Pearl Harbor Battle Analysis Essay

On a pleasant and beautiful Sunday, December 7, 1984, Japan implemented a surprise attack on the US Naval Base in Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii which gave United States a door to enter into World War II. Even though Japan did not follow through with the attack causing the third wave of bombers to break contact from dropping bombs to finish off the rest of the fleet docking in Pearl Harbor, it was a well prepared, and carefully orchestrated attack on the Americans because the Japanese followed almost all the nine Principles of War. However there was one principle that the Japanese did not executed causing them to surrender later on in World War II. There are nine Principles of War, that is; unity of command, mass, objective, offensive, surprise, economy of force, maneuver, and security. The attack include mass–concentrating the combat power at the decisive place and time. The objective was clear and directed every military operation towards a clearly defined, decisive attainable objective. The attack was clearly offensive where it seize, retained, and exploited the initiatives. Surprise was the definitely the most important principle used striking Pearl Harbor on a given time when it was unprepared. Economy of force was allocated to the wave of attacks where essential combat power was given as a secondary effort. The maneuvers were clearly executed where Japan placed United States in a position of disadvantage through the flexibility application of combat power. There was unity of command in which the Japanese ensured each objective had a responsible commander. Unity of command was visible within the Japanese fleet. The commander for the December 7th 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor was Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (People–Japan, ). Yamamoto was responsible for the combined Japanese fleet where he devised the strategy for the attack, and because of his careful, organized, and educated planing, Pearl Harbor was almost fully destroyed. Under Yamamoto is Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumoto who was in command of the First Air Fleet. Nagamuto relied heavily on the experience of his subordinates Comander Minoru Genda, and Rear Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka. â€Å"No one can truly understand what happened at Pearl Harbor without at least a nodding acquantance with these men, for the plan’s inception, preparation, execution, and stunning success were shaped by the personalities and experience of these men† (Goldstein, 1991). By element of mass with in the nine Principles of War, the Japanese attack forces was well equipped for the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. Japan understands that their country cannot defeat United Staes in a â€Å"conventional war, lacking as it did sufficient man power and raw materials (notably oil) for such a sustained effort however Japan was able to put together combined fleet large enough to go toe to toe with the United States Navy in Hawaii† (Long, 2007). Japanese air attack forces consisted of six carriers named Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku, and Zuikaku. Support forces consisted of two battleship and two heavy cruisers known as Tone and Chikuma. Screening forces consisted of one light cruiser and nine destroyers named Akuma. Patrol forces had three submarines. In addition, the supply forces ha eight oilers. Together these combined fleet was named the Kido Butai, or task force which was the largest number of aircraft carriers ever to operate togeth er (Carlisle, 114). Admiral Yamamoto and the Kido Fleet’s objective was to destroy the naval ships in Pearl Harbor and knock out the U.S. Pacific Fleet. In retrospect, this attack is also an offensive attack as a significant Japanese fighting force so that the Americans could not oppose on Japan’s conquest of South East Asia and the Pacific Islands. Another reason for the attack is because President Roosevelt had banned all exports of scrap iron, steel and oil to Japan. The reason for the embargo was the Japanese invasion of China. Japan had lost more than 90% of its oil supply (Carlisle, 2006). The economic isolation crippled their economy and military. In addition, Japan were keen on expanding their empire and had to make a decision between surrendering or going to war with the United States. Lastly, United States had not yet entered the Second World War, because they were still reeling from depression due to the First World War. United States did, however, still possess the strongest naval fleets. In that perspective, the Japanese were almost as strong as the American navy. As time passed, America favored more and more towards joining the war. The Japanese anticipated a full-blown naval war with America and therefore, decided to act first by bombing Pearl Harbor which was a key terrain feature in the Pacific due to it’s massive and deep harbor for naval ships. The element of economy of force was also present during the attack on Pearl Harbor. This allowed Japans zero bomber to allocate minimum essential combat power towards the attack. With the economy of force, the element of maneuver also played abig role towards the raid. There were two aerial attack waves, totaling 353 aircraft that was launched from the six Japanese aircraft carriers. In actuality, Admiral Yamamoto’s plans consisted of three waves of attack. The first wave of attacked was launched at 0740 with 163 aircrafts that was coming from the North Shore. Their objective was to destroy airfields at Wheeler, Ewa, Hickam, and Pearl Harbor. The second wave was launched an hour later to the Windward side of the island with 167 aircraft bombers. Their mission was also to destroy airfields in Kaneohe and Bellows, Hickam, and Pearl Harbor. Admiral Yamamoto called off the third wave because he believed the second strike had essentially satisfied the main objective of his mission which was to cripple United States Pacific Fleet. In addition Admiral Yamamoto did not wish to risk further losses. With Admiral Yamamoto’s careful planning of the Pearl Harbor attack, Japan was successful on completing their objective in the Pacific by destroying the Naval fleet. However, they failed to follow through with the element of security. Security states that Japan should have never permitted United States from acquiring an unexpected advantage. With Admiral Yamamoto calling off the third wave, this allowed United States to get back up on its feet. Japan may have won the battle on Pearl Harbor, however that decision â€Å"woke up the sleeping giant† causing Japan to surrender the war to the Americans. The biggest impact on the Japanese attack was the element of surprise which was Japans key tactic on Pearl Harbor and other military bases on Oahu that struck Americans as a â€Å"dastardly attack† — â€Å"stab in the back.† On December 7th, 1941, everyone went about their daily routine. Naval and military commands in Hawaii did not suspect that this day would be the day they would get a huge surprise by getting attacked. Washington and Honolulu were aware of the Japanese threats to attack areas in Southeast Asia but they didn’t think a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor was in the plans. The commands in Washington and Honolulu had no idea because based on their intelligence they received mostly from U.S radio intelligence and diplomatic code breaking, the intelligence received told them that the Japanese were moving south and they weren’t going to be in â€Å"danger†. Washington received intelligence from the office of naval intelligence a few hours before the attack indicating that the all of Japan’s fleet carriers were in their home waters. This was one way how the Japanese completely fooled and the U.S. intelligence and surprised them with a damaging attack on Pearl Harbor and other military installations. Sunday mornings are normally a time of leisure for military personnel, and during this time, especially in the morning, some are still asleep, or at church with their families. With the Japanese knowing this, this was the best time to launch their surprise attack because they knew people would not be able to respond to the attacks quick enough to fight back and it would be the perfect opportunity to destroy all of their fleets and aircrafts Japan’s careful and well orchestrated attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, destroyed almost all the American Naval fleet in the Pacific. This allowed Japan to continue its imperialism towards Southeast Asian without United States interference. Even when Japan failed to follow through with the element of security towards United States, they still followed almost all the nine Principles of War in order for them to have a successful raid. The third wave of attack could have the destroyed the fuel storage, maintenance, and dry dock facilities that would have crippled the U.S. Pacific Fleet far more seriously than the loss of its battleships. If they had been wiped out, United States could not have been able to bounce back, join the war, and eventually forced Japan to surrender. Work Cited Carlisle, Rodney P. December 7, 1941: One Day in History : The Days That Changed the World. New York: Collins, 2006. Print. Long, Tony, July 27, 2007. â€Å"Dec. 7, 1941: Attack at Pearl Harbor a Bold, Desperate Gamble.† Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/12/dayintech_1207 Goldstein, Donald M. The Way It Was Pearl Harbor. The Original Photographs. Washington: Brassey’s, 1991. Print. â€Å"Global Research.† Pearl Harbor: A Successful War Lie. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. http://www.globalresearch.ca/pearl-harbor-a-successful-war-lie/22305 â€Å"How Did Japan View the Pearl Harbor Attacks?† ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0214300/nzjapaneseview1.html Hoyt, Edwin Palmer. Pearl Harbor Attack. New York: Sterling Pub., 2008. Print. Kam, Ephraim. Surprise Attack: The Victim’s Perspective. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1988. Print. â€Å"People-Japan–Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, IJN, (1884-1943).† People-Japan–Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, IJN, (1884-1943). N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/prs-for/japan/japrs-xz/i-yamto.htm â€Å"The Attack by the First Japanese Wave.† The Attack by the First Japanese Wave. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. http://www.pacificwar.org.au/pearlharbor/FirstWaveAttack.html Tures A. Tures, LaGrange. â€Å"William ‘Billy’ Mitchell, the Man Who Predicted the Pearl Harbor Day Disaster.† Yahoo! News. Yahoo!, 06 Dec. 2011. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. Wisniewski, Richard A. Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial: A Pictorial History. Honololu, Hawaii (P.O. Box 8924, Honolulu 96830): Pacific Basin Enterprises, 1986. Print.

