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Negro Spirituals - 1854 Words

Humans from the coast of West Africa arrived to the New World as slaves. Stripped of everything familiar, they brought with them their traditional ways of using music to record historic events, expressions, and to accompany rituals. While toiling in the tobacco fields of Virginia, slaves were not permitted to speak to each other. So, they resorted to their African tradition. They sang! Today, these lyrics have crossed barriers and are sung in many churches across America as spirituals. However, such songs as Wade in the Water, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, and Follow the Drinking Gourd, were once used as an important tool of survival by the slaves of the antebellum era. The content of many Negro spirituals consisted of a religious†¦show more content†¦Jordan or River Jordan is often referred to in Negro Spirituals. It is the code term for the body of water that slaves crossed to freedom; the Ohio River separated the North from the South. These are only a few terms to look for when decoding Negro spirituals (Thomas). A well- known spiritual that has found its way into the hymn books of Americas religious institution is titled Wade in the Water. This song was created by the slaves of the south. It was used as a very important tool to assist Harriet Tubman. Tubman was a conductor of the Underground Railroad. Born into slavery, she was able to escape her life of bondage and successfully escorted over 300 slaves to freedom during a ten-year span (Public Broadcasting System). The lyrics of this sacred song alerted runaways that slave catchers were nearby, and advised the use of waterways to avoid being detected by scent-sniffing dogs. It also warned the runaway of the freezing temperature of the Ohio River (Songs). Slave owners kept their slave ignorant of geographic routes to limit escapes. But slaves knew the North states were where freedom lies. Abolitionist taught slaves to escape North by using the North Star as a navigation aid. It is the star that the earth axis points toward in the N orthern sky. Slaves were able to locate Polaris by locating a constellation of stars that was in the shape of a big dipper. The North Star was very significant in the lives ofShow MoreRelatedNegro Spirituals1624 Words   |  7 PagesNegro Spirituals Spirituals, a religious folk song of American origin, particularly associated with African-American Protestants of the southern United States. The African-American spiritual, characterized by syncopation, polyrhythmic structure, and the pentatonic scale of five whole tones, is, above all, a deeply emotional song. Spirituals are really the most characteristic product of the race genius as yet in America. But the very elements which make them uniquely expressive of the Negro make themRead MoreEssay on Negro Spirituals1630 Words   |  7 Pages Negro Spirituals Spirituals, a religious folk song of American origin, particularly associated with African-American Protestants of the southern United States. The African-American spiritual, characterized by syncopation, polyrhythmic structure, and the pentatonic scale of five whole tones, is, above all, a deeply emotional song. Spirituals are really the most characteristic product of the race genius as yet in America. But the very elements which make them uniquely expressive of the Negro makeRead More The Impact of Negro Spirituals on Todays Music Essay1707 Words   |  7 PagesThe Impact of Negro Spirituals on Todays Music I believe that it would be difficult for someone to make the argument that Negro spirituals have not been influential in the field of music, much less the realm of gospel music today. However, church members often do not make the time to reflect on the heritage of a hymn or song to realize the meaning that the particular piece has carried with it through the decades, even centuries. With this in mind, I am going to look at the history ofRead MoreKellie P. Tindley. Professor Tavel. March 07, 2017. English1492 Words   |  6 PagesThose Spiritual Secrets â€Å"My music is not for everyone. It’s only for the strong-willed, the (street) soldiers music. It’s not like party music-I mean, you could gig to it, but it’s spiritual. My music is spiritual. It’s like Negro spirituals, except for the fact that I’m saying ‘We shall overcome.’ I’m saying that we are overcome. -Tupac Shakur- As of 2017 we are 152 years free of slavery in America. But, that doesn’t mean that mentally we as a people aren’t still singing through spirituals. ThereRead MoreDreams As A Mode Of Freedom1611 Words   |  7 Pagesfar back as the Negro Spirituals during the time of slavery. While the motif of dreams is used far and wide in African American literature, it is in no way a static matter, but rather a dynamic entity that writers internalize and redefine to express the sentiments of their time. The meaning of the dream progressed accordingly to racial tensions in the country and the freedom African Americans were allotted to express themselves politically and creatively. Starting with Negro Spirituals, hopes and dreamsRead MoreDouble Consciousness1491 Words   |  6 Pageswhites. These expressions originated from an Atlantic Monthly article by W. E. B. Du Bois called â€Å"Strivings of the Negro People,† which was later republished and amended under the title †Å"Of Our Spiritual Strivings† in his famous 1903 collection of essays The Souls of Black Folk. It is interesting to note some of the ways Du Bois was ahead of his time. In the introduction to â€Å"Of Our Spiritual Strivings,† he writes, (Du Bois 2011: 147) Herein lie buried many things which if read with patience may showRead MoreB Dubois And The Conservation Of Races1103 Words   |  5 PagesAmericans has been justified by whites due to our racial distinctions. W.E.B Dubois explores the concept of race and how we can use it advantageously in his infamous â€Å"The Conservation of Races†. Dubois writes this propositional essay to the American Negro Academy as a testament of his scholarly merit to Alexander Crumell, his black intellectualist hero. The piece is written in 1896 twenty years after Reconstruction during Jim Crow segregation. In response to this dire time and his own personal racialRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s The Fire Next Time 901 Words   |  4 Pageshistory and hardships African Americans went through living in America. James Baldwin explains in his essay that black people in America have to accept the way of white people in their own views. Baldwin shows the reader what it is like to be a â€Å"negro † and what they have to go through everyday life in his essay. Through his own views he describes the negative history of blacks in a way of acceptance, hope and a vision for equality. Baldwin writes his first essay in the book â€Å"The fire Next Time†Read MoreCall And Response Of The Black Church1326 Words   |  6 PagesCall and Response in the Black Church â€Å"Roll, Jordan, Roll†, â€Å"Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Had†, â€Å"Go Down, Moses†, and â€Å"Wade in the Water† are the titles of only a handful of what were called â€Å"Negro Spirituals†, which originated during the reign of slavery in the United States (Frey). Such spirituals used call-and-response, a method of communication that was popular with slaves who brought African traditions to America, and gave way to the gospel music and unique form of preaching characteristicRead MoreEssay about Black Bourgeoisie Critical Review1655 Words   |  7 PagesChapter 1: The Roots of the Black Bourgeoisie 1. According to the perspective of E. Franklin Frazier, the â€Å"Black Bourgeoisie played an important role among American Negros for decades. Frazier’s study led him to the significant of â€Å"Negro Business† and its impact on the black middle class. Education was a major social factor responsible for emergence of the Black bourgeoisie. 2. By fact, the net total number of the free Negroes in the first generation topped out at 37,245 with an estimated accumulation

Economic Forecasting Paper Free Essays

Economic Forecasting Paper Rebecca Sloop University Of Phoenix Principles of Macroeconomics ECO/372 Alexander Heil PhD November 23, 2012 Economic Forecasting Paper Two historical economic data where information can be found are Bureau of Economic Analysis, U. S. Department of Commerce and FRED, Economic Time-Series Database. We will write a custom essay sample on Economic Forecasting Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now The FRED database comprises the national economic and financial statistics as well as interest rates, consumer price indexes, employment and population and trade data. This database is a valuable source because this consents populaces to see how the country’s financial state is at. The Bureau of Economic Analysis includes estimates concerning national, international, and regional economic activity. It also provides statistics decision influenced by the government officials, business people, households and individuals. The quantitative of each site is that they included tax list information and census return evidence. The Bureau of Economic Analysis and FRED database qualitative used are they both expound on the findings that are encompassed in the database. The area that was not comfortable to me was about the measureable and qualitative. I did not fully comprehend what the real variance is and after reading the material it seem as if they both mean the same. This week focus does relate to my field because I work for a Medicare part D drug plan. Having an indication of how and what the historical records collect it gives me a better understanding of how they regulate the group of people who may qualify for Medicare assistance each year. References U. S. Department of Commerce. (2012). . Retrieved from Bureau of Economic Analysis: http://www. bea. gov/ How to cite Economic Forecasting Paper, Essay examples Economic Forecasting Paper Free Essays The most important resource that we felt that would be used to gather historical economic data as well as economic forecast data would be surveys of various consumers finances essay writer premium 3d. The consumer finance survey would be used to calculate all income of each individual family. These surveys of consumer finances for each individual family in the United States would be considered a qualitative type of research, but at times can also be a quantitative research as well. We will write a custom essay sample on Economic Forecasting Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now During these surveys we notices that the qualitative aspect of them can determine their results with the help of other research and studies, whereas the quantitative aspects of the survey’s results are made up of all the numerical numbers from each question. The various factors of demand and supply are Exchange rates, the distribution of income, Expectations, and Monetary and fiscal policies. Another shift factor of aggregate supply is a change in the productivity of the factors of production such as labor. Other shift factors are changes in import prices of final goods and changes in excise and sales taxes. Economists spend a lot of time tracking these shift factors because they are central to whether the economy will have an inflation problem. Aggregate demand management policy attempts to influence the level of output in the economy by influencing aggregate demand and relying on the multiplier to expand any policy-induced change in aggregate demand. The effectiveness of changes in fiscal policies using Keynesian and Classical models are, economists who focused on long-run issues such as growth were called Classical economists and economists who focused on the short run were called Keynesian economists. Classical economists believed in the market’s ability to be self-regulating through the invisible hand. A Classical economist takes a laissez-faire approach, and believes the economy is self-regulating. A Keynesian economist takes an interventionist approach, and believes that equilibrium output can remain below potential output. How to cite Economic Forecasting Paper, Papers

