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buying the louisiana territory raised a constitutional issue for president jefferson, since the document said nothing about purchasing new lands. jefferson decided that keeping france from controlling the mississippi river was too important, though, to turn down the opportunity. so the purchase was judged necessary and the senate readily approved it in 1803. congress paid france about $15 million for the land.

the louisiana purchase doubled the land area of the nation, adding 800,000 square miles and more than 200,000 people-primarily american indians, spanish, and french.

aldous huxley's dystopian novel published in 1932 has been the subject of debate since its release: is "brave new world" a dystopia or a utopia? to understand the genre of the novel properly, it's essential to look at the characteristics of dystopian fiction:

– the use of propaganda to control society
– restrictions on access to information, freedom, and independence
– society's adulation of a symbolic leader or concept
– society constantly feeling under surveillance
– society's fear of the outside world
– society living in dehumanized systems
– alienation from and disbelief in nature
– society conforming to the same expectations, resulting in a lack of individuality and diversity
– society being a reflection of a perfect utopia

huxley's novel exhibits all but one of these characteristics. the bokanovsky process and fordism in "brave new world" serve as tools of propaganda to maintain control. the book's representative of these themes is the western european world controller, mustapha mond. throughout the book, we see bans on science and art, and nobody is truly free. there's worship of the concept of fordism. you witness the fear of lenina crowne when she visits the savage reservation with john, who represents the outside world. the characters perfectly conform to the system, indicating the dehumanization of the established order. emotions, pain, or freedoms are absent; instead, they are replaced with sensory films and "soma," a drug they never part without. the isolation of john's place, the savage reservation, is an example of the exclusion of nature. characters are divided into classes, and each class is standardized. lastly, the book gives an air of utopia. except for the characters feeling under surveillance, the book perfectly encompasses dystopian elements.

the real issue, though, is huxley's choice of a soft dystopia over a harsh one. unlike 1984, where political oppression crushes society, "brave new world" offers its society a "false" happiness. this is what baffles readers and gives a sense of utopia: the characters are happy, but this happiness is tied to the system shaping them from birth and their frequent use of the drug soma.

in the novel, there is a robotic caste system: people are pre-programmed before birth as alphas, betas, gammas, deltas, or epsilons. alphas are tall, intelligent, and attractive, while deltas are short, programmed for labor, and stupid, with the intelligence of a five-year-old at most. thus, the lower classes, the deltas, and epsilons, are happy.

in essence, huxley has killed the concept of "human" and replaced it with "human-like robots," creating a utopia-looking dystopia. huxley's message is that it's impossible for humans to create a utopia on their own. if stability and order are desired, personalities must be killed and people must become dependent on drugs. the book lacks art, family, emotions, books, freedom of thought, or science. these are things that the system opposes because a robot does not need these concepts.

like "1984," "brave new world" contains a totalitarian regime, but instead of using torture like room 101, it aligns its characters with soft methods like the bokanovsky system and soma, yet the result is the same: society loses its freedom. the utopia "brave new world" provides is not for people but for humans who have lost their human traits. this is why huxley includes a character like john the savage. john represents "the human" in every sentence and action against the robotic system. what he tries to convey is that either we live in fake happiness as the system intends, or we feel real happiness like john, but with its pains.

in the sixteenth chapter, the conversation between john and mustapha mond mentions that they have given up science and art (or, in other words, their humanity) for stability and happiness.

huxley's model of utopia is a system cleansed of humanity. he does not envision a perfect political structure or educated people like thomas more, but a system that eradicates the self. that's why "brave new world" is a dystopia. replacing tyranny with happiness does not change the fact that it annihilates the human self.

as stated in the adaptation of the host, which also has a utopic dystopia like "brave new world," "our world had never been so perfect, but it was no longer our world."

the 2023 israel-hamas war, also referred to as "operation iron swords" by israel, and as the "battle of seif al-quds" by hamas, marked a significant and deadly escalation in the long-standing israeli-palestinian conflict. this conflict has deep historical roots, primarily revolving around territorial, national, and religious disputes between israelis and palestinians.

the immediate events leading to the war began on october 7, 2023, when hamas launched a large-scale attack on southern israel from the gaza strip. this attack involved gunmen entering israeli territory, resulting in significant casualties and hostages being taken back to gaza. in response, israel launched extensive military airstrikes and a ground invasion aimed at neutralizing hamas' military capabilities and recovering hostages.

