22 Matching Annotations
  1. Nov 2020
    1. Parenting is a nonmarket activity; so much sacrifice and service goes into it without any assurance that the providers will get anything back. Mercy, justice; they are nonmarket. Care, service; nonmarket. Solidarity, fidelity; nonmarket. Sweetness and kindness and gentleness. All nonmarket.

      It is hard for people to do good for the simple act of doing good. These days, most people want something back in return and therefore it is hard to see change and good in this world without a price to pay. I have been told that there is no such thing as a free lunch and in the end we pay for everything somehow. It is sad that this is how we have become as a country and world even know.

    2. When I examine the present state of American democracy, I believe we are living in one of the most terrifying moments in the history of this nation. We are experiencing a lethal and unprecedented linkage of relative economic decline (i.e., working-class wage stagnation), cultural decay, and political lethargy

      We often like to talk about how we have progressed greatly form decades ago. In reality, we have not gotten that far and seem to be redoing history. There are still a lot of issues that we face today which mirror issues in the past. It is a truly terrifying time with a lot on the line and we must be aware of that.

    3. In any discussion about race matters it is vital to situate yourself in a tradition, in a larger narrative that links the past to the present.

      It is important to think back to the past and what we were fighting for then and how to relate that to today. We still have a ways to go and we can't simply ignore the issues we face today. You ave to put yourself in the shoes of the people who are facing these racial issues and see past your own issues for the greater good.

  2. Oct 2020
    1. As tools designed to manipulate and amplify content become cheaper and more accessible, it will be even easier to weaponize users as unwitting agents of disinformation.

      There are so many technological advances that have already taken place, and these various methods of technology are at the forefront of spreading news and whatnot. Social media is one of the growing outlets for news and so often these posts can be taken out of context and lies can be spread about nearly everything.

    2. Journalists in the Philippines started raising flags as Rodrigo Duterte rose to power, buoyed by intensive Facebook activity. This was followed by unexpected results in the Brexit referendum in June and then the U.S. presidential election in November

      These are all examples of the large impact that technology has had in our everyday lives and especially how they impact such important decisions like in politics. Technology is worldwide and one of the fastest ways to spread both news and propaganda. This can impact what people do with that information and how the information being spread, whether true or not, can be twisted and manipulated in so many ways.

    3. They failed to see how technology would not change who we are fundamentally—it could only map onto existing human characteristics.

      Technology does not change who we are as people all on its own, rather these characteristics of people have always been there and therefore technology only adds an aspect of being able to share these ideals and emotions that we all possess already. Technology is not bad per se but what it is being used for by people can lead to a lot of destruction and wrongdoing.

    1. It says accounts that encourage people to touch wild animals, feature them as entertainment or “unlikely animal friendships” are all exploitative.Instagram also has certain accounts about “pets” such as nocturnal bushbabies, which could be harmed by bright daylight, experts say.

      There are layers to what constitutes as abuse and while some of these claims can be seen as out there, the videos with blatant abuse should be taken down promptly and prohibit these accounts from making money off these bizarre videos.

    2. But Twitter users report that when they too have complained to Instagram about abuse posts they receive automated replies stating the videos “don’t go against community guidelines”.Dr McElligott says he reports only videos in which animals were or could be under human control, and that featuring clips of abuse alongside those of animals killing prey in the wild makes the problem worse.

      There is seemingly nobody sifting through these reports and deciding what goes against their guidelines. They simply run these posts through a sort of filter. These computers cannot account for the context and other factors in the video that a human can. There is also the clear indication that abuse is happening.

    3. “They encourage ignorant people to make similar vids, which means more animal abuse. And ultimately Instagram is making money from animal abuse.”

      By letting a few people get away with these things, it potentially opens the doors for many other users to create the same content and openly post it onto the app.

    4. They included a clip of two buffaloes fighting, controlled by ropes held by people. One of the animals flips over, crashing onto its back – something unlikely to happen in the wild

      Once again, these are not natural occurrences caught by coincidence in nature. They are happening while able bodied people stand by and. record for whatever sick reasons they hold.

    5. reported up to 40 posts to Instagram, requesting they be taken down – but only one had been removed.

      This is clear evidence that Instagram is not doing what they need to do to ensure that safe and appropriate content is being shared around the app. If animals are being abused and it is being allowed, then people may get the idea that videos of child/adult abuse can be shared around as well.

    6. One video shows a chained tiger being attacked by a dog; another shows dogs ripping apart a fox. Others include a rabbit having been placed within snatching distance of an alligator.Users say Instagram even has videos of pets being crushed, despite outrage over years about such cruelty being featured on

      There is clear video proof that this abuse is taking place. Somebody is standing behind the. camera and recording it, knowing that they will post it or enjoy for their own entertainment. Either way, this content is being shared and passed around and promoting negative views and showing. the. harm of innocent animals.

    7. Critics say the social-media giant has a responsibility not to feature anything that encourages copycat cruelty just so that account-holders may earn money or get likes.