Acc 490 Week 4 Individual Assignment free essay sample

8-16 a. 20x120x220x320x420x5 Accounts Receivable, net83713351121962822 Inventory10251327109910031027 Accounts Payable164380225201175 Sales37805638462340223905 Cost of Sales18122691239919231859 Gross Margin19682947222420992046 Purchases2993217118271883 Gross Margin52. 3%48. 1%52. 2%52. 4% Inventory Turn Days160185199199 AR Turn Days70979583 Gross Operating Cycle230282294283 AP Turn Days33514336 Net Operating Cycle197231251246 b. The trends show a significant increase in the inventory turn days, an increase in the gross margin for the best result for the four year period, and an improved collection time. c. 7. 84 days Tolerable misstatement ? cogs x 365 = 45 ? 1859 x 365 = 7. 84 d. 205 has significant changes with the combined decrease to purchases with an increase in the gross margin which increased by 52. 4%. Inventory turn days increased to 199 days from 183 days. When you combine this result with the expectation range of 7. 4 days, the result is significant and shows what could be a potential overstatement of inventory from a possible error in calculations or fraudulent financial reporting. 10-32 a. a. Control Environment. b. Control activities: Controls over management discretion in financial reporting. We will write a custom essay sample on Acc 490 Week 4 Individual Assignment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page c. Control activities: Information processing controls: Computer general controls. d. Monitoring. e. Risk Assessment. f. Control Environment. g. Control activities: Information processing controls: Computer general controls. h. Control activities: Information processing controls: Computer application controls. i. Control activities: Performance reviews. j. Control activities: Information processing controls: Computer application controls. k. Monitoring. l. Information and communication. m. Risk assessment. n. Control activities: Information processing controls: Controls over the financial reporting process. b. a. Common impact. b. Valuation or Allocation c. All assertions d. Completeness, Existence or occurrence. e. Common impact f. All assertions g. All any assertion . Completeness i. Valuation or Allocation, Completeness, Existence or occurrence j. Existence or occurrence k. Existence or occurrence l. All assertions m. All assertions n. All assertions 11-21 a. The reasons an auditor may assess control risk at the maximum level for one or more assertions embodied in an account balance include controls that are unlikely to relate to an assertion, controls are unlikely to be effective, and it would not be ef ficient for the auditor to evaluate the effectiveness of the controls of the entity. b. writing funeral service In order for an auditor to support assessing control risk at less than the maximum level when the auditor has determined that the controls have been placed into operation include a few issues. One is that the auditor needs to identify the specific controls that will affect specific financial statement assertions. Another involves the auditor performing tests of controls in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan and operation of said controls that prevent or detect any misstatements of material of financial statement assertions. The final issue is that the auditor needs to determine the assessed level of control risk. c. There are things that an auditor needs to consider when seeking a further reduction in the planned assessed level of control risk including if additional tests of controls will give additional needed evidence, and if it will be effective to the additional tests of controls. d. The auditor’s documentation requirements concerning an entity’s system of internal controls along with assessing the level of control risk include having the auditor document the basic requirements involving the systems of internal controls of the entity and assessing their levels of control risks. An auditor also needs to document the basic understanding of the risk assessment along with the control environment, monitoring, and information and communication. An auditor is also required to document the assessment of the level of control risk for all significant financial statement assertions along with the control risk that is assessed at the maximum level. Documentation of the workplace needs to include a description of the tests of controls that the auditor has completed, the results obtained from those findings with the deficiencies noted, the evaluation of the auditor as to the effectiveness of the controls, and the effect on the timing, nature, and extent of the substantive audit procedures.

Beowulf Is Considered The Oldest Of The Great Poems Written In English

Beowulf is considered the oldest of the great poems written in English, it may have been composed more than twelve hundred years ago, maybe even the first half of the eighth century. The epic Beowulf is the establishment of every story or movie based on Action and Adventure. I found the story extremely descriptive and enjoyable. There have been plenty of movies and stories based on the storyline of Beowulf for example Predator with Arnold Swarzenegar or even the comic book character of Batman. They all have the same basic idea of hero that has to fight an enemy that is causing havoc. Also there is a time line in which it completely tells the life of the hero. Being that the story had no picture it gave me a complete visual of every instance in the epic. For instance, how the Monster Grendel, comes to plague Heorot, leaving terror in the hall for years. The fight between Beowulf and Grendel is short but vivid, Beowulf engages the Monster when it breaks into the hall one night and Beowulf kills Grendel by ripping his arm off. The descriptiveness of the story can be over bearing, at times I would drift of into my own thoughts because I found that it was taking too long to get the point across. For instance, Beowulf's troop came abroad like a paved track, a path that kept them in marching order. Their mail shirts glinted, hard and hand linked; the high gloss iron of their armor rang. So they duly arrived in their war graith and gear at the hall. Such descriptive writing as these tends to make me loose interest in what they are saying and doing. I am sure though that in the past this was the best thing, considering they didn't have television. All in all I found the epic Beowulf entertaining at its limitations of vivid descriptions. Being that it is thought to be one of the first epics in its time and of all times, it still has the feel of a modern day epic, for all to enjoy. Bibliography none

How Confucianism as the Asian American Heritage Has Been Maintained in Asian American Families

