Friday, June 6, 2008
Current Events Reflection
Over the past year I have been working with articles that dealt with the domestic policy of events around the world. I feel that I have learned a lot about current events, even though at times it was difficult to find articles that related to the topic of domestic policy. Writing summaries and connecting articles to one another was a huge part of how I understood what was going on in each country. Prior to tagging articles and writing up summaries, I basically had no knowledge of nearly half the articles that I found. Honestly, I would still have no knowledge if it wasn't assigned to do so. I probably will still read the news, but I will definitely not write summaries of the things I learned :) . A lot of the news that I found was very different from the daily life of America. I found myself reading about more violence and horrible, poor conditions people lived in. If I ever had to do this project/assignment again, I would consider more sources than just the BBC. Being one to not keep up with history/politics/current events, I didn’t mind doing this project. As for the requirements that the project held, everything was fine. The only thing that I felt didn’t succeed was trying to make a Wikispace with our group members. Even though we began to use the Wikispace, it did not go over to great (and was not used as much as it was probably intended.)
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Chapter 33: B
Conservative Policies Under Reagan and Bush
Goal: Stimulate the economy
1. Cut government spending on social programs and lowered income taxes.
Result(s)-> Benefits for middle class-urban mass transit, food stamps, welfare benefits, job training, Medicad, school lunches, and student loans. Lowering income tax drove down prices greatly.
2. Increased military spending
Result(s)-> Defense budget almost doubled.
3. Names conservative judges to the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
Goal: Promote traditional values and morality
Result(s)-> Ended the liberal control over the court that had begun under Franklin Roosevelt.
Goal: Reduce the size and power of the federal government
5. Cut the Environmental Protection Agency budget and appointed EPA administrators sympathetic to business.
Result(s)-> deregulation, the cutting back of federal regulation of industry, increased competition and often resulted in lower prices for consumers.
Supply-side economics- thoery that if people paid fewer taxes, they would save money. Banks could then loan hat money to businesses, which could invest the money in resources to imrove productivity and lower prices.
Sandra Day O'Connor- appointed to the Supreme Court as a judge by Reagan. She was the first woman to be appointed to the court.
William Rehnquist- Becam the first woman on a major party's presidential ticket (from New York).
Geraldine Ferraro- the most conservatice justice on the court at the time, to the position of Chief Justice.
Goal: Stimulate the economy
1. Cut government spending on social programs and lowered income taxes.
Result(s)-> Benefits for middle class-urban mass transit, food stamps, welfare benefits, job training, Medicad, school lunches, and student loans. Lowering income tax drove down prices greatly.
2. Increased military spending
Result(s)-> Defense budget almost doubled.
3. Names conservative judges to the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
Goal: Promote traditional values and morality
Result(s)-> Ended the liberal control over the court that had begun under Franklin Roosevelt.
Goal: Reduce the size and power of the federal government
5. Cut the Environmental Protection Agency budget and appointed EPA administrators sympathetic to business.
Result(s)-> deregulation, the cutting back of federal regulation of industry, increased competition and often resulted in lower prices for consumers.
Supply-side economics- thoery that if people paid fewer taxes, they would save money. Banks could then loan hat money to businesses, which could invest the money in resources to imrove productivity and lower prices.
Sandra Day O'Connor- appointed to the Supreme Court as a judge by Reagan. She was the first woman to be appointed to the court.
William Rehnquist- Becam the first woman on a major party's presidential ticket (from New York).
Geraldine Ferraro- the most conservatice justice on the court at the time, to the position of Chief Justice.
Chapter 33: A
A Conservative Movement Emerges
1. Individuals
William F. Buckley, Jr.- Founder of newspapers: The Wall Street Journal and Nation Review.
Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson- Two of the most influenced telecangelists (formed an organization called the Moral Majority, which interpreted the bible in various ways.)
Ronald Reagan- Won the 1980 nomination and chose George H. W. Bush as his running mate.
Barry Goldwater- the Republican candidate for president (1964).
2. Groups and institutions
New Right- focused its energy on controversial social issues (opposing abortion, blocking the Equal Rights Amendment, and evading court ordered busing.)
Conservative Coalition- an aliance of business leaders, middle-class voters, disaffected Democrats, and funamentalist Christian groups.
3. Issues and interests
-New rights critized the affirmative action, which required employers and educational institutions to give special consideration to women, African Americans, and other minority groups.
-Reverse discrimination was seen, which was the favoring of one group over another on the basis of race or gender.
