JesseSimpson August2nd,2011 IBLanguageArts SummerAssignment

Freedom & Governments

Throughouthistory,humanityhasbeenrepressedbymanyvariousgroups, ideologies,andsituations.Thesecanrangefromfundamentalhinderances,suchasthe inevitableandinescapableagingandmortalitythataccompanieslife,tothefarmore avoidableonesorganizedbyotherhumans.Repressiveorganizationscaninclude anythingfromanauthoritarianorinvadinggovernmenttoapowerfulorganized religiontoacorporationmotivatedpurelybyprofit;itisthedutyagovernmenttolay outandprotecttherightsofthepeople.Tobeaguardianofrights,thisgovernment mustberesponsiveandbeholdentothepeople,lestitbecomeyetanotherrepressive force. TheUnitedStateswasfoundedonanidealofademocraticgovernmentbeinga positiveforceinthelivesofpeople,guardingourmostfundamentalrights.Thisidealis communicatedintheDeclarationofIndependence,abraveadvocationforaformof governmentdesignedtofirstandforemostprotectthelibertyofthepeople;repudiating thetiredphilosophywhichclaimedthestatespurposeistoservethemonarch.Thisis theprimarymotivationoftheDeclarationofIndependence,whichstatesoutright, That to secure these rights [life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness], Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government

becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.Thischampioningoftheideal ofagovernmentbeingapositiveforceinpeopleslivescontrastswiththeadmonitionof thegovernmentofKingGeorgeIIIandhisperceivedtyranny.TheDeclarationof IndependenceputsforwardanddenouncestwentysixactsofKingGeorges governmentasdespotic,abusiveanddestructive,buildingacaseforwhytheUnited Statesshouldbesovereign. Historyshowsthatthesourceofoppressionforagroupofpeopleisoftennot justforeignorevendomesticgovernments;privatecorporations,whengiventhepower torepressrightsoftheirworkers,customersorthegeneralpublicfortheirownprofit, typicallychosetodiscardanysocialresponsibilitypeoplemaybelievethecorporation has.DuringtheGildedAge,workerswerepaidinscripforthecompanystore,children wereemployedforlonghoursunderbrutalconditions,attemptstounionizewere frequentlymetwithhostilityfromcompaniesdeterminedtosqueezeasmuchprofitout ofeachmanaspossible.Thepoliticalprocesswasextremelycorrupted,withpolitical machinesusingtheirpoweringovernmenttogivejobsorgovernmentcontractstotheir loyalsupporters.Theegregiouspracticesoftherobberbaronscanbecomparedquite neatlytothoseofmoderncorporationstheunionbustingpracticesofMcDonaldsare welloutlinedinBehindtheCounter,fromFast Food Nation,whichdetailsthe

attemptsofworkersinSanFrancisco,MontrealandLansingtounionizeandthedrastic measurestakenbyMcDonalds.Thesectiondetailshow,Aflyingsquadof experiencedmanagersandcorporateexecutiveswassenttoarestaurantthemoment unionactivitywassuspected.Seeminglyinformalrapsessionswereheldwith disgruntledemployees.Theworkerswere...flatteredandstroked...[T]heywere encouragedtoshareinformationabouttheunionsplansandthenameofunion sympathizers.Ifthestrokingwasntsuccessfulinobtaininginformationonthe unionizers,McDonaldswouldforceworkerstotakealiedetectortestandinterrogate themaboutunionactivities.InMontrealandLansing,McDonaldsevencloseddown therestaurantswheretherewereburgeoningunionizationmovements.Thissuccessful thwartingofunionizationattempts,combinedwiththemassivemechanizationand deskillingoffastfoodworkwhichallowsfranchisestohirenewworkerswhoneedlittle training,haveresultedintherebeingnotoneunionizedMcDonaldsinNorthAmerica. Byoppressingthebasicrightofitsworkerstoorganizeandcollectivelyargueforfair pay,benefitsandhours,McDonaldsjoinsmanymodernandhistoricalcompanies(the EastIndianTradingCompany)inlimitingthefreedomoftheoftenvulnerable populationthatworksthere. Whilefastfoodcorporationsdeliberatelyworktokeepthesalaryandbenefits providedtoitsworkersatabareminimum,theU.S.governmentimplicitlysupportsthe fastfoodindustrieswithitsmassivesubsidizationofbeefandthecornwhichfeedsthe cows.AsCornsConquest,fromThe Omnivores Dilemmastates,WhenIstarted

