Also, please take a few moments to share your thoughts about our online class format by responding to this post.  Early in the semester some of you expressed your reservations about participating on a blog and creating a digital story.  Thank you for agreeing to be pioneers and for taking a chance!  I am very pleased with how well we worked together as a class.  Do you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas for future classes?  I really would appreciate your thoughts.

Riding the Rails was my favorite book of the three.  Learning about the runaway children and how they lived was interesting.  They thought there would be a better life outside of their homes.  Some left for adventure and some left to relieve their parents of financial burdens.  Eventually, all of the children realized that life on the run was no fun.  Boxcar children were as young as thirteen-years-old.  Sad, but I liked the history on this.  When people talk about the Great Depression, they talk about the stock market, Dust Bowl, unemployment and family despair.  I don’t remember people talking about the boxcar children.

For our class discussion on the blog this week, please share one or two things you learned about the Great Depression that will stick with you.  What surprised you?  What idea or issue have you shared with your friends or family?  What lesson from history has been most interesting to you?

Bolt-action rifles were used at the beginning of the war, but this was a 19th century weapon.  In the midst of the war, the manufacturing of the sniper rifle became much more popular.  Although the Germans invented sub-machine guns, the United States perfected and mass-produced them.  The picture below is of a flame-thrower.

Here is a video on the weapons of World War II. 

England and USSR received military aid from the United States as well.  The United States began supplying support in September 1940, even though the United States did not enter the war until December 1941.  President Roosevelt created a lend-lease program for the British, who were unable to pay for supplies for the war.  The Lend-Lease Act of 1941 gave President Roosevelt the ability to provide military aid.  This is a link that provides information of the Lend-Lease Act of 1941. http://www.classbrain.com/artteenst/publish/article_83.shtml

This is a picture of President Roosevelt signing a Declaration of War against Japan.

War provided jobs all over the country for both men and women.  Projects like the Tennessee Valley Authority only provided jobs for that demographic and area of expertise.  The Gold Standard suspended gold convertibility.  These are two ideals that assisted in lightening the misfortune of the Great Depression.  However, the war provided many, many jobs.  These jobs enabled people to provide food for their families and purchase goods from businesses.  World War II single-handedly brought the United States economy out of the Great Depression.

Neffsville, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Earle Landis turn over their Thanksgiving turkey.

For this week, begin commenting on your classmates presentations.  You will make your comments on Voice Thread. I encourage you to use your microphone and actually post your audio comments, rather than just typing them. Be sure to check your own presentation periodically so you can respond to the comments and questions posted. I will hold my comments and questions until later this week, giving you all a chance to chime in first. We will continue our project discussions through the end of the course.

We will resume our discussion on the blog the week of November 30th. I hope each of you has a a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

The children's table at the Crouch family Thanksgiving Day dinner. Ledyard, Connecticut. 1940

Sign on restaurant window during Thanksgiving week in South Boston, Virginia. 1940

Pumpkin pies and Thanksgiving dinner at the home of Mr. Timothy Levy Crouch, a Rogerine Quaker living in Ledyard, Connecticut. 1940

The family of Mr. Timothy Levy Crouch, a Rogerine Quaker, at their annual Thanksgiving Day dinner. A twenty-pound turkey was dispensed with in short order. Ledyard, Connecticut. 1940

A butcher shop window at Thanksgiving time. Norwich, Connecticut. 1940

http://www.marketmed.org/market.asp?fmmfont=fontsml

As I said earlier, the government cannot interfere just a little.  The video below is a quick view of how Obama’s administration is trying to change the health care system.  Private companies “own” the health care system.  Obama’s administration could destroy jobs by eliminating the private corporations and change the demographics of the United States economy.

Private corporations need to stop taking financial advantage of their clients.  The “owners of the health care system” also need to stop playing God.  Health care companies often decide on which diseases or disorders they will pay to treat; often making their decisions on cost, not whether the long-term benefits are better for the patient.

A major benefit for health care reform is access to many more individuals.  There is still a debate whether or not the new health care system will costs Americans more money.  It is clear that more money will be needed to kick-start the program, but no one knows for sure yet if there is a financial benefit for the American taxpayer.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/121943/benefits-healthcare-reform-tough-sell-americans.aspx

Small businesses will be able to offer their employee’s health insurance at lower rates, also known as ESI (Employer-Sponsered Insurance).

The article below discusses the recent health care debate.  President Obama is trying to convince the American people that this trillion dollar health care reform is necessary while our economy is in the middle of a recession.

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/07/23/calculating-the-costs-and-benefits-of-health-care-reform/

Anything is possible with the reform.  The social cost will not be outweighed at first.  The government will have to spend money in order to make money.  But the health care system’s focus should not just be to make money.  The real focus should be on making people well and making their lives more pleasurable, livable.  Usually, when the government is involved, the taxpayers have more money to spend.  If people are not held accountable for their own care, they will get lazy.  This will cause more problems for the taxpayers as more and more people rely on the government to support them.

Remember, we will be viewing and commenting on the presentations during the last three weeks of class.  Be sure to watch every presentation and share your thoughts, questions, and comments during this time.  Also, if you ask a question of your classmate, be sure to check his/her presentation periodically to hear/view the response.  Post your questions/responses on your classmates’ Voice Thread pages.

1.  How did the war effort contribute to the end of the Great Depression?

2.  What evidence is there to indicate it was war, and not other actions, that finally brought an end to the Great Depression?

Share any resources you find and be sure to reference our reading where appropriate.

CNN is providing comprehensive coverage on the internet with the Healthcare In America section on their site.

Since the Speaker and others are comparing this initiative to those of the 1930s, it is appropriate for us to pause and consider the issues of healthcare reform this week.

1.  Has there been a failure in the healthcare market?  That is, is there evidence that the market is performing so poorly that government intervention is necessary?

2.  What are the anticipated benefits of health care reform?

3.  What are the anticipated consequences of healthcare reform?

4.  We know that when government interferes in the market, inefficiencies and unintended consequences result.  Is it possible that the social benefits of health care reform will outweigh the social costs of the program?

The news will be filled with reports and resources this week.  Be sure to share appropriate media that supports your position.