ARCHIVE CURRENT PRINT VERSION OF BOOK 3A

 

The symbol of the Prosperity of America in the 1920s: Chrysler Building (Art Deco)

The Message of this Photo: After Europe received massive damage from World War 1, America became the centre of world economics. By selling to the impoverished European countries large amounts of agricultural and industrial products and receiving the debts of U.K and France, the world’s money gradually went into America. This money was then invested into technological inventions and industrial manufacturing, which gave rise to new cars and home electricals. People would use loans to buy these products and underwent a change towards a pleasure seeking lifestyle. Skyscrapers were built in New York as if to show clearly the arrogance of the Americans at the time. The incredibly decorated Chrysler building in this photo was the defining symbol of the character of Americans before the Depression. I chose this photo because it captures the foreboding omen of the Depression that would occur at the end of the 1920s. However developed and great a country becomes, there will always be a time when everything fails. The historical future ruin or fall of America can be felt from this photo.

One of the dams of Tennessee River built as part of the New Deal.

Even after the Great Depression, President Hoover did not have any plans. No definite policy to save the unemployed was implemented. He left it for the people of his country to solve their problems. There was no way such a great Depression could be overcome by people on their own. Hoover gradually lost the belief of his people. Franklin Roosevelt on the other hand, wanted an enthusiastic intervention on the part of the government and create jobs. Once he became president, he used the country’s budget to perform large-scale public services thereby creating jobs. He also made the government maintain and observe the manufacturing sector and banking businesses. By not continuing the noninterference policy, and using Keynesian economics, America was able to heal its serious wound. The dam in the photo shows that deregulationor neo-liberalism is not enough to protect a country. I chose this photo because I think that the ideal warmth and kindness that Roosevelt showed through his intent on protecting every single citizen of the country is the most important thing for the people of any country. Such actions give people energy and hope. This photo reminds us again that politicians definitely need such words and attitudes.

Unemployed people lining up for the distribution of bread

As the Depression grew worse and worse, one person in four people had lost their job. In the end, the people of Hoover’s country began to have troubles with food, and relied on food distribution services to somehow live on. This photo points out the dire situation that the American society faced. But hang on a second, the people showing in this photo seem to all be middle-aged men. Seeing that not one single woman is lined up also shows us that the tradition of ‘men working outside and women at home doing housework’ was widespread at the time. Physical labor would be the most prompt way of making people employed in this kind of American society. In that sense, the New Deal (involving large scale public enterprises that would pay workers where they work) that would be implemented afterwards was inevitable. It was a historical necessity. In addition, this photo also talks of thenecessity of the participation of America in the war (a future appearance of the country). (The army is after all a kind of employment; if the population decreases because of it, after the war, jobs will be easier to find) I chose this photo because, anyways, I felt a sense of incongruity in seeing only men lined up for the bread. Why wasn’t there at least some women? From this question I looked into the later events and history of the American society.  Since it triggered that research, I decided to include this photo.

 

Photo of children eating radishes in north-eastern Japan; their distressful, miserable life can be felt

This is a photo in which children on a farmer’s property are eating raw radishes (photographed around 1931). Why was this the case? At the time, the main industry of the famers at the time was the production of raw silk. They exported it mainly to America. (It was prized as a high-level material and was used in socks and other clothing) However, due to the Great Depression, luxurious products stopped selling well and the Japanese farmers were hit hard by this effect. Plus, at the same time, there was a cold weather damage that occurred and agricultural produce also could not be harvested, adding onto the burden of the farmers. In this way, their lives became difficult and poor. Children like those in this photo who could not eat properly daily are also said to have been widespread. Some had to eat grass to bear their hunger. From this photo the serious effect of America’s Depression on Japan is clearly shown.

Apart from the farming areas, the cities were also affected by the Depression; companies went bankrupt in succession and an unprecedented recession occurred. In order to break that situation, the government and the army began to go into Asia. The triggering event for the ruin of Japan is shown aptly in this photo and therefore I chose it.

 

 

Children who having lost their homes from the Depression have become wanderers-circa 1935

The car saw widespread adoption due to the unprecedented economic prosperity of America. They used loans (debt) to buy products which were not necessities of life; in other words, they repeatedly wasted money. By the time they had lost their jobs and income during the Great Depression, no savings existed, causing perhaps the loss of even their homes. If we think this way, the symbol of their mistake is the car, one of the most expensive and unnecessary products

＊The reason for their losses is their act of purchasing beyond one's means when they forgot to think properly under the environment of great prosperity.

