Tuesday, September 10, 2013
G&D #4 - Issues of Globalization & Development
After watching, taking notes on, and reflecting on one of the videos, post a reflection as a comment to this post. In your comment, identify the video you chose and a BRIEF statement of WHY you chose this video. Then, identify any biases/problems with the arguments presented and explain why this issue is something that should be of concern and interest to the global community.
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"The Global Power Shift" Paddy Ashdown
ReplyDeleteI chose this video because it include ideas about globalization and how the world is becoming more unified and connected. Patty Ashdown, the speaker, presented very relevant and informed ideas about globalization, but his views about the world powers and the future of the world powers are biased and slightly inaccurate because he fails to take into account certain ideas. First, Ashdown only refers to the United States, or European countries as influential and powerful nations. He does not include industrialized and successful countries like Japan and South Korea. Additionally, his idea about a mono-polar world could be considered outdated because although the United States possesses considerable influence on society, it has not been the "go-to" country to check for approval for years. Furthermore, Ashdown fails to address countries that have been transitioning towards modern civilization for years, like India and South American countries, that have been gaining global recognition for their transformations. Finally, the speaker fails to consider that some countries that have been industrialized for a long time, such as Finland, Canada, and Israel, have perfected their education systems and will produce an extremely prosperous working class in years to come. The arrival of this new and intelligent working class can tip the global scale in favor of those countries with the smartest working class. Overall, Ashdown outlined the major influences, countries, and ideas behind the globalization of the planet, but he ignored some important ideas about minor countries that could turn into major contributors to the globalized world.
"The Global Power Shift" Paddy Ashdown
ReplyDeleteThe shifts in power that Ashdown speaks about are often accompanied by turbulence and blood. Though these shifts in power happen every 100 years or so, the world has never seen a shift like this. Instead of the power shifting in a lateral manner(power shifting from nation to nation) as it has done in the past, it is now shifting in a vertical manner. This means that the power that was held by the state is now moving to the international stage; in other words it is the globalization of power. But this shift in power to the global stage has made more and more clear that there needs to be regulations on the global market. This is what Ashdown meant when he said "where power goes, governance must follow". Since the international stage is, indeed, international and unregulated there is room for undesirables to populate it, such as international criminality and terrorism. The challenge of this time is to figure out how to bring governance to the global stage. Ashdown proposes this will happen when the powerful come together and make treaty based agreements. Such agreements can be seen in organizations like the World Trade Organization and the G20. Another shift Ashdown talks about is the change from a mono-polar world to a multi-polar world. This basically means that times are changing from the United States of America being the dominant and most powerful country in the world to it still being the most powerful but having to share some of its influence with up and coming countries like China. Lastly, Ashword discusses the difference between the vertical hierarchy of the industrial era and the information age. The networking of the information age has cause the world to be deeply interdependent. As a result of this a country trying to work alone is no longer a rational idea because the outcome doesn't just effect that country anymore, as well as is not being sufficient for a nation-state to try and control the outcome because the outside effects would being to affect them. The basic gist of this video can be fairly well summed up by Ashdown's Third Law "The most important thing you can do is what you can do with others."
“How to Combat Modern Slavery” Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteI chose this video because the topic took me by surprise; I was unaware that slavery still remained a prominent issue in today’s modern society. Kevin Bales discussed very thought-provoking ideas, and he had very sensible arguments and ideas. However, he had two major flaws with his argument. First of all, Bales mentioned that slaves are no longer kidnapped, but rather offered jobs which change to slavery. While in many situations this statement is correct, there are some cases of slavery in which a child has been kidnapped from his or her home and sentenced to slavery. In addition to this, Bales states that slaves are causing environmental destruction in areas such as rainforests. This statement may also be true, but it neglects the factor that world powers are also causing a significant amount of destruction to the rainforests as more of the world becomes industrialized. Despite these two flaws, Bales still provides a deep, valid argument for modern slavery. This issue needs to be addressed by the global community because as Bales said, slavery is slowly dwindling away; we just need to end it once and for all by liberating and providing better futures for the remaining slaves. Once this is accomplished, the world will be one step closer to functioning as the perfect society, and more importantly, nobody deserves to be held under slavery.
