Monday, April 18
SL activity
Wednesday, April 20
Global work of SND today
DUE: Reading TBA, Reading Journal complete
Friday, April 22 is Good Friday holiday – no class
---------------------------------------------------------
Monday, April 25
Amy Merrill from Somaly Mam Foundation
DUE: Study for the final
Wednesday, April 27
Final Exam
Friday, April 29
SL project presentations
Monday, April 18, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
House passes $6 trillion spending cut plan
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110415/ap_on_re_us/us_spending_showdown
House passes $6 trillion spending cut plan
By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press – 30 mins ago
WASHINGTON – The House on Friday passed a Republican budget blueprint proposing to fundamentally overhaul Medicare and combat out-of-control budget deficits with sharp spending cuts on social safety net programs like food stamps and Medicaid.
The nonbinding plan lays out a fiscal vision cutting $6.2 trillion over the coming decade from the budget submitted by President Barack Obama. It passed 235-193 with every Democrat voting "no."
The vote sets up the Republicans' next round of confrontation with Obama and Democrats over the country's long-term deficit levels — a standoff likely to come to a head this summer and set the stage for 2012 elections. In an interview with The Associated Press earlier Friday, the president said the Republican's budget represents "a pessimistic vision."
"It's one that says that America can no longer do some of the big things that made us great, that made us the envy of the world," he said.
Acknowledging that spending cuts would have to be made, Obama said he's pushing for "a smart compromise that's serious."
Under the House Republican plan, deficits requiring the federal government to borrow more than 40 cents for every dollar it spends would be cut by the end of the decade to 8 cents of borrowing for every dollar spent.
The plan by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., a rising figure in the party, exposes Republicans to political risk. It proposes transforming Medicare from a program in which the government directly pays medical bills into a voucher-like system that subsidizes purchases of private insurance plans. People 55 and over would remain in the current system, but younger workers would receive subsidies that would steadily lose value over time.
The budget measure is nonbinding but lays out a vision to fundamentally reshape government benefit programs for the poor and elderly whose spiraling costs threaten to crowd out other spending and produce a crippling debt burden that could put a big drag on the economy in the future.
"Which future do you want your children to have? One, where the debt gets so large it crushes the economy and gives them a diminished future?" Ryan asked. "Or this budget ... that literally not only gets us on the way to balancing the budget but pays off our debt?"
The GOP's solution to unsustainable deficits is to relentlessly attack the spending side of the ledger while leaving Bush-era revenue levels intact. It calls for tax reform that would lower the top income tax rates for corporations and individuals by cleaning out a tax code cluttered with tax breaks and preferences, but parts company with Obama and the findings of a bipartisan deficit commission, who propose devoting about $100 billion a year in new revenues to easing the deficit.
Democrats and many budget experts say this spending-cuts-only approach is fundamentally unfair, targeting social safety net programs like Medicaid and food stamps while leaving in place a tax system they say bestows too many benefits on the wealthy.
"The Republican plan is not bold. It's just the same old tired formula we've seen before of providing big tax breaks to the very wealthy and powerful special interests at the expense of the rest of America," said top Budget panel Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. "Except this time it's dressed up with a lot of sweet-smelling talk of reform."
But Obama and Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, his chief GOP adversary, do agree on something: that an upcoming vote to increase the government's ability to borrow to pay its bills will have to contain spending cuts.
"Let me be clear: There will be no debt limit increase unless it is accompanied by meaningful spending cuts and budget reforms," Boehner said.
"I think (Boehner's) absolutely right that it's not going to happen without some spending cuts," Obama told the AP.
In their budget, Republicans shied away from tackling Social Security shortfalls, steering clear of what pundits sometimes call the "third rail of American politics."
Virtually every budget expert in Washington agrees that projected Medicare cost increases are unsustainable, but the GOP initiative — attacked by Democrats as ending Medicare's guarantee as we know it — has launched a major-league Washington imbroglio.
"We hear a lot about Medicare as we know it," said Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark. "Well, unfortunately Medicare as we know it is going bankrupt. If you are for the status quo with regard to Medicare, you are on the side of the elimination of Medicare as we know it."
Democrats countered with official estimates showing the GOP plan would provide vouchers whose value would steadily erode.
"The Republican proposal breaks the promise that our country has made to our seniors — that after a lifetime of work they will be able to depend on Medicare to protect them in retirement," said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. "The Republicans' plan forces seniors to buy their insurance from health insurance companies where the average senior will be forced to pay twice as much for half the benefit."
Also Friday, the House easily defeated two liberal budget alternatives. A plan offered by the conservative Republican Policy Committee failed as well, while a Democratic alternative that called for higher taxes on the wealthy and special interests fell on a 259-166 vote.
The GOP plan isn't actual legislation. Instead, under the arcane congressional budget process, the measure sketches out a nonbinding blueprint each year for running the government. The resolution doesn't require the president's signature, but it does set the framework for changes to spending or tax policy in follow-up legislation.
The most immediate impact of the GOP plan would be to cut the $1 trillion-plus budget for appropriated programs next year by $30 billion, following on $38 billion in cuts just adopted. That would return domestic agency accounts below levels when George W. Bush left office.
