The Secular Progressives vs. The Traditionalists Essay Example for Free

The Secular Progressives vs. The Traditionalists Essay In the New York Times best selling book from Fox News Commentator and mediator for The O’Reilly factor, Bill O’Reilly in his book Culture Warrior, defines and separates the two main competitors for the culture of America: The Secular Progressives vs. The Traditionalists. O’Reilly sees this battle as much more important than the more known and easily recognized conservatives vs. liberals and consequently sees the stakes as being that much more important as well with the winner deciding the fate of America policies, both foreign and especially domestic, for generations to come. As a self proclaimed culture warrior, O’Reilly puts himself center stage in this debate as he boasts that he sees himself as one of the most hated men in America as a result of his views on the media and other secular progressives and what he views as their destruction of the core values that has helped to make America great. â€Å"The culture war has also made me perhaps the most controversial broadcaster in the country. That hot-button label controversial gives my enemies, they think, the right to attack me and my enterprises ceaselessly, unfairly, even dementedly. I truly drive the opposing force nuts! As you may know, Im engaged in fighting them on a daily basis, and that warfare is the subject of this book. † ( O’Reilly, 5) And regardless of one’s opinions on Mr. O’Reilly, that is exactly what he does since he points out that one of the most important aspects of being a traditionalist is keeping your word. O’Reilly shows how the culture war has played out in such high profile cases as The Passion of the Christ, Fahrenheit 9/11 and the battle against religion in public life. O’Reilly also touches on race, education, the protection of children, the ACLU and the war against Christmas which according to O’Reilly has seen an escalation in recent years in favor of political correctness which has run out of control. Bill O’Reilly enjoys high ratings and stellar book sales because he pinpoints the moral decline in America that millions of Americans agree is happening in America. At the same time, the name Bill O’Reilly also invokes many an impassioned opinion with many Americans hating what he has to say and according to O’Reilly, have levied death threats against himself and his family for his outspoken views. As someone who has read this book and is well aware of the impact that O’Reilly has on American media, either in an affective way, either positive or negative, the opinions of the author always do invoke a response from individuals. Whatever controversies are the hot topic in the news, O’Reilly fearlessly confronts them and the reader, regardless of his political affiliation, is not left wondering what side of the isle O’Reilly is on. He sees many aspects of life in black and white and is both revered and hated for such beliefs. â€Å"The culture war must be won quickly and definitively, and the best way to do that is to expose the secular-progressive movement in our country for exactly what it is, to explain why it is so harmful for America, and to identify the movements top leaders. So here we go! † ( O’Reilly, 6) O’Reilly, towards the end of the book concedes that this will be a tough fight and that they winner is not set in stone. Therefore, expect more books of the same genre in the future from Bill O’Reilly. In the 200 pages of Culture Warrior, O’Reilly wastes no time in starting his unapologetic attacks on a wide variety of interests in America. â€Å"For a variety of reasons that I will explain, I have chosen to jump into the fray and become a warrior in the vicious culture war that is currently under way in the United States of America. And war is exactly the right term. On one side of the battlefield are the armies of the traditionalists like me, people who believe the United States was well founded and has done enormous good for the world. † (O’Reilly, 10) According to O’Reilly, an example of the influence of the secular progressives’ power and influence in American culture is the war on Christmas perpetuated by the chief of all secular progressives: The ACLU. â€Å"Gradually, Christmas trees did become ‘holiday trees,’ Christmas vacation became winter vacation and Christmas parades became â€Å"Festival of Lights. † (O’Reilly, 45) In America, between 80-85% of its citizens define themselves as Christians. Yet, O’Reilly points out the push by the secular progressives on the country towards a more religiously neutral celebration of the holidays. The word â€Å"Christmas† and â€Å"Merry Christmas† is no longer politically correct to say, but the more neutral â€Å"Happy Holidays. † Christmas trees are being replaced by Holiday trees even though their resemblance is the same. Using the term Christmas to describe the 25th of December as the birth of Jesus, and subsequently, the reason for the celebration is seen as oppressive to the minority in America that do not celebrate Christmas and therefore feel out of place during the Christmas season. On the other side of the isle are the traditionalists who see this as an assault on Christmas and political correctness gone too far and is out of touch with the majority of American in this country. O’Reilly identifies the actions of the secular progressives as efforts to move America into being identified as neutral when it comes to religious issues. In doing so, O’Reilly sees this trend as being in opposition to the motivations of the country’s founding fathers; that, the majority were very religious and their mention of God can frequently be found in their personal writings. O’Reilly outs the ACLU as center stage in his fight against the secular progressives. O’Reilly gives them credit for the lambasting of Christmas, the neutralization of religion in public life and for all sorts of moral degradations in American culture. This fight against the ACLU will not be completed any time soon and will most likely be seen in O’Reilly’s next book to be sure. O’Reilly points out in another example of the ideological differences between the secular progressives and traditionalists are their respective