Moving on Back... to the Dark Ages...

Lately, it seems to be very fashionable to call those who are against corporate corruption and those who wants things to be more fair a socialist or communist. I don't understand why everything seems to be so extreme and black and white with this groups, but I guess it's all projection. More importantly though, you can't be a socialist AND a communist. These ideals are mutually exclusive. The fact that you use those 2 forms of government interchangeably shows how little you understand about government structures. Get your name calling right.

I am not one for socialism or communism not because I don't like their ideas. I think all forms of governments are good on paper and as an idea. However, humans are not built this way (or perhaps just not today's humans) to make socialism or communism work. People today will not accept equality and hence these governments will never work. Not because it was a bad idea, but humans are intrinsically flawed to follow those ideals.

So today we have capitalism. Like socialism or communism, humans are incapable of a pure form of society. Humans are intrinsically unable to follow any form of society in its purest form because we have natural desires that doesn't fit in well within a society. Human have things like greed, lust, envy, etc., that makes them break any rules of a society. Hence, humans have built rules and regulations to guard against ourselves to make capitalism work. This has worked well, and it is with these safeguards that we've been able to grow within this society.

So why is it that so many people today are pushing us to go back to a Feudalistic form of society where you have a small group of the rich (kings, queens, royalty, etc.) and the rest of the people who work as serfs and peasants for them? They seem to be fine with 1% of the population owning the majority of the wealth and power in society. They seem to be fine with allowing those with wealth to change laws to benefit themselves. They seem to be fine with the fact that those in government work for this 1% instead of the 99%.

We've gone down that road and have rejected it. For thousands of years we lived in this feudalistic culture and it has lead us nowhere. A few lived ridiculously lavish lives while everyone is left with the scraps. We tore down these ideas and built a new world where we believed in letting everyone have a chance at a good life. We made things fair through education so that all children have a chance at a good life regardless of who their parents were. We created a society where we looked after each other equally and not by some title. This is the type of society we have fought so long and hard to create.

What's amazing is that the majority of those who are pushing to move backwards in society are the people that will become the serfs and peasants in their new world. Do they think they will be thanked by their new lord? Do they think betraying the 99% will earn them favors by the 1%? what's more amazing is that you may be fine to play that peasant role, but how do you live with yourself knowing you've condemned your children to these roles? No matter how hard they work, they will never have a chance to better themselves. You have given all the power and wealth to a few and they have no intention of giving that up. What will you do then? Revolt again for the very society you help to tear down?

Like a spoiled child who doesn't understand how good they have it. These conservatives/libertarians scream for an individualist society. Little do you know that while you think you're arguing for more freedom, you're tightening the noose on your neck.

What I've Learned from Reading Manga

I know most people will dismiss this as childish. How could an adult possibly learn anything from Manga/comic book?! Isn't it just for children? Well, despite what you may think, I have learned a lot about life from these stories and I think it would be good if people did as well. Perhaps I'm just reading more into it than is there. Whatever the reason, the message in my head is clear and here they are.

(In no particular order)

• You should always work your hardest to be strong. If you're not strong (whether physically, mentally, socially, or even economically), you will not be able to protect the innocent or the ones you love

• No matter how strong you think you are, there will always be someone bigger, badder, and better than you. Always strive to be better
  

• If you choose the right people to trust and believe in, they will go to the ends of the world with you

• Taking advantage of the weak is not power. Power comes from being able to stand up and protect the weak
  

• Believe in your friends and those that you trust, but most importantly, believe in yourself. Find the strength from within
  

• Always believe. Even when the odds seems overwhelmingly against you. Always believe you can succeed

• A life without honor is no life at all
  

Together we will be stronger

As I look at these images of the disaster in Japan, it’s often hard for me to take. I realized that to be so moved by just these images while being so far removed from situation, I couldn’t even image what it’s like to be there or to be directly affected by something so large and catastrophic. It's hard to imagin what a 8.9 earthquake is like, but I can certainly see the destruction it can cause.

