The function of the individual is one of the more dominant topics in modern philosophical and political debate, providing an abundance of opinions that are seemingly as workable and correct as the next. In a situation such as this, contrasting views and those harboring dissent should be sought out to gain the most thorough understanding of the events.

The documentary The People Speaks gives an alternate telling of history in America, shedding light on oft forgotten ills of the common citizen. This pursuit of truth and understanding has led to my research into the composition and actions of the State in its various forms and the validity of those actions in light of the misdeeds done in good intention.

The research material is an attempt at thorough representation of various methods of thought and social structure to provide the greatest amount of contrast to the argument at hand. If the risk presented by the formation of the State outweighs its benefits, can we ethically validate its existence?


Trotsky, Leon. The Revolution Betrayed. New York: Pathfinder Press, 1973. Print.

The writing of Leon Trotsky is a look inside the events leading up to and after the October Revolution of the Bolsheviks in Russia that lead to the creation of the Soviet Union. Trotsky provides commentary of the failings of the revolution after its rise to power as well as analysis of the short comings of Stalinism.

This work will be important to show the ideals of communism as understood by one of the founders of the communist movement. Trotsky was a prominent figure in the infancy of the Soviet Union and his thoughts and observations provide valuable insight into the operations of a large scale collective.


Rand, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged. New York: Signet Press, 1996. Print.

This work of Ayn Rand begins the foundation for the philosophical belief of Objectivism and illustrates many of the beliefs and implications of its use. Rand’s views are expressed thoroughly in the story of a revolt of the productive classes against an oppressive society.

Rand lays groundwork for individualist thought and morality with her views into the motivations of the singular person in society. The proper structure of a functioning group is explored in the fiction as well as the short comings of bureaucracy and distribution of resources. This opinion will lay the groundwork for the rugged individual in my writing.


Duncan, Craig. Libertarianism: For and Against. Lanham, Maryland: 2005. Print.

Craig Duncan provides commentary on the positive and negative aspects of libertarianism in modern America. The writing is a collection of essays on topics both for and against varying degrees of libertarianism and liberal thought.

The libertarian attempts to seek a supposed balance in government and individual liberty in a society. Best described as the stance ‘bridging the gap’ between bipartisan politics, the possibility of its use in representation will be considered.


Simon, Julian L. The Ultimate Resource 2. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998. Print.

Julian Simon was a professor of business administration and wrote many articles and papers on economic subjects. The Ultimate Resource 2 summarizes the cornucopian worldview and stands in stark contrast to Malthusian theory and resource scarcity. The Simon-Ehrlich wager in the 1980’s was a functional test of Simon’s theories and cemented the validity of his predictions in the markets.

The use of resources by the people has been under debate since our first experiences with scarcity: should the community step in and provide rationing or are the people capable of regulating themselves? Simon posits that bureaucratic intervention only adds to the problem and that the people, free in commerce, will find viable alternatives by their own right.


Church Committee Reports. The Assassination Archives and Research Center. Founded 1984, operated by History Matters. http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/contents/church/contents_church_reports.htm

The Church Committee was formed in response to the unsettling revelations of the Watergate scandal. As congress realized the shortcomings in oversight of the intelligence communities, an 11 person committee was formed to hold hearings on the actions of operatives and their legality.

These hearings show the steps that will be taken by an entity that identifies itself as Democratic and representative of its people.


“CIA report into shoring up Afghan war support in Western Europe.” Wikileaks release. Wikileaks.org, 26 Mar. 2010.

The usage of persuasion and propaganda in foreign policy is not a remnant from the past, rather an often utilized tool in the War on Terror and the shaping of support from allies.

The report shows the implementation of questionable acts even in the current political environment and supposedly watchful eye of government regulation.


Rudmin, Floyd W. Bordering on Aggression: Evidence of US Military Preparation. Nashville: Voyageur Publishing, 1993. Print.

Floyd Rudmin provides a glimpse into the strange contingency plans created by US foreign policy in attempts at protecting its interests. The plan for invading Canada as a preemptive strike against British aggression was named ‘War Plan Red’ and demonstrates the ability of the state to anticipate harsh actions.


Thompson, Nicholas. Inside the Apocalyptic Soviet Doomsday Machine. Wired Magazine, September, 2009.

Thompson’s investigation into the existence of the Soviet Doomsday device ‘Deadhand’ provides a startling look into the steps taken by a state entity to safe guard its existence. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union built a series of devices capable of delivering a retaliatory strike if it fell victim to a surprise attack, an attempt to deter such tactics by the West. The history of this system is outlined in the writing, highlighting the fact that its purpose as a deterrent would have been better served had its existence been revealed.

The development and existence of such measures illustrates the gross extremes that an entity will take to guarantee its survival in a competitive environment.

The Peoples Media

Before the modern networking that dominates today's lifestyle, news was handed down from large, well funded print and broadcast companies and spread amongst the people along accepted routes of communication. In this response to the article "Audience Atomization Overcome" by Jay Rosen (1), the changing landscape of information and what it could mean for the population at large will be discussed.

Atomization is a description of the overpowering media distribution system that existed before the adoption of the internet; small independent newsletters and public access cable have been in operation, but the money and influence present in commercial outlets greatly overshadows these sources. The effect that this monopoly has had on our freedoms and democracy has been quite insidious, the consolidation of belief that results in an easily controlled audience is a very useful tool to those that seek to maintain and regulate power.

The top down format of information access has led to very isolated opinions that are usually quite polarized; like-minded people often associate with one another and discuss the programming that they each consume without consideration of contrasting views. Lateral discourse is rendered non-existent, people are 'told' what the valid beliefs of others are, effectively being led by the nose to conclusions that are selected by a controlling few. This is the problem that atomization strives to define and that the internet may be the answer to.

In Rosen's article, an illustration popularized by Daniel C. Hallin is used to show the stratification of opinions that is fostered by the mainstream press. The diagram is a set of two concentric circles that show the relationship between common views; the smallest circle being common beliefs not subject to scrutiny, a second larger ring to describe common ideas that are in public discourse and an outer field that is the realm of deviance, opinions that are considered to have no foundation or to be of little consequence to the public. These spheres of control result in an alarming authority of the press, a situation in which we commonly discard or are not exposed at all to radical views and contrary beliefs.

The upswing in the number of citizens online has led to a debasement of this authority, we are exposed daily to myriad sources of information that are often in opposition to one another and carry equally recognized reputations. The active searching required by the internet is rather different than the passive viewing that takes place in conventional sources, but an uninformed individual adrift in a sea of 'news' could carry its own perils.

The shift to an online lifestyle has created a space for many opposing points, but the free access to knowledge could lead to a confusing flurry of information that swamps even the most intrepid of explorers. In a time when much of our tangible world moves toward cyberspace to meet nearly all of their needs, how are we to distinguish between an institution of legitimacy and those that reside within the realm of speculation?

As universities begin to teach online, our shopping is done online and our social life is online, what worth can be given to the brick and mortar that houses our material world? My main concern is that, if our past carelessness is an indication, our future credible sources of journalism will be in direct competition with middle aged men blogging in their underwear from their mothers basement.





(1) http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink/2009/01/12/atomization.html

*author was fully clothed during the writing of this article

Back At It

It's always enjoyable to be given the opportunity to continue a prior project, luckily the new semester of English I've enrolled in has allowed the students to continue their blogs from the previous semester.

I intend to continue with a political commentary and may move to include other contemporary social issues in my writings as well. I find the current administration and the actions of the global theater very intriguing and will do my best to bring varied sources together in an attempt at a dynamic analysis.