Monday, November 9, 2015
TWIF Flattener #1 - 11/9/89
Use one of the current events sources linked at http://svhs-hwc-spring-2016.blogspot.com/2015/11/approved-sources-for-twif-current.html to find a recent news article that relates to, supports, or refutes Friedman's assertion that 11/9/89 was a "flattener." Your comment should include the title of the news article, a link to the article, and a summary of the article including an explanation of how the article relates to this point. Don't forget to check your rubric for evaluation criteria!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120066001
ReplyDeleteTitle: Lessons from the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Summary: Germany honored the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. For most, this was a day for rejoicing and celebrating the country's newfound freedom and the end of the communist government. When the wall was first erected in 1961, numerous world leaders demanded that it be destroyed; however, it divided the nation and the world for 28 years. Eventually, the people of Berlin unified against the oppression and forced authorities to open parts of the wall. This began its ultimate destruction, as citizens started to tear apart the concrete wall. This event is recognized as the ultimate end of the separated Soviet Union, and the beginning of its new democratic era. Merkel soon became a democratic leader of the government. The Berlin Wall and other dividing walls today enforce a closed off world in which technology and innovation cannot proliferate.
This news article fully supports the ideas presented in "The World is Flat". The book states, "The Berlin Wall was not only blocking our way; it was blocking our sight- our ability to think of the world as a ... single community"(Friedman 54). Friedman then goes on to explain how the fall of the Berlin Wall led to the worldwide spread of the Windows Powered PC. This very same idea is touched upon in the news article, which nearly summarizes the first flattener. Friedman explains that as the wall fell, it put an end to communism. This is supported by NPR's article because it explains that Merkel became the new democratic face of the country. All in all, this article parallels the ideas behind Friedman's first flattener.
Title: This Berlin Friendship Began Over the Radio and In the Shadow of the Wall
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-11-10/how-berlin-friendship-began-shadow-wall
Summary:
This article is about two women who became friends because of the fall of the Berlin Wall. One woman, Leslie Roisin, lived in West Berlin and the other woman, Cornelia, lived in East Berlin. Leslie worked at a radio station which Cornelia was a fan of so when Cornelia heard that the borders were open, the first place she went was to her favorite radio station, Radio 100. Nobody on either side of the wall had been to the other side so when the boarders opened, hundreds of thousands of people from the east side crossed over to the west to find a completely different lifestyle. Cornelia began to help out in the station where Leslie worked so Leslie decided to show Cornelia around West Berlin. Even the grocery stores were very different so when Leslie took Cornelia to the store, Cornelia thought there was too much stuff in their stores. The two women get in touch every anniversary of the day the first met. This article relates to the first flattener because it talks about how these two women were affected by the fall of the Berlin Wall and in the book, it talks about what this fall did for Germany. Leslie said that the fall of the Wall was “very intense because it was like two parts of Germany coming together.”
Title: 25 years on: How the fall of the Berlin Wall changed the world
ReplyDeleteLink: http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/11/9/berlin-wall-25-years.html
Summary:
This article talks about the many changes that the collapse of the Berlin Wall caused. The discussion of the falling of the wall as a symbol that marked the conclusion of the Cold War is first touched upon. From here, the article goes on to examine 25 different ways in which the world has changed as a result of the destruction of the Berlin Wall. One of these changes is about how technological corporations such as Google and Facebook have eventually been created as a result of 11/9/89. The article states that Google and Facebook, "wield far more economic and cultural power than most nations...."
The information in this article supports Friedman's assertion that the falling of the Berlin Wall was a flattener. Just as the article states that Google and Facebook were founded as a result of the falling of the wall, Friedman says, "...this period from 11/9 to the mid-1990s led to a huge advance in personal empowerment...'Me and my machine can now talk to each other better and faster'...." Based on this statement, it is evident that Friedman believes that 11/9 led to "personal empowerment", which he interpreted as major advances in technology, such as the creation of organizations such as Google and Facebook.
