Vengence as they see it

Objects hold different values for different people. There are those who spend millions of dollars on paintings, instruments, and there are those who value objects that might not even have any monetary value. But in New Guinea Highlands, where Daniel lives among his Hanada Clansman, objects and belongings hold a completely different value. Belongings such as pigs or the vegetables in the garden are not simply owned for ecstatic reasons; they are what the people count on for their day to day survival. If a pig is killed or the vegetables in a garden are destroyed, there is nothing left for the families to consume. The survival of the little children is based on how the men in the clan can protect their food sources. Although taking the life of another human being is considered a hennas act by the morality of the twenty first century, it is understandable that these people would go to such extreme measures like vengeance against other clans in order to obtain their rights as they see them.

When someone hasn’t been provided with an education, a different set of morality and different ways for resolving problems, they can not be held responsible and panelized for their lack of knowledge or in Daniel’s case a thirst for vengeance. Killing and avenging were a part of the rules Daniel followed, and by those considerations he had completed his duty as a successful owner of the fight

teen magazines

"50 Shortcuts to a Sexier Body" (Glamour)

"6 Ways to Thin -- Easy Diets That Really Work" (Allure)

"Lose 8 Pounds This Month -- And Win Spa, Skin Care and Exercise Products" (Self Special Weight Loss Issue)

"Get A Bikini Body by Spring!" (Shape)

"Drop the Weight for Good" (Redbook)

And on the teen rack:

"Get the Body You Want" (Seventeen)

"236 Ways to Rock Your Looks" (Teen)

"Get Hotter Abs, Legs and Butt -- Now!" (CosmoGirl)


These are just a few of the kinds of things you can find on a few popular teenage magazine covers.

Originally, I was actually planning on writting about diet fads, but I realized some one already had. So, I decided to focus on teen magazines and there obsession with dieting and weight loss. Being a teen is hard enough and for most just an awkward time of life. Girls in particular struggle with not only regular pressures like school and friends but also serious body image issues. It is hard not to be concerned about your weight when America revolves so much around the media, which is full of unhealthy skinny models and diet fads. I read a few good articles and here are some pieces of them...



*Most of the estimated 7 million women and girls in the United States who have eating disorders developed them in their teens, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, an educational and self-help organization.


*Eating disorders can have significant medical complications, such as heart problems, electrolyte imbalance and even death; there is a mortality rate of 5.6 percent per decade for those diagnosed with anorexia, according to the British medical journal the Lancet. It's estimated that bulimia and anorexia affect 1 to 2 percent of female adolescents and adults, and partial syndrome rates as high as 15 percent have been reported, according to the journal Eating Behaviors.


*A number of studies have shown a relationship between adolescents who regularly read fashion magazines, with their thin-ideal images, and eating disorders. A study in the January 2007 issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is the first to show, however, that frequent reading about dieting can do long-lasting harm, predicting unhealthy weight-control behaviors five years later for female adolescent girls, though not their male counterparts.


*The study also found that the odds of engaging in unhealthy weight-control behaviors (fasting, skipping meals, smoking cigarettes) were twice as high for adolescent girls who frequently read magazine articles about dieting and weight loss than for those who did not read such articles.


*Among the highest-frequency readers of magazine articles on dieting and weight loss, the incidence of extreme weight-control behaviors (such as vomiting or using laxatives) was three times higher compared with nonreaders.



One awesome thing I read was that the magazine YM's new editor, Christina Kelly, recently banned diet articles. This is really a huge step considering two million teenagers and pre-teens read the magazine. She also plans on putting more plus size models in the magazine as well as averaged size girls, in order to better relate to the readers.

Aside from that fact, this issue is definitely something that needs to be addressed. Teens need to realize that no one looks like the super skinny models that they idolize and are actually healthy. Or if these models are they work out four hours a day to keep their size. A lot of the articles I read simply stated that the focus needs to be shifted to encourage good health and not a smaller waist. Honestly, I couldn't agree more, instead of articles titled "Get a Bikini Body by Spring" there needs to be articles focused on eating healthy. Or something with any kind of substance that is better than what teen magazines are focusing on now.


