Semester II Final

Max Miller


Part A. 

1. Before doing my research, I predict the three most highly ranked presidents in US history to be Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln and the worst might be Nixon, George H. W. Bush and Trump.

2. The presidents that have been consistently identified as the top 4 presidents are Lincoln, Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt. No presidents have gone back and forth between the 4th and 5th spot.   

3. William Howard Taft was ranked 24th best president all three times the poll was conducted. Jefferson was ranked 7th best president every time the poll was taken. Pierce, Johnson and Buchanan were almost always ranked in the bottom 3 presidents. 

4. In this survey the participants seem to almost all be professors at colleges or historians. C-SPAN most likely included this information to show how the people taking the poll were knowledgeable in the topic and now just random people polling. Some questions that can arise from not including this information is how educated the people who were giving answers were. Since the overwhelming majority of participants are either a professor at a college or a historian this makes the results of the poll much more credible because the people taking it are educated enough to give valid answers.

5. The 10 qualities for which the presidents are ranked are
Public Persuasion
Crisis Leadership
Economic Management
Moral Authority
International Relations
Administrative Skills
Relations with Congress
Vision / Setting an Agenda
Pursued Equal Justice For All
Performance Within Context of Times
https://www.c-span.org/presidentsurvey2017/?page=participants (found on the left side of the page)

6. C-SPAN did not weigh some categories more than others.
 https://www.c-span.org/presidentsurvey2017/?page=methodology#advisors

7. If the surveyed was weighed based on my decisions my top 3 categories would be Crisis Leadership, Economic Management and Moral Authority. Crisis Leadership because many presidents can be considered a good president when there is nothing bad going on but to be considered a good president in times of crisis is something that is worth a lot. Economic Management because so many times the economy is talked about throughout US history as an important topic and to be able to keep a well managed economy is something that is very important. Moral Authority because many times presidents lose sight of their moral values in exchange for selling out to other people and the public so having consistent moral values is important because it shows that you are not afraid to do what you think is right in the presence from pressure from other people.

8. My initial predictions for the top presidents was right except Jefferson was slightly lower but still in the top 7. My bottom 3 were wrong and I mainly think this because there has not been a poll conducted since Trump has been elected president and I also was for the most part unaware on what made a president "bad" 

Part B. 
9. "On March 16 we celebrate the anniversary of James Madison's birthday. Madison, traditionally viewed as the Father of the United States Constitution, is also seen by many as a defender of open government. He once wrote, "[a] popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps, both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." In a similar vein, he asserted that "the advancement and diffusion of knowledge" is "the only Guardian of true liberty."
https://www.justice.gov/oip/blog/foia-post-2008-celebrating-james-madison-and-freedom-information-act

James Madison was born on March 16 and his birthday anniversary is often celebrated to look back upon the legacy that he left behind. He is often looked back upon and seen as the Father of the United States Constitution. Not only this but he is publicly known to be a avid defender of open government. He has been quoted before stating that"[a] popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps, both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." Along with this he also goes on to state that "the advancement and diffusion of knowledge" is  "the only Guardian of true liberty."

Madison is saying how a Government that is popular with the people but does not have the knowledge or common sense to be run efficiently is doomed from the start. He is also trying to say how knowledge is a powerful weapon that can be used to control people and if used correctly is the foundation of liberty. 

10." . . . [K]nowledge of our own history is essential in the making of Americans. The reasons for this belief may be summed up under four main heads. History makes loyal citizens because memories of common experiences and common aspirations are essential ingredients in patriotism. History makes intelligent voters because sound decisions about present problems must be based on knowledge of the past. History makes good neighbors because it teaches tolerance of individual differences and appreciation of varied abilities and interests. History makes stable, well-rounded individuals because it gives them a start toward understanding the pattern of society and toward enjoying the artistic and intellectual productions of the past. It gives long views, a perspective, a measure of what is permanent in a nation’s life. "
 https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/historical-archives/american-history-in-schools-and-colleges/chapter-2-why-should-americans-know-their-own-history

In this excerpt it states that having the knowledge of Americas History is necessary for someone to be considered a good citizen. Compared to Madison's article this article is much more docile as is states how knowledge is something that makes well-rounded individuals and productive patriotic citizens of the United States. Madison takes a little more aggressive stance on it saying how if you have the lack of knowledge and no means or acquiring it you are doomed from the very beginning and how knowledge can be used as a weapon to free thinking people along with how a knowledgeable Government can rule over people who do not posses such knowledge as they are viewed as ignorant and inferior.

In my opinion I think that both of these articles are valid in expressing how knowledge is productive in creating a good Government and good Citizens of that Government. I also agree with the second article and how it states that knowing the history of the United States is essential for Citizens. I think all citizens should posses knowledge of some kind of the history of the United States for the same reasons that the article highlights. I also agree with Madison's point on how if something like a Government is built on a platform of ignorance it is doomed from the start. I also agree with his statement stating that knowledge is power which I believe it is but to go so far and say that it is the "only Guardian of true Liberty" I do not agree with because I think that many other aspects go along with liberty not just knowledge.


