Fall Reading

For my fall reading book I attempted to read Hiroshima. Although the book was very interesting I found that we didn't have a deadline so it was hard to finish on our own, or enough time to read it in class. I think the idea of a full year history book is a good one, but I just ended up forgetting about it. What I did read (about 100 pages) was very interesting and showed the true consequences of World War Two. The book follows about seven people ranging in age and nationality that were directly affected by the atomic bombs in Japan. The book jumps from character to character giving a well rounded picture of exactly what happened before during and after the bomb. From an American perspective this book is very valuable as it shows the result of the bomb and brings to light ethical considerations of atomic bombs.

The Price of Segregation

Segregation is known in history as the time period in the US where "Separate but equal" was the law of the land. Schools, pools, restaurants and other establishments had a white version, and a black version. Often the black version was far underfunded, and in need of repair. Despite the stark differences between white and black establishments, blacks were gaining a share of the market. The black middle class was expanding, rapidly. The literacy rate was rising and so were white collar jobs. Much of this can be attributed to the migration to the cities, especially the northern cities during this time. Despite blacks progress in the economic realm, their were still at the bottom of the social latter. This inconstancy was very expensive for the American economy. Often blacks would boycott establishments that did not hire blacks. In a city like Birmingham were blacks were a significant portion of the population there were major economic implications. Blacks had the ability to force change through economic tactics. During this time blacks had massive buying power in the housing market, many of them had expanding families and the need for typical suburban housing was large. However due to an increased prevalence of racism in the suburbs, blacks had to settle with old city housing, usually vacated by the white families now living in the suburbs. This reusing of housing is good for the environment, but not for the economy. The black population did not significantly attribute to the housing boom of the 1950's and 60's. The total effect of segregation on the economy is hard to calculate, but what is known is that many businesses, markets and cities were greatly economically damaged by segregation. 

EdCafe

For my Edcafe topic I researched the atom bomb. I discovered loads of information about the trinity test, purifying uranium, and the massive cost of the project. I shared my information with my fellow classmates in a group of about five. What I love most about the Edcafe is that my learning did not stop when my research was done. In the group that I was leading we discussed the long term affects of the bomb. People shared their views on the morality, the affect and the consequences of the Atom Bomb. My views and opinions about the topic were opened up by the people who I was supposed to be teaching. My learning did not stop when my session was over. The other groups that I attended gave me even more information to think about. I learned a great deal about Hitler's attempted invasion of Russia. The Blitzkrieg and other Germany tactics. I was able to ask questions, have discussions, and most importantly learn more for the sake of learning. This peer to peer type of learning suits me very well. I love discussions and being able to ask and answer questions broadens my knowledge base and solidifies what I already know. Edcafes are a really good way of covering a multitude of different topics from the same time period. Everything was related in some way and learning about so many aspects of World War Two in a discussion based setting really strengthened my historical knowledge and confidence.

The Power of Propaganda

Propaganda was an extremely powerful tool used by both the Allies and Axis in the run up to World War Two. In United States, propaganda was uses to show the injustice, to prove that the enemy was real. Propaganda in Germany was used to show military might, to draw together the country, in order to best fight the Nazi's enemies. Why We Fight and Triumph of the Will are perfect examples of the difference between the two types of propaganda. Why We Fight showed the American people the terrible crimes against humanity that the Axis was committing. It provided proof, depictions of how the Axis powers were fighting against freedoms. The invasions of over a dozen countries by Italy, Germany, and Japan. It should the massacring of peaceful and sovereign countries.  Triumph of the Will is the antithesis of proof based propaganda. It depicted the German people and military power for no apparent reason but to increase nationalism. This may be good at times, but no reason was given for the nationalist rhetoric, alluding to more dubious plans. This is what sets the two forms apart. The US used propaganda to educate the population, where as Germany used its propaganda to narrow the vision of the population.

Depression 2.0?

