Monday, June 1, 2015
TWIF Flattener #1 - 11/9/89
Use one of the current events sources linked at http://svhs-hwc-fall2015.blogspot.com/2015/06/approved-sources-for-twif-current.htmll to find a recent news article that relates to, supports, or refutes Friedman's assertion that 11/9/89 was a "flattener." Your comment should include the title of the news article, a link to the article, and a summary of the article including an explanation of how the article relates to this point. Don't forget to check your rubric for evaluation criteria!
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ReplyDeleteTitle: Ukraine Civilians Stranded as Shells Pound Debaltseve
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31055060
Summary: The fighting in Ukraine between government forces and so called "insurgent" militants, most likely Russian backed or Russian manned, has increasingly put innocent civilians in the crosshairs of a story beginning back in the Cold War. The strategic region surrounding Debaltseve has become the new Stalingrad in the eyes of the pro-Russians, fighting mercilessly to capture the regional airport. Clinics and hospitals have been hit by non-stop shells; civilian causalities have now been numbered to near 5,000. Food and medical supply lines have been disrupted, and the power is out. The locals are indeed trapped, cornered in a conflict far larger than even the belligerents know themselves, a struggle between the East and West.
Freidman talks about how the world flattened when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. In many aspects, as he so mentioned, it did. But currently, in Eastern Ukraine and in some parts of Europe, much is still very Cold, where Russian aggression has pivoted many families, towns, and countries against each other. The Soviet Union may be but an empire of the past, but remnants of it still flourish in it's former blocs where they still speak native Russian, reliant on it's gas and economy, and torn between closer ties with the West or running back to the Motherland. The article is evidence that in Ukraine, old dogs are nostalgic for the past, where the Union was once the answer to everything: wealth, security; anything but democracy and consensual, free-market governance, such things Friedman says happened when the Wall came down.
Title: World powers reach nuclear deal with Iran to freeze its nuclear program
ReplyDeleteLink: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/kerry-in-geneva-raising-hopes-for-historic-nuclear-deal-with-iran/2013/11/23/53e7bfe6-5430-11e3-9fe0-fd2ca728e67c_story.html
Summary:
The focus of this article is the deal made with Iran over its nuclear program. For many years Iran has been increasing and devoting more time and resources to building up their nuclear program. This deal makes it impossible for Iran to build nuclear weapons undetected. This like Friedman's first flattener is a big step in the world truly becoming "flat". By this agreement being made it improves global relations by eliminating the threat posed by Iran. This like the fall of the Berlin wall, also allows us to have better relations with Iran itself and allows everyone to share their honest opinions about the both Iran and Iran about other countries without the threat of violence.
Title: Solar-Powered Airplane Begins Long Journey From Japan To Hawaii
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/29/418599195/solar-powered-airplane-begins-long-journey-from-japan-to-hawaii
Summary:
The solar impulse plane took off from Japan and is headed across the globe to Hawaii. It is powered by the sun and the energy is stored in batteries. The current flight is suppose to last five days and nights, a total of 120 hours. This is meant to launch a fuel free plan. The plane has traveled across the world already but this is one of the longest flights.
This relates to Friedmans flattener of the Berlin Wall falling because it symbolizes a big step in connecting people across the world. This plane would allow for cheaper flights therefore allowing more people to fly across the world and connect with other people.
Title: Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors? A History of Border Walls.
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-28/do-good-fences-make-good-neighbors-history-border-walls
Summary: In this article, the author describes what walls do between countries. The article talks about how a professor in Montreal beleives that bordes and walls do not work. They bring up conflict between they countries they stand between. They also harm local comunities by not allowing the communities commerce from nation to nation. This supports Friedman's idea that the demolision of the Berlin Wall was an important flattener in modern history. With the wall up people are seperated, and this may give some people advantages and others disadvantages; however after the wall was brought down, there was no more barrier. This put everyone on the same playing field allowing for better compition essentially flattening the world.
Title: What is Bitcoin and how does Bitcoin work?
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/25622442
In the first flattener, Friedman explains a lot about standards. These standards allowed people to think more globally about the world. The Windows PC made it possible for countries to develop and share standards for anything, including business, education, and government.
This article talks about a brand new standard in global economics - the Bitcoin. The Bitcoin is a new type of virtual money. Although it is mostly used for online shopping, some merchants are adopting this new type of payment. Each Bitcoin is a computer file stored in a 'digital wallet' on a smartphone or computer. The premise behind the Bitcoin is that there is a globally accepted currency. Many people want Bitcoins because of the fact that it is not controlled by the government or banks. Because of this, there are no taxes or bank fees. Currently, the value of Bitcoins seems to fluctuate so it is difficult to say whether it is secure to turn your real money into Bitcoins. This new standard has huge potential for flattening the global payment system; however, given that it is so new, there are questions of whether it will prevail.
Title: The ice curtain that divides US families from Russian cousins
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34066393
Summary:
The "ice curtain" that divides the two families because they live on separate islands less than two miles apart. One is on the American side and the other is on the Russian side. The Russian island has protected boarders and won't let the crossover since the Cold War they are unable too even though they hoped that they would be able to start regular contact with their family members again.
This related to Friedman's discussion because he talks about the Berlin wall and how is serrated west Berlin from east Berlin. And when the wall was still standing the cold war was a struggle between two economies, capitalism and communism, and with the fall of the wall there was only one system left. They relate because the family was bored by Russia do to the Cold War, so after they thought they would have more freedom and be able to visit their families.