Oil prices and its effect on the global market Term Paper

Oil prices and its effect on the global market - Term Paper Example The developing countries are heavily dependent on oil exporting countries for their import of petroleum products. So if there is a rise in oil prices only the oil exporting countries benefit while bringing a destructive effect on the developing nations. What really affects the oil prices is the demand and supply of oil which we are going to look into detail later. The global market saw a recent surge in oil prices since the last two years with the most recent rate of today being $124 per barrel (forex.com). It was predicted that the production of crude oil must be increased by the oil producing countries to bring the prices down. The Arab oil exporters held a meeting in early 2011 in Cairo to discuss this issue but refused to increase oil production as they believe that the supply is sufficient in the market. The oil prices rose to $ 94.74 per barrel this year since October 2008 when oil prices were record breaking high. The forecasted trend is an increase in oil prices in the coming weeks touching up to $ 100 a barrel. After the financial crisis of 2008, OPEC or Oil Producing and Exporting Countries decreased their level of output in order to deliberately create a shortage so that prices go up. In 2010, the demand for oil increased and is expected to increase more in 2011. OPEC must release some of their stock and raise the supply of oil or else the prices can rise to unprecedented level of $ 150 per barrel. These unfavorable conditions can lead the world into another crisis. Body: The trading of oil is one of the most significant trading done in the world. Crude oil is a primary ingredient in many energy manufacturing and services industries. I certainly believe that oil should not be treated on the commodity exchange because it can have significant impact on the world economy. So if there is a fluctuation in oil prices it affects oil producers and exporters both. The market price for any product is determined by the demand and supply of it in the market. The desire to want something is defined as demand or when you realize that you want a product, can afford it, and have made a definite plan to buy it. The law of demand means that other things remaining the same, the higher the price of the good, the smaller is the quantity demanded The higher price of any product will reduce the quantity demanded for two reasons. A notable economist, Kotler has found that one of the reason is the substitution effect, that is, when the price of a product rises, other things remaining the same, its opportunity cost rises. Although each good is unique but has its substitutes, for example the substitute of oil in an energy producing plant could be water or solar energy to produce electricity. As the opportunity cost of a product rises, people have a tendency to buy less of that and more of its substitute. Another reason for change in quantity demanded is the income effect. When a price changes and all other influences on buying plans remaining the same, t he price rises relative to people’s incomes. So faces with a higher price and an unchanged income, people cannot afford all the things they previously bought. Subsequently, the demanded quantity reduces. Price has an inverse relationship with demand (Kotler, 2006). A supply is more than just having the resources and the technology to produce something but the

Food Irradiation Essay Example for Free

Food Irradiation Essay People all over the world are starving for fresh, uncontaminated food. Insects, pests, and invisible microorganisms are not what the public want to find on their dinner plates. Throughout history, life has depended on ways of treating food to reduce or destroy these naturally occurring harmful contaminants and to enable foods to be stored after harvesting so that they can be saved for use at other times of the year. With increasing populations and the growth of cities, it is even more important to be able to preserve food so that it can be transported over considerable distances and stored for long periods before it reaches the consumer. The relentless pressure to supply safe foods to mass markets has led to major contamination problems arising in recent years. The food industry has responded by developing new methods to treat food, such as food irradiation. To some in the food industry, irradiation is a wonderful new technology that could solve many contamination problems without any apparent effects on the treated food. To the consumer, it is a new process that has unknown threats and benefits. Currently, 37 countries, including the United States, permit the use of irradiation and approximately 25 actually use it. Irradiation will remain an expensive and little used technology until there is general acceptance of irradiated foods by consumers. The modern food industry has to make certain choices as to how and when it treats food during the food production cycle. It can start by reducing the level of microorganisms and pests in food by using chemical treatments and pesticides during growth. For this to be effective the food must then be protected against fresh contamination during transport and storage. An alternative approach is to do very little to the food as grown and harvested, but to treat it nearer to the point of consumption. This is common with herbs and spices. The food industry will tend to choose the way it deals with contamination based on the economics of each case, in other words, the cheapest way possible. Even where food is produced relatively close to the point of consumption, it may have to be treated because contamination is inherent in the production process. This is why milk has to be pasteurized. Pasteurization is the most effective way of killing microorganisms with minimal effect on the food itself. Unfortunately, pasteurization can only be used on a very limited range of foods. Poultry in much of the developed world is now infected with salmonella. In Europe, 75% of chicken sold is infected and in the US 60%. It is estimated that the US has some 2,000,000 cases of food poisoning as the result of consuming salmonella costing $2,540 million annually. Even in relatively advanced countries like the United Kingdom the authorities admit that the food contamination problem is out of control stating: the multiplicity of potential routes of contamination makes the elimination of microbiological contamination from poultry being presented for slaughter a virtual impossibility. This need not be the case as has been demonstrated in Sweden. There it has taken 20 years of ruthless killing of any flock with a salmonella infection to achieve 99% of flocks free of salmonella. Poultry costs more as a result but the Swedish authorities and consumers clearly believe this is worth paying. It has been known since the last century that living organisms can be damaged or killed by exposure to certain forms of radiation. The idea that radiation might be used to kill bacteria and other micro organisms in