us_ch15_lesson5

=**Lessons to Learn**= Overview of the lessons we should all learn from U.S. History 1850 to the Present. Remember, those who don't learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. Often times leaders have their own personal agendas and fail to recognize historical statistics in terms of successes and failures.


 * **Abraham Lincoln - a lesson on leadership:** President Lincoln serves as an example of leadership, which was greatly needed when he was in office since the nation was torn apart. Lincoln's values were guided by his Christian faith and he never lost site of his values even when the Civil War looked hopeless, Northerners were even against him, and there were numerous threats on his life. In the end, his leadership saved our Republic. In 2012, America is in need of a leader with the nation very divided between traditional Americans and Secular-Progressives.


 * **Be an informed voter:**
 * The Founding Fathers set up the Constitution in a way that slavery would eventually end - slave trade would be abolished in 20 years (1808) - with no new slaves coming in, the institution of slavery would eventually end. Then why did slavery stay and grow? The Founders valued Judeo-Christian principles whereas new leaders determined to continue slavery were motivated more by self-interest and voters elected politicians who would not take on slavery.
 * The Progressive Era began with Theodore Roosevelt. The government began to expand its role more in this era and has continued to grow since then. Some legislation is viewed as for the good of society such as the FDA, which came about from the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act under TR. This era with TR, Taft, and Wilson also saw government going after business. It's up to you as a voter to decided how much government is too much or if government needs to be bigger with more regulations.
 * Interest groups today put out ads and propaganda that supports their candidate or party and shows the negatives of the other. It's important to realize and remember that all issues of two sides. An informed voter realizes that propaganda ads on TV don't always show both sides, but rather are intended to get you to vote a certain way.
 * Media bias is also important to remember as a future voter. Like with interest groups, remember that there are two sides to an issue and an informed voter is aware of media bias and searches for facts and the truth about issues and candidates.


 * **Issues need dealt with:**
 * Slavery wasn't a new issue in 1860, yet it led to Southern secession with the election of Lincoln, a Republican whose party was to end slavery. For decades, leaders acted as if it wasn't an issue, tried to ignore the issue, or tried to compromise an uncompromising issue. A gag rule was even put on the Congress to not bring up slavery so not to anger anyone in debating. Rather than continuing what our Founding Fathers started (they put slavery on the path to extinction) in regards to slavery, the issue literally tore our nation apart.
 * Today, Islamic terrorism is a major issue, yet some in our nation either downplay or ignore issues such as Iran and the threats of Islamic Jihad.
 * Also today, Social Security and Medicare is in financial problems. Both funds continue to pay out more than is brought in, which means money is borrowed, which adds to the debt. Medicare is expected to be bankrupt by 2024 and Social Security by 2033 (disability by 2016). Most politicians ignore the issue because proposing anything leads to criticism.


 * **Capitalism gives incentives to work hard:**
 * In the 1850s and 1860s, there were incentives to be hard workers - a hard worker could earn wealth. This led to Drake's Well and the Bessemer Process. With government staying out of the way, the telegraph grew and improved communication and the railroads expanded improving transportation.
 * The Industrial Revolution brought about entrepreneurs like Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller, Morgan, and numerous others. These entrepreneurs weren't born with wealth and didn't have every advantage all of their lives. These entrepreneurs took a risk and through hard work earned wealth. For example, Carnegie was an immigrant who came penniless. These men were also very charitable. Not only did they provide jobs and improve the overall standard of living for all Americans, they donated a lot to charitable causes and/or churches.
 * There was opportunity in the West after the Civil War (it wasn't so wild as often the name "Wild West" leads people to believe). Opportunity didn't always mean success. Hard work would determine success.
 * Henry Ford showed how outside-the-box thinking can make an entrepreneur successful. He failed in his first two attempts at an automobile business. His success came when he built an automobile using the assembly line process - the Model T, or Tin Lizzie.
 * Decades that saw new consumer goods and economic prosperity were results of government playing a small role in business (1870s-1890s, 1920s, 1950s, 1980s into the 90s).
 * Entrepreneurship excels in capitalism due to incentives to gain an education and work hard. Entrepreneurship made American one of the world leaders in the Industrial Revolution, brought about advances in transportation and communication as well as the many technological devices we all use today. Businesses not only provide goods that we want, they also provide jobs. Still, there is a segment of the population that demonizes business saying that business is greedy.


