Pitfalls of the End Game

When was the last time you thought that you were going to change the world? When was the last time that you concisely questioned each and every day to day action that you blindly subject yourself to? 

Our lives are becoming more and more delineated. As we crawl, no not run, crawl, into the future, is anyone ready to ask the question of how new technology today is radically changing tomorrow? Cell phones and the internet have fostered new avenues of communication and inteconnectiveness, but at the same time both have vastly debilitating many archaic human characteristics. People are no longer living simply in the present, rather they are jumping between different virtual realities, in and out of the real and the virtual. Soon, our generation is going to be so numb to basic human emotions that natural selection will be weeded out. Rather, certain influential humans are going to mold the world society and force humans to conform. This has been the fear of many creative people throughout history, unfortunately I think that the time is upon us when it may in fact be true. 

If we do not stop to analyze and understand how certain facets of our life are changing us, then mankind is already a slave to technology. Just as it was in the past, the future always appears to be a straight road ahead, but in actuality it is not a road but a river. It is going to meander and follow a path of least resistance. Unfortunately, the path of least resistance sometimes leads to a waterfall that has no expected outcome.

Is it really that difficult to imagine a future devoid of technology? I mean we made it, we can just as easily get rid of it. While that is not plausible, it is helpful when you want to think of a new future. Think of new avenues that do not exist that will improve our likelihood of survival, because in the end thats all any species hopes to do. The basis of life is the will to survive. 

Now, it may be appropriate to ask yourself if you do in fact hope to change the world. Do you really want to be famous, to be immortal and buried in history? Personally, I believe that there is little glamour in fame. Who really cares if other humans like you? Yes you have power, but aren't lives best moments when you are utterly powerless? You can't control love, conception, friendship. And even if you could, would not that be the saddest day of your life?

Selflessness or selfishness? It's one or the other, your either here for them or your here for you. Which one is it going to be? Let's hope that it is a little of both, because what's best for you should be what's best for humanity. 

UCLA Budget Issue

Californian's again failed to produce any progress in terms of balancing the government budget by rejecting all of last weeks special election propositions. This leaves UCLA with a massive budget shortage that needs to be addressed. UCLA has seen diminished state funding ever since the bill was passed that made students actually pay fees to attend the university. Thats right, there once was a time when students attending UCLA for free. So, how can we fix this problem?

The obvious answer is to make all of our alumni pay the university back. Honestly. Graduates from UCLA do not donate any where near the funds that alumni of private universities generously shell out for there alma-mater. That is why I am presenting the Bruin Initiative Fund.

The Bruin Initiative Fund is a possible drive that will promote sustained alumni giving far into the future.  The basis of the fund is simple and it starts with enlightening our alumni at the dire consequences that the university is facing. Then, the University will ask alumni to each donate a nominal amount, lets say 250 dollars. Now if we consider that UCLA graduates around 8000 students each year, over the past 50 years, then the fund would generate an annual income 100 million dollars. I know that is idealistic at best, but the numbers are there and many of our alumni could afford to give the school 250. You drive a mercedes, give us some cash. 

Not only would the fund raise money that the university desperately needs, it will also foster a sense of accountability and social responsibility to an institution that will lead America, and the world, into tomorrow. Not only that, it will help foster a sense of community that will improve alumni relations and remind alumni of just how fantastic their four years in westwood were. 

Prop 8 Marriage Ban Upheld

Today the sad news that Proposition 8 has been upheld reached California citizens. The courts ruling is a clear affirmation that California's are still content with the status quo. 

I am a little confused on the specifics, but from my understanding same sex couples can still enjoy the protection of the state and benefits of a married couple. If that is true, then the fight against prop 8 is pointless. A marriage certificate becomes irrelevant because it means nothing more than your acceptance into an archaic practice of human society. However, I imagine that is not the case, there must be certain benefits that gays still do not enjoy. 

Gay marriage is an irrelevant issue for us right now. Let them get married, they are no different than a man and wife. The religious ideologies that still permeate american politics is alarming, there is no reasonable argument against gay marriage. Pass the law and get on to bigger problems that directly relate to our future quality of life. 

Wether or nor god is real is irrelevant. The simple fact is that humans created religion, humans created language and thus they created religion. If religion gives you hope fantastic, but your religious views should not influence or try to influence the civil rights that other human beings innately deserve. 

Education Reform

If it has not become abundantly clear, America is in need of serious eduction reform. We are falling behind in all of the basic indicators of intellectual growth as the world around us continues to innovate and excel. This disparity is in direct conflict with the constitution of America, All Men should be created equal. As our education system becomes more and more lopsided in favor of the existing elite, it is becoming harder for the average individual to obtain an education that will allow him or her to compete in the global marketplace. So, how do we fix this problem?

First, we need to debilitate the teachers union and force education to become a player in the capitalist market that we so staunchly defend. Millions of dollars are wasted every year protecting old teachers rights of employment with zero accountability. Look at what happened when the finance sector was allowed to operate without accountability, collapse. When teachers are forced to be competitive in their job market, like any other employee, the education system will become immensely more productive and beneficial. However, the teachers union is a strong institution and it's defeat will not be easy, yet it is pivotal to the future of America. 

Second, we should address the issue of college loans and financing higher education in general. This may sound terribly socialist, but the government should pay for higher education. All American universities should be free of charge to American citizens. I know this is a radical claim, but think about the benefits. Not only will college admission become more transparent, but the institutions themselves will become stronger because no possible geniuses will go without education, thus bettering the human race. Not only that, the American economy will not inherent debt ridden graduates who are forced to work a remedial job just to honor those loans. Entrepreneurship would flourish as new ideas would become viable business models that could grow into healthy companies that would generate revenue. Simply put, it is easier to pay for college when you are 40 rather than 20. ( I know thats what loans do, but loans put unnecessary pressure on students too early that limits their creativity). 

Third, we need to start teaching evolution. Political drama needs to be removed from the classroom. When a student realizes and understands, at an early age, that we are an evolving species, then they will have a paradigm set that we need to be continually innovating. The past is important, but the future is not the past so we must build on those ideas to foster a new tomorrow devoid of current problems and ready to address the problems of the future. 

Fourth, we need to start teaching children how to learn and subsequently how to teach. If a child can learn how to learn at a young age, then, in theory, they will be much more likely to understand new concepts. Then, once they know those concepts, they need to know how to quickly teach those concepts to another person so that our collective knowledge base increases. Look through history, the higher the collective knowledge base, the better off we are. 

Fifth, we need to start teaching students how to live better lifestyles. The lifestyle of yesterday is not beneficial for the lifestyle of today, students need to understand nutrition and exercise so that we can kill the advent of obesity related disease. 

Finally, we need to instill hope into the classroom. Hope that tomorrow will be better than today, hope that our species will survive long past our short period on this planet. Without hope, we become lazy and content with the status quo. The world will never be perfect, lets instill an attitude in the classroom that we can make this world better. We are powerful beyond measure.