Why is the world divided territorially?

Many animals are territorial. It is part of their instinct. In order to survive, they have to live in a habitat where food is bountiful and where security against all foes in the food chain is assured. Humans are no different. Like other animals, our territories change when food is scarce. Early humans transfer to another area when they have exhausted the resources of the land. They reside in places where there are qualities of natural strongholds such as caves. With the discovery of fire, they were able to strengthen their defenses against unwanted trespassers. Security from internal factors (utilize resources and keeping them for their consumption) and from external factors (predators and other tribes) was the major purpose of territory in the past. But as humans progressed, after the discovery of harvesting, humans are now able to stay permanently. Many civilizations emerged and most of them in nearby rivers to sustain harvesting needs. As the population grew, a need for order was placed for the survival of the society. When there is a need for order, there should be an authoritative body to keep and implement it. This changed the ball game of territories.

Leaders of their respective civilization effectively kept order within. But until what extent? Until where will their power can be effective considering the costs and the effort to control? To formalize the legitimacy of the power of the authorities, a clear understanding of what its boundaries must be made. However, many other groups were forming around the land. This was seen as a threat to the order within. Thus, there was a strategic consideration of the landscape of its borders. It would be ideal if territories are separated by mountain ranges, rivers, cliffs and seas. Not only that these physical features offer protection from the outside but also these are road blocks for the authorities or for its economy to reach out to the civiliians (if ever) beyond these separative landscapes. The key in this situation is control.

But as civilizations grew stronger, many tensions between them both economically and politically came forth. Area of territory became associated with power. As the population grew, there was more labor for economic and military purposes. However, the resources within its borders are not sufficient for their growing number. In other cases, lands became harsh for having a stable living (climate, volcanic activity, etc) thus a need for either abandoning and exploring a better replacement or extending the territory. In most cases, extension was the ideal action. Many wars took place because of this. When trade and market became the life blood of the economy as states evolved, territorial conquest for the purpose of extracting more expensive resources had been prioritized. In ancient Rome, the empire concentrated on the conquest of the deserts in the Middle East. It was a mystery for the deserts were desolated, dry and inhabitable lands. But the Romans endured its treacherous lands because, as recently discovered, its lands are abundant in emeralds.

With the absence of natural fortification came the many innovative man made walls for defense. Territory became the subject of religion especially in the dark ages. Because the people where reminded of the fall of Rome despite its military power from outside tribes, many Catholic European states question their security in the rapid spread of islam from both sides of Europe. It was also during this time when the feudalistic treatment to property was dominant. There were many local wars among nobles fighting for their lands. Europe was divided even further. But with Charlemagne, many Western European states are united again.

In the age of exploration, even between seas, territory can be extended in a colony. Many lands in the south were occupied and claimed by Europeans. Now that the world was finally open to them, thanks to Magellan, the race of territorial ownership of the unexplored lands had begun. Their extended territory did not need to be inhabited by its citizens but only a few were to stay to control and exploit the aborigines and their lands. Does a territory make a state? Would a territory be considered a territory even without sovereignty? Or does the state make the territory? The colonization of many nations in this age raised more ambiguity in the definition of territory. It need not be an area where the central authority is bordered. The territory can be an area not attached to the central state. It can be miles away from its central authority. The Jewish nation and its territory is still a question.

The question on how the world is divided has no clear answer as there are many causes and cases for what happened to each nation that established their borders. Historians say that the Philippines would not be an archipelago nation without the colonization of the Spaniards. If we were not colonized, the Philippines would have been 3 or maybe 4 separate nations just like the different nations around the Carribean region. Many countries especially in Asia are evidence themselves of imperialism. Countries would have been united or separated if it were not the arrival of the Europeans.

The early notion of a nation is that it must have within its territory a common people, in race and religion. This early notion caused many civil wars and inter-country wars. But as many nations survive through centuries, the sense of nationalism grew within them especially in the aftermath of revolutions that gave rise to the power of democracy. Thus the world is now not divided territorially, which is the physical aspect, but divided nationalistically, which is the social aspect. If a big social group in a region of a country recognized a need for autonomy from the state, they will continue to fight for their separation from the state. This often happens when a group is a representation of a minority in religion, ethnicity or even in principles in the emergence of different ideologies (USSR western states separated from motherland, North separated from South Korea, East and West Germany).

