CHINA 1949: KEY PEOPLE

           In the Chinese revolution, two particular individuals played key roles and led to the change in government and development of various campaigns and changes. These two men were the head of opposing parties, the nationalist party and the communist party. The nationalist party was in control after the fall of the Qing dynasty; meanwhile the communist party took over control after defeating the nationalists in a long period of civil war. These two men are Mao Zedong, leader of the communists and founder of the People’s Republic of China, and Chiang Kai Shek, leader of the nationalists. Another important man who is the reason for China's huge economic success today is Deng Xiaoping, the leader of the communist party after Mao's death.  Chiang and Mao both took over control in separate revolutions and  tried to unify the country, defeat warlords, and change the social structure of China meanwhile Deng focused on improving the economy. 

Chiang Kai Shek is the head of the nationalist party (Kuomintang) who was involved in the 1911 revolution, 1928 war against Japan, and the 1949 revolution. He was involved in the 1911 revolution against the Qing dynasty and became the military leader of the nationalists in 1917. Sun Yat Sen who was the nationalist leader at the time were well-liked by the communists and the two parties cooperated until his death when Chiang started gaining political prominence and became the nationalist leader in 1925 after Sun's death where he set out to unify the country. However, he could not maintain good relations with the communists which started a civil war. Chiang faced challenges from the warlords and communists which resulted in a war that was both costly in men and money. However, he was successful in causing both groups to retreat as he decreased men in communist troops. In the war against Japan, he was forced to ally with the communists to lead China in an attempt to stop Japanese invasion which was proved to be successful. After peace talks could not be agreed after the war against Japan, the communist and nationalists were involved in a civil war which saw the nationalists being defeated and having to retreat to Taiwan where they would continue fighting China under the communists in a plan to come back into power which did not prove to be successful.

When Chiang Kai Shek was the leader of the nationalist party and head of China, he planned to make many changes. His government attempted to stabilize prices, pay off debt, build infrastructure and public institutions, reform banking and currency systems, legislate against traffic in narcotics, and increasing agricultural and industrial production. He built health and educational facilities which improved education standards and promoted standard tongue. Various campaigns and propaganda were launched to encourage Chinese nationalism and traditional culture, some western ideas, unification, Confucian moral values and personal discipline but were unsuccessful because a lack of effective central government. His government was challenged with politically by the warlords and communist party and he dealt with this by sending military troops which were costly in terms of men and money which weakened his government.

Mao Zedong was the head of the communist party and People’s Republic of China and he was a dictator. He joined the emerging communist party as a founding member in the 1920’s and following the split from the nationalist party, his men withstood five encirclement campaigns by Chiang before leading his red army on the “Long March” to reestablish their base. After 20 years of civil war with the nationalists, Mao brought the communists to victory against the nationalists in 1949 and the People’sRepublic of China was formed. Mao’s Red Army won the civil war due to their smart tactics and formation such as: attacking isolated enemy forces first, attacking enemies on the move, taking towns first before big cities, and guerilla warfare.

Mao unified his country and wasn't afraid to launch programs which would change the country’s social and economic structure. He destroyed the landlord class by taking their land and redistributing them to peasants, weakened the urban bourgeoisie, and elevated the status of peasants, workers, and women. He built public institutions such as hospitals and schools which provided basic education and increased the literacy rate extraordinarily. In his program, “The great leap forward”, he promoted technology, industrialization, merged farms and introduced new techniques. This program was a huge failure as natural disasters and farmers did not knowing how to use new technology and methods caused famines and millions of starvation and deaths. Another program, the “Iron Rice Bowl” put all Chinese workers under state control. The culturalrevolution launched by his government forced millions into manual labor which caused a massive civil unrest as people who went against his regime where also purged. Mao was also involved in political events such as being involved in the Korean War, and successfully fighting off the nationalists who wanted to return from Taiwan.

          After Mao's death, Deng Xioping took over control and was the reason for China's economic success today. He made various economic reforms which was opposite to what Mao has done but was extremely successful. His reforms includes the decollectivization of agriculture, opening up the country to foreign investments, and allowed for private businesses to take place. This caused the economy of PRC to bloom and became the foundation to China's economy today. Because of Deng's smart reforms, China today has one of the fastest and largest growing economies in the world. 

 

                When in control of the government, these three men who followed immensely different ideologies and made big changes to China. Both Chiang and Mao  took over control in a revolution which saw a shift in power and a new government being established.  Mao, Deng and Chiang made changes in China which remains today and has enormous consequences. 

CHINA 1949: ACTIVITIES, CONSEQUENCES, EFFECTIVENESS

          Each action has consequences and every decision Mao and his communist party made shaped the way China is today. During Mao's reign, his authoritarian government made several reforms which insured stability unseen since the Opium war, equalized the wealth gap, and managed to effectively keep the nationalists out of the country. 

