Metafiction and JM Coetzees Foe Essay -- Foe

Metafiction and JM Coetzee's Foe  Is composing not a fine thing, Friday? Is it true that you are not loaded up with delight to realize that you will live perpetually, after a way? (Susan Barton, Foe, 58) Of the numerous abstract shows used to portray JM Coetzee's Foe, one of the more normally expounded on is metafiction. Since around 1970, the term metafiction has been utilized generally to examine works of post-current fiction and has been the wellspring of warmed discussion on whether its utilize marks the demise or the resurrection of the novel. A prevailing topic in post-current fiction, the expression metafiction has been characterized by abstract pundits in different manners. John Barth offers maybe the most disentangled definition: metafiction is a novel that mirrors a novel as opposed to this present reality. Patricia Waugh stretches out our comprehension to include that it is anecdotal composing which hesitantly and methodicallly causes to notice itself as a relic to suggest conversation starters about the connection among fiction and reality. According to these definitions, metafiction concerns itself not with the formation of another narra...

Battle of Cannae in the Second Punic War

Clash of Cannae in the Second Punic War The Battle of Cannae occurred during the Second Punic War (218-210 BC) among Rome and Carthage. The fight happened on August 2, 216 BC at Cannae in southeast Italy. Leaders and Armies Carthage Hannibal45,000-54,000 men Rome Gaius Terentius VarroLucius Aemilius Paullus54,000-87,000 men Foundation After the beginning of the Second Punic War, the Carthaginian general Hannibal strongly crossed the Alps and attacked Italy. Winning fights at Trebia (218 BC) and Lake Trasimene (217 BC), Hannibal crushed armed forces drove by Tiberius Sempronius Longus and Gaius Flaminius Nepos. In the wake of these triumphs, he moved south looting the open country and attempting to make Romes partners deformity to Carthages side. Reeling from these annihilations, Rome selected Fabius Maximus to manage the Carthaginian threat. Avoiding direct contact with Hannibals armed force, Fabius struck at the enemys flexibly lines and rehearsed the type of attritional fighting that later bore his name. Discontent with this aberrant methodology, the Senate didn't restore Fabius domineering forces when his term finished and order went to the consuls Gnaeus Servilius Geminus and Marcus Atilius Regulus.â In the spring of 216 BC, Hannibal held onto the Roman flexibly terminal at Cannae in southeast Italy. Arranged on the Apulian Plain, this position permitted Hannibal to keep his men all around took care of. With Hannibal sitting on the back of Romes gracefully lines, the Roman Senate called for activity. Raising a multitude of eight armies, the order was given to the Consuls Gaius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paullus. The biggest armed force at any point gathered by Rome, this power progressed to confront the Carthaginians. Walking south, the diplomats found the adversary digs in on the left bank of the Aufidus River. As the circumstance created, the Romans were hampered by an awkward order structure which required the two emissaries to exchange order regularly. Fight Preparations Moving toward the Carthaginian camp on July 31, the Romans, with the forceful Varro in order, vanquished a little trap set by Hannibals men. In spite of the fact that Varro was encouraged by the minor triumph, order went to the more preservationist Paullus the following day. Reluctant to battle the Carthaginians on the open ground because of his armys littler rangers power, he chose to stay 66% of the military east of the waterway while setting up a littler camp on the contrary bank. The following day, mindful that it would be Varros turn, Hannibal propelled his military and offered fight trusting the draw the careless Roman forward. Assessing the circumstance, Paullus effectively kept his countryman from locks in. Seeing that the Romans were reluctant to battle, Hannibal had his mounted force hassle the Roman water-bearers and attack in the region of Varro and Paullus camps.â Looking for the fight to come on August 2, Varro and Paullus shaped up their military for the fight to come with their infantry thickly pressed in the middle and the rangers on the wings. The Consuls intended to utilize the infantry to rapidly break the Carthaginian lines. Inverse, Hannibal set his rangers and most veteran infantry on the wings and his lighter infantry in the middle. As the different sides propelled, Hannibals focus pushed ahead, making their line bow in a bow shape. On Hannibals left, his rangers charged forward and directed the Roman pony. Rome Crushed To one side, Hannibals mounted force was locked in with that of Romes partners. Having obliterated their contrary number on the left, the Carthaginian mounted force rode behind the Roman armed force and attacked the unified rangers from the back. Enduring an onslaught from two headings, the associated rangers fled the field. As the infantry connected with, Hannibal had his inside gradually retreat, while requesting the infantry on the wings to hold their position. The firmly pressed Roman infantry kept on progressing after the withdrawing Carthaginians, ignorant of the snare that was going to be sprung. As the Romans were attracted, Hannibal requested the infantry on his wings to turn and assault the Roman flanks. This was combined with an enormous ambush on the Roman back by the Carthaginian rangers, which totally encompassed the Consuls armed force. Caught, the Romans turned out to be packed to such an extent that many didn't have space to raise their weapons. To speed the triumph, Hannibal requested his men to cut the hamstrings of every Roman and afterward proceed onward to the following, remarking that the lamed could be butchered later at the Carthaginians recreation. The battling proceeded until night with roughly 600 Romans passing on every moment. Losses and Impact Different records of the Battle of Cannae show that 50,000-70,000 of the Romans, with 3,500-4,500 taken prisoner. It is realized that around 14,000 had the option to remove their direction and arrive at the town of Canusium. Hannibals armed force endured around 6,000 executed and 10,000 injured. Despite the fact that urged by his officials to walk on Rome, Hannibal opposed as he came up short on the gear and supplies for a significant attack. While triumphant at Cannae, Hannibal would eventually be crushed at the Battle of Zama (202 BC), and Carthage would lose the Second Punic War.

Wollstonecraft Fight on Women’s Right of Equality Free Essays

To each age marriage brings new importance and various desires. Some never need to get hitched, some consider it a snare, some accept that is the best way to endure, some think that its consecrated, some do what needs to be done as a result of kids and some have been raised to think marriage is a piece of the pattern of life. Since the 1700†³s, men have overwhelmed connections and ladies have been the â€Å"victims†. We will compose a custom paper test on Wollstonecraft Fight on Women’s Right of Equality or on the other hand any comparative subject just for you Request Now Mary Wollstonecraft knew about this mastery in the 1700†³s and attempted to teach ladies to become people. She accepts that through training ladies can advance seeing someone and not become a â€Å"slaves† to men. Circumstances are different and ladies have made all the more a spot for themselves in the public eye. All through The Vindications, The Rights of Woman, Wollstonecraft contends how significant it is for ladies to be instructed with the goal for them to advance through life and particularly in marriage. This is plainly observed when she states, â€Å"if she be not set up by instruction to turn into the partner of man, she will postpone information and prudence; for truth must be basic to all†(102). Wollstonecraft contends that a lady can't be a decent mother without instruction. â€Å"Can they be relied upon to administer a family with judgment, or deal with the poor angels whom they bring into the world?†(113). Ladies today have the advantage of seeking after an advanced education and with that entryways of chance are opened. By virtue of these odds ladies presently have greater legitimacy in this nation. Ladies being depicted as a sex images has been accentuated for ages. Their principle center has been to be wonderful and wanted by all men. Indeed, even today we despite everything open up pretty much every magazine to delightful, thin, attractive ladies. This is what the perfect lady ought to resemble. This is what is wanted by men. Wollstonecraft contends that through † the longing of building up themselves,- the main way ladies can ascend on the planet,- by marriage†(112). The fantasy of an attractive, alluring lady despite everything exists. Other than the quest for marriage, ladies currently have different roads to follow for an effective and productive life. All through The Vindications The Rights of Woman, Wollstonecraft looked down on marriage in view of the disparities among people. She accepted that â€Å"woman and man were made for one another; however their common reliance isn't the equivalent. The men rely upon the ladies just by virtue of their wants; the ladies on the men both because of their wants and their necessities†(200). Mary examines how through the advancement of information ladies can turn out to be increasingly equivalent to men. Through training and uprightness ladies would not â€Å"marry only to better themselves†(194). Most ladies today don†t feel that their â€Å"prize† in life is a spouse. Marriage is progressively about accomplices and being equivalent. Uniformity originates from information and the intensity of training. With each age brings unforeseen changes, new wants, new qualities but then numerous conventions remain the equivalent. Ideally every age of ladies will gain and keep hallowed the information they get from the ladies before them. The most effective method to refer to Wollstonecraft Fight on Women’s Right of Equality, Papers Wollstonecraft Fight on Women’s Right of Equality Free Essays To each age marriage brings new significance and various desires. Some never need to get hitched, some consider it a snare, some accept that is the best way to endure, some think that its consecrated, some take care of business in light of youngsters and some have been raised to think marriage is a piece of the pattern of life. Since the 1700†³s, men have ruled connections and ladies have been the â€Å"victims†. We will compose a custom paper test on Wollstonecraft Fight on Women’s Right of Equality or on the other hand any comparative point just for you Request Now Mary Wollstonecraft knew about this mastery in the 1700†³s and attempted to instruct ladies to become people. She accepts that through instruction ladies can advance seeing someone and not become a â€Å"slaves† to men. Circumstances are different and ladies have made to a greater extent a spot for themselves in the public arena. All through The Vindications, The Rights of Woman, Wollstonecraft contends how significant it is for ladies to be taught with the end goal for them to advance through life and particularly in marriage. This is obviously observed when she states, â€Å"if she be not set up by instruction to turn into the friend of man, she will postpone information and righteousness; for truth must be regular to all†(102). Wollstonecraft contends that a lady can't be a decent mother without instruction. â€Å"Can they be relied upon to oversee a family with judgment, or deal with the poor darlings whom they bring into the world?†(113). Ladies today have the advantage of seeking after an advanced education and with that entryways of chance are opened. By virtue of these odds ladies currently have greater legitimacy in this nation. Ladies being depicted as a sex images has been underscored for ages. Their primary center has been to be delightful and wanted by all men. Indeed, even today we despite everything open up pretty much every magazine to delightful, thin, provocative ladies. This is what the perfect lady ought to resemble. This is what is wanted by men. Wollstonecraft contends that through † the longing of setting up themselves,- the main way ladies can ascend on the planet,- by marriage†(112). The fantasy of an attractive, alluring lady despite everything exists. Other than the quest for marriage, ladies presently have different roads to follow for an effective and productive life. All through The Vindications The Rights of Woman, Wollstonecraft looked down on marriage due to the disparities among people. She accepted that â€Å"woman and man were made for one another; however their common reliance isn't the equivalent. The men rely upon the ladies just because of their wants; the ladies on the men both by virtue of their wants and their necessities†(200). Mary talks about how through the advancement of information ladies can turn out to be increasingly equivalent to men. Through instruction and goodness ladies would not â€Å"marry simply to better themselves†(194). Most ladies today don†t feel that their â€Å"prize† in life is a spouse. Marriage is increasingly about accomplices and being equivalent. Equity comes from information and the intensity of instruction. With each age brings sudden changes, new wants, new qualities but then numerous conventions remain the equivalent. Ideally every age of ladies will get and keep consecrated the information they get from the ladies before them. Step by step instructions to refer to Wollstonecraft Fight on Women’s Right of Equality, Papers

