(Article I did about the economy for the Dakota Student.)
People are looking at the recent sub-prime mortgage crisis in a very serious light. Some people are on the verge of losing homes, spending their savings and jeopardizing their futures, but why?
Lets look at the American economy. We are a capitalist economy and proud we're of it. But should we be? The definition for capitalism is: an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market.
Capitalism works, but only in an honest system. Capitalism is the embodiment of the liberal ideal (conservatives don't be afraid of the word liberal). It allows Americans to come from nothing and literally make themselves into something. But problems arise. The problem of the sub-prime mortgage crisis came out of unregulated adjustable rate mortgages that didn't give people a safety valve when it bit them in the caboose. Usually that safety valve comes from regulation, but regulation in a capitalist society means less money. The term "less money" is poison to corporation's ears, because it regulates how much money they can take from the citizens.
Conservatives claim that we shouldn't have regulations and that we should have a free market. Health care is a big issue in that it involves how the market should be influenced. Straight from the presumptive nominee's Web site: Promote competition throughout the health care system - between providers and among alternative treatments. This is the sentiment in the Republican camp. Just let the market decide.
Yes they said "The Market". The market that showed Bear Stearns at $2 a share, which not three months ago (as of January of 2007) was at $172 a share. You think that is a market you can predict, let alone trust?
Now you may think "Mr. Writer/liberal yahoo, if you're so smart why don't tell us how to fix it." Now if I was pretentious I would tell you an convoluted answer that doesn't make sense. Truth is I don't know the answer and for someone like me, that is OK to say. But people who know more about this thing than I do, like economists (definition: professional numbers people) are predicting a possible "Great Depression".
These are people who have spent their lives looking at the rises and drops of the NYSE (the thought is which is, quite frankly, absolutely appalling). For someone who has already reconciled in the fact that he will have no money when he is old (because the greatest generation decided to get freaky with their stipends in Bora Bora) I am really worried.
I'm worried because it's a scary time right now. People are saying that this is just a confidence thing. That "If people were more confident in the economy they would go out and spend money," but it's more than that. President Bush says the economy is going through a tough time, because he can't tell the American people "I have no idea what's going to happen." This is much larger than a confidence issue with the market. People don't want to spend money, because gas prices are going up, housing prices are dropping and the market is the equivalent to a bizarro world. They can't spend money in the market because they don't understand it.
This happens in a capitalist economy. The sky is the limit when it comes to expansion and profit, but the opposite is also true. I can't say that there is one thing we have to do to fix the problem, but I do know that it is a bigger issue than just the sub-prime mortgage crisis. We have to reevaluate American ideals or suffer the possible consequences of another depression.
Link to article.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
The non-useful purpose of Black History Month
(Article I did about Black History Month for the Dakota Student.)
February brings us Black History Month. Since it's inception in 1926 (when it was originally called Negro History Week) it has strived to spread awareness about African American history. But as time passes is Black History Month still serving it's purpose?
The idea behind Black History month was to raise awareness about black history in a time when it was hardly being discussed. This not only served to spread racial awareness of past prejudices, but also to inform the public of black history that wasn't being told.
The founder of Negro History Week, Carter G. Woodson, said that he looked forward to the time when it would not be necessary to set aside a "week" to call attention to the contributions of Negroes to the life of this country.
He fervently hoped that soon, the history of African Americans would become an integral part of American history and would be observed throughout the year. Later in his years he expressed the hope that Negro History Week would outlive it's usefulness.
So the question is, have we outlived its usefulness? If the effort of BHM is to create awareness of black history, and if we have done that, is there any reason to keep "celebrating" this holiday? And if there hasn't been a change in awareness, is there something else we could be doing that might raise overall awareness more effectively?
To me the whole month is superficial. What happens after February? Are we still allowed to celebrate black history, even though the U.S. Government didn't designate it? The effort shouldn't be focused on one month, because black history isn't just one month.
It seems that there is an unspoken agreement that our country can simply acknowledge a group of people for a month and forget about them for the rest of the year. This way, policy makers can simultaneously ease their guilty conscience over their lack of action to address the severe racial inequalities that still exist in our country, AND feel morally outraged (not to mention justified) when denying minorities who petition for redress the rights they are entitled to.
