Reading Log 2: Thoughts on Lao-Tzu and Niccolo Machiavelli

Hey guys! This week I read two very interesting excerpts. One of them was "Thoughts of the Tao-te Ching" by Lao-Tzu and the other was "The Qualities of the Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli. After reading Lao, I had a very strong disagreement with the way he thinks government should be run. He believes that there should be minimized government control with the people in control of themselves. "Stop trying to control. Let go of fixed plans and concepts, and the world will govern itself (Tzu 29)." But I think that this method would be catastrophic for society. Everything would collapse. Why? Lao doesn't account for human nature. The Human race is lying, deceitful, cheating, violent and everyone has a hidden agenda. With no government control, no laws telling people what is right and wrong, and having them rely on their moral standards; people would kill people left and right, steal and do whatever they wanted for what they wanted. Most people aren't this bad but some of them are. Some people just want to watch the world burn. If tomorrow the President of the United States of America said your government is going to cease to exist, rule yourself, and do what you please. Everyone would have no clue what to do, nothing would get done and the country would probably blow up in 5 days. People need guidance, they need someone to lead them and set the example of what to do. That's my thought on Lao. Machiavelli's thoughts on how the Prince (leader) should rule are pretty much describing the perfect leader. Machiavelli wants the Prince to know his country like the back of his hand so if war comes to the country he will know how to protect it because he knows all of the spots in his nation to camp, where he has the advantage, and where the enemy may camp. "One learns to know one's own country and can better understand how to defend it; second, with the knowledge and experience of the terrain, one can easily comprehend the characteristics of any other terrain that it is necessary to explore for the first time; for the hills, valleys, plains, rivers, and swamps(Machiavelli 40)." Machiavelli's biggest point in my opinion is on whether it is better to be loved or to be feared? Machiavelli says that it is better to be feared and not hated at the same time. I agree with his statement. If you are loved people love you but they don't respect you, they won't listen to your orders and try to get away with the little things that they can. But if you are feared people will take you seriously and be afraid to do you wrong because of the potential punishment given to them if they are caught. Lastly, Machiavelli says that a ruler must try to be not despised or hated by keeping the people happy so they won't rebel against him and will be his friend when needed. That's it for this week stay tuned for next week to see whats' up next!

Reading Blog 1: First Response To "Globalization: The Super-Story"

Easton Obojkovits

CAL 103

Prof. Middleton

January 21, 2013

How's it going friends? This week I read "Globalization: The Super-Story" by Thomas L. Friedman and I have to say that it was a very interesting read. Mr. Friedman talks about how the world is now more vastly connected with the new international system called 'Globalization' than it was in the old system called 'The Cold War System'. He states that during the Cold War system everybody was divided. I definitely agree with that statement. The US and the Soviet Union were at war and the world was forced to choose sides. Friedman says "The cold war was a drama of states confronting states, balancing states, and aligning with states. And, as a system, the cold war was balanced at the center by two super states, two superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union.(473)" Now with this new Globalization system, everybody is connected and the word that Friedman uses to characterize this is-web. The world is now a giant interlocked web in which people can now communicate across the world with other people and do many other things. Friedman says "Whether by enabling people to use the Internet to communicate instantly at almost no cost over vast distances, or by enabling them to use the Web to transfer money or obtain weapons designs that normally would have been controlled by states, or by enabling them to go into a hardware store now and buy a five-hundred-dollar global positioning device, connected to a satellite, that can direct a hijacked airplane.(474)" People now have the means to influence the world! Friedman used Osama Bin Laden as an example of what he calls a "super-empowered individual" Osama used the technology that he could get his hands on using the Internet and with that he orcastrated the events of 9/11. People can now get whatever they need, to do pretty much anything they want, thanks to the World Wide Web. If I wanted to I could learn how to hack using free lessons on the Internet and then from that I could hack a bank and steal all of the money. Thanks to Globalization this is now possible. Overall this reading was helpful in understanding the complex system of Globalization and how everything interacts and is intertwined.