Summary of "Fable of the East and West"

Robert Ornstein points out that F. Scott Fitzgerald's Fable of the East and West is "little concerned with twentieth century materialism and moral anarchy" (54) as much as it does romance. Those who are already monetarily secure, no longer focus on their personal ambitions but instead give up and feel their life is a complete oasis. Ornstein makes the connection that Gatsby is the descendant of Dutch sailors and the rest of the characters are also searching for a port of their lives that have vanished.

We agree with Ornstein's approach that the ideology of the frontier is not centralized on materialism and morality but rather on romance and personal ambition. Gatsby is on a romantic quest not one of either of the latter. On the way, we think, he takes sup-paths down both the morality and materialism ways, but Gatsby is not concerned with either of these as much as he is with his romantic fantasies. Along with sub-path into materialism, we think that people who are as secured as the Buchannans and Gatsby are, they are not as concerned as the others, Wilsons.

Shannen Olan
Liam Regan
Susie Klein

"Delusions of American Idealism" by Joyce A. Rowe

Joyce Rowe believes that the much-coveted American dream is replaced by a superficial quest for wealth and power, ultimately leading to a sense of false fulfillment. She speaks of how Fitzgerald confirms myth with history and uses the Dream to exaggerate reality. Rowe identifies Gatsby’s father figures as people manipulated by outside forces, and that their connection with Gatsby is less than personal, as they both use him to further their own interests. She describes Gatsby as a representation of the paradox in which Americans are morally corrupt but yet guilt-free. She views Gatsby as separate from the other characters, all of whom have all lost sight of their own dreams. She explains how Nick Carraway sympathizes with Gatsby by his own attraction to Daisy and dislike for Tom. Rowe views the people who live in East Egg as snobby and arrogant, while those in West Egg are promiscuous and reminiscent of the frontier. She does not believe that Nick’s return to the West was to salvage Gatsby’s dream, but instead he goes back just to leave behind “ugliness, greed, and human sterility” (94). Rowe has a pessimistic view of the Dream, and believes that the book is a story of the fall of the American hopes.

Some of Rowe‘s views on The Great Gatsby are accurate, but others are debatable. Her opinion of Fitzgerald’s use of Gatsby—as a self-made man—is supported by his transformation from less-than-rich lieutenant to wealthy mansion-owner in East Egg. Rowe also views Gatsby as a “meretricious” man with a “Platonic conception of himself” (87), expressed by his eagerness to spend money on his mansion and gaudy car, as well as the parties he throws every weekend. In addition, Rowe’s view on the American dream as being transformed into a superficial pursuit for material things is supported by her explanation of Gatsby’s dream of following the “grail,” which is Daisy, a beautiful, wealthy, shallow girl. She also accurately points out that dreams “ennoble” reality, or exaggerates it, because Gatsby is forced by circumstance to give up his dream of being with Daisy. Rowe claims that Gatsby’s “surrogate fathers,” Dan Cody and Meyer Wolfsheim, ultimately betray him (90). This is true because Dan Cody allows himself to be manipulated by Ella Kaye, and Gatsby does not receive any of his inheritance. Likewise, Wolfsheim relies on Gatsby only for money, and does not even attend his funeral. Rowe believes that most of the characters, all except Gatsby, are connected only in terms of manipulation and dishonesty, which stresses the idea that Gatsby is separate from the others, also because he is the only one who has not lost the vision of his dream. However, Rowe views Nick Carraway’s return to the Midwest as a sort of resignation, instead of a way to save Gatsby’s dream. This is can be contradicted by the idea that Nick views the West as “mankind’s last hope for social and moral redemption” (95). Most believe that the ending of The Great Gatsby offer hope for salvation of the American dream.

Works Cited:

Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. New York: Scribner Paperback
Fiction, 1992.

Rowe, Joyce A. Equivocal Endings in Classic American Novels. N.p.: Cambridge University Press, 1988.

Contributing group members: Daphne Tan, Kelen Jiang

Ethics in Gatsby: An Examination of American Values

The Article “Ethics in Gatsby: An Examination of American Values”, by professor Tony McAdams, discusses the ways in which Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby provides “an excellent ground for the examination of American ethics” in respect to wealth, class, and the “American dream” (McAdams 111). The article outlines his analysis of Fitzgerald’s clever characters, and of the ways that the values of the 1920’s, the era that the book was written, impacted Fitzgerald and were incorporated into his great novel. In the first movement, McAdams focuses on the main characters, such as nick who matures from a “priggish country boy to a mature wiser man” (McAdmas 113), who mirrors the six stages of physiological development. He believes that the moral and circumstantial experiences Nick is exposed to in the east has transformed him into acquire a sense of the hidden complexity and hardships of the rich life. He proceeds to discuss Gatsby’s life of delusion, and the reasons why he is such an attractive character. Although Gatsby is “adolescent in live and, and makes us of others” like Nick for “his own selfish purposes”, McAdams argues that readers still admire him because of his charm, commitment, and “embodiment of the American Dream” (McAdams 114). He also analyses Tom and Daisy and how they “personify the doubts that Fitzgerald seemed to feel towards the wealthy world”. He also brings up that all the characters seem to be in some respect—liars. Another point that McAdams touches on is the corruption of American Values, and how these corruptions affected both Fitzgerald’s life and later, the plot and characters in his Great Gatsby. After a close study of Fitzgerald’s background, McAdams found that the writer himself was turned down by two rich women that he loved because like nick, he was not rich. According to McAdams, “The Great Gatsby is a commentary on the themes of wealth and class in America in the Roaring 20’s”(McAdams 118) and that the American Dream is in fact, a “Dream corrupted by materialism”.