“How to Combat Modern Slavery” Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteI chose this video because the title spoke to me. It brought up a topic that I was oblivious to and knew little of and I chose to watch it so I could learn more about modern slavery and become more aware. Bales gave a strong argument and talked about interesting ideas, but in the end I had a few questions. First of all, Bales shows viewers a map that states that North America has less than 500,000 slaves today. He mentions that a couple key reasons that make modern slavery possible are poverty, vulnerability (such as wars and diseases), and law corruption (no protection). For the most part, North America has, in comparison, incredibly small amounts of these problems, so why is this slavery still continuing? Another question that I had may not be due to flaws in Bales' argument, but rather a question of the whole system in general. In Bales' presentation he talks about how nowadays people are expendable with the population explosion, but if that is so, why do slave owners bother beating or whipping or punishing workers when they could simply find more compliant slaves with all of these extra people laying around? Even though these questions were left unanswered, I do not think that it took away from Bales' argument. I do not think that I need to explain why people should care about this; they will care, because people are compassionate and I'm sure the majority of people know that slavery is wrong and whipping children and forcing them to do hard labor for no pay is incredibly cruel and inhuman. Although this may be obvious, this video is important because it shows everyone how they can help. It explains what people and countries and individuals need to do to stop this from happening and Bales explains that, if everyone would take the time to care, slavery could finally, truly be abolished.
Paddy Ashdown,"Global Power Shift"
ReplyDeleteAshdown talks about in this video how the world is becoming more globalized and interconnected. This has lead to a shift in power from the state level to the international level, this is happening because the world in now smaller or "interconnected" as Ashdown says. He speaks about the differences between a monopolar and a multipolar world. This states that now the most powerful countries in the world, European countries and the United States, are not nearly as powerful as they used to be. He also talks about countries who are soon to be global powers like China and says that they could end a 400 year empire that has been ruled by Europe. In the end I think he is correct about where globalization is headed and I agree with his predictions about what the shift in power will be for the future.
"The Global Power Shift" by Paddy Ashdown
ReplyDeleteIn this video, Ashdown talks about a modern and completely new type of global power shift. He says that power is spreading laterally and vertically, meaning that the power to make global decisions and to take action is being transferred from the United States, which has had the most authority in the last century (which represents a mono-polar world), to several other centers of power (this is lateral shifting, and it also causes a multi-polar world) as well as to individuals on the global scale (vertical shifting). Ashdown argues that this vertical shift raises a need for global governance, which he predicts will take the form of a treaty-based system. I chose this video because reading The World is Flat over the summer provides some background on the subject of the video, which I reasoned could help me understand it more deeply. In my opinion, Ashdown's argument is well thought-out and logical, but partially incomplete. I do not think that enough emphasis was placed on globalization empowering individuals, since his focus was on it empowering large companies, which was a common theme in the Industrial Revolution but has somewhat faded by now. Also, I believe that he overestimates the United States' dominance of power in recent years because it has been checked by organizations like the United Nations, and it has also acted somewhat conservatively; even by 2012, when this video was published, other countries like Brazil and India had gained enough authority to be recognized as upcoming "centers of power," and they are not mentioned. Some of Ashdown's most important arguments were about the need for governance (evident in the UN's failure to influence the situation in Syria) and about collaboration. Overall, "The Global Power Shift" is a well-delivered and thought-provoking video about an important current movement.
"How to Combat Modern Slavery" Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteI chose to watch this video because I was interested in learning about slavery today. Like most people today, I was unaware that slavery still existed in the modern world because I thought that it was terminated around one hundred years ago. Slavery is when people are forced to work without pay under the threat of violence and are unable to walk away. There are currently twenty-seven million slaves in the world today spread between all countries except for Iceland and Greenland. In countries that have the most amount of slaves, the slaves are forced to contribute to environmental degradation such as cutting down trees in the Amazon, destroying forests in West Africa, mining and spreading mercury in Ghana, and destroying the coasts of South Asia. Most people are being tricked into slavery because they are in need of money and when offered a job, they are too desperate to pass it up. By the time they realize that they are enslaved, it is too late for them to back out. Finally, the video concludes by stating that the world can end slavery for good if we would take the money that we spend on unnecessary luxuries and spend it to free the slaves and put them through a two-year process to help them get back on their feet. I feel that this video explained the main problems of slavery very well and also provided strong solutions to the problem. I enjoyed watching this video because it showed that the world is facing a major problem, that is extremely easy to fix.
