An Explanation of the Truman Doctrine

An Explanation of the Truman Doctrine The Truman Doctrine was a key part of the Cold War, both in how this conflict of posturing and puppets began, and how it developed over the years. The doctrine was policy to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures, and announced on March 12th, 1947 by US President Harry Truman, making the doctrine US government policy for decades. The Start of the Truman Doctrine The doctrine was dreamed up in response to crises in Greece and Turkey, nations which Americans believed were in danger of falling into the Soviet sphere of influence. The US and the USSR had been in alliance during the Second World War, but this was to defeat a common enemy in the Germans and the Japanese. When the war ended and Stalin was left in control of Eastern Europe, which he had conquered and intended to subjugate, the US realized the world was left with two superpowers, and one was as bad as the Nazis they had just defeated and far stronger than before. Fear was mixed with paranoia and a little bit of guilt. A conflict was possible, depending on how both sides reacted... and they produced one. While there was no realistic way to free Eastern Europe from Soviet domination, Truman and the US wanted to stop any further countries falling within their control, and the presidents speech promised monetary aid and military advisors to Greece and Turkey to stop them buckling. However, the doctrine was not just aimed at these two, but expanded worldwide as part of the Cold War to cover assistance to all nations threatened by communism and the Soviet Union, involving the US with western Europe, Korea, and Vietnam among others. A major part of the doctrine was the policy of containment. The Truman Doctrine was developed in 1950 by NSC-68 (National Security Council Report 68) which assumed the Soviet Union was trying to spread its power across the whole world, decided that the US should stop this and advocated a more active, military, policy of containment, fully abandoning previous US doctrines like Isolationism. The resulting military budget rose from $13 billion in 1950 to $60 billion in 1951 as the US prepared for the struggle. Good or Bad? What did this mean, in practice? On the one hand, it meant the US involving themselves in every region of the world, and this has been described as a constant battle to keep freedom and democracy alive and well where they are threatened, just as Truman announced. On the other, it is becoming increasingly impossible to look at the Truman doctrine without noticing the terrible governments who were supported, and the highly questionable actions taken by the free west, in order to support opponents of the Soviets.

Free Essays on Gender Stratification

Racism refers to beliefs, practices, and institutions that negatively discriminate against people based on their perceived or ascribed race. Sometimes the term is also used to describe the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities, or that individuals should be treated differently based on their ascribed race. There is a growing, but controversial, tendency to state that racism is a system of oppression that combines racist beliefs – whether they be explicit, tacit or unconscious – with the power to have a negative impact on those discriminated against on a societal level. Racism may be expressed individually and consciously, through explicit thoughts, feelings, or acts, or socially and unconsciously, through institutions that promote inequalities among "races". Sexism is negative discrimination against people based on their assumed or presumed sexual identity. use "sex" to refer to the biological division into male and female, and "gender" to refer to gender roles assigned to people on the basis of their apparent sex and/or other contingent factors. Gender is the perceived masculinity or femininity of a person or characteristic. A person's aggregate gender is complex, encompassing countless characteristics of appearance, speech, movement and more. Ethnicity is the cultural characteristics that connect a particular group or groups of people to each other. While ethnicity and race are related concepts, the concept of ethnicity is rooted in the idea of societal groups, marked especially by shared nationality, tribal afilliation, religious faith, shared language, or cultural and traditional origins and backgrounds, whereas race is rooted in the idea of biological classification of homo sapiens to subspecies according to morphological features such as skin color or facial characteristics. Race and ethnic group stratification I. Introduction A. race and ethnic group stratificationunequal access to valu... Free Essays on Gender Stratification Free Essays on Gender Stratification Racism refers to beliefs, practices, and institutions that negatively discriminate against people based on their perceived or ascribed race. Sometimes the term is also used to describe the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities, or that individuals should be treated differently based on their ascribed race. There is a growing, but controversial, tendency to state that racism is a system of oppression that combines racist beliefs – whether they be explicit, tacit or unconscious – with the power to have a negative impact on those discriminated against on a societal level. Racism may be expressed individually and consciously, through explicit thoughts, feelings, or acts, or socially and unconsciously, through institutions that promote inequalities among "races". Sexism is negative discrimination against people based on their assumed or presumed sexual identity. use "sex" to refer to the biological division into male and female, and "gender" to refer to gender roles assigned to people on the basis of their apparent sex and/or other contingent factors. Gender is the perceived masculinity or femininity of a person or characteristic. A person's aggregate gender is complex, encompassing countless characteristics of appearance, speech, movement and more. Ethnicity is the cultural characteristics that connect a particular group or groups of people to each other. While ethnicity and race are related concepts, the concept of ethnicity is rooted in the idea of societal groups, marked especially by shared nationality, tribal afilliation, religious faith, shared language, or cultural and traditional origins and backgrounds, whereas race is rooted in the idea of biological classification of homo sapiens to subspecies according to morphological features such as skin color or facial characteristics. Race and ethnic group stratification I. Introduction A. race and ethnic group stratificationunequal access to valu...

Cost Benefit Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cost Benefit Analysis - Essay Example Notably, according to a 15 year model on fortified iodine by Food Standards Australia New Zealand   in Australia, fortification will give rise to benefits after one year from the time it was implemented, and more importantly, the benefits accrue to the individuals who achieve iodine replete status before 15 years of age and also they remain iodine replete to that age.Notably, according to a 15 year model on fortified iodine by Food Standards Australia New Zealand in Australia, fortification will give rise to benefits after one year from the time it was implemented, and more importantly, the benefits accrue to the individuals who achieve iodine replete status before 15 years of age and also they remain iodine replete to that age.Costs Evidently, the cost of the mandatory fortification includes the cost to the government that comprises of administering as well as enforcing fortification, the cost of the health monitoring, and the cost to the industry of fortification. Moreover, there are other potential cost that will be involved due to the introduction of the policies complementary to fortification and restriction of consumer choice. Essentially, due to fortification, the consumers are likely to face a reduction of choice and this can also result to an increase of price of the processed products. Although the cost of reduction of choice may not be quantified, it is clear that fortification will not give chance to the consumers to avoid fortified products and therefore they will have to make some considerable changes to their dietary habits. According to Caldwell et al. the salt production in United States is slightly above 60,000 tones. Mainly, due to mandatory fortification, salt manufacturers will require some machinery together with equipment that will match the demand for the iodized salt (Caldwell et al. 932). Similarly, some of the industries will have to make some changes in labeling of the product in order to make sure that the iodized and non-iodized salt is not confused. Evidently, also the industries will have to add an iodine compound to the premix of salt which will be followed by analytical testing. The industries will also incur additional ware-housing costs owing to the fact that there is need to store separately the specific iodized salt. Similarly, the government will also have to undertake training and awareness with regard to the mandatory fortification, administration, auditing, and also instate mechanism for dealing with complaints. All this activities will require some additional costs. Benefits Generally, the benefits associated with fortification include a reduction in morbidity due to a reduction of iodine deficiency disorders, increased IQ and hence this will also result to improved productivity, reduction of absenteeism of employees who suffer from iodine deficiency disorders and related management cost, and enhanced performance at school and improved school attendance. More importantly, all of these benefits cannot be measured directly (Zimmerman

