Medical Technology in Today’s Society Essay

Medical technology in today’s society is often seen as a treatment or cure for human health issues. The term medical technology refers to the diagnostic or therapeutic application of science to improve the management of health. Unfortunately, the negative impacts of this technology are often left unexposed to the public until too late. Medicine, such as drugs, is often perceived to be of benefit to humans as it is used to cure various diseases. On the other hand, medicine can also be highly damaging. Using medicine incorrectly; consuming it in small dosages, in excess, or using it abusively; can be injurious to peoples’ health. Modern medical technology can also be damaging for human well-being but this effect is not restricted to health. Throughout time people have become increasingly reliant on modern medicine. This is especially so in today’s modern society. Medical intervention by use of technology has been able to help prolong many lives. An example of this is those who suffer from asthma. These sufferers may use air purifiers and/or nebulizers along with prescribed medication to help them live more comfortable and longer lives. It can be deemed a miracle that we are able to help so many people overcome their illnesses with medical technology. The current technologies available are able to do incredible things but people must be constantly aware of other modern technologies that can interfere and put the patient at risk. An example of this is the pacemaker which has the ability to save a person’s life and ultimately extend it. However, external factors can interfere with medical technology and ultimately put the patient at risk. For example, radiation from everyday items such as microwaves to wireless devices such as mobile phones can affect the operation of the pace maker. Thus medical technology has a negative impact on the user of this device as it places environmental limitations on where he or she can go. Users of such a device therefore need to be continuously wary of their environment. In addition, the implementation of a pace maker prevents users from undertaking MRI scans as the process interferes with the function of the device. This is a prime example of medicine acting against itself, All medical technology needs to be treated and used with caution. Respirators need to be constant monitored and the same applies for the simplest drips. Hospitals nowadays are equipped with technology that requires the operating knowledge of hospital staff and medical professionals. The medical technology that is used in hospitals needs to be carefully monitored. Misuse could lead to an accident that has the possibility to cause a long term negative effect for the patient. It is due to the above reason that today, proficient clinical settings require the consistent expertise of all medical staff in relation to the operation of medical technology. Medical technology was invented for our health and well being. However there is always the risk of unforeseen consequences. An example of this is LASIK (Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis) eye surgery, an operation where a patient has his or her vision corrected. Eyesight clinics advertised that the operation would improve a person’s vision and give freedom to those who did not like wearing glasses or contacts all the time. Before user a laser to correct the vision the operation required the practitioner to cut open the patient’s corner. During the trial stages of the operation, this procedure led to several unsuccessful results where the patients suffered from extremely dry eyes, milky vision and poorer eyesight than prior to the operation. Other disastrous results included foggy visions, starbursts around lights and double vision. These after effects negatively impacted the lives of the patients greatly as they now had worse vision than prior to the operation. However, it is thanks to researchers that the medical technology in this field has advanced to a level where the risks are now minimal. These professionals are currently working on a new method of corrective eye surgery where it will not be necessary to cut open the cornea before lasik surgery is used. There will be even less of a chance that things will go wrong if the answer to this problem is found. The Gamma Ray, used to eliminate cancerous cells around the brain without the use of open surgery, is another example where medical technology could have negative effects. Its intention was to cure people with cancerous cells in places of high risk or in places that could not be safely accessed by open surgery. The risk lies in the calculation of the amount of radiation that is directed at the cancer. If there is a miscalculation the laser may destroy the cancer and other cells around it, leading to brain damage. From these two examples one can see that there is a limit to how medical technology can be used. Drugs created by medical technology are intended to help humans recover from their illness or improve their condition, however they are harmful if taken in small dosages, in excess or if used in the wrong way. For example if more that 400mg of vitamin E if is taken a day it will act as a blood thinner. Large doses of vitamin A causes heart problems. An overdose of cold and fly medications can lead to liver failure. Medicine, such as antibiotics are often perceived to be of benefit to humans as it is commonly used to treat bacterial infectious diseases. On the other hand, antibiotics can have unpleasant consequences if taken in dosages that do not completely eradicate the pathogen, thereby contributing to resistance. Antibiotics can also be used abusively when physicians prescribe the drug unnecessarily or if patients become complacent and do not adhere to the necessary antibiotic therapy. From these examples it is easy to see that medicines can cause adverse effects if taken in excess, small dosages or if used in the wrong way. Lack of funding for medical technology can cause negative effects on the genetic fitness of populations. It can bring about misleading information to the creation of a cure. As new diseases are constantly emerging, doctors, scientists and researchers need to know as much information about the sickness before they can find a cure. They need to know specific information such as the lifespan of the offending pathogen, if the disease is a virus, the exact signs and symptoms and the genetic make up before they can start research on the cure. However, lack of funds means that research projects may be delayed or even stopped before a cure is found. Researchers need the money so that they will have access to proper equipment and resources. Without it, they may not be able to conclude a research project that has the potential to find information that will lead to a cure. A major issue in medical technology is regulation. Ethical considerations need to be recognised and evaluated before research can continue. Also the lack of funding also means that cures cannot be tested thoroughly. All cures, whether they are over the counter drugs or prescription medications to medical technology (electronic thermometers), need to be thoroughly tested before they can be passed onto the market or used safely by professionals. In addition, the testing regimes may incur societal backlash due to experimentation on animals. As a result, lack of funds can prevent cures from being formed and this negatively impacts the public. Medical technology is very important for those with diseases and those who are ill or injured. For people with asthma a breathing machine may be essential for life, without it breathing may become difficult and even dangerous. Medical technology can add years to our lives and can make life better. It enables us to live past the normal expectancy of life. Technology has so many benefits. Without it we would not be able to travel, contact others around the world, entertain, or educate as well as we do. Medical technology is perhaps the most important technology of all.

University of Phoenix Material: Appendix C

University of Phoenix Material Appendix C Part I Define the following terms: Term| Definition| Discrimination| * This is the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or other arbitrary reasons. * | Institutional discrimination| * This is the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals or groups, resulting from normal operations of a society. * | Political correctness| * This can also be called political correct, this is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior, seeking to minimize social and institutional offenses in occupations.Such as gender, religion, racial, and sexual orientation. * | Part II * Write a 150- to 250-word response to each of the following questions: * * How is discrimination different from prejudice and stereotyping? * Discrimination is different from prejudice and stereotyping by that of discrimination actually takes action. Whereas prejudice and stereotyping are more of making assumpti on of a person or a race, assuming that they are one way due to their ethnicity or what they heard about them before getting to know them.Discrimination as I stated actually takes action there are so many different types of discrimination that actually take place today. Example: Hate crimes- people do these acts based on a person’s race, religion, or sexual preference. With this form familie’s. Another type of discrimination is institutional discrimination this can hinder someone from being hired because of their past or even color. An institution can hire just one race that controls all the laws over a town, and then make it hard for the minority to live since they may not know what it is like to struggle with everyday life. * * * What are the causes of discrimination? * * There are speculations of what causes racism some of this is caused by stereotyping. This can be caused by reading, music, television, and internet, say for instance a young child was watching telev ision or listening to music and saw how people of one ethnicity acted they may then assume all are like this causing them to discriminate against another race. Another factor of discrimination can be unfamiliarity there is a saying- people fear what they do not know, or yet to find out about.Some people are afraid to go out and meet new people based on what they hear or watch on television thinking that they are the same as the people they watch. If people grow up only around their race then the chances of them becoming racists and discriminate towards another race then become higher. Environmental factors can also lead to discrimination such as the way a person lives, maintains their property, and how they keep up their appearance. All of this can have a person become hateful towards you, or if they heard a certain race lives a certain way and then sees it, they then believe it and hate the race too. * * How is discrimination faced by one identity group (race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability) the same as discrimination faced by another? How are they different? Discrimination faced by one group is the same as discrimination faced by another by wanting it to stop. Not one ethnicity wants to be discriminated against, or have their children, wives, and family walk in fear not knowing if something is going to happen to them. Any race wants to live the same as any other race, safe, and peacefully, not having to fear tomorrow.Races that are discriminated against also can be the same as the other race by spreading the word of what is going on, and helping people who have this problem finding ways to conquer it. They can be different by many ways such as the way a race handles the discrimination. Some can act out by hurting people, retaliating, and teaching their children to do the same. Others can handle it in a nonresponsive way by ignoring it and turning the other cheek. Some may call the police and let them handle it, w hile others take it into their own hands.

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells - Essay Example 4). While prokaryotes are single-celled, most eukaryotes are multi-celled which influences the cells mobility and defines their function. The simplicity and specialization of the prokaryotic cells and the complexity of the multi-celled structure of the eukaryotic cells limit and allow for the unique functions of each classification. The simplicity of the prokaryotic cell gives it an independence and mobility that most eukaryotic cells do not possess. Prokaryotic cells are the building blocks of our immune system and have the ability to attack foreign life forms that invade their sphere. They form the bacteria in our intestines that provide necessary vitamins as well as preventing the growth of harmful fungus within our body. Prokaryotic cells are located almost everywhere in nature and are continually in the process of decomposing and recycling dead organisms (Campbell and Reece, 527). This process returns the basic chemical elements back to the earth, which will be used to fertilize plants and feed animals. It is the simplicity of the parkaryotic cell that gives it the diversity and flexibility to support the eukaryotic cells. Eukaryotic cells are typically multi-celled organisms that have a complex DNA structure that has evolved from prokaryotic cells.

