Psychology of Exploration and Conquest

To be honest, before reading this book I never really thought much about the psychology underlying conquest. I always thought of those who engaged in exploration and conquest as power-hungry and eager to show their superiority, but not as "seriously screwed-up people". In fact, in studying World and U.S. History,  always had a certain respect for the initiative such enterprises took in expanding their global influence. Furthermore, it always seemed to me that the intense drive for monetary profit seemed to be an act of human nature, not an indicator of mental issues. Yet, in King Leopold's Ghost, it becomes clear that an obsession with colonization and exploration is not entirely normal.

Nearly all of the key characters in this book have some sort of emotional trauma that they want to escape, and conquest provides them with relief from the demons of their past. They look to Africa as a place far away from the world that has treated them poorly, a location where they can prove a dominance they never could back home. King Leopold, at the root of things, seems to be the craziest of all, which becomes evident as he seems to gradually lose his mental stability. Thus, this book has definitely changed the way I view imperialism and conquest, just from the in-depth background information it provides on the characters' troubled pasts. The explanations show that behind colonial conquest is a desire to prove a value, worth, and power that could not be gained otherwise, often without exploitation.

This book also demonstrates the traumatic disruption of the way of life in the Congo that has still not been remedied. The lasting influence of King Leopold's terror still haunts the Congo today, as it is plagued by a vicious war, extreme poverty, and general unrest. The state of the Congo today reflects the common nature, perhaps to a heightened extent, of countries disrupted by exploration and exploitation.

"From Florida to Berlin"

1. This chapter focuses on King Leopold's calculated persuasion to get his claim on the Congo recognized by the governments of various countries. The beginning of the chapter begins with a shift in focus, as it follows General Henry Shelton Sanford as he persuades the president, and then Congress to recognize Leopold's Congo state with sly propaganda and crates of oranges from his plantation. Thus, the U.S. becomes the first to acknowledge Leopold's reign. Leopold also gains recognition by the French goverment, capitalizing on the fear of the British somehow obtaining the territory otherwise. A conference addressing the colonization of Africa is held, however, Leopold does not attend, instead opting to disperse his loyal intermediaries throughout the event. As all of these occurences play out, Leopold continues to blur the realities of his plans for the Congo, relying on false promises of philanthropic work to gain recognition from the various nations. Once everything has fallen into place though, he drops the lie and acknowledges his new role as the one ruler of one nation.

2. The most controversial sub-topic that was presented in this chapter comes from the Berlin Conference. Various European nations attend the event, however, “Not a single African” is present.
The Berlin Conference was held for the purpose of dividing Africa among many nations looking to colonize, yet the population that has an established way of life has no say in the matter. This draws attention to the harsh and unjust nature of colonization as a whole and the greed of societies to take control of territory that already belonged to the indigenous people.

3. The Berlin Conference marked a pivotal stage not only for colonialism, but for the continent of Africa.

4. Quiz Questions:

1. Why does Leopold choose America as the first nation to recognize his Congo state?

2. What is the significance of Hochschild noting, “not a single African” attended the conference in Berlin?

3. Why does Leopold change the name of his claimed territory from International African Association to the Congo Free State?

4. The chapter focuses on Leopold’s rise to dominance, yet he does not directly negotiate any of the agreements that propel him to his new powerful position. Why did he choose to act solely through intermediaries?

5. How does Belgium’s small size and lack of previous international recognition work to Leopold’s advantage?

 

Purpose of Colonization and Imperialism

The nineteenth century was characterized by heightened immigration, the utilization of new technology, and the rise of imperialism. By this time, Northern American, Japanese, and European superpowers adopted a new mission of expansion and forced rule over less-developed populations. This expansion seemed in practicality, to be driven by a philosophy of mercantilism and the idea that the cultures would further increase their economic standings by gaining raw materials and new markets for their goods. Nonetheless, as their influence increased, colonization and imperialism took on an additional, less profit-based standpoint, morphing into a competition between the reigning powers of the world in a race to proclaim dominance.

The exact purpose of imperialism, nevertheless, is hard to pinpoint, as the practice took on a different meaning for each specific nation that decided to engage in it. Intellectuals have long debated the theories behind imperialistic expansion, with conservative to liberal ideas proposed without a clear verdict reached. Intellectuals such as Hans Morgenthau and Benjamin Cohen have argued that the basis of imperialism is to decrease the strategic and political vulnerability of a nation. On the other hand, however, social-psychological theories circulate as well, from theorists such as Joseph Schumpeter. He rationalizes that imperialism is merely expansion without a purpose that nations learn from the actions of other nations. He concludes that this behavior then becomes institutionalized as a way to show authority. All in all, it seems that the motivation behind becoming involved in various poor locations was so that the dominant nations could showcase their wealth and capability as world powers.

