For the happiness of the people, we must eliminate marriage in its entirety. Marriage is the hidden veil that covers the eyes of bride and groom that obscures their view of true reality. (Even if the groom swears that he uncovered her face!)
Marriage is a heinous act of inhumanity that causes detrimental bouts of despair and chaos in our society. Marriage sullies the love and fervor between spouses and causes venial pain to children and relatives. The act of exchanging vows, once thought as an unblemished and flawless act of consummation, now only leads to the defilation of both partners. Marriage in our society today fails to bind two as one eternally. Instead, marriage ties couples to stakes, rendering them helpless. Man and wife are torched by the unforgiving wedding vows-- once spoken out of love; now they crucify both partners through illimitable flames caused by caustic quarreling and defilation of one another. It is a most scurrilous object, marriage is, and it has darkened the doorways of fifty percent of the homes in America. In a situation like this, there seems to be not a slither of light. Alas, there is a white North Star ahead leading to salvation! Salvation is attainable from where the Holy Light is emulating: through the white and pure doors of the ever truthful and undaunted ways of the American courthouse! Millions of Americans in uncomfortable volumes shove impatiently in lines waiting for their case to be heard at the courthouse. These lines are colossal. They are so huge they make the Mississippi look like a trickle. These lines are akin to the size of the line to the Black Friday holiday rush at the local Wal Mart last year. Ah yes, remember the loss of life that occurred because of how frantic people were to buy America’s finest crap? In this case, I am not aware if there are any recorded incidences of in-utero infant fatalities during the push and shove of the masses awaiting their divorce, but we must prevent it from spreading rampantly into unbridled chaos. Marriage is an allusion that people link to happiness, and therefore, the vile trickster must be stopped! Marriage is a clever mirage that tricks not the eye my friends, but the mind. For the sanity of the American people, we must abolish the act of marriage. America must become liberated from the shackles and inhibitions of marriage, or we shall remain enslaved while marriage interrogates us on a pedestal.
I think that it is heavily agreed upon that the number of divorces have been escalating to numbers off the charts. It is of immense suffrage that both members of the marriage go through not to mention their families… and think about the poor children. It is such a vile act that has proven itself as a failure, and it is through this corruption that marriage needs to cease. Failing marriages could never be caused through the fault of the people, because we are all humanistic people that have proclaim such an impeccably high intellectual capacity, however, in which no scientific study has actually declared.
Marriage fails because men and women profess their vows because they were caught in the whiteout caused by the illusion of love. Little do couples know that their unifying kiss at the wedding is really the swap of each other’s venom not the swapping of saliva. This venom slowly poisons both of them. They feel to see this because of love’s most clever ways of hypnosis. The woman falls into a deep romantic trench that she digs herself in because she innately believes she literally is living in a Nora Robert’s romance novel. She feels her heart leap when she thinks about her mate during the heated climax in the Nora Robert’s novel… and she finds herself so in love, which leads her to be diseased by the plague of marriage. And the man was deceived by marriage because of the generous revealing of bust and large hip to chest ratio of his bride. It was her very own sin that lead his eyes away from the truth. This is parallel to how Adam got blamed for the sin because he was completely engaged in the play by Eve, the apple, and the Serpent in a rough game of tackle. Look, even God’s children couldn’t pull of the whole marriage thing. Marriage distorts the reality of people persuading them to think they will be perpetually happy. Really all they have is cupidity and a drive for carnal escapades.
It is my duty to the people of America to provide the dropping of Manna from the sky, two tickets of paradise falling into their hands, the separation of miserable couples. My prevention of impetuous marriage ever occurring again is by banning it. My intention is not only to lift the burden off of men and women and sons and daughters, but also to instill happiness in the lives of the people. If the American people wash their hands clean of marriage, people will be able to sleep with whom ever they want and not get slapped for it! Men and women can live in a world that revolves around humanistic existentialism, a world that is already shaping to be with strong vital signs. Our media today is clobbered with debauchery, our music is crudely bopping promiscuity, and our advertisements are plastered around us, advocating the “feel good” era of today. We must listen and give in to the hypnotic vibes of advertising because what the professionals advocate most certainly determines the consumer’s ideals of the American life. As Nike shoe-company puts it, “Just do it” and Americans are doing just that. Obviously, it is ever so clear that the value of marriage has become nearly obsolete, because our culture has decided along with AT&T wireless that it is better to just “ Reach out and Touch Somebody” than to keep intimate to just one’s spouse. America’s advertisement is propelling the nation forward to become the “new and improved” product out of our Founding Fathers.
America needs to get this change in motion, and I have the solution. This very proposal has taken me years to fully contemplate in its entirety. However, through very careful observation, I rest assured that my proposal will cure the unhappiness of man. I have diligently listened to the suggestions of others, an angry stewpot of indigestion. By the boil of the bile, it seems that even they agree that my proposal wins the roses… and smells like them too.
My proposal is to declare marriage unethical and make it illegal to betroth two people. After a couple gets a successful divorce, they will be deemed untrue because of their failure to abide to the vows they took in wedlock. Since they are considered unfaithful to one another, they will be allowed to date freely everyone deemed free of marriage. Since everyone belongs to every body, the children will be taken care of by multiple caretakers, and will never be neglected. These children will never have to live through the detrimental and stressful effects of mommy and daddy fighting. Children will no longer be forced to endure the pain or feel they are the blame of their parent’s unhappiness. I have computed that the bills of psychologist and therapy would be down significantly. This cut of money would allow the American family to have more money in their pockets. The estimated total would put roughly three thousand dollars back in the average American’s bank account. This added money would help the average American to face the poor economy with greater ease. With money so tight right now, and with marriage success rates so low, why not put an end to marriage? Since a successful marriage is so impossible, why make children grow up exposed to agony and pain? It is time to let go of the fantasy of marriage because we cannot grasp the complexity of it.
Couples free from marriage can for once experience liberation in their hearts. It is very rare that a typical couple actually marries a soul mate. Since millions of people fail to marry the right one and fail to achieve agape love, it is completely logical that marriage should be condemned forever. If marriage fails to occur, people can freely move man to man without any limitation. In such a humanistic and hedonistic world, it only makes sense that the more experimentation the better. In our country, it is all about the sex. It is all about the carnal pleasures that rise to a mountaintop; those are the mates that are searched far and wide for. No longer is America concerned about good values or trust in a mate. For a country vouching for heated pleasure, why not ban the restraints of marriage? Marriage is a limitation that puts barriers on what one can and cannot do. People in today’s world do not like to be told that they have limits because they believe that they are in charge. Let’s make them! Since there are already thousands of affairs that occur in America annually, why not break the ties of marriage forever!
The benefits to my proposal are endless and they roll on and on like the mighty waters of our earth. First, it would allow happiness be returned to the dismal lives of the people. Like a barren infertile crescent now, America would become a rich and lively land sparking with rebirth with the help of my proposal.
Secondly, the lives of the children and relatives would be free from the detrimental effects of divorce and its aftermath. Children would not grow up traumatized and severely impacted because of the scarring experience of hearing their parent’s yell and verbally mutilate one another. The pain would be eliminated for both man and wife. The tears would cease, the guilt would cease, and sin would once be encouraged. We as human beings are already built to satisfy our cupidity, we should finally give in to our every primal and carnal desire. It is our instinct and it is who we have become today. It is time we start listening to our wants and not our morals.
Thirdly, it would eliminate the millions of cases where couples believe they have found their soul mate. Most people get married thinking that their lives will be utter bliss because they have found their mate, which they will show unconditional love to. Little do they know that he/she was really living next door! Most Americans lack faithfulness, so even those who have found their soul mate fail to actually realize it.
I cannot conjure up a good reason of why this proposal would be rejected. Through listening to various raps and viewing many sultry movies and videos on the big screen, it seems that America is screaming promiscuity. The value of marriage keeps falling in perfect synchrony with the America dollar, and we are in need of some great change. People no longer have values and respect for one another, so it has become the only point of resolution for me to encourage this proposal to be passed. The only complaint would most likely come from the psychologists and people who serve for the court. Their lack of revenue may cause a few scowls and glowers at my proposal, but I would also tell them that their hair would gray at a much slower rate with the lack of stressful divorce cases. Think about how much money spent in hair dye they would save! In all seriousness, I strongly encourage man to cherish the beauty in life not what he can get out of it. Sometimes the most precious thing to hold is the fragile body of a precious infant that was created through the love of two people. The very love that created that baby will still be needed throughout that child’s life. Marriage is what really should be a life affirming, beautiful, and hallowed blessing that man is lucky enough to be given. Marriage should not be rushed or forced, it should be the contract between two lovers that never ends. Marriage is binding two people into a coalition, into one body in this life and the next. Without this special bond, there would be no one to cleave onto. And a world like that is exactly the path that we are heading to.
