Monday 28 September 2015

Connection between America and its ideals

This image is from a blog post. I chose this image because Captain America is a patriotic figure. He symbolises American freedom and liberty as he upholds the 'American ideals'. This image depicts how America felt during World War II. Also, Captain America is an iconic superhero and the embodiment of America. Captain America punching Hitler supports the fact that America does not promote fascist ideologies. America is the land of the free and the American soldiers fight for this.


 

Questions the connection between America and its ideals.

This image is from an article on the Daily Mail website. The article is about a racial matter which occurred in America in 2014, involving Police. I chose this image because America is supposed to believe in equality however this isn’t the case. The image of a young black man holding a sign- ‘Black lives matter’ contradicts the ideals of America. America believe they are built on equality and freedom however this image clearly shows that race is still a huge factor which contributes to American society. Also there have been many more incidents such as this where police brutality was used not only against blacks but other ethnicities. Although they claim to be impartial America continue to be prejudice against other races and religions.


America: Land of the Poor.


The first image, is the view from the $95 million penthouse in 432 Park Avenue, New York City, which at 1396ft its the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere. This image also shows an iconic view of Manhattan, NYC. 

Within the picture, the Empire State Building and One World Trade Centre can be seen. Construction for the Empire State Building started in 1930 and it became a symbol of how the United States withstood the Great Depression economic crisis. One World Trade Centre, also known as Freedom Tower, is also a symbol of how the States can withstand global opposition and rebuild even after a disaster such as 9/11.

The penthouse is the embodiment of everything Americans are brought up believing they can achieve. This is the image of wealth and strength the United States projects to the world, everything the “American Dream” can provide. 

The second image is of a homeless man covered in an american flag. It shows the extreme poverty and homelessness that faces a minimum of 500,000 Americans. According to the Huffington Post, as part of the recovery from the latest recession the Republican controlled congress had cut $9billion from the food stamp program in 2014 and ended extended unemployment benefits. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 45 million Americans are below poverty line.


The Library of Congress, the United States de facto national library, describes how ‘James Truslow Adams, in his book The Epic of America, which was written in 1931, stated that the American dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”’ 

These images question how the national ethos of the 'American Dream' exists when half a million of the U.S’s inhabitants don't even have a home, and despite its world leading GDP of 16.77 trillion USD, its government reduces still support for those in need. 

America Photos








These two photos are clearly connected as they both show America in a time of tragedy and chaos. The first photo shows a group of firemen raising an American flag following the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers. This image represents the United States of America as a unified and resilient country, as they stand strong together to perpetuate the countries ideals of freedom. However, the second picture was taken during the Baltimore riots in April 2015. The American ideals of equality and diversity are obviously questioned in this scenario as African-American people resort to violent rebellion against the racist police forces and biased judicial system. This brings into question whether America really is as accepting and free as it claims to be.

Friday 25 September 2015

Find and post any TWO images which you judge are iconic of “America.” Choose one which affirms the connection between America and its ideals and one that questions it. Comment on your posts. 
This blog is for Jade's small group in AM1111. To create a new post, click New Post above left. To post an image, click the picture icon.