How Confucianism as the Asian American Heritage Has Been Maintained in Asian American Families Introduction Asian Americans exhibit a strong cultural diversity that prevents scholars from characterizing their families using a single set of cultural values; however, they also share strong cultural similarities such as the Confucian philosophy towards life and family.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on How Confucianism as the Asian American Heritage Has Been Maintained in Asian American Families specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Scholars claim that this philosophy is a product of the early political and cultural influence of China in the historical development of other East Asian nations including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The culture of these nations is highly influenced by the doctrines of Confucianism, which advocate for the respect for authority, loyalty to parents, emotional moderation, and the vital role of education. The Confucian philosophy uses the concepts of training (chiao shum) and control a nd love (guan) in the Chinese parenting practices, such that they are deeply involved in the lives of their children. Such involvement in the learning process of their children has faced many challenges in the Asian American family, following their immigration. In addition, some Chinese practices such as physical discipline are not condoned in the United States.1 This paper seeks to explore how Asian American families have succeeded in maintaining the Confucianism philosophy by identifying the existing Chinese cultural practices among the descendants of their immigrants, and Chinese mannerisms that point to the Confucianism doctrine. The paper also examines Confucianism in other Asian Americans including Koreans and Vietnamese. Research questions How do immigration history of Asian Americans and experiences of living in America affect the ability of these families to maintain Confucianism? How do the Asian American families’ attitudes, values and beliefs concerning education and socioeconomic status impact on Confucianism? Research objectives To find out the relation between immigration trends of Asians into America and their settlement experiences, and the ability of Asian American families to maintain their cultural practices, with focus on Confucianism. To find out the relation between legacies of Confucianism and the socioeconomic status of Asian American families with regard to educational attainment. Demography of Asian Americans Some of the countries of origin of Asian Americans include China, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India, among others.2 Each of these nations has its own cultural heritages, languages, political systems, religious practices, and economic conditions, which is reflected in the diverse ethnic differences among Asian Americans. Confucianism has its origin in the Chinese society, where it served as one of the greatest humanistic cultures involving virtue teachings and rules o f social reform.Advertising Looking for proposal on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These teachings then spread from China to other East Asia countries such as Singapore, Korea, Japan and Vietnam.3 This study will focus on the Chinese immigrants to America, and their current practices that ensure that Confucianism impacts both their lives and those of their children. Background of Confucianism Confucianism is the Western term used to refer to a moral cultivation practice known to Eastern Asians, including Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, and Vietnamese, as the â€Å"Scholarly Tradition†. The neologism â€Å"Confucianism† was devised in the 19th century after a great Chinese sage known as Confucius, who introduced the concept of adhering to inherited rites diligently in order to fully awaken one’s humanity and in doing so, grasp the way of heaven. It was Confucius who came up with the notion tha t the perfection of that process was only possible after a â€Å"life-long dedication to meticulous study and self-cultivation†. This was achieved by comprehension of the philosophical moral effects of daily relationships based on the interaction of an individual to both internal and external resources. The former was attained through self-cultivation, which involved the purification of one’s mind and heart in order to make the will sincere. By achieving this state, an individual was believed to be capable of uniting one’s family and moderating the society, which was necessary to renew the human race. Conversely, helping one’s family, society, and the world to achieve total serenity would in turn, allow the individual’s virtue to rest in ideal integrity. As such, Confucianism involves individual accomplishment through daily interactions as opposed to through the power of an inspirational deity, which makes it less of a religion and more of a system of humanistic ethics.4 These religious implications were passed on through a set of teachings that were believed to have been written by Confucius. These texts included the Analects, Book of Mencius, Great Learning, and Doctrine of the Mean, and they were instrumental, for centuries, in shaping the religious, philosophical, and political discourse of China, as well as other East Asia nations including Korea and Japan.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on How Confucianism as the Asian American Heritage Has Been Maintained in Asian American Families specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the dominance of the Neo-Confucian in East Asia began to decrease in the nineteenth century, as the technological and military superiority of European powers began to rise steadily.5 This led to a call by the Japanese and Koreans leadership for replacement of the Confucian educational system with a more empirical and practical based education system. This exercise was also evident in China, with its culmination in the abolishing of the traditional examination system and a call for renunciation of any loyalty to Confucian doctrines.6 Confucianism in Asian American families A majority of East Asian immigrants to America journeyed in the late 19th and 20th centuries, following the change in perception of the Confucian education system. Most of these immigrants were of the view that the Confucian system was not ideal for a modern life. As such, they worked as laborers in the new land, due to their minimal literary and political education. Their disapproval of the Confucian doctrines led them to adjust their non-working hours to the worship of Buddha or Taoist images. The descendants of these immigrants had less exposure to the doctrines since they could not read Chinese. In addition, these descendants were of the opinion that the Confucian values were inapplicable in the American way of living.7 However, not all A sian Americans shared this opinion of the traditional education system. For instance, the â€Å"members of the Confucius Center in Chicago and the Confucius Church in Stockton California† use various Scholarly values and symbols as reminders of their cultural heritage. Such associations commemorate various Chinese holidays and sponsor classes that can inform young people about classical Chinese by studying the four books mentioned earlier. The members of these associations also own cemeteries for organizing biannual outings that allow people to visit the graves of their recent ancestors; a Confucian tradition that symbolizes the expression of gratitude and adoration for the cumulative efforts that have made one’s life triumphs achievable.Advertising Looking for proposal on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Various activities such as taking care of the grave site, presenting offerings, and showing respect and humility to the grave memorial are just some of the obligations of those who uphold the Confucian tradition as a way to compensate one’s ancestors for the gift of an enlightened life. The ability of Asian Americans to uphold such practices in a foreign land serves both a representative and an assuring purpose in that the East Asian culture heredity excels across both time and boundaries.8 The Chinese Americans who still follow the Confucianism philosophy exert numerous guidelines and requirements on their children. For instance, the children are supposed to take care of various family duties including cleaning, cooking, and taking care of small children. The Chinese parents do not control their children; on the contrary, they teach their children on how to live in unity with others. Such a practice is achieved by teaching the children to avoid emotional expression, which av oids shaming an individual, and thereby, preserving good health and positive relationships.9 Methodology This study will use a combination of qualitative research methods, in addition to the literature review on the Chinese Americans applications of the Confucianism philosophy. The research will be conducted in a sample population gathered from higher education institutions. The qualitative research methods that are applicable in this study are in-depth interviews and focus groups. The former will be useful in identifying the personal histories of the Chinese Americans, and their experiences in America, as well as how this transformation has influenced the application of the Confucianism philosophy. Focus groups, on the other hand, will be useful in comparing the opinions of the Chinese Americans with regard to their family practices and Confucianism. Conclusion There is minimal literature on the maintenance of Confucian values in Asian American families; hence, the analysis of lite rature in combination with qualitative research methods. As discussed earlier, appropriate sources of information on this topic can be attained by visiting the existing Confucius centers and churches within the U.S. More information can be gathered from Chinese American students in higher learning institutions. The study of people can reveal various Confucian values, without the individuals having necessarily gone through the Confucian education system. Some of these values include high value for education, unselfish behavior, and value on the extended family.10 As such, interviews and direct interaction with Chinese Americans can help to reveal the existence of informal familial education to inculcate Confucian virtues, for individuals with minimal information regarding the Neo-Confucian curriculum. Bibliography Adler, Susan Matoba. International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family: Asian-American Families. New York: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2006, pp. 74-78. The author explores vari ous family structures in traditional Asian-American families and the gender roles. He goes a step further to examine various religious and cultural values that apply to Asian immigrants, with focus on Korean Americans. Anheier, Helmut K. Encyclopedia of Global Studies: Confucianism. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2012, pp. 266-269. The author explores the doctrine of Ne0-Confucianism in the 20th and 21st centuries, and the popular support that it obtained, as well as various anti-Confucian movements. Anqi, X., X. Xiaolin, L. Wenli, X. Yah, and L. Dalin. Chinese Family Strengths and Resiliency. Marriage Family Review, 2007: 41(2), 143-164. The authors provide an insight on familial education and the passage of the Confucianism philosophy from one generation to the next. Berthrong, John. Contemporary American Religion: Confucianism. New York: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2006, pp. 146-148. The author explains the Confucianism philosophy including its history and teachings. In addit ion, the author explores what it takes for the doctrine to flourish outside East Asia by examining Asians in Diaspora (Europe and North America). Gall, Timothy L., and Jeneen Hobby. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life: Korean Americans. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2009, pp. 335-338. The authors explore the current trend of Confucianism in East Asia, with focus on South Koreans in Asia, as well as Korean Americans. Huang, Grace Hui-Chen, and Mary Gove. Confucianism and Chinese Families: Values and Practices in Education. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2012: 2(3), 10-13. The authors explore the origins of the Confucianism doctrine, and the significance of these teachings in the Chinese culture Hwang, K. K. Dao and the transformative power of Confucianism: A theory of East Asian modernization. Singapore: The Institute of East Asian Philosophies, 1993. This book provides an insight on the effects of modernization on Confucianism in the East As ian countries. Nai-Hua, Ko. Familism in Confucianism. Taiwan: Shu-Te University, 2004. The book explores the education of virtues and ethics through the use of families following the disapproval of Confucianism teachings in the education system of East Asian countries. Park, M., and C. Chesla. Revisiting Confucianism as a conceptual framework for Asian family study. Journal of Family Nursing, 2007: 13(3), 293-311. The authors provide an analysis of the impact of Confucianism as a religion in ensuring virtuous and ethical growth of Asian children in America Xie, Yu, and Kimberly Goyette. Asian Americans: A Demographic Portrait. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 2005. The authors explore data relating to the immigration trend of various East Asian individuals and their experiences in America. Footnotes 1 Grace Hui-Chen, Huang and Mary Gove. Confucianism and Chinese Families: Values and Practices in Education. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2012: 2(3), 10 2 Yu , Xie and Kimberly Goyette. Asian Americans: A Demographic Portrait. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 2005. 3 Helmut K. Anheier. Encyclopedia of Global Studies: Confucianism. (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2012), pp. 266. 4 Nai-Hua Ko. Familism in Confucianism. Taiwan: Shu-Te University, 2004. 5 Berthrong, John. Contemporary American Religion: Confucianism. (New York: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2006), pp. 146. 6 Gall, Timothy L., and Jeneen Hobby. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life: Korean Americans. (Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning), 2009, pp. 335. 7 Anqi, X. Xiaolin, L. Wenli, X. Yah, and L. Dalin. Chinese Family Strengths and Resiliency. Marriage Family Review, 2007: 41(2), 144. 8 Hwang, K. K. Dao and the transformative power of Confucianism: A theory of East Asian modernization. Singapore: The Institute of East Asian Philosophies, 1993. 9 Park, M., and C. Chesla. Revisiting Confucianism as a conceptual framework for Asian family study. Journal of Family Nu rsing, 2007: 13(3), 293-311. 10 Susan Matoba Adler. International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family: Asian-American Families. (New York: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2006), pp. 75.

Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Networking - Essay Example Chief among those rules is this: Build applications that harness network effects to get better the more people use them† (Pang 2009). Unfortunately, there is still no exact definition available for this technology. In order to understand the concept of Web 2.0, one needs to be an information technology expert. The innovative web 2.0 has aid users to explore Internet in different ways. Similarly, this comes with the idea of collaboration and communication with users, people and organizations of analogous interest (Wang, Ching-Huang Wang et al. 2010). Moreover, many people discuss Web 2.0 by indicating YouTube, face book, twitter etc. These websites support features of Web2.0, as is composed of Rich Internet Application (RIA), Ajax, flash, web services, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), iterative language and social web. The technologies associated with RIA are AJAX, Java FX, Microsoft Silverlight and Flex.The idea is to integrate desktop computing experience to the browser by integrating more than one application on the web browser. On the other hand another key component called as SOA provides a flexible platform for organizations to add services. As organizations expand businesses, SOA provides room to include innovative services and products. The primary objective of SOA is to add services as the business expands. Furthermore, Web 2.0 has introduced new social networking websites including improved interactions with employees, customers, suppliers etc. Issues Internet has blossomed vast opportunities for developers, programmers, businesses to operate a business. On the other hand, new threats keep on effecting Internet and services associated with it. Organizations are extremely cautious regarding the Internet security because Web 2.0 allows the involvement of core systems directly from the web sites. Moreover, almost everyone bank is now offering ‘online banking’ services, which needs security with strict compliance. Most of the issues related to Internet, fall’s in the domain of operational problems. Web users tend to give correct personal information online to websites and a forum, which is, unsafe. Likewise, when the user access websites, chat with friends, and download software for various purposes, a hidden file known as Trojans creates a hidden remote connection, providing all the information to the hacker. For instance, if a web user conducts an online transaction via a credit card, the Trojan will extract the credit card number as the user types it from the keyboard, and sends it to the hacker. Consequently, the hacker may use credit card, resulting in financial loss. In corporate business environments, the impact is even more as compared to the home user. Hackers may breach in databases, file servers, and data warehouses, to extract classified information related to future-plans, milestones etc. and denting the organization with substantial business loss. Pornography on the web is another debatable issue, when considering children. As numerous pornographic websites are providing high quality pictures and videos, that can be accessed easily. Pornographic statistics from ‘

Zar (religious custom) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Zar (religious custom) - Research Paper Example For instance, mental illness among the believers of this cult is often associated with Zar possession. This possession is further considered to be more common among the feminine gender; however, in the west, immigrants associate the Zar possession with the male gender. Further, Zar being a trance ceremony in some parts of Africa and the Middle East is technically unacceptable in the Islam religion. Despite the prohibition, the practice involves a healing cult where believers engage in drumming and dancing. Zar also provides an avenue for sharing knowledge and doing charity work among women in a patriarchal society evident for instance, in North Africa and the Middle East. In this religious custom, women dominate the sphere of leadership and participation is also dominated by the female gender (Boddy 6). This paper explores the practices related to Zar cult in Northern Sudan, Egypt and also the Middle East. This ceremony normally occur purposely to treat mental illness, despite being several ways of resolving psychological disturbance, the Zar ceremony is considered as the last resort in dealing with a number of ailments. However, this practice is not common in most part of Egypt, but is popular in the southern Egypt and extends to Sudan. In times of conducting the ceremony, this practice normally occur in a big room and one that is not used by the family members. As such, families normally rent a room to conduct the ceremony (Boddy 21). The other important aspect of the ceremony practiced by the Zar, is an emphasis on the altar. The altar used by Zar believers resembles a round tray and is placed on top of a bench that is in the center of the room used by the believers. In addition, the altar used by Zar is covered using a white cloth that also contains piles of dried fruits and nuts. In essence, the person who leads the Zar ceremony is required to keep the ritual on

Performance Measures Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Performance Measures - Assignment Example of this document is to outline the measurement of the performance as post-implementation metrics of the recommendation, namely: â€Å"Change Organizational Approach to Event Monitoring and Log Analysis† (‘Verizon Report’, 2010). The scope of this document includes role and responsibility of key people in an organization, background of the measure, legislative and strategic drivers, measure development process and its implementation. According to Verizon Report 2010, maximum information security breaches in 2009 showed that in most of the breaches the data is compromised after lapse of several days of the breach. It takes effort and time until these breaches are found. Significantly, people other than the victim makes such discovery. The victim upon information reacts immediately and uses the most important defense that is ID/IPS. However, this measure in most cases intensifies the situation rather controlling it. Furthermore, it is not the only defense that organizations have to curb this problem and relying upon it as a last resort does not solve the problem and eliminate it completely (Solms, 2000). The CIO is responsible to change the approach to tackle breach instance at the organization. CIO should ensure that as a post-attack instance, ID/IPS should not be used instantly and as the only measure to control the situation. Instead, batch processing and log analysis should be undertaken with keen interest to identify any stack of viruses or breaches. The focus should be on ‘mass’ breaches rather ‘individual’. Therefore, proper policy and implementation guidelines have to be circulated to all users in the organization regarding the measures to be taken in case breach takes place and is discovered. Additionally, the CIO has to prioritize and select performance measures and develop the targets for their achievement (‘NIST’, 2008). The role of Senior Information Security Officer is to ensure that the program manager uses the changed approach to

