Whapey Awards Season 5 Winners!

Well the USA racked up the most awards with 4, but India takes the big prize in Season 5, joining ranks with Persia, the Byzantine Empire, and Japan--all previous winners of the big prize this year.

Best Government: India

Most Influential Society: USA

Most Influential Person: Gandhi

Best Leader: Mikhail Gorbechev

Worst Leader: Adolf Hitler

Best Conflict: Cold War

Best Social System: USA

Best Economic System: Japan

Best Labor System: USA

Worst Labor System: China

Best Invention: Internet

Worst Invention: Nuclear Weapons

Most Influential Writer: Karl Marx (not alive in Season 5 mind you, but certainly has a huge influence over the season post-mortem)

Best Cultural Contribution: The Motion Picture

All Season Whapeys are coming tomorrow!!!

Pakistan (and its Nuclear Arsenal) in Grave Danger?

Through our discussions in this class regarding South Asian politics, we all know very well now that Pakistan is a member of the "Nuke 9." Therein lies the reason that so many globally are becoming increasingly concerned over the Taliban's incursions into Pakistan. With their entrance into Pakistan's Swat Valley, the Taliban is literally within 100 miles of Islamabad the capital, yes within 100 miles of taking Pakistan's nuclear supply. Keep in mind the Taliban is the same group that housed al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and funded and supported the attacks of 9/11. Yes, this Taliban is now edging ever closer to taking down the Pakistani government and their weapons arsenal. You can read on all the latest regarding these developments by clicking here to read the BBC Special Report on "Pakistan in Turmoil."

Mexico's Most Tragic Victim of "Swine Flu"-- The ECONOMY

Mexico finds itself in a terrible bind right now, the challenge of luring visitors back to Mexico. Tourism is one of Mexico's biggest revenue generators, and at the moment Mexico City alone is losing 100 million dollars a day. It seems that Mexico is indeed safe to visit, but how do you convince tourists of that. Apparently the government is very close to launching a huge ad campaign to re-generate tourism, but it will certainly be an up-hill battle. In era of economic uncertainty, this could indeed be devastating to the Mexican economy. You can read this story, and all the latest news on H1N1 by clicking here.

China Remembers the Sichuan Quake as We Approach the One Year Anniversary

It was almost a year ago now (May 12, 2008) that southwestern China was rocked by a 7.9 earthquake in Sichuan province. The tragedy of that day was too much to ignore for people around the world. Some places like Beichuan were literally reduced to rubble. As with so many natural disasters, the disaster itself didn't take center stage, but instead the governments preparedness (or the lack thereof) and the response (or the lack thereof) (one can easily recall to mind a similar situation regarding Hurricane Katrina here in the United States in 2005). Children were literally crushed in school buildings. Then the allegations began to emerge of government corruption and cutting corners on sub-standard building materials and policies. In any case, NPR is following the anniversary of the tragedy this week, and yes the controversy still rages on calling into question the effectiveness of the current system government in China. The situation certainly does expose the fact that there is an underground resistance to that was exacerbated by these events. NPR reporter Melissa Block, who just happened to be in the city of Chengdu (in the Sichuan province), is back in Chengdu this week for the anniversary, and she has an EXCELLENT blog she has set up called Chengdu Diary (that you can check out by clicking here).

Better News Emerging Regarding the 2009 H1N1 Virus

Well folks, it looks like things are easing up a bit, and there has been encouraging information from the CDC in recent days that we are not dealing with anything like the Spanish Influenza of 1918. I still personally applaud governments and non-governmental organizations for jumping on this quickly though because (1) we're not out of the woods yet, and it could come back with a vengence when the fall flu season kicks into gear, and (2) perhaps we've been able to keep the levels of spread of this one down because we have been so vigilent. At any rate, the latest is that Mexico will begin to slowly reopen starting Wednesday, and you can read up on the details by clicking here. Currently, the 2009 H1N1 virus has infected 1,025 in 20 countries, but only two countries (Mexico and the U.S.) have reported deaths. We still need to remain alert, but my trip to Mexico in June is actually starting to look like it will happen again.

