Posts
Well, since I wasn't able to write about Nicaragua entirely before coming to Grecia, sorry, but I'm going to save that for later--remind me!!!
One thing I'm going to say about Grecia is this: foliage. Holy cow, I didn't know there were that many different plants in the world, let alone one province of a country...
BUSES:
In San José, all the buses have only two columns of seats going from the front of the bus to the back. There are two seats in each row with an aisle down the middle (except for the very back of the bus where there are five or six seats along that far wall). Here in Grecia, it seems that every bus I've ridden has two columns of seats, but with three seats per row on the left side of the bus. And golly, does it get crowded.
KETCHUP:
It's amazing the number of food possibilities that open up to you when you stop using ketchup as only a condiment and start using it as a sauce... It's not that bad either.
SALAD:
Here, there seem to be two different types of salad, just like in San José. One is the salad that most northamericans are used to, the kind with lettuce. In Costa Rica, the Ticos shred raw cabbage. It gives the salad a little extra kick. Especially when topped with mayonaise and ketchup.
I would like to explain what I'm doing here in Grecia for those of you who don't know: I am working at a local business doing whatever jobs they have for me to better practice speaking. I am actually working in a private school's bio lab testing samples of soil from all over the world, and sending them back. My first day, the gentleman in charge of my work didn't arrive for a long time, so I cleaned everything. Not so hard. I have classes Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the church, but work Mon, Thurs, and Fri.
My host mom is so nice! She practically begs me to eat, so I oblige...
I'll have to write more later--I'm in an internet café and can only afford an hour at a time...
I miss you all!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Nicaragua: Part III
So, more -itos:
GRAFFITTI:
Amazingly enough, it's in Managua too!!! And also amazing, it isn't just graffitti, it's propaganda. Everything from the youth comments in red, black, or whatever color, to the pink and yellow posters of Daniel Ortega's face, with slogans like "With God, we can overcome" and "You see, Sandino? We've made it this far!" While I don't oppose a personal faith, many Nicas think that Ortega is only using God to get a leg-up. Apparently, his beliefs weren't so prevalent the first time he ran for the presidency. But no joke, the propaganda is everywhere. The posters were starting to remind me of George Orwell's 1984 and "Big Brother". It was creepy.
ABORTION:
Illegal in this country too, but unlike Costa Rica, there are no provisions for rape or in cases where the mother's or baby's life is at stake. Critics say Ortega implemented this new law to get more support from the Catholic Church.
MURALS:
None that I saw, except for a Catholic church we visited. The shape of the church was circular, and in the 80s the church leaders wanted to express the history of Nicaragua through a faith perspective, so they had two artists paint a mural on every panel of the circular walls. Fascinating stuff.
After staying in the Centro Nehemias until Wed. 4 March, our group was splitting up to go on the home stay trips. I was with a group leaving at 4 a.m. for one of the most remote parts of the Nicaraguan campo where we would most likely be cut off from all modernization. I'm not exactly sure how I was arranged in that group; I remember saying I would rather a town, or something in between the two... Either way, I made sure my things were packed. I must clarify: the entire LASP population of 47-some students was split into "town" or "campo" home stays. Among those, we were 12 smaller groups, based on the proximity of the families with whom we were living. For example, I was in group #1 with three other students whose families lived near mine and went to the same church.
I woke up at the right time, took my shower, ate breakfast, and left with the group to go to the bus station. I started to feel nauseous on the school bus though, which is weird for me because I usually only get motion-sickness during the day. As soon as we got to the bus yard, and I got off of the bus, I felt instantly fine, which is also weird. We crossed the yard, and no sooner had I put my foot on the bottom step of the bus taking us to the campo, I felt oddly sick again. I thought it would go away, so I climbed up slowely with the other students who were busy finding their seats. I got half-way down the aisle, when I realized that I wasn't going to make it. I was somehow able to communicate this to one of our teachers who was standing right next to me, and she ushered me off the bus through the back door, where I promptly lost my breakfast next to a small palm tree. The teachers were going to send me back, but I didn't want cop out, so I insisted I was fine. I re-boarded, but all the seats were taken except for the front. I sat there while we waited for the bus to leave (it was still boarding passengers). That's when I started feeling jabs of pain inside of me. They would come and go, and although I really wanted to go on the trip, the mounting sharpness scared me: I did not want to be infected with some sort of bacteria and not know about it! I admitted defeat. My teachers took me off the bus and called another to come pick me up at the bus yard so I could go with the last group of students leaving for the "town". Once off, I felt instantly better again, although that feeling was quickly replaced with shame and terror. Shame because it made me think I could have made it, and I was unwilling to try, and terror because I would be sitting in the public waiting area before dawn while everyone I knew left me behind them.
