Friday, October 31, 2008

John Ford's The Searchers

I hate westerns. Why? I hate them because they are stories of good and evil, innocent and corrupt, black and white - nothing in between. They are biblical stories for people have no right to be biblical.
The American West is an odd phenomenon in World History. Or maybe its not. I’m still unsure. Here we have the odd case of a group of people invading a land, a land they are sure they have a right too. The indoctrination of Manifest Destiny convinced this mass group of people that they were chosen by God to take land from someone else. Now land right disputes aren’t original but I find that few people defend their right to such land into the present day. At least, not in Western Civilization.
Yet, we still defend it; till the bitter end. I’m currently watching The Searchers and though the massacre of a family is a horrible event, we aren’t shown what these people or other peoples did to the natives. Imperialism is a nasty business, generally on both sides.  The natives are mocked, the natives are bedeviled, the natives are the ‘bad’ guy. John Wayne portrays the knswledgable cowboy. He knows ‘Engine’ custom enough to know how to “kill ‘em.” My favorite character is the reverend. Nothing like a holy man with a gun, he is descended from crusading stock I would imagine. At least in saving some of the wounded he has shown some moral fiber. 
At one point we are even told the distinction between a human and an indian. In war, soldiers are forced to produce some kind of moral relativism. Its how they stay sane. Those who later realize what they have done go insane - to some degree. So I can understand in the hunt making the distinction. Of course these distinctions also allow horrible acts to be committed. Slaughter and genocide because the criminal is sure he is right.
The point of me watching this movie is to look for the racial undertones. Filmed during a time of great upheaval in America, The Searchers has a lot to do with race. John Wayne plays a very sombre veteran of the Civil War (CSA Veteran to be exact). So that is your first clue to the race. Wayne’s dismissal of his ‘mixed’ adopted nephew is also telling. But, I think the man tries to prove he is mostly good & white, which serves as his deliverance. Apparently being white isn’t a right, its a state of being. John Wayne proclaims the insane woman isn’t white anymore. Debbie claims she has new people, I guess she isn’t white anymore either.
Its obvious that the entire movie is in reality the 1950s, they simply replaced cars with horses. Some of the women wear pants, Obviously John Wayne decided to start his own race war in his movies - Rush Limbaugh would be proud. I did enjoy the traditional domestic violence that accompanied the ‘50s portrayed in 1868. John Wayne is indeed the crazy white guy. Just watch him shoot at the buffalo, though his reason is practical if he was engaged in actual war, he must realize that he’s starving Debbie too. Moe’s wish for just a humble home and a rocking chair is also reminiscent of the ‘50s, simple values. We tend to forget also that Scar’s sons were killed by the white ma, maybe just an eye for an eye. 
How The Searchers manages to vilify official U.S. imperialism through the Yankee army but support personal U.S. imperialism is absolutely insane. On the bright side, I have learned to fully understand the psyche of our current president, there isn’t any! Wayne’s comments about speaking Mexican and American seem to pervade into our current society. The difference between American and English is the IQ of the beholder, I believe.

Monday, October 27, 2008

The Soviet Union and the Origins of the Second World War, by Geoffrey Roberts

Today I just picked up a book at my university library, courtesy of inter-library loan, which kind of amazed me. I haven't even read the book, which is a detail of German-Soviet Relations up till the invasion by Hitler in '41, but what amazed me was the bibliography. 
When it comes to Non-Fiction I typically have a ritual. I start in the back. The Bibliography/Notes to me is the most important part of the book. It is their evidence of reserach done and my evidence that it is worth my time. I am relient on a worthy piece of literature to make my case so as such I need a worthy bibliography. Popular Histories typically lack a Notes section and sometimes even a bibliography, this irks me to no end. I'm not sure why Footnotes/Endnotes are so bothersome to the masses but I need them! Anyway, the book is approximately 200 pages of content and another 100 pages of reference material (Bibliography, Notes, Index). This impressed me. I'm not even sure if the author's writing is worth its salt but I like the fact he took the time to at least pretend he did some research. The fact that its incredibly short also pleases me since I'm quickly running out of time for my paper on Hitler and Stalin. 

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Why I am a liberal

Today, on the back of my Starbucks cup was a new "The Way I See It," this one authored by George F. Will. Will discusses why conservatives are happier than liberals, while at the same time being pessimists. I certainly agree that when it comes to the government, true conservatives are rather pessimistic. So I thought I would discuss why I am a liberal, and my view on liberalism.
First, I would also like to lay claim to pessimism. While conservatives are generally pessimistic about the future they usually have some confidence in the here and now. Liberals wish for rapid change because the here and now is not adequate. We, I will admit, are a bit idealistic about the future. I would claim that neither side has a utopian view of any instance.
So why are liberals so pessimistic about the state of their country? I for one would quickly convert to conservatism if I thought the status quo had accomplished its goals. We can stop making demands on government, we can, as Mr. Will put it, experience the "pursuit of happiness" only when the government has made up for its previous mistakes. No government is perfect but in order for the citizens to benefit from the constitution we must first be pulled up and out of detrimental poverty. How can I argue that the government has no place in trying to benefit the worst off citizens, when that same government actively forced slavery on a race of them? I am not a white apologist, my paternal side leaves me at a 4th Generation American, but the government, I feel has never set things right. We cannot force the Japanese into camps, we cannot benefit from Hispanic servitude, we cannot ignore our past sins regarding slavery and failed Reconstruction. Let me be clear, I do not trust government one iota more than conservatives, but I believe the government has worked for itself, and worked for the priveleged for too long not to work for the lower classes. I do not blame today's conservatives for histories sins but I feel their solution will not bring about change for the impovershed, and for once I think government should help instead of hurt. When the government has not actively tried to keep a set people down, then and only then can we be left alone to make it on our own. Though they don't like it, I can find common ground with conservatives because we are both liberals. The historically ignorant among both parties will vehemently deny it, but we are all liberals. The difference is in what kind of liberal we are. I am a modern liberal, Mr. Will is a Classical Liberal. Maybe if we start with agreeing on that, we can find some kind of compromise.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Objectivity

