Command Economy

Onica Yu

Social Studies & English

Command Economy

Have you ever experienced living in a country where no rights are given? In some countries it is all about what the government wants and what they want to control. Command economy prevents individuals to have their own freedom and creativity.

First of all, human beings deserve to have their freedom, without freedom; life will basically be controlled by another person or anyone who has a lot of power. In the story “The Wise Old Woman,” old people are thought as useless by the lord, therefore they are being pressured to leave the village at the age of seventy-one. When the village is given tasks to do in order to not be conquered, the lord nor anyone else knows how to solve the problem. An old woman who has been hiding uses her knowledge to solve the solutions which save the village. Here the people learns that whether how old you are, you can still be useful in a way people do not realize. Freedom gives you the ability to state your opinion and to do what you desire. If the government in a command economy is the only one allowed to decide, opinions of individuals that may be right won’t ever be heard. However, not only freedom should be given more to people in command economies, but also creativity.

With the use of everyone’s creative ideas, countries can be strong and highly develop. North America is not a command economy because it listens to what people say and the government makes good uses out of it, turning them into one of the top market economies in the world. Unlike market economy, people in a command economy would not be able to earn their own profits, control their products, or be successful in their own ways. Everyone should have the rights to be successful in their own ways. Therefore, if the government has too much control, people may begin to protest just like in the Tiananmen Square massacre where 2,600 people died in 1989. Creativity and freedom are very limited in a command economy for the individuals. Therefore if it wasn’t, the command economies may possibly be more successful than they currently are because people can share ideas that might be useful for the government.

People in command economies should be capable to do anything just like how the government can. Freedom and creativity are the keys to strengthen developments. If they don’t start to exist in command economies for the people, mistakes will never be fixed or learned from. In conclusion, do you think countries with a command economy should start changing its living ways?

Bear Bile Letter :]

November 2 : Q & A

1. How does advertising influence consumption?

- Advertising influence consumption by trying to get people's attention to buy products. The more products sold the more resources are being used to produce the products.

2. Do you think citizens are sufficiently informed about the sustainability of our consumption habits? If not, how can we become more informed about sustainability issues?

 - I don't think citizens are informed about the sustainability of our consumption habits. We can become more informed about sustainability issues by creating advertisements just like how we use advertisements for products.

3. Do you think these advertising techniques influence what you and your friends purchase?

- Yes, i do think these advertising techniques influence what my friends and I purchase because advertisements are the things that get us to want the product and no one can prevent themselves from looking at an advertisement. Advertisements are seen everywhere!

Examples of Sustainable Development

Corporations:

• Hermer Miller Inc located in the United States makes reusable furniture that are made of less plastic.

• Nike has a program where they use parts of shoes to create flooring of playgrounds.

Others:

• Solar Panels can be installed into homes to use sunlight energy which replaces the using of electricity.

• Use water appliances that are meant to conserve. For example use water heaters that can be controlled instead of automatically having hot water prepared to be used immediately.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. 

Complicated Immigration

Onica Yu

Period 8

October 5, 2010

Complicated Immigration

My brother and I both lived in the Philippines with our father who took care of us very well. However, our mother who I have not seen since I was two years old decided it would be better if we immigrated to the United States. My father had no choice but to agree given that it was a benefit for our future. Therefore, on June 2003 my brother and I externally relocated to California in the United States.

            Back then I was young and didn’t know anything but I knew that leaving my homeland had both positive and negative effects. I thought to myself that settling in California meant that I would be able to be with my mother, learn new cultures, and experience the things that haven’t been experienced. Saying goodbye to my homeland also meant leaving my friends, relatives, but most of all leaving my dad behind. Goodbye wasn’t easy for my brother and I to do since it first caused us misery. Leaving wasn’t our choice that we were able to make, though it was our parents choice. When we arrived, we were miserable but other than that, relocating to California indicated less pollution, free education, and more opportunities. On the other hand, we had to adapt to the new environment without knowing anyone and having a slight problem with speaking English. After a month or two, we began adapting and loving all the surroundings.

"A Message From Mother Nature?"

• Main Point: It can be shown that global warming is the reason for climate change, but no scientists are able to prove that yet.

• Vocabulary: 

              + Arid - Places that are lacking of water which prevents life in those places

              + Amid - In the middle or center of things

              + Contending - Having an argument

              + Reluctant - Not wanting to do or act for something

• Weather is the certain condition in an atmosphere that lasts only a short period of time and climate is the condition in a location that lasts a long period of time.

• Examples of "Extreme Weather":

              + Monsoon rains in Pakistan caused worst flooding in decades which killed more than 1,500 people

              + Heat wave in Russia that destroyed millions of acres of wheat and sparked wildfires that killed dozens of people.

              + Flooding in the United States that caused lots of damage

              + Heat wave baked Eastern part of countries; New England, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Oklahoma

• From what I remember with my experiences with weather, I don't think I have ever felt extreme weather. During part of my summer in Vietnam, it would sometimes be extremely hot that the fan has be pointed at you, although nothing major. Also, while living in California back then, the weather was very hot, but I haven't seen any trees light on fire because of the heat. So, I don't think I have ever experience extreme weather.

• Perception - The act of understanding something by using your senses and mind

• In my understanding of global climate change, the climate will still slowly change with proof or no proof of what is causing it. I think global warming is a big part of climate change, but global warming can't take full responsibility of climate change since no proof has been given yet.