I think that the American Way of Life is leading to a collapse. America runs on capitalism which grows on using the land to make profit and when there is no more land left, capitalism falls. Holidays are created to celebrate the idea of purchasing unnecessary products that just waste energy and materials. Since the worker's labor is the source of all wealth, capitalists would not make any profit if the workers rebelled. Doctor's would also like to make profit so they use drugs and surgical devices to make the birth process easier for them.
Capitalism runs on three frameworks and one of them is the land that capitalists extract raw materials from. After turning the raw materials into products, capitalists then sell the products to make profit which gets turned into wealth. Because of their greed, capitalists continue to gather raw materials without thinking about how much of the materials are left. Then, when the materials run out when Americans need them most, there will not be any left because they have already been used up. Capitalism also allows competition between multiple corporations for cheaper prices in the free market so they can make the most profit. Now there are more than just one company trying to get their hands on raw materials so the rate of the country losing its resources doubled, or maybe even tripled. Capitalism creates an over exploitation of the land for profits and competition that acts as a catalyst to bringing the country close to a collapse.
America creates holidays - like Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Christmas - that allow the country to waste resources. During Thanksgiving, some families go out for a big dinner when they can just stay home and cook dinner. In the video we saw in class back in December, they said that Americans consume ten times more than Chinese people and thirty times more than Indians. Black Friday is the day when companies lure Americans into buying their products by making a sale. Americans then fall into their trap and start spending their money without taking the time to think about the amount of resources used to make these products. The same goes for Christmas; Americans get into the habit of buying presents and exchanging them for other gifts. It is basically exchanging money, except it involves purchasing things made out of the world's resources. People do not think about whether it is necessary to buy things that just wastes energy and resources. Actually, some people do think about the world's future and, therefore, created the Buy Nothing Day. However, this Buy Nothing Day was not really effective because people continue to attend the sales and buy unnecessary things. Americans are just used to living their life using up the world's resources.
The poverty line for a family of two is $14,000 and when we calculated the minimal yearly expense, it was $28,000. Many people have to cut down on a lot of expenses like food, in order to stay above the poverty line. Back then, slaves were treated horribly; they did not get paid and they worked in harsh conditions. When they finally got together and fought against the white slave owners, the slaves won and the slave system fell. If the workers feel that they are not getting paid enough, then they can get together and stop working for capitalists. And when that happens, the capitalists would not earn any profit and the capitalist economy would fall.
Doctors also play a role in wasting resources and causing the collapse. They drug the women when they are giving birth and they use interventions when they are not needed. Doctors do not think about the things that go into making the drugs and about the amount of resources they can save by not drugging the women. Hospitals have high technical machines that are used to perform interventions such as C-sections. All those machines use up a lot of energy and the doctors do not take into consideration the energy they can save by allowing the women to have a natural birth. The only things they think about is saving time so they can maximize their profits and by using drugs and machines, they are wasting resources.
Jacara: I don't think that Andy is saying we can't do anything about it. On the contrary, I think that he that he is giving us the information to create a revolution o_o
Sandy: Yes, denying services kills people but people don't actually buy insurance until they find out that they have an ailment. So if everyone starts to do that, the insurance will lose money and then there won't be any insurance. And because of how our economy works, everyone wants to earn profit so insurance denies services.
Jia Min: You have a good point when you connected the Easter Islander's values of creating statues to American's value of advancing technology; the islander's are wasting resources by creating statues and American's are wasting resources by creating more complexx technologies that use up a lot more resources.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Collapse Response 2
I think that the collapse is inevitable. Like Easter Island, workers may rebel to cause the economy to collapse (a good collapse) or people can continue to waste resources so that when we actually need the resources, there will not be any (causing a bad collapse). I believe that because of the Easter Islander's cultural values, they do not take into consideration of the amount of resources they were wasting. Because they build statues to show their status in the society, they waste amass of resources and energy building those statues. Similarly, in America, students are so into taking copious notes instead of taking the time to actually process the information and apply it to the world that they are wasting the materials - the resources - used to create the pencil, the pen, and even the paper (the enormous amount of trees that were cut down to create the paper). People are so into the same routine of waking up, brushing their teeth, and going to work that they do not realize the amount of water they waste when they leave the faucet on to brush their teeth. Others are so caught up in bumming at home that they do not realize the amount of electricity they waste by leaving the lights on and watching TV all day long. Americans are so eager to show their wealth in the country that they buy cars; not knowing the barrels of oil and energy needed to power the cars.
Although I think the collapse is inevitable, I think that it can be slowed down. Snyder says that "some mess in life is wildly disproportion to the mistake" so "if you're walking on the edge of the cliff and you accidentally step four inches off of where you were supposed to step, then you'd be dead". Then he says that "even if one person choose to turn the faucet off when brushing his/her teeth, it will not make a difference [to the collapse]" but I think that if you step four inches away from the edge of the cliff, then you would be less likely to step off the cliff. Snyder also believes that if there is strong organization, then a rebellion is possible even with the odds against it. For example, if a small group of workers want to get their rights, they would be able to with strong organization. So if a small group of workers can make such a big change, I believe that even doing the littlest thing to save resources would at least hinder the collapse.
At first, I had thought that no alternative source of energy would work because once everyone starts to use, for example, solar power, it would not be enough to power everything because it is unsustainable and because of entropy (the idea that everything tends to fall apart to the lowest level). The sun has a limited amount of power and it has to be divided among a lot of things so if a car runs faster with more power, then it would not be able to run very fast because solar power is scattered. Snyder made the comparison that it is as if you cut out the meat and ate vegetables only; then you would need to eat a lot more vegetables to meet your daily calories. I was thinking that if we could divide the population so that some would use oil and others would use alternative sources of energy, then it would take us further away from the collapse. But because our economy needs to grow, I do not think that even dividing the population would solve the problem.
Although I think the collapse is inevitable, I think that it can be slowed down. Snyder says that "some mess in life is wildly disproportion to the mistake" so "if you're walking on the edge of the cliff and you accidentally step four inches off of where you were supposed to step, then you'd be dead". Then he says that "even if one person choose to turn the faucet off when brushing his/her teeth, it will not make a difference [to the collapse]" but I think that if you step four inches away from the edge of the cliff, then you would be less likely to step off the cliff. Snyder also believes that if there is strong organization, then a rebellion is possible even with the odds against it. For example, if a small group of workers want to get their rights, they would be able to with strong organization. So if a small group of workers can make such a big change, I believe that even doing the littlest thing to save resources would at least hinder the collapse.
At first, I had thought that no alternative source of energy would work because once everyone starts to use, for example, solar power, it would not be enough to power everything because it is unsustainable and because of entropy (the idea that everything tends to fall apart to the lowest level). The sun has a limited amount of power and it has to be divided among a lot of things so if a car runs faster with more power, then it would not be able to run very fast because solar power is scattered. Snyder made the comparison that it is as if you cut out the meat and ate vegetables only; then you would need to eat a lot more vegetables to meet your daily calories. I was thinking that if we could divide the population so that some would use oil and others would use alternative sources of energy, then it would take us further away from the collapse. But because our economy needs to grow, I do not think that even dividing the population would solve the problem.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Collapse Response 1
"The ghostly impression that the quarry made on me came from my sense of being in a factory, all of whose workers had suddenly quit for mysterious reasons, thrown down their tools, and stomped out, leaving each statue in whatever stage it happened to be a the moment" (page 1 of Diamond's Collapse). I thought it was interesting that Diamond envisioned workers throwing down their tools and quitting. It was as if Diamond was implying that one reason that Easter Island collapse was because the workers had rebelled. And it makes sense; if proletarians just stopped working for capitalists, the capitalists would not be able to earn profit and that would be the end of capitalism. Then, the proletarians will have more power than they used to and will be able to create a more "equal" system. In this case, a collapse is a good thing but in others like the one in Easter Island causes the island to become deserted.
It was on page 7 when I figured that the cause of Easter Island's collapse is the wasting of resources: "... for hundreds of thousands of years before human arrival and still during the early days of human settlement, Easter was not at all a barren wasteland but a subtropical forest of tall trees and woody bushes." Diamond also mentioned that the process of creating statues used up a lot of food in the first line of 2 paragraphs prior. Then in the next paragraph, Diamond stated that resources were also used to make "thick long ropes" to construct the statues. Based on these two findings, we can infer that because of constructing statues, the islanders used resources and eventually ran out of resources; causing the collapse. Diamond blames the unsustainable resources on the humans on page 9: "Deforestation must have begun some time after human arrival by A.D. 900, and must have been completed by 1722, when Roggeveen arrived and saw no trees over 10 feet tall." After humans arrived, resources were being used faster than they were created so before trees could reach 10 feet, it was cut down for food and/or ropes.
On page 13, where all the quotations are at, it states that "'Technology will solve our problems, never fear, we'll find a substitute for wood'". I think that it is exactly what countries of industrialization think; they think that machines use up less resources when really, it uses up more. It goes back to how systems are more complicated because components are constantly added into the systems. Industrialized countries that replace human labor with machines are making things more complicated because they have to find people to operate the machines and now they also have to find resources to power the machines. Then it says "'We don't have proof that there aren't palms somewhere else on Easter, we need more research, your proposed ban on logging is premature and drive by fear-monging." People who think this way those who waste paper and say "they can plant more trees" *hint hint*. So to those of you who do not think about the amount of resources being used up, think about Easter Island.
It was on page 7 when I figured that the cause of Easter Island's collapse is the wasting of resources: "... for hundreds of thousands of years before human arrival and still during the early days of human settlement, Easter was not at all a barren wasteland but a subtropical forest of tall trees and woody bushes." Diamond also mentioned that the process of creating statues used up a lot of food in the first line of 2 paragraphs prior. Then in the next paragraph, Diamond stated that resources were also used to make "thick long ropes" to construct the statues. Based on these two findings, we can infer that because of constructing statues, the islanders used resources and eventually ran out of resources; causing the collapse. Diamond blames the unsustainable resources on the humans on page 9: "Deforestation must have begun some time after human arrival by A.D. 900, and must have been completed by 1722, when Roggeveen arrived and saw no trees over 10 feet tall." After humans arrived, resources were being used faster than they were created so before trees could reach 10 feet, it was cut down for food and/or ropes.
On page 13, where all the quotations are at, it states that "'Technology will solve our problems, never fear, we'll find a substitute for wood'". I think that it is exactly what countries of industrialization think; they think that machines use up less resources when really, it uses up more. It goes back to how systems are more complicated because components are constantly added into the systems. Industrialized countries that replace human labor with machines are making things more complicated because they have to find people to operate the machines and now they also have to find resources to power the machines. Then it says "'We don't have proof that there aren't palms somewhere else on Easter, we need more research, your proposed ban on logging is premature and drive by fear-monging." People who think this way those who waste paper and say "they can plant more trees" *hint hint*. So to those of you who do not think about the amount of resources being used up, think about Easter Island.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Final Food Assignment
Corporations propagate the idea that there are small family farms that are living happily with the animals they raise. But in superkmarkets, how do the foods prove that when most of the meat do not even indicate where it is from? Without the knowledge of the foods, Americans are helpless when it comes to food so they turn to experts. Many Americans think that farmer grow the food when really, corporations ruin the food with machines. Corporations hide the ugly truths about food and cover them up with with wonderful images.
Corporations manipulate Americans into thinking that there is nothing wrong with the food they consume so that Americans do not ask questions about where their food come from. This way, when Americans walk into supermarkets, they find the nature products first, then the meats, and then the things that are hard to distinguish what they are made of (Pollan). Notice how supermarkets put the food that are most simplistic so Americans cannot question about them, and then the meats that can somewhat be questioned but are not because Americans are believing what the corporations want them to believe. Then when Americans see the last things, the foods that are hard to distinguish, they do not bother to question what they are because they think that nothing can go wrong in the food. Americans have come to believe that the meat they purchase at the supermarkets were once happy before they end up in the supermarkets. Corporations have hidden the truth and made Americans think that their foods were once humane.
Sometimes, corporations cannot cover everything up. Everyday, there are people who look at their meat and ask themselves where is it coming from. Most of the meat in the supermarkets do not indicate where it is from (Pollan). The fact that these products fail to even provide where they are from shows that corporations are hiding more from the people. If they cannot indicate where they are from, is it okay to question why is it not indicated and more importantly, how it came to be where it is? Corporations just decides to omit the most fundamental ideas to keep Americans ignorant about their food.