Impact of the Cold War On Vietnam Economy

Impact of the Cold War On Vietnam Economy After two protracted wars with the French colonial empire, followed by a thirty year conflict with the US superpower, Vietnam was economically devastated. However, during the following forty years Vietnam has developed a vibrant and progressive economy and gradually achieved recognition as a major economic power within the South East Asian region. Since the unification in 1975, economic growth was identified as the most important factor in the strategic development of Vietnam. However, the first decade following the end of the war with the US was one in which the Cold War had a significant impact upon the Vietnam economy. Vietnam was lead by the Communist party and aligned its political and economic policies to strict socialist principles that mirrored the Soviet model and based decision-making on strict Communist criteria; (i) State or collective ownership of production means; (ii) Government administered supply of physical input and output; (iii) Lack of business autonomy, absence of factor markets, highly regulated goods and services markets; and (iv) A bias toward heavy industry in investments. (Vo Tri Thanh and Nguyen Thu Anh, (2006) Eaber Working Paper series: Paper No.8 Institutional changes for private sector development in Vietnam. p.3) The government policy meant that Vietnam was limited to trade mainly with other Communist countries and the outcome was a dramatic decline in the Vietnam economy and increasing poverty amongst the vast majority of the population. Further conflicts with China in 1979 and Cambodia in 1978 placed Vietnam in a position of further weakness and rather than concentrate on economic recovery, the improvement of labour skills, and agricultural and consumer goods production the Government focused on the building up of heavy industry. This period of Sovietisation brought even further problems for the Vietnam economy and the virtual decade of stagnation only began to end in 1986 with the introduction of Doi Moi.(Bui That Thang, (2001)After the war: 25 years of Economic Development in Vietnam, NIRA Review , p21-22). With consumption regularly greater than national income and numerous periods of famine relieved only by foreign aid, the decade from 1976 to 1986 marked a period of economic collapse i n Vietnam, and was only ended with the introduction of Doi Moi as the point marking when Vietnam switched from the Soviet model to a drive towards a free market economy. The renovation (Doi Moi) in 1986 brought about a dramatic change for post war Vietnam, as described by Thanh and Ha ( social inequality.., chap2 p63) who declare it a real turning point in the history of Vietnams economic development . It was shifted from a centrally planned economy to a new system of a market oriented economy. An important factor to note is that the decision to move towards a free market and thus, politically and ideologically change the basis of the Vietnam economy was made prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Vietnamese Government realised that the Soviet model was failing and that Vietnam faced a major economic crisis, with acute shortages of food, basic consumer goods, and inputs to agriculture and industry, and a growing external debt.(Thanh and Anh, 2006, p.3). It was decided to establish synchronous institutions of a market economy by socialism orientation (Ibid, p.2). The end of Cold War in 1991 followed by the collapse of the Soviet Union was a new challenge to Vietnam. Fortunately, Vietnam was already reforming its political and economic sectors by the time the collapse of the Soviet Union had ended and economic growth, policies to reduce macroeconomic instability and to introduce a multi-ownership structure were already in place. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union still meant that Vietnam faced a new future without the ideologically committed support of a Super Power, isolating Vietnam from much of the international community, a problems exasperated by the continued control of the country by the Communist Party. However, this essay will argue that although the major factor that impacted on many of the Eastern European countries for example, was the decline and fall of Communist administrations, in the case of Vietnam, the Communist Party remained in power, and provided the stability and security that provided the right conditions for imp ressive levels of continuous economic growth that has made Vietnam one of the tiger economies of South East Asia. It will also argue that the political and economic future of Vietnam is dependent on Vietnam remaining one of the most politically and security stable countries in South east Asia, and that stability is borne from the Communist party remaining in control of the country. This contrasts with the former Soviet Union countries who have made their economic futures dependent on the political system rejecting all the tenets of Communism and moving not only from a centrally controlled economy but also rejecting the idea of a one- party system. However, Vietnam has remained true to its political identity as a socialist republic while allowing reforms in politics and economics that has finally brought it recognition as a truly open and free market economy that has recently been rewarded with membership of the World Trade Organisation. The essay will follow the path through this process of reform and demonstrate how the economy has managed to develop to international recognition as one of the fastest growing economies in the World and still remained Communist. The end of the Cold War was universally seen as the end of Communism, and yet, like China, the Vietnam economy has been transformed whilst not drastically reforming the political system, which has remained true to the thoughts of Ho Chi Minh and commiserate with Marxist Leninism. The Communist Party still remains in power in Vietnam and its economic success is likely to re-enforce the belief that it will retain political control over the nation for decades to come. This essay will show how the Communist Party has managed to transform its economy and remain socialist. Prior to 1980s, Vietnam was still a backward agricultural country. In addition, as a socialist country, Vietnams economy was controlled and developed by a centrally planned system modelled on the Soviet Union. The Government played the dominant role in almost all activities and people who worked for government were paid by the system of budget subsidies. And all the trading actions were dominated by large State owned Enterprises that had collectivised almost all areas of economic activity, while private business was virtually non-existent (Pham, 2005,p4). Unfortunately, because of the mismatch between the management and the actual practices of the government, the economy of Vietnam didnt achieve any of their economic targets laid down in subsequent four year plans. The leaders then realised that centrally planned system was not a good structure for Vietnams development and whilst the Soviet Union was dramatically moving towards political collapse for the same reasons, Vietnams Commun ist Party believed that its ideological control over the country through one-party rule would actually have a positive impact on economic reform by providing an environment of stability and security, whilst establish an economy based upon capitalist principles, free markets and an open door set of policies. The Communist Party identified eight major policies of reform that would be used to bring about a complete transition of the economy and these were: Almost complete price liberalization; Large devaluation and unification of the exchange rate; Increases in interest rates to positive levels in real terms; Substantial reduction in subsidies to the SOE sector; Agricultural reforms through replacement of cooperatives by households as the basic decision-making unit in production and security of tenure for farm families; Encouragement of the domestic private sector and foreign direct investment (FDI); Removal of domestic trade barriers and creation of a more open economy. (Thanh and Anh, p.6). The main point here is that these are all significant movements towards policies found in the capitalist West and were only possible in the former Soviet client states such as Poland and East Germany by also moving the political systems towards the Western democracy model. However, the Sixth Congress of the Vietnamese Communist Party-1986 believed that reform could follow the basic practical policies of the Western democracies but remain true to Communism by actually increasing state control and management and macro regulation. Communism would allow stability to remain in the political arena and the economic policies would themselves be directed towards maintaining socialist targets. This mix of socialist and capitalist policies to retain some level of equity amongst the general society is one now being discussed by many of the mainland European Union members who now identify a full Communist regime as still unacceptable, but the monetarist free market economy as equally at fault in the wake of the major financial crisis at the end of 2008. However, the main contention is that Vietnam remains a one party system, but there is very little evidence of any deep protest or wish to change this system by the vast majority of the Vietnamese population. Although we are examining here the performance of Vietnam since the Cold War it is thus essential to understand that unlike Russia and the former members of the USSR, Vietnam was able to transform its economy without major political regime change. (Thang, 2001, p.3). in the following paragraphs we look at how this was possible. Up to 1990 the Doi Moi reforms did bring about a number of improvements in the economy. From 1989 onwards, Vietnam was on the way to becoming one of the three main big rice exporters in the world, many state subsidies were disappearing and SOEs were constantly warned to reform and restructure, but not immediately encouraged to denationalize. Over these years the growth rate hovered around the 4.5% mark and the reforms were only slowly impacting upon Vietnams overall economic performance. Doi Moi involved a commitment to dismantling cooperatives and shifting production away from a household economy to the private sector, whilst also restructuring the state-owned sector to be more competitive. However, the real impact of policies changes did not really take effect until post-1990.The outcome was significant development with the GDP growth averaging 8.5% from 1990 to 1997 and averaging 6.5% from 1998 to 2003. Average foreign trade and Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) improved to nearly $18 billion USD by 2007 and agricultural production doubled from 1990 to 2005, while exports reached $49 billion USD per year by 2007. The per capita income rose from $220 USD in 1994 to $832 by 2007 and industrial production went from 27.3% of GDP in 1985 to 41.6% in 2007. Many industries reached impressive rates of growth, such as in the production of oil which went from 40,000 tons in 1986 to 7.6 million tons in 1990 and 12.5 million tons in 1998 (Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Nguyen Thang (2007) For eign Direct Investment in Vietnam: an overview and analysis. MPRA Archive Paper No1921). In the final part of this essay we concentrate on how FDI has been example of how the Communist Party, its policies of reform and the growth of the economy have become interlinked in bringing about a successful basis for even greater levels of development in the future. The levels of development are impressive with a reduction in the inflation rate from a nightmarish 774% in 1986 to a manageable 7.5% in 2006, while also achieving a poverty reduction level of 22% in 2005 from the 58.1% recorded in 1993. By 2007 there were 7067 FDI projects with a capital of $63.5billion US. This dramatic success was as a result of the following factors: Strategic location Stable economic and political environment Large natural mineral resources A young and well-educated workforce The ability to be an export platform for US and EU markets Liberal investment environment and a commitment by the Government to economic reform. In Vietnam it is the changing attitudes of the Communist Party and the Government towards the foreign economic sector as an important step towards economic growth that has significantly assisted the improvement of the economy. Alongside this have been the increasing levels of economic competition from other countries in the region and advances in international commitments helped by a changing political and ideological approach to participating in global economic trade (2006, 180). A significant factor in encouraging this change in attitudes has been the realization that FDI has a vital role to play in the mobilization of capital, technology, organizational and managerial skills (21). The radical change in the Communist Party attitude towards FDI was the institutionalization of FDI as a separate economic sector and recognition that FDI was a vital driving forced towards the overall development of the Vietnam economy (ibid). The improvement in investment in Vietnam has been assisted by a commitment throughout business, government and society to improve the image and identity of Vietnam, not least being in its international participation in political and economic forums. (Pham Thi Huyen 2009 The Nationality Factor in Assessing Hanoi Investment Environment in Business Environment and Policies in Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam) A further example of well the Vietnam economy has developed under the guidance of the Communist Party is the increasing participation of Vietnam in international forums and the successful entry into international forums such as the World Trade Organisation. Viet Nam joined the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1995, and committed to AFTA prior to the Enterprise Law reform period. Viet Nam also joined APEC in 1998.Vietnam has been an official member of WTO since 2007. Before that, there had been an increasingly strong public policy commitment to joining the WTO in recent years, and references were made to the need to reform to join the WTO in the policy debate on private sector development during the 2nd half of the 1990s. The enterprise reforms have been consistent with efforts to join the WTO, and the desire to join WTO has strengthened the hand of those pushing for improvements in the regulatory environment for business during the reform of the Enterprise Law . How ever, it is difficult to assess the extent to which the desire to join the WTO provided impetus for the Enterprise Law reforms Results, Challenges and Prospects, Vietnams Socio-Economic Development: A Social Science Review, No.31, Autumn Doanh, Le Dang, (2002), Foreign Direct Investment in Viet Nam: While it is difficult to identify connections between aspirations to join regional and international bodies and the Enterprise Law reforms, contacts with regional and international bodies have almost certainly helped the reform process. The economic performance of other ASEAN members and China are important benchmarks with which Viet Nams policy makers often compare their own performance. Even prior to joining ASEAN, Vietnamese officials went on study tours to ASEAN member countries to study issues related to improving the enabling environment for business development. A crucial development in the reform of the economy of Vietnam was the new Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between Viet Nam and the USA, which was signed in December 2001, well after the major Enterprise Law reforms had been implemented. The private sector reforms implemented during the 2nd half of the 1990s almost certainly helped the process of reaching agreement on the BTA. This new agreement marked an important watershed in the relations not only between Vietnam and the US, but also the rest of the world. The signing of the agreement between Vietnam and its former enemy signified a leap forwards in the status of Vietnam and officially marked the end of most political and economic hostilities between the two former enemies. However, its signing was predicated on the absolute commitment of Vietnam to continue economic reform and also suggested that political reform; especially in democratization of Vietnam was almost certainly on the cards for the future (Ibid). Thus, Vietnam is a special case to examine in the study of the impact of the end of the Cold War upon Communist and former Communist states. In the case of Vietnam, not only have they remained under the one party rule of the Communist Party, they have also successfully reformed their economy, with the Communist Government able to provide the right levels of stability and security to continue to develop in the future. Thus, it is also a case of how the ideology of a country and its economic reform are linked, but the case of Vietnam it is an example of a country being ruled consistently under the socialist thought of Ho Chi Minh, maintaining one party rule but was also able to transform an economy from state central control to a free market. It is also known as a peaceful, secure and safe environment in the centre of a South East Asian region. A region that is more often now identified with the increasing problems of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism, such as in Thailand and Malays ia. While economic growth continues, the levels of extreme poverty are continually being lowered and the wealth of the economic success is to some extent spread down the masses through policies based on socialist principles, the one party rule of the Communist Party in Vietnam is likely to continue Ref. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Nguyen Thang (2007) Foreign Direct Investment in Vietnam: an overview and analysis. MPRA Archive Paper No1921) Le Dang, (2002), Results, Challenges and Prospects, Vietnams Socio-Economic Development: A Social Science Review, No.31, Autumn Doanh, Foreign Direct Investment in Viet Nam: Le The Gioi (2004), Moi truong dau tu tai Viet Nam qua goc nhin cua nha dau tu nuoc ngoai, Le The Gioi, Journal of Economics and Forecast, vol 1, 2004. Pham Thi Huyen (2009) The Nationality Factor in Assessing Hanoi Investment Environment in Business Environment and Policies in Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Nguyen Thang (2007) Foreign Direct Investment in Vietnam: an overview and analysis. MPRA Archive Paper No1921 Bui That Thang, (2001)After the war: 25 years of Economic Development in Vietnam, NIRA Review , p21-22). Vo Tri Thanh and Nguyen Thu Anh, (2006) Eaber Working Paper series: Paper No.8 Institutional changes for private sector development in Vietnam.