Air Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Air Pollution - Essay Example The high altitude trees in the Rocky Mountains feel the impact of the air pollution emitted in Beijing, China. To determining the most rational approach to controlling air pollution, the worldviews of Environmental Wisdom and Planetary Management can help decide who has responsibility for the air we breath and what are the benchmarks for quality. Both worldviews rely on the tenet that our resources are valuable and require constant attention to provide sustainability and quality of life. However, they differ greatly on their approach, philosophy, and degree of optimism in technology. The Environmental Wisdom worldview takes the stance that the human race is a part of nature and must show an equal respect for all plants and animals in the world. Environmental Wisdom believes technology and economics are limited and there must be a sustainable cooperation with the earth to be able to sustain our resources. The Planetary Management worldview believes that man is the dominant life form on Earth and humans have a right to exploit the Earth's resources to assure their well being. Planetary Management has a high degree of optimism in both technology and economics. ... A major air pollutant that has been at the center of controversy are the CO2 emissions that come from burning fossil fuels. Environmental Wisdom believes that the Earth's fragile ecosystem is threatened by global warming and there is a need to curtail the use of this energy source. It has recently been reported that rising global temperatures have been responsible for the spread of the Asian Hornet which is known to destroy the hives of honeybees (Allen). Loss of the pollination done by honeybees could result in a 26 percent reduction in the US's available food supply (Young). Environmental Wisdom sees the need to reduce CO2 emissions and protect the habitat of the honeybee. The CO2 that is emitted in Beijing has a direct effect on the quality of food in the US. While we may be able to live with a short supply of copper, Environmental Wisdom contends that there is no substitute for quality air. Planetary Management advocates would view the problem of CO2 emissions as a temporary problem that will be solved by science. The air could be cleansed of excessive CO2 with new scientific discoveries and an economic stimulus to develop the technique. In fact, researchers are already developing a method to strip our the CO2 from the polluted air, liquefy it, and bury it underground (Haszeldine). This would allow man to continue to deplete the fossil fuel resources and manage the polluting by-products of its use. Planetary management would have less concern for the complex eco-systems, such as honeybees, that may be threatened or eradicated by global warming. These would simply be further challenges to our technology and inventiveness. In conclusion, all the people on the earth

Personal and Professional Development for Business Essay

Personal and Professional Development for Business - Essay Example The greater job insecurity and weakened right of workers have increased the level of poverty in the developing countries (Goldberg & Pavcnik, 2006). For the purpose of giving the farmers and workers in the developing countries a living wage for their work, which can sustain them and create opportunities for social and economic development, the alternative system of trade which counteracts international free trade, corporate control and global policies was established. Such system is a Fairtrade initiative, which aims are to improve the living conditions of producers in developing countries with their attempts to achieve higher prices, greater availability of financing and longer-term and sustainable buyer-seller relationships. Along with that, an organized social movement was also called to improve social goods and community development and to use the environmental friendly production through a certification process for producers and suppliers. The initiative is simple about the bett er prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the countries that are developing. The following report will examine precisely the question of Fair Trade, will analyze who are the main consumers and who and why people buy Fair Trade products. Further the report will investigate what retailers of selling Fair Trade products can do to increase sales. A Fairtrade Foundation tends to relieve world from poverty, suffering, and distress. That is why it promotes research and education concerning the causes and effects of poverty, in particular, the relation of trade and to the conditions of employment of poor people living in the developing countries. I

