2.1 Consumption

(Top: Hong Kong in the 1950's. Bottom: Hong Kong in the 2000's)
Today's world is all about consumption. People of all ages are consumers. Many say consumption is a form of destruction, a form of separation. However, as a student studying Economics, I believe consumption gives the world a better tomorrow rather than harming societies. Consumption may be believed to destroy some societies because richer countries take advantage of economically disadvantaged countries. However, while consumption might destroy old societies, richer countries bring all countries together and help bring the disadvantaged better societies by increasing their living standards.

People consume everyday because it is a way of society. Consumers not only help stimulate the global economy, but give nations a chance to work together. Disadvantaged countries such as the Philippines, Bangladesh, Mexico and Jamaica all need investments from richer countries such as the United States, Germany and France in order to have better, higher living standards. To increase living standards, rich countries provide jobs for the unemployed and in return, these rich countries ask for their services. Without assistance from richer countries, these countries would lag behind and cause a gap in diverging living standards, GDP, and social reforms. The increasing demand for products increases the countries productivity and wealth. Also, consumption gives everyone an incentive to strive to do their best using their special abilities. If the act of consuming had never suggested, students would not be in school, doctors would not save people and engineers would not try their best to create innovative technology for the people. Consumption is not only a form of incentive, but also brings people around the world together.

Putting the money perspective aside, consumption also helps initial revolutions and reforms. Because of an increasing consumption of products, employers hired women and children to work starting in the 1900's. These women exchanged their thoughts and launched a series of protests advocating women's rights. Also, due to increasing consumption and prices, families decreased their familial size in order to reduce the burden of high price of goods and services. Women asked for a more effective way to prevent pregnancy and that caused the invention of birth control. Birth control revolutionized and redefined women's rights. Aside from women's rights, children also earned their rights to get proper education from schools nationwide. Without an idea called consumption, children would not have received any basic education and women would not have earned the rights they deserve.

Consumption does not destroy societies; it only destroys old, inefficient ideology which cause backwardness in some nations. Consumption is not as bad as most people see; it is only one of the methods to improve societies for our future generations.

1.3 My Chaotic Week

As crazy as it might sound, I have called the police, went to court, had a huge argument and a life threatening experience this week. This week is definitely far more dramatic than any television series I have ever watched in my entire life. How interesting, how dramatic? Well, let me rewind my memory to last Tuesday, and let you be the judge.

I am living with a girl who was my neighbor last year. Since she was the first person I met when I was a freshmen, she and I had a close bond between each other. And because of this bond, she and I had decided to leave together when the annual housing question arose last year. In the recent months, her boyfriend and her have been harassing me because of a couple of misconceptions. I ignored them because I didn't want to start arguments. However, about ten days ago, she suggested to me that she would be moving in with her boyfriend in the coming academic year. Moreover, she commanded me to look for someone to replace her in the lease because she believes that it is my responsibility to find someone to take her place. Out of anguish, she and I had a little confrontation on Tuesday night. That confrontation got out of hand and her boyfriend came into the apartment and harassed me verbally and physically. Fearing about his next move, I called the police. The police told me to file a restraining order against my roommate's boyfriend and tell the apartment manager. So there I was, on Wednesday afternoon, at the apartment manager's office the next day telling her my situation. The manager, probably fearing a possible lawsuit against the owner of the apartments, called my roommate and threatened her with a possible joint lawsuit (the owner of my apartment and me) against her. And then on Thursday, I went to the Woodland Court House to file a restraining order against my roommate's boyfriend. I waited for the entire day for my restraining order but the judge could not make a decision on the same day. So here I am, complaining about my chaotic week and waiting for a restraining order.

Although this week seems more dramatic than a Spanish soap opera, I have learned a couple valuable lessons. First, never confront to a roommate who has a uncontrollable boyfriend. Second, always call the police when a confrontation goes out of control. Third, never spend the entire day waiting for a restraining order because it takes two days. And lastly, always wipe out all misconceptions because they turn into hatred. For me, it was a valuable lesson learned and I hope you will learn a lesson or two from my chaotic week.

1.2 Revolution and Reform

“...Revolutionaries Wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?” – “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay

Throughout history, societies deconstruct and form new revolutions and reforms. Because of advance technology and increasing knowledge, more and more people demand more dramatic changes to perfect their societies in recent centuries. I think revolutions and reforms are not only limited to the political aspect, but also to the gender, race, technology, economical and educational aspects. As student with an Economics major, as well as a feminist, I believe Economics and individual rights, as well as politics, are the fundamental foundation for a better society. Changing only one factor of the fundamental foundation will not change our society; instead, changing one factor might conclude in a negative effect. Now, let’s decode the real meaning of revolutions and reforms.

I think the top reason why societies change is because of money. As a economics major, money explains human behavior and ideology which affect their point on other issues. To explain this a little better, let's use women for example. Women were not earn money for the family before the 20th century. Because of the raising demand of cheap goods and labor, and higher living standards, women were forced to work in factories to relieve the burden of the families. With increasing amount of women working together, thoughts and ideas were exchanged. With these new ideas, women turn these ideas into voices and demanded equal rights. Because of a simple theory of supply and demand, it has formed a foundation for revolution and reforms. As a proud supporter of women's rights, I majored in economics because I believe money is the root of revolution and reforms.

As a child, I grew up in a home where domestic violence was very visible. Both my mother and myself were the innocent victims of such unspeakable crime. My friend is experiencing domestic violence from her boyfriend and I have started thinking about the importance of feminism. Without the first feminists, such as Mary Wollstonecraft, to launch peaceful protests against men, I, along with many other women, could not be here and receive a better education to expand my mind. Thanks to feminism, I am here trying my best in school to honor the activists, who had fought hard for women ’s rights, respect those who believe in me now, and prepare for another battle for the women of the future. Today, women have a chance to change the society; all women can make a difference. Past activists set up the stage for today's women to perform our best to prove our ability, and I am willing to perform my best to help set another stage so that the future women can prove their strength.

In Keywords, deconstruction is a "strategy of complication", perhaps because deconstruction is a method of decoding issues we face, and we understand the issue at hand, we call for reforms and revolution to lead our society a better tomorrow. And since, as history has shown, reforms and revolutions are a method of solving a series of complicated issues, deconstruction is a strategy of complication.

1.1 Book Hunting

As I was walking to the Bookstore, I was thinking, "I hope this class will not turn out to be as bad as the other writing classes I have had before..." Then the memories of my previous writing classes appeared in my mind. I shook my head, and said, "Oh god, I don't want to write!" I entered the Bookstore and walked down the stairs. From the stairs, I saw people walking into people, talking on their cell phones, copying ISBN numbers, etc. There was only one word to describe the situation- chaos. I, unwillingly, walked toward to the banner which says, " UWP". The shelf was empty. Then I said to myself, " That is not a good sign." I took a few steps back and looked for another "UWP" banner. I didn't see one, so I took a few steps to the right, and there, I found some UWP books. There, I saw many " ______ Guide's to Writing" books and some novels like Into The Wild. Suddenly, I realized I was smiling, maybe because I don't have to do many formal writings in this class, or maybe because I hate stupid writing guides and novels. Either way, I thought, " I guess this class is really different, well, it better be different. I'm not gonna have a life if it isn't." I grabbed a copy of Keywords and paid. Outside of the cashier counter, I saw a good friend of mine whom I haven't seen in month. We chatted and left, and I thought, "Today's a good day, maybe this is a good sign."