Chinese political culture Essay

The book CHINESE POLITICAL CULTURE relates to political culture in significantly different ways from the approaches used in other books with similar content. This book touches on many aspects of Chinese political culture; as a result, reading the book gives one a better comprehension of China’s complexity. This collection of essays manages to achieve this aim without losing its unity. The first section of the book explores the modern transformation of Chinese traditional culture and its effect on contemporary political culture. It speaks to the complexity of the issue that the three essays do not agree on whether neo-Confucianism always provides the foundation on which contemporary Chinese political culture can rest. Kam Louie examines the role of Confucianism’s dichotomy between wen [man of letter] and wu [warrior] to emphasize continuities in the patriarchal nature of Chinese society. Roger Ames, from a different perspective, examines the continued relevance of Confucianism among intellectuals in his presentation of the creative use of Kant by noted scholars Mou Zongsan and Li Zehou in their effort to reassert the relevance of the Confucian heritage. Godwin Chu, however, shows that although there are striking continuities between the ways in which the concept of zhong [loyalty] was used in traditional China and during the Maoist period, the individual assertiveness he observes today marks a major break with the past. The second section of the book proceeds to socialization and observes official ideologies. The chapter on nationalism, by Edward Friedman, reminds us that despite the use of a sometimes strident nationalist rhetoric by its leaders, the existence of a Chinese â€Å"nation† protected by the Party-state remains a long way off, as evidenced by the inability of the government to establish institutions such as the welfare state. The chapter by Zhu Jianhua and Ke Huixin, which addresses the construction of Hong Kong in the minds of Chinese in Gungzhou and Shenzhen, suggests that despite greater exposure to a diversity of opinions, people living next door to Hong Kong still hold distorted views about that territory. Misra Kalpana’s chapter on the transition from neo-Maoism to neo-conservatism offers to explain this paradox. She argues that the state has successfully shed its orthodox Leninist ideology in favor of neo-conservative nationalism thanks to the recuperation of the neo-conservative discourses emerging in diverse milieus of society. Peter Moody addresses cynicism and indifference to politics in China in his chapter on anti-political tendencies. Moody also warns that the anti-political trends may end up tacitly endorsing the unjust, corrupt political system they claim to reject. The third section enriches these nuances with an additional layer of complexity, by looking into the different variants of Chinese political cultures found among different social strata and regions. Cheng Li looks at the emergence of pluralism among entrepreneurs; Alan Liu at provincial identities; Shih Chih-yu at elections in minority areas of the PRC and Taiwan; Tang Wenfang at religion in China and Taiwan; and ChuYun-han and Chang Yu-tzung at regime legitimacy in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, through the use of sophisticated survey techniques. This third part of the book may present less coherence, but the case studies succeed in illustrating the diversity of Chinese political culture. My only remark is about Liu’s assertion that Chinese on the mainland, as well as mainlanders living in Taiwan, are displaying lower levels of religiosity, and that higher degrees of modernization reduce religiosity. Not only does this conclusion contrast with most studies on religion in Taiwan, but the data contradicts this statement: Taiwan displays a higher degree of religiosity than China despite its greater degree of modernization. It is also necessary to note that the past two decades has been a period of remarkable growth in China, characterized by economic expansion and the opening of its society to the outside world. What has followed is a better life for many of its citizens. As a result, China supporters from outside its borders have become confident that economic and social progress will eventually lead to a more open political system and consequently more favourable investment conditions. Reference CHINESE POLITICAL CULTURE: 1989-2000. Edited by Shiping Hua, foreword by Andrew J. Nathan. Armonk (New York), London (England): M. E. Sharpe. 2001. xv, 370 pp.

Types of adaptations for Spina Bifida

Biffed is a neural tube defect that affects many small children. The severity of this condition can differ from case to case depending on the position of the protrusion of a fluid filled sac, making nerves and parts of the spinal cord visible on the back. Types of adaptations for this disability can be equipment or rule related. Someone who suffers from Spins Biffed often has some movement of limbs and is able to participate in some activities using lighter equipment since they may not have enough strength to throw a heavy ball or swing a heavy bat.Using foam or near balls or plastic equipment may be a proper equipment adaptation and will allow for more effective participation by the student. Rule modifications such as using bases that are closer to each other in baseball or allowing for a second bounce in tennis would be great ways to include an individual with mild Spins Billed. People with Spins Billed sometimes have trouble making swift movements or running long distances so thes e accommodations would be sensible solutions for Inability to perform these physical tasks. Some physical activities that would be appropriate Is a game of foam ball tennis.This would be played with a soft foam tennis ball and light tennis rackets. The student with the disability would be able to hit the ball over the net because It would require a lot less strength and would work on hand-eye coordination. Another activity could be basketball with a short basket where the student would use a lighter ball. These accommodations are appropriate because these students with Spins Biffed don't have as much strength or range of motion so making the target goal shorter or more reachable would allow for Inclusion In these actively.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car A Market-Driven Company Case Study

Enterprise Rent-A-Car A Market-Driven Company - Case Study Example In order to ensure that it meets it aim, the Enterprise relates to other institutions such as insurance toward providing proper services to its customers. The case analysis makes use of customer value funnel in order to realize the way the company relates to its macorenvironmental and microenviromental. The company acts as the biggest company offering the rental cars to the public. The macroenvironmental drivers include Society and subcultures, Demographics and Psychographics, Economic Factors, Natural-Physical Factors, Political-Legal Factors, Technological Factors while the microenviromental drivers include, Collaboration, Competition, Suppliers and Regulators.The company must always put proper strategies towards manipulating the macroenvironmental factors to help in delivering continuous value to the customer.Society and subcultures.The society and the existing subcultures is important when studying how the Enterprise strive towards ensuring continuous value to the customer. The E nterprise have to consider the essential needs of the society, which always affect the taste of the individuals about the product or service they consume. For instance, the company maintain the need for a friendly environment to ensure that it does not interfere with everyday activities of the residents. The company has established a fuel efficient rental car opportunity which is a step towards offsetting the amount of carbon released in the atmosphere. Demographics and Psychographics Study of demographic is significant since it helps in showing how the company is striving to serve its potential customers in a given geographic location. The company also consider the need to reach a wider part of the market in order to provide services for all their potential customers. The case study shows that the enterprise has established branches and is in the process of increasing its size in order command larger part of the market (Weinstein, 2012). This have allowed the company to offer local ized response to its potential customers. Economic Factors This refers to how the company relates to the global economy towards achieving profits. The case analysis shows that the Enterprise has been able to gain control in the North American rental car industry. This is a step towards enlarging the market share of the company which ultimately led to improvement in the profit. Technological Factors This refers to how the company is striving to improve its services to the customers through application of technological advancements. Technological advancement is significant for every contemporary firm especially when there is need to avoid becoming obsolete (Weinstein, 2012). The company looks forward to develop iPhone application

Reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 37

Reaction paper - Essay Example However, one is convinced that aside from the failure of academic institutions to integrate relevant modules or courses on this facet, people who are actual victims of domestic violence have strong apprehensions to report the incidents due to a variety of factors: could be personal reasons, fear to disclose the information since a loved one is involved, fear for retaliation, lack of information, resources, or knowledge of reporting, and out right denial. Thus, one seriously believes that in paper, the Safe Family Project which is based on the expounded logic model is perfectly designed; however, in the real life setting, the implementation process could be more challenging, as it seems. Yet, however daunting the tasks are, providing training for health care practitioners to address domestic violence is paramount. Overall, one affirms that the model could be slowly integrated as a regular training module for nurses in all health care settings to enable them to appropriately identify, assess, and apply the appropriate interventions needed, according to the patients’ or victims’ needs. One believes that the total success of the program lies with the complete support and participation of the victims of domestic violence, as well as members of the health care institutions, to provide education, counseling, patient care, monitoring, follow-ups, and effective use of resources to ensure that the violence that these patients have experienced would be ultimately

Chapter 14 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 14 - Assignment Example n should be developed in such a way that ensures that customers are satisfied with the products and services being offered by the firm (Dawson, 2012). The major requirements for ISO certification are that business processes should be defined in an explicit manner. The policy of quality should be stated that reflects upon the commitments of the organization. The policies are usually developed by the top management as they are the decision makers of the organization and know in which direction the firm has to progress. There should be objectives set for quality and performance of the firm. There should be a quality manual present with the firm, procedures of administration and training should be in there in the form of manual or policies. There should be the tracking processes of suppliers as well as feedback of the customers. A manager should be there in the firm as a representative, reviews of management team should be conducted regularly, internal and certification audits should be conducted (What is Really Required for ISO 9000?, 2012). ISO standards can be related to American companies doing business internationally in many perspectives. One of the most important perspectives is that when American companies plan to conduct their operations at an international level, they need to maintain their quality level in their operations as well as in the products and services produced by them. ISO standards help organizations in providing them with a framework of what all should be included in maintaining quality in the organization. Standard formats, rules and regulations regarding quality help organizations in maintaining the required level of quality in business operations. Through ISO 9000 organizations have the opportunity to identify the problems in their organization regarding quality (Benefits of ISO 9000, 2012). International countries may allow access to ISO certified organizations willingly. This way American organization can also easily make their global

