Global Market Economy

It is crazy to think that 50 percent of the world is living in total poverty. A big part of this problem has to do with the way our economy and government runs. In the video on “stuff” a big part of the discussion was on how extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal affect our earth. Dumping trash in a different country may save the united stated from suffering from toxic chemicals and a change in our environment – for a little while – if makes life for others in different countries difficult. They live in poverty because the toxic chemicals from trash are ruining their communities and ways of life.

Helping the 50 percent of the world living in total poverty is a hard problem to tackle. One of the most basic ways I can think of to help them is to “go green.” I didn’t know much about going green until I came to pacific Lutheran university and they are all for recycling and taking care of our environment. If we tried to go green it would take away some of the toxics and the affects they are having on everyone’s lives.

Instead of putting money towards trying to get people to buybuybuy and shopshopshop we need to educate them on what is available and affordable in the market. What if safe for them to buy and live off of according to their lifestyle. Our global market economy is messed up. Each phase extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal effects our lives in some way. In a way that is not good for us. Things we can do to change this is for one not put chemicals in to production. If you put chemicals in things we are bringing them in our homes and basically welcoming them in to our lives. As if was said in the video human breast milk has the most toxic chemicals found in anything. We need to save forests, clean production and take back our government.

Ongka's Big Moka

In the movie Ongka’s Big Moka they made a living much different from the way we do in America today. In today’s American society you must go to a respected business, fill out an application, and go through interview process in order to make a living and receive an income. In the small society such as the society portrayed in Ongka’s Big Moka make a living by “the gift of pigs.” To them pigs are “the only worth-while thing.” In our society you are often popular because of your worth, and the items in which you have. This seemed to also be the case in Ongka’s Big Moka. When you own multiple pigs, and give one away in a public show it gives one popularity and fame. This is how one makes a living in their society. When they give a pig away years later it will be repaid to them. Ongka will receive more pigs in return. It is tradition for them to give and receive pigs.

A plus side to their way of living is that a pig means more to them than money. In their tribe ‘cash’ means nothings. As of this moment they use pigs as money for example, they are payment for death after fighting. When there was a war among villages, giving another village a pig would make up for killing so many of the enemies tribe. Giving them a pig would make peace.

When looking at the economic system I feel as if it is going to be hard for their society to live they way they are for much longer. It was said that they have coffee crops; from this they get money (Australian cash). As of right now they aren’t using that because they don’t need it, but because our world is becoming more and more modernized and other countries are becoming aware of their Australian cash things are sure to change. Other than that their society is doing well without becoming accustomed with modernization.

Who Am I?

My roots dig deep in to the soft soil. They run for hundreds of feet because sense I was young my parents, family and friends have inscribed in what is right and wrong. As I have gotten older I have not only followed what they have taught me, such as believing in God, treating people with respect and how to use manners but I have recently started to find my own way. I have begun to realize what I truly believe in and what my core values really are. My core values now include believing I can achieve all that I can if I put my mind to it and being there for anyone when they need help. One of my core values is not being selfish, I believe in helping people to the best of my ability because not everything is about me.

My trunk is as thick and tall as a five-hundred year old tree. Everything I do and every way I act expresses who I am. I treat everyone with respect and get to know them before I judge. I help anyone and everyone when needed. A big part of my behavior is my job. When at home I work with little kids, I help them learn and helping them grown in to beautiful (inside) adolescence. While going to school I work at the Harstad Front Desk, being cheerful and smiling at every person that walks by. I try to treat everyone the way I would like to be treated. I love to be adventurous though sometimes my innocence peaks out and I get scared. Though I like to go out and be social I tend to be a home body. I need my space because I am an emotional person, probably because I take everyone else’s problems in to my own hands. I am very careful about the way I behave because I know one wrong move and I could disappoint myself and the people around me.

As for my branches, I would like to believe they are thick, strong and long in length. It is sometimes hard to think about your social labels … what if some of them are not good? I would like to believe that I am a leader, that people would follow me if I told them I could show them the way. I would like to believe I am a trustworthy person, someone you can always come to. A social label I will admit to is stuck up. I don’t believe I am, but I feel as if sometimes people label me as that. I am confident, loud, and happy and sometimes that is perceived as being better than other people though that is far from what I am.
I believe my values and actions are greatly connected to my social labels. What I believe in and the actions I take make me who I am and hopefully make others in the social world perceive me that way.

Then, consider the question “Who Are My People”? Write a short poem (yes, get creative) about who you feel your people are. (Yes, this can mean ethnicity. No, it doesn’t have to mean ethnicity.)

“Who are my people?”
My people,
Are the ones you glance at when you walk by.
They are the ones laughing,
They are the ones making life fun.

My people
Are the ones making life an adventure.
Always finding something new to do.

My people,
Are happy.
My people,
Are Sad.
My people,
Are exciting.
My people,
Feel a whirl wind of emotions.

My people,
Are loving and caring.
They look at this world,
And want to make it a better place.

My people,
Make the best of new situations.
And are accepting change.