The Self-Analysis

The blog project has truly opened up my eyes to a new form of communicating and receiving ideas that I find beneficial to my growth as a thinker, student, and individual. Through having to research profusely on an issue which I was previously uninformed on has given me the skills to investigate biases, and realize that everything posted on the internet (scholarly or not) is not the ultimate answer-you can always dig deeper because each issue has so many underlying causes and influences.

In relation to the economy, I learned how subprime mortgages, U.S. national and consumer debt, the war, 9-11—are all not only causes of our ailing economy, but directly connected with one another. Before conducting research and questioning my findings through writing and being questioned by fellow bloggers, I would have never truly grasped the intricate connections within my issue. Digging even deeper, understanding (in relation to the campaign) what each party and candidate contributes to the rescue plan and future economy by researching their past actions and deciding if they are indicative of what they claim…then understanding that political parties and candidates ALSO have forces influencing them-sometimes ones that even connect back to the very face of the problem! Refrencing to my Analysis Post, with Fannie Mae endorsing Obama with $42,000 of campaign money and McCain’s involvement with the Keating Five shows the very tangled web of political issues and how there is so much to be researched for a better understanding. And less influential than presidential candidates, but still highly powerful in the American market, is the companies we choose to support that may not actually be supporting us. I came across this posting today in The Huffington Post, blogging on Wal-Mart's image of "low prices," and their contradictory habits of underpaying employees, avoiding some taxes, not giving out full and promised healthcare benefits, and supporting foreign economies when our own is struggling. Every consumer, every producer, every major legislation, every global event...they all have an affect on the economy. The research is endless, but becoming informed is so valuable to every citizen.

Blogging on the economy, especially, has shown me how this is related to almost every other topic. Without a healthy economy, there is no money to endorse student loans, renewable resources, healthcare, no child left behind, jobs for immigrants, etc., issues that affect American citizens on an even more personal level. This is a big deal…and before this project, sadly, I had no idea how important every issue was to the survival and success of the United States and the world for that matter. All of the great ideas legislators have proposed and America has critiqued in order to better the U.S. will not be able to go into action without a healthy economy. And how can a healthy economy configure itself from the wraths of credit-swaps and subprime mortgages? Well through a well thought out rescue plan...which I have had the privledge of documenting its many twists and turns through the past month. The development of the rescue plan started as a hasty one, and the U.S. government soon realized that while they needed to take swift action, it had to be decisive and actually work, because it had to. The rescue plan along with revisions in goverment interaction in the economy will help the U.S. to recover from the crisis.

Holding intellectual discussions on topics through the internet has challenged me in two ways-1) tapping into a new form of communicative interaction, and 2)demanding continuous research on my own topic and others, both of which I had merely a base knowledge on. Before the start of this project, my internet communication consisted of emails, facebook, and im-chatting. Through researching, blogging, and responding to the issues of others I feel that I attempted to progress as an individual within an evolving society and will continue to do so.

As for evolution of thought in current situations regarding the 2008 Presidential election…has my thinking changed on my favored political party? Or Candidate? Actually not. I have waffled back and forth a bit; coming into the project I had the intentions of voting for McCain, having always been a Republican, or at least thinking of myself as a Republican. And while I had a surface understanding of what the party represented and a family history of Republicans, I was unaware of how Republican’s dealt with issues currently and in the past…which is the best way to decide on the future. I had never researched why the party has the beliefs they do (the driving forces if you will). In conducting my research on the economy, I initially found McCain’s plan for the economy very vague, just focusing on various tax breaks. Obama, on the other hand, provides a detailed outlook on stimulating the economy, creating new jobs through clean energy and infrastructure, and stabilize the housing market by preventing foreclosures. Obama seemed like the candidate of change, which our struggling nation obviously needed, and my opinion was quickly changing. Then, not even meaning to, more research and discussion allowed me to realize that a struggling nation does not need to be overhauled with potentially expensive programs and diverted away from the most pertinent issues; the U.S. needs a simple, yet effective plan to jumpstart the economy and encourage economic success for the long-term. McCain’s plan actually has more than meets the eye, and due to criticism, he has elaborated his plan to enlighten America. He plans on making healthcare more affordable, lowering capital gains and eliminating unemployment taxes, selling to global markets (which make up 95% of profits from goods sold by the U.S.), not endorse any program that lacks importance in our time of crisis, and helping those who are struggling to pay their mortgages. McCain proposes to lower taxes for the majority of income brackets, and even corporate taxes and new cell-phone taxes. Both candidates provide plans within their campaign that will help the U.S. grow and bounce back from the current financial crisis. And disregarding specific candidates, the blog project in relation to the campaign has enlightened me on why I am choosing to vote the way I am.