The Lust For Power How Politics and Personal Rela Essay Example For Students

The Lust For Power: How Politics and Personal Rela Essay tions Become OneThe Lust For Power: How Politics and Personal Relations Become OneWILLIAM YAOThe stories of the Bible reveal a pattern of ups and downs for thenation of Israel. A period of prosperity, faithfulness and fearing God wouldalmost always be followed by a period of destitution, lawlessness and idolatry. This recurring cycle can be linked to political authority, and the level ofseparation of political authority from other influences. The successfulstruggle for liberation under the leadership of Moses and the glorious conquestof Canaan under Joshua instilled a fresh breeze of hope and a renewed faith inGod in the nation of Israel. Guided by God, the nation of Israel met withunprecedented success as they journeyed to the promised land. During this time,political authority among the Israelites rested in the hands of patriarchs, orprominent members within the tribes. These men were righteous figures ofauthority, chosen by God, to lead His people and to teach His ways. The successthat swept over the Israelites was short-lived, however, and for the next twohundred years the people of Israel struggled against neighboring tribes. Thenew generation of Israelites knew neither the Lord nor what he did for Israel(Judges 2:10). They began to do evil in the eyes of the Lord by worshippingother god s and engaging in various sexual activities. To save His people fromtheir enemies and from their evil ways, God raised up judges to rescue them(Judges 2:16). These so-called judges had the political authority vested inthem to lead the people of Israel and to save them from their sins. Theymobilized the people of Israel against invasions of the tribes all around them. We will write a custom essay on The Lust For Power: How Politics and Personal Rela specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now At this time, the nation of Israel was nothing more than a loose confederationof twelve tribes. Israel had no central authority, which meant no unity, noorganization and no power. During the period of the judges, there was no needfor a central government, because the people of Israel were able to defend theirtribal territories effectively against adjoining peoples. Whenever there was athreat from a neighboring tribe, God sent a judge to lead the Israelites againsttheir enemies. As this era came to an end, however, the Israelites were facedwith a much larger problem the Philistines military threat. As theIsraelites were eliminating all the small powers around them, the Philistines,with their iron implements and organization, were becoming an emergent threat. In order to protect themselves from the looming danger of the Philistine army,the Israelites asked for a king to furnish unification, organization and powerfor the nation of Israel. God granted their request, and Samuel reluctantlyappointed Saul in Gods name. The kings function was to provide leadership andto unify the people against their enemies. However, the responsibilities,powers and privileges that came with kingship overwhelmingly went beyond thescope of politics. The personal relationships between the king and his peoplebecame increasingly involved with government. With the rise of the monarchycame a definite change in political authority. As Israel changed from theperiod of judges to the period of the monarchy, politics and political authoritybecame increasingly associated with personal relationships. In the period ofthe monarchs, the separation between politics and personal matters was no longerdelineated as it was before, and politics and personal relations becameinterrela ted. Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge andsaved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived (Judges2:18). God sent judges to lead the Israelites in the process of consolidatingtribal areas and defense against organized enemies. The judges led theIsraelites into battle and also served as reminders to the people to obey theword of God. It is needless to say then, that the judges were leaders of theIsraelites during desperate times. The main reason why a clear distinctionbetween personal relations and political authority during the period of thejudges was possible , was that there was no succession of judges. God chosejudges to lead Israel against its enemies only when they were in need ofleadership and guidance, and in doing so, there was no power struggle or fightfor the crown. There was no specific person next in line to lead theIsraelites, because the only thing important to them at that time was defendingthemselves against neighbor ing powers. It was of no concern to the Israeliteswho the leader was, as long as the leader was competent and effective. Anothercharacteristic of the judges rule that compensated for the separation ofpolitics and personal matters was the brevity of their leadership. Whereas amonarch would remain ruler of the land after conquest, the judges served only asa sort of temporary relief for the nation of Israel.After fulfilling theirassignment as leaders of the Israelites against their adversaries during timesof emergency, they would humble themselves before God and before the Israelites. It is clear that the judges possessed political authority over the Israelites,but rarely did they allow personal matters and relationships to interfere withgovernment. Only in the case of Samson did his personal relationships anddesires come in the way of political authority.There were twelve judges inall, but the Bible pays most of its attention to three of the twelve: Deborah,Gideon, and Samson. .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1 , .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1 .postImageUrl , .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1 , .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1:hover , .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1:visited , .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1:active { border:0!important; } .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1:active , .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1 .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4bd02a964d13e5076d0d56fc3c77dea1:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: John Coltrane EssayDeborah, the only woman leader of the judges, won unquestioned respect. She commanded Barak, son of Abinoam, to battle Sisera, the commander of thearmy of King Jabin. Throughout the story of her triumph, not once was Deborahspersonal relations mentioned. It can be assumed then, that Deborah kept herpersonal relations separate from her political leadership, and was focused onone thing and one thing only the defeat of Jabin and the Canaanites. Forty years of peace ensued after Deborahs military victory, and thenthe people of Israel again began to fall into sin and were overcome once again,this time by the Midianites. God raised up Gideon to direct the people ofIsrael against the Midianites. Gideon defeated the Midianites, and in doing so,was offered an opportunity to be king. However, Gideon declined the opportunityto rule declaring I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. TheLord will rule over you (Judges 8:23). The lack of succession of judges isparallel to the separation of politics and personal relations. There wasevidently no power struggle among the Israelites, because even when offered thepower to rule, Gideon declined. There was no fight for succession of leadershipbecause there was no succession of leadership. The story of Samson can be seen as the transition from the period ofjudges to the period of the monarchy. Samson, although the most gifted of thejudges, had a tragic flaw; he was pitifully unable to control his lust for women. Samsons personal desire for women affected his ability to reason, and thushindered his ability to lead the people of Israel. With his great physicalstrength and hot temper, Samson single-handedly pushed back the Philistines more by accident than by intention. . He was eventually betrayed and ruined bya woman due to his boisterous wildness and careless encounter with Delilah. Godintended Samson for great things. Of all the judges, he was the only one to beannounced by an angel before he was born (Judges 13:3). He was givensupernatural abilities, and his life was specially devoted to God. However,despite all these advantages given to him at birth, his uncontrollable desirefor woman destroyed him. His personal relations destroyed his prospects ofbecoming a great leader among the Israelites. Samsons desire for womenoverpowered his desire to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of thePhilistines, and this led to his tragic downfall. The story of Samson vaguelyforeshadows the connection between politics and personal relations in the periodof the monarchs. It acts as a link joining a period when politics and personalrelations are clearly defined and separate, and a period when they areindistinct and inseparable. Nearing the end of the period of the judges, the Israelites began tonotice that virtually every other nation had a king, while Isarael was nothingmore than an alliance of scattered tribes . The rising power of the Philistinesand other imminent threats to Israelite security impelled the Israelites to askfor a king. A king offered two advantages: first, a king would provide centralgovernment, therefore providing unity and organization; and second, since a kingwould normally be succeeded by his sons, the nation did not have a crisis ofleadership every its leader became old. God despondently granted the wish ofHis people and gave them a king. Samuel anointed Saul as king of Israel, andthe people were satisfied. Military success went hand in hand with bringing thetribes together in one united country, but when the desire for succession of thecrown came into play, personal relations and government become one. Saul was successful as king of Israel until David proved to be a threatto the crown. After David defeated Goliath of the Philistines, the people sangaloud Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands (1 Samuel18:7). Saul thus became jealous of David, for he could not stand to be secondbest in a nation he calls his own. From that point thereafter, Sauls politicalauthority and leadership was no longer concentrated on the good of the nationand the welfare of his people, but rather he focused his efforts on keeping ajealous eye on David (1 Samuel 18:11), and David remained his enemy the restof his days (1 Samuel 18:29). Saul spent the rest of his days searching forDavid in attempts to kill him so that he may regain the respect of his people,and in doing so killed many innocent bystanders that got in his way. This rashoutrage of jealousy and personal hatred for David was critically associated withpolitics. While Saul could have directed his efforts toward the betterment o fIsrael, he was after personal benefit, and this led to his eventual collapse. .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921 , .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921 .postImageUrl , .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921 , .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921:hover , .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921:visited , .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921:active { border:0!important; } .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921:active , .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921 .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7f28a03022fc3e958953808921cb5921:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Is ethnography a suitable meth EssayDavid, having unconditional respect for Saul, spared his life twice, and thusallowed Saul to further pursue him. Saul eventually dies, however, and David ismade king over the house of Judah. Although Davids reign was better than that of Sauls, he too hadproblems. Ish-Bosheth is the threat to the throne this time, while Ish-Bosheths general Abner is a threat to him. Abner slept with Sauls concubine,therefore openly making a claim on the crown. In Davids time, women acted aspolitical symbols. Abners sleeping with Sauls concubine suggested that he hadhis eyes on becoming king himself. In pursuit of David, Abner killed thebrother of Joab, Davids general. As a result Joab had a personal vendettaagainst Abner and was after his life. When Ish-Bosheth was murdered, and it wasevident that David was going to become the next king, Joab murdered Abner. Itis not difficult to see that this soap opera of events is due to the fact thatpersonal relations and politics were interrelated. Either personal relationseffected a political change, or politics effected a change in personal relations. After David is crowned king of Israel, he had problems of the same nature. David, seeing the alluring Bathsheba, wanted her for his own immediately. Heblatantly disregarded the fact that she had a husband, Uriah, and took her forhis wife, having Uriah killed in the process. This corrupt use of politicalauthority demonstrates how political authority and personal relations are linked. Davids son, Absalom, also had his eyes on the throne. He led a conspiracyagainst his father by traveling all over Israel winning the favor of the people,and he also slept with his fathers concubines in public. Absalom publiclyslept with his fathers concubines for political reasons; it made clear hisclaim to the throne. Israelites who held back their allegiance thinking fatherand son would reconcile their differences, knew now that the breach waspermanent; they had to take a side. Again sexual potency and sexual relationsare acutely tied in with politics.David was ultimately confronted with thefact that he must capture or destroy his son Absalom. When he found out thathis soldiers killed Absalom, he mourned deeply. His love for his son collidedwith his effectiveness as a leader.David wept so excessively that itdemoralized the troops who had risked their lives for him and the nation ofIsrael. When Davids time was over, once again there was a power struggle forsuccession of the throne. This time it was between the sons of David, Adonijahand Solomon. Adonijah took initiative and set himself up as king, but Bathsheba,Davids favorite wife, and Nathan the prophet, pulled a few strings to secureSolomons claim of the crown. Due to the efforts of Bathsheba and Nathan,Solomon was crowned king. This pulling of strings demonstrates how personalrelations may engender lasting impacts on politics.If Bathseba had not beenDavids favorite wife, and Nathan had not been Davids trusted advisor, Adonijahmay have been crowned king of Israel instead of Solomon.Solomon also usedwomen to his advantage; he had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. Most of his wives were princesses of nearby tribes, so it can be inferred thathis marriages were politically motivated.He was married to Pharaohs daughter,and had an alliance with Pharaoh. The story of Solomons succession is ascomplicated and as involved with personal relations as his predecessors. As Israel developed from a confederation of tribes into a greatmonarchial power, a notable change took place. As the nation of Israel movedfrom the period of judges to the period of the monarchy, politics and politicalauthority became increasingly associated with personal matters and personalrelations. Personal relations began to affect politics and political authority,and in turn, politics affected personal relations. This change occurred becausethe characteristics of leadership changed. During the period of the judges,there was no succession of power, and because there was no succession of power,no one was fighting for it. The judges were sent to lead the Israelites intimes of need and emergency.Their leadership was only ephemeral, and thus notone of them were able to gain an exorbitant amount of political power. Whenthe period of the monarchy was firmly in place, however, there was a system ofsuccession of power. Even before the king muttered his last words, there werepeopleeagerl y waiting in line to take his place.And if that wasnt enough,people were plotting against the king in hopes of succeeding the throne, evenhis own sons. This feature of the period of the monarchy allowed for the mixingand intertwining of politics and personal relations. The use of women assymbols of power and dominance became abundant as kings challenged theprospective successors, and as prospective successors challenged the kings. Events took place that can be compared to episodes of TV soap operas or MelrosePlace. Politics and personal relations became interrelated, and above all else,the underlying reason was power. As people began to lust for power, for wealth,and for recognition, the association of the two became imminent, and theseparation of the two became impossible. Religion

