Monday, April 30, 2007
Oh Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven
Do you know what does this icon stand for? Yes, it is 7-Elven! We really need to give our thanks to globalisation while we are buying our food in a 7-Eleven store.
7-Eleven is an international conglomerate which operates the largest chain of convenience stores in the world. It has become more and more popular among all of us these days. Their orange, red, green and trademarks night in the city of flashing signs, it has become a social phenomenon. They benefit our country’s economy and our lives to a large extent.
The company was founded in Oak Cliff, Texas, USA, in 1927, and started to use the 7-Eleven name in 1946. Due to the effect of globalisation, 7-eleven has already had a network of 31,625 convenience stores all around the world.
7-eleven has created a lot of jobs all over the world which helps to solve serve unemployment problems in the society. 7-Eleven has over 31,500 employees in 2004. The requirement for a job in 7-eleven stores is not high. Thus, people who are not high educated can apply for the job.
7-Eleven quickly expand their stores around the world recent years. There is a market for 7-eleven in over twenty countries, for example, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Singapore and so on. Globalisation creates a larger market for 7-Eleven to develop other than just develop in a small and limited market in one country. Therefore, 7-Eleven will have a greater earning potential while it can develop more stores all around the world.
On November 9th, 2006, 7-Eleven signed to be the major sponsor of Dallas Mavericks for next three seasons. Globalisation allows greater and better chances of cooperating with international companies. Thus, globalisation can also help to improve the relationships between countries.
In conclusion, I as an economic expert, I recommend globalisation to all countries as it has already brought us so many benefits.
posted by Zhang Lin
Oh Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven
Do you know what does this icon stand for? Yes, it is 7-Elven! We really need to give our thanks to globalisation while we are buying our food in a 7-Eleven store.
7-Eleven is an international conglomerate which operates the largest chain of convenience stores in the world. It has become more and more popular among all of us these days. Their orange, red, green and trademarks night in the city of flashing signs, it has become a social phenomenon. They benefit our country’s economy and our lives to a large extent.
The company was founded in Oak Cliff, Texas, USA, in 1927, and started to use the 7-Eleven name in 1946. Due to the effect of globalisation, 7-eleven has already had a network of 31,625 convenience stores all around the world.
7-eleven has created a lot of jobs all over the world which helps to solve serve unemployment problems in the society. 7-Eleven has over 31,500 employees in 2004. The requirement for a job in 7-eleven stores is not high. Thus, people who are not high educated can apply for the job.
7-Eleven quickly expand their stores around the world recent years. There is a market for 7-eleven in over twenty countries, for example, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Singapore and so on. Globalisation creates a larger market for 7-Eleven to develop other than just develop in a small and limited market in one country. Therefore, 7-Eleven will have a greater earning potential while it can develop more stores all around the world.
On November 9th, 2006, 7-Eleven signed to be the major sponsor of Dallas Mavericks for next three seasons. Globalisation allows greater and better chances of cooperating with international companies. Thus, globalisation can also help to improve the relationships between countries.
In conclusion, I as an economic expert, I recommend globalisation to all countries as it has already brought us so many benefits.
posted by Zhang Lin
ended entry at
12:01 PM
12:01 PM
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Darn. I always seem to be the bad guy of the group. The one who is anti-globalisation.(: Actually, I don’t really mind globalization. But the fact that it contributes to the declining of the health of Mother Nature forces me to change my perception of globalization.
I’ve a song to share with you: Earth by Michael Jackson.
What about sunrise
What about rain
What about all the things
That you said we were to gain.. .
What about killing fields
Is there a time
What about all the things
That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we've shed before
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth the weeping shores?
What have we done to the world
Look what we've done
What about all the peace
That you pledge your only son...
What about flowering fields
Is there a time
What about all the dreams
That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice
All the children dead from war
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth the weeping shores
I used to dream
I used to glance beyond the stars
Now I don't know where we are
Although I know we've drifted far
Hey, what about yesterday
What about the seas
The heavens are falling down
I can't even breathe
What about the bleeding Earth
Can't we feel its wounds
What about nature's worth
It's our planet's womb
What about animals
We've turned kingdoms to dust
What about elephants
Have we lost their trust
What about crying whales
We're ravaging the seas
What about forest trails
Burnt despite our pleas
What about the holy land
Torn apart by creed
What about the common man
Can't we set him free
What about children dying
Can't you hear them cry
Where did we go wrong
Someone tell me why
What about babies
What about the days
What about all their joy
What about the man
What about the crying man
What about Abraham
What about death again
Do we give a damn
The music video is more disturbing than the song itself. And if you actually ponder over the lyrics, there’s a whole lot of meaning and significance to it. The thing is, what you see in the video are the results of our inconsiderate actions, perhaps attributing it to globalization. It’s our nature, as man, to do what it takes to achieve what we want. And, probably, most of us are aware of the fact that global climate change is one consequence of our actions. In economics, globalization is the convergence of prices, products, wages, rates of interest and profits toward developed country norms. And in developing, we have to make sacrifices. And the sacrifices appear to be in the form of environmental degradation. The poisonous fumes factories emit and the toxic chemicals that are dumped into water sources every day. These are evidences of our effort to develop and transform into a modern society.
However, for now, I choose to focus on the positive aspect of globalization. According to wikipedia.org, globalization refers to increasing global connectivity, integration and interdependence in the economic, social, technological, cultural, political and ecological spheres. You’ll probably be questioning, “There’s actually a positive aspect to it?” YES. There is, surprise surprise.(: Global environmental challenges that cannot be solved without international cooperation. Examples, the Kyoto Protocol and the Johannesburg Summit. In the final phase of the Johannesburg Summit, the European Union submitted a declaration of like-minded countries on increasing the share of renewable energies. Meanwhile, the Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty designed to limit global greenhouse gas emissions. It’s everyone’s responsibility to preserve nature and perhaps, after what we did to achieve environmental degradation, it’s time for us to do something instead to preserve nature. Without international cooperation, nothing will work out. Just imagine. A small country like Singapore trying to be environmentally-friendly yet, huge countries like Britain still being the irresponsible one, exploiting nature. It would defeat the purpose of attempting to save the Earth.
International cooperation is necessary in the world’s development. Everyone has to play a part. So, globalization is not always bad. It’s good too! With globalization, we can interact with our counterparts in various parts of the world. With globalization, we can work hand in hand with them to preserve Mother Nature and simultaneously, ensure our growth and development in the future. So, who says globalization and sustainable development can’t work hand in hand? Anyways, I’ll discuss that in the next post.(:
Always bringing my own plastic bag,
Dinie.(:
Darn. I always seem to be the bad guy of the group. The one who is anti-globalisation.(: Actually, I don’t really mind globalization. But the fact that it contributes to the declining of the health of Mother Nature forces me to change my perception of globalization.
I’ve a song to share with you: Earth by Michael Jackson.
What about sunrise
What about rain
What about all the things
That you said we were to gain.. .
What about killing fields
Is there a time
What about all the things
That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we've shed before
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth the weeping shores?
What have we done to the world
Look what we've done
What about all the peace
That you pledge your only son...