In general, we agree with Tony McAdams views about the novel. We all love Gatsby, even though he is shady and has a murky past. He is deceitful, and yet we root for him to win Daisy, the love of his life. Also, as McAdams pointed out, it seems as though all of the major characters are liars. Tom cheats on Daisy with Myrtle, Gatsby lies about how he amasses such a great fortune, and Myrtle lies all of the time to Wilson. We also really enjoy the part of the article when McAdams explains how Gatsby relates to Fitzgerald. We agree that sometimes Americans focus on their material possessions rather than on their true happiness. Often. As can be seen in Gatsby, people marry because of material wealth rather than love.

Tony McAdams is a professor of business law at University of Northern Iowa.

McAdams, Tony. "Ethics in Gatsby, An Examination of American Values ."
The Great Gatsby as a Business Ethics Inquiry. Vol. 12. N.p.: n.p., 1993. 111-119.

Alexandra Giedd
Stephen Rigaux
Rachel Zidar

Gatsby Is a Fairy-Tale Hero for the Middle Class

Robert Emmet Long suggests that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s vision in The Great Gatsby describes a fairy tale situation, filled with enchantment and illusions. The birth of the American dream, rising from the middle class, creates a fairy tale-like enchantment or illusion, distorting reality. This enchantment, Long writes, hides reality for those under its shadow. He describes how it may hide social barriers, and make them seem to disappear. True reality, however, is not eliminated because of the enchantment, and the barriers eventually reemerge full force, often causing failure. He also writes about his view revolving around the impending evil that contrasts the good in society. He describes how the Buchanan’s and Wilson’s life styles appear to be “bewitched by evil forces, which are beyond containment or control” (71). They eventually cause a “good prince” (71), Gatsby, to give way to the “dark prince” (71). In the fairy tale world of Gatsby, certain enchantments may make things appear better than they are, but eventually give way to what truly exists, and the evils that this reality may involve.
Long describes The Great Gatsby as a struggle between good and evil forces. Gatsby represents the good, or the hope that exists within society. Although this feeling of hope is suggestive of positive and beneficial feelings, it has the tendency to cause overly confident people to fabricate their goals until a point where they are out of reach. This holds true in Fitzgerald’s novel as Gatsby is perfect example of this hope. He remains successful and has acquired enormous wealth his dream of finally achieving his love with Daisy lies slightly out of his grasp. This is because of his instability and lack of real upper class background. Although he has somehow slipped through the social barrier that now does not seem as solid or restricting to him, Long’s predictions seem to hold true, as he is still not truly and upperclassmen at heart, and he is not fully able to succeed in trying to be one. Thus, his dream of being with her disappears in failure, leaving him with disappointment. Long’s assertions also hold true for the impending evils in the world, as evil does seem to eventually outlast the goodness and “good prince” of Gatsby. He eventually ends up dead, along with Wilson, while the source of the evils, the Buchanans, live on as if nothing has ever happened. In Great Gatsby, all evils are hidden at some point, only to reemerge and for the most part, triumph, over the goodness of the original fairy tale.
Robert Emmanuel Long is a critic of British and American Literature. He also has contributed as a writer and editor to many literature pieces, in addition to writing numerous pieces for various journals and other writing sources. He has contributed to The Nation, and The Saturday Review, along with many other contributions to various sources.

Continuum. 11 Dec. 2008 .
Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1992.
Long, Robert Emmet. “Gatsby Is a Fairy-Tale Hero for the Middle Class.” The Achieving of The Great Gatsby. N.p.: Associated UP, 1979. 68-71.

Kyree Clark
Hunter Oppler

The American Dream: All Gush and Twinkle

In his article, "The American Dream: All Gush and Twinkle", Louis Auchinclos discusses the idea tat the American dream is a myth. He describes the dream as being as fake as "the tinselly department store window ar Christmastime" (84). To the author, the American dream is represented by Daisy. It is vain, superficial, and full of itself, unable to put anyone else's desires before their own. Gatsby's "dismal atmosphere" represents the average American's life, consumed with that beautiful store window just as an "urchin on the street would be" (84). Gatsby, like the average American, is entirely consumed with that possibility, and can think of nothing else besides that possibility.

Louis Huchincloss’s article on the American Dream in The Great Gastby merely seems to ask questions about Gatsby’s motives and summarize the story in terms of how it reflects the questionable ideals of the characters and the times. One of the more important questions it raises is whether “falling in love with a beautiful heiress with a moneyed smile; regardless of her shallow, deceiving, selfish tendencies... justifies criminal activity?” This seems to bring up the question of whether or not Gatsby was right in his pursuit of Daisy, who was introduced in the article as embodying the American Dream. While it would seem admirable that Gatsby was madly in love with Daisy and was a classic romantic about it, it does appear questionable that he used illegitimate means to attain his wealth and that his entire life was centered around the attainment of a woman, who, by any legal means, was out of his reach, and who also was not even that desirable, apart from her beauty. Daisy was merely a greedy girl whose rearing in money led her to desire it even more. And if Daisy is the embodiment of the American Dream, it only makes sense to say that greed has it’s price.

