Thoughts and Ramblings at the end of the Semester

Praise the maker; I'm DONE. Well, not completely done, there's still the little issue of the pre-calculus final exam to take, but I'm confident that I will do well. For one thing, I'll have the time, motivation and circumstances necessary to study effectively, and get enough sleep to retain the information before Friday. What's more, I have now completed the last pieces of work for the other three classes this semester, which means that now I can focus on ONE last thing before checking out of education for the year.

When I was working on my term paper last night, a friend of mine emailed me saying that Kim Jong-Il was dead. I didn't know what to make of that; of course it's a good thing, I mean, maybe North Korea stands a chance at peace with this happenstance. Then again, maybe not. If the Dear Leader's son is anything like his father, we haven't seen the last of cold-war-era standoffs this century. And that's AFTER the U.S.S.R. collapsed... dasvidaniya rodina.

I will say, I learned quite a bit this semester. I do believe I'll post more on these subjects later, but I slept three hours last night and my brain is giving me shit for it. My last thought for the day is; I believe it's possible for there to be a one-world government at some point in the future. Not an illuminati, oligarchic or dictator-style gov't, but more like a republic: think the U.N. with legislative, executive and judicial power granted by the U.S., the E.U., and other participating countries. It'd have a bicameral legislature, a supreme court, and a system of checks and balances to make sure that no one man, OR one branch of that gov't, would overstep its boundaries.

The implications of this? Well, In some way it would be a major step towards world peace. The end of world hunger. Hell, if this government lasted long enough, it could spell out the end of monetary systems, because there would be so much wealth, distributed so effectively throughout the world, that there would be no need for money. Yeah, I'm thinking as if it'd create a utopia. Guy can dream, can't he?

At any rate, I promise you all more coherent, well-sourced thoughts in the future. I just felt like getting these down before crashing, and hope to get some feedback on them from at least one of you. Then again, almost no one comments on this blog, so whatever. Selah.

Technology

Companies, corporations and conglomerates dedicated to technology have been forming and growing for the last few decades like benign tumors in the world economy. Devices and chipsets, sensors, modules, alternative energy, biotechnology, internet businesses, media services and social networks are but a TINY portion of these.

So why have they been growing so fast? Why was Facebook such a revolutionary platform for communication? Why does HALF the global population now own some form of cell phone? Why are tablet computers, smartphones and iPads selling like hotcakes around the world?

Because technology fosters communication, and communication is the hallmark of civilization.

Communication is the reason you no longer have to hunt or farm for your food.

- It is the reason you didn't have to build the house you currently live in.

- It is the reason you are able to choose (within reason) where you want to work.

- It accounts for the strategic location of major world cities

- Its necessity gave rise to governments and monetary systems

- It is what enabled every social, political, scientific, and artistic movement in the history of mankind.

Our humanity lies in our ability to communicate meaningfully with other members of our species. With it, we have become the dominant species on this planet, and have the potential to colonize the rest of the solar system.

Without it, we would soon regress to the dark ages and worse (take note: the story of the tower of Babel).

Think about the implications of this as you go about your week. 

Respect

I've come to notice a commonality among many debates. When we talk about political parties, religious beliefs, scientific theories and current events, we tend to frame our debates as "Us versus them." The next time you hear yourself - or someone else - do this, stop for a second and think; "Who is 'them'?" Are they some evil, malicious organization hell-bent on destroying your beliefs? Are they cult members, aliens, or foreign government operatives? No. They are your next door neighbors. They are your co-workers and classmates. They could be members of your own family.

These people are not necessarily going to agree with you on your opinion. If you are an atheist, they may believe in God. If you are a democrat, they may be libertarian. If you believe in democracy, they may believe in communism. Regardless of their differences of opinion, they and their beliefs deserve respect equal to your own. Do not belittle them for what they think. Do not call them naive, infantile, or delusional. Do not call them backward. Instead, debate with them on this subject; if you care so much about your position, isn't it your duty to defend it?

Open intellectual debate should be encouraged in all subjects and in all schools of thought. After all, we are guaranteed by our constitution the freedoms of speech and press; we must exercise those freedoms whenever we deem necessary. It would be a rather boring state of affairs if everyone in a society agreed on the same issues, because there would be nothing to talk about! Argument is essentially a form of entertainment, and it's important to keep that in mind while you're in the middle of one, or you risk losing your head over trivial matters.