RT The #Power of @SocialNetworks

My, how time flies. Its surprising to see & say that it has almost been 2 months since my last Blog post. Seems like yesterday when we were just celebrating the New Year and now we are already half way through. 

This specific post will be about the #POWER of Social Networks (with primary focus on Twitter) and their ability to make, break, destroy or even better an individual. Social Networks provide an avenue for individuals of all shapes, forms and sizes to either express themselves as they are, or create a sort of alter-ego therefore becoming that which they otherwise could not become in 'REAL-LIFE'. The nerd could appear the jock, the cheerleader could appear the scientist, so on and so forth.. 

Individuals could easily escape from their world and make another which others would believe and 'FOLLOW'. The latest of the Social Networks and a competitor that could possibly lead to *Facebook*'s downfall would be Twitter. This status update KING is racking up users left & right. From Celebrities to Politicians to Nursing Assistants, everyone is on Twitter. The plus of it all is its simplicity, even though it is also complex. Individuals can tweet Videos, Pictures and links to almost anyone right from the comfort of their Mobile Devices. Twitter allows private interaction to occur in the form of #DM' better known as Direct Messages, while individuals can also chat in the open on their regular walls. Indivduals can follow celebrities movie stars, actors/actresses without having to request permission, while being able to un-follow if they lost interest. Also the benefit of it all is that a person could Tweet every hour of everyday nonstop, have over 50,000tweets (which I still don't understand) and not be judged for it because that is what Twitter was made for. 

I recently read an article about American Politician Anthony Weiner and how his misbehavior on Twitter led to his downfall. He serves as a Prime Example of how a Social Network can break & destroy an individual; at least his career. Weiner whose name fits his action apparently since he considered himself to be WELL_ENDOWED (shout out to Nigerian artist D'Banj) confused his freedom on a Social Network as a free pass to interact with young women for personal pleasure. He is said to have followed young women and deleted them when he was questioned about them. He would #DM' them inappropriate pictures of his weiner and other body parts interacting in ways a person of his position shouldn't. Weiner was found out when apparently a picture that was supposed to be a #DM was mistakenly posted on this Twitter wall instead and became available to all of his followers. This in turn opened the floodgates of political rivals, journalists and basically anyone who had it out for the guy to start digging. At first Weiner said he was #hacked but with evidence of him already following all these random women out there, the story fell apart quickly.

What I find interesting is that if Weiner had stuck to SMS'ing his weiner on his phone, instead of on Twitter, maybe his #hacked story might have worked. But since he chose to 'let it all hang out' on a platform which everyone basically has access to his information, he was quickly found out. Moral of the story is that Social Networks are fun, but be CAREFUL of your actions because once something is #POSTED it is now public property and what they do with that is beyond your control.

Gap between the Rich and the Poor : Self Preservation or Greed?

Wherever you go in the world there are in a sense those that have made it and those that will never do. Many words describe those who are very financially well off such as rich, affluent, aristocrat, elite while words such as poor, lower class and needy describe those that have not. Many in other countries find that it is harder to make something of themselves in their countries and that the barriers to success are greater; therefore, they migrate to more developed nations such as the United States to take a chance on a better life. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

Forbes magazine releases a list of the World's richest people and top Billionaires whose combined net worth surpasses the GDP of many nations. For those who were not Economics majors in college, GDP is the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period which is sometimes used as an indicator of a country's standard of living. What this means is that these individuals can in a sense buy almost any country if they combined their wealth. The sway and power which they hold to command attention and get policies implemented in favor of their businesses is tremendous. From the lobbying power to the political contributions, it is no surprise why some of these companies have such free run of  the government. This year alone 2011, Forbes did some research on just how many 'Billionaires' there were in the world. What it found was that there was a record 946 billionaires with 178 newcomers. The combined net worth of these billionaires also climbed by $900 billion to $3.5 trillion which roughly  equates to $3.6 billion per billionaire. Bill Gates still retained the position of number one with roughly $56 billion. Second place is the man the investment world and all minimalists know, Warren Buffet with about $52 billion. Third place is Mexico's own Carlos Slim Helu with $49billion. 

