Osama Bin Laden

                As we all know on May 2, 2011 Osama Bin Laden was killed by an elite group of United States Navy Seals in a small compound in Pakistan. Osama Bin Laden was responsible for the deaths of over two thousand Americans along with hundreds of other deaths around the world. Osama Bin Laden started his life as a rich Saudi Arabian and ended it living on the top two floors of a compound that had no electricity and no running water. After the United States invaded Afghanistan and targeted Al- Qaeda Osama Bin Laden moved to the top of the FBI’s most wanted list which meant that the United States was using all of its possible resources to locate him. Since the 9/11 attacks in 2001 Americans have been looking for Justice, we thought that justice was found when we overthrew and killed Sadaam Hussein but soon realized that Iraq and Hussein had little to do with the 9/11 attacks. The real victory for Americans came on May 3^rd when President Obama stated that Navy Seals had killed Osama Bin Laden in a foreign country that we had no clearance to be in. The killing of Osama Bin Laden showed the world that America is a powerful nation and terrorists who seek to harm its citizens or way of life will be brought to justice no matter what the cost.

                Was the killing of Osama Bin Laden however the best possible thing for America at this time, almost eleven years after the attacks on 9/11. In my opinion the killing of Bin Laden is definitely going to trigger a chain of events all throughout the world. Whether those events will be good or bad only time will tell. I believe that the killing will spark one of three possible events, one being that Al- Qaeda will be disbanded and cease to exist and the world will sleep a little better at night. That however is a long shot and most likely will not happen. The next possibility is that because Al- Qaeda leader was killed they will become weak and then it will make it easier for the United States to eliminate the group all together. The final possibility that I believe may happen is that the next person who takes control of Al- Qaeda will feel like he has something to prove and will want to make a name for himself by planning and executing attacks throughout the world. This would mean that the killing of Bin Laden only caused more bloodshed which is one thing that the world does not need anymore of.    

South Park and An Open Society

            The article “South Park and an Open Society” written by David Valleau Curtis and Gerald J. Erion talks about open society and how a society needs to be open to thrive and grow. The article begins by talking about South Park and how it promotes an open society because the creators are allowed to say or do pretty much anything they want. This allows the show to present extremist views to the public in a non extreme way. Too many South Park takes it over the line and often offends people but they article says that you have to get beyond the crude humor and look at what the show is really trying to say. South Park makes the Audience think about what is going on in a Society using humor to attract viewers. South Park’s crude humor however makes it a target for haters who want to take it off the air or limit what the characters say or do.

            The Article then talks about Karl Popper who was a Philosopher born in Austria in 1902. Popper made major contributions to thinking about totalitarian governments and open societies. Popper talks about Open and Closed societies and explains how closed societies are resistant to criticism which means they cannot adapt and change. If we lived in a closed society shows like South Park would not exist. South Park challenges beliefs and criticizes race, religion, government and political figures which would not be allowed in a closed society. Popper believes that an open society will thrive and change. Popper believes that the key to a healthy democracy is intolerance. He believes that if people challenge the everyday norm then they will grow in a positive way.

            I agree with this article mainly because I believe in a free open society where someone can rise from nothing to achieve what many call the American dream. Open societies that give their people freedom to dictate their own lives usually provide their people with a better quality of life when compared to communist or socialist governments. I enjoy shows such as South Park and Family Guy because they present the viewer with radical views and critique the government and different laws while still entertaining the viewer. I am not a supporter of socialist or communist governments mainly because of the fact that the people who live under those governments are not really free. They cannot say or do what they want when they want and in my opinion life is not worth living if you are not free.  

Presentation Write Up

The intent of my presentation is to inform the class about the economic growth of China over the last couple decades and how that growth relates how they live their lives here in America. I touched on this topic in my research paper and it is a topic that I believe is important. China is growing larger and larger by the year and more jobs are available in china by the day. However while all of this is going on In China, In the United States people are out of work and the country increases its debt by the day. Corporations in America are outsourcing jobs to foreign countries such as China because their workers are willing to work for low wages and not benefits. This has a ripple effect however because  if these companies are sending these jobs to China then they are leaving the United States which means that someone in the U.S. is now out of a job. This in return puts strain on the government because of unemployment payments and welfare which then puts the country into more debt.