The Predictions Of Nostradamus

The Predictions Of Nostradamus Thesis Statement: The accuracy and basis of Nostradamuss prophecies should be enough to persuade people to consider the prophecies as a reference to future events that may happen in the world. Nostradamus Life and times of Nostradamus Educational background Work experiences Religion and beliefs The prophecies of Nostradamus The prophecies that were said to have happened exactly the way Nostradamus stated Century 1, Quatrain 35 prophecy and the Death of Henry II Century 2, Quatrain 51 prophecy and the Fire of London in 1566 Century 1, Quatrain 14 prophecy and the French revolution Century 8, Quatrain 1 prophecy and the first anti-Christ, Emperor Napoleon Century 1, Quatrain 25 prophecy and Pasteurs discoveries Century 9, Quatrain 11 prophecy and the effect of the death of Dr. Jose Rizal to the public Century 1, Quatrain 26 prophecy and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert Century 2, Quatrain 24 prophecy and the occurrence of World War II Century 4, Quatrain 13 prophecy and Ferdinand Marcoss end of supremacy as the president of the Philippines Century 10, Quatrain 98 prophecy and the rise of Corazon Aquino as the president of the Philippines after Marcos Century 2, Quatrain 28 prophecy and Princess Dianas death The prophecies that were said to have happened but not exactly the way Nostradamus predicted Century 3, Quatrain 35 prophecy and the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan Century 5, Quatrain 29 prophecy and the existence of Adolf Hitler as the second anti-Christ Century 6, Quatrain 97 and Century 10, Quatrain 72 prophecies and the 9-11 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City Future predictions of Nostradamus and interpretations by some experts Century 8, Quatrain 77 and Century 9, Quatrain 92 prophecies and the existence of a third anti-Christ Century 2, Quatrain 39 prophecy and the beginning of World War III Century 2, Quatrain 65 prophecy and the earthquakes in Los Angeles and Lombardy Century 10, Quatrain 74 prophecy and the start of the end of the world Possible basis of Nostradamus in making prophecies Culture His religion His studies Effects of the prophecies that came true to the people and the world Beliefs of people and impressions on Nostradamus Nostradamus versus religion Using the prophecies as reference to future events Accuracy Basis Table of Contents Title Page Introduction 1 Life and times of Nostradamus 1 Discussion 4 1.Accurate Prophecies 5 The Death of Henry II 5 Fire of London 6 French Revolution 6 Napoleon Bonaparte 8 Louis Pasteur 8 Dr. Jose Rizals death 9 Kennedy Assassinations 10 World War II 10 Ferdinand Marcoss fall 11 Rise of Corazon Aquino 12 Princess Dianas death 12 1.Precise and Vague Prophecies 13 a.Expedition of Ferdinand Magellan and Adolf Hitler 13 b.Adolf Hitler as the Second Anti-Christ 14 c.9-11 bombing of World Trade Center in New York City 15 Nostradamuss predictions for the Future 16 Existence of a third Anti-Christ 16 2. Beginning of World War III 17 2.Earthquakes in Los Angeles and Lombardy 17 3.Start of the end of the world 18 Possible basis of the prophecies 18 1.Beliefs of people and their impressions to Nostradamus 21 2.Nostradamus versus religion 23 Conclusion 24 References 25 A.Books 25 B. Thesis 26 C. Online Sources 26 Introduction Seeing the future is a one of a kind talent. Fortune tellers, palm readers, psychics and the like are people who claim that they have this gift. Some believe them although some say that they just want to make money. But a few of these psychics are famous because some of their predictions really did come true. The tendency is that people uses the predictions of this few psychics as a reference to future events. One of these few is Nostradamus, the seer of the century (Visions and Prophecies, 1988). Life and times of Nostradamus Nostradamus or Michel De Nostredame was born to James de Nostredame and Renee de Saint Remy on December 14, 1503 in Provence, France (Nostradamus, 2003). His family was originally Jewish but they were converted to Christians after his grandfather was converted due to the government in France. Nostradamuss mother has ancestors that were experts in both mathematics and medicine. One of the family members was the doctor of Rene or Renatus, the ruler of Jerusalem and Sicily, and the count of Provence. Another member is also a doctor to the Duke of Calabaria named John who was the child of King Rene. Nostradamus indicated in his commentaries that he inherited a great understanding of mathematics from his ancestors. He also claims that his ancestors are from the tribe Issachar where he got his gift of prophecy. The tribe Issachar were said to be me that comprehend time or the seven wise men that knew the times, according to Esther i. 13 (Ward, 1940). Also, Michael De Nostradame is the gran dson of two famous physicians-astrologers John de Saint-Remy and Peter De Notradame (Henson, 1959). At 15, Nostradamus studied humanities courses at the school in Avignon. But after a year, he was forced to leave the university because of a breakout of a plague in the place. He then studied philosophy and theory of medicine at the University of Montpellier, the most well-known school of medicine in France. When Huguenots had taken over Montpellier in 1561, the churches and other religious establishments disappeared and the place became the head office of the Huguenots. That was what Nostradamus saw when he was studying there. Being a devoted person to his religion, the conquering of the Huguenots may have irritated him and influenced his writings like Sixains and Presages (Ward, 1940). After graduating, Nostradamus was able to find a cure to the plague that was poisoning some of the places around Montpellier (Visions and Prophecies, 1988). He then travelled and passed by a town on the Garonne called Agen when he was coming back to Toulouse. Here he met a friend named Jules Cesar Scaliger that encouraged him to live in the town. But then their friendship didnt go well until they treated each other as rivals and remained cold to one another. Nostradamus married a lady described as une fort honorable demoiselle in Agen but history didnt reveal her name. This wife and his two children died because of the plague in 1543. People were furious at Nostradamus since he wasnt able to protect his own family from the plague that he was able to cure years before that. He then went back to Provence after that (Ward, 1940). And then Nostradamus travelled again. When Nostradamus arrived at Marseilles, the Parliament of Provence induced him to come to Aix. He lodged there for three years being paid by the government, since the disease went out in 1546. The disease spread severely and it is said that the he deliver his reports in his book Le Theatre du Monde to Seignuer de Launay (Ward, 1940). In Salon de Craux, which is between Avignon and Marseilles, he married a woman named Anna Poussuart Genelle. Nostradamus and the second wife had six children, three boys and three girls. He was in that moment when he was foretelling that a great change is about to happen in Europe and there are a lot of troubles that are soon to happen in the kingdom of France. Nostradamus experienced eagerness in his mind that made him write his Centuries and other Presages. The famous book Centuries features his now famous prophecies. In this book, he included two important letters to two important persons: his son, Cesar and Henry II, who was the reigning King during his time (Ward, 1940). One of Nostradamuss journalist says that Nostradamus published the books because he wants to be of help to the community. He kept the books with him for so long because he was a little frightened. He saw threats that would happen if he publishes the books and that would lead to many other problems. He could have been a target for the government if he says that he used Astrology in predicting. According to Ward (1940), some quatrains of Nostradamus refer to planets and the others that are harmony to the sacred scriptures. After the publishing, rumors began to spread locally and internationally and that rumor says that something marvelous and admirable appeared. Obviously, he published the books because he wanted to; and when a person really wanted something, he would find a way to make what he wanted to happen (Ward, 1940). There was a story about Nostradamus that says he knelt down in front of Felice Peretti, a young monk, and said, Your holiness. Before becoming Pope Sixtus V in 1585, Peretti first became an investigator for Venice (Visions and Prophecies, 1988). In 1586, Peretti published a book Judicial Astrology that notifies the readers that God is the only one who can identify the future. Nostradamus gave up on the use of Astrology, maybe because he was affected by the rumors about his prophecies, but he thinks it can still be practiced if the Church allows it to be able to make predictions about the weather and other natural phenomenon (Pocock, 1995). Another story about Nostradamus was told. Seigneur de Florenville dared Nostradamus to predict the future of one black pig and one white pig. Nostradamus said that de Florenville will eat the black one while the white one will be eaten by a wolf. De Florenville, being a skeptic, wanted to disprove Nostradamus. He asked his chef to cook the white one for him. When dinner was served, de Florenville thought that he had won but Nostradamus stayed firm in his statement. So de Florenville asked his cook to tell the truth and the cook confessed that the white one was taken by a wolf so he served the black one (Visions and Prophecies, 1988). On the 2nd of July year 1566, Nostradamus died because of the arthritis that went worse for days before that day. Jean Aimes said that Nostradamus knew very well what time, hour and day, he will die. Nostradamus reminded himself about the end of June and he wrote on his hand, in the Ephemerides of Jean Stadius, Hic prope mors est (Here is death at hand.). The day, says this friend, before he exchanged his life for a better, after I had spent many hours with him, and late at night I was taking leave of him until the following morning, he said, You will not see me alive at sunrise'(Ward, 1940). Discussion Accuracy of the Prophecies of Nostradamus Nostradamus wrote his prophecies in quatrains. Each Centuries book has 100 prophecies except for Century VII (Galang, 1983). Century VII only has 42 prophecies summing up to 942 four-line verses of prophecies. The prophecies of Nostradamus start in the year 1560 and it ends in the year 3797 because he believed that the world will come to an end in that year. It is written in French, German or Latin with words that are ambiguous and some words that the writer had invented (Emery, 2009 12 September). Nostradamus said that he wanted to write the exact dates to the prophecies but did not do so to avoid being tagged as a sorcerer (Visions and Prophecies, 1988). Evidences here are to show the accuracy of the prophecies made by the seer. Accurate Prophecies Some of the prophecies made by Nostradamus can be linked to a famous event. It was said that Nostradamus predicted the following events that became a huge hit to the community (Fedalizo, 1997). Here are some of the prophecies of Nostradamus that came true exactly the way he said it. The Death of Henry II The start of the rise of Nostradamuss prophecies was when he was called by King Henry II and his wife, Catherine De Medici (Roberts, 1994). The queen was aware of the writings of Nostradamus. When she read the following prophecy, she immediately called the seer to court to interpret his prophecy. The young lion will overcome the older one, in a field of combat in single fight: He will pierce his eyes in their golden cage; two wounds in one, then he dies a cruel death. (Century 1, Quatrain 35) Nostradamus interpreted the prophecy as the process of the death of King Henry II. The king ignored what Nostradamus said. In July 1559, he joined a jousting tournament of St. Antoine for a double celebration of the unions of his sister Elisabeth to Philip II of Spain and his daughter Marguerite to Duke of Savoy (Roberts, 1994). There, Henry II went to a fight against Montgomery, the captain of the Scottish guards, who is six years younger than him (Visions, and Prophecies, 1988). The two fighters each have a lion engraved in their shields. On the first bout, King Henry II lost. Being a king, he wanted to win so he pleaded for a rematch. On the next bout, the two fighters splintered lances successfully but Montgomery accidentally wounded Henry II right in the kings eye through his golden screen (Cheetham, 1989). The wound caused his eye to bleed and damage his brain as well. After 10 days of hardship, King Henry II died. Fire of London Another prediction of Nostradamus that is unbelievably accurate was the prediction about the Fire of London. The blood of the just will commit a fault at London, Burnt through lightning of twenty threes the six: The ancient lady will fall from her high place, Several of the same sect will be killed. (Century 2, Quatrain 51) In the year 1666, there was a big fire in the city of London that damaged almost four-fifths of the city. All the landmarks: the houses made of wood, city streets, churches including the St. Paul Cathedral were destroyed. The fire lasted for five days. Fortunately, only sixteen people died in this accident. Interpreters say that the just or justice Nostradamus was talking about was the disappearance of the plague in London since many rats carry the Black plague that was spreading that time (Cheetham, 1989). French Revolution Next in the many prophecies of Nostradamus that came true is the prediction about the French revolution. There are 2 prophecies that best describe the condition during the French revolution. From the enslaved populace, songs, chants and demands, while Princes and Lords are held captive in prisons. These will in the future by headless idiots be received as divine prayers. (Century 1, Quatrain 14) This prophecy can be interpreted literally because it described exactly what the situation during that time is. The songs, chants and refrains in this quatrain are said to be refer the prayers or pleads by people under the new governance. Every single person during the time of the French revolution is not exempted to the cruelness because even princes and kings were imprisoned (as described by the 2nd line) and also beheaded (as suggested by the 4th line). This quatrain served as a warning to the people of France (Roberts, 1994). Another prophecy that describes the Common Advent (as Nostradamus calls the French revolution) is the following (Roberts, 