Well. Here it is. The time has finally come for the Big Kahuna, as the kids around the school never call it. This is the blog that makes all of the other blogs in the semester look like foolish, frightened turtles. This is a summary of almost everything I have learned. There are many qualifications, so I am going to go in order. I praise you, Bruns, for going through each and every one of these blogs.Differences of Political and Economic SystemsDirect Democracy- No countries participate in this, but it's where the people have complete control over everything, without representatives. This would create a very dangerous situation when countries with millions of people have no central government.Representative Democracy- This is a form of government where people vote other people to create laws, U.S. being a prime example. People within each state vote for others who go to Congress and make laws. It is vital that people vote, because they can't be whining if they do not vote and are unhappy with the current representatives. Countries in western Europe, Mexico and Canada use this form.Communism- Started from a book where this guy confronted how the rich have all the power, while sooner or later, the majority (which consists of the poor working class) will overthrow the rich and create one single, equal class. Sounds great, but it discourages motivation, where people will not want to work when they can just get things for free. This is a political, economic AND social system. Freedom of speech is not allowed, and all of the businesses are ran by the government.Dictatorship- When one person has complete control of EVERYTHING. Adolf Hitler is a good example.Constitutional Monarchy- King or Queen's power is limited (they are there more for show and tradition) by a constitution. European countries such as England have this form of government.Absolute Monarchy- Possibly oldest form, where a king or queen have absolute control. Saudi Arabia and Brunei participate in this.Anarchy- This is where there is no government at all present. Pure chaos is all it is.
This is a political cartoon. Pretty useless to the web log, but it gives you time away from reading information, which nobody enjoys.Socialism- A similar, softer communism, where the government owns some of the businesses, but not near all of them. The U.S. is somewhat socialist, as well as Canada and many European countries.Capitalism- People own and run businesses, where the government just lets them do it themselves. If you work hard, you are going to make money. You have a very small percentage of the population having a lot of the money, which is a con of the system.Most countries are mixed economies, in which some businesses are run by people and some are owned by the government. The U.S. has a mixed economy, as the Post Office and schools are ran by the government, but the businesses are owned by people just like you and I. That podcast really helped.The Political Parties in the U.S.*Disclaimer- There are more than just the basic two I am about to discuss. Also, not all people within their parties agree on every issue.*Republicans- Are generally more conservative and usually want to save money, and favor lower taxes; they like the laissez-faire approach, which is where the government doesn't really look over businesses. They believe people need to help themselves. Republicans are usually very traditional, so it's natural for them to believe weddings should be between a man and a woman. John Mccain is an example.
Republican elephantDemocrats- Are more liberal, and favor change in society. They disapprove of government intervention in one's private and social life. Democrats support regulations on economic activity and businesses, and prefer if the government had an active role in society. They are willing to raise taxes to support programs, and believe if we get involved with either the environmental or anti-discrimination laws, our quality of life will improve.
