Burlington
High School
Burlington, Kansas
Teacher: Devra Parker
Potato Potato
By Andrew Hedges
12th grade
With the wake of the new millennium we find ourselves faced with much responsibility. Capitalism, an economic system based on private ownership of capital. Socialism [is] a political theory advocating state ownership of industry. The United States being the lone world superpower progresses as a leader being the greatest democracy, setting examples and helping situations around the globe.
It isn’t necessarily about how we take care of business but the way we conduct ourselves [while] doing it. What would it be to promote democracy in a foreign nation [where] the people aren’t free to control their own fate? People who work hard to make a living deserve success. … The should not control [the] destinies of civilians who strive to be free. When the United States enters a country, due to economics, moral obligation, political interest, or religion, it is important that an image of a government ruled by the people, for the people, is left behind. If not, then the civilians of the country could see the US as false and hypocritical for promoting something that [they] don’t even represent.
This however is not all as unreal as we wish it could be. Take Pakistan for example: their leader Musharraf is a key aide in our war against terrorists, yet he is greatly disliked nationally. [He] took over during a military coup. His being valuable to the United States keeps him in office because if we pushed for free elections, a candidate less fond of the US could come to power. This seems shady on the part of the United States
Though we in America do things internationally to benefit the interest of ourselves, it could be because we have a degree of freedom we wish to share among the world. There is no longer the wall between communism and democracy, even though both exist, and can prosper in the right nature. Simply there are lesser forms of democracy, capitalism and socialism. Many of our own allies live in a shady form of one or another, but…government must chose. Certain areas of the world just cannot support the ideas of freedom and self-government. Our policy tends to be that we are in favor of stability over democracy in some cases. It is the most difficult task to change people’s thoughts when they are ruled by figures that tie themselves strongly to religion.
I believe that our great nation,…the United States of America, is a very capitalistic nation. The bill of rights is a deep root in the growing of our freedom and helps to insure that domestic tranquility. Men and women alike are able to own businesses and run [them] according to their beliefs. This is a key part in continuing to be a consistent superpower. [However,] the government has vital roles in business and does, in fact, control in certain ways. These however are merely regulations to help prevent things that hurt the economy and [for] the betterment of all. The government helps to [prevent] monopolies and [issue] copyrights and patents to inventors.
The economic problems we see in today’s world fluctuate and can be somewhat steadied by the controlling of interest rates by the Department of the Treasury. This is a simple aid in controlling the world’s greatest economy. A major role in keeping the market going is that people control it, independently. The success of one does not hurt nor help another. This way the strong survive and the weak are destroyed; it’s a fact of life. The hard working, smart companies and business are successful in many aspects. If another fails, it fails, and life moves on. The government wasn’t in control of it, the government didn’t fail. [The] corporation withered…due to lack of maturity or leadership, or [perhaps] the absence of funding or support. With the government not being involved it is free from blame and risk of failure at the level the company was at.
It’s a dog eat dog world. The people of a nation like the US are constantly criticizing the government., [This] is their role and is healthy. If the United States were under a Socialist rule, chaos would occur. It is the first step to communism, the great enemy of democracy. Without economic separation for private business and government there would be too much power in one spot. The success of all would depend on the success of all, which is a plan for disaster.
The Untied States is a Capitalist nation, which promotes individuality in many ways; one being through economic freedom and the power to own and operation a business. …Government [does not] control; but it regulates.
With the coming of the new millennium we find ourselves, the people of the world, facing changes of government, religion, and ideas. The [rate at] which government forms are spreading is becoming greater…. Democracy flourishes throughout the western world, yet [it] is the object of [disdain] in other areas of the globe. Tyrannies buried deep within the middle east that strengthen themselves by [aligning] themselves with religion, distort the teachings of their god to indicated that all modernized cultures are evil. This is not the division that our ideology faces. Not all democracies are the same. Capitalism and socialism is a break where even world wars have been started due to differences in beliefs of government. Today we should be so thankful to live in a capitalist country, the United States of America.
Answers To Questions Prompted By The Required
ReadingSeven
Principles of Sound Public Policy
Q1- What does Mr.