      Instagram is a social media platform that is available to people of all ages and therefore the content on the app must be regulated to be appropriate. It can also not violate the very regulations that Instagram has set in place, yet animals seem to slip through the cracks.

  3. Sep 2020
    1. employers have been able to nudge employees into contributing to retirement plans by making saving the default option; you have to actively take steps in order to not participate.

      So rather than the other way around where people sign up, this makes people have to contribute. While they have the power to change it, most won't. Whether it be because they simply forget that a percentage of their paycheck is going into their retirement plan, or simply not wanting to take the extra time to do that. It's a rather clever way to combat people not giving enough into their retirement even if they are able to.

    2. The gambler’s fallacy makes us absolutely certain that, if a coin has landed heads up five times in a row, it’s more likely to land tails up the sixth time. In fact, the odds are still 50-50

      This actually makes a lot of sense. We like to believe that the odds are against us most of the time even if the statistical data is there. I know that i believe that there are certain times "the world is out to get me" and so it can definitely sway how people make decisions and what these decisions are.

    3. Most of them have focused on money. When asked whether they would prefer to have, say, $150 today or $180 in one month, people tend to choose the $150.

      This hypothetical question is rather interesting to sit and think upon. I, myself would take the $180 over the $150, but perhaps these people need that money at this time which would make sense. Another thought I have. is perhaps people want to ensure they will receive it. By waiting that additional month you really have to trust and try not to forget that the $180 will really be coming. So maybe there is a sense of security in there as well.

    1. The story is told in text, photographs, video clips, and audio. It uses an interface that allows you to follow the action and shift between levels of awareness. As you read text on the screen, describing characters and plot, you draw your fingers apart and see a photograph of the protagonist, his eyes opening on the world. Pinch your fingers shut and you visit his troubled unconscious; words and images race by, as if you are inside his memory.

      Technology has so greatly enhanced the level of traditional reading, sometimes making it much more inviting to read. As within Pry, there are traces of technology with the use of photographs and video clips. It involves the reader directly in the text and offers a much greater reading experience than anyone could have imagined centuries ago. Reading is not extinct, it is simply adapting to the modern technology world we live in today.

    2. Gutenberg printed his first Bible in 1455, and by 1500, some 27,000 titles had been published in Europe, in a total of around 10 million copies. The flood of printed matter created a reading public, and changed the way that people read.

      The Bible is definitely a work of literature that is universally known, and read by many. It is fascinating to note that the invention and use of technology was what allowed books and reading matter to be produced at a much faster rate. It's almost ironic that technology which now threatens the history of reading is the very thing that gave birth to wide scale reading. People centuries ago did not have the luxuries that we have now and used books as a pleasureful way to pass time.

    3. The Internet may cause our minds to wander off, and yet a quick look at the history of books suggests that we have been wandering off all along.

      This section of the reading strikes me as rather interesting. A lot of times we hear from people, especially the older generation that technology is such a nuisance. In reality, I don't think we as humans have ever been able to fully devote our focus on one thing or another, regardless of technology or not. So while the Internet is definitely much more prominent these days, and offers so much to do, the concept of getting distracted is not technology's fault on its own.

  4. Aug 2020
    1. democracies never have famines, and other scholars believe that they almost never go to war with one another, rarely murder their own populations, nearly always have peaceful transitions of government, and respect human rights more consistently than other regimes do.

      I would have to disagree with this statement completely. While democracies appear to uphold those virtues better than a communist nation or dictatorship, it's simply a facade. Sure, these things are not outright happening, but they are happening in ways that are so discreet and so ingrained in the system we seem to barely notice. For example, the past election faced a lot of outcry, which could be considered as not so peaceful. Several protests happened afterwards. There is also the issue of police brutality in this country, specifically towards the black community which often results in outright murder. And those who are in poverty are often swept under the rug and little is done to help them. So yes, on the surface this democracy may appear to be slightly more polished, when in reality we face similar issues of other government systems.

    2. If historically disadvantaged groups, such as African-Americans or women, turned out to be underrepresented in an epistocratic system, those who made the grade could be given additional votes, in compensation.

      I find that the system presented here is rather biased. It can't be guaranteed that these marginalized groups would even meet that so-called grade. Therefore, it may lead to these groups not having much of a political voice, or representation in such a system. And while the counter offer here is to give extra votes to those who do meet that grade, it shouldn't be used to make up for those who do not. Regardless of the circumstances. After all, those with the money to purchase access to knowledge hold the advantage.

    3. extra votes for degree holders, a council of epistocrats with veto power, a qualifying exam for voters—but he doesn’t spend much time considering what could go wrong.

      This particular proposal to an epistocracy is interesting to say the least. While there is a clear consensus to ensure that those who hold a higher position in terms of education and knowledge make most of the influential decisions for government, there isn't any mention of what the rest of the general population can do. Not all people under the rule of government can have access to that level of education or whether or not an exam may lead to boxing out certain genders and races, or people of religious background. There is room for error, as is mentioned.