-Supreme Court decisions on abortion, pornography, the teaching of evolution and prayer in public schools, all concerned conservative voters.
Four factors that contributed to Ronal Reagan's victory:
-Skills at simplifying issues and presenting clear answers-> titled the Great Communicator.
-Commitment to the military.
-Economic strength.
-"One of their own"(true believer in less governmet, lower taxes, and traditional values.
Entitlement Program- a program that provides guaranteed benefits to particular groups.
Reverse Discrimination- favoring of one group over another on the basis of race or gender.
1. Individuals
William F. Buckley, Jr.- Founder of newspapers: The Wall Street Journal and Nation Review.
Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson- Two of the most influenced telecangelists (formed an organization called the Moral Majority, which interpreted the bible in various ways.)
Ronald Reagan- Won the 1980 nomination and chose George H. W. Bush as his running mate.
Barry Goldwater- the Republican candidate for president (1964).
2. Groups and institutions
New Right- focused its energy on controversial social issues (opposing abortion, blocking the Equal Rights Amendment, and evading court ordered busing.)
Conservative Coalition- an aliance of business leaders, middle-class voters, disaffected Democrats, and funamentalist Christian groups.
3. Issues and interests
-New rights critized the affirmative action, which required employers and educational institutions to give special consideration to women, African Americans, and other minority groups.
-Reverse discrimination was seen, which was the favoring of one group over another on the basis of race or gender.
-Supreme Court decisions on abortion, pornography, the teaching of evolution and prayer in public schools, all concerned conservative voters.
Four factors that contributed to Ronal Reagan's victory:
-Skills at simplifying issues and presenting clear answers-> titled the Great Communicator.
-Commitment to the military.
-Economic strength.
-"One of their own"(true believer in less governmet, lower taxes, and traditional values.
Entitlement Program- a program that provides guaranteed benefits to particular groups.
Reverse Discrimination- favoring of one group over another on the basis of race or gender.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Chapter 31: i (section 3)
Culture and Counterculture
1. Members or participants
Members of the counterculture were known as hippies. Hippies wore ragged jeans, tie-dyed T-shirts, military garments, love beads, and Native American ornaments. Most of the memebers were youths who left school, work, or their home. This era was marked by rock 'n' roll, crazy clothing, sexual license, and illegal drugs.
2. Beliefs about American society
Hippies shared many of the same beliefs and felt that American society and its materialism, technologies, and war had grown hollow. The main idea of this group was to maintain peace and harmony.
3. Goals for society and for themselves
The goals for society and for themselves that the hippies had in mind were to make the community and country of America full of peace, love, and harmony.4. Movement center
5. Attitudes and activities
For a while the countercultures were all about peace and harmony but then gradually gave way to violence and disillusionment. People began to use a lot of drugs and became homeless, therefore many people started living on the streets.6. Violent episodes
Once drugs came into every day use many people began to fall apart. One by one people would become addicted to drugs and they began to have mental breakdowns. This behavior led to a lot of violence, which was ironic to the countercultures goals to create peace, love, and harmony.
7. Impact on art and fashion
This time period had an impact on art and fashion because the rise of pop art flourished the community. Pop art was categorized by bright, simple, commercial-looking images from everyday life.8. Impact on music
During the 1960's the counterculture movement embraced rock 'n' roll. The music was an offshoot of African American rhythm and blues music. The most popular band that helped rock 'n' roll get its boost was the Beatles. With new uprising music more than 400,000 people went to festivals, one specifically called "Woodstock Music and Art Fair". This festival represented the '60s movement of peace and love.
During the 1960's the counterculture movement embraced rock 'n' roll. The music was an offshoot of African American rhythm and blues music. The most popular band that helped rock 'n' roll get its boost was the Beatles. With new uprising music more than 400,000 people went to festivals, one specifically called "Woodstock Music and Art Fair". This festival represented the '60s movement of peace and love.
9. Impact on mainstream America
America's mainstream/attitudes changed during this time period. The thought of "do you own thing" came into factor soon led to the sexual revolution (which was more casual and permissive sexual behaviors). Mass culture, including TV, books, magazines, and movies began to address subjects that one had been prohibited.
Chapter 31:C
The Farm Worker Movement
Why did the NFWA decide to organize a strike against Mount Arbor?
The NFWA decided to organize a strike against Mount Arbor because it was the biggest company. It had about 85 workers, not counting the irrigators and supivisors.
