Education For Life Essay

Education For LifeThe basic purpose of a liberal arts education is to liberate the human being to exercise his or her potential to the fullest. Liberal arts plays an important role in developing individuals and the world. When students attend liberal art colleges, they will understand the essence of humanity and will learn to shape and develop personal values. For a person to develop, he needs to understand the essence of humanity. When you attend college, your view on the meaning of life changes. You live for your minds and spirits and not just for the security of material wealth (Urbanek). You start to do things related to your work as this is your interest. This will make you care less about material wealth and you will focus more on the benefit of the world than the benefit of yourself. Liberal arts means arts of freedom. People learn about things that interest them. This makes the experience of learning better. Students will recognize the value of material things for what they are (Urbanek). They will start challenging tasks of design where they would learn how to translate ideas into actions. They will get to know the depth, flexibility and openness of their thinking and will also be able to recognize the importance of their thinking. Taking these ideas into consideration, I can say that liberal arts teaches people global responsibility, social awareness and self development, which is the essence of humanity. Thus, when the essence of humanity is known, then only a person will be able to acquire personal values. The value of liberal arts was appreciated by the students in older times but contemporary students do not share the same sentiment. In 1900, 70 percent of college students in US attended liberal arts colleges but today fewer that 5 percent do. The idea has taken hold by educators that todays youth are more materialistic, less idealistic and more self interested than their predecessors (Richard). In 1997, Yankelovitch survey focused on high school students and their parents, found that 85 percent of the high school students and 74 percent of their parents stated that the goal of college is to get a practical education and to secure a job. Furthermore, only 14 percent of the students and 27percent of their parents were even familiar with what a liberal art education is. Todays students tend to be career oriented, impatient and focused in material rewards (Kahn). People do not know that liberal arts can offer a clearer understanding that work embodies the values of courage, honour and responsibility. Liberal art colleges expose you to a variety of academic disciplines and an excellent background for future work. The education gives you the ability to adapt to a changing environment, communicate effectively, think critically and solve complex problems, which can prove very useful in everyday lives. As you acquire personal values throughout your college years, it is important to learn how to shape these values. I believe that the central purpose of liberal arts education is to shape the values of people. The impact of liberal arts education on student value change is conclusive in determining whether higher education is effective in achieving this central purpose. According to a survey conducted at the University of California at Los Angeles, 8 out of 10 academics said they were spiritual, and 64 percent called themselves religious. More than half of the faculty members said that it was important to enhance undergraduates’ self-understanding and to develop their moral character and values. I think liberal arts is a great way to teach people their spiritual and moral responsibilities towards the community and world itself. Humanitarian values are defined by acceptance of value equivalency between ones own loyalties and those of all other individuals and groups, as well as respecting the rights of others to freely express similar claims and loyalties without infringement (Hollway). Values serve as guiding principles in the life of a person or other social entity and thus, it is important for people to learn how to shape these values. Values are described as serving the interests of some social entity, motivating action, giving direction, and having emotional intensity (Hollway). Therefore, these values are needed for the development of individuals. When individuals possess these values, they will be able to use them in their society. Employers around the world are looking for people who possess these values and have the ability to use them. Hence, liberal arts students will satisfy these employers. These students will also find opportunities to learn more as their primary goal is not material wealth. This will help countries to better their economy. These values will benefit the students themselves as well as the world. Once a person understands the essence of humanity and learns to shape and develop values, he will be able to make changes to the world. Liberal arts students have the skills to become valuable community members. They make decisions, solve problems and communicate the solutions to others. Liberal arts prepares these students to be successful throughout their life. WORKS CITEDUrbanek, Jennifer. The EBSCOhost. 28 Oct. 2007 Kahn, Beverly. Co-opting The Market Place. Journal of Higher Education: p. 19. EBSCOhost. 28 Oct. 2007 Richard, M. The Practical Path, Too, Can Be High-Minded. Chronicle of Higher Education: p. 11. EBSCOhost. 28 Oct. 2007 Hollway, Michael. A Comparison of the Impact of 2 Liberal Arts. Journal of General Education: p. 237. EBSCOhost. 28 Oct. 2007.

Collapse of the Housing Market.

Collapse of the Housing Market. The purpose of self-governing is to make government work better by allowing people to help govern themselves. And the people do that by electing Representative to talk for them, to protect life, liberty and personal properties. â€Å"The absolute rights of individuals may be resolved into the right of personal security, the right of personal liberty, and the right to acquire and enjoy property†¦ and that consists in being protected and governed by laws made, or assented to, by the representatives of the people, and conducive to the general welfare† (James Kent, Commentaries on American Law, Lecture XXIV).Yes I believe that the congress lived up to protect life, liberty and personal properties, because they used â€Å"†¦Federal financial supervisory agency to use its authority when examining financial institutions, to encourage such institutions to help meet the credit needs of the local communities in which they are chartered consiste nt with the safe and sound operation of such institutions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Community Reinvestment Act, October 12, 1977) They did this so everyone could get a house. They also wanted to get more people into house so the economy could move.Because of that the demand for houses increased and so did the prices and most people were not able to afford and could not get a loan form the bank. Because of that the government â€Å"†¦in 1995 gave the CRA serious teeth: regulators could now deny a bank with a low CRA rating approval to merge with another bank—at a time when the arrival of interstate banking made such approvals especially valuable—or even to open new branches. Complaints from community organizations would now count against a bank’s CRA rating. † (Lawrence H. White, â€Å"How Did We Get into This Financial Mess? † Cato Institute, November 18, 2008). HUD also â€Å"actively pushed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into backing the enormous expansio n of the nonprime mortgage market†¦. To fund their enormous growth, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had to borrow huge sums in wholesale financial markets. Institutional investors were willing to lend to the government-sponsored mortgage companies cheaply †¦ because they thought that the Treasury would repay them should Fannie or Freddie be unable. † (Lawrence H. White, â€Å"How Did We Get into This Financial Mess? ,† Cato Institute, November 18, 2008).Congress tried to help the people by putting out more funds like The American Dream Down payment Initiative (ADDI). ADDI helped first time house buyers by paying their down payment or the closing cost. This helps more people to buy a house. â€Å"The American Dream Downpayment Assistance Act authorized up to $200 million annually. Funds were appropriated for fiscal years 2004-2008†¦. ADDI helped first-time homebuyers with the biggest hurdle to homeownership: downpayment and closing costs† The original pu rpose of the president was to carry out any decisions that congress made, but the president was not independent of Congress.Congress still remained completely in charge of how their decisions were carried out. The president is part of the executive who was to look up to congress so there is not a person making all the decision. All the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judiciary, result to the legislative body [in the Virginia Constitution of 1776]. The concentrating these in the same hands is precisely the definition of despotic government. It will be no alleviation that these powers will be exercised by a plurality of hands, and not by a single one. 73 despots would surely be as oppressive as one. † (Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 13, 1784). But when it came to the housing market the president/ executive department and agencies did not live up to their purpose in their actions in the area of housing. For example â€Å"President Bill Clinton's HUD agreed to let Fannie and Freddie get affordable-housing credit for buying subprime securities that included loans to low-income borrowers. The idea was that subprime lending benefited many borrowers who did not qualify for conventional loans. † (Carol D.Leonnig, â€Å"How HUD Mortgage Policy Fed the Crisis,† Washington Post, June 10, 2008). In 1999 the Clinton administration viewed Fannie Mae as a hazard trying to prevent the housing bubble and collapse. â€Å"Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers issued a warning, saying, â€Å"Debates about systemic risk should also now include government-sponsored enterprises, which are large and growing rapidly. ’ It was a signal moment. An administration official had said in public that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be a hazard† (â€Å"How Washington Failed to Rein in Fannie, Freddie,† Washington Post, September 4, 2008).The Clinton administration really didn’t like Fannie because they tr ied to â€Å"discouraged Fannie and Freddie from buying predatory subprime loans. Department of Housing and Urban Development called for Congress to enact legislation to â€Å"prohibit the purchase by each of these entities of predatory loans. † Fannie Mae was designed to help people. The sole purpose of them were to get banks to sell loans to people that would not always be able to get loans and then Fannie and Freddie would buy those loans form the bank giving back the money back to banks. The U. S. government had created Fannie Mae in 1938 to buy mortgages from banks that loaned money to homebuyers†¦. It was a Depression-era creation designed to ease financing costs for borrowers still recovering from the economic devastation of the 1930s† (Gretchen Morgenson, Reckless Endangerment, 13). To bring compotation and have verity the government created Freddie Mac so more loans could be bought and more people would invest. â€Å"†¦from an agency of the governme nt into a partially private entity that issued common stock to public investors†¦.The president’s idea was to get the company’s liabilities off the government’s balance sheet† (Gretchen Morgenson, Reckless Endangerment, 13). To get Fannie and Freddie get going on it own, they would sell stock where people would be able to by one of loans that Fannie and Freddie would buy form the banks, but the good thing was if the person was not able to pay back to Fannie and Freddie, the person who bought the loan would get paid back form the government. That got more people to invest in Fannie and Freddie. To fund their enormous growth, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had to borrow huge sums in wholesale financial markets. Institutional investors were willing to lend to the government-sponsored mortgage companies cheaply †¦ because they thought that the Treasury would repay them should Fannie or Freddie be unable. † (Lawrence H. White, â€Å"How Did We Get into This Financial Mess? ,† Cato Institute, November 18, 2008). Around 1999 Fannie and Freddie became so big that the government was losing more money then making money.The treasury did not like that they had to pay back to the people who invested in Fannie and Freddie. They went in public saying that they are â€Å"hazard†. â€Å"In the fall of 1999, Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers issued a warning, saying, â€Å"Debates about systemic risk should also now include government-sponsored enterprises, which are large and growing rapidly. ’ It was a signal moment. An administration official had said in public that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be a hazard† (â€Å"How Washington Failed to Rein in Fannie, Freddie,† Washington Post, September 4, 2008).After this one could see how strong Fannie and Freddie has become and more people decided to investigate but were never able to bring it up and who did were sued and lost a lot. â€Å"Gensler and ot her Treasury officials feared the companies had grown so large that, if they stumbled, the damage to the U. S. economy could be staggering. Few officials had ever publicly criticized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but Gensler concluded it was time to urge Congress to rein them in†¦.The bill failed† (â€Å"How Washington Failed to Rein in Fannie, Freddie,† Washington Post, September 4, 2008). When the economy downturn in 2001 due to lots of mortgages not paid and more foreclosed houses, the Federal reserve tried to bring it up by expanding the U. S. money supply the goal was to bring up the economy by putting money into the economy and people start spending. â€Å"In the recession of 2001, the Federal Reserve System, under Chairman Alan Greenspan, began aggressively expanding the U. S. money supply†¦.The expansion was accompanied by the Fed repeatedly lowering its target rate for the federal funds (interbank short-term) interest rate. The federal funds rate began 2001 at 6. 25 percent and ended the year at 1. 75 percent. † † (Lawrence White, â€Å"How Did We Get into This Financial Mess? ,† Cato Institute, November 18, 2008). But this did not help, low interest rates affect the behavior of investors. They stopped buying bonds and The Federal Reserve Board’s decision to slash interest rates to propel the economy was hurting investors who lived on the income generated by their holdings. In 2001, mortgage lenders †¦ understood that the low interest-rate environment was driving investors to securities that yielded more than Treasury bonds and other relatively conservative fixed-income instruments. † Due to less people-buying bond, the federal reserve made the interest rate low but they had to raise the house price to balance it. That way people saw this as in opportunity to buy a house with low interest rate. Example form 26D. In 2005 federal reserve desperately made the discount form 4. to 6. 5 to help get the house market rolling again. â€Å"In August [2005], the Federal Reserve Board increased its discount rate to 4. 5 percent, up from 2 percent the summer before. The Fed was finally trying to tap on the brakes of a runway real estate market† (Gretchen Morgenson, Reckless Endangerment, 286) What the feds tried to fix by getting more blacks to buy because of people getting on them form being racist kicked them in the butt when more than half had there house foreclosed. In October 1992, â€Å"Mortgage Lending in Boston: Interpreting HMDA Data† was published by the Boston Fed. Its authors were [Alicia H. ] Munnell, Lynn E. Brown, and Geoffrey M. B. Tootell†¦. Racial bias by mortgage lenders, Munnell and her colleagues wrote, not only existed it was pervasive. The HMDA data showed that black and Hispanic loan applicants were far more likely to be rejected by banks than were whites. The rejection ratio for minorities was 2. 8 to 1 compared with white applicants†¦ . There was only problem.The methods used by the Boston Fed researchers to prepare their report were flawed†¦. The analysis did not consider whether an applicant met a lender’s credit guidelines† I was happy that congress wanted to help anyone who wanted a house, there intensions were good by creating Fannie and Freddie but when people figured out that they can buy loans form Fannie and Freddie will be payed back when they know the owner of that mortgage will never be able to pay back. More community lost there value due to this.

