How technology is changing our lives

Thousands of years ago early humans were already using technology to hunt, gather and harvest crops. Since those very first spears and axes, technology has developed very far. Today we live in a world where information travels almost instantly across the Earth. We are in a place where people can travel faster than the speed of sound and where we keep discovering new things and new ways to improve. 

New technology startups are being formed everyday and revolutionary technologies are being developed faster than ever before. Facebook recently bought the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset for two billion dollars after it had been a startup for only a short period of time. Google is building driverless cars which means that future generations may never need to learn to drive. Other companies like Tesla have developed electric sports cars that can go 270 miles in one charge.
Anyone can make a successful startup with a good idea and some hard work.  Well, no you need to be very lucky. You need to be able to betray your close friends and lie straight to peoples faces. You need to be willing to do many things to get your idea out there. Whether it includes sleepless nights or not spending any time with your friends and family, that is all part of the pack. With more and more technological advances it has become increasingly difficult to succeed. 

Humans but No Humanity

At least 120 people dead, 352 wounded, 99 of them severely. Six attacks shook Paris last night on Friday, 13^th November. 

17 people killed by a suicide bomber in Baghdad, Irak, on Friday at a memorial service for a militia fighter killed in batttle against the ISIS.

Suicide bombings in southern Beirut, Lebanon on Thursday 12^th, kiling 43 people and at least 239 wounded victims. 

What do all of these attacks have in common? They were all sanctioned by ISIS.

Close-mindedness and intolerance are our biggest enemies these days. ISIS is chasing after innocent people for the belief that they are right and have for “mission” to kill anyone who does not follow their radical ideals, forcing thousands of people to seek refuge in other countries and causing nations to live in fear.

Anarchism

With the current theme being "Freedom" at the Woluwe Independent, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at one of the most misunderstood and unknown political beliefs in the history of the Universe: Anarchism.

Anarchism is a political philosophy that believes societies should be self governed, and that no rules should exist that could limit one's personal freedom. As it is put by Noam Chomsky, a notable linguistic and political philosopher and activist, Anarchism is a "tendency in human development that seeks to identify structures of authority that constrain human development" and then subject them to a challenge: to justify themselves, and demonstrate they are legitimate, or otherwise accept "dismantling and reconstruction".

Windy Day

by Mélusine Gardey

The Economic Freedom of Today - (and the henceforth lack of one)

On March 9th 1776, Adam Smith officially published his Inquiry into the Wealth of Nations, or The Wealth of Nations for short. In this work, he examined how a nation’s wealth increased, decreased and behaved according to various social and political events and decisions. It is then that he first defined the term invisible hand from an economic point of view. Along with it he introduced the notion of a free market and supported the idea of having a free market. Almost 250 years on, does this notion of free market apply in today’s world?

Why We Should Help The Refugees

Since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, in 2011, four million people have left the country, looking for better conditions of life elsewhere. To this day, countries like Turkey and Lebanon, which are geographically located near the war-torn country, have received and helped the great majority of the refugees. But now they are coming to Europe, and it is time for us to make an important decision, that will change Europe, and very likely the world.