Out of Africa Theory Essay

The Out of Africa Theory is a broadly fame hypothesis portraying the inception of humankind and their initial dispersal all through the world. As indicated by this hypothesis, people have a monogensis, or a solitary and basic beginning; Africa. The idea was first presented in 1871 by Charles Darwin however was pondered for a considerable length of time until further investigations of mitochondrial DNA and proof †based on physical human sciences of age-old specimens† was included. During the mid nineteenth century, researchers, classicist and different researchers, estimated, considered and differ about the advancement of people and our sources. A few specialists speculated that people are monogenism and formed into different assortments of species. Others contend that we are a polygenism warm blooded creature and that we either had separate improvement of different human species or created as discrete species through †transmutation† of primates. It was until the year 1871 when one of the main hypotheses had been proposed straightforwardly. During that year, Charles Darwin distributed the book †Descent of Man†, in which he recommended that all people were relative from early people who lived in Africa dependent on his investigations of the conduct of African gorillas. In his book, Charles Darwin finished up, †In every incredible area of the world the living warm blooded creatures are firmly identified with the wiped out types of a similar district. It is, in this way, likely that Africa was in the past occupied by wiped out primates firmly partnered to the gorilla and chimpanzee; and as these two species are currently man’s closest partners, it is to some degree progressively plausible that our initial begetters lived on the African mainland than somewhere else. Be that as it may, it is pointless to conjecture regarding this matter, for a gorilla about as extensive as a man, to be specific the Drypithecus of Lartet, which was firmly united to the anthropomorphous Hylobates, existed in Europe during the Upper Miocene time frame; and since so remote a period the earth has unquestionably experienced numerous extraordinary upheavals, and there possesses been adequate energy for movement on the biggest scale. † Unfortunately, it wasn’t until 50 years after the fact when different researchers started to help Charles Darwin’s hypothesis when an adequate number of fossils of early people in a few regions of Africa was found. During the 1980s, three masters, Allan Wilson, Rebecca Cann and Mark Stoneking, cooperated on another hypothesis that bolsters Charles Darwin’s theory, the â€Å"Mitochondrial Eve† speculation. In these tests, the researchers gravely centered around mitochondrial DNA, human qualities that lay inside the cell and are passed from mother to youngster. These qualities permit transformation, as they transform rapidly for adjustment, hence permitting those concentrating to discover and follow changes during brief timeframe periods. By concentrating on these qualities and looking at their disparities, the three researchers had the option to make a speculation about the time and spot when current people started to develop. As per their discoveries, they accept that cutting edge people are decentants from a solitary populace, while prior people e. g. Neandertals and Homo erectus, had gotten wiped out. Besides, the group thought about the DNA of various individuals of differerent ethnic foundations and reasoned that all people did to be sure advance from ‘one mother’ in Africa around 150,000 years prior. As indicated by physical proof, and speculations, researchers have closed upon an entire theory. In light of their insight and conviction, current people separated from Homo sapiens somewhere in the range of 200,000 and 150,000 years prior explicitly in Africa, that somewhere in the range of 125,000 and 60,000 years back individuals from Homo sapiens left Africa, and that these people species step by step supplanted before human populaces. East Africa has been the single and explicit orgin of humankind that most researchers have conluded on. There are still hypotheses and discussions on whether there had been one single disintegration or a few. Because of hereditary, linguisitc and archeological discoveries, the Southern Dispersal hypothesis, a hypothesis where incorporated a few departure, has become the most ideal hypothesis, anyway numerous analysts are bit by bit considering the first and unique sanctuary was Northern Africa. Researchers accept the number of inhabitants in early people had been around 2,000 to 5,000 while they continued in Africa, and just little gatherings of persumably 150 to 1,000 moved out towards the Red Sea. These couple of people went out to extend and in the long run populate the remainder of the world. For instance, one hypothesis recommends that the individuals who went along the southern coastline of Asia at last crossed the ocean and colonized in Australia around 50,000 years prior. Different scientists accept and have proposed to a numerous dispersal hypothesis where expresses that there had been two significant relocations out of Africa. As per this hypothesis, one gathering crossed the Red Sea and went along the coastline until arriving at India. The other, in the interim, relocated north, after the Nile River, and crossed into Asia through the Sinai. From that point, a few individuals scattered in different ways, some headed towards Europe while other went east into Asia. It is hazy, notwithstanding, if Homo sapiens relocated to North America 30,000 years back, or later around 14,000 years prior. From that point on, Homo sapiens progressively and continiously moved and chose to each mainland, aside from Antartica, and bit by bit started to increment and populate the world.

Analysis of the Current and Future use of Internet Technologies in Essay

Examination of the Current and Future utilization of Internet Technologies in Qatar Airways - Essay Example By urging travelers to book legitimately with the aircraft, significant investment funds emerge in light of the fact that carriers don't acquire installments to trip specialists and Global Distribution System Companies. In this way, Qatar Airways has attempted to empower most extreme connection with travelers through its site, notwithstanding giving travelers Internet and content informing administrations on board its increasingly present day airplanes. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis recommends that serious contention perseveres among carriers in the Middle East and Qatar Airways must offer a similar degree of administration as Emirates Airlines, the main aircraft brand in the district, for less. The infomediary model introduced by Professor Michael Rappa helps with understanding the procedure for Qatar Airways, which must utilize motivating force advertising and underline introduction of extensive data. The Flower of Service Model proposes that Qatar Airways must underline support for its center result of moving travelers with administrations equipped to give data, counsel, accommodation, charging and installment together with request taking and the treatment of special cases. By and by, Qatar Airways utilizes Internet advancements to help the recently referenced administrations, however all things considered, later on further help for travelers and their needs will be accessible as higher data transfer capacity systems becom e accessible and better interfacing with current air terminals, including the new Doha air terminal, opens up. Assessment and investigation of the Qatar Airways site recommends that this site gives all traveler needs, with the exception of helping travelers to design completely their excursions. The Qatar Airways site positions second just to the Emirates Airlines site among all territorial aircraft sites on the grounds that at present Qatar Airways can't offer exhaustive assistance to travelers needing to design their excursions in detail, conceivably

SEEPLES Perspective Whats your specialization COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

SEEPLES Perspective What’s your specialization COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Sarah Park â€" East Asia Regional Specialization What did you do before SIPA? Prior to SIPA, I was a litigation paralegal at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton Garrison, a law firm based in New York.   After two years in Paul, Weiss, I went to South Korea for a year as a Fulbright fellow to conduct research about North Korean refugees. Why did you choose to specialize in the East Asia Region? Growing up in China as a Korean-American, Ive always been interested in U.S. relations with East Asian countries, more specifically Korea and China.   At SIPA, I wanted to pursue my interest in North Korean human rights through a combination of the human rights concentration and the East Asia specialization.   Through the East Asia specialization, I have taken courses with North Korea experts like Professor Sue Mi Terry.   Moreover, the specialization has helped me learn more about East Asia from a variety of perspectives, including security, human rights, economic, and political. What do you plan to do after SIPA? Upon graduation, I would like to work on U.S.-Korea relations in the public sector, think tanks, or NGOs.   I also hope to pursue my interest in North Korean human rights in some way.   Filip Tucek â€" East Central Europe Regional Specialization What did you do before SIPA? Before joining SIPA, I worked first for the Government of the Czech Republic and then as EU Affairs Advisor for Senator Tomas Grulich in the Parliament of the Czech Republic. Having practical experience, in addition to educational background in international affairs, has been extremely helpful for me at SIPA. Why did you choose to specialize in the East Central Europe Region? I have specialized in East Central Europe Region as my pre-SIPA interest and work had focused on the region. Moreover, the courses offered in this specialization are taught with some of the world-leading experts and learning from them is a fascinating opportunity. In general, I believe that specializing early on from the studies at SIPA gives a student a competitive advantage and allows to maximize the SIPA experience. What do you plan to do after SIPA? After SIPA, I plan to keep working in policy consulting and policy research focusing on security policy in Central and Eastern Europe. I would prefer to stay in the United States.

