My History class finished learning about World War 1 a couple weeks ago, and we had a test, part of which was an essay. One of the essay questions was "Do you agree that we (America) should have entered WW1? Why or why not". This blog post is going to be my answer to this question. Most of it will be directly from the essay I wrote, but I may expand or condense certain ideas to make sure my point gets across.
So, let's start by getting one thing out of the way. I absolutely do NOT agree the the United States should have entered World War One.
Why? Well, for starters, this war started as a small territorial squabble that exploded into an all out fight for domination in Europe. This dispute was none of our business. We had no good, valid reason to sail all the way across the Atlantic to tip the scale of a war, the outcome of which wouldn't really affect us. Yes, Americans in general are Anglo-Philes (Lovers of the English), therefore popular sympathy was with England and her allies. And yes, the German's use of unrestricted warfare was annoying, but they had good reason - we were feeding and supplying her enemies, helping England in any non-combat way that we could. The fact that America's trade interest was in jeopardy is a side effect of any war. We should have traded equally or not at all. The strong popular sympathy with Britain is understandable. We were, after all, British before we declared independance. However, I believe that this sympathy clouded the judgement of our leaders at the time. Would it really have affected America that much if Germany had won the war? I contest that it wouldn't have. Not to mention the consequences. I think that it is safe to say that the bloodbath of World War 2 would not have happened if America had minded her own business and stayed home. Hitler never would have been able to gain power if Germany had won World War 1 and millions of lives would have been saved.
Well, that is my opinion on this event in history. Now, it's your turn. Do the homework. Research World War 1. Read books about it. Google it. Think about it. Form an opinion. But make sure it's your opinion, something that you have thought of yourself, something that you believe in, something that you would be willing to stand for and by. Don't let it be something that someone has told you, even if you think it is right. Make sure you know it is right and can defend it. There are enough mindless idiots in the world who just regurgitate what is being fed to them. Don't be one of them, be the one who dares to stand up and stand out, even if you are standing alone.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Hand-Up vs. Hand-Out
So, I have been learning about the Great Depression in my History class this week. My professor said something interesting tonight that got me thinking. Talking about Herbert Hoover and his "hands-off" approach to dealing with the crisis caused by the Stock Market Crash, my professor said that Hoover was willing to give people a hand-up, but not a hand-out. I honestly have no idea what my professor's political views are, but I found it interesting that he felt the need to make sure that the distinction between the two concepts was pointed out. There is a HUGE difference between a hand-up and a hand-out.
A hand-up gives someone who is going through rough times enough help to get over the hump. It gives them a boost up out of the ditch and gives them the tools to continue climbing the ladder, gradually weaning them off of assistance until they are completely back on their feet.
Conversely, a hand-out is just enough help to keep someone's head above water so they won't drown, but not enough to pull them out of the deep water to stand on their own. Hand-outs keep people static, at a stand still, not getting worse per se, but definitely not growing or getting any better. Government hand-outs give no incentive to better oneself. On the contrary, they often give people an excuse not to better themselves. There is little to no weaning process, it is hot and cold. The minute you make a dollar more than the maximum income allowed, you get penalized. The assistance gets cut off flat, instead of slowly being reduced until you no longer need it at all. With this policy, the incentive is to stay right where one is, making enough to get by but little enough that the maximum allowable income is not reached.
Government can, and in times of great necessity, probably should give a hand-up but never a hand-out. However, our government is doing just the opposite. It is giving hand-outs right and left. But the problem is, these hand-outs aren't really helping people, they are keeping people stuck in the rut and then penalizing them for trying to climb back out. This is not the way it should be! America is the land of the industrious, the innovators, the entrepreneurs. When someone hits low times, it is always encouraging to have a little help that will ensure they won't starve, but no one really wants to be on assistance; they want to stand on their own two feet and make a name for themselves. So, how do we fix the system? Or can it even be fixed? What do you think?
A hand-up gives someone who is going through rough times enough help to get over the hump. It gives them a boost up out of the ditch and gives them the tools to continue climbing the ladder, gradually weaning them off of assistance until they are completely back on their feet.
Conversely, a hand-out is just enough help to keep someone's head above water so they won't drown, but not enough to pull them out of the deep water to stand on their own. Hand-outs keep people static, at a stand still, not getting worse per se, but definitely not growing or getting any better. Government hand-outs give no incentive to better oneself. On the contrary, they often give people an excuse not to better themselves. There is little to no weaning process, it is hot and cold. The minute you make a dollar more than the maximum income allowed, you get penalized. The assistance gets cut off flat, instead of slowly being reduced until you no longer need it at all. With this policy, the incentive is to stay right where one is, making enough to get by but little enough that the maximum allowable income is not reached.
Government can, and in times of great necessity, probably should give a hand-up but never a hand-out. However, our government is doing just the opposite. It is giving hand-outs right and left. But the problem is, these hand-outs aren't really helping people, they are keeping people stuck in the rut and then penalizing them for trying to climb back out. This is not the way it should be! America is the land of the industrious, the innovators, the entrepreneurs. When someone hits low times, it is always encouraging to have a little help that will ensure they won't starve, but no one really wants to be on assistance; they want to stand on their own two feet and make a name for themselves. So, how do we fix the system? Or can it even be fixed? What do you think?
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Time for Change
It is time for change. Our country is falling apart. The worldwide economy is in shambles. Unemployment is rising and morale is falling. It's time for us to get back to our roots. America is the land of the Capitalist, the Entrepreneur, the hard-working Industrialist. America is the greatest country in the history of the world. But in the last century, we have fallen away from the very principles that make us great. As we have left our principles, our greatness is leaving us. If we want to remain, or regain, our status as a great nation, we need to return to our founding principles.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." - The Declaration of Independence.
We need to return to The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. We need to read them, memorize them and live by them. It is time to remember our history, because in order to know who you are today and where you are going, you need to know where you have been. If we lose our history, we will lose ourselves. It is time. The movement has started, and time is not our ally. Are you ready?
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." - The Declaration of Independence.
We need to return to The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. We need to read them, memorize them and live by them. It is time to remember our history, because in order to know who you are today and where you are going, you need to know where you have been. If we lose our history, we will lose ourselves. It is time. The movement has started, and time is not our ally. Are you ready?
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