Blog #13 China & Vietnam

Blog #13 China and Vietnam

 

            This week’s discussions were on technologic developments and exports of China and Vietnam. Vietnam is currently one of the world’s largest suppliers of export to the rest of the world. There is a vast difference economically and technologically in today’s Vietnam than the Vietnam of thirty or even ten years ago. This rapid change has affected Vietnam on a social level. Today’s Vietnam is a mix of old traditions and a rapidly approaching future. Although Vietnam has not changed politically, it has however adopted the capitalist spirit of the west. This makes Vietnam an interesting quagmire of free enterprise and oppression. Although Vietnam is thriving currently many speculate that as its wealth increases so will their social problems and eventually the country’s capitalistic spirit will shrink this will remain to be seen though.

            China is very similar to Vietnam in their desire for growth and love of capitalism. China has even gone as far as concealing any religious beliefs in order to be viewed as more likable to the world market. China also has a history of human rights violations yet continues to dominate the world as a giant of export. But like Vietnam with more demand for products, China is forced to slow down export and thus is losing business in the long run. The world looks for the best deal and although China and Vietnam are enjoying much success currently many believe Africa will be the future of export. If this prophecy comes to be truth there are many harsh realities in store for these budding countries of export.    

Blog 13 Curitiba

Curitiba

 

 

Recently it seems that the majority of the west is becoming increasingly concerned with the way in which we as humans interact and live with our environment. Curitiba is an example of one such city that has taken to and adapted to a green ideology. A philosophy of existing in nature symbiotically rather than in domination of the environment. The city has revolutionized its public transportation dramatically in many different ways. Changes to the design of busses traffic flow and direction are just a few ways the city has become a world leader in public transportation. The city has also adopted the idea that their city should not only be a place to work but also to live in. Small café’s, markets, and parks increase the desire to live within the city limits rather than commute in and out of the city. Another idea Curitiba is working with is to use wasted space within the city and transforming it into popular places of interest and attraction. This is accomplished through the construction of low cost buildings and structures.

            Although Curitiba is a example of success in cohabitation with nature, the idea that the way their city operates with clean efficiency can be possible in every city is flawed in my opinion. Free capital to start these energy saving programs are expensive and many cities can not afford to start them. In addition there are problems in motivating the population to start using these alternatives. Lastly, I believe population size is a critical dimension to the success of such programs. Larger populations would have great difficulties in adapting to these new ways of living and commuting with little to no available land for development.       

Presidential Election

Presidential Election

 

            This year’s election was a historical blowout, if you have ever wanted to be engaged in politics this was your year. We had the first Black nominee for president, women for president, and only the second women for vice-president. No matter how you felt about this election, it was very important in that it got Americans to interested in who was going to run the country and how that person would represent them. Never before had I seen such excitement and debate on tough issues such as healthcare, national defense, and the economy.

I am very proud that Americas reached out to the government and demanded that their vote be heard and counted. There were many shifts in this election and unexpected issues. I felt that the media paid special attention to every detail of this election with its endless coverage of every angle of every story. Many stories inspired Americans to feel compassion for one another and dividing others. I am glad this election is over, but would be saddened if this inspired celebration in us and our country were not a continued investment in the future. Regardless of whether your candidate won or lost in this election, this election was a step toward reinvesting as Americans back into our country.

Hopefully the next election will have less focus on the bias of the media and more to do with the content and character of the American running for office. I believe that Americans should and can think for themselves without having to be spoon fed what they should think or the media wants them to think.           

           

Blog #11

Blog #11

 

            This week we discussed technology and its affect on education. Students in particular that are most affected by technology are those of the “Y” generation, my generation. The “Y’ generation are the most effected by technology because they are the ones who are currently in college and have grown up with technology, unlike other generations before them who did not have the same advantages. How does this technology influence my generation?

Well in my opinion this technology allows us to access information at speeds never before possible and from countless sources. The problem with this is that there are so many sources of information out there on the web that you never know who is giving you the truth and who is spinning it. This leads to a slipping in actual knowledge and leads us to a state of pseudo knowledge or fake knowledge.

