Term 3 Week 6 (Can Mercy and Justice Coexist?)

True virtues are not supposed to clash - at least that is the ideal. Our personal interests or baser instincts may at times conflict with the virtues we are trying to cultivate, but higher virtues themselves are always supposed to be in harmony with one another. How, then, do we explain the apparent conflict between the virtues of mercy and justice?

Justice is not always viewed as "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth". It isn't difficult to see why justice would be a virtue. A society where bad people get more and better than they deserve while good people get less and worse than they deserve is one which is corrupt, inefficient, and ripe for revolution. It is, in fact, the basic premise of all revolutionaries that society is unjust and needs to be reformed at a basic level. Perfect justice would thus appear to be a virtue not only because it is fair, but also because it results in a more peaceful and harmonious society overall.

At the same time, mercy is often regarded as an important virtue - a society where no one ever showed or experienced mercy would be one which is stifling, restrictive, and would appear to be lacking in the basic principle of kindness. That is odd, however, because mercy essentially requires that justice *not be done. One needs to understand here that mercy isn't a matter of being kind or nice, although such qualities may lead one to be more likely to show mercy. Mercy also isn't the same thing as sympathy or pity.

What mercy entails is that something less than justice be one. If a convicted criminal asks for mercy, he is asking that he receive a punishment that is less than what he is really due. When a Christian begs God for mercy, he is asking that God punish him less than what God is justified in doing. In a society where mercy reigns, doesn't that require that justice be abandoned?

Perhaps not, because justice also isn't the opposite of mercy: if we adopt the premises of virtue ethics as described by Aristotle, we would conclude that mercy lies between the vices of cruelty and and uncaring, while justice lies between the vices of cruelty and softness. So, both are contrasted with the vice of cruelty, but still they aren't the same, and are in fact often at odds with one another.

And make no mistake, they are indeed often in conflict. There is a great danger in showing mercy because if used too often or in the wrong circumstances, it can actually undermine itself. Many philosophers and legal theorists have noted that the more one pardons crimes, the more one also emboldens criminals, because you are essentially telling them that their chances of getting away without paying the proper price have increased. That, in turn, is one of the things which drives revolutions: the perception of that the system is unfair.

Justice is required because a good and functioning society requires the presence of justice - as long as people trust that justice will be done, they will better be able to trust one another. Mercy, however, is also required because as A. C. Grayling has written, "we all need mercy ourselves." The remission of moral debts may embolden sin, but it may also embolden virtue by giving people a second chance.

In conclusion, justice and mercy can never coexist as long as the principles of both contradict each other. Knowing when to show mercy and when to show strict justice is the key in navigating through the dangers that an excess of either may threaten.

Term 3 Week 5 (Shylock)

You are required to respond to one of the questions in the Anti-Semitism handout. The question is as follows:

What do you think is Shakespeare's intention of creating Shylock in The Merchant of Venice? Support your opinion with examples.

Shylock is the most vivid and memorable character in The Merchant of Venice, and he is one of Shakespeare's greatest dramatic creations. On stage, it is Shylock who makes the play, and almost all of the great actors of the English and Continental stage have attempted the role. But the character of Shylock has also been the subject of much critical debate: How are we meant to evaluate the attitude of the Venetians in the play toward him? Or his attitude toward them? Is he a bloodthirsty villain? Or is he a man "more sinned against than sinning"? One of the reasons that such questions arise is that there are really two stage Shylocks in the play: first, there is the stage "villain" who is required for the plot; second, there is the human being who suffers the loss of his daughter, his property, and, very importantly for him, his religion.

