Patton the Film (1970) Review

Patton Review

            Patton is a 1970’s movie produced by Frank McCarthy who intended to make a movie about the most controversial general in World War 2. The film Patton is very accurate in portraying the real General Patton and his journey through World War Two in many ways.  Firstly, the personality of the General is performed precisely by George Scott for many reasons. The real general was an intimidating presence to his soldiers and demanded fear for him. In the film, General Patton is shown walking through the soldier’s hospital and rewarding medals to the soldiers who were injured in battle. Patton shows disgust when he hears of a soldier in the hospital is being treated for shell shocked. General Patton slaps the soldier in the face as he does not tolerate cowards in his army and sends the soldier back into the front lines. Another example would be when Patton requires every person in the army even the cooks and doctors to wear proper uniform such as helmet and boots. The atmosphere created in the slapping incident would be been similar to the real event as hospital stopped and just focused on what the general had just done. The incident created great controversy over whether the General was fit to command soldiers or not.

            The film also had a great representation of the Patton’s relationship with the other Allied Generals and German Generals. Allied generals such as Omar Bradley, Bedell Smith, Bernard Montgomery, and Harold Alexander were visually shown to have a great influence on Patton’s life as a general. Even the German’s best generals Erwin Rommel and Alfred Jodl shows great admiration for Patton’s skills in leading the army and regarded him as the best commander the Allies have. In the film, Patton has a very close relationship with Omar Bradley, but as the film progressed, the relationship appeared to become weaker than it started.  Patton is heavily criticized by fellow allies for his foul language and egoistic attitude. The personality of other Generals is shown accurately such as Erwin Rommel treating his American prisoners of war well by saluting to them. Omar Bradley was shown with a conservative attitude towards his soldiers as he was not as hot tempered as Patton. Famous British General Bernard Montgomery is shown in the film as a competitor to Patton’s army as they race to see who can accomplish their objective faster and who is intelligent enough to beat Rommel. These famous generals are accurately replicated in the film as their personalities and relationship with General Patton are correct.

            Finally, the famous American battles of World War two are well portrayed in the film. The invasion of North Africa under the name Operation Torch was headed by Dwight Eisenhower with General Patton also landing his forces in Morocco. Patton’s first battle was the Battle of El Guettar where the famous German panzer division was defeated by the well positioned American forces. The conditions of the battlefield at El Guettar were very similar to real life as the land was mostly desert and both sides relied heavily on their tanks. The most famous battle shown in the film was the Battle of the Bulge between the Americans, British and the Germans. The battle was Germany’s last offensive to try to win the war. The battle took place at the Ardennes Forest in Belgium which Patton had predicted. The weather was very horrible for fighting with heavy snow fall and freezing temperatures. One of the most important conditions the film showed was the need to concentrate all of the Allied forces into this battle as the success of the battle would completely get rid of any doubt that the Allies were going to win the war and shatter Germany’s morale. Patton completely disengaged his troops from fighting and started to move towards helping to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. Soldiers and Equipment was affected greatly by the bad weather as they could not move as fast and were not used to the conditions. Heavy causalities were suffered on both sides due to these conditions.

            Overall, the film Patton would deserve a 4 out of 5 star rating.  The film’s ability to capture the viewer’s attention, show accurate portrayals of various Generals of the war, replicate General Patton’s personality, and the accuracy of the battles of World War 2 is the reason for its high rating. The film constantly shows the excitement that occurs in the general’s life which advances the plot. The actors were well chosen to represent the famous World War 2 generals where the difference between the real life generals and the actors was hard to tell. Also, the battles were very realistic and accurate making the viewer think that he or she was actually experiencing the battle with the snow and mud. In conclusion, Patton is considered one of the greatest and most accurate war movies of all time; therefore it should receive a very high rating.

Defining Moments in Canadian History

Canada’s defining moments

All countries in the world extraordinary moments which helps to define the identity of the country. Canada has many of these defining moments where the event, action or decision results in the significant change for the country. The Suez Crisis, Battle of Vimy Ridge, and the October Crisis were the main defining moments for Canada because these events shaped the way Canadian society is today.