"The Global Power Shift" by Paddy Ashdown
ReplyDeleteAshdown in this video talks about three main points. Which are shift in power, power, and what you can do with others. In the video he stated that soon their will be a change of power soon. Also that the power is moving vertical. Also that globalization is becoming more common and that countries are trying to bring govern to globalization. The Power is now not just shifting vertically it is shifting horizontally as well. He said that in about fifteen to ten years the United States will most likely not be the strongest nation, but might still be the most powerful multipolar nation in the world. Also in this modern age he stated that the nation are now imminently linked together. This why what can you do together applies here , because most of the nations are linked together. All in all, I do agree with Ashdown that in the future their might be another country to be able to come to power.
"The Global Power Shift" Paddy Ashdown
ReplyDeleteIn this video Ashdown talks about the shifts in power that have happened about every hundred years. These shifts are paired with "turbulence." He says that we are in process of a power change right now, but this one is much different. Instead of power shifting laterally, it is shifting vertically. He also says that in order for this "turbulence" to be less than what it is going to be, we need to create "treaty based groups." We can see this happening now. Places like the World Trade Organization, G20, and Kyoto are all based on treaties. The shift we are going through now is based around the idea that the world used to be "Mono-polar." that means that everybody used to look towards the U.S. for guidance, but now other countries are becoming more powerful so the world is "Multi-polar." Ashdown says that "everything is connected to everything" and that the idea of a country working alone to survive is not viable. The last point made in the video is something he calls "Ashdown's 3rd law." This says that "the most important thing you can do is what you an do with others."
"How to Combat Modern Slavery" Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteThough I knew there was still some slavery in the world, mostly in developing countries, I was unaware of how many (27 million) there currently were. I chose this video because it seemed interesting. Slavery is different today than it was in the past in the way that sometimes it is disguised as a legitimate job to desperate people, who are then enslaved. This means that while it may have been easy to recognize slavery in the past, today it is more difficult to do so. This is or at least should be a pressing issue for the global community because of the premise alone. Most countries would recognize the practice of slavery as immoral, though few seem to be eager to do anything about it.
"How to Combat Modern Slavery" Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteI chose to watch this video because the topic of discussion was one that I was unfamiliar with. Kevin Bales a professor talked about slavery in the modern world, yes modern day slaves. When I think of slaves, I immediately associate them with history, as in the past, however there are still 27,000,000 slaves in the this world. However it deals with a similar concept, old slaves and new are very different. A poor mother and/or father may be struggling to support their family with food, clothes, etc. When suddenly someone shows up at their doorsteps, and they offer them a job. Although the parents know the situation seems shady, they willingly get into the car and ride for sometimes hundreds of miles to their new work. This is how easy modern slavery is, and it is very difficult to escape these lifestyles. This situation is traumatic, and if everyone took the time to care about slavery, and those being held captive, maybe slavery could be abolished for definite.
ReplyDelete“The Global Power Shift” Paddy Ashdown
I greatly appreciated this video and the approach Ashdown took on the topic. He used a big picture style and witty insightful poems to explore the new way that the world operates. He explains that the world’s old way of communicating and collaborating laterally, from nation to nation, is now becoming obsolete and old fashioned. The modern idea currently shifts towards a more unregulated world. Ashdown says that this unregulation might allow advancements in technology, communication, and cultural interaction, but it also permits the dishonorable collaboration between individuals. Now countries most worry about attacks from within their boarders, like 9/11. Furthermore, the world cannot act with monopolar tendencies anymore. Ashdown says that to make a multipolar world, countries must formulate several treaties and level out the power and interaction. Yet, Ashdown believes that this concept is inevitable and quickly shifting the world only to make a more or less turbulent and bloody place. I presume that Ashdown’s hypothesis is plausible due to the fact that individuals play a bigger part in today’s world and they also have almost unlimited access to world changing softwares and outlets. I now recognize that the force of individuals has already started to renovate that way the world operates.
