summer, in the form of a short list:
true blood
iced coffee
reading, reading, reading
slow mornings
france
orange laughter
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
moonrise kingdom
article source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/24/PKM61OLCDP.DTL
This article gave some details about the new Wes Anderson movie, Moonrise Kingdom that was just released in select theaters this past weekend (after being shown at the Cannes Film Festival previously). Anderson commented that he has been heavily influenced by French New Wave (specifically Truffaut) and despite the fact that many consider his films to be heavily dependent on his specific style, Anderson would rather not be known for repetition. The article touches on common themes in Anderson's films - peculiar characters, familiar cast members (the cast for Moonrise Kingdom including Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand,Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman) and specific scriptwriting. The plot of the Moonrise includes young adolescent love, stealing library books, and Khaki Scouts, but the rest of the story remains fairly mysterious.
I picked this article because 1) I love Wes Anderson! 2) I am planning to see Moonrise Kingdom eventually 3) I've already watched the trailer a few too many times
The article was informative, and I learned that Roman Coppola helped write the script as well as helping to write the script for Sophia Coppola's Somewhere (which I also love).
This article gave some details about the new Wes Anderson movie, Moonrise Kingdom that was just released in select theaters this past weekend (after being shown at the Cannes Film Festival previously). Anderson commented that he has been heavily influenced by French New Wave (specifically Truffaut) and despite the fact that many consider his films to be heavily dependent on his specific style, Anderson would rather not be known for repetition. The article touches on common themes in Anderson's films - peculiar characters, familiar cast members (the cast for Moonrise Kingdom including Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand,Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman) and specific scriptwriting. The plot of the Moonrise includes young adolescent love, stealing library books, and Khaki Scouts, but the rest of the story remains fairly mysterious.
I picked this article because 1) I love Wes Anderson! 2) I am planning to see Moonrise Kingdom eventually 3) I've already watched the trailer a few too many times
The article was informative, and I learned that Roman Coppola helped write the script as well as helping to write the script for Sophia Coppola's Somewhere (which I also love).
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Escape from camp 14
article source: http://theweek.com/article/index/228631/inside-north-koreas-gulag
7 years ago, at the age of 23, Shin In Geun escaped from a North Korean political prison. That statement alone is enough to merit astonishment, as previously no one born in a camp had been known to escape. While the article itself does not provide detail of his escape, it hints at the perseverance of the escape in reciting time limits: a month found him in China, two years found him in South Korea, and 4 years found him in Southern California. More astonishing, however, is the bit of life from inside the camp that Shin In Geun reveals. It is a life that reflects a horrifying lack of basic family ties and mutual respect for human life. Shin grew up as a slave, under the pressure of survival that led to his betrayal of his mother and brother in their plan to escape the camp. Once he relayed this information, however, Shin was tortured for information anyways and eventually witnessed the hanging of his own mother and brother. What Shin wished to relay to the outside world, however, was not the terror of his own personal experience but the level of deasement within the camps, and the truth that the abuse within them came not only from the guards, but between the prisoners themselves.
I found this article in the back of the magazine The Week, which I get at home. I chose the article because of the subtitle:
7 years ago, at the age of 23, Shin In Geun escaped from a North Korean political prison. That statement alone is enough to merit astonishment, as previously no one born in a camp had been known to escape. While the article itself does not provide detail of his escape, it hints at the perseverance of the escape in reciting time limits: a month found him in China, two years found him in South Korea, and 4 years found him in Southern California. More astonishing, however, is the bit of life from inside the camp that Shin In Geun reveals. It is a life that reflects a horrifying lack of basic family ties and mutual respect for human life. Shin grew up as a slave, under the pressure of survival that led to his betrayal of his mother and brother in their plan to escape the camp. Once he relayed this information, however, Shin was tortured for information anyways and eventually witnessed the hanging of his own mother and brother. What Shin wished to relay to the outside world, however, was not the terror of his own personal experience but the level of deasement within the camps, and the truth that the abuse within them came not only from the guards, but between the prisoners themselves.
