Texas Politics In The Early 20Th Century Essays - Texas, Old Right

Texas Politics In The Early 20Th Century Conservative Texas In the book, The Establishment in Texas Politics, by George Norris Green, Mr. Green describes how, since 1939, fiscal and social conservatives have governed Texas. Anglo-Texas nationalism supported the idea of Texas independence from groups including the federal government as it pertains to laws overseeing business practices. From the traditionalistic-individualistic scheme of Texas politics emerged a philosophy of material self-interest above anything that might be considered fair to other groups within the borders of the state. To make matters worse (or better, depending on your own political persuasion) Texas at that time was a one-party system, and the powers that be relied on a consistently low level of voter participation and the powerful influence of special interest lobby groups. Interest groups sprang forth from the business landscape tilled by capitalist pioneers such as H.L. Hunt, Sid Richardson and Clint Murchison. These independent millionaires were concerned with preserving capital and enhancing shareholder value by reducing the interference by governmental socialists who sought to redistribute wealth though the use of social programs. These men, and many more like them, cared little about government and wanted no intervention in their economic affairs. Their attitudes were consistent with the popular values of the Jeffersonian Democrats of the nineteenth century: The less government the better, local control of what little government there was, and freedom from economic regulation, or laissez-faire. Three men, W. Lee O'Daniel, Coke Stevenson and Beauford Jester came to epitomize Texas conservatives during this period of Texas history. Each man, whether they knew it or not, practiced a type of pseudo laissez-faire that would later be known as Social-Darwinism; the belief that individuals who prosper and rise to the top of the socioeconomic ladder are worthy and deserve their riches, while those who sink to the bottom are unworthy and deserve their poverty. Social-Darwinist argue that people become rich and powerful because they are intelligent, energetic and self-disciplined, whereas those who become or remain poor do so because they are stupid, lazy or otherwise given to embrace certain destructive vices. Socio-economic status, thus, was thought to be a result of natural selection. Further, it was thought that as business flourished so would everyone flourish. As it has been stated, A rising tide lifts all boats. Wilbert Lee (Pappy) O'Daniel was born in Malta, Ohio on March 11 1890. O'Daniel was educated in public schools in Kansas, he later completed a two year curriculum at Salt City Business College in Hutchinson, Kansas, in 1908. Upon graduation he worked his way up as a stenographer, bookkeeper and sales manager of a flour milling company. He organized his own flour concern in 1935 in Fort Worth. He began a series of radio shows featuring the Light Crust Dough Boys. At the urging of his radio fans, O'Daniel ran for the govennorship of Texas in 1938. His entire platform consisted of the Ten Commandments, the virtues of his own Hillbilly Flour, tax cuts for business and the industrialization of Texas. Given O'Daniel's business background, his philosophy was that of no corporate taxes and he was of course, anti-labor. He instead offered up a tax plan, secretly written by manufacturing interest groups that amounted to a multiple sales tax (a regressive tax borne by people least able to pay). He also sought to attack labor unions by writing the O'Daniel Anti-Violence Act but the courts discarded most of the provisions. At this time, O'Daniel began replacing members of the University of Texas Regents in an attempt to limit academic freedom and to eliminate communists who he saw as behind the pro labor movement. One of the more interesting characters in Texas political history would have to be Coke Stevenson. Born in a log cabin in Mason county Texas, Coke started his business career early. As a teenager he hauled freight from Junction to Brady. He worked his way up from rancher, banker, lawyer and legislator. After he won the governorship Stevenson began to demonstrate his fiscal and socially conservative ideology. He had amassed lucrative oil lease income and he opposed any tax levied on it, he also opposed gas rationing Texas during the second World War, the obvious implication here was oil prices would increase with greater