New Years Eve - Classic Essay by Charles Lamb

New Years Eve - Classic Essay by Charles Lamb An accountant in India House in London for more than 30 years and caregiver for his sister Mary (who, in a fit of mania, had stabbed their mother to death), Charles Lamb was one of the great masters of the English essay. The most intimate of the early-19th-century essayists, Lamb relied on stylistic artifice (whim-whams, as he referred to his antique diction and far-fetched comparisons) and a contrived persona known as Elia. As George L. Barnett has observed, Lambs egoism suggests more than Lambs person: it awakens in the reader reflections of kindred feelings and affections (Charles Lamb: The Evolution of Elia, 1964). In the essay New Years Eve, which first appeared in the January 1821 issue of The London Magazine, Lamb reflects wistfully on the passage of time. You may find it interesting to compare Lambs essay with three others in our collection: At the Turn of the Year, by Fiona Macleod (William Sharp)Last Year, by Horace SmithThe New Year, by George William CurtisJanuary in the Sussex Woods, by Richard Jefferies New Years Eve by Charles Lamb 1 Every man hath two birth-days: two days, at least, in every year, which set him upon revolving the lapse of time, as it affects his mortal duration. The one is that which in an especial manner he termeth his. In the gradual desuetude of old observances, this custom of solemnizing our proper birth-day hath nearly passed away, or is left to children, who reflect nothing at all about the matter, nor understand any thing in it beyond cake and orange. But the birth of a New Year is of an interest too wide to be pretermitted by king or cobbler. No one ever regarded the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left. It is the nativity of our common Adam. 2 Of all sounds of all bells(bells, the music nighest bordering upon heaven)most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the Old Year. I never hear it without a gathering-up of my mind to a concentration of all the images that have been diffused over the past twelvemonth; all I have done or suffered, performed or neglectedin that regretted time. I begin to know its worth, as when a person dies. It takes a personal colour; nor was it a poetical flight in a contemporary, when he exclaimed   I saw the skirts of the departing Year. It is no more than what in sober sadness every one of us seems to be conscious of, in that awful leave-taking. I am sure I felt it, and all felt it with me, last night; though some of my companions affected rather to manifest an exhilaration at the birth of the coming year, than any very tender regrets for the decease of its predecessor. But I am none of those who   Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest. I am naturally, beforehand, shy of novelties; new books, new faces, new years, from some mental twist which makes it difficult in me to face the prospective. I have almost ceased to hope; and am sanguine only in the prospects of other (former) years. I plunge into foregone visions and conclusions. I encounter pell-mell with past disappointments. I am armour-proof against old discouragements. I forgive, or overcome in fancy, old adversaries. I play over again for love, as the gamesters phrase it, games, for which I once paid so dear. I would scarce now have any of those untoward accidents and events of my life reversed. I would no more alter them than the incidents of some well-contrived novel. Methinks, it is better that I should have pined away seven of my goldenest years, when I was thrall to the fair hair, and fairer eyes, of Alice Wn, than that so passionate a love-adventure should be lost. It was better that our family should have missed that legacy, which old Dorrell cheated us of, than that I should have at this moment two thousand pounds in banco, and be without the idea of that specious old rogue. 3 In a degree beneath manhood, it is my infirmity to look back upon those early days. Do I advance a paradox, when I say, that, skipping over the intervention of forty years, a man may have leave to love himself, without the imputation of self-love? 4 If I know aught of myself, no one whose mind is introspectiveand mine is painfully socan have a less respect for his present identity, than I have for the man Elia. I know him to be light, and vain, and humorsome; a notorious ***; addicted to ****: averse from counsel, neither taking it, nor offering it;*** besides; a stammering buffoon; what you will; lay it on, and spare not; I subscribe to it all, and much more, than thou canst be willing to lay at his doorbut for the child Eliathat other me, there, in the back-groundI must take leave to cherish the remembrance of that young masterwith as little reference, I protest, to this stupid changeling of five-and-forty, as if it had been a child of some other house, and not of my parents. I can cry over its patient small-pox at five, and rougher medicaments. I can lay its poor fevered head upon the sick pillow at Christs, and wake with it in surprise at the gentle posture of maternal tenderness hanging over it, that unknown had watched i ts sleep. I know how it shrank from any the least colour of falsehood. God help thee, Elia, how art thou changed! Thou art sophisticated. I know how honest, how courageous (for a weakling) it washow religious, how imaginative, how hopeful! From what have I not fallen, if the child I remember was indeed myself, and not some dissembling guardian, presenting a false identity, to give the rule to my unpractised steps, and regulate the tone of my moral being! 5 That I am fond of indulging, beyond a hope of sympathy, in such retrospection, may be the symptom of some sickly idiosyncrasy. Or is it owing to another cause; simply, that being without wife or family, I have not learned to project myself enough out of myself; and having no offspring of my own to dally with, I turn back upon memory and adopt my own early idea, as my heir and favourite? If these speculations seem fantastical to thee, reader (a busy man, perchance), if I tread out of the way of thy sympathy, and am singularly-conceited only, I retire, impenetrable to ridicule, under the phantom cloud of Elia. 6The elders, with whom I was brought up, were of a character not likely to let slip the sacred observance of any old institution; and the ringing out of the Old Year was kept by them with circumstances of peculiar ceremony. In those days the sound of those midnight chimes, though it seemed to raise hilarity in all around me, never failed to bring a train of pensive imagery into my fancy. Yet I then scarce conceived what it meant, or thought of it as a reckoning that concerned me. Not childhood alone, but the young man till thirty, never feels practically that he is mortal. He knows it indeed, and, if need were, he could preach a homily on the fragility of life; but he brings it not home to himself, any more than in a hot June we can appropriate to our imagination the freezing days of December. But now, shall I confess a truth? I feel these audits but too powerfully. I begin to count the probabilities of my duration, and to grudge at the expenditure of moments and shortest periods, li ke misers farthings. In proportion as the years both lessen and shorten, I set more count upon their periods, and would fain lay my ineffectual finger upon the spoke of the great wheel. I am not content to pass away like a weavers shuttle. Those  metaphors  solace me not, nor sweeten the unpalatable draught of mortality. I care not to be carried with the tide, that smoothly bears human life to eternity; and reluct at the inevitable course of destiny. I am in love with this green earth; the face of town and country; the unspeakable rural solitudes, and the sweet security of streets. I would set up my tabernacle here. I am content to stand still at the age to which I am arrived; I, and my friends: to be no younger, no richer, no  handsomer. I do not want to be weaned by age; or drop, like mellow fruit, as they say, into the grave. Any alteration, on this earth of mine, in diet or in lodging, puzzles and discomposes me. My household-gods plant a terrible fixed foot, and are not rooted up without bloo d. They do not willingly seek Lavinian shores. A new state of being staggers me. 7  Sun, and sky, and breeze, and solitary walks, and summer holidays, and the greenness of fields, and the delicious juices of meats and fishes, and society, and the cheerful glass, and candle-light, and  fire-side  conversations, and innocent vanities, and jests, and  irony itselfdo these things go out with life? 8  Can a ghost laugh, or shake his gaunt sides, when you are pleasant with him? 9  And you, my midnight darlings, my Folios! must I part with the intense delight of having you (huge armfuls) in my embraces? Must knowledge come to me, if it come at all, by some awkward experiment of intuition, and no longer by this familiar process of reading? 10  Shall I enjoy friendships there, wanting the smiling indications which point me to them here,the recognisable facethe sweet assurance of a look? 11  In winter this intolerable disinclination to dyingto give it its mildest namedoes more especially haunt and beset me. In a genial August noon, beneath a sweltering sky, death is almost problematic. At those times do such poor snakes as myself enjoy an immortality. Then we expand and burgeon. Then are we as strong again, as valiant again, as wise again, and a great deal taller. The blast that nips and shrinks me, puts me in thoughts of death. All things allied to the insubstantial, wait upon that master feeling; cold, numbness, dreams, perplexity; moonlight itself, with its shadowy and spectral appearances,that cold ghost of the sun, or Phoebus sickly sister, like that innutritious one denounced in the Canticles:I am none of her minionsI hold with the Persian. 12  Whatsoever thwarts, or puts me out of my way, brings death into my mind. All partial evils, like humours, run into that capital plague-sore. I have heard some profess an indifference to life. Such hail the end of their existence as a port of refuge; and speak of the grave as of some soft arms, in which they may slumber as on a pillow. Some have wooed deathbut out upon thee, I say, thou foul, ugly phantom! I detest, abhor, execrate, and (with Friar John) give thee to six-score thousand devils, as in no instance to be excused or tolerated, but shunned as a universal viper; to be branded, proscribed, and spoken evil of! In no way can I be brought to digest thee, thou thin, melancholy  Privation, or more frightful and confounding  Positive! 13  Those antidotes, prescribed against the fear of thee, are altogether frigid and insulting, like thyself. For what satisfaction hath a man, that he shall lie down with kings and emperors in death, who in his  life-time  never greatly coveted  the society of such bed-fellows?or, forsooth, that so shall the fairest face appear?why, to comfort me, must Alice Wn be a goblin? More than all, I conceive disgust at those impertinent and misbecoming familiarities, inscribed upon your ordinary tombstones. Every dead man must take upon himself to be lecturing me with his odious truism, that such as he now is, I must shortly be. Not so shortly, friend, perhaps, as thou imaginest. In the meantime I am alive. I move about. I am worth twenty of thee. Know thy betters! Thy New Years Days are past. I survive, a jolly candidate for 1821. Another cup of wineand while that turn-coat bell, that just now mournfully chanted the obsequies of 1820 departed, with changed notes lustily rings in a su ccessor, let us attune to its peal the song made on a like occasion, by hearty, cheerful Mr. Cotton. THE NEW YEARHark, the cock crows, and yon bright starTells us, the day himselfs not far;And see where, breaking from the night,He gilds the western hills with light.With him old Janus doth appear,Peeping into the future year,With such a look as seems to say,The prospect is not good that way.Thus do we rise ill sights to see,And gainst ourselves to prophesy;When the prophetic fear of thingsA more tormenting mischief brings,More full of soul-tormenting gall,Than direst mischiefs can befall.But stay! but stay! methinks my sight,Better informd by clearer light,Discerns sereneness in that brow,That all contracted seemd but now.His reversd face may show distaste,And frown upon the ills are past;But that which this way looks is clear,And smiles upon the New-born Year.He looks too from a place so high,The Year lies open to his eye;And all the moments open areTo the exact discoverer.Yet more and more he smiles uponThe happy revolution.Why should we then suspect or fearThe influences of a year ,So smiles upon us the first morn,And speaks us good so soon as born?Plague ont! the last was ill enough,This cannot but make better proof;Or, at the worst, as we brushd throughThe last, why so we may this too;And then the next in reason shoudBe superexcellently good:For the worst ills (we daily see)Have no more perpetuity,Than the best fortunes that do fall;Which also bring us wherewithalLonger their being to support,Than those do of the other sort:And who has one good year in three,And yet repines at destiny,Appears ungrateful in the case,And merits not the good he has.Then let us welcome the New GuestWith lusty brimmers of the best;Mirth always should Good Fortune meet,And renders een Disaster sweet:And though the Princess turn her back,Let us but line ourselves with sack,We better shall by far hold out,Till the next Year she face about. 14  How say you, readerdo not these verses smack of the rough magnanimity of the old English  vein? Do they not fortify like a cordial; enlarging the heart, and productive of sweet blood, and generous spirits, in the concoction? Where be those puling fears of death, just now expressed or affected? Passed like a cloudabsorbed in the purging sunlight of clear poetryclean washed away by a wave of genuine Helicon, your only Spa for these hypochondriesAnd now another cup of the generous! and a merry New Year, and many of them, to you all, my masters! New Years Eve, by Charles Lamb, was first published in the January 1821 issue of  The London Magazine  and was included in  Essays of Elia, 1823 (reprinted by Pomona Press in 2006).

Public safety debate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Public safety debate - Research Paper Example There is a growing concern among the human rights group regarding the morality of such stringent punishments as a means to deter crime. However regardless of such public outcry against the immorality of death penalty, and the violation of human and civil rights it continues to be implemented in different parts of the world. In the wake of high-profile international cases such as terrorism and war crimes which are continuously on the rise which threatens to disrupt the social fabric of the society, capital punishment or death penalties have garnered more support bringing the topic back to public consciousness. Historically, diverse forms of punishment which were implemented to ensure law and order in society have been influenced by a range of factors including social, economic, political as well as cultural, regardless of its impact on the outcome (Strange, 1996; Garland, McGown, and Meranze, 2011; Pate, Laurie, and Gould, 2012). Thus the issue of capital punishment is not merely rest ricted to legal issues but extends far beyond that and the only crucial question that looms large is the one concerning its moral legitimacy rather than its efficacy. It has been often observed that with respect to issues aimed at questioning the legality, efficacy and credibility of policymaking process and its implementation, opinions are often sharply divided and staunch supporters as well as opponents exist that defying the claims made and weakening the arguments put forward by the rivals on either end of the spectrum (Weiss, 1991; Majone, 1989). The literature supporting and dismissing the credibility of capital punishment is on the rise; pointing to opposing conclusions, which itself acts a barrier preventing the formation of an informed public opinion. Some such discussions are included hereunder: Death penalty as a crime deterrent: Proponents of death penalty argue that the threat of punishment acts a deterrent to criminal offenders and prevents them from committing crime. I t attracts large scale public disapproval and has a serious impact on their attitudes towards the criminals thus affecting the morality of those convicted of serious crimes. There is large amount of literature which provides empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of criminal punishment as an effective crime deterrent. Researchers have argued that the fear of such harsh punishment instills a fear of execution among the people and hence results in the reduction of homicides (Dezhbakhsh, Rubin, and Shepherd 2003; Mocan and Gittings 2003; Shepherd 2004; Zimmerman 2004; Shepherd 2005). Furthermore it has also been argued that the threat of punishment induces compliant behavior among the public which results in following the law by the citizens as a matter of habit, thus successfully establishing a natural law and order in the society and safeguarding the well-being and security of the citizens in the process (Siegel, 2012). However contrary to such claims, it has been observed by various researchers that most criminals are unyielding to harsher punishments either due to their ignorance regarding the perceived risk associated with the crimes and the severity of the punishment or their complete lack of knowledge regarding the consequences of their actions (Siegel, 2010; Brody & Acker, 2011). The proponents of death