African American Characteristics Paper Essay

African American culture in the United States refers to the cultural contributions of Americans of African descent to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from American culture. The distinct identity of African American culture is rooted in the historical experience of the African American people. The culture is both distinct and enormously influential to American culture as a whole. African-American culture is rooted in Africa. It is a blend of chiefly sub-Saharan African and Sahelean cultures. Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of Americans of African descent to practice their cultural traditions, many practices, values, and beliefs survived and over time have modified or blended with European American culture. There are some facets of African American culture that were accentuated by the slavery period. The result is a unique and dynamic culture that has had and continues to have a profound impact on mainstream American culture, as well as the culture of the broader world† (Rydell, 2010). Learning Team B has chosen African Americans as the culturally diverse group we will focus on. The subjects in this paper will be African American history, family characteristics, parenting practices, language, and religion. Also, the primary characteristics of African Americans and how those characteristics impact their experience as a subculture in American Society will be a topic. The last topic will be the implications of the characteristics for psychological theories and practices. History African Americans are the descendants of Africans brought to America during the slavery era. Many were owned as property and forced to work as day laborers in the fields or as servants in their owner’s homes. Others were allowed to work off their debts by being bough and sold on â€Å"the block†. An article titled â€Å"The Slave Auction of 1859 gives a brief account of what it was to be sold on â€Å"the block†: â€Å"The buyers, who were present to the number of about two hundred, clustered around the platform; while the Negroes, who were not likely to be immediately wanted, gathered into sad groups in the background to watch the progress of the selling in which they were so sorrowfully interested. The wind howled outside, and through the open side of the building the driving rain came pouring in; the bar down stairs ceased for a short time its brisk trade; the buyers lit fresh cigars, got ready their catalogues and pencils, and the first lot of human chattels are led upon the stand, not by a white man, but by a sleek mulatto, himself a slave, and who seems to regard the selling of his brethren, in which he so glibly assists, as a capital joke. It had been announced that the Negroes would be sold in â€Å"families,† that is to say; a man would not be parted from his wife, or a mother from a very young child. There is perhaps as much policy as humanity in this arrangement, for thereby many aged and unserviceable people are disposed of, who otherwise would not find a ready sale†¦ â€Å"(New York Daily Tribune, 1928). President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of civil war. The proclamation declared â€Å"that all persons held as slaves† within the rebellious states â€Å"are, and henceforward shall be free. † Despite this expansive wording, the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. It applied only to states that had seceded from the Union, leaving slavery untouched in the loyal border states. It also expressly exempted parts of the Confederacy that had already come under Northern control. Most important, the freedom it promised depended upon Union military victory. History pages often claim President Lincoln as â€Å"The Great Emancipator† which most educated adults come to learn is an over exaggeration. The general consensus is that Lincoln never freed a single slave, and only used the proclamation as a means to get what he wanted from the states. Once freed most African Americans still experienced racial violence and lived in fear for many years. In 1870 the fifteenth amendment was added to the constitution giving blacks the right to vote. Although blacks were free they were still segregated from the white people, made to go to different schools, stores, and even ride at the back of the bus. In 1954 the supreme courts declared segregation in school unconstitutional due to the Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. The civil right movement was at its peak during 1955-1965. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, ensuring basic civil rights for all Americans, regardless of race, after nearly a decade of nonviolent protests and marches, ranging from the 1955-1956 Montgomery bus boycotts to the student-led sit-ins of the 1960s to the huge March on Washington in 1963. In 1968 President Johnson signed the Civil Right act prohibiting discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing. Some of the most famous leader of the civil right movement includes Martin Luther King Jr. , Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks and many others. Although civil rights were established many African American still struggled to be treated fairly in America. Affirmative Action was established in 1978 by a ruling of the Supreme Court to ensure that minorities are given an opportunity that they may have missed because of their race. In 2008 Barack Obama was the first African American to be nominated for a major party nominee for president. He was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on January 20, 2009. Family and Parenting Characteristics As with most cultures, African Americans place a high value on their families. In the United States African American family’s make-up 12. 9 percent of the population according to the 2003 US Census. The US census also shows that for African Americans over the age of 15 there are 34 percent married, five percent separated, eleven percent divorced, seven percent widowed, and 43 percent were never married. According to the First Things First website, â€Å"African Americans are the most un-partnered group in America† (Medium, 2011, para. 4). One major goal of African American families is communalism, which is very important for effective functioning (Hall, 2010). Hall (2010) describes African American families as having three family types. The first type is the cohesive-authoritative that is explained to be a family with high cohesion along with being supportive, nurturing, and involved with their children (Hall, 2010). The second type of family is the conflictive-authoritarian that is defined as families with conflict and the parents are controlling, critical, and express unhappiness with children (Hall, 2010). The last type of family Hall (2010) explains is the defensive- neglectful, that did not like other racial groups and also did not teach their children to be proud of being an African American. One significant trend that has been determined about the African American family structure is that the more interconnected the family is, the lower the rate of depression in African Americans (Hall, 2010). Based on these findings, a program called Strong African American Families has been created in order to strengthen the relationships between parents and children. According to Hall (2010), â€Å"The Strong African American Families program also has been found to reduce preadolescent risky sexual behaviors, preadolescent alcohol use, and parental depression among African American families† (p.95). This kind of program has been very effective in keeping families cohesive and helping to improve the goal of communalism. Language â€Å"Generations of hardships imposed on the African American community created distinctive language patterns. Slave owners often intentionally mixed people who spoke different African languages to discourage communication in any language other than English. This, combined with prohibitions against education, led to the development of pidginsimplified mixtures of two or more languages that speakers of different languages can use to communicate. Examples of pidgins that became fully developed languages include Creole, common to Louisiana, and Gullah, common to the Sea Islandsoff the coast of South Carolina and Georgia† (Rydell, 2010). It is sad to think that slave owners intentionally put Africans with people who did not speak their language to discourage communication, but is have been researched and proven to be true. Slavery is not the only element to African American culture, and it often seems that when discussing African American culture slavery is the main topic. However, when discussing language the centuries of slavery that they endured have everything to do with the evolution of African-American language. Now that we have covered the origin of African American language we can discuss the American perspective of where modern day African American language stands, and how this effects the culture. â€Å"African American Vernacular English (AAVE)—also called African American English; less precisely Black English, Black Vernacular, Black English Vernacular (BEV), or Black Vernacular English (BVE)—is an African Americanvariety(dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of American English. Non-linguists sometimes call it Ebonics(a term that also has other meanings or strong connotations) or jive or jive-talk. Its pronunciation is, in some respects, common to Southern American English, which is spoken by many African Americans and many non-African Americans in the United States. There is little regional variation among speakers of AAVE. Several creolists, including William Stewart, John Dillard, and John Rickford, argue that AAVE shares so many characteristics with Creole dialects spoken by black people in much of the world that AAVE itself is a Creole dialect; while others maintain that there are no significant parallels. As with all linguistic forms, its usage is influenced by age, status, topic and setting. There are many literary uses of this variety of English, particularly in African-American literature† (Rydell, 2010). Of course this information does not imply that all African Americans speak a version of AAVE, only that it is very common and prevalent throughout the modern day African American culture. Religion In the African American community religion plays an extremely significant role. â€Å"The story of African-American religion is a tale of variety and creative fusion. Enslaved Africans transported to the New World beginning in the fifteenth century brought with them a wide range of local religious beliefs and practices. This diversity reflected the many cultures and linguistic groups from which they had come. The majority came from the West Coast of Africa, but even within this area religious traditions varied greatly. Islam had also exerted a powerful presence in Africa for several centuries before the start of the slave trade: an estimated twenty percent of enslaved people were practicing Muslims, and some retained elements of their practices and beliefs well into the nineteenth century. Preserving African religions in North America proved to be very difficult. The harsh circumstances under which most slaves lived—high death rates, the separation of families and tribal groups, and the concerted effort of white owners to eradicate â€Å"heathen† (or non-Christian) customs—rendered the preservation of religious traditions difficult and often unsuccessful. Isolated songs, rhythms, movements, and beliefs in the curative powers of roots and the efficacy of a world of spirits and ancestors did survive well into the nineteenth century. Historically during their most difficult times the African American relied on their religious beliefs to endure. During the civil rights movement black churches were often the target of racial violence because that was a place that African Americans spent most of their time. This was a place where they often held meetings to discuss their civil rights efforts. African Americans practice a number of religions, but Protestant Christianity is by far the most prevalent. Some African and African American also follow the Muslim and Judaism. According to Fife, Kilgour, Canter and Adegoke (2010), â€Å"African spiritual traditions have historically held a central place in African American communalism (Mbiti, 1990) and were vital to survival during the time of slavery. In African and African American culture the concept of spirituality is inseparable from all other aspects of human experience. The spiritual and the physical are indistinguishable (Mbiti, 1990). A deep connection exists between humans, God, family, and group (Barrett, 1974). Spirituality is not compartmentalized into systematized beliefs and practices but woven into everyday experience (Boyd Franklin, 1989). The Black church is the primary means through which many African Americans express their religious and spiritual beliefs and values (Richardson & June, 1997). This institution is a central force in African American childhood and adolescent identity and helps to shape ideas about what comprises community. † Many African American children have christen ceremonies for they can even walk or talk. African American families generally spend a substantial amount of time within their places of worship. Conclusion For review, the big questions the above research addressed were: †¢What are the primary cultural characteristics of this selected group? †¢How do the characteristics of this group impact its experience as a subculture in American society? †¢How might the cultural aspects of this group be applied to traditional psychological theory? †¢What are the implications of these characteristics for psychological theory and practice? We have found that the primary cultural characteristics of the African America culture are their history of slavery in America, distinct family and parenting practices, slavery based evolution of their language, and their dedicated religious beliefs. The characteristics of this group impact its experience as a subculture in American society by enticing others in to the culture and sparking curiosity around the world. African Americans make up a small percentage of the minority in America. However African American culture dominates the world of music, fashion, and professional sports. The cultural aspects of the African American group can be applied to traditional psychological theory when considering family dynamics, cultural perspectives, and how these aspects influence mental health. The implications of these characteristics for psychological theory and practice would focus on how the African American history of slavery in America influences their world view, how family and parenting practices mold their ideals of what a family should be, how religion influences their beliefs and actions, and how language distinguishes them from others and what psychological impact this has on them as a whole. For many years African-American culture developed separately from mainstream American culture, both because of slavery and the persistence of racial discrimination in America, as well as African-American slave descendants’ desire to create and maintain their own traditions. Today, African-American culture has become a significant part of American culture and yet, at the same time, remains a distinct cultural body. References Fife, J. , McCreary, M. , Kilgour, J. , Canter, D. , & Adegoke, A. (2010). Self Identification Among African American and Caucasian College Students. College Student Journal, 44(4), 994. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Hall, G. C. N. (2010). Multicultural psychology (2nd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Medium. (2011). First Things First. Retrieved from http://firstthings. org/page/research/african-american-family-facts New York Daily Tribune, March 9, 1859 reprinted in Hart, Albert B. , American History Told by Contemporaries v. 4 (1928). Retrieved from http://eyewitnesstohistory. com Rydell, R. J. , Hamilton, D. L. , & Devos, T. (2010). NOW THEY ARE AMERICAN, NOW THEY ARE NOT: VALENCE AS A DETERMINANT OF THE INCLUSION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE AMERICAN IDENTITY. Social Cognition, 28(2), 161-179. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Marketing Report for Teejay's Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Report for Teejay's - Assignment Example Proposed Market Teejays is a growing organization with a strong presence in the UK market. Therefore, the company requires a market that is equally growing and promising in the future. As such, the best market for Teejays would be China. Presently, China is one of the fastest growing market for customer care and other related outsourcing services. Also the country is set to be a new economic super power within few years. What makes China the potential market for Teejays is the country’s shift in the market focus. â€Å"Till today, the domestic market is still the principal part of China’s call center market, accounting for about 80 per cent, while Japan and South Korea have been China’s major offshoring markets, where China is in absolute dominance.† (Chunyan, 2010) But now the country has realized the importance of expanding the market to the western countries. This necessitates vigorous training of the potential employees as unlike the competitors India or Philippines, China has low proficiency in English language. The Chinese government has begun huge investment in English which throws out huge market opportunities for companies like Teejays. (Graddol, 2008) â€Å"Chinese people are bad at expressing themselves orally in a foreign language, however, they are good at reading and writing in it.† (Hongbing, 2010) The huge focus by the Chinese government on call centres as an economic power plant makes the Chinese market one of the most promising among the world. The Chinese government has even coined the term ‘Call Economy’ in order to represent the massive size of call centres to the Chinese Economy. (CCC, 2010) The Chinese economy was so far being dominated by manufacturing sector. But now the service sector is experiencing massive growth to emerge as the backbone of the economy. The annual growth rate in the Chinese call centre jobs is 15%. In 2009 itself more than 5 billion Euros were invested in the call cent re market. Way back in 2006, Chinese government has launched a project which designated 10 Chinese cities mainly for developing call centres and related service companies. Apart from that the country’s investment in the education sector is massive in order to equip the employable people to take up offshore business. As Teejays is primarily a call centre training consultant, it has huge potential market in China. Prospective call centre employees require improvement in their language proficiency. Government is also providing various supportive measures in order to foster the development of such training institutes. China has witnessed well known call centre companies entering the market in the recent years. â€Å"Growth in the number of Call Centers and number of agent positions seats in China is steadily increasing, and the revenue growth for technology vendors selling enterprise Call Center solutions has been in the double digits.† (APRG, 2011) With the boom in the ca ll centre industry, there is a huge growth in the revenue of technology vendors. Call centre training institutes have similar opportunity for increasing the market share and revenue. The increased presence of multinational companies in China has necessitated the need for better customer relationship management. Companies have

Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gender - Essay Example This picture is not new to us as long as female representation is concerned. This kind of image building of women has been performed by our media. In contemporary society, media plays a very crucial role in shaping public opinions. With the advent of new media such as internet smart phones, media has now been constantly around us, drilling into our head with the messages, which sometimes are very damaging. The major target of media these days is the body of woman which is worst and perverse. The representation of women in media has always been stereotypical. They are always represented as sex objects. It is an opening dialogue from the documentary film Miss Representation, â€Å"There is no appreciation for women as intellectuals. It is all about the body and never about the brain...† If we peep into the history of English literature for example, many facts of gender issues appear in front of us. There was no place for women writers in literary circle. Bronte sisters published a volume of poetry by adopting male names such as Curre, Ellis and Action Bell. The one and only reason was to conceal their feminine identity. The social, intellectual and psychological suppression of Victorian women is portrayed by Alfred Tennyson in his poem â€Å"Lady of Shallot.† The contemporary society had a very biased attitude about the female writers. The society was not ready to accept that the women have intellectuality of being writer. Twentieth century witnessed the breakage of this bondage by rebellious feminists through their literary work. Many women writers carved a niche for themselves through their outstanding writing skills. The women have proved themselves, but still the society is not ready to accept their brains, their logical, analytical and intellectual capacity. When there is a question of choosing body or brain of the woman, it is always body which is preferred object. Right from video games or children’s cartoons, women are represented as inferior, always caught by the demons and then are rescued by a brave young gallant. In short the children grow up with the upbringing that women are always inferior sex and men have to protect them and impose authority on them. Miss Representation is the documentary, which throws light on how the image of the women is always spoiled by media. A UNESCO report describes the litany of common image of women in the media. Women are always sex object for media. â€Å"the glamorous sex kitten.† (World Savvy). Dietz (1998) made four possible female stereotypes, which were based on their appearance and their behaviour. 1. Female as a sex object 2. Females as victims 3. Females as heroic or action characters Dietz in his research found that 41% of women in video games were shown as a sex object, 21% were portrayed as victims or ‘damsel in distress’ and only 15% women were portrayed as heroes or action characters. The male dominated media is not ready to accept woman as wa rrior, saviour, and protector but they like to portray her either as a victim or sex object. This report is really benumbing. In India, there are vernacular daily soaps, where the women are shown as being victimized by the members of their in-laws house. They are either physically or mentally tortured by their husbands and family members. When asked producers and directors about it, they comment carelessly that we show whatever is the demand of the public. According to them the majority of viewers of these serials are women and

Bio Ethics and Longevity Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bio Ethics and Longevity - Term Paper Example The idea of extending human lifespan has captivated scientists, philosophers and writers for a long time now. Moreover, ethicists have argued whether people should take a step to increase human longevity, which is not surprising. This is in consideration of the persistent media interest in research in to preventing or slowing ageing. Taking note of that, this paper will briefly summarize the ethical arguments that arose from this debate, with a focus on a recent case study on Life-extension and its effects on memory and learning (on worms). Finally, it will give a summary of critique of the case study as well as the personal opinion or ethical stand. 1. Summary Case study: Life-extension and its effect on memory and learning (on worms) The focus of the case study is on two methods to increase the longevity of various organisms - calorie restriction and alteration hormone insulin. It claims that research has shown that, reducing activity related to the insulin signal pathway impact lo ngevity positively. Several biological processes such as metabolism, development and stress response are triggered by the change of insulin signal pathway.1 A group of Biologists from Princeton recently found that, altering these mechanisms do also have some consequences on the organisms’ cognitive function and their research also revealed that calorie restriction and reduced insulin signaling is linked to reduced memory and learning as the organism grow old, which calls for development of a special treatment to avoid memory loss if people are to live longer. According to Coleen Murphy, longevity research works on the assumption that people who are able to live longer should have their bodies function equally well for the additional years. Collectively with her research team, they found out that calorie restriction had some severe effect on the lasting memory of C.elegans roundworms. To their surprise, the worms only suffered from impairment to long-term memory, but did not e ncounter any reduction in memory with age. Consequently, this means that gradual memory loss can be fought by calorie restrictions. On another front, the worms that were experimented with generic mutation reduced insulin active, signaling insulin activity. This experiment improved learning ability with age, but the worms were not secured from age-related reduction in long-term memory. These worms were used because their molecular mechanisms which governed these worms were alike to higher organism like mammals, and this has provided a promising hope for cognitive research on humans. Definition(s) Cognitive is based on or related to or involving reasoning or thinking, which is an activity of the mind. Indeed, Murphy’s team has done a tremendous job, but they have to be sure that it will apply to human beings as well and how they can overcome the reduction in learning and memory of these worms in question. The information that human’s genes are likened with those of C.ele gans, enabled treatment of negative cognitive alteration in relation to longevity extension of the worms, which is an answer to humans research. This study poses big questions. Will there be equity in access to this intervention once it is out? How does it impact our morality as human beings? Is the use of worms as having the same memory as human beings ethical? The following principles and academic papers try to take these questions into consideration. 2.