Mao Zedong’s rule was one of absolute tyranny as his country maintained close relationship with the Soviet Union throughout the Sino-Soviet conflict and the Korean War. One year after the People’s Republic of China was established; he signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty. However, In October 15 of that same year, he sent the People’s volunteer army into Korea to fight against the UN forces led by USA.  Some people say China was involved because they wanted to stop US aggression, help its neighbor, and appease the Soviet Union while others say it was because Mao believed military conflict with the US is inevitable after they crossed the 38^th parallel and he wanted to improve his own prestige inside the communist international community. What we do know is that Russia sent a telegram asking China to send its troops and that Mao was strongly supportive of this and alongside the Soviet Union, provided the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with military assistance and resources. China emerged from the Korean War with pride as this success contrasted China’s humiliation by Japan and western powers. As China and the Soviet Union were both communist countries, they maintained a close relationship which saw China trying to duplicate the Soviet Union’s models of development. Mao calls for a “Hundred Flowers Movement” to improve and strengthen the government’s relation with the people after political explosions in Europe and the denouncement of Stalin. Mao is also known to eliminate his oppositions when his position of being in charge of China comes under threat. Mao’s government also had to deal with constant threats from nationalists in Taiwan but his strong army were always successful in stopping the nationalists from returning.He managed to keep the nationalists out and didn't allow them to cause chaos or interfere with political matters inside the country.

Social changes in China improve the status of women, increased public institutions, and equalized wealth gap. The status of women improved in the 1950’s where there was a legal protection of women’s rights which were increasing. Marriage laws were made which provided freedom of marriage and divorce. Public institutions such as hospitals and schools providing basic education were becoming available towards the end of Mao’s reign. Hospitals lowered death rate and increased life expectancy meanwhile basic education everyone was receiving improved the country’s literacy rate and doubled school population. There was land reform where the government used violence to overthrow landlords before seizing their estates and dividing the land into people’s communities. 90% of China’s population used to be poor farmers and this land reform led to an equalized wealth gap and wiped out the landlord class. Industrialization was occurring as well as the Cultural Revolution. The Cultural Revolution occurred during Mao’s reign which forced millions into manual labor. This also lead to the imprisonment of a large number of Chinese citizens who went against the government, the destruction of China’s traditional heritage, and social chaos in the country as millions were being killed.

The economical changes in China during Mao’s reign saw minimal growth but became the base for China’s economy and their huge success today. The communist party initiated the program “The Great Leap forward” to stimulate economic growth.  Small agricultural collectives merged into larger people’s communes, peasants were forced to work on infrastructure projects and steel production projects, private food production was banned as livestock were put under collective ownership, and new agricultural techniques were introduced. As natural disasters occurred, grain production dropped over 15% which led to mass starvation in an event known as the Great Chinese Famine which soon ended the Great Leap forward as Mao was losing esteem. Although agricultural production decreased, steel production was a success as the quotas they planned to reach were reached but however it was not of high quality. Mao's government also tried to advance towards a free market economy. After the 1949 revolution, China’s economy was made into a communist system. Their presence in the world economy was minimal until the late 1980’s which saw the country becoming the world’s fastest growing economy and the largest exporter of goods.

                Mao’s communist government was very effective in maintaining order, stability, and changing the social structure of China but were selfish and ineffective in stimulating economic growth. Mao’s government dealt with internal political problems from constant challenges by oppositions and the nationalists. He did not endure criticism and whoever went against his campaigns were purged. This insured order in China but also the mass murder of millions. Mao was effective in equalizing the wealth gap by eliminating the landlord class and redistributingland which changed the social structure of China in which we still see today. Mao’s government was effective in improve the social aspect of life by building public institutions and through industrialization and modernization. However, Mao’s campaigns such as the Great Leap Forward were ineffective in stimulating economic growth as farmers could did not know how to use the new technology and natural disasters came. Mao is also very selfish and his involvement in the Korean War shows this as it was for his personal benefit and interests and not the country. However, one cannot deny that most of Mao’s campaigns were successful and effective which laid the foundation for China’s immense progress today into a world superpower which was made possible because of its programs which managed to changed social structures and insured stability, and growth.

                During Mao’s reign as head of the People’s Republic of China, they made many changes and new laws which were hugely influential and its consequences can be seen today. Chinese society, structure, and social class today is derived and made possible by the foundation laid from the social changes during Mao’s reign. 

CHINA 1949: EMERGENCE OF A NEW GOVERNMENT

   The Chinese Revolution in 1949 laid the foundation for modern day China. How China is today can be traced back to the Chinese Revolution in 1949 where a civil war led to a change in government. The communist party was able to win the civil war against the nationalist party because they had strong leadership, effective formation structures, and high morale.