How did Chavez and Huerta try to keep the strike from being broken?
In attempt to keep the strike from being broken, Chavez and Huerta avoided picket lines in order to not break the strike and keep it strong.
Do you think that strikes and boycotts effectively promoted La Causa? Why or why not?
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Current Events Summary # 8
Middle East
In the Middle East, a lot of protests have been taking place. For example, in Egypt protests against economic conditions struck the nation. Though, police have been in the presence of most protests, making them fail. Many people working in a Spinning and Weaving Company found prices and wages too high, therefore they would spend their time, after their shifts, fighting to lower them. With all the strikes/protests going on, a great amount of public affairs were affected. For instance, for a while schools were cancelled because of fear that the streets were very dangerous. The government, in order to control this situation, had told police to use whatever tactic they need too; even if that came to using force/violence. The government showed zero-tolerance for this matter, not to mention strikes are illegal in Egypt (causing the government and the police to use even more force.) In all, people are fighting for lower prices on food and wages and their dissatisfaction has shined very much through the country. As a result, the Egyptian government has promised an increase in salaries and they have increased their financial support for food.
Note: While schools have been cancelled because of danger from strikes/protests in Egypt, children in Yemen were actually injured. Explosions/shells by unknown attackers missed the US embassy(which was thought to be the target) and hit a nearby school endangering kids and injury many.
While the discontent of prices of food and wages rising still take place, the people of Egypt are not interested in politics. Therefore this matter results in a low turnout in Egypt. The polls are being boycotted and local elections in Egypt have very small turnouts. Meanwhile, as time goes on. police begin to become more violent. Protesters claim that police used live ammunition to break up the strikes. With anger, protesters are torching buildings, tearing down billboards, and beginning to cause a lot of damage. Once again, the Egyptian government's power impacts the lives of the common people. Raising salaries and increasing the financial aid for food has been promised once again to the people in order to maintain control in the country without resulting in too much chaos that would not be able to be handled or injuries/death of the people.
In the Middle East, a lot of protests have been taking place. For example, in Egypt protests against economic conditions struck the nation. Though, police have been in the presence of most protests, making them fail. Many people working in a Spinning and Weaving Company found prices and wages too high, therefore they would spend their time, after their shifts, fighting to lower them. With all the strikes/protests going on, a great amount of public affairs were affected. For instance, for a while schools were cancelled because of fear that the streets were very dangerous. The government, in order to control this situation, had told police to use whatever tactic they need too; even if that came to using force/violence. The government showed zero-tolerance for this matter, not to mention strikes are illegal in Egypt (causing the government and the police to use even more force.) In all, people are fighting for lower prices on food and wages and their dissatisfaction has shined very much through the country. As a result, the Egyptian government has promised an increase in salaries and they have increased their financial support for food.
Note: While schools have been cancelled because of danger from strikes/protests in Egypt, children in Yemen were actually injured. Explosions/shells by unknown attackers missed the US embassy(which was thought to be the target) and hit a nearby school endangering kids and injury many.
While the discontent of prices of food and wages rising still take place, the people of Egypt are not interested in politics. Therefore this matter results in a low turnout in Egypt. The polls are being boycotted and local elections in Egypt have very small turnouts. Meanwhile, as time goes on. police begin to become more violent. Protesters claim that police used live ammunition to break up the strikes. With anger, protesters are torching buildings, tearing down billboards, and beginning to cause a lot of damage. Once again, the Egyptian government's power impacts the lives of the common people. Raising salaries and increasing the financial aid for food has been promised once again to the people in order to maintain control in the country without resulting in too much chaos that would not be able to be handled or injuries/death of the people.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
26b
Soviet Union:
Experiences During War: Suffered more casualties in World War II than any other Allies. Lost aproximately 7.5 million soliders. About 19 million civilians were killed and 25 million refugees were left homeless.
Emotions After War: Feared invasion from the West.
Needs After War: Gaining military and political control of Eastern Europe-way of creating a buffer from further attack.
United States:
Experiences During War: 405,000 soliders died during war, with no civilian casualties. This got the US out of the Depression and almost half of all the goods and services produced in the world came from the US.
Emotions After War: Feared totalitarian regimes that imposed their own systems on otherwise free and independent nations.
Needs After War: Contain communism was a diplomatic compromise between going to war again and stopping the Soviets from gaining any more power in the world that they already had.
