Khath Ourng

Jones International University

Course Title: Leading from a Global Perspective

Course Number: BC-607

Professor: Dr. Miro Smriga

   Introduction

Assignment 7.2, I was asked to analyze the case of Jihad vs. McWorld applying the criteria, as defined by Barber the scientist, as follows: utilize the Jihad vs. McWorld reading assignment, define Barber’s two primary metaphors “McWorld” and “Jihad,” create the major summary issues about the nature of social, cultural, and/or religious resistance to globalization, and establish a list of “dos” of “don’ts” for global enterprises to avoid the tensions reflecting from the resistances. The Jihad has the agenda to care for and protect the community, environment, and everyone living within the parameter that the global businesses are conducting the sales to the global consumers. The McWorld had the agenda to supply the global consumers’ needs and wants as the business knows best. The two opponents head opposite directions. Nevertheless, they do not support and have anything to do with democracy. The Jihad employs violent to stir up the attention of the public or the McWorld in a way to resist or prevent globalization from successfully dominating the whole world. Alternatively, the McWorld while striving to supply or exploit the global consumers with large-volume sales, it ignores major responsibilities regarding culture, social, politics, religious, and so forth existing within the areas – countries and societies ( Barber, The Atlantic, 2012, JIU, 2012).

Because of these two major conflicting impacting on people living around the world, there have been much social turmoil, economic downsize, politics struggle, and  war occurring consistently all over the world. War starts in many countries in Asai, recently, the Middle East, and more places in Africa and Europe. Remember the terrorist attacked on the US soil on 9/11. It was part of the conflict regarding globalization tearing apart between the Jihad and the McWorld!

Analysis/Recommendation

The two worlds are at stage, the separation within one-world – the earth and everything existing within. The world of openness to all and the world of closeness to all, the desire and non-desire world existing in one world, but they head opposite directions.  The Jihad is the metaphoric world of closeness or protected from modernity. The McWorld is the world of openness, welcoming the modernity, attracting to all consumers regardless cultural, social, political, and religious boundaries.

Jihad is a Lebanonization style. It turns one party again another party: Culture, people, and tribe against each other. It is a closed mind, but care for and protected the environmental areas as it has claimed for the public (people of the world). Nevertheless, thus the real story behind the scene, the public may not know, still stemmed from the claim are much violent through war and social devastated.

McWorld is the materialistic or modernity via the growth of economic, ecology, technology, communications, and commerce that have been motivated and innovate us rushing for globalization, integrating the world via technologies: high-speed computers, high-speed the internet, low-cost products and services through e-commerce. These technologies have eliminated the widespace and waiting time, made us easily and conveniencely interactiong with other in no time. Nevertheless, our world then beome monogenous world: The networld  or McWorld connected by technology, ecologym communications, and commerce.

As our world connected as one, it has also fragmented. The separation is due to two main areas: the controversy between the Jihad and the McWorld and the regional business blocks, such as NAFTA, ASEAN, and the EU. Unlike, the controversy of the Jihad and McWorld, the regional blocks’ separation is based mainly on the business competitive advantage, striving to survive the global business via supplying the global business with low-cost,  but high-quality products and services in large-volume sales. This is good for the global consumers as well as for qualified global business.

As if we puzzled back into the dashboard, we can see the picture clearer that even the regional blocks are embedded within the McWorld. They can be the target against the Jihad. To avoid the controversial problem, the enterprises around the world, needs to conduct a thorough research on the atmosphere that they wish to offer their sales or conduct business within the areas. First, they should find out the geo-demography. Second, they should contact the authority within the community for assisting and setting their business in the right format both legally and ethically accepted by the country and the community. Third, they should contact, learn, collaborate, and build good relationship with any NGO existing within the areas. This way, they will not override the NGO’s business or disrespect the organization,  but instead, will gain worthy credit and honor to do business with the surrounding community. Fourth, they should build an active friendship with the customers, employees, and people of the community. Fifth, they should invest in their customers, employees, and people of the community. They should  supply a community center, where people of the community can interact via special events such as New Year Celebration, cultural festival, local music and song events, and so forth. The things that the enterprises should not dos are to do in reversing these five elements mentioning above. Most of all, they should respect and do everything regard to the social, culture, religious, language, and people of the community. Furthermore, they should take good care of the environment. They are conducting business within, and of course; they should not forget to care for their customers and employees (Barber, The Attlantic, 2012, JIU, 2012).

References

Barber R.,  B. (2012). Jihad vs. McWorld. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1992/03/jihad-vs-mcworld/3882/

Jones intternational University (2012). Jihad vs. McWorld. Retrieved from 

           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_oftheMiddle_East.

Cover via Amazon

However she had a really bad sexual experience at 12, when her 18 year-old brother grabbed her breasts, leered at her young body all the time. Not only that but he actually made her into sexual touching situations with him four times before the poor tearfully told her mother of this horror, who promptly put a stop to the young man’s behaviour, though naturally too late.

The poor girl found out art this time that her father, like most Pakistani men, hated having an unwanted daughter,  only wanting baby boys.  This left her feeling useless and unwanted, but she had behaved herself  before this bombshell dropped, after which she promised herself not  to  be good anymore and started to socialize with bad company in the shape of other girls and  guys always talking about sex. A classmate told her that she should date one guy in particular.

