I must say reading the news, whether it's happenings in the United States or around the world, sometimes makes me sick. I'd much rather curl up with a happy novel with a happy ending. Between all the horrible things going on in the world and the overwhelming attention given to the election, it's just wonderful when something on an international scale like the Olympics is going on. I just love the Olympics. I watch it and read about it religiously. I know there are always stories about protests, scandals and corruption tangled in with the amazing or the unbelievable, but it just doesn't matter. How can you hate the world so much when you have people like Michael Phelps conquering the unimaginable?
I love that there is something in this world, much like the World Cup, that everyone around the world wants to know about and feels just as passionately about as everybody else. When I was living in Australia, the same excitement I felt emerging in my stomach when anything popped up on the news about the upcoming Summer Games bubbled in my Australian friends' stomachs too. People around the world just love to get involved in this international event. The pride we have in our countries and the sudden interest we have in other countries when a team or individual does something amazing from another land is just awesome.
The reason I wanted to mention this is when I signed up to take Issues in the News, I thought negatively about it. I've never liked the news of Journalism in general for many reasons. I know I'm headed into this industry, but something about sitting in the newsroom of the Ithaca Journal last week made me want to change my major. I listened to a reporter make an endless amount of phone calls trying to gather as much information about a rape incident, and I wanted to tell him to just leave everyone alone and mind your own damn business. I guess I'm not a supporter of gossiping or being nosy, so I might be headed in the wrong direction.
But good things like the Olympics show there are things worth talking about and writing about. There are good things in this world worth discovering and sharing. I know sharing the bad is necessary for improvement, but I just wanted to let you know now I might complain a lot in this blog about the news and the world. I thought I'd start off positively not only for my reader's sake but for my own. Maybe if I keep in mind reporters aren't always about business and exposing pain, I'll actually be happy about the path I'm currently on.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
August 31st PART TWO
Once I finished reading Francis Fukuyama's "The End of History?" I felt a brief moment of sadness. In the final paragraph he wrote, "The struggle for recognition, the willingness to risk one's life for a purely abstract goal, the worldwide ideological struggle that called forth daring, courage, imagination, and idealism, will be replaced by economic calculation, the endless solving of technical problems, environmental concerns, and the satisfaction of sophisticated consumer demands." It just sounded so horrible that he believes nothing new or world changing can possibly be thought of that will be worth fighting for.
Since democracy and liberal government emerged, the end of history, in reference to his definition of history as the development of human ideology, is approaching or already has occurred. Now that most countries are run relatively the same way and nothing else on the horizon or in our past appear to be a stronger way to control civilization, humankind has plateaued in this department. His article covers the most recent challenges to democracy, fascism and communism. He tries to make it clear that he does not believe history in a sense of events and conflicts is over, but the struggle to find the most efficient political and economic structure has finally reached its high point.
After reading this article, I racked my brain for another form of government that could possibly replace democracy. I know I'm not a great thinker or I might not even be capable of coming up with a stronger alternative, but it's hard to believe this is truly the top of the mountain. I considered looking at other countries. Everyone's government is different, but it does seem most developed countries are ruled in a common way. Even China, though it calls itself Communist, has a thriving economy not restricted by the state. Just like many countries adopted "Idol," the music reality TV show, many countries have adopted political and economic liberalism and made it their own.
It seems like being a superpower does give you a lot of say in how the rest of the world works. If something new came along, I'm not sure how the United States would react. But just because everyone is conforming shouldn't mean this is the end of ideological change. When Kings and Queens ruled the world, I'm sure people didn't think there was something better out there. Back then people were not as educated. Government controlling how things ran was probably better. Not that the common person of today is more qualified to make major decisions just because he or she can read and write. I'm just saying absolute monarchy might have been the best form of government of the time. Too many people making decisions sometimes complicates things, after all. But now people are educated; not only do they believe they should have a say but they believe they are smart enough to be part of these major decisions.
The world is always changing. History is certainly not over. Maybe some major catastrophic event will happen and a mass of the world population will be wiped out. Someday we may run out of natural resources. We may not be limited to this one planet forever. Technology seems to have no bounds. There's no predicting how that will shape the world's future. Democracy may be an ideal structure now, but there's no telling what the future will bring.
Fukuyama wrote, "aggression and insecurity are universal characteristics of human societies rather than the product of specific historical circumstances." At least I can't feel too sad; the human race will always keep things interesting.
