IC baby

Got into IC!!!

Now to raise $1250. I have a few leads, but I can already see myself going door to door and possibly selling my body. Only time will tell.

Poland here I come!

concern into action

I am not overly concerned about my recently debilitating sleep schedule because of what I am able to accomplish in the wee hours of the morning. This week I finished "The World is Flat" and watched "The Corporation," an illuminating documentary about business in the world today. I am quite proud of both of these activities because I normally do not read for myself and the documentary has activated me further toward working and educating people about the need (both within the market and government) for social responsibility and accountability of corporations as well as the need for consumers to understand the reality of how corporations view us and act so that we can effect change by how we spend.

Realizations: business has achieved unthinkable highs, but the notion that an incorporated business is a legal person must be rethought. Is there a way for business to generate wealth for stake holders and society, without being this undefined person? Also, there needs to be more leadership around exposing the link between the corporate oligarchy and government. This link is alarmingly clear within the bush administration and I hope that the small business owners that were so enticed by some tax breaks in 2004 can look at the bigger policy implications of this administration's actions and seek a new leader who is not a member if this "good ole boy club."

I think Al Gore is a very interesting candidate at this point. He has been a quiet leader in sustainability and environmental issues and he is committed to improving our foreign policies. What is extremely troubling to me is that all of the national security issues that have been brought up in my opinion achieve two ends. This focus incites fear in citizens, which gives the government and corporations tied to the government much more control and freedom to exploit the trust of the people. It also ignores an overarching policy concern that has not made headlines in the same way since Iraq. This issue is education.

I fear for the future of our country (has AIESEC implications as well) because on average we are so poorly educated. I recognize the privilege of attending private school and one of the best universities in the world, but in a "meritocracy" such as the US, background should not be the biggest cause of success. Everyone should be entitled to a first rate education. Until we fix this problem, our future and our security will be forever compromised. One of my main concerns is in a government that protects corporate interests; there might be an incentive to keep education standards poor for the vast majority, especially relative to other nations. The reasoning behind this is that corporations thrive by getting consumers to buy a product and the less analytical and knowledgeable these consumers are the more control the producer has.

Is this relationship why we are in Iraq instead of overhauling or education system? I would love to be one of many chosen to redesign this system. We need leaders to wake up and see the domestic issues without corruption and motivate the country and the onward looking world that America will produce innovative leaders for the future from every background and income bracket. This will be expensive and is collectivist thinking which does not add to short term shareholder value. If we do not make this investment or even make people understand this choice, then we are on a track for tough times. Education of the US and the world is the only sustainable national security solution and global security. Empowerment is as valuable of a commodity to humans as is water and without it we will infect ourselves with a Marxist cancer to be played out efficiently in the flat world that insures shorterm destruction for all shareholders and people.

Change needs to happen and how is something I hope to figure out soon.

Long rambling blog, but I think it's time to start having real conversations now.

slow enlightenment

Note:

America, put down people magazine and read "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman.