Assessment of the War on Terror Essay Example for Free

Assessment of the War on Terror Essay The necessity and the non-necessity of wars in the course of human history and societal change may be seen from two diametrically opposing views. On the one hand, it is considered necessary in the sense similar to Adolf Hitler’s stance on war and its critical function in the evolution of man and society. In his work entitled Mein Kampf, he writes, â€Å"Mankind has grown strong in eternal struggles and it will only perish through eternal peace† (1943, p. 45). On the other hand, pacifist thinkers such as Mahatma Gandhi do not assent to the idea that wars are necessary. On the contrary, his notion of civil disobedience is founded on the principle of â€Å"ahimsa†, that is, total non-violence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Gulf Wars, a term currently used to refer to the series of wars which occurred in the past two decades with its culmination in what is popularly known as the United States of America’s Invasion of Iraq in 2003.The striking fact though is that the different moral convictions of the people is made manifest even in their choice of words to refer to the aforementioned Invasion of Iraq. Invasion is a derogatory word. The concept of invasion assumes the existence of a hostile party who will cause turmoil and havoc within another territory. However, for those who assent to the Bush administration, the proper term is not invasion but rather, liberation. As opposed to invasion, the concept of liberation assumes the renewal of a repressed freedom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These insights point out that human social reality is held fast by systems of power and power relations, most especially in the context of international politics and a globalized, capital-driven economy. Globalization is indeed, the current paradigm. This paper’s task involves an evaluation of the political motivations that can justify the necessity of war. One may perceive the current United States War on terror in two ways. First, one may perceive it as an appeal to the Messianic aspect of man in terms of which man enables the liberation of his neighbor from conditions that restrict his freedom. Second, one may view it as a country’s plight for continuous economic growth thereby sacrificing the life of the few and the interests of other nations for the procurement of its own interests. It is important to note that Bush Administration’s War on Terrorism can be summed as a country’s plight for economic power at the expense of the blood of the â€Å"few†.    If such is the case, the aforementioned war does not thereby adhere to the main propositions of what may considered, as a just war, which states that the use of force by one nation against the other, is always wrong unless the latter has forfeited its basic rights (Lackey 222). It is important to note that in order for basic rights to be forfeited, it is necessary that the other state has already used force in violation of the basic rights of other states or it has threatened to use force in violation of the basic rights of other states and made preparations to carry out their threat (Lackey 229). Another instance wherein a state has forfeited its basic rights is apparent during instances wherein its ability to govern is disrupted by a secessionist movement which is representative in character or when the state in question has engaged in massive violations of basic personal rights (Lackey 229). These conditions, however, were not initially met by Iran before the aforementioned War on Terror. References Hitler, Adolf (1943).   Mien Kampf.   Trans. Ralf Manheim.   London: Houghton Mifflin. Lackey, Douglas.   â€Å"The Ethics of War and Peace.†

