Lessons Drawn from the Plight of the Falun Gong

31 08 2009

The Falun Gong are a peaceful spiritual exercise organization based in the People’s Republic of China.  They became trendy in the 1990s and now have close to 100 million followers.  Despite the Chinese being economically and socially much better off than they were thirty years ago, the government of China deemed the Falun Gong illegal and treats them as a dissident group.  This seems laughable, as an insecure and fragile centrally planned state resorts to making an example of a peaceful spiritual practice.  I wonder if they’ll be cracking down on the Salvation Army next.  The reason that the Chinese government feels the need to make a fool of themselves is that they are intimidated that anything besides the government could achieve such a massive size.  Yep, a rebellion in the making if I ever saw one (I’m being sarcastic.)  The international community’s been having a field day with this one for years.

It really is infinitely harder for dictatorships to survive in today’s world than in past centuries.  This is because the globalized world lends both an informational and an economic impact.  That is how the world keeps getting smaller – it’s not just referring to traveling or social circles anymore.  Look at the recent Iranian Revolution.  It’s a fine example – although we may not know for years just how successful it was.  The election results sparked a very real rage in the population which prompted them to take advantage of media and internet resources in the midst of their protests.  First off, the very notion of free and fair elections has not always been around, but now that it is, it’s not going anywhere.  People know about it.  The battle is won.  The government of Iran cracked down on the internet, but it was too late – the message was out.  The can of worms is opened.  The same thing is true for China.  They try to crack down on the internet, but it’s a losing battle.  Information has already won! Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Economics, First Amendment, Globalization

The Case Against the Traditional Political Spectrum

30 08 2009

We often hear the realm of political ideology and philosophy discussed in terms of the oversimplifying, but convenient Left-Right spectrum.  On the extreme right we have Fascism.  On the extreme left we have Communism.  Fascism is defined by extreme Nationalism.  Communism is the most extreme and absolute form of Socialism.  In between is everything else.  Around the center is what we think of as a Western-style democracy.  Liberal Democracy* is slightly toward the right and Social Democracy is slightly toward the left, with Socialism proper a little farther toward the left.  Fascism and Communism were pretty much wiped off the face of the globe in the Twentieth Century, so history and philosophy is defined by those placed in between them.  It feels good to be in the center, doesn’t it?  Not identifying with either radical extreme which killed millions of people each.  Of course, alliances throughout that historical period did not necessarily correlate with those ideologies.  The political ideologies in the center tend to be more “free” by nature.  So this is all being defined by the liberty lovers in the center.  You know, people used to define the Sun as rotating around the Earth at the center of the Universe.

*(“Liberal” as in Classical Liberalism – social and economic liberty, not “liberal” as in American politics; both left and right of mainstream American politics fall under this category.) Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : History, Theory

Ben Bernanke’s Sticking Around

29 08 2009

Just four days ago today President Obama announced that he will reappoint Ben Bernanke to his current position as Chairman of the Federal Reserve.  In my view, it is still a little too early to determine what the reaction to the move from the general public is.  Ben Bernanke has been both praised and criticized from all sides.  Some say he has helped to mend the current world economic and financial crisis and that we are now on a sure, one-way road to recovery.  Some say that he has made matters worse off of his inflationary policies in the market.  Some say he did not cut interest rates by enough.   Obama seems to be satisfied with him, though.  He claims that Bernanke prevented “another Great Depression.”  What is interesting to note is that there could have been another Great Depression in the decade before the actual Great Depression in the early 1920s.  However, history books tend to gloss over it simply because it never happened.  I guess the harder we fall, the bigger the lesson.

Bernanke’s views on issues external to monetary policy such as fiscal policy and taxation are rather hard to pinpoint simply because he has never commented on them directly on record.  His predecessor, Alan Greenspan, was not shy about diverging his opinion on such issues.  I read his book The Age of Turbulence a couple of years ago and highly recommend it to anyone interested in economics or international politics.  Or both.  Greenspan described himself as a “libertarian republican” politically and used his influence towards politicians in policy discussions.  Bernanke, by contrast, has distanced himself from his predecessor.  It is hard to say whether he is distancing himself from Greenspan’s politics or the more general principle of the involvement of the Fed in policy matters. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Economics, Obama Administration, Politicians, Taxes and Spending

Primary Source Analysis

28 08 2009

“Voices From African History: Be a Scribe” is a primary source document that consists of a written communication from an Ancient Egyptian teacher one of his students.  It is a “primary source” in that it was created directly by someone involved in the time and place depicted.  It is a direct communication from one individual of Ancient Egypt to another.  It is not commentary written by someone studying Ancient Egypt.  Since the source hails from the Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, according to the introductory text in italics, it is probably safe to assume that the document was written between 3,500 and 4,000 years ago.  Since the teacher works as a royal scribe, the document probably came from either Memphis or Thebes, depending upon which was the capital of Egypt at the time.