What about flowering fields
Is there a time
What about all the dreams
That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice
All the children dead from war
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth the weeping shores
I used to dream
I used to glance beyond the stars
Now I don't know where we are
Although I know we've drifted far
Hey, what about yesterday
What about the seas
The heavens are falling down
I can't even breathe
What about the bleeding Earth
Can't we feel its wounds
What about nature's worth
It's our planet's womb
What about animals
We've turned kingdoms to dust
What about elephants
Have we lost their trust
What about crying whales
We're ravaging the seas
What about forest trails
Burnt despite our pleas
What about the holy land
Torn apart by creed
What about the common man
Can't we set him free
What about children dying
Can't you hear them cry
Where did we go wrong
Someone tell me why
What about babies
What about the days
What about all their joy
What about the man
What about the crying man
What about Abraham
What about death again
Do we give a damn
The music video is more disturbing than the song itself. And if you actually ponder over the lyrics, there’s a whole lot of meaning and significance to it. The thing is, what you see in the video are the results of our inconsiderate actions, perhaps attributing it to globalization. It’s our nature, as man, to do what it takes to achieve what we want. And, probably, most of us are aware of the fact that global climate change is one consequence of our actions. In economics, globalization is the convergence of prices, products, wages, rates of interest and profits toward developed country norms. And in developing, we have to make sacrifices. And the sacrifices appear to be in the form of environmental degradation. The poisonous fumes factories emit and the toxic chemicals that are dumped into water sources every day. These are evidences of our effort to develop and transform into a modern society.
However, for now, I choose to focus on the positive aspect of globalization. According to wikipedia.org, globalization refers to increasing global connectivity, integration and interdependence in the economic, social, technological, cultural, political and ecological spheres. You’ll probably be questioning, “There’s actually a positive aspect to it?” YES. There is, surprise surprise.(: Global environmental challenges that cannot be solved without international cooperation. Examples, the Kyoto Protocol and the Johannesburg Summit. In the final phase of the Johannesburg Summit, the European Union submitted a declaration of like-minded countries on increasing the share of renewable energies. Meanwhile, the Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty designed to limit global greenhouse gas emissions. It’s everyone’s responsibility to preserve nature and perhaps, after what we did to achieve environmental degradation, it’s time for us to do something instead to preserve nature. Without international cooperation, nothing will work out. Just imagine. A small country like Singapore trying to be environmentally-friendly yet, huge countries like Britain still being the irresponsible one, exploiting nature. It would defeat the purpose of attempting to save the Earth.
International cooperation is necessary in the world’s development. Everyone has to play a part. So, globalization is not always bad. It’s good too! With globalization, we can interact with our counterparts in various parts of the world. With globalization, we can work hand in hand with them to preserve Mother Nature and simultaneously, ensure our growth and development in the future. So, who says globalization and sustainable development can’t work hand in hand? Anyways, I’ll discuss that in the next post.(:
Always bringing my own plastic bag,
Dinie.(:
ended entry at
7:06 PM
7:06 PM
I make it a point to use different sources for every post, you know, just to show that globalization can be seen everywhere! So far I've used a comic strip, song lyrics and an excerpt from a book to make my point about the political impacts of globalization. Today, I'm going use the following shocking photograph. You have been warned, do not scream:
Source: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/347712.html
Okay, so maybe the picture isn't that scary, but it certainly is significant. What is the new world order, how did it come about and why does it cause so many fatalities?
I have a theory that over the centuries, the world and the human civilization that lives on it will go through different world orders. Around the nineteenth century and the twentieth century, the world heralded a new world order in the form of the rise of the modern nation state. This was largely due to massive industrialization and modernisation and the development of modern capitalist and socialist economies. Administrative structures and institutions of the modern nation-state led to conditions that led to industrial expansion. Moreover, industrial development brought with it social problems that made it necessary for the state to intervene in the form of public education and social services such as health care, housing, and education.
This new world order naturally brought about different political manifestations-the rise of nationalism, inter-state alliances, colonization and the greatest wars that the world has ever seen.
However, the time has come for a new world order, and this world order has been brought about due to globalization. With significant changes in global economic relations, the concept of the nation-state is about to become obsolete. The economic policies of the nation-state has always been centered on national economic interests, which may now conflict with the global trend towards the free and rapid movement of goods, services, finance, and labour. The old order of the nation-state is about to be replaced with the new world order of multinational, regional or even global political entities.
The crumbling of the Soviet Union and Eastern bloc a decade ago heralded a new era of world peace and increased openness between states. The processes of globalization accelerated as goods, ideas and people flowed freely across borders in the post-Cold War political environment. Policies of containment gave way to policies of openness to trade and interact based on the principles of democracy and freedom.
With the advent of the new world order, multilateral organizations such as the United Nations have changed their focus to a global approach of peacekeeping/peace-building, environmental protection, protection of human rights, and the maintenance of international laws. The creation of legal institutions like the international criminal tribunals have sprung up in large numbers over the past decade, and we see an increasing number of international conferences being held that aim to address global problems through international cooperation. All these are proof of political globalization, and they have been brought about due to the new world order.
The new world orders have always brought about many deaths and calamities as a result of the political changes. During the now defunct world order, different states struggled to come to terms with the newfound power that each of them possessed, and the novelty of control led leaders of different states to become power hungry. Ambitious expansionist moves by nations such as Japan and Germany led to the outbreaks of the two world wars that led to the massacres and intense suffering of millions of people around the world. Today, the new world order promises this same massacre and intense suffering, as different states struggle to hold on to their fast fading power, as power quickly shifts to international organizations and the like. In a bid to preserve state sovereignty, different nations refuse to deal with problems such as global warming, which promises the eventual massacre of more people than both world wars combined. We see Iran and North Korea battling it out with Western states over their supposed nuclear arms. Iran and North Korea insist it is their right to harness nuclear energy, but Western states, especially the US, have promised economic sanctions should both countries fail to deactivate their nuclear reactors. Economic sactions could have a huge negative effect on both countries, such as the starvation of many innocent citizens. Moreover, more deaths would occur in the course of a nuclear war, which many experts fear to be looming.
Different world orders indeed have a strong impact in the political arenas. The question is whether the world is ready for a new world order so soon. Currently, the answer appears to be not as states desperately cling on to any shreds of power they see left, as the new world order threatens to crumble nation states and national political institutions. We can only wait with bated breaths to see what happens next.
Always politically correct, Xiu Qing!
ended entry at
1:19 PM
1:19 PM
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Here's an interesting article I recently read in The Economist (which is a great magazine, everyone is highly recommended to read it!) It's entitled The New World Order by Andrew H. Webber. I've copied down an excerpt here which I found particularly relevant-in this part of the article, Mr Webber clarified the definitions of the state, state sovereignty and state security.
"A state is a legal-political entity, which functions as the primary player in international relations. To qualify for statehood, the following criteria should be met:
-a particular defined territory
-a permanent resident population
-a constituted effective government
-formal and real independence
-sovereignty
-recognition by other states in the international system of states
-the expectation of permanence
-the capacity to enter into relations with other states
-a state apparatus; a circulation system
-an organised economy
-various 'fictional parts' of states, such as the official residences of foreign diplomatic envoys
In geopolitical terms, perhaps the most critical quality of statehood is territory. Although territory alone does not constitute statehood, statehood is first and foremost tied to territory. For instance, many nationalist movements in Southeast Asia during the era of de-colonisation rallied national sentiments by evoking images of blood-ties to the land, to mobilise mass support against the European imperialists and alien immigrants (Chinese and Indians).
