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Kay Bradley

Katharine Hayhoe - "Our future is still in our hands" | The On Being Project - The On B... - 0 views

onbeing.org/...r-future-is-still-in-our-hands

climate climate change environment faith action

shared by Kay Bradley on 15 Nov 21 - No Cached
  • I was talking with a pastor just recently, and he asked me very genuinely, he said, “How do I talk to people about climate change, when the only solutions that we are told that there are to climate change is to stop eating meat” — which is a very big deal in Texas, with those barbecues, it really is. It’s an identity issue. I’m not saying this facetiously; it is literally an identity issue — “and stop driving trucks, also an identity issue, stop traveling, stop having children, which is also an identity issue — basically, stop all these things that actually we often see as defining who we are?” And he said, “How am I supposed to tell people that we’re supposed to do this, when it’s as if I’m telling them, you know, we have to just” — and I think these were my words — “return to the Stone Age, unplug everything, and all the solutions are bad”?
  • And sadly, the way our human psychology is built, psychologists have shown that we, as humans, are much more averse to losing what we have than gaining something new.
  • I think there are some very smart people who have put those pieces together and deliberately communicated a message to us that we’re going to lose all we hold dear, instead of messaging the truth, which is, don’t you want to be more energy independent, rather than less? Don’t you want to have a car that is faster, that you never have to go to the gas station again — especially in the days of COVID — than the one that you have today, and that doesn’t produce air pollution that’s responsible for almost 9 million deaths a year? Don’t you want to grow food in a way that is healthy and good for the soil and for people and for the animals, too? Don’t you want to invest in nature, so it can protect us by purifying our air and our water and protecting our coastlines and providing habitat for animals and preventing zoonosis? When we actually start talking about real solutions  — and that’s the Yale survey that you referred to that I talk about in the book — when we ask people about real solutions, everybody’s on board. Everybody says, heck yes, I would love to do that. And so that is where we can directly address the fear, head-on.
  • ...21 more annotations...
  • what you’ve been saying. “What we need to fix this thing is rational hope.” How do you instill rational hope? And I mean, how do you do that, right, when you’re out there?
  • And then the second thing is recognizing that we are already moving towards a better future. Now, it might not seem like that, because all the headlines are full of doom and gloom and bad news. But when we start to look for hopeful news — and sadly, we have to go out and look for it, because if you just go — I did an experiment the other day, where I went to the website of a major news organization, and I just paged down through 35 headlines. And about seven or eight were very neutral; like, they didn’t evoke any emotion in me. They were just neutral, factual headlines. And every single other headline was negative — every one. So when we go and we look, though, for the hopeful stories of people who are making a difference, that imbues us with a sense of efficacy, that, wow, there’s somebody over there who’s doing something.
  • And you’re talking about what I refer to as a muscular hope.
  • Nobody in Texas knows that we have the biggest army base by land area, in the U.S., Fort Hood, that is 43 percent powered by clean energy.
  • Nobody knows that the Dallas Fort Worth airport was the first large carbon-neutral airport in North America.
  • Nobody knows that the city of Houston, which is home to, of course, most of the headquarters of many large, multinational oil and gas corporations, that the city of Houston has — is going to be meeting its Paris targets, in terms of reducing its carbon emissions.
  • we think of climate action as a giant boulder sitting at the bottom of an incredibly steep hill, and it’s only got a few hands on it. It’s got, you know, Al Gore’s hands are on it, and maybe Jane Goodall, and maybe a couple other hands, but nobody else. And so there’s just no way we’re going to make it up that hill. Like, just forget it. Why even waste my time? That’s sort of mentally how we think.
  • But the reality is, when we start to look around and see that 90 percent of new energy installed last year, during COVID, was clean energy, and we start to see that cities all over the world are taking action on climate change, and big businesses, like Microsoft and Apple and AT&T — you know, they’re building the biggest solar farm in the U.S., outside of Dallas, to supply major corporations with clean energy. So really, that giant boulder, it is already at the top of the hill, and it’s already rolling down the hill in the right direction, and it already has millions of hands on it. It just doesn’t have enough to get it going faster. And when we think, well, maybe I could add my hand to that, because I could get it going just a little bit faster, that’s totally different than if we think it’s at the bottom of the hill, not budging even an inch. So I find tremendous hope from that.
  • Texas, if Texas were its own country, it would be the seventh-most prolific emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, it’s the number one emitter in the U.S. — and Texas leads the nation in wind generation, for example.
  • that, honestly, and here’s the crazy thing. When you look at how the world has changed before — and it has changed. I mean, you know, 200 years ago it was somehow completely socially acceptable to have other human beings in slavery. And 150 years ago, it was entirely acceptable to say that women’s brains were too small and too fragile to be educated, because they would overheat.
  • It is the verse in Timothy where it talks about fear, where it says, “God has not given you a spirit of fear.”
  • that verse goes on to say, is a spirit of power, which is kind of an old-fashioned word, but in modern parlance it means to be empowered; to be able to act.
  • Or “agency.”
  • Yes, agency. Exactly — a spirit of agency. I like that.
  • And that’s the opposite of being paralyzed by fear. And we also have a spirit of love, which means we can be thinking of and considering others, not just ourselves and our own needs
  • So caring about this issue and acting on it is not only consistent with who we are, but it enables us to more genuinely express what we truly care about
  • It’s about acknowledging that, to care about climate change, you only have to be one thing, and that one thing is a human, living on planet Earth.
  • But talk about why it matters to you. Talk about how you both ski, or you’re both parents and you’re worried about your kids and the playground being too hot for them, or the fact that you fish and you’ve noticed that the fish populations are changing, or the fact that your basement got flooded last time it rained. Talk about something that matters to you and to the person that you’re talking with, and then do your research, to learn about what real climate solutions look like, and share that information with people.
  • do you know what our city is doing? Find out what your city’s doing. Tell people. Do you know what your state’s doing? Do you know what your church is doing? And if you don’t know, ask, and then if they’re not doing anything, say, hey, here are some things that you could be doing. And I even have a list on my website, because people often ask me that. So I’ve got a list of, you know, what could your church do, what can you do at school — all of these different things you can do.
  • hope begins with fear or despair or anxiety, it begins, as the bible says in the Book of Romans, it begins with suffering. And that suffering produces perseverance, and that perseverance produces character, and the character produces hope
  • in the middle of the century, it was somehow acceptable to say that, depending on the color of your skin, you could or couldn’t enter certain buildings or sit in a place on the bus. So the world has absolutely changed before, and how did it change? It was when ordinary people of no particular wealth or fame decided that the world could and should be different, and they decided to not only take personal action, but to use their voices to talk about why it mattered, what could be done, and to advocate for change in every sphere in which they were.
  • Kay Bradley on 15 Nov 21
     
    "Well, we live, today, in a country, the United States, that is more politically polarized than it's been in either of our lifetimes, ever. And that just seems to be getting worse by the day." What Hayhoe and others are pointing to is another way of communicating about climate change.
Catherine Binder

Say hi to the Crazy - 3 views

www.sfgate.com/...article.cgi

shared by Catherine Binder on 04 Oct 10 - No Cached
Kay Bradley liked it
  • Catherine Binder on 04 Oct 10
     
