The Great White Switch

When looking back in history, it is clear that the Southern Whites made a complete 180 in their political stance in the 1900s. It is also true that the main reason for this is due to racial issues. All the Southern Whites were once Democrats. These Southern Democrats would do everything they could to prevent any Civil Rights legislation and they wanted to make sure Blacks received as little help as they could get. This was happening simply because Whites were protecting their interests, which at the time were holding their dominance over Blacks. Soon as these Southern Democrats became older, new Democrats came in, realizing that America needed a change which included bringing Blacks more rights. Now these Southern Whites had to find a new party to help conserve what they once had. Obviously, that opportunity rested in the conservative Republican party. The Republicans called for little change in politics and lawmaking, which would have prevented or slowed Black social growth. The Republican party also economically fit the Southern Whites' needs as well. After Ronald Reagan took power and put in his system of "Reaganomics," Whites were finally happy. They saw that this conservative outlook was perfect for them and finally they were unified as Republicans instead of Democrats. Unfortunately, all of this new Solid South was born from racial tensions.

Blowback

I think Chalmers Johnson brings up a good point in his essay. His views bring to light an idea that is unseen to many Americans. Sometimes, Americans go into other countries and get into their business. We are always interfering in foreign policy and coming to the aid of other nations. Many times we have also tried to tell a nation how it should be run. While we feel this is a good idea, many of these countries are completely against it. They may put up with it for a while, but soon they will be fed up and might want to retaliate. Johnson argues that almost all terrorist attacks against the U.S. are brought up by "blowback." Blowback is an old CIA term that means the unintended consequences of an action. Obviously, when the U.S. put troops in Saudi Arabia, they didn't want bin Laden to attack us. However, Americans need to open their eyes and take into consideration how the native people will react to our intervention. Blowback is almost always unavoidable, but also I believe you cannot just stay out of all foreign affairs. It is important to be active in foreign policy, but the US just needs to know when and when to not interfere. To sum it all up, America should continue to help other countries, but we must find ways to be more considerate to their wishes rather than ours. This way, blowback could be significantly reduced.

Joseph Nye Review

In Joseph Nye's essay Soft Power, he discusses the special type of powers the United States holds. The U.S. holds "soft power," the ability to get others to want the outcomes that we want rather than coerce them. This power is different from hard power, which is mainly an authoritarian way of getting what you want. Nye argues that the soft power relies on three things: the culture, political values, and foreign policy. The U.S. benefits from a universalistic culture. Many people from other places love American products and traditions which helps easily sway them. The U.S.'s general political values involve being allies with everyone we can and to bring peace. This too leads other nations to want to side with us. During the beginnings of the Iraq War, Britain joined with us, believing that we were fighting for a truly good cause. Also, Nye says that movies help countries understand our political values. American foreign policy also influences how we influence other nations. For many years, America has gone abroad spreading democracy. While many countries approve of this as it leads to a steady world order, it also angers many nations like Iraq who do not want any US involvement. Nye, however, argues that America's intentions are always good. Unfortunately, many foreigners believe that Americans are full of self-interest, and because of this, Nye says that Anti-Americanism has increased rapidly. Nye explains how soft power is very dependent on popularity, and that the U.S. will be weakened by the Anti-Americanism. Nye sums up his essay by saying that Americans must find a way to adapt to our institutions and find a way to balance hard power with soft power.

Welfare

Welfare is a program that is heavily debated in the United States. There are hundreds of thousands of Americans out there that need help. Some cannot find work, some people do not earn enough money at their current job, some cannot afford to pay for all of their children. There are hundreds of different reasons why people need welfare. Obviously, the money provided for the welfare program comes from our tax dollars. Many upper-class Americans don't want to "waste" their money on the welfare program. This is because there is a common belief that the welfare program is going to nothing. Many people don't even try to find a job because they can be lazy and still receive some government money. Some say that women will try to have children because they will get extra money. While for some people these statements are true, there are many more people out there working hard to get off of welfare. The majority of the people are trying to get a new job every day, taking classes, and being careful of how they spend their money. How can you just take away the money for these deserving people? If everyone simply understood that the welfare program was beneficial to many people, and that the money wasn't funding lazy and worthless people, then I think the welfare program could be even more successful today.

Does the media undermine the government?

The media is both good and bad for our government. First, the media is a great tool for Americans to use daily. The media keeps us up to date with all types of news as well as keeps us informed of all the popular issues of the day. Without the media, people would not know what to think and would not be aware of what is going on around them, especially in other countries or in other places in the USA. The media is definitely essential in everyones lives now, but, it still plays a somewhat disturbing role. The media, since everyone turns to it for their news and information, is able to frame the way they wants things to look. If the media wants someone or something to look bad, they can choose what stories they want to report and their attitude toward the news. For example, if a news station is against the Iraq War, they would report the number of Americans that were killed rather than the successes we have had during the day. Another example of media framing government is in the election process. The media can frame Barack Obama to be a national hero who is going to come into office and "rescue the nation," even though this may or may not be true. Also, the media can make up false stories to get people to believe something that is completely untrue, something that CBS did a few years ago when they made a false document that would have led people to believe that George W. Bush had the minimum amount of military service. The media could have ruined the election for George W. Bush even though the reason would have been a lie. Also, the media can call for certain reforms to be made, which leads the population to cry out for these reforms as well. The bailout bill was heavily covered by the media which caused many people to become interested in it. There was great pressure by the media and the people for Washington to pass the bill quickly. Only time will tell if this was a good decision or not, but either way, the media played an enormous role in creating it. It is very clear that the media plays an important role in our society. I am not sure that media undermines government, but it definitely plays an important role in what our government does.

Does Voting Matter?

In modern times, many people question the importance of voting. Some wonder if voting even matters at all. People hear on the news that one particular candidate is in a clear lead, and so they won't vote for their candidate because they think he will lose. Voting is definitely important. First, America needs as close to 100% participation in order to achieve the highest approval. If only 50% vote, that means that only have of the country's opinions will be accounted for. If only 25% of the country gets what they want, there will be many angry Americans. Also, if no one votes for a losing candidate, then there shouldn't be an election at all. The reason that candidate might lose is because everyone gives up on him. If everyone who supports him comes out to vote, then that candidate has clearly a better shot at winning. Voting is very important in America. Despite the popular belief that your vote doesn't count, voting is still essential. Everyone in America should vote because it does matter.

Bush and the Bailout Bill

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081003/ap_on_go_co/financial_meltdown

At long last the bailout bill has passed... but if George W. Bush meant anything to Congress could it have been completed faster? The answer, in my opinion, is yes. In about a month a new election is going to take place, meaning Bush's power is soon to be at and end. Also, it is a well known fact that Bush's approval rating in America is one of the lowest in U.S. history. To add to it all, Congress is a Democratic majority now. Why should Congress listen to Bush? About a week ago George Bush addressed the nation on the severity of the crisis and requested that Congress act quickly to pass the bill. Instead of getting Congress pumped up to quickly pass the bill, Congress took their time as they reluctantly amended the bill in conference committees. As it says in the article, Bush warned America of the worst economic depression since the Great Depression, and yet still he could not get Congress to act swiftly. This, without a doubt, has to do with his lack of approval, respect, and credibility in Congress. If this was seven years ago, I would not be surprised if the bill was completed within two days of Bush's speech. Bush's main role in the bailout bill was signing his name in order to pass it; other than that he was essentially a lame duck.