Author: Pavithra Mohan
ReplyDeleteTitle: Twitter Sued for Enabling “Explosive Growth of ISIS” Source: New York Times
Link: http://www.fastcompany.com/3055508/fast-feed/twitter-sued-for-enabling-explosive-growth-of-isis9f1e7b5ac760%40sessionmgr110&hid=107&bdata=JnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#AN=8862174&db=ulh
Summary:
In today’s modern world there are a number of accounts of hacking and general trouble being caused by the onset of social media, and the explosion of people sharing information about their lives, and corporations utilizing it as advertising. The desolation of the Berlin Wall led to the global collaboration of countries around the world in trade and most notable the internet. After the fall of the Berlin Wall the internet came into being on a global scale thanks to companies like IBM and Microsoft. Then in turn the creation of the internet led to social media. Where anyone can post whatever they so choose, for the world to see, thus showing how the destruction of the Berlin Wall led to the world becoming further “flattened.” In the article, it talks about how a recent terrorist attack by ISIS prompted someone to file a lawsuit against Twitter stating that if not for Twitter ISIS would not have been able to spread their message, and bring more people into their terrorist group. Thus stating that if not for Twitter ISIS would not be as much of a problem as it is. Therefore, the invention of the internet allowed easy access to information and the global sharing of information, since it is essentially free to use for all peoples. Although, the internet has also allowed many terrorist organizations, not only ISIS, to grow and gain more power throughout world, and cause more global destruction. Thus, the fall of the Berlin Wall, was definitely a “flattener,” which led to the world becoming more interconnected on a global scale, with both trade and the onslaught of the internet, which allowed the connection of the entire world. Although, this led to both positive and negative effects, as is noted by the fact that the internet can be used by anyone, be it person, corporation, hacker, or even a terrorist organization.
Title: Why countries are walling themselves in – and others out
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Simon Montlake
Source: Christian Science Monitor
Link: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2015/1115/Why-countries-are-walling-themselves-in-and-others-out
Summary: The article discusses today’s crisis of refugees, notably in Europe, and how countries today are reacting with the archaic strategy of building a wall. In Europe, along the Hungarian border, a massive 13 foot steel wall is being built to block the border of Serbia and Croatia to stem the waves of Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan refugees fleeing the combat in their nations seeking “refuge” in Europe. While a wall will begin stop the refugees from entering the state, it does not solve the root problem, which is war in the Middle East. Much like the walls of the cold war, todays wall are designed to both keep people out and to keep people in. This is so in the respect that the walls of cold war were undoubtedly mainly built to keep people in and away from people with differing ideologies, today’s walls have the same purpose. They are built to both keep potentially dangerous refugees out and to discourage domestic peoples from leaving to potentially support the very people that the refugees are fleeing.
Explanation: This article clearly points out the fact that while in 1989 the world made a great leap forward in beginning to unite the east and the west it drastically failed to include central Asia and the Middle East in this. This is evident by the massive instability in the region as well the non-existent economy and political unrest. The fact that again the west is building a wall against the east and east against the west just shows how far back we have fallen from being a culturally flat world. Friedman’s argument that the fall of the berlin wall opened the door for worldwide economies is refuted in the respect that all that the felling of the Berlin Wall achieved was to open the door for a new wall to be built somewhere else against other people.
Title: Gunter Schabowski, the Man Who Opened the Wall
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/07/opinion/gnter-schabowski-the-man-who-opened-the-wall.html
Summary/Explanation:
This article virtually goes through the fall of the Berlin Wall. It describes the events leading up to it, including the reading of the brief that gave the people their freedom. The fall was caused by Gunter Schabowski reading an announcement from Egon Krenz about freedom of passage to the West. When posed with the question as to when this would take place, Schabowski did not know the answer and simply responded that it would initiate immediately. In addition, the article includes insight from Schabowski whom caused this triumph. He states how he simply did not know how to undo his mistake once he realized it, but still does not regret anything about it. This also points out two lessons; not to underestimate the power of an accident and events can always suddenly change. Although this entire event was a mistake, it created a positive explosion of emotions among the people and influenced many people’s lives in many different ways.
