Fareed Zakaria has a bone to pick with America, and not really the country America, just the people who live in it. Zakaria, current editor of Newsweek International, thinks that Americans are no longer keeping up with the times of globalization. What is meant by this is that we, as Americans, think that the only way to keep things on top is to do it the American way, no more of this “If we work together” Disney morals. Zakaria thinks that Americans have become too ignorant to accept the possibility that somewhere outside of the perimeter that is this great country, some other country is coming up with a better idea to help the world.
I think that for the most part, Zakaria is right; people who live in America think that the only way to do things is the American way. I have been in a few restaurants where there will be a foreign worker, or maybe the whole building itself is owned by a foreign person. There have been times when a customer has not been satisfied by his meal and asks for the manager in charge of the store for a refund after the customer had asked to get his meal re-cooked several times. When the manager gets to the table he sees the customer has actually eaten all the food and is asking for a free meal. When the manager says he cannot give the man a free meal because of his eating of the meal, the customer would say “damn foreign customs.” This is a real life example, this shows just how Americans can be when change is at their front door and are asking politely, mind you, to try and think in a new way that would benefit everyone.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
The Spectrum of American Standings: Where Do We Lie?
Herbert, an op-ed columnist for the New York Times, has a lot of problems with America, mainly about its economy and where it is headed. One of the main points Herbert focuses on is that class division is no longer a hierarchy, now it is more of a “you’re in this side of the spectrum of income, or the other.” Herbert explains this very well in one of his last paragraphs of his article “A Fire in the Basement,” by presenting a quote by Robert Reich saying, “Over the coming decade, the Bush tax cuts will transfer more wealth to the richest one percent of the population than any fiscal policies in history” (402).
Another one of Herbert’s ideas is the progress we Americans made post-World War 2. Harry Truman took the reigns and put America back on the map with the programs he and his cabinet created. Herbert shows just how important these events were by pulling a Stephen King and making a one line paragraph saying, “It was a hell of a few decades (402).
Alan W. Dowd, an editor at the World Politics Review, says just the opposite of Herbert. Dowd may agree with Herbert by saying America has spent a lot over the past decade, but then argue why America is in the lead on economy standards. Dowd says to back up his belief by saying, “At $13.13 trillion, the U.S. economy represents 20 percent of global output. It’s growing faster than Britain’s, Australia’s, Germany’s, Japan’s, Canada’s, even faster than the vaunted European Union” (405).
Another one of Dowd’s ideas is that terms such as “Globalization” are due to American work ethic. Robert Kaplan agrees with Dowd by saying, “Globalization could not occur without American ships and sailors” (407). Dowd is very much aware that many Companies and Franchises are doing extremely well in both America and in other countries in the world, therefore giving more money to the American economy.
Another one of Herbert’s ideas is the progress we Americans made post-World War 2. Harry Truman took the reigns and put America back on the map with the programs he and his cabinet created. Herbert shows just how important these events were by pulling a Stephen King and making a one line paragraph saying, “It was a hell of a few decades (402).
Alan W. Dowd, an editor at the World Politics Review, says just the opposite of Herbert. Dowd may agree with Herbert by saying America has spent a lot over the past decade, but then argue why America is in the lead on economy standards. Dowd says to back up his belief by saying, “At $13.13 trillion, the U.S. economy represents 20 percent of global output. It’s growing faster than Britain’s, Australia’s, Germany’s, Japan’s, Canada’s, even faster than the vaunted European Union” (405).
Another one of Dowd’s ideas is that terms such as “Globalization” are due to American work ethic. Robert Kaplan agrees with Dowd by saying, “Globalization could not occur without American ships and sailors” (407). Dowd is very much aware that many Companies and Franchises are doing extremely well in both America and in other countries in the world, therefore giving more money to the American economy.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
A Bright Future, or a Stormy Horizon?
In Bob Herbert’s article “A Fire in the Basement,” Herbert discusses many problems that plague present day America and shows what was better in the past days of our parents and grandparents. In part of his essay he reminices about the America that used to be, soon after the end of World War 2, showing us all the good that came from great leadership and excellently crafted programs to strengthen America economically and morally.
While discussing about the postwar and how everything was seeming to go well, he then goes back into his main argument about how America is doing to poorly now. What I think Herbert is trying to prove in his article is that even though times are hard right now, with good leadership and perseverance, we will be able to come out of this recession and other ill talked about topics like the war in Afghanistan. Even though he is saying what we can do in the future, I think he is also reminding us readers that it will take time. Time that will seem like an eternity at first, but when this is all said and done with, we will be glad we took that time, no matter how long it might have taken.
I think Herbert is stepping in the right direction with these paragraphs he uses as a motivational build to the American people. Though he does have a lot of negative things to say throughout his article, he also has some of the most motivational words one could read, you might have to read it a few times to understand the whole concept of “A Fire in the Basement,” but when you do, I am sure you will be just as enlightened as I am.
While discussing about the postwar and how everything was seeming to go well, he then goes back into his main argument about how America is doing to poorly now. What I think Herbert is trying to prove in his article is that even though times are hard right now, with good leadership and perseverance, we will be able to come out of this recession and other ill talked about topics like the war in Afghanistan. Even though he is saying what we can do in the future, I think he is also reminding us readers that it will take time. Time that will seem like an eternity at first, but when this is all said and done with, we will be glad we took that time, no matter how long it might have taken.
I think Herbert is stepping in the right direction with these paragraphs he uses as a motivational build to the American people. Though he does have a lot of negative things to say throughout his article, he also has some of the most motivational words one could read, you might have to read it a few times to understand the whole concept of “A Fire in the Basement,” but when you do, I am sure you will be just as enlightened as I am.
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