Social Networking Effects on Society Essay Example for Free

Social Networking Effects on Society Essay Are Social networking sites negatively affecting our society as a whole? Currently, some media sources are claiming social networking sites like Facebook having a negative effect on society. Social networking sites should be used to the minimum as possible, if it was not used as much the society could have a lot more free time, less bullying, and even less social. Even though many businesses can say it is good for the society in a way where people can get more information or even do business meetings on Skype, another networking site. This paper is going to give information about all things that can affect people in negative ways. Even though there are a few ways it can help, it can still be dangerous without the right precautions. In this example of a social networking site becoming dangerous for society, Jain R. Rishbabh, a writer for the Daily Iowan newspaper, Rishbabh finds one student at the University of Iowa who deleted his Facebook account. â€Å"It just seemed a little ironic to me that a social-networking site was essentially making our society less social.† The student said he was annoyed at the fact he was wasting his time by going on these sites just to look at other people’s lives. Rishbabh found some information saying that people are spending less time on Facebook than usual. â€Å"They are partying like it is 2006,† said David Perlmutter, the director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa. He meant by this that people are less active on social networking sites like in 2006 when it wasn’t as popular. Mainly he is stating that he believes that many people aren’t using social networking sites as much because they are beginning to realize that it is â€Å"wasting their time,† much like the student who deleted his Facebook account, and many people are just getting annoyed of its success. Rishbabh used ethos in a pretty effective way by quoting actual students and socially respectable people. He also used pathos, first by quoting a student who said he it was effecting his study time, and again by scaring you to delete the facebook if you want to do better in school and social life. The logical appeal in which Jain Rishbabh used was that he brought up statistics from the magazine The Inquisitor stating that in recent year facebook growth users has dropped from 89 percent all the way down to a mere five percent. There is another article that has been gave insight on how time is wasted on social networking site. â€Å"Frazzled by Facebook?† an article that was written by Sharon Thompson and Eric Loghead, who are authors for the College Student Journal. In it they talk about how â€Å"almost 75% of teens and young adults are member of at least one social networking site†(Thompson). The main argument is that using the internet communication for longer than a person is suppose to be, may relate to social adjustment problems. They believe this is why because online communication is generally considered to be of poorer quality than Face-to-Face communication and that youth with social skill problems are often deawn to internet relationships. Thompson and Loghead created a survey, which included several questions regarding internet and social networking usage, such as; â€Å"in the past week, how many minutes per day have you spent on the internet?† (Thompson 4) and â€Å"in the past week, how many times have you visited a social networking site?†(Thompson 4). Results revealed that average people who were on thses sites were mainly college students around 19 years of age. Their social behavior was changed because of the large amounts of time the students where on the networking sites. Then the survey testers were split into two different groups, first group was the testers who are users who donts spend a lot of time on a social networking site and the second group consisted of users who are on a site for mare than one hour per day. From these studies, it shows that â€Å"Teens and young adults are spending more time that the Facebook Intensity Scale had expected† (FBI). Now it seems like bullying is happening more than ever. Cyber bullying may play a big part in that, probably because of the large blow up in the social networking sites, and that most people on the sites are the ages between 16 and 21( ). Cyber bullying affects everyone from young children to even college students. Cyber bullying is defined as â€Å"repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones and other electronic devices,† according to the Cyber bullying Research Center. Samantha Miller, an author who wrote an article about cyber bullying and its effect which featured in the American Observer, finds that the cyber bullying is more common than most expect it to be. She also finds out there are many types of this cyber bullying. She calls one an â€Å"invisible tormentor† which she gives an example where, a random girl, that was bullied and didn’t even know about it, and she also did not even know who the person doing the bullying even was. â€Å"Beyond the school house gates† she talks about the laws against cyber bullying in 35 states â€Å"the majority mainly prohibits the act on school grounds,† according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Most of her article represents on how the children to young adults can get harmed mentally through some of these social networking sites, in this way it could be dangerous in a different way than most because bullying doesn’t just hurt people physically but mentally and it could eventually lead to suicide (ABC NEWS). Another good argument about negative effects of social networking is an article written by Brian Feinstein. Called â€Å"Another Venue for Problematic Interpersonal Behavior: The Effects of Depressive and Anxious Symptoms on Social Networking Experiences.† Three hundred and one participants completed an initial survey and a follow-up survey. Results showed that depressive, global anxiety and social anxiety symptoms were not much related with changes in time spent on social networking sites. In contrast, the people being depressed were generally related with increases in negative interactions and negative influence following interactions. Further, global and social anxiety symptoms were generally not significantly associated with changes in the quality of social networking interactions. These findings say that social networking activities are another way in which â€Å"psychological problems manifest in dysfunctional interpersonal interactions.† (Feinstein) Further, different types of psychological problems appear to differentially influence social networking experiences.

