Standard Operating Procedure

                Standard Operating Procedure was a riveting documentary that we viewed in class exposing what goes on inside some of the military prisons in Iraq. It was very eye-opening and in a way, hard to watch at times. It showed some of the ways our American soldiers mistreated and tortured Iraqi prisoners and provided gruesome photos of their actions. It was crazy to think about all the things that go on during war each and every day that the American people have no idea about. It also made me think about what I would’ve done had I been in the shoes of the soldiers who were working in the prison. Would I have done the same thing? Or would I have had the presence of mind and the gut feeling inside to stop what was going on? Or would the toils of war and the situation have gotten to me and tossed all my common sense out the window like it did with these men and women. I don’t think these are bad people in the film. Some of them are. But most of them are just like any of us and were just following orders. I myself can’t say that I wouldn’t have done the same thing. War changes a lot of things.   

                I was, however, surprised at the stupidity of some of these people. Most of them say in their interviews that they had a gut feeling that something was wrong and they knew they shouldn’t be doing these things, yet they still took photographs of the events, and were, themselves, shown in the photographs. If you know you are doing something wrong, or even worse, committing a crime, how can you be stupid enough to take pictures of it? That’s one thing I can’t get past about this film.

                Another thing I kept thinking about was the fact that the lower ranks of the army were the ones getting jail time for these crimes. The people who are in charge have to be aware of what’s going on, and in some cases were more than likely giving the orders to carry out the actions shown in the film. They are the ones who are held to a higher standard than even most people in the military, and they turned their backs on what was happening.  The people who risk their lives to be in that prison in the first place are just following orders from the big shots who sit behind a desk, yet they are the ones doing the jail time. Do they deserve it? Probably. They did commit the acts, and in some cases, the things they did to the prisoners weren’t handed down from the desk of a general, but I still think it is unfair for all the blame to be placed on the men and women in the video. 

                I thought this film was very interesting. As with most of the videos we watch in class, it makes yo9ur mind wonder about what happens every day in our country and dealing with our country that regular citizens have no idea about.

Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street

On Wall Street and around the United States, there is an ongoing protest called “Occupy Wall Street.”  The protest is a rally against social and economic inequality among the American people, corporate greed, and corporate power and influence over government.  The slogan of the protest is “we are the 99%” which refers to the difference in wealth between the top 1% and the rest of the people in the United States. 

                I think the people who are protesting have a good argument and I can get behind them and support their cause considering I myself am part of the 99%. However, I also think it’s going to take a lot more than what is going on now to even perk the ears of the people on Wall Street.  The movement is growing, and continues to show signs of getting bigger and stronger, but I don’t think it is enough to make their point heard. I think that in order for anything to be changed, something extremely drastic will have to take place. After all, when the protesters try to assemble peacefully and have their voices heard, they are usually run off or arrested. It’s crazy that it clearly states in the constitution that we have the right to assemble and peacefully protest, yet every time a group of people gets together to do so, authorities do anything and everything they can to try and suppress or stop it. Countless people have been arrested so far and hundreds more have been displaced or removed from the protest as a result of the authorities trying to contain the protests

                I also think it is pretty crazy how dedicated these people actually are. This protest has been going on now for over a month and people are still going strong and not giving up hope. They have slept outside and stayed on location for the entire process and have yet to budge. Outside organizations have also stepped in to aid with the protest by feeding the protestors, and offering other helpful supplies throughout their stay.  It should also be pointed out that the protests are spreading. The protest that started out in New York City gained huge support from the American people and has since spread all over the country. There are now protests taking place in cities such as Boston, Chicago, Columbus, and even Lexington.  The protest has grown tremendously since its birth in mid-September, and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Maybe of these crazy people keep it up long enough and continue to gain support they will be heard by someone.

                In conclusion, I normally tend to ignore things like this and I’m normally not one to follow a nationwide protest (or any protest at all for that matter). But this one seems to be a little different. It may be because I can relate to it more than normal, or the fact that it just intrigues me to know how quickly this thing gained support. Whatever the cause, I will continue to keep up with the news and pull for the ones sacrificing their time and bodies for this cause.

G-20

                Recently in class we watched a slide show on the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh.  Before viewing the slide show, I had never even heard of the G-20. That seems to happen to me quite often in this class. I learn something new just about every time I come to class. As for the issue of the G-20, I do find it kind of alarming that a room full of “important” people make some very crucial decisions that affect everyone on the planet. They are our elected officials (at least some of them) but we have no idea what is being discussed or what decisions have been made until the meeting is over. 