A few websites I used were..
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/833/
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/3027/context/archive

Vengeance is Ours was a very interesting article. It had many great points and really showed what it is like for someone like Daniel to live in a such a world. It showed how some people no matter what will seek vengeance. There are many other examples going on that show how people just like Daniel, want to seek revenge. One example of this is the war that is going on in Iraq. President Bush stated that the people of the United States will seek revenge on those who took our loved ones away from us, no matter the cost. But we would not be penalized for our actions unlike the tribes people were. This article also talked about the hatred formed by certain people against others. This is a good part of this article because it shows the example of Pearl Harbor and how Americans have a hatred for the Japanese. He uses this reference for us to see how strong Daniel's hatred for the Ombals really was. Overall, I really liked this article because it really kept my attention.

ALLI: Too SERIOUS of a Committment?

Fad diets are always dipping into the minds and pockets of overweight people of America; however, how far is too far? Commercials only add to the luster of losing weight that these pills have to offer. Alli, the new FDA non-prescription diet pill, is sold everywhere. The pill, according to it's website, is said to be "... more than just a pill. It’s an innovative weight loss program. The pill works by preventing your body from absorbing some of the fat you eat." All the person is instructed to do is..."be committing to a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet before you take alli capsules limiting your daily fat intake planning meals taking a daily multivitamin at bedtime. Although I never needed such an extreme diet, I gave in and bought this pack of pills. With pressure from media and hollywood there is no such thing as "too thin." Even though it cost EIGHTY BUCKS, I proceeded with caution and was hesitant in starting it right away; I figured it would be best to consult a lady I worked with who had taken it for a month (and yes, she definetly needed some type of miracle diet to save her from obesity) Hoping to hear good news and positive feedback, I was uphauled to hear the opposite: she had stopped taking it! I was so upset and wanted to know why. She said that it caused cancer! Now, after spending eighty bucks on a stupid pack of pills, you bet your ass I researched in hopes that she was wrong! However, she was right. According to FOXNEWS.com, it was related to colon cancer! The website said,
"The nonprofit group, Public Citizen, says Alli, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, has been shown in studies to cause pre-cancerous lesions in the colons of mice. And, because there are no long-term studies of the drug’s effect on humans, the group believes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should not have approved the drug for nonprescription use.Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, said, while it is not known whether these pre-cancerous lesions will lead to colon cancer, he and other cancer experts do not believe use of the weight-loss drug is a risk worth taking."

Then, the article goes on to explain how the pharmaceutical company, Roche, to do a study of the link between the cancer and the pill. FOXnews.com said,
But Public Interest said Roche’s own study, as well as a study by an independent researcher, shows a link between pre-cancerous colon polyps and orlistat, and called the FDA’s approval of the drug for over-the-counter use as the “height of recklessness.”
The FDA did not respond to a request for an interview.

I guess in the commercial and website, the talk of an alli-user to COMMIT to alli is a serious and fatal type of commitment. It's ironic how they want the dieter to become committed and a serious change oflife to allow alli to work, when, in essence, the dieter IS making a serious change of life--one that can potenitally result in DEATH.

The real truth.

I am a huge fan of Disney and still after researching all of this, im not against them but i have changed my opinion a little bit. I dont know if this is exactly what were being asked but ill post it anyways, i figured its a good discussion and in some ways relates to the preview posts.

Recently while searching you tube i came across "aladans secret message", im sure many people have heard about this but in that message he say, "teenagers, take your clothes off". This came as a shock to me because i heard it for myself and that is clearly what is says. Anywho this video got me very interested in the history of disney films in general and when i researched it i was shocked to see the perverted things they added to there films. For instance, the cover of the little mermaid has inappropriate pictures disguised in the castle, the lion king has a seen where the stars in the sky say sex and these arnt the only ones.

Futhermore, Aladan is all over the web for being racist along with other Disney movies. Disney is a huge role model to kids all over the world but it isnt as innocent as we all may think.
According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC),
children between 2 and 5 years of age start to become aware of race, ethnicity, gender and
disabilities. The Aladdin character in that movie portrays “bad” Arabs with
thick foreign accents while Anglicized Jasmine and Aladdin speak in standard Americanized
English. Aladdin looks and sounds like a fresh-faced American boy. One of the
evil characters, Jafar, looks very Arabic. Some of the lyrics in the movie convey racist
overtones: “I come from a land…where they cut off your ears if they don’t like your face. It’s
barbaric, but hey, it’s home"

My point is not to get anyones opinion on Disney to change but i do think it is an example that shows the real truth of something so powerful to children and even adults.

