The Darkside Cometh

This year, The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or North Korea, has declared that it is in a state of war against its Southern Counterpart. The armistice, which for 50 years protected both territories, was annulled by North Korea. The armistice never meant peace for both countries; for more than 50 years, the two countries had technically been at war.

Any kind of war could spark major international catastrophe and clearly, the world is seeing something that has the potential to affect markets, economies, investments and even daily life itself. North Korea is a country that mass produces nuclear weapons and recently, it has reactivated its Yongbyon nuclear complex. The restarted nuclear complex is a major component to North Korea’s nuclear armament development and production. The international community, including the United Nations, sees this reactivation as an “unacceptable action”.

The world cannot risk a nuclear war. Even if nations called for calm and peace within the conflict, if North Korea attacks South Korea, the latter country will probably retaliate in kind. This will send off a chain reaction to the rest of the world. South Korea also holds a large market for both Asian and Western countries; its state of war could affect the importation of goods, which could collapse different world markets.

North Korea may cause great destruction with its nuclear arsenal, but the loss of lives is not the world’s primary problem; if North Korea does not stop, it could probably end life in the world itself.

Crowd sourcing has become a staple to the development of many creative and industrial projects in the different parts of the world today by allowing people who are interested in a certain project to contribute donations and receive added benefits depending on the amount of contribution they have. Crowd sourcing is a form of democratic practice that allows people to contribute to causes that interest them. However, it has its own advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a good breakdown.

Advantages

-Crowd sourcing can get interested parties to create the project by contributing their resources. Once the project is done and the developers deliver as promised, the expecting consumer crowd receives their due.

-Ideas that may seem outrageous yet interests many people can allow the idealists to fund and develop these projects. This is a good way to introduce new ideas into society and allow people to help causes without the notion of Slacktivism.

-Crowd sourcing is also a way for people to brainstorm with other people with the same ideas that can contribute to the overall outcome of the project.

Disadvantages

-Some ideas may prove to be absurd and counter-productive directly or indirectly. For every idea, there is a crowd interested in funding these ideas.

-Developers can easily turn into swindlers, amassing great amounts of donations for personal uses and not delivering anything that they promised at all.

-Contributors can earn “shareholder rights” and the influx of people contributing more of their resources and ideas into the project may turn it into their personal project while having the initial developers to create it.

Credit cards are double-edged swords in most western economies, where one’s debt is a long term repayment schedule for the rest of their employment. If one cannot use a credit card properly, it would be the reason for their high debt, but it can also save them the hassle of high debt and increasing credit score if properly used. Here are a few things to remember to help you.
1. Make a List
Every time you use your credit card, write down the price of the product you purchased in a small notebook. Note on top of the notebook your credit limit and deduct the product price from the limit. For every month, use a new page and repeat the method. In this way, you won’t need to hit your limit to know you’ve spent much using your credit card.

2. Use Your Actual Money
If you’re using your card as financing for something that you want, save up for it and use your actual money instead. Reserve your card’s financing use on more expensive things that you need, such as a new appliance or home development material. Using your money also helps you learn the discipline of saving your money for better uses.

3. Take Advantage of Your Discounts
Most lender and bank credit cards offer discounts with their partnered merchants and malls. Take advantage of these discounts by using your cards with their partnered establishments. Sometimes, you could get as high as 50% discount on a product or service, or you could get a free item by using your card and purchasing a product that hits a certain price limit.

The Internet is a highway of information about anything and everything that exists in the world and has become a tool for people to share their lives, express themselves, know new information about things that interest them and also a way to share ideas. Social media is a contributing factor by creating micro-communities for every individual. When one idea penetrates the Internet, it quickly spreads virally in these micro-communities, getting the attention of every person with access in the Internet.

Many protesters and idealists have used the Internet as a means to spread their ideas and tell people about things happening in their side of the world. While people continue to gain information about these events, some people are also taking advantage of these ideas. Some make use of them to gain money in form of donations for “ideals” that would never get anywhere.

With easy ways to put up a website for marketing and Internet presence, any person can afford a server and put up a website that earns them money from donors, appearing as a legitimate charity or aid foundation, yet the donors never really find out where the money is going or how it is being used.

Slacktivism is not harmful, yet it leads people to believe ideas that are not false, but these noble ideas are used as a means to swindle money from well-meaning people. Even if this is the new way to protest, it has also become a new way of stealing money by providing accurate information with opaque accounting.

The Ministry of Justice scheduled this year that no win no fee claims will be replacing the win/lose no fee personal injury claims because of abusive claimants with fraudulent or exaggerated claims gaining compensation without any injury at all. The insurance industry is losing £2 million yearly for compensating these false claims according to the government. British Prime Minister David Cameron and stakeholders of the insurance industry met and made an agreement to go with their plans in reducing the number of false personal injury claims in the country.

The only thing wrong here is that the government only consulted the insurance industry stakeholders, but not the claimants and normal citizens themselves. Civil rights groups are asking the government how they intend to compensate victims of genuine and severe accidents, wherein the victim cannot get undercompensated as these can cause problems. The Ministry of Justice responded with an independent medical board that will survey and let “genuine” claims pass while putting pressure on seemingly suspicious claims.

Experts are also wary that Britain, used to the win/lose no fee personal injury claims, may find difficulty in reverting back to the no win no fee personal injury claims system. It can reduce the number of fraud personal injury claims, but it could also hamper the citizens’ access to justice.  To make a claim see www.NoWinNoFeeCo.co.uk.