Understanding Culture Essay -- Sociology

Culture, is defined by Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, as "the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon man's capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations." People learn about culture through interaction rather than through the memorization of a text. To become fluent in any one culture you have to experience it and become involved. There are many ways that a culture can be shared among people without them being fluent in it such as through: food, customs, clothing, language, beliefs, and behaviors. With the increase of technology and new discoveries about the world developing daily it makes it impossible for cultures to remain stagnant; therefore, they must learn how to adapt in order to survive. Some people argue that complete cultural fluency in more than one culture is impossible. However, culture is a learned behavior therefore people should be able to learn and become fluent in more than one. Culture is distinctly human and is transmitted through learning traditions and customs that govern behavior. Cultural anthropologists study human society and culture through describing, analyzing, interpreting and explaining social and cultural similarities and differences. To study and interpret cultural diversity they engage in two activities which are ethnography and ethnology. Ethnography is based on fieldwork while ethnology is based on cross-cultural comparisons of the information collected through ethnography. The studies done on culture can be shared in two ways: first through theoretical or academic anthropology and second through practical or applied anthropology. An example of academic anthropology, which teaches us about culture, is a textbook ... ...nity. An example is the way they raised and slaughtered animals rather than buying them packaged at a store. Although a year may not be enough time to become fluent in a culture, the stories of the students living abroad prove that a person can learn and become part of more than one culture. Culture is what defines the difference between humans and animals. We grow up in a culture which influences who we are and how we live. Through studying different cultures we learn more about our own culture, ourselves, our strengths, and weaknesses. Yet to become fluent a person cannot simply study a culture, rather they must be on an interactive level and experience the culture first hand. Sources Cited http://www.merriam-webster.com/ Kottak, Conrad "Cultural Anthropology: Appreciating Cultural Diversity." McGraw-Hill Education; 15 edition, October 11, 2012

Presidential vs. Parliamentary Government Essay

Every nation, ever since the dawn of civilization, has always had some form of government. It is of necessity rather than need, as a nation without one will always result to anarchy. Today, two of the most popular and well-known forms of government are the presidential form of government and the parliamentary form of government. Each form of government has it’s own pros and cons, and the debate of whether one is better than the other has long been a subject of discussion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main difference between the two forms of government is how the extent governmental powers are distributed and/or separated between branches of the government, and whether one branch has or does not have power over another. In the presidential form of government, political and administrative powers are distinctly divided between the executive branch (the President), the legislative branch (i.e., the congress/senate), and the judiciary branch. The powers vested in the executive branch is usually balanced against those given to the legislature. Laws and bills are made by the legislature and it is the executive branch which enacts it. The President has the power to veto the bill, preventing it’s execution, but the legislature may override the President’s veto, provided they can gather enough votes to do so (â€Å"Parliamentary versus Presidential governments†). This serves as a check and balance for both branches, ensuring that one does not overpower the other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the parliamentary form of government, however, there is a fusion of power between the legislative and executive branch. This is mostly due to the fact that the head of government, the Prime Minister, is voted into position by the legislature, which is often mostly composed of the ruling party or coalition. Hence, almost always, the constituents of the executive and the legislature branches are the same (â€Å"Governing Systems and Executive-Legislative Relations†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The terms of office for both heads of the government also varies. In the presidential system of government, the President serves a specific, defined term. In the parliamentary system, the Prime Minister stays in power for as long as he or she has the support of the majority of the legislation. Political parties also hold less of an impact on the presidential system than on then parliamentary system since the President can still be voted in office regardless of whether his or her political party is a minority or not. In parliamentary system, it’s almost always the ruling party which holds dominance over the outcome of the election of head of government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Given the choice, from the points stated, I would rather be a citizen of a country ruled by a parliamentary government, like the United Kingdom. There is more cohesion and unity given the fact that the legislative and the executive powers come from one ruling, common party. This would mean that bills are passed much quicker. Also, ethnicity, race, and ideology won’t be much of a conflicting factor, especially for a very diverse country, since power is equally divided amongst the legislators, and not just focused on one (e.g. the President). Lastly, a study conducted by the World Bank has found out that a parliamentary system is associated with lower corruption (Lederman, Loayza, & Soares, par. 1). Works Cited â€Å"Governing Systems and Executive-Legislative Relations.† UNDP: Governance: Political   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   systems and their impact on Governing Relations. 2006. 18 December 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lederman, Daniel and Normal Loayza and Rodrigo R. Soares. â€Å"Accountability and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Corruption: Political Institutions Matter.† World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 2708. 2001. 18 December 2007. â€Å"Parliamentary Versus Presidential Governments.† eSSORTMENT. 2002. 18 December 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Free Essays on Wizards Of The Coast

