Since historical times, the social, economic, cultural, environmental and political spheres of the society have undergone var
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History
Introduction
Since historical times, the social, economic, cultural, environmental and political spheres of the society have undergone various changes. During pre modern times, the changes were not dynamic as minimal forces impacted on the wellbeing of the society. However, in the post modern period, the changes have become more frequent. This can be attributed to the globalization process that has had various impacts on the different segments of the society. The introduction of new technologies and free movement of people and information has contributed significantly to the changes that are being experienced currently. The society is increasingly assuming different strategies in a bit to counter and cope with the changes that are presented by the globalization process.
Further, it is notable that societies have become more enlightened and as such, they understand they rights and seek to uphold these using different institutions such as the constitution. Indeed, it is certain that current occurrences have triggered a series of changes that have in return impacted upon the holistic wellbeing of humanity. It is against this background that this paper explores the history of the Oil industry, Ford Company, income tax and the civilian control of the military. This is in a bit to underscore the various changes that respective sectors have undergone through time.
Oil Industry Since 1887
By 1887, oil and other petroleum products were being considered very important by the general public. This can be attributed to their economic benefits and the realization of their value and worth in different economic sectors of the society. In the United States, Black ascertains that major initiative revolved around the need to determine the oil resources that the country owned (Black 50). As a result, the American Association of Petroleum Genealogists convened a conference to discuss sustainable ways in which the resource would be explored. Major efforts were also exemplified by OPEC that sought to provide an umbrella for the oil producing countries. The main aim of the relative policies was to regulate the various operations in the oil market. In particular, this agency sought to moderate the oil prices across the globe in order to enhance consultations and protect the rights of both the consumers and producers.
At the dawn of the 20th century, America realized the need to increasingly question both international and local policies about the exploration and use of this resource. The increase in industrialization according to Yergin culminated in a significant rise in oil consumption by the American society (Yergin 58). This was also contributed to by the introduction of new technologies that required more oil products. The abolishment of the quota system in 1973 enabled the US to import this precious commodity with ease. In the same year, the Arab Oil Embargo led to global panic and increased the prices of the oil products significantly.
According to Tarbell, this was attributed to poor decision making that laid undue emphasis on political interest (Tarbell 99). However, this did not have significant impacts on consumption patterns that continued to rise. The rise of the environmental movements in the 1970s has also been cited by Olien to have adverse effects on the consumption patterns (Olien 118). This emphasized the conservation of natural resources and encouraged the use of other sources of energy. To date, the industry continues to search for newer sources amidst the protestations of environmental activists. According to Olien, there are also concerns about the shrinking volumes of the resource and alternate sources are increasingly being preferred (Olien 119).
History of Ford Motor Company
Since its inception, Ford Motor Company has undergone various developments. It was founded in 1903 after being officiated as a factory. The founder, Henry Ford established the company in collaboration with twelve investors who contributed a total of $28, 000 to the initiative (Sam 65). Initially, it produced different models of vehicles that arranged from Ford Model A to model S as well as model K. Progressively, other models such as Model T were introduced and by 1913, Florry indicates that the company started producing the vehicles in mass (Florry 34). The employment of Model T in the First World War enhanced the popularity and Ford and subsequently led to a rise in sales. He was able to establish lucrative business deals with the government tat employed it’s a model in fighting.
However, during the 1940s, Clymer indicates that the company faced stiff competition from other manufactures such as the General Motors who produced vehicles with diverse features. This prompted the company to make more innovations in order to be at par with its competitors. In addition, the new companies explored other markets and made it difficult for Ford to expand its operations. The great depression forced the company to reduce its production and as such, the sales also reduced significantly. The workers were laid off and in the 1930s; the company was forced to address critical matters associated with unionism. The Second World War also provided a viable environment to increase the sales especially considering the fact that it was very popular. Since then, the company continues to make various innovations and currently, Beynch ascertains that it is ranked second on a global scale (Beynch 66).
History of Civilian Control of the Military: MacArthur/Truman and McChrystal/Obama
It can not be disputed that political issues are relatively sensitive and tend to trigger various reactions from both the public and the government. The civilian control of the military is a constitutional right that is engrained within the legal sphere. President Obama fired McChrystal on the premise that he was pressuring him to adopt strategies that could have massive negative impacts on the Iraq war. Penza indicates that a similar misfortune befell Mac Arthur after President Truman fired him for persistently trying to force the president to approve the expansion of the Korean War (Penza 1). This according to Greenberg was a contravention of the civilian constitutional rights to control the military (Greenberg 1).
