Reflections

Wow! I am so excited for this course! I am already impressed with the knowledge and understanding of all of you in the class. I can tell I will learn so much from you. I am a first-time blogger so this is to get warmed up. Therefore, please feel free to call me out on the stupid things I write :)



In chapter 1 of Moss's book he states that the purpose of the book is to help the reader think critically about the issues, but NOT to provide answers. I like this because I have no answers, but there are a few thoughts that I would like to share.


Two things stood out to me from Shashank's and Chris's blogs. First, the idea that the US has interests that prevent "us" from stepping in and giving aide. Shashank wrote that US interests should come first and aide second. This made me ask myself,"Would I be willing to pay more for gasoline and other oil based products in order to benefit people I know nothing about, especially in times of a down economy?" and " If we were to put US interests second and giving aide first, how would this really affect our needs and our ability to give aide?"


Chris brought the idea of the system playing a major role in the problem and posed the question of whether or not the system can be changed. This makes me wonder if the system can be identified. Is it the government, culture, or something intangible like the free market? Maybe identifying what the system is (if at all possible) could take us one step closer to knowing if it can be changed.