Introduction Corporate Description In 1997 Wizards of the Coast was a privately held company, best known for the world’s number one selling adventure trading-card game, Magic: The Gathering. Founded in 1990 by Peter Adkison and several other young professionals, and bolstered by the success of Magic, the company has grown into the largest adventure gaming company in the world. The idea behind the game is to combine a fantasy-playing concept with a trading card format, where players can buy and sell collectible cards, similar to baseball cards. Wizards released Magic in 1993 and it was an instant success. Since then, an entire sub-culture has developed, where those who play the game do it as more of a hobby than simply a card game, dedicating a significant amount of time and money. In order to distribute their product, Wizards had initially built a widespread network of small hobby, game, and comic shops. Along with their popularity, they have since expanded into larger chain stores such as Toys â€Å"R† Us, Barnes and Noble, and Target. Likewise, the design and manufacture of the game initially started small with a single source supplier, but has grown significantly in order to be able to keep up with demand. Until the late 90’s, the success enjoyed by Wizards had been founded solely in the popularity of Magic and related â€Å"spin-off† products. To add breadth to their product line, and to reduce competition, Wizards solidified its position in the adventure gaming market by acquiring two of its most significant competitors- 1) Five Rings Publishing and 2) TSR (the creators of Dungeons and Dragons). Vision Peter Adkison's vision for Wizards of the Coast was to establish games as a fun entertainment choice for people of all ages. (wizards.com/whatis/main.asp?x=founder) Strategy Because Wizards of the Coast is only in one business, its corporate and business strategies are identical. They consist of the ... Free Essays on Wizards Of The Coast Free Essays on Wizards Of The Coast Introduction Corporate Description In 1997 Wizards of the Coast was a privately held company, best known for the world’s number one selling adventure trading-card game, Magic: The Gathering. Founded in 1990 by Peter Adkison and several other young professionals, and bolstered by the success of Magic, the company has grown into the largest adventure gaming company in the world. The idea behind the game is to combine a fantasy-playing concept with a trading card format, where players can buy and sell collectible cards, similar to baseball cards. Wizards released Magic in 1993 and it was an instant success. Since then, an entire sub-culture has developed, where those who play the game do it as more of a hobby than simply a card game, dedicating a significant amount of time and money. In order to distribute their product, Wizards had initially built a widespread network of small hobby, game, and comic shops. Along with their popularity, they have since expanded into larger chain stores such as Toys â€Å"R† Us, Barnes and Noble, and Target. Likewise, the design and manufacture of the game initially started small with a single source supplier, but has grown significantly in order to be able to keep up with demand. Until the late 90’s, the success enjoyed by Wizards had been founded solely in the popularity of Magic and related â€Å"spin-off† products. To add breadth to their product line, and to reduce competition, Wizards solidified its position in the adventure gaming market by acquiring two of its most significant competitors- 1) Five Rings Publishing and 2) TSR (the creators of Dungeons and Dragons). Vision Peter Adkison's vision for Wizards of the Coast was to establish games as a fun entertainment choice for people of all ages. (wizards.com/whatis/main.asp?x=founder) Strategy Because Wizards of the Coast is only in one business, its corporate and business strategies are identical. They consist of the ...

Gun Control5 essays

Gun Control5 essays MOTHERS DAY IN FEDERAL PRISON. What would you include in capsule portraits or thumbnail sketches of the women inmates Coyne describes in her article? What kind of people are they? Included in a capsule filled with the portraits or thumbnail sketches of the women inmates, Coyne describes in her article, at Federal Prison Camp for women in Pekin, Illinois would be many personal items. One thing would be certain is that the Mothers Day flower given to the mothers would be included in the capsule. Next the dress made by the inmates would be included for two reasons. The first reason is to show that the inmates did not have to be in prison uniforms for Mothers Day and second to show how important Mothers Day is to the inmates. The clothing they wear symbolizes their excitement about Mothers Day and the hard work the inmates put into the preparation of the important day. A good portion of the inmates in the minimum-security prison are normal women that were either in the wrong place at the wrong time or made a mistake in life. Yet when they are with their families on Mothers Day it looks seems to be as if the prison doesnt truly exist, do to the amount of joy filling the visiting room. Is there a common element or common denominator in the histories of the inmates? Is there anything to be learned from their stories? The common element that happens to be in the histories of the inmates is that they are not hard core criminals. If anything most of them are innocent, and only guilty of helping a love one with no idea of what was happening. In fact the main thing said by the families of the inmates is why should my love one be in here when there are worse criminals in the world. From all of this one can learn that no matter how well you know someone always ask why. If half of the women in this article just asked ...

Final exam Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final exam - Term Paper Example AKTSIONERNY KOMMERCHESKI BANK BANK MOSKVY, OTKRYTOE AKTSIONERNOE OBSCHCHESTVO (a.k.a. BANK OF MOSCOW; a.k.a. JOINT STOCK COMMERCIAL BANK - BANK OF MOSCOW, OPEN JOINT STOCK COMPANY), 8/15 Korp. 3 ul. Rozhdestvenka, Moscow 107996, Russia; Bld 3 8/15, Rozhdestvenka St., Moscow 107996, Russia. 1. If revenues and costs are equally sensitive to exchange rate movements, MNCs may reduce their economic exposure by restructuring their operations to shift the sources of costs or revenues to other locations so that: 1. Coca Cola’s consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars. Management must translate revenues, income and expenses, as well as assets and liabilities, into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect during or at the end of each reporting period. Therefore, increases or decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar against other major currencies affect our net operating revenues, operating income and the value of balance sheet items denominated in foreign currencies. 1. The total currency impact on the operating income of Coca-Cola, including the effect of our hedging activities, was a decrease of approximately 4Â  percent and 5 percent in 2013 and 2012, respectively. 1. An MNC is attempting to reduce its economic exposure by financing a portion of its business with loans in the foreign currency. If the foreign currency weakens, the MNC will need ____ of the foreign currency to cover the loan payment, while the MNCs foreign currency revenues will convert to ____ dollars. 1. Coca-Cola sells concentrate to its bottling partner in Venezuela from outside the country. These sales are denominated in U.S. dollars. If the Venezuelan government devalues its currency or prevents dollars to leave the country Coca-Cola will lose value.. 1. Since Coca-Cola transacts in so many different currencies gains in some currencies are often offset

Enlightenment History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Enlightenment History - Term Paper Example It is a natural contradiction, but a legitimate one. â€Å"Man is born free, but he is everywhere in chains.† (e.g., Rousseau, â€Å"Social Contract,† Book I, Part 1) Another idea of the enlightenment was that people should be able to live without fear, free of superstition and blind obedience to the powers and authorities-that-be and that truth is to be found in scientific fact, not in opinion or faith. â€Å"We wish in a word to fulfill the requirements of nature, to accomplish the destiny of mankind, to make good the promises of philosophy... that France, hitherto illustrious among slave states, may eclipse the glory of all free peoples that have existed, become the model of all nations.... That is our ambition; that is our aim. What kind of government can realize these marvels? Only a democratic government.... But to found and to consolidate among us this democracy, to realize the peaceable rule of constitutional laws, it is necessary to conclude the war of liberty against tyranny and to pass successfully through the storms of revolution.† (e.g., Robespierre, â€Å"Speech,† †¦). Enlightenment revolutionaries also believed that differences are nothing compared to similarities, or in the idea â€Å"such as is common† to all humanity. ... The period of Enlightenment also brought us the idea that society is structured by a general philosophy that â€Å"we are what we buy,† or buy into. We must produce and distribute in order to be viable, and many of us today do define ourselves by our jobs. As to religion, Voltaire stated (paraphrased) â€Å"If God did not exist, we'd invent him.† â€Å"It is very true that we do not know any too well what the soul is: no one has ever seen it. All that we do know is that the eternal Lord of nature has given us the power of thinking, and of distinguishing virtue. It is not proved that this faculty survives our death: but the contrary is not proved either. It is possible, doubtless, that God has given thought to a particle to which, after we are no more, He will still give the power of thought: there is no inconsistency in this idea.† (e.g., Voltaire, â€Å"Universal Toleration,† †¦.) Finally, the Age of Enlightenment philosophers taught us that people a re best left self-governed. In the best interests of human rights, the aristocracy (the rich and powerful) cannot be allowed to be the only ruling schema and from this we derived our principle beliefs about democracy. Today, the French Republic is governed by the people and has an elected president and national representatives called a parliament. France was under absolute monarchy (aristocracy) until 1789, then it went to a republic government, back to a monarchy, and finally, by 1850, was a Republic again. Did the revolutionaries transform France into an enlightened nation? Yes. Did the revolutionaries transform the nation of France into an enlightened state of mind? Questionable, at best. The nation still declares itself majorly

Comparison and contrast essay Anchorage,Alaska and Key West Florida

Comparison and contrast Anchorage,Alaska and Key West Florida - Essay Example Perhaps. Key West, Florida and Anchorage, Alaska may be thousands of miles apart geographically and culturally, but in some ways, they are practically next door neighbors. The first striking difference between these two cities is obviously geography and climate. Key West is the westernmost island of the archipelago known as The Florida Keys. Close proximity to the Tropic of Capricorn and the warm currents of the Caribbean Sea give Key West a balmy average temperature of 82oF. Add to this an annual rainfall of nearly 40 inches per year and you have a pleasant climate capable of supporting a host of interesting vegetation while providing many hours of sunny weather to enjoy the waters surrounding the island. Of course, any city that has taken on the title of â€Å"Southernmost City in America† had better have plenty of warm weather and sunshine to back up their claim. Anchorage, while not the northernmost city in America is a great deal different than Key West. One has no need to look beyond the raw numbers to see that two more different cities could not be found in America in regards to geography and climate. Anchorage boasts and average annual temperature of 35oF with an average annual precipitation of just 16 inches (most of it of the frozen variety)(Hoare, 2008). Though summer days can reach into the mid 70’s, summer and winter weather is unpredictable in Anchorage. 40oF swings in temperature have been known to occur within the space of several hours. Anchorage enjoys long summer days due to its high latitude, but the subarctic climate surrounding the city dissuades most people from spending those summer days swimming in the frigid coastal waters nearby. An additional geographic feature that makes Anchorage much different that Key West is the nearby presence of active volcanoes. Occasional ash accumulation from these volcanoes poses a slight