Reflection to ANMC Codes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflection to ANMC Codes - Assignment Example Thus the use of reflective nursing practice has been associated with the positive improvement in the practice and attitude of the nurses’ hence better care is provided (James and Freshwater, 2005). Professional practice Nursing students are trained through apprenticeship as they are taught the skills in a classroom setup before they are shown how to use them in care giving. The practice of the nursing knowledge and skills is done in a hospital setup under the guidance of an instructor. The clinical setup has often been a source of reflective ideas towards improvement of individual student in their bid for professionalism (James and Freshwater, 2005). A student during a post-clinical briefing and counseling session disclosed the following event that she finds to have helped him develop professionally. That one day during the normal daily activities a client was admitted into the ward he was. He develop a concern in the reason for the patients admission hence went in to learn mo re from the history documented about the patient. The history he found was poorly taken hence decided to take his own history from the patient. The patient had been stabilized and was under monitoring. The patient was on infusion antibiotics (penicillin) yet he was developing fever which was spiking. The student found out from the history he got that the patient was allergic to penicillin and hence he could link the spiking fever to a hypersensitivity reaction. He quickly went to the instructors and informed them of his findings hence a corrective action was taken thus the patient was safe and recuperated well (James and Freshwater, 2005). While reflecting on that day’s events, he noted that his concern for the patient and incorporation of his knowledge in the clinical practice helped identify the cause of poor response to medication and hence salvaged the situation. This event helped the student realize the importance of history taking in health care provision and hence a bo ot towards his professional practices (James and Freshwater, 2005). Critical thinking and analysis Critical thinking and analysis is core to the nursing practice. Critical thinking is the ability to identify a need and develop a solution within the shortest time.it involves analysis of the possible solutions available and picking on the best option at for the good of the patient. A nurse has to continually think critically while handling the different patients with different needs hence analysis skills are very important for the nurse.in medical practice, the analysis and prioritizing criteria employed is referred to as triage. The triaging process involves critical thinking and analysis of the different conditions the patients are presenting with in order to classify them in order of their need for care and their mortality (James and Freshwater, 2005). A student in the casualty is often faced with psychological trauma when they are expected to identify the patients in order of thei r needs for consultation. It is difficult to side-line a patient who feels they need urgent care and that their lives are in danger. The triaging process was introduced in the hospitals to provide for a criterion through which the patients may be assessed to determine their urgency for care.This initiative was met with a lot of

Financial Management Coca-Cola Company Research Paper

Financial Management Coca-Cola Company - Research Paper Example Current liabilities can be defined as the liabilities which have to be met during the year or in other words those obligations which have to be met in a year are termed as current liabilities (Bragg, 2011, p.39). Therefore the current liabilities have to be managed properly by every company. The current liabilities are met by current assets. Current assets are those assets which can be transformed into cash within one year. These are the short term assets which are held by the company to meet its short term obligations. The liquidity position of the company is determined by the current assets and the current liabilities. To determine the liquidity position of the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, the current ratio and the quick ratio has been calculated. Current ratio signifies that the current liabilities of the company are backed by how many current assets. It is calculated by dividing the current assets be the current liabilities (Investopedia-a, n.d.). The current ratio of Coca-Cola Company is 1.12 while the current ratio of PepsiCo is 1.43. This signifies that each dollar of current liability of Cocacola Company is backed by $1.12 of current assets where as each dollar of current liability of PepsiCo is backed by $1.43 of current assets. To assess the capacity of the companies for meeting the day to day expenses the quick ratio has been calculated.... The quick ratio of PepsiCo is 1.19 while that of Coca-Cola Company is 0.93. The PepsiCo had more working capital that is $3815 million than the Coca-Cola Company which has only $582 million in 2009. Therefore it can be said that the liquidity potion of PepsiCo is stronger than that of the Coca-Cola Company. Hence the PepsiCo is in a better position to meet its current liabilities that the Coca-Cola Company. Overall performance The overall performance of the Coca-Cola Company and the PepsiCo has been analyzed by using the financial ratios and studying the income statement and the balance sheet of both the companies for the year 2009. For judging any company through its financial statements, three types of statements are very important. One is the cash flow statement, second one is the balance sheet and the third one is the balance sheet. Income statement shows the various revenues earned by a company and the related expenses incurred during a financial year. The net income which is us ed to judge the profitability of the organization is also assed in the income statement (Loth, 2010). The balance sheet of the company shows the financial position of that company on a given date. It also reveals the way in which the company is levered (Investopedia-b, 2010). The operating profit of PepsiCo has increased by 15% in 2009 where that of Coca-Cola Company has increased by 124%. The net profit of the former has also increased by 15% where as that of the latter increased by 116%. Investments The profitability position of the company is very important to be assessed by the investor before making any investment in the company. By analyzing the profitability position the investor can judge the financial

Ethical Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Ethical Dilemma - Essay Example er will analyse such a dilemma in a particular case of Juana, a pregnant lady who refused blood transfusion due to religious beliefs and eventually died. In the light of case, if code of ethics provided by American Nurses Association is analysed, one can clearly see that autonomy and choice of treatment of a patient is given preference (ANA, 2001). Like if a patient refuses blood transfusion even in a critical scenario, the choice of patient would be respected. However in few states like in Illinois, the Supreme Court has intervened to take legal measures to give priority to save a human life (Illinois Supreme Court, 1996). The principles applied to the case are of compassion, justice, autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence and respect. All the principles commonly state to act upon the patient’s free will to accept treatment which is not in conflict to her/ his beliefs keeping in view that patient is not intentional harmed. Principle of veracity also applies which states that healthcare providers should be truthful to the patients and must allow the patients to make an informed decision (Gardiner, 2003). Analysing the case with a personal perspective, it is though obvious that the nurses followed ethical principles and did not compromise the beliefs of the patient; however the life of patient and fetus had been compromised. The nursing staff had followed the code of ethics given by American Nursing Association which is in conformance with other ethical principles. If the patient had been treated with the blood transfusion, her life could be saved but her regret to live out of her religious morality would ever make her repent. People have emotional associations with their beliefs and values that must be respected. But one can disagree with the decision the patient and her family (husband) as beliefs are only perceptions and they are not more valuable than the human life. It could be possible to take immediate help of a bishop provide guidance in case of severe

The two directors Baz Lurhman Essay Example for Free

The two directors Baz Lurhman Essay The two directors Baz Lurhman and Zefferelli both presented the style, pace, tone and mood of the two Shakespeare film in different ways. Baz Lurhman version of the pace is slow. The pace for this version is slow due to a lot of time spent on the opening scene. It focuses on telling us about the film and what its about and also the view of where it was set and not to forget it also spends time on telling us about the two sworn enemies and their characters. The mood is dark, aggressive and more dramatic because after the prologue the music hits you and the tone of voice was like a loud speaker beaten with extreme energy into the atmosphere. Whereas Zefferelli version was in the 16th century and it follows the script of Shakespeare the way it was wrote. Although the pace is fast, this could be because in the opening scene they got on with the play by using low camera angle shots. They choose to stick to the normal text draw for your sword even though its a gun. In the first scene the mood was aggressive. However In the other scenes it was tenser and calm and more romantic due to its focuses on Romeo and Juliet. Also, on the opening scene the tone was harsh and deep to start with to develop the feud between the two sworn enemies. Overall the tone is soft and sharp to build more effect on their romantic love scenes. Their way of style was addressed in a 16th century way to follow the script of Shakespeare; you could tell by the way they were dressing, who had high status and low status. Whereas the characters in Baz Lurhman wore modern clothes and more casual wear to what people would wear now because the style and play was set in the 21st century. The first version of the Prologue was presented to us with a small old television with a blacked out background. The woman voice draws your attention in with its calm tone of voice, which tells us in a news form of way what the two sworn enemies are like and also a brief information about the two lovers Romeo and Juliet. The second version of the prologue starts with a chorus which describes the two sworn enemies in the city of Verona in an aggressive form of way. It flashes us clips about the city and the impressions the viewers are giving about Verona Beach is that the place is not a safe place to be. During the flashing of clips u see a man been held down on a mattress by a police man. Every clips of it shows a gun. The city doesnt look like an Italian city it was made to look like New York. This prologue also lets us know that they catholic. The form of text they used was white text on black screen, using newspaper to show lines of the prologue. The sort of music played in this sequence was a dramatic music and orchestra music been played. Although in this prologue it was a male voice been used, the tone of voice was deep but told in bold written on a newspaper with characters pictures on it. The third version of the prologue is presented very far and the sorts of expression shown on the face of the Capulet parents were sad and also were the Montague parents. The expression shown on Mercutio face was him feeling or ready to kill someone. In this sequences the two important characters were not shown this could be due to their innocents and both of them not seen each other as enemies. However Zefferelli version didnt have a prologue the director just shows us a high angle short of the Italian city and market, then shows the characters with a low angle short then you hear their voices. Images of violence and the characters are seen as gangsters. The presentation of the feud between the two families are you could see by the facial expressions that they dont like or agree with one another. Capulet ask for a fight then one of the Montague men was forced to draw for his sword then the fight gets more serious and fights develops with pushing, shoving among peasants, then they ring the big bell to inform the others that theres a big fight then people get more involved. Sword fighting, rocks thrown above, vegetables thrown and wrestling to the floor. Tybalts character in the Zefferelli is betrayed as the leader of the gang. You see him without shot of his feet and moving up to his face with his gang behind him in a triangle formation which shows that is an important character. His also aggressive and hard hearted doesnt have any pity for no one apart from themselves. Hes also very mocking, likes making fun and gesture of people. Whereas on the Baz Lurhman, his betrayed as a arrogant man and a low angle screen shot to show us his Cuban hill shoes in a cowboy form of way but metal and big. Then the camera shows his clothes with a western music on the background which links to what his wearing. A leather jacket used to let us viewer know his religious because inside the jacket theirs a big image of Jesus on the inner clothe he was wearing. In my point of view I think his vain and fashionable. His character is showing has confident, arrogant and sharp, you can tell by the way he holds his gun. He holds it in a calm and cool way, knows that his in control and a well known leader and a very good sharpshooter. Once is sword is drawn its something to be feared of. The way he also walks is cool calm and collected. The presentation of the two versions is both equally dramatic even though Zefferelli fight scene shows more chaos and bloodshed. But they both show the anger between both families clearly. The directors expectation is trying to capture young viewer especially student, trying to bring Shakespeare to life. In conclusion I would rather watch Baz Lurhman due to his understanding of kids. He knew what kids of now days like so he made it spectacular, sexy and fashionable. Tim Adesunloro Mrs Hulbert.

