A passage from "The Junius Pamphlet," by Rosa Luxemburg: HW (6)

“Social democracy is simply the embodiment of the modern proletariat's class struggle, a struggle which is driven by a consciousness of its own historic consequences. The masses are in reality their own leaders, dialectically creating their own development process. The more that social democracy develops, grows, and becomes stronger, the more the enlightened masses of workers will take their own destinies, the leadership of their movement, and the determination of its direction into their own hands. And as the entire social democracy movement is only the conscious advance guard of the proletarian class movement, which in the words of the Communist Manifesto represent in every single moment of the struggle the permanent interests of liberation and the partial group interests of the workforce vis à vis the interests of the movement as whole, so within the social democracy its leaders are the more powerful, the more influential, the more clearly and consciously they make themselves merely the mouthpiece of the will and striving of the enlightened masses, merely the agents of the objective laws of the class movement.”

 (“The Political Leader of the German Working Classes, Collected Works 2, 280)

I think this passage is explaining the main concept of communism by emphasizing more on the first chapter of the communist Manifesto.

The first chapter of the Manifesto, which talks about the Bourgeois and Proletarians, examines the Marxist idea of history, with the preliminary idea asserting that the history of all up till the present society is the history of class struggles. It continue to say that in capitalism, the working class(proletariat) are fighting in the class struggle against the owners of the means of production( the bourgeois) and this past class struggle always ended either with revolution that restructured society, or the destruction of the competing classes.

Moreover, the Manifesto explains that the reason the bourgeois exist and exploit the proletariat with low wages is private property, "the accumulation of wealth in private hands, and the eventual formation and increase of capital. The passage is explaining the importance of the proletariat coming together to support the idea for liberation in the hands of the bourgeoisie, through revolution against the bourgeoisie such as riots or creation of unions. Luxemburg, however, is giving them the confidence of surmounting their ordeals and the eventual rise to power. It also explained that communism is the key to class equality amongst the citizens of Europe; hence the proletarians should stand for that as their destiny is in their own hands.

Personally I think this passage is all about advocacy for humanity and equal rights; because if people were treated equally despite of education, financial stability, etc.; these limitations could not categorize people, and this would eventually eliminate discrimination which further leads to crime and violence. Therefore this also means giving the opportunity for everyone to equally and amicably work together without having to step on each others feet.

The Blue Angel, Cabret Songs & Paragraph 175 (HW 5)

PART 1

INTERPRETATION OF FILM THEME:

Lola and Professor Immanuel Rath (played by silent film veteran Emil Jannings) represent the classic contradiction of the seductive female and the hapless male. The vampish woman (Lola) is a force of powerful sexuality, which is aligned with the deadly forces of nature (her animal print costumes and the exoticness of The Blue Angel club) and individuality. Professor Immanuel Rath is the lonely and sympathetic male aligned with civilization (he is a respected teacher) who falls prey to her untamed femininity.  Although by today’s standards the symbolism is inappropriate, the scene where Rath wakes up with a black doll represents the dark and mysterious foreignness of Lola that is alluring yet ultimately dangerous and unattainable. The key to the strange power manipulated by Lola is due to the extraordinary sexuality that Sternberg gives to Dietrich. Lola’s performances are a mixture of stylized seduction but are also highly camp. She embodies both masculine and feminine traits in the way she dresses, moves and speaks. She may sit on stage dressed in frilly underwear and gaze lovingly up at Rath, but also wears a top hat and crosses her legs like man. She moves seamlessly from being a passive object of desire to a sexually confident aggressor, and is sometimes both simultaneously. The first time the audience see’s Lola is on the postcard that Rath has confiscated from his students. Rath blows up a piece of cloth pasted onto the card to conceal her crotch and the moment is one of pure male objectification. However, this scene then cuts to Lola on stage where she is shot from a low angel, making her appear to tower over the audience. Hands defiantly on hips she sings through a sneer only pausing to take a beer off of another woman. She is completely in control of her domain and her body. Her sexuality is a weapon and she uses it against Rath to unsettle him. In a later scene when Rath is under the table looking for the dropped cigarettes, the audience may get a very unwholesome shot of Lola’s legs but Rath is the one looking flustered and embarrassed while Lola teases him.

PART 2

INTERPRETATION OF CABARET SONGS:

"Chuck Out the Men" (Raus mit den Männern), by Friedrich Hollaender (1926) Performed and recorded by Ute Lemper, Berlin Cabaret Songs (Decca 1996).

