Fin (Islamo-phobia)

In the the two Economist articles, "Waking from It's Sleep" and "Which Way Will They Go?" both exemplified similar Eurocentric, Islamophobic worldviews that have permeated through the political ideology of the the West. I make the distinction between the West vs. Middle East in this discourse because this distinction allows one to understand the desire of Western countries to democratize Middle Eastern nations during times of conflict. Karl Marx wrote extensively about conflict theory and the dialectical nature of its presence. Arab Spring is the materialization of Marxist theory and embodies the nature of antagonism being the impetuous of these epochs.

Given the climate of these epochs, Western nations are trying to secure their position in the social and political climate of the surge of resistance to implement their own self-interest and their agenda under the farce of "democracy." Both articles make the assumption that with the economic nature of these countries, they yearn for Western style democracy. Though Emile Durkheim's thoery of the collective consciousness may have significance in light of the current resistance movements, the application of the collective consciousness does not resonate so much in so far as the replication of democratic systems.

Western Democracy has failed throughout the Middle East. Whether if its overarching corruption found in Afghanistan to the friction in Iraq, governments who have adopted the farce of Western Democracy has lead their countries to sectarian violence, the rise of extremism, and internal corruption. What's more trivial is the West imposes their false presumption that these systems work and that it takes time for these countries to adopt Western values. One thing that is apparent that's the immersion of religion and the state in regards to Middle Eastern politics.

In Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic, the analysis of how religion plays an intersecting role in politics is much apparent in the Middle East. Though in "Which Way Will they Go?" article in the Economist will debate Iran's status of being Arabic, it does point out the importance of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran's nationhood. This theocratic position has shown its opposition last year but understanding the history of Iran, the regime proceeding the current was that of a bourgeois autocracy/monarchy lead by the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who was appointed following a coup detat by the C.I.A that ousted the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.

The phenomena of Arab Spring is that which has not specific location to it. As pointed in both Economist articles, there are several outcomes that may come from the uprisings but the it's hard to discern what path one nation is going to take. Nevertheless, the imposition of American/ European values in the Middle East is only going to reinforce the already existing mistrust that is amongst the Arab world to the West. It's naive to believe that the answers in the Middle East lies within Western foreign policy; nevertheless, one can make such assumptions by believing that their system actually works.

Final Blog Post

The articles that we read for the final blog focused on Arab countries. The first article, “Waking from its sleep” touches on the United States Invasion into the Arab countries, and how it affected their countries both then and now, and looks at why the US invaded in the first place. It looks at Gorge Bush’s reactions to the attacks on September 11^th, and how our reaction was not much more humane. The second article “The world of Arabs” describes for us just how different those that are being identified as Arabs are. It compares being Arab to being European. It is very different because there are so many different ethnic, racial and religious variables that are not accounted for in just one word. The third article “Which way will they go”, discusses the roles that non-Arab countries have played in the role of Arabs lives. This has a large focus on the different reactions by both George H. Bush and George W. Bush, and Barrack Obama. We also see how the United States role in the Arab countries has affected other Non-Arabs rules like Iran.

The Wikipedia article that we had to read discussed the protests of many Arab countries as they try to fight for freedom. An article I found on Google News that had to deal with Marx, was “Dalai Lama Calls Himself a Marxist: Acceptable or Absurd?” This was a very short article that discussed why the Dalai Lama believe that he could be a Marxist, and why others argued that he was not. An article that I read that featured something by Max Weber was “Merkel’s flip flop”. This article discussed the constant flip flop of Angela Merkel’s mind on nuclear power in Germany. At the end of the article, they try to justify this flip flop by saying that Weber even said there had to be passion in politics. The final article I read was “Doctor Kevorkian Dies”. This article discussed the practices of the infamous doctor, who was known for his assistance in helping others commit suicide. This article mentions Emilie Durkheim in passing when looking at how he looked at suicide, and said it was not a sin but a social fact.

The first articles that I read really hit home for me. I spent a few weeks in Dubai, while I was on deployment in the Navy. During that time, I did some sightseeing and spent a small amount of time talking to locals. This usually happened in taxi cabs that were taking me places. During one of my trips, we talked to a man that was very open about his view on the United States. When 5000 Americans get off a boat and invade your city, you quickly realized that they are in the military. The man in the taxi told my friends and I that we are sometimes unfair when we are invading these countries. I also thought about an article I read about how American invasion has set back American suffrage movements in many of these countries. The Wikipedia article reminded me of a news story on National Public Radio. They discussed some of these protests one day. The news stories that I picked out from Google news were also interesting to me. The story about the Dali Lama was humorous to me because it was so absurd. The story about Germany was also one that I heard a story about on NPR, and so I had some background, but wanted to see how Weber was tied into the story. The final story I picked out because I did a project on physician assisted suicide in one of my ethics classes. It was interesting to me how these everyday stories can be related to our big three sociological theorist.

