Sunday, November 30, 2008
The whole world is a foreign country
Monday, November 24, 2008
Pleasent Surprise
Except,
for the Fritz Scholder gallery exhibit. It made me remember how much I truly love art galleries. I saw the art. I appreciated the art. I loved the art. I got to explore the evolution of an artist. IT was therapuetic. I'd love to go back and spend more time there if anyone wants to. I also still haven't been to the portrait gallery, which everyone tells me is the best everXcore *infinity. So if anyone would like accompany me there as well let me know.
Buddha
The City That Never Surfaces
This presents an entirely new concept in global politics: how does one go about moving their entire island to a different location? Unless Nasheed intends to use the Ben Linus method of island displacement, this will be an incredibly difficult task to accomplish. Aside from the obvious problems associated with moving half a million people and the contents of an entire city, there is also the problem of everything that cannot be moved. The buildings in Malé, the capital, cannot be moved, nor can they be sold to another owner. The current owners will not be pleased with having to abandon their assets, and the best they can do is to tear down the building and sell it for scrap materials abroad. The Maldivian economy will also take a hit when the tourism industry dries up, an expected occurrence since nothing is as picturesque as the Maldives. There is even the question of whether or not any nation will allow them sovereign land. As is universally recognized, land claims are extremely important to every nation, and it’s hard to believe that any government would fully cede land to foreigners for any price. The best the Maldivians can realistically hope for is some kind of autonomous status, possibly even a semi-self-governing settlement or region.
If the Maldives does go the way of Atlantis, don’t expect them to stay an independent nation. It’s very unfortunate, but that’s just luck for you. Until then, let’s hope they’ve got their levee system worked out.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Rag Doll
This is backtracking a bit to a blog topic last week, but this article shocked me to such an extent that my second reaction (my first reaction was of absolute horror and sadness) was to post the article to the blog. The article relates to poverty – more specifically, hunger and dehydration. Even more specifically, malnutrition and death. An area that is already consumed by a lack of sufficient food and water supplies, Haiti, has recently been hit with unstoppable natural catastrophes, such as severe storms, making their living condition all the worse. Children are dying by the dozen. Dropping dead. As disturbing as it is, I saw the picture of the “rag doll” little girl and couldn’t look away. I couldn’t look away because I could not possibly understand how she could still be alive, how the conditions in the world could get this bad, how unfair life is, and how just because of her location, this innocent young child, and thousands others, will probably die of hunger. She looks like an out of proportion baby doll. She has no life left in her eyes and no emotion on her limp face – and it really strikes me. There are efforts being made by doctors without borders and other organizations, but what happens when they stop the help and retreat away from these children? Will the situation in Haiti begin to deteriorate once more? If so – WHY. Why can’t this problem be fixed. I don’t have any answers and it frustrates me. I probably sound really whiny and all Miss America “Save the World”… but its how I feel. Even when reading articles like this one, and seeing the horrific pictures, I am still detached from the actual severity of the problem – I have no idea how bad it is… I couldn’t even begin to imagine living like that. That’s not life.
Read the article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081121/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_haiti_food_crisis
History is Humanizing
I am not quite sure what to make of all this and I look forward to the Todorov book keeping me thinking, but for now I would say that my concept of Indian, the so-called “other” has greatly expanded. Fritz Schoulder’s exhibit was a reminder of the modern Indian and his problems. At the same time, the museum exhibits showed how the modern Indian has taken what advantages that can be found in his identity. Unlike Jasmine, my school didn’t have a great emphasis on Indian history. Knowing another society’s history helps to humanize that society to others. This lack of history was a part of the problem with “the conquest” of the New World. Not knowing the indigenous people’s history, the Spaniards have no sense of them as humans.
Reflection on Columbus
It is to be noted that Columbus was looking for a shortcut to the wealth of the far east, and did not intend to discover the new world. His reaction to the discovery of the native peoples I believe shows Columbus for what he wishes to be portrayed as; a pious explorer who attains wealth and documents his travels for the benefit of his investors (the Spanish monarchy in this case). I cannot determine whether he was motivated by a genuine religious devotion and a desire to attain knowledge, or if he was simply telling the Spanish throne what they wanted to hear.