However, territory alone does not complete the picture. Sovereignty as a legal presumption elevates mere territories to the status of statehood by empowering it with the right to exercise the functions of a state to the exclusion of others, and conferring upon it the recognition and acceptance of other states in the international political system. The above definition of sovereignty implies "competency to control the territory and its contents and also relationships with other states through the totality of powers that state, under international law, have and may use". For example, it is the quality of sovereignty that distinguishes states from nations. As in the case of the Palestinians, though significant portions of territories are occupied in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, it nonetheless is not accorded the recognition of statehood because its nationhood is subsumed under the sovereignty of Israel.
The above example of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict highlight an important aspect of statehood, namely, internal and external forces may challenge sovereignty This point addresses the concept of state security. The term security is ubiquitous, as evident in how governments usually proclaim national security as the highest stated value of their state's existence, if not its essential raison d'etre. Consequently, the term security is inherently ambiguous and openly contested, since its meaning is flexible and the object of many competing claims and attempts at definition. As such, security may be broadly defined as "a series of widely held desires to be free from threat".
In attempting to define security, a geopolitical paradigm to aid conceptualising the term may be construed in the form of specifying an internal community in antithesis to an external threat. This is so because security is not an entirely objective matter of military force calculation or economic analysis, but also substantially about creating the political identity of the domestic community. Precisely in the process of creating external threats, a domestic 'self' is constructed in terms of security.
Having defined the three concepts of statehood, sovereignty and security, attention will now be turned to the present debate calling for the re-conceptualisation of these concepts. In an age when Cold War zero-sum calculations have been laid to rest, and a sigh of relief heaved as the global community ushers in a "New World Order" of peace, co-operation and harmony, scholars have shifted their attention from Realist obsession with power politics to "softer" global political issues. The global discussion will now focus on two "softer issues" - globalisation and the environment - and the bearing these phenomena have on prompting scholars to rethink state security and sovereignty."
Whew! That's nearly the whole article! So this article got me thinking on how statehood, sovereignty and security are re-defined in today's modern society. I've talked about how state sovereignty and statehood are compromised in the previous post, but I have as yet never talked about state security. This is what I will be focusing on today.
So how does globalisation affect state security? You'd be surprised, it does in a multitude of ways.
For example, it affects the economic security of a country. To use a very relevant case study to illustrate my point, Singapore's economic security no longer depends on the strength of our local economy alone. Our economy is also affected by the markets of our trade partners, our neighbours and so on. For example, in March 2007, stock market points around the world, included Singapore, dropped to an all time low, a result of Shanghai's major market drop.
Military security also needs re-thinking. In today's nuclear age, the possibility of an international nuclear war is growing greater. States are rendered incapable of guaranteeing the safety and security of their citizens. What do we do when we have countries around the world, such as Iraq under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, who claim to possess weapons of mass destruction potent enough to wipe out the entire human race? It is not always possible to verify these claims, but the threat to the security of surrounding states is still real and omnipresent.
There is an increasing need for global security, as state security no longer does the trick of keeping people safe. But yet, in a very paradoxical manner, this global security is a facet of globalisation. It compromises statehood and state sovereignty. This is a common occurance in today's globalised world-states no longer have the capacity to deal with global problems and are forced to turn to global measures, compromising their state sovereignty in the process. This results in various International Organisations and international treaties such as the World Trade Organisation, the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and the recent United Nations efforts at banning landmines.
How about psychological security? Another aspect of security to be re-thought in response to globalisation, is security in the form of a common group identity, be it ethnic or religious. This is a cause of much of the violence, bloodshed and carnage we see in the world today-these are acts by people who see a need to maintain an identity in the face of a globalised world that threatens uniformity.
And in today's society, more than ever, environmental security must take the spotlight. For the first time the human species at large is vulnerable. We are now faced with a new serious security problem. How do we protect ourselves against a little understood but extremely destructive threat to our existence, such as tsunamis, droughts, floods and the like? We have in actual fact created this threat ourselves and may not be able to stop it if we do not change our activities in time. One need not look very far to grasp the gravity of the above statement. Last year's haze is a case in point. Forest fires in Sumatra not only affected neighbouring islands within its immediate radius, winds actually carried the smog as far north as Manila. In fact, one of the worst hit areas was the Klang valley in Malaysia. Ecological security is a global concern because Mother Nature knows no boundaries.
Is it not evident then, the impact that globalisation in all its forms has on state security today? There is an increasing need to find global solutions to global problems, but here's something to think about-why do you think most of these global problems and negotiations fail? My theory is that states are unwilling to compromise their state sovereignty too much, even at the expense of finding a feasible global solution. Interesting how selfish international relations can get, don't you think? Till next time, signing off Mcdonald's Crew!
Always staying safe,
Xiu Qing!
Here's an interesting article I recently read in The Economist (which is a great magazine, everyone is highly recommended to read it!) It's entitled The New World Order by Andrew H. Webber. I've copied down an excerpt here which I found particularly relevant-in this part of the article, Mr Webber clarified the definitions of the state, state sovereignty and state security.
"A state is a legal-political entity, which functions as the primary player in international relations. To qualify for statehood, the following criteria should be met:
-a particular defined territory
-a permanent resident population
-a constituted effective government
-formal and real independence
-sovereignty
-recognition by other states in the international system of states
-the expectation of permanence
-the capacity to enter into relations with other states
-a state apparatus; a circulation system
-an organised economy
-various 'fictional parts' of states, such as the official residences of foreign diplomatic envoys
In geopolitical terms, perhaps the most critical quality of statehood is territory. Although territory alone does not constitute statehood, statehood is first and foremost tied to territory. For instance, many nationalist movements in Southeast Asia during the era of de-colonisation rallied national sentiments by evoking images of blood-ties to the land, to mobilise mass support against the European imperialists and alien immigrants (Chinese and Indians).
However, territory alone does not complete the picture. Sovereignty as a legal presumption elevates mere territories to the status of statehood by empowering it with the right to exercise the functions of a state to the exclusion of others, and conferring upon it the recognition and acceptance of other states in the international political system. The above definition of sovereignty implies "competency to control the territory and its contents and also relationships with other states through the totality of powers that state, under international law, have and may use". For example, it is the quality of sovereignty that distinguishes states from nations. As in the case of the Palestinians, though significant portions of territories are occupied in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, it nonetheless is not accorded the recognition of statehood because its nationhood is subsumed under the sovereignty of Israel.
The above example of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict highlight an important aspect of statehood, namely, internal and external forces may challenge sovereignty This point addresses the concept of state security. The term security is ubiquitous, as evident in how governments usually proclaim national security as the highest stated value of their state's existence, if not its essential raison d'etre. Consequently, the term security is inherently ambiguous and openly contested, since its meaning is flexible and the object of many competing claims and attempts at definition. As such, security may be broadly defined as "a series of widely held desires to be free from threat".
In attempting to define security, a geopolitical paradigm to aid conceptualising the term may be construed in the form of specifying an internal community in antithesis to an external threat. This is so because security is not an entirely objective matter of military force calculation or economic analysis, but also substantially about creating the political identity of the domestic community. Precisely in the process of creating external threats, a domestic 'self' is constructed in terms of security.