This really opened my eyes to how much around me can be linked back to sociology. I took a basic sociology class while I was in the Navy. I did not really focus much on the class, and only took it to get some credits while I was still in. This class has allowed me to open my eyes and see how much sociology is around me. I think it would be interesting to ask, how is sociology involved in our everyday lives?

part 3

The third part of Before European Hegemony begins by distinguishing between the three major circuits of the world. The Westernmost circuit was made up of mostly Muslims and was focused on trade through the Arabian Peninsula. The middle circuit was primarily Hindu. And the easternmost circuit was Chinese. While there is great cultural difference, the boundaries are not divided by culture, but rather are determined by wind patterns. Abu-Lughod argues that a major event during this period was the closing of Chinese seaports to outside nations, that subsequently resulted in the collapse of the premodern world system. Another key aspect mentioned is the southern tip of India which was a central focus for trading and people and culture exchange of the premodern world. Another very important even was the fall of Rome, which also helped decrease the successfulness of Arab merchants. At this time, China was the dominant Navy power of the sea, and they were also armed. When they left the Indian Ocean, a struggle for power ensued and from that point on commercial ships had to be accompanied by military convoys for protections. The Portugese traders were important because they brought with them piracy, and a new and different problem never before seen on the seas of the east. During this time textile manufacturing was greatly responsible for much of the Urbanization.

I thought it was very interesting that these sea traders had to travel with military convoys for protection. I can’t imagine how crazy the seas would be if this had to continue today. I understand that in that day there were many less merchant vessels and thus made it easier for them to be accompanied, but I still find this idea very interesting. I also find it interesting that the circuits were not divided culturally, but rather according to the winds. From that point, people then began to shape their cultures, rather than having cultures be responsible for shaping the boundaries.

I also cannot help but wonder, as I have throughout the book elsewhere, what today’s world system would be like if the premodern world system had not collapsed. Surely it would be totally different.

Before European Hegemony Pt. III

In part three, the trade systems in the Indian regions were discussed. It describes how the monsoon patterns and the bodies of water have divided the area into three distinct regions. The Indian Ocean and South China Sea bordered the regions. The western scene was most influenced by the Muslim culture, the center was influenced by Buddhism, and the eastern area was mostly influenced by China, as it was controlled by the Chinese. The trade routes within these regions were traversed by many traders, and took several years to travel among all three regions. India, being in between the Middle East and the South China Sea, was a major hub for trade, however much of India focused on production, allowing for outside merchants to control the trade and commerce. China, at that time, was a superpower of the known world, and as such controlled a vast amount trade and commerce. Chinese goods were prized and coveted throughout the known world and this fact allowed the Chinese to amass such a great level of power. However, after the Bubonic Plague, Chinese power began to slip, and China’s economic issues caused its super-power status to disappear. Finally, thanks to the enslavement of Africa by Europe, the loss of power of the Chinese, as well as advancement in the European areas, European influence spread quickly and “Western” ideas conquered much of the known world.

It’s interesting to analyze the Indian region, as much of the trade route influence can very much be seen today. We see how India itself is so divided and diverse. One could refer to India as a “tossed salad” instead of a “melting pot,” due to the presence of many different cultural influences and backgrounds all intermingled within the same densely populated area. There is still a strong Muslim influence in India along the western region, as well as Buddhist influence throughout the center. The eastern region is the most changed since the time discussed in the book, as it is not so greatly influenced by the Chinese, but involves a great deal of European influence from the nearby Indonesian areas.

It is also of note to notice how a great deal of modern trade comes from Chinese goods and Chinese-owned transportation firms. China controls much of the world through its finances and ownership of debt, and one can see how China is poised to repossess its role as a super-power. Chinese firms produce a great deal of the world’s products, and “knock-offs” are common within the commerce hubs of the area. Many firms sell these imitation products online at low prices, and allow volume to produce higher profits, thus increasing Chinese financial power. In the modern United States, and very much most of the Western World, focus on importing goods and producing services, so the production-focused power of China allows for China to be in a very interesting position in which it can accumulate a vast amount of military and financial power very quickly if it were to call in the debts owed to it from the West.

