"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles." -Jack Kerouac

"We are like sculptors, constantly carving out of others the image we long for; we don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."

-Anais Nin

At the age of thirteen, Oscar Wilde mother (Jane) Speranza Francesca Wilde instilled in him a sense of being destined for greatness, and this was reinforced as he grew up amid affluence and success. He proved himself to be a prodigy at the school of Portora since the age of 13, having mastered the intricacies of a novel in 3 minutes, showing a keen interest in the Greek and Latin texts, and being excused from examinations, while neglecting other part of his studies he found boring; which did not make him the most exemplary student. At the age of 17, Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde gave his first paper on ‘Aesthetic Morality’ at Trinity College. Although, his father’s income declined with his health, the family capitalized on Lady Francesca Wilde’s property, and he was able to matriculate and than attend Oxford University at the age of 20. Oscar Wilde showed his potential for greatness....intelligence, ability, and opportune circumstances.

Life at Oxford assisted in shaping Wilde’s temperament and personality. He got rid of his Irish accent to ingratiate himself with his fellow classmates. He was at best a mediocre student and more keen on his own flamboyancy or excess. Two notable intellectuals influenced him, John Ruskin and Walter Pater. Wilde found it difficult to rise at dawn, so he overcame his languor for Ruskin’s sake. Ruskin fostered his conviction that art had a role to play in the improvement of society. On the other hand, Pater may have influenced Wilde’s homosexual tendencies... “the extraordinary effect  of the Studies on Wilde came from their exercises in the seduction of young men by the wiles of culture.”

Misfortune hit Oscar Wilde family. He became bedridden over his father’s death. Unfortunately, his father’s will proved a disaster. Sir William Wilde spent his money as he made it and made substantial sums to the mothers of this illegitimate children. Wilde returned to Oxford University very much aware of financial troubles ahead, perhaps for life. He managed to pass his second-year examinations in classical literature, writing about his point of view on Aristotle’s theory of art, long after his time for taking examinations was over. Oscar Wilde continued this streak of insubordination well into his third year at Oxford and Wilde’s melancholy fit was broken by the spring of 1877. He went on a vacation to Greece, Rome and stopping by Monte Carlo on the way.

Oscar Wilde Demyship was under fire at Oxford University for extending his trip in Greece well into the term. He went to London for a private showing hosted by important dignitaries. In 1878, he fell ill, of an unspecified malady and spent some days in bed... it was reported, like his father he was prone to fits of melancholy. This incident was soon over shadowed by contracting syphilis from a prostitute. However, these unfortunate events did not prevent him from officially moving to London to set himself up as a working Bachelor. By the time of graduation from Oxford, he had unpaid debts, unable to keep up with his rather expensive extravagant lifestyle. He decided to take on his role as art critic, poet, and playwright, using influential friends and Oxford connections.

Wilde passionately pursued a love affair with an actress and socialite named Lillie Langtry. Much later, Stephane Mallarme and Sarah Bernhardt, as well as, falling in love with several dozen various intelligent beauties in his lifetime. Francesca Wilde’s tenants were failing to pay for rent on time, and concerned that Oscar marriage prospects were slim, she decided to become a grande dame of a Salon in London. It was at reception in 1883, Oscar and another art critic made a spectacle in the London art scene. Humphrey Ward, art critic of Times, called an artist pictures good, another bad. The artist Whistler said, “My dear fellow, you must never say this painting is good or that bad. Good and bad are not the terms to be used by you. But you must say “I like this” or “I don’t like that”, and you will be within your rights. Oscar Wilde had a response to this and it was, “It is only the unimaginative who ever invents. The true artist is known by the use he makes of what he annexes, and he annexes everything.” Both Whistler and Wilde became notable playwrights, but eventual enemies.

A producer named Richard D’Oyly Carte managed Wilde’s lectures in America and the debut of his republican play Vera. The reporters had a field day covering news about Oscar Wilde, every word of his would be quoted, distorted in some form or fashion, and they well noted how he spoke in syncopation. He was a sensation in certain social circles and made enemies. Wilde praised Walt Whitman and had the privilege of meeting him. Whitman was impressed by the young man to the extent he defended him against criticism. In later meetings, it was reported by Wilde that Whitman had no qualms about concealing his homosexuality, “the kiss of Walt Whitman is still on my lips,” he said. Whitman later disassociated himself from Wilde’s aesthetic movement.