Psychodynamic Counselling Overview Essay

Psychodynamic counselling has a long history and vast literature to condense so only a brief overview is possible here – following on from the themes already discussed and with particular focus on four psychologists: Freud, Jung, Adler and Klein. â€Å"The primary purpose of psychodynamic counselling is to help clients make sense of current situations; of memories associated with present experience, some of which spring readily to mind, others which may rise to consciousness as the counselling develops; and of the images that appear in fantasies and dreams. † (Jacobs) In essence it is concerned with the presenting past, the use of the counselling relationship in terms of its meaning for the client, and insight into unconscious representations which intervene in the perception of everyday life. Philosophy The philosophy guiding the psychodynamic approach is one that views the person as a whole – mind, body and soul – and recognises that there are relationships between these dimensions which constitute the person, or the self. These internal relationships are dynamic, always changing as they form the ‘inner world’ of an individual. Similarly, relationships to others and to objects in the environment are equally dynamic and create the ‘outer world’ of an individual. This understanding provides the key to both psychodynamic theory and practice in that present experiences and feelings can only be understood in relation to those of the past. This is reflected within the current relationship between counsellor and client which is exploring experiences, events and feelings in the conscious and working to bring those suppressed experiences from the unconscious to the conscious. The aim of psychodynamic work remains close to that of Freud, ‘where Id was, there shall Ego be’, or as Jacobs puts it ‘to make the unconscious conscious, and in doing so, to help a person to act with more conscious control and awareness than unconscious reactions permit’. Theory The interrelationship of external and internal worlds The dynamic, the activity, is between people, but also between the three aspects of the psyche – mind/thoughts, emotions/feelings and the soul/spirit. So it is possible to say â€Å"I don’t like her behaviour† which is about a relationship in the external world or to say â€Å"I don’t feel like my usual self today† which suggests a relationship between two parts of the self, the dynamic of the internal world. Great importance is attached to past experiences and feelings. Aspects (objects) of the psyche develop in parallel with external relationships in childhood, i. e. , with mother and father. In addition, the childhood perception of experiences, feelings and relationships may not match reality, so such perceptions are significant. Object relations theory A third type of relationship is added to those of the outer and inner worlds, to non-human objects. The activity is going on all the time, but is increased in some circumstances – in stressful and anxious times, in dreams. The Unconscious Freud identified the unconscious, the preconscious and the conscious in terms of mental activity. Within the unconscious are thoughts, experiences and feelings which are not easily accessible but which have great influences on the current mental activity in the conscious. Memories, half forgotten, but easy to access offer a route to the unconscious, thus belonging to the preconscious. Feelings such as grief and anger can remain in the unconscious and remain unexperienced and forgotten, that is, repressed; or suppressed if not forgotten. The process of moving material from the unconscious to the conscious is often helped by the use of metaphor and imagery, especially valuable when the counsellor gains some understanding of what is in the unconscious of the client who remains unaware. The significance of the past and its repetition in the present This concept is central to the psychodynamic approach, informing both theory and practice and making a contribution to the development of the various layers of understanding which the counsellor works towards achieving. The transference relationship between client and counsellor In addition to respect and acceptance which should characterise a counselling relationship, transference is significant in psychodynamic counselling. Previous patterns of relationships to significant others are transferred to the counsellor. This transference forms a central part of the work undertaken by both client and counsellor, who once again is able to use theory to inform practice. Practice and Techniques Regression Repressed and suppressed material frequently remains in the unconscious because it is so painful. Regression is a way of helping a person return to the past at their own pace, to bring into the conscious gradually and thus experience the feelings and events of the past. The use of the dynamics of the counselling relationship – failures, loss, endings, resistance As may be expected transference is often negative. ‘The value of this within the counselling relationship is that the patterns of past failures, losses and unsatisfactory endings to relationships can be worked with in the present through the counsellor in the ‘here and now’. Resistance is seen as a defensive mechanism, and as such is as much material to be worked with as the story of the client and transference within the counselling relationship. The distinctive feature of the psychodynamic approach is to understand where the resistance comes from, the reasons for it, to try to interpret it in order to help the client understand the reasons for it. The rule of abstinence This is about the counsellor ‘holding back’ from responding in the ‘normal’ way, for example, by not answering a question.

Research paper for case study about Tort and Negligence (course Legal

For case study about Tort and Negligence (course Legal Foundation for Accountants) - Research Paper Example A tort law can be described as a civil wrong not arising from a contract and in the case of negligence, one should owe due consideration to one’s neighbour (Capiro Industries vs. Dickman 1990). Negligence therefore, can be described as the act of doing something a reasonable man would not do and a plaintiff must prove in such a case that the defendant owes a duty of care (Donoghue V. Stevenson 1932). In this case, it is of paramount importance for the claimant to be able to prove that the negligent behaviour of the defendant which is Bull Pty Ltd would have caused the loss of the lucrative contract to supply the toys in order to win the claim that the subsequent loss after the action of the Dan could have been avoided in the event that he would have acted within reasonable limits. There are traditionally four elements of the tort of negligence which the plaintiff has to prove in order to be successful in winning the claim. There is need to prove that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care, the defendant breached that duty by falling below expected standards, the defendant’s conduct caused the plaintiff to suffer physical or economic harm and the harm suffered by the plaintiff was reasonably foreseeable (Name of author and year). The four stage test has been reformed by statutory civil liability reforms in all States and Territories where recovery for loss in that situation must not be excluded by the statute. As going to be discussed in detail below, Kids P/L can establish the four elements of negligence. The House of Lords in the case of Capiro Industries vs. Dickman (1990), proposed the adoption of the following conditions where the three stages should be taken into consideration which include; foreseeability, proximity as well as reasonability. In some cases it may not always follow that a duty of care

Are UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) the Future of Our Military Essay

Are UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) the Future of Our Military - Essay Example onclusion might have been, the US Air Force has come out to close the debate once and for all by declaring that UAVs are the way to go in the future, through their Flight Plan 2009-2047 (USAF, 2009). The question that might come to the mind of the reader is â€Å"What are the factors that made the US Air Force turn completely from rejecting the UAVs as a viable technology in the 1970s to declaring them as a key to the future of this countrys defenses?† My own views on UAVs is that they definitely are the future of our military, and this discussion will give a technological overview on why I think so and why the Air Force has gone for it too. Also, it will discuss what aspects of the future might it take hold upon, clearly showing what UAVs are good for and what roles in aerial warfare will still be manned. The focus of our military is to have the best possible control on all aspects of warfare. The focus, then, is on technology. Technology and cost go side by side. Economic comparison of UAVs with manned aircraft is also done in the study to put everything into perspective. Following are some reasons for which UAVs are the future of our military in the light of technology and economy: Warfare is the name of knowing what your opponent might do next. Whoever knows that has a higher chance of winning the war than the ignorant party. UAVs provide the best technological solution for constant surveillance – even better than satellites. UAVs have flight times over days. Even if manned aerial vehicles has such endurance, the human can never stay in flight for so long. Thus, this gives UAVs an edge in their surveillance capability and ease of operation over manned systems. A plane can stay in flight over enemy territory only for as long as the enemy cannot shoot it down. The only way to prevent that is to be invisible to radar. The low speeds along with very high flight altitude of UAVs, makes them that (Pappalardo, 2010). Airframes can be designed to magnanimous

The New Labour party and Childhood Education Research Proposal

The New Labour party and Childhood Education - Research Proposal Example The main body of the essay would examine the early years' education and care policy development before 1997 and deduce the main limitations and shortcomings of the existing system. The research would proceed to examine the changes in the New Labour party and the coalition government and produce an evaluation and synthesis of the policies they put in place in relation to childhood and education. The policies would be critiqued and analyzed in-depth and the strengths and weaknesses of the systems would be identified and examined. The main body of the essay would examine the early years' education and care policy development before 1997 and deduce the main limitations and shortcomings of the existing system. The research would proceed to examine the changes in the New Labour party and the coalition government and produce an evaluation and synthesis of the policies they put in place in relation to childhood and education. The policies would be critiqued and analyzed in-depth and the stre ngths and weaknesses of the systems would be identified and examined. Contextualization of Education and Child Care Policy This section would examine the very essence of education policy and how it affects governments and fundamental stakeholders in British society. It would involve the examination of the concept of policy and how it affects life in society. â€Å"Policy is a statement by the government of what it intends to do such as law, regulation, ruling, decision or a combination of these. The lack of such statements may also by an implicit statement† (Birkland, 2009: p9). This means that policy involves all the plans and the aspirations of a government that forms the blueprint of what they intend to do during their tenure in office. There is also another view of policy. This is a more general view of policy which is â€Å"... an intentional course of action followed by a government institution or official for resolving an issue of public concern† (Eisener, 2011: p4). In other words, a policy is more of a conscious and direct approach that guides institutions in order to attain some ends that is relevant to society as a whole.