This article relates to the novel as the first flattener that Friendman talks about focuses around the fall of the Berlin Wall. This was a paramount event and became a flattener because it allowed for the people of Germany to freely go as they would like. The article and book also share many details such as many people thinking that Ronald Reagan was behind the destruction of the wall. As Friendman discusses, 11/9/89 was a small step toward the integration and connection between the rest of the country as well as the world.
Title: A Chinese Company in India, Stumbling Over a Culture
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Keith Bradsher
Source: The New York Times
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/31/business/international/a-chinese-company-in-india-stumbling-over-a-culture.html?ref=international
Summary:
The article discusses the negative effects of the Chinese automobile company, Beiqi Foton Motor, buying 250 acres of farmland in Shinde, India to build a factory on. When Foton purchased the land money went to the landowners, but the sharecroppers who worked the land received nothing. This left sharecroppers even more impoverished. However, the main point of the article is the culture clash between Foton and Hindus. The problem is the mountain that lies behind Foton’s land is considered sacred to many Hindus. The mountain contains numerous caves that have been homes to monks for 2,000 years. Many Hindus are concerned that Foton’s factories will interrupt the peace of the land. The article continues to explain that despite the culture clash, both China and India economically need the Foton factory to be built in Shinde. India needs “the outside investment to support the 13 million young people entering its labor force every year and to begin relieving chronic unemployment in its countryside.” The Chinese company needs the deal to offshore, due to China’s economic downfall. In essence, the article offers insight into the religion versus business conflict taking place in Shinde.
The article refutes Thomas Friedman’s idea that once the Berlin Wall fell the world became connected as a global marketplace where trade could occur interchangeably between countries. The article presents a stunning example of how cultural views can disrupt global business from occurring.
Title: U.S. Relies Heavily on Saudi Money to Support Syrian Rebels
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/24/world/middleeast/us-relies-heavily-on-saudi-money-to-support-syrian-rebels.html?hpw&rref=world&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well
President Obama chose to support rebels in Syria. He saw that the rebels needed support and supplies, or money to get the supplies. The CIA also had a semi-stable alliance with Saudi Arabia for a few years. While the alliance held firm the United States is able to make negotiations with Saudi Arabia. President Obama met with the Saudi Arabian leader and came to an agreement to support the Syrian rebels. This relates to the authors discussion on how events involving multiple countries shift the power of the countries. Saudi Arabia have power through an alliance, and they used that power to help Syria.
Title: Germany's Merkel: Fall of the Berlin Wall Shows Dreams Come True
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/11/09/362741757/germanys-merkel-fall-of-berlin-wall-shows-dreams-come-true
Summary: On the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, German Chancellor Angela Merkel would go on to say that "its destruction shows that dreams can come true" and "nothing has to stay as it is". The fall of the Berlin wall is undeniably one of the most iconic moments of the end of the Cold War between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. On the same day, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev would accuse the west of not working with the Russia shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He claimed that if the west to work with the new Russian government, the unfortunate events that unfolded in Yugoslavia, the Middle East, and Ukraine could have been very well prevented. He even claims that the world is now on the brink of a new Cold War because even today the west if refusing much dialogue with Russia.
Explanation: Friedman claims that the collapse of the Berlin Wall was the first flattner to take place, for it would liberate everyone residing behind the iron curtain. The "dismantling" of the Berlin Wall by DDR citizen is perhaps one of the most paramount acts of resistance to the iron curtain. The fall of the wall undoubtedly freed the people of the former Warsaw Pact, however Gorbachev's assertions aren't necessarily untrue. Perhaps the world was able to flatten as a result of the fall of the wall, but many unfortunate events also did unfold simply because Russia was neglected by the west after the collapse of the USSR.
Good job!
