Differences between Colonial Regions Essay

Introduction The New England, Middle and Southern colonies were the part of the New World which used to belong to the British. Although the colonies all had good things, all of the regions had things that didn ´t help them grow as a region. Some colonies had rocky soil for example. Having a good climate and a good topography is part of agriculture, having materials to work is part of manufacturing. Industry Each of the three regions had different types of industry. The New England colonies used to do shipbuilding activities, lumbering and fishing. The Middle Colonies used to export agricultural goods and natural resources. The Middle Colonies were also called the breadbasket colonies because the individuals that lived in the Middle Colonies used to have farms that could go from fifty to one-hundred and fifty acres. The Middle colonies used to export timber, furs, coal and iron. The Southern colonies used to export tobacco, cotton, rice, indigo, lumber and furs. The Southern colonies also used to export farm products such as corn and other vegetables. Agriculture, Climate, and Topography The New England colonies had the colder climate because their region is far more in the north than the Middle or the Southern colonies. The New England Colonies used to loose population during the winter due to the snowstorms. The New England colonies had a rocky soil so farming was difficult, they had small farms that could sustain their families but it wasn ´t enough to export. The New England colonies were able to grow potatoes, tomatoes, blue berries, cranberries and tobacco. One of the differences with the Southern colonies is that the New England colonies used to import and the Southern used to export. The Middle Colonies used to grow a lot of grains such as corn, wheat and in the Middle colonies there were also farmed animals which result in meet. The Southern colonies used to have the warmest of the climates. It was a dry and hot climate. In the Southern colonies there was a  need to farm to live. For that reason the Southern colonies used to grew a lot of tobacco, rice a nd indigo and they exported it. The Southern colonies had such a rich soil that the people in the southern colonies could farm in almost anywhere. Their soil was the best one to farm. People The people that lived in the New England colonies were mostly Puritans and Pilgrims. In the Middle Colonies the people who settled where the settlers from Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, France and Scotland. New Sweden and New Netherlands joined and became Delaware and that junction was made by the Duke of York. The Southern colonies were settled by the Puritans, the Puritans who settled in the Southern colonies settled mostly for economic reasons. The Puritans usually would take African slaves for the Southern Colonies. Conclusion All the colonies need to have agriculture, industry, climate and government a founding date. All the colonies had excellent things such as a good and fertile soil that the Middle colonies had, but there are also bad things such as the New England having a rocky soil which didn ´t help their industry neither their a agriculture. Every colony had at least a bad thing but luckily the colonies had good things that canceled the bad ones. a. Closing statement: All the Colonies have different things between themselves. b. Rewarded Thesis: Every colony had a bad thing but luckily the colonies had other good things the others didn ´t have.

Ka Ching Tone Assignment

In Margaret Atwood’s Ka-Ching!, the dominant tone of the passage is nostalgic and contemplative. When Atwood describes her first job, working for a small hotel coffee shop, she refers to it as being a clean, well-lighted, with booths, counters and waitresses. She is looking back on what seemed to be a poor experience.The basis of the Machiavellian characteristics was to do whatever it took to gain power and maintain that power. During the time of William Shakespeare being a ruler had nothing to do with being a good person, nor did it ever mean doing the right thing. The characteristics that Claudius possess are that he manipulates people, he is unapologetic, and extremely selfish.The dominant tone of the passage is cynical and satirical.The idea that a baby or child could be used as a snack is cynical and satirical. Swift presents his point of view on cannibalism as if it were something completely normal, ignoring the fact that it is taboo, and not socially acceptable. When re ading, we are able to understand that eating children would never happen, but due to his use of diction, a sarcastic and a cynical tone is used. With use of proper connotative diction the author allows us to understand the terrible conditions in Ireland and reveals the dominant tone. â€Å"I can think of no one objection that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it be urged that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom.† It may seem that the narrator may be serious when proposing his solution, but we are able to detect plenty of cynicism.â€Å"For this kind of commodity will not bear exportation, the flesh being of too tender a consistence to admit a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it.† An awful lot of extremity is  portrayed when Jonathan Swift explains how humans could possibly be exported to other countries in order to be sold and eate n. This demonstrates plenty of sarcastic diction. The denotation of cynical is showing the belief that a person could be solely motivated by selfish concerns.In this passage Swift is able to support his points of view towards the conditions of Ireland with valid reasoning although not realistic. The denotation of sarcasm is not necessarily ironic, but rather a rude or bitter remark toward a thought or point of view. Again, Swift uses sarcastic diction in a connotative way in order to explain to the reader that eating and selling humans is a valid option to better the country and the citizens.

Joe Lieberman Profiles in Courage

Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman According to John F Kennedy, from his book Profiles in Courage a person who â€Å"In whatever arena of life one may meet the challenge of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follows his conscience – the loss of his friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men – each man must decide for himself the course he will follow. (246)† is a profile in courage. Joe Lieberman an independent democrat has made many controversial actions towards the impact of his career (Condon).Lieberman a Connecticut Senator was elected in 1988, has made some controversial decisions in his career (Gunzburger). The ongoing war in Iraq is a commonly debated topic Lieberman, unlike his political party’s views, supported the troops in Iraq wishing they stay (Adyanthaya). In the most recent presidential election Joe Lieberman sided with Republican nominee John McCain much to the dislike of the Democratic Party (Caliborne and Hovell). His most recent action is his beliefs towards the healthcare bill (Condon).Senator Lieberman has gone against his political party risking his popularity and support from his people. The War in Iraq and Afghanistan has been a very controversial topic of how to approach a way out. Joe Lieberman has supported relieving Iraq of Saddam Hussein before George W. Bush was even elected president for his first term (Adyanthaya). Lieberman, in 1998, co-sponsored the Iraq Liberation Act. Unanimously the Act passed the Senate and made a change to the power of the government in Iraq official U. S. policy.Many people in the Democratic Party changed their opinion of the Iraq Liberation. Joe Lieberman went against his party supporting the Act (Adyanthaya). Many of Lieberman’s supporters were against America being involved in Iraq. Lieberman has been a target of political attacks based on decisions and beliefs (Adyanthaya). An article in the New York Times has describe d him as â€Å"an increasingly unwelcome figure within his party. † Lieberman’s beliefs and decisions have led his party to rule him out and may have started to ruin his political career.In 2000 he was the Democratic Party’s nominee for Vice President. In the 2006 senate election Lieberman was faced with a challenger for the upcoming election (Caliborne and Hovell). To make Lieberman’s matters worse The Daily Kos the single most popular liberal website at the time, was looking for donations to help Lieberman’s challenger Ned Lamont. Ned Lamont won the Democratic vote over Lieberman in the 2006 primary Senate Election (Burns). Lieberman came back and won as an Independent. In 2007 Lieberman was a supporter of Vice President Cheney’s plan for the war in Iraq.Lieberman appeared on CBS’s Face the Nation . There Senator Lieberman stated â€Å"I think we’ve got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians t o stop them from killing Americans in Iraq. And to me that would include a strike over the border into Iran, where we have good evidence that they have a base at which they are training these people coming back to Iraq to kill out soldiers (Porter). † Once again Lieberman went against his Democratic Party supporting the Republican opinion on the war in Iraq.In the 2008 presidential election Joe Lieberman made his stand supporting Republican nominee John McCain. In 2007 Lieberman decided to endorse McCain because he considered him to be â€Å"the most capable to be commander in chief†¦, and the most capable of uniting the country so that we can prevail against Islamic extremism† said an aide of Lieberman (King and Bash). Lieberman’s aide also insured that the senator doesn’t see this as a â€Å"commentary on or an endorsement of the Republican Party, only the person (King and Bash). † Many people who know and respect Senator Lieberman are unhapp y with his decisions.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stated â€Å"I have great respect for Joe, but I simply have to disagree with his decision to endorse Senator McCain (King and Bash). † When founder and CEO of the Democratic Leadership Council Al From, found out about Lieberman’s choice he said that â€Å"I am very saddened by senator Lieberman’s choice, and profoundly disagree with it. We need a Democratic president in 2008. (King and Bash)†, In response Lieberman said that â€Å"I know that it’s unusual for a Democrat to been endorsing a Republican. Lieberman also added that â€Å"Political Parties are important in our country. But they’re not more important than what’s best for our country, they’re not more important than friendship. † McCain said that â€Å"I think it’s courageous when anyone crosses party lines to support a candidate from another party, the easiest thing for Joe to do would have just h ave sat on the sidelines in this campaign (Caliborne and Hovell). † The most current topic Joe has dealt with is the heath care reform bill.Senator Lieberman states that he has been â€Å"opposed to a movement-created, government-run insurance company (Grim)† In August of 2009 Lieberman believed that we have to put of the health care reform until the economy is out of recession (Noah). In October the bill that contained no public option passed the committee with every Republican opposed with the exception of Olympia Snowe (Grim), Lieberman stated that he will not support it â€Å"the way it is now. (Noah)† He also said that he will join a Republican filibuster against healthcare reform if it did contain public option.Lieberman said he’s â€Å"opposed a public option because of the potential burden it could place on taxpayers (Condon). † Democrats however made a public option that would be funded by premiums in place of federal funds (Condon). Health care options have yet to be finalized and Lieberman’s decisions are yet to be determined. â€Å"Being a Republican is important. Being a Democrat is important. But you know what’s more important than that? The interest and well-being of the United States of America (King and Bash),† he has said and has exactly done.In Lieberman’s opinion he has made decisions on the interest and well-being of the country (Caliborne and Hovell). He has stood up for what he believed in, gone against many of his supporters and against his own political party. What else does Lieberman have to do to become a Profile in Courage? Works Cited Adyanthaya, Anil. â€Å"RealClearPolitics – Articles – Profile in Courage? Not John Murtha. † RealClearPolitics – Opinion, News, Analysis, Videos and Polls. N. p. , n. d. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. . Alter, Jonathan. Alter: Lieberman, Health Care, and Hurt Feelings | Newsweek Voices – Jonathan Alter | Newsweek. com . † Newsweek – National News, World News, Health, Technology, Entertainment and more†¦ | Newsweek. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. . Burns, Alexander. â€Å"Ned Lamont could ‘opt in' vs. Joe Lieberman – Alexander Burns – POLITICO. com. † Politics, Political News – POLITICO. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. . Condon, Stephanie . â€Å"Joe Lieberman Says He'll Block Reid's Health Care Bill – Political Hotsheet – CBS News. Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News – CBS News. N. p. , n. d. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. . Grim, Ryan. â€Å"Lieberman Willing To Sink Health Care Reform†¦ But He Would Really Hate To Do It (AUDIO). † Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. N. p. , n. d. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. . Gunzburger, Ron. â€Å"Politics1 – Profile of Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT). † Politics1 – American Politics, Elections, Candidates & Campaigns.N. p. , n. d. W eb. 12 Dec. 2009. . Kennedy, John F.. Profiles in Courage. New York: Harper & Bros, 1956. Print. King, John, and Dana Bash. â€Å"Lieberman: McCain can reunite our country – CNN. com. † CNN. com – Breaking News, U. S. , World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. N. p. , n. d. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. . â€Å"Lieberman Throws Support Behind McCain – Political Radar. † Political Punch. N. p. , n. d. Web. 6 Dec. 2009.