The Purpose of Friendship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Purpose of Friendship - Research Paper Example The question of why an individual will be attracted to another as a friend when he already has a family he belongs to is a basic curiosity that we usually take for granted. Rubin, Fredstrom, and Bowker (2008) came up with a basic operationally defining features of friendship as: I have been fortunate to have had established several friendships in my life and each one has its own kind of bond. There are friends who I have met in certain social circles who naturally gravitated towards me and vice versa. There are those who naturally fall into fast friendships with me because we share a common interest. All these wonderful friends pass the defining features of friendships as described above. The famous writer, C.S. Lewis (1960) theorized that friendship arises out of mere Companionship when two or more of the companions realize that they share some common insights or interests. Initially, each thought they were the only ones who did, but now a common bond surrounds them, tightening their hold on each other. Emerson qualifies the love that binds friends in relation to Lewis’ theory that when one asks, â€Å"Do you love me?† it means â€Å"Do you see the same truth?† or at least, â€Å"Do you care about the same truth?† (Doyle & Smith, 2002). Pahl (2005) agrees, adding that friendship is becoming an increasingly essential ‘social glue’ since it holds together various kinds of social bonds. My varied interests have led me to various sets of friends†¦some are from my childhood, several from school and others from various groups I have been involved with. With each friend, I can recall a certain common thing I share, be it an int erest for a particular hobby, a liking for a certain celebrity, an aversion for another person or even a sense of humor that clicks with each other.

How Indian affairs led to tadays foreign affairs Essay

How Indian affairs led to tadays foreign affairs - Essay Example It is evident that the evolution of the United States has led to it becoming a superpower. In most cases, the ideology is that it grew from the declaration of independence; however, the nature of the United States cannot be merely noted or considered to be based on its independence. The lands that the country has grown from must be attributed to the Native American Indians, who roamed the land prior to the American establishment. The development of the United States cannot be solely attributed to the land; various ideologies and factors were copied or integrated into the nature of the existence of the United States. It is considered that there are number of founding truths that serve to explain or illustrate the existence and development of the United States. The truths cannot be overlooked as they are an underlying factor in American history. As the first individuals to reside on the land now known as the United States, they were an isolated tribe and it meant that they were quite p eaceful in their nature. Their wipeout came after Columbus set foot onto the land, where 90 percent died due to exposure to diseases. Since they were unable to counter the diseases, they were fell sick and died. This provided the aspect of the element of development of cures for diseases such as syphilis to avoid a case of the elimination of the Native Americans. The American Indians may have been far inferior to the Americans based historical events. However, the element of the American Indians served to provide a model as to how the Americans can establish their foreign policy. With regard to developing a foreign policy, the hospitality that was given to Columbus upon his arrival in North America is something that is used and shown in the American nature both inside and outside the country. The United States is eager to help other countries and they do this through the use of funding and use of labor to support a cause or ideology. This may not have been the aspects that the Nativ e Americans used during their time. However, the ideology that was used at the time is similar in the manner in which it was applied. The Bill of Rights can be attributed to the Influence of the Native Americans. Thomas Jefferson noticed the manner I which the Indians who were used as slaves felt the effects of their oppression, and it influenced the development of the bill of rights, which is an illustration of the elements that can be considered to be the tools that define an individual’s freedom. The Bill of rights can be considered to be influenced by the Indians as their nature or lack of freedom limitation was an ideology that was applied in the development of the bill of rights. The United States of America can also be considered to be an establishment that was also influenced by the American Indians. The latter lived in different communities that were based on tribes but still part of a collective unit based on whom they were (American Indians). The use of different c ommunities that were still in the same region influenced the development of the states of America but still collectively considered to be a country. The respect for boundaries is a policy that is implemented even today. Regarding Canada and Mexico, the development of the boundaries are well respected and that can be attributed to the Native Americans who had a general respect for their territories and their rules that were part

Personal Budgets in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Personal Budgets in the UK - Essay Example According to the paper, in response to the increasing demand and the rising public expectations based on choice and quality, the government decided to act. It set out to transform the way in which care and support were offered for the older and disabled adults. At the heart of this transformation was a very powerful idea that would potentially revolutionize how the disabled and older persons received their care. The idea was basically based on personalization. That is, instead of commissioning care and support services for people living in its area, the local authority would provide eligible persons with their own personal budgets so they could acquire help and assistance that would be more attuned to their individual needs and circumstances. Personalization is aimed at giving the people more choice and control over the kind of support they acquire. It is defined as the ability of an individual to determine what type of support to get despite the mode of payment used by the one seeki ng healthcare services. These may include direct payment or personal budgets. Direct ayments are defined as the direct cash payments given to service users in lieu of community services that are in demand based on assessments done they are aimed at giving a wider choice to the clients. Personal budgets on the other hand describe the allocations given to users after assessment which meets their assessed needs fully. This is all in part of the government’s wider agenda to improve efficacy and responsiveness of public services. These personal budgets can provide flexibility, choice and control to the service users. Further, they can improve health and well-being and ultimately, user satisfaction.  

Causal Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Causal Argument - Essay Example Causes of Pollution As noted by the US Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, pollution could be caused by either human or natural processes. In environmental pollution, air pollution has been commonly reported in industrial towns. Raven, Berg and Hassenzahl (12) categorize air pollutants into gaseous and particulate pollutants. These gaseous and particulate matters get released into the atmosphere through burning of fossil fuels including petroleum and coal. Such activities cause the release of both fine and coarse particles, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur compounds, radioactive substances and halogens. The main sources of this form of pollution are motor vehicles using either diesel or gasoline, rail roads, aircraft, agricultural burning and industrial processes among others (Awosanya, Sebiomo and Idiagi 612). According to Shafi (3), a combination of the effect of these processes results in the release of 91.0, 25.7, 30.2, 29.1 and 18.7 metric tons of carbon monoxide, particulate matte r, sulfur oxides, hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxides respectively. Pesticides have also been noted to cause a spread of ungraded ions in the air thus possibly contaminating the air. Metallurgical industries, petroleum refineries, fertilizer and chemical industries and pulp and paper mills have been noted to contribute greatly to air pollution. They produce gaseous emissions that pollute the air. Various solid and liquid wastes pollute water. Organic and mineral wastes and industrial by-products or effluents carried into water bodies cause pollution. Furthermore, pollutants emanating from agricultural fields containing phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers eventually reach water bodies. According to Shafi (4), these pollutants deoxygenate and intoxicate the water causing a lethal or sub-lethal reaction to the micro-organisms in the water. Examples of sources of water pollution include food processing industries such as canning, brewing, refineries and dairy industries, chemical plants, oil drilling wastes, blast furnace washing, rubber production factories and research laboratories among many others. Raven, Berg and Hassenzahl (405) also note that metallic wastes like zinc, lead, copper and mercury released as effluents or wastes from industries eventually reach water bodies. These not only deteriorate the quality of water but also get deposited in the bodies of the living organisms that consume the water. Additionally, sewage effluents, organic wastes and exudates promote the life of microbes that thrive on organic matter like algae, fungi, helminthes, bacteria and viruses. These are known to cause dangerous diseases in both the flora and fauna. Lastly, pollution of the soil could result from the insanitary habits of humans or disposal of semi-solid and solid wastes. The atmospheric fall-out also causes soil pollution. The current rapid urbanization has led to limited space in which solid wastes could be deposited (Shafi 6). The disposal of these wastes on land has led to toxic materials seeping deep into the soil which affects the course of ground water. Agricultural practice has seen pesticides, manures and fertilizers introduced to lad leading to chemical and biological contamination. Wastes containing micro organisms pollute soil and could cause these micro organisms to enter into the food chain and subsequently consumed by humans. Radiation could be

Leadership in the Movies Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership in the Movies - Coursework Example This paper presents an analytical paradigm of leadership approaches. A typical illustration of how this paradigm functions is shown in the film Twelve O’Clock High. The 1949 movie is about the Second World War and how an unsuccessful bomber troop was made triumphant by Brigadier General Savage. Plot Summary General Frank Savage, in this narrative of the first phase of bombing attacks over Germany, is ordered to lead a disastrous bomber team after a commanding officer is dismissed. A great deal of the narrative focuses on Savage’s great effort to make the team highly disciplined despite of several and major losses. Real battle footage is included in this vividly told war story. The American 918th Bomber Group has recently accomplished another assignment. The performance of the 918th is depressing. The group is enduring major crew fatalities and aircraft damages. The poor performance of the 918th stands in contrast with the achievements of other bomber units. Consequently , the 918th experiences weak motivation and a status as ‘The Hard Luck Unit† (Lay & Bartlett, 1980, 19); thus starts the archetypal film about the Second World War. Savage, after reaching the 918th Bomber Group, observes that there are weak levels of obedience and discipline. The soldiers show almost no concern for military civility and are frequently intoxicated. Savage promptly evaluates the records of assistant leaders. He finds out that Air Executive Officer Lieutenant Colonel Ben Gately has a good record. But Savage is forced to order an arrest of Gately because he is missing from his position. When Gately is arrested, Savage criticizes him for abandoning his assignment and for being personally accountable for the failure of the prior commanding officer. Savage dismisses Gately from the position but refuses to recommend his reassignment. Rather, Savage proclaims, â€Å"I’m not going to pass the buck†¦ I’m going to keep you right here† (Lay & Bartlett, 1980, 14). Savage afterward relocates all of the nonconformists of the 918th unit. Even though the decisions of Savage may seem to be humiliating, he is going on the right direction. His charismatic leadership style is usually aggressive, drastic, and transformative, often working as a change catalyst. Savage exhibits a supernatural intuition. He recognizes Gately can be a very effective leader, but one who requires motivation. The aspiration of Savage is for Gately to turn out to be a self-actualized individual, to emerge from a self-centered to altruistic character and be instilled with well-formed work principles. Savage displays transformational inclinations of a charismatic leader. By granting Gately the opportunity to regain his good reputation as a leader, Savage finally guides him to a deep empowerment position. Gately in time realizes his decisions and attitudes strongly influence the group’s capacity to effectively complete its assignment. Charismatic Le adership’s Transformational Traits Future leaders will confront numerous circumstances where in they will have to adopt transformational traits of a charismatic leader. Numerous leaders of the future will come to believe that

Alcoholic abuse Essay Example for Free

Alcoholic abuse Essay The cause of alcohol abuse occurs when one becomes stressed, depressed, or peer pressured. Alcohol abuse is very common in today’s society. Most abusers are blinded to the fact that they are abusing. Abusers take a big risk with their lives when addicted to alcohol. Stress can lead to being an alcohol abuser; when people become stress, they tend to want an addiction to help them. Most people think alcohol is the key for relieving stress. One will want alcohol when being stress over work, family issues, and life. Work is a very stressful environment; one will feel overwhelmed, when dealing with co-workers. People need to settle their differences aside when working together. One will also become stress, when over worked to many hours. The economy today is very low; people now work more than one job, which can be very stressful. Family issues in today’s society have become a struggle in life. Everyone has family issues some have it worse, which can lead to drinking. One will become stress when arguing with a family member. One may also have a genetic gene in alcoholism. One may have grown up with an alcohol abuser. Life in general is stressful, which can lead to alcohol addiction. Most alcohol abusers start drinking little amount each day, which will lead to becoming an alcoholic. One will be stress with school, while holding a job. That will make some people very stress, and vulnerable in drinking alcohol. Depression is a very strong cause of becoming an alcoholic. People become depressed when dealing with relationships, bullying, and financial problems. Relationships will make one very depress. When one cheats on their spouse will lead people to alcohol. When one gets a divorce or splits up that will cause alcohol abusers. Bullying in today’s society has become very brutal. Most teens are being bullied, which will cause depression. Most teens being depress will cause drugs, and alcohol abuse. Being bullied can also lead to death. Financial problems are another common cause to become depress. People in today’s society have become broke, due to the economy. One may become depress by spending money on alcohol, and then one will have no money for other things. Alcohol abusers will become depress, when they have no money for more alcohol. One may become an alcohol abuser, by being peered pressured. In today’s society young teens will get addicted to alcohol. One will get peered pressure at school, parties, and wrong crowd. One may be peered pressure at school to drink alcohol. Teens today are bringing alcohol to school and skipping class and getting drunk. One may also skip school to go and drink alcohol. One may be peered pressure at parties. Most teens go to parties every weekend, and get drunk, which will make one become an alcohol abuser. Students in college in today’s society are looked as a party school. College students have phrat parties and one may become addicted to alcohol, or even worse dead. One may be hanging with the wrong crowds, which can make one have an addiction. People get influence by peers to make bad decisions. One will feel peered pressure by their friends thinking it is ok to drink. Most young teens don’t understand that drinking is dangerous. Alcohol abuse is really bad when a pregnant woman is addicted to alcohol. One may kill their unborn child, or the child can come out with medical problems. Studies have also showed that most people with ADHD will become alcohol abusers. Alcohol is a very serious addiction; one may feel like alcohol is helping them to recover. Alcohol abusers need help, before it gets too late. One needs to realize that there are better ways of coping stress, depression, peered pressure, etc. Alcohol abusers will need support with their family and friends, to overcome their addiction.