25l
The War in the Pacific
April 1942, Bataan: Lt. Colonel James Doolittle led 16 bombers in the attack of a raid on Tokyo and Japanese cities. American spirits rose while Japans spirits dampened.
June 1942, Midway: Admiral Chester Nimitz, commander of American naval forces in the Pacific, moved to defend Midway (an island near Hawaii). The Americans sent torpedo planes and dive bombers to the attack. Japanese were caught with their planes on decks and by the end of the battle, the Japanese lost 4 aircraft carriers, a cruiser, and 250 planes.
August 1942, Guadalcanal: 19,000 troops stormed into Guadalcanal and the first Allied offesive began.
October 1944, Leyte Gulf: Japanese bombers threw their entire fleet into the Battle. This battle ended as a disaster for Japan. Within 3 days they lost 3 battleships, 4 aircraft carriers, 13 cruisers, and almost 500 planes.
March 1945, Iwo Jima:
June 1945, Okinawa: Allies and Japan. The fighting ended on June 21, 1945; more than 7, 600 Americans died. The Japanese lost 110,000 lives.
September 1945, Tokyo Bay:
The Science of War
July 1945, Los Alamos: Otto Frisch describe the first testing of the new bomb as a huge mushroom cloud that rose over the sesert as a "red hot elephant standingbalanced on its trunk." The bomb was successful; it worked.
August 1945, Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Enola Gay released an atomic bomb named Little Boy over an important Japanese military center (Hiroshima). Almost every building had collapsed and the city as well. Japans leader had yet to surrender and 3 days later another bomb, named Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki. By the end of the year roughly 200, 000 people died.
Planning and Rebuilding for Peace
February 1945, Yalta: Allied pushed toward victory in Europe. Roosevelt met with Churchill and Stalin at the Black Sea resort city of Yalta in the Soviet Union, where they toasted the defeat of Germany.
April 1945, San Francisco: Roosevelt's dream of a United Nations would become reality at an international conference that took place in San Francisco in April.
1945 - 1949, Nuremberg: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, 12 out of 24 defendents, that were Nazi leaders, were accused of crimes and were sentenced to death. The remaining men were sent to prison. Nearly 200 more Nazis were found guilty of war crimes.
Kamikaze: Or a suicide-plane involving the deliberate crashing of a bomb-filled airplane into a military target.
The Manhattan Project: The United States program developed an atomic bomb for use in World War II.
25g
End of Battle of Stalingrad
The soldiers fought in the Soviet Union since June 1941. For weeks the Germans went in on Stalingrad, taking over houses. By the end of the battle, defending Stalingrad, the Soviet Union lost 1,100,000 soliders. From this point on the Soviet began to move westward toward Germany.
End of Operation Torch
The Operation Torch was an invasion of Axis-controlled North Africa, commanded by American General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Landing in Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers in Norther Africa, were about 107, 000 Allied troops, mostly American. Moving eastward from this point they became victorious to Afrika Korps led by General Erwin Rommel.
Victory in Battle of the Atlantic
D-Day
The Allies gathered a force of nearly 3 million British, American, and Canadian troops, with a great deal of military equipment and supplies. The plan was to attack Normany in northern France. The code-name for the invasion was Operation Overload, which shortly after midnight, the 3 divisions parachuted down behind German lines followed by thousands upon thousands of seaborne soliders.
Liberation of Majdanek
The Soviets entered Majadenk in Poland seeing that they didn't enter a concentration camp, but a "murder house" instead.
Liberation of France
French soliders set Paris free from the Germans.
Capture of Aachen
Americans captured the first German town Aacehn in October 1944.
End of Battle of the Bulge
The Germans moved westward capturing 120 American GIs near Malmedy. Herding them into fields, the Germans killed them with machine guns and pistols.
End of Italian Campaign
VE-Day
The Allies celebrated "Victory in Europe Day" when the war in Europe was finally over. General Eisenhower accepted the surrender of the Third Reich.
Dwight D. Eisenhower -General and the Supreme Commander of United States Forces in
Europe.
George Patton - Leader of the third army that reached the Seine river south of Paris to liberate France.
Harry S. Truman - Became nation's 33rd President after Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945.
The soldiers fought in the Soviet Union since June 1941. For weeks the Germans went in on Stalingrad, taking over houses. By the end of the battle, defending Stalingrad, the Soviet Union lost 1,100,000 soliders. From this point on the Soviet began to move westward toward Germany.