I am going to begin my presentation by talking about how many things that we use every day in the United States are made in china. Even some American flags are made in China, In 2009 3.0 million dollars worth of American flags were imported from China. I gathered several items from my room that are surprisingly made in China such as a football, baseball, toothpaste, a Los Angeles hat and Nike shoes.  I am then going to talk about how the lack of jobs in the United States can be related to China’s growth. Another thing that people need to be aware of is the massive debt that the United States owes to China. I am also going to talk about how Chinas massive growth is hurting the rest of the world mainly because they have such a large population. Since China has a large population they use a lot of the World’s resources. China uses these resources and then emits toxic chemicals into the earth’s atmosphere which affect people all around the world. China is growing and no one can say that it is not but as Americans we need to preserve our way of life and in order to do this we need to keep our jobs on our own soil and not allow corporations to outsource work to make a quick profit. I still believe that the United States can remain the world’s top economy if we keep our jobs in our own borders. 

Reflection

Composition is a class that all Plymouth State Graduates are required to take and for some who did not master writing techniques in grade school composition class may be their second chance to improve their writing style. I was nervous about taking composition class at first because I thought that every week we were going to have to write a lengthy paper about random topics that were assigned. This however was not the case; I found that I got to choose most of the topics for my papers which almost makes writing fun because if you are passionate and interested in what you are writing about the words seem to form themselves on the paper instead of trying to drag sentences on to reach the required length. While writing my research essay and my personal essay I found myself struggling to stay within the required 1200-1500 word requirement. I felt that on both of my essays I could have written easily over 5000 words mainly because I was writing about what interests me.

There were several aspects of the course that I enjoyed more than others. I enjoyed the freedom that everyone had in the class as well as the atmosphere of the class which was definitely a positive one. This course is not like others that I have taken in the past. In some classes you are required to hang on the teachers every word and write down what they are saying verbatim which can get very tedious and boring. Out of all my classes second semester Composition was one class that I did not mind going to, even though it was at 9:30 in the morning. I knew that even if I was feeling under the weather that class would be interesting because we talk about current events and topics that interest college students. I also felt like I could speak my mind and not be judged my professor or my classmates. For example one of my professors for my sociology class basically said that it will be hard to pass the class if you try to present a point of view that is different than his. Now I have no idea what that means but what I do know is that I sit in the back of the class and don’t say a word even if I completely disagree with what he is saying. Throughout the course I both enjoyed the discussions that we had as a class as well as learning from them to. I also definitely improved my writing technique and style on research papers which is going to be essential if I want to succeed and excel at Plymouth State. Composition may have been a graduation requirement, but even if it was not I would still tell future students to take the course.

Present

            Sean Mullen

Composition

The Thesis for my research paper was the effects that China has on the rest of the world and I believe that this is an important topic in today’s society. I feel that I need to inform other students of the relationship between the United States and China. Many problems that people face in this country are related to what is going on in the rest of the world. Some people have no idea of the relationships of countries and how countries help and hurt one another.

Research Essay: Chinas growing economy and the effect on the rest of the world

Research Essay

Composition

Sean Mullen

Everywhere you go today you see labels on the back of items that read “Made In China.” These labels are found on everything from auto parts to computer chips, or even on American flags. China exports over $287 billion worth of goods including computer accessories, household goods, footwear, toys and sporting goods. The United States top imports from china include items such as iron, steel, furniture, leather goods, clothing and electrical equipment. China also exports raw materials such as zinc, nickel, lumber, along with other materials obtained through mining. China has quickly risen to be one of the world’s largest economies. China has transformed from an agricultural country to a country that manufactures goods that are distributed all around the world. China’s rapid population and economic growth has a lasting effect on the United States along with other countries in the world.

