Hello all you out there, I am so happy to be back from vacation!!! And of course I have more big news - I have added a page to my website. The page will be titled simply titled MediaBlog (click to see it now).
I have been regularly reading, listening to podcasts, watching interesting movies, and more since we arrived here in Thailand. I love to talk about them and/or discuss them, so I thought, "why not make a page for that?" Don't worry, you will not receive notifications from my Media page unless you subscribe to it, you can painlessly update your settings HERE.
The posts will be short, and will include an easy way to access the material I discuss. I don't have any specific format in mind, other than just sharing what I thought was interesting or the thoughts that the media provoked in me.
I thought I would use today's blog post to give a terrible example of what I will be doing. You can have a little peek into my brain and thought processes during and shortly after watching this video.
I have included the talk I discuss, but below is basically a journal entry I wrote immediately after watching it. We were on the bus to our vacation, and I had to listen to audio or watch these podcasts because I get motion-sickness if I try and read in a moving automobile of any sort. Please forgive any typographical errors or or punctuations, I chose to do minimal editing.
January 10, 2016
I just finished watching a TedTalks by robert wright - progress is not a zero-sum game. He talks about how human self-interest could be what progresses the world away from war, violence, and hatred. It is interesting because he talks about how technological advances can be used to enhance violence as well, but the more we come to rely on each other, the more we are likely to not hate each other.
It got me to thinking about the effects of technology on societies around the world. Although people are becoming more connected, there seems to be a dearth of tangible relationships that it builds.
I think it may be more likely that people are more exposed to what others have around the world on an individual level. It has been evident that through television or news, people have been able to see what `Americans` have, but those two mediums are also very censored and biased. As the internet grows and more people have access to Facebook, people can make a `friend` and then see what they do for the rest their lives. For instance, what sticks out for me would be exposure to a lack of modesty, to excesses of the world, to educational opportunities, etc...
As he talked, I was also wondering, what have we done for other countries around the world? Instead of putting up sanctions, and blocking relations, perhaps it would be better to formulate new relationships. A strategic plan to be more inclusive.
I think about Syria and Iraq. Fighting people`s wars is not the way to benefit relationships. Politics are so complex and affected by nuance, propaganda, and changing allegiances. Obviously encouraging peace talks is always important. I feel that people also get frustrated by foreign aid because infrequently delivering food or medical care must be frustrating when you are caught in the midst of a war.
So what would be a strategy for helping people who are living amidst conflict. Perhaps taking people out of the country and educating them for things like healthcare, etc... Maybe letting them choose what country to study in and finding ways of supporting that, or sending different people to a diverse group of countries.
Going back to before, how can we find ways to build more relationships in the world. It would almost be like an inner-circle of friends or a once a week personalized facebook message that is not 240 characters. Really reaching out and building bridges. I feel like facebook is half envy for me and half really interest. It is hard not to judge people in comparison to myself.