A South African Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A South African Investment - Essay Example While comprehensive civil rights as well as freedom are critically imperative to all people in order that they can realize their absolute potential and assert their appropriate place in humanity, there are other, supplementary fundamental needs that ought to be satisfied prior to a person worries about spiritual, intellectual and related individual freedoms and rights. It may not be reasonable to offer an individual full government, social, as well as legal rights if they are deprived any reasonable sources of livelihood (Mbendi, 2008). Caltex had the power to influence political policies on the South African government in order that the government may revive its laws. This has happened in other parts of the world, whereby conglomerates influence government policies in order to create a conducive environment for business. Foreign financial investments mean a great deal in any country since it revitalizes the social-economic status of the population and the national economy as well (T obin, 2009). It is an ignominy that Caltex had no problem investing in a country whose laws were exceedingly abhorrent to humanity. In contrast it is factual that in that era, the living standards of the South African minorities as well as the Blacks were in a deplorable state. They vast majority of these populations lived in pitiable homes, and had poor access to high quality educational programs. They were also deprived the right to practice certain jobs or careers, and granted wages that were exceedingly less than that of the white population in South Africa (Nicholas, 2008). For numerous South African Blacks at the time, for whom so several outside the nation had the courage to confront the repressive regime may have chosen to take up jobs at the Caltex plant which granted them better living wages and better workplace environment than in the civil service. It is justifiable to imply that absolute freedom may not have been the priority for all Black South Africans who needed bett er living standards. Therefore, the Caltex plant may have been the category of investments that were essentially required in the country at the time. The only provision Caltex ought to have added would have been the maintenance of reasonable wages and reasonable housing for its black and colored human resources (Mbendi, 2008). Question 2. As a stockholder in Standard Oil or Texaco, it would have been appropriate to vote in agreement with the three stockholder declarations. While it is factual that under the utilitarian philosophies, it might not of necessity have been the most appropriate option for Caltex, Standard Oil or Texaco to desist from investing in South Africa. As a stockholder, it would have been appropriate to vote according to individual conscience. Any financial recompense, such as facilitating the generation of national income from the mining of natural resources or construction of national industries such as in petroleum, appears as unconscionable in regard to the fu ndamental premise on which the South African government operated and survived (Nicholas, 2008). The first resolution demanded that Caltex terminates all its operations in South Africa unless and until the government ceased

Why americans will believe almost anything Essay

Why americans will believe almost anything - Essay Example A major part of the public lays the foundation of its opinions and decisions upon what it sees and hears in the news on television, in papers, or at the internet. Therefore, the conveyers of information hold great responsibility towards what they collect and transmit to the general public. Also, even if the media is being honest and transparent, it depends upon the â€Å"predispositions, especially ideology, that influence what news channel one watches and ultimately what news channel one believes† (Johansen 2). That is, the believability of news from any sort of media, on one hand, depends upon the honesty and transparency, and on the other, depends upon what ideology does the viewer or the reader hold. Hence, to protect ourselves from being susceptible, we should, as citizens, correct our own views and opinions, so that we do not believe all that is being shown to us. Johansen, Morgen. "Dont Believe Everything You Hear: Ideologys Influence on News Channel Believability." Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, Inter-Continental Hotel, New Orleans, LA. N.p., 06 Jan. 2005. Web. 15 Oct 2012. . O’Shea, Tim. â€Å"The Doors Of Perception: Why Americans Will Believe Almost Anything.† Mercola.com. Dr. Joseph Mercola, 2012. Web. 15 Oct 2012.

