Liene Ozoliņa : Why do we blame individuals for economic crises?

 Liene Ozoliņa·TEDxRiga

Why do we blame individuals for economic crisis?

Summary

I also think about the reason for the title because of coronavirus, the same things will happen. It stopped the world economy, many people are still struggling, and we want to find criminals. The situation must be, l think, that the result that we continue doing. Now is the time to change.

The story was about the Latvian economic crisis in 2008 when the global financial crisis decimated Latvia. The unemployment was increasing, the government slashed public funding, raised taxes, and provided relief to only the wealthy and large businesses. People without them accepted the responsibility that is laziness or criminality for the country’s failing economy.

However, the speaker who is a political sociologist thought that it’s wrong.

The social programs that emphasize individual responsibility must create poverty and inequality, and it shouldn’t have become common across the world.

It should give them real means to get out of poverty other than emigrating. It’ll be necessary to connect with one another more than reading self-help books, going to seminars, and receiving moral education. Compassionate social politics that has the purpose of social justice and equality should be created by the government.

Carl Safina : The oil spill's unseen villains — and victims

Carl Safina·TEDxOilSpill

The oil spills unseen villains- and victims

Summary

This was also a sad story as it was the last time and l couldn’t understand a sentence: whenever the speaker looked the ocean, no matter where he was, even where he knew that none of the oil had gone.

It’s not that the story explained just only about the oil accident of the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. In 1989, the Exxon Valdez spill occurred in Alaska. Actually, a few months ago, in 2020, an oil spill accident occurred in Mauritius which had a very beautiful ocean. It was announced only a few times.

And then, I've just understood what the title wanted to tell us.

The speaker tells us that animals, fish, and birds are sending us signs that there’s danger in the ocean. However, there’s nobody out there trying to collect spilling oil on the ocean after the accidents and children are in the water.

In fact, oil and water, you know, that doesn’t mix, but after adding dispersants called the booms and a little energy from the wild and waves and mixing, you can’t clean, touch, see, and extract oil. It’s hidden. The evidence is unseen.

About 30 percent of the killer whales died, turtles ate oil, though, their gills would be affected and broken by oil. A dolphin came next to the side of the boat at last, and dolphins haven’t come out yet. It was coming to ask for help. Sea birds and tunas couldn’t have eggs because of a lot of the oily water. They are victims.

This must be the company’s negligence and the government’s oversight. They did nothing. There is no severe rule.

However, if before other energies are used, oil isn’t carried by using ships.

However, other clean energies are expensive.

Who says it’s too expensive?

People who sell us fossil fuels say it.

Are they villains?

Or people who used the dispersants to hide, the company that the account occurred, the government that doesn’t save the ocean...

The speaker said that the cheapest energy was slavery.

Who are their owners? Who uses energy?

The answer is the unseen villain of the title.

P.S. The ending of the speaker’s stories was always sad, though, this is reality. We have to change our actions soon. This time, many people go to Mauritius to clean the ocean. We fill a lot of plastic bags with oil until oil goes. Now is the time, though, we have to regain our clean ocean and change our actions.

Abigail Disney : Dignity isn't a privilege. It's a worker's right

Abigail Disney·TED2020

Dignity isn’t a privilege. It’s a worker’s right

Summary

I think that because of coronavirus, the world working environment is completely changing. The services that we need today mightn’t be necessary tomorrow. In the situation, l think that to offer respect, dignity, and living funds to everyone who is not only workers but also who doesn't have work. 

Companies have worked for shareholders before coronavirus spreading, though, the services that companies have don't work because people can't go out. Companies and workers endeavor. The world worked for money before. Now is the time to change our thoughts about working and money with respect and dignity for making the world better. Dignity isn’t a privilege. It’s all human right.

Carl Safina : What are animals thinking and feeling?

 Carl Safina·Mission Blue II

What are animals thinking and feeling?

Summary

This was a sad story. After reading the story, l couldn’t say anything. The title is "What are animals thinking and feeling" so we are humans who must be the same creatures as animals, though, only humans can’t answer to the question: What are humans thinking and feeling?

It’s said that humans have a great big brain, we can use tools, teach many things to children, and share food. We can feel empathy, sympathy, and compassion, though, we eat animals, and then humans drive animals to extinction.