    This article is a few weeks old, but the writer brings up interesting points about Islam, the NY mosque debate, and the United States' international relations. His mention of Hiroshima's Peace Park in comparison to the US' plans for Ground Zero is intriguing. Heather's article about the syphilis experiment in Guatemala is just one recent example of why the US is perceived as domineering. I never thought to question our plans for the former site of the World Trade Center, but I completely agree with the writer - why are we building a gaudy shiny tower instead of something more inviting that could facilitate discussions between countries? He states that "It would be nice if our ground zero could become an international home of reconciliation. Instead of continuing the hatred, defuse it."
  • ...2 more comments...
  • anonymous on 04 Oct 10
     
    I like how Jon talks about "the Crazy." I sometimes get caught up in trying to figure out how and why some people have seemingly immoral opinions about things. I first have to remind myself that I'm not always right myself, and if after that I think the issue really is a simple difference between right and wrong, I try to think of the reasons as to why people would think differently from me. It's one thing to think that all of those people are just stupid, all of them have to be evil to think such a thing, all of them don't know what they're talking about. Truth is, it's a mix. I wish I knew more about the mosque issue to be able to have a solid opinion on whether or not it should be built, but I do think the people on each side of the matter need to stop generalizing about the other. The anti-mosque-ians should recognize that terrorists are part of every religion. The pro-mosque-ians should recognize that some of their opposers know what they're talking about, but a lot of them are just caught up in "the Crazy." Both sides should try to understand the other as to dispel any false notions they have about each other (or themselves) and to try and come to a rational, peaceful decision.
  • Heather Anderson on 04 Oct 10
     
    I never thought of comparing 9/11 to the bombing of Hiroshima. Although what happened on 9/11 was absolutely terrible, the scale of the tragedies is really different: 2,000 vs 100,000, a few crazies vs a nation's decision to use extreme power. I don't want to sound insensitive, but I feel as though 9/11 is sometimes blown out of proportion; there have been worse tragedies in the world, at least statistically speaking. However, the emotional and symbolic significance definitely hit the U.S. hard: so many people killed, so much fear, being attacked so close to home, over different religious beliefs. I get the feeling that the author is comparing 9/11 to Hiroshima partially to appeal to people who view it on that scale. I never thought much about the plans for the new towers, but when I did, I suppose I thought it was good we were picking ourselves up and moving forward. But perhaps we would be moving forward in the wrong direction. I really like the idea of a peace garden or a building dedicated to world peace. I think that would be a very inspired way to address the tensions that caused 9/11. I hope parts of the new building will be dedicated to working for peace. Although I doubt anyone will suddenly change the plans for the tower, I think it is actually quite possible that some parts of the building will serve this purpose.
  • Gregory Freiberg on 04 Oct 10
     
    I agree with Alison. All to often we get caught up in our own opinions which sometimes means that we contend every other opinion is wrong. For example, I think that the mosque should be built near ground zero. I think this because to generalize against a whole religion because of a small part of one of the largest religions in the world seems dumb; however, after thinking about this I do realize that the other side to this argument is valid. Why a mosque? Can't we accomplish something similar in terms of fostering peace by building something else? As heather said, this still could be moving forward in the wrong direction. I do not know. But I am trying to be open about the other side to this very multidimensional issue. It is wrong of us to think it is an ethical issue with two side of right and wrong, there is in fact a lot of grey areas.
  • Rick Rodgers on 04 Oct 10
     
    Hey all, I'd just like to remind everyone that the "mosque" is not being built at ground zero (in fact it's in a Burlington Coat Factory blocks away: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-sledge/just-how-far-is-the-groun_b_660585.html. I think the ethical debate surrounding the issue is just further testament to the fact that many Americans unconsciously subscribe to media hype, regardless of their positions on issues. While I agree with what has been said about the ethics of a hypothetical mosque at ground zero, we should realize that this ethical dilemma is a fallacy and exists only as a headline. Also, I think the we/the press/everyone should be more careful who we label as "crazy irrational terrorists". We should realize that those guys didn't get on the planes on 9/11 because they were born without enough of X hormone, they were there because of a long history of western intervention etc. in their home countries. We shouldn't be so quick to dismiss terrorism as an irrational act by sick people, it only allows us to forget the underlying complicity that we have with the issue.
topiarey

The Spirit of Terrorism - 11 views

cryptome.org/baud-terr.htm

shared by topiarey on 16 Nov 15 - No Cached
Kay Bradley liked it
  • topiarey on 16 Nov 15
     
    Something worth thinking about.
  • Kay Bradley on 19 Nov 15
     
    I wish I had time to fully understand all that Baudrillard writes in this piece. I guess he is arguing that the biggest institution of all--globalized anything--is the cause of terrorism. He writes, "In this way it is indeed a World War, not the third one, but the fourth and only truly World War, as it has as stakes globalization itself. The first two World Wars were classic wars. The first ended European supremacy and the colonial era. The second ended Nazism. The third, which did happen, as a dissuasive Cold War, ended communism. From one war to the other, one went further each time toward a unique world order. Today the latter, virtually accomplished, is confronted by antagonistic forces, diffused in the very heart of the global, in all its actual convulsions. . . . . It is a conflict so unfathomable that, from time to time, one must preserve the idea of war through spectacular productions such as the Gulf (production) and today Afghanistan's. But the fourth World War is elsewhere. It is that which haunts every global order, every hegemonic domination; -if Islam dominated the world, terrorism would fight against it. For it is the world itself which resists domination." I think there's a lot more that he says, so I'll have to return to this one. Maybe you can share your read on this in class, Wendell. Thanks!
  • topiarey on 28 Nov 15
     
    Yeah, this article is definitely difficult to understand without an extensive background on his social theory (what he's written about what he calls symbolic exchange, the exclusion of the dead, the procession of the model or simulacra). What he's arguing is definitely that globalization is creating the seeds of its own destruction, but terrorism is but one example of this process. To clarify, when he says "the spirit of terrorism" and "Then let us be immoral ourselves and, if we want to understand something, let us go somewhat beyond Good and Evil. As we have, for once, an event that challenges not only morals, but every interpretation, let us try to have the intelligence of Evil.", he's not trying to advocate for murder or anything but rather is suggesting that the strategy taken by terrorists is something theoretically important. The last things he published were "The Intelligence of Evil" and "The Agony of Power" where he more or less argued that it is impossible to assimilate singular individuals, cultures, and ways of life under a universal (which he refers to as the Good in the article ^) and that attempts at assimilation only make "Evil" more powerful and make it more likely for the Good to collapse in on itself. He thinks this process is occurring across all planes of social existence and is inevitable. He wrote about a possible attack on the twin towers decades in advance and the Spirit of Terrorism was sort of like a "I told you this would happen" to the academy. The thing about Baudrillard is that he takes a very pessimistic outlook on the trajectory of modernity/post-modernity and was probably looking forward to the collapse of globalization/capitalism/the world order. While that's obviously a controversial and morally dubious opinion, he's still definitely very interesting to read about. Andrew Robinson wrote a bunch of articles describing his social theory/what he means for activism and the world today. While they are pretty dense and probably requir
olivialum