She  was 15 and  went to his home, where they smooched very sensually and provocatively without actually having intercourse, after which the girl went home and wept about why she had behaved that way, deciding to curb such behaviour, but sexual desires woke up again within her and she was soon seducing her long distance cousin, then a guy in her class, but she was making a name for herself that certainly did not want or need at her age.

This unfortunate girl never made even one childhood friend, and she often cried bitter tears because she truly wanted at least one true one, but never managed it. She found her class-mates bitchy, mean and nasty because their encouragement was what led her to behave badly in the first place, as she sees it.  These same peer people threatened to tell all to her mother, and her 21 year-old paternal uncle started to black mail her.

Telling her he knew her secrets, he promised he would help the girl if she would be nice to him, beginning to kiss not just her mouth but her whole body, grabbing her breast and forcing himself upon her.  She cried a great deal, but her feelings of worthlessness got worse, because she was convinced her parents regarded her not as a blessing but a burden, being a girl, and she sought sexual solace in the incestuous arms of her brother – and sleeping with a long-distance cousin, despite not knowing him at all.

She let herself become the bad girl to the extent that even her mother was calling her a whore. Men all say that she is just bad without knowing her real story at all, and she believes that all that ever happens is that people take what they want from her then toss her to one side like so much garbage, enjoying the knowledge of how much they are hurting her. She has no love in her life, so spends all her time weeping and writing poetry that she posts on triond.

All this truly unfortunate girl ever wants is to be loved, but her heart is a dead thing, so her writing is
her way of spitting out the venom within her and getting relief, hoping one day to find love. Right now she mainly feels both numb and dumb, not enjoying her studies, or wanting to I go outside of her home to avoid having to converse with other people. She has always had too great a tendency to
trust every one, but having been hurt so often by those she trusted, she these days takes some perverse pleasure from the pain, which is no longer as bad as it once was.

Her truly awful luck continued in 2011, when she met a Pakistani guy online who was studyng  in Birmingham ,UK, to whom she made a full confession, and was amazed to hear that he was prepared to come over to marry her, take her back and make her happy. He promised not to let her cry alone and that they could chat all the time   It turned out of course that his real interest was nothing more than sex-chat, which the girl eventually worked out for herself.

This poor girl says she has now had thousand of guys in her life – an exaggeration of course – who all seemed to loved her body but nothing more, nobody ever loving her for the person that she is. She went through that phase of loving parties, meeting new people, taking trips, and eating out a lot, but now she hates everything, even herself and her body, loving her heart and feeling so guilty for having broken it and destroyed all feelings.

She has a million reasons to cry, at one point suffering from dehydration problems because she  left her meals and even avoided liquids, crying and sobbing, skipping  meals and I getting sick, though happily she is now on the mend, slowly getting a little better. She was so depressed at one stage that she seriously considered suicide but, thankfully her religion forbids such actions.  She has now embraced her god, whom she worships and prays to for forgiveness.

This talented girl young female poet and her sad story should not be any reason for her to be consigned to the rubbish heap of life just because she made mistakes.  She deserves some happiness and to find one day that someone genuinely  loves her for herself me and will marry her, giving her the secure future she surely deserves.  

Introduction

Values and Norms are the foundation on which you present yourself to the world.  Values and Norms can be based on a variety of things.  It can include things such as individual freedom all the way to topics such as love and marriage.  Values and Norms vary in a many different ways.  People base their values on where they are at the time.  Values and Norms can range from personal at home values to work values.  Furthermore, values differ across many cultures and countries.  Without values and norms there wouldn’t be a foundation to put yourself on to build who you are today.

The Idea in a Nutshell

Values and Norms are all about how and why people act.  They differ from place to place and person to person and all across cultures.  Without values and norms all people would act the same and do the same as the person besides them.  Values and Norms provide that variety to make each person and culture unique.  Values and Norms provide insight to many unique cultures.  They help people answer the main question—Why?

The 10 Things You Need to Know About Values and Norms

1.    Values and Norms date back to the first man and woman.  Values and Norms don’t have one specific place that they came from.  They developed as time passed on.  Many cultures have developed the unique values and norms that many people follow today.  Values and Norms are based on where you live and what you believe in.  In America, we base our values on freedom and the law.  Other societies base their values on a wide variety of things including Gods and other justice systems.  

2.    Norms are the social rules that govern people’s actions toward one another.  Furthermore, it’s the reason why people act the way they do towards their selves and others.  Norms tell us what is normal in a variety of situations.  It tells us what to wear, eat, think, and so on.  It provides the basis of what we consider normal in our everyday life.  

3.    Norms consists of two forms, which are Folkways and Mores.  Folkways consist of the routine conventions of everyday life.  Folkways have little moral significance.  They consist of things such as proper dress code, correct eating habits, and proper language.  A violation of these will not result in a serious punishment but still play a huge role in why we act they way we do.  Although folkways may not seem as important as other things they are still apart of who we are as an individual.   

