That is is not wicked to be rich

Sumner's main argument in his essay is that people condemn others who have worked hard to make an earning and have made considerable profit. Many people argue, what is the definition of rich, according to John McCain, five million dollars makes you rich, others say that one million dollars mill wake you rich. Sumner's argument, is that it doesn't matter. If a person has become rich, it is because of his/her ambition and genius. In some cases, such as with lottery winners, becoming rich is a matter of luck. And there are cases where the process of becoming rich is evil, such as thieves and people who wish to earn capital with ill-intent. But for the most part, people become rich because they have earned it and have the right to have more than people who haven't.

CEO's who are said to make money because of their subordinates have the right to be rich, because even if they had help making money, would the subordinates who work hard for the CEO be doing the work without him/her? The reason why the top person of a company makes the most money is because they have the ability that most common people do not have, the ability to give orders and organize people into a smoothly operating machine. Heads of companies have the ingenuity to think of a product or service that society wants. Even if a coal miner puts his/her life in more danger, and works harder than the CEO, because the miner lacks these abilities, they will inevitably make less money.

So why would it be an act of evil to be rich? everyone has the same possibility of committing a crime, whether the person is rich or poor, they can abuse others. I think that it is not evil to be rich, it is not evil to be poor. Becoming rich is a matter of luck, ambition, and intellect. Having these qualities is perfectly OK. What makes a person evil is the crimes they may commit.

The Divisions of Labor

People are selfish and lazy. But they need to work together in order to achieve their ends. It is why trade and bartering exists, instead of each person simply making everything they need themselves. People work together in order to get what they need individually. Adam Smith demonstrates this in the first chapters of his Wealth of Nations. He also demonstrates the idea that the most effective and efficient method of producing goods is to have multiple people working together to complete different functions of the production process. Overall, human cooperation is what drives the worlds economy and its industry.

Humans are the only organism on Earth that will trade with another of its species in order to achieve its ends. This is because it is simply the most efficient way of getting something you want. It is the most basic concept of supply and demand. If one person has something another wants, and vice-versa, they can trade and both will be happy. Thing part of trade that Adam Smith stresses is the divisions of labor. It is the way of producing an item in te most efficient possible way. Instead of one person, who is most likey uneducated in many areas of making a cirtain item, making the entire thing, many people will cooperate together to make the item. The example Adam Smith uses is a pin making industry. Instead of one person who does not know all about ever aspect of pin making, making the entire pin, many people will make the pin, one person will make the head and others will make the point, etc... This process will cause a great rise in the number of pins being produced daily. However, many people will need to be hired, and each one will be paid less becuase so many people are working. If one person was working, he would be paid more and get less done. The next example of divisions of labor that Smith uses is with a wool coat, and this example is on a much larger scale. Instead of just a few people working together to make a coat, much more goes into it. There are dyers, spinners, weavers, dressers, and many many more people that are designated to do work that relates to making one wool coat. Without these labr divisions, industry completel ceases to exist.

Adma Smith's overal point is that cooperation is fundemental. It is the first thing that is necesary in not just factries, but in every day life as well. There is no one on this planet that can get through life without the help of the people around him. Cooperation not only makes the process of production easier and more effective, but it single handedly helps our economy progress.

Fredrick Douglass

Eloquently and powerfully, Fredrick Douglass bashed his audience on July 5, 1852. And rightly so. He began with inspiring words about the greatness of the founders of America and how they liberated America from British tyranny. How the forefathers petitioned and demonstrated in the name of their cause, and when all else failed, they revolted and gained their liberty. And July 4th, throughout history, will be remembered as the day of American independence, an will be a day of celebration. But not for a specific community. Slaves mourned while White Americans rejoiced, "your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns...are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy..." Douglass argued that the American celebration of this day was the ultimate hypocrisy. How can a country that prided itself on its freedom and liberty and that "all men are created equal," when it has certain men who are more "equal" than others. There is no clause in the constitution that alienates slaves as degenerative, or inhuman. They were people, just like all other Americans and were entitles to the same rights. But of course, you all already know this, you read the same speech that I did.
I believe that Douglass made this speech as a tribute to slaves all across America at this time. He delivered a moving speech about the hypocrisy of Americans on their most important day of the year. And he did it to shock them into looking at their ways in a new light. If I were a slaveholder who had sat through this speech, I would never be able stand on American soil again without feeling a sense of self-disgust. But even though he does a great job of guilting many people into either giving up their slaves, or simply feeling bad about having them, Douglass leaves room for the white Americans. He says that he is glad that our nation is young, so that it has time to reform and improve itself.

First Blog - on liberty

Well this is my first blog so I'm not completely sure what to write. I guess I'll just argue against John S. Mill for the time being. Mill believes that democracy breeds a mob mentality. That just because the majority of a population believes something, that does not make it right. Also, that those who make the rules, do not always know what is best for a population. I think that this, most of the time, is incorrect. There is a reason why societies with socialist and democratic governments prevail in this world. It is because democracy works. It gives as many citizens as is possible what they want. It is true that a persons surroundings effect what they believe, for instance, if you grow up in a liberal community, you will usually vote for the party with more liberal principles. Education is the only way to help a person develop their own point of view, and even then, a person can be swayed by the point of view of a teacher. This is not mob mentality, this is simply being influenced.
Another one of Mills points, that the rulers do not always know whats best, is also arguable. Sometimes, the rulers of a democracy make bad decisions. But it is done for the protection of those who they represent. And just because a ruler makes mistakes, does not mean that the absence of a democracy is a better idea. Most of the decisions of a leader do good for a society, otherwise the leader will be replaced, that's what democracy is.