Respond essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Respond - Essay Example People need to discard their otherness in the other culture through assimilation. They have to adopt Anglicized names in order to have themselves accepted as normal beings. They do not want to be de alla, for which they have to adopt an identity that is different from one they are born with. Hence, Munoz’s main focus is on the need of people to adopt Anglicized names to adapt in a new culture that is superior to their own. 2. Munoz does not state his thesis statement straight away; instead, he starts with an account of a Mexican woman calling a visitor at the airport, and then describes how his cousins and others in the family changed their names in order to get themselves accepted in the English society. Munoz, much later in the essay, talks about how assimilation affects one’s identity, when he says: â€Å"It applies to needing to belong, of seeing from the outside and wondering how to get in and then, once inside, realizing there are always those still on the fringe† (Munoz, para.17). In the same paragraph, Munoz states how the corrosive effect of assimilation affects an individual’s cultural identity. He states that assimilation results in one culture displacing the other, and this happens when one is not able to sustain two identities in one being, for which he has to leave one and adopt the other that is useful for him in terms of living and profession. One has to give in to the new culture to feel accepted, or in a broader sense, to escape from ethnic/racial discrimination. 3. Munoz gives lists of names to reinforce his thesis statement. He mentions names of his cousins, his grandfather, and others in his family and friends, to emphasize upon his thesis statement. I found it a little bit distracting, although it was helpful in understanding what he really meant to say. A few examples were really necessary to obtain a clear understanding, but I really found it annoying to go through so many names,

Universalization of Christianity Through Repetition and Essay

Universalization of Christianity Through Repetition and Differentiation in Sandro Boticelli's Primavera - Essay Example Over their heads hang many oranges, and at the feet of the party is a field of various flowers, all of different colors and shapes. One of the most immediate formal aspects of this work is the obvious well balanced and symmetrical repetition of many different colors, forms and lines, which, when combined with the Christian implication of several of the symbols of the work, create a universalizing image of Christianity. The repetition in this work begins with the plants that grow above and below the main scene. The trees are dotted with oranges, bright colored fruit that create a star-like pattern over the roof of the party, which is mirrored by the flowers on the floor. These sprinkling of bright colors recall the expanse of the universe and the night sky, and begin creating the idea of this as a universal representation. Following the lines of these fruit trees behind the party of figures draws the viewers attention to the ground, which is likewise full of star-like clusters. These clusters are made of flowers, which, while homogenous at a distance and in creating the effect of repetition, are in fact extraordinarily varied. Each of the flowers is brightly colored, reinforcing the star-like pattern caused by the oranges hanging overhead, but when examined closer it becomes apparent that each has its own particular form and color, and is not like any of the others. This further reinforces that the painting expresses the whole of creation, both in its expanse, through the repetition of bright, star like patterns, and through the specific, with a huge amount of individual flair still being represented in the homogenous whole. The setting of this painting, through its repetition of bright colors, recalls the whole of creation. The symmetry of both the horizontal and the vertical axis also serve this purpose, allowing the viewer to imagine that the expanse continues on all sides in a similarly diverse but congruent way. This repetition is carried through the figure s in the painting as well, with Venus serving as the central axis over which the repetition is made. There is repetition in color, with figures on both the left and the right of Venus, as well as the red of Mercury’s tunic being mirrored in Venus’s. Finally, there is a compositional symmetry in the sole adult male figures, Zephyrus and Mercury, both being on the outside of the painting serving as the boundary of the image. The purpose of all of this repetition of is to create a universalizing effect, but what, if anything, is Botticelli trying to universalize? To understand this it is important to look at the symbolism of the painting. The Putto over Venus’s head serves as a dual symbol – it is both a Christian symbol with associations of heaven (in having innocence, angelic wings etc), while also being a common Roman motif. Venus serves a similar double role – she is obviously the Roman goddess of romance and birth, but here she also serve as a st and-in for Mary. The leaf patterns and archway over her head both serve to draw attention to her and create a halo effect, mirroring the kind of halo that Mary is often depicted with, while her pregnant-looking belly recalls the birth, something else Mary is frequently associated with. Her hand seems to be raised in benediction. Her white dress symbolizes innocence, while the red cloak hanging over her lower half

Organisational Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 3

Organisational Change Management - Essay Example ...........page 4 Discovery...............................................................................................................page 4-5 Dream....................................................................................................................page 7 Design...................................................................................................................page 8 Destiny...................................................................................................................page 9 Recommendations...............................................................................................page 9-10 Reference list.......................................................................................................page 15 Introduction Human resources/change management can be initiated in an organisation, especially on workforce planning, after reviewing organisational charts, its employee files, customer information, and sales and marketin g information systems, it can be evident that a company plans for change and communication management. In this regard, a functional organisational structure would be the most effective for an organisational workforce planning. This is because the structure makes it possible to classify a company’s departments into different functional areas, such as finance, engineering and marketing. As a result, a company’ employees are grouped according to their special talents, expertise and experience (Houldsworth & Jirasinghe 2006, p.112). For example, a finance team is more effective brainstorming together, especially when testing an accounting reporting system. This can be done by selecting the most effective organisational structure. The selected functional organisational structure will make the employees of the company to behave differently, for instance, there will be increased communication. This is very healthy for the business operations of a company because more informat ion and knowledge will be shared among the departmental employees. Moreover, there will be efficient allocation and use of the company’s resources among its employees, and since there will be a more harmonized chain of command; the employee’s morale will be higher. As communication is improved among the employees, there is more knowledge sharing because the staff members tend to form a strong work relationship. In this regard, decision making processes are made faster since there is a lot of coordination among the employees. This also implies that there is little duplication of the company’s resources since its raw materials and labour operate more efficiently, because every employee concentrates more in his/her role, as outline in the firm’s job description manual (Beardwell & Claydon 2007, p.68). Managements of various organisations recognise the roles played by the human resources in the workforce planning initiatives. For this reason, the human resour ces managers are expected to assume the broader role of implementing the overall strategy that is geared towards attaining the most efficient workforce in an organization (Robbins & Judge 2009, p.92). Regarding this, workforce planning should incorporate the right number of employees, who have well defined roles/job descriptions. This will help in managing issues of understaffing or overstaffing in different departments within an organisation. Human resources investments practices also reduce employees’ turnover, a situation which facilitates stability within the organisation. The department

See attachment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

See attachment - Essay Example Despite the numerous benefits derived from market segmentation, there tends to be various challenges, as well as barriers, which the use of market segmentation may pose. In the case of innovations, there tends to be several ways in which the organisation can overcome the problem of segmentation and customer focus (Dibb, 2005, p. 13). One of the problems that segmentation poses includes the identification of the market segments, which can be regarded as the most significant. The organisation is also faced with the challenge of identifying the strategies that can help in marketing the product, the desire to fulfil all the customer needs for customers who may not be within the market segment, as well as realizing changes that may take place within the market segment. In order to overcome this problem, the organisation should ensure that the market segment that it chooses can be reachable, easy to identify, as well as unique. This will ensure that Innovations categorises its customers ea sily, and it will know the markets that it should target (Cherneko 2011, p. 3). For Innovations, segmentation would also pose the problem of knowing how the organisation can reach the market segment, which it has chosen to target. Innovations may find segmentation a challenge with regard to this problem, especially if the organisation uses categories that deal with lifestyle patterns in choosing the market segments. ... ations should also come to the realisation of the dynamic nature of their markets, and ensure that come up with new strategies, which will be in line with the changes (Hunt & Arnett 2004, p. 8). Another way in which Innovations can overcome the problem of market segmentation and customer focus is through coming up with few market segments. The organisation should introduce few segments that can be easily managed and understood. This will ensure that there is no confusion in the market since the organisation will know its segments better. Innovations can also overcome the problem of market segmentation and customer focus by conducting thorough research (Hunt & Arnett 2004, p. 9). Research is essential as it would allow the organisation to know which market segments it should target. Market research will ensure that there is no misallocation of resources and staff needed to market the products. Market research also equips the organisation with the necessary information regarding the ma rket segments where the products would make high sales, as well as the segments that need certain products (Dibb, 2005, p. 17). The other strategy that Innovations can use in order to overcome the problem of segmentation and customer focus is through introducing regular changes to the market segments. Innovations should aim at defining the segments regularly in order to ensure consistency, as well as relevance of the segmentation strategies. The products should be tailored and developed to coincide with the needs of customers in the market segments (Weinstein 2006, p. 115). Innovations should also be aware of the emerging trends in the market and ensure that the market segments remain relevant to the new trends. Market segments have to be updated to avoid challenges that may result from

Stem cell research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stem cell research - Essay Example The article has looked at the benefits of stem cell technology to the human being as well as its dangers (The Century Foundation Press 4). On the benefit side, the stem cells heave been confirmed to have impacts on the everyday human survival. The article talks about the strides that are being made by scientists in the study of embryological development. This involves giving the scientists an understanding of why genetic diseases recur as well as other human abnormalities. The authors also mention the benefits of stem cells to the body including the repair of worn out tissues as well as the growth, development and maintenance of the body (The Century Foundation Press 5). On the other hand, the authors have mentioned the dangers of the stem cells. Here, they have mentioned risks such as low ‘shelf life’ if the cell are contaminated or experience mutation. There is also the danger of adopting adult stem cells, as opposed to embryonic stem cells. The authors state that the risk involves the formation of benign tumors also known as teratomas (The Century Foundation Press 6). While attempting to seek balance, the article is advocating the positives than the negatives. This means that while the article is balanced, it would do well to add more information on the risks of stem cell technology. ... The study has the benefit of allowing scientists to understand how the cells specialize themselves into the more than 200 body cell types (14). The other finding about this part of the article is that the stem cells are also used for medical purposes (The Century Foundation Press 9). This includes allowing doctors to study some diseases and come up with lasting solutions to these problems. Medically, the use of stem cell technology can be a standing solution to the negative effects of drug intake. Generally, when people get debilitating diseases like cancer, they have to take a regime of drugs that help keep the disease in check. However, there is now the chance to alleviate effects of drugs in the body. This is through the use of stem cell technology. The result would be a treatment that is relatively safer and even more natural. Treatment of diseases like cancer will now become much safer and less unpleasant. At the same time, there is the added advantage of the potential to tailor the medicine to the patient’s specific genetic make-up. This thus prevents side effects that are likely to occur with drugs that are generally made. The third finding of this part is that the stem cells are of value therapeutically. This means that people can be able to fix problems such as scars or other deformities that they have thanks to stem cell technology. According to Hayes et al, Hematopoietic cells, which are adult stem cells have for almost four decades been used in the treatment of several diseases (15). These include leukemia, Lymphoma, as well as, other blood disorders. This is, therefore, testament to the safe nature of the stem cells in terms of their use. Apparently Hayes et

Technology in Zara Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Technology in Zara - Term Paper Example This study discusses that Zara’s strategy is to focus on the popularity that has been achieved on its consumers rather that popularizing the less recognized stock. The managers are accorded outstanding obligation to determine the products that would have a positive implication on the revenue that would be generated by the company. The desire to trust these employees with the principal decision has led to the generation of the realized profit because the company does not dictate the available merchandize, but have an indirect link to consumers through the manager. An added strategy to regulate the revenue spent is realized in the reduction of advertising fees as the company fails to engage in the process. This strategy is applied in creating a modernized store to attract the customers because of the position in the urban centers that require better display. Zara applied a consistent procedure to ensure its goals are attained, and a wider market niche satisfied. These were categ orized into simpler units.This paper outlines that orders were placed to La Coruna on a two times weekly basis. This ensured that the required items that were on demand delivered to customers and the managers applied a system that checked on the deliveries through a dial-up modem system. Fulfillment was achieved through checking for orders that the customers had been engaged in consuming updating the manuals to satisfy the ordered merchandize.... The managers are accorded outstanding obligation to determine the products that would have a positive implication on the revenue that would be generated by the company. The desire to trust these employees with the principal decision has led to the generation of the realized profit because the company does not dictate the available merchandize, but have an indirect link to consumers through the manager. An added strategy to regulate the revenue spent is realized in the reduction of advertising fees as the company fails to engage in the process. This strategy is applied in creating a modernized store to attract the customers because of the position in the urban centers that require better display. Zara applied a consistent procedure to ensure its goals are attained, and a wider market niche satisfied. These were categorized into simpler units. Orders were placed to La Coruna on a two times weekly basis. This ensured that the required items that were on demand delivered to customers and the managers applied a system that checked on the deliveries through a dial-up modem system. Fulfillment was achieved through checking for orders that the customers had been engaged in consuming updating the manuals to satisfy the ordered merchandize. Value Chain Designing and manufacturing ensured that the latest fashion had been implemented, and a wider collection maintained in stock. The design established the trend within the market to alter the merchandize that would sell more to the clients predicting the future pattern of the goods. This made sure that Zara had stayed with the competitors to capture the consumer market that appreciated the latest trend of items. The