False Statement

President Bush claimed that if he were to disengage from the war then it would defeat the morale of the troops. His exact words were “It is important for every American to understand the consequences of pulling out of Iraq before our work is done. … We would undermine the morale of our troops by betraying the cause for which they have sacrificed.” This statement is false because after many soldiers were interviewed, their response to what Bush said was the complete opposite. One made a statement disagreeing with President Bush’s false statement about the US forces mission in Iraq not being completed. He said “What the troops get disappointed [about] is they don’t have the equipment they need, they didn’t have enough troops when they went to Iraq in the first place, and inadequate forces to transition to peace. That’s the thing to demoralize them. …The military has accomplished its mission, done everything we asked them to do. Nation building is not part of the mission a military does well.” So basically the troops feel as if their mission in Iraq is complete and by no means will pulling them out of the war in Iraq “undermine their morale.”

1 last mention

i havent received the information your blogging about, but its seems to be interesting, my last post involved the article hand in or billboard and what it means and how it relates. rebelling and revenge, sounds interesting il have to catch up friday.

Cig's and its realism

Prof. Miller
Eng 112
Deeper In Newport

Issues of cigarettes are not just obvious by sight. There are underlying factors that contribute to why smoking is so prevalent and is overwhelming in younger people. Everybody, think of this; Marijuana is illegal yet it has previously been established that there is not a physical addiction like cigarettes give you, there is only a mental addiction in some people. Cigarettes have been said to be as addictive as heroin by its users and its user’s recoveries, alcohol has also been established to have an intense physical addiction in its frequent users ultimately leading them to alcoholism. With this said, why is that the United States has legalized the TWO most addictive substances known to man that is easily made, and distributed? Why isn’t marijuana legal, it is a natural plant from the earth that doesn’t have added chemicals and nicotine, and harmful ingredients which are the real carcinogen killers of cigarettes? The answer is simply, its not truly addicting, and with regular use, it properties will destroy the market of alcohol and cigarettes in the long run, 100 of millions lost for the government. The government legalized the 2 most addictive substances so they can make profit and have a steady income of tax from the addicted users, all these campaigns for nonsmoking…its all lies, if they really wanted smoking gone they’d make it illegal as they do marijuana. Its all about money and the need for the government to make it. They spend just as much in promoting it as they do trying to end it. Need I even begin to speak about healthcare, concerning the cigarette business...?

I found this article, "Vengeance is Ours", to be great.  I was really impressed by how much it covered and still was able to flow.  I also really enjoyed the point of view in which it was told.  Some of the thought provoking topics that were discussed were ones such as "Handas are taught from early childhood to hate their enemies and prepare themselves for a life of fighting".  I thought that this was interesting because in so many cultures all throughout time it is as if the members are bread to be warriors. Just like in the current war that the US is in.  The culture we are fighting against raises their children to fight at such a young age against their enemies, us.

Another great line that was entered into this text that I found very interesting was "A clan first tries to obtain vengeance within the first three weeks".  I found this an interesting concept to battle.  Not really a surprise attack. Family is a very important part of my life.  That, like in this article, includes extended family. So for me it is easy to relate to something like that closeness, however vengeance is not something my family practices, and to have a time line of such is so hateful and angry.

There is more i would like to think about, something i would like to ponder on a bit more.  the story had a lot to say and some thoughts I have are still a bit unclear.  I hope that we will be discussing this article in class on friday. 