I suppose my best guess is that it was a combination of the two theories. Todorov's book has several third party actors referenced who vouch for Columbus' religious devotion, which I'm going to make the assumption it worked well with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, a couple of Christian zealots. However, I'm not as confident that Columbus' fantastical voyages are not as well-intentioned. Columbus set out to find the far east, and in this he failed. Fearing that future voyages would not be funded, he described rivers of gold, mythical creatures, and a wild land full of wealth and wonder. I believe that a good portion of Columbus' journal entries are delibrately made up. While others can cite a lack of scientific knowledge and harmless exageration, I believe that quite a bit of the events described were completly made up for the purpose of gaining fame and ensuring business remains good in the future.
I have thought for some time and I am still no closer to deciding whether Columbus was a pious explorer doing what he thought was right or a shrewd businessman, perhaps both. I do not believe I will ever feel like I have a definitive answer, but hopefully as I continue to read I will gain a greater understanding of Columbus.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Chris CBus
way- what we know as fact, or how we deduct something as absolutely true (I.E. Water freezes at 32 degrees F or 0 degrees C)
better- more efficient, less likely to fail
We are living in a society that demands facts, and demands them quicker and quicker. We have access to technology and efficient resources CC couldn't even imagine in his wildest dreams. We have satellites that allow for GPS and images of the Earth in real-time. We can travel around the world in a matter of days. There's no argument that favors Columbus in this situation. He has no advantage. Some might view his disconnectedness as a benefit, but back then it wasn't a privilege but a requirement. People might like to have total authority over what they're trying to accomplish, but we set up heirachies and rules of command in society for reasons of efficiency. If we all could do our jobs however we wanted without having to deal with consequences for a great length of time, our society would be far less eficient. Honestly, there's no comparison. Our way of knowing is infinitely better than CC's way of knowing.
Judging Contemporary Exploration Techniques
In practice, yes. Our modern ways of “knowing” surpass those of Columbus, due mainly to vast innovations in the field of “knowing” over the past five hundred years. “Knowing” can be defined in many different contexts, but in relation to Columbus’ field of expertise, I would venture to say that his “knowing” encompassed what he believed about the world around him and how he went about learning more. In both senses, our modern methods have outmoded his.
Today, we obviously have a far greater insight into the working of our world than we did in the late-15th century. The most obvious innovation in exploring comes in the form of complete and accurate world maps, which contain only truthful information without relying on conjecture. Even more than that, we have recently completed satellite imagery of the entire world, down in most places (save Bovice’s house) to recognizable clarity. There is no longer any need to “sail into the unknown”, because there are no more blank spaces on the map. We know how large the Earth is, what shape it forms, and how it moves and cycles. In addition to geography, we also possess a greater understanding of the forms of life on earth and how they exist. Where a pious sailor in the late-15th century may have seen a mermaid or a kraken or some other apocryphal creature, modern researchers rely more on detailed records, observed and verified accounts, scientific reasoning, and new observational technologies to prove that such forms of life do not actually exist. Researchers today rely far less on divine explanations for phenomenal events and creatures, mainly because no divine account for such things has ever been solidly verified. It is the nature of today’s scientific method that the most logical reasoning is established.
The means of discovery, as well, have improved to the point where discovery itself is nearly obsolete. The simple ease with which reliable information can be procured proves the superiority of our current practices. Especially since the information revolution and the development of the internet, secrets that once had to be extensively sought out can now be summoned up by anyone in the comfort of their own home. There is virtually no information known to any humans today that cannot be universally known through the internet and mass media. Besides, that which is unknown lies almost exclusively in the scientific field, and realm that explorers such as Columbus are not equipped to deal with. In effect, the expansion of Columbus’s trade has cancelled out its own usefulness.
