One Hundred Years Later

Today marks the 100th anniversary of a conflict that most unquestionably changed the course of the modern world: World War I. It was a war that devastated the European landscape, saw the deaths of millions of soldiers and civilians, modernized and redefined warfare, and reshaped the political world in ways that can still be felt today. And although this anniversary marks only the beginning of a four-year-long affair, it's a good opportunity to take a little time to remember both the blessings and the problems we owe to this war.

The first thing to look at is the reasons for the war, which seem rather trivial in comparison to its later and greater brother. In truth, World War I never should have made it out of the Balkans, but Europe's extensive treaties and alliances - made to keep a balance of power between the continent's giants - quickly dragged practically every nation into conflict following Austria-Hungary's initial declaration of war against Serbia on July 28, 1914. Even considering the nations' political ties, it seems to the modern reader such a trite reason for continent-wide war, but another very important distinction must here be mentioned. In the decades prior to World War I, armed hostilities were few and far between, and those that came up were typically resolved in a matter of days or weeks. Who could have known then that World War I would be any different?

It didn't take long for the belligerents to realize that warfare had changed. Gone were the days of mobile military, flank attacks, and sweeping maneuvers that could cripple opponents swiftly. World War I saw the introduction of trench warfare, a new brand that nullified strategy and resulted in mass slaughters and battles of attrition. Heavy machine gun fire became superlatively destructive when combined with barbed wire entrenchments; poison gas and other chemical weapons were employed; and tanks were developed by the Allies to overcome the impenetrable lines of German trenches. It's easy to forget that all these things - which seem like aged tactics today - saw little to no use prior to World War I. I'm sure the nations involved would have thought twice before committing themselves to war had they known the destruction it would cause.

So we have a sense of why and how the war was fought, but what did it earn us? Well, truth be told, World War I left more issues in its wake than benefits. Post-war demands of reparations weakened Germany but the Allies' new fear of war allowed the nation's eventual rise to power in the 1930s. Economic struggles developed in many nations and totalitarian and fascist groups began to gain influence. Most of these issues were resolved in World War II, but one has noticeably stuck around for nearly 100 years. Much of the unrest that has pervaded the Middle East in recent months has its roots in the Allied restructuring of political and national lines in the region following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. How and when these issues will be resolved remains to be seen.

For all its problems, World War I saw some good in its aftermath as well. Perhaps most notable was the League of Nations, which, although remarkably unsuccessful in itself, paved the way for future international peace-keeping groups such as the United Nations. Additionally, World War I brought about a sudden change in the way many people saw war and even life. Much of the modern social order would have been impossible had the war not brought a sudden halt to the peaceful and prosperous lives of much of the West. To some extent we owe our very way of life to those who spilled their blood on the battlefields of this contest.

As you can see, today is an anniversary not to be forgotten or taken lightly. Millions of lives were taken in a war that forever changed the way we live, fight, and die. As we look toward a future that seems to many of us bleak, it is the remembrance of conflicts like this that reminds us of the peace, comfort, and hope of our world. Today we stand in a world united and remember World War I, one hundred years later.

What Was Expected

For some time now, I've been experiencing significant change and development in terms of interests. It's natural for this to happen, of course: few people still follow their superhero dreams from when they were kids, and my childhood fantasies of growing up to be a mailman or polar bear are long gone. Most prospective professional athletes are now content working 9-5, or in a specialized field outside of sports. But what I didn't realize is how quickly interests can change.

For me, the big turning point was college. When I started my studies two years ago, it was a something of a culture shock, being exposed to new kinds of people and digging deeper into topics I'd previously left unexplored. In my first year, my classes focused generally on my intended major: physics. After all, four years earlier I had made what I thought would be my final major interest shift, beginning a life-long relationship with the sciences. Well, I dearly loved those classes, but late in the year -- and especially during my summer term last year -- I began taking a number of liberal arts courses completely unrelated to my major. Slowly, my interests began to change again.

In my second year of college, I was finally able to take an actual physics course, and while it was interesting, I found myself feeling oddly out of place in a classroom of future physicists and engineers. In fact, I felt much more at home in my music and history courses. It was during this year that I started to realize that I was trying to live up to unnecessary expectations -- not of my family, culture, or teachers, but of my own.

I was going to be a physicist. That was it. It was said and done. That's what I'd been telling everyone for years. What would they think if I suddenly said I wasn't so sure of my life path? I struggled with this throughout the school year, but I ultimately realized that it wasn't others I was afraid to admit my indecision to, it was myself. How could I look myself in the eye and say "I don't know what I want to do with my life"? Sure, there are plenty of people who don't have a plan for their lives, but I always felt like I did. The problem is, my interests are constantly changing. I still love the sciences, and I'm still going into physics. But at the same time, I long to write, make music, and study the arts.

