Sara Inoue

     After watching yesterday's documentary, I realized how much the knowledge I gained from previous terms, had affected the way I viewed the documentary. For example, snippets of news reports were included when giving evidence of media manipulation. Before taking Mr. Paterson’s lessons, I would have conceived every information as trustworthy. Not only did I see the media as a platform to rely on facts, I was completely unaware of the fact that there was also deceitful information. Before the internet, people were informed through newspapers and radios; which were owned by rich people who had the money to buy the radio and news companies. Due to this, wealthy people were able to control the media and the information put out to the audience. Net Neutrality is the idea that internet service providers, must treat all internet communication equally, allowing individuals to put out information freely. We looked at websites such as Indymedia, information clearinghouse, and fai...

     "War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death" is a documentary about the manipulation of the US government and their view towards war. Norman Soloman, the author of the book and creator of the film attempted to expose how the American government was controlling the audience through media. Officials have explained and justified operations to the American people, by withholding crucial information about the actual reasons and potential costs of military action. Their purpose was not to inform but to generate and maintain support for the war.      Throughout the documentary,  every president has claimed that they are against wars and desire peace, even while ordering military action. The contradiction between their statements and actions is obvious; however, people like George W Bush have gained enough trust and credit to have a great impact on the audience. I was shocked to see the political news filled with lies, deception...

     Not many people know how GAP is one of the most detrimental sweatshops. Their manual workers are employed at very low wages, with poor environment, and most importantly they are children. Protestors would go up to GAP stores and demonstrate until they became more creative and started to approach from different ways. People would go up to cashier counters as "customers" and ask questions like "were these made by children?" and by continuously doing so, they were able to keep the cash corner out of business for an hour. They were able to do this with only 10 people, and without breaking any laws. Moreover, a group of people also succeeded in passing a law to stop food chains to sell unhealthy products. Although their wish to get rid of already existing chains did not supersede, they were still able to bring about change.      I was astonished to find out about the copyrights once put on neem plants, and basmati rice. Both of them were produced and tradit...

     "The people who decide on war should be the first people who have to go to war." is what Smedley  Butler claimed in his book, War is a Racket.  600 congressmen decided on the Iraq war, yet only one person had a family member who was going to fight for the war. He strongly believes that war would disappear overnight if people who make the decision, go to war instead of the poor. Tanks, ships, and guns are destroyed in wars, and new ones are made by corporations. Furthermore, newspapers have more to report and sales go up for news companies, meaning the money goes up during this time.       I didn't necessarily think these corporations "like" war, but they definitely do benefit from all the ravage. The luxurious lifestyle that politicians had in the clip, made me furious after seeing all the demonstrators struggling. Something I also found interesting was the northern Scottish accent used in a commercial. According to a late 19990s survey,...

     "Virtually every relationship we have is a commercial" caught my attention in the documentary. The borderline between genuine relationships and business/profitable relationships is indeterminate. With the difference in advantages and losses, people will only look at what the outcome is or what benefits them. One example is the weirdly large packaged products we buy online. Even if the product itself is small, the enormous boxes have their brand names written across, promoting their own business. I never paid attention to all the free advertisements we either participate in or involve ourselves without realizing; therefore, it has opened a new perspective on techniques regarding the proliferation of sales/profits.      We discussed whether the patent for biological life is acceptable or not. As our society is maneuvering its way through creating new technology and altering DNAs, it is definitely a topic that needs to be touched upon. Even corporations t...

     Oil corporations intentionally produce less, so the higher demand for oil leads to more profit. This only benefits the corporation and does not make sense for consumers when they are able to get more oil. But learning about the cold war between the US and Iran, and the damages were shocking. The economic sanction from the US towards Iraq was a whole another level, so ludicrous that they were banned to have pencils because they could make bullets out of the lead. this was between 1991-1997, 7 years of sanctions on cooperation with Iran business, ban on all imports.    DU (depleted uranium) was also used by the US during this period, and due to its chemical toxicity, it has caused cancer and killed thousands of Iraqis. The depleted uranium odes into the air and reached millions of people. Inevitable from the appalling decision made by the US, half a million children died because of the sanctions. Iran economically and financially deteriorated and stole thousa...