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Another extra credit option
Please take the 26-question American presidential selector quiz at the link below.www.selectsmart.com/president/2008.html Then, post your top three candidates who are still viable (not the ideal *1). Finally, provide your opinion about these results. Do they surprise you, or not? Did you learn anything? If so, what, specifically?
You may post this or email to me, as one has already....
You may post this or email to me, as one has already....
Blog Archive
About Me
21 comments:
Lovely Jackson; Blog 2
Cuba’s Future
My blog will be written from page 281.Cuba is an institution to a new breed of nationalist Latino American Politicians. President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela said that he sees Castro as a mentor. Wayne smith, a former diplomat from Havana, stated that “As Latin America moves away from the United States there are increasing bonds between other Latin American states and Cuba”. Several experts, question the degree of Castro’s regional influences, Castro became a very ironic figure of Latin American nationalism and Anti-Americanism among young people. Congress is requesting $45.7 million dollars to aid a civil society; made up of family members of 75 anti-Castro activists arrested in 2003. The United States movement is trying to spend about $80million dollars that would aid in getting news to Cuba about information around the world to Cubans that have limited access. It is of much importance for the Cuban civil society groups to continue to gain more access, to more modern equipment so that they can help increase the allotment of independent information to aid pro-democratic activities. People fear that if a lot of people start to rebel from the Cuban government that it would cause 1000’s of people to migrate to Florida. Even though Americans want to help Cuba, I don’t think that a massive flow of Cubans into the United States would be appreciated
What Makes a Person “British”? Pg 118
It all started in north London where some young professionals were engaged in a favorite national pastime, the pub quiz. It is usually a quiz on trivia or sports but this one was different it came from the test immigrants must take when applying for citizenship also known as the, “Britishness test. “This 24 question exam was introduced in 2005 after former home secretary David Blunkett. Out of a 100 volunteers not one passed. The highest score was 17, by Rohan Thanotheran, A Sri Lanka Born accountant who has lived in England since 1962. He thought that the quiz was a desperate attempt by the government to reclaim nationalism at the time. The test has been criticized for lengthening the application process and promoting a siege mentality among Britons towards foreigners. Increasingly irrelevant to people especially of age. Who grew up here and don’t think of ourselves as ethnic categories. They want to give a test to anyone who is mixed or a different nationality. My opinion is that I think it is good to have the test for immigrants. But they should not have the people taking it. I think they need to strengthen the test in math and English. So it sets a standard for the British people. They need to stop stereotyping everyone when they don’t even know the peoples history or background.
Truman Petway
No Child Left Behind Act: Does it Help or Hurt School Children?
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States federal law that reauthorizes a number of federal programs that aim to improve the performance of U.S.'s primary and secondary schools by increasing the standards of accountability for states, school districts and schools, as well as providing parents more flexibility in choosing which schools their children will attend. No Child Left Behind requires states to create an accountability system of
assessments, graduation rates, and other indicators. All students must be proficient by the
2013- 2014 school year. An escalating set of assistance is provided to students who are in
schools that repeatedly do not improve. Each state determines appropriate levels of proficiency
for its students. If a single group within a school fails to reach proficiency, the entire school is considered to have fallen short. Many people believe that the No Child Left Behind Act is a good idea because this act requires that every student is given a fair chance at an equal education. However, many people also believe that the No Child Left Behind Act is destined to fail without helping a single child.
Due to the controversy of this law, many people feel that this law has done more harm than good. Many believe the standards of the No Child Left Behind Act are much too steep. Many parents also believe that tests are being substituted from quality education. School systems feel like they are forced to lower standards to avoid sanctions. It has been reported the No Child Left Behind Act promotes inequality. The biggest controversy that is caused by this act is the fact that many people are not only uninformed about this act, but many people also believe that this act is a hoax. In the article “The No Child Left Behind Act Does Not Protect the Right of All Students to Receive a Quality Education”, Karp discusses the issues behind these federal mandated act and the opposing viewpoints to this act.
Karp claims that the No Child Left Behind Act will not close the academic gaps between each group of students, fails on the promise to improve low performing schools, and is unable to assure that every child has a qualified teacher. Karp also claims that legal consequences would hinder the child’s development by the teacher actually giving a student a couple of points to pass him/her, due to the fact that the only thing that counts is the quantity of students who pass the test, which many teachers feel that the tests requirements are too steep. “So on a test like New Jersey’s High School Proficiency Assessment, where a passing score is 200, helping a bilingual, special education student from a low income household raise his/her test score to a 200 so he/she could pass” (Karp).