I see many in my class have answered this question in the opposite manner, pointing instead to the moral ambiguity between Columbus’s methods and actions and modern normative methods and actions. While I understand that the motives held by both parties remain more or less the same, I would say that their actions speak more to the subject. In Columbus’ day, the customary way of dealing with a newfound group of people was to somehow gain ownership rights to their land and subjugate them if need be. Today, this practice is unheard of; in the rare instances of meeting an uncontacted tribe, scientists are assembled and sent to them in a diplomatic way, not to gain their resources but to honestly study their culture and way of life. So to answer one of Totorov’s most important questions, yes, our modern ways of knowing outweigh Columbus’, on both an observational, logistical, and moral level.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
better to be different
On the Santa Maria
(I have put knowing in quotations because to me it is a very openly interpretive word. Putting it into a noun, knowledge, for this post I would like to define knowledge as a truth/fact explaining the world)
No, because we essentially “know” things the same way Columbus did. Columbus based his beliefs and actions on what he had experienced and read. He trusted in the intellectual authorities of his age. We do the same thing. Most of us are not genius enough to work out for ourselves all the accumulated knowledge that science has produced. Instead we read summaries and conclusions from the authorities on such matters and then act or believe based on our understanding of these things. We are placing trust in these scientific authorities, even though science is constantly changing and known for a high turnover rate on its theories, as Akthor points out. Perhaps we have better facts and truths than Columbus, but our way of getting at the facts and truths is not so very different. We all do the best with what facts and truths are available to us, this is a continuous human thing, not a new approach to life. It is easy to think of our way of “knowing” as superior to that of Columbus, but in doing so we are acting foolishly arrogant. To be cliché, knowledge is a never-ending quest. We must realize that we are in the same boat as Columbus and that even now in our “modern” age we cannot fully explain the world and I don’t think that it is reasonable to think that we can ever fully explain.
Is our way of knowing superior to that of Columbus?
Humanity has always sought to explain what is unknown through myth and religion. Columbus saw an unknown figure in the water and determined it to be a mermaid, a logical explanation during a time where oceanography was just beginning to develop and much of the western world remained unknown. Legends told Columbus that mermaids inhabited the ocean, and these myths were accepted by sailors who had no scientific response to refute such a claim. Today, while we have made numerous advancements in science and technology, there still are legends regarding fantastical creatures; from the chupacabra to bigfoot. While fewer people believe in the existance of these creatures, this is because science creates a sense of skepticism. But somehow, these legends endure and some to this day believe in these creatures.
As far as motivation, Columbus appears to have three driving forces behind his exploration and interaction with the natives: fame, wealth, and religion. Columbus wrote outlandish claims into his letters and journal entrys in an obvious effort to bolster his reputation and gain funding for his next journey. Today, lots of top-notch scientists take pride in their fame and their employers invest in their work hoping that technological development will translate into large profits. The pharmaceutical industry is a good example of such thinking. Religion still motivates many to subjugate others. All of the major religious faiths (the exeption being Buddhism) have expanded due to violence. While Columbus may have thought he was doing the natives a favor by forcing Christianity upon them, this sort of forced conversion goes on in other parts of the world to this day.
So no, our way of thinking is not better than that of Columbus, nor is his mentality better than ours in the present day. People's logic and motivations remain constant throughout time. We shall always try to explain the unknown, to aquire wealth and fame, and to push our agenda. These concepts have been in place for the entirety of human history, and will continue to have just as much importance as they always have into the future.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Reflection Krista Tippett
This Week in World Politics
I’d reflect on the Proposition 8 protests, but to be honest, I only went because everyone else was going. I know the protests won’t change California state law, nor should it. The motion was passed in a free and democratic manner, which is the most characteristic value of this nation, and if the majority of Californians want to block gay marriages, then that’s their prerogative. Of course, I don’t agree with that preference, and I’d say that most arguments against its legality are lame excuses for religious-based opposition or sheltered discomfort, neither of which should be written into law. But these are risks taken under a democratic system, so if one wishes to change the current policy through legal means, they should speak in a language the voters can understand. It’s a technique that won Barack Obama the presidency. Also, I got rained on, so I think God’s position on the issue is pretty clear.
I’d reflect on class this past week, but sustained praise of myself and my group would be haughty and arrogant. I mean, I’m certainly not going to criticize our presentation, since we’re being graded on this. But with regard to poverty, I see it as a necessary evil. It has existed as long as trade has, as scarcity is the basis of economics. As long as one person has more than his fair share, there will be those who have less. Marxist as that sounds, it is nevertheless useless to try to “eliminate” poverty, since there will always be a goods discrepancy. Until people are ready and willing to institute an Orwellian society where everything is mechanized and all needs are provided for artificially, people should accept that poverty exists, and understand why they place where they do on the wealth spectrum.