Some Americans have trouble deciding what to eat every meal because of the lack of information from corporations. They spend a lot of time thinking about what to eat so to make things easier, they rely on food scientists. Pollan also wrote that people eat depending on their culture and because America is a diverse country, there is no one specific culture to follow when it comes to food. There may be a lot of cultures due to the diversity, but American food do not apply to them. And because there is no culture, Americans follow what food scientists or marketers say. If corporations provided more information about the food being produced, I believe that Americans would not be in constant dilemmas. Americans would be more educated in the food that are around them and the ones they eat so they would not need to follow anyone else but what their body tells them. Therefore, corporations should not be leaving these crucial information about food and should not deceive Americans.
I think the Meatrix II best describes most Americans. Leo the pig arrives at a farm and he sees a beautiful blue sky and a big field with scattered cows. He was so excited to see a woman smiling as she milks what seems to be a healthy cow. Then Moopheus educates him, with the educated glasses, and Leo then sees the truth corporations have been hiding. The skies turned into an ugly color, the river becomes polluted, and there is even a dead cow right by it with a fly hanging around. The cows in the field has disappeared but in the barn, we see that the cows are tightly packed together. The conditions are horrible as we see the heads are droopy and their unhappy moos are weak. Americans, like Leo, think that happy farmers are the ones extracting the food. In reality, the machines that are milking the cows and feeding the calves are the ones creating the food. Corporations take advantage of this misconception so that Americans do not ask about the products so they can make profit off of them. They cover up the machines with the ideal farm and farmer.
Corporations manipulate Americans into thinking that there is nothing wrong with the food they consume so that Americans do not ask questions about where their food come from. This way, when Americans walk into supermarkets, they find the nature products first, then the meats, and then the things that are hard to distinguish what they are made of (Pollan). Notice how supermarkets put the food that are most simplistic so Americans cannot question about them, and then the meats that can somewhat be questioned but are not because Americans are believing what the corporations want them to believe. Then when Americans see the last things, the foods that are hard to distinguish, they do not bother to question what they are because they think that nothing can go wrong in the food. Americans have come to believe that the meat they purchase at the supermarkets were once happy before they end up in the supermarkets. Corporations have hidden the truth and made Americans think that their foods were once humane.
Sometimes, corporations cannot cover everything up. Everyday, there are people who look at their meat and ask themselves where is it coming from. Most of the meat in the supermarkets do not indicate where it is from (Pollan). The fact that these products fail to even provide where they are from shows that corporations are hiding more from the people. If they cannot indicate where they are from, is it okay to question why is it not indicated and more importantly, how it came to be where it is? Corporations just decides to omit the most fundamental ideas to keep Americans ignorant about their food.
Some Americans have trouble deciding what to eat every meal because of the lack of information from corporations. They spend a lot of time thinking about what to eat so to make things easier, they rely on food scientists. Pollan also wrote that people eat depending on their culture and because America is a diverse country, there is no one specific culture to follow when it comes to food. There may be a lot of cultures due to the diversity, but American food do not apply to them. And because there is no culture, Americans follow what food scientists or marketers say. If corporations provided more information about the food being produced, I believe that Americans would not be in constant dilemmas. Americans would be more educated in the food that are around them and the ones they eat so they would not need to follow anyone else but what their body tells them. Therefore, corporations should not be leaving these crucial information about food and should not deceive Americans.
I think the Meatrix II best describes most Americans. Leo the pig arrives at a farm and he sees a beautiful blue sky and a big field with scattered cows. He was so excited to see a woman smiling as she milks what seems to be a healthy cow. Then Moopheus educates him, with the educated glasses, and Leo then sees the truth corporations have been hiding. The skies turned into an ugly color, the river becomes polluted, and there is even a dead cow right by it with a fly hanging around. The cows in the field has disappeared but in the barn, we see that the cows are tightly packed together. The conditions are horrible as we see the heads are droopy and their unhappy moos are weak. Americans, like Leo, think that happy farmers are the ones extracting the food. In reality, the machines that are milking the cows and feeding the calves are the ones creating the food. Corporations take advantage of this misconception so that Americans do not ask about the products so they can make profit off of them. They cover up the machines with the ideal farm and farmer.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Food Assignment 7 - LATE
Ingredients
•Rice
•Chopped vegetables such as broccoli, peas, carrots, onions, celery, etc.
•Other options include chicken, beef, pork, tofu or eggs
•Soy sauce
Preparation
1.Cook your desired amount of rice and let cool.
2.Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil in a wok or skillet.
3.Stirring your rice constantly add in your vegetables, meat or tofu and egg.
4.Add a little soy sauce to taste.
This was actually a new experience for me; cooking without my mom nagging me. I was kind of nervous because I thought I would mess up and I think my mom didn't really trust me either. She wanted to do it her way but I wanted this experience to be something I came up with so she left me cooking by myself. I think I kind of messed up during the process; I put too much soy sauce and a little too late, so it came out looking like shit -_- I added cauliflower, bok choy, and mushrooms. Although it didn't look good, my sister said it smelled good and it tasted pretty good.
•Rice
•Chopped vegetables such as broccoli, peas, carrots, onions, celery, etc.
•Other options include chicken, beef, pork, tofu or eggs
•Soy sauce
Preparation
1.Cook your desired amount of rice and let cool.
2.Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil in a wok or skillet.
3.Stirring your rice constantly add in your vegetables, meat or tofu and egg.
4.Add a little soy sauce to taste.
This was actually a new experience for me; cooking without my mom nagging me. I was kind of nervous because I thought I would mess up and I think my mom didn't really trust me either. She wanted to do it her way but I wanted this experience to be something I came up with so she left me cooking by myself. I think I kind of messed up during the process; I put too much soy sauce and a little too late, so it came out looking like shit -_- I added cauliflower, bok choy, and mushrooms. Although it didn't look good, my sister said it smelled good and it tasted pretty good.
Industrial Food
The Meatrix
Moopheus: "Have you heard of the Meatrix?"
Leo: "The Meatrix?"
Moopheus: "Do you want to know, what IT is?"
Leo: "Okay."
Leo's lack of enthusiam to learn about the Meatrix reminds me of people who seem to be just going with the flow. Like some people, they go to math and science class because they have to fill up the hours of school. Even though they think it is a waste of their time, they do not do anything about it. Similarly, when it comes to choosing what kinds of food are healthy, people also go with the flow. If someone reliable says something is healthy, then people will also say it is healthy, not knowing what makes it healthy. Also, when Leo was nervous to take the red pill, it reminded me of people who are afraid to break free from their comfortable world to learn about the truth. Like when we were learning about the American Way of Life, I did not think that America had such a dark side but what we learned did make sense and the truth is the truth.
The Meatrix II: Revolting
The way that Leo was deceived into thinking that family farmers can stand against large corporations is how most Americans are deceived. People think that cows are let loose to eat grass and that there are people milking the cows. What is really going on is that there are machines extracting the food and unnatural substances added into the food. If you pay attention to the setting, particularly the color of the skies, it changes from a bright blue to a dull color when corporations took over. It seems as if the color change symbolizes corporations poisoning the environment, the food, and the animals.
Moopheus: "Have you heard of the Meatrix?"
Leo: "The Meatrix?"
Moopheus: "Do you want to know, what IT is?"
Leo: "Okay."
Leo's lack of enthusiam to learn about the Meatrix reminds me of people who seem to be just going with the flow. Like some people, they go to math and science class because they have to fill up the hours of school. Even though they think it is a waste of their time, they do not do anything about it. Similarly, when it comes to choosing what kinds of food are healthy, people also go with the flow. If someone reliable says something is healthy, then people will also say it is healthy, not knowing what makes it healthy. Also, when Leo was nervous to take the red pill, it reminded me of people who are afraid to break free from their comfortable world to learn about the truth. Like when we were learning about the American Way of Life, I did not think that America had such a dark side but what we learned did make sense and the truth is the truth.
The Meatrix II: Revolting
The way that Leo was deceived into thinking that family farmers can stand against large corporations is how most Americans are deceived. People think that cows are let loose to eat grass and that there are people milking the cows. What is really going on is that there are machines extracting the food and unnatural substances added into the food. If you pay attention to the setting, particularly the color of the skies, it changes from a bright blue to a dull color when corporations took over. It seems as if the color change symbolizes corporations poisoning the environment, the food, and the animals.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Response to Quote
"Whatever native wisdom we may once have possessed about eating has been replaced by confusion and anxiety. Somehow this most elemental of activities - figuring out what to eat - has come to require a remarkable amount of expert help" (Pollan, page 1 of The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals).
I think that this quote does not really describe me because I eat whatever I want to eat and not whatever people say is healthy. The things I eat can be delicious and unhealthy but I still eat it because of the taste. My mom would tell me not to eat certain things when I am sick but whenever I am hungry, I would consume them. Although I do think that this quote has some point; during dinner, it is my mom who buys the groceries and does the cooking. Dinner is a mix of what I like to eat, and what my mom says I must eat because it is healthy. She allows me to choose what to eat, but she adds vegetables and steamed fish to the table.
I think that this quote does not really describe me because I eat whatever I want to eat and not whatever people say is healthy. The things I eat can be delicious and unhealthy but I still eat it because of the taste. My mom would tell me not to eat certain things when I am sick but whenever I am hungry, I would consume them. Although I do think that this quote has some point; during dinner, it is my mom who buys the groceries and does the cooking. Dinner is a mix of what I like to eat, and what my mom says I must eat because it is healthy. She allows me to choose what to eat, but she adds vegetables and steamed fish to the table.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Grocery Store and Habitual Food
In a typical week, I would be eating cauliflower and Chinese cabbage. Sometimes, the cauliflower would be steamed and made into soup (my favorite), or it would be mixed with crabs and/or fried eggs. As for Chinese cabbage, my mom would cook it by itself or, like the cauliflower, mix cabbage with crabs and/or fried eggs. My mom would buy apples, because that is the fruit that I mostly eat, and might stock up on tangerines. We do not really eat nuts at home, except for this kind that my mom would buy raw, and then fry it herself as a side dish for breakfast with porridge.
The grocery stores I go to, or at least the supermarkets I go to, are different from the ones I have seen with the class and are pretty different from Pathmark. In the supermarkets I go to, the do not stack the vegetables so that there is a particular at eye level. Instead, they spread it out next to each other. The fruits, are outside the supermarket. I noticed that my mom would never walk down the condiment aisle, and I think that is a factor as to why my food do not really have a taste. Since I mostly eat Chinese food, I feel that my knowledge about other cultural food is not as vast. On special occasions, I would go to a Japanese restaurant or a Malaysian restaurant to eat, and I would find my older sister ordering my food because I have no clue what are the good stuff.
The grocery stores I go to, or at least the supermarkets I go to, are different from the ones I have seen with the class and are pretty different from Pathmark. In the supermarkets I go to, the do not stack the vegetables so that there is a particular at eye level. Instead, they spread it out next to each other. The fruits, are outside the supermarket. I noticed that my mom would never walk down the condiment aisle, and I think that is a factor as to why my food do not really have a taste. Since I mostly eat Chinese food, I feel that my knowledge about other cultural food is not as vast. On special occasions, I would go to a Japanese restaurant or a Malaysian restaurant to eat, and I would find my older sister ordering my food because I have no clue what are the good stuff.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Brookyln Food Conference
During the first session, I went to a Teen Program: Nutrition 101 hoping to learn something since it was a teen program. Turned out, it was boring; it was taught by two high school sophomores and I felt that they did not know what they were talking about. They were reading from their papers and I was not absorbing anything from that so I ditched half of the session for the stuff in the gyms. We talked about nutrients, sugar, fats, etc; waste of my 45 minutes.
I thought that the second session was more interesting; I went to the School Food Activism workshop. They talked about some of the main problems with school lunch and what can be done to solve them. The lack of resources and the lack of participation hinders them from getting students to eat healthy. I agree with the fact that people (not just parents but students too) are not doing things to make school lunch something better. They also mentioned that students should talk to the manager of the kitchen to let their voices be heard. I feel that students lack that knowledge; but then again, if there were students (like myself) who were educated about this, they would probably not do anything. One of the reasons might connect to the tactic of control: fear. Students might be afraid that they do not have enough power over the authorities to make a change. Others, might just need a plan to unleash their leadership skills. Students need to know that they can change the food that are being served at school and they can choose what is being served. Hunter surveys show that students do not want to be labeled as being poor and that reminded me of the Food Stamp issue. I think it is just stupid to care about what others think of you regardless of the situation. Someone at the session mentioned food meditation and she said that doing the meditation allows one to actually taste the food, even though it might take an hour to eat a strawberry. I started to take food meditation into consideration and started to think about the way I eat my food. First, I imagined myself meditating at the dinner table and then I saw my mom telling me to finish my food. I feel that people do not take the time to appreciate the food they are getting and they do not think about how the food come about. Then on the other hand, I am not saying to sit there and spend your lunchtime thinking about where the food came from instead of getting your energy.
