Doubts About America

Wealth Inequality In the U.S.

Image 1

I chose to analyse the inequality between the rich and the poor in the US.

According to research the top 5% of America’s population own a massive 72% of the country’s wealth, with the top 1% owning 43% of that. The article ‘Inequality gap between super rich and poor continues to widen’ demonstrates that it is not the top 1% that inequality is mainly evident but the top 0.1% with them, on average, earning around six million dollars a year (roughly 206 times what the average family in the US earned in 2012). Many of the top earners work in the finance industry and live in major US cities such as New York or Los Angeles.

The Image 1 clearly shows the inequality of wealth within the US however it doesn’t show the somewhat delusional state that Americans seem to be in. Many know that there is an inequality however it is unclear to them just how great the difference is, as shown in Image 2. Furthermore, Pizzigati voices his opinions on Forbes 400, criticising the fact that the super-rich can earn over 1000 times the wealth of someone with $5.2 million and can still have the power to cut jobs for those in the ‘middle class’ that on average earn a net worth of $81,200 per annum. For reasons like this the rich have the opportunity to get richer whilst the poor struggle for jobs and inevitably get poorer. Even the column (in image 2) showing wealth of ‘what Americans would like it to be’ doesn’t fairly distribute wealth to the poorest. Overall inequality is still set to grow in the United States although many experts agree that to reduce it would be to raise/ have a better taxation system, trying to control the power that major corporations and banks have and finally to put emphasis on the younger generation- making sure even the poorest have education and healthcare so that they can ‘fulfil their aspirations’.

Image 2

Sources:

Image 1: http://media.theunderstatement.com/005_B_us_wealth_distribution.png 

Image 2:

http://assets.motherjones.com/politics/2011/inequality-page25_actualdistribwithlegend.png 

http://rt.com/usa/sadoff-inequality-rich-poor-685/

http://inequality.org/americas-ridiculously-rich-2014-edition/

Depression and Recession

The Great Depression 1930
This image shows men seeking work in an employment bureau in Los Angeles during the Great Depression of the 1930s. After the Wall Street crash, finding any job was difficult in America at this time and almost 19% of the country was unemployed.

The Great Recession 2008
Similarly, this image shows people queuing up in New York in 2010 waiting to attend a jobs fair. The images i have chosen show that little has changed over the years and people are still as adamant to find a job and build their way out of the recession.

In both cases, finding a job was the main priority and due to the high demand many didnt mind what they work as as long as they have a job.

Success and Self Improvement - Michael Oher

Michael Oher

Oher and Family

Michael Oher is living proof that the ‘American Dream’ is still alive. Oher was one of twelve children born into a broken family; his mother was an alcoholic and drug addict whilst his father spent prolonged periods of time in prisons for various different reasons and was then murdered. At age 7 he was put into foster system and was passed from family to family as well as spending time living on the street. He went to 11 different schools within 9 years and had to repeat first and second grade.

The turning point in Oher’s life was being taken in by the Tuohy family at 16.  They got him back into school and adopted him at 17. Excelling in American football, he played on the varsity team in high school and got multiple scholarships for college. In 2006 his life was detailed in Michael Lewis’ book The Blind Side describing his life from foster child to college football star this was later turned into a film.

From college until early 2013 he was a left tackle for the Baltimore Ravens but more recently has signed a $20 million dollar contract to play for the Tenessee Titans. After the Super Bowl XLVII, Oher told ABC News that "I came so far—from nothing to a Super Bowl championship," Oher told ABC News. "I'm in shock right now."

He has even written an autobiography called I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Side and Beyond.

Michael Ohers success expresses the idea of the American Dream positively and somewhat mirrors the success on Ragged Dick. Both Dick and Oher had a bad background, living on the streets with no one to look out for them however it seems that Dick had to work much harder for his success compared to Oher. Oher came from nothing but used his talent to get ahead where as Dick had to work hard to get not as far.

Pro-Gun Control Vs. Anti-Gun Control

Website Comparison

Pro-Gun:              http://mothersarms.org/

This website is aimed at mother, defending their right to buy and use a gun where necessary. They reinforce the fact that guns are dangerous and should only be used in specific situations; defending yourself, loved ones and specifically children.
When you first look on their website you can tell that they aren’t such an extreme group however on closer inspection they have phrases and promote books with lines like this, “…learn how to anticipate, prevent and handle threatening situations … and then teach your kids.” Guns are dangerous although this group basically says that it is ok for children to shoot a gun as long as they have been taught the right way and how to be safe doing so.

Anti-Gun:            http://momsdemandaction.org/

Similarly, this anti-gun website is created and aimed at mothers.  In contrast however they do not believe it is right at all for children to hold a gun and that it is time for “gun sense in America” in order to stop children in particular being hurt and killed from guns. ‘Moms Demand Action’ was founded after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School where a man walked into the school and shot 20 children and 6 staff members dead.

