American Consumerism

http://www.deadbeatdesign.co.uk/dlog/?p=17

This Nike advertisement is striking because it places emphasis on the slogan 'Just Do It,' rather than the logo or the product. This message supports the American ideology of optimism and hope, as the advertisement motivates individuals to be enthusiastic about football through the use of the imperative slogan. The logo need not be in a large print because the slogan has become familiar around the world and audiences are likely to associate football with this sports brand, therefore this demonstrates how powerful the company has become. On the other hand, Nike could be opposing the consumerist culture by making the brand name insignificant.

Firstly, the advertisement has symbolic value, because it suggests that people from around the world are unified by football, regardless of wealth or race, seeing as this advert depicts a person without shoes therefore the individual may not be wealthy, but nevertheless he is worthy of being represented in a Nike advert because materialism is unimportant. Furthermore it represents equality and diversity, as the setting implies that the individual may not be in America, seeing as the U.S. is stereotypically shown in advertisements through vibrant cities. In addition, the setting of this advertisement depicts the globalization of companies such as Nike and suggests that the values it represents are applicable to society as a whole. Furthermore, Nike may have chosen to specify football rather than any other sport due to its popularity, particularly in European countries.

Although the age of these individuals is unclear, they are likely to be children or teenagers, therefore the advertisement appeals to the youth around the world who are becoming the prime targets for consumerism, because stereotypically they exercise vanity. However, marketing towards the youth is beneficial because Nike represents sport and this in turn, advertises exercise. This is relevant to Americans, especially today, as nearly 20% of children in the U.S. suffer from obesity. The advertisement highlights the athletic bodies of these individuals and as a result, consumers may aspire to become fitter and healthier.

Due to the athletic figure of these individuals, it could be concluded that the advertisement is aimed at males, however the photograph does not include the upper half of their bodies, possibly because the sex of these people is insignificant and this once again implies a sense of unity between consumers. The advertisement focuses on the sport, rather than on popular football players for example; thus proving that Nike is capable of resisting the consumer culture.

This is an advertisement for Nike. By using a cheetah (fastest land animal) it is giving the reader the impression that Nike is the master behind the secret of speed and by buying Nike they can improve their performance.

In terms of the use value, sports goods made by Nike tend to be made cheaply outside the USA (Asia) so the value will be low. The exchange value will be much higher than the cost of making the products and the profits will be great (3 months upto Aug 2011 $645m). The symbolic value of Nike is extremely high which is helped by the marketing of World famous celebrities such as Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Lebron James as well as the famous 'swoosh' symbol. Nike is also seen as the product of choice for top professionals in the majority of sports which enables Nike to charge higher prices for clothing/equipment/footwear etc. than other sports brands.

Horatio Alger Myth

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4997/ This website gives a simple definition of what the myth is. The idea of working hard in order to get some form of gain has been common knowledge long before this book was written. Alger manages to capture this ethic in a way that hadn't been done before. Applying it to contemporary society can be done. By looking at many of the billionaires and millionaires around the world. Mark Zuckerberg worked hard to get where he is and he has made considerable gains financially.

Horatio Alger Myth

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4935/

This description that i found i believe sums up the Horatio Alger Myth simply but succesfully. It breaks down the ideology that if you work hard in like you will gain success. I believe this is a true statement and does relate to Ragged Dick due to the fact that Dick starts off as a shoe shiner making his way through 'pluck and luck' to being a clerk earning 10 dollars a week. While this does indeed relate to the Horatio Alger Myth there is never a clear indication of what 'succes' really is, means or represents. Whether success is financial, cultural or personal. Dick i believe achieved all of these aspects but it would not be so in comparison to pther people in reality who have achieved greater success. Success is deemed i believe more often than to be measured upon wealth and finance, so if taking that into consideration the Horatio ALger Myth does not relate to Dick as he was not greatly wealthy.