Season Of Migration To The North | Analysis

Season Of Migration To The North | Analysis Season of Migration to the North tells the story of Mustafa Saeed, a prodigy from Sudan who goes to study first in Cairo and then in London, where he hunts women but eventually falls for one himself. After a marriage consummated by violence and a prison sentence, he returns to Sudan, moving to a small village on the Nile, where he marries again and has children. He disappears mysteriously in a flood. Season of Migration to the North is complex, in its framing, in its episodic style, in its use of metaphor, and in the variety of material it canvasses. It touches on colonial arrogance, sexual mores and the status of women, the politics of independent Sudan, and more. There are lyrical fragments with no direct connection to the story, describing the rhythms of agriculture, travel along the Nile, a spontaneous night celebration by travellers in the desert, and so forth. And there are references to European novels about encounters with the exotic in Africa and the Middle East. Most of thi s is only hinted at, and never elaborated on, but there is enough here to keep students of post-colonial literature busy for a long time. Season of Migration to the North is short and immediate, however, and can be appreciated without any literary theory. http://dannyreviews.com/h/Season_Migration_North.html Most of the rest of the novel concerns his recollections of the exceedingly strange story that MS tells him a story which haunts and oppresses, yet also challenges him in terms of defining his own value system in postcolonial Sudanese society in the context of the new rulers of Africa, smooth of face, lupine of mouth, in suits of fine mohair and expensive silk (118). The life story MS had narrated began with the account of his (British, colonial) schooling, which had led him to the discovery of his own mind, like a sharp knife, cutting with cold effectiveness (22). So brilliant is he that from Khartoum he is sent to Cairo and then to London for advanced study here he is nicknamed the black Englishman (54). In British society he becomes a sexual predator, setting up as his lair a room seductively decorated with ersatz African paraphernalia. Englishwomen of a wide range of classes and ages easily succumb to and are destroyed by him. Three of these women are driven to suicide; while he eventually murders the most provocative of them, who had humiliated and taunted him before and also during their stormy marriage. This act (a sort of sex-murder) is in his own eyes, however, the grand consummation of his life: The sensation that I have bedded the goddess of Death and gazed out upon Hell from the aperture of her eyes its a feeling no man can imagine. The taste of that night stays on in my mouth, preventing me from savouring anything else. (153) Elsewhere MS says of this relationship that he was the invader who had come from the South, and this was the icy battlefield from which [he] would not make a safe return (160). On his return to the village, the narrator at last enters a secret room that MS had built next to his home a replica of a British gentlemans drawing room! Pride of place has been given to MSs painting of his white wife, Jean Morris. The room also contains a book, purportedly the Life Story of MS, dedicated To those who see with one eye and see things as either Eastern or Western (150-151). This brief account cannot accommodate the complicated structure, subtle allusiveness and richly metaphoric style of this difficult text, but may give some indication of its ironic (or sardonic) perspective and of its deep and lasting relevance to the political and cultural predicament of many Africans. Its demonstration of the harsh parallels between colonial racism and local sexism confirms that this text is, as Salih himself has stated, a plea for toleration at all levels. It is an unforgettable work. http://www.arabworldbooks.com/Readers2004/articles/tayebsaleh2E.html That being said, the second storyline, told by Mustafa, a stranger to the village, revolves around him using weak British women for sex and then leaving them so heart-broken they turn to suicide. While its easy to read this as a comment more on colonisation, I still felt uncomfortable seeing so many women reduced to objects or symbols. Since Mustafa was telling the story, though, I believe the objectification rested with him and his character, as opposed to Salih. This didnt necessarily make reading it any more pleasant, but it did justify it, for me at least. Can you sense the murkiness I feel on this aspect of the book? My wrestling with it made my experience of the book less enjoyable, but it didnt diminish the books worth in my eyes. I didnt feel a similar inner battle over the issues of colonisation raised in the book. Mustafa is the primary engine of this; he tells his story of being a smart, poor kid from Sudan who ends up going first to Cairo and then to London to become a fa mous economics professor who simultaneously seems to spend most of his energy sleeping with white British women. He basically learns how to turn British prejudices about the exotic to his advantage, and he talks about seducing girls with stories of imaginary animals running across the harsh, evocative landscape of his childhood. Throughout his narrative, hes portrayed as lacking something vitally human, a kind of warmth towards his fellow species that leaves him all cold intellectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦as a young boy, he doesnt know how to connect with his schoolmates and doesnt even seem bothered by his friendlessness. And once hes an adult, while he must enjoy sex (why else seduce so many women?), he never feels any emotional attachment to the women, and I dont think he even sees it as a way to connect so much as a way to use and dominate. None of the women he encounters are ever shown as real human beings, although the only one to resist him does have more complexity about her than the o thers. As I mentioned in the above paragraph, its all too easy to read this as a metaphor for colonisation. But even while Salih is exploring this, he never makes it a black-and-white issueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦nuances and complexities are explored, and he leaves up to the reader to try to figure out whats being said Your comments on Mustafas emotional coldness exploitation of white women even as theyre also exploiting him reminds me SO strongly of Ellisons Invisible Man, and the narrators conflicted relationship with white women in that novel. Like you with Season of Migration to the North, I was never sure how to feel about that aspect of the story, especially since I cant help locating the objectification with Ellison as well as his narrator. Complicated stuff. During the whole story I was anticipating a shocking twist at the end where we find out that Mustafa Saeed and the narrator are the same person. At the end of the book I noticed the narrator was swimming in the Nile river when he finally decides consciously on living, and that Mustafa Saeed had dissapeared earlier in the story while swimming in the Nile. This suggests possibly that they are the same character, although not clearly enough to leave me satisfied with such a conclusion. Over at wikipedia they must have had a similar idea, because they described Mustafa Saeed as the narrators doppelganger. Their explanation lead me to believe that maybe the narrator had came back so shook from his experience in the West that he didnt know if he wanted to live anymore, and so he had viewed himself in 3rd person through the character of Mustafa Saeed and then finally decided on living while swimming the Nile! NYRB Classics: Season of Migration to the North and Alone!  Alone! Font and Edna return to Egypt at the eruption of the Suez crisis, but Ram stays on in Britain, is ejected because his visa has lapsed, and then works for a period in a factory in Germany. He is afraid of seeing Edna again when he gets back to Cairo and he also avoids seeing Didi Nackla, a young Egyptian journalist who had later lived with them in London. There he had turned to Didi, despairing of Ednas feelings for him, and initiated a sexual relationship with her. Self-deprecating as he is, Ram allows us only glimpses of the actually hugely risky political business he is engaged in. He has been collecting evidence of the torture and murder of political activists in Egyptian jails, where (in a pattern typical of this society) wealthier or higher-class prisoners will not be subjected to such treatment. http://www.litnet.co.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_itemnews_id=51970cause_id=1270 England is leaving Egypt, finally, in 1954. The Egyptian army has overthrown the royal family and instituted a republican system that both embodies the nationalistic and progressive hope of many Egyptians, and also becomes increasingly repressive. The characters, Ram and Font, are Egyptians who are Anglophone and upper class, and so are out of touch with the new order. Ram is an educated, well-connected Copt, probably in his mid-twenties. His best friend is Font, another Copt. Ram and Font spent four years in England and are obsessed with English civilization and culture, but they also despise British colonialism and hypocrisy and they participated in guerilla fighting against the British during the Suez War. The Egypt of BEER IN THE SNOOKER CLUB is at a stage of political, economic, and religious uncertainty or indecision. One of the central issues of the novel is, What is an Egyptian? And the same uncertainty or indecision extends to Rams personal life: what to do with himself, whether or not to live attached to the purse strings of his rich aunt, whether or not to marry, and who? He has been educated in the British school system in Cairo, and dreaming of the mythical London of Piccadilly Circus and pubs, he and his best friends, Font and Edna, travel to England to experience sexual and political freedom and find as well dreariness and meanness and small-mindedness. There he and his lover, Edna, drift apart, and he returns to Cairo understanding that England has killed something natural in him. Sunday, May 20, 2007 How to be kind? And thoughts on Beer in the Snooker Club It occurs to me that people in England, at least, are starved of opportunities to be kind, to be useful. If one watches the eagerness with which people jump up on the bus when someone even approaching old age gets on, and the keenness with which a stranger directs you to the address you cannot find, or gives unsolicited advice in a shop, then one feels the terrible and unexploited desire to be good, when so many situations call for one to be cynical: critical and uncompromising for fear of being taken advantage of, being laughed at, being unnatural. Our suspicion is thus killing something in us, for it reveals to us day in, day out, the frightful, hard, trapped creature we have become, with our knowing faces frozen in a semi-permanent frown or sneer. On a suffocating coach ride, Bath-London, the hulking vehicle turned a difficult corner, and I observed from the window an elderly man making a signal to the driver that is was clear and safe for him to advance. It was a completely superfluous, foolish act, as red-lights prevented the other cars from advancing into our slowly turning rear end, but who amongst us would have wanted to shout out, what are you doing old man; there is no need for your help.? After I finished reading Beer in the Snooker Club by Egyptian writer Waguih Ghali, I lived for a long time with that book in my flat in Cairo overlooking the depressing Ministry of the Interior, and wandering the streets of downtown, burdened further with the thought of Ghali killing himself in the spare bedroom of British publisher, Diana Athill. I felt an immense sorrow that I could not fully explain by my own loneliness as a foreigner. Later I returned to the novel and considered Rams role in his own life, and found it an excruciatingly circumscribed and pitiful one. Ram, that narrator of Beer in the Snooker Club, born to a landowning Coptic Christian family, is the only son of the poor relative: his mother was widowed young and now relies upon the generosity with all its attendant obligations of her siblings. He has been educated in the British school system in Cairo, and dreaming of the mythical London of Piccadilly Circus and pubs, he and his best friends, Font and Edna, travel to England to experience sexual and political freedom and find as well dreariness and meanness and small-mindedness. There he and his lover, Edna, drift apart, and he returns to Cairo understanding that England has killed something natural in him. What Ram subsequently fails to do is to act out his compassion, and desire for other people. And this is during a period in Egypt, the late 1950s, post the 1952 revolution, when the young people are moving out of the spaces and roles formerly proscribed entirely for them by their parents, a corrupt elite and the British presence. Font a dogmatic Marxist, scornful of his privileged roots, adopts the garb and posture of a street vegetable seller. Ram, finds this absurdly and depressingly gimmicky just as the communism of Edna, an Egyptian Jew, and her incessant championing of the fellaheen leaves him cold. So, he reasons, to act righteously in the defense of the downtrodden, is to be a parody both of oneself and ones roots, and of those that one is claiming to stand up for; it is to proscribe who and what is authentically Egyptian and to disdain and reject everything even ones innocent childhood and everyone else that does not take this purging seriously. Ram does act briefly alone and secretly to send photographs to the newspapers that expose abuses by the government. But he jokes that for his pains the real risks involved, he prefers the idea of having gone to prison, rather than the heroic act of actually going. His potent hatred of his wealthy French-speaking familys disingenuineness, their greed and cowardice and sham magnanimousness, does not provoke him to act and speak upon any legitimised, public platform against both them and their class. Rather, Ram chooses to expose himself to ridicule and mere disapproval by performing apparently childish pranks pushing his odious American-educated cousin into the pool, making a scene at a society party. By making it impossible for anyone around him to consider his protests as serious and legitimate political acts, he can be disruptive and irreverent from within; but it is a lonely and claustrophobic role which engenders only greater cynicism and emotional numbness in the young man. As long as Ram divides his time between his politically committed friends and a depraved and decadent elite, he has only the rare opportunity to show kindness, for with the former he feels too self-consciously as if he is performing a political or social role, and with the latter in order to resist the powerful obligation upon him to be the good son, he can only be flippant naughty and rude. http://madny.blogspot.com/2007/05/how-to-be-kind-and-thoughts-on-beer-in.html there is this comparsion of the eastern culture vs the western culture that made the novel intresting to view from one point. ram the narrator is being confused by the two worlds that he has lived with, although he finds himself more with the western culture rather the eastern. I dont know whether or not he intended this, but I enjoyed his terse writing style. I also found it fascinating to learn that Egypt had its own lost generation. Some of the depictions of Cairo and its society and undoubtedly still true today, such as Gezeira Club, of which I am a member. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1231621.Beer_in_the_Snooker_Club?page=1

The Psychology of Serial Killers Essay -- Psychological Murder murdere

The Psychology of Serial Killers Many things today confuse, yet enthrall the masses. War, murder, medical science, incredible rescues, all things you would see on The History Channel. There is another topic that is also made into documentaries however, serial killers. Dark twisted people that commit multiple murders are of interest to the population, but what caused them to be this way. What horrible tragic set of events could twist a man to murder one or many people. Could Schizophrenia, psychopathy, or sociopathy? Many people have researched this topic and believe that childhood trauma, heavy drugs during the growing phase of life, as well as many other things have twisted the minds of men such as Jeffery Dahmer, Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy, and David Berkowitz. Many say that their actions were preventable but many other believe that the warning signs were present and that their behavior could have been modified long before the murders began.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The triad is the name given to the set of characteristic that serials killers are evident of in their youth. The ?typical? serial killer is a sociopath or psychopath that during childhood was subject to three diagnoses: fire starting (pyromania), prolonged bed-wetting, and animal torture. All of these things correlate to a phase in life in which the young person is curious of certain things new to them. Most children grow out of their interest in fire starting when they first get burnt and bed-wetting when they progress out of the same phase. Animal torture is slightly different. Many children enjoy pulling the wings off a fly, or the legs off of other insects however grow up into quite productive members of society. Some children are enthused by larger animals. Jeffrey Dahmer was enthused originally by fish. He would gut them and inspect their organs to examined how they worked. Curiosity being the main reason for his actions, he would also nail frogs to trees an d collect animals that had been run over by cars. Dahmer was less than characteristic in his choice of animals, the most popular victim being cats. Be it throwing felines from high elevations to watch them ?splat? as explained by Ian Brady the Moors Murderer, gutting them and watching how far they can run after, or burying them alive cats have become the general choice among serial killers-to-be. The A to Z encyclopedia of Serial Killers men... ...for these people should be higher. If that cannot be done then in modern day with all the screening at schools for eye sight problems and back problems could psychological tests also be run to screen for the triad or other such symptoms that lead to murder. Can serial killers be medicated and dissuaded from their future murders before they occur? What can be done in order to dissuade murder in modern society? That is what the world needs now.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Newton, Michael. The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. New York: Checkmark Books, 2000. Schechter, Harold, and David Everitt. The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. New York: Pocket Books, 1997. Douglas, John, and Mark Olshaker; Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit. New York, Pocket Books, 1997.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What Makes Serial Killers Tick?. Shirley Lynn Scott. From http://www.crimelibrary.com/about/authors/scott/index.html?sect=1 Angels of Mercy; The Dark Side. Rick Hampton Dec. 2003 Antisocial Personality Disorder: Treatment. Phillip W. Long M.D. Jan 1990. Psychopathic Sexual Sadists The Psychology and Psychodynamics of Serial Killers. Vernon J. Gerberth. April 1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Factors that affect talent planning Essay

