Global but not the Same, Different but not Together.

This is a very long paper (12 pp) on the effects of globalization on culture, and that we as a global society have two options. Either give in to fear and eliminate the otherness of all others, or we can become Cosmopolitan and learn to be different together. The last part of the paper is ...

General Trends in the Middle East ‘Arab Spring’ Movements

A few hours ago, Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to step down from his role as president of The Republic of Yemen. This marks the third Middle Eastern government that has been uprooted by popular-protest, following  Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and  Ben Ali of Tunisia. But what does this mean for the future? A change in either ...

Nuclear Non-Proliferation & the Case of Iran

1. Introduction

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (hereafter referred to as the NPT) sets out to create a framework to prevent the creation and use of nuclear weapons. It is enforced firsthand by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and secondhand by (on referral to) the United Nations (UN), the Security Council (SC) and the greater international community. It has recently (2003-onwards) come into conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran) over various issues, such as possible military dimensions of the Iranian nuclear program, and Iran’s consistent non-cooperation and concealment of activities, leading to 7 SC resolutions as of June 2010 (resolutions 1696, 1737, 1747, 1803, 1835 and 1929) but failing to resolve the program issues.

How do you build a community of strangers?

Or, more accurately, “How do you build a community of strangers?” That’s right, you. I’m involved in a lot of different and potentially far reaching and ambitious projects — “The Committee To Address the Future”, various art projects, social projects, interests in developing philosophic, political and economic theories, a general love of exploration and parkour/free-running, making ...

How do we reframe economic growth?

The longer question is, “Can we reframe economic growth & jobs/work in a way representative of the complex realities of the 21century?” Because, old models of ‘success’ aren’t showing us what is meaningful. For example: sure, China and India are poised for 9, 10% GDP growth yearly, which is pretty phenomenal with its consistency in the ...

How do we radically rethink Print Media?

As everyone is well aware, print media is facing a readership crisis, one-upped by the internet and the powers of aggregation that be, and then again by gadgets like the iPhone and iPad. Tangibility arguments aside (see the joys of holding a a physical book in your hands), physical artifacts are often useful because they are complete in and ...

What is value?

What is value? Economics seems to be collapsing in on itself because it does not know what it is actually representing. The basic units of economics, ‘capital and supply and demand and profit’, have gradually evolved into additional ideas of ‘labour’ and ‘productivity/health’ and ‘knowledge/technology’, among other things. These are measurable, but not complete in ...

What do we do with outdated technology?

What do we do with the obsolete? Outdated technologies, old magazines, unrevised drafts, older editions? I mean, sure, in terms of archivist’s terms, all this is important to catalog and have off-hand to know exactly how history worked (Footnote 1). On the other hand, what do I do with all my old CDs and DVDs? Or, my ...

How do you interact with the world around you?

This comes a bit as a response to an earlier question of “Can you be a functioning member of society without a selfone?” Err.. cellphone. Because, the tools you use to interact with the world around you shape the way you understand the world. I know three New Yorks– one by bike, one by public transportation, one ...

Why are you learning?

I have a lot of friends in a lot of different schools. The group is pretty diverse in what they do, but each one finds a fault somewhere in the education they are receiving. Going to art or vocational school, the student learns techniques on how to do stuff. Going to a design oriented school, the ...

Thinking, not Doing?

I just watched a video of Masahiko Yendo, an experimental architect, talking about his work. My first question was “what is experimental architecture, and what good is it if it isn’t real?” He answers that first part pretty early on: “My take on experimental architecture is non-built, and is the pursuit of trying to figure out or ...

Objectivity in the Media

Objectivity: Expressing or involving the use of facts without distortion by personal feelings or prejudices. (Webster) If objectivity is to write a piece of work without distorting it with ones personal views and opinions, is it rationally ever achievable? To be a good reporter or journalist, EJ Dionne says you must be neutral but investigative. ...