Yum! Brands Food

Yum! Brands Food Yum! Brands America is not what it once was. Gone are the times of spending hours sitting on the front porch while grandma snapped a pound of green beans for dinner. Instead, those times have been replaced with speeding through a drive-thru window to grab a quick bite to eat. Foods that were once referred to as slow-cooked, wholesome, and hearty, are now being described by words such as, fast, convenient, and fatty. We now live in an evolving world, where a single moment of free time is branded as wasted time for progress. The fast-food industry has emerged almost immediately. â€Å"Yum! Brands, Inc., was reported as the largest fast-food company in 2004† (Krug (2004) pg. 627). This company is made up of many household brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silvers, and AW restaurants. In the fast-food industry, they are the market leader in the chicken, pizza, mexican, and seafood segments (Krug, 2004). Yum! Brands goal is to be the market leader in the United States, and also increase market share in high growth areas around the world. One strategy that Yum! Brands implemented to increase market share in the United States was to combine two of the companys franchises into one location to attract a broader customer base. This has brought tremendous success to the company. Yum! Brands has since shifted its focus to an international strategy to expand on their current market share. The rise of the fast-food industry is not confined to the United States alone. The world as we know it has evolved into a fast-paced no wait zone. Although based on a countrys culture, the dining practices of the worlds countries are quite different. Some countries remain steadfast to their culture and have been reluctant to embrace the fast-food concept. This presents the strategic issue. How can Yum! Brands continue to expand on their international strategy while sustaining their leadership and competitive advantage in the United States and other countries? We will now address this issue by applying an analysis that will help Yum! Brands decide which countries need to be evaluated and when to expand their company into new markets. In order for Yum! Brands to venture outside of the United States, they must first evaluate the markets in which they are planning to enter. This type of analysis requires a model that evaluates the economic conditions, political stability, cultural differences, resources, society conditions, and supporting industries associated within a given market. Michael Porter of Harvard University concluded that â€Å"there are four broad attributes of nations that individually, and as a system, constitute what is termed ‘the diamond of national advantage† (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner 2007 pg. 240). We will find this analysis to be the most beneficial to Yum! Brands. In this analysis, we will be analyzing what issues Yum! Brands should address before entering a market. These issues are factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries, and firm strategy, structure, and rivalry. We begin the analysis with factor conditions. These conditions reflect each nations factors of production and should be industry and firm specific. Yum! Brands should be looking at what each country possesses, as far as firm-specific knowledge and skills created within the country that are rare, valuable, difficult to imitate, and rapidly and efficiently deployed. If these factors do not exist in a country, then Yum! Brands will need to consider whether the firm can create these factors using their own intellectual assets. One factor advantage for expanding into the Latin American markets, for instance, is that the costs associated with labor and salaries will be significantly less than in the United States. This is due to inflation rates, economies of scale, and unemployment rates. Yum! Brands has been successful in other markets because almost all of their franchises outside of the United States are locally owned and operated. This reduces the language barriers and allows a cultura l perspective that might otherwise be a major concern. By allowing local business people to own the franchise, Yum! Brands gains intellectual knowledge on the countrys culture and consumer demands in a given market. Analyzing demand conditions is important because without knowing what the customers wants and needs are, we cannot efficiently serve the market. In the United States, we know that the demand for fast-food is high, based on our lifestyle and growing population trends. Although in Latin America, this may not be the case, due to consumer awareness and cultural differences. Yum! Brands will need to rely on economic and trend analysts to predict the cultural and societal trends of that market. Among the things analyzed should be the ethnic and immigration trends of that country. In the United States, we have seen a growth in ethnic food, due to the recent growth in immigration. Another thing to consider when analyzing demand conditions is the level of income individuals are receiving. A rise in income stimulates growth in the dine-in restaurant segment as consumers receive higher disposable incomes (Krug, 2004). Yum! Brands may need to expand and improve on existing products in order to s ustain competitive advantage. Related and Supporting Industries deal with countries managing inputs more efficiently. Close working relationships with suppliers is a key factor in gaining competitive advantage. In the United States, we have seen that distribution of products is highly correlated with production. Distribution between states within the country is non problematic, based on the free trade barriers that exist between them. This is also true of distribution to Canada and Mexico, due to the North American Free Trade Agreement that enabled free trade and tariffs between North American countries. Also, the geographic proximity of Latin America to the United States gives the firm an advantage towards supplier power. Yum! Brands will need to assess the supplier power, as well as other related relationships relevant to success, in each market before entering. Also, it is important for Yum! Brands to research trade laws and regulations between their home market and potential foreign markets. Firm strategy, structure, and rivalry is perhaps the most important segment in analyzing a foreign market. â€Å"Rivalry is particularly intense in nations with conditions of strong consumer demand, strong supplier bases, and high new entrant potential from related industries† (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner 2007 pg. 243). In the fast-food segment, we have seen that domestic rivalry is very high within the United States. Although, based on cultural differences in Latin America, the demand is low, because most Latin Americans have not yet acquired a taste for American food. Instead, Latin Americans continue to embrace dining at home. Economics are another factor reflecting domestic rivalry. As we have already discussed, the pay rate in Latin American countries is significantly lower than in the United States. This results in lower consumer demand which reduces the competitive environment in Latin America. How a country is run can also influence domestic rivalry and strategy. With popul ations on the rise around the world, as well as in Latin America, a trend may soon be emerging that will shift all dining practices to a more American style of eating. As long as Yum! Brands continues to innovate and make changes in its internal framework, they should be able to achieve their international strategic goals. It is imperative that Yum! Brands does not venture into foreign markets without first analyzing the market in which they are entering. Also, if they try to expand too rapidly, they may experience limited resources and cash flow. Yum! Brands will want to expand into areas with high economic growth potential, as well as, regions with rising population and political stability. â€Å"Firms that succeed in global markets had first succeeded in intense competition in their home markets. We can conclude that competitive advantage for global firms typically grows out of relentless, continuing improvement, innovation, and change† (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner 2007 pg. 243). Based on the history of Yum! Brands success in the United States, we can assume that the company is a prime candidate to venture into international markets. Works Cited Krug, Jeffrey A. (2004). Yum! Brands, Pizza Hut, and KFC. Appalachian State  University, 627-638. Dess, G. Gregory, Lumpkin, G.T, Eisner, B. Eisner (2007). Strategic Management 3e.  Mcgraw-Hill. Diamond of National Advantage Domestic Rivalry high in the U.S. based on cultural trends economics low in Latin America fast-food versus dining at home Factor Conditions Demand Conditions requires high population low in Latin America modern technology high in U.S. communication systems dining practices language barriers immigration trends tariffs and trade regulations consumer awareness legal system growth in suburban areas banking system unemployment rates labor costs Related and Supporting Industries close proximity to the supplier supplier bases must be prevalent in an industry can a supplier base be created trade barriers can similar suppliers be substituted

