Fallacies

I really enjoyed the reading for today about the 7 deadly sins. I think its crazy that these fallacies are everywhere around us and I know that I'm guilty of using them in arguments even though I know they aren't exactly addressing the issue at hand.
I know that ones like the bad example and false analogy come up a lot in arguments with other people, and I'm definitely one to fall for ads containing these "sins" in them.
I will now be more able to recognize these in everyday life and will now be more aware of the kind of arguments that I make.

The Seven Deadly Logical Sin

I found this reading by Heinrich to be both easy to understand and interesting. All of the fallacies that he presents can be seen in our everyday lives. The second deadly sin, the bad example, is one that I see quite often. This takes place when the examples used in everyday life, fail to prove a conclusion. The example given in the book, pertaining to crime, shows how people believe unrepresentative examples to reach a conclusion. In the example people believe that crime has increased due to what they see on televion. In reality, the level of crime has actually decreased in the past couple of years. This is called misinterpreting the evidence. After reading this I realized that this really is something that happens in everyday life.

Chewbacca Defense

Great example of how this fallacy was used. When I first watched that show I did not realize just how similar those arguments were. Though the glove was at least related it still does not have that much significance in the case to allow for a acquittal. Another great read from this enjoyable author.

Thank You for Arguing

I always enjoy reading from Thank You for Arguing. There were some lines within the reading that even made me laugh. Every time I read from this book, I notice the passion Jay Heinrichs possesses for rhetoric. Within these chapters, Jay Heinrichs discusses many examples of common fallacies. Personally, this helps me connect with the reading. For example, I’m sure we have all heard the fallacy regarding that a child needs to eat everything on their plate because there are other children who are not fortunate enough to receive a meal each time they are hungry. Fortunately, my parents never used this fallacy on me. However, I will admit this fallacy is persuasive and does work on children.

7 deadly sins

Heinrich's seven deadly sin's are so interesting! Again, I'm going to say that I really like this book and how he incorporates learning to life. I know my mom always pulls the second deadly sin on me. Whenever I am at home, she never lets me do anything because of what she saw on the news!

second deadly sin

I thought reading about the second deadly sin was interesting. Pretty relevant to my life and im sure many others! I am very familiar with the hasty generalizations ("oh, the restaurant is owned by Mexicans, it must be delicious!") or ("That guy failed the exam? He must be a horrible student!") These generalizations don't take into account any factors or variables. Another common fallacy is misinterpreting the evidence.
There was also one line in the section we read that has stuck with me.
NEVER ARGUE THE INARGUABLE!!

Logical Fallacies

I never realized how many ways an argument could be weak. After reading this week's chapters in Thank You for Arguing, I realized that there are many logical fallacies being used everywhere. I'm sure that most people use these fallacies everyday and fall for them just as much. When do people really look at their arguments to see if they are committing one of the "Seven Deadly Logical Sins?" Although it is very interesting to understand these logical fallacies and be able to argue effectively, do most people even think about their arguments to such an extent?

Logical Fallacies

I found it interesting that so many people use logical fallacies in their arguments, often times unwittingly. I can remember my mom telling me to finish my whole meal, because kids elsewhere are starving. I wasn't aware that when I was refuting her statement, I was actually trying to expose her logical fallacy. Also, I didn't realize that many advertisers are guilty of using fallacies in their advertisements. I usually fall for them and buy the products!

Logical Fallacies

There are deadly sinful logical fallacies. but also ones that are fine to use in argument such as the fallacy of power, which is probably the intent of learning the rhetoric. One thing I didn't get while I was reading was the tie innuendo. It took me a while to get it as it explained in the next paragraph. There are so many tools and sins on this chapter. I don't think I need to memorize them hopefully.

ummmmmmmm

Yea. Logical Fallacies... That was some interesting stuff, but it just seems like too much to think about on a regular basis. But it's still probably good to know...I really don't have anything to say.

Thank you for arguing.

I have to say that I really enjoy reading from this book. I learn something new with each page! After reading these past few chapters over fallacies and the "seven deadly logical sins", I realized that I'm guilty of pretty much all of the sins that Heinrich points out. Now that I know what these rhetoric fallacies are, I can think of dozens of instances of when I've fallen for each one. But now I know better. Now I feel that I could point out someones flaw in his or her argument, and it's all because of Heinrich. After I read his stuff, I just feel more aware of of what's going on I guess. It's almost as if I'm learning to read inbetween the lines of what people are saying and decipher their true meanings. It's pretty darn cool.

Cultural Globalization

I thought the article by Philippe Legrain was very refreshing to read. I have often read articles addressing America’s powerful influence on other countries but rarely the influences other countries have on America. The article discussed examples that are commonly used to show how other countries are Americanized. Philippe Legrain then uses facts concerning each of these examples to demonstrate just the opposite. I think this article could benefit critics of American culture and anyone with a fear of American imperialism. The article “Learning from One Another” has a similar argument. It is rare to learn about a culture that has managed to sustain its sense of community as well as its unique traditions. I admire the people in Ladakh for their dedication to their culture and their individuality. Before observing the image from Spider-Man: India, I noticed an important question regarding the image. The question reads as follows: “As an American reader, what is your spontaneous response to the drawing of this character?” Personally, I initially noticed the differences in the costume and the stance Spider-Man has in the image.

A Blog About the Current Readings

In Jane Poynter's article, "Learning From One Another", my group wondered if globalization was a two way street. 

In certain cases it really is, but on the other hand America's impact across the world is unquestionable. 

In one case she states, "Today, an influential core of Ladakhis is struggling to retain the best of traditional culture-community, art, and history-while retaining the many benefits development would bring."

It is in that sentence that explains a great deal. I believe societies can retain their traditional culture while also adopting developments from others. This type of globalization should not be ignored.

Additionally,  I felt the spiderman manifest destiny was interesting. Now, I pose the question is the United States still practicing a form of manifest destiny?

Spidey...

I'm pretty sure i'm the last to blog and as i was scrolling through the blog i noticed that almost everyone referenced the Adesnik article! I must be added to the bunch. I must say that the connection used with the Spider-man metaphor was brilliant. My favorite quote of the article is when Adesnik talks about how before becoming "Spider-Man", Peter Parker devoted all his time to "academic pursuits" such his love for science. Adesnik says, "although nominally an accident, the spider bite is a metaphorical expression of the American faith that knowledge is power and science is the engine of progress. Initially taunted because of his devotion to science, Parker ultimately becomes all the more powerful because of it."

Cultural Imperialism?

It's nothing new that American and Western culture have been dominant for a long while.

I have learned about MTV in my RTF class briefly but it is very true that about eighty percent of its viewership is outside the United States. MTV is especially popular in Asia and each country in this region has its own programming that is a a good mix of American programs and the country's own programs. Yet they are constantly influenced and exposed by the American culture whether it is doing good deeds or not. 

English is has also become the global universal language and it is becoming the common language. More and more country accept English as one of its official languages to my knowledge. Might as well declare English as the official language of the world? or is it already? However I do not believe it is ever going to happen since the French, Russian, and Chinese are not likely to give in. But if we have just one language in the world, it will make communication around the world so much more convenient.

In Defense of Globalization

This article by Philippe Legrain really gave me a realer perspective of globalization. Before this, I really kind of had this view that America dominated the globalization scene although I never thought that this was a bad thing like others from different countries that we affect. Now that I actually see the facts that Legrain pointed out, I can definitely see that we really are more affected by globalization of other countries. I guess I always had that american view of life.

The Amazing SpiderAladdinMan

This is awesome! Admittedly, I have heard about this before. I don't read comic books, but love superheroes. Anyway, I just did not expect to see this in a textbook! This Indian Spiderman illustrates a good point. Anyway, culture is not completely inherited. You inherit the culture of your people and family but it would not be natural if you passed on the exact same culture you were given. The world would stand still. learning would not happen, advances would not be made. We would still be grunting and snorting and in loin cloths. I guess that doesn't relate to spiderman so much. Here's how I got there! I think that culture is inhereited or learned from the generation before. But as we live, learn, and grow throughout our lifetime, our outlook on life changes. Some things lose relevance, and new things are created and adopted as traditions. For instance: my parents used to have real christmas trees with real candles on them. These would often catch on fire. Nowadays we have both fake and real trees and they have electric lights on them. That is a tradition that has changed but is still sort of the same. On my tree, I have LED lights that use less electricity and produce less heat. A small change I know, but that may change again some day. Maybe in a few years we will have some reason mot to have christmas trees at all. Who knows? The thing I do know is that you are not bringing a real christmas tree into my house with flaming candles on it. I would like to live through the night. So, for my parents and me, super heroes are role models for little kids. They teach us important life lessons through their triumphs and shortfalls. Why should it be a bad thing for little kids in India to borrow a story from another country to teach them life lessons in an interesting and captivating way. Why shouldnt they pass those stories they enjoyed to their children if they are a good thing?

