(no subject)
Assignment B
Nealy Bowden
3. Now consider 20th Century World reading and the reasons for Cold War. Which documents concern themselves with ideology? Power struggle?
Ideology
- Winston Churchill - from The Sinews of Peace
This article implies that the Cold War was caused by differing ideologies. It is interesting to read this particular document because it is an explanation of the Cold War that came out during that time. What is particularly notable within this document is when Churchill explains that it is part of the Soviets’ ideology to respect strength and look down upon any lack thereof. This especially pertains to the military, he said. He goes on to explain that, “We cannot afford, if we can help it, to work on narrow margins, offering temptations to a trial of strength.” This is notable because it seems to explain one form of reasoning behind the arms race that ensued between the Soviets and the U.S. during the Cold War.
-Harry S. Truman - The Truman Doctrine
This article is about ideology and the importance of protecting American beliefs not only at home, but also those that exist abroad. It is apparent that when Truman talks about the Communist uprisings in Greece and his want to prevent the spread of Communism, that ideology is on his mind. This article does not even really portray the cold war as a battle between two ideologies so much as the maintenance of American-like ideologies abroad, and the prevention of the spread of non-American ideals, which all ties into the Containment theory.
Mostly Ideology.
-George Kennan - “X”
This article, for the most part, tells the reader that clashing ideologies between the Soviets and the U.S. is what caused the Cold War. The first sentence of this article talks about “The political personality of Soviet power.” Kennan blames the Soviets ideology, and what it entails as far as international relationships, for a portion of the Cold War issues. This is apparent in the article when he says, “For ideology, as we have seen, taught them that the outside world was hostile and that it was their duty eventually to overthrow the political forces beyond their borders…” Although this document seems to strive to put all of the blame for the cold war on this “innate antagonism” between the ideologies of the U.S. and the Soviet Union, there are still remarks that give the reader the impression that the clashing of ideologies is not solely to blame for this problem. With remarks like, “The issue of Soviet-American relations is in essence a test of the overall worth of the United States as a nation among nations,” the reader does indeed get the sense that there is something more to the cold war than just ideology. Due to the fact that this other mystery element and cause is not directly addressed in this document, it is safe to say that this document is concerned with ideology as a cause, for it certainly stays with that train of thought throughout the majority of the document.
Part Ideology, Part Power Struggle
- George c. Marshall - from The Marshall Plan
This document addresses the need of American aid to protect a way of life by boosting the European economy. Due to the fact that it is dealing with an economic belief, it would seem to the reader that it pertains solely to ideologies and the protection of the American way of life and business. On a closer look, however, one could also interpret this document to be about American power. Economic control is a big part of the Power Struggle, so, America would naturally want to maintain its economic ideology to result in a more powerful nation at home. Furthermore, if America can guarantee the exportation of their goods, they are furthering themselves as a country and working towards becoming a more powerful nation. This is why this document pertains to both ideology and power struggle, because it is up to the interpretation of the reader to decide which issue is really being addressed.
William Lee
An interesting character in the book I read was the main character, William Lee. He was not only a narcotics addict, but also a homosexual, in 1940’s America when both of these traits were considered taboo. He is also a reflection of the author, William S. Burroughs, who wrote this story as not only an anthropological documentation of two specific underground lifestyles, but also as an autobiographical account of a specific time in his own life. The reason this character is so interesting is because he provides insight into this lifestyle that so few people understand. He gives the reader a glimpse into the mentality of a junky as he is searching for a fix, or taking a cure, or beginning an addiction, or ending an addiction. It is important for people to try and understand things that they are not, and I find it very interesting to read about something that I have never experienced first hand. People oftentimes wonder what goes through someone’s mind as they are doing such self destructive things. What does it feel like to have a physical dependence on something so bad for you? What does it feel like to try and break this habit? These questions are addressed as best they can be in this book. Furthermore, this character was experiencing all of these different things at a time when there was not a whole lot of empathy for addicts, which makes all of these experiences that much harder for him. This is why I find this character so interesting, he teaches the reader about a life they may never know; and he helps instill empathy in the reader for a kind of person that is all too often cast aside as selfish and self destructive.
Would You Recommend this book?
This novel is an incredibly well worded and appropriately documented anthropological examination of a lifestyle that is very difficult to understand. Addiction is something that is often misunderstood by people, especially teens, who have had no experience with it at all. It is misrepresented in the media, and it seems to have become a joke among kids, especially my age, who don’t really understand the severity, and complexity, of this disease. It is really frustrating when kids think they are the shit because they can make a reference to shooting up, because since they know the term they understand addiction, and all of the humor that naturally comes with a physical dependency on a harmful substance. So, on one hand I would love to recommend this book to the rest of the class because, first of all, I really love William S. Burroughs and think he is a tremendous writer, and I would love for other people to begin to understand him, and his writings, and appreciate them for what they really are. Second of all, if this book could benefit people as what it was meant to be, an informative novel about something that few people understand, I would really love for them to read it, so they might understand. Sadly, I fear that many kids would read it and not understand. You know, the same kids who think that Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is just about two guys getting really messed up on psychedelic drugs and breaking as many laws as they can. It bothers me so much when people don’t understand something that I really love. Sometimes, people don’t realize what they are reading, but they continue reading because it is something cool to do. These kinds of people do not stop to try and understand what they author is really saying, or is really trying to do. These kinds of people will read something just to read it, because they feel on some level expected to do so, but they are not reading it to learn or understand, really, what is meant to be taken from the novel. This rubs me completely the wrong way, and I don’t think I could stand being in a room full of people who would use Junky as an excuse to learn all that super cool underground lingo that 1940’s heroin addicts used, because drug addiction is cool. So, I guess I’m on the fence about this whole recommendation thing, not because this book does not merit a recommendation, but because I don’t want to be responsible for a classroom full of people who are reading something magnificent for all the wrong reasons.