11-11-2011-RESPONSE

"So far I can find out what the classes are who are respectively endowed with the rights and duties of posing and solving social problems, they are as follows: Those who are bound to solve the problems are the rich, comfortable, prosperous, virtuous, respectable, educated, and healthy; those whose right it is to set the problems are those who have been less successful in the struggle for existence. The problem itself seems to be, how shall the latter be made as comfortable as the former? To solve this problem, and make us all equally well off, is assumed to be the duty of  the former class; the penalty, if they fail of this, is to be bloodshed and destruction. If they cannot make everybody else as well as themselves, they are to be brought down to the same misery as others." 

What Summers is implying in this passage is only the rich and prosperous can help the less prosperous become prosperous. It is the fault of the rich if they cannot make everyone else their equal and it leads to problems that cannot be solved. They may even fall into the same situation as the latter. The rich are only as powerful as they want to be and they can distribute that power to the lower classes if they feel they need to, but if they do not, they will obviously not move.

RESPONSE: 10-28-2011

In 1869, Fredrick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony debated women's rights. Douglass's argument was that black women needed to gain equal rights not because they are women, but because they are black. I find this true. Even though all women are not able to vote and whatnot, black women are oppressed more because they are black. Black people in general had no rights at all in the U.S., so even if women were to get the right to vote, it would probably only be for white women and not black women or black people in general. Anthony expressed some great points, but Douglass, as a black man, knows that if black men are not able to do as they wish, especially voting, black women will not even be in the discussion, because of the single fact that they are "Black Women".

10-14-2011 response

Hamilton's view on the United States government being in control of the States debt in order to gain influence over them helped the United States and allowed credit to be established. The constitution allowed the government to pay off debts and put tariffs on foreign goods, as opposed to putting tariffs on homemade products, like the states were doing under the Articles' policy. This allows the National government to gain more power, but by being balanced at the same time. Hamilton was also in favor of the National Bank, in which he felt that it would not only build up businesses, but increase the power of the National Government as well. Hamilton, as you can see was all about building the National Government from the ground up, after the Articles of Confederation failed to improve the government. 

Response to Quote- 9-23-2011

"It could never be more truly said than of the first remedy, that it was worse than the disease. Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an ailment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency." - James Madison.

What Madison is saying in this section is that the Articles of Confederation was not a solution to fix the up and coming United States government, but it was going to harm the government and causes more issues that politicians wanted to avoid when they signed the Articles. It did not seem that the U.S. was free from the policies that they wanted to avoid, like other states making their own currencies and placing tariffs on almost anything. It would have led to the fall of the United States before it got it's feet wet. With the constitution in place, it dramatically improves the condition of the United States, making the government more functional, with more liberty. 

Response to quote

"If you want to stand for your natural corrupt liberties, and you will not endure the least weight of authority, but will murmur, and oppose, and be always striving to shake off that yoke; but if you will be satisfied to enjoy, such civil and lawful liberties,  such as Christ allows you, then you quietly cheerfully submit unto that authority which is set over you in all the administrations of it, for your good Wherein, if we fail at any time, we hope we shall be willing (by God's assistance) to hearten to good advice from any of you, or in any other way of God; so shall your liberties be preserved in upholding the honor and power of authority amongst you"

According to this excerpt from John Winthrop's essay, liberty to do as you please will make you a corrupt being who is never able to listen to authority. If you give up your liberty, and shackle yourself, and listen to authority, will make you less corrupt. It will allow you not to be selfish and to be closer to God in the process, instead of acting as if you have your own set of rules.