Angels Demons Chapter 13-15

13 Langdon stared in bewilderment at the study before him. â€Å"What is this place?† Despite the welcome blast of warm air on his face, he stepped through the door with trepidation. Kohler said nothing as he followed Langdon inside. Langdon scanned the room, not having the slightest idea what to make of it. It contained the most peculiar mix of artifacts he had ever seen. On the far wall, dominating the decor, was an enormous wooden crucifix, which Langdon placed as fourteenth-century Spanish. Above the cruciform, suspended from the ceiling, was a metallic mobile of the orbiting planets. To the left was an oil painting of the Virgin Mary, and beside that was a laminated periodic table of elements. On the side wall, two additional brass cruciforms flanked a poster of Albert Einstein, his famous quote reading: God Does Not Play Dice With the Universe Langdon moved into the room, looking around in astonishment. A leather-bound Bible sat on Vetra's desk beside a plastic Bohr model of an atom and a miniature replica of Michelangelo's Moses. Talk about eclectic, Langdon thought. The warmth felt good, but something about the decor sent a new set of chills through his body. He felt like he was witnessing the clash of two philosophical titans†¦ an unsettling blur of opposing forces. He scanned the titles on the bookshelf: The God Particle The Tao of Physics God: The Evidence One of the bookends was etched with a quote: True science discovers God waiting behind every door. Pope Pius XII â€Å"Leonardo was a Catholic priest,† Kohler said. Langdon turned. â€Å"A priest? I thought you said he was a physicist.† â€Å"He was both. Men of science and religion are not unprecedented in history. Leonardo was one of them. He considered physics ‘God's natural law.' He claimed God's handwriting was visible in the natural order all around us. Through science he hoped to prove God's existence to the doubting masses. He considered himself a theo-physicist.† Theo-physicist? Langdon thought it sounded impossibly oxymoronic. â€Å"The field of particle physics,† Kohler said, â€Å"has made some shocking discoveries lately – discoveries quite spiritual in implication. Leonardo was responsible for many of them.† Langdon studied CERN's director, still trying to process the bizarre surroundings. â€Å"Spirituality and physics?† Langdon had spent his career studying religious history, and if there was one recurring theme, it was that science and religion had been oil and water since day one†¦ archenemies†¦ unmixable. â€Å"Vetra was on the cutting edge of particle physics,† Kohler said. â€Å"He was starting to fuse science and religion†¦ showing that they complement each other in most unanticipated ways. He called the field New Physics.† Kohler pulled a book from the shelf and handed it to Langdon. Langdon studied the cover. God, Miracles, and the New Physics – by Leonardo Vetra. â€Å"The field is small,† Kohler said, â€Å"but it's bringing fresh answers to some old questions – questions about the origin of the universe and the forces that bind us all. Leonardo believed his research had the potential to convert millions to a more spiritual life. Last year he categorically proved the existence of an energy force that unites us all. He actually demonstrated that we are all physically connected†¦ that the molecules in your body are intertwined with the molecules in mine†¦ that there is a single force moving within all of us.† Langdon felt disconcerted. And the power of God shall unite us all. â€Å"Mr. Vetra actually found a way to demonstrate that particles are connected?† â€Å"Conclusive evidence. A recent Scientific American article hailed New Physics as a surer path to God than religion itself.† The comment hit home. Langdon suddenly found himself thinking of the antireligious Illuminati. Reluctantly, he forced himself to permit a momentary intellectual foray into the impossible. If the Illuminati were indeed still active, would they have killed Leonardo to stop him from bringing his religious message to the masses? Langdon shook off the thought. Absurd! The Illuminati are ancient history! All academics know that! â€Å"Vetra had plenty of enemies in the scientific world,† Kohler went on. â€Å"Many scientific purists despised him. Even here at CERN. They felt that using analytical physics to support religious principles was a treason against science.† â€Å"But aren't scientists today a bit less defensive about the church?† Kohler grunted in disgust. â€Å"Why should we be? The church may not be burning scientists at the stake anymore, but if you think they've released their reign over science, ask yourself why half the schools in your country are not allowed to teach evolution. Ask yourself why the U.S. Christian Coalition is the most influential lobby against scientific progress in the world. The battle between science and religion is still raging, Mr. Langdon. It has moved from the battlefields to the boardrooms, but it is still raging.† Langdon realized Kohler was right. Just last week the Harvard School of Divinity had marched on the Biology Building, protesting the genetic engineering taking place in the graduate program. The chairman of the Bio Department, famed ornithologist Richard Aaronian, defended his curriculum by hanging a huge banner from his office window. The banner depicted the Christian â€Å"fish† modified with four little feet – a tribute, Aaronian claimed, to the African lungfishes' evolution onto dry land. Beneath the fish, instead of the word â€Å"Jesus,† was the proclamation â€Å"Darwin!† A sharp beeping sound cut the air, and Langdon looked up. Kohler reached down into the array of electronics on his wheelchair. He slipped a beeper out of its holder and read the incoming message. â€Å"Good. That is Leonardo's daughter. Ms. Vetra is arriving at the helipad right now. We will meet her there. I think it best she not come up here and see her father this way.† Langdon agreed. It would be a shock no child deserved. â€Å"I will ask Ms. Vetra to explain the project she and her father have been working on†¦ perhaps shedding light on why he was murdered.† â€Å"You think Vetra's work is why he was killed?† â€Å"Quite possibly. Leonardo told me he was working on something groundbreaking. That is all he said. He had become very secretive about the project. He had a private lab and demanded seclusion, which I gladly afforded him on account of his brilliance. His work had been consuming huge amounts of electric power lately, but I refrained from questioning him.† Kohler rotated toward the study door. â€Å"There is, however, one more thing you need to know before we leave this flat.† Langdon was not sure he wanted to hear it. â€Å"An item was stolen from Vetra by his murderer.† â€Å"An item?† â€Å"Follow me.† The director propelled his wheelchair back into the fog-filled living room. Langdon followed, not knowing what to expect. Kohler maneuvered to within inches of Vetra's body and stopped. He ushered Langdon to join him. Reluctantly, Langdon came close, bile rising in his throat at the smell of the victim's frozen urine. â€Å"Look at his face,† Kohler said. Look at his face? Langdon frowned. I thought you said something was stolen. Hesitantly, Langdon knelt down. He tried to see Vetra's face, but the head was twisted 180 degrees backward, his face pressed into the carpet. Struggling against his handicap Kohler reached down and carefully twisted Vetra's frozen head. Cracking loudly, the corpse's face rotated into view, contorted in agony. Kohler held it there a moment. â€Å"Sweet Jesus!† Langdon cried, stumbling back in horror. Vetra's face was covered in blood. A single hazel eye stared lifelessly back at him. The other socket was tattered and empty. â€Å"They stole his eye?† 14 Langdon stepped out of Building C into the open air, grateful to be outside Vetra's flat. The sun helped dissolve the image of the empty eye socket emblazoned into his mind. â€Å"This way, please,† Kohler said, veering up a steep path. The electric wheelchair seemed to accelerate effortlessly. â€Å"Ms. Vetra will be arriving any moment.† Langdon hurried to keep up. â€Å"So,† Kohler asked. â€Å"Do you still doubt the Illuminati's involvement?† Langdon had no idea what to think anymore. Vetra's religious affiliations were definitely troubling, and yet Langdon could not bring himself to abandon every shred of academic evidence he had ever researched. Besides, there was the eye†¦ â€Å"I still maintain,† Langdon said, more forcefully than he intended. â€Å"that the Illuminati are not responsible for this murder. The missing eye is proof.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Random mutilation,† Langdon explained, â€Å"is very†¦ un – Illuminati. Cult specialists see desultory defacement from inexperienced fringe sects – zealots who commit random acts of terrorism – but the Illuminati have always been more deliberate.† â€Å"Deliberate? Surgically removing someone's eyeball is not deliberate?† â€Å"It sends no clear message. It serves no higher purpose.† Kohler's wheelchair stopped short at the top of the hill. He turned. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, believe me, that missing eye does indeed serve a higher purpose†¦ a much higher purpose.† As the two men crossed the grassy rise, the beating of helicopter blades became audible to the west. A chopper appeared, arching across the open valley toward them. It banked sharply, then slowed to a hover over a helipad painted on the grass. Langdon watched, detached, his mind churning circles like the blades, wondering if a full night's sleep would make his current disorientation any clearer. Somehow, he doubted it. As the skids touched down, a pilot jumped out and started unloading gear. There was a lot of it – duffels, vinyl wet bags, scuba tanks, and crates of what appeared to be high-tech diving equipment. Langdon was confused. â€Å"Is that Ms. Vetra's gear?† he yelled to Kohler over the roar of the engines. Kohler nodded and yelled back, â€Å"She was doing biological research in the Balearic Sea.† â€Å"I thought you said she was a physicist!† â€Å"She is. She's a Bio Entanglement Physicist. She studies the interconnectivity of life systems. Her work ties closely with her father's work in particle physics. Recently she disproved one of Einstein's fundamental theories by using atomically synchronized cameras to observe a school of tuna fish.† Langdon searched his host's face for any glint of humor. Einstein and tuna fish? He was starting to wonder if the X-33 space plane had mistakenly dropped him off on the wrong planet. A moment later, Vittoria Vetra emerged from the fuselage. Robert Langdon realized today was going to be a day of endless surprises. Descending from the chopper in her khaki shorts and white sleeveless top, Vittoria Vetra looked nothing like the bookish physicist he had expected. Lithe and graceful, she was tall with chestnut skin and long black hair that swirled in the backwind of the rotors. Her face was unmistakably Italian – not overly beautiful, but possessing full, earthy features that even at twenty yards seemed to exude a raw sensuality. As the air currents buffeted her body, her clothes clung, accentuating her slender torso and small breasts. â€Å"Ms. Vetra is a woman of tremendous personal strength,† Kohler said, seeming to sense Langdon's captivation. â€Å"She spends months at a time working in dangerous ecological systems. She is a strict vegetarian and CERN's resident guru of Hatha yoga.