I profess, with all the love in my heart, that I would not benefit at all from this proposal for I am one who has found the impossible, who has found a love that is so life- affirming, I could burst into tears. Alas, my country feels such misery. I propose this documentation so that the rest of the world can taste a sliver of happiness. Happiness that I’m blessed on this earth to have.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Interchangable Parts --> Interchangable Humans
In today’s modified world exploding with scientific discovery, the increased knowledge assimilated by man has lead the human race to tamper with the idea of creating a more perfect society. New scientific advancements in technology have even allowed the human race capable to eradicate genetic imperfections at foetal development. This technique is known as genetic engineering, where the human genome and DNA is manipulated to conform to certain standards, the standard of perfection. These advancements are relished through man’s pedantic desire of performing the gained knowledge borne from human intellect. However, man should take caution because the human race is greatly harming itself through tampering the fragile balance of the human body. Where is man overstepping his boundary? Despite the arguable benefits of genetic engineering, the costs outweigh the benefits in several ways.
Genetic engineering may sound highly appealing because think about it: our very world extinct from diseases that act as impediments. No autism, no asbergers, and no cancer waiting to ravage the human body. The very catalyst sparking life to these malignant genes start in the gene pool at the moment of conception. Now these genes can expire through the use of genetic engineering and through the use of manipulating the karyotypes of the soon to be child. In Brave New World, at the very moment of conception, the perfect human being is shaped by the hand of man, the new Creator. Man becomes the divine being, the divine God. Oh what a power, what a gift! Imagine the people of the world not suffering from cruelty that natural selection puts on the people of the world! Troubles of the world would slip through the hands like water, like lost blown sand of the past. Forgotten the pain and agony of the human race! One would argue that through genetic engineering, humans would be created to perform certain jobs more efficiently because they were programmed to have a natural knack for completing them.
One would argue to say that people would be gifted with certain abilities to benefit the world. For example, a man engineered to be a doctor would be programmed to have a high intellectual capacity to perform high levels of calculus, memorization of medical terms, and have excellent patience for ample precision when performing an operation. People’s abilities would be so much higher and they could achieve much greater things than they could achieve in today’s world. In a world that is being dominated through the study of humanism, and declining with the studies of altruism, God fades away, and human accomplishment lays in the center ring. This idea can create consequences with the weight to destroy the importance of the human soul, and create a world of programmed machines that go parallel with Thomas Hobbs’s philosophy. “All generous minds have a horror of what are commonly called "Facts". They are the brute beasts of the intellectual domain.” Facts of science once learned blacken a person’s mind like black ink swallowing a white sheet of paper. The paper’s white chastity lies helpless, blackened by the ink, which is parallel to the ink splotch gnawing at the mid of humanity: scientific knowledge.
Unfortunately, this idea carries many strong consequences. At first, genetic engineering would probably be used to filter out genetic disorders that could be cause harm to the child’s life. However, here is a point to consider: people in general are always curious with innovating scientific improvements and in technology. After all, child creation becomes no longer a natural act, but a mechanical act of technology. People become marketed as if on an assembly line, being shaped with certain parts to create a functioning product with the ability of performing a task. Life is something special, a gift from God. As a human being, a person should have the rights to be created differently than a Tyco remote control car on assembly line. We are humans, not people on the verge of being created by interchangeable parts. We are human. We are human. We are a living divine soul, not an engineering project! Genetic engineering is harmful because it involves playing the role of God! Genetic engineering makes obsolete the individual’s free will, something that belongs to the human being! A child should not be created to be a fireman, it is HIS life; the boy chooses what he wants to become as an adult.
In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, a fictional society is created that uses human technology to shape this world, one of them genetic engineering. In this society ruled by the philosopher king Mustafa, the people in the community are genetically engineered so they can accomplish a particular job, and nothing else besides that because they are oppressed form knowing the knowledge of the world like history and the truth. These people know nothing but carnal instinct and feeling high from Soma. The people in Huxley’s world become nothing but Headenists seeking fleshly pleasure and fulfillment. In this new society, there is no longer art, famous literature, or Bible. Instead, this society has Soma, an opiate, feelies, an adventure of the emotions, and lots of orgies. This is such a feel- good society, and it seems near impossible to find a flaw. However, in the novel Bernard talks to Lenina, a beautiful young woman if she wanted something different from everybody else in the world. “Yes, ‘Everybody’s happy nowadays.’ We begin giving the children that at five. But wouldn’t you like to be free to be happy in some other way, Lenina? In your own way, for example; not in everybody else’s way” (Huxley 91). Bernard’s question shows the idea that maybe the people in Brave New World are not happy at all. He tells her if she wanted to be FREE, something that nobody in that world is. All the occupants in this society are oppressed, and to some degree the people in the society are aware of this. Although Mustafa may try to save his people from the truths, is he really bringing them happiness? Mustafa is an unsuccessful attempt to play God. He tries, but his followers may not truly be happy. It is very apparent in that quote that Bernard knows deep in his gut that something is lacking in life. There really is no such thing as a perfect world. In this perverse world full of orgies, genetic corruption, and oppression even God cannot save us from this apocalypse. The savage paralleling the coming of the Messiah failed. If God cannot help us then who can?
The human being tries to out step his boundary by attempting to play the role as God. Why must man utilize all discovered knowledge and put it into action? Although genetic engineering lies in the capability of man, does it make it acceptable to perform it when it can be misused and consequently destroy the entire world? Through the use of genetic engineering, man becomes a mathematical equation , a calculated formula consisting of calculus and annalytical geometry. Consequently, the human race under genetic manipulation becomes a homogeneous population of black and white devoid of individuality, free will, and liberty.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Welcome, America, To Brave New World
The evolution of humanity has changed dramatically throughout the centuries. Recorded in anthropological and philosophical studies, there are two different types of societies that mark the values and belief systems by how man lived in the world. These two types of revolutions include Altruism1, the first revolution, and philosophical Humanism2, the second revolution. Presently, there has been a prominent rise in humanism and a rapid diminution in Altruism. Humanism in American society states that life is based upon human need and interest. I agree with Postman’s assertion that Brave New World’s society is more relevant than that of 1984 because of the “infliction of pleasure placed on American culture today” and that “technologies will undo people’s capacity to think” (Postman). America’s unstable economic conditions and its plethora of hypnotizing commercials promote that it is acceptable to give into sensual indulgences because they allow one to become happier. People use advertisements to show the rewards and bliss of indulgence: becoming happier and becoming stress-free. Advertisements draw people in through sensual manipulation as a way of convincing them to buy their products. In a troubled world with an unsteady economy enveloped in a rise of unemployment and the plummeting dollar, Americans seek for a way to escape the stresses invading their world. In Huxley’s Brave New World, there is significant evidence of a society once plagued by stresses like death, illness, and instability, from which people have found alleviation through hedonism and sensual appeasement.
The United States is a democracy. In the twenty-first century, American taxpayers are experiencing financial debt, the fall of the dollar, the end of Social Security, and inflation. These unstable economic conditions cause extreme trepidation on society leading to chaos, fear, and societal instability. Desperate to feel good, United States citizens will seek artificial happiness equivalent to soma in the Brave New World Society. Voters and taxpayers of the United States will demand happiness, and the socialist state will deliver the wants of the American people. This demand alludes to using mood -elevating drugs very similar to soma to become a source of happiness and alleviation. In American society, the rise of over-the-counter drug abuse is on a steady increase because the drugs cause happiness by heightening the sensual responses of the user while leaving them devoid of stress. According to researcher Joe Blow, the percentages of people abusing medications for sensual rushes has been increasing.
People are hooked on benzodiazepines, commonly known as tranquilizers and sleeping pills. They tantalize users with promises of dulling emotional pain, chasing away anxiety and crooning them to sleep. They are very addictive. Benzodiazepines are only a temporary fix--it is often only a few weeks before the positive effects wear off and dependency begins. (strike-the-root.com)
The rise of abusing medication in this generation has been linked with economic stresses, increased work hours, and domestic struggles. The American people have found alleviation through the use of scientifically formulated tablets that ward struggle and bring happiness just like the society of Brave New World and their use of the opiate soma.
