CH17 Atlantic revolutions!

Revolutions have always been a significant point in parts of history, it shows how people emotions can finally demand change.  For years and years many people just go with how they were brought up or with how things are going, and the same cycle just keeps going on and on as usual.  But it's when the power of people coming together to finally create a change that miracles happen and revolutions take place to create a new society with new changes installed.  I am so amazed on how so many people finally find the courage to go against establishments and finally stand up for themselves.  For example the Chinese people were able to stan up to their government, but the unexpected happened, and the government actually fought back with serve force causing many of the Chinese that revolted to be killed.  For the courage that the many Chinese people had to continue to fight and pursue their vision and to keep on fighting for what they believe was just so courageous.  Eventually the Chinese people were able to get what they were fighting for and victory was accomplished, but not at the cost of many of the lives of the fellow people that were right by their side helping them accomplish their goals.
The French people honored their bravery and courage by having a memorial for the Chinese people lost in the revolution.  To honor the brave people who had passed, the French people by using empty bicycles to symbolize thousands of the colleagues who had been lost or killed in the Chinese's struggle for democracy.
In 1789-1815 was when the french revolution took place, which was a very big dispute among the common people and royalty, the common people felt that the members of the royal household were abusing their power and taking advantage of the common people, who would work very hard just to get by.  Many common people were angered by the raise in cost of many goods, bread for example was a very big problem that caused a great ruckus.  There was also a very huge unemployment rate for the common people which was constantly on the rise, which was finally one of the very last straws for them.    The French people were tired of the taxes, church, and nobility; so they started to finally sum up the courage to revolt.  Just like that a revolution was at hand and the country of France was in line for a change!  The people of France had a lot of heart and determination to change the way that France was being ran, so I do applaud them for their valiant efforts that they showed, which resulted in success.  They were able to run the French King Louis XVI out and he was eventually executed, causing the Revolution to become a success!  Revolutions are very powerful and speaks the true voice of the people!

DGP ch15!

In a world were religion is such big part of people's lives and cultures, it is obvious that people would make big deals about this subject.  In this chapter of DGP it was very eye opening on how much diversity and different aspect people put into their religious point of views.  They described religion as having four important social beliefs being one gives people a sense of identity, two offers it's believes an interpretive framework for understanding the world's past, present, and future, three contains rules and standards that are supposed to guide the thoughts and actions of believers, and lastly four provides the methods for passing it's beliefs, rules, and institutions from one generation to the next.

I am personally not from a direct religious background so I really am not entitled to one religion, but I can say that I do like many of the beliefs that many religions present, but I am sad to say that I also have many negative views on religions as wells.  First I will start with the good aspect of religion which I actually really enjoy is that it gives people something to believe in.  Religion is a sense of hope for anything, it always gives people something to believe in and to use in a positive aspect, I mean let's face it, everyone needs something to believe in.  For example when all hope is lost people can always turn to their religion for a sense of hope and light so really do love the support system that it supplies people with.  Another positive aspect of religion that I really like is that it brings people together, it gives people a common ground to stand on and something to pull communities closer together.  Religion just has so many positive points that can bring so many different people together and closer as human beings.  I feel that religion has so many positive things that can bring people together, the overall ideas of religion are actually very positive and enlightening.

But I am sad to say that I also have some point of views on religion that are not so positive.  I do not really like the fact on how controlling religions can be, I mean ya they give people ideas on good beliefs, but I feel like they try to control people way too much.  Religions should be helping people live their lives, not controlling them, they do guide people in the right direction sometimes, but they can be a bit forceful.  Honestly just from my prospective is that religions just try to be in power of people way too much, but that's just me.

Overall religions will have its pros and cons like anything in life and this chapter has presented me with various different backgrounds and ways that you can look at them, but I am still entitled to my opinion.

Ch 23.

As I began reading chapter 23 "Independence and development in the global south" I really started to become interested more and more in the chapter because it would talk about hoe these small countries had to stand up for themselves to gain independence from bigger countries.  Which I have a lot of respect for them because it is so hard for anyone or thing to stand up to something that is bigger and more powerful than you.  For example South Africa in early history has always been controlled or at least taken advantage of most of their entire life.  Europe the big bad wolf in the history of Africa was constantly taking advantage of Africa and it's people, it took Africa's first modern nationalist hero, Kwame Nkrumah from Ghana to instill some hope and sense of independence in the people of Africa.  Kwame Nkrumah had a famous quote which many people still remember today "Seek ye first the political kingdom and all these other things will be added unto you".  Many of the African people wondered if this would actually bring about the other goods that they needed from making themselves their own political kingdom, but I feel that his quote was not meant to be taken literally.  I feel that he wanted the people to be independent and finally free from outside influence, he wanted them to just be Africa, and run how the people felt they should run. What I am trying to say is Kwame Nkrumah was just trying to get the people's mind set to were they felt that they didn't need anyone else to tell them what to do, the people of Africa were smart enough to do what they felt was good for their country.
This chapter was really inspirational because it showed that finally all of the little countries that have been taken advantage of and bossed around are finally standing up for themselves.  Which I feel is one of the most important things that I have read in this book, because it goes to show how all of these countries fought and gained their independence.  From India, Africa, and parts of Asia gaining their independence from Europe all the way to America fending off the British to stay as their own individual head power, with no other outer influences.  I really liked this chapter and all of the inspiration that it has instilled in many readers and in past history.  

the beginning of my RA2

Nicholas Chang

            The affects that hardships and wars bring to countries and people are never forgotten, they linger for sometime.  In many cases they are remembered forever in history, it may not be written down on actual documentations but the tragedies that they brought will always be pasted down from generation to generation.  The Atlantic revolution was a big thing, and its stories still echoes on in the minds and thoughts of people still today.  Looking at the now recent North African and the Arabian Peninsula rebellions, this will definitely be herd throughout history, maybe not as big a major event as a world war, but surly as people taking a stand.  Those types of things are never forgotten because not maybe people stand up fot what they believe in.