The Democratic-controlled Senate has yet to produce its alternative plan. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and other members of Obama's independent fiscal commission are pursuing a bipartisan "grand bargain" blending big spending curbs with new revenues flowing from a simplified tax code.
The budget deficit is projected at an enormous $1.6 trillion this year, but more ominously, current projections show an even worse mismatch as the baby boom generation retires and Medicare costs consume an ever-growing share of the budget.
House passes $6 trillion spending cut plan
By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press – 30 mins ago
WASHINGTON – The House on Friday passed a Republican budget blueprint proposing to fundamentally overhaul Medicare and combat out-of-control budget deficits with sharp spending cuts on social safety net programs like food stamps and Medicaid.
The nonbinding plan lays out a fiscal vision cutting $6.2 trillion over the coming decade from the budget submitted by President Barack Obama. It passed 235-193 with every Democrat voting "no."
The vote sets up the Republicans' next round of confrontation with Obama and Democrats over the country's long-term deficit levels — a standoff likely to come to a head this summer and set the stage for 2012 elections. In an interview with The Associated Press earlier Friday, the president said the Republican's budget represents "a pessimistic vision."
"It's one that says that America can no longer do some of the big things that made us great, that made us the envy of the world," he said.
Acknowledging that spending cuts would have to be made, Obama said he's pushing for "a smart compromise that's serious."
Under the House Republican plan, deficits requiring the federal government to borrow more than 40 cents for every dollar it spends would be cut by the end of the decade to 8 cents of borrowing for every dollar spent.
The plan by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., a rising figure in the party, exposes Republicans to political risk. It proposes transforming Medicare from a program in which the government directly pays medical bills into a voucher-like system that subsidizes purchases of private insurance plans. People 55 and over would remain in the current system, but younger workers would receive subsidies that would steadily lose value over time.
The budget measure is nonbinding but lays out a vision to fundamentally reshape government benefit programs for the poor and elderly whose spiraling costs threaten to crowd out other spending and produce a crippling debt burden that could put a big drag on the economy in the future.
"Which future do you want your children to have? One, where the debt gets so large it crushes the economy and gives them a diminished future?" Ryan asked. "Or this budget ... that literally not only gets us on the way to balancing the budget but pays off our debt?"
The GOP's solution to unsustainable deficits is to relentlessly attack the spending side of the ledger while leaving Bush-era revenue levels intact. It calls for tax reform that would lower the top income tax rates for corporations and individuals by cleaning out a tax code cluttered with tax breaks and preferences, but parts company with Obama and the findings of a bipartisan deficit commission, who propose devoting about $100 billion a year in new revenues to easing the deficit.
Democrats and many budget experts say this spending-cuts-only approach is fundamentally unfair, targeting social safety net programs like Medicaid and food stamps while leaving in place a tax system they say bestows too many benefits on the wealthy.
"The Republican plan is not bold. It's just the same old tired formula we've seen before of providing big tax breaks to the very wealthy and powerful special interests at the expense of the rest of America," said top Budget panel Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. "Except this time it's dressed up with a lot of sweet-smelling talk of reform."
But Obama and Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, his chief GOP adversary, do agree on something: that an upcoming vote to increase the government's ability to borrow to pay its bills will have to contain spending cuts.
"Let me be clear: There will be no debt limit increase unless it is accompanied by meaningful spending cuts and budget reforms," Boehner said.
"I think (Boehner's) absolutely right that it's not going to happen without some spending cuts," Obama told the AP.
In their budget, Republicans shied away from tackling Social Security shortfalls, steering clear of what pundits sometimes call the "third rail of American politics."
Virtually every budget expert in Washington agrees that projected Medicare cost increases are unsustainable, but the GOP initiative — attacked by Democrats as ending Medicare's guarantee as we know it — has launched a major-league Washington imbroglio.
"We hear a lot about Medicare as we know it," said Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark. "Well, unfortunately Medicare as we know it is going bankrupt. If you are for the status quo with regard to Medicare, you are on the side of the elimination of Medicare as we know it."
Democrats countered with official estimates showing the GOP plan would provide vouchers whose value would steadily erode.
"The Republican proposal breaks the promise that our country has made to our seniors — that after a lifetime of work they will be able to depend on Medicare to protect them in retirement," said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. "The Republicans' plan forces seniors to buy their insurance from health insurance companies where the average senior will be forced to pay twice as much for half the benefit."
Also Friday, the House easily defeated two liberal budget alternatives. A plan offered by the conservative Republican Policy Committee failed as well, while a Democratic alternative that called for higher taxes on the wealthy and special interests fell on a 259-166 vote.
The GOP plan isn't actual legislation. Instead, under the arcane congressional budget process, the measure sketches out a nonbinding blueprint each year for running the government. The resolution doesn't require the president's signature, but it does set the framework for changes to spending or tax policy in follow-up legislation.
The most immediate impact of the GOP plan would be to cut the $1 trillion-plus budget for appropriated programs next year by $30 billion, following on $38 billion in cuts just adopted. That would return domestic agency accounts below levels when George W. Bush left office.
