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anonymous

Questions: The Story of Power (2:45 class) - 31 views

started by anonymous on 27 Oct 11
  • anonymous
    #1 anonymous on 27 Oct 11
     
    Sorry I'm a little late in getting these up to everyone! My computer's been acting up and I've been unable to access the portal. Convenient timing, right...

    Anyway, I'm gonna just start out simple and straight forward:
    -The article begins by first discussing the command function and the control function of power. Do you think it's easier to make others do what you want them to do (essentially changing their way of doing things), or to change something about your world as a whole?
    -How do you think people get power, or rise to powerful positions in society?
    -Do you think that more people who lean to the left or to the right feel threatened by power in government institutions?
  • Felecia Russell
    #2 Felecia Russell on 27 Oct 11
     
    People get power through power. Powerful people employ other people to be powerful. Power hapens through networking and conections. There is a small part that is based on talent and skills, but the remaining steps to power includes our relations. Poeple just dont become powerful because they want it(ofcourse, we have those exceptions), but because of who they know. For instance, if we trace history, we can see those who were powerful, and we can look at who are powerful now, I guarantee there are some connections. People like Barack Obama becomes powerful because of the president title. I am not defeating working hard to get to powerful positions but I am saying that knowing other powerful people, helps others to be powerful. Working hard works too :)
  • Lauren Petta
    #3 Lauren Petta on 28 Oct 11
     
    I agree with Felicia that people gain power through power. I thought her president example worked pretty well. The presidents of the United States become more powerful because of their earned title. Of course,they do have to earn it one way or another. So in a lot of ways other things make people powerful. Money being one of these things. I strongly believe in the whole "it's not what you know, it's who you know" example, too. It's a lot easier to get into something if you know someone who has already made it big. If you have a close relationship with a powerful person, your knowledge/ formal education no longer means as much. As for the last question, I think everyone feels threatened by power in government when it does not favor their morals or beliefs. I think it's easy to fall into the trap of some being your friends and others being your enemies. This isn't always the case, though. The debt crisis is a combination of a lot of different factors so whether you lean left or right politically, you can still feel threatened in the sense that your government may not be doing the best it can to serve you.
  • nsamuelian
    #4 nsamuelian on 28 Oct 11
     
    I think it depends on the person and their characteristics whether or not they can change a person's ways of doing things. Some people are very skilled in having others around them do what they want to do, but others would rather simply change their own asking to fit the person. In whichever position one stands, whether it's changing their ways or persuading others, one rises to power, no one just gets it. They all start from the way bottom, like we saw in the movie clip, and move their way up.
  • Eric Henderson
    #5 Eric Henderson on 28 Oct 11
     
    I definitely believe that it is easier to get individuals to do what you want them to do rather than change the world as a whole. This mainly stems from the fact that it is harder to change a group as a whole rather than one small part of it. Power, I believe, comes from charismatic individuals who tell the people what they want to hear and what that individual knows will gain him/her popular support. An example of this could be either Mussolini or Hitler. Both were very charismatic and excellent public speakers, and they said the right things to gain popular support in their respective countries. In government, I believe that people who tend to be liberal fear power in government institutions more than conservatives, mainly because they want social and economical equality for society as a whole.
  • Joette Carini
    #6 Joette Carini on 28 Oct 11
     
    I definitely think that it is easier to get people to do what you want them to do. It is much harder to change society's thinking or all of the people around you. It is apparent that the manipulation of one person into thinking the way that you do is much easier than messing with the thoughts of many people. As far as the question of how people get power/rise to power,I believe that it all depends on the person. If a certain person is more amicable and charismatic than another person, they are more likely to be more respected than the other ans rise to power faster. Making friends with people is an incredible thing; it is definitely the first step into getting people to agree with you and be on your side. I believe that people who are more liberal are likely to be threatened by the government. They want to be free to choose and do things to their liking, and with government interference, they are not able to do that.
  • Melissa Moreno
    #7 Melissa Moreno on 28 Oct 11
     
    I agree that it is easier and far more in a person's interest to try and get what they want and better themselves than trying to change the world. I don't think this is because we are not sympathetic towards other people, I believe it is because people are more concerned with their won needs and the immediate satisfaction. The world is such a vast place that trying to change it can seem overwhelming and most people do not want to take on such a daunting task. A person who has more self-confidence or who truly wants something that requires a change in the world is going to be more likely to be able to make a change. They need to believe it. Eric brought up a valid point about Hitler. I always tend to agree with the fact that Hitler was able to make a nation believe in him purely because he was able to move people with his voice. His public speaking was a serious skill that despite your moral qualms it is still a brilliant skill and technique.
  • Joshua Gray
    #8 Joshua Gray on 28 Oct 11
     
    I believe people who gain tremendous amounts of power are often those who are inspired themselves to achieve something. Whetther it is for themselves or another cause desire and pushing in combination with who they know or how knowledgeable they are in a certain area creates more opportunity for power. People who act more towards the left or the right might have fear of the government but also have many other influences in their life that cause them to believe certain things.
  • Matt Nolan
    #9 Matt Nolan on 28 Oct 11
     
    The people that gain power are either those who have the drive and the heart to become successful people, and who are willing to make sacrifices in order to become successful. The other type of people that are powerful are those who are appointed there power by another powerful person. People find it hard to gain power but if you know the right people and have the right connections you can become very powerful in a short amount of time.

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