Déjà Vu

 In political science today, Professor Singh spoke about Thucydides, a Greek writer, historian and thinker who had a theory called “Power Politics”.  Thucydides wrote a historical account on the Peloponnesian War, which was between two major powers at the time, Athens and Sparta. Athens was the intellectual capital, where ideas were considered an item of trade, it was richer of the two, was a very open society where democracy flourished, and also the mentality of the Athenians was a bit on the arrogant side.

Sparta, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. A military powerhouse, Spartans were known for their motto of “Win or Die,” was not a very open society and remained very closed and isolated to the outside world, and frugal and simplistic in structure and standards of living. They fought for nearly a century and over generations over, no surprise here, power. But during times of truce, both city-states were keen on trying to gain allies and power by going to the smaller, and weaker city-states such as Melos, and forcing them to join their sides. In the end, the larger military power won, Sparta, and Athens and its age-old culture eventually died out.

Thousands of years later, fast forward to the 1960s, the height of the Cold War. The two largest superpower nations, the United States and the Soviet Union are in the midst of a large rivalry. The United States is well known as a beacon of democracy, a hub of innovation and ideas and economic prosperity. However, Americans are well-known for their “we-have-it-all” attitude and pride.

The Soviet Union is a cold, isolated nation where the people are ruled with a tight, iron fist. Militarily mighty, the Soviets are not keen on welcoming other people into their barren and sparse nation. Also note that at the time, the Americans and Soviets do not physically fight in one another’s territories, but instead, they move into the developing nations and fight out their issues there. Forcing nations to either side with them or the other, nations such as Panama, Vietnam, the Koreas, El Salvador, and others, to suffer as battlegrounds for the first world and the second world.

Any of this sounding familiar? It’s a direct parallel, one where the big nations duke it out over who rules the world, and everyone else bearing the brunt of their rivalries. And it’s still happening. The developed nations are all competing with one another, try to climb on top of one another at the top of the ladder, while all the rest of the developing nations are struggling just to climb the ladder itself. Right now, it’s just a big competition, one where countries are being forced to jump, and while many countries are, they might not be ready. What do these nations do? What is they’re too behind to jump? If everyone is too busy trying to get ahead in the game themselves, who will help the others?

Take only as much as you can give

I’m in an introductory Environmental Science class this semester, and we are actually talking about waste in class right now. As the population grows with the help of technological advancements, we are giving off more waste, in the form of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and this is quickly eating away at the ozone layer. Toxic chemicals and pesticides and such used in the agriculture industry definitely are not helping as well. And with globalized trade becoming so open and wide now, the pressure to fuel this booming trade between nations has also increased, depleting natural resources. People are no longer treating the land as it should be treated, and people are exploiting the land for its products. Deforestation, overgrazing of fields and excessive tilling of land are also big problems that need to be regulated firmly.

However, this is not entirely globalization’s fault. This environmental problem is something that has been building up over decades and something that had not been brought to people’s attention. It was only until about several years ago when the environmental crisis was brought to the public’s attention, and with the help of Al Gore’s documentary, activism spread and the urgency of the matter was finally out. The earth needs to be treated with kindness and there needs to be less chemical usage, less pollution; less things that will harm the earth. You take only as much as you give, and people are definitely taking more than they will be able to return. But that is the challenge, to replenish our resources and change our negative habits into better ones that respect the environment as the ultimate giver.

Get in the know!

Today is World AIDS Day of 2008, marking the 20^th anniversary of World AIDS Day, and activists, victims, and just people all alike, come together to bring awareness to this global epidemic.  Although technology and medicinal advancements has helped bring about more than two dozen anti-HIV drugs, there are almost 40 million people in the world living with the virus. There are more than 1 million people are living with HIV in the United States alone, and the number is growing by about 56,000 people every year. Believe it or not, the DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF HIV INFECTED PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY. Not New York City, or Los Angeles, or Chicago, but a medium size city only an hour’s drive away from us, has an HIV rate that is nearly 10 times greater than any other city in the country. One out of every 20 DC residents is HIV positive, while one out of every 20 people suffers from full-blown AIDS (a CD4 T-cell count of below 200).