American Superconductor Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Superconductor Company - Essay Example They also have to follow the guidelines given by Securities and Exchange Commission. Financial statements are used by all the stakeholders of the company. They are made to provide true and fair view of the financial health of the company. Hence if the statements do not give true and fair view of the financial health of the company statements have to be restated. In this project, restatement of financial statements of the company American Superconductor (AMSC) has been studied. American Superconductor deals in power generation systems. It develop system both mechanical and electrical equipments which are used in wind turbine system. They are also into the business of manufacturing power cables and system of voltage stabilization (American Superconductor-a, 2011). It is quoted in NASDAQ. The current share price is $7.78 (American Superconductor-b, 2011). Its last five years it had grew annually by 27.56% and the revenue grew by 40.22%. In terms of profitability currently its operating margin is 16.23% (American Superconductor-c, 2011). Most of its shares are held by Douglas. They hold about 10797500 shares. Many financial institutions like RCM Capital Management LLC, Columbia Partners LLC Investment Management etc also hold shares of American Superconductor (American Superconductor-d, 2011). The president and chief executive officer of American Superconductor is Dan McGahn (American Superconductor-e, 2011).... The main change which they want to implement is to record its transaction as per cash basis. Previously American Superconductor had recorded some receipts on the basis of receipts of shipments but the payments were still due on those transactions. They had a pile of pending money due from the customers. As a result they had a history of operating losses. Most of the shipments receipts were not ever paid. All these things were increasing the operating loss. This also resulted on incorrect disclosure of revenues. Hence it decided that after 31str of August. AMSC will not consider revenues from certain Chinese customers until they are paid. This excluded Sinovel from whom American Superconductor had not received any amount in the first quarter. As the amount of debtors was increasing, the company was falling short of liquid cash. The new projects were getting delayed because of unavalibility of liquid cash. The company was also suffering because of exchange rate. The company also has ma ny foreign buyers who made the payments at a later date due to which the company had also suffered loss because of exchange rate fluctuations. They had a plan of acquiring the company but because of not having enough funds, the plan was getting delayed. There was also a risk that if they failed to acquire the Switch their share price may decline and there goodwill will also be affected. Therefore they decide to restate the financial statements which will present true and fair view of their revenues, the actual revenues which they can use (Davens, 2011). Impact of Financial Restatement As we it is already discussed that when the financial statements does not give true and fair view of financial health of the company the financial statements need to be restated. The

Phase 3 Individual Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Phase 3 Individual Project - Essay Example In 1905, Alfred Binet developed the first psychological test to predict the performance of a school, while in 1913; John Watson came up with the behaviorist approach in studying psychology. Watson was of the opinion that behavior of consumers affects their purchasing mentality. It is during this period that Sigmund Freud led a movement termed as psychoanalytic movement. He explains that an individual’s personality consists of three elements namely, the ego, the ID and the superego, and before the Second World War, B.F. Skinner developed a program for behavioral control, targeting societies. The programs are widely used as teaching materials and methods of modifying an individual’s behavior. During the World War 2, Robert Woodworth developed a personal data sheet for the purposes of testing the American recruit’s neurotic history, and it is a prototype of the personality profiling in use (Innes, 2003). In 1950, Raymond Cartell came up with variables that determine the behavior of an individual. He identified traits as the central variables, and categorized them into dynamic, temperament and ability traits (Turvey, 2002). Dynamic traits are the motivating factors that puta person into action for purposes of achieving a particular goal, while the ability traits are the effectiveness of an individual to achieve a particular goal. In 1960s, Robert Guion advanced this field through his book personnel testing, while in 1970s, personality testing was acceptable as an important practice. In 1978, David Pearson developed software with a capability to perform an evaluation of an individual’s behavior without the administration of a professional (Alison, 2005).Since then, psychological profiling is in use by various organizations, including law enforcement agencies. There is empirical evidence proving the effectiveness of profiling. Turvey (2002) observes that the works of David Canter, a psychologist in unmasking the railway rapist in 1985proves the

W8 Exemption PT1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

W8 Exemption PT1 - Essay Example They include history of diplomacy, economics and international system, international law and international system, conflict avoidance, prevention and containment in international system, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction in the international system and military intervention and conflict management in the international system. As evidenced by the number of seminars I had to attend, this programs has been both rigorous and time consuming. I have had to devote my time to conduct additional research on several matters in a bid to consolidate my understanding of the various concepts discussed in the seminars. Nonetheless, putting aside the aspect of time and dedication that was required in the program, it is undeniable that I have learnt so much from these seminars as discussed below. The History of Diplomacy seminar served as an eye-opener of what transpires in political realms as governments strive to strike agreements that require much of compromises. I learnt that t he docket of foreign affairs is critical for any government because it is where allies and enemies are created in international relations. From the historical perspective to contemporary perspective, foreign policy decision-making remains integral component of international political environment (Black, 2011). Through the seminar, I have been able to trace the root of diplomatic efforts in resolution of conflicts between nations. For example, the Peace of Westphalia remains an important event in conflict international negotiations as it served to end 30 years war (1618-1648) that characterized the Roman Empire. In this period, Spain and Dutch Republic were in a state of war. However, after a series of treaties which were signed in Osnabruck and Munster, the two nations resolved to end their destructive and perennial wars (Whaley, 2011). In addition, I have been able to understand the complexity of modern diplomatic procedures. This is especially so because of economic, political and legal themes. The seminar on Economics and international system particularly fell in my area of specialization undertaken in my undergraduate studies. Being a professional in Business Management, studying economics and international system was an extra boost to the knowledge I had already acquired previously. From the seminar, I have been able to understand the impacts of globalizations on world economy and the role of the international institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. After the devastating economic impacts of World War II and the Great Depression, it became evident that the globalized market needed urgent intervention to safeguard it from probable future eventualities (Boughton, 2004). I have learnt that this formed one of the primary reasons as to why United States convened a Bretton Woods, New Hampshire Conference to deliberate on salvaging the global economy. International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank is a product of this conference. Th e unparalleled role played by these international bodies as in the globalized international market is remarkable. I have learnt that protectionism is no longer a path to pursue as liberalized economies are bound to grow faster. Furthermore, through critical thinking and analysis of various reports, I understand why the U.S. is particularly mad with the idea of China manipulating its currency so as to

Gun Control in the United States Research Paper

Gun Control in the United States - Research Paper Example In short, more thorough background checks of those people who wish to buy guns is a necessity for stricter gun control due to the increased level of crimes involving guns in our communities. However, as DeConde (2001) notes, ‘no social issue of recent decades has produced more distorted data and contention among Americans than the struggle to control gun violence’ (p. 3), and so the issue is far from simple. There are well over 200 million guns in the United States (far more than in other developed countries) while the gun laws are comparatively weak. Canter ( 2006) found that when the US is compared to other economically-developed and democratically-governed countries, the age-adjusted rate of death by firearms is eight times as high as the average of the other countries pooled together. It is obvious that current background checks are not good enough. The massacre at Virginia Tech in April 2007, which left 32 staff and students dead, was carried out using two weapons, both of which was purchased completely legally at local stores. The killer had, two years earlier, been declared mentally ill and a danger to himself by a judge. This alone should surely have disqualified him from purchasing firearms, but he was never placed on a list banning him from buying guns in Virginia. The issue here was surely the vastly-different state laws on gun controls. What is needed is strong national laws, and checks conducted using nationwide databases. Fig. 1. The Geography of Gun Deaths in America. Source: atangledweb.org [Accessed January 27 2011] Background checks as a feature of the gun control debates in the United States date all the way back to the 1930s, when the District of Columbia introduced a 48-hour cooling off period for the purchase of firearms. Indeed, until the 1970s, the National Rifle Assocation (NRA) – the leading group in the pro-gun lobby, actually supported such policies. From 1986, there was a nationwide campaign for the introduction of a waiting period on all gun purchases, and in 1993, the passage of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act established a 5-day waiting period, during which time background checks were to be conducted to ascertain whether a gun could responsibly be sold to the applicant. Spitzer (2002) produced a list of the reasons for which a gun purchase could be blocked: if the applicant had been convicted of a crime carrying a sentence of more than a year, if a restraining order had been placed against them for violence, if they had been convicted of domestic abuse, if they had been arrested for using or selling banned substances, if they were deemed to be mentally unstable, or if they were an illegal alien (p. 51).The Brady Act is held to have had some effect on firearm-related violence. Canter (2006) noted that the number of deaths by guns fell from 37,776 in 1992 to 32,436 in 1997 (p. 3). Nevertheless, this can scarcely be hailed as the major breakthrough in tackling gun crime which is n eeded in the United States. While the Supreme Court struck down the requirement for police to conduct background checks in 1997, handgun background checks have largely continued. In theory, all this should have done much to ensure that only those who could safely be sold a handgun would be able to procure one. However, there have been major issues. In 1998, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) set up its National Instant Criminal Background

Insurance claims Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Insurance claims - Essay Example Whenever there is an accident, the affected parties (car owner and passengers) have the right to seek for compensation from their insurance companies. This chapter looks at the legal responsibilities of certain people for injury or damage caused by accidents on private and public property. These include owners, occupiers, other people who control buildings and land. The Civil Liability Act 2002has modified the way in which liability for negligence is determined. Under the Act, even if you are injured, you may not have a claim if that injury was caused by something which could have been avoided (KRITZER, 1997, p261). The accident that involved Peter, a driver with Collins Coaches Ltd should first be reported to the relevant authorities so that the right course of action is taken. This will be procedural in establishing whether there are any fatalities, damage of property or animals and to what extent the damage has been done. The police should also be helpful in towing the vehicle awa y. Afterwards, there are legal obligations that will follow in case the vehicle has been damaged and someone has been injured. Other passengers are also obliged to provide useful information to the police concerning the accident as this would be beneficial to the authorities. Relevant information entails what other drivers might have been involved in the crash, whether there are any missing persons and maybe how many people were involved in the accident. In this case, Peter should provide his full identify; name and address, the vehicle’s owner (Collins Coaches Ltd), a valid vehicle registration license plate and any other details required in identifying the vehicle. After the accident, there is a legal process that should be adhered to in the event of significant personal injury or damage of property. Within 24 hours of the accident, Peter is expected to report the crash to the police station nearest to where the accident occurred. One may not be required to report the crash if injuries from the accident prevent you from doing so. If you wish to make a personal injury claim you must report the accident to police within 28 days of the accident. Peter should provide useful information concerning: The place and nature of the accident Registration numbers of his vehicle Extent of any injury or damage caused Names and addresses of all witnesses Peter is required to give all possible assistance to any injured person, including phoning 000 for an ambulance. If injured like Jemima and Sarah in this case, you may have a claim against the driver of the vehicle which caused you injury. Seeking medical help from a doctor after the accident is important as well as consulting a solicitor who practices in personal injury law and in particular, in motor vehicle accidents, as soon as possible. At the solicitor, one is required to fill in a personal injury claim form while the doctor fills in the medical certificate that accompanies the personal injury claim form. Your solicitor will then send your claim form and medical certificate to both the owner of the vehicle and the insurer of the vehicle. The solicitor is supposed to do this within 6 months from the material day of the accident in order to avoid giving a full and satisfactory reason as to why it was not sent in this time. Your solicitor will then proceed to pursue your interests according to the Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999. At the scene of the accident, Peter is also expected to; Take necessary measures to avert further collisions Not confess fault as this may abrogate insurance claims Make notes of any talk with the other person that may have been involved in the event

Real Leadership essay on a person Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Real Leadership on a person - Essay Example Ahmed Mohammed Jumaa Alhanaey is the leader of the company, ZDKO and it is under his guidance that the company has been capable of attaining the desired level of success in the marketplace. When the person was asked as to what influenced him to be a leader, he replied that his previous job instilled lots of confidence within him. He learnt the leadership traits from his previous boss. Ahmed Mohammed Jumaa Alhanaey demonstrated many instances when he had been effective as a leader in the previous job assignments. This motivated him to be leader. It has been found that this leader has been capable of effectively dealing with the challenges that the company faced. In the interview with the leader it was identified that development of the vision and then identifying the vision turning into reality is one of the significant qualities of the leader (Klein & Et. Al., â€Å"Dynamic Delegation†). The leader of ZDKO describes himself as a passionate and dedicated human being. Ahmed Mohammed Jumaa Alhanaey has worked with a company named Etisalat for three years where he had experienced most of the leadership attributes that helped him in his future days. He demonstrated the fact that promoting consultation, unity and open communication with the followers are the pre-requisites for successful companies. Ahmed Mohammed Jumaa Alhanaey revealed that most of the troubles can be eradicated in any company if the leader is capable of maintaining good relation with his followers. In an organisation people belonging to different culture work together. Managing these diverse group tends to be the biggest challenge for the leaders according to Ahmed Mohammed Jumaa Alhanaey. The managers are also faced with the issues relating to wider social, political, cultural, ethical and business representation. Cross cultural issues have been a significant problem in ZDKO. Successful are the leaders who are capable of