Today we live in a society that gets smaller by the day; international trade has turned the world into one big global economy. Like any economy, the world’s economy has several influential countries that affect all corners of the world. The fifth largest economy in the world is that of France, who has a GDP of $2.55 trillion. Germany has the fourth largest economy with a GDP of $3.3 trillion. In 2009 China held the number three spot but surpassed Japan with a GPD of $5.47 trillion in 2010. Japans economy declined in the last three months of 2010 which caused it to fall behind China. Japan however has not taken this status change as a bad thing according to Takashi Shiono who is an economist at Credit Suisse in Tokyo who has stated “China’s domestic expansion is very positive for Japan’s economy. While some people might feel kind of envious, this is a huge opportunity for Japanese companies,” (Kurczy,1).

The number two status with a GDP of $5.88 trillion is China. Many people may look at this as a victory and as a symbol of China’s progress in the eyes of the world. However, many people in China do not look at this as such a good thing. A farmer in the Hebei province said “We are not proud of this at all. As farmers, we have no sense that China’s’ economy has become so big. Farmers earn more money than before, but they have to spend more because of rising prices. Even the price of garlic and ginger has increased to nearly ten yuan per jin.”(Kurtz,1) As a country’s GPD increases so does inflation, and many people in China are afraid of inflation as their countries per capita GDP is 124^th in the world according to the World Bank. This is mainly caused by their massive population of 1,400,900,000. With such a large population China struggles to provide their people with food and clean water. “We don’t have enough food, and prices are outrageous.” Says Yin Jianping who is a cook at a university in Lanzhou, China. (Kurczy, 1).

China has been moving through the ranks of the world’s economies very quickly and many Americans believe that the United States has already fallen behind China’s economy. The United States currently has the largest economy in the world however with a GDP of $14.66 trillion. The United States may hold the number one spot now but with China’s rapid growth it has been projected that by 2020 China’s GDP could reach $28.1 trillion, which would be significantly more than the projection for the United States, which is $22.6 trillion. “But even then the average Chinese citizen will earn far less than the average American on a per capita basis. Moreover, writes Harvard Professor Joseph Nye in today's Wall Street Journal, looking only at GDP growth ignores America's military and soft-power advantages.”(Kurczy,1) This means that even if China has a higher GDP than the United States the average U.S. citizen will still be making more money than the average Chinese citizen. These five countries have the biggest influence on the world’s economy. Decisions and policies that these countries make could be the deciding factor of whether or not someone has food on their table in some other part of the world. For instance if one country decided to cut of trade and stop exporting goods then a country who previously relied on those goods to run their economy would suffer and become affected.

China has been growing over that past couple of years and no one can argue that. China’s GPD has increased along with its population. China’s rapid population growth has allowed the country to increase production, however as the country increases its production and builds more factories another problem arises that affects the rest of the world. China’s industry produces goods but they also produce toxic chemicals that are then released into the air. China’s factories release large amounts of mercury, dust, ozone and carbon into the air which can travel across the ocean and pollute the waters of the North Pacific as well as the rest of the globe (Kirby, 32). Other countries pollute the planet as well but it is China’s rapid growth that is concerning the rest of the world. Today China emits more mercury into the air than the United States, India and Europe combined. China’s cities have been growing rapidly and they have been building factories, power plants and refineries to employ and support the population. “China in particular stands out because of its sudden role as the world's factory, its enormous population, and the mass migration of that population to urban center” (Kirby, 32). If China continues to grow and pollute the air with toxic chemicals then the rest of the world including the United States will suffer the consequences.

China and the United States affect each other in many ways and in a way depend on each other to survive as well as to grow. The United States has been a big factor in China’s economic growth, not only by means of purchasing Chinese goods but also by American corporations outsourcing their work to Chinese workers because they are willing to work for a fraction of the cost that it would take to employ an American worker at minimum wage. American outsourcing to China allows Chinese citizens to take jobs at American companies that would have otherwise employed American citizens. This causes American citizens to lose jobs and there for raises the unemployment rate which hurts the countries GPD. Corporations have been employing Chinese citizens at factories throughout the country that produce materials that Americans use every day.

