Whether the Realism School Still Works Today with the Iraq War as the Example Essay Example

Whether the Realism School Still Works Today with the Iraq War as the Example Essay | Analysis on Whether the Realism School Still Works Today with the Iraq War as the Example| Word count : 4056 MB240672 Zhao Tiantian (Daisy)| | ProfileAdmin [Pick the date] | 1. Introduction After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it seems that the Realism school of international relations has been at an embarrassing position. The scholars of realism had not predicted the result of the confrontation of the United States and Russia. At the same time, with the further development of other schools of the international relations, such as the Liberalism, Constructivism and English school, the realism school is regarded to undergoing a weakening trend, for its inability to give a satisfactory explanation of so much cooperation, negotiation and other situation in the ever-changing political environment. While does that really mean the realism school of international relations lose its significance to study? The answer is definitely no. As one of the most classical school, flourishing for such a long time, it is bound to have its reasonability on some specific issues. Then does it can still be persuasive in this century and explain some specific events in the world nowadays? Is the realism school still practical in analyzing some situation and worthwhile to keep further study on it? The author thinks it is appropriate to study it with an example of war happened recently to see is there any changed expression of the school. We will write a custom essay sample on Whether the Realism School Still Works Today with the Iraq War as the Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Whether the Realism School Still Works Today with the Iraq War as the Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Whether the Realism School Still Works Today with the Iraq War as the Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In that way, we can understand the school and the world better to promote the development and keep the relatively stable situation of the globe. Even though after the World War Two, there is rare large scale of wars like that, involving so many states or covering so broad area. The disputes, conflicts and wars happened in different regions and among different states, absolutely cannot be compared with the world war. One of the examples of such kind is the Iraq War. On March 20 2003, the United American firstly started an invasion of Ba’athist Iraq with its coalition, the United Kingdom. Before the war, the governments of two states claimed that Iraq’s alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) posed a threat to their security and that of coalition or regional allies. 1 As we all know, after 9. 11, anti-terrorism has become a top agenda to America, so the US government also condemned Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq provides the protection and support of Al-Qaeda as well as financial support for the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. On top of this, the human rights abuses of Iraqi government also could be seen as the reason for the US to start the war. While are these reasons really true without other purpose? The investigators of WMD in Iraq did not find any evidence to prove, on the contrary, they got the conclusion that Iraq had already ended its nuclear, biological and chemical program in 1991 and had no active program at the time of the invasion. 2 Even without the permit from the UN, not conforming to the specific rules of international law, the US started a militarily attack to Iraq surprisingly. So is it really a justice war like that announced by the US government, is there any other reason for the start of the war related to the self-interest of the US? This war could embody what kind of information and be relevant to the realism school of international relations? The author would provide a further analysis on it. First, the introduction of the realism school of international relations would be given, which includes the main principles and several branches of the realism school related to the case studied here. Then the author would also present information of the international law and international organizations to show how the US, as the most powerful state today won its purpose and self-interest and protect its security in the â€Å"anarchy† world. And analysis would start from the reason announced by the US government, how they really embody the real intention of the US. Then try to find is there any other potential reason hided the event in order to prove how the US behaved in line with the realism school. 2. Literature review Realism school of international relations is a kind of theory and practice, focusing on the balance of power among states more than ideality and mortality. There are several fundamental principles of the school. Firstly, the international system is under the state of anarchy which means there is not an authoritarian actor to manage the international society and address the disputes or conflicts among different states. Secondly, the sovereign states are the most significant actors in the international system instead of international organizations, non-government organizations or multi-national enterprises, and sometimes the more attention is given to the great powers which have much more saying in the international interactions. Thirdly, all states within the system are unitary and rational actors. 3Considering the other states response to their own behavior, those states would also pay attention to the outside environment and choose the strategic measures to try their best to survive. Because that states always tend to pursue self-interest and groups strive to attain as many resources as possible. 4Fourthly, the most principle goal of a state is survival and security. â€Å"States seek to maintain their territorial integrity and the autonomy of their domestic political order. Survival dominates other motives because, once a state is conquered, it is unlikely to be in a position to pursue other aims. †5 While for this reason, it is possible to lead to a kind of troublesome situation, called â€Å"security dilemma†. It means one state tries to strengthen its military power by increasing its army or other means which could cause the insecurity of another state. Due to the uncertainty of the other’s real intention, lack of information, incentive to misrepresent and some private information, it is very likely for this state to take the same measures to protect itself. Therefore, these two states would be trapped in the â€Å"security dilemma† and that would easily cause the war. Fifthly, power is given the priority by every state, seeking power especially the military power sometimes is regarded as the top agenda for each state. Only with the power, can a state guarantee its security to further pursue other development and stability. Of course, realism is a complex school which could be divided into several specific branches with each distinguished characteristic. First of all, the Classical Realism holds that in the real world, the weak is always falling to the strong. The anarchy to the world means the law of the jungle, so states pursue the maximization of power. Second, Neorealism also called Structural Realism claims that even though the major actor is state, there is not difference in the function of states. What impact the foreign policies are the various positions of states in the international system structure. Third, Offensive Realism, with the representative of John Mearsheirmer insists on the idea that self-help is the only way to survive without help from the trusted others under the anarchy. Seeking self-interest and establishing its own power are of great importance. What is more, there are Defensive Realism and Neoclassical Realism which the author would not explain too much about them. Then international law should be mentioned here. International law is the set of rules generally regarded and accepted as binding in relations between states and nations. 6It serves as the indispensable framework for the practice of stable and organized international relations. 7Meanwhile, international law is consent-based governance. This means that a state member of the international community is not obliged to abide by international law unless it has expressly consented to a particular course of conduct. 