     The Chinese Revolutions started with the downfall of the Qing dynasty (Manchu dynasty) that faced increasing internal disorder, pressure from foreign governments, and the weakness of their central government. The success of the nationalist revolt in 1912 saw the establishment of the Republic of China where constitutions were being established.  The nationalist party could not restore the authority of the central government, faced constant threat from warlords, and were being challenged by the growing communist party. China was under control by the nationalists (Kuomintang) under an authoritarian single-party state until the establishment of the communist party of china where a power struggle between the two parties started to occur.

     The nationalists and communist party allied to defeat the warlords who had control over north China. After being successful in teaming up and defeating the warlords, the nationalist leader, Chiang Kai Shek launched an anti-communist purge in 1927 which brought the nationalist party into conflict and civil war against the communist. The communists proved no match for the nationalists who surrounded them and caused Mao to lead his followers on the “Long March” to reestablish a new base in northwest China. During this war, Mao had lost most of his men and had to retreat.
   
     The Long March
    " The Red Army fears not the trials of the Long March
     And thinks nothing of a thousand mountains and rivers.
     The Wuling Ridges spread out like ripples;
     The Wumeng Ranges roll like balls of clay.
     Warmly are the cliffs wrapped in clouds washed by the Gold Sand;
     Chilly are the iron chains lying across the width of the Great Ferry.
     A thousand acres of snow on the Min Mountain delight
     My troops who have just left them behind."
     Mao Zedong
     September 1935

     Above is a primary source in Mao’s journal which describes the Long March. Mao Zedong, head of the communist party is on a journey called the “Long March” to the northwest to reestablish a new base after having his troops decreased significantly by the nationalists.

     In 1937, the nationalists and communists suspended fighting to form another alliance to stop Japanese invasion. The second Sino-Japanese war ended under the terms of the Japanese unconditional surrender to the United States where the Japanese troops were forced to surrender to the nationalist troops. After World War 2 and the Sino-Japanese War ended, Chiang Kai Shek (nationalist), and Mao Zedong (communist) attended a peace conference where an agreement could not be reached.

     Peace talks between the nationalist party and communist party broke down causing an all-out war in 1946. At this time, the United States and the Soviet Union was engaged in a period of indirect warfare called the cold war which was why the communist party was backed by the Soviet Union meanwhile the nationalist party was backed by the United States who provided them with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of military supplies and equipment. The communists were well established in the northern part but the nationalists had a bigger territory and population, more weapons and world support. However, the nationalists had low morale, undisciplined troops and were very corrupted which reduced domestic civilian support. The undisciplined nationalists proved no match for the communists who were victorious due to strong leadership and formations structures. The communist party was able to take over major cities which made them stronger and able to infiltrate areas to the south of the Great Wall. When they were victorious, Mao Zedong established the People’s Republic of China causing the nationalists to retreat to Taiwan where they would try to re-conquest Chinese mainland but did not succeed.

Timeline:

1911: Downfall of Qing Dynasty
1912:  Establishment of Republic of China under nationalist control

1927: Nationalists launch anti-communist purge; civil war between nationalists and communists

1935: The Long March

1937: Nationalists and communists team up to stop Japanese invasion

1946: All out war between nationalists and communists

1949: Communist Red Army defeats nationalists in civil war; Establishment of People’s Republic of China; Nationalists retreat to Taiwan

1950: Signing of Sino-Soviet Treaty, China enters Korean War, marriage law provides freedom of marriage and divorce

1952: Land reform (land redistributed and two million landlords executed)  

1953: First Five Year Plan relying on Soviet Model

1954: Collectivization of agriculture

1956: Hundred Flowers Movement

1958: Great Leap Forward

1966: Cultural Revolution
1978: economic reform under Deng Xiaoping
(1. decollectivization of agriculture
2. opening up the country to foreign investment
3. allowing entrepreneurs to start up businesses)

China 1949 on Dipity.

ENERGY; THE KEY TO LIFE AND ADVANCEMENT?

Science and Technology has improved significantly over the past hundred years. However, just every action has an equal and opposite reaction; there is both a positive and negative side to these advances. In our Modern World History class, we were assigned a topic to work with in groups of four. We would explore how to present our information in this technological world where an idea can spread from place to place within a few minutes.

My group, Zach, Mind, Best, and I set out to make an info graphic about energy. Firstly, we decided to divide the work into two parts. One person would find out what makes an info graphic effective, and would explore various programs that can be used to construct an info graphic. The other three were responsible for the research, data, and statistics that we would incorporate into our info graphic. We organized the data into categories based on the dates of when a type of energy was starting to be used. For example, the discovery of fire, human labors, and animal labors were grouped together. Meanwhile, electricity, batteries, and nuclear energy combined to make another category. Due to a strong recommendation from a member of our group who explored different programs that could construct info graphics, we decided to use Piktochart. Three of the members of our group concisely wrote down important data we must know about each category and found creative photos that supported the data. We then downloaded the work and sent it to the fourth member of our group, who made the timeline, organized the graphics, and added enhancements.