1994). When the litters are overturned by the whirlwind and faces are covered by cloaks, the new republic will be troubled by its people. At this time the reds and the whites will rule wrongly. (Century 1, Quatrain 3) Just like the first quatrain describing the French revolution, this prophecy can also be interpreted literally. As described in the prophecy, the upper classes were always accepted but this situation was changed by the revolutionists. Nostradamus refers to the France as a republic which is troubled by the new leaders. White was the color of Bourbon kings and red was the color of the revolutionaries. As people know, red is a color of war or rebellion. The last line can be interpreted as the rulers of the republic, the church and upper classes are not suitable for the work which is the aim of the revolutionaries (Roberts, 1994). Napoleon Bonaparte After the prediction about the French revolution, the prediction about the existence of the first anti-Christ which was interpreted to be Napoleon Bonaparte came true. Pau, Nay, Loron will be more of fire than blood, to swim in praise, the great one to flee to the confluence (of rivers). He will refuse entry to the Piuses Pampon and the Durance will keep them confined. (Century 8, Quatrain 1) If the words PAU, NAY, LORON will be used as an anagram, it can form the word NAPAULON ROY which can be interpreted as Napoleon, the King. The praise more of fire than of blood is interpreted as Napoleon being a man of war rather than royal lineage (because he was not really a royal blood). The Piuses that were mentioned in the prophecy is about the two popes named Pius VI and Pius VII that Napoleon imprisoned during his time (The Prophecies of Nostradamus, 1973). Louis Pasteur Next is the eerie prophecy that was said to be pertaining to Louis Pasteur and his amazing discovery. The lost thing is discovered, hidden for many centuries. Pasteur will be celebrated almost as a god-like figure. This is when the moon completes her great cycle, but by other rumours he shall be dishonoured. (Century 1, Quatrain 25) This prophecy is one of the weirdest prophecies Nostradamus made because in here, Nostradamus revealed the name of the person he was pertaining to and the date that this prophecy would happen. The existence of the scientist Louis Pasteur who discovered the germs or microbes that is of great help to each and every living thing in this planet. Pasteur was considered as demi-god by his people and was dishonored because of the jealous people in his area that opposes his work. In accordance to the third line of prophecy, at the end of the Roussat Moon Cycle in the 1880s, Pasteur studied the three most common human plagues called streptococcus, staphylococcus, and pneumococcus (Cheetham, 1989). Dr. Jose Rizals death After the famous Louis Pasteur prophecy, there comes the prediction about the effect of the death of Dr. Jose Rizal to the Philippines. Wrongly will they come to put the just one to death, In public and in the middle extinguished: So great a pestilence will come to arise in this place, That the judges will be forced to flee. (Century 9, Quatrain 11) The just one of the Philippines, Dr. Jose Rizal was said to be proven guilty in fighting against the Spaniards. He was shot at Luneta on December 30, 1896 in front of his fellow Filipinos which served as the start of the revolution in the Philippines. By shooting Rizal, the Spaniards created their own plague and after two years, their supremacy in the Philippines was ended. Governor-General Polavieja, who was the one who signed the warrant for Rizal, left his job and went back to Spain (Pocock, 1995). Kennedy Assassinations In addition to the prophecies that came true exactly the way Nostradamus stated it is the prediction about the Kennedy brothers assassination. The great man will be struck down in the day by a thunderbolt. An evil deed, foretold by the bearer of a petition. According to the prediction another falls at night time. Conflict at Reims, London, and pestilence in Tuscany. (Century 1, Quatrain 26) The first three lines of this prophecy is said to be referring to the assassinations of the two Kennedy brothers. John F. Kennedy was shot down by an insane man named Lee Harvey Oswald on the morning of November 22, 1963 at Dallas, Texas. While his brother, Robert F. Kennedy was killed on the night of June 5, 1968 while rejoicing his success in an election. The Line 4 suggests the effects of these assassinations in France, England and Italy (Cheetham, 1989). Also, these assassinations was predicted by Jeane Dixon, which can be the bearer of the petition Nostradamus was pertaining to (Roberts, 1994). World War II Another prophecy of Nostradamus that came true is the prophecy pertaining to World War II. Beasts ferocious from hunger will swim across rivers: The greater part of the region will be against the Hister, The great one will cause it to be dragged in an iron cage, When the German child will observe nothing. (Century 2, Quatrain 24) The first line applies to the invasion of France made by the German Army headed by the famous Adolf Hitler. There were alliances during the World War II whose aim is to defeat Hitler which eventually succeeded. People believed that the Hister in Nostradamuss prophecy is the Hitler that the nation knows today. The last two lines were interpreted as the things that were involved in the war like bunker and tanks (Roberts, 1994). Ferdinand Marcoss fall Nostradamus also predicted the downfall of the Marcoss government in the year 1986. News of the greater loss reported, The report will astonish the army: Troops united against the revolted: The double phalanx will abandon the great one. (Century 4, Quatrain 13) On the Snap Election that Marcos initiated, the COMELEC declared Marcos as the winner. On February 22, 1986, Enrile and Ramos, who are both working under the government, announced that they no longer work for Marcos. Enrile asked for the citizens to be of aid to any member of the military who will do what they did. The camp in the second line may be interpreted as Marcoss political camp or the military camp. The next day, February 23, people went outside the Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame to guard the people that also abandoned Marcos. Nostradamus predicted, as said in the third line, the civilians united with the soldiers that defected. The word phalange is the plural word for phalanx which pertains to a bone on the finger. Enrile and Ramos pointed their fingers to Marcos after their great announcement. Also, the laban sign that was used by Ninoy Aquinos political party can indicate the phalange (Pocock, 1995). Rise of Corazon Aquino The next great event that Nostradamus predicted is the rise of Corazon Aquino as the president of the Republic of the Philippines. For the merry maid the bright splendor Will shine no longer, for long will she be without salt: With merchants, bullies, wolves odious, All confusion universal monster. (Century 10, Quatrain 98) Cory Aquino, being the merry maid in the prophecy, had the shine when he married a star (Ninoy Aquino). But this star doesnt shine anymore when he was murdered and the maid was given the task of a leader of a nation. Aquino, being a housewife, have no salt (no good sense) for trading or bargaining with other countries. The universal monster that was included in this prophecy is the lack of leadership that became the problem of the presidency of Mrs. Aquino (Pocock, 1995). Princess Dianas death Last but not the least; Nostradamus foretold the death of Princess Diana of England in Paris. The penultimate of the surname of the Prophet Will take Diana for his day and rest: He will wander far because of a frantic head, And delivering a great people from subjection. (Century 2, Quatrain 28) In this prophecy, Nostradamus again named the person he was referring to. The owner of Harods department, Dodi al-Fayed, had a father whose name is Mohammed. Mohammed is the name of the prophet of the Muslim people. Dodi al-Fayed was with Diana up to the day the princess died. The other two lines was the effect of the death of the Princess to her people (Cheetham, 1989). Precise and Vague Prophecies Evidently, not all the prophecies of Nostradamus came true exactly the way he narrated it but some came true but not in the way that Nostradamus said. And some of the prophecies were a little vague that it can be interpreted to two different events or people. Here are some examples of that scenario. Expedition of Ferdinand Magellan and Adolf Hitler From the very depths of the West of Europe, A young child will be born of poor people, He who by his tongue will seduce a great troop: His fame will increase towards the realm of the East. (Century 3, Quatrain 35) Portugal is in the western part of the Europe continent and Portugal is where Ferdinand Magellan came from. Ferdinand Magellan was the one who discovered the Philippines in his exploration. He was born in the poor province of Tras-os-Montes on 1480. When Magellan joined a voyage headed by Francisco dAlmeida, he was an ordinary seaman which also implies that Magellan really came from a poor family. Magellan had dreams to explore to the Spice Islands and he was able to captivate the heart of a respected astronomer named Guy de Failero. Coincidently, de Failero and Nostradamus have something in common: they were judicial astrologers and had been accused of the use of occult. Magellan travelled to Spain to pursue his dreams when he was turned down by King Manuel I. In Spain, he was able to convince his father-in-law, Diego Barbosa, with his plans. Barbosa, having influences, made arrangements to get Magellan to talk with the young King Charles I of Spain. And it was the start of Magellan s expedition. Magellans tongue was also able to persuade Filipinos to convert to Christians. As the line 3 suggests, Magellan really did have the power to seduce people with his words. When Magellan died, he became famous because of his explorations in the Philippines (Pocock, 1995). This particular prophecy also suggests the existence of Adolf Hitler. Hitler also came from a country that is a part of Western Europe which is Germany. As charismatic as he was, Hitler was able to convince many people to be his allies in the World War II. And one of these allies is Japan (which can be interpreted as the Eastern Kingdom) (Fedalizo, 1997). This prophecy shows the vagueness that some of Nostradamuss prophecies possess. People will find it hard to interpret his prophecies that shall take place in the future if there is this vagueness. Adolf Hitler as the Second Anti-Christ Liberty will not be recovered, A proud, villainous, wicked black one will occupy it, When the matter of the bridge will be opened, The republic of Venice vexed by the Hister. (Century 5, Quatrain 29) Interpreters believed that Nostradamus uses the anagram Hister to be pertaining to Adolf Hitler. Hister is an area near Danube river where Hitler was born. Since almost all the prophecies were interpreted literally, then this Hister should be pertaining to the area which will make the prophecies senseless. Again, vagueness strikes (Cheetham, 1989). 9-11 bombing of World Trade Center in New York City At forty-five degrees the sky will burn, Fire to approach the great new city: In an instant a great scattered flame will leap up, When one will want to demand proof of the Normans. (Century 6, Quatrain 97) The year 1999, seventh month, From the sky will come a great King of Terror: To bring back to life the great King of the Mongols, Before and after Mars to reign by good luck. (Century 10, Quatrain 72) Interpreters say that these two quatrains describe the phenomenal and tragic event of the World Trade Center bombing. New York is in 40Â ° 5 N latitude which is close to the forty-five degrees which is indicated in the prophecy. The bombing happened on September 11, 2001 which makes Nostradamuss date (July 1999) a little off. There are only a few prophecies which have specified dates and this one is not accurate. Also, in the original prophecy, Nostradamus indicated new city which can also pertain to a town in Paris close to 45 degrees latitude. According to this prophecy, after the Great King of Terror appears, war will begin (the indication of God of War) which didnt exactly happen between United States of America and Afghanistan (Emery, 2001 12 September). Nostradamuss predictions for the Future The prophecies of Nostradamus have a simple and easy to understand objective: to predict the future. It is essential to look for prophecies that indicate major events that may happen in the years to come (Fedalizo, 1997). Existence of a third Anti-Christ The antichrist very soon annihilates the three, twenty-seven years his war will last. The unbelievers are dead, captive, exiled; with blood, human bodies, water and red hail covering the earth. (Century 8, Quatrain 77) Nostradamus indicates the existence of an anti-Christ which will give a terrible problem to the world. For twenty seven years, the possible World War III will occur with this person. Lines 3 and 4 suggest the horrifying things that are bound to happen in this time (Howell, 2004). The King will want to enter the new city, Through its enemies they will come to subdue it: Captive free falsely to speak and act, King to be outside, he will keep far from the enemy. (Century 9, Quatrain 92) This prophecy suggests the terrorism that will happen in accordance with the third anti-Christ. Traitors in exile will be set free and this king will give greater troubles than the two anti-Christs had given (Howell, 2004). 2. Beginning of World War III One year before the Italian conflict, Germans, Gauls, Spaniards for the fort: The republican schoolhouse will fall, There, except for a few, they will be choked dead. (Century 2, Quatrain 39) In accordance with the third anti-Christ, this prophecy also indicates the terrorism in one republican country. There will be a problem between Germans, Gauls and Spaniards in this War. There is no indication of any alliances. (Martinez, 2000) Earthquakes in Los Angeles and Lombardy The sloping park great calamity To be done through Hesperia and Insubria: The fire in the ship, plague and captivity, Mercury in Sagittarius Saturn will fade. (Century 2, Quatrain 65) Hesperia is a city in California, USA along Los Angeles and Insubria is a place along Lombardy in Italy. The sloping park can mean that a great movement of the grounds shall happen in these places. This earthquake shall happen in the place when Mercury is in Sagittarius and Saturn is in vanishing position and astrologers say that this will be on November 25, 2015, Novermber 23, 2016 and December 7,