8 Although many kinds of cooperation and negotiation can be seen in the world, it is still reasonable to consider the inherent reason for them. Does that mean a state could learn to become benevolent, doing good things and thinking of others more than of itself? Under such kind of background, because of the only reliable method of self-help in the anarchical world, international law is so weak as well as the international cooperation. With the spread of Fascism and the explosion of the World War Two, classical realism rose rapidly and dominated the theory and practice of international relations during the period of Cold War. Under the great influence of classical realism, not only the study of international law war greatly affected, but also the practices of international organizations were affected negatively. Some scholars of early realism hold that the international law could play part of role in stipulating and constraining the states’ behavior during the fight for power in the international relations. But still many scholars keep doubt to the real function of international law, because of the lack of some important properties like domestic law, such as institutions of legislation, jurisdiction and enforcement. In the book of Edward H Carr, The Twenty Years’ Crisis he points out the nature of international law that â€Å"international law differs from the municipal law of modern states in being the law of an undeveloped and not fully integrated community. It lacks three institutions which are essential parts of any developed system of municipal law: a judicature, an executive and a legislature. 9To sum up, they tend to regard the international law as a kind of original law with serious flaw. On the other hand, due to the short of compelling force, the international law is considered as soft. 10 On top of the mentioned shortcomings of it, the limitation from willingness of states whether to accept the rules, ambiguity of the law’s provision and other factors decide th at there is no room to ply for international law to seek power and secure international relations. Especially in the conflict between the states interests and the use of international law which are strong and weak respectively, law has to submit to the reality, for its pursuit of a kind of â€Å"morality†. If a state’s survival is not a focus of a law, namely, if the existing international system causes the successive problems of survival, it is possible for us to get a pessimistic conclusion that states are still trampling the international law. 1 As for the international organizations, with the increasingly more frequent international interaction and the deeper independence among states, they have also showed new changes, such as the larger scale of the organizations and better network of different states compared with the past. The United Nations is one of the largest and also the most important organizations in the world now with the most members. It is undoubtedly that in the term of controlling the regional conflicts and relieving the expansion of that. But it still faces with lots of challenges, particularly faced with the powerful states holding the superb position, and then its role shows some degree of being weakened which would embody in the following parts of the thesis. 3. Case study After September 11 attack happened in America, Bush, the president of the US announced the war to the â€Å"terrorism† recognized by the US government and put Iraq into the list of â€Å"Axis of Evil†. While on July the 8th 2002, Bush said that changing the Iraq’s regime is one of the American state policies on a press conference, â€Å"taking every measure to realize this goal†. On September the 12th the US government listed the examples of Iraq’s break of its promise to the international community since the Gulf War and urged the UN to take actions to force Iraq to destroy the weapons of mass Destruction. So in 2002, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1441 which called for Iraq to completely cooperate with UN weapon inspectors to verify that Iraq was not in possession of WMD and cruise missile. 2 It is easy to get a conclusion that since 2001, there has already been the tight atmosphere or also can be said that the crisis escalated between the US, the only one superpower in the world and Iraq, an important state in the Middle East with great amount of oil reserve. The reason for starting the war as mentioned at the beginning of the paper, firstly, the WMD problem. The US claimed to search and eliminate the weapons of mass destruction. Regardless of the fact that whether Iraq really held the WMD, it is easy to understand the situati on that it is the possibility that makes the US really worried. It can be considered as a kind of â€Å"security dilemma†. Iraq may develop the nuclear energy for their own purpose instead of hurting any other states. But due to the preconceived idea of Iraq, regarding it as the â€Å"Axis of Evil† and worry of the potential terrorists of the state to make use of the WMD to continue their destruction, it is understandable for the US to take measures to try to get rid of this crisis in order to protect itself. Why the US does not say too much about the same situation happened in other countries, such as China or Japan? It depends on the real interest relationship between two. The Iraq war also related to the principle of the realism school in which guaranteeing the survival is the most significant goal for a state. The US thought the possession of WMD had become a huge threat to its survival and security. The action that Iraq might have WMD led to the insecurity of the US or the fear for that kind of insecurity. Therefore, two states were trapped into the â€Å"security dilemma†. While as the much more powerful one, the US adopted actions firstly. As to the second reason, to end the human rights abuses in Iraq and to establish an autonomous government for the Iraqi seems really weak. There is no permission for attacking a state for such kind of excuses. Even though such situation existed once, it does not mean that is right. Just from this reason, it is can be seen that the US really regards itself as an indispensable mediator with its strong political and economic strength and superb position in the globe. The author claims that many policies and measures taken by the US stand the emergence of a new kind of hegemony which conforms to the realism school. Why is it said as new? Compared with the traditional hegemony of European countries in different historical periods, like Portugal, Spain, Holland and the UK, the US does not seek the marine hegemony, colonial hegemony or military hegemony, and it has a distinguished theory, purpose and process. In the regard of theory, the US preaches its responsibility of maintaining the international order, emphasizing the moral foundation and legality of its behavior. In the regard of process, the US is focus on diplomacy, negotiation, economic sanctions and military intervention. The purpose of the military method is to punish those states which violate the international order and human rights instead of conquering the land through military force. And eventually, through the promotion of political and economic system, the influence on lifestyle as well as the spread of ideology, the US would like to maximize the security and interests of itself and lead the world. Before the Iraq war began on 20 March 2003, France, Germany rejected to join the military attack to Iraq with the US. The US only won the support of its old coalition, the United Kingdom. Even on 20 January 2003, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin declared â€Å"we believe that military intervention would be the worst solution†13 Meanwhile, in March 2003, Hans Bilx, the chief UN weapons inspector reported that â€Å"No evidence of proscribed activities have so far been found† in Iraq, saying that progress was made in inspections which would continue. He estimated the time remaining for disarmament being verified through inspections to be month†. 4 However the US announced that â€Å"diplomacy has failed† and that it would proceed with a coalition of allied countries, called the â€Å"coalition of the willing† to rid Iraq of its alleged WMD. The US government abruptly advised the UN weapons inspectors to leave Baghdad immediately. 15 Under the general circumstances, when the US had not found the evidence of development of WMD and terrorist attack in Iraq, realizing the reason for the war is not sufficient, it should stop its plan invade and turn the follow-up work to the UN and other international organizations. It is regret that America did not do that. What is more, in October 2002 former US President Bill Clinton warned about possible dangers of preemptive military action against Iraq. Speaking in the UK on a Labor Party conference he said: As a preemptive action today, however well-justified, may come back with unwelcome consequences in the future. I dont care how precise your bombs and your weapons are, when you set them off, innocent people will die. 16 Then what is preemptive war? It means that a war is imminent and appears to be unable to avoid, then one of the states would starts the war, considering the first one would enjoy some kind of advantage. And there is also another kind of theory similar with it, called the â€Å"preventive† self-defense sharing the similar connotation. The Iraq war actually happened in this way. Since September 11 2001, the US had already made preparations for this preventive self-defense. It classified the North Korea, Iraq and Iran as the â€Å"Axis of Evil† and delivered a speech in West Point, saying the victory of anti-terrorism cannot be won by self-defense, we have to launch attack to destroy their plans and eliminate the most severe threat in advance. And three months later, Bush’s government issued a document named National Security of the United States explained that even though the US would insist on pursuing support from the international community, it would take measures to practice its right of self-defense and crack down the terrorists preemptively. Therefore, according to the words of President Bush, it is not difficult to find that there are several characteristics of the so-called preventive self-defense. First, only when the US thinks its security is under threat, it has the right to take measures or attack enemies preemptively regardless of the opposition from the international community and objection from the UN. Second, it does not require that the threat is extremely urgent. Maybe a conclusion can be got that the Iraq war is a unilateral military attack taken by the US and the UK, but not being attacked by Iraq or even without solid evidence that the threat is really serious as well as ignoring the undergoing inspection in Iraq conducted by the Security Council. Moreover, the Article 2 of charter of the United Nations â€Å"All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. 