By the time Oscar Wilde was finished, half the United States had been lectured to. He appeased Chicagoans a little about what he thought as the castellated monstrosity of the Water Tower. In Chicago, Wilde met a sculpture named John Donoghue and talked about his admiration for this young man’s art that commissions poured in to the artist, who neither showed any appreciation. Wilde furthered others careers in this manner; although, this neither benefited him. Wilde also had the misfortune of entering a risky business transaction in New York, where he lost thousands of dollars in the process to this con-artist called “Hungry Joe” Sellick. He also made a bad investment with Kelley’s Perpetual Motion Company. The New York Tribune had a field day with this latest scandal.

The greatest adventure of Wilde’s trip was up in the Rocky Mountains. He felt faint when he arrived, but later rebounded with exuberant energy. As reported by Wilde, “The amazement of the miners when they saw that art and appetite could go hand in hand knew no bounds.” The miners cheered when Wilde lit a cigar and downed three bottles of Whiskey. He was amazed that bad art merits the penalties of death, when he saw a notice: “Please don’t shoot the pianist; he is doing his best.” He spoke well of the miners and their appreciation for his lecture. The tour en force was an overall success, upon Wilde’s return to London.

Marrying a woman named Constance and having a son did not calm his restlessness. The marriage later deteriorated as they moved in separate circles. Wilde continued with his indolence, drinking, and sexual affairs mostly with men. His (manic-depressive) illness came around the time of Lady Windermere, it went away and then revived during the criticisms of Salome. Wilde said, “he must take a rest cure.” At the height of his success in 1892, the year his marriage deteriorated, Wilde was seduced by a young man named Lord Alfred Douglas and both competitively seduced young men who would prostitute themselves for a few pounds. This passionate love affair lead to Wilde serving time in prison for sexual indiscretion or crimes. His brother’s wife visited him after his emergence from prison and wrote, “He is in the Infirmary suffering from dysentry brought on by great bodily weakness. He is hungry but cannot eat...Mentally he is very unhappy...He is very altered in every way.” Wilde’s grandson mentioned that he had mastoidectomy to intervene his sexual disease. It was his experience in prison that greatly affected him. As a result, Oscar Wilde died by injection of morphine... due to illness, supposedly. There are other related rumors of causes behind his death, although mine may not be completely accurate.

Oscar Wilde is remembered for his epigrams, the tragedy of his imprisonment, followed by his death or possible suicide. Oscar Wilde pioneered the “art for arts sake” movement in its potential for the betterment of society, and he is best known for his masterpiece, The Importance of Being Ernest, and Picture of Dorian Grey. A man of his intelligence, expressed sophisticated cultivation and the artistic temperament. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde had more problems than anyone. He was a dandy who had infamous love affairs with both men and women, and his ability to spend on the aesthete knew no bounds. His success was, in part, because of his artistic temperament or creativity, but also a result of his untimely end.

Oscar Wilde believed he was destined for greatness, to others that may have been delusional. I came to the conclusion that greatness is an inherent quality present in all of us. An individual may achieve their fullest potential given the nurture of their environment and opportune circumstances. We all have dreams and shouldn’t pretend otherwise. Even if we do not achieve our full potential, we live out our dreams vicariously through the eyes of the ones who do.

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Recommend reading Oscar Wilde by Richard Ellman

We all have a multitude of personalities vying for attention within our beings, we must allow the depths of our personality to come out to play from time to time, to unify our multifarious universe. Creativity and intelligence are irrevocably linked where true genius is also expressed. It is something we are born with, but also learned. Great ideas or innovation can be nurtured during this creative process. According to Mihaly in enhancing personal creativity in the creative process, there must be a flow in every day life. 1. If you do anything, it becomes enjoyable. 2. To keep enjoying something, you need to increase its complexity. Many individuals like Fernando, Pessoa, Luke Reinhart, even Nietzsche expressed these internal traits of complexity, and presented paradoxes in their personality; often smart and naive, playful and disciplined, quiet and outgoing, adrogeneous, rebellious and iconoclastic, passionate, and objective, attachment and detachment. The conclusion is that there are many ways to wake up creativity. In our alternating roles between student and teacher throughout life, these are important truths to keep in mind.

