While on Ebay looking for an item to bid on i tried to bid low at the beginning or at the very end and keep from constantly bidding during the auction like i did during the auction in class. Waiting for the auction to end i was anxious because i was competing for the item i wanted to the best price. While i was on Ebay i was surprised to see the prices they were selling these items that i would normally buy store bought for a much higher price which i now understand why so many people are addicted to this website. Thankfully for me, i have good will power and know when to stop.
This is very similar to the concepts of capitalism. Customers on Ebay are very literally competing for the item of their choice for the best price, being the market price but in this case the seller is willing to sell it for the highest the consumer is willing to pay, the demand. Then there's opportunity cost, when i lost one of the bids i went on to the next best thing. Scarcity is also another aspect i saw when i was making a purchase on ebay. There was one item that i really wanted but it was not on sale on ebay and there was limited supply on certain items and the limited price is that we as the consumers have a limited amount of money we are willing to spend. Generally, bidding on Ebay is an effective experience in seeing how capitalism is run in our American society.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Insights on Capitalism to Add To The Big Paper
For capitalism you can add to the big paper insights into how it affects what we do, what we think about, what we hope for, how our lives are shaped that draw from the auction and your early work on the Ebay assignment:
Capitalism is a big aspect of our lives whether we see it or not. As we saw at the capitalism simulation in class at the auction. When two people want the same limited item they compete for better prices and how much they are willing to pay for the item with the limited credits we earned from doing our homework or working in class. This is and example of scarcity, limited supply and limited price. Market price was another aspect of capitalism presented during the auction. The market price was he highest bidder. And the opportunity cost is the second best thing the consumer wanted. If a student did not win what they bidded on as their first choice, whatever they spent on what they wanted next would be their opportunity cost. The customers would demand the best price they could get and if others were willing to pay more they would continue to compete for the best price available. This is closely related to the American way of life because getting money is the main goal to sustain yourself in society which means fending for you and/or yourself depending on your situation.
Capitalism is a big aspect of our lives whether we see it or not. As we saw at the capitalism simulation in class at the auction. When two people want the same limited item they compete for better prices and how much they are willing to pay for the item with the limited credits we earned from doing our homework or working in class. This is and example of scarcity, limited supply and limited price. Market price was another aspect of capitalism presented during the auction. The market price was he highest bidder. And the opportunity cost is the second best thing the consumer wanted. If a student did not win what they bidded on as their first choice, whatever they spent on what they wanted next would be their opportunity cost. The customers would demand the best price they could get and if others were willing to pay more they would continue to compete for the best price available. This is closely related to the American way of life because getting money is the main goal to sustain yourself in society which means fending for you and/or yourself depending on your situation.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Response to Pard D of Jacara's Blog
Responding to part one, it was unclear to me about what you were saying about the constitution and the amendments. I didn't quite grasp what you were trying to prove about the amendments. I understand that you were saying that if had the amendments not existed the American life as it is now would be completely different but I don't see the connection between that and how you would amend the constitution.
The second part I completely agree with, I wrote similar notes on my blog about how the government tries to be really fair about things but it is not as fair as it looks and it tries to cover up a lot of things that they do not want the citizens to see.
The third part I disagree with, I think that the constitution is very much related to the American way of life, it might not be very clear but, how I did it, looking at the aspects of the American way of life and seeing how they are at least somewhat related to how we live today. You say that without the knowledge of the constitution, your life would not be any different but I think that it is something we were born into, we were born her in America and expected to live by these laws without even thinking about the origin of it. So I think there is a connection, it may not be easy to find but it is there.
The second part I completely agree with, I wrote similar notes on my blog about how the government tries to be really fair about things but it is not as fair as it looks and it tries to cover up a lot of things that they do not want the citizens to see.
