Blog 14

After reading "Corporations Unlimited" and "Democracy Ltd." in the GIG book, it changes the way I have looked at certain things. First thing that popped into my head was the Channel One involvement in schools. I went to Centerville High School, and they played that show, but I never watched it. "Channel One... produces ten-minute news programs followed by two minute advertising sequences for schools..to ensure that at least 90 percent of their students watch the programs daily." It also states that atleast 40 percent of schools are now playing Channel one to get the perks, but expose the students to new advertising within the education institution. In this chapter, they also talk about undercover marketing, where advertising happens without you knowing it by overhearing people promote a product. This cartoon is a classic example of undercover marketing happening from a bully at school who drinks Gatorade. All the students watching might start drinking it because they notice he is drinking it. "The practice is premised entirely on deception...under cover marketing demonstrates how deep the commercialization of society now runs." Every aspect of the public is being filled with corporation advertising. It started with political party sponsorship, to schools, and now to public people. Chris and Luke got their schooling paid for by being human advertisements for First USA. Of course the corporation was eager to jump on this, it attracts so much attention where the two boys will end up answering questions about the company and promoting it. They also are in contact with thousands of people a day, just walking through their campus.

The video from you tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVVtRZJ5Ouw) I found directly relates to "Democracy Ltd" where corporations are trying to gain power over politics. It discusses how the bigger corporations have enormous power without real limitations. It stresses the fact that both political parties are selling government positions to the "highest bidder." As we all know, the corporations only goal is profit, profit, profit. If corporations infiltrated the government, what would their goal be? Of course, they would not want to promote the public good, which is the prime goal of the government. "Enron's is the story of a corporation that used political influence to remove government restrictions on its operations and then exploited its resulting freedom to engage in dubious, though highly profitable, practices." Enron is just one example of corporations trying to find a way around rules that protect the general public. My favorite line in "Democracy Ltd" is "corporate social responsibility is an oxymoron." They cannot be held accountable for the duties that the government perform, therefore should not have the power that the government has obtained. This book has a main theme of corporations, by law, to promote their own interests and gain as much profit as they can. Is that what we want when it comes to running our country? Leading into the next chapter, "Brown was mainly concerned about clients who might get trapped in the gold market, which he knew would close once the World Trade Center collapsed." This is a prime example of what would happen if corporations gain the control that they want. In the face of a national crisis, their own concern is the profit and protection of themselves, not helping the public and national security. But remember, corporations have no moral or legal obligation to the public, so who would be left to protect the lives of the people involved?

Blog 12

My favorite quote from Natasha, the Kinko's co-worker, is "..in part people are kept from becoming their dysfunctional selves by working for a corporation." In the first part of her essay, she explains the big brother feeling of constantly being watched by cameras or secret shoppers that comes with working for a corporation. Towards the end, she explains the positives of benefits, not having whack job bosses, and the security. She is very happy with the balance between the two, though she realizes that Kinko's is one of the better corporations.

In The Corporation, it is said that a corporation is separate ownership from management, where one group is the shareholders and the other runs the firm. "That unique design was believed by many to be a recipe for corruption and scandal." Especially in the olden times in Europe where one of the corporations, South Sea Company, had done just that. Corporations change as technology does, which started with the invention of the steam engine, and now includes the internet. This allowed them to become more global and expand their communication. Because of this new global expansion of corporations, governments have less effect and even powerless in a sense. "Corporations now govern socciety, perhaps more than governments themselves do." This is a scary scary thought, especially after the creation of the WTO which has standards to pressure governments to change their policies and laws.

"The corporation had become a dangerous mix of power and unaccountability." Humor is the best way to get a point across, so the first cartoon pertains to the Enron crash, where poor reporting and loop holes allowed Enron to hide millions of dollars of debt, which eventually led to bankrupt. The second cartoon pertains to Pfizer who donates money, helps the city, and seems like ahighly respectable corporation. In 2009, he plead guilty to the biggest health care fraud ever. He illegally marketed 4 of the drugs his company supplies. "Capitalism with a conscience" at it's finest just to prove that all this environmental and social initiatives are an act and a game to them.

"It compels executives to prioritize the interests of their companies and shareholders above all others and forbids them from being socially responsible- at least genuinely so."

Blog 10

First, I think it is very important to recap on the class discussion about turning people into faster, more efficient robot-like workers. This whole idea, Taylorism, wants to improve labor productivity to the maximum and the workers do not really have to think much because that is the managers job. It takes out all social connection and each process is broken down into specific jobs that are repeated over and over again.

