Editorial #4

Better Student Loans

In this editorial, from the Washington Post, it was advocated that Congress should pass a bill that would reform the student higher education loan program. Under this reform, the US government would start providing loans directly to students, rather than subsidizing private banks in doing so. In a link to this editorial, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that this reform would save the government $80 billion over ten years.

I agree with what the author of this editorial is saying. The only reason why the banks are making these loans is because the federal government is paying them to do so by subsidizing much of the interest that is payed on them. The government might as well keep this money and use it to provide more financial aid to students. The government has already showed that it can manage these programs efficiently because it does so for other educational grants. This also is not a take-over of private industry because the banks wouldn't make these loans in the first place without government help.

Editorial #3

Link: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/02/white-house-land-grab/?page=2

This article is about Senator DeMint, a South Carolina Republican, protesting a "secret" memo in the interior department, which is studying whether fourteen tracks of land should be set aside as national monuments. DeMint tried but failed to pass an amendment that sought to prohibit the Obama administration from declaring these lands as national monuments.

From the editorial, it sounds like Sen. DeMint is protesting normal procedures by the Interior department to review how federal land under its jurisdiction is utilized and trying to make it sound bad by saying it is secret. He also appears to be distorting facts by saying the Obama administration is grabbing land away from the states. Really, this is federal land owned by all Americans. It is funny that Sen. DeMint (from South Carolina) thinks he knows what the people in these western states (where the land is located) want. People in these communities enjoy the other uses of the land, including tourism and recreation, which have more lasting values than the temporary jobs that come from tearing out resources to profit distant corporations. Mining and logging are important, but they have to be balanced against other long-term uses for the land.

Editorial #2

Goodbye Hummer! An article in the New York times (which can be found here) revealed on Thursday that General Motors will be stopping production of the gas-guzzling SUV. Their deal to sell the brand to a Chinese company recently fell through, which many people suspect was due to the Chinese Communist Party being worried about their image as one of the most polluting nations. The article went on to discuss a proposition made by many political analysts to raise gas taxes. They think that this will encourage people to buy more fuel-efficient cars and would increase use of public transportation. Statistics show that Americans drove 3.4% fewer miles in 2008 when the price of gas shot up to around $4 per gallon. This increase in fuel prices also drove down the number of Hummers and other large SUV's that were sold.

I am glad that I will soon be seeing less Hummers on the road because I think that they are really ugly and obnoxious vehicles. Not to mention they are incredibly inefficient when it comes to fuel consumption... As far as the increase in the fuel tax goes, I don't think that is such a good idea. I personally would support it because I think that we should be doing more to protect the environment, but I have a feeling that a majority of Americans would not be very pleased.

Editorial #1

http://www.newsweek.com/id/233854 <--- Editorial

In this editorial, Zakaria was responding to Sarah Palin's comments that Barack Obama can show he is a tough commander-in-chief by going to war with Iran and that she would support that. This discussion is timely because, as noted by Zacharia, the IAEA now believes that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon. However, Zacharia also pointed out why it would be an incredibly bad idea to launch an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities at this time. For one thing, it would cause Iran to retaliate by having their allies attack US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. There would also be increased terrorism and it would cause the opposition (the Green movement) to support their government rather than oppose it. Not to mention it would also raise oil prices... The attack probably wouldn't do anything more than delay their nuclear development by a few years, at best. Instead, Zakaria advocates working harder to get a stronger coalition to put in tough economic sanctions on Iran and work to support the green movement against the government in Tehran.

I agree with what Zakaria is suggesting. Even if Iran gets the bomb, there is no way they are stupid enough to use it because they know they will be wiped out. After all, we've got a whole lot more bombs than they do. On the other hand, it would be difficult to stabilize things in Iraq and Afghanistan if Iran decided they had nothing to lose and they started causing even more trouble.

Political cartoon #6

This cartoon was published in The Arizona Star by David Fitzsimmons on January 18, 2010.
It brings up the issue of bank executives recieving large bonuses. The cartoon has a negative view of the situation, portraying the executives as stealing money from US banks. I completely agree with the message of this cartoon. It is rediculous that these executives, who are already extremely wealthy to begin with, are now recieving bonus checks, when so many Americans are living below the poverty line. The money should be spent on helping Americans during this tough economic time.

Personal Response - Crisis in Haiti

For my personal response I have decided to write about the crisis happening in Haiti. After an earthquake that measured 7.0 on the richter scale hit Haiti, it is feared that as many as 200,000 people may be dead. The rest of the world is rushing in aid, but it's difficult to get it out to the people who need it. There is also fear that there will be looting and violence, as people desperately try to obtain supplies. In my attempt to help, I donated twenty dollars to the Red Cross earthquake relief effort. It is not a lot, but if many people do the same, it could help significantly. I think that because so many of us live such comfortable and fortunate lives, we don't necessarily connect with what the Haitians are going through. We need to reach out and help those who are less fortunate. Until the crisis is over, the people of Haiti will be in my thoughts.

Political Cartoon # 5

This cartoon was posted by Monte Wolverton to Cagle Cartoons on January 10,2010. It brings up the issue of National Security. The cartoon's message is that the government is not doing enough to protect the country from terrorism, and that it is to easy for terrorists to sneak past the security measures that have been put into place so far. I agree with the message of this cartoon and I think that more security measures need to be enacted to prevent more acts of terrorism from taking place in the United States. Airport Security in particular has been a topic of discussion, since the attempted Christmas Day bombing aboard a Northwest Airlines flight. Since then there have been new proposals for security screenings in airports. Many people are against these new screening methods because it could compromise their privacy. In my opinion, I'd rather have to go through extra security screening at an airport than risk dieing because a terrorist got onto my plane.