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.