Thursday, September 3, 2020

Muslims and Islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Muslims and Islam - Research Paper Example It was previously the religion of a refined and ground-breaking world realm, yet is today the religion of the absolute least unique pieces of the world, regularly found in nations that have intentionally stayed away from mix into an inexorably globalized world.' Muslims finds their essential lessons clarified through the Holy Scripture, The Qur’an, uncovered to the last prophet of God, Muhammad, over a time of forty years. Anyway Muslims accept that Islam was uncovered to numerous ages and prophets before this also, and consider it being the genuine religion of numerous prophets that are referenced in different religions too, for example, Moses, Abraham and Jesus. The essential things of Islam lie on five fundamental inhabitants, or the Five Pillars of Islam as they are alluded to. These are Shahada, or confirmation, Salat, or Prayer, Sawm, or Fasting, Zakat, or Alms and Hajj, or sacred journey. The main mainstay of Islam is Shahada. Shahada is to tolerate observer or vouch fo r the way that Allah is the One and the main element deserving of love as God, and besides, that Muhammad is his last prophet. This is the first and crucial column, and is viewed as the most significant one, as every other conviction emerge from this essential conviction, that is the unity of Allah. The Muslims likewise vouch for Muhammad similar to the last prophet of Allah in order to preclude the chance of any future cases to prophet-hood and consequently disposing of any further corrections to the religion. Petition is the second Pillar of Islam and is genuinely clear: supplication at five assigned times each day, in an assigned way, to Allah. Its motivation is to ingrain in the adherent a feeling of planned division of time and to keep with the devotee a consistent token of Allah and their convictions for the duration of the day. Sawm, or fasting, is seen in the sacred month of Ramadan (The ninth month of the Islamic Calender) and includes fasting until dusk for the month, in o rder to impart persistence and determination into the Muslim watching the quick, just as have them see how those less lucky than them live each day of the year, without food or water. It is to ingrain in the adherent a feeling of tolerance and immovability, through penance for Allah. The fourth mainstay of Islam is Zakat, the act of giving an assigned measure of aid to poor people, which depends on a fixed rate on the assets of the devotee. It is so the rich can help the less advantaged, just as ingraining in them a feeling of liberality and showing the positive utilization of cash as opposed to urging it to be stored or kept without being offered away to other people. At long last, the last mainstay of Islam is Hajj, or journey to the holy place that is known for Mecca, which each capable Muslim must finish in any event once in the course of their life, to demonstrate their commitment to their Lord and offer a journey to the spot that is viewed as the foundation of their religion. Regardless, despite the fact that these are the five generally essential and significant purposes of conviction, the crucial 'columns' on which the religion of Islam stands, one can say this is the thing that fundamentally gives a base to the religion. In fact, there are numerous different convictions and conventions that are likewise considered with principal significance. For instance, Muslims place huge significance on the exercises instructed by Muhammad, nearly as much significance as they place on the expressions of the Qur'an, which they accept to have originated from Allah straightforwardly through a heavenly attendant, uncovered to Muhammad. The exercises educated

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

It Identified That the Independent Directors with the Financial

Question: Examine about Identified That the Independent Directors with the Financial? Answer: Introducation: It is recognized that the free executives with the monetary experience are critical for the review board as the advantage is related with the decrease of the winning repetition. Further, the freedom of the review council diminishes the intermediary for the administration of profit just as the strange collections. Besides, it is discovered that the advantage of independency isn't acquired where all the chiefs are autonomous, yet it is gotten where dominant part of the individuals from board of trustees are free. Further, if the part has understanding of money and bookkeeping, he will have the option to play out his assignment all the more productively by utilizing his experience, abilities and information (Plastow, Gallery, 2012). The review panel of GrainCorp was set up to help the board for satisfying their duties concerning the inner control and budgetary detailing. They are further answerable for the technique of budgetary announcing, inner control method, dealing with the monetary dangers and regulate the autonomy, execution, inclusion, forms identified with the outer just as the inside elements of the evaluators. The board review council of GBC incorporates lion's share of autonomous executives and includes at any rate 1 part who is having the proper capability of money, at every possible opportunity. Each part has the necessary experience and abilities that is reasonable for the matter of the organization. Further, the executive of the leading body of board review panel is a free chief and he isn't the administrator of the board. The BAC meets with the outer evaluator in any event two times every year and in any event once every year with the inward inspector. Further, they meet with the tax assessment counsel of the organization at any rate once in a year. The BAC is liable for the accompanying: Report to the board routinely with respect to the exercises of BAC and making fitting suggestions Examine whether the administration is applying appropriate inward control or not Get a reasonable thought regarding the monetary status of the business Survey the yearly and half-yearly explanations of fund and decide if they are finished in all regard Reference Plastow, K., Gallery, G., Gallery, N. (2012). On the viability of key corporate administration suggestions in mid-level organizations: window-dressing or worth adding?.Proceedings of the 2012 Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, 1-29

