Essay on Old World Meets New World

            An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, . It is a non-fiction documentary. The author’s primary motivation is to put forth a critique of the mercantile system that existed at that time. He believed that free international commerce would boost the economic benefits for the market. Also, he was of the view that bilateral trade between nations would help reduce the possibility of wars. Adam Smith makes seminal arguments for free markets and free trade and the need for limited government intervention in the functioning of the market. Smith argues that the well-being of the people of a nation is truly indicative of the nation’s wealth. This, he explains can be achieved only in the presence of well-oiled machinery that facilitates the exchange of goods in a peaceful and fully-functional market. Smith writes that the onus for maintaining such markets lied with the common masses, in man’s social instincts which the government can boost by upholding the social standards of virtue, honesty, and decency. However, he says that government often undermines these social standards by unduly interfering with functions that are intrinsically private to production and exchange. The elected officials, independent business owners, and state legislators of his time were possibly the audience that Adam Smith wanted to address. He wanted them to understand when it is best to take a step back so that the nation could progress many steps forward. Adam Smith throws light on the need for the government to not meddle in the business of a nation. This is true in the contemporary world too when governments around the globe intervene in the field of economics. In such a scenario of intervention, it is for the business class to take a stand against this undesired interference. Adam Smith, in my view, is right when he suggests governments to not meddle in mercantile matters. With conservationism having become a global phenomenon, it is true that governments often interfere with national businesses which impacts the national finances. War-like situations between countries usually affect the bilateral trade between nations which eventually takes a toll on the country’s economy.

                “The Early History of the Jews in New York City, 1654– 1664 …. It is a non-fiction documentary. The author’s primary motivation behind writing this non-fiction documentary was to bring the New York Jews into focus. The Jewish community in New York that has played a substantial role in America’s economy and politics but haven’t found their much-deserved place in most historians’ writing. Through “A history of the Jews of New York,” Samuel intended to pioneer a path-breaking interpretation of the Jewish urban community that once thronged the streets of New York, and was the largest in the Jewish history. The author argues in this text that the Jewish community had played a crucial role in the progress of New York City and America not just in recent times but ever since their settlement in the area. Notwithstanding the persecution that the Jews faced in many parts of the world, the New York Jews stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their Non-Jewish counterparts and fought off foreign enemies. The author also throws light on how the Jews evolved and became integral to the city’s cultural ethos. They built tenements, banks, and synagogues which reflected the intermingling of the Jewish practices with the New York culture. The author’s primary focus is on the contemporary historians whom he wishes to educate about the rich Jewish history. It is because the historians till his time hadn’t given adequate significance to the rich cultural heritage of the Jews and had not written anything about them. It is this negligence of the Jewish history that prompted Samuel to write something with Jews in its epicenter. Jewish society has had a glorious past and has played a significant role in the progress and development of all the countries that they had migrated to, including America. Despite their persecution in several parts of the world, that had culminated in the Holocaust and wide-scale extermination of Jews, they have actively contributed to the nation’s economy and evolved as a potent political force. By overcoming several significant barriers, colonial and republican Jews in New York laid the foundations for a community that has thrived over the years. I believe that Jews have become a significant part of American society. Their efforts at keeping their community together and making it a potent force politically and financially has also extrapolated to America’s success. The American economy and America’s stature as a superpower globally has much to do with the evolution of the Jews in the country.