The Peacekeeping force sent by the United Nations during the Suez Crisis was a great moment to showcase Canada’s independence from Britain.  The Suez Crisis was an armed dispute between the British and French against the Egyptians over the Suez Canal. The canal was built in 1859 in Egypt by French Company and is vital for oil supply for the British. Egyptian President wants to seize control of the canal in 1956 because the canal was made by Egyptians and located on Egyptian Soil. The Egyptians take the canal which caused the British and French to send military forces to invade the canal. Britain asks Canada to help them in their attack but Canada refuses. Canadian Lester Pearson asks the United Nations to send in a peace keeping force to allow both sides fighting to separate peacefully. The mission was lead by Canadian soldiers. Canada had always done what Britain had asks it to such as joining the Boer War and World War One but Canada had learned to make its own decisions. Canada refusing to help Britain attack Egypt showed the international community that they were capable of making their own decisions and should be recognized as its own independent country. Also, it was the Canadians who thought of the idea of peacekeeping which prevented another World War. Therefore, Canada showed it does not follow in the footsteps of Britain anymore and the ability to lead other countries to keep world peace which given Canada the symbol of peacekeeping today.

Canada was entered World War One because of it was still a British Colony and had to obey Britain’s instructions of helping them in the war.  Vimy Ridge was a long whale shaped hump of land that rose sixty metres above ground in an area of valuable resources in France. The ridge was controlled and fortified by the Germans with trenches, underground bunkers and machine gun posts. The British and French forces had been trying to take the ridge for months but were unable to accomplish the objective.  All 4 of the Canadian Corps divisions were brought in lead by Major General Arthur Currie to help take the ridge. Arthur Currie developed the creeping barrage tactic for using artillery fire to blanket the advancing troops from the enemy. British and French lost over 200,000 troops trying to take the ridge while the Canadians only lost 3500. Canada had shown that it was capable of accomplishing a major victory where the British and French could not. Instead of Canada relying on Britain for help, the British needed Canada’s help in order to take the ridge. Many of the soldiers fighting were Canadian and the strategies were also made by Canadians. The Battle of Vimy Ridge showed to the rest of the Allied Forces that the Canadians are separate from Britain. Also, the Canadian forces were called the Storm troopers and were highly recognized by other nations as they accomplished something no other country could accomplish.

The October Crisis in Canada was very threatening to Canada as it affected the Citizen’s safety and the political issues of separating Quebec. The FLQ was a Quebec Separatism terrorist group that was determined to end the English colonization of Quebec. The FLQ kidnaps the British Trade Commissioner James Cross and the Quebec Minister of Immigration Pierre Laporte. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau enables the War Measures act which suspends civil liberties, and banned the FLQ. The Canadian Army is sent into Montreal and Ottawa to protect the citizens and important officials. The FLQ kills Pierre Laporte but the members holding James Cross are captured by the police which end the FLQ Crisis.  Canada did not need to rely on Britain’s help on this huge threat to Canadian culture and society. Prime Minister Trudeau was able to show to the world that Canada was capable of taking care of itself insides its own country. If Canada had not solved this problem then Quebec may have been separated from the rest of Canada. Canada shows it is very strong internally by being able to keep both the English and French Cultures from fighting but embrace each other’s differences. 

Canadian Society can be defined by the Suez Crisis, Battle of Vimy Ridge, and the October Crisis because they show Canada’s ability to handle situations where it may seem impossible. The Peacekeeping force lead by Canada during the Suez Crisis defined Canada as the symbol of peacekeeping and showed its independence from Britain. At Vimy Ridge, the Canadians earned respect from the allied forces as a whole nation for accomplishing a very difficult task. Finally, the October Crisis showed Canada’s strength to keep the country together and provided a stepping stone for the multicultural society today.  Canada has developed into one of the most respected countries in the world due to the defining moments and will continue to produce significant changes in modern society.

The impact of propaganda during the wars

Wartime Propaganda

            In the two world wars, many countries needed a way to increase support for the war efforts. The most popular method was to use propaganda which had a big effect on the outcome of the wars. Wartime propaganda was heavily use by both sides fighting the war. It was an organized way of spreading information that would impact the viewer’s thoughts, beliefs, feelings, actions, and judgment. The propaganda content was very enthusiastic and exciting but as the wars progressed; the calls for help became more desperate. The content made the population feel guilty of not contributing enough to the war. Propaganda’s ideas consisted of popular themes to a specific region as it would be easily accepted by the citizens. Propaganda was conveyed in many different ways such as posters, newspapers, movies, stories, and passed from mouth to mouth. The propaganda generator in Canada during the wars was the Wartime Information Board. Propaganda contained selected truths, exaggerations, and sometimes complete lies. Governments wanted the population to believe that their nation was headed in the right direction towards victory so the citizens would trust them. Propaganda was a major contributor to the Allied Victory in the World Wars due to its ability to gather new workers, promote the financing of the war, and increasing the morale of the Allied nations.

