Andes...Not Just a Delicious After-Dinner Mint Chocolate!

When I read about the ecology within the Andes, I thought it was funny that cocoa was indigenous to the eastern slope of the mountain range. Why? Because Andes chocolates are one of my favorite little treats when I go to a fancier restaurant, and they leave them with the check. Mmm, yum.

Anyway, what I found most interesting in this small section was the Norte Chico. They were one of the world's first civilizations, yet I have never heard of them. We have learned that writing was an amazing technology to develop, so seeing that the Norte Chico lacked this, it demonstrates how this lacking leaves very little marks on history, opposed to more technologically advanced groups like the Incas, who I have heard about since I was a little tike.

Now, the Chavin religious movement was also very interesting, as it is known just as that. Not a particular civilization, but as this center for this religious movement. Within this city, class system was yet again, exhibited. Man, am I getting tired of reading about the inevitability of humankind being unkind to one another...they had all these wonderful things going in Chavin: artwork, ceremonies, great natural resources, structured housing, yet...of course! Only the higher class seemed to get to enjoy these benefits. Disgusting.

History Repeats Itself and It Hates Doing So...So Listen the First Time!!

As I was reading this chapter, I stopped on the small section about peasants in China. Within this section, all that kept running through my head was how much it sounded like America today. The poor, and most of the middle class have to pay taxes, work themselves to death, and many (in the past) were drafted into wars, or feel there is no other option but the military. Because of such hardships, a lot do easily fall into homelessness (begging, as written in this section), or into gangs...something extremely common nowadays. Just in the high school I used to work at, I would see so many great kids turn to gangs because it was seemingly easier than trying to make it in this society and economy. Anyway, this section reminded me, eerily so, of today's world, and the "impoverished" who strive to make a better life for themselves.

And don't even get me started on India's caste system!! That is the most degrading, humiliating, disrespectful ruling ever to be put in place! And it happens everywhere. In my Literary Theory class, we learned about Marxism, and how the rich will always be rich, and the poor will always be poor, and religions have been put in place a long time ago by other rich people to keep the poor satisfied with their lot in life...and you know what? I COMPLETELY agree. All societies have their religion that keeps the poor "happy," with the promise of that glorious afterlife, but India especially has a particularly cruel way of keeping that promise barely dangling in their poor's faces: reincarnation. Which!! I used to think was a cool idea, now that I know how it originated, no. thank. YOU!

Socrates, You So-Crazy!

When reading the excerpt about Socrates speaking before being put to death, I could not help thinking of an epic speech from a suspense film, or television show. Like, if Walter White was not just a meth cook and kingpin in Breaking Bad, his usual dialogue could easily be related to how epic Socrates' speech was. Socrates is obviously a much more important figure to us as a human race, but just the fact that he was cocky enough to say that his death did not affect him as negatively as it would the people of Athens; his leaving the city only hurt them, and he was only going along with what God had planned. Pretty ballsy. He also went on to say that humans were basically dumb compared to God, yet, he did not shy away from gloating about his own wisdom. God complex, much? Me thinks Socrates was the original Heisenberg....

And just to touch a bit on the chapter, I have to say that the Jews are pretty amazing. They are the most loyal followers ever. Look at what they have been through...Egypt, Babylon, the Holocaust, the list goes on! Yet, they are like, "uh-uh, we are here to stay, spread thinly amongst the world, with no real home base!" Not to mention, their religious beliefs were the roots for Christianity and Islam....I believe Alanis Morrissette said it best when she sang, "Isn't it Ironic?" Anyway, them Jewish peeps be strong, and I gotta respect that!

Here's to you, Judaism!