† Hatha yoga? Langdon mused. The ancient Buddhist art of meditative stretching seemed an odd proficiency for the physicist daughter of a Catholic priest. Langdon watched Vittoria approach. She had obviously been crying, her deep sable eyes filled with emotions Langdon could not place. Still, she moved toward them with fire and command. Her limbs were strong and toned, radiating the healthy luminescence of Mediterranean flesh that had enjoyed long hours in the sun. â€Å"Vittoria,† Kohler said as she approached. â€Å"My deepest condolences. It's a terrible loss for science†¦ for all of us here at CERN.† Vittoria nodded gratefully. When she spoke, her voice was smooth – a throaty, accented English. â€Å"Do you know who is responsible yet?† â€Å"We're still working on it.† She turned to Langdon, holding out a slender hand. â€Å"My name is Vittoria Vetra. You're from Interpol, I assume?† Langdon took her hand, momentarily spellbound by the depth of her watery gaze. â€Å"Robert Langdon.† He was unsure what else to say. â€Å"Mr. Langdon is not with the authorities,† Kohler explained. â€Å"He is a specialist from the U.S. He's here to help us locate who is responsible for this situation.† Vittoria looked uncertain. â€Å"And the police?† Kohler exhaled but said nothing. â€Å"Where is his body?† she demanded. â€Å"Being attended to.† The white lie surprised Langdon. â€Å"I want to see him,† Vittoria said. â€Å"Vittoria,† Kohler urged, â€Å"your father was brutally murdered. You would be better to remember him as he was.† Vittoria began to speak but was interrupted. â€Å"Hey, Vittoria!† voices called from the distance. â€Å"Welcome home!† She turned. A group of scientists passing near the helipad waved happily. â€Å"Disprove any more of Einstein's theories?† one shouted. Another added, â€Å"Your dad must be proud!† Vittoria gave the men an awkward wave as they passed. Then she turned to Kohler, her face now clouded with confusion. â€Å"Nobody knows yet?† â€Å"I decided discretion was paramount.† â€Å"You haven't told the staff my father was murdered?† Her mystified tone was now laced with anger. Kohler's tone hardened instantly. â€Å"Perhaps you forget, Ms. Vetra, as soon as I report your father's murder, there will be an investigation of CERN. Including a thorough examination of his lab. I have always tried to respect your father's privacy. Your father has told me only two things about your current project. One, that it has the potential to bring CERN millions of francs in licensing contracts in the next decade. And two, that it is not ready for public disclosure because it is still hazardous technology. Considering these two facts, I would prefer strangers not poke around inside his lab and either steal his work or kill themselves in the process and hold CERN liable. Do I make myself clear?† Vittoria stared, saying nothing. Langdon sensed in her a reluctant respect and acceptance of Kohler's logic. â€Å"Before we report anything to the authorities,† Kohler said, â€Å"I need to know what you two were working on. I need you to take us to your lab.† â€Å"The lab is irrelevant,† Vittoria said. â€Å"Nobody knew what my father and I were doing. The experiment could not possibly have anything to do with my father's murder.† Kohler exhaled a raspy, ailing breath. â€Å"Evidence suggests otherwise.† â€Å"Evidence? What evidence?† Langdon was wondering the same thing. Kohler was dabbing his mouth again. â€Å"You'll just have to trust me.† It was clear, from Vittoria's smoldering gaze, that she did not. 15 Langdon strode silently behind Vittoria and Kohler as they moved back into the main atrium where Langdon's bizarre visit had begun. Vittoria's legs drove in fluid efficiency – like an Olympic diver – a potency, Langdon figured, no doubt born from the flexibility and control of yoga. He could hear her breathing slowly and deliberately, as if somehow trying to filter her grief. Langdon wanted to say something to her, offer his sympathy. He too had once felt the abrupt hollowness of unexpectedly losing a parent. He remembered the funeral mostly, rainy and gray. Two days after his twelfth birthday. The house was filled with gray-suited men from the office, men who squeezed his hand too hard when they shook it. They were all mumbling words like cardiac and stress. His mother joked through teary eyes that she'd always been able to follow the stock market simply by holding her husband's hand†¦ his pulse her own private ticker tape. Once, when his father was alive, Langdon had heard his mom begging his father to â€Å"stop and smell the roses.† That year, Langdon bought his father a tiny blown-glass rose for Christmas. It was the most beautiful thing Langdon had ever seen†¦ the way the sun caught it, throwing a rainbow of colors on the wall. â€Å"It's lovely,† his father had said when he opened it, kissing Robert on the forehead. â€Å"Let's find a safe spot for it.† Then his father had carefully placed the rose on a high dusty shelf in the darkest corner of the living room. A few days later, Langdon got a stool, retrieved the rose, and took it back to the store. His father never noticed it was gone. The ping of an elevator pulled Langdon back to the present. Vittoria and Kohler were in front of him, boarding the lift. Langdon hesitated outside the open doors. â€Å"Is something wrong?† Kohler asked, sounding more impatient than concerned. â€Å"Not at all,† Langdon said, forcing himself toward the cramped carriage. He only used elevators when absolutely necessary. He preferred the more open spaces of stairwells. â€Å"Dr. Vetra's lab is subterranean,† Kohler said. Wonderful, Langdon thought as he stepped across the cleft, feeling an icy wind churn up from the depths of the shaft. The doors closed, and the car began to descend. â€Å"Six stories,† Kohler said blankly, like an analytical engine. Langdon pictured the darkness of the empty shaft below them. He tried to block it out by staring at the numbered display of changing floors. Oddly, the elevator showed only two stops. Ground Level and LHC. â€Å"What's LHC stand for?† Langdon asked, trying not to sound nervous. â€Å"Large Hadron Collider,† Kohler said. â€Å"A particle accelerator.† Particle accelerator? Langdon was vaguely familiar with the term. He had first heard it over dinner with some colleagues at Dunster House in Cambridge. A physicist friend of theirs, Bob Brownell, had arrived for dinner one night in a rage. â€Å"The bastards canceled it!† Brownell cursed. â€Å"Canceled what?† they all asked. â€Å"The SSC!† â€Å"The what?† â€Å"The Superconducting Super Collider!† Someone shrugged. â€Å"I didn't know Harvard was building one.† â€Å"Not Harvard!† he exclaimed. â€Å"The U.S.! It was going to be the world's most powerful particle accelerator! One of the most important scientific projects of the century! Two billion dollars into it and the Senate sacks the project! Damn Bible-Belt lobbyists!† When Brownell finally calmed down, he explained that a particle accelerator was a large, circular tube through which subatomic particles were accelerated. Magnets in the tube turned on and off in rapid succession to â€Å"push† particles around and around until they reached tremendous velocities. Fully accelerated particles circled the tube at over 180,000 miles per second. â€Å"But that's almost the speed of light,† one of the professors exclaimed. â€Å"Damn right,† Brownell said. He went on to say that by accelerating two particles in opposite directions around the tube and then colliding them, scientists could shatter the particles into their constituent parts and get a glimpse of nature's most fundamental components. â€Å"Particle accelerators,† Brownell declared, â€Å"are critical to the future of science. Colliding particles is the key to understanding the building blocks of the universe.† Harvard's Poet in Residence, a quiet man named Charles Pratt, did not look impressed. â€Å"It sounds to me,† he said, â€Å"like a rather Neanderthal approach to science†¦ akin to smashing clocks together to discern their internal workings.† Brownell dropped his fork and stormed out of the room. So CERN has a particle accelerator? Langdon thought, as the elevator dropped. A circular tube for smashing particles. He wondered why they had buried it underground. When the elevator thumped to a stop, Langdon was relieved to feel terra firma beneath his feet. But when the doors slid open, his relief evaporated. Robert Langdon found himself standing once again in a totally alien world. The passageway stretched out indefinitely in both directions, left and right. It was a smooth cement tunnel, wide enough to allow passage of an eighteen wheeler. Brightly lit where they stood, the corridor turned pitch black farther down. A damp wind rustled out of the darkness – an unsettling reminder that they were now deep in the earth. Langdon could almost sense the weight of the dirt and stone now hanging above his head. For an instant he was nine years old†¦ the darkness forcing him back†¦ back to the five hours of crushing blackness that haunted him still. Clenching his fists, he fought it off. Vittoria remained hushed as she exited the elevator and strode off without hesitation into the darkness without them. Overhead the flourescents flickered on to light her path. The effect was unsettling, Langdon thought, as if the tunnel were alive†¦ anticipating her every move. Langdon and Kohler followed, trailing a distance behind. The lights extinguished automatically behind them. â€Å"This particle accelerator,† Langdon said quietly. â€Å"It's down this tunnel someplace?† â€Å"That's it there.† Kohler motioned to his left where a polished, chrome tube ran along the tunnel's inner wall. Langdon eyed the tube, confused. â€Å"That's the accelerator?† The device looked nothing like he had imagined. It was perfectly straight, about three feet in diameter, and extended horizontally the visible length of the tunnel before disappearing into the darkness. Looks more like a high-tech sewer, Langdon thought. â€Å"I thought particle accelerators were circular.† â€Å"This accelerator is a circle,† Kohler said. â€Å"It appears straight, but that is an optical illusion. The circumference of this tunnel is so large that the curve is imperceptible – like that of the earth.† Langdon was flabbergasted. This is a circle? â€Å"But†¦ it must be enormous!† â€Å"The LHC is the largest machine in the world.† Langdon did a double take. He remembered the CERN driver saying something about a huge machine buried in the earth. But – â€Å"It is over eight kilometers in diameter†¦ and twenty-seven kilometers long.† Langdon's head whipped around. â€Å"Twenty-seven kilometers?† He stared at the director and then turned and looked into the darkened tunnel before him. â€Å"This tunnel is twenty-seven kilometers long? That's†¦ that's over sixteen miles!† Kohler nodded. â€Å"Bored in a perfect circle. It extends all the way into France before curving back here to this spot. Fully accelerated particles will circle the tube more than ten thousand times in a single second before they collide.† Langdon's legs felt rubbery as he stared down the gaping tunnel. â€Å"You're telling me that CERN dug out millions of tons of earth just to smash tiny particles?† Kohler shrugged. â€Å"Sometimes to find truth, one must move mountains.†

Marxist Criticism Is Always Concerned with the Class Struggle in History.

