EBOLA

                In class we recently did a group project on EBOLA, the deadly disease that has captured the minds of many people in the country. One of the things that I learned was that the disease has a natural host! I did not know that the EBOLA virus was dormant in the common fruit bat. The fruit bat is a winged mammal that lives in Africa. This also brought to my attention that the people that live in Africa can easily get the virus. I thought that the virus was spread from human to human only, not animals. One of the most intriguing things that I found out while studying this is the extent that some people in America are taking this to. There are people that are wearing quarantine suits, leaving the country, and even not coming outside! The fact of the matter is that this disease has been around since the 70’s and no one has said anything about it. Now that it has arrived in the United States, people are freaking out. More people die of the common cold a year, then EBOLA. There is not much to worry about.

 

EBOLA and the WORLD

                The EBOLA craze is sweeping the world. It is on headlines, the talk of the table at local coffee hour, and the world’s number one scare at the moment. People around the world are taking desperate measures to avoid this toxic disease at all costs. I think that people around the world should know about the virus, and its destructivity. The world does need to take some steps in to creating a safe environment, such as screenings in airports, and medical treatment for those that have the virus. How does this affect the world you might ask? Each country has people. People are the carriers of the virus. So, this means that each country has to be aware what could happen to their people. This links the world, because if only the civilized countries shut down their airports and docks, the virus could still spread through the other countries, allowing the chance for someone to make it in to the closed countries, perhaps ending eternity as we know it.

                Hold on, slow down a minute. Mankind will not end. The fact of the matter is that the virus is out there, but it is not going to end humanity. People need to be aware of the virus, but do not need to go to the extremes that some are.

1. First of all, I find it very interesting that companies are paying the government/politics at all!
2. Pharmaceuticals and other health products rake in 120,369,378 dollars so far in 2014.
3. It is surprising enough that the amount of lobbying is decreased so far in 2014.
4. I find it very interesting that the Republican Party has been more supported in the history of payment from medical companies.
5. Medical companies are raking out over a million dollars for a politician to vote their way.
6. This also captures my thoughts, why was there such an increase in paying the government during the 04-09 years?
7. I also would like to know this, to what company is the Cooperative of American Physicians spending their money?
8. I do not understand why nursing homes would have to pay off the government for things? What kind of things do they need?
9. The lobbying totals peaked in 2009, then they started decreasing.
10. The most paid off politician is from Kentucky, does he have a say in major medical decisions?

Health Care

                We recently watched a Michael Moore documentary entitled “Sicko”. This documentary was about how corrupt the U.S’s health care system is. Big company’s control if people get the care they need. Therefore, the big companies are making big bucks on denying people health care. How can this happen? People might not have the right insurance, or enough money to pay their bills, so they get denied. This is not how it should be, in my opinion.

                By watching this documentary I learned that many countries around the world have free health care. Canada, Britain, France, and Cuba are among these. If you were in these countries, you could lose all of your toes, go to the hospital, and pay nothing to get them repaired. If you lived in the United States however, you would have to pay thousands of dollars depending on your insurance. In my view, I think that if the U.S could establish a system like this, it would be very beneficial.

                In conclusion, I would like to say that after watching the documentary, I have gotten a very different perspective on our nation’s health care system. I believe that everyone should have free health care like some of the countries I listed earlier. Why would you want to live in a country where medication costs 120 dollars, where it could cost you 5 cents somewhere else? It doesn’t make any sense to me.

Human Trafficking

                Human trafficking in the world is a big problem. It is one of those things that people say, “slavery was so 150 years ago” (insert snobby, sarcastic voice here). But, the truth of the matter is, it is happening right now.

                This summer I had the privilege to go to a youth convention in Kansas City, Missouri. At this convention we got to learn about sex trafficking in Germany. So, I have some foreknowledge on this subject. I did not know that much of this happened in the United States though. That kind of intrigued me.

                The movie we watched, “Human Trafficking”, really opened my eyes to how these people work, and what they do. The people that run these businesses are mean, ruthless, and dictators of these young women that they are trafficking. I think that every person that runs one of these chains, and gets caught should be forced into federal prison. They should also be forced to promote awareness of human trafficking.

                More people in the world need to know that this is happening. I think that the “End It Movement” is doing a great job on attempting to get the word out to people. I also would like to see more people around the world raising awareness of this situation. Human slavery is not dead, it is very much alive and needs to be put to an end.

Women and Globalization

                Globalization has greatly improved the lives of many men and women across the globe. It has made their lives not only easier, but better. The one topic that still comes up however, is, do women get the same rights?

                According to Globalization 101, “57 percent of the children that do not get to attend school are women”. What does this mean? It means that women do not get the same rights as men. Some people may think this! Some women like to argue that that they do not get the same rights. This leads to protests, and other debates. Here is a link to Globalization 101's website.

