Ch. 24 The World's Environment

The last part of chapter 24 really sets people to wonder of the real effects that we are all seeing from industrialization.  Yes, there have been many negative effects of industrialization and globalization such as genocide, wars, and corruption, but what has been slowly deteriorating is our environment.  We cannot change our environment in a year from one extreme to the next.  It is something that over the years eventually deteriorates and it is very difficult for it to grow back.  We cannot replenish forests or our ozone layer in a few years and we may not get to replenish them ever again.  We have to start taking care of our environment as much as possible because it is where we all live, it is where all of our ancestors have lived and it is where all our of future kids will live.  As we have seen, the U.S. is the largest contributor for global warming and as a country we must change that.  Our government is not doing as much as we expect and there are not many incentives for renewable energy companies to open.  Unfortunately, it is very expensive to produce, but we must continue funding with greater quantities these projects that help our environment. 

Women Issues In Presidential Campaign

After reading this article of women issues in the 2012 presidential campaign I feel that we are back on square one for stereotypes.  As NPR quotes that abortion issues are back it really goes back to gender developments throughout Christianity in which a women was seen as inferior to men.  In the present day I feel that having these issues back on the table is quite demoralizing for women.  For one, I believe that since men and women are equal citizens we should have the right to allow women to do whatever they please as long as they are in accordance with the father.  For other issues, as long as the women doesn't harm anyone or anything, she should be fine just as laws for men are equal.  Being that these issues are still being debated I feel that as a country, on gender equality, we have not developed as much as we think.

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/14/150637029/how-can-romney-win-gop-women-have-some-ideas

Supporting Women of Arab Spring -- CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/03/opinion/pelosi-women-africa-democracy/index.html

(CNN) -- Last month, a delegation of members from the U.S. House of Representatives, which I was honored to lead, met with inspiring women of North Africa who are helping to change the world.

In Cairo, Egypt; Tunis, Tunisia; and Tripoli, Libya, we held discussions with women who are committed to ensuring that women have a seat at the table and are able to succeed in this rapidly changing and strategically important region. It is an uphill climb, but there is no better time than the present.

The women we met were outspoken in their belief that the new governments must be truly democratic, and that longstanding biases against full participation by women in their society must be abolished. These women came from many different backgrounds and viewpoints, yet they are aware that while their moment is now, the obstacles are great.

Some had participated in the massive Arab Spring demonstrations that challenged decades of autocratic rule. Others had studied in the United States and other countries and then returned to build a future where women's voices are equal to those of men. Some are already serving in government but spoke about a need for more women to serve and to lead in forming new democracies in the Middle East.

One message came through clearly in every discussion: They look to the United States as an essential partner in their efforts to build democratic societies.

Women journalists played a crucial role in the overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Women are already deeply involved in rebuilding the political and economic systems of their country. Although just 10 of more than 500 members of the new parliament are women, the signal we received is that Egyptian women are committed to expanding their influence and their ranks, and to ensuring that the constitution under development will fully protect the rights of women in Egypt.

Similarly in Tunisia, Deputy Speaker Mehrezia Labidi pledged to lead the effort for women's rights and secular law in her nation. Women already hold 26% of the seats in the Constituent Assembly, which is responsible for drafting Tunisia's Constitution.

The determination of Tunisian women has been demonstrated outside the legislative chambers as well. In the midst of unrest at the University of Manouba, a young woman watched outraged as a zealot tore down her country's flag, and she then courageously climbed the flagpole to restore the flag to its rightful place, winning the plaudits of her countrymen.

Fundamental to opening opportunities to women in public and private life is expanding their access to education. The young women with whom we met in Tripoli were unanimous in their belief that improving the quality of education for all Libyans is essential to the success of their revolution and the modernization of their country, particularly in light of the utter failure of the nation's secondary schools and universities under Moammar Gadhafi.

What I heard from the women of North Africa was a refrain I have also heard in Iraq and Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East: Women and young people are weary of war. They are fed up with leaders who use ideology, religion and war to distract from the real challenges to peace, prosperity and democracy: a lack of education, a failure to provide jobs and economic opportunity, and the subjugation of women. They employed social media such as Facebook and Twitter to circumvent the repression imposed for decades by autocratic regimes and demonstrated astonishing bravery to liberate their countries from tyranny.

They have succeeded in that first phase: Gadhafi, Mubarak and Tunisia's Zine el Abidine Ben Ali are gone. These young women are under no illusions about the challenges they face. They are deeply committed to building democratic societies, and they are looking to us. We cannot fail them.

Leaders throughout North Africa and the Middle East must honor the role women played in freeing their countries: All their citizens -- including women -- have important contributions to make at this historic moment. That is a lesson it has taken the United States many generations to learn, but it is surely one of the most important pieces of wisdom we can share with developing democracies around the world.

Ch. 24 P. 1

Throughout this reading one of the major things that caught my interest was how the United States basically fell from being a major superpower in different ways.  For example, in the first half of the century it had very many exports and extended loans worldwide.  In the later second half of the century it had more imports than exports and shifted to a loan absorbing country.  The U.S. also gradually became less patriotic because in both world wars many contributed to the war in the form of building products for war or going to war.  After that, the Vietnam War brought opposing viewpoints together and many times clashed.  This is a similar approach to the more recent opposing viewpoints of the Iraq and Afghan war in which many opposed the wars.  With these differences I feel that the U.S. in a way has at least begun to lose the role of a superpower. 

Gandhi and MLK

The quote from Mahatma Gandhi, “an ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching,” helps him encourage his fellow citizens from the developing country, India, to make something to improve it.  India had been dramatically changed by colonialism and further more it had created internal pressures whether to continue industrialization or to go back to agrarian methods which brought about problems within different religions in India.  Martin Luther King Jr. had a quote, “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”  His intention was obviously to help inspire people to create a desegregated and equal nation.  Its goal was to help change people and to motivate people to speak about, and act upon bad actions to help improve society overall.  Both of these quotes by Gandhi and MLK both aim to improve society and motivate people to do something good and stand up for what is right. 

Ch. 23

After reading Chapter 23 I really begin to ask myself what would have these ‘developing countries’ would be like today if Europeans would have never colonized, or attempted to colonize them.  For the first time after reading this book I begin to see the European expansion as bad.  Some of it changed for good because it developed industrialized countries.  But on the vast majority side, it really messed with the natives, their culture, and their economy as well as their natural resources.  For example in most of Africa and India, if not all, these ‘developing countries’ had major problems within themselves even decades after colonization because it brought up ideas that some people favored while their tradition societies rejected them.  On top of that there were land division issues between tribes or religious groups as well.