Role of the Political Parties and the Military in China

Role of the Political Parties and the Military in China Sun Yat-sens views On The Role Of The Political Parties And The Military In China To what extent were Sun Yat-sens views on the role of the political parties and the military in China simply copied from the Soviet Union? The ideas of Sun Yat-sen have been crucial to the development of China in the twentieth century. Often referred to as the father of the nation (Mackerras 1998, p23), Sun Yat-sen was the instigator of the revolution that overthrew the monarchy in China and later formed the basis of the ideology within the Nationalist Party. Certainly following the 1911 revolution Sun Yat-sen developed links with the Communist Party in Russia and continued to forge close links with Russia for more than a decade, yet much of this was in a pragmatic attempt to gain aid and support from the Soviet government, rather than inspired by the policies of the Soviet state. Some of his views were influenced by the Soviet Union, yet to states that his ideas were simply copied from the Soviet Union would be an exaggeration. Sun Yat-sen was widely travelled and educated his ideas came from a variety of sources and his aims were to develop principles specific to China rather than to attempt to implement a political system from another nation and another culture. In his later years, Soviet advisers did gain a greater influence over SunYat-sen but it would be fairer to say that he took on board ideas that he felt suited his cause, rather than simply copied them. Born to a poor family near Canton, Sun Yat-sen was largely educated in Hawaii. As a young man he was certainly at home as much abroad as in China and was comfortable conversing in English (Fitzgerald 1971, p24). Having learnt of the power and development of the West, he quickly became convinced of the corruption of the Manchu dynasty and made up his mind that only revolutionary change could save China. He was willing to engage radical ideas that had been impressed upon him by Western democracies. He saw a republic as favourable as monarchies had gone out of fashion in Europe and was impressed by the relative success of democracy in the more advanced Western nations. Su Yat-sens earliest revolutionary ideas preceded the Soviet Union, and his much of his early thinking was done abroad. He spent time in Britain, collating ideas in the reading room of the British library and seeking out a variety of sources. Schiffrin reports that: Sun wasted no moments in gaieties; he was forever at work, reading books on all subjects which appertained to political, diplomatic, legal, military and naval matters; mines and mining, agriculture, cattle rearing, engineering, political economy etc; occupied his attention and were studied closely and persistently. The range of his opportunities for acquiring knowledge has been such as few men have ever had (Schiffrin 1968, p134). As early as 1897, Sun Yat-sen came into contact with Russian revolutionaries, meeting on several occasions in London with Felix Volhovsky, the editor of the English Society of Friends of Russian Freedom. The basis of Sun Yat-sens political philosophy is his Three Peoples Principles which detailed his ideal of a government that would serve the people of China. The principles were named nationalism, democracy and the peoples livelihood and were devised by SunYat-sen with the aim of restoring the nation as a powerful and successful democracy. Throughout his political life he came into contact with Russian revolutionaries and certainly at different stages they have contributed to his basic principles. Russian influence was notable not only to SunYat-sen but to many education Chinese, particularly in the period following the 4th May uprising in 1919. This period saw the beginnings of nationalism in China, with many in the country becoming increasingly angered at the corrupt minister that they saw as having sold the country to Japan (Fitzgerald 1971, p24). The educated class in China gradually came to realise the state of the nation both internally and on the international stage and thus look abroad for ideas on how to make the nation strong again. Fitzgerald writes of this period Nationalism as opposed to Republican idealism, was born. he new enthusiasts did not much care what form it took as long as it did something to restore China (Fitzgerald 1971, p41). The Russian Revolution was an appealing alternative to young Chinese. Many were nationalists, and if some were lacking in understanding of communism, many others were attracted intellectually to the doctrines of Marx and Lenin. Above all else, many, and this undoubtedly includes Sun Yat-sen, were highly impressed by the transformation of Russia from a decaying monarchy to a socialist republic. It was apparent that other foreign powers were unable to stop the Russian revolution and feared the new Soviet state this strength on the world stage was also appealing to Chinese nationalists. Sun Yat-sen who had been living in Shanghai at the time was one of many Chinese who admired the Revolution and had few qualms about the violent means to carry it out; in China the idea of woe to the conquered was a fact of political life (Fitzgerald 1971, p46). In examining the influence of the Soviet Union over Sun Yat-sens thinking, one has to appreciate that as a revolutionary and a socialist, it is only natural that he would have an interest in Soviet Russia. The Russian Revolution was one of the major political developments of his age and Soviet policies on political parties and the military would have been of interest to any revolutionary thinker at the time. Between 1920 and 1922 he was actively courted by emissaries from Russia and representatives from Comintern. Wilbur writes that Sun Yat-sen remained keen to be kept informed of developments in the Soviet Union and suggests that he showed much sympathy for the Russian Revolution, and his words suggest that he made a psychological identification between the Russian Revolution and his own efforts, and between himself and Lenin (Wilbur 1976, p112). As early as 1918, Sun Yat-sen had telegraphed Lenin on behalf of the South China Parliament and the Chinese Revolutionary Party, congratulating him on the ongoing struggle in Russia and expressing the hope that the Soviet and Chinese parties might one day join forces in a common struggle. At this stage, his words have to be seen as a gesture of comradeship rather than an expression of any serious intent the chaotic state of Russia at the time would have given Sun little basis for ideas on political and military organisation. An American journalist, George Sokolsky, became a part of Sun Yat-sens entourage in Shanghai in early 1919 and facilitated discussion around possible military cooperation. However, Suns position in terms of the military differed at the tame from that of the Soviets the Russian wanted an end to seemingly endless fighting whilst SunYat-sen remained, in the words of a Russian colonel an old-fashioned militarist who saw no way of saving his country except through arms (Wilbur 1976, p116). In years to come, the Soviets would consistently attempt to covert Sun Yat-sen from his reliance on military force to achieve political goals. The period 1920-22 saw Sun Yat-sen eager to win financial aid from other nations. As a result he made some form of contact with practically all of the major power the USA, Great Britain, France, Japan and Germany. As much as there was a warm relationship with Russia, it is likely that SunYat-sen would have happily taken aid from other powers had it been available. His correspondence and talks with Soviet envoy Adolf Joffe give some idea as to the somewhat confused nature of Suns relationship with the Soviets. Whilst stating to Joffe that the Soviet system was not suitable for China, Sun Yat-sen allowed Joffes influence to help regulate the roles of the Communist and Nationalist parties in preparation for the coming revolution. In 1923, he agreed to communists joining the Nationalist Party as individuals and it was advisors such as Joffe who helped Sun Yat-sen to organise his armies and free himself from the dominance of Chinese warlords (Fitzgerald 1971, p47). A joint statement issu ed with Joffe had been unequivocal on the issue of the political system that SunYat-sen was aiming for and summarises accurately his ideas about any future relationship that China would have with the Soviets.. It stated: Dr SunYat-sen holds that the Communistic order or even the Soviet system cannot actually be introduced into China, because there do not exist here the conditions for the successful establishment of either communism of Sovietism. This view is shared entirely by Dr Joffe, who is further of the opinion that Chinas paramount and most pressing problem is to achieve national unification and attain full national independence, and regarding this task, he has assured Dr SunYat-sen that China has the warmest sympathy of the Russian people and can count ton the support of Russia (Wilbur 1976, p137). SunYat-sens priorities at the beginning of the 1920s were simply to build a peaceful, united China operating within some form of constitutional order. He believed that foreign aid was vital for him to do this and utilise a number of tactics to do this. He wrote to foreign heads of state, had allies abroad campaign on his behalf and used military, economic and diplomatic strategies to try and achieve his goals. In terms of military aid and advice, he attempted to arrange for military advisers from Russia, amongst other nations. His correspondence with Joffe led to a reorganisation of Suns Kuomintang Party. Whilst the Communist Party had advocated a revolutionary alliance with the Kuomintang, Sun rejected this idea, insisting instead that all Chinese revolutionaries join his organisation. By October 1922,Sun had inducted some Communist Party leaders into his party, and appointed their lead, Chen Tu-hsiu as a member of a nine man committee to plan for the reorganisation of the party (Wilbur 1976, p131). 1923 saw Sun Yat-sen established in Canton, attempting to build up his power base. It was the arrival of Michael Borodin in this period that began the most concerted period of Soviet influence of Sun Yat-sens ideas. Borodins role was to act as Soviet Russias instrument through which aid and guidance should be given to the revolutionary movement and it was he who instigated the reorganisation of the Kuomintang along Bolshevist lines. Borodin took little time in outlining his plans for a reorganisation of the Kuomintang, based around creating a provisional national committee of twenty-one under the chairmanship of SunYat-sen and consisting of the most prominent members of the Kuomintang, the Communist Party, the Socialist Youth Corps and workers unions. Sun Yat-sen took some of Borodins ideas on board and he began to plan a reorganisation of the Kuomintang. He appointed a nine-man Provisional Central Executive Committee to draft a new party platform and constitution and to prepare for the partys first national congress, appointing Borodin as an adviser to the committee. Sun Yat-sen made it clear to his own followers, that whilst following some of the advice from the Soviets over party organisation, he would not blindly follow them. He stated, The present reorganisation should preserve our partys original à ©lan but adopt the Soviet Russian organisation, thus acquiring its benefits while rejecting its evils. We may merely yoke up Soviet Russia and mount it (Wilbur 1976, p175). A military crisis shortly after Borodins arrival in Canton gave the Russian adviser an opportunity to have some influence over SunYat-sens military policies. His forces in the city were very much on the back foot against LinHus forces, with both army and navy troops deserting. Borodins plan was to play on the nationalism and economic aspirations of the Canton population. He issued decrees promising land to the peasants through the confiscation and distribution of landlord holdings, along with encouraging an eight-hour day and a minimum wage for workers. The plan worked to inspire a greater military effort at the front and the crisis was averted. Shortly afterward, Sun made a speech discussing past party failures and explaining that the ongoing reorganisation was intended to spread the parts influence across all of China and release it from an exclusive dependence on military force this had been very much a soviet idea. Sun Yat-sen, at this particular time, was keen to base his Three Principles of the People on a Soviet model. He stated: Now a good friend, Mr Borodin, has come from Russia.If we hope for victory in revolution, we should study the Russian methods of organisation and training (Wilbur 1976, p179). Sun argued the Soviet position that Communism had been chosen by the Russian people and that nationalism and popular support had enable it to defeat both internal enemies and external powers. His view was that that the Russian people were no longer the salves of foreign powers and that Chinas revolution had failed to succeeded to date as it had not fully embraced nationalism in either its party organisation or within the military. There was some opposition to what was seen by some as too much dependence on Soviet ideas on party organisation by Sun Yat-sen, yet1923 was the year when Soviet ideas held the most influence over Sun. In speeches he praised the discipline of Soviet party organisation and spoke positively on how a united party could take the movement away from such a dependence on armed force. Nonetheless, leaders with the Kuomintang remained concerned at the influence of the Communist International and the policies of admitting communists and allying with Soviet Russia. Petitions to SunYat-sen however met simply with denial of allegations and assurances about the Soviets. Sun increasingly had begun to argue the point that there was little difference between his Principles of Peoples Livelihood and Communism. The first National Congress of the Kuomintang met in Canton in January 1924 and confirmed a plan of party reorganisation based largely along the lines of Borodins advice. A new leadership was established to create a mass party with a wider influence across China. Sun Yat-sen saw his name written into the constitution as leader, with power of veto. Sun again spoke glowingly of the Soviet system, stating that its system of placing party above government was the most modern in the world (Wilbur 1976,p191). Speeches given by SunYat-sen in 1924 formed the basis for what is understood as his basic philosophy, contained in his Three Principles. The lectures were largely based around his ideas on nationalism and give the clearest indication as to the effect that Soviet ideas had on his thinking in the latter years of his life. He saw the military future as one not of wars between races but between social classes or of oppressed against oppressor. He also talked more openly of empire and of recovering some of Chinas territorial losses to other colonial powers. He spoke of the military dangers caused by Chinas small military capability. He argued that Japan would be able to conquer China within two weeks, the United States within a month. Sun also move away from his earlier democratic tendencies in his later speeches, suggested that the Soviet style dictatorship of the people was the most effective form of government. Borodins influence on SunYat-sens lectures was clear, as was some of the ideas in terms of the military taken on board by Sun whilst Borodin was based in Canton. One of the roles of Borodins team was to establish a Kuomintang military academy, to be assisted with Russian advice and funds. The idea behind the Whampoa Military Academy was to produce, Soviet style, a politically indoctrinated and reliable corps of junior officers to form the basis for an army first and foremost loyal to the party. Russian officers instructed at the academy and Suns military capability was further enhanced in October 1924 by the arrival of a shipment of Russian arms, including several thousand rifles and ammunition, accompanied by a further nine Russian officers to continue training at the military academy. Sun Yat-sen was not a confirmed Marxist and differed from the Soviet Union in this respect. He was never of the belief that Marxism could genuinely work in China. In other areas however, in particular party organisation, he was undoubtedly attracted to Soviet ideas Above all else Sun was a patriot who most of all wanted to make his nation great again. He saw the Soviet as a good example for China to follow through revolution and the embracing of nationalism, a nation that had suffered under corrupt rule and at the hands of established colonial powers could once again reassert itself. The Soviet Union was also an ally. Whilst Sun Yat-sen may well have allied closer to other nations who offered help, the fact is that it was the Soviet Union that offered help to him and his movement. Sun Yat-sen was educated enough to form his own opinions about the best methods of party and military organisation. He may have come under some pressure from the likes of Joffe and Borodin to adopt Soviet methods but the Soviet ideas that he use were ones that he genuinely believed would best help his cause. In many ways, SunYat-sen was a pragmatist he used the Soviet Union for his own benefit and would have acted similarly with other allies. Others within his party had concerns about the way he was influenced by Soviet ideas, but Sun was making a active choice to take on board these ideas he was not simply copying them Bibliography Esterer Arnulf Esterer Louise, Sun Yat-sen Chinas Great Champion, Julian Messner, New York 1970 Fitzgerald CP, Communism Takes China How the Revolution went Red, American Heritage Press, New York 1971 Gray Jack, Rebellions and Revolutions, China from the 1800s to 2000, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2002 Mackerras Colin, China in Transformation 1900-1949, Addison Wesley Longman Ltd, Harlow 1998 Wilbur Martin, Sun Yat-sen Frustrated Patriot, Columbia University Press, New York 1976 Schiffrin Harold, Sun Yat-sen and the Origins of the Chinese Revolution, University of California Press, California 1968