Globalization through the years has contributed to HIV/AIDS, both negatively and positively. With globalization spreading and opening doors, it opened ways for human interaction and communication to increase, but this also meant that the spread of diseases like HIV had it easier traveling to different places. Barriers were brought down, and while this let good technology and economic advancement in, it also let in the bad. Also, globalization also further expands the gap between the rich and the poor, and allows for the exploitation of the poor. Through this exploitation, the poor, who are the majority infected, are unable to receive proper treatment or medications, thus worsening the HIV/AIDS situation.

However, advanced technologies have allowed scientists to further their research into finding an ultimate cure for the virus, or, for the time being, drugs that help lengthen lives of HIV victims.  More and more people are becoming aware of the disease and how to prevent its spread through awareness campaigns and cyber communication and other types of media. Through awareness, activism increases and soon enough, legislation will pass, and more and more people from all over the world will get involved together towards a mutual goal of stopping this deadly virus.

why so angry?

The series of recent unfortunate events in Mumbai, India and the horrific loss of nearly 200 people have really struck me, with anger, but also confusion. Angry that people, humans, could really do such a thing; take innocent lives in the mass. Confused as to why, and who would do such a thing.

From several witness reports, it has been reported that the terrorists initially yelled out a command for anyone who was British or American to step forward. The attacks were carried out at a couple of high-end hotels where mostly foreigners were staying, a Jewish community center, and a popular café. Obviously, foreigners, and by foreigners, Westerners, were targeted here.

What is it that makes Westerners so hated? This wave of “west-hate” (a phrase that I just coined right now) has become very rampant since Al-Qaeda hit the U.S. in 2001, and while it is madness, there is method to it.

The western culture has spread so rapidly and so extensively into other parts of the world, and it influences masses of people. This includes television, movies, fashion, and even social customs or dialectic lingo. All these facets of the western culture bring also values and morals that westerners hold dear to their hearts, and these may not be in agreement with other cultures.

Perhaps it is jealousy? Jealous of the success that western nations have experienced, in terms of power, money, fame? Perhaps it is because of the large role that the U.S. especially, has in the affairs of several other nations; perhaps they view this as a “putting your hands where they don’t belong” type of situation?

Why do they hate us?

Schumpeter and CREATIVE DESTRUCTION

Joseph Schumpeter asserted in one of his most well-known writings, Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy, that creative destruction is an evolutionary process through which an economy internally changes and reorganizes itself.  Schumpeter describes this phenomenon with regards to Marx’s argument about capitalism, and how capitalism does, in fact, improve employment, or standards of living.  Capitalism is “by nature a form or method of economic change and, not only never is, but never can be stationary,” says Schumpeter.  He further states that this ever-changing nature of capitalism is not merely fueled by “social or natural” impacts, which he does not deny their importance, but more so by “the capitalist engine in motion” that cranks out newer innovations, newer trends, newer types of consumers, newer ways of organizing an industry, and newer means of production and transportation (5).

Schumpeter liked to emphasize the importance of innovation, and how innovation by itself has the power to outdate current trends, products, ideas, and skills.  Creative destruction may cause a certain population to lose their job, or a product that they might have liked, but in the end, it helps raise people’s standard of living by introducing to them technology and an advanced, more productive way of life.  He presses his readers to understand that “lost jobs, ruined companies, and vanishing industries are inherent parts of the growth system (5).”  Schumpeter just reminds us that through the bad, the good will come, and the good in this scenario is an economy that grows to become more productive and a society that is rewarded with improved working conditions, benefits and salary, thus an increased standard of living.

            I do believe that the globalization taking place during the 21^st century is indeed, “creative destruction on steroids.”  With the increase of communication among people across the globe, all sharing and exchanging ideas, innovation is bound to explode. We have seen already, the trade-of of jobs that creative destruction causes, within even our own country. Steel miners or coal workers from the Northeast or the Midwest are losing their jobs.  Their jobs are being threatened by the increasing amount of imports that the U.S. has chosen to bring in from other places where certain products are being produced at a much lower and more productive rate.  Jobs such as ones for telemarketing companies and software production, or filing taxes are being shifted over to countries where the rate of productivity is higher, technology is allowing these jobs to be taken care of at a higher productivity rate, and thus, people are losing their jobs.