The True Heir of the American Dream- Marius Bewley

Summary: Although many think F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby" is about living the American dream, the underlying message is the corruption of the dream. Gatsby is the midpoitn between illusion and reality. Everyone knows and has a sense of who Gatsby is. When it comes down to it, both Daisy and Gatsby are overrated and two dimensional characters. Daisy's only purpose is being nothing more than another disappointment to Gatsby. Gatsby is naive for liking her because she is just as destructive as Tom is. The reason Daisy and Tom are together is because they are a mirror image of each other, two destructive people. Although "The Great Gatsby" shines some light on the good parts of the American dream, all in all, it is a harsh criticism of it.

Analysis: We agree with Bewley--to an extent. His ideas get to be a little too extreme. "The Great Gatsby" is about the corruption of the dream but Gatsby isn't a mythic character or an impersonal character. The article digs deeper into the book, especially in terms of Daisy. All Daisy ends up doing is disappointing Gatsby, and she really is a lot like Tom. Daisy represents a dream that is dead and gone, something Gatsby had a little too much faith in, only to disappoint him.

Works Cited
Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. New York: Scribner Paperback
Fiction, 1992.

Beweley, Marius. "The True Heir of the American Dream." Fitzgeral'ds Criticism
of America. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 96-105.

Roya Shariat
Jenny Zaki

"The Grotesque End Product of the American Dream" by Richard Lehan

Richard Lehan believes that “Gatsby never learns that his dream is dead, but that realization is Nick’s nightmare” (Lehan 104). Lehan equates Gatsby’s dream with nostalgia, pragmatism, and a woman. Gatsby moves to West Egg because he “longs for the unattainable” (107). Gatsby is from a different time period that is being replaced by a new “order” (107). Since Gatsby is too caught up in his past, he prevents himself from moving forward. Lehan claims that Gatsby is the “absurd incarnation of Benjamin Franklin” (109). Lehan explains how Gatsby became a self-made man without the style and authenticity of the upper class. All of Gatsby’s actions reflect his desire to be with Daisy. However, Daisy was never destined to be with him. Gatsby never realizes this fate, but Nick becomes restless upon seeing Gatsby’s dream fade away. Nick returns home to the West because he can no longer “exercise the will to realize an ideal” (106). Lehan views Nick’s return as “a meaningless gesture that is antiheroic” (106).

Lehan discusses many precise conclusions regarding Gatsby’s dream. Gatsby yearns for his past relationship with Daisy and still has hope of being with her. Nick noticed how Gatsby always “talked about the past,” as if “he wanted to recover something” (Fitzgerald 110). Gatsby wants to relive the days of romance when Daisy was madly in love with him. Although Gatsby has made a fortune, his new money cannot buy him the high class taste that Daisy likes. Gatsby’s “cream colored” car “bright with nickel and green leather” displays his tacky and flamboyant style (63). Gatsby tries to attract Daisy with his huge mansion, luxurious cars, and over-the-top parties. Gatsby fails to see his dreams have “diminished by one” (93). Unfortunately for Gatsby, Daisy is more comfortable with Tom’s old money. Daisy will never leave the security and stability that Tom provides with his old money. Nick is troubled by Gatsby’s eternal hope for being with Daisy. After Gatsby’s untimely death, Nick returns to the West to restore his morals. His return is anything but “meaningless” (Lehan 106). Nick wants to leave the immaturity of the recent events and grasp what is left of his ideals.

Richard Lehan is an English professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Lehan has written many literary criticisms on books written by American and European authors who include Daniel Defoe, Charles Dickens, Emile Zola, Bram Stoker, Rider Haggard, Joseph Conrad, James Joyce, Theodore Dreiser, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Raymond Chandler.

Works Cited
Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. New York: Scribner Paperback
Fiction, 1992.
Lehan, Richard. “The Grotesque End Product of the American Dream.” Focus on F. Scott
Fitzgeral’s The Great Gatsby: The Nowhere Hero: 104-10.

Kevin Chen
Daniel Jean
Mullin Weerakoon

Ethics in Gatsby: An Examination of American Values

The Article “Ethics in Gatsby: An Examination of American Values”, by professor Tony McAdams, discusses the ways in which Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby provides “an excellent ground for the examination of American ethics” in respect to wealth, class, and the “American dream” (McAdams 111). The article outlines his analysis of Fitzgerald’s clever characters, and of the ways that the values of the 1920’s, the era that the book was written, impacted Fitzgerald and were incorporated into his great novel. In the first movement, McAdams focuses on the main characters, such as nick who matures from a “priggish country boy to a mature wiser man” (McAdmas 113), who mirrors the six stages of physiological development. He believes that the moral and circumstantial experiences Nick is exposed to in the east has transformed him into acquire a sense of the hidden complexity and hardships of the rich life. He proceeds to discuss Gatsby’s life of delusion, and the reasons why he is such an attractive character. Although Gatsby is “adolescent in live and, and makes us of others” like Nick for “his own selfish purposes”, McAdams argues that readers still admire him because of his charm, commitment, and “embodiment of the American Dream” (McAdams 114). He also analyses Tom and Daisy and how they “personify the doubts that Fitzgerald seemed to feel towards the wealthy world”. He also brings up that all the characters seem to be in some respect—liars. Another point that McAdams touches on is the corruption of American Values, and how these corruptions affected both Fitzgerald’s life and later, the plot and characters in his Great Gatsby. After a close study of Fitzgerald’s background, McAdams found that the writer himself was turned down by two rich women that he loved because like nick, he was not rich. According to McAdams, “The Great Gatsby is a commentary on the themes of wealth and class in America in the Roaring 20’s”(McAdams 118) and that the American Dream is in fact, a “Dream corrupted by materialism”.

