Reflecting on Malcom X's Younger Years

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The Kelley reading on Malcolm X's teen years and the environment in which he lived during this time shed light on the factions both between and within ethnic groups. I found this fascinating because it stood in contrast to other readings and course material that focused more on the color lines between racial groups (i.e. Black and White, Asian and White, Latino and White). Instead, Kelley's reading addressed the tumultuous relationship between the Black middle class and the lower class and the resentment each group felt for the other during the time period of World War II.

This tension between the socio-economic classes within the Black community makes sense to me, since each group seemed to be trying to achieve different goals. While the lower class fought to try to assimilate into "American" culture by applying the "Protestant work ethic" celebrated in America, much of the lower class rebelled against this way of life and chased less than legitimate pursuits. In my opinion, it is this sort of dynamic (e.g. tension within a downtrodden group) that made it so difficult to overcome the unjust societal makeup of the time.

A Consumer's Republic - Reflection

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Lizabeth Cohen's "A Consumer's Republic" was in my opinion the most intriguing reading of the year. She literally focuses on one aspect of American Culture (consumerism), and analyzes how it has helped shape American history. She touches on topics from the government's role in regulating the market over time to how racial inequality was perpetuated by consumer trends.

One of the constants throughout history in relation to consumers has been the discrepancy between the purchaser consumer and the citizen consumer. Purchaser consumers were not beneficial to the market, as they simply bought things impulsively. Citizen consumers, however, Cohen argues were essential in history. They had the tendency to be much more lobbyist, and look out for the rights of consumers in general. I think the difference between these two types of consumers shows where the power is in terms of American capitalism and the free market. There are much more purchaser consumers than citizen consumers, and except for when the government needed an economic boost, purchaser consumers are really hurting their own cause. If 75-80% of consumers were citizen-consumers, then those would be the people who would be able to regulate trends in the free market. However, as it stands, (and it probably won't change anytime soon) corporations and the private sector in general has all of the power when it comes to marketing and consumer practices.

Overall, Cohen's writing was a very persuasive argument. She had a plethora of sources from which she compiled her information, and it was very effective. If people underestimated the power of consumerism, after reading this book, perhaps they will think twice before the next time they go shopping. It is truly amazing how an everyday, sometimes mindless task could have such a profound effect on the entire construct of the United States.

Gary Okihio's Impounded Reflection

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Prior to this reading and our discussion in class I had no idea about the treatment of Japanese Americans before their internment. Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941 by Japan. The subsequent events following that bombing divided the United States from some of its own citizens. The government became suspicious of spies being within the United States borders and focused primarily on those with Japanese descent. The article quoted an approximate 120,000 Japanese-Americans that were sent to internment camps until the war with Japan was finished.
The blatant discrimination and racism that this act shows is simply unconscionable. National security is definitely an important issue that the U.S. government has to deal with, but this takes it a bit too far. Benjamin Franklin said that he who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither. Japanese Americans fell into this category except they had this sacrifice delegated to them by the government. Our country was founded upon the ideal of freedom, and therefor I think that this ideal should be afforded to all individuals regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, etc. This action was certainly a mistake and I hope that the government has learned a lesson from it. To be American is to be free, and if we take that away from an entire group of Americans, what is it to be American?

"Amos 'n' Andy" Response

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Amos 'n' Andy was a radio comedy in the 1920's to 1950's in America. It exploited the racial stereotypes of African Americas in America in a disgusting manner. The main characters were purposely drawn as stereotypically to African Americans as possible. They had overly full lips and were made to seem extremely lazy. These are two things that are huge stereotypes of Blacks in America today and seemingly have been very big racial stereotypes of that race for sometime.



The creators Gosden and Correll were two people who were very familiar with the minstral traditions of early times. I found this very interesting that they were familiar with minstral traditions and chose to make their show using the stereotypes of African Americans. The minstral shows were also based in theory on the "happy go lucky darky on the plantation"- a seeming stereotype of the timeperiod of the minstral shows.

Amos 'n' Andy had some absolutely ridiculous aspects however there were some interesting things. The things I found most interesting were the creators prior knowledge of the minstral traditions as well as the fact that they blatantly displayed African Americans in a racist manner even in a time where African American civil rights were starting to gain steam in an American culture.

A Consumer's Republic

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I found the subject of "A Consumer's Republic" to be very interesting, as the book made many valid points that are often forgotten today.  I liked that she used many examples throughout her writing to illustrate her various points, including many from the Depression and World War II.  She shows how being a citizen in the United States of America in the post-war era has been drastically redefined by consumerism.  I also enjoyed the arguments she made and examples she gave about women and minorities during this time period, and how the effect they had on consumerism was later redeemed through Civil Rights movements of the 50s and 60s.
After reading this thought-provoking book, I feel much more educated about the United States twentieth century economic history.  Although I thought the book to be very interesting, I also found it difficult to follow at times because of the many long, winding sentences that are a part of her writing style.  I found myself having to re-read sections quite often in order to fully understand her argument.  However, I would definitely recommend this book to others, as it does a great job of depicting and analyzing consumerism.

ObamaCare: The Neutron Bomb That Will Decimate Employment

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ObamaCare will act as a neutron bomb on employment in the U.S. for two basic reasons.
Longtime readers know I have repeatedly explained why healthcare, i.e. sickcare, will bankrupt the nation. Here are two of the dozens of entries I've written on sickcare:
America's Hidden 8% VAT: Sickcare (May 10, 2012)
Can Chronic Ill-Health Bring Down Great Nations? Yes It Can, Yes It Will (November 23, 2011)

I have also explained why ObamaCare's "fixes" are simulacra reforms that don't even address the systemic costs arising from the cartel-fiefdom structure of sickcare:
Why "Healthcare Reform" Is Not Reform, Part I (December 28, 2009)
Why "Healthcare Reform" Is Not Reform, Part II (December 29, 2009)
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WHY IS THIS MONTH-OLD CLIP OF AN EX-SECRET SERVICE AGENT SUDDENLY GOING VIRAL?

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Dan Bongino lost his race for the U.S. Senate last Fall and the former Secret Service agent was finally closing up shop on his campaign offices when his phone started ringing like crazy. Television and radio shows were calling to ask Dan if he was free… free to talk about this brief speech he gave on January 19th at a Guns Across America rally in Annapolis Maryland.

We started seeing the clip popping up on various pro-Second Amendment websites and wondered why the six minute speech had suddenly started attracting so much attention.

TheBlaze spoke with Dan Bongino on Friday night. He told us that the video had only generated about five or six views before this week.
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