Clearly, the Indian culture strays strongly from the Western or even Asian types of culture as it has practiced patriarchy throughout its establishment and this reign, while slowly being played down, is still present. This time, frustrated men take on any woman they see and they abuse these women, who should be protected by the new Indian democratic government. Rape cases in India count with 24,206 reported ones; double that number and you get the unreported cases.

Why Indian women do not report to authorities about their rape cases, which often involve three or more men, is because police and other authorities fail to make action or even become the perpetrators of a second rape. This particular stigma left women fearing for their rights and it can be assumed that almost every Indian woman has a sexual harassment and abuse story while in public transportation or while walking on the streets.

The signs of India’s growing want for equality and its first practice of democracy happened when a gang rape victim, an unnamed 23 year old woman who was called “Damini” by her supporters, fought for her life after her rape in December 16, 2012 and died last January. The people were outraged and took to the streets in protests. The protests, which later became violent, had the Indian government finally pledge that they will do anything in their power to ensure stricter and tighter anti-rape laws.

Men and some lawmakers blame women for wearing seductive or aggravating clothing that have men succumb to temptation, but women state that the men should learn to respect women and their right to wear anything they want. Protests showing an Indian woman wearing a full robe and admitting how she can still get raped have become a staple of the protests.

Indeed, it might be so that Indian men need to learn not to rape women and treat women as equals. The Indian social construct’s abolishing of cultural stigma and sexism in India may pave an easier road for cultural progress and women’s rights in India.

Europe is still in shambles. Germany and France are slowly joining the fray as Italy and Spain continues to fight with austerity measures against the impending fiscal doom. However, Greece is deep in recession, with over 45% of the population unemployed.

Protests against German Chancellor Merkel were seen as she visited throughout Europe for a meeting with the different Euro nations. However, Germany’s economic growth has slowed down to a 0.2% increase this third quarter. Today, it was announced that the Euro zone is entirely in recession. European Central Bank Head Mario Draghi stated that action will be needed to resolve these problems.

Germany’s population has begun immigrating to different parts of the world for employment. Greece has made its final 2013 budget but Euro nations are still trying to see their credibility in bailing out the country, leading to more problems with delays and defaulting of the Greek bonds due on Monday. No final decision has been made as of yet.

With Germany, which makes up 1/5 of the world’s economy, in recession, economic matters may not do properly this year for other countries. Exports may drop, production and lay offs may be plentiful. It’s time I guess to tighten our belts and see what the key players in government can do with the economic situation.

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The U.S. Presidential Elections are coming up and participants have continued to debate against themselves to prove to the public whose platforms are quite superior and who possesses the qualities of a great leader. Everywhere in the world, these particular debates happen between leaders. Sometimes, these debates don’t exist at all, but depending on the culture of your country, all politics is the same everywhere.

Politics is defined as “house keeping” and in a country, this means directing traffic to the betterment of a country. However, politics is not easy as it is. Sometimes, conflicting and personal interests get in the line of profession. For the growth of a country, a few impoverished might need to suffer more to raise the quality of life in the future. But again, even this example is too good to be true.

But politicians and world leaders are not to be viewed as puppets. The world governments revolve around moralities that define and enable many to view what the general motif of justice and fairness is. However, sometimes these laws are bent to serve the interests of a country, as in politics.

If one looks closely, one can see that world politics is possibly a big charade. One cannot guess through the actions of a leader, nor how he or she debates and defends their platforms. However, what might serve public interest today is actually serving the interest of one. But again, like a big charade, people are only left to think and interpret what is seemingly a positive or negative action.

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Recently, it has been discussed who actually makes the law. In the Philippines, they have proven that it is only the government and their personal interests that make up the law. A bill has been passed to protect people from cyber crimes. However, the only twist in the bill is that anybody who expresses openly opinions and other offensive statements can be given a libel suit. The accused can be incarcerated for 6-12 years.

The libel clause has become controversial in the country and for the rest of the world. Human rights groups have actually bombarded the Philippines and have asked to repeal the law as it violates basic rights to the freedom of speech and expression. Many netizens note that it can be the first “hole” in the system that could spread from one government to another.

It might actually be the beginning of the Internet’s censorship, the way print, radio and TV have become subversive only to the channels of authorities and media flagging.

The Internet is the individual’s way to expressing him or herself without having to worry about what other people might say. The world works in an “argument for argument” basis as a basic liberal right. You can only prove the other is wrong through proper argument and debate.

The controversial bill, if not stopped now, can spread throughout the whole world. Freedom of speech online might be compromised. Citizens of the Philippines continue to battle their government in peaceful protests, dedicated to repealing and annoying their governments for their disappointment about the new law.

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In popular novels, books and movies, governments are always there to support and help their citizens. They are there to place order and organization in the processes that the many would want. However, as government meetings are often conducted in private, most discussions about the laws, the state of the nation, the government processes and the like become complicated, and become secret to the public.

The only eyes and ears the public has inside the government is the media. However, even the media are limited for fear of “national security”. I agree. Some information needs to be kept in secret especially with information about military strategies falling on the wrong hands. Information is a powerful tool that can shape worlds.

When it comes to the processing of law, which is intended to keep the peace in a country, no citizen vote is ever involved. Only votes from house representatives, senators, ombudsman and other government bodies are counted. The house of representatives, symbolic figures that represent certain party unions, are also built up of individuals with their own interests. However, they all do not represent the populace of a country in general.

So who actually makes the law? Only certain individuals. The government itself is a working system in itself, and the citizen is obliged to respect its wishes. So much for governments being the support and help of citizens when laws are implanted without general consent.

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