2005年07月24日
Institutionalized
The one problem with blogs is that we do not revise and correct what we write. An idea comes into our head, and we write it down, without being able to correct, revise or find faults with the idea. But then again, that takes a lot of time and perhaps, it is beneficial to not revise so we can gauge the true thinking of those around us since most peoples opinions and ideas are not as well thought out as they should be and blogs act as a meter of mass mentality.
Today I'd like to examine the subject of being institutionalized. Most people associate this word with prisoners who cannot adapt to society since they have become too accustomed to life in jail. In the dictionary, Institutionalized as an adjective is defined as, "Given the character of an institution or incorporated into a structured and usually well-established system."
Therefore, are not most people inherently institutionalized if they have not spent much time outside of their own city, culture, or nation? It is very difficult for most people to adapt to a new culture and country if they have spent most of their life in only one culture. They are accustomed to the structure and mentality of their native land and therefore, couldn't we say that this is a limitation which impedes most people from becoming a true intellectual since they can only understand, or see one side? ......
Perhaps, the most valuable aspect of living abroad is the freedom which comes of breaking out of the institution of our native society. We become too accustomed to the standard and have not even conceived that our standard might not be the most optimal. For example, most people have credit cards and rack up huge debts due to their own greed. Now that President Bush is trying to do away with declaring bankrupcy and perhaps the return of "debtors prison" people are outraged. I do not like this new plan, but shouldn't people not get themselves too far into debt in the first place due to overuse of the credit card? They should have been aware that credit card interest is exuberant but got themselves into it anyway because it is normal in Western society to have credit cards and they have been institutionalized but cannot see the harm credit cards can cause.
Another example is the war in Iraq. About half of Americans support the war even though the justification for the war was dishonest. The President stated that there might be WMD in Iraq based on information from the CIA. When this proved to be untrue the people still placed their faith in the president and said he simply got bad information. This is very naive in my opinion and their understanding of just how vast and powerful the CIA is. They should give the CIA more credit and understand that if the CIA wants information they will find it. For something as dire as invading another country the information should be spot on, or "a slam dunk." Yet even as the justification proved to be untrue, people are so institutionalized which causes too much faith to be put in the President that they will defend his decision when all evidence points to the contrary. Also, the President tried to say that Iraq was tied to Al-Queda which has been refuted by top officials and eventually proven false, yet people still hold their faith. The truth is, people must simply guess as to who is telling the truth and neither side really knows and most simply take a leap of faith in believing one side or the other.
A common justification that most of the disillusioned offer is "We have to fight terrorism abroad then fight it at home." This again is simply repeating a catch-phrase from one they have put all their faith in. In my opinion, it should be restated, "We have to fight poverty abroad, before we have to fight the effects at home."
For the first time, I saw students in "Madrassas" (spelling?) reading their texts obsessively bowing, becoming brainwashed and indoctrinated with the religious teachings. Instead of bombing these places, assassinating their leaders and so forth, we should help these counties become economically stable so that they can attend state schools and not learn to blow themselves up. Since they have no alternative for schooling, extremist religion has filled this void, and teach these otherwise innocent people to become terrorists. What we are seeing today in the form of terrorism, is in fact the result of western colonialism and the plundering of poor countries for their own benefit. These countries were left impoverished and there is no way for the population to get an education. The extremists have taken advantage of this and have turned these places into terrorist mills.
