A Change We Can Believe In...has actually happenned

Well, well, well. The Election day has finally come to an end and Americans all across the United States are celebrating. Barack Obama is officially the President of the United States of America. What an epic election—first black male candidate versus oldest white male candidate whose running mate was a white female…things couldn’t have gotten any more interesting. Everyone has been desperate for change—“a change we can believe in”—since before I can remember. Now that Bush and his team are ousted from the White House it is about time for that change to take place with the election of a new political party and a new face in politics—Obama.

I’m going to be honest and admit that I voted for McCain. I figured since I am not the one out of my family that is going to be affected by taxes I should vote in favor of whatever will enhance my parents’ budget; thus, the obvious decision for me was to vote for McCain who wasn’t planning on raising taxes.

Despite my opposing desire for the outcome of this election, I know that in my heart Obama will make for a great president. A young, fresh and innovative black male who will bring new ideas to the table is just what we need. Obama will provide our country with an economic, cultural and societal jumpstart to get things running smoothly again.

Congratulations Barack Obama. I am eager to see what the future holds for you and our nation.

*Once Upon A Time*: Self-Analysis Post

Once upon a time I dreaded politics—the mere sight of CNN or MSNBC news on T.V. made me want to hurl. The endless, false commercials that consume every bit of commercial time at this time of the election year was so repulsive, and the fakeness of politicians was absurd to me. Well, fellow bloggers, that was once upon a time.

Now, it is impossible for me to turn the T.V. on without immediately turning the channel to a news station to get the latest update of our economy and presidential candidates. Whether it’s hearing about Sarah Palin’s latest family issues or being updated on the financial statistics of our economy, I’ve found that nine times out of ten my eyes have been glued to the news channels and websites that capture my brain and body and absorb me into the T.V. or computer. Who knew…I just had to give it a chance.

Over the past month, since I have been involved with this English project, the most important thing I have realized is how important it is to stay updated on current events and politics. If I failed a quiz because I was up late at night watching a presidential debate I would be okay with it now. Okay, I lied, I would never let myself fall into that trap as a student; but, I honestly think that it is of upmost importance to stay updated on what’s going on in our country in regards to an election, politics, our economy and more. This is by far the most important lesson I will take away from this project.

When observing how my political ideology has transformed through this project I would have to admit that it definitely opened my eyes. Both of my parents are Republicans, so, like every other teenager I believed I should be a Republican. Wrong. Through this project I learned that you have to research about the presidential candidates before voting and that it is absurd to simply vote in correlation with your parents. This lesson also goes along with the idea that you must stay updated on the prominent issues of an election. The economy is obviously the most important issue in this election, and to ignore the candidates’ plans to revamp our economy would make for an extremely ignorant citizen. Make your vote count.

I thoroughly enjoyed the freedom this blog project granted me as a student in terms of being able to control and emphasize topics I found most interesting or pressing. Having the ability to set my own boundaries allowed me to explore and learn more about my issue absolutely.

However, having the capacity to completely delve into my issue was also a nightmare. Try having to be completely informed on the state of our current economy and the Rescue bill…every single day. This involved knowing the candidates' stances, knowing the causes of the crisis, understanding the concerns of the bill, understanding the possible outcomes of the bill, being familiar with the average American’s view and so on. Honestly, it was a ton of information to try to thoroughly blog about. Too much information isn’t always a good thing.

One aspect of the blog project that I found surprisingly difficult to keep up with was responding to posts made by fellow bloggers in regards to a post I had previously made. The time constraint that comes along with posting before each class made it difficult to keep my mind on two separate blog posts. I felt like after I posted on my blog and then people responded that it was nearly impossible to continue a conversation with that particular post now that I had made a completely new post.

Then there is the problem of the Internet. While blogging and staying updated on the news is actually really entertaining, Facebook is always a distraction. I found that occasionally when I would intend to sign onto blogger.com I would accidently type in Facebook.com. How embarrassing.

What an awesome project…not only did I go through this past month aspiring to receive a good grade while keeping my classmates informed on the Rescue bill and the economic crisis, but I also learned an important life lesson. In order to even be considered a well-educated human being, you must initially educate yourself on the current pressing issues the United States is facing every day. So, I leave you with this bloggers—stay informed bloggers, stay informed.

IMPLICATIONS POST: What if...