I’d reflect on Krista Tippet’s Q&A session on Wednesday, but I found it rather unstimulating. Her answers attempted to give deference to every religious practice, and as a result revealed nothing new about inter-faith dialogue. Her book, as well, was too muted to be of any use, and acted more as a testament to her various interviews than a manifesto on dealing with the worldwide religious divide.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Ranking What's Important
I thought our common event with Christa Tippet was interesting and I was sorry to find that others didn’t seem to feel her commentary very thought-provoking. Civil discussion across religions is not a new idea, but at the same time I do think it is one that should be revisited because it is important.
Religion is a huge influence around the world and lack of communication between religious followers and the non-religious is damaging to humanity as a whole. For this reason I am looking forward to the dinner and discussion happening this Wednesday from 6-8 (looking forward to cooking for you guys). Hope everyone can make it and we can have a peaceful conversation that respects everyone’s beliefs and broadens everyone’s understanding.
Priorities
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Rally for Equality
The protest was very civil and along our path people seemed overwhelmingly supportive of gay rights. Many tourists around the Smithsonian took pictures of the march and we cheered everytime someone showed their approval. I greatly enjoyed when we ended our march in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, where people shared their stories of how they desire to marry the individuals they truly love. I found their stories inspirational and I definitely plan to continue to do what I can to support gay rights in this country.
I believe that this is one of the final chapters of the civil rights movement. Equality is a right every American deserves. In the near future, I'm hoping that America can put its prejudices aside and recognize the gay community as equal under the law of the United States.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Poverty
Although it's tragic, I'm not sure poverty will ever be eliminated. With capitalistic desires to have the most, there seems to be little concern about poverty. Someone also mentioned social darwinism, which I believe is another great example as to why there will always be a huge disparity between the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Shall We Sustain Impoverished Nations?
I think most modern economists would agree that charitable money is best spent on building up a country’s infrastructure. You can spend all the money in the world on individual needs, but those needs will still exist tomorrow. The best course of action is to take some losses and work to develop a stable self-fueling market that allows its participants to fulfill their own needs, and not rely on marginal payouts from others who have perfected the system.
Abiding by Social Darwinist concepts, a nation that wishes to remain a player on the world stage must look after its own interests. Nations are inherently self-interested, and the only nations that exist today are those that remained strong enough to survive until the present day. If a nation loses the ability to take care of itself, it has lost the right to survive. Framing the issue in a humanitarian context is not a sufficient excuse to keep such a country in existence – if it cannot survive naturally, it should not be kept alive at the cost of others. Now, if a country wants to keep another alive by investing in their infrastructure, then that’s their prerogative. But looking after their every need and feeding their people one-by-one is undeserved, illogical, and uneconomical. It takes away national pride through labor, and does nothing to create individual workers or a working environment. If aid cannot be used to promote growth, then there is no use in giving any aid.
All this being said, I hearken back to one of our original questions, whether or not powerful countries should even consider assisting less-powerful countries. As I stated before, there must be incentive present. If a country receiving assistance could become a sort of client state to the country assisting it, then it may well be worth it. However, if the state in need of assistance poses a security threat, such as North Korea, or is a burgeoning political or economic force, such as India or Brazil, then aid should be administered in return for major concessions, if at all.
food, water, shelter
1.4 billion people live in poverty, living on less than $1.25 per day. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7583719.stm)
Every five seconds a child dies from starving (http://www.bread.org/learn/hunger-basics/hunger-facts-international.html)
If you do not have water you will die. If you do not have food you will starve. If you do not have shelter you will be subjected to the cruelties of the natural world. You may freeze. You will be subjected to disease. And because you do not have the basic needs necessary to live, it is safe to assume you do not have money, in which case you will not be able to afford medicine. You will probably die. You will not have time to worry about the structural problems of the nation in which you live because, frankly, you may not be breathing the air of that nation tomorrow because you may stop breathing tonight.