tryingtofollowtheindustrialfoodchaintheonethatnowfeedsmostofusmostof thetimeandtypicallyculminateseitherinasupermarketorfastfoodmealIexpected thatmyinvestigationswouldleadmetoawidevarietyofplaces.Andthoughmy journeysdidtakemetoagreatmanystates,andcoveredagreatmanymiles,atthevery endofthesefoodchains(whichistosay,attheverybeginning),Iinvariablyfound myselfinalmostexactlythesameplace:afarmfieldintheAmericanCornBelt.Thisis oneofthemainreasonsalongwithkeepinglaborcostsataminimumthrough mechanizationandantiunionizationandthecostbenefitsofmassproductionwhy McDonaldsisabletooffer$1baconhamburgers.Everyfederaltaxpayerfinancially supportsthefastfoodindustry,whethertheyknowitornot.Ofcourse,federal subsidiesofcorporationsinAmericaarenotlimitedtofastfoodcompanies;banks receivedhundredsofbillionsofdollarsinbailoutsduringthelastrecessionandsprawl developershavetheirgreenfieldhousingdevelopmentssubsidizedbygovernments whichpayforthehighwaysthattheirdevelopmentsrequire,tonamejusttwoexamples. Thesesubsidies,obtainedwiththehelpofhighpricedlobbyistsandthecoerciveeffects ofmoney,showhowthebalanceofpowerinAmericaiscorruptedandhow governmentcan,withtaxpayermoney,supportcorporationsaheadofallelse. Thoughoftenaguardianofthecorporateclass,theU.S.governmenthasnot alwaysbeentheprotectorofthelibertyofevenitsownpeople,letaloneothers;women, AfricanAmericans,NativeAmericans,AsianAmericans,JewishAmericans,Hispanic Americans,immigrantsofallethnicities,gays,andthepoorwereandarerepressedor

discriminatedagainst,andhistorically,theirfreedomshavebeeninfringedonbythe government.Thoughmostoftheseinjusticesarenotactivelybeingperpetratedbythe U.S.governmenttoday,theirhistoryprovidesaclearexampleofagovernmentthatcan hinderindependence.EventheDeclarationofIndependence,theidealisticadvocation forselfdeterminationthatgalvanizedtheAmericanRevolutionsetthestageforthe unprecedentedgenocideofNativeAmericansatthehandoftheAmericangovernment withitsline,He[KingGeorgeIII]hasexciteddomesticinsurrectionsamongstus,and hasendeavouredtobringontheinhabitantsofourfrontiers,themercilessIndian Savages,whoseknownruleofwarfare,isanundistinguisheddestructionofallages, sexesandconditions.ThisisnottosaythattheUnitedStateshasapurelynegative historywithregardtoprotectingthefreedomsofitspeople.Thoughittookacenturyof partisanargumentandfouryearsofaCivilWar,theU.S.dideventuallyeradicate slavery,andwithit,madesureAbrahamLincolnspromisethat,government of the peopleby peoplefor the peopleshall not perish from the earth, was fulfilled.TheU.S.governmentdideventuallybreakupthemonopoliesoftheGilded Era(thoughtherepealingoftheGlassSteagallactandotherlooseningofanti monopolyregulationshavebroughtaboutnewbanking,cellphoneandmanufacturing monopolies)andpassedregulationstoendchildlaborinfactories,promotingthe welfareofthemasses.Itensuredthecivilrightsofminorities,providedadecent retirementtoeveryAmerican,andcleaneduptheenvironmentthroughtheCleanAir andWaterActs.However,eachofthesewasonlyachievedbecauseofpowerfulpressure

onthegovernmentfromvocalcitizens.Thisillustratesthekeydifferencebetween governmentandotherpowerfulorganizations:wecanchosewhoweelect,andwecan throwthebastardsoutofpowerifwewant.Thoughselfishinterest,lying,restrictions onvotingandmisinformationmaywarpourformofdemocracy,electedofficialsare alwaysultimatelyattheserviceoftheelectorate. Nearlyallpowerfulorganizationswillhindertheindependenceofonegroupor another.Governmentsandcorporationsdenycitizensorworkersfullfreedom,and livingwithinasocietyorworkingforacorporationinvolvesconstantassessmentabout whichrightsareworthfightingfor.Theequilibriummaintainedbetweenthe governmentandthecitizenorbetweenthecompanyandtheworker,isdestroyedonce thecitizenlosestheabilitytospeakupandoncetheworkerbecomesthoughtofas merelyanecessaryfinancialburdenofthecorporation.Agoodgovernmentcan activelysupportfreedombymakingsurethepowerinasocietyisnotdecidedonlyby thewealthonepossessesandbydefendinghumanrightsatallcosts.