Just like everybody is unique in their own way, every member of our group had different  on what was important and should be included in the info graphics. We decided to let each person identify the different ideas they thought was important and why they thought so. Then after everybody had expressed their opinion, we worked collaboratively on picking the information we thought was important and vital to spread. Next, we divided the work into chunks, and set due dates. Everybody finished their task within the due date, and once everybody was done we would read over other people’s writing and give feedback. We would correct the grammar, and ask the member to add statistics, more information, be concise, or to take out unnecessary information. Everybody would then set out to correct and perfect their writing by the next class. All the members of our group, put aside their self-interest and enthusiastically did what was beneficial and to the interest of the whole group. Everybody contributed significantly to the info graphic which considering this is the first time we are making it, was something we should be proud of.

This assignment taught me much more than just about energy, but it also taught me how to make info graphics, and depict my message in a powerful and effective way by using support from images. I learned how to organize my work in a concise manner, how to use images to illustrate my data, and how to work collaboratively with my group members. I have learned that quality is much more important than quality, and that you can spread your message using a few words and a strong picture to describe what you meant. I have learnt to listen more instead of speaking and to put other people’s opinions into consideration.

As seen in my info graphic, I strongly believe energy is the “key to life and advancement”. Energy allows us to lead the busy and fast-paced lifestyle we possess today. Without oil for example, we wouldn’t have electricity and the way we transport from place to place would have to change. Over the past few hundred years, we have discovered and used various sources of energy. We started off using man power for much of our existence and learned how to control fire which allowed for warmth, protection, and food made available by using fire to cook. As development became stagnant in the 1700’s, we discovered coal which made it possible for steam power and the arrival of water pumps, train, and boilers. We then moved into an era of fossil fuels, namely oil which we now depend heavily upon. Next, we moved on to electricity and batteries, followed by nuclear energy respectively. The arrival of batteries was significant because it was a form of portable energy which was long-lasting and could be used whenever needed. We then started using renewable energy and bio fuels. What I have learned is that energy we produce is mostly consumed by the transportation sector, and that more than half of our energy goes to waste. If we start using fewer cars, and more BTS, or other forms of public transportation, we can help preserve the scarce amount of oil we have left. We also need to be more energy efficient, and start relying more on renewable energy because is benefits our environment for the betterment of our future generations.

What I felt was easiest to do in the info graphic was researching and categorizing the information into groups. What was hard was identifying the important information that people should know. We would have to go through all the unnecessary data, and write a summary about the topic and a concise and clear manner. After doing this with one or two topics, the process got much easier. Another thing my whole group and I found challenging was the design aspect. The people in our group have drastic differences in preferences which made it hard to select a design that suited everybody. However, after compromises and hearing different opinions, we worked together at different time periods of the day to construct a beautiful and well designed info graphic.

During this assignment, we were exposed and faced with a challenge of using new means of presentation. Info graphics are a different way of presentation because they have a certain flow. Info graphics are “data visualizations” that present complex information quickly, and clearly. Info graphics are usually not many words that are supported by graphs, and charts. Info graphics must be digestible to the audience, and easy to understand. Good characteristics of info graphic include: reliability, created for a reason, information presented in a way that it is easy to understand (organization), creativity (“wow” factor), and the effective us of information/data. An info graphic is a very effective way of presenting information through the use of modern technology to construct it. The reason info graphics are very popular right now is because it presents data in a very innovative way. Too much writing is boring, and since info graphics are very concise, contains supportive and creative images, and is very well organized and easy to understand, it appeals to the general public who find info graphics as a good source of information. Just like the famous proverb, “A picture is worth a thousand words”, info graphics do not contain a lot of writing, but uses its graphics to depict the message.

Overall, I really enjoyed making this info graphic and working with my peers. However, due to time constraints, our final product wasn’t as “wow” as we expected but we did the best we could with what we had. The info graphic was well organized, consisted of clear information, was supported by creative and appealing images, and had a timeline to show flow and the order of things. The info graphic includes the most important things we think everybody should know about energy. This information ranges from the history of energy, to energy efficiency, and the future. I personally feel that our info graphic is an effective means of presenting data.

 
http://www.iptv.org/exploremore/energy/Energy_In_Depth/sections/timeline.cfm
http://matse1.matse.illinois.edu/energy/time.html
http://energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter14.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_of_fire_by_early_humans 

What is religion and why is it important?

Many say the word “religion” comes from the Latin word “religare” which means to “to tie, to bind.” Religion teaches us about the philosophy of life; it connects us to the world beyond space and time. Often, religion is what brings humans inner peace. Religion is a system of belief shared by a group who has common ideas about life. They will teach us the difference between right and wrong and how to contribute to global peace. Often, people blame the use of religion to justify a war. Religion teaches about peace and non-violence and its intentions are innocent and pure. There is religion to teach humans how to be a better person. That is the main sole purpose. Religion also gives hope, faith, and new dreams to people who have lost the love of living.

