Home Prices Falling World Wide
UK: Home prices have dropped by 0.5% for the last two months
Ireland: Home prices expected to fall 8% in 2008
USA: Housing market at the lowest in more than a decade.
Turkey: Housing stagnating
And the list goes on and on. This is quite a trend- does anybody have any theories on this?
Sources: BBC Independent Associated Press Turkish Daily News
Paisley the Paramilitary
Today the BBC reports that First Minister Ian Paisley may have been directly linked to paramilitary organisations in the 1970s and during the troubles. While suspicions, and for some logic, have pointed to that fact for decades the release of secret government documents today lend credence to the allegations. More than 400 State records were released but 50 remained closed.
Sources: BBC, Public Records Office of Northern Ireland
My first blog analysis (2006)
Words of War
An Analysis of Wartime Blogs and Fiction as Historical Sources
Term Paper
Modern Middle Eastern History
“…For commonplace people are at every moment the chief and essential links in the chain of human affairs; if we leave them out, we lose all semblance of truth.”[1]
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In the past century the western world has seen an increase in military action and violence in the Middle East. While war has ravaged the region the West has been awakened to a very diverse culture with a different social awareness. This growing consciousness has awakened within many the desire to reach into the heart of not only the politics but of the people involved. In a constantly changing world, history has been adapted by writers into compelling, dynamic and wittily brutal accounts of events. Through Fiction and the ‘blogosphere’[2] history is gaining not only popularity but dynamism.
Both blogs and metafiction have acquired the power of persuasion. In the political arena in particular cultural works are “…intimately involved in ‘the analysis of power and of social responsibility’.”4 These works tend to function not as a “…research program for a particular party or tendency…”4 but instead remain critical of all dominant ideologies and social trends. Cultural criticism is usually used to demonstrate the impacts of society’s politics on the daily lives of individuals through an artistic outlet. The artistic component of a cultural work does not only give writers a greater range of tools to assist the reader in the understanding of larger social events, but also allows the reader to interpret the information according to their distinctive socio-political understanding. The relation between writer and reader is most intense in cultural works due to this very quality. Literary devices are utilized by both bloggers and writers to grab the reader’s hearts and minds and pull them into a world they may not know.
“The mass of men lead their lives in quiet desperation”[3]
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Through fables and novels, a form of writing known as “cultural criticism” has emerged. Politics in today’s global nation are not only for the elite, politics has come to the doors of the proletariat. Political vigilance has become not only a fashion, but a necessity; technology has allowed governments to virtually step into the homes of most citizens subtly and with ease. Widespread education and literacy has also led many to question mainstream media (MSM) and search for the word of the common person living in the moment.
Politically infused fiction in particular has the power “…to reinforce dominant ideology and yet, through ‘new expressiveness given them by their audiences’ can disrupt it’.”[4]. Fictional writing allows reader to empathize with a character who “…mediates between the individual and social, and between the past and the future.”4. In Gilad Elbom’s novel, Scream Queens of the Dead Sea, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is tangible through a glimpse of a nameless narrator’s life. Metafiction provides a unique insight into the social realities of political practice; Elbom utilizes heavy metal, sex and linguistics to infuse within his novel credibility and modernity. While the Middle East continues to be subjected to Orientalist views Elbom implements these simple constructions to immediately challenges the reader’s preconceptions on the region and its people. Elbom’s novel allows readers to relate to the Israeli-Palestinian situation through a character that could be anybody. This anonymity is a key device utilized in Scream Queens of the Dead Sea; it not only functions as a transistor for empathy but also for prejudice.
Elbom employs anonymity to create sympathy within the reader; mundane events are used as a mirror between the reader and character. As the narrator struggles with girlfriends, traffic, bureaucracy, and a menial job, the reader is forced to perceive the continuity between lives. Yet it is imperative the use of anonymity as a voice of bias be viewed within the novel as well. At the beginning of the novel Elbom immediately creates a rift between ‘us’ and ‘them’. The narrator cites “It’s always bad when it’s quiet. You know they must be planning something.”5 but fails to specify who ‘they’ are. As the novel progresses ‘they’ gain a face through the character Ramzy.
As the novel progresses, the narrator undergoes a drastic change in attitude. Initially the narrator tries to remove himself mentally from the politics surrounding the conflict he is living through. He begins the novel with a dispassionate attitude, yet as the novel continues his hatred becomes as irrational as those called ‘terrorists’. As Caramel disappears within the casino the narrator automatically suspects Ramzy, the only Arab he had encountered. The narrator loses the idea that “…they’re not all terrorists…”[5] and becomes a part of the internal and external war he has been hiding from. He comes to mockingly realize humans and life can be like the languages he studies; single and multifaceted. He desires simplicity, “It’s better when you have only two tenses, present and future, good and bad, us and them.”, yet also desires duality “Who said nouns had to be connected? Keep them separated; sky and earth, sea and land, day and night, man and beast.”6. Apathy becomes a stronger emotion than hatred and allows the reader to perceive to internal war that accompanies external conflict.
