I read the book A Year Without "Made ...

                                                                                                                                                                         October 20, 2008

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A Year Without "Made In China"

 

 

      I read the book A Year Without "Made In China" by Sara Bongiorni. The major theme that kept coming up is that America is really dependent on China. But it is not just Americans it is everyone. We depend on China too much and they are becoming manufacturing capital of the world. This theme just shows that America was once independent but as time goes on we have become more and more dependent. Sara Bongiorni basically showed us that it is hard to live normally and not buy stuff from China. It shows our level of dependence on China and how hard it would be if America stopped buying things from China.

       America has become so dependent on China that if we were not able to buy things from China, it would be hard because so much of what we use is Made In China. One example from this book is when Kevin wants to make Wes a toy car he realizes that it is going to be harder than he had anticipated. He finds that the wheels are all made in China, he has to pay 5 dollars for a Brazilian made dowel when he could have paid 1 dollar for a Chinese made one. This is the first struggle. Another one is when Sara wants to buy a Barbie doll for her daughter. She finds that all of the dolls are made in China except for one, which is made in Indonesia. Most every little girl plays with Barbie dolls. Just think if China stopped making them. We would be left with nothing except for a few from Indonesia. Most things such as film and toothbrushes look identical but there is one difference. One is made in China and one is made in the USA. Sometimes no one realizes whether what they are buying is American or Chinese. This is because most of what is made looks that same and could probably just be manufactured in America but it is not. This theme is significant in the book because these people vowed to stop using made in China products and they realize just how much is really made in China.

        This theme is history is very significant. When we signed the Declaration of Independence we signed it to gain independence from the British Empire. When we buy things from China we are kind of going back to before we signed the Declaration. We are depending on China to supply oiur goods to sell so that we can make money. But first we pay China to make things and then we put them on our shelves and ignore the fact that we didn't make it. We have reverted back to our old ways. We need to become dependent from China because what would happen if China stopped selling goods to us. We would experience a massive drop in sales.

        The perspective of this book is a personal perspective. Sara Bongiorni tells her story of trying to avoid buying things from China. She had to change her lifestyle and basically how she adapted to buying things from America and other countries. This relates to the theme very well because she realized that her way of shopping and such changed. She realized how much the USA dependended on China. This perspective is significant because she is a normal person just like us and when we read this book told from a normal person experiencing what we would go through. This perspective is very important because of this.

        In conclusion, the big theme in the book and in history is that America is dependent on China. We worked for independence when we signed the declaration and now we are back to being dependent on a country. The point that this story is told by a regular person really is good because we can connect to what she is saying. This theme is very important and should be kept in mind daily because of people that died for us to be free but we are not totally because of the goods that are shipped in from China.

Final Essay #2

As a country we have had our shares of ups and downs. Most of these "ups and downs" are "solved" with war. It seems that in every country that you go to the solution to a problem is war. If someone disagrees with some other countries government then there must be war to try and change one or the others government. But as some have learned, war is not the answer. In the French and Indian war, there could have been a settlement between the two. Also in King Phillip's War, the bloodiest war of them all, there could have been a more peaceful solution. Most of the wars that take place are unnecessary. There could have been a better answer to a problem but some leaders are too lazy to take the time to figure it out.
Here are a list of wars that have taken place; King Phillip's War, French and Indian War also known as the Seven Years War, Pontiac's Rebellion and the American Revolution. All these battles could have been prevented but no one took the time to analyze the situation and really think about different solutions. These wars are all examples of where human greed and nationalism took over. People love their country and that is great. But no one needs to go to war with another just to determine who is the better. It is like the saying "anything you can do I can do better." This saying is a perfect example of the thinking that some people have. If one country or group of people do something then another group must try to outdo the other. This mentality is not a good way of thinking and causes may problems.
The War in Iraq is definetly a war of human greed and trying to play hero. On 9/11 terrorists attack us and it did break us down. But there could have been a different solution. We have now been across for 5 years and there could have been a different solution for all the fightint. We have killed innocent people that have had nothing to do with the problem that occured. There could have been a different solution. We could have come to a settlement. We caught Saddam Hussein and that was good. But we could have found another way to find him instead of blowing up buildings that we have to rebuild and killing people who are innocent. So basically I think that there is always a different solution to any problem than war.