Mental Health Care in West Africa Is Often a Product of Luck - The New York Times - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...s-often-a-product-of-luck.html

shared by olivialum on 12 Oct 15 - No Cached
  • A growing number of innovative groups have begun experimenting with a similar approach in Africa and Asia: providing therapy without clinics or doctors, relying instead on mobile nurses, cheap generic drugs and community support systems.
  • In impoverished parts of the world where psychiatry is virtually nonexistent, they say, it is the only way to begin reaching the millions of people in need.
  • “Here, if we had to wait for a psychiatrist, the people who desperately need treatment would never get it,”
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • slash rates of premature death from mental disorders by a third by 2030.
  • By one analysis, which includes Western countries and developing regions like West Africa, depression, drug abuse and schizophrenia are on track to be the three leading causes of lost economic output by 2030.
  • Among the successes have been group therapy for rape victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo, family and individual counseling for survivors of torture in Myanmar, and talk therapy and medication for people with depression in rural India.
  • But without reliable support, follow-up and medical supplies — particularly psychiatric drugs when needed — interventions can quickly lose traction, no matter how well trained and devoted the workers are.
  • One moment, she was dozing off during a rest period; the next, she felt the presence of strange men coming after her. She screamed at them to stop. “My shouting didn’t stop the men; they kept coming for me,” she said. “So, what did I do? I ripped off my school uniform and ran.”
  • The medical staff had little training in how to handle a psychotic break: the hallucinations and delusions characteristic of schizophrenia. They sent her home, where the sensation of being hunted seeped back into her thoughts.
  • Sometimes, she ran out onto the open savanna to escape the demons pursuing her.
  • Family members took turns keeping watch and exhausted traditional methods of healing. Precious animals were sacrificed to drive away the spirits disturbing her. Healers administered herbal powders, and one applied a pale dye to her face and body in an effort to purge demons.
  • Mental illness is a source of shame here, as in most of the world, and families do not advertise its presence. Yet each community has a chief or subchief responsible for keeping an eye out for the sick.
  • One is known as task sharing.
  • The second is community self-help.
  • The third is raising awareness
  • The evidence that a combination of these services can lead to lasting improvement for people with severe mental illnesses is thin, but a foundation is being laid.
  • “The key thing is that it’s not simply home-based care for people with schizophrenia,” Laura Asher, who is running the study, said by email. “It also involves awareness raising and community mobilization.”
  • the cost of these programs is minute compared with the cost of standard psychiatry
  • $8 per client per month on average, according to Peter Yaro, its executive director. In the United States, it costs $200 to $700 for a single appointment with a psychiatrist, depending on the provider, the type of care and the location.
  • In global cost-benefit terms, economists typically rate health care programs by the amount of disability they reduce per dollar. Historically, mental health interventions have scored poorly compared with efforts that save young lives, like neonatal care or treatment of diarrhea. A new analysis of mental health strategies in Ethiopia, for instance, found that treating schizophrenia with generic medications was about as cost-effective as treating heart disease with a combination of drugs, like aspirin and a statin — and much less cost-effective than treating depression or epilepsy. The findings, though preliminary, suggest that treating psychosis is relatively costly.
  • the studies do not take into account the effect of chronic psychosis on an entire family. “The person with psychosis becomes a full-time job for someone else in the family, and depending on how aggressive the person is, maybe more than one person,” said Dr. Simliwa Kolou Valentin Dassa, a psychiatrist in neighboring Togo
  • And if the disorder is seen as a result of a curse on the family, carried down through generations — a common interpretation here — the entire clan comes under suspicion.
Kay Bradley

The Story of American Flags: Made in China! on Vimeo - 3 views

www.vimeo.com/17385512

shared by Kay Bradley on 03 Dec 10 - No Cached
  • Curtis Serrano on 03 Dec 10
     
    I think its interesting that piracy is increasing throughout the world. Personally, I feel that its good that other countries are working to counter this threat.
  • ...9 more comments...
  • Catherine Binder on 03 Dec 10
     
    It's funny that an organization (The Association of American Flag Manufacturers) had to be created because of the threat of Chinese manufacturers. I can't believe the irony - what our flag is supposed to represent, and the reality of how and where it is created.
  • Harrison Lee on 05 Dec 10
     
    I completely agree with Catherine on the irony of the Association of American Flag Manufacturers and of the contrast between the symbolism of our flag and the reality of its source. America, which proclaims itself to be the bellwether in freedom and democracy, is responsible for the suffering of workers internationally and domestically, even to the point of the country's icon, the flag. We boast thousands of these in parades and protests, like the many that I've seen in the news over the past few years, particularly those demanding better working conditions and benefits. And yet, the very purchase of these flags is counterproductive to their goals, as it funds this market that has contributed to their suffering.
  • Samantha Bishop on 05 Dec 10
     
    I don't even understand how we came to the point where our patriotic symbol (the flag) has to be made in China. I agree that it is much cheaper mainly because of the cheap labor, but this is absurd. American's aren't even making the American flag. I had the same thought as the quote at the beginning of the video, "Thank heavens Betsey Ross isn't here to see [this]."
  • Arshia Surti on 05 Dec 10
     
    The US flag is certainly a symbol of what America has come to represent - a consumerist, exploitative world power - far from its ideals of equality and justice. And the worst part, as Harrison said, is the ignorant hypocrisy with which we proudly wave our flags.
  • Amara Plaza-Jennings on 05 Dec 10
     
    One thing that I found myself wondering as I was watching the video was how the workers in China feel about producing the US flags. Do they not care and just feel releived to have a job? Or does it feel odd to them making an American flag, expecially if they have harsh feeling towards the US? I also found it intersting that the demand for flags increased so much after 9/11, really showing the effect that this event had on the American psyche. Again the irony that the other people commented about comes into play. The people who bought these flags were trying to show their patriotism and support for American, when the flags really represent our dependence on China and go to support Chinese factories.
  • Nick Petru on 06 Dec 10
     
    Impressively thorough, Matthew. Two parts stood out for me: the Chinese military involvement and your point that our flags indirectly harm the welfare of people in other countries, particularly China. Well done
  • larkin smith on 06 Dec 10
     
    This video was ridiculously long & in depth. I love the juxtaposition of the idea of the american flag & all that it stands for and the fact that the flag is really made in China.
  • anonymous on 06 Dec 10
     
    When I was watching the video, I had to wonder: are there any flags made in the USA? There was a quote somewhere in the video saying that there are, but they're of poorer quality. I would think, though, that the vast market of flags made in China would make any american made flag companies go out of business. I also wondered if most countries have their flags made in China, or if there are some that produce their own.
  • Gregory Freiberg on 06 Dec 10
     
    I had the same sentiments as Amara. When we were watching China Blue and the chinese workers were making Jeans which they knew were presumably heading for the United States I wondered how they must feel that they are slaving over something for another country. Then, this movie (which was very well done) shows that American Flags are made in China and i was trying to put myself in the shoes of a chinese factory worker slaving over constructing an American Flag. I am curious as to what they think about making them. Very good job at bringing out the irony in the situation too Matthew
  • Heather Anderson on 07 Dec 10
     
    I found it interesting that American-made American flags are lower quality than those made in China. It struck me as very similar to the situation faced by the speaker who came to talk to us about her bag business: how she had to outsource because she couldn't find a quality producer in the U.S. Something that bothered me is that many of the flags are synthetic; if the government is going to hand our hundreds of free flags that might just get thrown away, it seems as though it would be better to at least make them out of renewable materials like wood and cotton. However, I suppose that may be more expensive... Also, I visited the Jinteng factory website because I was curious if they specialized in a certain type of flag or not. It turns out that they make all different types of flags depending on the order, just as the jeans we saw in China Blue varied order by order. I suspect that although some workers feel frustrated making other countries' flags, their catalog indicates that they make flags for many countries, not just one, so any anger would perhaps be less likely to be directed toward a specific country due to constantly producing their flag.
  • Rebecca Heller on 07 Dec 10
     
