Walter Benjamin "Theses on the Philosophy of History"

Men make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; the do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly found, given and transmitted from the past. The tradition of all the dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brain of the living (Marx p. 595).

Benjamin believe that men can only promise and wish certain things to happen but have no control over the result. Everyman makes history base on what is available to him at a particular time in history. 

I choose this passage because its very direct and makes lots of cense to me. In our modern time, those who happen to be in high office will promise everything even before they are elected. Once they take office everything changes. This does not mean they don't want things to happen the way they want it but due to the circumstances of what is happening at the time

Walter Benjamin: "The Work of Art in the Age of

 One might generalize by saying: the technique of reproduction detaches the reproduced object from the domain of tradition. By making many reproductions it substitutes a plurality of copies for a unique existence. And in permitting the reproduction to meet the beholder or listener in his own particular situation, it reactivates the object reproduced. These two processes lead to a tremendous shattering of tradition which is the obverse of the contemporary crisis and renewal of mankind. Both processes are intimately connected with the contemporary mass movements. Their most powerful agent is the film. Its social significance, particularly in its most positive form, is inconceivable without its destructive, cathartic aspect, that is, the liquidation of the traditional value of the cultural heritage (p. 221).

The passage can be interpreted in many ways but the main issue is how can something be reproduce so many times and still have the same value as the original one. In this case for a movie to be perfect, they believe that it has to be repeated over and over up to a certain point which Walter Benjamin it will lack it traditional value.

I choose did passage because it tell a lot about movie making and it's complication specially when it had to be reproduce from the pass to the present. The and place of the original movie might not actually be the same when its reproduce.

6/26 On Pain

We  find ourselves in a situation where we are still capable of grasping what is lost; we can still sense the destruction of values and how the world is becoming more shallow and superficial. New generations are growing up far removed from all our inherited traditions, and it is an amazing feeling to see these children many of whom will live to experience the year 2000. By then, the last remnants of the modern, i.e., Copernican, age will most likely have disappeared (p. 45).

The passage is expressing the fact that now a days people don't care much about the pass which actually shape the future that we are living in. Those who lived during the wars can never forget or distance themselves from the horror and destruction that took place. Most of those who with ness the wars will never forget it no matter how much the change . This life experience  will always be with them as long as they live.

I thing this passage clearly shows how important the pass is in our life's . For us (people) to move forward to a better future, we most reflect the good things as well as the bad things that happened before us? By knowing the history, it can help us avoid the bad parts of history and live a better life.

6/25 Nazism

6/25 Nazism

Triumph de Willens is the first part of the film. The most impressing thing at the beginning of the movie was the fact that every speech made by Hitler and his supporters was about work and peace. It show everything about a good leader making promises about a country that is going through a lots of economical problem and waiting to be rescue. The support for the Nazi regime was very powerful and it seems that the youths were the actual back bone of the regime. I also observed that at the beginning of the nazi regime, the closes supporters of Hitler make him feel like a superman who have not only the power but all the solution to their problems. This encourages hitler to careless about the laws of the land (German). The first signed of power was when he combine both branches of government and been called the leader. He make the German people believed that they are the superior of all mankind for that being the case they should rule the world and others followed.

 Night and Fog happen to be the second face of the movie which shows the real regime of Hitler and the Nazi.  They put their evil machine to work on people whom they believed are on their way to success. They put people to execution camp in deferent places. People working day and night in very poor conditions  with bad treatment. It was horrifying in in those days if you we're leaving under the Nazi regime and not part of them.

6/24 Max Weber: Politics as a Vocation

The leadership of a state or of a party by men who (in the economic sense of the word) live exclusively for politics and not off politics means necessarily a ‘plutocratic’ [rule of the wealthy, after the Roman god of wealth and the underworld, Pluto—Prof.] recruitment of the leading political strata. To be sure, this does not mean that such plutocratic leadership signifies at the same time that the politically dominant strata will not also seek to live ‘off’ politics, and hence that the dominant stratum will not usually exploit their political domination in their own economic 

Weber's is trying to explain that politician who are rich or wealthy are not suppose to live exclusively from politic. He believe that a politician can better do his or her job as a leader without interest from the decisions he makes for the people, instead this is not the case rich leaders are now can never be satisfied .

I thing Weber is right to ascertain degree. He also forget that once you becomes a leader, no matter how wealthy you are the responsibility also increases. When you become a leather it become not only you but family, extended family, friends and those very close to you who help you get the post would all be expecting some king of fanatics faction from you. This will sorely increase the demand for more wealth.

6/19 The Weimar Republic

Governments in debt often times are forced to print more money to spend their way out of immediate problems which only increases inflation. In Germany’s case this began in 1914 when the decision was made (unopposed) to pay for the costs of the war by borrowing money, not by raising taxes or other means of increasing government revenue. 

This passage indicate one reason why inflation occur in some countries. Government leaders always try to cover up any bad news that could affect their political carrier for this reason they end up borrowing more money It also tell how much war can cause and the long term effect of war. It is easier to borrow money than to raise taxes because by the time people star feeling the impact it might be too late. This is why the German government did not raise taxes to finance the war instead they borrow money which end up doing more harm to their total economic.

This is a common cense theory do not spend money that you may never be able to pay back and don't get into problems that you cannot solve. The same theory can be apply in the US as well. We are borrowing money from China to fight wars that have no ending.

Public schooling has to be organized organically. Middle and high schools are based on an elementary school common for everybody. For the organization of the school system the variety of occupations, for the acceptance of a child into a school his talent and inclination, but not the economic and social position nor the religious confession of his parents are authoritative.Within the communities, at the request of Erziehungsberechtigten (legal guardian), Volksschulen (primary school) of their confession or world outlook have to be established, if this does not obstruct the regular operation of the school. The wish of those Erziehungsberechtigter has, when possible, to be considered. Further details are specified by state legislation, according to principles laid down in a Reich law.Reich, states and communities have to provide funds to allow poor children access to middle and high schools, to grant financial aid to parents, whose children are regarded qualified for the education on middle and high schools, until their education is ended.

This outline one of the different between US policy and German policy when it comes to child education. Weimar Constitution believe that education is a right for every child either rich or poor. The Reich law provides free education for primary, middle and high school children. rights (Art 109-181). 

I choose this passages because it cover one of the most important fundamental right for human development. Education makes the world better therefore by providing this right to all your citizen means growth and development for the future of your country. I  thing this policy makes Germany to be in the position that it is today.