Part C. 
11. Throughout this year I have most definitely improved my skills as a researcher. At first I was using articles that were dubious at best, not citing them properly and cleanly and doing my best attempt at paraphrasing them. Now I can locate scholarly sources and incorporate them into my work seamlessly which is a big stride for me as I didn't feel like I knew how to do that before. I was mainly focused on how many sources I had at the beginning of this class and not focusing on the quality of such sources. Now I am much more aware of the quality of the sources I use and how that can affect the final outcome of my work quality drastically. I think the biggest stride that I made was that I am now completely comfortable with my ability to find good sources which to me is a huge improvement.

12. Looking back at the film-history project I am most proud of my menu items, my 3rd response to the in class write, my post 4 annotated sources, and my invitation guests. I am proud of my menu items because I feel like I was very creative with them and although it took me a lot of time to create I feel like the end product was very entertaining and interesting. My response to the 3rd question in the in class write because while I was writing It i noticed now knowledgeable I was on the topic, I felt like I was an expert because of all of my research and could answer anything. My post 4 annotated sources because I took an extremely long time doing all of that and making it good and it was nice to have it be noticed after I put all of that work into it. And my invitation guests I am also proud of because I took a long time to pick out every guest and I think it came together very well.

13. I admired Brandon's Invitation for the Film-History project because I found it to be very concise along with being creative and getting everything done.
https://brandons-cool.blogspot.com/2019/04/211-invitation-argo.html

14.
 In class we watched Cinderella Man a movie that was set in the Great Depression. I know that a large part of what caused the Great Depression was the Stock Market Crash of 1929. I have heard about the stock market crash but I ever knew why it crashed and what exactly before, during and after in detail. I have always found money and global economics interesting which is why I am curious about why the crash happened and how that affected so many people, along with what could have been done to prevent it if anything and if anything was done at all. This goes along with the economic crisis that happened in 2008 that is referred to many times in politics. I watched an extremely interesting and exceptionally good movie on it called The Big Short which focuses on it and grew my interest in the topic. Overall I find it very interesting why both of these events happened and the details surrounding them.

15.

“The Gadget” bomb, part of the trinity nuclear bomb tests- world's first atomic bomb. AtomicHeritage.org 

I chose this image because It displays Americas transition into a dominant world superpower. The US was the first country to create a super weapon which pushed them into the center of the world stage because no other country possessed such a weapon the US was now a world superpower and help create the country that we are today.

World War 2 Poster image - National Archives 

This will be displayed because it shows one of the country's greatest achievements and struggles, Victory in the world largest conflict. Showing how through much struggle in World War 2 the war was finally won and is something that we will never forget. 

Moon Landing Photos-NASA photo library 

The Moon landing is without a doubt, one of, if not the greatest scientific achievement in our country's history. It not only shows our great scientific ability, but is also shows how if the country puts its mind to something then the sky's the limit, or maybe even the moon.

Post 5: In class write

Max Miller

In class write


1. From watching the film J. Edgar  one can learn many things about the history of the United States. Many people know about the FBI, but many people do not know about how or why it originated and how it became the well known organization that it is today. By watching the film you can learn all about the main character J. Edgar Hoover who was appointed director of the now FBI. The FBI headquarters is called the Hoover building but by watching the film one can learn how it was named after J. Edgar Hoover and how Hoover took a small federal organization and turned it into a powerful well respected one. By watching the film you can also learn about the history of radicals in the United States specifically communists and how the presence of radicals caused turmoil and unrest in the 20th century. This is important because many people focus on what was happening abroad during those times but it is also important to look at what was happening on the home front. 

The film also focuses on the use of forensic science and evidence which is now widely used today to solve crimes and provide clear evidence to convict a criminal. Hoover and the early FBI was a pioneer in the use of forensic science, they used it to solve the Lindbergh kidnappings and they also used the evidence gathered to give an easy conviction to the kidnapper. Before a trial in the United States was semi-accurate at best because it mainly relied upon witnesses and people testifying but because of Hoover and his push for forensic science now trials heavily rely on this for evidence when there are no witnesses.

Hoover is also the person responsible for the widespread use of fingerprints and identification for US Citizens. While the film only touches on this subject in brief it is important because now almost all citizens have their personal data like fingerprints being held in a database by the government. Along with all citizens having identification specific to themselves. These are all things that often go overlooked and people just accept that they exist and happen but it is important along with interesting to know how and why these things came about.


2. In the film is is often stated that the FBI and specifically Hoover had a great public image. The film only showcases this a couple times with propaganda being displayed but you will not lean about why that is. The reason Hoover's FBI had such a outstanding public image was not that there was nobody against them, in fact there were many people especially politicians that were against the FBI and Hoover's leadership. Hoover used surveillance on individuals in the government and in the public to gather damaging information on people that were against him. This is touched on in the movie with President Kennedy leading one to believe that he only showcases his power to the highest ranking officials but Hoover was obsessed with the acceptance of the American people and he would do and did everything possible to maintain that image. Including threaten people in the government that opposed him on all levels not just the president as stated in the Britannica and PBS biography of his life.

