War is the Health of the State - Essay Example

War is the Health of the During the First World War, what was the conflict between political rhetoric and economic necessity faced by Woodrow Wilson? Woodrow Wilson had announced that America would remain neutral during World War I. This was impossible when America was supplying war materials to the allies, and Germany had vowed to sink vessels doing so. The falseness of American posturing was belied by its economic compulsions. The war began at a time when the American leadership was faced with a choice between prosperity and neutrality. The economy was in a downturn and with a depression setting in and serious issues of unemployment; America was dependent on the stimulation the war provided to the American economy through its overseas markets. Hence the sincere political beliefs of the Americans in neutrality were overridden by the compulsions of the economy. 2. What were the struggles facing capitalism at the time? It was a time when the politicians spoke of democracy and prosperity. This prosperity was visible in the growing incomes and higher living standards of people in Europe and England as well as the US. The phenomenon arose from the wealth generated mainly from the nations of Asia and Africa and at their cost. Hence there was also a conflict brewing between the haves and the have nots. The notion of uniting the exploiter and the exploited under the guise of a united democratic nation provided a safety valve to douse the fires of class conflict. Capitalism needed to create an artificial unity between the rich and poor in order to put an end to class conflict and war and the unity necessary to fight off the aggressor provided this. 3. More importantly, how was the American Dream impacted if at all by the results of World War I and the emergence of the US as a global player? The American Dream refers to the ideals of freedom, equality and opportunity available to every American. It also refers to the personal happiness and material comfort sought by individuals in the US. This dream seems to have been seriously impacted by the laws passed during WWI. The espionage act seriously restricted freedom of speech and the draft law is against personal freedom of choice. During and after the war there was a conscious effort to repress socialism that had begun to take root. Although the espionage act was meant to apply only during war, it has been in force for a long time as America has consistently been at war since the Korean war of 1950. 4. Is there a specific question out of the 4 questions we seek to answer about the American Dream that was most affected in your opinion as a result? The American dream refers to the opportunity the American people had to live their lives in happiness through the route of hard work, and the opportunities to discover their strengths and find success as a result of the choices they made in life. Laws like the draft law that impacted the right to freedom of choice and the espionage act that clamped down on freedom of speech that was part of the American Dream was affected. Emancipation without Freedom 1-When it comes to the Civil War, what do most Americans perceive as the reason for the military engagement? What other reasons were there? More specifically economic reasons. And how did those economic reasons impact the American Dream if at all? On the face of it slavery seemed to be the main cause of the civil war. The northern states were not willing to tolerate slavery and the southern states depended on slaves to work their plantations. The government too seemed inclined to abolish slavery. The northern states were industrializing at a rapid rate, and the society in the north saw people from various classes and cultures working together. The south however still went with the old social system of slave and master. The economic compulsions of the north forced them to press for abolition of slavery and the conflict of interests between the northern and southern states led to the war. The abolition of slavery was therefore the first step towards equality which is the basis of the American Dream. 2. If slavery was an economic system... What new system was put in place? Any similarities between the new system and the economic system of free labor? The slaves were important to the southern states to work the farms. The northern states wanted economic expansion and a free market, while the southern states depended on slaves. When slavery was abolished a new system of free labor came into being. A rapid rate of urban and industrial growth was accompanied by an impetus for people to work hard with a view to laborers becoming owners. This vision of a productive community was different from the system of slavery where slaves were owned and never had the chance to own anything themselves. Topic 3 The Four Tenets and Great Gatsby 1. After watching the film critically analyze the film and its commentary on the 4 tenets of the American Dream. Please make sure to in detail, and by using specific examples in the film you support your argument/position as to whether the film agrees with each tenet. That is, your job is to critically think and analyze if and why the film agrees or disagrees with each tenet individually. The American Dream embodied the values of hard work with a well defined set of behavioral rules that would lead to success in a land of plentiful opportunities. There was hope that the American Dream that enshrined the values of discovery and the happiness of the individual through a path of hard work, and a set of strict social behaviors would give meaning to America through the lives of its citizens. This is the tone at the outset when the narrator Nick Carraway observes "He was the single most hopeful person I ever met," of the character of The Great Gatsby. The themes of love, greed and corruption of the American Dream are the basis of the film. I think that the film does not agree with any of the tenets. The greed and the endless pursuit of pleasure, the easy money and the declining social values all contribute to the disintegration of the American Dream. The hope dies as the film portrays the decay of social and moral values as is seen in the drunken trip to a New York apartment and the series of endless parties that symbolize the prosperity and material excesses that lead to declining social and moral values. The poverty of George and Myrtle Wilson is juxtaposed against the careless spending of Jay Gatsby and the Buchanans. However, the basic inner decency that is the core of the American Dream is revealed in snatches in the character of Jay Gatsby. Read More