Before European Hegemony part 3

In the final section of the book, "Before European Hegemony" Abu-Lughod wrote about the trade scene in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. She states that the water was divided into three cultural circuits. The western most circuit was mostly dominated by Muslims and included the Muslim side of the Indian peninsula. The middle circuit included the Hindu side of the peninsula, this area was also influenced by Buddhism. Finally, the Eastern circuit, mostly the South China Sea, was under the control of the Chinese. The circuits were separated due to the monsoon patterns, but many travelers traversed all three, a task that took several years.

Chapter 8 discusses India. The subcontinent was a stopping location for travelers from the Middle East and Southeast Asia since before the common era. Even though many merchants were present in the area, India did not participant in much trading, they instead focused on production. She then goes on to discuss the importance of the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia that was a melting pot of different cultures. Chapter 10 is about China's trade. China was the most advanced region. Even though the documents do not exist, a great level of trade went on between China and the rest of the world. After the Black Plague, China tried to regain its power by building a large navy that was later defeated. Economic issues caused China to retreat.

The last last chapter discusses why the west "won" the author states that the two main factors was the conquest of Europe and the enslavement of Africa.

One thing that I found interesting in this section is the fragility of world dominance. At one point in history, China was all powerful but an unpredictable turn of events caused the system to collapse at a rapid pace. This phenomena is still seen in the past day. A few Argentina was becoming a world power, then almost overnight their economy collapsed, causing over 60% of the population to live in poverty. This could very well be what we see happening in the United States.

2+1 = Abu-Lughod

Abu-Lughod's last segment seems to outline the significance of Asia and the Pacific prior to European hegemony. What's fascinating about her analysis is the importance of Asian markets in our current age. In regards to India, international trade going through the Coromandel cost created its own merchant class, which would had its own significance in Indian social society for Abu-Lughod cites Kenneth Hall by saying that the merchant class "in some instances formed the nucleus of the development of new centers of political authority."

As in the aspect of location, India served as a hub between the Arab Western region of the world and the Chinese Eastern part of the world. Also, with its significant amounts of spices and silks, India was sought out to be an important partner in the world market as well as being perceived as being self-sufficient.

Significantly, Abu-Lughod points out the importance of the Srivijaya and the Strait of Malacca (Strait) being an important sea route of trade between the Arabs and the Chinese. As Abu-Lughod points out, the Srivijaya Empire itself is still contested to be an actual empire but through documents, it's concluded that they had an impact on the Straits which would be later ruled by the Malacca. One component is certain and that's the fact that during the twelfth century onwards, there were to be a gradual transition of dependency to the Chinese to that "comprador communities."

Abu-Lughod points a correlation between two modern port cities of Hong Kong and Singapore, being the two powerhouse economies in Asia and being relatively "free trade" zones for the rest of the world.

As for China, Abu-Lughod points some interesting features that makes China different then the other countries investigated in the book. In her analysis, she points out the evolution of maritime trade where it was non-existent before the fifth century to the ninth century where the influx of agricultural production created an expansion of long distance trade and inevitably leading up to the tenth century where southern cost saw a boom in urbanization, agricultural production, and an explosion of maritime trade, which similarly resembled that of Europe.

Being the two main commodities of China, silk and porcelain defined China's market and was one of the reasons for their economic explosion with foreign countries. Being significantly different from cotton and wool production, silk was more time consuming and needed a considerable amount of care from the farmers to feed the silk warms, refined skill in reeling the silk, a controlled temperature, and a "hushed environment" so the silk worms can sleep to produce more worms, thus the manufacturing of silk was a process that shouldn't be taken for granted. Similarly, the artistry of porcelain was done in a manner of extreme craftsmanship that provided its high value throughout the world.

One facet that Abu-Lughod points out is that of currency. Unlike the Middle East, government had full authority of the regulation of currency, this differing from that of merchant's authority over capital. This curtailed the wealth accumulation from that of the merchants to that in which provided a hefty revenue for the government.

Nevertheless, China saw its collapse of the global market in the fifteenth century due to either a "change in philosophy" or "internal corruption" amongst the Ming Dynasty. Adu-Lughod points out that the lesson learned in the Chinese matter was that when China was a unified country, systems of capital were exchanged more efficiently and brought upon much prosperity. However, it was due to internal strife and friction that lead to its demise.

