When You Are Old Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

When You Are Old - Essay Example But famous Irish poet, William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1935) in his poem â€Å"When You are Old† remind us about a person who loved our soul and sorrows. Yeats succeeded in describing the pathetic conditions when somebody becomes old. He says that the dark hairs will be grayed; the youthful active energy will give way for tiredness or sleeping. He says that when you became old, your eyes will not work properly and hence you will not be able to read properly. He reminds us that the old age is all about our youthful and childhood sweet memories. He says that all the sweet memories at the childhood or youth period may be due to the physical attractiveness. Everybody cared or loved you because of your physical specialties Human being is considered to be made of body, mind and spirit. Body and mind believed to be finished by the death of a person while the soul is believed to be alive still. So the love and affection demonstrated towards body and mind will not last long. Most of the people love the happy side of one’s life. The happy side of life will mostly started to diminish once a person getting older and older and hence the love offered by others may also started to diminish. Such love can be termed as temporary. It is under these circumstances, the old person may have to think about a person who loved his soul and sorrows. The love demonstrated towards the soul is the everlasting one since the soul believed to be last forever and hence only that love can be termed as the real or true love. disappear. On the other hand a love shown towards the soul can be considered as the everlasting one since the soul believed to be exists for ever. The poet though his poem â€Å"When You Are Old† mentioned below compares two types of love; physical love and spiritual

Impact of the Black Death on Art in Europe

Impact of the Black Death on Art in Europe How significant was the Black Death for painting in Siena, Florence and  Padua in the second half of the fourteenth century? From 1280 until the advent of the Black Death, Florence, Siena and Padua had been growing in wealth and size, but the outbreak of disease in 1348 and the years following led to the deaths of between a half and two thirds of their populations (Norman, 1995, II, 8). This ‘catastrophic fall’ led to the culmination of many building projects, notably the construction of the Duomo Nuovo in Siena (Norman, 1995, II, 135), but the significance of the Black Death with respect to painting is disputed. Since the publication of Meisss work, Painting in Florence and Siena After the Black Death (1951), the connection between the Black Death and a change in art during the second half of the fourteenth century has been the subject of discussion among art historians. Henk Van Os, for example, argues that Meiss was not the first to identify this trend, but that he was the first to attribute it to the social and religious upheaval which accompanied the Black Death (Van Os, 1981, 238). There has been much discussion as to whether the Black Death could be seen as quite the decisive event that Meiss alleged. The debate focuses on three crucial areas of thought: firstly, whether the works that Meiss cites are correctly dated (i.e. whether they can with certainty be placed before or after 1348); secondly, whether the Black Death was actually a causative factor in the perceived change in style; and, thirdly, whether there was one shift or several in the artistic course of the fourteenth century. In view of these disputes, we must beware of taking too simplistic an approach. For an example of the first element of this debate, we can look to the Triumph of Death in the Camposanto at Pisa and Barna da Sierras frescoes in the Collegiata of San Gimignano, both cited by Meiss as being typical of artistic production after the Black Death. Subsequent scholarship has cast doubt on Meiss’s theory because the former work is now believed to have been produced in the 1330s (Smart, 1978) and the latter is now dated before 1348 (Van Os, 1981, 240). We must also consider that some of the qualities most characteristic of late Trecento painting are already present, as Meiss himself was the first to recognise, in the frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi in the Baroncelli Chapel (Smart, 1978, 108). As this chapel was painted during the years 1328-34, it demonstrates an early change in style which also undermines Meiss’s thesis. The second element of the debate concerns the change in religious thought that occurred as a result of the devastation of the Black Death. Norman comments on the popularity of altarpieces depicting Saint Sebastian and the overt association of his sufferings with those of the victims of plague (Norman, 1995, I, 187-195), but there is also a subtler change in style represented by the Strozzi Altarpiece (1357). Meiss argued that painting typical of the early fourteenth century dwelt on ‘familiar and universal human experience‘ (Meiss, 1951, 28) and that it had been succeeded by a greater emphasis upon the hierarchical and dogmatic expressions of religious life, an elevation of the church and a mystification of the deity. Giotto had pioneered an artistic style that was marked by its realistic depiction of three-dimensional space, harmonious use of colour and the creation of a sympathetic response in the viewer. These features came to be characteristic of early fourteenth pain ting, yet the Strozzi Altarpiece rejects the depiction of concrete space, the figures ‘hover’ and show a ‘lack of exact spatial placement‘, the colours are ‘disjointed and uneasy‘ and the painting creates a distancing sense of awe and mystery, which Cole describes as ‘strange‘, ‘eerie‘, ‘stern and unforgiving‘ and ‘aloof’ (Cole, 1976, 134-6). Meiss argued that this style was a conscious return to the Byzantine influenced art of the previous century (Meiss, 1951, 10) and that it is a reflection of the religious emphasis upon guilt and atonement that was a reaction to the Black Death. We may also notice an interest in the symbolic rather than realistic representation of figures in the St John the Baptist Altarpiece (1370/80) by Giovanni del Biondo, where John tramples his enemy, Herod, underfoot. John has the same austere look and there is the same sense of psychological withdrawal that has been obse rved in the face of Christ in the Strozzi Altarpiece. However, in Padua it is difficult to discover much evidence for the rejection of ‘realism’ in artistic style during the second part of the century. Altichieros decoration of Lupis funerary chapel in the Santo, far from attempting to distance the viewer, uses space and form to draw the spectator in. His use of landscape reminds us of Lorenzetti and his figures are clearly inspired by Giotto, especially the women who gather near the foot of the cross and embrace in a manner reminiscent of Joachim and Anna and the angels who have the substance and expression of those we see in the Arena Chapel. The scale, proportion and design of this fresco suggest that this scene is being played out just beyond the walls of the church and that we are viewing it as though through the arches of a loggia. The colours are harmonious and subdued and there is an impression of nearness and reality. Altichiero’s style is more developed and detailed than earlier works, but its underlying in tent and spirit owes much to his legacy from the earlier fourteenth century. In Siena we also find more contradictory interpretations of the changes that occurred in the mid-century. Henk Van Os has described the way in which social upheavals following the Black Death led to profound changes in patronage: the wealthy elite lost much of their political power and a class of nouveau riche sprang up who had less interest in artistic commissioning. Much of the art became imitative and conservative and was more often commissioned in the provinces surrounding Siena. In the city itself, only the wealthy body of the Ospedale of Santa Maria della Scala, which had received many bequests from victims of the Black Death, continued commissioning new altarpieces, one of which, by Bartolommeo Bulgarini, included the Assumption of the Virgin, a painting which Van Os believes to exhibit very full, monumental figures, entirely in the tradition of Pietro Lorenzetti (Van Os, 1981, 245). He argues that this painting does not show signs of the flat, hierarchical, mystical design wh ich Meiss attributed to it, but that it takes the form of a plastically realistic version of the Assumption and so stands within the earlier traditions of Sienese painting (Van Os, 1981, 245). Certainly, the treatment of the Virgin and the use of elaborate gold effects reflect the Sienese craftsmanship established by Duccio and Simone Martini. Van Os concludes that changes in artistic production after the Black Death were principally due to different sites of patronage rather than changes in religious thought . The third aspect of the debate concerns the question of whether Meiss was right to propose that there was a single significant shift around 1348. Smart and Norman, for example, argue that the Strozzi Altarpiece was not such a significant departure as Meiss had argued because the precedent for such a depiction of Christ had been set in the Stefaneschi Altarpiece, painted by one of Giotto’s associates and dated late 1320s early 1330s (Smart, 1978, 122 and Norman, 1995, I, 184). Although many critics agree that the middle years of the fourteenth century can be described as a period of reassessment in the history of Tuscan painting (Smart, 1978, 107), there are significant arguments that that the evolution of artistic style went through a number of phases, not just one sudden change linked to the Black Death. John White discusses two stylistic changes in the second half of the fourteenth century: the first more conservative and less adventurous and the second in which exploration and experiment again came to the fore (White, 1993, 542). Cole also argues that, as well as the change in the middle of the century, there was another change in style around 1375 and a renewed interest in both the form and content of Giottos art (Cole, 1976, 140). It is clear that, since Meiss’s original theory was proposed, much work has been done by other art historians to challenge his ideas. Although the production of art in Florence in this period did take on different forms from earlier ones and the theory that this was due to the religious reaction provoked by the Black Death can be given some credence, there is less evidence of this trend in Padua and Siena. It is therefore my conclusion that the middle part of the century saw a brief set-back in artistic endeavour, which was due to the devastation caused by the Black Death, but that the fourteenth century was mostly a period of successive developments building on the work of the earlier masters. 1500 words Bibliography Cole, Bruce (1976), Giotto and Florentine Painting 1280-1375, New York. Meiss, Millard (1951), Painting in Florence and Siena After the Black Death, Princeton. Norman, Diana, ed., (1995), Siena, Florence and Padua: Art Society and Religion 1280-1400. Volume I: Interpretative Essays, London. Norman, Diana, ed., (1995), Siena, Florence and Padua: Art .Society ad Religion 1280-1400. Volume II: Case Studies, London. Van Os, HenkThe Black Death and Sienese Painting: a Problem of Interpretation, Art History, 4,1981, pp. 237-49. Smart, Alastair, 1978, The Dawn of Italian Painting 1250-1400, Oxford. White, John, 1993, Art and Architecture in Italy 1250-1400, London.

