Sort of random, but I thought I'd point it out. For PS3 there is a game called Valkyria Chronicles (just recently made into an anime series) that takes place in a fictional Europe during the "Second Europan War," (wonder what war that could be!). Basically the Allies are the Federation and the Axis is known as the Empire. Though with a slight fantasy setting to it, it actually has some deepness and covers a lot of issues that are also present in "The Book Thief" and many other stories that take place during this time period. Though not in fictional version of Germany, it takes place in Gallia, a fictional country, that if located on a map, I believe may be Belgium or one of those close by ones. The point is, it takes place during what is basically the Blitzkrieg.
In the game, you control squad seven of the militia and drive back the Imperial army and win the war (remember, totally fictional). While it may ask the typical questions of "why must we fight?" or "is war really worth all this death?" it also covers themes of racism. The Darcsens, a race of dark haired (almost navy blue, in my opinion) are the Jews by proxy (if I messed up the use of the word "proxy," let me know. Been wanting to add that to my vocabulary). They are the ones who have taken the blame for almost everything in this fictional Europe, not just in Germany. Like during our WWII era, they were hunted and killed or when captured, taken to camps. This is pre-gas chamber though, since they're all work camps. The main character's father, who we never meet, was a war hero from the first Europan War, and his best friend, who died, was a Darcsen. After his friend's death, the main character's father adopted his friend's daughter (anyone reminded of Hans?). Throughout the game, the girl faces racism, but stubbornly stands up for herself and questions why people can say such mean things about her when they clearly know nothing about her people, only what they've been told. I don't want to spoil anything, but the barrier of racism is finally overcome, but at a great costs.
I think the game talks about important subjects while at the same time is very fun to play. It's a mix of RTS (sort of), Shooter, and RPG. You may ask "how does that work?" It works quite well for such a wierd mix. Also, I wouldn't describe the game as having "graphics," more like art. Everything looks as if it was drawn very well, and has sound effects as words, as if it was a moving comic book. For anyone with a PS3, I recommend it, but better yet, you can download the demo for free with PSN and try it out first.
(and for anyone who cares, my PSN is Ryuken1106, if you want to add me online)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Exile or Mercy... PART 2!!!
After slight research, I found out that the old Nazi guards should be deported. During the Nuremberg Trials, there was a set of guidelines that would be used to help determine what was considered a war crime. They're quite easy to understand, and here is a link to it.
http://deoxy.org/wc/wc-nurem.htm
Now, if you took the time to read them, you may notice one in particular that would apply to the Nazi concenration camp guards. More exactly, Principle IV.
"The fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his Government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to him."
Other sites have paraphrased it to "It is not an acceptable excuse to say 'I was just following my Superior's orders,' " which is what I'm sure many of the guards would use as a defense. A camp guard could say he feels uncomfortable having all these people being killed around him and ask for a different position, something like a cook or some form of office work in a different region that still would support the Nazi party in some way. I'm pretty sure a Nazi cook wouldn't get in trouble unless making food for soldiers ends up counting as "aiding in crimes against humanity."
In the end, I do feel a little bad for the old guards that didn't do anything besides guarding the enterance. But unless they have substantial proof of their innocence, then by law they are war criminals and will be treated as such. It is bad that the old guards have to have this happen to them so late in life, but it's better late than never. Now many familys who had survived or have relatives who were in concentration camps can feel better knowing that justice was served. Let this also be a warning to possible criminals out there... Mess with the law and it'll get you back, even if it's 60 years later!
http://deoxy.org/wc/wc-nurem.htm
Now, if you took the time to read them, you may notice one in particular that would apply to the Nazi concenration camp guards. More exactly, Principle IV.
"The fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his Government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to him."
Other sites have paraphrased it to "It is not an acceptable excuse to say 'I was just following my Superior's orders,' " which is what I'm sure many of the guards would use as a defense. A camp guard could say he feels uncomfortable having all these people being killed around him and ask for a different position, something like a cook or some form of office work in a different region that still would support the Nazi party in some way. I'm pretty sure a Nazi cook wouldn't get in trouble unless making food for soldiers ends up counting as "aiding in crimes against humanity."
