South Africa wary of Walmart's 'muscle'

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/08/16/walmart.massmart.south.africa/index.html?iref=allsearch
 From: Nkepile Mabuse

Contention: The author's contention is to inform the audience of Walmart's entry into South Africa and pros and cons that comes with it. Walmart will allow for jobs, however, there is still a big question about local farmers and there decreasing role in the economy, as well as, threat to food security. The author also mentions that this may do good to the country by providing jobs for many.

Bias: The author looks to see what benefits South Africa would gain when Walmart enter. The author also mentions Walmart's revenue is bigger then that of South Africa's GPP. This enforces politicians to  question the good that will come out of Walmart in South Africa.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to inform and make people aware of the impact that Walmart has had on many countries and how it is going to affect yet another country - South Africa. This article also portrays how the government of South Africa is fighting for the rights of its' people, in order for them to get maximum benefit.

Differences in food insecurity between UK, USA and India and Pakistan.

        Countries view food insecurity in different ways. A person is food insecure when they do not know where there next meal is coming from. 

In countries like India and Pakistan, where big families are common, it is hard to provide sufficient food for all the members. In places like India and Pakistan people are not able to afford food because of the lack of education. A family in India and Pakistan prioritize food over education. When a child does not get an education, he then later will not be able to get a proper job to provide for his family. This cycle will continue, keeping the poor in the same situation for generations. Unlike countries like the USA and the UK, Indian and Pakistan do not have food shelters where the hungary can go and fill their bellies 5 times a week. Children along with their parents often have to go to bed hungary. 

It is hard to imagine that people are insecure in countries like the USA. According to the video our class watched, 50 million Americans face food insecurity because of the financial crisis. These people are out of jobs and do not have enough money in order to provide food for themselves. However, there are food shelters where meals are given to people. In the USA people's life has changed because of the financial crisis. These people were used to having meals everyday, however, now they face a choice between feeding their children or themselves. Having never faced such situations before, it must be hard for people to deal with not having food and going to a food shelter in order to get food. 

Distribution of food in India

A further attack on the PDS ( Public distribution system)

http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl1802/18020280.htm

Bias- Towards people who are below the poverty line and towards the PDS. She is going against the current ways that the government is dealing with the food distribution. 

Purpose-  To make people aware of the food situation in India. The author also provides evidence that shows the negative effects of the current system that is in place as of right now. She point out the gap between the poor and the rich and points out how the income is not measured fairly. Overall, the author wants to equally distribute food amongst all the people 

Main contention of the writer- To declare the negative side of the income measurement that is in place as of right now. To point of the negative sides of the BPL and APL separation. To point out the wrong doing of the government by storing food and exporting it, rather than distributing the food. 

FIghting for food security in India

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2012/jul/16/fighting-food-security-india

Bias - Towards people who are food insecure.

Purpose- The author's purpose is to provide solutions, so that food may be better distributed different parts of society. 

Argument- The author argues that there is definitely more to be done about food insecurity. In order for food to reach the poorest of the poor, new techniques, like the local government stepping in, needs to be put in place. The media as well as the government need to put in effort in order to change the current situation at hand of food insecurity. 

Evidence and discrepancies between the two articles. 

1.Both state that the government as been storing food 

- the second article states that 60 m tonnes of food was stored in 2001

- The first artless states that 45.5 m tonnes of food grain are being held by the government. But does not state the years this statistic is taken from. 

2. First article states that "47 per cent of boys and girls  0-4 were malnourished

and 48.5 per cent of the adults were malnourished  in the 1993-1994."

Second article states that "India is still in the bottom 10 for child malnutrition"

3. Both articles talk about the increase in food prices

"Price of rice and wheat for BPL families were increased by 68 per cent"

4. Both articles agree that there needs to be newer ways to easily distribute food amongst the rich and the poorest of the poor. 

Food Insecurity

Food Insecurity

Who is affected?