Learning from One Another

I really enjoyed this article for many reasons. It is to the point, short, and has a lot of interesting details and descriptions. In fact I really enjoyed reading about the description of Ladakh, "a remote patch of India perched high in the Himalayas". It truly seems so different from the world we live in here. Places such as this are very heavily rooted in their culture and are trying to keep it that way for the most part. It is interesting to me that "Ladkha is struggling to retain the best of traditional culture" so strongly when places like the U.S. allow culture to change so willingly. I feel that it is almost impossible for places such as Ladkha to keep their culture while at the same time make changes to their society. It seems that with new development, culture would change as well. As much as some people would like to deny, I feel that Western influence on Ladkha is a good thing. The article describes the downfalls of the underdeveloped society, and the amount of suffering families go through in the winter. Culture may be important, but the people of Ladkha could greatly benefit from Western ideals, and many lives could in turn be saved.

Legrain/Spiderman

I really liked Legrain’s article. I thought it was interesting how he said that America was forcing its culture on everyone else. I also liked how he showed how certain countries dominated certain areas of entertainment. I thought it was interesting how the United Kingdom’s box office hits were mostly American. On the other hand, America is not always the leader, especially in sports. Football does not appear to be as interesting to other countries as soccer. Adesnik’s article was also quite interesting where he compared Peter Parker with Pavitr Prabhakar. I thought the difference between Pavitr Prabhakar from Peter Parker was a good advertising technique to tailor to the Indian readers; however it appears man die hard Spiderman fans do not agree. The image of Pavitr Prabhakar was quite different than the Spiderman us Americans know. Who’s to say it is a bad thing though? I think Spiderman has globalized himself through Pavitr Prabhakar just like companies expand across the world. Even at Mc Donald’s the same burger we get in America is quite different in England and China.

Defending Globalization

I thought Phillipe Legrain's article, In Defense of Globalization was very interesting and persuasive. Legrain's arguments about globalization "free[ing] people from the tyranny of geography" while "cultural pessimists want to freeze things as they were," make very powerful ideas. I think Legrain's article really brought to light some thoughts about globalization that most people may overlook. Instead of making the issue of globalization such a black and white topic, Legrain points out that just because an individual explores other cultures, it does not take away from their cultural roots. There is a lot of convincing evidence and arguments for globalization and the ways that it has influenced many different cultures.

Spider-who?

I thought the Image of Spider-Man from India was interesting. What am I saying.. It's crazy! Clothing is very much associated with culture so I guess it is only appropriate to change the image of Spider-man for various cultures. Although this article was short it had a powerful message. It shows the large impact that various cultures have on each other. It's a mutual sharing of cultures. The Indian culture did not completely create a whole new spider-man, instead they merged the American spider-man with their own culture. A FUSION of cultures!

Ps the image looks totally hilarious.

Learning From One Another reading passage

Poytner describes an inspiring story of how the Ladakhi culture has deteriorized and has emerged because of globalization. He emphasizes that "we humans need cultural diversity as a storehouse of human resources, just as the Earth needs species diversity as a bank of genetic material we can draw on to meet new challenges." This quote really caught my eye because it's true. Globalization is all about cultural diversity and without it, no culture can form its own name without others to distinguish it. Other cultures give us "ways to live together in a world where religion, suburbanization, and social mobility are tearing us apart" and distinguish us for who we are. This was among my favorite reading for this week because I found it truly inspiring. 

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Legrain's article was interesting. I've never had any thoughts that America is taking over the world and enforcing its culture on everyone. But that is probably just because I am in America and whatever. Poynter's article about Ladakh I did not find very super. Poynter kept repeating something about everbody caring if traditional cultures survive...I sure don't! It really doesn't make a difference to me what happens in Ladakh...or pretty much most places other than where I am. Jenkin's thing about cultural music and whatever didn't do much for me. Pavitr Prabhakar is spiderman?!?! Freakin sweet!

In Defense of Globalization

I really enjoyed Philippe Legrain's piece "In Defense of Globalization." I think that it was really effective in getting the point across. The last paragraph in particular was so persuasive: "The truth is that we increasingly define ourselves rather than let others define us..." Globalization does not have the power to change or determine who we are. Our choices are transcendent.

At the start of this class I wasn't really sure if I was for or against globalization. They both have their pros and their cons. I partly still feel that way today, even after reading so many passages giving both sides of the argument on globalization. But after reading this weeks readings, I can definately say that I am for globalization. It may sound trivial, but I guess it really hit me when I read Jenkins article, talking about how through globalization we are able to experience different cultures music, movies, food, etc. It seems like such an obvious statement, and it is. Yet, the impact of how other cultures have shaped me never hit me until another person said it. And that's when I realized that globalization is a wonderful thing. But other articles such as Poynter's remind me that the power of globalization cannot be taken lightly. It's a careful balance. To tie in another article, "With great power (globalization), comes great responsibility". Poytner's article reinforces my belief that globalization can help all those devloping countries struggling to survive. But it also reminds me that globalization can easily overwhelm a culture and soon bury it in the new techonology and foreign habits and cultures that globalization may bring, only to be lost forever. So it is important, nay essential, for us to preserve cultures yet bring the benefits of globalization. When you think about it, if we don't preserve our indiviual cultures, then once globalization has reached it's peak, what else is there to share and spread because we'll all be exactly alike.

Improving my paper

i need to work on the stucture in my paragraph and some grammars error.This is much harder then what I thought, because I'm not sure what I'm really want to talk about. I think my paper is more opinionated.

things to go over in my paper

Of the many things that I need to address in my paper, I need to:

- Establish more credibility by incluing more quotes from experts.
-Improve the flow of my paper so as to lead my audience to the conclusion that I want them to come to. In order to this I'll have to use more transition words. Thank goodness for the revision class workshop day because now I can put to use all those helpful skills we learned for revising our paper.
- I also need to revise my tone on my paper, so as to not to come off to be too preachy.
- And I need to make sure that I'm very clear in my argument.

What I am going to do this weekend

I am going to fix my paper.

How?

I have lots good statistics, and I am using evaluative argument.

Therefore first off, I am going to need to do more specific analysis with a more solid and clear thesis statement.

Second, I have done quite a lot of research, but I am going to have to do some more research to find supporting facts.

Third, I am going to make revisions to support my claims and write a little more. I will need also need proper bibliography.

Problems with my paper

The first problem with my paper is that it does not have a well defined conclusion. Most of the substance for the conclusion is there, but it is mingled in with the last body paragraph of my paper. That paragraph started out as a conclusion but slowly turned into a body paragraph. I will split the two and make them into a body paragraph and conclusion.

The second problem is that I have two weak topic sentences. When I was looking for the topic sentence of two of my paragraphs, I had trouble figuring out exactly which sentence was it. That is unacceptable. I need to rework those two paragraphs.

The third thing I need is to better define my argument and to give conflicting views with my argument. This is something I have known I need to do but just have not gotten to yet. Once I do this it will more than likely fix my fifth problem which is length. I am at 4 pages and it needs to be 5.

Paper Work that needs to be done.

I have much to improve on my mid term paper. Upon actually reading it again and reading the notes that was given, I can not believe that I created something so unorganized and thoughtless. I was really just meandering through the paper most of the time. The following are the top three things I would change about my paper.

1. The structure of my paper is quite flawed. This messes with the flow, and it is very hard for the reader to see who I am arguing to.

2. I should add more research to my paper to add more credibility to it. I realize now much of my paper is just showing how I feel about the subject rather than arguing.

3.  I constantly get off topic. I need to keep focus during the paper.

Revisions

Although there is definatley more than three things that I can fix about my paper, here are some of the important ones:
1.) I really need to work on aiming my paper at an audience. Write now it just sounds like an essay I wrote as an assignment for my rhetoric class.
2.) I need some clarity and strucure. At times it seems like I'm just rambling but there needs to be meaning in everything that I say, it sounds wishy washy.
3.) When we were highlighting and circling things on Tuesday, I realized that I have lots and lots of facts and I don't really have any analyzing going on in my paper. To me this is the biggest issue of all and I really need to work on it and amend this.

Revisions

1. Make known who my audience is: Decide whether my argument is more pathos, or logos. Decide between my "economic argument" or my "attack on human lives argument".

2. Smoother transitions between paragraphs: use the worksheet from UWC with the chart of transition words and phrases

3. Add more anaylsis after evidence: talk about what i just stated in more detail because the paper become strictly facts, stats, and quotes and not enough comentary.

Midterm Revision

1. I need to work on making my argument clearer and more convincing to the audience. A more defined argument will help my paper become more readable and interesting.
2. I need to redo my thesis statement making it more concise and specific.
3. Lastly, I need to strengthen my argument and its evidence as well as analysis.

