My Manifesto

Tiffany May                                                                                                                    May 1
Ms. Sierra & Mr. Patterson
Manifesto 12.1
4 May 2014                                                                                  

My Manifesto

My name, Tiffany May, an odd name in the country i live in, Colombia.I have 17 years old, those are the most insignificant years, even though it's only one year, still i don't like 17s. I have three sisters, two parents, a dog, and a very big stomach. I don't really like talking about myself, in this case i'll give it a try. I am a dreamer that usually tends to confuse reality and wonderland, i am full of laughs and food, i am full of love and hate, i am full of God and the Devil, i am a very good writer (or a very fool believer), i am not a very social person and still i make friends very easily, i communicate myself with actions instead of words, i am a musician, i love music, i love movies, i love good books, i love dancing, i am a dramatic, and among lots of thigs i try to be myself every day.

I don't remember when i was i born, i really don't think anyone remembers that, or at least would like to remember. The doctor was drunk and i don't blame the guy, it was a 31 of december. My mother almost dies because of me, and i don't remember hearing the version of my dad. Even though i don't remember that day, that year showed me how unexpected life can be. After you are born childhood comes along, my childhood memories are very traditionals, sweet curly girl, pink everywhere, flowers and nature,toys, barbies, food, great school days, crying, television, very bad boring music, the list keeps going. My sisters, off course, loved me and treated me like a segregated child. I had the misfortune of being born almost nine years after all of my sisters were born. I've always been my father's favorite, my mother's company, and my sister's little baby. And why am i talking about this?, well all this showed me that as a human being living in a "herd", you end up being known as the idea they have of you. Fortunately when you start making mistakes and choices, creating ideas, proving your points, doing your things; you start creating yourself and showing what you think, how you feel, likes, dislikes, how to be treated, this is when you start putting some value into your name.

Not like all of my classmates i have a whole history in the school we study. I lived in another city, i had only two truly lasting friends, i had both of my parents, and i didn't had a dog. Those nine years of school,i have to admit it was a hard working school, were the most wonderfull years of my life, i remember those years as if my life was a flower full of polen and certain precious smell. My first love was my first mistake, my first lie was my first fight, my very first deep feeling was the sound of my guitar, and my first kiss was my first desire. Those years showed me how stupid, selfish, wonderfull, incredible, sad, happy, life can be. I learned to be strong, i learned to care about life, i learned to enjoy things my own way, i learned to love, i learned to hate, i learned to leave something of myself in everything and everyone, and the most important thing i learned was to trasure the things that mattered.

After the golden years my parents decided to split, me and my mom moved here, at first it was really hard, but then we both made our own lives. My cousins studied in the school, so i did too. The first day of school i made friends but i was always with my cousin's friends, so it took me a while showing my real personality. When i felt good with them, they showed me to have fun more often (something not entirely good), they showed me that not everyone does the same things even if they think the same. During my current school, three years, showed me with all do respect, how we learn unnecessary things, we kill ourselves memorizing a bunch of numbers and formulas only to follow some rule and pass a test written in a piece of paper. High school showed me how stupid kids are now a days, and how much you can learn from people that knows about stuff, valuable stuff.

Many things i've learned and i'm only seventeen sad years old, the question is how will i use those things in order to become what i want to be. What i want to be, i don't really know but i have an idea. I would like to be just like i am today but with less mistakes, more knwoledge, and more value. I will keep my ideas, as fool and wrong as they are, i will respect ther points of view, i will be a funny and crazy as i am, i will respect my body and soul, i will love sincerely, i will be myself. I learned life can be unexpected, so i will be ready for everything. I learned that as a human being living in a "herd", you end up being known as the idea they have of you, so i will not say anything if i don't know everything. I learned how stupid, selfish, wonderfull, incredible, sad, happy, life can be; so i will stay strong and try to understand the complexity of life. I learned to be strong, i learned to care about life, i learned to enjoy things my own way, i learned to love, i learned to hate, i learned to leave something of myself in everything and everyone, and the most important thing i learned was to trasure the things that mattered; so i will be original and make room for memories in my mind. I learned to have fun more often, and that not everyone does the same things even if they think the same; so i will do my best to have fun and respect the ideas of others. Finally, i learned that we learn unnecessary things, so i will try to learn only good and significant things. “ Live as if you were to die tomorrow.Learn as if you were to live forever”(Gandhi,1940), I believe this quote says that all the things i've learned will help me to become what i want to be tomorrow, in a week, in a future.