Ah, everyone loves our flourishing, vibrant economy right now, don’t they? Don’t you go shopping a couple of times a week and buy gas without even thinking twice about it? Eating out eight times a week is the norm for you right? I’m sure your financial life is beyond enjoyable right now and I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your life!

How annoying does that sound? When someone ignores a problem that is clearly present and pretends like everything is fabulous is the type of thing that drives me crazy…doesn’t it drive you crazy too? We all know that the economy sucks right now and that everyone is extremely stressed out about their budgets and spending. So, how annoying would it be if our government took the annoying route and ignored the economic crisis? Our government is elected by us and is meant to serve in the best interest of us. So…that is exactly what the government is doing—helping our economy to the best of their abilities in order to serve in the best interest of the American people. The Rescue bill is a necessary means of government intervention in our economy and without it the government would be ignoring the financial crisis every American is facing.

What does the future hold if there was no Rescue bill and no soon-to-be other stepping stones toward an improved economy? The thought of this makes me tremble. An unresolved economic crisis would result in nothing less than a nation facing a death-sentence.

Without a solution to the economic crisis the credit disaster is going to worsen and the banks are going to remain unstable. If the banks remain unstable this means that people will not have enough faith in the banks to keep their money in them or take out loans. Thus, circulation of money within the United States will slow down an enormous amount. Without a solution to the economic crisis the stock market is also going to deteriorate, leaving the market with worthless stocks.

On a more personal note, unemployment will continue to increase as more and more businesses are unable to pay their employees. Currently, there are 9 million Americans that are unemployed…can you believe this? Imagine if there was even more in the year 2009…without a solution to the economy this will definitely be the case. Also, the housing market will continue to decline because the prices of peoples’ homes are rapidly decreasing as the months go on.

Would you like to see our nation go down the drain simply because our government ignored our please for financial stimulation?
I don’t think so…

Patience Is A Virtue...

Is the writer for the New York Times having second thoughts about his once fully supportive voice that backed the Rescue bill? New York Times writer Joe Nocera adamantly addresses this question in his article posted on October 27th. Nocera acknowledges that he is worried about the exact plan the bill has for improving the economy; for instance, he fears its forceful cause of small banks having to merge with larger banks. How many more of these random symptoms are going to emerge due to the passage of the bill?

Let’s take a look at the Rescue bill’s affects on our economy so far. The stock market is and always has been an erratic game of fluctuating values. However, in the past months the stock market has not only reached unprecedented lows, but is continuing to decline even after the passage of the Rescue bill! Reports show that over the past two weeks has lost about $214 billion per day—in the grand scheme of things this is about $2.9 trillion overall. When looking at reports prior to the passage of the bill it shows that the stock market declined about $2.3 trillion. To many this may seem like the Rescue bill was pointless and a waste of our $700 billion. However, seeing that the decline in value of the stocks is absurdly high after as well as before the enactment of the Rescue bill points out the thought of what would our economy be like today if the Rescue bill had never been issued. Without the Rescue bill I believe that the stock market and the economy would be in an even more rapid decline.

We are a society of quick fixes. With a bleach pen, a travel sewing kit, anti-itch relief cream we don’t have to worry about anything. With the economy, a system that entails all of our families’ and friends’ financial successes in life, a quick fix is nowhere near possible. So…to all you people are getting frustrated with the slow outcome of the Bailout bill, or Rescue bill so you can sleep at night, get over it because it is a small stepping stone in a large process of repairing order to our economy.

"Theory Post: A Compromise" *UPDATED*

Imagine this…the entire United States of America is counting on you to formulate a solution to our current economic crisis. Peoples’ jobs, salaries, taxes, homes, property, cars, loans, stocks and pensions all rest in your hands to do whatever you want with them. Being biased, of course, plays a huge factor in determining a plan to fix the economy; however, you are a representative who has been elected by the people to represent the best interest of the people. Thus, forget about your needs and wants. You must be the best representative of the people that you can be.

Conservatives versus liberals in a wrestling arena, brawling over the issue of the economy—yikes! Two polarized opposites, especially in politics, are inevitably going to have an impossible task when trying to generate a compromise. Keep in mind, there are also an innumerable amount of fluctuating representatives and candidates who vary from their party’s ideology on a particular issue. For instance, in the initial debate about the Bailout bill fourteen of California's representatives voted against the passage of the bill. It is certainly not an attribute of democrats to vote against government intervention in the economy. These types of politicians make life that much more confusing when trying to reach a compromise on an issue.