Though I still can't completely accept his theories, they make sense; and they very well may be true. After all, this was written in 1989 and the world seems to be following a similar path he predicted. This is not the end of conflict or international relations. I refuse to believe the human kind has maxed out. After everything that has happened since the beginning of time, it's impossible to accept Fukuyama's beliefs entirely. If there ever comes a day when I finally accept this as a potential fact, I will have to have considered many possibilities and studied many forms of human societies first. I just might not have enough time alive with this brain to reach this level of acceptance.
Since democracy and liberal government emerged, the end of history, in reference to his definition of history as the development of human ideology, is approaching or already has occurred. Now that most countries are run relatively the same way and nothing else on the horizon or in our past appear to be a stronger way to control civilization, humankind has plateaued in this department. His article covers the most recent challenges to democracy, fascism and communism. He tries to make it clear that he does not believe history in a sense of events and conflicts is over, but the struggle to find the most efficient political and economic structure has finally reached its high point.
After reading this article, I racked my brain for another form of government that could possibly replace democracy. I know I'm not a great thinker or I might not even be capable of coming up with a stronger alternative, but it's hard to believe this is truly the top of the mountain. I considered looking at other countries. Everyone's government is different, but it does seem most developed countries are ruled in a common way. Even China, though it calls itself Communist, has a thriving economy not restricted by the state. Just like many countries adopted "Idol," the music reality TV show, many countries have adopted political and economic liberalism and made it their own.
It seems like being a superpower does give you a lot of say in how the rest of the world works. If something new came along, I'm not sure how the United States would react. But just because everyone is conforming shouldn't mean this is the end of ideological change. When Kings and Queens ruled the world, I'm sure people didn't think there was something better out there. Back then people were not as educated. Government controlling how things ran was probably better. Not that the common person of today is more qualified to make major decisions just because he or she can read and write. I'm just saying absolute monarchy might have been the best form of government of the time. Too many people making decisions sometimes complicates things, after all. But now people are educated; not only do they believe they should have a say but they believe they are smart enough to be part of these major decisions.
The world is always changing. History is certainly not over. Maybe some major catastrophic event will happen and a mass of the world population will be wiped out. Someday we may run out of natural resources. We may not be limited to this one planet forever. Technology seems to have no bounds. There's no predicting how that will shape the world's future. Democracy may be an ideal structure now, but there's no telling what the future will bring.
Fukuyama wrote, "aggression and insecurity are universal characteristics of human societies rather than the product of specific historical circumstances." At least I can't feel too sad; the human race will always keep things interesting.
Though I still can't completely accept his theories, they make sense; and they very well may be true. After all, this was written in 1989 and the world seems to be following a similar path he predicted. This is not the end of conflict or international relations. I refuse to believe the human kind has maxed out. After everything that has happened since the beginning of time, it's impossible to accept Fukuyama's beliefs entirely. If there ever comes a day when I finally accept this as a potential fact, I will have to have considered many possibilities and studied many forms of human societies first. I just might not have enough time alive with this brain to reach this level of acceptance.
Sunday August 31st
The first time I left the country was when I was in elementary school. I camped on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. It was fascinating. The money was different, they put gravy and cheese on their French fries and someone tried to talk to me in French. I had no idea what she was saying, but it was the first time I'd heard another language spoken fluently. It sounded wonderful.
Since then I've been back to Canada a handful of times, I've been to Europe and I even spent half a year in Australia. I've come to love traveling. I even enjoy coming to Ithaca from my home in New England. My roommate speaks another language sometimes when she calls soda "pop" or lolly pops "suckers." Nothing is more amazing than seeing just how different people can be. But, at the same time, I love see just how similar people around the world are.
This and some other reasons are why I chose to take International Communications this semester. I suppose I should also mention I'm taking Issues in the News as well. After all, that is what this blog is for. The world is nuts and insanely complicated. How we make sense of everything and how we connect to one another is just the beginning of what these classes are about. I've never blogged before, but I think I'll enjoy sharing my thoughts on stuff going on around the world. Nothing is more fascinating than human thoughts, of course.
Since then I've been back to Canada a handful of times, I've been to Europe and I even spent half a year in Australia. I've come to love traveling. I even enjoy coming to Ithaca from my home in New England. My roommate speaks another language sometimes when she calls soda "pop" or lolly pops "suckers." Nothing is more amazing than seeing just how different people can be. But, at the same time, I love see just how similar people around the world are.
This and some other reasons are why I chose to take International Communications this semester. I suppose I should also mention I'm taking Issues in the News as well. After all, that is what this blog is for. The world is nuts and insanely complicated. How we make sense of everything and how we connect to one another is just the beginning of what these classes are about. I've never blogged before, but I think I'll enjoy sharing my thoughts on stuff going on around the world. Nothing is more fascinating than human thoughts, of course.
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