Throughout the course of this blog, I have learned that there are many injustices in everyday life.  These may have to do with large corporations, governments, or other groups of people, but there is always a way to overcome these hurdles.  In almost all circumstances, it takes a motivated group of people with shared ideals to take a stand, and when this is done there is little that can stand in their way.

The advancement of communication technology has only furthered the efforts of those trying to change things for the better.  Now people struggling half a world away can get information about their troubles to those that would normally never hear of them.  This only brings in more players to the situation, which in all sense will help bring justice more quickly.

With this growth continuing, only more good can come to the greater masses of the world, finally helping those that have been secluded and taken advantage of for far too long.

While learning about how fair trade can help people in other parts of the world, it makes me think if theres something I can do to help people nearby that are being mistreated by some corporation or other.  First I think of how people in other parts of the world are fighting for enough money to live a life without extreme poverty, the when I focus on something closer to home stories often consist of someone looking for a “get rich quick” scheme.

The main point being that it is great people are willing to fight to make their lives better, but there should also be an emphasis on seeing how fortunate some of us are (myself included), and what little steps we can take to help out even if there is no immediate reward.

Throughout this whole semester we have been learning that it takes citizen involvement to make big changes in the world.  Nothing is more evident in current events than the protests taking place against the Beijing Olympics due to actions China has taken with Tibet.  Regardless of the reason for the protests, it is great to see that people separated as far as possible on the planet have strong enough wills to do something for a change they see vital.

These actions also show that common people are able to influence the actions of their country.  Recently it was stated that the U.S. “condemned” China for its violent action taken against peaceful Tibetan protesters.  If people in this country were to not get involved, there would be no reason for government to do so either.

Here is an article discussing more of the Chinese – American disputes:

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1729961,00.html

    While there have been plenty of cases brought against Wal-Mart for discrimination, be it from minorities or other, another distasteful act is that of oppression.  The way this can be seen comes from lower management forcing their workforce to work off the clock.  Obviously refusal to to these tasks could lead to disciplinary action, no matter how immoral it may be.

Some concrete examples of this practice have been shown by a case forcing the corporation to pay, “$50 million to settle a class-action suit that asserted that 69,000 current and former Wal-Mart employees in Colorado had worked off the clock” (NY Times).  Although this problem affects most companies if not all around the world, Wal-Mart seems to be put on center stage since there are those standing up for their rights, and will continue to do so.

Full article:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E7DC163EF936A15755C0A9649C8B63

In any major arguement, there are good points to be made by both sides as to why their view should be the one pushed over the other.  This was seen by examples given showing disputes between Native Americans and other Americans (Tourists or mining companies).  In some of these, a major reason for the disruption was due to economic gain.  This same concept is the reason for so many problems when the name Wal-Mart is brougth up.

It is only for more profit that employees are not given fair opportunites to advance, or competitve benefit packages if any.  In a sane environment, the notion of greed would be trumped by the common sense of not belittling the little guy.

    Recently we have looked at different protests around the world, many in the US, that have used nonviolent protests to get there point across.  Some of these would be people in South America or Detroit finding ways to get the water they need, or the protests to the WTO all over the globe.  Now in the news there has been word of a different type of protesting taking place.

The protests that are being talked about are those taking place in Tibet.  The activists have begun using violent tactics to get their point across, which is their distaste for Chinese rule in the area.  The article listed below states that ten people were burned to death in the protests, but does not state who or why.  This just shows that people are willing to do anything imaginable to get a point across that they feel so passionately about.

Article:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-03-14-china-tibet_N.htm

    With the class continuing to focus on certain groups of people that have stood up for their rights in society, it is easy to see that companies like Wal-Mart have their own groups standing up against them.  The most easily seen may be the group of women fighting for equal employment rights against the company.  This groups is making it known that they will do what it takes to be granted the same rights to advancement and pay as any other employee.

So far these employees have brought a class action suit against their employer, seeking a reformatted way that they are treated.  Also, there is an argument to retrieve lost pay, but how much exactly has not been stated.  A win here for the group seems inevitable, as we have seen other protesting groups in this country are able to make changes once their momentum gets going.

Some more facts and the full story here…

http://www.walmartclass.com/public_home.html

    While currently looking at the protesting for Corporate spending and protesting that accomplished so much for the Civil Rights, it seems this practices is often the only way to get the desired results.  Protesters in Seattle made it clear that Corporations are not the ones that make the world run, but the people in these corporations.  Sit-ins during the Civil Rights let it be known that people were not going to obey absurd laws, just because one group of people thinks they are better than another with no logical reasoning.

These protests are present in every aspect of modern day life, and should be.  Most recently there was the writer’s strike in the United States that lasted three months.  Their refusal to do work proved that they are a vital part of a dominant industry, and needed their demands to be met.  It seems to be a matter of time before workers in unfair conditions rise up and demand they be listened to.

This is just one video put together about Corporate problems among us.

After discussions in class and readings in the book “Fences and Windows” this week, it becomes clear that the personal demand for wealth is the primary factor that drives groups of people apart.  In the most extreme sense, companies look for the cheapest work in other countries to make the most profit, and treat this labor force horribly.  This divide makes the rich even more so, and the opposite for the poor.  On a smaller scale, a company such as a retail store creates a schism between the upper managements and the lower workers in much a similar way.  The idea that there will be more workers to replace those that quit due to poor working conditions seems to be one many are now subscribing to, and represents good news only to those already on top.

After sources from class and other discussions involving democracy in the world, the link between governments and heads of corporations becomes blurry.  Problems such as leaders working to promote profit for the country and their own personal interests are being mirrored by companies forgetting the needs of their workforce.  While in both situations, many have risen through the ranks to emerge at the top, they seem to have forgotten where they have come from.  The idea of the little guy is no longer important in the overall picture, where as it really is the voices of the masses that are supposed to make a company/country what it turns out as.  The way to correct these problems can only be seen as to give more power to those on the lower tiers of the company, and let these people group together to share common concerns.