Antiwar Voices

Opinion

The United States has been at war for the majority of my life, 18 years to be exact. When the government ordered an evacuation of Afghanistan, I had hoped that we would have a period without any major foreign military entanglements. Clearly this is not the case, as we are now fighting a proximity war with Russia via the Russo-Ukranian war. 

President Eisenhower

The United States clearly loves war and conflict, as that's where the money lies. President Eisenhower warned the people of the United States of the consequences of the "military industrial complex," which is a system in which lucrative military contracts are awarded to private companies to develop military technology, essentially creating a loop of spending, war, and death. The military industrial complex has taken ahold of the United States, putting us trillions of dollars in debt and killing countless people abroad in other countries. 

Politicians in Washington D.C. do not seem to be very antiwar. Though some parties or politicians may claim to be antiwar, war seems to be a bipartisan activity. Politicians are influenced by their donors, which often leads us back into the cycle of the complex. Every conflict makes the wealthy richer but hurts the lower classes.

Though massive companies like Lockheed Martin make incredibly advanced aircraft, I feel that the need for such an abundance of military spending is unnecessary when there are so many domestic issues that could be solved with just a fraction of the United States' military budget. 

Lockheed Martin SR-71 "Blackbird"

It sucks. There's no other way to describe the situation the we are in. Even worse, it is all my generation knows. Though we are not in a direct war right now, the billions we are sending to Ukraine is hurting just as much as a direct involvement. I have always found it interesting that the US can cough up $300+ billion to send to Ukraine but seemingly can't afford to do anything else to benefit the citizens.

Facebook's Weird Beginnings (EOTO Response)

 In our recent EOTO presentations, someone discussed Facebook and it's history. I knew very little about the beginnings of Facebook, which is strange to say the least. Facebook has a history of being extremely sketchy and off putting to me, which have now been amplified now that I know about it's predecessor Facemash.

Facemash Logo

Facemash was a platform developed by Mark "Zuck" Zuckerberg while attending Harvard University. The platform was a website where the users can essentially rate the pictures of women that were attending the University. Zuck used photos from the school's face books (get it?) on the website, which led to him getting into some trouble with the university over privacy and security issues. Nothing came of these charges, as they were dropped and he returned to school. 

After the Facemash incident, Zuck changed the website to be platform to assist his fellow students, by which he would upload art. Shortly after, Zuck created TheFacebook by partnering with a fellow student Eduardo Saverin, who Zuck later forced out the company. The website was a social media website originally for Harvard students, which was later expanded to other schools and eventually anyone who made an account.

The Zuck

The company has since has grown into one of the largest websites in the world, also becoming one of the leading tech companies with influence in nearly every sector of the tech world. The company, now named Meta, has been at the center of many controversies around security, privacy, and mental health. Due to these security concerns, Facebook has gained a bad reputation among the newer generations. 

Homing Pigeons (EOTO #1)

Homing pigeons are perhaps one of the oldest - and cutest - forms of long distance communication. They have been used for carrying messages and post for thousands of years, dating back to the first major civilizations. 

Pigeon with a camera for aerial photographs

One of the first examples of pigeons being used for their navigational capabilities is the story of Noah's Arc and the great flood where doves were used to locate dry land. Evidence of using homing pigeons to communicate dates back to ancient Egypt, where pigeons were used for carrying postal messages. After their initial use for postal communication, the pigeons were implemented into the Egyptian military for their use of quick communication to get the upper hand in war time. 

The usage by the Egyptian military began a long and continuous trend in the usage of homing pigeons by many other major civilizations and conquerors, such as Genghis Khan of the Mongol Empire and Julius Caesar of Rome. Pigeons brought message of the Olympic games winners and delivered messages of military victory and defeat.

Pigeons may also be responsible for the Rothschild family's fortune. Following the battle of Waterloo, the legend says that the Rothschild's were some of the first to know of Napoleons defeat, allowing them to make significant wealth in the following days via the stock market. The Rothschild's pigeon post is the reason the family has risen to such prominence as it delivered the message so quickly, though this is only legend.

Soldiers releasing a pigeon

Homing pigeons have been widely used in warfare until World War II, where they saw their last extensive use in modern war. Though radio was used in World War I, sufficient infrastructure was lacking due to the technology being invented about 20 years prior, which led to widespread usage of homing pigeons. The pigeons were frequently used to communicate behind enemy lines and carry secret messages. 

Perhaps usage of homing pigeons peaked during the second World War, with Great Britain alone using roughly 200,000 birds. Several pigeons were even awarded medals from their service in WW1 and WWII. One of these birds, Cher Ami, was awarded the Croix de Guerre medal for delivering a message that saved the remains of a battalion in WWI. 

Pigeon Bomb

War pigeons were also in a proposed missile design during WW2. These missiles, part of Project Pigeon, contained a pigeon that would control the missile via pecks. The pecks would be directed at a screen that showed the target, keeping the missile accurate until collision. The project was fortunately dropped as it was rendered impractical.

As technology progressed throughout the next hundred years, homing pigeons became increasingly obsolete, especially with the rise of the internet. However, they are still used in traditional manners and hobbyists. 

In the twenty-first century, pigeons are not completely obsolete. In 2009, a company in South Africa tested the data transferring speed via internet vs pigeon. For this test, the company attached 4 gigabytes of data to the pigeon which delivered the hard drive in a little over an hour. In that time, the computer was only able to upload %4 of the data due to the internet.

In 2023, a YouTube creator looked at this experiment and ran his own version. For this experiment, he used 4 terabytes rather than 4, and only tested the pigeon for an hour. In his video, he explains that pigeons would be faster than the internet but only to an extent, limited to 500 miles. This shows that although pigeons have been outdated by nearly every other communication technology, there is still a place for them in today's society as the worlds cutest communication technology.