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Culmination is the Zenith Essay

Believing the blossoming of the bud to be the apex in being the bloom, in lieu with the movement directed, Culminating Activity is drawing out the best of what the kid has realized as a unit. BHIS underscores on Trans disciplinary educational plan which corresponds each part of learning done in the school. It is of colossal significance that instruction isn't simply reading material and study hall adapting however a down to earth and application situated configuration of learning. Climax exercises do only that. These exercises associate the different creating aptitudes identifying with insight, phonetic, social, physical et al. This movement is directed two times per year . The first being during the first term and the second in the period of March. In the period of __________________ Grd. 1 had the first coming full circle Activity which had Water as its topic. All the understudies of Grd. 1 partook in it, ensuring the learning on the topic water was finished in it’s own way. Working with the offspring of my group I comprehended that through this action the youngsters, who may have not effectively partaken in the study hall meetings of Water, supposedly was doing it here and energetically. The Culminating Activity comprised of a play, Tiddalik the Frog, trailed by a tune. The youngsters additionally gave a short introduction on ‘Water’. Long stretches of training made this action a gigantic achievement within the sight of the guardians. It is additionally adept to take note of that this movement however little had an incredible job in building trust in the kids.

Antoni Gaudis Architecture Style

Antoni Gaudis Architecture Style Presentation So as to acknowledge Antoni Gaudis innovative vision we should take a gander at the setting where he worked. It appears that past investigations of Gaudi have not looked into broadly into setting him inside this social setting; and have somewhat liked to plot him as a desolate antisocial figure or focused on his expound compositional structures. This exposition will investigate whether political, social and monetary improvements in the late nineteenth and twentieth Centuries in Catalonia and Spain demonstrated touchstones for the engineer, his work and his prompt circle; and whether these elements impacted his innovative choices and have been ignored for an incredible duration. The work is made out of three between related segments. The primary area will talk about Gaudis Catalan roots, and early social impacts. Park G?ell will be utilized to show this. The subsequent area investigates Catalan patriotism, social classes and the ascent of Catalan modern private enterprise. It will likewise look at the political clash and pressures among Castile and Catalonia, including the three Carlist wars, which were battled out on A catalan area, the terrible impacts after Spains loss of her realm in 1898, and the effect of Tragic Week in 1909. It will consider how these may have influenced Gaudi and his working method of reasoning. This segment will be dissected through the case of the Casa Mila. The third segment will look at Gaudis move in confidence and the effect this had on his engineering. This will be appeared through the case of the Sagrada Familia (Holy family) Cathedral. This conversation begins by considering the view communicated by Clara Gari of the Catalan modelers approach: Maybe what makes a fast understanding troublesome in Gaudis work is its challenging and interesting vulnerability, that run which slips between compositional code and structure. Such vagueness is complemented substantially more when the frameworks from which Gaudi removes a decided elaborate code are not in every case obviously prove. But instead they show up, as regularly occurs, questionably befuddled as an outcome of a kind of mediation, before the reception of the picked code, which by method of a misshaped focal point, changes the features and the shading in it, deceiving us with a free widely inclusive lead, and with a fundamental vitality straightforwardly radiated from the ethnic legacy which is hard to disentangle Gari is by all accounts remarking that, in spite of Gaudis old style instruction and preparing as a draftsman, he could chance being extremely radical in his utilization of the acknowledged compositional codes and structures of his time. In Gaudis work, codes and structures appear to be gone through the channel of his creative mind and his Catalan character, and are changed into something which may seem misshaped however can have a ground-breaking impact upon us as onlookers. Gaudis Catalan roots and early social impacts Antoni Placid Guillem Gaudi I Cornet was conceived in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain on June 25, 1852, into a family which had originated from a long queue of Catalan vendors, excavators, ranchers, weavers, boilermakers and coppersmiths. Gaudi was acquainted with the family create convention at an early age when watching his dad in his workshop. He was glad for this legacy and once stated: I have the nature of spatial trepidation since I am the child, grandson, and the incredible grandson of coppersmiths All these ages of individuals gave me readiness. Gaudis forerunners originated from a cross-Pyrenean culture that circumscribed the Mediterranean Sea and were acclimated with engrossing impacts from various societies, while some way or another holding their own Catalan character. The Catalan language, for instance, is nearer to the tongue of Languedoc in France than it is to Castilian which is spoken in a large portion of Spain. Joan Bergos clarifies in his book, Gaudi the man and his w orks, that: Gaudis heredity along these lines has profound, if far off roots in focal Europe, blended in with the temperances generally found among the individuals of Tarragona, a commonly Mediterranean individuals, enthusiastic, productive, valiant despite misfortune and to some degree slanted to incongruity. The Mediterranean