TalkingB

Tag: Knowledge

  • The invisible hand

    The invisible hand

    The universe is full of wonders, some are obvious at sight, some are conceived in our minds, some as a result of unresolved puzzle of mysteries, some by eventualities of dreadful events. The wisdom and knowledge of our sages and scholars are sometimes embarrassed which makes it more traumatizing for people with faith to wonder why some would come to conclusion that, ” arguably, there’s God ”.

    But alas! Humans have the freedom and right to choose whatever he believes in. There is scientific explanation for almost every occurrence that is there to think about; like what keeps the oceans at its banks, what orchestrated the various landscape we have, the funny slopes of some mountains, the lightning, the thunder, the rain, the sun, the stars, the absence of some of them sometimes, and what regulate them.

    The debate of God’s existence or not is a typical one that may not be won on either side. Nevertheless, there’s one essential factor we all trivialize despite knowing its importance and ability to change the mentality of any mortal being when its wall collapsed our health. It’s never a big deal when intact, a man can vow, vouch, threaten, prove, demonstrate and convince several thousand even millions to think from his perspective to accept a policy, a doctrine, a religion, a thesis or even a judgment. But the moment his health fails, nothing else in the entire world matters much to him anymore, as they are secondary to his real need. 

    At some point, a sick person irrespective of his belief in God, questions the supposed Supreme being, questions the universe, questions their own subconscious being, seek spiritual aid and hopes for a miracle. The expertise of the doctors means nothing to the patients at those points… Their wealth, achievements and past glory hold no water. Even the poorest of all men who had lived a life full of hardship would still hope for this miracle and hang on to life. But does that make health the so-called God? Oh NO! What about the miracle in quote? 

    Why are humans always submissive at the loss of their health? Why do they shift grounds at those moments? Why do they tend to give room for more love and affection with their family members and friends at those critical moments? Of all questions, that is valid, ” Is there God ” should never have been one of those but if you ask me if God is an entity, I wouldn’t have an answer to give you because, in every single thing around you, there’s always one thing beyond your explanation, understanding or description. 

    LOVE OTHERS WHEN YOU STILL CAN. 

  • CHINA AS THE NEXT SUPERPOWER

    CHINA AS THE NEXT SUPERPOWER

    Alice Lyman Miller, a China scholar and a former CIA analyst define “A ‘superpower’ as a country that has the capacity to project dominating power and influence anywhere in the world, and sometimes, in more than one region of the globe at a time, and so may plausibly attain the status of global hegemony,” This requires excelling in multiple areas of power projection: economic, military, political and even cultural . In all standards, the United States only wear the cap appropriately since it overtook Great Britain as the world’s dominant country.

    Over the years, there have been several potential superpowers emerging with promising prospects among which the European Union and the BRICS involving Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are recognized. These countries gain the individual international recognition they deserve, garnished with merited accolades in remaining relevant.

    China has proved itself to be a formidable potential global force, with an outsize influence in shaping the 21st century but whether it overtakes the U.S. is still a mystery though it seems likely. They have been able to transform a poor society by an economic miracle to become arguably the world’s second-largest economy in the world.

    In the last 15 years, China has been involved in a breathtaking and questionable lending, this goes far beyond it’s geographical regions to the depth of Africa. It is important to note that over 100 predominantly low-income countries have gotten Chinese loans in order to finance their infrastructure projects and sometimes expand their producing capacity.

    For instance, Sri Lanka experienced a boom in their economy due to a loan they had gotten from China, the country prospered in all ways and manners but this was short-lived because when the payback time came, the Sri Lanka government realized they have way too much debt. As a result, they ended up renegotiating more deals with the Chinese government which involves a 99-year lease deal handling over control of it’s investments to the Chinese government, one of which is the port of Hambantota.

    Another case, the Kilamba City in Angola is a large housing development which was built by the China International Trust and Investment Corporation and Investment Corporation with the aim of housing up to half a million people but the aftermath of this project was non-profitable as it was too expensive for the middle-class citizen. Nonetheless, the government had already signed a long term deal with their natural resources for the reimbursement of their debts to the  Chinese government.

    With over 10,000 Chinese-owned firms operating in Africa,¹ we must admit that the Chinese are doing quite well in being the next superpower but the motives are quite unclear essentially because, in some of the countries where they build infrastructural projects, they fly in their laborers taking away job opportunities from the population.

    One is forced to ask what are the inherent motives to the Chinese lending, especially to these growing economies? What are the futuristic drawbacks of being indebted to Beijing? Is this the modern day colonialism? What are their diplomatic strategies? 

    China continues to make a mark on the world as they have the largest troop in the United Nations peacekeeping missions, pays more than 10 percent of the UN’s total budget above any country besides the United States. They have shown enormous interest in developing an edge in new technologies such as hypersonic missiles, cyber and artificial intelligence.

    Obviously, China is not folding its arms for an opportunity to be presented to them on a platter of gold and have worked ceaselessly for every achievements and success they have made over the years. Nevertheless, there is more than meets the eyes.

    References:

    1. McKinsey&Company report 
  • The Faults in Africa Education System

    The Faults in Africa Education System

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    The education system in Africa, contrary to the belief of many, existed a long time possibly taking its origin from Ancient Egypt. The Schools of Holy Scriptures built in Egypt (former Ethiopia and Al-Azhar) were the first form of higher education. These schools became cultural and academic centers attracting people from all over the globe for knowledge and instruction. Meanwhile, the world’s first university was located in Timbuktu, opened in 2600 BC.

    The indigenous knowledge system was based on traditions in which communities effectively taught and learned from themselves through daily life rather than strict education. They used modeling approaches to pass the necessary skills to younger members of the community.

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