views on government and the desired role that each side wishes would play in their life. â€Å"On the home front in America, traditional forces strongly believe that their hard-earned money is not the property of the government, to be distributed as largesse to others who, perhaps, are not willing to work to earn their prosperity. †( O’Reilly, 75) O’Reilly points to Europe and the stagnation of the economy that many of the nations are enduring. There is little motivation to work and to get ahead in life because of the high level of taxation and the desire of the secular progressives to copy America’s government involvement after that of Europe’s. O’Reilly says that the secular progressives wish to drastically increase taxes and therefore, kill the incentives that many Americans have to be independent and to work for what they have instead of high taxations creating a cradle for people who do not wish to work. O’Reilly wishes to avoid America moving in that direction and that America’s economy remain independent of high taxes which would fund such social programs like handing out clean needles to drug addicts, condoms to students and free money to people who do not wish to work. Such ideas firmly place O’Reilly among the traditionalists of America and that is where he is likely to stay. Among one of O’Reilly’s most impassioned rants he saved towards the end of the book. It is against the people who seem to rant against America and all that is supposed to be wrong with her. In the chapter entitled â€Å"Hating America,† O’Reilly lists the people in the spotlight that seem to do their best to degrade America and the greatness that O’Reilly sees on a daily basis. O’Reilly, who is in opposition to the ideology of Norman Mailer but one who respects him, details the differences in their thinking concerning conservatives vs. liberals and for O’Reilly traditionalists vs. secular progressives and their opinion on America. â€Å"A good example of the useful face-off between polar opposites was my interview with Norma Mailer in March of 2006. One of America’s great writers, mailer doesn’t hate America but he finds it seriously flawed-as you know, a core secular progressive tenet. But mailer separates himself from the S-P garrison because he sees its weaknesses, selfishness and relativism. . . . Mailer says: ‘A great war is going on here, larger even that we realize, between liberals and the conservatives. The conservatives are saying in effect: ‘You guys are trying to wreck existence by becoming too vain, too godless. † And liberals are replying, â€Å"Your obsession that God is judgmental looks to force all of humanity into rigid patterns that won’t work any longer. † (O’Reilly, 120) O’Reilly thinks that Mailer is incorrect but unlike his personal detractors, does so in a respectful manner. â€Å"But Mailer is wrong. Traditional and conservative thinkers who understand their country do not put God at the head of public policy, nor do we point fingers at the opposition and label them sinners. Traditionalists believe that secular-progressive policies will weaken America and lead to societal chaos. While we see no reason to banish God from the public square, we don’t expect Him to be writing social policy on tablets and handing them to us in the Sinai. † ( O’Reilly, 193) O’Reilly does state the importance of the Bible and that it must be on the reading list of every true traditionalist but that a traditionalist will not be zealots in their pursuit of establishing a theocracy in America. In the second phase of secular progressives’ view that America is seriously flawed is their desire for America to no longer be the lone superpower in the world. â€Å"The secular progressive movement wants the United States to decline in power. It wants a new world order where global consensus would rule and the superpower model for our time would recede into obsolescence. †(O’Reilly, 194) But O’Reilly accurately points out a different side towards America’s effect in the world and an effect that is central to traditionalists’ opinion of America and of her greatness. â€Å" By contrast, the T-warrior will fight to keep, even increase America’s vast power. Why? Because T-warriors understand that the United States is a righteous country that has in our brief history freed billions of people from political enslavement. It is our might and money that brought down Tojo, Hitler and the Soviet Union†¦ If we go into decline, the world would be a much more dangerous place. Can you picture Russia and communist China dominating the world? How about the combined Arab states? † (O’Reilly, 194 Journalist as defined by O’Reilly, the answer is a resounding NO! The greatest strength of O’Reilly and the strength that makes him so successful can sometimes be one of his weaknesses: arrogance. Many of his points go beyond liberal or conservative, secularist or conservative but for the others, it might be seen as relative as it depends on the reader to make the final decision since the decline of morals or whether ignoring America’s religious foundations is a good or bad thing may never fully answered in this lifetime and in this country. But such topics are always good for material since millions of Americans do closely follow O’Reilly on the radio and on television. The reader’s view on the Culture Warrior depends upon their religious and political leanings. If one feels that the existence of a liberal media that wishes America’s influence in the world to be curtailed is greatly exaggerated and America’s declining morals either doesn’t exist or is not important, Culture Warrior will evoke a strong and negative response. However, on the other hand, if one defines himself as a conservative and/or traditionalist, then the topics that O’Reilly details will hit its mark. And for millions of Americans, it does just that. This is an important and entertaining book that, like much of what O’Reilly does and says, will spark many needed discussions around the classrooms and water coolers of America. O’Reilly is effective when it comes to seeing and articulating issues of importance in today’s ever changing society and most importantly, it is a window into the mindset of millions of Americans.

