Everyone has heard of the Great Wall of China, but many people are unaware of a technological wall that bars Chinese from viewing information on the internet, in cell phone texts, or even in videos. The Great Firewall of China is a country wide filter on the internet that is monitored 24/7 by more than 30,000 Chinese workers. The wall was put in place to keep information from the public that might jeopardize the governments power. A list of 987 words have been banned from being used in blogs, texts, or instant messengers in China. Topics such as the Tienanmen Square massacre, Taiwan independence, or even freedom are blocked from the general public on the internet.
Websites are constantly being monitored by workers to make sure that the none of the listed words are used on the internet. Even companies from other countries have to limit themselves to these restrictions if they wish to get their technology into China. Companies like Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and Skype have had to comply to China's rules to even get their websites approved to be used. Many believe that China's Great Firewall is a tool used to try and keep the general public from turning against the government.
I decided to update my blog with a little news. Google has decided to move its headquarters to Hong Kong from Beijing where it is not required by law to censor material on the internet. Google is trying to make a stance of freedom of speech.
Television sets have been around just over 100 years and have made an incredible contribution to how people receive entertainment, news, and connections to other places and cultures in the world. The map above shows that most of the worlds countries have television sets with China and the United States as the countries with the most televisions per person. Globalization of technology has made it possible for countries all over the world to use the television. This has also caused the globalization of entertainment and news. Now that most of the world has obtained the technology to have television with cable news can be shared almost simultaneously around the world. There are definite gaps in the world where news will most likely not reach the entire public's ears, but most of the northern hemisphere dominates the television scene. This is due to the fact that more MDC's occupy the northern hemisphere. China has jumped to the top of the list recently because of its ever growing population and the urbanization occurring throughout the country. Some countries, mostly in the southern hemisphere, are still working towards becoming more technologically advanced. As the world becomes even more globalized the southern hemisphere's countries should become larger on this map.
In the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" the main character Jamal was asked a question about a Hindu god that is widely known throughout India. In this blog I will explore Hinduism as a religion and the Hindu god Rama to better understand the context of the question. Predating recorded history (according to the religion), Hinduism is the world's oldest religion. Hinduism is the largest religion in India today with over 800 million followers, about 80.5% of the total population. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion that includes hundreds of gods and demons. Hindus also believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution, or reincarnation in other words. To Hindus all life is sacred and that no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others. Karma is a belief of Hindus that guide their lives towards doing good. Karma to Hindus is what controls all consequences good and bad in a persons life and controls what kind of reincarnation they undertake after death. Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, or liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single person will be deprived of this privilege.
The Hindu god Lord Rama occupies a very considerable place in the religious life of India. He is the epitome of righteousness and is believed to be the reincarnation of Vishnu (the supreme god in Hinduism). Lord Rama is the hero of the religious epic called Ramayana, which was written sometime between the fifth and first century B.C. The story goes that Rama was asked by Saint Vishwamitra to destroy a demon named Tarka and her two sons. Rama completed this task and was sent before King Janak. The king said that whoever could bend King Shiva's bow (bow and arrow) would have the hand of his daughter Sita. Rama was able to bend the bow and take Sita for his own. This is why Rama is always depicted holding a bow.
Many temples in India are home to Rama which always portray him as having two arms like that of a human and holding his bow. This aspect makes him widely popular because people inspire to be like Rama. To Hindus the expression of Rama means that peace and prosperity reign.