This is Good Advice For Any Day... See You all Tomorrow at 7:45am in the Commons Area

Swine Flu, Ahem... Influenza A Update- Concerning News Coupled With Some Comforting News

Ok, so here's your daily update. From this point, said virus will now be referred to as Influenza A (this is more of a human thing than a pig thing, and yes, you can still eat pork Paris Hilton). Now, yes, Influenza A has been confirmed in LaGrange, Georgia. Again, this is no reason to panic, but we just need to be aware. It is a 30-year-old woman, and she is currently in a hospital. She apparently recently came back from Cancun. Obviously, this will be something Georgians will watch, but let's listen to Governor Purdue, who has reminded us this is no reason to panic, and that it's an isolated case. You can read this story by clicking here. Ok, so the good news now. (1) The WHO is saying that for now there is no need to talk about or consider raising the pandemic threat level to 6. (2) Although there was a leap in swine flu cases today, most of these were suspected cases that are merely being confirmed now. Finally, (3) EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou has said a possible swine flu global epidemic, or pandemic, would not necessarily cause widespread deaths, and is urging Europeans to remain vigilant, but calm. You can follow that story by clicking here. You can also view the official word of the WHO on video by clicking here. Hopefully a cap can be put on this soon.

"Darwin's Nightmare" Discussion Board

Again, I remained stunned from this film, now seeing it for a fourth time. There were no actors, there was no Hollywood stage, just a risk-taker with a digital camera in hand exploring the guts of famine-stricken Tanzania. For the students that came, perhaps the film was 1 hour and 47 minutes that changed your life. I recall addressing my students back in August and telling my students that this is not just a class, and we're not here to make high numbers on report cards. This is a life-changing experience if you allow it to be. This film proved that to me this afternoon once again. Usually when I show a film, when the credits began to roll, everyone gets up and leaves. With Darwin's Nightmare, although I myself was seeing it for a 4th time, I sat through the credits stunned as if it were my first time viewing the film. Then I got up, turned on the lights, and I saw teenagers stunned, speechless, and immovable. Ladies and gentlemen, hundreds of years of history crashed into the present with Darwin's Nightmare.

So the film itself. What is it saying? The question has been asked as to what exactly is Darwin's Nightmare. Or, to put it another way, if Darwin were alive today and if he were to have a nightmare, would it look like this film? Would the fish that triggered this gold rush, the Nile perch ("sangara" in Swahili, or "mkombosi," which translates, ironically, as "the savior"), be part of his nightmare? Would the fact that this fish now devours its own young, having eaten virtually all the other fish in the lake--would this trouble Darwin enough to have nightmares? Would the local people figure into his nightmare, those who, say, will cut down a 100-year-old mango tree, which could feed 100 children, in order to make the fires which will boil a few cups of tea? Are, the consumers of the Western world (of which the Nile perch is an eerie metaphor) whose bottomless appetites set everything we see in the film in motion, are we the nightmare? One of the great strengths of this film, it could be argued, is that it leaves this and many other questions unanswered. Or leaves them for us to answer, as best we can.

So for those of you who saw the film, what are your thoughts and reactions? Your thoughts...

Season 5 Discussion Board- If You Learned Only Six Things in Season 5, Remember...

1. Due to improvements in health care and the decrease of the death rate, the world population went from 1 billion people in 1900 to over 6 billion. The movement of people has also increased throughout the world, with many in search of better economic opportunities. Some refugees, too are being forced to leave their homelands.

2. Traditional social structures have been challenged as a result of movements which have attempted to empower the working and peasant classes, such as the introduction of communist governments in various parts of the world.

3. Women gained the right to vote in many parts of the world and access to new economic opportunities and education. The development of the birth control pill empowered women by allowing them to control their own reproductive systems.

4. The world became more and more integrated through technology, cultures blended, and some came to dominate. At the same time, religious fundamentalism has developed in some regions, possibly to combat this Western-dominated culture.