Yet, the current administration in America has indoctrinated half of the population into believing that we must blow up these places to stop terrorism which is flawed thinking. If I were born in one of these countries, and the only school to attend was an extremist one, then I would have to option but to attend this school in hopes of bettering myself. Then I might get drafted into "terrorism" get killed, and my siblings would then hate America and become terrorists themselves. Why is it that half of America cannot see this? It is becaused they are institutionalized into putting too much faith in their leaders. They are like children following their teachers who teach bad material. They chant, "Support America!" Yet, what is America? It is supposed to be a democracy where all points of view are welcome and should have room to be debated. Yet what the Bush administration has done is vilify all ideas or information contrary to their agenda. In a way, they resemble communist China in suppressing all other points of view. America is an ensemble of people from different cultures and different ideas. Bush does not constitute America, he simply has the control of the reigns of power at present. Should all out war come about in America, many will have to fight not because they believe in the cause, but simply because the institution called America has declared war and America being the only institution they know will have to fight weather it is right or wrong. Living in Vietnam has taught me this lesson. I have learned the history of Vietnam and read from books from both sides. What I learned is that the poor Vietnamese have been conquered so many times throughout history, and kept weak and impoverished by the Chinese and French. Americas involvement is stated that it was fighting "Communism" but most people do not understand what "Communism" is. If one reads the teachings of Ho Chi Minh and take a look at the constitution of Vietnam it is ironic to see that it was modeled after the American one and states that people should be free. From what I have read, Ho Chi Minh was not out to enslave his people but set them free from the foreign invaders, to unify them and make them strong. After the defeat of the colonialist French, Vietnam was supposed to be reunited but America did not want this for fear of "Communism." Perhaps, it is true that the political classes and elite in America did have a true fear of communism since it would not come in the form of a big monster or invading forces, but from the people if it were to take hold. The people in America were brainwashed or "institutionalized" to simply see communism as a dirty word. Yet, as I examine the political landscape of America and Vietnam, I see America as a place where two competing factions Republicans and Democrats vie for power. Perhaps this keeps a balance and a balance is good, although it is extremely unbalanced at present. In the communist country, only one party holds power and can use it for bad (China, Soviet Union) or good which Vietnam is currently doing in opening their economy. Vietnam still has a long way to go, but does a plurality of political parties, instead of only one ensure a better society and that parties and the people that make up these parties will not abuse power? Is it true two parties are better than only one? There are so many questions and my understanding is still very limited and I can say that I really do not know. I can say however, that a student from any country will believe the teachings of whatever school of thought they come from and therefore become indoctrinated or institutionalized.
Switching gears and going back to the idea of Institutionalim, it is very hard to break out of the mold if one has been in it too long. The only way to get out is to travel and live abroad. But still, simply living abroad does not break the bonds of institutionalism. Most ex-pats, simply move abroad, but slip into another institution within the ex-pat community. Most of them have not learned the language which is the door to understanding a culture. They also associate only with other ex-pats and never really come to truly understand their host culture. Most are simply an indoctrinated person who refuses to honestly examine and ponder the teachings in the foreign land. They are like a prisoner who has been released, but still prefers the comfort the walls of prison provide. Without them they feel vulnerable, weak, and exposed. It is the same for people on the extreme right and left in America. They have put their faith in an ideology, and should they even consider the other side, they will feel un-intelligent, weak, and wrong, which humans are not developed enough to tread a path of uncertainty even if it would enlighten them.
Posted by Mateo at 14:22 | Comments (0) | TrackBack
2005年07月18日
Influences
Tonight I watched a movie about delinquent high schoolers who were taken to an "Enlightenment" session where the evil principal put in brain implants to make them "good" students.
This got me thinking about influences or perhaps the more disparaging word called brain washing. We grow up surrounded most likely by a group of people that have the same ideas/values/norms and we become like them due to the environment. For example, we are taught to be patriotic to our country without question. If we read the history of the United States and learn about Benedict Arnold, he will be called a traitor and we will think of him as such due to the teachings. However, as we become more critical in our literary analysis we learn that he could also be a "patriot" for Great Britian. He is even defined as a "traitor" in the dictionary. Since he is defined as such the opinions of those around us are supported by the information that surrounds us in a specific place which perpetuates our current thinking about the person in question. If the situation were reversed and Benedict Arnold was first on the British side who defected to the Americans, then he might be even called a "hero" in American dictionaries.
All information is thus filtered to fit the dogma, or idealism of the nation / religion to suit their teachings and it is very hard to see a situation from all sides since we lack a more complete source of information. Noam Chomsky also states that we ourselves filter information and are thus hurting ourselves. We will read newspapers and written materials that already support our view and even if we do read the opposite opinion it will not be with an open mind and we become actually incapable of considering that point of view....
What has helped me to see all sides came from my travels. I was able to escape an environment that taught specific ideas and during my stays in foreign countries I would immerse myself in the culture, language and thought. Yet, after taking the plunge there is no going back and becoming so immersed in the culture, my native one began to seem alien. Yet, the trick is to not far so fall in that we can no longer see the original side again.
For example, if one were to grow up in a religious atmosphere such as Catholicism, they will almost certainly be Catholic. They have never had the opportunity to open their minds or even genuinly consider the other religions. Therefore, the person in question will spend their entire life defending this faith since it is all they have ever known. The Church is a vast and great empire and should they go on to higher education it would be impossible to understand all the history, details, and origins of all they practice.
Some will go on to study another religion such as Islam and should they immerse themselves so thouroughly in it, they may even convert. They will feel as though their mind has been opened since they have escaped their original form of thinking and adopted a new one. Yet, it is my opinion that they should not stop there and continue along learning and thinking. It is easy to fall in this trap of feeling one has an open mind since they have freed themselves from the bonds of their original form of thinking.