Shylock's function in this play is to be the obstacle, the man who stands in the way of the love stories; such a man is a traditional figure in romantic comedies. Something or someone must impede young, romantic love; here, it is Shylock and the many and various ways that he is linked to the three sets of lovers. The fact that he is a Jew is, in a sense, accidental. Shakespeare wanted to contrast liberality against selfishness — in terms of money and in terms of love. There was such a figure available from the literature of the time, one man who could fulfill both functions: this man would be a usurer, or moneylender, with a beautiful daughter that he held onto as tightly as he did his ducats. Usury was forbidden to Christians by the church of the Middle Ages, and as a consequence, money lending was controlled by the Jews; as a rule, it was usually the only occupation which the law allowed to them. As a result, a great deal of medieval literature produced the conventional figure of the Jewish moneylender, usually as a minor character, but also too, as a major character.

It is from this medieval literary tradition that Shakespeare borrows the figure of Shylock, just as Marlowe did for his Jew of Malta. Some commentators have said that the character of Shylock is an example of Elizabethan and Shakespeare's own notion of anti-Semitism. In contrast, many have seen the creation of Shylock as an attack on this kind of intolerance. But Shakespeare, they forget, was a dramatist. He was not concerned with either anti- nor pro-Semitism, except in the way it shaped individual characters in his plays to produce the necessary drama that he was attempting to create. The play is thus emphatically not anti-Semitic; rather, because of the nature of Shylock's involvement in the love plots, it is about anti-Semitism. Shakespeare never seriously defined or condemned a group through the presentation of an individual; he only did this for the purposes of comedy by creating caricatures in miniature for our amusement. Shylock is drawn in bold strokes; he is meant to be a "villain" in terms of the romantic comedy, but because of the multi-dimensionality which Shakespeare gives him, we are meant to sympathize with him at times, loathe him at others. Shakespeare's manipulation of our emotions regarding Shylock is a testament to his genius as a creator of character.

When Shylock leaves the courtroom in Act IV, Scene 1, he is stripped of all that he has. He is a defeated man. Yet we cannot feel deep sympathy for him — some, perhaps, but not much. Shakespeare's intention was not to make Shylock a tragic figure; instead, Shylock was meant to function as a man who could be vividly realized as the epitome of selfishness; he must be defeated in this romantic comedy. In a sense, it is Shakespeare's own brilliance which led him to create Shylock as almost too human. Shylock is powerfully drawn, perhaps too powerfully for this comedy, but his superb dignity is admirable, despite the fact that we must finally condemn him. Perhaps the poet W. H. Auden has given us our best clue as to how we must deal with Shylock: "Those to whom evil is done," he says, "do evil in return." This explains in a few words much of the moneylender's complexity and our complex reactions toward him.

Term 3 Week 4 (How to Raise a Global Kid)

What is the main argument Jim Rogers is trying to make in this article? Do you agree with his argument? Justify.

Jim Rogers is trying to argue that there is rapid globalization in the 21st century. Thus, the current generation must develop the younger generation to have a global perspective so that they can stay in touch with the world to ensure their survival. Asia has risen with superpowers such as China, which economy has increased exponentially, almost levelling America although the latter had a head start of about 20-30 years compared to the former. It is necessary to learn Mandarin so that the world can communicate with China and that the "debtors" – the rest of the world, would reap benefits from the "creditors" – Asia, as mentioned by Rogers. He sees that America is "so far utterly failing to produce a generation of global citizens", thus he settled in Singapore so that he would raise "global" kids. In the Rogers family’s five-bedroom bungalow, there is no TV. Instead, there are more than a dozen globes to look at and maps to ponder, a nanny and a maid who speak only Mandarin to the kids, bicycles to ride, and a new karaoke machine so the girls can learn Chinese songs. This shows that Rogers is very particular about his daughters learning a second language so that they can communicate with the world.