                I also am kind of alarmed that all of the protests and rally against the G-20 fall on a deaf ear. People take time out of their lives and probably spend some serious money to travel to where the G-20 meets and rally their cause to the world’s most powerful men and women, only to be met by police barricades and heavily armed riot police. It seems like no matter what people do or say, the leaders in Washington and around the world ignore the voice of the people. It’s scary to think about.  The people that came to protest even got permits to march in the city and were supposed to be helped out by the local police, only to be denied any help by anyone. The protesters had to take matters into their own hands and stop traffic themselves in order to begin their march. It seems to me like the men in uniform that we trust to protect us in our day to day life become out worst enemy when we have a voice against what’s going on above us. It is a constitutional right of the American people to peacefully protest, yet when they do so, they are intimidated and threatened, and often times even beaten. When the protesters in Pittsburgh marched through the streets they were closely watched by fully armed police men who felt the need to beat their batons in their hands the entire time as a form of intimidation. There were even instances of officers in uniform driving alongside protestors and throwing them in the car and carrying them away. It was just like being abducted.

                It seems that no matter what the voice of the people, our leaders will always find some way to cordially turn the other direction.  People gather and protest peacefully about a myriad of different policies, and ideas, and practices, yet when it comes to things taking place in our nation’s capitol, nothing ever changes. In a sense it pretty much voids our right to protest and voice our opinion. Sure we can protest and sure we can have the freedom of speech and express our disgust for some of the things happening in our country. But are we any better off than the people of a nation who don’t have to luxury of these rights? Does it really do us any good to exercise these rights to protest and voice our opinion if all its good for is a means for us to blow steam?

The Kill Team

The Kill Team

                The topic that I have chosen to report is about a platoon of soldiers in the war on terrorism called “The Kill Team.”  The soldiers of the 3^rd platoon of the 5^th Stryker Brigade, based out of Tacoma, Washington, are under fire from many government agencies as well as most members of the general population who have heard their story.

                The group of men dubbed “The Kill Team” is under scrutiny for killing innocent Iraqi civilians, as well as posting pictures and videos of civilians, along with insurgents that they have killed and mutilated on the internet.  Among the victims of the “Kill Team” was a 15 year old boy who was slaughtered in a field on the outskirts of his home village while tending to his crops alone and unarmed.  They also posted videos of airstrikes and roadside killings on the internet, and although the killings were perfectly justifiable, and followed protocol in every way, it is strictly prohibited by the U.S. Government to publish any photos or videos to the public. 

                The story of “The Kill Team” is gut-wrenching as well as eye-opening. What else goes on overseas that Government officials are unaware of? What kind of crimes are carried out each and every day by our military and how many of them go unpunished? It is an issue that should be addressed.  American soldiers are held to a higher standard than that of any other military around the world and when they slump to the standards of other militaries and carry out barbaric war crimes, it reflects badly on our military, as well as the citizens of our country. 

                Although the ruthless murder of an innocent 15 year old civilian boy is completely inexcusable, actions on the frontlines of a war can be unfairly judged. The men and women in our military see some things that none of us could ever imagine and deal with situations that most of us would consider to be nightmares.  I personally feel like I may have a heavy trigger finger if I were fighting on the frontlines and every person I met could be on a mission to end my life. I completely disagree with the poor decision to photograph and video the execution of Afghani people, as well as the inhumanity it requires to mutilate a dead body for pleasure, I can also relate to the viewpoint of the soldiers.

                War crimes have had a significant impact on the perception of the United States Military as of late, and it is an issue that shouldn’t be hidden from the public. Although the actions of criminals and some of the incidents that occur are brutal and extremely graphic, it is an issue that should be exposed and addressed in order to preserve the image of our military. Although it is a controversial topic and can be interpreted in many different ways, I think it will be an interesting topic to discuss, as well as open the eyes of many people who are unaware of the things that happen during war.

Bibliography:

“The Kill Team.” Rolling Stone, Politics. 22 March 2011. <http://www.rollingstone.com/kill-team>

“Pentagon Reacts to Alleged Afghanistan ‘Kill Teams.’”  FoxNews.com.  28 March 2011. <http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/03/28/pentagon-reacts-alleged-afghanistan-kill-teams>

Brecher, Jeremy, Jill Cutler, Brendan Smith. In the Name of Democracy: American War Crimes in Iraq and Beyond (American Empire Project).   New York, Metropolitan Books, 2005.

Knoll, Erwin, Judith Nies McFadden, Judith Nies. War Crimes and theAmerican Conscience. New York, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1970.

"Taylorized" School Systems

“Taylorized” School Systems

                One of the things that stood out the most to me in this passage was the fact that the school systems in America have been gradually but efficiently turned into a corporate dominated, standardized education system. This pretty much goes hand in hand with what Professor Ken Robinson was saying in his video on changing education paradigms. It seems that students are being sent to school to learn in a sort of “assembly line” pattern. The article talks about how students in early elementary and middle school classes do very little learning of material and curriculum, but yet learn mostly to endure a “behavioral modification” that prepares them to enter the work force. The passage says it prepares them for “routinization and standardization.”   This also ties directly into what Mr. Robinson was saying about how most students who go through the routine of public education will wind up with un-skilled, dead end jobs.  It seems that most jobs nowadays require less and less formal education.