4.    The other norm is Mores.  Mores are norms that are seen as central to how a society functions and how people socialize.  A violation of a more can bring great retribution.  Mores consists of things that involve theft, incest, cannibalism, and so on.  Mores will vary from culture to culture and in even some cultures mores have been enacted into law.   

5.    Values are abstract ideas about what a society believes to be good, right, and desirable.  People in a culture all value different things.  In America we value freedom.  In other cultures they may have a different value at the top of their list.  In all, values form the bedrock that each culture evolves around.

6.    Values differ from place to place also.  Values are very prominent in the household.  The head of the household lays down those values, usually consisting of quite of few.  The top family values are belonging, flexibility, respect, honesty, and forgiveness.  These values play an important role in having a harmonized household.  Many families will hold each other accountable to these values and help each other learn from these values.

7.    Also, values take place in the workplace.  These values define the workplace that you work in.  Many businesses set a list of values by which the workforce has to partake in and live by.  Most businesses have zero tolerance for breaking these values.  They believe that these values will bring great harmony between employees and create a positive work environment.  The top values in a workplace are strong work ethic, responsibility, positive attitude, and honesty.  

8.    Like said before, values and norms differ all across culture.  Different cultures will have different takes on what they value and what they consider normal.  This depends on a lot of different aspects such as their economy, government, and politics.  Even in some cultures their values and norms are decided for them.  In America, we decide on what we value and what we think of as normal.  Even though values and norms differ across cultures, it is something that we all can believe in.

9.    Knowing another cultures values and norms can give you a competitive advantage over other people.  It can give you the edge in doing business with foreign investors and companies.  Knowing what others believe in and what they consider normal is shown to be a great sign of respect.  In a lot of situations the person with cultural knowledge will be put ahead of everyone else and land the deal with the foreign investor.  It can also help you understand why another culture acts they way they do.  Having that competitive advantage helps you answer a lot of questions before partaking in foreign business.  It helps you prepare for any situation.

10.    Lastly, values and norms are what makes you, you.  Values and Norms give us that uniqueness that separates us from a lot of other people.  People place different values on things such as family, income, education, and personal appearance.  These vary from person to person depending on when and where you grew up and was raised.  Without the values and norms society would all act the same and there wouldn’t be any cultural diversity.  

The Video Lounge

This clip really does a great job showing what really goes on in the world today.  The world today values comedy and making fun of the social norm.   The video shows what society considers normal like opening the door for someone, and it also shows how society breaks those norms.  The video is definitely right on point on how society acts today and shows how violating a social norm is just as normal as following them.  

My Take

    The concept of values and norms still exist today, but society has made it very acceptable to stray from those values.  The world we live in today has made it very easy to get away from what we consider normal.  Managers today really have to make sure that employees will be loyal to them and their business.  Managers are having to ask employees real extensive question to make sure they are the right person for the job.   The word trust isn’t what it use to be.  Even though, there is a lot of corruption in the world now there are still people who hold their values to a high standard in their life and I really believe that.  In, all values and norms still take great precedent in many peoples life, but there is one thing we have to remember and that is that values differ from person to person and culture to culture.  So, before judging someone learn what their culture is and it will answer a lot of your questions.  

References

Kruger, S. (n.d.). Top 10 essential family values. Retrieved from http://www.zenfamilyhabits.net/2010/02/top-10-essential-family-values/

Loretto, P. (n.d.). The top 10 work values employers look for. Retrieved from http://internships.about.com/od/internshipsuccess/a/workvalues.htm

Sociology Guide. (2011). Social norms. Retrieved from http://www.sociologyguide.com/basic-concepts/Social-Norms.php

Uipurta. (2011, January 21). Meaning of values and norms in the community. Retrieved from http://family.wikinut.com/Meaning-of-Values-and-Norms-in-The-Community/p1a84h5w/

Marini, M. (n.d.). Social values and norms. Retrieved from http://edu.learnsoc.org/Chapters/4 key concepts in sociology/20 social values and norms.htm



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Contact Information

To contact the author of “The Top Ten Management Primer on Values and Norms,” please email Jordan Hymel at Jordan.Hymel@selu.edu.

About the Publisher  

David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Management, can be viewed at http://wyldaboutmanagement.blogspot.com/. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.com/), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. Dr. Wyld also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding:

• management concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/)
• book reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/) and
• international foods  (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/)                                         

Excuse me, also, queer, freak, homo and many other synonyms. 
               
As people mature, we often learn soon, an expression that become invaluable as we grow in understanding; “Because you can does not mean you should.”  

We can all live in the forest, desert, on top of mountains, we can……and the list goes on.  If we have a “hankering” to do something dangerous, risky, or silly, we have to quickly judge what the consequences can be if we succeed and if we fail.  If we succeed, others might think more or less of us and perhaps expect our one time behaviors to begin to “re-create” us.  Or, if we do bad stupid stuff, people might think we are on drugs or have been covert thieves or rapists or whatever.  EVERYTHING we do has a consequence–sometimes, not more than give us a hangover, stomach ache or it can bring us broke bones and once in a life time, an award.

That is when we try, for us, aberrant behavior.

Now, how do we enter the world of cultural behavior that is not “our normal behavior?”   Such as joining the KKK or a Mosque or becoming a skin head or a vegetarian or whatever?   Each of those people feel they are “right.”  Only psychotics feel anything is acceptable.