I chose this image upon seeing that people who had lost their income and home did not part with their car. They even rely on it, showing us how much America is centred on cars. Everyone uses and owns a car in America and it is a large part of their life. I thought it was quite American to have a motorised society and chose this photo because of it.

Living with Circumstances

The British man seen in this photo is searching for a job in the streets and has written his abilities onto a placard, The photo shows that the characteristics of the ‘Depression’ that had begun in America was already seen worldwide. Also, we can tell that even those who have high language abilities and business experience cannot find a job. The situation in the U.K at the time must have been extremely desperate.

At the same time, the words he is carrying on his back are slightly humorous. The national character of British people shines through it. They will never lose their humour when enduring the most unpleasant hardships. This ‘National brightness’ must have been what enabled the British people to endure the attack by the Nazis without giving up during WW2.

This photo gives an insight into the misery of that time and also teaches us that even in such circumstances there are people who want to be as bright and strong as possible in their lives. I learned that with such cheerfulness, people will be able to live on through any kind of situation. This is why I chose this picture to present to you.

The German Autobahn of the latter part of the 1930s

Germany received the greatest effect of the Depression within Europe. With the help of America Germany had been able to recover from the economic mess after WW1. However, with the economic crisis, help from America eventually decreased and stopped. The unemployed rose to 6,000,000 and Germany was once again in muddled disrepair. Hitler gathered the support of many people and then began to create large scale public services in order to create employment and solve the economic problems. The Autobahn shown in this photo was one of those services. By solving problems in this way, Hitler grabbed the support of a massive part of the population. In the background he developed his army and increased his territory. Thereafter he was to pull the trigger of WW2. The recovery of Germany was very much only a short time of stability before the extremely violent war. The German population probably could guess that there was going to be a war. The people probably could feel that anill-omened future was awaiting them. Therefore they would not have been able to leisure from their heart. To have only one car on such a wide highway is probably the reason why there is only one car driving on it. I think that this photo is implicating the unlucky atmosphere hanging over the country. I chose this photo as evidence for the worldwide spread of the economic crisis and that it caused the horrible war.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The front of the New York Stock Exchange on ‘Black Thursday’ when the stock prices drop rapidly

The message of this photo: These people must have gathered here because they were angry about suffering heavy losses because of the stock market crash. It shows the reason of the Great Depression vividly. So, what was the reason for it? It is actually the ‘heart’ of the Americans themselves. In high spirits after the economic boom after WW1, everyone wanted to profit and therefore bought shares. Since everyone was buying, the price rose. The price (value) of the companies creating these stocks would also rise. Of course, the company would procure more money.

株を発行している企業の値段（価値）も上がる。もちろん企業は資金を、よりたくさん調達（ちょうたつ：procure(get） money）できる。

こうして企業は、ものを作って売るという「実体経済（じったいけいざい：substantial economy）」よりも、株の売買でもうけることに力を入れた。その結果、需要（じゅよう：demand）と供給（supply）のバランスをきちんと把握（はあく：grasp）するなどの努力を怠り（おこたり）、無計画に製品を作りすぎ、企業の業績（ぎょうせき：result）は悪化していった。そのことに不安を覚えた人々が、値下がりする前に株を売ってしまおうとしたために株の価格が一気に暴落、あっという間に多額の損失に見舞われてしまったのである。

その結果が「大恐慌」であった。とすれば、その真の原因は、「楽してお金を儲けよう」というアメリカの大衆の心理だと言える。そんな大衆を映したこの写真は、「大恐慌」の本質を私たちに教えてくれている。

 

【この写真を選んだ理由】

結局、「働かずにお金を儲ける」「楽して稼ぐ（らくしてかせぐ）」という生き方を多くのアメリカ人が選んで株の取引に走り、そのために企業は「本当のビジネスのやり方」を見失ってしまった。そしてその結果が「大恐慌」であった。こう考えれば、当時のアメリカ国民の「勤勉さ（きんべんさ：diligence）の欠如（けつじょ：want）」こそが「大恐慌」の原因であったと言えよう。　証券取引所に多くのアメリカ国民が集まったこの写真は、その事実を私たちに想像させてくれる。そこで私はこの写真を選んだ。

