BLOG 8

Saturday, July 7, 2012

BLOG 8

Blog 8 CHAPTERS 21-24

In the nineteenth century gave the opportunity for communist groups to develop. Communist movements came to China and the Soviet Union and also Eastern Europe during the World War II. These socialist ideas were inspired by the teachings of Karl Marx. This socialist mentality came to the conclusion through democratic process that they could achieve peace. The Marxist ideas, was the search for equality and collective living for its entire people. To achieve equality for all it was to dismantle private property and business. According to Strayer, “at communism’s high point in the 1970’s almost on-third of the world’s population lived in societies governed by communist regimes” (p. 660) These communist regimes embraced socialist modernity. They attacked social and gender inequalities, as well as encouraging of, “cultural values of selfness and collectivism that could support a socialist society” (p. 668). This Marxist ideology encouraged the higher officials to lead by example. They carried themselves as disciples and selfless, and loyal to they’re country. The main focus of socialism was that all that pertain to the function of the country had to be approved by government. The state controlled almost the entire economy, politics, education and the media. All large organizations such as for women, workers, students were also under the party’s control and none had independence from government. Communist Feminism gave rise to one of the most revolutionary movements. The main purpose was to mobilize women and implement women’s liberation. “In 1919, the party set up a special organization called Zhenotdel (Women’s Department)” (p.669). This organization was led by women and dealt with issues that pertain to women only. They trained women with job skills, prenatal classes, they publish their own newspapers, magazines and encourage Muslim woman to remove their veil which caused a strong opposition from Muslim man.

Economic globalization has generated inequalities at all across the board. In the United States, the division between manufacturing companies and the cost for labor shed millions of manufacturing jobs by sending them overseas for cheap labor. That cause and increase unemployment of unskilled Americans. Most of these manufacturing jobs went to Asia, or Latin America. Even some skilled computer programing jobs were moved to India, Russia and Ireland. That caused a definitely increase on the number of unemployed Americans. New political movements developed to show the disapproval and criticizing globalization. Global justice movements emerged in 1990s such as an international coalition of political activists, concerned scholars as and students, trade unions, women’s and religious organizations, environmental groups. Many people opposed to this kind of globalization and resisted to the American power and influence.

Globalization of Liberation was an powerful idea. “Communist promised workers and peasants liberation from capitalist oppression, Nationalism offered subject peoples liberation from imperialism and advocates of democracy sough liberation from authoritarian governments” (p. 734). Within the United States, the civil rights demands of African Americans and Hispanic American and as well as a constant disapproval of the Vietnam War set the country for protests by students, and middle-class people supporting. People in general were horrified to all of the injustice and police brutality that was being exposed by the media.