But now things have changed in the emergence of globalization. Before, people see the economic advantage in acquiring more territories for more resources. But now, people recognize the established territories and promote a freer flow of goods, services and capital considering the physical and social barriers.

Regionalism is the buzz word nowadays. The world is seen as one marketplace. Technology has made this possible. The cost of consumption, production and distribution will be reduced in the abatement of barriers. Europe is slowly acting as if it is one state, which is made possible by EU. Their economic performance has heightened. Maybe soon, Asian nations will be Asian states of a region. Many see this as an opportunity for growth. But many questions are raised in the free flow of service or labor. We cannot deny that Filipinos can be found in every corner of the globe. Imagine if there were freer flow of labor in the world, it will be difficult to distinguish an Asian nation from a European nation (socially) when more Asians are able to enter the continent. But will sovereignty of nations suffer in the advancement of regionalism? This vision may be a good thing since there may be a chance that the world might become more unified. But will this cause more misunderstanding among cultures? Will there be a saturation of cultures? Will this destroy the identity of a nation? Will the destruction of identities lead to more destruction? Is there a need for a defined separation of states? Will this unification exist virtually only?

How do we find out what's going on with the world?

Media as you know it are everywhere. We are fond of expressing our feelings through art. Art has many forms and ways to reach out to deliver the message- media. A medium is like the bridge between the messenger and the listener. A lot of things happen as the message travels to the listener. In any symbol, be it language, text, image or sound, people have different interpretations of its meaning for we have our own biases shaped by physical, cultural, social, spiritual and political factors. This is why art becomes subjective depending on the perspective of the spectator. Art comes in different media, and one popular form, (a product of globalization) television.

If you just heard one word from a stranger, many images pop out in your mind. You would wonder why this person would say such a thing. You then would want to guess if he is a threat or if he is just plain crazy. After knowing at least the superficial motive, you would want to know what he was trying to say. The fact the he only used one word may mean something. A careful study of what he looks like or what he is wearing may help you tell what he was trying to say. You could also examine his gestures and actions (like eye contact). The surroundings or the environment can help you derive meaning from the unknown and lastly, the time.

As rational beings, we want to find meaning in anything. With one word alone, it is torture to think and decode what the true meaning is. There are too many meanings associated with one word. What more if it is a sentence or a paragraph? It will be doubly hard if words (through text or sound) merge with image with the help of television.

In the past, it was harder for man to pass on information to another. The most efficient way was to orally pass on information. An example is the oral tradition of singing stories of their ancestors and their challenges to build the foundations of their society. This served as an informative tool to know the roots and history of their people in order to give them a sense of identity. It also served as a guide for proper action when another dire situation occurs. But with oral tradition (passed on to generation to generation), there is no direct connection between the messenger and the listener. The sequence of the story may have changed over time or the words used may have also changed even though they intend one meaning. But later generations may interpret it in a different way.

With the aid of globalization, somehow the connection between the messenger and the listener (or addressor and the addressee) has become more direct since we get raw information real time and right in the comfort of our living rooms. One example is the news. But with emergence of 24 hour news stations, we have never been this close the action.

Ever since the birth of television, it has been easier for us to get familiarized with the world. We get to see stories of different cultures and be aware of different issues. It has given us the chance to understand and know what is going on with the world. However, like any other forms of art, we can derive different interpretations of its meaning.

Since things are more accessible to us, we take things for granted. Speed is the key in the world today. Sometimes we just receive information in megabyte speed without thinking twice. Instead of having a platform of understanding, it might create more misunderstanding. Images may be misleading and might trigger something in our subconscious. Art has many ways to deceive and create illusions to keep the mystification. In most cases in the modern world, art steers toward popularity for profitability which takes advantage of our emotions. If media can effectively get into our emotions, we are doomed for most of us, feel rather than to think.

Our emotions can be our biggest enemy for it can consume us if not manipulate us. We usually do not find the most sound judgment without proper pondering and deep thought. We become incapable of weighing options and probabilities that might occur in each probability. Without careful study, we expose ourselves to risk; thus, harming ourselves. This is why we must practice the art of deduction and critical thinking. We should not limit ourselves to the box equipped with sounds and colors, we sometimes have to experience things for ourselves to know the true meaning. We must also step outside and observe what is really going on. We must see things in our own eyes to at least eliminate most of the biased perspectives or point of view of a writer/film maker/news caster and see how things are interconnected. What might be happening in your backyard may be related to what is happening on the other side of the valley.

