Discussion Question #1
Why do you think Harry Gold provided sensitive information to the Russians? Could there be spies in Crawford County collecting sensitive information for another country's benefit?
Why do you think Harry Gold provided sensitive information to the Russians? Could there be spies in Crawford County collecting sensitive information for another country's benefit?
Discussion Question #2
The chapter, “Quiet Fellow,” ends with the following statement: “It was a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his life.” What is the meaning of the word haunt as it is used in the previous sentence? Why do you think Sheinkin used this statement at this point in the book? What could he be telling his audience?
Discussion Question #3
On page 113, we learn that twenty-six Norwegian civilians were killed when Knut Haukelid and his commandos sank the ferry carrying the German heavy water. What are your thoughts and feelings about loss of innocent lives during any war?
Discussion Question #4
Why is it important that you understand the different perspectives regarding the use of weapons of mass destruction?
Blog #1 Group #10
ReplyDeleteJaylynn, Jackson, Jazmin, and I really appreciate all your help with this blog. Thank you.
Question #1
Harry Gold provided the Soviet Union sensitive information about America because he wanted to repay the Communist, Tom Black, for offering Gold a job. Steve Sheinkin, the author of Bomb: The Race to Build -and Steal- the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, explicitly stated on pages twenty-four and twenty-five, “He was thankful to Black for getting him a job and wanted to repay the debt.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that he was indeed trying to repay Black. We can infer that Gold was desperate for a job because he knew that he had to support his family because it was the time of The Great Depression. In our best judgement, we feel that Harry’s heart was in a way in the right place, but his mind was not. Jaylynn, Jackson, Jazmin, and I understand that Harry wanted to help his family, but in turn he hurt them by giving the Soviets information. This tells us that Harry was desperate, and sometimes when people are desperate, they make choices that they normally would not. What are your thoughts?
Question #2
Jaylynn, Jackson, Jazmin, and I believe there could be spies in Crawford County trying to collect sensitive information for another country’s benefits. On the website, www.flying-S.com, you can see that there is a Flying S, which is a company located in Palestine, Illinois that creates many things including parts for planes. We can infer that there may be others who would steal ideas from our planes and drones for their own country’s purpose. Clearly, the company understands that there are those who would want to steal because their location is in the middle nowhere and even on their “Projects” page, their projects are restricted. People cannot even see what they are working on. Most companies want to advertise their products, but Flying S, Inc. does not seem to do that. Why? Well, there must be a secret that must be kept so other countries could use it against us.
Again, Jaylynn, Jackson, Jazmin, and I look forward to your response.
Great assessment! I agree with you that Harry Gold provided Tom Black with information because he felt indebted to him. Being able to provide for your family can be tough and that was exacerbated in this case by The Great Depression. Tom Black was able to use that to his advantage to get Mr. Gold to provide the information he was looking for.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that is possible that there may be spies living among us. Flying S is a good example of a potential target for all of the reasons you named. There are plenty of other industries that could be targeted as well for a number of different reasons. Marathon provides fuel to areas all across the country. Hershey may have a perfect recipe or a manufacturing line that is able to reduce costs through automation processes. This may seem like a trivial “secret”, but if another country was able to steal a manufacturing secret, they would have the potential to steal the business from us and put American citizens out of work. While there could be spies living right here in Crawford County, they could also be spying from thousands of miles away by hacking into computers or cell phones. This is why it is important to always remember that someone could be listening and not discuss sensitive information outside of work.
Thank you for your response. Our group agrees with you about hackers with cell phones and computers so that is why we need to be aware and educated.
ReplyDeleteWe look forward to our next blog.
Blog #2
ReplyDeleteThe word ‘haunt’ as it is used in the following sentence, “It was a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his life.” means that something terrible is probably going to happen to Oppenheimer, and he will not be able to forget the events that occured because of his decision to not tell General Groves. In the book, Bomb: the Race to Build- and Steal - the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin, he explicitly stated on page sixty-five, “Oppenheimer chose not to tell General Groves that he had been approached by the Soviet’s.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving the decision will negatively affect him until his death. We can infer Sheinkin was foreshadowing that Oppenheimer’s life was not pleasant after this event. Jazmin, Jackson, Jaylynn, and I can conclude that he died a regretful death because not telling Groves may have created a downfall. Since Oppenheimer did not tell, it made him look untrustworthy so how could he be trusted to work on top secret projects? In our best judgement, Sheinkin is telling us that Oppenheimer loses his credibility.
