Importance of Islam Civilization

Over the course of the year we have learned about numerous civilizations: Egypt, Greece, Persia, and Rome to name a few. All contain essential lessons that will be useful as an officer in the fleet. However, none are as useful as the teachings from learning about the Rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. Many modern conflicts have a relation to somewhere in the Middle East and, personally, I do not know much about that region besides what is heard in the media- mostly all negative scenarios. Furthermore, there is a certain stigma that surrounds the Islamic and Muslim religion which must be understood well in order to gain an appreciation for their culture, as well as be prepared when one is sent to that region of the world.

Although the history is important, understanding the roots of Islam and how the Muslim religion work is what will be most impactful to us as officers. Perhaps I was culturally inept, but I was not aware of how similar Islam was to Christianity, especially in the teachings written in the Quran. In fact, there are even some excerpts from the Quran that I believed had to be from the Bible, and vice versa, which shows how little I knew. For example, “Invite all to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching” (Sura 16:125-6) and “But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4) are two passages from the Quran and the Bible, respectively, and, as it showed in class, this would shock most people. The stereotypes surrounding the Islams and Muslim religion must be broken, especially as an officer in the fleet who will likely spend time in the Middle East.

Furthermore, it is also important to understand the customs as an officer because there is a good chance we will have subordinates working for us who are Muslim or will spend time in this region of the world. In order to understand the impact this will have on me in the fleet, I decided to ask my father a few questions. My father, an officer in the Navy Reserves for the past twenty-six years, has spent much time in Bahrain and Dubai and has become accustomed to the Muslim culture. The main point I got from him in a quick interview was “It was weird at first. I didn’t know how certain things worked so I asked some officer from their Navy. It’s pretty different from our world but you get used to it quick … you got to”. He was referring to the social norms that are experienced in the Middle East such as women not being allowed to speak unless their husband gives them permission or servants being abused and mistreated. My father said that at first it was hard to see some people get treated so poorly, but one cannot do anything about it because it reflects poorly on the military. This struck me as very important because it is contradictory to the Navy’s belief of fighting for the right thing. But, the reality is that there are certain boundaries that cannot be crossed in foreign nations, a major lesson to learn en route to becoming an officer in the fleet.

For these reasons, learning about Islam and Muslim religion have the most important impact on us as future officers. We must be culturally aware of the background of certain procedures and norms. Understanding these will be essential in immersing ourselves into a foreign culture, making it the most useful civilization studied.

Pablo Loza

Word Count: 524

The Similarities between America and the Mongols

The Similarities between America and the Mongols

The Mongol Empire is often viewed as an extremely tolerant regime- to their own people- that came up extremely quickly. However, if one was unlucky enough to not be Mongolian, or stand in the way of their expansion, then they would face an almost certain death, as the Mongol regime left no human left alive during their expansion conquests. The way of the Mongolian Empire is rather rare, with the likes of this contradiction between being tolerant or brutal a hard line to rule on. There is one regime, contrary to the popular Western belief, that has followed in a similar manner: the United States of America. At first, the idea of the United States being similar sounds ridiculous as we have always been taught that the United States was founded off of the principles of democracy and freedom, but when taking a deeper look into our history, some correlation can be seen.

The United States has been around for 243 years which sounds like a substantial amount of time, but, compared to other regimes, this is miniscule. In the short time the US has been around, the US surged to becoming a world power as early as 1919 and has held that spot since. Similar to the Mongols, the US spread rapidly and has grown exponentially.

Furthermore, the Mongols, when viewed by other people, are described as the antiChrist for their tolerance and the way in which their brutal fighting ways terrorized different areas of Asia, “ … the various nationalities which dwell in that region, and plundered, slew, and destroyed them to the full” (“The Perfect History” 200). Similarly, the US preaches the freedoms offered within the country, but, to some around the world, these freedoms are viewed as horrific. For example, within radical Islamic organizations, the teachings of the US are spoken down upon and, quite frankly, frighten these people. This is one of the many cases that view the United States’ tolerance poorly as other societies do so as well. However, the brutality of the United States is most paralleled to the Mongols. How can a country that preaches freedom and peace have been involved in slavery, atomic bombings, police brutality, and many more instances of destruction? Let us examine the atomic bombings, for instance.