The Democratic-controlled Senate has yet to produce its alternative plan. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and other members of Obama's independent fiscal commission are pursuing a bipartisan "grand bargain" blending big spending curbs with new revenues flowing from a simplified tax code.
The budget deficit is projected at an enormous $1.6 trillion this year, but more ominously, current projections show an even worse mismatch as the baby boom generation retires and Medicare costs consume an ever-growing share of the budget.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml
On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the full text of which appears in the following pages. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."
PREAMBLE
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,
Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
^ Top
Article 1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
^ Top
Article 2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
^ Top
Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
^ Top
Article 4.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
^ Top
Article 5.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
^ Top
Article 6.
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
^ Top
Article 7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
^ Top
Article 8.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
^ Top
Article 9.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
^ Top
Article 10.
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
^ Top
Article 11.
(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.
^ Top
Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
^ Top
Article 13.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
^ Top
Article 14.
(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
^ Top
Article 15.
(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
^ Top
Article 16.
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
^ Top
Article 17.
(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
^ Top
Article 18.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
^ Top
Article 19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
^ Top
Article 20.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
^ Top
Article 21.
(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
^ Top
Article 22.
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.
^ Top
Article 23.
(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
^ Top
Article 24.
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
^ Top
Article 25.
(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
^ Top
Article 26.
(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
^ Top
Article 27.
(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
^ Top
Article 28.
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
^ Top
Article 29.
(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
^ Top
Article 30.
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml
On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the full text of which appears in the following pages. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."
PREAMBLE
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,
Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
^ Top
Article 1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
^ Top
Article 2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
^ Top
Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
^ Top
Article 4.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
^ Top
Article 5.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
^ Top
Article 6.
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
^ Top
Article 7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
^ Top
Article 8.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
^ Top
Article 9.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
^ Top
Article 10.
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
^ Top
Article 11.
(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.
^ Top
Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
^ Top
Article 13.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
^ Top
Article 14.
(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
^ Top
Article 15.
(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
^ Top
Article 16.
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
^ Top
Article 17.
(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
^ Top
Article 18.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
^ Top
Article 19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
^ Top
Article 20.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
^ Top
Article 21.
(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
^ Top
Article 22.
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.
^ Top
Article 23.
(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
^ Top
Article 24.
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
^ Top
Article 25.
(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
^ Top
Article 26.
(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
^ Top
Article 27.
(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
^ Top
Article 28.
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
^ Top
Article 29.
(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
^ Top
Article 30.
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Schedule for Remainder of the Semester
Monday, April 4
Peer review, RA#2 intro
DUE: SL interim time sheet & assignment sheet
Wednesday, April 6
Have we come to the end of the Modern Era?
DUE: WW Chapter 23, Blog
Friday, April 8
Oral Presentations – RA #2
DUE: RA#2
---------------------------------------------------------
Monday, April 11
The War on Terror
DUE: DGP Chapter 15, Christian & Islamic Fundamentalism, Blog
Wednesday, April 13
Contemporary global issues; China
DUE: WW Chapter 24
Friday, April 15
Civil rights & human rights
DUE: Reading TBA
----------------------------------------------------------
Monday, April 18
SL activity
Wednesday, April 20
Global work of SND today
DUE: Reading TBA, Reading Journal complete
Friday, April 22 is Good Friday holiday – no class
---------------------------------------------------------
Monday, April 25
Final Exam
DUE: Study for the final
Wednesday, April 27
SL project presentations
Friday, April 29
SL project presentations
Peer review, RA#2 intro
DUE: SL interim time sheet & assignment sheet
Wednesday, April 6
Have we come to the end of the Modern Era?
DUE: WW Chapter 23, Blog
Friday, April 8
Oral Presentations – RA #2
DUE: RA#2
---------------------------------------------------------
Monday, April 11
The War on Terror
DUE: DGP Chapter 15, Christian & Islamic Fundamentalism, Blog
Wednesday, April 13
Contemporary global issues; China
DUE: WW Chapter 24
Friday, April 15
Civil rights & human rights
DUE: Reading TBA
----------------------------------------------------------
Monday, April 18
SL activity
Wednesday, April 20
Global work of SND today
DUE: Reading TBA, Reading Journal complete
Friday, April 22 is Good Friday holiday – no class
---------------------------------------------------------
Monday, April 25
Final Exam
DUE: Study for the final
Wednesday, April 27
SL project presentations
Friday, April 29
SL project presentations
Friday, April 1, 2011
RA #2
Reading Analysis Paper #2
In Ways of the World, Strayer discusses the “Atlantic revolutions and their echoes.” What does he mean by this phrase? Can the same concept be applied to the ongoing 2011 revolutions and rebellions in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, which began with a relatively small and local occurrence in Tunisia? Use the “Region in Turmoil” link of the Al Jazeera news website at www.aljazeera.com to begin your research. There, you will find a background and timeline for events in each country.
Your paper should be three double-spaced pages in length, including Header and Works Cited. Arial font, 11 point, is preferred. Times New Roman 12 point may also be used. Margins no greater than 1 inch, please. Examples of the proper format for your Header and Works Cited sections appear on this handout.
Works Cited
Strayer, Robert. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History (combined edition). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2009.