Final Essay #1

We have had many great leaders in this country. But the most significant one that we think is our first president, George Washington. He was devoted to this country as soon as he joined the army as a scout at the age of 21. This shows a dedication and love for a country that would eventually lead to him leading us in many of the great battles of our time. Although he struggled in some battles such as the Battle of Brooklyn Heights. This was not a good battle to have fought at all. But he still prevailed and learned from it. There was also Valley Forge. This was one of the toughest winter that the troops had probably ever experienced but they were commanded by General Washington so they recovered and were ready to fight and end the war.
George also fought in the French and Indian War. This was going to be a learning experience for him. He was brought up in England and the way that they "organized war was different. England had troop standings. There were ranks such as general or colonel. Indians did not have this kind of organization. The Indians were not trained in military tactics and they knew nothing of having ranks or troop standings. Their idea of fighting in a war was something like hide and seek. The Indians knew the land that they were fighting on so they had the upper hand. They could hide and then, when the French came to fight them, the Indians could pop out and shoot them. This was new to George Washington. Washington first became involved in this war when the Governor asked him to take a letter to the General a letter warning him to move his troops from the site they were at because it was time to change forts. This was a learning process for George because in order to deliver the letter he had to think like the Indians or else they would outsmart him and he would be a captive. So this was one way the Washington was versatile. He could learn new tactics specific to the situation that he was in. This is the sign of a good leader and a good soldier.
He also had a big part in the American Revolution. As a General in the Continental Army there is a lot of pressure to win battles. If you do not win a battle and your opponent does, then they have one up on you. A perfect example of this is the Battle of Brooklyn Heights. As this was fought on a peninsula George thought that if he stationed his men at the tip and around the he could prevent them from getting to land. This was just the opposite though. He was wrong and the British came in from land and pushed them off the peninsula. This was thought to be the end of the war for George Washington because the British thought that they were going to ambush Washington and end it there. But Washington outsmarted them and got away. This was the start to a great chase for Washington and his soldiers. This battle shows that he sometimes does not think the situation out thoroughly. Had he thought about the different ways that his plan could have failed he should have changed it so that he could have had more of an advantage. This is one flaw that is shown. But also is shows a determination to win. He was not going to just give up and let them beat him. Another way that his good leadership is shown is at Valley Forge. Although this was one of the hardest winters that the troops had ever seen they did not give up. Washington helped them through it and it became an experience to learn from.
These are just a few of the reasons that this great man became our founding father. He first began as a 21 year old scout that was sent to try to come up with an agreement between French and British. He later was chosen to warn the french during the French and Indian War. Then he evolved into a General. He led troops into battle and succeeded in fighting off the enemy. Sometimes this was proved as false but he did not let that get him down. He picked himself back up and began to fight again. He did not get discouraged and he continued to grow and learn. This is the sign of a true leader. This is also why he is our founding father and the reason America was started in such a positive way.

Book Portfolio #4

Animal Farm By George Orwell
This book is all about "animalism" which is based on socialism in the time of Stalin. It all starts with a pigs dream to take over the farm. He dies, but his ideas and dreams of the farm being run by animals continues. The more the animals strive to reach this goal, the more power hungry they become and they will stop at nothing.The theme in this book is that the idealists from the Soviet Union were corrupting and they would stop at nothing. Stalin and his followers can be compared to Old Major and Napoleon. The rest of the animals are his followers and whatever he says to do they must do. This theme is significant because it shows the ideas of the Soviet Union in a different light. It shows what the conditions were like when people refused to follow or if they were becoming old and useless. They would sell them, even if it was their best friend. That meant nothing. All that matter was that the socialist ideas prevailed.