Effect of Art Essay Example for Free

Effect of Art Essay Traditionally, we have believed that art imitates life. The painter represents what he or she sees by producing a scene on a canvas. The sculptor does the same with bronze or stone. A photographer or film maker does it even more directly. A writer describes life in his or her books. This simple concept is known as mimesis. But some have questioned the one-way nature of mimesis by arguing that art also changes the way we view the world, and in fact, life sometimes imitates art rather than the other way around. The person who first articulated this belief effectively was Oscar Wilde. Speaking about the foggy conditions in London in the late 19th century, he wrote that the way we perceive them changed because of art. Referring to the wonderful brown fogs that come creeping down our streets, blurring the gas lamps and turning houses into shadows he argued that poets and painters have taught [people] the loveliness of such effects. According to Wilde, They did not exist till Art had invented them. And you don’t have to look too far to see anti-mimesis in our lives. To what extent is our outlook on life altered by ideas we read in books? The portrayal of people in films? The styles we see in fashion photography? One great example of this is the TV series The Sopranos, and how it affected both the Mafia in the USA and the FBI. Art’s influence on society: propaganda and censorship Throughout history, it has always been the case that art has the power to change society, especially when new media are used to express an idea. During the First World War, for example, movie cameras were used for the first time to record trench warfare – when the film was shown in cinemas in Britain, audiences ran out screaming. This led to the government censoring further such use of such a powerful medium. And in government censorship, and use of art as propaganda, we see how seriously governments take the effect of art. All of the major dictators of the C20th understood the power of art to influence the population. In Nazi Germany, Hitler set up the Ministry of Propaganda and National Enlightenment. It was headed by Goebbels, who made sure that nothing was published, performed, or exhibited without his approval. When this happens, you know there isn’t going to be a happy ending. And what Goebbels approved, of course, only fit in with Nazi ideology and ideas. In terms of art, this meant no modern and abstract art, certainly nothing hostile to the regime, and nothing that featured images other than the stereotypical blonde-haired, blue eyed set in idyllic pastoral scenes of blissful happiness. In Stalinist Russia, there was also a keen understanding of the power of art. Art portrayed contented peasants, industrious workers, and Stalin himself. In fact, Stalin was shown god-like in many paintings, a phenomenon known as the Cult of Stalin. Just as in Germany, gigantic architectural projects expressed the power of the state. However, there is no doubt that in Russia there were greater artistic achievements than in Nazi Germany. Composers worked with fewer hindrances – as seen in the works by Prokoviev and Shostakovich, and film-makers such as Eisenstein emerged. Art’s influence on society: the trial of Lady Chatterley’s Lover But even under less oppressive governments, the artistic expression of certain ideas can be subject to control. One great example is the book ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ by DH Lawrence, which was deemed offensive on many levels. In this book, Constance Reid, a woman from a progressive liberal middle class family marries a minor member of the aristocracy, Lord Clifford Chatterley, and takes the title ‘Lady Chatterley’. But her husband is injured in the First World War, confined to a wheelchair, and left impotent. Despite this, he becomes a successful writer and businessman. It is more his obsession with financial success and fame rather than any physical difficulties which come between him and his wife, and she begins an affair with their gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors. The largely aristocratic ‘establishment’ of Britain at the time – the book was published in Italy in 1928 were shocked by many aspects of the book. First, there was the fact that the book was ‘obscene’, in the way it went into explicit detail the affair that took place (see below). Second, there was the fact that a women was breaking her marriage vows, something considered far worse than a man behaving in the same way. Finally, it represented an intimate relationship between a member of the ‘lower’ classes (although it emerges during the story that Mellors is actually well-educated, and became an officer in the army during the First World War) and the ‘upper’ classes, a concept that was totally taboo in Britain at that time. The book was duly banned. But the book was republished by Penguin books in 1960. The attorney general, Reginald Manningham-Buller (dubbed ‘Bullying-Manners’ by the journalist and author Bernard Levin) had to read only four chapters to decide to prosecute Penguin books for publishing it. What annoyed him was not just the content, but the fact that the price of the book meant it was affordable to women and members of the lower classes (remember that only few women worked at this time, and husbands were generally in charge of family finances). The trial was a disaster for Manningham-Buller and the prosecution. They had failed to find any experts to support their case, in stark contrast to Penguin’s defence team, which had brought in authors, journalists, academics, and even members of the clergy to defend the book. Manningham-Buller and his team had very little idea of what Lawrence had been trying to express in his book, regularly being caught out by the superior insight of the witnesses they were trying to catch out. And although they tried to shock the jury – in his opening speech, Manningham-Buller announced: The word fuck or fucking appears no less than 30 times . . . Cunt 14 times; balls 13 times; shit and arse six times apiece; cock four times; piss three times, and so on. they were unable to prove that the book would have a negative influence on the readers it was aimed at. According to the Guardian: No other jury verdict in British history has had such a deep social impact. Over the next three months Penguin sold 3m copies of the book – an example of what many years later was described as the Spycatcher effect, by which the attempt to suppress a book through unsuccessful litigation serves only to promote huge sales. The jury – that iconic representative of democratic society – had given its imprimatur to ending the taboo on sexual discussion in art and entertainment. Within a few years the stifling censorship of the theatre by the lord chamberlain had been abolished, and a gritty realism emerged in British cinema and drama. (Saturday Night and Sunday Morning came out at the same time as the unexpurgated Lady Chatterley, and very soon Peter Finch was commenting on Glenda Jacksons tired old tits in Sunday Bloody Sunday and Ken Tynan said the first fuck on the BBC.) Homosexuality was decriminalised, abortions were available on reasonable demand, and in order to obtain a divorce it was unnecessary to prove that a spouse had committed the matrimonial crime of adultery. Judges no longer put on black caps to sentence prisoners to hang by the neck until dead. Can we say, though, that it was art in this case that changed society, or was it an interaction between human sciences (ie, the law) and the arts (the book) that led to change? This is from the same Guardian article: †¦the message of Lady Chatterleys Lover, half a century after the trial, is that literature in itself does no harm at all. The damage that gets attributed to books – and to plays and movies and cartoons – is caused by the actions of people who try to suppress them.

