Timed essay

"Give the crack to the kids, who the hell cares?

One less hungry mouth on the welfare

First ship'em dope and let'em deal the brothers

Give'em guns, step back, and watch'em kill each other"

The way in which poverty is tackled ina country may be directly related to the way in which poverty is seen socially. When poverty is seen as a a social concern, countries might build socual welfare systems to cater to the needs of the less favoured sectors in society. Tupac Shakur suggests that in the United States of America this is not the case. Poverty is not a social concern, it is a social economic burden which should be exterminated in the same way superflous expenses are cut off in businesses.

In the song "Changes", Tupac highlights the fact that public opinion does not seem worried about crimes committed in the lower class sector. People seem to turn a blind eye to unfair actions when the victims are poor. This portrays the idea that poverty is not a social concern but rather a nuisance, something not to be bothered about.

In Tupac's words, for the U.S. eyes, poverty is only an economic burden. People do not care about if young teenagers are lured into addictions but, on the contrary, they are outraged if "respectable taxpayers" have to finance a welfare systema that would help less favoured people receive a second chance in society. Poor people are seen as "mouths to be fed" by taxes and their deaths are seen as a reduction in costs.

The singer denounces that since poor people mean a cost society is not willing to pay, actions are deliberately taken in order "get rid" of the annoying" excess of population. The lyrics suggest that oppressed people are controlled by encouraging the use of drugs and weapons in the most vulnerable sectors of society. Tupac states that the most worrying issues related to povery are triggered by those in power in order to eliminate the economic burden. The song presents the abuses of people in power who not only neglect their social responsiblity but also contribute to worsening the conditions of the oppressed.

In conclusion, Tupac describes a situation in which poverty is tackled unsuccessfullybecause it is not understood as a social problem but rather as a financial one and therefore the only way in which society can deal with this issue is by extinguishing it. Although Tupac's words refer to the U.S. reality, the lyrics can be applied to the Argentine situation, in which it is not clear how Argentine people regard poverty and how they decide to address it.

Education in crisis

What went wrong with the education system in Argentina?

Argentina used to have a relatively long tradition of a firm belief in education as way to achieve progress and development of society. In spite of the difference in people's view on why education is useful, Argentines agreed it was essential to the growth of the country. It was not until the military junta took over power in 1976 that this firm belief in education started declining as a result of a thorough sack of the education system.

Firstly, the de facto government literally emptied the education system in Argentina. The military junta passed laws whose sole objective was to fragment the education system in order to cut costs. The government decentralized the sector so as to lighten the burden that the State was expected to shoulder. These measures together with a re-designed censored curricula weakened the education area. Once democracy returned, the education system was not strong enough to face the challenges that a poorer and hurt society presented.

Secondly, the fact that the policy of the military junta was to abolish all types of independent thinking may have hurt the system from an institutional point of view. Books were prohibited, certain activities as simple as reading the news in class were forbidden and teachers were stalked by the fear of being arrested or purged. These measures shattered the dreams of society of improving as a country and as citizens. The policy of using schools as a way of spreading fear and obedience deeply damaged the essence of education.

Thirdly, by emptying the education system physically and morally, the military junta’s measures may have resulted in a general feeling of distrust and disbelief towards education. Due to the fact that the system had been weakened and could no longer provide solutions or accept the challenges of improvement and development, Argentines started distrusting their own governments and institutions. Thet could no longer see the benefits of receiving an education because the system was no longer ready to cater to heir needs.

In conclusion, during the unconstitutional government, the Argentine education system may have suffered serious injuries which could not be easily healed. The damage caused economically, socially and culturally was too great for the system to recover easily. Since then, people have not trusted the system nor the State. This distrust has led people to cease to demand the government to work on education and other aspects of Argentine's social life.

SCs&AWRs

essay on speaker's corner

Democracy at the Joaquin V. Gonzalez, fact or fiction?

All state-run educational institutions in Argentina have a democratic representative government. Students, teachers and graduates are represented in the government of their institution. Joaquin V. Gonzalez College (J.V.G.) is not, or should not, be an exception. However, the lack of participation and the perpetuation of certain people in power are worrying indicators that democracy within the Institution is not as alive as it is thought to be.

Firstly, the fact that elections held at the J.V.G. are usually run by only one or two lists of candidates hinders the democratic value of representation. Since representation is a key factor in a well-functioning democratic institution, democracy may be void if there is no real alternative over who assumes the position disputed. Although the option of casting a blank vote is still available, the voter’s choice over who will represent him/her in government is reduced to a minimum. Whether this situation is due to a lack of commitment from the members of the institution, fear of assuming the position or because candidates may be overwhelmed by the task they are approaching. The result is that the democratic value of representation is hindered since there is no real choice.

Secondly, in the J.V.G.’s democracy only the voices of those who shout the loudest are heard and the voices of those who have a real interest in the institution are silenced. It is common to see general assemblies dominated by people who represent a small portion of the institution not because they present the strongest arguments but because they shout the loudest. Due to the fact that some people have experience in participating in assemblies, they know how to prevent people from expressing their views by extending their speeches, repeating themselves and clapping friendly speeches extensively while interrupting opposing speeches. This situation makes it difficult for people without a permanent political activism to participate and very easy or those who already control the assemblies to stay in power.

Thirdly, a person who decides to become involved in either the government of the institution or general assemblies may face resistance from the settled groups in power. Recent events that took place at the institution show that newcomers to the political scene are not welcomed. Threats, hostility and campaigns publicly damaging reputations are some of the strategies used to deter people from getting involved in the political scene at Teacher Training College. These actions present a difficult scenario to those who might consider becoming involved in the representative body of the institution.

In conclusion, the actual organization of power at the J.V.G. does not portray real democracy. A true democracy should not present its government as unreachable and dangerous. A democracy needs representation and participation to stay alive and therefore the institution should welcome its members and inform them.

SCs