Tet Documents

After reading the Tet Documents, I ponder over the morality of the Viet Cong. The Tet documents had three documents which stood out. The first was the “The Tet Offensive”, the second was “The Massacre at Hue”, and the third was “The Presidents Address to the Nation”, which was when President Johnson announced his plans for the War in Vietnam, and his decision to not run for reelection. All three documents connect to each other through the ideas of morality and Just War. The document, “The Tet Offensive”, illustrates the unjust warfare and immorality of the Viet Cong during the war. After the U.S. had agreed to cease fire during the holiday of Tet, the Viet Cong had decided to attack “36 provincial capitals and 23 allied bases in South Vietnam.” The Viet Cong went against their word and attacked during the Vietnamese holiday. This attack shows the immorality and unjust warfare of the Viet Cong. The document, “The Massacre at Hue”, also illuminates the immorality and unjust warfare of the Viet Cong. The United States made a discovery in Hue of “2,300 the number of bodies of South Vietnamese men, Women and children”. The South Vietnamese civilians were executed by the Communists. One year after the battle for Hue, the United States had launched a search operation, and “about 24 sites were unearthed and the remains of 809 bodies were found.” The Viet Cong had slaughtered innocent South Vietnamese civilians. The act of killing innocent civilians by the Viet Cong demonstrates their unjust warfare and immorality. The document, “The Presidents Address to the Nation”, also confirms the immorality and unjust warfare of the Viet Cong. President Johnson desired to make peace with the North Vietnamese, but the North Vietnamese denied the peace offerings. During the Presidents peace offerings the North Vietnamese had prepared “for a savage assault on the people, the government, and the allies of South Vietnam.” The Viet Cong had also “caused widespread disruption and suffering. Their attacks, and the battle that followed, made refugees of half a million human beings.” President Johnson had tried to make peace with the North Vietnamese, who took part in immoral and unjust warfare. Ultimately, the North Vietnamese’s dismissal of peace offerings and immoral and unjust attacks on civilians had made the Viet Cong immoral. Overall, the documents, “The Tet Offensive”, “The Massacre at Hue”, and “The Presidents Address to the Nation” had connected through, as well as proved, the Viet Cong’s unjust warfare and immorality.

Mike Lefevre, Steelworker, and Dolores Dante, Waitress

After reading about Mike Lefevre, a steelworker, and Dolores Dante, a waitress, I was shocked about their feelings towards their types of work. I was more particularly surprised with how Lefevre and Dante viewed their individual jobs. Mr. Lefevre was a steelworker, who hated his job. Lefevre was a hard worker, but hated the type off work he did. He believed “the day [he] [gets] excited about [his] job is the day [he] [goes] to a headshrinker.” (319) Lefevre also hated when other people watched him at work. He believed that working was bad enough, and that he “would rather work [his] ass off for eight hours a day with nobody watching [him] then five minutes with a guy watching [him].” (320) Lefevre was called just a laborer, but to him it was “degrading to say just a laborer.” (320) Lefevre mostly hated his work, but he believed that he was more than just a laborer. The job made Lefevre blow up, and after an argument with one of his superior workers, he “got broke down to a lower grade and lost twenty-five cents an hour, which is a hell of a lot. It amounts to about ten dollars a week.” (321) Lefevre took out his anger on others through fights at his local tavern, but would never take it out on the wife and kids. Lefevre was a good father who wanted to send his kids to college. Lefevre also took his kids out on the weekends. Mrs. Dante “became a waitress because [she] needed money fast”. (329) Dante needed the job, because her “husband and [her] broke up and he left [her] with debts and three children.” (329) Dante was also an atheist, but she believed in her job as a waitress. Dante served coffee, cocktails, and a little philosophy. Dante also found the words, “just a waitress” to be “implying that [the] [customer] [was] not worthy, and that [she] [was] not worthy.” (331) These stories raise a few questions. The first question I have is why did these seemingly minor jobs mean so much to these average Americans? The second question I have is why were blue collar jobs viewed so highly when workers with an education made more money? These stories remind me of World War II, because, during the war, the women and minority factory workers viewed their seemingly small jobs on the assembly line so highly, which is the way Dante and Lefevre felt about their jobs. These stories also remind me of my 6th grade English teacher Mr. Jensen, because, after working at a steel mill in Indiana, he desired to get an education to earn more, even though he felt that his job at the mill mattered. These stories also remind me of myself, because I view my job, as a cashier at TJ Maxx, as not just a laboring position in retail, but of one that helps produce commerce in America.

