Debate: Capitalism vs. Communism

INTRODUCTION
Capitalism and Communism are two opposing systems which offer alternative ideologies. The question as to which is best has been considered and debated for a considerable length of time. Famously – the United States of America is a capitalist country, while Russia is the example of the most well-known communist nation. In this article, the advantages of both will be put forward.

Cap-Comm

DEFINITIONS
Communism is defined as “a system of social organization in which all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs”. Capitalism on the other hand is “an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.”

FOR COMMUNISM:
Equality is always an important issue, and communism promotes this. Everyone is treated the same way, regardless of their job or status. The fortunes of China are the perfect example of how communism can succeed. China has grown exponentially to the point where it is one of the world’s biggest superpowers. With China thriving, this in part can be attributed to the stability of the country, helped by the communism system. Communism allows access to health care and education, making them easily accessible. No monopolies can form, which protects the majority. The nature of communism also means that there is low unemployment rates. While Scandinavian countries follow a ‘Nordic model’, many areas of this model are in line with communist values. Again, Scandinavian countries are an excellent example of forward-thinking nations. Furthermore, they frequently score highly in peace indexes. These points posit an argument which shows communism has many strong points to it.

FOR CAPITALISM:
On the other side of the argument, there are several positives of capitalism. Capitalism promotes the ‘free market’. Anyone can succeed, with hard work usually resulting in success – which only seems fair. Freedom and independence are two buzzwords commonly aligned with capitalism. USA’s Statue of Liberty is the perfect symbol of this. By having freedom, anyone can build a business, which boosts economic growth – in turn improving living conditions for both the rich and the poor. Moreover, capitalism is dominant in the majority of developed countries, with Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom just some examples of those who follow this system. Freedom is an integral part of capitalism – and is surely one of the most important human rights in existence. This together shows how capitalism too can work.

DEBATE:
Yet despite the advantages outlined above, there are disadvantages to both systems. It could be suggested that communism is good in theory, but poor in practice. A common criticism of communism is that the ruler leads with ‘an iron fist’. This sometimes amounts to a dictatorship. Yet those who try and fight this often become the opposite of communism while fighting – using capitalist ideologies. It could also be suggested that the nature of communism destroys motivation and the work ethic of people. There is a lack of personal growth, with little chance of progression. Poverty too is something that is near-inherent with communism. Of course capitalism has been criticized too. Its focus on profit could easily be interpreted as greed – which isn’t a desirable trait. The very nature of capitalism also needs constant-consumption  – it is arguable that this isn’t sustainable. Again, the fortunes of China in recent times suggest capitalism isn’t always the way forward.

CONCLUSION:
It is a question that will surely never be answered definitively. It is a debate which will rage on for some time. And as it common on the ‘debates’ section of this blog, it is open to interpretation. And each different person reading this will have a different idea of what the correct answer is. As outlined, there are certainly merits to both methods. I will leave the debate with this scenario: If you were in charge of a start-up into artificial intelligence and there were two methods of achieving your goals, which method would you follow? The method that the majority use, or the method used by the minority? Thanks for reading.

(‘088’)
/MF/

Recent Pain: Lessons on Assisted Suicide

Recently I have been in severe pain through toothache. It is strange, whenever I used to hear of people complaining of toothache, I used to shrug the issue off, thinking – how can they complain about such a trivial thing?! And yet now, I can honestly say this is the most pain I have ever been in, and I cannot wait for what I hope is going to be a quick recovery!

toothache

At first I believed this was just going to be a brief overnight issue. A dose of paracetamol I believed would see me through the night, then to wake up back to normal. However the pain got progressively worse. It is at the stage now where I have been prescribed ‘Dihydrocodeine’ – a painkiller for moderate to severe pain. This painkiller certainly helps – I need it as I wait for a procedure to be done.

However in these bed-ridden days, the experience has led to me thinking a lot about the notion of pain. It got me thinking about the topic of assisted suicide – a delicate topic at the best of times. This is the idea that some people are in such pain, that the only feasible option for them is to be relieved of their pain. And thus, said people are able to be put out of pain, and pass away with dignity and on their own terms.

Several times in the last few days, I have felt to myself that the pain is so great that I really would do just about anything to get rid of the pain. It made me realize how some people, including those who support assisted suicide, can believe in such a position. As a Christian, I have always believed that all life is a gift from God and therefore should be cherished, regardless of situation.

Yet in the last few days, I have understood more about pain. I can only feel sorry for those in constant pain. Normally I would say I can’t imagine their pain – but after the last few days, I now have some idea of this. But I can’t imagine having to constantly deal with the pain. Assisted suicide is a topic sure to continue to be discussed in forthcoming times, but one that will surely always edge towards not allowing it.