The main aim of Marxism is to bring about a classless society. Thus the reason I chose to study George Orwell's Animal Farm is because its characters share (originally) this same ambition. Animal Farm represents the oppressed masses rising up and forming a ‘classless' society of their own. While offering a critique of communism in general, the book also serves to act as a mirror of Soviet Russia under Stalin. As reflected throughout the text, it was no secret Orwell considered Russia, and consequently Communism, a counter-revolutionary force that would inevitably become corrupted by greed and power. Indeed, perhaps in order to go further in offering a Marxist reading of the text, it is necessary to pass judgement on the author and the epoch in which the book was written. In doing so, I hope to show just how progressive (or anti-progressive) the book is. From almost the very beginning of this book it possible to see Orwell's criticism of Karl Marx, displayed through ‘Old Major'. Many of the characters in the book symbolize real political figures. Old Major' is very much like Karl Marx, at times he appears single minded and unrealistic. Before his death ‘Old Major' gave an unwavering speech stating no animal should ever â€Å"touch money, or engage in trade† . This is clearly a direct criticism of Karl Marx's naivety, as shown later through Orwell's narration: Never to have any dealings with human beings, never to engage in trade, never to make use of money – had these not been among the earliest resolutions passed at the first triumphant meeting when Jon es was expelled? It soon becomes clear that ‘Animalism' (which bears a striking resemblance to communism) is a system that cannot be maintained the way originally intended. The morals that, at first, rule on the farm become controls. The animals effectively split themselves into ‘classes'. This class splitting becomes accepted as normal through a process of Hegemony . As described by Raymond Williams, hegemony is a form of social control that becomes accepted as ‘normal' after becoming the predominant influence. Indeed the notion of hegemony is closely related to a concept developed by the French Marxist Louis Althusser. Althusser's theory of Ideological Structures becomes hugely relevant when applied to Orwell's political satire. These Ideological structures are effectively institutions that prevent the masses causing a revolution. In the case of religion for instance, a Marxist would suggest that it prevents a revolution by imposing the notion that you will be rewarded in the ‘after-life', for all you put up with in this life. The manor in which religion is depicted in Animal Farm leads one to think that Orwell was not a particularly religious man, and in this instance at least he would have agreed with Marx's views on the subject. Here religion is portrayed through the aptly named Moses, the raven. Moses refuses to listen to the rebellious speech given by Old Major, though later preaches about a magical place for all animals called ‘Sugar Candy Mountain'. In Animal Farm the pigs work hard to convince the other animals that ‘Sugar Candy Mountain' (heaven) does not exist, though, significantly, this is done before the rebellion takes place. This shows a slightly hypocritical side to Marx's work because after the rebellion takes place the pigs are keen to enforce their own ideology on to the other animals (proletariat), leading to the important question ‘Is the will of the people also transferred to their leader†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ In this instance the answer seems to be a resounding ‘No'. However on second reading, it could be argued that, up until the very climax of the book, the animals actually get what they want. One gets the impression that in offering a true Marxist critique of the book, it is actually the case that the animals do achieve their top priority; ousting man. In this sense they do become free (from man at least) and it is only their subsequent inability to grasp the prospect of equality that leads to another regime of dictatorship. Although at the same time it cannot be argued that the majority of the animals (or the ‘masses' as they appropriately refer to themselves) are treated fairly. Evidence of this can be found in the extract of the book I have largely chosen to focus my attentions on (appendix one), where from the outset the animals, in my opinion, are treat worse than ever before. As a result of the revolution that took place on the farm the animals, excluding the pigs, presume that the luxuries that were once taken away from them, such as milk and apples, would be shared equally among the group, however this is not the case: (p. 23) You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege. Many of us actually dislike milk and apples†¦ milk and apples (this has been proven by science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well being of the pig. We pigs are brainworkers. (Appendix one) Consequently the animals find themselves in a state of confusion. Their situation, they are constantly reassured, is better than before. They now live under their original ideal of animalism, they are told. This can be closely related to the theory of ‘Carbonarism', which was identified as having been created under the Italian Communist Party (1921-43). The theory is largely based around the recurring tendency to distract the masses from the ‘real' (or perhaps relevant) problems that were occurring under communist rule. In reality the animals are living under a harsh dictatorship, under the veil of animalism. Engels refers to this as an illusion of democracy. By creating this illusion of democracy the ruling class (Napoleon/Stalin) can ensure they stay in power, while everything will stay ‘natural' to the proletariat. Indeed this illusion of democracy is further emphasized when the animals are asked questions by the pigs; questions to which there can be only one possible reply. In a sense the rhetorical questions act as a tool to reinforce the false class-consciousness: It is for your sake that we pigs drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed our duty? Jones would come back! Surely comrades†¦ surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back? (p. 23) Althusser calls this Interpellation. A process where by a person is made to feel like they have a choice, when actually the ‘choice' does not exist. Peter Barry offers an example: ‘You can have any colour you like†¦ as long as it's black' Animal Farm can also be linked to another theory. The German philosopher Friedrich Hegel offered the notion that contrasting ideas can be bring about new situations, this is known as the dialectic. Thus, a process whereby ‘contradictions are inherent to its structure' becomes particularly relevant when discussing Animal Farm. Hegel's dialectic was constructed around three key concepts: the thesis, the antithesis and the resolution. What Karl Marx did was effectively reinterpret Hegel's work and relate it to his own concepts based on class struggle. Thus, Hegel's thesis becomes Marx's ‘the way things are'; Hegel's antithesis became ‘the conflict' and the resolution, or the ideal, communism. This process is known as ‘dialectical Marxism'. However, what Hegel or Marx failed to anticipate was the collapse of their ideal, once it became accepted (‘the way things are). Indeed, I contend that Hegel's dialectic was a process fuelled by repetition. In other words, it will continue a ‘natural' process through the stages until the resolution is reached and when the resolution fails, it will start again. This undoubtedly is the case in Animal Farm, where once the animals achieve the goal, they slip back into Hegel's thesis. In terms of offering a Marxist reading, the era in which the book was written and, significantly, published is very important and relevant to Orwell's satire. Animal Farm was written in 1943 (the end of communist Russia), but not published until after the end of the Second World War in 1945. Indeed at such a historical moment in time, I believe that a Marxist would see Orwell as a product of the society in which he was raised, and therefore the book becomes the ‘bi-product'. Too add weight to this argument, the dominant ideologies at work at the time the book was written suggest Orwell had capitalist ideals at heart. However, George Orwell was an active socialist. He did strongly oppose the views of Karl Marx and was not impressed with the idea of communism, but he was equally opposed to the idea of capitalism. Therefore I believe that Animal Farm should not be regarded as the ‘bi-product' of the distinctly capitalist society Orwell was a part of. Instead I argue that Animal Farm is the consequence of such a system in which Orwell was expected to conform. This would perhaps explain why it took so long to get published; society (capitalists and Marxists) was weary.

Eastern Europe and Russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Eastern Europe and Russia - Essay Example As reviewed by Butler (2007), the highlight of European civilization had been mostly focused on one group, the Byzantine Empire, which had thrived despite the incursions on fifth century C.E. The race had adopted the Greek culture and its philosophy. Nonetheless, like other great civilizations, the empire, too, had experienced its ultimate end in 1453 (â€Å"The Byzantine Empire,† n.d.). Despite its massive fall in 40th century, their existence still holds substantial contributions to Eastern Europe and Russia up to now. It paved way to the emergence of eastern Cyrillic alphabet, as well as the Orthodox Christianity in Russia (Peterson, 1995). As further explained by Butler (2007), â€Å"Eastern Europe, especially Russia, was heavily influenced by Byzantine architecture.† Such masterpiece can be witness in the â€Å"onion dome† of most Russian Churches. In similar area, the art of this empire had influenced the styles in Europe in terms of â€Å"designs that dep ict God, icons, religious images†¦mosaic, pictures and colored bits of stained scenes or tile cemented in place—brought scenes from the Bible to life.† By claiming part of the Greek’s heritage, the Byzantine Empire had contributed in Literature, as well—preserving important scholarly writings. Its thoughtful conservation had aided much in the development of the European culture—the Renaissance (â€Å"The Byzantine Empire,† n.d.). The eastern part of the continent had experienced fateful changes, from various barbaric invasions to prolonged Communist stand. Most Eastern European countries took a sharp turn, as communism was terminated in 1989-1991 (Fukuyama, Lewis, Orenstein, Kapstein, & Converse, 2008). The struggle in transition phase had been difficult for most East European countries. Modifications in economy had a negative effect on the people in Eastern Europe. â€Å"The number of jobs had declined†¦in some sectors, the number of workers in Czech had been cut in half†