locale of Tarragona, with its regular environmental factors and nature of light, are components of the rustic world that Gaudi appears to give as references to his building structures. His adoration for nature started as a little kid, when rheumatoid joint inflammation, made physical investigation and play agonizing and troublesome and he was limited to riding around on the rear of a jackass, as indicated by family stories, he had the option to contemplate his regular environmental factors and to make his own fictional universe. Maybe in light of his troublesome beginning in life Gaudi may have built up an internal universe of imagination, shape, structure an d shading, delivered by his insight into the craftsmans create and the characteristic structures found in his condition. Gaudi originated from a profoundly strict family and got an intensive Catholic strict instruction produced from the continuation of medieval Guilds. This would have included required supplication to the Virgin, Christian principle, strict ethics and strict history. By 1874, at 22 years old, Gaudi had moved to Barcelona with his sibling Francesc; and here he started his readiness to prepare as a modeler at the Escuela Tã ©cnica Superior de Arquitectura (Upper Technical School of Architecture). Here he contemplated Spanish engineering which would have centered upon its numerous social conventions, including: Phoenician, Roman, Greek, Visigothic, Celtic, Arab, Berber and Jewish. These would have been totally assimilated into the considering contemporary plan so that there was no partiality against the appropriation of Islamic themes and images. One could envision how significant this multi-faceted social legacy of Spain would have been for the improvement of Gaudis own way to deal with engineering. Gaudi likewise appeared to share the worries and goals that encompassed the dynamic and scholarly environment during his childhood, and would have been affected by the popular savvy people of the time: Pugin, Ruskin and Viollet-le-Duc. The last was liable for the Gothic recovery in France and as an understudy of Le Grand Durand he had impacted Frances reception of Renaissance models and realist way to deal with city arranging, which had put the nation at the front line of European imaginative and design banter. One could likewise assume that Gaudi had perused crafted by the English essayist Ruskin, where he states, in his book: The seven lights of Architecture: I state that if men truly lived like men, their homes would resemble sanctuaries which we would not set out to abuse so effectively and in which it would be a benefit to live. There must be some abnormal disintegration of family love, an unusual lack of appreciation towards everything that our homes have given us and that our folks have shown us, an odd attention to our unfaithfulness with deference and love for our dad, or maybe a mindfulness that our life isn't for making our home holy according to our youngsters, which instigates every last one of us to need to work for ourselves, and to assemble just for the little insurgency of our own life. I see these hopeless solidifications of mud and limestone that shoot up like mushrooms in the boggy fields around our capitalI take a gander at them not just with the repugnance of the annoyed view, not just with the torment that is brought about by a deformed scene, not with the excruciating presentiment that the underlying foundations of o ur national grandeza more likely than not tainted with gangrene directly down to their tips from the second that they were planted in such a temperamental way in out local soil. It appears that Ruskins good and stylish quandary was one that Gaudi would likewise understanding as a youthful expert draftsman, and he would move between his help of communist beliefs and different favored associations with the privileged and upper white collar classes (his potential customers) for an amazing duration. Gaudi was found by the bourgeoisie without whom his design would not stand today. Anyway it appears he was not apathetic regarding the public activity of his age and its inconsistencies. Different peers progressing in the direction of these goals, were: Elies Rogent (1821-1897), whose plan of Barcelonas University building was impacted by the German Rundbogenstil, which was a Neo-old style adjusted curve; Joan Martorell (1833-1906) who planned the Neo-gothic block and coated tiled church of Saint Francesc de Sales (1885); Josep Vilaseca who worked together with Lluis Domã ¨nech I Montaner (1850-1923) on the Batlo tomb (1885). As his previous teacher at the Escuela T ã ©cnica Superior de Arquitectura, Lluis Domã ¨nech I Montaner was at the front line of the Catalan Modernist development, otherwise called the Renaixenca (or Rebirth), which energized craftsmanship, theater and writing in the Catalan language. He was additionally answerable for planning the Palau de la Musica Catalana which represents the meeting up of the Catalan patriot estimation and global culture. It additionally demonstrates a specific association with Gaudis Colonia Guell, Casa Vicens and Park Guell, however its detailed ornamentation, figures and brilliant earthenware mosaics, all of which appear to allude to a profound association with Catalan nature and patriotism that were clear at that point. This association can be found in the leaf and bloom designs on the exterior of the Palau de la Musica Catalana which are propelled by Moorish engineering and followed the curvilinear plan found in Art Nouveau. Simultaneously, the structural architect Ildefons Cerda (1815-1876) had been given the commission to extend Barcelonas limits by obliterating its dividers and giving area to new local locations. It appears that his arrangements were impacted by Haussmanns upgrade of Paris, and depended on a comparative network framework. Cerda was stunned that the common laborers were paying proportionately more in lease for their kept living settlement than the well off paid for their extravagant lodging.