Another thing that you will not learn while watching the movie is that before Hoover the FBI or "Bureau of Investigation" at the time was plagued with a plethora of scandals by the former administration and its agents which was stated in a biography about his life from PBS. The reason why Hoover is such a big deal in the FBI was not because he was the one that founded it but because he was able to bring the administration from rock bottom to where it is now. Agents in the former organization were not nearly the caliber of the agents in his administration as seen briefly in the movie. The former administration that controlled the FBI tainted their image because of the widespread publication of scandals and unethical practices which was why as seen in the movie, Hoover was so eager to start fresh and build the organization up from essentially ground zero to a well respected government agency.

3. If I could add another 20 minutes to the movie, I would add something about the massive controversies that he caused. When Hoover took the position of director of the FBI the main domestic threat was not radicals but gangsters. Hoover is seen in the movie targeting radicals and gangsters but in reality he was mainly focused on radicals which he thought were responsible for all crime happening including a bombing that was targeted at Attorney General Palmer which caused the Palmer Raids. Gangsters were infamous at the time and the american people were more threatened by them than the radicals that Hoover targeted. As stated by PBS, Hoover assumed the position of director at a time where gangsters and bootleggers caused rampant crime and organized crime rings were common. The movie shows scenes where Hoover used publicity to gain support as he saw how popular the gangsters were with the american people. Hoover mainly left the mafia alone and only interfered when they killed a group of his agents. Throughout the movie the public's opinion on him is often neglected despite his missteps and obsession with their opinion 

In the movie it shows how the gangsters killed some of his agents and then he decides that he will dedicate resources to fighting them. I think a scene before that showing how gangsters are running rampant across the country causing major unrest will emphasize one of his greatest controversies, how he chose to pursue potential radicals instead of criminals who were immediate threat. The scene will also include the public's opinion and response to the threat of gangsters being neglected while Hoover pursues his own ambition. This will serve as a reality check for the movie watchers and Hoover in the movie showing how Hoover was obsessed with radicals and ignored immediate threats which later on caused major controversy and people questioning his leadership. 

Post 3 Dinner Menu

Classic Martini-Food Network 

For Drinks a classic martini will be on the menu. A popular drink at the time and now, the martini will be served because it was common knowledge that Hoover forbade his agents in drinking any alcoholic beverage which is why the martini will cause much discussion. 

Clam Chowder-Simple Recipes 

Hoover and Clyde Tolson were seen many times eating at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC so much so that the restaurant in the Mayflower Hotel is now known as the Edgar Bar and Grill. On the menu for the Edgar Bar and Grill, Clam Chowder is one of the first food items. Clam chowder was also popular at the time. 

Foie Gras-Daily Meal 

Up next is Foie Gras, Named as one of the most controversial foods by The Daily Meal  serving Foie Gras to the guests will be a subtle reminder about controversy as many argue that Foie Gras is worth the controversy much like many argue that the FBI is doing the right thing despite the controversy around it and Hoover 

Spicy Wings-Food Network 

Spicy Buffalo wings will also be on the menu. The guests who eat the spicy wings will be feeling the heat tonight just as Hoover made presidents feel the heat when he threatened them with damaging information . 

Pineapple Pizza- People.com 

Pineapple Pizza is one of the most debated foods in recent history. Some people love it and some people hate it, but it is without a doubt a much talked about food. The reason this is on the menu is because just like J. Edgar Hoover's FBI it is often controversial many people support it and many people are not supportive of it but is was without a doubt a very important and talked about topic at the time just like Pineapple pizza is today. 

McDonald's Chicken McNuggets-Fortune.com

Serving McDonald's Chicken McNuggets might seem out of place at first but it is actually a perfect analogy for the FBI especially when it was under Hoover's control. McNuggets have a huge fan base and they are a food that many people are in support of but the way McNuggets are processed and made is often controversial but the fans of the Chicken McNugget either turn a blind eye to it or are oblivious all together. Just like how in the FBI and Hoover engaged in many controversial actions,  those who were aware were willing to turn a blind eye to it and the rest of the people had no idea what was going on behind closed doors. 

Turducken- WholeFoods 

Up next on the menu of foods is Turducken. A Turducken is a chicken wrapped inside of a duck, that is then wrapped inside of a turkey. Turducken is a famous food item because it has many layers of different meats all wrapped inside of each other. The reason this will be served is because many people viewed the FBI from an outside prospective and only say the parts that they were suppose to see just like in the turducken, you only see the outside of the turkey. But in the FBI there are many layers that you don't see or are not suppose to see and how in the turducken there are also many layers that you can only see once you cut it open and get a good look. 

Sparkling water- LA magazine 

Last on the menu is sparkling water, because with all of that food the guests will be thirsty. Sparkling water was chosen over normal water because normal water is boring and nothing special but sparkling water is fancy and high end along with showing that you can afford to buy sparkling water. Similar to how the FBI was a normal, nothing special organization until Hoover took control and turned it into a large, well respected government organization than possessed immense power.     

 

Post 2 Exhibit

Domestic Investigation and Operations Guide-FBI Records Vault 

The current FBI Domestic Investigation and Operations guide is the closet thing to an FBI handbook that there is. This will be displayed at the party to spark conversation between Hoover and the current FBI director to see if there visions for the bureau are similar or significantly different. 

Masters of Deceit by J. Edgar Hoover- Amazon

Masters of Deceit was a book written by J. Edgar Hoover in 1959 about the communist presence in the US. Hoover was well known as someone who was opposed to communism and made it a big part of his career to combat communism in the United States. Which makes this book by him a good choice to display because is focuses on his career and shows his distrust for communists. 