I found this article in the back of the magazine The Week, which I get at home. I chose the article because of the subtitle:
Twisted by hunger and cruelty, Shin In Geun betrayed his mother, and then watched her hang
It kind of jumps out at you. In any case, though, the article was well written and emphasized the fact that the level of deprivation inside these camps is illustrated in the way that it has turned its inhabitants against each other, and forced them into a less-than-human state of being and mentality. I found the story itself to be very interesting, if only in light of the fact that there is so little overall information about North Korea.Sunday, June 3, 2012
senior reflection TWO
Went to see Joe Pug in concert last night! He is the coolest.
With 5 (!) days left, I can't help but think about the future.
Joe has this one song called "I Do My Father's Drugs"
my favorite part goes like this:
if you see me with a rifle
don't ask me what it's for
I fight my father's war
Leaving home for the first time and everything makes you wonder about how much of you is you and how much of it is where you've grown up and the beliefs of your parents or your peers. Maybe sometimes we don't even know when we're fighting someone else's war. Are we condemned to fight the same things because of the way we're made? And yet.
With 5 (!) days left, I can't help but think about the future.
Joe has this one song called "I Do My Father's Drugs"
my favorite part goes like this:
if you see me with a rifle
don't ask me what it's for
I fight my father's war
Leaving home for the first time and everything makes you wonder about how much of you is you and how much of it is where you've grown up and the beliefs of your parents or your peers. Maybe sometimes we don't even know when we're fighting someone else's war. Are we condemned to fight the same things because of the way we're made? And yet.
You're rocking the boat
article source: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2012/05/on-censorship-salman-rushdie.html
This article was technically a lecture given by Salman Rushdie, but republished in print I think it remains interesting. "On Censorship" is an account, an analyzation, on the complex relationship bewteen art and censorship - although in truth Rushdie paints the picture as much more black and white: creation and its inherent opposite. He considers liberty, freedom, and the ability to create comparable to the air we breathe, asserting that this freedom is fragile enough to require "not only freedom but also this assumption of freedom". We must, in other words, have confidence in the longevity of our freedom as well. So, with this fragility he considers the darkness that is censorship - the change in meaning that is "censored art", the political impacts of censorship in China, the effects on individual artists when work is banned. He warns, ultimately, against shying away from those artists and their creations that seem to rock the boat. Originality, he says, is dangerous, and it's important that we defend it.
I don't really even read the New Yorker regularly, but I did try to read Salman Rushie once, and while I never finished his book I liked the bit that I did read. Rushdie has a truly amazing way with metaphor, and I agree with a great deal of what he spoke about in this lecure. At the same time though, he classifies creation and censorship as "thing" and "no-thing", asserting that censorship is the absence of presence - but censorship has to be more than just absence. The act of trying to erase something is in itself a statement, not merely the absence of it. Words that have been crossed out do not simply cease to exist. He also relies a great deal on the fragility of artists, which, while romantic, feels a bit patronizing, and denies art some due complexity.
This article was technically a lecture given by Salman Rushdie, but republished in print I think it remains interesting. "On Censorship" is an account, an analyzation, on the complex relationship bewteen art and censorship - although in truth Rushdie paints the picture as much more black and white: creation and its inherent opposite. He considers liberty, freedom, and the ability to create comparable to the air we breathe, asserting that this freedom is fragile enough to require "not only freedom but also this assumption of freedom". We must, in other words, have confidence in the longevity of our freedom as well. So, with this fragility he considers the darkness that is censorship - the change in meaning that is "censored art", the political impacts of censorship in China, the effects on individual artists when work is banned. He warns, ultimately, against shying away from those artists and their creations that seem to rock the boat. Originality, he says, is dangerous, and it's important that we defend it.
I don't really even read the New Yorker regularly, but I did try to read Salman Rushie once, and while I never finished his book I liked the bit that I did read. Rushdie has a truly amazing way with metaphor, and I agree with a great deal of what he spoke about in this lecure. At the same time though, he classifies creation and censorship as "thing" and "no-thing", asserting that censorship is the absence of presence - but censorship has to be more than just absence. The act of trying to erase something is in itself a statement, not merely the absence of it. Words that have been crossed out do not simply cease to exist. He also relies a great deal on the fragility of artists, which, while romantic, feels a bit patronizing, and denies art some due complexity.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
senior reflection ONE
Two weeks left!