food was seriously proposed in the 1930s but the technology for producing radiation was too expensive and specialized for it to be used other than in experiments. The contamination problems mentioned above have led scientists to try to improve these techniques. The effects of irradiation on food vary much depending on the type of food and on the dosage level. Only a limited range of foods can be irradiated successfully, that is, leaving a food that is still wholesome enough to eat. The main types of food that can be irradiated are meats, seafood, fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices. In some foods the dose level is very critical, a slight overdose and the food acquires an unpleasant taste and texture. This is the case with eggs, for example. Everything in our environment, including food, contains trace amounts of radioactivity. This means that this trace amount (about 150 to 200 becquerels) of natural radioactivity (from elements such as potassium) is unavoidably in our daily diets. In countries where food irradiation is permitted, both the sources of radiation and their energy levels are regulated and controlled. The irradiation process involves passing the food through a radiation field at a set speed to control the amount of energy or dose absorbed by the food. The food itself never comes into direct contact with the radiation source. The maximum allowable energies for electrons and X-rays two machine-generated sources of radiation that can be used are 10 million electron volts (MeV) and 5 MeV, respectively. Even when foods are exposed to very high doses of radiation from these sources, the maximum level of induced radioactivity, or radioactivity left present in the food, would be just one-thousandth of a becquerel per kilogram of food. This is 2,000,000 times smaller than the level of radioactivity naturally present in food. There are many advantages to using irradiation to process food, for instance: it can kill insects and pests that infest food without harming the food itself. Irradiation can also kill or greatly reduce the levels of microorganisms such as salmonella and listeria. Irradiation also stops normal ripening and decay processes so that foods can be stored longer, as well as sterilizing foods making them fit to eat for sickly patients in hospitals. Currently the FDA allows electron beam irradiation for meat, grains, fruits and vegetables, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, spices, seasonings, eggs, sterilizing medical products, such as surgical gloves, destroying bacteria in cosmetics, and purifying wool. If the food industry could have its way (the way most profitable for them), the only foods that would not be irradiated would be seafood, dairy (which is pasteurized), honey, coffee, chocolate, and oils (fats become rancid easily because of the free radical creation, so they wont be irradiated if they could be eaten raw). Baked goods and dried legumes do not need irradiation. The advantages to food irradiation cannot be far in front of the disadvantages so here they are. Irradiation can only be used on a very limited range of foods, and it is expensive when it is being used. Irradiation also affects some important parts of a persons diet like the level of vitamin E. When irradiation is used, the level of vitamin E can be reduced by twenty-five percent and vitamin C by five to ten percent. Recommended doses of radiation will not kill all of the microorganisms. Ninety percent of the germs and none of the viruses are killed so after the irradiation the food still has to be treated with care to avoid rapid reproduction by the remaining microorganisms. Irradiating foods can also cause new substances that were not in the food before. These substances are called radiolytic products, such as benzene, formaldehyde, and lipid peroxides. While not radioactive themselves, there is considerable controversy over whether these products are dangerous. Some opponents of food irradiation state that if irradiation is put into wider use, people may become more careless about sanitation in food production facilities. Irradiation does not kill all the bacteria in a food and in a just few hours at room temperature, the bacteria remaining in meat or poultry after irradiation can multiply to the level existing before irradiation. Some bacteria, like the one that causes botulism, as well as viruses and prions (which are believed to cause Mad Cow Disease) are not killed by current doses of irradiation. Free-market economists say irradiation is efficient, that it provides the cheapest possible food for the least possible risk. However, these economists are not concerned about the impaired nutritional quality of the food. They are not considering the environmental effects of large-scale corporate farming, the social costs of centralization of agriculture and loss of family farms, the potential long-term damage to human health, and the possibility of irradiation-resistant super-bacteria. If irradiation is to be more widespread, a cheap and reliable detection system should be developed for monitoring organizations to use. The UN should also establish as set of skeletal regulations to ensure that every county irradiating consumer goods is labeling them as such. The priorities of worldwide governments should also be focused on farming clean, thereby eliminating contaminants as thoroughly as possible from the production chain, rather than killing off the harmful organisms at the last stage of production with radiation. Clearly, the public needs to become better educated about the food we are buying. Too many times do we go into supermarkets and buy things because of their price, without really taking a good look the package, and put our trust solely in the people who are trying o turn a buck. While reading about the problem of food irradiation, I was reminded of the novel The Jungle where the greed of people like Gustavus Swift turned meat-packing plants into death traps and sold ground cardboard, rats, and fingers to the public as ? fresh meat while sweeping the floors of the plant to recover the sliced-off bits and package them as potted meat. Clearly the food industry is driven by capitalism, and not by concern for the consumer, and although I am wholeheartedly in favor of capitalist businesses, I do think federal regulation needs to come into play not just in the United states, but in other countries where most of the people have no legal recourse at all if they fall ill or die as the result of unclean food. Education of the consumer is the key to this problem, as is objective research. Governments around the world should be made to adhere to guidelines recommended by people whose main concern is the safe and healthy production of food, instead of the cheapest way to produce it, or what would be best for the businesses already irradiating food, as is the case for the federal government. Without measures taken during all aspect of food production to ensure cleanliness, the consumer is doomed to a lifetime of choices between dirty food, and dirtier food.