The return to civilization was for her the return to soma, was the possibility of lying in bed and taking holiday after holiday, without ever having to come back to a headache or a fit of vomiting, without ever being made to feel as you always felt after peyotl, as though you'd done something so shamefully anti-social that you could never hold up your head again. Soma played none of these unpleasant tricks. The holiday it gave was perfect and, if the morning after was disagreeable, it was so, not intrinsically, but only by comparison with the joys of the holiday. Greedily she clamoured forever larger, ever more frequent doses. Dr. Shaw at first demurred; then let her have what she wanted. She took as much as twenty grammes a day. (Huxley, 154)
This excerpt notes how both the A.F. 632 and American societies correspond with each other. Both societies heavily depend on drugs in order to deliver happiness and stability even to the point of abuse. Harm to the body through drug overdose is no longer deemed as important to American citizens or to Linda in Brave New World because bodily pleasure negates any future consequences. In Huxley’s novel, he takes sensual fulfillment further by eliminating marriage, love, and devotion, the most basic of human ideologies. Through the use of soma, human knowledge and opinion becomes eliminated and they live their lives dumbfounded, conditioned to love their positions in life. Citizens no longer have opinions, morals, or values. They no longer believe in “Moderation in all things”, Aristotle’s philosophy, because the citizens are conditioned to fully engage in every single pleasure they feel. This ensures that the citizens will be content with whatever jobs they are given and will not desire anything greater or wish to know anything. Promiscuous debauching of the society allows for further indulgence, which dominates over the concerns of the people’s knowledge of the divine purpose of man or to the existence of a God.
The future created by Huxley is certainly the utopia that America is becoming. Advertising today, found in all types of media, strongly promotes sex and indulgence in both luxuries and food. In past generations, people were once very reserved with what they talked about and advocated publicly. For example, sex was considered a taboo and rarely depicted in a movie but was symbolized by a blowing curtain or by other more modest representations. Today, our society has become far more open about the discussion and public display of sex. Sex is vividly and graphically displayed in any movie worth watching or deserving of an Oscar. People want to see a movie with lots of heated debauchery topped off with the all too common post-coital shot in many movies. Sex has become the symbol of success and happiness in the twenty first century. Many advertisements promote that happiness comes not only from sex but also from the very food we consume. Advertisements that persuade people usually come from convincing material that appeals to the senses. Unfortunately, not all burgers are created equal! Would someone want to buy a pack of Shop Rite burger patties when they remember the McDonald’s ad on television? The McDonald’s burger depicted with flame broiled goodness, crunchy lettuce, and spicy onion immediately negates the package of store-bought patties collecting frost in the corner of the shelf. In Huxley’s novel, the controllers of A.F. 632 are parallel to the head advertisers in charge of convincing the American people to buy their product, to buy happiness. In Brave New World, Mustapha draws in his people by advertising happiness and bliss to them by appealing to the senses. He is so successful that he even succeeds to lure in John the Savage who represents a Christ figure into his sensual utopia: “Stupefied by soma, and exhausted by a long-drawn frenzy of sensuality, the Savage lay sleeping in heather” (Huxley, 258). It is here that John the Messiah or second -coming of Christ fails by sinning. John the Savage is persuaded by Mustapha's advertisements of a perfect feel- good world. John sins by having sex with Lenina and she becomes his crucifix. He fails and represents the downfall of Christianity. This is because man is sinful, and it is impossible for man not to give into sin.
I agree with social critic Neil Postman that America is quickly becoming a Brave New World society. As the United States continues to morph into this new society, we only move closer to the destruction of the human race. In typical utopian societies, the manipulation of pleasure, pain, or other execrable methods is somehow supposed to lead the people of a world of happiness.
1 The philosophical belief of serving the needs of others before oneself
2 Fulfilling individual needs before considering those of others
Source:
http://www.strike-the-root.com/3/blow/blow3.html
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Power of the Free Market System (not my argument essay Kim, look one below this)
One of the greatest rights given to citizens of the United States is the right to prosperity. I am greatly affected by the free market system in my own life, and I use these freedoms of the free market copiously. I own a business called Twin Silos Rabbitry, where I market pedigreed show rabbits. I raise Lionheads, Tans, Holland Lops, and Netherland Dwarfs on my farm and sell them to people ranging from 4-H children to serious ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) showers. I have learned that the power of the free market not only broadens the freedoms for the marketer, but also for the consumer. The free market system benefits our society in three ways. This system encourages growth of individually owned companies while giving them avenues toward prosperity. These companies have rights to protection from unlawful harm from competing companies. The free market also strengthens international relationships with other countries, which keeps trade strong through the exchanging of much needed goods not grown or produced in other countries. Finally, it promotes a need for advanced education of people while creating a need for strong leaders.
In the United States, we are extremely fortunate to live under a free market economic system that doesn’t use fear to control its people. In a command economy, free trade is forbidden, and the government has too much power upon its people and the goods produced by the people. The government controls imports and exports; a license is needed to ship and receive goods. People live in fear and have few freedoms that we enjoy today in the United States. In the free market system, it is all about the choice of the people, where as in a command economy, those choices are made by the government. The free market system is diffused, which means that the people make decisions about what is produced.
Businesses can set their prices and allow them to fluctuate depending on the economy. This is not so in a command economy because the prices are fixed or controlled by the government body. In a command economy, the production numbers are not determined by supply and demand, but by the state and committee. The quality and quantity of products in a command economy diminish, which put the well being of the consumers at low importance. For example: A Russian woman got severely ill by drinking from a cup in a vending machine. This was a common cup used by all consumers of that vending machine, and it wasn’t properly sterilized. This woman almost died because of the poor quality and lack of quantity of goods being produced in the communist government-controlled industry. The problem with the command system is that it enforces a misallocation of resources. This means that this type of economy is slow to respond to the needs and demands of the people. In the free market economy, the health and well being of the people are very important because if a consumer is dissatisfied, the business owner loses profits to competing producers of those products. Profitability directly corresponds to having the products and value desired by consumers. Competition between businesses drives the market toward better products and the necessity for more efficient production methods. The marketer also has the ability to make decisions about what he or she wants to make and also how much he or she wants to sell and where.
I openly incorporate the free market system in my business by keeping the well being and satisfaction of consumers as a top priority. As a business owner, I want my customer’s patronage, and I want them to be satisfied so they can recommend me to future buyers. I make sure I give them an unforgettable buying experience. I invite them inside of my rabbitry so they can see for themselves my entire operation. I show them the overall cleanliness of my facilities and the health of the individual animals. I let them see all forty rabbits hopping in their individual cages swinging from wire supporters. The faces of my customers light up as I give them a tour that most breeders would not offer them, which allows my business to be distinctive and different from other competing rabbitries. I give customers my individual time to show them the quality animals I have to offer them for sale, and I also make sure that I’m friendly and patient with my customers because I want to earn their business and satisfaction. I have learned that it is crucial to gain the respect of your customer because a satisfied buyer will always tell a few friends about the service provided. That always means more business to come!
When the numbers of competing companies increase, the competition rates rise as well. Fortunately, there are certain protection rights a company can put on their products. These are called trademarks, trade secrets, and patents. These help protect companies from infringement and unlawful stealing or copying of a product. Patents are the strongest protection afforded on a brand new invented product. A patent means that for twenty years the rights of a product’s author or inventor will be protected. No other company can steal a design or produce the patented type of product.
A trademark is a protected phrase or symbol that can be deemed as personal property. No other company can use it, as they would be unlawfully submitting their product as someone else’s. A trade secret is a protected recipe or design of a product that only family or producers of a company know so that they can consistently make a product without the fear of a competitor ever matching or stealing their exact product design. I can greatly understand the importance of having a trademark because when my family purchased our farm, we had our farm name registered and protected so that no other farm could have our exact name, which allows for easier product recognition and higher security for the protection of our goods.
This protection prevented other businesses from marketing goods under our farm name. Like a person, a business has to work hard to establish a good name and reputation, and in many cases, success and good reputation may take many years to establish.