These three individuals alone are worth about $150 billion dollars, more than enough to fund programs to improve public school education, aid in creating more jobs, minimize poverty and definitely enough to take care of hunger, fund research on diseases and solve many other problems plaguing their nations. Yes, Bill & Melinda Gates donate countless amounts of dollars to charity and so does Warren Buffet, but point is, can they do more and what are others in their position doing. Is it fair for many in the world to be starving because they barely have access to bare necessities needed to survive while some elite in their country is buying $2million dollar Bugatti Veyron's with a car collection  in the hundreds? (An example being Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal of the Saudi Royal Family) Some have argued that a few of these well-to-do individuals worked from scratch to become who they are. They put in long hours, hard work and sweat to build their corporations to become the success it is today. Also that these individuals 'ARE' assisting the working class in their respective nations because  of the jobs they are creating and the opportunities. But my question is, why is it the average American makes about $35,000 a year while the average Chief Executive officer rakes in an amount in the millions........... it doesn't seem fair. 

I recently watched a documentary titled 'The One Percent' by Jamie Johnson, heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune which talks about the growing wealth gap between America's elite and the citizenry. It shed a lot light for me and through its interview of many famous people, some of which I was even surprised to see in the movie, I learned a lot. Some of the individuals interviewed were Nicole Buffet, adopted daughter of Warren Buffet's son Peter. Steve Forbes, Bill Gates Sr, former Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader, Chuck Collins, heir to the Oscar Meyer fortune and Milton Friedman 1976 winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize. The movie talked about estate tax, income tax, and how if the current gap continues to grow as it is, family dynasties of the sort that was had in the late 19th century is what would result. One point made in Jamie's movie that I agree with is that, "If the rich pay less in taxes, the rest of the nation will have to pay more just to keep the basic programs we have running smoothly; Roads bridges, education, medicare, medicaid".

The movie is concluded with Jamie saying, "Self preservation has given rise to the growing wealth gap in America. And the bigger the gap gets the more removed wealthy people become from the world around them. But if you're always hiding from the problem, you're never going to find any solutions."

The Next Soviet Union could Possibly be China

I have been away for a while and have not posted a Blog in over a month. Within that time, much has happened in Tunisia, a lot is happening in Libya and change has come to Egypt. The purpose of this Blog is to address the rise of China. Much change is happening in the Communist state, which is continuously making a name for itself as the next rising actor in the international system. As my favorite saying goes, 'When the United States sneezes the rest of the world catches a Cold'. The same might not be the case anymore with countries such as China possibly not even feeling the breeze. Many have talked about the declining hegemony of the United States, and the continuous debt we continue to incur which is backed by China. The Chinese back our debts so we can go to war and not have to increase taxes. As of now, Chinese economy is growing at a very rapid rate and they have their hands in any place where hands can be, Africa being a major one. Africa is rich, with unlimited natural resources to be tapped into and China like the colonial actors of the past is definitely getting its hands wet. Several articles I have read talk about how China has surpassed the United States as the world's leading manufacturer. How China's rising economic power continues to set records. How China has overtaken Japan as the world's second-largest economy and recently overtook the United States as the world's top manufacturing country by output.

But those on the other side have also made arguments that China faces a lot of internal challenges. One being heavy corruption in the government. The country has a very large population and economic inequality is also a major problem. Environmental degradation is another problem with china being known all over the world as one of the world biggest polluters. Military implications of China's rising economic power is also another topic I have seen tackled in magazines and articles I have read. With China having a higher manufacturing output capacity than the United States, academics have talked about the possibility and likelihood of a large-scale military confrontation between the United States and China. This would mostly be unlikely because of the large economic and human toll that would result, but many whom I guess can be considered ‘Realists’ find it important to consider. 

Americas declining hegemony is definitely obvious, the euro, pound sterling and many other currencies have come close to and challenge the dollar but point is the dollar is still widely respected all over the world. When Wars arise, the United States is among the first, (if not the first country to be called upon). Yes we are heavily in debt, but the dollar is still widely respected when it comes to trade internationally. Also militarily, no one compares to us. 

The Pursuit of Happiness

I was reading an article today in one of my favorite magazines & the closing statement went as follows...

'The world as a whole has no shortage of young people. The real problem the world faces today isn't aging, its that almost 90 percent of the worlds youth is growing up in countries that cant offer education, access to capital, physical security, or good governance. It is one thing to note the inevitable graying of rich countries. It is another thing to overlook the opportunities and risks sorrounding the worlds vast youth population. The only way to avoid the worst of both worlds is for aging rich countries to share their skills and capital with young developing ones.' 

I have to say that I completely agree with the quote above. As a Nigerian, I believe that one of the primary reasons why many of the youth in my country result to email scams known as 419, commit much of the fraudulent acts they commit and sometimes result to violence is the fact that there is no access to opportunity. All over the world, many people migrate to America because the chance to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is existent. A man can grow up poor, but rise up to be the President of a corporation if he so chooses it as long as hard-work and sweat is shed. But, in many countries all over the world, this isnt the case. Access to proper education is rare, availability of good jobs are almost non-existent, there is no rule of law or any type of solid security. Also an individual can go to school, acquire a bachelors or even masters degree and still not find a job, making the education useless. 