The Top Five Factors Contributing to American Ignorance essays

The Top Five Factors Contributing to American Ignorance essays Americans have become not only ignorant about their own country and its political affairs but also have been blind to the impact of five factors that contribute to this ignorance. The influence of family, the media, education, popular culture, and one's own environment are the five sources that have caused the people of the United states to be ill-informed about political affairs. "NEWSWEEK recently asked 1,000 U.S. citizens to take Americas official citizenship test. Twenty-nine percent could not name the vice president(Romano). Many families in the United States derive their main source of information on political matters from their own family members and their family's opinions. They rely upon their family's political party preference or what they learned about politics at home to make their political decisions. But these opinions are not necessarily being based upon what is best for the country but instead are based upon family tradition, such as whether the family identifies with being a democrat or republican, with being a conservative or liberal, or even with being of the middle class, the poor, or of the wealthy of society. Americans have taken for granted that they live in a democracy, and we have become ignorant about our own country because we suffer from a lack of information rather than a lack of ability (Romano. The media is obviously the first place most people think to turn for information on political affairs. What most Americans have not realized is that the prominent news networks most widely watched today are controlled. We are heading towards an election, what they learn about the candidates will be what the media shows them tells them, decides not to show, not to tell (Outfoxed). Fox News is one of the most popular twenty-four hour news networks watched for political opinions and for all-around information on politics. To the public's surprise, several former employe...

International Relations for Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping Essay

International Relations for Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping - Essay Example Actually, Mao Zedong through his Communist Party of China collaborated even with the capitalist states like the United States of America, Japan and many European countries. Mao Zedong had a great quest for dominance over the perceived neighbors and trade partners like Russia and Germany. As demonstrated by Wang (27), this made him appear resistant to the external forces advising him how to manage the government to find a throughway towards better economic development. In fact, Mao Zedong did ignore otherwise good advice from Stalin who wanted China to become a fully communist state. Mao also appeared to cheer over the death of Stalin hoping that he would become the next powerful leader to control the allied group. This however did not materialize when Khrushchev ascended to power to continue the initial state of power held by Stalin. Mao’s continued opposition against the ideologies of his fellow leaders in the Communist world including Khrushchev soured to the extent of causing withdrawal of China dismissal from the Communist Movement. Mao continually resisted moves and policies adopted by Khrushchev towards defending their members. One such op position occurred when Khrushchev backed down to Cuban missile milieu. Deng appears as one of the Chinese leaders who took the revolution vehicle to the right direction. After the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, and his rise to power, Deng repaired their tutored relationship with the international community by denouncing communism and adopting socialism form of rule. Deng went ahead to reconcile with Soviet Union and all countries that surrounded China having he pains of the peasant citizens at hand (Deng 23). In fact, Deng is one lead who contributed to the economic classification of countries as first class, second and third. In the classification, Deng admitted that Soviet Union and United States were in the first class. Deng also

The reality of work cultures in the modern economy Essay - 1

The reality of work cultures in the modern economy - Essay Example These issues are explored in this paper. The study of Sennett (1999) is used as the core source for explaining the various aspects of the above problems. It is proved that in modern organizational employees are under severe pressures no matter their position in the organizational hierarchy. In the modern workplace the employment relationship has been highly transformed. Emphasis is given not on the respect of routine of work but rather on the high exposure to risk and on the potential to follow â€Å"orders on short notice† (Sennett 1999, p.9). The new status of work is therefore characterized by extensive flexibility (Sennett 1999), a trend that threatens traditional work values, such as commitment and trust. Indeed, an employee who has to face continuous changes in his work schedule is likely to feel less committed to his organization. The need to follow a highly flexible mode of employment has led employees to become more anxious (Sennett 1999). In the long term, this practice can lead to irreversible problems in employees’ performance, harming, at the next level, employees’ health (Sennett 1999). In other words, the modern ways of working can injure employees, even if it may takes a bit of time for the relevant injuries to appear clearly. For S mil (2013) the expansion of IT systems in the workplace has led to the limitation of organizations’ needs in terms of workforce, a phenomenon which is clearer in the manufacturing industry. In this context, IT technology has injured employees by limiting their value in the workplace. At the same time, the modern employment relations framework has also influenced employees’ character. This issue is made clear through the following fact: character, as a critical characteristic of humans, includes a range of elements, such as: the personal values and commitment, the goals set in regard to personal and professional life and the hierarchy of personal needs and desires