- People below the poverty line.
- People who do not make a minimum wage
- Under developed countries

How many are affected?
- Millions

Is this a major problem?
- Yes, because not being able to get three healthy meals a day will lead to an unhealthy life

What are some solutions?
- Making food more accessible to many more people
- Lowering the food prices so that people can afford food
- Finding a way to produce more food
-Education, so that children now will later have jobs and be able to afford food.

What is the local/ National Perspective?
- India is a developing country and many can afford food, however there are still many more who go without having three proper meals a day.
- In India the prices of vegetables, such as onions, keep rising, this makes it hard for citizens to afford basic food.

What is the Global Perspective?
- Organizations like the UN, WHO and the local governments of a country do try hard to decrease the gap between the rich and the poor. This will hopefully give more equality and access to food across the different parts of society
- All parts of society have the right to afford basic food.
- Food production needs to increase
- access to food needs to be made easier.


What is mentioned as the causes of the problem?
- Disaster, migration, famine, conflict

What are some solutions?
- Double food production given the same amount of land.
- Genetically modify animals and plants.
- Taking better care of the: animals, plants, land, soil
- investing in agriculture, local farmers
- better access to sanitation

What is the purpose of the video?
- The need to give to the less fortunate.
- Caring for others, they are also human

What are the basic claims being made?
-To give back.
- It doesn't matter what caste you are from or what country, you should give back to society.


Do you agree/disagree?
- I agree, we should give back to society and help the helpless.

Factual or story?
- This is a story, however, a story with a lot of meaning and purpose.
- There are billions out there who do not get proper nutrition and others who waste tons of food every day.
- We should make the effort to give back to society

Title: "Please Read This Story, Thank You"

By: Linton Weeks

Central Argument: As we become more knowledgeable we seem to have forgotten our manners.

As each generation takes their place on this planet, things change, including the way we behave. As kids, we are constantly reminded by our elders to say our pleases and thank yous. It seems as each generation takes their place on the planet, we become more rude, and instead of asking for things, we demand for things. Now days people are so involved with their own lives that they do not even have time to smile at a person sitting on a bus seat next to them. With the world becoming more complex, people start focusing on just themselves. We all seem to be relying on just the outward appearance, we have forgotten what it was like to smile, to take a break, to enjoy life. We have forgotten to live.

With such a competitive world, and new technology we feel as though we do not need to communicate with people. We simply do what is needed without thinking twice about it. If we need coffee we walk over to Starbucks and get coffee from a stranger. Neither the stranger or the buyer finds it important to communicate. We don't say please, we simply say I want it. With the seller at the other end of the wall, no one feels the need to communicate beyond just getting their work done. Now the world seems to revolve around the work getting done, rather than the people who are doing the work. We feel as though going beyond just getting what is done, or doing what needs to be done is not important. We feel that it is not asked of the job to communicate more words than necessary.

The point is maybe it is not asked of the job to do more than deliver, or buy. The fact is we are all connected. When even just one person smiles and asks you how your day was, this makes things all the more better. The world for those few minutes seems more of not just work and success, but joy and happiness. We all need a little bit of cheering up every once in a while. We need people to give us compliments and respect us. As the saying goes “do one to other as you would have them do to you.” No one likes to be shouted at, or demanded of things. It does not hurt us to be civilized and be peaceful people. For if we made the effort to go out of our way just a little to be nice to someone, say please, and thank you. We would not just make the other person feel, but feel good ourselves for we have changed maybe just few seconds of someone else's life.

Title: "Why We Like What We Like"

By: Alva Noe

Central Argument: Are likes and dislikes are influenced by the things around us.

I agree with the argument in the article “ Why We Like What We like” which talks about how are likes and dislikes are influenced by the things around us. We can see why this is true because of the fashion trends everyone follows, the way we talk, and who we date. Change takes place everywhere, and because of the change in the way others think, our likes and dislikes change. When we see a fashion trend change we want to follow it. We, along with others change to fit in, and not be left out. We accept what is accepted by the rest of society.