End of Operation Torch
The Operation Torch was an invasion of Axis-controlled North Africa, commanded by American General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Landing in Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers in Norther Africa, were about 107, 000 Allied troops, mostly American. Moving eastward from this point they became victorious to Afrika Korps led by General Erwin Rommel.
Victory in Battle of the Atlantic
D-Day
The Allies gathered a force of nearly 3 million British, American, and Canadian troops, with a great deal of military equipment and supplies. The plan was to attack Normany in northern France. The code-name for the invasion was Operation Overload, which shortly after midnight, the 3 divisions parachuted down behind German lines followed by thousands upon thousands of seaborne soliders.
Liberation of Majdanek
The Soviets entered Majadenk in Poland seeing that they didn't enter a concentration camp, but a "murder house" instead.
Liberation of France
French soliders set Paris free from the Germans.
Capture of Aachen
Americans captured the first German town Aacehn in October 1944.
End of Battle of the Bulge
The Germans moved westward capturing 120 American GIs near Malmedy. Herding them into fields, the Germans killed them with machine guns and pistols.
End of Italian Campaign
VE-Day
The Allies celebrated "Victory in Europe Day" when the war in Europe was finally over. General Eisenhower accepted the surrender of the Third Reich.
Dwight D. Eisenhower -General and the Supreme Commander of United States Forces in
Europe.
George Patton - Leader of the third army that reached the Seine river south of Paris to liberate France.
Harry S. Truman - Became nation's 33rd President after Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Current Event Summary # 7
Throughout Nepal, a region located in South Asia, there has been an ongoing strike because the population believe they are being neglected. This strike, that has been struggling with the supply of fuel for the nation, is roughly one third of Nepal, also known as Madhesis. Within the two week period that the strike has been caring on, police officers have already killed people, due to the act of violence. The population of Madhesis have never seemed to have the power in political issues or representation. For that reason, the recent man who signed for cabinet minister, Mr. Mahato, asked for their own state within Nepal. That way the population would be able to regain control, without having problems with the government. Problems that have grown with the government and Madhesis' population is that the government has "collapsed" and it is "irresponsible." Due to the strike, there is a shortage of basic fuels across the country. To maintain some-what of a supply to Nepal, curfews have been set, because so much violence has been brought about the region. The main reason for the curfew is to allow tankers to come in and bring petrols and cooking gas from India for the population. As a result, the strike has not only affected the Madhesi and the domestic lives, but it has also affected hospitals and schools. This outroar shows a new sign of ethnics in Nepal and politics.
The ethnic Nepalese people from Bruhtan have also been involved in fires that destroyed a camp that sheltered many refugees from disasters. For many, many years this camp has been a home for over 100,000 ethnic Nepalese people. Roughly 60,000 of those people have now been given the chance to live in the United States. To shelters like this, emidiate attention has be aqquired. Aid agencies and the government has sent emergency food, water, and extra temporary shelter. Although, due to the use of bamboo for the huts, most of the shelters have been destroyed by fires. For the population of Nepal, the domestic population has not only been affected by the strike going on, but by the ongoing fires. The fires have taken away shelter and most of their personal belongings such as clothes, books, cooking supplies, and food. The fires have not been determined as accidents or acts of arson quite yet. One main resultant that the refugees have led to is moving to western countries.
In all, the government and other aid resources are making an attempt to make the life of the population that lives in Nepal a better way of living. The government has gone from dealing with strikes from the domestic population and accusations of arsons continually spreading throughout shelters of Nepal.
The ethnic Nepalese people from Bruhtan have also been involved in fires that destroyed a camp that sheltered many refugees from disasters. For many, many years this camp has been a home for over 100,000 ethnic Nepalese people. Roughly 60,000 of those people have now been given the chance to live in the United States. To shelters like this, emidiate attention has be aqquired. Aid agencies and the government has sent emergency food, water, and extra temporary shelter. Although, due to the use of bamboo for the huts, most of the shelters have been destroyed by fires. For the population of Nepal, the domestic population has not only been affected by the strike going on, but by the ongoing fires. The fires have taken away shelter and most of their personal belongings such as clothes, books, cooking supplies, and food. The fires have not been determined as accidents or acts of arson quite yet. One main resultant that the refugees have led to is moving to western countries.
In all, the government and other aid resources are making an attempt to make the life of the population that lives in Nepal a better way of living. The government has gone from dealing with strikes from the domestic population and accusations of arsons continually spreading throughout shelters of Nepal.
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