Banterer

Helping Hands

2/26/2014

Friends take care of each other. More than one communist government has found a friend in Russia, a nation that appears to be even larger when upset. A relationship between the Ukraine and Russia gained strength last December when President Yanukovych agreed to move away from the European Union to gain funding from Russia. Russia pledged $15M in aid, $3M of which has already been disbursed, but they feel there is no obligation to shell out more funds due to the change of power that has taken place in the Ukraine over the last week. (Daryna Krasnolutska, 2014)

The former Ukrainian President pushed away from the West, becoming an ally to the East. This action brought about an uprising; Yanukovych fled, leaving behind chaos and destruction. Anti-government protests ended in more than 80 deaths, and Yanukovych will be held responsible for mass murder charges once captured. (Daryna Krasnolutska, 2014) It appears to be just another story about a leader killing off the people within their nation that united in protest. Just another story in which Russia said they’re disappointed in an uprising of a nation against their leader.

While the Ukraine was having a hard time securing funds for a bailout, one might wonder what was in it for Russia to pledge $15M for the Ukraine to breakaway from the EU. Maybe the Ukraine added a bit to a gamma reactor experiment currently in progress, if it were to explode we would have the Hulk in power. (Marvel Productions, 1996) The majority of the world conducts monetary transactions for trade through the IMF, while several nations, Russia included began trading under another currency outside the monitoring of the IMF. The West is considered the force behind the IMF, and the East would like to replace the IMF with a new world currency. (Matlack, 2013) The more nations the East gains support from, the better chance their World Bank has at becoming a reality.

With a former president missing, and arrest warrants issued. Russia determined that opponents of Yanukovych broke a peace deal, but they would rather not meddle, and ask the same of the West. As part of their not meddling, Russian President Vladimir Putin placed 150,000 troops on high alert today with war games on the Ukraine border. The US warned Russia that military intervention in the Ukraine holds grave consequences. (Balmforth, 2014)

A bailout of the Ukraine or a possible war with Russia may not be very cost effective, but nothing is more valuable than friendship.

Works Cited
Balmforth, A. P. (2014, 02 26). New Ukraine ministers proposed, Russian troops on alert. Retrieved 02 26, 2014, from Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/27/us-ukraine-idUSBREA1G0OU20140227
Daryna Krasnolutska, K. C. (2014, 02 25). Ukraine Delays Government Vote as Russia Warns of Default. Retrieved 02 26, 2014, from Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-25/ukraine-delays-vote-on-picking-new-government-to-feb-27.html
Stan Lee, A. A. (Producer), Marvel Productions, L. (Writer), & Thompson, D. (Director). (1996). Helping Hand, Iron Fist [Motion Picture]. USA: New World Entertainment.
Matlack, C. (2013, 03 27). Can the BRICS Have Their Own World Bank? Retrieved 02 26, 2014, from Businessweek.com: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-27/can-the-brics-have-their-own-world-bank

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The Gauntlet

2/12/2014

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"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." – Dwight D. Eisenhower (Dwight D. Eisenhower Quotes)

Minimum wage was signed into effect in 1938. A decade later the Cold War began. We can look to some events that evolved throughout the Cold War as a guide regarding the controversial issue of raising the minimum wage.

The Red Scare, a period when civil liberties were compromised by fear, ranged from the late 1940’s to late 1950’s. Consequences from being a leftist were brought into the forefront, bringing a more conservative view to the political spectrum. (Red Scare) The fear that left thinkers may be soviet spies who could in-turn destroy the nation is similar in the wage wars. The left ideas of raising minimum wage could destroy the economy, increasing rather than decreasing the poverty level.

In the late 1950’s the space race began with the Soviets launch of Sputnik. The United States saw the ability of launching satellites into space, as equivalent to the ability to launch nuclear weapons at the US. The US got in gear, and launched the Explorer program, outdoing the Soviets by putting a man on the moon. (Sputnik: The Fifteeth Anniversary, 2007) The biggest argument for a minimum wage increase is that it’s currently light years behind where it should be if it had been increased periodically to keep up with inflation.

The domino theory of the Cold War began in the early 1950’s and ran through the mid 1970’s. This theory indicated that the rise of one communist regime could lead to the rise of many. The Vietnam War was at the center of this idea, and after all was said and done came the communist takeover that was feared in 1975. However, the domino effect that was used to justify the war for two decades never happened. (Domino Theory) The biggest argument against the minimum wage increase is the domino effect. Increased minimum pay that sends the dominos falling of fewer jobs, layoffs, and inflation can only be tested with an end to the wage war.

Based on history, the destruction of a repressive wall brought unification to Germany. Within the next decade came the fall of the Soviet Union, bringing an end to Cold War.

Today, February 12, 2014, President Obama signed an executive order to increase minimum wage on new or renewing federal contracts by 2015. He would like to see congress follow with an increase to all minimum wage pay. (Sahadi , 2014) President Obama waged his own war today with a pen, with hopes to lesson repression on those who work full-time jobs while living in poverty.

Works Cited
Domino Theory. (n.d.). Retrieved 02 12, 2014, from History: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/domino-theory
Dwight D. Eisenhower Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved 02 12, 2014, from Brainy Qoutes: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/dwight_d_eisenhower.html
Red Scare. (n.d.). Retrieved 02 12, 2014, from History: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/red-scare
Sahadi , J. (2014, 02 12). Obama signs order on minimum wage. Retrieved 02 12, 2014, from CNNMoney: http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/12/news/economy/obama-executive-order-minimum-wage/index.html
Sputnik: The Fifteeth Anniversary. (2007, 10 10). Retrieved 02 12, 2014, from Nasa History: http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/

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Helping Hands

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