Research Proposal (E-waste Dumping & The Rule of Law in the 'Computer Paper

Proposal (E-waste Dumping & The Rule of Law in the 'Computer Village' Lagos - Nigeria. Synergizing Enforcement Process - Research Paper Example It is not for nothing that people stay in one continent and make purchases of goods from other continents without personally meeting the seller. Again, it is not for nothing that someone sits in the comfort of his home in Lagos and watch live soccer matches from the Stanford Bridge in London. All these processes are made possible by the pivoting power of technology. Technology may therefore be generally regarded as a good thing and the growth of it thereof (Koduah, 2003). However, it becomes worrying when technology and for that matter, globalization will not grow through the right approach. It is very important to appreciate the fact that any phenomenon; including globalization and technological advancement may be regarded as good but if it is implemented through a poor approach, the real essence of the phenomenon becomes defeated. 1.2 Statement of the Problem According to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the recent economic meltdown will â€Å"widen global inequalit y and plunge more of the African population into poverty† (Trevor, 2009). ... This situation is descried as electronic waste dumping (Cal Recycle, 2005). E-waste is generally argued to be an unfair way that the Western world is trying to bridge the gap in technological advancement that exists in Nigeria. Due to this, there have been calls and concerns from International, regional and local institutional environmental laws that guarantee public right to habitual health for critical scrutiny into the issue of e-waste dumping in Lagos. 1.3 Research Aims 1. To explain from a theoretical perspective what electronic waste dumping means. 2. To critically assess how rule of law in Lagos promotes or opposes electronic waste dumping in Lagos. 3. To identify specific enforcement processes in International, regional and local institutional environmental laws that guarantee public right to habitual health that are being abused as a result of electronic waste dumping in Lagos. 4. To give the root causes of electronic waste dumping in Lagos and by extension, Africa. 5. To fo recast what the eventual effects of electronic waste dumping would be for Africa and Lagos to be specific if the practice is made to continue. 1.4 Research Questions 1. What is the history behind electronic waste dumping in Lagos? 2. What factors have promoted the continuous existence of electronic waste dumping in Lagos? 3. What is the position of rule of law in opposing or promoting the electronic waste dumping cycle in Lagos? 4. How can international, regional and local agencies be instrumental in addressing the issue of electronic waste dumping in Lagos? 5. Does the continuous practice of electronic waste dumping have any long term adverse effect on Africa? 1.5 Justification of the Research Problem The successful

Floating and Fixed Exchange Rate Regimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Floating and Fixed Exchange Rate Regimes - Essay Example Views on the cause and lessons of the Mexican monetary crisis differ as evidence in numerous media articles and educational studies subsequent the crash. To some, the depression of the peso was a terrible mistake. To others, the final collapse seemed predictable and the only subject was timing. Dornbusch, Goldfajn, and Valdes fit in to the latter. They quality the disaster to the nominal exchange rate fasten and unsustainable real approval of the peso. This view is communal by Obstfeld who states that it is dangerous to rely on the exchange rate as the main long-term instrument for plummeting chronic high price rises. Similarly, Edwards blames the unsustainable present account deficit, caused by genuine approval and financed by large assets inflows, for the peso fall down The instinct that the slope of the Phillips curve is connected to openness is based on models of little open economies with supposed rigidities. In such models, surprising monetary expansion characteristically leads to real money depreciation. There are potentially two belongings on the trade-off. When price rises is measured in terms of a customer cost index, the result of the depreciation on the domestic cost of imports will add to the price raises cost of a financial expansion. Meanwhile, if salary is partly indexed to a customer cost index, or if overseas goods are old as intermediate inputs in home production, the production gain to a known monetary growth will be abridged. Both effects denote that the Phillips curve is probable to be steeper in comparatively unlock economies, but this theory has hardly ever been experienced (http://www.imf.org/external/pubs). Clearly the quarrel rests winning systematic exchange rate effects of financial shocks. As discussed by Obstfeld and Rogoff (1996, pp. 621-22) the conservative wisdom is that main strategy shifts are indeed linked with exchange rate changes, precisely as predicted by powerful models with supposed rigidities such as that of Dornbusch (1976). They quote as examples the Volcker depression of the early 1980s in the United States, the Thatcher-Howe depression in the United Kingdom at the similar time, and the experiences of more than a small number of Latin American countries in the 1990s. That supposed, Obstfeld and Rogoff also summit out that the aptitude of the Mundell-Fleming-Dornbusch model to forecast exchange rate changes methodically is rather additional contentious. The Impacts of Capital Inflows A country's equilibrium of payments (BOP) can be alienated into two parts: the in general balance (OB) and the equilibrium of official set aside transactions (OR). The technological setup of BOP is such that OB + OR = 0. OB consists of the present account equilibrium (C) and the non-official assets account equilibrium (K) (hereafter this is just referred to as the assets explanation all through the paper). OR reflects the monetary authority's interference in the overseas exchange market. Under a merely floating exchange rate regime, the monetary right is not compelled to interfere so that the exchange rate will regulate in a

Three things you can do with a pack of chewing gum Essay

Three things you can do with a pack of chewing gum - Essay Example Firstly, chewed gum can be used as an assistant tool for drawing contour lines. In most cases, contour lines are irregular, and they cannot be drawn by common tools. Designers usually leave the traces of mistakes visible to use as references for drawing the correct lines. However, being slightly confused by these reference marks is a common phenomenon during the process of professional drawing. Instead of using tentative care, chewed gum can be competently used as references in this context. The main ingredient of chewing gum is gum base. When the chewing gum is in people’s mouths, it gains elasticity with the help of saliva and bodily temperature (Saverson). This feature of elasticity means that the chewed gum can stretch to a long and narrow line. One interesting example of using the stretched chewed gum, is drawing contour lines on topographical maps. To do this, the individual must arrange the stretched chewed gum on the paper to show valleys hills, and the steepness of sl opes. After the process of adjustment, they must then trace along the stretched chewed gum with pen. Finally, if they remove the line of chewed gum a neat curved line will remain. The flexibility of the chewed gum makes the adjustment much easier while the stickiness of it helps to adhere to the paper. Another interesting and potentially useful characteristic of chewed gum is its stickiness. Some people use this characteristic for a special hobby – collecting insects. During the process of making insect specimens, an insect needle is a vital piece of equipment. However, sometimes the insects are physically too small to pitch the needle through. To keep the integrity of insect bodies, the stickiness of chewed gum can help to reach this goal. When making the specimen, the collector must first place the chewed gum into the prepared container. They must then use a lighter to burn the chewed gum for two to three seconds until the gum starts to melt.

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 24

Management - Essay Example Such demonstration has been in expression as a shift from transactional to strategic leadership. Good leaders have a vision. This is an aspiration as visualized in the leader’s overall plans seeking to create measurable changes in the organization. As revealed by Price (2008), leaders who have a vision are demonstrated to be more successful at guiding their followers to achieving their goals with an example of Richard Branson at the helm of Virgin Airlines, and the late Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. The ability is hinged upon the leader’s ability to constantly compare the group’s development and his vision. This activity reduces deviation from success and diminishes the chances of failure. Primarily, they care for other people’s wellbeing, appreciating that anything done by his followers’ leaves a facelift mark. Therefore, his role is to dig out the best of the ability from the followers, ensuring that each member is successful. He does not have even an ounce of jealously from the success of his counterparts, but goes a step further to support them . Good leaders are also passionate. This means they are driven to do whatever they are engaged in and achieve the highest levels of success. A passionate leader concentrates most of his energies and attention to all the processes that will guarantee the organization, or group to achieves its set objectives. With such leaders, the chances of success for a set project are elevated since they also identify points of redundancy and deviation and root them out. In addition, such leaders are able to ensure sustained positive results once success is achieved. A good example of a passionate leader whose concentrated energy has led to achievement of success is Microsoft founder and head, Bill Gates. Furthermore, they are great team builders. This trait is essential in managing the union of talent, objectives, and resources –which is essentially, what leaders oversee. The ability to oversee a group of people,

Christ Crowned with thorns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Christ Crowned with thorns - Essay Example The use of a lone candle shows an intimacy between the torturers and Christ. Because the Jews were the one who crowned Jesus with thorns, this event must have taken place after Pilate turned Him over to the Jews. The realism in this painting makes me feel great compassion for the Christ shown. Unlike other paintings, Stom used his paintbrush smoothly. â€Å"Christ Crowned with Thorns† can be recognized as a painting, but not with harsh visible strokes. Stom obviously studied humans closely. The Christs muscles, ribcage, and face are realistically human. The crown upon the Christs head is delicately placed, blending into the background of darkness. If one word was used to describe this work of art, it would be seamless. The whole painting flows into a seamless scene of Christ and his crown of thorns. â€Å"Christ Crowned with Thorns† does portray a symbolic message. The light, which is a candle, closest to the Christ represents Jesus light to Christians. A light to show the way toward Christianity and heaven. The darkness represents individuals lost doomed to end up in hell. The men around Jesus represent skeptics of Christianity, even after hearing Jesus message or seeing Jesus light. The black and white represent the chasm between heaven and hell. Heaven and hell are complete opposites, just like light and darkness. Since I am a Christian, this painting makes me feel hope. This painting reminds me of the sacrifice Jesus made for sinners. I also feel a great compassion for the Christ in the picture. It makes the crucification of Jesus more real to me, not just an abstract idea. I feel that for Matthias Stom to paint this picture, he must have been a Christian as well. This painting had to be inspired by more than being a Caravaggisti. Matthias Stoms â€Å"Christ Crowned with Thorns† fits into history as a painting influenced by Caravaggio. The naturalism, minute observation of detail mixed with dramatic light and