Analyzing the pollution in rivers and lakes by using artificial neural Article

Analyzing the pollution in rivers and lakes by using artificial neural network, fuzzy logic, and regression methods - Article Example The basic approach is to train an ANN unit using a set of already known set of data to predict a similar future event. In this study feed forward ANN could be used to relate the DO measured at each location to predict the other quality parameters as reported. In this method, the (DO)i is considered as the input parameter to the input-neurons which would be passed into the hidden layer of neuron set after multiplying with a correction weight (kj). The main role of the hidden neuron is to add up the weighted sum received from the input set and combines it with a bias (bj) to determine a net value ( netj = ïÆ' ¥ (DO)i kj - bj ). This net value is passed into the output neuron which uses a non-linear function , say, f(net) = 1/ (1+e-net) to determine the output parameters BOD, NO3, NO2 and PO4 (Tayfur and Singh, 2006). The fuzzy logic approach for the prediction of dissolved oxygen level is based on the set of rules that is in built in the model. This process is undertaken in four different steps. Allocation of partial belonging to each input variable in the form of membership function , which takes up values from 0 to 1, is the first step. This process is referred as fuzzification. The allocation is based on intuition and linear triangular functions are the commonly adopted one. The fuzzy rule base is the next requirement to relate the input and the outputs using if-then logical relations. In the present work it could be either as - If BOD is low , NO3 is low and PO4 is low then DO is high - or If BOD is high, NO3 is high and PO4 is high then DO is low. Next is the fuzzy output subset construction by addition of all the fuzzy subsets. The fuzzy output function need to be converted to discrete form of results using defuzzifcation methods. Centre of gravity method (COG method) could be used to this process for the present situation (Tayfur and Singh, 2006, Chen et

Clarice Lispector’s Women Characters Essay Example for Free

Clarice Lispector’s Women Characters Essay I sat before my glass one day, And conjured up a vision bare, Unlike the aspects glad and gay, That erst were found reflected there- The vision of a woman, wild With more than womanly despair.[1] The Italian feminist writer Elsa Morante stated that: â€Å"One woman’s agony in her room is something so insignificant that it casts no shadow across the great universe†[2]. However true this might be, Clarice Lispector manages to give voice to her female character’s feelings in a such overwhelming way that the reader’s own universe cannot remain indifferent. Reading Lispector’s works, especially her short stories, is like plunging into an apparently innocuous moment of a woman’s life but rapidly and unavoidably be dragged into the unreachable depths and the darkest recesses of her psychology. It never turns out to be a merely pleasure trip. Influenced by existentialist authors, Lispector’s over-riding concern revolves around woman condition in its entirety[3]. It is a definitely complex and multi-faceted matter, which encompasses all the issues of the human condition exasperated by the womanhood’s burdens. Alongside with the unbearable awareness towards the absurdity of life and its revealed lack of meaning, the writer has to deal with the role of the women in a male oriented society, their existential sufferings and failures, the sense of relationships and isolation, their unfulfilled aspirations given up to conform to an imposed social scheme, the ideas of family and alienation, their forlorn hopes and submissiveness. The reader is prompted to ask himself: ‘to what extent is the woman allowed to be herself before becoming the objectification of somebody else’s aspirations?’ The concept of identity is therefore the pivot of all this speculation: Clarice explores the dynamics of self-discovery, the different and always traumatic ways in which her characters find or are forced to face their true authentic self and the conflict these achievements generate in their life. In this essay, I will pay close attention to the object of the mirror, a recurrent image in Lispector’s fiction, where it occupies a key role in the process of â€Å"autoconhecimento e expressà £o, contemplaà §Ãƒ £o e aà §Ãƒ £o, conhecimento das coisas e relaà §Ãƒ µes inter-subjetivas†[4]. In the consideration of this point, I will draw on the psychological theories that explained the phenomenon of visual self-identification, highlighting the correspondences in the behaviour of the woman characters. I will also refer to the literary criticism that handled with the Lispectorian â€Å"potà ªncia mà ¡gica do olhar†[5]. Then, I will focus on the range of feminine figures portrayed in Laà §os de famà ­lia, pointing out how they underwent the experience of self-awareness, what they have in common and where they are different. Finally, I will take into account Clarice’s short article â€Å"Espelho mà ¡gico†, which I found to be a particularly valu able contribution to this analysis and a sort of locking ring to this paper. Let’s start by considering the leitmotif of the mirror and the importance of sight. To try to unfold the copious polysemic connotations that the mirror bears, it is worth briefly considering it under a psychoanalytic point of view. Several are the currents that acknowledged the mirror to be one the most powerful tool in the process of the analysis and identification of the self. Jaques Lacan theorised the famous concept of the â€Å"mirror stage†: the child starts to identify with the reflection of itself, discerning the â€Å"I† in the mirror and the â€Å"I† outside the mirror. Along with OLTRE!!! The identification, however, comes the sense of alienation, due to the perception of the mirror image as an Other self. Experiencing this splitting, the subject keeps searching a constant confirmation of its identity from/by/in the confrontation with other people and objects. By the visual contacts, as a sort of multiplicity of mirrors, the sense of selfhood ca n be reinforced by returned gazes of recognition[6]. The idea that the people interacting with the subject act as mirrors for itself has also been substantiated by Charles Horton Cooley. He went further and advanced the social psychological concept of the looking-glass self, according to which ‘identity is created out of the tension between natural impulses that the individual must actively develop and the social structures that the individual must actively appropriate’[7]. He points out that there are three stages through which a person goes: she/he imagines how she must appear to others, she/he imagines the judgment of that appearance, she/he develops her/him self through the judgments of others[8]. But what happens when the social structures develop a diffused and subjugating system of judgements and bias that deeply interfere with the expression of the individual impulses? The result is deep manipulation of somebody’s own self, where self-denial tendencies usually prevail as a compromise between the two tensions. This is actually what happen to Clarice’s women characters. When they look in the mirror, they see (or glimpse) themselves how they truly are, but also how they are not allowed, or do not dare, to be. This social conditioning is clearly summarised by John Berger: ‘To be born a woman has been to be born, within an allotted and confined space, into the keeping of men. The social presence of woman has developed as a result of their ingenuity in living under such tutelage within such limited space. But this has been at the cost of a woman’s self being split into two. A woman must continually watch herself [†¦] because how she appears to others, and ultimately how she appears to men, is of crucial importance for what is normally thought of as the success of her life’[9] Bearing in mind these concepts, let’s now delve into the feminine universe of Laà §os de famà ­lia. The first aspects to remark is that Lispector’s characters are never stereotypical women. They cannot be enclosed in any womanly clichà ©, even if they share the same experiences and they sometimes seem to be facets of the same person. Clarice introduces the reader to different women, or again different stages in life of only one: daughter, adolescent, wife, mistress, mother, grandmother. Emotional detachment is one of the thing they have in common. They all show unsolvable inability to connect with others in a deep and meaningful way. Although being present and even physically close to their families, they are not emotionally present in the relationships. They dissociate, both experiencing emotional numbing, both restraining their own true feeling. Moreover, they do not find a reliable interlocutor in their partners or friends, because the image that the latter project on them is distorted and limited to the role they unconsciously or not impose on them. As previously illustrated, the achievement of self-identity requires an interchanging dialogical recognition between one I and one other that acknowledge that I as a whole[10]. Clarice’s women are left alone. Nevertheless, even when they seem to live the identity they have been given (therefore being self-denial), their true inner self, their real subjectivity suddenly bursts out. There is a kind of fil rouge that pools all the short stories: the narrative nucleus is represented by a moment of conflictive tension, an interior crisis, a rupture. At times, it is sufficient the most trifling event to trigger an epiphany, an instant of dramatic awareness. Everything that has been kept suppressed explode in a flood of thoughts, reminiscences and revelations. The body abruptly paralyses and time stands still: life is revealed, meaning is lost, the measure of identity and freedom are found. But understanding is a responsibility, and Clarice pushes her characters to their limits. They hang on the balance between stepping back or going beyond: utterly disoriented, they face the danger of living. Regarding this point, Professor Earl E. Fitz explains that: ‘they come to grips with themselves, with who and what they really are and, finally, react to this unexpectedly experienced flash of insight by either rejecting the â€Å"new self† that would emerge or by actually undertaking the creation of a new self, a new and authentic identity. [†¦] But the price of real freedom is always high and appears in Lispector’s fiction as the discomforting and solipsistic realisation that we are all alone, isolated in our solitude, and tormented by the need to communicate’[11]. Epiphanies, alienation and incommunicability show close affinities with the literary world depicted by Sartre and Camus. The encounter of the conscience with the reality, more specifically with the experience of the Absurd and the sense of meaningless of life, always generate unease in the protagonists. Even if Lispector has asserted that her naà ºsea is not the nausà ©e of Sartre[12], the epiphanic moments are associated with upsetting feelings: nausea and daze in Amor, anger in Feliz Aniversà ¡rio, hatred in O bà ºfalo, fear in Preciosidade, nausea and sadness in Devaneio e embriaguez duma rapariga ,nausea and derangement in Imitaà §Ãƒ £o da rosa. Moreover, Lispector’s characters experience these unconscious outburst via their sense of sight, similarly to Sartrian protagonists. In Amor, Ana’s reality suddenly falls apart with the simple view of a blind man chewing a chewing gum on the tram. The sudden braking of the tram is like a tug to her subconscious, the detonator of her repressed unhappiness and her existential in-satisfaction. The woman feels an emotional collapse, she is overwhelmed by nausea and compassion. A moment later, she feels emptied and alienated as she wanders through the Jardim Bà ´tanico. When she manages to get home, her husband takes her by the hand, â€Å"sem olhar para trà ¡s, afastando-a do perigo de viver†[13]. So she comes back to her previous existence, but she has now become aware that she loves her world with repugnance, loathing. She represents the women who are conscious of the fact that something essential is missing in their life, that what they are surrounded by is not what they really wanted, is not enough to fulfil them. At the end of the day she look at herself in the mirror, â€Å"por um instante sem nenhum mundo no coraà §Ãƒ £o. Antes de se deitar, como se apagasse uma vela, soprou a pequena flama do dia.†[14] The process is alike in O bà ºfalo. The unnamed protagonist is destroyed by unreciprocated love. ‘Eu te odeio, disse a mulher, muito depressa, a um homem que nà £o a amava. Mas a mulher sà ³ sabia amar e perdoar, e se aquela mulher perdoasse mais uma vez, uma sà ³ vez que fosse, sua vida estaria perdida’. In order to bear the pain, she tries to learn how to hate by the wild nature of the animals. Wandering in a zoo, she encounters a buffalo (something close to the male sexual symbology). â€Å"Ela nà £o olhou a cara. [†¦] Olhou os seus olhos. E os olhos do bà ºfalo, os olhos olharam seus olhos†. The climax is achieved by the visual contact between their eyes. She feels so jarred that she faints. The condition of woman victim of love finds its catharsis in this epiphany closed to sexual ecstasy. Visual contact and self-perception take on another nuance in Preciosidade. The protagonist is an adolescent girl, who tries to avoid having anyone look at her. She feels she must protect an ambiguous preciousness she owns. Either it is referred to her virginity or simply to her being a girl, by eschewing male’s gazes she knows she will keep from becoming an objectification of their desire. More complex are the eye contacts in the short story Laà §os de famà ­lia. The title includes the emblematic essence of family relationships. The semantic ambivalence of laà §os can either be seen in a positive way, â€Å"love bonds†, or in a negative one, like â€Å"binding chains†. The protagonist Catarina and her mother epitomise this ambivalence, in living their strained relationship as a mother and as an adult daughter. Sentiments are no longer expressed, love mixes with hate, visual contact is unbearable. Waiting for the train to leave, the mother looks at herself in pocket mirror to fill the emptiness left by the lack of communication with Catarina. Once home, Catarina take a walk with her son, tying him to her in another noxious kind of love binding. Very important is the figure of the husband, left out, excluded. He need her, but awkwardly tries to exercise his apparent power to show off his role. Another strongly symbolic story is Imitaà §Ãƒ £o da rosa. The protagonist is Laura, a woman who experienced a rupture, both physical with a nervous breakdown, both social, not being able to adhere again at the role of wife she used to perform before her illness. The character is therefore divided between two attitudes: the â€Å"impersonal† woman, who tries to be obedient to the established pattern of being a wife, and the â€Å"personal† woman, that breaks the contract and the social expectation codes. Roberto Corrà ªa dos Santos[15] analyses the duplicity of Laura’s nature and the reflection it has on the relationship with her husband. Corrà ªa dos Santos divides her feelings and her behaviours in two moments: the â€Å"Tempo de obedià ªncia† and the â€Å"Tempo de ruptura†. During the â€Å"Tempo de obedià ªncia†, the attitude of her husband towards Laura shows a man â€Å"esquecido de sua mulher, em paz, recostado com bandono† whereas Laura is â€Å"submissa, atende o marido de braà §o dado, fala sobre coisas de mulheres†. During the â€Å"tempo de ruptura†, the husband turns out to be â€Å"cansado e perplexo, mudo de preocupaà §Ãƒ £o, tà ­mido, com um hà ¡lito infeliz†, while she becomes â€Å"super-humana, tranqà ¼ila em seu isolamento brilhante, como un barco tranqà ¼ilo, de perfeià §Ãƒ £o acordata†[16]. Like the example of Carlota’s husband, Laura’s husband metaphorically shrinks the more and more his wife finds her dimension of self-confidence. Fitz, E. Earl sums up: â€Å"Consistent with Lispector’s view that each of us fight a battle for control of the chaos that envelops us, she shows poignantly how the woman in the story is growing in terms of consciousness and self-understanding (tangled as this itself is) while the man with whom she is living [†¦] is stupidly and dully trapped in his own uninteresting view of reality, [†¦] dominated by the spurious â€Å"clarity† of his conventional thought, his socially prescribed clichà ©s and unoriginal thinking†[17] In addition to these considerations, it is relevant to stress that the concept of the mirror as fundamental tool in the process of self-perception has also been taken up by Clarice outside her fictional work. Espelho mà ¡gico is short article she wrote when she contributed to Dià ¡rio da Noite. It was published in 1960, in a culumn entitled â€Å"Sà ³ para mulheres†, which suggests a hidden feminine complicity that strengthens the message the author wants to conveyed: Nà £o à © sà ³ o espelho da madrasta de Branca de Neve que à © mà ¡gico. A verdade à © que todo espelho tem a mesma magia. [†¦] Vocà ª nà £o hà ¡ de perguntar: â€Å"Quem à © mais bela do que eu†. O melhor à © perguntar ao espelho: â€Å"Como posso ficar mais bela do que eu?† Eis os ingredientes para um espelho mà ¡gico: 1) um espelho propriamente dito, de preferà ªncia daqueles de corpo inteiro; 2) vocà ª mesma diante do espelho; 3) coragem. [†¦] Coragem para se ver, em vez de se imaginar. Sà ³ depois de se enxergar realmente, à © que vocà ª poderà ¡ comeà §ar a se imaginar. [†¦]Mas lembre-se: a imaginaà §Ãƒ £o sà ³ nos serve quando baseada na realidade. Seu â€Å"material de trabalho† à © a realidade a respeito de vocà ª mesma. Nà £o vou lhe dizer o que vocà ª deve fazer para melhorar de aparà ªncia. Nà £o tenho a pretensà £o de ensinar peixe a nadar. E sà ³ uma coisa à © que vocà ª nà £o sabe: que vocà ª sabe nadar. Quero dizer, se vocà ª tiver confianà §a em vocà ª mesma, descobrirà ¡ que sabe muito mais do que pensa. Mas, de qualquer modo, estarei aqui para ajudar a vocà ª a nà £o esquecer que sabe. Here, Clarice recurs to the archetype of the magic mirror in the fairy tale, positioning the question of identity in an apparently simple layer of interpretation. The strength of this passage, though, resides in the shifting of the cultural pattern of the identification of the self: the answer is not any more given by the mirror, but acknowledged directly by the person who mirrors herself. Who is answering is indeed the same woman who asked, providing herself with the true measure of her renewed â€Å"I† descried alone, without the need of something (or somebody) else who sees her from the outside. This is the new espelho mà ¡gico Clarice hopes for, where the magic comes from the other side on the glass: the person. More than an article, it becomes a suggestion, an exhortation. It takes some efforts, some coragem para se ver, se enxergar, but this is necessary in order to build a new parameter for the individual existence, a new pattern of legitimisation of the self. It is the only way for women to ged rid of the old and tight social and cultural paradigms and to confront themselves with new references based on their quotidian choices and prerogatives. A new perspective is offered, where beauty stops being a primary attribute and leaves its place to self-confidence and fortitude. This new woman holds in her hands a â€Å"material de trabalho†, the realidade a respeito de si mesma. She could represent a new possible social feminine figure, who believes in her capability to promote a change and to be in charge of her own destiny. While in her stories she often left her characters helpless and powerless in front of their mirrors, in the real world Clarice let this mirror become a threshold towards a higher dimension, like an open portal in front of the woman. The article end is contract-like: women will try to operate this transformation and the author will watch over her, with her novels and stories. For the aforementioned reasons, there is no doubt that Lispector’s fictional universe is as wide and deep as the themes it deals with. To understand how her complex feminine characters perceive themselves, it is necessary to take into account the issue of the human condition in its entirety, applied to the point of view of women. Nonetheless, every story she wrote encompasses a multitude of smaller senses and significances, so that more than one reading is needed in order to disclose all of them. Every reader can easily agree with Hà ©là ¨ne Cixous, who stated that: â€Å"Clarice’s text, like Kafka’s, are not narratives. They contain a secret, a lesson. But this secret and this lesson are dispersed in the verbal space in such a way that the meaning cannot be apprehended at a first reading.†[18] Psychoanalytic perspective helps to explain her literary explorations of the question of identity, the importance of sight, and the self-perception her characters achieve in their reflection in the mirror or in someone else’s eyes. The in-depth analysis of the women in Laà §os de famà ­lia also provides a comprehensive picture of Clarice’s profound sensibility and complex psychology. The plot, the setting, the description of the characters and their relational dynamics epitomises Lispectorian imaginary. As far as the mirror is concerned, it undoubtedly hold an important position in Clarice’s symbolism and recurs also in her non-fictional works. The article Espelho mà ¡gico represents a significant contribution in the comprehension of her Weltanschauung, and creates a concrete link between her imaginative world and the tangible reality. [1] Mary Elizabeth Coleridge The Other Side of a Mirror, 1896 [2] Elsa Morante, Arturo’s Island, p. 187 [3] Lispector does not actually represent all women in her text, but she rather focuses on the ones she belongs to and presumably knows the most: the middle-class white urban women. With the expression â€Å"woman condition in its entirety† I mean the whole range of feminine experiences a given woman can go through during her life. [4] Nunes, Benedito, Clarice Lispector. Sà £o Paulo: Edià §Ãƒ µes Quà ­ron, 1973 p. 95 [5] Ibid, p. 95 [6] Lacan, Jaques, The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis. London: Penguin. 1994 p 70-72 [7] Cooley, Charles H. On Self and Social Organization. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998 p 20 [8] Cooley, Charles H. Human Nature and the Social Order. New York: Scribners, 1902. pp. 183-184 [9] Berger, John, Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin, 1972 [10] See also: Psychology of Self. Kohut, Heinz The Analysis of the Self. New York: International Universities Press, 1971 [11] Fitz, E. Earl Clarice Lispector. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985, p. 48 [12] Lowe, Elizabeth. The Passion According to C.L.: Elizabeth Lowe interviews Clarice Lispector. Review, 24: p 36 [13] Lispector, Clarice, Laà §os de Famà ­lia. Rio de Janeiro: Livraria Josà © Olympio Editora S.A., 1976 p 24 [14] Ibid, p 26 [15] Corrà ªa dos Santos, Roberto Lendo Clarice Lispector. Sà £o Paulo: Atual Editora LTDA, 1986 p. 21 [16] Lispector, Clarice, Laà §os de Famà ­lia. Rio de Janeiro: Livraria Josà © Olympio Editora S.A., 1976 p 36-40 [17] Fitz, E. Earl Clarice Lispector. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985, p. 44 [18] Cixous, Hà ©là ¨ne, Reading with Clarice Lispector. Trans. By Verena Andermatt Conley. London: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1990 p 98

