2022.1.25

     The first topic was the UK Media and its manipulation. BBC is one of the most popular media in the world. However, as it is governmental broadcasting, it always takes the position that is best for the British government. A good example is BBC Weather Map on the run-up to the 1979 Scottish Devolution Referendum. Scotland was becoming a more independent country and the British didn't really like it. Therefore, they squished Scotland and tilted part of the world map to made it look smaller on the map so that they can claim that independent countries can not be small. I believe this shocking fact would be recognized more if it happened now, as people can easily share information on media manipulation. There was one point that connects with last term’s learning. Having other countries related to the media can figure out the problem of manipulation. In this case, too, the map was fixed when BBC outsourced the job of the world map to Holland. Moreover, we learned how most media are run by England and most of them support pro-union or staying neutral. I quite agreed with how Mr.Paterson described this situation as "1984" by George Orwell. It invites the unification of ideas which can be dangerous. I am curious how the public's opinion had been changing through the spread of SNS.

     The second topic was how the sea boundary can be changed. Countries’ border is a very sensitive topic and it becomes even more complicated when there is the ocean and continental shelf around. Having an ocean means that the country owns the right to control the water. Japan also has a lot of problems regarding island ownership too. England moved the border several times in order to get oil in Scotland, and the part of the ocean is called the “The area of uncertainty". It was shocking to know that the sea boundary can be changed, again and again, that is seriously not okay. It can lead to a relationship problem, and people might throw hate at each other considering how much benefits that part of the ocean can give. I am not very sure about how the laws are in the United Kingdom, but in Japan, high seas, territorial waters, contiguous waters, and exclusive economic zone are clearly defined. I would like to England's claim as well and consider this topic more deeply.

     Lastly, from this class, I became more aware of the independence of Scotland. Considering that independence will make Scotland the 10 richest countries in the world, I believe it is clear that independence can give out huge advantages to the country. I learned that Scottish National Party (SNP), a regional political party advocating independence from Britain, won the parliamentary election so I hope the situation will change soon.