Human Cloning Debate and Life Issues :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Human Cloning Debate and Life Issues The use of cloning to produce "Dolly" the sheep has prompted a public debate about cloning humans. This issue has quickly become linked with the issues of abortion and embryo research. What is cloning? Cloning is a way of producing a genetic twin of an organism, without sexual reproduction. The method used to produce Dolly the sheep is called "somatic cell nuclear transfer": the nucleus of a body cell ("somatic cell") is transferred into an unfertilized egg whose nucleus has been removed or rendered inactive. A tiny electric pulse may then stimulate development of the resulting embryo, which is an almost exact genetic twin of the creature that supplied the nucleus. It may be technically possible to use this procedure to reproduce human beings. What does cloning have to do with embryo research? A great deal. Cloning a human being or other large organism begins by artificially producing an embryo of that species. To produce one live sheep, "Dolly," scientists created 277 sheep embryos; 276 died or were discarded. Experiments in human cloning would involve the creation and destruction of human embryos on a massive scale. Didn't the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) propose a ban on cloning? Not really. It proposed a five-year moratorium on use of cloning to produce a "child," meaning a live-born child. This would allow unlimited cloning to produce human embryos, so long as the embryos were then destroyed. Such experiments could be used to refine the procedure and test its likelihood of causing birth defects. After years of destructive experiments, the ban on allowing live birth could be reconsidered. So NBAC's proposal is not a ban on cloning but a permission slip for experimenting on embryos and a mandate for destroying them. This approach is reflected in S. 1602, a bill introduced by Senators Kennedy and Feinstein to prohibit transferring a cloned human embryo to "a woman's uterus." Under S. 1602, researchers could clone embryos and experiment on them without limit; they would violate the law only if they failed to throw away the embryos afterwards. What does human cloning have to do with abortion? Quite a bit, because bills like S. 1602 would enforce a ban on "cloning a human being" by mandating the destruction of all cloned human embryos. This would mark the first time Congress has ever declared that human embryos are not humans and are worthy only of destruction.

