Six words

Who's going to pay this debt?

Apples to apples

The article I read talked about the US's secret involvement in Pakistan, and how we are training militants how to hunt down suspected terrorists. I was not surprised at all by this article considering that the US has intervened in foreign countries much worse in the past. For example, we have been training Latin Americans for the last 50 years to fight any government or political party that the US did not approve of. In the 1960s we supported and funded the overthrow of the democratically elected government in El Salvidor. In the 1980s we orchestrated the overthrow of Nicaragua's socialist government that was liked by the people. In the process, we trained the contras that committed several human rights violations and massacres of innocent Nicaraguans. Also we orchestrated the unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion in the 1960s.
Forcing revolutions and meddling in foreign countries who do not want it is unacceptable when both America and Che do it. If the people of a country want a revolution or a new government, let it come from that country, not an outside source.

Argentina

Ernesto’s voice was very laid back, honest, and matter-of-a-fact. His voice had slight humbleness to it as well, as he confessed in the very first sentence that he was no hero. His whole mentality was youthful and optimistic towards his journey. He was very eager to leave medical school and exams, and travel on the open road. One thing that I did not like about the voice of the writing was its “choppiness.” He did not always elaborate, or even finish talking about one thing before stopping and moving to the next. Also, he mentioned many seemingly insignificant events without mentioning if they had any relevance or importance. This choppiness made the first section a little difficult to get through.

Hemingway Poem

“For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn.” -Ernest Hemingway
I believe that this poem is referring to a couple having to sell baby stuff because they were expecting to have a baby but there was a miscarriage. Now they do not have a baby, but they do have baby stuff to remind them of what could have been, so they must sell it all. It is a short but depressing poem.

Essential Question

By the time I get old, I would like to have become extremely wise. I see the next few years in my life becoming a quest for knowledge and understanding. Besides that, I have no certain plan for my life, nor have I outlined a specific set of goals like becoming rich or something of the sort. Along my way through life, I will try to help people around me however I can. I hope to stand up for those who can not stand up for themselves, and be part in creating a society where everyone is represented and looked after.

TMD intro

There is nothing more lonelier than an adventure, but it is a good kind of loneliness. You become free of social restrictions, boundaries, and worries and are free to do whatever you want. You set your own objective and can carry it out any way necessary. You can see and interpret things your own way, free from the input of others. You are free to truly be yourself. But like everything else, an adventure must end sometime.

Ideology

There are many beliefs that I would go to great lengths to defend. One of the important ones is the freedoms given by the First Amendment in our Constitution. I do not believe that anyone should be jailed or persecuted because of their thought, beliefs, or religion. If I ever saw an unjust abuse of power violating these rights, I would call it out and defend the victim. I would probably not give my life to protect these freedoms. If the government somehow ever became fascist in the future and seriously violated the First Amendment, I would join protests, knowing the consequences of this action.

"El Che"

I enjoyed the movie about Che Guevara. It really contradicted the Che that Glenn Beck described. Before the movie, I had some background knowledge about Che and his association with Fidel Castro, but I had no idea about the odds their guerrilla group had to overcome. The movie pictured the revolution to be a glorious one of the people, so it makes me wonder if America's negative perception of Cuba today is just because of its political ideology.

Das Capital meets Easy Rider

From the quote Das Capital meets Easy Rider, you can get a pretty good idea of what TMD is all about. Das Capital talks about the exploitation of workers in a capitalist economy. Easy Rider is all about a motorcycle adventure between two men who discover a lot about themselves and society. When I mixed the two together, I came up with this prediction: Ernesto and a friend go out on a motorcycle adventure and come across the indigenous people where they see how they are exploited and realize the lack of morals involved with capitalism.

TMD Bio & Intro post

I am sure that I have read a plenty of memoirs, but do not remember them all. One that I recently read was "Night." When I read the book, I felt a connection to the author, and was hoping that he would get out alive the whole time I was reading. If I like TMD, I am sure that I will also connect to Ernesto and develop a new perspective on him.

TMD preface comparison

Both the "Great Gatsby" and "Invisible Man" gave the reader an excellent view on what times were like when the authors wrote their books. They depicted the social atmosphere and mentality of their respective eras. The greed, the lavishness, and the extravagance of 1920s New York was displayed in Fitzgerald's novel. Gatsby's parties, and Tom's relationship with his wife and his mistress illustrated the fakeness at the time. Ellison's novel depicted the racial injustices in the the 1950s both in the big cities and the South.

Epiphany

An Epiphany is a realization of something that can be potentially life changing. An epiphany can cause a person to completely change his/her goals and lifestyle.

Glenn Beck's perspective of Che

In his show, Glenn Beck gave a bias, negative, and sarcastic description of Che Guevara. He compared him with Hitler and Stalin, history's most evil men. He called everyone who supported him either a communist or an idiot. He wonders how anyone can possible idealize, or even admire a man like Che Guevara who stands for everything evil and communist.
One must think that something must have been great about Che for him to be admired so much. He is loved because he was a revolutionary who helped overthrow the oppressive regime of Fulgencio Batista, the American supported dictator who was hated in Cuba. He helped lead a revolution for the people against a puppet government that Batista ruled from his luxurious estate in Florida. Americans in power like Glenn Beck hate Che because he went against the will that America tried to impose on others.