Importance of Computer Essay Example for Free

Importance of Computer Essay Computer is an electronic device used in almost every field even where it is most unexpected. That is why this age is called as the era of IT. And now we cannot imagine a world without computers. It is made up of two things one is the hardware and other is software. All physical components of computer like keyboard, mouse, monitor etc comes under the hardware whereas all the programs and languages used by the computer are called software. These days computers are the tools for not only engineers and scientists but also they are being used by millions of people around the world. Computers have become an integral part of our lives. Be it the desktop computers or laptop computers, both have various advantages in our daily life. The landscape of global communication has changed since computers have been introduced in our society. Importance of computers can be attributed to the fact that almost every sphere of our life is affected by computers. Information technology (IT) is a whole new industry that has developed after the introduction of computers. Presenting before you is an article with an abridged summary of importance in computers in various fields. Importance of Using Computer Among several advantages of computers, access to the Internet is hailed to be an advantage that has shaped the way we communicate. Importance of information technology has been such that besides creating millions of IT jobs, it has become an integral part of every other industry. Features and operations of IT are indirectly required in every other sector. Role of Computers in Education Right from elementary school students to PhD researchers, every educational system has been influenced by computers. Some of the uses of computers in education are as follows: †¢Students can be better prepared for the future technologies and its easier to explain them several topics that are hard to be understood without 3-D images. †¢Online education has made learning easier and convenient for a large section of population. †¢Easy access to encyclopedia on the Internet certainly makes us ponder over textbooks versus computer teaching. Online encyclopedia have made researching and preparing documents simpler. †¢Students aware of computer uses have better chances of job opportunities as computers literacy is a need now. Importance of  computer education was never so important as it is in the present scenario. †¢Using computer aided facilities like PowerPoint presentation eases understanding of complex topics. BANKS Almost every bank is using computers to keep the record of all the money transaction and other calculations. Moreover it provides speed, convenience and security. COMMUNICATION Communication is another important aspect of computer and has become very easy through internet and email. Computer communicates using telephone lines and modems. Through email we can send messages to anybody in any part of the world in just a second while if we write letter then it will reach in some days. So the internet has made the earth a global village and above all saves time. This would not be possible without computers. Internet helps to find information on every topic. It is the easiest and fastest way of research. Computer network makes the user capable of accessing remote programs and databases of same or different organizations. MEDIA Almost every type of editing and audio- visual compositions can be made by using special software especially made for this purpose. Some software can even make three dimensional figures which are mostly used in the cartoon films. Special effects for action and science fiction movies are also created on computer. TRAVEL AND TICKETING Computers do all the work of plane and train reservation. It shows the data for vacant and reserved seats and also saves the record for reservation. WEATHER PREDICTIONS Weather predictions are also possible by the experts using supercomputers. SPORTS It is also used for umpiring decisions. Many times the umpire has to go for the decision of third umpire in which the recording is seen again on the computer and finally reaches to the accurate and fair decision. Simulation software allows the sportsman to practice and improve his skills. DAILY LIFE We operate washing machines, microwave oven and many other products using software. Moreover we can store all the information about our important  work, appointments schedules and list of contacts. Crucial Role of Computers in Medicine The health care field has gone through a revolution after computers have been introduced in our society. Uses of computer in the medical field has been immense. Computers have been integrated with almost all medical technologies to improve accuracy in results. †¢Big hospitals require computer systems to maintain database of patient records. This has lessened the burden of paper management. †¢Some uses of computers in hospitals include maintaining staff attendance records, medical records recording of incoming and outgoing timings of staff, computerized accounting and managing records of patient and associated doctors. †¢The use of computers in medicine has gained more significance as heartbeat rate, pulse rates all can be checked on special graphs on monitor screen. †¢Internet technology has made it easier to exchange information, news and reports about latest medical development all across the globe. †¢Medical imaging has grown to become an extremely important aspect of medical diagnosis. By using techniques to create body images of even the most complex structures in the body, scientists have made it easier to treat ailments. †¢Web conferencing has made it easier for expert doctors sitting in some distant country to guide and instruct junior surgeons. More so, even while operation, many senior doctors can guide junior doctors. These are some of the amazing uses of computers in hospital set ups. †¢All surgical procedures are recorded in small cameras (some even installed in the medical equipment) so that the process of surgery can be learned better and improved. †¢Nowadays, even computer counseling is possible owing to extensive use of computers. Benefits of Computers in Business The use of computers in business has grown by leaps and bound since the last few decades. Here are some of the benefits of computers in business field. †¢Using Internet technologies, computer networking and several types of software, businesses are able to communicate all across the globe crossing geographical boundaries. †¢Communication has taken a new role among partners, suppliers, consumers and theyre able to keep a track of each other that facilitates the business process. †¢Development of software like  Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solutions and Management Information Systems (MIS) have made it possible to centralize administrative features of a firm. †¢Project management and other planning activities are easily designed by integrating latest software with computers. This decreases time on planning and figuring out certain complex issues. †¢Seminars, conferences and meetings can be scheduled with bosses and big corporate giants through web conferencing that can be heard by all the employees simultaneously. While the debate on advantages and disadvantages of Internet or computers will always exist, its certainly a truth that computers have made our life totally different, progressive and better. So we can say that today computer is playing very important role in our lives. Now is the time when we cannot imagine the world without computers. And this technology is advancing both in industry and home. It has become necessary for everyone to have the basic knowledge about computer. Otherwise he cannot get a job as computers have invaded almost all the fields.

Tram Accident and Alcoholic Beverages Essay Example for Free

Tram Accident and Alcoholic Beverages Essay Car accidents happen every day, and while some are inevitable, many are preventable. Although, in recent years, a number of innovative campaigns have been arranged to avoid car accidents, car crashes occur frequently. Mostly, car accidents occur due to rash and careless driving. Road accidents also happen sometimes due to disorderliness and lack of patience. So how can you prevent a car accident? The answer is very simple, use common sense and obey the rules of the road. First step in order to avoid car accidents is not to drunk because being in under the influence of drugs or alcohol affects vision, reaction time and attention. the best decision is to Choose a designated driver, Decide who is going to drive before you go out, and make sure that person do not drink any alcoholic beverages. Furthermore you should call a taxi. . If nobody in your group is sober, take alternate transportation. Many of the fatal accidents are because of drunk driving. However, drunk driving is completely preventable. Another important thing that should be considered is to put on seat belt while driving. Wearing seat belt would be annoying for many people. But, this is highly vital, as wearing seat belt would reduce the chances of road accidents. Not only drivers, passengers including adults and kids are also recommended to put on seat belt. This will reduce the risk of a serious injury if you are involved in a car accident. These tips are all just common sense. They seem like such simple actions, but they can cause or prevent an accident. It just depends if the driver of the car, follow the rules of the road.