Housing and environmental issues Essay

Community development officer: CDOs should have: †¢ the ability to communicate with a wide range of people †¢ the ability to manage a budget †¢ sensitivity in dealing with multi-cultural issues, such as religion †¢ networking skills and a good memory for names and faces †¢ the ability to work on their own initiative †¢ Commitment to social inclusion issues. CDOs may work for a local authority; he must also involve public decision in multi cultural communities housed by the associations. Public involvement in regeneration is widely held to be a good thing. There are very few who write about or comment on regeneration, however it is defined who do not claim that public involvement is an important if not essential component of effective and successful regeneration. And to a great extent this has been the position in the UK and elsewhere for well over a century. However, there are very few studies that have set out to measure and to analyse the impact of public involvement. In other words, few researchers have attempted to see what difference it makes in practice to involve the public and whether any such differences are positive, in the sense of being both anticipated and desired. There are, nevertheless, many studies that shed some light on the processes of public involvement and draw conclusions about its impact in specific cases. The conclusion of many of these studies is that public involvement did not work very well in practice: it was embarked upon too late; insufficient resources were provided to make it effective; the local environment was not very conducive; and key decisions continued to be taken by people not living in the areas affected. The importance of involving the public in attempts to improve and regenerate neighbourhoods has been recognised for many years. However, the consensus around the value and potential benefits of greater public involvement has probably never been stronger, not least because government has put it at the centre of its plans to modernise both the delivery of public services and the very processes of government. A simple theory of public participation The political imperatives driving forward the agenda of public participation are well established, but three stand out at present. First is the belief that participation is intrinsically good and worthwhile, and hence more participation is desirable. Second is the growing acknowledgement that many major policy issues do not appear to be capable of obvious resolution – they can be termed ‘wicked problems’ for this reason (Rittel and Weber, 1973). An obvious consequence of this recognition is to take a more open approach to their resolution, in other words to allow a wider range of partners into the arena of policy debate and hence to share the burden of resolution. Finally, there is a clear belief that greater participation is needed to stem if not reverse the apparent decline in social capital charted by Putnam (2001) and his followers (see DeFilipis, 2001). A slightly broader set of factors can be derived from the wider academic literature where at least four distinct explanations of or justification for greater public participation in government generally are apparent. Instrumentalist conceptions point to the fact that individuals are the best judges of their own interests and hence by participating in policy debates and political discussions they are best able to articulate and advance these interests. The job of government then lies in the aggregation of individual interests and the balancing of conflicting positions into a plausible public interest. Communitarian conceptions take a different approach and advocate a more collective or social approach among the participating public, such that a negotiated view of the public interest is provided to rather than by government. Of course government may then have to perform further rounds of aggregation or even facilitate further rounds of negotiation or consensus building, but the public plays a more prominent part in the social construction of their own idea of public interest. In this conception there is some degree of aggregation but government is still left to aggregate, adjudicate or reconcile the possibly conflicting views of different communities or even coalitions of communities. Educative approaches suggest that public participation helps in developing a more sophisticated understanding of the complexities of policy issues; of the ethical dilemmas and the need to make trade-offs for example between price and quality or between the achievement of short and long term priorities. Finally, expressive conceptions of participation emphasise the opportunity that political participation gives individuals to express their political identity. Through active campaigning, displaying posters, attending rallies, donating money or time, one is able to demonstrate to the world at large that fact that one is a feminist, a socialist, a conservative, a nationalist and so on. It is of course important also to bear in mind that political participation can involve much more than voting in periodic elections, or even campaigning in them. Attending meetings about issues of local or international concern and taking part in participatory events such as juries, consensus conferences or citizens juries are also important as is participation in ongoing campaigns or lobbies, again from local (save our school) to global (save our planet) issues. There is something of a paradox here, in that there is plentiful data available on formal political involvement in voting, but relatively little available on the more prosaic but nevertheless significant everyday acts of involvement, such as going to meetings or simply engaging socially and maybe politically with ones neighbours (Hoggett and Bishop, 1986). In recent years some regular and extensive surveys have begun to provide valuable data of this type, but it is still the case that many sophisticated models of community engagement, civic renewal and social capital, have been constructed on flimsy empirical foundations (Prime, Zimmeck & Zurawa, 2002). But to develop a simple model of participation we need to consider in some more detail questions along each of the three main dimensions implied in the expression: public participation in planning or policy making. Robert D. Putnam That Western society has changed dramatically since the middle of the 20th century. There is less agreement about what caused the changes, and whether they have been beneficial. One barometer of change in Western society is the level of ‘social capital’ (a concept popularised by Robert D. Putnam), which results from high levels of investment by citizens in their community. Putnam’s investigation of American society, Bowling Alone (2000), considers the full range of changes affecting America (and all western societies): declining participation in institutional Christianity; less involvement in sport and recreational clubs, politics, charitable causes, and volunteer work; and a radical re-shaping of the family though divorce, a lower birth rate, and a disinclination to marry at all. These trends, Putnam argues, result in diminished social capital. Putnam’s analysis of America holds for the three Anglophone members of George W. Bush’s ‘coalition of the willing,’ America, Britain and Australia, and may explain why hawkish, right-wing governments are the people’s choice at the start of the 21st century, despite an unprecedented liberality and inclusiveness throughout the second half of the 20th century. Putnam notes a range of factors responsible for civic disengagement: suburban sprawl; the popularity of television and electronic media; changed work patterns, including the large-scale entry of women into the workforce; and generational changes resulting in the ‘replacement of an unusually civic generation by several generations [Baby Boomers, Generations X and Y] †¦ that are less embedded in community life’ (p. 275). In the United States, where voting is optional, these developments dilute democracy, and societies with low participation rates tend to become distrustful. Untrusting citizens call for tougher; ‘law and order’ focused governments, resulting in the election of increasingly right-wing political parties. Social capital: 1. Definition The concept and theory of social capital dates back to the origins of social science; however, recent scholarship has focused on social capital as a subject of social organization and a potential source of value that can be harnessed and converted for strategic and gainful purposes. According to Robert David Putnam, the central premise of social capital is that social networks have value. Social capital refers to the collective value of all â€Å"social networks† and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other. Social capital refers to the institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society’s social interactions. Increasing evidence shows that social cohesion is critical for societies to prosper economically and for development to be sustainable. Social capital is not just the sum of the institutions that underpin a society; it is the glue that holds them together However, social capital may not always be beneficial. Horizontal networks of individual citizens and groups that enhance community productivity and cohesion are said to be positive social capital assets whereas self-serving exclusive gangs and hierarchical patronage systems that operate at cross purposes to communitarian interests can be thought of as negative social capital burdens on society. 2. History of the research on the concept Robert David Putnam, if not the first one to write on the issue, is considered as the major author on the concept of social capital. He is a U. S. political scientist and professor at Harvard University, and is well-known for his writings on civic engagement and civil society along with social capital. However, his work is concentrated on the United States only. His most famous (and controversial) work, Bowling Alone, argues that the United States has undergone an unprecedented collapse in civic, social, associational, and political life (social capital) since the 1960s, with serious negative consequences. Though he measured this decline in data of many varieties, his most striking point was that virtually every traditional civic, social, and fraternal organization had undergone a massive decline in membership. From his research, a working group has formed at Harvard University and is called Saguaro Seminar. Most definitions around the social capital concept, notably those used by the World Bank, come from Putnam’s work and this research. 3. Measuring social capital The Saguaro Seminar, in the continuation of Putnam’s work, has been elaborating various means to measure the level of social capital in different contexts. It says on its website that measurement of social capital is important for the three following reasons: (a) Measurement helps make the concept of social capital more tangible for people who find social capital difficult or abstract; (b) It increases our investment in social capital: in a performance-driven era, social capital will be relegated to second-tier status in the allocation of resources, unless organizations can show that their community-building efforts are showing results; and (c) Measurement helps funders and community organizations build more social capital. Everything that involves any human interaction can be asserted to create social capital, but the real question is does it build a significant amount of social capital, and if so, how much? Is a specific part of an organization’s effort worth continuing or should it be scrapped and revamped? Do mentoring programs, playgrounds, or sponsoring block parties lead more typically to greater social capital creation? Measuring social capital: Towards a theoretically informed measurement framework for researching social capital in family and community life. by Wendy Stone. Research paper no. 24, Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2001, 38p, ISBN 0 642 39486 5 To inform the Institute’s Families, Social Capital and Citizenship project, this paper contributes to the development of clear links between theorised and empirical understandings of social capital by: establishing a theoretically informed measurement framework for empirical investigation of social capital; and reviewing existing measures of social capital in light of this framework. The paper concludes with a statement of guiding principles for the measurement and empirical investigation of social capital in family and community life. Social Capital as Credit Social capital, or aggregate reputation, is a form of credit. Some formal transactions can be supported by social capital. Informal transactions are rarely underpinned by financial credit or legal agreement and instead rely entirely social capital. We all have our internal calculators keeping tacit track of who is doing wrong and who is doing right, the health of the relationships and adjusting our actuarial tables according to experience. While undertaking government activities environment problems should also be considered. As it has became a global issue we need to take care of everything. Globalisation and cultural identity It is fair to say that the impact of globalization in the cultural sphere has, most generally, been viewed in a pessimistic light. Typically, it has been associated with the destruction of cultural identities, victims of the accelerating encroachment of a homogenized, westernized, consumer culture. This view, the constituency for which extends from (some) academics to anti-globalization activists (Shepard and Hayduk 2002), tends to interpret globalization as a seamless extension of – indeed, as a euphemism for – western cultural imperialism. In this discussion which follows we approach this claim with a good deal of skepticism. we will not seek to deny the obvious power of globalized capitalism to distribute and promote its cultural goods in every corner. Nor will we take up the argument – now very commonly made by critics of the cultural imperialism thesis (Lull 2000; Thompson 1995; Tomlinson 1991) that a deeper cultural impact cannot be easily inferred from the presence of such goods. What we will try to argue is something more specific: that cultural identity, properly understood, is much more the product of globalization than its victim. Identity as Treasure To begin, let us sketch the implicit (for it is usually implicit) reasoning behind the assumption that globalization destroys identities. Once upon a time, before the era of globalization, there existed local, autonomous, distinct and well-defined, robust and culturally sustaining connections between geographical place and cultural experience. These connections constituted one’s – and one’s community’s – ‘cultural identity’. This identity was something people simply ‘had’ as an undisturbed existential possession, an inheritance, a benefit of traditional long dwelling, of continuity with the past. Identity, then, like language, was not just a description of cultural belonging; it was a sort of collective treasure of local communities. But it was also discovered to be something fragile that needed protecting and preserving that could be lost. Into this world of manifold, discrete, but to various degrees vulnerable, cultural identities there suddenly burst (apparently around the middle of the 1980s) the corrosive power of globalization. Globalization, so the story goes, has swept like a flood tide through the world’s diverse cultures, destroying stable localities, displacing peoples, bringing a market-driven, ‘branded’ homogenization of cultural experience, thus obliterating the differences between locality-defined cultures which had constituted our identities. Though globalization has been judged as involving a general process of loss of cultural diversity, some of course did better, some worse out of this process. Identity as Cultural Power Let us begin with identity, a concept which surely lies at the heart of our contemporary cultural imagination. It is not, in fact, difficult in the prolific literature of analysis of the concept to find positions which contest the story of identity as the victim of globalization. Identity and Institutional Modernity This brings the central claim that globalization actually proliferates rather than destroys identities. In this respect we depart somewhat from Castells’s position: in setting identity as a sort of autonomous cultural dynamic, surging up from the grassroots as an oppositional force to globalization, Castells really fails to see the rather compelling inner logic between the globalization process and the institutionalized construction of identities. This, in other way, lies in the nature of the institutions of modernity that globalization distributes. To put the matter simply: globalization is really the globalization of modernity, and modernity is the harbinger of identity. It is a common assumption that identity-formation is a universal feature of human experience. Castells seems implicitly to take this view when he writes: ‘Identity is people’s source of meaning and experience’ (1997: 6). But whilst it is true that the construction of meaning via cultural practices is a human universal, it does not follow that this invariably takes the form of identity construction as we currently understand it in the global-modern West. This form of ethnocentric assumption has been recently criticized both by anthropologists and media and cultural critics. Globalization and Modernity To appreciate this, it is necessary to take a more complex view of the globalization process than is often adopted – certainly in the polemical discourses of the anti-globalization movement, where globalization is essentially understood as the globalization of capitalism, achieved in its cultural aspect via a complicate western dominated media system. This more complex, multidimensional conceptualization, which views globalization as operating simultaneously and interrelated in the economic, technological-communicational, political and cultural spheres of human life, is in fact relatively un-contentious – at least in principle – within academic discourses. But the cultural implication, rather less easily swallowed by some, is that globalization involves not the simple enforced distribution of a particular western (say, liberal, secular, possessive-individualist, capitalist-consumerist) lifestyle, but a more complicated dissemination of the entire range of institutional features of cultural modernity. References Putnam, R (2001) Bowling Alone: the collapse and revival of American community, Touchstone, London Tomlinson, J (1999) Globalisation and culture, Policy Press, Cambridge Social capital: http://www. jrc. es/home/report/english/articles/vol85/ICT4E856. htm http://www. envplan. com/ http://www. infed. org/thinkers/putnam. htm http://www. naturaledgeproject. net/NAON_ch11. aspx