The third part I disagree with, I think that the constitution is very much related to the American way of life, it might not be very clear but, how I did it, looking at the aspects of the American way of life and seeing how they are at least somewhat related to how we live today. You say that without the knowledge of the constitution, your life would not be any different but I think that it is something we were born into, we were born her in America and expected to live by these laws without even thinking about the origin of it. So I think there is a connection, it may not be easy to find but it is there.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Part D
1. How would you amend the constitution?
America as it stands now is not as "Ruled by the people" as its thought out to be as we discussed in class on November 7th. Andy asked us to write down a law we would add to the constitution if we had a chance to. For most of it it was diffcult to come up with one. He then asked us to rate from 1-10 how difficult it was, 10 being the most difficult, I gave it an 8, which is a pretty high rating. We came to a conclusion that as Americans we accept all the laws we already have and do not think to come up with any of our own which contridicts the constitution which by the 1st article is supposed to give the people the right to some sort of power to the nation. But in reality the only people who have this power are the legislators and members of congress.
Because this holds true in America today, if I had a chance to amend the constitution I would try to come up with some way to allow the people (citizens of America who live the American way of life (do legislators live the American way of life?)) to have a say. As it is now im sure we are allowed to write suggestions to the members of congress or something along those lines but truth be told, they will not take what we say or any other middle or lower class citizen's ideas into consideration just because of who we are and what out social status is. Generally, I would try to have some sort of system where average American citizens can have a say in society, more than their single vote every four years.
4. Tendency of the constitution:
Generally, I think the government tries really hard to make things fair for the majority. For example, the 6th article states that religion will not be used against citizens of the United States which benefits the citizens who practice or do not practice a religion that would defy them a job. But for those who would like to be tested by their religion might not agree with it. Also in the 9th amendment made after th civil rights movment allowing all races to vote and then later on, the 19th amendment allowing women to vote. These amendments represent the government allowing equality of all races and genders which is very beneficial for them because before this, they would not be able to get a job or have their own type of freedom. But of course, there's always a catch, while the former slaves and the women can have jobs, thet are taking the jobs away from the richer white men. If the white man is offered a job but then a woman or former slave is willing to do it for less, they steal the white man's job who would have otherwise gotten the job had these historical events and amendments not happened.
Overall, I think the constitution has its way of making things fair but there is never a way to make everyone happy. There will always be a group of people who will disagree and want things in society to go differently. I do not necessarily think the constitution is "good" or "evil" but I do think the government and even society today makes it look a lot more fair than it actually is. It covers up the bad parts. For example, in the preamble the first seven words are "We the people of the United States" when in actuality it was 45 white men who came up with the preamble and the first parts of the constitution. At the time period it was created in, there was slavery and women were not treated as they are treated today meaning that neither of those groups were able to have a say in what they wanted the constitution to be.
5. Relating to AWOL:
From what I have collected from family members, students in the class, random people on the street and other Americans, the main aspects of the American way of life are, freedom, social class, education, work, and opportunity. These aspects can directly relate to the American constitution and government. The government tries to make things as free as possible for the American cititzens and like as mentioned before as "Ruled by the people as possible" which is the reasoning behind the inclusion of the first article being the Legislative branch which is closest to the people. Which does not seem close enough because depending on which social class you are in, you will be payed attention to more closely. If you have lots of money the members of congress will most likely take into consideration what you have to say but if you are a middle class citizen, there is less of a chance that the legislators will pay attention to your thoughts and ideas.
Education also plays a big role in the American way of life because without a good education, it is highly unlikey that you will get a well paying job. And in the typical American way of life, money tends to be the main goal. Which realtes to the constitution, Amendment 10 allows the states to create their own educational alliance and curriculum. The ones controling this (congress) have made education a huge aspect of the American way of life being what a typical American spends the first 20 or so years of their life doing. Once they are done with their education, they will most likely get a job to sustain themselves in society, buy whatever necesities they need. But nowadays there's lots of competition for jobs because of the equality in society mentioned before about the 19th amendment. and the 9th amendment.
Another large player in the American way of life is the idea of opportunity. Most people come to America looking for opportunity, immigrants looking for a job and a better life than the life they were living in the previous country they were living in. Relating to the government trying to give Americans the opportunity to even change the American society relating back to the first article of the constitution. Overall, the American way of live is very relative to the Constitution and the government which is also related to capitalism in America. Economy and government being the two dominant frameworks of the American way of life, all three of these systems are relative to one another.
