Recent orders
Masci’s Article
Name:
Course:
Instructor:
Date:
Masci’s Article
Over the past few decades, the United States has developed a consumer culture where shopping and acquisition of goods are now both recreation and obsession. Workers across all industries undergo numerous challenges while trying to make ends meet. Still, the growth of the industry in America has granted people the ability to access and consume goods than before. Large corporations have been emerging, turning the United States into a consumer culture desperately in need for time-saving and other leisure commodities, where individuals can hope to get all they want in shopping malls or by mail order. It is through production and selling of goods and services does capitalism is effective. Moreover, progress and prosperity come as a result of more production and more purchases, hence, growing the economy. However, the due process has an adverse effect to the environment as they involve extraction and use of natural resources by the production companies, whose operations leads to the creation of toxic by-products.
It is fair for shoppers to buy what they want, but of course, the adverse effects of their habits are subject to everyone who is affected. Some people buy kinds of stuff recklessly and end up disposing them carelessly to the environment. The government once more spends taxpayers money to manage that garbage due to the negligence of people. Also, the financial illiteracy of some individuals may affect the economy since their spending behavior may cause the prices of commodities to rise as they can afford, and the vast majority cannot. Perhaps, the few individuals who spend extravagantly on goods and services can sustain the industry at the expense of ordinary civilians with little financial advantage.
It is not right to say that people making all these goods use the money to buy houses, education and build their churches. Arguably, some people producing these goods spend significantly on things like housing and education but not always. In my view, Regalia was biased. Most goods consumed in the United States come from China, Canada, Germany, Mexico, and Japan. Until 2007, most of the goods were imported from Canada, but the market changed and diverted to China. What makes these countries so successful at producing their goods and selling them to the United States is the fact that they can produce them with relatively low cost and at very high quality. People making these goods live differently compared to the larger population in the US. For example, fruits and vegetables come from Mexico on the basis that they can produce them at a significantly low cost, and it leaves the people who create them with very little to boost their lives.
The 2008 recession left the United States economy on its knees as the behavior relating to hyper-consumerism led to the recession. The subprime mortgages granted by the banks to individuals with bad credit records led to a recession that devastated the national economy and the labor markets. The beginning of the recession showed signs when the housing crisis started to fall—many financial institutions invested in real estate as derivative forms viewed home mortgages as sound collateral for MBS. The raising federal taxes and the subprime borrowers left the banks and other financial institutions in a mess as the investments were now worthless, and mortgages lost value. Since the recession, the Federal Reserve took over the mandate to maintain stable prices throughout the economy.
Indeed, consumerism is killing our planet as toxic materials continuous to find their way into the environment. Perhaps, the constant increasing commodity supply requires methods of production and distribution that takes care of the aesthetic environment and other living organisms. Industries should adopt the use of renewable materials and energy to do their production. Also, there should be proper way of managing waste materials that often find their way to the environment.
Marxist Approaches to Study World Politics
Marxist Approaches to Study World Politics
Student’s Name
Course Number and Name
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
Marxist Approaches to Study World Politics
Introduction
Marxian Approach, which is also identified as Class Approach aims to study society and politics with regard to the relationship that exists between two distinct classes—the rich (the haves) and the poor (have nots). At times they are referred to as the owners and the workers (Blackledge, 2020). When it comes to the struggle of class between the two distinct economic cases, it seems that it is the reality of every relation in human societies. Marx asserts that it is based on the perception that economic relations between these two classes determines political relations and it has always been present in all societies globally. This approach by Karl Marx is not only widely known but is also widely used as well. It is simply a socio- economic political analysis (Blackledge, 2020). A number of political analysts and scientists across the globe use it to analyze, explain, ad predict the political processes at work in many countries all over the world. The Marxist approach has it strengths and weaknesses in studying world’s politics.