I agree that Oppenheimer was very regretful about his decision to not tell General Groves about being approached to share information with the Soviets. I agree that the author used the last sentence to foreshadow Oppenheimer's feelings. I also believe that while Oppenheimer lived to regret the decision, he believed at the time that he was doing the right thing. His reasons were strictly personal, as he did not want there to be any reason for him not to be able to be a part of this project. Do you feel that if he would have told the General about this meeting that he would have been removed from the project? If he had been removed from the project, would the decision to tell the General still haunt him for the rest of his life?
ReplyDeleteJackson, Jazmin, and I feel that Oppenheimer would have been removed from the bomb project because Oppenheimer had been accused in the past for the same actions; therefore, General Groves would have had no choice but to kick him off from the project. If Oppenheimer was removed, the decision would have haunted him forever, but it also would have brought back a devastating memory of him failing at this important project. However, Jaylynn feels differently. She feels that if General Groves would have told Oppenheimer that he was kicked off the bomb project, he would not have followed through because he knew that without Oppenheimer, they would not have been able to build the atomic bomb. Also, Groves had always trusted Oppenheimer, which means if he would have lost his trust, he would have had to gain it back. But, it might just taken a little time.
ReplyDeleteWe look forward to blog 3.
Blog #3 Group #10
ReplyDeleteJaylynn, Jazmin, Jackson, and I learned that twenty-six Norwegian civilians were killed when Knut Haukelid and his commandos sank the ferry carrying the German heavy water. Our thoughts about civilians being killed are that it is better to lose twenty-six lives than to lose thousands. However, our feelings are that the loss of innocent lives should try to be prevented. In Bomb:The Race to Build -and Steal- The World's Most Dangerous Weapon, Steve Sheinkin explicitly stated on page 110, “ Haukelid relayed the details to British intelligence in London saying that the job would be tricky and might result in the loss of civilian lives.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by showing that even Haukelid was unsure about the loss of innocent lives. We can infer that even though Haukelid seems to be harsh, he still had a good heart. Ultimately, it would be an extremely tough decision and feel as though you have to think about the greater good. How would you feel if you had to make the decision to kill mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters?
We look forward to your response.
I agree with you one hundred percent. I feel that is a very tough choice to make and I hope leaders think long and hard about the consequences of any mission before carrying it out. In this particular case, the successful building of an atomic bomb would have likely had catastrophic consequences for many, many people.
DeleteIn class on February 20, after we finished the book, we talked about the privileges that we will most likely have in the future. Like voting, driving and what responsibility it takes to be an adult. We can only imagine making the important decisions about our own lives when we prosper and grow into adulthood. However, we cannot imagine making the decision of taking away the life of innocent people and them never getting the chance to have life experiences.
DeleteIt is important to think about the philosophies of those we elect for government positions because they will make important decisions just like sinking of the Hydro.
We look forward to blog 4!
Group #10, Blog #4
ReplyDeleteIt is important to understand the different perspectives regarding the use of weapons of mass destruction because you get to see things the way they did and feel the emotions they felt toward that weapons. In the book Bomb:The Race To Build- And Steal- The World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, Sheinkin explains the following four perspectives: scientific, military, political, and Japanese civilians.
To begin, the scientific perspective was that the scientists had built something of great magnitude that they were proud of, but at the same time they know they had created the most dangerous thing in the world had ever seen. It was a true killing machine. In the book Bomb: the Race to Build-and Steal- the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, by Steve Sheinkin, he explicitly states on page 184, “It was the chill of knowing they had used something they loved, the study of physics, to build the deadliest weapon in human history. Oppenheimer was feeling that chill too.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that even the most dedicated scientist to the project was proud, but he knew would this creation would cause terrible things to happen and that it was the most dangerous weapon known to mankind. One infer that the scientists were thinking about the effects the bomb would have on innocent lives. We can conclude that even though they knew what the bomb would do, they also knew that if the Germans built it first then their own country would lose innocent lives.
