Hello class,
So, today we started our study of Russia and the Republics. Remember to turn in your work on Tuesday. Now, check out these two videos on Chechnya.
Video 1
Video 2
Post a comment, post a response.
Also, please review the Final Exam essay. It is due on or before Wednesday June 10.
14 comments:
I liked this assignment because it gave the perspectives of both sides of the conflict in Chechnya. Watching the first video, it seemed that the Russians were brutal, immoral, racist, evil monsters. However, after watching the second video, I was shown that many of the Russians also have their own valid reasons for fighting and often don't even want to be there. It is hard to determine which side is the "right" or "good" side, if there even is one. However, although it may simply be because of Russia's current image in the world, it seems to me that the Russians have less of a "right" reason to fight this war. These two juxtaposing videos clearly show us the difference that bias makes in the thinking of viewers.
Through these 2 videos, we can see both perspectives of the Chechnya conflict and realize that we can't just blame one person for the problem going on. Unlike most other news channels, Al-jazeera is not biased so we can fully see the issue and decide for ourselves which side we think has more justifiable reasons to fight instead of being told who to support. On one side the Russians seem harsh and heartless, but we can also see that they are fighting for their own cause, for something they want.
There are always two sides to a war, and usually the side that is hosting the war gets the sympathy of outsiders. Since Russia has fought in many wars, often being seen as the 'evil' power, people are quick to judge. These videos focused more on the experiences of the soldiers than the politics of the conflict though. The rebels are fighting for their own freedom, which to me is a justifiable cause, but the Russian soldiers are being forced to fight, they don't have a choice. It is their government that is sending them out to fight. Some of the youtube comments made me angry. A lot of people were cussing at the Russians (the soldiers, not neccessarily the government), when it isn't even the soldiers' choice to fight in Chechnya. If they had been in the place of these soldier, and were sent to fight rebels, i am sure they would fight, since that is their job, and the rebels obviously are not going to have mercy, since they want their freedom. This is why i hate war. People kill each other when the problem is on the level of government. The government should figure out a solution since they are the ones making decisions. People should not have to sacrifice their life for a cause they may not even stand for. In the case of the Chechnyan rebels, i understand that they would take up arms, but ultimately i feel that it wouldn't be neccessary if governments wouldn't be so selfish. Not only are people sacrificing their lives, but the experiences they go through have an impact on everyone around them, and can disable a whole generation of people.
i really liked this assignment because of the different perspectives that the the videos presented. on one side the rebels are portrayed as being completly oppressed by the cruel vile russian on the other side we can see that soldiers are fighting because they have to, and not because they necessarily hate the rebels. these videos make me appreciate al-jazeera even more because they are unbiased and this is really what people need to understand what is going on in the world.
strong text tara
I think these two videos showed us that it is never only one person responsible for a huge problem like this. It showed us both sides of the conflict, which helps to understand what is going on in Chechnya. The Russinas don't really have the reputation of peace and happyness. This assignment affirms this. They mostly have a reason for fighting, I mean of course they don't use allz these violence randomly, but I would consider them more brutal then a lot of other countries. In addition Russians seem racist. About the soldiers, I think you can't judge them for what they're doing because a lot of them are just doing their job and dont have specific intentions. On the ither side they majority is fighting for a reason and the war has an actual cause. However, overall all this information doesn't make the russians sympathic.
through these video we can see two sides of the soviet conflict in chechnya. one side shows the soviet as the way most people see them as, the brutal, unremorseful, killing machines. the second video shows that the soviets had their own good reasons for the conflict. you cannot chose a true good or bad side for this conflict or any of them truthfully. the soviets had their reasons for fighting and sometimes their reason is a valid one. although we all see the soviet as a horrible memory of the world, they had many solid points for what they were doing, not all of the things they were doing, but some.