Mind soul Essay Example for Free

Mind soul Essay 1. How are Platos and Descartes views of the soul/self similar? Both Plato and Descartes believe that the soul/self is best (or only) to think and learn separate from the body and its faculties. According to Plato, â€Å"the soul reasons best without bodily senses. † Plato claims that sight, hearing, pain, and pleasure are a distraction to the soul in its search for reality, and that true knowledge can only be achieved with pure thought alone. â€Å"The body confuses the soul and prevents it from acquiring truth and wisdom whenever it is associated with it. † Descartes very similarly believes that the body and its faculties, namely imagination and again the senses, are â€Å"distinguished from the self as modes from a thing. † According to Descartes, the essence of the self consists entirely on being a thinking thing. The body can perceive pain and pleasure, but nothing beyond that, it is up to the intellect to â€Å"conduct its own inquiry into things external to us. † Thus, much like Plato, Descartes claims that it is this thinking essence, and not the body, and though alone, and not perception, that is the key to true knowledge. 2. How are Humes and Nietzsches views of the self similar, and how are they different? Both Hume and Nietzsche believe that the self is a summation of ones actions and perceptions. According to Hume, the self is â€Å"a collection of perceptions in perpetual flux and movement. † There is no simplicity or identity in the self, but only an infinite system of perceptions in an infinite â€Å"variety of postures and situations. † These perceptions are then linked by the relations of cause and effect, which mutually influence, modify, alter, create, and destroy each other. Nietzsche similarly believes that the self is merely a relation of human desires to each other. According to Nietzsche, desires and pleasures or human drives are the â€Å"commander. † This human drive controls everything else, and the strongest drive is a tyrant, even â€Å"reason and conscience bow down. † Both philosophers ultimately agree that there is no pure forms or simplicity of the self, but that it is rather driven by actions and perceptions, as well as desires and pleasures. Humes main idea of the self is that there is no self that is stable over time, rather the self is merely a series of transient feelings, sensations, and impressions of oneself at any given moment. That is, there is no unified self that ties all perceptions together. Nietzsches main idea of the self is different as it reaches a little into the very motivation for the self and life. Nietzsche argues that the self is composed of drives, but unlike Hume, goes further to say that these drives almost vie with each other to be â€Å"the ultimate purpose of existence and the master of all other drives. † Nietzsche calls this the will to power and illustrates the point accordingly: â€Å"ever living body within which individuals treat each other as equals does to another body what the individuals within refrain from doing to each other. † The will to power is to grow, spread, seize, and become predominant; it not only drives the self but also the reality of the universe. 3. How is Platos view of the worlds creation similar to the ordinary religious view, and how is it different? Similar to the â€Å"ordinary religious view† of the creation of the world, Plato believes that the universe was created by a maker or a god, who not only made the world to be as excellent and supreme as nature would allow it, but who also endowed it with soul and intelligence. Platos views also coincide with the â€Å"ordinary religious view† when he claims that the universe is physical and changing, that god is good and fair, and that there is order rather than disorder. Plato however differs from the â€Å"ordinary religious view† of the creation of the world when he claims that there is a second type of universe other than the physical: eternal universe, that never changes. According to Plato, god uses this eternal model of the universe and the forms (of beauty, good, etc. ) as a template to create the existing world. â€Å"The universe resembles an ideal living thing of which all other ideal living things are a part of the ideal living thing comprehends in itself all other intelligible ideal living things. †

Mitochondrial DNA Analysis: Techniques and Applications

Mitochondrial DNA Analysis: Techniques and Applications Introduction Because of advancements in technology and techniques, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis has become a common method in forensic procedure. Polymorphisms in human mtDNA were first discovered in 1980 (Brown 1980) while a complete sequence was first achieved in 1981 (Anderson et al., 1981). MtDNA sequencing is frequently used in cases where biological samples are degraded or low in quality, instead of nuclear DNA (nDNA), because each cell contains more than 1000 copies of mtDNA per cell instead of only two per cell in the case of nDNA. This article will examine the background information and techniques of mtDNA analysis as well as several of its applications. Background Information Mitochondrial DNA is located outside the nucleus of a cell in organelles known as mitochondria. The chief advantage of mtDNA is the fact that it is present at a rate of between 100 and several thousand times per cell, making it much easier to be typed than nuclear DNA (James and Nordby, 2005). This characteristic makes mtDNA a very useful tool in a sample that is either degraded or limited in quantity. Its typical sources include hair, bones, teeth and bodily