rewrite essay

YuQian Deng

#3

The distinguishing features present in human beings such as feelings, thinking and acting tend to have natural and independent influence on their culture. The old western philosophy tried to identify and give answers to some questions raised by certain characteristics of humans. These questions try to determine such features, what causes them, how they come about and how they can be fixed. The answers to these issues are necessary as they have crucial implications in politics, theology, and ethics. This fact has greatly attributed the fact that human nature is both a source of life and norms of conduct, as well as presenting constraints and obstacles on living a real life.

The complex character of the questions has also lured literature and art in researching this phenomenon. The various branches of humanity have also conjoined to form a domain of inquiry to the human nature and to answer the question what it is to be human.

Sciences such as anthropology, sociobiology, anthropology and psychology, especially evolutionary psychology which studies developmental psychology and sexual selection in human evolution are associated with the study and interpretation of human nature. The “nature versus nurture” debate is broadly inclusive and presents an essential stance of discussion in this natural sciences and human nature. It is from this analysis that I deduce that an individual’s observable behavior is an indication of their characters. (Human Evolution, 1927).

This action can either be right or wrong, strong or weak. An individual that has a strong character shows energy, drive, self-discipline, determination, love nerve and willpower. He identifies what he wants and goes after it, attracting supporters and followers while at it. On the other hand, the weak character doesn’t possess any of the traits mentioned above and do therefore not know what they want. These individuals have disorganized and inconsistent characteristics which disallow them the privilege of attracting followers.

An active person can also possess moral or bad qualities. A good example is a gang leader. A gang leader is an active person but possesses a dangerous character. An outstanding leader should be one who possesses both strong and good characteristics. Leaders with both strong and good characteristics are essential in an organization setup they are responsible for guiding the future of the company and in proving their trust. Actions are vital in setting the pace at which the organization’s goals and objectives will be achieved. Strength and goodness when simultaneously put in play produce loyalty trust and ensures peaceful coexistence and continued vitality. The argument of this paper is thus to prove that trust can only be built on the good sense of beliefs, skills, values and traits of the people we surround ourselves with and associate. Beliefs are the things that we hold dearly and deeply rooted within us. These ideas are spread across many walks of life. They include the perception of life and death, what is right or wrong and what is human nature.

Violation or oppression of an individual’s beliefs may cause uprisings, resistance, exclusion and many other adverse effects. The victims will be forced to believe that their rights are being violated by the strong but bad leaders. About human nature, humans tend to be rebellious when they are oppressed whereas the high tend to become greedy, callous and selfish due to the power that they possess. The interaction between the two parties leads to uprisings, wars, and subsequent deaths. Obviously, the chief propagator of these saddening events is the leadership of such a community. Strong leaders are a sign of security and protection to the ordinary citizens. However, a strong leader with bad leadership qualities forms a basis for the regular and unhealthy state of a country. In essence, the crave for power in any given state is the primary cause of rebellions, chaos, and uprisings as depicted in the book "My enemy Myself" and the movie "Even the rain."

My Enemy My Self

The story which is used to highlight the political stand of the country, finds an Israeli journalist, Binur, touring his homeland disguised as a Palestinian in a mid-eastern state where black’s in the country lived. For six months, until 1986, the 33-year-old journalist disguised himself by donning on a prop and a dress of Palestinian laborer. He further completed this image by not shaving his face and constantly wearing his old and trusty red keffiveh headdress. In this manner, he was able to explore Israel using his Arab eyes. The road ahead was however neither easy nor appealing, in fact, it proved harsh beyond his dreams and imagination. All through the acts, from his first job as a dishwasher working at severe, slavish conditions of meager wages in Tel Aviv to his next job as a stint as the only Arab guest at Kibbutz, Binur experienced and endured harsh and cruel treatment from the Jewish hands. He constantly lived in fear of reprisal or discovery by the Arabs. At a certain job, where he posed as a dishwasher, he experienced the most humiliating moment of his adventure when two Jewish, adult couples made out under his nose as he cleaned the dishes. This behavior about human nature proves that humans can be heartless thus leading them to ignore other people’s feelings. (Binur, 1989)