The one who is speaking in this text is the author, who is a teacher discussing the future of one of his students with that very same student.  I assume that he is a male.  Based on how he appears to be speaking from experience I believe him to be roughly middle-aged.  His ethnicity is clearly Egyptian and his religion would be Ancient Egyptian.  He is even identified as the “chief overseer of the cattle of Amun-Re, King of the Gods.”  So he worships Re, the sun god, like the rest of his nation.  In his writing he reveals some aspects about his ideology or how he thinks things work.  He believes that a scribe is the best and most honorable profession that exists in his time and place.  He is probably of high social status, considering he is a royal scribe.  For a royal scribe the pharaoh would want the very best of all the scribes in Egypt.  Even if he was born into a privileged family he would still have to work very hard and be well-educated in order to become a royal scribe.  I think that this background has affected his point of view in the essay in question.  He has worked hard to achieve his place in life and has received benefits for it.  He now wants his student Wenemdiamun to earn similar success and that is why he is pushing him to do so.  That is the author’s purpose for writing. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : History

Big Players in International Economics

27 08 2009

One of the major ongoing debates in the realm of international economics is that which involves globalization.  A common definition of globalization is the economic, political and cultural systems of the globe.  As implied by this definition, there are many different sides to the issue.  So the question is: Is it a good thing or a bad thing?  Should we embrace it or turn our back from it?  When asking that question, a new one takes shape.  If we tried to turn our back from it, would we be successful?  In other words, is globalization ultimately inevitable?  Those who support globalization talk of economic benefits for everybody and giving a leg up to the poorer countries of the world.  Those who oppose globalization claim not everyone benefits from it and that “the rich” have rigged it decisively in their own favor.  They also claim that integrating markets too hastily will destroy the “infant industries” of developing nations before they become profitable.

My side of the argument is on the pro-globalization side.  I believe that, in general, globalization will lead to good for everyone.  Indeed, it has already worked wonders for China and India.  I also believe that as cultures engage in diffusion with one another at a faster pace, due to the internet and other forms of 21st-century technology, society can only benefit from the global dialogue.  My position is not entirely without reservation.  I am partly worried about the political conglomeration of potentially overbearing supranational entities such as the United Nations and the North American Union.  However, I believe that, fortunately, the forces at work in the world will prevent any disaster from occurring.  I therefore fully support the global spread of commerce. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Economics, Globalization

Dimensions of the Postwar Economies of Japan and South Korea

26 08 2009

In the decades immediately following the Second World War and the Korean War, all of East Asia went about great change.  China and Vietnam became communist states.  Japan transitioned from a military power to an economic power.  Korea found it’s nation sharply split between north and south.  This was a time of many changes for East Asia.  During this era, from the beginnings of the postwar world to the 1970s, Japan and South Korea underwent separate paths toward economic growth.  Some aspects of their overall strategies were similar.  Indeed, South Korea saw Japan as a role model for East Asian economic development.  While there was lingering resentment of Japanese colonialism, the fact that a nation so similar (or as some Koreans say, inferior) to Japan had come so far bread a desire for imitation.  (Also, some Japanese influence lingered on from the colonial era into the 1950s, though many Koreans might not be quick to admit it.)  It is therefore not surprising that South Korean economic development was somewhat similar to that of Japan.  But there were still very drastic disparities in their postwar economic development.

There are a few ways that Japan and South Korea’s postwar economies were alike.  Both societies had large financial cliques.  These included the Keiretsu (formerly Zaibatsu) in Japan and the Chaebol in Korea.  These were large influential conglomerates in the economies of Japan and South Korea that held some concrete roll in development. Vertical Keiretsu in Japan, including names such as Toyota and Matsuhita, comprised large sections of the economy through acquisitions and long-term contracts with parts dealers.  Since they needed the parts to fuel their business and the parts dealers needed stable buyers, a long-term codependent relationship came out of the contract.  In South Korea in the 1950s, landlords were on the decline and many former landlords became businessmen.  The amount of entrepreneurs and economic opportunities continued to grow during much of the postwar period. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Economics

Nature of the Kyoto Protocol

25 08 2009

The Kyoto Protocol, negotiated in 1997, is a multilateral treaty that was made by several countries in order to solve the impending problem of climate change.  The goal was to hold nation-states to standards regarding emission levels after a decade of dialogue.  The first Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report stating that human activity was a factor in global warming had been released in 1990.  The process was planned to take place in Kyoto, Japan.

