Week Five - Chapters 11, 12, & 13

I was surprised by the level of significance the Mongols played during the sixteenth century.   Surprised in the sense that they were a formidable military power that I had not heard about in previous history classes.  As if the conquering and massacre of other cultures was not enough the Mongols were also responsible for bringing the plague to Europe and Asia.

Upon the Mongols invasion of China, simply talking over was not sufficient.  When trying to decide what to do with their latest acquisition one of the ideas was to decimate the entire population and turn the land into one big pasture for their livestock.  Instead, the Mongols made  use of the Chinese technology in place and also inserted themselves into Chinese history by creating their own dynastic titles.  

In Persia, the Mongols continued their blood thirsty quest for power and property.  Villages were plundered over and over and  Persian agriculture was destroyed.  Some of the Mongols subsequently interjected themselves in the Persian way of life by settling down, getting married and farming.

Onward to Russia, where in keeping with their traditions the Mongols plundered Russia and its people far worse than they had with the Chinese and Persians.  The Mongols had no desire to actually occupy Russia so in their absence the  Mongols “exploited” the Russians financially.  They were able to maintain this arrangement simply with the mere threat of returning if they demands were not met.

The Mongols produced nothing and they weren’t active traders even through they were nomads.  They individual culture was cultivated from brutal force and theft.

Week Four - Chapters 8, 9, & 10

The establishment of trade routes in the region surrounding the Indian Ocean allowed not only goods to be exchanged but also ideas.   The Silk Road, the Sea Roads, Sand Road were the three main avenues of trade 2000 years ago.

The Silk Road connected the eastern edge of China all the way to the westernmost edge of Arabia.  While obviously silk was traded along the route, the Silk Road allowed Buddhism and Christianity were also able to utilize the trade route to continue to express their ideas.

Silk became synonymous with wealth and power in central Asia silk and was used as currency.  The technology used to produce silk was initially only found in China however Persians, Indians, and others subsequently gained their own silk manufacturing methods.  Other items that were traded along the Silk Road include spices, previous stones, and gun powder.

The Sea Road paralleled the Silk Road and allowed the use of boats to transports large quantities of items.  One of the major unintended consequences of the good that were brought by ship included the bubonic plague.  With boats going from port to port, the Black Death as the plague came to be known, wiped out one third of the population of Europe in just four years.

The Sand Roads traveled predominately in the northwester portion of the Sahara.  Gold was the main commodity that was transported via camel and exchanged.  Slavery also begin to emerge at this time and those who weren't put to work in Africa were sold in Europe.

Week Nine - Chapters 24

In a sociology class I took recently, I had the opportunity to read two articles “McDonalization of Society” by George Ritzer and “Over the Counter” by Robin Leidner.    Both articles placed a spotlight on the enormous role the McDonald’s corporation has and continues to play in the development of cultures globally.  As McDonald's expands its empire into developing countries it brings with it American values and ethics.  This phenomenon is clearly evident using the map on page 732.With the exception of Antarctica, there is currently a McDonald’s restaurant on every major continent of the globe.

What McDonald’s brings with its restaurants is American standardization.  Every restaurant serves the same base menu the in the same manner throughout the globe.  This ensures that a customer from Shanghai, China can walk in the door of the McDonald's in Menlo Park knowing that his favorite hamburger is going to taste and look the exact same as the one he orders back home.

Additionally, with the food standardization comes a work standardization that is akin to the work distribution that began during the industrial revolution.  Take one job and divide it into ten mindless, simple tasks.  The process of making a hamburger now involves three separate machines with timers and the distribution of a specifically measured amount of condiments and produce.

Finally, the daily work of the line employees of McDonald’s is strictly measured and regulated.  They are unable to deal with concerns raised by customers and they are taught never to deviate from the approved process.  Even their interactions with customers has been regulated to a standardized script offering to “super size” or an apple pie with each order.

According to Fast Food Nation, McDonald’s 150% turnover rate requires them to hire and train 1 million workers annually in the US.  McDonald’s has approximately 761,000 employees worldwide.  That means this year 1.7 million people globally have been indoctrinated with the belief that the work they do at McDonald’s is the way work is done in the real world.  No thought, no skill, simply follow the script without deviation and you will be rewarded.

Week Eight - Chapters 21, 22, & 23

Chapter 21 was probably the most interesting chapter in the text because it began to detail a period of time that I am familiar with.  The first World War between the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente began with a single incident on June 28, 1914 and ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.  Germany was forced to give up its “colonial empire” and a large chunk of its land in Europe in addition to large monetary penalties.

The United States emerged from the war as the newest global super power both militarily and financially.  The enormous costs of the war effort lessened the ability of once flourishing countries to purchase imported goods.  This had an obvious impact on the originating country and the county purchasing the exporting the goods.  Countries whose whole economy was based on the export of one commodity became devastated by the lack of demand.  This effect rippled globally which contributed to the Great Depression.  Despite Roosevelt’s New Deal nothing worked better to end the Great Depression than the spending required towards the buildup for World War Two.

The results of the Great War on Germany and Italy left its citizens disillusioned and spiteful against the U.S. and the other nations of Europe.  Hitler and Mussolini were able to unite these sheep under the guise of regaining their once prominent status in Europe.  Hitler and the Nazis began a crusade to reclaim lands that once belonged to Germany prior to World War One in addition to other countries surrounding Europe.  In an effort to appease Hitler some geographic areas were simply handed over and the United States turned a blind eye to what was going on.

Japan was on similar path in Asia and subsequently allied with Germany.  Due to Japan’s actions, the United States initiated an oil embargo after talks to end the American interference in Japan’s aggressiveness in the region failed.  Believing that Japanese interests would not be heeded by the Americans, the Japanese launched an attack on Pearl Harbor.  This unprovoked act of aggression led to the United States officially entering World War Two.  The effects of the war destroyed numerous European countries and an estimated 60 million people died.  After launching two nuclear bombs on Japan and assisting with the decimation of the Nazi empire, the United States subsequently emerged as a global superpower.

While South Africa had been an independent nation since1920, their country’s government was completely controlled by a minority of white inhabitants.  Despite this control, the remaining 80% percent of the populations were a workforce that managed to build a stable infrastructure.  As time progressed the working class began to desire more freedoms and to experience the fruits of their own labor.

In the 1912 the African Nation Congress (ANC) was established in an effort to become equals in the eyes of the government.  After 40 years of peaceful demonstrations had done nothing to help further their cause, they turned to civil disobedience.  The result was the outlawing of the ANC as an organization and the jailing of several leaders including Nelson Mandela.  The attempt at exterminating the quest for equality coupled with the effort to prevent an all-out civil war created a catalyst for transition to a true African government in the 1990’s.