Through the history of China, one can notice that the common man is not given many rights. When making the Great Wall of China it took millions of people. Those people worked in dangerous terrain and many lost their lives. In modern china we can still see this type of projects were many people are affected negatively, such as the making of the Three Gorges Dam (the world’s largest man-made producer of electricity from renewable energy) or even more recent, when making the beautiful buildings where the Beijing Olympics were held. In the making of this two modern projects MILLIONS of people where displaced and kicked out of their homes. This is where one can become aware of how the human mind works. If you have millions of marbles, it does not hurt you to lose a few thousand if it makes you more powerful. In the case of the Chinese however, since they have billions of people, it does not bother them to lose a few million to be more powerful. The Chinese have so many people, that the life of one person could count for nothing. We can notice this sad truth in an article of a newspaper (Prof. Terris should have it), where the body of a baby is seen in a side of a street for a whole day and no one pays attention to it, until one man finally puts the body in a shoe box and throws it away.
Now, many people might say that sometimes you have to sacrifice a few percent (which may still mean a big amount) for the benefit of the majority. This will mean losing some of the key rights of the individual. I just want to hear what you guys have to say about this, and come up with solutions (be creative) to the problem of overpopulation which your children may have to face since the population is expected to more than double in the next 60 years. Soon it won’t be only China and India who will be facing this problem. HAVE FUN!!!
21 comments:
this is seriously a excellent observation. The government only cares about power and money. This isn'T weird for the Chinese, for they've been doing this since Shi Huandi's dynasty. This is not only seen here, but also in Unites States. In a different way, but for the same purpose. 9/11 was made by the government not by Osama Bin Laden and it was just to give US a reason to start the war. Same with Vietnam, WW1 and 2. Just like Jimi Hendrix said:
-When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will meet peace.
I believe that it is always necessary to lose a few to save the many. There is a very popular saying that states "The many before the few". These popular architectural inventions have helped the many and the Three Gorges Dam will helps produce power for many poeople in China. We can see things like this were to create a popular architectural feature many were lost, like in Egypt for the pyramids and in Central America the temples and Olmec heads. In conclusion I believe that over population is something that is unevitable but that can bring us many opportunities because a few can be lost in experiments or other feats to improve the world in order to push the many into the future. China is definitely a window to everyone's future.
Very true Miguel and in statistics it is shown that one of the major causes of death in China is suicide due to these horrible conditions.
I think a possible solution is to maintain humanistic values because if you care about life you will not kill others. In regards to the over population the government should organize groups of people to migrate to lowly populated places like in the middle of the US and places like that .
so andy how would you feel if you are one of those who is " LOST " . that is stupid and so conceited. how could you say that, poor people. they should have work regulations. there shouldn't be so many casualties that is like murder but disguised
I completely disagree with Andy. Honestly how could you be so oblivious to the pain and poverty around you. In times were the economy is in the craper, right wing politics could fix some issues by becoming a little more socialist but at the same time extreme control like legalism (during the Qin) is extremely bad. The Patricians from Rome disgust me, (they can play as the right wing policy because history boast about their, awesome democracy (bull crap but non the less the point is made)) and the rulers from the Qin Dynasty also disgust me (they can play as the left wing policy like communism). Both extremes are horrible and basically a balance must be made for not the "few" but the people. Leaving any politically correct bullcrap out, I'm not for any side in particular I'm just really tired of hearing of how in history the upper crust basically expliotes the very back bone of society and then has then has the audacity to look down on them, and say things like , "I'm on top because I worked harder than you","sacrifice few for the many", ya ok, why don't you sacrifice yourself. Sometimes the upper crust seems to forget that beyond everything they are individuals to, they seem to consider everyone below them as a digit but also seem to forget that they themselves are not excluded from their own terminology. And on that note We are all digits and no one cares if we die or not regardless of the amount of money in our pockets.
