Block+C+Journal+Ji+Yoon+Hyun

__2/19__ 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 think the women rights part of the reading stood out and was quite interesting to me because as far as I know, just as Confucianism was introduced to Korea, more power and authority was focused on men rather than women. Women started to lose freedom of movement not because there was a "Confucian" law against women but because of the power leaning more towards women. This idea or traditional idea still happens today in some parts or regions of Korea and I guess it has effectively greatly enough back in the 1300s. I don't feel like these facts were exaggerated. Women losing freedom of movement isn't because there was a law against the women, there wasn't but since all the attention went towards the men, I personally agree with the writer's point of view. It was gradually happening because of the growing societal importance of the men.

__2/23__ If Rabbit is too smart for his own good, Owl is the Brain, and so what are Piglet... Pooh?

Pooh is Tao and he hasn't much brain, but he never comes to any harm. He does silly things and they turn out right. This explains the word, Uncarved Block that explained that ignorance is bliss and that being simple, plain, and natural can make things work better. In the other hand, Piglet doesn't know how to make decisions and always hesitates while blaming others. Piglet knows that there needs to be reasons in things and always seems to be less confident when Piglet's unsure of something. Piglet is also someone who is really simple just when Piglet answered that it was 'today' when pooh and the owl where talking about how to spell 'thursday.' Even though Pooh seems to lead Piglet they are both simpleminded and represents the Uncarved Block.

 __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 it meant that doing or achieving something without really doing a lot of things. And it was shown that if a ruler has too much power in an empire, it can ruin an empire. As we read in "Tao of Pooh," it shows us that we can do things without great effort (effortless), we can still do what we want to do if we know our inner nature. But I'm not sure if this makes sense because we can't lack action and still get what we want. We would have to work hard to achieve what we have and to rule an empire. The idea of "ruling by inaction" could be a little too biased and views only one perspective out of a lot of perspectives.

 __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 involves precision and clarity. It explains that we should be mindful to the finest details such as our attitudes, the way we talk, our postures, and many other aspects. Right concentration says that we should be absorbed in now-ness not absent absent-ness. So basically, taking things the way they are. The packet also explains clearly about something very important that cuts through our absent mindedness: sitting meditation. Sitting meditation provides a space and gap in our preoccupation with ourselves. I think we can apply with us in our daily lives. Today people are considered educated and moral when they have good manners and when they think what they are going to do, or say. Therefore, we would need right mindfulness in order to concentrate even on the finest details in life. Right concentration is definitely applied to us today. We should be able to concentrate on now, rather than what has happened in the past and also deal with life as they way it is rather than defining life as a complex system we go through, suffering.

 __4/2__ 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.

The meaning behind this quote seems to mean that since it is very hard to compromise within countries, Japan probably was one of the hardest places to compromise regarding trading, government systems, and education. Industrialization in Japan happened very rapidly and they developed very fast different than other countries. Of course this did happen after 1873, but he was probably able to know that developments in Japan was faster than any other countries. Before Japan's nationalism was brought, the foreigners could not believe how fast Japan was growing accepting parliamentary government and education system. They were more like accepting the fact that they were getting help from the West rather than rebelling to keep their own policies and laws.

__4/6__ "Japan had to Westernize or be destroyed."

Japan had to be westernized but they actually liked the idea of bringing in Western government and education systems. According to "Japan and Korea," "They also wanted to impress the foreign powers by becoming the first nation in Asia to adopt a Western-style parliamentary government. By this we can see how Japan, with its growing industrial economy and political power, was ready to take place around in 1889. Also, Japan is known for their rapid change and development than other Asian countries which we can also make the the connection to the journal above, "felt 400 years old by the end of the century."  __4/13__ What do you find most shocking about what you have read so far? How do make sense of such cruelty?

The moment I started reading the book, I felt shocked all the way through and I'm sure there's more shocking stories to read on. When the book was introduced by the author of "The Rape of Nanking" everything was disgusting and unbelievable. If you read this quote again you'll realize why. "An estimated 20,000~80,000 Chinese women were raped. Many soldiers went beyond rape to disembowel women, slice off their breasts, nail them alive to walls. Fathers were foced to rape their daughters, and sons their mothers, as other family members watched... hanging people by their tongues on iron hooks or burying people to their waists and watching them get torn apart by German shepherds." This was no joke. And I can't even believe it myself that this can 'actually occur.' I totally agree with the author that the Rape of Nanking was much harsh and cruel than Hitler's killing of 6 million Jews, Stalin more than 40 million Russians. In the Rape of Nanking the killing was concentrated within a few WEEKS!

__4/28__ Is it better to be a non-communist or a communist during the Korean War?

I think being a non-communist would be better because the city of Seoul, for example, was first taken by the Communists in their first push south and then retaken by the UN troops after the amphibious landing led by MacArthur at Inchon. The non-communist were invading and it would be better to worry about surviving rather than also worrying about being a non-communist or communist. So it could have been better to rather be a non-communist at then then be a communist so you would get turned in and die anyways. Even on page 2 of the 50 years and continuing, many non-communists in the south and north did meet their death after being turned in by fellow civilians. You would be falsely accused of being communists and be killed, therefore either way, you would suffer and be killed.

