War on Terrorism

5. With the numerous recent hostage situations involving Al-Queda, do you think that the War on Terrorism was actually won?

The war on terrorism is one that will never be one.  There will always be people who wish to prove a point and who will do it through violence.  With seven billion people on earth it is impossible to please everyone. Unfortunately we live in a world where certain groups strive for attention to try and influence the masses, but all they achieve is a hatred- something that doesn't make sense to me.  Perhaps the only thing we can work towards is a more peaceful planet, never a perfectly safe one. 

western politics

3. Look at this political cartoon (http://i.imgur.com/vcBZ8.jpg).  How do Western politics reflect the message portrayed in this cartoon?  

Instead of answering this question, I would like to instead point out the error in the cartoon.  Every western leader goes through a rigorous election process in which hundreds of millions of people chose the person who will make choices for them in order to be elected again.  People have all the power over leaders in western politics, that's why we are considered uncorrupted.  I also feel as though majorities have been trying to abuse their power with the whole 99% movement in which leaders are pressured between votes and money... people clearly do know their power and are doing a very good job of abusing it while showing the rest of the world their ignorance in topics they know so little about. 

Putin

2. Vladamir Putin was recently elected back into office at the Kremlin. Do you think the election was a good representation of what the people wanted?

Since the recent voter turn out in Russia of 137%, the media's spotlight has turned to corruption in Russia.  Personally, I feel as though before the recent dishonestly in the elections that Putin was a very honourable leader; he served his country before ruling it and therefore, hopefully, serves in his people's general best interest.  Putin has been named one of the most powerful people in the world by Forbes and is therefore backed by a strong majority of his country.  There are always people who wish to see the other part win and will try to sway the public's opinion on who to vote for; perhaps the world has simply seen too much propaganda in Russia and our ideas have been swayed. To directly answer the question, I feel as though Putin being reelected was a good representation of what the people wanted but the number of voters was clearly overkill. 

Bill C-30

13. Bill C-30 is proposed legislation that would give police and intelligence agencies new powers to access Canadians' electronic communications and allow telecomunications to hand over private data to the government without a warrant.  Do you agree that the Canadian Government should be allowed to "spy" on Canadians if it means stopping child pornography offenders? Where should the government draw the line?

I have to respond to this question by asking another: what does Facebook do with our data right now?  Facebook has played a pivotal role in catching criminals by seeing where people have checked in, what they've searched on the internet, and what they're posting to their friends.  If Facebook can track all of our data, why shouldn't the government be allowed to?  Our generation has been tainted by violent video games and always being exposed to the bad in the world through the news- perhaps knowing that the government is always capable of watching you will scare people with sadistic thoughts out fulfilling their sickening fantasies.  

Bill C-30 doesn't seem like it will stop any websites from running as SOPA or PIPA would, however would monitor the searches of everyone and simply red flag any group of searches that seem out of the ordinary and use this as a method of catching criminals.  So long as websites such as YouTube are not shut down, I feel as though Bill C-30 will actually create a safer environment in Canada.  Unless your idea of leisure is breaking the law, this bill shouldn't do any harm to you. 

Facebook IPO

Is Facebook's upcoming IPO (initial public offering on the stock market) properly priced?  The company's price will be about 99x that of their earnings.

I think that this is a very high but justified valuation of the company.  Many lines have been drawn between Google's IPO and the upcoming offering of Facebook shares on the market, Google's initial P/E ratio (price of the company to the earnings that they have, Facebook's would be 99) was 125.  Both websites are constantly used by the public, almost everyone uses both Google and Facebook every single day.  When you buy a company, you're paying for their future earnings as well; investors clearly believe that Facebook is going to start pulling in record breaking profits soon, as the company is already being valued at about $100B.  Google went public before they started selling their androids, before any hype about Google Glasses came out, all they had was a search engine.  Facebook is quite similar in this was that their profits all come from their website, perhaps investors are waiting for Facebook to join the phone market, or to start creating something that you can put in your pocket. 

Many investors are excited to see what Facebook can do, as am I, but we need to see some really large profits if Facebook hopes for the price of their company to increase much. 

Whittard's Topics

18. What have you learned about yourself during the course?

Throughout World Issues, I feel as though I've become a much more informed citizen.  I'd like to think that I've learned to create some insight for others on our most important issues; my actions in the WIC in January helped teach many grades 8, 11, and 12 students about the European debt crisis and specifically Greece and my ISP on the US debt crisis sparked a response from many of my classmates.  World Issues has definitely helped me become a better and more confident speaker whether it be through long presentations, from crafting clever questions, or from bringing my ideas to the class in our discussions every class.  