1. Introduction This report aims to assesses factors that affects organisations’ approaches towards: attracting talent; recruitment and selection (including an investigatory approach to specific methods used); obtaining a diverse workforce; the process of induction (including a model of an effective induction plan). 2. Attracting Talent 2.1 Brand Identity â€Å"‘Brand Identity’: How a business wants a brand’s name, communication style, logo and other visual elements to be perceived by consumers.† (www.investopedia.com 07/10/14) An organisation with positive image will find it easier to attract and retain employees than the organisation with the negative image, this is due to the aspiration qualities associated with a positive image (i.e. wealth, style, charitable nature etc). A business who hasn’t been well established in its market will find it more difficult to attract new employees than business who is well know, because it’s perceived to be more economically stable. 2.2 Economic Environment The economic stability and funds available to expend on recruitment will have a direct impact on the quality of recruitment processes. One way in which this affects recruitment is effect on how and where the company advertises,  premium recruitment sites charge high fees (however, have very high foot-fall), which non-established or struggling companies would not be able to afford, thus not reaching out to as wide an audience as more successful businesses. Another key factor is the salary and benefits that can be offered to potential employees, either showing competitive rates or lower rates, therefore reducing interest from potential employees. 2.3 Legal restrictions Laws also have influence on organisations’ approaches to attracting talent. For example The Agency Workers’ Regulations that came into force on 1st October 2011 (www.gov.uk/government/publications/agency-workers-regulations-2010-guidance-for-recruiters 07/10/2014). The regulations states that agency workers are entitle to the same working conditions as permanent staff after completing a 12 weeks period in a particular job. It is clear from the following quote that this has reduced agency staff recruitment substantially: â€Å"One-quarter of organisations report they reduced their use of agency worker in 2012 compared to 2011, rising to a third of large organisations† ( The 2013 Resourcing and talent planning survey report www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/survey-reports/resourcing-talent-planning-2013.aspx 07/10/2014) 2.4 Business Objectives The aims and suggested targets of businesses, has a direct influence on the amount of recruitment completed and in which manner. For example: if a business has agreed to take on a new contract, they will need to recruit swiftly and in high volume. However, if a recruiter aims to appoint a higher-managerial position within subsequent months they may need more specific and targeted recruitment to ensure the position is filled more effectively than simply swift, high-volume appointment. For the later it is more commonly seen to use a company’s career progression path( management succession planning ), recruiting or training from existing members of staff. This can have a positive impact on the company’s recruitment as a whole as it shows current and potential staff members that progression is available within the business. 3. Diverse Workforce 3.1 Increasing Productivity It is suggested that diversity in the workplace increases morale and thus employees work more efficiently and effectively. Rose Johnson of Demand Media goes on to say: â€Å"diversity within leadership in a firm allows managers to bring in new skills and methods for achieving unity within their teams.† (smallbusiness.chron.com/advantage-diverse-workforce-18780 07/10/2014) 3.2 Increasing Creativity Acas state: â€Å"having a diverse workforce†¦opens up a wealth of possibilities and helps to encourage and foster innovation.† (www.acas.org.uk/indesx.aspx?articleid=3725 07/10/14). People from different background, ethnic origin or age, will approach tasks in different manners, therefore gaining a wider range of outcomes to potential problems. 3.3 Positive Reputation The advantage of obtaining a diverse workforce is clear. â€Å"An organisation is well placed to understand the needs of a wide-range of customers, interacting with a larger client base.† (www.acas.org.uk/indesx.aspx?articleid=3725 07/10/14). This therefore means that companies with a diverse recruitment policy will be more likely to gain customers and be generally more successful in their market. Clearly a company who recruits diversely does not discriminate, which is another characteristic consumers, potential employees and recruiters will aim to be associated with. 4. Factors that affect recruitment and selection 4.1 Labour market Labour market is : ,,..the market in which employers look and compete for workers and in which workers look and compete for employment ..† (http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/labour-market 10/10/2014) tight/ loose 4.2 Legislations National min wage /eligibility to work in the UK/the Equality Act 2010 4.3 Business context

Delhi Sultanate- Tughlaq and Lodi Dynasties Essays

Delhi Sultanate- Tughlaq and Lodi Dynasties Essays Delhi Sultanate- Tughlaq and Lodi Dynasties Essay Delhi Sultanate- Tughlaq and Lodi Dynasties Essay The death of Aladdin in AD 1316 was a signal of civil war and a scramble for power among rival parties. Mali Kafka got rid of the princes one by one, and assumed power as a regent. However, the slaves of Aladdin hatched a conspiracy against him, and Kafka was murdered. The last Kigali ruler was Koura Khan who was killed by in AD 1320. The nobles, who were tired of the chaos and confusion, raised Sagas-dud- din taught, also called Gaze Mali, to the throne in AD 1320. Sagas-dud-din Taught Sagas-dud-din built a new city near Delhi, which was named Tegucigalpa, after the honesty. He carried out military campaigns against Prate Ruder Dive of Wrangle who was defeated and his empire was annexed. Bengal was also invaded and some part of it was annexed to the empire. He introduced a few administrative reforms. He removed corrupt official and appointed honest and efficient official in the government. Rise of The New Kingdoms The decline of the power of the sultanate led to the rise of a number of new kingdoms various parts of the country in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Important regional kingdoms were, Bengal, Assam, Arioso, Jaunt, Gujarat, Malta, Emmer, Kashmir, Punjab etc. Invasion of Timer Emir Timer, also called Timer the Lame, was the head of the Chitchat Turks In Central Asia. He set out for India from Samaritan with 92,000 horseman. He plundered mercilessly and left behind a trail of blood, torture and bodies of men, women and children. It is said that after the Invasion, Delhi lay in the death of throes of famine for months and a bird was seen moving. The Invasion of Talmud was a fatal blow to the Thought Empire from which it could never recover. The attack also paved the way for the Invasion of India by his great grandson Baber, a century later. Token Currency One of the most daring and original schemes to overcome the shortage of silver was the Introduction of token currency. Bronze coins were Issued which had the same value as that of a silver tank (140 groans). The money we use today Is token money paper notes and metal coins. But In those days It was a new Idea. But as the sultan did not make the minting of the coins a monopoly of the state, every household turned Into a mint. Gold and silver coins disappeared from circulation. Trade suffered. People also began to pay their taxes In the new currency. Finally the sultan cited to withdraw the currency. People returned the bronze coins In exchange of gold and silver coins from the sultans treasury causing great loss to the exchequer. Taxation In Dobb In order to Introduce new crops and cultivate barren lands, Muhammad raised the tax In the Dobb region to half of the produce. Unfortunately, a severe famine broke out In the Dobb during that time and the peasants suffered terrible misery at the hands of officials. Muhammad later provided liberal relief measures Like free food and loans. Kingdoms various parts of the country in the 14th and 15th centuries. The important Emir Timer, also called Timer the Lame, was the head of the Chitchat Turks in women and children. It is said that after the invasion, Delhi lay in the death of throes of famine for months and a bird was seen moving. The invasion of Timer was paved the way for the invasion of India by his great grandson Baber, a century later. The introduction of token currency. Bronze coins were issued which had the same value as that of a silver tank (140 grains). The money we use today is token money paper notes and metal coins. But in those days it was a new idea. But as the sultan earned into a mint. Gold and silver coins disappeared from circulation. Trade suffered. People also began to pay their taxes in the new currency. Finally the sultan decided to withdraw the currency. People returned the bronze coins in exchange of Taxation in Dobb In order to introduce new crops and cultivate barren lands, Muhammad raised the tax in the Dobb region to half of the produce. Unfortunately, a severe famine broke out in the Dobb during that time and the peasants suffered terrible misery at the hands of officials. Muhammad later provided liberal relief measures like free food

Assess the challenge of Post-development theory to mainstream development paradigms Essay Example