The Axiological Dimension of Tolerance :: Psychological Social Papers

The Axiological Dimension of Tolerance ABSTRACT: I contend that tolerance is not the expression of a simple attitude, but constitutes a moral value which penetrates all spheres of social life. My argument assumes that globalization is a fundamental tendency of the contemporary world and that the ideal of such a world cannot be enacted without tolerance. After identifying the constituent elements of this value and its conditions of functioning, we conclude that any reconstruction of human society from the globalization point of view presumes tolerance as a fundamental factor. Functional tolerance assumes that everyone enjoys similar education in the spirit of tolerance at any age and any level. The future of humanity depends upon such a solution in the face of current woes. Overthrown to most intimate structures, the contemporary society sets itself again on the principle of globality. An older global tendency is asking its right to existence. Indisputably, the ampleness and the gravity of the problems confronting the humankind need a global approach, in order to find the saving solution. But "globality" or "mondialization" does not mean a uniform and indistinct totality swarming with the slogan of economic efficiently, no matter how important would it be. A such point of view, if it exists in somebody's mind, is a monstrosity and it cannot be accepted as such. Justified by the condition of the humankind in this millenium end, globalization presumes the difference and coexistent individualities on the ground of common and unanimous accepted values and ideals. In turn, the difference entails the democracy as a constitutive part of a mondializing process. Of course, it is not about a globalization of the democracy, but a need of democracy, which asserts itself in different forms and situation on all the meridians of the earth. It is quite clear that the diversity and democracy are ones of that is named now postmodernism. To live in a world, which is evolving or should be in accordance with these principles is near impossible out of the tolerance. Among others, the tolerance becomes necessarily the guiding star of the individual and human community by their will and action to reach the noble ideals of Good, Prosperity and Peace. But what is tolerance? Keeping its means from the Latin, the notion of tolerance means to support, to allow, enduring. These meanings refer to behavior expressing the acceptance of the individual, community or situation embodied difference. It could be talking about an ontological sense of the tolerance appearing in the endless variety of the manifesting existence forms.

