Chapter 19

In Chapter 19, it was very fascinating to me to read and learn about China's struggles. I always thought of China as a powerful and independent nation and did not realize that they had their share of struggles economically, socially, and politically. It was surprising to learn how China was behind on the Industrial Revolution since their population soared from being a success earlier in time. One aspect that I thought was interesting was how women were treated and a concern for their rights during reform. Many women suffered from the Industrial Revolution since they were excluded from political life and only way to survive was by working in the factories, which were in terrible conditions. I also laughed inside when Europe or "the West" were considered "barbarians," which I agree in that the West were barbaric in how they conquered and became powerful and successful globally. That brings me to the reflection at the end of this chapter when Strayer questions what was actually successful in history and what were the failures. Like Strayer, I think that that question depends on what we consider more important for a nation in terms of being successful and/or failing. When I read over the reflection, it made me reflect on the "successes" of the Western civilizations and if I would really consider them a success. I think that I would disagree in terms of morale and ethics because what the West did and how they became successful was very wrong in my eyes, and I somewhat see it as a failure. Furthermore, I consider them a failure because we are continuously dealing with the same problems since colonization with issues including equality, justice, and much more that are constantly haunting us. Therefore, I believe that it depends on your own interpretation of how you view succeeding in life and failing in life.