Block+A+Journal+Leah+Park

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?** I agree with the description of how women were treated in the Chosun Dynasty. Before confucianism, women were at least a bit more independent and had more rights. However, after Confucianism came, women's status became even worse than before. They were treated like servants. Women had very little rights and were prohibited to doing lots of things such as talking to men often, going out in the day, and etc., I do not think the author exaggerated. I think the author wrote exactly how and what happened. There is really no reason for the author to exaggerate I think.
 * February 19, 2009

They are very simple unlike Rabbit and Owl. They value and depend everything on their experiences. They are like the "wise men." Somehow, they still achieve and do whatever they need to. Their lives seem happy.
 * February 23, 2009**
 * If Rabbit is too smart for his own good, Owl is the Brain, and Piglet.. Pooh..?**

The Tao says that the ruler should "rule by inaction" How do you make sense of this? Is it at all possible?** Rule by inaction means to be just natural and let everything and everyone live and go with the flow of the nature. They would live by inaction. Rules or laws that will force and interfere with people's lives will only ruin the natural flow and stop good things from happening.
 * February 26, 2009

 Explain right mindfulness and right concentration. Do you see how you could apply this to your daily life? Why or why not?** The right mindfulness is being aware of everything surrounding you. You are always careful of every little thing. Right Concentration means establishing the mind rightly. I could see this applying to my daily life because being aware of everything is one way of making less mistakes. Pretend you are making a speech. If you have the right mindfulness and right concentration, you might be careful and not be offensive towards others. It would not hurt others.
 * March 11, 2009

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.** I think a British professor said that quote because there were just so many things that happened. Things that could happen in 400 years happened in that century. Thus, he is showing how much the Japanese developed. It says in the packet of Confronting the Modern World, "After the installation of the Meiji government in 1868, Japan transformed itself with a skill that amazed even its critics, moving fro feudal isolation to world-power status in half a century. "
 * April 1, 2009

Is not Japan going ahead too fast?** I think Japan is just getting greedy and going too fast. If a country develops too fast, there are negatives within the country. It may be successful in the society and among all the other countries, but within the country, there may be inflations or people just not developing to the new society well. Just because the country is going ahead too fast, there aren't always positive things happening. Within the country, Japan had problems. They should have fixed those problems before.
 * April 3, 2009

 **What do you find most shocking about what you have read so far? How do make sense of such cruelty?** Killing that many people could not have been done if the Japanese soldiers were sane. They had to be insane and mentally ill. Normal people could not do that. The thing I find most shocking about is the raping. I cannot believe that the Japanese soldiers and men raped so many people. Killing is one thing, but raping?.. They probably had families on their own too. Also, the fact that one of the officials complained in his diary that he had no place to cremate the bodies of Chinese soldiers was really cruel. That is probably the worst thing I have ever heard of lately.
 * April 10, 2009**

** April 30, 2009 Do countries have an obligation to compensate each other for injustices done in time of war?** I do not think countries have an obligation to compensate each other for injustices done in time of war because what happened during war cannot be put back. Plus countries' leaders pretty much already knew the aftermath or at least what was going to happen after the war. For an example, you cannot get the people that died back. They will not come back. Also, you will never be able to put price on damages that were made during wars. If countries start doing that, they will keep on fighting and fighting.

Questions: The Chinese Entry Into the War

What did the U.S. have to consider in regards to China and the Yalu River?

The U.S. had to consider the possibilities and consequences of China's intervene with the Korean War.

According to the reading, what was the reason China entered the war?

Mao determined early in the war that if the North Koreans faltered, China had an obligation to come to their aid because of the sacrifice of so many Koreans in the Chinese revolution and the anti-Japanese resistance.

What effect did it have on the US, ROK, and UN troops?

“Fresh, newly equipped” North Korean troops struck the UN front line savagely, with tanks and air support. ROK units went reeling back in disarray. Combined Sino-Korean units came roaring out of the mountains at Unsan on October 26, site of the old American gold mine concession, and badly bloodied American forces.