“How to Combat Modern Slavery” Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteI decided to choose the video “How to Combat Modern Slavery” because it was the topic that my group had the least knowledge on, and it was something that I wanted to learn more about. After watching the video, I was astonished that I had no idea about this modern slavery. I found the video to contain very compelling evidence, but the video had some flaws and biases. First of all, the part that states that slaves are detrimental to the environment is completely irrelevant to Bales’ argument. This part does not flow with the his argument. Also, it is not legitimate since loggers who cut down trees for money hurt the environment just as much as slaves who earn no money. The environment is a completely different issue. Next of all, it is difficult to believe that all or most of the twenty seven million slaves were tricked. From prior knowledge, I know that some people are forced by weapons to become slaves. Also, slaves in North America are not explained at all. North America in general is composed of countries that do not suffer the hardships of the those in Africa and Southeast Asia where most slaves are. It is not explained how countries that prosper economically and have stable governments could have slaves living within their borders. In addition, Bales only went to a few countries to see slaves. The hundreds of people that he saw do not accurately account for twenty seven million slaves that he claims there are today. Lastly, I believe that the video could have biased. I believe this because at the end, Bales urged his viewers to take action. When a presentation’s purpose is to persuade and not to inform, information is given to make a cause look better. However, I do believe that the global community should attempt to combat slavery. In order to do this, I agree with Bales that the general public should be informed about the issue. Once the people are informed, they will support political leaders that will tackle the cause.
“How to Combat Modern Slavery” Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteI chose the video “How to Combat Modern Slavery” by Kevin Bales. I chose this video because I was interested to know that slavery was still a major problem in the world today. I wanted to learn more about modern slavery and if it was a problem that the global community should worry about. In the video, Bales states that there are 27 million slaves in the world—a small fraction of the global population. He also says that it would take $10.8 billion dollars to free all the slaves in the world. This is a small amount of money considering that this amount of money is spent regularly on large projects or purchases such as potato chips. Bales is also biased because he is a human rights professor, and he has also not talked with many slave owners. This presents a problem because slave owners may have justifications like the slaves receive better treatment and housing than if they were independent. This may be true, but Bale does not mention this or the fact that slave owners could be helping extremely poor communities by providing better amenities or medicine. He also was not a slave and cannot know whether or not slave conditions and living are extremely poor or mediocre. He suggests that the world liberate the slaves and rather than freeing them by paying the slave owners money. However, freeing the slaves will just give the slave owners more reason to fill their labor gaps. Therefore, the slave owners may need some incentive to stop slavery. This is an issue important to the community because people across the world should be free to do what they wish. Additionally, the world may benefit from free slaves because of an increase in the will of slaves to earn more in a better life. This effectively would aid economies in growing. All in all, Bale is biased because he does not know slave owners opinions, and this is a global interest because it can help economies grow.
"How to Combat Modern Slavery" - Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteContemporary slavery is not known by so many people because when we think of slavery we think of the past. Most of the articles online about any type of slavery are historical, and the only information about modern slavery is in articles that contain a lot of opinions and personal stories. Bales describes slavery as being forced and threatened to do work without pay. He says that there are about 27 million slaves living and working around the world today and they have been found every where except for Iceland and Greenland. He explains that slaves are a large part of the destruction of the environment. Slaves are forced to cut down trees in the Amazon Rainforest and West Africa, they participate in mining and the dispersion of mercury, and they damage the life along the sea coast of South Asia. Things like the large population increase, the amount of poverty and vulnerability in large populations, and the absence of laws and government in these places. The way that innocent people are lured into slavery is by the offering of a job; when they have no money left they'll do anything to survive. Once these people are offered the job and try to leave, they are kept under their will. Slavery today has one major difference than slavery of the past, the price of slaves. The price of slaves today are incredibly cheap while just a few decades ago they were worth thousands. Today we can help slaves by taking some of the money that we buy on pointless and materialistic objects and paying for these slaves to be freed and then helping them obtain a sustainable life. This video has opened my eyes to one the most appalling and heartbreaking businesses that are going on in our world today.