Reflecting on today's society, China has a considerable influence on world markets. Also, world markets today are much more interdependent on each other. This scenario can lead to devastating outcomes because during the tenth to fifteenth century, global markets were not intertwined as they are today. Thus, if there were to be a collapse in one market, a domino effect would happen throughout all markets. Further, with the growth of urbanization, human populations are more susceptible to widespread contamination, killing off greater levels of people. Nevertheless, technological innovation may suppress such occurrences, it doesn't rule out that possibility.

Section 3 Abu-Lughod

            The third section of Before European Hegemony discusses Asia and how the trading routes were comprised by the Indian Ocean and divided into three main parts. It also discusses how the Muslim religion began to spread ideals and dominate over most of this trading system. During the thirteenth century the Asian sea trade was divided into three main parts comprising the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the South China Sea. Actors were in charge of each division of trade and had in place certain political and economic rules that were followed and enforced. Each of these divided sections was put in place largely due to geographic location and not by the amount of power main actors had over the region. The Western part was mostly in charge by Muslims and had conduced trade through resident colonies of Muslim merchants. Many of these Muslims were incorporated into the region by assimilation, while some were native to the land and had adopted traditional Muslim ideals.

            These main trade routes were set by the wind patterns of the separate monsoon zones. Natural forces were the driving force behind main trade routes and dictated to merchants when they could travel safely without worriment of death or destruction to their goods. If a merchant left five to ten days later than supposed to they ran the risk of destructive crosswinds that could immobilize an eastbound ship for up to a year.  If a merchant needed to travel during a time when the winds were not in their favor they always had the option of traveling along the coastline between the Persian Gulf and Gujarat.  Another topic of discussion in this third section was India’s strategic location on the map and how it allowed them to have significant control over the trade. Even though they had the advantage of geographic location it still did not prevent them from eventually collapsing. The discussion of how India was involved in primitive world economies long before the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries is also in this section.

            What interested me most about this section of the book was the discussion on China and how they basically dominated the international system in place but eventually lost all power in the end. With this discussion I could not help but think of the United States current economic situation and the possibility that we could not only collapse but lose all influence within the international system. We have seen throughout history that states that were once dominate and in power for a long time can fall due to poor economic decisions and relations with other outside actors. I question the eventually fall of the super power and how China could  in fact dominate the system and control all future decision the United States makes. Since we owe so much to China will that be our economic and social downfall in the international system?

Abu Part 3

Part three goes into detail about the trading that went on in the Indian regions that were muslim and the Indian regions that were Buddhists, and the Persian and Arab traders. All of this had impacts on the Chinese as well. India supplied many products for trade. Trade flourished in the west despite the Plague and the west advanced out its dark period to become the dominant force. African slavery served the west to expand into the Americas and North America and offered a source of commerce and labor. It appears that China really was growing technologically in many ways as well. Though they were a somewhat closed system, they made huge advancements. It's interesting that China did not focus on expanding its influence through naval projection as the west had done and that China could have easily have been the biggest world influence do to its technology and unmatched labor force should it have made expansion the focus of its policy like many of the western nations had. All the while, the straight lost some of it's trading importance as newer routes opened up.

I found this reading to be very interesting because it really shows how circumstantial some of the progress in developing nations and trade was do to conditions that could not have been predicted. Nobody had any idea that the Plague would wipe out 40-60% of the populations and how that would influence trade and trade routes. Nobody could have seen the importance of projecting power (naval) yet since countries like China possessed so much promise for dominance and chose to go a different route. I also see how the interconnectivity of each region allowed some to become major players of supply, trade, and power, while others balanced those rises with a less significant role in world influence.

On the other hand, this reading again shows that China was advanced in many ways that we westerners take for granted since we focus on western history and not a balanced world history view. In some ways, the west made huge gains after the plague because it was able to adapt its ways and technologies to match the potentials for global commerce and conquest. It seemed that the east did not see this potential as meaningful and thus might have chosen a different path. It's neat to see a balanced perspective from this book.

Part III

The final section of this book looked at the Indian Ocean and its three subsystems, the Persians and the Arabs, The Indians on the west coast with Islamic beliefs, and the Indians on the East Coast that believed in the Hindu religion and Budda. In the first section of part three, we learn about the early links between the west and the east, how southeast Indian societies began and flourished, and the lessons learned from this society. In the second section, we learn the importance or the strait, and the role it played in this society. We learned the importance it had on China as well as the Arab countries, and finally end with the lessons learned from the strait. In the third section of this part we focus on China. We see the role that business and technology played in trade. We are also exposed to the lessons learned by China, and how they tried to come back after they withdrew and their economy crashed. The final section of this part and book explores the ways that the system has changed and will continue to change into the future.