It turned out all right though, but this is where I stop (it's like a chapter book, isn't it?) because this post is long enough : )
GRAFFITTI:
Amazingly enough, it's in Managua too!!! And also amazing, it isn't just graffitti, it's propaganda. Everything from the youth comments in red, black, or whatever color, to the pink and yellow posters of Daniel Ortega's face, with slogans like "With God, we can overcome" and "You see, Sandino? We've made it this far!" While I don't oppose a personal faith, many Nicas think that Ortega is only using God to get a leg-up. Apparently, his beliefs weren't so prevalent the first time he ran for the presidency. But no joke, the propaganda is everywhere. The posters were starting to remind me of George Orwell's 1984 and "Big Brother". It was creepy.
ABORTION:
Illegal in this country too, but unlike Costa Rica, there are no provisions for rape or in cases where the mother's or baby's life is at stake. Critics say Ortega implemented this new law to get more support from the Catholic Church.
MURALS:
None that I saw, except for a Catholic church we visited. The shape of the church was circular, and in the 80s the church leaders wanted to express the history of Nicaragua through a faith perspective, so they had two artists paint a mural on every panel of the circular walls. Fascinating stuff.
After staying in the Centro Nehemias until Wed. 4 March, our group was splitting up to go on the home stay trips. I was with a group leaving at 4 a.m. for one of the most remote parts of the Nicaraguan campo where we would most likely be cut off from all modernization. I'm not exactly sure how I was arranged in that group; I remember saying I would rather a town, or something in between the two... Either way, I made sure my things were packed. I must clarify: the entire LASP population of 47-some students was split into "town" or "campo" home stays. Among those, we were 12 smaller groups, based on the proximity of the families with whom we were living. For example, I was in group #1 with three other students whose families lived near mine and went to the same church.
I woke up at the right time, took my shower, ate breakfast, and left with the group to go to the bus station. I started to feel nauseous on the school bus though, which is weird for me because I usually only get motion-sickness during the day. As soon as we got to the bus yard, and I got off of the bus, I felt instantly fine, which is also weird. We crossed the yard, and no sooner had I put my foot on the bottom step of the bus taking us to the campo, I felt oddly sick again. I thought it would go away, so I climbed up slowely with the other students who were busy finding their seats. I got half-way down the aisle, when I realized that I wasn't going to make it. I was somehow able to communicate this to one of our teachers who was standing right next to me, and she ushered me off the bus through the back door, where I promptly lost my breakfast next to a small palm tree. The teachers were going to send me back, but I didn't want cop out, so I insisted I was fine. I re-boarded, but all the seats were taken except for the front. I sat there while we waited for the bus to leave (it was still boarding passengers). That's when I started feeling jabs of pain inside of me. They would come and go, and although I really wanted to go on the trip, the mounting sharpness scared me: I did not want to be infected with some sort of bacteria and not know about it! I admitted defeat. My teachers took me off the bus and called another to come pick me up at the bus yard so I could go with the last group of students leaving for the "town". Once off, I felt instantly better again, although that feeling was quickly replaced with shame and terror. Shame because it made me think I could have made it, and I was unwilling to try, and terror because I would be sitting in the public waiting area before dawn while everyone I knew left me behind them.
It turned out all right though, but this is where I stop (it's like a chapter book, isn't it?) because this post is long enough : )
Nicaragua: Part II
So, we were discussing politics.
This is Nicaragua's flag:
It was adopted in 1971, according to this website. With the creation of the FSLN (Frente Sandinista Liberación Nacional), Nicaragua underwent a major civil war. The Sandinista Front needed a banner under which to march:
or
The group was started by Carlos Fonseca against the Somoza dictatorships. Like I said, there was a war. When the FSLN's candidate Daniel Ortega won the presidency in 1984, it was declared a victory of the Revolution. After Daniel Ortega's first term, he ended up losing 3 consecutive times. It was after the third, legend has it, that Ortega actually asked a Northamerican interior designer what was wrong with his approach to politics that he wasn't winning. The designer thought it was the colors of the FSLN flag Ortega sported on his platform--the colors were too bold. With that, Ortega changed the "official" colors to a baby pink and Easter yellow. They can be seen on all propaganda signs throughout the city. (Please visit this site for more Nicaraguan political flags).