Heroin Use and Abuse essays

Heroin Use and Abuse essays Darren Aronofsky's film Requiem for a Dream follows the lives of 4 people, lost and isolated in their own worlds into the descending spiral of drug addiction. At first, their desire for the drug is a based on a desire to escape from the doldrums of everyday life. An elderly widow uses prescription pain killers in order to clam her nerves, but soon the psychokinetic effects are the focus of her desire, and she slips into a fantasy dream world. A pair of young lovers and their friend starts the journey seeking a bit of fun, which turns into a desire for power, and then an addiction to the ability to escape the devolving conditions of their lives into the drug induced dream. Unlike feel good endings of most of today's modern films, individual vignettes conclude the film, showing each of the four lived helplessly shipwrecked, somewhere in between reality and The effects of powerful drugs such as heroin, or cocaine on the lives of their users lead to self destruction. The powerful chemical interaction between the drugs and the normal neurological activity in the brain render the user unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy. The result of long term use is the tragic loss of an individual. In 1863 a German merchant named Friedrich Bayer (1825-76) set up a factory in Elberfeld to exploit new chemical procedures for making dyes from coal tar. German coal-tar dye manufacture expanded rapidly, but when price conventions and raw material availability deteriorated, the Bayer Company invested in scientific research to diversify its product range. In 1888, a new substance synthesized by Bayer chemists became the company's Synthetic medicines were something new. In the early years of the nineteenth century, medicines had been prepared using crude natural materials like opium, the dried milky substance derived from poppy seeds. A young German pharmacist called ...