Letter from J. Edgar Hoover to Brigadier General Harry Vaughn- Truman Library 

This is a letter written by Hoover stating people that he suspects the Soviets are trying to use to obtain information from and stating that he is investigating not only those people but the soviets in the US to make sure that no military information is leaked. This is evidence of one of the many things Hoover did to protect this country but it is also controversial because he has no real evidence on those people its just suspicion. 

1933 wanted poster for George R. "Machine Gun" Kelly -FBI vault 

George R. "Machine Gun" Kelly is an infamous gangster of the prohibition era of organized crime. His wanted poster will be displayed at the dinner party to show the FBI's pursuit of criminals and how the publication of criminals and wanted individuals has not changed for the most part. 

Example of a FBI fingerprint form- FBI.gov 

The FBI fingerprint form will be an artifact because Hoover was the one who first started making a collection of peoples fingerprints and using it to make a national database of fingerprints which was one of his most notable accomplishments of his career. 

Telephone recording and listening Wiretap-HowStuffWorks 

An example of a real telephone wire tap will be included because the use of illegal wiretaps were a big part of Hoover's career as Director of the FBI. He used wiretaps on everyone not only suspected criminals but US government officials to gain information on them that Hoover could use to his own advantage. A suspected individual who was blackmailed by Hoover and the information that he gathered through wiretapping's was president Kennedy who will also be at the dinner. 

Example of Secret FBI message which was encrypted and blacked out before going into archive-Wikipedia 

This is an example of a message from Hoover to his agents and it shows how secretive the agency was because the majority of the information was blacked out before it went into archive. This along with being a prime example of the FBI's secretive nature will go well with the theme of mystery games and dinner. 

PuppetMaster by Richard Hack-Amazon

 

The last artifact will be a book written by american historian Richard Hack who exposes the controversial nature of Hoover's life in a controversial book. This book dives into Hoover's sexuality exposing that Clyde Tolson, Hoover's longtime friend could potentially be his lover. It would definitely make for interesting conversation if this book was displayed as an artifact.    

     

 

 

Post 1 Invitation

Made Using GreetingIsland.com

Guests list:

J. Edgar Hoover- J. Edgar Hoover is an obvious choice because he is the main character of the dinner and his input on all topics of conversation would be valued. Especially the questions and topics surrounding him.

Clyde Tolson- Clyde Tolson is another guest who deserves an obvious invitation. He was the deputy director of the FBI for many years and worked very closely with Hoover. To the point where there were rumors that the two were lovers. It would be a crime to not have him and Hoover at this dinner gathering.

Leonardo DiCaprio- Leonardo DiCaprio has had titanic success in the film industry but the actor is lesser known for his role playing J. Edgar. As someone who played the role of Hoover it would be interesting to have them together to compare how accurate his acting really was.

Armie Hammer- Armie Hammer was the actor who played Clyde Tolson and since Leonardo DiCaprio is getting invited it would be rude not to invite Armie Hammer who along with DiCaprio depicted the story of Hoover very well in the movie J. Edgar and having the two actors and the two real individuals at the same dinner would make for very interesting conversation. But their skill at the mystery games might not be up to the caliber of Tolson and Hoover.

President John F. Kennedy- President Kennedy will also be receiving an invite to the Dinner and games because he was rumored to have had drama between him and Hoover. He even considered dismissing Hoover as director of the FBI but decided against it and it was rumored that Hoover used information on his family especially his brother to intimidate him. Hoover also led the investigation into his assassination.

Clint Eastwood- Clint Eastwood was the director for the movie J. Edgar. It would be interesting to see how he interprets the life of Hoover compared to his actual life and personality which is why he deserves a spot at the dinner table.

Christopher A. Wray- Christopher A. Wray is the current director of the FBI. He is going to receive an invitation because the comparison between Hoover and Wray and how the FBI was back then compared to how it is now would be a worthy of and invite. He would also fit well in his participation in the mystery games. Maybe he is even better than Hoover.

Curt Gentry- Curt Gentry is the author of  J. Edgar Hoover: The man and the Secrets he is a historian and author who portrays Hoover and the FBI in a controversial light and having him at dinner with the rest of these people he would fit in very uniquely.   

Blog Post 4: Annotated sources

Sources: 

American History, 9th Edition Chapter 21 "Unsettled Prosperity: From War to Depression 1919-1932," Pages 653,666-Chapter 29 "Conservative America in the Ascent 1980-1991," Page 937- General information on J. Edgar Hoover and details on his various actions such as the "Palmer Raids" and the FBI's actions during prohibition and the "Red Scare" 

Encyclopedia Britannica (Britannica.com), "J. Edgar Hoover-United States government official"- Detailed information on Hoover's life from when he first started in politics to his death along with many notable achievements and controversies and the politics that surrounded him

PBS-American Experience (PBS.org), "Biography: J. Edgar Hoover" - Told Hoover's whole life and focused on who he was as a person from childhood to death and listed out many of his achievements and actions and information on the results of those actions. 