Assess the challenge of Post Assess the challenge of Post-development theory to mainstream development paradigms Essay Assess the challenge of Post-development theory to mainstream development paradigms Essay Essay Topic: All Quiet On the Western Front The rise of Post-development theory in the late 1980s through to the 1990s advocated by scholars across the globe (Sachs, Escobar, Esteva, Shiva and Illich to name but a few) brought to the fore more radical interpretations and critiques of mainstream development paradigms. The post-development theorists set about a brutal yet arguably necessary attack upon current development practices and theories claiming to uncover some of the hidden truths behind the Western development project, as Esteva states The time has come to unveil the secret of development and see it in all its conceptual starkness (1992:7). Post-development embarked on a complete rejection of current development practice naming it a failure in every sense. However, others were sceptical, many believing that such a position was unnecessary and indeed unhelpful in terms of suggesting development alternatives, as Nederveen-Pieterse writes Post-development is caught in a rhetorical gridlock. Using discourse analysis as an ideological platform invites political impasse and quietism. In the end post-development offers no politics besides the self-organising capacity of the poor, which actually lets the development responsibility of the states and international institutions off the hook (2000: 187). Under such stark criticism the question often posed is what real challenge does post-development theory have to offer to the wider debate and reality of the development situation, if all it appears to be is semantic hot air? This paper will discuss in detail this very point, arguing that despite its at times, extreme radical view points, post-development has much to offer in terms of challenging our neoclassical interpretations and understanding of mainstream development theory. An initial overview will be given of the progression of development over the last four decades, highlighting the rise of post-development theory in the 1980s through to the 1990s. Following this, an in-depth assessment of the challenges posed to mainstream development by post-development will be given stressing the complexities associated with such challenges. Case studies and critique will be apparent throughout. Post-development theory grew out of a huge sense of dissatisfaction and disillusion with the way mainstream development theory was both constructed and operated. Such mainstream development has been seen as intrinsically linked to Neoliberal policies of economic reform and a dominant western understanding of how countries should progress and grow along the same teleological path as Western societies, the end goal of which being modernization and industrialisation. Mainstream development appeared to be constructed of a single, monolithic and imperialist vision of progress and planning as Escobar notes the idea that poor countries could move more or less smoothly along the path of progress through planning has always been held as an indubitable truth (1992:64). Post-development thinkers date the beginning of mainstream development to 1949 when President Truman made his famous speech, during which as Esteva believes, two billion people became burdened with the label underdeveloped (1992:7). Since that date development theory and practice has moved hap-hazardly through the decades along various initiatives and practices led by Western International Financial Institutions, development professionals and agencies. Development aims and goals were headed up by a number of schools of thought including the structuralists and dependency theorists of the 1960s, the modernisation and basic needs approaches of the 70s, through to the Neoliberal structural adjustment programmes of the 1980s (the so-called lost decade of development). The 1990s and into the 21st century, against the backdrop of the growing Globalisation phenomena, have heralded what is being called a more alternative and participatory approach to development theory and practice, based on a more human development and rights based approach. Scholars such as Robert Chambers have brought to the fore the importance of participatory methods to the development field, advocating methods such as PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) which places a greater emphasis on the role of local people in defining and solving their development problems, a realisation that villagers have a greater capacity to map, model, observe, quantify, estimate, compare, rank, score and diagram than outsiders have generally supposed them capable of (1994:1255). Despite these efforts to give development a human face many argue that such forms of so-called alternative development remain undistinguishable from the mainstream and have arguably merged, The problem is that there is no clear line of demarcation between mainstream and alternative alternatives are co-opted and yesterdays alternatives are todays institutions (Nederveen Pieterse. 1998:349). As development has crawled through the 1990s and into 2000 the gusto and courage of the post-development thinkers has merely been fuelled. Not happy with mainstream development or the alternatives it offers, post-development poses the ultimate challenge, to find not an alternative development rather an alternative too development. With its provocative statements and voice of certitude post-development challenges every development workers mind. The following discussion will draw out some of the key challenges posed by post-development including case studies and examples of development failure. Critique of these challenges will be given throughout. The collapse of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit held in September 2003 in Cancun marked a significant moment in time and provided a stark reminder that mainstream development is not working. At the summit unfair trade rules were met with resistance from more than 71 developing nations who refused to accept the forced agenda set by the rich nations. The result : the collapse of the talks. The failure of the rich nations to accept and negotiate resistance and the subsequent abandonment of the summit, marks what so commonly occurs within such agreements, that of Our way, or the highway! . The very same global advocates of human and economic development as a good for all showed themselves to be the very same hypocritical powers keeping developing nations trapped in crippling poverty through unfair and exploitative global trade regulations, For the developing countries, membership has not brought protection from abuses by the powerful economies, mush less serve as a mechanism of development (Bello. 2003:2). The Cancun Development Round marks a prime example of the ever apparent reality which post-development thinkers so explicitly oppose the hegemonic global dominance of the Worlds super-powers dictating progress and development based only on their terms. It is this profits before people (Kernaghan. 2001:64) attitude based on Neoliberal economics and neoclassical development theory, to which post-development is so strongly against. Mainstream economic development policies touted the world over based on economic reform, lowering of tariffs and trade liberalization in the Southern nations has been heavily criticised for its failure. Such failure has been marked by growing resistance across developing nations who are increasingly dissatisfied with World Bank and IMF Neoliberal prescriptions, and who are calling for a different development. A recent example of this cited in The Guardian, in which Lula Da Silva the elected Brazilian President states that 76% of Brazilians had voted against the current free market economic policy and in favour of a new model of development (The Guardian. 2002:14). The above example of the Cancun talks marks an entry point into a discussion of the challenges posed by post-development. Nederveen-Pieterse describes post-development as a Radical reaction to the dilemmas of development (2000:175), however whether it really is a radical standpoint is debatable, rather is it a more realistic and common-sense view from which to approach the fai de of development of the last 40 years, as the title quote from Esteva remarks In Mexico, you must be either numb or very rich if you fail to notice that development stinks (1987:1351). Post-development critiques the core basics of mainstream development theory taking overt positions on the problematisation of poverty, the portrayal of development as weste rnisation and critique of modernism and science (Nederveen- Pieterse. 2000:175). Drawing on the work of Michel Foucault on power, truth and knowledge many of the post-development thinkers challenge the imperialist, western and dominant form which, they argue, development has taken, believing that the development project was merely a form of neo-colonialism used to maintain the rich nations dominance and the poorer nations subordination, Systematic, empirical investigation of historical, geographical, and demographic conditions engendered the modern human sciences. Their aim for Foucault, was not human emancipation, but the making of docile yet productive bodies (Dreyfus Rabinow. 1983) (In Peet Hartwick. 1999:130). One of the most significant challenges posed by post-development is towards the use of modernism and technology as a development good for all. The neoclassical understanding of development draws on the lure of modern society to encourage the systematic modernisation of developing nations along western developmental paths in which industrialization, technological advance and utmost modernity can be fully embraced. For post-development thinkers, such as Illich, modernization means mass commodification and the rise of global products, a type of modernization which is suited more to the market needs of rich nations. In advocating the rise to modernity, Illich believes that a state of mind is engendered within developing nations, a state of mind which convinces them they are underdeveloped, Underdevelopment is the result of rising levels of aspiration achieved through the intensive marketing of patent products (1997:97). Thus for Illich poverty becomes planned, a scam to force developing nations into an unfair globalized economy producing foreign products for the global market and to, as Illich provocatively puts it surrender social consciousness to pre-packaged solutions (1997:97). And what of the impact the presence of such foreign firms and products have on developing nations? The impacts according to post-development, are only too apparent from the high levels of industrial pollution and environmental degradation to the use of sweatshop labour in the manufacture of global goods. A recent example in the UK press highlights the adversity of these impacts only too well as the largest Coca Cola plant in India is accused of putting thousands of farmers out or work by draining the water that feeds their wells and poisoning the land with waste sludge that the company claims is fertiliser (The Guardian. 