We are all manic depressives, but some do suffer from the severe mental illness of manic-depression often misdiagnosed. It is the polar opposites of this personality, from elation to melancholy that drives individuals to acts of creativity. Dr. Fieve made the connection between “manic-depressive entrepreneurs” who are full of ideas with boundless energy, almost over the top with disastrous business decisions, until mania takes them or depression washes over them, and this marks some of the highest profile business leaders. But, the excessive manics are marked by psychosis and may have impaired judgments, accomplishes nothing in their lifetime or get into trouble. Tim Ferriss, a blogger on experiments in lifestyle design and the creator of the 4 Hour Work Week, made a blog post on the manic-depressive entrepreneurs that go through four cyclical stages or emotional states. Stage 1: The first stage of the concept is called “Uninformed Optimism” characterized by excitement and nervous energy. Stage 2: The second stage is called “Informed Pessimism” characterized by feelings of fear and frustration. Stage 3: The third stage is called “Crisis of Meaning” characterized by the feeling that you’re past scared and feel paralyzed. Stage 4: The fourth stage is “Informed Optimism” characterized by feeling calm and optimism. True manic depressives either crash & burn before the informed optimism stage, and is stricken by a moment of genius to create something or see a way out to their predicament.

We are all creators, where individuals strives to change from within and make better connections to the world around them. According to Malcom Gladwell, the problem with geniuses stems from not having a cultivated sophistication through various expressed interests as a child, and a sense of entitlement. True genius cannot be achieved without a balance of analytical and practical intelligence. It is not analytical intelligence that is determined by ones IQ but emotional intelligence, the practical knowledge. A particular skill allows you to talk your way out of an uncompromising situation, and convince your professors to help in regards to passing their course. Practical intelligence also includes knowing what to say to whom, knowing when to say it for maximum effect, it knows how to do something...not necessarily how you know it or being able to explain it. It is practical knowledge that helps you get what you want.

One cannot achieve success alone, it is the support of individuals and the given consent given by their peers that allows one to achieve his/her potential in being prominent in society. Darwin’s survival of the fittest argument is flawed when it concerns nurture and nature. The nature of an individual is as much as important to determine the success of that individual through nurturing forces. Most importantly, it is often the restraints placed upon that individual, which allows him/her to prove *ability and *competence. According to Gladwell, the world needs more creators or social connectors who have influence or are influential for the advancement of that individual’s potential for success. Dr. Jamison mentions that the “depth and intensity of human feelings must be a part of great artistic achievement” and then concedes "maybe it always takes a certain amount of suffering to do something marvelous in the arts." However, manic-depression is an illness that can and may destroy lives to the extent that him or her is unable to achieve their fullest potential and this is further elucidated by Dr. Jablow Hershman in his book Manic Depression and Creativity. When a person’s mood swings are cyclical or express seasonal patterns in mood swings that have interfered with job, school, family relationships, when they have stimulated thoughts of suicide, is an individual truly a perfect example of being a severe manic-depressive (Hershman). Under the right conditions can genius and creativity achieve its full potential.

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Dr. Hersman concludes Manic-depressives are either maglomaniacs or creative geniuses, if given their full potential. However, I must concede maglomaniacs must suffer from the most severe form of the illness: schizophrenia, psychosis, psychotic features, and psychomatic problems unresolved.

Recommend reading: Touched with Fire by Kay Redfield Jamison, and Manic Depression and Creativity by Dr. Jablow Hershman

              Over the years, the US has maintained an imperialist influence in the Middle East, and the autocratic regimes placed their strongmen into power. The corruption within the political structures became so prevalent that the people of Tunisia decided to revolt. The revolt in Tunisia had a domino effect in the falling of other regimes in the region, like Egypt. The people in Egypt were angry at Hosni Mubarak’s reign, and they demanded their political and economic freedoms. After the Egyptian people toppled Mubarak’s regime, the Muslim Brotherhood became the number 1 leading political influence in the region. The dominant influence of the Muslim Brotherhood now represents the new elites. The elites of Egypt’s current regime will have a very strong influence in the country’s political future. First, in order to fully comprehend the uprisings in the Middle East, past political events must be examined.           

            Although events in Egypt were an isolated incident, the uprising was a culmination of events in the making. The Egyptian uprising is reminiscent of what occurred during the 1979 Iranian Revolution; an Islamist movement to oust a dictator supported by the U.S. During the Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini ousted Shah Pahlavi, a U.S. ally and his departure heralded an Islamist movement throughout the Middle East. The Islamist movement threatened to overturn U.S. influence in the region, and dictators were put in place by the US to fight against the USSR. The U.S. decided to support Mubarak. In other words, the American political apparatchiks of the past supported the dictators of the present. Noam Chomsky states in his Tom Dispatch article, Is the world too big to fail? “The democracy uprising in the Arab world has been a spectacular display of courage, dedication, and commitment by popular forces...” According to Chomsky, it is a victory against popular forces against the US imperial agenda to control energy reserves of the Middle East that would yield substantial control over the Arab world. However, the U.S. strategy of supporting Arab strongmen backfired; these dictators did not only attack communist sympathizers of the USSR, but progressives, democratic nationalists, liberals, and labor organizers. The system that the strongmen of the Middle East stood for has been the status quo in the region for many years. It took great courage for the people in the Middle East to protest the status quo and finally stand up against their corrupt oppressors. The first Middle East country to revolt started with Tunisia.