Midterm Revision

In my first draft I need to provide more analysis for my quotations, work on the information in my thesis paragraph, and integrate my quotes into my writing more efficiently.
I think my evidence and quotes need the most work. In one of my quotes I did not analyze it so I need to do that and connect it to the rest of my paper so that it supports my argument. One of my quotes is from a man who tested positive for HIV/AIDS retelling his experiences. I could find a quote that is from a more professional source. Finally my thesis paragraph has some information in it that would sound much better somewhere else, so I need to fix that.

Revision

In my paper titled Global Warming and Human Health, there are more than a handful of revisions that need to be made. I feel that one of the paper's problems is that it does not appear to have a clear audience. I was targeting the paper at young adults, but this idea gets lost throughout the paper and it begins to be geared toward more of a learned audience. In order to fix this I feel that I need to read a few articles geared toward young readers and take notice of the language that is used. I also feel that my paper lacks quotations and therefore it lacks credibility. I need to look back over my research and find quotes that make this paper stronger. Another major problem with my paper is that it does not have a consistent flow. I feel that the transitions are awkward and that the paragraph changes are choppy. I need to go back through my paper and create a smoother flow by reading it outloud to myself and to my friends.

ELEPHANTS!

1. I need to clarify if I don't like the Prius or hybrids in general. To do this, I will probably state that its pretty cool to drive a hybrid and save gas, but the Prius ruins all of that goodness.
2. Have to make my argument more obvious. Going to start paper off more directly and go ahead and say what the deal is. Then make sure the rest of my sub-arguments go along with the main one.
3. Pretty much 1 and 2 combined. I have to make a stronger argument that focuses on a clear subject. I'll just read through my paper a few times and think about what it says and what I want to say. Maybe I'll think of something good.

Revision

First, I need to work on the structure of my paper. I plan to look at articles in the Daily Texan as well as narrative arguments in order to get an idea of how my paper should be structured. Second, my paper needs more evidence. This can be fixed by doing more research and using the evidence I find to sway my audience to agree with my argument. Third, I want to improve the flow of my paper. I think my topic sentences need to be revised so that these sentences refer back to my thesis statement. I will need to work on my mind map or make an outline of my paper so that I am able to focus more directly on my thesis statement.

Three Things to Fix

1. Make my paper more appealing to my audience by tweaking my topic so that it is more relavant and interesting. I need to increase its "readability" and also include more references to some of the most popular athletes from the games.

2. Incorporate more commentary and personal views into my paper so that it is not just chock-full of boring facts and history. I need to work on my evaluation and analysis of the information I include.

3. Further define what my argument is. I need to strengthen my paper's point, be more persuasive, and include some of the controversies surrounding the games.

Revision of my paper

So , I found the revision workshop Tuesday VERY helpful for my paper. After class I went through my paper once more and tried to narrow down the problems I need to fix. The three issues I need to resolve in my paper are as follows...

1. The specific argument and audience of my paper. These somewhat go hand in hand, but basically I need to narrow my topic from just AIDS in Africa to something more specific. From there, I need to identify what I want to argue and who I will be writing to, based on the type of my argument.

2. Next, I need to work on the flow of my paper. This has to do with topic sentences and sub-topics within a paragraph. I need to work on making it clear to the reader what a paragraph will be about.
3. I also need to work on my introduction/conclusion. I think after some revision on my paper, my conclusion will be easier to write. But as for my introduction I am struggling. Do I go with a catchy or sympathetic approach? Do I start with a question, quote or story?

These are some of the problems I need to revise in my paper!

Three issues I need to fix for my first draft

I don't know about you guys, but I found the revision session most helpful for the paper. Going to Sean's office hours helps too because he gives you insights on specific issues with your paper. 

Three issues that I really need to work on in fixing my paper are as follows: 

1. The clarification of my argument - This was by far the most important issue in need of help for my paper. I have somewhat completed this portion though. The scope of my target audience has changed and the type of publication changed. In order to fix it more, doing research for finding out what I really want to talk about is the main goal here. 

2. More research need on a specific central issue - There is one specific example that I want to focus on but I need to confirm that it relates to globalization in some way - piracy. In order to fix it, asking others, researching, and looking for answers would be a great way. 

3. Flow of paragraphs - As said in UWC review session, the flow of paragraphs is important. I need to make each paragraph relate to one another once my research and writing is completed. To do this, I think the transitions page would be helpful. Asking classmates would be helpful as well once I'm done. My paper is based on opinions of college students (girls) so if any of you would like to help out, let me know :D 

Although these may be issues that would be seen at the beginning of the paper, my paper seemed to work differently....Lots of Work, and so little TIME!!! 

JAPANESE and RAP

Here is a picture of Japanese youth, who are heavily influenced by rap and black culture. 

Ganguro, which literally means "black face", is a trend among Japanese girls.

I just thought this was an interesting picture to post...it coincides with my paper!

see you tomorrow!!

Late Response...

I basically wrote an observation on my topic rather than a blog. So this is my late attempt at fxing that...


My topic is basically on outsourcing. I chose outsourcing because of the impact that it had on my family when my single mother's job was shipped to India. In narrowing my topic, i am focusing on what makes India such a powerhouse when it comes to outsourcing. Why are so many jobs being sent there and what are the advantages/disadvantages? Also what are aspects of outsourcing that benefit Americans that we dont realize. I want to show that outsourcing isnt all bad.

Midterm Paper

I could have sworn i pressed publish last time. Anyways, sorry for the late entry.

I plan to do my paper on doing my research on Nike and its business practices. I will try to convince others to take action to get Nike to clean it up. I will probably try to appeal to them by showing that I was a customer that bought religiously into what they were selling and how that should not be how it is.

I've Narrowed It Done

Hip Hop

Rap

WHATEVER YOU CALL IT.

is now going to be linked to globalization. I've found journals, books, and articles all pointing me in the right direction.

specifically to three different aspects...or examples

1. japanese youth

2. the religion, islam

3. the country of indonesia..

I think these are three feasible examples that could possible work.

AHHH research papers. Let's get it started.

Midterm Paper!

Oh the mid-term paper.. how I despise thee. I can't for the life of me decide on a topic. And it's not like I'm not trying and researching. It's just frustrating for me because I knew this was going to happen. I think I've at least narrowed it down to sex trafficking, women and sports, or something with the enviornment.

Midterm topic

After doing the research summaries I have definitely decided to do my topic on global warming. I am very interested in the effect that globalization has on different species as well as the effect that it has on humans. I am interested in doing my mind map on the different types of C02 emissions and where these emissions are located. I would also map out the different kind of air pollutions seen in different areas. An example for one country could be the amount of electricty that the country uses, while another could be the amount of coal or car gass pollution another country uses. As far as my paper goes I would like to include these aspects, as well as how animal extinction occurs.

New Songdo City

About a month ago, I randomly watched a video about this city called Songdo on MSNBC.com. I was really fascinated by this $40 billion city in South Korea because there has not been anything like this. It will be the biggest and the most expensive privately held project in history, and it will truly be the first city to be newly born in the 21st century with the cutting-edge technologies, amenities, and infrastructure to make it a competitive international business center. The city will be within the Incheon Free Economic Zone and will feature the world's longest bridge and one of the tallest buildings. Americans have 70 percent stake in this project, and South Koreans have 30 percent. This project is aimed at Americans and Europeans who want to expand their businesses into Northeast Asia, which is already a lucrative market and soon to be the world's largest.

Midterm paper

I think I want to do my paper about how the government help the people that have AIDS in Africa.I want to know what the goverment is doing to stop the spread of AIDS and how are they providing treatment for those who have the Virus.Also I want to know what the goverment has planned to do in the future.

MIdterm topic

I am still unsure of exactly what I want to write about for my midterm paper. I am pretty sure that I wanted to do something related to health care. I researched several broad topics about pharmaceuticals and medicine. I found that health for refugees was an interesting topic but then I started looking into the AIDS/HIV medicine and the issues that are resulting from it. The medication is so expensive that many individuals in Africa, who need it most, are not able to pay for it. I still need to decide what to write about, but those are the strongest leads so far.

My Midterm Paper Topic

The topic I have chosen for my midterm paper is immigration. I plan to specifically focus on immigration into Texas. I want to discuss the personal lives of these immigrants in order to have an emotional affect on the reader. When individuals come from Mexico to Texas, they know their lives will change for the better. Since immigration brings about heated debates and strong opinions, I feel it is important to discuss the personal lives of the immigrants themselves.

Rap and Globalization

So it might be a little weird that I am focusing on globalization (hip hop is my main focus) on culture.

My topic is a little misguided right now, but I have this great article on American rap's influence on japanese youth culture.

so I guess my topic is going to be on American rap's influence on youth across the globe- specifically their take on values, morals, ethics, dress, authority, etc. 

Do you guys think this is a good idea? any suggestions would help.

YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!! i love all your topic ideas. :)

Topic for paper?!?!