I keep thinking about this song by Grizzly Bear called Two Weeks. The beginning goes like this:
save up all the days
a routine malaise
just like yesterday
I told you I would stay
It's quite nice, although I will admit I had to look up the word malaise for a quick second there.
In case you were wondering, this is the definition:
noun
I keep thinking about this song by Grizzly Bear called Two Weeks. The beginning goes like this:
save up all the days
a routine malaise
just like yesterday
I told you I would stay
It's quite nice, although I will admit I had to look up the word malaise for a quick second there.
In case you were wondering, this is the definition:
noun
1. a condition of general bodily weakness or discomfort, often marking the onset of a disease.
2. a vague or unfocused feeling of mental uneasiness, lethargy, or discomfort.
Going to school and working on nothing feels a lot like definition number 2.
how bad is it?
article source: http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/how-bad-is-it/
George Scialabra's essay is a review of a novel titled "Why America Failed", by Morris Berman, part of a trilogy by Berman that outlines and predicts the decline of an American empire. Scialabra outlines some of Berman's main arguments, including parallels drawn to the fall of the Roman empire: economic inequality, imperial military commitments, debasement of popular culture, etc. He points out that Berman has found common ground with idealists throughout American history, including Charles Beard, Perry Miller, and William Appleman Williams. Overall, though, Scialabra ackowledges Berman's radicalism, yet commends him for it, saying that it is refreshing to read an author not out to make a profit or, as he puts it, "hustle culture".
This article caught my eye mainly because the first paragraph is full of facts detailing America's lack of historical and geographic knowledge in general: in a poll, "forty percent did not know whom the U.S. fought in World War II. Forty percent could not locate Japan on a world map. Fifteen percent could not locate the United States on a world map. Among high-school seniors surveyed in the late 1990s, 50 percent had not heard of the Cold War."
I'm all.....Wait, really? But in truth, I suppose, it's easy to get caught up in the area in which we live, conveniently forgetting that much of the United States is hardly a reflection of Northern Virginia. I found the article to be very well written (if a bit dense) and interesting despite its radicalism. Perhaps we don't spend enough time thinking about the downfall of America.
George Scialabra's essay is a review of a novel titled "Why America Failed", by Morris Berman, part of a trilogy by Berman that outlines and predicts the decline of an American empire. Scialabra outlines some of Berman's main arguments, including parallels drawn to the fall of the Roman empire: economic inequality, imperial military commitments, debasement of popular culture, etc. He points out that Berman has found common ground with idealists throughout American history, including Charles Beard, Perry Miller, and William Appleman Williams. Overall, though, Scialabra ackowledges Berman's radicalism, yet commends him for it, saying that it is refreshing to read an author not out to make a profit or, as he puts it, "hustle culture".
This article caught my eye mainly because the first paragraph is full of facts detailing America's lack of historical and geographic knowledge in general: in a poll, "forty percent did not know whom the U.S. fought in World War II. Forty percent could not locate Japan on a world map. Fifteen percent could not locate the United States on a world map. Among high-school seniors surveyed in the late 1990s, 50 percent had not heard of the Cold War."
I'm all.....Wait, really? But in truth, I suppose, it's easy to get caught up in the area in which we live, conveniently forgetting that much of the United States is hardly a reflection of Northern Virginia. I found the article to be very well written (if a bit dense) and interesting despite its radicalism. Perhaps we don't spend enough time thinking about the downfall of America.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
current event #6
article source:
http://www.economist.com/node/21549992
"Wink or blink: Iran may be declaring victory while seeking a way out"
This article makes it clear that in any government policies of economics and politics are highly connected. In Iran's case, it is far from coincidental that the majlis elections at the beginning of this month were highly boycotted and predetermined just as the impacts of international sanctions on Iranian oil become more obvious. The idea that "a text-message joke in Tehran quipped that 80% of Iranians had sat on their couches, amazed to see 70% of Iranians voting" is a serious sign of a decrease in legitimacy for Ahmedinejad's regime, especially for the supposedly "democratic" institution of the majlis. Economic strains such as the increase in imports of grain (to prevent future shortages), inflation, and further restrictions on Iran's trading capabilities mean that resentment towards the government (and Ahmedinejad's position in particular) will only increase.