Gun Control: Anti - Pro

http://home.nra.org/#/home The National Rifle association is an Anti gun contol group created in 1871. By looking at the website at face value it isn't hard to tell what sort of group this is. There are clear signs that the organization is politically active with an array of articles linked to politics and the interpretation of the 2nd amendment. It's clear that the site is organized with links to 'Friends' of NRA and to the other places of a similar nature.
http://www.bradycampaign.org/about/ This a Pro Gun Contol site named after a victim of a shooting who was paralyzed in the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan. This organization has tried to pressure and help raise awareness of Gun related crimes and the damage they cause. A significant way they do this is by having a little post at the top of the screen which says how many people have been shot just on that day.
Given my view on politics it seems the Brady campiagn is the most convining. This may be because it is playing partially on fear and it seems the smarter way of doing things.

the horatio alger myth

Articles on the 'Horatio Alger myth' appear throughout the internet and many of them suggest that Americans like to believe in the ideas from 'Ragged Dick' - hard work can lead to prosperity. However most websites also make the point that although Americans want to believe in the concept, most evidence of modern day America seems to put forward that the myth is now untouchable.
http://www.fightbacknews.org/2004/01winter/algermyth.htm
''This idea is still used by conservatives who defend the gap between rich and poor by saying that there are opportunities for the poor to succeed if they work hard; and that those who don’t succeed remain poor because of their own faults.''
This article is strongly against capitalism and blames the government for the widening gap between the rich and poor and the lack of opportunities available for people to make a success of themselves.
http://open.salon.com/blog/paul_nevins/2011/02/12/why_does_the_myth_of_horatio_alger_linger
''the purchase of lottery tickets, and gambling became the substitute vehicles for this pursuit of success.''
This website also attacks the opportunites available for people to achieve the ''dream'' of financial success.
Overall contemporary views of the myth seem to be negative. Without doubt Americans want to believe but there are many obstacles stopping them from achieving which hard work and perserverance (the ideas behind the myth) cannot overcome.

'The Horatio Alger Myth'

http://www.misericordia.edu/honorus/appaper.cfm

This American University in Pennsylvania uses the phrase, 'the Horatio Alger myth' in relation to the frequent narrative of 'rags to riches' in musicals during the 1930's. On the one hand, this is an accurate interpretation of the Alger myth because in Ragged Dick, the character progresses upwards from a lower class 'street arab' to a respectable middle-class citizen. This was made possible through Dick gaining employment as a clerk, allowing him to earn ten dollars a week. Therefore, this was a drastic increase in economic terms for Dick, as 'Ten dollars a week was to him a fortune,' (Chapter 27) and as a result, Alger demonstrates that the myth involves an acquisition of 'riches.'

On the other hand, this is an inaccurate diagnosis of 'the Horatio Alger myth,' because Dick does not rise from 'rags to riches.' He simply gains employment as a clerk; 'riches' is therefore an inappropriate term to use for a minor profession and additionally, this profession was in reality, difficult to elevate in, therefore his new occupation is merely a minor step towards progress. Furthermore, it may be an exaggeration to suggest that Dick transforms from poverty into a middle-class citizen, seeing as Dick is only a child and fortune usually benefits those of the older generation stereotypically, because experience is rewarded with wealth.

http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/peattie/ep.owh.eye.0001.html

'The Horatio Alger myth' seems to receive a more justifiable description on this website, which utilises the myth to explain the westward migration movement. It states that '"pluck, luck, and moral rectitude would advance one's station in life."' This implies that the myth is not simply materialistic - as the 'rags to riches' concept suggests, because there is no mention of wealth or status. Horatio Alger wished to encourage children to act morally through aspiring to the character Dick. Therefore, the Alger myth is indeed the progression of an individual, but the importance is placed on the means of the progression, rather than the end result.

However, the reference to 'moral rectitude' can be questioned in defining 'the Horatio Alger myth,' because the character Dick is ambiguous. He is predominantly portrayed as a moral individual through his many selfless actions, for example in chapter 20 he demonstrates his generosity by lending money to his friend Tom Wilkins. However, Dick's morality can be questioned, for instance when he fights Micky Maguire in chapter 18 because he is willing to use violence. Consequently, it could be argued that Horatio Alger intended to create an ordinary character that young boys could relate to, rather than a character that obtains a number of seemingly perfect characteristics. 'The Horatio Alger myth,' can as a result, be described as the progression of an ordinary individual, making the myth applicable to the majority of American society.

In conclusion, 'the Horatio Alger myth' is more complex than the simplification of 'rags to riches,' which implies that the process of individual achievement is straightforward, when in reality, an individual must obtain certain characteristics and must additionally struggle against the perils of city life. If the idea of 'rags to riches' must be appropriated, it must be emphasised that an individual will gradually progress from one class to another as Dick did. The process is not automatic and this is proven in the bombardment of obstacles that Dick must overcome in order to progress.

