A World In Flux

Now that we've gotten the sentimental mushy life-update stuff out of the way, I want to get cracking on some issues going on in the world that I've found interesting. I'm kind of a news addict, and there is a LOT going on all around us that we don't really pay a lot of attention to. I've got two big issues that have been of increasing interest to me, so here we go.

Hacking.
What comes to mind when you hear the word "hacking"? Perhaps some sci fi space movie with computers programs running amok? Or maybe you think of the stereotypical hackers of today, some antisocial overweight teenage kid with glasses typing furiously away at his computer, trying to get himself some Russian launch codes. As amusing as these anecdotes are, hacking has become a serious issue in society today. From individual "hacktivists" such as Jester (aka th3j35t3r), to hacking collectives such as Anonymous and LulzSec, to efforts from government forces around the world, hacking has emerged from the shadow of the internet underground and onto the international spotlight. Recently, China attempted to gain the usernames and passwords of several US government officials. Lulz Security (aka LulzSec) is a splinter cell of the hacker collective Anonymous that is responsible for taking down the U.S. Senate website, defacing PBS, and crashing the web site for the CIA, as well as taking down online gaming servers and various other hacks. LulzSec has also released thousands upon thousands of email accounts and passwords into the Net, resulting in countless Facebook, Twitter, and Paypal hacks. Meanwhile, Anonymous continues their online rampage against government forces and copyright enforcers, whether by disabling MasterCard, Visa, and Paypal in 2010, attempting to take down the RIAA website, or aiding activists in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Greece, Spain, and elsewhere during the Arab Spring uprisings. You can find a link to their official news release blog here.

What does this all mean, and how is it relevant? Well, it appears that a sort of cyber war is emerging. On one side: the recording/copyright industry, governments, and large corporations. This is the side of oligarchy; of order, regulation, and stability. On the other side of the field is hacktivists, hackers, pirates. This is Team Anarchy. They promote freedom, chaos, and individuality. Yet in reality, these two sides are not simply mere organizations. They are not people, companies or governments. They embrace and embody two conflicting ideologies, both of which play themselves out through various laws, groups, actions, and individuals. This is a war between oligarchy and anarchy. A battle is being waged, a war for control and more specifically, control of information, whether on the Internet or elsewhere. The oligarchs would have you contained in a box, fed regulated, watered-down information, unable to access anything considered "dangerous" to their interests. The anarchists would have you able to access anything you want at no cost: pirated TV shows, politically sensitive information, child pornography, whatever you desire. Is either side right? No. Yet each contains an element of truth. I believe that we do need rules and regulations on the internet. I also believe that any individual has the right to information, even if that information has been deemed as 'sensitive' or 'dangerous' by oligarchic interests. Meanwhile, Anonymous, the RIAA, the US government, Lulzsec, each plays their part in this battle. Who will win? That remains to be seen.

Unrest in the East.
By now, you've probably all heard of the recent uprisings, riots and general unrest sweeping the Middle East. Starting in Tunisia and spreading to Egypt, Algeria, Yemen, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Syria, Libya, and now Greece and Spain, a wave of riots and protests have spread from country to country in much of the Middle East, Africa and Europe. From corrupt dictators being overthrown to US air strikes in Libya and Yemen, the issues erupting in the East are definitely hot topics in today's news media.

What does all this mean, and how is it relevant? Due to these uprisings, everything from international diplomacy to Middle Eastern economics is up in the air right now. We have Palestinian-Israeli attacks, protests and riots everywhere, dethroned dictators, hundreds if not thousands of dead, hundreds of thousands to millions of people in the streets in multiple countries, failing industries and economies, revamped political powers, etc. The US is now embroiled in what, five wars now? We are currently engaged in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and now Yemen and Libya, with no decisive outcome in sight. Congress is debating whether it's even legal for us to be intervening in Libya, and we've got NATO supposedly killing multiple civilians with every fresh batch of airstrikes. Greece and Spain are now protesting their governmental representation, new internet laws and austerity measures. Our entire world is in flux. Once again, it all boils down to a war for control. Oligarchy vs. anarchy. Total control against the absence of control. Neither side is right, yet neither will yield.

Now, what does this mean for us, the average American? Well, several things. These issues affect everything from the extremely tangible (rising gas prices, US politics, humanitarian crises in multiple countries) to the invisible and unheard (CIA shadow wars in Pakistan, Yemen, and Libya, America's subtle acceptance (or even promotion) of the crackdowns in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia).

My point here is that things need to change. We as Americans need to become more educated and outspoken. Learn what is going on in the world today, the reasons behind these events, and the significance they have on a local as well as a global scale. Become more aware. Read, read, read. Spread the word about current issues and what we can do to help. Research methods of aiding those in need then put those methods into practice, whether it's activism (online or offline), donating to worthy causes, or actually becoming physically involved in these problems and using your skills to help out. Remain aware of the reasons behind these events. Don't rely on one news outlet- do your homework. Look up the same event from multiple perspectives. Try to gain a picture of the problem as a whole, not just specific aspects of it. For news media, try CNN, BBC, Reuters, Al Jazeera, even (dare I say it...) Fox News. Each has a different side of the story to tell. Get the wider picture. Learn what the people on each side of the issue are saying, and form an opinion for yourself, based on what you believe and what you've learned. Become media literate. Become involved. I believe that we as Americans are too complacent. We need to get up and become more interested in what's going on around us, even if it doesn't directly impact us. Wake up America!

Updates

Wow... I have not been on this blog in wayyyy too long. Sorry folks. It's been a hectic few months, between my first year of college ending, me working over the summer, etc. Update time? I think so.

College: DONE! First year is complete, which is insane to me. Time has flown by so quickly and I'm not really sure where the year went. I learned a lot, had some crazy times with some awesome friends. Learned a few life lessons in there as well, made new friends, lost some friends, but in the end it was well worth it.

Summer: working at Eastern, making money to save up and (hopefully) be able to pay off a lot of next semester's debt. College is EXPENSIVE.

Next year: who knows? I'm open to see where life takes me. I'm going to be majoring in Communications, with a Mass Media concentration and possibly a minor in Journalism or Political Science. Currently I have no idea what I want to do with my life... I like to read, I like to write, and I'm really interesting in news and what's going on in the world around us. Where that will take me, I have no idea, but I'm not worried about it. :)