5. This rise in the nation-state and nationalism has led to the adoption of political systems from totalitarianism to democracy. At the same time, the rise of a more globally connected world may blur the lines of the nation-state.

6. The world wars demonstrated the influence of technology on warfare, but also indicated the decline of Europe as the global power. Colonial areas asserted themselves and fought for independence, but were later faced with a new global conflict called the Cold War. since the end of the Cold War, nations have made attempts at both economic and political reforms, and international and multinational organizations have made attempts to find a new world order.

Season 4 Discussion Board- If You Learned Only Six Things in Season 4, Remember...

1. Industrialization led the world to become truly interdependent. Industrialized nations in nations in search of raw materials and new markets often imperialized areas to protect their economic interests.

2. Populations grew and many people migrated to cities in search of work in factories. Free-wage laborers were more desirable in this new market-driven economy than force labor. As a result, slaves and serfs were emancipated.

3. Women gained some economic opportunities in the factories but were paid considerably less than their male counterparts. These new economic opportunities and Enlightenment ideals pushed women to fight for political rights, as well.

4. The working-class emerged as a force for change. Through organization into unions, these workers were able to advocate for improved working conditions, which were dangerous and oppressive.

5. Western culture strongly influenced many Asian and African areas through colonization. At the same time, Asian and African culture and art strongly influenced European intellectuals and artists. Enlightenment ideals such as equality, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion became very influential in many parts of the world, yet in other parts, traditional religious organization maintained power and influence.

6. The ideas of the Enlightenment said that the government was responsible to its people, inspiring revolutions and independence movements and pushing some governments to experiment with democratic values. This democracy, however, proved to extend to a limited class of people. "The nation" and nationalism became the new concepts of identity in the 19th century, and would soon spread to many parts of the world.

Do You Really Want to Make a Positive Impact???

As I graded the tests that you all took on Monday, I was impressed by how many people said that they truly want to dedicate themselves to a cause and make a positive impact. As impressive as this always is to hear, I find that our sense of urgency can quickly fade when we say we want to do things in the future. EVEN AS TEENAGERS, YOU CAN MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW! Making goals is only half the battle. Now is the time for action. Now is the time to involve yourself in positive volunteer service, not just in our small community, but at global levels. Yes, you can be a global force for positive change right now. As so many of you have acknowledged, globalization has made the impossible possible, and globalization does not have to be a negative thing. Could you use globalization and the tools that we have before us to help children in Ethiopia learn how to read for example? Sure, you saw the World Bank's statistics on this blog last week that 68% of all Ethiopian women are illiterate. Gone are the days, however, that we look at such things and say: "Oh, that's too bad. I feel so lucky to live in this country." Now is time for action! In the words of Edmund Burke: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." As I've said before, I'd rather fail trying to be part of the solution than succeed being part of the problem. I am glad to know that news organizations like CNN not only present the news but also give their viewers opportunities to explore solutions to the problems they see on the news instead of just shaking their heads and changing the channel. The program is called CNN Impact Your World. Students have asked me what they can do now to help those dealing with tragedy. Folks, if you simply click here, you'll notice there are a multitude of global volunteer services you can involve yourselves in right now, and that span the full range of interests, from refugees to poverty to health to natural disasters to children to the environment. If you find something you like, talk to me and I'll be glad to work alongside you in the trenches.

Announcing a Special Encore Presentation of "Darwin's Nightmare" on Thursday, April 30

Due to popular demand, I will be showing an ENCORE presentation of Darwin's Nightmare for the first time in the history of this class. It seems like the students that saw the film yesterday have pretty much unanimously demanded that this be required viewing for an AP World History student. Again, as I mentioned in a previous post, YOU DON'T TRULY UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION IN AFRICA UNTIL YOU SEE THIS FILM. The encore will be Thursday, April 30, starting at 2:30 pm. The film has a runtime of around 1 hour and 47 minutes. As always, the trailer can be viewed below.

The Season 5 Whapey Awards (VOTE!!!)

