Pushing the Blame

"Don't Blame the New Deal", read the headline of an editorial on the New York Times. The article discusses the current economic crisis, and more specifically, it's cause. While the author admits to flaws in the current regulatory system, his claim was that the source of the crisis was not the set-up, but rather the management and regulation of it. Laws concerning financial regulation were made without much thought or clarification being put into them. Congress created a law in 1995 that "restricted the ability of investors to sue companies, securities firms and accounting firms for misstatements and pie-in-the-sky projections" which gave people a falsified sense of freedom when it came to giving out loans; An effect that would later play a large part in the mortgage crisis. Although it is a difficult point to accept, he states that it is something that needs to be accepted in order for similar situations to be avoided in the future.
All in all-I would say this was a very solid argument. The point is not exactly what people want to hear, it would be a lot easier to just push the blame onto the set-up of the system rather than accept that it was caused by the carelessness of those regulating it. For this reason I wouldn't say the argument appeals to the Pathos. However, by employing many examples backed up by strong evidence, the author appealed to the logos, or logical outlook.

All This Talk About Freedom

"Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
(Star Spangled Banner-Francis Scott Key)

Okay, so...one of the biggest defining factors of America that people take pride in is the concept of freedom. You see it everywhere. It's constantly worked into politics, and in fact both McCain and Obama brought it up during their presidential acceptance speeches. However when it comes down to it, distinguishing what exactly "freedom" means is a little tricky. I mean honestly, What exactly is freedom? In our bill of rights, all of the legal freedoms as a citizen of the United States are explained (freedom of speech, press, assembly, etc.), so, is that it? I feel that the notion of freedom is something much bigger then that. Everyone has their own definition of freedom. The Puritans believed that it meant getting rid of corruption (The American Dream, Jim Cullen), and their goal in life was, in essence, to achieve just that. They wanted to create a "city on a hill", a pure and holy civilization free from corruption to be an example for all civilizations to follow.

Now, typically I don't relate too much with the Puritans, however in this situation i'd have to agree with them. Once again though, it is all relative. While I would also say that freedom means getting rid of corruption, I believe it's also save to say that Hetty Shepard and I probably have different definitions of corruption as well. Afterall, I don't ordinarily rack my with guilt every time I smile at a boy in church or question my society. But I do believe that the United States' Bill of Rights is full of ammendments which help us escape corruption from many sources (censorship, stifling the public opinion, racial/gender/religious inequalities, etc.). In doing so, it helps us to maintain what we as Americans hold so dear, our freedom; however we may choose to define it.

Perilous Times Hit Home

What defines perilous times? Typically i might say war, death, or disease, but apparently dictionary.com thinks that it's exposure to injury, loss, or destruction. Reflecting on this past weekend, i think that this is a very fitting definition; and i think it goes without saying that the citizens of northern Illinois felt the peril as the massive amounts of rain washed through the area. (8 inches fell on Wilmette in one day alone!) Many people felt the immense feeling of loss and destruction as water flooded their basements, and the flooding led to fearful, and at times extremely dangerous, situations.
It led me to thinking more and more about the discussions we had been having in class, along with the overriding question, What happens to the authority of people in charge in a fearful time? I didn't personally observe the leaders of the town taking charge of the situation, however what i did notice was the leadership roles taken on by it's citizens. My neighbors took turns watching all the kids play outside in the rain while the other parents took turns managing their flooding; and every hour or so, my dad would go outside to clear the sewer grate, ensuring that no leaves could block the water from continuing the flow down the drain. Everyone worked together to push a car that had stalled in the high waters to it's house. The whole day was filled with communal efforts, and this coming from a block that hasn't had a block party in years. Perilous times lead to a great emphasis put on the community. We discussed this occuring with Puritans way back in the 1600's; and now we see it first hand during our own local perils.

My First Blog

this is my first post. here's a link!