Daily Q: Presidents lieing

Do you feel like the president is honest with the American people? does he have to be?

I do not think the president is always honest with the American people. I think some are more honest then others. But they all lie at some point. George Washington told the truth even if it got him in trouble. Obama on the other hand has lied to the American people. While promoting Obamacare, Obama told Americans that they could keep their health insurance if they wanted to. That turned out to not be true for some. So Obama has definitely lied. Even "Honest Abe," whose majestic "Gettysburg Address" the nation commemorated this week, was a skillful liar, says Meg Mott, a professor of political theory at Marlboro College in Vermont. So overall the President will lie at least once in his presidency.

Current event: Obama Presidency

Evaluating Obamas Presidency

In Class we have been evaluating the past presidents presidency. So my current event is evaluating President Obamas Presidency.

Over all I think Obama has done pretty good.  He entered office with his country involved in two major wars and facing the biggest economic disaster since the 1930s. 

PROS

• Passed Health Care Reform.
• Passed the Stimulus which has produced nearly 7 MILLION Private-Sector Jobs
• Passed the Wall Street Reform after its practices caused the 'Great Recession.'
• Ended the War in Iraq, last troops pulled out December 18th, 2011.
• Killed Osama.
• Prevented the Collapse of our Auto Industry. Created 200,000+ jobs, and the 3 biggest of the Automakers have ALL gained Market Share for the first time in 2 decades.
• Separated Banks from the Student Federal Loan and expanded Student Pell Grant funding.
• Helped Veterans  by offering Tax Credits to any Business who hires any Veteran, thus increasing chances of Vets getting Jobs.
• Tightened Sanctions on Iran. In an effort to deter Iran’s nuclear program, signed Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (2010) to punish firms and individuals who aid Iran’s petroleum sector.
• Improved Food Safety System. In 2011, signed FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which boosts the Food and Drug Administration’s budget by $1.4 billion and expands its regulatory responsibilities to include increasing number of food inspections, issuing direct food recalls, and reviewing the current food safety practices of countries importing products into America.
• Expanded Health Coverage for Children. Using ONLY the Tax Increase on Tobacco Products, the Children's Health Insurance Authorization Act will provide Insurance for 4 Million more Children.

Daily Question: Trickle- down economics

Do trickle-down economics work?

     NO! The trickle down effect does not work due to the fact it makes the rich richer and the poor poorer, it only increases the gap between the two classes. It encourages the rich to be greedy. Also you can't continue to supply something that no one wants to buy. With supply-side economics, corporate taxes are lowered to form a greater amount of funds for creating jobs and increasing production, with services and prices then at a much lower price, therefore assuming that this would make those products more reasonable and so more people would be buying them. But, if the consumer simply doesn't want or have the ability to purchase these items, making more of them doesn't help.

Vietnam War Protest Songs

 "Imagine" by John Lennon

     After listening to "Imagine" by John Lennon, I think the lyrics were very anti-war. It was basically saying that he wanted peace and the world to be one. He wants us to imagine the world with nothing dividing us. The audience is getting the idea to go against the war. As well as spread peace. The emotions you get from this song is sad, hopeful, and wanting peace. Other meanings can be taken from the lyrics of this song. They are not just specifically talking about Vietnam. There are connections to counterculture in this song. One being that he said "They say I'm a dreamer. But I'm not the only one". Meaning that he wasn't the only dreamer like in the counterculture he was going his own way in his own type of society. He also seemed like a "Hippie".

  

Daily Question: Holocaust

Question: How did the holocaust affect those around it?

     The Holocaust affected many citizens around it. One way it affected Jewish beliefs was that they thought it was a test from god that they had to get through. But in reality is wasn't a test from god at all. It affected families too. Families were broken up and split apart. some children that got split apart from their family never got to see them again. Other families that did stay together struggled because of all the stress and all that was going on around them. It affected the culture because people could not be in their comforting culture with all that was happening.

Daily Question: evaluate President

Describe the main factors that matter to YOU when you evaluate a presidency as "good" or "bad"

There are many factors that I think are important when I evaluate a presidency.