Formicidae Biodiversity in Texas Vegetation

Formicidae Biodiversity in Texas Vegetation A COMPARISON OF FORMICIDAE BIODIVERSITY IN NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE VEGETATION IN SOUTH TEXAS A study to determine how ant communities in non-native vegetation, specifically in Cenchrus ciliaris, differ from native vegetation in south Texas. ABSTRACT When non-native grasses become invasive, they can alter plant communities and can therefore, potentially affect arthropods due to their relationships with the vegetation they reside on. Cenchrus ciliaris is a non-native grass to the United States and is commonly known as buffel grass. Its drought resistance and quick propagation has made buffel grass invasive and has changed the ecosystems they now reside. Ants will be sampled from patches in native vegetation and buffel grass in San Ygnacio for 12 months. This study seeks to determine how ant communities in predominantly Cenchrus ciliaris, differs from relatively undisturbed native vegetation in south Texas. I pursue to compare ant richness between native vegetation and buffel grass as well as compare richness and abundance between native ant species and non-native ant species. I expect the results to demonstrate lower ant richness and abundance in the locations with buffel grass and higher abundance of invasive species in buffel gr ass. Introduction The introduction and spread of invasive plants is a cause of concern worldwide (Blossey 1999; Didham 2005). The ability of humans to travel between different countries around the world has facilitated the introduction of non-native plants to new locations. These new environments usually lack the natural predators and other natural biological control factors, thus causing these plants to become invasive. (Keane Crawley 2002; Tallamy 2004). Invasive plants can also have characteristics that aid their establishment and survival. For example, some of these plants can have a higher tolerance to drought or can propagate more quickly. They can also create unfavorable conditions for native plants by altering soil litter and nutrients (Bakker Wilson 2001). Therefore, invasive plants can often out-compete native plants, resulting in lower vegetation diversity and abundance (Pimentel 1999; Bakker Wilson 2001). Many species of plants have been introduced into the United States, and although a relatively small percentage of these species negatively impact the ecosystems they invade, studies should be done on specific invasive plants to determine the negative impacts they may be causing to the environment. Buffel Grass Cenchrus ciliaris is a non-native grass to the United States and is commonly known as buffel grass. It is native to most of Africa, southern and southwestern Asia, and Italy, Sicily. Buffel grass was originally introduced to Texas (U.S.A.) and northern Mexico in the 1930s and 1940s to improve pasture in overgrazed habitats and to develop new rangelands (Cox et al. 1988). Its drought tolerance and high biomass productivity made it the most popular grass to use in these countries (Arriaga et al. 2004). Due to its commercial value and impact as a weed it is considered a contentious species. Although the agricultural benefit of buffel grass is controversial, buffel grasslands can be a threat to biodiversity because they are created by invading and removing native plants (Arriaga et al. 2004; Cox et al. 1988). The threat that buffel grass poses to the native vegetation and alteration of the ecosystem, can have an effect from birds to arthropods. Buffle grass appears to provide a less suit able habitat for breeding birds, especially bird species that forage on or near the ground (Bingham et al. 2006). While changes in plant litter can alter arthropod abundance (Wolkovich 2009).   Buffel grass is also associated with increased severity of fires by a buffel grass-initiated fire invasion feedback (Miller et.al 2010). Despite the serious environmental effects buffel grass may cause, there are no national strategies to manage it (Marshal et al. 2011).   Understanding the effects buffel grass has on biodiversity in south Texas can bring insights on whether there is a serious threat to other native vegetation and ecosystem functions. Arthropods: Formicidae Arthropods have many ecological roles within an ecosystem, functioning as prey resources for many taxa, as important predators, and as pollinators and seed dispersers (Isaacs et al. 2009). Recent studies document how plant invasions contribute to arthropod abundance (Wolkovich 2009). Changes in the vegetation cover can have an effect on arthropod diversity and are therefore used as indicators of negative effects on an environment. An important arthropod that is very diverse, does not fall into a single functional group, and can be classified as herbivores, predators, and detrivores, are ants (Triplehorn Johnson 2005). Ants (order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae) are relatively well-studied and easy to identify to the species level (Wolkovich et al. 2009). Structure and composition of ant communities can reflect the nature of the environments in which they reside on. Ants are also commonly used as bio-indicators in studies for fire management, pesticide contamination, and habitat dist urbance (Burbidge 1992).   Reduction in ant species abundance, diversity, and richness has been documented when alterations of ecosystems occur, for example, an increase of invasive plants (Burbidge 1992; Wolkovich et al. 2009). Therefore, this study will be measuring ant richness and abundance to determine how ant communities in non-native vegetation, specifically in Cenchrus ciliaris, differ from native vegetation in south, TX. This will further our understanding of the effects that buffel grass has on the ecosystem. METHODS Study Sites Study plot areas were selected in San Ygnacio, TX. The study area was comprised of a mixture of grasses and shrubs. Native grasses included knotroot bristle grass (Setaria parviflora), Texas Grama (Bouteloua rigidiseta), Common Curly Mesquite (Hilaria belangeri) and tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus). Predominant native shrubs included honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), guajillo (Acacia berlandieri), and blackbrush (Acacia rigidula). The non-native grass was predominantly buffel grass. The soil in the study site was mostly sandy and dry. The native areas where traps will be placed were selected based on the abundance of native vegetation and lack of buffel grass, while the areas for the non-native traps will be placed where buffel grass is the most predominant plant. Sampling It was determined that surveying arthropods was a more cost-effective and accurate design for assessment of biodiversity (Oliver Beattie 1996) Direct sampling with pitfall traps seems to be the optimal collection method for surveying ants so it will be the method of collection that will be used in this study (Jaffe Romero 1989). There will be six pitfall traps placed in predominantly native vegetation and six pitfall traps in areas that are predominantly invaded with buffel grass. The pitfall traps will contain either propylene glycol or alcohol glycol for trapping and conservation of the arthropods. These traps will be place at ground level and will each be labeled accordingly; N for native and B for buffel grass. Each of these traps will have their GPS coordinates and the nearest vegetation to the traps recorded. They will be left out for a week and they will be collected by hand for a year. Ant Sorting and Identification After the traps are collected ants will be sorted into separate vials labeled with their respective trap number and date. All the other arthropods collected in the traps will be sorted to order. Ants will be identified down to species in Dr. Motts lab following a set of identification keys. The data collected will be recorded and data analysis will be performed. Species richness, abundance, and evenness will also be calculated. RESULTS DISCUSSION With this study, I expect to see a difference in biodiversity, richness and abundance between native vegetation and buffel grass. I expect a decrease of these in buffel grass. I also would like to analyze and compare the abundance and richness between native and non-native ants between native vegetation and buffel grass. This could bring insight on the effect buffel grass has on non-native species of ants and determine if it facilitates their settlement. If there is a difference in diversity more studies should be made on the impacts buffel grass has in the ecosystem to further understand the negative effects and determine management techniques. CONCLUSION Cenchrus ciliaris, buffel grass, is an invasive grass that can alter and cause negative effects to the ecosystems they invade. This study will provide insight to the effects this grass truly has on the environment and determine the ecological impact of buffel grass. This will be achieved by comparing ant biodiversity, richness and abundance in native vegetation and, buffel grass.   I expect the results of this study demonstrate a difference in ant diversity between native and non-native vegetation and that further studies can be made to determine buffel grass management. REFERENCES Arriaga, L., Castellanos, A. E., Moreno, E. and Alarcà ³n, J. (2004). Potential ecological distribution of alien invasive species and risk assessment: A case study of buffel grass in arid regions of Mexico. Conservation Biology 18:1504-1514. Bakker, J., and S. Wilson. 2001. Competitive abilities of introduced and native grasses. Plant Ecology 157:117-125. Bernays, E. M., and M. Graham. 1988. On the evolution of host specificity in phytophagous arthropods. Ecology 69:886-892. Bingham, R., Brennan, L., Flanders A. A., Fulbright, T., Kuvlesky, W., Ruthven, D., and R. Zaiglin, 2006. Effects of Invasive Exotic Grasses on South Texas Rangeland Breeding Birds (Efectos de Pastos Invasores Exà ³ticos en las Aves que Nidifican en los Campos de Pastoreo del Sur de Texas). The Auk 123: 171-182. Blossey, B. 1999. Before, during, and after: the need for long-term monitoring in invasive plant species management. Biological Invasions 1:301-311. Burbidge A. H., K. Leicester, S. McDavitt, J. D. Majer. 1992. Ants as indicators of disturbance at Yanchep National Park, Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 75: 89-95. Cord E.C. Changes in Arthropod Abundance and Diversity with Invasive Grasses. Texas AM Kingsville. Cox, J. R., M. H. Martin , F. A. Ibarra , J. H. Fourie , N. F. G. Rethman , and D. G. Wilcox . 1988. The influence of climates and soils in the distribution of four African grasses. Journal of Range Management 41: 127-139. Didham, R. K., J. M. Tylianakis, M. A. Hutchinson, R. M. Ewers, and N.J. Gemmel. 2005. Are invasive species drivers of ecological change? Trends in Ecology and Evolution 20:470-473. Isaacs, R., J. Tuell, A. Fiedler, M. Gardiner, and D. Landis. 2009. Maximizing arthropod mediated ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes: the role of native plants. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 7:196-203 Jaffe, K., and H. Romero. 1989. A Comparison of Methods of Sampling Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Savannas. Biotropica 21:314-352 Keane, R. M., and M. J. Crawley. 2002. Exotic plant invasions and the enemy release hypothesis. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 17:164-170. Marshall N.A., M. Friedel, R.D. van Klinken, and A.C. Grice. 2011. Considering the social dimension of invasive species: the case of buffel grass. Environmental Science Policy 14: 327-338. Miller G., Friedel M., Adam P., and V. Chewings. 2010. Ecological impacts of buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) invasion in central Australia does field evidence support a fire-invasion feedback?. The Rangeland Journal 32: 353-365. Oliver, I., A. Beattie. 1996. Designing a Cost-Effective Invertebrate Survey: A Test of Methods for Rapid Assessment of Biodiversity. Ecological Applications 6: 594-607. Pimental, D., L. Lach, R. Zuniga, and D. Morrison. 1999. Environmental and economic costs of nonindigenous species in the United States. BioScience 53:53-65. Steinberg, P. 2001. Prosopis glandulosa. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Stromberg, J.C. 1993. Riparian mesquite forests: A review of their ecology, threats, and recovery potential. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 27:111-124. Tallamy, D. W. 2004. Do alien plants reduce insect biomass? Conservation Biology 18:1689-1692. Tallamy, D. W., and K. J. Shropshire. 2009. Ranking lepidopteran use of native versus introduced plants. Conservation Biology 23:941-947. Triplehorn, C. A., and N. F. Johnson. 2005. Borror and DeLongà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s introduction to the study of insects: 7 th edition. Brooks/Cole, Belmont, California. Ueckert, D.N. 1974. Influence of Defoliation by the Cutworm Melipotis indomita on Control of Honey Mesquite with 2,4,5-T in West Texas. Journal of Range Management 27:153-155. Van Auken, O.W. 2000. Shrub invasions of North American semiarid grasslands. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 31:197-215. Ward, C.R., OBrein, C.W., OBrien, L.B., D. E. Foster, D.E. Huddleston E.W. 1977. Annotated checklist of New World insects associated with Prosopis (mesquite): Technical bulletin no. 1557. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Field Manual.