Our laws change to adapt to society.  We have real state laws that are a bit different from one state to another state.  We have criminal and tort laws that are a bit different from state to state.  And we have marriage laws that are uniquely different from state to state; in some states, a person cannot marry below the age of 18 without parent’s permission.  In Mississippi, as of 2010, a person can marry at age 15 without parent’s permission.

A few years ago, kids in Utah could marry at age 12 with parent’s permission.  And in California, still, with parent’s and court’s permission, a person can be married at any age–any!!!

So far, there is no law permitting [or prohibiting] people and animals from marrying.  While  jokes go around that many men marry their favorite horse or jackas when they live in West Virginia, a different permission that to most people around the world that is just as freakish and aberrant and whacko is the man or woman who marries someone of their own sex.

Let’s forget the church perspective on this a moment.  Let’s look at all other perspectives that we can discuss with calm, deliberate focus. 

He loves him and she loves her.  I respect that. That is close to being a best buddy or “sis.” And, reasonable people use the phrase, “What they do in their bedroom is their own business.”  I do agree.

What does not make sense is when this cultural aberrant behavior becomes a political thing and when the minority not only “comes out of the closet”
but demands equal rights. 

Let’s skip that a minute. 

Let’s go to biology and let’s go to self-imposed illness. 

Sperm cannot impregnate other sperm.  Ova need sperm; other ova cannot enter ova. Plus, each male is designed not to have 2 heads, not to have 4 arms, or two mouths and in rare cases, they do have 2 heads, 4 arms and both sex organs.  And medical science states immediately that those conditions are aberrant.  It has never happened in the history of the world where anyone wanted 2 heads, 4 of this or to be two people.  We, as humans, easily accept others who have “sexual stuff” like we do to be like who we are, etc.

When we see two girls kiss, we applaud this cause it means she is hot and will likely kiss
a guy early on a date.  She is not considered gay.

When we see two guys kiss, we want to barf.  PERIOD.

Next problem.  Kids and school.  Dad’s day. Mom’s day.  Parent’s day.  The inference is one dad, one mom.  If that inference is too  restrictive, then we can bring in the horse and jackass too.

When kids of all ages get together, they compare.  Having a big sex area is a nothing below the age of 12.  Cause kids do not care.  Kids gain what psychologists call “normal behavior” hints and rules by watching their parents, and neighbors and listening to teachers, and combining the best of all worlds.  In all of history, NOWHERE is gay considered normal.  IT is a fact, granted, that some very known artists, scientists and more, were gay.  But their accomplishments were not broadcast as “Jim, the artist, is gay. Or Francine, the molecular biologist, is gay.  We don’t want to know their sexual orientation, rarely want to know their political orientation–we only want to know how they got to their conclusions that helped the world.

Between 1964-1974, in San Francisco, California, AIDS became a big thing because GAY men were sharing needles or doing other things that can only occur between illegal drug use or sex with a same sex partner.  ONE does not get AIDS by what they eat or drink or sit by.

Move ahead to 2005-2012, gay people not only have come out of their closets, they demand to be seen by others as normal.  They are indifferent to the phenomenal harm they bring to their maturing kids who learn that his-her parents practice abnormal behaviors–while demanding of their children–normal behaviors.  Kids are told not to smoke, use drugs, have pre-marital sex and not to steal, lie, etc.  Yet, some of their parents are choosing to defy 6,000 +years of history and accepted world cultural beliefs, and they demand to be “out of the closet,” practicing homosexuals and and still, those parents demand their children follow the laws of society.  If a man or women seeks sex with underage people, there is no problem with arrest and conviction.  Odd.  A man can have unlimited sex with his 12 year old female wife [is that redundant–not sure?] but he cannot have any sex with the wife’s 12 year old girl friend.  Doesn’t that seem odd?  A gay man can have sex with his partner’s best friends because they are age 18 or over.  And in California, a man with a court’s permission can have a wife at age 12.  So, why can’t that man with a 12 year old wife have sex with his wife’s 12 year old girl friend if the girl friend wants sex with him?  Why not?  Because the best girl friend is under age.  So far, no one has gone to court seeking a removal of the minimum age for sex.  Why not?  If such a law passed anywhere, then that city would become the national headquarters for pedophilia.  Can we assume that would be bad?  But would it be bad if the home has 4 people in it; a gay couple, each aged 18 and a husband age 18 with a wife aged 12.
           
One seems horrendous and the other seems to the gay community to be very normal and acceptable.  All we need is one state with a very liberal, gay governor and gay justices and we will have the minimum age for sex removed. That is all that stands between unlimited legal sex for grammar and high school boys and girls.

NONE of this even considers the idea that as a boy or girl ages while he-she has a relative that is a married gay, the boy or girl will have extreme doubts as to logical things and healthful things…..and reasonable things…..and theft and lying and drugs will seem safe, reasonable and good to use or practice. 

Day by day, different states are “playing” with the mental health of their children.  Just imagine as kids run away from homes because of alcoholism in the family; those same kids do not want to see two daddies in a house that was designed for one.