The negotiations at Kyoto involved a tremendous amount of time pressure, positional bargaining between states and a visibly large role of non-state actors.  Scientists and environmentalists had been stressing the nature of the problem for years and pressured for a quick and decisive solution to a problem that was sure to grow worse over time if left unchecked.  The negotiations themselves were only given a ten-day time frame in which to take place.  Some felt that this was not sufficient, but it imposed an added artificial time pressure on the states involved.  For some countries, especially the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), the issue was seen as not a mere matter of environmental well-being, but of personal survival, since a theoretical rising sea-level could wipe out their countries and their homes.  Positional bargaining occurs when a negotiating actor centers themselves around a single desirable outcome and projects little or no flexibility in compromising away from it.  Each section of the globe had their own desired reduction level (and who would participate) and the negotiating states did not trust one another to follow through in the end.  The debate turned emotional as states began shifting blame for who was at fault.  Many blamed the United States, which garnered a large chunk of all previous emissions while the United States pointed out the role of larger developing nations such as China, India and Brazil, in the process of climate change.  But the non-state actors had a lot to say as well.  The city of Kyoto felt the presence of lobbyists for environmental and business causes alike from around the globe for and against the protocol, as well as offering their own take on the issue. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Globalization

Cheaters Stink!

24 08 2009

I was in the house of one of my closest friends since childhood the other day and the reality show Cheaters came on TV.  It was almost time for me to depart for the evening, but for entertainment’s sake I stuck around and watched the first 15-20 minutes of the episode that was being syndicated that evening.  It seems that they turn just about everything into a reality show these days.  The characters were 30-something-year-old Mike, his housemate and his girlfriend.  You might notice that I only remembered Mike’s name, which I’m not sorry for.  It is my own name, yes.  But I like to believe that I remember his name because he was the only righteous one on the show that day.  His girlfriend and his housemate – they’re scumbags, I don’t care for them or what their names are.

So Mike is this copy salesman living full-time with his girlfriend and a younger friend of his has moved in to take advantage of his tough economic situation.  He should be thanking Mike for his hospitality, kissing his feet and worshipping the ground he walks on.  Instead he’s having sex with his girlfriend.  Yep.  Right behind his back.  As soon as he leaves for work every day.  And his girlfriend is dishonest in her exclusive relationship with Mike.  Fortunately a team of specialists who host the show exposed the treachery to Mike and Mike, after taking in the magnitude of the betrayal, set out to confront the wretches he once considered friends. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Craziness, Culture

2010 Senate Races: Peter Schiff, Pat Toomey and Rand Paul

23 08 2009

Yes, I know the Senate elections are over a year away, but I am a political junkie and this is part of the air I breath.  For me, the election never ends.  There is no “after the election.”  It just starts over and over again.  2008 flows into 2010 flows into 2012.  Its imprinted in my brain and there is thought on it going on around the clock.  So today I wanted to talk a little bit about some of the candidates I have begun to support in their efforts for the 2010 Senatorial election season.  Senators are elected every six years and there are two Senators from each state, so in any given federal election year there are 66-67 states that have US Senate seats up for grabs.  Three of these states next year are Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.  In those three elections I have become inclined to throw my support behind Peter Schiff, Pat Toomey and Rand Paul, respectively.

Peter Schiff is an economist, stockbroker and president of EuroPacific Capital, which is based in Westport, Connecticut, where my parents reside.  He formed an exploratory committee to run against veteran Senator Christopher Dodd this election cycle.  Schiff is new to the field of electoral politics, but Dodd’s approval rating has plummeted since his presidential run and he is vulnerable to Schiff in recent polls.  Schiff has stated that he would run only if substantial support is shown to make his candidacy viable.  Since his fundraising has broken several goals set by Schiff and currently is approaching $1 million with over a year to go, I would say that his run is almost a certainty.  Before challenging Dodd, however, Schiff will face veteran politician and former Congressman Rob Simmons, who is doing slightly better in polls against Dodd.  However, Simmons and Schiff are miles apart.  Schiff was the one who predicted the current economic collapse and the burst of the housing bubble years in advance and maintains a Common Sense view of economic issues that stresses the value of savings and production over the borrowing and spending that got us into this mess and stands no chance of getting us out of it.  The stimulus that is currently on the table is not what will fix the economy and we need more politicians in the Senate like Schiff to understand that and work for the citizens, not their own careers. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Economics, Politicians, Taxes and Spending

Wisdom From Ferris Bueller

22 08 2009

One of my favorite movies of all time is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, staring Matthew Broderick.  It is a 1980s teen comedy film about a boy in his senior year of high school who skips school and changes his best friend’s life for the better.  I not only find it funny and vigilantly entertaining, but I think it’s worth substantial intellectual capital as well.  Not the typical venue that you might turn to for that, I know.  Then again, I say the same thing about Breakfast Club, another 1980s teen comedy.  It is also one of Matthew Broderick’s finest moments in film.  Charlie Sheen also has a nice cameo near the end when he’s in the police station with Ferris Bueller’s sister. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Collectivism, Common Sense, Culture, Life, Politicians, Theory

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