Discussion on essay-1-2-post-here-by-3-7

[Colin C.]

Colin C.
3/7/09
e1.2

In the 2008 Inaugural speech of our recently elected head of state,
President Obama wrongly refers to President Washington’s examples of
drive and perseverance, as well as his speech to the people during the
revolutionary war to set examples of what we as a people today need to
follow. Though after over a hundred years have passed our issues are
vastly different and the reference to Washington is inappropriate. To
relate farmers and blacksmiths fighting for there freedom and there
own land to the drive a direction of today’s military which consist of
little defense and more preemptive force to assure our way of
excessive life. The Soldiers of Washington weren’t fighting for
something divine or searching for meaning but fighting for survival.
They were fighting for what they wanted for them selves. They fought
for a better life and maybe the better life we may be fighting for
today may be skewed. Using Washington, a historic national figure,
as an example of hope is nice but doesn’t relate to the action needed
in these unsure times to guide where this country needs to go. Using
a more realistic reference would suit the times and purpose of the
speech better.

There are the reasons the government says we are in this war in
Iraq. And there is speculation to the a hidden agenda for the war in
Iraq. Either way, we are over there and no one is heading here. There
are no armies invading to enforce there government on us, it is our
army invading other countries though as diplomats and peace keepers
our motives can be misconceived as selfish. In efforts to protect our
oil we rely on. “our security emanates from the justness of our
cause.” as President Obama said. Is our cause just? When looking to
Washington, their reasons for fighting much more justified than that
of what some think to be watching our oil interests. In what way are
we being secure invading into other countries. Is Americas motto ‘ the
best defense is a good offense’. our quest for security ended long
ago by the non-discovery of the ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’. yet we
remain in Iraq. Is it our purpose to be protectors of the innocent
Iraqis. For a Country if such diverse religious beliefs we sure do
know which god is guiding our destiny. Every action we make is made
out to be justified by the noble fact that god is on our side. As
President Obama says “and with eyes fixed on the horizon and gods
grace upon .” the use of god just seems to dupe us listeners to
follow. I can only imagine General Washington praying to not die in
battle but not to the question of ‘is our cause just”?. And in all
this struggle was Washington and his men searching for meaning and
purpose or merely just fighting for what they believed in. “we honor
them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty,
(speaking of the military soldiers) but because…a willingness to find
meaning in something greater than them selves.”

As our great country is falling apart, we need to keep our eyes open
to the true causes. We need to really think about what we are
justified in doing. And make sure that is it just for everyone in
other countries and the future citizens of our nation. We can’t keep
justifying our actions with gods support. And maybe a soldiers search
for purpose , resembles more a humans longing to give into its
instinctive primitive nature. “it is in our own “modern” time, we will
see, that the rituals and passions of war most clearly recall the
primitive theme of resistance to a nonhuman threat.” Blood Rites,
Ehrenrich 1997.

[FASantamaria]

Felipe Albert Santa Maria
Eng. 101
E.1.2 03/07/2009

Barbara Ehrenriech 1997 Blood Rites unconvincingly claims
that human’s propensity to wage war ties back to prehistoric
precedents. Ehrenreich wrongly characterizes us in a historic cycle.
Ehrenreich claims that the reasons why we do certain things and behave
certain ways is because it is in us and in our past. Maybe it is not
because of our precedents why human behavior is the way it is today,
but because human behavior is the way it is because of just simple
human reaction. Different situations such as war or crisis, call for
different actions. There is always a change so in turn the way we act
will change. A new time is a fresh start and yes, we look to the past
for examples; of courage and victory perhaps, but not because it is an
influencing factor.
Ehrenreich’s Blood Rites, argues that the “roots of the
human attachment to war” can be found in feelings and emotions that
are still “imprinted” on all of us due to events that took place many
many years ago, when our earliest ancestors spent most of their time
in fear of being eaten by predators. To an extent, I do believe in
this because we do learn from examples, but we don’t necessarily
repeat examples because every time era is different. I truly believe
that human behavior isn’t based because of what our earliest ancestors
endured. Human behavior varies on environment and situations that
are given to you, such as crisis or war. Humans behave on instinctual
behavior. Which leads to a next point; Ehrenreich claims that
humankind's “sacralization of war” comes from the evolving of humans
from prey into predators, the feelings originated in “a creature which
has learned only ‘recently’, in the last thousand or so generations,
not to cower at every sound in the night.” If this is so, Ehrenreich
claims that human behavior is learned and not based on instinct. The
core of a human being is instinct. To have the physical/emotional
feelings and chemical responses you have during danger and the flee
mechanism is all instinct, so how is it all “learned?” We do certain
things because it is our instinct and human behavior, not because of
what our ancestors did in the past. Ehrenreich also claims that the
reason why humans tend to war can be viewed "as a way of reenacting
the primal transformation from prey to predator." In a human being,
being a predator is all instinct. Ehrenreich claims that this is why
we act the way we act to warfare; but instead, I believe it is just in
our nature.
The past is not an influencing factor in the way we humans
behave today, but instead, it is used as a motivation or an example of
courageous human behavior. Such as in President Obama’s Inaugural
speech 2009, he refers to George Washington as act of perseverance
which ties into his ideas of hope and change. I do not believe that
he refers to Washington because he believes that it is because of him
we are in this situation, but he refers to Washington to show acts of
courage and drive. Just like George Washington, we are fighting for
survival; though we are fighting it by other means because of
different situations, but as humans, our instinct is to survive. I do
not believe that we repeat history, but instead we look to history for
motivation. We understand that our ancestors may have acted upon
situations such as predator vs prey, or war on land the same way we
might do, but since time changes, the way we go about doing things
changes. History is history and it is good to recognize it, but not
fall into it.