17 should be applied as a basic principle of today’s international law and followed by all states. And different from the self-defense in the Article 51 of Charter of the United Nations in which â€Å"Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security C ouncil has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defense shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and hall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security†18 However without getting the authorization from the Security Council to take military sanction on Iraq, enough proof to be at the dangerous position, the US chose to fight. In line of the existing international law, the Iraq War is an illegal use of military force to a sovereign state. In July 2010, Deputy Prime Minister of the UK Nick Clegg, in an official PMQs session in Parliament, condemned the invasion of Iraq as illegal. 19 So return to the realism reflected relevant to the war, it is the strong power of the US that makes it behave in a disorderly manner without fear, making a detour of the UN and violating the international law to realize its own purpose. Even in the 21st century, the international institutions or organizations are still very weak in some situation, especially faced with a superpower. Because this world is still a law of the jungle to a certain degree, the reality of anarchy does not change, even there are some organizations or institutions in the world, what the extent of the role it can play is another story. On the other hand, since the World War One and Two, crisis of oil in 1973 and the Persian Gulf War, states’ leaders have noticed that crude oil is the most important fundamental raw material of the greatest strategic significance. However the major reserve and production area gather in the Middle East where the political situation is always unstable with frequent disputes or conflicts. Therefore, that brings the risks of the provision of the crude oil in the global market. And for that reason, it is likely for us to think the fight for crude oil is or will still be the center of the tense situation of international politics and economy now and future. While the US as one of the greatest consumers of crude oil in the world, conducted fierce competition with other states in this area with conflicts of interests. Particularly after September 11, the US launched the global strategic deployment with anti-terrorism in which also implies the strategic deployment of crude oil. That is why some people analyze we cannot rule out the possibility that the eruption of Iraq war also embodies the pursuit of self-interests in energy of the US. The superpower always places the self-interests on the first place, even chooses a war which is illegal, pretending that justice prevails. 4. Conclusion The realism school seeks the elaboration for the reality of the world instead of the ideal situation. One point of view goes like that since the establishment of the formal international study in 1919, the realism once dominated the realm of it, because it could give an arguable explanation of wars in the world. So the author takes the example of a war happened relatively in recent years to elaborate the role of realism school. As to the Iraq war, firstly attention goes to the reason for the start, even though the excuse is not enough the US still conducted its attack. Secondly, the process of the war, from not getting the permit from the United Nations to violate the international law, becoming an illegal war, proves that the US depends on its own strong national power and the leading role in the whole world without the fear for the sanctions and condemnation from other states or the international organizations. Just like in the argument of realism school, in the law of the jungle, â€Å"power† is a core factor for deciding a state how to behave in the international interaction. Due to the uncertainty to Iraq’s intention, not knowing whether it really holds the nuclear weapons, whether Iraq would use it to do things related to the terrorism, harming the interests and security of the US, the US government decided to take a preemptive war in advance as a rational actor in order to eliminate the potential risks and protect itself. Meanwhile, The US gives the self-interests a priority and tries to affect other states with its great political and economic influence. Therefore, it is natural for us to get a conclusion that even a war happen today could be conformed to the realism school of the international school. Even after the split of the Soviet Union, it is still taking the significant position in the international relations study and can explain much situation in the globe, especially for the war. And of course, even there are more and more international organizations nowadays, but how to ensure they could play the better role in the international community is an urgent problem to deal with the disputes, conflicts and even wars, only by commitment? It still needs to be done more study on that. Bibliography 1. Center for American Progress (January 29, 2004) In Their Own Words: Iraqs Imminent Threat Senator Bill Nelson (January 28, 2004) New Information on Iraqs Possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction Blair, A. (March 5, 2002) PM statement on Iraq following UN Security Council resolution 2. Shrader, K. (22 June 2006) New Intel Report Reignites Iraq Arms Fight Associated Press 3. Realism (International Relations) Wikipedia http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Realism_(international_relations) 4. Realism (International Relations) Wikipedia http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Realism_(international_relations) 5. John I. Mearshelmer (2001) The Tragedy of Great Power Politics pp. 31 6. The Free Dictionary Definition of Human Rights. The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright  ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009.. ttp://www. thefreedictionary. com/international+law. Retrieved 13 September 2011. 7. Slomanson, William (2011). Fundamental Perspectives on Internationa Law. Boston, USA: Wadsworth. pp. 4-5 8. Slomanson, William (2011). Fundamental Perspectives on Internationa Law. Boston, USA: Wadsworth. pp. 4 9. Edward H Carr The Twenty Years’ Crisis (1981) pp. 170 10. Kenneth W. Abbot and Duncan Snidal, Hard and Soft Law in International Governance, International Organization, Vol. 54, No. 3, Summer 2000, pp. 422 11. Robert J. Berk, Anthony Clark Arend and Robert D. Vander Lugt eds,. International Rules: Approaches from International law and International Relations, New York: Oxford University Press Inc. 1996 P. 94 12. Hersh, Seymour M. (5 May 2003). Selective Intelligence, New Yorker. 13. Press conference of Foreign affairs Minister Dominique de Villepin (excerpts). Embassy of France in the U. S. 20 January 2003. Archived from the original on 27 September 2006. 14. Press conference of Foreign affairs Minister Dominique de Villepin (excerpts). Embassy of France in the U. S. 20 January 2003. Archived from the original on 27 September 2006. 15. Iraq War Wikipedia http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Iraq_war 16. CNN Inside Politics. CNN. http://transcripts. cnn. com/TRANSCRIPTS/0210/02/ip. 00. html. Retrieved 23 October 2010. Grice, Andrew (3 October 2002). The Independent. Clinton urges caution over Iraq as Bush is granted war powers The Independent (London). http://www. independent. co. uk/news/world/politics/clinton-urges-caution-over-iraq-as-bush-is-granted-war-powers -607775. html. Retrieved 23 October 2010. 17. Charter of the United Nations pp. 4 18. Charter of the United Nations pp. 14 19. Clegg brands Iraq War illegal in his first PMQs – with the backing of No10, Daily Mail, 21 July 2010