2003). The plant employing only 141 people has been condemned by the charity ActionAid as an example of the worst kind of inward investment by multinational companies in developing countries (The Guardian. 003). In the face of such modern catastrophe and technological disaster, such as that of the big D Development Dam projects of the last two decades (including the Indian Sardar Sarovar Project in which over 200,000 people have been displaced, 56% of whom are tribal people (Kurian. 2000:843)), the post-development thinkers call on tradition, self-sufficiency and locally based forms of appropriate technology to resist, challenge and provide alternatives to the domina nt ideologies of modernism touted by global technocrats. The well documented work of Norberg-Hodge writing on Ladakh in the trans-Himalayan region of Kashmir, highlights the importance post-development theory places on traditional ways of life as a means to provide alternatives to development and challenge modernity. Writing on Ladakh, Norberg-Hodge notes how life has changed since external development forces have become increasingly significant in Ladakhi life, When I first lived among Ladakhis in the early 1970s, they enjoyed Peace of mind. The pace of their lives was relaxed and easy. An important element in this stress-free lifestyle was the fact that they had control over their own lives. Over the last thirty years however I have watched as external forces have descended on the Ladakhis like an avalanche, causing massive and rapid disruption (2001:112). She writes of the self-sufficient life which was led before development intervention, and as Rahnema and Bawtree She feels that western society has much to learn from the traditional lifestyle of the Himalayan people of Ladakh (1997:22). However, this challenge to modernism and technology and its call to more traditional ways of life does not go un-criticised. The post-development school is indeed heavily criticised for its over-romanticisation of the past, which some argue serves to artefact people and cultures, as Corbridge writes Post-development romanticises the soil cultures of the social majorities and provides poor empirical documentation of its claims (1999:145). Post-development theory also falls weak in its challenge to modernism and technology in its failure to recognise the liberating effects they may have, for example the use of cyber-technology by the Mexican Zapatistas in gaining international support and recognition, or the Kyapos use of video cameras and planes to defend their culture and ancestral lands in the Brazillian rainforests (an example cited in Escobar, 1995, implying the somewhat contradictory nature of the scholars arguments). One of the key criticisms of the post-development challenge to modernism and technology is that many believe they do not suggest adequate alternatives and merely rely on a glorification of the local, as Nederveen-Pieterse comments on the work of Norberg-Hodge, What is the point of declaring development a hoax (Norberg-Hodge. 1995) without proposing alternatives (2000:188). A further significant challenge presented by post-development is that towards the all encompassing concepts of global good, an example of which is sustainability. Since the early introduction of the concept in the Brundtland Report and its increasing prominence through international summits such as the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, Sustainability and sustainable development have become key buzz words within the development field heralded as a more integrated development goal in terms of achieving long term social, economic and environmental goals for present and future generations. However, as with many initiatives it appears that as increasing numbers of development agencies and organisations jump on the sustainability band wagon, it is proving to be another development good based merely on rhetoric. Indeed misuse of the concept has resulted in it becoming seen as another hegemonic Western discourse. An example of this can be seen in the number of inappropriate environmental projects which have sprung up in developing nations as a result of western use of sustainable development as a powerful interventionist tool. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) in association with the World Bank has been guilty of this, using un-realistic Eco-development projects in India to conserve the environment and create National Parks for Tourist purposes. The projects, carried out with little consultation from local people have resulted in the displacement of indigenous peoples from forest lands. The projects are imposed on the local communities by foreign environmentalists whose initiatives go against the basic livelihoods of those who depend on the forest resources for survival. The use of grand theory and concepts such as sustainable development again become what the post-developmentalists are so against, the imposition of development from centralised, distant bureaucracy which make decisions for communities they have never consulted (Source:2). Esteva writes on sustainability, .. in its mainstream interpretation, sustainable development has been explicitly conceived as a strategy for sustaining development, not for supporting the flourishing and enduring of an infinitely diverse natural and social life (1992:16). As the above example of sustainability highlights, post-development thinkers challenge the use of grand meta-narratives which are so commonly used within mainstream development paradigm. One of the main critiques of post-development is that it offers no alternative, it merely rejects current practice. Schurrman (2000) comments on the loss of central paradigms in development and poses the questions as to whether post-modernism, post-development and globalisation are capable of offering new and exciting paradigms? What Schurrman fears is that perhaps they are not, and as old paradigms are lost, new ones remain absent (Schurrman. 2000) The post-developmentalists would challenge this significantly, as Escobar points out By now it should be clear that there are no grand alternatives that can be applied to all places or all situations (1995:222), reiterated by Foucault who believed that all global theories such as modernization theory, Marxist mode of production theory, or world systems theory, to be reductionist, universalistic, coercive and even totalitarian (Peet Hardwick. 999: 132). These concepts and theories constructed within a western world view are strongly rejected as they challenge the scale at which mainstream development theory and practice operates, calling for more localized, grassroots-specific, bottom-up approaches. The ultimate challenge posed by the post-developmentalists to mainstream development is that of its failure, as Sachs famously puts it, The idea of development stands like a ruin on the intellectual landscape. Delusion and disappointment, failures and crimes have been the steady companions of development and they tell a common story: it did not work (1992:1). From the widening of inequality to the increased spread of HIV/Aids post-development theorists condemn mainstream development to failure. Examples such as the work of Ferguson (1994) on development failure in Lesotho based on rural development called The Thaba-Theska Project funded by the World Bank and Canadian International Development Agency in 1974, or even recent pieces in the Press such as an interview with Michael Buerk in the January edition of the Radio Times, in which he comments on his visits to Ethiopia in 1984 compared to a recent visit in 2004 in which he states The fact is that there are twice as many people hungry in Ethiopia today as there were in 1984 (Michael Buerk. 004:153), all point to failure. Despite the stark truth of development failure in some cases, others argue that such a negative standpoint and utter rejection of development does not ring true across the whole of the developing world, where examples of success and progress have been made. Corbridge offers the following critique, Post-development gives no hint of the extraordinary accomplishments that have defined the age of development, or of the historically unprecedented increases in life expectancies for men and women that have been achieved since 1950 (In India, life expectancies at birth increased for men from 46-60 years between 1965 and 1990, and for women from 44 to 58 years (Corbridge. 1999:145). Criticised for their generalisation of development, overtly pessimistic view points, romanticisation, unproblematised view of social movements and a complete rejection of development, post-developmentalists have themselves not preceded unchallenged. Indeed their tendency to deconstruct rather than reconstruct and the absence of alternatives does make many wary of the fruitfulness of such a standpoint (see Nederveen-Pieterse 2000). However, the beauty of post-development lies not in its answers but in its lack of answers. Post-developmentalists challenge the global super powers and International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank and IMF; they challenge civil society to resist, in similar ways to those of the Mayan indigenous population who through the rise of the Zapatistas have appealed for an end to 500 years of oppression and 40 years of development (Esteva. 994:302) and who call for greater recognition of indigenous rights; they call on NGOs, development Agencies, charities and development practitioners to rethink the way they operate, to question and to challenge the work they are doing; they challenge not only Western scholars but also those of the Third World, in particular on what Peet and Hardwick call Intellectual Dependency Theory (1999:137) a challenge to Third World scholars to move away from the dominant ideologies of Western discourse towards more critical and creative thinking on th e issues facing developing countries; they also pose challenges to themselves, to their body of knowledge which indeed does not provide answers. However, ultimately post-development challenges us, both our mind set, ways of thinking and assumptions. To conclude it must be stated that despite its obvious drawbacks, post-development successfully provides a series of provocative challenges to mainstream development paradigms, indeed Corbridge sums up the power of post-development and the opportunity it provides for future change, Post-development keeps the raw nerve of outrage alive post-development thinkers force us to confront our own prejudices about the agendas of development and the shocking failure of some aspects of the development project. They also provide a human touch that is too often missing in development studies (1999:143).

