“Honesty, Wealth, and a Better America: My Superpower”
Morgan Wood
English 111-62
“Honesty is the best policy” This is true for the most part. I will always remember my parents from an early age instilling the essentials of what was to become my moral code. Constantly they would remind me “Morgan if there is only one thing we can teach you remember this, regardless of who you are or what you do, do not lie cheat or steel! So long as you do not do these three things you will be a good man” it sounded the as it does now just a little too simple. Unfortunately it was not for some time, long after I had internalized these moors and refined them for myself as simply “be truthful in all things”, that I realized by adopting this creed I had set myself at a perilous disadvantage (at least with those who that had not had as socially responsible parents as myself). This disadvantage would not occur to me until I could distinguish for myself a lie along with the liar. I have over the years with practice become more adapted at compensating for what I will call my own honest shortcomings. I became aware that not everyone is honest with either themselves or the world around them. I find now that it is almost impossible to truly determine who if anyone is ever completely truthful. I suppose then that the only person one could trust is themselves but even then the question of interpersonal integrity comes into question. When faced with such overwhelming uncertainty the only feasible solution would be to grant myself a magnificent superpower. The only reasonable answer would involve leveling this dishonest playing field. I would have to have the ability to know whether or not someone was lying and then be able to share or bestow this as privileged information with someone else. I guess ultimately what I would be asking for is the ability to grant and withdraw the ability to read minds.
With my new ability to grant psionic mind reading abilities I would of course grant myself the privilege of using this new power for my own personnel gain. I would sell or lease the ability to the many institutions of government who could use it to civic purposes. Courts and lawyers would be charged for the use with witnesses and juries so that no innocent person may ever be proven otherwise. I would bestow the power to peacekeepers and diplomats, though only after much mental and ideological scrutiny by myself and maybe a panel of trusty henchmen. I would replace the lie detector as the definitive measure of somebody’s innocence altogether. Never would the public be mislead by slippery tongued beurocrats. I would sell my services for the use as a closed captioned aide to be made mandatory accompaniment to political candidates adds and speeches thereby disallowing politicians the long time luxury of gilded speech. Consumers the world over may never again be deceived by a shifty salesperson or misleading commercial. My psionic powers would primarily be used for my personnel financial gain. I would not however be opposed to a little charity work here and there so long as I could write it off as a tax credit. Not entirely unsympathetic I would provide my unique ability a gratis to those less fortunate individuals who could use it in some fashion to better their circumstance.
With great power comes great responsibility. Thankfully by the time I have to concern myself with this personnel responsibility I will be wealthy enough to hire somebody else to concern themselves with my concerns. I can think no better way of fantasizing about acquiring super powers than imagining making the world a better if not more honest a place while single handedly securing the financial independence of myself and infinite amount of children and grand children. Not only would it change my life but also the lives of those who have ever received the short end of the stick because the world did not play by the same set of rules. It is a sad truth but some do lie, some do cheat, and some do steal but if I had it my way I would have a superpower that ensured I got stinking wealthy making sure that society in all things remained true.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
ORIGINAL diagnostic essay draft
“Honesty Wealth and a Better America: My Superpower”
Morgan Wood
English 111
Gasparo
“Honesty is the best policy” the old saying goes; for the most part I believe this to be true. I can remember from an early age my parents instilling in me the essentials of what was to be the basis of my moral code. They would remind me “Morgan if there is only one thing we can teach you remember this, regardless of who you are or what you do, do not lie cheat or steel! So long as you do not do these three things you will be a good man” it sounded all too simple to me then. I have found that this is certainly not the case. It was not for some time, long after I had internalized these moors and refined them for myself as simply “be truthful in all things”, that I realized by adopting this creed I had set myself at a perilous disadvantage to my peers (at least with those peers that hadn’t had as socially responsible parents as myself). A disadvantage that would not occur to me until I myself could distinguish a lie along with the liar. Fortunately enough for me, I have over the years with practice become more adapt at compensating for what I will call my own honest shortcomings. After realizing not everyone is perfectly honest with either themselves or the world around them I would consider it almost impossible to truly determine who if anyone is completely truthful. I would suppose then that the only person one could trust is themselves, even then the question of interpersonal integrity comes into question. All things considered when faced with such overwhelming uncertainty and a world of doubt the only feasible solution would be to grant myself a magnificent superpower. The only reasonable answer would involve leveling this dishonest playing field. I would have to have the ability to know whether or not someone was lying and then be able to share or bestow this as privileged information with someone else. I guess ultimately what I would be asking for is the ability to grant and withdraw the ability to read minds to myself and a few fortunate others.
With my new ability to grant psionic mind reading abilities I would of course have to grant myself the privilege of using this new power for my own personnel gain. Perhaps I would sell or lease the ability to the many institutions of government who could use it to civic purposes. Courts and lawyers would be charged for the use with witnesses and juries so that no innocent person may ever be proven otherwise. I would bestow the power to peacekeepers and diplomats though only after much mental and ideological scrutiny by myself and maybe a panel of trusty aides. I would replace the lie detector as the definitive measure of someone’s innocence altogether. Never again would the public be mislead by slippery tongued beaurocrats as I would sell my services for the use as a closed captioned aide to be made a mandatory accompaniment to political candidates adds and speeches. Consumers the world over may never again be deceived by a shifty salesperson or misleading commercial. Though primarily used for my personnel financial gain I would not be opposed to a little charity work here and there so long as I could use it as a tax credit. I would occasionally provide my unique ability a gratis to those less fortunate and down trodden few who could use it in some fashion to better their circumstance.