In some way this why I believe in ideas like Communism, because in theory everyone is equal. Although I also accept that it can go terribly wrong. I also realize that this theory of everyone is equal might perpetuate the digit understanding of people (even though we are just another ant in the great scheme, if this idea is put to function there will be utter chaos in the mists of all the supposed order), and that's why we need to find balance between both ideas, and that is also why I agree completely with fafi; man needs to escape the survival theory that Darwin has chained to man kind, and basically evolve by being more humanistic(it is our nature to care solely of ourselves but I think we're smart enough to escape our god given mental crutches) .I know it's off topic and a little politically incorrect but I just need to get that off my chest. Oh ya and seriously Jose, I'm going to say this with nothing to back my statement except common sense, the government was not responsible for 9/11. Seriously how could one of the most unorganized (Bush)administrations make such a plan.
aaaaaaahhhhh :@ i had a super long and well written comment and the internet went away and it didn't get posted !! ill comment again later im tired from writing ... :(
I can understand how many of you would think that my views towards this post are very cruel and unhumane but if you think about it, many of you took choices (your parents) in the past and are taking choices and will take choices that will contribute to more uncalled for deaths. For example, no to target in specific (no offense), Jose Oscar loves soccer a lot, and so does Miguel and many other boys in our grade. The bad thing about this is that the majority of soccer related products are made by children in factories that have horrible conditions. These children are owned and used as "money" to buy off their families debts. They are abused and mistreated, and some times put through harsh conditions that make them die or kill themselves. This is a true reality, but most of you live in your bubble and don't take a chance to look at what your decisions might cause. What you buy, what you drink, what you wear singles you out and you might think that this makes you a person that cares and is very humane, but you like to criticize the people that have a real view of life, Me, and disturb your peace in your bubble. Next time you see a soccer ball, next time you eat an exotic fruit or gourmet dish, next time you wear a designer handbag or a designer soccer ball or soccer jersey think of how your contributing to the deaths of many children and people and please become more aware of what you say because no one is more wrong in backing up this post that all of you.
Thank you for providing such and engaging blog for me. Think before you do anything in the world because I might be unhumane and conceited but at least I am true to what I say and do. Don't think that you are really making a change by saying that what happened in the Great Wall of China was cruel because what you girls and guys like to do and wear is helping these deaths occur and makes you part of what is happening as much or more than it is including me. Live outside the bubble.
Although the government alleges that the three gorges dam will save lives, money and other poorly observed "benefits" they haven't really observed the effect ecologically and humanely.
The Haunge He River has always been a shifting, flooding river. But the people over the ages have learned and moved AWAY from the river, but close enough to use its valuable resources. Compared to ancient times, when the river floods to nowadays, only a few die in comparison to the masses of people the government is moving to construct the dam. The people are now probably living in the harshest of conditions, if not dead! As Estefania mentioned, most of them can't even bear with the consequences of losing their homes and commit suicide as an effect.
Ecologically speaking, the Dam has a humongous effect. Animals that live there will die and possibly die to extinction if the issue is not regarded. Not to mention other big issues, like the probable pollution of the lake created by the dam. Remember, the lower class of China has always used the river to wash clothing, dispose of junks, etc. Usually the currents would carry that away but now that the river is know a lake with little current all that thrash will accumulate.
Sincerely, as you can see, it is a poorly derived solution; in fact, I wouldn't even call it a solution but a substitution of the problems. Instead of having old problems of flooding, environmental problems will become an issue. As well as pollution, anger in population etc. (HA! Gotcha There Andy, jajajaja)
Something else I observed made us even more aware of the hypocrite Chinese "communism." Besides having a capitalist market network, think of all the people the moved/killed because of building the Olympic Games building "The Nest" and the Three Gorges Dam. If the government really were communist they'd care for each individual instead of just moving them out of their lands as if they had no rights! I mean, isn't that what communism's about: were all equal?
P.S. Andy NOW most soccer balls have a "not made by child labor" certification which guarantees that adults worked on the product. In fact, if I’m not mistaken I have an ADDIDAS (yes ADDIDAS) ball that has that certification!