America as it stands now is not as "Ruled by the people" as its thought out to be as we discussed in class on November 7th. Andy asked us to write down a law we would add to the constitution if we had a chance to. For most of it it was diffcult to come up with one. He then asked us to rate from 1-10 how difficult it was, 10 being the most difficult, I gave it an 8, which is a pretty high rating. We came to a conclusion that as Americans we accept all the laws we already have and do not think to come up with any of our own which contridicts the constitution which by the 1st article is supposed to give the people the right to some sort of power to the nation. But in reality the only people who have this power are the legislators and members of congress.
Because this holds true in America today, if I had a chance to amend the constitution I would try to come up with some way to allow the people (citizens of America who live the American way of life (do legislators live the American way of life?)) to have a say. As it is now im sure we are allowed to write suggestions to the members of congress or something along those lines but truth be told, they will not take what we say or any other middle or lower class citizen's ideas into consideration just because of who we are and what out social status is. Generally, I would try to have some sort of system where average American citizens can have a say in society, more than their single vote every four years.
4. Tendency of the constitution:
Generally, I think the government tries really hard to make things fair for the majority. For example, the 6th article states that religion will not be used against citizens of the United States which benefits the citizens who practice or do not practice a religion that would defy them a job. But for those who would like to be tested by their religion might not agree with it. Also in the 9th amendment made after th civil rights movment allowing all races to vote and then later on, the 19th amendment allowing women to vote. These amendments represent the government allowing equality of all races and genders which is very beneficial for them because before this, they would not be able to get a job or have their own type of freedom. But of course, there's always a catch, while the former slaves and the women can have jobs, thet are taking the jobs away from the richer white men. If the white man is offered a job but then a woman or former slave is willing to do it for less, they steal the white man's job who would have otherwise gotten the job had these historical events and amendments not happened.
Overall, I think the constitution has its way of making things fair but there is never a way to make everyone happy. There will always be a group of people who will disagree and want things in society to go differently. I do not necessarily think the constitution is "good" or "evil" but I do think the government and even society today makes it look a lot more fair than it actually is. It covers up the bad parts. For example, in the preamble the first seven words are "We the people of the United States" when in actuality it was 45 white men who came up with the preamble and the first parts of the constitution. At the time period it was created in, there was slavery and women were not treated as they are treated today meaning that neither of those groups were able to have a say in what they wanted the constitution to be.
5. Relating to AWOL:
From what I have collected from family members, students in the class, random people on the street and other Americans, the main aspects of the American way of life are, freedom, social class, education, work, and opportunity. These aspects can directly relate to the American constitution and government. The government tries to make things as free as possible for the American cititzens and like as mentioned before as "Ruled by the people as possible" which is the reasoning behind the inclusion of the first article being the Legislative branch which is closest to the people. Which does not seem close enough because depending on which social class you are in, you will be payed attention to more closely. If you have lots of money the members of congress will most likely take into consideration what you have to say but if you are a middle class citizen, there is less of a chance that the legislators will pay attention to your thoughts and ideas.
Education also plays a big role in the American way of life because without a good education, it is highly unlikey that you will get a well paying job. And in the typical American way of life, money tends to be the main goal. Which realtes to the constitution, Amendment 10 allows the states to create their own educational alliance and curriculum. The ones controling this (congress) have made education a huge aspect of the American way of life being what a typical American spends the first 20 or so years of their life doing. Once they are done with their education, they will most likely get a job to sustain themselves in society, buy whatever necesities they need. But nowadays there's lots of competition for jobs because of the equality in society mentioned before about the 19th amendment. and the 9th amendment.
Another large player in the American way of life is the idea of opportunity. Most people come to America looking for opportunity, immigrants looking for a job and a better life than the life they were living in the previous country they were living in. Relating to the government trying to give Americans the opportunity to even change the American society relating back to the first article of the constitution. Overall, the American way of live is very relative to the Constitution and the government which is also related to capitalism in America. Economy and government being the two dominant frameworks of the American way of life, all three of these systems are relative to one another.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Part C
Does the 14th combine with the earlier "no religious test" clause to guarantee a vision of a diverse and equitable soviety with no government discrimination?