This was also considered unprofessional and MacArthur was definitely moving beyond his boundaries. However, the purported conflict between McChrystal and president Obama has been cited by Radosh to be mainly based on personal grounds (Radosh 1). Put differently, the underlying issues did not qualify the president to fire the former. It is because the conflicts were related to the operational strategy that does not have diverse impacts. Also worth noting according to McGovern is the fact that the president has nonetheless implemented the prepositions that were put forth by MCChrystal. This is a clear indication that they were worthwhile. In this consideration therefore, President Obama’s move can be considered a deliberate infringement upon the rights of the civilians. In particular, it implies that they are denied a chance to contribute to military matters accordingly. As such, it is incredible as the basemen of the President’s actions can not be justified.
History of Income Tax
The development of income tax can be attributed to ancient precursors that include tithing and giving of first fruits. Notably, these lacked precision that was imperative in enhancing accountability. Income tax according to Higgs originated from ancient China and its initiation can be traced back to year ten (Higgs 67). Before its introduction, taxation policies revolved around property tax. Other factors that determined the amount of tax that an individual was expected to pay included the amount of land, wealth, slaves and the modes of production that an individual assumed.
The next income tax was implemented in 1798 in Great Britain by the renowned William Pitt. In his study, Witte explains that this was included in the year’s budget and was meant to purchase the weapons and a wide range of equipment that was to be employed in the Napoleonic wars (Witte 68). Income tax was introduced in the US in 1861 when the government imposed a 3% tax on individuals earning more than six hundred US dollars in a year. A 5% tax was passed on the income of individuals who earned over $ 10,000 on an annual basis (Ekirch 168). However, in 1963, the revenue was still not sufficient to cater for all operations and as such, the government decided to pass a 5% tax on all individuals who earned an annual income above $600. Consequently, the tax for individuals earning an annual income of above $10,000 was raised to 7.5%. In1970, the income tax expired. It was replaced by a 2.5% tax that was levied on persons earning an annual income of over $2000. This also expired in 1972 and once more, the United States operated without income tax.
Income tax was reintroduced in 1894 with a 2% tax being imposed on annual incomes above $ 4000. However, the salaries of federal judges, local and state officials and that of the president were exempted from this. However, public opposition to this mounted aging as the tax was deemed unconstitutional. Later on, Keating indicates that the sixteenth amendment was designed to address the underlying issues (Keating 98). This resulted in the disappearance of the tax for a shot period of time. However, it was reintroduced constitutionally in 1909 by the Democratic Party. Since then, income tax has undergone various changes but it remains constitutional in America.
Conclusion
From the preceding analysis, it is certain that the American society has undergone various changes since historical times. These can be attributed to the process of globalization that has encouraged innovation and the movement of information, products and people. This has led to the enlightenment of the society and current strategies and procedures are objective in nature. However, there still remain various shortcomings that undermine the entire process of civilization. Nevertheless, it can be concluded that the current developments are significant. Of great importance according to the study has been the active involvement of the citizens in governance. Indeed, democracy has been embraced at all levels.
Works Cited
Beynon, Buy. Working for Ford. London: Penguin Books, 1984.
Black, Brian. PETROLIA: The Landscape of the America’s First Oil Boom. Baltimore: John Hopkins University press, 2000.
Clymer, Floyd. Treasury of Early American Automobiles. New York: Bonanza Books, 1950.
Ekirch, Arthur. The Sixteenth Amendment: The Historical Background. Carto Journal 1 (1981), 168.
Greenberg, David. The Old Soldier Has’t Died. Retrieved 17th July, 2010 from: http://www.slate.com/id/2232031
Higgs, Robert. (ed.). Emergence of Modern Political Economy. USA: AI Press, 1985.
Florry, Kelly. American Cars. Jafferson NC: McFarland & Coy, 2004.
Keating, Raymond. Original Intent and the Income Tax. USA: Freeman Publishers, 1996.
McGovern, Ray. Obama’s Truman-MacArthur Moment. Retrieved 17th July, 2010 from: http://www.consortiumnews.com/2010/062210d.html
Olien, Roger and Diana, David. Oil and Ideology: The American Oil Industry. Chapel Hill: UNC Press.
Penza, Logan. McChrystal Isn’t MacArthur. Retrieved 17th July, 2010 from: http://themoderatevoice.com/77479/mccrystal-isnt-macarthur/
Radosh, Ron. McChrystal vs. Obama: Is This Another McArthur vs. Truman? Retrieved 17th July, 2010 from: http://pajamasmedia.com/ronradosh/2009/10/06/mcchrystal-vs-obama-is-this-another-macarthur-vs-truman/
Sam, Roberts. Ford Model Y. USA: Veloce Publishing, 2001.
Tarbell, Ida. The History of the Oil Industry. USA: University of Ronchester, 1993.
Witte, John. The Politics and Development of Federal Income Tax. USA: University of Wisconsin Press, 1985.
Yergin, Daniel. The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power. New York: Simon and Schuster.