This strain is then a probable cause of Iran's recent increase in cooperation over it's nuclear weapons capabilities. Though there has been severely heated rhetoric from the regime on this topic, Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, answered a letter sent to him by the EU’s foreign-policy chief requesting renewed talks with the six-nation contact group, and Ayatollah Khamenei continued to deny the pursuit of nuclear weapons. That is not to say that there has been a complete turnaround by any means, but the evidence of economic strain will continued to have a significant impact on Iran's foreign policy issues, especially considering the dependence on oil as an export.
http://www.economist.com/node/21549992
"Wink or blink: Iran may be declaring victory while seeking a way out"
This article makes it clear that in any government policies of economics and politics are highly connected. In Iran's case, it is far from coincidental that the majlis elections at the beginning of this month were highly boycotted and predetermined just as the impacts of international sanctions on Iranian oil become more obvious. The idea that "a text-message joke in Tehran quipped that 80% of Iranians had sat on their couches, amazed to see 70% of Iranians voting" is a serious sign of a decrease in legitimacy for Ahmedinejad's regime, especially for the supposedly "democratic" institution of the majlis. Economic strains such as the increase in imports of grain (to prevent future shortages), inflation, and further restrictions on Iran's trading capabilities mean that resentment towards the government (and Ahmedinejad's position in particular) will only increase.
This strain is then a probable cause of Iran's recent increase in cooperation over it's nuclear weapons capabilities. Though there has been severely heated rhetoric from the regime on this topic, Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, answered a letter sent to him by the EU’s foreign-policy chief requesting renewed talks with the six-nation contact group, and Ayatollah Khamenei continued to deny the pursuit of nuclear weapons. That is not to say that there has been a complete turnaround by any means, but the evidence of economic strain will continued to have a significant impact on Iran's foreign policy issues, especially considering the dependence on oil as an export.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
current event #5
article source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-tv-attack-draws-angry-protests/2012/03/18/gIQA80PmKS_story.html
"Russian TV program draws protests from Putin critics"
With Putin's recent "reelection" to the presidency, there is no shortage of evidence that he will continue on his current path of restricting civil liberties and consolidating power in the Russian government. This article outlined one example of such restriction, namely that a "documentary" television program was created and shown specifically to attack those who have protested against Putin in recent weeks. The program, "Anatomy of a Protest", was shown on the NTV channel and claimed that citizens had been bribed or coerced to protest against Putin, though there is no evidence that these claims have any basis in truth.
The "documentary" is an example of the propaganda that surrounds Putin in the media and pop culture in Russia. It also illustrates Putin's continued intentions to restrict the media, especially in light of the fact that the television channel that aired the program (NTV) was previously a very independent and liberal organization until Putin's ascendancy to power in 2000. There was some protest by citizens over the airing of the program, though witnesses reportedly stated that they were afraid of the police and consequences, statements which only enhance the idea that legitimacy in Russia is declining, especially with Putin in the presidency once again.
"Russian TV program draws protests from Putin critics"
With Putin's recent "reelection" to the presidency, there is no shortage of evidence that he will continue on his current path of restricting civil liberties and consolidating power in the Russian government. This article outlined one example of such restriction, namely that a "documentary" television program was created and shown specifically to attack those who have protested against Putin in recent weeks. The program, "Anatomy of a Protest", was shown on the NTV channel and claimed that citizens had been bribed or coerced to protest against Putin, though there is no evidence that these claims have any basis in truth.
The "documentary" is an example of the propaganda that surrounds Putin in the media and pop culture in Russia. It also illustrates Putin's continued intentions to restrict the media, especially in light of the fact that the television channel that aired the program (NTV) was previously a very independent and liberal organization until Putin's ascendancy to power in 2000. There was some protest by citizens over the airing of the program, though witnesses reportedly stated that they were afraid of the police and consequences, statements which only enhance the idea that legitimacy in Russia is declining, especially with Putin in the presidency once again.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
current event 4
article source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/putin-presidency-means-more-than-taking-office/2012/01/23/gIQAD5ckXR_story_2.html?sub=AR\
"Putin presidency means more than taking office"
In light of approaching elections for Russia on March 4th, this article outlined much of the current political climate, namely Putin's increasingly heavy-handed control. It points decidedly to the amount of corruption that exists in the current system, especially taking into account the amount of corruption that we as citizens of an outside country are hardly privy to. Though tens of thousands of citizens have demonstrated against Putin's rule, the futility of these protests are highlighted in outlining the political and economic power that key bureaucratic leaders hold.