I totally agree with Rogers' argument. In December 2007, Rogers sold his mansion in New York City for about 16 million USD and moved to Singapore. Rogers claimed that he moved because now is a ground-breaking time for investment potential in Asian markets. Rogers's first daughter is now being tutored in Mandarin to prepare her for the future. He is quoted as saying: "If you were smart in 1807 you moved to London, if you were smart in 1907 you moved to New York City, and if you are smart in 2007 you move to Asia." China is beginning to overtake America in terms of wealth, military power etc. China has a lot of potential which can profit many businessmen, but one must first learn the language to be able to deal with the people there. That is why many foreign parents are learning Mandarin and also encouraging their kids to do the same. Singapore does have an advantage of bilingualism; however, most students are not cherishing this rare opportunity and instead are complaining.

The bilingual system was first introduced in 1966 by the government. English was the official language, while the mother tongue was the second. English was stressed as at that time, the Americans were the superpowers of the century, thus to improve the economy of Singapore, the citizens, many of those who spoke dialects, had to learn English. However, the once not-so-regarded-as-important Mandarin is currently being stressed, much more than English. This is because the growth of America is stagnating, but China is by leaps and bounds. Apart from bringing Singapore closer to China, the ability to speak Mandarin also reminds us of our ancestral background and that Chinese was once our main language. The 5000-year language teaches us the traditions, customs, beliefs and values that were forgotten when our great-grandfathers stepped into Singapore. The language actually benefits us economically, intellectually and culturally.

In conclusion, Singapore has an advantage, being both a cosmopolitan country and also geographically located between the East and the West. Thus, we should make use of the opportunity to learn Mandarin and effectively make use of it when we go to Mandarin-speaking countries. The whole world is picking up the language; with us being from that line of descendants, we should all the more be better than the foreigners. As we can see, there are some foreigners who are already more fluent and expressive than some Chinese. To not be left behind by the rocking wake of success that China has built, it is inevitable that all of us should master Mandarin.

Term 3 Week 3 (Education System)

(1) Comment on Janelle Lee's view on the education system in Singapore.

Singapore has seen tremendous growth from a third world to a first world country over the past 40 years since our independence. This is largely due to the fact that our education system has been efficient in nurturing out our present leaders based on meritocracy, which picks out the crim of the crop. However, Singapore's education has been one of the toughest and most rigid system compared with the other developed countries around the world. Despite the government's efforts and large expenditure to improve education, Singaporeans are still unhappy with it. Janelle's letter shows very clearly this fact. It has effectively expressed the unanimous view that all students and even teachers themselves would hold, that the education system does have its flaws.

Janelle stated in her first point that students were deprived of the ability to ask "Why?". Indeed, as we now live in the technological era, this ability is essentially important to us if we, especially the Generation Y and even Generation Z, are to survive in this fast-advancing society. No matter how developed the world is, we have just unearthed a small part of the vast universe. Asking "Why?" will certainly help to unveil even more mysteries, especially if innocent young children ask these questions. Sometimes, they may ask questions that even experts have not even thought of. Furthermore, these seemingly insensible questions such as "Why am I born on Earth?" or "Why are you my parents?" can possibly aid the human race to solve the mysteries of life in the future.

Currently, teachers will immediately stop us when we question a theory, formula etc. If we do not understand anything and are just forced to memorize, how then are we supposed to apply the formulas or theories in real-life situations when we start working? To solve the problem as mentioned in the earlier paragraph, schools should focus more on subjects such as Science or Socratic Questioning. Science is a wonder that has baffled scientists for years. Most of the science that we know today are mostly derived from people pondering about things, how they work and how they are formed. If we are not trained to ask "Why?", then there is a high chance that the field of science will stay stagnant for at least another generation, as there is hardly anyone able to contribute. Socratic Questioning is a fairly new subject where only a few schools teach this method of thinking. It helps us to explore complex ideas, to get to the truth of things, to open up issues and problems, to uncover assumptions, to analyze concepts, to distinguish what we know from what we don't know, and to follow out logical implications of thought. This can be very useful as reflection which provides both mental and emotional training.

