Digital Identity

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/04/19/us_proposes_online_ids_for_americans/

This is an article that states how the US are proposing that American's have online ID's in order to help try and protect against fraud and identity theft. By doing this the "the government wants to create a voluntary system that will allow Americans to access financial services online using one account." Furthermore, by having an online identity is will allow users to "register for access to a network of government and businesses providing data and ways to pay for things online." This digital identity has been given the name NSTIC (National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace) and this particular system is said to allow for citizens to pay for bills and taxes online with only giving away a small amount of information such as their age, thus protecting them against giving away too much information that will allow fraud and identity thieves the chance to take some ones identity.

This ecosystem has also stated that it will used "Trust marks" to ensure that the different organisations have met security standards to enable people to use safe web pages. The US government have also said how having a digital identity can not only protect its users but it will also be good for the environment because it will "improve productivity by...reducing paper-based processes and the help-desk costs associated with account management and password maintenance." Therefore, they are saying that by having digital identities they will no longer need any documented identities on paper because everything they need will be on a computer system.

Are digital identities a good thing then ? because although it may be more protective from fraud and theft it could still have its problems and I think this just shows how the world and America in particular rely on computers and technology to do everything and without them they would be lost. This is why I think that even though we now live in a world that is dominated by technology this is shaping the way people think and behave people are still very different in terms of what they do with it. Furthermore, although it may be good for protection it might also have negative side effects to it too.

Occupy Together

http://www.occupytogether.org/

Occupy Together is a website to raise awareness of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The Occupy Wall Street movement is a non violent protest about wealth inequality in New York's Wall Street finical district. To quote from the website itself, "people-powered direct action movement that began on September 17, 2011 in Liberty Square in Manhattan’s Financial District". The protest's slogan is "We are the 99%" - a reference to the result that 1% of America is the wealthy, rich percent. which is the first thing that stands out on the page - along with it's colour scheme.

The colour scheme is red, and white, is very quite significant in itself. Red is usually known as a colour of action, and danger, and when mixed with the simplicity of black and white, even more so. The pictures on the main page are edited with a pop art effect, causes the subjects of the picture to become anonymous and just part of a crowd.

Next to this slideshow are two buttons; Click here to find an Occupy group in your area and Plan and start solidarity actions in your area. Clicking on the first button sends you to a page that offers a list of all the states, other countries and their occupy websites. The second link locates where you are, and tells you whether you're town has one (Winchester doesn't!), or offers to start a new one. It's very clever - and a little scary that it can track you!

There are the typical links to social networking sites - this time in grey as to not stand out too much - so people can rally their friends in or meet others in the area, and below a "Recent Twitter Activity" log. There is then next to that a list of blog posts to inform people in more detail about the recent movements, all around the world. The site is informative and great at encouraging people to get involved by telling them what opportunities are available, and information about what is the current status of the movement.

The Class system in America today

http://www.classmatters.org/bios/leondar-wright.php

Class Matters was started by Betsy Leondar-Wright, an economic justice activist as well as an author who writes about class and economic equality. Although the website doesn't give much information about the organisation itself, it does however come across as a very popular group with many links to people within the group that have been interviewed and articles that have been written. This website unlike many others, seems to have a very relaxed approach to getting their values and points across. When I clicked on a link called 'working definitions' this relaxed approach was confirmed. 'Class in the US is a confusing and slippery topic. The definitions that make sense to one person may not make sense to another. These definitions are offered in hopes of starting a discussion with shared language.' Its almost as though it doesn't matter if you agree or not it is up to you. The website tends to subtly put their points across and without asking for things such as money donations, makes the website more appealing and more approachable for many people.

A majority of the website is taken up by surveys which they have undertaken with responses from interviewees and visitors of the website. One of the surveys asked 'What's the most classist thing you've ever heard someone say?' with some of the responses being quite shocking. "Of course I am going to be patronizing to workers, I'm educated." These surveys are a brilliant way of emphasizing just how prominent the class struggle is in America and how things are not changing and adding concern as to whether they ever will. Responses such as the example I have given, majority of which were from those higher up in the class system, create a reaction from those reading them and I think that these surveys alone should trigger a reaction within someone which is perhaps why the website takes such a laid back approach.

Getting by without the Middle Class

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/us/10iht-letter10.html?_r=4

This is an article produced from the New York Times, published June 9, 2011 and it is discussing the class system and how the working class are struggling.

"The big mystery in the United States today is why the job crisis is not at the center of the political and economic debate" because it would appear that America is in one of its biggest declines yet. It is said that "nearly 14 million Americans - 9.1 % of the working population -are unemployed." There are also problems with finding full time jobs as "8.5 million would like to work full time, but can only find part-time jobs." Therefore, not helping the unemployment rate and it also creates pressure on those that need to find jobs because they need to earn money in order to live. Thus once of the reasons why 2.2 million people have just given up looking for jobs altogether. It has been said that these figures are the highest they have ever been since they first started keeping records in 1948.