Overview:

Overall, I wouldn’t agree with the open carry of guns however I think that it is right that people should be able to buy them for recreational use or as a form of self-defence, not necessarily because it is the 2^nd amendment though. Personally, I think that being able to buy a gun in the same place as you can buy cereal is wrong and they shouldn’t be so heavily advertised and that there should be stricter policies about who can buy a gun (getting a proper background check on the person beforehand). Although the proper use of a gun may be useful for self-defence or hunting, I don’t think that it is right for children to be able to shoot one and that there should be an age limit on who can use one (either 18 or 21).

American Liberty

Emma Watson UN Speech:

Emma Watson's recent speech at the UN promoting the ‘HeForShe’ campaign is an expression of American Liberty. She is a feminist standing up for gender equality and the campaign aims form males to be advocates for ending the inequalities that women and girls face globally.

She expresses her right to the freedom of speech (the first amendment on the bill of rights) but from this has come a lot of controversy; people either readily agreed with everything she explained or didn’t agree at all.

In her speech she highlights that feminism isn't just for women and isn’t about ‘man-hating’ which has become more recently associated with the term. Instead, feminism is about gender equality; so men shouldn't feel pressured to be ‘masculine’ just as women shouldn't feel pressured to be ‘feminine’. 

Emma Watson's message has clearly been received from some but her target audience was aimed at males also. The letter, from Ed Holtom (15), is the view of one boy who quite clearly agrees with Watson and the ‘HeForShe’ campaign. Quite different to this view, some would argue that the campaign is harsh towards men or is simplistic to assume that men have not been involved in work towards gender equality simply because they haven't been 'invited'.

Watson isn't the only female celebrity that is standing up for feminism, for example Beyonce is also very influential. However, Emma Watson may be one of the first that addresses both males and females.

Sources:

http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2014/9/emma-watson-gender-equality-is-your-issue-too 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkjW9PZBRfk

http://www.blackgirldangerous.org/2014/09/im-really-emma-watsons-feminism-speech-u-n/ 

Race: Barack Obama

RACE: BARACK OBAMA

Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 4^th 1961. He was a civil rights lawyer and teacher before pursuing a political career. Obama is the 44^th and current president of the United States and the first African American to hold office. ^[1]

Being the first African American to gain presidency would suggest that America has moved forward and that ‘race’ is a historical product that is ever changing. However, during Obama’s campaign to run for president, there was a lot of controversy as to whether or not he should play on his race (and whether he did or not is still highly disputed among some). “Many African Americans said that, in order for Obama to win election as President of the United States, he could not bring up race during the campaign” in order not to alienate many white liberal constitutions; although the fact that he did this would suggest that racism is still a large problem in the US.

The journal article goes on further to illustrate, although Barack Obama has made history in being the first African American president in the United States (and that is progress in itself), that he is not “acknowledging the black ancestral struggle that preceded him and which in many ways opened the doors to his rise in American politics”. Obama has ran campaigns for and promoted ‘Change in America’ however when compared to someone such as Martin Luther King and other African American activists, it would be hard to bring something like this about without bringing up race. This makes you wonder whether or not the US will ever be fully equal and without racial discrimination, even in light of the political breakthrough of Obama becoming the first African American president.

Sources:

            [1] http://www.biography.com/people/barack-obama-12782369

            Image: http://mariamuir.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/obama-moving-forward11.jpg 

           Journal Article: Asukile, T, The Barack Obama New Era: Race Matters More Than Ever in America, The Black Scholar, 38(4), BARACK OBAMA 2009 (WINTER 2008), pp.41-43, Published by Paradigm Publishers, Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41069364

12 Years A Slave

12 YEARS A SLAVE

          The film 12 Years a Slave depicts the life of a man who is stolen from the North, transported to the South and sold into slavery. The movie follows the true story of Solomon Northup which is based on his memoir which he wrote documenting his kidnapping and sale into slavery. The process by which Northup was kidnapped, broken, sold into slavery, and then subsequently oppressed and resold was far too common and the tale of what many slaves went through. Although his situation was extraordinary because he was kidnapped from the North the situation he faced once enslaved is an accurate portrayal of the horrors that were faced by African Americans during the time of slavery in America.

          The beautifully shot landscapes should be idyllic and often resemble something of a painting but placed in the film throw up huge conflict as they remind you more of the blood and suffering and make you think that the brutality of man is disturbing the natural beauty that the South has to offer.