Karp continues with his opposing viewpoints by stating how the federal act solves problems that truly does not exist. “Many of us know that standards and tests offer a kind of counterfeit accountability, one that sorts and labels kids on the basis of multiple choice questions as a substitute for educating them.” Karp also suggests that these tests not only pass struggling
students, but these tests also encourage teachers to be tracked, schools to adopt inappropriate
practices, cheating scandals, and make both the students and the schools vulnerable to crooked
practices by commercial testing firms. It has also been cited that standardized tests are unreliable
and provide no information about the learning needs of children.
One question has been asked, “Does the No Child Left Behind Act set schools up for failure?” Karp answers, “Yes.” The Adequate Yearly Progress report indicts that 95% of the kids in each group must take the state assessment test, increasing the requirement to 100% by 2014, and if the school fails to meet the target for two consecutive years, it is supposed to start permitting students to transfer out to better schools. The loss of student enrollment means the loss of state/federal money which could just make things worse for the student Three years bring corrective action on the schools, four years include teachers and staff losing their jobs, and five years mean that the state could take over and implement private management of public schools.
Do schools lower their standards to avoid sanctions? Karp continues with his argument against the No Child Left Behind Act by answering this question because he does believe that many schools are being forced to lower their standards to avoid sanctions. Karp used, for an example, the list for the 2002 school when the list of failing schools came out. However, instead of revealing the schools that had failed this list, he showed the list as schools that were in need of improvement. Many schools had also dropped the score that is needed to pass in order to avoid sanctions and possibly loss of federal funding. Michigan, for example, had over 1,500 schools
that had failed, so it dropped the required passing rate on the high school English test from 75%
to 42%. With that reduction the number of schools that needed improvement was reduced to 216.
In Colorado, the State Board of Education decided to “lump students previously characterized as partially proficient with those called proficient in order to avoid sanctions” (Karp). In Texas, the State Board voted in favor to reduce the number of correct answers students need to answer
correctly on the state reading test at the third grade level.
Another major challenge that is enhancing the controversy with this act is the fact that the
general public is unaware of legislation that drives the No Child Left Behind Act. The parents of today do not want to acknowledge that many of the youth have mental health problems and that their only source of help is through the public school system. As a result, barriers have been
created over the past 20+ years that limits the role teachers have on the development of students’
mental health. If the public was more aware the crisis that has occurred, teachers might be in a
“position to advocate for integrated approaches that capitalize on No Child Left Behind
opportunities” (Daly).
The most difficult barrier behind the No Child Left Behind Act is the lack of professions in the teaching field. Statistics proved that many professionals who began their careers as teachers resign prior to finishing their first year. “10% of all new teachers resign prior to the end of the first year, about 35% do so by the end of their third year of full-time employment in schools, and nearly 50% leave the profession within the first 5 years” (Daly). As a result of this high turnover rate among teachers, professional collaboration among the teachers and mental health experts does not exist. This gives the false impression that today’s children are immune to mental disease.
Many people feel that the No Child Left Behind Act is a hoax. The biggest reason behind this exertion is the fact it focuses on the self-esteem of the student instead of the quality of education that the student receives. Another reason why the No Child Left Behind Act has been
labeled a hoax is the fact that massive testing will hurt performance, not improve it. Karp feels that instead of imposing tests on the schools that they should focus on the quality of education especially for the poor schools which could be hurt the most.
Does the No Child Left Behind Act promoted inequality? According to Karp, it does. Many feel like that this act singles out the poorer school districts while leaving the richer school districts alone. Karp suggests that many of the richer school districts could not only afford to keep teachers, but that these same districts could afford computers and after school programs that promote learning. Does this mean that the richer school district have better schools? No. This just means that the poorer school districts just have to work a lot harder to meet the minimum requirements than what richer school districts might have to.
However, due to the nature of this controversial subject, just like other controversies, there are always two sides to a subject. Many people feel like that the No Child Left Behind Act was long overdue. The reason why many people think that this act was long overdue is because of the fact that many supporters of this act believe that it will give everyone a chance of an equal
education and not just the “normal students” either. Listed are the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act from the Virginia State Department of Education. The goals of this act are as follows:
• All student will reach high standards, at minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/ language arts and mathematics by 2013-2014.