Glazing and Wall Ratio Studies for High Rise Building Envelope to Essay

Glazing and Wall Ratio Studies for High Rise Building Envelope to Achieve Energy Saving in Hong Kong - Essay Example When a curtain wall is made of glass, for example the International Finance Center (IFC) in Hong Kong, a great benefit is that light from the sun can penetrate more easily and deeper into the inner rooms. The curtain wall structure is normally spared of any dead load burden from the construction other than the weight of the materials used in its construction (Hart, 2008). The wall transmits lateral wind loads to the building’s pillars through linkages to floors or columns. Curtain walls are designed to prevent air and water penetration. Additionally, the structures also reduce the load caused by air currents and seismic forces playing out on the external surfaces, and its own sway triggered by the dead load weight. The paper explores how glazing to wall ratio affects energy saving in a curtain wall house. 2.0 Background to the project Curtain walling is essentially build with protruding aluminium metals, although in the past steel was used in the making of the structure. Apart from glass, stone veneer, louvers, vents, and metal panels can also be used as in-fills. Copper cladding can be used by architects to achieve visually attractive features into structural design. The project will revolve around the impact of glazed curtain walls on energy saving. 3.0 Aims and broad objectives The study will explore the level at which the metal can a material in terms of conducting heat. A study will be conducted to establish the significance of aluminium metal in heat loss through the curtain wall mullions made of the metal, especially in hot temperature. On the other hand, when it is cold, numerous ways aimed at checking the amount of heat loss will be explored; in IFC for example, apart from the curtain wall shading, the role of thermal breaks to the window will be explored. Due to the fact that thermal breaks are materials made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the study will explore the significance of the material and how it is used on the curtain wall to provide a substantial reduction in the heat conductivity of the wall structure. 4.0 Methods to be adopted Owing to the significance of the ‘U’ value in energy efficiency, the coefficient will be studied in shaded curtain walls. U value stands for the effectiveness of a curtain wall window structure to prevent heat transfer. In an effort to ascertain the solar factor in the heating and cooling of the IFC building, heat transfers across solid, liquid and gas will be examined. 5.0 Deliverables According to Glassman (2009), the glazed curtain wall models essentially show smaller U value coefficients as compared to concrete wall. Additionally a mechanically fixed system has a slightly higher U value compared to a hybrid system, if an identical IG spacer was employed. The repercussions of the wearing out of the mechanically fixed system gasket are more pronounced. Owing to the significance of wet sealing, most curtain walls constructed through this method achieve better U-values as opp osed to dry sealing method (Donaldson, 1988). Nonetheless, structurally glazed systems which are dry sealed, usually display high efficiency if IG spacer bars are used. Warm edge spaces made of desiccated silicone foam have been rated highest in terms of energy performance

Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies Essay Example for Free

Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies Essay Based off of this reading, it can be assumed that the conditions in the Indies during the time this text was written were not humane whatsoever. The actions of the Spaniards were very much barbaric, and completely contradict the religion which the Spaniards were trying so desperately to impose upon the natives of the Indies. Without having to go into detail, it is said by Bartoleme in the letter that the Spaniards would treat the people of the Indies as wild beasts, cattle, or animals. But he then goes back on this statement saying that in fact they treated them less than livestock, because they at least took care of the livestock. This is a good example of how barbarically the Spaniards ruled over the Natives. There was no respect for the Natives, even though they were described as peaceful, passive, kind, and as overall decent human beings. Yet in the eyes of the Spaniards, the same people were seen as barbarians and savages. What makes the situation even more disturbing is that the Spaniards used the name of god to justify their ruthless actions. They saw it as their divine right to take over the Natives. Fortunately, there were people like Bartoleme that spoke out against these cruel acts. He wrote the letter describing all the acts of inhumanity towards the Natives to the King and Queen of Spain in order to create rules and regulations that would regulate the actions of the Spaniards in the Indies. This alone was a substantial act of humanity. The only ironical part is that he suggests that the Spanish use African people instead of using the Natives of the Indies for labor. Unfortunately at the time, there were still mass amounts of racism, even amongst the most noble of men. Men such as Bartoleme who spoke out against cruel acts were still subject to their own racist antics. Although this wasn’t very out-of-the-ordinary at the time, in today’s world it’s despicable nonetheless. It’s a very hypocritical suggestion that he had for the King and Queen, and for that, would lose all credit for anything positive that happened to the Natives after his ideas were reinforced.