In many developing countries, the government is corrupt, the police system is corrupt and there is no solid infrastructure.  Roads are not fully developed, there is no proper water supply, power system for electricity or even a well working sewage system in place. With conditions such as these it is understandable how and why some of the people commit the acts they do. That does not justify any of the negative acts, but does serves as an eye opener as to the motivational factors behind why these people act the way they do

Discontent and frustration, pile up and stir the hearts and mind of the people and sooner or later, the human body gives up to the mind. People start taking action into their own hands and fighting for better conditions. They start demanding rights, fair and equal treatment/elections and the ability to pursue happiness. They care less about their personal safety and rather die to create a better future not only for themselves but for their family members and children. For there to be a peaceful future, as the author of the quote above stated, aging rich countries need to share their skills and capital with young developing ones.  Not only will this help foster better relations between the west and these developing countries, but will appeal to the youths which in the case of many African countries are revolting as of the moment and will most likely be the future leaders and voice of their people. 

The Games We Play

Valentines

So, I decided to take a break from Politics & because Valentine's day was a couple of days ago, took time to write something about Love. At least an aspect of love, or what can affect it. So coming back from work today,  I started thinking... 'What is different about the world of today compared to that in which our Parents met & grew. I mean technology of course, to point out the obvious & yes, gas prices have risen dramatically. I mean GOD, just a few decades ago, gas was less than a dollar. But what has changed in the minds of people and also behavior wise since the 50's, 60's & even 70's that has affected the way we interact when it comes to dating/relationships and getting to know someone a little better.

To start off, I want to say that I value Adults a lot. Reason being not only because they are our elders but because a lot can be gained and learned from them. They've been on this journey of life longer than we and therefore I feel can impart a greater amount of 'useful' knowledge on us than our agemates, which we can then apply to present day life. When I talk to individuals over the age of let's say 50 who have been together at least 20-30 years and ask how they came to be, the story is always simple. We met at a location (bank, amusement park, cookout, concert) whatever the case may be, and the guy would say 'I thought she was the preetiest thing I had ever seen in the world' while the woman would say 'he was so sweet and i thought he was a gentleman' and then u know sky is the limit. They date, they court, they marry, and 30 years later after all the children have gone to college, they can still stand each other.

So I wonder sometimes, what is it about today's generation that we cannot stay together for longer periods of time without breaking up, seperating, cheating or driving each other crazy. First thing I personally came up with is that things were simpler back then. Talking to these older individuals, it seems like the mindset was straightforward back then. If the guy had a job, was responsible and expressed interest, and if the female was  interested, both would begin to talk. Once things started becoming serious, both individuals would consent to take it to the next level which would be Marriage. They compromised more and put more effort into 'making it work' because the belief was, marriage was sacred and a divorce was taboo.

Games

These days, things are very different, with lawyers make a killing off divorces. Celebrity break-ups get more publicity that hookups and a jobless, lazy individual has the same likelihood (chance) of talking to the same girl a motivated hard working individual could. It seems to matter less if the guy has a job; he could have 3 kids with 3 other women and not even pay child support & the female would still give him a chance. This leads me to ask the question, what has changed in the minds of today's youth and triggered this 'change' that makes some of us care less about what someone can offer and bring to the table in the long-run and only focus on things that will last a temporary time being (looks) being one.

Another thing I personally came up with and noticed is that people of today play more 'Games' than those of yesterday. A guy these days can be juggling three females at the same time for multiple different reasons while the females would know nothing of one another. A female could also have a boyfriend who she is in a committed relationship with but be cheating on her 'man' behind his back without him ever finding out. A guy will tell his girlfriend he's going on vacation to another country while he's just in another state messing around behind her back with someone she probably knows.

Also a guy will call a female or vice-versa & the other will screen the call knowing exactly how the other person genuinely feels about them and what they wanted. Elderly individuals I talked to out of curiousity found this weird. They believed that if a person knew another individual liked & truly cared for them, there was no point in playing games in which both people would be wasting their time & in the end, nothing would come of. Present day, a woman will lead a man on because of his money or what he can do for her and a man would do the same because of what he can 'get' or 'recieve' from the female. This was done 'back in the day' too, but is more prevalent nowadays than it was in the 50's, at least based on the elderly individuals I spoke too.

