Post your quiz & discussion questions, comments, links etc.
1. What "reality-TV" pretext did Trump's Apprentice eliminate?
2. What traditional capitalist pretense was [is?] absent from Trump's show?
3. What percentage of global assets are owned by the wealthiest 10%?
4. What was the "distinctly WWE quality" of Trump's campaign?
5. Trump's empire is built on what (in contrast with one of his central campaign promises)?
6. What did Obama say that challenges his claim to having been a climate hero?
7. What's Trump's "obscure modern illness"?
8. From the seesaw dynamic of what two trends does Klein take solace and find hope?
9. What's Klein's parenting philosophy, with respect to sharing her Environmental concerns with her young son?
10. How much did temperature rise, resulting in the mass bleaching event of the Great Coral Reef? What are some other results of that rise that we are already seeing?
11. What's Beckett's Dictum, and why doesn't it work for climate?
12. What's one of the prongs of Trump's rescue plan for the fossil fuel sector?
13. Why is cheap gas good news, from a climate perspective?
14. What is neoliberalism?
Discussion Questions:
- Do you agree that the "free-market revolution" venerates greed? 47
- Are you a fan of "reality TV"? Why or why not?
- Should a redistribution of global assets be actively pursued by governments and others?
- What "ladders of social mobility" should we be creating and supporting?
- Any thoughts on "Trump University"?
- Why do the major television networks devote so little airtime to "issues coverage"? 51 Where do you get issues information?
- Are you a WWE fan? Why or why not?
- How does Trump get away with his "constant lies"? 55 Or does he?
- How old were you when you first saw The Lorax? Too soon?
- Does it disturb you to think that you may one day be accused of "intergenerational theft"? 66
- Naomi Klein talked about how a portion of the Great Barrier Reef has gone through a process called bleaching. This bleaching is a result of the ocean heating up, which has been linked to human activity. Can you think of other environmental problems created by humans, and can we fix them?
- Considering that America profits from the military industrial complex is there potential for a 'Green Economy' that does not expand capitalism to the farthest and most remote reaches of the planet?
- While the Lorax is a fictional story there is a very real message behind it. Will we continue to abuse our environment with our Once-lerish ways or can we fight environmental justice as the Lorax does?
- Do Humans play as Gods to our natural world?
- Add your DQs
The Unequal Burden of Climate Change
Hurricane Florence and Super Typhoon Mangkhut laid bare the disproportionate consequences for poor communities... TNR
Naomi Klein Retweeted
"What if, instead of accepting a future of climate catastrophe and private profits, we decide to change everything?" —@NaomiAKlein (art by @channeldraw)
Want to know how to support a justice-based recovery from #HurricaneFlorence? These amazing folks are all over it - incredible what they have put together so rapidly. #AntiShock
Max McConnell
ReplyDelete1. According to Klein, which of Trump’s failed platforms for making profit was the most infamous? Pg 49 His university, which was actually a series of seminars in hotel meeting rooms.
2. How did Trump build his brand and amass his wealth according to Klein? Pg 50 By making the claim that “you too could be Donald Trump”
3. According to the Tyndall Report, how much time did the three major network news shows spend on addressing “issues coverage” in the 2016 election and how much time was spent by these three networks in the 2008 election. Pg 51 Down from 220 minutes in the 2008 election, in 2016 these networks spent only a whopping 32 minutes addressing the election’s “issue coverage”
4. What did Newt Gingrich, a faithful Trump cheerleader, say the mistake Trump was making by his decision to keep his position as executive producer of the Celebrity Apprentice? P53-54 “he is going to be executive producer of a thing called the American government. He’s going to have a huge TV show called ‘Leading the World’
5. Why did Trump say he would not fire Sean Spencer? P 54 Trump answered this question from a reporter by saying “I’m not firing Sean Spencer. That guy gets ratings. Everyone tunes in.”
6. What does Rob Nixon refer to as “slow violence”? p66 the impact of climate change will more so affect the lives of those currently too young to impact policy, and will be those faced with the more serious environmental, economic and social stresses caused by climate change.
7. In 1978 who said, “man has a time window of five to ten years before the need for hard decisions regarding changes in energy strategies might become critical”? Pg 67 James Black
8. What happened the day after Klein and the film team released their video about the degeneration of the Great Barrier Reef? Pg 68 Trump was elected president and the ExxonMobil CEO (Mike Popeo) was named secretary of state.
