NYT's post about Kony 2012

Hey I know that a lot of you have already watched the 30-minute "Kony 2012" video. If you haven't watch the video BEFORE reading this article and make your own opinion first. But here is an article written in the NYT about it. I personally think that this video has a strong message and bringing the word out is a very important thing, many don't agree with me. Here is the NYT article.

"Something changed with the Kony video. Watch the nearly 30-minute video, and you will note that so much of it is not about Mr. Kony, but about the viewer, especially the untapped power of the viewer."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/12/business/media/kony-2012-video-illustrates-the-power-of-simplicity.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=joseph%20kony&st=cse

Slowdown in China Weighs on Wall St.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/business/daily-stock-market-activity.html?_r=1&ref=business

So I ran into this article today and thought it'd be interesting to post it on the blogs to share it. The article talks about how some people are pointing towards the Chinese economy slowing down as a reason as to why wall street didn't preform as well as they thought they would.
How closely do you guys think the US economy is tied to China, or the rest of the world for that matter? Can the US pull itself out of this recession if the rest of the world is struggling just as much if not more, such as the Eurozone? And will this play a role in the race for presidency?

Kony 2012

This is a long video but it has gotten a lot of media attention recently, with Joseph Kony being at the center of the controversy. CNN posted an article that you can read here.

The article says "Jason Russell, the most prominent face of the group Invisible Children, has made the work of bringing about change very difficult indeed. Invisible Children's campaign is a well-packaged call to leave the state of affairs untouched; their message seems so modern because their tools are. The point made is conformist: Fight violence with violence, dismiss intricate steps of social change and make a narrow ideology mass-compatible by having millions of unquestioning people raise their fists in support. For the U.S., Europe and other generally comfortable corners of the world, this is a worrying picture of a mass culture that easily falls for propaganda."


What does this article make you think about Joseph Kony, and what do you think the group Invisible Children is asking for? 

New Jobs, Same Unemployment Rate

http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/09/news/economy/jobs_report_unemployment/index.htm?iid=SF_E_Lead

This is an interesting article about the 227,000 new jobs created by employers in the month of February. This is a large increase in the workforce, however the unemployment rate stayed at 8.3%. The article says the new jobs just covered the new entrants into the work force and did not impact the other 8.3%. What do you think about the 227,000 jobs created? Do you think there will be more in the month of March?

I just went through the blog

We covered a lot of topics.  I ended my intro course with a quote from John Kenneth Galbraith.  Here it is for your contemplation:

         "We associate truth with convenience, with what most closely accords with self-interest and personal well-being or promises best to avoid awkward effort or unwelcome dislocation of life. We also find highly acceptable what contributes most to self-esteem….”Economic and social behavior are complex and to comprehend their character is mentally tiring. Therefore we adhere, as though to a raft, to those ideas which represent our understanding.......The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."

Public Universities Are No Longer A Bargain

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/03/07/public-universities-cost-middle-class-students-more-than-harvard/

This is an interesting article that discusses the increase of tuition at public universities between 1997 and now. The conclusion of the article was that it has now become a better deal for kids coming from a middle-class home to go to schools like Harvard that have great financial aid policies to help make college affordable instead of public schools that do not have such great policies. Do you think the government should step in and prevent such drastic increases in public education in order to make the dream of a college education a reality for middle class kids?

Obama and Romney Take Jabs

Click Here to Read More

This is an interesting article that pertains to a current issue we have seen occurring in the last couple of days. GAS PRICES!!!! Romney suggests that we should drill in Alaska to help lower the gas prices.  Obama believes that this is not the solution because we are consumers of 20% of the world's oil and have the ability to only provide 2%.  Throughout this article, Obama and Romney continued to state weaknesses that each other have.

Should we drill in the US to help satisfy the demand of oil?

Jobs Coming For Detroit

http://www.mlive.com/business/detroit/index.ssf/2012/03/dan_gilbert_expect_1800_more_e.html

This article is about Dan Gilbert, founder of Quicken Loans and owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, announcing that he plans on bringing in around 1,800 new jobs to Detroit by the end of 2012. The increase in jobs would be a huge help for the city which has experienced serious unemployment rates for a long time. Do you think this is a step in the right direction for the city?

Snyder's Mentally Disabled Judicial System

Click Here

This is an interesting article about Gov. Snyder's proposal to provide a court system to provide a fair judicial system for the mentally ill.  This court will be placed in Saginaw.

What are your feelings on the judicial system in terms of the mentally disabled?

Is this the best solution instead of locking these individuals up?

Natural Disasters Hike Prices

Due to the strangely large amount of damage done by natural disasters so early in the year, insurance companies are hiking up premiums and looking for other remedies to the problem.  Insurers have already lost about $2 billion this year, due to the total number of tornadoes this year being more than twice the 7-year average.  Home-owners in states that are generally prone to tornado disasters (Mississippi, Alabama, etc.) are already experiencing a 5% increase in premiums.

What can insurers do to remedy this problem other than increasing premiums?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/07/us-insurance-tornadoes-idUSTRE8261X320120307

Bailout of Greece Hits Wall Street

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/wall-street-slips-china-trims-010321167.html

Many of you may remember a blog post a little while back talking about Greece's bailout, and its short and long-run implications. Many supported the bailout as a solid short-term solution. However, today Wall St. received a direct hit from this bailout, as explained in the above article. Does this change your opinion on the bailout? It seems easier to talk about the benefit of the bailout when it is taking place overseas, but sometimes the overall global effect can be overlooked.