Friday, August 21, 2020

life Essays (295 words) - Wisdom, Memories, Mirror,

Following quite a while of guesting and attempting to settle on what way I will take. Time passed and youngsters have developed and gone. I started to acknowledge I was alway on that way I expected to take. Life is short and I can spend it to ways glad or despondent, yet know matter which way I take I would keep on developing old and settling on no choice is infact settling on a choice. The way I chose to take is the way to be cheerful every single snapshot of ordinary. There are no responses for certain inquiries and there are no fixing something, so I figure out how to aside from things as they are and change those things that can be changed. At some point I see things don't require transforming they may require adding to or left alone. My upbeat way is what regardless of what I'm more seasoned than I was and that way I can not change. I acknowledge that will remain the manner in which it is. In developing more seasoned I understand that a change occur with me every day. The other change is that I'm more astute. Turning out to be smarter is something worth being thankful for, yet the other change is I'm more fragile. It resembles regardless of what choses you make there is a way previously picked for me. I visitor I started to understand that the way was at that point laid as I got more seasoned and got more astute. There ought to be an inquiry replied before you get to old and insight answers it for you. At the point when the years have set in on all the pieces of your body, you look in the mirror and the young look is gone and the sum total of what you have are the recollections and the choses you made and the way you taken in the wake of making those choses.

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Preparing for the F-1 Visa Process

Preparing for the F-1 Visa Process Now that you have some information about the I-20 process and how to prepare for it, you are probably wondering, “What comes next?” As you may already know, international students need to obtain a study visa, also known as an F-1 visa, to enroll in an academic institution in the United States. To help you out, Ill go over some frequently asked questions regarding the F-1 visa. What is an F-1 visa? An F-1 visa is a document issued to degree-seeking international students who will be studying at an academic institution in the United States. When do I begin the F-1 visa process? The process begins after you receive your I-20 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. You will then need to submit an online nonimmigrant visa application (Form DS-160) and pay the SEVIS fee. You will also need to contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your home country to book an F-1 visa interview. How to prepare for the F-1 visa interview? Visa interviews can be a bit stressful! It is always a good idea to be well prepared to alleviate any stress. Here are some helpful tips from our International Student and Scholar Services office (ISSS) to help you get ready for your upcoming visa interview. Where will the visa interview be conducted? The visa interview is held at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your home country. You can refer this list of U.S. Embassies and Consulates. When will I receive my F-1 visa? This can vary depending on many factors. Make sure to check the U.S. Department of State visa appointment processing wait times. When can I enter the U.S. after receiving my F-1 visa? You can enter the U.S. no sooner than 30 days before the program start date that is listed on your I-20. What if my visa gets denied? Can I reapply? Visa denials are not unheard of and can happen for several reasons. You may reapply if your visa has been denied. However, be prepared to provide new information or documentation before you begin the re-application process. If you were denied a visa, please contact our office as soon as possible to let us know that you will not be attending the University of Illinois, at this email: international-admissions@illinois.edu. Questions? Remember that we are here to help! Please feel free to comment below with questions. As always, you can call our office at +1-217-333-0302 Monday-Friday from 8:30-5:00 CST to talk with a counselor or send us an email at international-admissions@illinois.edu. Good luck with the visa process, and we look forward to seeing you here on campus! international Suha Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admissions I have a master’s degree in American and Middle Eastern Studies. I’m lucky to be working with our international students as they navigate their way through the admissions process and during their exciting journey to the Illinois campus!

