REHUGO+2nd+Six+Weeks

Week One:


 * Maureen Dowd: **

Maureen Dowd, a famous progressive columnist, //Decoding the God Complex//, discusses Chris Christie’s method of gaining votes to win presidency election. Dowd debates about whether Christie will win over Obama by stating that Obama is avoiding conflict and is struggling to save the starving economy of America while Christie has pride in himself and is undisciplined, who bullies his opponent. Her purpose is not only to judge the two men and that Christie might possibly become the opponent of Obama, but to identify each man’s goals and weaknesses to show which one is better than the other. She alters the perception of her readers who are interested in the election of presidency that is approaching soon, to question which one will be the rightful president.
 * Man in the Mirror **

I had a really hard time understanding what she is saying and what side she is on. However, reading this makes me understand about politics more and know what may come in the presidential election next year.


 * Thomas L. Friedman: **

Thomas L. Friedman, a well-known centrist columnist, in his article, //How Did Robot End up with My Job?//, realizes that one of the cause of the Great Recession is that robots are taking over people’s job. Friedman developed this claim by listing how technology is seen and used everywhere and dominating over people’s lives. His purpose is not only to identify the effect of advancement in technology had in the world today, but also to acknowledge that the world today is so hyperconnected that everyone is expecting the “better” and the “best” people, software, and robots. He alters the perception of his readers, who are unaware of the big changes the technology had on the world today, comparing to the world years ago, to portray the truth of what the world is becoming into and that schools are elevating and inspiring young people to be the best and not the average.
 * How Did Robot End up with My Job? **

I kind of agree with him that the technology are so advanced now that the robots are taking jobs away. Also, it is getting tough as society now need the best people, not average......

Week Two:


 * Maureen Dowd: **

Maureen Dowd, a famous progressive columnist, Prospero’s Tempestuous Family, portrays about Steve Jobs’ background life and how Jobs’ father is similar to Shakespeare’s novel character, Prospero. Dowd summarizes the Jobs’ messy life background about the odds of Jobs’ father, a Sunni Muslim immigrant from Syria, producing two dazzling American talents, a son who transformed the world of technology and a daughter who lit up the world of literature, and ending up estranged from both. Her purpose is not only to make people know more about Steve Jobs, but to compare Jobs’ background to Shakespeare’s //The Tempest// like it is a shocking story. She alters the perception of her readers, who are inspired by Steve Jobs, to give a background insight of his mysterious life.
 * Prospero’s Tempestuous Family **

I found it fascinating learning about Jobs' life, not only his but his parents' too.


 * Thomas L. Friedman: **

Thomas L. Friedman, a well-known centrist columnist, in his article, //Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?//, acknowledges that America need genius leaders like Steve Jobs in the national politics. Friedman stated that people like Jobs are the ones who inspire people out of their comfort zone to do extraordinary things. His purpose is not only to encourage more people to be like Jobs, who think out of the ordinary, but to specifically point out that times like this during recession, Obama need to get the Americans out of their comfort zone by creating vigorous fiscal reform that will help ensure that America will thrive again in the 21st century. He alters the perception of his readers, who are interested in politics, to make them realize what needs to be done to America.
 * Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio? **

I totally agree with Friedman. America need more geniuses like Jobs in politics so that they can help U.S. and push the Americans through the tough recession now and prosper in the future.

Week Three:


 * Maureen Dowd: **

Maureen Dowd, a famous progressive columnist, //Anne Frank, a Mormon?//, discusses about Mitt Romney, who is running for the upcoming candidate of U.S. presidential election 2012, and his Mormon religion. Dowd develops her claim by talking about Mormons’ weird belief system practice of amassing archives of the dead and “praying them in” as a way to “retrospectively ‘baptize’ everybody as a convert.” Her purpose is not only to make non-believer of Mormonism know what Mitt Romney believes in, but also debate whether Romney’s religion will give him an advantage on election or just freak everyone out for thinking that Mormons baptizing the dead is “a crass attempt at mass identity theft from the deceased.” She alters the perception of her readers, who are debating on whether to vote Romney as the candidate for president, to go into depth of what Romney’s religious belief is.
 * Anne Frank, a Mormon? **

Personally, I don't get Mormon religion but now knowing that they baptize the dead, I think it is a weird religious practice and I don't want a Mormon for president.