"How to Combat Modern Slavery" Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteThis video was mind opening, more or less because I was unaware of how much slavery went on and how it happens. Modern slaves, modern, meaning today, right now, and always currently. I though slaves and slavery was in the past. But no Kevin Bales, a professor claims to have gone to five countries to film and speak to current slaves and slave owners. There are 27,000,000 slaves in the world and they are everywhere but Iceland. These slaves are sent to ruin us, move stone, cut down trees, destruction of the environment. But not just that, they do not want to do this, they are told they are going to work, to get jobs, and yeah the guy who is hiring me is odd, but i need the money. And then they just can not leave, beaten, whipped, offal things.And people do this still today because people are cheap and much much cheaper than before. But Slaves have gotten out, made a life for themselves and then go back to save some more people. Although I would like to write more on this comment of the video, I could not get sound on the last six minutes of it therefore I do not know what as a whole we can do to end slavery completely forever. Where as for that I can not say I really want to know because the thought that slavery exists today is terrifying. I have never heard about modern slavery until today, because modern slavery is never on the news.
"How to Combat Modern Slavery" by Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteI chose to watch “How to Combat Modern Slavery” by Kevin Bales because I was astonished by the prospect of the video clip. Of course I knew that slavery existed even today, but I did not expect it to be so widespread and serious. I was simply shocked to discover that the only two countries completely free from slavery were Iceland and Greenland; even in America, a country that is a hallmark of human rights and equality, slavery existed! I feel as though we, as Americans, do not know or realize the scope of contemporary slavery because we are more interested in inconsequential media tabloids than serious issues going on in the world. To most Americans, these problems are far away and we don’t have to worry about them. Today, shockingly enough, there are over 27 million slaves worldwide, with most living in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Not only is slavery demeaning and degrading to the individuals forced into this malevolent business, but it often sullies the environment and local resources because slaves are forced to chop trees in the Amazon or spread mercury from mines in Latin America. The absence of law in certain areas (ie. kleptocracies, corruption of police forces, etc.) generally account for high levels of slavery because no one is there to enforce human rights. These slaves are not kidnapped or forced to travel away from home, but they rather unconsciously submit themselves into the slavery trade because they are desperate for jobs. Bales argues that we, as global citizens, should all donate a little portion to the cause because the price to free all slaves is only $10.8 billion. It may seem like a lot of money, but in reality this is a small portion of the global market. Although Bales offers some very viable arguments that promote the cause to abolish contemporary slavery, some bias and problems detract from his speech. For one, he is biased in the sense that he does not support slavery. Bales fails to present the views of slaveholders and rather portrays them as malevolent scum who only exploit the weak for their own gain. Furthermore, Bales is biased on the premise that he is a human rights professor; every fiber of his being is strongly opposed to slavery and this is clearly evident in the one-sided portrayal of information. Although I personally agree with Bales, his speech is more of a persuasive piece than an informative TED Talk. Another problem with Bales’s otherwise magnificent speech is that his only option to ending slavery is “buying” them out of this vicious cycle. Bales fails to recognize that other options, such as the education of slaveholders regarding the long-term benefits of fair pay over slavery, are still viable and may be less expensive than buying these slaves back. This issue is a major concern in the sense that while other aspects of human rights have exploded in certain parts of the world (gay rights, women’s rights, etc.) contemporary slavery still remains a problem in the United States and even more so in parts of Africa and Latin America. Not only is this work degrading and demeaning, but it is also a blatant slap in the face to American values. I believe that modern slavery should be of interest to the global community because it benefits everybody in the long run. Although donating capital to the abolition of slavery may seem like throwing money down a well, it ultimately allows ex-slaves to become consumers and producers, strengthening the global market. In essence, contemporary slavery is a dark, cruel business that should be eliminated at all costs.