Kid Pharaoh, Con Man, Tom Kearney, Cop

After reading about Kid Pharaoh, who was a con man during the Cold War, and Tom Kearney, who was a cop during the Cold War, I was shocked by how these polar- opposites, in careers, saw the same type of vulnerability in the people they came across. Pharaoh learned how to con people during the Great Depression, when his father was not making any money. He used his con schemes to feed himself, and decided that “outside of being a prize fighter, [he] took an oath to god [he] would never again labor.” (253) Pharaoh used peoples fear over events such as, the Cuban Missile Crisis, to earn his money. Pharaoh knew that people were afraid. “[He] [gave] them security.” (256) Pharaoh realized that he could also con people by using his and his brother’s bad publicity as prize fighters to earn money. Pharaoh “[sold] two things: [Pharaoh] [sold] the item of fear and [Pharaoh] [gave] them the security they never had in their life. And what ever they have [Pharaoh] [took] from them. [They] [were] more than willing to give it.”( 253) Pharaoh believed that he was giving the people, who had paid him, a feeling of security. When he heard about a boy in Arizona, who had killed himself, he noted that “psychiatrists couldn’t have [cured] him, but [he] woulda cured him.” (255) Tom Kearney “worked as a patrolman and a detective. Then [he] was promoted to a detective sergeant and from there [he] went to the traffic division.” (262) Kearney was a Catholic and so were his siblings, who eventually intermarried with Protestants, which during the Cold War became increasingly more accepted. His dad was a firefighter, who had got a pension, but Kearney’s father believed that everyone should have gotten a pension not just him. Kearney became a cop during the Cold War, and took that job, because he had authority. When he first started as a patrolman, he realized “a policeman starts out young and very impressionable, and you see people at their worst, naturally.” (271) The fear of the events going on during the Cold War had made his realization more true, because the fear that was shown made the people, he saw, at their worst. These stories raise a few questions. The first question is, did the Cold War have such an impact on the American people that anything that promised security, such as a con man, could ease people’s fears? The second question is how come the cops and con men have no fear, when the life they knew could be ended in seconds? These stories remind me of McCarthyism and the arms race. Senator Joseph McCarthy had used the fear of Communism to get him re-elected in 1950. McCarthy had accused many U.S. government officials of being Communists. This gave McCarthy instant popularity, because he used the fear of Communism to make voters feel like he would protect them from Communism if he was re-elected. The arms race also had been centered around fear. After the U.S. had used the atomic bombs to end the Second World War, the Soviet Union started to recreate the atomic bomb. When the Soviets had exploded their first atomic bomb, Americans feared that one day they would be attacked by the Soviets’ atomic bombs. These fears of atomic bombs lead to the negotiations between countries. These stories also remind me of my mother. My mother was in fifth grade during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and had gone to school on that day. She remembers that her school had practiced what to do if the city’s sirens sounded, which meant that they were under attack. The five children, including my mother, were told to take cover under the desk, just in case. My mother remembers the fear that she had.