Although there are mixed views on if the atomic bombs should have been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the United States often teaches the bombings to have been good, as it forced Japan to surrender, ending World War II. This is similar in the way that the Mongolian people describe their acts of brutality, “Appointed by mighty Heaven and escorted by Mother Earth, we made man’s enemy, the people of the Merkits, empty their breasts and tore their livers in half” (“The Secret History” 198). Both regimes do not hide their brutality but, instead, make it seem acceptable and show their positive views on the situation. But, in reality, both regimes caused mass destruction. When the atomic bombings are taught around the world, they are viewed down upon. Many countries do not see any good in what the bombs brought, as they only caused more casualties than needed. Just like the Mongols, who other countries viewed poorly for their lack of care of human life.

The idea that the United States shares similarities to the Mongols may sound absurd, but, after further analysis, the mix of brutality and tolerance between the two are closer than previously believed.

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1-ssu0bY4aiZdSevCi3nfAj7mYlCKuPly

Pablo Loza

Word Count: 522

USNA and Sun Tzu: The Common Parallel

The Common Parallel

Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is one of the most read and studied military doctrines that has withstood the test of time. Sun Tzu’s overarching philosophy is the idea that preparation means the most when it comes to developing the military, and, when the time comes for war, one should only enter battles in which they can win, with certain factors paving the path for victory. Paralleling Sun Tzu, the Naval Academy, subconsciously, teaches similar techniques that are intended to prepare one for future endeavors. With centuries of trial and error, this has proven to be the most effective way to run the Academy and the best way to prepare midshipmen for the real world.

Sun Tzu continuously stresses how important it is for one to be prepared; essentially, the one who is most prepared will come out on top. Although Sun Tzu is speaking about actual battle, this idea of always being ready is something that is taught through one’s time at the Academy. From the minute we get here, we are expected to pay attention to the little things and, in a sense, pursue perfection in all aspects. As a result of this, when one graduates, they will be diligent in all efforts and not allow for any mishaps. According to Sun Tzu, “Defeat belongs to the side that scores least in the temple calculations before battle” (Sun Tzu 4) – if one does not prepare, then one cannot expect to come out victorious. By the Academy preaching this, it will help drill this ideal into our minds so that, when the time comes, we are capable leaders. This is extremely effective as it begins to shape one’s way of thinking, making pursuing excellence a habit rather than a task.

The next major point covered is the idea of only entering battles that one has the capability of winning. At first, I viewed this as reasonable and something that the Academy does not teach us. In fact, the Academy often prides itself in pushing people’s boundaries and making them be uncomfortable, which contradicts what Sun Tzu was referring to. But, after second thought, I arrived at the conclusion that the Academy does follow this ideal just in a different manner. By making midshipmen uncomfortable and forcing them to expand their horizons, it is, inadvertently, making one ready to always have the capability to succeed. There are few scenarios where one can always be certain in their ability to win but, with the right tools, there are few scenarios where one cannot be confident enough in their ability to win. Essentially, the Academy is making one prepared for the adversity that will be faced in the fleet, and by pushing our limits, our minds will be sharp enough to overcome these obstacles and succeed. It becomes a mindset that one develops after countless failures but still being able to make it through. In relation to Sun Tzu, “The skillful Warrior avoids the keen spirit attacks the dull and the homesick; this is Mastery of Spirit” (11), he claims that one’s mindset should be prepared for the dark times and know how to deal with these situations. This will provide one with the edge to be confident in any conquests in life, especially in battle.

Despite the many flaws that one may view the Academy to have, especially as a midshipmen, the Academy does a fantastic job in instilling Sun Tzu’s ideals to prepare us for when our time comes after graduation.

Pablo Loza

Word Count: 549

Sun-Tzu, The Art of War. Trans. John Minford. London: Penguin, 2009.