This is the democratic donkey, and another rest on your strained eyesI will be hereby listing the opinions of each political party on the following topics.Abortion- Democrats believe it should be the woman's choice and legal, while Republicans believe the embroyic stage begins human life (Should be illegal). Remember, no one is really FOR abortion, as Bruns always says, and is a sore topic to many.Flag Burning- Democrats think it falls under the category of Political Speech in the Constitution, but the Republicans think an amendment should be formed protecting our flag. It's a thing of pride and patriotism, really.Gun Control- Democrats believe gun control laws are, well LAWFUL, while the Republicans go along with the 'Right to Bear Arms' amendment.Natural Environment- Democrats think we need to create strong regulations to protect our environment, but the Republicans disagreeing, saying that this harms the economy (Unable to prepare land for new businesses, etc.).Affirmative Action Laws- Democrats think we need to make up for the wrong done in the past, and give the minorites a helping hand when it comes to college and work. Republicans, however, believe that people should be hired based on their ability, not their color, and that reverse-discrimination isn't a solution to racismMinimum Wage- Democrats believe we should have a higher minimum wage, because if the businesses were to choose how much they paid their employees, no one can live off $3 an hour. Republicans believe that businesses need to make money.Health Care- Democrats believe that universal health care can be provided as an alternative to those who cannot afford better health care, while the Republicans think that private insurers is the way to go.Taxes- Democrats think we should increase taxes on the wealthy to support programs, but the Republicans think that cutting taxes helps everyone throughout the economy.Military Spending- Democrats want to reduce military spending and would like to support international organizations that prefer peace. The Republicans want to increase spending, while also do not like to be constrained by other nations or international organizations. I am a pacifist, so it is natural for me to be against war and excessive military spending.Death Penalty- Democrats oppose this and call it cruel, but Republicans believe that the punishment fits the crime. I personally do not believe with the death penalty, but then again, I'm not running for Senator.Gay Rights- Democrats support gays, as they believe it is a civil right to marry whom you choose, while the Republicans think marriage is sacred, and should be between a man and a woman (as stated earlier).Prayer in School- Democrats do not approve of prayer in school, as they believe in the seperation of church and state. Republicans think it's a religious right for kids to participate in this. I am unsure of the exact law, but apparently it is legal as long as the teachers or other authority figures are not in the same room or area as the praying. Hmm.War in Iraq- Democrats did support it at first, but claim former President George W. Bush messed it up. They also think we should get support from more countries, while also retreating and putting more troops in Afghanistan. Republicans want to finish what we started, and hope the new Iraq government will end up stable enough to withdraw our soldiers.
This is a mashup of pictures of the rivalry between Obama and Mccain, the candidates of the 2008 Presidential ElectionThat was an awful long topic, I know. But I'm edgin' for a good grade. For my next topic of discussion, I would like to explain the causes and effects of:Global WarmingFirst of all, I'd like to state that global warming is the gradual increase of temperature on the surface of Earth.Causes- Some causes are believed to be man-made, while others find that theory to be unlogical. If it were to be man-made, it would be from toxins being released into the air, such as sulfur dioxide from manufacturing industries. Another is when they plow land to create space for buildings, the plants release CO2 WHILE no longer creating oxygen. Those who oppose of the theory that global warming is man-made, such as Senator Inhofe, think it's completely natural. A reason or two they believe this is because we were in a 'Little Ice Age,' so of course the Earth is going to warm! He also thinks that the earth warming doesn't necessarily have negative effects.Effects- A few effects are habitat destruction, notably the Poles and ice caps melting. This leads to species destruction, of course. Farmers are expected to have less success with crops, and infectious diseases are predicted to be spread more widely. Some extreme possible effects of global warming could be:1) The oceans rising and flooding islands and other coastal areas (this is due to the ice caps melting).2) Hurricanes will be much more damaging (may be because the ocean is also warming, similar to a story we read, which was about Bill Gates wanting to reduce hurricanes dramatically by transferring water from the bottom to the top of the ocean).3) Heat waves (Self-explanatory)4) Blizzards and snow storms might even be worse. I know it sounds a little bizarre, but apparently it would only take place in the much colder locations, but they will decrease in the slightly warmer places.5) DroughtsI consider global warming a total hoax, but maybe I'll get taught a thing or two by Ol' Mother Nature over the next few decades.
Overpopulation- I shouldn't have to explain this to anyone.Causes- Well, it comes down to many factors. One is the lack of education in poor countries in Africa and other places in the world. They don't know about the responsibility or the physical toll the women will be putting on their bodies. They are also inable to afford birth control. Another is that every set of parents in India are desperate to have a son of their own. This could be after having four daughters, etc. Women are also seen as unequal in other countries, so the man decides what is done with her body, which I disagree with...STRONGLY.Effects- An effect of overpopulation is increased crime in large cities, where many poor people move, looking for work. Depletion of natural sources, such as fossil fuels is another effect, due to many people needing heat for their homes, fuel for vehicles, and other things. High death percentage of babies and children of other countries, because of the families being large and inable to properly provide them with the nutrition they need. Also, insufficient fresh water may be a problem we could face in the future.
