The Reagan Doctrine

For decades following the end of World War II, The United States and the Soviet Union had been at odds over what government should be prominent in the world. Each American President had his own counterpart within the communist regime of the USSR. President Ronald Reagan was elected at a time when the Soviet Union began to see their demise unfold. His counterpart General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev became the very first and eventually very last elected executive President of the USSR. At the height of his Presidency, Ronald Regan visited the Berlin Wall and demanded to Gorbachev that “if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union…Mr. Gorbachev  tear down this wall,” which caused the crowd in front of him to erupt into cheers.

One of Reagan and Gorbachev’s forgotten battles is their involvement in 1980’s Afghanistan. Before the Gorbachev era, the Soviet Union had begun to oppose the incumbent Afghan government, and eventually invaded Afghanistan in attempt to continue spreading communism. With the horrors of Vietnam still fresh in the memories of many Americans; President Reagan understood Congress would never authorize direct military intervention. Instead he ordered financial support to the Mujahidin, the rebel group resisting the Soviet occupation. This continued until the Soviets were forced out of Afghanistan and the United States immediately cutoff support for the Mujahidin. Many experts argue the abrupt termination of financial support led to a radical group to form out of the Mujahidin, resenting the US, now widely known as the Taliban.

The Berlin Wall Speech is one of my favorite speeches to have looked at from American history because it does a really good job encapsulating America’s overwhelming power and refusal to take a backseat to any unjust menace ravaging through the world. The Reagan Administration essentially took American influence in a new, unexplored direction. This is crucial for Khaled Hosseini and the “Kite Runner” because it provides a platform for all the Afghan Refugees in America to believe history was not repeating itself. Their country would not end in similar disaster such as those that became East and West Germany, North and South Korea, North and South Vietnam. The doctrine developed by Ronald Reagan, wound up ceasing the trend of splitting countries in two pieces and watching each piece fail. Afghanistan remained one sovereign nation, that (somewhat) belonged to the people.

 

Picture: Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=257985

Research: Reagan, Ronald. “The History Place – Great Speeches Collection: Ronald Reagan Speech ‘Tear Down This Wall'” The History Place – Great Speeches Collection: Ronald Reagan Speech ‘Tear Down This Wall’ 12 June 1987. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.

Pillar, Paul. “Fallout from Reagan’s Afghan War.” Consortiumnews. N.p., 11 July 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.

 

 

The Grandest

In 1968 Ford introduced a new line of cars called Torino that would eventually replace the Fairlane. After four years and one redesign Ford decided to redesign the Torino again to produce the Gran Torino. There where only nine models offered compared to the fourteen previously. 496,645 models where made. With six different engines and the 429 cubic inch V8 as the big block with 208 horsepower,and the 250 cubic inch I6 was the the only non V8 that was offered. There where three different transmissions that where offered- 3 speed manual, 4 speed manual, and a Cruise-O-Matic. The best engine though was the 351 Cobra jet with 248 horsepower and went 0-60 in 6.8 seconds and ran the quarter in 15.4 miles.  
I choose this topic because me and my family have always been Ford people, one of my first memories was climbing into my dads Ford Bronco. My dad now drives a mustang, has a Galaxy, my mom a fusion, we have a F-150, and my parents just bought my sister a focus but she doesn’t know yet. Although my car is a Toyota, my dad got it because it would be a good first car (because it doesn’t go to fast), I still would rather drive a ford any day. Also that era of cars was one of the best although my favorite was the Superbird the Gran Torino looks as if it’s the king of the road. The car is worthy to be researched because it’s an American legend. The Gran Torino was a great car that has served many people well.

“1972 Torino specs, colors, facts, history, and performance.” 1972. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.