Values of Free Expression

Two years ago, I was given the same assignment of discussing the Eight Values of Free Expression. I chose the eighth Value, Protect Dissent, as Twitter was going through a period of mob mentality and cancellation. Today, I am discussing the same value with a different perspective following the platform's acquisition by Elon Musk.

To begin, I am going to look at my old post and compare the state of Twitter then to now. Firstly, Twitter is no longer "Twitter" following its buyout from billionaire Elon Musk, most notably owner of SpaceX and Tesla. To say that Twitter has changed in the last two years is an understatement, as the website has changed nearly every aspect of its platform apart from the basic tweet format. Twitter, now simply called "X" (though still only accessible through twitter.com), has been completely changed since the buyout, but why?

Elon Musk

Before the buyout, Musk had claimed to be a proponent of free speech and had showed concern about Twitter adhering to the principal. The buyout process was tumultuous to say the least, as many complications arose regarding bots, lawsuits, and backing out of the deal. 

During the process of the takeover, Musk has announced major changes, including the unbanning former President Donald Trump from the website along with other previously banned accounts, many of which were leaned or were affiliated with right-wing politics. 

Though Musk has claimed his political position to be, "economically right of center, maybe", many online worry that he is using his position to turn X into a right-wing website.
Twitter has historically been a left-leaning website, as many large tech companies are today. Perhaps the idea of not being the majority opinion on a website has led people to believe that X will turn into an outlet for the far-right. 

The Website Formerly Known as Twitter

Twitter was gutted once the Musk takeover began. Employees who did not show support or had previously made negative comments were fired en masse, let go for just sharing their opinions. In an effort to promote free speech, Musk has inadvertently converted the user-based mob to a Musk mob. 

Though X has become a cesspool of chaos, the user-based mob has certainly died down. The website is divided with more right-wing accounts flooding in. However, my worries from my first post are practically gone, as it feels that the website formerly known as Twitter closing towards its death. 

X enforces a policy of "Freedom of Speech, not Reach," which allows the company to limit the availability of a post. The website has implemented levels of visibility to combat hateful or inappropriate content with different levels of penalties. The penalties include removing ads and limiting which users can view the post. 

X's Free Speech Policy

The changes on X have shifted the social media landscape, which has been filled with controversy surrounding free speech. This topic has been discussed since social media began, with many people claiming that the social media violates the first amendment. Of course, the first amendment does not reach to private companies. 

I do not feel as concerned by mob rule as much as I used to be. I think this may be due to the Musk takeover and the mess that X has become. Though it is still an issue, I find it to be less significant than other issues more important to me.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States, currently comprised of nine Justices. Despite its humble beginnings, the Court has been the center of many historical and cultural shifts in the United States. In the federal government's infancy in the late 1700s, the Court was the weakest branch of the federal government, lacking significant power in the checks and balances. However, Chief Justice John Marshall shifted the balance through the outcome of Marbury v. Madison which resulted in the Supreme Court introducing judicial review over new federal laws passed by Congress. Judicial review has allowed the Supreme Court to be so powerful in American history. 

Current Supreme Court Justices

In my reading, I found the Korematsu v. United States outcome to be the most surprising facts about the Court. I was aware of the Japanese internment camps in WWII, though I had never put much thought into their legality. In this case, Korematsu, a Japanese-American man, refused to enter an interment camp as he believed this violated his constitutional rights. I was surprised and disappointed as I read about this case.

Japanese internment camp, WWII

Additionally, I found the list of important cases to be very interesting, such as Texas v. Johnson and Mapp v. Ohio. The Supreme Court is especially interesting to me due to it's complex and sometimes contradictory history. I was not expecting the overturn of Roe v. Wade, which has left me wondering if the court will continue in this regressive direction. 

Primary source - history.com

My Top 5 Sources of News Consumption

Since the 2016 election, I have tried my hardest to avoid mainstream news outlets due to my distrust of them. It scares me that people can blindly follow a news outlet the way one can follow a political party, which has led me to seek other methods that I find more credulous and consistent. My favorite and most used sources are listed in this article.

Google News Logo

Google News

I find Google News to be the most reliable and comprehensive source of news. The website covers a wide variety of topics and presents articles from companies that either side of the political spectrum. Google News also allows the user to customize their feed and interests, with which I have focused on tech, science, and games.

YouTube Logo

YouTube

YouTube is one of the world's most visited websites, making it a hub for any topic.  The majority of my time spent on social media is on YouTube, typically watching documentaries or video essays about current events and cultural or historical topics. I find long-form content to be the most engaging and informative, which is my main interest on the platform. YouTube also has a "Shorts" feature, which are vertical videos made for quick consumption. I often get updates on the Russo-Ukranian war through Shorts.

Reddit Logo

Reddit

Reddit is my second most visited social media platform. I find Reddit to be my favorite platform due to its feed and interest customization. Since the user is able to join and block communities, your home page can cater to your specific interests. Additionally, Reddit has both a news and popular page that shows highly visited news or articles.

RapTV Logo

RapTV

RapTV is a wonderfully hilarious account on Instagram that provides updates about hip-hop, music, and... anything else.  I find RapTV to be a refreshing break in regard to news sources due to its comical posts, captions, and comments.

The post above is referring to leaks about an upcoming game, Grand Theft Auto IV, which millions online are looking forward to. The person running the RapTV page is the funniest person alive.

Professor Smith 

Professor Smith has explained important events in domestic and world politics to me that I would previously have not known or understood. I appreciate the unbiased and thorough explanations which often leave me speechless or annoyed with the United States government.