Ethnography and ethnographic research report (ethnomusicology) Paper

Ethnography and ethnographic report (ethnomusicology) - Research Paper Example The reflection which is created in society is one which is based on several expressions that are associated with the culture. When looking at the context of rock music, it can be seen that there are specific associations with the trends of the music, as well as how the culture relates to the ideals of the music. The rock genre becomes a reflection of the social and cultural ideologies and identity of an individual. For collective groups, it is this genre that provides a sense of social worth to specific groups and provides an understanding of where one fits in with a specific identity. This piece of field work will examine the aspects of rock music and how it creates an identity for those that fit into a segment of society. The association with rock music is one which is expressed within various groups and interactive areas. The ability to create social worth is directly linked to the expression of rock music and the applications that are within society. Currently, youth have created global structures that create the identity as an institutional structure (Kjeldgaard, 2006). This means that there are several formations of generalized areas where youth meet to show the social worth and identity while moving through structures that don’t have the boundaries of locality. ... se of the online region will show how rock music isn’t about locality among youth, but instead is creating a sense of global worth that is growing within the society. Results of Data The first rock artist which was considered was Dave Matthews, an international musician that continues to perform and release CDs for the youth crowd. A fan base for the band was considered, as well as a forum which was attached to the band. The most popular topics that were on this site included Dave Matthew tickets, an autographed poster by â€Å"Dave and Leroi,† performance discussions and a download of â€Å"Crash Into Me,† one of the most popular songs of the band (MFC, 2011). There was also an interview conducted with one of the top individuals who was interacting on the site, which included questions on why they were interested in the band. The first questions were based on the ability to perform by the band as well as the easy to remember tunes. However, after asking why the tunes could easily be remembered, the individual stated that there was a personal connection made with the themes of the song that related to their life. The second site considered was not based on the popular genres of rock, but instead moved into what is considered underground rock and indie rock. This is produced by artists which don’t have a record contract and which build their fan base through grass roots efforts in their community. The focus of this particular site is to show videos, performances and the live options of the bands so others can connect to them. The network also consists of spreading the name of the indie artists so they can receive assistance in gaining a stronger reputation on a global level (Underground Rock Music, 2011). To find the most relevant indie artists, the social networking

How can knowledge of macro and microeconomics help the small business Essay

How can knowledge of macro and microeconomics help the small business owner today The large multi-national corporation - Essay Example With this in mind, business owners need to know that having a pure monopoly right in the market means that price elasticity is not present (Mankiw). When the business owner has a monopolistic right over his business, the business owner has the advantage to increase the market price of goods and services they are selling (Blinder, Baumol and Gale: 212; Binger and Hoffman: 391). However, monopoly is often characterized by a demand curve that is slowing downwards (Mankiw). Therefore, for a monopolistic company to increase its sales, the business owner should still decrease the market price of goods and services up to such point wherein the company’s target market is willing to spend. In case of perfect competition, the business owners are being challenged to keep the market prices of their goods and services more affordable (Mankiw: 313). Macroeconomic theories are important to business owners as it gives them a better insight and understanding about the external factors that may occur in international markets which may eventually affect the domestic market. Aside from discussing aggregate demand and aggregate supply (Dornbusch, Fischer and Startz: 79), macroeconomics is not limited in examining a country’s import and export but also other economic concepts related to trade balance, capital inflows and outflows, trade balance, and foreign investment among others. Since we are in the era of globalization, macroeconomic theories help business owners who are into import and export make important business

International Work Environments Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Work Environments - Research Paper Example It will be pertinent to explore the cost of living in 5 different countries through purchasing power parity point of view to understand how it may affect the wage payments to the managers. This has a base in U.S $1 with the local currency. Purchasing power parity is a good way of calculating how much on aggregate basis he/she will need to spend in that country for the matching living. It is quite possible that some of the components of spending will be expensive and some may be quite low. However, advantage with the purchasing power parity of currency calculations take into account all major spending in that country essential for the living. The factor which is expensive in a particular country can be taken a special consideration while relocating oneself in that country. INDIA: Currently, India is the second fastest developing economy of the world growing at the rate between 7-8 percent. Due to high GDP growth rate job market is thriving with the opportunity. India offers one of the lowest costs of living compared to many other developing economies. Housing costs including rentals, mortgage, and household fuels costs do not offer low cost promise and it is expensive compared to other countries under study that is mainly due to large scale urbanization and burgeoning population. Restaurants and meals outside are relatively less expensive. Groceries, communication, education goes much favorably compared to other countries in study. Russia: Apartments and transportation costs are quite affordable except Moscow and St. Petersburg, where costs may rise 2-3 times more than country side or small cities. Utilities are not expensive and local phone calls are not chargeable. Local Russian style restaurants, bars or cafes are not expensive and does not cost exorbitant prices. Japan: Japan is considered as one of the most expensive country to live in.

Critically review so called push and pull system of control for supply Essay

Critically review so called push and pull system of control for supply chains in the automotive sectore - Essay Example It is pretty obvious that the production process will most certainly be geared towards producing those items that are in greater demand as any business entity tries to shorten the working capital cycle as much as possible so as to generate maximum amount of profit in the shortest possible time frame. But there is one other element that affects the overall profitability of any organisation, and that is the volume of capital employed. As any student of management accounting is aware of, the quantum of capital employed in plant and machinery is more or less uniform across an industry as all players generally opt for the latest technology so as to enjoy maximum levels of operating efficiency. So, there is not much to differentiate between the competitors in that regard. But the area where the leaders leave the stragglers behind is supply chain management and inventory control. If a proper and taut control over inventory is not maintained, the level of capital employed can never be brough t down while keeping the operational efficiency intact. These days the management gurus are looking beyond the narrow and immediate confines of inventory management and are looking at managing the supply chain as a whole. Supply chain attempts to view the whole production process as a seamless entity that begins with market research for correctly evaluating consumer demand and follows the flow of inputs and services through the production process right till the time when the finished product reaches the final consumer. Thus this is a wider concept that includes all the stakeholders; right from the supplier that supplies raw materials to the final consumer that buys the product to satisfy a particular need. In between of course lie the producer, the labour and the service inputs from the tertiary sector of the economy. A supply chain in

Global Financing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Financing - Essay Example Countertrade is classified under five divergent types namely; barter, counter purchase, offset, switch trading and buyback. There are five distinct types of countertrade -- barter, counter purchase, offset, switch trading, and buy back. Under this essay, we will focus on the meaning and the significance of each type in the international trade scenario. Barter can be defined as a direct exchange of goods and services, or both, between two parties without a cash transaction. It involves exchange of goods for goods and does not involve cash payments or receipts. Although in theory barter appears to be the simplest arrangement, in practice it is not commonly applied or practically implemented. It can be said that the expansion of bartering in the US is mainly because of barter companies or barter exchanges. According to popular estimates, there were roughly 600 barter exchanges among which 500 acted as clearinghouses for the exchange of goods and services between their clients and 100 were corporate trade brokers that exchange trade credits for assets, and goods and services so as to make it a part trade and part cash transaction. In a manner, barter dealers or barter exchanges facilitate a common platform upon which members exchange goods and services either through pure barter or through mixture of barter and cash. The barter exchange generates its profits from membership and renewal fees and from certain commissions which are based on a percentage of the gross worth of each operation. The fees usually range between 5 to10 percent. Under certain arrangements, some barter exchanges also charge a monthly administrative fee. The most significant purpose of a barter exchang e is to match the needs of potential traders. Counter Purchase Counter purchase is a form of mutual buying agreement. It occurs when a firm agrees to purchase a certain amount of materials back from a country to which a sale is made. Typically, there will be two distinct contracts. One of them will relate to the sale of goods/services by the trading company for which it will be paid a specified amount of hard currency. The other form will require the trading company to spend some proportion of this revenue to buy goods from a list provided by the importing country. The counter-purchase may vary in value between 10 and 100% of the original export order. The imports bought require not be related in any way to the goods/services exported. Generally, there is a specific time period (normally three years) within which the counter-purchase must be made. Thus, in this form of counter-trading (unlike pure barter), exports only partly finance the purchase of imports. In fact, they simply help balance costs on imports at a later date. In this manner, a co unter-purchase transaction is not undertaken because of a lack of convertible currency or incapability to obtain credit. Nevertheless, it has often been used by planned economies as a tool for scheming foreign trade and ensuring that exports balance imports. Offset Offset is similar to counter purchase since the exporter is required to purchase goods and services with an agreed percentage of the proceeds from the original sale. The main difference is that the exporter can fulfill this obligation with any firm in the country to which the sale is being made. Certainly, its importance appears to be growing fast. It involves an agreement under which an exporter integrate into his final product, along with certain components and

Developing a question and identifying a problem Essay

Developing a question and identifying a problem - Essay Example Therefore, nurses would need some form of training. Critically thinking, they would need an advanced training aside from their formal training on basic nursing. In retrospect, does this form of advanced training in prevention of patient falls impact on patient outcomes compared to no training? Patient falls present a significant physical health risk to the patient. Additionally, the complications that arise from patient falls incur significant hospital costs to both the patient and the hospital. The patient would have to incur extra costs for the management of the complications of the falls, whereas the hospital would put forth extra resources necessary for the management of potential complications of the fall. Besides, health care institutions could face a lawsuit with concomitant legal implications. Patient falls within health care institution in an occurrence that needs to be considered with utmost concern. Therefore, this paper will explore falls among elderly patients, its impact on the work environment, and quality of care, patient outcomes, and its significance to nursing and proposed solution. Falls in long-term care institutions and health care facilities are common. Tack, Ulrich and Kehr (2010), observe that approximately 25.5% of patients who experienced a fall had a neurological condition. Additionally, they opine that neurological patients are considered as among the high risk population. Elderly patients present with a number of neurological conditions attributed to age and lifestyle. For instance, Snijders , Van de Warrenburg , Giladi and Bloem (2010), observe that gait disorders are prevalent among the elderly can present devastating health outcomes such as reduced quality of life, increased incidence of falls and increase in mortality. Neurological diseases diagnosed in elderly patients exist with other clinical conditions. Lauretani, et al. (2014) posits that Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly could present with extrapyramidal signs