Ok folks, now that season 5, and the series, is officially over, it's time for awards season. Once again, this is our opportunity to award the "best" in world history at the end of a season. This is also a great opportunity to reflect critically on content learned. The categories for voting will be listed below, and all you have to do is nominate your selection in a comment post. Voting closes at 11:59pm ON SUNDAY. We'll tally the votes, and the winner will be announced Tuesday, May 5. If any of you are in need of volunteer hours and would like to come in after school or during 6th lunch on Monday to tally votes, I'll be happy to have you. That would be a great help. Happy voting. Don't forget: next will be the All-Season Whapey Awards! Here are the categories for season 5...


[NOTE: DO NOT COPY AND PASTE OTHER VOTERS' BALLOTS. YOU MAY ONLY COPY AND PASTE THIS ONE TO FILL IN. VOTE INDEPENDENTLY!]




Best Government:

Most Influential Society:

Most Influential Person:

Best Leader:

Worst Leader:

Best Conflict:

Best Social System:

Best Economic System:

Best Labor System:

Worst Labor System:

Best Invention:

Worst Invention:

Most Influential Writer:

Best Cultural Contribution:




[NOTE: BECAUSE OF THE SEASON 5 FILM FESTIVAL, WE WILL HAVE SEPARATE VOTING FOR THE USUAL FILM CATEGORY AFTER OUR ENCORE PRESENATION OF DARWIN'S NIGHTMARE ON THURSDAY].

The WHO Raises Pandemic Threat Level to 5

Today the World Health Organization raised the pandemic threat level from 4 to 5 (the highest level is 6). According to the WHO's Dr. Margaret Chan: "All of humanity is under threat." Again though, medical professionals, as well is government officials, are stressing the need not to panic. I just saw an interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Wolf Blizter's Situation Room, and he basically said that the reason for raising the threat level has a lot more to do with the scope and not yet the severity. Swine Flu is now in 11 states, but Georgia is not yet one of them. However, according to a Georgia health official, the likelihood of Georgia not being affected is nil. Health officials in Georgia expect to be dealing with cases, as Atlanta is an obvious international crossroads. In any case, you can click here to get the latest from the BBC.

Reviewing Barack Obama's First 100 Days as United States President

Well folks, it's official, the Obama Era of American history (and world history for that matter) is exactly 100 days old. It seems that the consensus is a fairly positive one, posting the highest on the job approval rating (62%) of any president in the first 100 days since Jimmy Carter. Of course the difficult challenges still remain. Probably the most difficult hurdle that still remains a problem is a lack of bi-partisanship as Democrats and Republicans still remain very divided, especially in the House of Representatives. So many goals remain to be fulfilled and so much remains to be seen. That being said, the first 100 days are traditionally rocky, so to have a job approval rating of 62% and a personal approval rating of 81% is unusual and impressive by any standard. Ever since day one of the Obama presidency, a whirlwind of major global issues have hit hard, and the BBC has done its typically PHENOMENAL job of tracking every inch of the first 100 days. You can look the BBC Special Report of Obama's first 100 days by clicking here. I especially enjoy reading BBC's presidential report cards. Below are a couple of BBC assessments of the first 100 days. I especially enjoy the whirlwind first 100 days in 100 seconds.

Season 3 Discussion Board-- If You Learned Only Six Things in Season 3, Remember...

1. As a result of the search for a faster way to the trade routes of the Indian Ocean, the Americas are included in the global trade network, and the process of true globalization begins. This encounter sets off the Colombian Exchange of goods, disease, and cultures which spreads throughout the world.

2. Improvements in and the spread of shipping technologies and gunpowder weapons allow European countries to begin to exercise a more prominent role in world affairs.

3. Native American people die by the millions due to their exposure to previously unknown European diseases. African people are forcibly transported across the Atlantic Ocean to fill the need for forced labor on plantations.

4. New social structures emerge like those in the Americas based on race. While few women exert power publicly, women of the harem in the Ottoman Empire wielded considerable power behind the scenes.