Gun Control; Anti or Pro??

http://www.bradycampaign.org/

''Tireless Champions of Sensible Gun Laws''.
The brady campaign is linked to the Brady Handgun Violence Act of 1993 introduced by President Bill Clinton which required that every sale of a gun by a licensed dealer would be referred to law enforcement for a background check. This act came about due to the events in March 1981 when a mentally deranged young man, John Hinckley, attempted to assassinate the President, and shot both President Reagan and Jim Brady who suffered a serious head wound that left him partially paralyzed for life. Since leaving the White House, Jim with his wife Sarah both fight for common sense gun laws. The website outlines the organisations goals on gun control. They don’t want to ban guns and regularly state; ‘’we believe that law-abiding citizens should be able to buy and keep firearms.’’

In contrast the following webiste disapproves strongly about any forms of gun control.

http://gunowners.org/protect.htm
This group describes itself as "The only no-compromise gun lobby in Washington."
Their main goal is to preserve and defend the second ammendment and the group have been involved in legal proceedings in almost every state in the nation, in the hopes to maintain and further pro-gun legislation, and pro-gun rights. They make efforts to differentiate themselves from the larger National Rifle Association (NRA) , and have publicly criticized them on multiple occasions for what the GOA considers to be the selling out of the gun rights movement. This is where their slogan on comprimise is used to distance themselves from the NRA.

A common theme with the websites is the use of the colours of the American flag which give them both a patriotic feel. Both websites put their views across very well but due to Britain not having the same attitude towards guns as America it is easy for me to agree with the Brady campaign which seems to want common sense to prevail in the making of gun laws. They do not call for a complete ban on guns, just rules that prohibit the availability of weapons that are beyond recreational (AK-47 etc) as well as not allowing criminals to buy guns. These policies seem logical but the gun owners of America preach about the second amendment which they claim allows anyone to own any gun they desire. Surely they just need to look at the tragedies that have taken place in recent years to see that gun control is a necessity. Instead they see any control as a breach of their freedoms.

Gun Control

http://www.armedfemalesofamerica.com/

http://sbcoalition.org/

'Armed Females of America' supports the use of guns in America. The Texas State Representative Suzanna Hupp states that guns are necessary in America, because individuals have ' the right to defend one's self and family.' This 'right' is found in the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights 1789, therefore Americans should bear arms because it follows traditional American principles and values to do so. Furthermore, obtaining a gun in the household enables a family to feel safe and secure, because intruders are likely to escape when confronted with violence.

On the other hand, the website 'Coalition Against Gun Violence' which is based in California, is against the use of guns in America. They state that 'Freedom from fear is a basic human right.' Once again the emphasis is on the 'rights' of the individual, therefore both arguments are legally valid. However, the use of guns can provoke fear because there have been many murder cases in America as a result of guns, for example the Columbine Massacre in 1999 which received media coverage that further escalated the terror felt by civilians.

Nevertheless, 'Armed Females of America' argue that Americans should bear arms because this is an 'inalienable right endowed by our Creator.' Some Americans believe that the Bill of Rights is divinely inspired, therefore these individuals will most certainly obey the document, as it is God's will for civilians to own guns. This view may have formed from the Bible which teaches the sacredness of life: 'God created mankind in his own image,' (Genesis 1:27) therefore Americans have a duty to defend their lives.

Yet the 'Coalition Against Gun Violence' recognises that the use of guns in America 'costs our nation thousands of lives and billions of dollars every year.' The sacredness of life can also be an argument against the use of guns, because the weapon has the power to destroy life and this principle is condemned in the Bible: 'Thou shalt not kill' (Exodus 20.) Also, the right to bear arms can be costly in economic terms because of the investigations into gun crimes, medical treatment of victims and the attempts by the government to introduce policies that control the use of guns.

Overall, it seems that the majority of Americans support the right to bear arms, because it is included in the Bill of Rights, consequently it is a founding principle of America which can not be abolished. However, even though the right is not able to be removed, this doesn't necessarily mean that the right is justifiable. There are other means of defending oneself without ending another persons' life.

'Armed Females of America' offers merchandise, including a Rosie the Riveter mug which has been altered to encourage the use of guns. One of the websites' positive attributes is its representation of women, as they are shown to be strong, confident and able to defend themselves.

