The CCC

The Civilian Conservation Corp was one of the many programs set up by Franklin D. Roosevelt to renew the downtrodden American economy in the 1930's and 1940's. It was established in early 1933, and its mission was to reduce unemplyoment and preserve the nation's natural resources. Unmarried young men were sent to live in army style camps and put to work in the great outdoors. Many CCC projects centered around forestry, flood control, prevention of soil erosion, and fighting forest fires. In exchange for their services, the men received three hearty meals a day, as well as clothing and shelter. In addition, the men were paid thirty dollars a month, twenty-five of which were sent home to the men's families. This money helped broke families get back on their feet and stimulated the economy. In addition, this program led to the preservation of America's beautiful wilderness and to the formation of state parks that are still enjoyed by many today. Also, being a member of the CCC gave previously unemployed men a renewed sense of self worth.

God vs. Science

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1555132,00.html

     Above is an article from the New York Times debating religion and science, and the possibility or impossibility of their coexistence. In 1925, the Butler Act was passed, forbidding the teaching of Darwin's theory of evolution in any public school or university. This act defended the story of creation in the Bible. However, the American Civil Liberties Union believed that well founded science, even if controversial, should be taught to students. The members of this group claimed the religion should not interfere with science. To contest the Butler Act, John Scopes taught the theory of evolution in his science classes. Thus ensued the Monkey Trial. This trial brought attention to the debate over religion and science. Eventually, William Jennings Bryant and triumphed the the Butler Act was upheld. Today, feverent debate over the blurry lines between religion and science still exists. the above article, written in 2006, calls to mind a provocative question "Can religion stand up in the progress of science?" According to the article, modern scientific research suggests that chemical imbalances in the brian could have been the cause of the ecstatic states of visionary saints. The article suggests that "something called the multiverse hypothesis in cosmology speculates that ours may be but one in a cascade of universes, suddenly bettering the odds that life could have cropped up here accidentally, without divine intervention. (If the probabilities were 1 in a billion, and you've got 300 billion universes, why not?)" However,the pope, cardinals, and bishops argue that the cold, logical, and factual science can never replace religion and the Bible as "a worldview and a touchstone." The author of the article concludes by testifying that science and religion have always and will always clash.

Teddy Roosevelt and the Panama Canal

Above are two political carttons written during TR's presidency. One of TR's most famous accomplishments of his presidency was the successsful consturciton of the Panama Canal. On the way to this achievement, TR hit various roadblacks. Firstly came disputes with Britain over the fact that, according to the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, the US could not legally secure contorl over this kind of route. However, this was quickly overcome with the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty in 1901. TR decided to build the canal through Panama. The US acquired all the land that was necessary except for the land that reached into Colombia. Colombians reguarded their isthmian strip as valuable and would not give it up for the price of $10 million, as well as an extra $250,000 a year. This angered Roosevelt, as he did not want to pay more to the Colombians, (as illustrated in the 2nd cartoon.) TR was determined, however, to "make the dirt fly." As shown in the first cartoon, he would go in with his big stick of power and a shovel and build the canal singlehandedly if that's what it took. This was not necessary. Panama wanted to make sure the canal plans were not moved to Nicaragua. A small revolution occurred and the US, of course, sent in troops to stop the Colombians form intervening. Panama basiclly tore itself from the side of Colombia. The new prime minister of Panama signed over to TR all of the land necessary to contruct the canal. The Panama Canal increased the mobility of the United States navy. It also mad the defense of recent acquisitions, such as Puetro Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippines, much easier.

Occupy Wall Street and... Bust those trusts!

Since mid September, hundreds of protestors have been seen marching in prominent cities worldwide, especially in New York City. This group calls itself "Occupy Wall Street" and its aims are to elminate corporatre greed and influence in the nation's government. The demonstrators call for a better banking system as well as a removal of corruption and graft from modern day "democracy". Sound familiar? During the Progressive Era, individuals called muckrakers brought governmental flaws, especially the extreme dominance of trusts and huge corporations, into the public light. The progressives as a whole used democracy to fix democracy. Teddy Roosevelt, the original trust buster, led the way to smashing huge corporations.  Presidents William Taft and Woodrow Wilson also busted nearly 100 trusts each. With ginormous trusts out of the way, the dismal boom and bust economy was eliminated and the economic quality of life overall improved greatly. Today, nearly 100 years later, American citizens are still fighting against the same controlling industries. Demonstations have even been sparked in our own city of Scranton. In this video, political commentator Michael Moore expresses his favorable views on the Occupy Wall Street protests and encourages communities to join in the crusade.