A Place Under the Sun

              Germany was one of the last countries in Europe to respond in the race for the Americas and were, consequently, unable to conquer for themselves “…a place in the sun.” The excerpt from Kaiser Wilhelm’s speech to the North German Regatta Association (1901) emphasizes the pride Wilhelm II felt regarding their conquered land. He takes his pride a step further by attempting to inspire fellow Germans to pick up and go to one of the ancient Hanseatic cities.

                At one point in his speech, Wilhelm addresses the pettiness he sees in peoples’ lives but covers his insult by softening his words. He does so by stating they have now learned to look beyond what is by looking to distant shores. This statement strikes me as interesting.  While on the surface it seems harmless, one truly uncovers the rudeness of Wilhelm’s suggestion when they ponder his sentiment. This caused me to think about politicians who say one thing but mean another. In light of this, listeners would be well-served to pay attention and to listen for subtle ideas hidden between the lines.

                In today’s world fewer nations are trying to conquer new lands defeat other nations. However, one can relate this story to the business world or the world’s economy. Wars today aren’t always fought in conventional ways. Increasingly, today’s wars are economic in nature. Countries fight to control the world’s wealth and try to get other nation’s resources.

                The text book talks about how William was the first Emperor of unified German, yet Wilhelm’s speech was given thirteen years after Williams reign. His speech helps define what Germany was like at the time and depicts its political ambitions of the day. Speech to the Northern Germans is an example of their politics and how it evolved from the beginning of the countries unification. The text book gives an idea of the beginning and the Speech continues to describe the transition of Germany.

Friederich Engel: Industrial Manchester

                 In Friederich Engel: Industrial Manchester the main theme was the impact Engels had on conditions regarding the working class. It depicts, for the reader, what the conditions really were and the author described them as, “…so dirty that the inhabitants can pass into and out of the court only by passing through foul pools of stagnant urine and excrement.” This reading tells the story of what it would have been like to experience life in the working class back in 1844.

                I was grasped by the idea of everything being so dirty, “…for even the shops and beer houses hardly take the trouble to exhibit a trifling degree of cleanliness.” The places that today would be kept clean and made to feel inviting so people would visit were dirty. There was little care for cleanliness or, possibly, no leadership to impose guidelines for cleanliness. The ideas and questions these conditions sparked were what changed between then and today. It makes me wonder, was such due to the fast spread of disease, improving science, or did things just evolve over time.

                I see modern parallels with today’s third world countries. I suppose such countries probably desire greater cleanliness, as did the people in 1844, they lack the ability to create a cleaner environment. Similarities between today’s third world countries and Engels’ industrial Manchester include trash in the street, which I have personally witnessed in the city streets of Mexico.  It seems, in some places, such as a way of life has simply become acceptable.

                I believe this reading relates to Chapter Twenty of our class text as it talks about the standard of living during the Industrial Revolution. Our text adds several details explaining the distinctions between the pessimists and the optimists. These two camps argued about the effects of the Industrial Revolution and focused on the concerns surrounding conditions of work and living. The book states, “Worker lost their independence as well as any control whatsoever over products of their labor.” The people also lost their sense of pride and had little or no control over their lives because they had such limited options.