Another much-discussed drive for U.S. imperialism was Manifest Destiny, popularized by Democrats in the United States in the nineteenth century. This belief stated that Americans were destined, by the will of Heaven, to expand across the continent and gradually the world. In this scenario, liberals cited divine intervention as the reasoning behind colonization and imperialism, providing yet more reasoning for expansion.

In any case, imperialism has come to dominate many corners of the world, for better or for worse because of wealthy nations drive to utilize resources and more vainly, display their supremacy.

Senior Project/ Paper

For my senior project, I chose to focus on dance and the arts. The actual field work of my project is currently being completed at Expressions Dance Studio, volunteering as an assistant and observing classes and practices. My paper was about the correlation between the arts and academic success, as there is proof of higher test scores and graduation rates.

My project has been going well, I have completed about half of my hours and am scheduled to finish up the rest within the next few weeks. I have critiqued the students in class myself and watched the teaching methods of my mentor who is the owner of the studio.

I was fortunate not to receive my research paper back, so format-wise I think I did well. My paper, in actuality, came out better than i thought it would, as I was reading it over it was very interesting and thought-provoking. My paper took on the issue of budget cuts and the elimination of the arts from school curriculum by demonstrating through statistics the academic rewards to be gained. Nonetheless, I think I could have planned better and chosen better sources because I found statistics, but there were a lot of interesting articles that required a subscription or a fee to view. I feel that if I had really investigated at the library or through databases more extensively, I could have gained a deeper understanding from similar free studies.

Flip-Flops.

Though flip-flops may seem a current trend, their presence actually dates back to many locations in the ancient world.

Flip-flops were featured as far back as the stone age, where they were made of basic materials such as, papyrus, straw, and rawhide because of the simplicity of creating them. The crafting was very similar to today, a base with a strap attached and worn in between the toes. Flip Flops were a staple in Ancient Roman, Egyptian, and numerous other cultures.

Flip-flops first graced the U.S., however, after World War II, when soldiers returned sometimes with Zori, a form of Japanese footwear. This imported style could be found on beaches and poolside. In the 1960s, flip-flops were given their American name, derived from the sound they make on their wearer's feet, though the interesting shoes had already been deemed "thongs" in Australia and "slippers" in Hawaii. By the 1990s, Americans truly embraced the versatility of the shoe and flip-flops of quality materials such as wood and leather debuted, priced high above their beach-oriented predecessors.

Today, flip-flop sales are booming, with 2 billion in sales per year noted in the U.S., despite criticism from foot and ankle specialists who attribute the rise in foot problems in youth and younger adults with the ever-present flip-flop. Brands continue to create variations on the classic style to accommodate these concerns and less-supported versions are available nearly everywhere as well. In either case, it is doubtful that the flip-flop will go out of style in the near future.

Research Paper Questions

1. My topic is examining American attitudes towards immigration and how they have evolved over time. I will analyze immigration patterns of the past and how U.S. citizens reacted to them versus how they react to immigration primarily from Latin American countries today. 

2. The most useful finding I have looked at in my research is the number of illegal immigrants in this country because the numbers are surprisingly large. 

3. Right now, I believe that tougher immigration laws should be enforced, but not to the extent that they are in say, Arizona. However, racial profiling and unfair treatment should not be allowed. 

4. My topic I believe mostly everyone is at least vaguely familiar with, as the influences of immigration are present in our everyday lives. Nonetheless, there are intricacies of immigration that the general population is probably unfamiliar with, such as Arizona's specific immigration laws, such as SB 1070.SB 1070 is very controversial, as it is the unconstitutional law that requires police officers to demand legal documentation of individuals suspected of being undocumented immigrants under the premise of "reasonable suspension" and ignited a firestorm of controversy.

5. I never realized the sheer number of illegal immigrants in the U.S.. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimated that in 2009 there were 6,650,000 illegal immigrants from Mexico alone in America. They represent the vast majority, but there are also hundreds of thousands from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Philippines. These numbers really shocked me, just because of how large they are. 

Response to "Why You Truly Never Leave High School"

With the arrival of the Great Depression and an end to child labor, small societies with different priorities and values than adults emerged in America, begginning a new era. As this age persists into the present day, it becomes increasingly clear that high school is a morphed form of reality. The unnatural isolation from adults is peculiar and prompts immaturity. Furthermore, there are far too many students of the same age in one place to possibly characterize by things that actually matter, such as personality or interests, so students take the easy route and make judgements from appearance. These snap judgements, in turn, create a disfigured social hierarchy, reliant on superficial traits that perpetuate a transparent self-confidence among those with the right "look".

This skewed social dynamic not only alters the present for high schoolers, but as this article addresses, affects their future social confidence and self-image. Void of time on the farm or in the workforce with adults as adolescents, high schoolers see the hierarchy of high school as a valid reality an develop their social characteristics accordingly. Upon leaving high school, it becomes clear that the way they were treated there may not have been correct, but many will still bear the detrimental effects for the rest of their life. This proves that the crude nature of high school can reach past its allotted four years.