Over A Hundred Years, And What Has Changed?

"Sangre y oro", "blood and gold-- a stream of gold between two rivers of blood" - Trumbull White

Though this saying might represent another countries flag during a certain time, it's not far from what our great country indulged itself into, in the early becomings of founding this land. We came to this land for many reasons, riches, soil, spices, gold's and new life. But in the process we seemed to have spilled the blood of millions. The picture that I placed in here shows that we conquered 3 different ethnicities and peoples during our growth. Over the years we have become involved with greed, and from time to time blood will be shed in light of that greed. In White's article representing our involvement in the Spanish-American War, he try's to justify our rights in being involved. He states that we are a "Civilization against barbarism, freedom against oppression", but we just so acted in those manors in our foundings, we also seem to be meddling in that path today when it comes to us and our war against terrorists and Iraq. We are fighting for reasons in which some are unknown, many say oil and others say to fight against a nation that holds tons of threats. As we have progressed in our stay in Iraq, we have said that there way of life is barbaric, but at the same time we are once again trying to control another land. As I see it, old tendencies don't die easily.

Newspaper's say: "NOW THIS MEANS WAR!"

“…it is only human for a newspaper proprietor to desire war…It would not stir up a war with any country, but if it see’s preparations made to fight, it does not fail to encourage the combatants. This is particularly true of a naval war, which is much more striking as a spectacle than a land war, while it does not disturb industry or distribute personal risk to nearly the same extent.” (E.L. Godkin- The Growth and Expansion of Public Opinion)

It is fascinating to learn that the media uses tools like Yellow Journalism and Sensationalism to actually promote a war. While one might define these techniques as literature that exploits, distorts and exaggerates news to attract readers, I would like to take it a step further and say that the media will sometimes altogether have an ulterior agenda. We have come to realize that more often than not there are deeper, economic reasons for war motives that almost always exist. While this excerpt may be trying to highlight how the media can force a public to believe a war has actually begun, it is outrageous for anyone in any form to portray war as some sort of an exciting ‘spectacle.’

The Media's Influence and the Start of a War

" Everythingi s quiet. There is no trouble here. There will be no war. Wish to return. Remington." Hearst is reputed to have replied: "please remain. You furnish the pictures and ill furnish the war. Hearst."


Understanding that the media's job is to expose anything that is going on in the world, is it also okay for the media to take advantage of the opportunity by instigating to create future issues?
By doing this, the media drastically takes problems to another level. Since the late 19th century, the media has continued to influence the turn out of major issues throughout the entire world. It's almost like they are determined to do this by any means neccessary. In this quote, Hearst, made it clear that he will use such tactics to release a good article on how the spanish are barbaric. Being that this was a success, no man's life or property was safe and the soldiers got executed in ways no man has ever seen. So, now the question becomes, is it right for such actions to take place?

"I have Mingled Freely"

This article is about a letter to the New York Age. A black soldier expresses his feelings about the mistreatment of African American soldiers by the Americans. He explains how they were not allowed to celebrate victories because they were only mistreated in return. The American people verbally and physically abused them, demeaned them as human beings, and took brutal measures to steal from them. At the end of the article he urges black soldiers to consider the elections and to vote for representatives who is against these beliefs and actions.

I found this article very interesting because he is informing the public the truth of how African American soldiers were treated during that time. Through his expression of words, one can only feel such sympathy towards these soldiers.
This article also allowed me to realize how important representation of ones country is and how important is was back then also.

Is the United States being conquered?

"The great foe of democracy now and in the near future is plutocracy. Every year that passes brings out this antagonism more distinctly. It is to be the social war of the twentieth century. In that war militarism, expansion and imperialism will all favor plutocracy." (Sumner)

It's hard to believe an article from 1899 will prove to be realistic to the present day. It's like its a war between the rich and the poor. This quote brings me to the 2008 Presidential election. Both Obama and Clinton are fighting to keep the common folk into play and not let the big corportions and wealthy elite blind side our nation. The way the economy is moving the gap between the poor and the rich is becoming bigger and bigger. Is the United States and democracy being conquered by wealth? That's something we all have to think about.