I think I will write my paper about the Toyota Prius. Specifically, a very large percentage of Prius buyers are getting the cars for the wrong reasons. This happens because the idea of 'being green' is highly regarded nowadays and many individuals want to make sure that they are doing their best to express their love for the environment (while they may not be doing their best to make sure they are actually being environmentally friendly).

Topic

For my midtermn I wanted to focus more on a cultural aspect of globalization. I want to do my midterm on the unification of all cultures due to globalization. I was thinking about focusing on either media and how global corporations advertise on an international scale or focusing on McDonalds and how it is present in many contries and contributes to the fact that different countries are starting to have similarities. So far my research on McDonalds has gone well, I've found some articles arguing that every country will lose their unique cultural identity if this pattern countinues. They've been really interesting and elightening.

Midterm Paper Topic

For the midterm assignment, I have decided I wanted to research ExxonMobil. The reason I chose this topic is because it is the second largest company, behind Wal-Mart and my dad works for ExxonMobil. As far as what to discuss in my paper, I want to cover how Exxon plays a role in each of our lives. Exxon provides jobs for many, but also it is one of the largest in the refining business which effects every nation that uses oil. I am wondering if this topic is too broad. Should I get more specific?

My midterm paper topic

I think I've finally figured out what I want to research for my midterm paper. Orginally I had planned on global warming, but that was way too broad of a subject. After reading through some artcles in the Global Issues; Local Arguments book, specifically the chapter "Environmental Resources and Rights" I've decided that I want to write my paper over the water and how it is a limited resource. I think that there's a lot that I can say about this subject, even though you can easily fill pages and pages over environmental resources and how they are being threatened, I think that I can more easily manage to cover water in 5 pages rather than cover global warming in only 5 pages. Also, I can easily talk about the connection between globalization and water. Many say that big corporations that control water distribution can easily take advantage of the scarcity of environmental reserves, with the only goal of profit in mind, rather than people. While others say that privatizing water is the most effecient way to go.

My Midterm Topic Ideas

I would like to focus my midterm on some aspect of the Olympics, especially since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing took place not too long ago. Here are my ideas:

1. its impact on the globalization of broadcast media
2. the intermingling and display of many different cultures.

Maybe I could write about how the media presents the cultures? I don't know. I think that one of the hardest parts of writing a paper is just coming up with the topic. Even harder still is narrowing it down. Suggestions would be appreciated.

My midterm topic

Hey guys, I'm having trouble deciding what to write on...I have a couple suggestions, and maybe you could help? :D 

1. intellectual privacy and piracy of high-end fashion industries 

2. outsourcing more concerned with the unemployment aspect 

These topics seem very broad and I wasn't quite sure how to narrow them down into specifics. I was thinking of narrowing it down to just one company, but then i thought, what's a popular company that would affect everyone? Any suggestions?

Weekend Read- Immigration and mixed signals.

These weekend's readings were pretty interesting. I've never really ever noticed it. How although we say that they have to assimilate to our culture, our culture is doing quite the opposite. There are countless ways that we are assimilating to them. Almost inviting them to come in for we will make the transition easy for you. For instance there are countless bilingual classrooms and even bilingual ballots that are offered. Knowing this now has really given me a new perspective on the issue and has made me understand more.

Illegal Immigrants help?

Of course the illegal immigrants do not get all the goodies such as education and health care, and yet they pay their fair share of taxes in sales, property, municipal, payroll and even federal income tax. I have just learned that those unable to find jobs in their own countries just cross the border and come to the US, because work is plentiful and illegal wages are substantially higher than at home. I have heard that America won't run without all those illegal immigrants working in every part of the country. If they weren't illegal, they wouldn't be doing all the dirty jobs that Americans don't want to bother doing.

Just Trying to be American

Immigration has always been a topic that is close to my heart. Since I am from South Texas, I personally knew and had close encounters with illegal immigrants. I personally believe that illegal immigrants are some of the most hard working people in this country, but are never given the chance to actually fulfill their goals; trying to make a good life for themselves and their families.

In the readings it talks about how illegal immigrants take the jobs that americans won't take. I think this is a fair assessment to make.

Additionally, I feel that when illegal immigrants come into our nation they have no idea what they are getting themselves in to. Punishing illegal immigrants will not solve the problem, because they are not the problem. I personally feel that working with central and south American nations (a main source of our illegal population) is one effective step to take.

The readings offered an interesting perspective on immigration.

I specifically agree with the statement, "the worst thing is for a society to set up a new and separate economic class with a different set of rights."

That is the development of America right now. As a country we treat illegal immigrants like third class citizens. Now whether or not this is intentional or on purpose is up to the individual person, but the way we talk, joke, and just portray illegals are always in a negative light.

Immigration

These readings offer a lot of insight to the process of immigration. They explore the hardships and challenges that immigrants, specifically illegal immigrant, must face as they make their way into new nations. Is it really fair to offer them so much sympathy when they are in fact breaking laws? On the other hand, is it fair to deny them a chance to pursue success and a better life?
Immigrants are trying to find a better life for themselves. America, being such a rich country, is an ideal destination for many. In Annan's speech, he promotes the often overlooked benefits of immigration to the American culture and economy. Without the use of immigrant labor, the economy would be very different. These people who are willing to take whatever jobs necessary to earn a living are helping to support our economy.
Annan describes the United States as a "nation built by immigration." Can a nation that was formed by the coming together of different cultures actually hault immigration? While so many American citizens are opposed to legal and illegal immigration alike, would it actually be possible for the economy to continue to flourish if immigration was drastically decreased?

response to 9/30 readings

These readings are very sympathetic to illegal immigrants. One of the main points supporting this illegal immigration is that we need these workers to do jobs that we, as Americans, are unwilling to do. But as our unemployment rates rise, will this continue to be true? Also, why is the unemployment rate among illegal aliens historically higher than that of natural born American citizens if these immigrants are filling such a large void in our economy? This argument about these immigrants doing these dirty jobs just doesn't hold water. They do these jobs for lower wages than many Americans would, but I think someone would do them.

These articles also conveniently forget to mention the ridiculously high crime rate among these illegal immigrant populations.

when workers opt not to go home vs mexican migrant

What was interesting about these two articles from this weekend's readings was that in "Mexican Migrant" the author proposed the idea of enforcing a "properly constructed guest worker program that regulates flow of workers into the country, depending on economic conditions in the United States." She believes that it may not be the best solution but would be a good solution to the growing illegal immigration problem that we have now. As opposed to the "when workers opt not to go home" article, the author indicates that "the worst thing is for a society to set up a new and separate economic class with a different set of rights." Both cases were very similar in terms of the immigration problem but were presented with two solutions that contradicted one another.

Immigration - Weekend Readings

After reading this weekend’s readings, I have mixed feelings about immigration. I am not sure if it is our responsibility to help people assimilate. At times, I feel like we should encourage assimilation, so people can feel welcomed to our country and make a smooth transition. Other times, I feel like many people who immigrate should at least learn the language prior to coming to the country. It might sound harsh, but it must be extremely difficult for people to come to the country who do not know anything about the language. How are you able to get the basic necessities without learning the language? As far as it being the government’s responsibility, I do not think they should have complete control over immigration nor is it their duty to help people assimilate. I feel like people who want to assimilate will and people who do not, well, should not come to a country that they do not want to be a part of. As far as the whole coyote thing, I am not sure how people can be so desperate to leave the country and fall into such a trap. I would rather give up my unhappiness than risk my life. I cannot distinguish if the author was trying to be comical in that section of the book. “Do not trust those who offer to take you to ‘the other side’ and ask you to drive a car or to take or carry a package for them.”

Illegal Immigrants help

The Many Views of Immigration

This weekend's readings showed a number of different viewpoints regaurding immigration. It is easy to understand both sides of the immigration argument, but one article in particular, Lecture on International Flow of Humanity, had many different views than different views than I. The following statement stood out very strongly to me:
"The willingness of rich countries to welcome migrants, and the way that they treat them, will be a measure of their commitment to human equality and human dignity." (Annan 146)
This author turned immigration into an issue of racism and acceptance.The point was also made that this was a new concept of "global citizenship" ( Annan 146). This author acts as if people against immigration are ignorant to the positives of immigration. I agree with these statements, but at the same time I do not feel that they outweigh the many negatives that an abundance of immigration can have. America was built on immigration, but then again at one time or another, so were many other countires. Some places in the world, such as China, are so overpopulated that there are even laws regaurding the number of children they can have. If an economy cannot even support the amount of people it has in the present, then it is unlikely that it can support an abundance of illegal immigrants.

So I wonder how I would feel if I wanted to immigrate to a new country due to a crash in economy, or an unfair government? Deep down inside I know that I would want to find a better life for myself. It surprised me greatly that Mexico actually issued out a pamphlet on how to illegally immigrate across the border. I never knew that this was something that the Mexican government actually wanted. This pamphlet gives information such as the "dangers in crossing high risk zones" and how to "beware of human traffickers". This alone shows how common illegal immigration is in the United States. I agree in what Linda Chavez's point that the United States is actually the one being taken advantage of. Occurances such as this pamphlet make me see her point.