Importance of Declaration of Independence: Internet Freedom

Importance of Declaration of Independence: Internet Freedom Khoi Dao Relevance of Declaration of Independence In America’s revolution history, the Declaration of Independence wrote by Thomas Jefferson is one of the most iconic document. For most Americans, the Declaration of Independence describes the ideal government, one that works for its people and for their liberty, equality and happiness. Although our found father wrote the Declaration of Independence hundreds of years ago, this document is still relevant today because it gives us a blueprint to protect our â€Å"Internet’s right.† Internet is the most important invention in 20th century. There is not a better place for information and knowledge to be shared than on the World Wide Web. Internet is like supermarket of information and knowledge as it provided for everyone a fast access to practically limitless amount of data. Some people view it as a multimedia haven, some gush at the opportunities it will afford them to complete homework assignments, and for young adolescent boys it serves as a makeshift girlfriend. The Internet, and social networks by extension, is helping to spur an idea that seemed impossible a mere twenty years ago. Language barriers once prevented the average person from talking with someone in Asia or Europe, but now we have tools to communicate with someone in an entirely different language. A good example of this is Busuu.com, a site much like Facebook, where you can practice learning a language with people from different countries. The more humanity integrates over the web, the more soc ial borders dissolve. You might remember a time when the Internet did not exist, but the younger and upcoming generations will never know what it was like to live without web service. The internet service is a must have in nowadays society. Living in this age of technology without access to Internet is like living in a house with no electric. The most fundamental idea of the Internet is the freedom to share information. However, in recent years, the government proposes the SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Internet Protocol Act) bills to further regulate the internet. The goal of these acts is to stop illegal downloading and protecting intellectual property rights, but they will do more than that. The entertainment industry wants to have the power to shut down an unauthorized site or person to protect its property. The SOPA and PIPA will introduce a vast potential for censorship and abuse on making the web less safe and frigid. Websites like Youtube and Facebook will be in the scope of these bills because these websites have huge base of users that express themselves, make arts and produce videos that have lots of copyrighted video clip and music mix in. The video of your baby that you post online will be taken down just because you have music playing in the background. Our politicians tamper with the basic idea of internet, the freedom to share information, just to make the entertainment industry happy. Government involvement in the net is comparable to talking on the phone to your girlfriend while your parents listen in. You can say a few of the things you want, but a lot of the content will be restrained. The notion of censorship is the elimination of the individual liberties of free speech as guaranteed by the American Constitution, prohibiting the right to individual interests and denying personal accountability. The Internet has become the next main target of government regulation and statism. If humanity allows the best symbol of freedom to be interposed upon the results could be catastrophic to the future of our race. The rules and regulations of Internet censorship are oddly close on the side of oppression. Government regulation of the net is comparable to placing D.U.I. checkpoints at every corner to make sure you remember to follow the laws and never consider deviation. While any regulation law introduced to society is always proclaimed to be done for the greater good, the greater good in this scenario may actually lead to the demise of the Internet as we know it. The government mandating Internet censorship will be the fall of democracy. We, as Americans, value freedom, especially speech, above most everything else. Our founding fathers set up our country to ensure that our right to freedom would forever be protected. Soldiers fight constantly to protect our ability to maintain freedom and not allow us to fall under the control of invading governments. Freedom of speech allows us to create our social identities. Communicating our ideas and beliefs, no matter how strong they may be, makes us unique. The Internet is one of the biggest platforms for freedom of speech and banning it as a place of free speech would cause great uproar. If the government had passed this bill it would serve as the tipping point for allowing censorship of speech in our society. While there are those who abuse the privileges of free speech on the Internet this can only lead to a dreary finish. Who is to say that the Internet is the only place where speech should be reg ulated? The government would then examine different places where they can implement restrictions and soon we may lose basic rights. Internet censorship is also contributing to creativity suppression. This creativity could potentially help the human race in the form of innovative new ideas. The Internet forms parallels to the enlightenment era of the 18th century. A big advancement back then was the new coffee shops where a person could pay a penny for a cup of coffee and sit down with other fine gentlemen. This was an interesting time because now a person could be around those of higher intelligence and imbibe the discussions concerning things like the natural sciences and philosophy. This era managed to reform society using reason rather than tradition, faith, and revelation, which lead to an explosion of learning and inquiry. It is almost like these were the prototype for todays Internet, but instead of coffeehouses of we now have sites like Khan Academy, Facebook, and YouTube to share ideas and these sites reach an audience of millions all from the comfort of their own homes. With every social and technologica l innovation the ease and speed of human interaction increases paving the way to greater strides in innovation and thought. If we censored the things said in these cafes who knows what kind of marvelous inventions we would be without today. I could be carving this paper into a rock right now like Fred Flintstone. Nevertheless, pro censorship lobbyist are more concerned with stopping pirating and not worried about the collateral damage all this meddling will have with the people who are actually contributing useful material. The Internet, like a blossoming flower, can truly something beautiful if we allow it to be. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote, â€Å"governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government.† This statement is still true in today society. Since the government proposes the SOPA and PIPA bills, people were angry and frustrated. The online community bands together, and organizes the largest protest in Internet history to stopped the SOPA and PIPA bills. Numerous websites began discussion, educated its users about these bills and encouraged them to contact their representatives to stop these acts. Some websites even proposed a â€Å"internet blackout† to protest against these bills. On January 18, 2012, there are more than 100,000 websites participated in the protest. Websites participated in the black out included Reddit, Craiglist, Twitte r, Tumblr, and many more. These websites blackout its websites for 24 hours, and provided links for the users about the SOPA and PIPA bills. Google also participates in the protest as well. Google placed a censor bar over their Goodle doodle, and connected its users to page with information about SOPA and PIPA, and at the end of the day they got 4.5 millions of signatures on their petition. The protest was the huge success, the blackout lead to at least 18 senators withdrawing support of the bills. On January 24, which is the initial date the Congress would vote on these bills, the vote was postponed and the SOPA and PIPA bills are being stopped when people spoken loud and clear. This protest proved that Jefferson’s statement is still relevant to this day. Internet is the wonderful tool that we used it in everyday life, sometimes we even take it for granted. The government proposes SOPA and PIPA bills to censor the Internet, these bills are the biggest threat to the Internet freedom as we know it that’s ever existed. The online community came together and successfully stopped the bills. The Reluctant Fundamentalist | Analysis The Reluctant Fundamentalist | Analysis The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a novel by Mohsin Hamid, young celebrated writer who had very intricately woven the story around a young Pakistani, Changez, who faces a post 9/11 situation in the United States. The novel is his monologue: a quietly told, cleverly constructed fable of infatuation and disenchantment with America, set on the deceitful fault lines of east/west relations, and finely tuned to the ironies of prejudice and misrepresentation. This gives an insight into the post 9/11 scenario and what the Muslims had to face in the United States. It is a deeply provocative, excellent addition to the post September 11 novels. But it would be an understatement to merely term it that. The novel is rich in irony and intelligence. It is beautifully written and superbly constructed. It is more exciting than any thriller Ive read since long, as well as being a subtle and elegant analysis of the state of our world today. It seems that Mohsin Hamid would have us understand the novels title ironically. It has a double meaning likewise the title has one person with two different personas. We are provoked to question whether every critic of America in a Muslim country should be labeled a fundamentalist, or whether the term more accurately describes the capitalists of the American upper class. Yet these queries seem blunter and less interesting than the novel itself, in which the fundamentalist, and potential assassin, may be sitting on either side of the table. Even at the end of the novel the writer closes with the narration, He writes: I hope you will not resist my attempt to shake you by the hand. But why are you reaching into your jacket, Sir? Therefore, it can be gauged that the American even after all the hospitality does not shrug off the suspicion he had in the beginning. The writer starts the sentence in the second line which is self explanatory of the perception of Muslims in the United States post 9/11. It says: Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America. Throughout the novel we will come across instances where the writer tries to establish how the Americans perceive the Muslim world no matter how and what their contributions and emotions have been towards The United States. Authors Background: This book is written by Mohsin Hamid, born in 1971 in Lahore. After studying at Princeton and Harvard Law, he worked in New York and London, first as a management consultant with McKinsey and then as managing director of Wolff Olins. He now lives and writes in Lahore. His first novel, Moth Smoke- 2000, dealt with sex, drugs, and class conflict in 1990s urban Pakistan. It inquires the reader to judge the trial of an ex-banker and heroin addict who has fallen for his best friends wife. Moth Smoke became a cult hit in Pakistan. It was also the winner of a Betty Trask Award and a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. This second novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist -2007, explored the fear and suspicion that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In it an American, encounters a bearded Pakistani who has left behind a high-flying career and love affair in New York. The novel became an international bestseller, won numerous awards, and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Mohsin also writes essays and journalism for the Guardian, Time Magazine, The New York Times, Dawn, La Repubica, and other publications. Mohsin Hamid started writing the novel in 2000 before even 9/11 struck and then after it stuck he weaved the story around the same man Changez who went to study in America and built it in the aftermath of the fall of the twin towers. Because the writer has been living in the United States and also studied at the same institutes that he has mentioned therefore there is a likelihood that his personal observations would have come into play too. Target Audience: The audience that the writer caters is general public. The fall of the twin towers in the United States shook the world and a war was inflicted in the name of War on Terror bringing Muslims under its crunch. Therefore this book especially focuses on the youth, as the post 9/11 situation affected mostly the young working and studying in the US. Summary: The novel begins a few years after 9/11. Mohsin Hamid has very intricately woven the story around a young bearded man, Changez who happens upon the American in Lahore, invites him to tea and tells him the story of his life in the months just before and after the attacks. In 2001, as he explains, Changez was hardly a radical, as he now appears, not from within, but from without. That monologue is the substance of Hamids graceful and unnerving novel. Fresh out of Princeton, Changez was living in New York City and working as a Financial Analyst. At Princeton he was one of only two Pakistanis in his class who did exceptionally well there: I reached my senior year without having received a single B. The man who hires him is also something like a mentor: Jim is an American who rose from poor circumstances to become a very successful man, and he sees a similar hunger in Changez, though Changez doesnt think they are that similar. The fundamental motivation is slightly different: I did not grow up in poverty. But I did. His indoctrination, however, was never total. Starting with his job interview at Underwood Samson to a post-graduation trip to Greece with friends from Princeton, Changez maintains an outsiders double perspective. On the trip he is infatuated with Erica, one of the other travelers, but is also bothered by his rich friends extravagance and the arrogance with which they give orders to anyone theyve paid for a service: I found myself wondering by what peculiarity of human history my companions many of whom I would have regarded as upstarts in my own country, so devoid of refinement were they were in a position to conduct themselves in the world as though they were its ruling class. Yet even as he recognizes the shortcoming of that ruling class, Changez, who comes from a high-status family, moving downwardly, also aspires to join it. Given his oft-mentioned phenomenal aptitude for his new job and a talent for winning over other people, that goal seems all but guaranteed. Has he sacrificed his identity in pursuit of his status? Is he an ignorant master or a shrewd subaltern? Changez has already begun to ask himself these questions when he sees the towers fall. And in the wake of the attacks, as tensions escalate between India and Pakistan, and the United States is caught up in patriotic displays that strike Changez as a dangerous form of nostalgia, he loses interest in his work. Assigned to help appraise a publishing company in Valparaiso, Chile, he spends his time visiting Nerudas house and lunching with the publisher, who compares Changez to a janissary one of the Christian youths captured and then conscripted by the Ottomans, compelled to do battle against their own civilization. He appears to hide himself and his emotions completely, until his reaction to the attacks through the sudden smile, pierces the shell. It seems to have come as a surprise even to him and while hardly endearing, it sets his tale in motion. Changez has a particular way with words, especially regarding the American. Rather than stating the obvious, he offers a more agreeable alternative one that permits both him and the American to continue their pretense. And that it is a charade right from the beginning. Come, tell me, what were you looking for? Surely, at this time of day, only one thing could have brought you to the district of Old Anarkali and that is the quest for the perfect cup of tea. Have I guessed correctly? In the last lines of the 1st page the writer pens the American mindset, he writes: You prefer that seat with your back so close to the wall? He then adds satirically explaining to the American that the Pakistanis are not all terrorists and to be feared: You would have been surprised by the sweetness of his (Waiters) speech, if only you understood Urdu. Mohsin Hamid also talks about the dilemmas of the Pakistani society and narrates: Status in any traditional, class conscious society declines more slowly than wealth. He also talks about the suspicion with which the Americans view the Pakistanis, he tells him that the food is not poisoned and therefore offers an exchange of tea cups also to shrug all suspicions. The writer continues reflecting on the American mind and how they view the Muslims and adds to the tale: The American says: Although I like Pakistanis but the elite has raped that place well and good, right? And fundamentalism, you guys have some serious problem with fundamentalism. The writer through the mind of Changez feels bridled but accepts that there was nothing overtly objectionable in what he said. But the offence that he took made him restrict his response to Yes there are challenges but my family is there and I can assure you it is not as bad as that. Readers may be led to believe that the conversation over tea and dinner is merely a framing device, and that the true heart of the novel is the life-story Changez recounts, but that narrative is interrupted too often. Changezs life-story holds clues to what brings these two men together here for what is surely meant to be a fateful encounter which the writer pulls that off to some extent. Two things follow the turning point in the novel: Changez begins his introspection about Americas hegemony and power and the city he had embraced with such joy only a few months before begins to view him with mistrust and suspicion as the public mood and climate change. Changezs life begins to unravel quickly. Erica slips away from him, is confined to a mental asylum and eventually disappears. He is fired from his job. He returns to Lahore, bitter and disillusioned about the United States, and begins to teach at a university. His exposition of US behavior in its grief-crazed, wounded state offers a sort of postscript to this novel. As a society, you retreated into myths of your own difference, assumptions of your own superiority. And you acted out these beliefs on the stage of the world Such an America had to be stopped in the interests not only of the rest of humanity but also in your own. Changez does not let on exactly what he does to stop America once he is back in Pakistan though he admits that is his mission. Hamid keeps the ending of the novel open and faintly ominous. It is hard to tell how reliable a narrator Changez is. Analysis: Mohsin Hamid is a young celebrated writer. A less sophisticated author might have told a short narrative of an immigrants experiences of discrimination and ignorance. But Hamids novel is distinguished by its portrayal of Changezs class aspirations and inner struggle. For, to be an American is to view the world in a certain way. Ericas obsession with the past engineered to dovetail with Americas nostalgia and with Changezs yearning for a lost Lahore while her disappearance neatly parallels his departure from America. Hamid, who himself attended Princeton and worked in corporate America, aptly captures the ethos and hypocrisies truly and intricately. We never learn the American mans identity, yet Changez regularly interrupts the story to address him. Perhaps he had been pursuing Changez, who has become a leader of anti-American protests. Apparently, the man is on a mission and he may be carrying a weapon, as indicated in the last lines. The use of monologue in The Reluctant Fundamentalist allows the writer intimate access to his central characters mind. Not without its limitations, monologue is used here with great effectiveness, particularly in helping to build suspense. Changezs tone, which is sometimes exaggeratedly polite, sometimes darkly menacing, is laced with the bitter irony. The precise, rather classical orchestration of symmetries and reciprocities is both a strength and a weakness in the book. It fosters the kind of concentratedly astute cultural observation at which Hamid excels. At frequent intervals the narrative executes a nice flourish in the form of some densely symbolic image or succinct remark. Changez meaningfully summarizes, for instance, the experience of every happy Manhattan transplant when he declares: I was, in four and a half years, never an American; I was immediately a New Yorker. Conclusion: The nature of fiction here is closer to reality. The east/west scenario, the discovery of ones patriotism and a morally superior set of values leaves Changez with a sense of decision to leave the United States in the wake of September 11 attacks. He, therefore becomes a potentially fascinating character, what his creator would have intended. This is undoubtedly a great novel written out of the anguished material of these kinds of east/west encounters. This book and its author (who won a Betty Trask award for his first novel, Moth Smoke) certainly has the potential to produce more world class novels. It gives an insight into the American mind and how the world in a post 9/11 circumstances view the Muslims. It also enhances feelings of patriotism when the other partys intentions become evident. My critical analysis of The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a testament to its genuinely provocative nature, and it remains, at the very least, an intelligent, highly engaging piece of work.