The centralization and hierarchy of power within Putin's elite is highly reminiscent of the "party state" that controlled the USSR for most of the 20th century, including the rising power and influence of the "silovicki", or elite businessmen that control much of the bureaucracy. Despite the fact that much of the country recognizes the corruption, the question is how to combat it. One sociologist cited in the article commented simply "How do you fight against it? Put the whole country in jail?"
Putin himself voiced a campaign against corruption in the system, failing to publicize the fact that it is a system of corruption that he himself created, and a system to which he owes a great deal of his power. The upcoming elections will mostly likely be a solidification and further instance of Putin expanding control over Russia's entire political system.
"Putin presidency means more than taking office"
In light of approaching elections for Russia on March 4th, this article outlined much of the current political climate, namely Putin's increasingly heavy-handed control. It points decidedly to the amount of corruption that exists in the current system, especially taking into account the amount of corruption that we as citizens of an outside country are hardly privy to. Though tens of thousands of citizens have demonstrated against Putin's rule, the futility of these protests are highlighted in outlining the political and economic power that key bureaucratic leaders hold.
The centralization and hierarchy of power within Putin's elite is highly reminiscent of the "party state" that controlled the USSR for most of the 20th century, including the rising power and influence of the "silovicki", or elite businessmen that control much of the bureaucracy. Despite the fact that much of the country recognizes the corruption, the question is how to combat it. One sociologist cited in the article commented simply "How do you fight against it? Put the whole country in jail?"
Putin himself voiced a campaign against corruption in the system, failing to publicize the fact that it is a system of corruption that he himself created, and a system to which he owes a great deal of his power. The upcoming elections will mostly likely be a solidification and further instance of Putin expanding control over Russia's entire political system.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Current Event #3
"An Embargo and a Boon" - the impact of a trans-Siberian pipeline on the Russian oil industry
article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/business/global/russian-oil-industry-set-to-capitalize-if-embargo-hits-iran.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=world
This article discussed possible benefits for Russia (both economically and politically) as a result of the current Western petroleum sactions against Iran. Iran has recently threatened to cut off oil to six European countries, namely Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Greece and Portugal, though the reasoning for these particular six is unclear. As Russia's grade of oil is reportedly close to that of Iran's, Russia stands to make a possible profit from the 7 million barrels of oil that it exports daily. Prices have increased as a result of the "jitters in Iran", and it could mean up to $100 million a day for Russia.
This profit has the possibility to be continued if the oil pipeline in Russia is finished on schedule this year - the pipeline system would be able to supply Ian's traditional customers in Europe and Asia. For the rest of the European world, this could mean a serious increase in oil prices.
The economic impact of this development could also have a serious effect on the upcoming presidential elections in Russia, specifically as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin campaigns for the presidency again.
That being said, there are still serious limits on Russia's ability to benefit from the Iranian oil sanctions. Petroleum is already being produced at full capacity, meaning that Russia would most likely be unable to respond to a quick increase in demand if that opportunity were to arise. Much of the possible change then depends on the completion of the pipeline and the ability of the goverment to capitalize on the possible profit.
article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/business/global/russian-oil-industry-set-to-capitalize-if-embargo-hits-iran.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=world
This article discussed possible benefits for Russia (both economically and politically) as a result of the current Western petroleum sactions against Iran. Iran has recently threatened to cut off oil to six European countries, namely Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Greece and Portugal, though the reasoning for these particular six is unclear. As Russia's grade of oil is reportedly close to that of Iran's, Russia stands to make a possible profit from the 7 million barrels of oil that it exports daily. Prices have increased as a result of the "jitters in Iran", and it could mean up to $100 million a day for Russia.