Vengeance is Ours

I definitely found the article "Vengeance is Ours" interesting. It was amazing how many topics this particular article covered. The prevailing issue of course is vengeance and how these tribes went about in a horrible killing cycle that would never really end because of vengeance. However, there is also much talk about trust, loyalty, the effects of a different governmental system, and how sometimes these systems fail in giving justice. A few different parts of the article I found not only thought provoking but shocking..
1.) The author states, “In times of war, even modern state societies quickly turn the enemy into a dehumanized figure of hatred, only to enjoin us to stop hating again as soon as a peace treaty is signed.”
If any one has ever seen American war propaganda in the past century, this is incredibly true. It is scary to compare America to a place like the New Guinea Highlands where war was these people’s lives.
2.) They used pigs as currency for buying money.
This fact is just absurd, there is not much else to say about it.
3.) The fact that when someone killed another in a different tribe they were publicly decorated with medals and admired. “‘If you die in a fight, you will be considered a hero, and people will remember you for a long time,’ he said. ‘But if you die of a disease you will be remembered for only a day or a few weeks, and then you will be forgotten.’”
4.) Trust issues are also made clear in the article. Daniel talks about if you hire people to fight you need to make sure they are loyal, because they could always kill you and demand a reward for your death from the opposing side. Just the thought of living in a culture, where things like this actually happened, appalls me.
5.) However, Daniel also discusses loyalty in how the women who married into the opposing tribe would help him because they were born into the Ombal clan. Daniel proceeds to tell us that an “uncle” of his on the opposing side also once shot a blunt arrow at him to warn him that he was in danger.
6.) The part when Daniel tells the story of how Isum was paralyzed in a battle, and that this punishment was more satisfying than if he died is just crazy. It’s so hard to comprehend living in our society, that there are cultures where things like this are completely acceptable and vengeance is so imperative.
7.) I also liked the discussion on how the people in his clan are enjoying their new governmental system and how the change was for the better, for the most part. Historically, when a government steps in and tries to completely change a state, the new system isn’t exactly supported by the people.
8.) My favorite part of the article though was definitely Jozef Nabel’s story. Perhaps because it was more relatable, or his anguish is more understandable. Daniel was satisfied with his revenge, but Jozef was virtually robbed of his. Jozef did the right thing by turning in his family’s murderer, yet he did not get the justice he needed for such a horrendous act.


I thought the article made some very good points as well..
1.) “As I eventually came to realize, Daniel’s thirst for vengeance and his hostility to rival clans are really not so far from our own habits of mind as we might think.”
It’s scary to think that people can not much so relate to this story, but understand it.
As the author further points out..
2.) “We regularly ignore the fact that the thirst for vengeance is among the strongest of human emotions.” After discussing how we do not embrace this emotion he later states, “We grow up being taught that such feelings are primitive, something to be ashamed of and to transcend.”
3.) The author also states in regard to Jozef’s story, “I came to appreciate the terrible personal price that law-abiding citizens pay for leaving vengeance to the state.” However he later points out, “Yet, even if the killer had been properly punished, Jozef would still have been deprived of the personal satisfaction that Daniel enjoyed.”

Vengeance

America seeks vengeance everyday, yet for cultures that make it more obvious that they are seeking it, America looks down upon them. A war is happening right now in Iraq and are we not seeking revenge. When 9-11 happened our President said that the terrorist who committed this horrific crime will pay no matter the cost. That is no different from what Daniel was did. The President and soldiers are somewhat a clan or gang of some sort, when there people are harmed or killed they will seek revenge to put fear in the hearts of others.
The real question is should it ever be right to declare revenge on another person or persons? Morally in my opinion no but it is apart of human nature to seek revenge especially when we feel that a wrongful death has occurred. It goes back to the "an eye for an eye" slogan, every time a life is taken another life has to end. Such as when someone commits murder, in some states, they will face the death penalty. Yet it is still wrong to take a life no matter what the crime is, but sadly the cycle will never end.

Vengeance Is Ours

These are just some thoughts that popped up during and after reading this article:
When i first started reading this article i was a bit confussed about the whole situation in which Daniel was in. The title made more sense to me when i defined Vengeance.
The author of the essay Jared Diamond states an opinion saying, "uncles and aunts play a big role in raising children, so an uncle’s death represents a much heavier blow than it might to most Americans." I feel that having your uncle die hurts just as much in America as it did to Daniel. That to me was a very interesting opinion to state.
Things are very different now in the sense of revenge. There are alot more consiquences now if you get caught planning to put someone in any sort of danger. I thought that the war between the Handa and Ombal clan started because of a pig running into a garden and ruining all of the crops was ridiculous.
Daniel grew up learning some interesting things, He says if you die from a fight you will always be remembered but if you die from a disease you will only be remembered for a little while and then eventually be forgotten. I never thought fighting solved anything.
"The New Guinea Highlands are full of aggressive men seeking revenge for their own reasons, and skilled at using treachery to achieve it." i agree 100 percent with this line in the essay.
Not only did he feel he needed to get revenge but he felt the need to make it other mens problems as well. "Daniel engaged more than two hundred men as allies for his own revenge agenda."
The comic strips really completed this article. In strange ways it tied into the story line and kept my mind going.
This story relates to alot of different things going on in the world today. The War and the elections are to examples of this. In order to induce us to do so, state societies and their associated religions and moral codes teach us that seeking revenge is bad. As hard as it is to except what has happened and continue on, its whats best in my opinion. Daniel himself admitted that the New Guinea Highland way to solve the problem posed by killing isn't good and goes on with his reasoning.
Vengeance is Ours really does keep your mind going and fills it with tons of thoughts and questions as soon as your finished.

