Session 6 - Clay Dube, 10/13 afternoon

[Kathryn Sutherland]

Pollution (and the lack of awareness or general lack of social responsibility with regards to polluting) is what made the United States and European countries powerful.  For most of history beyond the industrial revolution, more pollution meant more power, and there were no consequences.  So why should developed countries get to reap the benefits, and then wag their fingers at countries who were late to the industrialization game? 

I don't have an answer for this. As someone who cares about the environment, I want for other countries to just be better than the US, but I get the argument against it: "Indeed, Britain, the United States and Japan polluted their way to prosperity and worried about environmental damage only after their economies mature and their urban middle classes demanded blue skies and safe drinking water." (New York Times article) So why can't China? Plus, most of the things being made that are causing all this pollution are for the west!  

I liken this problem (in a very basic, low-risk, elementary way) to one I see everyday in kindergarten.  "Please pick up that piece of trash by your feet," I'll say to a student.  "But it isn't mine! I threw mine away already, and why should I have to pick up someone elses mess and not even get to make a mess myself?" is what I imagine the kid is saying with the look that they give me as they reluctantly pick up the trash.  They know if they don't pick it up, they'll have to live with the trash.  And is that worth it?  

The US made a mess for many, many years, and didn't pick it up.  The only difference is now we have the technology and prosperity to not make so many messes, and we have the pressing need for everyone to help us not just clean it up, but to not add to the mess.  The longer we wait to clean up our manufacturing as a global community, the more dire the consequences for the global environment, for the animal kingdom, and for the human race. I hope that China and India can be global leaders in clean energy, like my students who pick up extra trash because they want their classroom to be a clean, comfortable environment (I'm not kidding, I really do have kids that like to clean up extra stuff even if it isn't theirs!  The future looks bright, guys!)  

[Ingrid Herskind]

The Chinese Cultural Revolution propaganda cards made me think about how I could tie these posters to moments in United States history.The first thing that came to mind was the movement during the New Deal, led by the Works Progress Administration, to motivate Americans to support the government.

This first image promotes the ideas of the WPA by mobilizing farmers to continue to work for America. I like this image as it shows that agriculture as well as industry is important for the New Deal. It would be fun to use some of the Chinese posters that reflect the cultivation of crops in the countryside as a comparison.

This second image promotes the humanities--art, literature, and music. This part of the WPA is one of my favorite parts because it represents the thoughts that supporting the arts was just as important as support agriculture and industry. I've always loved these posters and am thinking about ways that we could compare the propaganda from the New Deal of the 1930s and 1940s with the propaganda of the Cultural Revolution in China. I wonder if we could find Chinese posters reflecting the goals to support the arts. I think my students would really like doing a comparison project with these images. Moreover, we could also tie in some of the images from WWII (troop mobilization and rationing).

[Mario Galindo]

Couldn't make the Saturday Sessions so this is based on solely reading and viewing without the help of the morning and afternoon lectures so here goes. . .

In Orwells 1984 Prolefeed is the version of the news that is manufactered to keep the proleteriat mind on orthodoxy. The article on how Chairman Mao mysticly cured the ailing peasant class martyr is just that.

From saying to saying the woman is saved from the bourgeois medical establishment that denied her medical care for years. Is it because I am reading this 50 years in the future that this seems so contrived and laughable? Or is this solely progaganda to cheer on the already converted masses?

Also, as I watched the thousands of Middle and High School students marching in the short videos and read excerpts from speeches on revolution I could not find specifics or details of what they were changing? All I read was slogan after slogan. Out with the old and in with the new! Imperialism was bad! Afro Americans in the US are second hand citizens because of capitalism! 

Again, is this the point?

[Kim Leng]

Everyone looks so happy in the "Learn from ZaDhai" poster.  They are sitting on what appears to be a bountiful harvest.  Is ZaDhai a province that makes straw hats?  This province seems to set a great example for production. The people are well dressed and groomed.  I wonder if they are expecting someone or maybe they are enjoying a show?  I see a picnic basket and there's a river behind them.  Maybe the message is that ZaDhai does so well in their production that the people have time to dress up and have a picnic?

In the other poster I see the phrase "Open mind to develop education." The man in a white shirt seems to be the teacher.  The students are gathered around them.  A girl is taking notes.  Maybe the message is that the value of education starts with the youth of the country?

 

 

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[Reynaldo Mangabat]

The picture encourages everybody to join the revolutuon that will liberate the society from the prevailing oppressive feudal system. Mao called for all workingmen of the world to unite, because they have notheing to lose but their chain. The sacrifice and the struggle will all be worth it because then and only then they can be truly liberated from the chains of poverty and exploitation. The picture did not only invite everybody in China's society to join the revolution but to be on guard even after the the revolution and continue to read the works of Mao in their entire life. THis will guarantee and sustain the success of the revolultion.

 

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[Lindsay Reiss]

This card shows chairman Mao and states "Closely follow great chairman Mao, courageously go ahead!" This card is also the Joker and is not used in card games. It makes sense to me that Mao would be represented on this card because he was such a powerful figure that he should be set aside and not be with all the other "lesser" cards. This card also calls on people to act courageously.

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[Lindsay Reiss]

This card says "Hooray to great Chairman Mao." Again, this is another card highlighting Chairman Mao. It is made clear that celebrating Chairman Mao is a is great and someone to be celebrated. The art displays what seems to be a parade celebrating Mao and all the participants are smiling and appear to be having a good time.