Homeland Security Essay Example for Free

Homeland Security Essay The challenge to traditional policing issued in the 1970s has created a new concept of policing and that is the role of policing in homeland security. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the federal government has shifted to a policy of homeland security, and part of that has incorporated local firefighters and local police agencies (Oliver Hilgenberg, 2004). But the creation has a lot of inadequacies. First, so much confusion still abounds in terms of what homeland security means: is it simply being more watchful for suspicious activities, is it intelligence gathering on the part of patrol officers, or is it standing guard at possible terrorist targets in their jurisdictions? Another inadequacy is not so much determining if local police are going to play a role in this new public policy but rather what role they can play. And, beyond determining what role the police will play in homeland security, the natural extension of this is to ask who will pay. Moreover, as the public policy of homeland security is clearly a national policy issue, it would seem that the policy will be an intergovernmental one driven by the presidential administration. While there have been some intergovernmental grant programs implemented, many of these have been slow to reach the local level, raising further questions as to what role state and local police can play without the necessary resources. While it is too soon to determine how this new policy will play out in terms of policing in America, there is little doubt that this will be an active part of the public policy process in policing for years to come. As America responded quickly to the attacks by educating themselves on terrorism and demanding action from government, the president and the U. S. Congress quickly began a process of restructuring government to focus on antiterrorism (prevention techniques) and counterterrorism (how to actively respond to terrorists) measures in order to meet these new demands. The creation of the Office of Homeland Security and its subsequent passage as a cabinet-level department is an inclination that the national government is moving in this direction. In addition, many of the grants for local agencies are now centered on homeland security, and perhaps most telling is the fact that the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services had its budget slashed by the Bush administration, but the Department of Homeland Security has seen its budget allocations increase substantially. Although only time will tell if American law enforcement has entered into a new era of policing, there is little doubt that homeland security has become an overriding policy of the current administration and that, it will continue to be at least until January 2009 (Office of Homeland Security , 2002). Hence, a coordinated response to Homeland Security was good for interagency operations. That is why President George W. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act into law on November 25, 2002 (National Public Radio, 2002). It has been touted to be the greatest reorganization of the federal government since the beginning of the Cold War. Several departments have been assigned to the new Secretary for Homeland Security. Some of the agencies transferred to the Homeland Security (DHS) include the United States Secret Service, National Infrastructure Protection Center, Energy Assurance Office, National Communications System, United States Coast Guard, Customs Service, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Protective Service, Functions of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Office of Domestic Preparedness, Selected functions of the Department of Agriculture, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, National Bio-Weapons Defense Analysis Center, Nuclear threat assessment programs, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Domestic Emergency Support Team, Metropolitan Medical Response System, National Disaster Medical System, Strategic National Stockpile of the Department of Public Health, Nuclear Incident Response Team, A new Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Further, this new department is arranged under five Under Secretaries for: (1) Information Analysis and Infrastructure, (2) Science and Technology, (3) Border and Transportation Security, (4) Emergency Preparedness and Response, and (5) Management Services (Oliver, 341-342). The purpose of this massive reorganization of course is to centralize government planning and response. The DHS has been charged to cooperate and coordinate with state and local governments. The CIA and FBI remain separate agencies. In the homeland security, the government is calling for full participation by state and local agencies. Hence, it is good as it seeks to develop cooperative relationships with existing police agencies and homeland defense managers need to negotiate power sharing arrangements with state and local police.

The Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban missile crisis began on 14 October, 1962 when an American U-2 spy plane discovered that Premier Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union was attempting to install intermediate-range nuclear-outfitted ballistic missiles in Cuba.  [1]  These warheads would have the capacity to destroy a large portion of the United States and therefore posed an enormous threat. When confronted by this immense threat that could presage nuclear war, the American government was forced to take action in order to diffuse the situation. The complexities of this type of decision-making are intricate, yet explainable and fundamentally predictable thanks to modern methods of analysis. As John F. Kennedy phrased it, The essence of ultimate decision remains impenetrable to the observer-often, indeed, to the decider himselfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. There will always be the dark and tangled stretches in the decision-making process-mysterious even to those who may be most intimately involved.  [2]  I would like to unravel the dark and tangled stretches in this process by using game theory to retrodict, or make past predictions of, the different leaders choices throughout the thirteen day span of the Cuban missile crisis. Game Theory Basics When examined through the perspective of the Rational Actor Model, this situation introduces an obvious dilemma. Within this model, governments are treated as the primary actors. The government examines a set of goals, evaluates them according to their utility, then selects the one that has the highest payoff. In this instance, the United States was involved in a nuclear standoff with the Soviet Union. In the time of this imminent threat of mutually assured destruction, the correct action needed to be taken as millions of lives were at stake. Game theory is a branch of analytical mathematics utilized in social science to attempt to mathematically calculate decision-making in strategic situations in which an individuals success in making choices is dependent upon the choices of others.  [3]  It applies to situations (games) where there are two or more parties (called players) each attempting to choose between two or more ways of acting (called strategies). The possible outcomes of a particular game depend on the choices made by all players, and they can be ranked in order of preference by each player. In regards to two-person, two-strategy games, as the Cuban missile crisis resembled, there are combinations of strategies for the players that are more or less stable. This occurs when neither player by departing from its strategy can do any better in the outcome. When both players use these strategies simultaneously, the outcome is known as a Nash equilibrium, named after esteemed game theorist John Nash. A Nash equilibrium does not necessarily produce optimum outcomes for one or both players though. Instead, it can be viewed more as an optimal middle ground in which both players are spared from suffering the worst possible outcome. A Nash equilibrium is essentially what was reached during the Cuban missile crisis. Chicken Game Model In game theory, Chicken is the typical game used to model conflicts in which the players are on a deadly collision course. The game borrowed its namesake from hot rod movies made famous in the 1950s.  [4]  In these movies, the players are two hot rodders and the game is one in which they drive their cars directly at one another, risking a head on collision. If one of them turns away at the last minute, he or she is said to have chickened out and is deemed the loser. However, if neither player decides to turn away, both are vulnerable to losing much more, since it is obvious that they will either be killed or seriously injured in the event of a wreck. In the last possibility of outcomes, if both players decide to turn away, neither gains nor loses anything. The payoffs of Chicken can be explained by this basic diagram: Basic Chicken John go straight turn away Mark go straight -10, -10 5, -5 turn away -5, 5 0, 0 *Matrix format  [5]   This matrix shows that this theoretical game has two Nash equilibria, (5,-5) and (-5,5), one where one hot rodder turns away and the other goes straight and vice versa. However, since there are two Nash equilibria and no predefined Schelling point, which is a solution that a player will tend to use in the absence of communication or substantial knowledge because it seems instinctive, or relevant to them,  [6]  there is no indication of which outcome is more likely. This poses a problem for the hot rodders as well as an equivocation for the game theorist since there is the ever present danger of both players falling into the mutual disaster of a collision. When aligned to the Cuban missile crisis, this mutual disaster is the mutually assured destruction of nuclear war. Application of the Chicken Game Model Thus unfolds a classic game of chicken with the United States behind one wheel, facing off with the Soviet Union behind the other. Before evaluating the end results of the game, however, it is important to first examine the formulation of strategies. Abiding by the theory of moves, it is of the highest importance to anticipate, whilst concurrently trying to condition, the outcomes and consequences of any major decision or choice of action. Therefore, when deciding on a strategy to employ, each alternative must be weighed and projected completely through its causal fallout. This was the most critical aspect of the game for the Kennedy administration. As Defense Secretary McNamara explained about the situation, Its not a military problem that were facing. Its a political problem. Its a problem of holding the Alliance together. Its a problem of properly conditioning Khrushchev for our future moves.  [7]  It cannot be said whether he was directly referencing game theory with this sta tement, but the implications are fitting in the application of such concepts. Many members of the administration and military leaders felt as though their hands were up in the air, or tied behind their backs, because no one was confident enough to make a final decision under these tense and potentially tragic conditions. The wrong decision could have led to the end of the United States of America. Even so, the urgency of the situation made it necessary for the right decision to be made immediately. Ultimately, every minute wasted was a minute longer the Soviets had to make the ballistic missiles operable in Cuba, therefore time and decision were of the essence. Group Decision-making and EXCOMM Group decision is a trustworthy way to make choices because of the benefits the approach produces, as long as social phenomena such as groupthink are avoided. The cooperative planning done by the Executive Committee including Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, John McNamara, Director of Central Intelligence John McCone and the other cabinet members ensured multilateral examination of the situation, fuller consideration of the entire spectrum of relevant points of interest, more ingenuity in the formulation of options and a greater overall sense of awareness and knowledge about the issue. This interplay of a multitude of expertise made an optimum decision likely. Furthermore, group interaction was the most logical approach when considering the negative effects preempted by a solo decision of President Kennedy. Miles Law states that where you stand depends on where you sit.  [8]  Specifically in this case, ones stance on an issue is significantly affected by their role in the government and where they fall into the operational chain of command. A cooperative decision minimized the role interference that could bias the plan of action. Possible Courses of Action After days of deliberation, Kennedy and his advisers came up with six possible options. These options were as follows: 1) Do nothing. Although an option, this course of inaction was not even considered as President Kennedy was sure the domestic fallout would be that of intolerance. 2) Impose diplomatic pressures and negotiate with Khrushchev at a summit. This option was also not popular because it implied that American concessions would be made and President Kennedy was unwilling to show this flexibility out of fear that it would be conveyed as vulnerability. 3) Make a secret appeal to Castro and split Cuba from its ties with the Soviet Union. 4) Send troops to Cuba for a ground invasion. 5) Deploy an air strike on the island in order to destroy the missiles and scare the Soviets of Cuba falling to US control. 6) Implement a blockade of Cuba to keep weapons away. However, whichever method picked had to be carried out without sparking a Soviet reprisal on Berlin.  [9]   After further deliberations, these options were narrowed down to two possible courses of action. Either a naval blockade to prevent the shipment of more missiles or a surgical air strike to destroy existing missiles would be implemented. In response, the Soviets could ultimately only choose between two strategies; either withdraw or maintain the missiles in Cuba. Specifically though, the blockade forced Khrushchev to choose among three immediate alternatives: 1) avoid a showdown by keeping Soviet vessels out of the area 2) submit to the blockade by permitting ships to be stopped and searched and 3) provoke the United States to a first use of force by defying the blockade. The game outcomes look more like this diagram: Applied Chicken Soviet Union withdraw (W) maintain (M) United States blockade (B) 3, 3 2, 4 air strike (A) 4, 2 1, 1 Together these strategies comprise the array of options the players have to choose from. When paired, they result in four possible outcomes, which the players are assumed to rank from one to four, with one being the worst, or least beneficial, and four being the best or most profitable outcome. The first number in the ordered pairs for each outcome is the payoff to the row player (United States), and the second number the payoff to the column player (Soviet Union). It is important to remember though that these rankings of the payoffs are only ordinal, meaning they only rank from best to worst, not incorporating the extent or degree to which a player prefers one outcome to another. Analysis of Applied Chicken Game Model Needless to say, this matrix of strategic choices and payoffs only provides an elementary depiction of the crisis as it unfolded over the thirteen day period. It must be acknowledged that both players considered more than merely the options listed, as well as modifications and augmentations of each. For example, the Soviets demanded the withdrawal of American missiles from Turkey as a quid pro quo  [10]  for withdrawal of their own missiles from Cuba.  [11]  The United States blatantly ignored this request. Even so, it is common belief that the superpowers were indeed on a collision course during the Cuban missile crisis and therefore the Chicken model is appropriate. Alternatively, neither side was forthcoming in undertaking any irreversible action, such as one of the drivers might do in Chicken by allowing the other driver to see him boldly breaking off the steering wheel of his car and coincidentally eliminating the option of maneuvering to avoid collision. It is here that the Chicken game leaves voids in application to the crisis. It can be said that the United States ultimately won by forcing the U.S.S.R. to withdraw their missiles. Per contra, Premier Khrushchev was granted a promise that the U.S. would not invade Cuba. This dual-reward represents a result that is basically a compromise- which does not coincide with game theorys prediction for a game of Chicken. The strategies the compromise consists of do not form any Nash equilibriums. To analyze this, assume that gameplay is at the compromise (3,3) position where the U.S. blockades Cuba and the Soviet Union withdraws its missiles. This outcome is not stable because both players have incentives to deviate to more aggressive strategies. If the U.S.S.R. was to defect by maintaining their missiles, gameplay would shift to (2,4) granting the Soviets a payoff of four. The same, but reverse, would happen if the U.S. decided to change their strategy to an air strike. This symmetry in the table of payoffs presents a recurring problem in interpreting results of a Chicken game- there is more than one equilibrium outcome.  [12]  Furthermore, if the players arrive at the mutually worst (1,1) outcome of nuclear war, both would have undoubtful incentive to move away from it, which makes the strategies associated with (1,1) just like those with (3,3); unstable. Shortfalls of the Chicken Game Model As shown, using Chicken to try to wholly model the Cuban missile crisis is flawed not only because of the instability of the outcomes but also because of the parameters. As it happened, the two superpowers did not select their strategies independently of each other, nor simultaneously as assumed in the Chicken game. The Soviet Union chose their actions in response to the already implemented U.S. quarantine. Additionally, the fact that the United States held the air strike option in reserve in case circumstances necessitated escalation of action shows that the first decision was not considered final, and the U.S. felt they still had strategic options open even after imposing the blockade. Consequently, the Cuban missile crisis can be more appropriately modeled as a game of sequential bargaining where neither player makes a terminal decision, but rather considers different alternatives, and reserves the absolutes in case the opponent should fail to act acceptably. Before the crisis, the Soviets felt they needed to advance their global strategic position, even though they feared that the U.S. might invade Cuba. Khrushchev decided that positioning the missiles was worth that risk. He and his staff rationalized that the Americans if confronted with this fait accompli, or an action that is completed before those affected by it are in a position to query or reverse it, would be deterred from invading Cuba and would not any other severe reprisals.  [13]  Even if they instigated a crisis, they did not see the probability of war being high and therefore they risked antagonizing the United States. Recourse Game Model and Application Accordingly, there is convincing evidence to believe that American policy makers did not see the conflict Chicken-like based on how they considered and ranked possible outcomes. The over-simplicity of using this model was alluded to by historian Philip Zelikow in his analysis of the audio tapes of dialogue within the EXCOMM meetings.  [14]  In order to more thoroughly explain the crisis, I will further apply game theory to the situation by creating a new, modified version of the Chicken game that I will call Recourse. This representation maintains the same strategies given in Chicken, but redistributes the rankings and interpretations of outcomes. These new classifications align more thouroughly with history than those of Chicken: Applied Recourse Soviet Union withdraw (W) maintain (M) United States blockade (B) 3, 3 1, 4 air strike (A) 2, 2 4, 1 In the game of Recourse, the possible outcomes are as follows: B/W: The choice of blockade by the United States and withdrawal by the Soviet Union remains the compromise for both players = (3,3). B/M: In the face of a U.S. blockade, Soviet maintenance of their missiles leads to a Soviet victory (its best outcome) and U.S. capitulation (its worst outcome) = (1,4). A/M: An air strike that destroys the missiles that the Soviets were maintaining is an honorable U.S. action (its best outcome) and thwarts the Soviets (their worst outcome) = (4,1). A/W: An air strike that destroys the missiles that the Soviets were withdrawing is a dishonorable U.S. action (its next-worst outcome) and thwarts the Soviets (their next-worst outcome) = (2,2). Although air strike trumps the Soviet Union at both outcomes (4,1) and (2,2), I view the (2,2) outcome as less harmful to the Soviets. This is because international opinion at the time would condemn an American air strike as an obtrusively offensive move and furthermore a dishonorable action of the United States, especially if there was clear evidence that the U.S.S.R. was in the process of withdrawing their missiles already. If no such evidence existed, however, air strike, possibly supplemented with a ground invasion, would be acceptable action to counter the Soviet missiles. Accuracy of the Recourse Game Model The statements of U.S. policy makers support Recourse. In responding to a letter from Khrushchev, President Kennedy said, If you would agree to remove these weapons systems from Cuba . . . we, on our part, would agree . . . (a) to remove promptly the quarantine measures now in effect and (b) to give assurances against an invasion of Cuba,  [15]  which is consistent with Recourse since (3,3) is preferred to (2,2) by the United States, whereas (4,2) is not preferred to (3,3) in Chicken. If the Soviets maintained their missiles, the United States preferred an air strike to the blockade. As Robert Kennedy, the Attorney General under his brother during the crisis, said, If they did not remove those bases, we would remove them,  [16]  which is consistent with Recourse, since the United States prefers (4,1) to (1,4) but not (1,1) to (2,4) in Chicken. Similarly, it is well known that several of President Kennedys advisers were reluctant to initiate an attack against Cuba without first exhausting less belligerent courses of action that could bring about the removal of the missiles with less risk and greater sensitivity to American ideals and values.  [17]  This is in accordance with the United States tendency to always act ethically and the governments perpetual sensitivity to the worlds perception of America. Pointedly, Robert Kennedy claimed that an immediate attack would be looked upon as a Pearl Harbor in reverse, and it would blacken the name of the United States in the pages of history,  [18]  which is again consistent with Recourse since the United States ranks A/W next worst (2), a dishonorable U.S. action, rather than best (4), a U.S. victory, in Chicken. Actual Gameplay As it happened, at 7:00pm on 22 October, 1962, President Kennedy publicly announced that the United States had discovered Soviet missiles in Cuba and decreed a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba. Additionally, he demanded that Chairman Khrushchev halt and eliminate this clandestine, reckless and provocative threat to world peace.  [19]  After the ships were deployed, all that was left to do was to await a response. Initially, on 24 October, as anticipated, Khrushchev responded defiantly, saying that he would instruct his ships to ignore the American blockade. However, the next morning, he reconciled and told Kennedy that he no longer wanted to exchange caustic remarks and was ready to resolve the crisis. Khrushchev offered his terms, Give us a pledge not to invade Cuba, and we will remove the missiles, proving that he was genuine when he professed that he was prepared to dismantle the missiles to make Cuba into a zone of peace.  [20]  The Soviet Union feared an American invasion of Cuba and saw the blockade as a heartening gesture that allowed concessions to be made without drastic loss. Essentially, the outcome of this game and the Cuban missile crisis in general can be assessed at 4:2 in favor of the United States. Although neither side literally gained any reward from the outcome, both avoided any significant loss. Since the United States made the initial offer and compelled the Soviet Union to make the next move, therefore inconveniencing Khrushchev into yielding to the conditions set forth by President Kennedy, America emerges as the winner of the game although the payoff was not maximized. Although Recourse creates a fitting model, this explanation of events is neither all-inclusive nor infallible. As with any theory, there are conditions that are assumed to, and must be, static that the reasoning is based upon. And in a dynamic world, these criteria are not always satisfied. There are a multitude of external factors that influence decision making, many of which will be discussed in the following sections as they pertain to the Cuban Missile Crisis and nuclear war in general. Specified Game Theory: Deterrence Theory Game theory can be applied in a more general sense to other primary aspects of nuclear war, the most prominent of them being mutually assured destruction and deterrence. The application of game theory to these concepts has resulted in the derivation of a number of consequential theories which ultimately resolve in the cost-benefit analysis that game theory focuses on. According to the official U.S. Department of Defense definition, Deterrence is a state of mind brought about by the existence of a credible threat of unacceptable counter action.  [21]  This definition captures the main premise for the United States historic reliance on deterrence; however, it does not encompass the entirety of deterrence theory. In general, deterrence is a complex term that universally means persuading an opponent that the costs and consequences of a specific action will outweigh and trump any potential benefits. The concept of persuading an adversary references the significant psychological aspect of deterrence, which is often an interplay of uncertain concessions and threats that may or may not be bluffs or true promises. More specifically, using the word potential when describing the anticipated benefits shows the future-oriented aspect of any deterrent threat, meaning there is the promise of a certain reaction only in response to the undesired decision of another actor (player).  [22]   Capability vs. Credibility According to accredited deterrence theorist Derek Smith, Underlying any deterrent threat are the closely intertwined concepts of capability and credibility.  [23]  The concept of capability is reasonably straightforward and readily quantifiable variable, based on each players arsenal and military forces that are available for use in any engagement; whereas, credibility is a much more complex and qualitative variable, which is defined mostly from the anticipated probability that all available forces will actually be utilized, making it trivial. To clarify, for example, a state may have a promising amassment of armed forces, but if the state is governed by domestic doctrine that forbids their use except for in strict cases of homeland defense, then any strategy or threat of external use of force as deterrence will lack credibility. The Psychology of Commitment Techniques In order to strengthen the perception of an actors resolve, a popular strategy is to use commitment techniques,  [24]  or techniques that increase the costs and losses involved in refusing or failing to act. An everyday example of this type of strategy is if someone tells all of their friends that they are quitting smoking for good. From thence on, their friends will act as a constant source of pressure for them to uphold the obligation (commitment) because they voiced it publicly, and will now be held accountable to it. For a better example, Smith illustrates the military image of burning bridges while in combat to make a retreat impossible, which is an unambiguous method for cementing ones resolve.  [25]   Similarly, in the words of Thomas Schelling, What we have to do is get ourselves into a position where we cannot fail to react as we said we would-where we just cannot help it-or where we would be obliged by some overwhelming cost of not reacting in the manner we had declared.  [26]  In order to illustrate this concept, Shelling makes reference to how, during the Cold War, the United States posted troops in Western Europe to act as a tripwire against Soviet aggression. This was an act that served to fortify resolve, and essentially the United States made the defense of Europe, and their overarching containment strategy a more absolute prospect by effectively eliminating the choice of retreat and abandonment.  [27]   The Paradox of Control and MAD The idea that a player denying himself options can be a productive or beneficial move appears counterintuitive at first. Schelling describes this phenomenon as a paradox that the power to constrain an adversary may depend on the power to bind oneself.  [28]  Reexamining a fundamental game of Chicken is a fitting way of clarifying what is meant by that. If the two drivers are about to start speeding towards each other, it would make an extreme statement if one of the drivers decided to break off his steering wheel and show the other driver. After this, the other driver would have no choice but to give up and turn his car or suffer the tragic collision. Making a bold statement like this can be a very effective way of determining resolve in situations where capability is lacking, however, the important thing to note is that it is always possible that both drivers could choose to make the same decision, which would create an even worse outcome than if the power position had been conceded at the end. The critical factor, then, is actually who is able to make the first move, thereby leaving the remaining with only one last clear chance to avoid catastrophe.  [29]  This catastrophe, in parallel to the Cuban Missile Crisis, is mutually assured destruction. Furthermore, in addition to committing oneself to a specific course of action, there is also the trivial strategy of issuing a threat that leaves something to chance, so that the end decision of whether or not to act is not completely controlled by the player that issued the threat.  [30]  This particular bargaining technique plays on the factor of risk-acceptance, assuming that the opposing side will choose to give in first. Consider the clichà © scenario of one person rocking a boat in order to extract concessions from the scared occupants. Schelling uses the term brinksmanship to describe this strategy, the choice of deliberately letting the situation get somewhat out of hand, just because its being out of hand may be intolerable to the other party and force his accommodation.  [31]  Going back to the Chicken scenario, this would be verisimilar to one of the drivers publicly consuming a large amount of alcohol or other psychoactive substance before stepping into the car, thus creating uncertainty in the other players mind that he would be able to avoid a collision even if he actually wanted to do so. This would likely influence the sober driver to concede unless he really wanted to collide, and thus the daredevil player who intoxicated himself indirectly forced the sober player to capitulate; effecting the outcome he desired by acting outside the bounds of rationality. Deterrence: Rationality of Irrationality In much of the widely accepted literature published on deterrence, this phenomenon is called the rationality of irrationality, since one player can draw coercive power from the prospect of being potentially undeterrable.  [32]  As stated, whilst this strategy is dominantly compelling, it still welcomes tragedy, i.e. mutually assured destruction, by undertaking irrationality even though the opponent could possibly do the same or is expecting rational behavior from the other actor involved in the crisis. Regardless, despite the strategies and techniques that play out systematically and predictably in game theory and in the aforementioned hypothetical examples, it is always important to remember that the concept of deterrence, and the use of deterrence as a strategy, are built on a foundati

