Well in the novel 1984 this question is one of the main themes in the book. In this book is considered to be a dystopian novel. This means that it has to do with sci-fi and usually brings up topics like power and knowledge. In the book the party is the controlling power in the society, while the citizens are considered as the followers of the society. A great example of this is the idea behind the puppet and the puppet master. In this case the puppets would be the citizens of Oceania the city in London in which this story takes place, and the puppet masters are the heads of the party. The idea behind this is that the puppets (citizens) are what the people see, while the puppet master (the party) who’s controls the puppets is hidden. Thus, bringing us to the conclusion that in order for the party to progress and maintain power they have to hide, leaving only the citizens to show and making it feel that the society is well maintained. But in actual reality the society is corrupted from its roots.
"From where Winston stood it was just possible to read, picked out on its white face in elegant lettering, the three slogans of the Party:
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH."
“War is peace” is actually part of a quote in the 1984 novel. This quote that I have posted above is the full quote. The quote is acts as a strong reminder to the citizen of the morals the party has set for them. First the part explains that “war is peace”, adding the citizens to the act that unifications is wrong. Because the party knows if the citizens come together they will over throw the party. Also they stress that “freedom is slavery”, they build up this schedule for the citizens to follow through there lives making them believe that being enslaved to a certain power is right and be doing so they achieve ultimate reality, were as the truth is that they are achieving the total opposite. The last part of the quote is “ignorance is strength” the idea played out in this part of the quote is that by being ignorant and not knowing what happens around you will progress and be better, you will achieve your goals, and so forth. Part of the quote “war is peace” doesn’t actually play out a big role when it is separated from the whole quote. Yet when the whole quote is assembled together, then the formation of the meaning starts to progress slowly. There is a bigger meaning than just that war is peace or freedom is slavery, or that ignorance is strength. No, it’s the fact that the mind game that is being played by the party shows us the readers 3 important facts. The first being that war is not peace, but that war will lead to peace, and that slavery is not freedom no but that behind slavery is freedom, and the last point being that ignorance is not strength yet to overcome ignorance with strength is power. This quote and slogan may be the aim of the party, but it only needs one citizen to look past it to realize what the actual meaning portrays.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
unusual job for women
Yesterday I watched an interview of Maryam Abdullah Al-Mutairi on the KTV 1 women’s show Heya wa Akhawateha.
Maryam Al-Mutairi works in the Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA) and she was on the program to discuss her job as a certified ports crane and forklift operator. She used to work in the KPA finance department but jumped at the opportunity to train as a gantry container crane operator in the port and eventually became the first Kuwaiti woman to earn a certificate as a forklift operator from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in Alexandria Egypt. She’s involved in training others now to become crane operators.
One of the first questions she was asked was how she coped in a job which was in a mainly male environment. Was she taken seriously? Did male employees offer to help out and do the job for her?
Maryam mentioned the importance of a serious, professional demeanour on the job and during her interactions with male empoyees of all levels. She also stressed the importance of appearance that suited the kind of work she was doing which means non-fitted worksuits and light make-up, if any.
Her appearance she stressed, was different off the job and she is a woman who loves fashion, make-up, and looking good. They asked her about her non-traditional appearance (as her family is of tribal descent) and she mentioned that her mother is Egyptian and her maternal grandmother was Turkish. She attributed the strength in her personality to her Kuwaiti father. Although her job is not usual for an Arab woman, she says she does respect her family customs and local culture otherwise. She is comfortable with her femininity and her role of nurturer in the home as a mother and as a good cook.
She spoke about her children and how she encourages independent thought and equality in the way they interact with both other males and females. She pointed out the importance of instilling within them a love of work and ambition and how they were the ones responsible for choosing their own careers without any manipulation from her as a parent.
is dedicated to her work which she stresses has made her love life because she enjoys her job so much. It is important for a person, she said, to be happy in the work they do and to feel challenged and inspired. She loves being next to the sea and working in such a rewarding environment.