Alexandra Giedd
Rachel Zidar
Stephen Rogue

Dream, Design, and Interpretation in The Great Gatsby by David L. Minter

" [There is] a radical difference... between building a house and writing a poem about building a house."

-Kenneth Burke


David L. Minter suggests that "Jay Gatsby...is a builder as well as a dreamer" and that "on the other [hand]....Nick Carraway...is a narrator as well as a spectator." Gatsby devotes his life to becoming a self-made man and to achieve the American Dream. Nick merely narrates the legacy of Gatsby and tells the story of the people he has affected. Minter believes that gatsby is prone to destruction because of his impossible dream to reunite with Daisy. Minter reffers to Gatsby as a "builder" to explain how Gatsby lives his life while "spectator" Nick is just a wallflower who merely tells the story of Gatsby. However, at the end of Gatsby's life, it is Nick who takes action and prepares plans for Gatsby's funeral arrangements and becomes "an imaginative interpreter (86)." . To Minter, Gatsby's dream is unnatainable and even a waste of time to believe one could reach ever reach such a dream (being with a married woman, in this case), yet Minter finds Gatsby's death pitiful and "tragic (87)." In the novel, it is Nick's job to interpret Gatsby's story, while it is Gatsby's job to attempt to obtain the "dream."


Analysis:
Minter's analysis of mysterious Gatsby and reserved Nick is correct. Gatsby is doomed to fail because he alienates himself and leads a quirky lifestyle. His mysterious upbringing, suspicious success and his obvious affair lead to his demise. In fact, Gatsby's actions throughout the book are entirely on purpose; Gatsby is literaly a self-made man because he carefully creates Jay Gatsby out of James Gatz. He puposefully moves across the bay from the Buchanan home in hopes of seeing Daisy again. He nicknames Nick "old sport" to ensure a new (and one of few) true friendships. While Nick cannot agree with many of Gatsby's choices, he certainly respects him and his ability to dream. While painfully obvious to Nick, he reflects on Gatsby's death and notes, "his [Gatsby] dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it (Fitzgerald 180)." Nick is a "builder" after Gatsby's death because it is his duty to finish Gatsby's story and legacy in a way in which one would pity Gatsby instead of feel scorn for the hurt he has caused.

Citations:
Minter, David L. "Dream, design, and Interpretation in the Great Gatsby" :82-9.
Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1992.

Jimena Lazarte
Avery albert
Claire Grunes

Gatsby is a Pathological Narcissist

Giles Mitchell explains the theory that Gatsby’s journey was driven not by optimism, but by a sense of perfection and omnipotence perpetuated by narcissism. A clinical profile of Gatsby’s character is used to connect behavioral tendencies to symptoms of pathological narcissism. Mitchell views Gatsby’s idealization of Daisy as a mirror for his own perfection. He spiritualizes her to worship himself− he basks in a reflection of his own perfection and creates a paragon to which he feels entitled. Since he lacks real emotional intimacy with anyone, Gatsby exploits those around him while he absolves himself of all culpability. Mitchell asserts that Gatsby’s narcissism contributes to his “Son of God” persona which entails omnipotence, entitlement, and grandiosity, which all are substitutes for the repression of real circumstances. Gatsby creates his own identity and rejects his unfavorable parentage, background, and situation. Another characteristic of narcissists is their desire to control time, an effort to abolish any threats that might undermine their worth. Gatsby exhibits this when he continually tries to return Daisy and himself to the time they fell in love. His “tawdry romanticism” conceals his underlying impersonal coldness characteristic of narcissists, and his dual character deceives people into believing he possesses morality and humanity. In the end, Gatsby’s self-absorption overcomes his sense of reality: when Daisy rejects him, Gatsby grieves the loss of his narcissistic mirror and commits “emotional suicide”. Essentially, Mitchell believes that Gatsby is faithful to the “Jay Gatsby persona” and dies for his egocentric dream, rather than allow the dream to die itself.

Mitchell’s thesis claims that the novel contains “insuperable evidence” of Gatsby’s narcissism, but this is an overstatement of Gatsby’s character. Mitchell accredits all of Gatsby’s actions to his narcissistic complex. While he provides legitimate evidence that matches symptoms of pathological narcissism, Mitchell ignores the possibility of other circumstantial evidence that may have influenced his actions. Although narcissism may have provided some impetus, there are other aspects of his character that are not as obsessed with “grandiosity” as Mitchell claims. For example, the creation of the “Jay Gatsby” may have been a product of infantile fantasy, something a “seventeen-year old would be likely to invent” (Fitzgerald 98). “Gatsby”, although an idealization of himself, acknowledges reality and comes to accept its terms. Gatsby realizes that, regarding the quest for Daisy, “he had lost a part of it, the freshest and the best, forever” (Fitzgerald 153). Mitchell also discusses the idea of a dual personality, between corruption and benevolence, which Gatsby uses in order to manipulate others around him. However, hypocrisy and a desire to reconstruct one’s identity are common flaws of human beings. Although Gatsby may have been carried away by his “overwhelming self-absorption,” it does not mean that he is entirely disconnected from reality.