            Tunisia started the wildfire protests near the town of Sibi Bouzid in mid-December, in order to oust the President Ben Ali, who the people suspected amassed a fortune through widespread political corruption. The economic conditions tipped the scale of fragility. James Surowiecki in The New Yorker mentions: “Income growth and business productivity are low. Economic growth and job creation have been so slow to keep up with an expanding workforce, and this has led to high unemployment, particularly among the young. Inflation, even before the recent spike in food and fuel prices, has been a persistent problem throughout the region, and corruption is endemic.” According to The Economist, the president televised that he would create 300,000 jobs for unemployed graduates within 2 years to address the economic disparity. However, Tunisians did not see the televised footage, because the Internet was heavily censored. The police made mass arrests of protestors and cracked down on Internet bloggers. They closed down academic institutions, which stimulated more demonstrations en masse by youths on the streets tweeting from their mobile phones. The Tunisians’ discontent travelled beyond economic grievances, and showed no signs of abating.

            This revolution that became known as the Jasmine Revolution, because it happened unexpectedly, in Tunisia crumbled the 23-year oppressive reign of Mr. Ben Ali. The revolution’s success caused a domino effect across the Arab world, “where other rulers watched anxiously, wondering if events in Tunisia will serve as a rallying cry in other countries,” states the Economist. The Egyptians saw a similar plight from the economic and political situations of the Tunisian. They too suffered from rising food and commodity prices, unemployment and poverty. Furthermore, a Professor Emeritus at DePaul University mentioned during a talk at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs that institutionalized corruption ran rampant causing an estimated $28 billion cost to the economy, due to the debt held by banks and no foreign reserves. The Professor Emeritus also mentioned that Egypt faced the possibility of an estimated 60% unemployment and 30% inflation. Those are reasons that accumulated behind the Egyptian people’ explicit demands for much needed reforms.

            The Egyptian people demanded the dissolution of the parliament, the holding of new elections in September, and demanded that Mubarak and his regime leave. Al-Jazeera and many social media outlets televised news of the protests, which made it impossible for the authoritarian regime to control the flow of information. The nationwide protest turned out to be the largest act of civil disobedience in the 30 years of President Hosni Mubarak’s rule. The marcher’s focused their slogans on Egypt’s leadership, “Down with Mubarak.” Women peasants, factory workers, and students holding up signs, were able to seize control of Tahrir Square, a broad traffic junction in the city center. The authorities attempted to clamp down on social networking sites like twitter and blocked cell phone reception; but under pressure from western allies to enact democratic reforms, and the risk of being isolated, Mubarak conceded to the protestor’s demands over televised media that he would leave office after the next election.

            However, Mubarak’s parliament construed the constitution in a way that made the opposition, like the Muslim Brotherhood, impossible to run as a political party. Mohamed ElBaradei, a former head of the UN’s IAEA, supported by the Muslim Brotherhood took the opportunity to offer him self as a prospective leader for the opposition, once political reforms were enacted. According to ElBaradei, the Constitution (Article 76) made it possible for candidates to be elected by having 250 official votes and that they must be a leading member of a political party. Events played out in a way that benefited the opposition.

            In reality, the military held the reigns of the state. The Egyptian paramilitary were doubtful which way to go, but decided to side with the Egyptian people. Finally, Mubarak was ousted from public office and parts of the constitution thrown out, allowing for democratic processes. The Muslim Brotherhood influences extended as far as individual members appointed to the military, because the Muslim Brotherhood influenced the middle-class, bourgeoisie, and the paramilitary organizations, divergent from extreme Islam –the Jihadists, since 1928. Their only successes have been placing supporters into political roles since 2005; the Brotherhood attempted to develop a platform from which to transform into a political party, after an alliance with the Waf’d and Labor Party. The Muslim Brotherhood obtained one-fifth of the political seats, which established their status as the most important opposition force in Egypt.