English Lyric Translation:

The battle for emancipation's been raging since history began

Yes, feminists of every nation want to chuck off the chains made by man

Hula girls and housemaids and wives in Maribou

hear all our voices thunder in protest

Anything that men do women can do too

and more that that we women do it best

German Lyric Translation:

(für Claire Waldoff)

Es geht durch die ganze Historie

ein Ruf nach Emanzipation

vom Menschen bis zur Infusorie

überall will das Weib auf den Thron.

Vin Hawai-Neger bis zur Berliner Range

braust ein Ruf wie Donnerhall daher:

Was die Männer können, können wir schon lange

und vielleicht ’ne ganze Ecke mehr.

"Chuck Out the Men" is clearly a German feminist national anthem; and conveys the way men in governmental positions and positions in power were running not only the country but the world. The original singer a lesbian herself (Claire Waldoff; October 21, 1884– January 22, 1957) wanted for all women to realize that they have the same ability to do what the men can and that as women they are able to do a better job than any man can. She believed that men were too focused on their reputation and did not recognize the choices they make in governing the people had been detrimental to humanity's growth and progress. I believe the lyrics relate to today's society and how men in powerful political positions are given power over things that affect specifically women and are too concerned with their own beliefs and morals to care how their decisions that directly affect women. For example the debates focused on abortions and birth control concern women's rights to choose; but it’s being disputed over by men who barely understand the female anatomy.

"It's All a Swindle" (Alles Schwindel), by Mischa Spoliansky and Marcellus Schiffer (1931). Performed and recorded by Ute Lemper, Berlin Cabaret Songs (Decca 1996).

English Lyric Translation:

Papa swindles

Mama swindles

Grandmama's a lying thief

We're perfectly shameless

but we're blameless

after all it's our belief

Nowadays the world is rotten

honesty has been forgotten

fall in love but after kissing --

check your purse to see what's missing

Everyone swindles some

my son's a mooch and so's the pooch

German Lyric Translation:

Alles Schwindel

Papa schwindelt,

Mama schwindelt,

tut sie auf blob ihren Mund!

Tante Otilie,

und die Familie

und sogar der kleine Hund!

Und besieht man’s aus der Nähe:

Jedes Band und jede Ehe

jeder Kub in dern Betriebe

und sogar die grobe Liebe!

Und die ganze heut’ge Zeit ja,

sogar die Ehrlichkeit!

LYRIC INTERPRETATION:

"It's All a Swindle” suggests everyone including family such as parents, grandparents, children and even dog during these times were deceitful and out to cheat and steal for personal gain regardless of it being intentional or not. It was human nature to take whatever people wanted because of how selfishness and greed were molding society during that time.  Every one's shameless, but no one's to blame means that it isn't the people's fault for behaving this way, but rather the age of indulgences that caused social transformation stemming from mass production of goods and the influence of mass media. People's values during this time changed for the worst; and it was hard to trust anyone since everyone was out to take others monies and possessions. It is a cynical song that even emphasizes how the ones we love the most aren't worthy of trusting, and it even mentions how we all have someone or something taking things from us or “mooching” without even recognizing it , such as our children and or pets.

This verse makes us all of weary in today's society, especially to those we choose to surround ourselves with. It's a nice lesson in adapting to an ever changing social environment because we never know who to trust or put our faith into. Everything suggested in this song is true even today with the influence of mass media. Greed and selfishness harbor in people's minds today more prevalently because of the lack and abundance of money. Although, even if it's not money or possessions that people are looking for, it's always something people are getting from you; like the presence of good company, a laugh, or good times.

INTERPRETATION OF PARAGRAPH 175:

Paragraph 175 is a German law which condemned homosexuality and made it punishable as a crime. It was added to the Reich Penal Code in 1871. It declared that a man who engaged in sexual activity with another man or an animal will be punished by imprisonment, however If the party is under the age of 21 punishment can be withheld. This law was later modified into two sections 175a and 175b. The policy of what is an offense was changed and lengthened using different regulations for grounds of punishment. The offense was 10 years imprisonment or if one was under the age of 21 and engages in sexual relations with a male younger then himself he is open punishment from the law. However there are also other various circumstances that could condemn a homosexual man.