[by the way, if a gay persons parents' parent's parent, all the way back to Lucy, had chosen  to be gay, the current gay person would not have been alive; someone has to make people.]

Such is the existence of the first. Everywhere there are Dayak tribal villages. They always move to one other area, if they live where there are people from other tribes who also live or open a village near their living areas.

Called ‘Dayak’ means not only to one tribe, but such a variety of Dayak tribe Kenyah, Hiban Dayak tribe, tribe Dayak Tunjung, Bahau Dayak tribe, tribe Dayak Continent, Basaf Dayak and Punan Dayak who was also accompanied by dozens of “Uma” (child’s tribe) and scattered in various regions of Borneo.

In the period before the 20th century, a whole tribe Dayak religion is not known. That is on them is the belief in ancestors, animals, stones rock, as well as natural cues bearing ancient Hindu belief. In living their daily lives believing the various restrictions that the sign is given by nature. Abstinence in life there are only two Dayak communities. That is so taboo that brought freedom to multiply their population and some are due to restrictions resulting in their population, and now even the less endangered. As an example of life must not mingle with other people of their tribe. over time and the growth in time they got to know the religion and faith. and keep abreast of modern life as it is today. although we still find in the countryside are still untouched by the changing times.

This prohibition makes their life is not always calm and always on the move to move. So that their lives have never advanced even tends to add primitive. For example, such as the Dayak Punan. Interest on this one difficult to communicate with the public. Most of them live in dense forests, caves in the rocks and mountains that are difficult to reach. Actually it is not their fault. However, because of cultural taboos their ancestors who did not dare to break such a circumstance occurs. This is actually the fault of their ancestors.

In the history or story, this ancestral origins come from the land called “Yunan” an area of ​​mainland China. They came from the royal family of one of China’s lost battle which then ran away with the boats, so the island of Borneo to the ground. Because they feel safe, they then settled on the mainland. However, perhaps due to the trauma of war, they were afraid to meet with any community group. They worry about the massacres and wars happen again so that they can not be left out or become extinct. That’s why their ancestors carried out the ban and restrictions to meet with people who are not from among them.

Indeed in the 13th century, the Chinese mainland was full of conflict and war between the kings of the ruling to determine the one great empire that controls the entire mainland of China. Due to not succumb to each other, then there was war among themselves to determine where the greatest empire and rule the whole of mainland China’s.

            Injustice foments and revolution is imminent. The series of protests and demonstrations collectively known as the “Arab Spring” or “Arab Awakening” was predetermined. The oppression of dictators and unyielding governments seemed inescapable, and slowly but surely the populace accepted their predicament and yielded to their social and economic erosion. However, as the years progressed three factors gave hope for renewal and prompted this enlightened revolution of today. The dawn of the new millennium saw a rapid increase in Arab literacy, a falling birthrate, and a significant decline in the widespread custom of endogamy, or marriage between first cousins. This shows that Arab societies were on a path toward mental and cultural modernization in the course that the individual became more important than an autonomous entity.  The transformation of the political system, the spreading wave of democratization and the conversion of subjects into citizens are the products of this liberal movement, and the ensuing revolution was well under way.

            As the people became more educated and informed they became less complacent and unrest soon sat heavy on the shoulders of each nation. Though progressive reformists sought a national enlightenment, the political injustices and crimes of range of tyrants continued.  As a result, a decrease of nationalism and an increase in emigration sent up a red flag to the Western world. A new class of Western Arabs was born, and in due time, their homeland economies diminished further. Governments had begun to sense this growing unrest and they attempted to placate the poor and unemployed with bread and money but it was too late; the time for change had come.

            First went Tunisia, then Algeria. These leading cases of insurrection prompted the tidal wave of change, and the revolts of December 2010 shattered the dams holding them back. With the success of the protests in Tunisia, this wave of unrest sparked by the self-immolation of a Tunisian man struck Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, and Yemen and then spread to other countries. The largest, most organized demonstrations have often occurred on “days of rage”, usually after Friday afternoon prayers. Demonstrations of epic proportions shook the Middle East, and the governments of Tunisia, Egypt, and then Libya were overthrown. These uprisings took many lives, signifying the relentless determination of the people. Even some of the better off nations, like Lebanon and Morocco sought reform and an end to corruption. The geopolitical implications of these protests have drawn global attention, prompting further protests in Europe and Asia. Even the “occupy” movements were influenced by the Egyptian revolution. This tidal wave of change had far reaching repercussions which, in hindsight, was the result of decades of injustice with little to no change.

            King was right; change is inevitable. It only took a Tunisian spark to ignite people’s suppression and it all went up in flames. The Civil Rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s shared the same principles and desires of the Arab Spring; conformation is eventually succeeded by unrest and revolution. Voters are taking part in free and fair elections, newly elected lawmakers are issuing progressive legislation, and the morale is generally high in these post dictatorial nations. Though much work is left in the name of transition, the Spring was a success and it will surely influence multitudes of revolutions to come.

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I’m praying that the culture will wake up and take a stand. They should hug and love one another and leave the violence be. Its time to act with intelligence and make something out of nothing. Growth is what is needed and I’m quite disappointed at the lack of pride in our culture. Hating one another and not knowing why is just obsurb. Be humble and let the world know that you are here and have something to offer. Stop sitting back and blaming all your down falls on white America. Take a stand and take it today.