Elbom crafts an externally apathetic and anonymous character living through one of the most turbulent situations in world history. The juxtaposition between emotion and lack there of is intended to validate the challenges of living amid war. The character witnesses events daily that would shock most, “You hear about it on the radio: the blood, the severed limbs…but if the daily disaster is over, and your name is not on the radio…it’s safe…”5, but also has the same mundane issues that all lives contain. The apathetic nature of the character reveals the apathy to the situation in Israel within the reader as well. Although Elbom describes unsettling scenes of disasters from time to time, the reader waits anxiously to learn about the next time the narrator will sodomize Caramel. The apathetic outlook of the narrator reveals the creation of a youthful Israeli generation sullied with the hand of war. The ever present anonymity serves not only as a shield from judgment but also as a conveyer of it.
Elbom also uses the figure of death and sex as complimentary wartime trends. Death is present everywhere in the novel; the narrator sees it on the road to work, in his memory and through his patients. Sex is also present throughout the novel. It is often rough, demanding, and deviant and almost always follows a dispute. The continual use of sodomy and rape images alludes to the rape of a nation and people. Like the deviant sex presented throughout the novel, the war involves two parties, both willingly fighting a battle for domination with a fierce desire to ‘be on top’. The final sex scene between Caramel and the narrator is a sexual portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As the narrator angrily sodomizes Caramel, he thinks not of love for her, but of rage, justification, anger, death, the war and his place within it. Just as he cannot complete the sexually dominate over the Caramel, so too the war cannot be won. Sex and death are most visible in the plight of Caramel’s husband; his impending death is used as a stimulant for their sexual escapades. Caramel and the narrator’s relationship is perpetuated by this looming death and it is usually discussed just prior to any sexual acts between them; without death there wouldn’t be any reason for sex.
Scream Queens of the Dead Sea utilizes anonymity, apathy, sex and death as devices to unmask war. Fiction as a carrier for history enables the author to makes history more appealing to the average person. Sex and heavy metal are infinitely more appealing to the masses than formal historical accounts of war. Fiction also allows for scene setting that enhances or diminishes significance of events according to the author’s intent. Metafiction also allows readers to empathize with a character who could be anyone. It broadens the reader’s perspectives at times and may cause the reader to want know if there is any fact to the fiction. Metafiction, like all mediums of expression has its limitations. The reader must be wary of metafiction as historical truth; metafiction may only show one side and may lead to exaggeration and pushing of certain beliefs to enhance mood and dramatic content. Despite its draw backs, metafiction has the ability to effectively and entertainingly depict history in all its dynamism.
“There are no conditions to which a man cannot become used, especially if he sees that all around him are living in the same way.”[6]
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“Blogs are the 21st-century counterpart to the periodical essays of the 18th-century.”8 and serve much of the same function. Blogs- short for weblogs- are usually a personal website through which individuals express daily frustrations, stories and hopes.[7] Blogs serve as online versions of diaries which allow the writer to share their perspectives with millions of people all over the globe. The interactive nature of a blog allows reader and writer to exchange ideas on everything from politics to fashion. The blog bubble has begun to expand with no signs of stopping. Technorati cites that a new blog is created every second, and about seventy thousand blogs are created daily on average. [8] Blogs are not only personal rantings but have also acquired the power to shape politics and opinions. The explosive relationship between writers and readers of blogs are visible even within the United States political scene. Recent political dealings have brought bloggers into the limelight of the political scene; during both the Democratic and Republican Conventions of 2004, special seating was assigned for bloggers, they have even been called to Washington DC to testify in cases that their blogs discuss in depth. Blogs have become the voice through which the people speak.
Riverbend is an anonymous Iraqi girl reporting on the second gulf war who has captured the hearts of many through her words on one of the most volatile political debates within the last decade. Riverbend’s onsite accounts on civilian life during the Second Iraq war provides her readers with a rare glimpse into the lives of the common people in Iraq. Her words serve as a powerful conduit through which the causalities of war are revealed as more than just statistics and economic terms but through the suffering of individuals. This blog has allowed its readers to confront the war in Iraqi through the life of a girl surviving it. Riverbend’s emotional and witty accounts about the horrors and difficulties of war transform the reader into a part of the writer’s life; as she suffers so do they. While the cultural barrier between the West and the Middle East seems almost insurmountable due to the present-day hostilities in the region, Riverbend provides a fresh and shocking view into her own culture. As the West struggles to understand the politics of the region; Riverbend’s blog seems to heal the rift between the people of the Middle East and West. Through the interactive nature of a blog the hearts of two divided people are able to see each other as just that, people.