Analysis of Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen Essay -- Dulce Decoru

Analysis of "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen Based on the poem of "Dulce et Decorum Est", by Wilfred Owen. Owens war poetry is a passionate expression of outrage at the horrors of war and of pity for the young soldiers sacrificed in it. It is "Dulce et Decorum Est" which provides a very dramatic and memorable description of the psychological and physical horrors that war brings about. From the first stanza Owen uses strong metaphors and similes to convey a strong warning. The first line describes the troops as being "like old beggars under sacks". This not only says that the men are tired but that they are so tired they have been brought down to the level of beggars. "Coughing like hags" suggests that these young men (many who were in their teens) were suffering from ill health due to the damp, sludge and fumes from the decaying bodies of their fallen men at arms, lying on their chests. It was also in the winter's of The Great War where the events that, Owen speaks of took place, so they would have been prone to pneumonias and other diseases. By using the phrase "blood shod" Owen is describing how the troops have been on their feet for days and never resting. "Drunk with fatigue", echoes this view that the troops are wandering and stumbling around aimlessly with no sense of direction or of purpose. In the second stanza, the pace changes to one of urgency; Owen using the word "Gas" in swift repetition demonstrates this. By doing this Owen illustrates the urgency of a life and death situation, which requires the need to put on their gas masks. Owen describes a horrific scene unfolding in front of his very eyes, a scene of a man dying a horrible death because he was too slow to put on his ... ...one changes to one of questioning hopelessness and of quiet resignation with the onset of death. Owen demonstrates this by asking the reader to think, "Think how it wakes the seeds- Woke, once, the clays of a cold star". Here the reader can see that the suggestion of clay as being cold and lifeless and that when the sun tries to warm clay, it in fact bakes it hard. In lines 3, 4 and 5, "Are limbs, so dear-achieved, are sides, Full-nerved - warm-to hard too hard to stir? Was it for this the clay grew tall?" the reader can begin to ask the age old questions, "why?" and "Are we here for just this reason, too die for the sake of pointless wars that occur through mans own greed of power? Bibliography: Owen, Wilfred. "Dulce et Decorum Est." Perrine?s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. 7th ed. Ed. Thomas R. Arp. Ft. Worth: Harcourt, 1998. 565-566.

