The Religious Persecutions - Assignment Example

Journal Entries

Question 1

If I were alive in the 1600s as a migrant, freedom of religion in the American colonies would be of greater appeal to me than the economic opportunity. The religious persecutions taking place at the time had divided and torn apart the people's social fabric, and cohesion since the ruling class had highly limited the freedom of worship through jailing and persecuting people of different religious beliefs. The freedom of religion was a precursor to a deep sense of self-realization and actualization. It provided a good foundation for fostering political relations and advocating for the political freedoms negated by the governments of the day. The freedom of religion and its practice played an essential role in establishing various colonies in America and England. Therefore, it implies that religion's freedom helped cool down and stabilize the political environment, making it possible to realize the various untapped economic activities during the 1600s. However, it is imperative to note that in drafting the constitution of America and that of any other democratic and progressive nation, the exercise of one's freedom of worship should not contravene with the exercise of fundamental rights and liberties of the other person. In the current society, freedom of religion and worship has been an issue that has defined democracy globally.

Question 2

My take in the debate would be that it would be better to be ruled by a tyrant who was a mile away than one thousand miles away. A mile away would presumably be taken to mean that the tyrant is a local native who would take time to learn the people in the fullness of time. The people would negotiate our freedom and rights democratically or organize civil actions with minimum disturbance more effectively with a local tyrant. A local tyrant would better understand our problems and concerns by the fact that they are part of us as opposed to a foreign tyrant who would not understand or care about our concerns since they are not part of us. A foreign tyrant would not be in tune with the local people that they lead, and the retaliation would be severe and fierce and with a lot of casualties and destruction of property. Through diplomatic means, the negotiation capacity would bore fruits with a local tyrant instead of a foreign tyrant would be very cautious of their security whenever the locals appeared to gang up against them. The foreign tyrant's intention would not include negotiating with the locals to cement their supreme position as the authority.

Question 3

Considering my daily life presently with a state-focused document like the Articles of Confederation, there will be no checks and balances among the government's various elements or arms. There would be many confusion and inconsistencies in making the political and economic environment conducive for a progressive society. There would be little or no empowerment by the Article of Confederation to collect tax to fund the national economy or establish a judiciary to govern the people's interactions. There would be a lot of political and economic instability when the Articles of Confederation would be the ruling document compared to the constitution, which has well-documented separation of powers. Each state has its military leader would be a possible security threat as it would create tension between states that had competing interests and economies. Cooperation and collaboration among the states governed by the Articles of Confederation would not be effective as they pursue different interests based on their various state leaders. State governments having their powers not listed in the Articles of Confederation would result in tension with the established federal government and other state governments. Having different state military leaders would pose a threat to the overthrowing of the central government. Confusion in governance relations creates room for anarchy and dictatorship.

Question 4

Dolley Madison was the true embodiment of the purpose and job description of the first lady in America. She helped establish various important precedents of the first lady's office that have continued to be upheld even in present-day society. The title "first lady" was first established during the reign of the US's fourth president, the husband to Dolley Madison, due to her remarkable achievements in raising the presidency's image and reputation. Madison's involvement in local charities, social issues affecting the American citizens, and overseeing the decorating of the president's official house, which is the White House to reflect and resonate with the presidency, made her a gentle motherhood sensation. The current society's top political leadership will accomplish if they walk in the footsteps of Dolley Madison to help provide solutions to the myriad of social issues affecting the American citizens. The first lady influence of Dolley Madison today would help provide sanity in the political environment created by the different factions such as the ongoing presidential campaigns in America that raise the political temperatures. The selfless leadership by Dolley Madison as the first lady was a beacon of hope to many Americans facing different hurdles in life, something that is not evident in the current society.

Question 5

A strong rising middle class means a more robust society with higher disposable income and new purchasing power levels. Jackson's America's middle class was less empowered and more conservative in pursuit and ambitions than today's middle class. Jackson's American middle class focused on agricultural production and was not ready to expand its principal activities to other industrial sectors. On the contrary, the current middle class is more empowered to expand their horizons in various fronts such as business, manufacturing, running for political office, and running huge multinational corporations with a local, regional and international reach and appeal. The current middle class has helped shape different professional fields of practice and expertise by venturing into and making a good name for themselves. The rise of the common man socio-economically and politically was the primary objective that President Andrew Jackson pursued during his reign hence the rise of a strong middle class. The middle class has continued to grow since President Jackson's rule became a major component of growth to the US and other first-world economies. The expansion of the professional fields of practice and competition in the business environment can be directly or indirectly attributed to a growing middle class. The middle-class spending has been the backbone of many developing nations.

Question 6

The Eli Whitney cotton gin machine was a ground-breaking innovation in picking cotton and processing it that changes the fortunes of the cotton-growing nations and economies. This great innovation indirectly contributed to the demand to capture and acquire slaves to prepare the land and grow more cotton to expand the production progressively. On the same note, it can be deduced that the growth of technology in American society and culture has contributed to modern-day slavery that is subtle and not outrightly identified as slavery. Modern-day slavery, for instance, can be envisioned as people working two or three jobs in different shifts to supplement their and cater to their recurring expenses. Working longer shifts to boost organizational productivity without choosing not to work overtime is another manifestation of modern-day in the digital space and technological advancements that have been made. Too much over-reliance and dependence on technology have established a new kind of modern slavery as people surrender their creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills to the technological machines and equipment that they use at home or the workplace environment. The child, human, or labor trafficking from developing or third world countries to first world economies to enhance production is a form of modern-day slavery witnessed in the current society.

Question 7

Social justice and equity in the distribution of the national resources and opportunities is a concept that can be related to the real-world socio-political issues affecting the world today. The equitable sharing of resources also referred to as the national cake, has been an issue that has elicited global attention in political agendas and socio-economic dynamics of a nation. The political governance, structures, and systems are the conduits through which national resources are allocated to the different competing national interests and needs budgeted for in the budget-making process. The fair distribution of resources to projects that directly impact society of a particular locality that were needy and seeing the project to fruition after political lobbying and economic planning is an example of equitable resource allocation. The most significant historical injustices meted on the people have been skewed resource allocation, which has left some communities economically and politically marginalized areas and lagging in development. Addressing these kinds of social injustices requires a change of nations' political systems and governance structures to align the resource allocations to areas that have been marginalized and neglected for a long time. Providing a solution to socio-economic injustices helps to put a nation on growth and trajectory, which, in turn, strengthens their economy and the cohesion of their people.