In chapter five, Anderson starts off by talking about the justice system and laws and regulataions. He descirbes how there are different courts and consequences depending on the crime that you commit. He explains that this system has been up and running since 1980, which if you think about it isnt that long ago. which to me sounds like there is still not a very powerful and forcful system of justice in the country. Anderson also explains how the Guerrillas enforce there authority over the people that they wish to control, which does not seem fair. and in return they gain power from the people they impose on. In a certain murder case that Anderson tells us about, he explains how the murderer is executed by the victims family members, which seems very brutal to me. It seems like theyre system of justice and power is not very strong, therefore they have no organizations and result in very harsh and irregular (from my standpoint living where i do) behaviors in order to show "justice."
Anderson talks about the system that authorizes people to impose the laws on others in their country. However, it doesn't really make sense when the system hasn't been in action for very long. That means that there are many kinks that need to be ironed out before it is truly representing the justice of the country. The unfortunate part about it is that it only can take time to make it more of a mature system nothing else can hurry along the process of gaining maturity and actually becoming a justice system. You can tell by the examples that Anderson gives about the different court cases don't have humane rulings for the people.
Kelsey Stutzman In the beginning of chapter five, Anderson talks about how the guerillas pick and choose which laws they want to uphold. He talks about a gray area between the military war and the administration justice. It still amazes me how other parts of the world work. These guerillas uphold whichever part of the law will benefit them at the time. The people living in these places can never really be aware of which law will be important on a day to day basis. This is a horrible way to live, and I find it interesting to read about these people and how they deal with these indecencies.
Anderson starts out the chapter by claiming that "all guerrillas impose their authority upon the people in the territory they wish to control"; this is false, as exemplified by the EZLN in Mexico and the Spanish Anarchists during the Spanish Civil War. Not all guerrillas are after control of the government -- some of them take their orders from the populace, rather than the other way around.
Granted,the thuggish warlords in Afghanistan brutally repress the population (as Anderson describes in grim detail) -- but one cannot correctly make the generalization that all guerrillas interact with the populace in this way.
What I found intriguing in the reading was about the mukhtar. The mukhtar is the head of a village or in many Arab countries. These people would help Israel “keep the lid” on Palestinian disagreements amongst the government. T he way a mukhtar worked was he’d demand a bribe in return for his silence of an illegal extension. If the mukhtar wasn’t paid he would instead go over to the Israelis and they would then block the extension. The intifada wants the mukhtar’s destroyed because mukhtar makes it hard for certain extensions to be passed, like for building a house. I can understand why the intifada wants them destroyed because that would be such a hassle to seek their approval and since many extensions will be difficult and cost money, what you want to do may not even get passed. The book actually says it’s better to not ask and just do it.
In chapter five, Anderson talks about the religion of Islam. About Muhammad, and that his, "task is not an easy one. 'It is a lot of people to watch over,' he says, and the new system is not infallible some of the reprieved people have already resumed spying for the Israelis"(Anderson P188). Anderson continues to talk about the Palestinian and, "the killing of collaborators is not merely matter of the Palestinian revolution eating its young.The witch-hunt for traitors has grown alongside the rising numbers of Palestinians who have died at the hands of the Israelis"(Anderson P.188). Anderson is saying that not only don't we have to worry about the killing of these people but they are traitors among themselves.
In chapter five of Anderson’s book, he talks about how justice is meted out by different guerilla groups. If there is a common thread among them, it seems to be one of “the ends justify the means.” What I mean by this, is take for example the KNU in Burma, as their situation becomes more desperate, the harsher the punishments for crime become. This is how they maintain some control and discipline among the population they are responsible for. Additionally, the leadership of the KNU is mostly Christian (more of a Baptist belief system) that traditionally has strong moral and ethical beliefs which they use to justify some of their actions. I can imagine that as more conflict and terror enter into their lives, the more they rely on their beliefs and these beliefs in turn come down (along the with the consequences of criminal behavior) upon their charges as well.