Another example is Communism. Most Americans will see it as a dirty word. But how many have understood the mentalities of all the communists who gave their lives in wars? Do we really think that they would have fought and died for something they did not think was true and right? The person who holds this opinion then places himself above all the millions who thought the contrary as more superior and of correct opinion. In other words, this "thinker" is right and all the other billions are simply "wrong," end of story.
To drive the point home, the religious preach tolerance, yet ironically they cannot be so. They will think those of other faiths as simply "wrong" and themselves as "right." To them tolerance is not abusing the other faith but not accepting them either. To the Hindu, all other faiths are wrong and theirs is right. It is the same for the Catholics, Islamics and so on. In other words their mentality is "We are right, you are wrong."
By traveling out of my original environment and honestly opening my mind to other cultures and forms of thought the world has become so complicated that I have given up any hope of ever thoroughly understanding it. It is interesting that the most ignorant of people will have all the answers, yet those that are thoroughly learned, will not have any answers.
So going back to the kids in the movie that were "brainwashed," are we not all brainwashed in some form or another? We usually will be most patriotic to the place we are born, but for what reasons? We will usually follow the faith in which we are raised but why? A student of Communism will be Communist and a student of Capitalism will be Capitalist.
We are taught that it is a good thing to have an open mind, but to what extent? Surley once we question our teachers they will say we have opened our mind to far.
Finally, back to the filtering of information. As I have mentioned we all filter our own information from information which has already been filtered once due to the ideaology in which we live. The information is also filtered by the way we comprehend information which is in the form of language. The very language in which we think also is a big filter. For example, in Japanese, one must consciously choose which form of politeness he will use and pronouns are not needed as to convey harmony with the group. In English, most sentences start with "I" "We" or some other pronoun. Therefore, when the teacher, explains an idea, the idea originated from the teacher and we will say "He explained..." Yet in Japanese it is possible to simply say "The idea was explained," which thus makes it innately true. Perhaps this is a horrible example, but I feel as though I'm on to something here but cannot quite grasp the idea.
A current hot topic is the Japanese textbook in which they say the Japanese "advanced" instead of "invaded" China. This really makes the Chinese and Koreans unhappy. But are not all textbooks written in such a manner? Is it possible to write an unflitered textbook?
To come to a point, and I do believe it is time for a point; what I have learned by traveling abroad is to look at everything with a critical eye. To do so I must release all that I previously held true and start again.
The easiest thing to release is religion and start again. If I look at the Catholocism in which I was brought up, I find it odd that there are still "sacrifices" weekly albiet symbolic. The congregation eats flesh and drinks blood, albiet symbolically. Would we not look upon our ancestors as barbaric if they sacrificed something, ate the flesh and drank the blood? But we are unable to see ourselves with the same critical eye. The Pegans also wore colorful robes, made alters and tried to correct illnesses with prayer. Yet the Catholic looks at the pagan as a barbarian and considers the priest in the colorful robes as correct while the pagan is just silly, when they DO THE SAME THINGS! Of course the Catholic will defend his beliefs with arguments found in the Catholic Church!! Just like a Communist will defend his arguments which he learned in a Communist school. But of course these questions are all taboo and people who question have been put to the stake throughout history in the inquisition, the cultural revolution, the French revolution (We have no need for savants in the Republic!). Questioning and learning is seen as good and right until you stump the teacher and then OFF WITH HIS HEAD. (And don't get me started on this polorization in America with one "right" side fighting the other "right" side, were questioning is no longer acceptable "You're either with us or against us."
I have come to understand that religion fills a void. We as humans need to feel that there is a divine being protecting us for if there were not, the vast emptiness of space would be truly terrifying. We would not know where we would go when we die and be again, terrified. So we look to comfort ourselves and reassure ourselves that we have meaning. We exault ourselves and say that this divine being created ourselves in his image. We call our bodies and the heavens perfect! If our bodies were perfect, then why do men have nipples, and wisdom teeth that cause excrutiating pain? Space is also a place of extreme violence and chaos. Planets and stars collide and there is much destruction and rebirth. But when we put these questions to a religious academic and have him stumped, they can always fall back on "It's a mystery." Well ain't that a relief. We can go back to bed feeling safe in the fact that "It's a mystery."
To fill this void we have created religion and from all the religions that have been created there can be only a few winners. Therefore, we look to these few winners as the correct ones since they have survived. Yet, a few must survive eventually but this survival does not mean they are correct, simply that they survived. In the book "Sermon on the Mount" the philosopher states that Jesus Christ is the most influential man in history which might be quite true and people use this argument to support their belief. Yet, one can also argue that again, a few people should be the most influential in history since everyone cannot be the most influential. This argument of simply being the most influential does not make it correct.