Why do we obey?

We always find order in chaos. If we look up the moon, we could form ours own figures from the randomness of its dark spots and shadows. Some people see a face; others, a bunny. Even in the formation of clouds or constellations. We made up our own zodiac signs (in the form of greek characters) from star constellations. There was a heated debate about the discovery of a civilization in Mars. A satellite snap shot captures a bird's eye view of a huge rock formation.

We are naturally programmed to organize ourselves. This is one factor why the human specie has become successful in surviving the harsh environment with little natural defenses. Because of our ability to adapt and to assess difficult situations, we were able to process complex problems and solve with a proper methodological framework of reason. With order we are able to think systematically. Because of order, we were able to recognize the value of numbers and teamwork in survival. We were able to plan ahead and set up traps for our food. However, this cannot be possible without social organization. We developed a system for uniformity and continuity based from past experience, depending on the circumstances of history. This system we follow just like our instincts because presumably it's how it works and it's just the way it is. We owe it from our ancestors.

The system becomes tradition as it is passed on may it be a political system, ideology, religion or social customs. To remedy chaos, we structure order, in the form of government, law, trade and justice because we know that chaos and confusion can lead to our downfall for when there is confusion, we do not think rationally as expected of us humans. We think about almost the same level as other animals, instinctively. The world will become every man for himself, which is not good for fragile beings that are meant to group. And when it is every man for himself, we are very much capable of killing our own specie compared to other animals.

Upon waking up in this world, we immediately attach ourselves to our environment, putting utmost trust to the surroundings we are introduced with within our comfort zone. We immediately accept whatever norms or order the system has imposed for us as we grow. Why should things be that way? Are these things meant to be? Are we required by society to follow? Is it our fate to follow and not of our choice?

Unlike other animals, we are able to think beyond our natural instincts. Having the will gives us freedom; but at what cost? Is it safe to think freely without the preconception of the way things are and what make up our world? How can we know how free we are? How can we know how free we are supposed to be? Are we all slaves of society?

Sometimes we have to accept that we have to follow the path of the system for the system is imposed for the greater good. The purpose of its existence is to benefit society. The system may be a cycle that inevitably occurs except for special cases. However, times change. The thinking, beliefs and knowledge of people change. This is why regular assessment of the system must be made to assure its compatibility with the times, without any bias coming from the past. There is always a gray area. But what the system recognizes are black and white. In time, the gray area gets wider and wider. Our society becomes more and more complex, as technology and lifestyle evolve. This is why we must be vigilant and sensitive about what is going on around us to know what is the most optimal choice.

We all fight for what is right. Even the most villainous people in the history know that they are right and they did not exactly mean to be evil. They knew that their "right" will bring more order. This order gives them more security and comfort that they pursue it so much that they know it will be right for everyone else. This is the mistake of many of our leaders. People get too affected with the pains and difficulties they have experienced from the current system that they immediately assume that what they think to oppose it will be right for everyone. This kind of thinking caused too many wars. People should consider the bigger picture and what works for everyone. When nothing works for any group in the society, then the system is a failure. This time the system must obey the people for it to survive because the system is useless without people.

There are too many groups/agents in society that makes it really hard to please everyone given the constraints in governance. But when a system is too hard headed, stiff and inflexible to the changes of time, then the system is not there to serve and benefit all but to maintain the power of that who implements. It becomes control. Control can be good to eliminate as much as possible the random factors of life. However, if this control is too much that it can intervene even in the most random, then it must be erradicated for it will damage the lives of the innocent.

We all have our own moral compass and if the state will slap what is good and right into our faces, then it damages the freedom built in each of us. The legitimacy is then questioned.

How does religious beliefs affect politics?