Democracy truly doesn't exist in America...

Basically most everyone grows up believing that he or she is growing up in the best, most free country in the world, when talking in terms of being an American. We live in a democracy, where we're free and we help make decisions in our government in order to lead our country. Lately, mostly after 9/11 gray areas started to appear in regards of our so called freedom. It probably has been going on all along but most of us were too young to realize it before.
Anyway the contradiction I found in regards to it not truely being a hundred percent honest and pure, has to due specifically with the Pentagon and how they hired a reported 75 retired officers to pretend to be military analysts in order to create a favorable spin on the conditions in the war with Iraq. "The so-called analysts, were given classified Pentagon briefings, provided with Pentagon-approved talking points and given free trips to Iraq and other sites paid for by the Pentagon. Their involvement was ultimately approved by then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Retired Green Beret Robert Bevelacqua, a former Fox News analyst, said, “It was [the Pentagon] saying, ‘We need to stick our hands up your back and move your mouth for you’” (DemocracyNow!.com).
Essentially this situation like so many other situations keep being revealed to the American public that we are blantanly being lied to like little children because they want us to falsly back a war. It seems ridiculous and makes me angry that things like this are going on. It is not democracy to pay people to lie to the public, it is cowardice.

vengence is ours.....

After reading this article i had to question the killing for revenge. taking someone else's life doesnt seem to justify anything for me. It took him 3 years, twenty-nine more killings, and the sacrifice of three hundred pigs in order for him to successfully achieve killing soll. I have to accept others cultures and the way that they handle things.

but they're way of handling things isnt that different from the way America or any other country for that matter handles things. people feel the need to kill others to get revenge. if someone's little brother was killed in a shooting on some corner of the street their older brother is going to seek revenge and just possibly might go after that person and kill them. Daniel says that they are always living in a battlefield and that they are trapped in endless cycles of revenge killings. we too are in an endless cycle of revenge killings. when will the war ever stop? to me and to many others the war seems to be endless. and every day people are killing others none stop.

Daniel's Story

I thought it was very interesting that the war between the Handa and Ombal clan started because of a pig running into a garden and ruining all of the crops. Jared Diamond’s interview with Daniel was also very informative. Daniel explained in his interview that as children, all they heard about was killing their enemy and that they did not know any better. The way he talked about killing his enemy and getting his revenge, made me almost feel like they were brainwashed to think like this. Daniel kept mentioning about how he needed to get vengeance on the man that killed Soll, even if that meant losing his own life. Daniel said, “If I die at least I will be known as a hero.” His main goal in life was to get his revenge. After 28 years, the Handas and Ombal clans finally reached an alliance and peace agreement. But Daniel still felt a reassurance when he saw Isum in his wheel chair because Daniel knew that Isum would suffer for the rest of his life for killing Soll. Now, when something like this happens our government has their own way of solving these problems so we don’t hear about family members trying to get revenge. Although, in high school I had a friend who was shot and killed just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I remember many of his close friends and cousins always mention that his murderer was lucky he was in jail. It’s something that many never think about but when a circumstance like this comes up I feel like a person first instinct would be to receive vengeance. It is scary to think that without our government, we could still be growing up in a world as Daniel did, trying to receive revenge against our enemies.