Farms have their own identity in the same way that we have our own social security number. If another business were to market their products under the same name that would be an infringement of that trademark. Their products might be confused with ours. The consequences are lost earnings and damaged reputation. Fortunately, the free market is about having a business protected and about having equal opportunity and prosperity. Therefore, for the protection of all companies, it is crucial to have trademarks, trade secrets, and patents.
The free market strengthens international bonds by promoting peaceful trade with other nations. This increases communication between countries, and trading allows goods that are grown or produced only in one country to be traded for goods that another country needs. In some countries production costs are lower. This results in lower prices for consumers and increased profits for the producer. Trading with other countries creates interdependence, and promotes diffusion of different cultures. People then assimilate new styles of clothing, architecture, products, and also different foods when trading internationally. Parts of products can be produced for lower costs, so that creating a product costs less than if completely produced in a single country, also called global sourcing. Global sourcing has many advantages like increasing amounts of vendors and marketers to stimulate competition, acquiring new skills that aren’t domestically available, and increasing the amount of goods. This is an advantage for entrepreneurs because they will spend less to produce the product and therefore the prices will be low and competitive for consumers.
In my rabbit business, I raise breeds that at one time originated from different countries. My Mini Lops or Klein Wider, were once from the country Germany, and my dwarf rabbits originated all the way from the Netherlands. If it weren’t for trade, my rabbits would have never made it to the United States. Although many rabbit breeds did not come from the United States, the American Fuzzy Lop did. American Fuzzy Lops became popular all around the world because they make great pets and have great wool quality which other countries used to make clothing articles. In turn, Americans also traded for new breeds of rabbits from other countries that provided my Tans, Mini Lops, and dwarfs. In fact, right now the Thrianta, a brand new rabbit breed, is being imported to the United States today from parts of Europe. This breed of rabbit never existed in the United States, but because of the free market and peaceful trade, the Thrianta rabbit is being raised by United States breeders for A.R.B.A. recognition.
I also learned about supply and demand in the rabbit business, and raised breeds that were not commonly raised, and was able to create a stronger market with increased opportunities for profit. Since other competing rabbitries did not raise the same breeds I did, the exotic breeds I raised were in high demand by the public. I learned how to create a very successful business.
Free trade works because countries can sell goods to each other with minimal governmental interference or restrictive tariffs. This encourages people to trade with each other and they can do it without heavy taxes that would otherwise discourage them from doing so. Free trade also benefits both countries because much needed goods are received by both sides. The prices do not have to be inflated because of the increased supply of goods and competitive prices, if goods are affordable and in high supply, it prevents the occurrence of a black market.
International trade also allows for technology and ideas to spread rapidly. When two countries trade their products, they are also spreading their ideas, knowledge, and their technologies. The world becomes much more communicative in the presence of the free enterprise system. If a country becomes interdependent on another and they are needy for a particular resource, then they will keep the relationship very strong with that country. An example would be our relationship with the foreign providers of our oil and gasoline sources. Since the oil providers need US dollars for their economy, they keep their relationship strong with the US, and since we need their oil, we keep our relationship strong with them. It is very important for the nations of the world to stay in contact with each other, especially in the business world. People must keep strong ties with each other because some companies are international, or are owned by other businesses in completely different countries.
Finally, the free market system demands higher education for people, as it increases opportunities for them to prosper and flourish. Individuals learn to become communicators, leaders, promoters, professionals, and inventors. The business and marketing profession is a challenging business that requires mature-thinking, sound decision-making, and a competitive, persuasive nature. Not everyone is suited to take on this profession, those who enter it will need to shape their business as close as they can as a paragon, or a model of perfection for their consumers. The very gifted men and women who enter this profession need to be adroit leaders to balance the challenges of production and the needs of the consumer.
The free market system places power in the people’s hands. The voluntary system allows people to make their own decisions, fix their own prices, produce their desired quantities, and also have the freedom to make changes to any of the above. This system allows for a competitive market while also allowing for new businesses to grow at the same time. Everyone has the freedom to make his or her own decisions under the free market.
People become strong leaders representing their countries interests and further serve their country by producing opportunities under the free market system. This is a very important role for entrepreneurs to have because they are providing employment and fulfilling needs. The importance of these entrepreneurs is immense. It is because of them that we have large varieties of goods at competitive prices. The quality of products that are produced under the free market are much higher than in other countries. We have a lesser probability of getting ill or hurt by our products, unlike the Russian woman with the common cup in the vending machine. This is too risky in the free market because if a product is deemed harmful, the consequences are loss of market share, product recalls, and legal action.
Since starting and maintaining Twin Silos Rabbitry eight years ago, I have learned how to make mature decisions on my own. I recognized the importance of keeping records, writing and storing receipts, keeping stock inventory lists, and recording all yearly expenses verses my profits. I learned how to confidently handle and exchange money and give customers a receipt. I also recorded all my sales so my parents could document their farmland tax assessment. I learned how to be confident and friendly when working with customers. Consumers want someone who is outspoken and knowledgeable about what they are selling so that they also feel confident in what they are buying. I answer the customer’s questions and always show them patience when they are with me. This pays off at the end because customers often comment how friendly and helpful I was to them. I have taken a leadership role in my business because I own it! I manage, maintain, and make financial decisions for my business. Through my experience of running a business, I have learned through trial and error what decisions were beneficial, and those that were poor.
Purchasing stock costs me money from my profit, but my mind is always calculating the pros and cons of each action. In order to be successful, having the right stock at the right time is essential to meeting the needs of my customers. My responsibility has increased since I run something of importance solely on my own. I feel that right now I am giving myself an early taste of the world by running a small business at my age. I take chances and risks all the time in hope that my rabbitry will grow in prosperity. I feel that I have been able to become a strong leader and find maturity at a much younger age than many other teenagers.
The rights that people have under the free market are numerous as said by a Ramapo professor during my LAB seminar; he said everyone has an equal chance for prosperity. “For a free enterprise system that works gives rights to own and acquire property, and do so free of infringement and trespass so everyone has a fair shot” (Dr. Murray Sabrin, marketing professor of Ramapo College). Through his words, I will always remember the freedom and opportunity the free market gives to its people.
The free enterprise system is in the hands of the people. It grants rights to own, maintain, and prosper in a business. Through interdependence, relationships are created and improved by the free enterprise system. Additionally, the free market allows flexibility to react to market change in the absence of price controls. The free market promotes greater economic opportunities for citizens and the need for educated workers. These people become the strong leaders of our world. Since taking the Learn About Business course, I now understand how my rabbitry business thrives because of the freedoms and right to prosperity I gained from the free market. It doesn’t matter if one markets rabbits or medical equipment because each individual business has equal freedom in finding success and prosperity. The free market system is a powerful economic system that allows the power to be in the hands of the consumer.
In the United States, we are extremely fortunate to live under a free market economic system that doesn’t use fear to control its people. In a command economy, free trade is forbidden, and the government has too much power upon its people and the goods produced by the people. The government controls imports and exports; a license is needed to ship and receive goods. People live in fear and have few freedoms that we enjoy today in the United States. In the free market system, it is all about the choice of the people, where as in a command economy, those choices are made by the government. The free market system is diffused, which means that the people make decisions about what is produced.
Businesses can set their prices and allow them to fluctuate depending on the economy. This is not so in a command economy because the prices are fixed or controlled by the government body. In a command economy, the production numbers are not determined by supply and demand, but by the state and committee. The quality and quantity of products in a command economy diminish, which put the well being of the consumers at low importance. For example: A Russian woman got severely ill by drinking from a cup in a vending machine. This was a common cup used by all consumers of that vending machine, and it wasn’t properly sterilized. This woman almost died because of the poor quality and lack of quantity of goods being produced in the communist government-controlled industry. The problem with the command system is that it enforces a misallocation of resources. This means that this type of economy is slow to respond to the needs and demands of the people. In the free market economy, the health and well being of the people are very important because if a consumer is dissatisfied, the business owner loses profits to competing producers of those products. Profitability directly corresponds to having the products and value desired by consumers. Competition between businesses drives the market toward better products and the necessity for more efficient production methods. The marketer also has the ability to make decisions about what he or she wants to make and also how much he or she wants to sell and where.