Fashion changes constantly. I remember being in middle school and wearing bell bottom jeans; why well because that was the trend back then. Suddenly in ninth grade every one started wearing skinny jeans because that was the fashion. No one wants to look like an outsider or a weirdo; everyone wants to fit in. This is why are likes and dislikes change according to the choices of society. If we had a banquet to go to we wouldn't be wearing jeans but we would be wearing dresses. If we did wear something unusual according to others perspective, we would be ashamed of ourselves and feel as though we did something wrong. How others perceive us changes the way we think of what we like to wear and where we like to wear it. In certain occasions we wear a dress and in others we dress up casually. Why, not just because we simply like to, but because others choices determine what our own individual choices are. Eventually we find ourselves liking the things that others like

We talk differently to different groups of people. To our friends we may be joking around, teasing and having fun. With the elders we behave politely and with respect. We behave in a certain way mostly because we are told to do so. Because society expects us to act in a certain way. As children we may not always like this, however, when we grow older we too start expecting our children to behave in certain ways. We do certain things not necessarily because we like them, but because we are expected to do them.

What beauty is, also changes over time. Now days we like to date people who are thin, good looking, and successful. But suppose we never could see the man we were dating, would this have changed things around? We like date those who we are worthy to be seen with, who we think society is going to accept. We think ahead to what kind of dinner the man will take us to. Will it be an expensive restaurant, or will it be road side food? We like what others like. Others like to have expensive dinners, expensive cars, branded dresses and therefore we too like those things.

Our perspective of people, clothes, beauty, food changes according to what we think others view them as. Are likes and dislikes change according to what we think is acceptable in society, and what others like or dislike.

Title : What Does It Mean To Be Cool?

By: Thorsten Botz-Bornstien

Central Argument: To be cool is to submit and subvert.

To stay cool may mean different things to different people. To some it may mean to stay calm. To others it may mean to be awesome. But above all it means to submit and subvert to the higher power. What does cool do to you or to the other powerful person when you submit and subvert? As said by the article “What Does It Mean To be Cool” the person who uses subversion and submission to resist a power without physically harming anyone. We can see examples of staying cool in many movies such as The Help, or in our daily lives. We may not realize it, however, we use this technique many times to resist an authority. We must balance the submission with subversion in order to fully put this technique into place. Neither one or the other alone can be powerful enough to use on its own. In order to make this technique most effective we must use it in balance.

In the movie The Help the main character who is the help looks after white children of the rich family. She is constantly abused and mistreated, however, through all these difficulties she keeps calm. The movie is set during the time of slavery and focuses on the perspective of the African Americans who are treated unjustly. The help, who are the black maids are mistreated by their masters through out the movie. However, the main character finds an inner strength to deal with this crisis. She says “Yes Mam” pleasantly and does her work diligently, no matter how many times she is screamed at. The master blames the help for having stolen the silver cutlery, however, the help makes it clear that through all the years she has lived she has not stolen and would not do it ever. This makes the main character realize that her master does not care, and the best is to leave the job. The help at first submits to her masters every single decision, only to realize later that she has had enough and she is going to stand up for herself. She quits the job without hurting anyone. This helps the master to see what she is missing and for the help to realize that being submitted isn't always good. Eventually you have to stand up for yourself.

At times I too get have to follow this technique to resist authority and find my own way. With other elder people around me I have to be careful to have the balance between submission and subversion. When people tell me to keep doing their things for them at first I do them. But eventually I realize they are just using me for the benefit of themselves. They do not say thank you, or ask for help instead they order, and expect me to do the things for them. I stop submitting by simply doing what I am told with a smile so the person realizes that he or she is being abusive of her or his power. Or I simply stop doing it and ask the person to go to it on their own. This way they realize what kind of effort it takes to do the certain job.

People should balance their life with submission and subversion. At times it is okay to submit, but only to the certain point that the submitting does not become abusive.