The Three Strangers Essays

The Three Strangers Essays The Three Strangers Paper The Three Strangers Paper Essay Topic: The Stranger The clues that are given about the first strangers profession is that Thomas Hardy writes I have had some rough times lately, and have been forced to pick up what I can get in the way of wearing. So the stranger must be very poor and must be living on the streets.  We suspect that he is lying that he has a job because he says, But you hardly have heard of me.  The second stranger was much different than the first stranger. He had more manners, he was several years older than the first one. He was richer, and all he asked for was shelter to go to Casterbridge. The second stranger makes himself at home. The second stranger was the hangman, he was to hang the clockmaker who stole a sheep to feed his family. The third stranger was very frightened and ran away when he heard about the situation with the stolen sheep, and he was an escaped prisoner. You can tell that the prisoner was frightened because Hardy says, he hid under the tree and it was very obvious that he was hiding there. The first stranger returns, and chats to the second stranger and they go off in separate directions. This builds up a sense of mystery because all the strangers went in different directions which was suspicious and that everyone thought that they would have run in the same directions because they had known each other. I think at the end, this mystery story was designed to entertain and to instruct, because Thomas Hardy instructs us to believe in this story and NOT TO OPEN THE DOOR TO ANY SRANGERS! The other message for us in the story is that Should a man be hanged for stealing a sheep for his family because they are poor and hungry.  In A Vendetta Guy de Maupassant builds up a mystery story by writing about an old widow living only in a tiny cottage who is presently living with her son Anotine Saverini.  It is similar to Thomas Hardys story because he writes about a cottage as well. Different about these is that Thomas Hardy talks more of the surroundings and areas in the setting. They are both in bad moods, because the surroundings are described as a bad mood, like raining and it was a dull day. If an old widow is described in a setting it tells you straight away that this story is going to be a mystery story because an old widow living on her own, there is something bound to happen to her or her son. I think that Guy de Maupassant is trying to intensify the readers interest in the psychology of revenge and the way the person thinks, whereas in Thomas Hardys story he seems to litter his story with intriguing clues and fate leads throughout the narrative. In A Vendetta the ending was more horrific than The Three Strangers, and it keeps the reader entertained. It is about a woman who avenges her son because Nicolas Ravolatti had stabbed him treacherously. The old widow trains her gundog to kill people by grabbing at their throats and killing them.  I believe that although both stories use the usual formulaic devices of mystery story such as lonely and hostile environments, bizarre behaviour and puzzling relationships between people, a resolution or explanation, with a scattering of useful and useless clues (red herrings) there is much more to the mysteries that meet the eye.

Analyse the Role and Use of Initial and Diagnostic Assessment in Agreeing Individual Learning Goals

Initial AssessmentAll learners are entitled to undergo a period of initial assessment. Initial assessment is the process of identifying an individual’s learning and support needs to enable the design of an individual learning plan which will provide the structure for their learning. In other words, it determines the learner’s starting point for their learning programme.Learning need are the skills, knowledge and competence which a learner needs to acquire during the course of their learning programme. Support needs are the additional help that a learner requires to enable; them to address barriers which may otherwise prevent them from fulfilling their learning programme. Initial assessment is a critical process because it represents the first stage in the learning cycle. Failure to accurately identify an individual’s learning needs may result in a learning plan and a learning programme, which does not address learning needs. The subsequent evaluation of learning and training is unlikely therefore to show any benefit to the learner. Initial assessment commences at point of entry, from the contact with the prospective leaner and continues until the point that of the individual learning plan is completed. Further learning and support needs will inevitably be identified through the review process and should be reflected in updates to individual learning plans. Initial assessment should take place over a number of days or weeks. It should not be confined to one session. The result from the initial would indicate what level of Maths and English the learner is working towards in which they are be enrolled on.DiagnosticOnce a learner has completed the initial assessment their level has been set. They will then continue to complete a diagnostic. A distinct form of measurement. Its purpose is to ascertain, prior to instruction, each student’s strengths, weaknesses, knowledge, and skills. Establishing these permits the instructor to remediate students and adjust the curriculum to meet each learner’s unique needs. Therefore, gives a more detail breakdown of what the learner would need to improve on to enable them to achieve the current level set. The student should complete a brief essay explaining why it is important to identify and meet the individual needs of learners and how to use initial and diagnostic assessment in agreeing individual learning goals. (350 words minimum).

