U.S. Government

[Էլիա]

Re: U.S. Government

I liked it but I feel as though you use the word "anyway" too much (anyway, reverts attention from one thing to another so it takes away emphasis that you tried to put into your essay before) and you asked a lot of rhetorical questions but did not direct the audience towards an answer with a lot of support (like a lot of specific examples). I think that if you did this your essay would be much more persuasive. All in all, (for a little kid) you did just fine).

(just pretend that the hands touch together and make a clapping sound)

lol, please refrain from calling me a little kid... I'm not a little kid, waaa! (just kidding)

[Էլիա]

Re: U.S. Government

I don't see a better Country in the world then the USA. I love Armenia and Armenians, but I don't hate US. In my opinion they have helped Armenia a lot. Is the USA perfect, no, and no one else is either. They helped our people with food when they were in dire need. My parents were there at the time as were many of our people were after the genocide of the Armenians.

I consider us lucky that the USA took in my parents and other Armenians. Also many of you who are on this forum. I think it is a shame that some of you who live here in the US are so venomous toward this country.

I consider myself an Armenian Nationalist and am very proud of our people. I never heard the dislike from the older Armenians as I do from some of you. We were able to raise our children here and also help Armenia all these years, I for one appreciate the US.

Respectfully

Avak

Did I ever say I didn't love the USA? I love the USA, but the government (especially George Bush) is really starting to become too powerful... but I still like the country!

[Էլիա]

Re: U.S. Government

telling mr.president's oil company was so good.i liked your example,animal farm is a really good book.it was a good job,i think you like writing,i liked your style.

Thank you very much. Those were some of my favorite parts as well.

[sev_zeytun]

Re: U.S. Government

lol, please refrain from calling me a little kid... I'm not a little kid, waaa! (just kidding)

[eugenie1179]

Re: U.S. Government

Very persuasive indeed, even to one such as I, who has tried to turn a blind eye to politics, as that's what I've been advised to do by someone I very much respect. But then again I've never followed anyone's advice.

I hope you'll post more essays. Here's one of mine that I wrote when I was attending Glendale Community College, re: American Revolution. Not that I'm trying to hijack your thread; I just think it may provide some reasons as to why things are the way they are now.

http://www.geocities.com/eugenie1179/revolution.htm

The American Revolution was actually twofold – internal and external – with the two halves affecting each other. On the one hand, the patriots united to overthrow the common enemy. Within the alliance, however, was the struggle between the elite who wanted to maintain the highly stratified status quo and the lower strata that desired political and economic parity. The events that led up to the Revolution were an interplay of economic, social, intellectual, religious and political factors.

Several economic factors paved the way towards colonial independence from England. At the foundations were the rapidly shrinking land-to-population ratio in the northern colonies, due to both a drop in mortality rate and the constant influx of immigrants. The colonial practice of partible inheritance further exacerbated the already cramped conditions. The denizens of these colonies left for the cities and subsequently found themselves drawn to the international economy that the urban centers linked them to. While the rich soil of the middle colonies brought forth surplus, the urban centers provided outlet for export of superfluous goods. Temporary independence from England, the hub of the mercantile economy, fostered in the colonial merchant and farming communities an ideology of commitment to personal independence that comes from ownership, as well as pride in the value of labor. However, this bridge to the international economy developed in the colonists a taste for profit. The new entrepreneurial ethos laid the groundwork for independence – more free competition, more individualism. While still essentially a mercantile society within themselves, the colonies contained essential ingredients of the individualism that pervades American capitalism to this day.

The economic aftermaths of the Seven Years War introduced a more pronounced stratification within the colonists, as poverty grew increasingly more dismal alongside flourishing wealth. The rich were able to profit from the war, but the lower strata did not have enough capital to stay afloat, and were even worse off afterwards. In such a society, parity was desired and the extremes of the social hierarchy – the very rich and the very poor – were regarded with suspicion, for the colonists believed the very wealthy were benefiting at the expense of others, and the poor and property-less could not be trusted because they had no vested interest in the community, and were therefore easily manipulated. In addition, extra currency had been printed out during the war, resulting in inflation. Those with fixed incomes found themselves unable to compensate. The war had also produced many war widows – 700 out of 2000 families were without their head of household – and so the poor taxes were rising to support these families. Colonists noticed the extreme economic diversification among them, and they would rise to challenge it.

Socially, thirty percent of the colonial population was not free. Twenty percent of blacks and ten percent of whites were either slaves or indentured servants. This meant that roughly one-third of people in the colonies had their lives controlled not by the British, but by other Americans.