After reading " The Next University Drive-Thru U.: Higher Education for People Who Mean Business", it shocked me how much the University of Phoenix resembles Taylorism in an educational aspect. The main goal of this university is the product, and the fastest way possible to that "product" also known as a degree. It also wants to do this in the cheapest way possible where the Traub says "The 'practitioner' system also allowed the university to delivier coursework far more cheaply than its competitors." These instructers could be your high-end business man trying to make some extra cash, not the classic professor whose goal obviously is not the money, but the greater good of his class (hopefully). The founder is an economic historian, so he has very good knowledge of the demands of the market and how to make money by satistisfying them. Who hasn't seen the University of Phoenix ad on TV??

The next article was the "Technology Versus African Americans" which discusses why African Americans are fully equipt in the technology world. It goes back to the slave trade coming to the Americas, and from then on technology has "worked against" this racial population. Personally, it looks to be more economical than racial, though this author does not share the same opinion. I do not think that many African American children sit in a classroom and think of their ancestors and that is why they do not use or have a computer. It seems to be more inner-city related financial problems and since that is where this population is, they experience the technology lag. I am not economist or sociologist, but the Walton says "inner-city blacks in particular are in danger" and I believe that this is where the focus should be. I work at Taft Elementary, which is an inner-city school that lack the technology because of the lack of fundings. Though most are African American, it seems to be the more hardship of finding the money than because of a certain race.

I can relate best to the thoughts of the steelworker in GIG, when she talks about her job and the union. First, I did not realize that this was a woman, until she specifically said "In some instances, you have to be a union person first and a woman second." I stereotyped a steel worker to be a man, and it was a little shocking that it was a woman, but more power to her. The more important topic she talks about is the union and how it protects her from certain downfalls of working and outsourcing. She seems to be a very intelligent person and is getting a college degree because she knows her job will not be around forever. She also is encouraging her kids to go to college and not join the mill right out of high school. I relate to her outlook on preparing for the future because it is not always guaranteed to be the way that you expect.

The next reading in GIG was the ford auto worker. He was in college, but joined the factory work instead. He was heavily influenced by all the males around him because they are all factory workers as well. He describes perfectly the problems talked about in our previous class about alientation and stress."You gotta stay on your job. 'Cause if you're not there, the job's not gonna get done...o you can't stop. So it's just a lot of repetition, man. Same shit over and over. It's insane." He has a certain amount of time to do a certain job, and if he doesn't get it done, the whole line shuts down. The alienation part of doing the same thing in three minutes, over and over, all day, everyday. He even coins a label called "factoryized" to describe his situation.

The last reading was in CWW, where Thottam brings up excellent points about outsourcing issues. She explains step by step what has caused out sourcing, why it is happening, and where. Billy of Florida and Scott of Deleware are two living examples of the outsourcing threat to real families and real lives. Thottam also gives the alternative view of outsourcing for profit and competition for the companies involved. "It's just the way the business world turns" is the best quote of his essay. She does not state his opinion, but merely brings up the facts and both sides of the arguement (which is just like writing project #2).

I do not have enough information personally to state an opinion on the outsourcing issues. I am merely ambivalent because both sides of the issue have valid points, just like Thottam explains. Though, I do wish I could outsource my homework like the cartoon girl.

Blog 8

After reading the article in GIG about the software engineer, it makes me happy to think that I have gotten away from that life. He talks about having to work long days and long hours over projects way outside of the work day. He comes from Bosnia, where he worked minimum and focused on leisurely acitivities, even in the workplace. He calls overworking the "american dream" because everyone seems to be doing it and is happy.

The next reading in CWW was "High Tech Stress", which emphasized the new technology that is leading to the over working of employees. The first thing that stood out to me was the word "karoshi" from Japan, which literally "death by overworking." The funny thing is when googling "karoshi", there are games coming up called "Karoshi Suicide Salary Man". If that isn't the perfect way to get out your work fustrations. Anyways, this article also emphasizes the new ways of management by group. I think this is a bit ridiculous, because people already have enough peer pressure around them besides having more than one boss. This group management also encourages andon boards. These things light up when stress is being put on the routine to show the weaker points. All of this causing even more stress on the worker because it looks like their fault and they need help. The next topic in this article is about the biological clock. The pace of the workplace is far too fast for the human body.

The hours being put in, the institution of work taking over our life, and constantly being over stressed is all too much. The statistics in the CWW article are astounding, showing the increase of stress and machines. There is a passage referring to all the health problems coming from this new technology, via stress. If you asked the software engineer from Bosnia, he would say that Americans don't know what they are missing, so this stressful life is the only way of life to get things done.