Project 2 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project 2 - Case Study Example Salient features of the statement would have included concise project plan, amount of funding to be required, a flexible but well defined timetable for completion of the project and success criteria set beforehand. A prudent thing would have been to match payments with milestones agreed beforehand- this would have provided greater incentive for the workforce to give proper time and attention to the project. Information about the means to generate funding for the project and cooperation between different utilities department should have been included in the SOW to provide an idea about the supporting elements of the metro project and the requirement that any problems which arose because of them should be handled properly and quickly. Ans.2 The problems faced by the project were serious enough to have lengthened the time of completion by almost 2 decades. The problems were manifold; from the unexpected bureaucracy of the labors and the shopkeeper’s demands to the utility lines proving to be a hindrance in construction. However, these were only to be expected from a project of this scope and it was the poor management that was at fault for being unable to anticipate these problems. While it may not have been possible to be have been prepared to handle these problems from the start the project should have included the possibility that they might happen and how the teams would deal with them. The lack of information about the utilities and poor forecast of traffic needs were one of the basic failings of the project design which led to these problems and it seems the designers were unaware of the exact scope. Problems in a project which affects the daily life of millions of people are not bad luck; they are to be expected. Ans.1 The most important thing for the organization is to form an action plan to help their project managers with the client problems they are facing. The project managers all state the same kind of problems with having to

Christianity between South Korea and Japan Essay

Christianity between South Korea and Japan - Essay Example Japan has a long history of Christianity. The first Europeans from Portugal landed on Kyushu, Western Japan in the year 1542 bringing with them the two historically most important things namely gunpowder and Christianity.Japan has continually rejected Christianity throughout her history. She continues to see Christianity as not only something foreign, but also, as having Western influence. This is especially so because many churches have Western architecture and decor. The hymns sung, and the styles of worship are predominantly Western. Unlike in Japan, the practice of Christianity in Korea has a relatively short history. Catholic missionaries were the first to arrive in Korea in 1784, followed by the American Presbyterians and Methodists Protestant missionaries in 1884. The missionaries used invaluable evangelistic tools during the first two decades of their arrival. Christians constitute approximately 25 percent of South Korea’s total population. Many observers agree that the dynamism of Korean Christianity is an outgrowth of the peninsula's unique history as well as the early role of indigenous leadership. In as far as Christianity is concerned, it is evident that Japan lags far much behind compared to South Korea. From the coming of the missionaries up to date, South Koreans have passionately embraced the faith whereas Japanese seem contented in their traditional religions.

Biological Psychology Essay Example for Free

Biological Psychology Essay Biological psychology, also known as biopsychology and psychobiology, is the field of research in psychology that gives emphasis on the use of principles of biology in explaining mental processes and behavior. It emerged as a scientific discipline in the 18th and 19th centuries when philosophers like Rene Descartes proposed physical models to explain animal and human behavior as opposed to subjective, semi-mystical approach that flourished during his time. Some of the Nobel Prize winners who are considered as biological psychologists include Charles Sherrington (1932), George Wald (1967), Konrad Lorenz (1973), David H. Hubel (1981), Eric R. Kandel (2000), and Linda B. Buck (2004). Sherrington and Adrian shared the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physiology for their discoveries that had something to do with how the neurons work. Sherrington postulated his â€Å"law of reciprocal innervation† stating that every neural activation in a muscle is inhibited by an opposing muscle. Adrian on the other hand accidentally discovered the presence of electricity with nerve cells in 1928. Wald is best known for his work with pigments in the retina. Lorenz won the 1973 Nobel Prize together with Niko Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch for their discoveries concerning behavior patterns of individuals and groups. Hubel and Torsten Wiesel shared the 1981 Nobel Prize â€Å"for their discoveries concerning information processing in the visual system.†Ã‚   Kandel won the 2000 Nobel Prize for â€Å"his research on the physiological basis of memory storage in neurons.† Buck is best known for her work on the olfactory system. Information about biological psychology can have wide applications in my everyday life. Through researches on biology applied in psychology, I am able to know more about mental processes and how I behave according to different conditions or stimuli. I am also able to understand psychological abnormalities and learn how to respond to such abnormalities. References Klein, S. B. (2007). Biological Psychology. New York, NY: Worth Publishers

The Turing Test Essay -- essays research papers fc

One of the hottest topics that modern science has been focusing on for a long time is the field of artificial intelligence, the study of intelligence in machines or, according to Minsky, â€Å"the science of making machines do things that would require intelligence if done by men†.(qtd in Copeland 1). Artificial Intelligence has a lot of applications and is used in many areas. â€Å"We often don’t notice it but AI is all around us. It is present in computer games, in the cruise control in our cars and the servers that route our email.† (BBC 1). Different goals have been set for the science of Artificial Intelligence, but according to Whitby the most mentioned idea about the goal of AI is provided by the Turing Test. This test is also called the imitation game, since it is basically a game in which a computer imitates a conversating human. In an analysis of the Turing Test I will focus on its features, its historical background and the evaluation of its validity a nd importance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, the Test itself doesn’t really have any complex features. As described by Haugeland, the procedure of the game is simple. Suppose that we have a person, a machine, and an interrogator. The interrogator is in a room separated from the other person and the machine. The participants in this game use teletypewriter to communicate with one another -- to avoid clues that might be offered by tone of voice, etc.The object of the game is for the interrogator to determine which of the other two is the person, and which is the machine. The interrogator knows the other person and the machine by the labels ‘X’ and ‘Y’ -- but, at least at the beginning of the game, does not know which of the other person and the machine is ‘X’ -- and at the end of the game says either ‘X is the person and Y is the machine’ or ‘X is the machine and Y is the person’.(29-30) The object of the machine is to try to cause the interrogator to mistakenly conclude that the machine is the other person; the object of the other person is to try to help the interrogator to correctly identify the machine. If a machine passes the test, then it is clear that for many ordinary people it would be a sufficient reason to say that that is a thinking machine. And, in fact, since it is able to conversate with a human and to actually fool him and convince him that the machine is human, this would seem t... ...ing Test and scientists of AI have different opinions about it. However there are some facts of which we can be sure of. The Turing Test was invented by a great scientist, it has had a long and rich history of 55 years and has played an important role in the science of Artificial Intelligence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography Artificial Intelligence. BBC. Mar. 3, 2005 Copeland, Jack. Artificial Intelligence: A philosophical introduction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oxford: Blackwell, 1993. Floridi, Luciano. Philosophy and Computing: An introduction. London: Routledge, 1999. Haugeland, John, ed. Mind Design II: Philosophy, Psychology, Artificial Intelligence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  USA: MIT Press, 2000. Hodges, Andrew. Alan Turing and the Turing Test Mar. 15 2005 < http://www.turing.org.uk/turing/scrapbook/test.html> Millar P. H. â€Å"On the point of the Imitation Game.† Mind, New Series, Vol. 82, No 328 (Oct. 1973): 595 par1. Mar. 20, 2005 Oppy, Graham, Dowe, David, The Turing Test, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2003 Edition), Mar. 10, 2005 . Whitby, Blay. Artificial Intelligence: a beginner’s guide. Oxford: Oneworld, 2004.