So once we have stumped the religious scholar, they will reply with, "Then what is the true answer?" and since there one cannot come up with the supreme truth the religious scholar will simply be comforted in the belief that his is correct like a baby nestling back into a crib, afraid of going out and on with life since the unknown is too scary a proposition for him.
In traveling abroad, I have taught myself to not be afraid of the unknown and what a ride it has been. I have gone into an unknown country and made it my home. The experience has been enlightening yet, the answers simply get further and further away the more I learn and experience.
Posted by Mateo at 21:18 | Comments (0) | TrackBack
2005年06月12日
The Apprentice
Here in Saigon, when I have absolutely nothing else to do, I may wander into the T.V. room and let myself vegetate for a while. In Vietnam, the main source of Television entertainment comes from HBO, BBC, NHK, and for regular sitcoms, Star TV. Star buys most the the shows that do not do too well in the states I think except for a select few. Keeping in mind that my only source of info and culture from the west comes from the CNN homepage and Star TV I do not have a well rounded picture what so ever.
I recently just got done watching the Apprentice and am curious as to why this television show is so popular. To me, it is a bunch of back stabbers who share an all to common vision of making the big time in the business world and will do anything to achieve success. When I was in business school, it was mostly about crunching numbers, labor contracts and other pretty dry subjects. It wasn't until my Senior Seminar that we got to conduct case studies and had to put on presentations. I guess it would have been more exciting if we started yelling at each other or if there had been tense background music. It is intriguing how this reality tv show has glamorized putting together marketing packages and boardroom meetings. I guess this is a boon for business schools across the land but the reality is that business is not as much fun as it would seem. Constantly worring about deadlines, cash flow crunches, and lack of sales does not seem so fun without a T.V. crew around.
Further, in modern society it is hard to imagine why we give such prestige to companies that sell soda water (coke) clothing (levis) and movie stars who serve the same function as clowns, which is simply to entertain. Perhaps it is the power that these companies command which is so alluring. I have met many country managers of companies such as these here in Vietnam and more than a few of them are a bit arrogant. If we look at the big picture, I think they should all be taken down a few notches (who cares if they make soap more sexy) and should elevate those that truly help humanity progress. To me, the scientists at NASA, advocates of Human Rights and those who bridge cultural differences should be elevated.
If we look at what country managers of companies such as Nike and Levis actually do I'm sure it would not seem so attractive as T.V. tries to make it. Imagine those people in dirty sweatshops negotiating with the manager of said sweatshop to produce more orders for less price. This creates more overtime and less pay for the workers. The country managers also have to meet demand for their markets and a budget, but the people actually creating the jeans also have to make a living. The sweatshops often bid for contracts and the winners are those who can do so at the least cost (basic rule of business). But to win, they usually have to break the law and push their employees harder.
It would be fun to see the contestants of the Apprentice be assigned to produce the most amount of jeans in a sweatshop in a 6 month period on a normal workers pay. The US is now a service oriented society and in the position to buy manufactures from the poor countries instead of producing it themselves. I believe this to be a normal path to help countries develop since they had absolutely no economy before and sweatshops at least provide some income where there was none before. It just irks me to see the reality behind all the glamour that the Apprentice creates.
Posted by Mateo at 15:04 | Comments (0) | TrackBack
2005年06月06日
Star Wars
I just saw the new Star Wars move "Revenge of the Sith" last night. As it plays in the theaters in the USA it's already out on DVD in Vietnam.
The movie was excellent and some of the lines really stuck in my mind. It appears George Lucas is paralleling the political environment of our times, especially that of George Bush.
Darth Vader says - If you're not with me, you're against me. - Sounds like something I've heard before.
Obi Wan says - Only a Sith thinks in absolutes - Sounds like the good vs. evil campaign
Padamir - "And that's how liberty dies, with thunderous applause" To me, it seems that the electorate will applaud anyone who is charasmatic or simply thinks that the presidential contender is simply a "good guy" without thinking too much about the issues. They are only aware of what the president is currently saying, but not the vast other items on his plate that he will put into place that will affect the future of the country. In another writers words, the electorate is an "unpolitical animal." Therefore, most of the middle class that were clapping loudly clapped for their own demise and loss of jobs. The president speaks about defending the country from terrorism by restricting the rights of the citizens to "thunderous applause."
Finally, the Chancellor or Sith Lord says "What is good or evil depends on the point of view." This could not be more true. What I have learned from living abroad is that people will most likely hold the views of their community, village, city or nation. If they travel and encounter other points of view, they will most likely classify these points of view as simply "wrong" without further thought because it is contrary to what they have been taught all of their lives and are not in line with those of their community.