America and Athens- One in the Same

America and Athens- One in the Same

Albeit taking place in late 400 BCE, the overthrowing of the thirty tyrants and establishing the Athenian democracy can parallel the American regime of democracy. Despite acting in a certain manner, they are not one in the same, but follow similar patterns with certain differences.

The overthrowing of the authoritarian regime of the thirty tyrants and replacing it with a democratic Athens called for a major regime change. With the citizens of Athens divided in wanting a form of democracy in which every vote mattered or having an electorate system of democracy, conflicts arose. People who supported the true democracy constantly clashed with those supporting the electorate system and a long standing debate arose to see which government would be implemented in their society. Although the American regime of democracy does not have these two different democracies, the American regime has two political parties which face this struggle. Just like the Athenian society, the Republicans and Democrats have different views on nearly every aspect of society, with few beliefs aligning. As a result, the American regime has experienced severe feuds between the two political parties since the beginning of the regime with the Republicans and Federalists.

Furthermore, in the modern day American government, the arguments between the two parties has led to government shutdowns and major movements in society to try and sway the parties. For example, in light of recent immigration struggles, Senator Lindsey Graham has said “We’re not going to put any offers on the table as long as people in charge of these negotiations accuse all of us who want a wall of being a racist”. By saying this, Graham embodies the fundamental similarities and differences between the two parties. Each party is too stubborn to cooperate with one another, thus resulting in a government shutdown because no party is willing to budge. In this manner of debate, the two regimes hold constant this similarity. Unfortunately, this similarity will likely hold true until the end of the American regime. Despite being similar in this manner, there is a major difference between the Athenian regime and the American regime. In the Athenian regime, the two sides with opposing views were able to come together and cooperate. They eventually were able to come to an agreement and structure their democracy. On the contrary, the modern day American government faces many struggles in this aspect. It is very rare for the two political parties to come together and agree on certain topics, such as education and abortion rights. Instead, the two political parties find ways to push their agendas back, resulting in a never ending debate amongst these issues. This push back is negative as it does not establish certain policies, which is something the Athenian regime was able to do.

Although the American government is not overthrowing an authoritarian regime like the Athenians were, the American government can learn a lot from the way the Athenians handled their crisis. In a perfect world, the American government would come together, like the Athenians did, and resolve many long standing conflicts that have plagued the country for decades. The American government should do as the Athenians did and cooperate to get things done. This could potentially save the American government from any future endeavors, as it did with the Athenian regime.

– Pablo Loza

Word Count: 524

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2019/01/06/lindsey-graham-shutdown-goal/2495719002/

Why Representative Democracy Is Better

Pablo Loza

Despite being credited as the founders of democracy, the Athenian version of democracy varies much differently compared to the representative model of democracy. One of the primary differences is the fact that in ancient Athens all citizens, with the right to vote, would come together to vote on a certain topic, whereas in the American representative democracy, citizens vote for people to represent them and vote on their behalf. In doing this, only certain elected individuals have a vote in major laws. When officials are elected on behalf of the people, they are expected to carry out what the people want, as this is why they voted for them. Unfortunately, these officials do not always do this and may go against their constituents. Although these officials may go against the people who elected them, the representative model of democracy is a better way to govern than the direct, Athenian model of democracy.

Direct democracy relies on all citizens to come and vote on certain issues. In theory, direct democracy seems like the best way to get people involved as everyone will be able to voice their opinions. Unfortunately, as ancient Athens has proven, a direct democracy leads to major inconsistencies which can be detrimental to a country. The inconsistency in a direct democracy can be seen in the Melian Dialogue and the greed possessed by the Assembly. Athenians were known to look to the gods for help such as before battles and in times of droughts. Despite always looking to the gods, the Athenians said, “Nature always compels gods and men tor rule over anyone they can control. We did not make this law… but we will take it as we found it and leave our posterity forever” (Thucydides 3.105). When speaking in the Melian Dialogue, they directly compare themselves to gods which is a rather bold claim to make. This claim is allowed to be made because the people of the Assembly wanted to gain more power, rather than follow their beliefs that were preached.