Free College Admissions Essays: I Traded it All to Be a Filmmaker :: College Admissions Essays

I Have Traded it All to Be a Filmmaker I left a secure job and a lifestyle that would have catapulted me into the upper middle class by age 30. I disappointed my family and shocked my friends, but the applause from the packed auditorium vindicated my decision to pursue my passion. At great expense, I decided to follow my dreams, to refuse to be disappointed or discouraged by life. As I reflected on all the difficulties I persevered through in reaching that point in my life, I felt a hand patting me on my shoulder praising my work. I was born in Omaha, Nebraska on August 28,1972 because my mother slipped on an onion peel while shopping at the local Hinky Dinky Supermarket; the fall induced her labor and out I popped. In this rather unsophisticated environment, where on Saturday the second largest city is a packed college football stadium, I somehow developed artistic aspirations, but did not have the opportunity to make cultural pursuits a major part of my life. At the age of twelve, my father accepted a job with Levi Strauss and moved the family to Kansas City. At this crucial stage in my development, I found the arts fascinating, especially while studying literature in junior high. Unlike the other students who flocked to the hundreds of early eighties Spring Break movies, I developed a discriminating taste and longed for the quality I would find in a Stanley Kubrick film. At night, tackling Crime and Punishment or watching Dr. Strangelove took precedence over arcades and football. I carried my love for literature with me when I attended the University of Kansas. I also studied economics, which combined my interests in philosophy, history and mathematics. However, while I studied economics for somewhat practical reasons and never thought of the discipline as compelling enough to devote my entire life to, my interests in film and music began to mature. Exposed to the unconventional films of Hal Hartley, Mike Leigh, and John Sayles and to the poetic music of Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen, I prized their works' brilliant storytelling, and this feature inspired my own work and my eventual pursuit of filmmaking. Facing high college loans and a desire to be economically secure, I chose not to pursue my dreams immediately out of college. I fooled myself into thinking my passion for filmmaking was just a hobby and that I would be better off pursuing a more " serious" career, one with respect and a high salary.

Mid “Witchery”

