A Solution to the New World

     The consequence of our need  to be constantly entertained and obtain  little substance, is that we will be no longer able to distinguish the serious matters from the trivial. We will no longer have the need for analyizing, deducing or forming an opinion. The danger is that humor and comprehending will bleed together. We will no longer know why we laugh nor will we care. The blending will occur without our knowlege that something is very wrong.The importance is  that we will willingly submit oursevles to be degraded in our understanding. Not a tyrannical force will subject this frightening change but soctiey will premit the destruction to occur.

The Postman Project

     During the course of this communication experience, I found it very difficult to express complex emotions by way of "smoke signals".  It was relatively easy to draw or act out simple commands such "open this" or "go here". But when asked to illustrate a reflection upon the day's unique experience, I faltered. No visual could be adequate enough to fully describe my experience. To reveal what I had learned, I needed to be verbal. In which Mr. Brant suspenend the no speaking rules and allowed me to do so. This moment reflected Postman's idea that the form of TV works against the content of philosophy. A society that primarily uses smoke signals is not likely to discuss philosophy; it would take too long and be too difficult. In the same way, a person with an ugly body will not look good on TV and therefore not be elected President. One’s body is not relevant to one’s ideas when one is expressing them through radio or print. But on TV, visual imagery reigns. Therefore you cannot do political philosophy on TV.

Technology and Society

     Neil Postman's prophetic work critiques society in which our conversation has changed from print to image. In chapter one Postman refers to the invention of  clock.A new tool contains a new idea that goes beyond the tool itself The clock is another tool that contained a powerful idea. Before, time was a product of nature measured by the sun and seasons. Now, time is measured by a machine using minutes and seconds. The clock changed us into time-watchers, then time-savers, and finally time-servers. Thus, changing the metaphor for time changed how we view time itself. The concept of  clock relates to his other example of cloning humans at his lecture. Supposedly in 21st century, cloning humans will be the norm . The purpose of this development in human reproduction is that clones would be used as "human spare parts".So man will be able to improve his body. Until needed the clones would be stored. The problem with this idea is that humans will be in storage. And thus, a prevailing view will be that clones will be considered subhuman. So again the idea goes beyond the tool. These scientific developments will changed how we view one another just as clock as changed how we view time. Both of these advancements have meddled with nature and can only result in humans grading what has value and worth. 
  
     Neil Postman begins his Amusing Ourselves to Death with a comparison of the visions presented by George Orwell his work 1984, and the “equally chilling” vision argued by Aldous Huxley in Brave New World. Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley’s vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.”  This parallels with his discussion of Professor Negroponte’s statement:  “in the next millennium we will find that we are talking as much or more with machines then we are with humans.”  Negroponte reasons that people are self-conscious about talking to machines. He envisions a time when we will speak to a toaster or doorknobs with no trouble. He says we must adapt to these technological advances. But what he does not realize is that it is primal human nature to adapt to uncomfortable conditions.  In which Postman gives examples such as a soldier adapts to killing, a child adapts to being fatherless and so forth.  It will be no outward source for us to be oppressed by technology; it will come from within ourselves. We will come to love our oppression. In which Postman concludes we have the ability to adapt to talking much more to machines than people. The alarming reality is that we will come to prefer it.

The Freedom of Speech

    

The pressure to be politically correct in our country has gone too far. As Americans, we should not be restricted of certain words due to political views or oversensitive cultural or racial expectations. The American language is uniquely colorful and passionate. Censoring our language only reduces it to a bland, colorless discourse.        

Chavez uses the word "bellicose" to describe the metaphors used in political conversation. In politics, common words such as "campaign" and "rounds" actually derive from military vocabulary. “Bellicose" means hostile, which accurately describes warfare. The usages of these terms are not literal of course, but rather to fully express the battle like scenarios in the political game.

            The Freedom of Speech is privilege protected by our constitution. We should not be corrected on what to say due to political agenda. Censorship is subjective.  It protects those who are narrow minded. Due to such restrictions our language becomes homogenized.  Chavez incorporates evidence that support her intent. In which she mentions the white staffer who used the word “niggardly”. The word actually means stingy or frugal. The word has nothing to do with race. Yet because of the connotation with the “n” word, he was fired from his job. This sadly reveals our society’s level oversensitivity. I agree whole-heartily with Chavez. America is the land of the free and I should have the right to expression. I should not be told what words I can or cannot say. I embrace our rich tradition of colorful speech.

The Ultimate "Going Green"

The sentence that revealed Semrau’s point was this “My registration documents are in the mail an acceptance is almost assured.” Knowing that acceptance to Harvard, let alone its medical school is extremely difficult. Also allowing a man of old age seemed unlikely, thus I inferred the only way he would “go to medical school” is by way of shipping. Semrau does an excellent job keeping the reader ignorant of his intent till the end. He leads them through a journey of his life interests, goals, dreams and accomplishments.  This helps the intents because it draws you in and you want to complete his journey .This writing technique was ideal for his subject. Offering your body for science is a controversial topic. People have strong opinions when it comes to the proper burial of the dead. Semrau eases the reader into this idea by stressing the importance of reuse which appeals to people. Also he keeps a humorous tone throughout his article because his subject is gruesome, “and it’s the cheapest way to go to med school.” The concept of reuse is that the goal is maximum function.  But in his life journey that leads him to this decision is intriguing. I believe his intent is that even in your feeble years, when you feel powerless and excluded from the new generation, you can still be a productive member of society. Like Semrau said, at this age it’s too late to conserve, but the medical school can make use of his body. His cadaver could someday be a part of life saving research, now that’s the ultimate “going green.”