This is a picture of Sitting Bull (Tatonka-I-Yatanka) taken in 1885 stood next to Buffalo Bill.This picture was taken after Sitting Bulls victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Many pictures of Native Americans were taken during this period as they were quickly being wiped of the face of America through the land captures by the U.S. government. Sitting Bull is in his full tribal outfit as is Buffalo Bill in his full gear. This image gives off the idea of the savage tribal leader and the uniform white man but, it isn't done through a malicious way. For example in this Buffalo Bill is the only one who is armed giving off the impression he is near a dangerous man and needs to keep up his guard at all times. Both men are looking in the same direction however Bill has got his head up having an aura of confidence about him while Sitting Bull seems shy and slightly downhearted, this could be because by the time this photo had been taken he'd surrendered to American troops as his tribe who'd fled struggled in isolation. The background of this picture is of the wild and though it is more than likely a picture to provide effect it sends out the message that the white man has tamed the wild America. When I say wild America I don't just mean the Nature but the natives also. Though it wasn't until the 1890's that the fighting started to decrease more rapidly. The picture makes out that the White man is able to walk on the land of the Indians without fear anymore but he should still be wary (hence the gun and the posture of Buffalo Bill).

This image shows us a good idea of qhat the landscape would have looked like suring native American settlement. It shows a divide between he Wigwams and the houses suggesting a separation between the Indians and the Americans. The land available is vast highlighing the aspect of freedom between the people and the importance of nature. The picture shows an aspect of community however between a certain group of people gathering at the hill suggesting this was a socil way of living, divided or not.

Native American Photo

http://actualkingdom.wordpress.com/2006/11/20/manifest-destiny/

This photo was taken in the 19th century when the native Americans were being 'resettled' due to the aggressive westward expansion of the United States.
The photo is of a native American camp which gives us an insight into their lives during this period. It can be seen as quite a depressing image as the natives are expressionless as they look at the camera and the conditions look extremely miserable. In the background there are numerous tipis bunched together and does not look as plentiful as described by the early settlers. The land could be unfamiliar to the natives which could explain why they are sitting around and why they look so unhappy.
What the photographer wanted to show from this photo is unclear but to me it could either be a way of proving how uncivil the natives were or perhaps to demonstarte the hardship being experienced due to the relocation laws.

Native Peoples

http://www.georgecatlin.org/The-Buffalo-Chase-'Singling-Out'.html

This painting by George Catlin is called "The Buffalo Chase 'Singling Out.'" The picture is striking because it shows how close the native American is to the wild animal that is much larger than he is. This would have been a highly dangerous activity and it illustrates how difficult it was for native Americans to obtain food. Nevertheless, the picture shows that the native American had courage and masculinity, because he would risk his life for his family and tribe. It also shows that native Americans were skillfull, as they had to ride their horse at a high speed whilst accurately aiming their bow and arrow.

On the other hand, the close proximity between the native American and the buffalo demonstrates that the two have a connection; wilderness. Both the native American and the animal are shown to be strong and fierce, additionally the native American can be seen as an animal because he is hunting his prey by singling it out from the herd, portraying him as violent. Furthermore, both the native American and the buffalo are close to extinction as they have both been victimized by white Americans. This is emphasised in the painting because it shows the isolation of the beings, as there is wilderness in the background and no evidence of civilisation.

The native Americans had to hunt in order to survive and they generally didn't waste any part of the animal for example the meat was used for food, the skin provided shelter and the horns could be used for tools. Therefore the hunting of baffalo was efficient and necessary rather than cruel.

European influence is demonstrated in the painting, as the horse was introduced to the native Americans by the Spanish. As a result, this implies that the native people were not entirely self-reliant because they would have found it more difficult to hunt buffalo on foot, therefore the act of trading between Europeans and native Americans was beneficial.

The New Republic

http://www.teapartypatriots.org/
To start I feel it's necessary to say what the Tea Party stands for but, the amount of variation and the political wants of the seperate arms of the party make this party rather vague and unique. One of the main messages I recieved from the website is they believe wholly and fully in the constitution and, what they are doing is saving it from a leftist attack. While reading the blogs it is easy to see that they are extremely anti-federalist! Within the site is links to state tea party movements giving the movement a grass roots feel about it. This is what they would argue is the basis of Americas' political creed. They have a stimulus on attacking certain aspects of the so called Liberal America i.e Obamacare and other such welfare initiatives that have been made by the Democrats.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/15/tea_party_rally_generates_plenty_of_criticism_opposing_views/

This website i found shows a video of rallikers who call themselves the 'Tea Partyers'. They believe that the Tea Party stands for what they believe in which is a 'Limited Government'. They believe that the political system today is corrupt due to the fact they believe Obama has riddeled them with debt and has put the lives of their future children and grandchildren in jeperdy. This tells me that the Tea Party was in fact a critical and indeed relevent time in history that is still highly regarded today for Americans. This idea of a new corrupt governement putting the country at risk is clearly making these civilians question whether America should go b ack to its roots and build on the foundations of their founding fathers and the values that they and 'The Tea Party' stood for.

