nice class today

Too Many People

Do you ever feel like there are just too many people in the world? We've been fortunate enough to out smart a lot of nature's population controls. I suppose a natural disaster here are there help to reduce human numbers if it's in a densely populated area. Could it be that excessive population hinders the ability of governments to balance the distribution of wealth? The excess waste that millions of unnecessary people produce is slowly choking the planet to death.
I'm not suggesting that people be killed, but I think it's time to regulate new births. Sterilization would work well. There is no doubt that the natural instincts to reproduce will always be there so birth control is the only solution. The family is the basic building block of any society. When a family core is not solid because too many children drain resources (time, money, attention) this will eventually cause the society to crumble because the substructure is flawed.
Life would be some much more productive with fewer people. Students would receive more instruction in class. People could get to work faster because there would be less traffic. There would be more jobs available, less pollution, and our nonrenewable resources would last longer. I can't think of social issues that could not be reduced or eliminated completely if there were fewer people.
We're all fighting for a piece of the pie, but we'd all get a bigger slice if there were fewer people reaching for one. We need a license to own certain animals, why not require one to own a human pup. Would it be wrong to deny birth licences to those who have genetic defects?

I found this on youtube.. and I thought.. why not sharing this video with the class.. Enjoy!!!

Simmel people...

Is it just me or is anyone else having trouble understanding "The Metropolis and Mental Health"? I read it over and over but I'm not sure I am grasping the concept. I'm confused....

Nice comments from you

this was once the "I'm sick" post - but that's now history. Saved because some comments merit saving. = ) Also: some of you haven't figured out how to edit a post, so this might remind one of you to ask in class so all can learn.

THE NBA FINALS ARE UPON US!!

LETS GO LAKERS!!

Last Re-Marx

After reading the Communist Manifesto and last nights lecture I agree with Marx about capitalism and how it creates alienation, class conflict, and is extremely detrimental as a social order. Capitalism has lead to exploitation and limits humans from reaching their “species–being”. Marx’s accurately points out how in our capitalist economic system, through labor, the ruling class exploits workers to stay in control and maximize their profit. However the communist revolution as Marx called for or communism as a realistic way of life was a bit radical. Communism fails not because of its thoughts and beliefs, but because of the nature of social relationships. Communism as an ideology as a way of thinking/being is wonderful and utopian in nature; however it is in practice that we, as humans, mess it up. It’s the nature of humans and free will that create the problems we have seen in countries like the Soviet Union, and Cuba. In order for communism to be successful their needs to be equality, a shared consciousness, and as Professor Tabor pointed out some one to distribute and determine what people “need”. However this centralization of power leads to greed in communist nations. Here is where I feel one of the major contradictions of the Communist Manifesto occurs. The paradox in Marx theory is that in order for communism to exist it requires equal social relations however all social relations are hierarchal, always creating a system of domination and subordination. Communism is doom to fail from the start under the laws of humankind, and human’s being.

Communist Manifesto

The Communist Manifesto is rant about the evils of capitalism while highlighting how great communism is. I personally think that both capitalism and communism has its up and down sides. Capitalism has created more personal wealth for individuals than any other system; however, it also creates a large economic division between the haves and the have nots. Capitalism can work if it is truly allowed to flourish with the good and bad. The current U.S. economic problems can not be fixed with government bail outs. If the U.S. truly believed in capitalism, they would not have bailed out AIG, Bank of America, etc. In the capitalist system you either thrive or you fail. If a company is too big to fail, then it should be too big to exist. These bailouts are a good example of socialism, which also has its up and down sides. Communism was the main system that helped Russia become a super power after WWII; however, in order for communism to be successful, much of the needed resources were taken from the people. It also seems that a large part of the arguments in the manifesto are very similar to the current arguments between the Democrats and the Republicans. One party believes in "big" government while the other party believes in "less" government. One party believes that government can successfully run programs while the other believes that the private sector is more efficient. I believe that both arguments need to be made, this will help all parties involved come up with the best solution. in the private sector.

Marx Maniifesto

I wasn't able to find the first 5 blogs so I'm starting a new one. I found this quote interesting. "The executive of the modern state is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie."
I use to think since the President of the U.S. was elected by the people, that the President would represent the voice of the people as a whole. When the second president Bush was elected, it started to make me feel as if I was in a monarchy. How could it be the son a former president is the best choice to also become President in a country with such a large population? Learning about how lobbyist operate lead me to believe that political leaders are only concerned with the interests of a few.
The quote is similar to a realization I made myself after contemplating these observations. It seems as if the common man is given an opportunity to vote in order to make them feel as if they are a relevant part of how the government controls them, even though the common man is powerless.

Random Question

Hey guys! Does anyone know what font size we use for our thinker paper?

Hey guys

Did any of the Marx People write on the section Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844? Im not sure if im correct but what i got from the section is that society divides itself into two sections the property owners and the property less workers. Pretty much the property owners advance in life while the less fortunate feel very alienated in society. am i somewhat right or just wrong

documentary

what I love about this documentary is the raw emotion. There is no censorship, you almost feel what the person being interviewed is feeling. You can fell the anger, frustration, fear, and a sense of hopelesness. The sad reality is that this is their real life, their everyday struggle....

Material and Immaterial

Society consists of the material (ways and means) and the immaterial (beliefs and values). Marx focuses on the material world as the source of movement, energy--the principle of change. Hegel, his mentor, was an idealist in that he thought "Reason" was working its own independent, evolutionary way towards spiritual awareness for humanity. It is often said that Marx "turned Hegel on his head."
A gang has a material level and an immaterial level - the material being the ways and means of a gang and the immaterial being the beliefs and values of a gang. Marx writers: feel free to use data and ideas in the film for your papers. ALL: let's help out the Marx writers since they are first. What surprised you while reading "The Manifesto"?

Bloods and Crips

This film is very intense. I thought about it the whole way home. I thought about how most individuals were never brought up seeing this type of violence and corruption. On the other hand, individuals like myself grew up with this enviroment still don't know how to react to these situations and problems. When these gangs are stating quotes such as "killed or be killed," or even considering themselves as soliders is very distrubing considering most Amercians would think as a solider as a hero. These individuals main goal in life is to "be respected" which what they consider to be feared. Us individuals blind ourselves to the reality of corruption we are now living in first hand. Very scary.

test - We'll delete this together on Mon. U will learn how to "X" a post.