Nabokovs Spring in Fialta :: Essays Papers

Nabokovs Spring in Fialta Spring in Fialta’s opening line, â€Å"Spring in Fialta is cloudy and dull,† (Nabokov 413) is quite an atypical beginning for Nabokov. This line, coming from a man who is overly concerned with trifles, brings up many questions. Is Nabokov intentionally leaving out the trifles of Fialta here at the beginning? If so, why? Perhaps the answer to this question is that Nabokov intends for the line in question to be a double entendre referring to both the town and the story itself. On the narrative level, Nabokov leaves little to the reader’s imagination. The story is dull and commonplace. Moreover, I found Douglas Fowler’s criticism of the story to be off the mark and reaching. Fowler is looking too deeply into a cut and dry romantic parody, which bears a striking resemblance to Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin. Nina’s imminent death is mentioned all over this story. These statements are so direct that it cannot be called foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is much more subtle, like seeing a dead bird or something. Foreshadowing is definitely not like what is in Spring in Fialta, which is more like, â€Å"Yup, she’s gonna die.† For example, the lunch with Nina where, â€Å"for the last time in her life, was busy eating the shellfish of which she was so fond,† (Nabokov 427). There are many more statements, some not quite as direct as these, but direct nonetheless such as when Victor is imagining her: Had I to submit before judges or our earthly existence a specimen of her average pose, I would have perhaps placed her leaning upon a counter at Cook’s, left calf crossing right shin, left toe tapping floor, sharp elbows and coin-spilling bag on the counter, while the employee, pencil in hand, pondered with her over the plan of an eternal sleeping car. (Nabokov 417) Also, very early on, Victor says he â€Å"cannot imagine any heavenly firm of brokers that might consent to arrange me a meeting with her beyond the grave,† (Nabokov 415). Statements such as these makes the reader so used to Nina’s death that at the climax of the story when she finally dies, the reader feels no sadness towards this event. There is no tugging at the heartstrings.

The Day After :: essays research papers

The Day After The Day After, was viewed in the living room of my house on two occasions. The purpose of viewing this movie is to write a movie critique from my AP U.S. History 3rd block class. The objective of this overall story is to portray the event and effects that would occur if there were to be a nuclear war. The director of The Day After, is Nicholas Myer and the producer is Robert A. Papazian. The three main characters in this film include Dr. Russell Oakes played by Jason Robards, Stephen Klien played by Steve Guttenburg, and Jim Dahlberg played by John Cullum. The political background of this movie includes escalating events of the Cold War, which led to a nuclear holocaust. The Soviet Union was in a competition with the United States over economic and political systems. As tensions between rose among the United States and the Soviet Union, President Eisenhower used Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as spies to get information from the Soviet Union. The plot of The Day After, is that a nuclear bomb warning is given to a town near Kansas City, Eisenhower Doctrine. The residents of the town become very frantic and buy supplies to last them through this tough time. The military personnel believe that the country is just taking a precaution and that nothing with really happen. But one afternoon the residents were given a 30-minute warning before they would see soviet warheads flying above them. The soviets dropped weapons of mass destruction (WMD’s) on the United States and instantly many people died. Within a couple of day people all over the city and nation suffered from severe injury, breathing complications, and skin conditions due to the mass amounts of radiation in the air. Throughout the movie, the radio and television updated the citizens about what was going on overseas at the time. This includes historical events such as the Warsaw Pact of 1955-a military alliance of the Soviet Union and its satellite nations. The radio also mentioned the isolation of West Berlin from East Germany, which took place in 1948. The NATO pact alliance was a defensive military alliance of the United States, Canada, and ten European nations. The historical events were interpreted from a general perspective. There was a change in attitude in The Day After, because the military personnel at first were not convinced of the seriousness of the Soviets and their ability to launch nuclear missiles among the United States.