This Weekends Readings

I thought “America’s Mixed Messages to Foreigners at the Gate” and Guide for the Mexican Migrant were very interesting to read. In “America’s Mixed Messages to Foreigners at the Gate”, Ruben Navarrette, Jr. explains how illegal immigrants are getting mixed messages from the United States regarding illegal immigration. I, personally, did not realize so many hidden messages could be obtained from the actions and values of our country. The pamphlet, Guide for the Mexican Migrant, I feel is a step in the right direction to educate citizens that are considering migrating to the United States. Although this pamphlet was written for citizens in Mexico, I think Americans can also learn from the pamphlet. It is overwhelming to read about the risks and dangers these immigrants subject themselves to in order to come to the United States. Then, on top of that, they face discrimination and unfair working conditions here. I feel this is why immigration is such a difficult issue today.

Mixed Messages on Immigration

Of all that we were assigned to read over the weekend, Ruben Navarrette, Jr.'s article "America's Mixed Messages to Foreigners at the Gate" impacted me the most on pages 148-150. The article was basically dicussing the mixed signals we give illegal immigrants. It used the example, that English only laws say to immigrants, "In the United States we speak English and we demand the same of you. Don't expect us to cater to you in your native tongue." But then we turn right back around and have biligual classrooms, ballots, menus, and etc. We give the contradictory message of "dont bother learning English. Keep your native tongue." What I loved about this article is how true it was. The immigrants arent only being exploited and harrassed because they came into a country that didnt want them here in the first place. The come to a country that is sending contradictory signals. As much as we say, "down with illegal immigration", we are the ones holding on to it. We are not willing to turn down cheap labor and even cheaper goods if it means exploiting and mistreating a group of people. The honesty of Navarrette is what i loved the most...

To be for illegal immigration, or not to be.....that is the question.

I beleive that Ruben Navarrette is right. America sends so many mixed messgaes to immigrants. Many people are staunchly against illegal immigration yet their actions seem to support it. And like I've said many times before, I think that the American people are ignorant of the issues facing us today. Take for example immigration. People don't realize that the reason things are so cheap is because of illegal immigrants. Most immigrants are willing to take jobs that many Americans themselves will not take. And they're willing to take them at dirt -cheap pay. So the immigrants definately draw the short end of the stick here. Now a days, there is all this talk about ways to prevent illegal immigration by extending the wall along the border and increasing its security. (I don't know about you, but honestly....building a wall. I think it sounds a little medieval and majorly out-dated. It's not like we're in a Simpsons movie and by putting a wall infront of us we won't know how to get around it.) The truth of the matter is that the wall has proven to be innefective. Some say that the wall is working, and that places that used to be high traffic areas for crossing have decreased and are now under control. What's really happening is that the wall has just shifted everything. So now regions along the border that never used to be popular sites for crossing over have become the most popular site for crossing over. Overall the wall has done very little to stop immigration. If people want to cross they're going to find a way to cross. Putting a wall infront of them is not going to stop them. It's just like putting a fence in your yard to prevent people from climbing over. If people really believe in ending illegal immigration then they should find some self-discipline from within and restrain from buying cheap products and hiring cheap labor. But from what I've seen, greed seems to dominate over all the senses and impaires judgement. People are going to say they're opposed to illegal immigration as they buy their cheap fruit that illegal immigrants have picked.

Thoughts on this Weeks Readings

After going through the assigned readings for this weak, I honestly don't know how I feel about immigration. I'm definately not against them coming into our country, illegal or not they're contributing to our economy, and most likely they're native country's economy while taking up jobs that most American workers porbably wouldn't take.
I think it's sad that the Mexican Minitry of Foreign Relations felt the need to issue a pamphlet guiding their citizens to cross the Mexican-American border illegally. It's good that they're addressing the issue instead of looking the other way, but sad that fatality rates are so high and that pathways are so dangerous that the need for such a pamphlet exists. It may seem like these things are common sense to some, but it's not like everyone goes illegally crossing borders everyday now, and I'm sure there were many issues that come up that never previously occured to the immigrants.
After reading "When Guest Workers Opt Not to Go Home" I'm not sure how I feel about a guest worker plan. In a way I feel like we have no other choice if we want to have any control over the people coming in and out of the country but after observing the Germany/Turkish example it doesn't appear that this method was successful. It should be pointed out that Germany spent no money or any effort in assimilating the Turks and other immigrants into German society whereas in order to gain American citizenship immigrants must possess a thorough knowledge of American History and government. In the end I think this is our only option but whether the large influx of permanent immigrants benefits us overall is yet to be determined.

Mexican

The Guide for the Mexican Migrant was pretty exciting...at least compared to the other things we read. I think it's kind of funny but really weird that the Mexican Government feels the need to publish such a pamphlet. Is it really that hard to figure out how dangerous it is to cross rivers at night or two wander around in the desert during the super hot day? I think the pamphlet would have been more useful and way more exciting if it exaggerated everything enough to scare prospective migrants. Something like 'If you try to cross the river at night, alligators and hippopotamus will eat you and your children and during the day, mega-hawks in the desert will try to peck your eyes out.'

Advice for the Crossing Migrant

The excerpt from the Guide for the Mexican Migrant was almost comical. I kept smiling as I was reading it, because a lot of the advice seemed like common sense. For example, the parts about wet clothing weighing more and walking during less heat-intense times. In addition, there were those two cartoons that were supposed to illustrate some of the advice. However, I can see why Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Relations would issue such a pamphlet. The stream of illegal immigrants attempting to cross into U.S. borders is constantly increasing along with the number of fatalities. Many of them are making these very same mistakes the pamphlet is advising against. Then, there are the ones that are falling victim to the coyotes, human traffickers. If you want all the nitty gritty details, read The Devil's Highway. It's a great book and is truly eye-opening. There are several parts in the book that are so vividly disturbing. For example, the author describes how the migrants recycle their urine, because they do not have water. After so many times, the urine turns pitch black from all the toxins and whatever else! Can you imagine?

Guide for the Mexican Migrant

I really took interest in pages 150-152. The guide for the Mexican Migrant is almost like a joke to me! I found it a little humorous. I mean, so much of the excerpt is common sense... "If you cross by desert, try to walk at times when the heat will not be too intense" and " Heavy clothing increases in weight when wet and this makes swimming and floating difficult". Anyways, section pertaining to the coyotes and polleros was relevant to what we were talking about in class. The fact that by using those types of transportation to cross the border can be dangerous. And how alot of times, those people will rip you off or purposely get you lost. I think it's great that the Mexicans are being informed beforehand of the dangers that lay ahead, this way, they will not be blind-sided.

Immigration

Immigration has been a controversial issue for years. Little did I know, scenarios like the one in this article could have been happening right in my hometown - El Paso, TX. I grew up in El Paso for quite some time and it never occurred to me, while living there, that this could be happening minutes away from me. El Paso is very close to the border of Mexico. My parents informed me of the "drug wars" going on in Mexico and how cops are struggling to get into to El Paso to protect their family and themselves from harm. This year the drug mafias have killed 9,000 people. After reading this article, I wonder how many immigrants may have crossed because of this. How is border patrol reacting towards this massacre because they want to protect themselves. Hope this makes sense...

Immigration

I really do not understand why people would pay other people below minimumm wedge. knowing how high our econmy is. I think that immigration is a good thing and a bag thing. Because if we allow to many people from another county . There will be more people giving immigrants illegal jobs that below minimum wedge. But as Bhagwati said, they will keep sneaking across the border and keep trying. So they might I as well make immigration legal.I was touch by Eaperanza experience, because the lady was taking awy from her kids and wat if she never see her kids again. I think the goverment should come up with better immigration laws.

nation of immigration

I've lived in Houston for most of my life, and immigration is definitely prevalent there. There are plenty immigrants here, especially from Mexico. I have never had a problem with immigration, but I guess thats because it never really affected me and my family. My parents have stable, decent paying jobs that they have earned from working from the bottom. Perhaps, that explains my apathy towards the exploitation of these illegal immigrants. My parents had to do the same thing and went through a plethora of jobs slowly building a better life for me. Perhaps they were better qualified or they just planned for the future better. Its not the best system, but its a lot better then what they have in Mexico. 

And yes, I enjoy the cheaper prices on fruit because of this cheap labor. Evil outlook on it? Perhaps. But I know I'm not the only one who in truly would prefer this monetary gain in exchange of what the immigrants go through. 

Immigration and ME

Honestly, I do not oppose illegal immigration.

I read a book over the summer, The Devil's Highway, that completely changed my view of illegal immigration. 