When we acknowledge someone of a different race by "celebrating" their heritage in some forced government ritual, we're actually celebrating the history of a minority, because they're a minority group. Instead, we should be celebrating their history because we're proud of that history and the diversity the group brings to the American experiment.
And this isn't only concerning BHM. Women, Jews, Hispanics, Asian, gay, elderly, and differently abled people all have a month.
What about American Indian Heritage Month? I bet you don't know which month that is. Some of them even have the same month! How will we ever decide which heritage to celebrate on a given day if they both use the same month?
Here is a crazy idea. Maybe we could get away from celebrating things on certain months and celebrate them year round? So instead of reading about George Washington Carver in February (because your teacher wants to pound some awareness in your head), why don't we read about him in March? Or maybe we could study Martin Luther King Jr. when it's not his birthday or in February.
As Americans we have to get away from the division of race and accept that we are all AMERICANS. Black History Month should be celebrated year round, because black history is AMERICAN history. And no you shouldn't feel bad for forgetting about BHM, because black history doesn't disappear on February 28 (29th if leap year), never mind what Al Sharpton might say, it's still around trust me. If we begin focusing on people because of their merits, we will know when we have a country that has true racial awareness. Then we won't need Black History Month anymore, because, in recognizing the beautiful diversity of our country, we'll finally have an American History year.
Link to article.
February brings us Black History Month. Since it's inception in 1926 (when it was originally called Negro History Week) it has strived to spread awareness about African American history. But as time passes is Black History Month still serving it's purpose?
The idea behind Black History month was to raise awareness about black history in a time when it was hardly being discussed. This not only served to spread racial awareness of past prejudices, but also to inform the public of black history that wasn't being told.
The founder of Negro History Week, Carter G. Woodson, said that he looked forward to the time when it would not be necessary to set aside a "week" to call attention to the contributions of Negroes to the life of this country.
He fervently hoped that soon, the history of African Americans would become an integral part of American history and would be observed throughout the year. Later in his years he expressed the hope that Negro History Week would outlive it's usefulness.
So the question is, have we outlived its usefulness? If the effort of BHM is to create awareness of black history, and if we have done that, is there any reason to keep "celebrating" this holiday? And if there hasn't been a change in awareness, is there something else we could be doing that might raise overall awareness more effectively?
To me the whole month is superficial. What happens after February? Are we still allowed to celebrate black history, even though the U.S. Government didn't designate it? The effort shouldn't be focused on one month, because black history isn't just one month.
It seems that there is an unspoken agreement that our country can simply acknowledge a group of people for a month and forget about them for the rest of the year. This way, policy makers can simultaneously ease their guilty conscience over their lack of action to address the severe racial inequalities that still exist in our country, AND feel morally outraged (not to mention justified) when denying minorities who petition for redress the rights they are entitled to.
When we acknowledge someone of a different race by "celebrating" their heritage in some forced government ritual, we're actually celebrating the history of a minority, because they're a minority group. Instead, we should be celebrating their history because we're proud of that history and the diversity the group brings to the American experiment.
And this isn't only concerning BHM. Women, Jews, Hispanics, Asian, gay, elderly, and differently abled people all have a month.
What about American Indian Heritage Month? I bet you don't know which month that is. Some of them even have the same month! How will we ever decide which heritage to celebrate on a given day if they both use the same month?
Here is a crazy idea. Maybe we could get away from celebrating things on certain months and celebrate them year round? So instead of reading about George Washington Carver in February (because your teacher wants to pound some awareness in your head), why don't we read about him in March? Or maybe we could study Martin Luther King Jr. when it's not his birthday or in February.
As Americans we have to get away from the division of race and accept that we are all AMERICANS. Black History Month should be celebrated year round, because black history is AMERICAN history. And no you shouldn't feel bad for forgetting about BHM, because black history doesn't disappear on February 28 (29th if leap year), never mind what Al Sharpton might say, it's still around trust me. If we begin focusing on people because of their merits, we will know when we have a country that has true racial awareness. Then we won't need Black History Month anymore, because, in recognizing the beautiful diversity of our country, we'll finally have an American History year.
Link to article.
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