• All limited English proficient students will become proficient in English and reach high academic standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/ language arts and mathematics.
• All students will be taught by highly qualified teachers by 2005-2006.
• All students will learn in schools that are safe and drug free.
• All students will graduate from high school.
(Virginia State Department of Education)
The No Child Left Behind Act forces many teachers and school administrators to start caring about their jobs and, most importantly, the children. This act will start closing the achievement gap that has gotten wider and wider for decades. It provides money to help teach the special needs children who might not otherwise fall through the cracks and become a future burden on society. The most important is the fact that it forces the school districts to admit that these same schools have fallen behind and are in need of serious help.
Rod Paige states, “The No Child Left Behind law heralds a major change in direction for American schools. A river that had wandered sluggishly east suddenly shifted and began to flow west. The new westward current will flow swiftly, and it will carry everyone along.” The No Child Left Behind Act is ideally meant to educate everyone in the nation’s schools regardless of race, creed, color, or disability. By improving the education system, everyone has a chance of living the American dream and live a long, happy, and prosperous life.
The No Child Left Behind Act also improved education for the urban areas by implementing and funding schools that will educate preschool age children, ages 3-5, that are at risk. The No Child Left Behind Act also frees money to fund special education programs that would otherwise be deemed as a “waste of time and money.” This act also requires the school
districts to give guidance to any children who might be emotionally challenged. The No Child Left Behind Act forces parents of special needs children to become more involved in their children’s education. It requires the teachers to have regular meetings with the parents of special needs children to discuss the process of this child, and it also requires children who are suspected of having a learning disability to be diagnosed at an earlier age. The most important part of help for special needs children is through regular assessment to record how far these children have progressed. Through regular assessment, special needs children can receive help where they need it the most.
With proper training, “No Child Left Behind can, and should, be framed as federal legislation that provides additional support for the development of school mental health in the United States” (Daly). With the additional support for mental health the public will become more aware of the mental and emotional crisis that has plagued America’s children for decades. Also, by supporting such services to school age children, the community might be willing to start getting involved more and create and support a crisis intervention program for the schools. “Working to enhance the interface between No Child Left Behind and school mental health offers the chance to improve responsiveness to the legislation, propel the growth and improvement of field, and, most importantly, improve the academic achievement and life success of students” (Daly).
The most important aspect of the No Child Left Behind Act is the fact that everyone regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, and disability, has the right to an equal education. Even in a nation that has spent over $8 trillion dollars on education since the 1950’s, only one in three fourth graders can read at or above grade level. The trend is even worse in America’s inner city schools where only one in seven fourth graders can read at or above grade level.
In conclusion, the No Child Left Behind Act is a necessary law that could help the children, when applied correctly. The No Child Left Behind Act could not only give a child hope that might otherwise be deemed as hopeless, but also every student would receive an equal education and America’s teachers could be better trained in handling such a child. A child who was born with a hearing loss of over 80% should not be required to take a foreign language in order to obtain an advance high school diploma. This child should have the option to take a class in American Sign Language and have this class count as a foreign language. A child who was born with Muscular Dystrophy should not be expected to participate in a physical education class knowing that this child could barely walk straight, much less do any extraneous activities. However, any child who is capable of doing the work but chooses to get wasted instead of studying and then use the No Child Left Behind as reason why they don’t have to study deserves to fail.
Are you aware that Albert Einstein was learning disabled? Now picture the world of physics without Albert Einstein all because his teachers had given up on him because of his disability. Are you also aware that Franklin Roosevelt, the leader of the free world during the Great Depression and World War Two, was a paraplegic? Did you know that Beethoven, one of the world’s greatest music composers, was severely deaf at the time he composed this beloved music? Have you ever you ever heard of Stephen Hawkins? Did you also know that Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Helen Keller, Socrates, Alexander Graham Bell, Mozart, even Presidents George Washington, Woodrow Wilson, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln all were disabled? Now just picture what the world would be like if society had given up on these historical figures all because of their disability. That is exactly what the Education Systems of Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, and Texas did. These states gave up all because of a disability that these children might have. Now just image all of the talent that is being wasted here because certain states care more about money then they do about the future of the children. If the Education Systems of these states had actually cared about the future of the disabled children attending their schools then “Why did they change the scores/standards to maintain federal funding?” What a shame.
