outline for final 19Dec09
chad
Prof O Connel
19 Dec 09
Chad Czekner
I tried to illustrate in essay 3 was the link between Timon’s
wreck less spending habits and, the spending habits of government
endeavors. Although America is not in the dire situation that Timon
found himself in by the end of Shakespeare “Timon of Athens, I felt
that we as citizens may be noticing some of the similar tendencies
shared, such as the total disreguard for the future. I also wanted to
point out that Timon lost all his possessions and respect, and that
America might also be loosing all of it’s respect as well. I chose
General Alciabades as a character whose role in “Timon of Athens”
seems to mimick some of the outcry heard around the nation in light of
these disastrous decisions. I wanted to make the similarity that
wasn’t just a total blanket of ignorance that covered Timons eyes,
that in fact there was a small glimmer of reason and truth found in
his life in the form of the general.
I really wanted to study the decay of American infastructure
as well as a moral decay as well. The motive is that a large percent
of the population seem to be suffering as a result of this decay. It
seems that some of our most important institutions such as, education,
civil services and health care are suffering as well. I found evidence
in my research that a majority of our infrastructure is falling into
disrepair, especially in our cities. While things such as bridges,
plumbing systems, even roads may not be the most important problem we
face I believe it serves as an accurate measuring stick in determining
what we as a nation deem important.
I felt that it would be more important to research material
that was relatively objective as opposed to opinions. As I learned a
lot of good opinionated material may make a few good arguments but
sometimes came of as whiney and offered no realistic solutions to the
problem. I enjoyed Andrew Bacevich as a point of research because it
seems he has the ability and experience to argue from both points of
view, the left and right as it were.
If I were in a given the resoures mentioned I would like to do a
study on where America stands relative to where we are presently and
where we could be if we chose a different path. If you could prove
that our schools are underfunded and that by taking another path our
schools could end up being some of the best well funded in the world
people would be more inclined to change their destiny. People are
rarely motivated when they don’t believe that there could be a better
way. I would also like to circulate this objective research around and
perhaps ask for different ideas or how they or their particular
community could change things. When people feel like they own their
own destinys they may be inclined to make changes.