Crying Away Stress :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Tearful Serenity: Crying Away the Stress Some days you've just had it. You've been talked at all day by people you couldn't care less about, the lady at the convenience store snapped at you, your friend invited herself over right when you had exactly one hour to write a paper, you got caught in a traffic jam going shopping, you're starting to seriously rethink your life career ... and now there's a thirty dollar parking ticket stuck on your windshield because that darn machine wasn't accepting quarters. You burst into tears. Tears, stupid tears! Always coming when you least want them. Now everyone on the street is looking at you and your eyes are so blurry you trip over the bumper and stumble into the street. What a klutz. How humiliating! Why do you always have to cry like this? But everybody cries. For its capacity to signal physical or emotional distress, crying has left an indelible mark on the slate of human history. Where would art and poetry be without tears? In fact, where would we be? In truth, crying plays an essential role in our biology as well as our social and cultural experiences. We can't stop the tears from flowing, but we can investigate why they flow – and why crying might not be, after all, such a bad thing to do. Tears are body excretions, just like sweat and mucous and urine. We don't usually like to think about body excretions, but when we do, we bear with them because we know they have important functions. Sweat removes excess salts from the body and cools us; mucous traps surrounding pathogens; urine and feces expel unneeded, toxic waste products that would harm the body if they remained within it. All three contribute to the body's self-regulatory or homeostatic nature, readjusting for balance. Tears, too, must serve a biological, homeostatic purpose. But what? In fact, there are three known answers to this question. Scientists distinguish three kinds of tears, which differ from each other by function and also, probably, by composition. Basal tears actually form continuously. We don't experience these minute secretions as tears because they don't "ball up" as we are used to tears doing; instead, every time we blink, our eyelids spread the basal solution out over the surface of our eyeballs(1). Basal tears keep our eyes lubricated, important in preventing damage by air currents and bits of floating debris(2), (3).

Psychology and Depression Essay -- Psychology Psychological Essays

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Articles of Confederation Essay

With intentions of creating a united nation, colonial leaders developed the Articles of Confederation. Although the Articles of Confederation helped lead the United States to the creation of the Constitution, it did not provide for an effective government from 1781 to 1787, do to its lack of power to control commerce and impose taxes, the failure to amalgamate its people as a country, and its inability to enforce laws. Though its overall ineffectiveness, the Articles of Confederation (the Articles) had several positive results. One positive effect was that kept the states united during the war. This helped greatly in successfully dealing with western lands. The Land Ordinance of 1785 distributed land in an organized manner among the states. Another purpose for this was to create land for education. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 led to western expansion, forbid slavery north of the Ohio River. Although there were disputes about the distributions, the land was generally divided fairly. (Doc E) The Articles of Confederation preserved sovereignty and the republican ideology held on to by the Real Whigs of the colonial era. This would allow for the equality of the thirteen states having the right to vote on different aspects of the Articles. One of the major issues that was not incorporated in the Articles of Confederation was their power to control a monetary system. This included imposing taxes on the states and regulating commerce. This flaw allowed various states to create different laws concerning taxes that would conflict with each other. A growing problem at the time was that every state had their own money system which created troubles when using money from state to state. With each state having their own money, and having no value from state to state, the market value of United States Exports declined sharply from 1775 when exports were booming, to 1787. (Doc B) Another major factor in this was the increase in cheap British imports. In addition to the fact that the Articles did not give the central government the power to have a central monetary structure and force taxes on the states, the pre-war debt rose. Money owed to soldiers for service was unable to be paid largely due to their inability to maintain a stable income that would come through taxes. Doc. C) Congress had hoped that each state would comply with the tax quota they had â€Å"requested† from each state. From that, they would receive about one-fourth of these requests. Along with the monetary imperfection under the Articles of Confederation, the states failure to unify led it to be ineffective for the United States government. For example, when dealing with western land, the government did not have much authority and states we continuously gaining and loosing land. (Doc E) This threatened the accord of the states. An example of being unable to come together would be Rhode Island when they declined to attend the Constitutional Convention because they believed that oust their state power and would lead to the creation of a stronger central government. They also disagreed with Congress in that they were able to propose an impost on imported goods. This was mainly applied to the commercial states, Rhode Island being one of them. (Doc A) One of the major reasons why the Articles proved to be ineffective was the lack of a strong central government. One power the government was entitled to but never implemented heavily on the states as they should have was the authority to sign treaties with other countries. In some cases they failed to even do this. For example, the southern portion of the Mississippi River was being controlled by Spain and although the government attempted to fix this issue, they were unable to do so and rolled over. (Doc F) Along with Spain, Britain still held forts in western land and in lower parts of Canada that influenced the United States greatly by disrupting trade. This became an issue because of the debt held on to by the US and the money owed to the British merchants by the American merchants. (Doc D) This issue came into perspective because of the abused rights given in the Treaty of Paris. (Doc D) Out of the Articles of Confederation, many great things were brought to the attention of the United States government that was able to be put forth toward the establishment of the Constitution. But in doing so provided the United States with an ineffective government from 1781 to 1787. Their incapability to regulate commerce and enforce taxes on the states was a major factor in the unsuccessful government under the Articles. Also, the lack of unification amongst states and people influenced this. The powers granted within the Articles of Confederation to the government regarding foreign affairs were established but then were not deeply enforced, showing a weak command. Despite the Articles of Confederations ineffectiveness on the United States government, it proved to help in the creation of the Constitution in a positive way.