Globalization- This is mainly about how the world is shrinking, so to say. We learned oodles about this from a lecture by Thomas Friedman.Causes- The Friedman likes to believe that they are three globalizations that took place over the course of the world's history.Globalization 1.0- This is the forming of new countries in the prime of it all, with the discovery of the Americas, etc. This is when the world started to settle down, I like to think.Globalization 2.0- This is the era of EARTH where companies started to globalize by doing a number of things, whether they are making new factories outside of their own great nation, or hiring internationally. This was the part of the lecture, where Mr. Bruns decided to ruin our dreams and made us ask ourselves 'why would American companies hire us instead of hiring Chinese and Indian chaps with the same qualifications for less money?' They wouldn't.Globalization 3.0- This is probably my favorite globalization stage, which is the public release of Netscape in 1995. This and the falling of the Berlin Wall are huge world "flatteners" in the eyes of the Friedman and I. The falling of the Berlin Wall signified the ending of the seperation between the Democratic and Communist world. Meanwhile, the public release of internet access changed the world in ways you cannot imagine. You can do pretty much anything online--shop, communicate with friends, and even do homework (*ahem*)!
This is a delightful picture of a squirrel water skiingThe next CWI essential is about locating countries across the world, which isn't really web log material, but merely test jazz. Moving on...Current Events (The purpose of this class).War in Iraq- The War in Iraq began with the U.S. invading in February of 2003. There had always been hostility between us, but after 9/11 we began the "War on Terrorism," as Bush had called it. This may be, but the real reason was because we had reasons to believe that Iraq was generating both chemical and biological weapons that could've been traced back to al-Qaeda. They also wanted to take Suddam Hussein out of power, which was accomplished. We are currently retreating over an 18 month period established by current President Barack Obama, and sending our troops to Afghanistan instead.War in Afghanistan- This war began immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This is because Osama Bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, was the mastermind behind it all, and we had thought he was somewhere in the Afghanistan area. Although he is yet to be found, the U.S. has taken the Taliban, a radical Islamic group, out of power. Unfortunately, as our attention has been divided with Iraq, the Taliban has reportedly been building itself back up. They can easily recruit, as they apparently offer a lot of money for people to join. Obama is currently sending more troops to this confused country, which I think is a little Republican-y and disapprove of.The Iran Situation- This is a more limited topic about the knowledge of the U.S. and Iran. There is much tension between us and them. This is moreso about the nuclear weapons that we believe they may have (same with North Korea). I believe Iran also may be the country responsible for allowing al-Qaeda members to train. The Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has made many crazy statements, a few of them being that the Holocaust never happened and that Israel should be wiped off the face of the map. Israel, however, is an ally of ours, which furthers makes us stress out about these beasts from the Middle East.Darfur- In Darfur, which is a region in the country of Sudan, there has been a war/genocide(?) going down. It is taking place between the Arabs and the Africans. It sparked when the Justice Equality Movement and another organization accused the government of Sudan to favoring the Arabs over the Africans. Around 400,000-1,000,000 people have died in this disgusting situation, but it isn't all from fighting. A lot of it is due to disease and malnutrition from being displaced. The UN believes it doesn't have any genocide intent, to the disagreement of the U.S.Rwanda- An official genocide, this was a dispute between the Hutu and Tutsi chaps. It all began with the Tutsi's being favored for their lighter skin and taller, more slender figure. The Hutus, who make up about 85 percent of the population, became jealous and were sick of them. They mass murdered the Tutsis, using machetes for their dirty work. Terrible, if you ask me.Somalia- Somalia is a country on the east coast of Africa. It is a failed state, where the government completely fails to do anything. Countries may become failed states for many reasons. Some examples are if a natural disaster occurs, or a civil war takes place. They became an anarchy, whereas I stated before, is a country with no government. There are even real pirates over there, taking over foreign ships in search of money. I feel awful for the innocent people that live over there.That pretty much sums it up. A lot of what I learned in arguably the best semester class I've ever taken *wink*. I bet you could notice I guess less and less lazy in my web logs, especially the daily reflective sort. I hope the uplifting pictures rose your spirit. GAUL OUT!!!
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