John Battle's Projects
Hello! This page is for my Composition II project for Professor Hammett, and is a collection of my projects for the course.
Project 1: How do we cure the Havana Syndrome?
Do you think that microwave radiation, acoustic attacks, and crickets can all cause the same illness? In late 2016 to early 2017, reports of United States officials in foreign countries suddenly being overtaken by the same symptoms began to flood in. These symptoms ranged from dizziness to nausea to hearing loss and more and happened in places all the way from Havana (the supposed origin point for this syndrome) to India and beyond. The reaction of publicists and politicians who had heard about this syndrome was to claim that these symptoms were a result of a never-before-seen microwave weapon being used on United States officials by their geopolitical enemies. The sound that the victims of these attacks that victims claim to have heard was deduced to likely be the sounds of crickets chirping at a high frequency. The countries claimed to be responsible for these "attacks" has been pinned on any country that the United States has deemed their geopolitical enemy: Cuba, Russia, China, etc. Despite medical practitioners saying that these symptoms were likely the result of a psychosomatic illness and against the common sense that microwave weapons hadn't ever been built before, the media ran with these assertions as to justify foreign intervention and crackdown on Cuba. The sensation around the supposed Havana Syndrome has gone to show that there is a serious epidemic sweeping throughout the United States, spreading through news outlets, public office, and word of mouth like a plague: fervent nationalism. This epidemic is to be curbed through skepticism of how our news is presented to us and looking at how misinformation spreads.
​
The Havana Syndrome blowing up like it did was the result of misinformation being spread by news outlets and being framed either as undeniable fact or as something being currently "investigated" (Oppmann, P. and Labott, E.). This kind of behavior from news tabloids – promoting outlandish stories for the sake of justifying foreign intervention and even war – is nothing new, and the situation around the Havana Syndrome is only one case of this in a long line of similar occurrences. For example, back when Donald Trump was trying to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, anonymously sourced reports began cropping up that Russia was supposedly paying the Taliban to try and kill United States troops (Kheel, R.), and these anonymous reports were part of the reason why the motion to withdraw troops from Afghanistan was delayed with an approval of 45 to 11. The Havana Syndrome itself has been used for similar ends, with similarly anonymous sources claiming that Cuba was launching sonic attacks on United States officials (CNBC) and then these reports being pushed almost exclusively by other national security reporters who've bought into the Havana Syndrome theory as well (All Things Considered Podcast). That begs the question, though. If it was not secret microwave technology or other such weaponry, what could have caused it? It's extremely simple: The Havana Syndrome was not some special illness concocted by foreign enemies, but rather another classic case of a psychosomatic illness. A psychosomatic illness is a kind of illness that is essentially the body being directly affected by one's mental state in some way, shape or form, typically through causing a disease or inducing symptoms of one (Schimelpfening, N.). Psychosomatic illnesses are a relatively benign and well-known phenomenon and have been researched extensively (Baloh, R.) and comparing the Havana Syndrome to other well-known psychosomatic illnesses shows how much it lines up with the definition of one. Shellshock is another example of a psychosomatic illness, and like the Havana syndrome, physicians immediately jumped on the chance to search for exotic conclusions for Shellshock such as it being caused by bullets whizzing by one's head so close as to cause tears in the brain or being in close proximity to exploding artillery shells (Bartholomew, R.). Of course, these were eventually disproven and were later deduced to just be a psychosomatic illness resulting from the stress of having to serve in the heat of a war. A similar thing is happening with the Havana Syndrome as well, and the most likely cause for the symptoms that are tied to it is simply the stress of being an important governmental official in a foreign country. Hardly anyone is able to have such immense responsibility weigh on them without feeling even a little bit of stress, and stress itself has been known to be in and of itself a kind of psychosomatic illness that causes symptoms that those suffering from the Havana Syndrome claim to have had, such as headaches and disruptions in their sleep cycle. This goes to show that the Havana Syndrome was nothing deathly serious at all, and that it was a story perpetuated by Anti-Cuban reporters and outlets as to justify more stringent treatment of Cuba (Marcetic, B.). Rational causes for the Havana Syndrome were completely ignored in favor of jumping ship for exotic conclusions that caused people to rally against Cuba.