Kuwaiti women's football
As if it wasn’t bad enough that the Kuwaiti women’s football team lost 17-0 to the Palestinian team in the West Asian Football championship. Now we have to listen to outcries from conservative members of parliament who declare that playing football is “against the nature and physique of women” and how did these women ever get there in the first place and who gave them permission to participate in such a sport, exposing themselves all over the media in their shorts.
Well I missed the match. And I’ve been looking all over for a photo of the Kuwaiti women’s team. I’ve been looking for some information on them. Nothing. Nothing the average information searcher on the Internet can find. Even the Western media is not interested in the “oppressed” Kuwaiti females who cannot engage in competitive sports.
Poor Kuwaiti girls. Poor women who must struggle to achieve some sort of normality; to compete in healthy competitions against other teams and gain recognition.
Now they will only be humiliated by the 17-0 loss and by the snarky remarks of sexist men who think that Kuwaiti women are only good for walking around the local malls, shopping, wearing designer clothes, showing off expensive oversized handbags, and exercising their fingers on their Blackberries. (something similar to what some guy wrote on a local forum)
The headlines on the Kuwait Times this morning made me laugh heartily. What a silly thing to put on the front page! Why even give conservative reaction any sensational news coverage? The ideal reaction would have been to run a thorough report on the Kuwaiti women’s football team and their struggles to establish themselves.
Don’t hide from the media, ladies. Utilize it to your advantage.
Well I missed the match. And I’ve been looking all over for a photo of the Kuwaiti women’s team. I’ve been looking for some information on them. Nothing. Nothing the average information searcher on the Internet can find. Even the Western media is not interested in the “oppressed” Kuwaiti females who cannot engage in competitive sports.
Poor Kuwaiti girls. Poor women who must struggle to achieve some sort of normality; to compete in healthy competitions against other teams and gain recognition.
Now they will only be humiliated by the 17-0 loss and by the snarky remarks of sexist men who think that Kuwaiti women are only good for walking around the local malls, shopping, wearing designer clothes, showing off expensive oversized handbags, and exercising their fingers on their Blackberries. (something similar to what some guy wrote on a local forum)
The headlines on the Kuwait Times this morning made me laugh heartily. What a silly thing to put on the front page! Why even give conservative reaction any sensational news coverage? The ideal reaction would have been to run a thorough report on the Kuwaiti women’s football team and their struggles to establish themselves.
Don’t hide from the media, ladies. Utilize it to your advantage.
Friday, February 19, 2010
gay society
The young man called in to Dr. Foz last Saturday night. His voice was full of sadness and dejection as he related his problem to the sexologist.
He said he had a big problem being accepted by his family and friends and was being rejected.
When she asked him what for, he replied with the answer I knew he would give: He was gay, he said and he had a lot of problems with people because of this preference.
Dr. Foz was kind and listened to him. She explained that sometimes teenage years were confusing and such feelings could be misinterpreted. The media or peers could also mislead young people. She advised him to come into her office for some counseling and to talk further about his problems.
I wondered several things. First, if a young person like this teenager needed confidential counseling, how could he or she afford it without alerting the parents? Surely it must cost a lot to seek private counseling. What other public counseling is available that is both confidential and builds the self-esteem?
Second, I wondered what the counseling would entail. How to deal with people who did not accept you? How to change and stop having homosexual leanings?
Yes, homosexuality goes against most common societal values and religious mores, but it does happen. Homosexuality has existed in most every culture throughout history. It is nothing new. It is not a Western import. Some people are simply attracted to the same sex and they must endure a lot of pain and shame trying to deal with it especially in a culture that deems it wrong. The confusion and trepidation in his voice was very painful to listen to and I hope he finds some answers.
He said he had a big problem being accepted by his family and friends and was being rejected.
When she asked him what for, he replied with the answer I knew he would give: He was gay, he said and he had a lot of problems with people because of this preference.
Dr. Foz was kind and listened to him. She explained that sometimes teenage years were confusing and such feelings could be misinterpreted. The media or peers could also mislead young people. She advised him to come into her office for some counseling and to talk further about his problems.