I openly incorporate the free market system in my business by keeping the well being and satisfaction of consumers as a top priority. As a business owner, I want my customer’s patronage, and I want them to be satisfied so they can recommend me to future buyers. I make sure I give them an unforgettable buying experience. I invite them inside of my rabbitry so they can see for themselves my entire operation. I show them the overall cleanliness of my facilities and the health of the individual animals. I let them see all forty rabbits hopping in their individual cages swinging from wire supporters. The faces of my customers light up as I give them a tour that most breeders would not offer them, which allows my business to be distinctive and different from other competing rabbitries. I give customers my individual time to show them the quality animals I have to offer them for sale, and I also make sure that I’m friendly and patient with my customers because I want to earn their business and satisfaction. I have learned that it is crucial to gain the respect of your customer because a satisfied buyer will always tell a few friends about the service provided. That always means more business to come!
When the numbers of competing companies increase, the competition rates rise as well. Fortunately, there are certain protection rights a company can put on their products. These are called trademarks, trade secrets, and patents. These help protect companies from infringement and unlawful stealing or copying of a product. Patents are the strongest protection afforded on a brand new invented product. A patent means that for twenty years the rights of a product’s author or inventor will be protected. No other company can steal a design or produce the patented type of product.
A trademark is a protected phrase or symbol that can be deemed as personal property. No other company can use it, as they would be unlawfully submitting their product as someone else’s. A trade secret is a protected recipe or design of a product that only family or producers of a company know so that they can consistently make a product without the fear of a competitor ever matching or stealing their exact product design. I can greatly understand the importance of having a trademark because when my family purchased our farm, we had our farm name registered and protected so that no other farm could have our exact name, which allows for easier product recognition and higher security for the protection of our goods.
This protection prevented other businesses from marketing goods under our farm name. Like a person, a business has to work hard to establish a good name and reputation, and in many cases, success and good reputation may take many years to establish.
Farms have their own identity in the same way that we have our own social security number. If another business were to market their products under the same name that would be an infringement of that trademark. Their products might be confused with ours. The consequences are lost earnings and damaged reputation. Fortunately, the free market is about having a business protected and about having equal opportunity and prosperity. Therefore, for the protection of all companies, it is crucial to have trademarks, trade secrets, and patents.
The free market strengthens international bonds by promoting peaceful trade with other nations. This increases communication between countries, and trading allows goods that are grown or produced only in one country to be traded for goods that another country needs. In some countries production costs are lower. This results in lower prices for consumers and increased profits for the producer. Trading with other countries creates interdependence, and promotes diffusion of different cultures. People then assimilate new styles of clothing, architecture, products, and also different foods when trading internationally. Parts of products can be produced for lower costs, so that creating a product costs less than if completely produced in a single country, also called global sourcing. Global sourcing has many advantages like increasing amounts of vendors and marketers to stimulate competition, acquiring new skills that aren’t domestically available, and increasing the amount of goods. This is an advantage for entrepreneurs because they will spend less to produce the product and therefore the prices will be low and competitive for consumers.
In my rabbit business, I raise breeds that at one time originated from different countries. My Mini Lops or Klein Wider, were once from the country Germany, and my dwarf rabbits originated all the way from the Netherlands. If it weren’t for trade, my rabbits would have never made it to the United States. Although many rabbit breeds did not come from the United States, the American Fuzzy Lop did. American Fuzzy Lops became popular all around the world because they make great pets and have great wool quality which other countries used to make clothing articles. In turn, Americans also traded for new breeds of rabbits from other countries that provided my Tans, Mini Lops, and dwarfs. In fact, right now the Thrianta, a brand new rabbit breed, is being imported to the United States today from parts of Europe. This breed of rabbit never existed in the United States, but because of the free market and peaceful trade, the Thrianta rabbit is being raised by United States breeders for A.R.B.A. recognition.
I also learned about supply and demand in the rabbit business, and raised breeds that were not commonly raised, and was able to create a stronger market with increased opportunities for profit. Since other competing rabbitries did not raise the same breeds I did, the exotic breeds I raised were in high demand by the public. I learned how to create a very successful business.
Free trade works because countries can sell goods to each other with minimal governmental interference or restrictive tariffs. This encourages people to trade with each other and they can do it without heavy taxes that would otherwise discourage them from doing so. Free trade also benefits both countries because much needed goods are received by both sides. The prices do not have to be inflated because of the increased supply of goods and competitive prices, if goods are affordable and in high supply, it prevents the occurrence of a black market.
International trade also allows for technology and ideas to spread rapidly. When two countries trade their products, they are also spreading their ideas, knowledge, and their technologies. The world becomes much more communicative in the presence of the free enterprise system. If a country becomes interdependent on another and they are needy for a particular resource, then they will keep the relationship very strong with that country. An example would be our relationship with the foreign providers of our oil and gasoline sources. Since the oil providers need US dollars for their economy, they keep their relationship strong with the US, and since we need their oil, we keep our relationship strong with them. It is very important for the nations of the world to stay in contact with each other, especially in the business world. People must keep strong ties with each other because some companies are international, or are owned by other businesses in completely different countries.
Finally, the free market system demands higher education for people, as it increases opportunities for them to prosper and flourish. Individuals learn to become communicators, leaders, promoters, professionals, and inventors. The business and marketing profession is a challenging business that requires mature-thinking, sound decision-making, and a competitive, persuasive nature. Not everyone is suited to take on this profession, those who enter it will need to shape their business as close as they can as a paragon, or a model of perfection for their consumers. The very gifted men and women who enter this profession need to be adroit leaders to balance the challenges of production and the needs of the consumer.
The free market system places power in the people’s hands. The voluntary system allows people to make their own decisions, fix their own prices, produce their desired quantities, and also have the freedom to make changes to any of the above. This system allows for a competitive market while also allowing for new businesses to grow at the same time. Everyone has the freedom to make his or her own decisions under the free market.
People become strong leaders representing their countries interests and further serve their country by producing opportunities under the free market system. This is a very important role for entrepreneurs to have because they are providing employment and fulfilling needs. The importance of these entrepreneurs is immense. It is because of them that we have large varieties of goods at competitive prices. The quality of products that are produced under the free market are much higher than in other countries. We have a lesser probability of getting ill or hurt by our products, unlike the Russian woman with the common cup in the vending machine. This is too risky in the free market because if a product is deemed harmful, the consequences are loss of market share, product recalls, and legal action.
Since starting and maintaining Twin Silos Rabbitry eight years ago, I have learned how to make mature decisions on my own. I recognized the importance of keeping records, writing and storing receipts, keeping stock inventory lists, and recording all yearly expenses verses my profits. I learned how to confidently handle and exchange money and give customers a receipt. I also recorded all my sales so my parents could document their farmland tax assessment. I learned how to be confident and friendly when working with customers. Consumers want someone who is outspoken and knowledgeable about what they are selling so that they also feel confident in what they are buying. I answer the customer’s questions and always show them patience when they are with me. This pays off at the end because customers often comment how friendly and helpful I was to them. I have taken a leadership role in my business because I own it! I manage, maintain, and make financial decisions for my business. Through my experience of running a business, I have learned through trial and error what decisions were beneficial, and those that were poor.
Purchasing stock costs me money from my profit, but my mind is always calculating the pros and cons of each action. In order to be successful, having the right stock at the right time is essential to meeting the needs of my customers. My responsibility has increased since I run something of importance solely on my own. I feel that right now I am giving myself an early taste of the world by running a small business at my age. I take chances and risks all the time in hope that my rabbitry will grow in prosperity. I feel that I have been able to become a strong leader and find maturity at a much younger age than many other teenagers.
The rights that people have under the free market are numerous as said by a Ramapo professor during my LAB seminar; he said everyone has an equal chance for prosperity. “For a free enterprise system that works gives rights to own and acquire property, and do so free of infringement and trespass so everyone has a fair shot” (Dr. Murray Sabrin, marketing professor of Ramapo College). Through his words, I will always remember the freedom and opportunity the free market gives to its people.
The free enterprise system is in the hands of the people. It grants rights to own, maintain, and prosper in a business. Through interdependence, relationships are created and improved by the free enterprise system. Additionally, the free market allows flexibility to react to market change in the absence of price controls. The free market promotes greater economic opportunities for citizens and the need for educated workers. These people become the strong leaders of our world. Since taking the Learn About Business course, I now understand how my rabbitry business thrives because of the freedoms and right to prosperity I gained from the free market. It doesn’t matter if one markets rabbits or medical equipment because each individual business has equal freedom in finding success and prosperity. The free market system is a powerful economic system that allows the power to be in the hands of the consumer.