Janelle then mentioned the problem of Civics and Moral Education (CME). In primary school, my Chinese teacher was also my CME teacher. The replacing of CME lessons for Chinese lessons in preparations for the then upcoming PSLE was all too familiar. I remembered that one and a half months before the actual examinations, I had no CME lessons at all. Although this helped my Chinese to get good grades, I felt that I had lost precious lessons training my character. It is undoubted that there must be a problem with the allocated time slots of the timetable, such that the teacher had not enough time to finish the Chinese lesson and had to eat up part of the CME lesson.

In conclusion, this letter has truly changed my view about the once-thought perfect education system, and also made me notice the inevitable flaws present. I hope for a change so that future batches will not have the same mindset as this teenager has, and that education will one day become the education that we all long for.

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(2) Is an ideal education possible? Explain.

The meaning of ideal is "conceived as constituting a standard of perfection or excellence". We have heard familiar phrases such as ideal place, ideal environment etc. However, there is a flip meaning to this word, which is "existing only in your imagination or as an idea; not likely to be real". This, in my opinion, tells me that an ideal education is not possible.


We are but humans, to err is our nature. No matter how intelligent man may be, he can never create something perfect. An ideal education must be able to provide an all-rounded curriculum to a student, at the same time ensuring that the student is not too stressed and time is managed properly. It would be like creating a Utopia, which is impossible given the current system we are having. The ideal education system depends on the effectiveness of both the teachers and the students; the education itself depends on the information, whether it is accurate and reliable. Given that the ideal education system is put into use, the students would be so packed with work that they have practically no time for relaxation or to pursue their talents. This might end up as a disadvantage which results in a failed attempt at perfecting education.


Thus, it is better to have education flawed, so that we can slowly improve it. However, there can never be a case where the education is perfect as people have different perspective and their idea of ideal will vary. The utilitarianism education is ultimately the best, where the ends justify the means, and there is happiness ensured among everyone for the greater good.

Term 3 Week 2 (The Religion of Water)

Water has been one of the three crucial elements living things have depended on since their existence, apart from air and food. Water has helped many great, ancient civilizations to flourish, such as the Egyptians along the Nile River; the Mayans along the Amazon River; the Indians along the Indus River; the Qing Dynasty along the Yellow River, and many others. Water was also used in Greek mythology for worship, the famous Poseidon, god of the sea, Aphrodite, Triton, Ceto etc. Water has also been the basis for the current technological era. Without it, none of these things would have been possible.

Over years, the demand for water has increased exponentially with the current population boost of the world. As we can see, many areas such as parts of Africa, India and the Middle East, where most of the third world countries are located, are suffering from water shortage as they cannot afford the cost. Although water bodies cover about 70% of the Earth's surface, but only 3% is drinkable. More than 1.1 billion percent of people do not have access to this 3% of clean water, according to a science research done at Cambridge University. The World Health Organization (WHO) is already trying to address this problem, but both the limited water supply and the need to sustain the poor has caused debates from countries whether water should be, like other items, bought, or treated as a necessity and given to people when needed.

Firstly, freshwater and groundwater are not enough to meet the daily requirements of the world. To solve this problem, scientists have made use of advances in technology to develop processes such as desalination and reverse osmosis to turn undrinkable water like seawater into drinkable water. NEWater is a good example of a local enterprise which recycles water. However, machines that do all the work cost a tremendous amount of money, thus the cost of water has been rising.

Water, in my opinion, should not be a commodity. Some people may argue that the current society is based on wealth. If one has no money to pay for the water bills, then it is just too bad for him. Besides, water is not abundant and cannot support so many, thus it would be better that some people do not receive water to save up for rainy days. However, I strongly disagree with this point. We are all humans, fellow comrades to each other. We should then treat each other equally. Is that not what the human rights are created for? This is quite a cruel and selfish mindset, to think only about one's self and not consider the plight of others.

