13- On the arrests of the Via rail terrorists- Canada

The arrest of these two individuals to me speaks to the very real presence of terrorism within Canada, and urges me to question Canada's changing reputation on the world stage. Additionally it serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of innocent individuals against the wrath of fundamentalist extremists. Although no attack had been carried out successfully, the shear arrest of these two individuals (through the media's publication) has introduced an unsettling feeling in society, one where individual's are increasingly frightened of a random attack. Additionally this event has contributed to the ignorant individual's depiction of the violent nature of Islamic religion. I say this in the sense that many people have the idea that Islam is responsible for these acts of violence, where in fact these events are the result of an incredibly small population of extremist individuals that interpret their religion in a certain way.

12. What long term impact will the terror attacks at the Boston Marathon have on western civilization?

The Boston Marathon bombings have not only devastated a world re-known event, but have also solidified the fear of terrorism in western civilization. Although this is a seemingly minor incident relative to other acts of terrorism across the globe, the media has successfully publicized this event on a large scale (in other words, the media has deemed it to be a top priority story simply because it occurred in the US). In terms of presenting possible long term impacts of this event, I believe it has successfully achieved the following; informed us of how vulnerable we are in public and that acts of terrorism are still achievable within North America. The former simply serves as a reminder, however the latter has successfully reintroduced the fear of terrorism in the United States, and reminds the public that domestic terrorism prominently exists as well. Additionally this event speaks to the power that media has over society (specifically its ability to emotionally change the state of the public).

11. US Drone Strikes: What's the big deal? Good idea or bad? Why?

                In my opinion the technological advancements in weaponry have exceeded the practicality of their use, with the prime example being nuclear weapons. Given that nuclear weapons have the capacity to destroy the entire earth (and are thus not favoured in warfare), I believe that the usage of drones from a military standpoint are much more practical and are a good idea for strategic attacks. This is not to say that I support war, however drones have the ability to exclude humans from being present when an attack is taking place (the concept of remote controlling a weapon from a distance alleviates and reduces the allied death toll). Additionally drones have the ability to attack precise targets, as opposed to simply devastating an entire city; as well as being able to strategically spy on a desired target. Thus I believe that these weapons are a good idea since they are practical and more sophisticated than standard warfare equipment.

10. 10. North Korea: What would you do if you were President Obama?

                Given that Obama’s role in the world stage is that of promoting peace and fairness for all, I would (if I were him) not initiate any form of strike against North Korea, unless the US or an allied nation were attacked first. Thus I believe that a diplomatic approach would be the best course of action in this situation, given that the side that initiates the first strike is almost always seen as the promoter of violence and war. Additionally North Korea has built a reputation of not following through with their threats against others, meaning that a military strike initiated by the US on the basis of fear could be seen as questionable. If the US were to attack North Korea, they would be seen (by the world stage) as a primitive nation that is eager to initiate violence, which in turn would be brought upon themselves with an almost definite retaliation strike from the angered North Koreans. Given this, the only definite way to maintain a positive image on the world stage and to reduce the amount of violence possible is to approach the situation diplomatically by resolving the issue with speech.

9. The Sexualization of Mainstream Society -- Is it a problem?

                Sexuality has always been a present asset in historical societies, however the world today has become so incredibly interconnected and over populated that the view of sex can be argued to have changed for the worse. I understand that the incredible popularity of pornography on the internet has changed many individuals’ views of women and sexuality in general, however I believe that this is simply a relative increase associated with an increasing population. Looking back to ancient civilizations, brothels and images of sex have been found in all areas and cultures of the world, yet they are not seen as concerning because civilizations were generally smaller. However our world today is so large that the continued interest in sexuality is seen as over expanded and distasteful. I believe it is simply our human nature that dictates this interest since often times we forget that we ourselves are mammals. With this being said, I do not think this is a problem that directly dangers individuals in today’s society and is thus not a pressing issue.

8. Poverty: What role should the wealthy nations of the world, like Canada and the United States, play in easing the suffering of the world's poorest people? What responsibility do the wealthiest people have in tackling global poverty?

Given that the difference between the world’s wealthiest and poorest people is so vast, I believe that developed nations have an obligation to aid populations that are predominantly living in poverty. That being said it is difficult to enforce a global aid movement without impinging on the desires of greedy people, which seems to be the only barrier in place to solving this issue. It should be noted additionally that an extremely large majority of the earth’s population lives and struggles through poverty, and it seems unfit that only a small privileged section of the population lives in comfort. I realize that my next statement will be seen as a political view, however I believe that a socially based government provides solutions to this issue. For example: the inclusion of an additional tax to individuals in developed nations that would be donated to developing nations could drastically improve the standard of living for people living in poverty. A simple tax of 1$ per day would yield 365$ per person/year, and given that the population of the US (example) is 313,914,040, that would yield 1.15x10^11$ per year that could be donated to solve this issue from the United States alone. A coalition of developed nations doing this simple action is a very practical solution to this issue, and I find it alarming that wealthy nations have still not realized this.  

7. Israeli Settlement Building - Do You Agree With Israel's Decision to Resume Settlement Building in the E1 Zone? Why?

I believe that both Israeli and Arab populations should coexist peacefully in Jerusalem, and that any attempt from either side to inhibit the others existence is not a wise decision. The expansions of Israeli settlements in the E1 zone geographically restrain any sort of Arab expansion in Jerusalem, and thus give the Arab population a motive for further conflict. Although this decision may aid Israel in achieving their goals, for the time being it simply creates further conflict (which the Israelis claim they long to finish). Thus in terms of resolving the Arab Israeli conflict, this is a step in the wrong direction, which is precisely why I disagree with this decision.