This blog is becoming so irrelevant to what Miguel actually posted.
has any one noticed that comments have sort of floated slightly away from the actual blog. (Ha)(Ha)./
ANDY:
Its not that we are not aware of what is happening in the world but we are talking about how to make it better and how things are improving.
The news dont talk about this stuff because it doesnt make money but the world isnt just bad, it isnt just roberry, sex, bad economy etc. going on, there are good things happing.
Like gaby said, now there are some brands that make sure there products are not made by little children, and there are more regulations now on blood diamonds and stuff like that.
There are still areas we need to improve but going back to my whole humanistic view:
Something we really need too change is our moral values if we want to get anywhere...
You are the perfect example of what we need to change.
You are a good person and i care a lot about you, but how could you tell us to get out of the bubble if you yourself are in it.
I have been to 8 schools, many neighborhoods, lots of states, trust me i know the world is way different than DBE... My family hasn't always had money but we are very blessed and that is why we give back. We give money to family members in need, give money to churchs wtc. AWhen I am older I dream to start a foundation that will help millions of people...
I like have deviated from my main argument but what i have been trying to say is that people care about people. Andy could you kill a little boy just randomly??? People like to help and that is why there are charities and foundations.'
P.S.
Your statement about me ( you said us but just as an example, me) not knowing where my purse comes from and your critisim, its stupid. You of all people shouldnt say that because the story isnt that simple.
This is how it works:
When i buy the purse i give the store money, the store gives a percent to the supplier and the suplier then pays its peoples, if I dont buy the purse then the children get paid less or dont even get paid...
In fact it is a tough problem and what i am doing is not wrong because by shopping i am letting the store have a profit thus money to buy the employ so the employ can pay for his family... and then the family pays other people... so my money circulates... without me ( the figure of a buyer) lots of people would lose everything... especially your family.
andy im sorry, pay attention only to a portion of the things i wrote. i having my... so i am a bit crankier than usual.. actually way crankier but still you get my concept... i didnt mean to atack you personally . i feel mean now.. sorry :(
love you :) !! jajajaja
Overpopulation is a problem that earth is facing right now and would get much worst in a couple of years. Overpopulation is a big problem to earth anywhere it happens since every people consume a lot daily. Imagine what you consume a day multiplied by billions of people in the worlds. This is how much an earth has to face every day. If this keeps on going the same rate it is going it will get worst since the population is getting bigger. Since every people eat food will be something that will going to disappear since there are a lot of people. Since the food will be something that in the future will be needed by everyone, maybe there will be a world war because of food. This problem of population will be needed to be fixed soon. A way to fix this problem is by limiting the children someone can have. For example after two Childs both parents need to be operated to stop reproduction.
Very good comments people. i know i don't have to write a comment yet i want to (not because I don't have a life but because I... ok, I don't need to explain myself to you).
I must agree with Andy in SOME extent in the fact that sometimes a few may have to be spared to save the life's of the majority. Now when i say that a few have to be spared, many times it just means for them to lose a few rights for the better of the rest.
For example, lets take a situation that is happening on our own little island. As you all know, the electric bill on our island are extremely high compared to other places (for example, when in the state of California one pays 11.45 cents/kwh we pay in Puerto Rico about 27 cents/kWh). To make a step to help improve our situation, a project called "Projecto Gasoducto" was going to happen where natural gas was going to be used to supply more energy to the island. This was estimated to help save from 60 to 100 million dollars, or about 30% discount on our monthly bills. This was an excellent project that had already all the permits and was going to be done. However, for the project to be of any use it had to unite itself via pipes under the ground to the main plant. This pipes are completely secure, to give you an idea a similar pipe goes under the White house where the president of the United States is in the second floor. However, the masses are easily manipulated and believe everything they are told. So when they were told that this pipes were dangerous, then the owners of the houses where the pipe would go under protested. To make a long story short, they gave a stop to the project because they used their individual rights in their favor. In this situation we can see how giving individual rights to a few 40 houses, 4 million people did not benefit.
