Political Cartoon Response

I think this is a really interesting and powerful illustration.  We are fortunate to live in a democracy (albeit it not a true one, but I digress), as are citizens of the United States.  However, we often take this for granted or complain about the political state.  The latter is extremely hypocritical, because we vote for our leaders.  Although we do not have control over specific parts of a campaign, we constantly attack our political leaders, even though we voted them in.  Aside from this, if a political landscape becomes truly detestable, the people have more power than they realise.  Although many try to muff the voices of protestors or petitioners, we live in a time were information travels around the world instantly.  The general population is still the majority and still capable of change.  People have to learn how to band together to change their countries politics.

Facebook's IPO

I think that Facebook's IPO is incredibly overpriced.  The company has been declining in value, and there hasn't been a lot of financial interest in the company for several months as the company was valuing itself at too high a price ($100 billion).  With such a high IPO, stockholders will not be interested, since it is not a good investment, and shares will be too inaccessible to common investors.
As I mentioned in passing, Facebook shares are simply not a good investment.  Although users continue to increase, individual activity is quickly declining, as is interest in online games, such as Farmville, which drew in a lot of money for the company.  Like Myspace, Facebook will soon become obsolete as other social networking websites, such as Twitter or Keek, become more popular.  Therefore, no one should invest in Facebook, considering the shares will have virtually no value within about two or three years.

"What have you learned about yourself during the course?"

I realised that the issues we learned about weren't 'black or white,' and couldn't be dealt with as such.  The same applies for real life, from 'drama' between friends and grades at school.  Nothing is black and white, and compromises will always have to be made.  I think this is an important lesson to learn before university.

Also, I learned that I am very opinionated and vocal, often speaking up or arguing in class.  Although participation is appreciated, I should probably work on controlling my emotions, or waiting for my turn to speak.

"What are the three most important issues that you've learned about during the course?"

The AIC was something I was glad to learn about.  Besides being extremely relevant right now, I believe it will dictate many major political decisions in the near future.  It's also a conflict so deeply rooted in the history of these nations, and it was interesting to learn about that and their changing allies over time.

During the ISUs, I was also glad to learn about the corruption in Russia.  I believe that corruption is inevitable in any political system, but the shocking statistics in Colin's presentation were a real eye opener about the affects it can actually have.

Lastly, I enjoyed time spent discussing the Invisible Children organisation.  Since our class watched their documentary shortly before the Kony 2012 campaign, it was interesting to see people's changing views on the subject.  Debates on the legitimacy of the campaign were also really interesting.

Non-Violent AIC Solutions

Since both 'sides' of the conflict feel entitled to land, violence could, in theory, last indefinitely. However, a non violent solution, while likely involving great compromise, may be more beneficial. However, there are individuals who will inevtiably carry out violence, regardless of laws or treaties.  Therefore, force may actually be seen as necessary to protect citizens and keep the peace at large. I don't think here is a black and white answer, but, at this point, a peaceful solution would be amazing, if only we could arrive at one.

Invisible Children

Having only seen the last few minutes of the movie, it's remarkable how moved I was.  I was in tears after hearing a young boy talk about wanting to see his brother in heaven, as opposed to going on in this life.  This showed the harrowing affect the war is having on Africa's children.  No one so young should be talking this way.  They shouldn't have to be.  Children should be learning and experiencing a life of joy and wonder... Not fighting in wars they didn't begin, not suffering casualties that shouldn't have happened.  But, having grown up in this environment, these children know nothing else.  I imagine they'd be living in an extreme state of fear, or become extremely aggressive themselves.  They're also given no outlet or resources for changing or controlling their situation.  They feel helpless, abandoned, and violent.

HIV/AIDS in Africa

HIV, which further progresses into AIDS, is an epidemic widespread throughout Africa. Not only does this lower life expectancy, but it also creates social and economic issues, leading families and even countries to fall into a downward spiral. For example, when parents succumb to disease, their children are left to take care of and raise entire families, often watching after elders, as well. This would be extremely stressful as is, but the real harm is that it prevents children from getting an education. As long as this pattern continues, generations may never learn about HIV prevention or resources. As is, HIV/AIDS isn't discussed, in these countries, as frequently as it should be, since it is considered something to be ashamed of. This thinking is incredibly harmful, because it discourages those suffering from identifying themselves, therefore putting other at risk of contraction. Many have tried to help by donating monetary aid, however this has little effect. There is no way to determine where the money ends up, and there are often 'strings attached' from the donating country or organization. However, these countries also need a societal shift, so that those suffering with HIV/AIDS will be made comfortable enough that they are willing to seek our education and resources.