Summaries.docx

Gabriel Zahir Summaries Democracy with Chinese Characteristics Summary Diamond, “Liberation Technology"-October 28 2013 th Through reading this article I have come to realize that detention centers in China are very dangerous due to punishment that harmed Sun and many others. Journalist such as Cheng and Wu were jailed due to their part in releasing of information regarding Suns death. Wu’s political motivated website was up and active but later terminated leading to it being shut down by the government. It was this website that created a sense of online liberation in the name of Sun. This website was a glimpse into the world of liberal technology which leads the people of china to use the internet to spread political freedom in order to build influence among people making them a stronger, united force. Liberal technology can be used in the name of freedom of the people but the same power of spreading influence can also be used in a negative manner due to it being controlled by fanatics. The system of liberal technology doesn’t pick who controls the technology itself. In Malaysia the spread of information was strictly from newspapers due to lack of technical sources but due to liberal technology, information that is released came be very harsh and not suitable for all readers. This new wave of media coverage gives the average person much more to think about. Liberal technology is also used to expose police brutality and abuse due to a smart phones camera tools being easily accessible. These incidents prove that liberal technology isn’t all that bad and can have its positive perks as well. The use of website such as Facebook and Twitter allow people to gather for political or general meetings due to each websites connection to internet. This counters having to contact each person by phones, where now, a person can send one message to many people at one time. Overall, liberal technology can be used for good and bad reasons. Bad reasons are countered by filters and good behavior is monitored by cypher authorities for hints of bad intentions. Monitoring people who mind their own business can be seen as going against liberal technology due to internet users feeling as if there being spied on . Those who control the flood of media and news releases that are observed to the public are also the ones who have most control over the people of its country. th Osnos, “The Burmese Spring” –October 28 2013 Chitan Lay is released from prison due to the government’s attempts to pull away from a political war. He was arrested for political reasons. He heads on a bus back into a town in Burma where there is no cell phones or basic technology. It is in this state due to its poor leadership, a leadership that is being upheld by Than Stein. Stein is uneducated and does not care for the people of Burma. His lack of ambition and dedication to his people has caused Sun Wyi to rise up against him in order to restore the quality of life in Burma. She fights to bring democracy through her rise up to Parliament. She fought for the freedom of her people while being involved in a dangerous covert war. Stein is has isolated his people from communication and also killed opposition and their families as retaliation for them rioting against him. Eventually Sun Wyi war Gabriel Zahir against him was a success and she won her place in parliament but as she lived her dream she always had minor encounters with the opposition. Since her victory, the Burmese people have been better off than they were when Stein was in control th Nathan, “Authoritarian Impermanence"- October 28 2013 The authoritarian system has been in place for years.Authorising systems used to be strictly connected to military rule and corporate communism but it has currently touched broader avenues of expression.Authoritarian systems in China are facing opposition from the internet and the rising middle class.An issue with the structure of the Chinese government is there lack of interest in popularity amongst its people compared to its interest in the quality of its people’s future. This system contrast with democracy. China reforms and adapts you until you feel as if the way your living is already democratic and that you are currently being treated in a democratic fashion, this strategy is a new form of theAuthorarian rule. This rule is countered by Chinas human rights which consist of lawyers and reports/bloggers that use the expression of the media and the safety of the courts to get their message out. The core beliefs of this group are to use the viral spread of technology to unite people in order to build democracy in China. Political Methodology: The Role of Democratic Experiment –November 4 2013 th Professor Peter Loewen “Picking Election Winner byAppearanceAccurate 70 Percent of the Time"-November 4 2013 th Alexander Todorov “Inferences of Competence from Faces Predict Election Outcomes”- th November 4 2013 Astudy by Princeton university studentAlexander Todorov states that a quick glance at a candidates face will tell you who will win the election. Todorov has taken his old study of people who look and judge unfamiliar faces that are involved in the political arena. His lab test show that comparing the two candidates faces was sufficient to predict the winner in about 70 percent of the faces for the US senate. Test subject are not told their choices have political involvement. Three experiments/ several dozen party participants are shown photos with a pair of faces and choose their gut choice. Only difference was the about of time an observer has to look. They did not know that certain faces were upcoming candidates in different states. Judgment predicted winners in about 72 percent. This study has inspired researchers