U of I CMN 220--Utopia

Fast Food - Paige Quinlan

2011-09-27T16:45:00.003-05:00

After we have discussed the term “sustainability” several times in class, I have come to realize this means much more than “going green”. The definition I find most compelling is “improving the quality of life for all living forms”. One issue that I am particularly passionate about is nutrition. I believe the over consumption of fast food in the common American’s diet is concerning. In a CBS interview, Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation) states that at least one quarter of American adults eats fast food everyday. I realize that fast food is sometimes the best option for the low-income population. It’s cheap and filling. I strongly believe, however, that offering these meals at such low costs is not beneficial for the sustainability of the American population. This food is notoriously unhealthy and over consumption is linked to various health issues such as diabetes, respiratory problems, stroke, etc. I think fast food restaurants should be targeted to improve their quality standards of their food. These processed food products are cheap and easy, however long-term disease caused by over consumption of these foods is very costly. People need to be consuming quality, fresh produce. However, the fact of the matter is that is that these foods are sometimes too expensive for a significant part of the population. In my mind two things should be done: 1. Provide alternatives to low income families. I think this could be done with the expansion and promotion of the SNAP program. 2. Regulations and quality control of fast food restaurants. First, the portion sizes offered at fast food restaurants are far too large. Also, the foods served are too heavily processed. Any other suggestions...? Works Cited Nonas, Cathy. “Americans Are Obsessed with Fast Food; The Dark Side of the All American Meal.” CBS News, 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 27 Sept. 2011. . “Top 10 Dangerous Diseases Caused by Fast Food Obesity”. Nutra Legacy. Web. 27 Sept. 2011. .

Bellamy's Employment policy

2010-03-01T11:34:00.004-06:00

In Edward Bellamy's novel, Looking Backward, There are many new policies that we are introduced to in a sort of alternate reality or time of the year 2000. One of these policys which interested me was the policy of employment and retirement. In this time period, everyone works just as much as the person next to them for pretty much the same wages. Everyone specializes in an area and that is what they work at until they retire. In the novel, everyone retires at age 45 with full benefits and coverage. Seems like a pretty good idea for anyone, does it not? Well for me, there are a few things that would look appealing and a few that would just seem dull. Pros to this would be how everyone is guaranteed a job and how everyone will do something they like to do. And even if it is not what they "like" to do, they are still considered equals to other employees. Cons, however, I think are more important. The fact that this society would be following parallel to communist ideals and no one in society would recieve credit for going the full nine yards with their work, just doesnt seem like an inspiring idea. I have used this example before, but some of these "Utopian" ideas for places seem to follow suite with ideas that you probably have seen in the novel, The Giver, if you have read it. Society in that novel grow up, pick jobs, and then just follow those jobs blindly for the rest of their life. These types of ideas of working and having the same wages would never have a society reach its potential. It would mean keeping a lid on the public and just taming it down to the very least, minimal qualities. These policies are introduced to us by Bellamy, in order to still show us what type of world we live in and to just give us a taste of what life would be like these days if it was ever insituting ideas such as ones from the novel.

Looking Backward

2010-03-01T11:25:00.000-06:00

“Looking Backward” has many polices and ideas in the book that try to explore what a perfect society would be like. The socialistic/perfect society idea that inspired the book is a great idea but very wishful thinking. For examples, the book discusses ideas of the nation owning, managing and distributing all of its wealth, no war and all kids getting a proper education. Along with those ideas there are many more that fit into this idea of a perfect society but hard to image that it would actually work. The policy that I find the least promising is the country owning, sharing and distributing all of its wealth. What I have learned from history, a plan to create a society that has a socialistic economy, where all of the capital is distributed among the people has been unsuccessful. The book talks about how everyone will be satisfied because everyone will be working to toward the common goal of protecting the citizens and keeping them away from hunger and poverty. I think the only thing that is true in this statement is the fact that it sounds good. For a strong prosperous economy to work there needs to be competition in the market place. For instance, Bill Gates gave apple millions of dollars to save the company from financial ruin. The reason he did this, is due to his understanding on how important competition in the market place was. There are to many people that think differently in order for this type of system to work.

The Value of Education

2010-03-01T11:18:00.002-06:00

Looking Backward is a novel that proposed radical changes to society, and offered readers a look at a potential utopia. While there were many intriguing ideas and policies that were extremely radical for the time period, the one that stood out to me was that all members of the society received a free quality education up to age 21. My view on this policy is simple. A society with educated individuals is going to be much more well off than a society whose members are not. By having the option to have a free education until the age of 21, individuals who have the drive to better themselves and the people around would able to do so. In today's society, simply having the dream and desire to get educated and make a difference is not enough. It is rare that a person born into an impoverished life situation would be able to receive as much education as they would like. In addition to that, individuals with higher levels of education are more able to positively contribute to society. Now after age 21, individuals are able to receive further training in their field up to age 30. Again this is an excellent option for people in this society to have. It allows individuals to further better themselves and their impact on society. In conclusion, simply the availability for a free education for all who desire one increases the overall quality of life for all in that society.

No Crime World

2010-03-01T11:06:00.001-06:00

The policy I liked in the book Looking Backward was the one about there will be no crime and when you don't have crime in the world that helps with a lot of problems. There will be no jails so a lot of the money used to help jails and build them can be used for way more essential problems like poverty and schooling. I also remember about Bellamy saying you wont need lawyers so i don't think it will be much of a judicial system in the world. It seems like there would be no harm to others because the criminal if there was one would turn themselves in. Everybody in the world would be safe from harm.

Industrial Army

2010-03-01T10:46:00.004-06:00

In Edward Bellamy's, "Looking Backward" the main character Julian West is put into a deep hypnosis-induced sleep in 1887 and awakes in the year 2000. The world is a different place and one of the biggest differences is the Industrial Army. Every citizen is given a free and tremendous education until the age of 20, where he or she is then entered into the Industrial Army. He or she then began working at a job until the age of 45 when he or she retired with full benefits! If a citizen was working in a more popular job, he or she would work for say 8 hours a day, whereas someone working in a less popular job would only work for 2 hours. Every worker was paid the same amount and every job was thought of as the same. If this were the case today I don't believe it would work. Every human being is competitive, and I don't believe only working for different merits in your occupation is enough to drive a person to his or her full potential. Also, it is very hard to compare completely different jobs to one another to decide how many hours to work. The one part of the Industrial Army that I think would be great is the retirement age for everyone is 45. I believe it would make people work harder knowing that they retire that early, instead of only putting in half the effort after a certain point because you're only working to stay afloat.

Dinning hall Brilliance

2010-03-01T09:26:00.001-06:00

In Looking Backward the character Bellamy creates a public policy of dinning halls. This theory of dinning halls for everyone has many advantages for our society today as well as the society for the citizens in the book. First this policy would do wonders for our economy by providing more jobs for the people. To make this policy happen the dinning hall would need a substantial amount cooks, waiters/ waitresses, and a clean up crew. During today’s society people are always on the move with little if no spare time. So having a dinning hall were people can just go in and out as they please wouldn’t most likely be a very useful in the hard-pressed society we live in. This policy would also benefit stay at home wives/husbands and many families. It would allow the wives/husbands to have more time to do things they want to do instead of having to go the grocery store, spend time shopping, and then cook. Instead the wife/husband would be able to have some of her/his own time making for a less stressful day. I fell like this would in turn make for a healthier relationship in families. All that the families would have to do is make a order for meals the night before which they would be able to do maybe in between their favorite T.V show or while they are laying in bed. This dinning hall policy would also allow everyone in the family to eat whatever they would like so there is no bickering on what is to eat for tomorrow night, everyone can just enjoy their own private meal.

Questionable Publishing Policy

2010-03-01T08:23:00.001-06:00

In the novel Looking Backward, the author Edward Bellamy describes a utopian society set in the future, and makes drastic distinctions between that society and the one we live in now. One such difference which interested me was the policy on book, arts, and media publishing and distribution. When publishing books, Bellamy writes “[The author] must pay for the privilege of the public ear, and if he has any message worth hearing we consider that he will be glad to do it” (Bellamy, 1996, pg130). All books are published in Bellamy’s utopia, but the payment of the first cost of publishing is paid by the author, serving as a deterrent against unwanted or un-needed published books. As fair as this system may sound, I question its advantage. Is it not possible for an author to write something outstanding, only to think it is not good enough, and she/he will therefore decide not to invest money into publishing it? Many say, “You are your toughest critic”, and may not see the true worth in your own work, when others may think it’s a masterpiece. In addition, while everyone is well educated in Looking Backward, not everyone thinks the same. In today’s society, some may think a book is completely worthless, while others are captivated and enjoy it. By Bellamy’s standards, it is good that the public is the decider of a book’s success, qualifying it by its purchase rate. But before an author invests a significant portion in a potentially unsuccessful book, or does not invest into a book with potentially significant success, some sort of check needs to be in place. While Bellamy’s publishing system seems like an improvement, I would only say it is different. I am skeptical of the utopian society’s ability to regulate work deemed worthy of “the public ear”.

Separate But Equal for Women

2010-03-01T07:56:00.003-06:00

Julian West seems to be in awe of Edith Leete’s charming “air of serene frankness” (Bellamy, 1888, p. 166), which he believes is a product of the changes in women’s social positioning in the utopian 20^th century society, but how equal can men and women be if everything they do in the workplace is separated?

The women in Bellamy's 20th century world no longer have the burden of household chores, but instead they spend about 10 to 15 years of their life as members of the industrial army alongside the men, that is until or if they decide to become a mother. Women are also allowed to work and be married, which would never have happened in Julian’s 19^th century Boston. Julian is also told that the reason women are so happy and contented with their lives is because, like everyone else in this utopian 20^th century, they are able to work in the kind of occupation that best suits them.

This system does indeed sound perfect and equal, but in fact women are not allowed to work certain jobs because, “Under no circumstances is a woman permitted to follow any employment not perfectly adapted . . . to her sex” (Bellamy, 1888, p. 167). While I agree that men are better suited for some jobs than women, I think that anyone should be able to attempt any job, no matter what sex, ethnicity, or race they are. I was also a bit taken aback by the concept that men appreciate women so much that they permit them to work because “it is fully understood that a certain regular requirement of labor is . . . is well for body and mind” (Bellamy, 1888, p. 168). Frankly for a progressive and so-called equal society that mindset of allowing women to work because it’s good for their health struck me as a bit chauvinistic.

However, as Julian observes, the women of the 20^th century are quiet content with their roles in society, but I find it odd that they would not eventually come to realize how unequally their seemingly equal system was treating them. Which would then lead to a battle reminiscent of the one fought by African Americans in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. The “separate but equal” doctrine established in the 1896 in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson and eventually overturned in the 1954 case of Brown v. Board of Education was a law that made segregation legal. “Separate but equal,” stated that as long as the facilities, such as bathrooms, for Caucasians and African Americans were equal then they could be kept separate. Because women in Bellamy’s 20^th century society have everything that men have, but are still kept apart, even having their own female general-in-chief, I see no difference between the two systems.

Bellamy & Judicial System

2010-03-01T03:08:00.001-06:00

Bellamy’s judicial system in his hypothetic ideal world differs significantly from the counterpart of our real world in many ways, regarding not just the court system itself, but also the social context in which it functions. Instead of questioning whether the establishment of such system is possible or not, I provided my analysis of the merits and demerits of Bellamy’s judicial system purely based on my interpretation of Bellamy’s world.

The most notable aspect of the new court system would be that individuals accused of crimes are given fair trials. In the nineteenth century, the judicial system then clearly failed to guarantee fair trials for each and every defendant because only the wealth could afford the necessary legal service for acquittal. Even after Bellamy redistributed wealth evenly among citizens, each citizen would differ in his or her choice as to how much credit he would spend for trial. Since the results of trials depend in part on the amount of resources invested, Bellamy, I assume, planned that the trials are conducted by three judges, each with a distinct role, so that citizens are promised of truly fair trials. Under his new judicial system with unbiased judges appointed by the President, citizens of this utopian society are not encumbered with financial burden unlike those in the nineteenth century.

Despite the advantage addressed in this posting and other advantages of his public policy, this policy nevertheless clearly has its shortcomings and limitations. One limitation of this policy is that Bellamy was not clear on what he meant by punishment in this utopian society. Dr. Leete tells Julian West that the society does not have any jail. Instead, hospitals would accept those convicted for treatment of atavism. Later on, Dr. Leete explains that those who plead not guilty and are convicted will find their penalty doubled. This aspect of the policy seems rather arbitrary. If the doubled penalty means lengthened stay at the hospital, that would be waste of resources involved in the treatment of atavism because, in order to meet its purpose, the treatment should be sorely based on an accurate medical diagnosis, not on a judicial decision. On the other hand, why should the punishment be harsher based on honesty? When defendants are subject to medical treatments due to their crimes based on the verdicts of trials, should we assume that their minds are well enough to discern what is true or not?

Competition in the Workplace

2010-03-01T02:45:00.003-06:00

One concept in Bellamy's novel Looking Backward that strikes me is that of employment. In this utopia, citizens are urged to settle with the career that fits them best. Since everyone partakes in equal amounts of work and equal amounts of share, there is no competition. Although this may be good for peoples' overall sense of ease, I am afraid this does more harm than good. People would not be able to challenge themselves to work harder; a feat that many take pride in. If everybody does the exact amount of work, then no one is pushing themselves to better society or themselves. It is a total abolishment to the amount of potential somebody has. Comparing it to medical terminology, it is like many people coming up with a cure for the common cold, where some of us could be coming up with a cure for cancer. With this policy, production would plateau as well as the potential of every living person in this place. That is like telling Tiger Woods he can only play mini-golf for the rest of his life. Putting a cap on greatness like its' no big deal is silly. Also, there it is doubtful that everybody works the same amount of labor. How can you compare the work of a carpenter to that of a secretary? The fact is, competition is human nature, and taking this away by trite and controlling means of equality only does injustice to human potential.

A System for Failure

2010-03-01T02:29:00.001-06:00

In Looking Backward, Edward Bellamy describes a futuristic society in which many public policies contrast those that exist now in our current society. One particularly interesting policy is abolishment of money and personal trade. Bellamy writes, “As soon as the nation became the sole producer of all sorts of commodities, there was no need for exchanges between individuals” (Bellamy, 1996, pg. 56). This policy struck me as both strange and dangerous. Although obtaining all of your goods from one reliable source may seem like both a logical and organized way of distribution, this system possesses the traits of a monopoly. Without competition from other sources, the government has the freedom to set its own credit price. This is dangerous because although Bellamy insists that goods will always be provided at the lowest possible price, who determines that price? One single group of people should not be the only determinants of a fair market price. Fair market prices come from competition between various sources that must cater to the preferences of people who have the freedom to choose the lowest possible price.

While Doctor Leete insists that the “buying and selling is essentially antisocial” (Bellamy, 1996, pg. 57), it seems illogical not to seek out the lowest price when purchasing a good. If a neighbor has a good that they no longer wish to possess, than offering to purchase this good from them at a price lower than the government’s price seems fair. Why force people to pay more for something than they need to? It does not make sense for a government to have someone hang onto something they no longer want when another person is willing to make them a reasonable offer. I feel that in the long run Bellamy’s system would fail due to harmless exchanges between individuals that would certainly occur.

