Please post by Friday, May 17!
React to the end of the movie. Did you like/dislike the ending? Give reasons! How would you change the ending if you could? What about the movie itself overall? Be a movie critic and tell us what was good and bad about the movie. Which characters were the most heroic, tragic, villainous? Have fun with this post!
Please post by Friday, May 17!
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At this point in the movie, Captain Willard has gone up the Nung River to explore his "heart of darkness." We have seen the absurdity of Lt. Col. Kilgore fighting the Vietnam in his own way. What the heck is with the USO show in the middle of the jungle? Additionally, we have witnessed the disturbing scene in which Captain Willard shoots a wounded civilian in a cold-blooded manner to keep his mission on track. In that scene, an entire family of civilians is killed because of the "fog." Is there anything "insane" about Col Kurtz (who we have not seen yet) that was not being routinely done by the U.S. Army? Is war itself "insane"? Do we have a right to judge anyone's actions in war as "insane"?
Please post by Tuesday, May 14. At this point, you have seen the "mission" of Captain Willard. An American officer has to go find another American officer and "terminate his command...with extreme prejudice." Comment on the absurd actions that war causes in relation to Willard's mission. Remember the "fog" and how it confuses us and makes it impossible to predict what will happen once war starts.
Please post Monday, May 13.. Please go to Cambodia: Quest for Justice and view the 26 minute video. Comment on an appropriate punishment for Comrade Duch. Consider how sincere his apology was for his crimes. He even felt what his defense attorney asked for was not enough. He believes he deserves punishments for his terrible crimes. He has already served more than 11 years at his penalty phase. He was then given 35 years with 19 years to serve (last year the U.N. Tribunal lengthened his sentence to life in prison). He is a 69 year-old man. He will not commit crimes of this nature again. He poses no threat to humanity. Was he also a victim of the Khmer Rouge government of Cambodia and its maniacal leader Pol Pot? He and his family was threatened by the extremism of the regime. Should we have some sympathy for his predicament? On the other hand, someone must be held accountable for these awful murders - 2,000,000 killed! Explain why life in prison is appropriate, too harsh, or even too lenient.
Please post by Friday, April 26. After reading the eyewitness testimony of survivors of the Armenian Genocide and viewing the video in class, please think about the denial of Ambassador Nabi Sensoy (Battle Over History). Who do you believe? Please think about the testimony and look into the eyes of the people in the testimonies. Why are they more credible than a distinguished diplomat? What emotions do you feel as you read these stories? How do the denials impact their lives and their descendants. Please share specific details from the text to support your position.
Please respond by Friday, April 12. Have a great vacation!. President George W. Bush unveiled the Bush Doctrine in his commencement
address at West Point on June 1, 2002. The two key points of this doctrine are 1. pre-emptive strikes against potential attacks and 2. promotion of democratic regime change. President Bush tells us we can no longer wait until a threat materializes: "We cannot defend America and our friends by hoping for the best. We cannot put our faith in the word of tyrants, who solemnly sign non-proliferation treaties, and then systemically break them. If we wait for threats to fully materialize, we will have waited too long — Our security will require transforming the military you will lead — a military that must be ready to strike at a moment’s notice in any dark corner of the world. And our security will require all Americans to be forward-looking and resolute, to be ready for preemptive action when necessary to defend our liberty and to defend our lives." In this new age of terrorism when extremists are willing to crash airplanes into building to cause the greatest amount of death and destruction, is it reasonable for the United States and other western nations to adopt these "forward-looking" measures to safeguard the nation? Please post a response by Monday, March 18. As we work our way through the issues that led to U.S. and coalition forces to invade Iraq, consider our discussion on the military-industrial complex. In hindsight, the Iraq war seems unnecessary. What role did the military-industrial complex play in our involvement in Iraq? Please refer to Eisenhower's speech or to specific historical circumstances in your response to explain how the war was sold to the American public.
Please post by Tuesday, March 12. Pat Tillman was a man who voluntarily gave up a lucrative football career to join the army because of a profound sense of duty and patriotism. He and his family understood the inherent risk of any war and accepted that death was a real possibility. However, it may be difficult to accept his death was the result of "friendly fire." The government publicly declared Tillman a hero and made it appear he was killed by enemy action. Should the U.S. government and military have kept the details of his death a secret to his family? Is this a violation of the rules of war? Or is this simply a violation of ethics?
Please post by Friday, March 1. The police has arrested a terrorist in Lincoln, RI. He claims he has placed a large bomb somewhere in town. He says it will detonate in less than 2 hours. He refuses to disclose the location of the bomb. Two hours is not enough time to call for an orderly evacuation of the town. The panic may actually cause greater injury.
Do we torture the terrorist suspect until we determine the location and diffuse the bomb? Or do we chance a hurried evacuation that may cause countless accidents? And how do you reach everyone in town to inform them of this crisis? What about the sick and elderly in town? How do we remove them in under 2 hours? Is torture the best and only response? What do you do? Meanwhile - tick, tick, tick... Read Alan Dershowitz's essay on torture warrants and Seth Finkelstein's response before posting. Please post a response before class on February 13. Lieutenant Philip Caputo blames the Vietnam War for making his "thoughts and feelings...irretrievably jumbled..." Undoubtedly, fighting any war is extraordinarily difficult and unimaginable for those who have never experienced it. Despite all the training, the realities of war can create unbelievable stress. However, does this excuse him of the awful orders and events that resulted in the deaths of two innocent civilians? Should the just war ideas concerning discrimination between combatants and noncombatants apply in this situation? Should Lt. Caputo have been punished more severely for his terrible decision?
Please post by Monday, February 11. |
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