Non traditional threat to US Essay Example for Free

Non traditional threat to US Essay In my opinion the most pertinent Non-traditional threat to the US is the economy. It is the single most important, globalized, and un-accounted for problem in the US. The current problem is so bad that the US economy is days away from a (partial) default. This would be the first default since possibly the 1700s at the founding of the nation. The problem with this is the US green back is the reserve currency of the world (all or most investments are made in US dollars). If the US defaults it will cause a ripple effect that will make the 2008 global financial crisis look small in comparison to the lobal catastrophe that will occur. The reason most investments are in US dollars is because dollars have historically been the most stable currency in the modern age. The US defaulting on its debts has both internal and external effects. The total of US government debt is over $ 16. 9 trillion. (US Debt Clock) Of that debt, $ 4. 8 trillion is owned by governmental agencies. This includes agencies such as the social security (holds over $2. 5 trillion dollars). Of the public debt, foreign investors own $5. 7 trillion. Keep in mind this is Just the actual government debt; effects of a default would be uch bigger. The US reached its debt ceiling in 2012. The US constitution 14th Amendment, Section 4 directly forbids the government from defaulting on its debt. Thus to cope with the debt ceiling being reached the government has been taking extraordinary measures in order to pay their debts (for instance suspending investments on individual pension funds). When these measures are exhausted, the government will not bring on a global economic collapse as they default on all their bonds. They will Just be forced to balance the economy to match their spending with their collected revenue. This is a very different issue (still with its problems) to a full default. What is important is that a full default is likely to not happen. The brinksmanship between the rogue Republicans and the government would only threaten a technical default on the shortest-dated US government bonds, because their shorter lives mean their maturity date is nearer than the rest of the governments safe assets. The problem here, as ever, is not whether the federal government is able to repay the principle from these bonds, but the short-term methods used to make these repayments. The US treasury would still be seen as a safe investment, albeit in more economically uncertain times, and thus bonds would probably rise in price believe it or not, the US government 10-year bond decreased in price after news that the media reported a default was unlikely. Though we are quick to forget, there have been 17 government shutdowns between 1976-1996 and the debt ceiling is raised almost every year a full default never happens. This brinksmanship is historically common, and it is the media and politicians that fuel the political fire by indicating that this is the year where it will default.

Moral Education in the University :: Philosophy Research Papers

Moral Education in the University ABSTRACT: Does the title of the World Congress of Philosophy, Paideia: Philosophy Educating Humanity, reflect hubris, irony or a pragmatic optimism? How is it possible for philosophy to educate the human community in the twenty-first century? More specifically, at a time when few people besides academic philosophers read philosophy, in what sense can philosophy educate humanity? In this essay I examine one possible way philosophy can educate humanity advanced by Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University. In a variety of public lectures, published essays and books Bok insists that America's leading colleges and universities ought to recommit themselves to moral education as one of their central tasks. I argue that recommitment to this task on the part of these elite universities is far more difficult than Bok admits. Indeed, I contend that as long as America's elite educational institutions retain the intellectual and structural commitments that displaced paideia, Bok's vision for moral education has little chance of success. At a time when both higher education and philosophy are self-conscious about their limitations, The Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy chose as its theme, Paideia: Philosophy Educating Humanity. Does this title reflect hubris, irony or a pragmatic optimism? How is it possible for philosophy to educate the human community in the twenty-first century? More specifically, at a time when few people besides academic philosophers read philosophy, in what sense can philosophy educate humanity? In this essay I examine one proposed answer to this question. Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University, in a variety of public lectures, published essays and books offers one possible way philosophy can educate humanity. Bok insists that America's leading colleges and universities ought to recommit themselves to moral education as one of their central tasks. (1) While I sympathize with Bok's admonition to America's prestigious universities to reclaim the task of moral education, I shall ar gue that a recommittal to this task on the part of these elite universities is far more difficult that Bok admits. (2) Indeed, I contend that as long as America's elite educational institutions retain the intellectual and structural commitments that displaced paideia, Bok's vision for moral education has little chance of success. To accomplish this aim, first, I clarify Bok's case for moral education in American colleges and universities. Second, closely following Bok's account, I provide a brief history of moral education in 19th century America.

Gary Paulsen’s novel “Hatchet” Essay

In Gary Paulsen’s novel hatchet the protagonist Brian Robenson develops many new skills after his plane crashes into the Canadian wilderness. It is his ability to make a fire, build a shelter and make new tools that enable him to survive. During one of the nights when he was stuck in the Canadian wilderness a porcupine went into his shelter and he felt it he through the hatchet as a reaction which hit the rock and made a spark he woke up the next morning, remembering what had happened during the night, sparks, fire, I I can make a fire with my hatchet and the rock, it took a fair few tries but he eventually got it on the fire lasted till the day he got rescued, during all those days he was stuck out there â€Å"he had to keep hoping† because if he gave up he wouldn’t of gotten rescued and it could have ruined the book. After the crash it took him about a day to realize had to build a shelter this would help him survive it could maybe protect him from the wild animals and definitely protect him from the bad weather, he finds a rock/cave type thing and ends up having to re-build his shelter a few times due to animals wrecking it. Through the novel hatchet , Brian makes a couple of spears and catches all different animals, sometimes he ate the food raw or cooked it on the fire some of the time, it depended what it was, he ate the turtle eggs raw, but cooked the bird. When Brian is stuck in the Canadian wilderness he needs a fire and shelter and food to survive if he didn’t have them three things he would have only lasted a few days tops, he could of died of hyperthermia or starvation and he wouldn’t of been saved, and if he dies it would of ruined the book.

The Declaration Of The United States Essay - 1831 Words

Today, it is safe to say that many of United Sates citizens are unsure about the future of our country. In Our Declaration, Danielle Allen claims that the future of our country is secured by citizens who play their part in the system. She writes, â€Å"Politics is an activity where people, thanks to their wakefulness, can organize themselves and set up institutions so that they can all collectively protect themselves without having to fight with each other† (Allen 176). She has confidence that citizens can diagnose the current state of our country and the political world through interaction with other each other to build unified intelligence through democratic conversation. Democratic conversation occurs when citizens cooperatively and intelligently discuss and provide their views on certain matters which determine the present and future state of our country. â€Å"For the Declaration we are all equal in having the capacity to judge relations among facts, principles, and courses of action† (Allen 91). But is Allen’s claim realistic? Allen is partially justified because our country is more tolerant today than it ever has been when it comes to sexuality and marriage, and gender. However, Allen’s optimism is not entirely realistic because of the common stubborn citizens, and the uneducated citizens not willing to take part in democratic conversations. Our country is more tolerant today than ever before, and this supports Allen’s confidence in our citizens to take part inShow MoreRelatedThe Declaration Of The United States Essay1113 Words   |  5 Pagesadopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. 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Psychology Today says, â€Å"Groupthink occurs when a group values harmony and coherenceRead MoreThe United States Of The Declaration Of Independence1404 Words   |  6 PagesOn July 4th, 1776 the American Colonists ratified The Declaration of Independence. This Declaration severed their final ties to England and idealized the formation of an equal society, independent of a corrupted centralized government like that of Britain. In order to accomplish this perfect nation, the Americans followed the Declaration with the creation of The Articles of Confederation. The Confederation s purpose was to guide the young republic to a decentralized government that upheld the