Unit 8 post- Meinhof
- Shadows of the Summit:
- !: Ruling against interests and will of the people with increasing military spending during detente reflects an unstable government that will not last. This is reflected many times in history, it is interesting that this is the natural course of action of many governments despite disastrous results.
- ?: What does it mean when Meinhof says that the USSR is the country least affected by internal difficulties or disagreements with allies (106)? Do they not care about allies? Why would they say this?
- Hitler Within You
- !: Those too young to have a say have to deal with the choices of their elders. Climate change and social security are reminders that this is a timeless problem.
- ?: Meinhof states that pro-semitism is only half the battle, and that being a true advocate means they must fight all forms of political opponents to free expression. Does this create a medium through which hate can spew ? Is it better that hate speech be open than behind closed doors?
- Vietnam and Germany
- !: Foreign support supplementing domestic support is an interesting concept I don’t fully understand. Does this legitimize the opinions of others more than opinions from the dissenting?
- ?: Since the Vietcong were popular among the people, how do we acknowledge hypocrisy and the damage inflicted as a result? How do we grapple with democratically elected communist regimes that change once elected?
- Women in the SDS
- !: Society making homemaking and work “irreconcilable” then shaming women for not being able to handle both is an important idea. It shows that societal standards and structures shape way more than we think, and that individual thoughts are more a product of how society conditions us than we think.
- ?: Is it defeatist to say making women’s interests the SD’s interests futile? When do we try vs when do we give up?
- From Protest to Resistance
- !: Protests and resistance are manifestations of each other and aren’t as easily untangled as Meinhof suggests. Maybe it is just semantics.
- ?: What other shackles besides common decency must be broken before the discussion of uncomfortable topics is possible and encouraged?
- Baader-Meinhof
- !: The structure and pace of the movie were smartly enlisted to help form the viewers’ trust in characters and sides. Interesting to see how this may reflect real life (how timing and structures affect trust).
- ?: How does murder vs. suicide validate/undermine the efforts of radicals?