students' research and journal notes for weeks 4--6

[o]

Students did a fine job with the weeks 2—3 research and journal posts.
We started a bit late in the classroom because of the new computer
installation, but we should be able to continue in the classroom to
make such good use of the computers and class time. On Saturday, 10/4,
the classroom will spend part the class sharing research ideas from
last week and part of the class working ahead in the same fashion for
the following week 10/11 with the research notes for Murphy’s chapter
1 and weeks 4—6. By continuing in this way week by week throughout the
term, students should have plenty of research ideas for essays and
journal notes. Again this time, work alone or with a partner in the
classroom, as preferred. The instructions from last time are recopied
and adjusted below.

Weeks 4—6 research and journal: notes on chapter 1, The capitals, of
Are we Rome? by Murphy, creating annotated APA style references, using
the online message board group for the course, and discussing ideas
with the class

Please work through this activity designed to assist students’
understanding Murphy's text and essay 2.

1) review the instructor’s notes for Murphy’s chapter 1, weeks 4—6
research and journal;

2) select one of the many topics, review the portion of Murphy’s text,
the information/websites provided by the instructor, and consider one
other online site you find and can cite by author, date, title, http
address, and, in fashion similar to the previous research decide the
following:

a) one point you like about the information or opinions considered;

b) one point you don't like about the information or opinions
considered;

c) one point about the book that you don't understand from the brief
view and would like to research for more information;

3) check APA style for in-text citation and references page (of many
sites available, one is http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/ ); see also
the following site on annotated references (http://
www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill28.htm). Note that
the examples on the syllabus are organized as in-text citations in APA
style; no References page is required for e1—cite your source in ¶3 in
the same style;

4) open the word processor and prepare an APA style reference for the
review followed by your notes from 3a, b, and c above; here’s an
example based on the very last bit of the notes that were cut off
somehow:

Sun Tzu. 4th century BCE. The art of war. MIT Classics Archive.
http://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.1b.txt

a) one thing I like about this text is that the general is very much
the manager of the army, not the person responsible for deciding
whether or not the army is the proper method for dealing with any
given situation, specifically pointing out that the question, “Which
of the two sovereigns is imbued with the Moral law?” is primary when
seeking to determine military conditions;

b) there’s little for me to dislike in this text. Again and again, its
fitting applications to so many aspects of daily life seem amazing.
It’s also short and easy to read. I joke with young students that they
might be able to use its lessons against their instructors, so that
could be a potential disadvantage for me, but anyone could use its
lessons;

c) as students have probably noticed already, I like researching new
topics and learning about the world. I’ve been interested in Rome for
several years, but other ancient cultures offer plenty of other
interesting topics for other semesters. It’s very interesting to me
how history and literature hundreds or even thousands of years old so
often seem to offer such apt lessons for our contemporary world;

6) post your ideas to the group;

7) present your work to the class.

[o]

Yolanda D
Sec-0459-Sat.
October 9, 2008
Journal
A) There are many things I like about this part of the chapter,
for
one it gives information on when the Empire fell, it does not give an
approximate year, but at least it gives some kind of time frame. It
also states it was the west part of the Roman Empire, not complying
with the east.
B) One point I did not agree with Murphy, is how he pin point
events.
To compare and predict that America will follow Rome’s footsteps, and
come to a fall.
C) The things I would like to know more about and do more
research on
is the Roman military.

[o]

LaniC
View profile
More options Oct 9, 11:22 am
McLemee, S., (2007 May 13). Are we Rome? The Huffington Post.
Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-mclemee/are-we-rome_b_48385.html.
The part I liked about this review: When McLemee wrote that Murphy
focuses on the points of similarity as we view both nations as the
superpowers of their eras. Both Rome and America have benefited from
the psychological impact of military strength and the unnecessary use
of force.
The part that I didn’t like about McLemee’s review: Apart from being
an editor-at-large (Murphy) at Vanity Fair ( no doubt an excellent
vantage point for studying decadence), the author (Murphy) is an
amateur classicist with a nimble recall of the ancient sources that
might serve as prophetic glimpses of the shape of things to come.
McLemme was saying that Murphy did not fully research on ancient
history to support his (Murphy’s) views of America’s decline compared
with that of Rome.
The part I didn’t understand: The Founding Fathers were raised on a
steady diet of Latin literature with classical allusions serving as a
convenient shorthand for complex political realities.