This profit has the possibility to be continued if the oil pipeline in Russia is finished on schedule this year - the pipeline system would be able to supply Ian's traditional customers in Europe and Asia. For the rest of the European world, this could mean a serious increase in oil prices.
The economic impact of this development could also have a serious effect on the upcoming presidential elections in Russia, specifically as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin campaigns for the presidency again.
That being said, there are still serious limits on Russia's ability to benefit from the Iranian oil sanctions. Petroleum is already being produced at full capacity, meaning that Russia would most likely be unable to respond to a quick increase in demand if that opportunity were to arise. Much of the possible change then depends on the completion of the pipeline and the ability of the goverment to capitalize on the possible profit.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Current Event #2
article source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/in-china-will-transition-bring-real-change/2012/02/10/gIQABrkd6Q_story.html
"In China, will transition bring real change?"
This article detailed speculation about probable change in China's leadership in the near future - Vice President Xi Jinping is expected to take over in November and vice premier Li Keqiang is expected to become the new Prime Minister. While the impact that new leadership could have on China's foreign policy relations with the United States is important, even more pressing is the impact it could have on social tensions within China. The article specifically mentions subjects such as protests over land rights (namely, China's attempts to develop a property tax system), worker strikes, and ethnic unrest in the Tibetan region as serious concerns. Some see this transition of leadership to be an opportunity to respond to cries from the Chinese people for greater political and social freedoms, but others point out that the only change, if any, will be to further repress the "grass-roots society".
As press coverage from China is limited, the article cites suspicions that Jinping and Keqiang have been "selected" as the new leadership simply on the fact that their pictures and specific news stories have been specifically and systematically inserted into the Chinese press. It is supposedly a way to acclimate the public to the idea of their leadership and bring them to the forefront of politics. The fact that this controlled release is the only method through which citizens can learn about their leadership only serves to reinforce the fact that change and more freedom are far from priorities for a government that is conducted completely behind closed doors.
"In China, will transition bring real change?"
This article detailed speculation about probable change in China's leadership in the near future - Vice President Xi Jinping is expected to take over in November and vice premier Li Keqiang is expected to become the new Prime Minister. While the impact that new leadership could have on China's foreign policy relations with the United States is important, even more pressing is the impact it could have on social tensions within China. The article specifically mentions subjects such as protests over land rights (namely, China's attempts to develop a property tax system), worker strikes, and ethnic unrest in the Tibetan region as serious concerns. Some see this transition of leadership to be an opportunity to respond to cries from the Chinese people for greater political and social freedoms, but others point out that the only change, if any, will be to further repress the "grass-roots society".
As press coverage from China is limited, the article cites suspicions that Jinping and Keqiang have been "selected" as the new leadership simply on the fact that their pictures and specific news stories have been specifically and systematically inserted into the Chinese press. It is supposedly a way to acclimate the public to the idea of their leadership and bring them to the forefront of politics. The fact that this controlled release is the only method through which citizens can learn about their leadership only serves to reinforce the fact that change and more freedom are far from priorities for a government that is conducted completely behind closed doors.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
current event #1
"Carlos Slim: Let Mexico's moguls battle" from The Economist (http://www.economist.com/node/21546028)
While the article detailed the financial implications of monopolies held by companies like Telmex and America Movil in Mexico's cellular telephone industry, it also more importantly adressed the impact financial control has on the power of certain individuals (e.g. Carlos Slim) and the Mexican government as a whole. The power of monopolies in the Mexico's telecommunications deparment reflects directly on the drain of power and therefore credibility that this lends to the government. Succinctly put, "The relentless use of injunctions, in particular by [América Móvil]…has replaced, to a large extent, the right and responsibility of government to implement economic policy and regulation". This imbalance costs the country a great deal of money (because of excessive pricing) and supresses the number of people in Mexico that can afford to have a cellular phone plan, which then negatively affects the country's economy as a whole.