Discussion Question: Does Trump’s decision to eliminate Obama era requirement of auto manufacturers to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles mean that he hates horsepower? Turbo’s are good for gas mileage.
I remember watching the 2012 version of The Lorax maybe a few months after it was released on DVD or something, I got my boyfriend at the time to download it online so I could watch it. It's my guilty pleasure: I love cartoons. At first I wasn't sure how much I was going to like it, the musical number in the beginning already lost me. I continued to watch it; by myself, and I probably would have turned it off if there was someone there to judge me. At the end, I really enjoyed it and it made me tear up.
ReplyDeleteI never watched the cartoon version linked on the blog before today. It makes me want to watch the 2012 version again!
I think I also have a weakness for reality TV, especially shows on TLC. Horders, Intervention and 600-IB. life are some of my favorites. Success stories that have happy endings are inspiring to me. I really like when people try their best to get help and stick with their therapy or programs. I believe people change everyday.
ReplyDeleteThere's not always a success story, people's arrogance or denial creates issues that they can't get past and they end up wasting their time or opportunity to get the help they may want in the end. Reality TV makes me laugh a lot: I remember there was one season of a show titled Brandson Famous and it was ridiculous. The show revolved around a family doing a comedy show and they sang about their issues. There was some major drama: the 16-year-old daughter wasn't allowed to sing on stage, her parents made her manage the gift shop while the rest of her family; even the sister-in-law, shared the spotlight the daughter desperately wanted to be a part of. It was so sad, she would cry all the time! SO her mother actually convinces her daughter to get breast implants and promises the daughter she can sing on stage after the surgery. This is the end of season one! The daughter goes through with the surgery but the show was NEVER picked back up from a network. Maybe even the producers thought the family was too dramatic for television?
I really liked what you said, I have often seen myself caught up in these success stories and often forgot the reality that for every one person that is shown having actually improved there are probably fifty more who failed. That's not even counting the successes that relapse or revert to old behavior after everyone is done watching them. That sounds like a really messed up situation, I just hope they were playing for the cameras and it wasn't actually that bad in real life.
DeleteThe Great Barrier Reef film: This is such an amazing place! It is very interesting how this diverse ecosystem can coexist and have symbiotic relationships between different species like the clown fish and polyps - but at the same time very territorial as with the different species of coral that war with each other over space. It is very exciting to see how through marine exploration and technology that scientists have been able to discover many more species.
ReplyDeleteCoral Reefs evolving to survive in warm water. Genetics suggests that the crushing environmental pressure of climate change could be driving coral to adapt to a warmer future. https://www.inverse.com/article/43906-great-barrier-reef-coral-bleaching-genetics-warm-water
ReplyDeleteWow, I have read a lot about the recent dramatic deaths of coral reefs, it was nice to read something that gives hope that they might actually survive after all. They only thing that makes me a little worried is that if they evolve and change to fit this new heat level, would they begin to die off of the world begins to cool down.
DeleteThe world is constantly cycling through seasons and went the constant growing in heat we might just go through a heat wave. That can be a good thing because with heat we can break down different materials and waste quicker. Lately with the ice melting, it is releasing carbon bubbles in the air due to all of the exposure and such. So we could be going through a reverse ice age. It could be anything!
DeleteAlternative Discussion Question: With the current national or global disasters that are affecting the environment and humanity - why are news outlets not bringing or keeping these issues in the forefront of media coverage? Why is it more newsworthy to constantly publish or televise "reality tv" type news stories than actual news?
ReplyDeleteI think that they choose to publish those reality tv pieces because they make more people watch, its a sad fact but if all that you are presenting is tragic story after tragic story about the current environmental status people will ultimately stop watching. We as a people seek out what makes use feel good or happy more often then we would ever seek out what makes us have to confront the problems in our lives.
DeleteThey make more people involved in drama, but when it's time to watch the news. It's all about instilling fear.