The current fad of "having an open mind" is an illusion. Most people cannot deviate from what they have been taught all their lives. To do so would make them feel stupid and weak and nobody wants to feel that way. The more one learns the more confused he becomes. It is impossible to assimilate all the information out there, and people can only comprehend only one slice of all this information which they hold on to for dear life. And these conflicting views cause war death and destruction. In the movie, the Sith only desire more power. This does not seem much different from what most nations do.
Most nations, religions and so on teach their young to open their mind and care about others. But as they grow older they become corrupted and most simply desire more money, power and so forth. As every nation or religion continues upon this path there will be conflict and war when interests collide and power must go to one or the other. It would seem that adults never learned to share or simply became corrupted.
Posted by Mateo at 21:28 | Comments (0) | TrackBack
2005年06月05日
Thoughts of the day
When I was a kid, there were times when explanations were given that just didn't make much sense. At that time I simply thought I was not smart enough to understand. However, as I have gotten older and traveled, I've found that many adults have an answer but really do not have a good understanding of the answer. They simply repeat what they have been told and take it as truth.
Today, I was thinking about discussions with Westerners on Communism and Capitalism and how most westerners would have an inate fear of Communism. In an earlier blog, I wrote about Communism as simply a word, then an economic theory and then the fear it instills in westerners. I've come to the conclusion that the Communism of the Soviet Union and China were simply poor models of the Communism Marx was talking about. Throughout my childhood, I too was afraid of Communism. Then I met Europeans who have a much deeper understanding of this theory and most treat it as simply another economic model. Therefore, I had to ask myself, why did I fear it in the first place?
I now live in Vietnam and I feel very comfortable here. I do not feel like my rights are being trampled in any way or oppressed and feel that the natives do not feel this way either. I used to believe that most of the population could not leave a Communist country because of the government. But speaking with a Chinese in Japan, I found that it is the other way around. Chinese (and Vietnamese) are free to leave the country but it is the rich nations that will not let them in!!!! The reason is that much of the population is poor and a big influx of people from poor countries would cause political problems for the rich countries governments in the form of these new immigrants taking jobs away from the rich county's population since they would work for way less.
But back to why I feared communism. The only conclusion I can come to is a form of "brainwashing" or to put in a less negative way, those in the west simply believe that their form of government is better so that is what they teach. Yet, if we make comparisons there are a lot of similarities.
In Communist countries we often refer to "propoganda." In the West the same thing is called "Public Relations," or "Marketing." The goal is to get the public to believe something and governments in both the West and Communist countries engage in this practice to a high degree.
In Communist countries we often refer to "corruption." In the west we also have corruption but also an elevated form of corruption called "lobbying." In both cases, groups influence the government and the ones with the most money usually have the biggest effect. If a Communist country's groups paid officials to obtain something, Westerners would call it corruption. But in the west, these same groups influence their leaders by paying for their campaigns, giving them gifts, or free trips, etc.
Therefore, when I was young and I failed to see the difference between the two, I would have assumed that I was simply not smart enough. But now, through my studies of language and my travels, I've found that simply changing the name of a weed to a flower, does not change what it actually is. We have simply given the item, theory or practice a different name to make the public see it as we would like them to.
Posted by Mateo at 11:54 | Comments (0) | TrackBack
2005年05月31日
The meanings of words - What is Colonialism, Communism
Understanding words.
What exactly happens when we learn a word? The most basic explanation is that a verbal sound is applied to an object or idea which represents the object or idea in question. Therefore, as children when we are first learning language, we must first visually see a chair and then we learn how to call this object in question by making a vocal sound. As time progresses we learn which words we should apply to emotions and feelings which we cannot see or touch, but have a presence none the less. As we grow even older, we string together or vocabulary and are eventually able to comprehend abstract ideas to which we must also apply a vocal sound or "word." These ideas can be Democracy, Socialism and so on.
Now it is relatively easy to see a chair and call it a chair. Not much brain activity is needed. However, for the more abstract and that which is not so easily understood as a chair, the comprehension of the idea may be misunderstood or not understood enough, even though we know which vocal sound 'word' to apply to it.
The two words I'm thinking of at the moment are Colony and Communism. As many of you know I have lived abroad for four years and what really keeps me motivated is the amount of learning I acquire.
Now, sticking with our focus of these two words I'd like to explain a little about the progression of my understanding of these ideas.........
1. Colony
Ask anyone what a colony is and they will most likely be able to define it in loose terms. If I think back to my previous understanding I would have said "Host Country sends nationals to a foreign land with the hopes of obtaining settlement there under governance of the host country." The dictionary defines colony as:
"A body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government."
Wow I was close!