Thermodynamics Laws and Life Essay Example for Free

Thermodynamics Laws and Life Essay Introduction The universe is governed by the laws of thermodynamics. In other words, it affects the everyday lives of human beings. Every moment   a man exists, performs his daily activities or interacts with objects around him like every time he walks or drives a car or turn on an air conditioner, or use an electrical appliance, he   reap the practical benefits of thermodynamics (Sonntag 223). According to Sonntag in his book Fundamentals of Physics, â€Å"one excellent definition of thermodynamics is that it is the science of energy and entropy†. Another good definition would be that thermodynamics is the science that deals with heat and work and the properties of substance that bear a relation to heat and work†. As I understand it, thermodynamics had something to with anything that involves the use and transfer heat or energy, and the resulting work it produces. This means that without heat or energy then there would be no work to be performed. And when work is absent then there would be no human existence for life is closely tied with activities. Like all sciences, thermodynamics was established based on experimental observation. Out of this experiments evolved the three laws of thermodynamics (Sonntag 16). The Laws of Thermodynamics First law of Thermodynamics The first law of thermodynamics is often called the Law of Conservation of Energy which states that â€Å"energy cannot be created nor destroyed†. Furthermore, this law suggests that since energy cannot be created or destroyed it is merely transferred from one system to another in many forms. In other words, there is an idea of energy conversion like from heat energy to mechanical energy.   Because energy is not created or destroyed, in the universe as a closed system the amount of energy available is constant (there is no addition or subtraction of energy) . Energy is usually introduced into a system and from thereon undergoes energy transformation to perform some functions(Young 534-536) . In relating to life, a good example would be when a man takes in food (introduction of energy to the body through calorie), heat energy in the form of calorie is transform into chemical energy by his cells which in turn is transform into a mechanical energy so that a man is able to perform physical activities like walking, dancing or talking.   Man by his own self cannot create his own energy (he needs to eat to get energy) and that this energy through bodily processes is transform within his body to enable him to perform some bodily functions. What the first law actually is trying to say is that man just cannot get something out of nothing like he just cannot survive without first eating some amount of food; otherwise he will just fell dead. If only man can create his own energy then he does not need to eat. In the same way, the survival of other living things depend on getting energy from outside sources, for example plants need the energy of the sun for photosynthesis. For objects, in order for it to function, like for a plane in order for it to fly it needs the heat of combustion of its fuel to do work in propelling the plane (Young 534). Second law of Thermodynamics While the first law deals with the conservation of energy, the second law tells of the direction of conservation. In other words, how or where energy transformation normally proceeds. The second law settles the question why when you put ice into a hot cup of tea, heat will flow from the hot tea to the cold ice and melt the ice in the beloved beverage illustrating the unalterable reality that heat cannot be transferred from a colder to a hotter body. It is because natural processes that involve energy transfer must have one direction, and all natural processes are irreversible. That is why, man as human being that makes use of many bodily energy conversions can never go back to being an infant but must proceed to old age.   Or that a machine will go from new to old, it depreciates and lowers in value.   In a sense, the second law puts limitations into how heat conversion is achieved in real life. The second law further states that the direction of thermodynamic processes is more towards from an order to a disorder state or entropy. Entropy is the measure of the disorder or randomness of energy and matter in a system, the higher is a disorder the greater is the entropy. That is why in hot and cold bodies the process proceeds from hot to cold because adding heat to a body increases its disorder because â€Å"it increases average molecular speeds and therefore the randomness of molecular motion†(Young 574).   In other aspects, it is clear now why it is easy to mess up than to clean, and that the greater are the things present the messier it is. According to Young in his book University Physics, in a natural   irreversible isolated system (one that does no work on its surroundings) entropy is always increasing, or the degree of disorder increases with time( Young 541 and579) . This can be illustrated by man getting old. Although some scientific researches had created formulas to make man look younger than his age, this only controls the pace of his getting old, but eventually man had to surrender to the irreversible natural process of body deterioration that will lead to old age and ultimately death. As man increased in age, his body weakens, his cells degenerate and eventually he dies. And when a body decays and die it cannot be renewed again and bring back to life but it will rot on the grave . What the second law of thermodynamics is saying is that there are some things that I cannot control from happening for it is a natural process that needs or must occur and when it did occur it is impossible to undo. This reminds me in some sense of where man is heading in life. He always go towards the future and leaves behind a past. What happened in the past he can never undo for he can never go back to the past. That direction will be forever close to him no matter how much energy he is willing to spend to retraced back to that road. Critics in the biological evolution however, claimed that the theory of evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics, since evolution involves simple life forms developing on their own into more complex, more highly ordered organisms. But living things are not closed systems because they can interact with outside sources of energy like the sun and it has been shown â€Å"that energy and/or mass flow through a system can constrain it far from equilibrium, resulting in an increase in order†.   The organizing ‘work† is then primarily carried on by metabolic motor of DNA, enzymes, etc(  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ). Third law of Thermodynamics The third law touches on reaching a state of absolute zero (oK) or to avoid entropy by making temperature equals to zero.   At absolute zero the system has a minimum total internal energy (kinetic plus potential). This can only happen if all energy and matter are randomly distributed in space eradicating all thermal motion( Young 574). This however will never occur unless perhaps in few extraordinary, carefully-engineered situations. The third law of thermodynamics reinforced the fact that in life there are things that are unattainable and accepting this reality is a much better idea than to fight the laws of life. Conclusion The laws of thermodynamics just clearly put into much clearer terms the laws of life. Since thermodynamics is a science that deals with energy and energy transformations as well as the resulting work it produces, it has practical applications in life for life is an active use of energy. First law is a conservation of energy which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed meaning that energy is already in existence and needs only to be applied to a system, example a human system, in various forms to benefit life. The second law states that in a natural process there is a direction from which the conservation follows and this is usually to a more disordered state (entropy). The third law just simply states that if absolute zero is reached then entropy will be zero, but such is an impossible occurrence.       References Isaak, Mark. Five Major Misconceptions about Evolution. The Talk Origins Archive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   October 1, 2003. Retrieved December 3, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.talkorigins.org/faq/faq-misconceptions.html Sonntag, Richard E. and Claus Borgnakke. Fundamentals of Thermodynamics, 5th ed. New   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1998. Young, Hugh D. and Roger A. Freedman. University Physics, Vol. 1. 9th ed. New York:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1996.