The Tea Party Movement

http://www.teaparty.org/

TeaParty.org describes the Tea Party as a movement that 'challenges the security, sovereignty , or domestic tranquility of our nation.' These ideas are similar to those found in The Constitution, which states that "Safety and Happiness" are of upmost importance, therefore the Tea Party bases its ideologies on traditional values similar to the Republican Party.

The website makes reference to 'Christian values' consequently this emphasises a sense of tradition because The Constitution also contains religious language, for example 'all men are created equal.' This suggests that the Tea Party recognises equality and additionally it shows how religion has the power to influence politics in America.

Furthermore, there are '15 Non-negotiable Core Beliefs' and from this title it can be interpreted that the party is inflexible in its philosophies. One of the key beliefs for instance is that "A strong military is essential' therefore the Tea Party is concerned with the security of America and is willing to fight in order to defend itself, showing a munificent sense of national pride. However, the movement could be seen as obtaining a violent element, as they also believe that "Gun ownership is sacred" and this demonstrates that Americans are willing to defend themselves as well as their nation by any means necessary.

The Tea Party slogan is 'We The People Rule!' This highlights that the movement believes that the government should have minimal control over the people, because too much control caused The American Revolution therefore it should be avoided and freedom should instead be embraced. This seems to be exercised today to a certain extent because the President has a fairly limited control compared to a monarch, however there are circumstances when this limitation is exceeded for example when the President declares war.

TeaParty.org also contains a list of events, such as the 'Media Protest' which aims to stop the media from being bias and untruthful, therefore the movement believes that the American people deserve to know the truth about the government. It could be argued that the protest also shows a disagreement with consumerism because false stories in the media generate money.

Finally, the website contains photos, one of which further illustrates the traditional values of the Tea Party through the representation of the Founding Fathers. On the other side, the current system is shown to be false through the large grins and balloons, suggesting that parties today are too concerned with persuading citizens to vote for them.

Tea Party Patriots

http://www.teapartypatriots.org
Below is a list of extracts from this website that show this tea party's motto and mission statement;

Our motto is "Ordinary citizens reclaiming America's founding principles."

Mission Statement
'The impetus for the Tea Party movement is excessive government spending and taxation. Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets'.

From exploring the website it is clear to see that this organisation is campaigning for a change/return to the principles and ideas on which the nation was founded. This is highlighted by the three core values in the mission statement. It claims to be a national grassroot organisation that supports over 1000 community based tea party groups around the country and the website has a section where supporters who they describe as 'average Americans' can donate to 'support the fight'. It is a well organised website containing a forum where fellow 'patriots' can post their views on the Obama administration where they claim that he has a deep hatred for the USA due to him being a Kenyan and not an American. Its not just personal attacks on Obama but also on his administarion's policies, spending and taxation. The use of grassroots at the top of the webpage highlights the local community side of the movement. Also, the use of the colours of the national flag in the party logo gives the movement a sense of patriotism.

http://ufcw.blogspot.com/2011/10/growing-hispanic-population-brings-hard.html

I chose this American University website as it celebrates and praises the hard working latinos in the society and thanks them for theyre contribution to America and praises them for theyre drive to want to reach the American Dream. 'From the braceros program of the early 1900s to the harvest pickers and line workers of today, we say gracias and we continue to organize and help Latinos get on their way to reaching the American dream.' This highlights the drive of the Latino people as they are determined to reach the American Dream and believe the only way they can do this is through hard work and dedicattion to the country. This therefore proves that this ideology survives today in America, if you work hard and work your way up in the state and society you will reach that Eutopian goal.

This directly relates to De Crevecouer’s idea of 'The New and Exceptional' as he talks about the importance of hard work and how that is all it takes to reach the American Dream and that is why America is an exception to places such as Europe where they live in a far more structured, class driven society. ' I am far from rejoicing to hear that there are in the world me so thorouly wretched. They are no doubt as harmless, industrious, and willing to work as we are.' ( Letters, Letter 2, P-24) This backs up my statement about De Crevecour's strong opinions and dedication to hard work, mirroring that of the Lationo hard workers in my example proving that this work etic and drive has not been lost on society today.