In addition, the market also has a great deal of interaction with the United States - "Every year Americans make more than 20,000 years of calls to Mexico, more than to all of western Europe" and a few US companies have challenged the Mexican monopolies in court for overcharging them to dial into Mexico - accusations which also take away from the credibility of the Mexican government. Finally, the cellular phone market is also closely linked with that of telephone and broadband connection - since President Felipe Calderon decreed a "digital switchover" for 2015, this interconnection and the power that monopolies could wield will only beome more important.
Personally, though, I think that with further interconnection with US companies in this area as well as the possibility for increased competition with the digital switchover, the power of the monopolies can be more easily broken, especially if divided over cell phone and television markets.
While the article detailed the financial implications of monopolies held by companies like Telmex and America Movil in Mexico's cellular telephone industry, it also more importantly adressed the impact financial control has on the power of certain individuals (e.g. Carlos Slim) and the Mexican government as a whole. The power of monopolies in the Mexico's telecommunications deparment reflects directly on the drain of power and therefore credibility that this lends to the government. Succinctly put, "The relentless use of injunctions, in particular by [América Móvil]…has replaced, to a large extent, the right and responsibility of government to implement economic policy and regulation". This imbalance costs the country a great deal of money (because of excessive pricing) and supresses the number of people in Mexico that can afford to have a cellular phone plan, which then negatively affects the country's economy as a whole.
In addition, the market also has a great deal of interaction with the United States - "Every year Americans make more than 20,000 years of calls to Mexico, more than to all of western Europe" and a few US companies have challenged the Mexican monopolies in court for overcharging them to dial into Mexico - accusations which also take away from the credibility of the Mexican government. Finally, the cellular phone market is also closely linked with that of telephone and broadband connection - since President Felipe Calderon decreed a "digital switchover" for 2015, this interconnection and the power that monopolies could wield will only beome more important.
Personally, though, I think that with further interconnection with US companies in this area as well as the possibility for increased competition with the digital switchover, the power of the monopolies can be more easily broken, especially if divided over cell phone and television markets.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Halfway!
Living on a prayer! Hah, okay, anyways. At the halfway point I suppose all I can really say is that I still feel like I'm 14 sometimes and even though college apps are all in I don't know if it's really going to hit me until I get those letters back in April. Senior year's harder than anyone warned me about, but I'm excited to be done with US Government and looking at things on a more global scale as second semester rolls in.
"The GOP drags its feet"
This cartoon by Daryl Cagle depicts Mitt Romney in a "number 1" uniform dragging the GOP along by a chain as the elephant tries desperately to hold him back. Neither are looking incredibly happy, and Romney continues to look stoical (as usual). The cartoon caricatures the predicament of the GOP nomination race in physical form - as the primaries continue with Romney coming out with a solid lead in New Hampshire, the party continues to squabble over the rest of the candidates and avoiding the concept of Romney as the frontrunner. It illustrates the idea that the race continues to make the Republican party look splintered in the face of the 2012 presidential campaigns and significantly hinders the runner that will (most likely) win the nomination in the end. It is interesting that the leash is chain-like, which implies the idea that the party would still prefer to have a different candidate at the reins. The cartoonist's point of view is then that these discrepancies continue to harm both the candidates and the party, as well as deepening the irony of Romney's frontrunner position.
cartoon from: http://theweek.com/section/cartoon/0/223338/all-cartoons
 |
| The GOP drags its feet |
cartoon from: http://theweek.com/section/cartoon/0/223338/all-cartoons
Sunday, January 8, 2012
The GOP nomination race
I firmly believe that Mitt Romney, the paradoxical frontrunner, will (and was always going to) win the nomination. I say paradoxical because while he is the "frontrunner" he is not really seen in that light, neither by leaders of the Republican party nor voters themselves. Yet he has never had a truly lasting opponent within the Republican party for the 2012 nomination. Though Santorum had a strong showing in the Iowa caucus, he is not likely to make much of an appearance in the New Hampshire primary where Romney is expected to do very well. In addition, opponents like Gingrich and Kerry are either too extreme in their ideals or have failed to make a significant impact on the campaign, traits that will not allow them to pick up the moderates in the Republican party (meaning the majority of votes). In that case, then, Romney will continue to be the unwanted favorite of the Republican party.
"The GOP's fuzzy resolution" (Cartoon of the week)
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| "The GOP's fuzzy resolution" |
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