Having defined the three concepts of statehood, sovereignty and security, attention will now be turned to the present debate calling for the re-conceptualisation of these concepts. In an age when Cold War zero-sum calculations have been laid to rest, and a sigh of relief heaved as the global community ushers in a "New World Order" of peace, co-operation and harmony, scholars have shifted their attention from Realist obsession with power politics to "softer" global political issues. The global discussion will now focus on two "softer issues" - globalisation and the environment - and the bearing these phenomena have on prompting scholars to rethink state security and sovereignty."
Whew! That's nearly the whole article! So this article got me thinking on how statehood, sovereignty and security are re-defined in today's modern society. I've talked about how state sovereignty and statehood are compromised in the previous post, but I have as yet never talked about state security. This is what I will be focusing on today.
So how does globalisation affect state security? You'd be surprised, it does in a multitude of ways.
For example, it affects the economic security of a country. To use a very relevant case study to illustrate my point, Singapore's economic security no longer depends on the strength of our local economy alone. Our economy is also affected by the markets of our trade partners, our neighbours and so on. For example, in March 2007, stock market points around the world, included Singapore, dropped to an all time low, a result of Shanghai's major market drop.
Military security also needs re-thinking. In today's nuclear age, the possibility of an international nuclear war is growing greater. States are rendered incapable of guaranteeing the safety and security of their citizens. What do we do when we have countries around the world, such as Iraq under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, who claim to possess weapons of mass destruction potent enough to wipe out the entire human race? It is not always possible to verify these claims, but the threat to the security of surrounding states is still real and omnipresent.
There is an increasing need for global security, as state security no longer does the trick of keeping people safe. But yet, in a very paradoxical manner, this global security is a facet of globalisation. It compromises statehood and state sovereignty. This is a common occurance in today's globalised world-states no longer have the capacity to deal with global problems and are forced to turn to global measures, compromising their state sovereignty in the process. This results in various International Organisations and international treaties such as the World Trade Organisation, the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and the recent United Nations efforts at banning landmines.
How about psychological security? Another aspect of security to be re-thought in response to globalisation, is security in the form of a common group identity, be it ethnic or religious. This is a cause of much of the violence, bloodshed and carnage we see in the world today-these are acts by people who see a need to maintain an identity in the face of a globalised world that threatens uniformity.
And in today's society, more than ever, environmental security must take the spotlight. For the first time the human species at large is vulnerable. We are now faced with a new serious security problem. How do we protect ourselves against a little understood but extremely destructive threat to our existence, such as tsunamis, droughts, floods and the like? We have in actual fact created this threat ourselves and may not be able to stop it if we do not change our activities in time. One need not look very far to grasp the gravity of the above statement. Last year's haze is a case in point. Forest fires in Sumatra not only affected neighbouring islands within its immediate radius, winds actually carried the smog as far north as Manila. In fact, one of the worst hit areas was the Klang valley in Malaysia. Ecological security is a global concern because Mother Nature knows no boundaries.
Is it not evident then, the impact that globalisation in all its forms has on state security today? There is an increasing need to find global solutions to global problems, but here's something to think about-why do you think most of these global problems and negotiations fail? My theory is that states are unwilling to compromise their state sovereignty too much, even at the expense of finding a feasible global solution. Interesting how selfish international relations can get, don't you think? Till next time, signing off Mcdonald's Crew!
Always staying safe,
Xiu Qing!
ended entry at
10:17 PM
10:17 PM
Monday, April 23, 2007
China's Closed-door Policy
The Manchus established the Qing dynasty in 1644. During their rule over China, the Manchus subdued the remnants of Mongol resistance in the northwest, and conquered the Khalkhas, the Kalmuks, and the Turks. They also formally annexed Outer and Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Tibet, thereby fixing the modern boundaries of China. In 1683, Qing forces took over Taiwan.
At the height of Qing power, the Manchus utilized the best minds and richest human resources of the country, regardless of race, to carry out many scholarly projects. However, Western missionaries -- active in China since the end of the Ming -- lost the trust of the Yung Cheng Emperor due to their role in a power struggle for the throne. Christianity was banned in 1724 and the flow of Western technology into China slowed to a trickle thereafter.
During the entire 18th century and the early 19th century, the Qing court adopted a virtual closed-door policy toward the Western world while Europe was being transformed and invigorated by the rise of rationalism, nationalism, colonialism, and ultimately the industrial revolution.
My reflection:
China is a country with more than 5000 years of history, after the globalisation policy spread over China; the economic improvement was significant and quick.
The article introduces a brief history about the how Manchus adopted the closed-door policy which put globalisation a stop in China.
China practiced globalisation in the Han dynasty (206BC-220AD) while the world was just embarking into the global age; the Silk Road brought the flow of goods, information, technology and people across national borders in ancient China. The Silk Road brought people together and linked the people of eastern hemisphere. During the Tang dynasty (618-901) trade flourished and the Silk Route expanded as Chinese traded with the Romans.
The Silk Road brought China great economic benefits. The flow of western goods and increasing trade of silks, teas and jade products gained unimaginable financial rewards. So people in ancient times realized the economical benefits of globalisation.
The closed-door policy was adopted by the emperors in Qing dynasty to resist the flow of Western foods and believes into China.
But the impacts of the closed-door policy was, China suffered one humiliating defeat after another and the people languished in poverty and starvation as a result of brutal foreign aggressions and corrupt and incompetent feudal rulers. As China was not aware of how strong the western military powers were.
The situation changed after the communist Party took over. Since the implementation of reform and the opening up program leaded by Mr. Deng Xiao Ping, China has undergone great transformation. China’s GDP increased dramatically from $147.3 billion to $1.6494 trillion from 1978 to 2004. It showed that China was greatly affected by the trend of globalisation which introduced China to the world with a new and positive appearance.
The open-door policy proved that globalisation to a large extent has brought China thriving economic progress and ensured that China's economy would develop in a balanced way by keeping pace with the world economy
China built up a more open market space and allowed herself participate in more and more international cooperation. Therefore, as a economic expert, I strongly agreed with globalisation was the way to go!
Posted by Zhang Lin
China's Closed-door Policy
The Manchus established the Qing dynasty in 1644. During their rule over China, the Manchus subdued the remnants of Mongol resistance in the northwest, and conquered the Khalkhas, the Kalmuks, and the Turks. They also formally annexed Outer and Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Tibet, thereby fixing the modern boundaries of China. In 1683, Qing forces took over Taiwan.
At the height of Qing power, the Manchus utilized the best minds and richest human resources of the country, regardless of race, to carry out many scholarly projects. However, Western missionaries -- active in China since the end of the Ming -- lost the trust of the Yung Cheng Emperor due to their role in a power struggle for the throne. Christianity was banned in 1724 and the flow of Western technology into China slowed to a trickle thereafter.
During the entire 18th century and the early 19th century, the Qing court adopted a virtual closed-door policy toward the Western world while Europe was being transformed and invigorated by the rise of rationalism, nationalism, colonialism, and ultimately the industrial revolution.
My reflection:
China is a country with more than 5000 years of history, after the globalisation policy spread over China; the economic improvement was significant and quick.
The article introduces a brief history about the how Manchus adopted the closed-door policy which put globalisation a stop in China.
China practiced globalisation in the Han dynasty (206BC-220AD) while the world was just embarking into the global age; the Silk Road brought the flow of goods, information, technology and people across national borders in ancient China. The Silk Road brought people together and linked the people of eastern hemisphere. During the Tang dynasty (618-901) trade flourished and the Silk Route expanded as Chinese traded with the Romans.
