A new image of immigration seeks the attention of Americans everywhere. The newly appointed President Trump has sought out his intentions to build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. Although this may seem like a lousy way to get rid of tacos al pastor, he claims to know what he is doing (and isn't afraid to speak his mind on the subject, as we all know). On Friday, he put a stop to Syrian refugees entering the country and a temporary ban on people in Muslim nations. Is Trump actually shutting America down, or is this not what it appears to be?
Angry men and women coming in from other countries are denied access into America; even people with their green cards are not admitted. Protesters at JFK yell and scream, "No ban, no wall, sanctuary for all!" and "no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here!" Trump's action to ban was called "cowardly and dangerous." Many of these immigrants were just entering and ready to start a new life, but unfortunately their plans were cut short. On this note, what Trump did is considered un-American. We stand for equality in America, that you can be whatever religion you want, you are free to explore what you want, and that allows you to live here. So denying access to people who want apart of that is selfish and discriminating. But on the other hand, I can see what Trump is going for on his terms of 'safety' and handling the problem of possible terrorists. Of course not every person that comes to the U.S. is a terrorist, but the people bombing cities and homes are trying to make a statement. THEY DO NOT BELIEVE IN WHAT WE DO. If we don't believe in their religion or god, we deserve to die. And that is the opposite of what We stand for, it's our right to live freely.
Like, the protesters wanting to allow immigrants in is nice, and they feel really good about not being called racist and discriminating by fellow Americans. But the they get upset and full of rage when something goes wrong and people become injured or die because of an attack (rightfully so). Then they're all about safety and "get those people out of here". What happens when an American performs an act of terrorism... do we deport them, put them in prison, lock them up for being a psychopath? Do we do anything or are they considered confused and misunderstood?
Trade and partnership with other countries is pertinent to America's well being and social communications. The countries with ties to the U.S. feel cut off, and will be less willing to trade or do any business with us (eg. Mexico, Middle East, China). "American allies in the Middle East will reasonably question why they should cooperate with... the United States..." This can very well create problems for us. One article states that it may put the assumption that we are at war with Islam instead of targeting terrorists. Trump's plan might go in the opposite way of which he intended.
Immigrants want to move here and the task seems almost impossible; get a green card, apply for citizenship, etc. Then to have it all waste away, its kind of depressing. My grandpa lives in Mexico and with Trump's new immigration law I'm not sure how he'll be able to see us, and if it fully passes I can't be to sure of what will happen next. People with families in separate countries want the luxury to spend time with them or want them to live here. How can we be safe but also show the equality that each of them deserves?
China is one of America's biggest suppliers in trade. So far we have been doing well by being their allies and being agreeable to each others terms. What has me curious and others worried is what Trump will do with his new business partners as president. Our relationship with other countries is crucial for the U.S. to survive as a country. The inauguration on Friday has begun the new season of "What Will Happen in America Today?"
Donald Trump has already claimed we are in a trade war with China and that "...we have the power over China, economic power." That may be indication that as president, he would want to use trade as a weapon. If that is so, it could majorly backfire. Years ago China became the world's 'factory floor', by making and producing things that we and other countries wanted. But cutting of ties with them won't bring back the mass of America's jobs lost to the Chinese industry.
Trump threatens to put a 45% tax on Chinese imports and to push firms into returning their jobs and factories to America. The used to be presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders had an opposition to free-trade agreements, past ones and current ones. And also, Hillary Clinton supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership now is against it. I think that with our economy, America benefits from cheap imports from China. Increasing the amount of tax might be beneficial but I understand it as paying more money.
/about/GettyImages-173291628-57b337803df78cd39c493a87.jpg)
In 2015, we had with a total of $482 billion in imported items, along with $116 billion in exports, and a debt of $366 billion. "The U.S. trade deficit with China is the largest in the world." This is because Chinese workers work for lower wages and seem to keep up the work load. This keeps American jobs lower for us and out of the picture, therefore giving China the advantage. I know that when something has a label that says 'Made in America', it will have a more expensive price, but maybe a higher quality product.
In the midst of selecting people to be on the presidential cabinet, Trump chose Terry Branstad, governor of Iowa, to be an ambassador to China. He has apparently had ties with the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, that go back awhile. His friendship with them makes China more opt to welcoming our government. This will be great for this country and Trump's new image as president and leader. "The move could help reassure China’s leadership that Trump understands the importance of healthy relations with Beijing." In a previous blog, I had written about Elaine Chao, our government's transportation secretary. Like Terry Branstad, she will connect ties with foreign countries and strengthen our relationship with them.