An Analysis Of Italian National Interests Politics Essay

An Analysis Of Italian National Interests Politics Essay National interest incorporates within it many things. Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, events have shown us that Italy and many of its leaders and politicians have always found it difficult to opt for a particular direction in both internal as well as external affairs. Whilst fighting against the Hapsburg Empire for independence in the nineteenth century, various Italian politicians proposed several options and alternatives that Italy could take. All of this brought conflict of interests and ideas in Italy and no-one was sure which road Italy should follow. In the quest for independence, the Italians knew what to remove but not what to implement instead. In the twentieth century, national interest changed frequently and much of this depended on the leaders of the time and on external events. The fact that Italian governments have changed so frequently in the past century is a clear example of how Italian governments and politicians never agreed on where their national i nterests lied. This paper will focus on how hard the Italians have found it to agree on their national interests and the reasons behind such a statement. This paper will then analyse to what extent such a statement is true and whether agreements between the Italians and Italian politicians regarding the matter have been reached. Special focus will be given on Italys relationship with Europe and the US and certain domestic policies as well as on the Italians view on the Arab World and the Mediterranean. Italys national interests Italy has had a history of changing alliances at the opportune moment in order to suit its interests. This shows that the Italians were never certain on what they really wanted. In the First World War, Italy joined the Entente when it had been an ally of both Germany and Austria-Hungary for so long. On the other hand, in the run-up towards the Second World War, Italy was attracted to Germany and its way of thinking and, when Germany rearmed and was pictured by many as the current strongest power, Italy did not hesitate to join Hitler in an alliance  [1]  . When Mussolini came into power in the 1920s, national interest lied in that of expansion and irredentismo. Mussolini wanted to promote the grandeur of Italy by conquering territories in Northern Africa and in some parts of Europe. Such an expansionist foreign policy agenda changed abruptly with the fall of the fascist regime in Italy and a new direction of national interest became important. Italian national interest then chang ed again with the end of the war as the Italian population and government sought the help and friendship of the United States  [2]  . The two main rival parties in the period were the Communists and the Christian Democrats and both had very diverse interests and foreign policy agendas. Immediately after the war, Italy promoted its interests in the international arena and this is seen in its quests for European Integration and in that of joining the North Atlantic Alliance yet such notions and ideas had to wait until the arrival of De Gasperi for them to become the new direction of Italys foreign policy: Italy under the leadership of Alcide De Gasperi became one of the founding countries of European integration, when the European Community and NATO were the two main pillars in postwar Italian foreign policy.  [3]   Putting these agendas aside, many argue that, during the First Italian Republic, national interest was not focused on the international context. This statement is quite correct especially when seeing how the culture of national interests did not reach its full potential due to the political elites interest in domestic rather than in foreign affairs. Due to certain issues occurring in Italy today it may seem as though the Italians are more concerned about their domestic affairs rather than their external ones  [4]  . The huge importance given to issues such as Silvio Berlusconis scandals and personal life is a clear example of this. Some newspapers are more focused on these particular affairs rather than what is happening abroad. The fact that domestic affairs was important then and is still so relevant now, brings to mind the thought that, in certain aspects, the Italians have managed to find a compromise between them. Others will say otherwise especially after analyzing Italian foreign policy in the second half of the twentieth century. Italy opted for an active foreign policy agenda as it tried to restore the honour it had lost as a result of The Second World War. Upon joining the European Union, Italys economy flourished considerably as can be witnessed in the 1960s. This was a result of increased industrial development and new economic reforms. When analyzing such issues, it could be said, therefore, that Italys national interests lay mostly in Europeanism as Italy became a strong and active member in European affairs and integration and it benefited a lot from its membership. Most political parties in Italy were and still are very pro-EU and Italy was always amongst the highest in Europe which had a strong public opinion with regards to the European integration process. Though the Communist party was quite anti-European in its policies, it changed attitude during the 1970s when it saw European integration as a means to promote its national interests. Hence, this led to support for integration becoming nearly unanimous in Italy  [5]  . Many believe that Italian national identity was weakened because of the relations between the state and the church in Italy especially during the nation-building process  [6]  . The church has always maintained a strong role in Italy and this is mostly due to the reason that the Vatican City is the centre of Catholicism. Hence, the church has been very influential in events happening both at the national level as well as on the international level and in fact, since unification and even in issues such as Italian-Arab relations, the church has always expressed its views and opinion on what Italys approach to such matters should be. Though Italys activity in European processes and activities was always present, it still wasnt recognized as a major power in the EU but was seen as a large member state among small ones, but incapable of taking its place among the big ones in the Union  [7]  . Italys inability to implement certain European legal norms, as can be witnessed in certain aspects such as that of freedom of expression, has reduced its credibility in the European context and even resulted in Italys less influential role when it comes to decision-making. Italy, however did try to promote its Europeanism especially in issues such as that of a European Monetary Union to which Italy gave much support. It was during Romano Prodis Italian Premiership when Italy became more credible as a result of its joining of the Euro-zone. This credibility was then again lessened with the arrival of Silvio Berlusconi who had a more Euro-skeptical attitude in his foreign policy. Many scholars and analysts believe that this attitude was a main reason of why national interest was seen as unstable and unclear. Until the 1990s, Italy was quite pro-European, however, when Berlusconi became Prime Minister, this changed. In fact, Berlusconi conflicted quite often with other heads of European states especially with the French President and German Chancellor. Further proof of this erosion of Europeanism can be witnessed in the resignation of Italys foreign affairs minister, Renato Ruggiero, who was a pro-European  [8]  . Berlusconi, apart from being Prime Minister, had been minister of foreign affairs and his motives and interests were clearly seen in his policies. Berlusconi preferred to maintain good relations with American President George W. Bush rather than focusing his strength on maintaining excellent EU relations. He wanted the American administration to see Italy as its closest European partner after Britain and that is why, Italy gave America its full support in many issues and crises. Italys conflicting interests between Europeanism and Atlanticism did not start with Berlusconi. Sergio Romano comments on how the Italians believed that the Second World War was not lost by the nation but rather by the fascist government and this explains why, after overthrowing Mussolinis regime, Italy was still willing to seek cooperation with other states. As from the late 1940s Italys cooperation with the US grew especially due to the Marshall Plan which, according to Romano, ebbe maggiore influenza sul profile internazionale del paese e sul sistema politico italiano negli anni seguenti  [9]  . In the meantime, Italy was very confident in the fact that it could play an important role in European as well as in Mediterranean affairs. The world order after World War II was very different than that prior to the war. Not only did countries like Italy lose certain territories such as Istria, Libya, Eritrea and Ethiopia but, now, there was the rise of communism and nation states suc h as Italy had to respond to such crises. The Marshall Plan wasnt only implemented for the restructuring of Europe, but also to combat the communist threat of the Soviet Union. The plan was also aimed to bring unity in Europe and this influenced the policies of Italian politicians and how they behaved at the international level  [10]  . National interest, in a few years, had changed radically from one being aimed to promote Italy and its grandeur to one which promoted Italys activeness and participation in an international community. After 1947, Italys policies started reflecting those of the United States of America. Hence, not only was it interested in economic development and restructuring, but was also intrigued by implementing a democratic government, rights and freedoms as well as having an anti-communist task force. Because Italy followed these concepts, it was also interested in having a united Europe and, as explained above, was among the first to promote cooperation am ong European states. Italys national interest was always divided between that of Europeanism and that of maintaining excellent cordial relations with the US and such a phenomenon may still be said to be going on today. Many countries were against Italy joining the Atlantic Alliance and the Italian government was particularly keen on changing the negative assumptions that these countries had about it. Such countries believed that: Se fosse stata ammessa avrebbe costretto lAlleanza a difendere non soltanto lAtlantico del Nord ma buona parte del mediterraneo, avrebbe dato un contributo insignificante alla difesa commune, e avrebbe probabilmente approfittato della sua partecipazione per avanzare una volta querule richieste coloniali.  [11]   De Gasperi and Sforza saw that these ideas had to change as Italy needed to develop economically as well as improve its security. Without the help of foreign powers it couldnt do much. Even if other countries had no faith in Italy, the latter knew that it could count on the US to provide for Italys needs. The USA was, and still is, considered as a super power and could provide for the security of others apart from itself. The transition that Italian national interest was taking clearly shows how Italian leaders realised that Italy should not be overconfident in its approaches and be as ambitious as it was in the time of Mussolini. Even nowadays, Italy is trying to maintain the best of relations with the US as the former knows that America can provide Italy with financial aid and security. Apart from this, by maintaining a relationship with the worlds superpower, Italy and Italian opinion could become more credible and attractive in the international arena. De Gasperi and Sforzas opposition and criticisms which were coming from within the mainland clearly proves how national interest differed from one party to another. Apart from being criticized by the national liberals, both statesmen found opposition in the Catholics of the left, the socialists and in the communists all of which had considerable influence in Italy  [12]  . Hence, national interest varied in Italy as some opted for expansion and the regaining of national prestige, others for the weakening of the Western front whilst others were willing to make Italy a determining power in international affairs. Nonetheless, both De Gasperi and Sforza tried to establish strong positions not only in the US, especially after joining NATO in 1949, but also in Europe and this is evident when analyzing the relationship Italy had with countries like France. Since the time of de Gaulle, and especially under Georges Bidault, France considered Italy as an important ally and friend. In this issue another phenomenon regarding national interest is evident. This is Italys interest in safeguarding the Mediterranean and Italy, since Mussolinis rule up until today, was one of the major players when it comes to security in the Mediterranean. France, who had interests in Northern Africa, agreed to help Italy in this task and, since EU membership, Italian statesmen, ministers and politicians have promoted the idea of Mediterranean security even more  [13]  . Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro, as did many others, maintained good relations with Mediterranean countries including Malta so as to maintain a stable and secure Mediterranean region. Italys interest in the Mediterranean may be a reason why the country is so keen on maintaining stable relations with the Arab world. Since the era of Fanfani and Moro, and even before that, up till today, Italian relations with Arab countries have been quite positive. This can be seen in Italys involvement in the Suez Crisis and in the Six-Days War and also in the fact that Italy always expressed its opinion with regards to the Middle-East conflict and offered means to aid the people affected by the war  [14]  . Many say that Italy has boosted its market-share and maintained a high political profile in the Arab world and in the Persian-Gulf and this is evident in countries like Qatar, UAE, Oman, Kuwait and many others. Embassies have been set up in these countries, exports increased and relations with them have improved due to the issuing of new contracts. Also, with regards to some states, Italy is the only remaining European trading partner as can be seen in the case of Iran  [15]  . Many believe that, though Italy has had a strong pro-European perspective, European enthusiasm has fallen considerably in the past years. According to a survey last year, only a small percentage of the Italian population actually believed that Italy was benefiting from its relationship with the EU. Italy has indeed fought for the strengthening and widening of the European Union, however, with the acceptance of the Constitutional Treaty, the introduction of the Euro and with the incorporation of many new pacts and treaties allowing greater EU say in decision making, Italians are starting to question what role has the national sphere left to play. From the period 2001 till 2006 the European Union was rarely consulted and called upon when Italy discussed matters of policy and foreign affairs. Even though Prodi was a pro-European, the two years he spent as Italian Prime Minister following 2006 werent enough to change the European outlook towards Italy. It seemed that Italy was changing f rom being one of the most active and respected members in Europe into a country which acted as an obstacle to the European Union. Events such as Italys exclusion from key talks on important issues suggest that the above statement is true and that Europe and the European Union had lost faith in Italy  [16]  . In Italy there was always a diverging of interests between the centre-left and the centre-right parties. The issue of multilateralism in this context becomes important. Under Berlusconis centre-right government this process was threatened especially due to the fact that the Prime Minister had little faith in such a process. Berlusconi, always projected as being so Euro-skeptic, has always preferred to maintain bilateral relations with countries such as the US and with certain countries in Europe rather than having many relations on a multilateral level. This statement is clearly supported by the fact that international organizations have never regarded Italy under Berlusconi as an important asset especially since the centre-right participated mostly in multilateral agreements and in international organizations only if there was something to gain from them. Centre-left parties, on the other hand have always taken a different approach and have always preferred to maintain strong multil ateral bonds especially with the European Union and its institutions. On the other hand the centre-left was then skeptic on the relationship with the US and this is evident in the centre-left parties criticisms towards the US and some of its policies  [17]  . Conclusion The fact that so many different governments were set up after 1945 and the phenomenon that only nowadays is an Italian political party managing to stay in government a full term is a clear reason on the state of agreement on national interests is in Italy. The huge number of fragmented parties in Italy means that it is difficult for Italy to come to a consensus on both domestic affairs as well as on international affairs. All the parties have different national interests and this may be the cause of why many believe that the statement that there hasnt been agreement on where Italys national interests lied was and still is the reality of Italy. Even the events of 2008 when Romano Prodis government collapsed is a sign on how the Italians are still struggling to find an agreement on where their national interests lie. Never before in the post-World War II history of Italy, had a government been unsupported by its own majority because of disagreement (within that same majority) on how to run the countrys foreign policy.  [18]   Such an event, however, will not change the real aims of Italys foreign policy and will not affect the reasons of why Italy has acted the way it did in the international arena in the past years. Italian politics in the last decades has always been directed towards achieving a more peaceful world. What Italy has done in the Middle-East and in Europe was done to strengthen unity as well as to bring stability in societies. On this matter, national interest is quite concrete and everyone, starting from Italys political elite moving down to the lowest classes of society, has had the same ideology and realm of interests with regards to having peace in the world. Though this is a huge contrast to the Italy prior to the war, it shows how, though national interest in Italy does tend to change rapidly, the Italian population may find agreement on certain issues especially on matters which are considered important and vital to the international sphere. Hence, it can be concluded that the statement that the Italians have never agreed on where their national interests lie isnt entirely true. Though Italian national interest did change quite frequently along the years, there were times when it was stable and followed a clear path. The fact that Berlusconi was elected for the third time has resulted in national interest to become clearer. Before the end of the cold war, the diverging national interest between that of a pro-European and a pro-American agenda was more evident. Now, with Berlusconi as Prime Minister, it seems that the divide isnt as evident especially with Berlusconis close relationship with the US and his lack of faith in Europe. Agreement on national interest, however, was never entirely present in Italy and may still be seen like that nowadays. It is unclear if Italian politicians are more interested in domestic rather than in international affairs and. Apart from this, Italy still maintains good relations with Mediter ranean countries as well as with the Arab world and is always keen in intervening wherever there is an issue abroad and this further confuses scholars and analysts trying to come out with where Italian national interest really lies.