    I thought that it is sad (and ironic) that, as Matthew said, our symbols of freedom and patriotism are being paid for with people's rights (in China). I had never considered how 9/11 would have caused a drastic increase in demand for American flags, and though it shouldn't have, it surprised me that the low price of American flags from retailers such as Wal-Mart does not cover the production costs of the flags. Like Larkin, I found the juxtaposition of the symbols of the flag and where it is actually made notable. I also had the same question as Alison about whether any flags are actually made in the United States. I thought that Matthew did a nice job pointing out the odd juxtaposition and talking about the production cycle of the flag.
Rachel Katzoff

EU enlargement: The next eight - 4 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...world-europe-11283616

EU

shared by Rachel Katzoff on 12 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Rachel Katzoff on 12 Oct 10
     
    This article talks about the next eight countries trying to gain entry into the EU. The most likely country to join the EU is Croatia and they may be approved as early as 2011. Each of the countries that applied as some internal issues they have to work out before they will be admitted. The process of being admitted is interesting to me because the countries first have to submit and application, get confirmed as a candidate, and then they begin talks. In the case of Turkey, the process has been going on since 1987.
  • ...4 more comments...
  • Curtis Serrano on 14 Oct 10
     
    Its incredible what the EU requires of joining nations, turkey has been trying for over 20 years. Its also interesting that many of these countries seem to be denied based on organized crime problems.
  • Kay Bradley on 17 Oct 10
     
    If you refer to the graphic representation of national debt among EU nations, bookmarked above, you'll see that wealth disparities among member nations is a potential deal breaker too.
  • anonymous on 18 Oct 10
     
    I think it's fairly comical how the EU is really a gentlemen's club for the golden boys of Europe and how they are now fiercely attempting to reject their less desirable neighbors while maintaining this facade of being open and welcoming. Of course, it's hard to embrace someone when you're holding onto your wallet with both hands.
  • Rick Rodgers on 18 Oct 10
     
    I think the problems in Greece point to why the EU has to be careful about who is let and who is not. That being said, this process with regards to Turkey is taking way too long. It would be a big step if Europe could build strong ties with Turkey, as it is one of the most accessible means of diplomatic and cultural communication with the ME (Israel is useless). Perhaps in this case, it would be best for the EU to forgive Turkey some minor problems in Cyprus, recognize that they have made improves with the "Kurd problem" and just let them in the damn club already. Perhaps greater improvements with internal Turkish issues that don't appeal to the UN could be made even more easily once Turkey has already joined.
  • Catherine Binder on 18 Oct 10
     
    I had no idea that it was this difficult to become a member of the European Union - being confirmed as a candidate can take more than a decade. Poor Turkey began the process 23 years ago, and is expected to require at least 10 more years to be fully prepared for membership. What an endeavor!
  • Gregory Freiberg on 18 Oct 10
     
    I think this is very interesting and I cannot agree with Jack more. When these countries are thinking only with their pocket books it is hard to be genuinely welcoming to other nations. In my opinion, making Turkey wait 20+ years to join is far too long and a bit ridiculous especially when you compare it to the time other countries had to wait. Croatia joined in less than 5. Very unfair...
janh97

Cycles of Revenge in Israel and Palestine - 3 views

www.nytimes.com/...e-in-israel-and-palestine.html

israel palestine revenge

shared by janh97 on 02 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • janh97 on 02 Sep 14
     
    I think it's interesting how this article on the Israel-Palestine conflict puts the conflict into perspective, especially for young readers. The article explains the cycles of revenge that continue to give the violence in the Middle East ammunition. However, the details of the revenge prove relevance because it is about the purposeless murders of teenagers who have nothing to do with the conflict whatsoever. It is also interesting how the writer mentions the irony of all of the immoral killings occurring in a place that has been called "The Holy Land". The article begins with a quote from the Israeli prime minister explaining that Israel is a state of laws. The writer boldly disagrees with this, stating, "This is not what happens in a state of laws". He also accuses Israel's "democracy" as being undemocratically oppressive. Essentially, he is critiquing the leaders on both sides of the conflict and assigning them responsibility for the senseless acts of the killing of innocent youth in the name of revenge.
  • ...3 more comments...
  • big_red on 03 Sep 14
     
    This article is noice. Although the author seems do be significantly anti Israel, he makes a few good points. Does the death of a few people justify the fighting that has been caused by it? The author brings up the point that most Israelis and Palestinians want peace. It is important for people to realize that all of this fighting will simply lead to more fighting.
  • Kay Bradley on 03 Sep 14
     
    What a powerful argument! No democracy can continue to be healthy if a portion of its population lives under a dictatorship. Also, if anyone is interested, the "Green Line" that author Roger Cohen refers to several times is the "demarcation lines set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and its neighbours after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War." (Wikipedia) Thoughtful, in-depth comments, Jasmine! Oh, and, everyone, this article is super instructive--worth a read for all.
  • maxdewit on 04 Sep 14
     
    Very interesting article but I am on the same boat as Michael. It seems that the author is a little too anti Israel. However, the part about the lawless places controlled by Israel is shocking to me still and I am very disappointed by it. Good article though!
  • miriambachman on 04 Sep 14
     
    This article is both intriguing and thought provoking, however, I do agree that it was written in an anti-Israeli tone. This may be do to the fact that the author failed to touch upon the militancy and violence in Palestine. However, it did shed an interesting light on the "state of laws" and how both nations have seemingly become numb to the constant violence.
  • aaron_godinez on 04 Sep 14
     
    Sometimes it seems like people forget what they are fighting for
kylerussell

Enacting Cap-and-Trade Will Present Challenges Under China's System - 8 views

www.nytimes.com/...nping-limit-cap-and-trade.html

shared by kylerussell on 26 Sep 15 - No Cached
  • kylerussell on 26 Sep 15
     
    BEIJING - White House officials have lauded President Xi Jinping's anticipated promise of a national market for China in greenhouse gas quotas as a breakthrough in environmental cooperation and reform. But to work well, Mr. Xi's plan, expected to be announced in Washington on Friday, will demand big changes from a government accustomed to heavy-handed intervention and skewed statistics.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • olivialum on 29 Sep 15
     
    I liked this article for 2 reasons. 1) It would be environmentally beneficial for China to enact some type of cap and trade program because it is no secret that China is heavily polluted, which can be seen in the pictures. 2) It acknowledged the fact that even though a cap and trade system would not be economically beneficial for China, it would be the eco-friendly choice. "It can work perfectly if we have all the pieces of the puzzle ready, but if we don't have the rest of them, this one alone will not generate much benefit. There are also risks if we don't manage this well. The collapse of the carbon price may actually shut down the market." Even though the system is high risk, it is high reward with regards to the environment.
  • samoshay on 29 Sep 15
     
    Cap and trade is a brilliant idea (I think). It creates scarcity (and rightfully so). I think it will be a driver for other countries to join the cap-and-trade revolution; as the article says, "The world's second-largest economy puts in place a price on carbon emissions, and this will be noted the world over." The only difficult part is with the measurement and verification aspect, of which Chinese businesses are known in particular in world markets to cut corners on occasion. As the world's largest polluter, and specifically the world's largest coal burner, China's continued free pollution policies do have global effects, and it is hard to force a nation to compensate for burdens bore by others.
  • alisimons on 29 Sep 15
     
    I really like the cap and trade idea because it ensures that the every firm is paying the maximum amount each is willing to spend to pollute the air. Firms that don't value being able to pollute as much can sell their permits and use the money to become more environmentally friendly. The cap and trade method encourages technological change that reduces the harm from each unit of a firm's product. As the article says, "The intended result is a competitive market that induces companies to devise ways to reduce emissions." The cap and trade method will hopefully relieve China of some of its pollution.
  • Kako Ito on 29 Sep 15
     
    The national environmental quota set by the cap and trade announced by President Xi shows that there is some possibility of environmental cooperation from China, one of the world's most heavy polluters. The article voices the well founded skepticism of critics, who doubt that this new system will work well when it hasn't exactly taken off among the nations of the European Union; however, China's state is very different from its western counterparts. Comparatively, it can exact more control over its countries' businesses and factories, so this system just may be successful.
Kay Bradley

Twenty Questions We Have About Pakistan - 29 views

1. Should the US intervene in Pakistan? 2. How are the politics of Pakistan affecting the people? 3. What is the class/caste social structure of Pakistan? 4. What is the government structure? ...

