Op Ed: The Bailout’s Next 60 Days

Although I do not agree with the author on every point in the article, I did find the article to be quite interesting. The author seems to appeal to the reader by using ethos and pathos. The author’s argument is that Henry Paulson has not handled the bailout wisely. The author criticizes his character by describing all the different ways he has tried to handle the issue, and basically suggesting that none of them have worked. This is effective to persuade readers who do not have much background on the issue; however as an academic reader I understand that this is a tough issue for anyone to deal with. And I believe that if you want to bash the way a person is handling a certain issue you should have somewhat of a plan of your own, which the author doesn’t. When the author uses the term “taxpayer money” he appeals to the emotion of the reader. Since every adult is a taxpayer, and is probably concerned about where their money is going, this strategy seems to work for persuading any audience.

Future Use of Weblog

Using a weblog is a very useful way of expressing your opinions and ideas. I will probably use this in an academic way if it is required by a professor. However I probably will not use this tool in a professional way because I do not plan on going into a profession that requires expressive writing. I might use a weblog if a current event comes up that I have a very strong opinion or complaint about.

Has the United States Done its Part to Protect Colombia?

Since the 1960’s Colombia, our closest alley in South America, has had its national security threatened by the FARC. And to this day the group still partakes in the same evil activities that have made them who they are for the past 40 years. The rebel group is about half the size as it once was, due to the efforts of the Colombian military, which has experienced no relief from the United States.

Our politicians have not spent adequate time developing a strategy to help the Colombians defeat these guerrillas. Instead their solution, which is often the solution of our lawmakers, has been to throw money at it. The United States has invested money in Plan Colombia, which is supposed to help the Colombians in areas that will improve their national security, including countering FARC drug trade. This plan has done virtually nothing. The FARC still controls over half of the world’s cocaine, holds over 700 hostages, and threatens the stability in the Colombian government. So when are our politicians going to get serious about this matter? It seems to me all that’s been on their agenda lately is whether or not they should ruin our system of Laizze Faire capitalism, by bailing out corporations that have made irresponsible decisions. But that’s another topic. As Americans we need to understand how FARC activities affect us as well as our relationship with Colombia, and why it is important for our leaders to find solutions to this issue.

Much of the cocaine supplied by the FARC makes its way into the United States through Mexican cartels who buy from the rebels. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that the Mexican cartels have to cross the border to supply these drugs to American cities. So is border security, an issue that pertains to this subject? Absolutely, controlling our border can have a substantial effect on the power of FARC. Almost all of FARC financing comes from their drug trade. Securing the border and policing drug trade in our own cities can stop the Mexican cartels and cut off FARC financing. These two things can also promote the safety of our own citizens. But it may be hard to focus on these tasks when our leaders have decided to occupy our military and dwindle away billions of dollars against a group that was not connected with the attacks on 9/11, does not posses WMDs, and does not supply drugs to those who smuggle them into America. We cannot continue to throw this kind of money away, attempting to create peace in a place where peace has never existed. As I said previously, I don’t believe that throwing money at a problem is always the best solution, however there is no doubt that securing the border and securing our cities will take some financing. And we can finance this, along with various other things when we end the war in Iraq.

We do not have control over the money we give away to Plan Colombia, and we cannot force the Colombians to use the money we give them in exactly the way we want them to. This is why I believe that developing a plan that we can take care of at home is a much better solution than Plan Colombia. And I believe that if we had used the money we gave away to Plan Colombia, on the things I just mentioned, border security and policing drugs, we would be in much better shape in terms of helping the Colombians defeat the FARC, and protecting our own citizens.

 

 

 

 

 

Analytical Research, Digital Composition, Opinion Editorial

As I have moved from Analytical Research to Digital Composition to Opinion Editorial my attitudes and opinions have changed. My favorite English 110 assignment was the Opinion Editorial. This type of writing allowed me to express my own opinions and points of view toward a topic. The Analytical Research project was very boring compared to the Opinion Editorial, however it probably contributed to a better Op Ed. What I mean is the research allowed me to have a better understanding of the topic so I could use this information to support my opinion.

Rules and Conventions of Op Ed

I believe there are very few rules and conventions for writing Op Eds. If you are writing about a subject that not many people have good background on its a good idea to provide some background. An example of this is in The Bailout’s Next 60 Days when the author provides some background on the progress of the bailout, before he begins to try to persuade the reader. It’s also a good idea to not only tell the reader what you believe, but why you believe it by citing your own experiences or values. This could help persuade readers who have experienced the same things or have the same values.

The Bailout’s Next 60 Days

I found this article to be interesting. The author criticizes the decisions Henry Paulson has made in handling the bailout. The author gives some solutions to the problem but does not go in depth. He does mention that Paulson refuses to consider using the bailout money to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Differents in writing to an academic and popular audience

There are differences in writing to academic and popular audiences. In writing to an academic audience you should try to use secondary sources as much as possible to back arguments, and try to leave out bias. In writing to a popular audience you should shorten your work a bit without shortening the reader of good thought. Most internet surfers do not browse with the intention of reading 7 pages of one subject. Its also acceptable to use bias in writing for a popular audience, often times bias can help grab the readers attention. If you are writing about a subject that is not well known you may want to provide some background on the subject. This is different then writing to an academic audience because academic readers probably have good background on the topic.

Describe Analytical Research Project

My Analytical Research Project describes how the FARC is still a threat to the world, and how we should deal with them in fighting the global war on terror.

The FARC threatens the world through hostage taking, drug trade, and rebellion in Colombia. Finding ways to counter the these activities is key for Colomia in protecting their national security. My essay decribes these strategies, and analyzes the pros and cons of each.

FARC drug trade is the activity that most directly affects the United States. The US has invested major money in Plan Colombia, which will help the Colombians fight their war on drugs. And fighting our own war on drugs can help soften FARC finances and make it easier to defeat them.

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