A Study On Triumph Of Will

A Study On Triumph Of Will The ultimate aim of documentary is to find the perfect way of representing the real is what Stella Bruzzi believes is the function of a documentary. As she states it herself, the ‘aim is to ‘find the perfect way of ‘representing reality. The three underlined words are themselves hypothetical terms that are not certain, hence this is the first indication that documentary might not necessarily achieve its aim. Documentary style of films are still under debate as to how ‘real can they be, this probably why Stella Bruzzi uses the word ‘find instead of a more commanding and certain word. Therefore, what is really a documentary according to different theorists? John Grierson, the first writer to use documentary as a term in his review of Robert Flahertys Moana, came up with his famous dictum that documentary is ‘the creative interpretation of actuality. Griersons essayFirst Principles of Documentary argued that documentary was cinemas potential for observing life could be exploited in a new art form; that the original actor and original scene are better guides than their fiction counterparts to interpreting the modern world; and that materials thus taken from the raw can be more real than the acted article. Contrary to Bruzzis idea of ‘representing reality, Grierson believes in ‘interpreting it. Interpretation can be in form of re-enactment. So the question that arises is how realistic is a documentary that has actors and scenes â€Å"guiding† the flow of the film? Any re-enactment or borrowed situations can be manipulated to reflect the directors idea, which leaves hardly any space for 100% reality. The term ‘documentary stems from the verb ‘to document to convey information on the basis of proof and evidence to support it, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. In the realm of films and cinema, a documentary is a film that is an attempt, in one fashion or another, toshowreality as itreallyis. Another way of defining documentary is the necessity to capture life as it is as it naturally appears. It needs to be filmed surreptitiously, while the goal is to capture lifes unawareness and natural beauty.The term has expanded to encompass many additional aspects than its original definition. ‘Documentaries was a term used to describe movies shot on film stock, which is a term used to describe the discovery of celluloid a product much less fragile than the paper film previously used. It has now come to involve video and digital productions, whether for private use, made-for-TV or for the big screen. The continuing goal of documentaries is to constantly work to identify a film making practice that captures life as it truly is, create a cinematic tradition that remains interesting and lively, and finally, to gain and maintain a connection with the audience. There are several types of documentary, but for this essay, I will pit two completely different ‘documentaries and analysis which of these two, make it closest to the above different definitions. Triumph of the Will a propaganda film made by Leni Riefenstahl and Super Size Me is a documentary by Morgan Spurlock are the two documentaries I will take into account because their genres are completely different from each other, and this could lead to an interesting analysis of the documentaries purpose and what they attain in the end. Triumph of the Will/ Triumph des Willens In 1934 Hitler suggested that Leni Riefenstahl film the party rally of that year. Hitler wanted a first-rate filmmaker to direct the film of the party rally, having insisted several years earlier that he wanted to exploit the film as an instrument of propaganda in such a way that the audience will be clearly aware that they are going to see a political film. It nauseates me when I find political propaganda under the cloak of art. Let it either be art or politics. Riefenstahl demanded that the film be made by her own company rather than by the Ministry for Peoples Enlightenment and Propaganda. Hitler agreed to this demand and promised not to interfere with the filming; he granted her complete freedom to make the film she desired. Although ostensibly her company financed and distributed Triumph of the Will, there is little doubt that the Nazi party actually provided the funds as well as the setting and every facility possible for unimpeded film recording of the event. This reflects gre atly on the biasness that is present in the film. Hitlers SA and SS were known for generating fear, and even if promised to have interference in her documentary, if Riefenstahl did show something negative about the Nazi Party, it could only mean either her disappearance or concentration camp. Moreover, the title of the film was suggested by Hitler himself, implying that after all it was not independent of any political pressure. The camera crew used thirty cameras and were dressed as SA men so that they would not be noticeable in the crowd. Although there are at least twelve sequences in the film where the wary spectator can detect cameras at work, in general the crew working the film is very well disguised. Triumph of The Will (1935) is not only a masterpiece entirely on its own, divorced from political or propagandist considerations, but in its emotional manipulation of the audience represents the very heart of what propaganda is all about. (Barsam, 1992, 130) Riefenstahl is able to create a glorified representation of the NSDAP, or Nazi party, with the use of a music score that invents Hitler as heroic. Her ability to represent a political party so triumphantly is noted in the moving and chilling pieces of cinematography when Hitler gives his final speech and compares his party to a holy order. She captures an essence far purer than the NSDAP, and in a way does more than justice to the partys attempts of propaganda. On the other hand, her achievements in portraying the NSDAP as glamorous can be seen as misrepresenting and a line can be drawn between fact and fiction as to, whether her glorifications are unjust and morally wrong. For the Nazis, the euphoria of a perfect Germany according to them can be portrayed with proper film aesthetics but without directly referring to the contemporary society of the 1930s. The what it would be like if Nazis ruled agenda can be portrayed with the use of abstract visuals and other techniques as long as the real is not referred to, as societies in Germany were not of pure race. The idea of creating a pure race and portraying this in a film is almost mythical, yet alone absurd. In order to portray an Aryan world blatant lies and imaginative discourse would be called for. The ethical implications behind this, is that the people themselves must change in order to create this ideal society. The overly repeated Flag Bearer image depicts symbolism connected to Nazism; the inclusion of a flag bearing the Nazi Swastika symbol represents the militarized power of the party. As a trend in Nazi propaganda, there is enormous emphasis on military symbols in Triumph of the will, triggered deeply felt emotions associated with Germanys former military might. Leni Riefenstahls editing provides an insight into the status of Triumph of the Will as Nazi propaganda. For example, one sequence during Hitlers arrival in Nuremburg is composed of four shots; the first two shots show the old buildings of the city and then a German flag therefore representing the old, traditional Germany. The following two shots depict Hitler and then a Swastika. This sequence typifies how Riefenstahl has represented the Nazi ideology of a return to a mythical epoch by linking the ideals of the traditional dogma with a visionary future. Similarly, before the scene of the city awakening Riefenstahl links a shot of an old church to represent Volakis thought, with the rally camp site to signify the new Germany. Incidentally Hinton suggests that as result of these sequences, Triumph of the Will is more than a document of the 1934 Nazi Party Rally; it is a document of the city of Nuremburg where the viewer gains a sense of the beauty and history of the medieval centre. F urthermore, the use of German and Nazi flags ties in with the use of military symbols inherent in the propaganda of the Third Reich. She also states that; ‘In my cutting room, it was the most difficult work of my life describing the task that took at least five months to fulfil. She explained that she did not care much about chronological accuracy on the screen and that she intuitively tried to find a unifying way to edit the film in a way which would progressively take the viewer from act to act and from impression to impression. With political pressure, adoration for Adolf Hitler, and clearly a propaganda film, Triumph of the will does portray reality in terms of the images used, they are all live and not re-enacted by Riefenstahl. However, it is a biased documentation of the reality. I believe it would have been a real documentary if only there was not so much of glamour shown about the Nazi rallies, and the darker side such as the Holocaust and ghettos were also covered. The latter would have made it a more objective piece of work, making it more of a documentary instead of a propaganda tool. Super Size Me Morgan Spurlock decided to make this documentary to investigate the fast food companies, and the effects of certain fast food chains products, particularly McDonalds, on the health of society. This Documentary explores the United States growing epidemic of obesity and diabetes as well. Morgan decides to eat nothing but McDonalds food for thirty days. He must eat one of everything on the menu at least once, and when asked to super size his meal he must do so. Another stipulation of Morgans experiment is that he can only take 5,000 steps a day to replicate the exercise that most average Americans get on a daily basis. He must also eat three meals a day, no exceptions and if McDonalds doesnt serve it Morgan cant eat it.Morgan enlists three doctors to assist him through his thirty day documentary. A cardiologist, gastroenterologist, and a general practitioner all check him out at the beginning of the experiment which makes it credible because there is science supporting and bringing logi c to the results of the experiment. Critics of the film, including McDonalds, argue that the author intentionally consumed an average of 5,000 calories per day and did not exercise, and that the results would have been the same regardless of the source of overeating. He was eating solely McDonalds food in keeping with the terms of a potential judgment against McDonalds in court documents highlighted at the beginning of the film. The film addresses such objections by highlighting that a part of the reason for Spurlocks deteriorating health was not just the high calorie intake but also the high quantity of fat relative to vitamins and minerals in the McDonalds menu, which is similar in that regard to the nutritional content of the menus of most other U.S. fast-food chains. About 1/3 of Spurlocks calories came from sugar. His nutritionist, Bridget Bennett RD, cited him about his excess intake of sugar from milkshakes and cokes. It is revealed toward the end of the movie that over the course of the diet, he consumed over 30 pounds of sugar, and over 12 lbs. of fat from their food. The nutritional side of the diet was not fully explored in the film because of the closure of the clinic which monitored this aspect during the filming of the movie. Spurlock claimed he was trying to imitate what an average diet for a regular eater at McDonaldsa person who would get little to no exercisewould do to them. Spurlocks intake of 5,000 calories per day was well over twice the recommended daily intake for a sedentary adult male, which would amount to only about 2,300 calories. A typical man consuming as many calories as Spurlock did would gain nearly a pound a day (which is roughly how much Spurlock gained), a rate of weight gain that could not be sustained for long periods. Additionally, Spurlock did not demonstrate or claim that anyone, let alone a substantial number of people, eats at McDonalds three times per day. In fact McDonalds is mentioned during the movie to have two classes of users of their restaurants: There are the Heavy Users, (about 72% of the customers, who eat at their restaurants once or twice a week), and the SUPERHeavy Users (about 22% of the customers, who eat McDonalds 3 or more times a week). But no one was found who ate at McDonalds three times a day. Spurlock said that he was eating in thirty days the amount of fast food most nutritionists suggest someone should eat in eight years. Though Spurlock provokes fear of fast food, he fails to acknowledge that poor diet is not the only cause of obesity, and that the â€Å"toxic environment† he describes is reason enough to consider that the responsibility should in fact be in the corporations hands. What Spurlock does exactly is that he reflects his own ideology. Before going for the experiment and documenting it he was clear as to what he wanted to show by the end of it and worked towards it, hence it can be debated that he made the documentary with his biasness to his idea, and giving more coverage to the latter instead of bringing about more balance reflection such as the influence and pressure on Americans by the constant advertisements about fast food. Comparison of both documentaries From the information given above about the documentaries in question the first thing that is important to note is the fact that Triumph of the Will was an idea suggested by Adolf Hitler whereas, Super size Me was the idea of an ordinary American filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. This is an important fact to be taken into consideration because eventually the ideology and aim intended by Adolf Hitler and Morgan Spurlock is what will ‘direct the ideas reflected in the documentary, hence, objectivity can be compromised. For reality to be completely present in order to have a real documentary there should be ideally, no draw backs on objectivity in the portrayal of ideas. Adolf Hitler was a Nazi dictator ruling over a powerful country like Germany, his influence and power to pressurise Leni Riefenstahl was unquestionable. On the contrary, Morgan Spurlock was just an independent director. What kind of objectivity and impartiality (two very important subjects to reflect reality) can one expect from a director working under a dictator who controlled the population through fear? The purposes of both documentaries are extreme opposites. Triumph of the Will was intended to be a propaganda political film. Propaganda is after all; a form of communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position. As opposed toimpartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence an audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus possiblylying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or uses loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further apolitical agenda. In comparison to this, Super size Me was more to do with creating awareness amongst people. Creating awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to beconsciousof events. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer w ithout necessarily implyingunderstanding. This suggests that Spurlock was not aiming at influencing people to completely revolt against fast food but at least beware and conscious of the harmful effects of it. He leaves it upon the audience to make their choice without brainwashing them. The presentation of Triumph of the Will is what documentary forefather, John Grierson would categorise under Poetic mode. Such documentary thrive on a filmmakers aesthetic and subjective visual interpretation of a subject, in addition to it different music is selected for different scenes, just like in the Triumph of Will. By contrast, Super Size me is what Grierson would categorize under participatory mode, in which filmmakers move from behind the camera and appear as subjects in their own work like Spurlock carries out his experiment himself and becomes the main subject of the documentary. The time period in which both documentaries are set in are also crucial points to be noted. Triumph of the Will was set in 1935 in Germany, where people were in the middle of Nazi revolution and political chaos. In contrary to 2004 America where Super Size Me is shot, the taste of the audience has changed dramatically. Audiences of Super Size Me are not only in America but world around, which wasnt the target audience of Triumph of the Will, the latter was meant for only the Germans. To add to this, Germans in 1934 were comparably less educated than the audience of 2004, because one of Germanys major issues at that time was low education. Hence, propaganda movies worked to its full potential as people would not question or form their own opinions; however, the same cannot be expected from liberal thinking people in 2004. The taste of what audience around the world want now is completely different from what was expected in 1930s. Nowadays, reality and truth in the form of controversy is what really gets peoples attention. One may wonder if 1930s audience would have liked to watch real documentary, what if Triumph of the Will was to include scenes from the concentration camps, how would have the audience responded to the documentary? Lastly, editing plays a big role in representing reality. The camera can capture all the truth there is to be captured, but the audience eventually see what is presented to them after much chopping done in the editing room. Directors choice of scenes, images and music is what is eventually reflected in the documentary. In other words, only one or a few peoples choice or ideology is selected and presented to the audience. The directors selection does not necessarily have to reflect the reality. Therefore, how is reality ever represented in documentaries? Conclusion Bibiolography:  · Stella Bruzzi, New Documentary: A critical Introduction, Routledge, 2000  · Paul Ward, Documentary: The margins of reality, Wallflower Press, 2005  · Bill Nichols, Introduction to Documentary, Indiana University press, 2001  · Michael Renov , Theorizing Documentary, Routledge, 1993 * Lee, J., 2008-08-06Propaganda Techniques in Early Documentary Films: An In-depth Analysis with Seven DevicesPaper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Marriott Downtown, Chicago, ILOnline.2009-05-23fromhttp://www.allacademic.com/meta/p272071_index.html * Henrik Juel, Defining Documentary Film, http://pov.imv.au.dk/Issue_22/section_1/artc1A.html * Malene Jorgensen, What is a Documentary? Defining the Characteristics of a Documentary Film, http://documentaryfilms.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_is_a_documentary, Sep 11, 2009 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leni_Riefenstahl * Jill Godmilow, in conversation with Ann-Louise Shapiro, How real is real is the reality in documentary film? http://www.nd.edu/~jgodmilo/reality.html * http://classes.design.ucla.edu/Spring04/161A/projects/Wes/Exercise_B/mainpage.html * Helen Abbott, Movie analysis: Nazi ideology in Leni Riefenstahls Triumph of the Will, http://www.helium.com/items/468495-movie-analysis-nazi-ideology-in-leni-riefenstahls-triumph-of-the-will * Caoimhe Crinigan, Movie analysis: Nazi ideology in Leni Riefenstahls Triumph of the Will, http://www.helium.com/items/1463308-the-nazi-filmmaking-of-leni-riefenstahl-to-be-deplored-and-respected * http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Supersize-Me-Conceptual-Analysis/141479 * http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/28660.html * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awareness * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_film * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_mode * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Size_Me