How can we stop something like the Havana Syndrome from happening again? While we obviously can't eliminate psychosomatic illness as a whole – that's just going to exist forever, so long as we have a consciousness – we can still work to minimize events like this from being sensationalized and blown out of proportion, spiraling into something exponentially worse. The most important thing that can be done to prevent breakouts of psychosomatic illness like this is to try to contain the spread of misinformation, and to try to look at who is spreading it and why they're doing so. Misinformation, while can just be benign word of mouth and misinterpretation as it gets filtered through more and more people, is a tool that can be used to deliberately sew panic and to further agendas (Marcetic, B.). Misinformation helps brew mass hysteria by concocting outlandish and exotic causes for benign ailments, in which it will cause people to further panic and possibly even contract this psychosomatic illness themselves through sheer panic alone. Nipping the spread of misinformation in the bud is crucial to the containment and prevention of psychosomatic illnesses, because as seen with the Havana Syndrome psychosomatic illnesses are made extraordinarily worse by instigating panic around them. Through mass hysteria, it'd make it likely for a psychosomatic illness to even spread! This spread can be seen through the Havana Syndrome, in which it originated in Havana but later had reports of it occurring all the way in India and beyond (Tiwary, D.). This spread of the Havana Syndrome is likely due to mass hysteria, which helps spread psychosomatic illnesses like wildfire. By looking at how misinformation is spread, we can reduce the impact of outbreaks of psychosomatic illness like this from happening in the future. Not only that, but we can also stamp out any bad faith acting from any side by looking at who's trying to spread it and for what reasons. The Havana Syndrome never had to become so sensational, but we can take this as a learning experience for how to handle things like this in the future.
Works Cited:
Marcetic, B. et al. (2021) Will the media finally learn something from its fake "Havana syndrome" debacle?, Jacobin. Available at: https://jacobin.com/2021/10/havana-syndrome-microwave-energy-weapon-fake-news-us-diplomats-spies-intelligence-national-security-media-liberal-outlets (Accessed: March 13, 2023).
Robert Baloh Professor of Neurology (2023) Havana syndrome fits the pattern of psychosomatic illness – but that doesn't mean symptoms aren't real, The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/havana-syndrome-fits-the-pattern-of-psychosomatic-illness-but-that-doesnt-mean-symptoms-arent-real-167275 (Accessed: March 13, 2023).
Schimelpfening, N. (no date) How your stress and Depression can really make you sick, Verywell Mind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/depression-can-be-a-real-pain-1065455 (Accessed: March 13, 2023).
Kheel, R. (2020) House panel votes to Constrain Afghan drawdown, ask for assessment on 'incentives' to attack US troops, The Hill. The Hill. Available at: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/505568-house-panel-votes-to-constrain-afghan-drawdown-ask-for-assessment-on/ (Accessed: March 13, 2023).
The danger of pushing the foreign attack theory for 'Havana syndrome' (2022) NPR. NPR. Available at: https://www.npr.org/2022/01/23/1075216807/the-danger-of-pushing-the-foreign-attack-theory-for-havana-syndrome (Accessed: March 13, 2023).
American diplomats in Cuba struck by covert sonic device, US officials say (2017) CNBC. CNBC. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/09/us-diplomats-in-cuba-suffer-severe-hearing-loss-blamed-on-covert-sonic-device.html (Accessed: March 13, 2023).
Bartholomew, R. An open letter to the diplomats with "Havana syndrome" (2019) Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/its-catching/201911/open-letter-the-diplomats-havana-syndrome (Accessed: March 13, 2023).
Tiwary, D. (2021) Explained: CIA officer on India Trip reports Havana syndrome; what is known about its symptoms and causes so far, The Indian Express. Available at: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/cia-officer-on-india-trip-reports-havana-syndrome-symptoms-causes-7525418/#:~:text=In%20late%202016%2C%20about%20a,feeling%20of%20disorientation%20and%20insomnia. (Accessed: March 13, 2023).
Oppmann, P. and Labott, E. (2017) Sonic attacks in Cuba hit more diplomats than earlier reported, officials say | CNN politics, CNN. Cable News Network. Available at: https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/20/politics/havana-sonic-attacks/index.html (Accessed: March 13, 2023).