A Word About Communism
In the book “Animal Farm”, George Orwell voices his strong opinion against the Communistic totalitarian government in his novel through the use of animal characters which represent key players and events that occurred in the Soviet Union during Stalin’s reign. Through the use of animals symbolizing Soviet players, Orwell puts forth a solid generalization about the severity of totalitarian government (Animalism) in “Animal Farm”. Orwell achieves this goal by mirroring Stalin's reign over the Soviet Union through the events and characters in "Animal Farm."
It may seem to some readers that it seems to be a stretch to relate the entire story of "Animal Farm" to the reign of Stalin. Some opinions may differ from mine in that " Animal Farm" has nothing to do with Stalin's reign at all, and would appear to be just a clever book. However, through the works of Orwell's writing, he consistently puts down the rule of totalitarian rulers and colonialism. In Orwell's "1984" he writes about how harmful it is to have a society that has too much government control. In Orwell's Shooting An Elephant, he shows how freedom is killed under a society in Burma because the town's occupants look up to a leader instead of themselves. Throughout Orwell's works he puts down societies that happen now like in Burma from Shooting An Elephant to societies in the past like the Soviet union in "Animal Farm". Through the clear symbolism in his novel, a reader can easily understand the parallels that Orwell makes.
Napoleon is the dominant tyrant pig of Animal Farm who represents the leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin. Napoleon becomes the leader of a created society called Animal Farm, an organization created by Napoleon himself to end the ruling of Jones the farmer, and keep his followers safe from Jones’s so called abusive and inhumane treatment. Napoleon does this through an animal rebellion that resulted in the exile and defeat of Jones’s rule. Napoleon is however, not truly a ruler who holds dearly the importance and well being of his animal followers in mind. Instead, Napoleon manipulates and brainwashes his followers for his own gluttonous gain through the use of secret police, mass executions of the innocent, and through propaganda and brainwashing of his followers just as Stalin performed in the Soviet Union.
As Napoleon becomes more of a tyrant, he realizes that the intellectual animals will realize his intent of becoming a dictator, and he feels threatened. He especially feels this way towards a pig called Snowball, an allusion to Leon Trotsky. Snowball is a pig who wins over many barnyard followers, and has ideas of creating an egalitarian society, where all animals would live in harmony together. However, since Napoleon is a selfish and piggish leader, he finds any possible way to blacken the name of innocent Snowball through the use of false propaganda and lies created by Napoleon’s charismatic speaker, Squealer. Napoleon performs such cruel actions to Snowball because he truly doesn’t want an egalitarian society, but a dictatorship where he manipulates the organization of Animal Farm. In order to protect his reign in power, he creates his own secret police, a barbaric pack of dogs that tackle down suspects of betrayal that Napoleon suspects. The dogs were raised and trained by Napoleon himself to attack any suspect that could represent a threat to his reign. Napoleon used these dogs to spy on the barn animals and turn them in to Napoleon for execution. Snowball was exiled out of Animal Farm by the use of the dogs. “They dashed straight for Snowball, one of them closed his jaws on Snowball’s tail…nobody knew where the creatures came from” (168). The dogs inflicted pain and torture upon the victims of Napoleon only to be put to death by execution. Through his use of the secret police, Orwell shows the lack of trust that totalitarian leaders have for their followers to the point where secret spies are sent out to get many people in trouble to get sentenced to death.
In the Soviet Union, Trotsky and Stalin’s relationship mirror the relationship of Snowball and Napoleon. Trotsky had opposed Stalin’s policy of totalitarian control by creating the Left Opposition against Stalin. Trotsky was expelled from the Communist party in the 1920’s and was deported from the Soviet Union. When Stalin felt threatened by opposing rivals, he used his own secret police called the KGB or Committee For State Secretary, a Russian intelligence center. They used harsh methods to investigate suspected threats to Stalin. The KGB is a secret police system that tortured people in prisons through mind control methods so they thought like sane people about the paragon of communism. Many people tortured by the KGB were reported as missing and never found. Stalin performed these actions to manipulate his followers in becoming secret police and executing those that he thought would collapse his reign over the Soviet Union. Tens of thousands of innocent people had their lives claimed by Stalin because of his selfish intentions. Stalin did not rule for the sake of his people but for his own personal gain, which is why he had the KGB. Before Stalin rose into power, the Soviet Union was in better shape than after Stalin’s rule. The reason why Stalin gained power was because he was a great speaker and knew his politics, which gained him support and power. However, showing the mass carnage and casualty that occurred in the aftermath, the Soviet Union was a better and safer place for the people than under Stalin’s control.
In “Animal Farm,” Napoleon, the totalitarian tyrant pig has no interest in the well being of his barnyard followers when he creates the mass execution of his followers. “ And so the tale of confessions and executions went on, until there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon’s feet and the air was heavy with the smell of blood” (93). As Napoleon gained more power, he became much more malicious towards the trust of his followers by thinking that they were all betraying him. Napoleon uses forms of vocal propaganda to manipulate his followers to think that all the animals executed deserved it because they were treacherous and harmful to the society. Through the use of false propaganda the farm animals would be convinced that the accused animal was deserving of penalty through the charismatic speaking of Squealer. “ Do you know the enemy who has overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL! … Comrades, I hear by pronounce the death sentence upon Snowball!” (82). Snowball was an innocent pig, but through the authoritarian speaking skills of Squealer, Napoleon could get away with his selfish endeavors without suspicion because of Squealer’s talented and persuasive speeches. Napoleon performed mass executions to preserve his own regime and eliminate political dissent for his own being. Napoleon is a murderer to his followers and creates a holocaust to his own animal followers. Napoleon does not care about anybody but himself in Animal Farm. Through the carnage and mass suffrage placed on the animals like the daunting task of slaving over the windmill Napoleon forces them to build, it was said things were far better when Jones had ruled. “ … It seemed to them it was far worse now than it was happening among themselves than with Jones “(93). Before Napoleon took reign over Animal Farm, it was once a better place with Jones. Jones fed them food and he allowed them to live the leisurely life of an animal where Napoleon cuts their life short and works them as mere slaves. Orwell communicates to his audience that followers of a totalitarian government are put at high risk of death and abuse. Through the use of executions and fake propaganda he shows how even the innocent will be found guilty and put to death.
In the Soviet Union, there were also mass executions performed by Stalin known as the Great “Yezhovschina” or the Great Purge. Stalin created this mass holocaust because he feared attacks of sabotage and espionage. Stalin believed that he needed to enthrall terror over his people to ensure absolute power, and by killing mass amounts of people, he induced fear over his people efficiently. “The estimated amount of lives taken by the Great purge is at most two million, but up to seven million were innocent and put into jail” (Knight, Encarta Encyclopedia). “The majority of the republican committees were killed at an astounding 90%, and many surviving victims were sent to Soviet Union Labor camps where they died soon after” (Vogel, Andy History Teacher). Stalin did not mind killing mammoth amounts of people because it ensured him a safe throne without any inhibition or competition. Stalin was a power hungry and selfish man who put himself way before his people. If Stalin had not been put into reign, two million people may have had their lives back. The Soviet Union before Stalin had so much potential and was far less harsh before the reign of Stalin.
The battles fought in “Animal Farm” also mirror the battles that took place in the Soviet Union like the Battle of The Windmill representing the Battle of Moscow. In “Animal Farm,” the animals under Napoleon created strict labor to build a windmill. Napoleon makes a deal with a farmer Mr. Frederick (Hitler) to receive five pounds for some wood. The money Napoleon receives is fake currency, and starts a war with Mr. Frederick. There is a larger army of men with six guns that charge into Animal Farm and use dynamite to destroy the fruits of their labor: the windmill. Napoleon tells his animals to charge and attack the men, and it becomes a bloody massacre. Both sides received injury and casualty. Napoleon is being selfish to his followers forcing them to face an army of men loaded with guns. Napoleon just wanted to make sure his rule was protected and that he would remain in power not matter what the cost it was to his animal soldiers. Before Napoleon took reign and Jones was the ruler, no animals had to face war and attack. The lives of animals were to eat, sleep, reproduce, and live in leisure. The life of an animal under Jones’s rule was a wonderful life, now they face a life that is full of bloodshed, betrayal, and suffrage by forced labor.