In the book, the author describes all the horrible obstacles illegals have to overcome in order to cross. He graphically explains how thousands of people die every year trying to cross the Mexican-American border. 

So why do people risk their lives to come into our country? Because people are risking their lives staying at home.

They don't have the living standards that we do here. They don't have stable economies or even a stable government to help them out. 

I think the articles really highlight this attribute that many Americans don't think about. 

Lets discuss it!! 

European Immigration?

I didn't realize immigration is also an issue outside the U.S.A. I just learned that many people in Eastern Europe try to immigrate to Western Europe. I thought everybody would want to come to the United States. Maybe they cannot afford a thousand dollars for the plane ride, and instead choose to settle in Western Europe. I have heard that France is one of the countries with the least racism, and I think Nicholas Sarkozy who is partially Hungarian and Greek Jewish being the current president of France explains some of it. Maybe Europeans hate Americans and would prefer to live in the old and magical world. I also did not realize that there are Muslims living in Europe. I mean I thought there probably would be some Muslims in Europe but didn't think there would be a substantial number of them, because Europe is where the Roman Catholic Church is and American is where all the protestants in Europe immigrated to, so I thought Europe would be religiously more conservative as in larger percentage of Christians especially Catholics. I did some research of my own and found out that it's true that Europe has substantially higher percentage of Roman Catholics, but I was shocked to find out that it also has a large percentage of non-Christians - a whopping 40% in some countries such as France compared to 20% in America. So what has been transforming the once considered Christian Old World.

Crossing Borders

As much as I sympathize with illegal immigrants, having grown up and been friends with many, I strongly oppose all forms of illegal immigration. I think it is one of the biggest threats against the security of our country and needs to be stopped no matter what the cost. I don't care if we have to build the next structure that is visible from space and call it the Great Wall of America to secure our border, it will be worth it. I understand that we will be criticized by the rest of the world and many Americans, but if an uneducated Mexican immigrant can stumble into America with his entire family, what is stopping Osama bin Laden from sneaking across the border like a ninja in the night with a nuclear warhead and his millions of dollars?

Immigration

Wow. Some information stated in those pages were very startling. Immigration is another HUGE topic in the globalization realm. One section that was very interesting to me was "international voices" on page 32. It was an article from the Seattle times that talked about some of the consequences to immigration. It talked about how people would go to the US to make money and migrate back home to start up their business. It went on to question this idea.. How would they sell anything if that had no one to sell to and no one able to buy anything? It also mentioned how the habits of American cities have invaded the Mexican culture. Although this article was for a particular town in Mexico, Santa Ana Del Valle, it relative to many other nations immigrating to the promise land (America).

Immigration

In today's world, immigration is a very hot topic. After reading Crossing Borders, I was actually surprised at some of the information I found. I never truly knew what a problem immigration was. It seems to be a topic that stumps republicans to find a solution, as well as a source of conflict for the public. I do on the otherhand understand both sides of the argument. Some people say that these illegal immigrants are taking our health care. Others say that we treat them unjust. In my eyes both of these are right. The thing that surprised me in this chapter, is just how unjust these immigrants are treated, whether they be illegal or not. Although Mexicans only represent one in twenty four workers in the United states, they make up one in four teen deaths on the job. One particular viewpoint, from a women who worked in an factory highly inhibited by immigrants, was a real eye opener on the issue. In this factory, women were given stereotypical jobs as well as paid below minimum wage with no benefits. It was also obvious and known to the boss that some of the employees were not legal. They are definitely not given healthcare as well. Many of these immigrants could be found being shoved into vans, and taken back across the border, without even getting to say bye to family members. Also it is known that these immigrants are taken back to their countries just days before pay day. This hardly seems to be a coincidence. So this means that these people put in their time and effort for literally no pay. Do I think that anyone should be able to live in the United States whenever they want? I honestly do not. If our economy cannot support them than it will only be hurting everyone. On the other hand I certainly do not think that people should be tricked into working for free. Any person would rather be reported then work for a month and be reported just days before they receive compensation. I would be very intersted to learn more about immigration, because neither I, nor any other educated person seems to know what to do about this issue.

Immigration, Out of Control?

Immigration is a very big issue that is often brought up in the news and media. Now that the country is preparing for another presidential election, the controversy of immigration is once again an uncommon headline in the news.

Living in Texas, Mexican immigration is an almost casual topic that many are used to hearing about. Are the borders too out of control for laws and government influence? Have laws in the past actually made a significant influence on the rate of immigration?

The articles in Global Issues, Local Arguments, the other side of immigration to light. Simply because the United States is such a rich and prosperous country, millions of individuals world wide have a strong desire to come here. They want better lives for themselves and for their families. Is that anything out of the ordinary? Countries like Mexico have developed a "social acceptance of illegal immigration as a route to economic survival and the desperation and persistence of [its] immigrants." These individuals are willing to risk everything just for the chance to come to the United States, whether it be legally with a possible college degree, or illegally, resulting in a hard life of underpaid labor. Are they so desperate to secure a lifetime of freedom for the future generations of their family that they are willing to work in harsh conditions for the rest of their lives?

Although I understand why the problem of immigration is such a controversial issue in today's economy, something should be said about the courage of these immigrants who are willing to risk even death to achieve the lifestyle they want. Isn't that really what following your dreams is about?

Immigration

Since we live in Texas, we should all be well informed about the issues regarding immigration. The fact that stood out in my mind is the number of illegal immigrants residing in the United States (eight to ten million). I had no idea illegal immigrants would account for so many residents, continuing to increase hundreds of thousands each year. I also thought the way immigrants are treated in the United States is completely unfair. These immigrants come to America from undeveloped countries in order to find a job. The income they would receive would then be used to provide for their children so that they may experience opportunities they would not have had if they had not immigrated to America. Yet these immigrants are treated the same way they would be treated working for a big corporation at home. They work under dangerous conditions and are paid very little. America is considered the land of opportunity. After reading chapter four in Global Issues, Local Arguments, I wonder if these opportunities are really only limited to natural born citizens.

LA MIGRA!!!

So where I live in Houston, the illegal folks hang out by the Home Depot and some random gas station every morning waiting for work. My friends and I always found it very exciting to drive by and scream 'LA MIGRA!' or to drive a truck up real close and whistle like we wanted work done...and then drive away. I guess that's kind of mean though and I've totally grown up (since that was probably 2 or 3 years ago...ya know). But it definitely isn't as mean as the factory bosses who actually call the immigration people to take away some illegals right before pay periods. I think that the whole illegal worker thing is great. They are getting paid tons more than they would in their home countries and we (whoever we may be) pay super crazy low wages for super crazy awesome work. Why not let them stay and work the menial jobs that most Americans are 'too good for' in the first place. I can't understand why some people, who complain that they don't get paid enough or refuse to work degrading jobs, freak out about illegals who are working their asses off to make whatever little money they can. The illegals seem to love doing it too. One time my mom brought one of the guys from the gas station to clean up our back yard (because I was too lazy to do it), and he freaking filled a good two dozen bags of leaves in a few hours. I think my mom paid him 5 or 6 bucks and hour and gave him some food, but the dude was completely happy.

Immigration 101: a new point of view

One aspect that i liked about the articles especially "crossing borders" was that as much as i've heard about how much immigration is "affecting Americans", we've never seen it from the immigrants point of view. I loved in Esperanza Borboa's personal account, when talking about the illegal immigrants she was working with, said "working and getting to know these men and women, I was learning what they were willing to risk and suffer just for the opportunity to work and provide for themselves and their children, something they couldn't do in their home countries." This brings to light the suffering these people are doing that we as Americans just simply ignore. Esperanza's personal account made me even more sympathetic to those who come to America looking for a fresh start. Whether they are brought in because of "push" or "pull" factors as discussed on page 128. I must say this reading, beyond the new knowledge I gained, softened my heart for immigrants. Like i've always said, there are always two sides to any story. This is the first time, as much as i have been exposed to the issue of immigration, i saw the story from the other side.

Thoughts on Immigration

I thought the reading for Tuesday was really interesting. It brings up the debate America has been having for years: are Latin American immigrants good for the economy by providing cheap labor? Or are they aliens breaking the law and taking American jobs? I think the even if we do need them, the way employers take advantage of them is crazy! I never knew that employers would call La Migra on its employees when they had already done all the work and payday was coming up! Thanks just evil!
I’m interested in the different policies and proposals that were suggested in the text. I like the idea that Guest worker policies would enable both legal and illegal immigrants 3 year visas to work in the United States. I think that it would give us a lot more control over what’s going on, and what’s passing through Mexico into the United States. I don’t think that there’s any point of trying to stop immigration, everyone wants to be a part of the American dream and people are willing to do the impossible to make that happen. The best thing we can do is try and protect them or we’d simply be supporting a modern day slavery on our own soil.