A wise woman was asked to present the baby to the world and predict its fortune. A wise women, or witch was the priestess who instructed women in blood, birth, and the magic of it all. The French word for midwife means â€Å"wise woman†. According to the Britannica Encyclopedia the â€Å"art of attending women in childbirth† is called midwifery. Midwives and their practices date back as far as ancient biblical, Greek and Roman times. Before the emergence of obstetrics, midwives and their practices were not considered an important part of the medical establishment.In it's beginning midwives had no formal training and relied solely on experience and the teachings from mother to daughter within the profession. Wise women were the healers of the ancient world, it was during this time that wise women and witch became synonymous. In the beginning of recorded history people lived in small groups as a tribe. Within the tribes men were in charger of the survival of the group. He was the protector and the hunter. Women's roles revolved around their power to give birth. They were the nurtures of the family and the healers of both the physical and the spiritual.Women were a sacred part of the group and this arose to the worship of the Goddess. (Aisles, 1-7) There were many goddesses and myths associated with birth. One of the Greeks most sacred Goddess's was Artemisia (also known as the Roman Goddess Diana). When Artemisia was born she assisted her mother in the birth of her twin brother Apollo. She became the protector of women and made decisions regarding who would live and die during birth. (Encyclopedia mythical: Artemisia) Hake was an Egyptian Goddess. She had a frogs head which was a symbol of life and fertility.She was also known as the Goddess of the last stages of birth. Although the word midwife did not exist at that time, the occupation of a midwife held the title of â€Å"the servants of Hake. (Hake; Encyclopedia Mythical) The Celtic Goddess Brig it is very interesting because she went from pagan mythology to Christianity and sainthood. Brigit was known as the Goddess with three aspects. She was a the patroness for blacksmiths, for poetry, and for healing and fertility. Brigit has a seasonal holiday on the calendar of paganism called Iambic which is celebrated on February first.It is a celebration to usher in the spring. Christians accepted Brigit as a surrogate mother to Christ and changed the pagan Iambic to Candelas. She was cannonaded as SST. Brigit. (Brigit; Encyclopedia Mythical) During the Goddess era, myths revolved around the goddesses who helped women. Women Goddess's were the mothers of all. Shrines and temples were erected to the worshiping of these women. But all the good that surrounds women and their knowledge comes to an end with the emergence of a patriarchal God. Christianity changed the view of women as Gods.Eve, in the bible is solely responsible for all the evil in the world. In Genesis, it is Eve that i s tempted by the serpent and brings shame upon herself and Adam with a punishment to last for eternity and all generations. God says: I will greatly increase your pangs in haltering; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. [Gene. 3:6] With Christianity in the forefront of spirituality and religion comes one of the darkest times for women. Midwives were there to help women with the difficulties of childbearing.They helped teach women techniques that would help move along the birth and keep the mothers as comfortable as possible. Since the pains of childbirth was there punishment for sins, anyone who helped in eased this pain were considered to be working with Satan. Women working with Satan were witches. In 1486 the church used a book written by Jacob Springer and Heimlich Kramer called the Mallets Maleficent or better known as â€Å"The Witches Hammer†. It was and instructional book for witch hunters. Midw ives had two chapters devoted to them and their practices.The practice of child birth was set to change according to the church. (Summers) â€Å"No one does more harm to the Catholic faith than midwives† (CTD. In Rehiring and English 13). Midwifery was now being moved to the medical profession. Everything that women taught and used during child birth was now being scrutinized. Instead of litigating the knowledge women healers possessed, it was set in motion the total eradication of midwives altogether. The church set a course to rid society of magic. While boosting professional physicians the acts committed by untrained midwives was now a low status position to hold.Life and death had a value that belonged to God and professional physicians. The church's position held that professionalism placed on the doctor put him on the side of God, while the female midwife became the personification of evil. In the book â€Å"Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A history of Women Healersâ₠¬ , the author makes this statement: When faced with the misery of the poor, the Church turned to the dogma that experience in this world is fleeting and unimportant. But there was a double standard at work, for the Church was not against medical care for the upper class.Kings and nobles had their court physicians who were men, sometimes even priests. The real issue was control: Male upper class healing under the auspices of the Church was acceptable, female healing as part of a peasant underclass was not. â€Å"(Rehiring and English 13) The clergy noticed that women regarded midwives to an important status and plotted to have it stopped. Rehiring and English 11-12) With the â€Å"Mallets† in hand, the church was armed and ready for war. Midwives were watched closely and if a child died a midwife could be charged at sacrificing that child's soul to the devil.It became important for midwives to have witnesses and control of all situations. Midwives were given a chance to sig n documents stating that they would not perform rituals or use magic in anyway. These women found favor by following rules of men and training under them. These women Joined in on the witch hunts and became the ones to help search out midwives who were found o be witches. Eighty percent of witches were women and a third of those women were in fact midwives. Approximately sixty thousand women were executed as witches for three century.Cones) The scope of the witch trials is more then can be expressed and midwives are only one representation of the women accused of witchcraft. It is more notable that the witch trials were about religious authority over woman and the abuse of women by men. It has been over three hundred years since the Salem Witch trials. It is Americas worst history of witch hunts. Today there are many powerful women around the world. These women hold important positions in business, hospitals and even government offices. Midwifery has made a come back in the area of obstetrics.Many doctors offices offer midwife services to clients. Women are interested in the experience of having a midwife rejoice in their celebration of life. But even with all of the accomplishments women have made they still struggle for equal rights. In 1992 Pat Robertson wrote in a fund raising letter, â€Å"The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill heir children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians. † There again is the accusation of witchcraft.

Microeconomics Versus Macroeconomics Bus610 - 1627 Words

Microeconomics versus Macroeconomics Economics for the Global Manager BUS610-1101C-02 Abstract I want to thank everyone for joining me today to review the effects of microeconomics and macroeconomics in conjunction with the healthcare industry. We will start with a brief introduction of what we will review, and then briefly hit on the subject matter in a bit more detail. â€Å"The world’s largest and most diverse economy currently faces the most severe economic challenges in a generation or more†. The value of resources is an important aspect of economic status with both microeconomics and macroeconomics. It is important to understand the differences and similarities between microeconomics and macroeconomics to fully understand†¦show more content†¦Differences between microeconomics and macroeconomics Although microeconomics and macroeconomics are somewhat intertwined and rely on one to determine the other, they also have many differences. Macroeconomics is the study of aggregated supply and demand of all goods and services, as an economy as a whole including the economic effect of the whole economy (Gottheil amp; Wishart, 1997). Microeconomics is the study of supply and demand of individual consumers and firms of individual goods and services (Gottheil amp; Wishart, 1997). Microeconomics and macroeconomics phenomenon As we watch the major changes within the healthcare system and healthcare reform evolve, and unsure as to what the final outcome will be, the economy is sure to change for patients, physicians, vendors, bankers, impact on other countries and many more factors. The main phenomenon’s that are in question at this time are â€Å"why are healthcare costs overburdening the economy?† and â€Å"what are the main factors that are impacting the situation?† The end question is going to be â€Å"how do we resolve the problem†. An example of macroeconomics within the economic healthcare system this is the trend of the GDP of US healthcare costs. An important factor in this trend is the trend of uninsured population