Religion brings conflict due to different ideas of two groups; it never talks about fighting the other but instead how to achieve unified peace. Religion helps make a better person; it helps people achieve inner peace. Inner peace contributes to global peace which is very important. Without religion, believes, and hope, life is not as meaningful. Religion helps you discover your reason of being in Earth; it helps you unravel your potential of brilliance and how to contribute it to make the world be a much better place. Religion, in my mind is a wonderful thing that I believe has helped us through time to be an improved self.

All religions have the 16 common characteristics: awe before sacred, expression of anxiety before rituals, ritual expectancy, myth and ritual, magic, prayer, divination, “Mana” belief, animisim, worship of power, supreme being, taboo, purification, sacrifice, attitudes toward death, and totenism. All religions have agents of change who play and important role in spreading the religion such as Charlemagne who was the Holy Roman Empire and unified Europe under Christianity. Religions in motion (Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism) have common aspects of being convertible, came from existing religion of Judaism, focuses on moral/salvation, and their texts can be translated and transmuted into the social/cultural landscape. Religions convey how people should live their lives through laws embedded in Holy Scripture, morals from religious myths; and local religious services and personnel (priests). Belief systems contribute to conflict because of the encounter between different religions due to different perspectives and practices, ownership of territory, and issues of identities. Religious fundamentalism, territorial rights, and constant shifts in power bases all contribute to religious conflict. Belief system unites people through the strength of common faith, religious services, and significant religious individuals. Belief systems support societies by telling how people should live their lives, talk about concept of death, unification, and contributed to conflict.

To me, I believe religion and spiritualism is connected and not very distinct from each other. Both teaches us how to lead a good life and contribute to the society. Both connect us to the world beyond space and time. Spirituality distinct religion from everything else. When both are used, one can lead a beautiful life. To me, there is no difference between the two.

The Dalai Lama said “All religion carries the importance of love and passion these are the fundamental values of human beings.” He also said “All these different philosophies have the same message of creating better human beings.”I am very inspired with his holiness the Dalai Lama because everything he said made me realize that it is true. All religion stress on the topic of love and not violence. All religion are the same in terms that they spread messages about the importance of loving one another and respecting each other. Love is most important and with love, we get peace. All religions are the same in terms that they all talk about the importance of love. All religion has different philosophies too, but all of them are to try and make us a better person, and to create better human beings. That is the purpose of religion; to create better human beings who value love above all. All religions have different teachings and gods, but all of them help and try to make us better people. They are teaching us good habits of meditation to connect with the universe. They are teaching us about love and how it spreads really quickly and makes the world a better place. This quote is really inspiring to me because it tells me that all religions have different philosophies and ideas but all of them link in two ideas, the idea of importance of love, and the philosophies to create better human beings. The Dalai Lama meditates a lot and he is connected with the universe, and he is teaching us his good habits in which we should adapt.

The President of Tanzania – “Humanity unites us” He is saying that our differences and diversity are the creation of the universe and we shouldn’t discriminate one another because of these differences which makes us unique and special with different thinking’s and ideas. If everyone in the world were the same, the Earth would be a boring place to live in. The Tanzanian President is saying that being different is a good thing and we should let our humanity unite us as different people come together and work together instead of letting the differences become stronger than our similarities and cause problems.  “Don’t deny the rights of another human being because this is a recipe for conflict; so let’s give every human being their place in this universe because this would make the world a peaceful, harmonious, and beautiful place to live” His quotes are all true and I agree to it wholeheartedly. If we all give respect to one another and are linked by the fact that we are all humans, we will prosper. We should respect the other person’s difference because it’s what makes them unique and different from us. If we all work together and give everyone equality of rights and respects, we can all move forward together to the right direction without leaving a group behind. If everyone moves forward together, there is no conflict and this way everyone is happy and we are truly at peace. We should all let our humanity link us and connect and the fact that we actually all came from the same family. We are all related by the idea of this and the idea that we are all humans and we should prioritize this fact and not hurt one another. We are all human beings and we should love and treat one another with respect. No one will be unhappy and we will all succeed and truly achieve inner and external peace. I respect this man and worship his quotes for it is true and leads me to thinking about it. 

Robert Thurman said “Love is everywhere. People who say a group doesn’t have it are the problem. ” This quote explains what is happening in this world which is why I like it so much. Love is everywhere, everybody has love in themselves. A group will discriminate another group and say that they are violent and are terrorists and that they don’t have love which encourages people to attack that group. This person is accusing that group because he himself doesn’t have enough love and is insecure which is why he is blaming that group. Most people are loving and it is human nature, and if a group gets discriminated, they will seek revenge. Also if a group is discriminated against, maybe it’s only one person in the group who is violent, and everyone else are good moral beings so you shouldn’t treat them badly. Love is everywhere, everybody has love and the people who accuse others that they don’t have love are the ones with the problems.

