Globalization: Good or Bad? (Net effect of Globalization)

When I attempt to understand globalization, I look at its effects on the world in positives and negatives. People can argue that this is two flat a view, that there are many grey area effects that cannot be separated into good and bad. I disagree. I believe that the effects of pulling this world together can be both disastrous and productive. We may be able to buy converse shoes anywhere in the world, but is it worth the twenty-one hour workdays a child puts in at a factory? Is it okay for a culture to be wiped out, so that a company can access prime oil fields? We have evolved into a world where something a person does on one side of the world, affects thousands on the other. It is important to consider both viewpoints, that of the positively affected, and that of the negatively. Because there is something running this massive machine we know as globalization, and sure as heck, it isn’t America.

Just imagine a world where you can eat sushi in Texas, McDonalds in Liberia, Levi Outfitters in Mongolia. It’s already happening, and we, the citizens of developed nations, are reaping the benefits. On the pros side of this debate we have unity, global competition, the growth of a capitalistic empire based completely around the consumer. It is the creation of a world where money actually does makes the world go round. Now, every country can compete for the consumer’s interest globally. We can communicate with others across the world, for free, and instantly. This has lead to the creation of new businesses that span several cultures and nations. It has lead to the intermingling of cultures to form a new “superculture” that dominates the entire world. We are becoming uniform, yet diverse, united through our differences in a vast net that spans the world. We promote peace through a union trade and culture. It is the next logical step for capitalism.

Well, its actually the next logical step for those who experience the benefits of capitalism. Its obvious that something is driving this massive force, something is pushing globalization forward. Its something that all those who experience benefits would like to forget and sweep under a rug. The only productive way to provide people with cheap products is to use cheap labor. That means illegal, slave, dirt poor labor, all of which is becoming available on a global scale. There are people in India who work for less than twenty-five cents a day to make clothes and other goods. Even on a slightly higher economic scale, people are losing their jobs to outsourcing. This means that people with half the pay can do twice as much the work, and have it done overnight. In this process we’re replacing cultures, and in some places completely eradicating them. This is developing a society based around working to provide for others, and to survive. All in all, this has just created a larger economic gap between consumer and producer.

All in all? Well I’d have to say that globalization is a good thing. Its good because, even though I can argue the point of a negatively affected person, I am one of the benefices. I am the one who can talk to my friends in NYC for free, and I’m the one that can go to china and buy designer clothes for dirt-cheap. I’m the one that’s going to be using globalization to expand and create new ideas, develop existing ones, and share them all around the world. I would agree that it has a few flaws, and needs to be tweaked a bit for everyone around the world to become a benefice, but at present I’m enjoying the current flattening of the world.

Blogging Cartoon: An analysis.

The main visual elements of this cartoon are focused around the child and parents eating at a dinner table. They are in a room with modern technology, indicating this cartoon describes the present. The main issue of this cartoon is the use of information sharing technology among the younger, our, generation. While the cartoon doesn't do much except explain the child's age, the caption describes the authors opinion on this issue. He believes that the use of technology in the younger generation causes loss of personal contact. Creating new methods of sharing information will eventually eliminate the human element. This is implied from part of the caption, "we could read your blog...OR you could just tell us about your day." I believe that the irony shown in this cartoon is that WE, the children, are blogging OUR responses to this cartoon, so that our parents, our teachers can read our responses, instead of us just tellling them. This cartoon holds a warning much like the words of Kurt Vonnegut, and the countless examples we created in our socratic seminar. Using technology eliminates human interface. This cartoon is realtively well desgined, however I think that if the author wanted to achieve greater effect, he could have made it more aparent that the child was integrated with technology.

Pop Project Work Week

Monday- I'm going to finish my research by doing two things. Visiting the library for any extra data, and reading two articles online. Start taking notes.

Tuesday- Cite my available sources using BibMe. Continue taking notes on sources. Start figuring out the organization of my paragraphs. Finish my outline by the end of the day.

Wednesday- Fine tune the outline, making sure that it makes sense. Also, start writing the thesis statement/paragraph.'

Thursday- Finish thesis statement, if it's not done already, and start the first draft>pulling info from my outline and organizing it.

Friday- Peer edit(?) the first draft. Start second draft.

*most of these three days are focused on the Research Paper.

Technology?

1.Technology is defined by the Oxford American Dictionary as “a manner of accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge.” Pretty much, what that means is using new knowledge or more efficient ways to solve a basic task. However, to me, it means something completely different. Technology has come to define the world that I’m growing up in. It means computers, ipods, cellphones, the internet, printers, televisions, Xboxes, cameras, etc. So I guess I can define it as the new, more efficient, better way to solve basic tasks, connect with others, and define our world.