The politics of eighteenth century America played a key role in the development towards the War for Independence as well. With the mother country preoccupied with her own internal problems during the period of salutary neglect, the colonists had come to function independently of her. The Seven Years’ War especially brought tremendous political ramifications upon the colonies and their relationship with England. During the course of the war, the colonists had gained a sense of confidence. Although they didn’t yet think to overthrow England, they certainly didn’t feel as though they desperately needed the mother country. Also, the war produced many military men, and many strong leaders. It also engendered comradeship among those who fought in the war. This newfound sense of unity between those who came from different regions created connections across the colonies. After the war, in which the colonists and hence Britain were victorious, Britain found itself owning literally half of North America and facing a host of problems that came with the management of the new territory. These issues included the prevention of the continuing illegal trade, stopping the westward frontier so as not to exacerbate tensions with the Native Americans, and the question of political authority over the fairly independent colonies. Britain dealt with these problems by issuing a series of new regulations. In order to stop the westward frontier so as not to start a war with the Indians who lived over the Appalachians, Parliament agreed to the Proclamation of 1763, which forbid colonists to move west of the mountains, and for the settlers who were already there to move east. The colonists had been anticipating a move westwards after the war, and the Proclamation angered them. The Revenue Act of 1764 required many colonial products to be sent only to England. The Currency Act of 1751 prohibited all colonies from issuing paper currency, which de-liquefied trade. The Stamp Act of 1765 called for revenue stamps on newspapers, playing cards, and various publications. These regulations added fuel to the colonial defiance that was building towards rebellion against Parliament. England was quickly becoming in their eyes more an oppressor than a mother country, and their rightful ruler.

Internally, these new regulations brought to light not only the colonial anger towards England, but among the colonists themselves. The Stamp Act gave rise to riots and extra legal crowd action which demonstrated not only colonial opposition to a particular parliamentary policy, but the colonists' resentment towards the local elite. Adding fuel to the fire was republican ideology, which was quickly becoming widespread due to the power of the press. The “Whig” ideology was founded on the principle that too much power within an individual or a group leads to corruption and tyranny. This ideology would find its way to the Constitution eventually, but for now it provoked the colonists to challenge the present system of power.

Concurrently, the Enlightenment had made its way across the Atlantic from Europe, bringing forth an intellectual revolution that would factor into the War for Independence. The Enlightenment brought to the colonists the belief in human reason over the supernatural. Many of the wealthy were greatly influenced by this movement, as they had the time and resources to pursue such intellectual avenues. It gave the wealthy much potential power – the Enlightenment told them that they could now change and control the world to fit their desires. In addition, Thomas Paine published Common Sense six months before the War for Independence, using the Enlightenment to justify the overthrow of government. He reasoned that although people were born into chaos, they were born with “certain inalienable rights”. Government was created to serve the people by protecting these rights, and should government fail to do so, the people have the duty to replace it.

While the Enlightenment planted the seeds for independence from England among some of the elite, the religious revolutions engendered political revolution within the social classes of the colonies. The Quakers brought to the colonies the tenets of antinomianism – the belief that salvation could be reached through faith alone. They believed that anyone – man, woman, free, un-free – can talk to God if they were willing to open their hearts to Him. The elite with their scholarly interpretation of the Bible was no longer needed, nor desired. More importantly, the Great Awakening intermittently but effectively swept the colonies, touching the lives of those in the lower strata with its emotionalism, giving the poor confidence and a new mission in life. It also established harmony among the different denominations of Christianity, and therefore a sense of unity. Colonists of different ethnicities and backgrounds learned to co-exist in peace and acceptance. The Great Awakening also instilled in the colonists a suspicion of dogma and authority, a fundamental basis for the revolution within the colonies.

Although the colonists actually did not actively rise up against England until the mother country sent in troops, the platform upon which the Constitution would one day rest was being developed during this tumultuous period in American history. Through the interplay of social, political, economic, religious, and intellectual factors, both internal and external revolution was being built up to eventually give birth to the country that is known today as the United States of America.

-by Eugenie Kim, for U.S. History w/ Professor Lisa Lubow* @ Glendale Community College, 2004.

*great professor. I used to stand outside listening to her lectures while waiting for another class. Her personal life seemed to be kind of a mess but she knows her stuff! If she's still at GCC I highly recommend taking one of her classes.


P.S. I apologize for reviving what appears to be an ancient thread. Couldn't help myself.

P.P.S. Here is a link to the notes I took in that class. I took pictures of them and uploaded them onto a geocities page because my friend, Nestor (I think he's still on my Yahoo messenger... he used to send me messages from time to time to see what's up with me... anyways), was absent a few times and needed to borrow my notes.

http://www.geocities.com/eugenie1179/history110notes/historynotes.htm


No, it does not have a virus lol. I encourage you to explore the link because per the cliche...history does indeed repeat itself. Over and over and over and over and over...unless we educate ourselves.