______________________________________________________
UPDATE: There is also a theory about Ortega's wife, Rosario Murillo, being the cause for the change. Murillo is well known for her jumbled theology that mixes the teachings of Indian Guru Sai Baba, the teachings of Jesus Christ, Gen. Sandino's personal philosophy, and some native indigenous beliefs. According to the theory, she suggested the change to pastels because they channel positive energy.
_______________________________________________________
After Ortega won the presidency again in 2006, a small group of Sandinistas broke off of the main group. They call themselves the Movimiento Renovación Sandinista (MRS), or the Sandinista Renovation Movement. Their new colors are orange and black, but I couldn't find a picture on the web...
Led by Dora María Tellez, who fought as a guerrilla in the FSLN, the party protests Ortega's presidency, saying it is becoming a dictatorship.
This post is long enough! Next up: more -itos!
Nicaragua: Part I
Whew! Here I am! Sorry this has been so long in coming--I'm still getting lots of homework that's due the next day...
The first thing I thought when our land bus (the TransNica line) arrived in Managua was "Wow, it's hot." I loved it. For once, I could actually feel my fingers and toes...
We were picked up by some sort of a school bus from the bus station, and were driven to a seminary-type place called the Centro Nehemias. The Centro was affiliated with several church groups and Intercultural relationship organizations, and we stayed there because they encouraged international travel. Very nice place. Because it was evening, we divied up the rooms and went to bed.
The next day (Tues), we had a charla (a short lecture) and went sight-seeing a little in the bus from the Centro. Nicaragua is very political.
POLITICS:
The Nica government has suffered many uprisings and has been overthrown many times. The general timeline of important events can be seen on the BBC website timeline (we were given this article to read, and I was able to recover it online as well). But, here's a passage you might find interesting:
Independence:
1838 - Nicaragua becomes fully independent.
1860 - British cede control over the country's Caribbean coast to Nicaragua.
1893 - General Jose Santos Zelaya, a Liberal, seizes power and establishes dictatorship.
1909 - US troops help depose Zelaya.
1912-25 - US establishes military bases.
1927-33 - Guerrillas led by Augusto Cesar Sandino campaign against US military presence.
1934 - Sandino assassinated on the orders of the National Guard commander, General Anastasio Somoza Garcia.
Somoza family dictatorship:
1937 - General Somoza elected president, heralding the start of a 44-year-long dictatorship by his family.
1956 - General Somoza assassinated, but is succeeded as president by his son, Luis Somoza Debayle.
1961 - Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) founded.
1967 - Luis Somoza dies and is succeeded as president by his brother, Anastasio Somoza.
1978 - Assassination of the leader of the opposition Democratic Liberation Union, Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, triggers general strike and brings together moderates and the FSLN in a united front to oust Somoza.
Sandinista revolution and US subversion:
1979 - FSLN military offensive ends with the ouster of Somoza.
1980 - Somoza assassinated in Paraguay; FSLN government led by Daniel Ortega nationalises and turns into cooperatives lands held by the Somoza family.
1982 - US-sponsored attacks by Contra rebels based in Honduras begin; state of emergency declared.
1984 - Daniel Ortega elected president; US mines Nicaraguan harbours and is condemned by the World Court for doing so.
1987-88 - Nicaraguan leadership signs peace agreement and subsequently holds talks with Contra; hurricane leaves 180,000 people homeless.
Post-Sandinista era:
1990 - US-backed centre-right National Opposition Union defeats FSLN in elections; Violeta Chamorro becomes president.
1996 - Arnoldo Aleman elected president.
2000 - FSLN win Managua municipal elections.
2001 November - Liberal party candidate Enrique Bolaños beats his Sandinista party counterpart, former president Daniel Ortega, in presidential election.
2002 March - Opposition Sandinista party re-elects Daniel Ortega as its leader despite his three consecutive defeats since 1990.
2002 August - Former president Arnoldo Aleman charged with money laundering, embezzlement during his term in office.
2003 December - Arnoldo Aleman jailed for 20 years for corruption. A year later he is transferred to house arrest.
2006 April - Free trade deal with the US comes into effect. Nicaragua's Congress approved the Central American Free Trade Agreement (Cafta) in October 2005.