The Silk Road brought China great economic benefits. The flow of western goods and increasing trade of silks, teas and jade products gained unimaginable financial rewards. So people in ancient times realized the economical benefits of globalisation.
The closed-door policy was adopted by the emperors in Qing dynasty to resist the flow of Western foods and believes into China.
But the impacts of the closed-door policy was, China suffered one humiliating defeat after another and the people languished in poverty and starvation as a result of brutal foreign aggressions and corrupt and incompetent feudal rulers. As China was not aware of how strong the western military powers were.
The situation changed after the communist Party took over. Since the implementation of reform and the opening up program leaded by Mr. Deng Xiao Ping, China has undergone great transformation. China’s GDP increased dramatically from $147.3 billion to $1.6494 trillion from 1978 to 2004. It showed that China was greatly affected by the trend of globalisation which introduced China to the world with a new and positive appearance.
The open-door policy proved that globalisation to a large extent has brought China thriving economic progress and ensured that China's economy would develop in a balanced way by keeping pace with the world economy
China built up a more open market space and allowed herself participate in more and more international cooperation. Therefore, as a economic expert, I strongly agreed with globalisation was the way to go!
Posted by Zhang Lin
ended entry at
4:01 PM
4:01 PM
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Anime As Pathway to Globalization
Hey everyone! This is JJ bringing you the latest news on the cultural aspects of globalization. For today, I bring you ANIME (otherwise known as Japanese animation) as our topic of the day!
First up, a little definition for those who have no idea what 'animes' are. A quick look up on Wikipedia or Yahoo, ought to show that 'anime', on it's own, is actually short for 'animation', though anime is considered to be a 'subset' of animation in Western culture, as pointed out by Wikipedia . Yupp, with the coming of technology advancements and globalizaton, countries open up their ports to trade from all over the world and for Japan, one of it's most popular exports include Animes (Mangas too)!
Back in the past, animes were but typical cartoons in the homes of Japanese. But now, with the advent of easily accessible technology, basically the internet, people can now view it right off video hosting sites such as YouTube for example.
The United States was first exposed to Anime back in June 1961 with a few titles initially, and its popularity gradually increased with popular works such as AstroBoy.
Animes are now readily available nearly and Americans' awareness of Japanese anime is at an all time high. They have quite a significant influence in the American animation culture, considering the fact that hardcore Anime fans are now capable of obtaining animes through underground means even before they are released in the country.
Now, let's take a look at how Anime and globalization has affected the animation industry.
"Anime-styled Cartoons"
Ever watched some of the American animations on Kids Central such as Totally Spies, W.I.T.C.H and Monster Allergy?
Ever taken a close look at the style of the characters in them?
Animations such as these are considered, by Anime fans, to be 'influenced by Anime' and not so much Animes themselves. Comparing these Anime-influenced works to other American productions such as Spongebob Squarepants and Cow and Chicken, these new style of animation adopted refrains from using the typical exaggerations of the body proportions (looking at Cow and Chicken, anyone would have noticed the fact that the beak of Chicken is extremely big and Cow's mouth as well). Instead, the creators of these animations chose to adopt a similar Anime-style of human bodily proportion for their characters and facial features such as big eyes.
All in all, with globalization, cultural exchanges can be made between countries in terms of trade, just as observed in Animes! =)
Oh, and 2 of my favourite animes include 'Naruto' and 'Bleach'. Do check 'em out on YouTube, they're real nice. ^-^
ended entry at
8:39 PM
8:39 PM
Monday, April 16, 2007
As the environmental expert of the group, I’ve a confession to make: I idolize Captain Planet! Captain Planet is a fictional character. I distinctly remember that after every show, Captain Planet will discuss methods on how to save the Earth. And that is the role of Captain Planet: to safe the Earth, which goes hand in hand with the theme song:
Captain Planet, he’s the hero
Gonna take pollution down to zero!
He’s our powers magnified
And he’s fighting on the planet’s side.
Despite the fact that Captain Planet is merely a fictional character, I can’t help idolizing him and wishing how Earth can be a wonderful place to live in with his existence. Moreover, with globalization, environmental problems are getting more intense, impacting our lives and perhaps, annihilating our lives soon if we do not instigate measures to combat these problems.
Globalization. Such a big word to pronounce and understand. According to www.dictionary.cambridge.org, globalization is defined as ‘the increase of trade around the world, especially by large companies producing and trading goods in many different countries’. Yes, globalization is seen as something positive. Globalization ensures that we are constantly in touch with our counterparts in various parts of the world. Globalization brings success to countries and increases the economy of a country with the increase in trade around the world. Yet, as most things are in the world, globalization has a negative side to it too.
The relationship between trade and the environment has become an increasingly contentious issue between economists and environmentalists. Economists insist that trade is necessary in the protection of natural environment as it seems that with globalization, it brings trade which subsequently brings wealth to countries. Hence, countries will then be able to afford to protect and maintain its natural environment. Meanwhile, environmentalists oppose this statement by stating that in the pursuit for national wealth comes environmental degradation.
Indeed, I agree with the environmentalists not only because I’m the environmental expert of the group, but the fact that it makes more sense to say that increase in trade causes an increase in ignorance for our natural environment. Moreover, it is clearly happening in front of our eyes. Since the Industrial Revolution, man has chosen to focus on modernizing the world instead of keeping a lookout for the state of the environment. Global warming is the result of globalization.
Even though the link between globalization and global warming is not clear, it does exist. An increase in trade results in an increase in demand for things and subsequently, an increase of production of things which brings an increase of environmental problems. With factories releasing poisonous fumes in the air and toxic chemicals into water sources, our world is being polluted and Mother Earth is suffering the brunt of our actions. It might seem unfair that others are affected by our actions, but in reality, nobody cares. Maybe except for environmentalists that is.
So, let’s all be Captain Planet for the day! Every action counts, even those that we consider insignificant. It IS possible to achieve a win-win situation where globalization can still continue and simultaneously, the natural environment can still be maintained! Cooperation is necessary in the pursuit for happiness. The onus is on us to save the environment!
Captain Planet, he’s the hero
Gonna take pollution down to zero!
He’s our powers magnified
And he’s fighting on the planet’s side.
Despite the fact that Captain Planet is merely a fictional character, I can’t help idolizing him and wishing how Earth can be a wonderful place to live in with his existence. Moreover, with globalization, environmental problems are getting more intense, impacting our lives and perhaps, annihilating our lives soon if we do not instigate measures to combat these problems.
Globalization. Such a big word to pronounce and understand. According to www.dictionary.cambridge.org, globalization is defined as ‘the increase of trade around the world, especially by large companies producing and trading goods in many different countries’. Yes, globalization is seen as something positive. Globalization ensures that we are constantly in touch with our counterparts in various parts of the world. Globalization brings success to countries and increases the economy of a country with the increase in trade around the world. Yet, as most things are in the world, globalization has a negative side to it too.
The relationship between trade and the environment has become an increasingly contentious issue between economists and environmentalists. Economists insist that trade is necessary in the protection of natural environment as it seems that with globalization, it brings trade which subsequently brings wealth to countries. Hence, countries will then be able to afford to protect and maintain its natural environment. Meanwhile, environmentalists oppose this statement by stating that in the pursuit for national wealth comes environmental degradation.