Gun control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Gun control - Essay Example 1). It is the responsibility of the governments to reduce firearms violence by developing gun control programs that make it more difficult for people to acquire and use guns. Federal, state, and local governments and law enforcement agencies need to better understand the gun violence problem so their limited resources can be effectively employed. This paper argue that gun control policies can significantly influence the number of deaths and injuries from firearms Gun Control Gun control is the government enacting some type of legislation to restrict availability of firearms or ammunition. The majority of governments that have implemented gun control legislation have focused on firearms ownership restrictions and background checks in attempt to reduce firearms violence. The common objective is to reduce a criminal's access to firearms in the hope that violent crime will be reduced. Currently, large urban areas of the United States are attempting to deal with a host of issues related t o firearms violence. Governments have used different types of laws and enforcement techniques in an attempt to eliminate or reduce firearms violence. The large numbers of homicides that occur in these areas have resulted in public pressure to effectively deal with the problem. Jurisdictions have attempted to lower the amount of firearms violence by enacting a number of laws on a whole range of issues related to firearms. ... 63-79) studied gun availability's effect on violent crime and found that a reduction in gun availability reduced the homicide rate and there was some change in the robbery rate. Why Gun Control in Necessary? Firearm injuries and deaths have reached an epidemic level in the United States. No other industrialized country in the world has comparable rates of mortality, morbidity, or financial costs incurred from firearm ownership and use (Fingerhut and Klein, 3290-3295). Firearm injuries are the second leading cause of injury death in the United States, and since 1972 have killed on average more than 30,000 people each year (Marwick, 1). More than 80 Americans die every single day as a result of firearms (Egendorf 74). While trends for the leading cause of injury death, motor vehicles, have been declining, deaths from firearms have increased. In some regions of the country, firearm deaths far exceed motor vehicle fatalities (Hoyert, Kochanek, Murphy 1). A study by Cohen & Steiner (p. 1- 8) ranked firearms as the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. Unlike motor vehicles, firearms are much less regulated. Firearms are not subject to any manufacturing standards or government oversight. For example, in many states, the purchase of guns does not require any licensing, education on how to use them, regulations for storage, or limitations on design or manufacturing (Egendorf 74). In 1998, five out of six handguns made in United States lacked basic magazine safeties to prevent the firearm from firing when the clip is removed or load indicators that would indicate when a bullet is in the gun (Vernick et al., 427-440). Gun manufacturers are producing more and more guns. About 4.5 million new firearms, including two million handguns are sold each year in the

Professional Ethics And Governance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Professional Ethics And Governance - Assignment Example The creativity and the risk taking will provide the decision makers in securing and protecting the risky partnership with the stock of Enron and ensuring that the stock will not fall (Healey and Isles, 2002). The values of Enron that is included in the corporate culture is not balanced and maintained by proper and appropriate attention that is required for increasing the corporate integrity and also acquiring of the customers and not only providing value to its shareholders. The corporate culture of Enron mainly embraces its value which is of large size which is not only considered as the value but also as a strategy in order to attain big mission or objective. Enron has faced a severe failure partly because of the existence of complexity and partly because of its size and the auditors failed , the bankers and the creditors failed, the management of the company failed and even the regulators also failed to safeguard and control the integrity of the capital market (Erwin, 2011). The c ombination of the various failures has resulted in the structural problem of the company. Arthur Andersen has been considered as the most influential, high earning and the most ethical accounting firm of the world. In spite of the rise in the consulting services, the relationship of the firms with its clients the company faced several threats from the investors of its regulators, clients and courts. Andersen failure in maintaining proper audit has both legally and ethically disrupted the various aspects that are related to the development of the ethical standards and accounting theory. The maintenance of quality control which is termed and regarded as the most important element and factor in the accounting profession has also been violated by Andersen (Stevens, 2013). The corporate culture of Lehman brother can be analyzed by the fact that it failed to face the severe and aggressive recession that prevailed in the year 2008 and it went bankrupt. Lehman