J. Edgar (IMDb.com)- used for information about Hoover's whole career in politics and specifically on how he transformed the FBI into a well known respected Government Organization 

2.10 FUNNEST BLOG POST EVER

The US policy to contain communism resulted in military and non-military action in countries all across the globe, many countries were unhappy or questioned the decision of the US take initiative against communism in their own countries.

The evidences start out with an excerpt from President Truman's speech to congress where he discusses how the world is split into free countries and oppressed countries and it is the job of the United States to help those oppressed countries. Then there is a statement from the President of South Korea at the time which criticizes the actions of the US and how they are in their country. There are more statements from different Secretary of States which discuss how the US can handle any attack and are ready to react at anytime and how the communist countries aim to destroy the US. The second to last evidence discusses how the Japanese are somewhat thankful that the US is willing to help them and the last evidence goes over how in Guatemala the US is making living conditions and the economy much worse and they have no right to interfere with other countries issues.

Global Cold War

Drug Policy in the US

Max Miller
Drug Policy in the US

Drugs have always been in the forefront of news. Whether its news of the drug epidemic that we are facing today with the Opioids or news in other countries such as Mexico about the drug issues that they're facing or the legalization of weed in the states. Drugs have always been a heavily talked about topic of conversation. There is no doubt that the use of drugs causes many problems not only in the United States but all over the world. Specifically in the United States why is it such a problem and how can we fix our drug policy along with what are the benefits of doing so?

The Criminal Justice Policy Foundation states that over 40 million Americans have been arrested for drug related charges. That is more than any other country in the world. The majority of the charges that have been filed are almost all petty crimes which can include something as simple as just possession of that substance. The substance that is primarily debated is weed because it is not nearly as dangerous as other illegal substances yet it is treated like so and people who are caught with it are treated the same as someone who was in possession of something like Heroin. This has created the largest prison population in the world. The US drug policy does not only affect the US but other countries as well. The drug policy that is in place right now among many things aims to stop the production of various drugs by its source. Often countries in South America where the majority of the drugs that we consume are produced. Because of this policy the US conducts massive raids on properties of poor individuals who have no other alternative to make a living. This fuels gang warfare in those countries along with destroying many acres of crops and land. Another negative to the current policy is that hundreds of thousands of American citizens are still addicted to a substance and are punished instead of getting the proper treatment that they need. The Criminal Justice Policy Foundation highlights what they think are the areas in our drug policy that are in need of reform. They say that the main issues are that are drugs are treated the same, from marijuana to heroin the punishments are usually the same. This is because of the Drug Abuse Act of 1986 where it states that most drug crimes should illicit a punishment of 5-10 years. This includes anything from possession to manufacturing. This resulted in Judges being forced to give a minimum prison sentence for all drug crimes regardless of the situation. Another act was the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 which was used to eliminate certain discrepancies in punishment times which resulted in more widespread and harsher sentences. The mandatory minimums are almost always misused because it mainly targets lower-level drug offenders. All of these things are only a small amount of factors that contribute to the massive prison population that we have today.

 The prison population that we have today is the largest in the world. That is extremely expensive for the government to maintain. In 2017 it cost $7 Billion to maintain the current prison population which exceeded the $5.5 Billion allocated in the federal budget. Because this money is coming from tax payers many citizens believe that the Federal Government should be doing more to fix this problem. The Institute for Policy Studies says that the US drug policy is not guided by hard facts and evidence for its effectiveness but is guided by political opportunism and the consideration for fair justice is almost never brought up. The drug policy has had no evidence that it reduces deaths, abuse, availability and the only evidence that is there is that it massively promotes the funding for law enforcement instead of actually using proven measures to control the issue. This has led to the drug policy being racist and targeting the lowest level offenders who never commit an act of violence. And the heavily relied on use of law enforcement has led to minorities being disproportionately targeted. There is no data that supports that these actions have led to a reduction in production of drugs which was its intention. The only thing that it has done is support drug enforcement and even drug trafficking industries while the disproportionately target groups such as minorities and foreigners are the real victims and the real people suffering from this misguided policy.

Psychology Today writes that it is not possible to control the supply of drugs but it far more effective to reduce demand. With 70,000 drug overdoses in 2017 the impact of drugs not only impacts direct individuals but families and even whole communities. They estimate that the cost of crime, lost productivity, healthcare costs, and cost for the drugs is estimated to be over $500 billion annually. Making it almost imperative for the United States to fix this issue that has plagued our country. But What is the most effective way of doing so?  The Washington Post wrote an article where 13 experts combined their knowledge and try to come up with a solution. They wrote that above all the main issue is weed. EJI writes that 88% of all marijuana violations are for possession only.  EJI also says that minor drug crimes make up half of the prison population and many polls indicate people are in favor of looser regulations on that substance. Going back to the Washington Post article the 13 experts came up with the idea that the legalization of weed with a state controlled market is widely regarded as the best option. It has many upsides and very few downsides but not enough to significantly outweigh the benefits.

In conclusion it is clear that the Federal government does not understand the current drug crisis that is at hand. Whole communities are suffering because of the lack of knowledge that they have. The United States is loosing over $500 billion a year because of various drug related problems and we have the largest prison population in the world. Fixing this problem as many upsides to it if the government would pay attention to the facts because there are solutions such as a state controlled market. Instead minorities are being disproportionately targeted while the drug crisis only grows.