Civil Society In Combating Terrorism And Extremism Politics Essay

Civil Society In Combating Terrorism And Extremism Politics Essay 1. The stalemate of terrorism has always been a threat to humans of this world in one form or the other, radiating from number of causes such as insensitive religious emotions, sectarian divergences, disparity of power among leftist and rightist schools of thought, communism vs. capitalism, exploitation of the ignorant and deprived ones and lust for acquisition of resources entailing in invasions etc. However, this problem emerged as a flash point after a tragic incident of 9/11 which drew attention of world towards uprooting this cancer by taking certain counter measures. Military solution, when crucial, plays its roles to some extent but cannot fully figure out the intricacies of terrorism without taking all the communities and nation onboard. This not only educates masses about issues in war against terror but plays a key role in boosting morale of forces on frontlines. These have included the introduction of anti-terror laws; changes in reporting requirements for civil society or ganizations; and the increasing use of new border security technologies. In many countries, the impact of these measures on civil society and on citizens has been a source of great concern. The meaning of involving civil society in a wide-ranging and multidimensional response to the threat of terrorism has been stressed by various international platforms. 2. Civil society stands for a vast range of social groups, interests, representations, inbuilt tensions and conflicts. It is most evident by a range of voluntary associations including political parties, trade unions and professional bodies, private foundations, educational and research institutions and think tanks, religious, faith-based, and community-based organizations, and womens, human rights, social and environmental groups. A vibrant civil society can play a strategic role in protecting local communities, countering extremist ideologies, and dealing with political violence. 3. Civil society gives a voice to different social groups and causes, which provides a channel of expression for the marginalized and can promote a culture of tolerance and pluralism. On a more practical level, civil society groups can play a significant role in building local support for counterterrorism through education, lobbying government authorities to adopt a holistic response that respects human rights, monitoring implementation of counterterrorism measures, investigating and publicizing abuses committed in the name of fighting terrorism, giving assistance and support to victims, promoting the importance of peace and security, and providing capacity-building training. This paper will address this aspect of countering the terrorism to see where and how civil society comes into action for countering terrorism. AIM 4. To carry out an in-depth study of civil societys role in addressing terrorism, so as to identify the shortcomings hampering its efficacy with the view to enable a way forward in short and long term perspectives to make it an effective tool for combating terrorism. SCOPE 5. The paper will focus on following:- a. To briefly highlight various terrorism facets for drawing their relevancy and genesis form civil societys standpoint. b. To ponder upon the essentials that the civil society can perform in developing its profile for handling terrorism. c. To highlight the limitations that handicaps our civil societys efficacy in playing its due role in addressing terrorism. d. To bring home an affect based approach focusing on immediate and long term actions to uplift our societys role against terrorism both in cognitive and practical domains. PART I DEFINING TERRORISM AND COUNTER TERRORISM 6. The word Terrorism is very much renowned and perilous to the global world. The modern world has made a number of counter measures to face this menace. Before defining the role of civil society in combating terrorism and extremism effectively; we must understand first about terrorism, its genesis types and causes. Since, solution to any problem will prevail only by knowing its basis and objectives. 7. What is Terrorism.  [1]  Terrorism is not new, and even though it has been used since the beginning of recorded history it can be relatively hard to define. Terrorism has been described variously as both a tactic and strategy; a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable abomination. Obviously, a lot depends on whose point of view is being represented. Terrorism has often been an effective tactic for the weaker side in a conflict. As an asymmetric form of conflict, it confers coercive power with many of the advantages of military force at a fraction of the cost. Due to the secretive nature and small size of terrorist organizations, they often offer opponents no clear organization to defend against or to deter. 8. That is why pre-emption is being considered to be so important. In some cases, terrorism has been a means to carry on a conflict without the adversary realizing the nature of the threat, mistaking terrorism for criminal activity. Because of these characteristics, terrorism has become increasingly common among those pursuing extreme goals throughout the world. But despite its popularity, terrorism can be a nebulous concept. No universally accepted definition exists for the meaning of the word terrorism.Analysts examining the question have counted more than one hundred different definitions.  [2]  The lack of an agreed definition allows those in power to interpret the term for their own purposes. Political leaders often take advantage of the terms ambiguity to label their opponents terrorists. However, there are certain definitions related to terrorism exist in the world with different connotation to its application used by different countries are as:- a. United States Department of Defense. It defines terrorism as the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological. Within this definition, there are three key elements violence, fear, and intimidation and each element produces terror in its victims. b. Federal Bureau of Investigation (United State). States that, Terrorism is the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. c. United State Department of State. It defines terrorism to be premeditated politically-motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience. d. United Nations. United Nation produced this definition in 1992; An anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-) clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby in contrast to assassination the direct targets of violence are not the main targets. The most commonly accepted academic definition starts with the U.N. definition quoted above, and adds two sentences totaling another words on the end; containing such verbose concepts as message generators and violence based communication processes. Less specific and considerably less verbose. e. British Government. The British government definition of 1974 isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the use of violence for political ends, and includes any use of violence for the purpose of putting the public, or any section of the public, in fear. 9. Terrorism is a criminal act that influences an audience beyond the immediate victim. The strategy of terrorists is to commit acts of violence that draws the attention of the local populace, the government, and the world to their cause. The terrorists plan their attack to obtain the greatest publicity, choosing targets that symbolize what they oppose. The effectiveness of the terrorist act lies not in the act itself, but in the publics or governments reaction to the act. There are three perspectives of terrorism: the terrorists, the victims, and the general publics. The phrase one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter is a view terrorists themselves would accept. Terrorists do not see themselves as evil. They believe they are legitimate combatants, fighting for what they believe in, by whatever means possible. A victim of a terrorist act sees the terrorist as a criminal with no regard for human life. The general publics view is the most unstable. The terrorists take great pains to foster a Robin Hood image in hope of swaying the general publics point of view toward their cause. This sympathetic view of terrorism has become an integral part of their psychological warfare and needs to be countered vigorously. 10. Historical Background of Terrorism. History of terrorism is as old as the human civilization. To overview the history of terrorism one will have to depend upon the history of violence that was given a new name in French revolution. In ancient times the terrorism manifested in the form of individual and tribal riots. Later the small states faced terrorist attacks by the bigger states as a foreign aggression. Human history has witnessed countless furious wars in which millions of people were massacred in dreadful terrorist acts. The series of human subjugation is still visible even in 21st century. The violence which has been present in the human history throughout the ages has been given new name terrorism after French Revolution in 1779. We see in the history that Alexander the great and other warriors continuously killed millions of people that can also be termed as the terrorists of ancient human history. The Roman Empire also contested several dangerous wars to establish their kingdom in the world. Even the people of God continued to fight with each other in the name of religion. 11. We have the example of crusades wars between the Islamic regimes and Romans which were fought to manipulating the name of religion. Those wars also resulted in the killing of thousand of innocents just for the quest of power. The earlier organization that exhibited aspects of modern terrorist organization was the Zealots of Judea, known to the Roman as sicarii, or dagger-men. They carried on an underground campaign of assassination of Roman occupation forces, as well as any Jews they felt had collaborated with the Romans. In ancient India many wars were fought among different groups or tribes. The European nations also fought wars with each other resulting in the deaths of several innocent people. The French Revolutionary Governments coined the word terrorism by instituting systematic state terror against the population of French in the 1790s, killing thousands of people. In 20th Century the world witnessed World War I and II as big showdowns of terrorism to achieve the goals of superpower. Later the incident of atomic bombardment on Japan and human conflict in Vietnam are big human destruction which shakes the conscious of the mankind. In the last decade of 20th Century the phenomenon of terrorism continued to occur in the world more prominently after the end of cold war. The incidents of September 11 and July 7 are the height of terrorist acts. It shaped the world in the new directions. In modern times we have seen the horrible wars in Persian Gulf, Middle East and Africa in which the violence was used to terrorize the opponent. The war between Iraq and Iran, Kuwait and Iraq and deadly killings in Rwanda, Zaire and Congo are the worst recent examples of terrorism. Even these days in many countries of the world the proxy and guerrilla wars are harming and killing innocent and irrelevant people. In short, it can be firmly said that terrorism was present throughout the human history but since few decades it has been given a new dimension. This phenomenon sho uld always be seen in historical perspective to understand the issue properly. 12. Types of Terrorism. The phenomenon of the terrorism is very complex on the whole in all aspects. There is disagreement among the scholars over the types of the terrorism unlike its definition. Various attempts have been made to derive the most common types of terrorism. However, the type of terrorism must be seen in socio-historic and politico economic perspective. Encyclopedia of Britannica describes the following types of terrorism: a. Revolutionary Terrorism. It is the most common form of terrorism to achieve certain political objectives radically. Practitioners of this type of terrorism seek the complete abolition of a political system and its replacement with new structures. Modern instances of such activity include campaigns by the Italian Red Brigades, the German Red Faction (Baader Meinhof Gang), the Basque separatist group and the Peruvian Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), each of which attempted to topple a national regime. b. Sub Revolutionary Terrorism. Sub revolutionary terrorism is rather less common. It is used not to overthrow an existing regime but to modify the existing socio-political structure. Since this modification is often accomplished through the threats of deposing the existing regime, sub revolutionary groups are somewhat more difficult to identify. An example can be seen in the African National Congress (ANC) and its campaign to end apartheid in South Africa. c. Establishment Terrorism. The Soviet Union and its allies allegedly engaged in widespread support of international terrorism during the cold war; in the 1980s the United States supported rebel groups in Africa that allegedly engaged in acts of terrorism, such as the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).These types are theoretical and directly related with nation state. The typology of the terrorism is very broad subject it can be further classified on the basis of motives, methods and subjects. Let us have a glance of some other types of terrorism for further understanding. d. Nationalist Terrorism. The aim of the nationalist terrorism is to establish a separate state or homeland for the certain ethnic, religious or tribal groups. This sort of terrorism has been popular among the most successful at winning international sympathy and concessions. It is very difficult to define terrorism because many practitioners of it claim to be the freedom fighters. They use violence to draw attention of the world to gain sympathy for their national cause. The most relevant examples of this type are the movement run by Irish republican Army in UK (IRA) and Palestine liberation organization (PLO) in Palestine. However, it is interesting fact that both of the groups renounced terrorism in 1990s and adopted the political means of conflict resolution. e. Religious Terrorism. Religious terrorism comes from many major faiths, as well as from small cults. This type of terrorism is growing rapidly and is discussed widely on the international media. Religious terrorists seek to use violence to further what they see as divinely commanded purposes, often targeting broad categories of foes in an attempt to bring about sweeping changes. f. State-Sponsored Terrorism. State-sponsored terrorism is one of the most controversial types of terrorism. In this category the state uses hidden groups to suppress anti state or anti government elements in the country. State-sponsored terrorist groups are deliberately used by radical states as foreign policy tools as Hoffman puts it, as a cost-effective way of waging war covertly, through the use of surrogate warriors or guns for hire. State sponsored terrorism is normally executed by autocratic to suppress the political opponents. The state sponsor terrorist groups are more effective, efficient and active rather than any group because of having moral, political and logistic support of the government or state. g. Inter-State or International Terrorism. This