New Energy

Since my major is chemical engineering, I have been very interested in a field of Energy. Historically, the discovery of fire is first point to find and use energy. Then we found natural oil, so-called ‘black gold,’ such as oil and natural gas. This discovery is very important for our life and it have changed all of our life. From several decades ago, we provoked for a sense of exhaustion for natural oils. Then, we have tried to find substitute energies such as solar, wind and tide water. One of the most popular substitute energy is solar energy. We are using solar energy in the many places and expanding too many fields. According to the Quest for Solar Field, the issue at hand is the construction of solar energy fields in southern Colorado as well as six other western states that could possibly be the new source of power for most of the nation. Also, “the development of such a project would put the United States at the head of the clean energy front and perhaps begin put us at the forefront of energy provider for the world.”
It is clear that the solar energy is the closest to natural oils as substitute energy. However, there is still problem to be a good energy which is effective and design. Nowadays, the rate of effective is around 30% which means we can use less than half of the energy which we absorb through a solar energy. So, if we improve to more than 50%, the size of a solar energy will be smaller and can be a very strong energy and ‘real energy’ not a substitute energy. The shape of a solar cell is almost identical. If we can enhance the energy, more people use it and we can save our nature.

Economic Stimulus Policy

From last fall when several companies such as Merrill Lynch and Bearstearns went into bankruptcy, a matter of common interest in the world is an economic part. This crisis is a much stronger impact than in case of Enron in 2001, and we used to compare with the Great Depression in 1930s. Many people have laid off from their workplace, also a salary for student who graduated an MBA course records the least salary in this time. So, one of the most important things for campaign of Presidency election of 2008 was the economic stimulus policy. And people in the world also have been interested in the Obama administration’s economic stimulus policy. The basic of the economic stimulus policies are to make jobs as many as possible by expanding the expenditure of a government. The focus is “HOW” they increase expenditures.
The most impressive the economic stimulus policy would be “New Deal” in the Franklin D Roosevelt administration, as we know. North America, Europe and other industrialized countries suffered from the Great Depression at 1930s due primarily to New York Stock Exchange. The campaign “New Deal” makes basically increasing a government intervention. Also, it represented the culmination of long-range trend of abandonment of “laissez-faire” capitalism. President Roosevelt stimulated U.S economy by investing

Like “New Deal,” the depression is coming companies in New York, especially in Wall Street. Then, the value of stock was dropped drastically, and many companies have been influenced this impact. So, many people lost their jobs and many families suffer from economic matters. Obama Administration also tries to stimulate the economic condition by making new jobs. According to Obama Tries to Put a Brighter Face on the Economy, “officials say they will make a carefully calibrated pitch intended to convince Americans that the administration inherited an economy in free fall and that its $787 billion stimulus package prevented another Great Depression.” Also, when Biden visited Detroit, he said that the economic condition is recovering and will be better based on the economic condition of Detroit.

I mostly agree with the policy of Obama’s administration, but I feel that they are trying to recovery an economic condition for short-term. For example, they tried to resuscitate all three auto companies, GM, Ford, and Chrysler. If a government support to all three companies, then the condition on a paper is much better than before. However, they will be content with their position and then this situation will come again. So, the government should select better companies to support then concentrate the companies which are selected. Even though the condition is much worse if one of the companies is bankruptcy, but the survivor companies will compete with other companies more intensely, then the market for survivor companies will increase and they can hire more people later.

Cyber Security

I have read the 'Cyber Security' on Shelly Duncan's blog These days, ‘cyber world’ is a kind of another society as real world. We used to buy or sell our goods and exchange information. Moreover, we can be learned many things through an Internet like a distance learning class. We, sometimes, expose our private information such as social security number or credit card number, and then this could make a trouble. This trouble is not only for individual. Sometimes there is a big problem at the level of nation or world. Last month, I read an article which North Korea attacked government websites in the United States and South Korea. According to the article, “South Korea intelligence officials have identified North Korea as a suspect in those attacks and said that the sophistication of the assault suggested it was carried out at a higher level that just rogue or individual hackers.” Also, “Targets of the most widespread cyber offensive of recent years also included the National Security Agency, Homeland Security Department and State Department, the Nasdaq stock market and the Washington Post, according to an analysis the software used in attacks.” These institutions influence to our society powerfully and have a higher security than other individual websites. That is, most website in the world can be hacked by an enemy. So, we should strengthen our websites as much as possible. Obama administration emphasizes “Cyber Security” and asked for a 60-day review of structures for cyber security. As the author of blog said, government should protect Americans from cyber threat, and Americans also need to know that there is a threat or risk. One more thing which I want to add is that the Cyber Policy should revise more frequently than other policy because the speed of development of computer skills is even faster than what we expect. Also, government should make easy to contact their information or warning to the public even for a beginner. Even if we make secure the cyber world, it might break out another problem. So, government should invest people who can take care of the problem to improve skills. And, to cooperate with other countries can be one option to protect people from troubles.