Peterthof. “1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport” 5/17/2015, Digital Image. 4/19/2016

Wuthering Heights

Image: Drumm “Wuthering Heights”. Digital Image. Flickr. June 15, 2005. Web. April 14 2016

CHRIS DRUMM

Wuthering Heights is a romantic sinister story with the main plot involving getting revenge against another family member who brutally bullied the adopted member after the death of the father. The adopted family member Heathcliff leaves his family only after many years returning rich and educated man. Using all of his resources he plans series of events that exact his revenge against his brother Hindley. Also, Heathcliff returns for his demonic love for his sister Catherine. Furthermore, the love they show even can transcend the confines of death.

I researched this topic for I was curious of what the book contributes to Kite Runner. Now I realize that the author mentions this as some sort of guilt trip for Amir. Amir gets a good career, loving wife, and perfect housing since living in America. But Amir cheated his friend Hassan out of all that for he never helped him in his recovery after his brutal rape by the bully Assef. In a sense Amir is plagued with his horrible past for it always catches up to him. In a sense the book only reminded Amir of what Hassan was cheated out of when he framed his only true friend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works cited

“Wuthering Heights.” Goodreads. Goodread, n.d. Web. 13 April 2016.

Melani, Lilia. The Nineteenth Century English Novel. Brooklyn College, n.d. Web. 14  April 2016

Russian Invasion of Afghanistan

For the most part, in the 1970s, all was happy in Afghanistan. The days were passed fighting kites, and upholding daily life. However everything changed in the late December of 1979 when the Russians invaded. It was the middle of the Cold War; Soviet Russia and China were steadfast in their attempts to spread their communist ideal, while America and democratic countries were doing everything in their power to stop the spread of communism. The United States had successfully secured Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and many others in favor of democracy. This shook the Soviets, as they were afraid of losing communist grasp in the Middle East. In order to combat the ever growing list of democratic nations, Russia sent over 100,000 soviet troops over to the capital city of Kabul in order to instate a soviet lead government.

Those who rebelled against the invading Russians were called Mujahideen rebels. Interestingly, the rebels received an abundance of support from an unusual combination of countries including Iran, Pakistan, and the United States.

Bacongo, Keith “War Exercise”. January 1, 1999 Flickr April 14, 2016

T

The Years spent in

Afghanistan
were bloody. While the rebels attempted to stave off the Russians, the soviets retaliated with brutal force. In a research article written by Alan Taylor, he states; “In the brutal nine-year conflict, an estimated one million civilians were killed, as well as 90,000 Mujahideen fighters, 18,000 Afghan troops, and 14,500 Soviet soldiers.” (Taylor).        I chose to research this war because i feel as though it is important for every individual to be knowledgable in world affairs. I also find it important to know what caused such a shift in setting within the kite runner. It is because of this war that baba and Amir are forced to leave Kabul, and It’s important for us to understand the terrifying circumstances in which they were forced to leave so urgently.
Work cited

 “Russia and Afghanistan.” Understandingwr.org, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

Cypress Trees

Unfortunately, I was unable to find a lot of information about cypress trees specific to Afghanistan, but I managed to find out a lot about cypress trees throughout the Middle East. It is represented as one species with three varieties: the cereiform, the pyramidal,

Attribution 2.0 Generic, Creative Commons

and the horizontal. The first two varieties are commonly planted as ornamentation, while the third is found wild in the Caspian forest. The pyramidal cypress is also found commonly in Herat, Afghanistan, though it may not be indigenous to the country.

 

I picked this topic because I personally love trees. When I read about the “city of cypress trees” in The Kite Runner, I was really curious about what they looked like. I thought it would be nice to have a visual of where they traveled.

Ritual of Bonding

A wedding is a ritual with practices that vary between different cultures. In Afghanistan, traditional wedding practices are significantly different than those in western cultures. Afghan marriages are often determined by the parents rather than the bride and the groom themselves. After the engagement is initiated, the bride’s parents throw an engagement party. After the engagement party, the Henna night is held, a ceremony involving the application of henna onto the bride’s hand. Eventually, on the wedding day, a ceremony takes place known as the Nikah. The Nikah is a religious ceremony in which the bride always wears green. After the Nikah, the wedding itself finally takes place. The wedding itself is fairly similar to western weddings, except that Afghan weddings have a ceremony in which the bride and groom, covered in a cloth, look at each other’s reflections in a mirror.