2006 October - President Bolaños unveils plans to build a new ship canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
MPs approve a tough new bill that bans abortions, including in cases where the mother's life is at risk.
2006 November - Ex-president Daniel Ortega is returned to power in elections.
Please note that these have been copied and pasted. I've also omitted some facts that were irrelevant to this post. For more information, check the link above.
I am off to eat lunch. I will continue to write afterward.
The first thing I thought when our land bus (the TransNica line) arrived in Managua was "Wow, it's hot." I loved it. For once, I could actually feel my fingers and toes...
We were picked up by some sort of a school bus from the bus station, and were driven to a seminary-type place called the Centro Nehemias. The Centro was affiliated with several church groups and Intercultural relationship organizations, and we stayed there because they encouraged international travel. Very nice place. Because it was evening, we divied up the rooms and went to bed.
The next day (Tues), we had a charla (a short lecture) and went sight-seeing a little in the bus from the Centro. Nicaragua is very political.
POLITICS:
The Nica government has suffered many uprisings and has been overthrown many times. The general timeline of important events can be seen on the BBC website timeline (we were given this article to read, and I was able to recover it online as well). But, here's a passage you might find interesting:
Independence:
1838 - Nicaragua becomes fully independent.
1860 - British cede control over the country's Caribbean coast to Nicaragua.
1893 - General Jose Santos Zelaya, a Liberal, seizes power and establishes dictatorship.
1909 - US troops help depose Zelaya.
1912-25 - US establishes military bases.
1927-33 - Guerrillas led by Augusto Cesar Sandino campaign against US military presence.
1934 - Sandino assassinated on the orders of the National Guard commander, General Anastasio Somoza Garcia.
Somoza family dictatorship:
1937 - General Somoza elected president, heralding the start of a 44-year-long dictatorship by his family.
1956 - General Somoza assassinated, but is succeeded as president by his son, Luis Somoza Debayle.
1961 - Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) founded.
1967 - Luis Somoza dies and is succeeded as president by his brother, Anastasio Somoza.
1978 - Assassination of the leader of the opposition Democratic Liberation Union, Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, triggers general strike and brings together moderates and the FSLN in a united front to oust Somoza.
Sandinista revolution and US subversion:
1979 - FSLN military offensive ends with the ouster of Somoza.
1980 - Somoza assassinated in Paraguay; FSLN government led by Daniel Ortega nationalises and turns into cooperatives lands held by the Somoza family.
1982 - US-sponsored attacks by Contra rebels based in Honduras begin; state of emergency declared.
1984 - Daniel Ortega elected president; US mines Nicaraguan harbours and is condemned by the World Court for doing so.
1987-88 - Nicaraguan leadership signs peace agreement and subsequently holds talks with Contra; hurricane leaves 180,000 people homeless.
Post-Sandinista era:
1990 - US-backed centre-right National Opposition Union defeats FSLN in elections; Violeta Chamorro becomes president.
1996 - Arnoldo Aleman elected president.
2000 - FSLN win Managua municipal elections.
2001 November - Liberal party candidate Enrique Bolaños beats his Sandinista party counterpart, former president Daniel Ortega, in presidential election.
2002 March - Opposition Sandinista party re-elects Daniel Ortega as its leader despite his three consecutive defeats since 1990.
2002 August - Former president Arnoldo Aleman charged with money laundering, embezzlement during his term in office.
2003 December - Arnoldo Aleman jailed for 20 years for corruption. A year later he is transferred to house arrest.
2006 April - Free trade deal with the US comes into effect. Nicaragua's Congress approved the Central American Free Trade Agreement (Cafta) in October 2005.
2006 October - President Bolaños unveils plans to build a new ship canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
MPs approve a tough new bill that bans abortions, including in cases where the mother's life is at risk.
2006 November - Ex-president Daniel Ortega is returned to power in elections.
Please note that these have been copied and pasted. I've also omitted some facts that were irrelevant to this post. For more information, check the link above.
I am off to eat lunch. I will continue to write afterward.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
TLC or CAFTA, Part IV
I warned you it was long.