The Story we Tell :: essays research papers

America and Race have a long and entangled history. The concept of Race, like America is a recent invention. Race is an idea constructed by society to further political and economic goals. Race was never just a matter of how you look, it's about how people assign meaning toward how you look. It is ironic that a nation that takes great pride in one the foundation â€Å"All men are created Equal† can at the same time portray the idea of Race in such a scale that would repress and kill so many people. In this essay I will address what necessitated the creation of the story of race in American history. In the beginning of colonial America people used religion and wealth to define status. As the years progressed fewer people migrated to America. This resulted in a labor shortage of indentured servants. Farmers turned to the transatlantic slave trade, and started replacing indentured servants with African slaves. African slaves worked for nothing, could be easily identified by their skin separating them from indentured servants, and were valued for their farming skill. Plantation owners found what they an ideal and endless labor supply and developed the first slave system where all slaves shared a common appearance and ancestry. The abundance of this new labor source brought poor whites new rights, opportunities, and a sense of superiority for whiteness. Many were elevated to manager’s plantations and bounty hunters. White societies for the first time started to identify themselves with each other not based on wealth or status because they were white. As slave labor increased, slavery became inherently identified with blackness. This perpetuated white Americans belief that Africans were a different kind of person and stimulated the theory that Africans maintained a "natural" inferiority. This theory of "natural" inferiority rationalized for many white Americans the stealing of Indian lands. Indians, another â€Å"racially inferior† group, were initially viewed as naturally white. They explained they were tan because of exposure to the sun. Many felt that they were good human material, and the problem was not race but culture, that the Indians were primitive but they could be civilized. Whites sought to civilize Indians though English education and Christian religion, turning hunters into farmers and businessmen. They tried to assimilate them into American culture. The "civilization" process and way of life began to be seen as the only way for Indians to live in peace with whites.

Independent Medical Examination :: essays research papers

Dear Dr.: is the authorized representative of in all of its workers’ compensation matters. The purpose of this file review is to determine whether the alleged condition of lumbar sprain is causally related to the claimant’s work activities. This claim has been allowed by the BWC for a sprain lumbar region following the claimant’s allegations that he felt back pain after slipping on ice while opening a gate at work. The claimant presented himself to St. Vincent Charity Hospital later that day complaining of sharp pain more on the right than on the left. The claimant admitted to prior back injuries and frequent chiropractic manipulations by a chiropractor during the examination, but was unsure of his previous diagnosis. The claimant stated that his back â€Å"has never been great, and I’ve always had problems with it†. On examination, Dr, Daniel Ryu found mild to moderate right paralumbar tenderness. The claimant was diagnosed with a lumbar sprain and given medications. The claimant followed up on March 9, 2005 with Dr. Ryu, reporting minimal improvement. At this examination, the claimant stated that he had a history of multi-level degenerative disk disease in the lumbar spine. Dr. Ryu requested an MR I, which was administered on March 7, 2005 by Dr. Shockley. The MRI revealed severe degenerative disc disease and mild to moderate facet disease at all levels of the lumbar spine. On March 18, 2005, the claimant returned to St. Vincent Charity Occupational Medicine, stating that he was feeling â€Å"better†, and had been participating in physical therapy. The BWC allowed the claim for a â€Å"Sprain Lumbar Region† on March 9, 2005. The employer does not believe that the claimant’s current condition is a result of a workplace incident. The claimant has a history of severe degenerative disc disease in the lumbar spine and frequent chiropractic manipulations. The employer believes that the claimant’s current complaints stem from the severe degenerative disc disease and is unrelated to the claimant’s 3/1/05 work activities.

Life For Young People Essay

Life for young people in sg was better in the past than it is today (OV) Life was less stressful and moved at a slower pace in the past. There was less competitiveness in the society then. Students have packed schedules of tuition, school, and enrichment classes, to the extent that they have little time left to enjoy other activities. Higher stress is linked with not only physical but also psychological ailments like depression, hence the incidences of young people committing suicide due to inability to cope with studies, relationships etc. In the past, education was a simple process, there was no streaming, ranking of schools, or other initiatives which would apparently increase the level of stress in students. The burden of university loans and proportion of income that has to be spent on necessities have become more oppressive than ever It is increasingly challenging to make decisions and commit to them as young people are inundated with the pressures of adult life, the access to a variety of opportunities lead to increasing uncertainty about the future. Yet, it is an undeniable fact that the youths today not worse off in any aspect than those in the past. One common argument is that youths today are under much more pressure to succeed due to parental pressure as well as pressure from social media. As such, many youths today are studying, day in day out, â€Å"mugging†, as they affectionately termed, evident from the fact that Singapore’s tuition industry is one of the world’s most lucrative. They have little or no free time for themselves, resulting in low quality of life as their recreational and spiritual needs are not met. Unlike the carefree days in the past, when times were simpler and there was no need to live up to expectations of self and others. Hence, I concede to Singaporean youths having it worse than those in the past due to pressures to do well. Young people today have unprecedented access to knowledge and information. The Internet has provided a plethora of information across almost all of areas of knowledge, making informed decisions more accessible. Education standards have improved greatly to the extent of recognition by the United States, a global power, for its teaching methods, especially in the field of mathematics. With effective and up-to-date teaching materials and methods, the Ministry of Education (MOE) ensures that the education system produces skilled and competent youths who are able to actively participate in the society and the economy. This is evident from Singapore’s Gross Domestic  Product (GDP) growth of 5.5% in 2011, which has been sustained since 2005. Many educational initiatives were introduced to empower the young in this modern age. (EG IT master plan). Edusave accounts and subsidies are given to allow more students to take up enrichment courses. With economic growth, the youth are able to enjoy better amenities and higher standard of living due to the surplus in the nation’s earnings. High education standards also allow better opportunities to undertake well-paid jobs because Singapore’s education system does not only emphasise on knowledge accquisation, but also the development of the twenty-first century skills, increasing the competitiveness of the youth in Singapore. As such, the youth in Singapore are better able to compete in the global market and are able to enjoy high standards of living, much higher than those in the past. Some say that the working environment was less competitive and job requirements were less demanding. While I will not deny that though jobs are more specialised today, people will need to be able to multi-task in order to stand out among the rest. Now, more jobs require advanced skills and fewer high-paying factory jobs require a little more than a high school diploma. The influx of foreign labour and foreign talent further increase the intense competitiveness in Singapore now, making it more difficult for young people today to find jobs. Foreign talents including expatriates may cause youths, or fresh university graduates to be unable to find jobs, and thus be unable to pay for their university loans, making life tougher today as compared to the past. However, there is a fairer working system today based on meritocracy that gives equal opportunities to females and the minorities. Moreover, the unemployment rate in Singapore has actually decreased to 1.9% in the fourth quarter of 2014 from 2.0% in the third quarter of 2014. The cost of living is lower in the past as compared to the present. Higher costs manifest through GST increase and transport hikes, etc. Young people are also consumers of certain goods and services which have costs increasing over the years like movie ticketsIn the present society, despite material wealth and comfort, children forced to grow up faster due to parental neglect. Family ties were stronger in the past, as there were larger families, and thus more adults to see to the need of the youth. With Singapore’s declining birth rate, people have on the average only one or two children, and single children may feel more lonely and dependent on their  parents. Moreover, with access to social media now, stories of fame and success are all but the same, about money. Young people in the past were contented with the simple pleasures and entertainment in life. Young people today are induced to think that being successful, having money and fame is what matters. They no longer appreciate non-tangible side of success, such as strong familial ties and a good moral upstanding. They have a greater dissatisfaction with life and believe that there is a better way of living, which in turn makes young people today keep their options open in hopes of something better in terms of career choices or personal relationships. 2 Life for young people in sg was not better in the past than it is today (SV) The modernization and growth of Singapore’s economy due to globalisation has enabled people today to bask in material satisfication, comfort, wellness and protection. There are more opportunities open to different sectors of the youth population. (The age of technological dominance. ) Young people have inherited a world that is acutely aware of human rights and equality among people. After the era of colonization, revolutions and 2 world wars, young people today enjoy an unprecedented standard of welfare protection, voting rights and rights to education. There is more gender equality, many women are part of Singapore’s workforce. People today enjoy a cleaner environment and have proper sanitation and enjoy good physical health. Improvements in health standards due to technological advancements in medical science has brought about more comfort which may not have been readily available back in the past. Today, general practioners are located in the hearts of every estate and neighbourhood, providing easy access to medication and consultations. Children today are vaccinated against many diseases which have previously endangered and taken the lives of many children in impoverished states. There is little worry that any ailments or nasty symptoms experienced cannot be treated due to the advanced medical science in Singapore now. There is an undisputable argument that health standards today contributes to better lives for young people. The high standards of living today leads to a lower infant mortality rate, and more young people own branded goods and make use of services of higher quality like eating in restaurants. Many young working adults also own credit cards, making it very easy to spend. They own state-of-the-art gadgets, toys, branded apparel and have domestic helpers to tend to their every beck and  call. There is little need to fear for safety due to the general stability of the country and harmonious society. Young people today enjoy rich and diverse experiences and have many choices and variety in what they do. Technology gives many benefits and comforts, many choices in recreational and entertainment activities such as TV programmes. There are many computer and online games to keep ourselves entertained in the comfort of an air-conditioned room, with fast food and snacks to munch on. Good standard of living, more joy. Though life may appear more stressful now, the range of entertainment and leisure activities that young people can choose to engage in has increased. People are more able and willing to pamper themselves.