type of terrorism became evident in 20th century. Last century witnessed the events of insurgency and terrorism between two big powers in the guise of cold war. Although both the USSR and USA never confronted directly but no one can deny the proxy wars of these two powers in different parts of the world. Palestine is very clear example of the international terrorism where America supported Israel and USSR was giving backup to Al-Fateh a militant arm of Palestinian liberation organization (PLO). h. Group Terrorism. It occurs on the formation of various groups for common objectives in the society. Such groups are based on sectarian, linguistic, ethnic and tribal bases. When these groups work for the establishment of the supremacy and superiority for their own agenda it ultimately causes tension and clash with opponent groups. For example, Catholic and protestant conflict in Ireland, black white tension in US and South Africa etc. 13. Causes of Terrorism. To understand and solve the problem of terrorism it is essential for all to realize and identify the causes of terrorism. The terrorism is a complex phenomenon which has several reasons such as social, economic, religious and political etc. all these factors contribute in the enhancement and flourishing the terrorist activities. This global phenomenon has various causes and some of them are being spelled out briefly for the better understanding of the issue. This is also notable that the causes of terrorism may be different in various societies due to its religious, ethnic and political nature. a. Helplessness and Hopelessness. Helplessness which leads to hopelessness is the psychological state that enhances terrorism in the society. The society in which the people are ignored and have to suffer from socioeconomic and political injustice provide conducive environment to promote terrorism. When the people and their problem are neglected or kept aloof they ultimately express their resentment in the form of violent behavior to attract the attention of the state and the people. We can witness that in the long standing political disputes such as Palestine and Kashmir etc where the aspirations of the people were not heeded some of them started militant movements. Similarly, in communist regimes where the people were not given their socio-political rights they brought about even deadly revolution. b. Political and Economic Deprivation. Political and Economic deprivations are the main root causes of terrorism. When the political and economic rights of the certain groups are not granted it chooses the suitable method of terrorism to show their anger. This deprivation encourages the effected groups to adopt the violent ways to get their aspirations fulfilled. For example we can see that in northern states of India such as Assam, Nagaland, and West Bengal etc. the communists started guerilla war against the Indian Government. Charles Kegley while discussing the contemporary terrorism presents a root cause school of thought which asserts that political and economic deprivation are the main causes of terrorism. He views the advocates of Root Causes Theory propel that politically oppressed and economically deprived people are more prone to violent and terrorist behavior. They are deprived of their basic needs and this condition forces them to change their fate by hook or crook. c. Influence of Communist Regimes. At the end of cold war the influence of communist regimes inspired by Marxist and Leninist theories made a cause of escalation of terrorism in the world. Being influenced by such regimes many freedom movements adopted violence. We see in Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka communists and Tamales started violent movements in the last two decades of twentieth century for their freedom. d. Poverty and Economic Exploitation. In the society where there is illiteracy, hunger and economic disparity the terrorism flourishes rapidly. All these factors lead to increase in poverty which itself is the mother of terrorism. Famous philosopher Aristotle had agreed on the assertion stating that Poverty is mother of Terrorism and Revolution. We see for example in Muslim countries there is a huge amount of poverty and that is why, it becomes easier for the terrorist groups to find the interested persons due to their poor economic conditions. Daniel Pipes (2002) says that As long as there is poverty, inequality, injustice and repressive political systems, militant Islamic tendencies will grow in the world e. Easy Access to Weapons and Modern Technology. Due to incredible advancement in weapons technology and human knowledge it has become easy for the terrorists to get them easily. Hugh quantity of information about the arms manufacturing has been spread by internet which has made the access of the terrorists easy and they use weapons to get quick results the act of terrorism. f. Sheer Success of Terrorism. Terrorism is a short cut tactic for the terrorists to achieve their goals quickly. It is more result orientated rather than peaceful movement. That is why the terrorist groups adopt this for getting more results in shorter time. Easy access to weapons and widespread information of the arms technology is the cause of escalation of terrorism in modern times. g. Lack of Democracy and Dictatorship. Lack of Democracy is the main cause of terrorism in present times. The dictators and autocrat governments frighten opponents. They do it to create the fear among the masses to suppress any opposition against their governments. In undemocratic circumstances the people do not find ways to express their disagreement and as a result some of them turn to the violent means to submit their expression. We can see in many autocrat and communist states in Latin America and Africa the massive force was used against the political opponents such as in Cuba Zambia and Congo etc. h. Religious Extremism. There is a school of thought which considers that the religious extremism is the major cause of terrorism. Mark Juergensmeyer says that The religion is crucial for these acts since it gives moral justifications for the killing and provides images of cosmic war that allows activists to believe that they are waging spiritual scenarios. It does not mean that the religion causes terrorism but it does mean that the religion often provides symbols that make possible bloodshed even catastrophic acts of terrorism. As evidence we can observe that the majority of the terrorist movements are inspired by the religion or at-least it is claimed. i. Biological and Social Elements. Other than above mentioned causes sociologists have another point of view. A man is violent by nature. The sociologists present three hypotheses biological instinctual, social learning, and frustration aggression. Sigmund Freuds says that Man is embodied with an instinctive urge and appetite of attacking and subjugating others. It means that naturally human beings try to divert towards violence and terrorism by nature. The second point is that the social learning of the person also convinces him/her towards terrorism. If one grows and develops in the oppressed society one can be easily attracted towards violence and terrorism. Jean Jacques Rousseau presents the theory of social learning he says that human mind is like a blank sheet and whatever his society likes, paints on it. If one lives in violent society he/she would remain motivated towards terrorism. Theory of frustration aggression was coined by the psychologists of Yale University in 1939. T hey viewed that the aggressive behavior of a man reveals the existence of frustration in him. It means frustration produces the aggression and it is not sui genres. All above discussion does not encompass the causes of terrorism but provides view for the laymen. However, it is the common responsibility of all the stakeholders to contemplate on the issue to understand the phenomenon of the terrorism in religo-cultural and socio- economic perspective. In short, a sense of deprivation, sense of being exploited and sense of being cheated are important factors escalating terrorism in this modern era. Other than above discussion I would like to mention the causes of terrorism in the context of Pakistan as highlighted by the Gen. Pervez Musharraf President of Pakistan. He, while addressing in international seminar on Global Terrorism on August 29-2007 organized by institute of Regional studies (IRS) Islamabad pin pointed some noteworthy causes of terrorism in Pakistani and global perspecti ve. He described following causes which deserve due attention by the international community. Political deprivation and alienation are an arch cause of terrorism. This leads to hopelessness. The sense of powerlessness, which then leads to these terrorist acts. Lack of education and poverty are equally responsible for the increasing in terrorist activities. The illiterate are wrongly given the hope to go directly in to the heaven if he/she commits terrorist act for God or religion. Thus, in circumstance where there is lack of education and poverty it becomes easier for the master minds of the terrorist groups to launch the offences at the cost of the socio-economic compulsion and ignorance of the poor masses. President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has rightly indicated that the wrong understanding and misinterpretation of the religion is the important cause of terrorism. He asserts that in Pakistan there are many clerics who have limited knowledge of the teachings and values of the Islam. T hey misguide the people for their vested interests in the name of religion. 14. Counter Terrorism. Counter terrorism is also a contested concept. The term embodies a wide range of measures with differing impacts, which can be loosely characterized as the good, the bad, and the ugly. In the bad and ugly categories are Counter Terrorism Measures (CTMs) that overemphasize security and distort development and aid priorities, and that lead to extrajudicial killings, greater state repression, and increased human rights abuse. Overly restrictive counterterrorism measures constrain the social, political, and operational capacity of civil society actors and impede the work of groups promoting improvements in governance, human rights, and development. These are all important elements for reducing conditions, such as political marginalization, repression, and despair that can fuel grievances and lead to expressions of political violence. On the positive side are cooperative nonmilitary measures that enhance the capacity of governments to thwart terrorist attacks while promoting and protecting human rights. Also in the good category are policies that encourage support for sustainable development and good governance, as recommended in the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. 15. The proposed categorization is figurative and not meant to suggest absolute judgments about particular policies. The range of counterterrorism measures is extremely wide, and specific policies can have differing impacts in varying conditions and settings. Strengthened law enforcement efforts are good when they prevent attacks and bring perpetrators to justice, but these same measures can be bad if they lead to abuses and increased repression. Efforts to prevent the financing of terrorism are positive, yet programs intended to interdict such funding often have negative implications for nongovernmental groups and charities seeking to overcome oppression. The evaluation of particular counterterrorism measures depends greatly on context and the way in which specific actors implement policies. Judgments about particular policies should be based on the degree to which they contribute to genuine security and democratic governance, while also upholding the rule of law and protecting the work of peace builders and human rights defenders. 16. Counterterrorism measures are usually weighted toward the executive branch of government, with little attention to enhancing judicial independence, legislative oversight, and citizen involvement. Emergency measures passed in the name of fighting terrorism have had the effect of undermining civil liberties, restricting the ability of civil society groups to operate, and impeding development and relief activities in marginalized communities. Repressive CTMs have reversed progress achieved in recent years toward the integration of human rights and accountable governance into development policy. Individual rights and political freedoms have eroded as states have accumulated greater security powers. The nongovernmental monitoring organization Freedom House has reported an alarming erosion of global political freedom in recent years. In its 2010 annual survey the organization noted intensified repression against human rights defenders and civic activists and reported declines for polit ical freedom in countries representing 20 percent of the worlds total polities. The last few years have witnessed the longest continuous period of decline for global freedom in the organizations nearly 40-year history of publishing annual ratings.  [3]  In 2011 Freedom House noted a further decline in political freedom and a reduction in the number of countries defined as politically free. The report highlighted the continued poor performance of countries of the Middle East and North Africa, although this trend may be partially reversed if the democratic revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia, and other countries produce freer societies and more representative governments. PART II ESSENTIAL ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY 17. Civil society can play a significant role in helping states increase awareness of the threat and the impact of an attack on local communities, and in deepening public support for government action to address it, which is an essential component of any effective long-term strategy. Terrorism is obviously the state of extreme in human conflict that occurs when the violence enters in the matter. The terrorism is the result of failure in conflict resolution which can occur anywhere in the world. It is the crucial social problem of the society as well. Every stakeholder should play its due role in combating the terrorism. In combating terrorism the role of the civil society is inevitable. The broadly classified and interrelated roles of civil society in regards to preventing and reduction of terrorism are as follows:- a. Advisory and Educational Role. b. Community Services. c. Advocacy and Research. d. Legal Aspects. Advisory and Educational Role 18. Civil society organizations can play a significant advisory and educational role. They can provide policy advice and expertise on aspects of preventing terrorism that is often not available within government. Equally importantly, civil society experts may provide alternative appropriate language and terminology to public officials in addressing issues related to terrorism and security. In order to strengthen their co-operation with governments and civil society may also find it appropriate to acknowledge positive steps or measures taken by law enforcement officials and government where they occur. In addition, they may have a positive advisory role in providing concrete alternatives to counter-terrorism policies and measures that they consider to be ill-conceived. It is important to recognize, however, that the non-state sector needs to be given relevant information in order to understand the real extent of the threat and to be able to provide adequate suggestions of a response  [4]