Interaction is without a doubt the most important device utilized by Riverbend. Her blog allows readers to network directly; this permits clarification of ideas, points, and intercultural misunderstandings. Communication between writer and reader allows for growth in political and social awareness and also the expansion of the global connectivity. Riverbend defies all biases on the Middle East and calls out against them- in her second post she decries the presumptions of her readers. When accused that she is not an Iraqi because “…I have internet access…I know how to use the internet… [I] speak English.”[9] she automatically attacks assumptions that Iraqis are somehow less technological and ‘backwards’. Yet interaction between writer and reader may cause both parties to morph their opinions into one unified thought; this can cause dilution of originality and individuality and can increase the occurrences of inaccuracy.
As Riverbend’s blog progresses her style becomes infused with the influence of her readers. She begins the blog telling a story of her life, discussing the political and economic situation the war has caused in Iraq. Yet after a time her reader’s questions, comments and suggestions begin to influence what she writes about and how she writes it. She begins to reference other webpages that readers have sent her, which allows these readers to gain influence through any persuasive power Riverbend’s blog may possess. She also lets readers peek into Iraqi family, gender roles, honor and religious at their request. While her writing is most definitely influenced by the readers she does not lose credibility in their eyes.
Riverbend’s blog also unintentionally caters to the reader’s ego and curiosity. Suspense and self-validation are key drivers in the pull of blogs in general. A wartime blog such as Riverbend’s allows many readers to fulfill a psychological desire to feel they are superior or ‘better off’ than others. As the reader follows the daily impact of war forced upon the writer, they are more content with the life they lead. Though this feeling may not be dissolute it remains and integral part in the addiction to this kind of media. Riverbend’s blogs are also sporadic in posting at times; this is obviously due to power shortages in Iraq, but builds suspense around the events. The reader is left wondering what is next in the story and this waiting allows drama and tension to overtake the reader and bind them even closer to the events told in the blog. During a lapse in posting the reader begins to follow surrounding events more closely and when they hear of a bombing or explosion in Baghdad they “…immediately want to check her blog, hoping her house wasn’t on that block…”10. Riverbend’s blog is not dissimilar to shock media in its appeal to readers. Yet blogs, unlike shock media, usually aren’t created with the intention of perpetuating psychological dependency on the viewer, but are more akin to diaries.
Riverbend is a real person- alive today, filled with biases and inconsistencies like everyone else. She does not seem to be trying to mask her biases to gain a sycophantic following. Riverbend conceals her identity but not her opinions; her anonymity allows her blog to be evaluated somewhat like a diary normally would be. In a diary, people tend to be truthful because it is something meant for them alone. Yet a blog has the potential to mask truth because it is created to be read and criticized. Riverbend’s blog, while definitely shaped by her readers, is not controlled by them; she changes her focus at times, but never seems to waiver from the truth she is writing for herself. Like many who live through a time of crisis, it seems Riverbend feels a responsibility to make sure the truth of war life is told.
Baghdad Burning, Girl Blog from Iraq thrusts readers into war headfirst with an interactive, psychologically gripping and honest account of life amidst chaos. Blogs as historical sources are difficult to utilize. A blog has intrinsic problems that make them suspect sources; it is nearly impossible to identify a blogger if they choose to remain anonymous. This makes the bloggers credibility hard to substantiate- it leads historians to cynical views of the writer- what if in fact, they are not who they claim to be? Blogs usually are personal and as such limit the reader’s view to that side- this can lead to ‘tunnel vision’ on issues discussed in the blog if the reader has deemed it a trustworthy source for information. Blogs are also not subject to any laws of misinformation as the mainstream media is and can deliberately mislead its readers if it wishes to. In spite of these drawbacks blogs such as Riverbend’s allow the people to say what they wish in a relatively uncensored arena. Most bloggers are not poets or politicians; they are just average people trying to reach the world they live in. Blogs have the ability to build walls but they also have the power to dissolve them.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”[10]
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Cultural works are never “…simply ‘an image of [its] times’…”4 but it must be noted that the value of cultural works lie within “…not the factual or thematic level of the work …but rather the values either that society extends to it or that are structurally reproduced in the work.”4. While cultural works do contain within them obvious and subtle bias, their value as historical sources are immeasurable. Though different techniques are used to grab the reader’s attention both metafiction and blogs grasp the reader in a web of drama and mystery that engulfs them. Curiosity could very well be the most easily exploited psychological trait of humanity and both these mediums bind the mind of the writer and readers together with it.