[o]

Here’s a link to the copy of Shaw’s play that we’re reading together
in class. It’s arranged a little bit differently than the book (see
note below), but not much.
Shaw, G. B. 1898. Caesar and Cleopatra.
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext02/candc10.txt

A couple students mentioned the Prologue, spoken by Ra. It alludes to
the situation between England and Ireland, among other parts of the
world. It’s interesting, and so is the Preface, also written by Shaw.
The interested may find more details on Shaw in the following chapter—
the entire biography is available, too, for the very interested.

Chesterson, G. K. 1909. The Irishman. George Bernard Shaw.
http://www.online-literature.com/chesterton/bernard-shaw/2/

[o]

Here are some links to Alexandria. The APA-style references aren't
written, but we can do more in class for practice using some of these
links, if useful.

http://www.egyptsites.co.uk/lower/delta/western/alexandria.html

http://members.tripod.com/romeartlover/Alessandria.html

http://alexandriatour.com/

http://www.7wonders.info/egyptian-pharos.php

http://www.authenticwonders.com/Alexandria/History/guide.html

[Joy.c]

Bush, President GW. (June 26 2003). Statement by the President. United
Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The White
House.org
www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/06/20030626-3.html

One thing I like about this statement is that if we forget who is
running the country and think of a idealistic democratic country it
would be great. In fact, if we heard Angelina Jolie reading this in
response to the charity work she does for human rights it would be
perfect.
This could be a script from a movie about hope, full of promise. It
talks about "Freedom from torture is an inalienable human right", and
"The United States is committed to the world-wide elimination of
torture and we are leading this fight by example".
All these words and the tone behind the statement is that America can
and will make a difference in the rights of people.
Maybe they should give this to Obama because it would probably be more
appropriate seen as he really resonates to me to want to make a
difference. If he spoke about obliterating rape, murder, genocide,
torture then I would have faith that the correct procedures would take
place to really help the world.
I like the ideas behind this ideological piece. It speaks honorably
and honestly. It has everything that one would want America to say in
this speech. If Bill Clinton read this statement, I would believe in
it. If Hillary Clinton read this statement I would believe in it. It
is everything you want your president to say.

What I don't like about this statement is everything I like about it
for the fact that it is hypocritic and ineffective. It is written by
someone who obviously has a brain but it has been read by a man who
has single handedly managed to bring down the view of America all over
the world. Newspapers of torture in Iraq and Afghanistan and many
"prisoner of war camps" are ripe. But a lot of documentation shows it
is the US and even the UK who are implementing such horrible actions.
When the speech talks about hidden prisons in other countries, for the
educated and inquisitive American it is hard to listen without the
fear that there are many military and governmental prisons actually
here in America (which there really is) and many accounts of torture
happening to out people, to other people but all from the US. This
statement makes America seem spotless and America is very much not
spotless. There is a lot of torture and rape and murder that happens
by American soldiers and people and this action does not just happen
everywhere else. If you turn the spotlight to someone else it doesn't
automatically make you perfect. This man has waged more torturous
actions on other countries, especially those in the Middle east and
used lied in order to cause harm and pain. This speech therefore
makes me mad. Same can be said from the UK and many countries that
seem to treat others as the others treat themselves.

One thing that I would like to know more about is who actually wrote
this speech and if he actually though the blue states would believe in
it?
It is amazing that one of the last sentences is: "No people, no matter
where they reside, should have to live in fear of their own
government"
What a joke. Let's look at the US and see if anyone is fearful of the
government??
Maybe some homophobic, racist, right wingers live without fear, but
the rest of us who actually believe in the constitution and equal
rights and rights of others are very much fearing the government under
George W. Bush. The impending doom of McCain and Palin is possibly
even more scary too. As I mentioned before, if this was a speech from
Obama, I would stand and applaud because I think it comes from a good
place. The fact it was read by someone as dubious as George W makes
me really just wonder if he has a clue about what goes on by and in
his own country and why he is projecting.

