Maybe The Reason Some Folks Lag Behind In Our Free Enterprise System Is Because They Depend Too Much On The Free Part And Not Enough On Their Own Enterprise.

-William Greider

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Maybe The Reason Some

William Greider

Maybe The Reason Some Folks Lag Behind In Our Free Enterprise System Is Because They Depend Too Much On The Free Part And Not Enough On Their Own Enterprise.

Topic

Wisdom

Lag

Too Much

More From William Greider

Efficiency Obliterates Identity

Identity

Efficiency

Maybe The Reason Some Folks Lag Behind In Our Free Enterprise System Is Because They Depend Too Much On The Free Part And Not Enough On Their Own Enterprise.

Wisdom

Lag

Too Much

Children Born Today Have A Fifty-fifty Chance Of Living To 100.

Children

Fifty

Today

If Us Per Capita Income Continues To Grow At A Rate Of 1.5 Percent A Year, The Country Will Have Plenty Of Money To Finance Comfortable Retirements And High-quality Healthcare For All Citizens, Including Those At The Bottom Of The Wage Ladder.

Country

Retirement

Years

A Newly Elected Representative Quickly Discovers That His Job In Government-aside From Making New Laws-is To Act As A Broker, Middleman, Special Pleader And Finagler.

Jobs

Government

Law

Folks In The Bottom Half Of The Economy Are Already Squeezed Hard. They Will Be Bloodied And Bankrupt If Economic Policy Inadvertently Induces A Recession.

Half

Economic

Economy

The Present Struggle Seems Less About Abolishing Big Government Than About Who Gets To Use It.

Struggle

Government

Liberty

The Problem Of Modern Democracy Is Rooted In Its Neglect Of Unorganized People.

People

Democracy

Problem

Our Values Are Defined By What We Will Tolerate When It Is Done To Others. Everyone's Sense Of Virtue Is Degraded By The Present Reality. A Revolutionary Principle Is Embedded In The Global Economic System, Awaiting Broader Recognition: Human Dignity Is Indivisible. Across The Distances Of Culture And Nations, Across Vast Gulfs Of Wealth And Poverty, Even The Least Among Us Are Entitled To Dignity, And No Justification Exists Or Brutalizing Them In The Pursuit Of Commerce.

Distance

Reality

Principles

Democracy Begins In Human Conversation. A Democratic Conversation Does Not Require Elaborate Rules Of Procedure Or Utopian Notions Of Perfect Consensus. What It Does Require Is A Spirit Of Mutual Respect-people Conversing Critically With One Another In An Atmosphere Of Honesty And Shared Regard.

Honesty

People

Perfect

Everyone's Values Are Defined By What They Will Tolerate When It Is Done To Others.

Done

Tolerate

Defined

The Ways In Which People Treat Animals Will Be Reflected In How People Relate To One Another.

Animal

People

Way

In 1900 Americans On Average Lived For Only 49 Years And Most Working People Died Still On The Job.

Jobs

Average

Years

In The Deregulated Realm Of Us Banking And Finance, Crime Does Occasionally Pay For Its Foul Deeds, Not In Prison Time But By Making Modest Rebates To The Victims.

Prison Time

Doe

Banking

The Trauma Of 9/11 Stimulated Infinite Possibilities For Worry - Some Quite Plausible, But Most Inspired By Remote What-if Fantasies. A Society Bingeing On Fear Makes Itself Vulnerable To Far More Profound Forms Of Destruction Than Terror Attacks. The "terrorism War", Like A Nostalgic Echo Of The Cold War, Is Using These Popular Fears To Advance A Different Agenda - The Re-engineering Of American Life Through Permanent Mobilization.

War

Echoes

Engineering

The Rich Nations Of The World Are Acting Like Ancient Usurers, Lending Money To The Desperate Poor On Terms That Cannot Possibly Be Met And, Thus, Steadily Acquiring More And More Control Over The Lives And Assets Of The Poor.

Acting

World

Ancient

A Profound Political Question Is Suddenly On The Table: Must The Country Continue To Give Precedence To Private Financial Gain And Market Determinism Over Human Lives And Broad Public Values?

Country

Giving

Profound

The Scandalous Question That Hangs Over Modern Government And Excites Perpetual Outrage Is About Political Money And What It Buys. What Exactly Do These Contributors Get In Return For The Hundreds Of Thousands, Even Millions Of Dollars They Funnel To The Politicians?

Government

Political

Dollars

The Threat To Globalization Is Not The Wasted American Dollars But Washington's Readiness To Mix Us Commercial Interests With Its Self-appointed Role As Global Protector.

Self

Dollars

Roles

Leaks And Whispers Are A Daily Routine Of News-gathering In Washington.

Gathering

Routine

News

If We Have Wealth, It Will Be Protected From Inflation And Possibly Even Enhanced In Value.

Wealth

Inflation

Protected

The Great Multinationals Are Unwilling To Face The Moral And Economic Contradictions Of Their Own Behavior - Producing In Low-wage Dictatorships And Selling To High-wage Democracies. Indeed, The Striking Quality About Global Enterprises Is How Easily Free-market Capitalism Puts Aside Its Supposed Values In Order To Do Business. The Conditions Of Human Freedom Do Not Matter To Them So Long As The Market Demand Is Robust. The Absence Of Freedom, If Anything, Lends Order And Efficiency To Their Operations.