5. In Europe, the Renaissance and Reformation challenge previously accepted beliefs and the power of the Roman Catholic Church. In other parts of the world such as China, reaffirmation of more traditional beliefs is viewed as the key to stability.

6. European empires such as Spain and Portugal stretch their power overseas to conquer and control the newly encountered Americas. At the same time, dominant land-based empires such as the Ottoman, Mughal, and the Qing grow powerful.

Swine Flu is Beginning to Have a Global Impact

Well folks, here's the swine flu status report: 152 now dead in Mexico (only 20 confirmed as Swine Flu but more is coming; tambien, Mexico is still the only country that has reported deaths), 64 confirmed cases in the U.S., 13 confirmed cases in Canada, 3 confirmed cases in New Zealand, 2 confirmed cases in Great Britain, 2 confirmed cases in Spain, 2 confirmed cases in Israel, and now we have suspected cases in Brazil, Guatemala, Peru, Australia, South Korea, and 7 states in the European Union. We'll continue to follow this rapidly developing story. The BBC now has a special report page that you can study (by clicking here) in order to understand this situation a little more clearly.

Season 2 Discussion Board-- If You Learned Only Six Things in Season 2, Remember...

1. Like the Foundations period, this time period witnesses a tremendous growth in long distance trade due to the improvements in technology. Trade through the Silk Road, the Indian Ocean, the Trans-Saharan trade, and the Mediterranean Sea led to the spread of ideas, religions, and technology.

2. Major technological developments such as the compass, improved ship-building technology, and gunpowder shaped the development of the world.

3. The movement of people greatly altered our world. Nomadic groups such as the Turks, Mongols, and Vikings, for instance, interacted with settled people-often because of their technology-leading to further change and development.

4. Religions such as Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism preached the equality of all be believers in the eyes of God. And though patriarchal values continued to dominate, the monastic life of Buddhism and Christianity offered an alternative path for women.

5. The spread of religion aided by the increase in trade often acted as a unifying force, though it sometimes caused conflict. Christianity and the Church served as the centralizing force in Western Europe, and throughout East Asia, the spread of Confucianism and Buddhism solidified a cultural identity. The new religion of Islam created a new cultural world known as dar-al Islam which transcended political boundaries.

6. The political structures of many areas adapted and changed to the new conditions of the world. Centralized empires like the Byzantine, Arab Caliphates, and the Tang and Song dynasties built of the successful models of the past, while decentralized areas (Western Europe and Japan) developed political organization that more effectively dealt with their unique issues. The movements of the Mongols altered much of Asia's political structure for a time, and the recovery from that Mongol period introduced political structures which defined many areas for centuries to follow.

Season 1 Discussion Board-- If You Learned Only Five Things in Season 1, Remember...

1. From the simplest barter system to long journeys along trade routes, the exchange of goods and ideas shaped this period and led to further change throughout the world. Important trade routes like the Silk Road, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea shaped development.

2. Once people began to settle and gradually organize into early civilizations, the discovery of agriculture began to change their lives at a more rapid pace.

3. As humans organized themselves in families, gender roles emerged. With the development of agriculture, the division of labor further deepened these divisions. These gender roles were reinforced by religious systems and governmental systems.

4. During this period, major world religions developed and spread, shaping the civilizations they encountered. Religions and belief systems such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism (Asia), and Christianity and Judaism (Europe, Asia) influenced large numbers of people throughout the period.

5. Civilizations emerged which had organized governments, complex religions, social structures, job specialization, public works, systems of writing, and arts and architecture. These civilizations grew into larger and more complicated government organizations such as empires, i.e. Rome, Han, and Gupta.

How Serious is the Swine Flu Outbreak?

Honestly, I don't think anyone fully knows the answer to that question yet. Clearly, though, it is interesting that as we now take the time to think about the year gone by, we are seeing the Series Premiere (the birth of farming) colliding right into the Series Finale (globalization). At any rate, I'm following this one VERY closely. Of course, you know the BBC has the best coverage on this in the English language, and you can take a look at it by clicking here.