Pg 374-375 Global Issues Journal 2
New Middle Class Spends Freely
Kapil Khaneja and his office colleague Sanan discuss spending in New Delhi, India. At the age of 21 Khaneja was able to buy a car which he eventually upgraded and will upgrade again. He is also able to dine out and his colleague even comments on being able to spend $50 to $100 on a night out. They feel as though if they work for it they spend it on things that they want. On the other hand, his family was unable to do these things. For the middle class community, the average household annual income is 4,500. There are only 6% of the middle class households that earn more than 4,500 a year. Economic growth is transforming India. People who normally couldn’t spend generously are spending. Khaneja mentions that his mother doesn’t approve of credit cards. The older generation in India did not believe in borrowing money from other people. It will take time for the older generation to come around. India is growing and the citizens will be able to reap the benefits. The first BMW came off their assembly line in the spring and they look forward to further growth in the economy. India is expected to grow rapidly which should benefit the citizens greatly. India has engaged in consumer credit which did not exist in previous generations. I believe with technology taking a big hold of the world it will be in India’s best interest to jump on board and incorporate some of the newer concepts into their country. These concepts could very well benefit India’s economy.
What makes a person “British”? pps. 118-119
This article discussed the emergence of a “British test” that was administered to several different people and the results that were collected. It was a 24 question exam on the things that the former Home Secretary said new immigrants should know. A strong command of the English language and an understanding of British life, customs and culture were just a few of the items included in the test. Even the person who scored the highest questioned the necessity of people knowing these facts. He and I agree on the premise that a quiz of this type is a “desperate attempt to reclaim nationalism”.
There are so many people of other nationalities that claim the U.K. as their home land and feel as if they are forced to reconcile or identify with their foreign-born parents’ heritage due to English seeing them as foreigners.
These concerns seem to be a point of contention when a “quiz “ like this is implemented; whether for fun or strictly on a poll basis.
Does your place of birth determine your level of patriotism? Can your patriotism be influenced by your geographic positioning? It seems that these questions, when posed to the younger generations, fall on ears that are consistently resistant to conformity. The young people seem to be involving themselves in extremist groups in order to avoid labeling and conformity to someone else’s’ idea of a true Brit. I felt that, in conclusion, this article was based simply on the future effect of this new type of discrimination. I believe that the more people of other nationalities make the U.K. or the U.S. their “home”, the stronger the likelihood of a generation of defensive minds will grow larger and consequently, the potential for more defiance and extremism. It’s not particularly a pretty picture but a realistic one none-the-less.
Stephanie Hall, Blog 2
Ending Poverty in Africa p. 167
During June 2007, first lady Laura Bush visited a hospital clinic for people who have HIV or AIDS, which has received nearly $600,000 in direct aid from the USAID. This hospital has a vegetable garden that the patients tend to themselves as part of their treatment that emphasizes the importance of nutrition. Three months after her visit the Gates and Rockefeller foundations announced plans to spend $150 million over a five year period to help the agricultural productivity throughout Africa. An outline of things that need to be done in Africa to help them clime out of deep poverty:
Expand anti-HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, including care of AIDS orphans,
Expand family-planning services,
Provide more access to clean water,
Expand malaria-mitigation efforts and,
Begin training some of the 4 million new teachers Africa needs.
I am all for helping out other people and other countries in need but I don’t understand how the U.S government is handing out all this money to help with disease and poverty in Africa and we have the same thing happening in the U.S. Everywhere you turn there is a homeless person or family, or a family living in poverty, people with disease and babies being born addicted to drugs. How can we expect to help other countries when we have our own people suffering here in the states.
