Block+C+Journal+Eungi+Choi

//Please take a couple of minutes to respond to the reading. What stood out for you? What do you think of it, is it exaggerated?// The Women and Confucianism article was quite interesting to read despite the fact that it was quite long. In some ways, I believed that it was certainly an educational document but in other ways, I was a bit disappointed and critical of some of the information. I never really looked at the culture and customs of Korea as being unfair to females. I guess over the years many customs had been changed and other have remained. The section of 'The Erosion of Women's Rights' was probably the biggest highlight of the document. The laws that told of how women were completely banned from going outside and how they were punished more severely than man was extremely insulting in a way. But the other laws that told of how the eldest son was the most respected and ranked and how one should treat their elders with courtesy was normal and did not seem to be offensive or anything. Also, the honorific language was quite normal. As a conclusion, the most interesting point was that before Confucianism took over, equality was evident for both genders.
 * 2/19**

//If Rabbit is too smart for his own good, Owl is the Brain, and Piglet...Pooh...?// Piglet's character isn't quite mentioned in the book but the author does mention, "Piglet thought that they ought to have a Reason for going to see everybody, like Looking for Small or Organizing an Expotition, if Pooh could think of something" (20). In one sense, Piglet is the idealistic one, the one with real thinking. Truthfully, I get a feeling that piglet represents the idealistic people of today who do not try to achieve what they know the cannot achieve and rather are conservative in character. Maybe that's a reason why he does not play a major role in teh Tao of Pooh so far but would probably come out in the end to talk about the connection between Taoism and the present. For example, when Eeyore asks Piglet what the meaning of A is, he doesn't try to answer but states that he doesn't know. On the other hand, Pooh represents Confucianism and its simplicity. Pooh can be seen as a direct opposite of Piglet in which he does not really have idealistic motives but rather doesn't think much. He is the simpleminded one but not considered stupid. 2/27** //The Tao says that the ruler should "rule by inaction" How do you make sense of this? Is it at all possible?// The Taoist principle deals with leaving things as they are and not messing with the natural flows. "rule by inaction" basically meas that the ruler acts with inaction, or no action. Actions are interrutions that often cause natural things to be broken and ends up as mistakes and such. That's why the taoist principle states that people should leave things as they are without messing with them by using one's brain. If the ruler rules without thinking too much of everything, without forcing too much on his citizens, then good will come out. In my opinion, I would also add on that inaction means that the ruler does not interfere with the people's lives either. The ruler is the one who should be looking out after for the people and to do things that would benefit them. I think that this is a bit towards the impossible side because I do not agree with some of the Taoist principles. Taoist seem to think that without people acting on their own and actually developing themselves, good will automatically come out. It's basically stating that things good come even though people do not work for it. With the case of the ruler, the ruler himself does not really know if all the citizens desire so. The ruler is the one who needs to take charge and help easen the live of the citizens but if the ruler himself does not take action or thinks that by not taking action the citizens would be happy, then nothing would hapen. Without a starting reactant, then a product cannot be created.
 * 2/23**
 * piglet is being simple - who cares about how to spell tuesday
 * piglet follower pooh leader
 * 

 **3/11** //Explain right mindfulness and right concentration. Do you see how you could apply this to your daily life? Why or why not?// Right mindfulness and right concentrations are part of the eightfold path of Buddhism. Right mindfulness is the seventh point and it explains how a person should have precision and clarity of the things that happen in one's experience. Right concentration is the eight point and it explains how in order to behave right, one should be absorbed in the present, the way things are, and to have right discipline through meditation. With meditation, one will be able to break free from absentmindedness. One could apply these two principles in our lives by taking notice of our own actions and the consequences that arise from it rather than looking it over and thinking that it does not have that much of an influence. The butterfly effect could be used in the seventh point because it states that with one swish of the butterfly's wing, something big may happen. If we pay attention to even the most miniscule things in our lives, we would be able to take caution. Also, if we take into habit meditation, then we would be able to stop day dreaming and to think realistically about the world. If we think realistically, then we we wouldn't be upset that things go against what we had hypothesized. By following the eightfold path, a person may be able to live their life in content because they are aware of the world and what is happening around them.