DeleteTitle: India in uproar over rupee’s fall
ReplyDeleteLink: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/india-in-uproar-over-rupees-fall/2013/08/20/975cad98-08c9-11e3-89fe-abb4a5067014_story.html
Summary/Explanation:
In this article tells of currency free fall that India is facing. Rupees, India's currency, is slowly becoming a popular metaphor for India’s sliding economy. India's foreign-exchange reserves only pay for seven months of imports. Last year, their economic growth hit its lowest in a decade at about five percent. In the article, it also states how some Indian companies are auctioning government bonds, which are valued at around 3.6 billion dollars. The country’s poor and middle class have faced the most difficulties. They have faced the hardest time with the food, fuel, and import costs rising, some prices becoming much too expensive for them to pay. Overall, India is now facing an economic freefall affecting everyone and everything in their country. India speak on me is no longer as described by Friedman in the first world flattener, 11/9/89. I chose this article because it related to Friedman's first flattener of the world. In 11/9/89, Friedman describes how India “went from quiet self-confidence to outrageous ambition,” however, India is now asking civilians to not buy gold because that require paying in rupees which they cannot provide enough of.
Title: The Berlin Wall
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-wall
Summary: The only part of Friedman's flatteners that did not involve computers or financial markets, rather, a geopolitical event, the unprecedented Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 opened up the door to such. I wanted to further the repercussions and the direct aftermath of the crumbling of the USSR. The article, from the History Channel, described that as the wall came down, millions from both sides celebrated in the streets in a global celebration. The Wall, erected between East and West Germany, served as a global division between to the two opposing forces at the time––Communism and Capitalism. Its destruction would allow a full consolidation of the world’s economic markets and the introduction of a new era.
Title: Bowie in Berlin: 'He drove round the car park at 70mph screaming that he wanted to end it all'
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jan/13/david-bowie-berlin-years-heroes-just-a-gigolo
Summary: This article highlights the important parts of David Bowie's life that led to the spark of Berlin's citizens to knock down the Berlin Wall. It started when Bowie was in Berlin in 1977 for film making, but before that in 1976 Bowie was addicted to cocaine. In this year he moved to Berlin where one night he had thoughts about killing himself by driving into a wall at 70 mph. Coco was the person who captured David's imagination and got him to quit cocaine. In the summer of 1977 he recorded "Heroes" which was the start of the citizens uproar. He preformed his work on a tour in front of 1.5 million people. This relates to 11/9/89 because David Bowie united the forces that worked together to end the Berlin Wall era. Friedman says in the book that when the wall fell it made the world seem united.
Article title: Berlin plans fence to protect wall from souvenir hunters
ReplyDeleteArticle Link: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/05/berlin-plans-a-fence-to-protect-wall-murals-from-souvenir-hunters
As Thomas Friedman covered in the book, the fall of the Berlin Wall was an extremely influential and important event in world history. When the people from East Germany were finally allowed to leave, others from around the world celebrated with them. Today, the remaining sections of the wall are viewed by millions of people each year. Many of which want to sign their names on the wall or take pieces of it because they want to be a part of history. However, scratching and chipping the wall makes it vulnerable to the elements and causes it to erode more quickly. The authorities are debating whether it is appropriate to build a fence around a monument that now brings so many people together, even for its own protection.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTitle: She was jailed for murdering an abusive husband. An enraged French public helped secure her freedom.
ReplyDeleteLink: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/02/01/she-was-jailed-for-murdering-an-abusive-husband-an-enraged-public-helped-set-her-free/?hpid=hp_no-name_morning-mix-story-f%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
Summary: In this article, a 68 year old woman Jaqueline Sauvage was sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing her husband. Her husband abused her and her daughters for years, inlcuding sexual, physical, and verbal abuse. Mr. Marot, the offender, was killed because Mrs. Sauvage had to defend herself from his harsh, abusive ways. The judge, however, sentenced her to jail time and made her into a murderer. Now, she is being let out of jail. Attourneys and family members worked to get her out of jail because she deserves freedom. She was so relived to be let free and now she lives with many opportunites and open doors. This is similar to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall closed off many parts of Europe, and contries never interacted, almost as if the individuals were in jail. But, when the wall fell, opportunities arose and different countries were able to interact with eachother and build a relationship. They received freedom. So the article and the Berlin Wall relate to one another because they both express an act of being released from harsh confinement.