Euthanasia Essay -- essays research papers fc

Imagine yourself lying on a hospital bed totally unaware of the happenings around you. Doctors and family members come and go, mostly out of habit now, because they know there’s nothing more they can do. Many of their visits are a blur to you, with their voices and movements becoming unrecognizable. The pain you experience is nothing short of excruciating, but the hospital has exhausted all of their resources in their attempt to help you. After months of medication and efforts to assist your recovery, you’re left with nothing to show for it other than the dreadful bills. Your family is just patiently waiting for your final days.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Luckily, you are not in a situation like this, and hopefully you never will be. However one must wonder what they would want to be done if they ever were. Would you want the hospital to keep searching for answers and cures? Or would you rather be brought to the comfort of your home to die peacefully? Or would you, like many others seem to, prefer ending your personal suffering and inconvenience to family through euthanasia? In the article titled â€Å"Euthanasia Definitions†, euthanasia.com defines euthanasia as â€Å"the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit.† An action similar to euthanasia, defined in the same article is known as physician assisted suicide. While sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably, physician assisted suicide is when a doctor provides a patient with education and or instruments useful to ending their own life without truly partaking in the death. â€Å"Euthanasia Definitions† also passionately stresses the fact that there is no such thing as passive euthanasia, which is thought of as death resulting from ending treatment that was ineffective, or providing too much medication without the intention of ending life. Euthanasia is fully an intentional act resulting in death. With a growing public awareness and its abundant levels of controversy, the currently illegal act of euthanasia has come of widespread interest. Derek Humphry is a significant advocate for the legalization of euthanasia for the terminally ill. He wrote the book Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying that became a #1 Bestseller for the New York Times. In this book Derek Humphry provides information to the terminall... ...a growing concern of most Americans.† Works Cited â€Å"Arguments Against Euthanasia.† Euthanasia.com. 2004. 22 December 2004 Baskin-Jones, Michelle. â€Å"Biographical Profile of Dr. Jack Kevorkian.† Death and Dying. 2004. About, Inc. 29 December 2004. Cundiff, David. Euthanasia is Not The Answer: A Hospice Physician’s View. Totowa, New Jersey: Humana Press, 1992. â€Å"Euthanasia Definitions.† Euthanasia.com. 2004. 22 December 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Humphry, Derek. Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying. New York, New York: Dell Publishing, 2002. Kirkland, Michael. â€Å"Analysis: Life, death in the Schiavo case.† United Press International. 2004. The Washington Times. 29 December 2004.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Live Suicide Show and Related News.† Hell On Earth. 2004. 2 January 2005 MacQueen, Ken. â€Å"Choosing Suicide.† Maclean’s 5 Aug. 2002: 40. MAS Ultra – School Edition. EBSCO. CLS High School Lib., Crystal Lake, IL. 9 December 2004. â€Å"Reasons for Euthanasia.† Euthanasia.com. 2004. 22 December 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"The Thanatron.† The Kevorkian Verdict. 1998. PBS. 29 December 2004.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Beowulf and Christianity Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Morality, a standard of right behavior, was one of the most important characteristics during the Anglo-Saxon era. The story Beowulf depicted many virtues of the times. Beowulf holds his morals and virtues above all else, from the way he fought in battle until the day he died.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beowulf showed his honor as he traveled from his homeland to battle the vicious monster Grendel, who was terrorizing the Danes. Grendel â€Å"raided and ravaged† (105) the mead hall, showing no honor by killing inebriated men in their sleep. Beowulf proved his honor by deciding to â€Å"spurn all weapons†(338) and fight Grendel â€Å"with hand grip only†(342) thus declining an upper hand on his foe. Beowulf’s honor is apparent again when he describes the contest between himself and his boyhood friend Breca. Beowulf and ...

With reference to the headscarf debate in France, analyze the extent to which laicite has played a major role in the French law 2004-228.