Sunday, June 21, 2020

CEO Regarding a Personal Analysis of Organizations Strategy - 825 Words

The CEO Regarding a Personal Analysis of an Organization's Strategy (Other (Not Listed) Sample) Content: Organizational Strategy Authors NameInstitutional AffiliationEXECUTIVE MEMORANDUMDATE: October 15, 2015TO: Terri BellFROM:SUBJECT: Findings from the Analysis of Organizations StrategyExecutive Summary This memo presents the findings of a preliminary personal analysis of the organizations strategy of my project firm. The goal of the analysis entailed identifying and evaluating the general business and corporate strategies of the firm based on the review of How Do We Describe a Firms Strategy? discussed by Grant and Jordan (2015). The memorandum reports the findings of the analysis of the firms application of three particular generic business strategies in meeting customers needs and sustaining a competitive edge. It also includes the analysis outcomes relating to three specific corporate business strategies. Other items analyzed included the firms articulated strategy and how it helps in attaining a competitive advantage, the firms business model and its dynamics, and the firms specific corporate strategy.The Generic Business StrategiesAmong the three generic business strategies, that is, cost, differentiation, and hybrid, my project firm has concentrated mostly on the establishment and implementation of the product differentiation strategy. It is its core avenue to supply consumers needs and overcome the competition in the industry. The firm adopts the product differentiation strategy because of its size. My project firm is a small entrepreneurial association operating in a market and industry dominated by larger corporations dealing with similar offerings. In that regard, the firm deems product differentiation as an effective strategy in distinguishing its products from the similar products in the market, thereby meeting customers needs and maintaining a competitive edge. The firm bears on demographic market segmentation, and in implementing the differentiation strategy, it focuses on age, occupation, and gender as the core demographic aspects of its market segment. Focusing on these aspects helps the firm to be specific in articulating the message of how positively and uniquely its product is different from the similar products available on the market. In this manner, it attains a favorable competitive positioning. The firm avoids implementing the cost strategy because of its small size, and thus, it cannot afford to offer products at lower costs than the larger competing companies. Since the firm does not apply the cost strategy, it correspondingly shirks employing the hybrid strategy. The reason is the hybrid competitive advantage strategy entails implementing cost and differentiation strategies simultaneously.The Corporate Business StrategiesApart from the generic business strategy of product differentiation, my project firm employs two corporate strategies. The first corporate strategy that the firm implements as an ongoing process includes vertical integration. My project firm owns its supply chain in the local mar ket in which it operates. Additionally, its business units affiliated with this supply chain deal with market-specific products, which get combined to form a brand mix geared towards customers common needs. For these reasons, the firm uses vertical integration as one of its corporate strategies. Diversification is the second corporate strategy that the firm has applied. The firm applies this strategy occasionally, that is, every time it develops initiatives to venture into new markets with new products in its locally offered brand. Regarding globalization, the firms geographical scope does not cover international markets at the moment. Hence, it does not consider globalization as a strategy for achieving and sustaining a competitive edge. The Firms Articulated StrategyMy project firm has the poise to remain competitive in the market in the present and the future by establishing a comprehensive competitive game plan that aligns with its business model. In particular, its articulated strategy incorporates the aspects of vertical integration, brand diversification, and strategic product differentiation. As part of its vertical integration initiatives, the firm adopts forward vertical integration in that it controls the retail outlets and distribution centers in which its product get sold. As discovered from the firm-based search, forward vertical integration has been attributed to transportation cost reduction and improvement in turnaround time efficiency in this firm. Unique packaging and product innovation have been the principal differentiation techniques that the firm employs. The firm applies the concentric method of product diversification that enables the firm to create new products related to its existing products, thereby reaching more clients. A combination of these initiatives helps the firm to offer unique products that customers always want to search for in the market. In this sense, this articulated strategy, which applies to all its business units, strengthens the firm...