Rifai, Ryan. “Timeline: Tunisia’s uprising: Chronicle of nationwide demonstrations over the country’s unemployment crisis.” Al Jazeera English Doha, Qatar: Al Jazeera. http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/tunisia/2011/01/201114142223827361.html Accessed April 1, 2011.
In Ways of the World, Strayer discusses the “Atlantic revolutions and their echoes.” What does he mean by this phrase? Can the same concept be applied to the ongoing 2011 revolutions and rebellions in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, which began with a relatively small and local occurrence in Tunisia? Use the “Region in Turmoil” link of the Al Jazeera news website at www.aljazeera.com to begin your research. There, you will find a background and timeline for events in each country.
Your paper should be three double-spaced pages in length, including Header and Works Cited. Arial font, 11 point, is preferred. Times New Roman 12 point may also be used. Margins no greater than 1 inch, please. Examples of the proper format for your Header and Works Cited sections appear on this handout.
Works Cited
Strayer, Robert. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History (combined edition). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2009.
Rifai, Ryan. “Timeline: Tunisia’s uprising: Chronicle of nationwide demonstrations over the country’s unemployment crisis.” Al Jazeera English Doha, Qatar: Al Jazeera. http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/tunisia/2011/01/201114142223827361.html Accessed April 1, 2011.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Yemen revolt
As you read the headlines in Al Jazeera, pay attention to how the various leaders are responding to the demands of protesters in their country. Also note any differences in the way Western news agencies and Al Jazeera (a regional news agency) cover the topic.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/03/201132511732578174.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110325/wl_nm/us_mideast
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/03/201132511732578174.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110325/wl_nm/us_mideast
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Is America ready for a mixed-race Ken & Barbie?
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Ex-Cyclone-sack-master-is-the-face-of-the-new-?urn=ncaaf-wp257
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Saudi monarch announces billions in handouts - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
Will this work? What do people give up if they forego the pursuit of political freedom in exchange for money?
Saudi monarch announces billions in handouts - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
Saudi monarch announces billions in handouts - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
Nuclear Power Plant problem explained
http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2011/03/world/interactive.nuclear.japan/index.html
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110216/ap_on_re_us/us_wisconsin_budget_unions
Thousands protest anti-union bill in Wisconsin
Buzz up!75 votes
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Print
AP – In a Feb. 15, 2011 photo, people put down sleeping bags and blankets for an all-night vigil at the Capitol …
Play VideoVideo:Teachers' Union Blasts Collective Bargaining Change WISN Milwaukee
Play VideoPresidential Transition Video:People have spoken in Egypt: Obama AFP
Play VideoPresidential Transition Video:Obama: We are 'witnessing history' in Egypt AP
By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press – 1 hr 23 mins ago
MADISON, Wis. – Thousands of people descended on the Wisconsin state Capitol again Wednesday to protest a bill that would strip most public employees of their collective bargaining rights, but Gov. Scott Walker insisted he has the votes to pass the measure.
On the second consecutive day of demonstrations, Walker said he was open to making changes in the legislation, the boldest anti-union proposal in the nation. But he said he would not "fundamentally undermine the principles" of the bill, which he says is needed to help balance a projected $3.6 billion budget shortfall and avoid widespread layoffs.
"We're at a point of crisis," Walker said.
The full Legislature could begin voting on the proposal as early as Thursday.
More than 13,000 protesters gathered at the Capitol on Tuesday for a 17-hour public hearing on the measure. Thousands more came Wednesday, with hundreds chanting "Recall Walker now!" outside the governor's office.
If adopted, the bill would mark an especially dramatic shift for Wisconsin, which was the first state to pass a comprehensive collective bargaining law in 1959. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — the national union representing all non-federal public employees — was founded in 1936 in Madison.
There were some signs that support for the plan may be waning among Republicans who control the Legislature. Senate Republicans met in secret Wednesday morning to discuss the bill. Asked where Republicans stood on Walker's proposal, Sen. Dan Kapanke of La Crosse told The Associated Press, "That's a really good question. I don't know."
The protests have been larger and more sustained than any in Madison in decades. More than 1,000 protesters, many of whom spent the night in sleeping bags on the floor of the Rotunda, shouted "Kill this bill!" on Wednesday.
In Madison, more than 40 percent of the 2,600 union-covered teachers and staff called in sick, forcing the superintendent to call off classes Wednesday in the state's second-largest district. No other widespread sickouts were reported at any other school, according to the state teachers union which represents 98,000 teachers and staff.
Prisons, which are staffed by unionized guards who would lose their bargaining rights under the plan, were operating as normal without any unusual absences, according to Department of Corrections spokeswoman Linda Eggert.
Walker has said he would call out the National Guard to staff the prisons if necessary. A union leader for prison workers did not immediately return messages.
Before Tuesday's marathon hearing, Republican leaders in the Senate and Assembly said they had enough votes to pass the bill as Walker proposed.
Scott Spector, a lobbyist for AFT-Wisconsin, which represents about 17,000 public employees, said the demonstrations were having an effect on lawmakers.
Union representatives were attempting to sway key moderates for a compromise, but Democrats said the bill would be tough to stop. Democrats lost the governor's office and control of the Legislature in the November midterm elections.
