Fall Reading Recap

Considering the fact that on May 28th I am recapping a FALL reading is quite symbolic of my experience. To go into more detail, I chose Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut to read. I chose this book because in the past I have really enjoyed reading Vonnegut's works and was sure this would be another great choice. It did not come as a surprise that once again I was reading a book which I enjoyed, it also came as no surprise that I had absolutely no time to read this book. I rarely get to read for fun and when I do I prefer to just read the New York Times or something like that. The amount of work I have to do every night mixed with my busy lacrosse and work schedule left me stranded in the middle of the third chapter. That being said, I feel it would be inappropriate for me to recommend this book, however, I do recommend Vonnegut as an author and I am sure if I had found the time to finish this book I would have enjoyed it. Overall this was a difficult assignment to complete with our busy schedule, yet it did remind me of my interest for Vonnegut's works and will likely drive me to finish reading Slaughter House Five this summer.

Economic Strength during The Civil Rights Movement

During the Civil Rights Movement, between the 1950’s and 1960’s, Blacks used economic tactics to fight for equality. Protests like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the boycott of downtown Birmingham used peaceful protests to hit business owners’ pockets as well as to alter long standing government practices. During the 1950’s, 75% of the people using buses were black. Consequently, the majority of the income to the bus system and to the city came from black citizens. The realization of the vast economic impact blacks had, led to protests that hit the economy hard and left the desire for equality greater than ever before. In downtown Birmingham, blacks spent 4,000,000 dollars each week. The boycott of downtown Birmingham led by students from Miles College, Daniel Payne College, and Booker T. Washington Business College had a major impact on the economy of Birmingham. This protest was not meant to effect the government and lawmakers, but to effect business owners and those who elected officials who made change. By targeting these local owners, they were able to hit the people where it hurt and force them to compel their officials to make change. Economic tactics like these were vital to the Civil Rights Movement as a way of impacting those who could make the change and forcing them to assist in the fight for equality. As a result of non-violent actions like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the boycott of downtown Birmingham, new civil rights legislation was enacted, and black Americans were given the equality they deserved.

EdCafe

This time around I had a rather unusual EdCafe experience. Unlike most who chose a topic they knew little about, I chose a topic which I had spent the greater part of the third quarter researching. Due to my already in depth knowledge of my topic, I spent less time learning about my topic during the process and more time finding interest in other people's. Since I didn't have to worry about what I was going to say and how I would fill the time of my slot, I found myself with a greater attraction to other topics. I was more involved than I had previously been in EdCafe's and far more interested, thus leading to me taking more away than I could have imagined.

The most intriguing discussion I took place in was led by Ezra and addressed Nazism in Modern Germany. This topic began discussion on Neo-Nazism and what should be done in Germany to either allow or prevent its expansion. Although the original topic was rather interesting, where the conversation led was of greater benefit to my learning. We soon began to talk about learning form our mistakes in the past, and whether freedom of speech should apply to what we consider radical ideologies. This conversation was incredibly thought provoking, and those who took place in it brought ideas to the table I had never even considered. Of corse consensus was never reached in the brief time we had to talk about this topic, however, it was a great experience where ideas were tossed around and the group as a whole was able to learn about not only Nazism in Modern Germany, but about broader topics of freedom of speech and radical ideals.

By eliminating my topic, I felt I took away more than ever from this EdCafe with a renewed focus not to my own work, but to my ideas. Although I did not learn more about my topic, I think I took away more than ever from other people's EdCafe's, in a way which I could not have if I had been doing research on a topic I knew little about.