I understand more about pain after this last week. I hope that a quick recovery is on the way when my procedure eventually takes place. As for assisted suicide, as mentioned, it is going to be a topic that will continue to attract heated debate. It is a very difficult topic to discuss and reach a conclusion too. But when someone is in a terminal position, or has long-term pain, it can be very difficult to carry on. Perhaps one day there will be a solution to this ongoing issue.

(‘084’)
/MF/

Sony Xperia E5: Review

INTRODUCTION
After the popularity of my last phone review, I have looked in-depth at my latest handset – the Sony Xperia E5. After two years with the trusty EE Kestrel, I finally upgraded to a new model – and overall, I am very pleased. There is intense competition in the £130-200 range when it comes to smartphones. However, for around £140, the Sony Xperia E5 is good value.

sony-xperia-e5r

KEY FEATURES
First of all, this is of course part of the Sony Xperia range. This is not a brand you would be ashamed of showing off, with in my opinion Sony handsets proving the most attractive Android phones on the market. While the E5 is the budget version in the Xperia range, on appearance, it is difficult to distinguish from its parent models. The camera, as you would expect, is impressive. The rear camera is 13MP, with the front camera offering 5MP resolution. There is 16GB internal storage, which can be supplemented with the use of an SD card. With 1.5GB in RAM, there isn’t much waiting around, the processor is very quick and offers a strong user interface. The Android system runs seamlessly on the phone.

INTERFACE
The E5 follows the interface of the Xperia model. The Android operating system runs, meaning Google runs prominently. The phone can be synchronised with your Google account, which is useful. The Google Play store offers many applications to run. There is easy access to key areas of the phone, with the homescreen editable to make it personal. Following the rest of the Xperia range, it has a fantastic, easy-to-use interface.

INTERNET BROWSING
Since upgrading to the E5, this was certainly one of the areas that I have noticed the biggest improvement in. Internet browsing is both quick and easy. Google Chrome is built in, while there is also a native browser. 4G is enabled, meaning loading times are typically quick. This is definitely one of the key areas of the E5.

COMPETITORS
In many E5 reviews, it is suggested that just for a few pounds extra, you can get the Motorola Moto G. While this is commonly seen as the market leader for the budget smartphone range, there are some drawbacks. Following the iPhone, the Moto G continues to get bigger, and while the E5 is large, it doesn’t get out of control. By all means the Moto G appears to be an impressive phone, but I would take an Xperia over it any day. There are also a range of cheap smartphones coming over from China and Japan. These are both impressive and offer good value. These are likely to come to the fore more in forthcoming years. Of course, Lumia’s, the ever-improving Wileyfox and Huawei offer further choice. Then there is the EE Harrier – the natural successor to the EE Kestrel.

DRAWBACKS
You get a lot for your money, there is no doubt about that. Perhaps the one area that could’ve been improved was battery life. Battery life was supposedly one of the strong points of the phone, however I have found that the battery isn’t too impressive. And while 16GB storage is ample, some phones at this price range offer 32GB – double. Aside from these two concerns, it is a very good choice.

CONCLUSION
Overall, this is a very good phone. The Sony Xperia range is an impressive one, and is highly fashionable too. It is a highly competitive market that this phone is in, but it is a sound choice. A stylish, powerful phone with a strong interface – this is a very good option to take. I hope you’ve found this review helpful.

Rating – 4.5/5

(‘082’)
/MF/

Social Networks: Fall of Bebo

As Facebook continues to go from strength-to-strength, it is easy to forget just a few years ago, that Facebook wasn’t the biggest social network in the world, a site named “Bebo” was. But fast-forward to the present day and Facebook is in control, while Bebo have suffered a tremendous fall from grace. But after their market position just a few years ago, many would question how such a fall can take place.

bebo

Bebo was founded in 2005 by husband-and-wife team Michel and Xochi Birch. Like Facebook, it was a social networking site, offering users the chance to connect with one another, view content and generally interact. At the height of its popularity, with almost 11m users, Bebo overtook Myspace to become the most-used social networking website in the United Kingdom. Content included blogs, photographs, videos and questionnaires. Many elements were more customisable than Facebook.

Things were going well. The popularity of Bebo led to conglomerate AOL purchasing the company for a mammoth $850m in 2008. On paper, AOL now had a behemoth of social media that could help their brand secure further profit. However the deal would turn out to be a nightmare, with the-then CEO of AOL Randy Falco losing his job in the aftermath. With rival sites Facebook and Twitter prospering, it led to the numbers dwindling. What was once a hugely-popular website had become a rarely-used network. It simply couldn’t keep up with the advances of other social media sites. Facebook particularly have been proven to be a highly-innovative company, which didn’t help Bebo.