 * **Progressives = Big Government and the Nanny State:**
 * Progressives see government as the solution to society's problems - the Founding Fathers saw faith and charity as the solutions to social problems. Government became viewed and promoted by Progressives as the solver of society's problems.
 * Government expanded during the Great Depression - people expect (not just look to) the government to solve economic problems.
 * The Great Society made Americans more dependent on the government and increased welfare dependency.
 * Government regulations - specifically environmental regulations - led to the decline of the auto and steel industries.
 * Supporters of socialism/communism/progressivism/redistribution of wealth make it sound good - that the government will take care of everyone - but lacks incentive to work hard. Communism has proven to be a failure as seen in the Communist Bloc during the Cold War. China has been able to survive by allowing some private enterprise especially giving incentives for foreign businesses to move to China.


 * **There are groups/individuals that prefer a big government in economics:**
 * Karl Marx's ideas on Communism and the beliefs of the Fabian Socialists pushed for redistribution of wealth - take from those who earn and give to those who don't earn. America is not a socialist nation, but Progressives do push for higher taxes on those who earn wealth. Today, half the citizens in the U.S. don't pay any income tax...only the top 50% of Americans.
 * Labor unions began to form in the late 1800s. Many early unions were violent and demonized business owners as they demanded higher wages. Unions aren't socialist (some may hold socialist beliefs), but national labor unions (AFL-CIO, SEIU - state and local government workers - paid with tax dollars, the NEA - teachers' union, and others) push for election of leaders who favor higher taxes on business.
 * The Progressive Era saw an increased role for government under TR who claimed to be looking out for consumers and business abuses. Progressivism expanded into an increased role for the government especiallly under Woodrow Wilson.
 * The New Dealers bought into Keynesian economics, or that deficit spending was good to help an economy - belief that government is the solution to economic problems. Remember, Stuart Chase - a Fabian socialist - had a major role in the formation of the New Deal.
 * In the 1960s, SDS and the militant Weather Underground pushed and protested to bring down Capitalism. They were unsuccessful, but saw that violence wasn't working, so they got into the workforce and would work for fundamental transformation of America that way. Example - Bill Ayers becoming a college professor.
 * Occupy Wall Street is a 2011-12 protest group that is against Capitalism. The blame the wealthy for the problems in America. In reality, this group is against Capitalism and favors redistribution of wealth. They have also shown that their group is involved in rampant drug use and is very willing to use violence.
 * Billionaire George Soros funds numerous anti-capitalist and pro-Progressive groups and media outlets.


 * **Money doesn't __always__ solve problems - often leads to government reliance:**
 * In Reconstruction, the government was definitely noble in wanting to ensure fair treatment for the Freedmen. The government simply put money into the South for education and aiding the Freedmen, but money wasn't going to change the hearts and minds of Southerners. The Freedmen's Bureau might have had good intentions, but was very limited in its abilities (as you know the Jim Crow Laws were in the South clear until the Civil Rights Movement).
 * The 1889 Johnstown flood shows that private citizens and charities are better equipped to handle a natural disaster than the government. However, today Americans rely on the government to aid and assist in rebuilding from disasters (floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, earthquakes...). This has resulting in an expanded role for the government.
 * The New Deal was an attempt to bring the U.S. out of the depression. It did not - WWII did. It led to more reliance on the government - Social Security, the SEC, FDIC - all considered good and things all Americans rely on, but does show how Americans were allowing the government to grow larger.
 * The Great Society was LBJ's program to win the war on poverty. The government spent money on several areas, some considered very worthwhile, but the expansion of the welfare system led to more Americans becoming more dependent on the government. $15 to $16 trillion has been spent on the poor since 1965 but the poverty rate only improved from 19% to 15.1%. Still, even with out of control spending there are many who push to spend more (many who haven't learned from the past).
 * Why is government reliance bad? History proves that government reliance leads to bigger government which leads to more government power, which is how Totalitarian dictators were able to rise to power.