I thought that the second session was more interesting; I went to the School Food Activism workshop. They talked about some of the main problems with school lunch and what can be done to solve them. The lack of resources and the lack of participation hinders them from getting students to eat healthy. I agree with the fact that people (not just parents but students too) are not doing things to make school lunch something better. They also mentioned that students should talk to the manager of the kitchen to let their voices be heard. I feel that students lack that knowledge; but then again, if there were students (like myself) who were educated about this, they would probably not do anything. One of the reasons might connect to the tactic of control: fear. Students might be afraid that they do not have enough power over the authorities to make a change. Others, might just need a plan to unleash their leadership skills. Students need to know that they can change the food that are being served at school and they can choose what is being served. Hunter surveys show that students do not want to be labeled as being poor and that reminded me of the Food Stamp issue. I think it is just stupid to care about what others think of you regardless of the situation. Someone at the session mentioned food meditation and she said that doing the meditation allows one to actually taste the food, even though it might take an hour to eat a strawberry. I started to take food meditation into consideration and started to think about the way I eat my food. First, I imagined myself meditating at the dinner table and then I saw my mom telling me to finish my food. I feel that people do not take the time to appreciate the food they are getting and they do not think about how the food come about. Then on the other hand, I am not saying to sit there and spend your lunchtime thinking about where the food came from instead of getting your energy.
Friday, May 1, 2009
May Day
I think that the fact that May Day is celebrated almost everywhere else except the United States supports the argument about using fear to control. In Chicago 1886, workers were shot by the police for striking (International Worker's Day). This incident has set an example for the Americans; if they celebrate May Day, then they will get killed. Americans are being controlled with fear by the government and they should break free of that. If they can turn the tables and show the government that the people are in power, then they can do much more than just celebrate May Day.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Food Journal
Tuesday night, I ate rice, fish, pork, cauliflower, and crab. As usual, my mom did the cooking and I must add that she does the grocery shopping by herself. I got to the table late so I ate with my mom only. My mom was pretty unhappy about my getting to the table late but I think she would have been lonely if she ate alone. Dinner took about an hour an a half. Being Chinese, I believe that my mom trained us to use chopsticks. My mom and I ate with the TV on but we did not really pay attention to it; it was on so the silence would not make us feel awkward. At the dinner table, my mom continued the conversation about majoring in accounting. Before arriving at the dinner table, I was starving but the conversation made me want to get out of there. After eating, I tried to make myself feel better from making my younger sister wash the dishes by clearing the table for her.
Wednesday morning, I ate a pork bun and drank hot milk tea that my mom went out and bought at the bakery. This time, I was eating while I was standing up; I think one reason is because my mom did not start eating yet so there was no one else at the table. Breakfast took about ten minutes while watching NY1. My mom brought up a conversation and asked me why I was going to school so late today. I was pretty hungry when I woke up yesterday morning and I felt kinda anxious while eating breakfast because it was weird for me to go to school at 9:30. After finishing my pork bun, I took my milk tea and went out the door.
I skipped lunch on Wednesday. I guess one reason is because I am not used to the food around 23rd; it is different from the types of food in Chinatown. Another reason is that I feel bad spending money on lunch when I am being offered free lunch in school.
Wednesday morning, I ate a pork bun and drank hot milk tea that my mom went out and bought at the bakery. This time, I was eating while I was standing up; I think one reason is because my mom did not start eating yet so there was no one else at the table. Breakfast took about ten minutes while watching NY1. My mom brought up a conversation and asked me why I was going to school so late today. I was pretty hungry when I woke up yesterday morning and I felt kinda anxious while eating breakfast because it was weird for me to go to school at 9:30. After finishing my pork bun, I took my milk tea and went out the door.
I skipped lunch on Wednesday. I guess one reason is because I am not used to the food around 23rd; it is different from the types of food in Chinatown. Another reason is that I feel bad spending money on lunch when I am being offered free lunch in school.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Food Cultures
My mom does all the cooking (unless my uncle comes to visit) and she cooks for about an hour everyday. The food my mom cooks does not really have any taste; I think that is just how Fujianese people cook. While my mom cooks, she would tell the kids to eat first, even though she values family eating together. She is not really that strict about eating together; she would never make any one of us wait if everyone is not at the table. What she does is force us to eat during family dinners or on special occasions like celebrating a holiday. My mom would disapprove my eating near my laptop because she believes that dinner is when you spend time with your family. So after my mom cooks the food, she would sit down to start eating and the older kids would join her. While we eat, we leave the TV on so we are not just staring off into space and the silence does not fill the air.
I feel that I follow more of my family’s foodways rather than American foodways. One reason is that I am currently living under her roof so I have to go by her rules. The other reason is that I grew up with my family’s foodways so I sort of inherited my family’s foodways. But, I do believe that I, someday, will start to order out instead of cook like my mom does. I also feel that most Americans do not know how to cook; so they order out. This is better for the economic and the rich people because they can make money off of people who do not have the skills to cook. I also believe that those who constantly order takeout are more likely to develop health problems because they are eating unhealthy foods most of the time. So since many people do not know how to cook, others (including descendants who values eating at home, like me) are not pressured into learning how to cook.
From what people said in class, corporate Americans order takeout most of the time and they do not eat leftovers after two days.
I feel that I follow more of my family’s foodways rather than American foodways. One reason is that I am currently living under her roof so I have to go by her rules. The other reason is that I grew up with my family’s foodways so I sort of inherited my family’s foodways. But, I do believe that I, someday, will start to order out instead of cook like my mom does. I also feel that most Americans do not know how to cook; so they order out. This is better for the economic and the rich people because they can make money off of people who do not have the skills to cook. I also believe that those who constantly order takeout are more likely to develop health problems because they are eating unhealthy foods most of the time. So since many people do not know how to cook, others (including descendants who values eating at home, like me) are not pressured into learning how to cook.
From what people said in class, corporate Americans order takeout most of the time and they do not eat leftovers after two days.
Monday, April 27, 2009
How does one's income affect the quality of the food one eats?
People with a higher income are not only able to purchase a lot of food, but they can also purchase expensive food. Inversely, people with a lower income are not able to eat expensive food and receive all the nutrients from them. Foster thinks that people with lower income are just not able to afford the expensive food, even though they know what they are missing out on.
What is in my 'fridge? [Edits]
- hot dogs
- cheese
- milk
- juice
- peaches
- chicken
- fish
- Chinese cabbage (Bok Choy)
- rice
- eggs
- apples
- wasabi
- preserved bean curd
- pepper
- ginger
- barbecue sauce
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Analysis of HMOs, Single-Payers, and Socialized Healthcare Systems
Canadians have a single-payer healthcare system (A. Snyder, History lecture, April 6, 2009). In a single-payer healthcare system, everyone is covered by the same plan, which pays the private providers. This lowers costs because there is no competition, due to only one plan paying the private providers. There are no healthcare insurance companies who deny patients because the healthcare insurance companies cannot pay the medical bills. Single-payer healthcare systems ensure healthcare for all citizens and citizens are not denied due to their health history. Canadians do not have to choose one healthcare insurance company over the other or be limited to which doctors they are allowed to see. From 1985 to the year 2002, single-payers increased the cost of healthcare by only $1680 while the HMOs in the United States increased the cost of healthcare by $3508 (SB 840 Single Payer Advantages for Employers). Although the number for Canada is lower than the number for the United States, the cost of healthcare in both countries is still increasing. Healthcare insurance companies oppose the single-payer system because it prevents them from making profit off of denying patients.
The United States has the HMOs who help lower costs and pays for the healthcare (A. Snyder, History lecture, April 6, 2009). The way the HMOs lower costs is by avoiding healthcare that cost more than it would be. For example, if someone needs to see an anesthesiologist, the HMOs would send that person to a physician who studies internal medicine. This would help the patient but it may not be enough help. Providers in this system feel that they do not get paid enough so they come up with strategies that will enable them to earn profit. As a consequence, approximately 28% of Americans under the age of 65 are uninsured in 2007 (Health Insurance Coverage). According to Michael Moore’s Sicko, 18,000 people die every year because they are unable to pay for insurance.
Healthcare in the United States is so horrible that the poorest people in England live longer than the wealthiest people in the United States. England has a socialized healthcare system where the healthcare is provided by the government, like how libraries and schools are provided by the government. This type of healthcare system, like single-payer in Canada, is universal; allowing everyone to receive treatment. Doctors in England work for the government and get paid more for healthier patients (Michael Moore). They keep track of the number of patients and their health status. On the other hand, employees of HMOs are paid based on how many people they have denied. Socialized healthcare give the people the power over their healthcare. In this case, the government is frightened by the people but in the United States, the people are afraid of the government. Even the poor people are defenseless against the rich people who bribe government officials into what the rich people want. As an English person stated in the movie, there are two techniques to control: frighten people and demoralize them.
There are pros and cons to the HMO, single-payer, and socialized healthcare systems. Both the HMOs and the single-payer system lower costs in their own ways but greed has motivated the HMOs to deny people for profit and causing over 45 million uninsured Americans. Single-payers and socialized healthcare systems provides healthcare for everyone so that even the poor people can get treated. Given these options, people hope that Americans will make the right choice that will lower healthcare costs and decrease mortality rates.
The United States has the HMOs who help lower costs and pays for the healthcare (A. Snyder, History lecture, April 6, 2009). The way the HMOs lower costs is by avoiding healthcare that cost more than it would be. For example, if someone needs to see an anesthesiologist, the HMOs would send that person to a physician who studies internal medicine. This would help the patient but it may not be enough help. Providers in this system feel that they do not get paid enough so they come up with strategies that will enable them to earn profit. As a consequence, approximately 28% of Americans under the age of 65 are uninsured in 2007 (Health Insurance Coverage). According to Michael Moore’s Sicko, 18,000 people die every year because they are unable to pay for insurance.
Healthcare in the United States is so horrible that the poorest people in England live longer than the wealthiest people in the United States. England has a socialized healthcare system where the healthcare is provided by the government, like how libraries and schools are provided by the government. This type of healthcare system, like single-payer in Canada, is universal; allowing everyone to receive treatment. Doctors in England work for the government and get paid more for healthier patients (Michael Moore). They keep track of the number of patients and their health status. On the other hand, employees of HMOs are paid based on how many people they have denied. Socialized healthcare give the people the power over their healthcare. In this case, the government is frightened by the people but in the United States, the people are afraid of the government. Even the poor people are defenseless against the rich people who bribe government officials into what the rich people want. As an English person stated in the movie, there are two techniques to control: frighten people and demoralize them.
There are pros and cons to the HMO, single-payer, and socialized healthcare systems. Both the HMOs and the single-payer system lower costs in their own ways but greed has motivated the HMOs to deny people for profit and causing over 45 million uninsured Americans. Single-payers and socialized healthcare systems provides healthcare for everyone so that even the poor people can get treated. Given these options, people hope that Americans will make the right choice that will lower healthcare costs and decrease mortality rates.
Friday, April 24, 2009
What is in my 'fridge?
- hot dogs
- cheese
- milk
- juice
- peaches
- chicken
- fish
- Chinese cabbage (Bok Choy)
- rice
- eggs
- apples
- wasabi
- preserved bean curd
- pepper
- ginger
- barbecue sauce
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Healthcare
I have medicaid; it is for poor people and the people cannot be denied. This is somewhat like a safety net for poor people. I do not deal with the payments but I have not heard my sister complain about the bills. The things that the people in Sicko have to go through were catastrophic and cannot be compared to people with medicaid. People have died because of denials from their private insurance companies.
