Huckleberry Finn

We actually talked about this literature change in my Mass Comm class and my professor asked some of the black students what they thought. The overall consensus was that some found that the original writing was offensive, but mostly everyone thought changing the word is like trying to change history. The "N word" wasn't simply used as another way to describe slavery, it was a word to describe the struggle of all African Americans during that time. It was the most degrading word during that time, but over time it has become something to be proud of. African Americans can say it with pride now because it represents the struggle they overcame, but simply replacing the word in the book erases the power they have earned. Changing nigger to slave is like changing Nazi to leader; these words are so well known because of the power behind them, and removing is like I said before, removing history.

NY Times-"Buying the Election?" Summary

This article, by Joe Nocera, is questioning the amount of political campaign spending that takes place in the modern day society. It compares the spending of Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford in 1976 -a limit of $35 million each- to the 2012 candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney -estimated to spend over $1 billion each-. Nocera compares this situation to that of a scene in an Austin Powers movie. When Dr. Evil returns after being frozen for 30 years, he demands $1 million dollars from world leaders for a nuclear warhead, only to be laughed at for such a low sum. Public financing limits campaign spending as seen when Obama opted out of this system during the 2008 election. He was able to raise over $750 millon, while, John McCain was only able to use $84 million of his fundraising due to the limits of public financing. Nocera claims that today candidates are using the loop hole made by PACs. The federal government limits individual donations to $5000, however, there is no limit on donations a PAC. Although some people such as Jim Bopp Jr. think "...limits on political spending are a violation of the First Amendment", Nocera encourages us to ask if candidates are now Buying the Election?

Ethos, Logos, Pathos

Ethos

• Lived in Washington during restructure after Watergate scandal
•  "According to Brendan Doherty, a political science professor at the United States Naval Academy, Obama has held six fund-raisers in a single day. Twice."
• Story in the Atlantic by editor, James Bennet, states lawyer Jim Bopp Jr. says, "...limits on political spending are a violation of the First Amendment." 

Logos

• In 1976, Gerald Ford/Jimmy Carter were allowed to spend $35 million each.
• Obama has raised $181 million in September alone.
• Obama raised $750 million after opting out of public financing in 2008, John McCain was only able to spend $84 million under financial system
• This year, Obama and Romney could spend over $1 billion each.
•  "Sheldon Adelson, the casino mogul, whose main political interest appears to be Israel, has pumped $10 million into Restore Our Future, the biggest Republican super PAC."
• Individual donations are limited to $5000, however, donations to a PAC are limitless.
• "If there was more spending on the campaign, voters would be more educated about the candidates."
• "...ads are running with such frequency that people are tuning them out."

Pathos

• Dr. Evil says world leaders must buy back warhead for one million dollars

"Buying the Election?" Link

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/opinion/nocera-buying-the-election.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Why Men Fail

This article talks about the male species' inability to adapt to the ever-changing world. It refers to men as "immigrants who have physically moved to another country, but have kept their minds in the old one." I can't help but agree with what this comparison is suggesting, overall, men still think they can work in the same way as they did 20 years ago, they will continue to fail. In the present day society, being a hardworking, honest day laborer just doesn't cut it anymore; we are living in the technology age. Therefore, school is definitely more important, and it truly is now more about brain than brawn. Perhaps, this is the reason men are having so much trouble adjusting occupationally. We have gone from a nation that relies on the rough edged workers whose job was to physically build and improve to a nation that relies on engineers behind the machines that are designed to build and improve. Hanna Rosin even claims in her book that the article is about, that sexual roles are being flip flopped. While college has always been seen a man's door to go have one night stands or brief engagements for simply his own enjoyment and reputation, Rosin claims that this lack of relationship expectations allows women to focus more on their schoolwork. If this is true, every aspect of man's life has changed, and we need to adjust. The end of the articles states that men will have to be more like Odysseus, and less like Achilles; we need stop forcing our will on the world, and start adjusting to it.

Debate Response

The debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama presented a clear winner, Governor Romney. Although both sides were extensive in their explainations and rebuttals, it was Romney who was the aggressor. He was able to criticize Obama's 4 years as president with comments such as "23 million people are out of work", or "Dot Frank was the biggest kiss to New York banks I've ever seen". Due to the fact that Romney's plan is still only in the proposal stages, President Obama could only attack what it is predicted to be like. However, his most repetitive argument was that Gov. Romney would provide a $5 billion tax cut for the rich, which, was denied over and over again by Romney during the debate. Therefore, due to Romney's countless factual and logical attacks, and Obama's consistent failure at defense, it was apparent that Mitt Romney won the night.

Friedman Article

This article by Friedman is gains instant ethos due to the fact that it is published in the New York Times. It is talking about the constantly changing world and its' technological differences. In the United States, the unemployment rate among 4 year college graduates is 4.1%, while, it is 12% among high school dropouts. This is a clear sign that companies are hiring more qualified workers for all positions, and we can no longer live by, as the article states, Bill Clinton's motto to simply work hard. In 2010 Shanghai beat the rest of world in their math, science, and reading scores among 15 year olds. Friedman says "Any form of standing still is deadly", and the rest of world is simply trying to catch up. When Clinton was president in 1992, there was no internet and now, even countries like Estonia, who developed Skype in 2003, are finding themselves for spots on top of the technological totem pole. Friedman is even able to give a personal reflection on the ever changing world as he describes his own daily routine as a simple reporter. The article's main claim is that YOU will have to worker harder in order to be successful in the future. Successful sources such as Future Toffler, Van Ton-Quinlivan, Wired Magazine, and The Guardian newspaper were used to support the theory  of the harder working economy. This logical outlook on the varying world around us presents us, the readers, with a question to ask ourselves. Are we prepared for the future?