I still take the side of the rebels because as Tara said the country that is basically hosting the war gets the sympathy well that's because the innocent people are being killed and mutilated and torched, while the other countries home is going on with daily life. I like how there are two sides and they do kinda split my decision in which to favor but i see how the soldiers in Russia must fight and its nothing personal, but i think mutilating someones body is a step to far. i cannot see which side is bad and which is good but i do see two sides that really shouldn't be fighting.
i really enjoyed watching these two video. i especially like the fact that they created two videos on the smae topic only from different perspectives and that way leave it up to the viewer to decide their opinion on it instead if giving wat happened from their viewpoint. i always wondered how the 'villian' (in this case Russia) saw the situation. we see it as them trying to take over the world but we just don't know why.i like how they showed the soldier's perspective more than that of the politicians. we hear the politicians views everytime nut that doesnt necassarily mean it is true. they could tell the media one thing and their troops another so i appreciated this insight.
These videos are very interesting. I saw ignorance from both sides and a lack of open mindness.Both groups have a cause, and they believe to solve their problems with violence...which is not the solution. By watching the videos you cant prefer one side to the other and there were some disturbing stereotypes on religion...
Aicha Diallo
*JORGE CHE GUEVARA*
This is a very helpful video, not not only because it contains stories of people who have been living this struggle but because it contains both sides of the conflict making it seem much more beleivable and reasonable. At first I was like WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? THIS IS SO BIASED, STUPID AND....american, but in the second video I realised that what one group of people consider morally might be a tragedy for the other group and viceversa.
God I gota hav sum sleep
I thought that these two videos were very interesting because they showed how each side saw something different about the Chechen War. The Rebels think that it's all the government's fault, and they have continually oppressed them for centuries, yet the Russians think that the rebels are not cooperating and it is their fault that the war is going on. One soldier even blames it on the fact that many of them become Muslims. Also, another difference in how the Rebels and Russians see the war is the Rebels think that the war is not over, yet the Russian public view it as finished after Vladimir Putin declared it was. In the end, I really don't know what to believe, but for now I'm with the Chechen side. It seems as if they are a very quiet people, but the Russians always kill their kin and take back control of Chechnya. The Russians seem to me like people who are fighting a conflict, but really do not actually know what they are fighting for. The Chechnyans seem steadfast and concentrated in their beliefs. Anyways, this war will probably never end, unless Russia launches a massive attack with all their army on Chechnya. A possible alternate solution to this conflict would be to negotiate the creation of a Chechnyan country, or if that doesn't work, just talking diplomatically between the two sides and reaching an agreement.
These two videos were very interesting because there are always two point of views in a conflict. It makes us understand the two sides of the conflicts in Chechnya. From what the medias and so on say about the issue we can choose our own side which is what everybody does when a problem is happening. Russians have reasons to fight. True, they seem to be terrible and heartless but soldiers are only doing their jobs.Although I don`t think violence is the first thing we should use to solve a problem but I believe that sometimes everyone needs a little *wake up*. Therefor I am not saying that both sides are doing the right thing but if this is the way they want to solve their problems then what can we do. The videos were very good. I liked them.
THese two videos were good becase they gave me a different view on the situation in CHechnya. Several years ago, some Chechnyan soldiers took a school and killed some children, and after that i thought that the CHechnyan rebels were terrorists, but i really didn't know that much about them. But, the CHechnyan rebels want their freedom, and its not the Russian soldiers who choose to fight in Chechnya, it is the government that forces them to. I also dont think that the Russian government is all that democratic, because this past summer, they invaded Georgia for no reason, and that is sort of what happened in Chechnya.
DJ
These videos mirror eachother, and make us (me atleast) instantly guilty after making rash conclusion after only watching one. They both present the 2 sides of this conflict and remind us that everyone has their own good(To them)reason to do what they are doing and no conflict is as simple as the good guys and the bad guys (in the real world). I could not finish all of the second video because my internet suddenly suffered from some lag spikes...
1st video on russians:
-"Vengeful", "brutal"
-DJ
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