The Policy for North Korea

North Korea is one of the countries which become the center of the public and media interest in the world these days. Especially, nuclear weapons are currently the biggest issue. So, when the administrations of U.S and South Korea were changed in 2008 and 2009, many people had a concern about the way how they deal with North Korea. There had been a gap between South Korea and U.S in last roughly ten years. South Korea had insisted the so-called Sunshine policy for last two administrations because the Presidents was in a liberal side, whereas Bush administration was conservatism which had opposed this policy. This policy is still controversial.

Last week, ASEAN Regional Forum(ARF) was hold in Phuket, Thailand. There was an event which reflects the current relationship between North Korea and U.S. They fell into rancorous exchange. Hillary Rodham Clinton called North Korean leader "unruly children", then North Korean government jeered her back as a "schoolgirl" and a "pensioner" two days later.

I would support the current policy of U.S against North Korea. In the meeting the foreign ministers of China, Russia, Japan and South Korea, Mrs. Clinton said that the United States would not offer new incentives to North Korean to return to negotiations. She said all of the other nations that had engaged in talks with North Korean to return to negotiations. She said all of other nations that had engaged in talks with North Korea in the past five years were united in demanding that North Korea undertake a "complete and irreversible denuclearization" before receiving any economic or politic incentives from them. (Landler, Mark. "Clinton Speaks of Shielding Mideast From Iran." New York Times 23 July, 2009) As Clinton said, they used to try to get incentives from what they have already gotten incenctives. Also, North Korea has done with this way which they made a big trouble first, and wanted to get new incentives. Since we have accepted those, they have repeated it over and over. This is a kind of a vicious circle. It is time ti quit the circle although it feels little late.

I am an South Korean and I do not hate ordinary North Korean. However, I hate those who govern the people. They took advantage of the money which came from South Korea to aid poor North Korean. Then, they made nuclear weapons with this money. We must take stern legal action against those who use the word "peace" with threating action.

The War We'd Like to Forgot(Progressive)

Most newspapers have an own inclination such as conservatism, progressive, or independence. Reporters usually write articles with ideology which is equivalent to newspaper's one. According to AMGOV(our textbook), " In the era of the party press, however, few reporters were objective."(116, Losco, Baker, AMGOV, McGrawHill 2008) I think that this situation exists at present. We can say that newspaper has a political power and it is a part on politics. Since articles are based on truth, it is difficult to recognize an inclination. However, if we read an opinion part, it is easier to find the political direction of the newspaper. One of the most famous newspapers in progressive side is New York Times. In The War We'd Like to Forgot, Ross Douthat criticizes Iraq War. This war was one of the main 'drives' for the last administration which was based on conservatism although most American has opposed this war. They emphasize and strengthen their direction by disapproving of the Opposition's work. The author also points out things which Bush administration did not persuade public before an act of the war. The career of the author can be a mean which determines column's reliability. When I read author's profile, I thought that this column is credible. He has worked and researched about politics in many institution. It may lead him to have diverse views. Also, from his publish which How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream, I can recognize that he may understand deeply about conservatism. It is very important because it can be just egotism if he does not know well about the things which he criticized. Even though I oppose the War, I can not say that I agree or disagree this column because I do not know well about the background of the war. I think that there could be a hidden reason to occur the war because I have seen many things which reveal the truth after long time. It is POLITICS!

DRUDGE REPORT

I have looked at Drudge Report which is right-leaning (conservative) blog. Even though this blog is for political issues, there are some articles in other areas like sports or technologies. First of all, I would like to talk about 'outline.' The outline for this blog is different from other regular blogs. The worst point, in my opinion, is the commercial at the top of the first page. It can weaken the purpose of this blog. If he wants to put commercials, it is better to do in sides. If you come this blog first time, you may be confused and hard to find where the blocks which you are looking for such as recommended blogs or media because there is no title in each block. And, If he arranges the contents in alphabetical order in the blocks, it is much easier to find what I am looking for. However, there are positive points. Since there are boxes for finding articles in AP and Reuters which are one of the most noted media in the world, we can find the interested articles in the same place. The, I would like to move to contents for this blogs. Since they posted them with neutral articles or nonpolitical articles, it can make readily audience who do not have any idea about politics to absorb for his ideology. I think that it is a well strategy for him. On more interesting part is 'RASMUSSEN 2012 POLL' in the middle of the blogs. Rasmussen Report is one of the most famous company specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information. Though we have more than three years to a next election, this data can be valuable for tendency of supporting current administration. Moreover, most articles are from famous and credible media, so this blog is stronger. Overall, this blog is valuable if only they revise the outline

U.S. in Tight Spot on Trade .

From Wall Street Journal
I would recommend this article to read because a trade policy is one of the main policies for the administration these days. Through this article, we can recognize that Obama administration supports the free trade, rather than protective trade. Also, Obama government wants to recover an amount of trade for agriculture and manufacutred goods before outbread H1N1 influenza virus which is also called Swine Flu. The way to press other countries which bans American products such as China and Russia is to try to change their policies, rather than directly threatening tariffs or other commercial penalties. Obama administration is also following a course of previous administrations. That is, he persuades other countries with such strategy; exports and jobs for both countries will boost if they open his market.