You can be something look at Tyler Perry, Denzel Washington, Maya Angelou or Fred Price. Come on people if there’s no jobs lets create them. Hire the experience but help your brothers or sisters out. Its time to make our presence known. I agree with diversity but guys its our month and I’m trying to encourage my people to feel proud of it. Walk with your head up and not down because your rent is behind. Pray and ask God to give you strength to carry on. African American is nothing I’m ashamed of. Some may not like being called African American. I’m proud of where we are today. Thank God no more water hose spraying of dog attacks on our people. I know that there is some sort of racism going on but not like it use to. Its time to stand up tall!

A little dedication to my people and encouragement for them that’s all I’m saying. They need some encouragement because many have given up and don’t believe they are wise and important. We are good people and will bring change! And please don’t believe that Obama did not bring any change because he did and he will continue too. Thanks for reading and stay blessed!

The cultural diversity is an interesting point of debate as we could see the positive effect of it all in our society. There are no ifs and buts about the fact that it has contributed immensely in our great society but if the truth is told there is no good without evil.

The presence of the different ethnicity in our culture such as the Africans, Hispanic, and the Asians alike has enhanced the economy of our great nation for instance, but digging deep into the economical contributions one would not fail to notice that it also comes with flaws. The contribution is great, also is the challenges of segregation amongst the micro communities and alike. The point that I am trying to buttress is the need for self as it pertains to man and their survival.

It only takes a culture of no much affection for one another to go outside his race or culture for warmth, for this I mean the need for every culture to look out for their brothers and sisters first before the other. This cultural diversity actually brings resentment, hate, discrimination, rivalry and the likes in our great society. One would not over look the fact that there is a cultural infiltrations as well amongst our society in terms of gang banging and others, that one culture feels neglected and thereby does what ever it takes to meet his or her need, even though it means stepping in another’s toes. The point that is been made here is that no matter how great the cultural diversity may seem they also have some set backs, A TYPICAL EXAMPLE could be seen in our work environment, not to be too specific, I would employ each and everyone of us to do the research on our own and get the feedback in terms of your immediate communities such as your church, club, neighbors, workplace and importantly the government arena. The truth is obvious as one would not fail to notice the sectionalism in the above mentioned entities as a result of “me- me- me” or “my-my-my” The truth they say is bitter but one had to tell it. How do you feel if you are Hispanic who is been by passed in terms of job opportunity, or an African or an Asian because the recruiter is looking out for his/ her person first, instead of the best qualified? Secondly, how would you react if you work in an environment whereby there is a section of a particular culture that are more than the other culture and there is always favoritism amongst them, and the other is treated as a step child or a second class citizen as compared to that of the ancient days or the primitive eras in most of our cultures? The truth is that such an experience brings contentment, anger, rage and in most cases deadly revenge because no one wants to be treated less than the other. Do you remember the saying that goes that all men are equal, or is that just a myth? I truly believe that all men are equal whether black or white, Hispanic or Asian, Step or no step child we all want to be seen as an integral part of our community because no one want to be seen as a second class individual, and he/she may stomach such but for a while, and when he/she could not take it anymore, the result most times leads to a cantankerous individual or group of people who are mainly the minority and eventually results to chaotic society. Who as an individual wants to be over looked? The society is great without the cultural diversity if only we all play our roles and do the right things, But you and I know that that is not the case as we tend to most times lie and cheat, covering up for our selves, friends, and families and most times a lot of eye services and expected to play by the rules of the majority, not realizing that the majority could be wrong, their actions not withstanding as long as you are amongst the majority that any and everything goes. It only takes the very few, the bold and the brave to speak against such an unacceptable behavior in our society, that’s why there was a popular song that goes “sometimes everybody plays the fool and that there is no exception to the rule” which I very much believe; So fort and so on. That said; I would bring our attention to the need to monitor and regulate such a cultural diversity in our nation, by selecting or appointing an independent force to regulate the on seeming sectional favoritism in our society, especially around our immediate environment such as Churches, which should not be but my dear readers it exits amongst the Christians too, what a shame? hopefully not within the true believers, Amongst the work places , importantly therefore; amongst our government agencies, with an exception of our current president Obama who indiscriminately appointed his cabinet without resentment. What an awesome quality of a leadership! Therefore for a peaceful co-existence of cultural diversity and equal opportunities in all branches of life that is there within should be regulated by a bold, God fearing, a well rounded individual groups of people to police our society, to get rid of such unhealthy favoritism in our Great Nation as one group of individuals are treated better than others based on who is on the throne. This is just a message from one of the great thinkers. You do the math. No culture, no matter what should be more in any section of our government agencies and if there is any such the independent body should investigate, to prevent my- my- my or me- me- me.

Thanks.      

Sometimes I’m surprised when my college friends from smaller towns than the Springs say something like, “We used to have a Taco Bell, but then it closed down.” A Taco Bell. “A” Taco Bell. As if only having one isn’t itself a tragedy in light of the dozens littering Colorado Springs.