Is the glass half empty or half full? Essay

An optimist will view a half filled cup as half-full, while a pessimist sees it as half empty. Happiness is water, while humans are the cups. Humans tend to either strive get a full cup for themselves, or they help others filling their cups while disregarding their own happiness. This is where a compromise comes in, where both cup and water must balance. Since it is very unlikely to get what is preferred most of the time, it is essential to balance the whole time. In The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby finds himself in a predicament. The only motive he has in life is to marry his true love. He must choose money or love. People will lose their happiness to others, or try to take it all for themselves. Until an individual can make compromises, they will struggle with life. The main character Jay Gatsby has only been pursuing only his happiness. Gatsby looks at the ground and â€Å"sees the blocks of the sidewalk really formed a ladder, and mounted in a secret place above the trees – he could climb to his if he climbed alone and once there he could suck on the pap of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder.† This shows Gatsby’s character, as he can imprint his fantasies in the real world, on such a mundane object of life, the sidewalk. Only Gatsby can see it because only he can climb the ladder into the upper class, he cannot take Daisy with him. Once he is up there, he can maintain his ignorance of life and maintains his god-like complex in his mindless dream. This is a good example of a metaphor for life as pap means lacking substance or real value. He has to choose between his happiness or status. Jay’s friend Meyer Wolfsheim played with the faith of fifty million people, like a burglar blowing a safe. One single p erson affected fifty million people. The narrator Nick Carraway is the only poor main character who lives on the pair of Eggs. Nick rents, Gatsby buys, and the Buchannan’s inherent. When Nick is offered a small job by Gatsby, he chooses to refuse. This could have bolstered his income and his happiness. Nick disapproved of Gatsby from the beginning to the end. Yet he aided and provided support to Gatsby with his wild plans. The only way Nick could escape his life was to get drunk. He gets drunk in Myrtle’s apartment and has lots of fun. During one of Gatsby’s parties, Nick took two fingerbowls of champagne, and â€Å"the scene had changed before my eyes into something significant elemental and profound.† Alcohol is his way out of this world, and this is one of the things he does not admit to. At one of the parties the woman under the white plum tree, symbolizing purity is accompanied by a famous director. The director works his way up and kisses her. She does not pull back from the early signs of sexual misconduct, which shows us that the rich are not pure and want to keep ascending, even by resorting to sexual acts. Nick was going to berate Tom for such irresponsible behavior, then realized he was talking to a spoiled child. Nick reflects on the situation and comments, â€Å"I couldn’t forgive him or like [Tom], but I saw what he had done was to him, highly justified.† Nick sees that the rich are very irresponsible and careless and leave the poor to suffer. This cycle continues on and on, it will never stop unless everyone is equal, which will never happen due to human nature. The only way for everyone to have equal amounts of happiness is if it is shared. Some of the thing that prevents this is when people either take away all of their happiness to give to someone else, causing an imbalance which may shape a person for the worst, which is known as spoiling them. If the opposite occurs, where one person takes all of the joy and leaves the consequences to someone else, everyone suffers, and nothing good ever comes out of it. As Nick Carraway once said, â€Å"Laughter is easier, minute by minute, spilled with prodigality tipped by a cheerful world.†

Violence Is Not the Solution to People’s Problems.

Violence is not the solution to people’s problems. Is violence, the answer to people’s problems? NO WAY. Well first what does violence actually mean. Violence means ‘rough force that is used to injure or harm’ (Macquarie Pocket Dictionary Third Edition pg. 1153). In The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton published in 1972 violence is used quite regularly to answer difficulties. In this novel there are two Gangs called The Socs and The Greaser. The Socs are the rich kids on the north side of town and The Greaser are the middle class kids on the south side of town.Violence is never the answer. It may lead to damage to your mental and physical health. It also hurts your friends and families. Violence hurts people physically. Punching and kicking is not the way to solve problems. It can lead to serious injuries and sometimes death. Just like after the rumble Pony Boy is injured with cuts and bruises all over his body. Dally ends up taking him to hospital. People should not use violence to resolve difficulties even if they are angry or stressed. Violence hurts people mentally. When you hit people or swear at them it hurts them.It builds up inside until you cannot take anymore. Such as, when Darry hits Pony Boy, it hurts him and makes him want to run away. Violence does not solve problems. It hurts more than you think. When violence is used to solve problems, trust and friendship is lost within families. For example when Johnny kills a Soc. Johnny and Pony Boy run away, that makes their friends and family very stressed. Stress leads to aggression to eliminate anger from ones self. Families need to stick together otherwise violence will be used. Some may think that violence because it is a form of self defence. Self defence is something that involves protecting oneself, one's property or the well being of another from physical harm’ (WikiPedia). Just like in the Rumble the Greasers are defending themselves and their territory. Also like when t he Socs try to drown Pony Boy and Johnny using self defence, killed a Soc. Self defence is a form of violence that regularly leads to further consequences. Violence should not be used to solve problems. It only leads to damage to your mental and physical health. It also hurts your friends and families. Just think do you want violence continue being present in your society?

Haroun and the Sea of the Stories Essay

â€Å"Haroun and the Sea of Stories†, a novel by Salman Rushdie spans the adventurous journey of the protagonist of the story, Haroun who wishes to bring back his father’s gift of storytelling. Haroun is the son of the famous storyteller Rashid Khalifa whose stories enthrall the listeners. The author of novel was placed under fatwa which compelled him to lead a life of isolation and hiding. And it was during his hiding that he wrote the above novel. Salman Rushdie uses his novel as a medium to defy the censorship placed on his writings. Through the characters of his novel, the author presents his own thoughts about the censorship and the people who imposed the censorship upon him. The characters in the novel are influenced by the personal experiences of the author and resemble the persons of the real world. Prominent among them is the character of Khattam-Shud who reminds one of Ayatollah Khomeini, the person responsible for the fatwa of Salman Rushdie. Khattam-Shud rules the Land of Chupwalas by making them behave according to his rules. He wants to rule the whole world but his wish remains unfulfilled for he is unable to be in command of the world of numerous stories. Rushdie (2001) writes â€Å"inside every single story, inside every Stream in the Ocean, there lies a world, a story-world, that I cannot Rule at all†. (pg. 161). So when he realizes that he cannot control the world of the stories he decides to poison the Sea of Stories so that the source of stories itself is destroyed and the imagination of the story tellers is snatched from them forever. This attitude of Khattam-Shud is analogous to that of Khomeini who wants to control the writings of Salman and when that is not possible he issues orders for Salman’s killing. Khomeini insists that the world accept his beliefs about Islamism and when anyone tries to revolt against his authority he suppresses him by using his powers.

Effect of Collaborative Learning Styles on Student Achievement Essay

In terms of assessment and teaching strategies, collaborative learning styles can be considered as an indicator of the student’s prior knowledge about a certain topic or subject. Learning styles are functional especially within the classroom setup because it enables the teachers to determine the existing knowledge of students which they are able to acquire before-hand which in turn grant the teachers the capability to assess the degree or level of difficulty the lessons will be. While it enables teachers to plan ahead of time the scope and level of the lessons for the students, it also helps the students to refresh their knowledge and be fully aware of what they already know. The problem however in the context of today’s modernization is the ability of students to acquire such habit, which clearly, declines the quality of their academic gain. The rise of technological advancements and the internet diverted the attention of the students from reading books and journals towards updating their online profiles and music players. Given this, it would rather be best if the students work in groups since these individuals presumably have the same common ground when it comes to societal habits. In such case, the challenging tasks will benefit both the student and the teacher in terms of brainstorming strategies and it allows students to participate in a casual yet academic form just enough to prepare them for future public or corporate requisites. Conceivably, such is in a sense that traditional schooling is incapable of providing the authenticity learners require is often given voice in the literature of educational technology, and this field provides a good vantage point from which to study both constructivism and the concern for authenticity. In essence, there is a huge possibility that students will enhance their cultural knowledge, cognitive skills, personal skills, business knowledge, and management skills given the activities that involve collaborative learning. Quality of knowledge imparted to students should be innovative and fit for this era. Reference McKenna, B. J. , & McKenna, J. J. (2000). Selecting Topics for Research Writing Projects. The English Journal, 89(6), 53.

Examine the structure, keywords, and power words used to write rsums Essay - 2

Examine the structure, keywords, and power words used to write rsums and cover letters - Essay Example There may be a dozen people who can fill any given position, so you must make sure that your rà ©sumà © stands out through individualized formatting, and personal touches of your own. Your rà ©sumà © must stand out or it might never get noticed in the first place. But it is important that these do not conflict with readability, because, as mentioned before, you need all of the information to fly off of the page. If the information is not incredibly accessible, no one will bother to give your rà ©sumà © enough time to crack the code and find out what is going on with it – they’ll just move to the next one in the stack. The problem is that a common â€Å"do† that goes along with these two themes also in some ways conflicts with them. One of the major issues is keywords and power words. Rà ©sumà © builders are often told to mirror the language that the job offer has to ensure that the recruiting officer does not have to work very hard to understand how perfe ctly you might fit the job. The problem is that rà ©sumà © builders are also perpetually told not to let their rà ©sumà © blend in or look â€Å"standard.† One can assume that everyone will be mirroring the language of the job description, and this might make one seem like part of the pack rather than a standout. This is a hard situation to deal with. One of the interesting ideas that I had previously heard but did not see mirrored on any website was to include a â€Å"skills/things that people do not usually put on rà ©sumà ©s† that can make you you: things like winning your workplace’s football pool 10 years in a row or the fact that you are a marathon runner. This keeps the individuality there while still being allowed to mirror language There is one definite rà ©sumà © don’t: don’t make your rà ©sumà © too long. Some positions require highly detailed of skills