Peter Ota, Nisei and Betty Basye Hutchinson, Nurse

After reading about Peter Ota, Nisei, and Betty Basye Hutchinson, nurse, I was surprised by how World War II had affected their lives. I was mostly disturbed with Ota’s story, because of the treatment he and his family had endured during WWII. I was also disturbed with Hutchinson’s story, because of the disgusting injuries that she described. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Peter Ota’s family went to jail. When Ota’s mother saw her husband in a jail uniform, she felt “the shame and humiliation.” (205) This shame broke Ota’s mother down, which caused her to get sick and eventually die. Peter’s father was sent to am internment camp in Montana, and Peter “got letters from him -censored, of course- telling [Peter] he was all right.” (205) While Peter’s father was at a camp and his mother was sick, Peter, who was only fifteen, had to take care of his twelve year old sister. Eventually, Peter and his sister would be asked to leave for a camp. Peter took “A toothbrush, toilet supplies, and some clothes. Only what [he] could carry.”(206) He and his sister ended up in Santa Anita in 1942. Peter’s dad was eventually transferred over to Peter’s camp, and Peter recalled that his father was “a man who had worked so hard for what he had and lost it overnight.” (206) Peter’s father showed very little emotion about his loses, and continued to have faith in his country. Peter had left camp to“[work] on sugar beet farms” (207) in Utah. When Peter was eligible for the draft, he noticed the irony in the fact that he was fighting for freedom, while his sister and father where in a concentration camp waiting for the war to end. During the time that Peter was in training his mother passed away, and was planned to be buried in the camp where the rest of his family was living. He had to be escorted by an FBI agent, who “could see no reason for him to be with [Peter]” (208) Unfortunately, Peter started to view camp as “like going home for [him]” (209), because all of his family was there. After the war was over, Peter and his family were released from the camps, and had felt like they had to prove themselves as Americans. Betty Basye Hutchinson had become a nurse after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She new it was “the fastest thing [she] could do to help our boys.” (211) Betty had “the government [pay] for [them] to become nurses.”(211) During the war, Betty kept wanting “to really have something to do with the war.” (212) The war had become personal to Betty, when, “[her] boyfriend, whom [she’d] been engaged to ever since [she] left high school. He’d joined the marines and was gone.” (212) Betty got her “first military assignment at Hoff General Hospital in Santa Barbra.” (213) After Roosevelt died, Betty became more dedicated to the war effort. When Betty was dealing with patients, she was “stuck by the horror of it, but it wasn’t as bad as what was to come.” (213) By the end of the war Betty started doing plastic surgery, and listening to the men’s problems. Many men were losing their wives, and were going through tough times. This made “having pretty, young nurses around” (215) important to the men. After the war, Betty got married to a man, who fought in the South Pacific. She and her husband would not discuss the war after it was over. These stories raise multiple questions. The first question is why did the Japanese Americans, who were drafted, have to prove their loyalty to America when they were already fighting for America’s freedom? The second question that comes to mind is how hard was World War II on the nurses, soldiers, and Japanese Americans? These stories remind me of slavery and the Civil Rights movement. The Americans treatment towards African Americans in America was similar to how the Americans treated the Japanese during World War II. The Americans had treated the Japanese Americans as if they had no human rights, which was also how the Americans had treated the African Americans since the beginning of slavery. The immorality of the Americans during World War II was just like the immorality that the Americans had during the Civil War. These stories remind of my grandmother, who was a nurse’s aid during World War II. She went through a course and became a Red Cross aid. My grandma would help wounded soldiers write letters home, and help out any way she could at the veteran’s hospital.

Peggy Terry, "hillbilly", and E.B. Sledge, Marine

After reading Stud Terkel’s interview with Peggy Terry, who was a “hillbilly”, and E.B. Sledge, who was a Marine, I was surprised by how the war had impacted Americans views towards Germans and Japanese. I was also shocked by the immorality that Terry and Sledge had witnessed and Americans had taken apart of during World War II. Terry took a job in a factory that produced bombs. She worked on a machine that put the detonators in the explosives. She took the job, because her family had no money during the Great Deppression. While working with the explosives, “It didn’t occur to [them] that [they] were making these shells to kill people.” (190) Terry and her coworkers had endured terrible working conditions and harsh labor. Terry’s mother who also worked at the plant had wanted to take time off when her mom died, but the company told her that if she took time off she would be fired. Terry’s mother then had to quit and later Terry herself decided to as well. Even though the working conditions were awful, the factory “were a big family, and [they] hugged and kissed each other.” (192) The factories’ closeness came from a magnitude of reasons, but mostly because they “were very patriotic and [they] understood that that the Nazis were someone who would have to be stopped.”(193) The factory “[was] awarded the Navy E for excellence.” (192) The factories and later the victory of the war had “People’s expectations, financially, spiritually, were raised.” (194) Terry’s “husband was a paratrooper in the war, in the 101st Airborne Division.” (193) Terry’s husband had later suffered terrible nightmares about how he had shot an innocent woman during the war. E.B. Sledge was a marine during the Second World War. He and his unit “were a bunch of scared kids who had to do a job.” (196) Sledge had fought on the islands in the pacific. Sledge had watched many of his fellow unit fall victim to the Japanese style of warfare, and Sledge knew that “the only thing that kept [him] going was [his] faith in [his] buddies” (198) Sledge’s unit had grown a hatred for the Japanese during the Pacific Theatre. “This hatred toward the Japanese was just a natural feeling that developed elementally.” (199) Men would steal dead Japanese soldiers’ gold teeth, and shoot off additional body parts after killing the Japanese. Sledge was disgusted by his unit’s immoral actions, and when the war was over was glad to return home. These stories bring up many questions. The first question is why was World War II such an immoral war? The second question is why did the Americans sacrifice their morals during time of war and treat the Japanese so poorly? These stories remind me of slavery and the Civil Rights movement. The Americans treatment towards African Americans in America was similar to how the Americans treated the Japanese during World War II. The Americans had treated the Japanese Americans as if they had no human rights, which was also how the Americans had treated the African Americans since the beginning of slavery. The immorality of the Americans during World War II was just like the immorality that the Americans had during the Civil War. These stories also remind me of my grandfather, who had helped develop the atomic bomb during World War II. He, just like Terry, had not thought about how the bomb was going to kill many Japanese people, but he was very patriotic and knew that the war had to be ended, which was why my Grandfather had worked long hours trying to develop such a bomb.