Although one may claim that people in a representative democracy also do this, the people of the Athenian Assembly were the ones acting on their actions. For instance, if they Assembly voted to go to war, then the people who voted would go and prepare for war themselves. People who voted in the direct democracy, as a result, may also not have been educated on all topics, whereas a representative democracy allows for further education. The people who elect the representatives are smart individuals, but are not typically versed in all aspects of politics. The direct democracy model forces one to try and be well-educated in all areas, which is extremely difficult and may cause a lack of knowledge in many areas. But, through the representative model, the elected officials are devoted only to these matters and do not worry about other jobs they have, such as being a farmer like Athenians. This leads to more educated officials voting on major matters in government.

Lastly, the major flaw of the representative democracy is that officials may abandon their ideas, which got them elected, to push their personal agenda. Unfortunately, this is seen in both forms of democracy. In a representative democracy, officials can be given more money by companies/people to vote on their behalf, rather than their originally stated beliefs. The officials do this to gain more wealth for their campaign, a way to keep representing their constituents. In a direct democracy, people can easily be bribed as it is all based off of personal agendas. As seen in the Reacting to the Past exercise done in class, when the poor members of the Assembly were offered compensation or potential help from the rich, then they would switch sides to keep themselves afloat. Regardless of the democracy being used, this is inevitable.

Both the representative and direct form of democracy come with their benefits and detriments. However, the representative form of democracy is a better way to govern as it is more consistent and has only people educated on the matter speak. Thus, the representative form of democracy allows for a more controlled chaos than a direct democracy.

Word Count: 663

Tyranny in North Korea

Pablo Loza

Word Count: 502

In pre-democratic societies, a tyrant was viewed as someone who came to power in a non-hereditary way. “What Kim Is,” written by Matthew Continetti, discusses Kim Jung-un and his tyrannical ways. As written about in this article, the use of the word “tyrant” does not coincide with the pre-democratic definition. However, after the rise of democracies, the tyrannical definition has been altered to describe oppressive governments who, typically, strip their citizens from their basic rights, thus making the use of the word “tyrant” correct in context of the article.

In the article, Continetti discusses the families legacy in North Korea, but, specifically, focuses on Kim Jung-Un. First and foremost, the Kim family has maintained power in North Korea for decades and do not look to give up their throne anytime soon. The Kim family first came to power in 1948; at this point in time, the Kim family would have fit the pre-democratic definition of a tyrant as they gained control of North Korea from someone not in their lineage. But as time passed, this dynasty has led them astray from the original definition as the power is passed down through the family rather than there being a new, non-hereditary leader.

Albeit not fitting the pre-democratic definition wholly, assessing Kim as a tyrant is correct in many ways. In ancient times, tyrants often became extremely corrupt through greed, sexual deviance, and manipulation of people and how they are viewed. In this aspect, the Kim family does fit the pre-democratic definition of tyrannical leaders.

In the sense of greed, Kim has taken extreme measures in making sure his military is up to par. He is known for basing his rule on “totalitarian ‘military first’ mobilization, maintained by slave labor.” Kim wants the world to recognize North Korea as a world power and have other countries fear him and his regime. Due to this, it has made dealing with Kim a major problem for other countries, as nobody knows when he is not deceiving them, making Kim and North Korea nuclear threats, because of a power-hungry tyrannical leader.

Assessing Kim as a tyrant also coincides with both definitions in his manipulation of the North Korean people. Continetti describes how Kim has set up brutal internment camps, enslaved millions, and has striped the citizens of North Korea from any form of expressing themselves. In doing so, one can see that Kim does not recognize the worth of human life, as he has starved, beaten, tortured, and killed people from all social classes for even the slightest form of crime. Kim does this to his people to instill fear in them, putting down any revolt against the government, leaving him with sole command over North Korea as a whole.

The Kim regime is rightfully viewed as a tyranny because of their oppressive manners. Despite not fitting the ancient definition fully, Kim possess similar traits that were seen in ancient tyrants. However, in a modern society, the use of the word tyranny is used correctly by Continetti.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/06/kim-jong-un-murderous-dictator-tyrannical-regime/