Tech Prep Essay -- Technology Education Essays

Tech Prep Although the development and implementation of tech prep education programs have been in process since the initiation of the Carl D. Perkins Act Amendments of 1990, misconceptions about tech prep education still exist. As defined in provisions authorizing Perkins funds for tech prep, a tech prep education program is a combined secondary and postsecondary program that- leads to an associate degree or two-year certificate; provides technical preparation in at least one field of engineering technology; applied science, mechanical, industrial, or practical art or trade; or agriculture, health or business; builds student competence in mathematics, science, and communications (including applied academics) through a sequential course of study; and leads to placement in employment. Tech prep programs are designed to accomplish this agenda through strategies described as "integration," "articulation," and "work-based learning." Although these strategies are reflective of the various tech prep program components, they are diversely interpreted according to the background, education, and experience of those involved in the tech prep initiative. This publication examines some of the myths that have evolved about tech prep and presents the realities of tech prep implementation. Myth: Tech Prep Is an Integration of Academic and Vocational Education Although tech prep is based on the premise that academic and vocational skills cannot be learned in isolation from each other, integration of the two disciplines extends beyond the merging of existing academic and vocational education curriculum. It requires the introduction of new courses, sequenced in an entire program of core curriculum that leads students to d... ...4 (April 1992): 30-31, 53. Boesel, David et al. National Assessment of Vocational Education. Final Report to Congress, Vol III. Program Improvement: Educational Reform. Washington, DC: Office of Research, U.S. Department of Education, July 1994. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 371 193) Hull, Dan. Opening Minds, Opening Doors: The Rebirth of American Education. Waco, TX: Center for Occupational Research and Development, 1993. Norton, Robert. "DACUM and Tech Prep: Dynamic Duo." Paper presented at the Mid-America Competency-Based Education Conference, Bloomington, MN, June 1993. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 359 339) Stern, David et al. Research on School to Work Transition Programs in the United States. Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, March 1994. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 369 923)