Blog 2~
Spanish Blame Bombing On War In Iraq
Pg. 31-31
On March 11, 2004 a coordinated bomb attack was launched on four rush-hour trains in Madrid. This attack killed 191 Spaniards and injured 1,700. Spain had been through decades of terrorism from the Basque separatist group ETA, but the bombers that did this attack weren’t seeking independence, they were attempting to intimidate the Spanish government. Spanish authorities put 29 men on trial for the bombings in February 2007, claiming they belonged to a local cell of Islamic militants aligned with al Qaeda. Despite what Americans thought after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, the Spanish citizens didn’t think the assault was part of the war between Islam and the west. Instead, many turned their anger against the United States and their own government. The Spanish government supported the United States going to war to in Iraq, but the citizens of Spain didn’t support it. A citizen of Iraq that was in on of the bombed trains said, “We didn’t want to go to war, but we did because of former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.” It was clear that in an effort to stay aligned with the interests of the United States, the world’s sole superpower, the Spanish government had run against the will of it’s own people. The Spanish government was voted out in the wake of the railroad attacks. The new prim minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, withdrew Spain’s 1,300 troops from Iraq. He did this risking a rupture of the close alliance Spain had enjoyed with the U.S. Zapatero said, “Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair will reflect our decision, you can’t justify a war with lies. It can’t be.” The Spanish people all believe that the troops in Spain went to war for no reason and the war is going on for no reason. The Spanish people are happy their troops are not in the war anymore. Spain did not seek revenge against the killing of 191 of its citizens. A teacher named, Valeria Suatez Marsa said, “It is more important then ever to call for peace, the bombs reminded us of that urgency.” I agree with many things that the Spaniards have to say. The war that the U.S. troops are fighting right now is for no reason. I don’t know what to think about the bombing in Madrid and the war. The trains may have been bombed because of the Spaniards fighting in the war. If that is what happened then it’s horrible and I’m glad the Spanish troops aren’t fighting anymore. Bush claimed that the America was going to liberate Iraq, but I believe that’s just Bush’s excuse. The motives of the U.S. were even suspect to those most closely affected by 9/11. Like Rosalinda Arias, whose sister died in the World Trade Center attacks. She said, “It is all business. They want petroleum; they want to bring U.S. imperialism.” I believe that Bush is saying that we want to liberate Iraq, but I think that’s just a cover up for Bush wanting the oil and Bush is trying to cover up one of the biggest mistakes that a president could ever make.
Journal 2
Should Congress try to block President Bush’s ability to send additional troops to Iraq? (Pg. 17)
Senator Edward M. Kennedy says yes to the above question stating that for too long President Bush’s assertion of unprecedented power has gone unchecked by Congress. He says that it’s not only in Iraq, but also here at home- detentions in defiance of the Geneva Conventions, eavesdropping on people’s telephone calls, reading their mail and reviewing their financial records, all without judicial authorization. Although the American people spoke out against the war at the ballot box in November nothing has been done about it. He also says that he has introduced legislation to prohibit the president from raising troop levels in Iraq unless he obtains specific new authorization from Congress.
In the other hand Senator Johnny Isakson says no to the same question stating that President Bush has proposed increasing the number of American troops to serve with Iraqi security forces in securing, holding and building in those areas of Baghdad engulfed in sectarian violence. He believes that the president has laid out a clear and precise plan that absolutely requires the cooperation and support of the Iraqi people and the Iraqi military. He also says that the ultimate success of the president’s plan depends on the Iraqis and their government living up to their responsibilities, the opportunity for them to do so depends on our help in securing Baghdad. He also adds that while the situation in Iraq is grave, it would turn dire if we prematurely withdraw our forces and withdraw funding necessary to move Iraq forward.
The Iraq war raises a lot of questions in the minds of every American. We have lost so many of our troops to this war and it makes everyone wonder when it will be enough. I was once in the military myself and the truth of the matter is that we all join the military for different reasons but also knowing in the back of our minds that we might have to pay the ultimate price- our lives. Wars are going to happen it is just sad to see that we loose many lives to it every day.
Careful training Creates Soldiers who torture
P.150
Haritos-Fatouros, a professor, interviewed 16 former military soldiers to study their regime that came to power in 1967. She found that those 16 she interviewed had been trained to torture their victims in order to retrieve information from them. Many were selected to undergo special training. They are mentally and physically broken down in this training and given of the wall tasks to do. This was done so the soldiers would not ask any questions as to why they are doing things. They would eventually just obey them commands that were given to them. After their intense training they would be sent out on group activities, such as beating up their victims together. It did affect most of them the first couple of times they did it, but after that hey just got use to it. They soon became good at what they did which was dehumanizing their victims. Just as they were dehumanized.