For the last 3 years, I’ve been traveling to Japan for work a couple of times a year. The country, the culture, and the people have really grown on me over these visits. I remember how wonderful it was the first time I visited Japan with my mom. The two of us and my aunt went all around the city to see all the lights and the super modern life of Tokyo. I was in complete awe. It was just like I’d imaged with its 10 story arcades and Manga stores.

We also left the city to see a completely different side of Japan. I was amazed how quickly we left the urban area filled with skyscrapers. Riding on the bullet train we soon got to the countryside with its mountainous terrains and wide-open spaces. We visited some mountains which I can't really recall (all I remembered was riding on a huge bus going quite quickly around a very narrow mountain road). There was a hot springs which was quite an experience for me at the time.

The last few visits were a bit different being there for work and much older than my first visit. I always managed to stay a few extra days to visit with my aunt or just hang around in the city. I don’t really speak a word of Japanese, but I feel really comfortable being there. I wish I spoke or understood more so I could get more of the culture, but I’ve always felt great just being there.

Seeing some of devastation of a place that I would place as one of my favorite places in the world was really hard. During the Katrina disaster, I saw many places in New Orleans that I had been just months before getting devastated. Places that I had gone throughout my college days on road trips for the weekend. Although it’s not the same as it didn’t hit Tokyo directly, it felt just the same. It's hard to see something like this happen to somewhere I so loved being around.

My heart sank as I watch the images and read the news. So many people in such a bad place through no fault of their own. So much destruction and so much death all around.

It’s times like this when you really feel how helpless one can be in the grand scheme of things. It would be great to be able to gear up in an Iron man suit and go help those people in need. Perhaps stop the tsunami with a blow of air or speeding through the waves fast enough. Sadly, that’s not the world that we live in. There are no super heroes to come save us. All we have is each other.

It’s situations like this that I hope people see the truly good in each other. We’re all in this world together. We have our minor differences, but at the end of the day, we’re all people here together on this planet. We can’t survive by ourselves. Only by supporting and relying on each other are we able to get through this, and not only get through this, but get through it stronger than we started.

To all the people in Japan. Stay strong and positive. The people around the world are here to help you through this. Together we will rebuild all that’s been lost and we’ll be better and stronger for it.

2010 Year End Wrap up

Here we are again. It's time for the yearly wrap up. Doesn't seem very long ago since I posted the last wrap up. I know it's such a predictable saying, but these wrap ups seems to happen faster and faster. I don't think the younger me really knew what that meant, that life does speed up, but now that I'm experiencing it for myself, I'm looking to hold on and enjoy as much as I can.

This year saw the beginning of the 3rd year living here in Australia. I can say without a doubt that I'm entrentched in the culture and the people here. I have lived in quite a few places, and no where else have I felt more at home than here. There are so many wonderful things here and so much more that I've yet to experience. I think 2011 will bring more travel adventures than ever before.

This year, I was able to travel to Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, the US, and not to mention all the numerous internal trips within Australia for both work and holidays. In 2011, I'm looking forward to doing more trips to places I've never been.

This year has started a new chapter for me personally. I hope it's the chapter that I've been waiting to write all these years. I've found the person that I've been writing to and dreaming about for so long. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it every time I see her.

For me personally, this has been a wonderful year. However, the same cannot be said for those closes to me. I received some terrible terrible news about family members. This is going to play out a lot more in 2011 and the uncertainity is almost unbearable. Being so far away from everyone is also difficult. I think what's worst is that there's nothing I can do but wait. I wish these were problems that I could make go away because I know someone that knows someone. Those problems I can deal with. These issues my family is family sadly are not of those nature.

I know for most people, their goals change year to year and especially when they start to get older. I think I've really noticed this this year. A lot of things that I've really enjoyed in the past hasn't been as exciting for me and on the other hand, there are a lot of things that I really enjoy now that I would've thought as boring before. Besides that, some of my goals that I have personally acheived I'm once again trying for. This time though, it's a lot more fun achieving these goals with someone.

It seems silly to have goals for this year when there are such big things going on within the family to worry about. I think my biggest goal/wish this year is to be able to write this post next year with some excellent news.

Hope is not a good strategy. Do what you can. Don't wait for someone else to help, and don't just hope that something will be done. Be a hero for someone.