Graduation Speech Essay Example for Free

Graduation Speech Essay â€Å"The heights by great man reach and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept were toiling upwards through the night. †   (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  ) Members of the school board, principal and staff, distinguished guests in the audience and on the platform, parents, guardians, graduate, good afternoon. Our guest speaker for this afternoon is Mrs. Merlette Barrett-Fender. She was born in the parish of St. James. There, she attended the Salt Spring All Age School- later the Mt. Alvernia High School then went on to further her education at Shortwood Teachers’ College. She has worked at the Jamaica Telephone Company as an international operator. She later acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in Middle Grades Administration offered by Western Carolina University, at the Montego Bay site. Her zeal for leadership led her to access the Master of Science in Educational Leadership just two years later with the Jamaican Programme of Central Connecticut State University. She has worked at the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary levels of the education system, having the experience as class teacher, subject teacher of English Language and Literature at Cornwall College and as Principal. She presently holds the position of Academic Vice-Principal of Knox Community College. Mrs. Barrett-Fender posses a great love for her country and as a result has made the decision to remain in Jamaica. She takes great pleasure in working amongst Jamaica’s poorest, to help train and educate them and being the voice for some who are voiceless. As a member of the Upper St. James Consultative Committee, she conducts motivational talks to students and teachers. She is the lay preacher of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. She is dedicated to spreading the work of God for the upliftment of people. She possesses a vibrant personality, loves the outdoors, loves good company and enjoys helping others. Mrs. Barrett-Fender believes in having a sound character thus her everyday life is grounded in integrity. Her community involvement includes being a member of the Friends of the Hospital, the founder of Salt Spring All Age Past Students’ Association, past president and fund raising committee member, speaking at graduation exercises, Patron of the Knox Early Childhood Institute, motivational speaker, mentor and counselor. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls; please put your hands together as I introduce to some and present to the others Mrs. Barrett-Fender.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay -- Frankenstein Shelley Essays

Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" In order to illustrate the main theme of her novel â€Å"Frankenstein†, Mary Shelly draws strongly on the myth of Prometheus, as the subtitle The Modern Prometheus indicates. Maurice Hindle, in his critical study of the novel, suggests, â€Å"the primary theme of Frankenstein is what happens to human sympathies and relationships when men seek obsessively to satisfy their Promethean longings to â€Å"conquer the unknown† - supposedly in the service of their fellow-humans†. This assertion is discussed by first describing the Promethean connection. Thereafter, the two forms of the myth, Prometheus the fire-stealer and Prometheus the life-giver are reviewed in the context of Shelly’s use of the myth in her novel and their relationship to the main theme. Finally, the character of Frankenstein as a modern Prometheus of the scientific age is discussed in the context of English Romantic literature. This â€Å"Promethean longing† mentioned by Hundle, is the connection between Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton. They both seek to gain knowledge of the unknown. Victor Frankenstein’s obsession with occult scientific knowledge results in the destruction of his family and friends, whilst Walton, the narrator of the story, causes many deaths by his obsessive journey to the North Pole. Shelly’s use of the Prometheus myth combines the two versions of the legend, Prometheus the â€Å"fire-stealer† and Prometheus the â€Å"life-giver†. According to the Ancient Greeks, in the first version of the myth, the Titan, Prometheus, in rebellion against Zeus, took fire from the sun and gave it to humankind to warm them and enable them to make tools and weapons, thereby allowing them to rise above other animals. Zeus was incensed by Prometheus’ disobedience, and as punishment, ordered Prometheus chained to a rock, where his liver was eaten by eagles each day and restored each night so that his torment could be prolonged for eternity. The second, Roman version of the myth, comes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, which, according to Newey (1993), Mary Shelly read in 1815. In this version Prometheus was the Creator who made man from clay and breathed life into him. This relates directly to the quotation on the title page of Shelly’s book. â€Å"Did I request thee Maker, from my clay to mould me man. Did I solicit thee from darkness to promote me? Although a quotation from Milton’s... ...fe-giver. However, it could be argued that Frankenstein is better connected to Prometheus the fire-stealer. Frankenstein’s experiments with the two edged sword of forbidden knowledge had the possibility of bestowing great good upon humanity or perhaps the destruction of humankind. Shelley has utilised both versions of the myth to great effect in the development of the main theme. Her character, Frankenstein, effectively destroyed all he held dear as a consequence of his obsession with the pursuit of forbidden knowledge. Works Cited: Griffith, G. V. 1997 Frankenstein in the Context of the Romantic Era. Retrieved April 2004 from http://www.enotes.com Hindle, M. 1994, Mary Shelley Frankenstein Penguin Books, London Hunter, J. P. (ed.), 1996, Mary Shelley Frankenstein. The 1818 Text, Contexts, Nineteenth-Century Responses, Modern Criticism, W.W. Norton & Company, New York Newey, K. 1993, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Sydney University Press, Sydney Schmidt, A. 1999, The Myth of Prometheus, Retrieved April 2004 from http://www.enotes.com Oates, J.C. 1984 Frankenstein’s Fallen Angel, in Critical Inquiry, Vol 10 No.3. Retrieved April 2004 from http://www.enotes.com