fluid such as saliva, blood, and semen. Another feature of mtDNA is that it is maternally inherited so a sample can be collected from any member of the maternal lineage (Giles et al. 1980). The mtDNA for humans is ~16,569 base pairs and consists of two regions, the control region and the coding region. The control region is located in the displacement loop (D-loop), and contains hypervariable regions 1, 2, and 3 (HVI, HVII, and HVIII). HVI and HVII are sufficiently polymorphic to allow two samples to be differentiated. However, HVIII is currently being assessed to determine its capacity for use in discriminating between individuals and could one day be used to increase the discerning power of mtDNA. The D-loop of mtDNA does not contain any functional genes, and accumulates mutations at a rate of up to 10 times that of nDNA (James and Nordby, 2005). See image below for a sample mtDNA structure. The HVI region is approximately 341 base pairs (bp) in length while the HVII region is 267bp. The other regions in the mtDNA genome have been successfully analyzed but have not been frequently used in forensic works because they havent been proven sufficiently hypervariable. Techniques of mtDNA Analysis The methods for mtDNA typing have gradually changed over the past thirty years. The process has gradually changed protocols from low-resolution restriction length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis to sequence analysis of the HVII and HVII regions and is moving towards a complete sequence of the mtDNA genome for each case. The sequencing and comparison of the mtDNA can be broken down into four steps: Extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, sequencing, and comparison. Extraction A biological sample contains main substances besides DNA. The purpose of extraction is to separate the other material from the DNA before it is examined. The sample is prepared and mixed with certain organic chemicals that lyse the cell membranes, separate proteins from the DNA, and then denature the proteins and destroy their structures to decrease their solubility. Using a phenol chloroform, the denatured proteins are removed. The DNA is then purified using ethanol precipitation and isolation by centrifuge. PCR Amplification The polymerase chain reaction is process similar to the one used by cells to copy their own DNA. By using this process, a relatively small number of copies could be multiplied into over a billion in around thirty cycles. PCR amplification is a three step process. First, the two mtDNA strands are denatured by heat at 94 °C. This means the strands separate from each other into two equal and opposite strands. Second, the sample is cooled to 60 °C and the primers bind to the DNA template, which gives a start sequence to the DNA polymerase in step three, which extends the primers by adding the respective nucleic acids to the base strand and completes the sequence, thus turning one copy of the DNA into two. By repeating this process, the number of copies increases exponentially. Sequencing The primary sequencing method in mtDNA analysis is known as the Sanger method, which is a six step process that builds off the PCR amplification. First, the removal of remaining Deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates (dNTP) and primers from PCR through spin filtration or enzyme digestion is required. The PCR quantity is then found to determine if there is enough product to sequence the DNA. Then, four different colored fluorescent dyes are attached to the four differenet ddNTPs. After that, the unincorporated dyes from the sequencing reaction are removed using spin filtration. The purified sequencing reaction is then diluted in foramide and separated through gel electrophoresis. Finally, the sequence analysis of each reaction performed is compiled and interpreted. Comparison After sequencing the HVI and HVII regions of the DNA, the sequences are confirmed with the forward and reverse strands for that sample. Differences are then noted from the revised Anderson sequence, which is the newest standard for mtDNA. Finally, the known and the unknown samples are compared with each other and then compared with the database to determine halotype frequency. Applications As previously stated, current applications of mtDNA analysis are best suited to DNA which is very old and highly degraded. Some of the applications in this include individual identification, evolutionary biology, and maternal lineage testing. Individual Identification MtDNA can play a considerable role in the identification of individuals in which the biological sample would be highly degraded, for example, identifying remains of unknown soldiers. In June, 1998, a DNA sample from one of the US tombs of the unknown was collected and compared to reference samples from seven different families who had lost a family member during the war. The results eliminated six of the families, and provided a positive identification on the final family. The results proved consistent and the soldier was identified as Air Force First Lieutenant Michael J. Blassie. In this case, the small, closed population allowed relative ease of identification. To date, the remains of around 150 soldiers from the Vietnam War and 1,200 from the Korean War have been reunited with their families. Evolutionary Biology There are two main hypotheses about human evolution and phylogenic trees trying to guess where the human race branches off from the rest of the animal kingdom and spread all over the world. The multiregional evolution suggests that modern humans evolved from Neanderthals and Homo erectus