There is a big difference between water being a commodity and it being a human right. If we take the former as a scenario, we would see many people unable to have access to water; but in the case of the latter, we would see everyone enjoying the use of water. Sadly, the supply of water is not infinite. It is a non-renewable source. But how are we going to sustain the entire world if our future is already at stake? One good solution is to start conserving water, be it for our daily needs or in factories. We should also try not to pollute water as this decreases the percentage of drinkable water.

In conclusion, water is Nature's gift to man for thousands of years. All human beings have the freedom to gain access to it, and thus it should not be a commodity. Money has become the religion of the century, and so has water. Who knows, other basic necessities might even follow up...

Term 3 Week 1 (Day-Off For Maids)

Veteran labour leader Halimah Yacob recently called for the legislation of weekly days off for maids working in Singapore. This has sparked off an intense debate amongst Singaporeans. In your opinion, should the giving of weekly days off be legislated in Singapore?

Post your 300 word response on your blog.

On Sunday, June 19, the Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and veteran labour leader Madam Halimah Yacob, speaking at a community sports festival at Singapore Polytechnic said that Singapore should consider making it compulsory for employers to give maids a rest day every week. This has sparked off a lot of debate from Singaporeans and even domestic maids themselves. However, the Government has called for an alternative, that is, adopting a more flexible approach of allowing households to work out a mutually agreed arrangement with their maids, and encouraging employers to grant their workers regular rest days. Accredited employment agencies use a standard employment contract for maids, which requires employers to stipulate the number of rest days each month. Should the maids agree to work on their rest day, employers are required to pay them an agreed amount of compensation.

Firstly, the term "Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs)", more commonly known as maids, refers to a female employed in domestic service. A close word, slave, refers to a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another. Although both are different in terms of the way they are treated, many employers nowadays tend to have the misconception that they employ maids to be in their control and power, and thus treating them like slaves. In this modern era, slaves have disappeared from the face of the earth due to the increasing stress on humanity rights, and this term is only used figuratively. Thus, it would be a breach on these rights if employers continue to have this mindset. Furthermore, since the history of employing maids, it has always been mandatory for employers to give their maids at least one rest day per week. Unfortunately, this is getting more and more uncommon.

Secondly, if maids are not given weekly rest days, they will just be confined to one place, which is the house. Soon, they will either become sick and tired of facing the same chores, looking at the same furniture, and enduring the same nagging and reprimanding from their employers; or they will feel terribly homesick. The latter could even possibly lead to the maid running away from the employer. This would be undesirable for the employer as they would have to pay for the security bond that they signed with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), which means they would lose both money and a helper of their chores. Moreover, the salary of maids in Singapore is not the highest among all the countries in the world, which increases the chance that the maid might run to other countries such as Hong Kong or Taiwan if they do not like the environment here, and they would still get a higher pay.

Thirdly, the alternative that the Government proposed as mentioned earlier may not appeal to both employers and employees. The employers may not be willing to give their maids extra money, but still want them to provide their services on their rest days. The maids may also not want to forsake their rare freedom just for a little more money. Both parties would then disagree and may not reach a consensus in the end. Thus, the employers should give in to the maids' needs as they are so far away from their family and have already been slogging. Thus, the best way would be that the maid is given two choices: the first that they get a rest day without any pay, or they forgo their rest day to earn extra money. Either way, the maid will be contented, which is beneficial towards to both her physical and mental health. On those rest days when there is no one to do the household chores, the employer can then take over. Besides, it does not kill to just pick up a broom and pan to sweep the entire house free of dust and dirt for just one day.

In conclusion, maids should be given this privilege of having a so-called "weekly holiday". It is hoped that this can be made into a law, whereby employers will be punished accordingly if they do not follow it. This way, the maids can meet up with their friends, talk about old times and even make other new friends. The result is the maid enjoys herself and is rejuvenated enough to happily and confidently start a new week of chores. This will be much better than a grumpy maid. Her mood will be affected if this happens and in turn, affecting her work attitude. Thus, MOM should rectify any flaws in the plan in order not to offend the maids and also create a suitable and safe environment for them to labour.

