The progressives ideas of the early 1900s resulted in a lot of changes to America. They advocated a a more democratic society with more popular control over the government and also over the big corporations.
Woodrow Wilson uses the old Jeffersonians ideas to show the necessity of control of the people and big corporations actions. Man can not longer act upon themselves since opportunities are not the same to all anymore.
He also criticizes big corporations for their poor conditions and bad treatment of labor and it's the government job to watch and reduce this problems.
"America was created in order that every man should have the same chance with every other man to exercise mastery over his own fortunes." but how can they achieve success without fair working conditions?!
" So that when I'm fighting against monopolistic control, I'm fighting for the liberty of every man in America, and I'm fighting for the American industry. "
Monday, December 6, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Eugene V. Debs
Eugene V. Debs is a example of socialist leadership and of the working class movement of the late 1800s and early 1900s. After working in a railroad, he helped the creation and the spread of the union labors. He also created the Socialist party in which he later ran for presidency.As a socialist , he disliked capitalism for so many reasons.
According to him capitalism consists in the accumulation of wealth by those on power. It also exploits the working class with the low wages and bad working conditions. Capitalism also takes away property of the worker giving it to the boss.
The capitalist only provides the tools to work , but holds all the wealth produced. The workers eventually becomes owned by the the capitalist.
"Because he owns the too with which you work, and you have got to have access to that tool if you work; and if you want to live you have got to work. if you do not work you do not eat; and so, scourged by hunger pangs, you look about for that tool.."
"He(capitalist) is your boss; he owns your job, takes your product and control your destiny"
V. Debs wants the workers to get together and reduce the gap between the capitalist and themselves. He thinks this to be the only way to reduce the injustice the working class faces in the labor. Without labor unite, things would only worse.
According to him capitalism consists in the accumulation of wealth by those on power. It also exploits the working class with the low wages and bad working conditions. Capitalism also takes away property of the worker giving it to the boss.
The capitalist only provides the tools to work , but holds all the wealth produced. The workers eventually becomes owned by the the capitalist.
"Because he owns the too with which you work, and you have got to have access to that tool if you work; and if you want to live you have got to work. if you do not work you do not eat; and so, scourged by hunger pangs, you look about for that tool.."
"He(capitalist) is your boss; he owns your job, takes your product and control your destiny"
V. Debs wants the workers to get together and reduce the gap between the capitalist and themselves. He thinks this to be the only way to reduce the injustice the working class faces in the labor. Without labor unite, things would only worse.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
W. E. B. Dubois
W.E.B. Dubois was one of the greaters African American leaders. He emphasised the idea of civil rights and social equality among all Americans
"he simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and a American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of Opportunity closed roughly in his face."
He criticized racism and wanted America to be a better place in which there would not have segregation. Even tough black men is free, it is still not have the same freedom as a white man does. He advocates the negro to go for its rights and do not subside to the white man.
Without the political and social equality, he sees no way the black men can achieve some economical success. Segregation , especially in education , is lacking black man to show itself as a better man.
Dubois criticizes other leaders for being in a way too soft and not recognizing the need of civil equality. If there is not equality, all they do is in vain.
"he simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and a American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of Opportunity closed roughly in his face."
He criticized racism and wanted America to be a better place in which there would not have segregation. Even tough black men is free, it is still not have the same freedom as a white man does. He advocates the negro to go for its rights and do not subside to the white man.
Without the political and social equality, he sees no way the black men can achieve some economical success. Segregation , especially in education , is lacking black man to show itself as a better man.
Dubois criticizes other leaders for being in a way too soft and not recognizing the need of civil equality. If there is not equality, all they do is in vain.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Social darwinism- Gilded Age
As is gets closer to end the century, this new emphasis on hands off government becomes a priority in the nation.
People like Willain Grahan Sumner and Andrew Carnegie believed that people were better off alone economically speaking, so they could rise and accumulate wealth.
"if we are free, self governing people, we can blame nobody but ourselves for our misfortunes"
Its an emphasis on laissez fairez like Jefferson had once approved, capitalism and the protection of property like the framers have once thought deriving from Locke. it's a mix of ideas that bound together and leads to so much wealth on the hands of some and so little intervention of the government that at points those wealthiers would have more money than the government itself.
Lands were donated and tax exempted off the riches by the government. Also the complaints about the currency Gold vs Silver, also benefited the rich.
"People should have equal rights, Because they provide equal chances" however those chances ought not to guarantee any success to one. It's up to each individual to be wise enough and rise up to its maximum. the equality people ought to have is the one to compete with one another.
However Andre Carnegie had a different approach to all this. He believed in the "survival of the fittest " but he was also a philanthropic. He thought people should accumulate their wealth if they had the ability to do so, but also help the community in a way or another.
People like Willain Grahan Sumner and Andrew Carnegie believed that people were better off alone economically speaking, so they could rise and accumulate wealth.