            The accessibility of easier trade is also making way for innovation to come through.  Chances to trade with a nation where certain resources might be cheaper allows for productivity increase as well as an opportunity to trade with a nation with a higher-value currency; a win-win situation for both countries in the deal.  Some argue that trade destroys domestic jobs, and this is true in a literal sense. But arguing through the creative destruction theory here, destroying domestic jobs in turn creates new higher-paying jobs; they’re not the same jobs, but they’re still jobs.  Hence, employment in a certain section of jobs may decrease, but employment and pay as a whole actually increases.

            Now, the kind of marketable skills that were once advertised are not as marketable any more, and employers are looking for potential employees who know how to use the internet, how to network with people using technology, how to communicate with people from across the globe, and even how to speak several languages fluently.  The creative destruction forces even some skills out of the market, not just jobs or industries, creating totally new occupations.  In some cases, workers may be shifted to other alternate industries, but in many cases, they end up losing their jobs and are forced to learn new skills to adapt to the quickly changing job market.

            For the U.S. specifically, I believe that creative destruction in the face of 21^st century globalization will benefit the country. Because creative destruction is all about being on top of your competition, the long-held tradition of American competitiveness will come to use in the coming age.  Although our economy is undergoing a dip, our “vigorous competition and regulatory system that embraces technological change [will make] the U.S. economy productive and provide American households with relatively high incomes (2).”  Industries rise and industries fall, and because of the American ideal of a hard work ethic and motto of “try, try again”, when businesses do encounter failure, it does not discourage our entrepreneurs or workers too much.

            However, this is not to say that there are thousands of American citizens out there who are daily, losing their jobs to foreign competition, or to shifts in employment and industry trends.  But, America continues to create more and more jobs every year, and the unemployment rate continues to stay at a relatively low 6.1%; when in comparison with other nations (4).  And this is what creative destruction is all about. There will be rough patches along the way of destruction, but in time, the good will come and the economy will benefit from higher quality work taking place, and our standards of living being raised as a result.

Works Cited:

1. Cox, W. Michael, and Richard Alm. “Creative Destruction.” Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. 2008. Library of Economics and Liberty. 21 Nov. 2008 <http://www.econlib.org/library/enc/creativedestruction.html>.

2. “Creative Destruction: Empowering individual choice ensures growth and prosperity.” Economics and Trade. 7 Apr. 2008. America.gov. 19 Nov. 2008 <http://www.america.gov/st/econ-english/2008/april/20080415222436eaifas0.5277674.html>.

3. Grennes, Thomas. “Creative Destruction and Globalization.” Publications and Journals. CATO Institute. 20 Nov. 2008 <http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj22n3/cj22n3-10.pdf>.

4. Isidore, Chris. “Jobless rate soars to 6.1%.” CNN 5 Sept. 2008.

5. Schumpeter, Joseph A. “Joseph A. Schumpeter “Creative Destruction”" Eng 205: Literature & the Culture of Information. Apr. 2001. 21 Nov. 2008 <http://transcriptions.english.ucsb.edu/archive/courses/liu/english25/materials/schumpeter.html>.

Obamamania

Whether you agree with the man or not, citizens of the world across nation borders have celebrated Obama’s presidential win. As shown by the photographs below, people from Australia to India will be affected more than ever by this new president. With the borders between countries becoming less and less important, people from all places of the world are celebrating one another’s triumphs. Especially with the Republican failed efforts at keeping a globally-favorable foreign diplomacy alive, citizens from other nations hope that Obama and the Democrat party can improve America’s policies involving other nations and in this way, save the country’s global image. This just goes to show that all nations, no matter what their economic prowess or social influence is, depend on one another and hence, must learn to work together towards future positive progress.

The following photos are from (in order from left to right): Athens, Greece; Basra, Iraq; Beijing, China; Dakar, Senegal; Denmark; New Delhi, India; Jakarta, Indonesia; Obama, Japan; Jerusalem, Israel; Kogelo, Kenya; Kuwait; Manila, Philippines; Moscow, Russia; Sydney, Australia; Paris, France.