**5/8 Explain the meaning of "Shattered Faith" how does it relate to the story?** Shattered Faith means the broken faith of both North and South Korea towards each other. Before the war, they had faith in each other at least to some degree because after all, they are still Koreans. However, during and after the war, the trust began breaking.

Notes we took from documents

June 5, 2009

This document was written on June 27, 1981 by the CCP. It is important because it was written after 4 years the Cultural Revolution has ended. The tone of the document was condemning the Revolution. Lin Biao and Jiang Qing was largely to blame for the excesses and mistakes of the Cultural Revolution. The CCP believes that Mao was responsible for many things. However, one error is that Mao gave wrong people, Jiang Qing and Lin Biao, power. Another mistake is that Mao's actions and goal of the Cultural Revolution did not fit for the current situation in China. Even more than Mao, according to the document, Lin Biao and Jiang Qing are most responsible. They were blamed for many things such as taking advantage of Mao. This plays into the memory of Mao as a leader and his Cult of Personality because Mao was never blamed for anything. 1- The CCP believes that there was no grounds at all for the definition of the Cultural Revolution being defined as a struggle against the revisionist line or the capitalist road. This led to the confusing of right and wrong of theories and policies. Many things that were denounced as revisionist or capitalist during the revolution, were actually Marxist and socialist principles that have been set by Mao himself. Also, the Cultural Revolution proved many of the correct principle, achievements, and policies to be false. It also nullified struggles of the entire people that had conducted in socialist construction. - Leah 2- A consequence of the Cultural Revolution was large confusion over who should be accused as an enemy of the state. This allowed counterrevolutionaries such as Lin Biao and Jiang Qing to take advantage of their positions in the CCP, such as denouncing Comrade Liu Shaoqui as an enemy of the people when in actuality he was an honorable comrade. The confusion and corruption of Lin Biao, Jiang Qing, and their followers led to the unnecessary persecution of many intellectuals who were in fact strong members of the Party. -Jane 3 - Different levels of party organizations were attacked and became paralyzed. The leading cadres were criticized and blamed, while inner-Party life came to a standstill. - Daniel 4 - The document states that the Cultural Revolution, technically speaking, did not constitute a "revolution" per se, because there can be no political or economic upheaval in a classless society. Therefore, whatever havoc was imminent through the Cultural Revolution did not manifest itself in a planned, constructive manner, but only brough disorder and damage to Chinese society. Furthermore, the document stresses that every man and woman who were wronged during the Cultural Revolution was wronged in an erroneous spirit, and despite the presence of certain benefits that occurred throughout the Cultural Revolution, the document once again explains that the Cultural Revolution was a disastrous failure, sabotaged through counterrevolutionaries Lin Biao and Jiang Qing and truly a hindrance to the great developments China could have undergone, had they not undergone the Revolution in the first place. - Chris The document mentions achievements made by China during the Cultural Revolution because although the Revolution was a disaster of the counterrevolutionaries, the mass was able to get rid of them. The Party and the Socialist system did not change which represents the strong China. The tone seems to be better and happier than how it started. I think the document ends this way for the pride of the people of China. The author was trying to be nationalistic. 
 * 1) When was this document written and by whom?**
 * 2) According to the document, who was largely to blame for the excesses and mistakes of the Cultural Revolution?**
 * 3) What errors does the CCP believe Mao was responsible for?**
 * 4) Who seems most responsible according to the document? How does this play into the memory of Mao as a leader and his Cult of Personality?**
 * 5) What does the CCP believe the consequences of the Cultural Revolution are? (4 of them) each person in your group read one, and explain it to others**
 * 6) Why do you think the document mentions achievements made by China during the Cultural Revolution?**
 * 7) Describe the tone at the end of the document. Why do you think it ends this way?**