I just used this example to prove that sometimes a few have to lose for the majority to win. And this was not a live or die situation but merely a beneficial project for everyone economically. Now getting back to the subject of overpopulation, I want to plant this fact and another moral question. The main fact for overpopulation is not that more babies are being born, but that people are living longer. This means that because of the new technological advances people are living longer and this is causing serious problems. This older people that under other circumstances would be dead already are consuming on our resources and economy and are not attributing anything new. For example, the machines needed for maintaining many of this people is not cheap, and this means that this people are sucking up on resources that could go to help a younger person. Also one of the main reason why social security may no longer be in use for our generation is because it no longer works because people are living longer and are consuming more money that can be supplied. Now this is where it gets tough, should we just deny helping this people only because they are no longer helping our society? Are medical advances really good for society as a whole? they are the main reason for overpopulation.
miguel:
pero cual es tu solucion a la gente vieja.. ? los kieres matar jajaja es vrda que son cmo vegetables pero todavia son personas... Lo que la electricidad es verdad pero no hay otra ruta..o hello mas facil porqu eno educar a la gente.. ?
al principio andy was talking about losing like deaths no rights..
"over population is something that is unevitable but that can bring us many opportunities because a few can be lost"
oski: aha deben de hacer leyes cmo el que tienen en china pero con 2 taria mejor.. pero tambien deben de destriburse la gente a differentes sitios porque va y emiesa una epidemia y cmo tol mundo esta gunto se mueren todos. y tambien es mejor para no explotar un sitio tanto
Cool blog Miguel ..
I honestly don't think that you need to sacrifice innocent and unwilling lives in order to gain something that will only benefit a few people.. I mean think about it, how many people have benefited from the Olympics as you mentioned? VERY few. Sometimes you do have to give a little to gain in return, but what's the point if you're going to gain less or the same amount as you had before? Like if you make $100 a year and you SPEND $100 or a little less a year. What do you have? Either no money, or less money than what you began with. I know this sounds random but it makes some sense I guess.
We also have to remember that this "few percent" you are talking about is a PERCENTAGE and not a fixed number, so you could be talking MILLIONS, THOUSANDS or HUNDREDS of people who unwillingly sacrificed their lives for the pure benefit, or even luxury, of others. And what do they get in return? Nothing. What are they paid? Zero... This is COMPLETELY unfair to them in the "selfish" sense that, "why should I do that if I won't benefit from it?", unless they personally give up their property, life, etc willingly to benefit others.
I like Fafi's solution by the way :) jejeje its actually really good and makes sense...
I apologize for not commenting on this blog earlier and i see that it is very intriguing and that everyone had a strong opinion and challenges each others ideas. Honestly sometimes I believe that philosophical dilemmas as this one is something that one can never have a clear cut right answer to. So, I'll just let what is my morality play its part.
What Miguel posted immediately instigated in me great abhorrence to how the situation in China is mapping out. It has not been the only time that I had heard of the Dam as rouse to cover genocide. And so I am in complete disagreement with the approach being taken. To take a life is a crime and I believe that's a common law globally. Thus, under no circumstances does it make it alright for people to be massacred just for being. After all, these murders are due to overpopulation and it's not anybodies fault where, when or what type of a situation they are born into. God placed us all in place and what can give a governing system the right to take a life. To do so is an outright violation of Human Rights and its merely disgusting. What type of a government pretends to enforce a system that they violate. Which is the problem with all of the administration systems all around the world. This is the meaning of a corrupt system. Where the privileged can break the rules in order to enrich themselves.