Doing Business in Russia & Czech Republic Essay

When assessing the market for investment it is also important to be able to identify what risks are presented by these markets. As this project requires a $100 million investment it is crucial here to be able to have a steady economic and political environment to carry out the operations of the business. As of 2004, the Russian government has taken a strong control of the legislation in the region. The government has either help up or has cancelled several big American projects. The new legislation also tends to weaken the rights of the shareholders. Moreover Russia has not been cooperating with the United State in terms of energy agreements. This makes the country and its legal and political associations hostile towards business which is derived form the United States. This along with the political uncertainty in the region makes the investment climate in Russia very unpredictable and unfavorable. However despite this investment in the economy has been growing. Most of this has come from the FMCG and consumer goods sector. The advantage of conducting business and investing in this region would be benefiting from the high standards of technical education and training. However, by investing in this country the business will have to face and combat corruption at every level. Conducting business in the Czech Republic offers problems in the short term related to compatibility issues, registration of the business as well as adaptation to the culture and environment in the region. However the benefit of investing in this region would be benefiting from the tolerance and cooperation characteristics of the work force which enable the country to be economically successful in the long run. The unemployment rate n the country has decreased and the country is moving towards advancement presenting as a favorable market for investing in a business or operations in this region. According to the analysis of the two countries that has been conducted, it would be more feasible and economically viable to invest in the Czech Republic as compared to Russia.

Mayan Culture

Modern Mayan culture has its roots in a very ancient culture. Ancient Mayan civilization spanned more than 3000 years and featured a written language, agriculture, a well-ordered social class system, a well-developed religious system, development of a calendar and trade. Much of the ancient tradition and culture has survived and been incorporated into the modern Mayan culture.ReligionMayan religion is a hybrid of Christianity and ancient Mayan beliefs and rituals. The sixteenth century church, a central institution in the process of conquest, set the tone of the future relationship by working to replace Mayan religion with Spanish Christianity and to Hispanicize Mayan culture in general. (Stoll, 2003)Although many of their Gods have been replaced with statues of Christianity, the stories barely resemble the Christian versions. Today, devout Maya worship at mountain and cave shrines, making offerings of chickens, candles and incense with a ritual alcoholic drink.The Maya are a very su perstitious people and have countless superstitions regarding events in mature which forewarn the observer of sickness, disaster, and death. Shaman/ daykeepers keep count of the 260 day ritual calendar and provide healing by identifying curses and offended ancestors, counting seeds and crystals in their divinations, and performing curando rituals.MarriageMayan marriage is not prearranged by the family, although in ancient times it was accepted practice. In the more traditional villages, the young man must still ask the father for his daughters hand in marriage and certain rituals are followed. There is a traditional engagement and wedding  ritual dance that many Maya use in their wedding ceremonies. Most young married couples will live with either set of parents until they can begin a household on their own.The average marriage age of Maya people is 16 for females and 19 for males. Very few Maya remain unmarried as family and children are very important to the Maya.FamilyFamily is a very important part of Maya culture. The average Maya family will have 6-8 children and most newlyweds have their first child within a year of marriage. In the domestic life of the Maya, family ties are strong, although outward displays of affection, such as kissing and embracing, are rare. Couples are considered affectionate if they carry out their respective duties faithfully. To their babies, however, the Maya are demonstrative and fondle and caress them, using baby talk as white parents do. It is evident that most parents are very fond of their children. Very rarely do fathers chastise their children physically and the mothers resort to harsh punishment only occasionally.  Ã‚   (Steggerda, 1941, p. 49)Food Production StrategiesMany of the Mayan still live much the way they did when the Europeans came, weaving, cultivating corn and beans and collecting firewood to cook and heat their adobe houses. Electricity and road access have not changed the local traditions. Corn, which was cultivated by the ancient Mayans, remains the main crop. Most farmers still use the slash and burn method of farming used by their ancestors.Other strategies are share cropping and renting land to grow corn crops. The Maya form groups of up to twenty men, usually kin, rent a large piece of land, and divide it among themselves. Although this arrangement is much preferred to wage labor on the plantations, it   requires a minimum amount of capital for transportation, food, tools, seed, and so on, and expertise in dealing with the Ladino world. Many lack these resources and are forced into the largest of the temporary migratory streams. (Early, 1982, p. 88)Outside ContactThe Maya, like most people who live in small and homogeneous groups where strong social controls operate, are conservative and unprogressive. Slow to take up new ideas, their attitudes and their material culture have been very little changed by modern trends and technological developments. Their pottery, weaving, and cross-stitch work have remained very much the same during the entire history of Yucatan. In general, they have not adopted the Spanish language but rather the Spaniards have adopted the Maya language.Their mode of dress has not changed appreciably for hundreds of years, and it is my belief that their daily life is very similar to that which their ancestors led. Only in the large Yucatan towns and cities, where social contacts are freer and where social controls cannot be maintained as strongly as in the smaller communities, are there signs of change. In such towns the European mode of dress is gradually being adopted, especially by the women, and cosmetics are commonly used. The people petition the government for radios, electric lights, and corn-grinding machines, and the idea of progress is gaining a hold in their minds. The cooperative movement and similar modern methods of economic organization are being tried. (Steggerda, 1941, p. 37)In Belize, the founding of the Maya Vil lage Indigenous Experience is attempting to change the limited outside contact of the Maya culture by exposing it to tourism. They hope to bring money to the communities and improve the quality of life in the villages. (Steinberg, 2004)Many other Mayan communities are following this example in an effort to become more modern but they maintain the ancient rituals and beliefs, much like modern day New Orleans.These five concepts show the history and persevering culture of the Mayan people. Traditions with religion and family provide a rich background to pass on to the next generation. While they are struggling to enter the modern age, many of the more traditional Maya see no problem with the lifestyle they currently possess.Living in the United States, technology is readily available and most people are adept at using it. Things we take for granted such as telephones, computers, television, and automobiles are slow to make their way into the more rural areas of the Maya culture but th ey live full lives without these things. This is a huge culture difference because most Americans do not believe they can live without technology.The family tradition is also vastly different. Americans live a much faster paced life and many things must be balanced: work, children, marriage. Mayan women are traditional homemakers and Mayan men do the heavy labor. American women do many of the heavy labor jobs and not many people can afford to stay home with the children full time.Both cultures have pro’s and con’s to their lifestyle and culture but both are ever changing and adapting to the world around them. Both realize the importance of religion within a culture and continuing the race through children. The United States, however, is not one culture but hundreds and this gives it a unique background. It is much more varied than the ancient Mayan history the modern Maya still cultivate.ReferencesEarly, J. D. (1982). The Demographic Structure and Evolution of a Peasan t System: The Guatemalan Population. Boca Raton, FL: University Presses of Florida.Steggerda, M. (1941). Maya Indians of Yucatan. Washington, DC: Carnegie Institution of Washington.Steinberg, M. K. (1994, Summer). Tourism Development and Indigenous People: The Maya Experience in Southern Belize. Focus, 44, 17+. Retrieved June 08, 2007, from Questia database: https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-19897117/tourism-development-and-indigenous-people-the-mayaStoll, D. (2003). Dow, James W. & Alan R. Sandstorm (Eds). Holy Saints and Fiery Preachers: The Anthropology of Protestantism in Mexico and Central America. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 9(3), 595+. Retrieved June 09, 2007

