[Don't] Lose Yourself

One of my classes, Benjamin and Adorno, focuses on the era of Enlightenment, which was succeeded by 19^th century Romanticism. Romanticism is one of my absolute favourite eras to explore within literature, and I might write about a few particular poems in future, but today I wanted to look into an aspect of Enlightenment we covered in class today: nature. This post will probably be nonsensical and personal, as I connect elements of the subject to my own life in a way that barely serves any purpose.

The topic, Enlightenment versus Romanticism was introduced with an overview of Benjamin’s The Concept of Criticism in German Romanticism, a hefty read detailing the significance of reflection upon reflection upon reflection of art, which forms the basis of art. As we encounter art, we devise a reflection of that piece; this reflection is followed by another reflection, and the cycle continues limitlessly. The infinite nature of reflection is therefore an act, according to Fichte, to which we can attribute a conscious awareness. Its infinite nature is also apparent in the number of objects we observe; each different object will have its own various reflections, rendering the cycle unending. I resonate with this pervasive thought of reflection, as do so many others, in the form of overthinking. How many of us overthink into the night, dampening our own sorrows by focusing on sad memories and anxiety-inducing fears? It gets tiring, fast.

Bella Ciao

As we remember the victims of the Holocaust, we must never forget the events that took place that led to one of the most brutal regimes in history. We must implement the lessons from Germany between the years of 1918 and 1945, as well as the failures of the rest of the world, whose lack of actions allowed such a brutal regime to take over.

The best way to remember the victims are through our actions. The fight against fascism is a never ending one. It did not end in 1945. It has continued to this day. We are clearly seeing a rise in far-right and fascist activity, all across the globe. Whether it is in the UK, America or India, there are many within our governments that want to supress the rights of minorities. At the moment, they are winning.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I was on hiatus given the stress of university, my personal life and general mental health deterioration, so I felt a break was much needed. Now that I’m back, I hope to post more regularly. 

I have mad appreciation for Alehafor continuing to run the blog alone whilst I was gone. He’s been researching and posting tirelessly, as well as continuing to run our Twitter; I appreciate him so much. Please check out his posts and give them some love. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for regular updates – our handle is @ZackhiWrites. 

I’ll be posting later this week so do look out for my update. 

Zack

MLK – Working Class Revolutionary

“In a sense, you could say we’re involved in the class struggle.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Today we recognise one of the greatest men of the 20th century. Martin Luther King Jr, an activist whose speech changed the history of the most powerful nation in the world. His speech, etched into the minds and history of human beings, spread around the global, in the fight for equality. The words “I had a dream” will go down as one of the most important speeches of all time, not just in American history, but in the history of Humankind.

The Royal Feud

Whats going on with Meghan Markle and the Blood fami… I mean, Royal family is more than just an in-family feud, but a representation of British society. The Royal family representing British society? Not something I thought I would ever say. In fact, the way this has all played out clearly shows the racism problem in Britain.

This is not a pro-Meghan or pro-Queen argument. I don’t like either. Why should a person be given a high status for being born or marrying into a family? Also, I won’t forgot how, for her wedding, they cleared out homeless, like they are trash on the floor. However, on this issue, I stand with Meghan, as do many people of colour. It is to do with the treatment Meghan receives because of the colour of her skin. People of colour have to stand in line and do as they’re told. The moment they start expressing their views and start to defend themselves, that is when the problems arise.

Westernised Iran

Iran’s modern history is a fascinating one. Problems currently faced in Iran are the result of the political actions and decisions carried out during the 20th century by Iranians and by foreign powers. If they want to move forward as a country, the changes that needs implementing have to be done in the interest of themselves, without any interference from foreign powers.

Iran has never had a good balance between living in a society for Muslims, and a “modern” society. It is possible for Muslims to live in a modern society. Remember, Muslims were at the forefront of science and technology, until the 20th century. During much of this period, it was the Muslim world that was regarded as “modern and forward thinking”. So, what changed? Why is the Muslim world now regarded as “backwards”? One major impact was the influence the British empire had on the region, which depleted and destroyed much of its resources and stifled forward thinking ideas. This led to a decline in the way of life, in many Muslim states. Another big factor was American imperialism, which looked to profit off the resources in the region, through wars and violence. Whenever a state did try to “modernise”, it was always at the expense of the way of life of Muslims, by implementing “Americanism”. It is impossible to implement ideologies and cultures from another part of the world on another country, and they will always fight back.