Light bulb conspiracy

The light bulb film we've watched during class, mainly talks about plan obsolescence, it's impact, consequences, and many other things about this plan.

Plan obsolescence, is the degradation of products,in order to make consumers buy more, and make more profits.  

Photo credit: http://documentaryden.com/the-light-bulb-conspiracy/

In the film, the main example in which plan obsolescence is present, are light bulbs. The story about light bulbs is like most of all the products stories victims of planobsolescence. Every single person, that worked in the light bulb industries, worked for the creation of a resistant and good light bulb. At first light bulbs worked fine, and were a success. After the U.S realized, money was east to find, they started making some rules, and publishing some cartels. The awful truth was that the government and the power, in order to gain money, asked every light bulb company to create bad quality light bulbs. Now a days, things remain the same, we continue to buy bad quality stuff, to buy more things in less time, creating more contamination, and the most important thing for everyone, money. 

Four horsemen

The film "four horsemen", is a very interesting film that shows a big possibility of an empire crash, the U.S empire crash. The film starts with the description of empires, what are them, and how they work. 

An empire lasts about 250 years, and it's composed by a country, in this case the United States. 

An empire is ruled by only one person, or one thing. Talking about the U.S and how this one is an empire, the one person or thing, would be the money. Money is a very important thing for this country, and the U.S monetary industry is very big, the biggest one.

 

Photo credit: http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1671513/

The monetary system in the U.S, does not work very well, it has a lot of faliures.

Along with these system, comes the country's economy. The economy of the country, affects everyone that makes part of it. 

In this empire, economy, banking system, addictions, and many other things, will be the responsibles for the crash of the U.S empire.

If this happens, the U.S and it's government would not control almost all of the world anymore.

Fractional reserve banking

During the past few days, we've watched and learned about money and the monetary system. Money is the main part of the monetary system, in order to make, borrow, and some other things. Talking about monetary systems, specifically talking about the US monetary system, we've learned how this one is composed and how it works.

Photo credit: cynic.me/2012/05/28/frackin-reserve-how-fractional-reserve-banking-creates-money-and-why-it-is-fraudulent-3-6/

The US monetary system, it's organized in the government, the FRB (fractional reserve banking), banks, and the people or users.  

The government has a debt, a country debt, they need to borrow money from the FRB in order to "pay" these debts. The FRB creates money, paper money and the government deposit this money into a bank account. The money becames "real", or legal when it's already part of a bank. 

When a person makes a loan because they need money for something, the bank borrows them the money, but actually the user has to pay it back, pay even more money back. The US monetary system function in order to gain money, not caring about people, or even the country itself.

MLA citations:

•"Fractional Reserve Banking." - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.

Colombian monetary system

Normally in almost every country of the world, there is a monetary system. A monetary system "for the better balance and organization of the country's wealth", it's not an organized, or even coherent system. 

In Colombia, the monetary system is organized by the governente, the Banco de la republica, and the users. 

Inside the Banco de la republica, basically the most important entity for this system, there are groups formed by designated persons to do an specific job. There are some rules inside the bank that need to be followed. There is also the  "central de efectivo", they are the responsibles of creating the money, paper money, according to the bank  specifications. Another essential part of the bank, is the "junta directiva", these ones are in charge of making decisions, and evaluate the system. Among many other groups that are part of the bank, there is off course the head of everything, the owner, a person that owns the bank like any other property.

Photo Credit: http://m.cfo-insight.com/markets-economy/global-economy/towards-a-multi-polar-currency-world/

Talking about monetary systems, we've learned about the US monetary system, this system just like the Colombian one, has failures. Both of them experience inflation, clearly in order to gain some money out of their county debts. The percentage of inflation for the Colombian monetary system it's about a 1.94%, in the US government there is a debt of the 99% of their GNP. Both systems use inflation, and because of their debts they need to gain or "make" some money. When a user uses the bank, he is not really getting any money, now he is owing money to the bank.

These systems are created "for the people", and supposedly to represent the county's "value", both monetary systems show a completely different idea. Now in days a lot of people it's investigating the monetary systems and they are trying to find and show the truth.

MLA citations:

•"Colombian Peso." - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.

•"Banco De La República (Banco Central De Colombia)." Banco De La República (Banco Central De Colombia). N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.