Indeed, I agree with the environmentalists not only because I’m the environmental expert of the group, but the fact that it makes more sense to say that increase in trade causes an increase in ignorance for our natural environment. Moreover, it is clearly happening in front of our eyes. Since the Industrial Revolution, man has chosen to focus on modernizing the world instead of keeping a lookout for the state of the environment. Global warming is the result of globalization.
Even though the link between globalization and global warming is not clear, it does exist. An increase in trade results in an increase in demand for things and subsequently, an increase of production of things which brings an increase of environmental problems. With factories releasing poisonous fumes in the air and toxic chemicals into water sources, our world is being polluted and Mother Earth is suffering the brunt of our actions. It might seem unfair that others are affected by our actions, but in reality, nobody cares. Maybe except for environmentalists that is.
So, let’s all be Captain Planet for the day! Every action counts, even those that we consider insignificant. It IS possible to achieve a win-win situation where globalization can still continue and simultaneously, the natural environment can still be maintained! Cooperation is necessary in the pursuit for happiness. The onus is on us to save the environment!
- Dinie
PS. let us save the cows and plants! i love Captain Planet & cows.(:
ended entry at
8:25 PM
8:25 PM
This is a picture I found on the net; it shows a busy ceramics market in China. As we can see from this picture, the main customers are foreigners. Globalization assured these foreigners to buy things they want and things they need in other countries.
As a result of globalization, the foreigners could access to overseas markets with a resulting increase in incomes of the country. For example, the foreigners come to China to buy the ceramics, China’s ceramics’ industries will be benefited as the demand for the ceramics increases.
Further more, as the demand for ceramics increase; it will help in maintain this traditional technique.
What is more, ceramics will have better qualities after globalization as they are to be sold to other countries. Moreover, there will be increasing competitiveness between all factories which produce the ceramics; which will also increase the quality of the productions, and results a increasing wealth.
Although, globalization brought in many benefits, negative impacts accompanied it. When the ceramics was improved, the production costs would increase to meet the costs of the producing the ceramics.
In conclusion, globalization is still the trend today that we can not stop; it brings prosperity to all the countries around the world.
What is more, ceramics will have better qualities after globalization as they are to be sold to other countries. Moreover, there will be increasing competitiveness between all factories which produce the ceramics; which will also increase the quality of the productions, and results a increasing wealth.
Although, globalization brought in many benefits, negative impacts accompanied it. When the ceramics was improved, the production costs would increase to meet the costs of the producing the ceramics.
In conclusion, globalization is still the trend today that we can not stop; it brings prosperity to all the countries around the world.
Posted by Zhang Lin
ended entry at
3:25 PM
3:25 PM
Friday, April 13, 2007
I'm sure we've all heard the proverb: a picture paints a thousand words. Now, this proverb wouldn't be one if it didn't make sense. Don't we often find that pictures and comics have an uncanny, succinct and effective way of expressing a single, significant message? And there's the bonus humour thrown is as well.
I'm sure we've all heard the proverb: a picture paints a thousand words. Now, this proverb wouldn't be one if it didn't make sense. Don't we often find that pictures and comics have an uncanny, succinct and effective way of expressing a single, significant message? And there's the bonus humour thrown is as well.Comic strips like the one above are becoming increasingly politically inspired. This one depicts the European Union's (EU) reluctance to allow Turkey to join the Union (naturally, the word bird flu is a pun on the word turkey! There is little, if not no occurrence of bird flu in Turkey, so that is not a reason for their exclusion from the EU).
I feel that this issue is closely linked to the issue of globalization. Why? Ah, let us count the ways...
Firstly, the European Union is a significant international governmental organization, comprising 27 European member states today. It is a influential economic and political entity, possessing an effective single market, free trade of goods and services, and even a common agricultural market. The member states have all signed declarations promising not to declare war on each other, and have also signed landmarks pacts with one another regarding security and democratic relations. International organisations such as this are common in our globalized world. National boundaries are broken down as countries come together in one big organisation with no dominant leader/president. In addition, these countries come together to tackle global issues often related to globalisation-be it bird flu, soaring fuel prices or a certain Iraq War(:
But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Back to Turkey and the EU. Now, one of the major reasons why Turkey is not allowed to join the EU is because of the Turkish Government's official policy regarding Cyprus, a member of the EU. Turkey refuses to acknowledge Cyprus as an official state, and an enraged Cyprus has threatened to continue to veto accession talks for Turkey unless it amends its policy. Thus, the EU is now putting pressure on Turkey to recognise Cyprus. And you know what? I think with time, Turkey will eventually be forced to recognise Cyprus as an official country. It has wanted to join the EU since April 1987, and with good reason. The EU grants European states numerous economic benefits, as well as security that is becoming increasingly important in the world today.
This shows how globalization triumphs over state sovereignty, doesn't it? Institutions that are the embodiment of globalization, such as the EU, are able to impose their laws and regulations on countries, overriding official state policies. International laws such as these compromise state sovereignty. It is a definite trademark of globalization-the crumbling of national boundaries lead to a loss of the power of the state, such as in this case.
And here's another feature of today's globalised world-a change in diplomatic relations. Many countries have complex diplomatic relations with other countries, sometimes due to historical animosity and grudges (think China-Japan here) and most of the time, it's due to the inherent need to protect one's own interests, and this need arises from globalization. With global problems arising left, right and centre (such as diseases), the countries have realised they cannot stand alone.
The complicated allies issue takes precedence in the EU-Turkey problem. For example, there have been numerous military provocations between Greece (a present EU member) and Turkey, over territorial issues in the Aegean sea. Thus Greece is adamantly against Turkey joining the EU. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, supports Turkey's bid for membership as Turkey has close ties to the United States, and it is the hope of the UK that countries such as France and Germany, who have a strong independence stance towards the US, would soften their view as more allies of the US join the EU. Isn't it evident how globalisation radically affects allies and diplomatic relations?
It is more clear than ever that in today's political world, globalisation is a major player. And it is here to stay.
Your friendly international relations girl,
Xiu Qing!
ended entry at
11:46 AM
11:46 AM
Monday, April 9, 2007
Song: Everybody's Gone to War
Artiste: Nerina Pallot
Album: Fires
I've got a friend, he's a pure-bred killing machine,
He said he's waited his whole damn life for this,
I knew him well when he was seventeen,
Now he's a man who'll be dead by Christmas.
And, so...
Everybody's going to war,
But we don't know what we're fighting for,
Don't tell me it's a worthy cause,
No cause could be so worthy.
If love is a drug, I guess we're all sober,
If hope is a song I guess it's all over,
How to have faith, when faith is a crime?
I don't want to die...
If God's on our side, then God is a joker,
Asleep on the job, his children fall over,
Running out through the door and straight to the sky,
I don't want to die...
For every man who wants to rule the world,
There'll be a man who just wants to be free,
What do we learn but what should not be learnt?
Too late to find a cure for this disease.
so...
Everybody's going to war,
But we don't know what we're fighting for,
Don't tell me it's a worthy cause,
No cause could be so worthy.
If love is a drug, I guess we're all sober,
If hope is a song, I guess it's all over,
How to have faith, when faith is a crime?
I don't want to die...
If God's on our side, then God is a joker,
Asleep on the job, his children fall over,
Running out through the door, and straight to the sky,
I don't want to die...
I-I-I-I
I-I-I-I
don't want to die,
I-I don't want to die...
so...