Without fulfilling the aforementioned basic needs, the structural aspects matter little. To solve poverty we have to work from ground up, starting right at the roots, right at the basics. However, this does mean that the structure of a nations government, cities, workforce, etc does not matter. Rather, I mean to say that we can’t solely focus on stabilizing such structures and expect that this will give way to a solution to poverty. We have to work on both issues simultaneously because they are both interconnected. Although providing immediate food, water, and shelter to those who are in dire needs of it will save lives, it will only provide a short term solution – no real progress will be made because the second the helping hand recedes back, the death and poverty rate will rise once again. Furthermore, when poverty is a prevailing problem, the entire nation suffers, because every human who doesn’t have food and water is a human who is too weak to be a cog in the work force. The nation is losing money by not investing money in helping the poor acquire their basic needs. Basic needs are called basic because every single person should be able to easily afford them. There is something seriously wrong when our world cannot provide what it is has in mass quantities. It should not be this hard.
How to Make a Dent in Global Poverty
Loans from the IMF and World Bank must focus on building the infrastructure of the third world nation, because it is a lack of basic necessities which stifle business and urban development. Roads, electricity, railroads; these are a few of public goods that enable development from an economy that is predominately raw materials based to a manufacturing economy that can be exported for greater profit. In order for the factories to ship their goods, they need a means of transportation to ports and a steady supply of power to ensure continuous production of goods to encourage investment. If states wish for continued loans from international organizations, they must follow guidelines (to a certain extent) set by these organizations. This enables a state to invest in its future while guarding against corruption in a way that public goods in time gradually become available to the populace.
Additionally, direct outside investment in entrepreneurs is the quickest way to alleviating poverty. Microcredit loans through private means (I’ve already discussed www.kiva.org in previous posts) have extremely low default rates, and are increasingly being seen as sound investments. These small loans enable average citizens to directly help business abroad and make a small profit. Third world business owners in turn can begin or expand their businesses through startup capital that would otherwise be unavailable to them. Investment must be made in these individuals without political connections, as these people have few other means to liquid capital. Land is another resource that is vital to agrarian communities. Organizations such as Rural Development Institute (RDI) provide land to people in agricultural areas in India, and through private outside investment, I see the alleviation of poverty by circumventing the structural inefficiencies of third world states.
Ghandi said, " Poverty is the worst form of violence."
Poverty occurs when someone is lacking in a basic need: food, water, shelter, or clothing.
What causes poverty?
Unstable domestic political system
Lack of basic services and/or infrastructure
Spillover from external conflicts
Unresponsive government, no welfare
No system of order, police
Natural disasters
Lack of education
Underdeveloped medical services
In trying to alleviate poverty, should we focus on addressing basic needs or structural adjustments?
If you address the structural problems then the basic needs will consequently be covered. This though is a harder route to take. Covering basic needs such as food water and shelter through foreign aid is great in the short-term, but it is a policy that doesn’t have long-term vision. Though foreign aid might temporarily keep the poverty-stricken alive, they are dangerously dependent upon it and any fluctuations in aid that could occur. Humanitarian concerns are the driving force it seems to me behind the basic needs aid approach. I understand and sympathize with their stance, but at the same time I believe that in order to truly help those living in poverty one needs to change the position that the poor are in. I agree with Jasmine’s statement about stability. Achieving structural change, both materially by building up a country’s infrastructure and immaterially by examining the social and civil institutions to make sure that they are not creating systematic poverty, is how I think we can “solve” poverty. We, meaning the international community, need to keep up the battle against poverty, even though we can never entirely wipe it out.
I found Inayatullah’s article very interesting in his proposal of a tension between capitalist division of labor and the sovereignty of Third World countries. There is hypocrisy in the international community’s actions towards “poor” or Third World countries. The structure of Third World countries’ current economic system reflects these countries’ colonial history, which were systems designed to keep these countries dependent. The colonial economic systems were not structured with the interests of the colonized country in mind. We expect these countries though to pull themselves up by their bootstraps though, and ignore this legacy of inequality, believing that by simply having withdrawn intervention the country can fix itself. Sadly this method has not proven to work, and so through international aid, we (the international community) have again intervened in these countries. Foreign aid to these countries is often criticized as being ineffective, harmful in being misappropriated and damning in its continuation of a system of dependence. All these critiques have some merit and I think in considering foreign aid we should use these critiques to change the format of foreign aid. I believe that foreign aid is most useful through programs that are led by native peoples instead of foreigners. It is the natives who understand the best what their country needs and have the greatest stake in its success.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Why I Voted The Way I Voted
I can’t deny that I’ve swung farther to the right in the previous year. While I certainly wouldn’t classify myself as “right-wing”, per se, my views have certainly moved towards the center, and I have adjusted my priorities considerably. Today, I would tell you that there are more necessary evils in the world than are often perceived. What moves the world is a combination of innumerable actions and reactions, and I’m afraid I’ve adopted an almost nihilist perspective of goodwill and social heroism. The battle against suffering will always be a losing battle, and I’ve no choice but to put my own interests paramount to those of others. Besides, I’m a realist; I can’t expect they would do the same for me.