NO CRIME=PEACE

2010-03-01T02:26:00.000-06:00

Coming from a woman’s point of view, I would like to live in a world where crime was not an issue. I am not implying that men would not enjoy living in a crime free environment, but as a female, I am an easier target according to some criminals and statistics. In “Looking Backward,” Bellamy describes the policy pertaining to criminals. Firstly, there are no jails and no real use for lawyers. Bellamy continues to explain that if you were a criminal, then you would most likely plea guilty to your crime. If you did not plea guilty and you really did commit the crime then you will suffer a double penalty (Bellamy, 1996). If this policy was put into action in the year 2010, the world be a safer place to live. A person would still have to be concerned about medical health and other factors that may harm them, but crime would be one factor that would be eliminated. Most sane individuals enjoy watching the bad guy get caught, so just imagine the bad guy always turning themselves in! The world would be a safer place to live and have a family! Therefore, I would have to say that Bellamy’s policy towards criminals is amazing, but in all actuality, this will never be reality.

The More Education the Better

2010-03-01T02:17:00.002-06:00

In Edward Bellamy’s novel Looking Backward, he proposes many policy changes in a new utopian version of the United States. Although many of these changes are extremely radical and almost impossible to implicate in this current day, I think Bellamy had good policies regarding education. Everyone in this utopian country is guaranteed free education until they are 21 years old. In addition, during their education they are introduced to many career options, so everyone can find something that suits them best. Those with high aptitudes are then offered have the opportunity for professional training up to the age of 30 years old. Currently in the United States all citizens have access to the public school system until high school, which is usually until about you are 18 years old; however, the law only requires citizens until the age of 16 to attend these educational institutions. I believe that education until the age of 16 or even 18 years old is not enough. One reason why I feel that those few extra years of education can make a difference in society is because it gives students more time to figure out which vocation best suits them. Dr.Leete mentions this briefly to Julian West that in Julian’s time citizens had to make rush decisions to pick their vocation because they weren’t offered much education. In Dr.Leete’s utopia students are given more time to develop and discover their natural aptitudes and can change profession until they are 30 years old. More education allows citizens to fully use their skills and talents. Furthermore, in Bellamy’s utopia, the rate of violent crimes has decreased and he attributes that to his citizens being well educated. In our current state research by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, has found that states with higher education rates have less violent crimes committed. Therefore, there must be a link between education and violent crimes. Bellamy’s policy of education until 21 years of age is a great policy because well educated people are less likely to commit violent crimes, decreasing crime rate overall.

Where da gold at?

2010-03-01T02:14:00.000-06:00

A large aspect of any functioning society is based on a system of wealth. This has been part of most communities since the agricultural revolution. The big question is how wealth should be distributed. Essentially the polar thoughts are socialistic equal distribution to all citizens or capitalistic uneven distribution for citizens. In Bellamy’s novel, Looking Backward, the story’s utopian society chooses an equal distribution style of economy.

The immediately obvious benefit is the dissolution of poverty. On paper this shared national wealth produces nothing but positive societal benefits. Yet, the problem lies within the practicality of implementation and execution for this system.

In order to implement this plan the government would have to convince everyone with wealth to sacrifice his or her current position in society. This sacrifice would go against principal of a country based on personal freedoms. To default wealth to the government would an invasion of private property. The equalization of wealth would remove the value of economy.

Globally the entire world would have to adopt the same type of system. The author assumes that this utopian nation can produce all goods on its own. As displayed by the Soviet Union it is impractical that one country can produce everything that is required for a modern society. This leads to the need for expansion, which may result in war.

These realistic pitfalls would be very difficult to overcome. It is unlikely that these problems would make this strategy of economy be a viable solution to unequal wealth.

Credit System

2010-03-01T02:07:00.003-06:00

The credit system is an issue brought up in Looking Backwards, where the basic idea is pretty much each citizen given an allowance. This idea seems well made in some cases, as they are designed to have more credit than a normal person could use, and it provides a level of convenience that makes the process of shopping cleaner. However, I feel that this credit system rests on the condition that there be more credit that a person can use, otherwise it falls flat on its face. Because the doctor mentioned that people can overspend and then withdraw ahead of time, but that works only in the case if there is excess credit to give. However it is far more likely that people overspend than underspend, and if there is no excess credit the problem of overspending is something that, quite possibly could be repeated term by term. That is, a person possibly could spend their credit for one year, overdraw the second year, and then be put in a credit debt. A person is unable to get more by harder, nor is the person able to save. Thus within a given term of credit a person is forced to function within certain boundaries in his standard of living. For these reason, the credit system seems restricting. If it could be done in a way that allowed more freedom of living, and it did not depend on the level of prosperity of the country, it might be a decent idea.

On Labor Systems

2010-03-01T01:52:00.001-06:00

In chapter seven of Looking Backward, Doctor Leete gives us an intriguing picture of “year 2000’s” labor system. I feel that it is bound for failure. Part of the system works to ensure that no one trade is more desired than any other. In order to preserve equal attraction, the nation would cut or add work hours according to its arduousness. (Bellamy, 1996, pg. 44). I will admit that at first glance this seems appealing to me. It makes sense to put controls of such into affect in order to keep laborers in nearly all trades. However, I feel that although this address the desirability of certain jobs, it presents an even greater problem. Efficiency would lack severely. For instance, take the occupation of construction. It is a field that requires more skill than that of straight manual labor, and would thus be excluded from the labor filled by the three-year requirement period of all workers. At the same time it is arduous enough to which the hours would most likely be cut to ensure equal attractiveness. If this were to occur, we would never get anything built! Construction workers would work for very little hours and then head home leaving the project unfinished. It just seems that there are too many variables to account for. Life is too messy to ensure such a perfect functioning system. In spite of novel ideas and a strong desire for the best for everyone, this system seems to be far too idealistic to the point of impossibility.

"La la la la Wait Til' I Get My Money Right"

2010-03-01T01:42:00.002-06:00

The book Looking Backward, by Edward Bellamy, has many policies which contain advantages and disadvantages. One of the policies that I found most intriguing was the fact that every person regardless of their occupation receives the same pay. This kind of an economy focuses on public capital which allows the city to thrive due to the fact that the nation distributes the capital evenly. A positive of an economy like this is that crime and wars are no longer an issue because the government is more concerned with protecting their citizens and keeping them in good economic standing. Also the fact that every person makes the same amount of money very few crimes are committed because everyone has the same exact amount and there is no need to steal or commit other crimes. When looking at this policy many may say that there would be no disadvantages, however, I can think of a few. One disadvantage is that people who work harder than others may start to feel that they are being cheated out of how much money they should be making. This in turn could cause those that work hard to refuse to work unless they received higher wages for the work that they have been doing. This could cause a huge collapse in their current “perfect” city. This disadvantage is not probable though because in the book one can see how well the city works with this policy and that the city is prosperous and successful. Money may not buy happiness but as seen by the city in Looking Backward it definitely can help a city to be the best it can be.

Capitolism = Death

2010-03-01T01:26:00.001-06:00

In Looking Backward, Bellamy describes a policy on the production of commodities in relation to the supply and demand. He states, “The administration has no power to stop the production of any commodity for which there continues to be a demand,” (Bellamy, 120). The policy is then described further, in short stating that the amount of labor to make an item is more important than the price of the item.

I think that this policy, basing the value of goods on labor instead of on price, is a good alternative to our societal values today. The novel states this point well when Bellamy writes, “it is the relative number of hours constituting a day’s work in different trades, the maintenance of the worker being equal in all trades, (Bellamy, 121). This policy emphasizes the important of the worker, instead of the importance of the goods produced. Traditionally, in our age we don’t focus on the importance of the production or labor of the goods we buy or wear. This emphasis on the support of our fellow citizens is an empowering ideal introduced in Looking Backward. Creating equality between workers by eliminating the material values of goods in this society will decrease the material competition that seems to be extinct in Bellamy’s world. This would decrease judging and negative societal competition.

Even the Wealth?

2010-03-01T01:24:00.000-06:00

Perhaps the most glaring public policy in “Looking Backward” that attracts the reader’s attention is when Bellamy argues that the nation’s wealth should be divided evenly. In chapter eight Bellamy discusses how wealth will be distributed evenly in the future and how each person is just given a credit card to spend the money the equal money they are given. However, this is clearly a terribly utopist idea that is impractical and will never work. Bellamy, like all other socialist utopists before him, does not see the whole issue at hand, and is simply an equal economic determinist. He does not see that no one will work hard if no one receives more wages for harder work. However, Bellamy does recognize this counter argument and so he states that wages are not the only way that people are motivated to do work. Honor also motivates them. Bellamy does have a point. Honor does motivate some to work hard, even in a capitalistic society. So, if there was a society where everyone had the same wages, honor could be an effective way to make people do work. However, honor falls short because it carries a very incorrect understanding of human nature. Yes, Bellamy is correct in saying that some people are motivated by honor. However, not all people are motivated by honor. His only other reason for people working hard is honor and thus he puts a huge burden on people to be wholly motivated by that alone. This is just not realistic however as some people still will choose their own greed and lethargy over honor. Along with that it would take an incredibly long time to set up a society in which honor was the prime motivation for work and even in 100 years would not be practical.

Does't Matter How Well You Can Argue, We'll All Get the Same Amount

2010-03-01T01:04:00.001-06:00

“A system of direct distribution from the national storehouses took the place of trade, and for this money was unnecessary.” (Bellamy, 1917, p. 56). This quote from Bellamy’s Looking Backward makes us question our use of money, and what if we had a policy that ridded our society of money. Let us take a quick second to think about a world with no money, but rather credit cards all issuing the same amount and the perfect distribution of products. This sounds like a great plan right? Maybe if you love Ivan Drago from Rocky IV.

I love the United States of America, being American, and the way that our country is run. If we want something more we get our hands dirty work hard and earn it. I know what your thinking, but Tony what about all of our high paid professional athletes? Well I think they are the perfect craftsmen of their arts and they bring in one of the largest markets in our country. This utopian idea where everyone receives the same amount of money of “credit” looks great on paper or in words, but when it comes to the real world we have to think if it will really work and last. I believe not, it just won’t satisfy all the citizens within our country. There are too many people that want to strive for greatness and believe they deserve to be rewarded for it. Like I said great idea on paper, but in the real world do not expect this policy of no money equal credit to work.

Benefit of the Dining Halls

2010-03-01T00:33:00.001-06:00

Bellamy has created a whole new world. On paper, this is the ideal society. He made many significant changes in America to create his utopia. I am going to discuss his ideas concerning the dining system. This system is vastly different than how we dine today. I think that there are many advantages to his new system. In his world, everyone ate in a giant, beautiful dining hall. There are designated rooms for families to eat together. This is also a great new system because individuals are able to choose from what they would like to eat from a near-endless list of food. At one point Bellamy says, “The meal is as expensive or as simple as we please “ (Bellamy, 1996, pg. 100). This shows the great variety to which the people are able to choose from. I also think the women in society benefit greatly from this new eating system. Typically, the women from Julian’s era did all of the cooking and cleaning in the household. Bellamy’s new system takes this stress off of the women. They have more time to be able to explore more jobs and hobbies. If cooking is an individual woman’s hobby, then she could get a job as a chef and be credited for her hard work. All in all, I think there are many benefits to Bellamy’s new and improved dining system.

Retiring Early

2010-03-01T00:13:00.002-06:00

I think the most interesting policy mentioned in Looking Backward is the retirement policy. All workers are eligible for retirement at the age of just 45. There are some advantages of having such an early possibility at retirement. One being for the individual, it is awesome to be done working at 45. I can see a lot of personal advantages to being done working at 45. The average age in our country is over 80, meaning you have 35 more years of life to do literally whatever your heart desires. Another advantage is that it can be a nice reward for all of the hard work people do. It is a very good perk to have in society.

One main disadvantage I see from this policy is that it will create numerous problems with the society. As medicine improves, people are living longer. How will this policy cope with the increasing number of retirees as medicine increases our life expectancy? Another problem could be how will people get the motivation to work hard if they know they are done at 45? Where will people find ambition, if they know they are done and taken care of at 45? This society may lose innovation, resourcefulness, and advancement in business if people are going about their everyday tasks nonchalantly and with minimal effort towards improving.

honor; motivation to work

2010-02-28T23:01:00.000-06:00

The most interesting policy in Looking Backward was how citizens of the twentieth century work. In the novel, Bellamy describes the working policy that all citizens work the same amount of labor and they are all guaranteed to be paid an equal amount of money, regardless of vocation. Bellamy used an example of heroic action in the military to point out that honor is the motivation to work for twentieth century citizens. I believe that this policy would benefit the entire society. Each and every worker works not for himself or herself but for his or her nation. They do not seek for love of luxury or fear of poverty. By pursuing this policy the society would improve significantly. Every citizen has pride in improving society, not pursuing their own benefit. It would impact the development of society greatly so that the society keeps developing. However, this policy would not work in reality. People work because they want to live better lives. If they are guaranteed to have everything, no one would want to work anymore. The policy was one of the basic concepts of communism. However, human nature which describes humans as lazy, selfish, and self-centered would not let humans work only because of honor for the nation. It is a human’s unavoidable nature that when they have everything, they do not work at all and become selfish.

Credit System

2010-02-28T22:28:00.000-06:00

One policy that stuck out to me in Bellamy’s novel is the way the nation handles credit and transactions. Everyone who works is given a credit card, with credit based on his or her share of the country’s annual product (Bellamy, 1996, p.42). It is somewhat unforeseeable for someone to spend more than they are allotted, but if a person does, he or she can get an advance. One of the more interesting points of this policy is that whatever a person doesn’t use goes to a general surplus.

This policy is very advantageous because it prevents a source of jealousy and unnecessary competition between members of society. Because everyone is already guaranteed a job, they are also guaranteed a credit card. In our society, we see how people compete for the best job with the highest salary, but in Bellamy’s society, because everyone has a job and enough money, this competition is almost eliminated. There is also a reduction in the amount of crime because people have what they need, as Bellamy explains, “nearly all forms of crime […] are motiveless now” (p.98). Citizens don’t have the urge to steal from others because society provides them with all the necessities.

I also like how any leftover amounts on a person’s credit card is put into a general surplus. This whole society created by Bellamy thrives on cooperation. The idea that people are even willing to donate leftover credit to society instead of saving is hard to imagine in the economic times we find ourselves in, but saving is not a concept people in this society are concerned with. The policy of credit in Bellamy’s society is extremely beneficial, as it is not only efficient, but also provides a source of comfort for the people.

Equal Labor for All

2010-02-28T21:50:00.001-06:00

The labor policy in Edward Bellamy’s novel, Looking Backward, possesses various advantages to the people living in the imaginary society. In the book, the character Dr. Leete explains to Julian West that people living in the year 2000 would not choose a profession based on prestige income level. Bellamy’s society does not covet one profession over another, eliminating any animosity between people in the different professional fields. Along with this ideology, everyone’s labor wages are exactly the same amount and longer work hours are given to professions that demand less physical labor. The benefit being that it makes different jobs, especially ones as diverse as a construction worker and a doctor more equal in effort and hopefully, more equal in general. This concept ensures that all professions will have a sufficient amount of workers in each area, creating greater appeal to a profession that poses more physical labor, which provides major incentive to take a job that requires more physical labor, or at least balances the advantages and disadvantages of a such a choice. In addition, children from an early age are taught to explore professions that fit into their interest, and ultimately will then choose three professions they would enjoy pursuing. Preference for a profession is provided to a person who has the most knowledge in the job field he or she wishes to practice in. Once a person becomes of age, they chose from one of the three professions. If a person is not successful in the particular profession, they then choose another one. This prevents people from being forced into a profession they have no interest in, which occurs quite often in our current society. Furthermore, people who do not learn their skill adequately will be forced to take a job that requires less knowledge. In general, the public policy in Looking Backward is well thought out and provides many advantages for the people living in Bellamy’s society.

