How the Economy Works Blog

The economy as we know it is in constant fluctuation, so much so that it has become increasingly difficult to predict where our economy is heading in the future. The reason for this is complex, but at its base, it is quite simple. The future is uncertain, we cannot know where we will be in 5, 10, 15 years, all we can do is go with out gut feeling and hope that the future aligns with our instincts (pg. 2 Ip). The state of the economy can be in one of two states. The first is a bull market. A bull market economy occurs when share prices begin to rise, encouraging people to buy more. The second is a bear market. A bear market is the opposite of the bull where prices fall, encouraging more selling. Both of these economic states are constantly contending until a perfect "equilibrium" is found. Throughout history, the economic patterns of the bull and bear market differ. The bear is often used when the country faces a economic disaster such as the Wall Street Crash of 1929 which led to the Great Depression. The bull is used during a relief period of economic recovery from a disaster. These markets only occur during depressions which as results of recessions. Recessions are a short period of economic strife. A depression on the other hand is a prolonged time of economic disaster.

The Underground Economy

The "Underground Economy" is a term used for the system where workers who can't find a full-time or regular job are paid under the table. The services they are getting paid for are not always illegal however. Anecdotal evidence shows that the system applies to personal and domestic workers such as housekeepers and nannies. This system is a double edged sword however, it can be beneficial while at the same time it can be problematic. On the beneficial side is the fact that there is a surge in consumer spending, consequently boosting the economy. This system also gives those who have a hard time finding a job in the current economy a chance to work, maybe not for much, but at least for something. On the negative side however, workers who are paid under the table are not taxed. According to the International Revenue Service, over $500 billion in taxes were lost due to unreported wages. There is also the strong likelihood that workers who are forced to work in these conditions will be exploited by businesses.

Should Police Officers be Allowed to Search Phones without a Warrant

A topic of debate today is whether or not police officers should be allowed to search phones without a warrant. This would certainly qualify as a invasion of privacy, however it also has the potential of saving lives. I personally believe that it is an invasion of privacy and therefore in order for a police officer to search someone's phone they will need a warrant. While it is true that phones may contain information that could potentially hurt people, many people who text such things or look up related things on the internet are usually in a state of anger that would pass. Police officers should not search someone's personal phone just because the phone's owner may have been in a dark place at one time. At the very least, the officer should have a warrant.

Head of State Blog

The movie "Head of State" staring Chris Rock satirizes modern politicians and political figures as well as the entire nonsense associated with election campaigns. More specifically, they poke fun at the fact that politicians do not state their true beliefs, only what will get them elected. A prime example of this would be when Mays' opponent Lewis flew to a school where a tragedy occurred and only stayed their for the interview where he states his "sorrow". Another example of this would be when Lewis released the attack ad stating the Mays supports cancer, which is of course absurd. However, the movie is not just about poking fun at politics. It also shows the growth of the film's protagonist, Mays Gilliam. Mays began as a alderman of a town and slowly worked his way up to a presidential disposition. Initially when he began running for president he did everything his advisors told him. This all changed when Mays met his brother Mitch, played by the great actor Bernie Mac. Mitch tells Mays to be himself and talk about his views and not the views of the party. This eventually leads to Mays running his campaign in a completely unorthodox way, including openly cursing in front of the crowds to dubbing a video of Osama bin Laden saying that he hates America but loves Lewis. This film is a perfect way to remind everyone how silly and power hungry politicians are.

2014 Massachusetts Governor Election Opinion

We have come to the 2014 governor election to see who will fill the shoes of soon to be former governor, Deval Patrick. The question is though, who will be able to replace the former governor? The candidates running include: Republican Charlie Baker, Democrat Martha Coakley, and independents Evan Falchuck, Scott Lively, and Jeff McCormick. Prior to writing this blog I did some digging into the history of each candidate, their policies and how they perform in the debates. We are taught to support the candidate whose policies align with ours. I however, measure a candidate based on their ability to be a leader. That being said, I cannot support Scott Lively or Jeff McCormick. Lively is a bigot who tries to stop the world from changing, and McCormick is simply more boring than white bread. I cannot support Coakley either. During her time as the District Attorney several children under her watch were sexually abused. I simply cannot trust someone as incompetent as Martha Coakley to lead our state. Which brings us to the last two, Charlie Baker and Evan Falchuck. Logically, Baker has a much larger chance at winning. During the debates he carried himself almost like Mitt Romney did, his deliberation was logical, but not emotional. Falchuck on the other hand did what I have always wanted to do, he provided a human perspective. During one debate Baker and Coakley were arguing about Coakley's incompetence when dealing with the abuse scandals. Falchuck pointed out that they were both using this horrifying instance as political fodder. He said it not only disrespected the other candidates, but also those who suffered from this tragedy. Falchuck knows he has no chance of winning, but his long term goal is to create a new political party, the United Independent Party. In essence the party would provide independent candidates a chance to win. I support this man's ideals and hope for his party's success in the future. In conclusion, even though his chances of winning are absurdly slim, I would vote for Evan Falchuck.

Lincoln Movie Blog

The movie Lincoln properly documents the problems Lincoln had when attempting to pass the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. The most obvious reason for voting against the amendment was that many of the men voting were racist. Those who were not racist saw that releasing all the slaves at once could be a colossal disaster. Many were also worried that they would try and take people's jobs since they would ask for less pay. Many also question if Honest Abe was truly honest due to many unethical steps he took in order to pass the amendment. Lincoln offered jobs (especially to lame duck politicians) in exchange for votes. Lincoln also bent the truth about the amendment. However he was not entirely underhanded in his time in office. He knew that ending slavery would be a catalyst to ending the entire civil war. Lincoln was also clever since he wanted to change the Constitution so the Emancipation Proclamation could not be repealed by he successor. What is surprising is that the film revealed that Lincoln was not entirely racism-free. He just saw it as the quickest way to ending the war.

Petoria

During the Family Guy episode E. Peterbus Unun, Peter Griffin becomes head of his own country, Petoria. Although the country itself is fictional, we can insinuate what kind of country it is. It could be argued that it is a dictatorship. Evidence of this can be hinted at when Peter annexes Joe's pool, without anyone else in his country (i. e. his family) having a say in the decision. It also can be inferred since Peter invited other famous dictators like Castro and Saddam to a party. However Peter is far from a dictator. Although not mentioned directly, since Petoria's entire population is comprised of Peter's family, it is very possible that Petoria could be a monarchy. Peter also abused his power by using his diplomatic immunity. He used his immunity to get free drinks as well as jay walking, writing graffiti, and parodying U Can't Touch This with out a chance of being sued by the song's artist MC Hammer. Petoria also faced drawbacks however since it was not a federal government. Since peter seceded he could not receive imports. When he annexed Joe's pool it almost sparked a war with America. Lastly this led to his family resenting him.They also missed out on many of the freedoms we have in a federal government. They also do not have the stability a federal government has.