Comparing Excess in Morrison’s Sula and Ginsberg’s Howl Essay -- compa

Application of Excess in Morrison’s Sula and Ginsberg’s Howl  Ã‚  Ã‚   In William Blake’s Marriage of Heaven and Hell, he declares that "the road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom†¦Those who restrain desire, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained." These beliefs are reiterated and expanded upon in both Toni Morrison’s novel Sula and Allen Ginsberg’s epic poem Howl. Both authors challenge the conception of socially imposed boundaries, which suppress the absolute freedom of thought and action, by venerating the human characteristic of excess. Instead of abiding by the social norms of the general cultural animosity towards excess, Morrison and Ginsberg use this vilified "attribute" as a means to transcend the aforementioned boundaries that have hampered intellectual growth and the liberation of the self. The fact that both authors are of minority backgrounds compounds the acuteness of oppressiveness that both have experienced in their lives and allows us to draw parallels between their beliefs and how they chal lenge such despotism. Morrison’s Sula deals with the novel’s namesake’s journey to follow the road less traveled, and to escape the throes of a perceived life of perpetual imprisonment of the self that has engulfed most of the women of her time. The most obvious trait that resides in all aspects of Sula’s character is that of excess. She wages a one-woman war against society’s prescribed boundaries with an arsenal of excessive behavior and actions. The prospects of a fixed life of marriage and childbearing, which is the envy and ultimate objective for women of her age in Bottom, is unappealing and an altogether putrid existence to her. In order to understand the complex infrastructure of Sula’s character... ... electrified out of the coma by our own souls’ airplanes roaring over the roof they’ve come to drop angelic bombs the hospital illuminates itself imaginary walls collapse O skinny legions run outside O starry-spangled shock of mercy the eternal war is here O victory forget your underwear we’re free"(111). Freedom is what Morrison and Ginsberg strive for in their respective works of Sula and Howl. Both authors implement the use of excessive behavior, deemed heretical to the social standards of the day, in order to transcend its boundaries and achieve self-actualization. Morrison and Ginsberg in effect countermand the adage of "conform or die" into that of "conform and die." Works Cited Ginsberg, Allen. Howl: Original Draft Facsimile, Transcript, and Variant Versions. Ed. Barry Miles. New York: Viking, 1986. Morrison, Toni. Sula. 1973. New York: Plume, 1982.

Dr. Martin Luther Kings “I Have a Dream” Overview

â€Å"I Have a Dream Speech† continues to resonate with people all ever the world. These are the reasons why: 1 . We're getting there, but the work is far from done People of all races still strive for equality. As far as we've come, we still have a long way to go. The speech never gets old, instilling in us the powerful idea of brotherhood and that as diverse as we are, we are one. 2. A lesson In leadership Through his words, MILK Jar. Gave voice to the voiceless. Through his deeds he gave courage to the faint of heart. Through it all, he taught us the power of love and humanity. . We yearn for unwavering examples of human integrity MILK Jar. Endured the humiliation of arrest, the loneliness of a prison cell, and constant threats to his life which was ultimately sacrificed. In an era of false heroes and the all-too-common occurrence of being let down by those we once held In high esteem, we need people to look up to, to aspire to be and who make us say, â€Å"l want to be Li ke them!. † 4. Motivation to Inspire others The way King went about affecting change is a leadership and linguistic lesson in how to move mountains.The speech is one of the greatest examples of what we can do when we act on our hearts, and it gave us a benchmark to strive for: a country that acts on its own ideals and measures itself against how it treats its least fortunate. 5. A shining example of how one person can move others to action The speech reinforces that change begins with us and that any one of us can help transform the world. Martin Luther King, Jar. , one man, did nothing less than Inspire a nation to transform itself and begin living up to the meaning of its creed. 6. Economic injustices still exist Much is said about today's economic â€Å"winners and losers. MILK,Jar. Deplored the idea that businesses should exploit workers by failing to pay a decent wage or laying off dedicated employees to squeeze more profits. Today's Occupy Wall Street Movement Is one ex ample of Just how passionate people still are about these Issues. 7. We have large-scale unemployment King believed human dignity could be restored with federal works programs that trained and placed unemployed workers. This thinking still informs our current dilemma about what it will take to restore people's livelihoods and dignity amidst the longest, deepest, global recession in a generations. . A reminder to serve others We too can strive to be better, serving our nation and our fellow brothers. It Is easy to implicated society. Martin Luther King, Jar. Inspired us to reach out to others in greater need. 9. Serves as a powerful presentation to our children about prejudice The speech is an influential classroom tool that still resonates with children today. Kids aren't huge fans of black and white video clips, but it doesn't take long for the magnificent words and charisma of King to transcend the limitations of any media. 0. We require reminders that make us look into our souls The United States believes it is a land in which strength is defined not simply by the capacity to wage war but by the determination to forge peace. The speech forces us to face these ideals and is still helpful today as we look in the mirror to determine if we like what we see. 11. It helps the rest of the world fight discrimination Fighting for what is right and Just are basic human impulses, yet oftentimes they are difficult to act on.The world has a long way to go before eradicating racial hatred, discrimination, segregation and ethnic strife. Anything that inspires people to action is a plus, let alone such a shining example as the â€Å"l Have a Dream† speech. 12. Powerfully reinforces the notion that progress is possible It is so easy to become assassinated, discouraged, disengaged and even depressed with the state of affairs in our society, our government and our world. Voter apathy is rampant. We need the â€Å"l Have a Dream Speech† to remind us of our better selves and all that we still aspire to be.Correct Scott King said â€Å"all Americans who believe in freedom, tolerance and human rights have a responsibility to oppose bigotry and prejudice,† including against sexual orientation. She institutionalized Martin Luther King's â€Å"philosophy, his principles of nonviolence and his methodology of social change,† and helped push it forward. These worthy causes still exist today. Progress is being made, but it is up to each one of us to carry them forward, no matter how small or how large the gestures. We are busy, time is short and for most of us, the daily challenges are great.But we all must do our part. Why does Martin Luther King Jar have a holiday? Doctor King led the civil rights movement in the US. Taking his philosophy from Gandhi, he determined that the movement would be nonviolent†¦ At least from the point of the African American point. You see, in those times the Jim Crow laws were in effect. Schools were b lack and white, bus stops were segregated, even drinking fountains were labeled â€Å"white† and â€Å"colored†. While the Civil War had officially ended slavery, the black citizens were treated as second class citizens.They had to pay to vote, get up on a bus when a white passenger wanted their seat, wait to eat if there were not enough seats labeled â€Å"colored† at a lunch counter, in essence they were still treated as slaves. In the US, the laws had changed, but the attitudes had not. There was a small minority who still thought that people of color were not equal. They had been slaves, were stupid, and did not deserve the rights that white people had. Of the other people, most Just never thought about it. They lived their lives and didn't think about how the black person felt trying to raise his/her family in dignity. Ere public and then pointed out that these people were war heroes, entertainers, and public servants. In short, he made white people face th e very real fact that they were no better or worse than the African Americans and that they needed to change the laws†¦ And attitudes. It was a very troubling time in the US. There was news coverage from the national television services showing peaceful African Americans protesting and being attacked by the police with water cannon, dogs, and the police themselves. We saw the footage from Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and were outraged. When Dry.King was assassinated, the country was shocked and dismayed. Laws were changed in short order, and the nation became more aware how it treated it's citizens. Some short years later, the unofficial celebration of Dry. King's birthday became a national holiday. The reason is that his was the most influential contribution to civil rights in the US in the 20th century. We remember his contributions on that day, and celebrate the man ho had the courage to speak out against laws which made second class citizens of a large minority of US citi zens. Thoughts: In this persuasive speech which may be the best speech ever given.There are so many powerful points. The two things that stick out to me the most are the quotes â€Å"l have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be Judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. † Also, the quote â€Å"And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able o speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to Join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, â€Å"Free at last! Ere at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! † (Martin Luther King Jar. ) The pure eulogy, rhetorical use, intellectuality, and genuine thoughts were conveyed in such a way throughout the speech that a person could not help, bu t take notice and be at the mercy of the history that was made that day. Dry. King said they were going to cash a check. This was not a check in the literal means, but the metaphorical representation of something that was promised to them, and that promise was not fulfilled.

The Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security

The Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security made a report on Counterterrorism intelligence Capabilities and Performance before the 9/11 attack. According to this report, one of the reasons why this tragedy was not prevented was their less than satisfactory management of resources particularly information that could have be used to forewarn about terrorist intentions. It was reported for example, that the FBI, Homeland Security and the other agencies had very limited ability to watchlist terrorist suspects because of their inadequate access to up-to-date data collected by the different agencies and resources.In addition, it was found out that the actions of the FBI were more towards the investigation of possible terrorist attacks and less focus was placed on the prevention of such. (Report of Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, 2002). These features harmed the Intelligence Committee’s ability to foresee possible threats of terrorism. Needless to say, forekn owledge of an attack is necessary for its prevention. This necessitates infiltrating communities especially those with significant Arab populations.Still, it is important to note that this infiltration is not an act of discrimination but an act based on the great probability that those involved in terrorism would belong to such nationality. There is a greater probablility that sympathizers and supporters of terrorism would belong to the members of the Islamic population than other populations of different religions. The situation demands that efforts never go below minimum if the safety of the population is to be considered. But this infiltration has drawbacks. One, it sacrifices the people’s liberty and privacy.Two, it creates exaggerated fear among the people especially if the infiltration is most obvious. To minimize the resultant fear among the people, it is necessary that infiltration be done in the most discreet way possible. Clearly, barricading the community with FBIs would not be wise as this would not only cause alarm but would also harmful to the intelligence we are trying to gather. This demands the need for informants and secret agents in the said community, from the said community and in all parts of the community, including mosques.It is very important that informants who are to be sent are selected among those already living in that population. These people are already knowledgeable about their community; they know the important people; have a personal concern over the safety of their community and would be more knowledgeable in finding important information given the right directions. This limits the time and effort required for information gathering, focusing the officials’ efforts in the interpretation and analysis of data, which speeds the process of investigation.The result is a more efficient transmission of deeply analyzed information, which is exactly what is needed in the prevention of terrorism according to the Subcommit tee on Terrorism and Homeland Security (2002). But then, using informants, especially if these informants were selected from the same community involved would entail precautions. The danger here lies on the informant’s loyalty. Since the informant is selected from those already living in that population, it would be wise to assume that his loyalty is not absolutely focused towards the progression of the government’s cause.The possibility that his loyalty would lie towards the side of a guilty individual or the investigated individual, who, like him belongs to the same community cannot be denied. Also it cannot be ascertained whether or not he is in league with the terrorists and is providing them with reports, or probably bound by the same ideals completely against the government’s. In using informants from the involved community, the danger lies in the uncertainty of one’s role: who is pulling the strings and who is the marionette. To manage this danger requires the use of a trusted agent who is beyond the bounds of devotion instilled by community membership.This agent would act as the control, monitoring the local informants’ actions and reporting any act that signals treachery. This way, it is possible to determine the reliability of the reports given, pinpoint possible leak in intelligence and manipulate information disseminated, to the advantage of the intelligence committee. Definitely, there is more to war ethics than preventing needless deaths through terrorism, that is, the need to protect the people has made it to the point that the liberty and privacy of the people are sacrificed.Some means of protecting the people such as expanded surveillance and â€Å"seize and interrogate anyone (O’Connor, 2006)† is in itself an act that would incise the people’s freedom. Infiltrating the community with informants and agents, may also, in a way, harm community’s liberty and privacy but in a relativel y less degree compared to other counterterrorism strategies. According to O’Connor (2006), counterterrorism strategies involving technology and the use of informants are the most effective in terms of ensuring the people’s safety and at the same time limiting disadvantages in people’s liberty.In any case at this point, all actions aiming to provide people with their deserved safety entail a cost to the people’s civil liberty. 2. In any undertaking, it is very important to stick to the objective. This does not exclude counterterrorism, war against terrorism or any war for that matter. The war against terrorism is not an end in itself but simply a means to another end which are to protect the peoples’ rights to safety and to provide, in the long run, freedom. I intend to base my answers on these premises.All peoples in the act of terrorism or fighting against the ideals of counterterrorism with the intention of harm would be enemy combatants, without any distinction of citizenship, soldier or non-soldier. This is very different to the status accorded to different people involved in the war on terrorism today where they are classified as enemy combatant, unlawful combatants, prisoners of war or noncombatant, each with different provisions ideally based on International Standards. Whether or not a terrorist is a citizen of Afghanistan, or a citizen of the United States, anyone captured in the act of terrorist violence is considered a terrorist.Simply being an American does not excuse someone from the punishment accorded to crimes of terrorism and the only possible status, rights and protection I could afford an American citizen in the act of terrorist violence is that of a criminal charged with terrorism. He will be interrogated, given a trial and punished according to law without disregard to his rights as human that is without the use of unnecessary torture. A foreign national engaged in terrorism in the United States would be treated in the same way, based on his actions and without regard to his nationality.There would be no more and no less harsh treatment given to a foreign national engaged in terrorism compared to an American counterpart. â€Å"American national birth should not protect American-born terrorists or fail to protect naturalized citizens (Criticisms of the War of Terrorism, 2006). † In affording rights, status protection and punishment, giving such special considerations would be a question to the justice system and to the real intent and objective of this undertaking. Counterterrorism is not a matter of nationality and citizenship.Counterterrorism is defending the peoples’ rights and freedom, a state’s sovereignty against people who disregard such ideals by instilling fear and uncertainty through violence. Double standards should have no place in the justice system. If nationality and citizenship is to be considered, in deciding rights and punishment, then the effor ts to realize the underlying goal which is the safety of the people would be for naught. This would not be counterterrorism but a war against a specific community. This can be applied in the case of the American Citizen who fights against American forces.Again, this is beyond the matter of citizenship. If the American citizen fights against the American forces, he is considered as a threat against the realization of the objectives of the war against terrorism, which is to protect the innocent citizens. The American forces would have no reason not to fight back. Torturing any of these subjects would never be justified in the context of just war. I, personally would say that the torture of these subjects would not be necessary. Eliminating terrorism does not entail the necessity to torture any of the perpetrators of terrorism.Elimination and torture may be similar in a way that it would provoke the wrath of the enemy but they are different in a way that elimination is exactly what it is—that is, it is supposed to eliminate terrorism by eliminating its perpetrators possibly through conviction and application of just laws. Torture, on the other hand would only provoke the wrath of the enemy without the assurance of eliminating terrorism resulting in possible retaliation. Surely, the means of saving lives of peoples would not be limited on a torture or no torture system.Solving terrorism with terrorism is not only unjust but also unwise. 3. Disregarding popular theories on just war, let me say that a war that is just is a matter of perspective. To the leaders, all wars are just as long as it promotes the ideals and purpose they try to protect and achieve. To the US and maybe to some, the war against terrorism is just because its purpose is supposedly to protect the lives, safety and liberty of innocent people against terror. To the leaders of the terrorists, they are supposedly protecting a certain ideal.To some, war is a religious undertaking. Terrorism may be an unpopular act to most but to its supporters, terrorism is their means of fighting for their ideals and achieve their purpose, which they personally believe are just whether others agree or not. But to some people especially those affected negatively by this war, this war would never be possibly just. The families left behind by innocent people who died in the 9/11 attack and those civilians who have become victims of bombs would never think of agreeing to any argument saying that wars could possibly be just.Those who sympathize with these civilians and those who fear the possibility that someday they would become the unknowing victims of war would think the same way. Theorists, most popular of whom, St. Augustine, conceived of criteria that characterize a just war. The just war theory provided guidelines in determining when a war is just (jus ad bellum), how combatants should fight in war (jus in bello), and when to end a war (Just War, 2006). According to the Jus ad bellum, wars should only be engaged in if there is a just cause.Just cause means that wars should only be engaged in to correct wrongdoings, as an act of defense against threats to freedom, rights and sovereignty. The cause is said to be just if it is an act to resist aggression (Orend, 2005). Right intention is also necessary in a just war. Engaging in war for material gains is outside the scope of right intention. In general, intention should always be to defend or correct suffered wrong doings (Orend, 2005). The proportionality and last resort states that gains should always outweigh the casualties incurred and wars should only be engaged in if all other possible means have been exhausted to no avail.Jus ad bellum also emphasizes the importance of legitimate authority and the probability of success. War should only be engaged in if the chance of success is high because doing otherwise would undermine the theory of proportionality, also one criterion in considering a war as a just war (Or end, 2005). In engaging in a just war, combatants are expected to act in a way that violence and casualties are restrained and attempts to recognize human rights of both allies and enemies are made.According to the Jus in bello, combatants of a just war are expected to apply the principle of discrimination in which war is directed only to the perpetrators of wrong and definitely not to civilians. Similar to the Jus ad bellum, in the Jus in bello, proportionality is expected. In this case, the force to be implemented must be justified when compared to the problem that occurred and the possible good outcome. The more civilian casualties, the more the war being waged are questionable (Just War, 2006).The Jus in bello also preaches the use of minimum force, respect for prisoners of war, and derides the use of torture (Orend, 2005). In the same way, in the just war theory, wars should be terminated only with just cause: if both parties are willing to negotiate and violations made by the aggressor have already been recognized and vindicated; right intention, discrimination, proportionality and public declaration and authority (Orend, 2005). Fighting terrorism would cease to be just if it has lost the purpose and ideals which are its foundations.That is, if fighting terrorism has become a mere machination for purposes other than the ideals it stands for. Fighting terrorism would cease to be just if it resorted to unnecessary ways; if it violates human rights; if it in itself resorted to terrorism which is the exact ideal it is supposed to stand against. Fighting terrorism would cease to be just if it has become an act against the principles proposed by the just war theory. Others assert that the presence of any civilian deaths would define an unjust war (Bell, 2006).If all these would classify wars as unjust, then the impossibility of a just war is definite especially when applied to the war on terrorism. Still, criticisms of the just war theory stresses the inapplic ability of the just war theory in the present real wars, such as today’s war on terrorism which is unconventional one. When fighting terrorist groups such as the Al Qaeda, the conventional guidelines for war become obsolete. Therefore, â€Å"just war† has to be redefined (Bell, 2006). 4. Schools, colleges, universities, the press and some institutions have the power to carry out or instill ideas among the people.Unfortunately for the government, these institutions are the breeding ground of radical ideas, some, supporting terrorism and most of which pertaining to anti-militaristic views attacking any actions involving the war against terrorism, inspiring terrorist support. People who incite violence when they glorify violent acts against America may be responsible, indirectly for such acts because of the inspiration they give. They are indeed indirectly accountable but they should not be punished unless they themselves engage in violent acts directly.America, as it pro fesses, hold most deeply their love for freedom and democracy, and part of this freedom and democracy that they allow their people is the freedom to express one’s insights, beliefs and emotions. If a person feels like glorifying violent acts against America, if that person feels that in himself, he is against the beliefs and ideals that America stands for, then he or she is free to communicate, glorify or say anything about it whether or not it inspires violent acts among others. He should be free to say everything as long as he does not directly engage in such violence.It is, after all, his right. Now this freedom allowed to citizens is exactly what makes it difficult for the government to deal with schools, mosques and charities that indirectly support terrorism because imposing sanctions on such indirect actions would undermine the liberty that they strive to protect. The only thing the government can do is to make parallel actions that would negate the actions of the supp orters of terrorism. If there are local institutions that support terrorism, then they would have to use their power to tap what available resources they have, to negate such support and ideals.They have to make an effort to promote their ideas and market it, indirectly targeting the ideas of the supporters of terrorism and at the same time, indirectly making an effort to reach out and win the key supporters of terrorism. Part of the war against terrorism is to put out ideas that make possible the perpetuation of support of terrorism and not the people who support these ideas (if they do not directly engage in terrorism). In this case the war against terrorism is simply not a guns and bombs war, but also a challenge to make some people realize the correctness of the ideas imposed.If the ideas that support terrorism start from ideas imposed by some institutions, then actions should be targeted toward making powerful institutions publicly support ideas like the government’s. Or better yet, infuse anti-terrorist ideas to the institutions that support terrorism. In a way, this would be propagating anti-terrorist ideas as well as killing ideas that support terrorism. 5. â€Å"The fight against terrorism is now the first and overriding priority of the Department of Justice. (US Department of Justice, 2004).† Following this is the revision of the US Patriot act, which expands the power of Intelligence Officials in gathering information. In general, the main purpose of this expansion is for a more efficient targeting and prevention of terrorism by revising previous acts that limited the government’s ability to gather and use information and provide sanctions to terrorists. The revisions include a freer access to information, allowing information sharing among government agencies, â€Å"strengthening criminal laws against terrorism and updating the law to reflect new technology (US Department of Justice, 2004).All these revisions are said to be re quired to eliminate hindrances to the investigation of terrorist acts. The main purpose of this revision is to provide a more efficient means of using critical information especially those related to terrorism. Prior to the approval of the USA Patriot Act was a report submitted by the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security in 2002, analyzing the possible causes of failure to prevent the 9/11 attack.The main points of the report is the mismanagement of intelligence caused mostly by certain restrictions in the law prior to the 9/11 attack, and the need for certain revisions to accommodate the present need regarding terrorism (Report of the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, 2002). Apparently, the revisions in the US Patriot Act are the response. Undeniably, the revisions in the US Patriot Act are a significant incapacitation of terrorist plans and are a great advancement, although not absolute, in terms of reducing the number of terrorist attacks and thus, ensur ing the safety of the people.This has been proven by situations exemplified in a report by the US Department of Justice in 2004 entitled, â€Å"Report from the Field: The US Patriot Act at Work. † The US Patriot Act has temporarily slowed and probably prevented many acts of terrorism, thus improving the perceived safety of the population. But this advantage comes with the price of increased deprivation of civil liberty. The Act could definitely justify secret wiretaps, increase arrests even at a lower threshold of evidence, increased secret access to personal accounts, records, technological usage, mails and conversations (O’Connor, 2006).The not so few accounts of erroneous arrests that have been recorded since the approval of the US Patriot Act confirm this (Criticisms of the War on Terrorism, 2006). Critics of Militarism and the US Patriot Act, and the proponents of civic liberty agree that â€Å"it is better to think before doing anything drastic (O’Connor, 2006). Those for the Patriot Act agree that in the war against terrorism, time is of the essence as a moment of hesitation could disastrously spell doom (Department of Justice, 2004).Another point to be considered in the US Patriot Act is the span of time when provisions of the Act would still be deemed effective in preventing terrorism and ensuring the peoples’ safety. Anyone motivated by a perceived moral cause would not be stopped by simple revisions of laws, or more appropriately, by â€Å"laws† per se. And this is exactly what characterizes the terrorists in question: their motivation to terrorize is beyond any physical or material cause; they are motivated by their perceived definition of morality and justice.Soon, they will find a loophole in the laws that are presently slowing them down, and continue towards their goals. The question now is would the government foresee possible threats that are beyond the treatment of laws? And if they do, how would they handl e and prevent these possible threats? Would it spell more demands on the peoples’ civic liberty in exchange for the more extensive need for safety? And if they do, what if the bombs and terrorist attacks are mere guises to remove our attention from how they are working on their real target—the peoples’ liberty—the ideal the state is trying to protect.Because if you are a terrorist, what better way to attack than attacking the foundation of your enemies’ framework. Is it not possible that the state is unknowingly working towards the achievement of the enemies’ real goal? Although the approval of the Act has provided the government with better capability to reduce threats of terrorism, it is still very important, especially with the erratic movement of priorities, that such questions be given consideration and other threats to the peoples’ security continue to be studied, understood and monitored (Report of Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, 2002).Given the present circumstances when the safety of the peoples is at risk, the US Patriot Act seems to be working satisfactorily in terms of preventing terrorist attacks. It would not be wise to change the provisions of the Act if the objective is to ensure the peoples’ safety. But it would be nice to be hopeful that there would someday be a proposal that would ensure the peoples’ safety without sacrificing the peoples’ liberty. At present, all we can do is choose the lesser evil, and think of ways to eliminate â€Å"evil† as a choice.References Anti-Americanism. (2006, August 5). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:02, August 6, 2006, from http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=AntiAmericanism &oldid=67844288. Bell, D. (2006). Can the War be Just? Or What is Just War Good For? In Crosscurrents Magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2006, from http://www. crosscurrents. org/Bellspring2006. pdf Criticisms of the War on Terrorism. (2006, August 4).In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:03, August 6, 2006, from http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Criticisms_of_the_War_on_Terrorism&oldid=67579159. Just War. (2006, August 6). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:02, August 6, 2006, from http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Just_War&oldid=67920472. O’Connor, T. (2006, June 6). Civic Liberties in Domestic Terrorism. In Megalinks in Criminal Justice. Retrieved August 6, 2006, from http://faculty. ncwc. edu/toconnor/429/429lect19. htm. Orend, B. (2005). War. In The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.Retrieved August 6, 2006, from http://plato. stanford. edu/archives/win2005/entries/war. Report of Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Counterterrorism Intelligence Capabilities and Performance Prior to 9-11 (2002, July). In Federation of American Scientists Intelligence Resource Program. Retrie ved August 6, 2006 from http://www. fas. org/irp/congress/2002_rpt/hpsci_ths0702. html. US Department of Justice (2004, July). Report from the Field: The US Patriot Act at Work.