Home-Based Learning (We Slept With Our Boots On)

War

We Slept With Our Boots On
They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes
They washed out the blood, we loaded our ruck’s and then took to the skies
Over the mountains, villages, and valleys we flew
Where we would land we had not a clue
Bullets are flying, the LZ is hot
We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not
30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit
Get ready to go and make it quick
My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins
I run as fast as I can through the lead rain
The noise is tremendous, terror I can’t define
The only reason I survived that day was divine
I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more
You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more
We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks
From house to cave, to car to creek
Dirty and tired and hungry and scared
We slept with our boots on so we were always prepared
Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies
The Hindu Kush has changed so many lives
Up the mountains with heavy loads we trod
Who knew hell was so close to God
Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink
So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think
Good men and bad men, Mothers lost son’s
Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns
Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire
I will never forget those who were called higher
They say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than blood
Brothers aren’t born they’re earned. In the poppy fields, the tears, and the mud
And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell
Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell

– Steve Carlsen

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TASK 1: Based on your understanding of the selected poem, perform extensive web research and write a report on your blog detailing the conflict represented in the poem(s) of your choice. Bear in mind that this piece of background information will allow your blog audience to further understand the poem as well as your analysis of the poem in Task 2. Be sure to include your references and credit your sources.

Background Info

Steve Carlsen was born and lives in Dowagiac Michigan. He joined the United States Army in October 2000 and went to Infantry Basic Training, and Airborne School in Ft. Benning Georgia. He served in 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He was deployed to Kosovo in November 2001 as part of peace keeping operations. He was also deployed to Afghanistan in of December 2002 where he participated in combat operations. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 2003 due to a lifelong injury. The regiment was created in 1942 in the Army of the United States, and his job as a parachute soldier was to take part in land operations to restore order in the countries in need.

Definitions

LZ – Landing Zone

Hindu Kush – A present-day mountain range in central Asia where, in the Iraq War, it was used as a battlefield frontline

Lock N Load – Load and prepare weaponry for battle

References

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html

http://dictionary.reference.com/

http://www.google.com.sg/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=we+slept+with+our+boots+on+poem&oq=we+slept+w&aq=1&aqi=g2g-v2g-m2g-b1&aql=&gs_sm=c&gs_upl=4288l8981l0l12l11l0l1l1l0l186l1280l3.7

http://www.google.com.sg/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=steve+carlsen&oq=steve+carlsen&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=4555877l4555877l0l1l1l0l0l0l0l0l0l

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TASK 2: Complete the template provided below (Annex A), focusing on (1) Point of View; (2) Situation and Setting; (3) Language/Diction; and (4) Personal Response, and post your response to Task 2 on your blog. This template is based on John Lye’s ‘Critical Analysis of Poetry’, and you can make reference to this in Annex B when in doubt.

Point of View

This poem depicts the harsh reality of war. It was written from the point of view of a poet, Steve Carlsen, who describes the situation of being a frontline soldier in the Iraq War. This is evident from how he describes that his "heart is pumping adrenaline all through my veins" and how he always uses the pronoun "we", where all the soldiers were feeling the same during the intense moments of the operations. Countless people lost their lives each day, and the poet is shown as having a deep, strong opposition for war. However, in the words “whether we like it or not”, we can infer that he had no choice but to fight. In the poem, the poet leaves out much of his personal emotions to describe the cold hard facts. Although he is viewed as not patriotic, however, he is involved in a lot of action in the war. He has become this emotionless character who follows orders, and the daily ritual of killing and fighting has slowly but surely become more and more morally acceptable to him. He offers a religious tone in the poem, by how he acknowledges that he would soon be punished for his misdeeds which included handling a gun and killing people.