historically, the gaza strip has been a focal point of conflict. hamas, which governs gaza, is designated as a terrorist organization by israel, the united states, and the european union, among others. it took control of gaza in 2007, following its victory in the 2006 palestinian legislative elections and subsequent conflicts with the fatah party. the israeli government has since imposed blockades on gaza, citing the need to limit hamas' ability to arm itself. these blockades, coupled with repeated cycles of conflict, have led to significant humanitarian issues in gaza.

the broader historical context includes the establishment of israel in 1948, subsequent arab-israeli wars, and ongoing disputes over territories and the rights of palestinians and israelis. various peace efforts over the decades, including the oslo accords in the 1990s, have attempted to address these issues but have largely failed to achieve a lasting resolution.

the 2023 conflict has been marked by extensive military operations, significant casualties on both sides, and widespread international concern over the humanitarian impact, particularly in gaza. efforts by other countries and international organizations to mediate have continued, but the situation remains highly volatile and deeply complex.

two main political parties: the democrats and the republicans.

democrats tend to favor less government restrictions on social issues (gay rights, abortion) and more government restrictions on economic issues (more social programs, environmental protection, higher taxes on the wealthy).

republicans tend to favor more government restrictions on social issues, generally with a religious mindset, and less government restrictions on economic issues (less government programs, low taxes for the wealthy). there is a large segment of the republican party that leans libertarian which wants "government out of people's lives" in all aspects, including social issues.

our government is split into three branches: legislative, executive, judicial. the framers of the constitution divided power among these branches because they believed power could corrupt, so the branches have checks and balances against each other. this prevents any one branch from gaining too much power.

the legislative is the united states congress, divided among the house of representatives and the senate. the congress writes the laws and votes on them.

the executive is the us president and all federal agencies. the president signs the laws and is in charge of making sure they are carried out.

the judicial is the court system, headed by the us supreme court. the supreme court resolves constitutional issues. every law passed by congress has to point to a specific section in the constitution to be legal. if a law is challenged, the supreme court determines if the law is constitutional or not. they have the final say.

a state whose citizens get sick of it.
(see: syria)
(see: afghanistan)

wikipedia

in 1992, a letter's sent from diyarbakir/turkey to nasa, telling that the rotation of the moon around the earth was not actually circular. abdulkadir topkac, an amateur of astronomy whose imagination extends beyond the geographical bounds, had to give up his researches for the first time since 27 years, due to the fact that his telescope has been damaged during the conflicts in the 'sur' district of diyarbakir. an astronomer in diyarbakir

the oldest us city, was founded in 1565.

selfie is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a digital camera or camera phone held in the hand or supported by a selfie stick. a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media.

aka truth serum. allegedly, it was used by secret service experts to make prisoners speak during corporal punishment. bbc's journalist* took it to show its effects. video

grand theft auto reno

a russian oligarch who played chess with power in the '90s - kingmaker, exile, and enigma. rose with the empire, fell out with the czar, and died wrapped in conspiracy.

it is now the worst buyout for banks since the financial crisis. the wall street journal

taylor swift is a funny and interesting singer-songwriter who is loved by the young generation for her relatable lyrics, catchy melodies, and impressive live performances. she is also known for her candid personality and her willingness to share her personal life with her fans.

here are some of the things that make taylor swift different from other singers:

– she writes her own songs. this means that she is in control of her own artistic vision and can share her own stories and experiences with her fans.
– she is a master of storytelling. her songs are full of vivid imagery and relatable characters, which makes them easy to connect with.
– she is a great performer. she puts on high-energy shows that are full of excitement and passion.
– she is relatable. her songs often deal with topics that are familiar to young people, such as love, heartbreak, and friendship.
– she is funny. she has a self-deprecating sense of humor that makes her fans feel like they can relate to her on a personal level.

here is a funny quote from taylor swift that shows her sense of humor:

"i'm not a businesswoman, i'm a business, woman."

taylor swift is a talented and successful singer-songwriter who has won numerous awards, including 11 grammy awards. she is also a cultural icon who has been praised for her authenticity and her willingness to stand up for what she believes in. she is a role model for young women everywhere, and she is sure to continue to be a force in the music industry for many years to come.

here are some reasons why young people love taylor swift:

– she is relatable. her songs often deal with topics that are familiar to young people, such as love, heartbreak, and friendship.
– she is authentic. she is not afraid to be herself, even when it means being vulnerable.
– she is empowering. she encourages young women to be strong and independent.
– she is a good role model. she is kind, compassionate, and hardworking.
– she is talented. she is a great singer, songwriter, and performer.

a country where there is no culture of resignation.

the best poor man's country in the world.