Mass Media and The First Filter

"This trend toward greater integration of the media into the market system has been accelerated by the loosening of rules limiting media concentration, cross-ownership, and control by non-media companies". (Manufacturing Consent P8)

The large media companies are after the big profit rather than providing the information to the public. These large companies are controled by very wealthy people or the government, which ultimately, affects the news delivered.

New Markets Equal New Opportunities For The White Man's Burden!

"The United States cannot afford to adhere to a policy of isolation while other nations are reaching out for the command of these new markets....New markets and new opportunities for investement must be found in surplus capital is to be profitably employed."
-Charles A. Conant

In my opinion this quote from the article "The Economic Basis of Imperialism" is very important because around the time this article was written the New Industrial Revolution had occured and the Spanish American War was just around the corner. For many The White Man's Burden was a good cause for the U.S to get involved and help the less civilized nation of Cuba, but to many others the United States had other intensions that involved the economic benefits of getting involved in the spanish and cuban conflict and in many ways thier assumptions would be proven true when the U.S also went after Hawaii and the Philippines. What this article mainly refers to is the aquisition of Asian lands as new markets for the then economic boom, such as China which was just starting to be open to the western world after the end of dynastic rule. The author believes that the United States must get involved in conflicts in Asia and other lands in order to take advantage of these lands as new markets for American goods and also to take advantage of the benefits of having an economic and political stake in these nations.

Imperialism-It's Dangers and Wrongs

Samuel Gompers was the first and longest serving president of The American Federation of Labor, the most powerful labor union at the time of The Spanish American War. As such, his words were read and digested by a great many people, and his opinions were important to politicians, who courted the union vote. He gave a speech at the 'Peace Jubilee' in Chicago, Illinois on October 18th, 1898. In it, he ably displayed both his understanding of human nature, and the racism and chavinism deeply ingrained in American culture at that time:

"If the Phillipines are annexed, what is to prevent the Chinese, the Negritos and the Malays from coming to our country? How can we prevent the Chinese coolies from going to the Phillipines and from there swarm into The United States and engulf our people and our civilization? ...Can we hope to close the flood gates of immigration from the hordes of Chinese and the semi-savage races coming from what will be then part of our own country?"

This is same type of xenophobia we see and hear in the presidential election rhetoric from conservatives as they propose to close the border with Mexico, as if such a thing were possible. A century later, our country is still mired in same narrow minded thinking, despite our advances in education and standard of living.

Sensationalism and War

"Newspapers are made to sell; and for this purpose there is nothing better than war. War means daily sensation and excitement. On this almost any kind of newspaper may live and make money. Whether the war brings victory or defeat makes little difference. The important thing is that every moment may bring important and exciting news - news which does not need to be accurate." (Godkin)

The media has fueled the fire with sensational stories and have used times of war to increase ratings or sales. When it is not war that is being sensationalized, its the latest disease or natural disaster. We have since passed the times of yellow journalism, but the news stories about death, blood and fighting still intrigue the public and catch our attention. The news today may not be as biased, misleading or distorted, but they certainly still are sensationalized and exaggerated. What ever happened to just reporting a story?

Is Communism A Control Mechanism??

According to Herman and Chomsky there is a particular model for propaganda one which involves "filters". These "filters" basically allow the governement and private interests to get their messages across to the public.

"Communism as the ultimate evil has always been the specter haunting property owners,as it threatens the very root of their class postion and superior status."

In order to understand Herman and Chomsky you have to first understand what it means to be a communist. Communism would create a classless society of abundance and freedom, in which all people enjoy equal social and economic status.(source)


This was interesting to me how the governement could create a method to make individuals fearful of being labled a communist. This was used as a way to discipline the public.