What do you all think, do individuals (youth) of today play more games & do you think things were simpler 'back in the day'??? Also has the concept of LOVE & what we consider LOVE changed in present day especially with Social Networks and the ease of meeting new people??.......

PLEASE COMMENT BELOW...........

Could it truly Be??? A 'United States of Africa'

Many have come and gone that have proposed that a 'USA', United States of Africa be formed consisting of the 53 'states' located in Africa. Individuals such as Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi have stated that only a true Pan-African state can provide stability and wealth to Africa while arguments have been made that this collective formation only, can bring true peace to Africa. While this shows the ambitious nature of some African leaders, the question remains if this hope/dream will become actuality. There have been talks of building subdivisions of Africa, an example being the proposed 'East African Federation' also known as the East African Community. Many have said that the United States of Africa might be in existence by the first quarter of this century (2025), while some such as Omar Gaddafi have commented saying that the federation may and could extend as far west as the Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Carribeans.

Other African countries such as Zimbabwe, Senegal and Ghana have supported the idea of a collective formation, while others like Nigeria, South Africa & Kenya have been less interested. It seems that larger states with less to gain tend to show more opposition while smaller developing countries show more support because of what there is to benefit from in the pooling together of resources. Nigeria's lack of support comes as a result of it being one of the largest countries (if not the largest) in Africa, with a population of about 152 million people according to the CIA World Factbook. It is rich in Oil, Coaoa & Cotton and is also one of the top suppliers of Oil to the United States. It's lack of interest seems to be due to its power and inflence but such should not be so. 

The smaller nations, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Senegal, and especially ones with social instability and other issues will have much to gain from a strong federal government which is one of the many reasons why the are in support. The idea of a United States of Africa does sound good, but can it really happen.  Poverty plagues the entire continent and there is conflict in countless pockets. Present day, Africa's population has risen to that of 1 billion making it the third most populous continent after India and China.  But as can easily be seen especially in the case of Nigeria's relationship with China and China's heavy involvement in Africa present day, dependency continues. 

Mother Africa

The formation of a 'United States of Africa', a single currency, a single African military force, and a single passport for Africans to move freely around the continent sounds wonderful. It is basically the African version of the European Union, but for this dream to become reality, much sacrifice will have to be made. Africa unfortunately unlike Europe is plagued with countless Dictators and Military regimes. It is plagued with religious divisions, ethnic divisions, abject poverty and in many areas lack of proper healthcare and education. Tribalism still prevails in many areas and closemindedness which I consider a diesease still afflicts many leaders and members of the population who could enact positive change. It is good to hope and wish for change, but with so many leaders and individuals out only for their personal self gains, it is hard to believe, no matter how strongly one wants it, that change will come to Africa and Unity will result. BUT! I believe that we must not give up because what is worth having is worth fighting for and hopfeully, in the end, we  shall have what will internationally be known, called and respected as THE UNITED STATES OF AFRICA!!!.

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African governance today

I find it interesting, the change that is resulting present day in the continent of Africa. It is time overdue in my mind, that citizens of the continent started rising up and fighting for their rights and the opportunity to life, peace and the pursuit of happiness. Since the colonial actors departure in the mid 20th century, the ethnic divide they created and the social, political and economic problems they left behind has led to increased instability in the continent.

In the case of Nigeria, a country which I am from and proud to claim, there are many ethnic groups, the three main being the Yoruba, the Igbos and the Hausas. The Hausa people are primarily Northerners and Muslim while the Igbos and Yorubas are located mainly in the West, East and South and tend to be Christians. There have been very few cases where we have enjoyed Democratic rule, because in most cases military coups end up in power, or Dictatorships end up being the form of rule. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, the eighth most populous country in the world, and the most populous country in the world in which the majority of the population is black.

Even though the country (Nigeria), is top ten supplier of Oil to the United States, and also very rich in natural resources such as coal, iron ore and natural gas, it is still very poor. Naira to Dollar ratio is 150 to 1, when 30 or so years ago, it was 1 to 1. I can continue on and on, but the point is, accountability and strong leadership is needed in Africa. Corruption and Nepotism needs to disappear and be replaced by fair and just rule. African leaders need to understand that the title of President is not the same as Chief. You are not accountable to just those whom youve known for a very long time or grew up with, but to an entire Nation who elected you to be their representative. Also that if put in a position of Power and they do not do what's in the best interests of the people, the same situation happening in Egypt & Tunisia will result and they will be ousted.

*The days of corruption, self enrichment and cronyism are over, this is a new decade and Africa deserves better*

- Dips'