Origins of the Cold War, Focus Task

Focus Task:

How did the USA react to Soviet expansion?

You are an adviser to Stalin. Write a briefing paper on the USA's plans for Europe. Your report should mention:

• President Truman's plans for Europe

• the methods being used by Truman to resist the spread of Communism

• whether you think the USSR should be worried.

As we have observed, we now see that the President of the United States of America is now supplying money to European nations that are suffering from the aftermath of the war through Marshall Aid. This is a bribe- the USA is only using this money to make us, the USSR, look bad. We want to go into these countries, control their government, and bring them into a better life. No more worries about if your neighbor has more than you- for everyone is equal in our society. The Americans are just using this giveaway of money to make them seem like the superior ones. Money without any support for government or forced equality will not succeed, and that is that we are here for. They think that spending money on other nations will stop communism; it will not. Money is money, power is power. The USA may have the money and funds, but the USSR has the power. All of it, none to remain for any other nation. The USSR should not be affected or even shed any thought on this topic, because we are the all ruling power in eastern Europe, and the United States of America cannot come close.

Focus Task- Optimistic and Pessimistic Civil Rights View

(sorry I saved it as a draft and never posted it)

1. African Americans were able to vote

- Optimistic view: African Americans could register and vote for any sort of election since the beginning of the century.

- Pessimistic view: Because of threats, even to the extent of violence, most if not all African Americans feared voting, which lead to only about 5% of African Americans in Mississippi to be registered.

2. African Americans could have jobs/employment.

- Optimistic view: Now that slavery was over in the South, African Americans could hold jobs, including teaching at schools.

- Negative view: There was still much discrimination in the work place, either with hiring workers, or in salary/wage. White teachers in the South earned 30% more than African American teachers.

3. Segregation of schools

- Optimistic view: If African American children and white children were to go to different schools, then there would be less danger for African Americas, and less discrimination.

- Pessimistic view: No matter how 'equal' the government tries to make segregated schools equal, they cannot be equal if they are separate.

4. Integration of schools

- Optimistic view: African Americans now had the same opportunity as white children for learning. When schools were segregated, schools for African Americans were less taken after and given less attention. Bringing African American children into white schools gave them the same opportunity.

- Pessimistic view: African American children were always in constant danger of harassment. In the example of the Little Rock Nine, nine African Americans were to be moved from a far away school for only African Americans to an integrated school. First, the principal of the school refused to allow them to attend the school because of the 'hazard to their safety', as he had claimed, but once President Eisenhower sent official troops to escort the African American children back, the principal allowed them to.

Japanese-American Internment Camps Article

If I were to write an article which point was to be controversial and cause a stir amongst American people, I would make sure to emphasize on the fact that the Japanese-American internment camps was the most civil rights violating action made on American soil. German-American people had as much as the same doubt to be sent to internment camps, but were not because it was easier to visually identify Japanese-Americans rather than German-Americans. Although Japan had attacked the US at Pearl Harbor, Germany had a much stronger effect on the world by leading the Holocaust which killed over 6 million Jews, gypsies, African Americans, and other minorities. The Germans were much more of a threat to the world than Japan was. Although Japan had attacked and destroyed more that half of America's naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, the strides of the steps that they were taking in the war were much smaller than Germany.

I would definitely would not publish this article because it would not only cause for more public attention, but it could be taken out of context and contorted to make it seem worse than actually is written. Propaganda could form from it, which would only cause further problems. I would not publish this article because it would divide the American people based on their opinions, and that would be the worst thing to do, especially in the time of war. During the war period, it is important for the people of the country to come together and unify as one, and to publish this article would cause people to rift apart based on their opinions. The United States of America should stay united, in or out of war.

Causes of Depression

Although each of the five factors relate to each other and contribute to the collapse of the economy, I feel as though the over-production by American industries had the biggest impact. I believe that this is the most powerful one for two reasons: Firstly, these industries were mass producing items that were temporarily popular. Of course, they had a big impact when they first came out, so consumers were intrigued and drawn to the new products that American industries were producing. All people have an abstract and physical sense of curiosity, and the rise of these products was feeding it perfectly. People were instantly interested in buying these products, so they did. And the industries made more products because sales were rising. The only bad aspect about this is that there are only so many consumers. If someone already has the product, they probably won't need another one, unless they are wealthy. And in addition to that, there are people that won't be able to buy the product because they can't afford it. So all the industry is left with is a lot of unsold products that will have no purpose. Secondly, when the industry first came up with the product, many people invested in it in the stock market. As these industries became more popular and more people were purchasing their products, the values of these stocks went up. However, once the industries made more products than consumers could buy, the values started decreasing, which made more people start to sell their stocks, without anyone willing to buy them because the market was decreasing at a rapid pace. Because of this, the stock market was going down a shaky path, which would eventually lead up to its collapse and the Great Depression.

Economic Boom

I mostly agree with that statement because three of the five reasons of the economic boom were directly related to the motor industry. The other two are indirectly related.Republican policies were proven right because of the production and growth of many industries, including the automobile industry. The US was producing more than all the countries in the world combined. Republican policies can relate to industrial strengths because many other industries grew because of the automobile industry, like gas, petroleum, leather, glass, steel production, etc. Because of the growth in this industry, new methods were created for ease and simplicity for making automobiles. Credit was established so that more people could buy cars or other products without having to pay upfront. However, with credit came interest, and the responsibility and ability to pay off things in the future.

Your Option Five (Number 3)

3. What specific policies should the United States pursue toward the Middle East? (Use the policy steps featured in the options as a guide.)

The United States has many interests and values that wish to be evolved upon with the Middle East. Policies that the US would like to pursue with the Middle East would be policies about peace, oil consumption, and the guarding of national borders. The spread of peace around the Middle East is very important because political instability has always been the worst faults of the region. Proclaiming peace in the region would allow growth for all of the countries and states in economical areas, as well as religious and in trade. If countries in the region were able to ally more with other nations, then there would be less financial aid from the US going to the Middle East, because they would start their own means of trade and commerce. Policies about the oil market hope to be adapted by government leaders, and having mutual agreements, that each state or country knows about, as well as the United States, so they can continue trade. Border control is also very important because oil fields and wells could potentially be attacked by neighboring countries. Therefore, the United States and Middle Eastern leaders need to come to a mutual conclusion on border control and rules of that matter.

Sharia Article

http://www.americanthinker.com/2005/08/top_ten_reasons_why_sharia_is.html

This article basically sums up the top ten reasons why the Sharia is a bad influence or foundation for all types of society. With its views on homosexuality, adultery, marital abuse, and even robbery, the Sharia has many bad rules/enforcements that is bad for any society or religion to base themselves upon.