I believe that Haritos-Fatouros is correct when she says that torturer’s are made or not born. When someone wares at your physical and mental well being in order to make you become such a horrible being then it is hard to not become that. Whereas, if you are raiser and taught to be loving and caring in stead of hateful and uncaring then that person will be a lot less likely to torture others. When she interviewed those who have been made into torturer’s, most of them when they got out of the military, got married and had children and live normal lives. Even though they do not forget about those days, they do no live that life any more. Therefore, if it was that torturers are born and not made, then that would leave them to have problems throughout their life not just in the military.
Dalits Face Persecution Despite Ban
Pgs 368-369, Grey box
Global Issues
This section is about discrimination against dalit’s due to the Hindu Caste system. It talks about how a 15 year girl name Mamta Nayak, who is a dalit and the first from her Indian village to gain admission to high school. Mamta rode her bike to school which caused a problem because she had to ride through a village named Nanput. The reason this caused a problem was because, traditionally dalit’s were only allowed to passed through Nanput village by foot even though such discrimination has been outlawed over 50 years. The Nanput’s elders demanded that she stop riding her bike through their village because a dalit riding any vehicle through their village was an insult. The Nanput’s told her father that there would be dire consequences if she continued to ride her bike through their village. After intense media coverage, the government state of Orissa finally stepped in and provided Mamta protection on her way to school while riding her bike through the village of Nanput
India’s 3,000 year old caste system divides Hindus into four groups: priests, warriors, merchants and laborers. Dalits, which means the oppressed, are considered so low they do not even belong to the caste system. In 1947, India gained independence and outlawed discrimination against the dalit. A program was also launched to help the dalit’s better their lives. Even though discrimination was outlawed, it still existed in rural India. Dalits were threatened and beaten if they tried to run for local political office. Mobs even torched their homes and looted their villages. The government’s biggest program with helping the dalit’s was a quota system, which reserved 15% of government jobs and seats in publicly funded universities for dalit’s. Today, the dalit’s are reaping from the benefits but the discrimination still exists.
I believe that discrimination will always exist in the world. I think that when something such as discrimination is outlawed or banned and people still don’t follow the rules, something needs to be done. What is the purpose of outlawing discrimination if the government is still allowing it to happen?
Susan Jones
Blog 2
Women Wanted
Educating girls in some countries is crucial, but may be an investment in the developing world. Girls that are educated are shown statistically to be less vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and they also have healthier babies. Only thirty percent of these girls complete secondary school. Girls ages twelve through fourteen years old- are of marriage age and will have to return to the village life, probably to be married. Kikuyu ethnic groups are seen as go-getters. Kabuya was allowed to “book” girls, where they are not to be married off until they finish school.
I believe that the Kabuya was a good choice for these girls. These girls should finish school and should not be allowed to be married until they are finished with their schooling. Since the girls are the ones to give birth to these children, they should be more educated, so their children can be better taken care of and also they will be feed better, so in this case more of these children will survive.
IS Torture ever justified?
There are two different arguments here one Yes and one no. The Yes statement is torture isn’t bad, killing innocent people is worse. Americans all over the world get tortured because that’s the culture for those whom believe in such to these people it’s Ok to cut off Americans heads or do unthinkable things to OUR SOLDIER, journalist and other members of our society. When one of our own black hawk helicopters went down they drug those soldiers through the roads and tortured them. So why is it not ok for us to save a life but “GETTING” information out of another that might possible be able to help save AMERICANS. The other argument which is no is because of this the extraction of information is not founded. That the use of force does not always make individuals to talk. You assume that the person in custody has information but what if your torturing an innocent person or what if the form of torture chosen doesn’t work where do you go from there? When does torture get out of control or in excess? And what if the individual that is tortured is found to be innocent then what about them do they ever get over being tortured?
Should some forms of tortured should be allowed and others should not be allowed but how are we to definitely know if a person is to be tortured because they have information. And how do we prepay individuals if they find no information or even useful information with that individual? There’s no real way to regulate torture in its self. So how do we stop it within the U.S. and with other nations to our own people?
Are all countries doing their part to control global warming?
