William Graham Sumner

"Is it wicked to be rich? Is it mean to be a capitalist?" an who should bring up the point of which a person is too rich. These are questions Sumner brings up in his writing. The only anwer I could come up with is that, it is only wicked to be rich, or be a capitalist, if you do not put money back into society to help your fellow man. The only people who should not be rich are the greedy ones who won't put a peny into society or people who did not work to be rich. People like Paris Hilton do not deserve the nurishment of being rich, because the main reason they are at their status is because of their father. Don't get me wrong, I know there are rich people who put money into society, btu it is not enough.

Sumner brings up the point that if a clergyman were to work his way up from a man of poverty to a rich man is a good member of society. But as soon as he becomes rich, society views him as being suspicious, as a danger to the betterment of society. I agree with Sumner that this is wrong for society to view him as being a danger to society. The man worked he way up to being rich which is a great achievement for him and it should not be taken away from him.

Also I belive Sumner tries to bring up the point that there are naturally gifted/smart people in society who deserve the best. And that there are also people who just slack or are stupid and they deserve what they get. Also Sumner points out how the rich are good people, that if the working people ask the poor ask the rich to do something for them, the rich will comply.

After reading this document I still believe that people are do not deserve being rich only if they do not put money back into society. I think that if the rich are as good of people that Sumner states they are, the rich would put as much money as they could into fundations, charity, taxes, and more, since they have the money to put it in. They do not need the five cars and million dollar jewelry.

Platform of the American Anti-Imperialist League

Right off the bat, the author goes to the point theat the policy of imperialism is hostile to liberty and tends to point towards militarianism. As Lincoln, and Washignton both viewed that all men, race or color not being a factor, are entitled to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Also governments only recieve their power rightfully from the people they govern. They league insist that imperialist ideas is "crimianl aggression".

Imperialism takes away both of these facts. A country under imperialism, like the Philipines in the article, lose their liberty and pursuit of happiness. Also imperialist governments do not recieve their right to govern rightfully, since they basically take over the government. Also in the Philipines many lives will be lost at the hands of America, which is one of the things humans are entitled to.

I believe this article is right, that countries should not imperialism. People have the right to choose their own government, and another country should not have the right to come and take over another countries government. A national law states that a strogner country may take over a weaker country, which I believe is wrong. Like Washington stated after the American revolution, "America should not interact with other countries, we should be isolated"

Frederick Douglas

Frederick Douglas right from the start with the title shows that in 1852, 4th of July, Independance Day, was not a day that they should be very proud of. He shows this because INDEPENDANCE DAY, was meant to be a day to celebrate the freedom from Englands opression, and that everyone is a free man. But that is not the case for the black men and women, most of which were held as slaves at white males plantation farms. As he stated "Opression makes a wise man mad", which he pointed out the fathers of America who were victims of grievous wrongs. He knows what it means to be independant.

He points out how the fathers of America were great men. How they were brave enough to stand up for their independance from England. He goes on about the past of America and why the 4th of July, Independance day, should be a great holiday. Except for the fact that "the nation never looked blacker to me than on this 4th of July!" Now that the Americans are free of opression from England, now they are doing relatively the samething to the blacks.

He points out the wrong doings by stating, " What am I to argue that it is wrong to make men brutes, to rob them of our liberty, to work the without wages......." He asks the audience/reader "if slavery is not divine: that God did not establish it" that our doctors of divinity are mistaken?" Frederick Douglas then goes on about the corruptiveness of judges during slave trade, on how they would recieve 10 dollars for every victim he cosigns to slavery.

I believe Frederick Douglas is right, that 4th of July was a black day in America up until everyone recieved equall rights. That the independance we fought for is deminished when we oppress minorities ourselves. If we belive America shold be the land of the free, and independant, then the blacks should not have been reduced to slaves, that we could beat, rape, and use to pick crops.

Thomas Hobbes political ideas

Thomas Hobbes has many great ideas on how a government should be ran. If you look at our government, you can see many of Hobbes ideas, such as the sovereigns 9th right which is the right to start a war or create a treaty. Another example of he ideas being seen in our present day government is that the majority rules, which is the sovereigns 3rd right. In the United States if the majority votes for democratic so that they controll senate, the house, and president, then we all have to follow their disciplines, and the same can be said for republicans. Also like the United States government and many others throughout the world, the leader decides the rights, and laws that people have to foolow (sovereigns 7th right). These ideas were used to try and make the people less worried about the hassels of the government by having someone they elected as their sovereign.
Eventhough Hobbes has many great ideas on how to run a government, there are some major flaws. If the sovereign turns out to be corrupt there is no way that the people could overthrow him, as stated in the 4th and 5th right of sovereign. The people may not kill the sovereign or be overthrown. This idea of a government would not work for these reasons, because the leader of society should fear the people of being overthrown, so that he or she works for the betterment of society.