In the end, I do feel a little bad for the old guards that didn't do anything besides guarding the enterance. But unless they have substantial proof of their innocence, then by law they are war criminals and will be treated as such. It is bad that the old guards have to have this happen to them so late in life, but it's better late than never. Now many familys who had survived or have relatives who were in concentration camps can feel better knowing that justice was served. Let this also be a warning to possible criminals out there... Mess with the law and it'll get you back, even if it's 60 years later!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Barbed wire = Crown of Thorns = Symbolism?
"Oh, yes, I definitly remember him. The sky was murky and deep like quicksand. There was a young man parceled up in barbed wire, like a giant crown of thorns. I untangled him and carried him out. High above the earth, we sank together, to our knees. It was just another day, 1918." (p.145)
In this exerpt of The Book Thief, Death is remember Johann Hermann, the son of the mayor who died in World War I. This may be a bit of a stretch, but one might possibly be able to say that this part was symbolic. The Crown of Thorns is what was placed on Jesus' head when he was to be crusified. As I'm sure many people know, he knew he would die and did so for everyone (religious or not, that's the way it goes).
So anyway, many soldiers died in WWI, so we can probably guess that a lot of soldiers almost half expected that they would die. Also, we don't know the exact details, but since it was 1918, the end of WWI, the battles might have been quite intense and Germany might have been doing a lot of last second recruitment to help defend their land. So there's a posibility that Johann went to war to defend his country and his people. He probably knew there was a chance he would die, and he went off to war for the sake of others (to protect his family and country). One could make the connection to say that Johann, along with many other soliders, were in a way Christ figures because of those two traits. That, I believe, is the reason why Zusak chose to describe the barbed wire as a crown of thorns.
In this exerpt of The Book Thief, Death is remember Johann Hermann, the son of the mayor who died in World War I. This may be a bit of a stretch, but one might possibly be able to say that this part was symbolic. The Crown of Thorns is what was placed on Jesus' head when he was to be crusified. As I'm sure many people know, he knew he would die and did so for everyone (religious or not, that's the way it goes).
So anyway, many soldiers died in WWI, so we can probably guess that a lot of soldiers almost half expected that they would die. Also, we don't know the exact details, but since it was 1918, the end of WWI, the battles might have been quite intense and Germany might have been doing a lot of last second recruitment to help defend their land. So there's a posibility that Johann went to war to defend his country and his people. He probably knew there was a chance he would die, and he went off to war for the sake of others (to protect his family and country). One could make the connection to say that Johann, along with many other soliders, were in a way Christ figures because of those two traits. That, I believe, is the reason why Zusak chose to describe the barbed wire as a crown of thorns.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
"The Jew was filthy."
This is from page 209 when they're cleaning Max. Of course it could be taken very literally. He has gone a long time without bathing since he never had the chance and I don't think everyone showered daily back in early 40's Germany, especially the poor. But filthy is also one of the many words the Nazis would have used to describe not just him, but any Jew (even the ones that just got done bathing). It's unfortunate though that he did have to fulfil on of the descriptions that the Nazis gave the Jews, but at least it was in a literal way and that he wasn't filthy as a person. I had more to go on about that one sentence, but I read it late at night, so I've forgotten most of what I was planning on writing in 18 or so hours of sleep and college.
Another line that stuck out was "The Jewish rat, back in his hole,"(p. 215). In a way, he was like a rat since he was hiding in the basement, which I think would be a normal place for them to hide. I'm not saying that he is a rat, but it just happens to be the case (on that note, we can call Anne Frank a squirrel because she hides in the attic, nothing against her either, just pointing it out). It reminds me of a part from Inglourious Basterds. The high ranking SS officer had the nickname "the Jew Hunter" for his ability to find hidden ones so easily. He would go on to say that he respected them and considered rat to be a compliment. He said the life of a rat is tough, and even if they do nothing to bring forth dislike towards them, they're still greeted with a shoe or such when they walk in the door, where a squirrel would not receive as much (yet they still had to be jerks and take her away...). He said the only way they could survive is by hiding like a rat would, and that hiding helped them survive, and he respected the strength of their will to do so.