Positivism vs. Interpretivism in Healthcare Research - 825 Words

Interpretivism and Positivism in Healthcare and Life Sciences Research (Essay Sample) Content: Interpretivism and Positivism in Healthcare and Life Sciences ResearchNameInstitutionDateInterpretivism and Positivism in Healthcare and Life Sciences ResearchInterpretivism and positivism are the fundamental research methods approach in sociology. It can, however, be applied to other fields like Healthcare and Life Sciences Research. These two are dominant epistemological and ontological paradigms. Epistemology is described as the link between the researcher and the reality or the way in which the reality is known or captured. Ontology is the nature of reality. This essay discusses some of the differences between epistemology and positivism.Positivism is taken to mean the scientific approach. The methods that are used are well organized, can be measured and are founded on the approaches that have been taken by the scientific community. This community is most often involved in examining behaviors within nature. Positivist ontology asserts that the world is external. I t also holds that there is only one objective reality that can be attached to any research situation or phenomenon. This is often independent of the views and perspectives of the researcher. In this case, research is conducted through controlled and structural approaches by the identification of precise research topics, the construction of the correct hypotheses, and adopting a well suited research methodology.The positivist researchers are often detached from the study participants. They effectively create the detachment by creating distance. This move is critical as it helps the researcher to maintain a position that is emotionally neutral. They are also able to keep a clear separation of feelings from reason, science from personal experience, and fact from value judgment. Positivists have to pursue objectivity and make use of research approaches that are consistently rational and logical.Central to positivist research is statistical and mathematical techniques. This research para digm relies on research techniques that have been specifically structured to unveil single and objective reality. Making generalizations that are free from time and context is the primary purpose of the positivist research. The researchers believe it is possible since human actions are explainable as a result of actual causes which are temporarily precedent to their behavior. As such, the researcher and the research subjects do not depend on or influence one another. There is a clear distinction between this paradigm, which emphasizes objectivity together with rational and logical research approaches, and interpretism.Contrary to positivism, interpretism, concerning ontology and epistemology, implies that reality is multiple and relative. The multiple realities are also dependent on other systems for their meanings. They are therefore very challenging to interpret regarding fixed realities. In this research methodology, the knowledge gained is not objectively determined as in the ca se of positivism but is constructed socially.The interpretists avoid rigid structural frameworks like the ones common in positivist research. Instead, they adopt a more flexible and personal structure for their researches. Their research structures are receptive to the capturing of human interactions. They are devoted to making sense of the perceived reality. This paradigm comes with a belief that the researcher and the participants are interdependent and interactive in a complementary manner. As the interpretivist researcher gets into the field, he or she is already armed with the prior insight of the context of the research. However, they often assume that the insight is not enough for the development of a fixed study design. The insufficiency is as a result of the multiple, complex and unpredictable nature of what people perceive as reality.The researchers are often ready to receive any new knowledge all through their research. They let the new knowledge with the assistance of th e informants. The interpretivists believe that all humans can adapt. Unlike positivists, they believe that there is no way of gaining prior knowledge about social realities that are time and context bound.In contrast to positivist research, whose goal is to predict and generalize causes and effects, the interpretivist research seeks to interpret and understand human behavior. The interpretivist researcher needs to understand the meanings, motives, reasons and other subjective experiences. Time and context bind these aspects.There is a clear distinction between positivism and interpretivism regarding research methods. Researchers who prescribe to the positivist research methods have diverse views to those who use the interpretivist methods of research. The differences can be summarized in a table as shown in Table 1.Table SEQ Table \* ARABIC 1: Ontological and Epistemiological differences between interpretivism and positivism (Source: Carson et al., 2001).Ontology Positivist Interpr etivist Nature of the world (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"beingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬) Can directly access the real world Lack direct access to the real world Reality There is a single external reality There is no single external reality Epistemology Knowledge à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"groundsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ (link between research and reality) It is possible to gain solid, secure and objective knowledge Are understood through perceived knowledge Research focusses on generalizing and abstracting Focus of research is in the specific and concrete Stated theories and hypotheses govern thought Main aim is to understand specific context Methodology

Critical Thinking Is Not The Assault Of Sustained Thinking

Voltaire once said, â€Å"No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking† (â€Å"Voltaire Quotes†) What Voltaire intended to convey was that extensive and critical thinking can allow people to arrive at rational solutions to problems. This is one of the reasons why the significance of thinking critically has become a popular issue that is discussed about in educational systems nowadays. It is imperative that students develop critical thinking skills and not just blindly be taught what to think, but rather how to think. Pure memorization will not lead to authentic learning; instead, encouraging critical thinking is what will help students evaluate problems and make reasonable decisions. As humans are susceptible to emotions, critical†¦show more content†¦Colleges strive to implement a curriculum that encourages students to think critically as developing this skill is crucial for them to be able to evaluate information from various perspectives throug h questioning to arrive at a conclusion. Since applying the familiar to the unfamiliar, analyzing situations from different points of views and digging under the surface level are skills that require practice to be learned, critical thinking should be tightly weaved into the reading and writing aspects of each course in college. According to The Perry Model of Intellectual and Ethical Development, students begin with dualistic thinking and â€Å"generally believe knowledge is certain and unambiguous† (Thoma). This explains how some people are afraid to think critically, because they are stuck with the mindset that there is only a right or wrong answer. As the students advance each stage in the Perry Model, they begin to accept multiple contexts and eventually come to accept the lack of certainty in the world. The need for answers from teachers or authority diminishes, and students realize the need to use complex reasoning to understand the uncertainties of the world instead. Hence, critical thinking skills develop over time, in which teachers act as catalysts for students to step out of their comfort zones. If

Accounting Fraud And Unethical Business Ethics Essay

Enron Corporation, an oil later turned energy company, was founded in 1985. It quickly rose to the top, even being named Forbes Top Fortune 500 Company 6 years in a row. Despite small hiccups in its history, it pushed on, which some would account to its executives such as Kenneth Lay, Jeffrey Skillings, and more. In 2000, its stock was rising by three to four hundred percent. Suddenly, Enron declared bankruptcy in December of 2001, which shocked people everywhere. Accounting fraud and unethical business ethics committed by the company were surfacing and thousands of people were losing their jobs and benefits. The route of Enron’s downfall was not the fraud, but the lack of moral compass within the founders and executives of the company. By having the ability to push aside the guilt of hurting thousands of people, these men single-handedly ran this company into the ground. It is important when looking at this story to start from the beginning and understand how a company with great expectations was plagued by money and the loss of humanity. Enron was founded as an oil company after it merged with two companies, Houston Natural Gas Co. and Omaha-based InterNorth Inc. Kenneth Lay, who had been the CEO of Houston Natural Gas, became Enron s CEO and chairman, forming Enron into an energy trader and supplier. His main goal was to de-regulate the energy market from the government, so he set out to have Enron’s main mission to accomplish this. In 1987, Enron was faced withShow MoreRelatedEnron - Ethical Dilemma Essay1129 Words   |  5 Pagesstatements. But not only corporations can be blamed on this, accounting firms were involved in this as much as the corporations were. With the business stand point, ethics comprises of principles and standards that guide behavior. Investors, traders, customers, and legal system determine whether a specific actio n is ethical or unethical. Ethical issue is a vast subject, but we will look at the niche areas of financial accounting and audit fraud where ethical dilemmas are encountered and how federal governmentRead MoreEthics in Accounting1196 Words   |  5 PagesEthics in Accounting By Pace University – New York Accounting for Decision Making, MBA 640 Fall 2011 Required Research Paper Page 1 of 11 Table of Contents Number Content Page Number 1 Introduction 3 2 Ethics in Accounting 4 3 Enron Scandal 6 4 Satyam Scandal 8 5 Conclusion 10 6 References 11 Page 2 of 11 Introduction †¢ What is â€Å"Ethics†? Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questionsRead MoreCooking the Books Essay1043 Words   |  5 Pagesto the article â€Å"Cooking the Books† is to cover the business ethics of an accounting manager ordering one of his accountants to falsifying a company’s accounting ledger. The Generally Accepted Accounting Principle of expense recognition was not followed. The accounting manager was attempting to commit fraud for personal gain, he does this by manipulating the books to show higher revenue in order to meet the volume for management bonus. The accounting manager also created a hostile working environmentRead MoreSarbanes Oxley Act Of 2002 Essay1421 Words   |  6 Pagesrepercussions of their actions. The act restored ethical and reliable financial practices to the market.The major provisions of the act made corporations responsibility for financial reports, and required internal and external audits. The Act changed the a ccounting regulatory environment. And although corporations incurred the additional expense of audit and new reporting standards, these changes restored consumer investing confidence, strengthening the corporations and the stock market overall. (FlaniganRead Morethe legal ethical and technological conerns paper1087 Words   |  5 PagesEthical, and Technological Concerns Paper For as long as businesses have existed, so has accounting. With time, it has become more complicated and detailed, but it is still a process of keeping financial accounts in order. Through accounting, or financial reporting, a system is set up to keep track of, maintain and audit the financial proceedings. Because accounting and financial reporting of a business is so important for its accuracy and in general, a lot of ethical, technological and legal concernsRead MoreThe Role Of Ethics And Business Ethics1336 Words   |  6 PagesThe Role of Ethics in Business Ethics concern an individual’s moral judgment about right and wrong. Most decisions in an organization are made by individuals or groups that influence the culture of the company. Several factors determine the success of a company other than the scope of financial statements. No matter the size, industry or level of profitability, business ethics are the most important aspects of success. Being ethical is an individual decision; employees and management must complyRead MoreThe Ethical Dimension Of The Demise Of Enron Corporation1474 Words   |  6 PagesThis paper explores the ethical dimension of the demise of Enron Corporation an reflection of author, placed in hypothetical situations. Accounting Fraud and Management philosophy will be the main discussion topics, along with the motivations of fraud. The fall of Enron can be directly attributed to a violation of ethical standards in business. This makes Enron unique in corporate history for the same actions that made Enron on of the fastest growing and most profitable corporations, at the turnRead MoreCase Study : The Rise And Fall Of Nortel1404 Words   |  6 Pagesstructure and the potential for fraud might are prevented if Nortel had taken preventative measures and had a written fraud interference policy. Having a Code of Ethics and a Code of Conduct in situ helps to align managers with the interests of the stakeholders and is for the bigger sensible of the corporate. It additionally permits the corporate to proceed with prosecution of the party or parties concerned within the fraud. Processes place into place to stop fraud by workers might have preventedRead MoreA Study Of Gowthorpe And Amat960 Words   |  4 PagesThe study of Gowthorpe and Amat (2005) illustrated two different types of behavior of the preparers of financial statements. To demonstrate the manipulative behavior of preparers of financial statement, the researchers used the accounting regulation in the USA and Spanish economy. The research demonstrated the weaknesses of U.S. standards in relation with a preparer lobby. Major corporations challenge regulators by insistent their interests. Consequently, the regulation attempts to mediate and compromisingRead MoreEssay about Enron: Who was at fault?1664 Words   |  7 Pagesbooks (Gupta, Weirich Turner, 2013) and cost their investors billions of dollars in lost earnings and retirement funds. While much of the controversy surrounding the Enron scandal focused on the losses of investors, unethical practices of executives and questionable accounting tactics, there were many others within close proximity to the turmoil. It begs the question- who was really at fault and what has been done to prevent it from happening again? The story of Enron begins in 1985, with the