The Great Depression, will be a prominent chapter in US and world history text books for years to come. It affected nearly all countries and would retard global economic growth for many years. The question is, can there be another economic collapse of such magnitude in the future? With the recent global recession, questions of a possible depression in the future have been circulating, is it really possible for history to repeat itself? To possibly find an answer to this question we need to look at two key elements, economic reform passed after the great depression and economic stability during the rest of the 20th century and our current political climate, not economic climate. Economic stability has increased since the great depression. Reforms made in response to the Great Depression and in the decades after helped solidify America's economic stability. After the Depression, GDP began a steady upward trend (Wikipedia). When it did waver, it was during short recessions and bubble bursts, such as the Dot Com bubble. The American economy quickly rebounded from these dips and the markets continued on their upward trend. Economic reform and stability during the 20th century seem to the stage for a positive American economy in the future. The positives that these aspects bring to the equation are strongly negated by the current political climate of the US. The current recession is not an odd ball in history. Dips in a free market are to be expected and are always reciprocated by times of success. What is unsettling is nearly all levels of American government are permeated by the same infection. The inability to function. Congress has yet to pass a budget since 1997 (prospect.org). The US's credit rating was downgraded in 2012 not because our national debt was to outpace our national GDP. It was because credit rating agencies did not believe that the US government provided a stable environment to invest in. With every new season, there is another round of political squabble trying to fix everything at the last minute. Raise the debt ceiling, prevent government shutdown, the sequester,  the government is taking the American people for one hell of a roller coaster. Its like a business that has an ineffective board that can't agree on anything. Who wants to invest in a company that can't internally agree? Let alone pay its debts in a timely manor. This is the aspect that troubles me the most. The political climate we live in today is extremely volatile and could result in a myriad of economic consequences. Extrapolating from the rest of the 20th century, an economic collapse of equal magnitude to the Great Depression is unlikely. Extrapolating from the last five years? It seems unstettlingly possible that an economic collapse on par with that of the 30's could occur. The question still remains, which of these factors is weighted more, the 20th century, or the past five years? Only the future will know.

An Over Optimistic America

My original opinions on the American dream still hold true, that America is a great country, and complete fulfillment of our dreams is still very much with in our reach. I think the problem is, is that that's the problem. I often have a quite cynical view of American society at large, so forgive me if I sound harsh. This problem with the American dream is that at one point it was extremely obtainable for most. During times of great prosperity  American dreams are coming true left and right. As it begins to become the norm for American dreams to be fulfilled, people begin expecting their own dream to come true. This isn't a rant on how American's are lazy, it is just that natural when we see the norm to be people prospering, we expect that average effort will make our dreams come true. What we don't see is the effort put in to achieve that American dream. It seems to be that times of American prosperity are often tied to the effort put forth to achieve the American dream. The more people lust for their dreams, and the more effort they put forth, the higher the chances of their success. Of course fluctuations in economic and social mobility have a multitude of other factors but, I think that the lust for the American dream also changes. In order to achieve our American dreams, we need not look to other's and see how easy their success was, but look to our dreams. Focus on our own hopes and dreams and our chances of fulfillment will certainly increse

The American Dream

I have always thought that the American Dream is not a single belief, or goal that applies to everyone. It is what you want in your life, but the phrase highlights the fact that America is a country were it is possible for you to accomplish your dreams. I know it may sound cliche and idealist, but I think that America is a great country, you can say what you wan't be who you want to be with and best of all, make the change you want to see. The American Dream is simply what you want it to be, but in a place like America, it becomes far more accessible. I know that in this country  there is wrongful discrimination, laws that prevent people from accessing their American dream and cultural road blocks for some, but what is so great about America, is that you can change America to help fulfill your American Dream. Change is always occurring in America, and it is by the will of the people, not the government. So make what ever you want your American Dream to be, whether it be buying a house on the beach, having a family, or running for office, and know that you have your best chance at making this dream come true in America.