Giles Mitchell is a professor of English at the University of North Texas. He has written other works detailing pathological narcissism including analyses of characters in Dostoevskii's Crime and Punishment, Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, and Miller’s Death of a Salesman.

Works Cited
Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1992.
Mitchell, Giles. “Gatsby is a Pathological Narcissist.” American Journal of Psychoanalysis 51.4 (1991): 387-96.

Monica Cho
Allison Duh
Soumya Yanamandra

"Freeze!" -- The Economy

Summary

The article “Freeze!” starts off by focusing on a banker that has working for sixteen hours, carefully watching the collapse of the global economy. All of sudden, the world is having extreme credit problems and the economy is in a “frozen” state. The American economy alone has gone down 8.4 trillion dollars in the last year. When something bad happens with in the economy, people start to freak out. They try to sell anything they can, such as stocks, and they stop putting lots of money in banks. There is a lack of interbank lending, and money is beginning to “dry up.” Blame is being placed on nearly everyone: politicians, the wealthy, the poor, various political parties, and banks.
It is believed, that in the end, Americans will ultimately pull through this crisis by working harder, implementing new policies, and slowly paying off debts as they did in the past during the Great Depression. However, a person can only work so hard – there are only so many hours in the day. Worst case scenario: America may no longer be the most powerful country in the world, and we will become a little poorer. But in the end, globally, we will overcome the economic slump.


Questions

1. The end of the article mentions that this crash may "the end of the empire". Is America really an empire, and can we really consider this the end of the United States as a financial superpower? How much will this impact the rest of the world?

2. How has the blame game affected the progress of solving the global economic crisis?

3. How might the upcoming election affect the economy? What kind of impact might either candidate have on the economy if he became president?

The Nation: Follow Up for Sarah Palin

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20081027/pollitt/print

If John McCain wins the election, it is possible that he may overturn Roe v. Wade. No questions related to women have been asked, so not much is known about John McCain's view on equal pay, Supreme Court, violence against women, and rape kits. Palin's view of abortion is this: she believes that the person should not abort the baby even if the conditions are infavorable. However, she contradicts herself by saying that the circumstances would be awful or there will be many negative consequences to the birth of the baby. In a recent CBS interview, she metioned jail time for victims of rape who had an abortion. This has never happened before, so the question that comes up is really why she mentioned it in the first place.

Discussion:

1. Is it right for Palin to be going against generations of women and a Supreme Court Decision?
2. Do you think that Sarah Palin would keep her right-winged views if she was a victim of rape?
3. What affects your decision on which candidates you support?
4. What are the predicted effects if Roe v. Wade is overturned?

"Back to the Jungle"

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200809u/tainted-milk

"Back to the Jungle" - By Corby Kummer

“Back to The Jungle” talks about the growing issue of the unreliability of obtaining safe food in the world. Kummer talks about how international crises such as the tainted milk in China are becoming too common, and about how little is currently being done to protect against them. US companies are also failing to help stop this problem, as many manufacturers are ignoring and holding up recently passed laws that intend to protect the country from food poisoning. The manufacturers think that it is too expensive to follow certain procedures, such as identifying food origins by country, which would help people decide which foods they want to buy. Despite their view of its unimportance, this type of information could help consumers make a decision about what products they think are the safest to consume. More concerns have arisen from pet food poisoning, which has killed and caused many pets to become ill. In her book, Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine, Marion Nestle warns that this food poisoning in pet food is just a sign of things to come in human food, and uses animal experiences to serve as a warning. There is evidently a problem with food safety, and Kummer makes it clear that the FDA or another new organization needs to step up and try to help protect the public from these issues.

Discussion Questions:

1. Can you really put a price on safe food?
2. What products do you believe are the safest to consume?
3. Do you believe the FDA is doing all it can do to keep the food industry healthy and safe?

The End of Aviation

http://www.tnr.com/environmentenergy/story.html?id=78260c55-a850-478f-9ffd-b8023fd89459

“The End of Aviation” by Bradford Plumer (from The New Republic)

“The End of Aviation” discusses rising gas prices and their effect upon commercial flight and long-distance travel, and also what that means for people’s lifestyles. The rising oil prices have shown a definite trend of destruction, causing the end of “twenty-five airlines… this year… three to four times the usual yearly rate.” Another issue mentioned is climate change, and how several eco-groups are fighting for higher aviation taxes and speaking out against planes (“WE FLY, WE DIE”), as they are a high energy-consuming form of travel. It is mentioned that the cutbacks in airlines could actually be beneficial for them, if handled correctly, but sharp downsizing could still cause bankruptcy.

The article also notes the difference between the attitude towards flying in the 1950s, and that of today. Before, it was ridiculously expensive, and people dressed up when they went on extravagant planes with dining salons and beds. But after Congress deregulated the industry, smaller airlines began to gain more hold because middle-class people were willing to ride in discomfort to get to places that were previously inaccessible. The expansion of air-travel allowed people to vacation abroad, communicate over longer distances easier, and jump on a plane to go to a meeting for just one day; it also provided an opening for terrorism and communicable diseases. But nowadays, the increasing cost of flying will mean more teleconferencing, reluctance to move away from family or vacation far from home and hurt hot vacation spots like Las Vegas and small towns with struggling airports.