The Rifleman

After reading Studs Terkel’s introduction to An Oral History of World War II and Terkel’s interview with Bob Rasmus, a rifleman for the U.S. army in World War II, I had realized how the war had changed soldiers’ perspectives on the war and countries. I was surprised by Bob Rasmus’s experiences, views on the war, and by feelings, as the rifleman passed through Europe. Rasmus explained that the war had made “young kids, who had never wandered beyond the precinct of their native city or their small hometown or their father’s farm, ran into exotic places and exotic people, as well as into one another, whom they found equally exotic.” (164) The war had played a role in Rasmus’s perspective, because on one hand Rasmus was excited to have this adventure and to be able see the world, but at the same time, the enemy “were no longer the Germans of the brutish faces and the helmets we saw in the news reels. They were exactly our age. Those were boys like us.” (163) Rasmus’s view had changed drastically after fighting in Europe. He had noticed how the emotion of war had changed depending upon what area of Europe he was in. Rasmus had mentioned that some villages were pretty and filled with small churches on the countryside, but when he entered a major city the tone would change from this pretty peaceful countryside to a beat up and destroyed city. The major cities were filled with ruble and it was that change in mood that really impacted Rasmus. Rasmus not only noted the changes that he saw in Europe, but he also had mentioned how America had changed into an even greater world power. Rasmus explained that “The United States had become the most powerful industrial as well as military power in the world.” The interview makes me question the use of propaganda and the power of nationalism. Rasmus’s view of the enemy had changed when he saw the dead bodies of young German soldiers, which makes me question the use of propaganda in World War II. It more specifically raises the question, how factual was the propaganda that was used in World War II? This propaganda had also influenced an extreme nationalism, but the question that this interview raises is how much pride could soldiers, like Rasmus, have for their country after seeing the young German soldiers that they had killed? This interview with Bob Rasmus reminds me of nationalism and propaganda and how they have played a major role in both World War I and World War II. Nationalism and propaganda had helped America enter the wars and encourage Americans to fight against Germany, but both nationalism and propaganda had once again led to the mistreatment of German Americans. This interview with Bob Rasmus also reminds of my grandfathers, who both served in the Army. Both of my grandfathers had extreme patriotism resulting from the intense propaganda and hatred for Hitler. The fact that both of my Grandfathers were Jewish magnified the patriotism and desire to defeat Hitler and his anti-Semitic ideology. This Rasmus interview reminds me of my Grandfathers service and their extreme desire to fight in the war.