> sites available, one ishttp://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/); see also
> the following site on annotated references (http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill28.htm). Note that

> the examples on the syllabus are organized as in-text citations in APA
> style; no References page is required for e1—cite your source in ¶3 in
> the same style;
>
> 4) open the word processor and prepare an APA style reference for the
> review followed by your notes from 3a, b, and c above; here’s an
> example based on the very last bit of the notes that were cut off
> somehow:
>

> Sun Tzu. 4th century BCE. The art of war. MIT Classics Archive.http://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.1b.txt

[MG]

Marsella Gonzalez
Seymore. Hersh. 2004, May 10. Torture at Abu Ghraib American soldiers
brutalized Iraqis. How far up does the responsibility go?
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/05/10/040510fa_fact

In this article I found it interesting that there was detailed
information on the cruel behavior performed by American soldiers
towards the Iraqi detainees in the Abu Ghraib prison. General Janis
Karpinski and other soldiers are being convicted for on charges that
include conspiracy, dereliction of duty, cruelty toward prisoners,
maltreatment, assault, and indecent acts. The author provides enough
description on the incidents being that these people are part of our
US army. I would think they would try to hold back on this type of
information.

What I didn’t like about this article is that people like this exist.
It’s unbelievable to know that there are people who are being put in
control who can do such harm to others.

I would like to have seen the how they determined that General Janis
Karpinski was in any way capable of running a prison with no previous
experience.

> > 7) present your work to the class.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[o]

LaniC
View profile
More options Oct 23, 9:30 am
"I doubt I'm the only person who has trod, with lofty step, the
sculpted gardens of the Capitol and been seized with a vision of how
the city below might appear as a ruin. The Washington Monument —
imagine it a millennium hence, a chipped and mottled spire, trussed
with rusting braces. The stern pile of the Archives building, the
Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington, the gothic National Cathedral on
its distant hilltop, the turreted Smithsonian Castle on the Mall —
they somehow invite you to see them as derelicts, rendered into
darkly
impish engravings by the hand of some future Piranesi. What calamity
could bring the capital to this condition? Earthquake? Pestilence?
Pride? The end of air conditioning?" (Murphy, 27).
What I liked about what Murphy has said was that although Washington
DC has striking visual similarities with ancient Rome’s Capitol,
there
are also differences on how America’s government rules the nation and
these could hold the key to prevent America from collapsing.
Murphy’s
vision of a future Piranesi on Washington DC is not dogmatically held
on a government collapse but could rather be caused by forces of
nature that is beyond human control. He was also trying to say that
the world could change ideologically or geographically but America,
being a nation that preserves freedom and democracy has the power to
rebuild itself and reinforce its hold.
What I didn’t like was the part when Murphy said that while he was
touring the Washington DC’s Capitol and looking at all the
magnificent
surrounding structures, he was the same time, envisioning sketches of
the city in ruins. I agree with Murphy’s six parallel comparisons of
America and Rome but not necessarily envision a total collapse or a
doomsday. I think he was very negative with his thoughts at this
point.
What I did not understand was when he said that “the end of air
conditioning” could bring America to its dark future Piranesi. Is
this about the thinning of the ozone layer caused by the use of Freon
in air conditions or a symbolical representation?

[o]

ljcasillas
View profile
More options Oct 18, 10:08 am
The New Colossus
Axel Diaz
Lillian Casillas
We like the similarities between this poem and the Ceasar/Sphinx.
The poem complements the statue of liberty and America as the Sphinx
to Ceasar.
Both the statue of liberty and the Sphinx are large monuments that
have accomplished until today survival and challenges in its time.
America like Ceasar are always evolving in all aspects.
We dislike that the statue of liberty is represented wrongfully to
new
comers offering liberation.
We would like to know more about is what Sphinx meant to the
Egyptians.
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/LIBERTY/lazaruspoem.html

[Deborah M]

Grey, S. (2007, November 7). Reporter’s Interview: “Extraordinary
Rendition.” Washington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/rendition701/video/video_index.html

a) I like that this is an example of how the media acts as government
watchdogs and exposes secret U.S. programs such as capturing suspected
terrorists and sending of to countries like Egypt, Syria or Morocco
where torture is routine.

b) I do not like that it appears to be incredibly easy for our
government and allies to justify such acts including Bush’s executive
order that clears the way for these actions to continue stating, “I
have put this program in place for a reason. When we find somebody who
may have information regarding a potential attack on America, you bet
we're going to detain them, and you bet we're going to question them.”

c) What I do not understand and was not discussed in this article is
the basis for the CIA to determine that someone is a potential
terrorist. How far do they go to investigate these suspects before
capturing and sending them off to get tortured? It does not seem
justified in the cases that were investigated.