 

ニューヨークのウォール街での労働者の抗議デモ

http://blog.nihon-syakai.net/blog/2008/10/890.html

 

【この写真のメッセージ】

これは、いつかどこかで見た光景にそっくりである。これは、2008年に起こった「サブプライムローン問題」に端を発した（たんをはっした：trigger off）労働者たちのデモの写真だ。多くのアメリカ国民が、マイホームを担保に（mortgage, security for loan）じゃんじゃんお金を借りまくり、そのお金を使ってものを買いまくったり、享楽的な（pleasure-seeking）生活を送った。住宅の値段がどんどん上がっていたので、そのおかげでいくらでも借金ができたのだが、突然住宅価格が暴落し始め、家を売ってもその借金が返せないことになった。こうして少しでも借金を返そうと家を売りはらった人々が、路上生活を始めるようになった。これも「いつかどこかで見た」光景である。

こうしたアメリカの経済問題が世界に波及する（はきゅうする）のも、あの「大恐慌」と全く同じである。金融工学を使って、わけのわからない「債権（さいけん：bond, securities）」がアメリカで作られ、それが世界中で売られていた。当然アメリカの経済が大打撃を受ければ、アメリカ人は借金を返せなくなるので、それらアメリカで作られた債権を持っていてもお金は帰ってこない。こうして世界中で大損した人が出てくる、というわけだ。

アメリカ人は、あの「大恐慌」から何も学ばなかったのだろうか。「のど元過ぎれば熱さ忘れる」ということわざ（proverb）が日本にはある。「どんなに苦しいことがあっても、それをいったんくぐり抜ければすっかりその辛さも忘れてしまって、また同じことを繰り返してしまう。人間とはそんな愚かな（おろかな）存在だ」という意味だ。これが人間の「宿命（しゅくめい：fate,destiny）」なのだから仕方ない、とあきらめるしかないのだろうか。

もちろんそんなことはない。歴史を学ぶのは、悪いことは二度と繰り返さないよう強く決意するためだ。私たちは歴史を学び、理解し、そしてそこから数多くの教訓を発見していかなければならない。この写真は、「こんなシーンを見て、あなたは私たち人間はどうするべきだと考えますか」と私たちに問いかけているように思える。この「問いかけ」が、この写真のメッセージである。

 

【この写真を選んだ理由】

この写真は、私に、人間の愚かさと、歴史を学ぶことの大切さをはっきり教えてくれた。そういう意味で、インパクトが非常に強かったために選んだ。

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

原子爆弾の投下によって発生したキノコ雲。左が広島で右が長崎

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E3%81%B8%E3%81%AE%E5%8E%9F%E5%AD%90%E7%88%86%E5%BC%BE%E6%8A%95%E4%B8%8B#/media/File:Atomic_bombing_of_Japan.jpg

 

【この写真のメッセージ】

　世界に拡大した「大恐慌」の影響は、第2次世界大戦という最悪の結果を生む。それは世界中に無数の災厄(さいやく：disaster）をもたらし、何千万もの人々の命を奪い、ついに、日本に落とされた二発の原爆で集結した。たった一つの国の経済問題が世界中の経済を狂わせ、戦争を引き起こす。たった一つの国の人々の欲望（よくぼう：greed, desire）が、ここまで世界を不幸にすることができる。この写真は、そんな世界の真理を私たちに語っているように思う。

 

【この写真を選んだ理由】

　私自身が、被爆地（a city which has been atom-bombed）広島に住み、そこにある学校に通い、「原爆ドーム」（原子爆弾が落とされた場所のすぐ側にあった建物が奇跡的に倒壊（とうかい：collapse）を免れ（まぬがれ：escape）、今も記念碑（きねんひ）として保存されている）も何度も見た。私にとって、広島は戦争や平和のことを考える機会を持った特別な場所である。いまだに多くの人々がその後遺症（こういしょう：aftereffect）に苦しんでいることも知っている。そしてそんな原爆投下を招いた第2次大戦の原因の一つとして「大恐慌」があった以上、それについて考えるこの課題で、原爆の写真を選ばないわけにはいかなかったので、ここに挙げている。

 

 

Indicate illustrate point out