I want to say that in a way, abolishing trade with China would be 'social suicide'. We depend on them for many of our goods and products. By maintaining them as allies, we open doors to new trade opportunities that could be great for America.
I have a choice not to write this blog and to not take the time to put my thoughts to use. But I fear the consequences. Consequences that go beyond just a bad grade on my report card. And that fear drives me to do what I am supposed to do or won't do. Everything we do is an example of economics.
My personal choices affect my future and could affect those around me. If i decide to drink and drive, for example, I would put my life in danger and the other people on the road as well as face prison time. This is micro economics; a study of choices by individuals. And people everywhere are making choices that represent their intent to do something. One similar idea is called the Butterfly Effect, small changes can have large consequences. In the same way, the way our government goes can determine a lot of things.
People respond to incentives. In order to get what they want, they will change their actions/ behavior to attain those things, and therefore achieve their goal. It could be a good or bad goal that changes the way something happens. Choices concerning the will and rights of America are the most crucial for our well-being. When the topic of economics was brought to my attention I began to think of money and finances that our country is in charge of; which isn't exactly wrong, but there is a much broader definition of my blog subject. From the definition of an economic website, it claims to be "the study of scarcity, the study of how people use resources, or the study of decision making." It helps us portray historical trends and understand today's headlines. Economics can also make predictions for near decades.
Economics has an impact in every one of our lives because when you get back to the core of it, it lies on choices. The main parts of economics are based on scarcity, supply and demand, costs and benefit, intensives. An example would be gas prices. When there is a low supply, prices rise, and people have to plan on saving and using gas wisely. Or even the "Hmmmm, should I drive that extra 15 miles just to get 50 cents cheaper gas." Of course that may not be a burden to some people and they could go to the most expensive place in town. See, decisions decisions.We thrive on using our minds, or whatever is up there, to create saving and spending arrangements.
"The world is wide with choices, so the field of economics is wide with theories, laws and concepts that explore those choices." We have to work with what we are given, that could go well or not so great. Over many years of developing our economy, we have set courses and experienced things that help us make our decisions. The chances of the average American not paying attention to our economy may seem high. But understanding the fundamentals creates a much more secure mindset of what goes on in the United States.
We are aware of the debt that is in our country but we do not fully recognize the seriousness of this flaw. Obama's presidency has not contributed to the fixing of this problem; of course he proclaims to want to devote his time to ending the debt but that's easier said than done. In the near future, we hope to see Trump use his business management skills to help America and its money fiasco.
Nothing is more important to people than money, and that tends to get us into problems that we didn't plan on. If you don't pay bills, you loose your belongings, (maybe your life if you get into other dumb things, ha). America's money management doesn't seem to be working out too well at the time, that's why it is important to see what tax payers money goes into for the government. There are three different parts of our country's federal spending: Mandatory Spending, Discretionary Spending, and Interest on Federal Debt.
Mandatory spending takes up about 2/3 of the federal budget. And of that part, Social Security takes up more than 1/3 of this spending with Medicare as the second highest amount spent. Together, SS and Medicare make up about 38% of the total federal budget. Other parts of this category include food/ agriculture, veterans' benefits, transportation, and 'other'.
"Discretionary spending refers to the portion of the budget that is decided by Congress through the annual appropriations process each year." Congress determines how much they will spend on each part of the budget. In this section, military and the Pentagon is the biggest group of money spent, (as well as other well-known programs).
For 2017, Obama's proposal "calls for $4.2 trillion in federal government spending." His plan insists that there will be more job opportunities for young people to have and start them off. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) combines with the health care system in order to lower costs and improve the methods of accessibility and distribution. "A clean transportation package totaling $32 billion per year over ten years that would create hundreds of thousands of middle-class jobs in an economy that still doesn’t provide enough opportunities for good-paying work."
His budget plan also includes proposals for increasing education funding by giving two free years of community college. This seems very generous but in reality it would cost the government $61 billion over ten years. In order to achieve this he would have to raise taxes to pay for something that not all people will go to. For example, public schools/teachers get paid by the people's taxes. My parents put me and my siblings in a private school and they pay for that separately; so it is like paying for something that I'm not using.
The president's budget plan is his vision for the country in 2017 and also for the future. "At a time of conflict over federal spending, the president’s budget is largely a political document... it shows the president’s priorities in detail." And his priorities are what keeps everything in order.