Left in the Dust?

I watched a documentary yesterday called “Sari Soldiers” that was a part of a Human Rights Watch Film Festival going on at the James Farmer center. The documentary is all about the political and social crises going on in Nepal, but specifically from a female point of view.

The political instability began following the royal massacre in 2001 when allegedly, the crown prince killed his entire family and then committed suicide. A civil war took place shortly afterwards involving an underground Maoist (socialist/communist) insurgency and the King seizing absolute power from the multi-party democracy. This caused many abuses against human rights and people’s civil liberties, and also changed people’s everyday lives for the worse.

Seeing footage of the atrocities going on in the country of the corruption of the government itself made me realize that certain aspects of globalization such as the increase of international trade or the spread of technology will have no effect or importance whatsoever with such political, economic and social instability going on.

Being one of the 50 poorest nations in the world, Nepal and her citizens have to worry about basic human needs such as nourishment and safety, rather than focusing on other concerns. Globalization can not spread in a nation where there is no infrastructure. So while the rest of the world is advancing due to globalization, extremely poor and unstable nations such as Nepal are left behind, since they can not catch up to the level of competition where everyone else is or has been at.

So what is it that these poor nations need to do? What is it that they can do so they won’t be left in the dust?

God, I feel dumb

I’m sitting here, babysitting my seven-year-old nephew. He’s your average first-grader in a Fairfax County public school. We’re watching Sesame Street. There’s Big Bird singing with some out-of-the-ordinarily cute and ethnic looking girl with pigtails. Just like back in 1992, when we all probably watched Sesame Street as well. Just like always.
Except this is not like always.
Big Bird is not singing in English. He (or she, who ever knows?) is singing “La Cucaracha,” a popular children’s song in Spanish.
Yup, we’re watching Sesame Street in Spanish.
Did I ever think that I would be in this situation? No. But is this a perfect time to blog about something globalization-ish? YES.
Just before you might think that Jakey, my nephew, is not really understanding any of this Spanish and he probably is just zoning out with an occasional drool, he is not. Jakey is actually quite enthralled, sitting on his knees maybe about a foot away from the TV, repeating everything Big Bird says, in Spanish. I mean, if I had learned Spanish way back when I was a little fledgling, just think about how fluent I would be now…
The thing is, I guess people are realizing how important it is for them to understand multiple languages. Nowadays in high schools and colleges across the country, becoming proficient in at least one other language is mandatory.
Jakey’s mom, my cousin, told me the other day that his school has been experimenting with their curriculum and has added learning Chinese to the class’s daily schedule. So Jakey is not only learning his colors in Spanish with Big Bird, he’s also learning Chinese in school, beside all his other regular subjects i.e. reading, numbers, first grade stuff.
I ask Jakey to count to ten in as many languages as he can and he rattles off English. Super star. Then he counts to ten in Nepali, the language that he uses at home with the family. Nice. Spanish? Easy peasy. And lastly, Chinese? Probably a little mistake or two in intonation, but nothing that my deaf ear would pick up.
Basically to sum up this entire post is a sentence: I need to catch up to that brat.

Old Meets the New: why, hello there old! and how are you new?

So this is a photo of a 19th century fort in a place called Umm Salal Mohammed in Qatar. I love how it epitomizes a stark but peaceful collision of the old and the new with the satellite dishes in the foreground. It’s a well captured photograph at summarizing the immense and rapid change in the Middle East, especially with the onslaught of modernization in light of recent demands for oil production. Even in the most remote of areas, a T.V. is showing those who had been isolated, something of the world “out there”. People no longer have to travel long distances to be exposed to different aspects of the world and its diversity. Just arrange the antennae or give the dish a little nudge, and flip the channel! While some may see the satellite dishes as a symbol of progress and modernization for the better, others may see an ancient artifact and place of history and culture being desecrated with “Western” influence. The biggest challenge, I believe in our time, is the challenge of finding an equilibrium or point of agreement where both tradition and progressive modernization can meet.

 photo courtesy of Jungle_Boy (http://flickr.com/photos/jungle_boy/)

thanks whoever you are. Tarzan.