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[Gisela Gaona]

The charts you shared with us are astonishing. I am wondering why there was a huge peak in deaths in China in the year 2005? I wonder what China did during that year to increase their pollution which led to the deaths of so many Chinese citizens? 
However, on a brighter note, I do know that China is now the world leader is developing technology and implementing clean energy sources. I found an article written on Forbes, that reinforces what I previously stated. Interestingly however, the article stated that China is moving towards green energy for economic purposes. This makes sense as many times public policy IS moved by economic incentive. 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jillbaker/2017/10/17/china-gets-that-going-green-is-a-win-for-job-creation-why-doesnt-trump/#1a5a1313252a

[Sophia Kang]

In Card #5, there is a man who I believe to be a part of the Red Guard extending his arms with confidence to the future. There are several other workers in the background singing as well. The caption reads "Successfully march with singing the revolutionary song." Meanwhile, there seems to be factories in the background. This card portrays their robust confidence in their work. I might use this in direct contrast to a poem that I discuss with my students in class by Walt Whitman titled "I Hear America Singing." Both leave out the injustices of these times. 

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[Sophia Kang]

The caption for this card says, "Earthquake is not terrible. Chinese people are able to defeat disaster." In the foreground is a muscular miner while in the background are nurses and farmers. In art, diagonal lines are often used to portray movement. The lines of this foreground worker project the confidence of these workers in the Cultural Revolution. 

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[Sophia Kang]

What intrigues me about these readings and videos is the tactics and promises that Mao Zedong put forward to convince the Red Guards. As we watch the videos, I would like to ask my students what they thought made the Cultural Revolution gain momentum. What particular audience was at the focus and what promises were made? For example, one of the videos mention that middle schoolers thought of going to the rural countryside as a picnic. How do generations of feudalism backfire in China? Also, the Economist article about China would be interesting for my students to analyze and compare with US divorce rates and the effects of modernism on families. 

[Ingrid Herskind]

I wanted to share a link with you all from the most recent New York Times special report "China Rules." (November 25th, 2018)  I saw the first part of this fabulous article last Sunday, but was excited to buy the print copy of the full report today. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/25/world/asia/china-rules.html

The article is broken into 5 parts: 

1. The Land that Failed to Fail
2. How to Control Your Citizens
3. What's China Doing There? And There?
4. China's Economy Became No. 2 by Defying No. 1
5. The Road to Confrontation

I've really enjoyed reading this report and the images are striking. (I'm a bit biased...many of the photos where taken by a former student of mine who works for the NYT as a photographer- Bryan Denton) I would recommend this to everyone. I'm using it in my International Relations class this week as we close out the semester.

[Ingrid Herskind]

So much of our understanding of other places and cultures can be boiled down (no pun intended) to the sharing of food.  I think experiencing food from other countries and sharing our love for our favorite dishes can bring people together. The National Constortium for Teaching about Asia had a link to this fabulous story about "China in 50 Dishes". The article states that "to declare a love of Chinese food is a bit like remarking you enjoy European cuisine. What does the latter mean? It encompasses the pickle and rye diet of Scandinavia, the sauce-driven indulgences of French cuisine, the pastas of Italy, the pork heavy dishes of Bavaria as well as Irish stew and Spanish paella. Chinese cuisine is every bit as diverse as the list above." I'm taking a group of 18 students to China in June of next year and am so excited to experience the varied cuisines that the nation has to offer. According to the article, Chinese food experts have identified four main schools of Chinese cooking termed the Four “Great” Cuisines of China. They are delineated by geographic location and consist of Shandong cuisine from the north, Sichuan cuisine from the western region, Huaiyang cuisine to represent China’s eastern coast, and Cantonese cuisine to represent the south. I was planning on introducing the different regions of our adventure with these unique and flavorful cuisines. The best part of living in Los Angeles, especially living near the San Gabriel Valley, is its access to wonderful food from all over the world.

https://www.weekinchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/China-in-50-Dishes.pdf

deeat

[Lin Kuang]

When I looked the card titled " Performing late-marry and family planning for doing revolution", I remebered my parents. I knew mom and dad never met each other before they got married. My dad was serving in the army, and one of his friends introduced my mom to him. He met my beautiful mom and immediately married her and continued serve in the army as police officer. They kept writing letters to each other till my mom had my sister, their first baby. Because of my dad's contrbution, they arranged my dad and mom's reunion by assigning him a position near my homwtown, where he could take care of his family, but they planned to have no more children till they had me and my brother. They had serious talk, then my mom went to the hopsital and did surgery so that they would not have any more babies becasue my dad was a communist party member, and he later became the director. From Chinese govenment, he was honored a great member who contributed and dedicated for his entire life to the belief he held. He was loyal member, a great man to the Chinese party member as he was recognized by the Mayor at his funeral in 2006.

[Lin Kuang]

" Seek Truth from the Facts" is a scientic approach theoricall promoted by different leaders in China in different eras and made different impacts on Chinese devolopment. In 1940s, when Mao Zedong mentioned " Seek truth from the facts", he intentionally to try to liberate people from the landlords, and local gentry to a people's rebuplic of China. As he mentioned "The only yardstick of truth is the revolutionary practice of millions of people. This, I think, can be regarded as the attitude of Chinese Culture." WHen Deng Xiaoping mention " Seek truth from the facts", he used the theory to guide people to gather facts from their practice to develop economy. HE encouraed Chinese to learn from others, from experts from other countries to help ourselves to eb developed. He actually led Chinese to seek the suitable methods for changes economically. Ether Ma Zedong or Deng Xiaoping, they used the " seek from the truth' for different purposes and outcomes, it turned out this is guiding theory for us.Both os them proved their practice using the doctrine to liberate china and move China all the way to the world leading  country.

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