Everybody's going to war,
But we don't know what we're fighting for,
Don't tell me it's a worthy cause,
No cause could be so worthy.
If love is a drug, I guess we're all sober,
If hope is a song, I guess it's all over,
How to have faith, when faith is a crime?
I don't want to die...
If God's on our side, then God is a joker,
Asleep on the job, his children fall over,
Running out through the door, and straight to the sky,
I don't want to die...
I-I-I-I
I-I-I-I
don't want to die,
I-I don't want to die...
I've got a friend, he's a pure-bred killing machine,
I think he might be dead by Christmas...
go here to watch the music video and hear the song on youtube!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CaS3RWaNEj4
___________________________________________________________________
My thoughts:
This song is one of my most favourite songs, because the lyrics are so meaningful. It is highly relevant to the world we live in today, a world that is in a constant state of chaos and warfare. I tend to relate it to one particular issue-that of Muslims around the world being called upon by radical Muslim extremist leaders to commit violence against other religions or races in the name of Islam.
Why do I say so? Let’s examine a few significant lines of the song:
I've got a friend, he's a pure-bred killing machine,
He said he's waited his whole damn life for this,
I knew him well when he was seventeen,
Now he's a man who'll be dead by Christmas.
Many impressionable, young Islamic militants in countries were once men with families, with jobs, with normal lives-“I knew him well when he was seventeen”. However, brainwashing by radical Islamic leaders forces them to believe that it is their God given duty to wage war on those who are of a different religion or possess different beliefs from them-“he’s a pure bred killing machine, he said he’s waited his whole damn life for this”. As a result, regular violence is now the norm in many societies, especially suicide bombings. We see Muslims blowing themselves up, cutting their life short, all in the name of God-“now he’s a man who’ll be dead by Christmas”.
And, so...
Everybody's going to war,
But we don't know what we're fighting for,
Don't tell me it's a worthy cause,
No cause could be so worthy.
Many young Muslim men, women and even children wage a holy war on the world, or so they think. They believe the words of powerful, influential Islamic clerics, Islamic extremists who brainwash them into thinking that it is glorious to die for God, as long as they take down as many non-Muslims as they can. However, the fact of the matter is that most of these Islamic leaders are simply power-hungry, tyrannical individuals bent on the creation of a fully Islamic state or Islamic world, twisting the words of God to suit their own means-“Everybody’s going to war, But we don’t know what we’re fighting for” Many gullible Muslims believe that such a cause is the highest, most worthy cause to die for-“Don’t tell me it’s a worthy cause, No cause could be so worthy”.
What do we learn but what should not be learnt?
Too late to find a cure for this disease.
Many Muslims around the world are being wrongly taught that war, violence and hatred are the answers to fulfilling God’s noble cause, and that killing themselves along with other Non-Muslims is a worthy sacrifice in the name of God-“What do we learn but what should not be learnt?” This trend is occurring with worrying frequency in many countries, even ones that do not have a predominantly Muslim population. This mindset is spreading like a plague, like a disease-“Too late to find a cure for this disease”.
I feel that this issue is closely related to globalization. Again, why do I make such a sweeping statement? Well, most of the Muslims that have been brainwashed into committing such acts of violence, as I mentioned above, do not even hail from the Middle East regions of Iraq, Iran or associated countries that are said to have links to Muslim extremist groups. One good example to illustrate this point would be the July 2005 London Bombings. The four suicide bombers were all natives of London and did not leave the country to visit any Middle Eastern regions prior to the attack. Instead, they had been in contact with al-Qaeda units through gadgets such as laptops and hand phones. Does this not illustrate the huge role that globalisation plays in many terrorist acts today? Globalisation has brought about the advent of technological advancements. The whole world is connected with just a click of a mouse, the dialling of a cell phone. This facilitates terror networks, many of which post messages on websites or record videos rallying Muslims around the world to unite under a common cause, to wage a Holy War on non-Muslims and the like. Many Muslims around the world who access websites and watch videos such as these become influenced to support such a cause. Technology, such as laptops and hand phones (as mentioned above) greatly add terrorist operations.
Such terrorist operations and escalating violence “erode the ability of nation-states to exercise the effective control over their political agenda”-to quote Mr. Ng’s power point. Different countries often have to compromise and accede to the requests of Islamic militants or terrorists to prevent further attacks from occurring. Major influences and decisions in the government are often influenced by such terrorist attacks and religious violence. For example, many governments are forced to take measures to combat such acts of terrorism and improve surveillance and safety facilities. This shows how globalization can, indirectly, compromise the power and decisions of the state.
Radically against Radical Extremism,
Xiu Qing!
Song: Everybody's Gone to War
Artiste: Nerina Pallot
Album: Fires
I've got a friend, he's a pure-bred killing machine,
He said he's waited his whole damn life for this,
I knew him well when he was seventeen,
Now he's a man who'll be dead by Christmas.
And, so...
Everybody's going to war,
But we don't know what we're fighting for,
Don't tell me it's a worthy cause,
No cause could be so worthy.
If love is a drug, I guess we're all sober,
If hope is a song I guess it's all over,
How to have faith, when faith is a crime?
I don't want to die...
If God's on our side, then God is a joker,
Asleep on the job, his children fall over,
Running out through the door and straight to the sky,
I don't want to die...
For every man who wants to rule the world,
There'll be a man who just wants to be free,
What do we learn but what should not be learnt?
Too late to find a cure for this disease.
so...
Everybody's going to war,
But we don't know what we're fighting for,
Don't tell me it's a worthy cause,
No cause could be so worthy.
If love is a drug, I guess we're all sober,
If hope is a song, I guess it's all over,
How to have faith, when faith is a crime?
I don't want to die...
If God's on our side, then God is a joker,
Asleep on the job, his children fall over,
Running out through the door, and straight to the sky,
I don't want to die...
I-I-I-I
I-I-I-I
don't want to die,
I-I don't want to die...
so...
Everybody's going to war,
But we don't know what we're fighting for,
Don't tell me it's a worthy cause,
No cause could be so worthy.
If love is a drug, I guess we're all sober,
If hope is a song, I guess it's all over,
How to have faith, when faith is a crime?
I don't want to die...
If God's on our side, then God is a joker,
Asleep on the job, his children fall over,
Running out through the door, and straight to the sky,
I don't want to die...
I-I-I-I
I-I-I-I
don't want to die,
I-I don't want to die...
I've got a friend, he's a pure-bred killing machine,
I think he might be dead by Christmas...
go here to watch the music video and hear the song on youtube!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CaS3RWaNEj4
___________________________________________________________________
My thoughts:
This song is one of my most favourite songs, because the lyrics are so meaningful. It is highly relevant to the world we live in today, a world that is in a constant state of chaos and warfare. I tend to relate it to one particular issue-that of Muslims around the world being called upon by radical Muslim extremist leaders to commit violence against other religions or races in the name of Islam.
Why do I say so? Let’s examine a few significant lines of the song:
I've got a friend, he's a pure-bred killing machine,
He said he's waited his whole damn life for this,
I knew him well when he was seventeen,
Now he's a man who'll be dead by Christmas.
Many impressionable, young Islamic militants in countries were once men with families, with jobs, with normal lives-“I knew him well when he was seventeen”. However, brainwashing by radical Islamic leaders forces them to believe that it is their God given duty to wage war on those who are of a different religion or possess different beliefs from them-“he’s a pure bred killing machine, he said he’s waited his whole damn life for this”. As a result, regular violence is now the norm in many societies, especially suicide bombings. We see Muslims blowing themselves up, cutting their life short, all in the name of God-“now he’s a man who’ll be dead by Christmas”.