A Plan of Action for Success in High School or College

A Plan of Action for Success in High School or College Strategic plans are tools that many organizations use to keep themselves successful and on track. A strategic plan is a roadmap for success. You can use the same sort of plan to establish a route to academic success in high school or college. The plan may involve a strategy for achieving success in a single year of high school or for your entire educational experience. Ready to get started? Most basic strategic plans contain these five elements: Mission StatementGoalsStrategy or MethodsObjectivesEvaluation and Review Create a Mission Statement   You will kick off your roadmap for success by determining your overall mission for the year (or four years) of education. Your dreams will be put into words in a written statement called a mission statement. You need to decide ahead of time what youd like to accomplish, then write a paragraph to define this goal. This statement can be a little vague, but thats only because you need to think big at the beginning stage. (Youll see that you should go into detail a little later.) The statement should spell out an overall target that would enable you to reach your highest potential. Your statement should be personalized: it should fit your individual personality as well as your special dreams for the future. As you craft a mission statement, consider how you are special and different, and think about how you can tap in to your special talents and strengths to achieve your target. You might even come up with a motto. Sample Mission Statement Stephanie Baker is a young woman determined to graduate in the top two percent of her class. Her mission is to use the gregarious, open side of her personality to build positive relationships, and to tap in to her studious side to keep her grades high. She will manage her time and her relationships to establish a professional reputation by building on her social skills and her study skills. Stephanies motto is: Enrich your life and reach for the stars. Select the Goals   Goals are general statements that identify some benchmarks youll need to accomplish in order to meet your mission. Most likely you will need to address some possible stumbling blocks you may face on your journey. As in business, you need to recognize any weaknesses and create a defensive strategy in addition to your offensive strategy. Offensive Goals: I will set aside specific times to do homework.I will build relationships with teachers who write great recommendations! Defensive Goal: I will identify and eliminate time-wasting activities by half.I will manage relationships that involve drama and that threaten to drain my energy. Plan Strategies for Reaching Every Goal   Take a good look at the goals youve developed and come up with specifics for reaching them. If one of your goals is dedicating two hours a night to homework, a strategy for reaching that goal is to decide what else might interfere with that and plan around it. Be real when you examine your routine and your plans. For instance, if you are addicted to American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance, make plans to record your show(s) and also to keep others from spoiling the outcomes for you. See how this reflects reality? If you think something so frivolous as planning around a favorite show doesnt belong in a strategic plan, think again! In real life, some of the most popular reality shows consume four to ten hours of our time every week (watching and discussing). This is just the sort of hidden roadblock that can bring you down! Create Objectives   Objectives are clear and measurable statements, as opposed to goals, which are essential but indistinct. They are specific acts, tools, numbers, and things that provide concrete evidence of success. If you do these, youll know youre on track. If you dont carry out your objectives, you can bet youre not reaching your goals. You can kid yourself about many things in your strategic plan, but not objectives. Thats why theyre important. Sample Objectives Buy a planner and write in it every day.Sign a homework contract.Secure a device for recording my favorite shows.Take a learning style exam to determine my best learning style. Evaluate Your Progress   Its not easy to write a good strategic plan on your first try. This is actually a skill that some organizations find difficult. Every strategic plan should have in place a system for an occasional reality check. If you find, halfway through the year, that you are not meeting goals; or if you discover a few weeks into your mission that your objectives arent helping you to get where you need to be, it may be time to revisit your strategic plan and hone it.