"The Legislature has pushed these employees off the cliff, but the Republicans have decided to jump with them," said Sen. Bob Jauch, one of 14 Democrats in the 33-member chamber.
While other states have proposed bills curtailing labor rights, Wisconsin's measure is the most aggressive anti-union move to solve budget problems. It would end most collective bargaining for state, county and local workers, except for police, firefighters and the state patrol.
Protesters targeted the budget committee's public hearing Tuesday to launch what Republican Rep. Robin Vos called a "citizen filibuster," which kept the meeting going until 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Two floors below the hearing, dozens of University of Wisconsin-Madison teaching assistants and students poured into the Capitol rotunda late Tuesday evening, putting down sleeping bags and blankets. Many were asleep on the floor when the hearing ended.
"I just think it's really crappy," said Alison Port, a 19-year-old freshman from Wauwatosa. "Let's take all the rights away. If he starts here, where's he going to stop? What else is he going to throw at us? It's only going to get more extreme."
But when voters elected Walker, an outspoken conservative, along with GOP majorities in both legislative chambers, it set the stage for a dramatic reversal of Wisconsin's labor history.
Walker's plan would make workers pay half the costs of their pensions and at least 12.6 percent of their health care premiums. State employees' costs would go up by an average of 8 percent. The changes would save the state $30 million by June 30 and $300 million over the next two years to address a $3.6 billion budget shortfall.
Unions could still represent workers, but could not seek pay increases above those pegged to the Consumer Price Index unless approved by a public referendum. Unions also could not force employees to pay dues and would have to hold annual votes to stay organized.
In exchange for bearing more costs and losing leverage, public employees were promised no furloughs or layoffs. Walker has threatened to order layoffs of up to 6,000 state workers if the measure does not pass.
Wisconsin is one of about 30 states with collective bargaining laws covering state and local workers.
Walker has argued that the public employee concessions are modest considering what private sector workers have suffered during the recession. Democratic opponents and union leaders said Walker's real motive is to strike back at political opponents who have supported Democrats over the years.
Buzz up!75 votes
AP – In a Feb. 15, 2011 photo, people put down sleeping bags and blankets for an all-night vigil at the Capitol …
Play VideoVideo:Teachers' Union Blasts Collective Bargaining Change WISN Milwaukee
Play VideoPresidential Transition Video:People have spoken in Egypt: Obama AFP
Play VideoPresidential Transition Video:Obama: We are 'witnessing history' in Egypt AP
By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press – 1 hr 23 mins ago
MADISON, Wis. – Thousands of people descended on the Wisconsin state Capitol again Wednesday to protest a bill that would strip most public employees of their collective bargaining rights, but Gov. Scott Walker insisted he has the votes to pass the measure.
On the second consecutive day of demonstrations, Walker said he was open to making changes in the legislation, the boldest anti-union proposal in the nation. But he said he would not "fundamentally undermine the principles" of the bill, which he says is needed to help balance a projected $3.6 billion budget shortfall and avoid widespread layoffs.
"We're at a point of crisis," Walker said.
The full Legislature could begin voting on the proposal as early as Thursday.
More than 13,000 protesters gathered at the Capitol on Tuesday for a 17-hour public hearing on the measure. Thousands more came Wednesday, with hundreds chanting "Recall Walker now!" outside the governor's office.
If adopted, the bill would mark an especially dramatic shift for Wisconsin, which was the first state to pass a comprehensive collective bargaining law in 1959. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — the national union representing all non-federal public employees — was founded in 1936 in Madison.
There were some signs that support for the plan may be waning among Republicans who control the Legislature. Senate Republicans met in secret Wednesday morning to discuss the bill. Asked where Republicans stood on Walker's proposal, Sen. Dan Kapanke of La Crosse told The Associated Press, "That's a really good question. I don't know."
The protests have been larger and more sustained than any in Madison in decades. More than 1,000 protesters, many of whom spent the night in sleeping bags on the floor of the Rotunda, shouted "Kill this bill!" on Wednesday.
In Madison, more than 40 percent of the 2,600 union-covered teachers and staff called in sick, forcing the superintendent to call off classes Wednesday in the state's second-largest district. No other widespread sickouts were reported at any other school, according to the state teachers union which represents 98,000 teachers and staff.
Prisons, which are staffed by unionized guards who would lose their bargaining rights under the plan, were operating as normal without any unusual absences, according to Department of Corrections spokeswoman Linda Eggert.
Walker has said he would call out the National Guard to staff the prisons if necessary. A union leader for prison workers did not immediately return messages.
Before Tuesday's marathon hearing, Republican leaders in the Senate and Assembly said they had enough votes to pass the bill as Walker proposed.
Scott Spector, a lobbyist for AFT-Wisconsin, which represents about 17,000 public employees, said the demonstrations were having an effect on lawmakers.
Union representatives were attempting to sway key moderates for a compromise, but Democrats said the bill would be tough to stop. Democrats lost the governor's office and control of the Legislature in the November midterm elections.
"The Legislature has pushed these employees off the cliff, but the Republicans have decided to jump with them," said Sen. Bob Jauch, one of 14 Democrats in the 33-member chamber.