Immigration

I found both of these articles to be somewhat fascinating . I thought that Esperanza Borboa’s experience was quite interesting. Before, I had never heard of employers who turn their illegal immigrant workers in just before payday. It just shows how messed up corporations and companies can be; trying to save every penny possible even if it ruin’s someone else’s life. Bhagwati’s article somewhat ties in with the previous reading, but I am not really sure what the definition of a diaspora model is. What I got from it is that educated immigrants can help their developing countries back home. I agree with him when he talks about how the government must intervene in order to control how the nation prospers. In developing countries, I think the government should take some responsibility and perhaps create jobs so their citizens can have a better standard of living. It appears that for a developing country to become a developed country, the government must take action whether it is creating jobs or controlling immigration, but that is just what I think.

Borders Beyond Control

This article was probably the most interesting articles I've read about immigration. Though, I didn't quite understand the diaspora model, his opinions on the solution to immigration problems were right on target. He proposes that the world badly needs better immigration policies to be better spread and codified in regard to every nation. Some nations "grasp reality and work with migrants and migration." Other nations "lag behind, still seeking restrictive measures to control and cut the level of migration." He enunciates that we should "accelerate the process and propose a new architectural institution - one at an international level " to monitor the immigrants inward and outward. 

Educated, Experienced, and Out of work: long-term joblessness continues

By looking at the demographics of long-term unemployment in 2003, the book states that long-term employment is a problem for women. This seemed to be such an obvious stat because it is often hard for women to keep jobs or let alone get them. What surprised by though, was that the book states " ...it is not surprising that men are more susceptible to long-term joblessness." Aren't these along the same lines? Why is it different? 

chapters 2-3 of "thank you for arguing"

Boy...was this a very compelling reading. I found myself reading lines over and over again because the author really makes you think about the situation. I think the hardest thing for me to defer was the difference between an argument and fight. He states that an argument gets people to do what you want, and a fight is an argument until you reach agreement...They both seem like ambiguous definitions which was really hard for me to differentiate situations. 

He also talks about the basic devices to determine the outcome of an argument. These are right to the point and is taken into account on any kind of situation: setting your personal goal, and setting your goals for your audience. Though, the author does not mention the connection between Cicero's three goals for persuading people and these devices. I think it is assumed that the two have a connection. I think that Cicero's goals ( change their mood, change their opinion, and get them to act) are accomplished once the basic devices are accomplished. 

Outsourcing - "Trading Jobs"

I know this blog topic was already past due, but I ran behind on my reading and making up the blog posts as well. 

One thing that caught my eye in "Trading Jobs", is the section: "Does the increase in offshore outsourcing of jobs from the United States Pose major Economic Threats to American workers?" One side, believes that offshore outsourcing will be more developed in innovation and create more jobs. The other side, believes that offshore outsourcing will be harmful to workers in the U.S. because unemployment rates will increase - other developing countries workers' are simply taking the jobs that they have. In my opinion, the first reasoning answers the question best. Though, it is short. First off, offshore outsourcing will create more jobs because the economy is growing more and more everyday in all nations. Unemployment rates won't increase because offshore outsourcing will spur innovation - therefore, more jobs are opening up and will fill the unemployment void. There is an issue that not all jobs are insured that they will keep their job, or that their job is stable. However, as said in the closing paragraph, capitalizing savings from outsourcing will allow them to remain competitive in the market and will insure stable jobs. How they capitalize savings? By lowering costs to raise profit for American consumers who want to maximize their gains of their investments for inexpensive goods and services. 

Immigration Here and Abroad

When I took rhetoric 306 last fall, our topic for the whole semester was immigration, so it's kind of interesting to revisit it and all of its complexities. In just these few pages alone, the author touches upon several of the hot-button issues such as border control and amnesty. I liked that she talked about the illegal immigration problem in the United States as well as the problems in some other developed nations such as France. I found the bit about banning Muslim headscarves in France really interesting. Here's an article about it. I also liked how the author presents opinions from the "sender" countries, Mexico in particular. Residents in Santa Ana Del Valle claim that those who come back from the United States are corrupt with the American lifestyle. I had never thought of it that way. However, there was a particular selection that really caught my attention, the student voice piece by Esperanza Borboa. I felt really shocked to discover that some employers of illegal immigrants will knowingly call Immigration at the most opportune times to benefit their company and themselves. Illegal or not, it's disgusting that employers are so consumed with greed and feel like they need to withhold the meager earnings they pay by getting rid of their employees in such a vicious way.

And we think we've got gang problems...

I think the most interesting part of the reading over immigration was the article over residents of a small town in Mexico responding to immigration. When people talk about immigration all they talk about is how it's affecting the US. No one really considers how it is affecting Mexico. I think that most Americans just assume that the Mexican citizens are pro-immigration. But this article shows us a very different side to the story. I mean I never knew that immigration could have such negative side effects to cities such as Santa Ana. It's somewhat ironic because the people of Santa Ana complain about how the US inner cities have corrupted them. They tell of how boys greet each other with gang signs, and how drugs and graffiti have become a problem. Yet, those are some of the exact arguments that the American citizens throw against the Mexican immigrants. Many people complain that allowing immigrants into the country has resulted in more drugs, more gangs, and more violence. Maybe it's the other way around? But I do agree on one thing for sure. The only way to limit immigration in the US is to fix the countries from which people are leaving. That means that places like Santa Ana need more job opportunities. More jobs attract more people back home, increases the economy, and limits the immigration into the US.

ch.2 from thank you for arguing.

sorry for the super late post. was in Houston for too long and got a tad backed up, but thats a story for another day.

But back to the matter at hand. Two chapters into this book and its already my favorite book i've ever been required to read. I love how the little things in what we say have such a big impact on our message. And by working on these things, you can more easily control your outcome, which in turn controls the person in some way. As an advertising major, this is an extremely useful skill. Looking forward reading more of this.

On this weeks readings

I enjoyed reading chapters 4 and 5 from Heinrichs "Thank You for Arguing". I love the way he relates the different techniches of arguing to everyday situations or alludes to parts of pop culture for example the Clavin and Hobbs comic, and his description of a scene from 8 mile. It made it easier to understand what he was saying about the different kinds of arguments and what they appeal to.
I didn't really like the way the information was presented in "Educated, Experienced, and Out of Work". There was a bunch of statistics, which made it kind of difficult to understand. It was a bit shocking that we have failed to recover from our last period of increased long term unemployment. It worries me that it is so difficult for graduates from 4 year colleges find jobs.

My Thoughts

I really enjoy reading Thank You for Arguing. The assigned reading from the book was an easy and enjoyable read. I really like how the author will throw in a smart comment on a situation from time to time. Everyone can relate to the real life circumstances the author discusses in order to better explain his points. I agree that arguments and fights are often confused by most individuals. In order to reiterate this point, the author presents dialogue between a husband and wife to show the difference between an argument and a fight. I also learned from this reading that there is an importance concerning the tense used within an argument.

In chapter three of Global Issues, Local Arguments, the good and the bad regarding offshore outsourcing are discussed in depth. Personally, I feel that offshore outsourcing can help developing countries grow and prosper. Developed countries will benefit in the long-run from the economic development of these countries and the higher ranking job openings. The reading referred to this process as creative destruction. Americans concerned with whether or not offshore outsourcing is hurting or helping America should read Drezner’s article, “The Outsourcing Bogeyman”. In this article, Drezner deals with predictions made concerning the results of offshore outsourcing with statistics and facts. I believe this article can comfort worried Americans and educate others about offshore outsourcing.

There seem to be several posts on "Trading Jobs" in Global Issues, Local Arguments. I guess it seems to be such an interesting topic which is my take on the subject. Outsourcing has seemed to be an issue that has affected several people for many years and has not been acknowledged. After reading this section, I realized that it plays an important role in what is going on in our economy. Large amounts of workers, my aunt included, recently got laid off from a South Austin factory. The factory manufactures medical equipment, an assumed need. My aunt has been looking for a job that pays just about the same amount, even a little less, but has not been successful in her field. Not only are jobs outsourced to India, but I'm sure are outsourced to several different regions. Thousands of people have lost their jobs because of this and cannot find a stable one.  Such a situation seems scary to those who have jobs; they want to hold on to it. Like Stephanie, I wonder if the outsourcing is beneficial to the economy or not. It seems to be that outsourcing is both beneficial to certain countries and not in others. 

New Perspective On Outsourcing

“Trading Jobs” in Global Issues, Local Arguments went along well with how globalization closely affected my family. For the past couple blogs I have been talking about how my mother’s “stable” job got transported to India. Ironically, that was the main focus of the section, offshore outsourcing. The beginning of Chapter 3 asks a powerful question about the issue of outsourcing on a national level. It asks “should Americans support or oppose the movement of ‘white collar’ jobs and manufacturing jobs to developing countries?” Before this class, given my bad experience with outsourcing, I would have said they should most definitely oppose. But as I began to read further into outsourcing through Global Issue, Local Arguments, I see why advocates of outsourcing are in favor. Its’ not that outsourcing isn’t tragic for those Americans directly affected by it, but the benefits of it seem far more attractive from the outside looking in. I’m not saying I’m for or against outsourcing but I do see the positives and negatives from both those who oppose and those who support it. The table presented from the National International Labour Organisation about average yearly wages for the same jobs in America compared to India shocked me. The wages are anywhere from 6 to almost 10 times less in India than America for the same jobs!!! And you wonder why companies are rushing over seas?