Mustafa Ceric said “I didn’t find god in catholic church, mosque, and/or any other place. But then I found god in my heart when I went home. “Inner peace and everything such as love starts from within. If you want to find love, you can go home to your family. If you want to find peace, you can go to your church. But first you must look within, because if you don’t have love, you will not be able to appreciate and see it in others. Mustafa did not find god wherever he went, but when he went home he missed his family was grateful to see them and his happiness and the way they treated him made him realize and feel that god was in his heart. God represents purity and love, and if you have it in your heart, you will be able to see wonderful things you did not see before. So when you are trying to look for anything, doesn’t go to others right away to blame them or ask them, but instead look within yourself and then you will find the answer. This quote reminds me of a quote from an anonymous person, “I was blind, but now I see”. If you seek an answer from within yourself and find it, when you feel love internally first, your life will change and you will learn to notice and appreciate new things you failed to notice before.

  

The Schooling System and How Effective Planning Can Help YOU Triumph It!

                Too much of something isn’t good, but I would like to think education is an exception. There is no loss for learning too much as we all are learning new things each minute. People often pursue more and more education in different areas up until an old age. My grandpa, who is now over 60, is in college for law education. Personally, I think education is a wonderful thing to pursue but I dislike the schooling system of grades, etc.

                Schooling originated long ago when boys went to school and lived in barracks. They would be trained to follow orders and do as they are told. They would eventually be drafted as soldiers in the war and the best in school were the ones who were best in following orders combined with a little skill. This is the base of our schooling today in which the same concept applies. Children are sent to school to follow orders and the ones who follow orders best gets the highest grade. The teachers will teach you an idea and you will have to understand it and attempt an assignment. Most students probably understand it but the one that follows the orders best and takes all the notes and hand in all the work in time gets the highest grade. The one with the highest grade goes to the most prestigious college and then get “drafted” and picked by companies in which they will continue to follow orders. It’s a never ending cycle.

                99% of students will become followers meanwhile 1% will become leaders according to various statistics. School is a training base and a system for students to be trained to be the 99% of the population and picked by companies. It was just like the military and schooling before, but now we are picked by companies instead of picking to fight in the war. Therefore, schooling is a marketplace for companies to choose from. We are trained to follow orders and 99% of us will continue to do so when working in companies. The one who follows orders best gets the highest grade.

                Most billionaires in this world can be considered as leaders because they often creatively construct their own companies. 1/3 of the population of billionaires did not graduate from school; meanwhile the other majorities were B students. These various statistics shows that these billionaires got B’s or failed because they did not follow orders well. They were born leaders and did not get trapped by the system. They overcame the system and learned what they thought was useful. They were independent men. The students who got A’s are followers who fell into the system just like a robot and were trained to follow orders. The B students who create multinational companies will pick these A students to work under them because these people follow orders well.

                Therefore the schooling system is a place with grades according to how well you follow orders. Companies will pick the ones who follow the orders best because that’s what they want. Schools teach you to follow orders and the ones that do get the highest grade. These people are followers and many billionaires aren’t A students. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying schools are bad. Schools give knowledge and education but its system and setup is wrong. Schools should teach in a more creative and allow students to be more independent, free, and creative.

                To conclude, the schools teach you to follow orders at a young age. It is a system and cycle where people with the highest grade or the best at following orders get picked and pulled to work in companies. Schools create followers, and 99% of the worlds are followers.

                A way to not get trapped by the system and allow you to be the 1% of the population is by proper planning. Plan what you want to be and imagine where you want to be 20 years, 30 years, 40 years from now. Then think back on how you are going to achieve that. There are many paths but if you choose a path and stick to it, chances are you will reach your goal because you know what you want. Proper planning will allow you to triumph the system and allow you to get to be whatever you want years in the future. Statistics show that 97% of people don’t know what they want and don’t plan ahead. They don’t make goals so they can’t complain they haven’t achieved anything because they themselves haven’t set a target. The 3% of the population who plans out what they want and what they want to be having a high chance of reaching their target.

                In the movie, Alice in Wonderland, Alice said to the cat “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat. “I don’t much care where—” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. This quote shows that if you do not know where you want to go or what you want to be you will just follow whatever comes your way and whatever life gives you instead of making your own destiny and pursuing your own future. You will just accept what life gives you even though it might not be what you want.

                Another quote is a very common one we all recognize. “Life is like a pencil without an eraser”. This quote is true for the 97% of the population who just start drawing. However, the 3% of the population will make a rough draft, practice the drawing, and carefully plan it out. When they draw the final drawing they will still make mistakes but just much less. They will finish with a more perfect drawing which symbolizes being more successful and achieving more in life along with more happiness.  