In fact, I believe that all this technology has transformed us from a nation of doers and go getters, into a nation of lazy, uninformed, do nothings. This generation cares only about what they are entitled to, and cares nothing of what the country needs from them. Furthermore, I believe that my generation is not only physically weak, but also lack mental toughness and hide these weaknesses under a veil of smugness and a false belief in their extraordinary intelligence. My words are harsh but only a cry for my generation to stop worrying about themselves and start looking to help one another to be better than we are and be more than were content to be.    

nuclear technologies outline

Politics of Nuclear Technologies

Theme:

            The theme I wish to discuss in my future project is that of nuclear weapon technologies and long range delivery systems for these weapons. The specifics of this technology will be examined in order to answer questions which have been raised since the inception of this type of weaponry. I wish to address the question of why certain nation-states are allowed to develop and stockpile nuclear weapons technologies to include long range delivery systems, yet other nation-states are strongly discouraged from pursuing such technologies. In fact many countries have suffered greatly economically due to severe embargos being placed on them for trying to develop these technologies. In addition to severe embargos strong language and actions have been taken militarily to prevent the expansion of these technologies to certain countries and fundamentalist organizations.

            The second issue I wish to explore with this technology is why attainment of this technology is so strong in these nation-states and these fundamental organizations. Why do these nation-states believe they need these technologies? Will this type of technology be critical to the self-preservation of these counties? Or is it better stated that this technology will be used for regional threats, control, and intimidation? Thirdly, is it impossible to change the course of this technology or to destroy it?

Framework:

            I will be using historical arguments of this technology to highlight examples of frameworks discussed in the first five weeks of class. This paper will rely highly on the politics of artifacts, illustrating how this principle highly influenced the development of atomic weaponry during World War II. The politics of this technology will carry us through the cold war and to our current situations in a nuclear world. I will also look to technological determinism to explain why the pursuit of this technology is being viewed as a “magic bullet” for many countries throughout the world. I will also take a deep look at the concept of path dependency when it comes to the continuation of this technology. I will also analyze how nuclear weapons have taken on politics of their own and how path dependency prevents us from solving these politics.  

Resources:

            I will examine books that will deal with American national defense policies in order to better understand the United States philosophies in dealing with nuclear technologies. I engage in books concerning NATO’s philosophies on nuclear technologies to better understand the world view. And I will try to conduct interviews with those who have worked in government with experience in this technology.

weekly reflection 4

Weekly reflection #4

 

            This week’s reflection is about technological momentum and path dependency. I understand technological momentum to be a hybrid that is determined by its necessity and cultural relevance. One such example of this technology would be the iPod. The iPod was a technology born out of a necessity to advance music beyond compact discs (CD’s). Thus, this technology was well assimilated and supported by the culture of its consumers. The iPod technology has now imbedded itself into other technologies such as iTunes. Because these technologies continue to become dependant on each other they will continue to grow and evolve and thus, creating by definition a technological momentum.

            Although, I am affected and able to recognize technological momentum in my own life, I feel that path dependency has a much stronger effect on my life.  Path dependency can be best described as a “ripple effect” type of technology. The best example of this concept would be the creation of the automobile. With it’s creation a dependence on oil was also created and thus caused a considerable ripple effect. With the creation of the gas powered motor many other technologies were echoed throughout history dependent upon oil. Oil changed the power structure for many countries in the Middle East and now is a huge concern for many nations national security. Although, in our own country we are determined to find an alternative to oil, our past dependency has made it nearly impossible to change our direction towards another source of energy. This will be the burden of my generation for the decisions of a past generation.           

Week #3

Weekly Reflection #3

 

 

            This week we covered a few issues concerning whether or not certain technologies on the battlefield were responsible for victory and the progression of history according to that victory. The other topic would deal with the evolution of the bicycle and how it affects the way we view that technology. To address the first issue, I would start by stating that I whole heartedly feel that technology definitely affects the way our future is unraveled, especially concerning warfare technologies.

Let me start by stating that I have seen this technology in use first hand. In March of 2003 I found myself in the 3^rd infantry of the Army fighting my way to Baghdad. It was at the Karbala Gap that I found myself in heavy combat as Iraq’s Medina division and Republican Guard dug in for their hardest fight yet as they converged on us. I found myself providing security for a bulk fuel truck as we were immersed in combat. Suddenly Iraqi forces started walking in artillery on this truck. The ground shook as the shells landed closer and closer, the noise they made were deafening. Although I could see the enemy through my night vision goggles I was not equipped with a weapon that would reach them accurately at that range. The last shell hit close enough to leave shrapnel in the tanker, the next one would have killed us all. Just then an Apache helicopter flew in and lit them up with a missile saving our lives that night. There are many examples of how technology affected not only me, but the course of the battle in that particular moment of fighting.