Fitting of Engel Curve

Fitting of Engel Curve: Rural Maharashtra Managerial Economics I: Section D Group 6 Completed Under the Guidance of Prof. Kaushik Bhattacharya September 2011 Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow Submitted on September 5th, 2012 ? Executive Summary This study aims to estimate and analyze the relationship between the monthly per capita expenditure on food and the monthly per capita total expenditure for households in rural Maharashtra. This relation is estimated by using the Engel Curve Model which proves that as the income levels rise the percentage expenditure on food items decreases.The National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) conducted an all-India survey of households and unorganised service enterprises in the 63rd round of NSS during July 2006-June 2007. Surveys on consumer expenditure are being conducted once in every five years on a large sample of households from the 27th round (October 1972 – September 1973). For this project Data from the 63rd Round of the Nation al Sample Survey was used as a sample for analysis. The regression analysis was carried out using Linear, Working-Lesser and Double Log Models.The income elasticity was calculated in each case which confirmed the fact that food is a necessity good. Qualitative factors such as seasonality, occupation and social group were also incorporated into the regression analysis using dummy variables. A multivariate regression analysis revealed the prominence of occupation as a relatively more significant factor compared to the others factors. The analysis is subject to certain limitations due to the assumptions made with the most primary assumption being that the total expenditure on all goods is representative of the income of the individual.Other limitations arising out of the content of the survey have also been listed. Contents Executive Summary2 Introduction4 Understanding the Data6 Data Collection6 Data processing6 Function Formulation6 Regression Analysis7 ? Introduction The nature of a particular good can be determined by an important parameter known as Income elasticity which helps us classifying the good as either inferior, a necessity or luxury. This parameter allows us to predict what goods will be determined by a society during various stages of development and provide insights into the behaviour of various sections of society to that good.In today’s economic scenario Income elasticity of food in particular is of major significance. From a production perspective, it is important to determine the relationship between the food expenditure and income. This will help in predicting the demand in a growing economy and thus reduce the demand-supply gap. Form a policy perspective, the income elasticity becomes all the more important as government aims to have an inclusive development. Knowing the income elasticity with respect to food expenditure will help in framing policies which fulfil their aim of better economy.Income elasticity can be estimated empirica lly through Demand curves and Engel Curves. Engel curves describe how household expenditure on particular goods or services depends on household income. The name comes from the German statistician Ernst Engel (1821–1896) who was the first one to investigate this relationship systematically in an article published about 150 years ago. The best-known single result from the article is â€Å"Engel’s law,† which states that the poorer a family is, the larger the budget share it spends on nourishment.Engel curves may also depend on demographic variables and other consumer characteristics. Empirical Engel curves are close to linear for some goods, and highly nonlinear for others. Engel curves are used for equivalence scale calculations and related welfare comparisons, and determine properties of demand systems such as agreeability and rank. Engel curves for normal goods Engel curves for inferior goods The relationship between the food consumption and income on the Enge l Curve has been analysed through various models, each with its own benefits.The three models used in this study are: 1. Linear Regression Model: It assumes a linear relationship between the two variables. It uses the equation: Y = A0 + A1X. The elasticity is calculated through this model using the equation ? = ( X/Y) dy/dx = (X/Y) A1 2. Working-Lesser Model: This model uses the equation Wi=A0+AilnX. Working-Lesser Model is the first empirical model applied in the study of consumption analysis In the Working-Leser model, each share of the food item is simply a linear function of the log of prices and of the total expenditure on all the food items under consideration.Here i represents each food items , wi is the expenditure share of food i among the n food items and x is the total expenditure of all food items included in the model. This model can be estimated for each food item by the ordinary. 3. Double Log Model: This model assumes linear relationship between logarithms of the dep endent and independent variable. The greatest benefit of this relationship is that the coefficients of the income variable directly represent the income elasticity. Its equation is lnY = A0 + A1 lnX.The elasticity is directly available as the co-efficient of the independent variable i. e. ?= A1. Understanding the Data Data Collection The data collected by The National Sample Survey (NSS), during its 63th round of data collection during July 1st 2005 to 30th June 2006, has been used in this project. The survey contained data regarding the expenditure of a on various items such as food, clothing, medical, alcohol etc. It also contains demographic information about each family pertaining to the religion, caste, occupation, age, sex etc. The survey is divided into two samples for data validation.We first analyzed both the samples individually and then combined them to verify the validity of the results obtained. Data processing We calculated the per capita total expenditure on food for 1702 families from Rural Maharashtra. Instead of income, which wasn’t available, we calculated and used the monthly per capita total expenditure for each family to find the Engel Curve. The consumption of food of a family can depend on numerous variables. The variables that we included in our analysis are the social group or caste, occupation and seasonality. The factors which were excluded are__________________________.Rural Maharashtra is fairly homogenous and hence the region or district of the respondent wasn’t considered as a variable. Function Formulation We did a multivariate regression where the monthly per capita expenditure was the independent variable (i. e. X) while the per capita food expenditure was the dependent variable (i. e. Y). The factors of seasonality, caste and occupation were taken as dummy variables as they have only a qualitative and not a quantitative effect. ValuesDummy Variables SeasonalityJul-Sep, Oct-Dec, Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun CasteSC/ST, OBC, Others Occupation Self-Employed, Salary/Wage Earning,Casual Labor, Others Monthly per capita food expenditure = f (monthly per capita total expenditure, dummy variables) This functional form was used to model the various regression models namely linear regression, double log regression and the working-lesser form. Weighted least square method was used to factor in the weights assigned to each household. Regression analysis was carried out for using the SPSS tool which was also used for extracting data from the flat file. A scatter plot of food versus total expenditure was also plotted to prove the Engel’s law. Regression Analysis