As is often the case, with great power comes great responsibility. Thankfully by the time I have to concern myself with this I will be wealthy enough to hire somebody else to do all the busy work. I can think no better way of fantasizing about acquiring super powers than imagining making the world a better if not more honest a place while single handedly securing the financial independence of myself and infinite amount of children and grand children. Not only would it change my life but also the lives of those who have ever received the short end of the stick because the world does not play with the same set of rules as they do. It is a sad truth but some do lie, some do cheat, and some do steal but if I had it my way I would pick a superpower that ensured I got stinking wealthy making sure everybody in all things were true .
Morgan Wood
English 111
Gasparo
“Honesty is the best policy” the old saying goes; for the most part I believe this to be true. I can remember from an early age my parents instilling in me the essentials of what was to be the basis of my moral code. They would remind me “Morgan if there is only one thing we can teach you remember this, regardless of who you are or what you do, do not lie cheat or steel! So long as you do not do these three things you will be a good man” it sounded all too simple to me then. I have found that this is certainly not the case. It was not for some time, long after I had internalized these moors and refined them for myself as simply “be truthful in all things”, that I realized by adopting this creed I had set myself at a perilous disadvantage to my peers (at least with those peers that hadn’t had as socially responsible parents as myself). A disadvantage that would not occur to me until I myself could distinguish a lie along with the liar. Fortunately enough for me, I have over the years with practice become more adapt at compensating for what I will call my own honest shortcomings. After realizing not everyone is perfectly honest with either themselves or the world around them I would consider it almost impossible to truly determine who if anyone is completely truthful. I would suppose then that the only person one could trust is themselves, even then the question of interpersonal integrity comes into question. All things considered when faced with such overwhelming uncertainty and a world of doubt the only feasible solution would be to grant myself a magnificent superpower. The only reasonable answer would involve leveling this dishonest playing field. I would have to have the ability to know whether or not someone was lying and then be able to share or bestow this as privileged information with someone else. I guess ultimately what I would be asking for is the ability to grant and withdraw the ability to read minds to myself and a few fortunate others.
With my new ability to grant psionic mind reading abilities I would of course have to grant myself the privilege of using this new power for my own personnel gain. Perhaps I would sell or lease the ability to the many institutions of government who could use it to civic purposes. Courts and lawyers would be charged for the use with witnesses and juries so that no innocent person may ever be proven otherwise. I would bestow the power to peacekeepers and diplomats though only after much mental and ideological scrutiny by myself and maybe a panel of trusty aides. I would replace the lie detector as the definitive measure of someone’s innocence altogether. Never again would the public be mislead by slippery tongued beaurocrats as I would sell my services for the use as a closed captioned aide to be made a mandatory accompaniment to political candidates adds and speeches. Consumers the world over may never again be deceived by a shifty salesperson or misleading commercial. Though primarily used for my personnel financial gain I would not be opposed to a little charity work here and there so long as I could use it as a tax credit. I would occasionally provide my unique ability a gratis to those less fortunate and down trodden few who could use it in some fashion to better their circumstance.
As is often the case, with great power comes great responsibility. Thankfully by the time I have to concern myself with this I will be wealthy enough to hire somebody else to do all the busy work. I can think no better way of fantasizing about acquiring super powers than imagining making the world a better if not more honest a place while single handedly securing the financial independence of myself and infinite amount of children and grand children. Not only would it change my life but also the lives of those who have ever received the short end of the stick because the world does not play with the same set of rules as they do. It is a sad truth but some do lie, some do cheat, and some do steal but if I had it my way I would pick a superpower that ensured I got stinking wealthy making sure everybody in all things were true .
What goes up must come down.
“US global dominance 'set to wane'” an article in the BBC news declares “US economic, military and political dominance is likely to decline over the next two decades, according to a new US intelligence report on global trends.” The article highlights the results of National Intelligence Council (NIC) report that “predicts China, India and Russia will increasingly challenge US influence. It also says the dollar may no longer be the world's major currency, and food and water shortages will fuel conflict.” When I read this I was reminded instantly of excerpts of a book I read for an old world history class "The Decline of the Roman Empire". This comparison is hardly an original thought. An article by Niki Collins-Queen “America’s Decline as a Superpower” she describes best the comparison of Edwards Gibbons "The Decline of the Roman Empire" to the present state of the Unites States. Gibbons lists off the causes of Rome’s decline “It could be a description of America today. He said Rome declined as it had a bloated and overextended military, widespread economic and political corruption, public apathy, hedonism and addiction to and dependence on foreign resources.” Don’t write me of as fascist American eulogizer quite yet. It’s not all doom and gloom. In an article by AMOTZ ASA-EL titled “Barack Obama and the decline of America” the author suggests there is still hope and it’s audacious. “The world still rotates around an axis made of American inventions, from the airplane, the motorcar and the computer to the motion picture, the skyscraper and spaceship. There is no sign for now of a Russian, Indian, Japanese or Chinese Alexander Graham Bell, Orville Wright, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs.” Its many vices and inequities aside “America has just tapped into deep social aquifers in a way that none of its rivals will do any time soon. China distances its masses from civic leadership, Russia abandons millions to the devices of organized crime, Brazil has even more millions teeming in favelas, India still has pariahs who can only dream of American blacks' acceptance, and Europe keeps at arm's length vast immigrant populations. America, with all its problems, is socially healthier than all of them.” If the prospect of Obama isn’t hope enough then maybe the conclusion of the initial BCC article about the NIC report will leave you with some comfort as the correspondent concludes, “it is worth noting that US intelligence has been wrong before.”