Religion or at least having beliefs is natural to us. As rational beings, we wonder about the natural phenomena. When we were in the stone age, we were bewildered by what nature brings (rain, storm, game, earthquake, etc). The earth provides us with animals and plants for consumption, clothing and shelter and water to drink. But sometimes nature unleashes its wrath by volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, snow storms, earth quakes and the like. We cannot help but wonder how nature's mysterious ways work. Unlike other animals, we wanted an explanation out of the abstraction of reality. We knew that there might be something of a higher order which can make things shift easily from bad to worse. They believed that everything in nature is alive and spiritual. They believed that everything is interconnected. They had to respect the spirits of nature by thanksgiving and ardor to please them so that they keep sustaining their daily needs.

This new insight has become engraved in their daily lives that it later evolved into tradition as the rituals are passed on to generations. As the social group grew bigger, it evolved into culture as it defined the identity of the group (what makes them unique from the rest). Human thinking also became more curious of not only of the surroundings but what he is and what the surroundings are to him. They began to question why they live and who created them and the surroundings. They formulated their own beliefs on how the world was formed by a greater divine- god/gods. Natural phenomena can then be explained by the wrath of a god or a folklore of the interactions of the gods. They knew that the power of the divine is boundless that they fear them. And when there is fear there is control.

Religion is natural to our kind. There some things that we cannot fully explain, naturally and socially. This is why we turn to religion as our guidance. Since religion involves the power of the divine whom sets the role of each unit in the world, this power can be passed on by the manipulation of the privileged. Only the privileged few had the divine right to rule over a civilization and some even forced their way to the throne claiming that they were chosen by an even higher divine. Since pretty much everyone would fear their creator/s (since from them they can also destroy what they create), leaders used and abused this fear and obedience to steer their civilization to greatness. Most of the greatest structures ever built in history are temples or religious symbols. This was evident in the ancient civilizations in Egypt, Latin America, India, Middle East and Mediterranean.

Man is a political animal according to Aristotle, the great philosopher. This is why it is hard for us to separate two things that are natural to us- religion and politics. After we invented the concept of "religion", many grabbed the opportunity to find meaning from religion that would make their social hierarchy higher or make the others hierarchy lower. Some cultural tradition or social norm came before an established religion. It was commonplace that women were of lower rank in society since their main role was to bear children for the group's future and to care for them at home with other household affairs. This social norm later transcended into religious law and tradition that gave no opportunity for the discriminated to redeem themselves from the norm as time changes. Even if things have already changed, by the help of progress and technology, some societies still cannot improve the rights of women because of their religion.

Although religion brings fear to its followers, it also brings security in the divine and social sense. The divine sense promises rewards and a better after life. The social sense promises a sense of belonging and fellowship. People feel unsafe when one thinks differently. One example is Plato, who was an excellent thinker yet many scorn him for thinking differently. Because people fear the unknow, adding unknown or unexamined belief would make life more dangerous. It makes it more unpredictable to know the person's next move and it will be more difficult to manipulate them. With everyone believing in one thing, at least many of the unknown factors can be eliminated such as righteousness, morality, thought and action. Rulers then realized that religion can not only help them manipulate its people, but also help them protect itself from the outside world and later conquer it. Invasion is strategic to many civilizations territorially for mor resources and labor. But to align economic activities with the all colonies, it will be easier if the belief system of all is the same. Thus, religion not only had the purpose of security but also of economics. An example of this is the invasion of Britain by the Romans which introduced the colonized to Christianity.

Religion was usually used as a mask of political and military leader's bloody conquests to make the missions more dignified and glorified. One example is the crusaders' quest to revive the holy city from its Muslim occupiers. The Roman papacy needed a way to remedy the issue within (next generation nobles fighting over land because of scarcity) and to prevent the growth of the muslim population (threat to papacy's control and power). This can be evident til today.

Because man is a thinking animal and knows it is his advantage among other animals, the product of his thinking becomes his advantage among the others of his kind. The product of his thinking is his ideology and belief system. As a political animal, man stands for what he believes and aims to prove others wrong. This is evident in the workplace or in school. We always want to be right because if you're right it gives you the social status and thus power. In the emergence of modernization in the 20th century, different ideologies materialized. The most mischievous were the socialist and the capitalist thinking. As two big countries are the main contributors of each, US and the USSR engaged in cold war. One sees the world different from the other and this gave rise to conflict. Before the age of industrialization which lead to the age of modernization was the age of Enlightenment. Because of many successes in scientific endeavors in explaining the natural world, people began to view the world at a bigger picture. This lead to a deeper understanding of the society's role to the world. People became more sensitive to the problems around them. People have gone against medieval thinking in terms of religion and economics and demanded more freedom. This lead to the secularization- the separation of religion from state affairs. With more reason than religious manipulation, people have gained access to free thinking.

