Link
In the region of Crimea, a area inside the troubled Ukraine, violent steps have been taken by armed radicals. A governmental building was taken over by armed men and a Russian flag was raised above it. It is crucial that the newly elected prime minister react appropriately to this situation. He has sent out a message to the people in this region saying that this group is only composed of "radicals" and no harm will come.
Ukraine has ousted their old leader in favor of a new one. The country is plagued by civil unrest and economic disparity. The question now is, will the US recognize this new prime minister and what will be our actions? As chief diplomat, it is the President of the United States job to communicate with Ukraine.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Blog #11- Comcast
Link
This month, it has been confirmed that one of the largest cable and telecommunications company, Comcast, is buying out Time Warner cable. This will mean that Comcast will now have a virtual monopoly on cable television. The merger will cost Comcast 45 billion dollars. This means that Comcast expects to make much more than this amount in profit.
It is up to US regulators to decide if this merger can take place legally. If Comcast has the monopoly it would be possible for them to fix prices, quality, and speed. It is the job of the US government to make sure that monopolies are not allowed to prosper.
This month, it has been confirmed that one of the largest cable and telecommunications company, Comcast, is buying out Time Warner cable. This will mean that Comcast will now have a virtual monopoly on cable television. The merger will cost Comcast 45 billion dollars. This means that Comcast expects to make much more than this amount in profit.
It is up to US regulators to decide if this merger can take place legally. If Comcast has the monopoly it would be possible for them to fix prices, quality, and speed. It is the job of the US government to make sure that monopolies are not allowed to prosper.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Blog #10- Death Penalty
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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is the 19 year old "suspect" for the Boston Marathon bombings. As Tsarnaev awaits his trial it has become apparent that the federal government is going to push for the death penalty if he is convicted. This was decided after prosecutors consulted families of the victims. A poll says that "57 percent of respondents favored a sentence of life without parole if Tsarnaev were to be convicted, while 33 percent thought death would be the appropriate punishment." At this time, no trail date for the suspect has been set.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is the 19 year old "suspect" for the Boston Marathon bombings. As Tsarnaev awaits his trial it has become apparent that the federal government is going to push for the death penalty if he is convicted. This was decided after prosecutors consulted families of the victims. A poll says that "57 percent of respondents favored a sentence of life without parole if Tsarnaev were to be convicted, while 33 percent thought death would be the appropriate punishment." At this time, no trail date for the suspect has been set.
The death penalty is, and always has been, a controversial topic. People have to decide if it is the right for the government to have that power. Personally, I support the death penalty. People who obviously committed horrible crimes such as these don't deserve to live off taxpayers money in a cell. It is much harder to get a person sentenced to death at the federal level compared to the state level and this trial will put this to the test.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Blog 9- NSA
Blog 9- NSA
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Yesterday, a letter signed by 54 civil liberties and public interest organizations was sent to congress. it was opposing S. 1631 the FISA Improvements act. It is a bill, that if passed, would extend the power of the NSA and allow them to being data and communications monitoring a gain. These groups state that this act gives the NSA power that tramples over the rights of Americans.
I completely agree with these organizations. The NSA has already been caught multiple times for violating peoples civil rights and they should not have more power. Why do more people not know about this? Everyone's privacy is at stake however this is not to be found on the front page of most news sources.
Link
Yesterday, a letter signed by 54 civil liberties and public interest organizations was sent to congress. it was opposing S. 1631 the FISA Improvements act. It is a bill, that if passed, would extend the power of the NSA and allow them to being data and communications monitoring a gain. These groups state that this act gives the NSA power that tramples over the rights of Americans.
I completely agree with these organizations. The NSA has already been caught multiple times for violating peoples civil rights and they should not have more power. Why do more people not know about this? Everyone's privacy is at stake however this is not to be found on the front page of most news sources.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Blog #8
Blog #8- Obama won't use IPhone
Link
President Obama says that he cannot use a IPhone cell phone for different "security reasons". He currently uses the cell phone brand he had when he entered office- Blackberry. The company has recently lost a lot of its business to Apple and Android, but is now attempting to direct products towards large corporations and governmental officials.
This article might not seem very important, but it raises a lot of questions. If the president cannot safely use a IPhone then why do many Americans? According to Edward Snowden, the NSA has had access to records kept by communication giants like Google and Apple. More and more calls are being monitored since the passing of the Patriot Act in 2001. Is the National Government infringing on our civil liberties too much?
Link
President Obama says that he cannot use a IPhone cell phone for different "security reasons". He currently uses the cell phone brand he had when he entered office- Blackberry. The company has recently lost a lot of its business to Apple and Android, but is now attempting to direct products towards large corporations and governmental officials.
This article might not seem very important, but it raises a lot of questions. If the president cannot safely use a IPhone then why do many Americans? According to Edward Snowden, the NSA has had access to records kept by communication giants like Google and Apple. More and more calls are being monitored since the passing of the Patriot Act in 2001. Is the National Government infringing on our civil liberties too much?
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Blog 7- BitCoins
Blog #7
Bitcoins are a virtual currency. It is a revolutionary new concept that has emerged in the past 5 years. Bitcoins are not backed by any central bank or government and allow for more financial anonymity. They are created by "miners" who run algorithms on high end computer hardware in order to "discover" Bitcoins. It gets harder and harder to "mine" them over time. Since their introduction a few years ago, the value of the currency has skyrocketed. Prices reaced record highs on Monday at $800 per Bitcoin and %100 increase in 5 days. However this currency has a dark side. it has been used in the past to conduct illegal transaction due to its untraceable properties. US Congress is meeting this week to discuss Bitcoins validity and place in US Finances.
I believe that Bitcoins are a very interesting concept and that Congress should sanction them. They have become a sort of investment and many people are buying into the concept. It will be interesting to see what an unbacked currency will do.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Blog #6
Link
This news article is about the worlds most powerful recored typhoon to hit landfall, typhoon Haiyan. This torm has wreaked havok on the Phillipine Islands and The Us is responding with massive amounts of aid. It is believed that alomost two thousand are dead, and three thousand injured. It is estimated that over six hundred thousand people have been displaced, according to the UN. Tsunami force waves bashed the shore while winds over 200 mph blew amost every coastal building over.
The US as well as other nations are sending aid to this devistanded country. 5000 navy sailors are on the way as well as 3 ships and millions of dollars in food and medical supplies. THis shows how the worlds superpower, the US, is willing to
Link
This news article is about the worlds most powerful recored typhoon to hit landfall, typhoon Haiyan. This torm has wreaked havok on the Phillipine Islands and The Us is responding with massive amounts of aid. It is believed that alomost two thousand are dead, and three thousand injured. It is estimated that over six hundred thousand people have been displaced, according to the UN. Tsunami force waves bashed the shore while winds over 200 mph blew amost every coastal building over.
The US as well as other nations are sending aid to this devistanded country. 5000 navy sailors are on the way as well as 3 ships and millions of dollars in food and medical supplies. THis shows how the worlds superpower, the US, is willing to
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