Reflections

I have always considered myself to be a religious person and try my best to follow all the laws of the word. I always viewed these laws as a way to live a clean moral life. Over my time in this course I gravitated towards the philosophy of Confucius as something similar to my faith. In order for me and others to be satisfactory servers to our enlisted it is imperative that we are moral standing bearers.

In this course we learned about the different dynasties that reigned supreme over China. Confucius was a scholar that seen the warring of states and he wanted to find a way to make peace between his people. Spodek states, “At a time when China was divided into many states, often in conflict, he formulated principles that he thought would bring peace, contentment, dignity, and personal cultural development at least to the elite of his time” (Spodek 208). Confucius new that the only way for these different cultures to come together and be one as they were in the Zhou dynasty. In Confucius’ eyes the Zhou dynasty was the golden age of peace, order, wisdom, and virtue (Spodek 209). These 4 tenants are mandatory for a young junior officer when leading sailors and marines.

After reading The Analects, I found one tenant that was very applicable to a junior officer as they grow into a sufficient leader. Confucius states in 1.4, “Master Zeng said: Each day I examine myself upon three points. In planning for others, have I been loyal? In company with friends, have I been trustworthy? And have I practiced what has been passed on to me?” (The Analects.1.4). These three questions are essential when an officer reflects at the end of the day. First and foremost an officer should reflect at the end of the day in order to better themselves. For example in football we watch film of our performance at practice in order to fine tune our techniques used in the game. The first question asks have I been loyal. In the navy we have a list of loyalties that help us make decision between two powers. The loyalties range from the ship to yourself, with yourself being the lower than the ship. The second question speaks on being trustworthy to your friends, but in connection with the navy and marine corps can you be trusted to do your job on a daily basses. As an officer you will be test with deadlines and strict cutoff dates. In these times will you take the easy way out and lie about completed task or take the extra time out to complete each task. Lastly have you practiced the things you have been taught from leaders that came before you. At our prestigious university we are blessed to have outstanding officers that have been in our shoes. Especially in Luce Hall we are taught by outstanding leaders that have given us the tools to be successful. In the fleet there will be times where thoughs techniques will need to be used but you have the choice to revert back to old habits our use these techniques to respond to adversity.

-Denzel J. Polk

Word count: 535 fffffffffff

Swift Empires

Empires rise and empires fall, some last for generations and some are gone in a blink of an eye. The Mongolian Empire spread rapidly and its regime was an unprecedented mix of brutality and tolerance. Similarly after WWI, the rise of the Nazi Party was unexpected to the world and the effects of their actions decimated a religious following. The Nazi Party was a ruthless group of people that blamed specific groups of people for their misfortune. The Nazi’s and the Mongols share ruthless characteristics, but the approach to inflict their aggression was different.

The growth of the Nazi Party lies within the result of the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty was signed at the conclusion of WWI and the German’s were imposed with numerous restrictions that lead them to fall in to economic depression. During this time Adolf Hitler rose to power in the German Workers’ Party. An article from the History Channel states, “Hitler soon emerged as a charismatic public speaker and began attracting new members with speeches blaming Jews and Marxists for Germany’s problems and espousing extreme nationalism and the concept of an Aryan “master race.””(History.com). The premise of Hitler’s speeches were based on building German pride and offering solutions for the misfortune that spread through Germany. The Nazi Party began winning elections and forcing their way into being the political power in Germany.

After Hitler and the Nazis rose to power he began to expand the territory of Germany. The first two states he went after were Austria and Czechoslovakia. They were filled with Germans and he used this as motivation to expand. History.com states, “He withdrew Germany from the League of Nations in 1933, rebuilt German armed forces beyond what was permitted by the Treaty of Versailles, reoccupied the German Rhineland in 1936, annexed Austria in 1938 and invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939” (History.com). Hitler reclaimed the states losses in the Treaty of Versailles, but he did not stop there. The Nazis claimed Poland on their quest to take over Europe.