Copleston mentions 'objective history' in his Introduction to Volume IV of the History of Philosophy.  Which to me, this is a farce. What man is truly objective? The most detached? The most indebted? The rich? The poor? The “middling class”? I say none of the above. Objectivity is the goal, not the accomplishment. Lessing says he would rather have the search for truth than truth itself; Lessing made the decision and we are all stuck with the consequences. The search for truth is our only goal; our Idols prevent us from ever really telling the 'truth'.
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Monday, October 6, 2008

Fiefs

As a history major I tend to connect the past and the present more than your average Joe Six-pack (sorry, I had to do it in light of recent election soundbites). I work on the border of a fairly well-off WASP portion of St. Louis, between Des Peres and Ballwin; I go to school in the area of Town and Country (does it not scream old money?) and am currently doing an internship at the St. Louis County Headquarters located on Lindbergh directly across from the Frontenac Mall, which is well, the old money Pantheon.
Of course, I'm coming from Collinsville, IL which is the home of well, murder and a giant catsup (yes, it says catsup - I looked). So I do a lot of travelling and in my travels - from work to school to internship - I see a lot of nice houses and I see these nice houses set beside much smaller houses. So, every two or three houses is a small palace and the inbetween is either a buffer state between rich and rich or they are fiefs, which is the title of this blog and also my theory.
I think feudalism just disappeared from the mainstream but is still very much alive. The 'peasants' may call themselves middle-class (everyone does, probably even Michael Bloomberg) but they are probably the help of some kind for their much larger neighbor. In return their kids go to a slightly better school because the property tax of their neighbors house is the equivalent of the GDP of a third world country. Or, these houses are inhabited by illegals so their kids may not go to school at all, or they may not have any kids. Unlike feudalism of old, you aren't provided the quality protection that comes with servitude. It used to be that you depended on and only had to worry about the big guy next door, but now we have to worry about the scary world and the big guy next door will be just as quick to set the hounds on you as he/she would be to set them on someone else's peasant.



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Russian Officials Attempt (But Fail) to Squelch the Nation's 1st LGBT Film Fest

I just don't really understand the fascination which the world apparently exhibits regarding what a couple (or more) do in their own beds. If it isn't harmful to either person (such as incest, rape, etc) I'm not really sure where the government's place is. Surely the State of Russia is not doing a morality play? 

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Last Thursday, the St. Petersburg fire department shut down both venues for Side by Side, Russia's first LGBT film festival, which was due to open that evening with a screening of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.



Alexey Bulokhov, a Russian citizen and Soulforce Director of International Outreach, was in St. Petersburg to present the Russian debut of For the Bible Tells Me So. He describes the scene:





...festival producers Irina and Manny and I arrived early at the venue. We were met with strong law enforcement presence. Electricity was shut off in the venue. There were regular policemen with demonstratively visible batons, representatives from the Ministry of Emergency Situations who typically deal with earthquakes, floods and other national disasters, a court bailiff and a transport van. Several supporters in the area informed Irina that there were two busloads of police in the side streets as well as several cars with what appeared to be private security personnel wearing ski masks."





In spite of this massive display of state power and intimidation, many of the planned screenings and events--including an unforgettable evening with John Cameron Mitchell--did manage to happen below the radar this weekend. It's a story of determination and ingenuity on the part of organizers and audiences alike.


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Saturday, October 4, 2008

Palin: Obama Is ‘Palling Around With Terrorists’ - New York Times

I will be so glad when this election is over. Seriously, we seem to lack any sort of restraint or intellect in politics. Of course now we do know a lot more about how Palin reads her news: through soundbites and headlines. So yes, Obama has met someone before who performed terrorist acts, acts performed when he was 8. Of course, the fact that he was never close to Ayers and has called his acts "detestable" but that is beside the point!


ABC News
Palin: Obama Is ‘Palling Around With Terrorists’
New York Times - 1 hour ago
By Kate Phillips In remarks at a Colorado airport hangar today, Gov. Sarah Palin tore into Senator Barack Obama with a twist that she ripped right from the headlines of this very newspaper.
Palin Says Obama 'Palling Around' With Terrorists ABC News
Palin Turns to NYT, Citing Article on Ayers Washington Post
CNN Political Ticker - The Swamp - Tribune's Washington Bureau - FOXNews
all 267 news articles

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Amazon's Kindle 2 leaked

Boy Genius Report gets ahold of some photos of the next-generation digital Reader from Amazon, and they seem real.

Though I'm currently using my iPhone as an eReader, this could of course change. I decided to use my iPhone because of the convenience and because I'm sick of having so many books in my overloaded bag. So I'm interested in such devices. Kindle hasn't really impressed me too much but I'll undoubtedly take a look at the device if I happen to have a chance. As for Sony's new device, mentioned in the article, it does really intrigue me. Apparently these readers are beginning to incorporate some touch screen technology but what really caught my interest is the mention of being able to annotate the text. As a student, this is a must. If I'm going to make a full conversion one day I need an easy way to totally highlight and scribble on my book. Of course, such features come with a price and Sony is asking for $400 for their lovely new device. Oh well, I'll keep my eyes open at the very least.

I do recommend anyone with an iPhone who is doing a significant amount of reading, purchase the Annotater [sic] app through Apple's App store it does allow for a significant amount of well, annotation.

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Friday, October 3, 2008