Summary-Various+Articles-+Jordan,+Jenna,+and+Cassandra

Summary: **//Various Articles//**

//**Jihad vs. McWorld**// By //Benjamin R. Barber//

In this article, author, Benjamin Barber discusses the two political options facing the world: retribalization of human kind, which will be characterized by war and the loss of human life, or the integration of the new advances of technology and uniformity into society. Barber lists the characteristics of the second option, McWorld, as being, “a market imperative, a resource imperative, an information-technology imperative, and an ecological imperative.” The first option, Jihad, will view war as, “…an emblem of identity, an expression of community, an end in itself.” After describing both these concepts, the author then states that he believes that globalization will eventually vanquish retribalization.

//To see a visual representation of Jihad vs. McWorld//, [|click here]

//**The World is Flat: Globalization of the Local**// By //Thomas L. Friedman//

This article discusses the “globalization of the local.” The author begins the article by talking about how the world, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, believed that “globalization means Americanization,” and America’s “imperialism” was strongly emphasized. However, because of our advances in technology, we are now able to globalize the local. As explained by the author, “The flat-world platform enables you to take your own local culture and upload it to the world.”

[|Click here] //to hear more about globalization according to Friedman.//

//**A Strategy to Straddle the Planet**// By //Geoff Dyer, David Pilling, and Henny Sender//

What would happen if China became the main influence of Globalization? A Strategy to Straddle the Planet addresses that exact issue. According to the article, “China wants to accelerate the integration of the global economy, but on its own terms.” China is developing more and more trade relationships with underdeveloped countries that allow them to not only trade consumer products and clothing, but power equipment and other goods as well. Major parts of the world such as Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East are all being affected by the global push of China. China is becoming less dependent on the U.S because of their global push, and as a result, are opening new markets that allow them to not rely on America. The American consumer still has the upper hand when it comes to the global economy, however, half of China’s exports now go to developing countries, showing that increasingly more countries are turning to China for aid. One of the biggest concerns of China-led globalization is the security tensions that would come as a result to their rise to power. Therefore, if China became the new dominant power of globalization, there would be many changes that would affect the world (especially the United States) both positively and negatively.



//**President Obama's 2011 State of the Union Address**// By //President Barack Obama//

President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address on January 11, 2011 focused on many aspects of the struggles Americans are facing today. The president addressed numerous topics, including the economy, education, the Iraq war, and illegal immigration. It was evident that the president needed to address these current subjects and controversies because the American people are looking for answers and direction from their elected leader. The president conveyed an eagerness to not only improve America as a whole, but also keep America “ahead” of the rest of the world by saying, “ Now it’s our turn. We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time. We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. ” Although topics like the economy and illegal immigration are ones that are difficult to address and formulate solutions to, the president sent America an optimistic message when he stated, “a step in winning the future is rebuilding America...the future is ours to win.” Clearly those steps to reconstruct America will not be easy, but the president’s positive attitude towards a better future for America should inspire every U.S. citizen to do their part in providing upcoming generations a bright and prosperous America.

//To see the president's speech in its entirety//, [|click here]

By //Michael Lind, Carl Pearlston, and Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar// respectively
 * // America is Not a Christian Nation, Is America a Christian Nation? and the 2008 Religious Identification Survey //**

The article “America is Not a Christian Nation” focuses on the concept that America is not strictly Christian. The author quotes President Obama during a press conference in Turkey where he stated, “One of the great strengths of the United States is … we have a very large Christian population -- we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values." Carl Pearlson, on the other hand, argues in his article “Is America a Christian Nation?” that the answer to that question is yes and no depending on how and who is defining “Christian.” According to the American Religious Identification Survey of 2008, 76% of American adults identify themselves as “Christians.” Although this is 10% less than what the survey showed in 1990, the vast majority of Americans still view themselves as being “Christians.”

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