Of course not all countries are not doing their part when it comes to controlling global warming, if so global warming would not be an issue today. Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-twentieth century and its projected continuation. There are many causes to global warming; the causes are split up into two groups, man-made or anthropogenic causes, and natural causes. Natural causes are causes created by nature. One natural cause is a release of methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands. Man-made causes probably do the most damage. There are many man-made causes. Pollution is one of the biggest man-made problems. Burning fossil fuels is one thing that causes pollution. 169 countries have signed the Kyoto Protocol, which is an international treaty that is assigned to limit dangerous emissions released into the environment. Out of these countries U.S. which in my opinion is sad to say, has not signed this treaty. I feel that if global warming is becoming such a big issue and the United States is supposedly doing so much to stop it from happening, why wouldn’t and haven’t they signed the treaty. On the other hand if the U.S. were to sign the Kyoto Protocol that would reduce gases from coming to the U.S. The treaty would also reduce coal which would cause electricity to be doubled as it is in Germany. There are many positives and negatives when it comes to signing the treaty. In my opinion, global warming will probably never be 100% under control, due to population, greenhouses, vehicles etc. I feel that if the U.S. doesn’t sign the treaty for its’ own reasons global warming is becoming a major issue and needs to be controlled.
I read page 150 Careful training creates soldiers who torture and also some of the background on page 151. The background sections were about the world history of torture and its practice. Since the beginning of human history there have been many different forms and many reasons to torture someone. The reasons for torture have been a wide array from punishments for crimes to convert religions. Over the years the human race has perfected the art of torture to the point many governments know how to train normal people into someone that can inflicted unimaginable pain to retrieve information without mercy. The tools and methods have not changed a great deal but have become more sophisticated though out the centuries but the goal has remained the same to inflict pain and not death.
I think many countries still practice the art of torture to punish crimes and to retrieve information about other governments or organizations. Some governments even use torture to control citizens of their own country. I do not agree with harmful torture but some interrogation need passive forms of torture like sleep deprivation, isolation, and any form that does not cause any form of physical harm. The ancient practice of torture was even sometimes a form of entertainment like public executions and even the gladiator games of ancient Rome were people of lower class and criminals fought, killed and died for the people of Rome to enjoy. I hope in the future that humans will not use any form of torture for any reason.
Blog 2
My blog is on the current event that is going on in the news about the nuclear warheads that were sent to Taiwan by accident. In my opinion, something like that does not happen by accident. I feel as if someone on the inside knew what they were doing and who they were going to send them to in Taiwan. When the United States learned that it had sent four nuclear missile heads to Taiwan recently, they quickly informed Beijing. It was not just a courtesy. The United States, China and Taiwan have been involved for about 40 years trying to keep the island nation from getting nuclear weapons. If Chinese intelligence had learned of the shipment and believed the components were not shipped inadvertently, it would have no doubt created a crisis of confidence in U.S. assurances that Taiwan will not be permitted to go nuclear. In 1988 Chang Hsien-y, a colonel in the Taiwanese military, decided that one day, he, his wife and their three children simply boarded an airplane at a former U.S. air base in a remote part of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and disappeared into thin air. It was at that point he was revealed to be a spy and was fired from his job. It became apparent in the days following the 45-year-old scientist's departure that he was also a spy for the CIA for 20 years, having been recruited while a military cadet. The point that I am trying to make is that for this to happen at this point and time is that we need to be very careful of who is working within the government. There could be a spy right under the noses of the government and they think that they are a trusted official. The tension has been there for several years and it seems to be getting more intense now as we move forward.
If you just take a look back at some of the statements that have been made in 1996, as China threatened Taiwan with missiles, Lee Teng-hui, Taiwan's president, restated that Taiwan "has the ability" to build a nuclear weapon "but definitely will not." Just with that comment alone, the threat is there to say we have the power. Pentagon officials stated that Taiwan notified the United States in 2007 that they had been sent hazardous material instead of the helicopter batteries they had ordered, but it took the military and the Pentagon more than a year to respond. The United States and Taiwan shows that the Pentagon recommended they just "destroy" the incorrect shipment, but the Taiwan refused because the shipment was marked "EXPLOSIVES." Therefore they are still in possession of the materials. The question now remains, who is to be trusted. Even though there are treaties that are in place that state we should not have nuclear weapons, which is to say that other countries do not already have them somewhere just waiting to use them when possibly needed if a war is to happen.
Careful Training Creates Soldiers Who Torture. Page 150.
People who torture innocent people are often trained to inflict such acts of inhumane abuse because they are brainwashed or groomed into this type of behavior. Some of the torturers are able to overcome this behavior, but others continue to conduct themselves in such a way because they think that this is what life is about. The Greek Army targeted young recruits from rural, conservative families who were healthy and physically fit. They underwent 3 months of intensive training. Each week the training seem to intensify a bit. The recruits got less and less sleep and were psychologically tested to receive and carry out orders without given any thought about what the assignment involved. Some were even electrically shocked. The reason many of these people did not view these acts as torture is because they thought it was a way of life. My personal opinion on this subject is I feel that people are born innocent, but society and a child's upbringing has a lot to do with what type of lifestyle they choose to have.