People began to despise the feudalistic system for it benefits the privileged few. They then drew their own theories of how society should be shaped for more order and economic progress of the society and state without the intervention of religion; thus, the emergence of ideologies. However, many attempts of creating an ideal world lead to a more chaotic situation where people see that although things have been more equitable compared to the feudal system in their own way (capitalist or socialist), a few still remain in power and more privileged than the rest. Many wars caused by the efforts to expand ideologies scarred many. So people want to regain righteousness in a more materialistic world by bringing in the authority of the divine. They realized that only God know what is ideal and not man. This later lead to the conflict of religion in politics in the modern age.

What we all see often times in the news are the actions fundamentalists. Islam has become the center of the topic terrorism. The battle of religious ideals becomes more complex as technology paved the way to more sophistication in communication and weapons. The irony of it all is that it all started as a group that wanted to help the common people (religious virtues) by providing services not accessible to them.

In Nostradamus book of revelations, a holy war in the modern world was predicted after the assassination of the pope by a member of another major religion . Experts say that according to the book, this will bring the worst chaos in the history of the world. The world enters another dark age. Will this be the end of the civilized world?

The sad part about this whole thing is that man destroys his own kind with the excuse of the divine to exempt him from wrong doing. What makes it worse is that many fall into false interpretations when scripture and tradition in major religions emphasize in peace and prosperity. When will we ever learn to accept that people vary in culture and religion? It is in the very nature of humans to be diverse for we have the freedom to choose our mark in the world. People hurt because they are also hurt. They may be victims of violence and oppression. The hardest thing to do is to learn not to hate especially when it has already been programmed deep into our emotions. Human and economic development, security and progress are essential to prevent destructive feelings.

We must realize that amongst this diversity is the unavoidable commonality that all of us perish. We must make most of our stay by respecting life in various forms inwardly and outwardly. Whatever belief you may have, no one has the right to claim theirs right over the others. After all belief is subjective in the first place.

What happens if we do not think in human terms?

People nowadays get caught up in material world. It started out as basic necessities for survival- food, shelter, clothing and water. Now we are more concerned about getting the most units in production, the most number of labor hours, the most interest in savings, the most number of cars, the most number of branded clothes and the like. We are more concerned with figures and getting the optimal number which is more of a mistake than an achievement. We are losing our human touch. We are increasingly becoming more of robots as world becomes more complex. We lose the simplicity of life which is to live and to recognize others who also live. To feel and to think is to live.

Life is more important than numbers. Businesses will find ways to be more profitable but at the expense of people who are affected. Remember the Texas Oil Refinery Disaster. Top level managers neglected safety standards to minimize operating costs which made possible the explosion that killed almost all workers. Poor shipping safety for profitability, such as poor maintenance, lack of life vests and over capacity of passengers, caused many deaths in shipping accidents.

Many politicians still accept the use of the necessary evil- to get the job done by looking at the numbers and by not looking outside even for one bit on how really ugly the situation has become. In history, many things started out in good intentions but eventually became disasters, wars, famine or violence. No matter how complicated our model is, sometimes solving the problem makes it worse without knowing its SENSITIVITY. All our actions have consequences. If we treat fellow humans negatively for good or bad intentions, it will haunt you forever. There is connection in everything in society. If things get worse in terms of human welfare, other groups may also be affected which may later lead to an unfavorable position in your part. Degradation of human welfare is only a thing of the past. We must think more in human terms. If we don't problems of the world will never be solved. All our efforts will be useless. We go back to where we started. After all, human development is the main goal of humanity and drastic sacrifices that may belittle human life is not an option.

How do we begin to think about the world?

For the sake of global peace, we must start the change in ourselves. Peace is not possible without understanding. We should accept the fact that we are not alone in this world. We are not the only nation in this world. There also different people in different parts of the world that are unique as we are. We are not masters of the universe but mere creatures of the world. It just so happened that our specie has been successful in adapting to the changing world. We must understand that we are only borrowing the physical world. We are borrowing our own existence. For it is inevitable for all of us like all things to perish. So there is no excuse for us to act selfishly. We may have our own stuff to do or routines to do everyday in work or in school. But we must see the bigger picture. Why are we given life in this world in the first place? What is our purpose?

