Human history has always been full of ups and downs. Successes and failures, treaties and war. And just as human history, a human life can get lost in they're own challenges and experiences. Often oblivious to the plight of others, most just live out their lives. Taking what they have for granted, they live inside their glass shell, unable to imagine a world without. Take the United States of America for instance. With a GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of $47,400, the United States of America is the 10th wealthiest nation in regards to GDP . ("CIA- World Factbook: Country Comparison") Where as another country, lets say Cote d' Ivoire is ranked 194th with a GDP of $1800.("CIA- World Factbook: Country Comparison") It would be really hard, if not impossible, for one of these country's citizens to understand each others problems since each exist in totally different worlds economically. But what makes these countries so different? Why has the United States become such a economic power house where as Cote d' Ivoire has struggled so over the years? In the following paragraphs, these two countries shall be compared and contrast, searching for the complex answer to these seemingly simple questions. To help find an answer to the question at hands it is important to understand at least the bases to how these countries came to be. The United States became a officially its own country in July 4th of the year 1776 ("CIA- World Factbook: United States" ) with the adoption of the declaration of independence into congress.("Library of Congress, Today in History: July 4th") They had been suffering under overbearing a British monarchy. So to escape the tyranny of the British king ("Oval Office Watch"), they had no choice but to fight for their ... ... middle of paper ... ...nited States. Library of Congress, Today in History: July 4th. , 2011. Web. 28 Feb 2011. . "Declaration of Independence Why America Exists." Oval Office Watch. ovalOfficeWatch.com, 30 Apr 2009. Web. 28 Feb 2011. . Untied States . CIA Factbook: United State. DC: CIA, 2011. Web. 9 Mar 2011. . Leland, Anne, and Mari-Jana Oboroceanu. United States. American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics. D.C.: CRS, 2010. Web. 9 Mar 2011. . Handloff, Robert. "Ivory Coast History." Country Studies. Federal Research Division, 1991. Web. 9 Mar 2011. .
Eibling, Harold H., et al., eds. History of Our United States. 2nd edition. River Forest, Ill: Laidlaw Brothers, 1968.
The story of Jason Poole as presented by Grady is a clear picture of the ravage of the potentials of soldiers in the face of war, and the wrong priorities of the American government in spending billions of dollars for the war that have no clear advantage for them or the American people, that is worth dying for. The sending of potential young men and women in Iraq to sustain its war lacked the basic objective that warrant their sacrifices, as well as the billions of dollars spend in pursuing such unclear purpose that is wrongly labeled “war on terror.” As per records, American fatalities in Iraq as of January 20 stood at two thousand two hundred twenty five (2, 225), while casualties numbered at 16, 472 (The New York Times, par. 8). Grady cited that medical treatments for brain injuries in Iraq alone would cost fourteen billion dollars.
Jefferson, Thomas. "The Declaration of Independence." The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues Across the Disciplines. 8th edition, Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003. 305-308.
Walens, Susann. A. United States History Since 1877. Western Connecticut State University, Danbury, CT. September 2007.
Wills, Garry. Inventing America: Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Co., 1978.
During the last 40 years of the nineteenth century the United States became the worlds greatest economic power. The rapid rate of economic growth happened for a
This piece of the evidence goes to show that Barack Obama made his speech very credible by including something that everyone in the audience have knowledge to. He used the declaration of independence to explain American’s Pride. He used something every American can or could relate or have access to as a way to show credibility on the knowledge of what America stands for. It is our duty to take pride of the paths that we create in the United States of
In conclusion, without struggle and without sacrifice this country would not have gained the independence and prove that united we stand and divide we fall. Thomas Paine quite elegantly put it “however strange it may appear to some, or however unwilling they may be to think so, matters not, but many strong and striking reasons may be given to shew, that nothing can settle our affairs so expeditiously as an open and determined declaration of independence” (Paine 111).
Breen, T.H., H.W. Brands, et al. America: Past and Present. Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson, Print.
Landes, D., 1999. The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 38-59
Loftus, D. and Wood, P. (2008), 'The Art of Benin: Changing Relations Between Europe and Africa II' in Brown, R. D. (ed.) Cultural Encounters (AA100 Book 3), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 43-87.
Why do nations fail? This is a topic of popular debate with many economists and a question many scholars have struggled to find an answer to. Global poverty is an issue that economists Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson investigate and provide an alternative insight for in their book: ‘Why Nations Fail’. Acemoglu and Robinson investigate inequalities that exist across countries and why nations are an epitome of success and others, failure. They come up with an alternative explanation for why standards of living differ across countries, and why a gap exists between the rich and poor. The book introduces an example of two cities that are separated by a border: Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora. On the American side of the border, the income of the average household is $30,000, the population is relatively healthy, and the citizens live prosperously (Acemoglu & Robinson, 2012). On the opposite side of the border in Mexico, majority of the population do not own a high school degree, poor health conditions exist, poor infrastructure and unfortunately, high infant mortality rates (Acemoglu & Robinson 2012). How can situations on opposite borders be so different? The basis for Acemoglu and Robison’ s thesis for this phenomenon is that of institutions. They propose that that there is a strong correlation between economic and political institutions. That is, inclusive political institutions support inclusive economic institutions, and extractive political institutions support extractive economic institutions (Acemoglu & Robinson, 2012). Democratic institutions generally allow opportunities for the majority, leading to positive economic growth. Political institutions that look after a narrow elite is reinforced with stag...
Why nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty, is a captivating read for all college economic courses. Coauthored by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, they optimistically attempt to answer the tough question of why some nations are rich and others are poor through political economic theories. They lay it all out in the preface and first chapter. According to Acemoglu and Robinson, the everyday United States citizen obtains more wealth than the every day Mexican, sub-Saharan African, Ethiopian, Mali, Sierra Leonne and Peruvian citizen as well as some Asian countries. The authors strategically arranged each chapter in a way that the reader, whomever he or she is, could easily grasp the following concept. Extractive nations that have political leadership and financial inconsistencies within their institutions are the largest contributor to poverty and despair within most countries. It also states that countries with socioeconomic institutions that work ‘for the people and by the people’, or in other words, focus on the internal agenda of that
When looking through the topic of development, two drastically different ways to assess it arise. The majority of the western world looks at development in terms of per capita GNP. This means each country is evaluated on a level playing field, comparing the production of each country in economic value. Opposite this style of evaluation is that of the alternative view, which measures a country’s development on its ability to fulfill basic material and non-material needs. Cultural ties are strong in this case as most of the population does not produce for wealth but merely survival and tradition.
Why Nations Fail takes an in depth look into why some countries flourish and become rich powerful nations while other countries are left in or reduced to poverty. Throughout this book review I will discuss major arguments and theories used by the authors and how they directly impact international development, keeping in mind that nations are only as strong as their political and economical systems.