            After Mubarak was ousted from public office, the Muslim Brotherhood seized the opportunity like its other subsidiaries, Islamist movements in Yemen, Jordon, Morocco, and Algeria to establish a political platform distinct from the broader religious movement. Egypt’s decision to become a political party revealed other similar movements of Islamist groups forming political parties in the Arab countries; for instance, Jordan’s Islamic Action Front, Kuwait’s Islamic Constitutional Movement, Morocco’s Party of Justice and Development, and Hamas. However isolated the differences are, they share a collective identity of what it is like to live in the Arab world that consists of being Islamist (pride in practicing the secular Muslim faith), not Jihadist that is associated with extremist religious fundamentalism. In the development of their own party platform, the Brotherhood made a move to reassure the public, and answer critics about its vague history.

            Elements within the Brotherhood advocate the separation of politics and religion that is divergent from Islamist belief. There are divisions in the Muslim Brotherhood on how to form a political party, a split decision over spreading the religious message of the brotherhood, and focusing only on politics. The party platform stresses Council of Religious Leaders to serve an advisory role on judiciary matters, in accordance to sharia law that is an Islamist practice. Brown and Hamzawy states, “Article 2 of the Egyptian constitution, as amended in 1980, proclaims that “Islam is the religion of the state and the principles of the Islamic sharia are the main source of legislation.” The Brotherhood claims to be the defender of Article 2 of the constitution.

            In accordance to Article 2 of Egypt’s constitution, the Muslim Brotherhood views non-Muslims and Christians unsuitable for the presidency or senior political positions of a Muslim state. It calls for a council of religious leaders to advise the legislative and executive branches of government, deriving its powers from the judiciary. Any authoritative order would be binding, not merely advisory, in matters in which it felt the sharia laws set precedence. In other words, their platform adheres to secular Islam. However, to ensure democratic processes, there must be checks and balances between the judiciary, legislative, executive branches, and not this top-down file-and-rank structure for the parliament to prevent the elites from assuming too much authority. Also, the Brotherhood claims to be willing to accept a democratic process fully and willing to be out voted by other Egyptians.

            Therefore, if that is the case, it might take 15-20 years for the Muslim Brotherhood to form a strong political party. The moderate reformists in the up and coming election will be competing against the conservatives, the liberalists, the secularists, the nationalists, and other established parties branched from the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood needs to be a mobilized, or conduct a grassroots effort to elect their own leadership for the presidential candidate, and that means winning 60% and not an estimated 20% of the present votes in the coming election.

            Once again, the US has a window of opportunity for reconciliation and a strategy for promoting democracy. The US will be able to embrace the Muslim Brotherhood by supporting the moderate liberals who want a more free democratic process. Egypt has a huge impact for the rest of the Arab world, as the Islamist movement becomes secularized. Spontaneous uprisings are vulnerable to a vacuum, where old establishments threaten to control new ones. If history teaches anything, “similar organizations promised democracy and then recanted when in power,” states Leiken and Brooke. However, “there are common grounds for cooperation, such as opposition to the jihadist, encouragement of a democracy, and check on Iranian influence,” and that common ground represents an opportunity for the US to work with the reformist arm of the Muslim Brotherhood.

            Once again, time will tell whether the U.S. will have to leave their influence over the Middle East. The best place for some degree of engagement is the moderate reformist wing of the Brotherhood. Leiken and Brooke’s states that “case-by-case approaches, letting the situation of the country determine when talking with-or even working with-the Brotherhood is feasible.” Democratic reforms cannot be achieved by facsimile basis. There has to be a comprehensive strategy to lead a country as diverse as Egypt.

            The social revolution in Tunisia resulted in the eruption of protests across the Arab world thus inspiring Egypt to become a democracy, but the isolated incident was an effect years in the making. Old government structures are incapable of delivering the social justice, economic and political freedoms, and democracy the Arab people want. People in the Middle East have been confronting this reality of a national crisis dictated by the strongman for decades. This oppression is true for Tunisia and Egypt, which defines the emergence of a true social revolution for necessary political change. According to Leiken and Brooke’s, the Middle East can embrace democracy, but not the political norms from the western world. Egypt and any others as an example must create their own democracy, and the West cannot do it for them, but cooperate with them as a way to facilitate the establishment of a democracy in order to avoid the pit falls that might prevent their future political development.

The “Ugly American” is reminiscent of America’s manifest destiny that portrays this view of confrontational arrogance for being masters of their own destiny. Americans are individualistic and competitive. Americans are patriotic about their economic might and democratic freedoms they hold as far superior to other cultures. It is this ethnocentrism that has allowed us to promote economic development and democratic freedoms under the guise of imperialist aims. However, the all-pervasive problem is how America tells the rest of the world to live their lives.