Judge clears way for record bankruptcy in Alabama

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/story/2012-03-05/record-bankruptcy-alabama/53368236/1

Jefferson County, AL has filed for bankruptcy after falling $4.15 billion in debt, exceeding the record of $1.7 billion set by Orange County, CA in 1994. Lenders in Alabama hope that the case will be dismissed, arguing that the law allows bankruptcy only for bond debt. What do you think of Alabama's current situation as its largest county, including its largest city, Birmingham, is filing for bankruptcy?

Is Ending the Top-Bracket Bush Tax Cuts a Winning Issue for Democrats?

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-03-05/is-ending-the-top-bracket-bush-tax-cuts-a-winning-issue-for-democrats

Public sympathy for the rich has declined significantly, and democrats believe that ending tax cuts for higher income workers will be a popular decision. Some consequences that may result from this are class warfare and the inability to ask for anything in return from the Republicans. Do you think that it is worth it for Democrats to push for this policy now?

Health-Insurance Covered Contraceptives: Church or State?

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/rush-limbaugh-apologizes-for-verbal-attack/?ref=politics

Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown Law student, testified before Congress last week backing President Obama's regulations mandating health insurance covered contraception, saying contraception is generally essential. This story gained national buzz when conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh compared the situation to taxpayers paying Ms. Fluke to have sex. The fury over Limbaugh's uncivilized remarks is not as compelling to me as the issue at hand - that is, the correct separation of church and state and its application to federally mandated health coverage regulations.

Seven states filed to block the mandate as of last week, including Michigan (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/24/7-states-sue-to-block-contraception-mandate/) . Is this issue a violation of our right to separate church and state? Republican GOP candidates Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich have gone on record saying Obama's funding of birth control under Medicaid or employer subsidies is radical government overreach. Agree or disagree?

Why Tuition Has Skyrocketed at State Schools

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/02/why-tuition-has-skyrocketed-at-state-schools/?ref=economy

Huge state funding cuts have caused tuition price increase for public schools and universities in the United States. Higher education is considered "discretionary spending", and one major point in the article is that states will have to pay trillions for the baby boomer retirement, leaving less money to train the future generations.

This seems like an unfair solution for future generations, although there may be nothing we can do about it. Should higher education be given a greater priority in the state's budget?

Obama's Tour Van

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-traveling-midwest-1-1-million-bus-201207908.html

This is an article about Obama's $1.1 million tour bus he uses while campaigning. The protection of the president is important, but you have to admit that $1.1 million is a crazy amount of money for a vehicle. Does this use of government money upset you at all?

Romney Wants to Cut Taxes for All

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Tax-VOX/2012/0302/How-will-Romney-account-for-billions-of-lost-revenue

Romney turned his tax plan from too conservative to much more ambitious this week. This move goes right along with Romney's ongoing push for smaller government. Less taxes for everyone may be the result of a Romney win. Is this the right way to go after Obama has added trillions to the national debt the past 4 years?

Judge: Government can require union posters at work

http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/regulation/story/2012-03-02/requiring-union-posters-at-work/53336922/1

This article talks a lot about the government trying to make clear to workers the rights they possess in the workplace. I thought it was interesting because it is similar to what we have been reading about lately. Do you think the government is getting too involved or is this an appropriate way to display the workers' rights?

Gas is Going Up...Way Up

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/business/energy-environment/tensions-raise-specter-of-gas-at-5-a-gallon.html?ref=us

This article explains the growing price of gas and what our country's leaders are trying to do about it. Unfortunately, their attempts seem to have to less than stellar results so far. With the presidential election swiftly approaching, how important is this issue to you as a voter? Is it one of your top concerns?

Iran and US

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE8200DV20120301?irpc=932 This article discusses the ongoing dispute between Iran and the US. Iran is an enormous exporter of oil, obviously, and the US is doing everything it can to cut ties between Iran's exporting industries and its consumers. The US is worried about Iran's nuclear ambitions. Should this really be what our government is worrying about when our oil supply is diminishing? If things remain the way they are, or get worse as it seems they may, oil prices have nowhere to go but up.

Unemployment and Inflation Rise in Euro Zone

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/02/business/global/unemployment-and-inflation-rise-in-euro-zone.html?_r=1&ref=business

Unemployment in the Euro Zone is currently the highest it has been since the introduction of the Euro, and $1.3 trillion in loans and an increased rate of money-printing presents potential for inflation. While unemployment is improving in the United States, it is only getting worse in Europe. Even a negligible growth in manufacturing is seen as a "pretty good outcome".

While inflation is likely to rise in the Euro Zone, global monetary authorities believe that the greater danger falls in the deflationary pressure from falling real estate prices. Which do you believe is the greater danger?

World News

http://article.wn.com/view/2012/03/01/Burning_Korans_and_Ignorantalitarianism/

Wow, did this really happen? US soldiers burned Korans in Afganistan and strengthen the Anti-US spirit in the middle East. Most soldiers took this action lightly and didnt care about the consequence.

This is called ignorantalitarianism. There have been dozens of deaths because of this act.

As crazy as this seems, I hear US citizens making jokes about previous wars, the atomic bomb in Japan for example. It's time we reestablish the standards of sensitivity towards foreign culture and people.

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