This goes hand and hand with the lecture to the point in where creating a law banning homosexuality and making it illegal; also goes hand in hand to how society viewed and treated women and wanted to control their social being and behavior(s) in Germany. In “Blue Angel” it illustrations us the type of control social structure had; hence the professor partaking in a relationship with Lola, which eventually causes his social statues to change.

Frankfurt School:Herbert Marcuse's_Eros and Civilization (1955)-The Cabinet of Dr. Calgari (HW 4)

Quote: "Make Love, Not War"
-Herbert Marcuse (Eros and Civilization) 

BIO SUMMARY:

It is not due to conservatism, and it is not due to liberalism that America has been duped by a planned societal virus that came to America in 1933 during World War II.  The terms ‘Cultural Marxism’ and ‘critical theory’ were concepts developed by a group of German intellectuals in 1923 in Germany. They founded the Institute of Social Research at Frankfurt University, which was modeled after the Marx-Engels Institute in Moscow, and later became known as the Frankfurt School.  In 1933, when the Nazis came to power in Germany, the members of the Frankfurt School fled to the United States.  They migrated to major U.S. universities including Columbia, Princeton, Brandeis, and California at Berkeley.  These intellectual Marxists included Herbert Marcuse (July 19, 1898 – July 29, 1979), who coined the phrase, "make love, not war," during the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations. Herbert Marcuse the last member of the original Frankfurt School, reached a broader audience in the 1960s with his critique of “consumer society” and the containment of opposition.

Marcuse's writings became very popular with the Counter-Cultural Movement of the 60s and early 70s. 'Eros and Civilization' was of special significance since Marcuse argued that Freud's pessimism about the prospects for happiness in civilization were derived from too rigid a notion of sexuality as the driving need for repression. Marcuse argued for a widened experience of sexuality through the embrace of eros, in general, within polymorphous sensuality, fantasy, and the arts. In this he was a leading inspiration to the "Flower Children," the theme of "Make Love, Not War," and a great portion of the Rock music and drug culture of the age. While much of this movement ventured far beyond the bounds of Marcuse's own North-German upbringing, he was obviously pleased by the attention and remained sympathetic to the movement.

Film Ideas:

In the climate of 1919, the aftermath of World War I weighed heavy on the globe’s conscious, no where more so than Germany where Kaiser Wilhelm’s power trip had cost them everything. Many lives had been lost, the economy was now a disaster and the social climate of the country was at it’s lowest point in decades as they had felt cheated by their government into getting involved in a war that should never have taken place.

The 1920s were the decade that saw the rise of the Dada and Surrealist movements. The first rejected all pretense, all standards, all sincerity. It was a profound expression of hopelessness and alienation. It led to the rise of the related art movement Surrealism, which cut loose from order and propriety, rejected common values, scorned tradition and sought to overthrow society with anarchy. It's said such movements were a reaction to the horror of World War I, which upset decades of relative tranquility and order, threw the European nations into unstable new relationships and presented the inhuman spectacle of modern mechanized battle. After the brutality of trench warfare, it would be difficult to return to landscapes and still life.

It is remarkable that during this period of turmoil and strife these great film artists were able to tap into the popular zeitgeist and create works of such telling beauty. Their far reaching influence spanned the globe, most prominently in the approach to light and shadow play seen later in the American films. All the same, even if the German Expressionist films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari had not had such a meaningful and lasting cinematic power, what stands alone as simply the films of this Weimar epoch are extremely valuable as art and as statements of a culture. To varying degrees, the films of this time are a revealing window into the Germans’ minds, souls, fears, and anxieties.

Mass Culture Today:

Not many of us would argue the fact that Americans have become used to living in an atmosphere filled with disappointment, immorality, victimization, and distrust.  TV, Movies, Books, Plays, News, Public Education.  They have all been tainted.  As each new piece of entertainment becomes more outrageous than the last, our schools rewrite history attacking our heroes and mocking the old ideals.  The result is apathy.  We feel powerless to rise up and make real changes.  But, the real source of the apathy is our not knowing the true source of our predicament. We are living in a kind of social depression that affects every aspect of our lives. Political correctness has a history which, surprisingly, extends much further back than the 1960’s with its hippies and anti-war movement.  It goes back to the time of WWI. The people espousing economic Marxism were certain when war came to Europe, as it did in 1914, that the common people would rise up in their various countries and overthrow their governments. They figured the general public would feel they had much more in common with each other across national boundaries than with the rich and ruling class in their own country.  Well as we now know history, they were wrong!