No US fatalities in Afghanistan

During the constant conflict against the US government and Afghanistan, a lot of people has died. Many US soldiers had lost their life in combat. 

Not including 2001, every single year, the US military has an ammount of fatalities, in march of this year, the whole month passed by, and not even a single soldier died in combat, or even non- combat.

 

Scott Olson, Getty Images

Soldiers with the U.S. Army's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, participate in a ceremony in Afghanistan.

According to DoD, it is the first month in many years, that US soldiers survive the whole month.This might be a sign, or maby just luck, perhaps the conflict it's not that complicated anymore, or the soldiers just had tons of luck on their backs.

MLA citations:

•Jolie Lee, USA TODAY Network 2014, web.http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/04/01/afghanistan-casualties-dod-march/7167159/. April firts, 2014 6:00 pm.

Food inc and films

Power is one of the main causes the world functions. Big industries, weathy people and governments, are in the "the top of the world". Along with power, comes money, and cover. In the past few weeks, we have seen a number of documentals about race, politics, and food. All these relate at some point their topic it's the same. 

http://covermaker.net/tag/Money%20Power%20Respect.html

When people talk about race, told to be "a biologycall myth", the final purpose of race, is covering, power and off course, money. 

When people talk about politics and "economic hitmans", they are talking about a job that implies covering, in order to gain power towards a country, and with power comes money.

Finally, a topic that no one would think has a relation with these three main points; food industry. When people talks about food and it's industry, they are talking about a whole system designed to economize (gaining money), by covering the truth, and to obtain more power.

All these topics relate in the three main points mentioned, and even tough people see them as totally separated topucs, they have these things in common and they are essential for the type of institutions and systems we have today.

Confessions of an economic hitman

In the book confessions of an economic hitman, the author explains the risks of an economic hitman, and their work. To be an economic, even though it's very well payed, as the book describes it, is the responsible of cheating countries in order to gain money from this countries.

The role of economic hitmans, is very important because they impact counties in positive and negative ways.

There are a lot of countries affected by economic hitmans, Panama for example, when the U.S wanted the canal back, economic hitmans arranged business to obtain the canal back, when the pressident declined the offer, the U.S government ordered to kille the president. The whole thing seemed an accident, but only a few people knew the truth.

Photo credit: http://theredphoenixapl.org/2011/12/10/review-of-confessions-of-an-economic-hitman/

Ecuador for example, was another country affected by them. The U.S government wanted power in ecuador's oil companies. Economic hitmans arranged contracts, and when the pressident refused to accept, they did exactly the same as what they did with Omar T.  

The power of privilege

Talking about race and how this one defines a persons place in the world, a lot of privileges a person has, are based in what race this person belongs to. 

The most common example of this, is the whites, and the power they have towars society. 

In the world most of the wealthy people is white, it's the dominant race.

People is discriminated by their race, defining the privileges and power. Talking about money and education for example, opportunities to study for a white person, are not the same ones for a black. Even if blacks have education, their education is not as good.

Money is very important to, the white people, is in charge of wealth and money, the treatment and the chances of a black are not the same, there is not equality.

Race

In our world, there are inimaginable things and ideas that are important to choose our place in the world. Race, a very important idea for almost all human kind, it's also the one to blame for lots of injustices.

Race it's told to be a biologycall myth, in "the power of an illusion", race started as the division of ethnic group or historical collectivity. Biologically race does not exist, a lot of people believe they aregenetically  different, when in fact, we are very similar. 

With race, a lot of things come along. Racism "...excludes, or seeks to eliminate another on the basis of differences that it believes are hereditary and unalterable."(Fredrickson George, 2003). This idea of racism, it's basically the main goal of race, by saying this, race it's a strategy used by the government, to "organize", marginate, divide, etc. 

unfortunately, this strategy it's successful and in out society, a lot of people is discriminated by race.

George M. Fredrickson is Edgar E. Robinson Professor Emeritus of United States History at Stanford University.

 

The Republic of Crimea

The Republic of Crimea is now a "disputed" territory between Ukraine and Russia. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the independence of Ukraine, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was considered an integral part of Ukraine.

In february 2014, following the change of power in Ukraine, many separatist tensions took place in this russian-speaking region. The crisis began with the protests leaded by Ukrainian people to support the rapprochement of Ukraine to the European Union. This was rejected by the russian-speaking communities of the southeastern part of the country, composed mostly by ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking Ukrainians.