2. Everyone is different, meaning they're going to say different things. But for me, my top five are all used many times a day. Coming in a first is, of course, the computer. Second: cellphone, Third: Internet, Fourth: social software or things like facebook or msn, and Finally: The Usb and flash drive systems. Well, on the topic of least used technology, coming in at first place is the Rubik's Cube. They say it's a form of entertainment, but if waisting half a day rearranging shapes for no reward is entertainment, then I'm outa here. Second, The dish Maker, Third: Stickers, Fourth: Excesise Videos, and Finally: the Spork

3. I think that the amount of technology at Aes is pretty good, and not lacking to much. We can do ALOT from our small laptops, like printing, sharing, and creating. Also, there is alot of new technologies on the way. In fact, Aes is pretty far ahead when it comes to utilizing technology. For instance, my old school just got a laptop system like the one here. So overall, @∑S has done a pretty good job of intergrating technology into our lives..

Just a quote to share, " The future is already here, just not widely distributed yet." -Willam Gibson, SF novelist.

Reflection on Kurt Vonnegut's Writing

“Do you know what a Luddite is? That’s a person who doesn’t like newfangled contraptions. Contraptions like nuclear submarines armed with Poseidon missiles that have H-bombs in their warheads, and like computers that cheat you out of becoming. Bill Gates says, “Wait till you can see what your computer can become.” But it’s you who should be doing the becoming. What you can become is the miracle you were born to work—not the damn fool computer.”

False. That's my assessment. I disagree with the quote for a few reasons. The first is that everything Kurt does in his writing defines him as a hypocrite. For example, even though Harrison Bergeron and the Euphio Question are meant to be satirical, they force the reader to accept technology, not to despise it. If the attempt of these writings was to repulse readers from technology, he failed horribly, resulting in people leaping into the science fiction genre with a vigor. Second, this idea that everyone has stoppped "becoming" is complete rubbish. Mr Vonnegut, I believe, doesn't understand the fact that becoming is really a form of development, and development is something disinctly human. The only true form of "not becoming" can be found in harrison Bergeron, where everyone has been handicaped from developing. It is through this development that we as humans can make better decisions, communicate faster, create new ideas. Finally, the very essence of this quote threatens the jobs and livelyhoods of thousands of people that work with technology. What I mean is that people who work with machines are working the mircale they were put on the earth to do. This could be making car parts, fine tunning microsoft software, or typing up reports in an office. In summary, no matter how you look at it, technology is part of the "miracle" were supposed to do on earth.

End of Quarter 3 Feedback

I think that this quarter of humanities was the most knowledge loaded quarter from this year. There was just so much to learn and understand, and this made my some of my goals hard to achieve. But I still cannot believe that the quarter went by so fast. Period. My goals from last quarter were to turn in all my assignments on time, finish blog earlier then the blog evaluation, and prepare for Socratic seminars with solid facts. I can't really say I kept all of my goals, I missed one of them. All most all my assignments were on time, however, there were still late ones, something that shouldn't be happening this far into my 8th grade year. My blog was finished pretty close to the due date, but there was enough breathing room for me to get it done in time. My final goal, about the Socratic seminar, I completely missed because I wasn't here for it. I WAS IN ISTA! But anyway, two out of three yet again is not bad at all.

For the last quarter of humanities, i think my main goal is to have fun. I know that isn't a measurable goal but it's something I should strive for. I want to keep my goal of turning in my ALL my homework on time. It's a goal that's stuck with me, and it would be a shame to break the habit in the final stretch of school. My second goal, UBD related, is to finish my research paper before spring break. My third and final goal is to finish my short reflection on my 8th grade year. I know, it's not for humanities, but it's has um... ideas and words in it.

Great Powers Game Debreif

Nikaya and I were the mighty Russian Emipre. While the word "empire" is in the title, we didn't necesarily manage to build and mantain one. One of the reasons was that Russia was hobbled industrially and economically at the start of the game, while other countries like Germany had vast amounts of armies and industries. Relative to the other empires, ours was prosperous but small.

I think that in order to build an empire, it's necessary to have a good balance between military and economy. However, you also had to keep a strong presence abroad. In the long run, since we are all teenagers prone to agression, we should have bought more armies to ensure our saftey. If our country was safe, and not backstabbed by allies, then it could have built up it's industrial strength over time. Despite the fact that we were owned by our freinds in the end, I think we did a good job of bulding the alliances that strangled us in the end. If Nikaya and I had another chance at this game, we probably wouldn't have been so trusting and open with other countries.

Three specific things I learned? Well... First of all, trust no one. Seccond, strength first, economy later. Finally, to survive, you must surround yourself with others who can take the fall for you.