[Edit] 4/15
My sister is being accused by medicaid of fraud >_<
She kept avoiding the topic so I could not find further information
[Edit] 4/15
My sister is being accused by medicaid of fraud >_<
She kept avoiding the topic so I could not find further information
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Chair Activities
The first time we played musical chairs, people were losing because there was not enough chairs for everyone. There was always one less chair than the number of people that were playing the game. Unlike the game, I think that there is enough wealth in the US but the rich people are just hogging up the wealth. The game also supports Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest; some people were able to stay in the game for a longer period of time because they elbowed and pushed people out of the way while others did not. This is similar to the social class system because the some of the rich people were born with money; allowing them to accumulate more wealth and expropriating from the poor. The second time we played musical chairs, it was unfair for the people who did not have a chair reserved for them so they had to fight for the limited chairs. Likewise, poor people have to live off of a limited resource, the government while the rich people have more than enough. The people who had chair reserved for them slowly walked to the seats, while the poor people fought for the free ones. This connects to how the rich people just sit back and collect the wealth while the poor have to compete against one another. Only a few people sat in chairs that were reserved for some people were kicked out by the "police". The others, like most people, have been trained to obey the authorities so they felt that they were not allowed to sit in the reserved chairs.
When we did the activity with the twenty chairs, I felt that if you looked at the top section (where the rich people are sprawled out), you wished that you could be just like them. Then, if you looked at the bottom section (where the poor people are crammed), you feel like the system is messed up. Because of the rich people, others think that they have a chance to be like the rich ones so no one starts a revolution. Wishing to be like the rich people and hating the system at the same time shows that people tend to have mixed feelings. I agree with Ali Jo, about the fact that it also follows the thesis and the antithesis concept; the thesis is the class system and the antithesis is the mixed feelings, all we have to do is wait for the higher synthesis.
When we did the activity with the twenty chairs, I felt that if you looked at the top section (where the rich people are sprawled out), you wished that you could be just like them. Then, if you looked at the bottom section (where the poor people are crammed), you feel like the system is messed up. Because of the rich people, others think that they have a chance to be like the rich ones so no one starts a revolution. Wishing to be like the rich people and hating the system at the same time shows that people tend to have mixed feelings. I agree with Ali Jo, about the fact that it also follows the thesis and the antithesis concept; the thesis is the class system and the antithesis is the mixed feelings, all we have to do is wait for the higher synthesis.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Wealth & Poverty in the US
1. What will happen to the gap between the rich and the poor in the future?
As the income in the US increase, the income of the top 1 percent increase while the income of the bottom 90 percent decrease
2. Why are whites more wealthy than others?
One reason is that land was stolen and given to the whites so they can make money
3. What is the relationship between one's wealth and one's happiness?
More wealth does not necessarily mean the happier one becomes
4. What is happening to the gap between races?
The gap between races is also increasing
5. How many children in the world die each day from poverty?
25,000
As the income in the US increase, the income of the top 1 percent increase while the income of the bottom 90 percent decrease
2. Why are whites more wealthy than others?
One reason is that land was stolen and given to the whites so they can make money
3. What is the relationship between one's wealth and one's happiness?
More wealth does not necessarily mean the happier one becomes
4. What is happening to the gap between races?
The gap between races is also increasing
5. How many children in the world die each day from poverty?
25,000
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Social Welfare System & Taxes
The poverty line for a family of two is $14,000 and the estimated minimal yearly expense is $28,000, double the poverty line. Given such a low poverty line and a high yearly expense, how does the US manage to have a poverty rate of only 12% to 17%? The US provides Section 8; the people receives vouchers, which are used to pay the rent, or the US can provide public housing; houses that have low rents. As for food, the government provides food stamps; the people use these monthly incomes with a card when purchasing food. Insurance companies like Medicaid and CHIPS pays for the medical bills. Daycare programs like Head Start takes care of the children when the parents are working and people can shop at the Salvation Army.
People do not get these stuff for free, they have to pay taxes. US has a marginal tax system. If a single (not married) person earns between $0 to $8,350, that person gets taxed 10% and if the person earns between $8,351 to $33,590, that person gets taxed 15%. These ranges of numbers are called brackets. US also has a progressive system: as one move from a lower bracket to a higher one, one's tax rate increases. To say that one gets taxed 15% does not mean that one pays 15% of their income; in fact, one pays less than 15%. If one earns $33,000, then one will get taxed 10% of $8,350, which is $835, and then one will get taxed 15% of $24,650 ($33,000-$8,350), which is $3697.50, paying a total of $4532.50 (the effective tax). But if one was really to be taxed 15%, then one will have to pay $4950 (the nominal tax). Under a marginal tax system, the rich people would be saving more than if under a flat tax system.
In the Danish system, medical bills and school is paid through taxes but the tax rate there is 50%-60%. The government supports the people for up to fours years so it motivates them to get a job but they only get $3000. Money is put into the bank account for the people to spend. They have a firm that gives you money, in addition to the money that the government gives, when one is unemployed; once one is employed, one has to pay the firm. Seniors get money from the government when they are retired between the ages of 62-67, no later than 70. Parents have the choice of sending their kids to pre-school, for children between 2-5, or nursing. In daycare, for children between 0-2, they have a ratio of 4 children to 1 teacher. After the age of 18, students get paid for going to school and private schools only cost $200-$300. The government pay for the college tuition and kids between the ages of 14-18 pay 8% tax.
I think the US should adopt the Danish system because I believe it is cheaper to pay a higher tax than pay a lower tax and have to pay for other things. In the US, people pay for social security and medicare tax, income tax, sales tax, and bills. On the other hand, you keep half your income and get free medical care, school, retirement money, daycare, and college courses. People get paid for going to school. I also think that the Danish system kind of solves the free rider and the ignored drown-er problem. The government gives the unemployed money for up to four years and then they must find a job to support themselves. Providing money for the unemployed solves the ignored drown-er problem and paying them for up to four years solves the free rider problem.
People do not get these stuff for free, they have to pay taxes. US has a marginal tax system. If a single (not married) person earns between $0 to $8,350, that person gets taxed 10% and if the person earns between $8,351 to $33,590, that person gets taxed 15%. These ranges of numbers are called brackets. US also has a progressive system: as one move from a lower bracket to a higher one, one's tax rate increases. To say that one gets taxed 15% does not mean that one pays 15% of their income; in fact, one pays less than 15%. If one earns $33,000, then one will get taxed 10% of $8,350, which is $835, and then one will get taxed 15% of $24,650 ($33,000-$8,350), which is $3697.50, paying a total of $4532.50 (the effective tax). But if one was really to be taxed 15%, then one will have to pay $4950 (the nominal tax). Under a marginal tax system, the rich people would be saving more than if under a flat tax system.
In the Danish system, medical bills and school is paid through taxes but the tax rate there is 50%-60%. The government supports the people for up to fours years so it motivates them to get a job but they only get $3000. Money is put into the bank account for the people to spend. They have a firm that gives you money, in addition to the money that the government gives, when one is unemployed; once one is employed, one has to pay the firm. Seniors get money from the government when they are retired between the ages of 62-67, no later than 70. Parents have the choice of sending their kids to pre-school, for children between 2-5, or nursing. In daycare, for children between 0-2, they have a ratio of 4 children to 1 teacher. After the age of 18, students get paid for going to school and private schools only cost $200-$300. The government pay for the college tuition and kids between the ages of 14-18 pay 8% tax.
I think the US should adopt the Danish system because I believe it is cheaper to pay a higher tax than pay a lower tax and have to pay for other things. In the US, people pay for social security and medicare tax, income tax, sales tax, and bills. On the other hand, you keep half your income and get free medical care, school, retirement money, daycare, and college courses. People get paid for going to school. I also think that the Danish system kind of solves the free rider and the ignored drown-er problem. The government gives the unemployed money for up to four years and then they must find a job to support themselves. Providing money for the unemployed solves the ignored drown-er problem and paying them for up to four years solves the free rider problem.
Monday, March 9, 2009
AWOB
Doctors are the leaders people look for when they need medical assistance and midwives... most people do not even know what a midwife is. Midwives are people (not just women) who are just as adept as doctors in delivering babies but many people do not see this alternative. Interviews and videos show that having a midwife deliver babies are actually a better option than having doctors deliver babies.
Doctors are not always with their patients, causing the women to feel anxious because no one would know what to do when an emergency happens. In Emily's birth story, her water broke at 3:30am so she called her doctor and went to the hospital but the doctor was not at the hospital. While she waited for her doctor, she had to cope with her pain until the doctor arrived at 8:00am. Emily had to wait for four and a half hours until the doctor came to check up on her. During the four and a half hours, Emily had to endure the pain longer because the doctor was not there to hold the baby. Doctors are not there when Emily need them most in a time of pregnancy. In Emma's birth story, she could not even walk straight when she got to the hospital. On top of that, she had to wait for a while longer because the nurse had to try to find the doctor. She had to suffer more pain because the doctor was not there when she needed someone to do something about the pain. The pain had caused her and her aunt to break down and cry so while feeling the pain, Emma had to use her energy to cry. If something had happened during the times the doctor was not supervising, it would be the doctor's responsibility because the doctor was not there to prevent any emergency from happening.
The woman has to go to the doctor to deliver the baby. Delivering a child should be about the woman so the doctors should go to the woman whenever she needs them and not the other way around. Emma thought she was ready to give birth at 11pm so she went to the hospital but the doctor told her that she was not ready and got sent back home. She has to carry herself and her baby to see the doctor just to find out that she has to take her and herself back home. Then two days later, Emma started to feel pain again but this time she did not want to go to the hospital just to get sent back home again. Emma did not feel comfortable going to the doctor every time she was felt like she was ready to go into labor. If every women chose not to go to the doctor every time they were unsure, then something could happen without their noticing. It is better to have someone be there every time the women need to know what is going on with their body.
Doctors disregard what the women want in their birth plan. Emma had specified that she did not want any observers during her birth process but the doctor came into the room with a medical student. Because Emma was in so much pain, she did not have the energy to reiterate that she does not want any observers. Women may not want people who they are not familiar with to be in the room because it makes the women uncomfortable. If the women becomes uncomfortable, then the women might hold back unconsciously and it makes it harder for women to give birth. It is important for the women to have what she wants during her birth process and doctors fail to do so.
On the other hand, midwives encourage natural birth. Natural births do not include any interventions like cesarean sections so labor is involved in the process. In the interview with Ina May Gaskin, Gaskin mentioned that going through labor releases hormones that cause less pain for the women. These hormones also help the babies by wetter the baby's lungs so that the baby can breathe better. Having an intervention might be more painful, like injecting a drug or having the uterus cut open to push the baby out. Not many doctors allow the women to go through labor because they think it increases the chance of a catastrophic event and because of the duration. Natural births are safer, less painful, and more beneficial than normal births and midwives reinforce the idea.
While midwives recommend natural births, doctors talk women into getting a cesarean section. The cesarean section rate should not be higher than 15% but the cesarean section rate in the US is more than double standard rate. In 2006, the cesarean section rate was 31.1%. Cesarean sections, like any other surgical procedures, are not 100% safe and may cause complications like a uterus rupture. According to the interview with Ina May Gaskin, cesarean sections cause injuries. Cesarean sections involve medical and highly technological tools that may inflict damage to the women and the baby. Gaskin also said that cesarean sections increase death rates. While the goal is to decrease the infant mother mortality rate, doctors increase the use of cesarean rates that increase mortality rates.
Midwives support the women during the birth process. In the video with the giraffe giving birth, another giraffe accompanied the mother giraffe so she would not feel separated. The other giraffe acted as a midwife to support and make the mother giraffe feel comfortable so the birth process can be easier. Like humans, people need a midwife that can make them relax during birth to decrease the chance of complications. Stacy Fine remembered that she was "encouraged by midwives". Fine did not feel alone when she went through the birth process; she had midwives to encourage her. Midwives are there to make the birth process easier and take care of the women while she is having her baby.
Doctors tend to center themselves rather than focusing the attention on the women. In the beginning of the Monty Python video, the doctors emphasized that they wanted to use the most expensive machines. Expensive machines may be harmful to the woman but the doctors still use the expensive machines to impress the administrator. When the doctors finished setting up the procedure, the doctors then noticed that the woman was missing. The doctors were too busy setting up the expensive machines that they did not care to wonder where the patient is. After delivering the baby, the mother did not even get a chance to see the gender of the baby. The doctors did not want to waste any time allowing the mother to see the baby because it prevented the doctor from making money off of other woman. They took away the baby and left at the same time; leaving the woman on the bed not knowing what to do. The doctors do not bother to take care of the woman after delivering because that will also take away their time. While giving birth is all about the women, the doctors make it so that the birth is about them making money.
