Horses Are People Too

In the first two chapters of part IV of Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver meets the Houyhnhnm and the Yahoo. In this island, the relationship between man and horse is reversed, and the Yahoo (who are human-like creatures) play the role of horses: "About noon, I saw coming towards the house a kind of vehicle drawn like a sledge by four Yahoos." (Swift 179) We can see clearly that the Yahoos are the horses in this world. They live in cages. They are uncivilized. They eat horrible food. The fact that the Houyhnhnm are the people who take care of them and that they have language and customs is Swift's way of pointing out the peculiarity of our own human-horse relationship.

It's weird that for hundreds of years we've completely dominated the horse. We ride them at will. They have been part of horrible battles and died. They have been our slaves. Another animal. The whole thing really is pretty weird. Who was the first to realize riding a horse would be faster? Who figured out how to ride it without getting seriously injured or killed?

This is just another example of Swift questioning our way of life. This time, instead of making us think about our religion, political struggles, and burial rituals, he is making us think of the cruelty we do to horses. What were to happen if roles were reversed? This is exactly what Gulliver encounters on the island.

Oh My God

I can picture Gulliver's reaction when he sees the floating island. It's like this: He stands up. He puts his hand on his forehead to block the sun from his eyes as he looks up. He squints his eyes. He has no idea what he is seeing.

I find his whole experience leading up to that point intriguing. He has some bad-ass survival skills. Supplies for four days. A canoe. I don't think I'd be able to do that. 

How Foolish We Seem

Knowing that Gulliver's Travels is a giant satire helps in figuring out Swift's intentions of relating the customs of Lilliput. Everything Gulliver conceives seems to be a joke. At the same time, however, the fact that Gulliver is looking at all these ridiculous customs makes me think about what would happen if we were the Lilliputians.
How would a complete stranger who lives in a world with completely different customs view our world? I think the Lilliputian burial services is ridiculous: "They bury their dead with their heads directly downward, because they hold an opinion, that in eleven thousand moons they are all to rise again; in which period the earth (which they conceive to be flat) will turn upside down, and by this means they shall, at their resurrection, be found ready standing on their feet." (Swift 40,41) In that light, how would our burial customs seem to an outsider? Is putting people in boxes underground ridiculous? What are the origins of burying people? Is it something to do with resurrection as well?
Another weird Lilliput custom is the parent-son relationship. The parents don't do the raising at all and only see their offspring a couple of times a year. Is it weird that our parents raise us? How would it be different?

Conan vs. Health Care

The two feature articles I read were both interesting in different ways. The one about Conan O'Brien taking over The Tonight Show taught me things I didn't know. For starters, I had no idea that The Tonight Show was so old. Second, it seemed really weird that they look for successors to the host. First Johnny Carson, then Leno, and now Conan O'Brien. Furthermore, why is it such a privilage? Why would Conan O'Brien leave The Late Show to be the host of The Tonight Show. I guess when it comes to late-night comedy, The Tonight Show is the most prestigious.
The article about health care was also really interesting. Instead of talking about the inner thoughts of a comedian who is about to take over the most prestigious talk show on TV, talks about one of the biggest problems facing the United States today. In their quest to extend and better their health care system, lowering costs is one of the major goals. This becomes a problem when the doctors will over exercise their power for profit. Money is the problem. I had always thought people became doctors because they wanted to save lives. Somewhere in the inner workings of their minds they are good-hearted enough to want to save other people. Now, doctors become doctors because they know it will make them rich.
The difference in these two articles is the target. The one about Conan O'Brien is a fun, interesting piece that simply tries to inform us what he's thinking as he steps into a much bigger stage. The health care article is a quest to answer a much bigger question. It is the investigation of medicine in the United States. Because it is a much bigger question, this article touches more sensitive topics, topics such as ethics and morality. Why shouldn't the doctors order all the extra procedures? After all, if money is their goal, the McAllen system is what doctors all over the world should be striving for.
The style of writing is different as well. I guess this is to be expected as all writers have a different form.

The Good Guys

When you think about the U.S., you generally think they are good. Good in the sense that they are trying to protect democracy around the world and uphold liberties. However, when it comes to nuclear testing, they haven't really been that way. As this article relates, they have failed to sign the nuclear test banning treaty several times. President Obama is pushing the treaty into the senate once again, but some senators will have to be convinced if it is going to pass.
As the world's power, it should be at the head of banning nuclear testing. If they do it, other countries will surely follow.

The Test Ban Treaty
May 24th, 2009

Figuring Out The Universe

A space shuttle mission has recently returned from space. This mission involved fixing the Hubble Space Telescope, which had had some problems since it was first sent out into space. Now that it is all fixed, however, Hubble is able to take amazingly sharp pictures that further detail the origins of our Universe.
So much innovation and technology makes me wonder what will happen when all of our Universe's secrets are found out. What will happen when we know exactly how the Universe was created? What will happen when we know the origins of mass? What will happen when we can travel at the speed of light?
Since the beginning of our species, we have wondered all of these questions. Once they've been answered, however, what will be left? What will we do to fill up the time we used to spend figuring out the big questions of our existence?

An Even Better Hubble May 24, 2009

War and Politics

Soon after the author is freed, he learns a brief history of politics and war in Lilliput. As explained by Reldresal, principle secretary of private affairs, the problems in this world are silly. "As to the first, you are to understand, that for about seventy moons past there have been two struggling parties in this empire, under the names of Tramecksan and Slamecksan, from the high and low heels of their shoes, by which they distinguish themselves...The animosities between these two parties run so high, that they will neither eat, nor drink, nor talk with each other." (Swift 33) This made me think of the differences between politicians in our world.
In Colombia for example, beginning in the XIX century, liberals and conservatives have been fighting. They distinguish themselves by what they believe is the best course of action in different areas, not by the elevation in their shoes. Still, though, as much as we think that the differences between liberals and conservatives are worth fighting for, the people in Lilliput think the same. The real question is why we divide ourselves. We should be united. It's really crazy to think that thousands of people died because of small differences in economic, domestic and foreign policy.
The same thought comes to mind when we are explained the war between Lilliput and Blefuscu. It all has something to do with religion, and the way to break an egg before eating it. Apparently there have been 6 rebellions since the emperor of Lilliput decreed that the best way was by breaking it on the small end. Big end-breakers found refuge and assistance from Blefuscu, and this is how their war began. Again, a really silly reason.
It reminds me of religious wars and crusades. It reminds me of people killing eachother in the name of God or ancient principles. As dear as we might hold some concept or belief, it is always silly to fight over it, especially when the fight kills thousands of people.