What Do I Want To Eat Tomorrow?

2010-02-28T20:56:00.002-06:00

In Looking Backward, Edward Bellamy writes in ornate detail of his vision for the future of America - a socialist utopia where everyone makes the same living, retires at 45, and lives prosperously on government-issued credit. Throughout the novel, he describes many policies that would need to be implemented to ensure the success of this regime, many of which I consider to be improbable or downright impossible. One of these is the dining hall policy. While it would be incredibly convenient (and delicious) to have government-run dining halls that would enable citizens to cut out the chores of cooking, cleaning, washing dishes, and shopping for groceries from their daily lives, I don't believe that it is possible, as there are simply too many logistical problems that stand in the way of such a ubiquitous service.

Having been employed at the University Dining Hall for over a year, I have participated in every aspect of the preparation and cooking that occurs when 1100 college freshmen sit down to eat dinner every night. It's not easy work, and it would be morbidly inefficient to try to personalize each individual meal. The only way it could be done would be to hire a personal chef for each individual family registered to that particular dining hall, and that begs the question of whether or not it would be economically feasible for the government to run these institutions. Also, one must wonder - in a world where the government cooks the food, what happens when they start cutting corners to save money on costs. Does the whole population gain an excessive amount of weight from the fatty fast-food style products we would be served? If somebody develops Type 2 Diabetes, can they sue the government for providing them with too many sugary foods and beverages? I like the idea - it sounds feasible at first - but at the end of the day, I just don't think it can be done.

A new system of wages?

2010-02-28T20:51:00.001-06:00

Bellamy’s story is one that offers insight into a new political, economical and social world. One aspect that caught my eye is the issue on the system of wages. According to Bellamy’s, in the 20th century every individual receives the exact amount of wage, regardless of profession. Under this system it was honor and distinction that drove everyone to work, not the fear of poverty and love for luxury. Each worker is tested on what natural abilities come best to him/her. Due to the fact that everyone receives the same wage and that the government is the main suppliers of goods and services to the community, everyone is considered equal. Certain things I find useful about his policy is the mere fact that no person can be affected by poverty. Those who are handicap only have to work to the extend of their abilities and goods and services are plentiful. In addition, society as a whole in Looking Backwards has adopted an idea that they all work for the betterment of mankind. Unlike the 19th century, where those without proper education and opportunities were left in poverty. These ideal forces every citizen to accept the fact that every person is needed for the betterment of their own society and should all work together to achieve their common goals. Hence, the fact that every citizen receives equal wages, once again regardless of profession. Lastly, is the fact of self-actualization that is reached when individuals receive proper distinction for producing more goods that their co-workers. Those who perform well are promoted to a higher grade, which give that individual more power and responsibility, and at the same time recognizes their performance. All of these factors are affected by the system in Bellamy’s book of wages. Each citizen is aware of that they all work for a common goal (betterment of mankind) and our paid equally for their services.

Hurray For Equal Pay

2010-02-28T19:22:00.002-06:00

In Bellamy’s novel, Looking Backward, the citizens living in the year 2000 all receive the same amount of payment for the job he/she has. This means that a doctor would get paid the same amount as a waiter. Each citizen is expected to do the best he/she can with the skills that he/she possesses. This policy does have its advantages. It eliminates competition and makes sure that all people are well off. In the novel, Mr. West did not understand how a person would be willing to work hard knowing that he/she would receive the same pay as everyone else. Dr. Leete explains that just because a person produces twice as the other does not mean he/she should get rewarded for it. If a person is capable of producing more, this means that this person’s abilities allow he/she to do so. If he/she did not produce then that would become a problem. This policy does make sense, due to the fact, that it makes sure each person uses their skills to the best of their ability. Dr. Leete says, “We require of each that he shall make the same effort; that is, we demand of him the best service it is in his power to give” (Bellamy, 2000, pg. 61). No matter how miniscule a person’s skill might be he/she still will contribute to society. No one is born to have the same skills as the next person. With that being said, it would be unfair to lower the pay of a person who may not have the same number of skills as the next. This is why we have people without jobs today. Society is too concerned with how much a person can do instead of just allowing he/she to do what he/she is capable of doing. This is why this policy has advantages. It eliminates competition. There is no need to compete for jobs, because there would be something for everyone. Finally, every person would be well off and not have to worry about money, because each person would be guaranteed a share.

Bellamy's Labor Policy

2010-02-28T18:59:00.000-06:00

Bellamy’s policy on labor in the book is ingenious. When Mr. West awakes in the future everyone has jobs and equal pay. There is no discrimination in the work force and every job is just as coveted as the next one. The supply of volunteers is always expected to fully equal the demand (Bellamy, 44). People are willing to work at different jobs because they will be rightfully compensated for the difficulty of the job. For example, a person with a more demanding or “dirty” job will work less hours a week than a person with a less demanding job. It is the business of the administration to seek constantly to equalize the attractions of either of the trades (Bellamy, 44). The administration does this to ensure that all jobs will have enough employees. Also, when growing up each person chooses three professions that they would like to pursue. Then once they are older they chose which profession they would like to do. If they chose a profession and it does not work out, then they will have to choose another. Also, preferences of jobs are given to those who have the most knowledge of the trade they wish to pursue. If one does not study his/her trade well enough then he/she will acquire a job that does not take much knowledge such as being a waiter/waitress. Overall, Bellamy’s policy on labor is a great idea and should try to be enacted in the America today.

A Decrease in Crime is a Good Thing

2010-02-28T18:06:00.001-06:00

Bellamy’s policy concerning crime would definitely have its advantages. Crime, Dr. Leete informs Julian is minimal in the 20^th Century because there is no need to steal. Unlike the 19^th Century, with the abolishment of private capital everyone was equal in their possessions. In the 20th century everyone is "social equals" (Bellamy, 2000, p. 165) and "no man either has anything to fear from another or can gain anything by deceiving him, the contempt of falsehood is so universal that it is rarely, that even a criminal in other respects will be found willing to lie" (p. 165). With no private capital, Bellamy’s policy on crime has its advantages in society not only because it refrains people from stealing and having to lie about it, but also because it minimizes the size and scale of the judiciary and police in society.

“I have already explained to you how simple is our judicial system as compared with your huge and complex machine. Of course the same absence of crime and temptation to it, which make the duties of judges so light, reduces the number and duties of the police to a minimum" (Bellamy, 2000, p. 169). This would be a huge advantage to the decrease in crime; with little to no criminals to prosecute the need for expansive attorneys, court fees, and even funding for the police would greatly decrease. The need for these resources would be unnecessary in the 20^th Century world Bellamy describes and because there is so little crime, laws could be much simpler. With laws being made to refrain people from committing crime, studying and developing laws would not be needed, "…only a few of the plainest and simplest legal maxims have any application to the existing state of the world" (p. 167). This policy on crime that Bellamy describes has its advantages not only because less crime is a good thing anywhere, but because the decrease in crime positively affects other areas of society by having fewer laws, a simpler judiciary, and less money needed to fund police and prisons.

Saving People Time and Giving People Jobs

2010-02-28T16:36:00.000-06:00

The public policy of dining halls Bellamy creates in Looking Backward could have many advantages for the citizens of the town in the novel and also for our world today. Having a dining hall where you are able to go whenever you are hungry would prove to be very convenient in the busy world that we live in today. Without having to plan out meals for their families and spend time grocery shopping and cooking, the cook in the family would have more time to spend on other things that they may not normally have time for. All that would be required is a simple order for meals put in the night before from the comfort of their own home. In addition to allowing the cooks in the family to have more time, a dining hall is also able to accommodate the different tastes and desires of different family members. At a dining hall every member of the family would be allowed to order something different and there wouldn’t be a reason to argue about what is going to be prepared for a meal and the cook at home wouldn’t have to worry about making something to eat that someone in the family would not want. An economical advantage of the dining hall policy would be the jobs that it would provide. Having a dining hall requires cooks, servers, bus boys, and hosts. The number of dining halls needed to serve the population would provide many jobs for the citizens.

Women in the Work Force

2010-02-28T14:42:00.002-06:00

The public policy in Bellamy’s Looking Backward that I found to be the most interesting was the one that pertained to women in the work force. For many years women played the role of housewives in society. Their responsibilities were cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children in the household. Dr. Leete introduced the world to a society in which women could be a part of the work force. Women no longer had housekeeping responsibilities and their husbands were no longer babies that needed to be cared for. Another good thing about being a part of the work force though, was that women were not responsible for jobs that “were not perfectly adapted, both as to a degree of labor, to her sex” (Bellamy, 167). Women were not responsible for any task that they were physically incapable of completing. In addition, women worked shorter days and got frequent vacations. I really appreciate the fact that women were given the opportunity to work and make their own money, but still have time to maintain their beauty for the men in their lives. The only issue with this policy is that women still would not be considered equal to men. They would work under different discipline and receive different treatment. This is a disadvantage because men will still maintain their position of power over women.

Regulating Writing

2010-02-28T13:02:00.000-06:00

One policy mentioned in Looking Backward is the government's decision to allow for any one to publish material provided that the cost of publishing come from the individual's credit. Additionally, the government has no censorship power over these individual's works. This policy promotes equality of opportunity, and could improve the quality of publications that are circulated. An advantage of such a policy allows for any individual to voice their opinions and creativity through writing, and also allows the citizens to have a direct effect on the kind of literature they want circulated, since an author is directly supported by the royalties gained from his work. If an author receives enough royalties he experiences a “furlough” from his other service for the nation and could earn his way to retirement by his literary ability and support by society. As mentioned in the text, because writers would have to fund their own publications this would discourage individuals from seeking the publication of unnecessary or unedifying literature, thus discouraging “mere scribblers” (Bellamy, 2000, p. 108). Similar to the publication of books, in Bellamy's society newspapers and magazines are also private endeavors of those interested in forming the publications. In order to fund the newspapers a certain number of subscribers must be attained and these subscribers elect an editor. This policy would assure that the opinions of the people are equally voiced, as opposed to one or two owners of the newspapers solely expressing their stances. Publications controlled in this way would allow for a more equal spread of information and opinions, and would also assist in discussion of policies and governmental affairs. Because each publication would essentially be controlled by its subscribers, there would be no need to have multiple newspapers that must appear unbiased, but rather there would be multiple newspapers that can freely voice the opinions of their adherents. The policies in Looking Backward regarding the literary arts would promote the quality of literature and aid in the circulation of differing opinions.

EPCOT-A Striking View of the City of Tomorrow

2010-02-24T11:33:00.001-06:00

I have never really thought about what the ideal city would be like or how it would function, but I believe that Walt Disney's ideas shown in the movie were phenomenal. The idea of a city that would try out new technologies and have different industries that work together to create these technologies really stood out to me. I have a lot of faith in technology and how it can positively impact people's lives. With all of the interaction that takes place between the city, industry, and technology, I believe that people's lives would be better not just in the city, but throughout the US and possibly the world. Another facet of Disney's city I believe to be extremely brilliant is the transportation system. While there would clearly be some flaws problems with providing that much energy for a non-stop transportation system, the idea works very well. The system allows for individuals to access all parts of the city quickly, quietly, and efficiently, all while eliminating the need for motor vehicles. One could argue that removing the need for cars alone would be a reason to use this system, if only for environmental reasons. It saddens me that Walt Disney had to pass away only two months after the video was made, because I would have loved to see his final vision come to fruition.

The Possibility of EPCOT: Lofty Aspirations May Lead to a Great Fall

2010-02-24T11:20:00.002-06:00

The theoretical idea of EPCOT is rather appealing. To begin, as one formerly from the suburbs of Chicago the idea of limiting traffic through careful planning is extremely appealing. Especially given the modern crisis concerning global warming and waning of fossil fuels, the concept of electric vehicles moving above the city seems to be a possible solution or relief to the current problem. To continue, the enclosure over the city also seems like a very likable feature. It would be a welcomed escape from the biting, frigid winds and winters of central Illinois. Overall, a centralized city catered to the happiness and efficiency of its citizenry is an undeniably enticing proposition; yet, one cannot help but listen to their inner cynic before accepting EPCOT at face value. EPCOT's lofty ambitions, while admirable, seem too perfect to become a realization. EPCOT seems to try and regulate the natural, inevitable chaos associated with everyday life. For example, building a dome over the city to regulate weather is a nice idea in theory, but it is a direct attempt to control nature--an effort that usually ends tragically. Possible natural disasters are unforeseeable and if one were to occur, it is a frightening thought to consider the possible destruction of a dome that encompasses a city. Also, such intricate urban planning necessitates policies to aid in implementation and execution. This then requires some form of leadership or governance. In a city so rigidly planned and aimed at perfection, it seems entirely likely that government would not be able to answer such demands and requirements of efficiency. Given this, one might expect there to be a chance for dictatorial rule or significant corruption within the government Overall, the idea of EPCOT is a brilliant one. EPCOT is irrefutable in theory. The concept of a greater education, commerce, community, transportation, and overall life is pleasing to everyone. Theory, however, does necessarily translate into a pragmatic reality. The idea of EPCOT must not be lost, but must be something that is strived for. It is in attempting to achieve EPCOT that one must remain cautious, and they must always be careful in their preservation of Disney's dream--Utopia.

EPCOT: A whole new world

2010-02-24T11:11:00.001-06:00

After watching the movie in class I think I would like to live in this city. I would enjoy EPCOT for many reasons but however here are a few; no unwanted traffic, you don’t have to worry about big businesses right next door to you and also EPCOT feels like a safer environment in general. In the movie the way motor vehicles would be used is a great idea. From the way trucks would move on the lower level than cars and than these electric cars for the day to day commuters is efficient. I look at this as not only being accessible but also not having lots of cars on the road polluting the air. On the flipside this can be very problematic because where are you going to get enough power to run those cars all day. My answer to this is simple use a outside power source. I liked the idea that the businesses would be all downtown and not in the neighborhood where families live. I find this idea interesting because it allows EPCOT to be family oriented were many cities in the United States lack. Lastly with the downtown air being in dome so you never have to worry about the weather when your at work, families being separate from work when they go home and no possible way for traffic jams EPCOT brings a stress free world to Florida. Who wouldn’t want to live in a stress free world.

Epcot My Dream Town

2010-02-24T11:02:00.006-06:00

After viewing the movie Epcot I would definitely like to stay in that type of environment. I love the way it was structured and the type of communities they thought about building. The whole experience would be a big change for me but I know I would like the whole set up. I feel that they helped people by showing them orginization in their life and always living in a calm environment. I would really want to live in a safe twon like that and you would never have to worry about the weather because the temperature would stay the same. The town basically is like a big amusement park and I love having fun all the time, so that is a big plus for me. I would rasie my kids in that type of environment because it has the type of discipline and structure I want my kids to have. In conclusion Epcot is the perfect little town for me.