I think that’s part of why “The Disappeared” disturbed me so much last week. That insinuation that there’s some sort of deep, festering truth embedded in American culture from which I remain isolated after having grown in such a suburban area, venturing out just to nearby states like Texas or Oklahoma.

Space exploration is exciting stuff and the sea does have its astounding depth, but it’s like there are these vast reaches of unexplored territory within our nation’s borders. Though a “nation,” to be more accurate, is defined as a group of people with a shared culture and history. I think that’s where the true mystery lies. How different am I from someone in New York? Are they going to beat me up for watching My Little Pony? Do we take for granted all those assumed commonalities “LOL, TRAFFIC IS ANNOYING AND EVERYONE THINKS SO!”, exaggerate their reach? Are there such things a Bostonian experiences on a daily basis that I just wouldn’t “get”? Why the fuck doesn’t Colorado have its own signature food like the Philly cheesesteak? How come wrestling promotions shut down left and right here but thrive in the Northeast?

I have inklings of information for all those questions, but not enough to fully satisfy myself. That’s why I can’t settle down. That’s why so much rides on being successful as a writer and pursuing professional wrestling. I won’t go through life wondering what a genuine Philly cheesesteak tastes like.

Nick Polk

English 1102

Professor Rogers

23 April 2011

Do the Affects of Revenge Ever End?

            Revenge always leads to tragedy, no matter if the revenge is morally right or wrong. Revenge is an evil that can slowly build up and possess someone to do things him /her normally wouldn’t. Hamlet serves as a great testament to these things. In Hamlet’s culture he was morally right in seeking revenge on Claudius for killing his father, but did this revenge end up going the way Hamlet originally planned and how did the buildup of this evil affect Hamlet throughout the play?

            Hamlet’s culture is responsible for the way Hamlet seeks revenge in the play: “Hamlet is the product of a culture that knew a truth beyond all the confusions and diversities of life. It is certainly logical to look at him in terms of that truth. If it be insisted that we today are too far away from it, then we must be too far away from Hamlet as well, who would survive as a relic of the past and of nothing else” (Davis 3). In other words, Davis believes that Hamlet showed truth in his madness and our generation today would not go to the extent of which Hamlet did to avenge his family, as so this makes our generation today “untruthful” in a sense. If revenge is looked at today it can be seen that it is a waste of time and always ends up wrong, but in Hamlet’s time it was a duty to avenge family. The ghost or Hamlet’s father in the play wants to be avenged and how can a son deny his father something so honorable: “So art thou to revenge, when thou shall hear” (line 8). Once the Ghost tells Hamlet that his father was murdered by Claudius, the fire is lit and Hamlet is set on revenge.

            Hamlet’s determination possesses him and makes him perform duties of which he doesn’t want to perform: “My purpose in bringing all this in is to demonstrate the attitude of Hamlet toward a duty which he does not want to perform, but which honor, circumstances, and chance all require that he perform whether he like it or not” (Davis 43). Hamlet’s emotions come out and you start to see the revenge taking control: “By asking why Hamlet is aroused to react in turn with fear, desire, contempt, and disgust—not only towards Gertrude, but also towards Ophelia and the Ghost—I hope to show that Hamlet’s “problems” lie in his epistemological dilemma spurred by the material manifestations of “the inexpressibly horrible” (Kumamato 48). In the play Hamlet’s mentality has been changed in order for him to carry out these acts. He has turned ruthless and full of anger and expresses it as such by telling Ophelia: “get thee to a nunnery” (3.1 118). In other word’s Hamlet is calling Ophelia a whore and directly shows his determination in seeking revenge.

            Hamlet seems to grow with evil throughout the play and most critics wonder if it has anything to do with the Ghost’s command over him: “Elizabethan ghosts, we are told, could be good or evil / The moral ambivalence of the Ghost’s command is made quite explicit it admits that murder, which is what it seeks, is even in, the best, most foul, Furthermore, the motives for the revenge it seeks are largely private there are many lines of heartfelt anguish at the adulterous relationship between Gertrude and Claudius” (Hughes 395). The Ghost seems to make Hamlet believe that murder will solve everything and that he must kill Claudius to avenge his father, but what if the Ghost is actually the Devil trying to manipulate Hamlet? This would explain a lot of things because someone’s father would not push revenge so hard even back in Hamlet’s era.

            Hamlet was so overwhelmed with revenge that his safe plan of killing Claudius spins out of control. At first Hamlet was like okay, I’m not going to let this get out of control, I’m going to make the killing clean and prove Claudius’s guilt first, but it didn’t turn out the way he planned. Hamlet proves Claudius’s guilt and spots him kneeling and praying while on the way to his mother’s chambers, Hamlet contemplates how easy it would be to just plunge a sword into his back and let things be over with, but Hamlet feels that this would be a benefit instead of revenge as Claudius would go to heaven: “Now might I do it pat, now is a-praying / And now I’ll do’t – and so goes to heaven” (3.3 72-73). Instead of killing Claudius and being through with the murder, Hamlet decides to wait. Hamlet must give Claudius more of a death than the crime Claudius committed: “The revenge killing requires craft because it must equal the outrage of the original crime and satisfy the revenger’s intense feelings” (Brucher 257). Hamlet’s madness wants him to be satisfied in killing Claudius and leave him with a sense that payback has been served. Once Hamlet arrives in his mother’s chambers he hears Polonius cry out from the drapes and mistakes him for Claudius and kills him. This just goes to show that revenge never ends because if Hamlet would have just killed Claudius in the alley then more people would not have to die.