This battle parallels to the Battle of Moscow in the early 1940’s against the USSR and Germany forces. Germany attacked the Soviet Union by an air attack which weakened them early on. This battle cascaded into the Battle of Vyazma Blyansk. However, the icy cold weather and harsh terrain impeded the German forces weakening them significantly. The Germans lost about 500,000 men and the Soviet Union took a large hit as well. The Battle of Moscow dealt with two power forces Germany and the Soviet Union who were competing with one another because of their high power and authority. Orwell shows the great amounts of carnage that is displayed in a totalitarian society, and the risk that the leaders put their followers into. The leaders are all into the battles for their own advancements, not the outcomes of their people. Orwell really tries to show the severity and the moral wrongness of a totalitarian government.
Even some of the smaller characters in the novel have significant representation in Orwell's novel. The donkey Benjamen is a wise creature who knows even from the very beginning of the book that Napoleon was an up and rising tyrant. In philosophy we call these people the cynics. A cynic in philosophy means that a person always looks at anything with a poor opinion. Benjamen represented the many people under Stalin's power who were doubting his many ideas and motives. Unfortunately, in Stalin's control, he ends up killing all the people who do not support him unconditionally. The chickens in "Animal Farm" represented the rebels who did not support Napoleon's wants. Napoleon forced the chickens to lay eggs so that he could have them for himself and use them to help fulfill a treaty that required hundreds of chicken eggs. The hens were exhausted and could not keep up with Napoleon's demands so they rebelled by destroying their eggs. This is a parallel in the Soviet Union because the many workers who had to perform exhausting labor tasks rebelled by destroying the machinery so they didn't have to follow the strenuous orders from Stalin. However, just as Napoleon executed the hens for their lack of faith, Stalin also killed those he did not find as worthy slaves.
Orwell clearly communicates that events like this don’t just happen in books, but can happen in real life. Through the use of Napoleon’s dogs mirroring the KGB, Napoleon’s mass executions paralleling the Great Purge, and the Battle of The Windmill representing the Battle of Moscow,and smaller characters acting as society, Orwell shows in his book through symbolism that the characters and events in his novel are identical to the events and players in the Soviet Union under Stalin's reign.Orwell shows the brutal selfishness of the leaders, and their anesthetized feelings of innocent execution, and leader’s willingness to risk the lives of their people. Through the mirroring events and people in his life, Orwell creates a parable to his readers warning them about the evils of totalitarian control. Through the use of animals symbolizing Soviet Union leaders and events, Orwell effectively portrays his hostile feelings towards communism.
(Andy Vogel is a History teacher at Byram Township School District)
It may seem to some readers that it seems to be a stretch to relate the entire story of "Animal Farm" to the reign of Stalin. Some opinions may differ from mine in that " Animal Farm" has nothing to do with Stalin's reign at all, and would appear to be just a clever book. However, through the works of Orwell's writing, he consistently puts down the rule of totalitarian rulers and colonialism. In Orwell's "1984" he writes about how harmful it is to have a society that has too much government control. In Orwell's Shooting An Elephant, he shows how freedom is killed under a society in Burma because the town's occupants look up to a leader instead of themselves. Throughout Orwell's works he puts down societies that happen now like in Burma from Shooting An Elephant to societies in the past like the Soviet union in "Animal Farm". Through the clear symbolism in his novel, a reader can easily understand the parallels that Orwell makes.
Napoleon is the dominant tyrant pig of Animal Farm who represents the leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin. Napoleon becomes the leader of a created society called Animal Farm, an organization created by Napoleon himself to end the ruling of Jones the farmer, and keep his followers safe from Jones’s so called abusive and inhumane treatment. Napoleon does this through an animal rebellion that resulted in the exile and defeat of Jones’s rule. Napoleon is however, not truly a ruler who holds dearly the importance and well being of his animal followers in mind. Instead, Napoleon manipulates and brainwashes his followers for his own gluttonous gain through the use of secret police, mass executions of the innocent, and through propaganda and brainwashing of his followers just as Stalin performed in the Soviet Union.
As Napoleon becomes more of a tyrant, he realizes that the intellectual animals will realize his intent of becoming a dictator, and he feels threatened. He especially feels this way towards a pig called Snowball, an allusion to Leon Trotsky. Snowball is a pig who wins over many barnyard followers, and has ideas of creating an egalitarian society, where all animals would live in harmony together. However, since Napoleon is a selfish and piggish leader, he finds any possible way to blacken the name of innocent Snowball through the use of false propaganda and lies created by Napoleon’s charismatic speaker, Squealer. Napoleon performs such cruel actions to Snowball because he truly doesn’t want an egalitarian society, but a dictatorship where he manipulates the organization of Animal Farm. In order to protect his reign in power, he creates his own secret police, a barbaric pack of dogs that tackle down suspects of betrayal that Napoleon suspects. The dogs were raised and trained by Napoleon himself to attack any suspect that could represent a threat to his reign. Napoleon used these dogs to spy on the barn animals and turn them in to Napoleon for execution. Snowball was exiled out of Animal Farm by the use of the dogs. “They dashed straight for Snowball, one of them closed his jaws on Snowball’s tail…nobody knew where the creatures came from” (168). The dogs inflicted pain and torture upon the victims of Napoleon only to be put to death by execution. Through his use of the secret police, Orwell shows the lack of trust that totalitarian leaders have for their followers to the point where secret spies are sent out to get many people in trouble to get sentenced to death.
In the Soviet Union, Trotsky and Stalin’s relationship mirror the relationship of Snowball and Napoleon. Trotsky had opposed Stalin’s policy of totalitarian control by creating the Left Opposition against Stalin. Trotsky was expelled from the Communist party in the 1920’s and was deported from the Soviet Union. When Stalin felt threatened by opposing rivals, he used his own secret police called the KGB or Committee For State Secretary, a Russian intelligence center. They used harsh methods to investigate suspected threats to Stalin. The KGB is a secret police system that tortured people in prisons through mind control methods so they thought like sane people about the paragon of communism. Many people tortured by the KGB were reported as missing and never found. Stalin performed these actions to manipulate his followers in becoming secret police and executing those that he thought would collapse his reign over the Soviet Union. Tens of thousands of innocent people had their lives claimed by Stalin because of his selfish intentions. Stalin did not rule for the sake of his people but for his own personal gain, which is why he had the KGB. Before Stalin rose into power, the Soviet Union was in better shape than after Stalin’s rule. The reason why Stalin gained power was because he was a great speaker and knew his politics, which gained him support and power. However, showing the mass carnage and casualty that occurred in the aftermath, the Soviet Union was a better and safer place for the people than under Stalin’s control.
In “Animal Farm,” Napoleon, the totalitarian tyrant pig has no interest in the well being of his barnyard followers when he creates the mass execution of his followers. “ And so the tale of confessions and executions went on, until there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon’s feet and the air was heavy with the smell of blood” (93). As Napoleon gained more power, he became much more malicious towards the trust of his followers by thinking that they were all betraying him. Napoleon uses forms of vocal propaganda to manipulate his followers to think that all the animals executed deserved it because they were treacherous and harmful to the society. Through the use of false propaganda the farm animals would be convinced that the accused animal was deserving of penalty through the charismatic speaking of Squealer. “ Do you know the enemy who has overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL! … Comrades, I hear by pronounce the death sentence upon Snowball!” (82). Snowball was an innocent pig, but through the authoritarian speaking skills of Squealer, Napoleon could get away with his selfish endeavors without suspicion because of Squealer’s talented and persuasive speeches. Napoleon performed mass executions to preserve his own regime and eliminate political dissent for his own being. Napoleon is a murderer to his followers and creates a holocaust to his own animal followers. Napoleon does not care about anybody but himself in Animal Farm. Through the carnage and mass suffrage placed on the animals like the daunting task of slaving over the windmill Napoleon forces them to build, it was said things were far better when Jones had ruled. “ … It seemed to them it was far worse now than it was happening among themselves than with Jones “(93). Before Napoleon took reign over Animal Farm, it was once a better place with Jones. Jones fed them food and he allowed them to live the leisurely life of an animal where Napoleon cuts their life short and works them as mere slaves. Orwell communicates to his audience that followers of a totalitarian government are put at high risk of death and abuse. Through the use of executions and fake propaganda he shows how even the innocent will be found guilty and put to death.