Battle of Verdun in World War I

Battle of Verdun in World War I The Battle of Verdun was fought during World War I (1914-1918) and lasted from February 21, 1916 until December 18, 1916. The longest and largest battle fought on the Western Front during the conflict, Verdun saw German forces attempt to gain the high ground around the city while drawing the French reserves into a battle of annihilation. Striking on February 21, the Germans made early gains until increasing French resistance and the arrival of reinforcements turned the battle into a grinding, bloody affair. Fighting continued through the summer and saw the French commence counterattacks in August. This was followed by a major counteroffensive on October which ultimately reclaimed much of the ground lost earlier in the year to the Germans. Ending in December, the Battle of Verdun soon became an iconic symbol of French resolve to defend their country. Background By 1915, the Western Front had become a stalemate as both sides engaged in trench warfare. Unable to achieve a decisive breakthrough, offensives simply resulted in heavy casualties with little gain. Seeking to shatter the Anglo-French lines, the German Chief of Staff Erich von Falkenhayn began planning a massive assault on the French city of Verdun. A fortress town on the Meuse River, Verdun protected the plains of Champagne and the approaches to Paris. Surrounded by rings of forts and batteries, Verduns defenses had been weakened in 1915, as artillery was shifted to other sections of the line (Map). Despite its reputation as a fortress, Verdun was selected as it was located in a salient in German lines and could only be supplied by a single road, the Voie Sacrà ©e, from a railhead located at Bar-le-Duc. Conversely, the Germans would be able to attack the city from three sides while enjoying a much stronger logistical network. With these advantages in hand, von Falkenhayn believed that Verdun would only be able to hold out for a few weeks. Shifting forces to the Verdun area, the Germans planned to launch the offensive on February 12, 1916 (Map). The Late Offensive Due to poor weather, the attack was postponed until February 21. This delay, coupled with accurate intelligence reports, allowed the French to shift two divisions of the XXXth Corps to the Verdun area prior to the German assault. At 7:15 AM on February 21, the Germans commenced a ten-hour bombardment of the French lines around the city. Attacking with three army corps, the Germans moved forward utilizing storm troopers and flamethrowers. Staggered by the weight of the German attack, the French were forced to fall back three miles on the first day of fighting. On the 24th, troops of XXX Corps were compelled to abandon their second line of defense but were buoyed by the arrival of the French XX Corps. That night the decision was made to shift General Philippe Petains Second Army to the Verdun sector. Bad news for the French continued the next day as Fort Douaumont, northeast of the city, was lost to German troops. Taking command at Verdun, Petain reinforced the citys fortifications and laid out new defensive lines. On the final day of the month, French resistance near the village of Douaumont slowed the enemy advance, allowing the citys garrison to be reinforced. Changing Strategies Pushing forward, the Germans began to lose the protection of their own artillery, while coming under fire from French guns on the west bank of the Meuse. Pounding German columns, French artillery badly bled the Germans at Douaumont and ultimately forced them to abandon the frontal assault on Verdun. Changing strategies, the Germans began assaults on the flanks of the city in March. On the west bank of the Meuse, their advance focused on the hills of Le Mort Homme and Cote (Hill) 304. In a series of brutal battles, they succeeded in capturing both. This accomplished, they began assaults east of the city. Focusing their attention on Fort Vaux, the Germans shelled the French fortification around the clock. Storming forward, German troops captured the forts superstructure, but a savage battle continued in its underground tunnels until early June. As the fighting raged, Petain was promoted to lead the Centre Army Group on May 1, while General Robert Nivelle was given command of the front at Verdun. Having secured Fort Vaux, the Germans pushed southwest against Fort Souville. On June 22, they shelled the area with poison diphosgene gas shells before launching a massive assault the next day. French General Philippe PetainGeneral Robert Nivelle30,000 men (Feb. 21, 1916) Germans Erich von FalkenhaynCrown Prince Wilhelm150,000 men (Feb. 21, 1916) Casualties Germany - 336,000-434,000France - 377,000 (161,000 killed, 216,000 wounded) French Moving Ahead Over several days of fighting, the Germans initially had success but met increasing French resistance. While some German troops reached the top of Fort Souville on July 12, they were forced to withdraw by French artillery. The battles around Souville marked farthest German advance during the campaign. With the opening of the Battle of the Somme on July 1, some German troops were withdrawn from Verdun to meet the new threat. With the tide stemmed, Nivelle began planning a counter-offensive for the sector. For his failure, von Falkenhayn was replaced by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg in August. On October 24, Nivelle began attacking the German lines around the city. Making heavy use of artillery, his infantry was able to push the Germans back on the east bank of the river. Forts Douaumont and Vaux were recaptured on October 24 and November 2, respectively, and by December, the Germans had been nearly forced back to their original lines. The hills on the west bank of the Meuse were retaken in a localized offensive in August 1917. Aftermath The Battle of Verdun was one of the longest and bloodiest battles of World War I. A brutal battle of attrition, Verdun cost the French an estimated 161,000 dead, 101,000 missing, and 216,000 wounded. German losses were approximately 142,000 killed and 187,000 wounded. After the war, von Falkenhayn claimed that his intention at Verdun was not to win a decisive battle  but rather to bleed the French white by forcing them to make a stand at a place from which they could not retreat. Recent scholarship has discredited these statements as von Falkenhayn attempting to justify the campaigns failure. The Battle of Verdun has assumed an iconic place in French military history as a symbol of the nations determination to defend its soil at all costs.

