The Turks in World History, p. 218-237 FC

The assimilation of Turks in Europe in the late twentieth century determined how they viewed themselves and their evolution as a people. The Turks in World History depicts that although Turks saw themselves as a people but they chose to have the buffet effect. They chose to accept certain backgrounds in their ethnicity gene pool and also had to choice to claim others. The picking and choosing on what they decided to put on their plate was determine who they were and what they were going to be in Europe.
The Turks in World History explains how Islam and the culture that follows had an impact on the later assimilated Turkish population. Also Findley mentions how politics of the Turks took its role in European history mainly Germany. Findley talks about about the genetic make up of the Turkic identity which was set up by the migrations of different people across Asia and Europe.
Through the pages I read about the extensive background of the Turkic identity and how the people slowly evolve. Findley gave great examples of the leaders and of influential people that would show Turkic pride. The example of the caravan and weaving of rugs as a comparison to the Turks show how they were made up and how they assimilated to Europe with their overwhelming numbers because of the push and pull factors such as work openings and move to urban life from rural living.

Okwondo's Fury FC

On an interesting note, in Things Fall Apart, Achebe uses a much more westernized look back towards the culture of Niger. With the ability to look back upon his home country during a time which it was in the midst of being colonized, gives Achebe the ability to critique and criticize the incoming colonist but what we should also see is that he simultaneously is doing the same towards his fellow tribesmen in Niger. Achebe uses Okwondo as his focal point and tells of numerous ordeals which he felt Okwondo acted as many tribesmen of that time period probably did, however he criticizes Okwondo’s actions which gives off that much more westernized society feel to me. A few examples are when Okwondo beats his wife, or even pulls a gun on her, when he kills Ikemefuna, and when he beats his son. All of these situations are met with solemn responses from his fellow tribesmen telling the reader that these are wrongful acts of violence when in actuality they were probably part of the culture, which he is defending.

Kory Kaspar

Coca-Cola FC

I did not find Coke's impact on the world to be as significant as the books earlier drinks, especially tea. The other drinks we read about were generally shown in a light were they helped humanity greatly or changed the culture. i do not see how Coke did either. Unlike tea which is very healthy and gives you minerals the body needs, coke arguably harms the body more than it hurts it.

What I got out of the chapter was that coke was the first beverage to reach a global appeal. As the author says, WWII played a big part in that. Sending 16 million soldiers around the world with coke in their hands will do that. When reading the chapter I also got the feeling that coke was the first modern beverage, it used massive advertising to accomplish what it has become today and created a trend that all majot brands follow today.

David Northup FC

The Power of Coca-Cola FC

So far the theme of this book had more or less been on the idea that these various drinks changed the world in which we live, some chapters with more success than others. Most of the beverages created a cleaner drinking source, facilitated academic thought, protected sailors, fueled workers or were used in trade agreements to influence empires. The chapters on Coca-Cola fall short of these other arguments, the only truly new concept heralded was the legal caffeination of children. Sorry, but I don't see that as a great stepping stone in civilization like fermented drinks, nor was it the healing remedy it first claimed to be. (although I did find the tidbit about Coca-cola not being able to put children in its ads until 1986 pretty neat)
He attempts to make connections to the U.S. involvement in WWII and globalization, but the text clearly shows that Coca-Cola was not a leader in these fields but a follower. Coke followed the troops, it followed the spread of the U.S.'s sphere of influence, it did not colonize on its own bringing things into the American empire. It gave a morale boost to the troops but that was about it, I doubt it changed the course of the war. It changed the course of the company, the world (especially America) changed the company and made it what it is today, rather than the company making the world what it is today.
These chapters make very little in terms of describing influence, they just tell the story and don't show much on how the world was changing, avoiding the original thesis, so I see these as being the weakest point in the book.

-Spence Gaskin

coca-cola FC

Coca cola not only brought together the United States but brought together the world. " Coca Cola had established itself one very continent on Earth, carried on the coattails of the American military", with many of the countries we have seen that war spreads culture, from the Ottomans interacting with civilians and spreading their culture to the Americans in WWII. Somethings are not liked that we enhabit such as Europeans spreading Syphilis to the Native Americans (Even though to the communists they thought coca cola was just as bad i think).
In the epilogue they talk about how everything reverts back to water and this is very true, and how the big craze is bottled water because it is ' better for you' but most likely if you ask a student on campus what water they are drinking ( in their bottle) they will say they have refilled it with the water fountain. Ill go on a little enviromental tangent but there is no need to always be buying water bottles and wasting plastic when tap water (filtered) is just as good for you.
so we have learned throughout the semester what brings people together and in the book it is water and in life it is just being humans that does it.

I think I like the U.S. better back then....

After reading President Eisenhower's final address I couldn't but think how much to me the United States have changed since then, and not in a good way. In his address I took from it how if nothing else he wanted the people of the U.S. to continue to push forward in all aspects of life and to cling to the values that had gotten the U.S. to become the most powerful and advanced country in the world at that time. Now as I turn the channels on the television at night and run across the various news stations all you ever hear about is all the huge problems our country is facing both internally and externally, especially when it comes to financial problems within our country and also to all the other people that we owe money to. When watching this and after reading this I can only think wow, we have pretty much done exactly opposite especially here lately of what the President wanted us not to do...

Wade Lawson

Hiroshima- FC

The bombing of Hiroshima in Japan was a devastating attack that claimed many Japanese lives. The atom bomb was a new technology developed by the Americans that decided to use it to quickly end WWII against Japan. After the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were dropped, it was less than a week later that Japan dropped out of the race. The Japanese people had no idea what kind of weapon we had unleashed upon them. Many were savagely hurt by houses falling on top of them, and none were prepared. The attack on Japan was in retaliation to their attack on Pearl Harbor, but our attack was much more savage and brutal because it was not just on their military personnel, but on their citizens. Citizens were not involved in the war, and were innocent. Many died from the initial blasts, and the fires initiated from them. And still many more who had survived the attack were taken by the atomic gasses released that lingered and destroyed those areas for years. The community of Hiroshima banned together to save its people, but many were lost under wreckage with broken limbs. Children who didn't know any better were left without parents and guardians. The alert had been sounded that said everything was okay, when really it wasn't. Maybe this was a ploy to lure the Japanese people into thinking things were okay when really, things were about to be the worst for the Japanese people. The bombing of Hiroshima decimated its population and vegetation. The actual bomb only used roughly 10% of its total power, but just that little percent devastated an entire region. It must have been a hard decision to drop the bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, but it saved many American lives in the process of murdering countless Japanese.