My Family History Essay -- essays research papers

My Family History Family history is very important to an individual. By knowing where you come from, you can have a better perspective of your life. Having a clear understanding of your family background allows you to better appreciate the things that you would normally take for granted. The house, the car, and the average clothing may look better when one sees the sacrifices their family has made. They will see that their family has worked very hard just so their family can experience the better things in life. A persons roots and origin is one of the most important things to explore. It alone can bring you closer to self-discovery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are two sides to a person’s family and one side of my family has been traced all the way back to slavery. My father’s side of the family originally came from a Georgia plantation. Although my father is Afro-American, his great-great-grandfather was a general who owned slaves. From Georgia my father moved to New Jersey. After settling in New Jersey, my father enlisted in the military and began his life as a military man. My mother’s side of the family is all from Puerto Rico. My grandparents moved my mother and her sister to America when they were very young. They moved to Macedonia, Illinois. When my mother got older she too enlisted in the military as a nurse. My mother met my father while they were both serving in the military in Germany. After they both finished their time in the military, my mother mov...

A Comparison of Winthrop and Edwards to the Apostles of Christ Essay

A Comparison of Winthrop and Edwards to the Apostles of Christ      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I find John Winthrop and Jonathan Edwards to be the most fascinating writers I have ever read. For one, they are the "apostles" of our time. Second, their comparisons to the apostles of Christ are too close to ignore.    There are three historical, Christian milestones. One being after the death of Christ where an evangelical movement of Christ's disciples, friends and brothers preached on how Jesus Christ was the Messiah and the Son of God. The second milestone was when the Pilgrims came to America for religious freedom, and many ministers guided and directed the pilgrims toward the "City of God". One of the last historical Christian movements seen is the Great Awakening. This movement was to trade deistic notions of reason and rationality to faith, God, and Divine Providence. Among the apostles of Biblical times, the most influential were Apostles James and Paul. One of the great writers and speakers of his time, John Winthrop represents the second mark, leaving Jonathan Edwards as one of the most remembered preacher of the Great Awakening.    John Winthrop's writings are intensely related to the Apostle James' writings. Jonathan Edwards approaches his audience in the same manner as Apostle Paul, and both carry a burden to lead people to their Savior. Interestingly enough, Winthrop and Edwards are speaking the gospel, but one is speaking to a different circle of people than the other and with a totally different message. Likewise, as someone has written, "Paul and James do not stand face to face, fighting each other, but they stand back to back, fighting opposite foes" (McGee 64).    In John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Chari... ...ave a unity under their great love for God. They persevere, and they press toward the kingdom of God through their writings and teachings.       Works Cited Bensick, Carol. "Jonathan Edwards." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed.Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and Company, 1990. 561-564. Edwards, Jonathan. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and Company, 1990. 584-595. McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible Commentary Series: James. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991. New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1984. Wiersbe, Warren N. Be Free. USA: S P Publications, 1975. Winthrop, John. "from a Modell of Christian Charity." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and company, 1990. 226-238.    A Comparison of Winthrop and Edwards to the Apostles of Christ Essay A Comparison of Winthrop and Edwards to the Apostles of Christ      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I find John Winthrop and Jonathan Edwards to be the most fascinating writers I have ever read. For one, they are the "apostles" of our time. Second, their comparisons to the apostles of Christ are too close to ignore.    There are three historical, Christian milestones. One being after the death of Christ where an evangelical movement of Christ's disciples, friends and brothers preached on how Jesus Christ was the Messiah and the Son of God. The second milestone was when the Pilgrims came to America for religious freedom, and many ministers guided and directed the pilgrims toward the "City of God". One of the last historical Christian movements seen is the Great Awakening. This movement was to trade deistic notions of reason and rationality to faith, God, and Divine Providence. Among the apostles of Biblical times, the most influential were Apostles James and Paul. One of the great writers and speakers of his time, John Winthrop represents the second mark, leaving Jonathan Edwards as one of the most remembered preacher of the Great Awakening.    John Winthrop's writings are intensely related to the Apostle James' writings. Jonathan Edwards approaches his audience in the same manner as Apostle Paul, and both carry a burden to lead people to their Savior. Interestingly enough, Winthrop and Edwards are speaking the gospel, but one is speaking to a different circle of people than the other and with a totally different message. Likewise, as someone has written, "Paul and James do not stand face to face, fighting each other, but they stand back to back, fighting opposite foes" (McGee 64).    In John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Chari... ...ave a unity under their great love for God. They persevere, and they press toward the kingdom of God through their writings and teachings.       Works Cited Bensick, Carol. "Jonathan Edwards." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed.Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and Company, 1990. 561-564. Edwards, Jonathan. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and Company, 1990. 584-595. McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible Commentary Series: James. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991. New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1984. Wiersbe, Warren N. Be Free. USA: S P Publications, 1975. Winthrop, John. "from a Modell of Christian Charity." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Canada: DC Heath and company, 1990. 226-238.   

The Global Transportation Industry: Bombardier Essay -- Case Study

Political Factors Being a major player in the global transportation industry, governments are both partners and customers to Bombardier. The transportation industry is seen as a quintessential strategic industry due to its highly profitable nature and contribution to a country's economic growth and prosperity, attracting significant support from their governments. The Government of Canada provides Bombardier with various subsidies such as tax breaks, financing, loan guarantees, and R&D support. The federal government, through EDC (Export Development Canada) administer these subsidies, even providing loans to international airlines enabling them to buy regional aircrafts from Bombardier . Such initiatives are necessary to allow Bombardier to thrive in an industry dominated by state backed international rivals. However, the issue of unfair subsidizing to undercut completion has been subject to legal cases and numerous allegations among the major rivals. The impact of this attention is being seen in the form of more conservative subsidy measures. In the light of such scrutiny, this trend is set to continue, forcing Bombardier to evolve into a more independent self sustained company. Economic Factors Along with the rest of the world, Bombardier has suffered the ill effects of the recession. However, there is an upward trend in the transportation industry led by growing demand and impressive economic growth forecasts in developing nations such as China and India. For the next 20 years, a return to sustained growth in business aviation is predicted, with a estimated demand for 24,000 business jets in all segments in which Bombardier competes. This represents total revenues of approximately $626 billion for the industry. These fac... ...any that is able to sell at a higher rate than cost has a greater chance of being more successful. Overall, Bombardier has been able manage a gross profit in the range of 15-16%. Given the nature of their operations being mostly on a contract basis, meaning that their product prices differ by customer, this shows that Bombardier is able to successfully sell their products at a consistently profitable manner. Additionally, it represents their ability to negotiate with customers. Of great notice is that they were able to maintain their margin levels throughout the recession of 2008-2009. Sources: Wiedman, 2002: http://www.camagazine.com/archives/print-edition/2002/dec/regulars/camagazine25484.aspx Stanford & Eprile, 1999 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6419/is_3_73/ai_n28735186/ SEC press release, 2004 http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2004-144.htm