Examining School Personnel Roles and Responsibilities

Examining School Personnel Roles and Responsibilities It truly does take an army to raise and educate a child. The most recognizable employees within a school district are the teachers. However, they represent only a portion of the personnel that works within the school. School personnel can be divided into three distinct categories including school leaders, faculty, and support staff. Here we examine the essential roles and responsibilities of key school personnel. School Leaders Board of Education – The board of education is ultimately responsible for most decision making in a school. The board of education is made up of elected community members most usually consisting of 5 members. The eligibility requirement for a board member varies by state. The board of education generally meets once per month. They are responsible for hiring the district superintendent. They also generally take into account the recommendations of the superintendent in the decision-making process. Superintendent – The superintendent  oversees the daily operations of the school district as a whole. They are generally responsible for providing recommendations to the school board in a variety of areas. The superintendent’s primary responsibility is handling the financial matters of the school district. They also lobby on behalf of their district with the State government. Assistant Superintendent – A smaller district may not have any assistant superintendents, but a larger district may have several. The assistant superintendent oversees a specific part or parts of a school district’s daily operations. For example, there may be an assistant superintendent for curriculum and another assistant superintendent for transportation. The assistant superintendent is overseen by the district superintendent. Principal – The principal oversees the daily operations of an individual school building within a district. The principal is primarily in charge of overseeing the students and faculty/staff in that building. They are also responsible for building community relationships within their area. The principal is often responsible for interviewing prospective candidates for job openings within their building as well as making recommendations to the superintendent for hiring a new teacher. Assistant Principal – A smaller district may not have any assistant principals, but a large district may have several. The assistant principal may oversee a specific part or parts of a school’s daily operations. For example, there may be an assistant principal who oversees all student discipline either for the entire school or for a particular grade depending on the size of the school. The assistant principal is overseen by the building principal. Athletic Director – The athletic director oversees all of the athletic programs in the district. The athletic director is often the person in charge of all the athletic scheduling. They also often have their hand in the hiring process of new coaches and/or the removal of a coach from their coaching duties. The athletic director also oversees the spending of the athletic department. School Faculty Teacher – Teachers are responsible for providing the students they serve with direct instruction in the area of content in which they specialize. The teacher is expected to use the district-approved curriculum to meet state objectives within that content area. The teacher is responsible for building relationships with parents of children which they serve. Counselor – A counselor’s job is often multifaceted. A counselor provides counseling services for students who may struggle academically, have a rough home life, may have gone through a difficult situation, etc. A counselor also provides academic counseling setting student schedules, getting students scholarships, preparing them for life after high school, etc. In some cases, a counselor may also serve as the testing coordinator for their school. Special Education – A special education teacher is responsible for providing the students they serve with direct instruction in the area of content with which the student has an identified learning disability. The special education teacher is responsible for writing, reviewing, and implementing all Individual Education Plans (IEP) for students served. They also are responsible for scheduling meetings for IEP’s. Speech Therapist – A speech therapist is responsible for identifying students who need speech related services. They are also responsible for providing the specific services needed to those students identified. Finally, they are responsible for writing, reviewing, and implementing all speech related IEPs. Occupational Therapist – An occupational therapist is responsible for identifying students who need occupational therapy related services. They are also responsible for providing the specific services needed to those students identified. Physical Therapist - A physical therapist is responsible for identifying students who need physical therapy related services. They are also responsible for providing the specific services needed to those students identified. Alternative Education – An alternative education teacher is responsible for providing the students they serve with direct instruction. The students they serve often cannot function in a regular classroom often because of discipline related issues, so the alternative education teacher has to be extremely structured and a strong disciplinarian. Library/Media Specialist – A library media specialist oversees the operation of the library including the organization, ordering of books, checking out of books, the return of books, and re-shelving of books. The library media specialist also works directly with the classroom teachers to provide assistance in anything associated with the library. They also are responsible for teaching students library related skills and creating programs that develop lifelong readers. Reading Specialist – A reading specialist works with students who have been identified as struggling readers in a one-on-one or small group setting. A reading specialist assists the teacher in identifying students who are struggling readers as well as finding the specific area of reading which they struggle. A reading specialist’s goal is to get each student they work with on grade level for reading. Intervention Specialist – An intervention specialist is much like a reading specialist. However, they are not just limited to reading and may assist students who struggle in many areas including reading, math, science, social studies, and other subjects. They often fall under the direct supervision of the classroom teacher. Coach – A coach oversees the day to day operations of a specific sports program. Their duties can include organizing practice, scheduling, ordering equipment, and coaching games. They are also in charge of specific game planning including scouting, game strategy, substitution patterns, player discipline, etc. Assistant Coach – An assistant coach helps the head coach in whatever capacity the head coach directs them. They often suggest game strategy, assist in organizing practice, and helps with scouting as needed. School Support Staff Administrative Assistant – An administrative assistant is one of the most important positions in the entire school. A school administrative assistant often knows the day-to-day operations of a school as well as anyone. They are also the person who communicates most often with parents. Their job includes answering phones, mailing letters, organizing files, and a host of other duties. A good administrative assistant screens for the school administrator and makes their job easier. Encumbrance Clerk – The encumbrance clerk has one of the most difficult jobs in the entire school. The encumbrance clerk is not only in charge of school payroll and billing, but a host of other financial responsibilities. The encumbrance clerk has to be able to account for every cent a school has spent and received. An encumbrance clerk must be organized and must stay current with all laws dealing with school finance. School Nutritionist  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ A school nutritionist is responsible for creating a menu that meets state nutrition standards for all meals served at school. They are also responsible for ordering the food that will be served. They also collect and keep up with all monies taken in and spent by the nutrition program. A school nutritionist is also responsible for keeping track of which students are eating and for which students qualify for free/reduced lunches. Teacher‘s Aide – A teacher’s aide assist a classroom teacher in a variety of areas that can include making copies, grading papers, working with small groups of students, contacting parents, and a variety of other tasks. Paraprofessional – A paraprofessional is a trained individual who assists a special education teacher with their day-to-day operations. A paraprofessional may be assigned to one particular student or may help with a class a whole. A paraprofessional works in support of the teacher and does not provide direct instruction. Nurse – A school nurse provides general first aid for students in the school. The nurse may also administer medication to students who need it or are required medication. A school nurse keeps pertinent records on when they see students, what they saw, and how they treated it. A school nurse may also teach students about health and health-related issues. Cook – A cook is responsible for the preparation and serving of food to the entire school. A cook is also responsible for the process of cleaning up the kitchen and the cafeteria. Custodian – A custodian is responsible for the day-to-day cleaning of the school building as a whole. Their duties include vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, cleaning bathrooms, emptying trash, etc. They may also assist in other areas such as mowing, moving heavy items, etc. Maintenance – Maintenance is responsible for keeping all the physical operations of a school running. If something is broke, then maintenance is responsible for repairing it. These may including electrical and lighting, air and heating, and mechanical issues. Computer Technician – A computer technician is responsible for assisting school personnel with any computer issue or question that may arise. Those may include issues with email, the internet, viruses, etc. A computer technician should provide service and maintenance to all school computers to keep them running so that they may be used as needed. They are also responsible for server maintenance and the installation of filter programs and features. Bus Driver – A bus driver provides safe transportation for students to and from school.

Trade Policy in Agriculture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Trade Policy in Agriculture - Essay Example From this study it is clear that known as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) , it is a system of agricultural subsidies and price support programs. It consists of direct payments to farmers for crops as well as land cultivated with price support, tariffs and quotas on agricultural goods imported from outside the Union, and intervention prices whereby the EU would buy all production if prices fall to these levels. The objective was to achieve food self-sufficiency, set fair and stable consumer prices, preserve the rural heritage, and ensure a fair and reasonable standard of living for EU farmers. As the study outlines   the CAP imposes import tariffs on certain goods; import quotas designed to restrict quantity that enter the EU market, except for some countries with which it has had some traditional links; intervention prices, already described above; direct subsidies designed to motivate farmers to cultivate certain crops that would ensure stable domestic supply, paid on the basis of land area devoted to such crops; and production quotas intended to prevent overproduction of some food crops. â€Å"Set-aside† payments (meaning payment for setting aside land that were difficult to farm) were also made, although this has been suspended. Several attempts to reform the CAP system have been made. The first one was made in the 1960s by the Mansholt Plan, sought to consolidate small farms into larger ones for more efficient farming. This proposal was defeated by powerful farm lobbies. The MacSharry reform plan sought to limit rising production while simultaneously promoti ng less restricted market through reduced support levels for agricultural products such as beef and cereals.

'International Trade in Intellectual Properties' Knowledge Diffusion Essay

'International Trade in Intellectual Properties' Knowledge Diffusion of Exploitation' - Essay Example Previously products that were regarded inferior in technology have been revamped to become more appealing and efficient on the technological end. All these aspects attest to the increasing trade being carried out across the borders in intellectual property (IP). Producers of goods are given by law the right to protect their ideas and creativity from being stolen and exploited by other people. Moreover producers can also negotiate and exchange these ideas at a price. This is referred to as intellectual property rights and occurs in an array of forms; for instance, copyrights can protect movies and books, trademarks can provide immunity from exploitation to product logos and patents can be applied to inventions. One of the reasons why such rights are being promoted is to encourage producers to come up with new ideas and practically apply them without the fear of them being exploited and stolen by competitors (1). Moreover the integration of IP into the trade regime has served to be a s olution to the shortcomings of the WIPO system (2). IP has evolved into a means of gaining competitive advantage in modern international trade. The rapid pace of technological advancements occurring all around the world coupled with increasing economic globalization has helped to create more competitiveness amongst countries. Amidst such high competition, the protection of ideas and creativity of producers helps to guarantee that rivals do not steal the idea and take credit away from the original producers (3). The economic worth of IP lies in the fact that it serves to advance and further competitive capability. One such example is the protection of IP with regard to the software industry in India. The transfer and exchange of IP is often seen amongst developing countries. This is because the economies of these nations are still budding and developing. There is a need for greater investment and transfer in research and technology along with improvements and advancements in certain industries such as manufacturing and service industries. One way of achieving such modernization is through the trading of intellectual property across the national border. The advantages of such barter not only lie in the acquisition of better and advanced technology by the buyer but also in greater economic gain for the seller. The trade of IP allows countries to commercialize and market the creativity of their producers and to achieve competitive advantage through it. Moreover countries who are importing IP are benefitted from the influx of an array of IP such as textbooks for the national education system, art works by talented artists etc (4). The recent trends in international trade are making the exchange of buying and selling much simpler and secure. When looking at the changes occurring by the advent of e-commerce, one can appreciate that no industry is changing at a more rapid rate than the technology transfer industry. This tech transfer industry primarily compromises of patent licensing executives, inventor-scientists, patent attorneys and technology brokers. These agents are responsible for the sale, purchase and licensing of IP all over the world. There are a number of factors motivating these people to barter IP on an international scale; these also portray the advantages of trading IP globally. IP can be exploited in two main ways: selling and licensing; a range of factors affect the