"if we are free, self governing people, we can blame nobody but ourselves for our misfortunes"
Its an emphasis on laissez fairez like Jefferson had once approved, capitalism and the protection of property like the framers have once thought deriving from Locke. it's a mix of ideas that bound together and leads to so much wealth on the hands of some and so little intervention of the government that at points those wealthiers would have more money than the government itself.
Lands were donated and tax exempted off the riches by the government. Also the complaints about the currency Gold vs Silver, also benefited the rich.
"People should have equal rights, Because they provide equal chances" however those chances ought not to guarantee any success to one. It's up to each individual to be wise enough and rise up to its maximum. the equality people ought to have is the one to compete with one another.
However Andre Carnegie had a different approach to all this. He believed in the "survival of the fittest " but he was also a philanthropic. He thought people should accumulate their wealth if they had the ability to do so, but also help the community in a way or another.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Lincoln
Although not a president yet, Abraham Lincoln was never a pro-slave politic.
" A house divided against itself cannot stand... this government cannot endure permanently, half slave and half free."
Abrahan Lincoln becomes president in a critical time in which the nation is divided over slave and free states. The Southern States, or the slave states, did not want the free states to have more power than them. They also didn't want to lose the power over the slaves which they knew eventually would happen if they remained under the United States of America. They tried to secede from the nation and this led to the American civil war.
"without slavery the rebellion could never have existed; without slavery it could not continue"
Abraham Lincoln decides to give freedom to all slaves in the nation to gain more support and therefore regain control over the southern states. Eventually they would regain the power and have the 13, 14 and 15 amendment passed. They respectively, banned slavery, defined citizenship and gave the right to vote to black men.
Lincoln even tough against slavery he was fine with the idea of "separate but equal". He thought the races to be better off separated and he criticized the amalgamation of the races that slavery had created. If there was no slavery there wouldn't have a mixing of races.
He was definitely a very important character in American history, and the one responsible for ending slavery, however his views towards social inequality does not satisfy his views over slavery.
" A house divided against itself cannot stand... this government cannot endure permanently, half slave and half free."
Abrahan Lincoln becomes president in a critical time in which the nation is divided over slave and free states. The Southern States, or the slave states, did not want the free states to have more power than them. They also didn't want to lose the power over the slaves which they knew eventually would happen if they remained under the United States of America. They tried to secede from the nation and this led to the American civil war.
"without slavery the rebellion could never have existed; without slavery it could not continue"
Abraham Lincoln decides to give freedom to all slaves in the nation to gain more support and therefore regain control over the southern states. Eventually they would regain the power and have the 13, 14 and 15 amendment passed. They respectively, banned slavery, defined citizenship and gave the right to vote to black men.
Lincoln even tough against slavery he was fine with the idea of "separate but equal". He thought the races to be better off separated and he criticized the amalgamation of the races that slavery had created. If there was no slavery there wouldn't have a mixing of races.
He was definitely a very important character in American history, and the one responsible for ending slavery, however his views towards social inequality does not satisfy his views over slavery.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Civil Disobedience
Thoreau was never an advocate of the American government. Its action towards the people and laws applied, Thoreau could never believe them to be just enough. His essay Civil disobedience (1948), written after his arrest after refusing to pay taxes to the government, had a big impact in the American abolitionist movement.
" That government is best which governs least"
" I ask for , not at once government, but at once a better government."
He touches the fact the government is not acting morally right, neither using its conscience. He calls the government inconsistent, valuing those who works least and not recognizing those hard working.
He wants people to see how distasteful has the american government been so far and not to subject to it, because this can make it harder to get any change. People don't need to obey a law just because the majority think its far. the minority shall have the ability to get together and disobeys this laws until they can persuade and convince the majority to change the law.
" That government is best which governs least"
" I ask for , not at once government, but at once a better government."
He touches the fact the government is not acting morally right, neither using its conscience. He calls the government inconsistent, valuing those who works least and not recognizing those hard working.
He wants people to see how distasteful has the american government been so far and not to subject to it, because this can make it harder to get any change. People don't need to obey a law just because the majority think its far. the minority shall have the ability to get together and disobeys this laws until they can persuade and convince the majority to change the law.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Plessy v. Ferguson
African Americans were always seen as inferior. Constitution in a way denied government officials from hurting them, unless they could come up with laws. After civil war a bunch of laws were passed, especially in the South to deny the Negro form integrating with the white.
So, the Louisiana state passed an act called Separate Car Act, declaring that railroads companies must provide separate sections on trains for white and blacks. The law also mentioned the section were ought to be of "equal quality" and money spent. However, we all know from history that money spent on minority is always less than on the majority. The southern states, as Louisiana were not willing to spend money on the black people. The point of this Supreme Court case is the court ruling segregation a legal thing as long as African Americans had access to train sections or accommodations equal to those of whites. The court decision opened up the door of segregation even more, with this separate but equal idea. It would be later overturned by the Brown vs. Board Education, but the black community had to suffer for over 50 years with this separate but equal thing on their life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)