Drug Involved Overdoses in the US-Wikipedia 

Incarceration Rates in the United States-Wikipedia

World Incarceration Rates-Drug Policy Alliance 

Sources:

US Drug Policy- Institute for Policy Studies

Drug Policy- Criminal Justice Policy Foundation  

EJI-States Rethink Drug Policy

Drug Policy in America- Foundations Recovery Network
United States War on Drugs- Stanford. EDU

What Drug Policy Will Look Like in A Perfect World- Washington Post

Reflection

2.7 Mid-Semester 2 Reflection

Max Miller
Mid-Semester 2 Reflection

1. The most important thing I feel that I learned about 19th-century immigration was how much immigration impacted life at the time. Specifically in the United States Immigration was a big deal and I found it very interesting to learn how much of our history is actually attributed to immigrants.

2. To me the vast complexity of immigration around the world today is something that I found to be very important. The first step to knowing something is finding out what you don't know and upon my research on the immigration crisis in the EU I found out that there is a lot that I do not know. This resulted in a vast amount of information that I accumulated and when I analyzed that information I found out that immigration around the world and specifically in Europe is a very complex topic and everybody has their own take on the problem and their own evidence to support their solution. I see this as important because it really opened my eyes to how complex the world is especially when it comes to a global issue.

3. The 2 most challenging aspects of living that people faced in the 19th-century, I think was the quality of life and the lack of technology to solve simple problems. I think that America was very successful with meeting both of these challenges. Because back them the quality of life was very poor compared to how it is now and manual labor was still a major factor in everyday problems. I think that because of this it forced people to develop new technologies like the toilet . Something very common in life today but a new invention back them and groundbreaking for the world at that time. The invention of such technologies dramatically changed the way America and even the world is today because the quality of life has improved a lot since then and challenges that were often very time consuming and laborious to fix are now much easier to due thanks to the new technology and the need to develop new solutions to meet such problems.

4. The Highline and the concept of progressivism have similarities and differences. The similarities are that the Highline was something that has never been done before and nothing like it has ever been seen which goes along with progressivist views on how in order to move forward as a society some things are going to need to be done that have not been done before. The Highline was also accomplished by the knowledge from many experts such as gardeners, engineers, and business people who worked together to make the surrounding area a better place to be around this is what progressivism supports, the collaborative effort from different people with all a single goal. Make the world a better place. Although there are similarities there are also differences between the Highline and progressivism such as how the highline relied in part on wealthy powerful businesses and businessmen supporting it which progressivism is against and how it is still an old structure that could have potentially been torn down and replaced with something new and potentially more modern. 

Highline-Nyc

Philanthropy

Max Miller
Philanthropy

What is the meaning of the word philanthropy, and what types of activities are associated with it?

Business Dictionary defines philanthropy as something that is done for the benefit of all the human race this includes a level of personal sacrifice from an individual in order to help the larger cause. Activities associated with it are things like donating to charity of the research for a cure or it can even be something like volunteering. 

How is philanthropy different from “charity” or “charitable giving.”

Philanthropy and charity are often confused. They both involve giving money or volunteering ones time but charity is focused on helping to eliminate the suffering caused by social problems meaning that the majority of people can be charitable because it is often fairly easy to help. But Philanthropy involves trying to fix the social problem that causes the suffering all together meaning that philanthropists are looking for a long term solution to a wide spread problem and this usually requires a lot of money and time from many individuals.

Learning to Give.org

Find out about the philanthropic work of Andrew Carnegie, including the amount of money he spent and the types of projects on which he spent it. Why did he invest so much in philanthropy, and why he decided to spend his money in the ways he did?

According to Columbia University, Andrew Carnegie gave away over $350 million of his own money to many different projects but they centered around global education and world peace. He invested so much in philanthropy because be felt that people who had more than they needed had a moral obligation to give it away to help those who didn't which he stated publicly. At the time of his wealth there weren't a lot of education programs such as libraries so Carnegie spent a lot of money building many libraries around the world. 

During Carnegie’s lifetime, the press called attention to philanthropic giving of his business rival, John D. Rockefeller. How did the two men’s giving compare?

Carnegie and Rockefeller both gave away massive amounts of their own money. And many regard them as both pioneers in the philanthropy world. They both gave a lot of money to education but in different ways. Carnegie focused on building public libraries as Rockefeller focused on building schools and collages. New York Times 

What type of philanthropic work is the Carnegie Foundation involved with today? There are many different branches of Carnegie Foundation involved in philanthropic giving – be sure to note them all.

The Carnegie Foundation is still heavily involved in philanthropic work today and they are still involved in many aspects of giving but they still mainly focus on education. 

Who are currently considered major philanthropists? Find a current list and then choose one to focus on.  Summarize what you are able to learn about that individual’s philanthropic giving.

Major Philanthropists include people like Chuck Feeney, Gordon Moore and Bill and Melinda Gates. Bill and Melinda Gates have given away the overwhelming majority of their money and are known to encourage other billionaires to do the same and join them in their efforts. Their mission is to make sure that the younger generation of people survive and thrive as said on the Bill and Melinda Gated Foundation website.

Imagine yourself as a philanthropist. What types of work would you invest in, and why?