Working without Trade Unions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Working without Trade Unions - Essay Example Trade unionism has been in existence in the UK for more than 200 years, as illegal associations at first but gained legal recognition later (Trade Unions 1980). In 1978, statistics revealed that membership with numerous trade unions total to around 13 million workers (Trade Unions 1980). Unions existing at present serve the interests of particular type of workers or industry (Theses on the Trade n.d.). Through the unions, the workers can bargain with the employers to grant them increases in wages or salaries, specific working hours, benefits, or day-off from work. Negative Impact of Trade Union Unionism was primarily established to protect the interests of the workers. However, it has also been used by workers to blackmail employers. Running a company would entail a lot of factors to consider and has to maintain a certain margin of profit in order to survive the competition. Workers and employees though would want to get more from their employers by using various legal modes to get m ore benefits. Thus, at a slight movement in the economy or inflation, they would lay down their demands to the companies. There is a collective bargaining agreement or CBA that governs the relationship of employers and workers. The CBA is a contract of labour between the company and the workers. It exists at a certain period of time after which, it has to be renegotiated by both parties. At such renegotiation, the workers present their new demands which the employer may or may not concede. At the renewal of the CBA contract, the workers would push hard so that their demands will be granted by the employer. Companies that operate well and earn more profits may grant the economic demands of the workers. However, with the erratic economic conditions resulting from the recent global slump that affected banking and financial institutions, as well as several industries, CBA renegotiation or too much demand from the workers can tilt the operations of companies. Radical or extreme unionism that tends to disrupt company operations is bad for the economy and the company. It also fosters unhealthy employee-employer relationship that breeds distrust on the part of both parties. According to Naylor and Santoni (2003, cited in Radulescu & Robson 2006), there would be lesser foreign investments in a country where the bargaining power of trade unions on the aspect of wage is strong. There are studies though that do not support this position. Cooke (1997, cited in Radulescu & Robson 2006) and Cooke and Noble (1998, cited in Radulescu & Robson 2006) said that multinational firms in the US tend to invest in countries with decentralised wage bargaining process, and veer away from strong trade unionism. The Workplace Employee Relations Survey revealed that from 1990 to 1998, companies with unions undergo more closures than plants without unions (Millward, Forth & Bryson, 2001). Generally, companies without unions boomed at an average of 1.4 percent per year within the same period (Millward, Forth & Bryson, 2001). In contrast, firms with unions had been shrinking at an average of 1.8 percent yearly (Millward, Forth & Bryson, 2001). Addison and Belfield (2002) said that the prevailing trend seen in unionised companies is its slowed effect upon employment growth. UKs 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Panel Survey (WER-PS), lasting for eight years, that contained around 50 percent of the 1990 Workplace Industrial Relations Survey (original companies surveyed totals 2,016) revealed that firms that have labour unions existing for a very long time have weak labour productivity (Addison & Belfield 2002). On the

Self Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Self Identity - Essay Example It is an important aspect of the educational system to avoid breeding racial injustices into the newer generations so that a better balanced world can be expected in the near future. However, as a person steps into adolescence, one tends to become more aware about their heritage and racial background. It is essential that people are led the right way at this particular stage so that racial equality can be established. Race has been defined as â€Å"a sub-group of people possessing a definite combination of physical characteristics, of genetic origin, the combination of which to varying degrees distinguishes the sub-group from other sub-groups of mankind† (Casas 3). Hence any group of people that can be differentiated from another group of people on the basis of certain characteristics are said to belong to a specific race. These common characteristics are established more on a physical note than mental. Numerous materials and models are available online that help in racial identity development. The concept of self-identity is more often complicated and may include a combination of identities instead of a single identity. The self-identity generally encompasses three fields; the gender, the racial background and the sexual orientation. Biologically, I am a fit male in my early twenties. I recognize myself as an African American since I can trace back my origins to Liberia, Africa. I possess a distinctively dark skin color characteristic of African Blacks. I have lived a major part of my life in America, with my ancestral linage consisting of African Americans. Several of my distant relatives still reside in my homeland Africa. I do not feel ashamed to belong to the African American nation, and I am fully aware of my enslaved past. However, today, the scenario regarding â€Å"color† discrimination is very different from what it was before the Civil War. There are three traditional models of racial/cultural identity development; (Cass, 1979), (Cross, 1971) and

Practical Intelligence in Everyday Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Practical Intelligence in Everyday Life - Essay Example Practical intelligence appears to be the ability that individuals employ to find the best fit among themselves and the requirements of the environment. Research illustrates that general intelligence performs a vital role in several valued life products. Besides academic achievements, IQ associates to some level with job presentation, socioeconomic improvement – phase of education, occupation, etc, and also "social pathology" - poverty, adult criminality, dependence on welfare, unemployment, etc. IQ and general intelligence show a relationship highly with school presentation as well as job performance, less so with work-related prestige, reasonably with income, and to a small level with law-abiding behavior. IQ does not explicate the inheritance of economic standing and wealth. To measure practical intelligence, researchers rely on a perception called unspoken knowledge (Sternberg et al., 2000). The characteristics of this knowledge are: it is procedural rather than factual, which signifies it is knowledge with regards to how to do something rather than knowledge regarding something; it is frequently learned without the assistance of others or clear instruction; it is knowledge regarding things that are personally significant towards the learner. People who are more experienced at acquiring tacit knowledge, do better in a diversity of fields counting business management, sales, academic psychology, as well as military leadership. Verbal intelligence is the capacity to investigate information and resolve problems using language-based analysis. Verbal or linguistic intelligence is in charge for the production of language along with all the intricate possibilities that follow, including hilarity, poetry, grammar, storytelling, metaphors, similes, symbolic thinking, abstract reasoning, conceptual patterning, and obviously, the written word. Verbal or linguistic intelligence is stimulated by the spoken word; by reading someone's thoughts or poetry; and by writing one's personal ideas, thoughts or even poetry.  Ã‚  

Scrutinise the concept of secession, with comparative reference to at Essay

Scrutinise the concept of secession, with comparative reference to at least two countries - Essay Example (Premdas 1990:12-31) While occupying the intermediate condition as a protected autonomous entity within an extensively decentralized sovereign state, the movement tends to continue to articulate the desire for a separate an independent destiny with these two goals oscillating between moments of satisfied accommodation and periodic bursts of renewed determination for outright secession. In the end, the objective remains constant - exit completely. (Premdas 1990:12-31) Separatism may be conceived broadly as a quest for autonomous survival either within or without a state; secession strictly speaking is a variant of separatism in which the secessionists seek outright separation and independence in a sovereign state. The quest for self-determination by a community within a plural state is often caught up in upheaval. As an act of territorial and political assertion, a secessionist struggle is usually prolonged, punishing, and prohibitively costly. Furthermore, the logic of the self-determination principle in sanctioning the demand of each people for its own state, embedded doctrinally in the nature of the state as it has evolved, has been the source of territorial fragmentation accompanied with mass expulsions and genocide not merely with the claims of the Third World states after WWII but this has been the case since the French Revolution. There have been waves of self-determination drives ever since the inception of the nation-state as aunit of national and international social organization. With the fall of the multi-ethnic great empires run by the Turks, the Hapsburgs, and the Russians, the cultural fragments sought separate destinies in acts of self-determination. Practically the entire globe was under European imperial control where new states after the European model were engrafted willy nilly on ethnically diverse populations. In these territories, self-determination drives for freedom were enacted one

Proofread Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Proofread - Essay Example During physical assessment, I noted several bruises on the chin and abdomen. The patient informed me that the bruises were from a previous fall. I proceeded to monitor her heart for atrial fibrillation. During my assessment, I noted that the patient’s pulse was elevated and her blood pressure was high. I administered 40mg of Lasix by IV pulse via peripheral line and left the patient to rest. A few hours later, I went back to take the vital signs. Her blood pressure has decreased from 141/62 to 113/70. The patient was on fall precaution due to side effects of medication, which was hypotension. The Lasix was pushed slowly because it could cause hearing problems if it was pushed too fast. Thoracencetis was done and 1 liter of fluid was drained. I did not observe any ABD distention or swelling of the lower extremities. The patient was taking Lasix and void 1400CC of clear and yellow urine that was the expected outcome. I was confused during the auscultation of the lungs because I expected to hear crackles upon auscultation. However, I did not hear crackles, so I was puzzled by where all the fluid was coming from. I did not see any edema in any of extremities. The patient appeared healthy to me. After several discussions with my clinical instructor, I learned that the continuous weight loss could be an indication of cancer. The patient had PMH of hyperthyroidisms since even after consuming large amounts of nutrients, she still lost weight. At first, I thought the patient was losing weight because of thyroid. Later, I got convinced that it could have been an indication of cancer because she did not have any problems with weight loss during previous diagnoses. This patient’s symptoms were similar to my cousin’s. They were both losing weight very rapidly and coughing with no mucus. Later, my cousin was diagnosed with

How government policy decision influenced Financial Management Essay

How government policy decision influenced Financial Management - Essay Example Policy Decisions and Influence on Financial Management There are many policy decisions factors that influence financial management. These include taxes, wars and financial influences, political changes and the stock markets, investments and accumulation goals. Taxes Taxes are the most popular and strongest influence given that it deals with use of money. Taxes are a way of generating revenue for the government (Hu, Li, Liu, Baolei, & Gaoling, 2012). Where the government or an organization overtaxes it’s people then enough money is available but citizens living below the poverty line in such a country may be highly impoverished due to heavy taxation .So for a government to manage its finance properly, then it must follow the laid down rules and regulations so that there can be a balanced change in the budget when taxes are increased (Choi, Kim, Sami, & McKenzie, 2012). Wars Political changes in a government structure may trigger wars such as post-election violence as witnessed in some countries. This will definitely affect the stock market of such a country and the spending behavior of its citizens and this affects businesses some of which come to stand still. This wave of political change affects financial management .If a country, company or an organization is involved in a trade with another such wars may affect financial management (Sara, 2011). Political Changes and the Stock Market Political parties in a country contribute immensely towards the economy of a country based on different concepts and perceptions of each .Some political parties can improve stock markets while they are in power while some may create a collapse to the economy. This affects businesses and financial management because shares are sold on the stock market and organizations and businesses use this money to improve their business. When there is less money there is less improvement and financial deficit is likely to be experienced. Concerning stock market, if a country is in rece ssion purchase of goods and services becomes less. Where less goods and services are purchased, then there will be less money in the business. With less money the financial manager will have to device new ways to produce their own goods, process them and market their own goods and services to generate income. Imposition of Bans At times a government may place bans on sales of goods which promote the economy of a country .Placement of such bans may result to decreased income which may cause instability in economy and consequently affect financial management. Positive Effect of the Policy The intended or positive effects of a government policy vary widely based on the type of an organization or company and the context in which they are made up. Due to this, policies should be carefully enacted to ensure their effectiveness. One of the positive benefits of these policies on government financial management include corporate purchasing policies which projects that all purchases above a c ertain value should be standardized by way of purchasing process (Brigham & Houston, 2011). This way, a country’s government can employ a standard purchasing through policy which enables a government or an organization to limit wastage and normalize purchasing. Other positive benefits include