This article really hit all areas when talking about vengeance. The author, Jared Diamond, had a great layout to make the reader relate to Daniel, the yearning-for-vengeance Handa. Diamond goes from Daniel's story(show how vengeance can become craved for and consumming) to Jean-Jacques Rosseau(to show theories and cirsumstances in which state governments arise) to Pearl Harbor to, my favorite section, his personal account of his late father-in-law, Jozef (to show how vengeance is dealt with by state governments) The following list, derived from the article, are definetly thought-provoking.
1. "...it took three years, twenty-nine more killings, and the sacrificeof three hundred pigs before Daniel succeeded in discharging their responsibility."
-Absolutely outstanding consequences and results for one death
2."...in 1964, most Higlanders still lived in thatched huts with walls of hand-hewn planks, and many wore grass skirts and no shirts..."
-Despite the National Geographis, hearing of uncivilized and unfound nations like this so recently in history was shocking to me.
3."...'The original cause of the wars between the Handa and Ombal clans was a pig that ruined a garden.'"
-Wow, this is what was fought over? Shows the extreme difference between our two cultures.
4."When they [American soldiers] came home, far from boasting about killing, as a Nipa tribesman would, they have nightmares and never talk about it at all, unless to other veterans...[American] soldiers who killed Japanese[after Pearl Harbor] in particularly large numbers or with notable bravery were publicly decorated with medals, and those who dies in combat were posthumously remembered as heroes."
-Diamond shows how Americans have, in fact, shared feelings of triumph through inflicting death.
5."If New Guineans end up feeling unconflicted about killing the enemy, it's because they've had no contrary message to unlearn."
-This one confused me, so I considered it thought-provoking...
6."...'If we have found that a woman married into our clan was squealing, we would have tied her up and burned her with hot wire and hot pieces of wood...woman married into our clan who squealed; they all remained loyal to us, not to their blood relatives." "...we can tear down the hut to force the enemy to come out so that we can kill him. But it's not acceptable to set fire to the hut and burn him to death."
-Not even going to start on this one. All I can say is that it shows a nation with women who do not have many rights and are regarded as shit, basically.
7."In a public fight...both men and women on the other side sing out unexpected words, which you can hear from far away and which make you feel badly. They'll sing, 'We killed your brother, and he was a coward."
-Reminded me of the playing field in sports.
8."When I asked Daniel how he felt about the battle in which Isum became paralyzed, his reaction was unapologetically positive: a mixture of exhiliration and pleasure in expressing aggression. He used phrases such as 'It was very nice," and his gestures projected euphoria...'"
-Sounds inhumane to me...but maybe it is what is deeply rooted in all of us---just not expressed and subliminally supressed.
9."...we were trapped in our endless cycles of revenge killings."
-If he realized this, then it shows that he was too weak to try to do anything about it.
10."We regularly ignore the fact that the thirst for vengeance is among the strongest of human emotions...state societies and their associated religions and moral codes teach us that seeking revenge is bad."
-TRUE!

Reflections on Revenge-Justified or Not

After reading about Daniel's long battle for revenge, I do not think it is justifiable to kill so many to get even for one persons' death. In the case of Jozef, justice was not served and so he lived his life tormented by not being able to take vengeance for his mother's death. Which one of these situations was handled correctly?

Why is it that I feel more sympathy for Jozef. Perhaps because it is more within the context of life as I can relate to it. Somehow it seems surreal to imagine a "tribe" of warriors going after one another for the death of one person in surroundings I cannot fathom.

Jozef's family was killed by one person, and that person was eventually freed. I can see how he would live his life with regret that he could not save his family. The stories of the Holocaust and the persecution of the Jewish people during World War Two always stir up feelings of anger; I have met people who "hid" themselves and others from the Nazi's. That too, is surreal, but within the context of my understanding.

Daniel's Story has Modern Day Similarities

Before I get to the "list", let me say that, in my opinion, this story parallels the war in Iraq from both perspectives. If you look at how the story unfolds, it has so many similarities,
perhaps with the exception of the women's role in the article.

-the Handas are taught from early childhood to hate thier enemies and to prepare themselves for a life of fighting. It makes them heroes. So too are the Muslum extremests taught to hate Americans and die in the name of Alla.
- Daniel's first attempst at quick revenge was a failure, and so the war entered a slower, more complex and costly second phase. Americans were led to believe that the war would be swift and sure, but as it turned out, the situation became more complex, we entered into a more complicated and drawn out war.
-In the three years that it took Daniel to get revenge for one person, his uncle, he had to furnish about three hundred pigs to be slaughtered. That kind of reminds me of how we are sending Americans over to be killed at a largely immense rate to fight an endless line of enemy insurgents.
-the Nipas blocked highways on which supplies were being carried, stopping vehicles and killing men found in the vehicles. Car bombs have played a similar role in killing innocent Iraqi citizens, and Americans as well.
-Daniel admitted "I admit that the New Guinea Highland way to solve the problem posed by killing isn't good....it disturbs our day-to-day life...we are always living in a battlefield...we were trapped in our endless cycles of revenge killings." Until the United States gets out of Iraq, we are guilty of the same tradgedy. Plain and simple.

