Reflection

If the nation’s capital cannot be a model of change and acceptance, no other city can expect to see acceptance plant itself as a foundation for growth. Every issue that is brought to light by various agencies and advertisements face the criticism of those who not only blame the victim(s) for the tragedy itself, but may indeed choose to simply ignore the issue altogether. The pursuit of globalization from all corners of the nation, from the small business owner in the Midwestern United States to the booming Wal-Mart that impacts political and economic decisions alike, is inevitable.
There is no question that the world is moving to a more “global order”. The question arises, however, of how long the elephant in the room will continue to stand ignored. Are we, thought to be the most progressive nation as a whole, still cowering behind prejudice as a legitimate excuse to ignore the rising trend of HIV/AIDS victims in the United States? Are there still people using extreme nationalism as an excuse to shield America from the evils of globalization, fearing that we will “lose a piece of ourselves” by embracing a multinational modus operandi? PEPFAR exists as a representative branch of an organization that will not only work to understand, but try to correct an issue. A globalized organization dedicated to helping those who need it most is where change and acceptance begin. Foundations like House of Ruth work to help understand an issue like domestic violence that is often swept under the rug, ignored tactfully to maintain social grace...but these all have one thing in common. Their main goal is to raise awareness for issues that are already widely regarded as more than just a little problematic, and millions of dollars are designated for the sole purpose of spreading more and more information about specific issues- bringing to light the need for issues to be recognized to their fullest extent, and refusing to allow important factors to go unnoticed because it makes the unfortunate few a little uncomfortable.
The discussion on globalization that stemmed from How Soccer Explains the World brought to life the fear that Americans have of expanding their cultural mindset- surely a rational fear for a nation who prides itself on “the American way”. The upcoming discussions on internationalism and realism can be aided by a foundational understanding that will come from the Nation State and Global Order, and the very first sets of ruling systems modeled in the 1600’s by the feudal system. I look forward to relating the very closed atmosphere of the feudal system that essentially mimicked a vacuum, to an international and very global world that embraces the very same multinational culture that Foer lauded throughout his book.