Outsourcing- Good or Bad?

In the readings from Global Issues, Local Arguments, there are many concerns about the issue of outsourcing. So many people feel that it is unfair to move jobs to foreign countries, claiming that too many Americans are being robbed of their own occupations. Although it is mentioned numerous times that outsourcing will actually stimulate the American economy in the long run, very few people will see it that way, especially those who are out of a job and struggling to provide for their family during their search for a new job, which may or may not turn out to be successful. However, I disagree with those who would say that foreigners are stealing American jobs. They went through schooling and training to earn those jobs, just as anyone in this country would have had to do. Drezner mentions that the real problem of the outsourcing controversy is that "people feel that their jobs are threatened." This makes it so easy for foreigners to become the scapegoat excusing the loss of American jobs. So is the outsourcing of so many American jobs actually worth it? The young Indians who expressed their feelings about being able to have a good job show how outsourcing is helping other individuals around the world. If outsourcing these "white-collar" jobs from America to other nations does indeed turn out to increase economic growth in the United States, then how could it hurt to also be increasing the economic and cultural growth of less developed nations?

ch.2

So we start learning some real rhetoric now.

Notice that i used the present tense for the preceding sentence.

Now I've actually got to think what tense I'm going to use before I say something, and it's already giving me a headache. The book has been stressing tenses so much, and it keeps mentioning these common sense people such as Aristotle and Cicero, whom I honestly don't really know too much about, except that they are VIPs; very important philosophers. I have also learned the three tools; blame, values, and choice. Blame is past, values are present, and choice is future. I understand the basic concept, but I have been having a hard time figuring out when and how I can actually apply these rhetoric in real life. Would I have enough time or would I even be able to think of these rules in real situations? It seems like I have already been applying many of these rules unconsciously in my daily life.

I am a little bit surprised that the author says in the book that he assumes that most people out there, if not everyone, doesn't know rhetoric. Is rhetoric something that important? Then why is not everybody learning it?

Outsourcing student voice

In the Chapter titled "Trading Jobs" in Global Issues, Local Arguments, a particular letter caught my attention. A student, Nicole Neumiller, describes how outsourcing has affected where she lives. It never really occured to be that outsourcing really affected a large amount of Americans, but it does. She recalls her aunt telling her about the large amount of layoffs in her Washington community. As more and more work is outsourced to India, more people are being layed off from work. I thought that only the bad jobs were being taken, but after reading this, it seems to not be true. She even mentioned that those who are layed off are unable to find new jobs. This is slightly disturbing. It seems that outsourcing really is more hurtful to our economy then it is helpful. Nicole explains that even though American businesses are benefitting from outsourcing, that many families in the middle class community are being hurt and suffering from a loss of income. After reading this I truly wonder, is outsourcing hurting the economy or helping it?

Thank You for Arguing Ch 2 and 3

I really enjoyed these two chapters of thank you for arguing.

In chapter two I agree with the three types of communicating to your audience. The first part of the three steps is to stimulate your audience, then you change their opinion and finally, get the audience to act. I did speech in high school and this part of the chapter made so much sense. I really feel this will also help translate in the writings as well. 

In chapter three it also made alot of sense in terms of argumentation. With the different types of statements (Blame, Values, & Choice)- I think when we start to write our papers this chapter will really help in the type of thesis that we write. My favorite example was the parents who are arguing on weather or not to pay for braces. IT IS SO FUNNY When the father says- ya a bucktooth graduate. Is this the right type or argumentation? I think it incorporates humor and guilt- it was a good example. 

The best advice given in these chapters was- never debate the undebatable. In order to argue effectively you must be able to settle and issue and communicate your thoughts effectively. 

Good first couple chapters!

"OutSourcing"

Well I think that outsourcing can be a good thing because it is part of globalization, but more people get to experience life in a different culture.But I think its important that we stay in our own nations because we work to hard to get our degrees and continued our education, just to find out that the only jobs that are available our in another nation.This can created social problems in the family.Why is the government not creating jobs in our nations for future engineers and manufacturing jobs? I agree with the theory that the increasing of outsourced jobs will become an economic threat to many American workers. Just think about very few people are not willing to move a way from their families in another country. I do agree that it will cause the unemployment rate to increase.If i had an opportunity to go to another country just for a job I would not take it. I was born in the U.S I believe its the government duty to provides more jobs to keep our economy up for middle-class people.

Thank You for Arguing Ch 2-3

I enjoyed these readings, especially chapter 3. Chapter 2 talked a lot about the structure of an argument. Ive seen that in speech class, but I really like the mood, mind, desire format Heinrichs uses. Now, the tenses in chapter three is something I have never paid much thought. I am going to go back and re-read this chapter a few times. It seems very helpful and is something I am going to have to try on people...

Thoughts on the Outsorcing Bogeyman

I found that The Outsourcing Bogeyman by Daniel W. Drezner was an interesting take on globalization, the first of our assigned readings to enumerate all the good aspects of it. I found it interesting that all of the statistics that he presented showed that although we may have lost American jobs to outsourcing in one area, the financial benefits to that company enable it to create higher paying jobs here. One thing that I find troublesome is the fact that with the right statistics, you can get them to say whatever you want. I felt that some of his stats were simply numbers he was throwing out to help prove his point. For example, he said: “…Although 70,000 computer programmers lost their jobs between 1999 and 2003, more that 115,000 computer software engineers found higher-paying jobs during the same period”. Maybe I’m interpreting this excerpt incorrectly, but to me it’s saying that it’s okay that these computer-programmers lost their jobs because higher paying jobs were created for engineers. The rich get richer so it doesn’t matter that the poor lose their jobs? I don’t see how that’s supposed to even out.
Other than that, I found some of his points enlightening on the other aspects of globalization then those I previously failed to find out more about.

In chapter’s 2 and 3 of Thank You For Arguing, I found it extremely interesting that there are different tenses and techniques of arguing associated with the Three Core Issues associated with arguing.

oh globalization...

On page 25 of Thank You For Arguing Heinrichs talks about the number 3 goal of an argument which is to get an audience to do something or to stop doing something. He refers to the great example of getting young people to vote. And how yes, you may persuade them to a particular candidate, and even better register them as a legal voter, but until REAL challenge is having them show up on election day.
I find it interesting how every issue involving persuasion will fall into one of three categories: blame, values, or choice. Each category also deals with a different tense (past, present and future).

Oh, and I think its obvious that Hernrichs is huge fan of The Simpsons considering a large majority of his examples come from the show's dialog.

It was great to see in The Thirty Little Turtles reading that Indians take pride in helping Americans with their PC's. However, the last time I called the Dell customer service I received little help with my computer because of the language barrier. Not only was it hard to understand the operator, but I felt like he was taking me in circles. Now, I know that is just one example, so I'm being super bias but it was just so frustrating. Although it is good to hear that more women are being employed as call center workers, thus providing them with a decent income and more liberty. This reading had a lot of information to absorb but I did like reading about the advantages to outsourcing and why globalization is not as horrible as it seems.

Outsourcing/Seduction

I do not know how I really feel about outsourcing. A few years back, the company my mother worked for moved to India. She was informed that if she wanted to keep her job, she would have to move to India too, however her salary would be doubled for moving. Her personal choice was to quit her job. The primary reason the company moved to India is that they could get workers over there for a cheaper rate. My mother was somewhat a victim to outsourcing, since her company probably figured most of its workers would not move to India and most likely would quit. Only one of her co-workers actually agreed to move to India, however he was from India and all his family lived there. After reading the sections of outsourcing, I do not know if I am totally against it. Many of the statistics about people losing their jobs to outsourcing are rather unclear since the book clearly states that many jobs are also lost due to technological advances. The benefits companies reap from outsourcing are also helpful. They save money in one particular field to spend it in another. The book also states that not only is the United States outsourcing, so we too benefit from outsourcing. I think outsourcing is a little bit of give and take, but it appears to be benefitting us all.

Jay Heinrichs is brilliant in Thank You for Arguing. I especially like the section titled “How to Seduce a Cop”. The section on seduction shows how powerful of a tool it can be in arguments by sometimes even being seduced without even knowing it and seducing a cop out of writing you a ticket. I also enjoyed how he distinguished the difference between a fight and argument. I guess I do not argue a lot, but fight. I enjoy in this textbook how he presents his arguments making them applicable for everyone.