EPCOT- A turn around

2010-02-24T11:00:00.001-06:00

After watching the presentational video on Walt Disney’s Epcot I was not sold at first. I really did not like the idea of a community in which things ran so smoothly because I feel as if it is inevitable to achieve a community of such purity. But after weighing the pros and cons of this “experimental” community I have come to the decision that I would indeed like to live in this utopian community Walt Disney set out to create. The first thing I like about EPCOT is the way it is structured. I like that sections of land were set aside specifically for different aspects of life. These include an industrial area, a recreational area, a high density apartment living area, a suburban area, and an area of commerce. What I came to like more and more about EPCOT, after taking some time to think about it, was Walt Disney’s plan for his downtown. I really like that in EPCOT there are only specific roads that cars can drive on leaving the rest of the roads open to electric cars or for the pedestrians to rule. I think this is good not only for the safety of pedestrians in a highly dense area, but also believe this is a good way to cut down on pollution. Along with this, the idea of having ideal weather conditions all the time is genius. The thought of not having to worry about the effects of weather on me and my everyday actions is very appealing. I will not lie, I was not in favor of living in a community of such idealism, but after looking into some of the ideas Walt Disney had and the ways in which they would make life easier I would definitely live in EPCOT. Andrew Suddreth

Epcot- A Great Place to Live

2010-02-24T10:56:00.004-06:00

The city of Epcot would be a great place to live no matter what age. It would be a great place to grow up in the suburban neighborhoods. The apartments near the center of the city would also be an ideal place to live before settling down. Epcot offers it's citizens everything they could want, and as Walt Disney said, "it is dedicated to the happiness of the people." One of the best features of Epcot would have to be the transportation system. The monorail and wedway people mover were the main methods of transportation. They are located above the street level where pedestrians walk. The wedway is always moving, and can take as close to your home as possible. The monorail will take you to the theme park and industrial park, where many of the residents of Epcot work. Cars are also allowed in Epcot, but are driven beneath the pedestrian level. All cars travel at the same constant speed and are nonstop. Epcot has no stoplights. In order for Epcot to stay a perfect city, it would have to have policies on crime. Epcot keeps children safe from cars in the street, but what about crime? I believe a background check should be enforced in order to become a resident of Epcot. The residents of Epcot should also report any suspicious behavior, in order to keep the city free of crime.

EPCOT, Dream City

2010-02-24T10:14:00.002-06:00

After watching the short clip on Epcot I have decided that I would like to live in this city. the reason why I want to live in the city is that everything has perfect harmony, like a utopia. For instance, places such as recreation, business, and entertainment are very well organized. Everything is a person could ever need is provided including shopping areas, restaurants, parks, schools, theatres, hotels, churches and many more. Trasportation systems are exceptionally designed as well. this ideal city maintains wonderful weather condition to live in most of the time. Considering every aspects that Epcot movie shows, in my opinion, everyone would rather prefer to live in that city. However, maintaining a good balaced environment would require efficient policies and systems. In my opinion, Epcot city tends to centralize, where most convenient parts start from. Even though peopel are happy to live in Epcot city, people would still prefer to be happier than others. So, people who live farther from the center would complain about the distance even though there is comfortable transportation system.

EPCOT: A Flawed Masterpiece

2010-02-24T09:30:00.002-06:00

EPCOT is the perfect place to live. Or is it? I mean, how could it not be? A city enclosed within a dome that controls the weather, which has an organized transportation system for all the citizens, and employment for everyone sounds like a perfect spot to settle down. But no matter how perfect this place seems, something just does not seem right. It just seems so…robotic. The irony about something being perfect, is that if it is too perfect, then it is flawed. Regardless of all the bells and whistles that EPCOT might have, I would personally never live there. When I think of EPCOT, I’m reminded of a few qualities that a communist nation might have had. A little harsh you might say. Well, I don’t believe that the society of EPCOT would ever become that way, but I can see it becoming so robotic and so structured, where everyone simply does his or her own job, and leads a very rigid life style. Employment for all seems like a wonderful idea, but in the end I feel like the restricted community and restricted amount of corporations right within Disney World itself wouldn’t ever allow anyone to really strive for more. Everyone would simply be comfortable and settle for what they have. That leads to my other point about polices. A few polices would be used in a society like this to make it “special”. Employment and education policies would definitely be something that I am sure we would see implemented. Sort of like the “no child left behind” policy that we have today, I feel like for every family living in EPCOT, there would be a policy, similar to that, implemented for employment to make sure everyone has a role in this perfect society. Over time, many laws would be changed in this sealed city, to ensure that perfection is being reached. There are a few examples of this type of “utopia” that come to mind for me. One vague example is the novel, The Giver. Although, I am sure the society from this book is not what Walt Disney had in mind, one who has read the book can see how societies that strive for so called “perfection” lead to duller lives. Living in a bubble would prevent the people from experiencing the rest of the world and would keep things too simple and stale. Another example which stuck out more to me, was the movie, The Truman Show. This is an example of a city which is all bubbled up and in the end, anyone who wants to experience the real world will want to leave, just as the main character does from the movie. All in all, EPCOT seems like a society that might have succeeded if seen through by Walt Disney, who had great ideas and intentions at heart, but in the end, this type of society would not work for me, especially in a world like todays.

EPCOT=NO CHANGE & NO GROWTH

2010-02-24T09:11:00.002-06:00

EPCOT, is it perfect? No, not for me at least. I need changes in my life so that the excitement never dies. With EPCOT you will be doing the same thing everyday in the same pace with the same daily routine. Now I don't know about everyone else, but I would not be able to handle a lifestyle like that. I get bored very easily and feel like EPCOT is just to overrated. With EPCOT you will never get a change of environment and it will always be the same old bright sunny day everyday. I need the change of weather for my own personal satisfaction. A sunny day is something that you are suppose to look forward to, not something that is just given to you. I do not mind the snow and the rain. It makes life exciting not knowing what the next day has in store for you. With EPCOT you will never get that feeling of excitement when the first leaf hits the ground or when the sun comes out for the first time in 2 months because of the snow. With EPCOT I would miss the freedom of having my own vehicle were I can go anywhere anytime. We live in such a busy and spun out society that its nice to have that alone time on your drive home from work, gym, or anything. I also love the raw power of a real American car like a Camaro. I do not know what I would do if I did not have the leisure to just get in my car and drive pushing that peddle all the way down. It's a feeling like none other, flying down the road at 150+ mph where it's just you and the road. Mostly, I feel like EPCOT leaves no room for change. I know from watching our society people need change to grow and learn from their mistakes. EPCOT gives me the sense that after time everyone will get stuck cutting edges, leaving out the ability for them to change and in turn grow into their own self portrayed being. I think that EPCOT is to much of a controlled society for me where people are not necessarily people anymore, but robots so to speak. Meaning there's no variety, no change, no growth, and no ME.

EPCOT, I'd love it

2010-02-24T07:53:00.004-06:00

This prototype city, EPCOT, seemed like it would have little or no flaws. If it were successfully implemented, I would most certainly like living there. The first thing that makes EPCOT seem appealing to me is the fact that in comparison to almost every other place one would live, there is much less to complain about. By no means do I think it would be perfect, but every change I wished could likely be implemented if enough people thought the same. To speak of things I wouldn't like, I would have to point at the policies that would be necessary to keep a Utopia like this going. Crime would have to go down, as would things such as disorderly conduct, and even suspicious behavior. It would also be necessary to have everyone in this city contributing to keep the city going, but even then, with its limited space, would likely cause issues on what services I could purchase there. There is also, of course the money it would take to support and how wealthy I would have to be in order to live there. And finally, who would cut my hair? EPCOT seems to be a place that I would not want to live my whole life, but at the same time, if I lived there and visited anywhere else, I would find myself wanting to come back to EPCOT. The fact that it is highly organized with the city based on the center makes it almost impossible to get lost, and fact that there is little traffic makes it seem like transportation would be extremely convenient. So while in the long run, life would grow seemingly stale in EPCOT, a little travel would remind me why my city was the best city, of course, the people there and whether or not I like them is a completely different story entirely. Structure isn't a bad thing, and while I find the idea of something like EPCOT working out over time not very likely, I would still rather live there than even Chicago. The problems with EPCOT, aside from the monetary contribution I would need to make in order to live in such a paradise, are in no way worse than the cities sprinkled all over the world.

EPCOT = EPNOT

2010-02-24T04:28:00.001-06:00

EPCOT sounds like the perfect wholesome city in which one could live a carefree and stable life. But that may not be what many want. In my case, I would despise the structured lifestyle and convenience EPCOT has to offer. Firstly, the sheltered dome-like structure of the inner circle would make any kind of weather phenomenon to not be an issue. I however, enjoy inclement weather, ranging from heavy snow fall to searing heat. It gives me an extra challenge in my life, and an extra thing to overcome. Secondly, I would not enjoy the public transit system the proposed design offers. I enjoy driving my car, blasting my music, taking tight turns, and being somewhat alone when I want to be. No such luxury exists in the monorails and people movers. Lastly, conforming to the zoning and building restrictions means individual expressions of ownership are limited at best. For the same reason school uniforms sound unappealing, there is no individual expression of personal possessions. I would feel restricted, like a hamster in a cage. I understand all the amenities for work, enjoyment, and life in general are there, and I would be free to travel outside. However, I enjoy the unpredictability and inconveniences of everyday life as well. EPCOT seems more like a retirement community, and not a place to experience all the facets of life.

Disney’s proposed scheme for EPCOT may in fact completely work, even when considering all the services, utilities, and joys of living it has to offer. But that is only in accordance with his vision. I am sure there are those that would be happy to live there. But for people like me, it does not fit my lifestyle schema.

EPCOT, close, but still flawed

2010-02-24T02:48:00.004-06:00

EPCOT, city of the future. At first glance this planned city seems to have the solution to all urban problems, yet how realistic are these innovations? Three basic flaws stand out upon inspection of the plans.

The most pressing is the energy consumption needed to run the intercity transportation system continuously. This energy need is further compounded by the energy needed for the monorail system out of the city as well as the presumably astronomical energy requirement needed to keep the environmental dome at a comfortable temperature. In order for these high-energy requirements to be fulfilled it is likely that EPCOT would have to utilize city owned solar or wind power sources to, at the very least, supplements energy demands.

Another problem I noticed with the preliminary plans is the lack of emergency or bypass roads on the personal vehicle level. It is incredibly short sited to believe that no accidents will occur. Also road maintenance will be required which will completely shut down main travel ways. In order for personal transportation to function at all several additional roads and emergency lanes will have to be implemented in the road plans.

Besides execution downfalls of the city layout there is the matter of to much structure for some people. The city borders on sapping free will and choice from its citizens. Since everything is provided it takes the human desire to succeed, or be original. Knowing from experience, having worked in the city, one of my favorite aspects of the jobs was the awe-inspiring view. This view is stripped with the oppressive dome that is meant to keep out the world and could very well be detrimental to employee morale.

EPCOT definitely has the makings of a truly innovative city. Yet, like all well thought plans it is not without its flaws. Unless energy requirements, emergency routes, and morale are taken into consideration this city faces a possibility of failure before it is even created.

EPCOT- Living Next Door to the "Happiest Place on Earth"

2010-02-24T02:05:00.002-06:00

Walt Disney envisioned EPCOT as a “living blueprint of the future” and as someone who enjoys culture, creativity, and being exposed to new ideas and/or places I think I would enjoy living in a community that would offer me a life I could find nowhere else. EPCOT combines the simplicity of a suburban neighborhood along with the amenities found in the big city. Living in EPCOT I could enjoy walking my dog in the park on the weekends, as well as having the luxury of being only minutes away from a hip nightclub or attending a play downtown. Another appealing aspect of EPCOT is the shopping area where the streets represent places from around the world, allowing one to experience culture without ever leaving home.

A policy of healthy living would exist in EPCOT. First, because “the pedestrian is king” both noise and gas pollution would decrease. There are no cars in the downtown area; the only modes of transport are the electric powered monorail and the WED-way People Mover. Thus walking and exercise would be encouraged. Even the residential areas require one to walk from the WED-way station to their home. This means children can run freely without ever coming into contact with a vehicle. Overall, pedestrian accidents would diminish. Second, the protective dome over the urban center shields residents from the elements and with innovations in technology might eventually insulate them from outside pollution and damaging UVA/UVB rays, in turn decreasing rates of skin cancer.

The educational system in EPCOT would also be superior. Schooling in a city that values ingenuity and imagination would be at the forefront of educational thought. Ideally, teachers would expose students to new and changing ideas as well as encourage originality and inventiveness.

EPCOT Is Not My Vision

2010-02-24T01:48:00.000-06:00

I would be horrified if I had to reside in Epcot. The reason is simple: it won’t work. Why? Let’s look at history. This EPCOT idea is not a new idea that I have heard about, it’s an idea that the world has seen repeatedly over and over again, and has proven to inevitably fail. It is the idea of working for the good of society instead of just yourself and being part of a larger societal family rather than just your nuclear one. This sounds good. But, it also sounded good when Plato, Marks, and Emerson said this, and it didn’t always end too pretty for those guys. The theories behind EPCOT may be well intentioned, but they are a little too “big brother” like in order to succeed in American culture. It will necessitate a government structure imposing upon the individual rights of the people. EPCOT attempts to be training grounds for learning a new society, and how must it do that? Inevitably by having a government-like-structure tell people what to do in order for social research to be done. This is clearly true in the EPCOT that Disney explains, and it will cause every resident to have the duty to listen to what a “visionary” has in store for their life. It has a specific place to go to church, a specific place deemed where to work, and has strict rules for what the residents can actually engage in. This will kill entrepreneurial spirit and uprising will happen against the system put in place. Sure, EPCOT may have a cool transportation system (that would be an understatement), but the societal structure that would have to be put in place in order for research to be done would impose upon the individual rights of the resident.

A Flawed Utopia

2010-02-24T01:33:00.003-06:00

EPCOT, Walt Disney's 1966 proposal for an idealistic city built to promote technological innovation and a cleaner, happier, community-based way of life, sounds perfect on paper. Designed as a prototypical "City of Tomorrow," EPCOT was Disney's plan to subtract from modern cities issues with crime, transportation, homelessness, unemployment, and cleanliness. With the understanding that crime could be marginalized by ensuring that all residents of EPCOT would be employed and housed, Disney took pages from the books of both railroad magnate George Pullman and political philosopher Karl Marx: Pullman's development of the "company town" in the 1880s was surely an inspiration, while one of Marx's central tenets of Communism called for, in Disney's words, "everyone living in EPCOT [to] have the responsibility to maintain this living blueprint of the future."

Unfortunately, Disney's plans were never realized, and perhaps for good reason. One thing Disney failed to consider was man's inherent tendency towards capitalism - to share and share alike is a code not written in the human genome. I particularly believe myself to be entirely too free-spirited to live in a place like EPCOT, where I would never be able to own my own home or start my own business. Also, even if the powers-that-be supervising the city had only the best of intentions in their use of such information, the idea of "living under a microscope," where my home and work life would be observed, reported, and logged for the betterment of society, is positively Orwellian in nature. I could not imagine being happy in such a community, no matter how high the standard of living is.

Also, while Disney believed his plans to be flawless, he did not consider the expenses that would incurred by simple utilities, such as transportation. The running costs of such transportation solutions as the PeopleMover and monorail would be outlandish, and the expenses of paying living wages to 20,000 citizens who are working only towards bettering their own community would detract heavily from the profits made by the theme park and the corporation in general. Thus, EPCOT could be successful if and only if Disney was able to make it self-sustaining economically - a principle that would be unattainable without the capitalist incentive to be superlative to one's competitors. In fact, the only way Disney could guarantee economic self-sustenance is by charging unwieldy prices for goods and incurring outrageous taxes upon the populace, both of which are surefire ways to degrade the quality of life in any city, let alone one that is supposed to be ideal in every way.