Before, when thinking of this word, I would have conjured up images of the English Pilgrims in their blue hats settling in America and sharing food with the Native Americans even though it is now popular to understand that they shared more bullets (in firing them at the Natives) than food.
This is the same naive concept of colony when people are asked to describe it.
However, living in Vietnam I've come to understand the much darker side of this word or concept called "Colony."
Now let's take the dictionary definition of "Colonialism," a derivative of Colony.
"Exploitation by a stronger country of weaker one; the use of the weaker country's resources to strengthen and enrich the stronger country."
If you ask people about France and Vietnam most will say Vietnam was a colony of the French and leave it at that. Some French nationals comprehension of the word is that it was basically good since it tried to make Vietnam "Civilized." Yet, through my reading of history and I have learned the facts. One good site is the Ho Chi Minh Archives which offers amazing insight.
A colony is more often than not a barbaric subjugation of the native people where the wealth and resources are exploited for the economic gain of the host country. Therefore, there is a drastic difference between the concept most people hold when hearing the world colony and what it really is. The colonialism of the old European superpowers was one full of murder, greed and power grabbing. However, I'm sure nationals of those countries were not taught about the horrors of what actually happend. Therefore, if I read about Colonialism in France, Spain, England (and the USA) I will hear about how these colonies benefited their respective host countries and enslaved their people.
Yet, one cannot only read one side and know the truth. There are always too sides to every story and one must also read the literature of those that have been colonzied. And every major country has ventured into colonalism at one point or another.
Examples:
1. Britian - Subjugated the Indians with terror and torture.
2. USA - Wiped out the Native Americans under "Manifest Destiny" - Like "Colony" the definition of "Manifest Destiny" also changes depending on who you ask.
3. France - Exploited the Vietnamese along with countless other nationals of other countries.
4. Japan - Korean sex slaves, Vietnam famine.
Thus, we have to ask ourselves how well we understand our own language. Do we have a full and complete concept of what words actually mean and everything they entail or do are we content with a simple dictionary definition?
2. Communism
I learned this word in the United States of America. When I asked what Communism was, every single definition I received was that communism was basically a bad idea and something to be feared.
If I asked the reason for the Vietnam war, it was simply "To stop communism" as though communism was some 10000 pound Godzilla that was coming to enslave us all and should be feared. If you ask most of the population of America they will have a negative image of this form of government.
It wasn't until I began to read for myself about Communism that I understood exactly what it was. I started to read Marx and was shocked that his manifesto wasn't about enslaving people and depriving freedoms but was a dry and boring as any old economic textbook. It spoke about markets, money, and a way where everyone could have a chance to make something of themselves.
I then read history and about the Industrial Revolution. I was shocked to learn that most workers were treated much like slaves and could not save a shilling while the barons horded all the wealth. I was also appalled that this lasted much into the 1920's America with the Strike Breakers who would put down worker protests while on horses and smashing in people's skulls. I read about the horrible working conditions and how the people really did not have a chance to better their lives.
I also read an article stating that Capitalism was bad way back in the 1920's but Communism underestimated Capitalism's ability to evolve, gain better working conditions and labor laws etc. Yet, it seems to me that the author of this statment has engrained in his skull the very same naive concept of communism that most of the American public hold. That it is bad and something to be feared. How is it that only Capitalism has the capacity to change and adapt but Communism does not?
Marx defined Communism as simply the path to socialism and not a permanent form of government. Therefore, it evolves and can evolve for the better. Yet, this argument is wasted on those who have suffered years of propoganda and even the word "Communism" puts them on the defensive and in fear.
They will cite examples of Stalin and his atrocities and of Communist China who do not have a very good human rights record. Yet, what the Americans have not been taught is that the USA has engaged in unimaginable atrocities in foreign lands to fight this concept called Communism.