Equal Education in US

How many times has the United Negro College Fund aired the commercial including the phrase: â€Å"A mind is a terrible thing to waste? † The world would be rich to equate the repetitions with dollar bills. This famous slogan was a means to promote higher education. Unfortunately, there are many people who do not fit the description of a college student due to poverty. An uneducated parent feels powerless in this society. A young teenage mother may feel that there is no feasible schedule possible to fulfill her dreams. An elementary student looks to his parents and teachers for answers to the question marks surrounding his environment of lack. The people that are in these types of situations are held down by poverty. Children who have financial hardship comprise a sizeable portion of Texas public schools. According to an article published in Family Circle magazine, teenage births increased by more than sixty-five percent during the 1980†³s. There have been studies that prove persons receiving government assistance i. e. welfare have high illiteracy rates. What is the solution for the people suffering from these impoverished circumstances? It is of utmost importance that we prioritize and organize to set forth change . Our immediate attention as a nation will only make our economy stronger by putting a halt to the cycle. Poverty has the power to stagnate achievement. However, knowledge is power no matter where one may live. In order to break the power of poverty we need to educate our parents, offer vocational training for young single mothers, and encourage pursuit of higher education through the community. â€Å"Children of poor and poorly-educated parents are often caught in a vicious circle of educational failures. † (Block 72) Their rate of success is much lower than the rate of their middle-class peers. This is largely contributed to the level of education one receives and is able to pass on to his children. Many under privileged people are unarmed with the necessary knowledge to steer their child towards educational improvement. There are also many people are unaware of scholarship programs and what it takes to apply for one. If the information were readily available many would still be unable to adhere to a specific goal plan due to the absence of strategic planning and the high illiteracy rate of adults. These ideals must be instilled at an early age by the parent. Failure to do so results in an immediate disadvantage to the child. According to a 1993 federal report: Only about forty-five percent of high-poverty homes receive a newspaper, nearly half the rate of higher-income homes. About fifteen percent lack dictionaries compared to three percent for more affluent families. Poor parents spend more time doing chores with their children, while other parents take their children on educational outings. Poor parents are less likely to have finished high school. ( Bazeley 727) These facts come with great consequence for the child and are great examples of what happens in the average low income home. The time is overdue for parents of poor homes to become more active in their child†s education from early childhood. There are open Senate meetings and hearings that the common citizen can sit in on and react to but it takes someone who is willing to obtain drive to react for the sake of their future in America. It should become natural instinct for a parent to become actively involved in the pursuit of education for their child to excel. It is important for parents to get strong and learn in order to insure that their child will not experience life the same way they did. When people use the literary skills they are learning in their work , they not only improve their literacy and productivity levels but also increase their language use with their children and in their communities. † (Lewis 186) This supports the need for vocational training for mothers on welfare who are usually teenagers. Offering education to single parents and teenage mothers would also give them a better foundation in which to build their family upon. The real key to helping the young mothers is early prevention. There is a high mortality rate among teenagers who experience early pregnancy. It is a signal for an automatic start on the road to government dependency such as subsidized housing and welfare. Usually the children are born with drug and/or alcohol dependencies which automatically puts them in a negative position when it comes to their education. This escalates the need