Welcome to the archive of History 110 Spring 2015, Sections 1 and 2 at San Diego State University. This website served as the communal platform for uploading digital learning activities such as HACKS (digital learning activities) and microessay/MACROHACKS. This was also a place to comment, tag, and share expression on posted work, a platform to present and lead class discussions as well as the home page to each group’s own website from each section.
Micro Essay Macro Hack
This political cartoon, author and publication date unknown, is a rather accurate representation of the political situation that characterized the Cold War from 1945-1991. After the Second World War, two world superpowers rose to prominence: the United States and the Soviet Union. As a result of a massive arms race, both possessed the ability to annihilate the other, and because of this prinicple of mutual destruction, they were forced to use other means to fight each other for global dominance. This was most commonly done through the use of proxy wars, in which each side would support a faction within a war-torn country that supported their political ideology. The two most obvious examples would be the Korean and Vietnam Wars, both of which caused thousands of deaths and had messy and uncertain outcomes, such was the nature of most conflicts throughout the Cold War. This conflict was never one of direct violence between the two opposing parties, rather it was a battle of influence, based on which country could garner the most support from the various nations of the world. In the modern context, one can see the deeply rooted effects of this conflict that consumed the lives of millions of people for nearly half a century. While the definitive lines between communism and democracy have been blurred our outright destroyed, many nations can still feel the effects of Cold War-era tactics. Countries like North and South Korea represent the most stark example, as they still remain separated and fiercely opposed to one another, 24 years after the conflict that created their respective nations has come to an end. This lingering effect of Cold War tactics and others serve as a testament to the massive impact they had on the progression of global history, and indeed, on the lives of countless people. I chose this image because it accurately sums up this fascinating, yet also terrifying truth about the terror of destruction that the people of the world lived with for nearly 50 years, and how this fear drove them to create the world we live in today.
Source: http://www.yamacanyons.net/ColdWar2.jpg (Found through Google Images)
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Extra Credit
MACRO ESSAY
This is a picture of Public Enemy on their song Fight the Power, it was taken from the music video by Spike Lee. It is a JPG file and the intent of this image is to spread awareness of the Black peoples struggles in impoverished areas in 1989. The image is slightly pixelated, but shows the point. This was created after the time period of topic.
The reason I chose this picture to represent my topic is because it represents the African American civil rights struggle in a year that is slightly more older than the civil rights struggle happening in the present day. It was also the first song that my TA, Linnea Zeiner played during the first lecture of this class. The words ‘Public Enemy’ and ‘Fight the Power’ ring in my head as I listened to this song. During 1989, there was a lot of neglect for the crime filled inner city. The African American was still seen as someone who caused trouble –a Public Enemy, no one wanted to help them and leaders of the African American population came and went due to controversial issues. Why I find this picture so significant is that even now today with the Baltimore Riots, the African Americans are still fighting for the same civil rights as everyone else. A played out riot like this is exactly what is needed nowadays now that media has finally shown light on the police cruelty that has been going on without any publicity whatsoever. The government has neglected these problems far too long and it almost seems that the negligence was intentional to further bring down the state of places in poverty. This picture represents the movement that we need nowadays: we need art, music, and people who desire equality for all. The Baltimore riots have gotten to be controversial because of multiple theft and arson, which is exactly why it is not gaining as much media support on the African American side. It would be interesting to find if they could use art as a catalyst for riot rather than violence. On the other hand, perhaps the African American public found that art in the past hasn’t stopped the unfairness brought by society and finally was forced to resort to violence to get their point across.