Pakistan Less Developed World:

started by Kay Bradley on 07 Sep 10 no follow-up yet
miriambachman

Ebola Drug Could Save a Few Lives. But Whose? - 5 views

www.nytimes.com/...uld-get-experimental-drug.html

Ebola

shared by miriambachman on 02 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • miriambachman on 02 Sep 14
     
    This article not only touches upon the dangerous and negative effects of the Ebola outbreak, but calls into questions an ethical controversy regarding preferential treatment when it comes to medical care. As the need for a cure escalates, the time allotted for the testing and developing of an anti-Ebola drug diminishes. Thus, medicine that has not been thoroughly tested has been distributed to two white Americans infected with the virus. This begs the question: Why these two? Does it have to do with their race or anti-African biases? And once the drug is fully developed, who will receive the treatment first? Who will be prioritized? Additionally, this contentious matter has added to the already distrustful African view of Western pharmaceuticals and relief efforts.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Karan Rai on 04 Sep 14
     
    I think this article really shows how the US can't really win in the eyes of other countries. If they had tested people from Africa before treating the American citzens who had been infected, then America would have been accused of using the Africans as guinea pigs. Instead, the CDC is now being accused of racism and valuing the lives of Americans over Africans.
  • bonnie_ko on 04 Sep 14
     
    Fascinating article! Like Karan mentioned, countries developing vaccines are in a bit of a Catch-22 bind. I personally think that offering the drugs to those it could benefit most would be the most helpful to both research and those it could save, but the hesitance on the companies part is understandable. I think interesting questions to ask is "Where is the line between justified and unjustified fear?", and "are possible lives saved worth the risk that it may end some?" I certainly am in the boat that all participants should be warned outright of negative side effects and possible failure as a part of experimental treatment. But the most fascinating part of this article is how it never mentions polling the people of the affected countries. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only people whose opinion is really concerned is country heads and ethicists. What do the people think of getting a fighting chance?
  • dredd15 on 04 Sep 14
     
    I found it interesting that not only did the article touch on the ethical questions of who to give the first available drugs to, from a standpoint of where it would be most effective rather than just where it would be most convenient. The part of the article where acceptance of the drug came into question was another touchy matter. The attempt to administer the drug as a solution to the Ebola break out is difficult because of the nature of the illness and the apprehension towards Western Medicine. Even though the medicine is available there's no telling if this quick fix will actually contain and solve the crisis just as Arthur Kaplan says at the end of the article.
  • aaron_godinez on 04 Sep 14
     
    The article brings to light interesting conflicts between African countries and the western industries of medicine. I feel like it would be effective to offer medical education to the local inhabitants in the infected african countries. That way their knowledge can help them avoid getting the disease. Furthermore, they would have more knowledge to help them decide whether or not they would like to take the drug that is possibly a functioning vaccination, rather than just not giving the sick African patients the option. The complexity of this problem is interesting because it deals with issues of ethics and trust.
milesburton

Behind Putin's Combativeness, Some See Motives Other Than Syria - The New York Times - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...yria-russia-putin-kremlin.html

Budget Putin Russia Military nytimes economics economy

shared by milesburton on 15 Oct 16 - No Cached
  • milesburton on 15 Oct 16
     
    After the US walked away from discussions on Syria, President Putin stepped up his country's military activity, with an enormous mobilization of first responders and civilians on the home front. In addition, the President redeployed nuclear weapons, making sure to leave some in place for American surveillance satellites to see. Mr. Putin also suggested the reopening of Russian military bases in Vietnam and Cuba. However, many see this as a distraction from the Russian economy, which is showing the first dip in income for the country's citizens since Putin assumed the Presidency in 2000. The nation's budget is also being heavily slashed, with healthcare and the military losing 33% and 6% of their funding, respectively. People inside Russia commented that the new budget leaves money for the military and police, and little else. Further speculation is that Mr. Putin is using the same strategy he employed in the Ukraine, which is to ramp up Russia's military and leverage that in diplomatic conversation with other nations. Some of Putin's comments also suggest that he wants to push Russia as a concern of the US Presidential election, and make sure that whoever the next President is will see Russia as a force to be reckoned with.
Kako Ito

Public insurance and the least well-off | Lane Kenworthy - 6 views

lanekenworthy.net/surance-and-the-least-well-off

public insurance economics welfare poor nordic model universalism targeting redistribution income inequality

shared by Kako Ito on 27 Sep 15 - No Cached
  • Public insurance also boosts the living standards of the poor. It increases their income, and it provides them with services for which they bear relatively little of the cost.
  • Critics charge that public social programs tend to hurt the poor in the long run by reducing employment and economic growth. Are they correct?
  • Does public insurance erode self-reliance? Is a large private safety net as helpful to the least well-off as a large public one? Are universal programs more effective than targeted ones? Are income transfers the key, or are services important too?
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • Once again we see no indication that public insurance generosity has had a damaging effect
  • Note also that the employment rate increased in nearly all of the countries during this period. On average, it rose by nine percentage points between 1979 and 2013. That’s not what we would expect to see if generous public insurance programs were inducing large numbers of able adults to withdraw from the labor market
  • What we see in the chart is that countries with more generous public insurance programs tend to have less material deprivation.
  • With globalization, the advance of computers and robots, increased pressure from shareholders for short-run profit maximization, union weakening, and other shifts, wages have been under pressure. Couple this with the fact that many people at the low end of the income ladder have labor market disadvantages — disability, family constraint, geographic vulnerability to structural unemployment — and we have a recipe for stagnation in the market incomes of the poor.
  • here’s a good reason for these shifts: government provision offers economies of scale and scope, which reduces the cost of a good or service and thereby makes it available to many people who couldn’t or wouldn’t get it on their own.
  • Government provides more insurance now than it used to. All of us, not just some, are dependent on it. And life for almost everyone is better because of it
  • hese expenditures are encouraged by government tax advantages.22 But they do little to help people on the bottom of the ladder, who often work for employers that don’t provide retirement or health benefits.
  • To make them more affordable, the government claws back some of the benefit by taxing it as though it were regular income. All countries do this, including the United States, but the Nordic countries do it more extensively. Does that hurt their poor? Not much. The tax rates increase with household income, so much of the tax clawback hits middle- and upper-income households.
  • Another difference is that public services such as schooling, childcare, medical care, housing, and transportation are more plentiful and of better quality for the poor in the Nordic countries. Public services reduce deprivation and free up income to be spent on other needs. It’s difficult to measure the impact of services on living standards, but one indirect way is to look at indicators of material deprivation,
  • Targeted transfers are directed (sometimes disproportionately, sometimes exclusively) to those with low incomes and assets, whereas universal transfers are provided to most or all citizens.
  • Targeted programs are more efficient at reducing poverty; each dollar or euro or kroner transferred is more likely to go to the least well-off. Increased targeting therefore could be an effective way to maintain or enhance public insurance in the face of diminished resources.
  • “the more we target benefits to the poor … the less likely we are to reduce poverty and inequality.”
  • Korpi and Palme found that the pattern across eleven affluent nations supported the hypothesis that greater use of targeting in transfers yields less redistribution
  • The hypothesis that targeting in social policy reduces political support and thereby lessens redistributive effort is a sensible one. Yet the experience of the rich countries in recent decades suggests reason to question it. Targeting has drawbacks relative to universalism: more stigma for recipients, lower take-up rates, and possibly less social trust.44 But targeting is less expensive. As pressures to contain government expenditures mount, policy makers may therefore turn to greater use of targeting. That may not be a bad thing.
  • Public insurance programs boost the incomes of the least well-off and improve their material well-being. If such programs are too generous, this benefit could be offset by reduced employment or economic growth, but the comparative evidence suggests that the world’s rich nations haven’t reached or exceeded the tipping point.
  • Spending lots of money on social protection is not in and of itself helpful to the poor. Total social expenditures in the United States are greater than in Denmark and Sweden, because the US has a large private welfare state. But relatively little of America’s private social spending reaches the poor.
  • Public services are an important antipoverty tool. Their benefit doesn’t show up in income data, but they appear to play a key role in reducing material hardship. Services expand the sphere of consumption for which the cost is zero or minimal. And they help to boost the earnings and capabilities of the poor by enhancing human capital, assisting with job search and placement, and facilitating work-family balance.
  • Kako Ito on 27 Sep 15
     