Located south from the primary ukrainian territory, the Republic of Crimea was the center of pro-russian protests. It was proposed a separatist referendum and there were a series of military revolts, including both local troops and Russian troops. On March 6, 2014, the authorities of the Republic of Crimea announced the call for a referendum on March 16, which will ask the people to vote in order to formally join Russia and no longer be a part of Ukraine. People voted, and as a result on March 18, leaders of the Republic of Crimea, Vladimir Konstantinov and Sergei Aksionov, as well as russian President Vladimir Putin, signed the treaty of accession of Crimea as a new federal territories to Russia.

This also caused a diplomatic crisis between Russia, the United States and the European Union. This last two announced political and economic sanctions against Russia, accused of violating International Law because of their military presence in Crimea. Nevertheless, and in spite of the great tension between this two world powers, president Barack Obama said that his country " do not intend to intervene militarily in the crisis in Ukraine". 

Israel vs. palestine

Israel, now days a middle east country, it's a combination between jews and palestinian people. 

Trough the years, there has been a constant fight not only between these two, but also between them and the government or military. 

The fight started because ofthe zionists and arabs conflict. They fight for territory, water rights, mobilization, but most important, the palestinians independence.

  

Link

https://plus.google.com/+revistasemana/post
I like this blog, because it's about one of my favourite magazines, "Revista Semana". Here you can find news, latest updates, and good articles.

Sudan

Now days, sudan, a country of the middle east, it's going trough conflict. The conflict between south and north sudan, is mainly for money, power, and religion. We spoke about it in class, we discussed the different reasons why thin conflict began. Muslims and christians fight for oil and it's money, Clearly there is the organized "powerful" side, they have the money to create, build, etc. The other part, has the resources, specially oil. They transport oil through the powerful part, thanks to this, they had to reach an agreement. Off course this agreement is not totally fair, but at least they have a relation.

My country

The night was dark and cold, every single tree was awake, and by the look on people's faces, you could tell that something was coming. The look on their faces, full of hatred, disturbed my mind. Do they wanted justice, democracy, and order?, how could they thought claiming such things, as they did?.

The way things worked back then, were not the best. Our system was incredibly damaged, there was nothing democratic, fair, and equal in it. People started to feel betrayed, left alone, offended.
At first they talked about it for months, days, and hours; Then, when no results were shown, then it began.

I remember i was sleeping, that march 15, had nothing special. My mom was in the kitchen while my three sisters watched doodles. That awful habit mom has, of watching news late at night, changed our lives forever. The unrest began that day, the "rebels", as they called them, were tired of asking, talking, wondering. Why do i say "they", we!, i am part of this, i was and i'm still.
I think i disagree in some things, and even though now my country is not the best, i can't help to feel the way i do.
Off course they made us look like villains, the whole world thought we were just a bunch of misfits, searching for revolt.

I was never really a part of it back then, i mean, i knew how our country was, and they way things worked, but i never did a thing about it. Every one at school, the bigger ones, began to skip school, there was just a few of us left, attending to class. I believe i graduated miraculously. When i started to join late meetings, my mom supported me, she even persuaded my sisters. Every thing was going fine, i thought i was doing something good for my country, thinking and asking for reform is not a bad thing to do.

Things got worst when the army was ordered to attack us. Everything turned terrible, people in charge wasn't thinking, they decided to reply the attacks. I didn't knew how to use a gun, i had not even seen one, perhaps only in movies. When they announced we were at war, my mom forbid me to attend meetings again, my sisters could not see the news, specially then, my dad was one of the main leaders of the armed protests.

Two years passed, my dad's location is unknown, my sisters live with my mom in a very small and hidden house, i visit them when i get payed at work, off course this is not a regular thing.
I live with three friends in the attic of an old house. We never know if we are going to be alive to see the next day. We take turns to use the only cellphone in the house, every one of us has family, someone to love. I don't know much about the solutions that could fix this war. There is one thing i know for sure, my country will not be abandoned, there's still people fighting for it, there's still hope, i have hope, and i have faith.

:)

My name is Tiffany May, i'm 17 years old, i like movies and music. My favorite thing to do is eat. I have a mother a father, three sisters and a dog. I study at colegio panamericano. The reason i create this blog is for my comparative government class. I don't like onions and pineapple.