 **4/1** //In describing Japanese development, a British Professor in 1873 declared that he felt 400 years old by the end of the century. Explain the historical context behind this quote.// During 1873, Japan was going through extreme reform. They incorporated many influences from the Western society and changed so much of the current Japanese society. The British Professor probably felt 400 years old because of the major reforms and realized just how behind Japan was before 1873. In another point of view, people might interpret the quote as that the too many reforms were going on as if centuries of years passed. The amount of reforms were indeed incredulously various and it was as if the whole country had changed for the better. But because the British professor was in Britain, may be the reforms that Japanese people were going through made other countries felt inferior and seem a bit behind.
 * industrialization of Japan was too quickly and the Britains felt as if they were taken too long

//Japan had to Westernize or be destroyed?// Japan during the Meiji era had to modernize or be completely sucked up by the Western powers at the time. China was a previous example of what may have happened if Japan had not accepted the modernization influenced by the Western nations because when China was forced to sign the "unequal treaties," it suffered immensely and fell from a supreme power to a weak nation. Because they did not want to end up with the same as the Chinese, the Japanese knew that in order to survive, they would need to become as strong as those who challenged them. That's why Japan chose the road to Westernize, knowing that if they did not and resisted the orders from the Western nations, they would suffer heavily and pay the price.
 * 4/6**

//What do you find most shocking about what you have read so far? How do make sense of such cruelty?// Up to where I read so far in the Rape of Nanking, I have to say that the most shocking part was when the author talked about how these barbaric acts were published in the newspaper and many people around the world knew about it yet nobody tried to step up and stop them. It seemed somewhat unbelievable and skeptical because the other Chinese troops not in Nanking did not even come to help their murdered comrades. There were many philosophers and reporters who told of their disgust in what the Japanese troops were doing, but in the end, they all submitted to the emperor and let things go on. Also, the other foreign countries including the Western powers should have noticed what was happening and sent in help. In one sense, I believe that this was due to the Lucifer's effect in which people unconsciously do bad things that they are aware of because there is a superior presence that orders them to do it. I understand that this mission was quite secretive, but if there were such survivors, then why did they not take immediate action? The author says how it was due to their culture and thinking such as the purity of women but even so, why didn't they consider what was happening to their families and an entire town to say anything? Even if it went along the definition of the cowardice in humans, I could not help but feel appalled and skeptical. Was commnication that horrible at the time?
 * 4/13**

//Do you think it was safer to be a communist or anti-communist during the Korean War? B and C only// In my opinion, I believe that it would have been of a greater threat to have been a non-communist. This is because if one was a communist, then they would have been able to accomplish something including occupation or sort, ut if one was a normal, innocent civilian, then they would get shot without achieving anything. But as other people say, it really wouldn't have mattered whether one was communist or not because depending on which side of hte country one lived in, they would be shot once accused. However, even with the possibility of losing one's life, it would hav e been muc more affective to die by accomplishing something rather than losing it all and simply dying. At the time, the non-communist were losing and the communsits were winning with many people changing to communism.
 * 4/28**

//Do countries have an obligation to compensate each other for injustices done in time of war?// A war may be caused because two different countries fight over a single purpose (land, people, ideas, etc). Because of the pains and sufferings that the civilians of these countries suffer, I do believe that countries have an obligation to compensate each other for injustices done in time of war. If one side wins, then they should treat the other still with respect because of humanistic ordeals. If both sides end up with a draw, they should combine forces and compensate for the people of other countries for forgivance fo the problems that were caused. However, the truth is, this isn't what really happens during the present and past wars. If countries fought with another, they would only pay compensation if they were forced to by a treaty or such. But otherwise, if they are not accused for atrocities and forced to pay compensation, most countries would merely brush it off their shoulders and pretend as if they had done nothing wrong. The compensation dealt more with ones status and pride rather than to help the country rebuild itself. Compensation must be given from both countries for the people, not for the government. But by looing at how the world is today, this may merely be an illusion of utopia.
 * 4/30**

**5/8** //Explain the meaning of "Shattered Faith" how does it relate to the story?// The chapter "Shattered Faith" might have confused many readers because the main protagonist was able to get out of the Korean War with her life and most of her children. However, the chapter continuously refers to how she was still not happy and though she may have bee glad, she was still extremely regretful and depressed. First during the camps of the U.N. forces, the main protagonist lost her faith in God because she kept on questioning to where God was and why he simply abandoned her. She lost all 'faith' and didn't care about the world or her life at all. Secondly, because of losing her son and having no hope until the letter from his daughter came, she regretted how she had abandoned him. When a mother loses her children, then they become so depressed that they usually commit suicide themselves. The Korean War cause many people to lose faith in their government and leaders, religion and God, and even in themselves. They become subjected to their weaknesses and evil emotions and try anything in order to simply live.