Orlick as the Dark Side of Pip in Dickens Great Expectations Essay

Orlick as the Dark Side of Pip in Dickens' Great Expectations Charles Dickens’ aptly titled novel Great Expectations focuses on the journey of the stories chief protagonist, Pip, to fulfill the expectations of his life that have been set for him by external forces. The fusing of the seemingly unattainable aspects of high society and upper class, coupled with Pip’s insatiable desire to reach such status, drives him to realize these expectations that have been prescribed for him. The encompassing desire that he feels stems from his experiences with Mrs. Havisham and the unbridled passion that he feels for Estella. Pip realizes that due to the society-imposed caste system that he is trapped in, he will never be able to acquire Estella’s love working as a lowly blacksmith at the forge. The gloomy realizations that Pip is undergoing cause him to categorically despise everything about himself, feeling ashamed for the life he is living when illuminated by the throngs of the upper class. These feelings are summed up in Pip’s utter disgust and hatred for the character of Orlick. To Pip, Orlick represents everything that he abhors about himself. When Pip sees Orlick he envisions what awaits him in the future; being ensnared in a life that he couldn’t bear. Orlick, in actualization, is Pip without his high expectations. But there is a much deeper and ominous aspect of the relationship between Pip and Orlick. Dickens uses the character of Orlick to symbolize the darkside of Pip. Pip’s innermost primal feelings and desires are represented through Orlick’s actions, which Pip is ultimately responsible for. These actions ultimately lead to the downfall of both men. In the first scene where we see Pip and Orlick together, there is ... ...eration. It’s ironic that if only Pip had followed through with the original expectations that he had set for himself instead of the supposed greater expectations that he hoped for, he would have been better off. Works Cited and Consulted Bell, Vereen. "Understanding the Characters of Great Expectations." Victorian Newsletter 27 (1965): 21-24. Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. Ed. Janice Carlisle. Boston: Bedford, St. Martin's, 1996. Rawlins, Jack P. "Great Expectations: Dickens and the Betrayal." Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. 23 (1983): 667-683. Millhauser, Milton. "Great Expectations: The Downfall." Dickens Studies Annual 2 (1972): 267-276. Rosenberg, Edgar. "Last Words on Great Expectations." Dickens Studies Annual 9 (1981): 87- 107. Sucksmith, Harvey Peter. The Narrative Art of Charles Dickens. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1970.

Hopes and Dreams

Humans are born with the ability to dream and hope for something better. It is what we do afterwards that determines the outcome. A dream without action is just fantasy. The action is the means to achieve those hopes and dreams. For some people, the belief in our dreams and hopes gets lost through the years. So how do we get back on track and accomplish at least a few of those dreams? The first step is to realize that our dreams are still within reach. It starts with a clear understanding of the difference between what is achievable and what is not.The pathway that leads to our success is filled with small goals that, once accomplished, build our confidence to complete the next one. We possess the ability to establish achievable goals as steppingstones to reach what we hope for. A dream and a goal are two different terms that help in our task. The dream is the final destination and the goal is the path leading to it. One dream can have many goals or directions and strategies that hel p us accomplish it. Each goal is a small step toward the finalization of the dream. We all have dreams. Some are for tomorrow, some are for next week, and some are for years from now.It is within our ability to realize all of them by listening to the heart and completing all the necessary steps. Reality today was a dream or hope sometime in the past. Keep a journal of those things you hope for. Write down the steps or goals needed along to way to achieve each one. Then, every week or every month, review each one to assure that you stay on the correct path to accomplishment. Each review period allows you to make minor adjustments in the goals as life events dictate. We sometimes grow up with preconceived notions that many of these dreams are not considered worthy of any effort to realize them.If a dream is conceived but never believed, it is considered merely a fantasy. Often our lives are restricted to these fleeting fantasies because we don’t have the courage to treat them a s achievable dreams. Change the thought processes in your head so that you are not restricted by perceived impossibilities. Focus instead on the dream and its goals. Give fantasies the chance to turn into a dream by making them an important part of your life. Set the goals needed to fulfill the dream. Dreams are then given attention and can be fully manifested by setting goals.Maintain your focus on the dream instead of the short-term goals to enable fulfillment and satisfaction. While achieving goals offers a sense of satisfaction, this doesn’t provide ongoing motivation. The real power of each goal comes from its connection to the appropriate dream. And, yes, you can have many dreams that are in process all the time. Each of the short-term goals will lead to your objective. Setting smaller, more attainable goals will develop a sense of accomplishment that will ultimately keep you focused on the dream itself. The acronym SMART helps in setting the goals.Simple, Measurable, A chievable, Realistic, Timely. Dreams and hopes live in the heart. They are uniquely you and have the potential to result in who you are gifted to become. Without taking steps to realize those dreams, they are useless. Those people who dream and then set goals to achieve them will experience joy and satisfaction in their lives and a sense of peace in their twilight years. Truly successful people have taken their dreams out of the fantasy and converted them into eventual reality. They have done this by setting realistic goals and constantly reviewing the process to stay on track.