Let’s take a step back and study the broader scope of the economic crisis and examine how Liberals and Conservatives would customarily want to solve and economic crisis. It is widely accepted that Conservatives believe in the free market system and competitive entrepreneurship. In the eyes of Conservatives this creates more jobs and higher standards for living than the Liberals’ accepted economic system. Liberals favor government regulation of the economy in order to provide and even playing field for all businesses. Now, one may think to themselves—how in the world are we supposed to come up with a compromise between two such polarized positions? Frankly, we have to come up with some sort of solution or stepping stone towards fixing the economy because it is certainly not going to fix itself anytime soon.

The recent issue posed for this presidential election, being the Rescue bill, was a fairly non-polarized, agreeable issue between the two candidates. Both McCain and Obama supported the passage of the bill; however, Obama has a more precise plan for tackling the economy if elected than McCain's plan.

Obama's economic jumpstart plan includes the creation of jobs through organizations such as the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, tax relief for the middle class through his plan "Making Work Pay", and the protection of homeownership through his universal mortgage credit plan.
McCain's economic jumpstart pln is vague and unthoughtful. His national website only focuses on his past experience as a Senator and his past contributions as a Senator.

McCain and Obama also agree that they should stabilize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac because they are both influential in the housing market. While both candidates agree that the passage of the Rescue bill was a good idea, but McCain has yet to inform the public on how else he is planning on revamping the economy if he is elected President.

Aside from Obama and McCain, the Conservative and Liberal parties have very opposing stances on how the government should deal with the economic crisis. Liberals want government intervention in the economy whereas Conservatives do not want any government intervention in the economy. My theory on dealing with the economic crisis is that it has to be dealt with…Liberal or not, everyone should agree that this extreme disaster requires government involvement in the economy. Thus, I agree with the Rescue bill because desperate times call for desperate measures.

*FINANCIAL 9/11*

We need another financial stimulus to boost the economy? $700 billion isn’t enough to jumpstart our economy? Expert on the economy of the United States, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, had an hour and a half interview with Representative DeLauro where Bernanke talked about the need for another economic stimulus for the majority of the 90 minutes. Dodging the term “recession”, Bernanke stressed that Congress needs to start considering another stimulus while also dodging how much money a new stimulus should encompass. Alongside of Bernanke, Democratic leaders are urging Congress to pass another $300 billion financial stimulus that would be directly implemented in infrastructure projects, unemployment benefits, spending for food stamps, home heating projects, and Medicaid programs. Representing the Republicans, President Bush has been requesting that American consumers be patient and allow the Rescue bill to take full circle action before criticizing its effects. Bernanke’s main argument is that the economic crisis is going to be in effect for awhile so we should take the initiative and enact another stimulus to instigate economic recovery. Most economists believe that the economy is going to worsen the rest of this year and well into the year 2009. Experts predict the unemployment rate to skyrocket to at least 7.5% next year since it is at an unbelievable high of 6.1% right now. With frightening statistics like these that don’t even skim the surface of the economic crisis could another stimulus actually be a good idea?

3 other blogs worth visiting

1.

1. http://theissueontaxes.blogspot.com/

IGetNoSleep is the writer of this blog about the issue of taxes and its effects on the upcoming election. Posting frequently throughout the week, IGetNoSleep’s blog analyzes McCain’s and Obama’s stance on taxes while providing his own position as well. If you are planning on voting in the election (which, of course, you are) you should visit this blog to get a good understanding on how the presidential candidates are planning to use YOUR money (taxes) to better our nation.

2. http://renewableenergy-tommy.blogspot.com/

Tommy keeps his blog on renewable energy updated almost every day. Providing an in-depth analysis on the issue of energy and how to use renewable energy to improve our country, Tommy can give you a clear understanding of different techniques on how to renew energy. Tommy’s critical tone shows that he is passionate about the issue of renewable energy which makes his blog even that more interesting.

3. http://wariniraq-revan.blogspot.com/

In this blog Revan explores the impact the war in Iraq has on our economy, our soldier’s lives, citizens, and the upcoming election. Revan clearly explains Obama’s and McCain’s stance on the war in Iraq and what plan they deem executable if they are elected president. This blog should be a priority for you to visit because the War in Iraq is not only costing us a fortune but also an innumerable amount of soldiers’ lives.