 

I chose this topic because a large portion of chapters 10-13 of The Kite Runner involves Amir’s marriage to Soraya. Obviously, marriage is an important part of Amir’s life, and understanding the process will help to understand the culture and the story as a whole.

“Traditional Wedding in Afghanistan.” Alliance for International Women’s Rights. 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

tlparadis. “Henna.” 31 Aug. 2004. JPEG.

Poetry

A ghazal is a short poem that’s purpose is to invoke love, longing, and melancholy. Although they first became popular after the Persian poets Rumi and Hafiz began writing them during the 13th century, ghazals have been traced back to Arabic origin during the 7th century. Ghazals are typically composed of a minimum of five lines and no more the fifteen. Additionally, each line is equal in length. The first line of a ghazal introduces the theme of the poem. The following lines build on the theme of the first line. The final line usually includes the name of the author.

I chose this topic because I was curious to know what a ghazal was. When researching, I learned that poets all around the world write ghazals. I believe it is beneficial to understand the origin of ghazals and their purpose because they are written world wide.

“Poetic Form: Ghazal.” Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 21 Feb. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

Writing. Digital image. Wikipidea. N.p., 17 Apr. 2016. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

Not so Friendly Friends

A Rafiq is the Farsi word for comrade or friend. In the book The Kite Runner it is mentioned in chapter ten when Amir is describing his life in 1981. Everyone in Afghanistan is to a point where they must speak in a “calculated manner.” This is because in 1978 there was a coup, and inside overthrow of the government. The government was overthrown by the Nur Mohammad Tarakig. These pro-soviet leaders made the country turn on itself. It was neighbor against neighbor and brother against brother; it was a civil war. The Rafiq were called “friends” because they were the ones who you could confide in to report anti-soviet geurrilla fighters.

[Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons by Erwin Lux

I chose this topic because it was unclear in the text what a Rafiq was. It is important to understand the meaning of this word to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the men, women, and children of Afghanistan and the Russian soldiers stationed there.

Works Cited:
Harcourt, Houghton Mifflin. “Khaled Hosseini.” Cliff Notes. 2016. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
“Soviet-Afghan War.” Wikipedia. n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

Mashallah

“Mashallah” is an Arabic phrase used to express appreciation, joy, thankfulness, or praise to a person over a certain event or person that was mentioned. Muslims tend to use “Mashallah” as a reminder that all great accomplishments are done according to the will of Allah. A direct translation of Mashallah is “God willed it”.

 

“Shaking hands in the Muslim world.” 24 Dec. 2009. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

In the Kite Runner, I ran across the word, “Mashallah” numerous times and I never really understood what it meant, I understood to some extent it was like saying, “Thank you” but I never realized the religious significance of Mashallah. Although, Amir uses the traditional Muslim Mashallah less and less that the reader can see AFTER he moves to America with Baba. It appears that when he embraces the American ways, he leaves his old life and much of the traditions that he used to perform all the time in Afghanistan in Afghanistan…. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Kabobs

“A kebab is a common dish, consisting of a skewer with small pieces of meat or seafood, together with vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers.” (Wikipedia). The skewers used to make these dishes are often 10 to 12 inches long and made of either wood or metal. The skewers are wrapped with tin foil on the ends. The meat and vegetables placed on the skewer are often topped with different marinades or sauces. Pasta salad is a very common side accompanied with the kebabs.

I chose this topic because I didn’t know what a kebab was and it is interesting to research foods from different countries. It is valuable information of people because it is important people learn about countries other than their own.

 

Image : Heather. Vegan Kabobs. Digital image. Flickr. N.p.,

1 Aug. 2008. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

 

Work Cited : “Kebab.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.