some thoughts on the past week

First of all let me say that I think tuesday's class was a productive use of time. Although some may complain that it was pointless and unproductive to "flip-flop" the arguing sides, I disagree. During my high school years I participated in a mock government program. Frequently I was forced to present and defend ideas that I didn't agree with. Sometimes the issues were quite controversial. My point is, it shouldn't matter what you think to begin with. If any of you have seen the movie Thank You for Smoking, you know that the main character claims that you can win any agrument if you want to. I think by examining Machiavelli by these means we were all able to gain a better understanding of the philosophy and text.

In regards to the film, Blood Diamond, I think it was the perfect choice of movie. It was shocking to realize that something that is associated with royalty, love, and wealth (in this case, a diamond) could cause so many internal problems. I guess it is a good example of how countries will use their resources to maintain power within the world. What I found particularly interesting was how the diamond companies purposely keep a number of them off the market to keep prices high. It all seems like a big mess, one that will take a long time to fix. As was mentioned in the movie, one simple article or film isn't going to change what the world thinks, or if it does, the world won't suddenly take up arms against diamond violence.

Finally, I would like to say that I did actually learn a good deal about fair use. I think I now understand enough to make presentations that will be within the law. I also know how to defend myself and justify my actions should the case arise. Although I still do not entirely agree with all the rules (I think it's perfectly fine to insert a song into a movie, no one is directly losing money) I can appreciate why some people take copyright so seriously. Perhaps if I was on the other end of the equation I would feel differently about the rules.