Propaganda

Propaganda is used in media throughout the world, presenting only one side of an argument in an attempt to influence an audience’s attitude in some way. Propaganda is a very important tool especially for the government. During World War II, all involved nations released propaganda in an attempt to raise support for their nation and support for the war. There are two main approaches in propaganda campaigns. The first approach is to promote an idea, doctrine, or belief in order to further one’s own cause. This was important for the Germans as they attempted to strengthen the nationalism of their country, showing how great it was and why they needed to defend their honor and nurture their xenophobic beliefs. The second approach taken was to influence the public’s opinion against the enemy. This was particularly important in the US during WWII so that the government could gain the support of the people and enter the war. The use of propaganda has always been a successful tactic in promoting a particular point of view and often times controversial issues or ideas.

For propaganda to be successful, it must be shared through a variety of media outlets and reach all people alike. Theo Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, used propaganda in his cartoons and books to support his strong, liberal, anti-fascist and anti-communist beliefs. Before his children's books were published and before his name was a house-hold word, his work was focused on cartoons, mostly of political nature. Geisel was a staunch democrat and strong supporter of FDR and the New Deal. In his work he supported many democratic ideals as well as America’s entry into WWII. His cartoons clearly illustrated the concept of propaganda, attacking fascist nations and showing the need for US involvement in that war. Geisel’s tactic was to promote Axis fallacies and mistakes, thereby influencing the public to see the deficiencies of their ideals and actions. Geisel used these tactics in hopes that US citizens could rally behind this propaganda and support US involvement in WWII. Wars can be won by propaganda, making it vital that the public supports the government’s decisions. Propaganda like Geisel’s helps nations clear away the fog on important issues and influences the audience to perceive a side of an issue in a manner that promotes the government’s agenda. 

Could an economic tragedy like the Great Depression happen again?

In the world we live in today, the complex global economy relies on confidence that buyers have in it to assure its success. In the case of the Great Depression, the confidence quickly vanished and the economy was left devastated. Recently in Cyrpus the economy has taken a major hit and people have been rushing to withdraw all their money from the banks because they have had a loss of confidence but if something so similar to the Great Depression is happening in Cyrpus why aren't we headed towards another Great Depression? In the past month, the Dow Jones has hit a record high and has been on an upward trend gained over 1000. Similarly the NASDAQ and S&P 500 have gained over 100 in the past month. These numbers show that clearly we aren't headed in the direction of another Great Depression, but why? After the Great Depression the world realized that everything needed to do be done to assure people's confidence and thus many programs and policy's were implemented to do so. Programs like the FDIC maintain the confidence of the public and when added to influential people who have studied the Great Depression extensively we can assure that we don't take a turn in the wrong direction. Many great philosophers have said that if we don't study history we shall repeat it. Since there have been so many extensive studies on the causes the Great Depression, it is safe to say we have learned from our mistakes and will be able to prevent an economic crisis the size of the Great Depression from ever happening again.

The American Dream 2

In this country founded by immigrants, the allure for people to immigrate to the United States, stems from the idea of the American Dream. The idea that anyone can come to America, and through hard work, become wealthy and successful stems from the idea of Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism is very simliar to the theory of natural selection, people who are wealthy and successful are that way because they deserve to be, those who are poor are that way because they don't work hard enough and thats the way they should be. This idea came about during the Gilded Age when the wealth gap was so large. Since the rich were so rich and the poor were so poor, the poor needed to find a way to increase their wealth, and decrease the wealth gap. This theory drove the American Dream to new levels, people worked harder than every to achieve success and prosperity, the very basis of the American Dream, the key factor in shaping the United States to become the way it is today.

The American Dream

What does the American Dream mean?

America is a country founded of immigrants, these immigrants came to the United States for many different reasons. Some came seeking freedom from oppression, others in hopes of improving their lives. Either way the American Dream attracted people to the United States, shaping the way our country is run. The allure of the American Dream derives from the intrinsic ethos put off by the United States, a promise of success and betterment of life, through better jobs and freedom from oppression, the very things this country was founded on.The hope of a better life, wether that be through better work, freedom from oppression, or simply a change in the life you were previously living. Either way the attraction to America stems from the American Dream, a promise of succes, prosperity, and a better life.