TWC - Week 2 discussion

A wide array of issues are being discussed in TWC class this week. I will go through each one of them and post my own humble opinion on each of the issue:

1. Colonization

Colonization is an epitome of human greed and cruelty. It had always been done in the guise of religion or the "need" to educate and cultivate cultural values to the savages. So, the question is: just how much benefit did colonization produce for the "savages"? I will take Indonesia as an example. After being colonized for 350 years by the Dutch, there is no significant improvement or transfer of technology to the natives, nor was there any noticeable improvement in education level. Education was given only to few children, with the purpose of setting them up as puppet government/manager. The natives offered less resistance when "governed" by one of their own.

The benefit disparity between Singapore and Indonesia is indeed appalling. However, I do notice a trend here. When a colonized country has more natural resources, it tends to be controlled more tightly by the oppressors.

2. The Benevolent Empire

America might be able to rule the world right after WW 2, but they did not. Instead, they helped the world by taking the rein of leadership on several global issues. I personally think that a country has to be a leader in the world. Without a country with overwhelming military and economic capacity, it would be impossible for any global decision to be made. Every country has her own national interest, and no plan/agreement in the world would make all parties happy. A leading country could "coerce" those "unhappy" parties to comply. In that sense, a global powerhouse is indeed necessary.


Global powerhouses, no matter how altruistic they seem, have their own interest. This is where opinions diverge and people start to accuse global powerhouses of abusing their influence. America, in my opinion, has done enough damage to many countries. Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ecuador are among some of the countries affected by America's foreign policies and military conquests.

However,the question remains: Can the world do without a global leader? Without the existence of a powerhouse, would any country be deterred from expanding their territory through military might? Would it have brought peace or more wars?



More opinions will be posted tomorrow

TWC - Increasing awareness of technologies' externalities in society

The lesson started with a mind-boggling numbers presented by a video. I have always known that many people have unknowingly been enslaved by technologies - whether psychologically or economically. Apparently, its contribution to globalization and burgeoning culture (technology fads e.g. iPhone, BlackBerry, consumerism) could not be ignored, either.

Two questions immediately surfaced in my mind:
1. What are the real impacts or consequences of technology and globalization to the world in general? Does it generate more benefit for certain countries at the expense of another? Or does it generate a positive sum game?

This particular question must be explored in terms of economic, political, and sociological consequences. Why? It is because technology has the potential to transform the landscape of how the society perceives information in the mass media which in turn link it with politics. Politics have two-way relationships with economies and societies. Hence, technology has three-fold consequences which must be explored in depth.

2. Why are people(society in general) resistant in adopting new technologies?


I must bring one particular current issue into this particular discussion. GM crops, genetically modified crops, are under heavy scrutiny by the EU legislation board, with concerns of negative environment effect and negative effect to human health. These two major objections have not been scientifically proven, not by independent, corporate or government scientists. Yet, the legislators still hold on to their beliefs.
It must be reminded that these crops might be our only bulwark against the impact of global warming and subsequent starvation.

We must put everything in perspective and see the big picture in order to have any meaningful discussion.