The Great Depression and the Average American

After reading about Ed Paulsen, a freight-train rider, Jane Yoder, a daughter of a WPA worker, and about Tom Yoder, Jane’s son, I have realized more about how harsh the Great Depression was on the average American. I thought it was amazing that Ed had to travel on freight trains to look for work, and that the Jane Yoder would not ask her father for food, because he didn’t have the money to purchase any. Paulsen talked about how the time of the Great Depression was filled with anger towards “Merchants, storekeepers, and landowners.” Paulsen also explained how “They had the fix that was just awful to live with.” This led Ed to travel around on freight trains to find work. Ed had also tried to sneak into the refrigerator car on the freight trains in order to get food in his belly. When Paulsen was caught riding on freight, he was shot at by a “railroad dick”, and was forced to jump off the train. He luckily landed into some mud. Paulsen then tried to get on another freight train, and was caught riding again. After being caught he was surrounded by armed men, and was sent to a “transient camp”. The NYA ran the camp and saved Paulsen from starvation and homelessness. Jane Yoder would return home from school and go straight to bed, because there was nothing to do and no money. The Yoder family were so poor that when they went to bed they had to “put the coat on the bed” in order to “get warm” at night. They knew that they did not have the money to eat on some nights. Jane Yoder “sensed (that her) father didn’t have the money. So we stayed hungry.” The times were so hard for the Yoder family, because the father did not have a job, or money to purchase food. When the WPA started hiring Jane’s father “immediately got employed in this WPA.” The Yoder family was practically saved, because the WPA had given Jane’s father a job. These stories raise a few questions in my mind. The first question is, how did the Great Depression impact these people’s decisions when dealing with money. These stories remind me of the panic of 1893. In the panic of 1893 the greenbacks, which were issued to help pay for the Civil War, were being withdrawn from circulation. The retiring of greenbacks was a problem for farmers, because farmers, who had borrowed money, had to pay back their loans in dollars that were worth more than the dollars they had borrowed, which caused farmers to fall deeper into debt. Southern Democrats and Populists believed that “free silver” was a fair solution to the currency issue, because silver was more plentiful than gold, and by backing currency with both metals, it would make currency more available. Supporters of “free silver” hoped that this measure would stimulate the economy. Republicans and Gold Democrats were for “sound money”, and against “free silver”, because backing the dollar with gold only, would provide a more stable currency. The Republicans and Gold Democrats also disliked “free silver”, because it would cheat lenders out of an honest return on what they had loaned out. This issue of which metal would be the basis of the nation’s monetary system was the central issue of the 1896 election. These stories also remind me of my grandma. My grandma was a little girl during the Great Depression. My Grandma would save up money in a little piggy bank, and on one day decided she would put the money into a real bank. My grandma waited in line at the bank with her mother, and opened a savings account five minutes before closing. The bank teller took my grandma’s money and closed the bank. My grandma never saw her five dollars again.

C.P. Ellis, The Former Klansman

After reading Studs Terkel’s interview with C.P. Ellis, the former President of his area’s Ku Klux Klan (KKK), I was shocked by the former Klansman’s change from racist to humanitarian. He first got into the Klan, because he wanted to be a part of something and because he wanted to blame someone for the injustice of his life. Mr. Ellis had many problems, which include having an alcoholic father, having to quit school before finishing the 8th grade after having his father die and needing to support his family, having a child who is blind and mentally challenged, and struggling financially. Mr. Ellis felt so much pain from all his problems that he decided to “blame the black people.” His father had always glamorized the Klan and was at one time in the Klan. Ellis followed his father’s footsteps and joined the Klan. He then moved up from “member to chaplain, from chaplain to vice-president, from vice-president to president.” Ellis felt like he was something by being apart of the Klan. This power led him to create a youth group that closely followed the Klan. Though, Ellis later became more understanding and eventually wanted to give up being in the Klan. He was later selected as a school board Co-President with Ann Atwater, who was a black, Civil Rights activist. Mr. Ellis despised working with a black woman, but eventually, Ellis came to realize that they were “two people from the far ends of the fence, havin’ identical problems.” The realization caused Ellis to change his mind about hating blacks for his personal problems. There are a few questions that this story raises in my mind. First question is, why can’t other people realize, like Ellis, that blacks, Jews, Catholics, and other races and religions are people just like them? The second question that this story raises is, why do we blame others for our problems? The story reminds me about the Civil Rights movement and how people’s opinions had changed greatly. People like President Johnson and President Kennedy, who did not care too much about the Civil Rights movement later became more involved with making it successful. This story also reminds me of Lincoln’s change in perspective over the issue of slavery. In Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address, Lincoln did not truly care if the South continued to have slaves, but in Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln wanted to eliminate slavery and take care of this moral issue of racism. The story also reminds me of when I go to service at my synagogue. When going to services my synagogue has to have security, because of the acts of anti-Semitism in my neighborhood.

The Injustice of the Spanish-American War

The Spanish-American War was an unjust war, because the United States compromised its principal values for the values of an imperialist country. The U.S. had fought against Spain in order to give Cuba, the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico their chances at liberty and freedom. The invasion of Spanish land occurred after the explosion and destruction of the U.S.S Maine, but before the United States could even discover if the explosion were a malicious attack, the U.S. declared war on Spain. The idea of adding colonies to the country would transform America into an American empire. The Spanish-American War was also unjust, because the United States remained and controlled the territories to which they promised liberty and freedom. Overall, the Spanish-American War was an unjust war, because it compromised the core values of the United States, and because the U.S. controlled the territories to which they had promised liberty and freedom.