Socialism must succeed no matter what and it changes people for the worst. This is the overwhelming thought in this book. The first example of this is when the animals scare away Mr. Jones, the farmer. This demonstrates the theme because this is the first action that they took in their fight to take over. This shows that they were ready and were not going to let anything stop them. They wanted to carry out the plans the Old Major never got to because of his death. The second example is when Snowball is chased away from the farm by Napoleon and his puppies that he was "educating." He then took command and stated that there would be no more meetings. The only ones to make decisions would be the pigs. This showed the fact that all animals were not equal and it began to show who would be the power hungry ones. Napoleon then decided to purge the farm of anyone that may be followers of Snowball. He doesn't want anyone who does not follow him wholeheartedly. So he looks for the ones who are not loyal and they are killed. The last example of the theme is the fact that Napoleon sold his friend who was sick just for money to get whiskey. This shows that the leaders would not even let their feelings get in the way of furthering themselves in the socialist or "animialist" community.

This theme can be shown in many historical contexts. The most obvious one is the Russian Revolution. With Stalin and his men taking over and installing the socialist beliefs in people. The other historical event this could be tied with is the Holocaust and Hitler. In the book Napoleon started making things up about Snowball that weren't true. He told people that he was bad and that he was the one who destroyed the windmill. He then went on a hunt to find everyone on the farm that supported Snowball. They were then killed. This is similar to what Hitler did to the Jews. He blamed them for the War that had happened and everything else in the world that they lived in. He then began to "purge" the world of the Jews. He began to tell people that they were to blame for everything and that they deserved to die. This is what Napoleon did to Snowball. It can also be connected to Stalin and his way of living. Stalin was a socialist and he believed that there were certain people that deserved to be in power. He also thought that if you were going to succeed nothing could stop you. Not friendship or anything. In history Stalin started out as a secretary general of the communist party. This is similar to Old Major and Napoleon. They were first part of the group who were loyal to the humans. They gratefully served them. But then they turned on them and decided to take over. This is similar to Stalin because he manipulated people to let him be the only one in power. He then decided that he didn't like the Communist party and wanted to get rid of them. So he captured whoever belonged to that party and either they died in prison or they were killed. The last connection between this book and Stalin was that fact that he stopped at nothing. He was willing to kill the people that he knew and were possibly friends with just to get what he wanted. He wanted to be a part of socialism and nothing anyone could do was going to stop that. This theme is significant in history because Stalin and Hitler were 2 of the most powerful people in this time as were the pigs on the farm. We need to learn about our past to realize how we got to where we are today and this was a big part of it.

So in the end the hunger for power in the socialist or "animalist" community overtook everyone and they were not the same. They got what they wanted no matter who they hurt in the process. The importance of this theme in the book is because it seemed to be based on true events and you need to understand what happened. The importance of this theme in history is because the socialist way of life was not a good one. This has been demonstrated by many people in history including Hitler and Stalin. This book was very effective in showing the theme. It had very good examples and real life connections. I also thought that it was very interesting and it keep you asking questions and wanting to read more. In the end of the book it was said that "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." This is very true even in our society today. We all are "equal" but it seems that some can get away with more. It is also said in the end that the other animals could no longer recognize who were pigs and who were humans because they all looked like pigs, greedy and ruthless and will stop at nothing.