    Through this article I have gained a deeper insight in how public expenditures and public goods promote wealth equality in a society. "Public services are an important antipoverty tool."
  • ...2 more comments...
  • olivialum on 29 Sep 15
     
    This article really helped me deepen my understanding of redistributing wealth downwards. I never thought about it, but things like social security, affirmative action programs, and public education are actually insurances that attempt to provide everybody with more equality when it comes to living standards as well as basic human rights.
  • samoshay on 29 Sep 15
     
    Yeah, it is a very common argument to say that social expenditures disincentives workers; interesting analysis on how wealthy countries haven't reached the "tipping point." I am curious to see what happens to labor force participation and employment in the next decades as robots further divorce economic growth from labor supply/demand.
  • charlesleesohn on 29 Sep 15
     
    Cool theory in regards to "the tipping point". Interesting, and solid criticism of large social expenditures. Wonder how socialists view this, as opposed to free-market economists.
  • smowat on 29 Sep 15
     
    "Public services are an important antipoverty tool. Their benefit doesn't show up in income data, but they appear to play a key role in reducing material hardship." INteresting to see the statistics and how social expenditures help reduce poverty and the wealth gap.
ellie davis

Think Occupy Wall St. is a phase? You don't get it - CNN.com - 2 views

www.cnn.com/...rushkoff-occupy-wall-street

Occupy Wall St. Media

shared by ellie davis on 13 Oct 11 - No Cached
  • ellie davis on 13 Oct 11
     
    This article attempts to break down the Occupy Wall St. movement. Douglas Rushkoff hits on the important point that the 21st century media is not making it easy for the protestors to share unified thoughts because the media itself is not unified.
  • Jenna Mowat on 16 Oct 11
     
    The article points out that "Occupy Wall Street is meant more as a way of life through contagion, creates as many questions as it answers, aims to force a reconsideration of the way the nation does business and offers hope to those of us who previously felt alone in our belief that the current economic system is broken." I think that this statement is true in that Occupy Wall Street offers hope to people and an outlet to voice their unhappiness with capitalism; however, I fail to see the solutions put forth by the protests. One of the appeals to the movement is that there is not a clear leader and it was mostly organized on Facebook and Twitter. And although technology started the movement it also may pose as a challenge, because it becomes more complicated for people to understand what "the end goal" is.
Kay Bradley

Israel's Lessons From the Gaza Wars - NYTimes.com - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...essons-from-the-gaza-wars.html

gaza israel nytimes palestine

shared by Kay Bradley on 05 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • unless the proper lessons are learned
  • The first is that Israel’s deterrence capabilities are limited.
  • But that’s the point: Israel’s future wars with Palestinians are going to be in very densely populated areas.
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • Israel was unable to achieve the goals that it announced before the war. It was unable to disarm the various resistance movements and turn Gaza into a demilitarized zone, nor was it able to put an end to the tunnel system, or impose calm and guarantee the security of its own citizens.
  • The second lesson is that Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza can’t continue.
  • t is neither possible nor acceptable that 1.8 million Palestinians continue to live in the world’s biggest open-air prison, and that they be required to surrender and acquiesce to the conditions of their detention.
  • It is unacceptable that Palestinians living there are banned from travelling out of Gaza. How much longer will Israel continue to rule the lives of Palestinians and demand their compliance, branding all those who resist the state of siege and occupation terrorists?
  • Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed
  • The third lesson is that Israel’s relentless campaign to weaken the Palestinian Authority, its president and moderate Palestinians seeking a political settlement has always been misguided and will only breed disaster.
  • When members of the Israeli cabinet claim that the Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, who is criticized for his dovishness in Palestinian circles, is not a possible partner for peace, they are essentially demanding a puppet, who completely submits to all Israeli demands.
  • The road to peace is both clearly delineated and short: It is the public acceptance of the legitimate right of the Palestinians to end the occupation and establish a state.
  • If Israel is unwilling or incapable of understanding that this is the only way to end the conflict, then the international community must take it upon itself to intervene and enforce the two-state solution. It can no longer be claimed that direct negotiations between two unequal partners, Israel the occupier and the Palestinians who live under its occupation, are the only way to achieve this. It hasn’t worked for over 20 years.
axelizaret

Killing of Migrant Forces France to Confront Racism Against Asian People - 3 views

www.nytimes.com/...-chinese-immigrant-attack.html

shared by axelizaret on 17 Oct 16 - No Cached
  • axelizaret on 17 Oct 16
     
    The status quo of racism and the intolerance of immigrants in France is not improving, and islamophobia is just at the surface of the issue. The awareness of racism against Asian communities is increasing in the aftermath of the murder of a 49 year old Chinese man who immigrated to France in 2006. While he was walking around with a couple of old friends, a group of youths beat them and left them lying on the sidewalk, and the man died 5 days later in the hospital. Since, there has been a large scale protest over the governments lack of action (60,000 people marched into Paris). Furthermore, it is coming to light that frequent hate crimes against Asian people have been going on and the government has, for the most part, ignored them. Police make reporting a crime pointless because they reject most reports on grounds that either they can't understand their accent, or they just refuse to take the complaint.
  • aleishaallen on 17 Oct 16
     
    I think this situation is reminiscent of what is going on all over Europe right now. Although many people have focused their attention on the refugee crisis and how islamophobia may be an issue, more and more situations are being brought to light that suggest a deep underlying racism that was there even before refugees started arriving. I think the comment about one death not being nothing is very important. With so much death and destruction, it is easy to say "well it was only that one time", but it is important to realize that even one death has a profound impact on a community and certainly a family. I also think that racism within the government is a large problem. The comments people made about the police not wanting to see (or being unable to see) the severity of a situation, seems to be a problem many are facing. On a more specific note, I was not aware that there is such a large Chinese population in France.
Kay Bradley