EPCOT: advocate

2010-02-24T01:07:00.001-06:00

After learning the general features of EPCOT provided by the video clip, I came to cherish the idea of a perfect city conceptualized by EPCOT where the public needs have the utmost priority. The purpose of this posting is to provide suggestions for the city so that it can be the place where I would like to live.

First, the ban on smoking in public places will greatly improve the quality of the city and the welfare of its citizens. Because the vast area of the city is covered in plants, the ban would greatly reduce the possibility of fire hazard caused by cigarettes. Also, much of the residential area of EPCOT is reserved for recreational space for both adults and children, meaning families. The detrimental effect of smoking cigarettes to secondhand smokers has already been proved by scientific research. Thus, the ban on smoking cigarettes would keep the city safe from the risk of fire, and prevent the health of the citizens from deteriorating.

Second, it would make the transportation system ever more efficient if the city reserve ground level roads exclusively for emergency use. In the video clip, it was portrayed that the citizens will use ground level roads only for the weekend trips or for some relevant purposes. However, the residents can still travel using the subterranean roads. If there were no private vehicles on the road, automobiles for public service, such as the police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks, can easily reach their destination where they are dispatched. If those vehicles for public service should use underground roads, then they would have problems with driving and parking among other cars. So, only the vehicles for public service should travel on ground level roads because it would enhance the transportation system to an even greater extent.

EPOCT the ideal city

2010-02-24T00:46:00.000-06:00

I personally think that living in the city of EPCOT would be an ideal place for residence and employment. I believe this because residents would have a great mode of transportation basically eliminating the need for cars. Also, everyone in EPCOT would have a job and place of residence, even though you couldn’t own your property. Life in the city of EPCOT, the way Walt Disney had imagined, would be superlative.

The foremost reason why I would want to live in EPCOT is because of their mode of transportation. Walt had planned a monorail, which would cut through the center of the city connecting the city of EPCOT to the rest of the amusement park. In addition to the monorail, Walt had envisioned the PeopleMover. The PeopleMover would never stop transporting residents from the center of the city to the residential areas. I think this concept is absolutely ideal because it eliminates the necessity that our current society has for cars. Although some residents might still have cars because there would be roads for cars underground, they would only be used for recreational enjoyment because the PeopleMover would be so convenient to take residents to and from work. This would result in a decrease in automobile accidents and completely eliminating pedestrian accidents.

In addition, EPCOT would be ideal because there would be lots of employment opportunities. This would eliminate the problems most cities have with ghettos or bums, because people could work anywhere in town from the center of the city to the airport or even within the amusement park. Although there would no longer be slums, no one in EPCOT would actually own any property. This would cause a problem because the residents are then not entitled to certain rights, like the right to exclude people from their property, or the right to change/sell the property, but policies could easily be put in place to allow residents similar rights.

Imperfect

2010-02-24T00:32:00.001-06:00

I would not want to reside in the confines of EPCOT. Although it may be a glorious and calm place for some, it is too plastic for my likings. Structure is good in any city, but over-structure causes too much dependence. The business centers are in the middle of the area followed by apartment complexes, the greenbelt and residential areas. There would be a serious lack of variety and spontaneity incorporated into my life here. These specific sections are all what make a good city, but at the cost of imagination and thrill. It is like Pleasantville, where people would do the same things day in and day out, droning through life with no surprise, ultimately succumbing to conformity. Half of what makes life worth living is the element of surprise and the unknown. No one knows what will happen tomorrow and thats what makes life exciting.

Taking the one-way people mover to work everyday, then taking it back, suppresses the amount of freedom someone would have if they had a car with no boundaries. Knowing that it will be perfect weather to go shopping downtown makes life too predictable and trite. I would become too dependent upon living in this little bubble that leaving would jeopardize my safety and the safety of others. With this easy transportation system in EPCOT, there is seldom car use, so driving outside of this area would cause danger on the roads. Also, with everything at my fingertips in EPCOT, I would not be accustomed to the disorganization that the outside world possesses. It is like feeding a kid until age ten, then telling him to go fend for himself. I prefer life to be more of a falling snowflake than a frozen pond.

Epcot

2010-02-24T00:09:00.001-06:00

The idea of a city like Epcot is a great idea, and I could defiantly see myself living in a place such as this. The way the city is built from the inside out is very relatable to how this country’s big cities are built with the low density housing on the outside, and the main focus of the city as the center. Epcot takes into consideration everyone’s needs, as its main focus is on the pedestrian. It has a covered area at the center of the city for optimum weather conditions, and doesn’t allow cars to travel through. These two policies create a city that is incomparable to any other in the world. By having optimum weather and taking away the risk of car accidents and car pollution make a much safer and easier place to live and work. Along with inside the city, the low density housing on the outside also creates an ideal place for a family to live. Although the outskirts of the city don’t benefit from the covered, optimum weather area, it does have a model place for recreation, and has easy transportation in and out of the city. These ideas allow kids to play freely without the worries of traffic, and create an easy and safe way to and from the city. This is an ideal place to live, and if it were to ever happen I would definitely consider it.

EPCOT: YUCK!

2010-02-24T00:08:00.002-06:00

If I had the opportunity to live in EPCOT for a year, I would be thrilled by the invitation, but I would turn it down in a heart beat. EPCOT has way to much structure and human beings need chaos to survive. In EPCOT, the population would only be 20,000 people. Therefore, you would be bound to run into a familiar face where ever you go. Public transportation would run thoroughly throughout the city non-stop so you would not have to worry about driving a car. But, if you did decide to drive a car, you can use one of EPCOT's special roads with no stop lights to get you to your destination. EPCOT is structured with the businesses located in the middle for job security, houses, recreational areas, and residential streets. If you really want to enjoy a night out, one can ride the railroads into the city which has weather control to keep you from being to hot or to cold. You can enjoy the Cosmopolitan hotel, shopping stores, theatres, restaurants, and night life. NO! EPCOT would be a terrible place to live. For one, with such a small population, you would see the same people everyday, ride the same rail with the same people, work with the same co-workers everyday, and live with your same family everyday. There would be no change in your everyday routine, which can drive a person insane. A person would not be able to be free and break outside the boundaries of this perfect life because they are structured to live the "right" way. I would feel like I lived in a jail cell and I could not enjoy all the wonderful aspects of life because I am confined to this bubble. I would hate living in EPCOT, it has nothing to offer me nor do I have anything to offer it!

EPCOT: A City of Restriction

2010-02-23T23:46:00.010-06:00

Watching the film EPCOT made me think that this model city would be a great idea. Building a city in the shape of a circle that included business areas, schools, recreational areas, and residential areas within it sounded nice. To have guaranteed transportation, through either a monorail or a People Mover, seemed convenient as well. To have the city enclosed, climate controlled, and protected from inclement weather was what I liked the most. This film really made me believe that this model city could actually exist. But after thinking about it, I realized that if it did exist, I would not want to live there. Walt Disney’s idea to build this city to bring happiness to all the people that lived there would backfire. In the end, it would cause people to become miserable.

To start, the idea of having to take the same transportation to work or school everyday would become annoying. This would cause people to feel restricted. It is great to have choices, especially with transportation, because it allows a person to have a change of scenery. To have to rely on monorails and the People Mover could become a problem too. They could break down at anytime, and if they did, people would have no way of getting to work or school. Since they are electric, it would cost a lot of money to keep them running 24 hours a day. With this being said, there might have to be some policy in which there would be some increase in taxes that people would have to pay. An increase in taxes does not make people happy.

One last aspect of the film was there would be employment for everyone. This means that there would be no retirees, because the city relies on the people to keep testing new materials and systems. It sounds great, because people would not have to worry about not having money. At the same time, it would cause people to be unhappy. Work can become a drag, so to have at least one day off is amazing. But to have to live in a city, where I knew I had to work for the rest of my life, I would dread waking up in the morning.

So overall, while this model city seems wonderful, it has flaws behind it. Having a controlled city is not a good idea, because people like to have freedom. Speaking for myself, I would not want to be told how to get to work, where to shop, and that I have to work my whole life. I love being able to make choices, but living in such a city, would prohibit me from that. I would not want to live in a place that promised happiness and only ended up bringing misery.

Lovin' Life in EPCOT

2010-02-23T23:33:00.002-06:00

I think that EPCOT sounds like a great idea! Given the chance, I would like to live in this experimental city. I want to assure you that this not only because I love practically everything Walt Disney has ever created, but because I actually think he creatively produced a better structure for society. I don’t necessarily think that Disney had his sights set on a “utopia”, but rather a better way of living. This is because his ideas were based on the city’s structure, rather than the way the city is governed. I think his ideas regarding transportation are the most intriguing. Disney’s radial plan offers the people of EPCOT quick, easy, and efficient ways to get around the city. I would love to live in a place where you don’t see cars constantly zooming down the streets. The three-layered system is a very intelligent way to separate traffic, and the web way people movers seem very traveler friendly. To add to this, I think Disney did a great job mapping out the city. He clearly put a lot of thought into the needs of the citizens of EPCOT. He incorporated a variety of housing, parks, cities, restaurants, and hotels. I think Walt Disney carefully considered the needs of everyday Americans and found a way to incorporate it within his city. He offered everything any other city would have and more.

EPCOT... NOT

2010-02-23T23:23:00.002-06:00

Okay, after watching that movie I was completely sold on EPCOT and how cool it would have been had it worked out the way Walt Disney described it. However, after thinking about it a little bit more I realized a couple different things. For example, where is the cops/firefighters/paramedics role in this town? Or how about safety inspections? Even some type of emergency routes for traffic and transportation in case some type of natural disaster or malfunction occurs. These are the things that Walt Disney didn't talk about in his proposal, and I think perhaps some of the most important.

When I starting thinking about major cities and what they needed to function, one of the first things I thought of was law enforcement and firefighters/paramedics. In any city, whether its Chicago or EPCOT, there is going to be some type of crime. Whether it be theft, robbery, murder, speeding, or jay walking, there needs to be security for residents and tourists that, in case of danger/emergency, something is in place to protect and serve the people. Along with that, in cases of fires, or illness, there needs to be people on call to tend to that.

Also, with the way the city is set up, it seems pretty clear that of the 3 types of transportation routes there are, none have emergency exits in case of some type of disaster. For example, if there is a car crash on one of the levels, or the power goes out in the tunnels, or the roller coaster-type ride on ground level loses power, how are these people to react? Will there be emergency lighting systems for the tunnels? Will emergency care be able to get to the accident if there's an accident that backs up traffic and someone is hurt? Can a tow truck get to the demolished vehicles? Can the ambulance?

These things, I feel, are so important, and especially in a city of 20,000+ people. It is very important for these issues to not only be discussed, but also figured out before this plan were to ever go into motion. Overall, I love the idea of EPCOT because it seems so magical, like all of Disney's ideas. I just feel like this project in particular needed a lot more planning to figure out how to deal with circumstances like those I've listed above.

EPCOT, One Man's Utopia.

2010-02-23T22:59:00.001-06:00

According to Walt Disney’s proposal, EPCOT was the city of the future. However I disagree entirely with this statement. There are many flaws that I could see during Walt Disney’s presentation, one them being on the issue of safety. To start off, I think the whole idea of Disney’s transportation system is dead on, wrong. Accessibility for safety personnel (On any of the 3 levels of transportation) to provide emergency services for those in dire need would be impossible. If a biological outbreak accord, the city would meet a painful end due to the fact that everything is tightly fitted within a small area. Bear in mind that this idea is at one of the worst ends of the spectrum, but there is still a possibility that it could happen. A second reason I would not live in EPCOT is due to the control that is being exercised at every point of the city. From the second you exit your home to the moment you step back in, everything in EPCOT is already planned out. Industrial jobs only exist to provide services for EPCOT, School are design to harbor ideas for the betterment of EPCOT and the whole aspect of the city is to incorporate the idea of one man’s utopia. History has shown that people do not like being control. From the outside EPCOT looks beautiful, but put in the real world where emotions, ideas, and cultural movements take place, people would slowly reject the idea. This could lead to chaos in a city that is tightly knitted and enclosed to the outside world. For lack of a better word, anarchy could ensue because people, inherently, do not enjoy being told what to do. In my mind, there can be no perfect city. Perfect is what one individual considers in his/her mind, right, but it does not encompass what everyone else thinks. For now, it should be left alone until society as a whole decides what is best.

EPCOT A World for Tomorrow

2010-02-23T22:42:00.004-06:00

It is easy to criticize anything that claims to be perfect or almost perfect. A perfect society does not exist because often times what gives happiness to one person does not do the same for another. Walt Disney's EPCOT makes claims to be a near perfect world of tomorrow where everything a person could desire is provided in the most ideal fashion. While I do not believe in a perfect world, I would be willing to spend a trial period living in EPCOT to judge it for myself. Walt Disney's ideas of luxury and convenience may seem to good to be true to some, but a city that has been designed for maximum efficiency could help ease the stress of life created by the daily grind. EPCOT provides all the basic human needs. Its design focuses on transportation and reduction of traffic, which is a major concern around other cities. The accessibility of an airport and major highways allow its citizens to come and go with great ease. The city also places the needs of a family such as food, parks, shopping, and jobs within close proximity of the home so that many of your daily errands can be completed in less time. The most thoughtful part of the city's design is the awareness that change over time is inevitable. By allowing the city to adapt to changes in personal preference or the latest technological innovations, EPCOT's design seems almost too good to be true. While I am not sure exactly how long I would be willing to live in EPCOT, I would certainly give it a chance.

EPCOT : ideal and evolutionary city

2010-02-23T22:16:00.002-06:00

I would be interested in living in EPCOT because some of the things I believe in are components of EPCOT’s policies and practices. Walt Disney quoted as saying, “EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are emerging from the forefront of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed. It will always be showcasing and testing and demonstrating new materials and new systems.” This quote illustrates two important components of an ideal city. First participating in innovation is the key component. As mentioned in the quote, the city will be constantly developing with new and better ideas to pursuit people’s happiness. Second, it will be the city that never be completed. It is a dynamic city that flourishes and grows over time. To these components, I would add a third. As Disney stated, “whatever works, becomes the code and whatever fails to meet public needs will be changed and replaced by better idea,” I take this to mean that the EPCOT is an evolution and ideal city where everyone imagines and dreams of. The city would pursuit people’s happiness by creating new ideas for people and adapting them to people’s lives.

EPCOT: When You Wish upon a Star

2010-02-23T21:23:00.000-06:00

While EPCOT appears to be the ideal city on the surface, I would never want to live there. I love the idea of a perfect world, but like the origin of the term utopia (which means “no place”), EPCOT is not practical. In order for EPCOT to be successful, one very big sacrifice must be made: freedom. Residents of EPCOT are forced to forfeit the most basic right they have, and for that, it is not worth the sacrifice. Residents would be forced to conform, taking the same way to work every day, living in the same cookie cutter houses, and limited in the number of kids they could have (to prevent overpopulation). In a utopia, with fewer worries than those in the outside world, people would be more likely to want to have more children, but the population limits of EPCOT would restrict people, forcing a policy on them that is reminiscent of Communist China’s one child policy per couple policy. Without access to the outside world, residents of EPCOT miss out on the incredible creative forces that exist. All the world’s trends, fashions, movements, and breakthroughs would pass the prisoners of EPCOT by, as they flounder, trapped in a supposed utopia. I feel it is impossible to truly be happy without freedom and independence. Whether people choose to use that freedom and independence to pursue great dreams, or to play video games on the couch, it is up to the person to make that decision, and not some rich, old man who is dreaming of an unattainable fantasy world.

