Block+A+Journal+Daniel+L

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?**
 * February 19, 2009

What stood out for me in the reading was the part when the author talked about how women in the Old time, before Confucianism came into Korea, had equal rights with men. But personally thinking, I do not think the women were treated totally equal with men. For an example even before the Chosun Dynasty, I believe all children had the same family name as their father's, not their mother's. However, since the author did not say that womens were treated 'equally', I still agree to the author. I do not think it is exaggerated, because I am sure the author is telling the truth, what happened, and I do not have any other sources that tell me information that contradicts this reading.


 * February 23, 2009**
 * If Rabbit is too smart for his own good, Owl is the Brain, and Piglet.. Pooh..?**

Pooh is simple. He is not clever. He is good at following his inner nature, so even though he does not make a clever plan like the rabbit or the owl, Pooh achieves what he needs too.

2/26-2/27 The Tao says that the ruler should "rule by inaction" How do you make sense of this? Is it at all possible?
I think what "rule by inaction" means is that the ruler should leave the people live with the 'natural flow'. They can serve their parents, protect their family, and live happily with the natural flow, without getting interfered. I honestly do not really know what this means. I think it is possible because if the ruler is able to make his people feel unstressed, and let them live their life, then it is possible to rule by inaction.

3/11 Explain right mindfulness and right concentration. Do you see how you could apply this to your daily life? Why or why not?
It is the basic thing for a happy life. We should be aware of oneself and should be mindful of the tiniest detail of ourselves. We should also concentrate and be absorbed in nowness, in things as they are. I think we can know ourselves and be aware of what we can do, and concentrate on things we can do. We can also focus on what we are doing, also know what we are doing. This can prevent mistakes, and also set a goal that is possible for us.

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.

He might have meant that the Japanese development was so quick and sudden that things that usually would've took a long time happened in a short time. During the Reformation Era of Japan, there were extreme changes that happened instantly. (Firefox Crashed...)

4/3 "The question is not unfrequently asked..., is not Japan going ahead too fast? In some respects we fear she is."   I think the journalists thought Japan was developing in such a fast way that people questioned their wisdom. They are somewhat worried and concerned about the fact that Japan developed fast, and that this might cause unexpected problems. This might cause rebellions which actually occurred. 40,000 former samurais rebelled and 6,000 government troops died. This shows that there were many people who disagreed to the rapid change of Japan.


 * 4/10, 4/13 What do you find most shocking about what you have read so far? How do make sense of such cruelty?**

The most shocking part from what I read is the part with the description of raping and killing the women. From what I read, the Japanese soldiers raped women whether they were young or old. Then they would leave them, which made them run away. When the women ran away, the soldiers shot the women. One of the soldiers said that when they raped the women, they looked like women, but when they killed them, they looked like a pig. I never knew how cruel a human being can be.


 **4/30 Do countries have an obligation to compensate each other for injustices done in time of war?** I don't think it as an obligation, but something that countries should do. It is true that barbaric actions happened a lot throughout the history during wartime. If countries really feel sorry about what they have done, then they should compensate each other. However, they have the choice not to compensate, I believe. Compensation should be something that is more voluntary, to show that they feel sorry. Also, money cannot bring back the killed people.


 * 5/7/09**

1. U.S. had to consider whether to go across the Yalu river, or not. They also had to consider how China will react toward their action.

2. The reason why china entered the war is because they felt they had an obligation. 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.

3. China had a huge influence in the war because they were not only massive and strong, but also were able to attack the weak parts of the U.s., ROK, and UN troops. As China came in the war, the U.S., ROK, and UN troops had to retreat.


 * 06/03/09**

1. When was this document written and by whom? It was submitted by the CCEP Central Committee on Jun 27, 1981. It is an excerpt from "Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China."

2. According to the document, who was largely to blame for the excesses and mistakes of the Cultural Revolution? The Leaders such as Mao, Lin Biao, and Jiang Qing were largely to blame for the mistakes. However, the author wrote that Lin Biao and Jiang Qing took advantage of Mao's errors, thus blaming them heavier. (<< example of cult of personality)

3. Mao's principal theses for initiating the revolution conformed neither to Marxism-Leninism nor to the Chinese reality. There were no grounds at all for the definition of class struggle. Technically, the communist revolution was already ended, because the Communists already took over the Nationalists and there were no class.

4. The two leaders and people who supported and followed them were mostly blamed in this document.

5. Consequence #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)

Consequence #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. (by jane)

Consequence #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.

Consequence #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. (by Chris)

6. In order to show that without Jiang Qing and Lin Biao's influence, the Chinese people remain as whole, and felt proud of their nation,

7. I believe the document was trying to make the Chinese people feel proud of their nation. After writing about all the problems, the author wrote ended by saying 'Despite all these problems, we succeeded, so we rock'. The author was trying to be nationalistic.