Geography 98/198 paper topics: Full Metal Jacket - Monday, February 23rd, 2004.

Papers should be approximately 1-2 pages in length, double spaced, 12 point times or similar font.

Due in class: Monday, March 1st, 2004.

Option A:

As we've seen in the movie and the article war can increase opportunities in the informal economy, such as prostitution, street vending, and theft. What are some other ways you can think of that the economy of an occupied country can be changed by war? Discuss some of the ways which the economies of both sides of combat can be affected by conflict. Does war create genuine opportunities for economic improvement, or just pimping and profiteering?

Option B:

In Full Metal Jacket we see some of the dehumanizing ways in which soldiers are trained. Assuming armies are necessary for the maintenance of a state, does that state have the right to take away some of the rights of its citizens in order to protect itself? Can individual personal rights outweigh the importance of a state, or even the lives of its citizens?