The 14th ammendment stating that no laws can be made to go against people's lives, liberty, and property. This ammendment was made to make it for for the former slaves, they say all people as in all races aiming for equality between colors. From 1868 forwatd, all people were to be counted equally. Similar to artible 6 of the constitution stating that religion will not be used against citizens for qualifications of any office or public trust. The government was aiming for equality for religions. They avoid any descrimination against religion, race, and now gender.
Ammendments 12, 13, 14, & 15 are often referred to as a magjor turning point in US government policy. Explain the importance of these ammendments:
The 12th ammendmentd stating that the candidates for the president are elected by the electoral college. Whoever wins the vote 1st place is a presidential candidate and second place is the vice president. 13th forbides slaery, 14th states that laws cannot deprive citizens of their lives, liberty, or property. And the 15th ammendment saying that nothing can deny a citizen's right to vote (allowing all races to vote but no women at this point, that's not up until the 19th ammendment). These four ammendments represent the turning point for America I think because these ammendments were created when slavery ended and America's goal for was to achieve equality. This was the beginning of allowing everyone to have the same human rights. First was race and later on they ammended the constitution for gender equality.
Describe the amendment from the rest of the list (16-27) that you find most significant and make an argument for why we should consider it especially important:
I think the 19th ammendmend is especially important because in addition to the 14th ammendment allowing other races the right to vote, this one allows women the right to vote. This ammendment represents yet another step towards equality. This ammendment not only represents equlality but a historical event; women's suffrage as the 14th ammendment represented the end of slavery. These two ammendments show what America went through in the past and what the government has learned and accomplished.
The 14th ammendment stating that no laws can be made to go against people's lives, liberty, and property. This ammendment was made to make it for for the former slaves, they say all people as in all races aiming for equality between colors. From 1868 forwatd, all people were to be counted equally. Similar to artible 6 of the constitution stating that religion will not be used against citizens for qualifications of any office or public trust. The government was aiming for equality for religions. They avoid any descrimination against religion, race, and now gender.
Ammendments 12, 13, 14, & 15 are often referred to as a magjor turning point in US government policy. Explain the importance of these ammendments:
The 12th ammendmentd stating that the candidates for the president are elected by the electoral college. Whoever wins the vote 1st place is a presidential candidate and second place is the vice president. 13th forbides slaery, 14th states that laws cannot deprive citizens of their lives, liberty, or property. And the 15th ammendment saying that nothing can deny a citizen's right to vote (allowing all races to vote but no women at this point, that's not up until the 19th ammendment). These four ammendments represent the turning point for America I think because these ammendments were created when slavery ended and America's goal for was to achieve equality. This was the beginning of allowing everyone to have the same human rights. First was race and later on they ammended the constitution for gender equality.
Describe the amendment from the rest of the list (16-27) that you find most significant and make an argument for why we should consider it especially important:
I think the 19th ammendmend is especially important because in addition to the 14th ammendment allowing other races the right to vote, this one allows women the right to vote. This ammendment represents yet another step towards equality. This ammendment not only represents equlality but a historical event; women's suffrage as the 14th ammendment represented the end of slavery. These two ammendments show what America went through in the past and what the government has learned and accomplished.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Wal-Mart Worker Trampled Analysis
In class on December 1st `08 we just came back from thanksgiving weekend which included black friday, being the day where Americans go out and buy what they want for bargain prices. Andy presented to us an article talking about a man who worked at a Wal-Mart and opened the store early Friday morning for black Friday, he was trampled by the customers which ended up killing him. After reading this article I just thought, this just goes to show how capitalism and sales affects the citizens of America, Americans act like "savages" to get what they want for a good price. Competition and the idea of "Every man [or woman] for himself [or herself]" has been drilled into the minds of Americans and they live by this phrase causing "madness" and "utter chaos" as described by the Daily News article. Even if not everyone has this belief in their mind they are influenced by it, they are being "bum rushed from the back" as Andy desribed it. People are being forced into things because the rest of society has a predominant influence on them. Competition is part of the idea of capitalism and its forcing Americans to compete for everything such as, job offers, money, social status, bargained priced goods in this case, or even some recognition at their school, job, home etc. Part of the American dream I have noticed is fame, which is recognition that people compete for, artists compete to be on the top of the charts, and even students like myself compete to get recognition from colleges to get a better chance of getting a good education.
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