The site would evolve and make changes, staying online for a few years to follow. After a three-day outage in 2012, it appeared Bebo was gone. The hashtag ‘Bebo memories’ trended on Twitter – showing it is a website with considerable nostalgia to it for many. While the site would return, in 2013 Bebo filed for bankruptcy. This led to the original founders purchasing the site for $1m, just $849m less than they sold it for – not bad business!

While Facebook is prospering – it shouldn’t be forgotten that things can change in the blink of an eye. In 2008, AOL would have never imagined what a horror would become of the brand. Bebo has transformed and is still trying to battle back – but it is highly unlikely it will ever be able to restore itself to its old glory. What was once an enormously popular social network has suffered a dramatic fall from grace. It’s a shame what happened to the website, but it is more proof that nothing is forever.

(‘081’)
/MF/

Intel: How their Free Merchandise reflects the Technology of today

Today, as part of my University course, I attended a company fair, with the aim of finding out about possible internships and graduate jobs. There were a number of highly-reputable and famous companies being represented – Microsoft, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Santander among others. Perhaps one of the most famous was Intel. Intel don’t have the same drawing-power as Microsoft, yet still, like Microsoft, play an integral part in computing, particularly spearheading several technological advances we have seen in recent times.

Intel

So it was at this fair where Intel gave each interested student a bag, inside of which was mostly information based on placements, internships and graduation jobs. But also it included several “freebies”, which included several items of high value. Included was the Intel “Power Bank’ – a device which allows portable charging without the use of electricity. This is a device which is sure to grow in popularity in the coming months thanks to the incredibly saturated smart-phone market. Next was some headphones. Rather underwhelming yes, but they were packed in a very nice Intel box, plus my other ones had recently stopped working, meaning this was a real blessing!

There was one other device that came free, the one that led me to write this blog post. It was a 4GB memory stick. I was surprised to see this included in the free merchandise. However, the more I thought about it, the less surprised I was, with the use of memory stick’s rapidly declining in the past few years thanks to the advancement in online and cloud storage. So this made me think about how much technology has changed in the past few years, with the memory stick the perfect example of this.

Ten years ago, the memory stick was heavily-used by millions of people. It was the “must-have” gadget, something that would allow you to move any file from computer to computer, without the use of the Internet. Replacing the less-fashionable “floppy disks”, memory sticks became crucial to own. For many years they remained prominent, with even to this day incredibly 500gb memory sticks available.

But in this moment, memory sticks aren’t anywhere near used as much as they were previously. Thanks to the advancement in online and cloud storage, there is little need for a memory stick. The OneDrive by Microsoft is an example of the replacements for the memory stick. The OneDrive is an incredible program, offering any user the chance to access their documents all around the world, of course provided the computer is capable of running the Internet. Apple also has a well-renowned cloud storage system, with many companies now offering it.

The switch from the memory stick to online storage sums up how technology has changed. Although I will use the memory stick, many of my fellow students won’t even think of using them. But it is testament to how much technology has advanced in such a short space of time, there is no telling what the new trends will be in ten years time in relation to online storage. It is certainly an exciting time to be alive in terms of technological advancements.

Intel are sure to be at the fore-front of technology in the coming years. Their free merchandise is highly generous, after some research into them, it seems that Intel is a very harmonious place to work, I intend to enjoy their free merchandise. In relation to the title of this post, the memory stick obviously doesn’t sell so well at the moment, allowing Intel to use it as one of their “freebies”, without losing much potential revenue. In the coming times, there is no telling what will happen next, but thanks to the brave souls at Intel, along with the highly-creative minds in other technological firms, we can be sure great advancements will take place!

/MF/
(‘061’)

Thanks for reading this post! Feel free to follow this blog for more! Intel provide a wide array of products, their website is http://www.intel.com – this provides information on their latest products and developments.

Calais Migrants Crisis: Analysis

An on-going issue currently is the Calais migrant crisis affecting not only France and England, but also the wider realms of Europe – who have to deal with the knock-on effects. For the past few days, several thousand migrants have been attempting to pass through the Eurotunnel, with the aim of making it to the United Kingdom – where an attractive benefits scheme for the migrants lies in wait.