Reed mean when he says "Equal people are not free."?
Answer: I think Mr. Reed is saying the there is no such thing as equal people. Not constitutionally equal, but equal by the amount of wealth people own. Simply for the fact that people out work each other and do whatever it takes to be on top.
Q2- What is the deadly trade-off to reliance upon government, according to Reed?
Answer: If everyone relied on the government for everything, the government would gain too much power and we would live under unfair rule.
The Calf of Democracy
Q3- Why did the
Founding Fathers assure that the United States became a republic rather than a
pure democracy?
Answer: It simply means that the government makes some of the countries decisions on its own. They don’t ask the people about everything.
Q4- What is the saving grace of democracy according to Lawrence Reed?
Answer: The Bill of Rights. The 1st ten amendments.
Freedom Is Not a
Doctrine
Q5- Richard Haas
gives two unusual reasons for advocating democracy. What are they?
Answer: They aren’t
always peaceful; some of the immature democracies have the elections but lack
the checks and balances. They also are very difficult to spread. Many of the
other cultures in the world look down upon the wes due to our freedom and
democracy.
Q6- Give two reasons you personally would promote democracy.
Answer: The main reason
I would promote democracy is because it leaves the responsibility of making a
successful life up to themselves. You can work hard and earn your life and have
a fair chance, or leave it and live in misery. Either way your decisions predict
your fate.
Q7- Comment (any length) on President Bush's current foreign policy.
Answer: President Bush’s foreign policy seems simple at first glance. Locate a
troubled area, and see what we can do. Usually this envolves installing a
democratic government with new body leaders. We do not imperialize an area based
on is economic value towards us nor do we reinstate pro-western leaders. It is
merely us doing our moral best to improve life and equality around the globe.
Internet Activities
Visit the Society
for Disseminating Economic Knowledge: "New Economic School-Georgia"
Georgia was part of the old Soviet Union.
You will find this web site by browsing the Economic Freedom Network and
scrolling to "S" for Society.
http://www.freetheworld.com/other.html On first impression the site may
appear amateurish. The English translation may materialized only partially.
However it provides a link to a very well done flash presentation.
http://www.isil.org/resources/introduction.swf
Q8- How did you interpret
each of the four different hats ("officials with fine hats")?
Answer: I saw then as leaders of people, either ruling through force, business,
religion, or politics. These four characters lead the people underneath them by
different means represented by their own hats.
Q9- How did you interpret
the megaphone, baby, knife/gun ("No matter how officials are selected")?
Answer: The symbols here showed to me, an example of an official whom is
ruthless and controlling, the megaphone showed their coming to power, the baby
was a symbol of growth as a leader and the knife/gun was the continued forces
implied on his people to stay in power by whatever means necessary.
Q10- Browse the "Favorite Links" of the Economic Freedom Network http://www.freetheworld.com/other.html and share one of your favorite discoveries with us. Make sure you copy the url. Tell us why you chose it.
Answer: I found it intersting that Pakistan has very little ecomince freedom due to over taxation, over regulation, and the government dictating the growth a private business can obtain. http://asinstitute.org/page.php?instructions=page&page_id=505&nav_id=93
Q11- Once again go to
www.freetheworld.com and this time note the question asked near the top of
the page: "How much economic freedom exists in your country?" and randomly
choose five countries. List the name of each and their highest and lowest year
for economic freedom.
Answer: Australia in 1975 had its lowest at 5.9 and highest in 2003 with 7.7.
The Bahamas in 1990 had its lowest at 6.2 and in 2003 had its highest at 7.7. In
1995 Albania had its lowest year at 4.6 and in 2000 had its highest at 5.6.
Niger in 1995 had its lowest at 4.9 and highest at 5.8. Italy had is lowest year
in 1975 at 5.3 and its highest year in 2000 at 7.1.
Q12- Which of your five countries had the greatest degree of economic freedom according to this exercise?
Answer: Australia in 2003.
Q13- What was the summary
rating and rank in the year it achieved this degree of economic freedom?
(You can find this information by clicking on the
Economic Freedom of the World: 2004 Annual Report and then choosing
Chapter 3 and scrolling to your chosen country.)