Author Archives: jx155816

The Seventies: Under Control?

by jx155816

“Is the government run by a few big interests looking out for themselves?” The answer in 1964 had been “yes” from 26 percent of those polled; by 1972 the answer was ” yes” from 53 percent of those polled.

During nineteen seventy’s, there was divergence between American government and society. Most people distrust the government especially over half of the lower class people lost their faith of government. People were dissatisfied of what government did to their selves but not citizens. Over half of people think government would more likely care about themselves. And yes. One of the main reasons of this faithful from people was Vietnam War. It was 55,000 injuries and deaths during of this war. Not only that, antiwar people found out that Honeywell Corporation was manufacturing weapons such as “deadly cluster bomb that had riddled thousands of Vietnamese civilians with painful, hard to extricate pellets (541).” According to the voted from Honeywell employees, over three quarters people think that producing those weapon were a miscreancy thing. They felt bad and think those manufacture should stop. Another main scandal of American history made people lose their trust of American government was Watergate. President Nixon tried to cover that ugly new by pass the buck to others. He said that he didn’t indicate anyone to protest the bombing of Cambodia. However, this could not hold. President Nixon resigned. Zinn use those quotes and facts that showed how seventies under control.

Mary E. Lease, The Money Question (1892)

by jx155816

“We want money, land, and transportation. We want the abolition of the national banks, and we want the power to make loans direct from the government. We want the accursed foreclosure system wipe out…(For the Record Chapter21 pg.87).”

Mary E. Lease was a populist woman who provided many speeches that aroused farmers stood up for themselves. On the end of 19 century, the farmers worked so hard to raise the big crop that the parties told them to do. The money rule, parties and political cheated famers to worked triple times but paid back little money to only let farmers able to survive. They were forced to sell the corn, beef in very low prices and eggs and butter for free. The excuse that politicians made was overproduction. In fact, children were dead because of lack of food supply. Over 1000 shop girls had to sell their virtue in order to support themselves. In addition, the main question is that Santa Fe Railroad and the loan companies plundered almost everything from farmers. They worked so hard to supply the government, but they got poor and poor even dead from their low wage jobs. Mary E. Lease was very indignant about this situation. She appealed farmers to get up for their benefits. She appealed farmers to get back what they should have and what belong to them which were the money, ability and power. The aggrieved inside of farmers finally awaken by Mary E. Lease.