The Articles Of The Constitution - 897 Words

To stop these unauthorized actions from happening again, in 1787 the creators of Constitution decided to prohibit states from keeping their own troops without the consent of Congress. This was an addition to the coercive power, making a Congressional power over the state government. The national government would be able to grow solidly as long as the republic still survived. The Articles of Confederation were designed to make any amendments impossible. With the rule of unanimous consent agreement, there was no chance the Articles could be changed. Not every state agreed with making an amendment, so a single vote could destroy a brilliant plan or a key factor of the constitution. That happened with many ideas such as Assize plan, Port bill, and other helpful bills. These bills required nine out of thirteen states to pass, not the simple majority as they do in modern times. This rule of amending and bill passing were changed in the Constitutional Convention and kept ever since. Just the simple majority is enough for bills and laws to pass. The president may be able to veto them, and overriding these vetoes requires two-third of both chambers nowadays. It was much easier with the Constitution for a bill to become a law. Congress would be more responsive to its citizens, fulfilling the target of democracy. The unicameral system of Congress proposed by the Articles was due to the fear of concentrated power that usually happened in a monarchy. Unfortunately, that ideaShow MoreRelatedThe Articles Of The Constitution857 Words   |  4 Pagesrepublic government. The Articles of Confederation was America’s first constitution that created a central, republican government with limited powers, assisting Americans through war and peace (Berkin 160-61). In the summer of 1787, President George Washington met with eleven of the thirteen states in a Constitutional convention in Philadelphia. Only nine states of the thirteen had to approve in order to pass the Constitution, and in September of 1787, Congress ratified the Constitution. Unfortunately, controversyRead MoreThe Article On The Constitution1111 Words   |  5 Pages CONSTITUTION PAPER By: Shian Connor The Constitution is one of the most important documents in the history of America. The Constitution is â€Å"a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.† The Constitution was formed and written between May 25 and September 17 of the year 1787. However, it was officially signed on September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia. Not only did the Constitution establish a nationalRead MoreThe Articles Of The Constitution1522 Words   |  7 Pagesrevere, the Constitution, was once abhorred and feared as a much stronger government than such a democracy should allow. The government, at the time, was inept and subject to the rule of each near-independent state, not able to tax without begging, nor able to regulate the quickening and worsening conflicts in trade and monetary production between those states. Taking into account these ineptitudes, compounded by the foreign intrusions which peppere d the eighteenth century, the Articles of ConfederationRead MoreThe Articles Of The Constitution2513 Words   |  11 Pagesthe thirteen colonies failed with writing the Articles of Confederation well-known Americans came together and wanted to write what would be known as the greatest document in American history. The Articles of Confederation failed because it gave the states too much power and limited the federal government. The Constitution is known as the supreme law of the land. The Constitution has three articles and twenty-seven amendments. The three articles are divided by the Legislative Branch, the ExecutiveRead MoreThe Articles Of The Constitution1944 Words   |  8 PagesThe first form of government the United States of America had was known as the Articles of Confederation. These articles were beneficial to some, but others believed they weren t. In place of the articles then took the Constitution, which worked to cure the problem of controversy over the governmen t. When the Constitution was written in 1787, it too had some disagreements that needed to be sought out. By 1791, a solution was proposed and added to the document that still remains today. This additionRead MoreThe Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution921 Words   |  4 PagesConstitution and Articles Analysis The Articles of Confederation and The Constitution were both written I believe to ensue peace in a new nation where great freedoms had just been betrothed upon. Both written within ten years of each other, the main point it was trying to get across was the idea of one nation. They were written by the same people who all in all had similar ideas. There are many differences as well. From the main one being sovereign states, to how many states must approve an amendmentRead MoreThe Articles of Confederation and The Constitution1238 Words   |  5 Pagesgovernment has been defined by two very important documents. Reflecting on all governments of the past, they laid forth an impressive jumble of ideas that would lead the way to where we are today. These two documents are the Article of Confederation and the U.S Constitution. These two documents of precedent are both similar and unique, each with its own pros and cons, and neither being perfect. Both these documents addressed the prominent vital in national vs. state sovereignty, legislative selectionRead MoreArticle Review On The Constitution1067 Words   |  5 PagesFurthermore, the constitution has a total of seven articles. Article I, creates the legislative branch, this article gives congress its powers and limits. Congress is the legislative branch of the government which means that they are responsible for making laws for the country. Article II, creates the executive branch, whom enforce the law created by congress. Article III, creates the judicial branch, this branch is the system of courts that look at the law and applies it to different cases. ThisRead MoreThe Constitution And The Articles Of Confederation1373 Words   |  6 Pageswould enforce them? I will address some of the differences between the Constitution and The Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation were designed and formed from the thirteen states that created a Confederation known as the â€Å"league of friendship†; their goal was to find solutions for problems; and one of the first attempts to create a system. The Articles of Confederation was our nation’s first constitution; during the last years of the Revolutionary war, the government had beenRead MoreThe Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution1130 Words   |  5 Pages After America won its independence from Great Britain in 1783, the Articles of Confederation were created to serve as the basis of American democracy. Years subsequent to the creation of the Articles of Confederation, delegates from all states, with the exception of Rhode Island, assembled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to mend the weaknesses the Articles displayed throughout its practice. This meeting on September 17, 1787, resulted in the newly drafted terms for which the United States democracy

Descriptive and Predictive Analysis Essay - 1219 Words

Descriptive Analytics is about describing the historical performance. By applying these techniques to the level of performance, information can be very specific to product, customer, channel, supplier and other key operational areas of focus. This will help validate data to be organized and be used in a repeatable process, in order to have confidence in the information and to make it actionable. This will help companies to evolve from â€Å"standard cost to serve† approach to â€Å"total cost to serve† approach thus identifying immediate cost and revenue opportunities and take confidant action to utilize them. Prescriptive Analysis is about identification of optimum business outcomes by combining historical data, mathematical models, variables,†¦show more content†¦Additional advantage of Big Data in future will be derived from blending the intelligence of the people who have deep understanding of operations, with the power of increased machine driven operational insights. Big data used well with the analytics techniques will provide the digital SCM with great answers and also provide valuable help in doing faster and better business in future’s data driven world. Tighter integration, management and analysis of these databases using big data can be helpful to improve efficiencies of inventory management, sales and distribution process and continuous monitoring of devices. Predictive maintenance of equipment is another benefit which will be given by modern supply chains using the Big Data Analytics. The Internet of Things: The Internet of Things (IoT, for short) is a phenomenon used to explain the scenario when everyday multiple objects are connected to the internet and participating together on a system, continuously sharing the information. It also means the convergence of conventional connected devices and smart appliances. Kevin Ashton coined the phrase Internet of Things while working for Procter Gamble in 1999. IoT is converting the physical world into a type of information system with sensors and actuators embedded in physical objects and linked through wired and wireless networks via Internet Protocol. As per a Gartner Report, the â€Å"Internet of Things† is forecast to reach 26 billionShow MoreRelatedPrescriptive Analysis : Moving Beyond Predictive Analysis Essay1196 Words   |  5 PagesPrescriptive Analysis – Moving beyond Predictive Analysis Big Data is becoming more meaningful with the ever more powerful data technologies, which enable us to derive insights from the data and help us make decisions. Big Data also creates new courses and professional fields such as the data science and data scientist, which are aimed at analyzing the ever growing volume of data. Some might think this exaggerated because data analysis, after all, not a new invention. However, we might all agreeRead MoreChapter 17 : A Theme Park1337 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"business analytics†, some specific categories of business analytics include items like descriptive analytics, prescriptive analytics, and predictive analytics. Descriptive analytics involves exploring business activities that have happened or are in the process of occurring in the present. Prescriptive analytics, on the other hand refers to the exploration of these business activities happening in the future. Predictive analytics is used in the exploration of business activities that are more likelyRead MoreBusn312 Hw1A963 Words   |  4 PagesHomework 1a Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. B 1. The essence of decision analysis is: |a. |breaking down complex situations into manageable elements. | |b. |choosing the best course of action among alternatives. | |c. |finding the root cause of why something has gone wrong. Read MoreThe Three Levels Of Analytics, Descriptive, Predictive, And Prescriptive1707 Words   |  7 Pageslevels of Analytics (Descriptive, Predictive, and Prescriptive). Give a brief example of how they might be used to solve business decisions. Descriptive: Descriptive Analytics, probably the most common type of analytics, is the process of describing and evaluating the historical data and recognizing patterns from samples. It serves as a foundation for more advanced analytics. An example of Descriptive Analytics would be discovering and reporting trends. Predictive: Predictive analytics uses dataRead MoreGender Discrimination - a Statistical Analysis1179 Words   |  5 PagesGender Discrimination: A Statistical Analysis Gender discrimination, or sex discrimination, may be characterized as the unequal treatment of a person based solely on that person s sex.  . 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Its use in analyzing social media can involve any combination of thousands of possibleRead MoreThe Peoples Republic Of China Case Report1558 Words   |  7 Pagessystem in place that uses analytical methods to detect issues, present solutions, and provide the facts of the situation. There are three (3) main analytical methods in this process: explanatory, descriptive and predictive. Explanatory Analysis The Select Committee, using explanatory intelligence analysis, expounded upon the reasons believed to be why the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) pilfered US technological designs. The committee reported specific facts about the type of documents thatRead MoreGovernment Employees Services Division ( Gesd ) Essay1108 Words   |  5 Pageswhich can be customized to specific needs. In addition, Insight enables users to create dashboards that can aid the company’s executives in administering day-to-day operations and decision making. 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The Silent Screams of the Veiled Women (A Research Paper on the Afghan Women of Then and Now) Free Essays