Midwives allow the women to have power over their birth. In the documentary The Business of Being Born (BoBB), someone had mentioned that the setting of the birth determines who has the power. So if the woman goes to the hospital, then the doctors have the power because the women are in the doctor's 'territory'. On the other hand, if the midwives go to the woman's home, then the woman have power over her birth because she is at her home. Only midwives allow the women to stay at home while the midwives take care of the women at their home. Doctors require the women to go to the hospital, where it makes the women uncomfortable with germs, and the women are not able to do anything because they are in the hospital. It is better for women to have the birth with a midwife because midwives allow the women to stay home for birth.
Doctors make things harder for the women and do not give them priority. The women has to accommodate to the doctor's schedules and they have to be the one traveling around. In contrast, midwives do what is best for the women and support their decisions. They step back and allow the women to choose their birth and only step in when the women need them. Midwives seem to be a better choice plan births with with than with a doctor.
Continuing Thoughts & Questions
Doctors are not always with their patients, causing the women to feel anxious because no one would know what to do when an emergency happens. In Emily's birth story, her water broke at 3:30am so she called her doctor and went to the hospital but the doctor was not at the hospital. While she waited for her doctor, she had to cope with her pain until the doctor arrived at 8:00am. Emily had to wait for four and a half hours until the doctor came to check up on her. During the four and a half hours, Emily had to endure the pain longer because the doctor was not there to hold the baby. Doctors are not there when Emily need them most in a time of pregnancy. In Emma's birth story, she could not even walk straight when she got to the hospital. On top of that, she had to wait for a while longer because the nurse had to try to find the doctor. She had to suffer more pain because the doctor was not there when she needed someone to do something about the pain. The pain had caused her and her aunt to break down and cry so while feeling the pain, Emma had to use her energy to cry. If something had happened during the times the doctor was not supervising, it would be the doctor's responsibility because the doctor was not there to prevent any emergency from happening.
The woman has to go to the doctor to deliver the baby. Delivering a child should be about the woman so the doctors should go to the woman whenever she needs them and not the other way around. Emma thought she was ready to give birth at 11pm so she went to the hospital but the doctor told her that she was not ready and got sent back home. She has to carry herself and her baby to see the doctor just to find out that she has to take her and herself back home. Then two days later, Emma started to feel pain again but this time she did not want to go to the hospital just to get sent back home again. Emma did not feel comfortable going to the doctor every time she was felt like she was ready to go into labor. If every women chose not to go to the doctor every time they were unsure, then something could happen without their noticing. It is better to have someone be there every time the women need to know what is going on with their body.
Doctors disregard what the women want in their birth plan. Emma had specified that she did not want any observers during her birth process but the doctor came into the room with a medical student. Because Emma was in so much pain, she did not have the energy to reiterate that she does not want any observers. Women may not want people who they are not familiar with to be in the room because it makes the women uncomfortable. If the women becomes uncomfortable, then the women might hold back unconsciously and it makes it harder for women to give birth. It is important for the women to have what she wants during her birth process and doctors fail to do so.
On the other hand, midwives encourage natural birth. Natural births do not include any interventions like cesarean sections so labor is involved in the process. In the interview with Ina May Gaskin, Gaskin mentioned that going through labor releases hormones that cause less pain for the women. These hormones also help the babies by wetter the baby's lungs so that the baby can breathe better. Having an intervention might be more painful, like injecting a drug or having the uterus cut open to push the baby out. Not many doctors allow the women to go through labor because they think it increases the chance of a catastrophic event and because of the duration. Natural births are safer, less painful, and more beneficial than normal births and midwives reinforce the idea.
While midwives recommend natural births, doctors talk women into getting a cesarean section. The cesarean section rate should not be higher than 15% but the cesarean section rate in the US is more than double standard rate. In 2006, the cesarean section rate was 31.1%. Cesarean sections, like any other surgical procedures, are not 100% safe and may cause complications like a uterus rupture. According to the interview with Ina May Gaskin, cesarean sections cause injuries. Cesarean sections involve medical and highly technological tools that may inflict damage to the women and the baby. Gaskin also said that cesarean sections increase death rates. While the goal is to decrease the infant mother mortality rate, doctors increase the use of cesarean rates that increase mortality rates.
Midwives support the women during the birth process. In the video with the giraffe giving birth, another giraffe accompanied the mother giraffe so she would not feel separated. The other giraffe acted as a midwife to support and make the mother giraffe feel comfortable so the birth process can be easier. Like humans, people need a midwife that can make them relax during birth to decrease the chance of complications. Stacy Fine remembered that she was "encouraged by midwives". Fine did not feel alone when she went through the birth process; she had midwives to encourage her. Midwives are there to make the birth process easier and take care of the women while she is having her baby.
Doctors tend to center themselves rather than focusing the attention on the women. In the beginning of the Monty Python video, the doctors emphasized that they wanted to use the most expensive machines. Expensive machines may be harmful to the woman but the doctors still use the expensive machines to impress the administrator. When the doctors finished setting up the procedure, the doctors then noticed that the woman was missing. The doctors were too busy setting up the expensive machines that they did not care to wonder where the patient is. After delivering the baby, the mother did not even get a chance to see the gender of the baby. The doctors did not want to waste any time allowing the mother to see the baby because it prevented the doctor from making money off of other woman. They took away the baby and left at the same time; leaving the woman on the bed not knowing what to do. The doctors do not bother to take care of the woman after delivering because that will also take away their time. While giving birth is all about the women, the doctors make it so that the birth is about them making money.
Midwives allow the women to have power over their birth. In the documentary The Business of Being Born (BoBB), someone had mentioned that the setting of the birth determines who has the power. So if the woman goes to the hospital, then the doctors have the power because the women are in the doctor's 'territory'. On the other hand, if the midwives go to the woman's home, then the woman have power over her birth because she is at her home. Only midwives allow the women to stay at home while the midwives take care of the women at their home. Doctors require the women to go to the hospital, where it makes the women uncomfortable with germs, and the women are not able to do anything because they are in the hospital. It is better for women to have the birth with a midwife because midwives allow the women to stay home for birth.
Doctors make things harder for the women and do not give them priority. The women has to accommodate to the doctor's schedules and they have to be the one traveling around. In contrast, midwives do what is best for the women and support their decisions. They step back and allow the women to choose their birth and only step in when the women need them. Midwives seem to be a better choice plan births with with than with a doctor.
Continuing Thoughts & Questions
- nurses are almost like midwives in that they support the women during birth, 'cept that nurses do not provide as much care as midwives
- birth do not have to be black and white; midwives can operate with doctors in hospitals
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Midwives or Doctors?
I. Introduction
- interviews
- c-section research
- videos
- midwives do a better job than doctors
- doctor's are not there all the time: in birth story #1, she called the doctor at 3:30am but meets the couples at 8:00am; birth story #4, she screamed in pain as the nurse tried to find the doctor
- the woman has to go to the doctor: birth story #4, she went to the hospital at 11pm but got sent back home
- doctor's disregard what the women want: birth story #4, she had specified that she did not want any observers but the doctor brought in a medical student
- midwives encourage natural birth: release hormones, causing less pain and babies breathe better (Fine)
- % of c-sections: in 2006, 31.1 compared to standard %
- Fine: cause injuries
- Fine: increase death rates
- midwives are supporters: giraffes need a virtual midwife; Stacy Fine was "encouraged by midwives"
- doctors center themselves: in Monty Python,doctors just want to impress admin, doctors did not notice that the patient was missing, they did not allow the mother to figure out the gender of the baby because it took away their time, and they left the patient in the room after the process
- doctors induce labor: according to Ina May, they "finger rape", using their finger to push the hole open
- midwives allow the women to have power over birth: midwives go to the woman's home (BoBB)
- doctors do their job for the money: they charge 13k-14k for normal birth with no complications while midwives charge only 4k that includes postnatal care, they do their job, then leaves for another job (BoBB)
- doctors do not allow the women to have power over birth: the women must be strapped down causing her unable to move (BoBB)
Friday, February 27, 2009
Business of Being Born Response
I think one of the most important moments in the film was that midwives did not pressure the women. Watching the film, in my opinion, made the audience more comfortable to the choice of having a home birth. The film emphasized the significance of having a midwife present during birth. Midwives allows the women to have power over her birth process, unlike doctors who only care about the money. Doctors charge the women at least 12K-13K for a normal birth with no complications and midwives only charge 4K.
When watching the film, the audience can tell that doctors always center themselves in the hospitals. The doctors are the ones who make the decision about whether or not the women should have an intervention and most of the time, the women do get an intervention. Most doctors give the women an intervention because if something goes wrong, then it is the doctor's fault and here goes the money problem. While the women is delivering a baby at the hospital, she is strapped down to the bed, metaphorically describing how the women does not have control over her choices and her own body. The film mentioned that the doctors just comes to deliver the baby and then leaves while the midwives continues to take care of the women.
When watching the film, the audience can tell that doctors always center themselves in the hospitals. The doctors are the ones who make the decision about whether or not the women should have an intervention and most of the time, the women do get an intervention. Most doctors give the women an intervention because if something goes wrong, then it is the doctor's fault and here goes the money problem. While the women is delivering a baby at the hospital, she is strapped down to the bed, metaphorically describing how the women does not have control over her choices and her own body. The film mentioned that the doctors just comes to deliver the baby and then leaves while the midwives continues to take care of the women.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Break HW
The only normal thing about the giraffe giving birth is that the calf’s legs were hanging out of the mother. Everything else, basically, was recreated to make the giraffe perceive it as a natural birth instead of a normal birth that happens in the fertility center. In the fertility center, there is another giraffe (other than the one giving birth) that acts like a “virtual midwife”. This way, the normal setting looks more natural because the midwife can snuggle up with the giraffe giving birth and encourage it so the giraffe giving birth does not feel separated. After the baby drops out followed by a whole bunch of liquids, the mother giraffe licks, paws, and nudges the baby to get it up. This kind of reminds me of humans spanking the baby to get them to cry or to get the mucus out of their throat. The video mentioned that it usually takes about half an hour for calves to stand up in the wild but the one in the video took less time. The calf in the video was born normally because it inherited the genes from the giraffe in the zoo that enables it to stand up in a short amount of time. Normal giraffe births involve sand being put into the stall instead of the sand being there in the first place.
The doctors in the Monty Python video used expensive machines just so that they can impress the administrator. It gives the administrator a false image of the doctors doing the right thing and it also gives us the wrong image. People listen to doctors because they are the experts and they take the lead when it comes to giving birth. But sometimes, what the doctors are doing may not be the best for the patients and what they are doing is just the easier way of doing it. The purpose of the ping machine is to let the mother know that her baby is still alive but even after the video, the machine still pinged. Even if the doctor say that the baby is alive or that using intervention techniques are easier, it may not be true. The doctors in the video did not use a scissor to cut the umbilical cord because scissors are harder to use and it takes a long time when it comes to cutting the umbilical cord. They only think for themselves and center themselves instead of the patient. After making sure that the operation would make them stand out to the administrator was when they realize that they were missing the patient. Then after getting the baby out, it is supposed to be the time when the mother and the baby meet but the mother did not get to hold the baby or even see if it was a boy or girl. At the end, everyone including the doctor just left the room and did not bother taking care of the women.
In the video with Ina May, she described normal birth as “finger rape”. In normal births, the doctors induce the birth and one way to do it is to use their finger and push the hole open. Ina May refers to the uterus as a sphincter and describes it as shy so when the women is uncomfortable, the “shy sphincter” closes during normal birth. On the other hand, this does not happen during natural birth because there are no strangers to make the women feel embarrassed. The zoo keepers in the video with the giraffe fix this problem by having a midwife at the fertility center so the giraffe does not feel uncomfortable. Doctors try to fix this problem with humans by using drugs like epidural and oxytocin to make the women and the uterus relax but it does not work.
Stacy Fine remembers her second birth with a “gold full moon” in a “soft humid night” (interview with Ina May). Based on her use of adjectives, it can be inferred that it was a pleasant experience more than a painful one. Fine remembered the “natural sounds” that night and she was “encouraged by midwives” to think of the contractions as rushes. I think midwives are a significant part to any birth. They are there for encouragement, support and they take care of the women and the baby before and after birth. Doctors insisted women to use drugs in normal births and would not allow the baby to be born without using drugs back in the 1900s. They think that it is safer for women to use intervention techniques but women and babies have been injured from the instruments that were used. Intervention techniques were meant to decrease the death rates but instead, they have been increasing them. During training, nurses never witnessed a natural birth so they think that interventions are necessary during birth but when really, natural births are shorter, easier and both the women and the baby are not harmed during natural births. Ina May also said that the labor releases hormones that help women feel less pain and help babies breathe better when they are born.
