Monday, December 19, 2011
The Iraq War- Was It Successful?
Friday, December 9, 2011
Debate Reflection
Debate Reflection
Debate Reflection
Debate Reflection
Debate Reflection
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Class debate
Class Debate
Yesterday's Debates
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Debate Reflection
Debating
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Foreign Aid
Aid for Population Growth
Monday, November 28, 2011
U.S. and the Population Crisis
Uncontrolled population growth is the cause many problems around the world. Traffic jams, disease, famine, and poverty all start with overpopulation. The U.S, as a developed country, has a somewhat controlled growth rate and there needs to accept the responsibility of helping less developed, third-world countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia, or India. In India for example, actions have been made by the government in order to limit the growth rate, however, no improvements have occurred and India is on schedule to become the most populous nation in the world. It is up to the U.S. to bring aid to places like India because they won’t be able to do it on their own. If they don’t do anything then the world population will continue to increase and because of globalization it will bring negative effects to the rest of the globe. I don’t believe there should be any conditions to the help of the U.S. because slowing the population crisis is ultimately the more important in the long run.
Foreign aid?
I think the United States should give foreign aid to reduce population growth. The world’s population is growing rapidly and there is not too much we can do about it. One of the few things we can do is provide other less developed countries with foreign aid. The United States has good working conditions, good government (for the most part), and good living conditions, which is inviting for people that are not as well off, to come to the United States. If we gave foreign aid to other countries we would be helping them stay where they are and help their living conditions get better. If all of the numbers that have been predicted for the population in 2050 the whole world will be affected, although the U.S. is not necessarily part of the problem. We should help the countries that are overpopulated so in the long run we are hopefully not affected.
Should the U.S give foreign aid?
Do I believe the U.S. should give foreign aid, yes. Do I think they should start right now, no. I believe this not because the U.S isn’t capable, not because we are involved in multiple global conflicts, and not even because of our suffering economy. I believe we should wait because to achieve the goal that this idea of financing the poor nations to balance the population has set, we need all the developed countries to get involved. This is not a problem the U.S can solve on its own. France, Britain, Chine, Russia, and other well of countries need to unite with the U.S and solve this problem together. If the U.S were to start donating right now, it would have a positive impact, but not nearly as much as if we waited and unified through the UN and attacked this problem together. Only then can we hope to truly make a difference and establish a balanced population.
United States Stance on Population
U.S. gives help?
Yes, I think the U.S. government should give foreign aid to reduce the world population growth. If the U.S. government gives aid in foreign countries people from those countries will stop coming to the U.S. for better life conditions. As we all know, people from lower class countries come to the U.S. for better lives. Here we have better working conditions, living conditions, human rights, freedom of speech and religion. The U.S. giving aid is going to help the living and working conditions which is a good start. When you make a country better it will make the people want to stay there or even people from the U.S. go and live there. If we made all of the foreign countries as developed and well rounded as us, more people would want to live there. Women in foreign countries don’t have the knowledge of birth control and sexism. If we give aid we could help these people understand which will decrease or slow down population.
How the U.S. can help save the world
Should U.S help other countries with population growth?? Conditions?
Friday, October 21, 2011
Al Qaeda in Somalia
To be honest, I had no idea what was going on at the beginning of this article. I guess I don’t understand if the New York Times is trying to tell me that Americans are in Somalia dressed as Al Qaeda leaders. I don’t understand who is in the country taking people for their armies and who gave them food. What I do understand is that famine is not okay. I know that food security is one of the basic human securities everyone deserves. Whether it’s drought or not, someone should be in there making sure everyone has enough food to live. I know that it is not okay that 750,000 people are expected to die due to in within the next few months. I do know that the pictures we saw yesterday and the pictures of these people were leaked to us and other countries are not okay. It makes me think that our government is doing something wrong..that we are selfish and that something needs to change. This famine is not okay. Someone needs to help.
Say What?
Al Qaeda- Kill 'em All
Al Qaeda in Somalia
Al Qaeda's New Tactic
This past weekend a man identified as Abu Abdulla Almuhajir visited a refugee camp in Somalia. A scarf covered his face, he was surrounded by masked gunmen wearing white vests, and brought with him donations. The donations included sacks of grain, dates, dehydrated milk, children’s clothes, copies of the Koran, and $17,000 cash which was divided amongst the families. Even more peculiar, Almuhajir was a white man speaking perfect English with an American accent and the donated items had a label that said “Al Qaeda campaign on behalf of Martyr Bin Laden. Charity relief for those affected by the drought”. The Shabab terrorist group starving the people of Somalia has pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda. Many believe that this is solely Al Qaeda propaganda in order to gain a new generation of recruits after a series of detrimental blows to the terrorist groups hierarchy of command. This is likely true, though some believe that Almuhajir is only pretending to be an Al-Qaeda representative. In this case it would be hard to find his motive. One possibility is that Almuhajir is a wealthy and clever individual who had devised a way to get aid into the starving people inside the Al Shabaab camp, though this is unlikely.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Al- Qaeda Does Charity and Terrorism
For about the first half of this article I was thinking, “wow, Al-Qaeda is helping people”. But after reading further I realized that they haven’t changed. They are working with the Shabab, a group that is causing the deaths of millions of people and taking children to use as soldiers. Although Al- Qaeda was giving the camp of Somalians food, it seems to be superimposed, or in other words it’s covering up the true relations that the two groups have together. The first thing that made me suspicious was the fact that Mr. Almahujir was white. Muslims from Middle Eastern decent usually don’t take kindly to Western or European converted Muslims. Also he praises the Shabab leaders for, ‘“operating under extremely difficult circumstances’”. This doesn’t make sense to me because the Shabab leaders are imprisoning these people and causing the starvation of millions, so how could they be doing any good? It sounds like Al- Qaeda is backing the part of the Shabab that is doing the imprisoning not the part that is giving them food. Either way, there is certainly something shady about the whole situation, and I’m sure that it can’t be good.
