Sydney Correa Linden English 102 28 April 2013 Power The term power holds a sense of ambiguity, making

it hard to define, but it is a necessary component in ones own life and throughout an individuals society. Through my own observations I have found that inhabitants of every society strive for power consciously and unconsciously. I believe individuals have a need for power whether that need be big or small; to have a sense of authority, to me, seems as if the road to obtain it is in fact human nature. The formal definition of power taken verbatim provided by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is possession of control, authority, or influence over others ("Power"). When one thinks of power, many things may come to mind, mostly intangible assets that carry no physical value. When I think of the term power I think of the tangible asset of money; power is money. Money is seen everywhere, just as power is asserted everywhere. Power may not be a physical item, but the use of money is the physical tangible asset that lets one assert ones own power. The formal definition of money taken verbatim provided by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is an officially-issued legal tender generally consisting of currency and coin. Money is the circulating medium of exchange as defined by a

government (Money). Though the formal definition of power and money does not conclude the claim that power is money, the following criteria can support the claim: 1. Can be exchanged/applied by a transaction. 2. Captivates one by social status. 3. Issued by a type of governing body. 4. The value can deflate or appreciate. Power through the use of money can be exchanged and applied through a transaction. An example that power is money defined by the above criteria is the following: David Icke, an English writer and public speaker, best known for his views on what he calls "who and what is really controlling the world," once said, Those who dont know the game or are assets and ma nipulators of the game will want to endorse people and organizations they say they support in cleaning up America but they will be the very people and groups that are systematically destroying America. This simple example above shows how the exchange of power through money is how one endorses people and organizations. Another example of power being exchanged and enduring a transaction, just how money can be exchanged and endure a transaction, is the appointing of individuals to the Supreme Court. In short how one is picked to become a member of the Supreme Court, the president nominates justices to the Supreme Court, subject to majority approval by the Senate (Baker, Peter). The most current example is the appointing of Sonia Sotomayor. Mr. Obama said that a judges

job is to interpret, not make law (Baker, Peter ).There is a transaction of power by Mr. Obama nominating Sotomayor, and the power is then exchanged from the approval by the Senate to approve Sotomayor as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. There is a form of power being centralized as seen in the two above examples. I believe that power is seen as a universal evil concept, but it is not. It is the use of power that is important. Power is can be seen and exchanged by knowledge, influence, and having the ability to use that power in a far-reaching way. Every time one does a transaction by the use of money, an individual is asserting ones own power and also creating or destroying ones own power. The creation and destruction of power seen in the prior examples is relevant how power through the use of money can captivate one be social status and how there must be a higher authority issuing such power, typically through a governing body. Power defined by money and by the given criteria gives one the opportunity to accept, decline, enter, or leave a social status that one might be in, as the money is given by a type of governing body. After the U.S. Constitution was ratified, Congress passed the "Mint Act" of April 2, 1792, which established the coinage system of the United States and the dollar as the principal unit of currency. In 1913, Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act, establishing this nation's Federal Reserve System. This Act authorized the Federal Reserve Banks to issue Federal Reserve Bank notes. In 1914, the Federal Reserve Banks began issuing Federal Reserve notes--the only currency still being manufactured today by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing ("Know Your Money). The U.S. Constitution was the issuing of Americas governments power. By the Constitution

dispensing money to Americas inhabitants, it led to individuals having power; power to do what one pleases. In the book Diary: A Novel, by Chuck Palahniuk, it was said, Money gives you permission to just walk away from everything that isn't pretty and perfect. You can't put up with anything less than lovely. You spend your life running, avoiding, escaping. Power is given by the tangible asset of money. Power and money allow individuals to control a situation that may arise. The inability to take advantage of one's rights and opportunities as a result of poverty and ignorance, and a lack of means generally is sometimes counted among the constraints definitive of liberty. Money is unlike intelligence or strength, poor endowments of which do not always, indeed, prejudice freedom, as long as freedom is identified with absence of interference (Cohen). Ones power controls ones own freedom. Another example to prove the given criteria and the definition of power is the ideology of communism. Communism, taken verbatim provided by the Oxford Dictionaries, is a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs (Communism). In the example it is the communist ruler of a state or country that is the governing body, just as money is given by a governing body, the government. Power is facilitated by a governing body and thus captivates its inhabitants by social status.

Power defined by money leads to the criteria of how the value of such can depreciate (deflate) or appreciate (inflate). An example of such is the value of different currencies used throughout the world. Essentially, inflation -- increasing prices over time -- is currency depreciation, although it is possible for a particular denomination to decrease in value in relation to other world currencies while still maintaining its purchasing power at home. For the value to deflate its saying that there is a decrease in the exchange rate, while when there is an appreciation there is an increase in the exchange rate ("Appreciation and Depreciation"). Money can deflate or inflate when compared to other monies used in foreign countries. For instance the US Dollar vs. the Euro, example: 1. The exchange rate for the US Dollar with the Euro on June 12, 2008 was e = 0.645 /$. If the exchange rate today were e = 0.9 /$ the dollar has appreciated ("Appreciation and Depreciation"). 2. The exchange rate for the US Dollar with the Euro on June 12, 2008 was e = 0.645 /$. If the exchange rate today were e = 0.5 /$ the dollar has depreciated ("Appreciation and Depreciation"). Power can also deflate or inflate when compared to another individuals power tha t they may hold, whether it is the governing body, or even an individual who asserts such higher and assertive power over another individual. Another example is the firing of the company Groupons CEO Andrew Mason. Mason had power granted to him by an exchange of power and thus his company prospered; power of Mason and his company inflated, but quickly deflated. Groupon

went from Wunderkind Company to stock market laughing stock in about as much time as it takes to click Buy! on the daily deal discount site. Groupon is a public company with a lot of funding and they have friends with deep pockets. However, during the 14 months since its IPO, which debuted at $20 per share, the company has shed more than three quarters of its value. (Olen). Just as Masons power fluctuated, so can money; thus power equals money once again. Power opens doors for people that can change one's world in a matter of seconds. It lets one accomplish things that were once dreamed. Power is money in the form of green paper. It can be exchanged, it can captivate one by social status, it is issued by a type of governing body, and the value can deflate or inflate. Power and money is all about control truly; how one can control the exchange of power and money and how own can control other individuals by controlling ones own power and money. On the contrary, there is beauty in power through money; it holds hope whether it is a future of success or failure. People tend to think negatively of money. Yes, some people can take the soul of power to an extreme and abuse the idea of it, but many like myself, see hope in power through the form of money.

Works Cited "Appreciation and Depreciation." Euro Economics. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Baker, Peter, and Jeff Zeleny. "Obama Hails Judge as Inspiring." Nytimes.com. N.p., 26 May 2009. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Cohen, GA. "Freedom and Money: Why You Can't Be Free without Money by GA Cohen." Scribd. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2013. "Communism." Definition of in Oxford Dictionaries (US English) (US). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Icke, David. "David Icke Newsletter, October 16th 2011." Ashtar Command. N.p., 16 Oct. 2011. Web. 07 Apr. 2013. "Know Your Money." United States Secret Service: Know Your Money Counterfeit Awareness. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Moffat, Mike. "Money." About.com Economics. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2013. "Money." Merriam-Webster. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2013. Olen, Helaine. "Groupon's Fired CEO Andrew Mason Sends Memorable Goodbye Letter To Staff." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 28 Feb. 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. Palahniuk, Chuck. Diary: A Novel. New York: Doubleday, 2003. Print. "Power." Merriam-Webster. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2013.