That being said, it seems almost hypocritical of me to have lent my endorsement to Barack Obama. Although he represents everything I have become disillusioned with, I couldn’t help but cast my vote for him. Why, you ask? My response is admittedly abstract and convoluted: my vote was in the direction of social movement, and I voted to usher in the next phase in societal development.
It logically follows that, after a wildly unpopular term of leadership, society should plot a new course, perhaps into the unknown, if only to show their dissatisfaction with the current path. And despite my attempts at nonpartisanship, I still find many aspects of the Bush presidency indefensible. The sheer number of scandals, the undisputed unilateralism, the anti-intellectualism, all of it combines to form a torrent of ill-informed policy decisions. It’s fun to watch this from the sidelines, but not when you are a direct subject of such failed designs. I try to see both sides of the issue, really I do, but so much of the past eight years of leadership seems, to put it bluntly, dim-witted, that it cannot go unpunished.
Let me be the first to say, I have always admired John McCain. People like him deserve the presidency, and it’s a shame that the tidal wave of disapproval had to hit him. But this could only rightly be an opportunity to teach the Republican Party the limits to power in a democratic state. It could only have been won by the opposition; otherwise, multi-party elections are all but meaningless. This election was the chance for those who would switch party affiliations if need be to follow through on their word.
I didn’t vote for Obama because he’s a political prophet. I don’t even have great expectations for his presidency; he, like John Kennedy, will have a beloved, inspirational, yet ultimately ineffective presidency (though I wholeheartedly support Joe Biden, my original choice for president). I voted for him because it is the logical next step for society, that an unpopular, arrogant ruling class should be rightly reprimanded by their constituents. The Republican Party needs to regain its humility; its backing of Sarah Palin as Vice Presidential nominee shows it hasn’t lost its drive against intellectualism. In the end, I backed Barack Obama, not because I see the country improving drastically under his leadership, but because it’s the natural next step in history.
Reflection Bread 4 da city
Buddah
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Take the Twizzlers and Run
I was initially uncommitted to any certain type of candy, though I was leaning towards the dark chocolate. However, I was curious to see what the Rainbow Twizzlers were like, and after observing their unpopularity among my classmates, I decided they were my best option. I had little trouble obtaining five blue chips the first time around. The second time, I went after the Rainbow Twizzlers again, but my hopes of private enterprise were dashed when I could only get four of them. Instead, I threw my lot in with Bovice and Syd and split the earnings with them.
It’s hard to draw a historical similarity to this case. Our particular situation was highly regulated and featured set parameters under which we were forced to do business. Most real-world situations have been regulated under the shadow of military force, and only lately have the terms of international engagement been laid out. I suppose this kind of negotiation is more common among business deals, perhaps between private businesses and governments. Such a contest for control over a set amount of newly-available resources is not uncommon. Take, for example, the privatization of oil fields in Central Asia following the collapse of the Soviet Union. States like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan were in desperate need of cash, so instead of granting their resources to domestic companies, as Russia did, they auctioned off their state-owned fields to American, British, and Russian firms. There was much backroom negotiation for these contracts, and in the end, some companies won huge deals while others were left out. Our class came to similar results.
On a side note, this is our blog’s 100th post. We still refuse to accept the 110th Resolution of the U.N. General Assembly, and will continue to do so indefinitely. До свидания.
POVERTY
One of the things I liked about Bread for the City was the feeling of community and interaction in what I heard and saw. It was great to see action taking place, people being helped and utilizing what was being offered. Matt, I believe, mentioned how their location in Anacostia had taken years to build up trust in the community. Trust, I guess, in the organization’s reliability, commitment, and capability. And of course trust is only one of the necessary indicators for success. How can you help the people who need it without their faith in you? They won’t come to you unless they have some belief in you.