Though I've learned a lot about many specific issues, I would like to think that the thinking methods that I've learned are the most important lessons that I've learned.  Of course there are many issues that need addressing; however, World Issues has taught me that countless numbers of Issues are always coming up and it how we learn from them that we may one day be able to make change in future similar issues that will make the world the better place we dream of.  

In terms of the hard skills, the knowledge, I feel as though I've solidified my love for finance in this course.  Without all of the research, independent learning, and reports that I've done on Europe and the US this year, I wouldn't have known how truly interested in this subject I am. 

19. What is the biggest threat facing our Canada in the next 50 years?

Though most people would likely put global warming in this blog, I feel as though we're trying to stop it, everyone is aware of it, and we're all recycling, using less water, and saving energy to slow this issue.  Canada's one unusable farmland will become warm enough to use and water levels will not become a problem for the majority of the country.  Instead, I feel as though the tar sands are an issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. 

After the recent TED talk shown in class, knowing that the beautiful rural land in Alberta is being destroyed by companies who wish to violate the land there and extract this oil in a very unclean way is something that needs to be stopped or done in a much less destructive matter.  The issue of oil in today's society is huge; wars have been fought over oil in Iraq and Iran is trying to leverage the US with their supplies of this "black gold." Though oil is a huge factor in economics, we need to do something about the tar sands in Alberta.  Canada is known for it's beauty, it's natural parks, it's great north, it's friendliness, how does ripping out natural habitats and polluting a huge amount of water to extract oil add to our reputation?  If there's one thing we need to protect in Canada, it is our pride and ripping out the beauty in our country to export a commodity that our world should be trying to live without is, quite frankly, disgusting. Canada needs to see a change in government that only supports this extraction of oil is it is much more clean and less destructive to the beauty of our country. 

20. As you move into the next phase of your life, how will you try to affect change in the world regarding these issues?

Unfortunately, my desired career path is one where I won't be able to solve these problems as an individual.  I hope to "retire" from my job and become a key player in the Canadian central banks or even the finance minister (if I'm anywhere close to good enough) so that I can bring my knowledge to bettering the economy of either Canada or the US, but also the rest of the world.  As we become a more global community, I hope that actions in one country will more directly start to affect others and that countries are working together as opposed to against each other for economic growth. 

As I won't be able to take on a job in the government's finances or the central bank for probably another 30-45 years, my impact on the world will continue to be with the individual.  I hope to influence people to make smart financial decisions in bad financial times.  As it has been said in class many times, the world is moved by money, we can't address many issues abroad because we don't have enough money for ourselves; I hope to help individuals, companies, and one day countries to be able to hold balanced books and to see growth in their finances so that we truly have no excuse to not hold our hands, or our pockets, out to those who need help in the developing world. 

What are the 3 most important issues that you've learned about during the course?

Throughout the entire course, I feel as though I've had my eyes opened to many very important issues.  As a keen finance student, I must place high importance in the European debt crisis.  Though I include the debt crisis in my top three, I feel as though the AIC and human trafficking have impacted me a lot this year and thus can be seen in my top three important issues taught this year.
As mentioned in my most recent blog post, I outlined how the European debt crisis can affect the entire global economy in a very negative way.  Learning more about this issue has opened my eyes about more of the details of what is happening in Europe both through learning in class and by solidifying my knowledge of the topic by teaching my peers what I know about the issue.  Through helping other people understand how bonds work and what a default may cause, I managed to use my knowledge of the EU to have a very successful Model UN conference in New York and bring my expertise to be seen as worthy to bring my views up in the General Assembly in front of over 2500 people.
The AIC took up a very long stretch of the class and is therefore one of my top three choices.  Throughout the months that the simulation was going on for, I learned a lot about the religious conflicts over land between the Arabs and Israelis as well as a high amount of information on Saudi Arabia's economy and ties to the US.
Finally, the recent presentations on human trafficking throughout Europe and Canada created an emotional response with me.  Knowing that such horrible things are happening to young women, even girls, is a disgusting issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Though I don't really know how the governments can really take a lot of action on this problem without violating some human rights, I thing it is imperative for the governments of North America and Europe to either individually or collectively take a stand again these misogynistic actions.

ISU Reflection

Looking back on the ISU, I feel quite strongly that I did a very good job of making a very complex topic simple enough for the entire class to understand.  The presentation went very well and I feel as though the areas of the topic that I learned by my self were explained very well.  The best, and most intimidating, part of my project was definitely the section on the 2008 debt crisis and how that has put the US big 6 banks in a bad situation in terms of holding illiquid houses on their balance sheets; knowing that the big banks are having rough times and that Europe may collapse very soon is a scary thought for everyone and may put my generation in difficult times in terms of finding a career soon after university.