If Bernie Sanders wants free college, he ought to check out Australia - Wharton Magazine - 0 views

magazine.wharton.upenn.edu/...e-ought-to-check-out-australia

shared by Kay Bradley on 27 Oct 22 - No Cached
  • Higher Education Contribution Scheme
  • comparable with those in-state students are charged at American public colleges and universities
  • The problems with truly free higher education — perpetual students, rising budget deficits, upper middle class welfare — led Australia to replace the system I studied under with HECS 25 years ago.
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • “zero cash up front” for admitted students.
  • with a bigger debt for degrees that tend to lead to higher paying jobs like business and law and less debt for priorities areas like STEM.
  • Australian students only begin to repay their HECS debt when their salary reaches a threshold figure that is close to median household income.
  • This automatic and there is no possibility of non-payment or partial payment. The reason is that the government treats HECS payments as a tax line in your pay check.
  • Repayment schedules are progressive — the more you earn after graduation, the more quickly you pay the government back what you owe for your education. If your salary just meets the threshold, you are “taxed” 4% of your income each year until you pay off all your debt, which could take well over a decade. If you earn twice as much, the annual repayment is 8%
  • If your income never reaches the national median, your education is free and you never have to pay it back.
  • t is a “rort” in Australian vernacular (what Americans might call a scam) if you don’t enter the workforce for other reasons — such as coming from a rich family or having a high income spouse.
  • You can also avoid HECS by leaving Australia because then you don’t have to pay Australian taxes.
  • That is far better than the estimated 40% of American student loans at default risk.
  • there is a big obstacle to overcome.
  • In Australia, you only pay one tax bill, to the federal government, which also runs higher education. The financing of higher education is a fully federal responsibility. In the U.S., we pay federal and state taxes, and public universities are run by states not by Washington.
  • The U.S. is unique in having a vibrant private not-for-profit higher education sector sitting alongside the public colleges and universities. One big difference: the privates don’t receive any direct state or federal funding. As a result, they tend to rely more heavily on tuition than the public ones do.
  • The clear ethos is that the most talented students should be able to get an Ivy League education, not just those with the ability to pay.
  • Charge the full tuition price to those who can afford it. Offer very generous f
matteog2023

Disinformation in the Russia Ukraine war - 1 views

www.visionofhumanity.org/tion-in-the-russia-ukraine-war

shared by matteog2023 on 30 Aug 22 - No Cached
  • matteog2023 on 30 Aug 22
     
    While Ukraine has been able to use social media to their advantage by spreading information, increasing awareness of the problems they face, and pressuring companies and governments to aid them, Russia has been fighting back with national and international and propaganda campaigns. This struggle has caused a different kind of war to rage on between them, a cyber-war.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • slavatalanov on 31 Aug 22
     
    The Russia-Ukraine war is certainly unprecedented for the extent of civilian coverage. This is definitely to the defender's benefit, but with the sheer amount of data, the Ukrainian Armed Forces / Intelligence Agencies cannot possibly process all of while in time before it becomes obsolete. This century, disinformation warfare is only going to get more and more developed. Who knows what role it will play in future conflicts. Governments might use bots to fabricate entire offensives to confuse opposing forces.
  • julianatseh on 31 Aug 22
     
    This highlights an important issue that is becoming increasingly common. Social media and the internet is now being used as a weapon in war and it is used to influence elections. It is interesting to see how much social media really affects politics across the world, and we can only guess how much more it will be used in the future.
  • sebastianw2023 on 01 Sep 22
     
    Because of how strict much of Russia's information laws and restrictions have been even before the war, getting accurate information about the conflict from inside Russia is nearly impossible. Along with that, it is extremely easy for misinformation to spread across social media and news outlets.
  • Kay Bradley on 06 Sep 22
     
    Interesting observations, Subby, Juliana, Slava and Matteo. Add to this the fact that under Vladimir Putin's iron hand, censorship within Russia is intense. Opposition to Putin's government has been effectively silenced within Russia, and is being replaced by shows of strength and prosperity. Good article about this in Monday's NYT here: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/06/world/europe/moscow-war-ukraine-mood.html
Catherine Binder

Russia Wants to Formalize Relation With E.U. - 3 views

www.nytimes.com/...18iht-germany.html

Russia

shared by Catherine Binder on 22 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Catherine Binder on 22 Oct 10
     
    Seeing as how we just finished our discussions on the EU, this article is about Russia's request to formally participate in an EU committee. Russia wants to have more of a say in Europe, and Germany seems open to the idea (note that Germany is a major European ally for Russia). Medvedev, Merkel, and Sarkozy will soon meet up to discuss the idea. Germany carries a lot of influence in the EU, but I'm curious as to how the other member states truly feel about it.
  • ...3 more comments...
  • Samantha Bishop on 22 Oct 10
     
    This article is fascinating because I had no idea that Russia wants to join the EU. It seems like there are both many countries who want Russia to join but also many countries who don't. If Russia joined the EU, what would this mean economically? Would the EU become a stronger power? I am still not sure of many advantages and disadvantages of them joining, but I think that it is very interesting that a meeting will be taking place in Deauville about it.
  • anonymous on 22 Oct 10
     
    I, too, did not know that Russia wants to join the EU. I would like to know more about why Russia wants to join (any reasons other than influence?), and how countries aside from Germany feel about Russia joining. Something I find interesting: most of Russia is in Asia, yet they associate with the west.
  • larkin smith on 22 Oct 10
     
    Its interesting to me that Russia is not asking to actually join the EU, but only wants to be part of a certain section of it-the security portion. I wonder if Russia does want to join the EU, but simply doesn't think that its a viable option at this point.
  • Catherine Binder on 22 Oct 10
     
    Sorry, but I just have to make the distinction (with Larkin) that Russia isn't trying to join the EU, but rather requesting to participate in an EU committee. The summit that is occurring between the 3 leaders is about strengthening the EU-Russia relationship. The NY Times article I posted was about Russia trying to join the EU political and security committee. Now that the summit has occurred, here are some more recent articles about it. Hopefully they're more clear. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/world/europe/19iht-summit.html?src=twrhp http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-10/20/c_13565527.htm
  • Gregory Freiberg on 22 Oct 10
     
    To Larkin's comment: Yes, that is very interesting, as we learned in class some countries join the EU for the fiscal benefits or the security benefits; however, they must join the entire EU and that is when we said the benefits that a niation get from the EU should outweight the things that the EU will make the country take part in that they may not want to. It's sort of funny that Russia would try to avoid the EU only in some areas.
Kay Bradley

The Computer Curtis Built: Where Did All The Components Come From? on Vimeo - 6 views

www.vimeo.com/17409323

shared by Kay Bradley on 03 Dec 10 - No Cached
  • Curtis Serrano on 03 Dec 10
     
    The question I would have liked to look into is how the process my computer went through differs from the process a computer from apple or dell goes through
  • ...9 more comments...
  • Matthew Schweitzer on 03 Dec 10
     
    It is interesting to get a look at the origins of the components inside our computers. Often, we view the machine collectively, seeing that it was assembled in China. But our PCs are far more global indeed.
  • Harrison Lee on 05 Dec 10
     
    The audio and embedded videos on the vimeo site didn't work for me with the exception of the first slide. But just looking at the pictures, it was shocking to me that the parts were assembled by hand; I would have imagined that manufacturing is more automated by machines. In addition, does the metals for each part come from the same place? It would be interesting to see how many more countries are affected (note: I didn't see the audio, so these questions may already have been answered).
  • Arshia Surti on 05 Dec 10
     
    Similarly, I didn't get any of the audio or videos, but I wonder how economically feasible it is to recycle the parts, since they are complex amalgamations of different metals and plastics. And even if it's good for the planet, what are the labor conditions of the people who do the recycling?
  • Catherine Binder on 05 Dec 10
     