The Short Trip to the Parks Would Be Nice But ........

2010-02-23T21:14:00.001-06:00

As much as I love Walt Disney and every aspect of the Disney business I would have to say that I would not like to live in the city of Epcot. I am not saying there are no good ideas going into the city because there are. There is the beautiful downtown area completely covered, nice hotel convention center, underground highway and parking area, beautiful residential area filled with plenty of parks for kids to play and schools for them to learn, and lets face you are a short drive away from the happiest place on Earth.

Even though this all seems great I do have a problem with the whole idea. I feel as though the city would just turn into another tourist attraction. The visitors are going to hit the park and then they are going to take a stroll through my backyard. What was Walt going to do about this? You know people are going to want to see this “experimental prototype of tomorrow.” It is a glamorous city at first sight but then you have to think of the tourists that will be flocking there. Also what about criminals? Did Walt believe that this was going to be a complete crime free city? Good luck with that one Walt. You know there will be criminals taking advantage of the people who believe that this is the perfect place to live. Not once in Walt’s presentation did I hear him mention anything about policemen or other crime enforcement. You never know what is going to happen and you should always be prepared.

So even though the short trip the Magic Kingdom is tempting, I will have to take a pass on living in the experimental community of tomorrow, Epcot.

Living in EPCOT Would be Like Jail

2010-02-23T20:52:00.001-06:00

The planned community of EPCOT sounds bizarrely similar to the movie “The Truman Show,” a movie centered on a man who lived in a bubble in a perfectly planned community. At the end of the movie, Truman leaves the community to enter the real world and have a life with challenges and outside influence. I think much like Truman, I would like to live in the real world and not in a community like EPCOT.

As introduced in the film, the idea of the monorail and people mover were innovative ones, but what about the high cost of electricity to run both systems? This cost would be outrageous and would certainly be reflected in taxes or other payment charged to the citizens of EPCOT. The idea of cars being excluded from almost the entire city would also be problematic. What if someone needed to go to the hospital from the center of the city? He or she would be forced to slowly ride a people mover, losing precious moments because an ambulance was not used for rapid transport.

Personal housing freedoms would be eliminated by the circular grid system, forcing homeowners to the outside of the city. EPCOT’s stringent regulations and controlled environment would be just like an obnoxious condo board; shooting down original ideas to favor the common good and stay within the limits of the planned community. Based on these examples shown in the movie, I don’t believe that EPCOT would be the perfectly planned community Walt Disney imagined.

A Boring, Predictable Life Is Not the Life For Me.

2010-02-23T20:40:00.001-06:00

When initially looking at the city of Epcot it seems like it would be the perfect place to live. A city that is enclosed and climate controlled with public transportation and jobs for all sounds like it would be wonderful. Yet, when I really look at it and think about the film, I’ve come to the conclusion that I would not want to live my life in Epcot. Life in Epcot would be boring and too predictable. Everything about the city being perfect and planned out could make for a life without surprises and nothing to look forward to. Public transportation that takes you to the vicinity of anywhere you would want to be in Epcot sounds like it would be wonderful, but I really wouldn’t want this. Being accustomed to driving my car to the exact place I want is not something I would want to give up. I would not want to have to worry about changing forms of transportation to get to a specific place. Along with transportation the living arrangements of most people are too similar and not exciting. There is a high-density living area and a low-density living area. The movie didn’t mention any other living options and I wouldn’t want these to be my only two choices. Promised employment for all is a great idea but I don’t see this being guaranteed forever. Cities have to go through ups and downs and the promise of employment for all residents doesn’t seem realistic to me. With a life planned out and guaranteed to all residents there wouldn’t be much chance for surprise. Knowing how your life is going to turn out doesn’t seem very exciting and this is not a way I would want to live.

EPCOT: A Failure Waiting to Happen

2010-02-23T18:59:00.000-06:00

EPCOT is a completely unrealistic representation of how an ideal city should work. For me, I would never want to live there and there are two main reasons as to why. The first reason I will discuss is population growth. Unless there is a limit on the number of children people are allowed to have, then how will this city keep from expanding? If a family has more than six children, they may have to expand their house. How will they do so with the restrictions on zoning? When the children grow older they will all want to live in the city, so they will need six more houses. Where will they build them? The proposed plan for this city is that houses are arranged ahead of time in their size and landscape. The city will need to expand, but because of their plan they will not have room for it and run into city limit issues.

Another argument I will present is how does the city plan to answer the question, where is my freedom in this city? The city seemed to have a very strict set of policies and regulations that constrict the freedom of individuals. People have to follow the many zoning laws and transportation regulations built into the city. Having a city where everything is the same inhibits creativity and also seems bland. I would not want to live in a city where my life is so controlled and I do not have the freedoms we enjoy in our society today.

Wishing On A Star: EPCOTs But A Dream!

2010-02-23T18:50:00.003-06:00

The plans of the EPCOT appear to me as only a dream. A place that you can only wish to live. After seeing the initial EPCOT plans, I could not see myself living there. I would feel separated from the real world. It is almost as if everything is perfect. There are side walks built far away from the streets so that no one gets hit by a car. Entertainment is right at your fingertips and only a short trip away. All workers take the same paths to work. This way of living can become very repetitive. When I think of the EPCOT I think of an episode on Sponge Bob Square Pants when Squidward got tired of living next to Sponge Bob and found a new living area where everything was perfect for him and had all his favorite hobbies. After time, he began to get bored because things were exactly how he wanted things to be, and repeatedly did the same things every single day. That’s similar to what the lifestyle of EPCOT would be like. It’s a land full of happiness and freedom. In order for the EPCOT to work they would have to approve certain people to live there, in order for everyone to be on the same page. I think Disney wants this EPCOT to be an overall safe place for everyone, to maintain that idea every member should be interviewed in someway to make sure that they maintain those goals and keep it a safe and carefree environment. Disney saw the EPCOT as the blueprint of the future. His future is full of imagination but not reality. This concept would only work in his own Disney World; full of love, peace, and happiness.

An Exciting Place to LIve!

2010-02-23T16:06:00.002-06:00

Walt Disney’s dream of the completed EPCOT is very intriguing. The city would have been, as Disney said, a unique location that would attain the world’s attention as it shows off the technological prowess of the United States, and lays the foundation for the future. I think it would be incredibly interesting to live there and see how people react to it as well as how it fares in light of the steep expectations. I would live there if given the chance. If I am honest, the main reason I would live there would be to get involved with the ministry of one of the churches they would have on their “green stretches”. I would probably live in the high-density apartment complexes on the border of the middle city. This would be perfect for doing ministry because the audience that I would be trying to show love and reach would live only a few feet away from me. Further more, because the living situations are so different than the outside world I would expect people’s reactions to be very unique and I would love to spend time working through it with them. I am especially curious how people would react as soon as problems begin to arise. For instance the film made no mention of any sort of justice system and I am sure crime would take place. In addition, because EPCOT is so special, I am assuming that many people would desire to live there. Therefore I can guess that because of limited housing it might be expensive to live there and have a mainly affluent population. If this were true then many people would thereby have capabilities to affect the world after getting involved financially. It would be a very strategic ministry plan of action. From the perspective of someone who desires to work with a church, this is a very appealing moment in history to get involved.

I'd Rather be Homeless Than Live in EPCOT

2010-02-23T15:42:00.001-06:00

After watching the film on EPCOT my opinions about Walt Disney took a complete 180-degree turn. I always envisioned Walt as a rich old man who just wanted to share his happiness with the world by creating Walt Disney Land and Walt Disney World, but after watching the film on EPCOT I think he might have took a turn for the worse in his old age. I do not understand why anyone would even entertain the idea on living in a city where there are set places for certain activities and specific roads and transportation for its residents. In the film, Walt described his vision of EPCOT being divided in a radial plan with the city as the center, and transportation looking like spokes from a wheel spreading out from the center. The land outside the immediate city would be divided into the businesses, housing, recreation lands, and neighborhoods. I do not oppose his outlook on a pollution free city with monorails and electric transportation, but would not even entertain the idea of having someone develop policies telling me what routes and vehicles I can use. I would feel too constricted by having to abide by the set regulations that the city had on having roads reserved for exclusive vehicles and only using electric vehicles.

It seems as though the residents living in the city of EPCOT would have to follow strict, pre-set rules and regulations which would leave no room for individual decision making by simply following the pre-set principles that the city is founded on. Poverty and pollution are a primary concern in any major city, but the modes Disney provides for creating a “city of tomorrow” would make me feel too reliant on the city as a whole. By having to work in the city, live in reserved neighborhoods, and be restricted to using a set road and means of transportation I would not want to reside in EPCOT.

Living in a False Reality

2010-02-23T15:24:00.001-06:00

Although gates can keep trouble out, they also serve to enclose. This was the thought that recurred through my mind while watching EPCOT. Despite the amenities and safety provided by the dream community the isolation of the community and the lack of need to leave the compound would become restrictive, breeding apathy for the outside world and its affairs. Even within EPCOT this idea of isolation is seen in the neighborhoods that can only be reached by the People Movers. To move from neighborhood to neighborhood citizens would have to take the People Movers back to the main hub of EPCOT and then re-board to travel to another neighborhood. This would inhibit relationships and encourage individuals to remain in their own isolated neighborhoods just as EPCOT as a whole would discourage the dwellers of the community to be involved in the events of the outside world, because they have no need to leave or invest in reality. Additionally, the ability of community dwellers to work, play, learn, and shop within EPCOT would develop a false reality that does not align with the struggles and hard work that individuals outside EPCOT experience in every day life. Although the film communicates that EPCOT would function for the “happiness” of all its citizens, problems would arise without some sort of governance for the people. The film lacked information on any kind of justice system, which raises the question of how disputes such as theft or violence would be resolved. In order for EPCOT to function it would need laws and regulations that are a part of any regular city. Also, with the amount of “industry” and prestigious companies that the film claims will reside in the community there would have to be policies that protect against corruption and monopolization. Living in the closed EPCOT would be safe and full of ease, but it would encourage apathy and promote a false reality riddled with problems due to a lack of governance.

EPCOT: City of Dreams

2010-02-23T14:42:00.001-06:00

Epcot can be considered the city of dreams. When first learning about it, it seems that Epcot would be the perfect place to live. I personally would love to live in the city of Epcot. The ideas behind it are very clever and intelligent. The city would cut down on traffic and car pollution by using a transit system powered by electricity. The mono-rails and wed ways would provide safe and quick transportation in and out of the central hub of the city. The central hub is where the corporations and commercial stores would be located. There would be employment for all people in this area, so the city would not have to worry about having poor people. Also, the central hub would be home to a seven acre recreation deck, which is perfect for people to relax on their off days. The city would be home to its own schools, parks, and churches. By having its own schools, the city could determine what should be taught in the schools, which in turn would produce a higher level of education. The churches and parks would provide the families with nice areas for religious practices and recreational activities. Outside the central hub, would be all of the housing for the community. People would be able to commute easily to and from work in the central hub. The best part of Epcot though, is that it would always be in the state of becoming. The city would always be testing new ideas and technologies to become a better place to live.

EPCOT: A Place I Would Like to Call Home

2010-02-23T08:54:00.001-06:00

The city of EPCOT definitely displays the idea of a utopia. While it seems to be a bit unrealistic, it appears to be a pretty nice place to live. The idea of living in a city that is always progressing is amazing because you never have to worry about your city falling behind.

I was also impressed by the transport system. I love convenience, and I would really love to live in a city of continuous transportation. The idea of never having to wait on a train or a bus is so flattering to me. And while this is a great way to minimize traffic jams, I also think this would be a good way to minimize drunken driving accidents. There would be no need to drive because there is always public transportation.

In addition to transportation convenience, I was impressed by the dome that would cover the downtown area and protect the people from poor weather conditions. This was a great idea because usually many tourists visit the downtown area when they visit a new city and this way they will not have to worry about rain or snow during certain seasons.

As a result of the convenience, I feel that there will need to be a policy enforced on immigration. There is a very huge possibility that the city will have many people interested in living there and the city will eventually become over populated. If over population occurs, then the city will not be able to function as it is suppose to and the idea if convenience will not longer exist.

The Daydream of Epcot

2010-02-22T21:20:00.002-06:00

Epcot would at first glance appear to be the perfect place to live. The completely planned environment with a dynamic city center, transportation system, and residential communities with recreational areas, among other aspects, seems to be all a person would need to live a happy life. In reality, this planned city is too much of a good thing and would encounter numerous problems that would be difficult to fix.

With some of our own towns as evidence, we have seen how cities are able to be more successful with proper planning. The problem with Epcot is that if it were to become a reality, planners would have to be constantly coming up with new ideas to improve upon the community. Some elements could always be successful, like the layout being in a radial plan, but others might have to be changed constantly, like the urban experience citizens get in the city center. Fads and new ideas are constantly ushered in and out, which could create problems for the success of the city.

One specific concern I have is how the city would adapt to growth. It may be easy to get people to move there initially; some people would probably see it as a land of opportunity. With this interest comes the problem of what city planners will do when Epcot reaches population capacity. They would have to create some sort of policy to determine if people could live their entire lives there if they had an original spot or if they would have to earn their spot in the city.

The idea of Epcot is a great plan in theory, but I don’t see it as ever becoming a reality. It seems to just be something people can daydream about as they observe problems in their own lives.

EPCOT: There's no place like home

2010-02-22T21:01:00.002-06:00

After learning about what Epcot was originally supposed to be I think that I would want to live there. I think that the concept is actually really interesting because it would be a utopia. I'm not convinced Walt Disney's idea would be entirely possible, but it sounds good in theory. I like the way the city is laid out because people who would like to live near the city would be able to and those who would rather live in a suburban community could do that as well. I love the idea that people would not drive often. I think that traffic can be very annoying and the idea that there would be no traffic jams is very appealing. The parks and recreational areas that Walt Disney included in his plan was also appealing because I think areas where people can go to relax and play sports are important. I think the most important thing about Epcot is that it would have to be well kept up for me to live there. This city sounds almost perfect and I would not want to live there if I thought that in a few years the parks would look run down the way a lot of parks do here. Overall, I think that Epcot sounds like it would be a good place to live and I think I would consider living there if giving the opportunity.

EPCOT: My New Home

2010-02-22T20:14:00.001-06:00

After viewing the video on EPCOT I have decided that I would like to live in this city. There were many great elements to living in EPCOT even though many may argue that the city is too farfetched to ever exist. If we are not focusing on whether this city ever could ever exist I would move to EPCOT in a heartbeat. EPCOT was dedicated to the happiness of the people in it and if I were to live in a city that was made in order for me to happy I do not see any reason to not live there. There would be everything that a person could ever need including shopping areas, restaurants, parks, schools, theatres, hotels, churches and many more. I really liked the idea of an enclosed area so that it would always be ideal weather conditions because I enjoy good weather. There is no waiting in or for transportation and there are walking paths (not driving paths) which makes the community very safe. Not only is EPCOT safe but it also is a working community which means that there is employment for all. A policy that would need to be in place in EPCOT would be the fact that every person must work. One of the major characteristics of EPCOT is that every person living in it must work so in order for this to happen a policy would have to be put in place. EPCOT truly has so many positives to offer that the negatives could never outweigh them.