Since I got far off track from where I became with that line, I'll try to sum it up. It was due to his situation that he was a rat. The Nazis may have called the Jew rats, but that was because they forced the Jewish people to become them and hide for their survival, much like a real rat. It was the time and place that caused them to bear such a terrible name. If anyone is to call a Jew a rat, they are obviously racist/anti-Semitic and should be ignored due to their closed-mindedness.
(This is a touchy subject and I walked a thin line on this one I believe, so if I have offended anyone, I apologize. I have nothing against Jews at all. My best friend in Massachusetts is Jewish, if that helps prove my point.)
Another line that stuck out was "The Jewish rat, back in his hole,"(p. 215). In a way, he was like a rat since he was hiding in the basement, which I think would be a normal place for them to hide. I'm not saying that he is a rat, but it just happens to be the case (on that note, we can call Anne Frank a squirrel because she hides in the attic, nothing against her either, just pointing it out). It reminds me of a part from Inglourious Basterds. The high ranking SS officer had the nickname "the Jew Hunter" for his ability to find hidden ones so easily. He would go on to say that he respected them and considered rat to be a compliment. He said the life of a rat is tough, and even if they do nothing to bring forth dislike towards them, they're still greeted with a shoe or such when they walk in the door, where a squirrel would not receive as much (yet they still had to be jerks and take her away...). He said the only way they could survive is by hiding like a rat would, and that hiding helped them survive, and he respected the strength of their will to do so.
Since I got far off track from where I became with that line, I'll try to sum it up. It was due to his situation that he was a rat. The Nazis may have called the Jew rats, but that was because they forced the Jewish people to become them and hide for their survival, much like a real rat. It was the time and place that caused them to bear such a terrible name. If anyone is to call a Jew a rat, they are obviously racist/anti-Semitic and should be ignored due to their closed-mindedness.
(This is a touchy subject and I walked a thin line on this one I believe, so if I have offended anyone, I apologize. I have nothing against Jews at all. My best friend in Massachusetts is Jewish, if that helps prove my point.)
Monday, September 21, 2009
Exile or Mercy
I read the article that the professor had posted about old Nazi guards living in the US. I'm pretty torn on the topic.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090917/NEWS05/90917065/?imw=Y
Half of me says "They're just old men, leave them be," while the other half is thinking "The bastard shot at the Jews? That jerk should be kicked out." I almost think it is all based on circumstances. One of my favorite phrases "It depends on the circumstances," would work well here. If the old man is really nice, and regrets having done what he did, or not taking action, give the guy a break; it must be hard on someone to remember terrible things from long ago and wishing they could take it back. On the other hand, the ones who were cruel, like that one lady who had stomped an old Jewish lady to death, she shouldn't be given an easy time.
I think deciding who can stay or not should really be decided on the person, not all of the old guards in general. In a way, deciding that all of the guards are bad without knowing them could count as discrimination, which in a way could make us almost as bad as what the Nazis were (assuming we don't go around killing them). This is a touchy subject, but it happened a long time ago and I think those who were not 100% into it or were uneasy with the whole thing should be given at least a little bit a mercy. Now as for the guards who did beat on Jews and other "sub-humans" and did feel strong hate for them... Go ahead and kick them out.
(Now I feel like a hypocrite for wanting to kick out the pure evil ones after saying we should give the rest of them who were semi-evil a little bit of mercy. Oh well.)
http://www.freep.com/article/20090917/NEWS05/90917065/?imw=Y
Half of me says "They're just old men, leave them be," while the other half is thinking "The bastard shot at the Jews? That jerk should be kicked out." I almost think it is all based on circumstances. One of my favorite phrases "It depends on the circumstances," would work well here. If the old man is really nice, and regrets having done what he did, or not taking action, give the guy a break; it must be hard on someone to remember terrible things from long ago and wishing they could take it back. On the other hand, the ones who were cruel, like that one lady who had stomped an old Jewish lady to death, she shouldn't be given an easy time.
