(bi)weekly biz

As we discussed the horrible genocide of the Jews during World War II, I feel that it is important to bring awareness to other genocides around the world. In addition, in today's current news, we hear about India's killing of Sikh activists in Canada and the US. Just this week, the FBI released that it caught an Indian agent attempting to assassinate a Sikh advocate, making this issue even more relevant. After countless attempts to snuff out Sikhs in Punjab, India's Prime Minister - Indira Gandhi launched a full-scale attack on the central community center, Harmandir Sahib in an attempt to just kill a few Sikh "terrorists" in 1984. Although India implemented a full media blackout and killed every journalist who documented the events, the media was able to get through and document the genocide. Over 10 days, in an operation named "Operation Bluestar," the Indian Army murdered over 10,000 children, men, and women. Not only were many killed, but countless ...

Art Spiegelman highlights the invalidity of the social construction of race through anthropomorphism.  When the Nazis attempt to find Vladek and Anja in the bunker hidden behind the coal, they bring dogs. These dogs are not represented as humans, walking on two feet and wearing clothes. Instead, they walk on four legs and are portrayed as actual dogs. Their inclusion in the story highlights how the cats and mice are not truly cats and mice, rather, they are humans with an innate humanity. The Nazi ideology that calls for the dehumanization of the Jewish race, Spiegelman argues, is unreasonable under the undeniable fact that Jewish individuals carry the same humanity as their German/"Aryan" counterparts. Earlier in the story, Vladek is seen wearing a pig mask to hide his Jewish identity and blend in with the Polish. Through this strategy, he is able to easily convince the train conductor. This shows how Vladek's character and personality is not much different from the Poli...