While other states have proposed bills curtailing labor rights, Wisconsin's measure is the most aggressive anti-union move to solve budget problems. It would end most collective bargaining for state, county and local workers, except for police, firefighters and the state patrol.
Protesters targeted the budget committee's public hearing Tuesday to launch what Republican Rep. Robin Vos called a "citizen filibuster," which kept the meeting going until 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Two floors below the hearing, dozens of University of Wisconsin-Madison teaching assistants and students poured into the Capitol rotunda late Tuesday evening, putting down sleeping bags and blankets. Many were asleep on the floor when the hearing ended.
"I just think it's really crappy," said Alison Port, a 19-year-old freshman from Wauwatosa. "Let's take all the rights away. If he starts here, where's he going to stop? What else is he going to throw at us? It's only going to get more extreme."
But when voters elected Walker, an outspoken conservative, along with GOP majorities in both legislative chambers, it set the stage for a dramatic reversal of Wisconsin's labor history.
Walker's plan would make workers pay half the costs of their pensions and at least 12.6 percent of their health care premiums. State employees' costs would go up by an average of 8 percent. The changes would save the state $30 million by June 30 and $300 million over the next two years to address a $3.6 billion budget shortfall.
Unions could still represent workers, but could not seek pay increases above those pegged to the Consumer Price Index unless approved by a public referendum. Unions also could not force employees to pay dues and would have to hold annual votes to stay organized.
In exchange for bearing more costs and losing leverage, public employees were promised no furloughs or layoffs. Walker has threatened to order layoffs of up to 6,000 state workers if the measure does not pass.
Wisconsin is one of about 30 states with collective bargaining laws covering state and local workers.
Walker has argued that the public employee concessions are modest considering what private sector workers have suffered during the recession. Democratic opponents and union leaders said Walker's real motive is to strike back at political opponents who have supported Democrats over the years.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/How-the-middle-class-became-cnnm-2876148381.html
How the middle class became the underclass
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Print
Annalyn Censky, staff reporter, On Wednesday February 16, 2011, 9:28 am EST
Are you better off than your parents?
Probably not if you're in the middle class.
Incomes for 90% of Americans have been stuck in neutral, and it's not just because of the Great Recession. Middle-class incomes have been stagnant for at least a generation, while the wealthiest tier has surged ahead at lighting speed.
In 1988, the income of an average American taxpayer was $33,400, adjusted for inflation. Fast forward 20 years, and not much had changed: The average income was still just $33,000 in 2008, according to IRS data.
Meanwhile, the richest 1% of Americans -- those making $380,000 or more -- have seen their incomes grow 33% over the last 20 years, leaving average Americans in the dust. Experts point to some of the usual suspects -- like technology and globalization -- to explain the widening gap between the haves and have-nots.
But there's more to the story.
A real drag on the middle class
One major pull on the working man was the decline of unions and other labor protections, said Bill Rodgers, a former chief economist for the Labor Department, now a professor at Rutgers University.
Because of deals struck through collective bargaining, union workers have traditionally earned 15% to 20% more than their non-union counterparts, Rodgers said.
But union membership has declined rapidly over the past 30 years. In 1983, union workers made up about 20% of the workforce. In 2010, they represented less than 12%.
"The erosion of collective bargaining is a key factor to explain why low-wage workers and middle income workers have seen their wages not stay up with inflation," Rodgers said.
Without collective bargaining pushing up wages, especially for blue-collar work -- average incomes have stagnated.
International competition is another factor. While globalization has lifted millions out of poverty in developing nations, it hasn't exactly been a win for middle class workers in the U.S.
Factory workers have seen many of their jobs shipped to other countries where labor is cheaper, putting more downward pressure on American wages.
"As we became more connected to China, that poses the question of whether our wages are being set in Beijing," Rodgers said.
Finding it harder to compete with cheaper manufacturing costs abroad, the U.S. has emerged as primarily a services-producing economy. That trend has created a cultural shift in the job skills American employers are looking for.
Whereas 50 years earlier, there were plenty of blue collar opportunities for workers who had only high school diploma, now employers seek "soft skills" that are typically honed in college, Rodgers said.
A boon for the rich
While average folks were losing ground in the economy, the wealthiest were capitalizing on some of those same factors, and driving an even bigger wedge between themselves and the rest of America.
For example, though globalization has been a drag on labor, it's been a major win for corporations who've used new global channels to reduce costs and boost profits. In addition, new markets around the world have created even greater demand for their products.
"With a global economy, people who have extraordinary skills... whether they be in financial services, technology, entertainment or media, have a bigger place to play and be rewarded from," said Alan Johnson, a Wall Street compensation consultant.
As a result, the disparity between the wages for college educated workers versus high school grads has widened significantly since the 1980s.
In 1980, workers with a high school diploma earned about 71% of what college-educated workers made. In 2010, that number fell to 55%.
Another driver of the rich: The stock market.
The S&P 500 has gained more than 1,300% since 1970. While that's helped the American economy grow, the benefits have been disproportionately reaped by the wealthy.
And public policy of the past few decades has only encouraged the trend.