I almost forgot about the reading response aaa!!! Christine Almquist
Chapter five, "Systems of Justice" started out with an interesting piece of information that really caught my attention, "All guerrillas impose their authority upon the people in the territories they wish to control".Anderson then goes into talking about the laws of Guerrillas when in fact the guerrillas must decide which laws to use and which ones are important and how the chosen ones will be enforced. It is amazing to me to read about this way of life and how they just get to pick and chose laws that they will enforce. Obviously we are in a position that 99% of our laws are already made u, with a few here and there that get passed, but to have to pick new laws and to enforce them, how do they ever become stable? Especially in a government or political standpoint. For example/evidence Anderson stated that "for many guerillas a large gray area exists where the military war and the administration of justice overlap". It is also disturbing to find out that the guerillas can terror the people if they are opposed by a sector of the population. What kind of living conditions are these? I am amazed at how this is still going on in the world today. In the end realistically the guerrillas just want to control the people and consolidate their power, which isnt right.
In chapter five of Anderson's Guerrillas the section I found the most interesting and somewhat disturbing was the prison at Manerplaw. Prison systems are always fascinating, because most of them out of the u.s.a. are terrifying. At the entrance at the one at Manerplaw it reads "Give me Liberty or give me death". A phrase that most of us here hope we never have to say. The description of the place reads like one of the old prisons you hear about that don't even really exist anymore. It is more like a animal cage used on humans, with teak cages and giant wooden columns between. The prison as of now only holds 10 people, as the rest were pardoned for fighting in the war. It's just impossible to imagine a choice between dying in prison, or maybe dying in war. Charles Thada Kawthoolei is the chief justice and he decides these people's fate. This is horrifying giving this man so much power, but even worse is what the crimes are that send most people to prison here. AMazingly adultery is punishable by death in some cases. This place could be your home, and all you have to do is cheat on your wife. One mistress is 10 years, 2 or more mistreses and your a dead man, literally.
Amy Hart
ReplyDeleteIn chapter five, Anderson starts off by talking about the justice system and laws and regulataions. He descirbes how there are different courts and consequences depending on the crime that you commit. He explains that this system has been up and running since 1980, which if you think about it isnt that long ago. which to me sounds like there is still not a very powerful and forcful system of justice in the country. Anderson also explains how the Guerrillas enforce there authority over the people that they wish to control, which does not seem fair. and in return they gain power from the people they impose on. In a certain murder case that Anderson tells us about, he explains how the murderer is executed by the victims family members, which seems very brutal to me. It seems like theyre system of justice and power is not very strong, therefore they have no organizations and result in very harsh and irregular (from my standpoint living where i do) behaviors in order to show "justice."
Anderson talks about the system that authorizes people to impose the laws on others in their country. However, it doesn't really make sense when the system hasn't been in action for very long. That means that there are many kinks that need to be ironed out before it is truly representing the justice of the country. The unfortunate part about it is that it only can take time to make it more of a mature system nothing else can hurry along the process of gaining maturity and actually becoming a justice system. You can tell by the examples that Anderson gives about the different court cases don't have humane rulings for the people.
ReplyDeleteKelsey Stutzman
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of chapter five, Anderson talks about how the guerillas pick and choose which laws they want to uphold. He talks about a gray area between the military war and the administration justice. It still amazes me how other parts of the world work. These guerillas uphold whichever part of the law will benefit them at the time. The people living in these places can never really be aware of which law will be important on a day to day basis. This is a horrible way to live, and I find it interesting to read about these people and how they deal with these indecencies.
Anderson starts out the chapter by claiming that "all guerrillas impose their authority upon the people in the territory they wish to control"; this is false, as exemplified by the EZLN in Mexico and the Spanish Anarchists during the Spanish Civil War. Not all guerrillas are after control of the government -- some of them take their orders from the populace, rather than the other way around.
ReplyDeleteGranted,the thuggish warlords in Afghanistan brutally repress the population (as Anderson describes in grim detail) -- but one cannot correctly make the generalization that all guerrillas interact with the populace in this way.
