Wednesday, June 4, 2014
TWIF Flattener #1 - 11/9/89
Use one of the current events sources linked at http://svhs-hwc-fall2014.blogspot.com/2014/06/approved-sources-for-twif-current.html to find a recent news article that relates to, supports, or refutes Friedman's assertion that 11/9/89 was a "flattener." Your comment should include the title of the news article, a link to the article, and a summary of the article including an explanation of how the article relates to this point. Don't forget to check your rubric for evaluation criteria!
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Hard to see how Russia can ever be let back into G7 club: Canada PM http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/26/us-ukraine-crisis-canada-idUSKBN0FV0HE20140726
ReplyDeleteFriedman asserts that the first force that flattened the world was the demolition of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The world was divided by communism and capitalism and the fall of this physical barrier opened communication between countries that had previously been isolated from each other. Divisions between political systems and governments had separated the world into individual countries that refused to focus on the world as a whole. When the Berlin Wall came down, governments started to see the possibilities of interacting with other nations to better themselves, creating a more global perspective. Friedman’s assessment of a more collaborative world was correct up until a few years ago when Vladimir Putin decided to take Russia in a different direction. This Canadian article highlights the fact that Russia is now struggling with this global environment and that the current regime has developed a more individualized approach. Vladimir Putin is pulling his country away from the international community and promoting the interests of a more isolated world power. David Ljunggren’s report stresses that Canada does not see a way for Russia to rejoin the G7 organization due to Putin’s recent attacks and defiance.
"The Momentum Of The Ice Bucket Challenge — And What It Means For ALS"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/2014/08/20/341958763/the-momentum-of-the-ice-bucket-challenge-and-what-it-means-for-als
In chapter 2 of the World is Flat, Friedman talks about how the first flattener is When the Walls came down, the Windows went up and in this chapter he brings up the rapid spread of technology. This first started with the Apple II home computer created by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1977, after that many other companies also created their own computers and browsers. Then other things started spreading such as pictures, words, music, and videos all digitally. This trend started moving quicker after 1989, when the Berlin Wall came down. This article shows how quickly a trend spreads with technology. It explains the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge which was started by one person. The ALS ice bucket challenge is where a person gets nominated by another person to dump ice cold water on yourself which makes you feel, temporarily, like someone who actually has ALS. If you do not complete the challenge in 24 hours then you have to donate $100 to ALS. This coordinates to what Friedman was saying because of the technology spread we now have social media apps such as instagram and twitter etc., which can spread millions of posts in less than a second because of this technology spread. ALS has now raised over $31 million dollars because the technology of social media spread this challenge, worldwide.
“As Snowden looks on, Russia cracks down on Internet freedom” By: Charles Maynes
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pri.org/stories/2014-08-05/snowden-looks-russia-cracks-down-internet-freedom
In Flattener #1, Friedman states that the first force to flatten the world is the falling of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The Cold War was a battle between communists and capitalists, and the destruction of the Berlin Wall left only one type of government. The separation between the communists and the capitalists gave the chance for countries to work together as a more unified world. This created the opening for shared technology such as Apple computers, IBM PC’s, and Windows operating systems. In July, Vladimir Putin of Russia signed a law that western tech companies doing business in Russia have to move their servers on Russian soil by September 2016. Companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google, all have to removed from Russian grounds. Russia is now starting to become independent from the rest of the world, almost like building up another Berlin Wall.