Strengths
It emphasizes more on practice than theory
The Marxist Approach aims to discover the historical social change and evolution’s objective laws. Furthermore, it suggests actions that would bring about the needed changes that aims to bring to an end the class exploitation (Sanyaolu, 2016). It also aims to push forward the march toward attaining a communist society, which is a stateless and classless society. Marx provides methods that can be used to secure the final goal and one of them is a revolution of the poor against the rich.
There is a Close Relation between Practice and Theory
Another strength of Marxist approach is that it advocates for the relations between theory and practice. It is evident that theory is useless if it does not lead to practice (Sanyaolu, 2016). This approach guides and leads a revolutionary movement through a revolutionary theory. It is evident that the value of theory can only be seen only if it leads to action.
Weaknesses
Politics is an independent process
The Marxist Approach has the wrong assumption that the process of politics depends on the economics relations (Segrillo, 2021). While, the case is economics and politics are two distinct and independent processes.
Oversimplified perception of society
This approach views society as one that is separated by two distinct economic classes which is not acceptable (Segrillo, 2021). In addition, it contains a one-sided and oversimplified perception of social stratification.
The struggle of class is not the law of evolution
In his approach, Marx wrongly suggests that the struggle of class has been and still is an eternal social evolution code. Also, it makes wrong assumptions that revolution is natural and the ultimate culmination of struggle of class.
State is not the rich’s class institution
The view of Karl Marx that the state is the rich’s machine and that it is an instrument that was created at a specific time and that the rich use it as a way to exploit the poor is unacceptable (Rashid, 2017). The welfare state emergence emphasizing the state power use to secure the welfare and interest for everyone, particularly the poor, refutes Marxian logic. Rather than being a class machine, state is a social institution.
The Marxian Approach is Inadequate
Critics of Marxian approach have suggested that history refutes various conclusions made by Karl Marx in his approach. The “socialism” behavior in every socialist state that came into existence was a clear reflection of the Marxian logic’s limitations (Rashid, 2017). The advocacy of class struggle naturalness and the revolution’s inevitability is now rejected by almost everyone and several theoreticians think that the Marxist Approach should be revised.
References
Blackledge, P. (2020, December 3rd). Marx’s Political Thought. doi:10.1093/OBO/9780199756223-0171
Rashid, H. (2017). Karl Marx’s Philosophy and Its Relevance Today. Philosophy and Progress, 15-42.
Sanyaolu, P. (2016, September). HOW MAXIST THEORY RELATES TO POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18962.96960
Segrillo, A. (2021). Liberalism, Marxism and Democratic Theory Revisited: Proposal of a Joint Index of Political and Economic Democracy Based on the Experience of Transition Countries. bpsr, 22260, 8.
Literary Conflicts in The Grapes of Wrath
Name:
Instructor:
Course No:
Date:
Literary Conflicts in The Grapes of Wrath
The novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck talks about the journey of Joad family and how the family is faced by several conflicts. The family experiences before the journey started, during the journey and after arrival, clearly illustrate the four major types of conflicts. Man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. nature and man. In this case man represents a single society which is Joad’s family and the journey is the multiple encounters that the single society; Joad family conflicts with. Joad family during their journey conflicts with the society they meet, conflicts among themselves or among family itself, conflicts with nature and other elements. The experience with the family depicts how a single entity can have different experiences with other entities both those are of the same nature and those that are different. The Grapes of Wrath implies that society can encounter different conflicts depending on ethnic, and a community setting.
Man Against Man
The conflict between man and man is repeatedly evident in the story, beginning right from when Tom kills a man at a dance and claims that is was in self defense. This can be seen when he says “I killed a guy in a fight…….He got a knife in me and I killed him with a shovel that was laying there” 28. This quote illustrates the clear conflict that usually exists between men. Although the incident is not included in the book, this dialogue is a clear indication of what can occur when conflict is not resolved amicably. In fact, the manner with which the conflict escalates to the point of a man being killed is typical of serious man against man conflicts.