Afghanistan, located in Central Asia, is a culturally-mixed nation that houses a diversity of ethnolinguistic groups, religions, races and traditions. However, vast majority of its population practices the religion Islam, which actually binds the people together. Being an Islamic country, Mohammed’s teaching is incredibly strong that it has been, and still is, part of the Afghan’s everyday living. We will write a custom essay sample on The Silent Screams of the Veiled Women (A Research Paper on the Afghan Women of Then and Now) or any similar topic only for you Order Now But misconceptions arose from the teachings of Quran and among those who suffered from such are the Afghan women, who for years, had their undying efforts and struggle in pursuit of the goal they are longing for – freedom, rights and equality. Islam, for more than 1400 years, instilled that men and women be equal before Allah. It gave women a number of privileges same as those given to men, including the right to vote, right to work, right to inheritance, even as much as right to choose their life-long partners. But numerous misconceptions about the status of women in Islam emerged, particularly in the concept of â€Å"submission. † Many countries practice what they called â€Å"Islamic† or â€Å"Quranic† teachings in which women are traditionally subdued and oppressed, thus, these are very unforgiving acts. In the case of Afghanistan, such rights and privileges are denied of the Afghan women, making their life under a very Islamic country, rather miserable, if not devastating. One misconception in Islamic teachings that affected Afghan women (especially under Taliban rule which will be discussed later) is the strict instruction that they ought to wear veil, or hijab, wherever and whenever. They are forbidden to be seen in public unveiled but the truth is that the Quran does not oblige them or even mention of wearing such garment, as the wearing of hijab is traditional, rather than religious. What the Quran imposed is that women must (1) wear the best garment – the garment of righteousness; (2) cover their bosoms and; (3) lengthen their garments. Nothing more, nothing less. Years of government instability, in terms of economic and political aspects, have continuously affecting the status of women in Afghanistan as well. Before Afghanistan fall under Soviet power, women are revered equally, if not highly by the society, having significant rights and massive opportunities. But at the peak of Soviet occupation, women took a rather rougher road . Women at this period, began enjoying the bitter fruits of the teachings of Islam, and foreign invasion. Such denial of privileges may have been enforced by the government through special decrees, or by their own family (particularly their father, husband and brother). Afghan women were forbidden to have an occupation, to wander in their city unaccompanied by a male, to be seen unveiled, and even seek medical attention from a male medical practitioner. Much more discriminations and restrictions were experienced by Afghan women during the reign of the Taliban, or the â€Å"Students of Islamic Knowledge Movement – a Sunni Islamist and Pashtun nationalist movement who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, during the country’s long civil war. A decade before the rule of the Taliban, 50% of government workers were professional Afghan women; 70% of teacher population were as well women; and 40% practiced medical careers. As early as the 1920s, women were acknowledged to vote, while in 1960s, equality for women was imposed by the Afghan Constitution. Moreover, they took important contributions to national development. During the rule of Taliban, women with professional careers, including medical doctors and those in the academe, were forced to put their careers to a sudden end and become beggar regardless of the opportunities they may have outside Afghanistan. Universities for women where forcibly closed which ended a brighter future for the young Afghan girls. They were restricted to migrate to other cities (moreover, other countries) in search for a better environment and were prohibited to enjoy life. There was an inadequate medical attention to women which contributed to their high mortality rates. At this span of time, 16% of pregnant Afghan women died annually due to unsuccessful child delivery caused by lack of obstetric facilities. It was recorded by the United Nations that during the 5-year reign of the Taliban, Afghanistan experienced one of the worst human rights violation in the world that even the most basic individual rights were denied of the people which include the flying of kites, singing jolly songs, and the like. They became objects of domestic violence including rape. To sum this up, women were deprived of all forms of public life – Taliban treat women worse than the way they treat animals. Having such miserable life, impoverished Afghan women seek escape by self-immolation which either kill or disfigure them. Reliable sources even accounted women bringing themselves to inferno in some secluded areas in Afghanistan. This happened because such women were either abandoned by their family or banished by their society caused by the â€Å"crime† that they had allegedly committed. Others do their own thing in secrecy. For instance, an Afghan woman operated her own school in her house – it was such a risk! When the authority came to know about this, all the kids were beaten and the lady was heavily punished and imprisoned, threatening her that her family will be penalized as well. Those who had reserved courage and strength went to police stations and court, despite social stigma, just to practice their rights. After seven years, the Afghan government states that although there were increasing equality to public life, women are continuously experiencing domestic violence. Some remain silent while others took the risk of getting the hinge of being empowered. The Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission documented 1,650 cases of violence against women in 2006, while the Ministry of Women’s Affairs recorded 2,000 cases of violence in the previous year, not to mention 500 or so unreported cases. The provinces of Kabul and Herat were said have the highest accounted violence. Today, many social movements are organized for the uplifting of the Afghan women’s image and status. One of which is the RAWA or the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan which was established in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1977. It is an independent socio-political group that raises concerns regarding Afghan women, particularly the violence against them. It believes that freedom and democracy cannot be simply given or donated; it is acquired through combined efforts. The RAWA participates in many forums and conferences that discuss women’s rights and freedom all over the world. It, in one way, became the voice of the silent Afghan women, who in fear of being discriminated again, chose to remain speechless. At the fall of the Taliban, the position of Afghan women in the Islamic society they lived in has substantially improved. With the adoption of the new Afghan constitution, men and women are stated to be treated equal before the law. It may sound good and almost perfect but one must consider that this law, like any other law, may mean differently to different people depending on how they interpret it. In the Quranic teaching of the Taliban, being â€Å"equal† before the law may mean that women ought to submit to their husbands, fathers or brothers, for doing so, they abide by the law. Another milestone is the drafting of the Afghan Women’s Bill of Rights in 2003 through the initiatives of Afghan and Afghan American women, who for years had raised the issues of inequality and discrimination. The Bill demanded a mandatory education for girls, representation in the Congress (or loya jirga), penalizing and punishing people who perform sexual and domestic violence and obedience to the rules of Quran, particularly on women’s right to marry and divorce. Despite assurance from government officials, it was declined because as the Islamic saying goes, â€Å"God has not given women equal rights with men because two women are counted as equal to men. † Just recently, an Afghan parliamentarian by the name of Fatima Nazari, established the first political party in Afghanistan which is dedicated to women’s rights and issues. On 19 February 2008, the National Need Party was launched in Kabul. It was welcomed by most officials but not everyone was so optimistic about this. Let’s just wait and see. Women all over the world may have had similar experiences. Such inequality may have been attributed to religion, or tradition. It may have occurred maybe due to misconceptions or misinterpretation of available laws, rules and doctrines. Women were persecuted believing that they practiced witchcraft . They were burnt to death with their dead husbands as imposed by the Hindu principle of â€Å"Sati† or â€Å"Suttee. † Marrying women were obliged to pay dowry to their husband-to-be’s family. Women courting men is considered immoral. And women were regarded as temptations to men – as Eve tempted or teased Adam. Whatever the story is, women were really part of the miserable part of world history. There are many misgivings on the role that women played in the society. Looking back to the civilizations in the world, women are always those left in the house to tend to household chores and take care of their children. But can’t we see that these women were the very being responsible for bearing lives in their tummy for nine months, struggling to keep the tiny life inside them healthy and alive? That these women were our first tutors who taught us not just how to read and write but how to be a responsible citizen as well? Going through the melancholic and tragic episodes that Afghan women have had made me realize how lucky I am to have grown in a decent society. Now, I need not face social stigma, or be punished for enjoying my life. I need not ask for alms and beg for food since I can enter a university and have a profession ten years from now. Their infinite screams continue. If then, the sound was terrifying and agonizing, this time, these screams are screams of empowerment, of courage and of bravery. We never heard them in our historic past, and now, it is time to listen to their side of the story – HERstory. Works Cited Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (17 Novemeber 2001). Report on the Taliban’s War Against Women. Retrieved on 22 April 2008 at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/6185.htm Mehta, Sumita.   Women for Afghan Women:Shattering Myths and Claiming the Future. New York:Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. Najibullah, Farangis (20 February 2008). â€Å"New Party to Focus on Women’s Rights.† Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty. Retrieved on 22 April 2008 at http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/02/b39afc45-c260-4a00-81da-04fbb584049f.html Rostami-Povey, Elaheh. Afghan Women: Identity and Invasion. London: Zed Books, 2007. How to cite The Silent Screams of the Veiled Women (A Research Paper on the Afghan Women of Then and Now), Essays