May 2nd

(1) Which presentation thus far (not your own) has impacted you the most? Why?

So far, Robin's presentation on human trafficking in Europe has been the most inspirational for me.  Seeing such inhumane treatment of women and children in a seemingly more developed part of the world is disgusting and the fact that very little is being done to stop it is just as wrong.  Everyone knows of human rights violations in the third world, though the more emerged and first world areas on Earth are thought to be safe; now knowing that Europe is facing problems with sex trafficking concerns me. 

(2) Why do you think the "Cover the Night" event was not as successful as initially expected? 

Though the Kony movement was a big deal when everyone heard about it, the buzz around it died down over the March break and especially after the public started hearing responses to the movement from Ugandans.  After the mental breakdown of one of the video's creators, the public really lost interest in the cause as the charity became unreliable. 

(3) Watch this TED talks video on the Alberta's tar sands. After watching, what is your impression of this project in terms of its impact on the environment? 

I had no idea about how bad the tar sands issue was.  After seeing this TED talk, I believe that this project to expand the tar sands is completely wrong.  There will come a time when water is worth more than oil, and we should be preserving our fresh water supply and rather than build these tar sands plants invest instead in the growing renewable energy source. 

Kony

"Should HSC participate in Invisible Children's 'Paint the Night' initiative on April 20th to spread awareness about Kony 2012?"

In my opinion, bringing justice to Kony is important; without a doubt. The problem with the "Paint the Night" campaign is that there is only a 2% efficiency rate. The majority of the donations received from this campaign will go straight to the organizers as a profit, another large percent will go two advertising, but only 2% will actually go to the cause in Uganda. Because of the fact that such a small percentage of the donations go to the cause, I believe that HSC should stay away from this initiative; however, this does not mean that we should just forget about the issue. Hillfield may chose to do some sort of fundraiser but if that is the case all of the profits should go directly to the cause, not go through invisible children. 

Violence in Society

What do you think causes violence in society? 

Throughout all fo the resources that we've used, I feel as though the main driving force behind violence in inequality and people trying to take shortcuts. People who want more out of their life, who want to have something faster, who can't get what they want because they don't have the skills to achieve it can do it violently.  Jealousy is derived from inequality; it is the ultimate cause for violence.   

Think of your classic mugging. People who see someone carrying something that they want, they beat them up and steal it from them. Instead of trying to find a way to make more money, to work harder in school or the workplace, they take the violent shortcut that is, generally, easier and takes less time.  Child soldiers is a problem based around someone wanting to rule the government because they didn't have a strong enough say in what was going on in their country. Rape is caused by people who lack the skills to be intimate with women and therefore force them into doing these horrible things.  It is the desire to have something that other people have that leads to violence. 

Non-Violence

Which is a more effective strategy in terms of social action - non-violent peacekeeping and activism (MLK, Gandhi) or aggressive peacemaking (Malcom X)? Consider both sides in your answer.

Though interesting, I found that the ten minute presentation was not necessarily valid. What bothered me about her plea to see more non-violent protests was that she compared it to a child having a tantrum. You can't compare an army to a child throwing a tantrum. Armies will do what they want to, regardless of the press... it is in nobody's best interest to have the world see you in a bad light. I believe that many non violent protests turn violent whether or not it is how they were intended. 

To answer the question of which type of protest is most effective, I can't say that I have a strong say in this. Both means of protest have proven to work and to get a point across, however the world would like to see more non violent protests. Every group has their own means and their own points to promote, it really depends on the situation; you would not hold a violent protest to end a war, you might hold a violent protest if the economy crashes and you lose all of your money. 

Child Soldiers

After watching "Invisible Children," what have you learned about the "psychology of violence"? What are the root causes of the abductions and youth violence in Uganda and the surrounding region? How has this affected the mental health of these children? 

After watching this movie, I find myself in a very disturbed state. What is happening in Uganda is almost disgusting because of the manipulation and corruption that is seen throughout the LRA. This group, the LRA, are a group of rebels that are trying to overthrow the Ugandan government; no adults continue to join this group and so they resort to abducting children to fight for them. The advantage that child soldiers give to the LRA is the psychological warfare. As talked about in class, could you, as a soldier, take it upon yourself to shoot a child if they were shooting at you- could you do that without a second thought?

This movie also addresses the brainwashing of the abductees. They must either chose to accept the brutal life style that has been put upon them, or be murdered by other children or members of the LRA. These child soldiers have been so corrupted at a young age to the point where one of them, to quote the movie, gets a headache when he doesn't see blood.

The issue of child soldiers is clearly wrong, it is a shame that the government isn't working full tilt to stop it. 