The more I learn about poverty and those who seek to fight it, the more I realize how complex the problem is and how difficult a struggle poverty presents. At the same time though visiting places such as Bread for the City gives me hope, both idealistically in finally overcoming poverty and realistically in seeing poverty greatly diminished.
take you to the candy shop
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Seamus = Caramel Wealth
The class responded in a wide array of manners, all accurately capturing various economic strategies/market structures. Dustin formed trade blocs with numerous other people, ensuring he got a large portion of several different types of candy. I decided I did not have to make deals, and consolidated all my wealth into the caramel market. I made the assumption that caramels, out of all the candy available, were least desirable to most people. I happen to like just about any candy, and gladly took my eight caramels, which turned out to have a large calorie count, for which I won an additional prize. Emily and Alex engaged in black market trading of candy to maximize their utility, which also proved effective. Overall, outside of Catherine’s give-away-chips-for-free approach, I’d say every strategy was fairly successful in obtaining resources.
In conclusion, I commend the prosperity group for an interesting exercise and discussion. I’m excited for the next presentation.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Full Employment
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Implications of the Employment Market
While a state that achieves full employment in a capitalist setting should be commended, it does not necessarily follow that the state is “wealthy”. John Ruggie’s description is based on his prior definition of individual wealth as a person who is employed. It follows, by his logic, that if every citizen is employed, and thus “wealthy”, then the state as a whole is “wealthy”. First off, I would have to agree with the viewpoint stated by several of my classmates, including Seamus and Tori, that the simple state of being employed does not constitute a state of wealth, this being primarily because many jobs do not reward the employed with subsistence-level returns. In a perfect capitalist system, those with a job with less-than-adequate pay would be able to find an appropriate job, until labor market equilibrium is reached. However, when there is a shortage of available jobs, it forces workers to go below their needs, to accommodate for the lesser of two evils. In this instance, subsistence is not reached, so by any other definition of the word, this does not constitute a “wealthy” person.
Concurrently, I find the use of the term “wealthy” to attempt to define certain economic trends and standards rather irrelevant. “Wealthy” is a relative term; it varies between regions, times, and personal values, and has not solid definition in the first place. When debating and measuring economic employment standards, there are two levels that matter: whether or not the employed worker reaches subsistence, and whether or not the employed worker has disposable income. Either of these levels are more realistic definitions of wealth than the one proposed by Ruggie, yet we wouldn’t nominally use the term to describe everyone in those two categories. It is most often used to describe a person with unusually high material and/or monetary assets, though the level of which is not specified. The term “wealthy”, therefore, has no practical meaning and cannot be used in official policy, so its use in a debate setting is entirely colloquial.
The possibility of full employment is a lofty one, but it would almost certainly be beneficial to the nation as a whole if it were obtained freely. However, if the problem of excess workers for a limited number of jobs were solved, then there is equal likelihood that there would be excess jobs for a limited number of workers. I’ll be honest, I’m uncertain of what the implications of that would be; I imagine it would entail a heightening of work-related immigration and higher pay for native workers, but a possible scarcity of services, most notably in blue-collar government jobs (i.e. the fire department). For all I know, this is a relatively common occurrence, and if it is, I invite someone to give me an example or two. Full employment, however, is a very precise target to hit in the free market, and while it may not define wealth, it would certainly prove the vigor of the economy in question.
The Alex Standard
This question is complicated one I believe because it is interpretive in two parts, first in what constitutes wealth, and second in deciding whether full employment is a necessary component of a wealthy nation. Full employment is an economics term through and through. So then, using an economics standard, is a country considered wealthy because it has attained full employment? Keeping a macroeconomics perspective I would say that full employment is a necessary factor for a wealthy country. In the long run full employment better assures that a country will maintain its wealth. The problem with taking the macroeconomics perspective is that the definition and distribution of wealth is not fully explored. As we discussed in class, wealth can be measured beyond material possessions/economic resources, take for example the country of Bhutan. Instead of using a GDP, Bhutan measures its wealth by Gross Domestic Happiness, a measurement meant to reflect the values and intents of Bhutanese culture and government. Distribution of wealth is another issue. Is a nation with 15 millionaires and 15 million below the poverty line really a wealthy nation? For me the answer is no. I define wealth as having excess. All your basic needs are met and you have extra resources to dispose of how you please. When the average citizen of a nation lives within this definition then I consider the nation wealthy. This is the Alex standard.