The 1980s was a period of anti-regulation, presided over by President Reagan, who loosened rules governing banks and thrifts.
A major game changer came during the Clinton era, when barriers between commercial and investment banks, enacted during the post-Depression era, were removed.
In 2000, President Bush also weakened the government's oversight of complex securities, allowing financial innovations to take off, creating unprecedented amounts of wealth both for the overall economy, and for those directly involved in the financial sector.
Tax cuts enacted during the Bush administration and extended under Obama were also a major windfall for the nation's richest.
And as then-Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan brought interest rates down to new lows during the decade, the housing market experienced explosive growth.
"We were all drinking the Kool-aid, Greenspan was tending bar, Bernanke and the academic establishment were supplying the liquor," Deutsche Bank managing director Ajay Kapur wrote in a research report in 2009.
But the story didn't end well. Eventually, it all came crashing down, resulting in the worst economic slump since the Great Depression.
With the unemployment rate still excessively high and the real estate market showing few signs of rebounding, the American middle class is still reeling from the effects of the Great Recession.
Meanwhile, as corporate profits come roaring back and the stock market charges ahead, the wealthiest people continue to eclipse their middle-class counterparts.
"I think it's a terrible dilemma, because what we're obviously heading toward is some kind of class warfare," Johnson said.
Annalyn Censky, staff reporter, On Wednesday February 16, 2011, 9:28 am EST
Are you better off than your parents?
Probably not if you're in the middle class.
Incomes for 90% of Americans have been stuck in neutral, and it's not just because of the Great Recession. Middle-class incomes have been stagnant for at least a generation, while the wealthiest tier has surged ahead at lighting speed.
In 1988, the income of an average American taxpayer was $33,400, adjusted for inflation. Fast forward 20 years, and not much had changed: The average income was still just $33,000 in 2008, according to IRS data.
Meanwhile, the richest 1% of Americans -- those making $380,000 or more -- have seen their incomes grow 33% over the last 20 years, leaving average Americans in the dust. Experts point to some of the usual suspects -- like technology and globalization -- to explain the widening gap between the haves and have-nots.
But there's more to the story.
A real drag on the middle class
One major pull on the working man was the decline of unions and other labor protections, said Bill Rodgers, a former chief economist for the Labor Department, now a professor at Rutgers University.
Because of deals struck through collective bargaining, union workers have traditionally earned 15% to 20% more than their non-union counterparts, Rodgers said.
But union membership has declined rapidly over the past 30 years. In 1983, union workers made up about 20% of the workforce. In 2010, they represented less than 12%.
"The erosion of collective bargaining is a key factor to explain why low-wage workers and middle income workers have seen their wages not stay up with inflation," Rodgers said.
Without collective bargaining pushing up wages, especially for blue-collar work -- average incomes have stagnated.
International competition is another factor. While globalization has lifted millions out of poverty in developing nations, it hasn't exactly been a win for middle class workers in the U.S.
Factory workers have seen many of their jobs shipped to other countries where labor is cheaper, putting more downward pressure on American wages.
"As we became more connected to China, that poses the question of whether our wages are being set in Beijing," Rodgers said.
Finding it harder to compete with cheaper manufacturing costs abroad, the U.S. has emerged as primarily a services-producing economy. That trend has created a cultural shift in the job skills American employers are looking for.
Whereas 50 years earlier, there were plenty of blue collar opportunities for workers who had only high school diploma, now employers seek "soft skills" that are typically honed in college, Rodgers said.
A boon for the rich
While average folks were losing ground in the economy, the wealthiest were capitalizing on some of those same factors, and driving an even bigger wedge between themselves and the rest of America.
For example, though globalization has been a drag on labor, it's been a major win for corporations who've used new global channels to reduce costs and boost profits. In addition, new markets around the world have created even greater demand for their products.
"With a global economy, people who have extraordinary skills... whether they be in financial services, technology, entertainment or media, have a bigger place to play and be rewarded from," said Alan Johnson, a Wall Street compensation consultant.
As a result, the disparity between the wages for college educated workers versus high school grads has widened significantly since the 1980s.
In 1980, workers with a high school diploma earned about 71% of what college-educated workers made. In 2010, that number fell to 55%.
Another driver of the rich: The stock market.
The S&P 500 has gained more than 1,300% since 1970. While that's helped the American economy grow, the benefits have been disproportionately reaped by the wealthy.
And public policy of the past few decades has only encouraged the trend.
The 1980s was a period of anti-regulation, presided over by President Reagan, who loosened rules governing banks and thrifts.
A major game changer came during the Clinton era, when barriers between commercial and investment banks, enacted during the post-Depression era, were removed.
In 2000, President Bush also weakened the government's oversight of complex securities, allowing financial innovations to take off, creating unprecedented amounts of wealth both for the overall economy, and for those directly involved in the financial sector.
Tax cuts enacted during the Bush administration and extended under Obama were also a major windfall for the nation's richest.
And as then-Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan brought interest rates down to new lows during the decade, the housing market experienced explosive growth.
"We were all drinking the Kool-aid, Greenspan was tending bar, Bernanke and the academic establishment were supplying the liquor," Deutsche Bank managing director Ajay Kapur wrote in a research report in 2009.
But the story didn't end well. Eventually, it all came crashing down, resulting in the worst economic slump since the Great Depression.
With the unemployment rate still excessively high and the real estate market showing few signs of rebounding, the American middle class is still reeling from the effects of the Great Recession.
Meanwhile, as corporate profits come roaring back and the stock market charges ahead, the wealthiest people continue to eclipse their middle-class counterparts.
"I think it's a terrible dilemma, because what we're obviously heading toward is some kind of class warfare," Johnson said.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Links to Community Partner Organizations
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Welcome to World History, Spring 2011
World History (4 units)
Patricia Andrews, MA
Spring 2011 – MWF 10:00 am
pandrews@ndnu.edu
http://NDNUWHSpring2011.blogspot.com
Course Summary
This course will survey the history of world civilizations from approximately 1500 to the present, emphasising primary source readings, community engagement and cultural and developmental themes.
Texts
Strayer, Robert, Ways of the World
Mam, Somaly, The Road of Lost Innocence
Additional readings as assigned in class
Learning Outcomes
Students will…
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, and artistic experiences of peoples around the world over time; recognize the influence of global forces and identify their connections to local and national developments;
2. Understand how decisions made in the past continue to shape society and political discourse;
3. Demonstrate familiarity with the historical literature and conflicting interpretations of the past;
4. Weigh and interpret evidence and present a sustained argument supported by historical evidence;
5. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate historical knowledge and reasoning orally and in writing;
6. Use the tools of social science research – statistical and qualitative – in formulating a research topic, collecting and analyzing evidence, and presenting results.
Requirements
Consistent attendance, reading and note-taking are essential to college success. In-class assignments will assess students’ preparation on a regular basis. Students may be quizzed on material covered in class or in reading assignments at any time.
1) Students will produce a minimum of 32 pages of written work. All formal papers must be submitted in MLA format. A class blog/Reading Journal will be kept on a weekly basis as readings are completed. This will be kept online using blogger.com.
2) Oral communication opportunities will develop confidence and skill in public speaking.
3) Attendance and participation are required.
4) This class incorporates a Community Based Learning (CBL) component focusing on the issue of human trafficking in the contemporary world. Participation in field work relating to this component will be required.
5) History courses require considerable reading and writing. Please plan your study time accordingly and let me know if you are concerned about falling behind in either of these areas.
Evaluation
A total of 1000 points is possible, broken down into the categories below. Students are encouraged to keep track of their progress on a regular basis throughout the semester.
Exams 2 @ 50 points = 100 10%
Reading Analysis Papers 2 @ 100 points = 200 20%
Class Blog/Reading Journal 1 @ 200 20%
Human Trafficking CBL Project 1 @ 140 points = 140 14%
Attendance (includes CBL attendance) 15 weeks @ 12 points = 180 18%
Participation (includes CBL participation) 15 weeks @ 12 points = 180 18%
Patricia Andrews, MA
Spring 2011 – MWF 10:00 am
pandrews@ndnu.edu
http://NDNUWHSpring2011.blogspot.com
Course Summary
This course will survey the history of world civilizations from approximately 1500 to the present, emphasising primary source readings, community engagement and cultural and developmental themes.
Texts
Strayer, Robert, Ways of the World
Mam, Somaly, The Road of Lost Innocence
Additional readings as assigned in class
Learning Outcomes
Students will…
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, and artistic experiences of peoples around the world over time; recognize the influence of global forces and identify their connections to local and national developments;
2. Understand how decisions made in the past continue to shape society and political discourse;
3. Demonstrate familiarity with the historical literature and conflicting interpretations of the past;
4. Weigh and interpret evidence and present a sustained argument supported by historical evidence;
5. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate historical knowledge and reasoning orally and in writing;
6. Use the tools of social science research – statistical and qualitative – in formulating a research topic, collecting and analyzing evidence, and presenting results.
Requirements
Consistent attendance, reading and note-taking are essential to college success. In-class assignments will assess students’ preparation on a regular basis. Students may be quizzed on material covered in class or in reading assignments at any time.
1) Students will produce a minimum of 32 pages of written work. All formal papers must be submitted in MLA format. A class blog/Reading Journal will be kept on a weekly basis as readings are completed. This will be kept online using blogger.com.
2) Oral communication opportunities will develop confidence and skill in public speaking.
3) Attendance and participation are required.
4) This class incorporates a Community Based Learning (CBL) component focusing on the issue of human trafficking in the contemporary world. Participation in field work relating to this component will be required.
5) History courses require considerable reading and writing. Please plan your study time accordingly and let me know if you are concerned about falling behind in either of these areas.
Evaluation
A total of 1000 points is possible, broken down into the categories below. Students are encouraged to keep track of their progress on a regular basis throughout the semester.
Exams 2 @ 50 points = 100 10%
Reading Analysis Papers 2 @ 100 points = 200 20%
Class Blog/Reading Journal 1 @ 200 20%
Human Trafficking CBL Project 1 @ 140 points = 140 14%
Attendance (includes CBL attendance) 15 weeks @ 12 points = 180 18%
Participation (includes CBL participation) 15 weeks @ 12 points = 180 18%
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