Making air-travel eco-friendly is, however, much harder than it will be with cars. Cars already have early improvements to use less gas, and more independent hybrids are on the way. On the other hand, airplanes use so much more energy that the task will be much harder. The technology required to improve jets’ fuel efficiency even further besides small things like charging more is at best, in early-planning stages. Other options that the article suggests are high-speed trains, and the return of airships and zeppelins.

Follow-up Questions:

1. Do you think that America’s air-travel would ever come to a complete stop?
2. How would the bankruptcy of airlines affect the U.S./world economy?
3. Is there a significant cause for worry in regards to global warming coming from the inefficiency of airplanes?

The Media

Considering what Ari said, I believe that the media definitely is the fourth branch of government. The smallest unfortunate sound bite, slip of the tongue, or immoral action performed by a candidate under constant surveillance can instantly change a voter’s opinion or even sway their vote. In fact, the public probably pays much more attention to the media than to the legislative, executive, or judicial branches combined. Rather than continuing the trend of blowing small, irrelevant personal issues way out of proportion, the media should use their huge influence to their advantage and focus on helping voters make an informed decision. For example, Americans are much more inclined to watch television shows such as Saturday Night Live than they are to read a newspaper and try to decipher a candidate’s true opinions. Yes, Palin is from Alaska, and maybe she can “see Russia from her house,” but that is not why I would never vote for her: it is her lack of experience and ideologies that in my mind make her an unappealing candidate. The media has much more influence over politics than they realize, and their most important goal should be informing the voters.

The most important part of a candidate's campaign is to clearly state his or her position on all the issues. However, the personality of the candidate plays a huge role in who becomes president. Yes, the media should cover the issues - economy, war, education - but it doesn't have to pick apart each and every word that the candidate says and twist it into something different. Likewise, the candidate's personal life should simply be presented and not attacked. Americans need an unbiased source to compare candidates. Americans may not know exactly how to solve the current economic crisis, or what to do about the war in Iraq, but they are definitely qualified to judge the character of a candidate.

I think that the media has somehow decided that bringing in more personal and side issues, as opposed to the main ones, will attract more attention. Some of this news may be more interesting for some people, but I think that there has been a huge loss of balance between what issues and topics are adressed. I think it would have been ok if the media included some of these side topics, nothing too personal though, on a very minimal scale. However, they have begun to treat these topics as the major ones, and are discussed way too often. I think the quote from Obama, that Alex mentioned, was perfect. It is a clear sign that the focus needs to change, when one of our candidates is forced to try to redirect the area of discussion back to more important issues.

Iraq?

I know that personally, I do not follow politics as much as I should, but I think one of the biggest questions that should be crossing the minds of voters and presidential candidates alike is what we are going to do about the war in Iraq. This war has been going on for a long time now, with no real evidence for why we invaded in the first place, right? I mean, Bush claimed to know of certain weapons of mass destruction that were being housed in Iraq, but we have yet to find any evidence of that. And not only is this such a big problem, but the candidates have two totally different ideas on how the war should be handled. Electing Obama over McCain could mean the end of the war shortly, and the election of McCain could potentially lead to another 4-8 years of hostility. I think it is very important that voters stay informed on how the candidates feel towards the war in Iraq because it is one of the biggest issues of this election.

I agree that a large part of the media focuses extensively on secondary issues while ignoring the important ones. There are two wars, a huge debt and urgent financial needs, and yet lately the comments I have heard most, are about the "lipstick on a pig" remark from Obama and the "difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull" joke from Palin. Why? Perhaps it is because both the media and the candidates are more concerned in looking for tiny sound bites that are easy to grasp and even easier to advertise, than in having a deep and thorough discussion of key political - but what some might consider "boring" - issues. It is really surprising the amount of publicity the candidates’ families, grooming, and lifestyles get, while their other, more important issues, such as their voting record, do not. I understand that people like to be able to identify themselves with their candidates, and feel that they "know" their candidate, hence the reason behind Palin’s charm: her folksy, down to earth manner. However, when one of the reasons you choose to elect one candidate over the other is how likeable they seem, there is something wrong with the picture.
The truth of the matter is that the media plays an enormous role in the election process. Throughout history, there has always been a "fourth branch" of government. For a long time this role pertained to the church, which had an incredibly immense amount of influence over society. Nowadays however, it is the media who has the ability to sway voters with the merest flick of a well done article or advertisement. A single phrase in a television advertisement, whether taken out of context or not, can be used to sway voters’ opinions. Maybe it is time for the media to remember that with power comes responsibility, and they need to play a better part in leading our Nation’s political discussion.

Some of these absences on election issues are the media's fault. The media exist to present news. But not all news is exciting. When Palin was chosen for McCain's running mate, for that short time period, Obama was forgotten. All the attention was focused on this new women. Looking back in history (around spring) before 9/11, Chandra Levy was the hot topic. All media networks covered her disappearance. But when the larger incident occurred and Afghanistan caught the worlds attention. The media likes to cover interesting, large topics such as Katrina, Housing market, AIG... The topics need to be new and fresh and need to be able to capture the public attention. It is true important issues need to be addressed, but there are many new fads.

The nation itself is usually evenly divided in politics. With two sides to every issue, candidates need to appeal the majority of the people. But there is never a perfect way to solve all problems. There are probably too many issues for each candidate to address. I think the media should continue to look at personal lives of candidates because it interesting, and it's news. But in addition to their personal lives, the main focus should be about the future.

