Issues with International Law

Issue

-George W. Bush said that the Geneva Conventions laws doesn't apply when dealing with terrorists with connections to Al-Qaeda, or African Talibans.

-Terrorist suspects held in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba (GITMO), Afghanistan, and secret CIA locations.

-The U.S. extended GTIMO to U.S. controlled locations in Iraq.

Option 1- Traditional laws are ineffectual

-International law on torture is vague.

-Aggressive interrogation is crucial to information about attacks.

-Harsh treatment may prevent people from joining terrorist groups.

Option 2- The U.S. must respect international law

-The U.S. abiding laws shows them as a leader in morality and not giving civil rights.

-Following the laws of Geneva Conventions isn't the U.S.'s priority because it puts their personnel at risk.

-Violating international law tarnishes the U.S.'s image in the world.

Time Capsule

I walk along the narrow dirt path.

There are trees and brush everywhere to be seen.

They surround me as though I am trapped.

This world of lost memories stays enclosed.

I try many times to escape, but it seems as though it is one big circle.

One big circle that never ends.

Time goes on and lasts forever.

This time capsule will never end.

Aristotle Quote Analysis

At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.

-Aristotle 

           I feel that this quote explains the meaning of being controlled in a good and bad way. If there are rules that a society has to follow and all are followed, then that society can be well behaved as well make progress. People will have the urge to make progress ingrained in their brains, so the society ends up as a successful group. When a society is unrestrained, the people tend to go crazy over power and do as their savage instints tell them to do. That is when chaos erupts and no progress is made, making them the worst from being separated from law and justice.

The Coup in Chile

-Chile has an abundant amount of copper and it is also very profitable.

-The Gran Minería is U.S. controlled companies in Guatemala named Anaconda Company and Kennecot Copper Company.

-They are massive copper mines around the country.

Nationalism- Government taking over an administration.

-Salvador Allende ran for candidate of the Popular Unity coalition.

-His plan was to sweep land reforms, make nationalization of the foreign dominated Gran Minería, make labor reforms, social welfare, and economic programs.

Track II- Encouraged a military coup to be formed.

Henry Kissinger- Security advisor to President Nixon.

July, 1971

-158 senators voted to ratify the amendment.

December 4, 1972

-Allende had a speech before the UN and it failed to gain support.

-Christain Democratic Party- Blocked Allende's reform attempts at the same time that members of his coalition urged him to speed up.

-The U.S. continued to aid Chile's military against Allende.

September 11, 1973

-Allende called for a vote from his people on his support in taking his planned actions.

-The military attacked La Moneda, the presidential palace.

-Chilean military was trying to destroy socialist parties.

-Allende was murdered in the process.

General Augusto Pinochet- Ruled Chile for the next 17 years.

-Thousands of deaths occurred weeks after.

-He decreed Amnesty in 1978 to shield people responsible for human rights violations.

-130,000 people were killed by coups.

Shapes and Sizes

People come in different shapes and sizes.

Some are big and some are small.

Some are genius and some are average.

Some are athletic and some are sedentary.

Some are caring and some are uncaring.

Some are adventurous and some are boring.

These properties make up the individual themself.

It doesn't matter what combination they turn out to be.

Some people judge for who others are.

But people should realize others may think the same about them.

It is a personal preference and shouldn't be public.

So next time you are judging just remember,

people come in different shapes and sizes.

Just like you.

Guatemala: 1954

1951

-Guzman redistributed 160000 acres of land owned by the United Fruit Company (Chiquita's) and gave it to pheasants.

-United Fruit had 42% of the country's land.

-They didn't have to pay any taxes on imports or exports.

Operation PBSUCCESS- The CIA operation to overthrow the communist President of Guatemala, Jacob Arbenz Guzman, and get back the United Fruit Company's land he took away.

-Arbenz fled to Cuba and Colonel Castillo Armas rose to power.

-He returned all the land back to the United Fruit Company.

-United Fruit Company had to then start paying taxes for imports and exports.

January, 1968

-2,800 intellectuals, students, trade union leaders, and pheasants were murdered by terrorists.

-Police and security forces weren't held responsible anymore for homocides.

-Plantation owners had the power of high officers to keep people away from the land.

-Owners had guns, which they used forcefully.

-Of the 70,000 people that were killed in this time period, 30,000 were children.

-Infant mortality was 40 times higher than the U.S.

-About 120,000 people were killed in the Civil War.

-Security forces had killed about 65,000 people.

-Almost half the population was unemployed.

-40,000 people have "dissappeared".