“The End of Nationalism?” Perhaps…. Perhaps Not.

“The End of Nationalism?” is an essay about, you guessed it, the end of nationalism around the globe. It states that this is due to the spread of technology and ideas connecting the people of the world together. The specific case that it mentions as an example is the ongoing instability between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The Future

Fax machines may seem a bit outdated now but nearly twenty years ago they made all the difference in how war would play out between the two groups. They allowed the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) the means to communicate with its members that were miles apart and cut off due to Israeli security checkpoints. The faxes could not be tapped without disrupting the entire Israeli phone network.

The essay also mentions how the internet has brought on the spread of ideas and allowed people of any background to interact with one another – an important step towards globalization and a step backwards for nationalism.

Personally, I can agree with the end of nationalism. Its coming faster and faster but I don’t think that we will truly reach a global society. There is simply too much hate and ignorance in the world.

Pennsylvania Voter I.D. Law as of 9/20/12

A lot of recent news has come up concerning the Pennsylvania Voter I.D. law and how it is still in court despite elections being less than a couple months away.

The law would require a certain type of I.D. in order to be eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential elections. It was supposedly thought up as a way to reduce voter fraud, yet such fraud is not very prevalent as Pennsylvania has not come up with sufficient evidence for need of such a law.

Democrats are saying that without that evidence the law may actually just be a scam to oppress minority and poor voters, but officials and the backing republicans deny such accusations.

The story is coverd by CNN, ABC, and the Washington Post. All three get the basic points across well enough when it comes to the possible bias of the law and the recent court decisions. ABC’s story is lacking any reference to republicans vs. democrats and is bias towards removal of the law. Both CNN and the Washington Post provide both sides of the argument.

I can see how identification is important, but if there’s no evidence of fraud there is no reason for it.

Thoughts on Badillo’s ‘Asians and Hispanics’

‘Asians and Hispanics’ is an excerpt from Herman Badillo’s book One Nation, One Standard covering how Hispanics are compared to other immigrant groups, notably Asians. Badillo, himself, is Puerto Rican and also the first congressman of such background.

Herman Badillo

In the text, he describes how he has encountered immigrant groups of all backgrounds and from his observations he has come up with Hispanics as having the hardest time succeeding with the American dream. He is potentially biased about it with him being Puerto Rican; however, he does back his claim with some statistical data and other insider views. He is very straight forward with his thoughts and is not afraid to say anything it seems.

Honestly, on a personal level, I can’t really make a claim with this as I don’t really belong to any of these demographics. My mom is an immigrant, but it doesn’t affect me as I am, basically, just another white middle class American. I look forward to learning about ethnic gaps though.

13 September 2012 Chicago Teachers’ Strike

Monday morning, more than 29,000 teachers from the Chicago school district went on strike for the first time in more than 25 years. The issue? Teachers do not feel that they are being paid enough and refuse to go back to work until the issue is resolved, effectively turning schools into nothing more than daycare centers. The mayor, Rahm Emanuel, has stated that “this is a strike of choice and it’s the wrong choice for our children.”

The major news providers include ABC, CNN, and The New York Times. All cover several reasons as to why this happened and share the same basic viewpoints. Teachers want improved union benefits and a revision of the public education system while parents and officials just want the strike to end so that the children have a place to learn again.

Honestly, I believe teachers don’t get paid enough and that standardized scores are emphasized too much. However, the Chicago teachers are paid on average $70,000 a year. An agreement should show up soon though.

A Taste of ‘The Immigration Dinner Party’

‘The Immigration Dinner Party’ is a fictional gathering of some very real characters that come together to discuss a possible solution to the ever-so-popular topic of immigration over a 3 course dinner. The characters include state senators, representatives, and directors from all around Texas. The goal is to have the solution by the end of the meal.

My first impression of this play-like essay was that it really brings these people, which would probably be more used to a debate hall, together in a more friend/family oriented setting. The topic is a large one with different and controversial solutions, all of which are difficult to implement without the risk of failure or backlash.

Richard Land, the president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, begins to come up with a possible solution by possibly allowing illegals to come forward and be given a chance to assimilate, but I’d imagine that most would be too scared of ulterior motives and the possibility of being deported.

Ultimately, a definite solution is never produced by the end of the meal proving immigration to be a much more difficult problem to solve than expected.

The Murders in the French Alps. Out of the Ordinary? 6 September, 2012

A few days ago, the French Alps were plagued by terror. A family of five was attacked along with an innocent cyclist whom happened to be in the area at the wrong time. The British-Iraqi family was on vacation Lake Annecy in lower France when the gruesome attacks occurred. The motive for attack is unknown but French Police are saying it could have been a professional. 3 are dead and 2 injured.

The Family’s Car riddled with bullet holes.