I also found the part in the passage about the children who attend the elite private schools across the nation and what kind of Americans they usually produce.  Schools that cost around thirty thousand dollars a year to attend and that serve as sort of a ‘red carpet’ into Ivy League schools.  It’s scary how the school systems are more corrupt then most people are aware of. The school systems around the country are beginning to show similarities to the job market in the sense that they show signs of increasing signs of inequality and degradation. 

                Another alarming idea pointed out in this passage was the comparison between the economy and the educational system.  This is yet another point that goes along with what Dr. Ken Robinson argued in his video on changing education paradigms.  Ever since the 70’s the nation’s real economic growth has dropped. Total government spending on education from grades K-12 had gradually risen every year up until the 1970’s, but every decade since then, government funding has gradually dropped.  Funding also became more centralized at the state level in the mid 80’s due to a wide-spread property tax revolt.  Also, the percentage of children living in poverty had rose to almost 30 percent by the early 90’s while the percentage of children living in extreme poverty rose to over 40 percent. With the increasing number of children living in poverty, more children are coming to public schools, bringing with them more pressing needs which leads to greater strains on already depleted public school resources. 

                This article as well as Dr. Ken Robinson’s video continue to prove just how crazy and screwed up our public education systems continue to become. It’s a scary topic that has been an issue for many decades now, but still has yet to be formally addressed and dealt with. Political and economic corruption have found their way into our schools and until there are some serious changes made, things aren’t looking any better for the future of our country.

Changing the Paradigms of Education

                 First off, I once again had to use the technique that we used in class of watching the video twice in order to be able to fully grasp what was going on. The drawing aspect of the video is very interesting, and helpful in a way, but it can also be very distracting. One reason I enjoyed the drawing throughout the video was that it made what Mr. Robinson was trying to say easier to understand. Some of the terms he used I had never heard before, but seeing the drawing helped me to understand his arguments.  

                The arguments posed in Mr. Robinson’s video are eye-opening as well as alarming.  He points out many of the flaws into today’s educational system that most people are oblivious to. One of the things that Mr. Robinson alludes to that I found most interesting was the surprisingly high rate at which young children are being drugged across the nation for “disorders” such as ADHD.  Studies done by the American Psychiatric Association show that as of 2007, 5.4 million children from the ages of 4 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. That’s roughly 10% of our children.  Equally as alarming, the percentage of children with a parent-reported ADHD diagnosis increased by 22% from 2003 to 2007. This statistic alone goes hand in hand with Mr. Robinson’s claim that ADHD is not an epidemic, but merely a sort of “medical fashion.”  I also thought it quite interesting that the map drawn in the video which shows the rise of ADHD diagnosis increases towards the eastern seaboard was completely accurate. Why this is true, I have no idea, but it’s rather peculiar.  Something I also found was that boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls.  That probably has a lot to do with the fact that boys are more easily distracted than girls to begin with. 

                I also liked Mr. Robinson’s explanation of the reasons why countries are trying to reform public education.  I never really have given any thought to the reasons behind educational reform.  He said that there are two reasons for it: cultural and economic.  He brings up a good point when he says that countries are trying to figure out how to educate their children in a cultural manner, all the while trying to keep up with globalization.  Every country has their own traditions intertwined with public education. Each country you go to probably does things a little different. I cannot agree more with the fact that they are doing things to try and meet the future with the techniques of the past. Times have changed and kids don’t learn the same as they did in the 16^th century.  In order for kids to learn in a time of changing economies and technologies, the learning structure has to change as well. Techniques that have been effective in teaching students for so long are losing their appeal to students. The same things that have worked for the past 200 years aren’t going to work forever. Things such as grouping kids by age rather than academic ability, or even small things that are out dated such as teaching an entire  class with a text book and a chalk board.

                I was enlightened by watching this video and I think most of the arguments addressed are things that people often overlook and issues that need to be changed

Foreword to "Sompelace like America"

I thought the inotroduction to this book was pretty interesting. I didnt particularly care for the foreword because I can formulate my own oppinion of the book and what its about wihtout the help of a musician.
I like the idea of thee book, but I think I will be more interested in the story of the people rather than the oppinions being expressed, and the ideas of the economy. It will be easier for me to follow if I can connnect to a charachter rather than an oppinion. I think this book may also open my eyes to some things that I may not be too informed on. My grandfather lost a shit load of money in the stock market in the recent downturns in the economy. I think it will be interseting to learn about whats happening, and whats been happening through the eyes of people like myself and my family.