• One is leadership. How well he was able to rally people behind him. And how well he lead our country. Also the ability to control or persuade members of Congress. The more leadership skills a president has, the more likely Congress will pass his policies. And his popularity, the ability to persuade people to do as he wishes.
• Second is the way he dealt with crisis's. Depending on how he managed economic crisis and international crisis is also a determining factor on weather he is good or bad.
•  Third is their accomplishments. What  they have accomplished during their presidency is big. If they got a lot done and really helped our country then they are probably a good president.
• Fourth is how they represent the U.S. and the people. If the U.S and its people are not represented well then that would be a big negative to the presidency.

Those are a few main factors I believe are important in evaluating a presidency. Other important factors but not as important as listed above are: How money was spent, foreign standings, what the economy was like during the presidency, the relationships with other countries and how he takes the citizens opinions.

Daily question: our age and politics

Do you think that your age group should know more about politics? why or why not?

     Yes, I think my age group should know more about politics. At the age we are now most of the people my age don't care much about politics. But it we are the future and if we don't start getting involved in the politics of our own country a lot could go wrong. We as citizens have an opinion and a say in our leader and our rights. If we don't pay attention to the politics that follow those important things we could choose a bad leader for our country and that could lead to many mishaps. It’s our responsibility to carry our country into the future and continue to be a great country. soon the older generations will be gone. so we need to step up and take responsibility. We are the future.

Memoirs of Nam Vet

Vietnam Memoirs

     I was drafted into the US army not too long ago. After finishing boot camp I was shipped to Vietnam straight into the front lines. I received an M16 rifle for medium range combat. We were warned about the Vietcong's tunnel system and traps. It's frightening that there could be a Vietcong soldier under you at any time. I have lost many friends and fellow soldiers throughout my service here in Vietnam. It's hard losing the people you become very close to. It is very nerve wracking to try and not fall into a Vietcong trap or get blown up by one. The South Vietnamese appear to be thankful for our involvement in the war. The North Vietnamese would surely beat South Vietnam without our help. I don't think this war is necessary, the US shouldn't be so involved in foreign affairs. 

Great Society affecting our culture today

THE GREAT SOCIETY
    The idea of "the great society" was to basically to create a utopia, in the past, utopias have tried to be accomplished before, but it has ended it is in a mess. 
The "Great Society" has affected lives today in many ways. One way it has effected us today, is back then civil rights (equality) was really pushed during this time, and has made it so that now, everyone is equal and there is no discrimination against any race or culture. Although there still is slight discrimination, it is no where near as bad as it was back then. Another way it has affected us today is the healthcare. Health care back then created Medicare and medicaid. The health care we have today was from the basic idea of health care back then. Now we have what is so called "Obama Care". The government is involved in our lives.

Norman Rockwell

1. I selected this picture because it looked interesting and caught my attention,
2. The way that the whole family is bowing to pray and respecting their religion.
3. The American values this picture might show are religion and society.
4. No it is not fair to judge this picture as generally representing American life because some Americans might not believe in the same things.
5. Core democratic values this is showing are personal freedom because they are able to pray to whom ever they want.
6. a. I believe that this painting might have changed American life because it might have influenced people to practice what ever religion they want. and to be their own person. 
7. My opinion about the U.S. is that we are good. Because we do what we want. as shown in the picture we are our own people.

Current Events: Pakistan peace talk

     Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the government's committee formed to hold talks with negotiators representing the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), during which the committee expressed its inability to carry forward peace talks.



Government Committee

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister House, the government committee briefed Nawaz Sharif and told him that during the 13-day process of talks several acts of violence took place killing a number of people.
The committee further said that the talks were progressing satisfactorily until the Taliban-claimed blast was carried out in Karachi on Feb 13. The blast had targeted a police bus near Razzaqabad.


Site of Police bus bombed

  

     One thing we learned so far in World History was about Hitlers peace talks. When he would talk to all the Germans and make his speeches sound good when they were actually bad. There was many acts of violence that took place after Hitlers speeches. The people didn't realize what they were getting themselves into. Hitler and his Nazi's killed many many people.

Hitler talking to his many people

       I related the 13-day process that followed the peace talk in Pakistan. The acts of violence and the killings of many people and linked it with Hitlers "peace talks" and the acts of violence and the killing of people followed as well.
     One of the obvious differences though was that the peace talk in Pakistan was a committee peace talk not a big speech in front of thousands of people like Hitlers was.