Blog #5: The economist.

"Land free starting look ungovernable enough is enough, no way to run a country" - The economist.

            The U.S is known as a big country that has a strongly growth on economy and science, technology, also a huge military. But, what is happening to the U.S now, which is really bad, a government has shut down nearly two weeks and not yet end. The economist has posted a news on their page about the U.S government has shutting down. On a news page of "The economist", they mostly gave us the facts about what's going on with the government, also the claims that they have written down for people who want this to stop because people can't take this anymore, they are uncomfortable with their feelings. A question people might ask is: "When will this problem end?"

            Claim: "When you are brawling on the edge of a cliff, the big question is not "Who is right?", but "What the hell are you doing on the edge of a cliff?" This question is a big title that people living in the U.S want their government to think about.

            -The quote that an author has written down, that all people ask their government. Folks are living in perturbation, "the talking time of government". They can't take it any longer; they want the government to think about their folks.  What would they do to live without being paid, no job, no money; what about the people who have a hard life condition that is receiving the help from the government, how will they be able to live? So this is a quote that I think it's about. People are complaining their government, and want the government to stop being care themselves more than caring the people.

            Fact: "The shutdown itself is tiresome but bearable. The security services will remain on duty, pensioners will still receive their cheques and the astronauts on the International Space Station will still be able to breathe. Some 800,000 non-essential staff at federal agencies (out of 2.8 millions) is being sent home, while another 1.3 millions are being asked to toil on without pay."

            -This quote is giving the fact of how workers and employees are dealing with the shutdown of the government. Basically, it tells us that the security of people is still remain safely, pensioners are doing ok without worrying; astronauts are used in a sentence as a metaphor that they still live alright and nothing is wrong with breathing, I mean the shutdown of government doesn't affect much in their life. But a large staff of federal agencies went home without pay; 1.3 millions are working as volunteers during the shutdown.

            Claims: "In the short term, House Republicans need to get their priorities straight. They should pass a clean budget resolution without trying to refight old battles over ObamaCare."

            -This quote is opinionated by an author; he thinks the U.S development and the benefits for people in the U.S need to be stabilized otherwise it could be a tragic event for America. Republicans need to be comfortable to Democrats rather than trying to fight them against the ObamaCare and making a harder life more citizens.

Blog #4: Opportunity Cost!

Part I - The Past

Back in September 2010, I moved to America with my family. There were two options for me. First option, I can stay in Vietnam in stead of move to America, huge strange environment, big different society. I can stay with my grandma and see her happy face everyday, also have fun with my great cousins and don't have to say good-bye to my friends. But, the benefits for me to stay in Vietnam is very low. Everything in Vietnam is setup by the government, they arranged how the system works for everyone. Talking about education, all the classes in school are not chose by students, students must take all the classes no matter they like or not. Things are taught in classes mostly based on the USSR academic system, which they don't usually let or avoid students to learn things they are not supposed to know. There are no opportunities for students if they fail on the final test for colleges. Second option, I will move to America to start a new life, be a part of a new society where most of friendly and educated people live. For the living, I can do whatever I want but not illegal things, just things that make life more healthy and precious and also meaningful. I can make new friends and learn cool things from people wherever they are come from because the United States is an International Country obtained all races from over the world. Comparing the U.S education to Vietnam education, the U.S education system let students choose what they want to learn but also arrange students in 4 major required classes. Things that are taught in classes are free sources collected and analyzed by best people, who wants people who live in the U.S to be a better person, better citizens. Although, the opportunity for people to go to college is very high, no matter what at age or any kind of problem.

I chose option B, the second option, which gave me more benefits. Thinking about how I am doing in the U.S compare to myself in Vietnam is a big difference. Living in the U.S, I have a good condition to learn and express myself in a positive way, I learned what I like to and absorbs amazing things from everywhere. I speak out for myself and for others what I think right to do. So, option B gave me more choices in life more than option A, what kept people away from learning things from outside world. The cost is that I felt more freedom and more Bao-style. 

Part II - The Future

First thought appear in my mind was always "How is it gonna be like in my future? I want an happy life." It's been exactly 3 years and 8 days for me living in this freedom land. As a senior who just moved and living here in a short time, I have a lot of things to deal with, such language and cultures. I quickly want to be a part of this new environment and stabilize my life. I think a lot about colleges which will decide what is my life's going to be. One of my choice was joining the Navy after 2 years of college, this gives me an opportunity to learn how the navy soldiers' life is like, travel to the ocean and challenge myself to learn new things. the point is after serve for several years in the navy, I would return home with experience and get a job easily. But this way may take too long for me to stabilize my life. I came up with a new common strategy mean that I will attend to college and study of engineering, which is my dream occupation. This takes about 8 years to stabilize my life and earn a huge amount of money, 4 year degree of college and 2 or 4 more years for master degree maybe. So, the benefit of choosing second choice to me is a good decision. Huge field of study, big environment for me to learn a lot of things and also develop my thinking, I may volunteer (teaching and helping people or schools) sometimes on my free time. Navy life also has a big field of study but I may not be able to do thing I like or volunteer. It's more sticky to a job and it's also not what I really like to do, not enjoying at all (lots of waves: I like to swim but don't like to throwing out). With second choice, I think it's more comfortable and I'm sort of like knowing what to do with my role. 

However, any decision above were good thoughts for me, but I prefer have a steady life that doesn't go up or down too much. I think that would be a good choice for me, just like most of everybody else, go to college and have a stable job.

Blog #3: The rest of your thinkers, yo!

John Locke - Libertarian

-"Locke argued that people have the gift of reason, or the ability to think. Locke thought people have the natural ability to govern themselves and to look after the well-being of society."

- I think Locke has a belief on freedom, people deserve to speak out the rights and the wrongs. They have the ability to talk as a gift from God, which means people are pretty much do what's right for them.

Thomas Hobbes - Libertarian

-"Instead, Hobbes believed that a ruler's absolute power comes not from God, but from people rationally deciding that this is in their best interests. Hobbes considered that the ruler could abuse his or her absolute power and become cruel and unfair."

- The choice the people would make based on their interests, do what they like to do. This seems like freedom.

King Louis XIV - Authoritarian

-"Louis believed in his right to exercise absolute power over France. He was considered an absolute ruler because no other persons or institutions in France could exercise control over him."

-The way that he control the power shows that he wants to rule everything by himself which means sort of like a dictator, take over everything.

Aristotle - Authoritarian

-"Aristotle believed that democracy is the least dangerous form of government. His main concern with democracy was that because people have equal freedom, they might think they are equal in every way and fail to recognize their different strengths and weaknesses."

-Education on top of everything else, this is what he want. People should have good virtue to be a good citizen, but still can't decide thing because of the government is sill control things.

Mary Wollstonecraft - Authoritarian

-"Wollstonecraft did not want to get married and be controlled by her husband like many other women she knew.", "Oppressive systems - which include the rule of masters over slaves as well as the rule of husbands over wives - corrupt both the oppressed and the oppressor."

-Freedom for slaves and wives but still control by the system that doesn't not allow abuse other people.

Montesquieu - Authoritarian

-"Despite Montesquieu's belief in religious tolerance, he did not feel that all people were equal. Montesquieu approved of slavery. He also thought that women were weaker than men and that they had to obey the commands of their husbands."

-Women & slaves are under control on men and higher classes. Government system avoid people are being equal.