And here it is. The American public have been so brainwashed into believing that Communism is some monster that will come upon it's shores if not stopped that they look the other way when horrible atrocities have been committed like in Vietnam. Communism is not a horrible monster but one that would come from the people if they are suffering economically and have no chance to better their condition. They equate an economic concept "Capitalism" with freedom and "Communism" with slavery which is completely absurd. They are simply two economic models that would be better debated in terms of markets and currency movements by certified Economists. Yet, the super elite know that if communism were to take hold then they would lose all or most of their wealth. Therefore, they strike at it anywhere in the world in hopes of preventing it while brainwashing the populace to believe it is simply a horrible monster. Millions of poor peasants in Vietnam were slaughtered who do not know the difference between Capitalim and Potatoes. The Vietnamese have really had it rough for the past century. They had to deal with the Colonalist French who exploited the country and enslaved many for their own economic benefit. Then this guy named Ho Chi Minh comes along and says "Hey, this is not right!" He tried to free his people from these oppressive French in many ways but do you think he got support from other western countries? Nothing! The only support he could get was from the Communists (Even in France) and therefore, by adopting communism it was his only way to free himself from the French. Then the USA comes along and fights Communism because as most Americans would put it "Communism is Bad, or now Evil." So the USA supports an extremely repressive and awful "Diem" regieme which carries out an untold number of political assissinations. Meanwhile the Americans spray chemicals on the peasants villages since they cannot control them from the Communists. So these poor peasants just got out from under the yoke of the French to then have Chemical warfare sprayed upon them. Now ask yourself, if you were born in a peasant village and had been exploited by the French and then driven from your village by the Americans, whos side would you be on? Actually these poor people got caught in the middle of an ideological war and could give a damn for whatever side wins, but just want to live in peace!
If we look at the political side of things, it is easy to denounce the Soviet Union and China for their form of Communism. You say the wrong thing, you get put in jail. However, why do we have to look at these countries models of communism as the only ones? In many democratic countries there are things that cannot be said and if you cross the wrong leader landing in Jail is easy. Communism has one political party and the United States has two which is simply a difference of one! Also, Communism picks their next leader in a way that many Americans would feel "undemocratic." Yet in the USA we now have a son of a former president! We say that he was picked by the people when the truth is that the people could not have been taken further out of the political process. Both parties are funded by the same powerful interest groups and it really doesn't matter who wins. Americans say that the people in Communist societies live in a state of fear. What is going on in America right now? They have scared the wits out of the population with this terrorist nonsense and then wage war without trying to fix the underlying problems which promote terrorism in the first place!
Do we honestly think that a "terrorist" wakes up one day and says "Hey, I want to be a bad guy, so I think I'll become a terrorist!" Now the word "Terrorist" has taken the same level of fear that the word "Communist" used to instill. Perhaps we think that "terrorists" are just not right in the head and want to strap bombs to themselves and them blow themselves up?? What could possibly drive a person to kill themselves like that? Perhaps if we look at the injustice some of the USA policies have created we will understand that these destitue, poverty-stricken people have no other choice!
But again, this argument is wasted on most Americans since the simple utterance of the words "Terrorist or Communist" have instilled such fear.
For them they will have this reaction
1. Terrorist - Bad man, must be killed or stopped in any way possible.
2. Communism - Slavery, Fear
The images they conjure up when hearing these words are as naive as a two year old.
Finally if Americans do read this post, they will not like me one bit. So much for being able to say what you want in America even today. Their defensive stance is that I have just railed against everything they have ever been taught and most Americans have been taught in America as far as I know. Therefore, most of the information they have will paint America in a good light.
It is as simple as one child being taught potatoes are poison then add volumes of information and details supporting this position that no one could possibly read in a lifetime. Then another being taught that potatoes are healthy with another library full of materials supporting this stance. If I say potatoes are healthy to one who has been taught they are posion, the child who believes they are poision will empty all their knowledge is defending the stance that potatoes are poison.
Another aspect is the concept of team. Americans are on one team and define themselves as such in international affairs. Better not say anything bad about the team. So this post is like going into a New York Yankee stadium wearing a Red Socks Jersey. The Red Socks fan could have piles of information about how the Red Socks are better but it will simply fall on deaf ears.
Finally back to my original theme about our understanding of the meanings of words. What images do we conjure up when we hear them and are they correct? I guess it just depends on which school you've been attending and the information you've received. Steven Hawking says that humans are capable of understanding only a tiny fraction of all the information out there and therefore, one should not choose all their books from the same library.
Posted by Mateo at 12:44 | Comments (0) | TrackBack
2005年05月20日
Old Entries
I had so many problems with my last MT configuration that I had to reinstall everything. So I lost some of my old rants, but have pasted them in the excerpt....
I spent all day working on the website. For some reason there is an internal server error for the archive and recent entry links. Also, if I add an extended entry the link doesn't work either. I spent three hours looking for the answer but no luck. But I like the challenge of finding the answers and when I set my mind to something I can usually solve the problem even if it takes a long time like getting this movabletype software to work.
I then gave up for today with that and worked on getting some pictures up. I found that there are very easy ways now to share pictures online but I don't want to do it that way since it would mean giving up control. I once shared my pictures online five years ago with the MSN program. I forgot the name of the program but it looked like a colored butterfly and integrated e-mail, browser and had goodies like picture sharing. However, one day they decided to delete all my pictures and I lost all my e-mails. I forget if they were upgrading or asking me to pay but ever since that time I don't trust the free services because one day they will ask for money or go out of business. That is why I take a long time to optomize the pictures myself in Fireworks, and then put them into a table in Dreamweaver. It takes forever and I hate doing it but unless anyone has found software that makes this easy and I maintain control I'll have to continue doing it this way.