"How to Combat Modern Slavery" Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteThis video was interesting to watch, mainly because like so many others I was unaware of contemporary slavery. I think that so many people don't know about it simply because of the lack of information available on the subject. Not much information can be found by the average citizen on modern slavery. Slavery is defined as when people are forced to work under the threat of violence with no pay, and there are about 27 million slaves in the world today. Slavery is most commonly found in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. People become trapped in slavery when they are faced with extreme poverty and vulnerability, the absence of the rule of law, and desperation to provide for their family. Slaves are tricked into thinking that they will have a paying job, and are tapped before they can leave. Unlike slavery in the past however, the slaves of today are cheap, costing an average of ninety dollars per person. Learning these facts about contemporary slavery has been an interesting as well as horrifying experience.
"How to Combat Modern Slavery" Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteI chose to watch this video because the topic seemed intriguing and unfamiliar. Similar to many others, I was completely unaware that slavery still existed in the world at modern times. I was shocked to find out that slavery still exists today, and especially to find out that there are over 27 million throughout numerous countries in the world. Although slavery has the same meaning today as it did in the past, modern slaves are much different. The slaves today are tricked into it by thinking that they are getting recruited for job opportunities. They are then taken away and by the time that they realize their true situation, it is impossible to turn back. Instead of being born into slavery, these people, who are often struggling with poverty and are desperate for jobs, are tricked into this awful practice. Slaves today are also often credited for environmental destruction. They are also much cheaper today than they were in the past. It was surprising to find out that slaves still exist today, and I think that more people should become aware of the issue. It seems to be an event that is often hidden from the news. According to Kevin Bales, the solution to end slavery for good is quite simple. The world needs to spend less money on luxuries, and use it towards a process that will save all of those enslaved. This video was interesting to me and it opened my eyes to events that I did not realize even existed today. Kevin Bales kept me extremely intrigued. The news on modern slavery was horrifying, but Bales proposed a solution that seemed completely reasonable and I think that the world should start working towards the goal of ending slavery for good.
"Ending Poverty" By Thomas Pogge
ReplyDeleteI chose this video because the topic was widely discussed in the past and I was interested to know more about it. During the first section of the video Thomas Pogge discusses World Poverty in today's time. For instance, he explains the main reasons for it. These reasons would include: chronically undernourished, inability to receive the correct and safe medication, lack of clean and clear water, lack of adequate sheltering, unable to reach out for electricity, lack sanitation skills, lack the ability to be literate, and the fact that children from small ages have to work jobs outside of their household. He also argues that almost 18% of deaths come from poverty. Since the end of the Cold War, there have been over 400 million deaths do to this. Pogge explains that the 'superficial' reason for poverty is the uneven wealth distribution happening. A reason for this would include 'lobbying.' This term means to seek influence on some kind of issue. Throughout the video, he brings up the point that the people in the country should have a say in how the money of the mother country is distributed among the, in this case, states. However, today, there is an organization titles ASAP (Academic Stands Against Poverty) that has been put together for almost two years. This organization helps bring the poverty problem to a minimum as much as possible by raising the academic education. ASAP, in conclusion, will help end poverty. Ways they will attempt this is by the Health Impact fun, knowing the rights of the people, supply chain universities, and moral psychology and poverty alleviation. Overall, Thomas Pogge is explains that poverty much be executed in order for everybody to open up for a new global institutional commitment.
"Ending poverty" Thomas Pogge
ReplyDeleteThis video was very interesting to watch. The speaker, Thomas Pogge, talked about the difference between "poverty" and "severe poverty". He also gave factual information to support why he thinks that poverty should be a big concern to the global community. In this video, severe poverty is defined as people who do not have the following: adequate shelter, safe drinking water, availability of medicines, electricity, and adequate sanitations. Severe poverty is also when someone is illiterate and chronically unnourished. Thomas Pogge thinks that severe poverty is the one of the most important unrecognized issue in the world. He believes that this should be a global concern because of the global household income. The distribution of the income is very strange. Another reason is because of lobbying. Lobbying is when people pay their congressmen to influence a decision. Pogge also thinks that we as citizens have responsibilities to keep this from happening. Some being, "to work toward super national institutional arrangements that would impulse less harm upon the poorer half of humanity" and try to compensate for some of the harms that these institutions have done. I completely agree with what Pogge thinks of what our responsibilities should be. In this video, there were also a few organizations that were listed that have been established to fight global poverty. Some of these organizations are "Know Your Rights India", "Supply Chain of Universities", "Health Impact Fund", and "Beyond 2015: Global Poverty Consensus report, Institutional Reform Goals" all of which are under the organization of ASAP.