 * **Lower taxes and less government spending helps the economy:**
 * Income tax was unconstitutional until the 16th amendment (1913). Progressives pushed for this amendment stating that it would be a low rate and only for the top earners in the nation. The income tax has been used since any time the government wants to spend more. Interestingly, taxing income was one of the important pillars described by Karl Marx in the //Communist Manifesto//. Income tax is how socialism redistributes wealth - take from those who earn a lot and redistribute that wealth.
 * Going into 1920-21, America was facing its worst depression in history with soldiers coming home and extremely high tax rates under Wilson. Harding and Coolidge both cut taxes and government spending, which gave businesses the opportunity to expand, hire, and produce new goods - led to the Roaring 20s.
 * When the stock market crashed in 1929, Herbert Hoover tried to help the economy through government spending. It failed. FDR tried a lot more spending. It also didn't work. Statistics show that it was WWII that brought the U.S. out of the depression.
 * In 1946, after WWII the nation faced what it faced after WWI - but the government cut taxes and spending which led to economic prosperity in the 1950s (America's happy days).
 * The Great Society led to a major expansion of the government and an increase in taxes, which was part of what led to 1970s recession (the oil crisis played a role as well).
 * Tax cuts in the 1980s led to prosperity and gave way to the digital revolution of the 1990s.
 * The private sector produces economic growth, not the government. Why? They have incentives...profit...to grow and look for ways to continue the growth and earnings. Government jobs...IRS, FBI, EPA, FTC...means bigger government, which means higher taxes and more government reliance.
 * When taxes are lowered to give businesses incentives to grow, they hire more people...more people working means more people paying taxes instead of collecting from the government.
 * Why do some still argue or believe in higher taxes? It's easy to convince people that higher taxes will help...think about it...if the government puts money into the economy, someone is going to get it and be helped. This is unsustainable though because the government would have to continue taxing to continue spending and if that happens, there is less incentive for businesses to grow, hire, and produce new products.
 * Much is made of "the rich should pay their fair share." According to your class, the rich is already paying their fair share. There a push in 2012 for the government to stop the wasteful spending.


 * **There are threats to the Judeo-Christian foundation of the U.S.:**
 * The eugenics movement began in the Progressive era and was the study of race. Eugenics tried to say that morals, ethics, success, and good character were all inherent and therefore some states had sterilization laws to prevent some from reproducing. Margaret Sanger went out to develop birth control with the purpose of not allowing blacks or the poor to reproduce. Her work led to Planned Parenthood. Abortion has become modern day eugenics. Those who promote abortion "rights" have substituted the word "fetus" for unborn baby and "women's reproductive rights" for murder of an unborn baby.
 * Lesson from Germany in the 1930s - how did a man like Hitler rise to power? People became more concerned about material goods (became materialistic) and moved away from Christian values.
 * Martin Luther King Jr. used non-violent protests - civil disobedience - to achieve his dream of being judged by the "content of his character" and not the color of his skin. He believed in the principles of the Founders that all men are created equal.
 * Environmentalists value animals and plants higher than humans. Examples are numerous on how much protection environmental groups want togive to wildlife and plants, yet don't defend pro-life agenda for humans.
 * Breakdown of the traditional family - Feminist movement encouraged the Pill, which could mean sex without consequence. The Pill isn't 100%, but with //Roe v. Wade// abortion became legal - number of abortions skyrocketed. The movement also pushed for no-fault divorce, but this led to an increase in divorce and single-mother homes. There was also an increase in births out of wedlock.

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