Project 2: Camus and the Havana Syndrome
When Albert Camus lived, he was many things. He was a philosopher, a moralist, but most importantly an anarchist. He believed that nothing had inherent meaning, and that life’s meaninglessness was something to be wholeheartedly embraced. He dedicated himself heavily to individual moral freedom and responsibilities and believed that morals should govern one’s politics, which is seen most clearly when he states, “Against eternal injustice, man must assert justice, and to protest against the universe of grief, he must create happiness.” (Camus, “Resistance, Rebellion & Death: Essays”) His beliefs would be in stark contrast with how the Havana Syndrome was handled, in which psychosomatic illness was used to peddle and further political agendas. Camus would have been appalled with how the Havana Syndrome was handled.
​
Albert Camus would have found the handling of the Havana Syndrome nefarious. Camus has well-documented anarchist sympathies, with some even calling him an anarcho-syndicalist (Sherman, “Camus” pp. 185) due to his political clashes with people from all sides of the political fence, from the French Communist Party of which he was briefly affiliated all the way to butting heads with pro-fascist movements of his era, such as Latiny, which was an antisemitic ideology spreading amongst French Algerians during the late 1930s. Camus has a long track record of fighting against what he thought was wrong, so it would make sense for someone like him to be appalled with the Havana Syndrome. Now, what was the Havana Syndrome, and why would Camus find it absurd? The Havana Syndrome was a psychosomatic illness that was seen exclusively in United States officials stationed at official military or political bases, with symptoms being remarkably like how the body reacts to prolonged stress. The Havana Syndrome, medically, was unremarkable. However, what makes Havana Syndrome notable was how it was blown up into a social epidemic. The public was told a variety of accounts, from the Havana Syndrome being attacks caused by microwave radiation weapons to advanced devices emitting high frequency pitches to cause the symptoms, all for the purpose of manufacturing outrage and manufacturing support to crack down on Cuba and other geopolitical opponents (Marcetic, B. et al. 1). At its heart, the Havana Syndrome was a manufactured social epidemic. Camus would have been appalled with how the Havana Syndrome was being handled and used.
As Camus said, “You always get exaggerated notions to things you know nothing about” (Pasha 1) This is especially true for the populace of the United States, particularly in mainstream news outlets. With the Havana Syndrome, the United States’ aim was to manufacture support to support to meddle with its geopolitical enemies and to drum up outrage around said geopolitical enemies. News outlets from all over the political spectrum ran stories about how anonymous United States officials were attacked with microwave or sonic weaponry without further corroborating these stories. Since the beginning, though, medical practitioners had come out to say that the Havana Syndrome was just a psychosomatic illness and that the sonic weaponry used to injure United States officials were just the sounds of crickets (Fernholz 1). News outlets and political figureheads boldly ignored these claims, though, in favor of stoking the fire of anti-Cuban sentiment. Albert Camus has said “Men are never convinced of your reasons, of your sincerity, of the seriousness of your sufferings, except by your death. So long as you are alive, your case is doubtful; you have a right only to their skepticism.” (Camus, The Fall) and this rings especially true for the people who didn’t buy that the Cuban government had developed microwave and sonic weaponry, let alone kinds strong enough to harm someone, but were completely and utterly ignored. Medical practitioners were routinely ignored on purpose as to continue feeding into the narrative that the Havana Syndrome was the result of attacks from geopolitical enemies and not a simple psychosomatic illness. Camus would not have stood for something like this, as he has been quoted saying “Always go too far, because that's where you'll find the truth.” (Goodreads, pp. 1) Someone like Camus would have encouraged people to see past the smoke and mirrors of fantastical weapons and propaganda to see the Havana Syndrome for what it was: a manufactured social epidemic.