at the same time in different parts of the world. This hypothesis is supported by fossil evidence, particularly a gradual change in facial structure from earlier to modern humans. The other hypothesis suggests a more recent African origin around 100,000 200,000 years ago, in which a small group of modern humans populated the rest of the world. This would have been done without mixing genetic material with other forms of humans. Because the human mitochondrial genome was one of the first to be completely sequenced, it took researchers a while to see the advantage of sequencing the entire genome. First, mutations in the D-loop occur at a rate 5-10 times faster than that of normal nDNA, and having the complete genome showed the same polymorphism on two different loci. Also, while the D-loop was changing at a high rate, mutations outside the D-loop were near zero, allowing the rate of evolution for the rest of the genome to be seen clearly and evenly between different complexes. The data collected gives evidence to support the recent African origin theory. By finding the substitution rate between the sequences, it is possible to find dates at which the genetic material coincided with itself and thus makes it possible to find approximate dates and points on the phylogenic tree. From this information, the sequence of events in human evolution can be established. The data suggests a severe population constriction around 180,000 years ago. (Brown, 1980) This evidence supports the recent African origin hypothesis while with the multiregional hypothesis you would expect to see this constriction at an older date. Maternal Lineage Because mtDNA testing can be done with a smaller quantity of DNA, it is well suited for maternity testing and forming a family tree. Right now, mtDNA is the most common form of DNA analysis performed to determine parental maternity testing today. Obviously, this is used in the legal system for the purpose of deciding custody battles. MtDNA also has precedence in accurately performing historical identifications through maternal lineage. A famous case of this would most likely be the case in which Jesse James body was identified by using a comparison between his DNA and the great-great-granddaughter of his sister. This lineage would provide a positive match if in fact it was Jesse James remains, which in fact it was. However, the James case was not without its faults. The initial attempts at mtDNA analysis of the bone specimens from the specimen were not successful. More, specifically, there was no product formation during the Polymerase Chain Reaction. The most likely cause of this type of error would be the poor condition the material was in.(Stone et al. 2001) After running several tests on the bones, teeth and hair of the remains, mtDNA was collected and analyzed from two molar teeth and two hair fibers. This just shows that while mtDNA analysis has the possibility for up to 100% exclusion, because of mix-ups, laboratory errors, contamination, and degradation, its not 100% accurate. Conclusion Because of its impact on the forensic community, mtDNA analysis has become a power discrimination tool in forensic science. The methods that have been developed over the past thirty years have been firmly founded in scientific research. Each tool used in the aid of sequencing the mtDNA has a specific purpose that plays an important part the analysis as a whole. As technologies evolve, the discriminating power goes up, as in the case of adding the HVIII loci to the standard, and the error rates go down because of new information regarding contamination prevention procedures and determining the presence of degraded sample. Finally, by applying all of these concepts to the forensic world, mtDNA analysis becomes a powerful tool that has the potential to trace lineages, prove maternity, and identify unknown persons. References Anderson, S., Bankier, A.T., Barrel, B.G., Bruijn, M.H.L., Courlson, A.R., Drouin, J., Eperon,I.C., Nierlich, D.P., Roe, B.A., Sanger, F., Schreier, P.H., Smith, A., Staden, R., and Young, I.G., 1981, Sequence and Organization of the Human Mitochondrial Genome.MRC Laborator of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK Brown, W. M. 1980 Polymorphism in mitochondrial DNA of humans as revealed by restriction endonuclease analysis Proc. Nati. Acad. Sci. USAVol. 77, No. 6, pp. 3605-3609 Butler, J. 2005, Forensic DNA Typing. Elsevier Science pp.242-298 Giles, R.E., Blanc, H., Cann, H.M., and Wallace, D.C. .1980, Maternal inheritance of human mitochondrial DNA, Proc. Nati. Acad. Sci. USAVol. 77, No. 11, pp. 6715-6719, Ingman, M. ,2001,Mitochondrial DNA Clarifies Human Evolution, http://www.actionbioscience.org/evolution/ingman.html Image Source: MtDNA. http://www.nfstc.org/pdi/Subject09/images/pdi_s09_m02_01_a.1_large.jpg James, S.H. and Nordby, J.J. 2005, Forensic Science: an introduction to scientific and investigative techniques. N.W. Ciroirate Blvd., Boca Raton, Florida Michael Blassie Unknown No More, 2006, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/visibleproofs//galleries/cases/blassie.html Stone A.C., Starrs J.E., Stoneking, M. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of the presumptive remains of Jesse James. J of Forensic Sci 2001;46(1):173-176. What is the relationship between the cold war and the war on terror’ in afghanistan? What is the relationship between the cold war and the war on terror’ in afghanistan? What is the relationship between the Cold War and the ‘War on Terror in Afghanistan? How far can one be said to be the continuation of the other? Introduction The Cold War period lasted for nearly 45 years, from 1945 to 1991. It began at the end of the Second World War and with the collapse of the Soviet Union. The war was the stage for the Wests struggle against communist ideas and changes. This long wearing conflict brought to pass an increase in production and trade of arms and an appearance of a new world order formed by America. The main principle of the cold war can be seen as the East-West competition in ideas, arms and spheres of influence. (REF) After Afghan terrorists dramatically attacked the United States on September 11, 2001; America declared a war on terror and flew its troops into Afghanistan in pursuit of avenging their nation and capturing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Again America found itself in opposition to the East, nevertheless this time a different region. And Again the East was fighting against this new world order and Americas quest for world domination in a globalising world. The aim of the essay is to explore the relationship between the cold war and the ‘war on terror in Afghanistan and to find similarities in political patterns and warfare, in order to answer the question. Main Body History Main question Relationship The cold war marked the struggle between America and the USSR after the Second World War. The war influenced international affairs majorly. It influenced the way conflicts were handled, the way countries were divided up and the increasing growth in weaponry production. The United States of America as well as the USSR had weapons of mass destructions in nuclear form, which formed a global threat for all humanity. However, both superpowers were aware of the exceeding dangers of their nuclear weapons. Therefore they would not fight an open war against each other. However they fought wars by proxy, supporting other countries to fight each other on their behalf. An example of this is the Vietnam War. While the Soviets supported the communist north of Vietnam, the United States supplied the anti-communist south with weapons and fighters. Therefore it was not just a war between North and South Vietnam but a proxy war between the Soviet Union and America. America perceived the USSR as anti-d emocratic and as oppressor of civil liberties. However one can argue that capitalist America was opposing the USSR because they were spreading communist ideas and they were anti-capitalist and therefore an obstacle to global domination. (REF) The USSR perceived America as severe threat to their communist borders. Both parties lived in a form of paranoia about one another, with feelings of suspicions and distrust and this lack of understanding of politics and cultures lead to a dangerous course, which was the cold war. In the late 1970s Afghanistan was experiencing political difficulties. Hazifullah Amin, the prime minister had a plan to change Afghan politics and society and to do away with Muslim traditions in order to introduce a more western system. This did not please most Afghans who valued their Muslim traditions. Therefore they joined the mujahideen, a guerrilla group who opposed Amins regime and Soviet intervention. It is interesting to know that the Taliban are a faction derived from a group of mujahideen. (REF) The Soviets fought a hopeless war against the group in the unfamiliar territories of the mountains. Though the Russians were a superpower they did not prevail against the guerrillas, who they deemed terrorists. The mujahideen eventually overthrew the Afghan government and drove out the Russians. Furthermore, it is believed that the mujahideen had sponsors as well as access to American missiles. As such it can be argued that America used the guerrilla group as proxy against communi st Russia. Now at the beginning of the twenty-first century, many years after the cold war, a different yet similar type of threat engages the United States. Terrorism nowadays is part of constant political debate. America was wounded deeply on 9/11 which lead the nation to fight on open ended war against terrorism and to invade Afghanistan. The nation believed, as former US president George W. Bush said that the al-Qaeda and Taliban were evil doers who continued the course of fascism, Nazism and totalitarianism. (Ref) Bush himself here draws a parallel to the Cold war. Further he states that â€Å"either you are with us or you are with the terrorists†. (CNN) Terrorism was an evil that had to be fought and neutralised. Afghanistan needed to be freed from its extremism and it needed a reasonable system with liberal democracies and western values. Again there was a divide between the west and the east and between freedom and oppression. And again on both sides there was the readiness to im mediately use powerful military force. However one important difference between both wars is that during the cold war, though wars were fought by proxy, the opposing nations still had civilised meetings and debates in order to find a peaceful solution. The war on terror however, did or does not leave room or time for negotiation. Whether the perception of the threat was exaggerated or the response appropriate has been debated since day one of the invasion. However America should not have been so quick to invade Afghanistan. There are many reasons for this argument, firstly because Afghanistan as a country did not attack the United States but it was the work of a small group of people in Afghanistan. (REF) Secondly America should have aimed to meet with leaders of the Afghan government to discuss a cooperation in order to capture terrorists groups and to tackle the problem internally. If this would have failed, the States would look for other alternatives and if all cooperation faile d, then threaten the country with an invasion. America was wounded, it was hurt, ashamed and scared and yes it was angry and demanded action, yet the action it took was not the right one. It has been over eight years since the invasion of the Middle East and not much has been achieved. As the Cold war can be describes as a war of ideas, so can the war on terror be describes as a war of ideas and values. The Cold war was a competition and struggle for power.   