Rickey Clay
POL200
(pg. 7-8)
Should the united states scale back efforts to export democracy to the middle east and elsewhere?
This article revolves around the popularly debated issue of the US--as delivered as a campaign of President Bush--attempts to spread democracy to the Middle East. Many professionals in the field of foreign policy believe the efforts of George Bush and his administration are unrealistic and tread on dangerous grounds. Such efforts, according to these experts, lack stability when considering the context of the goals; “unrealistic and unachievable” as such. The idea/ideal of exporting democracy is a difficult objective. Importing such policy would be considered probable while exporting is to the contrary. A very common consensus from many of these experts who sit on the opposing side of exporting democracy (Hook, Mandelbaum,Carafano, etc) seems to say that democracy is, basically, a “homegrown” attitude/policy which can not be implemented with exportation from outside government attempting to install this belief system. After World War II the evidence of Germany’s and Japan’s government, for example, will assist the promoters of the exportation of democracy to other countries as success stories. Grenada and Panama also were subjected to United States invasions which took place in order to reconstruct democratic government; success efforts in both cases. As a rebuttal to the same argument Hulsman uses countries like Haiti, Somalia, Iraq, Bosnia, and Kosovo, as evidence to the same tactical position taken with much less of an effect and very different outcomes.
Personally I understand the attempts the United States takes in their position to promote democracy. As a working system in our country, why not attempt to spread it world-wide to further aide the citizens of other countries? Well, frankly, because our government wasn’t implemented that way. The forceful hand that America takes in exporting democracy is almost a blatant, disrespectfully so I might add, attempt to say, “we right you’re wrong” or “it’s my way or the highway.” The United States over the past decade has lost many supporters outside of our country and has become an enemy at the same time because of our forceful hands. Angst catalyzed by our own efforts to better another country, forcefully, is not the correct route to take, regardless of the outcome. Rebuilding trust and public relations, or erasing the disdain we caused by trying to “help” no matter how auspicious we may be, is not a prudent road to take.
Journal 2
Spanish Blame Bombing On War in Iraq, pg 30-31
There was a bombing on March 11, 2004 of four rush-hour trains in Madrid, Spain. The carnage was amazing. One hundred ninety one people died, and over 1700 were injured. Already, Spain had decades of terrorism from a Basque seperists group called the ETA. These bombers were not like the ETA bombers seeking independence. These were attempting to intimidate the Spanish government. There were 29 men placed on trial by Spanish authorities, claiming they were part of a local al Qaeda militants organization of Islamics. Spanish citizens did not react to this bombing as Americans did to 9/11. They did not see it as a part of the war between Islam and the West, but were angered with the United States and their own government for supporting the U.S.-led incasion of Iraq. Some of the citizens were interviewed at a rally in Madrid. "We didn't want to go to war, but we did because of (former Prime Minister Jose Maria) Aznar," says Miguel Barrios, 45-year old maintenince worker, who was on one of the bombed trains. "They didn't pay attention to the anti-war movement." Clearly, in an effort to stay close to the interests of the U.S. (which is now the world's sole superpower) Spanish government had run against the interests of its own people. After the bombings, the Spanish government was voted out. The new Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero pulled Spain's 1300 troops from Iraq, jeopardizing the close alliance between U.S. and Spain. Zapatero said,"Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair will reflect on our decision. You cannot justify a war with lies. It cannot be." Spain's people feel tge war in Iraq can never been Spain's business says Miguel Bastener, who is columnist for El Pais, Spain's largest newspaper. Protesters' worst fears were realized when the U.S. Coalition Forces invaded and subdued Baghdad in 2003, then settled into the current quagmire. Spain did not seek revenge against the killing of 191 of its people. Forty year old teacher, Valeria Suarez Marsa gave a softer voice to the protesters at the rally,"It is more important than ever to call for peace," she says,"The bombs reminded us of that urgency." These realizations are sad when one realizes that America is not the only country suffering the loss of troops and family members stationed in Iraq. Other people in this world are helping, too.
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