Chachi: I do not agree with your view that communism is the way because in China we observe communism in action and it is very clear that it does not work. To rephrase the overly used statement, communism is good on a philosophical note but it is instinct in the anatomy of any animal as is the human to overcome and we have a flaw which is greed and it is evident that humans have a pursue for power. When these elements are combined with this theory it ceases to function as we see in China. PEOPLE ARE BEING MASSACRED BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO SAY! NOBODY STANDS UP TO CHINA BECAUSE THEY ARE A VERY POWERFUL EXPONENT! Yet you continue to support the government system that sponsors and had given them the right of sovereignty that disguises this? And you state that we are all digits of equal worth and that nobody cares so what would communism make us?? THE SAME THING. It is true that people tend to lose conciousnes when they reach a certain level but sometimes it really is because they overcame and in the same notion sometimes people of low class do not have the tools they need to overcome. We are not here to judge anyone because generalizing really means that you don't know what you are talking about because we are all individuals and we function differently. SO, I do agree with you on that note. And I invite ANDY to apply his own advice [actually Cheo's] and GET OUT OF THE BUBBLE,GET OUT OF THE BUBBLE,GET OUT OF THE BUBBLE,GET OUT OF THE BUBBLE,GET OUT OF THE BUBBLE,GET OUT OF THE BUBBLE!!!!, to not be so bigoted and to think more in depth before making such opinionated statements.
Jose: Im sorry but I found what you said about Sept 11 to be nonsense because how do you back that up? Totally off-topic man. But respect on the Jimi Hendrix quote.
Fafi: I love you humanitarian views ! . Still I see a problem with your plan that is that deporting these people is obviously not that easy due to modern immigration laws and such other things.
Gabi: Nice to bring consciousness abut how it's not only people but also the environment that is suffering from this project. Which is something that shouldn't be overlooked.
Yet again responding Andy, we are all aware of how child labor is still an issue even nowadays, we are also aware that these brands are taking note and pressure from society to reduce and stop this practice, we can only put trust that humanity will continue to push itself to overcome and in the mean time like be like Gabi who cheeked for certification of this.
Now to provide an opinion on the overpopulation problem, which if i didn't miss any only oski and fafi did :P !
I believe that the overpopulation factor needs to be regulated because of the amount of things that we consume. In that way I believe that the 1 child rule is what needs to happen. Also, there needs to be less concentration inside the cities. The overcrowding of China like fafi said is depressing and can lead to suicide because after all you are just one more in the cipher of the world. So, in fafi's note of deporting poeple, why not try to partially urbanize[with that I mean like Dorado's level] parts of China to spread the population in different points. This would not directly solve overpopulation but in can greatly improve living conditions and so give the country more structure to deal with their problems efficiently.
YET AGAIN I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT COMMENTING BEFORE !!!
YOURS TRULY,
CECI JOY . ;)
I just want to state very clearly that I am without a doubt for democracy.
I'm not for communism. I know in most cases that communism is extremely bad. The times that i defend communsim is for three reason. 1st to bother Andy, 2nd because socialist ideas and countries are attacked blindly by many people simply because the US sabotages any socialist country that is prospering, lastly to create a better form of running a state for everyone (the poor rich and middle). We need to incorporate ideas from both, the left wing politic, and right wing politics. A perfect example on how some, small and harmless socialist tweaks can be made on the US to improve living conditions is today's economic crash, (which could of been avoided if some "rights" were more strict.) Yes ceci, communism is bad; especially in China but like I said both extremes are bad (left or right). The US is very balanced in power and I acknowledge that but like i said I'm just knid of tired of seeing the rich get richer by the poor poorer. Another great example of what I'm talking about is the great depression and how Roosevelt Franklin led America out of it. (ask Bravo he knows a lot of Roosevelt). I know it's off topic but I just want to clear that in no form I am a communist. I just find the argument very interesting and even more interesting when fought on the left side (everyone seems to be against it).
PS:I know everyone in our AP class is fully aware of what communism and socialism is.
Miguel: your right about the whole social security problem. Fafi I don't think that Miguel is suggesting to massacre the old people just because they are old. But and he did pose such an interesting question : Are medical advances really good for society as a whole?
It is interesting that you made that wuestion because I know for a fact because I have a dad whose a doctor that he complains that whenever there is medicine that is good and works well they eventually discontinue it for something inferior. Because after all this is an industry and to why solve the problem when you can use side-effects to make the consumer more dependent of your product ensuring a permanent chain of consuming. And in the same sense the population is getting healthier and living loger... so what position do you think that the government would play on this matter??
Post a Comment