            Claudius is now trying to get rid of Hamlet and plans to kill him in a “friendly” sword fight, but Claudius has a few tricks up his sleeve. Claudius has poisoned the tip of Laertes’ blade and poisoned a drink that he will offer to Hamlet. Hamlet refused the drink and Gertrude unknowingly drinks it, which results in killing her. Hamlet then kills Claudius and Laertes. Hamlet is now left alone and drinks the poison and also dies. This goes to show that revenge always leads in tragedy. Hamlet got corrupted with vengeance which led to the ultimate never ending ride of tragedy: “It is a play about vengeance and how avengers lose their souls, sin, and corrupt in turn” (Lidz 33).

            In conclusion, revenge always ends up spiraling out of control and into tragedy. It will start off with a nice plan of action, but will always end up going wrong. Hamlet started off with a plan of action, but his vengeance led him into getting more innocent people killed, including his mother. Revenge never has a designated area to stop and when it does stop the damage has already been done. Revenge always leads into corruption and greed: “Any satisfaction a man may derive from punishing his enemy is more than outweighed by the utter misery he brings on himself” (Prosser 11). Hamlet’s madness ultimately leads him to destroy himself and others; twice the damage was dealt than originally because Hamlet acted with such vengeance and anger. Hamlet finally admits his madness in the end with an apology to Laertes: “Give me your pardon, sir / I have done you wrong, but pardon’t as you are a gentleman / This presence knows and you must needs have heard / How I am punished with a sore distraction / What I have done / That might your nature, honor and exception, roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness” (5.2 90-96). Hamlet is too late in realizing his madness in the end, however for tragedy has already struck. This all goes to show that revenge never truly ends and when it does tragedy has already struck, so revenge is truly a dish best served cold and should only be pursued with no outside factors or influences.

Works Cited

-Davis, Arthur G. Hamlet and the Eternal Problem of Man. NY: St. John’s UP, 1964.

-Lidz, Theodore. Hamlet’s Enemy: Madness and Myth in Hamlet. NY: Basic Books, 1975

-Prosser, Eleanor. Hamlet and Revenge. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1967.

-Hughes, Geoffrey. “Conscience in Literature” English Studies; Oct76, Vol. 57 Issue5, p395, 15p. Academic Search Complete.

Web. 23 Apr. 2011

-Brucher, Richard T. “Revenger’s Tragedy” Studies in English Literature (Rice); Spring 81, Vol. 21 Issue 2, p257, 14p. Academic Search Complete.

Web. 23 Apr. 2011

-Fly, Richard. “Accommodating Death in Hamlet” Studies in English Literature (Rice); Spring 84, Vol. 24 Issue2, p257 18p. Academic Search Complete

Web. 23 Apr. 2011

-Kumamoto, Chikako. “Hamlet’s Revenge and the Abject” Journal of the Wooden O. Symposium; 2006 Vol.6 p48-64, 17p. Academic Search Complete

Web. 24 Apr. 2011

Nick Polk

English 1102

Professor Rogers

23 April 2011

Presentation Outline

I. Hamlet’s revenge ultimately leads to his demise.

A.        Hamlet is defended in going for revenge by his culture moral ideas. Arthur Davis says in one of his books that “Hamlet is the product of a culture that knew a truth beyond all the confusions and diversities of life. It is certainly logical to look at him in terms of that truth. If it be insisted that we today are too far away from it, then we must be too far away from Hamlet as well, who would survive as a relic of the past and of nothing else” (Davis 3) In other words, Davis believes that Hamlet showed truth in his madness and our generation today would not go to the extent of which Hamlet did to avenge his family.

B.        It is great that Hamlet is standing up for the morals of his era, but to what extent does revenge stop and when it does isn’t the damage already dealt?

Hamlet grows with evil throughout the play and some critics have an explanation of why. Geoffrey Hughes believes that the Ghost is just a tool of the Devil and manipulated Hamlet to act the way he does. “Elizabethan ghosts, we are told, could be good or evil / The moral ambivalence of the Ghost’s command is made quite explicit it admits that murder, which is what it seeks, is even in, the best, most foul,” (Hughes 257).

So as this influence of revenge fires up Hamlet, his plan of making the killing of Claudius sort of clean cut, changes. Instead of killing Claudius while he is praying when it would be so easy to do he decides to wait and kill Claudius when he is sinning that way, he would not go to heaven. Hamlet’s mistake of not killing Claudius here results in the killing of two more innocent people including himself, Polonius and Gertrude. Richard Brucher says “The revenge killing requires craft because it must equal the outrage of the original crime and satisfy the revenger’s intense feelings” (Brucher 257). He stabs Polonius behind the drapes and Gertrude mistakenly drinks the poison and Hamlet decides to drink the poison as well to get rid of the misery. So is revenge really worth chasing after? You never know when it’s going to end and when it does tragedy has already struck.