With dear Mr. Solís, I felt that some of his points were similar, and that he was, in effect, repeating himself. Whether this was for emphasis, or completely inadvertent, I still felt as though I was being talked down to. Granted, most of the students in my class (myself included) had little knowledge of the workings of TLC when he spoke to us, but I felt he should have given us more credit. I also thought it was unfair to blame solely the president of the United States for the "failures" of U.S. foreign policy. I know enough about my government to comment that even if the president himself were sensitive to cultural issues, or "culturally conscious" in my own words, any plans he has still have to go through the Senate and the House. As I also know, having watched the previous battles on television from the confines of the den in my house in Indiana, the Senate and the House may not want to work with each other, much less the president. This is our democracy now, and it's a shame. It seems, most unfortunately, that the party wants only its party agenda pushed. There is little cooperation, and even less listening. Also, who ever heard of a democracy that only has two voices? Why are only the Republicans and the Democrats in positions of power? I congratulate Ottón Solís for the first recorded break of a bipartisan election in 2002, but I took into account that it should not be solely the president's "fault", if you will, for the entire government's inability to function within itself.
Whew. I hope I haven't just been targeted by the CIA.
With the U.S. Embassy, once again, here are my initial impressions: big, shiny, imposing, impressive, far away, a show, and big, again.
Question 1) why is the Embassy so big? I've seen the Nicaraguan embassy, and the Mexican embassy, and the Peruvian embassy, and know what? They're about the size of any office building.
Question 2) Why is the U.S. Embassy so far away from downtown Central??? I pass the other three I mentioned twice a day. All three. The U.S. Embassy was an hour and a half bus ride out of the Central. It takes me 20 minutes to get to the Central. 20 minutes.
With the actual lecture itself, I just have to mention the type of people that came to speak to us. David Hensen was, ironically, a white, elderly, male. Could we underline stereotype any more? Nothing against him, it just struck me, I guess. Also, Ms. Martinez was from New Mexico (she told us) and she dressed like the Costa Ricans, in a nice skirt. She had the blending thing down, but it was most likely her background that had this influence. /Jill/ struck me as a woman who had probably been in some sort of armed forces because she held a strong stance, with her legs apart, her hair was pulled back in a bun, and she was wearing a very practical white shirt with a vest and dress slacks that were stretchy. With the way the trio kept emphasizing the protection of U.S. interests overseas, and their obvious dislike of Solís, I wondered about how many groups they had come in who were anti-U.S. I felt like everything they said was in defense to accusations never accused. The entire lecture held the undercurrent of "we get the bad rap, but we're nice people" and "everyone blames us because there are many anti-U.S. feelings right now because the Costa Ricans wanted CAFTA to pass"... Honest, I tried to be objective. I really did. But this is what I heard. I talked to other students afterward, and got similar feelings, so it wasn't just me.
Here's why I went on my rant about democracy: "Consensus means everyone has a voice, but sometimes nobody gets heard." --David Hensen
I couldn't believe he said that. To me, it sounds not like democracy (as it should be) but the same "rights-endangering" oppressive governments the U.S. denounces.
I would like to post the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights here.
"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free excercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the right of people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances."
This Right only guarantees that Congress cannot tell us we are wrong to practice a certain religion, or speak out against the government, or even print things that are happening. We have the Right to ask our government to listen to us. Listen to us. What about each other? This Amendment says nothing about listening to each other.
If CAFTA is the best thing for the countries of Central America and the Dominican Republic, why was it formed in Washington? That's where the countries all met--in Washington D.C. Also, why does the U.S. want to trade more with these countries? If anybody is to blame in the U.S. for the unemployment rate, it's the corporal companies and not the president. They're the ones that outsource to get more hired hands at a cheaper price so that the people of the United States who have so much money to spend can continue to save that money to spend it. The U.S. economy isn't working right now, and we're seeing that. People are also blaming this downfall on greed. The quote from Ottón Solís, "We want telecommunication to be a social tool, not a profit-making industry. Why can't you respect that?" I agree with him on this point. If the sole purpose of capitalism in the United States is to make a profit, it switches the emphasis from success to gain. Who is truly successful, and who is truly a failure? Are success and gain so intertwined they cannot be separated? I don't think so. We need to separate them again. I have listened to others' opinions and researched this. Now I have made my own opinion. All you can do is listen, or not.
With dear Mr. Solís, I felt that some of his points were similar, and that he was, in effect, repeating himself. Whether this was for emphasis, or completely inadvertent, I still felt as though I was being talked down to. Granted, most of the students in my class (myself included) had little knowledge of the workings of TLC when he spoke to us, but I felt he should have given us more credit. I also thought it was unfair to blame solely the president of the United States for the "failures" of U.S. foreign policy. I know enough about my government to comment that even if the president himself were sensitive to cultural issues, or "culturally conscious" in my own words, any plans he has still have to go through the Senate and the House. As I also know, having watched the previous battles on television from the confines of the den in my house in Indiana, the Senate and the House may not want to work with each other, much less the president. This is our democracy now, and it's a shame. It seems, most unfortunately, that the party wants only its party agenda pushed. There is little cooperation, and even less listening. Also, who ever heard of a democracy that only has two voices? Why are only the Republicans and the Democrats in positions of power? I congratulate Ottón Solís for the first recorded break of a bipartisan election in 2002, but I took into account that it should not be solely the president's "fault", if you will, for the entire government's inability to function within itself.
Whew. I hope I haven't just been targeted by the CIA.
With the U.S. Embassy, once again, here are my initial impressions: big, shiny, imposing, impressive, far away, a show, and big, again.
Question 1) why is the Embassy so big? I've seen the Nicaraguan embassy, and the Mexican embassy, and the Peruvian embassy, and know what? They're about the size of any office building.
Question 2) Why is the U.S. Embassy so far away from downtown Central??? I pass the other three I mentioned twice a day. All three. The U.S. Embassy was an hour and a half bus ride out of the Central. It takes me 20 minutes to get to the Central. 20 minutes.
With the actual lecture itself, I just have to mention the type of people that came to speak to us. David Hensen was, ironically, a white, elderly, male. Could we underline stereotype any more? Nothing against him, it just struck me, I guess. Also, Ms. Martinez was from New Mexico (she told us) and she dressed like the Costa Ricans, in a nice skirt. She had the blending thing down, but it was most likely her background that had this influence. /Jill/ struck me as a woman who had probably been in some sort of armed forces because she held a strong stance, with her legs apart, her hair was pulled back in a bun, and she was wearing a very practical white shirt with a vest and dress slacks that were stretchy. With the way the trio kept emphasizing the protection of U.S. interests overseas, and their obvious dislike of Solís, I wondered about how many groups they had come in who were anti-U.S. I felt like everything they said was in defense to accusations never accused. The entire lecture held the undercurrent of "we get the bad rap, but we're nice people" and "everyone blames us because there are many anti-U.S. feelings right now because the Costa Ricans wanted CAFTA to pass"... Honest, I tried to be objective. I really did. But this is what I heard. I talked to other students afterward, and got similar feelings, so it wasn't just me.
Here's why I went on my rant about democracy: "Consensus means everyone has a voice, but sometimes nobody gets heard." --David Hensen
I couldn't believe he said that. To me, it sounds not like democracy (as it should be) but the same "rights-endangering" oppressive governments the U.S. denounces.
I would like to post the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights here.
"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free excercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the right of people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances."
This Right only guarantees that Congress cannot tell us we are wrong to practice a certain religion, or speak out against the government, or even print things that are happening. We have the Right to ask our government to listen to us. Listen to us. What about each other? This Amendment says nothing about listening to each other.
If CAFTA is the best thing for the countries of Central America and the Dominican Republic, why was it formed in Washington? That's where the countries all met--in Washington D.C. Also, why does the U.S. want to trade more with these countries? If anybody is to blame in the U.S. for the unemployment rate, it's the corporal companies and not the president. They're the ones that outsource to get more hired hands at a cheaper price so that the people of the United States who have so much money to spend can continue to save that money to spend it. The U.S. economy isn't working right now, and we're seeing that. People are also blaming this downfall on greed. The quote from Ottón Solís, "We want telecommunication to be a social tool, not a profit-making industry. Why can't you respect that?" I agree with him on this point. If the sole purpose of capitalism in the United States is to make a profit, it switches the emphasis from success to gain. Who is truly successful, and who is truly a failure? Are success and gain so intertwined they cannot be separated? I don't think so. We need to separate them again. I have listened to others' opinions and researched this. Now I have made my own opinion. All you can do is listen, or not.
TLC or CAFTA, Part III
First things first: Happy March!!! Also, happy birthday to my dad. I won't be near a computer for your birthday either.
DEMOCRACY:
What is it?
My Webster's dictionary more or less defines democracy as a government ruled by the people, giving them equal rights.
In Costa Rica, there is a socialist democracy.