Something that I found interesting in this part was the section on China. I thought it was interesting to read about how China conducted business back then, knowing how they do their business now. Especially when reading about them learning from their mistakes. It was interesting to think about how much they have grown, and continue to grow. It reminds me of the saying forgive but never forget.

This made me think, in which ways did the lessons learned at this time, help China become who they are today. Is it possible that those lessons have shaped them into the country that they have become, or is it just part of the past and has had no impact? I think that history really does reveal lots of answers.

Abu-Lughod #3

In Abu-Lughod's last section she discusses Asia. This involved the trading along the sea passages down through India, the straights of Malacca, and China. Abu-Lughod explains how the weather had severe impact on the trading and how it really made traveling difficult. Do to India's wealth and resources however, they became more of a producer rather than traders and that's what kept them going. China too played a major role in these trading routes. China's society was becoming highly advanced which led them to be one of the top leaders in this world system.

Overall, Abu-Lughod explains how the west regions were able to overcome conflicts and obstacles which led them to become the winner over other parts of the trading world. This primarly had to do though with all of the sicknesses such as the Black Death which killed hundreds of thousands and wiped out other regions along the trading routes. Also if not lastly, another key factor that changed the world was that of slaves. The trading from Africa was a major influence that led to new beginnings in the Americas and other regions.

After reading this third and final section, I found it very interesting how China especially though not really recorded in books was advacing their technology which was almost in not more advanced than Europes. China's production of paper, steel, iron weapons, and other products definately showed their knowledge and capability over all the other regoins.

In conlcusion , after reading these sections I often wonder how centuries ago, people back then dealt with all the conflicts and obsticles that got in their way. Also were there problems like we have today in particlular the United States with all of the debt. It just makes me think how people then would have fixed these problems and continued their success.

Abu-Lughod Part 3

This last section focuses on Asia. With emphasis on sea passages along India, the Strait of Malacca and China. She makes it clear that while India was along important trade routes, the society was not greatly interested in trading. They were capable of opting out because they were more interested and capable of cultivating and self-sustaining.

The role of China was also discussed. The advancement of technology in China proved them to be a likely adversary in the goal for global domination (not to sound cheesy..). They were advanced in the making of paper,weaponry, iron and steel working, and ship building.

I thought it was interesting when Abu-Lughod talked about the rise and fall of who held power global market at the time. She says that had China not experienced a major economic collapse and then a massive shutdown of it's naval exploration and trade, it would have taken the place as a world economic center (371). She mentions two specific factors leading to China's failure: the Black Death that ravaged the system, and the Mongol decline. The latter is important because they were the key link that connected land routes and sea routes. Abu-Lughod called this a power vacuum, and the reason which made Europe's subsequent domination possible.

Abu-Lughod 3

The third, and final, section of this book looks at Asia and trading. Difficult weather conditions in this part of the world hinder both travel and trade which led to a cultural scattering. Because of India’s local wealth and plethora of resources, they have been somewhat kept out of the world system—they were more producers than they were traders. While the city-state of Malacca continued to play a large role in trading, the Strait of Malacca’s importance declined when other ports in various locations began to open up. China too played a big role here—a lot of their trading happened off the books but their society was just as advanced if not more than Europe’s by the 15^th century. In the conclusion of the book, Abu-Lughod discusses why the West “won” and how extremely other cultures had been cut down by the Black Death. Europe’s conquest of the America’s and the exportation of slaves from Africa were the 2 big factors that ultimately changed the world system. She finishes the book explaining that there are no definite principles of world systems because they are always changing according to external factors.

Reading this section was a little more interesting than the others. Through grade school, you obviously cover the history of the US extensively and in some classes you even cover the history of Europe. Even though I lived in Asia for 6 years I was never given even a brief history of Asia. Because this information was more new to me, I found this last section of the book held my attention a little better.

This section talked about China’s technological advances. From paper making, to iron work and even building Asia has always been a step ahead of the rest of us. Then why is it that the “West won”? I see how the Black Death took a toll on all aspects of these societies, but Asia still wasn’t capable of rising above everyone else even with their advances in so many other areas?