            The people of Sarkan do not want Freedom Road to bring economic development; it is difficult to subvert people who live comfortable lives as they have been living. Cheyung, the leader of the revolutionary forces, views American aggression as war mongering, and patriotic nationalism as a fraud democracy for whites only. American forces occupation of the Sarkanese territory is viewed with hostility; Americans are outsiders with no understanding of the Sarkanese culture. The problem started with the Americans attitude toward the Sarkanese culture and lifestyle.

            Americans look down on Sarkanese lack of advancement in modern medicine that uses the bamboo to cut the umbilical cord. Sarkanese view the people suffering from starvation as American companies taking resources without investing in the local market so people can have a livelihood and economic activity. The Americans disrespectfully takes pictures during a Sarkanese ceremony. Americans disrespectfully condescend to the Sarkanese for speaking English well, as if they couldn’t intelligently be proficient in the use of language. For example, the American Ambassador Mc White wife was surprised when the children spoke to her in English. Besides not understanding the Sarkanese culture, the Americans do not understand Sarkan.

            Sarkan is an old country with a young government. The government is autocratic without needed democratic reforms; people demand the right to elect their leaders. The people demand the infrastructure for hospitals and buildings for education to benefit the people. Above all, there is an anti-US western influence in Southeast Asia. The past as seen through the lens of the film is not too different from the “Ugly American” we see today.

            How can we change from the “Ugly” American to the “Beautiful” American? We as Americans must stop telling the rest of the world how to live their lives. We must practice cultural sensitivity towards foreign countries by having an understanding of their culture and language, and leaving behind stereotypes. People of other cultures too want autonomy, respect for sovereignty, basic democratic and economic freedoms. We cannot do it for them, but must help them find their own way.  

The state will wither away completely when society has realized this rule: "From each according to his ability; to each according to his needs. When people have become accustomed to observe the fundamental rules of social life, and their labor is so productive that they voluntarily work according to their ability there  will then be no need for any exact calculation by society of the quantity of products to be distributed to each of its members; each will take freely according to his need." - Marxist Revolutionary, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870-1924)

In a cosmopolitan society, people work according to his/her need. Gandhi Ji said : "This world has enough to satisfy everyone's need but not everyone's greed."

Political economic systems need good governance, accountability, otherwise corruption runs rampant unchecked. Rampant globalization of today is responsible for a great deal of social ills society face in Latin America. For the new revolution in Latin America, Venezuela and Hugo Chavez are not the best example of a good counter-weight. Chavez is no less corrupt than the leaders he replaced. He's been in power since 1998. The oil money and media control he's been "fighting" against for so long... have yet to trickle down and mean victory for the people. He is no different than most of the kings and despots in the Middle East and Africa, using rising anti-globalization, and hence, anti-Americanism, to play on people's emotions, giving a few handouts here and there, while getting rich themselves. Not one nation led by a ruler claiming to be working for the people has yet to truly help the people, save for only Bhutan, which actually measures Gross National Happiness.

Freedom cannot be forced into existence. Nor can it be won through painful struggle. Freedom cannot be bought or sold. It has nothing to do with ones social status. Ones profession is of no consequence. In order for you to accept yourself as you are and live with your soul at peace, you must teach yourself to let it be. Only then will you discover freedom.

If emerging economies diverge from America's, monetary policy also needs to break free. Deficit spending is unsustainable, as the world economies are becoming more developed. According to the UN Trade and Development Report, the world economies are emerging at a tremendous rate. The WTO on GATT guidelines no longer reap the benefits from the develop countries exploitation of the developing world. It is also obvious the US is transitioning into a service economy driven by foreign investments by companies lucratively breaking into the market to set up businesses ... this is geared to boost the economy.

Times are changing and America should go along with the change for the true economic meaning behind GLOBALIZATION.This is where I quote Alan Greenspan, "If you want to see real capitalism at work, go to Hong Kong." (China) Made in America and pun intended.

This is a commentary on post-modernism. Gen Y are thought to be obsessed with materialism, and are thought of as Narcissistic, without regard for being catalysts for social change, unlike their predecessors:

Al Gore once said “It’s the combination of narcissism and nihilism that really defines postmodernism,” he might as well have been echoing his entire generation’s critique of our own. We are a generation for whom even revolution seems trite ... we are the generation of the Che Geuvera tee-shirt.

from, Posteverything Generation - Essay