DeleteMore issues due to warming waters: Fresh water fish. "Lake Michigan is warming. A new report says that could mean trouble for game fish." http://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/lake-michigan-is-warming-a-new-report-says-that-could-mean-trouble-for-game-fish/ar-BBNt6Ds?ocid=ientp
ReplyDeleteSimple facts that tells how climate change is threatening everything. "Worrying facts about climate change you need to know about" http://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/worrying-facts-about-climate-change-you-need-to-know-about/ss-BBNuHZO?ocid=ientp#image=15
ReplyDeleteALTERNATE QUIZ QUESTIONS
ReplyDelete1. What was essential to Trump’s successful run for President? What else was it pivotal for? (46)
2. How was The Apprentice a “coup de grace”? (47)
3. What has always been Trump’s pitch? (49)
4. What is The Art of the Deal? What did it do for Trump? (49)
5. What was central to how Trump built his brand and amassed his wealth? (49)
ALTERNATE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What do you think about Klein’s observation that, “after decades of mass layoffs, declining living standards, and normalization of extremely precarious employment . . . they (Trump and Burnett) turned firing people into mass entertainment”? Do you think people were offended by the shows concept? If so, why did it remain such a popular show? Do you this has any implications about our culture?
2. What is your reaction to the data from The Tyndal Report that, “through the entire election, the three major nightly network news shows combined spent a total of just 32 minutes on “issue coverage”? Why do you think this was the case? Do you think this benefitted Trump?
3. Do you agree that Trump, “edits reality to fit his narrative”? Do you think this has come into play with his administration's handling of environmental policy?
Discussion Question
ReplyDeleteHow do you view Trumps belief that very little actual intent needs to be behind the promises made to others in business deals when the other side is desperate? Do you think this way of viewing the importance that promises hold is a good or bad quality in a President?
The Idea of Reality TV…
ReplyDeleteThe lifeblood of reality TV is the success or the ability to entertain viewers of possible scenarios that were created within each show. An additional dynamic element that plays a role in the entertainment of reality TV is humor. Most of the time it not a joke but the situations the cast are put through to virtue through each problem to suggest its real life. So the idea is grab the audience attention through progressive of maturity through each episode but with the constant hardship/ humor that is brought on stage. Another aspect to look at a reality TV is that it is a living organism. It feeds off from the audiences, the more views the better/hungrier the show gets. So stunts and performances on the shows to hopefully increased their views. Now the question is “do I like them?” At one point in my life I would say yes because I thought it was real in my point of view. But these shows are showing/telling us that anybody can be a star. The cast of Jersey shore is 8 people living together for a month in several party cities to see how they survive each other which there is a lot of partying, drinking, getting lost, taking a lot of naps, relationship problems, and them buying stuff they don’t need in any possible scenario. So no not really, if you like drama or seeing people act like clowns on television for money go right ahead.
Alternate DQs
ReplyDelete1)Considering that America profits from and and the military industrial complex is there potential for a 'Green Economy' that does not expand capitalism to the farthest and most remote reaches of the planet?
2)Can global climate change continue to be swept under the rug or can the inter-generational solution begin with us in hopes that future generations continue to carry the mantle?
3)While the Lorax is a fictional story there is a very real message behind it. Will we continue to abuse our environment with our Once-lerish ways or can we fight for environmental justice as the Lorax does?
-Brandon Alston
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing's going to get better. It's not" We could all be speakers for the trees. I think it's about getting corporations to go green. Having regulations that create a cleaner planet as a community like the Paris Treaty implied.
DeleteI guess what I meant as 'Once-lerish" is American consumerism. Even with grassroot organizations like tentree who are attempting to combat consumerism by planting 10 trees for each product that is sold it seems to be in vain. Will activist have to take a more extreme stance on environmental protection or we can entice larger corporations to believe in the 'Green Economy'
DeleteYes, the free market revolution has definitely made us more materialistic and consumerist. I think our whole system is built on indefinite expansion, which is not sustainable, and we don't need that many choices in our products. I think it allows people to be more creative in what they can buy, and in theory, prevents monopoly, but we practically have monopolies in all but name right now, therefore, the system is n't all that functional.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, It's completely unsustainable. Everyone has the right to food, water and shelter which isn't law but it could be. But people don't "need" private jets or two yachts, three multi million dollar homes or billions in a bank account. People need experiences to help them grow and people need love. I adopt the minimalistic lifestyle so I can have what I need and experiences to remember. I just wish I could get our corporations to be green. Most don't even recycle.
DeleteMuse has song titled Unsustainable that's pretty good, if you've heard of them!
https://youtu.be/EF_xdvn52As
This link is a music video from Wolfgang Gartner titled "Ill-merica" and its awesome. It's of the Deadmau5 genre and it focuses on the nation's history.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/G_rQ6Av0gMY?list=RDG_rQ6Av0gMY