Miss Saigon Soundtrack free essay sample

The Vietnam War. Something that everyone knows about from World History 101. Or do we? We know the when, where, who and why. Whats missing is the emotional impact on the lives of the people involved. Rarely will a person who didnt experience this war be able to comprehend the plight of the people whose lives did cross its path. But, Miss Saigon will bring anyone closer to the harsh realities of the epoch. This recording boasts such well-known songs as The Heat is On in Saigon, and The Last Night of the World. But it also shelters charm and tight harmony that leaves the listener incredulous. This is displayed in The Movie of My Mind, a touching picture of the dream-like scenario of the fairy tale expectations and dreams of the younger native women of Saigon. Also displaying the power of these songs is Her or Me. This haunting tune depicts the confusion of the male protagonist during the years following the war as seen through the eyes of his wife, Ellen, and his war-time love and companion, Kim. We will write a custom essay sample on Miss Saigon Soundtrack or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Because most teenagers listen to and enjoy only certain types of music, this reviewer fears that too many teens will miss out on the touching and expressive beauty of Miss Saigon. n

How Successful Were Stalins Economic Policies in the 1930s free essay sample

It is debatable as to whether these policies can be viewed as successful, for example; the conditions of the Soviet industrial workers were marginally lower than in 1928. Yet whatever hardships the workers faced, the fact that Russia was ultimately capable, in an economic sense, of defeating Nazi Germany in a successful military struggle shows that some of the economic implications enforced during the 1930s were at the very least marginally productive and gainful. In this essay, I shall highlight the extent to which the aforementioned policies can be viewed as successful. Stalin’s economic policies had one essential aim—the modernisation of the Soviet economy via two essential methods: collectivisation and industrialisation. Beginning in 1928, much of Russia’s economy (in terms of agriculture and industry) was brought directly under state control. Under Stalin, this was to be total. The way these radical were changes implicated has meant that the process was referred to as the ‘second revolution,’ a way of equating the importance of industrial/modernisation as that of the 1917 revolution. When Stalin introduced these drastic changes, he claimed that they marked a significant and vital stage in Soviet Communism as had Lenin’s actions during the October Revolution of 1917. It is understandable to claim that these comparisons show that the process of modernisation in Russia was intended primarily to enhance his own position as leader of Russia, following the footsteps of Lenin, with actual hopes for true economic progress taking second priority. However, it would be biased and unarguable to regard Stalin’s policies as purely a matter of political expediency. His former policy of ‘Socialism in One Country,’ that is, reforming Russia into that of a modern state capable of defending itself against the surrounding capitalist nations prove that he believed the needs of the USSR could only be met via the modernisation industry. This appeal that modernisation was the only way the nation could survive was later used as a pretext for the severity and coercive methods that accompanied the collectivisation of Russian agriculture. The collectivisation of agriculture was viewed by Stalin as being the only viable way to raise the necessary capital needed to industrialise the Soviet Union. However, it has been speculated that the way in which this policy was enforced was ultimately counter-productive. Collectivisation was the process of taking all the suitable farming land from the peasantry and bringing it under state control. Peasants would no longer farm for individual profit; they would instead combine their efforts together and receive a wage. Stalin believed that this change would allow the USSR to pool the collective profits together from the land in order to finance a colossal industrialisation programme. In keeping with Marxist philosophy, the needs of Industry and the industrial working-class were viewed as more important than that of the agricultural peasantry—a class of people seen as obsolete. In a major propaganda offensive, a class of ‘Kulaks’ were identified who were responsible for supposedly holding back the workers’ revolutions by controlling the best land available and employing other peasants to work for them—reminiscent of Feudalism, an ideology seen as the forerunner to capitalism in the eyes of Karl Marx and subsequently denounced by Marxist philosophy as a result. Stalin believed that unless this alleged class was dispersed, the modernisation of Russia would be impossible. In actuality, however, the mere concept of a Kulak class has been described as a Stalinist myth. These people were, in actuality, only the best farmers who had naturally begun to rise above their peers as a result of their superior traits. They were not the exploiting landowners made out to be by state propaganda. The subsequent â€Å"de-Kulakistation’ that followed suit could be seen as counter-productive overall. Stalin had merely purged the new collective farms of their finest and most competent workers severely hindering his agricultural productivity. Indeed, not only did this process hinder the effectiveness of agricultural production by the elimination of the state’s most capable farmers, the period between 1929 and 1930 in which mass disturbances occurred throughout the whole USSR shows that the attitudes of the peasantry towards collectivisation was extraordinarily negative. As the peasants made up 80% of Russia’s populace, their support could seen as near-essential were modernisation to be effective. In the aforementioned years, there were over 30,000 arson attacks and organised rural disturbances increased by one-third from 172 to 229. Bewildered and confused, the peasants would often refuse to co-operate in the deliberate destruction of their traditional way of life. As a result, the majority of the peasants would eat their own crops and slaughter their livestock in protest. Despite the lack of crops and livestock, Soviet authorities instead responded with even fiercer coercion, which made the matter entirely worse. Their tactics of imprisonment, deportation and execution did nothing to quell the real problem of the decline food consumption per head. Between 1928 and 1932 the consumption in bread fell from 350kg per head to only 214. 6. The same can be observed in the fall of livestock. Between the same years, the fall in cattle fell from 70million to 34million. Stalin’s solution to this was to spend special contingents of party workers to the rural towns in order to restore the food production levels by working on the agricultural land themselves. This however, was ultimately counter-productive. Their lack of farming knowledge only added to the disrupted. Even as mass famine set in, the little grain that was being harvested was being exported as ‘surplus’ to obtain the foreign capital needed to fuel industrialisation. However, in terms of industrialisation, it could be argued that Russia made significant progress throughout the 1930s. As well as attempting to eliminate the failings of Russia’s backwards past, he also asserted that he was preparing Russia for war against its capitalist rivals abroad. In Stalin’s view, Iron, Steel and Oil were all fundamental for the strength of a nation from a military perspective. He believed that were Russia to achieve the same industrial revolutions the West had experienced, which had been based on iron and steel production, then Russia would ultimately too become equally powerful. Throughout the 1930s, Soviet industrialisation took the form of a series of Five-Year Plans (FYPs). The first of which operated between 1928 and 1932; the second, 1933 to ’37, and finally; the third plan ran from ’38 to ’41, when it forced to a halt by Operation Barbarossa. A significant weakness and flaw in these supposed ‘plans’ was that they were not really plans to any extent at all. They were merely a set of targets that Stalin demanded be achieved by a specific date. This created a number of problems. The methods of coercion that had been employed during the collectivisation process had struck terror into the local officials and managers. Subsequently, they purposely falsified their production figures to give the impression they had indeed met their desired targets when, in fact, they had fallen significantly short. These positive (but largely exaggerated) figures only helped to fuel Stalin’s economic naivety, and prompted him to create an ‘optimal’ plan which reassessed the targets upwards. These revised demands were hopelessly unrealistic seeing how the original targets were not being met in the first place. However, no matter how overly exaggerated the figures submitted may have been, the success of the 1st FYP plan was indeed a significant success. The overall output in resources, such as coal and iron all increased in huge proportions. Between 1927 and 1932, the production in coal rose from 35 million tonnes to 64million. The increase in oil was also significant, rising from 12 million to 21 million tonnes. In conclusion, I believe Stalin’s economic policies were ultimately a pyrrhic victory, in that the achievements made were significant and desirable, notably in terms of industry, but were gained at the severe cost of other aspects of Russia’s economy, for example; agriculture was ignored and ultimately suffered at a colossal scale. Despite Stalin’s ambition to bring Russia up to scale with Western society, old-fashioned, wasteful methods of construction were being utilised. Rather than using efficient machinery (of which had been adopted in the West), massed labour continued to be used. As peasants were removed from the rural, agricultural locations and brought to work in the industrial plants and factories, their inexperience and lack of discipline and knowledge proved to be instrumental in hindering Russia’s progress from an economic perspective. Nonetheless, they can be considered a success owing to the fact that Russia was in a strong enough position by 1941 to beat Germany after the latter’s invasion.