An Information Technology System For a School Essay Example for Free

An Information Technology System For a School Essay ANALYSIS: To aid in investigation of the problem, two interviews were carried out. One was with the school principal, and the other with the school administrator. In preparation of the interviews a list of topics for discussion was drawn up, and included these checkpoints: * What the new system hopes to achieve, exactly. * The problems in the current system. * The methods currently employed to input data into the system. * The information that is required per file, i.e., for each student what fields will have to be input. * The format of the required output. * The volume of data expected, e.g., how many students are expected to enroll, or how many new teachers will be required. * Any hardware or software constraints, such as the new system only being able to run with a particular operating system. Interview 1: This interview was with the schools principal, Mrs. Monica Stakich. It took place in her office, on appointment, and was as follows: Q: Mrs. Stakich, your school has built up quite a reputation of excellence over the years as shown by its grades. How do you intend to maintain this? A: Well, the school has always prided itself on its academic achievements, and this is due to our students being dedicated in their studies, which shows itself in the superior grades. We will be fine if we can continue this trend. Q: You are shifting to new custom-built premises and are also expanding your range of activities offered. Why have you made this decision? A: We are changing our status to an authorized A level Center. As such, we will need the appropriate facilities to meet the requirements for this standard. Also, the school expects a significant increase in enrolments at both O and A Levels, so the space is needed to provide for these new students. Q: How many students do you currently have in your institution? And how many do you expect to enroll in the future? A: The school currently caters to a population of around 2500 students, but we expect an influx of around 1000 students next year. Q: How do you access a file of a student or a teacher? Do you find it yourself on your computer or does the secretary do it for you? A: I can access files of both students and customers from my own PC, as well as any other file, such as stationery, electricity bills, etc. But I must also focus more on the task of running the school itself, so I usually let my secretary handle all the files. She herself gets these files from the school system administrator. I only check a file myself if we need to consider carefully the person, or file in question, for example a teacher for an important position. Q: Thank you very much for your time, Mrs. Stakich. A: Youre welcome. Analysis of the Interview: The interview, on analysis, showed the school to be result-driven, as indicated by the Headmistresss comments. But more importantly, it also showed that she did not focus on the file input and retrieval system in particular herself, and on the schools information system in general. The actual file control and handling was carried out by the system administrator, who could provide us with insight of the current systems workings. Interview 2: An interview was arranged with Mr. Mark Glasse, the system administrator, in his office. It proceeded as follows: Q: How long have you been working here, Mr. Glasse? A: Its been around four years since I started wok for the school. Q: How many times has the system been updated since you started work? A: Weve updated thrice so far. Q: What changes had been made during these updates? A: Well, once we had to increase our disk space to around 10 GB to cope with increased student information on Health Cards, as was required by a new Government law. Another time we had to modify our input procedure, it being too manual, with almost unnecessary paperwork involved, so we had to purchase new input devices. And there was also the time when we had to call in a professional security company to install anti-hacking programs when our database was actually hacked into. Q: What input devices do you work with? How is output shown? A: I use a keyboard, a mouse, a web-camera and a scanner as input devices. Output is displayed on a monitor, or on a plotter as is appropriate. And, of course, I often have to print out some files using a laser printer. Q: And your system configuration? A: I use a Pentium 2, 333 MHz Processor, with 32 MB RAM, 4 GB hard disk with Windows 98 as my operating system. I also have other software such as MS Visual Studio and MS Office 2000 installed on my computer. Q: Mr. Glasse, what is the general procedure that you follow if you were asked to, for example, update a file? A: First of all, I would have to get an approved notice from someone in an authoritative position, for example the Headmistress, or the Head Administrator. This note would be attached to a Modification Form showing details of the file that needs to be updated. The authorization slip has to be filed into a drawer in my desk, and I just have to access the file using the code given on the Form and change the required fields. I have the Menu on my Desktop, Mrs. Stakich and I are the only ones who know the Password so Ive never thought about changing it, once in the records I go to the Search Command to call up the file in question, and make the changes required. On exiting the database, I go have to fill out another form, a Proof Form, as it is known as, to acknowledge my action. This form then returns to the top-level to the individual who initially authorized it. Q: How often do errors occur using this procedure? A: As you can see, the system is designed in such a way that carrying out the procedure makes it prone to errors. Were still lucky to have a few students and teachers, basically small files is what I mean to say, which do not have to be updated too often, so they arent too many mistakes. Even if there are, they can easily be located and corrected due to the small size of our database. Q: OK, now what about the plus points of this system? For example, is it easy to use? Is it efficient? Do you feel that you yourself are performing at an optimum level with this system? A: Ill have to think this question over. Yes, for sure it is easy to use. I just have to type in an identifier code for each record, and the particular record is searched for and displayed. Its that simple. I dont think its efficient though. As the number of files increases the system takes longer and longer to search the database to produce the results I was looking for. It only follows that I myself feel I am under-performing at my job, as some time will definitely be wasted in waiting for results. Q: Are you satisfied with the system performing only these functions? A: Yes, I am. I would like it to be faster though, and even up-to-date, technologically speaking. Q: Thank you, Mr. Glasse, for your cooperation. Youve been a great help. A: The pleasure was all mine. Analysis of the Interview: This interview was more enlightening than the one with Mrs. Stakich, for we were able to focus on the technical side of the schools database system. Certain glaring shortcomings of the current system came to light, such as a very limited database size, as indicated by the system being upgraded the first time. This further tells us that the system itself, with all its components, is out-of-date. In such a state, it may also be incompatible with other systems, should it be desired to connect to these for data exchange purposes. Another significant weakness is the fact that the third upgrade was for security reasons, which means that the Password Protection was initially low. Mr. Glasse also said that it takes longer to search for a required field if there are many records this is only fair, but there arent too many records right now, so we can expect the system to have some sort of linear search function in operation, unsuitable for large databases. The program, although performing just a few main functions, is slow, again pointing to its near obsoleteness. Its low productivity has an effect on the human element involved, as Mr. Glasse himself feels as if he has not fully achieved his full potential. Lack of motivation could cause further falls in productivity. The system also has standard input devices (mouse and keyboard), as well as standard output devices (printer, scanner and plotter), needed to process data and produce the desired results. The system also runs on a fairly fast processor, as given by the computers configuration. However it is unlikely that the system uses any of the other software packages (apart from the Windows 98 operating syste m) so these, as powerful as they are, arent being utilized. MAIN WEAKNESSES OF CURRENT SYSTEM: Based on the knowledge gained in these interviews, it is possible to finalize the main shortcomings of the system currently in use: * Small disk space. The disk space used for storage of data is relatively small as it needed to be upgraded beforehand. With all the new enrolments expected, as well as other related increases, such as electricity and water, teachers salaries, etc the available disk space will not be sufficient. * Poor security level. Security forms an important part of any system, and the fact that the database was hacked into shows just how weak security really is. The password used seems to be outdated and it is likely that people other than those authorized know it. Laxed security is especially important here as we are dealing with the personal records of students and teachers, not to mention important transactions such as total fees received, expenses, and so on. So security, despite being of paramount importance, isnt given the priority it should be. * Inconvenience The normal procedure to accomplish a single task is lengthy and time-consuming. It also involves unnecessary paperwork. This would exhibit itself as delays in processing, as a single instruction would have to be passed through many stages before being received by the sender once again as feedback. * Basic obsoleteness. As seen from the interview, Mr. Glasse uses a relatively fast processor. Despite this speed, we still find that the speed of running the system is slow especially when new records are added. This means that the components of the system itself are slow and outdated. This weakness especially comes into focus when we consider the fact that nowadays systems are rarely independent. One system has to be connected to at least one more system, with data exchange taking place between these. However, if their speeds are not compatible they will not be able to function at their optimum level. If the system were to exchange information over the Internet then this incompatibility could become a problem. OBJECTIVES OF THE NEW SYSTEM: 1) To provide quick access to the files in the database. Many files will now be in the system and it is necessary that they be reached quickly. 2) To maintain a higher level of security. This ensures that the database is viewed and controlled only by those who have the proper authority to do so. 3) To minimize red tape involved in making changes to the records. The previous system involved a lot of paperwork and proved to be costly in terms of time (therefore money), so this new system aims to reduce that by quickly and efficiently processing an instruction. 4) To be user-friendly. Step-by-step guidance ensures that the user can easily find his way around the database to perform the desired task. A Flowchart of how data would be passed along the new system is as follows: SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Standard input devices, such as a mouse, a keyboard, a scanner and a web-camera will be needed for this system to operate (the mouse and keyboard are the main ones, the others for inputting photos and such graphics). Output devices will be plotters and printers. Hardware: The CPU requirement for this system include at least 100 MHz Pentium processor and 16 MB RAM. Software: It is necessary to have an operating system such as Windows 98 as well as MS Visual Basic program installed, as this is the front-end program to be used for this system, with Access 7.0 being the back-end program. The user will be Mr. Glasse, and his computer already exceeds the requirements for this system to function efficiently. His IT skills will also be relevant: since he already has MS Office 97 installed he will already know the basics behind Access 7.0 and should find no problem in entering the data. It must be remembered that the system to be developed is intended to replace the outdated system in current use. The current system is slow, inefficient and incompatible. Its replacement will be better than it in all these respects, and should bring the database up to the level of technology today.