Happy Guy Fawkes Day!
(Remember, remember, the fifth of November!)
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Wealth and how to define it
Ruggie also states that he considers an individual with a job to be wealthy. In regards to monetary wealth, having a job is certainly provides for a continuous influx of income, which allows for consumption and the addressing of basic needs. However, there are many Americans who are employed, yet they do not earn a living wage. Few can argue that these individuals, who can barely afford rent and food, to be wealthy. To me, being wealthy involves the ability to purchase non-essential goods for personal utility. This is much more concrete than Mike’s belief that wealth is a much more personal concept. He views his relationships with his family and friends to define what wealth means to him. Regardless of what you define as wealth, I feel it is unrealistic to assume that all people who are employed can be considered wealthy, so I must respectfully disagree with both of Ruggie’s arguments.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Halloween, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, aka da weekend
Trick or Treating ruled. I don't know what the Burundi embassy man had against Texans, but he was really into making fun of the citizens of the ballin' Lone Star state. The South Korean embassy was the coolest, hands down. I mean we took a picture with the pseudo princess or something.
Election '08: it's here. It's epic. It's weird how much more hope I have for the blue living in DC. In Texas it was so red everywhere that we hoped for the best and expected the worst. Here in DC I feel like I can have my cake and eat it too, or whatever that phrase is. Y'all know how I rule at idioms.
Did y'all hear about the Canadian radio host who prank called Sarah Palin as Nicolas Sarkozy? I want to do that when I grow up.
Okay, hipster tuesday. GO
beauty and horror
Sunday, November 2, 2008
America's Hallowed Grounds
Unlike most of us, my visit to Arlington National Cemetery did not leave me with the impression that the gravesite is meant to instill fear in the nation’s enemies. I understand why people may view it as such, but I did not find it terribly imposing. It seemed more a permanent honor to deceased servicemen than a warning to future aggressors. What I noticed during our pizza-fueled discussion, however, was the kind of image that the designers of Arlington wanted to portray. Frequently, the topic of diversity was brought up. A few of us stated that the soldiers came from different backgrounds, held different religious beliefs, and espoused different political views. Despite this, I noticed how each of the graves, at least for most of the gravesite, were basically identical. Other than the name and religious symbol on the gravestone, there were no distinguishing characteristics to any of them. Each soldier was the same, at least in the eyes of the army, and that can be taken both positively and negatively. On one hand, their uniformity symbolizes their dedication to a common cause. On the other, it overlooks the personal characteristics of each man and woman who is so honored to be buried there. Both the praises and criticisms of Arlington National Cemetery reflect the views one may have about the army and its security challenges.
Arlington
I went to Arlington Cemetery on Saturday and I must say I regret not having gone sooner. Arlington Cemetery struck me as none of the monuments or any of the other sites in DC have. I realize of course that the effect is intended and the layout of Arlington is extremely manipulative, as we discussed earlier this evening. Even knowing this though, I still felt the stirrings of patriotism and certainly much pride in America for honoring her military in this manner. The sheer size of Arlington overwhelmed me, as did the views of downtown DC in the distance. At the tomb of the unknown soldier, I saw a demonstration of the extreme gravity in which the tomb is guarded. Yes Arlington impresses its visitors with security, patriotism, and power. Also presented though were the values of dignity and respect in remembering the departed.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Insecurity is not a lack of security, but simply a philosophy that advocates molding defense strategy to actual threats rather than perceived ones, saving resources and the hysteria of the public. By reacting to a terrorist attack in a rational and effective manner, far less money would be spent than on the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Insecurity addresses the here-and-now rather than what might be, the trick is, how do you teach the populace of a state to act rationally? Security is a state of mind, and terrorism often seeks to prey upon this personal sense of security, creating political instability within a nation. If somehow we can educate people to react in a level-headed manner, a state can stay politically stable and terrorisms goals are not accomplished.
I found what Ben said about educating people to act rationally through education and media policy interesting. While all people view their actions as rational, and everyone has their motivation for acting the way they do, lessening the sensationalism of news I feel could be beneficial and begin a gradual process away from the perceived state of chaos in the world to a more reserved viewpoint, effectively enabling the government to react to threats and eliminating the purpose of global terrorism.