And, so...
Everybody's going to war,
But we don't know what we're fighting for,
Don't tell me it's a worthy cause,
No cause could be so worthy.
Many young Muslim men, women and even children wage a holy war on the world, or so they think. They believe the words of powerful, influential Islamic clerics, Islamic extremists who brainwash them into thinking that it is glorious to die for God, as long as they take down as many non-Muslims as they can. However, the fact of the matter is that most of these Islamic leaders are simply power-hungry, tyrannical individuals bent on the creation of a fully Islamic state or Islamic world, twisting the words of God to suit their own means-“Everybody’s going to war, But we don’t know what we’re fighting for” Many gullible Muslims believe that such a cause is the highest, most worthy cause to die for-“Don’t tell me it’s a worthy cause, No cause could be so worthy”.
What do we learn but what should not be learnt?
Too late to find a cure for this disease.
Many Muslims around the world are being wrongly taught that war, violence and hatred are the answers to fulfilling God’s noble cause, and that killing themselves along with other Non-Muslims is a worthy sacrifice in the name of God-“What do we learn but what should not be learnt?” This trend is occurring with worrying frequency in many countries, even ones that do not have a predominantly Muslim population. This mindset is spreading like a plague, like a disease-“Too late to find a cure for this disease”.
I feel that this issue is closely related to globalization. Again, why do I make such a sweeping statement? Well, most of the Muslims that have been brainwashed into committing such acts of violence, as I mentioned above, do not even hail from the Middle East regions of Iraq, Iran or associated countries that are said to have links to Muslim extremist groups. One good example to illustrate this point would be the July 2005 London Bombings. The four suicide bombers were all natives of London and did not leave the country to visit any Middle Eastern regions prior to the attack. Instead, they had been in contact with al-Qaeda units through gadgets such as laptops and hand phones. Does this not illustrate the huge role that globalisation plays in many terrorist acts today? Globalisation has brought about the advent of technological advancements. The whole world is connected with just a click of a mouse, the dialling of a cell phone. This facilitates terror networks, many of which post messages on websites or record videos rallying Muslims around the world to unite under a common cause, to wage a Holy War on non-Muslims and the like. Many Muslims around the world who access websites and watch videos such as these become influenced to support such a cause. Technology, such as laptops and hand phones (as mentioned above) greatly add terrorist operations.
Such terrorist operations and escalating violence “erode the ability of nation-states to exercise the effective control over their political agenda”-to quote Mr. Ng’s power point. Different countries often have to compromise and accede to the requests of Islamic militants or terrorists to prevent further attacks from occurring. Major influences and decisions in the government are often influenced by such terrorist attacks and religious violence. For example, many governments are forced to take measures to combat such acts of terrorism and improve surveillance and safety facilities. This shows how globalization can, indirectly, compromise the power and decisions of the state.
Radically against Radical Extremism,
Xiu Qing!
ended entry at
2:48 PM
2:48 PM
Friday, April 6, 2007
Hello all! On behalf of the group, I'm just going to upload the 5 photographs that we took in school the other day that represent globalisation in one way or another. As we all know, there are 5 main themes in globalisation-
1. The development of technologies and the shrinking of the world
2. Ecological interdependence
3. The development of the world market-economical interdependence and dominance
4. The crumbling of national boundaries
5. Cultural homogenization
So we tried to bring out each individual theme in the 5 photographs, and here they are!
This photograph obviously depicts the development of technologies and the shrinking of the world. Gadgets like these-computers, the world wide web and instant messaging; hand phones and the short message system (SMS), enable us to access information from all over the world and allow us to express our views freely. Technology empowers us and we are able to interact with people all around the world, at any time of the day.
This photograph is a representation of ecological interdependence. The man-made structure and the natural greenery coexist together in the photograph, and this is exactly what our globalized world has become. Our lives are affected by natural disasters happening in different parts of the world, such as the haze in Indonesia. Our actions, in turn, have an effect on nature. For example, the cutting down of trees for timber shipment to other countries by Thailand and Malaysia could lead to massive deforestation.
This photograph, of course, represents the development of the world market-economical interdependence and dominance. What would happen if food from one of these stalls caused a student to have food poisoning? (Not that I'm implying that any of the stalls sell unhygienic food:D) Students would no longer patronise the stall, and the business of other stalls would be affected as well, since some students might cautiously choose to stay away from the canteen completely and eat at the hawker centre opposite TJC instead. In a similar way, in today's globalized world, different world markets are dependent on one another. If Wall Street crashed tomorrow, there would be disastrous consequences for the economies and stock markets of other countries.
Hello all! On behalf of the group, I'm just going to upload the 5 photographs that we took in school the other day that represent globalisation in one way or another. As we all know, there are 5 main themes in globalisation-
1. The development of technologies and the shrinking of the world
2. Ecological interdependence
3. The development of the world market-economical interdependence and dominance
4. The crumbling of national boundaries
5. Cultural homogenization
So we tried to bring out each individual theme in the 5 photographs, and here they are!
This photograph obviously depicts the development of technologies and the shrinking of the world. Gadgets like these-computers, the world wide web and instant messaging; hand phones and the short message system (SMS), enable us to access information from all over the world and allow us to express our views freely. Technology empowers us and we are able to interact with people all around the world, at any time of the day.This photograph is a representation of ecological interdependence. The man-made structure and the natural greenery coexist together in the photograph, and this is exactly what our globalized world has become. Our lives are affected by natural disasters happening in different parts of the world, such as the haze in Indonesia. Our actions, in turn, have an effect on nature. For example, the cutting down of trees for timber shipment to other countries by Thailand and Malaysia could lead to massive deforestation.This photograph, of course, represents the development of the world market-economical interdependence and dominance. What would happen if food from one of these stalls caused a student to have food poisoning? (Not that I'm implying that any of the stalls sell unhygienic food:D) Students would no longer patronise the stall, and the business of other stalls would be affected as well, since some students might cautiously choose to stay away from the canteen completely and eat at the hawker centre opposite TJC instead. In a similar way, in today's globalized world, different world markets are dependent on one another. If Wall Street crashed tomorrow, there would be disastrous consequences for the economies and stock markets of other countries.
Ahh. The crumbling of national boundaries. Nothing says it more perfectly than a Chinese boy eating Malay food, as you see in the photograph above. With globalization, we are exposed to many different cultures around the world, and slowly but surely, we incorporate elements of these different cultures into our daily lives. A non-Chinese person many be rocking out to a Chinese pop song, while a Westerner enjoys his favourite roti prata meal.
And finally, the last photograph! This point and the last point are sort of linked. The crumbling of national boundaries in turn leads to cultural homogenization, which is what this image is all about. The world gradually morphs into one that has a similar culture, one underlying culture. In this case, we think Western culture is the most predominant. You find Starbucks and McDonalds (heh heh) outlets even in China, and shoe brands like the ones being shown above (Nike, Reebok and New Balance) are found all over the world.
So all hail the powers of globalisation! And our expert photo taking skills! Till next time then, McDonald's Crew!
Posted by: Xiu Qing
ended entry at
10:16 AM
10:16 AM