to reach the teen mothers when they are about to reach their sexual peak. The main focus is to guide the teenager into practicing abstinence delaying sexual activity. This job ties into the need for the parent to be more involved with the education process and progress. However once a child is born into that situation the young mother is placed in the position to be responsible. Vocational training would provide the foundation and confidence that the mother on welfare needs. This will allow her to boost her self esteem and will automatically affect the child in a positive way. The most important of all things is to offer encouragement while the child is young. It is very rare that a child will possess the drive to overcome adversity while he is young. It is the parents† responsibility to offer the goal of a higher education. Through the attainment of higher education the walls of poverty will start to come down one at a time. Parents play a critical role in offering cushion for school performance â€Å"†Time and time again studies show that being ready to learn before school starts is the best predictor of educational success,† says Dan Keating, director of the Human Development Program at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. † (Dwyer 70) Teachers and counselors also play a critical role. Linda Garcia is a neighbor and a single parent of three teenagers. Her oldest daughter is already a mother of two, on welfare and has a boyfriend who is a drug dealer. The other two are in high school. After discussing her children†s educational goals with school counselors, Linda became aware of the lack of concern that seemed prevalent. It appeared that counselors mostly encourage students who are naturally bright to excel past high school. Many counselors set up career plans with students who are high achievers and fail to respond to the students who are â€Å"just making it. † Inadvertently, these particular counselors are helping to suppress the desire that the below-average student may have to advance to college or beyond. Linda is a high school drop out and encourages her children but without additional forms of reinforcement her children may never excel past high school. We need to increase community and school participation in low-income families. Failure to recognize this problem denotes refusal to accept the economic changes that occur due to lack of education. Once we face this problem we will be able to grow more economically as a nation. Poverty is a very difficult position to be in. Many times there is not enough food to feed the family. So many other times our children turn to gangs and violence instead of better education. Not only does poverty effect education but it affects health as well. Many people in poverty are unable to visit doctors. Children lose focus in school from lack of sleep due to the surrounding environment. These factors magnify the need to put a halt to poverty. More people have to be able to identify this major concern of our nation for the good of America. Without the help of society as a whole it may become impossible to put an end to poverty in the United States. Not all stories have horrible endings so there remains a faint hope. For example, consider a young woman who grew up in low-income housing and on welfare. She had to deal with lack of transportation, adequate clothing, and many time no food in the pantry. Her environment consisted of firing guns, fighting, drugs, and constant visits from the police. Her greatest responsibility was taking care of her little brothers and sometimes missing school because her mother had no sitter. As a young child she had drive and ambition. Her inability to actively participate in school functions intensified her drive to overcome her surroundings. Her biggest dream was to help others to overcome. Where is this woman now? She has begun her long awaited dream and is finally in college full time. What does she desire to attain from a higher education? The answer is simple†¦.. she wants to be a teacher. She wants to leave a legacy and provide encouragement to others who may have experienced the same misfortune as a small child. No longer struck down by poverty she pursuing a degree in mathematics. Now her potential accomplishments are endless. Had she ever received encouragement from her mother? No. Just imagine how much closer her dreams would have been if her parents had given encouragement. â€Å"Education remains the key to both economic and political empowerment. † Barbara Jordan, 1991.