Programming SQLite in C Tutorial Two

Programming SQLite in C Tutorial Two This tutorial is the second in a series on programming SQLite in C. SQLite stores a collection of tables in a single file database, usually ending in .db. Each table is like a spreadsheet, it consists of a number of columns and each row has values. If it helps, think of each row as being a struct, with the columns in the table corresponding to the  fields in the struct. A table can have as many rows as will fit on a disk. There is an upper limit but its huge 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 to be precise. A table can have up to 2,000 columns or if you recompile the source, you can max it to an awesome 32,767 columns. The SQLite API To use SQLite, we need to make calls to the API. You can find an introduction to this API on the official Introduction to SQLite C/C Interface web page. Its a collection of functions and easy to use. First, we need a handle to the database. This is of type sqlite3 and is returned by a call to sqlite3_open( filename, **ppDB). After that, we execute the SQL. Lets have a slight digression first though and create a usable database and some tables using SQLiteSpy. (See the previous tutorial for links to that and the SQLite Database Browser). Events and Venues The database about.DB will hold three tables to manage events at several venues. These events will be parties, discos, and concerts and will take place at five venues (alpha, beta, charlie, delta, and echo). When you are modeling something like this, it often helps to start with a spreadsheet. For simplicities sake, Ill just store a date not a time. The spreadsheet has three columns: Dates, Venue, Event Type and about ten events like this. Dates run from 21st to 30th of June 2013. Now SQLite has no explicit date type, so its easier and faster to store it as an int and the same way that Excel uses dates (days since Jan 1, 1900) have int values 41446 to 41455. If you put the dates in a spreadsheet then format the date column as a number with 0 decimal places, it looks something like this: Now we could store this data in one table and for such a simple example, it would probably be acceptable. However good database design practice requires some normalization. Unique data items like venue type should be in its own table and the event types (party etc) should also be in one. Finally, as we can have multiple event types at multiple venues, ( a many to many relationship) we need a third table to hold these. The three tables are: venues - holds all five venueseventtypes - holds all three event typesevents - holds the date plus venue id plus event type id. I also added a description field for this event eg Jims Birthday. The first two tables hold the data types so venues have names alpha to echo. Ive added an integer id as well and created an index for that. With the small numbers of venues (5) and event types (3), it could be done without an index, but with larger tables, it will get very slow. So any column that is likely to be searched on, add an index, preferably integer The SQL to create this is: The index on the events table has date, id-event, the event type, and venue. That means we can query the event table for all events on a date, all events at a venue,all parties etc and combinations of those such as all parties at a venue etc. After running the SQL create table queries, the three tables are created. Note Ive put all that sql in the text file create.sql and it includes data for populating some of the three tables. If you put ; on the end of the lines as Ive done in create.sql then you can batch and execute all the commands in one go. Without the ; you have to run each one by itself. In SQLiteSpy, just click F9 to run everything. Ive also included sql to drop all three tables inside multi-line comments using /* .. */ same as in C. Just select the three lines and do ctrl F9 to execute the selected text. These commands insert  the five venues: Again Ive included commented out text to empty tables, with the delete from lines. Theres no undo so be careful with these! Amazingly, with all the data loaded (admittedly not much) the entire database file on disk is only 7KB. Event Data Rather than build up a bunch of ten insert statements, I used Excel to create a .csv file for the event data and then used the SQLite3 command line utility (that comes with SQLite) and the following commands to import it. Note: Any line with a period (.) prefix is a command. Use .help to view all commands. To run SQL just type it in with no period prefix. You have to use double blackslashes \\ in the import path for each folder. Only do the last line after the .import has succeeded. When SQLite3 runs the default separator is a : so it has to be changed to a comma before the import. Back to the Code Now we have a fully populated database, lets write the C code to run this SQL query which returns a list of parties, with description, dates and venues. New to SQL? Read What is SQL? This does a join using the idvenue column between the events and venues table so we get the name of the venue not its int idvenue value. SQLite C API Functions There are many functions but we only need a handful. The order of processing is: Open database with sqlite3_open(), exit if have error opening it.Prepare the SQL with sqlite3_prepare()Loop using slqite3_step() until no more records(In the loop) process each column with sqlite3_column...Finally call sqlite3_close(db) Theres an optional step after calling sqlite3_prepare where any passed in parameters are bound but well save that for a future tutorial. So in the program listed below the pseudo code for the major steps are: The sql returns three values so if sqlite3.step() SQLITE_ROW then the values are copied from the appropriate column types. Ive used int and text. I display the date as a number but feel free to convert it to a date.​ Listing of Example Code

Why the Articles of Confederation Failed

Why the Articles of Confederation Failed The Articles of Confederation established the first governmental structure unifying the 13 colonies that had fought in the American Revolution. In effect, this document created the structure for the confederation of these newly minted 13 states. After many attempts by several delegates to the Continental Congress, a draft by John Dickinson of Pennsylvania was the basis for the final document, which was adopted in 1777. The Articles went into effect on March 1, 1781, after all, 13 states had ratified them. The Articles of Confederation lasted until March 4, 1789, when they were replaced by the U.S. Constitution. So, why did the Articles of Confederation fail after just eight years? In response to widespread antipathy toward a strong central government, the Articles of Confederation kept national government weak and allowed for the states to be as independent as possible. But almost soon as the Articles took effect, problems with this approach became apparent.   Strong States, Weak Central Government The purpose of the Articles of Confederation was to create a confederation of states whereby each state retained its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right... not... expressly delegated to the United States in Congress assembled.   Every state was as independent as possible within the central government of the United States, which was only responsible for the common defense, the security of liberties, and the general welfare. Congress could make treaties with foreign nations, declare war, maintain an army and navy, establish a postal service, manage Native American affairs, and coin money. But Congress could not levy taxes or regulate commerce. Because of widespread fear of a strong central government at the time they were written and strong loyalties among Americans to their own state as opposed to any national government during the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation purposely kept the national government as weak as possible and the states as independent as possible. However, this led to many of the problems that became apparent once the Articles took effect.   Achievements Despite their significant weaknesses, under the Articles of Confederation the new United States won the American Revolution against the British and secured its independence; successfully negotiated an end to the Revolutionary War with the Treaty of Paris in 1783; and established the national departments of foreign affairs, war, marine, and treasury.  The Continental Congress also made a treaty with France in 1778, after the Articles of Confederation had been adopted by the Congress but before they had been ratified by all the states. Weaknesses The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation would quickly lead to problems that the Founding Fathers realized would not be fixable under the current form of government. Many of these issues were brought up during the Annapolis convention of 1786. These included the following:   Each state only had one vote in Congress, regardless of size.Congress did not have the power to tax.Congress did not have the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce.There was no executive branch to enforce any acts passed by Congress.There was no national court system or judicial branch.Amendments to the Articles of Confederation required a unanimous vote.Laws required a 9/13 majority to pass in Congress.States could levy tariffs on other states goods. Under the Articles of Confederation, each state viewed its own sovereignty and power as paramount to the national good. This led to frequent arguments between the states. In addition, the states would not willingly give money to financially support the national government. The national government was powerless to enforce any acts that Congress passed. Further, some states began to make separate agreements with foreign governments. Almost every state had its own military, called a militia. Each state printed its own money. This, along with issues with trade, meant that there was no stable national economy.   In 1786, Shays Rebellion occurred in western Massachusetts as a protest against rising debt and economic chaos. However, the national government was unable to gather a combined military force among the states to help put down the rebellion, making clear a serious weakness in the structure of the Articles of Confederation. Gathering of the Philadelphia Convention As the economic and military weaknesses became apparent, especially after Shays Rebellion, Americans began asking for changes to the Articles. Their hope was to create a stronger national government. Initially, some states met to deal with their trade and economic problems together. However, as more states became interested in changing the Articles, and as national feeling strengthened, a meeting was set in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787. This became the Constitutional Convention. It was quickly realized that changes would not work, and instead, the entire Articles of Confederation needed to be replaced with a new U.S. Constitution that would dictate the structure of the national government.