The story was covered by a multitude of British news sites that go into quite a bit of detail. The BBC, the British Daily Mail, and Guardian.co.uk were the major British sites. While the Daily Mail covered the story with the most length, they were rather assuming of what became of the killer and I could tell there was some bias against the French. The BBC and Guardian both keep it very professional with the BBC having just a little more video coverage.

It’s difficult to believe that such a terrible thing could happen to what was seen as an average family. The fact that police didn’t find the youngest daughter for 8 hours is also troubling. It makes me wonder about the world these days.

The Journey Continues

Dear Anybody,

My name is Kristopher Muse. I am currently an eighteen year old college freshman that is, at least for now, enrolled in my core classes at Georgia State University at the downtown Atlanta campus. It is, honestly, my first real full time experience with the so-called ‘real world’ and I have to say I am really enjoying the day to day life of being a college student despite it the outrageous expenses involved. This is a massive change from high school in the ironically and correctly named Butts County school system; therefore, I would expect nothing less than to see some personal change among my actual being. There’s an entirely new set of influences just waiting to push me toward that change.

As far as meeting new people, it has been relatively easy for me when compared to what I’ve done in the past. I’ve changed my approach entirely. I used to be quite introverted and would wait for others to approach me, but that just doesn’t work in this setting. Everyone is simply either too busy to bother. I’ve learned that to meet people, I needed to just throw myself out there. Of course, my new friends were simple to approach as we have all the same classes together for the most part due to us all signing up for an FLC, or Freshman Learning Community, which brings me to my classes.

My FLC is called Global Issues and consists of classes that all revolve around that theme. They don’t really have a certain major in play for them which are both good and bad. My major as of now is computer science, so it’s clear that I don’t really belong with global issues. However, I have made some interesting friends and the classes have really begun to open my eyes to what it’s like for everyone around the globe. I’m not saying that I’ve been closed minded, but I haven’t explored other’s views in detail either.

College is turning out to be a great experience, with which I shall always remember. My endeavors are bound to shape me into what I hope not only productive member of society, but also a better person. With new friends and eyes wide open, I’ve already begun to feel the hands of change morphing my form into something new and improved. I’ll be the same person, but different.

Sincerely,

Kris

Sedaris’ ‘I’ll Eat What He’s Wearing’…. Really? I wouldn’t. Some Thoughts.

When was the last time you wanted to eat a rotten apple? How about a piece of your hat? For me that’s been about never. Well, for this father it is certainly nothing new or even out of the ordinary for that matter.

In this short narrative, it details a father that has some rather bizarre eating habits that he developed during his experience with the Great Depression. No matter how old a piece of edible ‘goodness’ is, it seems to be fair game. Day, week, even year old items don’t bother this man at all. “There was nothing so rotten that it couldn’t be eaten.”

Mmm. Now that is a tasty burger! The ‘not so happy’ meal.

To actually understand the point behind this reading, one must look past the habits and rather look at the origin of this behavior in the first place. He learned to not waste anything; that anything could be saved. In a time like the Depression, money and food were hard to come by. It isn’t odd to him because it is all he knows.

I cannot begin to imagine what it is like to starve and have to eat anything edible, but this man has experienced that. The fact that he never left that state of mind just puts me in awe.

August 30, 2012, 270 Mine Workers Charged With Murder in South Africa

Within the past two weeks, riots have broken out in South Africa among the workers of a platinum mine due to protests of lack of wages. They refused to enter the mines until they were promised higher wages, and when that didn’t happen chaos broke out. Quite recently, 270 workers were arrested and charged with murder using a law often used under apartheid, even though it was the police cited as being the shooters.

South African Police surrounding the bodies of some of the victims.

Being covered by The Wall Street Journal, ABC Australia, and CBS World News, there isn’t any shortage of coverage. All three cover the story in detail. No lack of shock among the world community that the South African government is regressing to former apartheid law. ABC Australia seems to have the most personal news cast with it being a recording, allowing one to hear the side of the victims in person.

The fact that many of the workers killed were shot in the back does not help the situation. No police were charged with anything illegal, and is “a serious blow to South African Democracy,” says ABC Australia. I have to agree.

What about ‘The River That Runs Through Me”?

‘The River That Runs Through Me’ is a about how Beatriz Terrazas feels about her connection to how the Rio Grande both connects and splits her worlds apart. She is torn by the fact that the river is now no longer a place of enjoyment, but a dividing wall. Dried up and hardly a river in the summer due to damming for farm use, it barely lives up to its name. She also mentions that it is no longer recognized as a river, but rather a political boundary; something for governments to argue over.

The Rio Grande. A little old, but it looks grander.

The feeling of being a part of two countries is something that I am not entirely unfamiliar with. My mother being from Belgium and father from the U.S., I have grown up and seen what both have to offer me. Her mentioning about going back just to see her grandfather buried really hit home. In fact, the last two times that I’ve been back were to bury members of my family; loved ones.

There is, however, not a sense of boundary for me like there is with Terrazas. No thoughts of disconnection exist in my relationship with Belgium.