PC: Wikipedia
PC: Wikipedia

After talking to several others about the situation, it is near-shocking now negatively the migrants are being seen. It is arguable this is because how they have been portrayed in the media. I had the misfortune of hearing one person’s view at my workplace, a customer suggested the Police should “shoot them all.” But of course that would never happen thankfully, and never work, after all, Europe is a highly civilised continent, with integrity at the heart of their values. We hear so many grizzly stories about events in Syria and Iraq, and yet it is people trying to flee these war zones that are the migrants. It isn’t just Iraqi’s and Syrian’s, people from the likes of Libya and Somalia are doing the same.

We in the United Kingdom are so fortunate to live where we do. These migrants risk their lives to make it to the UK. What is most important to remember is – they are humans too. I am sure any of us British people would attempt to do the same thing if the crisis was the other way round, and the UK was in disarray with other nations safer. One person even died in the chaos, going to show how dangerous it is for the migrants once they reach Europe, let alone the travails they go through to get here in the first place.

However there is no avoiding the chaos that has come as a consequence to the migrants crisis. It is understandable the resentment towards them for the closures of the channel tunnel at times, and the mass queues on British motorways. But in response to this, the same idea is prevalent – they are human and deserve better. Hopefully attitudes towards them will change in the coming times, all it takes is a bit of consideration of what they have been through to get to where they are today.

It is just so difficult to imagine the pain they have been through – and how happy, and relieved they must be, to have made it to Europe. The pictures I have seen have painted the story that the migrants are tired and struggling, but that their faith has never dwindled and that they continue to hold belief that they can make it to their intended destination. They seem relieved to be surrounded by the French Police in that they feel safe – something I am sure they haven’t been able to feel for some times – after all, that is what we all yearn to feel – safe.

Overall, the migrant crisis is a very difficult situation to analyse, with no real true solution. Of course, there simply isn’t the space for all of the migrants to be housed in Europe, though it would be totally inhumane to send them back to where they came from, as hurt and pain, perhaps even death, is all that they would go back to. But hopefully a strong solution will result from this crisis. We shall have to wait and see, but I hope safety awaits the migrants, regardless of what is decided for them.

/MF/
(‘058’)

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, more to come soon, thanks for reading!

The Bill: Underappreciated?

Police-procedural “The Bill” finished in 2010 after a mammoth 2400 episodes. Running for more than twenty years, the series handed acting debuts to many well-known actors and provided some of the most memorable hours in TV history. While some TV programs are celebrated and near-immortalised years after they finish, the same can’t be said for The Bill. So is it fair to suggest that the program should be shown more appreciation?

PC: Digital Spy
PC: Digital Spy

The Bill first aired in 1986 as “Woodentop”. In the forthcoming years, the show would take place normally on either one, two or three occasions a week, developing a cult following in the process. The Bill was the longest-running police procedural television series in the United Kingdom. The Bill would usually follow the format of Policemen solving crimes in an hour, with credit certainly due to the writers for how they kept the program fresh. In and around the 2002-2003 age of the show, the show switched to a more-soap like format.

The show wasn’t afraid to go to branch out where other dramas wouldn’t go. The personal lives of the characters was heavily explored, with storylines including a homosexual relationship and attitudes towards ethnic minorities, especially the conflict it could potentially cause within the Metropolitan Police. There was also a major overhaul in 2009 which led to more “gritty” storylines, which included the show moving past the 9pm “Watershed” time – allowing more graphic scenes, and perhaps, more realism.

Eventually, in 2010 the show was cancelled by network ITV. The final episode was aired on 31 August 2010, with a high amount of viewers tuning in to see the climax of the show. The show dedicated its finale “Respect” to the “men and women of the Metropolitan Police Service past and present.” The show, throughout its broadcast, catered to an International audience – showing the impact of it.

The Bill was incredibly well-known and became a part of the UK Culture. Without doubt its impact cant be understated, with several successful acting careers being launched because of the show, while many have memories of the time spent watching the show with family and friends – it is highly the vast majority of those who have lived in the UK since the late 1980s have watched the program. There are countless memorable storylines that came from the show – ones that have even been used as inspiration for other programs of a similar nature – but nothing quite compares to The Bill.

Therefore, it could be argued that the show is vastly underappreciated and deserves more recognition. The problem was, that due to the sheer volume of episodes being churned out, that there was so little time to stop and appreciate what a great program it was. However, now that the show has finished, especially five years on, it is certainly easy to appreciate what a good program it was.