Africa by Maya Angelou Analysis

Africa by Maya Angelou Analysis Thus she had lain sugar cane sweet deserts her hair golden her feet mountains her breasts  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   5 two Niles her tears. Thus she has lain Black through the years. Over the white seas Rime white and cold  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10 Brigands ungentled icicle bold took her daughters Sold her strong sons churched her with Jesus  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   15 bled her with guns Thus she has lain. Now she is rising remember her pain remember he losses  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   20 her screams loud and vain remember her riches her history slain now she is striding although she had lain  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   25 [Explication] Maya Angelou, an African American poet, wrote the poem Africa about the tragic events held by the European men who invaded Africa. Angelou uses rhyming techniques as well as imagery and metaphors to describe the actions made in African history. With those techniques she helps us with an image of what it was like to live in Africa during this time period. The poem is separated into three stanzas and twenty-five lines. Each stanza contains vivid words to give a certain image in your head.   Angelou uses metaphors to compare the continent, Africa, to a healthy woman. This comparison between continents and women are used a lot to describe the state or well being of it. Each stanza shows slight variations to show the transitions of tone. Within those twenty-five lines, Angelou uses the rhyme scheme ABCB. The rhyming of this poem helps with how it is structured. In the first stanza, the woman is being brought into character. She is being described as different landmarks in Africa with the use of metaphors. Angelou uses landmarks such as mountains (5), deserts (3), and the Nile River (6) to give the woman vivid description of her physical appearance. Two Niles her tears (6) in this line she is comparing the way her tears flow to the way the Nile River flows. The use of imagery is used throughout this stanza. The first four lines in the second stanza, Angelou uses rime (10) and cold (10) to give us a brief description of the setting when the brigands (11) came to Africa ready to take away from the land. The next four lines are the about the actions the brigands (11) done to the women in Africa. Lines 14 and 15 state, took her young daughters / sold her strong sons to give us off the idea of slavery. This transition of tone gives the unpleasant and unwanted aspect of this part in the poem. At the end of this stanza, line 17 just like the first stanza, line 7 Thus she has lain which shows the uncomfortable effect to what the white men did to her. In the last stanza, she talks about her overcoming the obstacles. Even though all the harshness she has been through, now she is striding. This stanza is in present tense unlike the other stanzas. This shows her progress from the pain she has endured. The tone in this stanza is more of accepting the fact and embracing what the white men did. In lines 19 and 20, she uses the word remember twice so that we remember what happened to her. The ending of this stanza states the same line, although she has lain in reference to her overcoming all the bad that she encountered. This line also helps us see that she is moving forward from everything that has happened. In conclusion, African American poet, Maya Angelou, uses descriptive detail and convincing evidence to convey her thoughts about the country of Africa. Within this poem holds three stanzas which contain the explanation of the various usage of color imagery, metaphors, and other forms of literary elements. As we begin to journey into the poem with the first stanza, this is where Mrs. Angelou compares the likeness of a woman to the geological structures of the country itself. As in the second stanza the writer provides bits of imagery while explaining how the land was taken over as well as the actions taken upon women during this time. Finally, she comes to conclusion in the last stanza to show all the country has fought for and being able to overcome the obstacles set on their paths.

In the Bedroom, A Modern Bourgeois Melodrama :: Movies Film Films Essays

In the Bedroom, A Modern Bourgeois Melodrama Works Cited Missing Studies in melodrama usually hover around the works of a few significant directors, all of whom were at the top of their craft in Hollywood during the 1950s. Douglas Sirk, Vincente Minnelli, and Nicholas Ray were just a few of the directors who worked at that time, and all helped to shape the conventions of melodrama to which audiences and critics alike have become so accustomed. However, recent melodramas have been unable to reach the popularity that the films of the 1950s achieved, and most current audiences would dismiss the na†¢ve and artificial world that those films presented as rather trite. But Thomas Schatz raises an interesting point in his article "The Family Melodrama." He claims that "those who look more closely at [the films of the 50s] may see through the facile naivetà © to an altogether bleaker reflection" (152). And, even though melodramas are not as widely seen as they were in the past, the ones that are still strive to portray the "[paradoxical] view of Amer ica, at once celebrating and severely questioning the basic values and attitudes of the mass audience" (Schatz 150). Todd Field's 2001 film, In the Bedroom, is a perfect example of such a film. It is a bourgeois melodrama that reflects the sensibilities of melodramas of the 1950s, but also one that refashions the aesthetics of the genre to accommodate the interests of modern audiences. The film tells the story of a middle-aged couple, Ruth and Matt Fowler (Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson), as they try to cope with the murder of their adolescent son, Frank (Nick Stahl). When the film opens, Frank is romantically involved with Natalie Strout (Marisa Tomei), a divorced mother. The Fowlers do not approve of this relationship, but allow it because of the happiness it brings Frank. When Natalie's ex- husband, Richard Strout (William Mapother), kills Frank in a fit of jealousy, the Fowlers must find a way to continue on with their lives in the wake of this catastrophe. Field, who also co-wrote the screenplay, creates an intriguing modern-day melodrama that both reflects the narrative principles of the film s that preceded it and adapts the genre to meet the aesthetic expectations of contemporary audiences. Narrative choices in melodramas have become so commonplace that, like any genre, they have grown into a part of the genre's language. In the Bedroom, A Modern Bourgeois Melodrama :: Movies Film Films Essays In the Bedroom, A Modern Bourgeois Melodrama Works Cited Missing Studies in melodrama usually hover around the works of a few significant directors, all of whom were at the top of their craft in Hollywood during the 1950s. Douglas Sirk, Vincente Minnelli, and Nicholas Ray were just a few of the directors who worked at that time, and all helped to shape the conventions of melodrama to which audiences and critics alike have become so accustomed. However, recent melodramas have been unable to reach the popularity that the films of the 1950s achieved, and most current audiences would dismiss the na†¢ve and artificial world that those films presented as rather trite. But Thomas Schatz raises an interesting point in his article "The Family Melodrama." He claims that "those who look more closely at [the films of the 50s] may see through the facile naivetà © to an altogether bleaker reflection" (152). And, even though melodramas are not as widely seen as they were in the past, the ones that are still strive to portray the "[paradoxical] view of Amer ica, at once celebrating and severely questioning the basic values and attitudes of the mass audience" (Schatz 150). Todd Field's 2001 film, In the Bedroom, is a perfect example of such a film. It is a bourgeois melodrama that reflects the sensibilities of melodramas of the 1950s, but also one that refashions the aesthetics of the genre to accommodate the interests of modern audiences. The film tells the story of a middle-aged couple, Ruth and Matt Fowler (Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson), as they try to cope with the murder of their adolescent son, Frank (Nick Stahl). When the film opens, Frank is romantically involved with Natalie Strout (Marisa Tomei), a divorced mother. The Fowlers do not approve of this relationship, but allow it because of the happiness it brings Frank. When Natalie's ex- husband, Richard Strout (William Mapother), kills Frank in a fit of jealousy, the Fowlers must find a way to continue on with their lives in the wake of this catastrophe. Field, who also co-wrote the screenplay, creates an intriguing modern-day melodrama that both reflects the narrative principles of the film s that preceded it and adapts the genre to meet the aesthetic expectations of contemporary audiences. Narrative choices in melodramas have become so commonplace that, like any genre, they have grown into a part of the genre's language.

The African Athena Controversy Essay -- Ancient History

With the absence of certainty, competitive plausibility is a realistic approach to trying to determine the influences that the Egyptians and Phoenicians had on the Ancient Greeks. Since the publication of the Bernal’s Black Athena volumes I and II, a great debate has surfaced. There is no question that the Egyptians and Phoenicians had an influence on the Greek culture, the questions that are being disputed is the exact nature of the relationship and what period of time this relationship existed. After reading the three articles presented, I have come to agree with Martin Bernal and his Revised Ancient Model of Greek origins. At one time Egypt was accepted as European, but that status began to erode and in the 1790’s Egypt was regarded as an African Nation. Prior to the 1820’s the most widely accepted theory of the origins of Greece was the Ancient Model. In this model, primitive tribes, Pelasigians, and others inhabited Greece. In certain regions of Greece, the Egyptians and Phoenicians settled, built cities, and civilized the natives. The Phoenicians were credited with having introduced the alphabet while the Egyptians taught the Pelasgians about irrigation (Bernal, p. 7). It was during this period, the Northern European scholars began to cast doubt on the colonization of ancient Greece by the Egyptian and Phoenicians and their cultural development of that time (Bernal, p. 7). â€Å"Historiographical developments cannot be linked to the availability of any evidence† (Bernal, p. 7). Sadly, there were some great discoveries found after the models changed, but they were ignored, like Jean-Francois Champollion findings, he had begun to decipher the hieroglyphics during 1820’s, the decipherment of cuneiform, and the first arc... ...ilization and led me to agree with Bernal’s Revised Ancient Model. References Berlinerblau, J. (1999). The Aryan Models. Heresy in the University: The Black Athena controversy and the reponsibilities of American intellectuals [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Bernal, M. (2001). Introduction Black Athena writes back [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Lefkowitz, M. R. (1996). Ancient history, Modern Myths. Black Athena Revisited [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu The African Athena Controversy [Portfolio reading set]. (2012, June). Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston, CEHD, CLA, CPCS, CSM, and CNHS Writing proficiency evaluation (WPE): http://www.UMB.edu The African Athena Controversy Essay -- Ancient History With the absence of certainty, competitive plausibility is a realistic approach to trying to determine the influences that the Egyptians and Phoenicians had on the Ancient Greeks. Since the publication of the Bernal’s Black Athena volumes I and II, a great debate has surfaced. There is no question that the Egyptians and Phoenicians had an influence on the Greek culture, the questions that are being disputed is the exact nature of the relationship and what period of time this relationship existed. After reading the three articles presented, I have come to agree with Martin Bernal and his Revised Ancient Model of Greek origins. At one time Egypt was accepted as European, but that status began to erode and in the 1790’s Egypt was regarded as an African Nation. Prior to the 1820’s the most widely accepted theory of the origins of Greece was the Ancient Model. In this model, primitive tribes, Pelasigians, and others inhabited Greece. In certain regions of Greece, the Egyptians and Phoenicians settled, built cities, and civilized the natives. The Phoenicians were credited with having introduced the alphabet while the Egyptians taught the Pelasgians about irrigation (Bernal, p. 7). It was during this period, the Northern European scholars began to cast doubt on the colonization of ancient Greece by the Egyptian and Phoenicians and their cultural development of that time (Bernal, p. 7). â€Å"Historiographical developments cannot be linked to the availability of any evidence† (Bernal, p. 7). Sadly, there were some great discoveries found after the models changed, but they were ignored, like Jean-Francois Champollion findings, he had begun to decipher the hieroglyphics during 1820’s, the decipherment of cuneiform, and the first arc... ...ilization and led me to agree with Bernal’s Revised Ancient Model. References Berlinerblau, J. (1999). The Aryan Models. Heresy in the University: The Black Athena controversy and the reponsibilities of American intellectuals [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Bernal, M. (2001). Introduction Black Athena writes back [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Lefkowitz, M. R. (1996). Ancient history, Modern Myths. Black Athena Revisited [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu The African Athena Controversy [Portfolio reading set]. (2012, June). Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston, CEHD, CLA, CPCS, CSM, and CNHS Writing proficiency evaluation (WPE): http://www.UMB.edu