The doctors in the Monty Python video used expensive machines just so that they can impress the administrator. It gives the administrator a false image of the doctors doing the right thing and it also gives us the wrong image. People listen to doctors because they are the experts and they take the lead when it comes to giving birth. But sometimes, what the doctors are doing may not be the best for the patients and what they are doing is just the easier way of doing it. The purpose of the ping machine is to let the mother know that her baby is still alive but even after the video, the machine still pinged. Even if the doctor say that the baby is alive or that using intervention techniques are easier, it may not be true. The doctors in the video did not use a scissor to cut the umbilical cord because scissors are harder to use and it takes a long time when it comes to cutting the umbilical cord. They only think for themselves and center themselves instead of the patient. After making sure that the operation would make them stand out to the administrator was when they realize that they were missing the patient. Then after getting the baby out, it is supposed to be the time when the mother and the baby meet but the mother did not get to hold the baby or even see if it was a boy or girl. At the end, everyone including the doctor just left the room and did not bother taking care of the women.
In the video with Ina May, she described normal birth as “finger rape”. In normal births, the doctors induce the birth and one way to do it is to use their finger and push the hole open. Ina May refers to the uterus as a sphincter and describes it as shy so when the women is uncomfortable, the “shy sphincter” closes during normal birth. On the other hand, this does not happen during natural birth because there are no strangers to make the women feel embarrassed. The zoo keepers in the video with the giraffe fix this problem by having a midwife at the fertility center so the giraffe does not feel uncomfortable. Doctors try to fix this problem with humans by using drugs like epidural and oxytocin to make the women and the uterus relax but it does not work.
Stacy Fine remembers her second birth with a “gold full moon” in a “soft humid night” (interview with Ina May). Based on her use of adjectives, it can be inferred that it was a pleasant experience more than a painful one. Fine remembered the “natural sounds” that night and she was “encouraged by midwives” to think of the contractions as rushes. I think midwives are a significant part to any birth. They are there for encouragement, support and they take care of the women and the baby before and after birth. Doctors insisted women to use drugs in normal births and would not allow the baby to be born without using drugs back in the 1900s. They think that it is safer for women to use intervention techniques but women and babies have been injured from the instruments that were used. Intervention techniques were meant to decrease the death rates but instead, they have been increasing them. During training, nurses never witnessed a natural birth so they think that interventions are necessary during birth but when really, natural births are shorter, easier and both the women and the baby are not harmed during natural births. Ina May also said that the labor releases hormones that help women feel less pain and help babies breathe better when they are born.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Natural versus Normal Childbirth
At first, I thought natural birth and normal birth was the same thing; just like the way of making a baby was natural and normal at the same time. This lecture made me understand natural and normal births at a larger scope because now I know that a lot of people have birth interventions. I thought that the use of birth intervention techniques always depended on whether or not the women wanted one but the truth is that doctors force them to have them (in a way). Normal births costs more because it involves medical professionals, steel instruments, and more advance technology.
Birth have been thought of as a painful process but birth doesn't have to be painful. So why do we think that all birth are painful? Maybe because the doctors created this specific procedure that involves more technical stuff and over time, it became the normal way to be born. This way, the doctors can make more money off of the technologies and the drugs used during the delivery. The doctors manipulate women to using the intervention techniques so women do not really have any control to whether they want to have interventions. In normal birth, the doctors are centered so they are viewed as the leader and they make the women use the intervention techniques through fear.
Birth have been thought of as a painful process but birth doesn't have to be painful. So why do we think that all birth are painful? Maybe because the doctors created this specific procedure that involves more technical stuff and over time, it became the normal way to be born. This way, the doctors can make more money off of the technologies and the drugs used during the delivery. The doctors manipulate women to using the intervention techniques so women do not really have any control to whether they want to have interventions. In normal birth, the doctors are centered so they are viewed as the leader and they make the women use the intervention techniques through fear.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Answers
1. What percentage of women have c-sections?
In 2006, 31.1%
2. How many women have died from having a c-section?
<.02%
3. When was c-sections invented?
Evidence date back to 1202
4. How much do c-sections cost?
Average of 12,544
5. What is the percentage of infant mortality?
.64%
6. How often does death of the mother or baby happens with anesthesia?
Not very often
7. Are there drugs to get pregnant?
Yes
8. What % of teenage women uses birth control?
64% of women from 15 to 44 in the US
9. Is it true that you can become sterile from birth control?
No
10. What % of women gets abortions?
About 2% of women from 15 to 44 per year
11. Does abortion endanger your chances of being impregnated later on in life?
Yes
12. What % of American babies is aborted annually?
26%
13. How many children are adopted per year in America?
120,000
14. What is the most common birth control?
Abstinence
15. What is the most effective birth control?
Abstinence
From researching questions about birth interventions, I think that women develop priorities in birth. If not many deaths happen with anesthesia, then why not have anesthesia so that it will not be as painful when giving birth? Because drugs affect the infant and the mother, the woman would rather suffer the pain than have her child come out abnormal or inflicting chronic damage to herself. But if the woman does not want any chronic damages inflicted on her child or herself, then why intake drugs to get pregnant? I think that the first thing most women want is to get pregnant so they are willing to risk the damages just to get pregnant. After getting pregnant, the baby's health becomes more important than the pain that women feels during birth. Getting pregnant does not always have to be a glorifying thing and it does not have to be the only glorifying thing to do in order to have a kid. For some people, birth can ruin their lives financially and maybe their reputation, too so there's this thing called birth control. Even if pregnancy do happen accidentally, women get an abortion. Abortion is sometimes thought of as unethical because it involves taking away a life, but it is also necessary when people are not able to support the kid. Other than giving birth, people can choose to adopt a child and to some people, it may not sound as exciting but it may be a better road to take than actually giving birth. Giving birth is not the only way to have kids.
In 2006, 31.1%
2. How many women have died from having a c-section?
<.02%
3. When was c-sections invented?
Evidence date back to 1202
4. How much do c-sections cost?
Average of 12,544
5. What is the percentage of infant mortality?
.64%
6. How often does death of the mother or baby happens with anesthesia?
Not very often
7. Are there drugs to get pregnant?
Yes
8. What % of teenage women uses birth control?
64% of women from 15 to 44 in the US
9. Is it true that you can become sterile from birth control?
No
10. What % of women gets abortions?
About 2% of women from 15 to 44 per year
11. Does abortion endanger your chances of being impregnated later on in life?
Yes
12. What % of American babies is aborted annually?
26%
13. How many children are adopted per year in America?
120,000
14. What is the most common birth control?
Abstinence
15. What is the most effective birth control?
Abstinence
From researching questions about birth interventions, I think that women develop priorities in birth. If not many deaths happen with anesthesia, then why not have anesthesia so that it will not be as painful when giving birth? Because drugs affect the infant and the mother, the woman would rather suffer the pain than have her child come out abnormal or inflicting chronic damage to herself. But if the woman does not want any chronic damages inflicted on her child or herself, then why intake drugs to get pregnant? I think that the first thing most women want is to get pregnant so they are willing to risk the damages just to get pregnant. After getting pregnant, the baby's health becomes more important than the pain that women feels during birth. Getting pregnant does not always have to be a glorifying thing and it does not have to be the only glorifying thing to do in order to have a kid. For some people, birth can ruin their lives financially and maybe their reputation, too so there's this thing called birth control. Even if pregnancy do happen accidentally, women get an abortion. Abortion is sometimes thought of as unethical because it involves taking away a life, but it is also necessary when people are not able to support the kid. Other than giving birth, people can choose to adopt a child and to some people, it may not sound as exciting but it may be a better road to take than actually giving birth. Giving birth is not the only way to have kids.
Monday, February 9, 2009
C-sections and Infant-Mother Mortality
- What percentage of women have c-sections?
- How many women have died from having a c-section?
- Is a c-section more efficient than a normal birth?
- Why do women have c-sections?
- How long does it take to recover?
- When was c-sections invented?
- When did c-sections become standard?
- What are the different kinds of c-sections?
- What are the pros and cons of c-sections?
- What is the emotional/physical effect of c-sections on women and/or child?
- Which is preferred, c-section or normal birth and why?
- What is infant-mother mortality?
- What is the causes of infant-mother mortality?
- What is the percentage of infant-mother mortality?
- How can infant-mother mortality be prevented?
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Birth Stories
It was her second child and she did not want to get an epidural. Her due date was supposed to be on the 30th but her water broke three days earlier at 3:30am. She calls her mother to tell her that her baby was coming. Then she calls the doctor and the doctor told her and her husband to get to the hospital as they waited for her parents. She gets to the hospital and finds out that her nurse is her neighbor. She had to wait for the contractions so she got onto the birth ball. After a few contractions, she got off and back to bed. Her husband was there for comfort and taking pictures of the process. Then the pain kicks in, starting with the back so the nurse decided to see if making her stand would soothe the pain. She wants to start pushing and she wanted to get an epidural but she was glad that the nurse helped her cope with the pain. The doctor comes in at 8:00am and the want to push gets stronger. Forty minutes later, she is fully dilated and she starts pushing. In half an hour, the head comes out and the husband is happy and excited. The husband continues to comfort her as the doctor checked if the umbilical cord is around the baby's neck. She throws her head back as the baby comes out. She holds her baby and pushes once more to get the amniotic sac out.
Her husband was holding one of her legs as she started pushing. The doctor was a student so the midwife had to aid him while the nurse was standing next to her. She saw the baby's head as it comes out. The doctor gently pulls out the baby and hands it to her. She was surprised that the baby was not crying so, shockingly, the midwife slaps his behind three times, hard. Her husband's eyes bulged out as the baby started to scream. She yelled at the midwife as the midwife just laughed. The husband holds the scissors and cuts the umbilical cord. A nurse came into the room and started singing happy birthday to the baby. The husband took the baby and went to the nursery room as she pushes to get the amniotic sac out. Then, the husband comes back into the room but without the baby.
Her husband was holding her hand in the dark as he comforted her. He continues to tell her how much he loves her as the pain caused her to roll around. The doctor delivers the baby while she used a mirror to see how the baby gets delivered. Her husband never left her side... until the baby was born, of course.
She was glad to have the baby delivered and be over with the morning sickness, the heavy stomach and the weight. People had told her that walking around a lot would make her go into labor so that was what she did. The baby was supposed to come on Independence Day but nothing happened so she started to freak. She went walking with her friend as her husband kept asking if the baby was coming yet. At 11pm, she started feeling the pain so her mom went with her to the hospital but the doctor said that she was not ready yet. She started walking around the hospital and at 3am, the doctor told her to go home. Two days later at 5am, she woke up to the pain but did not want to go to the hospital just to get sent back home again. She walked up and down the stair for two hours and then went to the hospital with her husband because she could not stand the pain any longer. Her husband went to get some food because he knew he would not be eating for a long time. They got to the hospital and she could not walk straight. She waited for a while as the nurse tried to find a doctor and she screamed in pain; scaring the nurse in the process. Her aunt came and the atmosphere made both of them cry. The doctor finally came to see that she was not dilated enough but decided to deliver the baby because of the pain. It felt like she was dying in pain as the family stood around the room. The doctor broke her water and gave her an epidural but it did not help much. She had thought her husband left her but her husband went to the bathroom to take a shower. Her friend came to the hospital and calmed her down. She tried to give her water but the doctor said no water. The epidural wore off and the doctor came in with a medical student. She had mentioned that she did not want anyone there but she just let it go because of the pain. Her husband was not able to help her endure the pain so she had to take it out on her mom. At 2:30pm, the baby came out blueish/purplish and she freaked because no one had told her about it.
Her husband was holding one of her legs as she started pushing. The doctor was a student so the midwife had to aid him while the nurse was standing next to her. She saw the baby's head as it comes out. The doctor gently pulls out the baby and hands it to her. She was surprised that the baby was not crying so, shockingly, the midwife slaps his behind three times, hard. Her husband's eyes bulged out as the baby started to scream. She yelled at the midwife as the midwife just laughed. The husband holds the scissors and cuts the umbilical cord. A nurse came into the room and started singing happy birthday to the baby. The husband took the baby and went to the nursery room as she pushes to get the amniotic sac out. Then, the husband comes back into the room but without the baby.
Her husband was holding her hand in the dark as he comforted her. He continues to tell her how much he loves her as the pain caused her to roll around. The doctor delivers the baby while she used a mirror to see how the baby gets delivered. Her husband never left her side... until the baby was born, of course.