I think deciding who can stay or not should really be decided on the person, not all of the old guards in general. In a way, deciding that all of the guards are bad without knowing them could count as discrimination, which in a way could make us almost as bad as what the Nazis were (assuming we don't go around killing them). This is a touchy subject, but it happened a long time ago and I think those who were not 100% into it or were uneasy with the whole thing should be given at least a little bit a mercy. Now as for the guards who did beat on Jews and other "sub-humans" and did feel strong hate for them... Go ahead and kick them out.
(Now I feel like a hypocrite for wanting to kick out the pure evil ones after saying we should give the rest of them who were semi-evil a little bit of mercy. Oh well.)
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Churchill
"...we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender," Is a part from Winston Churhill's speech on June 4, 1940. The speech was given after the withdrawl of troops at Dunkirk. With the withdrawl of troops from France, England would be next in the Nazi's march across Europe. Churchill gave his speech to rally the people of England to fight for their home and to never surrender. The repetition of his words really shows how strongly he feels, as well as how he wants everyone else to feel. I'm sure his speech gave a strong morale boost to the soldiers, which would've made them fight harder for their home.
Also... while on the subject of Churchill and words, I think a nice little sample of Churchill's wit would be nice. (good chances are that these are paraphrased)
Lady Astor: "Mr. Churchill, you're drunk!"
Winston Churchill: "Yes, and you, Madam, are ugly. But tomorrow, I shall be sober."
"Sir, if you were my husband, I would poison your drink." --Lady Astor to Winston Churchill "Madam, if you were my wife, I would drink it." -- His reply
Not only did he have the ability to rally a nation to fight on when it seemed as if all hope was lost, but he was also the master of come-backs! Something also tells me Churchill and Astor didn't get along very often.
Also... while on the subject of Churchill and words, I think a nice little sample of Churchill's wit would be nice. (good chances are that these are paraphrased)
Lady Astor: "Mr. Churchill, you're drunk!"
Winston Churchill: "Yes, and you, Madam, are ugly. But tomorrow, I shall be sober."
"Sir, if you were my husband, I would poison your drink." --Lady Astor to Winston Churchill "Madam, if you were my wife, I would drink it." -- His reply
Not only did he have the ability to rally a nation to fight on when it seemed as if all hope was lost, but he was also the master of come-backs! Something also tells me Churchill and Astor didn't get along very often.
Friday, September 11, 2009
The downside of technology.
I can't remember where I heard it exactly, but someone said that stuff like the internet and cell phones were made to make life easier, and make it so people have to work less so they can spend more time with their family. Now I truely understand why whoever said it says that it was wrong. I get home, first week of college over, no homework since I did it all, ready to relax and then I check my email. My chem teacher already sent us homework, and I have no clue how exactly to do it, so I'm going to end up spending a couple hours reading the chapter in my textbook then a few more doing these problems. If I'm lucky, the problems won't be too long. Reading a whole chapter from a chemistry textbook on the other hand will. Sure love surprises...
Thursday, September 10, 2009
.....
Well, here it is. The first post on my blog which is needed for my composition class. I understand the concept of making this; to get ideas down and to enjoy writing. The only problem... I'm not really a fan of blogs. I don't really hate writing either. I actually like doing research papers if I'm able to pick any subject of my choosing. For this class, I think the professor said we had to do it on something involving WWII, which I'm fine with and might have done anyway.
I did a research paper about D-Day and Normandy my junior year in high school and think I might do it again since I feel like it could have been better. Now if my professor just happens to see this (which you probably will), I'd like to point out that I won't just pass in my old paper and that I plan on remaking it from the beginning, just having a slight advantage since I now know about it to begin with. Well, I guess I'll come and post on this if anything interesting comes to mind since I need two posts a week.
I did a research paper about D-Day and Normandy my junior year in high school and think I might do it again since I feel like it could have been better. Now if my professor just happens to see this (which you probably will), I'd like to point out that I won't just pass in my old paper and that I plan on remaking it from the beginning, just having a slight advantage since I now know about it to begin with. Well, I guess I'll come and post on this if anything interesting comes to mind since I need two posts a week.
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