Simultaneously, Hitler and the Nazis committing mass genocide on Jews. History.com states, “Dachau evolved into a death camp where countless thousands of Jews died from malnutrition, disease and overwork or were executed” (History.com). The Dachau concentration camp was the first of many death camps used to exterminate the Jews. Similarly to the Mongolians killing people was a norm for them. The Mongols can be labeled as devilish, bloodthirsty, ravages. Ibn al-Athir states, “For even Antichrist will spare such as follow him, though he destroy those who oppose him; but these spare none, slaying women and men and children, ripping open pregnant women and killing unborn babes” (199-200). These empires killed innocent people but the difference between the two empires was tolerances. The Mongolians were known to accept the lifestyles of the groups of people they conquered. The Nazi’s were looking to be the “perfect race” and if people did not fit they were killed.

-Denzel J. Polk

Word Count: 496 ��

Art of War at USNA

Art of War at USNA

In Master Sun Tzu’s Art of War, he breaks down the levels involved with being a successful leader in battle. Master Sun’s philosophy promotes being well rounded in all aspects of war. Obviously you should be a skilled warrior, but a leader should have the mental fortitude to visualize the wide spectrum of warfare. Rather than, physical confrontation between warriors. In connection with Sun Tzu’s belief that the key to victory involves being well round the United States Naval Academy believes in a similar philosophy. Midshipmen are to be well rounded scholars, athletes, and military professionals. The educational identity of the school associates all students, no matter what major, have a background in science, technology, engineering, and math. Also the students are required to talk multiple humanities course in for students to think creatively.

In Master Sun’s five fundamentals he list; the way, heaven, earth, command, and discipline. Out of those 5 fundamentals, 2 of them, command and discipline, are taught in some of the Naval Academies sacred text Master Sun states, “Command is wisdom, integrity, compassion, courage, severity.” At the Naval Academy and in the United States Navy the core values are; honor, courage, and commitment. Honor and integrity work hand in hand as guidance for how someone in the navy should carry themselves. An officer should make sure the full truth is known at all times. Additionally an officer should hold themselves at the highest ethical manner when using judgement in stressful situations. For example Lt. Michael P Murphy was given the chance to kill 2 farmers who stumbled across his team in the Middle East. In fear that the 2 farmers would tell local Taliban fighters about their positon. In an act of integrity he choose to let them go, because they were innocent farmers. Unfortunately, the farmers did inform the Taliban about their position and Lt. Murphy lost his life in result of that honorable decision. Discipline involves organization and the chain of command. It is engraved in our brains that a midshipmen should not jump the chain of command. The chain of command is put into place for organization and to define the roles of everyone involved.

On a humorous note the way of war is taught to midshipmen the day they enter Bancroft Hall. The war involve midshipmen and the 4 legged creatures that run wild in Bancroft. Master Tzu labels the Way of War as a way of deception. In the war to element mice in our rooms Midshipmen go to lengths to deceive their smaller opposition. For example on the desk put a rule of the side of your desk with peanut butter on the tip. After the ruler is balanced until a single touch will make it fall, place a bucket with water under it. This trap will lure the mouse on to the ruler and strike chaos when they fall in the bucket. The next morning the mouse will be placed outside in the dumpster.

Master Sun’s philosophy as a whole is effective and the connections in USNA philosophy benefits Midshipmen. The benefits allows them to be well rounded leaders prepared to lead sailors and marines into battle.

-Denzel J. Polk

Word Count: 539

Kim and Alexander

Kim Jun Yun and Alexander the Great

Alexander relied on things other than solely military technique and strategy in his quest to be King. Alexander used people’s belief in the Oracle at Siwah in order gain credibility and trust among the public. This allowed him to rule without imposition. Through his conquests, he entrusted individuals of that region to develop and maintain the empire in his absence—these individuals shared his vision. Fundamentally, his drive and tenacity prevailed and made him a powerful leader. Despite all of his success, King Philip II was essential to the growth and development of the Kingdom of Macedonia.