Valley Forge Letter

February 12, 1778

Dearest Elizabeth,
I am sorry that I haven't written sooner. I hope I have not caused you to worry. How are you? I hope that you are well. How is our new daughter? She has been the constant thought on my mind ever since I received your letter. I miss you terribly and the thought of coming home to you is what is keeping me alive.
The Georgia weather is nothing like what I have experienced here. The rain is colder and seems to fall on me like bad memories. The first few weeks of camp was hard because we had to sleep on the ground. When it snowed, which it did often, we had to tuck our guns between our legs so that the powder did not get wet. We had nothing but our jackets and had no blankets or shelter. I wish I had brought one of those wonderful homemade quilts that you make so well. But there is good news. We now have huts that 12 men have to share. These are not clean and they do not keep out the draft, but it is better than sleeping in the snow.
But the weather is not our main concern. Sickness has been looming over our heads and we cannot seem to beat it. Dysentery and typhus are the diseases that are our enemies now. Dr. Boto Otto opened a hospital 10 miles away from camp. The sickest of our men are taken there but most times we cannot afford the trip. It is too far of a journey with the conditions being as they are.
When I enlisted, I was honored by the fact that I would be protecting the colonies I lived in. But now I want to come home. People are getting tired. We do not have supplies because Gen. Thomas Mifflin has not been doing his job. He did not organize supplies to be brought in. But Gen. Nathanel Greene is in charge of that now and things are beginning to look up as much as they can. He has been repairing roads and we even now have a bakery thanks to him. This has boosted moral but we still are broken from all the ground and battles that we have lost. I think that from this experience, I will not enlist again.
Well my love, I must depart from you now. I have many duties that need to be done. Tell my family that I miss them and think of them often. Tell our sweet little girl that daddy loves her and give her a kiss for me. I will be home soon. You have all of my love.
Yours forever,
Daniel

Essay #2

As colonists we must stand up for ourselves. We must be able to defend our colonies and be sure that we are in a good position to protect ourselves. When we moved to this land we were sure that we would have a better life so we must strive to obtain that goal. As a group of colonies if anyone tries to hinder our growth then we must do something about it. Since trying to work this out is not going to work. We must fight. We must defend what is rightfully ours! Why let them control us when we are the ones that have built up this colony and established a name for ourselves? We must break down this wall that is holding us back. Britain must know that we are not a force to be reckoned with. They must be defeated!!!
There are many reasons that the British need to be taken down. The first is the taxation. Why must they tax us on everything. It is becoming harder and harder to live. They are taxing sugar which we use in everyday life. They are also taxing molasses and also paper. Why are they doing this. They feel the need to control how we live. Why should we allow them this? When we can no longer pay the taxes that they are putting on everything, how will we survive? We cannot live on bread and water very long. We are hungry for freedom! We must seize this opportunity now while we can. Men do you want your children to grow up in a world where you must pay a tax on everything? Do you want them to have to sell their house because they cannot survive? NO, we must not live like that!
Right now our future is looking grim. We will be living in the shadow of British forever. We, as a whole, must stand up and be in charge of our future. We must take over to make sure that what we want to happen will happen. America could be a beautiful, free country. We are stronger than people think and we must demonstrate that. We as an America can lead our own country, we can take charge and make things happen. This is why we must show the world what we can do. We must fight Britain and show them that we are a force to be reckoned with.

Essay #1

Although it was a tragic event the Boston Massacre was the fault of the soldiers . The British soldiers should not have shot into a group of people that were out of control. They should have been able to control them other than having to shoot them. When the shot was fired and the rest of the British soldiers took that as an invitation to fire on everyone, including young boys. That behavior cannot be condoned.
The British soldiers are to blame for this terrible event. Although the people were getting a little excited but the British should have been able to control the people. They shouldn't have had to fire shots and kill innocent people. This act that was committed showed the heartless, and brutality of the British soldiers. They did not think twice about shooting into a crowd of people that included grandfathers, fathers, brothers and sons.
These soldiers that committed this awful crime should be put in jail for at least 2 years. We cannot let the act of killing people slide. They must pay for the actions that they committed. I feel that although the people should not have been in the square at that time, the british should not have shot into the crowd. The king must punish people for the crimes that they commit or else everyone will start to try illegal things. So these acts must be punished.