/MF/
(‘056’)

University Year One: Reviewing the Experience

I have been busy recently completing my exams for the first year of University. Since completing them, I have enjoyed time to rest and re-charge the batteries! As I prepare to leave the University for the best part of three months – it is time for me to reflect on what has been a very interesting year – where I have learned a lot, met new friends and developed skills which should help me as I progress through life.

uniy1

My first thoughts are just how quick time has gone. I still remember nine months ago leaving home for the first time. I remember being incredibly nervous, but excited at the same time. Saying farewell to my family was a difficult experience, albeit only for three months. And yet, now, after the great experiences I have shared with my flatmates and friends, it was just as hard saying farewell to them for the Summer break – they have become like family. I remember being overwhelmed by the whole experience in the first few days – but in time I adjusted and ended up having a memorable time – I like to think that I made good use of my time.

In terms of the academic side of University – which is of course the most important part – there was certainly a step-up from previous studies. However, focusing on a certain subject, compared to three or four, was very appealing and allowed me to hone my skills. I adjusted well though to the changes, what made me proud were the stories I heard of students at my former school “dropping-out” of University after a few weeks. I always felt eventually the true strength of character of people would be shown in a testing time like this one. I also learned a lot about teamwork – I am not a fan of teamwork at all and prefer to work alone, but having to rely on others should help me in the future as I prepare in a few years to move into the workplace!

I would suggest perhaps what is best about University is the amount of different and exciting people you meet. There are a huge amount of cultures that convene upon one area, the amount you learn in enthralling. I am lucky to be part of a University with an enormous – 300 acre plus campus – when taking a walk around the campus it is hard not to admire the view – young people with bright futures sitting together, laughing – overall having a good time. Education is a wonderful thing – despite the huge costs involved, it is certainly well worth it.

My only real regret is that I perhaps didn’t push myself enough at the beginning of the year. As I mentioned before – I was struggling to come to terms with the mass change involved. But while others embraced the change, I almost hid in a shell, and started thinking too much! I believe the image below is something I should have embraced, but others in a similar position can use to their advantage!

uniy12

Overall, it was a difficult choice to decide whether to go to University this year or the 2015/16 year, but I am delighted with the choice of going this year. I would certainly recommend it to anyone – it is a character-building exercise more than anything. I am fortunate to have made new friends here – hopefully friends for life, while I am also blessed to have the supportive family I do. Furthermore to also have the loyal followers and viewers of my blog – to give me the platform to express my views. In conclusion, it has been a very good year, I look forward to the summer now, before it all starts again in mid-September, where I hope for another successful year!

/MF/
(‘055’)

Debate: Is USA the Greatest Country in the World?

“When USA sneezes, the world catches a cold.” That famous quote which has been repeated over the years is still relevant to this day. When ascertaining what the greatest country in the world is, many different factors have to be taken into account. While there is no definite answer to this question, there is no doubting how powerful USA are, and that they are great.

usagreat

While there can be no doubting the fact USA is a global super-power, it appears in recent times that the country has been in somewhat of a decline. Broadcast network HBO’s series “The Newsroom” managed to make the real-life news thanks to a scene where a character tells a young woman through the use of statistics and well-constructed arguments, that despite her beliefs, that USA isn’t actually the greatest country in the world.

The conclusion from the scene sees the character say “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” The people of USA, at least from a British perspective, are renowned for being hugely patriotic and proud of their nation. But it appears that perhaps the people of USA are starting to think otherwise, and aren’t as patriotic as they appear.

If you think about what “great” entails, freedom and democracy would be at the forefront of any list. The idea of the “American Dream” truly is great, and is thought of fondly by British people as a fresh start. The famous Statue of Liberty also has connotations of freedom, while USA has a very successful democracy, allowing everyone within the country to have a voice. Finally, USA appears to be a very fair country, where the citizens are free to live life in their own way.

Criticisms of USA, and those who would oppose that USA is the greatest country, have many statistics and theories to provide substance to their argument. The arrival of Obamacare could be attributed to many alarming statistics based on health, while the lifestyle, healthcare and education system as well have all been questioned on numerous occasions.

Back to the pro-USA argument, it could then be argued as to why successful education countries such as China send an influx of students to USA for their education. Some of the greatest and most innovatory businesses in history, such as Microsoft and Amazon, have been founded by American’s – and who can question the impact Google has had – again, an American creation, as well as the social media giants of Facebook and Twitter.

On balance, it is hard to question the power USA has, and the positive impact the country and its people have had on society, and overall, the world. Although perhaps there is not as much patriotic behaviour as there once was, the people of America seemingly have a lot to be proud of. Overall, it appears, that there could well be a very strong argument to suggest that USA is indeed the greatest country – without doubt they have had a hugely influential impact on the lives we all lead.

/MF/
(‘054’)

This post was written as Millicent Faith approaches 1000 views from USA, thanks for the support, and all the best.