Order

Long

Democracy

The Do-it-yourself Version Of Pensions Is A Flop, As Many Americans Have Painfully Learned.

Do It Yourself

Pension

Versions

If You Think About It, Washington's Overwhelming Power In The World Is Founded On Death, The Awesome Arsenal For Killing People.

Thinking

People

World

If One Benefits Tangibly From The Exploitation Of Others Who Are Weak, Is One Morally Implicated In Their Predicament? Or Are Basic Rights Of Human Existence Confined To The Civilized Societies That Are Wealthy Enough To Afford Them? Our Values Are Defined By What We Will Tolerate When It Is Done To Others.

Rights

Done

Benefits

If Everyone Has To Be A Watchdog In Order To Make Government Work, Then The Foxes Will Also Volunteer To Serve.

Government

Order

Volunteer

Everyone Cares For Disabled People, Right? What They Don't Care For Are Genuine Civil Rights For Disabled People. Mary Johnson Tells The Tortuous, Enraging Story Of How Congress Enacted A Law That Instead Of Protecting Against Discrimination Has Turned 'the Disabled' Into A Political Punching Bag.

Rights

Law

People

If There Is A Mystical Chord In Democracy, It Probably Revolves Around The Notion That Unexpected Music Can Resonate From Politics When People Are Pursuing Questions Larger Than Self... I Have Seen That Ennobling Effect In People Many, Many Times- Expressed By Those Who Found Themselves Engaged In Genuine Acts Of Democratic Expression, Who Claimed Their Right To Define The Larger Destiny Of Their Community, Their Nations.

Peace

Destiny

Self

Obviously, People With Low Or Even Moderate Incomes Could Not Afford Such Savings Rates, And Even Diligent Savings From Their Low Wages Would Not Be Enough To Pay For Either Retirement Or Healthcare.

Retirement

People

Income

Money Is Power In American Politics. It Always Has Been.

Power

American Politics

Has Beens

Creating A Positive Future Begins In Human Conversation. The Simplest And Most Powerful Investment Any Member Of A Community Or An Organisation Can Make Is To Begin With Other People As Though The Answers Mattered.

Powerful

Creating

People

The Regime Of Globalization Promotes An Unfettered Marketplace As The Dynamic Instrument Organizing International Relations.

Globalization

Regimes

Instruments

Aside From Sending Someone To War Or To Prison, Government S Ability To Make People Involuntarily Give Over Their Money Is Its Strongest Exercise Of Authority Over Private Citizens And Their Institutions.

War

Exercise

Government

The Quest For Homeland Security Is Heading ... Toward The Quasi-militarization Of Everyday Life ... If Danger Might Lurk Anywhere, Maybe Everything Must Be Protected And Policed.

Everyday

Might

Quests

The Brilliant Creative Core Of Capitalism ... Is The Story The Entrepreneurs And Capital Investors Tell Themselves About The Future. How They Intend To Alter It, What They Expect To Gain In Return, Where They Will Raise The Capital To Accomplish Their Vision. Many Of Their Stories Turn Out To Be Flawed Or Mistaken, Of Course, But The Capacity To Envision A Set Of Future Events And Then Act To Fulfill Them Is A Central Source Of Capitalism's Strength And Its Dominance Of Society.

Entrepreneur

Creative

Vision

The Burnt Odor In Washington Is From The Disintegrating Authority Of The Governing Classes.

Class

Odor

Authority

In Its Present Terms, The Global System Values Property Over Human Life.

Life

Term

Humans

The Point Is, The Political Reporters Are The Ones Who No Longer Understand The Ritual They Are Covering. They Keep Searching For Political Meanings In The Tepid Events When A Convention Is Now Essentially A Human Drama And Only That.

Drama

Political

Events

Americans Cannot Teach Democracy To The World Until They Restore Their Own.

Democracy

World

Teach

When Self-important People And Powerful Institutions Are Governed By Illusion, History Has A Way Of Biting Back.

Powerful

Self

People

Democracy Is Held Captive, Not Just By Money, But By Ideas - The Ideas That Money Buys.

Ideas

Democracy

Captives

The Economy Is Not Governed With The Bottom Half In Mind.

Mind

Half

Economy

Fellow Senators Balked At Punishing Senator Alfonse D'amato Of New York Though He Was Caught In A Series Of Transactions That Earned Him The Label "senator Sleaze." D'amato Explained Their Reluctance As He Defended His Own Behavior. "there But For The Grace Of God Go Most Of My Colleagues," He Said.

New York

Punishment

Grace

People Know Elections, Like Television Commercials, Are Not Real.

Real

Television Commercials

People

Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.

2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.

2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.

2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.

3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.

3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.

3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.

4. Proper Usage of Quotes

4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.

4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.

4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.

5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.

5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.

6. Quotes in Different Contexts

6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.

6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.

6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.

7. Punctuation and Formatting

Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:

Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.

Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.

Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.

8. Ethical Considerations

Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes

Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.

Conclusion

Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.

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