Monday, May 05, 2014

"Dysregulation Nation" Period 6- Extra Credit

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/magazine/20fFOB-WWLN-t.html

Please add an intelligent comment (minimum 5 sentences) in response to the linked article.  Be sure to use a minimum of one quote in your response.  Optional: Comment on a classmates post in a second post (minimum 3 sentences) *Use only your first name, last initial and class period.

5 comments:

  1. Warner’s article comments on America’s society today, specifically our inability to regulate ourselves. “Recently there have been pointed efforts to use government regulation to prod people toward self-regulating, based on the belief that if you present consumers with more and better information on the risks and consequences of their actions (better labeling of food; clearer information on mortgage documents), they will, in turn, make better choices.” As the author comments on later, government regulation on food is not the main problem. “These initiatives, however, focus on choices that are rather simple. The larger structural problems that create our widespread envy, greed, overconsumption and debt — gross income inequality, for starters — will be much more difficult, politically, to address.” Fixing our issues on control and greed could solve our problems. We allow others to become responsible for the control we lack, such as bans on large soda’s, but this does not teach us to manage our own problems, but possibly encourages it. Instead of regulating ourselves, putting the responsibility on businesses and the government through more rules seem to be the answer many have in mind.

    Caitie Perricone
    Period 6

    ReplyDelete
  2. The author of this article seems to be very eager to blame a different multitude of things for "the downfall of society". Throughout this article his focus was veered off in many directions that allowed him to blame eating disorders, wealth inequality, and Obama's new healthcare bill (which isn't new anymore; this article was posted in 2010). He claimed that America was becoming unable to regulate itself with eating and finances along with a multitude of other things.
    Quite frankly, I found his opinions to be rather one sided, almost as if he read the opinions page and acted as if it was all fact. At one point he states, "And teenagerswho, after years spent gorging on instant gratification (too-easy presents from eager-to-please parents, the thrill of the fast-changing screen), are restless, demanding, easily bored and said to be suffering from a plague of insatiability." This I found to be somewhat offensive. Sure, some teens actually do have these issues but to say that all teens are to have suffered "a plague of insatiability" is a ludicrous statement. He singles out teens in the statement here but I could ask anybody if they are satisfied with their life and I would bet that the majority of them would say no. The author says that teens are insatiable and this is one of the problems with society but I don't believe this is the problem; just the byproduct. It's the byproduct of society always saying that teenagers, or anybody for that matter, aren't good enough. There are advertisements always telling people to look better, become wealthier then neighbors, drive the fastest car, starve to become the skinniest... It's no wonder that teenagers aren't able to self regulate themselves. Never have I seen an advertisement that told people to act nicer or care more but I can honestly say that I have seen quite a few things that (whether discretely or not) advocate anorexia. And when I see things like that I cannot help but to wonder, if we educate people on the dangers of things like that, could we save lives? Or even if we started to advocate kindness in an actual meaningful way, could it help save lives or one's emotional stability?
    Shoshanna Longo
    Period 6

    ReplyDelete
  3. This article questions whether all of these regulations are really good for the US as a nation. We have continued to place regulations and restrictions on the citizens of America, and it is hard to see where too many regulations are destructive instead of preventative. America is an extremely unhealthy country, especially in comparison to other first world countries. Economically, environmentally, and educationally, we seem to be behind our European counterparts. Are we behind because of these regulations, and are they creating people that do not think for themselves? It is almost impossible to say. Living in England for the small two years that I did, I saw the difference in regulations. Even in public places there were little safety precautions. If I was a really stupid kid I probably could have gotten myself hurt pretty easily. This was interesting because the environment there just seems to be less involved with blaming other people for your own mistakes, I don't know if this is a result of the suing process we have in the US, or what. The ban on large sugary drinks in New York seems kind of invasive to me, but with obesity rates skyrocketing, it seems to be the only answer. "...if you present consumers with more and better information on the risks and consequences of their actions (better labeling of food; clearer information on mortgage documents), they will, in turn, make better choices." The very indulgent nature of our country has been ingrained in all of its citizens, and there is along road to fixing that problem.
    Emma P per6

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Not to belittle this topic but it always makes me laugh on the inside when people are like omg american culture is just about consuming. Look at this new statistic on obesity and the amount of stuff we buy oh no the country is going down hill. But I mean really any one who has ever lived in america, visited, or even seen it on TV can tell you its a gluttonous culture. The whole economy thrives on the consumer doing just that and consuming. And so to have a new study and a new poll is just ridiculous. And then in the media they turn around and tell us we shouldn't consume that we have to be skinny to be pretty and we have to have hamburgers to be happy. " The signs that something is amiss in our inner mechanisms of control and restraint are everywhere." Its true is you took the media and you took the people of america and you personified them. Then you put them into a relationship you would get an abusive relationship the media is always telling us the Americans what to do, how to look, what to where, and that no one will want us and that is why we should be grateful they have us. It is obvious to everyone. Terrorists want Western countries to come no where near them afraid of the corruption. And its hard to stand up to someone/ something that has been there all our lives and say no this is wrong. It goes against social norms to suffer in silence. But when people are starving themselves to death to fit an image the models don't even fit we have to stand up and say no this is wrong.
    sam period 6

    ReplyDelete