Disillusionment in All My Sons by Arthur Miller Essay -- Arthur Miller

Disillusionment in All My Sons by Arthur Miller One of the central themes of All My Sons is the disillusionment of the young, and this theme can be traced through the character Chris, who comes to be disenchanted with his family, society and himself by realizing that none of these is as moral as he once believed. When he finally finds out through questioning his father that his father is, in fact, guilty of knowingly shipping out the cracked cylinder heads, he says to his father â€Å"What the hell are you? You’re not even an animal, no animal kills his own, what are you? What must I do to you? I ought to tear the tongue out of your mouth, what must I do?† This is the point where Chris becomes disillusioned with his family. His father is guilty of doing the crime, and his mother is guilty of hiding the information. Chris now believes that his father is worse than an animal and is disgusted that he has lived with his parents since the crime happened without being aware of it. He sees his parents now as evil people rat her than role models, and feels that if even his parents are capable of such a thing, then society as a whole must be the same or worse, because he tells his father that he once believed him to be better than most men. He says â€Å"That’s the principle; the only one we live by – it just happened to kill a few people this time, that’s all. The world’s that way, how can I take it out on him?† He now believes that everyone in society is only looking out for his or he...

Labour Disputes Case

Labour Disputes: A look at the TKM unrest Introduction: Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited (TKM) was a joint venture, established in 1997, between Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota), Japan’s largest car company and the second-largest car manufacturer in the world, and the Kirloskar Group of India. Toyota holds an 89% equity stake and while the Kirloskar Group holds the remaining 11%. Toyota has over 400 acres of land in its Bidadi plant and less than half of the land has been utilised so far even though its plant's capacity is about 60,000 units per annum. Toyota has invested nearly 15 billion INR in the plant. Some of its most famous brands such as Camry, Innova and Corolla are the end products of this plant. The plant had a total workforce of 2,378 out of which around 1,550 employees belonged to the Employee Union. Toyota's plant has witnessed labour unrest in 2001 and again in 2002 hitting the production of their vehicles leading to a ban of the strike by the Government. Below, we discuss the various reasons, which led to the clashes between the management and the employees of TKM. This highlights the growing number of instances of clashes between the employees and the management of companies in India, which is often guided by external parties such as trade unions and political parties. Aim: To understand †¢ The importance of HR policies adopted by the organization to prevent labor unrest at the workplace. †¢ The role of trade unions, political parties etc in upsetting the work culture in a company. The Issue: On January 08, 2006, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited (TKM) announced an indefinite lockout of its vehicle manufacturing plant at Bidadi located near Bangalore, Karnataka. The company claimed to have forced to resort to such a decision following a continuous strike by their employee union for third day in a row. The Toyota-Kirloskar union affiliated to the Center of Trade Union (CITU) Jan 9, 2006 demanded that the Government prosecute the management, which had declared an indefinite lockout of the local unit for violating a section of the Industrial dispute act . On January 06, 2006, the Employee Union went on strike with the demand to reinstate three dismissed employees, ten suspended employees, and improve the work condition at the plant. According to company sources, these employees were dismissed and suspended based on disciplinary issues. TKM declared that it would not rehire those employees culminating in the strike and lockout. The company said that the striking workers were threatening to blowup LPG gas cylinders in the company premises, obstructing the outward movement of manufactured vehicles, illegally stopping production, and manhandling other workers, who were not part of the Employee Union, to strike. The Employee Union said that these employees were dismissed because they were active members of the trade union and the company was unhappy with the union activities. They further added that the working environment at the plant was not conducive and the work hours were longer than the standard. The issue scaled further in the event of the Company representatives failing to appear before the Labor Commissioner on January 09, 2006 for dispute resolution with the union. The company reasoned that they feared adverse reactions from the aggressive union members. Though, the company appealed for two weeks time to appear before the Labor Commissioner so that situation could become stable, they were given time only till January 12, 2006. The Employee Union with the back up of CITU and other unions demanded the intervention of the state government to help resolve the dispute in their favor. TKM continued with partial production of vehicles with the help of non-unionized workers and the management staff who were specially trained for these kinds of emergencies. Irrespective of this, the company incurred huge production losses due to reduction in output by 60%. The Employee Union withdrew their strike following a Government Order on January 21, 2006, which was against the strike The Company lifted the lockout on January 21, 2006 stating that it was responding to the request from workers who eager to return to work. Aftermath: The unrest had other impacts as the Toyota spokesperson said that the company would rethink its recent decision to build a second car manufacturing plant in the state. These sorts of incidents will definitely hamper the Government’s efforts to bring in foreign direct investments to the country. This in turn would affect the growth rate, employability and GDP of the country. Discussion: Industrial disputes are costly and damaging to companies and employees alike. The policy formulations should be such that it is strong enough to avoid conflicts or resolve it successfully. Though it is not possible to avoid conflicts, a system can be built in, which guidelines a proper conflict resolution management. In the above case, a proper conflict resolution management system would have solved the issue well within the company rather than involving external parties and escalating the problem thereby resulting in huge production losses & wasted mandates. The HR policies and the top management support should be such as to minimise the chance of a grievance turning into dispute, there by avoiding the influence of external parties in disturbing the peaceful working environment. Either of the parties who participate in a conflict resolution procedure should come with an open mind, without any baggage that hampers the setting. They should be ready to trust each other and believe in the efforts taken by either of them in solving the dispute. The management must give the participating institution its right place in the managerial organisation of the undertaking and implementing the policies of the undertaking. The labour, on the other hand, must also whole heartedly co-operate with the management through its trade unions. A committee can be formed by the management with the whole hearted co-operation of the workers. The board can involve an equal amount of participation from the employees as well as the management. The board can meet at a timely interval and discuss grievances before them turning into disputes. Issues related to work hours, remuneration, productivity, etc can have a say in the board meetings. Policies are made for all the areas of an organisation at the top level which give impetus for growth, discipline, productivity of an industry or business. These policies act as management guidelines to the functional heads who can discharge their responsibilities with clarity. Policies cover the areas of human relations like: policies regarding motivation, morale, communication, leadership, styles, grievance procedure, disciplinary procedure employee counseling etc. These policies also cover the areas of industrial relations like Union recognition, union representation, collective bargaining, prevention and settlement of industrial disputes, participative management etc . Voices â€Å"Central trade unions are still relevant, mainly for the unorganised sector. Internal unions should not have a narrow view on this. They should be aware of the problems of their brothers†¦ † -AITUC national secretary D L Sachdev. â€Å"An ITI pass-out in TKM gets around Rs 15,000 a month, while outside the company he'll only make Rs 4,000 or so. Not just the money, but even in terms of facilities, we offer the best. † -K K Swamy, deputy managing director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor. â€Å"We have requested the government to intervene in the matter immediately and prohibit the lockout declared by the management which is illegal. The government should prosecute the management for violating labour laws and issue immediate relief to the dismissed employees such as reinstatement and payment of wages during the dismissed period. † -Meenakshi Sundaram, General Secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Union, Bangalore, in 2006. â€Å"How long can we put up with unruly behaviour? We would like to restore normalcy as soon as possible, but at the same time, we would not like to compromise on discipline. † -A. R Shankar, General Manager, Corporate Planning Division, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited, in 2006. There are another 11 people suspended by the management and we fear they may also be dismissed. We are officially supposed to work for eight hours but we are overworked sometimes. And we are treated in such a way, that we can’t even take a bathroom break when we want. † -R. Ravi, Union Joint Secretary, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Employees Unions, in 2006. Conclusion While India boasts the best in class labour irrespective of the colour of the collar, what worries the industry are the regulations in terms of access to this valuable resource. The trade unions are not favouring the demand of the industry to improve labour legislations. While trade unions are of opinion that it would result in labour mismanagement, the industry states that the labour reforms are essential considering the frequent situational changes in the business scenario. According to Management experts, the success story of the software industry indicates how far our country can achieve if not restricted by controls. Bibliography: Ramanathan, Kalyana. â€Å"India: Is Labour Trouble Resurfacing? † Rediff 06 August 2005. 01 March 2007. †¹http://www. rediff. com/money/2005/aug/06spec. tm†º â€Å"Essential Conditions in Successful Working of WPM† CiteMan Network 08 November 2006. 25 February 2007. †¹http://www. citeman. com/essential-conditions-in-successful-working-of-wpm†º â€Å"Industrial Disputes† Business Link 25 February 2007. †¹http://www. businesslink. gov. uk/bdotg/action/layer? r. l1=1073858787&topicId =1074045599&r. l2=1074207487&r. s=tl†º â€Å"Labour Unrest† CiteMan Network 05 April 2007. 26 February 2007. †¹http://www. citehr. com/25642-labour-unrest. html†º â€Å"Toyota Talks Fail† The Financial Express 17 January 2006. 27 February 2007. †¹http://www. financialexpress. com/fe_full_ story. php? content_id=114765†º

