HR Lecture 3/14 - Political Philosophy (2) & Landmark Documents and the Struggle to Safeguard Human Rights

Today we had an "extra" class as a makeup for two sessions lost due to extreme weather. It was not mandatory, but if you don't have these notes, you ARE behind. Luckily, Aaron is to the rescue!

I also made audio recordings of the lecture. I cannot guarantee the quality, and I would warn against listening via headphones since there may be many sudden loud noises (coughs, bangs, etc) that override the voices.

These are .wav files you will have to download via Google Documents.
Part 1 of 2 (1:30-3pm)
Part 2 of 2 (3-4pm)


The rest of my notes are coming soon!


a time of shame and sorrow
Robert Kennedy speech after MLK's death

"violence of institutions"




Hegel
The Philosophy of Right

Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre
promoted terrorism

Chinese Exclusion Act
1882
US - restricted free immigration to the US from Chinese
Chinese employed in mining,

instead of lasting only 10 years it went on for almost 61
piece of Federal legislation, affected all of the US but had a lot to do with the California gold rush
----



America obtained the Phillipines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam

Open Door Notes of 1898/1900


Boer War in South Africa
British were the first to set up and use concentration camps

Extra:: A link. This is the music video to a highly controversial Afrikaner song, celebrating one of the heroic figures of the Second Boer War. I'm sharing it just to give you a visual, as it contains images of Boer families in concentration camps.

Boxer Rebellion and America's relationship to China

British involved in Asia, South Africa, threatened with a war with America when Britain threatened to intervene in a boundary dispute with Venezuela

America came to the Phillipines as occupiers
stayed 15 years
Vietnam-like scenario
strong anti-war movement
horrific human rights atrocities committed in the Philipines, both ways
Filipinos "our little brown brothers"


The White Man's Burden

white Christian west must come to elevate the "heathen" world


1924
Racial Integrity act
banned interracial marriage
sexual sterilization
America didn't have a national identity card
Native people exempt from the Racial Integrity act if you are less than 1/16th
first passed in Virginia, immediately copied by many states, almost all in the south


Hitler
born in Austria, 1889, died
Veteran of WWI
temporarily blinded by gas attacks
after WWI returned to a Germany highly polarized between political left and fright
1917 Bolshevik Revolution
many on the right disdained democracy

1923 Hitler led a failed attempt to overthrow the Bavarian gov't in Munich, failed, Hitler went to prison, dictated his book "Mein Kampf"


Mein Kampf came out in 1925
Hitler released from prison shortly thereafter, ban against him speaking in public was lifted, resumed his leadership of the National Socialist German Workers party (Nazis)

Central theme of the book was Aryan race (Germans) idealized by blonde hair, blue eyes, race was at the center of all struggle and life. Aryans to be the master race, all other inferior, including but not limited to Jews and Slavs. Jews are seen as a race as a threat to the Aryans for ultimate world supremacy, had to be eliminated.

Hitler's book was not very widely read; became more so after he came to power. (Too little, too late?)

**Race at the center for the ideal for the Nazis.

During this era, all over the planet, many countries in the developed west passed laws and policies that fostered removing groups of people from the protection of the law, making them vulnerable to attack in the name of the law.

general framework for this time period: 1860-1945 (but NOT limited to this period)

Articles [15]

Unitarians turn tragedy into lesson in tolerance
Posted: 11 Feb 2011
Source: Fox News
Tags: gay rights, religion, good news, children,

Transgender Rights Not Simply Gay Rights
Posted: 10 Feb 2011
Source: Pambazuka News
Tags: transgender rights, gay rights, misappropriation, Africa

Jamaica's gays finding refuge by applying for U.S. asylum
Posted: 11 Feb 2011
Source: Washington Post
Tags: asylum, Jamaica, Caribbean, US, gay rights, violence, immigration

Articles [14]

Transgendered-rights bill headed for defeat in Tory-held Senate
Posted: 10 Feb 2011
Source: The Globe & Mail
Tags: Canada, transgender, work discrimination, gender expression

Sky News Uncovers Egypt Torture Claims
Posted: 9 Feb 2011
Source: Sky News
Tags: Egypt, torture

Update and a link

I was in a wreck on Monday and haven't really felt up to doing much homework lately, unfortunately that meant renigging on news articles as well... I'll catch up soon though.

In the meantime, a blog post, not too out of date:
http://goddesschess.blogspot.com/2010/09/catamites-of-afghanistan.html

Articles [13]

Rights groups vow to hunt Bush over torture
Posted: 8 February 2011
Source: Daily Nation (Kenya)
Tags: Africa, Kenya


Put Mubarak on trial for human rights violations'
Posted: 8 Feb 2011
Source: SiFy Indian News
Tags: Amnesty International, Mubarak, Egypt, Germany, medical rights, torture


Suu Kyi party calls for talks with West
Posted: 8 Feb 2011
Source: News.com.au (News Limited - Australia)
Tags: Australia, Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi, house arrest, wrongful imprisonment, Asia,

Film: Dishonored

watched in class: Gender Violence

Film: Beneath the Veil

Afghanistan, Taliban

RAWA

Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan

highly political, left wing, Afghan feminists

fight for Human Rights where women are "forced under the veil"

Note: many of the women are wearing veils - is this out of necessity - if they do not they will incite violence or legal action against them, or because they choose to, out of retained modesty, Islamic pride even?

Hidden cameras are the most powerful weapon against

Deliberate destitution of women.

sport stadiums turned into execution grounds

adultery, murder, prostitution, homosexuality

RAWA risk their lives to bring back these images

nail painting, kite flying, going to the cinema, all forbidden women in Afghanistan and part of the system which keep them invisible

Ministry of Vice and Virtue; black and white turbans
can condemn anything they consider "un-Islamic"

terror/terrifying

One must remember while watching that this film made it home and is being watched via DVD, so the journalists DO make it home safe!

Kabul is a wasteland. A city without buildings or joy. "Other priorities"

even music is banned

anyone who speaks against the Taliban is suspect

what does it mean to "escape the hospitality"?

The Football Stadium - a symbol of oppression

women shot in the "penalty area" and men hung from the goalpost

public execution ground

ironically, as a foreigner she has protection, as an "Afghani woman" she has none

a woman feds moldy bread, "animal feed" to seven children

women not only deprived of work, but basic things like medical care

a larger percentage of women die in childbirth in Afghanistan than anywhere else in the world

1/4 children die before their fifth birthday

when half of society is shut down, more than half of the people die

no women doctors means inferior care, for women and everyone

Taxi drivers = Taliban spies

a class for girls is the riskiest activity

secret beauty parlour - painted faces that will never be seen could get women arrested

makeup as a form of resistance?!?!?

hospital devastated

--

multi-ethnic resistance

unreported atrocities

"veiled in sorrow"

crying for weeks

what does it mean to be bound with one's own turban?

"blood is very strong"

white flags mark the graves of Taliban victims

killed not because of political opposition, unarmed, but because of ethnic identity

Taliban claim to be bringing peace and uniting the country

When merely surviving is a great achievement.