    Unfortunately the clip doesn't work for me as well (it kind of just stops at 40 seconds). I glanced at some of the images, though, and saw that there is a video about E-waste. I've seen billboards for E-waste drop-offs at local schools and such, but I'm curious about how this industry works, and which E-waste companies are better than others. How much does it cost to ensure that your computer is properly discarded of?
  • Amara Plaza-Jennings on 06 Dec 10
     
    I also had problems with the video. But having looked at the recycling of a car for my own project, I wonder how much the process has in common with that of a computer - Does recycling a computer take a lot of money? Does it create even more pollution in the process?
  • Nick Petru on 06 Dec 10
     
    Same, with others: video isn't working...
  • larkin smith on 06 Dec 10
     
    There are so many parts to a computer. Then the video stopped.
  • Samantha Bishop on 06 Dec 10
     
    The video doesn't work for me either, but I would be very interested in finding out how the parts could be recycled. It is also amazing that Curtis built his own computer, I think that it would be cool to learn where all the parts came from and just how much goes into building the computer.
  • Gregory Freiberg on 06 Dec 10
     
    I had no audio as well. However, going along with what Arshia was saying, i also had the question about what are the working conditions for the people who are doing any recycling that is taking place. I know that we watched the video about our local recycling plant and the conditions seemed ok but would it be similar abroad?
  • Heather Anderson on 07 Dec 10
     
    As Harrison said, I'm surprised that circuit boards and such are made by hand. I always assumed they were produced by machines. Maybe it's on a size scale where human work is better quality? For really tiny things, machines are of course much more accurate, and for big things it's more efficient to use machines. But on this scale, it's feasible for people to do it, and humans can perhaps do it better than machines can(?), since we can adjust things properly and take things case-by-case. Or maybe it's just cheaper.
  • Rebecca Heller on 07 Dec 10
     
    Unfortunately it stops working for me after the first 40 seconds as well (I think that this is the end of the first slide). Like Greg, though, I am interested in the specifics of recycling computer parts and how exactly this takes place.
Kay Bradley

The Story of Catherine's iPod on Vimeo - 3 views

www.vimeo.com/17384632

shared by Kay Bradley on 03 Dec 10 - No Cached
  • Kay Bradley on 03 Dec 10
     
    "The Story of Catherine's iPod"
  • ...10 more comments...
  • Curtis Serrano on 03 Dec 10
     
    I had heard about the conditions at foxconn, but I was surprised about how bad conditions are for the extraction of raw materials like tungsten.
  • Matthew Schweitzer on 03 Dec 10
     
    I would say that I was equally shocked to learn that the conditions for workers mining the metals put into the our Ipods; as I discovered while researching about flags, the products that have become quintessential parts of our consumer society harm those in other, less powerful countries.
  • Samantha Bishop on 05 Dec 10
     
    I was very surprised to find out about the rape attacks that are happening in congo in connection to the mines. The fact that our materials are coming from the places, I feel that in some way we are supporting these actions. These conditions are terrible and something needs to be done to improve them, but I don't see anyone working on this.
  • Harrison Lee on 05 Dec 10
     
    I had no idea that the minerals needed for Ipods were mined in the Congo, and I was appalled at the militarization of the area. This just shows how sensitive the corporations are about protecting their businesses. This ties in to the fact that the corporations make it impossible to accurately trace the materials to its exact source in the Congo. I am also wondering if mining has negative health impacts on the workers and to the manufacturers in China.
  • Arshia Surti on 05 Dec 10
     
    In response to Catherine's essential question, often we feel powerless to stop such things. A few people boycotting Apple products isn't going to change anything. Education, really, is the best way to combat the terrible effects our consumer economy has on the world. If enough people are made aware of the conditions and care enough to give a voice to those workers in China and the Congo, then only will change occur.
  • Amara Plaza-Jennings on 06 Dec 10
     
    What really struck me after watching Catherine's video was the inescapability of these problems. I may not need an Ipod, but to get by in school I certainly need to use a computer. And even if this computer isn't made by Apple, the same problems still apply. I agree with Arshia that education is the best way to try to eliminate terrbile practices such as those that happen in the "rape capitol." Many people at the diversity conference I just attented agreed that education was the best way to solve those problems as well.
  • Nick Petru on 06 Dec 10
     
    I had absolutely no idea conditions for the "3 t's" mining was so awful and that the congo was such a hostile environment for women. This part of the video really puts an emphasis on how different our worlds are. I really like Arshia's point- I definitely agree- education is the key.
  • larkin smith on 06 Dec 10
     
    It was disturbing to learn that all the mines in Congo are militarized. Also, the crazy stickness of the factory in China struck me as disturbing.
  • anonymous on 06 Dec 10
     
    I, too, agree with Arshia on using education to help solve this problem and one's similar. Reading all the comments to this video, it's obvious that most of us had no idea of the brutal rape in the congo-- most of us probably also didn't know the details of China's brutal labor conditions before taking this class. It's scary to think that people are so obsessed about getting the newest gadget, but generally don't know about all the horrible practices that go into making it.
  • Gregory Freiberg on 06 Dec 10
     
    I was pretty shocked to hear about the origins of what you called the "Three T's." Like you, until you read the article in the Huffington post, i had no idea about where the IPod came from (i just assumbed "assembeled in china") but really, also like the Prius, much more of the world is involved. Great Video!
  • Heather Anderson on 07 Dec 10
     
    The disconnect here is so weird. It begins with people digging in the mountainside with sticks, and ends with a tiny, sleek, lightweight computer that makes images flick past at the swipe of your finger and makes music. It's like magic, except instead of the instead of using "toe of newt and eye of frog" the world is making these products by allowing people to be greatly mistreated. Beyond educating people, as Arshia and Alison said, it seems we must either: find other materials to make electronics out of (although that doesn't strike me as very likely?) or pressure companies (who have the money and the leverage) to enforce better regulation. To follow up on Catherine's video, I put three t's into google and got an article about an investigation into the mining in the Congo (maybe Catherine has already seen this): http://africarising2010.blogspot.com/2009/11/tracing-3-ts-from-congo.html. It says: "Even though they found that it is relatively easy to determine the source of minerals based on different coloration and texture based on the source mine, there is insufficient regulation to make this work....Export companies are required to register with the government, but their method of determining the source of minerals they buy is to merely ask the seller whether their goods are from conflict mines. There is no system of confirming what the seller says."
  • Rebecca Heller on 07 Dec 10
     
    This presentation kept shocking me. I was surprised to hear that basic parts of the iPod (the Three Ts) originate in the Congo rather than China. I was then shocked (and horrified) by the rape statistics. I had heard the statistics before, but not in relation to the acquisition of the Three Ts and production of products that we use. The story about the woman whose brother was ordered to rape her and then stabbed to death when he refused was particularly awful. I was also In summary, I was appalled at all the crimes that took place in the Congo- before the Three Ts even got to the factories in China that Catherine talked about. When Catherine started talking about the factories in China, I was again shocked at the working conditions- 100 workers sleeping to a room and clothes locked in a bucket with no visitors allowed (to protect the secrecy of Apple's product plans) while workers worked 15 hour days. The suicide reports from the FoxCon (spelling) factories were also shocking, as was the revelation that workers make just half of what they did in the 1800s. It was sad that the factory earns only $4 per iPod sold- while Apple earns $80. This presentation was very thought provoking- I had never assumed that Apple would be one of the "bad" companies with very questionable labor and humanitarian practices (a la Wal-Mart). Thanks for bringing it up, Catherine. I'm now thinking about it in a whole new light.
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