__4/30__ Do countries have an obligation to compensate each other for injustices done in time of war?  I think countries do have an obligation to compensate each other for their injustices done in time of war because there is always bad consequences and casualties that happened during the war and even though no one could point the finger at any nation of who is to blame for; if a nation treated a country harshly during the war, the nation should pay for, make up, or have responsibility of what they have done. For example, the Japan invasion to Korea, they should make up for what they did and still people in Korea think there needs to be a sincere, a final apology for the injustices they have done. Therefore, I do think countries have the duty to make up for each others' injustices done in wars.

__5/8__ Explain the meaning of "shattered faith." How does it relate to the story?

I think Hongyong named the chapter "shattered faith" because she thought maybe she shattered the faith Yongwoon had towards her mother's promise of waiting for Yongwoon to come back to her. But mostly I think the chapter has something to do with her belief in Christianity. She herself also had complete trust and faith to God and it shattered into pieces when she heard from Yongwoon's friend, Daekun, that Yongwoon might be buried alive when he was sent back to the North being caught during the escape to the South. Hongyong was a strong Christian believer and she could not believe God would make such a decision or make it happen, she might have explained this as shattered faith of relying to God but in the end finding out that the Korean War itself was too harsh and violent, it wasn't enough just to simply believe in God- Hongyong was feeling hatred which again, shattered her faith.

__5/26__ Image #1: Who is the subject? What is the subject doing? How is the subject portrayed?

The subject is Mao and it seems like he's on top of the mountain which kind of shows how he was the leader of China and everyone was to look upon him as far as during the Cultural Revolution. It shows how he became a prophet-figure in the minds of many Chinese. We can see the scroll which emphasizes education shows how he considered education was important. Also, the appearances that is portrayed shows how in propaganda he was portrayed as a better person as in tall height, young looking, and passionate (look at the fist).

__5/29__ NOTES for the Cultural Revolution Documents (Group: Ji Yoon, Agatha, Rachel, Lauren)

//"Changes during the summer of 1966"//

- second half of July: students wanted to spread Mao's thinking - first stage of revolution: indoors (organizations, orders, denouncing anti-party earnings, political things) - after this first stage: more in the outside (slogans, marching, demonstrations) - started taking more action --> all headed to the local government

- propaganda spread (red banners, Mao portraits, handbook of Mao's sayings)
 * slogan "Long live Chairman Mao"
 * sticking long posters
 * joy of receiving the "16 point Resolution"

- people were acting according to the propaganda: college students: Red Guards - changed names of streets, shops, enterprises - never went to ask the shop owners and posted propaganda's and demanding shops that they should change their shop name (criticizing to change the names) - against spreading anti-imperialism, colonialism
 * some popular names, "Red Guards," "The East is Red," "Worker, Peasants, Soldiers"

- shows the significant change the revolution brought - shows how significant the propaganda

//"Burning Books"//

- except books that had portraits of Mao, burned everything because people believed that other books were expressing feudalism - daughter was not able to join the group, "Black Gang" because her parents were bourgeoisie - Red guards told the Black Gang to burn all the books - if cried, whipped them
 * basically the Black Gang were abused because they were spreading feudalism, capitalism accused of not actual proof

//"16 Point Resolution"//

- 4 different main ideas 1. Cultural Revolution: people who were willing to fight were considered the highest 2. Equality between classes: even though the minority was wrong, Mao kept saying that they should have a voice (minority matters) 3. Education to all: education was important (have education reform) - main task: learning, farming, military affairs - men, women, children were all to get education 4. Cadres: counterrevolutionary people (teachers, technicians, etc) - took everything they had and were just left empty to farm - Mao is the best: Mao's thought should be a guide to the Cultural Revolution a little too simplistic think about this more, we discussed this in class

__6/2__ "Images from the Cultural Revolution" What does the images tell you about the Cultural Revolution and how do they explain the Four Olds?

First of all, many of the photos shows that people did not like old beliefs such as Christianity and Buddhism. There were photos of statue of buddha's being torn down and burned down. We were also able to see public shaming through photos of the 'nuns' putting their heads down while everyone looks like they are yelling at them. Christianity was an old belief and from here, we can again see people going against one of the Four Olds just as Mao thought so. There were also photos of some people holding up dazebaos, which intellectuals, teachers, proffessors, book store owners, and capitalists (bankers, factory owners) held up for having such jobs. These pictures were also showing how many considered these jobs as going against the Four Olds and unneccessary during the Cultural Revolution. Here we can also analyze to the enemies of the Cultural Revolution and the people; communists, Confucius scholars, KMT (nationalist army), foreign imperialists, and anyone associated with the old regime.