We should find our place in this world. This does not mean having to keep the sassiest facebook with all the flashy pictures of you and your exploits to show to the whole world. Sure, it marks your individualism to the world but does it really help build up your identity? Your identity can be fully realized in the participation with your society- as a member of your family, of your class, of your school, of your town, of your village, of your city, of your state, of your country, of your region and finally of your world, our world... the highest peak of realizing your identity. You must understand the world to know your place and actively participate in it. If we could all think openly, critically, fairly and generously, world peacc in cultural diversity is possible.

Why study globalization and development?

Human progress is inevitable for it is part of the evolutionary process of our species. Man's main natural advantage is his ability to think beyond. It is only human to wonder how, what and why things around us exist. Over the years, we get a better understanding of the mysteries of the works of the universe. And with this understanding, we gradually organized ourselves to make use of all knowledge. Throughout history, conditions have always been harsh. It may be scarcity of food or seasonal flooding that give rise for an opportunity to better organize in civilizations. With different problems, the human race has always sought for a solution. It is crucial to man's survival to keep order in any type of group for continuous growth in the economy, culture and security as the population rises. Thus, various political systems in different corners of the globe arose. These political systems in their own way, greatly contributed to the sciences, which their main objective is for military and political gain (as sign of prosperity) with their respective resilient leaders. Slowly, technology improved. Without the political will of the European leaders in the 17th century to test the the thought of the unexplored new world beyond, globalization would not be possible. However, harsh as it may sound, colonization of continents in the southern hemisphere followed. This is where the misunderstanding began.

Globalization started out as a villain that consumes the dignity of the natives of the lands that are rich in resources. It is safe to say that the main objective of the Europeans was not to make peace with the natives. It also was not because of God. Although religion played an essential part to politically control the natives. Europeans did this mainly for economic reasons. It was a race to get the most gold and spices for preserving meat. Then with more gold on their side comes military power because they have the means to fund their military exploits. This was the mercantilist doctrine.

The thirst for power always follows in every human achievement. Or every human achievement is driven by selfish reasons. Either way, globalization is human progress that makes things easier for our species. It is the glorified solution to all problems. As the world population grows, the laws of demand and supply in basic consumption becomes more complex with limited resources. Finding solutions to the production and distribution is essential for survival in the modern world. Globalization is the solution. Globalization is an ongoing process of moving information, goods and services across national borders (Eitzen, Zinn, 2006). World trade is now possible but people are still boxed with the old notion (where globalization started) of mercantilism, that world trade is the new kind of colonization.

By the definition alone, it is the most important thing that happened to human kind. For emotional and social beings, the ability to connect with people in the other side of the world is ground breaking. However, social problems are magnified even more by globalization. Poverty, human rights violations, war and abuse of power have always been part of human history. The situation was a lot worse before although simpler without the regard of current financial systems. The bad thing, after all the fuss about globalization is that these social problems have not been resolved. More issues emerge such as terrorism, cultural identity, energy and global warming.

It is better not to scorn but to understand globalization to deal with these. With a global platform to cooperate and coordinate with other nations, we can overcome these problems. However, we are still our own enemies. We shall not blame imports and expats for causing the downturn of economies. Inefficient governments and inefficient institutions and structures are to blame. Without corruption not only in government but also in businesses and society, the positive effects of globalization can be felt.

Man as a political creature always seeks for what benefits him. Problems of the world are artificial. Mankind destroys itself. If we keep our minds closed, we would not bridge the misunderstanding across borders. With misunderstanding, the process of globalization is ineffective. We should open ourselves to the world for we are all sharing and living in only one planet. Globalization is still in its early stages. I believe that if we all understand it, we could work around it to better improve our ways so that we could reap all the benefits. We could know our place in the world. Naturally, there is always a price for attaining something good. But we could help minimize it; thus, human development of all nations is possible.

I believe that we are in the golden years of globalization if we have found a global solution to global warming. I know we can make it there because I believe in the human spirit. We can learn and adapt as we did in the past.