China’s rapid economic growth may be good for Americans who want to buy inexpensive goods. However it is clear that China’s growth is hurting the United States economy as a whole. The United States produced almost everything after the industrial revolution in factories all over the United States. These factories employed many American citizens and supported many families. Many of these factories however have been closed and their jobs have been sent to China. China exports many goods such as computer accessories, furniture, clothing, footwear, televisions, along with vegetables and soft beverages. The United States has now transformed from a country of production to a country of consumption. Here in the United States we rely on China for a lot of our goods there for influencing and helping the Chinese economy grow. This is proven by the 2008 consumer cutbacks in the United States, The lack of spending in the United States on Chinese goods caused China’s economy to decline. To balance this China had to implement a $585 billion stimulus bill. “The results were quick and spectacular. China's GDP growth leaped from a recessionary 6% in the first quarter of 2009 to 12% four quarters later.”(Shilling, 54) China has grown to the world’s second largest economy because of the United States rapid spending habits. If the United States stays on the same track then China’s economy may soon surpass America’s economy. It is not too late for the United States however; if the United States stopped outsourcing and opened up more factories it would cause the unemployment rate to go down as well as the GDP to increase. China and the United States influence each other in both positive and negative ways.  “Much of the world's commercial electronics are labeled "Made in China," and China now seems to be the only growing economy”(Donahoe, 5) While China continues to grow the United States unemployment rate continues to grow as well and can be directly connected to corporations outsourcing work to China. China’s rapid growth has a lasting effect on the United States and other countries in the world.

References

Shilling, A. Gary. "Hard Landing for China Hard Times for Us." Forbes 187.3 (2011): 54 .  Academic Search Premier 16 May 2011.

Kurczy, Stephen. "World's top 5 economies: Most Americans already think China is No. 1." Christian Science Monitor , Pg. 1, 14 Feb. 2011 Academic Search Premier. 16 May 2011.

"Fact Sheet on U.S. Imports from the People’s Republic of China." GlobalHealth.gov. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. <http://www.globalhealth.gov/news/factsheets/fs111308.html>

.

Kirby, David. "ILL WIND BLOWING." Discover 32.3 (2011): pg, 56-65. Academic Search Premier.  Web. 16 May 2011.

Donahoe, Daniel N., and Michael Pecht. "Are U.S. Jobs Moving to China?." IEEE Transactions on Components & Packaging Technologies 26.3 (2003): 682. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 May 2011.

"CIA - The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 16 May 2011. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html>.

The United States and the World

                The United States is one of the most superior countries in the world. The united states military is in over 50 countries as they have over 750 bases outside of their borders.  Bases are in Austrailia, Japan, the Middle East, Europe as well as in south America. The United States has the strongest military in the world along with some of the strongest allies. The United States is usually the first country to respond to disasters when they occur around the world. In the United States anyone can make something of themselves through hard work and determination and maybe a little luck. It doesn’t hurt to know people in high places either. But in the United States people can go from having nothing to living what many call the “American Dream.” People want to live luxurious lives and ensure that their children live better lives than they did. In many other countries throughout the world if you are born into a poor family then you are destined to be poor your whole life. The United States has many good qualities, for instance we pick our leader through popular vote. In many countries leaders take power through the use of military might or rising to power because of their bloodline. In the United States all people who are suspected of committing a crime are innocent until proven guilty.  In some other countries if you are accused of committing a crime then you are thrown in jail and you are considered guilty. The United States is considered by many as the greatest country in the world.

                The United States however is not perfect and has many flaws. The United States has many problems such as a rising poverty rate as well as a high crime rate. Many people are upset with the way the country is being run as well as with our influence in other parts of the world. Many people believe that we should fix our domestic problems before we fix problems in other countries. There are many Americans that are unhappy about how things are going and could even be considered becoming anti American. America may not be perfect but it is one of the most dominant countries in the world and has the most freedoms.