Monday, December 8, 2008
Racism racism go away come along another day...
“Obama election spurs race crimes around country” in an article by JESSE WASHINGTON an AP National Writer displays just how deep the issues of race still run in the American psyche. I was not at all surprised by the contents of this article. I have myself have experienced and been disgusted by similar instances. Everywhere from the grocery store to Barnes & Noble to an online college discussion board I have witnessed firsthand the racial tension that exist to this day even as Barrack Obama stands to become are our 44th president. My first such experience was in my political science class. We were discussing the different places we’ve been approached by campaigners when my classmate admitted that her mother had been stopped by two young men as she was entering food lion. They asked her who she intended to vote for. When she politely declined to answer she was verbally confronted by the men and clued into the fact that “If Barrack Obama Wins that he will be sworn in hanging from the end of a noose” I could hardly believe this when she said it. It wasn’t until I read the following post by one of my classmates on my class’s online discussion board ironically titled “Geting under my skin!” that I realized just how pervasive and convoluted the issues of race are in America today.
Posted date: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 11:51:10 AM EST
“Alright here is a debate, Im not one to voice my opinion like this, and i don't want to come across as a racist because i am deff. not. but i am really getting aggravated with this whole thing about us having a black president. Ok first of all HE ISN'T BLACK! he is a mixed, intelligent individual whom which I DID vote for. But everytime i turn on the tv, and anywhere i go all i see is the black community going nuts about this. i mean if you really wanted to be a prick lets look at the score board here im pretty sure its 43 1/2 to 1/2 calm down! I think that he is going to be a great president and has a lot to offer this downwards spiraling country but come on playing rap songs about having a black president and jumping around like a bunch of idiots because we have a MIXED president, come on is all this really needed? oh and let me say this just one last time HE ISN'T BLACK! he is just as much white as he is black I would love to hear how the rest of the class feels about all of this because i know you guys have noticed it as well.”
More recently while having coffee with a date at Barnes & Noble I asked her what she thought about the election results. She replied that she would have voted for Obama. I replied that I in fact had voted for Obama but was still skeptical as to just what it was that was going to change. Immediately we we’re approached by an older women who slouching over the table of books we were discussing unabashedly admitted that she thought “Obama is the precursor to the anti Christ” and informed us that his campaign had been funded by “rich Saudi Muslims with oil money”. I held my tongue and proceeded to walk away disgusted and embarrassed as my date had just recently moved to the states from Canada.
As the article clearly displays, these sort of instances are not isolated. Racial tension remains an unresolved issue in communities around the country. Not just reserved for the uneducated as can be seen by one of my classmates experiences and another’s post as well as my personal experience at Barnes & Noble.
Robots That Hunt in Packs is article on www.PopSci.com about how the “The Department of Defense wants your designs for a collaborative robotic team”. When I first read this article I was instantly reminded of the science fiction series I read as a child "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov. I think that Oakspar77777’s comment on 11/05/08 was the most relevant of them all because he took a very rational and analytical approach to his discussion. ldavid74’s comment on 11/05/08 is the one that most intrigued me however because he obviously made the same connection as I did in regards to Asimov’s three laws of robotics. It would be very difficult for me to believe the D.O.D. has no intention of at sometime in the not so distant future using them for purposes other than "search and rescue, fire-fighting, reconnaissance, and automated biological, chemical, and radiation sensing with mobile platforms". By no means am I an automatonophobe which is the “Fear of any inanimate object that represents a sentient being, eg. statues, dummies, robots, etc.” according to the Phobia Dictionary at www.blifaloo.com. However, I am weary of the ideas of autonomous or quasi autonomous sentient killing machines. Given the statement that the “The robots would report back to a human operator, and defer to that human when the robot AI determines that a "difficult decision" is required.” Suggest the robots would have to determine whether or not they were faced by a "difficult decision". Considering this I would hope that the statement that “military officials have noted that robots would likely not be used to replace soldiers on the battlefield because of the ethical dilemmas involved.” Is not, as what appears to be, just public relations jargon that translates to “would likely not be used to replace soldiers…yet”. As ldavid74’s comment suggest let us hope that whoever is programming these robots remembers Asimov’s 3 laws of robotics.
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
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