It lasted for decades but the states involved did negotiate and did meet in discussion to find possible solutions to the conflict. In contrast, the war on terror does not accept negotiations between the west and the terrorists. Though there are cooperation between many states worldwide to combat terrorism, there is no real communication between the states who matter, namely between the West and the East. However during both wars America dealt with a perceived threat and fear of the foreign. There emerged a new national security state with internal surveillance and increased security measures. (REF) Nowadays more and more intelligent surveillance technology is being developed. However these inventions might not always be ethical and they do pose a threat to civil liberties. In the case of the newly manufactur ed 3D full body scanners at airports, which are so detailed that it becomes possible to perfectly see a person naked, people and groups have been outraged. The state faces a difficult decision between increased security and the protection of peoples privacy. (The Guardian) However, the terrorist threat of al-Qaeda also can be seen as different from the danger of the USSR. While the al-Qaeda is a relatively small group, the Soviet Union is an enormously large state, with a great amount of nuclear weapons, forces and allies. While the first was about a struggle for power, the later is a struggle against the influence of western capitalism and mistreatments. Nevertheless both the Soviet Union and the al-Qaeda were and are fighting against capitalist ideas. This is not to suggest that Russia has terrorist features. But it is to identify the relationship between the two conflicts. Thus it can be said that there is a continuation of the fight against capitalism and therefore a continuation of the conflict between the West and the East. Also this conflict is a fight against globalisation. As capitalism thrives on an ever shrinking and interconnected world, with open borders and free markets which globalisation facilitates.

The teaching profession :: essays research papers

Being a Teacher Although teaching, from the outside looking in, appears simpler than it actually is, there are many challenges a teacher faces throughout his or her career. Despite these difficulties, there are also many rewards. As I consider this field for my future career, I will discover some of the most important aspects, such as the beginnings of teaching, how the profession has evolved and where teaching is headed in the future. Also it is important to note the availability of jobs and education you must acquire before becoming a certified teacher. Since the beginning of time, teachers have covered the earth. In the earlier years, informal teachers, parents, who taught their children about the world. The early mothers and fathers also taught their children how to survive, a means of getting food, and which pathways to avoid. Of course, informal teachers to this day, aren't paid anything but are only awarded the satisfaction of raising a human being. Next in the order of educational institutions came the one room school house. Teachers of 1872 were required to complete certain tasks before the day's session. The teacher, after arriving in the morning, was required to fill lamps and clean the chimney, in addition to building a fire. Their duties weren't terribly taxing. However the limitation that were put on their social life seem a bit unusual, compared to today's standards. For instance, a male teacher could devote one night a week to courting a lady, two if he attended church regularly. Wemen who got married or "engaged in unseemly conduct" were dismissed. After the teacher spent ten hours on studies, they were required to read the Bible or other good books. Teachers were required to set aside large amounts of their pay so that after they retired, the wouldn't become a "burden on society." Teachers were never allowed to drink, smoke, go to pools, public halls, or revceive a shave in barber shop. If the teachers abided by all these outrageous rules, they were eligible for a .25 cents, a week raise, with the approval of the Board of Education. (www.columiagorge.com) One such case was that of Marilyn Callen, born in Nebraska, who always knew she wanted to be an educator. After two years of college, she began teaching at the local two room school house in the country. Her first year was 1937. Marilyn was only 25 when she began. She taught grades

If you were directing the play a view from a bridge what Essay