            I believe that consumer technology never really changes, it only becomes smaller, faster, and smarter (I.e. cell phones, iPods, ect.). In our discussion of the progression of the bicycle we saw that the bicycle started as one thing and with each modification the bicycle became something else to the consumer. Consumers turned this particular technology from a big clumsy device for the rich to a smaller more refined product which ended up becoming a symbol of women’s rights. The cell phone did something similar in the fact it transformed from a rich person’s toy to a symbol of personal freedom for countless people around the world. Now the technology is almost a necessity of life for most.

Week 2 reflection

Week 2

            In week two we examine whether or not technologies are political. In my humble opinion I would reply with a resounding yes! However, the more salient question might be how and why these technologies are political? Some will argue that technology is neutral and therefore cannot be political. I shun this argument and reply that technology is not immaculate, nor does it spontaneously appear. Technology starts as a seedling within a person’s mind, a mind which is shaped by experiences and preconceptions. These ideas are hence incarnate within the technology.

            I believe that certain technologies are created with good intentions such as washers and dryers. However, how many families could afford a washer and dryer when first introduced to the public? So somewhere between the inventor of the technology and the supplier of the technology, individuals were involved in adding to the politics of the technology. Now, even if one could afford the technology, the politics of the technology discriminate against those with limited space or in my case growing up with poor plumbing. Growing up in my mother’s house the pipes were mostly busted and the drains were backed up and could not be fixed without replacement. Since my mom supported us on a single income we could never utilize this technology even if affordable. So instead of washer and dryer technology we used buckets to meet our laundry needs. Although this was a primitive form of technology we used, (and it may stir up certain images of stereotypes) it was absolutely necessary for us, as the popular technology’s politics of the time discriminated against our group or class.

            Now, the example I used from my past illustrates that the technology was invented with positive intentions. Yet, because this technology was invented by a person with preconceived notions rather than an immaculate design, many groups were discriminated against by the politics of this technology. It is my belief that no matter if you believe in Plato’s theory of hierarchy and its relation to technology, or people who blatantly abuse technology for personal gain, or my theory of accidental discrimination, we can surmise that technology will be associated with politics well into the future.    

Week 1 reflection

Weekly Reflection # 1

 

            This week we explored the ideas of technology and inequality. I personally do not believe that the true nature of technology is to create inequality between different groups of people, but rather view technology and it’s advancement as being born of human necessity. Although I will argue that technology has been abused as an instrument of severe prejudice by certain groups, I will also argue its very real necessity and simplicity at heart. First I would like to start by examining a specific use of technology in order to benefit different groups of people. Let’s examine Phoenix “The oasis in the desert”, if not for the incredible technologies such as reservoirs, canals, pipelines, and the computer technologies to run them, water could never find its way from the Colorado river to phoenix had it not been the necessity of these technologies. Hence, phoenix could not exist nor it’s many different groups of people without the necessity.

 However, this is not always the case in dealing with new technologies. Many of the new technologies we are engaged with today are produced in an attempt to increase personal profits rather than out of a human necessity for survival. An iPod could be construed as such a technology, it may enhance the quality of your life but it is not a tool for survival. Yet not everyone can afford an iPod, is this fair? Perhaps not, but this hardly qualifies as an injustice. What does qualify as an injustice is the lack of access to computer technologies. Personally I come from a single parent home where neither parent ever had an education beyond high school and therefore neither parent was able to secure a high paying job. So I never enjoyed growing up with a computer, car, or even air conditioning, had I been a weaker person I would not be the first person in my family to graduate college because of these set backs in technology. Although I worked since age 16, it was only a year ago I afforded my first personal computer. If not for the ASU computer lab I’m not sure how I would have come this far in my education. I am much more inclined to believe that this is much more of a technological injustice than the iPod example because this type of prejudice affects a groups human survival.

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!