I would like to make a distinction: there are only two main forms of government on the earth right now. However, there are at least 6 different types of those two main forms.
The two main forms are democracy (a government ruled and supported by the people) and an authoritarian government (one ruler; also called a "reign" or a "dictatorship"). With these main forms, once again, there are three main types: communist, socialist, or capitalist. In case some of you have not taken an Economy class, a capitalist economy (in theory) is where the market is not necessarily owned by the government, but driven by the "invisible" forces of supply and demand. There is also a private ownership of the means of production, an open free market, and unlimited earnings.
A socialist economy is the opposite: public control of the market, market is government regulated, and earnings are limited.
Communism is the "ideal" result of socialism worked out, where there is no state, there are no classes, and there is abundance for all.
Why is it that so often, democracy is only associated with one type of economy? In today's world, what is democracy, and where does the definition come from? From what I've seen from interviews, most people seem to think that the United States defines democracy. Now the clincher: are the United States a democracy? That's the question, isn't it. Are the United States even a capitalist economy?
Please understand, I'm not trying to ruin anyone's view of the United States. I am merely attempting to point out that if there is one specific definition of democracy, it should not be necessarily defined by only one country as the model for all others to follow. Also worth asking: does a democracy truly allow other views, or only those that allow it to stay a democracy?
I've heard many students slam rules. Correction: many young people my age slam rules. The truth of it is, we need these rules. Without them, how do we define our boundaries? This is why the form of democracy practiced in the United States is not democracy in its truest form because if everybody's ideas were allowed to hold, there would be chaos. Also, the capitalism practiced in the United States should be defined as more of a "mixed" economy, because there is obvious government intervention and a limit on gain.
One of the young lawyers I got to interview for my final paper (and by the way, this was actually my subject for my paper) said that democracy isn't necessarily about getting one's views heard, it's about listening to everyone else's. Democracy should be about listening, he said. If I, as a citizen of the United States think that my First Amendment Right gives me license to say anything and everything I want to, I am sadly mistaken. Rights are a privilege, even if I've been born with them.
I'm putting my reactions in the next post because this one's long enough.
DEMOCRACY:
What is it?
My Webster's dictionary more or less defines democracy as a government ruled by the people, giving them equal rights.
In Costa Rica, there is a socialist democracy.
I would like to make a distinction: there are only two main forms of government on the earth right now. However, there are at least 6 different types of those two main forms.
The two main forms are democracy (a government ruled and supported by the people) and an authoritarian government (one ruler; also called a "reign" or a "dictatorship"). With these main forms, once again, there are three main types: communist, socialist, or capitalist. In case some of you have not taken an Economy class, a capitalist economy (in theory) is where the market is not necessarily owned by the government, but driven by the "invisible" forces of supply and demand. There is also a private ownership of the means of production, an open free market, and unlimited earnings.
A socialist economy is the opposite: public control of the market, market is government regulated, and earnings are limited.
Communism is the "ideal" result of socialism worked out, where there is no state, there are no classes, and there is abundance for all.
Why is it that so often, democracy is only associated with one type of economy? In today's world, what is democracy, and where does the definition come from? From what I've seen from interviews, most people seem to think that the United States defines democracy. Now the clincher: are the United States a democracy? That's the question, isn't it. Are the United States even a capitalist economy?
Please understand, I'm not trying to ruin anyone's view of the United States. I am merely attempting to point out that if there is one specific definition of democracy, it should not be necessarily defined by only one country as the model for all others to follow. Also worth asking: does a democracy truly allow other views, or only those that allow it to stay a democracy?
I've heard many students slam rules. Correction: many young people my age slam rules. The truth of it is, we need these rules. Without them, how do we define our boundaries? This is why the form of democracy practiced in the United States is not democracy in its truest form because if everybody's ideas were allowed to hold, there would be chaos. Also, the capitalism practiced in the United States should be defined as more of a "mixed" economy, because there is obvious government intervention and a limit on gain.
One of the young lawyers I got to interview for my final paper (and by the way, this was actually my subject for my paper) said that democracy isn't necessarily about getting one's views heard, it's about listening to everyone else's. Democracy should be about listening, he said. If I, as a citizen of the United States think that my First Amendment Right gives me license to say anything and everything I want to, I am sadly mistaken. Rights are a privilege, even if I've been born with them.
I'm putting my reactions in the next post because this one's long enough.
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