Situation & Setting

The poet was in a helicopter, and he and his comrades were “leaving this bird whether we like it or not, 30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit, get ready to go and make it quick”. This shows that the helicopter might have been shot down and was preparing for an emergency landing. “Where we would land we had not a clue, bullets are flying, the LZ is hot”. This shows that the situation was much tensed. This whole sentence means that bullets were spraying everywhere, and the dangerous landing zone could mean the end for the soldiers. They were in a desperate hurry so that they would not be shot down by enemies and get to safety. “Up the heavy mountains with heavy loads we trod” shows that they had landed in a mountainous region which was the Hindu Kush. The author mentioned “I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more”. We can infer from this sentence that the he and his comrades were fighting for their lives with enemies that most probably outnumbered them as they had to keep reloading. He also mentioned “I will never forget those who were called higher”. He was with brave comrades who risked their lives to save others. He respected them for this and would remember them forever.

Language & Diction

The author has a constant AA rhyming pattern in the poem. The word “hell” the poet used is a metaphor to describe his opinion of war. This is to discourage people from going to war as nobody would like going to hell. He uses military slang like “Lock N Load” and “shit” to refer to weapons. This increases the momentum of the poem. He uses personification, as shown in the sentence: “Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies”. This is to describe the sheer height of the great mountains, so high that they are practically touching the skies. He uses the poppy as a symbol of death, where he believes that his deathbed would be at a place of “tears” and “mud”, which refers to a battlefield. Another metaphor he used is “Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink”. Despite facing terror in war, he still had both the mental and physical strength to admire the scenery around him. He also makes quite a bit of reference to divinity, for example “Saint Peter”. This is an emphasis on how the close-to-death scenario of war is. Though the language is simple and concise, yet it gives readers a vivid description about the whole issue of war.

Personal Response

After reading this poem, my point of view about war has certainly changed. I used to think that war was just a game between countries and the stronger would win. However, I was not into the gory facts and the harsh reality of it. Now, I can just imagine if I was portrayed in that situation, how would I react, and most important of all, whether I would survive. Through the poem, the poet has succeeded in instilling fear in readers’ minds. The breakneck pace, together with figurative language and detailed description, has fully depicted the experience of being a frontline soldier. The fact that the soldiers are all in anxiety every second of the day and are even well-armed and dressed when they were sleeping shows how unpredictable war can be. Enemies could appear at any moment and everyone had to be on his guard. However, the one thing good about war is that there is a sense of brotherhood, where unity is key in success, as how the poet says that "Blood is thicker than water, well but lead is thicker than blood", which tells us that they were all bonded together with the bullets and weaponry they were carrying, which was to become part of themselves. This poem makes me feel a little more pessimistic about human nature because we realize that all the fear and intensity in the poem is because we are fighting against our own kind. All in all, I feel that this is an excellent poem and I would recommend it to everyone.

Term 2 Lesson 3 (War - A Journey In History)

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, was a Cold War era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the U.S. and other anti-communist nations.

Vietnam was independent after 100 years of the colonial rule of France. The North Vietnam government was communist and America did not want that to spread to South Vietnam. They feared that if it did spread then it would start a "domino effect", which meant that if the whole of Vietnam converted to communism then the surrounding countries such as Laos would turn communist. Subsequently, it would spread until all of south-eastern Asia was communist. This posed a big threat as if China and India, the two main influences of Asia due to their large population, became communist then there would be no stopping the spread until all of Asia was a big landmass completely devoted to communism. Thus, the whole of Asia could, with one accord, start a “continental war” to destroy other countries such as the destroying the U.S and other democratic nations in Europe. Thus, the American government decided to take first action by trying to stop this from happening.

The U.S. government viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and part of their wider strategy of containment. However, the North Vietnamese government viewed the war as a colonial war, fought initially against France, backed by the U.S., and later against South Vietnam, which it regarded as a U.S. “puppet state”.