She was glad to have the baby delivered and be over with the morning sickness, the heavy stomach and the weight. People had told her that walking around a lot would make her go into labor so that was what she did. The baby was supposed to come on Independence Day but nothing happened so she started to freak. She went walking with her friend as her husband kept asking if the baby was coming yet. At 11pm, she started feeling the pain so her mom went with her to the hospital but the doctor said that she was not ready yet. She started walking around the hospital and at 3am, the doctor told her to go home. Two days later at 5am, she woke up to the pain but did not want to go to the hospital just to get sent back home again. She walked up and down the stair for two hours and then went to the hospital with her husband because she could not stand the pain any longer. Her husband went to get some food because he knew he would not be eating for a long time. They got to the hospital and she could not walk straight. She waited for a while as the nurse tried to find a doctor and she screamed in pain; scaring the nurse in the process. Her aunt came and the atmosphere made both of them cry. The doctor finally came to see that she was not dilated enough but decided to deliver the baby because of the pain. It felt like she was dying in pain as the family stood around the room. The doctor broke her water and gave her an epidural but it did not help much. She had thought her husband left her but her husband went to the bathroom to take a shower. Her friend came to the hospital and calmed her down. She tried to give her water but the doctor said no water. The epidural wore off and the doctor came in with a medical student. She had mentioned that she did not want anyone there but she just let it go because of the pain. Her husband was not able to help her endure the pain so she had to take it out on her mom. At 2:30pm, the baby came out blueish/purplish and she freaked because no one had told her about it.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Birth?
I think that having a child is a miracle that only should happen between two people who are in love. In my opinion, people should get married before having a child because the marriage shows at least some commitment in taking responsibility for the child. The child represents a connection and the love between these two people. The child has something from each of the parents (physically and biologically) and the parents can have the child for themselves. Although having a child is somewhat like a Right of Passage (or is it Rite of Passage?), I would not have one myself.
Another thought that comes to mind at the thought of birth is the pain women have to go through. That is one of the reasons why I will not have one of my own. If someone were to ask me to watch the baby get delivered, I would not be too happy about it. Not that I would not do it; it really depends on the situation and maybe who is asking me to go. It is a nice thing to see someone give life to another but I also think that the process is digusting and disturbing (the screaming due to the pain).
Another thought that comes to mind at the thought of birth is the pain women have to go through. That is one of the reasons why I will not have one of my own. If someone were to ask me to watch the baby get delivered, I would not be too happy about it. Not that I would not do it; it really depends on the situation and maybe who is asking me to go. It is a nice thing to see someone give life to another but I also think that the process is digusting and disturbing (the screaming due to the pain).
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Third Draft
There is not only one American Way of Life; there is more than one American Way of Life. People have different views on how to live an American Way of Life and what influences it.People’s Thoughts on their American Way of Life
A white, middle class female said that an “American Way of Life is about having a democracy…” Her point of view on an American Way of Life is all about freedom, equality among other people, and the power to express oneself. One of the good aspects of an American Way of Life is “having the freedom of speech” which is stated in the first amendment. The amendments are created by the people who are elected into the office. Therefore, without the politics, people would not be living the American Way of Life. The American Way of Life is also shaped by the “cultures” that are around the Americans. Americans are made up by people that come from all over the world and they bring a little part of their country with them. In this case, people from other parts of the world share their cultures with other Americans. As time progresses, the cultures combine and creates a new culture.
On the other hand, a white, middle class male said that “we don’t really have the freedom” the country claims to have given to the Americans. He thinks that the laws are created to act like boundaries so that Americans are not able to have the freedom to do whatever they want. When he thinks about the American Way of Life, he sees “people striving for success” and trying to reach the top of the social class. People come to America to try and succeed in life, a life where people basically roll on money, in an environment where people have the same goal. Unfortunately, he does not live an American Way of Life because he does not “give a shit about success”. Some people may not care about how other people live an American Way of Life but he chose not to follow the same path most Americans take.
Similarly, an Asian, middle class male believe that the American Way of Life is like a “competition” where the rich tries to stay rich and the poor or middle class try to become rich. He also agrees that the American Way of Life is about having “freedom” and he adds that people are more “independent”. In a way, Americans get to have what they want, live alone without having their parents sticking their nose into their businesses, and find a career that they love to do. The American Way of Life provides more “job opportunities” for him and therefore he is given more options when he has to choose his career. He is currently not living an American Way of Life and that he will “eventually be living an American Way of Life”. Some people are not living the American Way of Life the second they are born; they transition from another way of life into the American Way of Life.
My father sees the American Way of Life as the American Dream where people are more focused on “education, getting a stable career, creating a family, keeping in touch with friends, and living in a big house”. Education is necessary to get a career that will pay enough so that people can make a living. Once an individual has proven that one can make enough money to support a family, they can get into a relationship and maybe even buy a house. The American Way of Life is steps to achieving the famous American Dream. But my sister believes that “the American Way of Life is pointless and people do things that do not help them continue living their life”. She currently lives the pointless American Way of Life because all she does is go to work and watch TV. Although she thinks the American Way of Life is made up of unnecessary things, she is planning to “achieve the American Dream, where people live in big houses”. Basically, she is living the meaningless American Way of Life.
People define the American Way of Life differently. Some see it as living freely while others believe that we only believe to live in a country of freedom. The American Way of Life cannot be defined in a way that people call it a correct definition. Each individual live their own definition of the American Way of Life and have their own perspective on it.
Holidays and the American Way of Life
The holidays Americans celebrate affect the American Way of Life. For example, Thanksgiving is a holiday where my siblings and I go out to eat. We had planned to go to this restaurant but they tripled the price so we decided to eat at a Taiwanese restaurant. The price went from $15 per person to around $45 per person. People take advantage of these holidays to make money because they know that people will be consuming a lot of food. It seems as if the typical American Way of Life is to use the holidays to make more money off people.
This also brings us to the fact that Americans consume a lot; ten times more than Chinese people and thirty times more than Indians, according to the video. In order to save the world from limited resources and hungry Americans, the Buy Nothing Day is created. At one point, it seems okay to eat all you can on Thanksgiving, because it is a holiday. But it also does not seem okay to use up all of the world's resources, and Thanksgiving seems to be contradicting that. I think a typical American will disregard the Buy Nothing Day because Americans are used to living their life using up the world's resources.
Black Friday also contradicts the Buy Nothing Day because these stores are luring Americans to buy their products. It shows how people prioritize money over saving the world regardless of the Buy Nothing Day. My older sister decided not to buy anything on Black Friday this year not because she acknowledges the Buy Nothing Day, but because there were no product that meets her eyes. Other people still go out on Black Friday to satisfy their greed even though it is also a day when people buy nothing. The fact that people choose to buy stuff rather than not buying anything shows that Americans do not take the time to think about all the resources that are being used up.
Greed for things that are not necessary to live also affects the American Way of Life. Shoppers at the Long Island Wal-Mart only care about the cheap stuff in the store and not about the life or death of a human being. They are so desperate to get what they want that they would climb over other people to get it. While the worker was attempted to be saved, the shoppers continued to push people, disregarding the life of the worker. The shoppers would rather save money on something they have been waiting to get and take the life of a worker. They are selfish in a way that even when they knew that an employee got killed, they refused to leave because they have been waiting since 5 in the morning. This reflects the American Way of Life because people are in their little bubble and do not care about others. Even in the train stations, people push through other so that they can get a seat on the train. They do not wait for the people on the train to get off and they just elbow people out of the way. People need to not only think of themselves sometimes and take the time to do something for other people.
My friends and I had planned Christmas really early. We had planned to do Secret Santa a few months earlier so we had the chance to get the presents ready. On the day before Winter break, we swapped presents during lunch. As for my family, relatives from Oklahoma and Long Island came to Manhattan for dinner. I believe we went out for dinner at least three times. This year, it didn't really feel like the end of a wonderful year. No one made me make New Year's Resolutions this year like they used to but I did find myself reminiscing and wondering how the New Year will turn out to be.
I think Christmas is just time of the year where people exchange money, basically. Christmas may be the celebration of Jesus’ birth but it really turned out to be the time to give and receive gifts. I think it's a really stupid idea to go out and find something to give people if they do not really need it. The American way of celebrating Christmas is to spend all the money on things that are not really necessary. Maybe having dinner with families from other states is a nice way to celebrate a holiday but I don't think it's necessary to have three and spend all those money. During New Year, people are just excited to start a new year but do people really think about the year that just past them by? I think most Americans do not look back on the previous year to make the next year a better year for them. Some people make the same mistakes over and over again and before they know it, life passes them by. Maybe people should make others make New Year's Resolutions.
Throughout the break, I have been playing games and sitting around at home. I think that a typical teenager American Way of Life is to just sit at home and play video games or PC games. This year, I did not hear any fireworks going off where I lived. I feel that people are disregarding some of the holidays, even though fireworks are somewhat harmful to the environment. As people continue to live their way of life, I believe that the meanings of these holidays are slowly extinct.
The Constitution and the American Way of Life
The Constitution, highest law of the land, constraints and shapes the American Way of Life. Section 1 of Article 4 in the Constitution ensures that laws in other states are respected by the other states. This means that a gay couple that is married in one state is also married in another state. Even though gay marriage is not legal in many states, these states must accept gay couples who are married in another state. Therefore, if a gay couple wants to get married but they are living in a state where gay marriage is not allowed, they can go to a state where gay marriage is allowed and then move back to the state they came from. The “Full Faith and Credit” provision in Article 4 limits states so that the states cannot stop people from doing something legal in their state but illegal in other states.
The amended portion in Section 2 of Article 4 guarantees that slaves, in one state, escaping to another state are not free from the state and that they must be returned to the state. If slaves were able to be freed from their states by running away, then all slaves would attempt to run away to be free. Then if all slaves ran away – or killed because they failed to run away – from their states, then the white people back then would not have anyone working for them for free. These white people included the rich white men who signed the Constitution and wrote “we the people” in the Preamble. This proves that “we the people”, as stated in the Preamble, are not really the actual citizens of the United States but they are the rich white men who did not think about the slaves.
The 2nd Amendment allows only “well-organized militias” to have guns because they are regulated by the government. These people carry guns to protect the country and they are well trained so it reduces the chance of an accident happening. Not everyone should carry guns because some people are not well trained and they may abuse the right to carry a gun. It is especially dangerous if children are around adults who carry guns all the time; the children may want to get their hands on the gun or the gun might go off unintentionally. “A well regulated militia” should only be allowed to carry guns for the safety of the country and the citizens.
The US government should overrule state government laws against gay marriage because the laws against gay marriage contradict the 14th amendment. Gay marriage is a "privilege" of citizens of the United States so state governments cannot create laws banning gay marriage. The US government should also step in to protect fetuses - as "persons" - from states that allow abortion. However, exceptions can be made by having a trial; for example, if a woman gets raped, she should be heard by a jury to abort the baby. Women have the right to the liberty control of their own body and reproductive choices. The body and reproductive cells belong to the women and the government cannot take the right for a woman to make choices for herself.
I think that the 13th amendment is the most significant because it eliminates slavery. Without the 13th amendment, slavery would still be going on and people would still think that it is okay to oppress people. Slavery would not only limit slave from interacting with people not their kind, but it would also limit other people from interacting with the slaves. It also strengthens the white supremacy and allows other races to feel even more inferior to the whites. The 13th amendment is partially why the United States is a country with freedom and equality.
The twenty-first amendment in the Constitution removes the eighteenth amendment; legalizing alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol can lead to alcohol poisoning and can be dangerous for the drinker. Those people are just using up the resources in the hospital; the equipments and energy used on them can be used on someone who appreciates life. Then, if alcohol becomes a problem throughout the United States, then the population will decrease. As the population decreases, there will be less people filling up the jobs and working to keep the economy running. By removing the twenty-first amendment, which replaces the eighteenth amendment back into the Constitution, can save the United States money on the equipments used on saving the alcohol addicts and the economy.
I think the Constitution is a good starting point for the United States to create a "more perfect union". The Amendments are taking the United States even more further to reaching America's goal. For example, section two of the first article states that slaves count for only three-fifths in the census. Then in 1868, the 14th amendment removed that statement in the first article; allowing equality throughout the country. Even though having slaves in the first place is not a good idea, the 14th amendment fixed the Constitution to make the United States a more just society. In section three of the first article, it states that the senators are elected by the state legislatures. Amendment seventeen gave the people of the states, instead of the state legislatures, the right to elect their senators. This gives the people of the United States more power and it does not allow the state legislatures to hog the power. It also fulfills the beginning of the Preamble that states "we the people of the United States". The people's job/duty is to create amendments that will help make America a better society.