  
     CHECKMATE.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Effective-Planning---A-Key-to-Organizational-Success&id=2047983

http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/books/alice-in-wonderland-quotes.html

http://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~el6/presentations/pres_c2_uss/TheAmericanSchoolSystem.htm

http://www.getahead-direct.com/gwtm12-effective-planning.htm

http://www.practitionerresources.org/cache/documents/36796.pdf

2012, what to expect

                2012 has just began and it has much expectations to be a better year than the one before. Whether it becomes a better year or not, depends differently on each person. If a person works hard, has passion in what they do, and learn to compromise, they will succeed. But if a person is selfish, and decides to sleep at home in front of the television all day and put life on God’s hands instead of going out and working their hardest, this might not be the best year for them. 2012, like many years before it will undergo big changes and many deaths caused by natural disasters. This year, technology will improve and become more efficient has users increase, economy is under a lot of stress, and third world countries have more investors and are slowly growing.

                As European countries owe banks money and have not returned it, the European crisis has occurred. The United States are quarrelling with Iran which could make Iran stop trading oil with countries who are allies with the United States. And with deadly natural disasters occurring in many different countries, 2011 was a year where the economy worsened and people investing in stocks lost a lot of money. However, 2012 is a year in which the economy could increase rapidly or decrease rapidly. Facebook is selling its stock this year as well as other big tech companies; stocks are starting to recover in this early month. However, if the US and Iran’s conflict is not resolved, and European countries do not resolve how to pay bank the banks, the world’s economy and stock could worsen even further than 2011.

                Each year, technology improves and 2011 was a year in which technology exploded and there was an increased amount of people using smart phones which made life easier and more efficient. However, in 2011 there was a technology war between several companies suing each other but what matters most is that the technology keeps on getting better and keeps on making our life easier. Take the invention of the iPad for example, and the inclusion of Siri in new Iphones. In 2012, there will be a significant increase in usage of social media which would mean that information and ideas will move around to more people and also at a faster speed. People’s lives and time are spent more on technologies such as computers. People used to play games using boards but now social gaming is becoming more popular such as friv.com in Thailand. News will also be more social as people get news from social media websites. The world will continue to be more connected as Facebook’s predicted users will surpass 1 billion users.  

                Africa is being recognized by foreign investors who are now investing in businesses and land in Africa as they see potential of Africa. Land prices are rising, and businesses are increasing in the continent. This is great for Africa because these businesses employ people and when these people have income equivalent to people from other countries, the continent can grow and move forward. People will head out of poverty and more will enter the middle class. Africa is moving forward into the right direction. Also with businesses comes the need for infrastructure and a better environment which will help Africa and its people get out of poverty and have a better life with a higher standard of living. Americans and Europeans are also purchasing a 2^nd residence in developing nations such as Guatemala.

Also, prices of books and movies are heading nearer and nearer to zero which means more people can afford them. There are more 1 day specials in price of books where the price decreased from $20 to $2. E-learning and E-books are also used more often and the users have increased from last year. More people area reading books and buying them on their Ipads for example. The price of movies in some places have decreased and people continue to illegally download movies from websites such as piratebay which is now banned in some countries.

As we all know, 2011 was a year of many deaths. Powerful and great men such as Osama Bin Laden and Steve Jobs had both passed away. Each equation needs to be balanced, and these great men have paved way for younger men to rise and enter our hearts as they change the world again.

Bibliography:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/post/patent-wars-2012-heres-what-to-expect/2010/12/20/gIQAruLpcP_blog.html

http://socialmediatoday.com/jsncafe/418461/social-media-what-expect-2012

http://mashable.com/2012/01/06/social-media-predictions-2012/

http://www.perrymarshall.com/20326/10-predictions-2012/

 

 

Will the world end in 2012?

           In 1999, there was a rumor that the world was going to end in 2000. Various fortune tellers confirmed this and people set out having fun and spending all their money. On the morning of January 1, 2010 people were angry when they woke up to see that the world did not end and they had cashed out their bank accounts. The same rumor arose in 2003 but when it didn’t happen, the date was moved to 2012. The rumor suggested that the world was going end by severe natural disasters caused by a planet approaching Earth. There were several severe natural disasters in 2011 which lead to some people starting to wonder if the rumor were true. However it was not true and 2012 began with much expectation as people hoped for a better year. New Year’s Resolution were written and as this year approached, people hoped to check off most of it as possible. 2011 brought the deaths of many great and powerful men, and there were big political changes. What will happen in 2012?

2012, is predicted to be doomsday. The world’s weather is starting to become unpredictable. Take Thailand for example. One day it is very cold, while the next day it is very hot. Natural disasters are also occurring more often and are very severe. Will 2012 be a year with an increased occurrence of natural disasters? Will 2012 be a year where weather cannot be predicted? Will the world end in December 21, 2012?

