At the American Prison System

The United States has the largest prison population in the world. Budget loses and rising prison numbers have prompted new criminal justice policies. The article talks about Raphael Frazier, a man who spent most of his 20's in prison. After being released, he felt oppressed by his parole officer, who seemed determine to see Raphael fail. Raphael was soon sent back to prison, for forging pay roll checks, something he learned to do while in prison. He says "I went in at 17 just as a dumb kid and when I came out I had the tools to do whatever bad things I wanted to do". Raphael is not advocating crime, but merely explaining how some prisoners take advantage of their oppression acquiring new skills, however harmful they may be. However, this common use of agency in prison leads to a downward spiral, more than half of former prisoners will go back to prison. State governments, such as Kansas, are hoping to break this by creating new parole programs, which instruct parole officers to look to help the former prisoners assimilate back into society, not oppress them. Now in prisons, instead of learning how to forge payroll checks and other types of crime, prisoners have the opportunity to enroll in job training. The new program has been successful, but in order for it to work in the long run it will need public support. 

I found this new program to be interesting. While I believe that people should be punished for their crimes, I also believe that they should have the opportunity to live normally after their punishment is over. Prisoners used to express agency by learning new methods of crimes in prison, now they have the chance to learn a skill that will be useful to them once they are outside and trying to start a new life. I believe that after prisoners have served their sentence they should no longer be oppressed by a prejudiced system.  I hope that this program works out in the long term and that other states will be inspired by Kansas' success.