Racism

Do you think a teacher/parent/guardian should be permitted within their freedom of expression to convey discriminatory thoughts to their child(ren) against a certain race, religion, belief, etc?

In my opinion, teachers and parents should hold a very different role. Teachers should be able to share their views if their views are labeled as simply views and not facts. Because teachers are there to give children a threshold for learning skills, they should not be objective with their views but in a way that children are given their own space to chose to believe what they want. 

Parents play a very different role than teachers. Though they maybe shouldn't tell their children whatever they want to, we can't stop parents from saying what they want to their kids. We physically can't. 

Gender Equality

The main problem with gender equality in Africa is the fact that women are not given equal opportunity to education. Without a proper education, one can not expect to have a meaningful source of income or impact in the future. The fact that men are given more rights than women to education is simply wrong. In first world countries, many women hold very prestigious jobs proving that they are worthy and able to work hard with much success. Women should not be disallowed entrance to a school or given other roles that take priority over education.
However, this problem of gender inequality isn't only found in the third world. Many first world countries, even in the west, experience a large degree of inequality throughout the workplace. An example of this is that at Goldman Sachs, regarded as the most powerful and influential company in the world, it is known that if a woman is promoted it's because she's a woman (to avoid another female rights violation lawsuit). These problems should be taken care of to give women, of the same species as men, the same rights in the same work places.

HIV AIDS

AIDS is widely known to be rampant in the poorest nations of the world. There are many reasons as to why this is, but it all boils down to money. If African nations could afford proper birth control, proper medication, and proper food they would not be affected nearly as much by this disease. 

Being able to afford proper birth control would allow poor nations to stop this problem to be stopped at the root. Because AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease the transmission can be stopped by something as simple as wearing a condom. Poorer countries where the majority of the population live on less than a dollar per day can not afford birth control thus allowing the spread to occur faster than it would in a richer, first world nation where people can practise safe sex without hurting their bank accounts. 

Anti-Retoviral drugs have slowed the evolution from HIV to AIDS in first world countries. The problem with this medication is the price tag. As AIDS is fatal, corporations can charge large amounts of money for their drug because people will pay anything for their lives. However, where people in Canada can pay thousands of dollars for this medication, people in the third world will likely never see more than one thousand dollars at a time and thus not be able to purchase this live saving drug. 

As heard in Stephan Lewis' podcast, malnutrition causes the transformation from HIV to AIDS to be much faster. Also, when AIDS is rampant in the body, malnutrition will only kill you faster. Not being able to afford a proper diet allows for the spread and maturation of AIDS to be faster. 

Stephan Lewis' NGO is designed to slow and maybe even one day stop the spread of AIDS. They run fundraisers with simple things such as book exchanges and tea parties, but also go to Africa to try and help these families on a one to one basis. 

CARE model

1) I would not go smoke a joint with this chick... I would try and discourage them and then, if they don't want to spend time with me, I'd get over it. Enough said.

2)I would take the internship. Clearly my friend already has a better resume than me and I would rather have an opportunity to build it up some more. However, I wouldn't lie on my resume in the first place so this isn't much of a problem for me.

3)I would keep my friend's trust but keep an extra close eye on them. Suicide watch. I would rather try and help them through their problems than be the one to push them over the edge and have them attempt suicide.

4)Stay- the factory already makes dangerous materials, I would rather not risk my future. We have our rights to protest but trespassing is illegal and that is not part of peaceful protest. The UDHR states that every individual has rights to *peaceful* protest, not violent protest. Also, a criminal record is something that would destroy many promising dreams I have of my future in the business world.

5)If this terrorist attack could threaten the lives of my family, I would torture him because it would be personal and the last thing I would want to see is someone who I love getting hurt or worse. However, if it was not personal, I would do the right thing, though if somebody else wishes to try and extract that information, I wouldn't stop them.

WIC Reflection

In my opinion, the day was quite a success. I believe that everything went as well as it possibly could until second session, not that there were any problems with the it. At this point, most of the grade eights seemed to not care as much about what we were talking about and, at least in my session, started to bring up completely stupid ideas, such as paying people to kill mass amounts of other people, to get a laugh out of it.  What we should've done instead of second session was have some sort of active, fast paced activity done with the group you were with for session one (Grade 8s only). Grade twelves could go into a deeper discussion as to take more out of the day without having to worry about leaving the grade 8s out of debate. 

Perhaps next year we should make smaller keynote addresses. Though Mrs. Saifi's presentation was fantastic, if we'd opened with Dr. Kubursi's, the day would've started much slower than it did. Maybe we could have two keynotes going on at the same time and have people pick which one they want to go to. 

I think the panel was great, the time for that should've been extended as we had many more questions to be answered.