The world has been going great for over 4 billion years, and scientist suggest that the story of the world ending is all a hoax. The rumor suggests that the planet Nibiru, which was discovered by Sumerians, is headed towards Earth. The rumor also suggests that a solar storm will appear, and that there are planetary alignments which could threaten life. The Mayan calendar was pulled in to support the arguments. Several other evidence was given but scientist does not find any of them have correlation or are true. Scientist is tracking asteroids and meteors and confirms that there are no threatening asteroids. Scientists believe that there is no evidence supporting this theory and that it is all made up.

Some people totally believe that the world is going to end on December 21, 2012. They have gone ahead and quit their jobs and spent their moneys as they believe they wouldn’t need it again next year. They are enjoying themselves and living life to the fullest which is great! But when 2013 starts, like many before them, they will have to face the truth that the world did not end and that they will have to suffer the consequences.

Personally, I do not believe the world is going to end in December 2012. I am a man of science and agree with scientists saying that there isn’t enough concrete evidence to support this theory of a doomsday. Claims of the world ending have occurred before and this is not new. However, I do believe that there are some things we cannot explain and that a man of higher authority such as god exists. But I totally support the scientists who claim the world will not end on December 21, 2012. As we all know, natural disasters will occur this year and might take the lives of many of our fellow humans. However, this is normal and happens every year. We shouldn’t think it has any correlation to this rumor and “fake” theory.

Bibliography:

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html

http://www.endoftheworld2012.net/

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=5301284&page=1

http://www.lifexpert.com/special/is_21_december_2012_end_of_the_world.html

 

Another year of great change, the summary of 2011

2011, like many years before it, was a year of great change and moving forward. Many of the world’s great men had died. Some like Steve Jobs had made our lives easier, while others like Osama had threatened our lives for many years. Both these men were different, but both were great and powerful. 2011 was also a year of disasters, major political change, technological change, ending of terrorism and a more united world, as well as a year of protestors.

            The most important thing in 2011 is the downfall of terrorism and a more united world through the cooperation to eliminate terrorists and dictators such as, Gaddafi, Osama Bin Laden, and Kim Jong-Il. This sent a positive message back to the people. It’s a year we moved forward in terms of eliminating the world’s most feared people. And it’s important because terrorism has just taken a step back. Worldwide cooperation improved and countries helped each other in eliminating terrorists. The deaths of these evil men has just made our lives safer but as we all know, the world is balanced and evil men will soon rise to replace these men. Let’s just hope that when they do rise, worldwide cooperation will have taken a step ahead and will help us catch and stop these men before they can cause much harm.

            2011 was a year of natural disasters which have impacted many countries greatly. There was the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March 11 which killed an estimated 15,836 people, the flood and mudslides in Brazil which killed 1000 people, and the devastating flood in Thailand which lasted several months. Each year, there are many natural disasters but this year was the year we had more of those. The natural disasters in 2011 were deadly and had a large death toll which entered Wikipedia’s list of deadliest natural disaster. The tsunami and earthquake in Japan followed by the nuclear issue brought 350,000 people to become homeless while another 1.4 million of the population were living without water. The Fukhushima nuclear eruption lead to the evacuation of over 180,000 people while many other people were said to be infected by the radiation exposure. It was the worst crisis in 65 years. The flood in Thailand leads to business, economic, and tourism downfall. It showed the vulnerability of the country to deal with these issues which occur often and this event has lead to the government saying they will deal with this issue and insure it does not happen to this extent again. People were homeless, trapped without food, and the damages were severe.

            2011 was also a year of major political change which will enter history books and remembered in time. There was a death of dictatorships such as the death of Kim Jong-Il. The death of these dictatorships allowed for countries to have a change to become a country of democracy with higher freedom and more rights. Sudan was also split into two, with South Sudan gaining independence. Popular uprisings in different parts of the world also occurred often this year as well as the gaining of more rights such as the ongoing Yemeni uprising, and the Syrian uprising. However, there are still political problems needing to be dealt with such as the issue in Bangladesh where women are slaves to men and have much less rights and freedom. The government must change and the issue must be dealt with. The United States and Iran are fighting verbally, meanwhile there are ongoing conflicts such as the South Kordofan conflict and the operation Linda Nchi which is part of the war in Somolia which started in 2009.

            In conclusion, like many years before it, 2011 was a year of great change. Mainly there was the death of powerful and great men, big political changes, and destructive natural disasters. The death of powerful and great men will pave way for new and younger men to enter our hearts and change our lives. Big political changes will be remembered in time as it entered history books and lead to many changes in different countries around the world. Destructive natural disasters have alarmed governments who will work together to make sure they never happen to this extent again. Another year passes, another year of great change, say your goodbyes to the beloved year of 2011.

Bibliography:

http://www.er-d.org/JapanEarthquakeTsunamiMar2011/

http://baleta.blogspot.com/2011/03/natural-disasters-2011.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_natural_disasters_by_death_toll

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_2011%E2%80%93present

http://www.googlezeitgeist.com/en