African Union an Overview free essay sample

The OAU was then transformed to AU in Sirte, Libya in 2001 with African leaders aiming to harmonize the economic and political policies of all African nations in order to improve pan-African welfare, and provide Africans with a solid voice in international affairs. The question today is: Has the AU  achieved  these objectives? To my view, there are lots of positives that can be  pointed from the bloc, but I have pessimism that Africa will one day become a truly independent and united continent as were the dreams of the OAU founding fathers. I am not surprised that some people are questioning the achievability  of  OAU founding fathers ideas. I do not want to liken  pan-Africanists such  as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Ahmed Ben Bella of Algeria and Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, just to list a few, to the great philosopher,  Karl Marx, whose ideas are a mere critique of the status quo but offering little practical solutions to societal problems. We will write a custom essay sample on African Union: an Overview or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While the OAU achieved its endeavor to liberate other African states, it was deemed too weak in its bid to make the continent realize pan-African dreams. The problem is  lack of financial capacity due to the dependency theory [Africans depending on former colonizers on exploration of the continents resources] that has made the continent unable to transform itself into a truly independent block. The  main problem though has been  inability by African states to refuse to dance to the tune of the former colonizer’s ‘divide and rule tactics.   As a result, divisions have rocked the continent to the extent that it is now difficult for African leaders to sing from the same hymn book in pursuit of pan-African objectives. When the AU was then established, its supporters believed that it would have a stronger charter than the OAU, would be better funded, and would have the teeth that the OAU lacked, including the power to create a common African Parliament, a Central Bank, a common African currency and an International Court of Justice (Steinberg 2001). It was hoped that the AU would have the authority and ability to achieve economic and political integration among member states, as well as work towards a common defense, foreign and communications policy: national boundaries would be blurred, armies merged, and a single passport introduced (Ibid). I dwell on the problems of the AU, let me start with their achievements first. The bloc has achieved a lot in uniting the continent. While the OAU’s major strength was its ability to decolonize the continent, the AU has a mandate to preserve that independence and advocate for peace. The continent has many areas where civil wars are raging, but the AU is doing a lot in trying to restore peace in those troubled spots. For example, the organization has peacekeepers in Somalia and Darfur to monitor situations in those areas. First and foremost, the move from a Secretariat to a Commission is one of the major innovations of the AU Constitutive Act, embodying the will to make a qualitative jump forward towards more integration. The AUC has been conceived as a collegial institution independent from Member States, which has the competence to represent the Union. It also plays the role of coordination and harmonization of activities and of implementation of inter-African cooperation, which was previously carried out by intergovernmental institutions (the OAU Assembly and the Council of Ministers). In certain policy areas, the Commission proved that it was in a position to offer real added value to Member States. The AU has also played a pivotal role in conflict resolution. Although giving more power to regional blocs such as the SADC and ECOWAS on issues of conflict resolution, the organization should be applauded for taking the lead and constantly monitoring situations where these regional blocs are resolving conflicts. In the Zimbabwe crisis after the 2008 presidential run-off elections, the AU played a crucial role in a bid to restore sanity in the Southern African country. According to Cawthra (2010) SADC did not give itself any mediation role, but it was only when the matter of Zimbabwe was referred to the AU at its Sharm el-Sheik (Egypt) Summit in June 2008, that the AU directed that SADC be put in charge of mediating a solution to the crisis. SADC’s mandate thus came directly from the AU and in turn, at its 2008 Dar-es-Salaam conference, SADC appointed then South African president Thabo Mbeki as chief mediator. During elections in member countries, the AU sends observers to monitor, something which is a  giant step towards ensuring democracy. AU’s efforts towards economic cooperation should also be commended. It is the organization’s vision towards the cooperation of the third world that brought about the Preferential Trade Area for East and Southern Africa. The organization was established in 1981 with the objective of increasing economic and commercial cooperation between member states, harmonizing tariffs, and reducing trade barriers, with the eventual aim of creating a common market. It was however replaced by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) in December 1994. This same vision led to the establishment of African financial institutions such as the African Development Bank, the PTA Bank as well as the African Export-Import Bank. These banks are responsible for spearheading development in the continent by funding developmental projects as well as bailing out African financial institutions. In Zimbabwe for example, the African Export-Import Bank reportedly bailed out the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) by providing US$80 million for the central bank to resume its lender of last resort role and improve liquidity on the market  (The Standard, Saturday 28 January 2012). To date, the bank offers the African Trade Expansion and Diversification Scheme as well as the African Development Scheme. The list provided hereafter is not exhaustive, but gives an idea of some major achievements to which the African Union Commission (AUC) contributed: * Development of a vision for the AU up to 2015 [See Strategic Plan of the African Union Commission, Vol. Partly due to the presence of a popular impulse towards unification, the architects of the AU have sought a blueprint inspired by the strongest, ambitious, and most effective model of regional identification that exists to date, namely the European Union (EU). As a result, the AU adopted and developed a modern system of collective security architecture with complex structures, fancy ideas, embedded in up to date human security principles, values, and norms. In this regard, Africa has no more poverty of ideas. But it lacks real capacity (Ibid). While emulating the EU is to be commended, AU leaders are divided, and have fallen into the same pit as the OAU by adopting the culture of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states. Not that I am advocating for the infringement of a countrys right to sovereignty, but I  am saying the AU should at least make its resolutions binding  in order to solve political problems on the continent. For example, while the bloc condemned the coup in Madagascar in 2009, the AU seems powerless to force now President  Andry Rajoelina out or at least make him agree to a  transitional arrangement with ousted leader, Mac Ravalomanana. I am pained that  despite  propositions to solving the crisis, former president Ravalomanana is still in exile and is not allowed back in his country. There is no doubt that this political instability will definitely affect the economic performance of Madagascar by chasing away investors, a development that is a slap on the face of the AU, whose mandate is to lead in both political and economic emancipation of the continent. If it ever  takes action, the  AU drags its feet in reaching a compromise and come up with a lasting solution to a crisis. Currently, the bloc is being reduced to a toothless bulldog as Sudan is continuously terrorizing the newly independent South. Darfur has of late declared war against the South. In Libya for example, the AU was not able to resolve the crisis until western nations invaded the oil-rich nation, in a war that led to the brutal killing of Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddaffi and thousands of civilians. Given all these weaknesses, the Current Analyst (2010) argues that the AU project remains largely based on governments whose immediate priority is to preserve their national sovereignty, not to pool it. In addition to this, most African leaders have been criticized for lacking the will to support structures and organizations they have established in pursuit of African objectives. Taking the case of the Pan African News Agency (PANA) as an example, it is a pity to note that continent’s news agency is reeling under financial woes that the project is no longer as viable as it was intended to be. AU leaders’ inability to unite the whole continent due to political disparities was evident when Morocco withdrew from the OAU in November 1984 to protest the illegal admission of the self-proclaimed SADR which claims the independence of its southern provinces retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under a tripartite agreement with Spain, the former colonial power. In July 2001 Morocco stated that it will not adhere to the AU, for it has repeated the same error as the OAU, when it allowed the SADR to sign on despite its lack of any international recognition. Morocco is a leading country in the continent, and some claim the AU cannot do without it. If African leaders were united, they should have managed to recall Morocco back into the organization. Absolute unity of the continent is also being threatened by economic disparities among member states. Most countries are poverty-stricken and have no capacity to support the implementation of the AU vision. This means that from the start, poverty and lack of technology make it impossible for the continent to implement its resolutions. As a result, ideas of unity and development remain mere outbursts of wishful thinking. This is the major weakness of Africa, which has been  capitalized by the former colonizers to further divide the continent. Western nations want to continue  exploiting the continent’s resources and as such, they use funding as a tool to make African leaders dance to their tune. Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has always been so critical of the donor community, saying it is the one responsible for disunity among African heads of state sitting in the AU. There is no doubt that due to imperialist forces and the dependency syndrome, the AU is divided and cannot work for the common good of the continent as was the dream of the founding fathers. For instance, while other countries such as Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire were quick to recognize Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) after the fall of Gadaffi, other African leaders like Zimbabwe’s President Mugabe, were against this move. President Mugabe was on record condemning this move, together with the invitation of French President Nicolas Sarkozy as a guest to the AU Summit (ZBC, 30 January 2012). As a result President Mugabe said Africa is in danger of re-colonization. CHAPTER FOUR PROSPECTS OF AFRICAN UNION With all these problems bedeviling the continent, I believe that it will be difficult for Africa to fight imperialism as a single unit. This is due to the fact that most of the African leaders are seemingly divorcing themselves more and more from the continent’s values and views, thus making Pan-Africanism become indeed a dying institution. I therefore advocate for an African re-awakening, whereby pan-Africanism is incorporated into our education systems by being made a subject just like Geography and Science. This is the only way to go as African values are becoming remote in most youths of the continent, who are continuously spoon-fed with Western culture to the extent that they are forgetting their history Way Forward To keep these hopes of a peaceful and stable Africa, the AU through its PSC should work on some practical issues, some of which are: strengthening the unity among the African states so as to form a strong bargaining force to push for UN Security Council reform, AU walking its talk in implementing what it plans as support to the AU-PSC, and greater capacity building of the actors involved in the maintenance of peace. There is a pertinent need for good and visionary leadership that can push an African agenda in world politics; questioning and interrogating international influence relative to the AU, as well as a need for building and consolidating democratic practices, the peaceful transfer of power and respect for human rights, as well as giving attention to traditional conflict resolution mechanisms instead of solely adopting and implementing European models of conflict resolution, and being ready to commit the financial resources necessary to undertake the task of maintaining peace in Africa.

Muhammad essays

Muhammad essays The basic creed of the more than a billion Muslims in the world is La ilaha illa Allah . . . Muhammad rasul Allah. This translates to There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah (Marston 7). Because Muhammad lived recently, compared to the founders of the other major religions, quite a bit is known about his life. Historians cannot figure out the exact date of Muhammads birth, but the common consensus puts it around 570 AD (Phipps 34). His death, on the other hand, is well known to have occurred in 632 AD (Cook 14). Muhammads father died shortly before his birth, so Muhammads mother took him to live with husbands father (Marston 12). Muhammads name means worthy of praise or often praised and was an unfamiliar name in Arabia (Salahi 23). He lived on the Arabian Peninsula, near the Red Sea (Martson 7). He was from the Quraysh. The Quraysh are an Arab tribe said to descend from a nobleman, Fihr ibn Malik, who lived eleven generations before Muhammad (Cook 12). As was common for young children, Muhammad was sent to live with a bedouin, or nomad, woman named Halima (Martson 14). Halima was from one of the poorest tribes, she had no milk for her own child and even her camels were dried up. But when she took in Muhammad both her and her camels began to produce milk (Martson 14). It is also said that one day when Muhammad and one of Halimas children were playing out side, Halimas boy came running up to his mother in terror. Halima went and found Muhammad lying on the ground. And when he came to, he told them that two men in white had taken his heart from his body, washed it clean in a bowl of snow, and replaced it in his body, purified. Then, blessing him, the angelic creatures told him of his future greatness, and then they vanished (Martson 15). Shortly after returning to Mecca Muhammads mother died and then ...

