April Blog: Song to Society

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83a368PqXfM

I think the song "Airplanes," by B.O.B. defines the U.S. society. In "Airplanes," B.O.B. talks about how he 

wants to go back to a simpler time when life wasn't so stressful and hectic as it is in current world. He says that 

"I could use a dream or a genie or a wish, to go back to a place much simpler than this..." which could be taken that he wishes for a simpler society for life. He also states, "Somebody take me back to the days, Before this was a job, before I got paid, Before it ever mattered what I had in my bank, Yeah back when I was tryin' to get into the subway... So can I get a wish to end the politics..." meaning that he wants life to be more like it was when politics didn't matter to society and people didn't have to have all this money just to get by in life. Life today is all about politics and being higher in society by having a lot of money. Television producers have even made shows just about people who are rich. B.O.B. wishes that life would be simpler and not so much based on politics and money, but more like in the 2000s, when life was much simpler than it was today. 

Adam Smith

     Adam Smith was a famous, economical figure. He believed that wealth was not the amount of gold or silver one had, but the essentials of life. He also said that if someone wanted a prosperity in life, then one should have the goods and services of life. Adam Smith said in order to have this type of life, he said there must be a free market for buying and selling. He called this the "free market system" and it is based upon a natural law he called "supply and demand."  Smith believed the successful way for this market was competition, an increase in profit and productivity. He believed that this would eventually lead to lower prices so others could beat the competition. But, there was a major threat to his idea: governmental interference. He believed this threat because the government always fixes prices on items and they try to control production and distribution. He said that the government should only act if there were traces of illegal force, fraud, obscenity and monopoly. His basic ideas are freedom to buy, try, fail and sell.(Adam Smith and the Natural laws of Free Market Economics)
     Economics is basically the study of how people can use their supplies to work against the competition of the markets. Many of the supplies that economics relate to are the money, property, and time that a person has. They use their supplies in the way they choose, but they will distribute them if they are insufficient. Insufficiency is actually a good thing for sellers because this means that buyers will be willing to pay higher for it. The rules of this economic system  really determine the way of the market. The free market can be described as a market that allows people to engage in economics outside of the control of the government. Smith said that the society would benefit more if the sellers were free to choose their own prices for their goods instead of the government having a fixed price. He said that the actual competition would determine the prices. For example, if there is a surplus of one item and many buy that certain item, the price will be raised. where as an item that is not bought as much price would be lowered.(Economics, Free Market)
     We all know of the big Auto Bailout that took place in  2009. During this bailout, the U.S. payed about $24.9 billion dollars for three major auto companies: General Motors and Chrysler, GMAC, and Chrysler Financial. The bailout occurred so that these companies could continue giving auto loans to car-owners. Many  Americans have opposed to the bailout because these companies did not reorganize for the energy efficient time we are in. I personally believe that the U.S. should not have bailed out these companies. Cars are good transportation. But the U.S. alone makes up 40% of the pollution being produced. America could do without all the pollution producing vehicles these companies produce. Less cars makes for less pollution. The U.S., in my opinion, made a major mistake in bailing out these companies. These companies don't even produce gas efficient cars.(The Auto Bailout)

Articles of Confederation

    1. The Articles of Confederation were articles that created a central government that had limited power in the Americas.
     2. Some of the key features were that the government had no Chief Executive, the new laws needed to be approved by atleast nine of the thirteen colonial leaders, the Congress did not have the power to tax citizens, but could request taxes, Congress did not have the power to draft an army, but could only request for troops, there was no national court systems, any amendments to the Articles must be approved by all f the thirteen states, Congress did not have the power to collect state debts owed to the federal government, and finally, Congress did not hae the power to settle disputes between states.
    3. The Continental Congress shaped the Aricles of Cnfederation to tell how the states all felt felt and so they didn't have to deal with outsiders.
    4.  Some of the major problems with the Articles of Confederation were that the lack of central government, some states could threaten the other states if they voted against something, causing disunity, states often didn't pay taxes, and the government didn't have authority to demand taxes, each state would be able to control their own laws by single courts, it was nearly impossible to change the Articles, and any one state could change an amendment, and disputes often occured between states, which Congress couldn't settle.
    5. The features that caused the most problems were probably the feature about Congress not being able to settle disputes becasue there were often many disputes between states, so there would be many little wars between states. Another feature that might have been a problem could have been the Congress not being able to force taxes because states would not pay taxes and the government would run out of money sooner or later.
    6. Some changes that should be put on the government is the not being forced to tax because the states don't have to pay their taxes, and they probably wouldn't, leading to the government running out of money, making there no money to pay workers, making the economy fall apart with people revolting.