Analysis of Wal-Mart Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of Wal-Mart Organization - Essay Example These numbers were hardly predictable from Wal-Mart’s humble beginnings in 1962, when it was founded by entrepreneur Sam Walton. Walton opened a store called the Wal-Mart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas (Frank, 2006). However, within five years, the company opened up an additional 23 stores throughout the state of Arkansas. By 1968, the stores had moved out of state to Missouri and Oklahoma. From there, Walton incorporated his business as Wal-Mart Stores, which still serves as the company’s namesake, and in 1970, the company went public (Frank, 2006). Despite Wal-Mart’s tremendous growth since its inception in Rogers, Arkansas, the company maintains that it is committed to the same values and purpose that Sam Walton believed in when he opened his first location. Wal-Mart claims to abide by Walton’s credo, which is, â€Å"If we work together, we’ll lower the cost of living for everyone†¦ we’ll give the world an opportunity to see what it’s like to save and have a better life† (Walmart). This focus on lowering the cost of living for all people, with equal economic access to the company’s products as a means to improving the quality of life represents a significant part of the company’s mission. â€Å"Saving people money to help them live better was the goal that Sam Walton envisioned when he opened the doors to the first Walmart† (Walmart). ... Food prices are nearly 14% lower in markets where Wal-Mart competes, which means that it is employing its cost leadership in a way that is detrimental to other food suppliers who cannot meet the price offerings of Wal-Mart. Because Wal-Mart is special in its ability to use its large buying power to negotiate deals and acquire cheaply-produced goods from foreign countries, its cost leadership is a core competency. Wal-Mart owns a sizable 30% of the consumer staples market in the United States (Hwang, 2003). Another core competency of Wal-Mart is its use of information technology in support of its international logistics system (Marketing Teacher, 2011). Wal-Mart is special because, for the most part, it is the only multinational retailer based out of the United States. In order to manage the efficient allocation of resources within the organization, Wal-Mart recognizes the need to supply its leaders with the right information in order to make competent decisions. By leveraging informa tion technology, it can measure how individual products perform in different countries with a single glance. This technology also adds value to the process of procurement, which is the process of obtaining goods and services from preparation and processing of a requisition through to receipt and approval of the invoice for payment. In terms of weaknesses, Wal-Mart is a very broad company with a wide variety of interests throughout a vast number of small community markets. Within those stores, Wal-Mart offers a wide range of products, which includes groceries, car services, sports equipment, and so on. Despite providing convenience to its customers, this broadness holds

[Political Economy]Draw the view of good community and its purpose by Essay

[Political Economy]Draw the view of good community and its purpose by classical philosopher like Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Be - Essay Example The two individuals and their parties hold divergent views and positions on the political economy of the American Nation. This essay will generally view the whole country as one single national community. The paper will analyze and argue the ideas of what is good for the community and review the party and candidate positions in the presidential elections campaigns. The Community and the American Vote In the ongoing political campaigns, both candidates are seeking the votes of various groups. They are seeking the votes of young people, seniors, the wealthy, the middleclass, the poor, professionals, and the jobless, among many different other categories of voters. In wooing the different voters, the candidates and their parties are proposing different policies that they feel will better suit the whole American community while at the same time benefitting some special interest groups. A government's budget is more than a mass of numbers; it reveals a nation's priorities and aspirations. The Obama and Romney budget proposals offer two starkly different visions of America's future, making this election the sharpest contrast between competing economic philosophies since Lyndon Johnson routed Barry Goldwater in 1964. (Blinder) For example, one strategy proposed to achieve the good of the community is President Obama’s Medical Care program that was signed into law in 2010. The law seeks to afford every American citizen universal health care. The Democrats have been in its full support while the Republicans have been critical about it. Obamacare seems to respond to Bentham's theory of Utilitarian rights as explained in his book, Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. The most common criticism of Obamacare is that it encourages a culture of dependency and undeserved entitlement. Distribution of Power and Wealth for the Good of the Community Morath (2012) aptly captures the differences the two politicians and their parties approach the campaigns and issues affecting the voter. Kevin Hassett, adviser to  Mitt Romney, said the Republican nominee would take a hard line on entitlement spending that would create the â€Å"sigh of relief effect† needed to encourage businesses to expand. Obama adviser  Jeffery Liebman  said the president would spark job growth, and ultimately consumer demand, through targeted spending on infrastructure, schools and public safety. (Morath) Taxation is one area where the two presidential aspirants widely differ in policy. Both parties offer taxation policies that work according to the philosophies of distribution as expounded by Aristotle in his views on distributive justice. â€Å"Yet the true friend of the people should see that they be not too poor, for extreme poverty lowers the character of the democracy; measures therefore should be taken which will give them lasting prosperity.† (Aristotle, Politics, in Sommerville, p.93) Rousseau asserts that the general will is most impo rtantly enforced by the rule of law and is for the good of both the individual and the community. The general will serves first the community of citizens, rather than the rich minority. This seems in line with the taxation proposals by Obama’s team to tax the rich more. The 2012 election seems to represent some contest between the rich and the poor. Gazing beyond the rhetoric, they would notice how unwilling each party really is to cede any

Foundation of Criminal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Foundation of Criminal Law - Essay Example It is interesting to note that in this case, the Fraud Act of 2006 was not the statute used. The prosecutors used the Theft Act of 1968 instead. The crime in this case arose from dishonestly appropriating â€Å"property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it.†1 Lord Hanningfield tried to defend himself on the grounds that the appropriation or his claims of expenditures were within the law, clearly trying to dispute the â€Å"dishonestly† element of theft as a crime. In Section 2 (1)(a), it was stated that a person’s appropriation is not regarded as dishonest â€Å"if he appropriates the property in the belief that he has in law the right to deprive the other of it, on behalf of himself or of a third person.†2 The defense also fall within Section 2 (1)(c), wherein there was consent to appropriate the property as the peer spends the money thinking that county would have consented him to appropriate it in the way that he has done, especially that many of his peers also do the same. However, the conditions or elements required by the law were deemed sufficient for the offense and this is not surprising. Lord Hanningfield dishonestly appropriated the â€Å"property†, which is, in this case, the money belonging to the Essex County Council, which he represents. There was dishonesty involved according to the standards set by the law because there was a clear and willful misappropriation for personal gain. The averaging out of expenditure was a weak argument in light of several evidences that showed false accounting. The dishonest appropriation occurred when he knowingly and repeatedly deprived his county of its property, which according to Section 4, property includes money. Article 2: Overvaluation Fraud Mary-Jane Rathie, a senior surveyor was accused of five cases of fraud for allegedly overvaluing properties for a certain Joanne Pier, who, for her part, used the dishonestly inflated valuati ons to secure mortgages from the Bank of Scotland. Five properties were involved, with most of them allegedly valued twice as much as their actual worth. The prosecution cited that out of the ?10 million of loans that Ms. Pier was able to secure, ?9.5 million relied on Rathie’s valuations. The claim was that Mrs. Rathie overvalued Pier’s properties in exchange for gifts such as cars and money. The prosecutors cited the cars Bentley-Continental and Range Rover as well as a total of ?900,000 in cheques and money transfers as evidences for the fraud. The report did not cite the specific type of fraud that Rathie was accused of. It is clear, however, that the case being heard was that of fraud by representation as stated in Section 2 of the Fraud Act of 2006. In Section 2 of the statute, the main element of fraud by false representation is dishonesty committed by false representation in order to gain something for oneself. The perpetrator provides false representation by p roviding untrue or misleading information in order to make a gain. The testimonies of independent surveyor in regard to the severely inflated amount of properties valued were central to the prosecution’s case for dishonesty. This is further supported by the string of gifts made to Mrs. Rathie within the period by which the valuations and Ms. Pier’s loan were made. Based on the summary of the case, as reported in the article, the elements of fraud under the false representat

Trace the complex seemingly contradictory relationship between the Essay

Trace the complex seemingly contradictory relationship between the exotic 'newness' of primitivism and the urge to explore ethnic or national roots - Essay Example The canvas included portraits, still lifes, landscape, verve, nudes of spontaneity with rich textured surfaces, bold colors and lively linear patterns. The Fauves used startling contrasts of emerald green, vermilion, vivid orange and cerulean blue in bold strokes and sweeping brush strokes. Fauves desired to use both sides of Expressionism. Outward expression was expressed in the bold release of internal thoughts in wild color, brutal and powerful brushworks and the depiction of inward expression awakened the emotion of the viewers through the designs. There was no official organization of Fauve painters. The laxity of stylistic affinities and personal connections led the Fauve movement to disintegrate as soon as the art form emerged. The artists who followed Fauve principles departed from the idea and followed their own personal styles. The short tenure of Fauvism however made remarkable contribution to the art of painting by experimenting expressive, structural and aesthetic capabi lities. Henri Matisse was a prominent figure among the Fauve group.1 German Expressionism evolved from Fauvism and moved beyond the art in compelling, dramatic portrayal of people and scenes. Three main groups of German Expressionism were Die Brucke, Der Blaue Reiter and Die Neue Sachlichkeit. Der Blaue Reiter  or the Blue Rider group took shape in Munich which is home of avant-garde New Artist Association. The most famous artist of Der Blaue Reiter was Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc. Der Blaue Reiter was a loose association with artists like Paul Klee, August Macke and Gabriele Munter. The objective of the Blue Rider was to infuse art with spiritual values with the use of color. Blue riders mean vague. Marc instilled the idea that animal had innocence and so it is superior to human. The Blue Rider Expressions are mild forms which are seen in Cossacks by Kandinsky, Little Blue Horse and The Little Blue Horses by