Vengeance is Ours

This article was really interesting because it had many facts regarding an area of the world that seems to still have a raw state of nature to it. Here is a list of things I believed to be thought provoking..

-Daniel had to avenge the death of his Uncle, Soll

-It took 3 years, 29 more killings, and the sacrifice of 300 pigs in order to avenge the death



When I think of avenging someone's death I either think of ancient greek mythology of how it was their responsibility to avenge a relative's death or the Italian mob. While I know avenging someone's death still takes place today, I thought it was quite unnerving that it was mandatory to Daniel and that so many different rules had to be followed. The second figure was astonishing because it took so long and so many had to die in order for Daniel to properly avenge his Uncle's death. Also the fact that 300 pigs were sacrificied, reminded me of greek mythology even more.



-In the 1930's a village was found by anthropologists that still used primative stone tools

-1964, most Highlanders lived in thatched huts, wore grass skirts and no shirts



These two quotes further reitterated the fact that these tribes or clans in this region seemed to be virtually unaffected by the modern age.



-"The original cause of the wars between the Handa and Ombal clans was a pig that ruined a garden."

-most conflicts started over a woman or a pig

-pigs are currency for "buying" women

-pigs are nursed by a woman while she is nursing her baby

The first quote made me feel sorrow for all those who had died for a reason such as this. It kind of makes one realize that maybe all wars begin for reasons that seem miniscual to outsiders. Maybe if everyone thought a little more to see if their reasons to go to war are a good enough reason to fight, maybe there wouldn't be so many wars. Pigs were the currency for buying women, was a disheartening fact but also makes one realize the value these clans put in their pigs.



-After Pearl Harbor, hundreds of thousands of American men volunteered to kill and did kill hundreds of thousands of Japenese

-soldiers were pubically decorated with medals and remembered as heroes

-soldiers who kill suffer post-traumatic stress disorder



This article directly displays that even though modern state societies have seemed to come so far, they are not far from some of the tribes of New Guinea. It's sad that soldiers are put through the things that they are because these societies are contradictory. They tell them to kill but when they come back to their country after the war they are expected to conform back to this society, no wonder they suffer post-traumatic stress disorder.

Overall, this article displayed how the avenging of people's lives can take over one's entire lifetime at times. Revenge is a relateable emotion because in the story about the Polish soldier who never got true revenge for his family is sad because it haunted him for the rest of his life. What is the right way to handle these situations. It's not right to avenge everyone because then life is in constant warfare everyone needs to watch their backs. Governments should do more to ensure that wrongdoers get punished for wrongs they have commited so that families can rest easier.

Prescription Drug Ad Raises Questions of Honesty for Heart Pioneer....and a bigger question for Pfizer

Dr. Robert Jarvik is known for the artificial heart he pioneered more than twenty five years ago. Since then he has worked pretty much out of the limelight - until he began appearing in television ads on behalf of Lipitor, a prescription drug for reducing cholesterol, manufactured by the mega corporation Pfizer.
The ad depects a healthy Jarvik, claiming to be a leading cardiologist, among other things, and a rowing enthusiast, with specific footage showing him out on a scull in the midst ofa pristine lake. As it turns out, Dr. Jarvik does not
practice the sport in reality. The advertising agency hired by Pfizer actually hired a stunt man to double for the sculling scenes. What is even more misleading is that the ad suggests that Jarvik himself takes Lipitor. To what extremes will pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer go in order to make money. "It seems that Pfizer's number one priority is to sell lots of Lipitor, by whatever means necessary, including misleading the American people", quotes John D. Dingell, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commercialism.
A doctor's endorsement should be thoroughly honest. Somebody like Dr.
Jarvik, who is well known for his artificial heart and significant reputation ought to think twice before posing as someone who takes a particualar drug and
moreover, who is healthy enough to get into a scull and row for sport. Because he used a stunt man to portray himself in the rowing segment, he was fundamentally dishonest. He also implies in the advertisement that he advocates prescribing Lipitor for "his patients". He is not a practicing physician and therefore cannot prescribe medication.
This ad is indirectly telling the public that it is alright to pose as who you think you are or who your sponsor might like you to be. Dr.Jarvik has received considerable monetary compensation for this advertisement. Pfizer has lots of that to spread around, even if it means placing someone in a spotlight reeking of dishonesty. That is something the media and Pfizer does not want the public to find out.

