Personally, I don't think that there is much to worry about these days as far as terrorist acts, just because there is such a high level of media coverage and security in place, but to most Americans, there is a high sense of fear of another attack. I think this is all directly related to both the media and the way our economy has broken down, causing many people to stress over things such as foreign policy and oil just because the media tells them to. But overall, as far as the video goes, I understand the issues that Islamic believers cause for Americans, and if they would simply look at their acts from our points of view, they would probably understand our cause for concern.
I know that not all muslims support the killing of Americans, but there are radical branches that are leading the war on terror, which is the part of Islam that most Americans assume represents all of the faith, even though this is definitely not the case. As far as the photos of protests in cities in the United States, yes, they have the right to free speech, but like Sam's thoughts suggest, if the muslims participating were to take a look at their demonstrations from the outside looking in, they would see why and how upset Americans get over their ideals just because of the typical American bias to think that all muslims are terrorists, just like everyone who sees someone dressed as someone from the Middle East in an airport is predisposed to worry and watch their every move.
I'm sure that most people have the general first impression of being angry or scared of this video, and for good reason. It portrays the entire bad side of a group of people sharing the same religious beliefs, and without delving deeper into the situation, people could just assume that all muslims are out to kill Americans. Luckily, I do not usually like to make a hasty decision towards how I feel about someone or something. Based on this video alone, yes it did make me angry while watching, but I know that the authors obviously support the killing of muslims and they gave no mention to anything they believe in besides killing, which is something the media does all the time to try and sway peoples opinions on topics that they may not invest enough time in to fully understand.
As far as the economy goes, with all of the difficulties we are encountering with oil in the middle east, using home grown resources is a great way to lessen our dependence on our enemies and help avoid future conflicts. Another advantage is that with time, we will develop alternative energies for cars and processes that currently run on oil, and using our own natural gas as an alternative until that time makes sense. Along with the article however, Americans really do not see the entire issue, and are exposed to just the extremes of the issue, such as the movie Gasland and the news reports which show Obama supporting these bills for the greater good of the nation, and obviously not showing the drawbacks. Although it seems like an agreement in congress is not definite right now, Obama showing his support could cause party members to switch to his side, another way of showing how either behind the back moves or the invisible strings influence others.
From president Obama's view, the potential votes he could receive by backing big bills for energy companies is tremendous, and as far as presidential approval rates go, it seems as if he would not be winning his reelection campaign. From a scientific standpoint, I do agree that natural gas is better for both the environment and the economy, and should not be looked over for potential issues with drinking water. This doesn't mean we should just let it happen, but more work needs to be done looking into cleaning up the process.
I thought the comments at the end were very suspicious, in the sense that they bring up plausible questions about the behind the scenes actions that take place in politics these days. I definitely think that under the table deals are what bring people to power, and this article backs that up. Like we have discussed in class, most of congress is from a rich demographic, and part of this could be contributed to the fact that they have the money to donate to sway voters towards their side in return.
As far as the article goes, I think it is interesting to note that countries such as Ireland, where religion is the most critical part of the culture, religion is slowly fading out. This could be for many reasons, but I think one of them is that the world is being faced with many complicated problems, and people are letting religion take a backseat to what they want and how much time they put into issues that they feel warrant more attention than something that isn't as direct like religion is. I think it is a bad thing in a way, because many people look to religion to find themselves or for help in a time of need, and if it really does become extinct, it will not have a positive impact on the world.
I would say that religion belongs in the world, and that arguments surrounding it definitely contribute to many problems we face today in society. I have been attending church for my entire life, and although I disagree with institutions and religions that force members to donate and do things for the greater good of the group, I think religion is an important aspect in life. Although science has made its impact on religion and creationism versus evolution, there has been no definitive answer to the biggest unanswered question.
These actions will take place generation to generation unless somewhere it is put to a stop, and with the issues we face today, I don't see this ending any time soon. In relation to the class system we have, I do agree that most people end up in the same social class their parents belong to, because as we learned in class, many people from lower social classes don't know how to act or handle the upper classes. I also think that society as a whole is not as motivated anymore, and as long as people are happy with where there parents raised them in regards to class, they will be satisfied to be at the same level.
On the other side of politics, many successful businesses use dirty tactics to achieve higher profits. People such as Bernie Madoff have used illegal means to achieve massive amounts of profit, and in his case, have also been caught and reprimanded with serious consequences. I have always seen the best way to run a business or political seat is to preach honesty and trustworthiness, although this may not be the best way to achieve maximum personal benefit, this method will definitely help someone move up the social ladder and possibly become a bigger part of society. I also think this issue comes from the fact that people know that these illegal things take place, and assume that if someone does it, then it is acceptable to reach a goal using dishonest methods.
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