If I was a philanthropist I would focus in investing in saving the environment and specifically the animals that are going extinct because many species of animals are going extinct at an alarming rate and its kind of humanities fault. 

Progressive Era Research

Progressive Era Research 

Human Trafficking

Child workers in America-Wikipedia

Woman and children slaves awaiting to be sold, Virginia 19th century

Child Labor-Britannica

19th century Brothel

19th century New York Brothel-New York Times 

Newspaper comic-University of Oxford archive 1930

Sources: The Frightening Parallels between 19th Century American Slavery and 21st Century Sex Trafficking- George Washington University Article 

18th Century Human trafficking- Tes.com 

Human Trafficking and Exploitation-Plos medicine journal

Trans-Atlantic slavery and contemporary human trafficking-Open Democracy.net 

Immigration

Max Miller


In the recent years immigration and the migrant crisis has been a very talked about topic in the news. The drama surrounding the southern border has been in the forefront of headlines for years now, but the US is not the only country dealing with problems surrounding borders and immigration. The EU and almost all of Europe have also been dealing with a migrant crisis. The US and the EU both have their own immigration issues, and many people think of them of having the same kind of problem but do they require the same solution? When many people hear about immigration today and news involving the US and the EU they think that both parts of the western world are dealing with the same kind of problem and also require a similar solution. Even government officials constantly compare the problems and say that a certain solution would fix the US and the EU, but the US and the EU have some similarities and a lot of differences and is it possible for them to learn from each other?

The European crisis and the influx of immigration in the US have some parallels as they both involve immigration as being the core of the issue but they also have major differences. An NPR interview dives deeper into these differences. In the interview it goes over how Europe is actually allowing many refugees and some world leaders in the EU are supporters of open border policies, but in the US, president Trump vowed to not let any immigrants in in exchange for much stronger border policies. There are also many supporters for closed borders in European countries such as Germany who say that the US should serve as a role model and close their borders off. In the US there is now a backlog of over 750,000 immigrants and it is said it will take many years to process all of them, Germany has a similar issue with long wait times for hopeful immigrants even after the number of migrants entering Germany has dropped significantly since 2015. This was a result of the German government making deals with other countries to prevent a glut and overwhelming migrant influx. Despite President Trumps hopeful talks with Mexico trying to do the same thing he is taking a more hands on approach and trying to build a physical wall instead of diplomacy. Immigrants trying to come from Germany and the US often come for the same reason. In the US immigrants are coming form central America trying to escape poverty and crime, it is the same case with middle eastern  refugees trying to escape war in Syria. This highlights some of the similarities and differences between the US and other countries.

The US and the EU are intertwined on their struggle against controlling immigration. The American Foreign Service Association states that immigration in the US and EU is often regarded as a crisis and there is still no end in sight. They also state that the EU has been reliant on American financial aid to help with refugees since the Obama administration but the White House has since changed its stance on this policy now that trump has been elected. In the EU countries have partnered with many other nations such as the ones that are in a good geographical place to help such as Turkey, to work together on a solution which as been proved effective and has worked on putting a limit on huge influxes of migrants making the problem more manageable to deal with. The US on the other hand has worked alone to solve its issues such as when Trump signed an order that would ban immigration from certain middle eastern countries that he deemed were a danger to national security. This resulted in the many countries in the EU breaking off ties with the US on migration issues, resulting in the US being left almost completely alone to solve its issues. But in the EU there is still a lot of disagreement on how best to go about this problem. Countries work together on certain things but they are still often divided on many aspects, there are also many calls for the countries to unite to act as one.

In the EU it seems like everybody has a different opinion on what to do, and the more arguing that happens the more people suffer which is why in Europe it is such a talked about issue because in a New York Times article it says that more than 14,000 people have been recorded dead of missing in the Mediterranean sea trying to reach countries like Italy, and even more people are held up in refugee camps and forced to wait with no other option. The conditions in these camps are often said to be terrible which is why so many people are eager for a solution as they know the longer they wait for European countries to argue the more people will end up suffering. European counties have been under a lot of pressure around their actions and some countries are now at the point where they are just avoiding the problem and their nations legal and moral responsibilities states the New York Times again.

In Europe and the US there seems to be a vast divide in opinions and the longer the arguments go on the more refugees and immigrants have to wait. For some it seems hopeless as waiting lists for citizenship is scheduled to take many years and those who were once hopeful are now forced to wait in often inhumane conditions which has caused a lot of controversy with human rights. But despite all of the bad news, there is hope. Which comes in the form of the Netherlands who have developed a system. This system is a fast-track system and is very efficient in processing refugees and migrants, instead of years this system only takes weeks and it combines empathy and humanity with border control. This is a system many countries are trying to replicate and something other countries could learn by, that instead of politics they combine humanity with border control.