The Importance of the Shirtwaist Factory Fire in Current Day

After reading articles about the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, I realize the importance that the fire still has on modern day society. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire illustrated the lack of power that the workers had in the workplace. The fire was caused by a cigarette that ignited a pile of clothes lying on the floor, and the death toll was higher, because the exit doors were locked and blocked to prevent labor unions from entering. Today, we have clean working conditions, minimum wage, and social security, which are all social reforms that stemmed from the tragic fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. These social benefits are too often forgotten today, but it took many deaths and horrific scenes, such as the fire, to prove why workers needed cleaner working conditions and other benefits. Overall, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire is still important to us today, because it illustrated how poor the working conditions were, and because it led the movement to improve working conditions, establish minimum wage, and create social security, which we have today.

Modern Day Philanthropy

I read about Warren Buffett and how he plans to give 99% of his wealth to philanthropic foundations. This idea of the wealthiest people in America giving their money away to charity reminds me of "The Gospel of Wealth", which was written by Andrew Carnegie. In "The Gospel of Wealth", Carnegie has a list of seven things that the wealthiest Americans should do with their money in order to help the common good. Carnegie believed that the wealthy should fund universities, and give money to create or to fund public schools, libraries, hospitals, medical schools, parks, recreational places, meeting halls, auditoriums, swimming pools, and places of worship. The modern day Carnegies are people like Warren Buffett, who have tons of money, and plan to give that money to better the community and the overall world. Buffett also reminds me of Carnegie, because of his approach to wealth. Buffett says, "My wealth has come from a combination of living in America, some lucky genes, and compound interest." The belief of social Darwinism comes to mind when Buffett says that genes are a part of his success. The idea of social Darwinism was believed by Carnegie, and is still believed today by people as wealthy as Carnegie, such as Warren Buffett. Warren Buffett also said, "I will continue to annually distribute about 4% of the shares I retain. At the latest, the proceeds from all of my Berkshire shares will be expended for philanthropic purposes by 10 years after my estate is settled. Nothing will go to endowments; I want the money spent on current needs." Buffett shows his desire to spend money on the community, and illustrates how he will do so. I believe that Buffett’s contribution is economically enough money for anyone to give, but I think Buffett could do more by donating his time. He said in his letter, "Moreover, this pledge does not leave me contributing the most precious asset, which is time." I believe that people like Buffett do give a lot to those who have less, and to organizations, but I feel that Buffett could also volunteer his time, which I believe is more important than any sum of money, even if it is 99% of Buffett’s income.

Populism in America Today

After watching Barack Obama's State of the Union Address, and after reading David Brooks' article, "The Populist Addiction", I have decided that populist ideology still exists today.  Today is very different from the late 19th century when populism first started, but some of the populist ideology from 1896 is still seen today. When reading, "The Populist Addiction", by David Brooks, I realized populism plays a role in American politics.  Mr. Brooks described in his article how populism divides the country.  He wrote,  “They’ve taken to dividing the country into two supposedly separate groups –real Americans who live on Main Street and the insidious interests of Wall Street.” (David Brooks, The Populist Addiction)  This is very true today.  The country is very much divided into two groups, which are Republicans and Democrats.  This division of the country into the working class agianst the industrialists began when populism first started back in 1896, and still exists today.  The populist movement was fueled, and is still fueled, by the idea of government helping out the people who are economically disadvantaged.  I also saw this populist idea in Barack Obama's State of the Union Address.  In his address, Barack Obama spoke about how America must tax the upper one percent of Americans, and how America should have tax cuts for the lower ninety-nine percent.  President Obama also talked about how he wanted to reform education in America by making college education affordable for students, and by creating more schools dedicated to skill building, with government help.  These ideas of making colleges more affordable for students, giving the lower ninety-nine percent of Americans tax cuts, and giving financial assistance to the unemployed, are all populist ideals.  Since the birth of populism in the late 19^th century, populism has continuously found its way into American politics.  These ideas of helping the less fortunate through government aid and through government reform are examples of how populism is still existent today.