Section two of the second article states that the President shall be the one who obtains the most electoral votes and the Vice President shall be the one who receives the second most electoral votes. In 1804, the 12th amendment allows the President cooperates with the Vice President and runs together during the election. Therefore, if the President receives a vote from the Electoral College, then the corresponding Vice President also receives a vote from the Electoral College. The 12th amendment avoids having to choose the President and the Vice President when two candidates receive the same amount electoral votes. This amendment brings the United States closer to creating a more stable society for the people.
The Constitution allows the United States to become a country of freedom and equality. With the first amendment, people are able to practice whatever religion they want, say whatever they want, see whoever they want, and write whatever they want. Allowing people to practice the religion they please creates a society with multiple religion and beliefs. It also creates controversies because of what people believe in; like "marriage is only between men and women". The freedom to believe what we choose to believe is partly the reason why people say "that's how it's supposed to be". Equality allows the United States to become a more diverse country with people from around the world. People interact with each other and learn from each other to create something new in the United States. The 13th amendment, the amendment that abolishes slavery, was a turning point for America. It allowed people to interact with the former slaves and their descendants so people can learn more from others. People do not really form groups because of this equity and diverse interactions between race and cultures.
The Constitution also provided equality between men and women so that women do not need to feel inferior to men. Amendment nineteen makes sure that people are not forbidden to vote because of their gender. America, and the Constitution, believes that people, of any race and gender (and culture), are supposed to be treated equally. This is why women today can do most things men can do and they are able to stand up for themselves. The Constitution created a society of freedom and quality.
The American Way of Life on eBay
My strategy on bidding was to make a very late low bid at the last minute and hoped that no one will outbid me. I was pretty nervous because I was afraid I was going to lose something that I needed badly. After making my bid, I kept refreshing the page to check if anyone outbid me. Luckily, no one used J-bid on the product. Then, of course, there's always the pride of winning something by bidding for the first time.
This experience felt like capitalism because it seemed like it was me against everyone else who had their eye on the product. It was unlike the simulation we did in class, where some people were able to transfer credits to others so that they can get what they want. This reminds me of when we talked about the Koreans, Cubans, and Japanese, the model minorities, and how they became rich by borrowing money. They borrowed wealth to earn more wealth to pay the money they borrowed and made profit. When I was on eBay bidding, I was not able to borrow money from anyone; I was not a Korean, a Cuban, or Japanese. On the other hand when we were doing the simulation, there were Koreans, Cubans, and Japanese because money was being borrowed; but in the simulation, the money was not paid back.
This affects some of the American Way of Life because people who are not like the Koreans, Cubans, or Japanese cannot depend on anyone else. Therefore, they create their own little bubble and block out everyone else. Some of these people learn to not trust other people and only trust themselves. Their point of view on the American Way of Life may be to be independent because no one can be trusted. However, the Koreans, Cubans, and Japanese may have the exact opposite point of view on their American Way of Life. Because they are able to trust one another that they borrow money to one another. Their American Way of Life is to help others and may be easier with all the money that they earned.
Capitalism and The American Way of Life
Capitalism is all about accumulating capital and increasing the productive forces. Let us say that there is a capitalist and the capitalist owns a factory. The capitalist then hires workers to work in the factory and make profit for the capitalist. The profit is then turned into wealth and the capitalist uses the wealth to buy another factory (or capital). The capitalist hires more workers to work in the new factory (or capital) that the capitalist had just bought and the cycle continues. When the capitalist buys a new factory (or capital), the capitalist is accumulating capital and when the capitalist hires more workers to work in the new factory (or capital), the productive forces increases. As the productive forces increases, the capitalist’s profit also increases. Accumulating capital increases the productive forces, which increases profit.
I agree with Marx that labor power is the source of all wealth. According to Mark Ruppert’s lecture notes, surplus value is the source of profit. In other words, the extra labor power that workers produce creates surplus value, which gets turned into profit. What is labor power? If a worker works for eight hours a day and gets paid for four hours of his labor, the extra four hours is the extra labor power that turns into surplus value. Profit then becomes accumulated wealth. The accumulated wealth is invested as capital and with more labor power, value is then created again and the cycle starts over. Accumulated wealth is created by surplus value which comes from labor power. In my opinion, I think capital is just as important as labor power. Without capital and even without land, labor power is useless. On the other hand without labor power, the capital and the land are useless, which also means “dead labor”. I think this connects to the question “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Without the chicken, the egg would not have been laid in the first place. But without the egg, the chicken would not have been hatched. In the previous lectures in class, we established that land, labor, and capital are the dominant frameworks of capitalism.
The American Way of Life In the Inauguration
Barack Obama had hinted that America is what it is today because of our ancestor's sacrifices and because we, the people, believed in the Constitution. America is now in a recession fighting two wars that are taken place on the other side of the globe. Obama believes that the cause of this crisis is found in the Americans and their greed. Of course, greed is not the only cause of the challenges but it does play a role in weakening our economic system.
Obama states that greed had become a downfall for our economic system, but capitalism lives on greed. Greed is what brought capitalism into the world. It encouraged people to work together for a living and introduced the concepts of the Invisible Hand. Because of greed, capitalists suck the labor power out of the proletarians and made profit by sucking more labor power. If capitalism is the thesis, then greed is a factor of the anti-thesis that contradicts the thesis, and together, create a higher synthesis. Greed may gave birth to capitalism but it can also drag capitalism down.
Greed is not only a downfall for capitalism but it is also an American Way of Life. As seen in the Wal-Mart Trampling, people would disregard a person's life because they are so overwhelmed by greed. People only think about what is best for them and not what other people need.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Inauguration Day Assignment
Barack Obama had hinted that America is what it is today because of our ancestor's sacrifices and because we, the people, believed in the Constitution. America is now in a recession fighting two wars that are taken place on the other side of the globe. Obama believes that the cause of this crisis is found in the Americans and their greed. Of course, greed is not the only cause of the challenges but it does play a role in weakening our economic system.
Obama states that greed had become a downfall for our economic system, but capitalism lives on greed. Greed is what brought capitalism into the world. It encouraged people to work together for a living and introduced the concepts of the Invisible Hand. Because of greed, capitalists suck the labor power out of the proletarians and made profit by sucking more labor power. If capitalism is the thesis, then greed is a factor of the anti-thesis that contradicts the thesis, and together, create a higher synthesis. Greed may gave birth to capitalism but it can also drag capitalism down.
Greed is not only a downfall for capitalism but it is also an American Way of Life. As seen in the Wal-Mart Trampling, people would disregard a person's life because they are so overwhelmed by greed. People only think about what is best for them and not what other people need.
Obama states that greed had become a downfall for our economic system, but capitalism lives on greed. Greed is what brought capitalism into the world. It encouraged people to work together for a living and introduced the concepts of the Invisible Hand. Because of greed, capitalists suck the labor power out of the proletarians and made profit by sucking more labor power. If capitalism is the thesis, then greed is a factor of the anti-thesis that contradicts the thesis, and together, create a higher synthesis. Greed may gave birth to capitalism but it can also drag capitalism down.
Greed is not only a downfall for capitalism but it is also an American Way of Life. As seen in the Wal-Mart Trampling, people would disregard a person's life because they are so overwhelmed by greed. People only think about what is best for them and not what other people need.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Marx's Critique of Capitalism
Capitalism is all about accumulating capital and increasing the productive forces. Let us say that there is a capitalist and the capitalist owns a factory. The capitalist then hires workers to work in the factory and make profit for the capitalist. The profit is then turned into wealth and the capitalist uses the wealth to buy another factory (or capital). The capitalist hires more workers to work in the new factory (or capital) that the capitalist had just bought and the cycle continues. When the capitalist buys a new factory (or capital), the capitalist is accumulating capital and when the capitalist hires more workers to work in the new factory (or capital), the productive forces increases. As the productive forces increases, the capitalist’s profit also increases. Accumulating capital increases the productive forces, which increases profit.
I agree with Marx that labor power is the source of all wealth. According to Mark Ruppert’s lecture notes, surplus value is the source of profit. In other words, the extra labor power that workers produce creates surplus value, which gets turned into profit. What is labor power? If a worker works for eight hours a day and gets paid for four hours of his labor, the extra four hours is the extra labor power that turns into surplus value. Profit then becomes accumulated wealth. The accumulated wealth is invested as capital and with more labor power, value is then created again and the cycle starts over. Accumulated wealth is created by surplus value which comes from labor power. In my opinion, I think capital is just as important as labor power. Without capital and even without land, labor power is useless. On the other hand without labor power, the capital and the land are useless, which also means “dead labor”. I think this connects to the question “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Without the chicken, the egg would not have been laid in the first place. But without the egg, the chicken would not have been hatched. In the previous lectures in class, we established that land, labor, and capital are the dominant frameworks of capitalism.
I agree with Marx that labor power is the source of all wealth. According to Mark Ruppert’s lecture notes, surplus value is the source of profit. In other words, the extra labor power that workers produce creates surplus value, which gets turned into profit. What is labor power? If a worker works for eight hours a day and gets paid for four hours of his labor, the extra four hours is the extra labor power that turns into surplus value. Profit then becomes accumulated wealth. The accumulated wealth is invested as capital and with more labor power, value is then created again and the cycle starts over. Accumulated wealth is created by surplus value which comes from labor power. In my opinion, I think capital is just as important as labor power. Without capital and even without land, labor power is useless. On the other hand without labor power, the capital and the land are useless, which also means “dead labor”. I think this connects to the question “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Without the chicken, the egg would not have been laid in the first place. But without the egg, the chicken would not have been hatched. In the previous lectures in class, we established that land, labor, and capital are the dominant frameworks of capitalism.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Winter Holidays
My friends and I had planned Christmas really early. We had planned to do Secret Santa a few months earlier so we had the chance to get the presents ready. On the day before Winter break, we swapped presents during lunch. As for my family, relatives from Oklahoma and Long Island came to Manhattan for dinner. I believe we went out for dinner at least three times. This year, it didn't really feel like the end of a wonderful year. No one made me make New Year's Resolutions this year like they used to but I did find myself reminiscing and wondering how the new year will turn out to be.
I think Christmas is just time of the year where people exchange money, basically. Christmas may be the celebration of Jesus's birth but it really turned out to be the time to give and receive gifts. I think it's a really stupid idea to go out and find something to give people if they do not really need it. The American way of celebrating Christmas is to spent all the money on things that are not really necessary. Maybe having dinner with families from other states is a nice way to celebrate a holiday but I don't think it's necessary to have three and spend all those money. During New Year, people are just excited to start a new year but do people really think about the year that just past them by? I think most Americans do not look back on the previous year to make the next year a better year for them. Some people make the same mistakes over and over again and before they know it, life passes them by. Maybe people should make others make New Year's Resolutions.
Edit [January 5, 2009 12:05 P.M. EST]
Throughout the break, I have been playing games and sitting around at home. I think that a typical teenagers American Way of Life is to just sit at home and play video games or PC games. This year, I did not hear any fireworks going off where I lived. I feel that people are disregarding some of the holidays, even though fireworks are somewhat harmful to the environment. As people continue to live their way of life, I believe that the meanings of these holidays are slowly extinct.
I think Christmas is just time of the year where people exchange money, basically. Christmas may be the celebration of Jesus's birth but it really turned out to be the time to give and receive gifts. I think it's a really stupid idea to go out and find something to give people if they do not really need it. The American way of celebrating Christmas is to spent all the money on things that are not really necessary. Maybe having dinner with families from other states is a nice way to celebrate a holiday but I don't think it's necessary to have three and spend all those money. During New Year, people are just excited to start a new year but do people really think about the year that just past them by? I think most Americans do not look back on the previous year to make the next year a better year for them. Some people make the same mistakes over and over again and before they know it, life passes them by. Maybe people should make others make New Year's Resolutions.
Edit [January 5, 2009 12:05 P.M. EST]
Throughout the break, I have been playing games and sitting around at home. I think that a typical teenagers American Way of Life is to just sit at home and play video games or PC games. This year, I did not hear any fireworks going off where I lived. I feel that people are disregarding some of the holidays, even though fireworks are somewhat harmful to the environment. As people continue to live their way of life, I believe that the meanings of these holidays are slowly extinct.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)