Company Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Company Security - Essay Example The needs of users of  the data provided via a network and subsequently develop a security policy and plan that addresses the security issues concerned (Langer, 2001). The ensuing distribution of data in client or server networks leads to increased susceptibility of the system to fraud, damage by malicious software, misuse, as well as physical damage. With business organizations and their stakeholders developing complex networks, security issues become a key factor of consideration. The security systems developed by such organizations must seek to protect all areas of concern across the network to prevent the occurrence of unethical practices in relation to the information flowing through the system. The value of security in a client/server network plays an inevitable role in protecting the data, as well as the ethical concerns of the parties involved thus, requiring the development of a comprehensive network security policy as reviewed in this context and with reference to ZXY Cor poration. In order to enhance secure access control over the network, the company can apply advanced authorization, as well as access control methodologies that would subsequently enhance network security. The interrelated methods of user authentication and authorization that are applicable will depend on the sensitivity of the section of the network and the information that may be accessible. Shared resources in the network are available for all the users except the resource owner. As such, the security system needs to protect such information from unauthorized access and use. In the network’s access control framework, unique security identifiers (SIDs) may embody the users in the system, and they are subsequently assigned permissions and rights that provide information to the operating system concerning what each of the users can do in the system. Each of the resources in the network has a designated owner who grants  permission  to users. In

Several Topics(Psychology 101) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Several Topics(Psychology 101) - Essay Example Storage of information can be systematically done by conscious process of learning either in formal or non-formal ways. Memory or information gained by the learner through this process is referred to as declarative memory. Learning through proper study or experience, and other similar approaches are included in this category. It can be semantic or episodic. Semantic declarative memories are memories of meanings, understandings, and other concept-based knowledge without the help of experience. For instance knowing that a hammer is a tool and not a pet is a semantic memory. In the other hand episodic declarative memory are knowledge of events, times, places, associated emotions, and others learning, in relation to an experience. Declarative memories are otherwise called as explicit memory Procedural memory or implicit memory in the other hand are knowledge and information gained stored and retained through past experience of events, places, times, emotions, and other learning activities that are used by the learners unconsciously in the process of doing things. Mastery in driving is developed unconsciously by previous experiences without the driver being conscious of what had been learned from the past. Survival instincts are considered as implicit or procedural memory. Procedural memories are information and memories learned through time used procedural works. In dealing with daily chores both explicit and implicit knowledge are useful in making hard tasks easy. This information intertwines with each other in our dealings with other people, solving our problems, doing our jobs, deciding what is best, and determining which is right and wrong. 2. Short and Long Term Memory The brain collects and stores information in the course of daily activities as humans are faced with varying circumstances every second and decides whether this information is useful and subject for further refining and re-storage for future use or discards it after the event ceased. These bits of data are short-term memories with the potential of becoming long-term memories. Short-term memories are commonly called primary, working, or active memory. They are stored in the brain for about 30 seconds and are used in the current process of analyzing the current stimuli or situation. These memories in small "bytes" are combined with each other to form into another information which maybe stored as another short term information or stored for longer time for future use. Once that particular event has been completed some less useful memory are lost and useful ones are retained as long-term memory. And the process goes on and on and on. Long-term memories (LTM) are data stored in the brain for 30 seconds or as long as decades. Short-term memories which are used by the brain further become LTMs. Retention of memory is accomplished through the process of rehearsal or continued use and meaningful association with established long term memories. The meaning of red traffic light can be forgotten fast if it is not associated with traffic rules. By this example a short-term memory became a long-term memory. The mechanism involved in converting short-term memories into LTM is called long-term potentiation. Just like short term memories, long-term memory is also subject to forgetting process, several retrieval processes may be needed for them to last longer. Chunks of information flood into the brain every second in our dealings with a lot of stimuli. Some of these memories do not last long and are called short-term

Homosexuality is abnormal.

Homosexuality is abnormal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have you ever seen gay or lesbian people in public; in other words homosexuals? If you have, what is your opinion on the issue? Do you feel it is something normal or abnormal? Michael Levin strongly believes that homosexuality is an act that is absurd and abnormal. He states that homosexuality is abnormal and therefore it is unfavorable. He defends his opinion with several different arguments. In his first argument, he states that same sex intimacy is a misuse of sexual organs. Then he goes on to say that homosexuality causes unhappiness. In conclusion, he states that the act of homosexuality should never be taken into consideration to become legalized since it is something against human nature. I strongly agree with Levin on his point of view about homosexuality. In this essay, I will be discussing Levins arguments for the view that homosexuality is abnormal. What Levin means by the word abnormal is something that is biologically unnatural or in other words, against human nature. He doesnt mean that homosexuality is immoral or sinful; but for purely mechanical reason; it is a misuse of bodily parts. In his first argument, he states that misusing the bodys sexual organs could frustrate the intention of some purposeful agent. What Levin means by this is that if one is not heterosexual, he/she would be damaging their sexual organs which causes frustration and therefore, decreases happiness. He also points out that homosexuals are much unhappier than heterosexuals. His main argument on the misuse of body parts is on grounds of natural selection, which he believes is also connected to the unhappiness of homosexuals. Levin argues that a man and a womans private parts are made for each other. To prove his point true, he gives an example about a person named Mr. Jones wearing his teeth as a necklace around his neck instead of using his teeth for the use of chewing. In other words, his teeth are being used for ornamentation. Another example was about a man named Mr. Smith; he used his teeth for playing music; something I personally find troublesome to imagine! He concludes from these two examples that individuals who dont use their teeth for the reason of chewing will be selected out of the natural selection. In this example, he is comparing people who dont use their teeth for chewing to homosexuals; what he is trying to make clear is that homosexuals may be eliminated in the future from natural selection due to their misuse of their sexual organs. In other words, nature has created a specific job or function for every single body part. Therefore, the accurate use of body parts leads to happiness and the opposite is also true. In my opinion, this is obviously common sense. Levin states the example that the male sex organ is used to ejaculate semen into the female sex organ; by doing this, more offspring are produced and ther efore the family tree expands. So when a homosexual uses his sexual organ in a way to insert his penis into another males anus, no desires will be fulfilled, and no offspring will be produced; this causes unhappiness. The same is true for heterosexuals; but they wont be as unhappy as homosexuals. After this statement he says, There are after all genuinely jolly fat men. What he means by this phrase is that there really are fat people in this world that are extremely happy and have no problem with being obese. He is comparing this example to homosexuals and heterosexuals. For example, a lazy person might be happy at some point in his life to a certain standard, but he is likely to be less happy than someone otherwise like him who exercises. Levin believes that calling homosexuality involuntary does not place it outside the scope of evolution. Victims of homosexuality are not blameworthy, but it is absurd to pretend that nothing is wrong with them! Homosexual activists believe that ge netic causes exempt homosexuals from blame. What he means by this is that maybe homosexual people are born with traits that make them so. But this fact doesnt make this normal; there is still something wrong with them and in this case it is something absurd and against human nature. He believes that people should try to solve this problem or illness and should unquestionably defy this so called anomaly. This is why Levin strongly believes that homosexuality is abnormal. After Levin proved all his statements, he concluded that since the misuse of body parts is abnormal and will lead to unhappiness, then homosexuality can also be considered abnormal and that it leads to unhappiness as well. Therefore, we as a society should oppose homosexuality. Levin feels that if performing an action that is very likely to lead to unhappiness, then the state should not legitimize that action by granting a right to perform that act. The state should have no business encouraging actions that lead to unhappiness by creating rights or protections related to those them. Therefore, the state should not legitimize homosexual actions by granting a right to perform homosexual acts. Levin recognizes that even if there is a correlation between homosexuality and unhappiness, it does not follow that homosexuals should be denied rights under the law. However, Levin does worry that laws granting homosexuals the right to engage in sodomy (or to marry) would actually encourage homosexuality and thus those laws would increase unhappiness. He says that a state that suddenly grants a right to homosexuals might as well legitimize homosexual actions and thus encourage them. Its like saying lets make taking drugs legal. It causes unhappiness, suicides health pro blems, death and so on. Why would a government make something so bizarre legal? This is how Levin feels about the matter of homosexuality. One crucial test on Levins account is his prediction that homosexuals will continue to be unhappy even if people altogether abandon their prejudice against homosexuality. My opinion on this issue is very similar to Levins attitude. I personally believe that homosexuality is against human nature and should not be an act that is accepted in todays society. It is true that God made man for woman. The sexual organs of a male should only be inserted to the sexual organs of a female. If homosexuality was something normal, then God would have allowed offspring to be born from two male or two female partners. But as you can see, this is not true. Therefore, it is wrong and deviant. I disagree with the fact that homosexual people were born with homosexual genes which make them so. There is no such thing. They are just people that are confused or have mental problems. No one is born with genes that make them gay or lesbian and I strongly believe this. There may be people born with sexual deficiencies but this does not mean that homosexuality is an alternative solution for them. Levin is right to state that it causes unhappiness because that is true; but that sh ould not be the reason why homosexuality should be viewed as abnormal. Recently, the American Psychiatric Association announced Surely the time has come for psychiatry to give up the archaic practice of classifying the millions of men and women who accept or prefer homosexual object choices as being by virtue of that face alone, mentally ill. The fact that their alternative life-style happens to be out of favor with current cultural conventions must not be a basis in itself for a diagnosis. In my opinion, this is the beginning of a disaster in todays society. When this association announces something like this, its like they are saying that this is something that is normal and accepted in todays society and that the government should support this and give homosexuals rights just like the rest of the population. Some people may be wondering as to why I am making such a big deal about this matter. The reason I am so concerned is because this issue will have a negative effect on our ch ildren and our future society. By people accepting this would be a way of admitting that there is not a problem with being homosexual. Even though people may think that homosexuality is harmless, it actually is in fact extremely detrimental.