The Changes in the Way the Company Produces and Market Products and ho Case Study - 101

The Changes in the Way the Company Produces and Market Products and how they Address Customer Issues - Case Study Example The new approach proposed by the company will improve its competitive advantage over the Chinese rival firms due to the LWT’s proximity to the U.S. market. LWT is close to its consumers hence they will enjoy low transport cost than its competitors (Case study, N.d). The operation cost will decrease when they start dealing with customers directly instead of selling their products through decorating centers. The cost of holding inventory will also reduce and since they will use the internet and catalog to reach the customers that will result in the reduction of marketing expenses (McCormick &  Duff,  2011). Furthermore, the company will obtain a quick response from the clients and be able to offer a quick solution and increase customer satisfaction than its rivals in China (Case study, N.d). The effects of the proposed decision will result to the reduced price of products due to a reduction in inventory and marketing expenditure hence increased customer satisfaction.

Generic relating to the issue of risk and social work Essay

Generic relating to the issue of risk and social work - Essay Example Risk in the current setting, according to Culpitt is no longer a random matter but is much wider, and it covers matters like terrorism, global warming, and pollution among other national issues. This article will be seeking to look at how risk and social work interact for social workers working with older people. Many-a-times, the old members of the society are neglected by their family as well as the society in general. Due to the fact that they are not highly productive, most family members out of lack of financial capacity will tend to abandon their older family members. At the same time, some of these people may have outlived all their family members and are, therefore, alone in every sense of the world. As a result, some of them end up suffering due to the fact that they cannot take care of themselves and, therefore, death is not uncommon for most of them. When working with older people, the social worker has to surmount a number of challenges that come along their way. They have to; for example, look at the health insurance of the person to know what the person can afford in terms of health coverage. According to Mythen and Walklate (2006), the society has moved from the early modernity where the industrial process shaped lifestyles of people. This has moved on to a modernity in which dangers and hazards have permeated into the society due to the effects of urbanization, globalization and industrialization. This means that the older generations have had to be left behind by their family members because of the lean times that have come to characterise the world. At the same time, other effects like those of the coming up of urban centres has meant that the people who are old are left in the rural areas where they are alone. This is because people who have the capacity to look after them are in the urban centres looking for work. According to Beck and

The Changes in the Way the Company Produces and Market Products and ho Case Study - 101

The Changes in the Way the Company Produces and Market Products and how they Address Customer Issues - Case Study Example The new approach proposed by the company will improve its competitive advantage over the Chinese rival firms due to the LWT’s proximity to the U.S. market. LWT is close to its consumers hence they will enjoy low transport cost than its competitors (Case study, N.d). The operation cost will decrease when they start dealing with customers directly instead of selling their products through decorating centers. The cost of holding inventory will also reduce and since they will use the internet and catalog to reach the customers that will result in the reduction of marketing expenses (McCormick &  Duff,  2011). Furthermore, the company will obtain a quick response from the clients and be able to offer a quick solution and increase customer satisfaction than its rivals in China (Case study, N.d). The effects of the proposed decision will result to the reduced price of products due to a reduction in inventory and marketing expenditure hence increased customer satisfaction.

Flappers and 1920s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Flappers and 1920s - Essay Example "Flapper culture set American society abuzz in the 1920s, jazz was becoming the musical craze of young people, hemlines were rising in girl's skirts in length, and in the backseats of automobiles. Modern society was emerging in the speech, fashions, and actions of young girls all over the country. The motion picture industry became an obsession for young men and women who dreamed of gracing the big screen and a luxurious life in Hollywood, or on Broadway." (Flapper Culture: Fashion and the Rise of Hollywood's Leading Lady) Therefore, it is important to realize that in 1920 flappers took the world of fashion by storm and the most important repercussions of the new culture was evident in the Hollywood film industry. Significantly, celebrity was becoming a buzzword during the period and women were discovering what life was 'really like'. In Hollywood fashion, Colleen Moore, the star of Hollywood's first big flapper hit movie Flaming Youth, became a high profile celebrity flapper and Mar y Pickford, Clara Bow, and the flapper queen, Louise Brooks followed Moore's footsteps. An explanation, an analysis, and an evaluation of Flappers in the 1920s help us realize how women fashion was influenced by Hollywood and how it relates to the present day. In an essential