Military force and promoting humanitarian values

Military force and promoting humanitarian values This essay will argue that military force is an ineffective instrument for the promotion of humanitarian values. However, this is qualified by also presenting reasons for discounting the effectiveness of non-military interventions. This essay will be structured as follows. The first sections will confront methodological issues that have to be addressed before the question can be answered. Following this we will embark on a comparison of military and non-military interventions. The essay will evaluate a paradigm case of a successful operation, Australia in East Timor. We will argue it is anomalous and can barely qualify as a genuine intervention. We then see a true case of an intervention, Afghanistan, and conclude that this constitutes a failure of a military promotion of humanitarian values. We will then move onto evaluate two cases of non-military interventions, UN Resolutions and economic sanctions. It will be argued that UN sanctions are impotent, with reference to the actions of Israel. The essay will then examine the sanctions placed on Iraq, and argue that they caused a greater humanitarian crisis than any hitherto encountered intervention. The essay will conclude with reasons why one should refrain from drawing methodological precepts from previous interventions, and advocates a case-by-case analysis. It is important to limit the scope of this debate. First of all, I will not be discussing issues such as the legitimacy of military force being used in national liberation movements with the discussion instead focusing on third party military intervention. There are questions that further need to be addressed: Firstly, what constitutes military force? Is it the mere presence of military personnel (e.g. UN Peacekeeping forces), or does it have to be active military participation? Secondly, what are humanitarian values? Thirdly, how does one measure the promotion of such values? Is there a quantifiable way to ask whether their promotion has been effective? Fourthly, are there case studies which can be turned to in order to address the question? If there has never been a genuinely humanitarian intervention, then it will be impossible to assess the success of such an endeavour. In response to the first question, it is simpler to treat all military interventions of the same ilk. Consider the criteria set out by the Red Cross (1997), arguing that a prerequisite for an intervention to be humanitarian it has to be neutral, impartial and independent. The position of the Red Cross is that no armed force could satisfy these requirements backed as they are by political governments with their own agenda. If one finds this cogent, then there is no prima facie reason for discerning between mercenary, state-backed and UN organisations[1]. In regards to humanitarian values, and how to measure their effectiveness, to find a view backed by consensus is almost impossible. We confront positions as diverse as simple, utilitarian measurements of the amount of people whose lives have been saved (Janzekovic, 2006: 144) to more specific positions such as Regan (1996: 341-342) who claims that an intervention can be deemed successful if it destabilises the region in such a way, so that it is more difficult for the oppressing-state to continue with its human rights violations. This position would not use a short-term measurement such as deaths to measure the success of an intervention. However, I shall err on the simpler measurement. This is simply due to that the measurement of injuries, fatalities and abuses in a conflict is a simpler tool of analysis, rather than a vague notion such as favourable destabilisation[2]. Finally, as to whether there has been a genuine humanitarian intervention, the answer seems to be negative[3]. Regardless of whether or not one agrees with the historical analysis in the books cited, there is an explanatory problem for believers in genuine intervention, which is the sporadic and inconsistent use of such interventions. This is what Paris (2014: 578-588) calls the inconsistency problem. The thrust of the problem is that such inconsistent use of military intervention in regards to humanitarian crises implies that there is more tha n just selfless means motivating the intervenors. Although other factors affect the ability to intervene (Binder: 2009), there is a strong motivation that, when combined with the historical record, humanitarian intervention is a misnomer. However, let us leave this issue to the side. What we shall discuss now is the following: Do military interventions for nominally humanitarian ends, save more lives than non-military means for the same ends? Let us examine some of the paradigmatic cases of successful military intervention. One often cited is the success of the Australian intervention in East Timor in 1999. The intervention was required due to the Indonesian governments oppressive measures used to quell an East Timorese population insistent on independence from Jakarta. During the referendum campaign, there was widespread use of militia intimidation to quell support for independence, accompanied by widespread human rights violations. The actions of the Indonesian forces resulted in the displacement of around 40,000 – 85,000 East Timorese (T. Seybolt, 2007: 88.)). The success of the Australian military has been praised by some, such as Wheeler and Dunne (2001) who took such success as totalling almost a paradigm shift on the effectiveness and new normative perspective of a humanitarian intervention (contrasting it with the collusion of the United States in the violent occupation of the East Timor in 1975 (Amnesty In ternational, 1985). However, although the Australian intervention is largely considered successful, unfortunately, it does not meet the criteria of a humanitarian intervention. Humanitarian interventions, under most definitions (Roberts, 2003:5) have to be a military action without the consent of the oppressing power, in this case, Indonesia. However, as is noted by Chesterman (2002), Australia sought the consent of the Indonesian government, before intervening. The Australian government of the 5th of September said that they would only consider intervention if four conditions were met: (i) there was a security council mandate, (ii) if the Indonesian government consented, (iii) if the endeavour was a short term one, and (iv) if the force had a strong regional component Wheeler and Dunne (ibid p.807). What makes the fact that consent was sought from Indonesia considerably stranger was the fact that, apart from Australia, the international community did not believe that Indonesia had any rights over East Timor, with East Timor being internationally considered to be an independent state. As Chesterman goes onto note as well, that, although it is often cited to be an example of successful intervention, the fact remains that the international community displayed great reticence in intervening (contrasted with their enthusiasm regarding Bosnia). Chesterman concludes that if Australia had not intervened, no one else would have (Chesterman 2002:181)) There are also significant reasons that the reason for Australian intervention were hardly impartial either, as Chesterman also notes that the Howard Government of Australia was probably more worried about the influx of refugees that would come from such a crisis (a point which is corroborated by Gonzalez-Forester (2004), who documents Australia and other countries previous ambivalences to violent Indonesian actions towards the East-Timorese.) This case study appears to support the question posed in the affirmative, as once the Australian forces intervened, the extent of the massacres and expropriations stopped considerably. Thus, there does appear to be some motivation for considering military intervention a useful technique. However, there are also other considerable problems by extrapolating from this example. First of all, the Indonesian forces consented to their intervention, so the Australians were entering a comparatively un-hostile environment, and secondly, this fact is bolstered by the generally warm relations between Australia and Indonesia. In order for us to extrapolate from this example, we would have to see how well interventions perform in a country which does not openly consent to the intervention from a third party. Such an example would be Afghanistan, a country that has twice been intervened by hostile forces supporting apparently humanitarian goals (both Russia (1979-1989) and the United States (2001- Ongoing)). Both of these interventions have had the nominal motivation of humanitarian ends, and both have, to some extent worked towards them. In the case of the Russian intervention, it seems to be that the attempt to intervene has failed, despite the attempt to implement progressive policies (Bennis, 2015). The report cited documents how their attempts to implement progressive policies in the rural areas of Afghanistan provoked widespread rebellion, thus making the humanitarian situation considerably worse. The United States intervention initially seemed to be a more intelligent intervention, with there being a pronouncement of the military intervention being accompanied by humanitarian aid drops. However, as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) note, the aid packages of food (which only occurred a round once a month) shared the same yellow packaging as cluster bombs, which led to a number of casualties (Calas and Salignon: 2004, p. 82.) Asides from that, there also seems to be strong reports that human rights are being abused by militant forces which the united states support. For example, the New York Times have reported on a massacre occurring in Dasht-E-Leili, where Afghan Soldiers killed Taliban POWs on their route to Sheberghen Prison (Gall, 2001).this directly violates Article 13 of the Geneva Convention regarding the treatment of POWs (ICRC, 1949). Incidents such as this are indicative of a failed intervention, in regards to the promotion of explicitly humanitarian values. Although the indefinite extension of the US-Afghanistan war means that any conclusion might seem premature, the track record of the past 14 years indicates that military interventions do not promote humanitarian ends if the members of the occupying country do not welcome it. We have thus encountered compelling reasons to dismiss the effectiveness of military means for promoting humanitarian ends. What is now necessary is to contrast this with the effectiveness of non-military interventions. We shall examine two such examples: UN declarations and economic sanctions. We shall conclude that both are ineffective: UN declarations are ineffective without military support, and economic sanctions can exacerbate already precarious situations. In regards to the first point, there does seem to be a strong case for this. Consider, for example, the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as their occupation of the Golan Heights in Syria. All of these violate international law, and violate UN sanctions (Hammon, 2010)). However, this does not seem to have deterred the Israeli government from refraining from the maintenance of such illegal activities, nor does it seem to have any force in preventing further breaches of internationa l law. Secondly, consider the economic sanctions that were placed on Iraq in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait implemented by United Nations Security Council Resolution 661 (S/RES/661 (1990)) These sanctions are considered to have some of the most disastrous humanitarian results of recent history. The result of these sanctions have resulted in UNICEF reporting around 500,000 Iraqi children under the age of 5 dying (an increase of over 4,000 deaths a month compared to before the sanctions were enforced) (Edwards, 2000) In fact, the oil-for-food program has had effects that compelled the organiser of the program, Denis Halliday, to resign, calling the program genocidal. The fact that this resignation at such a senior level in the UN is almost unprecedented is remarkable in and of itself. What makes this fact more remarkable is due to the fact that the person assigned to replace him, Hans von Sponeck, also resigned from the post, citing similar reasons (ibid.) A counter-point co uld be raised here, to the effect that it was not so much the food-for-oil program itself that was the problem, but rather the insufficiencies of the program in light of the bombing campaign that almost crippled Iraqs infrastructure. For example, Eric Hoskins claimed that [the bombing campaign] effectively terminated everything vital to human survival in Iraq – electricity, water, sewage systems, agriculture, industry and health care (Curtis, 1995: 189). Thus, the point could be raised that this should be cited as a failure of military intervention, rather than non-violent. This point is a strong one, yet the cataclysmic consequences were not invoked by the bombing campaign, rather it was the sanctions which prevented the rebuilding which precipitated a humanitarian disaster. It is difficult to equate the success and failure of these positions, as they are often used in tandem, and it becomes difficult to dissociate what could be indications of mere incompetence, from the mor e malice invocations of the doctrine of realpolitik. In conclusion, it is difficult to ascertain the effectiveness of military force. This is because paradigmatically successful operations, such as East Timor do not qualify. The possibility of a further answer is complicated due to the fact that the Israel-Palestine conflicts demonstrates the impotence of non-military means without the possibility of an armed intervention. Yet, the fact that condemnations are powerless also does not help us answer the question: Afghanistan shows how a militarily backed campaign can make a military solution to legitimate grievances considerably worse, and yet Iraq shows us how economic sanctions also exacerbate precarious scenarios. It seems to be that to offer an answer regarding the effectiveness of this-or-that method is premature, and universal laws determining efficacy should be replaced with a case-by-case analysis. Footnotes 1 For a response to this, see Janzekovic (2006, p.130). For a more methodological reason regarding the difficulty of providing meaningful distinctions between forms of intervention, see Raymond (2015. p.295-298) 2 For example, did the UN sanctions against Iraq in response to their invasion of Kuwait destabilise Saddam? It is not obvious to say. 3 For why interventions previous to World War I were not humanitarian, see Losurdo (2014) For why interventions post- World War II were not humanitarian see Blum (2003) Bibliography Amnesty International. (1985) East Timor Violations of Human Rights: Extrajudicial Executions, Disappearances, Torture and Political Imprisonment, 1975–1984. London: Amnesty International Publications. Bennis, P. (2015) Afghanistan in: Assange, J. The WikiLeaks Files: The World According to US Empire. New York: Verso Books. Pp. 368-394 Blum, W. (2003) Killing hope: US military and CIA interventions since World War II. London: Zed Books Calas, F. and Salignon, P. (2004) Afghanistan: From Militant Monks to Crusaders. In: Weissman In the Shadow of Just Wars, Weissman, ed. London: Hurts and Co. Chesterman, S. (2002) Just War or Just Peace? Oxford: Oxford University Press Curtis, M. (1995) The ambiguities of power: British foreign policy since 1945. London: Zed books. Edwards, D. (2000) An Interview with Denis Halliday. Media Lens. [Online] 16th May. Available at: http://www.medialens.org/index.php/alerts/interviews/77-an-interview-with-denis-halliday.html. [Accessed 19th October 2015] Gall, C. (2001) Study Hints at Mass Killing by the Taliban. New York Times [Online] May 1st Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/01/world/study-hints-at-mass-killing-of-the-taliban.html [Accessed 19th October 2015] Gonzalez-Foerster, G. (2004). East Timor: Better Late Than Never. In: Weissman. Ed. In the Shadow of Just Wars, . London: Hurts and Co. 25-42. Hammond, J.R. (2010) Rogue State: Israels violations of UN Security Council resolutions Foreign Policy Journal. [Online] 27th January. Available at: http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2010/01/27/rogue-state-israeli-violations-of-u-n-security-council-resolutions/. [Accessed 19th October 2015] International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (1997) Can Military Intervention and Humanitarian Action Coexist? World Disasters Report. Oxford: Oxford University Press International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) (1949), Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (Fourth Geneva Convention), 12 August, 75 UNTS 287, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b36d2.html. [Accessed 19 October 2015] Janzekovic, J. (2006) The use of force in humanitarian intervention: morality and practicalities. Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., Losurdo, D. (2014) Liberalism: a counter-history. London: Verso Books. Paris, R. (2014) The Responsibility to Protectand the Structural Problems of Preventive Humanitarian Intervention. International Peacekeeping 21.5: 569-603. Raymond, D (2015). Military Means of Preventing Mass Atrocities. In Rosenberg, S. Galis, T. Zucker A. eds. 2015: Reconstructing Atrocity Prevention. New York: Cambridge University Press. Pp.295- 320 Regan, P M. (1996) Conditions of successful third-party intervention in intrastate conflicts. Journal of Conflict Resolution 40.2: 336-359 Roberts, A. (2002) The So-Called Right of Humanitarian Intervention, in Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law 2000, 3. The Hgue: T.M.C Asser. Seybolt, T B. (2007) Humanitarian military intervention: the conditions for success and failure. Oxford: Oxford University Press. UN Security Council, Resolution 661 (1990) Adopted by the Security Council at its 2933rd meeting, on 6 August 1990, 6 August 1990, S/RES/661 (1990), available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3b00f16b24.html [accessed 25 October 2015] Wheeler, N. and Dunne, T. (2001) East Timor and the New Humanitarian Interventionism, International Affairs, 77, 4, pp. 805–27.