What started as an attempt to deter North Vietnam from spreading communism around ended as a war consisting mostly of guerrilla warfare which lasted for more than 19 years. The North Vietnamese Army engaged in a more conventional war, at times committing large units into battle. The U.S. and South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and overwhelming firepower to conduct search and destroy operations, involving ground forces, artillery and airstrikes. During this time, it was estimated that more than 2 million Vietnamese were killed and 3 million wounded. Approximately 58,000 Americans were killed in the conflict. U.S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973 as a result of the Case–Church Amendment passed by the U.S. Congress. The capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese army marked the end of the Vietnam War, which meant that both the South Vietnamese and the American army lost to the North Vietnamese army. This was a great blow to America, which was considered to be a superpower at that time and was not expected to lose to such a small country like Vietnam.

From this war many lessons are learnt. For example, we can see from the fact that America lost to Vietnam that strength does not prevail. America was a superpower, with high-tech weapons, a strong military army and large wealth. However, they were hit down by a small country which used mainly its army to defeat the U.S. navy and air force. The Vietnamese winning this war also helps us to understand that determination is a key factor in any situation. The Vietnamese were deemed to have no chance to stand against a superpower, but they persevered and managed to defeat them. This, to them is considered a great achievement and a big feat. They also showed loyalty to communism by sacrificing countless people just to maintain their rights and to have a firm hold on their stand that they were communist.

In conclusion, although this war was indeed a bloody and a violent one, but it has taught us, as future generations, many invaluable lessons that would directly or indirectly help us in the future.

Feature Article

The evolution of education

Travel 1500 years back in time into the sixth century. Picture yourself sitting in a large classroom with exquisite paintings on all four walls and the ceiling. The ancient teacher, who looks like he was a century old, has a long, white beard and he is speaking a foreign language in a quirky, high-pitched voice which sounds a little like English, possibly Latin.

Confused? Well, this was the type of education received by students living in the medieval era, or better known as the Dark Ages. This marked the start of formal schooling in classrooms, which developed to become what it is today.

The history of education is the history of teaching and learning. Each generation, since the beginning of human existence, has sought to pass on cultural and social values, traditions, morality, religion and skills to the next generation. The passing on of culture is also known as enculturation and the learning of social values and behaviours is socialization. The history of the curricula of such education reflects human history itself, the history of knowledge, beliefs, skills and cultures of humanity.

Education is a cycle which repeats itself. Education causes a breakthrough in technology, which the new idea or formula is presented in the form of education. This cycle will continue to repeat itself until we stop the practice of education. Thus, education plays a very crucial role in the development of the human world.

Our forefathers and ancestors helped greatly in the process of improving this world through education, and even education itself. Now, let us take a look at history to see the foundation of education.

During the prehistoric times, cavemen developed writing, an indispensable tool that has been used even until now. The writing was taught to many other tribes so that they could communicate easily with one another and also record items such as food stock. This was by far the first recorded history of signs of education and also one of the first greatest achievements by mankind. Although the writing was pictorial, they helped build our understanding of the complexities of this world. Through many centuries of debate, discussions, government policies and suggestions, we have what we have now: education divided into subjects, age, degrees and talents.

During the first half of the second millennium, many people were deprived of education due to their family background. Usually, the people eligible for this so-called privilege were royals, children born with a silver spoon and occasional rare talents and geniuses. Therefore, many people were illiterate. Without the education to get a better job, they could not improve their lives and were very poor.

Before the Information Technology era (IT), people used to study with books and lessons were usually quite boring with the teacher droning on and on. Nowadays, with computers and the Internet, lessons can be made interactive and with instant communication. Nevertheless, we should be grateful that education now is made compulsory for all.

In conclusion, the development of education has been a very eventful one. Its history is so rich that it would take a whole book just to describe them. Therefore, we should not find it boring as it is a very important and useful tool for our survival in the current society. We should, instead, treasure it by studying hard to improve the quality of education.