A Day at Work Essay -- Dialogue in Narrative Essays

A piercing sound grew louder as I slowly gained consciousness. Realising where it was coming from, I glanced at the stupid phone responsible for awakening me. Who the hell was phoning me at this time in the morning? Picking up the ringing object, I glanced at the clock hanging on the cream wall. 8:40am. Shit, I was late. Work started at 9am. I sighed. Whoever was making me even later better have a damn good reason. I hit the answer button. "Yo." I mumbled into the speaker. I recognised my step-mother's annoyingly highpitched voice screeching through the phone. "Robert James! That is no way to answer the phone! Next time I expect to be hearing a nice, 'hello, Robert speaking', none of this 'ya' nonsense-" By this stage I had placed the phone next to my half-finished bio report on the desk. I had no intention of listening to her lecturing. She could try what she wanted, but she'd never replace my mum like she desperately seemed to be trying to accomplish. I was nineteen anyway, not much she could do. She couldn't even say 'yo' without sounding like a retard. Hell, she didn't even take the time to notice that noone called me by my full name. I was known as Rob to practically everyone apart from her. Fully clothed in my wrinkled uniform, I grabbed the phone, rushing for the door. "Later's Ax!" I called over my shoulder to my roommate Axel, not giving a shit if he heard me or not. I was already running late. "I'll be back after work." I said, slamming the door behind me. As I rushed down the dull dormitry halls of Greenville college, I wearily raised the phone back up to my ear. Not surprisingly, the screech-master was still at it. Before she could continue further on whatever the hell she was on about, I interrupted. "Du... ...es. Realising I had zoned out again, stopped in the middle of the shop, whilst balancing 5 coffees on a tray, I looked over to see some customers glaring impatiently at me. Sheesh, calm your farms, it's only coffee. Not wishing to get any closer to those stuck up looking customers, I swivelled around again and headed straight back to the kitchen. I threw the orders back on the bench and slapped Cade round the shoulder, "Tell the boss I'm sick won't ya? " He looked at me doubtfully. "Cough, cough?" I half heartedly faked illness. "Whatever dude, " He eventually gave in, "But you know, you owe me now, right?" "Anything you want mate." I honestly would have agreed to anything. At that moment I just needed to get out of that place. As soon as I got back to the dorms, I was planning on grabbing Axel and going on one of our not so legal adventures together. A Day at Work Essay -- Dialogue in Narrative Essays A piercing sound grew louder as I slowly gained consciousness. Realising where it was coming from, I glanced at the stupid phone responsible for awakening me. Who the hell was phoning me at this time in the morning? Picking up the ringing object, I glanced at the clock hanging on the cream wall. 8:40am. Shit, I was late. Work started at 9am. I sighed. Whoever was making me even later better have a damn good reason. I hit the answer button. "Yo." I mumbled into the speaker. I recognised my step-mother's annoyingly highpitched voice screeching through the phone. "Robert James! That is no way to answer the phone! Next time I expect to be hearing a nice, 'hello, Robert speaking', none of this 'ya' nonsense-" By this stage I had placed the phone next to my half-finished bio report on the desk. I had no intention of listening to her lecturing. She could try what she wanted, but she'd never replace my mum like she desperately seemed to be trying to accomplish. I was nineteen anyway, not much she could do. She couldn't even say 'yo' without sounding like a retard. Hell, she didn't even take the time to notice that noone called me by my full name. I was known as Rob to practically everyone apart from her. Fully clothed in my wrinkled uniform, I grabbed the phone, rushing for the door. "Later's Ax!" I called over my shoulder to my roommate Axel, not giving a shit if he heard me or not. I was already running late. "I'll be back after work." I said, slamming the door behind me. As I rushed down the dull dormitry halls of Greenville college, I wearily raised the phone back up to my ear. Not surprisingly, the screech-master was still at it. Before she could continue further on whatever the hell she was on about, I interrupted. "Du... ...es. Realising I had zoned out again, stopped in the middle of the shop, whilst balancing 5 coffees on a tray, I looked over to see some customers glaring impatiently at me. Sheesh, calm your farms, it's only coffee. Not wishing to get any closer to those stuck up looking customers, I swivelled around again and headed straight back to the kitchen. I threw the orders back on the bench and slapped Cade round the shoulder, "Tell the boss I'm sick won't ya? " He looked at me doubtfully. "Cough, cough?" I half heartedly faked illness. "Whatever dude, " He eventually gave in, "But you know, you owe me now, right?" "Anything you want mate." I honestly would have agreed to anything. At that moment I just needed to get out of that place. As soon as I got back to the dorms, I was planning on grabbing Axel and going on one of our not so legal adventures together.

Cultivating an Equal Opportunity Society

Question: Do you think cultivating an equal opportunity society has helped countries such as South Africa and America to move forward? In a carefully worded essay, show why this is the case or why it is not. The equity act was implemented after apartheid in South Africa and America in order to force businesses to hire disadvantaged groups in order to amend the imbalance apartheid created in the economy. The equity act is very much needed in a country where racism led to a minority group being developed.In my opinion the equity act has a very important role in reinstating a sense of believe in a better future. There is no point in telling a minority group they are free to do anything but then not force the majority group to allow this. The majority group could go on refusing to hire minority groups, still harbouring a racist view. You cannot expect people to instantly change their long standing views of discrimination and overnight start hiring different races and genders.It is a slow process and education, trust and forgiveness are not easily acquired. Here the equity act aims to force people to accept the change and move forward letting go of discrimination. Now in South Africa I believe the equity act has allowed our country to move away from formal apartheid and into a time where the focus on race and gender has become bigger than ever. Today when you apply for an education, bursary or job your race and gender is a major deciding factor for the recruiter or employer.By law in South Africa if you have a business that employs more than 50 people you have to comply with the regulations and rules set out in Employment Equity act, this is also known as Black Economic Empowerment(BEE) and should you not achieve the desired level of BEE status your business can be fined. The higher your BEE status the more likely you are to win government contracts ensuring higher paid jobs for your business. Because of the need for a BEE status, employers’ criteria for hiri ng staff have shifted from capabilities and merit to race and gender.An employer will much rather hire a staff member that will ensure the business a hire BEE status than hire a staff member that will not increase his status or even worse lead to him to being fined. Even though the latter staff member may be more qualified than the first staff member the employer will gain more funs with a less capable employee than with a highly skilled employee of the wrong race or gender. Because the employer is now forced to hire less skilled workers his more skilled workers have to work harder to make up for the employees who cannot perform the duties.This leads to feeling of hatred and discrimination among employees. Companies may also struggle to find people of a certain group that is qualified to perform a task and so leave the company under staffed and not capable of providing a service or product. This situation leads to not only a drop in quality of services and products but these busines ses also receive more work as winning a contract is purely based on what race and gender works for you. Companies have moved from wanting to provide top quality services and products to wanting the correct race and gender to work for them.Your standard of work is no longer important, just what you look like. How is that a move forward from focusing on skin colour? Disadvantage groups now have more opportunities available to them now but your race, gender, family tradition and religion greatly influence your worldview and interests. For this reason many economic sectors lack the people required to meet BEE status. I interviewed a director of a security company in my home town and he had this to say about the equity act. Mr Smith runs a private security company in Cape Town and employs 150 security guards.He only has a level 2 BEE status. Mr Smith explained to me that due to the nature of the tasks required in his company, male employees are more attracted to the job. In order to comp ly with the employment equity act he has to hire a certain percentage of people from previously disadvantaged groups. Unfortunately these people lack the funds required to be educated as security guards. Mr Smith has to pay for these people to be educated costing his company a large amount every year and he can also only afford to educate a certain amount of people of the required race, leaving his company understaffed.For example say he has to employ 20 Indians but can only afford to educate 10 Indians. He is not allowed to hire 10 staff members from another group and thus leaving his company understaffed by 10 people. He also has problems finding females to hire as security is not viewed as a job suited for females. For this reason his BEE status is very low and he has almost no chance in acquiring large government contracts needed to grow his business not even mentioning being under staffed. If he doesn’t comply with BEE he will be fined and in order to comply with BEE he has to pay to educate the proper race.It is a vicious cycle and is created from an act looking at empowering our country. In this situation all the act is doing is decreasing job opportunities as implementing this act becomes too costly for small businesses. Trough BEE many disadvantaged groups have been receiving job positions they are not qualified for. Under skilled people are being made directors of companies purely to increase BEE status and thus increase contracts for the company. These directors often still harbour a feeling of oppression and revenge.Many disadvantaged people believe the â€Å"whites† owe them everything after apartheid and when these people are then put in power they ignore the regulation of the equity act. They want revenge for their suffering and will only favour their race or gender. Due to the lack of monitoring the implementation of the equity act, many companies are never fined for not complying with the act. There are companies playing by the r ules and suffering and there are companies ignoring the rules, favouring their â€Å"own† in the job market and bribing their way to the top.We are now seeing companies with a majority of one race being born creating more hatred among groups. This goes for previously disadvantaged groups and advantaged groups. When your race and gender becomes a criterion for employment victimization will always be a factor. Before the equity act you where hired based on merit, sure disadvantaged groups didn’t even stand a chance as their access to education where restricted but being hired based on your label is fuelling blame and discrimination now more than ever.Not only is the act exaggerating the very problem it seeks to solve it is now giving people a valid criteria and reason for discrimination. People will always seek to blame and point out differences among themselves, this act just allows the differences among people to be taken more seriously. I have heard many times people say,† he was only hired because they need more black people,† or â€Å"She only won because she is a women and they need to have a female win so they can keep their government sponsorship. It is a really sad situation to be in when you no longer have to do your best to achieve success but can achieve success by purely applying to a company or university that is short on filling their BEE criteria. Not only is this a bad thing for skilled people who are losing jobs based on race but it is detrimental to skilled people being hired in suitable positions all while there, they are being frowned upon. I can definitely see the equity act as necessary in our country. It is vital for educating the majority about the minority and vice versa. It is important for empowering en providing confidence in oppressed groups.It can eliminate the stereotypes of a white man’s job or a black ladies’ job. Society can grow so much from being pushed to integrate our relationships w ith other groups and us as a country can rectify our differences but unfortunately this act has illuminated our differences and used it as its very criteria for success. We are moving backwards and our standard of service and quality of products are dropping. Businesses are suffering and the people who do strive for excellence are stepping back in order to favour an attitude of â€Å"the world owes me everything†.The people are not ready for such an act. Our focus on difference and our â€Å"revenge† attitudes are over shadowing our goal of working as one. I don’t expect people to forget about apartheid, its effects will still be felt for many years, but I do believe if we can realise that we all do have a chance at an equal opportunity for success, we can create an economy fuelled by one goal, a brighter future for all. Unfortunately right now we are slipping into reverse creating a world worse than before.