Next, the military perspective was that they wanted the bomb dropped on Japan as soon as possible to end the war, and they were ecstatic to have it finished. In the book, Bomb: The Race to Build-And Steal-The World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, by Steve Sheinkin, he explicitly states on page 184, ‘“The war is over,” Farrell said “Yes,” Groves agreed, “as soon as we drop one or two on Japan.”’This textual evidence backs up our claim by showing that the military wanted the bomb to be dropped as soon as possible in order to complete their mission. We can infer that they were ready for the war to be over. All in all, the military, even today, has difficult and challenging decisions to make for the protection of the United States citizens. It is important that we honor and acknowledge what the military men and women do for us.
Not only did we read about the military’s perspective, but we also read about the political perspective too. The political perspective in regards to the Atomic bomb was that of excitement and urgency to build the weapon. On page 216, Steve Sheinkin explicitly states, “When will the Russians be able to build the bomb?” “I don't know”, Oppenheimer answered, “ I know”. “When?” “Never.” Said Truman.” This textual evidence proves that Truman had confidence in the atomic bomb. One can infer that he would do anything in his power to stop the Russians from building the atomic bomb. Common sense tells us that Truman will soon find out the bomb can not stop all things and will have to find another solutions to economic problem.
ReplyDeleteFinally, Sheinkin included the perspective of the Japanese civilians in the book. Their perspective of the atomic bomb was pain and devastation. In the book, Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - The World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, Sheinkin explicitly states on page 193, “I saw a red dragonfly winging along and finally alight on the wall right beside me,’ he remembered. ‘Just as my brother reached out for it, there was a flash. I felt I’d suddenly been blown into a furnace.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by showing that these innocent civilians suffered greatly. One can infer that the aftermath of the bomb made the Japanese civilians suffer for years, as well as generations. All in all, this shows us the true reality of weapons of mass destruction.
To end, Sheinkin wanted us to understand the different perspectives regarding the use of weapons of mass destruction. If we understand their perspectives and their decisions, it will help us in the future. It is imperative that we understand all sides of an issue before making a decision. Sheinkin was not only teaching us about the race to build the atomic bomb, but he was also teaching us a vital life lesson in decision making.
Great summary! I agree that Sheinkin did provide a valuable lesson in looking at all perspectives before making a decision. Especially decisions of this magnitude. You covered the feelings of the scientists, the military and the victims. Each of these groups had completely different perspectives and motives for the use of the atomic bomb. While most of the decisions we make every day seem insignificant when compared to this decision, it is imperative to try to think about how those decisions affect others.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your response. We look forward to blog five.
ReplyDeleteBlog #5, Group #10
ReplyDeleteOn page 236, Steve Sheinkin writes, “In the end, this is a difficult story to sum up. The making of the atomic bomb is one of history's most amazing examples of teamwork and genius and poise under pressure. But it’s also the story of how humans created a weapon capable of wiping out species off the planet. It’s a story with no end in sight. And, like it or not, you’re in it.” In the summary, he is saying that it was difficult to tell the story of such a huge project that still has an impact today. Mass destruction is part of our lives now and it will never go away. Sheinkin explicitly states on page 235, “The United States and Soviet Union continued racing. The race was no longer to build bigger bombs- the bombs were already too big for any target. The race was to build more bombs, and faster and more accurate ways to deliver them by airplane, submarines, and missiles...The rivals had enough bombs to destroy all human life--many times over.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that since the development of the atomic bomb, weapons of mass destruction have become bigger and better. One can infer that more countries have these weapons, and because of that chances, are higher of them being used. Common sense tells use that we need to be aware of what is happening in other countries, and also proactive in defending our country.
Jaylynn, Jazmin, Jackson, and I can conclude that Sheinkin wanted to tell the story in a way that the readers enjoyed.
Unfortunately it is true, every citizen of the world is in this story. Whether we drop an atomic bomb or someone else does, people all over the world will be affected. Aside from the horrible consequences of the war that would ensue, the nuclear fallout could create a global crisis. Plants could quit growing and there would be no food. No one can hide from the effects of a nuclear war. You are correct that we must remain vigilant in foreign affairs and do the best we can to protect ourselves. I think last weeks discussion about considering different perspectives remains especially important when thinking about the potential consequences of an atomic bomb being dropped.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on this project!
Thank you for working with us, we appreciate you very much. We have learned a lot from you. Again thank you very much for helping us through this project.
ReplyDelete