Betrayal and Manipulation in the Accidental Billionaires Essay Example for Free

Betrayal and Manipulation in the Accidental Billionaires Essay In the Accidental Billionaires, the motif of manipulation and betrayal is prevalent. Mark Zuckerburg is the prime embodiment of manipulation and betrayal throughout the course of the work. Another character also attributed with such qualities is Sean Parker. Mark and Sean are similar in this aspect; manipulating their own world to achieve their goals. In the first few chapters of the book, the reader is introduced to the Winklevoss twins. The twins turn to Mark to aid them in their social networking idea, the HarvardConnection. After trusting Mark with their program, Mark begins to manipulate the idea into his own. In a very subtle way, Mark delays the twins in time to sire his own program. This action reveals to the reader that Mark is a lone wolf. Mark, told to us in the book, is not interested in money. For example, â€Å"†¦Microsoft had offered Mark between one and two million dollars to go to work for them-and amazingly, Mark had turned them down† (Mezrich 15). This action should be noted as the aspect of working alone seems to be, to Mark, the most efficient way to achieve fame. Mark is highly influenced by Bill Gates, a man who rose out of the very same school Mark attends and manipulated his way throughout his pursuits of Microsoft, and in Mark’s point of view, individual. With his displeasing physique and social incompetence, it is easy to see why people underestimate Mark and are taken advantage of. Another character to note is Sean Parker. Sean Parker is a foil to the protagonist, Mark. Mark pairs up with Sean after he launches ‘thefacebook’. Sean has a history of manipulating his way through major companies with the agenda of getting rich only, quite the opposite of Mark. Sean is extremely energetic, whereas Mark seems to be lazy as represented by his lack variety in his attire- flipflops, jeans, etc. Sean, however, was betrayed by those companies he used to work for, but, ironically, he pursues yet another company that betrays him in the end. Betrayal, through manipulation, is in the subtitle of the book, â€Å"A tale of sex, money, genius, and betrayal. † Betrayal is mentioned last in this climax because that is to show the most important motif and a symbol of the book’s overall structure- It goes from Eduardo and Mark seeking attention to ‘get laid’, then pursue money with genius innovation of modern social networking, and finally, Mark’s betrayal is concluded when he removes Eduardo and Sean from his life because they threatened his brainchild, Facebook. The motif of betrayal is very subtle to the reader. Even after reading the subtitle that Mezrich so blatantly states before the beginning chapter, I was manipulated into completely forgetting about betrayal and instead was focused on the pursuit to fame. Even the title fools the reader in stating the plural form of billionaire, but only one billionaire is spawned at the conclusion of the book. Just as the twins, Eduardo, and Sean, Mark’s real agenda was cloaked to me, until it finally dawned in the closing chapters.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization Expansion Politics Essay

North Atlantic Treaty Organization Expansion Politics Essay This paper will examine North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Expansionlooking at the real benefit of NATO growing. Does it provide leverage that shapes the political and economic development of European countries where democracy and free markets are not yet taken for granted or still growing? As discussed in our regional studies elective on Europe NS 2206, in order to win a NATO membership, the candidate countries must agreed to long agendas of reforms, ranging from ensuring free press and fair elections to protecting minorities and acting against drug trafficking and corruption. Currently NATO is comprised of twenty-eight members, with additional candidates awaiting approval (i.e. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro). NATO had twelve founding member nation they were the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium, France, Iceland, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Norway. Although membership in to NATO is rather difficult to achieve, NATO has added new members through six expansions since its founding in 1949. Throughout NATOs history it has established different programs with the intent to create greater regional cooperation between NATO and its neighbors. These programs include the Partnership for Peace, the Mediterranean Dialogue initiative, and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. From these programs NATO has established relationships that have led to new NATO members. With the collapse of communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, NATO has experienced something of an identity crisis. NATO was originally conceived as a military alliance to deter Soviet expansion into Western Europe, the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet Union forced NATO to reassess its once clear objective. A former Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Joseph Ralston once said that, For most of NATOs history the strategic problem was easily defined: we could predict where we might fight and under what conditions.But today we have a much different problem. We do not know who the enemy might be, and we do not know where we will fight.  [i]  As the political and military circumstances changed in Europe, many member nations believed that NATO should adapt and reflect these changes. In 1995, the NATO Alliance published the results of a Study on NATO Enlargement that considered the merits of admitting new members and how they should be brought in.  [ii]  It concluded that the end of the Cold War provided a unique opportunity to build improved security in the entire Euro-Atlantic area and that NATO enlargement would contribute to enhanced stability and security for all.  [iii]  The Study further concluded that enlargement would contribute to enhanced stability and security for all countries in the Euro-Atlantic area by encouraging and supporting democratic reforms, including the establishment of civilian and democratic control over military forces; fostering patterns and habits of cooperation, consultation, and consensus-building characteristic of relations among members of the Alliance; and promoting good-neighborly relations.  [iv]  The Study also concluded that enlargement would strengthen the Alliances ability to contribute to European and internat ional security, strengthen, and broaden the transatlantic partnership.  [v]   In 1997, the United States Clinton Administration led efforts to invite three former Eastern bloc communist countries, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland to join NATO. Since their invitation in 1997, there have been a number of further invitations for membership to newly democratized states seeking membership into one of the greatest military alliances in the world. After this fourth enlargement in 1999, the desire to become a member of NATO spread rapidly both into the Baltic and seven East European countries and they lobbied for NATO membership. Seven of these countries joined in the fifth enlargement in 2004. Albania and Croatia joined in the sixth enlargement in 2009. This pushed NATOs boundaries further east than they had ever imagined. In November 2010, NATO members adopted a new Strategic Concept at the Lisbon Summit. They reaffirmed the Alliances commitment to keep NATOs door open to any European country in a position to undertake the commitments and obligations of membership, and contribute to security in the Euro-Atlantic area.  [vi]   This NATO expansion is accomplished by each new potential member nation through a Membership Action Plan (MAP) mechanism. This is a procedure where the current members review new members formal applications. The mechanism was approved in the 1999 Washington summit. A nations participation in MAP entails the annual presentation of reports concerning its progress on five different measures: (1) willingness to settle international, ethnic or external territorial disputes by peaceful means, commitment to the rule of law and human rights, and democratic control of armed forces; (2) ability to contribute to the organizations defense and missions; (3) devotion of sufficient resources to armed forces to be able to meet the commitments of membership; (4) security of sensitive information, and safeguards ensuring it; and (5) compatibility of domestic legislation with NATO cooperation.  [vii]   The question of NATO enlargement has not been made without it debate by its member nations. They have debated the arguments for and against expansion. An expanded NATO, they argue, may provide the military security and political integration necessary to aid the development of these young democracies.  [viii]  Furthermore, these experts contend that enlargement will help secure a more stable and peaceful future for Europe, which is crucial for U.S. interests.  [ix]  Critics of expansion contend that enlarging NATO risks diluting both its military effectiveness and capabilities. They argue that the new alliance will lack the cohesion and clearly defined purpose that made NATO in its previous incarnation the most successful military alliance of modern times.  [x]  Opponents of expansion also insist that the economic price of enlargement far outweighs its benefits. Furthermore, these experts fear that an enlarged NATO threatens to divide the world into coalitions, not to ment ion the very real possibility of isolating Russia and fanning the flames of the hard-line forces that still threaten Russias democratic development.  [xi]   The six large expansions have made NATO change policies and organizational structure in order to accommodate the newly added states. Some members nations as well as members of the United States Congress have asked what will further expansion cost; who will pay for the costs; is it necessary; how should enlargement be conducted; what is an expanded NATOs purpose? Mr. Sarwar A. Kashmeri tries to answer these questions in his new book NATO 2.0: Reboot or Delete? He provides some insights stating, America has underwritten the security of Europe for over sixty years. It is not a state of affairs that I believe the increasingly pressured American taxpayer will look upon favorably any more. Especially considering that the European Unions gross domestic product now exceeds Americas and the combined defense budget of the Member States of the European Union of around à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬200 billion (over $300 billion) is not appreciably smaller than Americas defense budget after removing the expe nses of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and subtracting the expenses of Americas world-wide responsibilities, a global role that Europeans seem to have no desire to underwrite or assume.  [xii]   These costs are in effect a return on NATOs investment in these new member countries. The NATO alliances enlargement has promoted stability in Europe by providing a secure environment for new members for further consolidation of democracy and open markets. The progress made in a few years by the latest members to NATO such as Albania and Croatia have been impressive and deserves reward. These countries spent more than eight years in rigorous preparation for NATO membership. Today, Croatia has the most impressive economic performance, and real estate prices, of any country in southern Europe.  [xiii]  In recent years, Albania has contributed more soldiers to missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and international peacekeeping than most NATO allies.  [xiv]  These new members have made the trans-Atlantic alliance stronger. Philip H. Gordon, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at Brooking Institute, said it best in his statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 11, 2008 when he stated, that NATO enlargement has contributed to security and prosperity in Europe. The incentive of NATO membership has led aspiring countries to reform their political systems, liberalize their economies, root out corruption, resolve territorial disputes with neighbors, rationalize their military establishments, and improve minority rights. Once in the alliance new members have contributed troops for vital NATO missions in the Balkans and in Afghanistan and many sent forces to join the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. In turn, NATO membership has reassured their populations of political and military solidarity with the United States and members of the European Union, enabling them to focus on improving the well-being of their citizens rather than worrying about the types of military threats they had lived with fo r centuries.  [xv]