PDP 7- The Vietnamese Declaration of Independence

                                  PDP 7- The Vietnamese Declaration of Independence

Author Bio- The author of the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence is Ho Chi Ninh, who was born on 1890 and died on 1969. He is the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party and was also the leader of the Vietnamese nationalist movement. He is very biased towards what he believes in and is particularly biased against France, who he describes is violent and wants to take over Vietnam with no regard to the people and their lives. In other words, he is biased towards France and uses this bias to help support his argument of independence for Vietnam.

Date/Context- This declaration was created before the Cold War and was primarily drafted before World War II. At this time, Vietnam was part of the French Indochina and had been treated poorly by France during the time period, which lasted from 1881 until WWI. Some of the ways France treated Vietnam during this time period is how they built more prisons than schools and how they led to the decline of the economy.

Summary- This article mainly details how much the Vietnamese people wanted independence, and how they were tired of French rule in their lands. One of the things the author emphasized was what the French did to their country, and the negative effects that they brought with them. These include how the French took away "democratic liberty" from their people, which he says is stated as very important in the rights of man and citizen document. Ninh also stated that the French capitalized on the resources located in Vietnam, took away the Vietnamese peoples rights, led to the decline of the economy and destroyed the Middle class, or bourgeoisie in Vietnam. This shows just how important independence was to the Vietnamese people. Ninh also ended the Declaration praising how strong the vietnamese people were during this "French Domination" and called for the independence of Vietnam and support for their cause.

Key Quotation- "The entire Vietnamese people are determined to mobilize all their physical and mental strength, to sacrifice their lives and property in order to safeguard their independence and liberty."

SJS2- "India's Baby Boomers: Dividend or Disaster?"

Source: Bloom, David E. “India’s Baby Boomers: Dividend or Disaster?” Current History, vol. 110, no. 735, Apr. 2011, pp. 143-49.
Author Credentials: The author of this article, David E. Bloom is very experienced in this field. He is a Professor of Economics and Demography at the Harvard School of Public Health. In addition, he is the director of the Global Demography of Aging. On top of having significant experience in the field of Economics and Demography, Bloom has published numerous book on topics ranging from finances, languages, and technology.
Summary: This article addressed India's sudden growth and then slight decline in population growth over the past few decades. The article suggests that even with the slight decline, India will surpass China as the most highly populated country by the year 2027. This article also talks about the beneficial impacts that the large growth has on the population such as a growth in India's economy. On the other hand, the article addresses how once those of the "baby boom" time period reach working age, there will not be enough jobs for them. In addition, the article discusses the increase in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, cancer, and strokes as the population ages. At the end of the article, a possible solution to the problems facing India are suggested such as making health care more accessible, improving education, and supplying the necessities for the aging India population.
Analysis: Overall, I believe that this is a very good article. It provides significant information that proves the author's point and does not solely rely on the opinions of the author. The author is very experienced in this field of study and proves to have a vast knowledge of this area through the numerous statistics and impressive analyzation of facts. Overall, this is a very reliable and interesting source.

PDP6- Sermons and Teachings

PDP6- Sermons and Teachings

Author Bio: The students of Buddha recorded the sermons and teachings of Buddha, yet, the author of this excerpt from Sermon of Benares is Siddhartha Guatama. Guatama was prophesied to be a great monarch or great Buddha, so he was brought up in great luxury. After having a vision about suffering, Guatama went out into the world to achieve the highest truth, which he was finally able to do once he learned about his past and future lives. He then gathered followers and spread his teachings which later on became one of the world's greatest religions.

Date/Context: This article takes place in the 6th century, although it may have been revised in more recent dates. These teachings took place during the Axic Age. Buddhism was created around 500 B.C.E. as an opposing viewpoint of Hinduism.

Summary: This excerpt discusses what Buddha thinks is the correct way to live life. He says that it is not right to indulge in worldly pleasures nor have many things in life. Buddha teaches his followers about the middle path of life; a path that will eventually lead to enlightenment or Nirvana. He discusses the importance of suffering and recognizing suffering in order to abstain from unhealthy lusts, but he also lets his disciples understand the importance of taking care of one's body  since it is one's job to do so. Buddha describes the many ways in which the most painful things in life will emerge from bodily attachments to things. The second portion of this article is about a student talking to his teacher about Nirvana. The teacher helps to show the student that Nirvana is not a material thing, that it cannot be touched or grasped. He explains that although Nirvana cannot be seen, like wind, it's presence can be felt almost all of the time.

Key Quotation: "'By the practice of lovingkindness I have attained liberation of heart, and thus I am assured that I shall never returned in renewed births. I have even now attained Nirvana.'"

PDP6 - The Azamgarh Proclamation

PDP6 - The Azamgarh Proclamation

Author Bio: This is written by the rebels in India who were rebelling against the British imperialist rule. They are very biased toward their cause and every event they speak of is based on the idea that what the British are doing is wrong and they are right. They violently opposed the English and are therefore very biased against them.

Date/Context: This document comes at a time when the English had invaded India and were the ruling government through the East India Company. They had taken power from the Mughals and ruled through sepoys which were native troops. The Indians were beginning to realize that the British were ruling to benefit themselves and that they wanted to get rid of them. They felt they needed to protect their culture and right to rule themselves so they used violence to try to oppose the English rule. This document shows the ideals of the rebels and what they thought each group of people in society should do about it.

Summary: In this proclamation the rebels are arguing that Hindoos and Mohammedans should join together against the common enemy, the British, to rebel in the name of the descendant of the last Mughal emperor and reestablish a Badshahi Government. The rebels claim they may soon get support from the west. They also claim that the fortune-tellers of each religion predict the British will lose their footing in India. They reaffirm that despite minor inconveniences these will not be indicators of how they will rule. The rebels call upon the landholders, merchants, public servants, artisans and learned persons to support the cause. The rebels rant about the high taxes, unfair arrests, monopolies on goods, low standing of the soldiers, and unemployment of artisans. After listing the faults of the British they go on to issue their own promises. They promise low taxes, fair judicial dealing, help for native merchants who wish to sell their goods, heaven for those that fight for the cause, pay for the soldiers, and employment by the wealthy for native artisans; all in order to appeal to the afore mentioned groups. The final thought in the proclamation is a threat to those that stand against their cause.

Key Quotation: “...it is the imperative duty of all to take [the proclamation] into their careful consideration, and abide by it.”