Carnegie and Rockefeller: robber barons, benign capitalists, or a little of both? EXPLAIN.
Both Carnegie and Rockefeller have several similarities that make some of the greatest contributors to American history. Considering the concept of robber barons and benign capitalists, I believe they are a little of both. In terms of benign capitalists, both Carnegie and Rockefeller were wealthy men and they would the richest men in the world if they still exist today. As benign capitalists, the possessed the majority of companies with monopoly powers that were very competitive, thereby crushing other respective industries. Besides, Carnegie and Rockefeller were also robber barons for several reasons. First, they acted as American philanthropists and industrialists which were very common among the robber barons. John D. Rockefeller deserves to be called a robber baron because he was ruthless in his leadership, especially in his desire to increase the market share that was held by his oil business company. Moreover, Rockefeller can be referred to as a robber baron because he utilized his power to end competition from other businesses by destroying them. Similarly, Carnegie can be referred to as a robber baron because he destroyed unions. He was a contradictory robber baron because he could support the rights of workers which was not common for robber barons.
Discussion 2
On the whole, was immigration good for America? EXPLAIN.
The impact of immigration on American is positive, thereby benefiting America as a whole. One fact about immigration that makes it good for America is the ability to boost economic growth in America. Mainly, immigrants provide labor that raises general productivity in America through better skills and expertise. Through the participation of immigrants, different economic sectors in America expanded their operations by increasing investment and the creation of employment opportunities. In that regard, immigration increased the GDP Per Capita by a huge proportion in America. Another reason why immigration was good for America was the ability to fuel entrepreneurship. The majority of immigrants were focused to start their small-scale enterprises that non-native Americans. Companies worth more than $1 billion were started by immigrants in 2016, including 40% of Fortune 500 Companies. Moreover, immigration was good for America because immigrants produced new innovations, ideas, products, and services. Mainly, more than 17% of the American workforce is made up of immigrants who are highly skilled in various fields such as math, engineering, science, and technology. Overall, if American restricted immigration, cases of illegal and undocumented immigrants would increase, thereby increasing cases of human smuggling and smuggling of narcotics and other drugs.