                Another place that raises conflicts is working conditions. A lot of women in the world get the low-paying, sweatshop jobs. They get the hard labor jobs that the men either do not want, or just are too lazy to get. This makes many people mad, and brings up big controversy.

                Some of this might take place in the United States, but I do not think that it really happens in South Dakota. I think that it mainly happens in the bigger cities and factories. I do not think that is a problem here.

                In conclusion I think that something needs to be done about this. Someone needs to bring these concepts up to government officials in the overseas countries. This is a crime that should be changed.

Globalization and Migration

                We recently watched a short film called “God Grew Tired of Us”. This short film was about the Lost Boys of Sudan. It told about their exodus from Sudan into Ethiopia, then from Ethiopia to Kakuma, Kenya. The Lost Boys were being persecuted by Muslim extremists. If they did not flee their home country of Sudan, they would have been captured and or killed. In Kakuma, the Lost Boys stayed there for approximately a decade. Then one day, a few thousand of their lives changed forever.

                                Globalization played a big role in the relocation of the exiled Lost Boys of Sudan. Globalization brought to American and other nation’s presence in Africa.  Without this presence, the Lost Boys of Sudan could have kept on walking on through Kenya. They also could have been captured by the Muslim extremists, or died of lack of food and water.  With the aid globalization, there was a refugee camp waiting for them in Kakuma, Kenya.

                The Lost Boys of Sudan lived in this refugee camp for many years. They lived on food and water rations. Sometimes these rations would take weeks at a time to arrive at the camp, causing the Lost Boys of Sudan to face starvation. But, if the countries that supported them with the rations would not have been trying, the Lost Boys of Sudan could have very well died. The United States government created a relocation program for a select few thousand of these young men. They took them to America and split them into groups of about four or five. After splitting them up into their groups, they sent them into cities all around the nation. For instance, some ended up in Fargo, Phoenix, and Syracuse. This random, radical relocation caused some Lost Boys of Sudan to turn into prominent, productive people. For others, it did not turn out the same. Seeing that the Lost Boys of Sudan needed help, the United States government created a relocation program for a select few thousand of these young men. They took them to America and split them into groups of about four or five. After splitting them up into their groups, they sent them into cities all around the nation. For instance, some ended up in Fargo, Phoenix, and Syracuse. This random, radical relocation caused some Lost Boys of Sudan to turn into prominent, productive people. For others, it did not turn out the same.

                The forced migration put on by the United States had some disadvantages to the Lost Boys, but also some advantages! Some disadvantages were that they would miss their fellow brothers. They also didn’t want to give up the hope that their country was going to recover from such an awful civil war. But, some advantages were that they would acquire a better living, escape the threat of being killed, and maybe find their original families. This migration may have been forced upon some of the Lost Boys but in the long run it paid off for them.

                This forced migration not only helped the Lost Boys of Sudan, but it also helped the American economy. They came and were willing to work the low-end, factory jobs that no lazy American wants. This little deed helped our economy to prosper.

 Globalization brought the countries that supported the Lost Boys of Sudan together. Without globalization, the Lost Boys of Sudan would have eventually died of starvation, or would have been killed by Muslim extremists.

                In conclusion, globalization saved the Lost Boys of Sudan. The forceful relocation of all the Lost Boys of Sudan was a good thing for them. They got a new place to live, along with a new start to life. Globalization is all over the world. It saves people like the Lost Boys of Sudan, and it also helps economies. Globalization is everywhere.

Globalization

                Globalization. A term that was non-existent in the early nineteen hundreds has exploded across the globe. Metaphorically and physically! Different countries are exporting and importing, then exporting their imports only to import their own exports! How does this possibly work you may ask? Read further as I tell you about all the glories, and the few minor disadvantages to globalization.

                Globalization is many countries in the world working together, but yet not, to make things better for their country. For example, a t-shirt that you buy might be bought in America. It could’ve been made in China, the printed lettering be put on in Indonesia, all with the yarn from India. This is a great thing for all of these countries! All their economies benefit from this, because it generates revenue, therefore, helping their economies. This does not just happen with a simple t-shirt. Many things are exported and imported, just to put it together! The computer you are reading this blog on could have been put together in two different countries! Most objects in the world are being put through this process.

                There are many good things about globalization that I love, but to be fair I need to point out some of the down sides. One being that if multiple countries around the world are trading with each other, the natural being of the human race is to change their mind, therefore drawing tensions. With these further escalating tensions countries can get mad at each other which can possibly lead to war. Another down side being that emissions from factories around the world are polluting our environment. Nutty people say that globalization is the cause of global warming, which in my opinion does not even exist.

                As you can see there a few downsides to globalization. But who always focuses on the negative things in life anyways? Focus on the positive things that our world could benefit from. Consider siding with globalization as the world progresses in our vast technological world.