Mark Zuckerberg has outlined a series of measures that should help prevent fake news from being shared on Facebook. When the U.S. presidential election was held in November, misinformation was shared on Facebook. However, he think the idea that fake news on Facebook influenced the election in any way is a pretty crazy idea. His latest post makes clear that Facebook does not want to play the role of an editor. So, he did not say how quickly the measures would be in place. Facebook’s business model is to be used by fake news publishers.
Nowadays, not only mass communications but also SNSs are flooded with much information. However, the truth or falsehood of these information is dubios. As a matter of course, there is correct information, but there is mistaken information, too. So, we should have the ability to ascertain the truth of the information on SNSs. A recipient of information on the Internet need outstanding capacities.
Theresa May, UK prime minister, is heading to Brussels for her first EU summit to continue the argument over the government’s Brexit strategy. She desires “smooth, constructive, orderly” Brexit. Once Article 50 to launch Brexit talks, two years of formal negotiations will begin. Properly, the summit is not focused on the UK’s withdrawal, but the subject is still likely to loom large. Mrs May says that “hard work and goodwill” is needed on both sides to secure a smooth UK departure from the EU. Besides, she will stress that Brexit should work for the UK as well as the EU and reiterate that the UK is not “turning its back on Europe” by leaving. Donald Tusk, European Council president, said that the EU would not compromise on its insistence that freedom of movement will be a condition for Britain’s access to the single market.
I am opposed to Brexit because the disintegration of the world order will start war. Before the World War Ⅱ began, Japan, Germany and Italy seceded from the League of Nations and the existing world stability broke down. There is no doubt that a statesman should place priority on the national interest, but the world order is very important for their own country, too. I think that the UK should fully discuss this issue and, if possible, the EU should obstruct the Brexit. Then the countries around the world should cooperate with the UK and EU to solve this problem.
I believe that the Diet in Japan should introduce the single-chamber system in order to carry through political reform. At present, a two-chamber sysytem, the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, was introduced in Japan. I think that there are four reasons to introduce the single-chamber system.
Firstly, the single-chamber system is able to efficiently deliberate on the subjects for discussion and quickly determine the measures. The Japan of today, after the bill or reform plans are passed in the House of Representatives, they are carried in the House of Councillors. However, it takes too much time to determine and execute the measures in Japan. If the single-chamber sysytem is introduced in Japan, it will be necessary to pass the bill or reform plans in only one House. Then, it will be possible to determine and execute the measures in a brief moment of time.
Secondly, the legislative impasse is solved by the single-chamber system. The House of Councillors is granted strong veto power in Japan. Even if the bill is passed in the House of Representatives, it may be rejected in the House of Councillors. In that case, no matter how good the bill is, the House of Councillors may kill it and the policy of a party may damage the national interest. If the single-chamber system is introduced in Japan, the unnecessary discarded plan will be solved. Then, the good bill will be readily passed and the reform will advance.
Thirdly, the single-chamber system cuts down expenses in government. It takes a great deal of money to sustain the House of Councillors in Japan. However, the Japanese Government needs much money in the different fields, for example, a reform of the educational system, social security, measures to stimulate employment, economic measures and a guarantee of military security. In addition to that, the present Japanese Government is deep in debt. If the House of Councillors is abolished, it will be able to yield much money to take decisive action to execute a reform or pay off the national debt. And then, forcing through a reform and putting the finances on a healthy footing will become possible.
Lastly, the single-chamber system is able to simplify the legislative process. The two-chamber system’s legislative process is very complicated because the system needs the unity of will between the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. However, the vorious parties belong to the both Houses in Japan. So, it is very difficult to unify their will in the Diet. If the single-chamber system is introduced, it is very easy to consolidate their purpose in Japan. If so, it is very easy for an ordinary citizen to understand the legislative process.
In conclusion, the single-chamber system will bring many benefits. Many developed countries intoroduce it. So, Japan should introduce the single-chamber system.
U.S. officials say the Pentagon will lift its ban on openly transgender service personnel nextmonth. The former regulation is outdated and harmful to the military. The reform has been forced through by Eric Fanning, the U.S. Army Secretary. In the past, the U.S. military ended its ban on openly gay and lesbian service personnel in 2011. The latest repeal would require each branch of the U.S. military to implement new policies including recruitment, housing and uniforms for transgender personnel. However, some people insist that the explanation is insufficient. Estimates by the National Center for Transgender Equality say up to 15000 transgender people serve in the U.S. military.
I think that it is very important to recognize the diversity in the armed forces. Especially, the U.S. is a salad bowl of races. Recognizing the diversity is indispensable because the U.S. military can maintain the military capability. However, the reception of the diversity may give rise to the discrimination. Discipline is strict in the army, so the discrimination will reach a crisis. This problem is controversial.
President Barack Obama visited Hiroshima and laid a wreath at the arch memorial built to remember the dead and injured. Obama is the first American president to visit Hiroshima while in office. He told people that death fell from the sky and the world was changed. He then met briefly with two survivors, Sunao Tsuboi and Shigeaki Mori. He talked about the horrors of war and the need to work toward a world without nuclear weapons. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that this tragedy must not be repeated again we should realize a world free of nuclear weapons. Some Americans objected to Obama’s visit to Hiroshima because they thought that his visit was disrespectful to U.S. veterans who fought in the war. However, 70 percent of Japanese wanted Obama to visit Hiroshima. The atomic bombs led to two things. First, they killed a lot of people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Secondly, the bombings brought an end to the Second World War. Since Japan surrendered less than two weeks after the attacks, Japan has developed with the help of the United States.
I think that it is very significant for the incumbent president of the United States to visit Hiroshima. Certainly, he did not make a formal apology to Japanese for dropping an atomic bomb, but visiting Hiroshima for its own sake is very important. In the matter of the evaluation of the bombings, I agreed to dropping an atomic bomb. There are two reasons. Firstly, if the United States did not drop an atomic bomb, Japan did not dicide to surrender lengthily. So, there may be more victims than now. Lastly, people will not use an atomic bomb since the end of the Second World War. Ironically people do not understand a fear of nuclear weapons without using them. I want Obama to make an effort to realize a world without nuclear weapons after he step down from the president.
On April 13, an armed group, Al-Qaeda of Islam Morocco-Algeria-Tunisia(AQIM), attacked on three hotels and 18 people died in south Cote d’Ivoire, Grand-Bassam. AQIM, which is the international terrorism organization of Al-Qaeda, took out a claim of responsibility. In the Grand-Bassam, historical streets at the former capital of the French colony age are left and the city is registered as the world’s cultural and natural heritage of UNESCO. The beach was popular among Westerners, so many tourists were visiting there. In the South African countries, the event which many exclusive hotels are attacked by armed groups since last year and it is thought that AQIM participate in these crimes.
These days many acts of terrorism are performed by international terrorist groups. The world people are feeling uneasy about the terrorism. The world people, especially western people, think that the terrorism is due to Middle East Islamic people. However, I think that the terrorism has its source in not being able to understand the difference in culture. So, people should talk over the difference to understand each other. People do not know about Islam and Christianity completely. It led to the terrorism. Talking over their culture with world people is a fantastic story, but it is important thing in the world today.