King Philip II set the framework for Macedonia before Alexander came into power. He defeated the Athenians and Thebans—two primary and dominant Greek powers of the time. Also, he innovated and revolutionized the way that war was fought. For example, he transitioned from the hoplite phalanx to the Macedonian Phalanx with sarissae. This innovation gave Macedonian soldiers both an offensive and defensive advantage. The long spears, as well as the unique formation, allowed them to fight the enemy without direct contact. He also introduced lighter shields and less body army so that his soldiers were more mobile. He also developed numerous technological advances such as the torsion. Xenophon Anabasis states, “He gave the Macedonians cloaks to wear instead of sheepskins, brought them down from the mountains to the plains, and made them a match in war for the neighboring barbarians.” Philip transformed Macedonia to a competitive power—able to challenge and face primary powers at the time. With King Philip II’s innovation, he set the foundation for the Macedonian kingdom which ultimately set the stage for Alexander’s success.

Kim Jun Yun, like Alexander, pioneered many technological and strategic advancements that have helped North Korea rise as a modern power. He has developed the country’s economy and nuclear technologies to the point that it is now recognized as a potential competitor. Choi Jun Kun, a political science professor at Yonsei University in South Korea, asserts “He’s trying a lot of things at the same time. He has reformed the economy far greater than his father, and hugely advanced the country’s nuclear and missile capabilities.” Thus, for North Korea to be taken seriously on global stage, they have to develop their nuclear program. This relates to Alexander’s quest to domination in that he too built off what his father created.

-Denzel J. Polk

Word Count: 409

2 Definitions

2 Definitions

Over time customs and trends change or evolve. In the pre-democratic era, a tyrant was a leader who seized power without being a part of the royal family. For example, during the twelfth century B.C, different groups of people were trying to expand their land in Mesopotamia. The Assyrians, led by King Esarhaddon, went on expeditions across the Mediterranean coast to expand their empire. King Esarhaddon would be classified as a tyrant, because he came to power by unjust ways. Over time this definition of a tyrant evolved and took on a new meaning. Post-rise of democracy the definition change into an oppressive leader. This new definition of a tyrant was used to describe the President of the United States, Donald Trump.

Jeffrey Sachs, CNN Journalist, wrote an article about the President going down a path of tyranny through his actions in office. Sachs is swift to connect President Trump with leaders that have tried to oppress the well-being of Americans during the colonial era. Sachs states, “The United States was born in a revolt against the tyranny of King George III. The Constitution was designed to prevent tyranny through a system of checks and balances, but in President Trump’s America, those safeguards are failing” (Sachs). Sachs delegates the word tyranny to describe the rule of King George over the colonies. Digging deeper into this statement, King George was oppressive to the colonies by raising taxes and implementing laws that imposed on Americans rights. Conversely, when Sachs speaks about President Trump, he classifies him as a leader that disregards precedents that make our country a democracy. Sachs states, “The list of one-man actions grows rapidly. Trump is single-handedly imposing hundreds of billions of dollars of tariffs — that is, taxes — on imported goods from key US allies and China, without any explicit or implicit Congressional backing” (Sachs). These actions given in this article classify President Trump as a leader that disregards the idea that he needs permission to do as he pleases. In our democracy, we have checks and balances. Others may say the president does have the ability to use executive authority to bypass Congress and that is something President Trump has done.

I believe that the term tyrant was used partially correct within the confines of post-rise of democracy. Sachs correctly classified King George a tyrant and in the case of President Trump. The information Sachs states in his article showed signs of a tyrant when President Trump put tariffs on our allies. Conversely, it would not fit the ancient definition of tyranny, because President Trump rose to power by an election.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/23/opinions/trump-is-taking-us-down-the-path-to-tyranny-sachs/index.html

-Denzel Polk

Word Count: 441