I also spoke with the family today and one thing about being an ex-pat is you have to sacrifice a lot like spending time with family and friends, missing weddings and funerals etc. I'm missing one of my good friends weddings today and it just sucks. I really wish I could have gone. But this is the price to pay for living abroad I suppose.
This Weekend
This weekend is an important one here in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). It marks the 30th anniversary of the end of the American (Vietnam) war and there are celebrations throughout the city. I've heard that Vietnam will have it's first lazer light show to commemorate the event and the streets are packed with people.
I was recently asked if it is an Anti-American event but that is completely untrue. I too would have surmised before I came to Vietnam that it would be anti-american but I do not feel this setiment at all. As I had guessed from my vacation here, I have confirmed that the Vietnamese are the best in the world at forgiving and forgetting. In fact the Vietnamese are very engaged with America and the rest of the world and the govenrment has done a very good job at opening up the economy to foreign investment which has been improving the lives of the people here.
Vietnam really wants to join the WTO and it seems that they will do so in the near future. I went to an American Chamber of Commerce event a while back to learn about when Vietnam could join and it seemed that the community here did not get the answers from "the powers that be" that they wanted. First we heard from the director of the STAR group which is the liason which works out the technical details that the world says Vietnam must complete before joining. This means passing laws on intellectual property rights, lowering tariffs and so on. It took about an hour for the head of this organization to complete his speech.
However, the issue was brought up that Cambodia has already been accepted and Vietnam is much more advanced and has more stable set of laws already in place. Therefore why couldn't they join by the end of the year? That is when the American government official hit the podium and was extremely evasive in my opinion. He said that there is a "working party of parties which have concerns about Vietnam joining the WTO." It is this "working group" who will decide when Vietnam can join the WTO. So what I gathered from the speech was that it is not about technical details at all and simply about when "the powers that be" decide Vietnam can join the WTO. It all comes down to politics and I'm guessing the main "working party" comprises the U.S.A., China, and most likely France.
Therefore, I found it a bit comical that we spent so much time talking about the technical economic details when the true answer lies in politics, and the politicians are being evasive. I have concluded that they will say Vietnam can join when it is most favorable for them and they can get the most from Vietnam. It amazed me that we have courses in University on International Trade and how the WTO works when the true answers lie behind the curtain and are basically politicans making deals.
I've done it!
Hello Everyone. As you can see my website has changed dramatically. It has taken me over a year to do this due to getting frustrated and quitting. Here I would like to tell you the abridged version of my quest to get MovableType to work on my website.
I started playing with Movabletype in Japan over a year ago. At first the instructions seemed very complicated for me since I knew nothing of databases. However, I wanted to learn so I tried to get it to work. After failing I gave up and went back to using Dreamweaver and Macromedia products which I am very comfortable with. I tried starting a blog with simple html and did that for a while. However, MT remained in my mind and I was determined to make it work. However, I could not get the database to load and it took a lot of letters to my server. It still didn't work and I gave up for half a year.
When I came to Vietnam, there were so many things I wanted to write about that I tried again. It took me a week to get it loaded on my server, but there were problems. After a week of research I discovered that MT doesn't like Windows servers and everytime it created a new page I had to manually go in and configure the permissions for each new page which was a pain!!!!
So I decided to change my web hosting provider. However, this was very difficult from Vietnam because my IP address was coming from here but my credit card is based in the USA so I could not change it automatically online. This was very frustrating and finally I broke down and paid for the international call to get my new web hosting provider set up. It's taken me two days to get MT to work but with this new provider things are much simpler and there are no problems like there were with the other provider. I could go into a million details of all the problems I've had but frankly they are complicated and I've forgotten most of them. So from here on I'm going to continue setting up this blog and making it really cool.
I will have more pictures and plenty of stories shortly.
Posted by Mateo at 17:41 | Comments (0) | TrackBack
2005年05月18日
Movabletype finally works
Today I decided to try and tackle my movabletype problems one more time. Before, I had trouble with the comments, archives and basically any link that Movabletype was supposed to take care of. So I deleted the whole thing, downloaded the new 3.6 version and reinstalled everything. This time I made sure everything was uploaded in ASCII mode that was supposed to be and lo and behold, everything works now!!!!! I can't believe it! So now here I am at 11:00pm trying to replace all my old links and add more content. I'm pooped.
Posted by Mateo at 22:45 | Comments (0) | TrackBack