[saydie p]

Sul a(saydie) Park
Eng 3226
3.7.09
E 1.2

In his inaugural address, President Obama emphasizes the people
who suffered and even sacrificed their lives to protect America’s
freedom and wellness. America had to earn to be the most powerful
country in the world and many men and women served to earn it.
America had to fight to gain its freedom from British. America had to
fight against Germany although it was not under attack but because
they threatened the world peace. America retaliated when Japan
attacked Perl Harbor to revenge and omit their aggression against it
forever. These wars had good reasons to America to fights, to protect
America and its people. However, there are many questions in recent
era wars like in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U. S. government claims
that the wars began to protect America from aggressions. It seems
that no one found the proof so far. Even, many call the wars as
invasions instead of wars with rightful reasons. Many Americans speak
out that the war began with wrong reasons, oil. Is it worth to
sacrifice many good Americans’ lives because of oil? I do not believe
that such materialistic reason is good enough to cause any lives.
Despite all these, the U. S. government does not admit any wrong
doing.

Many expected President Obama to correct what the previous
administration’s mistakes including Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In his
address, however, he guards the wars comparing to the great wars like
battle at Gettysburg to gain freedom from British. With all the
respect of all men and women who fought for America, Iraq and
Afghanistan wars should not be compared to wars with such great
cause. Those wars were purely for America and the people. That war
was for our freedom and for our children’s future. Some, like Bush
and his administrations, say Iraq and Afghanistan wars to protect
Americans well being and to protect us from terrorism and future
aggression. No one could find enough cause for these reasons to start
these wars. Now, what Obama administration will do for these wars and
for men and women who fought for us and America and sacrifice their
lives and their family? Is President Obama willing to change the
policy substantially for them? I really hope so. President Obama
faces many critical issues in the country such as economy and medical
fair of Americans. However, the wars without any reasonable reasons
are causing many deaths of precious American lives, loved ones. He
addressed the wars showed respect to for those who patrols desert and
mountains, and sacrificed so much, but he did not specify what he is
going to do for them.

President Obama should end the wars which have had more than
4,000 American lives. They applied to be soldiers to protect America,
not few persons’ interest. President should correct the mistakes for
America.

[Mimi H]

Mimi Hahm
3/7/2009
e 1.2

President Obama states during inaugural speech, "For everywhere we
look, there is work to be done... And we will act, not only to create
new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth" and continues by
promising to restore the government, solve our enonomic troubles and
to make America a better place with the help of our working-class
citizens. America faced similar, if not the same, economic turmoil
during the last Great Depression which lasted for more than a decade.
For centuries, citizens of United States of America have done the same
and the history has come to repeat itself. When the government
refuses to listen to its people, all the while expecting the best, why
should we trust the ones with higher power to run our lives? How can
we reply upon them to make the right decision?

Obama claims, "... those of us who manage the public's dollars will be
held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habit...", but that's
wrong because the government had our trust and support initially when
the promise was made after the Great Depression. Instead of forcing
the citizens to hand over their trust, government should try to reform
financial structures and then request for support.