Irregular immigration in the EU: European parliamentary service blog  


Contemplating the politics of the EU immigration policy-MUN Planet

Gangs conspiring with officials to smuggle Illegal immigrants into the EU-Daily Express


Sources:
The Differences Between The European Migration Crisis And The Influx To The U.S.-NPR

Europe remains as divided as ever over ‘almost impossible to solve’ migration crisis-CNBC

In U.S. and Europe, Migration Conflict Points to Deeper Political Problems-NY Times

Immigration rows: US and Germany compared-BBC

The Migrant Crisis in Europe and the U.S.-E.U. Relationship-AFSA Org

The 5 Big Questions About Europe's Migrant Crisis-Times

2.2 Success Factors

Max Miller
Success Factors

Opportunity 

Skill 

Hard Work 

Luck 

In terms of economic success these are the order of the factors I think contribute to success. Opportunity is first because in order for anything to work and be successful opportunity is at the core and most important, because you can know exactly how to do something and work hard at it but you will never be successful if you do not have the opportunity to display and use such skills. I ranked skill next as I feel it is also a major key to success because if someone can work hard but it can be very ineffective if they lack the skill as opposed to if one possesses such skill it will be easier to be successful. Next is hard work because hard work is one of the building blocks of success without it can be very hard to be successful but not impossible.  Last is luck I put it last because luck is luck is not essential for success but it does make it easier at times and if luck is being relied upon for success them success will most likely not come. 

   

Tips for Success-Strathcona Elementary School 

Barbed Wire

Max Miller
Barbed Wire

Glidden's Patent for Barbed Wire-National Archive  

        First Patented in 1867, barbed wire was the perfect solution for a widespread problem facing the American West. Before the invention of barbed wire, fences formed boundaries by using timber, soil, stone and sometimes metal, but the American West had none of these resources to create fences and it was inefficient and very expensive to fence off large areas during the west at that time. The idea of having a fence made out of wire was not new. It was not until Joseph Glidden's perfected the idea by adding little barbs on the wire and inventing a machine for its manufacture that barbed wire saw use. Gliddens won a patent for this new type of wire in 1867 resulting in lawsuits from many other inventors at the time claiming that it was their idea, but Gliddens won because he was one one that was responsible of making the machine to mass produce all of the wire.

This new invention of wire fence was more economical and durable than its wood and metal counterpart and finally made it possible to fence off large areas such as cattle ranges in the west. This caught the eyes of businessman and steel tycoon owner John Warne Gates who used the idea of barbed wire to create “American Steel and Wire Co”, he used his the new innovations in manufacturing technology to create a barbed wire monopoly. Accordin to the BBC, In the year 1880, his factory produced 163,000 miles of wire which is enough to circle the world 10 times.

      But the history of barbed wire is one that is much more complex than it might seem. There is good and bad that was a result of this new popular innovation. The Good, National Archives compared barbed wire to having the same magnitude of change as other inventions that dramatically affected the West such as the windmill, locomotive and rifle. This is because the Barbed wire proved perfect for the conditions in the west. Joseph Glidden's, John Warne Gates  steel and wire manufacturers, and anybody in the industry at all at the time was made very rich because of the tremendous popularity of the wire. It was efficient, cost effective and exactly what farmers needed at the time. Benefiting the land owners more than anyone else, they could finally fence off their land keeping things in and keeping things out just like they would do with any other fence. And because of the Homestead Act many landowners were looking for just the innovation. But this did not come without a price and the barbed wire fences would soon become a controversy.

      Because of how widely used barbed  wire was, it limited the openness of the west, which in turn limited the freedom of the ranchers and cowboys as they were fenced off of the land that the relied on to make a living during their cattle drives. They also cut many people off of necessities that they relied on to survive. This caused many disputes among the different people living in the west. Private farmers would unlawfully fence off land that was not theirs and claim it for themselves, which resulted in conflicts where a group of people would go and cut the wire of a landowners property which cited many violent conflicts. The cattle were now given less land to roam as they would be fenced in and closed off. Slowly, Wealthy ranchers pushed out small time ranchers and the power in the west now shifted dramatically in favor of those who owned land. The uncontrollable expanse of barbed wire fences led to many new laws, as Rush country-The Barbed Wire Museum states “Miles of barbed wire was being constructed daily”. All of these factors gained barbed wire the name “Devil's rope” in the west, and also started to mark the end of cowboys and ranchers.

     Though the history of barbed wire is long and controversial. It is undoubtedly an extremely underrated innovation. As Native Americans also lost land due to barbed wire it became a controversy and is now a symbol of oppression that is still used today. Barbed wire is also widely used today and is easy to find during ones average day if they were looking. A major part of barbed wires’ history was its use in both World Wars the Glidden Homestead organization estimates that there is around 1,300 miles of barbed wire used on the western front alone in WWI, as just like it did in the american west, proved to be a perfect solution to a pressing problem, as barbed wire could not be shot or destroyed by guns and was very good at stopping enemies.

Patent Drawing for Barbed Wire-National Archives

     In conclusion, barbed wire is an old invention that has stood the test of time, hardly ever differing from its original patent. It has proved itself as a useful tool time and time again throughout history. Although the history of barbed wire is a controversial one, there is no doubt that it has influenced not only American but the World.

Sources:

Rush Country Organization-General Information and History  

BBC-Affects Barbed Wire had on America 

University of Richmond History Engine- Deeper understanding on the American West and Barbed wire  

 First Machine used-Glidden Homestead Foundation 

JSTOR-Affects Barbed wire had on farming and how it changed many aspects of life 

Glidden Homestead Foundation-Complete History on Barbed Wire

National Archives-Patent Information on Barbed Wire 

Britannica Articles-General knowledge