Nationalism With A Purpose Essay

The First and the Second World War changed the outlook of the world. Empires ceased to exist. A new concept of nations came into being. Colonies of European countries started to get their independence from foreign rule in quick succession.. Boundaries and territories became essential in deciding where a nation started and ended. Nations have been fighting with each other over boundary lines since history has been recorded however frontiers became exceptionally important with the end of the Second World War and the emergence of the Third world. One place where boundary lines and territory was of great importance was in the Indian subcontinent, which had been under the control of the British Empire from 1858 to 1947. The Indian sub-continent was to be decolonized and partitioned into two countries. A Muslim dominated, Pakistan and a Hindu dominated, India. Surprisingly, it was the first time that nations were being partitioned on the basis of religion. The partition led to many problem s between the two countries. One such issue was the conflict over the state of Kashmir. The dispute over Kashmir has dogged relations between India and Pakistan since the states were created by the partition of British India in 1947. The two countries have fought three wars (in 1947-48, 1965 and 1999). They have also been on the verge of resorting to nuclear weapons over this issue. The fight over Kashmir is an unending conflict. The biggest reason for its insolvability is that leaders of both nations have used religious nationalism to justify the wars and the struggle to incorporate Kashmir while masking the underlying motive of gaining economic and strategic advantages from it. Not both countries only Pakistan The conflict of Kashmir can be traced back to the time of partition and to the events that occurred during the time period when British controlled India was to be divided on religious lines. The state had been under the rule of the Sikh empire and the British had managed to exert their influence on the Singh rulers of the time. The State of Kashmir was important to the British because it worked as buffer zone to prevent invasion into India by Russia, China and Afghanistan. Therefore, as the British desire d the Sinkh monarchy rulers were generally puppets of the Britishprecisely following their orders in word and action. A close alliance was formed between the British and the rulers of Kashmir in this way. However, the partition of the sub-continent brought the in built tensions  amongst the Muslims and Hindus over the state of Kashmir to the forefront.. Muslims under the Muslim League and Hindus under the Congress had been constantly endeavoring for more rights and representation from the British throughout the 1880’s and 90’s. The British finally decided to give India its independence, but the Muslims and Hindus felt entitled to separate states based on a religious divide which according to both was too great for both of them to exist harmoniously. Muslims felt entrapped as a minority in a Hindu dominant country. Through the efforts of Jinnah, the leader of the Muslim League and Nehru, the leader of the congress, a plan was proposed to separate the two countries. It was the first time in history that such a partition was taking place on the basis of religion. After the failure of the Cabinet Mission Plan for a unified India on 1946, the British government announced it s ‘definite intention to take necessary steps to effect the transference of power to responsible Indian hands by a date not later than June 1948.’ Thus, the British sent their last viceroy, Lord Mountbatten to oversee the partition in of the most volatile regions of the world. The general plan of the partition was that the huge areas of Punjab, Bengal and Assam were to be divided according to the majority of the religion in the area. Therefore, the Muslim majority areas ceded to Pakistan and the Hindu majority areas to India. There were a number of princely states that were given the option to cede to India or Pakistan based on a vote to take into account the wishes of the local population. Kashmir was a Muslim majority state with a Hindu ruler. The ruler Hari Singh was confused as to where he should cede. Meanwhile, Sir Cyrill Radcliffe was sent by the British government to make an exact boundary line to divide the Punjab province now famously referred to as the Radcliffe Award Boundary Commission. According to the commission, the three Muslim majority tehsils of the Gurdaspur district were given to India. This went against the laws, which divided the rest of India. Nonetheless, Hari Singh’s hesitation to cede to either nation was to be the reason for his own tragedy. (Was Kashmir part of one of the tehsils given to India by Radcliffe? If not the last two sentences make, no sense.) With nation building and the formation of a new states came the concept of ‘nationalism.’ Nationalism involves the concept of an imagined community by a particular community. It includes certain people in this imagined community and excludes others. India was portioned on the basis of  religion so they had envisioned what areas came into their respective imagined communities. Unfortunately, they both envisioned Kashmir to be a part of their newly founded nations. As religious nationalism was the basis of the partition of India, it also became a veil to mask the real motives for the fight for Kashmir between the newly independent states of Pakistan and India. Kashmir had a Muslim majority population of 3,101,247 (77.1 %). The first war over Kashmir was fought in 1947 when there was a Poonch uprising in the state against Hari Singh. Pakistan sent in forces to secure the area out of fear that Kashmir would end up going to India. However, against preliminary plans the Paki stani troops ended up trying to invade Srinagar, Kahsmir’s capital. Hari Singh was afraid and made a deal to cede to India if India helped fight Pakistan. The fact that Pakistan and India fight a war over Kashmir a few months after they came into existence provided they had very limited supplies and could hardly stand up on their own as independent countries speaks volumes of the states religious and hidden economic importance. It is pertinent to look back at what Jinnah said to the Kashmiri leaders during the 1947 partition highlighting the decision of Hari Singh. In his speech, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, first governor general of Pakistan said, â€Å"I hope that the Maharaja and the Prime Minister of Kashmir will realize the fast changing circumstances and wisdom demands that the feelings of the Muslims who form eighty percent of the population should not be ignored, much less hurt.’ Therefore, it you observe closely, Jinnah made the issue of Kashmir, an issue to do with Islam and Muslims. The rhetoric he states in his speech is for a plea to pro tect the wishes of the ‘Muslims’ in Kashmir. The civilians in the newly founded Pakistan would also think in the same way about the issue of Kashmir as having to do with Islam and their duty to help their Muslim brothers. The tact of religious nationalism is used as a mask. The very first president of Pakistan used this to make a claim over Kashmir. Therefore, the claim for Kashmir to be part of Pakistan as a religious mission was indeed a pertinent ploy to guarantee the support of civilians of the state. The second war was fought over Kashmir in 1965. After the first war, the British had decided on a plebiscite to take place in Kashmir to decide its fate. India and Pakistan had both initially agreed on this but India went back on its word and occupied Kashmiri territory. Therefore, the 1965 war was fought on the same platform. At the time,  President Ayub Khan was in power in Pakistan, a military dictator and the first of many that the country would see in its short history. The collection of the speeches of the soldier and statesman, organized by Rais Ahmd Jafri shows how he too follows a similar agenda about religious nationalism during his tenure as leader of Pakistan. The first is a speech on 25th August 1961 in Karachi at the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs. He states â€Å"The difference between Pakistan and other Muslim countries is that the upsurge in these other Muslim countries is racial, linguistic, territorial, anti-imperialist, anti-colonial and very little religious.† Therefore, we can see that like Jinnah, Ayub Khan preached about the importance of Islam in Pakistan. He tried to inform Pakistanis about the significance of religion in the formation of their state of Pakistan and their role as falg bearers of Islam in the region. In his first broadcast on 1st November 1963, Ayub Khan made another speech in regards to the situation in Kashmir. He stated, â€Å"The government and the people of India know that they have no right to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The world at large knows it. So the proposed integration would only heighten India’s guilt. It would correspondingly heighten our resolve to free our bret hren from their bondage. Those who transgress deceive nobody except themselves.† Looking at this excerpt from this speech, we can see how Ayub Khan was preparing the civilians for another war with India. He claimed Pakistan’s right for Kashmir on the basis of Islam decisively labeling the residents of Kashmir as brothers of the citizens of Pakistan. Kashmir is a Muslim populated area and thus it is Pakistan’s responsibility to free their ‘brethren.’ Ayub Khan is using religion as a rhetorical force here. With Islam as a mechanism, Pakistanis would believe that they it is their responsibility to God to help other Muslim brothers and support the upcoming war and struggle for Kashmir. Therefore, it is vial to see how Pakistani leaders over time have used religion as a basis to motivate Pakistanis to think that the freedom of Kashmir is their responsibility and thae oppressors of their Kashmiri brother’s, enemies of Pakistan and Muslims in general. Similarly, India used nationalistic mechanisms and rhetoric to convince civilians and army officers to fight and support the war, while hiding the real economic intentions in regards to Kashmir. The ‘1965 War Story- Defense Minister Y.B Chavan’s Diary of India-Pakistan War gives an insight into how the same  sense of nationalism had influenced Indians during the crisis. On September 20, 1965 Chavan writes in his diary, â€Å" It was not an accident but was shot fown by Pakistani fighter planes near Bhuj. It was surprising that the plane went off the track nearly by 50 miles between Ahmedabad-Mithapur. I hate these Pakistanis.† Therefore, this quote shows a different perspective. It shows the opinion and the thoughts of someone who was at service to India. Hate is a strong word to use, but yet Chavan casually writes it down in his diary. Therefore, nationalistic forces help create animosity. They declare the other side to be the ‘enemy.’ In this case, Pakistanis are bad and they should be hated. This mentality about Pakistanis being the enemy helped the generals and army officers to wage war against Pakistan. It was a way for them to suppor t and fight the war. It is important to see how leaders of the state had brainwashed army officers into listening to the states orders. Most generals and minister did not even know what they were fighting for or what they hoped to achieve. They were simply following orders with hate for the Pakistanis due to the differences that the state had created for them. (This bolded part is very vague and not clear at all. Diaries are suppose to be casual, its his personal diary not a novel. In a state of war the other side is suppose to be the enemy. Maybe you should highlight how the indian government tried to increase nationalism maybe by using religion or the atrocities of the Muslims or some other reason to motivate its forces.) The diary of an Indian war captive in Pakistan shows another similar example of this nationalism effect on the Indians. LT Col SS Chowdhary writes in his personal narrative called, ‘Prisoner of War,† about his experiences as a captive on enemy soil in the 1965 war. This source is important because it shows the views about Pakistan from an Indian colonel. Unlike the former presidents of Pakistan, Ayub Khan and Muhammad Jinnah, the colonel is not promoting the nationalism that leads to hat red and animosity but he is actually on the side that is getting influenced. He talks about the hatred felt during sport matches between India and Pakistan. He says, â€Å"They would lose to any country but India. So much is their hatred for India.† Therefore, we can see the extent to which people on both sides hate each other. The whole concept of a ‘them’ and and ‘us’ is created by nationalism and is the creation of leaders of state to justify war. He goes on to talk about his experience in the reflection state  when he says, â€Å"A Muslim is generally considered to be cruel and unkind.† Therefore, his experience as a prisoner of war changes his perspective about Muslims. It is important to realize that Hindus and Muslims grow up considering the other to be cruel, unkind and generally ‘bad.’ It is the leaders of the state that carry out this propaganda to meet their own aims and steer the sentiment of the general public in their way. (you should elaborate in this paragraph what created that hate of them and us between the two states, that’s hat you thesis is about.) Going t hrough examples of both countries, it is visible that religion was the basis of the partition of the subcontinent. However, religious nationalism was used by the states to brainwash the public into hating their respective neighbor. Both India and Pakistan have used religious differences to create hostility within their populations towards the other. This is the clever tactic that was used and is still being used by both countries in order to hide the real reason for fighting over Kashmir. The real purpose is that India and Pakistan both seek to gain economically and strategically from taking over Kashmir. This can easily be seen from the fact that Pakistan lost East Pakistan (Bangladesh). Bangladesh got its independence from Pakistan in 1971. Bangladesh is a Muslim populated area and was a part of Pakistan. The injustices Pakistan inflicted on Bangladesh furthers the case that Pakistan does not care about Muslim brothers. Like other countries, it only seeks to gain economic and strategic advances. Similarly, India also seeks to gain immensely from taking over Kashmir and creates a faà §ade about her sovereign and nationalistic right to take over it. After this part the essay is good! Kashmir is much more than disputed territory. It is a haven for untapped natural resources and land. Geographically, it can be divided into the two states of Jammu and Kashmir encompassing 84,471 square miles. It is the largest state in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. An article about the economic background of Kashmir by S.M Hudda shows us the economic potential of Kashmir and the benefits that both countries could gain if they took over it. Unlike other areas of the world, Kashmir is untapped. It has immense natural resources that have not been exploited. Even the mineral resources of the country are largely unexplored except in Riazi and Jammu. Therefore, both Pakistan and India are developing countries and can use Kashmir to tap  these mineral and natural resources. The article further states that Kashmir has an abundance of water resources. Hydel power could be generated using these water resources. India and Pakistan have extreme power shortages throughout the country and are in need for more power resources. This could solve their problem of power shortages. Therefore, this article provides evidence as to how Kashmir is a haven of untapped natural resources and one of the major reasons that both states are fighting over it. Kashmir also has a unique strategic location. This strategic location could help both countries militarily and economically. Kashmir borders Russia, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Thus Kashmir works as a valuable window on these other regional powers. If Pakistan gets Kashmir, it can gain a military advantage over India. It will have a direct route to India and can attack it easily in the advent of war. India would have a similar advantage. The country, which gets a hold of Kashmir, can protect its borders this way. Thus, the national security of Kashmir is vital for the security of both India and Pakistan. Kashmir also maintains a key position as a trading route. It provides a pass to trade with Central Asia. India and Pakistan could gain economically from the exports and imports from this trading route. Sec ondly, another strategic advantage that India and Pakistan both seek to gain is in regards to the water resources. Water is a vital resource for any country’s self-reliance. Shockingly, the rivers Sindh, Ravi, Jhelum and Chena that flow through India and Pakistan originate in Kashmir. These rivers are important to support the economy of both Pakistan and India. Both countries are agro-based and dominantly depend on agriculture to support them. Therefore, these rivers prove as a lifeline to both countries. Even so, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the first president of Pakistan has been quoted saying that Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan for this very reason. Both countries also fear that if the other gets hold of Kashmir, then they will cut the water supply to the other. Therefore, it is visible that Kashmir has great strategic and economic value to both Pakistan and India. Despite these advantages, India and Pakistan also exploit Kashmir to their benefit. This also proves the claim that both countries have never been interested in protecting the rights of the people and the only interest has been an economic one. An article in the Economic and Political Weekly explores the exploitation of Kashmir by India. It states that India seeks to  gain greatly from Kashmir. The article states, â€Å"Furthermore, though couched in terms of security, this is not a question of security. The real question is that of expansion, security is a way of justifying that expansion in terms that appeal to national sentiments. What is at stake is not a genuine security interest, but the interest of being able to exploit markets and being able to dispose of labor surplus.† Therefore, we can see that India has been exploiting markets in Kashmir for a long time and this is why she wants complete control. Another example of such exploitation is that India shows that it supports and gives aid to Kashmir but actually this leads to more financial burden. The budget deficit of Kashmir was 370 crore rupees and 300 crore were from interest payments from India. Also, India has built a highway linking Jammu and Srinigar . This highway helps India gain security but it also helps them in ‘taking out Kashmir’s timber and other primary products out.’ Ironically, the money for the highway comes directly from Kashmir’s budget. India is only looking out for its own selfish interest and is completely exploiting its Kashmiri colony. This is why it wants to take complete control of Kashmir. Commercial trade is also another way that India is exploiting Kashmir. India has managed to exert influence and developed free trade with Kashmir. Kashmir has two natural resources: forests and water. There has been extensive deforestation and the wood has been taken out and used for Indian railways. The hydroelectric power plant contracts also go almost entirely to Indian companies. Therefore, India is not capitally investing in Kashmir but is only investing in power generations and transmission so she can better exploit Kashmir’s natural resources. Pakistan has also followed a similar expl oitation method in its colony of Kashmir. It proves the argument that religious nationalism is only part of propaganda that state leaders have made and continue to make to solidify their claim over Kashmir. The people of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan’s colony have sent hundreds of requests to the Pakistani High Commissioner in London to grant them export licenses so they could establish small scale industries in Kashmir. All these requests were not accepted, while Pakistani nationals were given export licenses for machinery. Another example of such exploitation is that there are eight thousand Kashmiri workers living in Britain who send remittances of about a million pounds each month to their families in Kashmir. Ironically, Pakistanis also own most of the banks in  Kashmir. Hence, the Pakistani government earns a huge amount of profits through foreign exchange and invests the money into Pakistan. Like India, Pakistan also exploits the forest reserve of Kashmir. The forest contracts are given to Pakistani nationals who offer much less than Kashmiri nationals. Surprisingly, most of the contracts are given to members of the military service. Pakistan has also prevented the workers to form a union in Kashmir while it has been allowed in Pakistan. Therefore, we can see that Azad Kashmir is a colony like Bangladesh was. Pakistan does not care about her ‘Muslim brethren.’ That is the charade they use in order to get complete control of Kashmir so they can gain full economic advantage through exploitation. However, we have seen how nationalism is a newly invented ideology and how powerful it is. States use it to brainwash the public and members of the civil and military sector to hide real intentions. In the case of Kashmir, the issue has not ended since the partition in 1947. The biggest reason for this unending conflict is that both states have used religious nationalism to show the other as the ‘enemy.’ In the case of Pakistan, both former presidents have used Islam as a rhetorical device to convince civilians. In the case of India, the effect of this religious nationalism can be seen on the military officers who are willing to die for the sake of defeating the enemy. However, it is used to hide the underlying objective of both countries- gain economic and strategic advantages. Therefore, whoever seeks to gain Kashmir gains immensely from exploiting its natural resources, market and suppressed laborers? The issue could have been resolved if religious nationalism was put to the side and an economic deal was made between both India and Pakistan. Nonetheless, it shows how state leaders can use nationalism as a tool to herd people to their cause and exploit them in this way.