It is just incredible how the media covers both political and personal aspects of running presidential candidates. Alot of uneccesary personal information about each candidate constantly circulates in the media-whether it be gossip or biased information

The other day I was on perezhilton.com and one of his blog posts mentioned that McCain has 13 cars to his name (some foreign made, apparently) while Obama and his wife only have 1 car. I thought it was funny how "critical" that piece of information will be for some voters. I figure that while that information can be casually mentioned socially, I'm positive that alot of Perez Hilton readers will use that biased blog post (whether it be true or not) when voting for president. Perez Hilton is open about his support for Obama and all of his blog posts are aminly biased in support of Obama, while posts on McCain are normally negative.

I think its fascinating how a candidate's personal life dominates the media coverage of the election, basically casting aside the candidates's political views and stances . I realize that allowing voters into the personal lives of candidates can advantage the candidate because voters may feel that they relate the most with that certain candidate--ultimately ensuring more votes for a certain party.

I also don't remember the presidential candidates's wives getting so much media coverage before. In the Washington Post's Style section, one can easily find reference to the designer Michelle Obama's dress came from all together not mentioning which event she wore it at, and why she was there (i.e. What causes does she value and support?).

The media does a poor job of covering the truly important topic of politics in one of the most important elections of our U.S. history.

Blue stripes, White stars, caught Red handed

Starting off, I would like to say that whoever becomes Americas next president will not only have to provide for American political and social needs but will need to present a positive image of themselves and thus for Americans as a whole as well. To make a well-reasoned and informed decision about the upcoming election, Americans need to have a 360 outlook about all aspects of the candidates’ and about their past, present, and future factors that will qualify either McCain or Obama for the oval office. However, as the article and many of my classmates agree, the media has defiantly begun to tip the edge between political and personal perspectives and with the upcoming debates on the way, this could pose a serious problem. Propaganda needs to step back and refocus its cameras on what is really going to help struggling America, for example maybe the crumbling economy, or perhaps the ever so prevalent war in Iraq (not how many houses McCain has, or if Palin is a grandma to be, for goodness sake). From the mouth of Obama himself, “Peoples families are off limits and they shouldn’t be a topic of our politics." Bingo Obama, couldn’t have been more simply stated!

It's funny how the media's favorite topic is the media. Bring back the golden age of Lincoln and Douglas. Back then, campaigns were strictly ideology and principle. At the same time though, this 2008 election, like Soumya said, is a huge turning point for America and it's understandable that the media might get a little carried away. However, when the press starts turning a presidential election into a popularity contest, you know it's gone too far. We should be concerned! Matt Damon was spot on! It's a scary thought to think that if McCain wins and then for some reason can no longer be president--resignation, death, you have it--next in line is someone America hardly knows anything about. We should be concerned that America's economy is at a free fall, and we should be able to rely on the idea that we have a president who is doing all he or she can to help. The nation's going through a tight spot, and whether or not Sarah Palin's daughter is a young mother isn't going to change much.

As young Americans, the new president and their four to eight years of office will have a major effect on people our age. Trying to understand the candidates stances on any issue is a challenge. It is obvious that both parties would rather focus on the shortcomings of their opponent than focus on their own strengths and beliefs. When watching the candidates speak they obviously spin questions to areas they feel comfortable addressing. By asking general and non-pointed questions the media allows and promotes this behavior. There is a great need for head to head debates with direct questions and real answers. It is time for the candidates to stand on their beliefs and allow America to understand their platforms so we can choose the better path for our future.

Response to Unbearable: Focus on bigger issues

When it comes to politics, it is impossible to find unbiased information. Just as history is told by the winner of a war or conflict, it all depends on who tells the "truth." There are many truths, and the fact that there are many types of media and forums only further supports this concept. Today's media strives to twist truth and damage the reputations of many politicians.

In addition, the media is focusing on digging up things about candidates' personal lives because many of us have this image of the perfect leader, with no smears on their reputation. But does any of us know someone like that? Palin is being attacked because of her unwed, pregnant daughter. Not only is the vice presidential candidate not trying to hide the incident, but she is also supportive of her daughter. Instead of focusing on Palin's possible redeeming qualities, the media attacks her for what happened to her daughter. While many may argue that she should have been more strict or a better parent, one can safely say that many teenagers today are unwed and pregnant. The media's actions were parallel in dealing with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton during the nomination period. Countless accusations are made daily about the candidates' personal reputations, and no one is focusing on serious issues, such as the rumored oncoming "depression," health care, and taxes. Just because Palin's underage daughter is pregnant does not not mean the way the country is run will be negatively affected.

I agree with a lot of the points Soumya (and Daphne) made: the media is feeding on the bad things and only presenting the face value of many issues. Though people will not always take the time to really learn about the candidates, they still have no problem picking up a cover story ranting about Palin's daughter's baby. Media has not really become unbearably light, but rather unbearably empty, lazy and paparazzi-like. With a race that either ends with an African American president or a female vice, the media analysis has dropped to a level where they only discuss race, gender, and the effect upon the race. They are so eager to show diversity and people's reactions to these inspiring figures that it has created a sort of reverse discrimination, and the only reference to their policies is usually crammed onto a one page where they have a very sketchy table comparing them. Sure, the public knows a basic idea of the candidates' views on the war and the economy, but the presidency deals with more than that. Then, when the candidates do outline their plans, the media glosses over it and hurries to cover the name calling and insults.

