The World's Newest Dictator

The leader, Kim Jong Il, of NK died and his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, assumed leadership a few days after his father's death.  Some people question if Kim Jong Un will be an effective leader because he has limited experience.  NK has been going through periods of starvation because of droughts and floods causing crop failure.  In additon to the floods and droughts, NK life is difficult.  There are few cars on the roads. TV, radio and internet are controlled by the government.  Electricity is cut off at night.  NK is cut off from the outside world which leaves the people with limited freedom and they are controlled by the communist government.  The government propaganda is everywhere, even in private homes through radio broadcast.

Kim Jong Un assumed control when his older brothers were either uninterested or incapable.  Since KJU took power, he has " made several hostile moves towards South Korea" including sinking a warship. Many people believe this is to show that he has power.    It looks like there is a smooth transfer of power but outside observers think that there might be a struggle for power behind the scenes.  The transition has left NK unstable and struggling.  The country is in a time of change and uncertainty with an untested new leader.

This new leader is going to lead NK into dangerous territory.  People are not agreeing with the government, rebellion might break out.  I feel people are going to get tired of how their government deals with flooding, drought, and isolation from the outside world.  I feel nervous for our safety because of the attacks on SK and the NK nuclear program.    I think KJU seems like an unintelligent leader who could take out his aggression using the military.  Although he is leader, he may not be prepared to deal with the issues his country faces.  I'm worried for the NK people because they do not have a say with their health care and if things are going in country the way they are going now there will be many more deaths.  Maybe it is time for a new family to assume leadership.  

Smith, Patricia. "The World's Newest Dictator."  UPFRONT.   New York Times.  Vol. 144 No. 9.  January 30, 2012.

Palestinian Statehood: Yes or No

Based on the readings you have done, the videos you have watched and the presentations you heard from your classmates, discuss on your own blog the feasibility of Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace.  Should the Palestinians have statehood?  What are the advantages / disadvantages of statehood for both Palestinians and Israelis.
Support with images, maps etc.  

Ancient Near East Art Project

Close your eyes and pretend that you are on an archaeological dig.  Rather than the arduous task of digging through 6000 years of sediment and being smothered by sand storms, technology has allowed you to have the world at your fingertips.  Ah, you think, cultural diffusion!

You are to create a blog post about your finds that explains to your archaeologist colleagues around the world what fascinating discoveries your team has made.  Explore two or more websites and look at the ancient Middle East and find one artifact from Mesopotamia (could be any city state in Mesopotamia) and one artifact from ancient Persia (Iran). 

Choose two different objects and upload those images to your page.  They should date anywhere between 5000 – 500 BCE. 

On your page give a written description of the object and explain to your colleagues what the object was used for.  The information you provide on your webpage should address the following questions.  

1.      what is the object made of?

2.      what designs are on the object? 

3.      who might have used the object and why?

4.      for what purpose might the object have been used?

5.      what is the size of the object?

6.      how does the geography of the region reflect in the artifact?

7.      was the object designed for functional use (household) or was it more decorative?

8.      do you notice any differences between Iran and Mesopotamia?

The following web sites will get you started.

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections?ft=Mesopotamia

http://www.louvre.fr/llv/musee/visite_virtuelle_dept.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474395181111&CURRENT_LLV_DEP%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474395181111&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath=1408474395181111&bmLocale=en

http://www.bmimages.com/index.asp   (search Ancient Near East, Mesopotamia and Persepolis (Iran))

You can also google images of Ancient Near East, Mesopotamia, Ancient Iran, Persepolis etc.  

Your page should be completed by October 3.

Welcome

Hello 8 Post World Cultures students,
We are going to keep a class and individual blogs this year.
We'll get it started in class. You'll be keeping current events items, research, thoughts, etc. about the topic we are discussing.
We'll begin with something about you. How do you define yourself? What is your culture?
Looking forward to this blog growing over the course of the year,
Mrs. Post