Through individuals the mediums of metafiction and blogs are utilized to create a unity between history and those living in through it. History often seeks to be honest about what went on in the past; delineating economic and social conditions that shaped the course of events. Yet I know that quite often the truth is found in the lies we tell. Exaggerations, biases, deceit and conflict tend to reveal the true nature of humanity. When faced with peril some rise and accomplish great acts of bravery while others falter. Removing bias from history is a futile attempt to sterilize the emotions of humanity. Metafiction and blogs are transmitters of the emotions of the writers; and since emotion cannot be viewed as rational they cannot be discredited or accredited. Historians are faced with what is in truth an internal moral question- do I trust the emotions of this writer or not? In the end history can list names and facts but will never be free from the seed of bias so long as it is written. In essence, cultural works such as Scream Queens of the Dead Sea and Baghdad Burning are valid because it doesn’t matter so much that the truth be told, so much as the voices of those with a vested interest the world’s events are heard.
[1] Dostoïevski, Идиот (The Idiot) p. 362
[2] Glover, Daniel K. The Rise of Blogs National Journal Vol.38 Issue 3 pg. 30-35
[3] Thoreau, Henry David Walden pg. 11
[4] Templeton, Alice Sociology and Literature; Theories for cultural criticism. College Literature Vol. 19 Issue 2 pg.19-31
[5] Elbom, Gilad Scream Queens of the Dead Sea pg.82
[6] Tolstoy, Leo Анна Каренина (Anna Karenina) pg. 651
[7] Ross, Marilyn Blog, Blog, Blog Writer, Vol.119 Issue 4 pg. 39–40
[8] Glover, Daniel K. The Rise of Blogs National Journal Vol. 38 Issue 3 pg. 30-35
[9] Riverbend, Baghdad Burning Girl Blog From Iraq
[10] Fitzgerald, F. Scott The Great Gatsby pg. 182
Benazir Bhutto Assassinated
Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan has been assassinated by a suicide attack. The BBC puts is well…read more here. Rest in Peace Ms. Bhutto.
Source: BBC
A Rich Man’s Good Deeds
Barron Hilton, the patriarch of the Hilton family intends to donate 97% of his wealth to charity upon his passing. The fortune will benefit the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The foundation operates upon the guiding philosophy left in C. Hilton’s will and testament which reads:
“There is a natural law, a Divine law, that obliges you and me to relieve the suffering, the distressed and the destitute. Charity is a supreme virtue, and the great channel through which the mercy of God is passed on to mankind. It is the virtue that unites men and inspires their noblest efforts.
Love one another, for that is the whole law; so our fellow men deserve to be loved and encouraged — never to be abandoned to wander alone in poverty and darkness. The practice of charity will bind us — will bind all men in one great brotherhood.
As the funds you will expend have come from many places in the world, so let there be no territorial, religious, or color restrictions on your benefactions, but beware of organized, professional charities with high-salaried executives and a heavy ratio of expense.
Be ever watchful for the opportunity to shelter little children with the umbrella of your charity; be generous to their schools, their hospitals and their places of worship. For, as they must bear the burdens of our mistakes, so are they in their innocence the repositories of our hopes for the upward progress of humanity. Give aid to their protectors and defenders, the Sisters, who devote their love and life’s work for the good of mankind, for they appeal especially to me as being deserving of help from the Foundation.”
Sources: Reuters
In the Way
Life’s in the way the past week or two. I’ll be back in these near days. I promise! 
And the Verdict Is?
A verdict on the Omagh bomb trial is due to be released this Thursday. Sean Hoey is accused of setting off a bomb in Omagh which killed 29 people and maimed more than 200 on August 15, 1998.
Sources:BBC BBC Archives
Now Bertie…Who’s laughing now?
Check out this blog….I think it sums up the allegations/evidence and the like quite nicely.
Also check out this blog for a laugh and the story behind the great picture you see to the right.
Sources: Gavin’s Blog That’s Ireland
Middle class ‘out of cope’ for economy
This morning on my way to work this report came on the radio. Now I’ve been fretting over making ends meet lately. Worrying if I’m going to have to choose between survival, my education, my mind, whatever. This report by former Secretary of Labour in the Clinton Administration Robert Reich tells exactly why the economic slow down isn’t the only cause for concern- why the slowing of the housing market in the US has made the inherent problems in the economy more obvious. He admits that Americans and all who live here will suffer if someone doesn’t address these issues. I’d like to say a thank you to Robert Reich for calling it like it is.
Sources: American Public Media-Marketplace