Introduction On March 15th, 2004 the government of French Republic passed a law that banned the wearing of â€Å"conspicuous signs† of religious affiliation in public schools (Bowen, 2007). Whilst this law affected Jewish skullcaps, large crosses, Sikh turbans, many scholars (i.e. Wing and Smith, Tarhan) believe that its main purpose was to ban the wearing of the headscarves, known also as hijab by young Muslim girls. Currently there are approximately 5 million Muslims living in France (CIA, 2012). The majority of them are the immigrants from former French colonies in North and West Africa. Muslims constitute 5-10% of the French population, while Islam is the second largest religion in France (Tarhan, 2011). Hence, the law from 2004 led to objections and protests amongst French Muslims. They regarded the decision of French government as a sign of discrimination and violation of religious freedom in France (Wing and Smith, 2006). French government, in turn, emphasized that French secularism (known also as laicite), assuming separation between state and religion, was a main reason standing behind its decision (Astier, 2004)). Until nowadays the French law 2004-228 is very controversial. The supporters of this law believe that a ban on religious symbols confirmed a secular character of French Republic and defended French national identity. They also postulate that a ban contributed to a greater equality amongst women and men within Muslim society. The opponents, in turn, emphasize a largely symbolic character of the ban, as it affected only Muslim girls attending public schools and did not apply to Muslim women on the streets or university students. The opponents often also rejected laicite as a basis of the French law 2004-228. Instead, they postulate that a fear of multiculturalism and growing division within the French society, especially after September 11th, had a key impact on the governmental decision (Scott, 2005). The following essay aims to examine whether French secularism, laicite, was a key factor responsible for the banning of headscarves in France. First, the essay explains the role of female headscarf in Muslim religion and tradition in order to understand a strong objection against a ban from Muslim side. Second, the essay presents shortly a debate on wearing headscarves in France that had its beginning in the 1980s. Further, the essay considers the concept of laicite in France and its impact on passing the French law 2004-228. The essay analyzes other factors that influenced on the banning of religious symbols in France in order to compare their role and the role of laicite in passing the law. Finally, the essay considers the ban as an unsuccessful reform and presents policy recommendations. The role of headscarf in Muslim tradition The headscarf[1] is an important religious symbol in the Islamic tradition. The Quran, perceived as the source of Allah’s command by Muslims, states that: â€Å"believing women (†¦) should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, or their brothers’ sons or their sisters’ sons, or their women or the servants whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex, and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you Believers, turn you all together towards Allah, that you may attain Bliss.† (Quran 24:31)Therefore, following Allah’s law, Muslim women are obligated to remain modest and to cover their beauty. Moreover, the Quran says: â€Å"O Prophet! Tell Thy wives And daughters, and the Believing women, that They should cast their Outer garments over Their Persons (when outside): That they should be known (As such) and not Molested† (Quran 33:59). It indicates that there are two purposes of the wearing of headscarves by Muslim women. First, headscarf should protect Muslim women from gazes of strange men and from being an object of stranger’s desire. Second, headscarf should help to distinguish Muslim women from women of other religions (Syed, 2001). It is worth adding that the Quran does not state precisely which parts of woman’s body should be covered. Hence, there are different types of head (and body) coverings amongst Muslim women in various countries, depending on Quran’s interpretation and culture. They range from the simple hijab, covering the head and neck to Afghani burqa, covering the entire body and leaving only so-called mesh screen so th at the woman is able to see (Wing and Smith, 2006). Further, the following sentence from the Quran: â€Å"O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better so that they may be recognized and not annoyed† (Wing and Smith, 2006, p.751) indicates that Muslim men are also obligated to Quran to make sure that their wives have got appropriate covering when they leave their houses. With the beginning of decolonization in the 1950s and the 1960s, the European countries, in particular France and the United Kingdom, had experienced massive immigrations from the Middle East and African countries. Most of the immigrants were Muslims. Hence, the Western countries, characterized by Christian roots had to face different religion, culture and values brought to the Europe by Muslims. Headscarf has become one of the most visible elements of these differences in the European’s public eyes (Wing and Smith, 2006). Headscarf debate in a contemporary France There are currently around 5 million of Muslims in France, constituting 5-10% of the total French population (CIA, 2012). Mostly they are immigrants from the regions such as the Maghreb, the Middle East, Turkey and Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Additionally there is an increasing number of people of European descent in France who are deciding to convert into Islam. In the recent years, Muslims in France has strongly manifested its cultural and religious separateness. They aimed to â€Å"create an Islamic identity with local institutional, societal and cultural structures† (Wing and Smith, 2006, p.753) and they focused on building new mosques and loud practices of their religion. It led to Islamophobic tendencies in France which were often manifested by hostility, discrimination in employment and housing as well as larger socio-economic exclusion of Muslim society. Currently Muslims continue to be separated from the rest of French society. Key indicators of this exclusion are li mited access to the education for Muslims, houses in the urban ghettos (known also as the zones of economic and social exclusion) but also lack of involvement in French political life and culture from the Muslim side. The debate on headscarves in France has got its root in 1989 and is known as the affaires de foulard (Scott, 2005, p. 1). At that time, three Muslim girls were expelled from their secondary state school in the town of Creil after they refused to take off their headscarves. Although it was not a first such a case (the director of this school had earlier banned Jewish students from wearing the Kippah in school), it brought an extensive attention of French media. The director of school argued that he made a decision on the basis of French laicite[2], a concept postulating separation between the state and religion (Tarhan, 2011). Muslim society was supported by Catholic, Protestant and Jewish leaders. Together, they postulated that laicite should have been regarded as toleration for other religions rather than condemnation of religion (Scott, 2005). This approach was also accepted by the former Minister of Education, Lionel Jospin. He announced that religious symbols and clothing at sch ools were allowed as long as they did not threaten other religious beliefs (Tarhan, 2011). Despite this governmental announcement, a number of similar cases has dramatically increased between 1989 (400 cases) and 1994 (3000 cases), what led to racial and religious violence in France (Bowen, 2007). In 1994 the tensions were so intense that education staff were sending letter to the French government, asking for advices on how to deal with the situation. In result, new Minister of Education, Francois Bayrou implemented new rules on religious symbols in schools. He allowed only discreet symbols in schools, while he prohibited ostentatious symbols. Discreet symbols were defined as those that â€Å"demonstrated personal religious conviction† (Tarhan, 2011, p.18), while ostentatious – as those that led to discrimination and differences into the educational communities. Bayrou’s claim was controversial and brought the attention of French media. In result, the Conseil d ’Etat, the highest administrative court in France, decided to investigate the controversial issue. The court rejected Bayrou’s decision and obligated school administrations and teachers to make decision on the actions of their students. The French government appointed a Muslim woman, Hanifa Cherifi, as a governmental mediator responsible for handling the wearing of headscarves. In result, the issue has grown quiet for nine years (Scott, 2005). The issue of headscarves was brought to the public attention again in 2003, when the Minister of Interiors and Cults, Nicolas Sarkozy postulated that Muslim women should take off their headscarves while posing for official identity photographs. As Muslims became an important minority in France with the beginning of the twenty first century, Sarkozy’s claim reflected growing frustration and intolerance towards visibility of religious symbols in public places amongst French politicians and society. It also brought back the issue of headscarves in schools. In effect, French President, Jacques Chirac formed a commission led by Bernard Stasi in order to investigate the implementation of laicite in French educational institutions. . Students, teachers, intellectuals and also the European Commission got involved in the work of Stasi’s Commission. Muslim girls chose to be interviewed undercover, as they wanted to voice their opinions about wearing the hijab anonymously. The report produced by Stasi’s Commission presented an in-depth study on the role that the hijab plays in the Muslim community. In reference to Islam, one of the most important results was that young Muslim girls, that used to grow up in a society dominated by western culture and values found difficult to reaffirm their identities as Muslims by the way they had to dress. Further, it showed that young Muslim girls were often not participating in classes such as P.E (physical education) as they were afraid of violence and assaults from Muslim men’s side. Moreover, Muslim girls often confessed that they were being forced to wear the hijab by their families and peer groups. The Stasi’s Report also drew open other issues su rrounding Muslim women such as female genital mutilation and forced marriages (Vaisse, 2004). The Stasi’s Report pointed out that the existence of religious symbols in schools was not compatible with the concept of laicite. The Report postulated that the veils were responsible for the alienation of women. As secularism and gender equality were regarded as the important features of laicite, the Report recommended banning religious symbols in schools[3] (Wing and Smith, 2006). It is important to add that the critics of the Stasi’s Report aimed to undermine the validity of the report. They postulated that the report was mainly based on western perceptions on the hijab and Muslim women. The link between forced marriages, female genital mutilation and the hijab, were all based upon the commission negative image of Islam, there was no empirical research to back their findings (Schiek and Lawson, 2011). Muslim women argue that the hijab is worn voluntarily and it brings them a sense of belonging and community (Schiek and Lawson, 2011). Following the Stasi’s Report, on February 10th, 2004, French National Assembly passed the law on the banning conspicuous religious symbols in schools. A huge majority of the Assembly, 494 members, were in favour of the ban, while only 36 members voted against the ban. At the same time, 31 members abstained from voting. Similarly, on March 3rd, 2004, the French Senate also passed the same legislation. 276 voters were in favour of the ban, while 20 of them voted against the ban (Weil, 2009). The implementation of the new law was preceded by three demonstrations, respectively, on December 21st, 2004; on January 17th, 2005; and on February 14th, 2005 that aimed to stop passing the law 2004-228. Mohammed Latreche, an Islamist activist mobilized and encouraged French citizens to participate in these demonstrations. He established a political party, Pati des msulman de France (the Party of French Muslims) with the headquarters in Strasburg. The demonstrations, showed the Muslim publ ics outrage at the law that was about to be passed. The legislative ban was regarded as an attack on Muslims with the Muslim society. Two girls even went as far as hunger strikes to show their opposition to the ban. Some posters propagated slangs such as ‘Stasi killed me’ and ‘1 veil= 1 vote’ (Bowen, 2007). Officially, the law was implemented on March 15th and it is known as the law 2004-228. Despite the demonstrations, the legislative ban in France has been largely supported by the French society. According to Pew Research Centre (2006) 78% of the French population have supported the ban, while only 22% of the population have regarded the banning as a bad idea. The concept of laicite and its impact on the banning of headscarves in France Many scholars (i.e. Wing and Smith, Scott) believe that the concept of laicite was a key factor behind the decision on the banning of headscarves in France. Laicite has a long tradition in France and hence, it is crucial to analyze its influence on the ban of religious symbols. As it was mentioned above, laicite, known also as a French secularism, postulates separation between the state and religion as well as freedom of religion (Tarhan, 2011). It can be viewed as passive neutrality or non-intervention by the state in the private religious domain. This interpretation suggests that the exercise of religion in the private sphere is permissible, and that the French state will not openly support overt religious practices in public spheres (Scott, 2005). Another interpretation of the laicite’ can be viewed as a more active secularism, in terms of which the nation is promoted as a fundamentally political society fiercely independent of any religious authority (Wing and Smith, 2006), and one in which the values of the state can be defended through the concept of Là ¢â‚¬â„¢ORDRE PUBLIC in order to justify interference where necessary with some religious organisations. This definition of laicite’ gives the government more control over public institutions and the amount of religious activity that goes on there, for example schools (Weil, 2009). The concept of laicite was developed during the French Revolution (1789). Initially it concerned the separation between the state and the Catholic Church, which played a major role in France in the seventeenth century. Revolutionaries aimed to redefine citizenship and nationhood and hence, to separate Catholicism from the French identity. New citizenship was meant to be universal, secular and inclusive. Instead, the French Revolution led to ‘xenophobic nationalism’ (Tarhan, 2011, p.4) which targeted foreigners as well as priests, rebels, political opponents and noblemen. Similarly, the Revolution started to reject religion rather than tolerate it. The laicisation of French public schools began with an article that was passed on June 28th, 1833. This law entailed that primary school teaching should have no religious affiliation. Further, laicite was implemented in France through the creation of the public school system, in the years 1881-2 with Jules Ferry’s public school laws (Bowen, 2007). However, despite these steps Catholicism remained an important element of French regime until the end of nineteenth century. More significant changes started in 1901 when France passed a new law, Law of Association according to which religious associations became obligated to have a state supervision. Further, in 1904 the religious communities were forbidden to provide education. In result, approximately 30,000 of clergy lost their teaching jobs and stopped taking salaries from the state. Nonetheless, the legislation passed in 1905, known as the Separation Act, is regarded as first meaningful success of secularists in France (Tarhan, 2011). The 1905 law has become the legal guideline for the separation of the state and the church. The word laicite did not appear in the 1905 law. However, the first article of the law emphasized freedom of religion in France, as it stated that: â€Å"the republic ensures freedom of conscience. It guarantees the free exerci se of religions with the sole restrictions decreed hereafter in the interest of public order† (Tarhan, 2011, p.7). The second article, in turn, declared that â€Å"The Republic does not recognize, fund or subsidize any religion. [†¦]State, departmental and commune budgets, together with all expenses relating to the exercise of religions will be abolished.† (Tarhan, 2011, p.7) and hence, it guaranteed state’s neutrality towards religions. The legislation from 1905 gave a political and legal character to the concept of laicite in France. More importantly, it indicated that laicite was a process that had emerged in France through the confrontation about national identity between Clerics and Republicans (Scott, 2005). Although the concept of laicite in France does not show any historical links to the Islam religion, the ban on religious symbols from 2004 seems to emphasize an impact of laicite on the French politics and tradition. Nowadays laicite is regarded in France as one of the foundations of French Republic and the French collective (national) identity (The Economist, 2004). It represents a sharp contrast to Anglo-American model of multiculturalism. French believe that laicite guarantees tolerance, freedom of religion, peace as well as social cohesion. Further, laicite postulates a sharp division between public and private spheres. Religion and ethnicity can be manifested in the private sphere. However, the only visible legitimate identity in the public sphere should be French national identity. Further, the laic state has right to interfere in the religious issues if the national unity and common values of the French Republic are threatened (Weil, 2009). According to the concept, Muslim soc iety should accept French norms and culture in order to become a part of French political unity. Nonetheless, Muslims have become a significant minority in France, unwilling to adopt French tradition and lifestyle. Instead, they strongly manifested own culture, tradition and identity (The Economist, 2004). Islam was perceived not only as a religion but also as a rigorous lifestyle that rejected Western values such as liberty, freedom and laicite. Muslims were often regarded as the extremist group. Hence, French started to perceive Muslims and Islam religion as the threads to the French national unity that had to be addressed and resolved. The debate on headscarves in France confirms this negative perception of Muslims within French society (Tarhan, 2011). With the exception of laicite, there were also other factors that had an influence on the ban of religious symbols in France. As stated in the Stasi’s Report, the ban aimed to empower Muslim women and to guarantee greater equality amongst the Muslim women and men. However, in this case, the ban was just a symbolic gesture, as it only applied to the young Muslim girls in public schools and did not affect adult Muslim women, working in some public places or just walking on the streets (Bowen, 2007). In contrast, there are several external factors that might have influenced the timing of headscarves debate in France. When the first debate on headscarves took place in 1989, the Communist system in the Central and Eastern Europe collapsed. Instead, the Europe experienced massive inflows of Muslim immigrants and spreading Islam religion across the European countries. Hence, Islam quickly started to be perceived as a thread to the Western values that replaced an old thread, communism . Further, in 1994 there was a civil war in Algeria, a former colony of France that was caused by the conflict between the secular military government of Algeria and Islamic fundamentalists. The Algerian conflict indicated a possibility of similar problems between the state and its largest religious minority in France. Finally, in 2003 the Europe was still strongly affected by the consequences of September 11th (2001). Additionally, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the worsening of the conflict between Israel and Palestine resulted in sharp divergence between the West and Islam culture. At that time, French Muslims definitely identified with the Muslims in other parts of the world and the wearing of headscarves manifested such identification. French government, on the other hand, faced real threads of terrorism. Hence, the main principle of French defense became to prevent French citizens and institutions from potential challenges to their integrity (Scott, 2005). Conclusions To sum up, the ban of religious symbols in schools implemented in France in 2004 was very controversial and led to numerous protests and demonstrations in France. The supporters of the ban underlined the secular character of France and the need to separate religion from the public sector. The opponents, in turn, postulated a minor impact of the ban, as it only affected Muslim schoolgirls, constituting relatively insignificant percentage of Muslim female population in France. Without a doubt, laicite had a key impact on the legislative ban. However, the main factor behind the governmental decision was not separation between the religion and the state, regarded as a traditional element of the concept of laicite. In the contemporary France, key elements of laicite have become nation identity and unity. As the French society was characterized by a strong division on Muslims and non-Muslims as well as by strengthening Muslim influences, the French conservative government of Chirac has become responsible for protecting the French national identity. The ban was believed to be a successful tool to achieve this goal. Except laicite, there was a number of international events such as Afghan war, Iraqi war or Israeli-Palestinian conflict that strengthened Islamophobic in Western countries, in particular in secular France that has always been characterized by the opposition to multiculturalism and foreignness. Although some scholars postulate that gender equality wa s also a factor influencing French decision on the ban, there is no strong evidence to support this claim. In fact, the ban affected only small number of young Muslim girls being in public education. Nowadays it is certain that Muslims have to accept cosmopolitan values and freethinking if they aim to stay in the Western countries. Currently a number of Western countries such as United Kingdom, Spain or Germany have been characterized by a trap of two conflicting cultures. However, forcing Muslims to go against their religious practices, as applied in France seems to be counterproductive. The ban of religious symbols in France led to the riots (2005) in so-called les cites, ghettos focusing North Africans and Arabs that spread around the major French cities. During these riots two Muslim teenagers were accidently killed. However, the ban of religious symbols could have disastrous consequences. Young Muslims, rejected by the French government and regarded as a second-class society, often accept extremism and violence as the solution of their problems. The example of the United States demonstrates prominently the negative consequences of rejecting and underestimating its ethnic min ority. The young, radical Muslims in the US, trained by the conservative European imams became responsible for the dramatic events from September 11th (Kiersh, 2008). The French government should have learnt a lesson from the United States and should stop pushing its Muslim society towards extremism and encouraging violence amongst them. Instead, the French government should establish a long-term strategy in order to incorporate their Muslim minority into the environment they regard as unfriendly. The government must develop new, comprehensive measures that will help Muslims to identify with the rest of the French society and to become involved in various aspects of French lifestyle. In order to achieve these goals, the French government must focus on the reduction of job and housing discrimination in the first place as well as on changing the attitudes within the French policy towards Muslim male immigrants. The French government can expect that other European governments (in particular British, German and Spanish governments) will be also willing to address the problem of separation between Muslims and mainstream society, as they struggle with the same problem. Together, these countries have enough resources to implement reforms and changes so that the Muslims can assimilate with the rest of the societies. Also the United States could probably get involved in such a cross-countries program in the framework of the War on Terror. Without a doubt, the European governments would be more willing to accept such a form of terrorism fighting rather than military interventions in the Middle East. The following concept requires in-depth analyzes and detailed policy planning. However, it would definitely bring larger and more positive outcomes than the ban of religious symbols in public schools (Kiersh, 2008). List of references: Astier, H., (2004). The deep Roots of French Secularism [online] available from: (Accessed on 25.04.2012). Bowen, J., (2007). Why the French do not like the Headscarves. New Jersey: Princeton University CIA, (2012). The World Factbook: France [online] Available from: (Accessed on 25.04.2012). Kiersh, A., (2008). Why the Headscarf Ban is wrong for France [online] Available from: (Accessed on 25.04.2012). Morin, R. and Horowitz, J., (2006). European debate the Scarf and the Veil [online] Available from: (Accessed on 25.04.2012). Scott, J., (2005). Symptomatic Politics: The Banning of Islamic Head Scarves in French Public Schools. New Jersey: Institute for Advanced Study. Schiek, D and Lawson, A., (2011). European Union Non-Discrimination Law and Intersectionality: Investigating the Triangle of Racial, Gender and Disability Discrimination. London: Ashgate Publishing. Syed, , (2001). Women in Islam: Hijab [online] Available from: (Accessed on 25.04.2012). Tarhan, G., (2011). Roots of the Headscarf Debate: Laicism and Secularism in France and Turkey. Journal of Political Inquiry, 4, p. 1-32. The Economist, (2004). The war of the headscarves [online] Available from: (Accessed on 25.04.2012). Vaisse, J., (2004). Veiled Meaning: the French Law Banning Religious Symbols in Public Schools. Washington: The Brookings Institute. Weil, P., (2009). Why the French Laicite is liberalCardozon Law Review, 30(6), p.2699-2714. Wing, A. and Smith, M., (2006). Critical Race Feminism Lifts in Veil?: Muslim, Women, France and the Headscarf Ban. California: UC Davis. [1] The headscarf wore by Muslim women is commonly known as hijab in the Europe. However, Quran uses two Arabic terms: â€Å"khimar† and â€Å"jilbaab† in reference to headscarf or veil. [2] The concept of French laicite will be discussed in details in the next chapter. [3] It is worth adding that Stasi’s Report also postulated the recognition of majority religious feasts as public holiday. However, this law was not passed.