            Wartime Propaganda was important to provide soldiers and reinforcements during the war. Canadian propaganda influenced eligible men for war into fighting for freedom. It constantly pressured the population into joining the army. Many men believed the recruitment propaganda thus leading to the increased sizes of the Canadian Army. The Canadian Wartime Information Board was responsible for making propaganda in both World War One and World War Two (Air Museum). The Board made over 700 posters which Canadian Citizens could easily recognize. The propaganda created a strong sense of national pride in the Canadian population especially on the young men. It convinced many minority groups such as the Aboriginals and French Canadians to fight for Canada (Soules, M). This made English Canadians feel guilty that fellow countrymen that have been mistreated are sacrificing themselves while they are doing nothing. The Canadian army played a major role in the famous World War battles such as Vimy Ridge and the Dieppe Raid. The army also lost many soldiers during these battles. The propaganda raised volunteers that refreshed the Canadian Army. Without the propaganda, the men back in Canada would never have had the courage or the motivation to join the fighting overseas. The new recruits gave confidence in the army as there was strength in numbers. Therefore, the propaganda raised new soldiers for the Canadian army to win the wars.

            Canada was not financially prepared for the World Wars. The Canadian government promoted the Victory Bond campaign in all different forms of propaganda. Canada needed all the money they could get for the wars and the most efficient way to get money was from the Canadian population itself. The Canadian government constantly stressed to the citizens that financing the war was very important. The amount of money a nation has represents and reflects the success the nation will have in the war. Propaganda helped spread awareness of the Victory Bonds as it provided content which helped the viewer visualize the paradise after victory. The Canadian Victory Bond campaign was very successful as it raised eight billion dollars to support the war efforts (Air Museum). Canada was just beginning to recover from the Great Depression when World War Two started. Canada and its citizens were not prepared as the economy was doing very poorly. If the propaganda was not effective in financing the war, then Canada could not have received enough money to continue fighting. The eight billion dollars raised from the Victory Bond Campaign gave Canada the ability to contribute more and achieve victory in both World Wars.

            Finally, Wartime propaganda increased the morale of Canada and its citizens as the war became more depressing. The length of the World Wars made Canadians fatigued mentally. The Canadians needed motivation from anything that would make them continue to support the war efforts. Johnny Canuck was created to resemble a perfect Canadian Citizen who was proud, patriotic, and heroic (Alberta Source). Johnny appeared everywhere in Canada to increase morale. Graphic images made the viewer feel patriotic, become angry, or made them fearful of the consequences of a loss. Propaganda assured the citizens that their military and political actions were for the right reason while their enemies’ actions were corrupt. Propaganda needed to spread the ideologies of the government which the citizens can follow for a sense of direction. The Canadian citizens had a lot of problems handling the pressure, responsibilities, and demands of the two wars. There were large amounts of negative thinking about supporting the war effort during the tough times. The spread of negative thinking would have hindered the effort that the citizens were giving to the war. Propaganda reduced the negative thoughts. The emphasis on victories and life after them kept the citizens motivated. The propaganda also kept the Canadians focused so they could give all they had into getting victory for the Allied Forces.

            Propaganda’s effectiveness in gathering new forces, spreading awareness of the Victory Bond Campaign, and focusing the Canadians toward the objective made it a vital role in the Allied victory in both World Wars. Canadian Wartime Propaganda served three main purposes. Firstly, it provided additional workers and soldiers to increase military power. Secondly, it made the Canadian population realized the importance of financing the war as money is reflected by success. Lastly, Propaganda provided motivation and direction to inform the Canadian citizens of the task which they must accomplish. Propaganda has developed into one of the most important function in society. It enables new creative products or ideologies to be accepted into the population. Through the constant pressure of propaganda, humans can be easily mislead and even manipulated. Propaganda has been a large part of the human society and it will continue to grow to have even more influence in human life in the future.