As for unbiased information, its up to the individual to read both sides of the situation, and even then there's a lot of guesswork and benefit-of-the-doubt because of information that's been skewed or manipulated.

Response to "Unbearable Lightness"

In order to find unbiased information about a politician, you have to look through a variety of sources. For example, although in her acceptance speech Sarah Palin stated that she refused to use federal money for the "Bridge to Nowhere", later on it was found out that she not only received the money, but she actively worked to get it.
As long as the personal life of a candidate does not show their true character, it should not be part of the debate. But anyone who seeks public office is subject to scrutiny by the public. As employers of the presidential candidates, voters are putting their lives in the hands of these politicians and end up paying for their salaries. As with any employer, citizens have every right to know who they are hiring. Therefore, any question asked to a candidate is a legitimate query.

Where are you Edward R. Murrow?

First of all, I just want to say: great pick group #1! This gives us so much to talk about. Love the comments so far.

Are the days of the media speaking truth to power gone? What once began as the "Fourth Estate" of government, meant to provide additional checks and balances, has now become prepackaged news-lite. The question is, what was the turning point? I'd like to posit that one major shift occurred on September 11, 2001. In the face of our nation's worst tragedy, patriotism became the word of the day. Suddenly, it was deemed unpatriotic to question anything our government and politicians were saying or doing and the media got lulled into complacency. I think what you're seeing now is the pendulum starting to swing back the other way. Now, nothing is off limits.

I like the points raised by Daphne and Liam (enjoyed the Matt Damon video!) on this...should candidates be subject to inquiries about their private lives as well as public opinions? Our candidates are like celebrities in some ways--they choose to serve in the public eye and represent the best ideals of our country. History has shown that we elect candidates not only based on their platforms, but on their images. The Republicans are banking on Palin being just as charismatic as Obama, so now she is subject to the same vetting process in the media.

My question: how do you do about finding unbiased information when it comes to politics?

Response: The Unbearable Lightness...

The media has lost their focus because of the fact that this election has become a turning point in history because of the candidates more than the issues themselves. At this point in the race, there will be either a black president or a female vice president within the next four months. Both of these are huge, historically: never has there ever been a black presidential candidate in the general election and only once has there ever been a female vice presidential candidate (Geraldine Ferraro, 1984). These candidates themselves are so interesting with respect to their skin color and gender that people have stopped focusing on the troubles of the nation, possibly to escape the fact that they exist. The media is only feeding this because these are now the stories that sell: the fact that Barak Obama had advocated sex education for kindergarteners, or the fact that Sarah Palin has an unwed daughter who happens to be pregnant, despite the fact that Palin believes in abstinence-only education. Unfortunately, the media exists only to sell itself to be people, and stories and issues that don't get sold just don't get acknowledged.

Also, the candidates are not expected to know all of the answers, but they should have some of the answers on hand. If they vie to be leaders of the nation, they should have a basic understanding of what the problems are and where we would rather be instead. Nobody expects either candidate to have all of the answers, but a complete lack of knowledge is unacceptable.

Oh Palin...

You have to ask "Why is the Media attacking Palin?" Daphne.
It's not just that Palin's 17 year old daughter is having a baby, it's Palin, the zealot against premarital sex, has an unmarried daughter having a baby. The media tears into Palin because if she can't even instill her own beliefs in her 17 year old daughter, how is she supposed to instill belief, much less lead an America where premature sexuality is more than common? I mean sure the economy and foreign policy are extremely important topics that the media should be focusing a little bit more on, but do you see Bush about to do anything to help our economy or international image out? The reality is that in less than 4 monthes America will have a new leader, and that leader will be in charge of the economy and foreign poicy that the media should be focusing on. So the media should be informing the public about our possible new leaders, including all of their social mishaps, slip-ups, and beliefs because that is who is going to be running our country for the next 4 years.

On a side note...
Why we should be concerned
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6urw_PWHYk&NR=1

Ratings vs. Real Issues

I definitely think that the media is more focused on dishing out the dirt on each candidate, like Palin's 17 year old having a child. The reason why they are probably putting focus on such issues is because that sort of information sells better and gives them more viewers. They've lost sight of the real issues, like the poverty in the nation as well as the failing economy, which is a giant issue. I doubt that America would appreciate having a Great Depression relapse. But I guess that really depends on the person leading the country and their decision on how to fix it, and it's definitely the media's job to publicize it because I seriously doubt that America would appreciate experiencing another Great Depression

The Unbearable Lightness of Election 2008

"The Unbearable Lightness of Election 2008" by Katrina Vanden Heuvel
9/16/2008
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut/361113

This article addresses the absence of concentration on big issues in the coming election. Heuvel emphasizes the need to refocus the election on important issues. The questions for the candidates cover topics such as health care, trade deficits, unemployment, federal budget, NATO, childhood poverty rate, federal regulations, and other major topics that need to be addressed. The Institute for America’s Future (IAF) has recently launched an ad campaign to promote a push for better debates. With our nation deep in trouble, it is necessary that the candidates communicate their plans to help Americans. In an update, questions from readers are also provided, covering topics such as the spending of US tax dollars, the Iraq war, the Non-Proliferation Treaty, executive privilege, and Congressional power.

Follow-up questions:
1. What issues do you think the candidates should debate over?
2. Why is the media skirting these issues? What happened to their focus?
3. How deep is the nation’s trouble? Is it reasonable to assume that a candidate should have answers to all of these questions?