Black Friday

If you participated in this year's Black Friday, I'd encourage you to rethink doing so.

I personally don't participate in Black Friday, not only because I strongly dislike overwhelming crowds of people trampling each other to get into department stores, but for a larger reason: Black Friday perpetuates capitalism. Capitalism is one of the most prevalent issues in our society today, virtually to the point where it controls the lives of every single person in the United States.

Is there a link between Black Friday and capitalism? Yes: an increase in demand on days such as Black Friday encourages an increase in production and resources needed to fulfill that demand. In order for production to happen, workers are thrown into a system that oppresses each and every one of them as well as the poor because all of this only profits the rich minority, who trick the workers into thinking that they are playing a role in "stimulating the economy" while they, in reality, are simply units in a mass-production complex. Not only does this harm the workers without them knowing it, but it harms the environment as well. What keeps factories going? What are electronics (yes, your phone and computer) and clothing made of? Think about it: deforestation and the pollution of air and water are byproducts of this demand. Worst of all, capitalism perpetuates greed, both among the public and large corporations; humans are naturally selfish and we will never get tired of wanting more. In the end, the only people who really benefit are the capitalists themselves.

I understand that going shopping on Black Friday is a tradition for many families in the United States. Clearly, however, we must take a step back and think about the deeper implications of this "tradition".

Federal Emergency Relief Act

The Federal Emergency Relief Act was put into terms on May 12, 1933.  This act provided grants; that did not have to be paid back much like a loan; to states in use of helping with relief from a catastrophe.  This use of help became a huge part for Civil Works Administration and after many wars. Employing over millions of people who helped relief programs. Its job was to help end the Great Depression and unfortunately this program along with others fell short. Instead it came to World War 2 and the million of jobs resulting from it to end the Great Depression. Although The Federal Emergency Relief Act only had a 3 year life it helped many states and programs.
The Federal Emergency Relief Act of 1933 was mandated that it shall end after 2 years of being placed, having to then be replaced the Works Progress Administration was created.  This took over and improved the programs put into place by the Federal Emergency Relief Act, and was created by the authority of the Emergency Relief Appropriate Act of 1935.

Roosevelt and The New Deal

Often referred to as the First New Deal, the First Hundred Days was a period of time in which Roosevelt tried his best to get people back to work as soon as possible. He based his deal around the three R's: relief, recovery, and reform. "Relief" were short-term solutions to stop the help ease the immediate suffering. These included the Emergency Banking Act to try and save the banks and the Unemployment Relief Act which was able to provide jobs through projects such as reforestation. "Recovery" was the beginning of the economic stability. These included the Economy Act to balance the budget and aid the veterans and the Tennesee Valley Authority which constructed dams, prevented flooding and provided jobs. "Reform" aimed to prevent crises like the Depression from happening in the future. These included Acts such as the Agricultural Adjustment Act and the Federal Securities Act. The Agricultural Act set up the AAA which paid farmers to prevent overproduction. The Federal Securities Act made it illegal for brokers to conceal information when selling stocks to prevent any future issues. Overall, this deal was very ambitious. However, knowing that the New Deal did not get us out of the Great Depression, can we still consider it successful? Why, or why not?

What programs from the New Deal are still around today and what are their effects now?

Over the last couple of classes, we have been talking a lot about the New Deal that was put into place when Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933. The New Deal created a lot of programs that were meant to help the nation get through the Great Depression by creating jobs and opportunities for the unemployed and to stop anything like the Depression from happening again. Some of these programs are still around today. If they were taken away, what do you think would happen to our society? Would we return to the Depression or are there new safety measures in place that would stop that from happening even if the previous safety measures were removed?

Thoughts?

Changing Perceptions of Government

When Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected into office, he immediately began taking huge measures to help the American people. He came to power in the midst of a deep depression, in a time where the people had little faith in the government. Before he was in office, the government was a passive entity in the lives of individual citizens. But Roosevelt saw that his people needed the government to be more involved, and to help them with their specific needs. He poured relief into the country, creating countless initiatives during his Hundred Days. This direct aid helped changed people's perceptions of the government. They created a connection with their federal government because of this. Roosevelt not only helped pull the nation out of a deep depression, but completely changed the role of government in the life of an average American citizen.

What is Social Security?

I remember getting my first paycheck and looking down the list of deductions and seeing one for social security. While seeing the deductions on your paycheck may be annoying, it has many positive effects that many people benefit from. This idea was originally implemented by Franklin Roosevelt in his Second New Deal he passed the Social Security Act in 1935. At its origin, it established a pension. It provided security for those injured on the job and unemployment insurance. It also provided aid for mothers and disabled people. Currently, 59 million people benefit from social security. The 9 digit code that is your social security number may be required for many things. The social security number was started in 1936. It was first created to be able to track salaries of Americans but today is used to verify identities. Social Security numbers are assigned at birth. Social Security has been a lasting effect of the New Deal, and one that many Americans today still benefit from.

Black Friday

Thanksgiving has been a widely celebrated American holiday for centuries. A more recently created holiday, however, is Black Friday - the day after thanksgiving. The tradition started in the mid-20th century, and has since been a huge hit among americans. Every year, it marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Stores all around the nation post once-a-year discounts for people to take advantage of. Some shoppers are so vicious, that people have actually been trampled to death during the initial stampede into the store. When it first started, stores would open at around 6am. Now stores are open from the midnight right after Thanksgiving in order to squeeze more revenue from their customers.

Does your family participate in this American tradition?