          Benedict Cumberbatch's character, Ford, portrays a seemingly decent and caring man who treats his slaves with some respect and kindness, giving Northup a violin for example. He comes off as a relatively good man who is trapped within the powerful confines of the institution of slavery, however the fact that he reads the Bible to his slaves to give them hope that once they die they’ll go to a better place is twisted, he does nothing to help or free them which make me think that he is no better than the other slave owners. Personally I think 12 Years A Slave manages to depict slavery well as something that can drain the humanity from everyone it touches; for the slaves themselves it manages to break all hope that they may have of being free, turning them into shells of people for their owners to do with as they please, characters such as Ford who are seemingly good men are still shown to exploit people and do very little or nothing to help them, for example when Northup is hung by the neck with only his toes barely touching the floor but life around the plantation goes on undisturbed,  furthermore it turns flawed men, such as Epps (played by Michael Fassbender) into villainous monsters who have too much power over people who deserve to be treated much better than they are.

          I think that although the film is based on the memoirs of Solomon Northup and the story is shown through his eyes, it doesn’t linger too much on him personally, it gives us great detail about each of the characters that are met in subtle ways. I think it does this particularly well with all the female characters; Patsey and Epps’ wife specifically.

          Patsey seems to be the polar opposite of Northup; she is a broken girl who has never known dignity as she was born into slavery, she is forced to endure the ‘love’ of Epps and the brutal jealousy of his wife in a life that she knows she will never escape. However within this she still portrays a level of innocence that depicts only further tragedy for her character, in an amazing emotional performance.

          Overall, the film 12 Years A Slave offers an accurate representation of slavery in Southern America at the time. It is a heartbreakingly emotional film, made up of a well picked cast, who are able to show the agony and despair of the slaves, the bitterness, jealousy and villainous behaviours of the slave owners and all in all are able to portray the memoirs of Solomon Northup well and justly.

Maine

Things that typify Maine are its indcredible natural scenery and parks, lighthouses, sea foods such as lobster, and the fact that the state neither gets too hot or too cold making it ideal for people to vacate to.

With a population of 1,328,361 Maine is home to some Native American tribes - the Micmacs, the Penobscots, the Maliseets, the Passamaquoddies - about 1 percent of the population. Those who were born in Maine are about 95 percent Caucasian. However, a steady influx of people and vacationers is slowly but surely changing the ethnic diversity of Maine. The 2010 census shows that the domestic immigration is 33,818 but those moving out of Maine was roughly similar, 33,729.

Maine's generally poor soil, short growing season, and remoteness from industrial and commercial centers have gone against development and population growth. Lumbering, shipbuilding, and textile production have all peaked in the past, but changes in technology and competition from other states have always undercut the state's economic position. About 60% of Maine's agricultural revenues are derived from livestock and livestock production; 40% from crops. In terms of revenue generated, Maine's top five agricultural products are dairy products, potatoes, chicken eggs, greenhouse and nursery products, and aquaculture products. Overall the states economy is slowly but steadily increAsing again.


Sources:
http://www.netstate.com/economy/me_economy.htm 
http://www.maine.gov/portal/facts_history/facts.html
http://www.governing.com/gov-data/census/2010-census-state-migration-statistics.html 

The U.S Through the Eyes of Texas

From what was spoken about in week 2 about the way that we view America, i thought that this map was appropriate. It illustrates the way that people in Texas view America and the way that it is divided.  From the map we can see that those who live in Texas take great pride in the things that come from their state, so in there mind it is the 'biggest and best' and clearly the heart of the United States, but comparatively they have split the rest of the U.S into stereotypical areas. For example the majority of the north east has been named 'Damn Yankee Land' or California being named 'Liar Land'. More so, although Canada is added, the way it is represented seems like it must be completely foreign to those who live in Texas. 

America's Association with Liberty

1. The 'Black Power' salute of the 1968 summer Olympics. Tommie Smith (centre), Peter Norman (left) and John Carlos (right)

African American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised a black gloved fist and bowed their heads during the American national anthem after winning gold and bronze medals in the 200m sprint in the 1968 summer Olympics, sparking either outrage or hope in their fellow Americans.
Both Smith and Carlos wore a black glove and black socks with no shoes to symbolize black unity and black poverty in racist America; Smith also wore a black scarf symbolizing black pride, although contradictory to popular belief the silent protest was not a gesture of 'black power' but it was a 'human rights salute' aiming to bring attention to the inequality in the country at the time.
I believe that this image affirms the association between America and liberty. Although at the time their protest caused mass controversy within the country; for two African American men to stand in front of their country and the world to show that the civil rights movement had not gone far enough was brave and valiant and protests such as this have guided and built America into a more equal and openly diverse country.

2. Liberty vs. Anarchy

To me, this image negates the association between America and liberty. The American government are slowly becoming more and more oppressive and some people would argue that they are taking away some of their constitutional and human rights and that their freedom is being infringed upon. However without government and laws there would be anarchy which proposes the idea of semi-freedom; doing as you wish within the set boundaries without taking 'liberties'.