"For them, I simply didn't exist. I was invisible, a nonentity!" was Binur’s conclusion as the couple continued making out. This invisibility was, however, a blessing later when he was arrested and beaten in Jerusalem for appearing at a Jewish meeting, yet he appeared as an Arab. During the period, Binur had an affair with an Israeli woman who never at any given time suspected his original identity. He had also lodged in many different Palestinian hostels and an excellent notorious refugee camp where he was at one instance challenged by a terrorist but eventually escaped by reciting the Koran. He realized that he found friendship with the Arabs and ridicule and torment among the Jews with the exception of his paramour. These turn events force Binur to make emotional pleas for the importance of understanding the reasons behind Palestinian uprising and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the West Bank. Ultimately, Binur can courageously expose the nation’s shame on its leadership styles and how they misuse their power by promoting discrimination of the Palestinians. (Binur, 1989)

Even the Rain

The 2010 movie directed by Director Icíar Bollaín presents to the audience an engaging story of water conflict propagated by colonialism and politically ecology of the nation. The film is about a movie crew from Mexico together with their director Sebastián arriving at Cochabamba where they intend to shoot their movie. This movie that they intend to shoot is about Christopher Columbus and his conquest of the New World. It is supposed to highlight on the violence that was brought about by these conquests in search of gold and other precious commodities over the local communities. These conquests ultimately led to uprisings and subsequently, the resistance by the indigenous people. The cost of shooting the movie was estimated to be at a relatively lower cost. They could hire Cochabambans to be actors, and it is for this reason that the film crew found themselves in the colonial/imperial situation involving the great water wars of Cochabamba in the late 1990s. In a closed negotiation meeting held in September 1999, the Bolivian government entered into an agreement with a San-Francisco construction company to privatize water resources in Cochabamba. The effect of this act the water rates paid by the local users in the area which consequently led to demonstrations by the Coalition for Defense of Water and Life together with help from some sectors of the Bolivian police force. The uprising forced the cancelation of the contract by the government. The events in this confrontation ended with a victory of ecological resistance that saw to the restoration of water rights to the local communities. (Human Evolution, 1927).

The fascinating aspect of this movie is that it brings two colonial periods; one with the 15th-century colonization and the other in the water wars of 199-2000 in Cochabamba. While the goal was the primary objective for the early imperialists, water becomes the most precious and significant commodity in the early 21st-century context. The movie captures the imperialist violence over both place and the indigenous communities of these areas. The film unavoidably intertwines imperialism and its continuous presence in everyday landscapes.

In conclusion, power and leadership are critical factors that determine the stability and peace status of a nation. As mentioned in the above readings, power is a major factor that leads to greediness, selfishness, and rebellion. The Jews in Israeli despise the Arabs and treat them with cruelty and harshness. They discriminate against them because they feel that they are inferior and of low standards. The power they possess due to their massive numbers lead them to mistreat the less populated Arabs, an evidence of misuse of power. Also, the locals of the “Even the Rain" community rebel against their government when it tries to oppress them. The Leaders of a community, group or state should always try to portray characteristics that benefit the whole community. They should be good as much as they are strong.

References

https://thepiratebay.se/torrent/7129872/Even.the.Rain.2010.1080p.Bluray.x264.anoXmous

Binur, Y. (1989). My enemy, my self. New York: Doubleday.

Campbell, J., & Binur, Y. (1989). My Enemy, My Self. Foreign Affairs, 68(3), 183. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/20044082

Fach Gómez, K. Even the Rain (Tambien La Lluvia). SSRN Electronic Journal. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1724350

Umar, Y. (1989). Identity Consciousness My Enemy, My Self. Yoram Binur. Journal Of Palestine Studies, 18(4), 140-142. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2537507

Human Evolution. (1927). Nature, 119, 1-1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/119001a0

M., B. (1937). The Nature of Human Nature:. Nature, 140(3544), 566-566. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/140566a0