 * Thomas L. Friedman: **

Thomas L. Friedman, a well-known centrist columnist, in his article, //Imagined in America//, debated about whether the bill needs to be passed by the House to clear the way for tariffs on Chinese exports to America if China doesn’t revalue its currency. Friedman developed this claim by looking at China’s strategy of using low wages and a cheap currency to build up an enormous export-led growth engine — while using its huge market to lure and compel companies to transfer their next-generation technology to China. His purpose is not only to compare China’s strategies on economy with U.S.’s but to realize that China manipulates its currency and market access while the U.S. has no leverage which they don’t save; overconsume; don’t plan nor invested enough in infrastructure and education. He alters the perception of his readers, who are worried about the U.S. economy, to make them recognize what U.S. needs to improve to be like the superpower China.
 * Imagined in America **

I agree that U.S. needs to learn strategies from China in order to survive the Great Recession and become more successful in the future and not owe too many debts.

Week Four:


 * Maureen Dowd: **

Maureen Dowd, a famous progressive columnist, Limits of Magical Thinking, argues that Steve Jobs, the Apple creator who everyone looks up to, have flaws and his life sounded like the darkest hell of volatility. Dowd develops her claim by analyzing the life of Jobs, who was abandoned by his parents, also abandoned his first daughter, and chose between two wives. Dowd’s purpose is not only to point out Jobs’ flaws, but to state that not everyone is perfect because even Jobs made many mistakes despite being the person who change the world in technology. She alters the perception of her readers who are obsessed with Apple products and looks up to Jobs as a role model, to portray Jobs’ dark past.
 * Limits of Magical Thinking **

I totally understand about Jobs' life and I know that not everyone is perfect.


 * Thomas L. Friedman: **

Thomas L. Friedman, a well-known centrist columnist, in his article, //Barack Kissinger Obama//, stated about Barack Obama turning out much more adept at implementing George W. Bush’s foreign policy than Bush was, but less adept at implementing his own. Friedman acknowledged that President Obama has brought the country to the right strategy for Bush’s “war on terrorism” with a serious, focused combination of global intelligence coordination, targeted killing of known terrorists and limited interventions. His purpose is not only to praise Obama and to point out him being less successful with his own foreign policy, but to explain that in order for U.S. to succeed, the best way is to gain leverage on Russia and Iran with an energy policy that reduced the price and significance of oil, and on China is to increase savings and graduation rates — and export more and consume less. He alters the perception of his readers, who are questioning Obama’s fail at his foreign policy, to make them realize what the problem is and what ways can be done to improve America while it is mired in debt.
 * Barack Kissinger Obama **

I agree that Obama needs to find good strategies to solve problems that had been affecting U.S. for a long time.

Week Five:


 * Maureen Dowd: **

Maureen Dowd, a famous progressive columnist, Cain Not Able, assumes anonymous accusations of sexual harassment against Herman Cain. Dowd developed her claim by giving credit to Anne Coulter who states that Cain is a conservative black, who will believe the most horrible sexualized fantasies of white women feminists. Dowd not only emphasized Cain as the man who crossed the line and then, when caught, tried to blame the women, but also discuss whether Cain is legitimate and whether he should be the rightful candidate running for president. She alters the perception of her readers, who are into the upcoming presidency, to reveal Cain’s unsavory pattern with young women and a suspect relationship with facts.
 * Cain Not Able **

I am kind of confused about why Dowd opposes Herman Cain as president.


 * Thomas L. Friedman: **

Thomas L. Friedman, a well-known centrist columnist, in his article, // A Long List of Suckers //, debated whether Obama removing troops from Iraq is good for the country. Friedman acknowledged that U.S. stepping back from Iraq will create the capacity to alter the balance, then U.S. will have more options and influence to affect outcomes — rather than being pushed around and attacked by everyone wanting to see some great conspiracy in whatever U.S. do. His purpose is not only to recommend U.S. to withdraw in order for the country to find some cost-efficient ways to influence geopolitics in Asia rather than keeping troops there indefinitely, but to predict the outcome of Iraq with the American troops removed which Iraqi Arabs will be surely focusing entirely on their own government’s performance and other attempts. He alters the perception of his readers, who are interested in the problems of U.S. with Iraq, to discuss the good and bad outcomes of the removal of troops from Afghanistan.
 * A Long List of Suckers **

I agree with Friedman about removing troops from Afghanistan. The country has been fighting for years with no solutions except wasting money. U.S. has to learn some ways to solve the problems in Iraq.