I don't quite know how to end this post, because I haven't resolved any of these questions yet. Am I a scientist? Am I an artist? Are all of those people who seem to fit so perfectly into one of those categories really any different from me? Does everyone else have doubts, and interests that don't fall into that one category with which they define themselves? I don't know. All I know is that my life is not what was expected. And I think that's okay.
 

Please continue the discussion by commenting below, or by emailing me at vincentzhaboka@gmail.com. Thanks for reading!

Remembering Japan

Hey, so does anybody remember the Japan earthquake? Didn’t think so. Turns out that the earthquake and tsunami that affected hundreds of thousands and altered Japan’s coastline happened 3 years ago today. I remember how supportive Americans were for like a week, pouring our money into the search and rescue efforts. And then the major news networks stopped talking about it and we were like, “What tsunami?”

In this historic event that Americans so easily overlook, nearly 16,000 people died, and – perhaps more tragically – over 2,600 remain missing. That’s almost as many missing as died in 9/11. And if that’s not bad enough, hundreds of thousands were displaced by the destruction of their hometowns or the radioactive leakage from the Fukushima reactor. Many of these people still have nowhere to go. The travel blog Ever In Transit shares some of the stories of the victims.

Most Americans, however, didn’t travel to the affected areas of Japan to honor the third anniversary; in fact, most Americans don’t seem to remember the event. The social networks are quiet, and I haven’t even gotten any hits on the EP I made in the victims’ honor (yes, I’m using a tragic event to advertise my music. It’s called desperation). It’s hard to imagine that this was once a cause Americans supported whole-heartedly. But I guess this is what always happens: we never quite see things through.

So why am I so upset about all this? It’s not like it’s our own country. It’s not like this was that big a disaster, not in comparison to tragedies like Haiti’s earthquake from the previous year. So what is it? I guess it’s just irritating that Americans get so involved in things and then fail to follow through. The Japanese who were affected by the tsunami are still facing many challenges, and they certainly were when Americans forgot about the whole disaster a week after it happened. Look, it’s nice that so many Americans gave money to help with the disaster relief efforts, but the same people just a few weeks later showed no interest in the Japanese people, and it’s too much for them to devote even a single day out of the year to the memory of the tragedy.

I guess what I’m really saying is that, as nice as it is for people to give money to foreign aid, I wish we wouldn’t feign interest in these great humanitarian causes when we can’t even devote ourselves to them for more than a few days. The Great Tōhoku Earthquake was a very real tragedy to the Japanese. The thousands who died and the thousands who lost their homes were very real. But in America, it was little more than a fleeting trend.

For more information on the ongoing recovery effort, check out these articles:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/03/10/national/photos-tohoku-three-years-after-the-311-earthquake-and-tsunami/

http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2014/1/27/ai-love-japan-2014/

Welcome to Let's Learn Together

Hello, everyone, and welcome to my blog. I hope that you’ll stay a while and listen to a bit of what I have to say.

The concept of “Let’s Learn Together” stemmed from my desire to create an intimate place for myself and people like me to interact and share ideas. By “like me” I don’t necessarily mean people of similar ideas and persuasions, but rather other young people seeking to make some sense out of the frenetic chaos that we so lovingly call life. I myself have some strong opinions, but I’m always open to hearing the other side of any argument, so long as it’s actually an argument. Trolling doesn’t count.

Since this blog is supposed to be personal (see description) and intimate (see above paragraph), I will be very open, not with personal information, but with my ideas, opinions, and personality. My other blog – and others that I intend to start very soon – is more impersonal and consequently hides any insecurities or off-topic thoughts I may have. Not so here. LLT is truly who I am, no hiding and no deception. It is my hope that through honesty like this – from myself and anyone who might join this little community – we can all learn a great deal from each other.

If you look into any of my other blogs, you’ll notice that each one has a specific topic. For example, the only other blog I have at present is “And This Be Our Motto.” It is specifically designated as my political blog, where I’ll provide opinion articles and essays about my personal views on political issues (please don’t read it if you are very sensitive about your political ideals). When it comes to LLT, though, any topic is fair game. I’ll write about whatever strikes my fancy: something fascinating I learned in one of my college courses, reflections on a song lyric I particularly like, or even just random thoughts that come about from my constant daydreaming.

So that’s Let’s Learn Together in a nutshell. Basically, I believe that there’s something to be learned from everything, and I would love to discuss ideas with you. If you have a particular topic you would like me to address, email me at vincentzhaboka@gmail.com and I’ll look into it. You can connect with me via Google+ or on Twitter @vincentzhaboka. Also check out my cheaply-made electronic rock music at soundcloud.com/o-h-hylltors.

That’s all for now, folks. I look forward to learning with you in the future.