Dinkinage in USA

2010-02-11T18:04:00.001-06:00

According to an article written by, Judy Keen in the USA today, "Legislators belive that men and women who are respnsible enough to fight the war in iraq, then they are responsible enough to be able to drink." I fully agree, with all the stress that these men and women endure over the period of time that they are serving our country, then having a dink shouldnt be an irresponsible sitution for an 18 or 19 year old in the military serving our country. With that being said some states such as Kentucky, Wisconsin, and South Carolina have been itroduced to the idea by legislation according to the article in the USA today. I feel that where there are stressful situations that are obviously apparent such as college students, and military personnel should be able to responsibly drink due to conditions. I mean a college is on there own away frome home and military personel is self- explanatory, when there putting there life on the line for our country in Iraq everyday.

Menace to Society?

2010-02-10T23:18:00.002-06:00

A recent murder case from November 2009 in Humboldt, Tennessee involving two 20-year-old boys is a classic example of “gang violence”. The victim Vincent Brown, who had ties to the Vice Lords, was hit with a car and then shot in the head by the assailant Antonious Brown, who is an active member of the Crips. Although the case is still ongoing, police speculate that Vincent's death could have had something to do with the cocaine found on his body. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20100204/NEWS01/2040307 Although this murder is most likely a result of gang related activity gangs are, in fact, much more complex organizations than most people think. The public policies on gangs also cover a wide range of topics more extensive than simply locking up juvenile delinquents who’ve gotten mixed up in drugs and violence. Gangs are the products of “failing” communities, places where public policies are not working, and the residents are usually impoverished. Someone needs to protect the community and in many cases that protection comes from gangs. Gangs provide members with a sense of family and sometimes more importantly, with protection. The battle between law enforcement and gangs has been ongoing for decades, but gangs in the past have been able to work with local law enforcement. The best example of this would be the Vice Lords in Chicago, the same gang that Vincent Brown was involved with. In the 1970’s the Vice Lords worked to better their community, and just as a governmental institution would they tried to promote good values and stimulate the local economy. And it worked, at least for a little while. But the Vice Lords never received the help and support they should have from the local government. So my question is, what would happen if public policies were put in place to work with the gangs instead of against them? Could gang members become advocates for society, rather than menaces to it?

Obama's New Medical Marijuana Policy

2010-02-10T11:21:00.001-06:00

Medical Marijuana has always been a controversial topic in today’s society. Ever since the 1970’s and the Regan administration, the “war on drugs” has cost the government an exorbitant amount of money and time. From imprisonment of non-violent offenders, which comes out of the taxpayer’s pocket, to DEA ransacking of licensed medical marijuana dispensaries around the country, one can see that the “war on drugs” is ineffective and inefficient. There has been plenty of scientific evidence that marijuana can be used effectively to treat diseases such as glaucoma, and helps to increase appetite and reduce pain for patients who have cancer. This article shows that there is increasing support from those in the government to listen to advocates for medical marijuana. President Obama has recently instated a new policy which states that the federal government will not seek arrests for people who follow state laws. For example, in the past, DEA agents would commonly raid legitimate medical marijuana dispensaries and confiscate all product, leaving the owners of the establishment little to live on. The article points out that some of these dispensaries are covers for illegal operations, but the licensing processes that are required to open a shop like that are rigid enough that the government would certainly be able to ascertain between businesses that are fake and those that are real. I believe that with the amount of scientific evidence that has been gathered in recent years, along with legitimate ways of policing these dispensaries, this new policy from the Obama administration makes a lot of sense.

CTA Service Cuts Leave Chicagoans Stranded

2010-02-10T11:16:00.004-06:00

In an effort to alleviate economic strains, the CTA is implementing some changes—most notably layoffs and service cuts. These efforts are aimed at limiting the CTA’s operating costs. The planned cuts in service and planned layoffs are projected to save the CTA some $95.6 million in hemorrhaging funds. The plan, however, has come under a significant amount of scrutiny and leaves many questions to be wondered at. To begin, Chicagoans are extremely concerned that cuts in services will cause longer travel times, increasingly crowded buses and trains, and longer waits between services. When considering these new problems and coupling them with higher fare rates, one is left to ponder such streamlining while packed on a bus like a sardine, pockets lighter, and 10 minutes late for work. The CTA has issued warning of the increased travel times; suggesting riders arrive early for their respective bus or train and research new schedules and routes so as to limit any confusion. Still, are there no other possible solutions? Prior to the implementation of these service cuts and layoffs, the CTA presented the union of bus drivers and mechanics with a proposal calling for the return of a 3.5% pay raise union employees had received earlier in the year. The union declined such an “offer”. Such an instance quickly illustrates an issue of measurable concern. The dichotomous nature of solutions seems to create a rift between white collar and blue collar, management and labor. In such a case where both sides stand in staunch opposition to the other, there is little possibility for a meeting in the middle. So, the hope for a more positively affective solution is slim, and Chicagoans are being reminded of this as they wait out in the cold.

For more information visit this article featured in the Chicago Tribune.

Employment Discrimination

2010-02-10T11:08:00.004-06:00

Employment discrimination can happen in alot of ways. Employment discrimination is discrimination in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination and compensation. It includes various types of harassment. Discrimination in the work place can hurt a businesses reputation when hiring employees. A business self limits itself when it resricts advancement to certain groups or types of employees. Employees want to find new jobs when they are not treated right by a company. One case of employment discrimination is age discrimination. Both involved men fired from their jobs at the age of 57. Both men had prettty good performance records for many years with their employers, they had a few problems but noting major enough to get the boot. An interesting article that would constitute discrimination is http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html. In todays economy it is hard to find a job because no one wants to be discriminated upon. It is important to realize when you are interviewing for a job you do have rights.

Crime on the rise

2010-02-10T11:03:00.002-06:00

Crime is on the rise due to the economy. As more people lose their jobs and savings to the fainting economy, police officers across the state are grappling with sharp rises in burglaries, car break ins and other crimes which are believed to be the cause of financial problems. It has also been said that increase in domestic violence. this probably trails from consumer desperation and anger. Lawrence police saw the number of home burglaries jump 52 percent, to 514, in 2008. In Lowell, larcenies and thefts went up 21 percent to 2,290 last year. In Hingham, reports of domestic violence between October 2008 and February 2009 increased 62 percent. As you can see the need for consumer goods has created a large crime increase. The penalties for burglary could result in probation with no time in jail or up to 365 days in jail. Domestic violence can result in penalties such as a fine up to $10,000 you could also be places in a batters counseling program. I just wonder how we can reduce crime when we are cutting back on law enforcement. I believe a lot of it has to do with how we are cutting back on the economy and how we are going to adjust public policy to accommodate current financial situations. A good link to this situation could be veiwed on this web site http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/03/10/economy_fuels_rise_in_crime_police_say/.

Prostitution

2010-02-10T11:02:00.001-06:00

All across the world there is huge debate on this issue. This issue bring conflicts to the economy, morals, and safety of the people across the world but especially in the United States. The issue is prostitution. To put this article in a more general view other than San Francisco (where this article is written) some people want to legalize prostitution, however others do not. You might already have known the various reasons why so many people want to keep prostitution illegal. For example, people feel that prostitution is immoral, it increases changes of spreading STI's, and it has close ties to drug usage. However, you might not know that there are many places outside of the United States that have a regulated form of prostitution that is pretty successful. Legalizing prostitution can have a slippery slope effect. If you legalize prostitution, you can have an increase in the sex industry which helps the economy and also creates a control environment to limit the dangers of prostitution and also preventing STIs from occurring at such a high rate. Also, if you do legalize prostitution you are making a decision as a country that it is fine to sell something that is so sacred for money, opening the door for children to be used as play toys and actually increase the spread of STI's. I personally do not have a position on this issue at hand, however I know many of you do.

Education Vouchers

2010-02-10T10:37:00.003-06:00

Improving our school systems has been a top priority for many years. There have also been efforts to rescue children from failing school systems, mostly in inner-city neighborhoods. Education voucher programs have been proposed in dozens of states across the country. The vouchers are valued between $2,500 and $5,000 and are given to the parents of school-age children to be used toward the cost of tuition at private schools. Money for vouchers is raised mostly by taxes, although some companies, such as Wal-Mart, have offered scholarships to low-income students. Many people argue that low income students should be given the same opportunities as everyone else, instead of attending failing schools where they are unable to succeed. Education vouchers are thought of as a logical way to foster competion between public schools as well as with the academically superior private schools. Many of these vouchers are used to attend private religious schools, but some have a problem with the problems these vouchers are bringing to the religious autonomy of Christian schools. Christians believe that education is the responsibility of the family, not the state. Education vouchers have been an ongoing controversial policy since the 1990's but more and more people every day are beginning to support them.

Legalization of Marijuana

2010-02-10T10:34:00.002-06:00

For many years, the debate on whether or not marijuana should be legalized or not has been an on going one. Today, the use, possession, and sale of marijuana is a criminalized act, but that was not always the case. In 1937 Henry Angling proposed the Marijuana Tax Act. This act levied taxes on the use, possession, and sale of marijuana. In 1951 there was an act passed that superseded the Marijuana Act of 1937 criminalizing all marijuana, cannabis, and hemp. In 1970 congress passed the Controlled Substances Act. Here congress classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug making marijuana illegal under federal law. However, many local and state governments began soon decriminalizing it. Most recently, in 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that the legal status of marijuana is controlled by the federal government. Today activist of marijuana argue a few different reasons as to why they believe that marijuana should be legalized. One reason is that they believe the government could impose a tax on all sales of marijuana which in return could help out the economy. Also, activist believes that the value to the medicinal world, that marijuana offers, out weighs its abuse. For example, marijuana can be used to treat patients with cancer, glaucoma, and even aids. Activist also say that marijuana is far less more dangerous than smoking and alcohol use For more information on this topic please refer to the two articles I have posted below.

http://wiki.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:Marijuana,_Legalization_of and http://www.uri.edu/personal/atro6990/

Bipartisan rebirth – Republicans break the democratic supermajority.

2010-02-10T03:12:00.000-06:00

With the country still in the midst of economic peril and high 9.7% unemployment the Senate is trying to address the problem as quick as the painfully slow government can go. Since loosing the supermajority to the recent republican election the Democrats are feeling further pressure to deliver to a critical population. The drafted bill currently includes several Republican proposals to extend the olive branch. If for the only reason to keep public opinion liberal, democrats, at least in this bill are once again trying to include the Republican aspect. One of the most important of which is the significant reduction in bill cost to 80 billion. This is purposed as a temporary solution to lower the extremely high unemployment rate. Unfortunately for the entire nation Washington like much of the rest of the world is unwilling or I suppose unable to deal with high level of snow so this bill cannot be purposed for the next two weeks while people struggle to keep heat on. Although it is intriguing to see bipartisanship at this high level of democratic control it is understandable due to the pressure on all parts of the perceived liberal government. This bill is important to the people for two reasons. One it addresses issues that can begin to help the unemployment rate and two it refers to bills that have since expired, answering question about various funds and policies. Some of these policies include, the Highway Trust Fund that is responsible for funding local and transit projects as well as beneficial tax credits. The estate tax, which expired in the previous year, will not be addressed in this bill. Besides the small amount of issues addressed in this bill a lot of things could be affected. This bill may be an example of populous opinion of the democratic majority, bipartisan relationship and possibly future unemployment bills. For more information please visit the following: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6184VX20100210

"Dont Ask Don't Tell" How Much Longer Will It Be Around?

2010-02-10T01:15:00.001-06:00

This is an opinions article written by Alexander Nicholson regarding the “don’t ask don’t tell” law in the United States military. Of course, “don’t ask don’t tell ” is a law in the U.S. military that prohibits openly gay people to still be involved in the military. Gay-rights activists find this to be one of the forefront issues in the campaign to make America equal to all people regardless of their sexual orientation. This specific law has been a very hard fight for gay-rights activists because of the generally more conservative nature of the U.S. army. Nicholson writes this article in regards to the brief words that were spoken by President Obama for his state of the union regarding the policy. Obama promised that he would make sure that the “don’t ask don’t tell law” would be repealed within the next year. Nicholson argues that this is a gigantic win for gay-rights activists even though some may think otherwise. He acknowledges counter-arguments that some may think Obama did not speak enough, but he explains that the State of the Union is not the place where the President should do so. He also argues that this is the most attention that the White House has ever put to the issue which shows that there is much hope that this promise will be followed through with. Nicholson appeals most however to his own credentials as a former U.S. Army Intelligence coordinator and the director of the biggest gay-rights military activist group in the nation. He argues that if anyone knows that this is a win for military gay-rights, it is him.

Paying Teachers by Merit?

2010-02-10T00:50:00.002-06:00

In the United States today, there is an incredible amount of resources, time, and interest invested into the very controversial topic of teacher payment plans. Up until recently, tradition has dictated that teachers were to be payed by their level of seniority at the school, as well as the weight their degree held. Basically the longer a teacher has been at a school, or the higher degree, the higher the salary. However, this system is under heavy scrutiny and being strongly challenged by the notion of Merit Pay. This proposal of wage earning works almost exactly as the title suggests, salaries are earned by level of competence or success. This seems like a rather obvious wage system. Not only does it seem fair and logical to get only what one deserves, but this system has been in use in many companies across the country for many years. As appealing as it sounds, Merit Pay does have some eyebrow raising concerns. For instance, if payment is based upon merit, how will it be decided if a teacher has earned a higher or lower salary? The difficulty is hidden in the technique of measurement. The objective of a teacher is to pass on information to their students effectively. If teachers are graded upon how much their students have learned, contamination of the results seem too likely. The amount of learning students undergo can rely heavily on the talents and personality types of the students and not the teachers. Furthermore, finding a way to measure how much the students have learned is also difficult. Standardized testing has been proving itself to be inaccurate in this regard with the "No Student Left Behind" program. Despite the kinks to work out, studies and experiments have shown remarkable improvement in students, even up to 6-9 percentile points. States such as Texas, Colorado, and Minnesota have been employing test programs in schools willing to participate. This is an extremely important issue because the treatment of the instructors can highly effect the education of our learning generations. This decision effects not only the possibilities of success for our students, but also for our future as a nation! A poor education severely limits the amount of leaders and innovators that can further our society's level of life satisfaction. It is also possible this can boost our nations education thereby ensuring the betterment of our experience as Americans. An article that would greatly help in the understanding of this issue is:

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Merit_Pay/

To Educate or Not to Educate. Is that really going to be the question?