Rational Choice Theory Human Essay

Kidnapping John was an ordinary struggling employee of a newspaper firm. One cannot tell by appearances what the mind is capable of, or is it situations that can arouse criminal intelligence in any one of us. However, it is when thoughts transform into actions that crime is committed and what is it that causes this transformation: opportunity. Crime Script John sat thinking of possible options. It has been a mistake to switch two jobs in three years. Not only did he not have a decent designation, he barely made enough to sustain himself, let alone repay the $4000 loan installments. Mr. Woolmar, the Boss, did not even know his full name properly in the six months that he had worked, let alone give him any financial help. He would have to do something drastic, something quick and maybe even something illegal. And it would have to be alone. Nothing in office, there were too many cameras. The next-door neighbours just had a baby†¦ kidnapping? Yes, but not a baby. Rob someone, take their cash, ATM, and car. Parking lots are good for that, no police, and hardly any public to get alerted and call 911. Yes, parking lots, that is where most crimes are committed, at least in the movies. Resources and setting up John required first of all, a gun. The only person whom he knew had a gun was his colleague, Sarah, who after attempted burglary at her residence had obtained an official permit to keep a gun for self-defense. He mentioned having to write an article on gun engineering and asked if he could borrow it for a few hours†¦office time only. He would take it at twelve ‘o clock, study the components, and return it at five before she leaves for home. Sarah, as her permit allowed her to carry the gun on her person, bought it to office the next day. All he cared about was that it was small in size, not too visible in his coat. Could have been a toy gun, some do look scarier than the real thing. The mask was cut out of a ladies polo neck shirt that he had bought at Labels yesterday, two holes for the eyes, a little slit for breathing and one for talking. Black, and cotton, he did not want the stifling nervous feeling to make him faint. A sports bag, to carry everything and sports gear, to look like: ‘I have just left gym and an going home. ’ This disguise also allowed him to wear joggers, which made less noise as he approached. Another factor that made him soundless was the linoleum floor of the parking lot. Linoleum is especially designed to absorb noise and shock from car tyres so that parking lots are serene. Little did floor manufacturers know how this ‘benefit’ would transform into a security hazard. He had also chosen a parking area that is mostly vacant during office lunch hours. A block away from his office was Hallman’s Securities: home to few of the richest brokers in the city. These were people who had it all and more. For them, a few thousand dollars amiss would not matter. All this was information gained from his very own newspaper articles. Actors and doing it As soon as it was One, John changed into his sports gear in the restroom, signed out ‘Gone for lunch’ walked two blocks down and started jogging as he approached the parking lot. A few stretches and he even smiled at a few lady lawyers walking out with their coffee flasks who waved back distracted. Most cars he had noticed parked in the morning, as he had stopped on his way to office, were not there. The red BMW was missing, it had particularly caught his attention because of its shine. The guard on duty was nowhere to be seen, lunch hours for everyone, hopefully. He continued with his stretches and hoped for the gentleman who had parked his Vitz at exactly 8:45, at the other end, to come out after a few more minutes when the movement died down. And there he was, navy blue shirt, maroon tie, grey trousers and the salt and pepper hair. Not really elderly enough to make John feel guilty, more of a younger wealthy CEO variety. John could now understand ‘rob the rich, give to the poor. ’ Ducking under the fichus undergrowth, John quickly put on his mask and sprinted to the other end. The gentleman nonchalantly put the keys in the lock, the rustling of leaves in the wind providing further cover to Johns hurried arrival. It was only â€Å"I have a gun, do as I say! ’ that made him stop, stiffen and put his hands up. â€Å"Get into the car, fast, don’t look back! † and John crouched low in the back seat. Once in the car, he could talk more, explain his situation, now that the gun was out of the view. â€Å"Give me your wallet, watch, and anything else that you are carrying! And you had better not hold anything back or else†¦ † said John as he poked the nozzle into his ribs. But the white-faced man was too shocked to comply. â€Å"Can’t you hear me?!! † and the second jolt startled his poor victim into action. John felt like an actor in a play. He had to force the ruthlessness into his voice; it was not coming naturally. Maybe that is how all criminals feel the first time. He wished he had not started this, but it was too late now, he had started committing the offence, might as well go all the way and reap the reward. At least he could thank his oratory skills for not fumbling with the words or faltering in volume to give away his own apprehensions. â€Å"Now you have to drive to the nearest ATM, NORMALLY, smile at people as they pass, NO ONE MUST SUSPECT, YOU UNDERSTAND! † said John, and the car started. Both the villain and the victim were on auto-pilot, like a robot drove the grey-haired man, knowing exactly where to turn, to stop at red lights, stare straight ahead, not looking here or there. John kept his gaze and nozzle fixated at his victim, ignoring the need to look around lest he give away the game. It was a slow mechanical drive. The car stopped at the ATM. It was one of those booth varieties. â€Å"I will wait outside† said John. â€Å"Take out your maximum and be out in two minutes, or I will come and shoot you inside. † Those two minutes seemed like eternity. John kept looking at his watch. What if the man had two cell phones, and had given John only one. What if he will look up the window and see a blue uniform holding a gun at him? A girl passed by the pavement, oblivious of everything except the tune in her I-pod. Then he heard the thud of the booth and saw a flash of Navy blue. Alerted to his teeth, he only breathed as he realized it was his fellow, not the cops. The man turned around and handed the cash. â€Å"That was all the limit allowed. † Silence as John counted the nine hundred and fifty dollars. Add that to the six hundred in the wallet, the five hundred the Tissot would go for, John realized that he would have to execute Part B of the plan, steal the car. Anyway it would be better to have the car to drive off in than to have to disappear from the crime on foot. â€Å"Drive and stop where I tell you! † China town was what John had in mind, there were less phone booths and more Chinese than American in that area. It would take longer for an American to get help there than anywhere else in New York. Jumping onto the passenger seat, John shouted’ â€Å"Get Out! † at the back alley. Yanking the mask off and driving at full speed John neither looked left or right as he speeded to the little repair shop run by the Mexican who had repaired the almost falling-apart foxy belonging to his Indian friend, Ranjeet. That was the only place he had ever seen a shady deal done, when suddenly a brand new Volvo was deposited by two high schoolers who walked away with cash in their pockets and smiles on their faces. The economic and emotional decadence that had disgusted him then, seemed so all right and understandable now. A crime does not feel like a crime if your needs are greater than the needs of your victim. Here too, the actions seemed rehearsed. Stop the car near the garage, walk inside, but a cigarette and open the packet to find the 4 smokes and the amount the Mexican feels is appropriate for the new arrival. Which was appropriate for John as well: A full two thousand and five hundred dollars. He may even give four hundred to charity to wash away his sin. He was just waiting for a taxi as he saw the Vitz being slowly pushed into the repair shop and the gate being closed. A few directions to the Indian cab driver, a speedy drive to office, a rush to the restroom where John changed back into his office attire, leaving the clothes and joggers in the huge trash bin, John was back at his desk at 2:15. â€Å"Rather early lunch? Was it a date? † asked Bob, his colleague â€Å"Yeah, sort of† said John as he finished formatting the article on why it is dangerous to polish guns on your own inside the house. â€Å"Here Sarah, thanks a lot, how do u use this thing? † Rational Choice Theory Human beings are rational creatures. That is why God created heaven and hell. We make the right choices there, because God is always watching. But cops are not always watching, so it is possible for would-be criminals to get away with a lot of things since â€Å"where there is a will, there is a way. † Crime arises when motivation meets opportunity. One may have the mind but not the means. If crimes such as Johns are to be prevented, either one or both of these factors would have to be reduced/removed from society. Motivation for crimes of financial nature, such as Johns, arises from need. It is not a case of a rich man trying to get richer by swindling the shareholders of his company. It is performing the big crime of kidnapping for a few thousand dollars. As said ‘Rationality involves an end/means calculation† (Sutton). Kidnappers may face lengthy terms in prison. The harsh sentences imposed and the poor risk-to-benefit ratio compared with other crimes have caused kidnapping for ransom virtually to die out in the United States. It may be that John was not aware of the consequences of getting caught. Here the question arises as to what were the violent actions the loan shark had threatened to take, that provoked John to risk something greater. A loan shark, is someone who illegally charges interest over the state’s legal limit, which could range up to, or even over 100% and threatens violence or damage to a person’s reputation. John could have come clean to the local police and requested for security. However, if the motivating factor was damage to reputation, it would have been disastrous for John as his career as a writer in a newspaper. A more comprehensive approach is needed to reduce the incidence of such crimes. The government may need to create public awareness about the seriousness and penalties of committing various crimes so that the law is not taken lightly in times of stress. The underlying problem, however, is economical. â€Å"With the new decade of 2010 upon us, little has changed and further victimizing seems inevitable as financial desperation increases globally in more households† (Sifakis, 1999). The government must crack down on the loan shark system and introduce schemes of credit borrowing from the State itself depending on merit and below market interest rates. In fact, why not without interest at all? Interest has been looked down upon in a few religions of the world because it makes the poor, poorer and the rich, richer. Had John had access to such a borrowing system, he may not have fallen prey to a local loan shark. John’s situation mentions that he has no family or friends. A very often and sad situation in the new American society is the loneliness of the individual. In other cultures, expenses and liabilities are shared by family members especially those living in a joint family system. Such a system also automatically keeps an emotional check and an eye on every member where deviance in behaviour or mood is immediately noticed. Problems are discussed and sorted out. When society becomes individualistic and there is less and less of a support structure, financial and psychological factors combine to breed crime Motivation is all in the mind. But the body acts only if there is an opportunity. If there is a situation in which the crime can be performed. John chose not to rob a bank because he did not have access to professional assistants. John chose not to defraud his employer because he lacked the IT expertise and there were surveillance cameras in office. He had the motivation for both of these, but did not have the opportunity so the crimes were not committed. Therefore the government needs to focus on situational crime prevention. This includes making public areas safer for people. Parking lots and parks often get deserted. More surveillance cameras must be installed. Security guards must be employed in shifts. Criminals commit crime mostly because they think they will not get caught. A general awareness of crime prevention must be installed in society. Situational crime prevention does not mean obtaining permits for guns. The more guns there are out there, the more the chances of anyone getting hurt. Obviously a gun is made to kill. One in ten will. The danger of it falling into the wrong hands is too great. Guns get jammed and fire at the wrong times. There have been numerous deaths around the world because of guns kept at home. Another factor in urban crime prevention is to assimilate the various ethnicities of a metropolitan into the community whole-heartedly. â€Å"Immediate steps can be taken to reclaim the urban environment and recreate a sense of community. Migrants in multicultural cities, who have internalized the culture conflict between two worlds, can be assisted in gaining new identities and allegiances† (United Nations Team, 1995). Poverty-stricken, derelict areas on the outskirts of metropolitans are like breeding areas or crime ports, where goods can be deposited, sold, purchased out of need but always with a racial revenge in the subconscious. In John’s case the Mexican was a character, which symbolized this mafia. If at the end of his crime, John did not have a place to sell the Vitz, the crime may not have arisen at all, since no one would be carrying four thousand dollars cash anyway. The crime had not been completed until John sold the car. The victim had time to contact the authorities. However, in such situations a victim’s reactions are often late especially if the aggressor is strong or loud. While the victim was inside the ATM booth he could have looked into the CCTV camera and made signs to indicate his situation. A compulsory self-defense course must be introduced at all private and public schools so that victims are at least able to respond for help at the right time and place. This would ensure a lot of criminals being taken off guard. After a crime is committed, it is the States responsibility to punish. â€Å"The Swiftness, Severity, and Certainty of punishment are the key elements in understanding a law’s ability to control human behavior† (Keel, 1997). The rational choice theory states that the benefit of the crime is greater than the pain: ‘Choice can be controlled through the perception and understanding of the potential pain or punishment that will follow an act judged to be in violation of the social good, the social contract,† (Lilly, Cullen and Ball, 1995). Whenever a crime attempt is aborted, a criminal punished, the story must flash on the media and be registered into the minds of the public, for human beings learn readily by example. Some societies go to the extent of public floggings and executions, so that all ye may learn. Utilizing the media for the good of the community is a governmental responsibility. The State may do much but it is the power of the people that can also be quite a deterrent to crime. † Self-help schemes have proven highly effective in well-organized communities. Specific crime prevention measures, such as neighbourhood block watches and neighbourhood courts, work best in partnership with local authorities, scrupulously avoiding vigilantism. † (United Nations Team, 1995. ) In many metropolitans, for example in Karachi, citizens have joined hands with the local area police to make their localities / cities safer places to live in; an organization named CPLC (Citizens Police Liaison Committee) with the slogan ‘Lets beat crime together’ has distributed car stickers with phone numbers easily displayed so that anyone who notices anything suspicious may inform it. Conclusion All efforts of the State and citizens alike must be more focused on eradicating ‘the way’ (that is, opportunity) because it is easier to eradicate than ‘the will’ (that is, motivation), which requires a long-term strategy. ‘To err is human† and the devil may open his workshop anywhere but as long as there is no opportunity, crime commission does not occur. The rational choice theory states that motivation and opportunity combine for crime commission. However sometimes motivation is not a factor at all. Even if the State and community are ideal, there are serial killers and psychopaths who commit crimes only because there are opportunities. John had the opportunity to kidnap and commit theft and he would have done it even if he were a serial killer who had a fetish for killing grey-haired men, instead of having been driven to it because of financial problems. Sometimes it is just temptation or the thrill of doing something daring and forbidden, that replaces motivational factors such as poverty or racism. So we may conclude that opportunity of crime can be equal to possibility of crime and though economic and sociological environments must be such that they deter crime, it is more relevant for the authorities to focus on situational crime prevention. References Kopel, D. B. (1995). Guns: who should have them?.. New York: Prometheus books. Keel, R. O. (1997). Rational Choice and Deterrence Theory. Lilly, J. Robert, Cullen, Francis T. and Ball, Richard A. (1995). Criminological Theory: Context and Consequences (2nd ed. ). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc. Sifakis, C. (1999). The Mafia Encyclopedia Checkmark Books Sutton, D, Ronald V. Clarke. Retrieved May 17th, 2010 from http://www. criminology. fsu. edu/crimtheory/clarke. htm United Nations. (1995, April). Stop Crime. Retrieved May 17th, 2010, from http://www. un. org/ecosocdev/geninfo/crime/dpi1646e. htm