Animals of course eat other animals, though, animals don’t drive others to extinction. Animals can feel and do mysterious things. Those are just hints and arts for telling us who live on Earth together something that humans almost never think about at all.

Animals always announce the danger to pass life. Humans kill animals to eat and to get money, furthermore, our actions lead to severe climate change, creatures lose lands to live and we don’t know about animals’ signs. In this situation, do animals love us?

The speaker’s last question: are we capable of using what we have to care enough to simply let them continue?

Neal Katyal : How to win an argument (at the US Supreme Court, or anywhere)

 Neal Katyal·TED2020

How to win an argument (at the US Supreme Court, or anywhere)

Summary

The speaker whose father was an immigrant had to fight in court and it was a difficult case. The opponent was America’s top courtroom lawyer of the Solicitor General of the United States, and the speaker’s client was the driver of Osama bin Laden who was an enemy of all over the US. Furthermore, Donald Trump was elected. Trump's side banned immigration from seven countries with overwhelming Muslim population. The speaker’s team struck the travel ban as discrimination, though, Trump side added North Korea, they said it’s not discrimination thus the speaker lost.

However, after all, even in the Supreme Court, just convenient things for someone, especially authority, have won.

The speaker remembered the case of 70 years ago. It was the same office, the case was won by the former Head of the Solicitor General’s Office and the speaker was the same position at the same office at that time. He realized that there was racial prejudice, the FBI believed it, the government’s misrepresentation, and the racists were not very good with a distinction between Hindus and Muslims.

Talking about stories of some of the most impactful cases.

Showing human connection, empathy, and faith.

Persuasion is about empathy, confidence is the enemy of persuasion

Getting into someone else’s shoes and empathizing.

Avoiding emotion. Letting provocation an emotional reaction.

Waiting for timing, even if vindication comes.

History will prove you right if you make a good argument without giving up. The way is not to win every argument, you have to have skills and power on how to get back up when you do lose.

The speaker's result was applied to the Geneva convention as the war on terror.

Jacqueline Novogratz : What it takes to make change

 Jacqueline Novogratz·TED2020

What it takes to make change

Summary

I have words to remember always when I'm in difficult situations.

“It’s always darkest before dawn”

Meaning is that there is hope in the worst situations, don’t give up, and remember it’s always darkest before dawn.

The speaker in the story tells us the same.

“It’s in the darkest time that we have the chance to find our deepest beauty” so because of coronavirus, the economy is standing still around the world, thus it’s really in the darkest and severest time. However, no matter how hard it gets, there is always beauty to be found.

In the past, the speaker worked in Africa to help women who were sacrificed for money, marriage, and culture. She saved them, though, a big genocide occurred after that, many women who worked with her died. She struggled for a long time. Was it in vain?

However, a beautiful thing happened after 30 years. When she visited there again, the daughter whose mother worked with the speaker told the speaker to want to work with to change the country. What the speaker did in the past was not wasted.

It takes time, however, it’s time to change. The definition of success based on money, power, and fame is changing. We have to start the hard work of a moral revolution.

It’s a change against the cruel inequality, big polarization, and catastrophic climate change to create a better world.

The speaker shares three requirements.

Seeing others as equal to ourselves. It’s moral imagination.

Hoping opposing values in tension. Don’t stand on either side. It negates generative potentials.

Accompanying means to walk alongside.

For overcoming this economic situation, we need the story. Thank you so much.

Words in this story

It takes/ it needs, it requires

dawn/ dôn

Mohammad Modarres : Why you should shop at your local farmers market

Mohammad Modarres·TED Residency

Why you should shop at your local farmers market

Summary

Consumers are now increasingly disconnected from local famers markets and the economics of food production, because of the rise of the smartphone.

It can directly send not only a lot of invitations but also goods to consumers.

However, the speaker suggests thinking of yourself as an investor in food. Your purchasing power helps local farmers.

Local farmers are struggling because it happens Big Ag consolidations and it’ll lead to multigenerational farms losing and communities suffering.

Shop at your local farmers market to avoid the high costs of low quality food, protect our environment, save them.

They serve healthy and natural food with minimal packaging waste.

Words in this story

stag·nate / cease to flow, stop movingconsolidation / the action or process of making something stronger or more solid