//Briefly describe what you see in this picture? Who is the subject? How is he portrayed?// The picture that is depicted shows Mao on top of a field, elevated up to he clouds. Most of the scenery is nature and seems to give off a somewhat godly aura. He's holding up a red scroll in his green traditional Chinese clothes. The picture obviously depicted Mao as a handsome, godlike human being when in real life, he is much wider and not so goldlike. His posture represents strong force and determination as he grits his hands into a fist, showing off his power. The way the background itself is of nature and how he clouds seem to be circling around him seems as if he's some ruler of the universe or even a person that nature bows down to. I actually thought that he would be standing like Hitler around bunch of Chinese but I guess that would seem too much of a evil dictator. The scroll emphasizes importance education, he's portrayed as young and skinny, and he's wearing traditional chinese garnment.
 * 5/28**

//Images from the Cultural Revolution// The picture show an angry mob viciously stabbing the statue of Buddah. What this signifies is the anger of how citizens felt against Buddhism and violated the statue with graffiti. When they woould have been terrified of deglorizing the statue of Buddha, they now have no sympathy They are now burning the statue of Buddha. The picture shows nuns in white who are bowing down in shame towards the mob of people holding their right hands up in honor of Communism. It feels like the people felt so proud and thought that noone could oppose them, not even God. The Daozibbao also was another form humiliation in which they had to carry signs that revealed something about the person. Some pictures also show normal civilians and elders/children who are publically shamed too signifying that even the smallest offense would lead to public humiliation.
 * 6/2**
 * bourgeoisie
 * revisionist
 * anyone associated with old regime
 * anyone associated with KNT (nationalist army)
 * bankers and factory owners

1. The CCP Central Committee submitted the article, "Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party Since the fouding of the People's Republic of China" on June 27, 1981 (82). 2. Lin Biao and Jiang Qing are blamed for many things: "They rigged up two counterrevolutionary cliques in an attempt to seize supreme power and, taking advantage of Comrade Ma Zedong's errors, commited many crimes behind his back, bringing disaster to teh country and the people" (82). The person in power who allowed the excesses to occur was The biggest mistake was that they were all the same class. The criticism of the cultural revolution was the severe setbacks and heavy losses suffered by the party since the finding of the people's public in 3. Mao's errors ncluded him being a person in power who allowed the excesses to occur. He gave the oficials power who were allowed to work behind his back. Bourgeoisie influence had to be purged. The second error (second paragraph in intro?)

gave too much power to the gang of four who started committing crimes behind his back principal theses were representing judgement of error in prevailing class relations

he was making wrong judgements about a class struggle that didn't even exist

went against the achievents and correct ??? of the past years the real party leaders who formed to socialist cause were thrown out (intellectuals too) Mao's main error was that there was no reason for the revolution
 * 1) 1 he contradicted himself and denounced revisionists and socialists were actually marxists and capitalists
 * 1) 2 confused the people about the correct enemy
 * 1) 3 the organization and direction was lacked so the masses increased
 * 2) 4 Because there was no basis, there was no purpose

The tone of the document is that they're sitll prasing him but theyre trying to justify mao's action It still needs to be nationalistic

Why become a Red Guard?
 * 1) university students who were disgruntled with the education system and the inequalities and career potentials
 * 2) otheres wanted to simply follow the leader
 * 3) participant in the excitement and momentum of the movement - gave them power that they never had before
 * 4) opportunity to seek revenge against teachers and classmates they disliked (ex: postscript of the student who praised mao but was laled as a reactionary)
 * 5) Chinese women: way to avoid marriage or escape abusive households or get power, freedom, equality that was never experienced before

Beginning the cultural revolution, mao calls on students to ?????? campaigns to promote mao's cult of personality cause course consequence
 * 1) little red book
 * 2) posters
 * 3) all written works were called mao zedong thought - people made to believe that anything mao said was true
 * 4) mao issued a daizobao against Lu Xiao Xi?


 * lin bao and mao come to the realization that it has gone too far and say that it's enough -> dismantle the red guards 1968 -> conflict between PLA vs. Red Guards -> Red GUards dismantled- > 1968 new plan is the down in countryside movement (send students down in the countryside to get good proletarian values and etc)

urban youth + red gaurds - reeducate rural peasants