I wondered several things. First, if a young person like this teenager needed confidential counseling, how could he or she afford it without alerting the parents? Surely it must cost a lot to seek private counseling. What other public counseling is available that is both confidential and builds the self-esteem?
Second, I wondered what the counseling would entail. How to deal with people who did not accept you? How to change and stop having homosexual leanings?
Yes, homosexuality goes against most common societal values and religious mores, but it does happen. Homosexuality has existed in most every culture throughout history. It is nothing new. It is not a Western import. Some people are simply attracted to the same sex and they must endure a lot of pain and shame trying to deal with it especially in a culture that deems it wrong. The confusion and trepidation in his voice was very painful to listen to and I hope he finds some answers.
Men, Women and Feelings (gulp)
I was talking to a friend yesterday who recently broke up with her fiancé (it was mutual). This was a man she had known since she was 16 years old, dated for 4 years and became engaged to a little less than a year ago. She was totally devastated and even now (4 months later) she is just starting to feel ok and functional. Anyway, the point of this story is that she saw him about two weeks after they had “the talk” and broke things off for good. He was sitting in a restaurant with 3 other guys - just eating, laughing, joking and seemingly having the time of his life. He showed no outward signs of depression or even sadness. She said it was a real wake up call for her, that she was shocked - she had been forced to the same restaurant by her best friend practically against her will - because she needed to eat. She looked like death (her words, not mine). She was blurry-eyed from crying and she and her friend has spoken of nothing but him for the last two weeks straight. In short, she was in the throes of heartbreaking, post-break-up depression and anxiety.
My question ….what is the secret? How can men distance themselves immediately from this type of situation/grief? He lost just as much as she had; I mean, he thought he was going to spend the rest of his life with this girl. But they have the ability to totally avoid all the bullshit that women go thru after a break-up – I know they don’t spend hours talking to their friends about it. I'm sure they don’t analyze and re-analyze their every movement and action leading up to the big event. They have some type of awesome coping mechanism and damnit, I want to know what it is! Maybe I can try it….
I know, I know - men and women are different. We are more sensitive creatures, - but surely they have some feelings. Why do they bounce back after a couple days and we are left sniveling into our pillowcases, sobbing and asking, “why me” for the next several months? Do we invest too much of ourselves in the relationship to begin with? Are women collectively suffering from such low self-esteem and self-worth that as soon as we are without our man, we fall apart?
My question ….what is the secret? How can men distance themselves immediately from this type of situation/grief? He lost just as much as she had; I mean, he thought he was going to spend the rest of his life with this girl. But they have the ability to totally avoid all the bullshit that women go thru after a break-up – I know they don’t spend hours talking to their friends about it. I'm sure they don’t analyze and re-analyze their every movement and action leading up to the big event. They have some type of awesome coping mechanism and damnit, I want to know what it is! Maybe I can try it….
I know, I know - men and women are different. We are more sensitive creatures, - but surely they have some feelings. Why do they bounce back after a couple days and we are left sniveling into our pillowcases, sobbing and asking, “why me” for the next several months? Do we invest too much of ourselves in the relationship to begin with? Are women collectively suffering from such low self-esteem and self-worth that as soon as we are without our man, we fall apart?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Uncensored
Recently, Ibtehal Al-Khateeb, PhD, has made more than headlines by things said (and misunderstood) in an interview with Wafa Al-Keilani on the bold LBC program Uncensored. The interview caused an uproarious reaction particularily on the Internet where she was mainly bashed on forums and blogs across the Arab world for her progressive ideas and frank answers. To summarize, Uncensored is a program geared towards raising controversy and Ibtehal Al-Khateeb fit the bill of the perfect person to interview through which to exact such a reaction from viewers. Ibtehal Al-Khateeb is a secularist Kuwaiti woman who lectures at Kuwait University. In addition to her teaching job, she is a human rights activist and a newspaper columnist (where she also expresses her secularist views).
I took a cursory look at comments on the web and after watching the program on YouTube, found that listeners had misunderstood what she said on some matters. On other matters, the subject was simply too bold for the average listener or reader to understand.