2010-02-10T00:24:00.002-06:00

Public education in America today has reached an all-time low. Compared to other educational systems in the world, America is currently ranked 20^th in the world in the areas of mathematics, science and reading. Public school system testing have found that 60% of students who have not passed the state required exam lack skills that can prove useful later in their careers. In addition, tuition bill at colleges and university further add to the growing problem of the uneducated youth today. Poverty is also an issue that relates to education. With the dropout rate at 48% of a graduating class in a metropolitan area, many of these individuals go on to pursue low-valued jobs that require very low qualification skills, making them accessible to being laid-off or fired. This adds to the increasing demand of unemployed individuals, adding to the recession era. Time calls for a national reform on education, America can not stand by and watch as its youth progress themselves to poverty because proper venues of education were not accessible to them. In conclusion, there needs to be some cataclysmic type of change, there needs to be a way to provide every citizen the opportunity to be given a proper education that will help further each of their lives.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8579

Jobs Bill

2010-02-10T00:09:00.000-06:00

One thing that I have heard over and over again in the news is the dire economic state our country is currently in, but I feel like our government has had many failed attempts to help our situation. With January’s unemployment rate at 9.7% and 8.4 million Americans still out of work, we are in desperate need for some relief. Finally the senate is trying to do just that by working on a Jobs Bill to help us in this crisis. According to CNN.com, democrats are trying to get this Jobs Bill on the floor tomorrow (February 10, 2010) to get it passed quickly. Although republicans are a little hesitant, I think this Jobs Bill could be extremely successful in helping Americans through this rough time. Democrats are not really sure where the money is going to come from to pay for this bill, but this bill is not like those previous failed attempts. Some of the items the democrats have on the bill are like renewing existing highway legislation this would result in one million new jobs within a year. In addition to new jobs this bill would enact small business and job creation tax credits, helping out small businesses stay open and successful. I guess we’ll just have to see tomorrow if the senate can come together to pass the Jobs Bill. Link: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/09/jobs.bill.politics/index.html?iref=allsearch

F.D.A. On Radiation

2010-02-10T00:08:00.002-06:00

Just going in for another x-ray right? Maybe not, this one might have long term affects that you were not planning on. Recently the F.D.A. has taken further steps to regulate the three most potent forms of medical radiation. For weeks they have been investigating why over 300 patients were affected with over-radiation. This is a very scary situation. I have never had an x-ray or anything like it, but I can imagine worrying about things going wrong. In the article some patients were receiving up to 8 times the radiation they were supposed to be receiving, and the only reason they caught it was from patients losing hair. This is a very scary thought for me, and I am surprised to even see this happening.

What does this mean for these hospitals that are performing these operations? There are under some serious questioning here because when the patients are suddenly at a higher risk for cancer someone has some answering to do. The article turns to the manufacturer of the machines which makes the sense. They say they will be holding an issue in March on the issue. I hope they are going to get their argument straight because they are going to have a good number people attacking their company. This issue is no laughing matter. One of the doctors states "There is nothing on the machine that tells us we've dialed something in wrong." This really makes the manufacturer of the machines look bad. Seeing how this turns out will be interesting. For the full article visit, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/health/policy/10radiation.html?ref=us.

Should Greece Be Rescued?

2010-02-09T23:59:00.002-06:00

Bailouts. The single word, popularized recently with the massive domestic bailout of the auto industry, stirs up many heated emotions for Americans. However, we are not the only nation dealing with an unofficial recession and economic woes. The European Union, a political experiment of regionalism, has its own economic problems, most notably in the country of Greece.

Due to Greece’s high levels of national debt, the rest of the European Union is worried about the value of the Euro, the universal currency for the zone. Since this kind of regional organization is linked by the common currency, there are concerns for all the states about devaluation of the Euro. This could cause even more detrimental consequences for the economy than the recession. Since this puts the entire European Union in jeopardy, states such as Germany have stepped up to lend Greece money in order to prevent a default on the monies owed. Germany and France specifically have special interests in helping Greece get back on its feet because these two countries have already lent out loans that have not been repaid.

The article uses argument by authority, citing a “person familiar with this matter,” several times in the piece without identifying the speaker. There is also argument by sign: there has to be a bailout because there is a major budget deficit. According to the article, these two conditions must be interpreted together.

This policy is an attempt to build the perfect European society within a block of these 16 states. Citizens must have this new policy option in order to have optimum value of their currency and a strong national economy, which leads to jobs and prosperity for the euro-zone.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

2010-02-09T23:56:00.000-06:00

Don’t ask, don’t tell refers to the policy used by the United States military to stop openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans from serving in the armed forces. In the past, the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy has resulted in the discharge of more than 14,000 military personnel across the services. The funny thing is, though, many of the soldiers possessed the skills needed to do jobs that are considered “shortfalls” for the military such as: pilots, combat engineers, and linguists. In 2009, seventy five percent of Americans voted to allow homosexual soldiers to openly display their sexual orientation. Identifying the unfairness that comes along with this policy, President Barack Obama plans to work with top defense officials, congress and the military to repeal it. "This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are," Obama said. I believe once this issue is addressed, then we as Americans will not only began to accept gay American soldiers, but civilians as well. Society still struggles with the idea of same sex relationships and it does not seem like we will ever be comfortable with it, but honoring and respecting them as soldiers is a great start.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/01/AR2010020103711.html

U.S. unveils offer to help Iran purchase medical isotopes

2010-02-09T23:40:00.011-06:00

With the hopes of restraining Iran's nuclear ambitions, the U.S is developing a plan that would permit Iran to purchase medical isotopes capable of fueling its medical research reactor. This purchase would allow the medical research center to continue serving patients without the need for Iran to develop its own Uranium enriching program. President Obama hopes that this deal will help to ease tensions created by Iran's recent efforts to go forth with plans to enrich Uranium capable of creating a nuclear weapon. In previous statements, Iran has claimed that its recent actions for Uranium enrichment are solely for the purpose of its medical research center, not nuclear weapons. More recently, Iran has responded to the U.S.'s proposals by stating that it has a strong desire to enrich its own Uranium as a source of "national pride". Many politicians in Washington are not buying it. Critics criticize Iran's goals because they believe its scientists do not possess the technology capable of such an endeavor, since creating specialized fuel rods is more difficult than creating weaponry. Although President Obama's deal has come under fire due to earlier beliefs that "we should have started with isotopes," it allows Iran's intentions to become more evident. By maintaining open talks as well as providing Iran with a fair price for the isotopes, President Obama believes Iran's true plans can be inferred and proper actions taken.

Intrusive airport security

2010-02-09T23:40:00.007-06:00

Airport security is a very sensitive subject for many. While some breeze through security checkpoints, others constantly get pulled aside for “random” security checks, often times leading to a very unpleasant, demeaning, and embarrassing pat-down search. While some people feel violated and believe their human rights are being infringed, others feel safe knowing the security personnel are hard at work keeping them safe in the skies. Just recently, a new scanner has been introduced that is able to virtually strip search a passenger. It produces a full body, naked image of a person that is scanned, and displays such an image to the security person so they can see if there are any hidden weapons or drugs. While this is unquestionably a very safe and effective way of seeing all of a person’s hidden areas, it is believed by many to be unreasonably intrusive. Some argue that is the price we as a public should pay to be safe, while others say it is overly intrusive, so the line should be drawn here. As if to add insult to injury, there was a case of a celebrity’s scanned image being distributed amongst other personnel in the airport, clearly going against policies set in place to preserve the public’s privacy. Ultimately, are these methods worth it? Do people want to be safe, or just feel like they are safe?

Additional articles:

http://www.barcelonareporter.com/index.php?/news/comments/naked_body_scanner_images_of_film_star_shahrukh_khan_printed_circulated_by_/0902100907pm

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/05/18/airport.security.body.scans/

unplanned pregnancies

2010-02-09T23:32:00.003-06:00

In today's society, young girls as young as 13 are now getting pregnant because they are not using the proper birth control. But, you can't always fault these young girls. Mother's now a days are not teaching their daughters the right way to take care of themselves sexually, in a mature manor. These young girls are learning about sex in school from their peers, in the media, and on television. Americans live in such a chaotic world now a days, that we don't have time to sit down and talk to young children like in the past. Therefore, these young girls are making the wrong decision about sex. But, one has to remember, that it takes two to tangle. Saying that, young boys' role models on celebrities on television, rappers, and thugs. Most children are already growing up in single mother homes, so they lack the presence of a father. So, those young boys look up to the thug fathers and try to follow in their footsteps. It is sad to say that we should consider talking to our youth as young as 10 years old so they will be ready for their teen years. There we can't blame the youth completely on this subject without blaming ourselves for our ignorance.

Animal Cruelty Epidemic

2010-02-09T23:21:00.004-06:00

In the article, Expanding Orders to Include Companion Animals, the authors Phil Arkow and Tracy Coppola discuss and analyze the issue of domestic violence-related animal abuse in the United States (Arkow and Tracy, 2007, p.1). Historically, the government has portrayed animals as merely personal property and the court system was often reluctant to enforce harsh punishment on those who were found guilty of animal cruelty and even more reluctant to carry out guilty verdicts (Arkow and Tracy, 2007, p.1). Now, advocates are seeking legislative strategies for an increase in animal protection which includes reclassifying the forms of animal abuse and labeling certain types of cruelty to animals as a felony offense (Arkow and Tracy, 2007, p.2). With the overwhelming support nationwide of these violence protection orders, legislatures across the country are now considering similar bills to those laws already enacted in certain states (Arkow and Tracy, 2007, p.2). Furthermore, with structure for this legislation already in place, supplementing the existing laws will simply fulfill these requirements. Arkow and Tracy emphasize a significant correlation between animal abuse and intimate partner violence (2007, p.3). The power and control an abuser needs over the victim can be facilitated by the victim’s attachment to pets. Pet abuse can be a precursor to abuse of the victim or can be a means of intimidating the victim to do what the abuser wants (Arkow and Tracy, 2007, p.3). The issue at stake for the public is providing protection for the victims by also providing legal protection for their animals. Victims of abuse stay in violent homes to protect their pets (Arkow and Tracy, 2007, p.6). The victim has strong legal security with an order of protection that the police and courts will enforce (Arkow and Tracy, 2007, p.8). The courts can order the abuser to continue financial support to the victim such as continuing mortgage payments (Arkow and Tracy, 2007, p.8). http://www.americanhumane.org/assets/docs/advocacy/ADV-ppo-report-09-v2.pdf

Title IX

2010-02-09T23:19:00.002-06:00

Being a wrestler, Title IX is something that really hits close to home with my sport. Although I am apart of a very tight knit group in the wrestling community, and hear about a lot of programs being cut, I don’t know a ton about what Title IX stands for and how it really works. Also, I think its very important to know what is going on with public policy in circumstances that are ‘close to home’ and feel this is a perfect opportunity to do so. Title IX was enacted in 1972, and is set up to make it unlawful in any place that receives federal aid to deny the right to education to someone based on sex. This is what causes a lot of Universities and Colleges to drop sports programs in order to create an equal opportunity for women. To date, 121 wrestling programs have been cut, however, it has led to allowing female athletes such as Mia Hamm to participate in college athletics. I feel that through research, I will get a better understanding of how Title IX actually helps the overall well being of our country, and isn’t just a negative policy. I am very curious to learn about both sides of the spectrum and how this policy is implemented in the United States.

http://title-ix.blogspot.com/2010/01/cuts-at-duquesne.html

Marijuana Support Growing

2010-02-09T23:18:00.003-06:00

Marijuana has a lot of controversy attached to it, but the controversy may soon end in the future. People across the states are changing the way they think about the drug for many reasons. First off, our current president Barack Obama admitted inhaling the drug when he was younger because, "That was the whole point"; getting high. Perhaps this started the wave of momentum that America is now riding. Also, the American Medical Association recently switched positions on the matter, urging the federal government to change the schedule I drug to a schedule II drug. Heroin is a class I drug, and to put marijuana in the same category is ludicrous. According to this article, a poll taken in october 2009 revealed that 44 percent of Americans are in favor of fully legalizing the drug. A bill that was pending in California at this time suggested a tax on marijuana like regulated tobacco and alcohol could raise 1.3 billion dollars. Medical Marijuana has many healing properties that aid in a number of health problems and, if legalized, could help the United States out of the giant hole of a recession that we are in.

Video Games and Prison Violence

2010-02-09T23:14:00.000-06:00

A Wisconsin prison inmate was banned from playing the video game, “Dungeons and Dragons” on January 26. Dispute on prison hospitality has been going on for a long time, and has now come to electronics in the prison world. The Waupan Correctional Institute went to court against a prisoner protesting the idea of banning a video game. A prison specialist said the video game could lead to gang behavior and different fantasies about escaping the prison. According to prison officials, video games like this can make rehabilitation of prisoners slow and endanger the community.

What kind of impact may this have on the prison world? Will banning video games stop violence in the prison systems? It’s not secret video games is a revolutionary technology that takes over the times of kids and young adults every day. If a video game causes gang violence in a prison, then can the video game “Dungeons and Dragons” also encourage gang violence in a local community? Although prisons and communities are very different, there may be a correlation. If it may cause gang violence in a prison, then maybe it may cause violence in a small town. This is a social issue that many people in this country deal with every day, and that does not just revolve around video games. For example juvenile systems often have to worry about violence against detained teenagers in their prisons. Violence is no secret in prisons, but is banning a video game enough to stop it, and is it necessary?

The United States of America: Brought to you by the good people at GE... wait, what?

2010-02-09T23:13:00.006-06:00

Several weeks ago, the US Supreme Court overruled a century-old precedent when it ruled that the federal government is no longer allowed to block or cap corporate spending or sponsorship in candidate elections. The five justices who voted in favor of allowing corporate sponsorship in elections based their cases upon the First Amendment, stating that the US government has no right to limit the freedom of political speech of any entity, be it a person or corporation. On the other hand, the four dissenters, with whom I personally agree, opined that democracy would be easily corrupted by allowing the flow of corporate money into the political marketplace. This is one of the few times that I personally am not an advocate for freedom of speech - the argument by Justice Anthony Kennedy is basically that corporations are citizens in the eyes of the law, and so thus should be granted the same rights allowed to American citizens. By passing this resolution, the Supreme Court has overruled a precedent set during the first Roosevelt Administration and reinforced by 2003's Feingold-McCain Law, which "banned the broadcast, cable or satellite transmission of 'electioneering communications' paid for by corporations or labor unions from their general funds in the 30 days before a presidential primary and in the 60 days before the general elections." Unfortunately, this means that the three-ring circus we call a democracy is now even further jeopardized by the presence of deep-pocketed multinational companies with malevolent agendas. If there is not a serious turnaround within the next election cycle, the future of American politics could see elected officials acting as marionettes controlled by these corporations, carrying out their agendas and further tightening their grip on American society. In the words of Princess Leia, "Help us, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're our only hope."

Click here for more details, and thanks for reading.

Beginning to ask about Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy

2010-02-09T23:09:00.003-06:00

Policies based on tradition are held to high scrutiny in today's society, and the policy known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) is one policy that is currently being held under such scrutiny. DADT is a policy that was created in 1993 as a compromise by the then campaigning Bill Clinton, which prohibits homosexual individuals serving in the military to openly announce their sexual orientation. The policy was created in an attempt to please those in favor and those opposed to Clinton's promise that all individuals could serve in the military regardless of sexual orientation. Although the policy was tolerated in the past, controversy has arisen recently over the fairness of this policy. According to recent discussions the termination of the policy is "inevitable", because of the current state of society, however this does not mean the termination of DADT will happen quickly. Because the policy relates to issues involving homosexuality there is, as is to be expected, a divide between conservative and liberal politicians and members of society over whether this policy should be eliminated or preserved. Main arguments for those who support the abolishment of the policy are posed by a wide array of individuals and proclaim that one does not need to be straight to be in the military, and that relations between members of different sexual orientations within the military has not been a problem in recent years. Opponents of the termination of DADT claim that making policy changes could disturb the military's balance, which is a risky step to take when the country is in dire need of military stability. Despite these opposing arguments a Washington post poll in 2008 stated that over 70% of citizens support the ability for members of the military to be open about their sexual orientation. Overall, it will take time, persuasion, and effort on the part of political leaders and society to abolish or maintain DADT, a policy built upon tradition.