http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/world/africa/2011-sept-libya-slide-show.html#51
This is a picture from September 17, 2011 of anti-Qaddafi fighters guarding a Nigerian man who they accused of being a Qaddafi loyalist. The photographer's purpose in putting the Nigerian man in the center of the photograph with his face in the light is to make him the focus of the photograph. The eyes are immediately drawn to his fear, eliciting sympathy from the viewer and creating a apprehensive and panicked mood, especially since the fighters seem to be determining what to do with him, possibly whether he will live or die. The photographer also took the picture from the Nigerian man's level instead of the fighters' level to connect the viewer with the Nigerian man. The Nigerian man's face is the only clear face in the picture since two of the anti-Qaddafi fighters' faces are cut off and the third is blocked by another's hand. By excluding the faces of the anti-Qaddafi fighters, the photographer prevents the viewer from forming a connection and sympathizing with their actions (many anti-Qaddafi fighters have been targeting black Africans as Qaddafi supporters, even though there is no evidence to support these claims) and takes away their individual identities, dehumanizing them into an oppressive barrier confining the Nigerian man. Their guns surround him showing that he is trapped, and the drab, gray wall behind him closes him in further, showing that there is little hope of escape. The exclusion of the fighters' faces also makes them anonymous, showing that due to the absence of a stable government, they could kill the man without fear of any repercussions, and if they were to kill him, it would be just one example of many murders in this area committed with impunity. The absence of their faces also signifies the anonymity of the anti-Qaddafi fighters on a larger scale. No one really knows who this group is, what type of government it will form, or how it will rule the country.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Packing Heat Everywhere
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/opinion/packing-heat-everywhere.html?_r=1&ref=global
Right now in the House, there is an "extreme proposal" to take away state's rights to regulate the ability to carry a concealed loaded firearm. This would mean that states with tight gun control regulations would have to let people with gun permits from states with loose gun control regulation carry guns in their state despite the first state's tighter standards. The proposal is also unorganized and unreasonable because it provides for no way for police officers to validate the concealed weapon permits of people from other states, and therefore no way to efficiently enforce the law. It could also put police officers at greater risk, increase gun violence, and increase illegal gun trafficking. However, the demands of the NRA could matter more to some politicians than the major problems and dangers of the bill. I do no believe that people should have the right to carry loaded concealed guns at all, so I am also upset about this bill too.
Right now in the House, there is an "extreme proposal" to take away state's rights to regulate the ability to carry a concealed loaded firearm. This would mean that states with tight gun control regulations would have to let people with gun permits from states with loose gun control regulation carry guns in their state despite the first state's tighter standards. The proposal is also unorganized and unreasonable because it provides for no way for police officers to validate the concealed weapon permits of people from other states, and therefore no way to efficiently enforce the law. It could also put police officers at greater risk, increase gun violence, and increase illegal gun trafficking. However, the demands of the NRA could matter more to some politicians than the major problems and dangers of the bill. I do no believe that people should have the right to carry loaded concealed guns at all, so I am also upset about this bill too.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Investors Brace as Europe Crisis Flares Up Again
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/12/business/global/german-dissent-magnifies-uncertainty.html?ref=europe
In Russia, although Dmitri Medvedev is president, there has been uncertainty about whether he or Putin has true power in the country. While Medvedev has given the impression of being more willing to reform, Putin still represents authoritarian power in Russia. Both have shown the intention of running in the 2012 election, but while Putin has been preparing his campaign, Medvedev has been unable to declare his candidacy without Putin's permission. The attendance of important government officials at political events for each of the men has indicated whose side they will take in the upcoming election, and Putin seems to be ahead and clearly working hard at his campaign. However, this does not mean that Medvedev does not still have a chance to win the election, even if by winning, he will be coming back into a post even weaker than his presidency for the past 4 years.
In Russia, although Dmitri Medvedev is president, there has been uncertainty about whether he or Putin has true power in the country. While Medvedev has given the impression of being more willing to reform, Putin still represents authoritarian power in Russia. Both have shown the intention of running in the 2012 election, but while Putin has been preparing his campaign, Medvedev has been unable to declare his candidacy without Putin's permission. The attendance of important government officials at political events for each of the men has indicated whose side they will take in the upcoming election, and Putin seems to be ahead and clearly working hard at his campaign. However, this does not mean that Medvedev does not still have a chance to win the election, even if by winning, he will be coming back into a post even weaker than his presidency for the past 4 years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)