"How to Combat Modern Slavery" Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I chose this video because I saw the title and a million questions popped into my mind, mainly asking where slavery is and how is it still present. Within the first few seconds of the video, the speaker, Kevin Bales, asked the same questions that I did when he saw a pamphlet that stated "There are Millions of Slaves in the World Today." Bales then stated that when he tried to research it there were no articles about it that provided evidence and facts. To find information, Bales travels to different continents and finds slavery in all of them. Seeing this and the devastation it brings to many generations that have been enslaved for decades, Bales proposes a global plan of the liberation of all enslaved humans in the world. However, this plan has a few flaws that interfere with the funding of it, which he mentioned an estimate of 10.8 billion dollars. To start with, the total cost of this liberation plan. Bales never mentions who are what will provide this lofty sum. Will just the US pay this cost? Should the entire world share the cost? If so, will the countries that currently have high slavery rates pay their share to shut down a large part of their local economy? In addition, Bales mentions that some people who have escaped from slavery now run organizations that liberate current slaves. Instead of heading an entirely new program, why not invest in one, if not many, of the already seemingly successful organizations? This could dramatically cut down the cost of this major project. Finally, Bales does not discuss what may happen after this liberation. He does not talk about the consequences of the slave organizations and their leaders for the crimes and corruption. Who is to say that this liberation plan will permanently prevent slavery for eternity? The leaders may go out and find more vulnerable people in the world looking for jobs. Nevertheless, Bales overall idea is a great basis for maybe a more efficient plan. What most likely will draw the world to this plan is Bales idea of the "freedom dividend." Bales talks about that even though the plan will put a dent in global costs, it will pay back in spades because of the new slaves experiencing modern technology. Soon, the slaves will become consumers and producers, stimulation the economy at local and global levels. Essentially, this dividend will refund the entire liberation plan.
"How to Combat Modern Slavery" Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteThe reason I chose to read this video was because of the title. I was unaware that there was such a thing as "Modern Slavery" I assumed that slavery was terminated at the end of the Civil War. I was definately wrong. In the modern world there in over 27 million slaves in use. There are slaves in every country except for Iceland and Greenland. The way that most modern slaves acquire their"job" is through being tricked. People are told they are being given a special job oppurtunity, but they then realize that they are being captured. The process for slavery is much different today because most do not purchase their slaves, but capture them. By doing so they are saving themselves money. Kevin Bales, the creator of this video, believes that the way to end modern slavery would be to stop wasting money on unnecessary items, and use that money towards rescuing the victims of slavery. I believe that this topic is extremely underrated, and deserves more attention from the public.
"How to Combat Modern Slavery" Kevin Bales
ReplyDeleteI choose this topic for my blog entry because not only did it surprise me but also it intrigued me that there were still slaves on a supposed “free” world. I would have never guessed that there were still 27 million slaves on the earth. I was also surprised that the slaves he showed in his pictures of slaves he met were so brutally tortured. It was utterly shocking and was completely depressing. The one argument that Kevin Bale made in his TED talk, which I did not agree with, was that he said that slaves were destroying the environment. First, the slaves are forced to cut down the trees and mess with mercury. If the slaves do not comply they would have been beaten. Second, slaves are not the only ones that are destroying the environment, and I highly doubt they are doing the most damage. Finally, the one comment that gave Mr. Bales and I hope was that people like Harriet Tubman who still help slaves free themselves. Mr. Bales said that even though there are 27 million slaves in the world it is still the smallest percent of slaves compared to global populations ever. In Bale’s closing arguments, he presents statistics that show the cost of emancipating a slave from slavery. He said in total that it would cost 10.8 billion dollars to wipe out slavery. I agree with Bale as he presents evidence that 10.8 billon dollars on a world scale is a small price to pay for a truly “free” world.