Somalia and Al Qaeda
Al Qaeda and Somalia
After reading the article about Al Qaeda supporting Somalia for the severe drought that they are currently dealing with, I was somewhat puzzled. Seeing that Al Qaeda is the largest terrorist organization in the world, it is strange that they would be trying to support Somalia in their efforts to feed their people. Many people have doubts that this is actually true and that Abu Abdulla Almuhajir is just an Al Qaeda impostor. I do not believe in this because Al Qaeda has a win win situation for supporting Somalia. One is that they look good to all other countries by helping a country in need instead of terrorizing them. The other is that they have the chance to recruit young children by basically bribing them with a supply a food. With the situation that the Somalians are in, many of them can’t afford to turn down such an offer.
Somalia and Al Qaeda
I honestly have no idea what to think about this article. At first I thought it was crazy that Al Qaeda wanted to help the people in Somalia, but then as I kept reading I realized that there is definitely a reason as to why they are doing this. Considering the conditions in Somalia right now the mass amounts of people just want to get out. I think Al Qaeda is trying to take advantage of the drought and get new recruits. This is almost a perfect place for them to do so. The people that get help are going to be so grateful that they helped them they will most likely switch to Islam and be on Al Qaeda’s side. This is also a better way for Al Qaeda to better their reputation and get more followers. This article was hinting towards the fact that they believe Al Qaeda could have some American members, which I do not doubt.
Somalia and Al Qaeda
Somalia
Somalia and Al Qaeda
Al Qaeda Aids Somalia
Somalia Famine
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Global Companies and Human Rights
Company Strategies
Market Strategies
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Marketing Strategies
When it comes to how an economy in a certain regions economy is functioning, the condition of the businesses in that area will determine the wealth of a countries economy. In a successfully thriving economy, you can be sure that what businesses it contains market building strategies that function on profits and good morals. Marketing building strategies are maintained and are implemented consistently by the company. Ways to maintain profits consists of identifying a target market, knowing your competition, finding a niche, building credibility and being consistent.
But as we know, when there are thriving markets, there is the competition that struggles to strive. When businesses are having these problems, some turn to cost minimizing strategies in hopes to raise their budget. These tactics can range from hiring fewer workers to paying under minimum wage and creating poor working environments.
Market-Building Strategy vs. Cost-Effective Strategy
Role of Global Companies
Market-building Strategy an Cost-minimizing Strategy
Marketing and Cost-minimizing strategies
Marketing strategy will show the result of your company. Marketing strategy is a process that can allow an organization to limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales. A market building strategy doesn’t step on human rights, most of the time. A company that holds this strategy will most likely get profit. This strategy has bad working conditions. It also has bad pay, they don’t get paid fairly.
Cost-minimizing strategies are harder on workers but also will employ. This strategy give your fair pay and good working conditions. I don’t know any other examples that of a cost-minimizing other than Nike. The Nike produce produces their material at a cheaper cost for there employs.
Market Building vs. Minimizing
Global Companies
Comparing Market Building Strategies and Cost Minimizing Strategies
While it is not black and white, most globalized companies fall into two categories. Some corporations pursue market-building strategy, they tend to invest in human rights and treat their workers well; while other corporations pursue cost-minimizing strategy tend to use outsourcing and other strategies to get around human rights requirements. Market-building companies tend to make long-term investments that are unlikely to produce immediate profit. Cost-minimizing companies tend to make short-term investments cut corners, out source, and any other strategy to get around restrictions involving human rights. They will use low wages, poor quality, long hours, and bad health conditions to save money. An example of this is oil companies such as Shell's experience in Nigeria. They were taking advantage of Nigeria’s lack of human rights restrictions. This allowed them to work their workers as long as they wanted, pay them close to nothing, and have little or no health care. They also ended up working against a movement for rights for rights for the Ogoni people.
There's good companies, and bad companies
The role of Global Companies in Human Rights
Thursday, September 29, 2011
What should the United States do?
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is causing incredible amounts of tension not only in Israel and Palestine, across the world. The United States is stuck in the middle of the conflict. For the most part, it’s Israel on one side with the support of the U.S. and several European countries. On the other side we have Palestine with the support of many other Middle Eastern countries and is reaching out for Arab support. Israel is an important U.S. ally and over the years we have continued to show our support. In the past few decades the United States has also been building relations with other countries in the Middle East.
The United States is in a difficult situation. If the U.S. decided to become impartial to the conflict and simply do nothing it would upset a key U.S. ally and possibly send the conflict into a downward spiral. On the other hand, if the United States were increase their support for Israel it would upset many of the countries in the volatile Middle East and most likely damage or destroy political relations with many Middle Eastern countries. To be honest I can't make a concrete decision about what I think the U.S. should do but for the mean time I would continue our support for Israel until the US believes that Palestine should be granted statehood.