Get More with Organic Food Essay

With the growing population across the globe, technology has been trying to intervene to produce more food for everyone. The concurrent food crisis assaults man’s staple food source. Different departments have been called to help alleviate the problem. Scientists have been pushed to find a means to help the agriculture of these crops. They use chemicals, hormones and other genetic re-engineering to produce more. Unfortunately, this process also dilutes what one can get in consuming food. The nutritional value is then degraded to none. In this regard, this essay stand firm in the notion that organic food will deliver more benefits than non-organic food. There are definite reasons behind this claim. To affirm the claim, the benefits of both categories will be laid out. By utilizing this process, one will be able to have an educated stance regarding the debate. The simple question relies on whether countries will choose the science of quality or quantity. Organic Food Organic food is defined by the process by which it is produced. This process makes use of the natural means of growing produce. Natural fertilizers and traditional means of cultivating them are practiced. They do not make use of modern technology to reap these produce. This kind of food does not undergo any sort of preservation process to prolong its shelf life. This, of course, calls for a lot of advantages. These are (1) the nutritional values of the food are kept intact, (2) being chemical free renders consumers emancipated from substances that may inevitably incur illness to a person, and (3) it leaves soil free from residue brought by chemicals for the next crops to be planted. Since organic products are grown with the most natural means possible, most of the nutrients products naturally have are well maintained. When products undergo a process, to prolong its shelf life and enhance its flavor, before being sold to the market, it loses its nutrients at a certain point. The primary purpose of eating is to attain nutrients to sustain life. But with the numerous process one could only imagine that a lot of nutrients are taken away and drained to waste. The processes denied food of his primary purpose. The second benefit of organic food is that there are no chemicals used in it that may have potential harm on the people. Since it was grown in the most natural manner, it did not have to use chemicals to cultivate. These chemicals, even when the produce or livestock has been processed, it remains in its composition. When people eat these kinds of food, they in turn absorb these chemicals. But with organic food, the people are spared of this endeavor. They are also given the opportunity to live longer. The third benefit, and most probably one of the most important, of organic food is rather for the long term consequences. When chemicals are used to push produce to grow faster and bigger, these are also absorbed by the soil. When other crops are planted in the same area, these will also absorb the chemicals. The soil will continue to be contaminated unless unused for a long period of time. On the other hand, organic produce does not make use any kind of chemicals. The soil will be contaminant free. It likewise promotes biological diversity, as mentioned by an article from the website Medical Wellness Association. Some of the chemicals they expose to the environment harms more than the pests they want to remove. Non-Organic On the other hand, non-organic food also has its own benefits. This category of food refers to products, both crop and livestock, which have been enhanced by scientific advances. Its size, taste and quantity has been changed so that it is bigger, tastier, and more. Since these are enhanced products, it has been assumed that these are also better. It is not about finding means of making a profit. It is about trying to find answers as man surpasses what is. It is not creation, but intervention. It was designed to primarily make more for the hungry. With the help of technology, non-organic food is also able to reap the following benefits: (1) longer shelf life and better flavor, (2) it is relatively cheaper due to how it was produced, and (3) it could be the answer to world hunger. In certain parts of the world, the climate and technology prohibits some people from being able to store food for a long period of time. But with the help of advanced technology, they are given more than an opportunity. They were given an answer. In relation to the enhanced flavor, perhaps that is just an added benefit to the storage. With this advancement, individuals are able to have a hefty meal with just opening a can or heating a pack in a microwave. It has become a matter of convenience. Since non-organic food is also produced in great numbers, it becomes relatively cheaper than organic food. The process is easier and significantly takes a shorter time in manufacturing. With cheaper food, more people are able to purchase them. Especially in third world countries, availing food should be able to fit into their daily budget. In some countries, where a lot of people are at the brink of extreme poverty, it is important that they are provided with food with reasonable prices. In this light, with the above mentioned benefits of non-organic food, perhaps it has become the answer to world hunger. The world is getting over populated, and there is less food for everyone. There is food crisis simultaneously in different nations. On top of that, famine and drought in certain countries even forbade their people to even try to plant crops or raise livestocks. Some are dying because of hunger or illnesses brought by it. But because there are crops and livestock that are easily produced in great numbers, it could be that they will be able to finally give a spark to the hope of many hungry people. Organic products sometimes take too long to grow or produce that the rate of how population increases is not matched by the rate these crops and livestocks grow. The Better Option After laying out what each food category can offer, one should be able to find which is better. Organic food is a natural product free from chemicals. It also allows the environment to produce without the influences from synthetic substances that could be potentially harmful in the long run. On the other hand, non-organic food has longer shelf life and better taste. It is also relatively cheaper from the former category. More importantly, it silently declares to answer world hunger. Unfortunately, even if non-organic food presents a lot of promises to the people and the economy, organic food is still the better option. Feeding the people with non-organic food does not assure the extension of their lives than when they go hungry. Perhaps when they are fed, they will be able to survive. But they should not depend on it. When the chemicals get accumulated in their systems, it could result to terminal illnesses, like cancer. Yes, the growing population is being fed satisfactory amounts. However, what purpose does it serve when more harm is done? It harms not only the people, but also the environment. Even when the people get to eat, if the earth gets damaged due to these chemicals and residues, what will be left to the people? They are not hungry, but the inevitability of their choice will cope, and then devastation.

Advantages of Chemical and Biological Weapons Essay

Chemical and Biological Weapons are Your FriendsAs we go on our daily lives, terrorists are buying and developing dangerous and hazardous biological and chemical weapons to obliterate us. They do not care who they harm; their mission is to cause terror, to spread chaos, to engulf the world in anarchy. They want to know that they are making people terminally ill and sick. They will be enjoying a job well done while your skin is covered with excruciating painful blisters, or while you tell your loved ones that everything will be fine when there will clearly be a fatal result. Chemical and biological warfare has been around for many centuries. This type of warfare is not new. The Chinese, Greeks, and indigenous groups from South America used it. Whether it was arrows tipped with toxins, or the catapulting bacteria infested bodies, or the burning of toxic chemicals, each had its own deadly way of taking out the enemy. (Solomon 5-6) The U.S. should not stop developing biological and chemical weapons. Chemical and Biological warfare is most useful for taking out enemy personnel behind enemy lines. Al Mauronis book, Chemical and Biological Warfare, states, The larger artillery projectiles [] might use mustard, VX, or thickened GD to contaminate areas behind enemy forces, threatening their ability to resupply or to reinforce a particular sector (108). It is an inexpensive way to eliminate foes compared to sending in an army battalion and risk losing human lives. The biggest benefit from using biochemical weapons, as opposed to sending in persons to do the attacking, is that you can be far away from the danger of combat, and thereby limit exposure to your own troops. The biochemical strike can be executed from either a long-range cruise missile or you can have a stealth bomber deliver it to the exact point where the enemy is situated. This way the U.S. military have less casualties and losses. To further understand how to protect ourselves, we must develop these weapons and test them. There is no way of knowing when a terrorist cell in hiding is planning an attack so we must be prepared with full comprehension of these destructive weapons. How are we supposed to defend ourselves without any knowledge whatsoever of these weapons? We must not only protect ourselves  with precautionary weapons and plans but we must also arm ourselves with knowledge of these weapons. The U.S. must develop, research, and execute defensive plans so we can be safe. There are countries that will use these weapons, but they are also fearful of those weapons being used against them. That is why it crucial for the U.S. to have these weapons at hand. You can prevent a war and make a nation surrender with just the threat of launching a biochemical strike. Saddam Hussein stalled the US for a total of six months from invading Iraq by just mentioning that the country was willing to use biochemical weapons if the U.S. tried to invade. This is called brinkmanship. Just having biochemical weapons is like having a temporary shield that protects against invasion from an opposing country. Countries are fearful of brinkmanship and usually one country will back down for fear of total annihilation- annihilation, a reality that our generation must now try in order to do everything in our power to prevent it from happening. One may think that these weapons of mass destruction will only cause, well destruction, but what people dont know is that they have already done some good. Smallpox has been eradicated because it was proven to be extremely deadly in weapons tests and so it was practically wiped out. It now exists only in two heavily guarded facilities in Russia and the United States. They are not to be destroyed because these weapons of mass destruction may be useful in developing vaccines, antiviral drugs, and diagnostic tests. Bibliography: Mauroni, Al. Chemical and Biological Warfare. Contemporary World Issue. California: Santa Ana, 2003Solomon, Brian, ed. Chemical and Biological Warfare. New York: Dublin, 1999. Stone, J.D.. Free Republic 10/8/2008 .