Furthermore. this remains an issue in America because "the debate in Washington is focused on deficit reduction, rather than job creation" and so there will always be a problem with unemployment rates because the politicians of America are not trying to do anything about it which is why there is a class system even if Americans do not want to believe it or admit to it.

However, it would seem that politicians on the left wing have realised how important this issue is because Robert Reich, a former labour secretary stated that "the economic burdens of Americas's vast middle class may be catching up with the street" and he went onto warn the if jobs were not created soon the "American consumers will not have enough purchasing power to buy what the private sector can produce." Therefore, if this happens the middle class can get left behind because they will not be relied on to purchase goods as businesses are "learning to get by just fine, without middle class."

Moreover, if this continues to happen then America are likely to go into an even bigger decline than they already are in because more jobs are likely to go which means more people are going to become unemployed and will find it harder to get a new job. Which could consequently mean they could potentially become very poor and possibly even lose their homes especially if they have a family to look after in which their children could go hungry. Therefore, this class system is in a lot of trouble because it does exist and it has a huge impact on the way people live.

How the American class struggle works.

Lenin's Tomb is a personal blog that was started in 2001 and has continuous monthly blogs. When i first went onto his blog there were posters for Tunisia and Arab groups which may indicate his views towards America anyway, let alone their political beliefs

He starts by quoting the New York times, which basically said how Americas business's are on the rise and how people may still be having economic difficulties. It also records many facts and figures about how much Americans economy has risen, and tries to make the article as positive as possible, however it doesn't look into how the people of America are still struggling and how many are truly in poverty.

'These, aspects of an increasingly brutal, exploitative and repressive capitalist system, are among the reasons why Obamamania has bitten the dust.' As previously said its clear that his views towards Americas politics and Obama aren't positive as in this statement he is clearly placing the blame all on the President and doesn't even look into other possibilities for the downfall.

Although when he does offer his opinion that there are job opportunities for people to create a better life for themselves, he then again spins a negative thought on it suggesting the work offered is low paid, labour work. However surely this work is better than nothing if you need to provide for yourself and your family.

Overall this is a very negative opinion about the current situation, this may be down to his background and beliefs due to the Arab influences posted on his blog.

American Muslims.

I choose to look at American Muslims due to the controversial issues they bring alight in America. Since the 9/11 attacks majority of Muslims have said they felt discriminated against, due to their clothes, colour of skin and religious beliefs. This may be down to the fact that 4 in 10 Americans have an unfavourable view on Islam, 5 in 10 Americans believe Islam is more likely than any other religion to encourage violence and 6 in 10 believe Islam is very different to their own religion.

However this may show a very naive view of Americans and how they see the world as of their lack of knowledge about Muslims and their culture and religion. Since the 9/11 attacks the U.S Department of Justice recorded a 1,600 percent increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes from the prier year and these numbers rose 10 percent between the years 2005 till 2006. It is clear that many Americans do believe that Muslims may appose a threat to American civilisation, and as it's estimated that there could be around 8 million American Muslims, ( the US census cannot ask this question to identify their religion), although compared to American Christians who represent 74% of the population only 0.6% identify themselves as Muslims. This could either be due to people being ashamed and not wanting to show themselves as Muslims to decrease discrimination or whether over the past few years due to the increase in racial discrimination people have changed paths, or no longer believe in anyone at all.

Scientology in America

I have decided to choose http://www.scientology.org/what-is-scientology.html which is the official website for Scientology. Although Scientology is heard of, it is a religious group that many people do not understand, or do not have much knowledge of. This religious group may be seen as small however it is growing, especially with public figures such as Tom Cruise being a part of this belief.

When you immediately enter the website and many other pages, a video is played at the top of the page, reinforcing what Scientology is and should be. The video shows us that Scientology is the 'study of knowledge' the video continues to say it is a 'new kind of religion, not just something you believe in.' This video can come across as very selfish and cocky however on the other hand, the way in which this video and the website defines Scientology represents American Identity in the sense that it is something new and different from anything else. It allows people, in a sense, have more depth in a religion allowing your own identity.

What really stood out to me was that Scientologists claim that they 'actively use the insights and knowledge that Scientology gives them to make a real, positive difference in the lives of others.' This again relates to American Identity in terms of faith as making yourself better and always improving not only your life but others around you is part of the American Identity, this sense that through this religion you can and will become whoever you want to be.

They alos have a section on 'how we help' this section again comes across as very selfish and almost as though they are the best religion. In one of the videos they state how people who were drug free or educated are a lot more efficient than those who do the opposite. Their is this sense here again of trying to create the perfect American Identity and trying to get as many people as possible to follow the same path.