If you were directing the play "a view from a bridge" what advice would you give to the actor playing Eddie about his character? Use quotations and close reference to the text. "A view from a bridge" is a play with five main characters. Eddie and Beatrice are married whilst they adopt Catherine, who is Eddie's niece. Marco and Rudolfo are their cousins who come to stay from Sicily. They are both illegal immigrants. A situation in the play occurs where Eddie becomes possessive of Catherine while Rudolfo plans to marry her. From the director's point of view advice to the actor playing the part of Eddie is complicated, but crucial. If I was the director looking for an actor to play Eddie it would have to be a man in his forties because that is most likely to be approximately the age of a man who has a niece the age of seventeen. Eddie is a longshoreman in the play and it would make sense if the actor was well built. In the film we watched Eddie had no real muscle definition. Also the play we watched Eddie seemed to sit in the same seat all the time. This shows that the character of Eddie was perceived as lazy, I did not think this was the case because of his active job. I would tell the actor to be more dynamic, energetic and move about the stage more, especially when he gets frustrated. The play was set in the nineteen fifties so Eddie would be told by me to dress appropriately. Eddie should wear old rugged clothes because of the limited income provided by his job. This brings me to Catherine who, in the film we watched was definitely overdressed and too clean for the circumstances she lives in. Another big aspect I would give advice to the actor about is his relationships with other characters. In the play we watched it was hard to comprehend the part where Eddie's innermost feelings for Catherine were exposed. This was the scene where Eddie came home drunk and found Rudolfo in Catherine's room. To make the scene more believable Eddie should show more love for Catherine. He should do this through body language. His facial expression should show over concern and love for Catherine or he could stare gapingly at her body. The play we watched the actors face was expressionless and all he did was say his lines whilst sitting in a chair. That was not enough. Although curiosity should be put across to the audience it should... ...s when he has the urge to be a macho and man of the house. Also respect is the most important thing and is greatly valued, this explains Eddie's behaviour towards the end of the play. I think that the background culture should be kept in mind because part of the specification is a strong macho man capable of a convincing accent and not slouching or looking lazy. In the play we watched Eddie sat in the same chair too much so either a younger is needed or an actor that looks dynamic at least. Also a good point is to advise the actor to walk about the stage when Eddie seems to struggle to express feelings through his limited vocabulary. Eddie's character shows stubbornness. He shows that attribute throughout the play and does not expect his family to correct him on anything he has already stated. I also think that when he releases bottled up emotions, like in the situation when he comes home drunk the actor should exaggerate his facial expressions. In the play we watched Eddie's face was expressionless showing poor acting, which was disappointing. As the play progresses Eddie seems to lose his mind, and also at one point he loses his sense of Sicilian justice.

Essay --

Allison Lore Mr. David R. Lopez ENG132 12/11/2013 Differentiating Instruction †¢ Introduction One issue facing the quality of education in today`s schooling is Differentiating Instruction, which is simply to change ones teaching methods to help cater to each individual student’s needs. Teachers can differentiate through content, process, product, and learning environment based on the individuals. Differentiation comes from idea about differences among students, how students learn, learning preferences and individual interests. In order to understand how students learn and what they know, pre-assessment and ongoing assessments are necessary. In the past instruction was delivered in a one size fits all method. Now, differentiation is individually centered, with a focus on using appropriate instructional and assessment tools that are flexible, challenging, and fair; encouraging students to want to learn (Wikipedia). Schools have many different types of students with different educational needs. Addressing everyone’s needs equally can be quite difficult. With issues ranging from class size, fixed budgets, how every student learns differently, students with special needs, advanced students to inequality among different levels of students it is a challenge for educators to overcome. †¢ Differences Among Students: Students must be accommodated in their diverse educational need in order for the educator to be accomplished in their job. Students of the same age can be different in their willingness to learn, in their interests, what style of learning works best for them, their experiences, and home circumstances( Wikipedia). Some students are eager to learn while others are resistant to learning. There are also students who are adva... ...on in today`s schooling is Differentiating Instruction, which is simply to change ones teaching methods to help cater to each individual student’s needs. With issues ranging from class size, fixed budgets, how every student learns differently, students with special needs, advanced students to inequality among different levels of students it is a challenge for educators to overcome. Teachers should identify with each student to understand how they study as an individual, and how they teach to their students. Teachers must differentiate by determining what students already know through pre-tests taken at the beginning of the class, getting individually acquainted with each student and their problems, having student activates and each students interests and concerns. Taking all of these things into consideration, a teacher can then better cater to the class as a whole.