What I found intriguing in the reading was about the mukhtar. The mukhtar is the head of a village or in many Arab countries. These people would help Israel “keep the lid” on Palestinian disagreements amongst the government. T he way a mukhtar worked was he’d demand a bribe in return for his silence of an illegal extension. If the mukhtar wasn’t paid he would instead go over to the Israelis and they would then block the extension. The intifada wants the mukhtar’s destroyed because mukhtar makes it hard for certain extensions to be passed, like for building a house. I can understand why the intifada wants them destroyed because that would be such a hassle to seek their approval and since many extensions will be difficult and cost money, what you want to do may not even get passed. The book actually says it’s better to not ask and just do it.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter five, Anderson talks about the religion of Islam. About Muhammad, and that his, "task is not an easy one. 'It is a lot of people to watch over,' he says, and the new system is not infallible some of the reprieved people have already resumed spying for the Israelis"(Anderson P188). Anderson continues to talk about the Palestinian and, "the killing of collaborators is not merely matter of the Palestinian revolution eating its young.The witch-hunt for traitors has grown alongside the rising numbers of Palestinians who have died at the hands of the Israelis"(Anderson P.188). Anderson is saying that not only don't we have to worry about the killing of these people but they are traitors among themselves.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter five of Anderson’s book, he talks about how justice is meted out by different guerilla groups. If there is a common thread among them, it seems to be one of “the ends justify the means.” What I mean by this, is take for example the KNU in Burma, as their situation becomes more desperate, the harsher the punishments for crime become. This is how they maintain some control and discipline among the population they are responsible for. Additionally, the leadership of the KNU is mostly Christian (more of a Baptist belief system) that traditionally has strong moral and ethical beliefs which they use to justify some of their actions. I can imagine that as more conflict and terror enter into their lives, the more they rely on their beliefs and these beliefs in turn come down (along the with the consequences of criminal behavior) upon their charges as well.
ReplyDeleteI almost forgot about the reading response aaa!!!
ReplyDeleteChristine Almquist
Chapter five, "Systems of Justice" started out with an interesting piece of information that really caught my attention, "All guerrillas impose their authority upon the people in the territories they wish to control".Anderson then goes into talking about the laws of Guerrillas when in fact the guerrillas must decide which laws to use and which ones are important and how the chosen ones will be enforced. It is amazing to me to read about this way of life and how they just get to pick and chose laws that they will enforce. Obviously we are in a position that 99% of our laws are already made u, with a few here and there that get passed, but to have to pick new laws and to enforce them, how do they ever become stable? Especially in a government or political standpoint. For example/evidence Anderson stated that "for many guerillas a large gray area exists where the military war and the administration of justice overlap". It is also disturbing to find out that the guerillas can terror the people if they are opposed by a sector of the population. What kind of living conditions are these? I am amazed at how this is still going on in the world today. In the end realistically the guerrillas just want to control the people and consolidate their power, which isnt right.
In chapter five of Anderson's Guerrillas the section I found the most interesting and somewhat disturbing was the prison at Manerplaw. Prison systems are always fascinating, because most of them out of the u.s.a. are terrifying. At the entrance at the one at Manerplaw it reads "Give me Liberty or give me death". A phrase that most of us here hope we never have to say. The description of the place reads like one of the old prisons you hear about that don't even really exist anymore. It is more like a animal cage used on humans, with teak cages and giant wooden columns between. The prison as of now only holds 10 people, as the rest were pardoned for fighting in the war. It's just impossible to imagine a choice between dying in prison, or maybe dying in war. Charles Thada Kawthoolei is the chief justice and he decides these people's fate. This is horrifying giving this man so much power, but even worse is what the crimes are that send most people to prison here. AMazingly adultery is punishable by death in some cases. This place could be your home, and all you have to do is cheat on your wife. One mistress is 10 years, 2 or more mistreses and your a dead man, literally.
ReplyDelete