Learning Organization: Literature Review

Learning Organization: Literature Review Introduction of learning organization A learning organization is an organization that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future. For such an organization, it is not enough to merely survive. Survival learning or what is more often termed adaptive learning is important indeed it is necessary. But for a learning organization adapting learning must be joined by generative learning learning that enhances our capacity to create. Learning organization where people continually expand their capacity to create the result they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free and where people are continually learning to see the whole to gather. Types of learning Level 1:- learning facts, knowledge, processes and know situation procedures apply to know where changes are minor. Level 2:- learning new job skills that are transferable to other situations applies to new situations where existing responses need to be changed bringing in outside expertise is a useful tool here. Leel 3:- learning to adopt-applies to more dynamic situation where the solution need developing experimentation and deriving lessons from success and failure is the mode of learning here. Level 4:- learning to learn-Is about innovation and creativity, designing the future rather than merely adapting to it. This is where assumptions are challenged and knowledge is reframed. Characteristic of a learning organization Learning culture:- An organizational climate that natures learning. There is a strong similarity with those characteristic associated with innovation. Processes:- processes that encourage interaction across boundaries. These are infrastructure, development and management processes, as opposed to business operational processes. Tools and techniques:- method that aid individual and group learning, such as creativity and problem solving techniques. Skills and motivation:- to learn and adapt. The art and practice of the learning organization and the fifth discipline field book: strategies and tools for building ad earning organization explain that there are five disciplines, which must be mustered when introducing such as organization. Systems thinking:- the ability to see the big picture and to distinguish patterns instead of conceptualizing change as isolated event systems thinking needs the other four shift from being unconnected to interconnect to the whole and from blaming our problems on something external to a realization that how we operate our actions can create problems. Personal mastery:- begins by becoming committed to lifelong learning and is the spiritual cornerstone of a learning organization. Personal mastery involves being more realistic, focusing on becoming the personal possible and to strive for a sense of commitment and excitement in our careers to facilitate realization of potential. Mental models:- they must be managed because they do prevent new and powerful insights and organizational practices from becoming implemented. The process begins with self reflection, unearthing deeply held belief structure and generalizations and understand how they dramatically influence the way we operate in our own lives. Until there is realization and focus on openness, real change can never be implementation. Building shared vision:- visions cannot be dictated because it begins with the personal visions of individual employees, who may not agree with the leaders visions what is needed is a genuine visions that elicits commitment in good times and bad and has the power to bind an organization together. Team learning:- is important because currently, modern organization operate on the basis of teamwork, which means that organization cannot learn if team members do not come together and learn. It is a process of developing the ability to create desired results, to have a goal in mind and work together to attain it. Review of literature The literature  I reviewed about learning organization fell in to these categories: The founders Real world definitions and critiques Promoting continuous improvement, innovation, stakeholder collaboration Organization learning and organizational outcomes Todays approaches for building organization learning The founders Where did the concept of a learning organization that helped create and disseminate this concept. In literature and conversation with practitioners the authors whose names came up again and again as founders of sorts of this approaches are peter senge, chris aggris, Donald schon and marguret wheatly also highlighted in this section is shana ratners description of the fundamental shift in learning approaches in the latter half of the 20th century has given rise to exiting new field like organizational learning. Peter senga: peter senga is considered by most to be the father of organizational learning senga is a director at innovation associates a Cambridge consulting firm and advises government and educational leader in centre of global changes like South Africa. Sengas massage of growth and prosperity holds strong appeal for todays business leaders. This research centre at MIT the centre for organizational learning started in 1990 has 18 corporate sponsors, included AT and T, ford, Motorola and feudal express. Each contributes $80,000 a year to create learning organization pilot programme with the help of senga and his colleagues. Senga created something new and powerful by putting them together. Unfortunately, at first glance these ideas can seem ambiguous. As a result only a small percentage of the huge number of people who bought the book has read it and only a small percentage of those have carried out its ideas. To make the learning more accessible to seasoned managers, senga and several co-consultants published. The fifth discipline field book, hands-on work. The field book explains that anyone who wants to be the part of a learning organization must first go through a personal change, senga kleines etal 1994. This means that if some members of the group like to tell people what to do and are to busy to listen they must be willing to change themselves. Senga and his colleagues consult with organizations, where they elaborate set of personal awareness exercise with names like dialogues, the container and the ladder of influence. Chris argyris:- Chris argyris is also lauded for disseminating pioneering ideas about now learning can improve organizational development success. He is probably known for distinguish between learning that challenges the status quo, called singe loop learning. Double loop learning depends on the internal commitment by employees to seek transparency and personal responsibility in the work place for single loop learning, people are good programmed to believe that transparency and truth are good ideas, but only when they are not threatening, he says in this article good communication that blocks learning argyris says that the new but now familiar techniques of corporate communication like focus groups, surveys, management by walking around, can block organization learning even as they help solve certain kinds of problems. These techniques, he explains, promote defensive behaviour by encouraging employees to believe that their proper role is to criticize management while the proper role of management is to take action and fix whatever is wrong. He recommends that managers challenge employees to think constantly and creatively about the needs of organizational. By applying these ideas to individuals or group performance reviews, managers can cr eate an incentive for employees to increase their commitment to continuous non-routine learning and for implementing strategy. Donald A. Section For about 40 years, don schon wrote about and consulted in the field of organizational learning many of schons many schons insights, though not distinguished in the management literature, continue to have a significant on the conceptualization of organizational learning. Schons work can be organized in the four themes:(a)his concept of inquiry as reflection in action.(b)constructing a learning dialectic in organization (c)the practice of learning how to learn and(d)his commitment a new educational paradigm that teaches practitioner how to reflect in action. When compared to the current literature on organizational learning, schons deep integration of knowing and doing can be seen as pioneering work. Must literature on organizational learning over time. According to schons approach, action and reflection should occur at the same time so that learning is necessarily embodied in concrete situation. Some comment that schon does not emphasize how rare it is for persons to solicit feedback about mismatches between their principles and their actions. the fact that such learning may be extraordinarily useful. Margaret whitely: Margaret Whitleys book leadership and the new science learning about organization from an orderly universe has been recognized as introducing a new paradigm for organizational development that involves reintegration of society. (Dennard 1996), (Brown 1993). Wheatley offers these are ideas:- Everything is a constant process of discovery and creating. Life uses messes to get well ordered solutions. Life is intent on finding what works, not what is right. Life creates more possibilities as it engages with opportunities. Life is attracted to order. Life organizes around identity. Everything participates in the creation and evolution of its neighbours. Reflecting on her Wheatley vividly demonstrates how organization is living entities and that learning and change strengthen their structure and their communities. Shana rather an old and new answer to how we learn:-Shana rashers 1997 emerging issues in learning communities offers an insightful description of the fundamental shift in learning approaches in the latter half on the 20th century that is giving rise to existing new field such as learning, collaborative learning and organizational learning. This shift, from thinking of learning as a transaction to learning as a process. This shift eliminates the separation of teacher from student and replaces it with dialogue between teacher and student to encourage joint responsibility for learning and growth. (burkey 1993). Old and new answers to how we learn (ratner 1997) Old answer New answer Knowledge is thing that is transferred from one person to another. Knowledge is objective and certain. Learners receive knowledge. We all learn in the same way. Knowledge is a relationship between the knower and the known: knowledge is created through this relationship. Knowledge is subjective and provisional. Learners create knowledge. There are many different learning styles. LEARNING ORGANIZATION SOUTH WEST ARLINE GOOGLE 3M SOUTH WEST AIRLINE :- Background Southwest Airlines has built its culture and its reputation inside out. Its value a happy workforce, and believes that its 3200 employees will keep customer come back. Since its beginning as a small, three jet airlines, southwest leadership, including co- founder and current board chairman Herbert D. Kelleher and President colleen Barrett, has relied on company values concern, respect and caring for employees and customer. Company Consider Learning Organisation because of following reason:- Company must provide the level of knowledge and information that allows the employees to act like owners. Southwest Airlines provides daily news updates via internet; the CEO records a weekly telephone message for all the employees and the company communicates detailed financial information called knowing the score on quarterly earnings. More than 14% of outstanding shares of stock are held by southwest employees. Southwest communicates with employees everyday through news on their internet every week through a telephone news line, every month with 32 page magazine, every week quarter through the financial knowing the score message very year through a series of town hall meetings. Communicators must nature their corporate culture so that employees understand how their behaviour contributes how their organisation is judged. In its monthly news letter LUV Lines, southwest features employees who have been nominated by their peers for Wining Spirit recognition. These outstanding employees are modelling the type of behaviour that result in a remarkable vs ordinary experience for a customer or follow employees. Learning excellence: Southwest Airline approach A bias for action Close to customer Autonomy and entrepreneurship Productivity through people. Hands on value driven Stick to the knitting Simple from lean staff Simultaneous loose tight properties Southwest Airlines one of the most successful airlines n the low cost market segment is the role model for many other low cost airlines. Like Ryan air and easy set. Five specific elements of southwest Airline are strategy, structure, processes and reward. Processes: Southwest Airlines has an open door tradition. Herb Kelleher is known to stay in the bar until four in the morning with a mechanic to hear what he is got to say. Employees are stimulated to come up with ideas and there receive all the necessary support from their management to try out different things. The on board safety demonstration, which has been turned into a complete act to attain the attention of passengers. Rewards-besides the usual package of secondary employment benefits, like free airline tickets, profit sharing etc. employees of the month election. South west airline has another usual way to pay attention to their work force .In the lobby of SWA corporate headquarter at Dallas love field airport .there is a big port falling messy The people of SWA are the creator of what we have become and what we will be. Our people transformed an idea into a legend .that legend will continue to grow only so long as it is nourished. People-SWA has its own university for people where 25000 new employees are trained every year .the selection criteria for recruitment are much more based on attitude than on knowledge. As a result SWA is now regarded as friend list airline in us. The three important factors-these are those factor that show how SWA manager to keep the spirit high The relationship between management and workforce. The training at university for people decreases hierarchical thinking. Herb Kelleher, one of the founder of SWA and an important leader for the company. His vision, humour and hand on mentality are very inspiring for the entire employee in SWA. Suggestion to SWA Give reward also in the form of profit sharing, give bonus and package plan etc. .It also motivate the employees After studying the whole organisation I come to know that in motivational problem are there so company should have good leadership After herb SWA has not a leader same like him so company should try to make a leader as him which helps the company a lot. Reason of Google as learning organisation- Google is the most goggled company in business today. Just as IBM coca-cola were the best companies in youth and everyone wants to pattern them after Google now. First, it is clear from our research that Google is relying heavily on innovation to grow. The companies hire the best brightest and have created a work environment which is the envy of any generation X and Y employee. Government cafeterias, flexible working conditions and the 20% policy which enable each and every employee to spend up to one day per week working on a special and innovative project of their own. Few companies today can afford to lavish such luxuries on every employee. Second, the company has also built a culture of product innovation. Dozens of new products services are available from Google today engineers are encouraged to continuously newones.engineers who finds bugs in others engineers products are encouraged to check out the code line and suggest a fix. While most of the new products from Google never became market leader, some do. Google finance, Goggle maps Gmail are all products which entered the market with strong entrenched compitition.through innovation and strong execution each of these products have take on tremendous market share in a short part and when the company sees a tremendous market opportunity to enter through acquision. Google takes the plunge(YouTube blogger) Following are the points that consider Google as learning organisation very truly- Greater Motivation The Workforce Is More Flexible. People Are More Creative. Improved Social Interaction. Knowledge Sharing. Interdependency The Breakdown of Traditional Communication Barriers. Customer Relation. Information Resources Innovation Creativity Suggestions- Google should level out the workload Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves you people processes Make decision slowly by consensus through considering all the option and implementing the decision rapidly. Introduction to 3M- At 3M, we pair imaginative thinking with science-based technology to create globally-renowned products. We lead scores of markets: health care, safety, office products, and transportation to name a few. So whats our secret? Its simple: We approach real-world problems with our array of technologies to satisfy customers. Leading this process are some of the worlds best and brightest employees who share a commitment to innovation and excellence Learning environment of 3M 3M is a learning organisation committed to continuous improvement in both the companys result each individuals performance. A learning environment is more than a comprehensive training program. It is a philosophy that says that learning is a part of every employees job every day. Continuous learning gives all employees greater opportunity to realize their potential .in a learning environment the role of the employee is to be a continuous learner, the role of the manager is to reinforce learning model learning behaviour and the role of the company is to create system that allow cross functional knowledge sharing throughout the organisation. 3M supports learning through on the job training, traditional class room setting, online learning functional communication of practice .each employee is responsible for his or her individual growth plan. The goal of our commitment to learning is engaged employee who understand how their action contribute to 3Ms success make decision as if they owned the business. Findings:- The reward system as a learning frame has high effect on learning environment according to employees. There is an equity/balance between efforts and rewards. In SWA organisation new employees are trained every year. In SWA organisation selection criteria for recruitment are much more based on attitude than on knowledge. In Google organization monetary or other incentives are given to employees in order to increase their motivation level. In 3M organization and the relation between employees and managers is good. Employees feel like they work in safe environment. Conclusion After study the whole concept of organisation we learn many things regarding learning organisation. Learning organisation is very wider concept and learning helps organisation to achieve success and create new things. Learning organisation innovate things to world. In this assignment I also study learning organisation like SWA Google. They are the main example of learning organisation these companies gives ideas products. Because of their learning behaviour these companies get success and the growth rate of learning organisation never down because they change their policies when requires. It is good for companies so according to me every company became learning organisation .it is good for economy as well as companies and we get innovative things.