She prefers to be introduced as a Kuwaiti, not as a Muslim, or as a Shiite. She upholds the right of people to practice any religion with freedom they desire without guardianship or interference by any one sect. Secularism in the long run secures the stability of a country where the rights of all people, the majority and the minorities, are guaranteed by civil law. Being a secularist, and calling for the complete separation of state and religion is itself a brave thing to pursue in a conservative society like Kuwait.
Ibtehal Al-Khateeb expressed her support for the civil rights of homosexuals and while she did not expressly say she aided gay marriages, she did say that these were subject to the laws of the country and whether or not such alliances were acceptable in the society.
She was asked about the concept of polyandry and she replied that although her personal beliefs were strongly towards the nuclear family consisting of one wife and one husband, she could not declare that such ideas were wrong just because she did not believe in them.
She was asked about some subjects she had previously discussed in her articles concerning breastfeeding non-related adult men and also men seeking pleasure with young girls that did not involve direct sexual intercourse. Here she was quite misunderstood by people who thought she was supporting those two issues when she was actually calling for a revision of such fatwas and religious ideas to be more suited to modern day life.
The interview was quite long even though the nature of the program is based on short questions and short answers, sometimes with no room for clarification. It is this factor and also the boldness of Ibtehal Al-Khateeb’s ideas that caused conservative listeners to misunderstand.
I was glad when she came on Al-Rai* Kuwaiti television in an interview with Abdullah Buftain tonight to talk at length about her ideas and to clarify some points that may have been misunderstood. Nonetheless, her ideas remain too progressive for the mainstream of Kuwaiti society and I think that someone of her calibre has to fight to remain steadfast and true to her ideals. If people let down their guard and listen to what she is saying with regards to civil rights, they will understand that she is a champion of the people and of the Kuwait, a country of diverse nationalities, personalities and characteristics and not as they wrongly assume, against them or their religious beliefs.
I took a cursory look at comments on the web and after watching the program on YouTube, found that listeners had misunderstood what she said on some matters. On other matters, the subject was simply too bold for the average listener or reader to understand.
She prefers to be introduced as a Kuwaiti, not as a Muslim, or as a Shiite. She upholds the right of people to practice any religion with freedom they desire without guardianship or interference by any one sect. Secularism in the long run secures the stability of a country where the rights of all people, the majority and the minorities, are guaranteed by civil law. Being a secularist, and calling for the complete separation of state and religion is itself a brave thing to pursue in a conservative society like Kuwait.
Ibtehal Al-Khateeb expressed her support for the civil rights of homosexuals and while she did not expressly say she aided gay marriages, she did say that these were subject to the laws of the country and whether or not such alliances were acceptable in the society.
She was asked about the concept of polyandry and she replied that although her personal beliefs were strongly towards the nuclear family consisting of one wife and one husband, she could not declare that such ideas were wrong just because she did not believe in them.
She was asked about some subjects she had previously discussed in her articles concerning breastfeeding non-related adult men and also men seeking pleasure with young girls that did not involve direct sexual intercourse. Here she was quite misunderstood by people who thought she was supporting those two issues when she was actually calling for a revision of such fatwas and religious ideas to be more suited to modern day life.
The interview was quite long even though the nature of the program is based on short questions and short answers, sometimes with no room for clarification. It is this factor and also the boldness of Ibtehal Al-Khateeb’s ideas that caused conservative listeners to misunderstand.
I was glad when she came on Al-Rai* Kuwaiti television in an interview with Abdullah Buftain tonight to talk at length about her ideas and to clarify some points that may have been misunderstood. Nonetheless, her ideas remain too progressive for the mainstream of Kuwaiti society and I think that someone of her calibre has to fight to remain steadfast and true to her ideals. If people let down their guard and listen to what she is saying with regards to civil rights, they will understand that she is a champion of the people and of the Kuwait, a country of diverse nationalities, personalities and characteristics and not as they wrongly assume, against them or their religious beliefs.
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