Sources:
Sail, Stephanie, "Drug Ads Raise Question for Heart Pioneer". New York Times
07 February, 2008.

Hearts & Minds

As I'm sure everyone else in the class would agree, I geniuinely enjoyed the documentary. It was raw, yet amazingly unbiased despite the subject of the Vietnam War being either black or white for every one who has some kind of knowledge about it. Mr. Miller pointed out a few times how unbiased it was, and I didn't think a documentary like that could really pull it off. There are so many things in Hearts and Minds that opened my eyes. It was definitely a mind blower to see teenage boys walking around on their butts moving their legs one by one because they were obviously too frail to walk. It was imperative to see the propaganda, the corrupt leaders, and the obvious mistakes that every single one of them made. There's a section of the movie where a man being interviewed points out that each leader at the time made atleast one lie in their speeches. This part honestly couldn't remind me any more of "there are weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq. Much like the person who commented before on Iraq, a large portion of the video reminded me of our current war situation. Ofcourse the wars are on much different scales, however, it is so scary to think that this war may turn in to the next Vietnam. According to politicians when we first declared war on Iraq, they predicted we would be in Iraq for five months. I'm sure we assumed the same with a small country like Vietnam, yet the destructive outcome was remarkable, and for what? American pride, the fact that we were attacked on 9/11 and all of a sudden every one felt united. Similar to after World War II when we won and the country felt all mighty and powerful. Look at the motives for these wars, doesn't the war in Iraq and "the fight on terrorism" sound just like "the fight against communism?" I was always against the war in Iraq because I genuinely do not see the point. However, it's so devastating to think that history could be repeating itself in a small yet wretched way.

There is a lot of political buzzing in this class. I didn't expect it in an English
comp situation, but I am actually finding it very interesting.

Hearts and Minds was a mind blower indeed. After all these years, I am asking myself just what the hell were we doing there anyway? Seeing all those souls being robbed of their homes, tortured, pistol whipped and God knows whatever else was disgusting.

Hearts + Minds Documentary

I understand that this assignment was to comment on the documentary, "Hearts and Minds"--however, I want to start off with writing on a more personal level. Watching this documentary changed important personal views that I have publicly and willingly defended. Looking back, I wish I had seen this documentary before I started talking through ignorance. I haveoo always supported the war in Iraq. I grew up in a Republican family with a Republican way of thinking--and so I stood by George W. Bush from the beginning. I trusted him, as a leader, that this war was for an important cause and that if the people of America did not support a war that stood for freedom, that we would be freely surrendering to terrorism and slavery; however, I now believe I have been wrong. Watching the accounts of the Viatnamese who experienced the bombings of their homes and lost ones almost brought me to tears. All I could think of was myself in their positions. Watching the young children going through the terrors and downright awful torments we were inflicting upon them because of the fear of "communism" only made me think of my own son and how I could not possibly fathom how human beings could kill the innocent, and especially the children. Is the war on "terrorism" mirroring the war on "communism?" If you asked me before this documentary, I would have replied, "Absolutely not!" Now, I do believe that there are extreme parallels and I firmly believe that in twenty years, students will be studying this war in Iraq and learning how the war in Iraq was a stalemate and a loss only to us--just like we have learned that the Vietnam War was, in retrospect. Watching Cooke, a POW of the Vietnam war, deliever his speeches to the public was only an example of how the army and all divisions and branches can truly desensitize and mentally brainwash and/or affect a person who has chosen to enlist. I liked how this documentary showed both the homefront and Vietnam. I also thought it was interesting how America would portray the war through commericals, movies and propoganda, and the documentary would juxtapose those with the reality of the war in Vietnam itself. Overall, this was a great documentary and it was an excellent supplement to mere notes written in all of the history classes I have taken.

"Hearts and Minds"

A trageic documentary that opened my eyes to the harsh reality of American culture and mentality. During the Vietnam war many Americans were killed and injured, but that isn't the real story, the real story is the amount of Vietnamese people who were murdered in cold blood by Americans. Houses were destroyed, many were murdered during their daily routine. They were not convicted of a crime nor were they guilty, yet they lost their lives for a meaningless cause. America is guilty of a horrific crime, that they have not paid for to this day. Instead America, yet again is involved in another meaningless war that will never end. When will America take responsibilty for the actions that has become harmful to others.