Camus would have found the proliferation and handling of the Havana Syndrome absurd. He would have opposed how the United States government used the Havana Syndrome to attempt to further crack down on its geopolitical enemies, not only due to Camus’ personal political ideology but also due to his morals. Camus is a man primarily dedicated to individual liberties and freedom and would have seen the United States’ handling of the Havana Syndrome and would have met it with skepticism. Again, “Always go too far, because that's where you'll find the truth.” (Goodreads, pp. 1). It is likely he would have been sympathetic to the specific people suffering from the Havana Syndrome, though, as Camus is no stranger to dealing with and suffering from disease (Sherman, pp. 11). While sympathetic to the people suffering from the psychosomatic illness, he would not have held any sympathy for those trying to twist the Havana Syndrome into something it wasn’t.
To conclude, Camus would have likely held conflicting thoughts on the Havana Syndrome as a social epidemic. While he would have been sympathetic to the individuals genuinely suffering from it, both physically with the symptoms and politically with having the Havana Syndrome pinned on them, he would not have sympathized at all with the United States government and what it did. He would have found the whole affair absurd, to put it lightly.
Works Cited:
“Albert Camus Quotes (Author of the Stranger).” Goodreads, Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/957894.Albert_Camus.
Camus, Albert. Resistance, Rebellion, and Death. Modern Library, 1963.
Fernholz, Tim. “Cuba Says Big Bugs Drove American Diplomats out of Havana.” Quartz, Quartz, 27 Oct. 2017, https://qz.com/1113692/cuba-sonic-attacks-havana-blames-crickets-and-cicadas-for-injuries-to-us-diplomats.
Marcetic, Branko, et al. “Will the Media Finally Learn Something from Its Fake ‘Havana Syndrome’ Debacle?” Jacobin, 10 Apr. 2021, https://jacobin.com/2021/10/havana-syndrome-microwave-energy-weapon-fake-news-us-diplomats-spies-intelligence-national-security-media-liberal-outlets.
Pasha, Riz. “75 Greatest Albert Camus Quotes of All Time.” Succeed Feed, 10 June 2019, https://succeedfeed.com/albert-camus-quotes/.
Sherman, David. Camus, Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, 2009, pp. 11–185.
Project 3: Reflective Writing
The Composition II class I had to take this semester was one of the most challenging courses I’ve had to take. It forced me to work extremely hard to maintain a good grade, and challenged my writing skills to a degree that it has not yet been tested before. It was rough on me, but through this class I have learned several invaluable skills which I will be able to translate into my further writing and apply it to other classes as well.
​
The rhetorical analysis assignment was what I learned the most from. What I learned from working on the rhetorical analysis project was how to translate a person’s ideas into the modern day and juxtapose them with the events of the modern day to see how they would have reacted to it. In my rhetorical analysis essay, I looked at the Havana Syndrome and had to decide how the person I had chosen to analyze for this assignment, Albert Camus, would react to the Havana Syndrome. I am not a very imaginative person, nor do I really understand other people very well, so it was a herculean effort to try and imagine how someone who had been long-since dead would react to a social epidemic in the 21st century, especially one as unique and strange as the Havana Syndrome. It was this challenge that helped me truly develop my writing skills, because all I had to work with were my own wits, Albert Camus’ beliefs and biography, and information on the Havana Syndrome. How was I going to translate Albert Camus’ beliefs into the 21st century, and into the specific context of the Havana Syndrome?
I started by first looking at Albert Camus’ history of political organizing and political theory-crafting to parse where he stood at the time. This was important for the project, because the Havana Syndrome was a social epidemic that was inextricably tied to politics. I was able to conclude that he was a very left-leaning individual who had had affiliations with the anarchic press of the time. He was a staunch moralist and believed that morals should guide politics. Then, I juxtaposed this with how the United States handled the Havana Syndrome. The handling of the Havana Syndrome by the United States would have clashed with Camus’ politics due to the United States using the Havana Syndrome to attempt to manufacture consent to meddle with its geopolitical enemies, specifically Cuba. Through the meshing of these contradicting politics and ideals, I was able to create an image in my head of how I thought Camus would react to the Havana Syndrome. It took a lot of work, but I was able to pass my second major project with excellence.
Overall, I think that Composition II, while stressful, has done wonders for me. The rhetorical analysis project forced me to think outside of the box and do things I’ve yet to do prior and has helped me foster my critical thinking skills. It helped me develop the skills to better understand and digest peoples’ ideas and pit them against either other ideas or current happenings.