Conflict is also seen when the farmers find out that it is one of them that has betrayed them in chapter 5. The chapter focuses on the conflict between the farmers and the bank, which has sent people to come and evict the farmers from their land. The quote “”What are you doing this kind of work for – against your own people?” is a clear indication of the conflict between the farmers and the messengers of the bank sent to drive out the farmers from their land. The tractor driver actually fails to see the farmers as human beings, as do others like him, who have been sent to drive the farmers out of their land. The conflict however, ends with the farmers having to move away from their land, despite their best efforts.
Another instance of man against man conflict can be seen when the migrant families go to buy parts from a second hand car dealer. It is a classic demonstration of the migrant families having to buy inferior parts and cars. Due to the increased demand for cars amongst the migrating families, the car dealers opt to exploit the families in light of their desperation. They not only sell to them damaged cars and parts, but charge them exorbitant prices, as they are aware that these families do not have any option. The quote
Man against Society
Man in the novel conflict with several issues in the society, even the most promising and hardworking people find themselves on the wrong side of the society. The conflict among man and society exists because of the different society that exists. It is because of this difference that we see Jaod’s family migrating from their mother land to new lands. Tom Joad the protagonist in the story is imprisoned for four years in McAlester due to his disagreement with what the society expects. “Sure I have been in McAlester. Been there four years.…I’m, going to my old man’s place so I don’t have to lie to get a job” (16). Using Tom’s story we can clearly see that the society demands a lot from man and there is no room for relaxation. Joad has to get a job to survive and the even though he has been in prison for a while his family and the surrounding do not expect him to have time to relax. Rather than the fact that he is the oldest son in Joan’s family, being a man call for a major responsibility from the society to guide his family. The society pushes all individuals in the society both rich, poor young and old. This is well evidenced by the forceful migration of the landowners. The tenants have to push the landowners out of their property due to their ability to pay taxes. The banks to do not want to understand the challenges that the landowners are going through, but they have to attain their mission of making profits. The land owners feel the injustice of the tenants and the bank “We can’t depend on it. The bank- the monster has to have profit all the time “(35). The constant conflict with man and society affects all persons even those that the society depicts as good, for instance, Tom is later trusted by his family and other landowners who feel that he may help them in making their lives better. However, on the other hand, the society pushes him to his limits and forces him to solve his disputes with violence. “ The first time he knew he had missed and struck a shoulder, but the second time his crushing blow” (386). Using the conflict in the society it is clear that there are different encounters in the society depending on one’s ethnicity and social class.
Man against nature
The setting of The Grapes of Wrath novel shows that changes that America is facing. The American life is changing from traditional to modernized America. Though these changes may seem positive to many the author John Steinbeck has a completely different opinion. Using different characters in the novel, one can tell that the change in the America’s way of life has encouraged industrialism which is driven by tractors in the communities. Changing the way of life has affected all societies and the results are negative and behold the control of man. The entire community is affected by drought and no home is left without feeling the negative impact of the natural occurrences. After Joah had arrived home he found that his family was not there but had moved due to harsh conditions brought about by nature. The conflict with man in Oklahoma is seen through the drought which makes people lose their homes. “The wind grew stronger, whisked under stones. Carried up straws and old leaves, marking its course as it sailed across the fields” (6). The negative occurrence affected the entire population but the degree of it impact depends on the society differences. For instance, the landowners had to be rushed out by the tenants and the bank for their inability to settle their debts. Even though nature was cruel to the Oklahoma community only a specific group had to leave leaving behind the tenants and the bank owners. Man does not only conflict with nature as a group or as a community but also as an individual. Noah is a man who faced natures harsh as an individual even before he was able to defend himself. Though at times modernized life provides opportunity to safeguard what we treasure this is not always that case especially for the weak and vulnerable. From Steinbeck’s story, Noah is injured when he was still a child “Pa using his hands, his strong fingers for forceps he had pulled and twisted the baby. The midwife arriving late had found the baby head pulled out of shape,” (80).