Top 10 Interview Questions for Adolescents

Interviews can be quite stressful to many young adults who are just look for their first part time job to earn extra cash. Personally, I have gone through many of these incidents and even if you are an interview expert you may still feel nervous. To help, here are 10 very common interview questions that pertain to retail stores for teenagers.
Most likely the interview will be a group interview so you may feel more comfortable

1.  Introduce Yourself. ( Give Brief description of your interests and skills include with examples)
2.  Best example of Customer Service, Worst example of customer experience
3. Why you applied to the particular store ( Remember to do your research on the company)
4. What the ideal employee or the position that you applied for looks like
5. Current Fashion Trends
6. Previous experiences that developed your skills or talents
7. Where you get your style from
8. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
9. How would you benefit the company if you were hired
10. Give a lasting impression on your ending statement or question

Hopefully these helped!

Labour Unions in Canada: Progressive or Regressive to the Nation?

            Labour Unions are a group of workers that come together to form an organization or union that gives them more power to demand more from their employers. The main purposes of a labour union are to achieve an area where both the workers and the employer are happy. A union negotiates with the employer for higher wages, safer working conditions, and job security. Labour Unions give workers a voice because it is formed from large number of workers therefore the employer has to listen and satisfy their demands otherwise the work quality will be low or they would go on strike. Labour unions are of major importance in the modern day economy because many different types of jobs have unions that protect them from poor standard of living. Many of the current unions contain so many members that they control the economy in terms of the extremely high wages and short work hours the workers demand which slowly reduce profits in the company. In Canada, two of the biggest labour unions with advantages and disadvantages would be the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

            The Canadian Auto Workers Union was established in 1985 to negotiate for the workers with the employers and to have an influence on the political, economic, and social issues that concerns the members of the union. One advantage of the Canadian Auto Workers Union would be providing its members’ family with high quality child care and child services. The funds opened up child care centres in Windsor, Oshawa, and Port Elgin. In addition, CAW has negotiated a contract from the Big Three to provide 10 dollars per child up to a maximum of 2000 dollars a year for the members’ children to go to child care centres. Also, the employees at child care centres funded by this contract receive above industry average salary. On the other hand, one disadvantage of CAW would be the immense power they have to keep demanding more unreasonable increases in their wages and working quality. Even though the Big Three Automakers were going broke, the CAW and its members still did not want to take a significant pay cut in order to save the companies to prevent thousands of job losses. Many workers in Canada work just as hard yet they do not receive the same amount of benefits and pay the CAW receives but the CAW is still resistant in reducing their salaries.

             The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is the largest union in Canada with over 600 thousand members. It has a long history of defending people’s jobs and services. The objective of CUPE is to improve the life of workers and allowing them to speak up to their employers without being afraid of getting fired. The members of the CUPE contain workers in most industries such as health care, libraries, and social service. One advantage of the CUPE is that they are very active in defending workers’ rights. During the 1990s, many workers suffered due to privatization and downsizing of businesses. Many employers wanted to broke the collective bargaining agreement with the workers. Also, lots of workers suffered job losses and reduced wages. The CUPE helped the members in defending their rights against the employers and the governments who supported the corporations. Oppositely, one disadvantage of the CUPE is the long and difficult strikes. In 2009, the garbage collection workers went on strike in the city of Toronto due to bad severance packages they receive from the city. The CUPE leaders know that the mayor of Toronto is a socialist therefore the mayor will benefit the union more than the city during negotiations. Also, exaggerated statements of the poor working conditions and benefits were made by the CUPE against the city in order to gain support to resolve the issue in their favour. This garbage strike resulted in many weeks where Torontonians had to put their garbage at public places, thus leading to rats and diseases being transmitted through the city.

            Overall, the labour unions of Canada all have their many advantages and disadvantages. In my opinion, Labour Unions are not necessary in Canada. Unions only benefit a select group of people of whom the majority work for the government. The members of the union such as auto workers have better pay than people who go through university and work as hard as they do. Also, unions have caused hassles for many non-union citizens such as garbage collection, teachers going on strikes, and even causing big corporations to go bankrupt such as the Big Three. Workers should be paid according to the level of skill and experience the job requires not because they are in a union. In addition, companies should be able pay the workers as much as they want because it is a free market economy and it will enable them to hire more workers than to pay 80 dollars an hour for an assembly line worker.