In this course, we have learned that many issues stemming from the 20th Century have either direction connections or significantly influence current events in the 21st Century.  While there might be debate as to the vocabulary that is used, President Eisenhower's warning about a growing military-industrial complex in 1961, seems to be a timely issue for President Barack Obama and the U.S. War on Terror.  This cartoon clearly implies that his 2008 campaign pledge to "bring American troops home" are merely words that cannot easily be supported with actions.





As a musical culture, rock'n'roll was mainly derived from the African-American blues tradition. Elvis Presley was very much a product of the South, and thus was heavily influenced by this musical genre.  Much to the dismay of traditionally-minded parents, his songs, along with his "outrageous" dancing and gyrating became the popular symbol of the rebellious youth culture that was forming in the supposedly conservative 1950's.


The concept behind the commercial "green police" illustrates an overreaching government, one which might attempt to tell citizens what they can and cannot buy or use.  But do we live in a "free country" or not, as many people like to say and even more people believe.  If today, it is styrofoam cups and plastic bags, what will be deemed unacceptable tomorrow.  This issue encompasses involves conflicting parts of the liberal spectrum "change for the better" (a greener planet), but this change may not be for the better if it involves a loss of liberty.  The issue is actually more complex than it seems as first, and one which requires a careful analysis by informed individuals.




There are two main modern conceptions of rights: on the one hand, the idea of legal rights holds that there is a certain list of rights enshrined in nature that cannot be legitimately modified by any human power. On the other hand, the idea of natural rights holds that rights are human constructs, created by society, enforced by governments and subject to change.  Rights can also be divided into individual rights, which are held by individuals, and collective rights, which are held by an ensemble of people or a subgroup of people who have a certain characteristic in common.  As seen in the forum discussions, who has what rights, or any rights for that matter, can be a highly subjective topic.