to look at the voting game from a visual perspective instead of documented point of view.Also found was thatAmericans can predict the avenue of Mexican candidates if with their facial hair. Professors offer a reality check for politicians. Gabriel Zahir Wantchekon, “Clientelism and Voting Behavior" November 4 2013 th Leonard Wantchekon wanted to investigate what campaign messages are most effective, he could have reviewed past political advertisement or interviewed consultants/ voters but he is a game theorist and wanted a more scientific approach. Instead of observing, he participated in his homecoming election. Due to his past political background he joined the Benin side in the Canadian embassy where he and his researchers write campaigns messages for the Benin candidates to test them out on villagers. Professor Wantchekon created two messages; promise to build schools, clinics and roads. The other message was improve nation’s general welfare. They campaigned into 20 villages with 700 people and each village received their promise or general welfare. The other four million people got the regular campaign and were seen as the control group. This was seen as a field experiment because tampering with election is unethical because they do not know there participating in an experiment. Professor Wantchekon promises work for the incumbent and not for the challengers and underdogs who won more votes when they used broad appeal. Women preferred broad appeal as well. Professor Wantchekon states that random selection used by scientist in drug testing is similar to the field experiment and is also like a placebo due to the participants also not knowing. He also concluded with the fact that field researchers counter the million dollar business of companies. The Rise of Great Powers Summary –November 18 2013 th Kaplan, “The Geography of Chinese Power"- November 18 2013 th English geographer stated in his famous article called the geographic pivot of history that China can be the next world power due to its land and sea power. China also has hydraulic civilization which means they can enlist 100 million labor workers to build infrastructure. China is a country that works to gain resources in order to feed the population and does not care much for morals which contrast with the United States. Irrational border syndrome occurred when Xing Jang and Tibet's people resisted Chinese control so they are with Beijing, which causes issues for Beijing. Chinese Turkestan- country has mini wars due to people wanting independence. But in 1940 Mae Zong turned Xing Jand into Chinese rule but in 1990 the Turk Uighur’s (Turks) rioted against Beijing rule. China has plans to expand its resources by gathering pipelines to gather resources like minerals. Tension betweenBejing and China will cause Beijing to have resistance in their attempt to expand. China using creeping control to take over Mongolia by setting up mining post in order to extract valuable minerals. North of Mongolia lies a Russian state where China has also set up mining post, other tactic to expand its resources. China enters these areas in order to build a mining corporation. Even though China has stepped foot into Russia and has plans to do business in their state, tension has rose between both countries around the borders of China and Russia. This can lead to the U.S joining the Russians to balance against China. China is also spreading south east to gain resources from Mya manor Beijing uses (The Association of Southeast Nations to Trade) with Mya manor which builds a profitable relationship. China feels threatened by Muslim Malaysians. Singapore fears Chinese ethnic Gabriel Zahir cleansing and has a better relationship with Taiwan. Indonesia needs the U.S for navy assistance but does not want to offend the Muslim due to its affiliation with the U.S Navy. China continues to rise while Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia band together. China wants to influence Korea but finds this process very difficult. China influences on Korea will allow China to gain an advantage due to Korea assisting China with going against Japan and its trading partners. This will also cause U.S troops to leave along with peace with Russia and India regarding border disputes. China's navy force is very large and is even bigger than its land force. The have majority of control over every island around them which created the ''First Island Chain''. The U.S naval war Captain James Holmes states that the United States builds guard towers along the structure of the ''First Island Chain'' to block China's access to the Pacific Ocean. China's sea patrol and the U.S sea patrol engage in conflict due to this guard towers. There has been past incidents where China as disrespected them or denied them access. China has made an aircraft carrier of its own in order to counter what the U.S has been doing to them. This Chinese aircraft is very similar to the United States’aircraft which is an offensive in an indirect manner. Taiwan is threatened by Chinese take over which leads to them joining the ''First Island Chain'' .China says it can defeat the U.S if it helps Taiwan due to China being much closer to Taiwan unlike the United States which is located on the other side of the world. China has created weaponry and listening ports in order to give more aid to the Chinese islands. This strategy is used to show its power to the United States and also a message that says China can end a war before it starts. While the U.S supplies Taiwan with weapons, China builds subs and missiles along with India building its navy.All three countries are seeking power. The United States has a plan to counter Chinas moves by making alliances with the lands around China, b