In the Soviet Union, there were also mass executions performed by Stalin known as the Great “Yezhovschina” or the Great Purge. Stalin created this mass holocaust because he feared attacks of sabotage and espionage. Stalin believed that he needed to enthrall terror over his people to ensure absolute power, and by killing mass amounts of people, he induced fear over his people efficiently. “The estimated amount of lives taken by the Great purge is at most two million, but up to seven million were innocent and put into jail” (Knight, Encarta Encyclopedia). “The majority of the republican committees were killed at an astounding 90%, and many surviving victims were sent to Soviet Union Labor camps where they died soon after” (Vogel, Andy History Teacher). Stalin did not mind killing mammoth amounts of people because it ensured him a safe throne without any inhibition or competition. Stalin was a power hungry and selfish man who put himself way before his people. If Stalin had not been put into reign, two million people may have had their lives back. The Soviet Union before Stalin had so much potential and was far less harsh before the reign of Stalin.
The battles fought in “Animal Farm” also mirror the battles that took place in the Soviet Union like the Battle of The Windmill representing the Battle of Moscow. In “Animal Farm,” the animals under Napoleon created strict labor to build a windmill. Napoleon makes a deal with a farmer Mr. Frederick (Hitler) to receive five pounds for some wood. The money Napoleon receives is fake currency, and starts a war with Mr. Frederick. There is a larger army of men with six guns that charge into Animal Farm and use dynamite to destroy the fruits of their labor: the windmill. Napoleon tells his animals to charge and attack the men, and it becomes a bloody massacre. Both sides received injury and casualty. Napoleon is being selfish to his followers forcing them to face an army of men loaded with guns. Napoleon just wanted to make sure his rule was protected and that he would remain in power not matter what the cost it was to his animal soldiers. Before Napoleon took reign and Jones was the ruler, no animals had to face war and attack. The lives of animals were to eat, sleep, reproduce, and live in leisure. The life of an animal under Jones’s rule was a wonderful life, now they face a life that is full of bloodshed, betrayal, and suffrage by forced labor.
This battle parallels to the Battle of Moscow in the early 1940’s against the USSR and Germany forces. Germany attacked the Soviet Union by an air attack which weakened them early on. This battle cascaded into the Battle of Vyazma Blyansk. However, the icy cold weather and harsh terrain impeded the German forces weakening them significantly. The Germans lost about 500,000 men and the Soviet Union took a large hit as well. The Battle of Moscow dealt with two power forces Germany and the Soviet Union who were competing with one another because of their high power and authority. Orwell shows the great amounts of carnage that is displayed in a totalitarian society, and the risk that the leaders put their followers into. The leaders are all into the battles for their own advancements, not the outcomes of their people. Orwell really tries to show the severity and the moral wrongness of a totalitarian government.
Even some of the smaller characters in the novel have significant representation in Orwell's novel. The donkey Benjamen is a wise creature who knows even from the very beginning of the book that Napoleon was an up and rising tyrant. In philosophy we call these people the cynics. A cynic in philosophy means that a person always looks at anything with a poor opinion. Benjamen represented the many people under Stalin's power who were doubting his many ideas and motives. Unfortunately, in Stalin's control, he ends up killing all the people who do not support him unconditionally. The chickens in "Animal Farm" represented the rebels who did not support Napoleon's wants. Napoleon forced the chickens to lay eggs so that he could have them for himself and use them to help fulfill a treaty that required hundreds of chicken eggs. The hens were exhausted and could not keep up with Napoleon's demands so they rebelled by destroying their eggs. This is a parallel in the Soviet Union because the many workers who had to perform exhausting labor tasks rebelled by destroying the machinery so they didn't have to follow the strenuous orders from Stalin. However, just as Napoleon executed the hens for their lack of faith, Stalin also killed those he did not find as worthy slaves.
Orwell clearly communicates that events like this don’t just happen in books, but can happen in real life. Through the use of Napoleon’s dogs mirroring the KGB, Napoleon’s mass executions paralleling the Great Purge, and the Battle of The Windmill representing the Battle of Moscow,and smaller characters acting as society, Orwell shows in his book through symbolism that the characters and events in his novel are identical to the events and players in the Soviet Union under Stalin's reign.Orwell shows the brutal selfishness of the leaders, and their anesthetized feelings of innocent execution, and leader’s willingness to risk the lives of their people. Through the mirroring events and people in his life, Orwell creates a parable to his readers warning them about the evils of totalitarian control. Through the use of animals symbolizing Soviet Union leaders and events, Orwell effectively portrays his hostile feelings towards communism.
(Andy Vogel is a History teacher at Byram Township School District)
Friday, December 19, 2008
Eyes of Glass
Once again, I felt like writing another poem because I love seeing my works published for all to read. it's like being a published author, without the annoying publishers threatening not to publish your work unless you make their approved corrections.
A soul is the spirit that glows inside
That fuels the heart and colors we feel
The soul is unreachable
From the outside world
Concealed from the human quest
Impossible to hold, steal, or defeat
The soul remains untouchable from the outside
Intangible to the hands
Tangible to the heart
Impossible to access through the physical realm
Except to our fragile eyes
Eyes of glass
Where one can feel beyond life’s limitations
Eyes of clear
Eyes,
The pathway to seek one’s soul
The ability to reach into another’s heart
The eye can seek out one’s pain
The eye can seek one’s fear
Eyes of glass
Eyes so clear
So delicate
To the midst of shatter
The eye can tear and cry
The eye can brighten and shine
Our feelings send the signal
Expressed by the soulful eye
One can love a soul
One can hurt a soul
One can bless a soul
Through our eyes comes expression
A connection that leads to the passageway
The pathway to the hidden soul
Our eyes are so fragile
But they are the key to the heart of man
The key to secret world hidden beneath
Our eyes of glass
The secret doorway
That lead me to find love
Love expressed through the oneness of souls
I found when we first together locked eyes
A soul is the spirit that glows inside
That fuels the heart and colors we feel
The soul is unreachable
From the outside world
Concealed from the human quest
Impossible to hold, steal, or defeat
The soul remains untouchable from the outside
Intangible to the hands
Tangible to the heart
Impossible to access through the physical realm
Except to our fragile eyes
Eyes of glass
Where one can feel beyond life’s limitations
Eyes of clear
Eyes,
The pathway to seek one’s soul
The ability to reach into another’s heart
The eye can seek out one’s pain
The eye can seek one’s fear
Eyes of glass
Eyes so clear
So delicate
To the midst of shatter
The eye can tear and cry
The eye can brighten and shine
Our feelings send the signal
Expressed by the soulful eye
One can love a soul
One can hurt a soul
One can bless a soul
Through our eyes comes expression
A connection that leads to the passageway
The pathway to the hidden soul
Our eyes are so fragile
But they are the key to the heart of man
The key to secret world hidden beneath
Our eyes of glass
The secret doorway
That lead me to find love
Love expressed through the oneness of souls
I found when we first together locked eyes
Saturday, December 6, 2008
The Betrothal
I was reading a bunch of sonnets on this nippy Saturday afternoon, and I felt in the mood to write a poem based on love.
The Betrothal
Two forms of blemished flesh
Imperfect in their singularity
But when together fiducially bond through faithfulness
They become perfect wholly as one flesh
A bond forged by the heart of God
His gift
A binding knot
An endless coalescence
That binds concordantly these two as one
This betrothal like two eager streams
Feasting to each other in confluence
This conjunction joining both man and woman
Through a bond by which God himself endeared
To make man clutch to woman
And woman cling to man
To form a connubial bond between them
As they lay together in sweetest blasé
A clement gift God so gave his people
Coalescence binds these two
With the drop onto one knee
And a fiery diamond gliding onto her finger
And a sealing kiss to set the promise in stone
And God ties the very knot
And remolds his once blemished fleshes
Into a conformed flesh of one
The Betrothal
Two forms of blemished flesh
Imperfect in their singularity
But when together fiducially bond through faithfulness
They become perfect wholly as one flesh
A bond forged by the heart of God
His gift
A binding knot
An endless coalescence
That binds concordantly these two as one
This betrothal like two eager streams
Feasting to each other in confluence
This conjunction joining both man and woman
Through a bond by which God himself endeared
To make man clutch to woman
And woman cling to man
To form a connubial bond between them
As they lay together in sweetest blasé
A clement gift God so gave his people
Coalescence binds these two
With the drop onto one knee
And a fiery diamond gliding onto her finger
And a sealing kiss to set the promise in stone
And God ties the very knot
And remolds his once blemished fleshes
Into a conformed flesh of one
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