Newspaper Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Newspaper Industry - Essay Example We shall tackle both sides of the argument individually so as to gain proper insight on the issues involved in the debate. The negative impact that the internet has had on the newspaper industry is mainly as a result of the switch of consumers from printed material to electronic material for news, entertainment among other uses. The impact of this switch is evident in the steady decline of readership and circulation which has since become more of a norm than an exception, with readerships dropping in rates as high as 16% (Miller, 2005) The internet affects print media on three major frontiers, advertisement revenue, readership and innovation and technology. Since the largest source of revenue for newspapers is advertisement, newspapers stand to suffer if they do not offer competitive packages for their customers. This has led to severe rates undercutting which has in turn dug into the revenues of the newspapers resulting in job cuts, plagiarism and writing of untrue and fictitious stories and events with shameless abandon (Hughes, 2006). The reason for this can partially be attributed to the fact that a dvertisers try to promote their products to the highest possible audience at the lowest cost, the internet offers a better than perfect substitute for newspapers for several reasons. For instance, the internet has far much more ahead as far as accessibility is concerned compared to newspapers. Whereas the latter offers some options for leisure and recreation in one or two pages, these options are comparatively limited to those which the internet can offer because at the simple click of a button one can access millions of online entertainment sites. Online advertisements are also more effective because in the first place, there are lesser limits to the size of the advertisement in relation to the total surface area available wherein it might take up to a quarter of the page at a minimal cost. In contrast, a quarter page advertisement in a newspaper is bound to cost quite a lot, actually about 21times that of the online advertisement (Karp, 2007). It is therefore quite clear that onli ne advertisements are more cost effective than their print counterparts. In addition, online advertisements have the option of containing hyperlinks, which connect the user to the advertiser's website where he can find much more information about them, their products and/or services, giving rise to more opportunities of turning the advertisement leads into sales. The newspaper advertisements can do little else than just display the advertisers' contact details after the main content. The advertisements themselves have much better design when online because they may be made dynamic, which basically means that they may have movements and even sounds to accompany them which greatly enhances their memorability and ability to capture the attention of the target reader. In sharp contrast, advertisements in newspapers are limited to showing a single picture which may not be as attractive. The

Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Buddhism - Essay Example The Noble Truths refer to essential realizations Siddhartha Guatama is believed to have attained on his path towards spiritual enlightenment. They demonstrate a spiritual concern with the resistance of material longing, the cessation of suffering, and how to apply Siddhartha’s teachings to help achieve the highest good. This essay examines the highest good humans can achieve in regards to Buddhist thought and considers whether I agree with this as an ideal. Buddhist philosophy argues in that in achieving the highest good individuals should accept suffering as an indelible part of the human condition (Humpherys 53). Buddhism argues that the positive value of life isn’t diminished by the truth of suffering, but by acceptance of life’s evanescence the human attains a higher degree of good (Davids 165). The Buddhist path to enlightenment has an answer to the problem of suffering. The Buddha found that when we experience happiness and joy, it is our spiritual duty to objectively remove ourselves from these experiences and become consciously aware of their impermanence. Buddhist philosophy contends that the human experience of joy and happiness is merely a reaction to a circumstance and not a permanent mental state. The very structural nature of happiness then includes the binary existence of unhappiness – the two are inseparable; therefore, even as happiness is impermanent, so is suffering. Ultimately, it’s believed that in recognition and acceptance the suffering, the human achieves a more relaxed mental state that leads to their realizing the highest degree of good. Another Buddhist element related to achieving the highest good is the belief that since suffering is a result of material longing and desire by eliminating material longing and desire, one can eliminate suffering and move towards achieving this highest good. While this is a simple formulation, the actual challenge of eliminating desire is extremely difficult. Craving can also be extended to include the gratification of the passions, or the longing we have for an abstract sense of accomplishment of success in our earthly lives. The Second Noble Truth states that if we persist in allowing our lives to be dominated by desire and ignorance we will always be haunted by an unachievable longing and pervasive suffering. Therefore, the Buddha states that to achieve the highest good one must be guided by what is, not what is desired. One must fight against their preconditioned ways of longing and desire and accept the world and their place as it currently exists, as this is the only path to the highest good. In following these Noble Truths the individual is able to achieve the highest good, or Nirvana. This is a spiritual state that transcends all traditional concerns with material existence. In considering these means of achieving the highest good I recognize that I generally disagree with this ideal. To begin with, I disagree with the idea that all of l ife is suffering, as one might argue that such a characterization of the human condition is overly pessimistic. When Buddha developed the Four Noble Truths the Indian people faced considerable difficulties in life. Their subsistence was harder earned than we experience today, and I believe that this element of Buddhist philosophy can be seen to be a response to this challenge of existence, rather than an accurate reflection of the human condition. While all humans experience suffering, to claim that this is one