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Should Marijuana Be Legalized - 942 Words

How can marijuana be illegal when it could help so many people who suffer and are in need of help for medical reasons, such as cancer, AIDs, and people who suffer from depression? Can you imagine having a natural way of helping the sick and not using it? Marijuana should be legalized because it would help symptoms for certain medical conditions and would create jobs. Marijuana has been around the world for thousands of years. The mystical Chinese emperor Shen Neng, introduced the uses of pharmaceutical marijuana ( Earlywine ). Medical marijuana started in China then it moved to Rome for elderly use ( Earlywine ). After Rome start using marijuana for medical reason, the news got out about a new medication and it spread throughout the world (Earlywine ). The ancient Chinese founder of surgery, Hua T’o combined marijuana with alcohol to make an anesthetic, that was used for women giving birth (Earlywine). In 1942 medical marijuana was removed from U.S. pharmacopeia, because it was believed to be harmful ( Joy ). In 1970s, marijuana was illegal and was a controlled substances act ( Joy ). Marijuana would create so many jobs and the unemployed rate would drop. In Colorado marijuana create 10,000 jobs and the unemployed rate is 6 percent, which is the lowest it has been since the recession started ( Sarich ). That is an additional 10,000 people in a labor force out working, instead of collecting unemployment. That is good for everyone. Marijuana would also bring money to theShow MoreRelatedShould Marijuana Be Legalized?849 Words   |  4 Pageswhether marijuana should be legalized. Around 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use. In the state of Illinois, medicinal use of marijuana has been passed on April 17, 2013. Since January 2014, patients are able to obtain marijuana with a doctor s recommendation. The new debate is whether marijuana should be legalized for the general public as a recreational drug. Although some believe that marijuana is harmless, and that it has beneficial medicinal uses, marijuana shouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be L egalized?1715 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana in Society Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is a drug obtained from the tops, stems and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis. The drug is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Only substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are used more (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). In the U. S. where some use it to feel â€Å"high† or get an escape from reality. The drug is referred to in many ways; weed, grass, pot, and or reefer are some common names used to describe the drug (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). Like mostRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1489 Words   |  6 Pagescannabis plant or marijuana is intended for use of a psychoactive drug or medicine. It is used for recreational or medical uses. In some religions, marijuana is predominantly used for spiritual purposes. Cannabis is indigenous to central and south Asia. Cannabis has been scientifically proven that you can not die from smoking marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized to help people with medical benefits, econo mic benefits, and criminal benefits. In eight states, marijuana was legalized for recreationalRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1245 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana is a highly debatable topic that is rapidly gaining attention in society today.   Legalizing marijuana can benefit the economy of this nation through the creation of jobs, increased tax revenue, and a decrease in taxpayer money spent on law enforcement.   Ã‚  Many people would outlaw alcohol, cigarettes, fast food, gambling, and tanning beds because of the harmful effects they have on members of a society, but this is the United States of America; the land of the free and we should give peopleRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1010 Words   |  5 PagesThe legalization of marijuana became a heated political subject in the last few years. Twenty-one states in America have legalized medical marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the only states where marijuana can be purchased recreationally. Marijuana is the high THC level part of the cannabis plant, which gives users the â€Å"high† feeling. There is ample evidence that supports the argument that marijuana is beneficial. The government should legalize marijuana recreationally for three main reasonsRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1350 Words   |  6 Pagespolitics in the past decade would have to be the legalization of marijuana. The sale and production of marijuana have been legalized for medicinal uses in over twenty states and has been legalized for recreational uses in seven states. Despite the ongoing support for marijuana, it has yet to be fully legalized in the federal level due to cultural bias against â€Å"pot† smoking and the focus over its negative effects. However, legalizing marijuana has been proven to decrease the rate of incrimination in AmericaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1231 Words   |  5 Pagesshows the positive benefits of marijuana, it remains illegal under federal law. In recent years, numerous states have defied federal law and legalized marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use. Arizona has legalized marijuana for medical use, but it still remains illegal to use recreationally. This is absurd, as the evidence gathered over the last few decades strongly supports the notion that it is safer than alcohol, a widely available substance. Marijuana being listed as a Schedule I drugRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1457 Words   |  6 PagesSHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGALIZED? Marijuana is a drug that has sparked much controversy over the past decade as to whether or not it should be legalized. People once thought of marijuana as a bad, mind-altering drug which changes a person’s personality which can lead to crime and violence through selling and buying it. In the past, the majority of citizens believed that marijuana is a harmful drug that should be kept off the market and out of the hands of the public. However, a recent study conductedRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1596 Words   |  7 Pages But what needs to be known before a user can safely and completely make the decision if trying Marijuana is a good idea? Many do not want the drug to be legalized because they claim that Cannabis is a â€Å"gateway drug†, meaning it will cause people to try harder drugs once their body builds up a resistance to Marijuana, because a stronger drug will be needed to reach a high state. This argument is often falsely related to the medical si de of the debate over legalization. It is claimed that this wouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?985 Words   |  4 PagesLegalize Marijuana Despite what people believe about marijuana, it hasn’t once proved to be the cause of any real issue. It makes you wonder what the reason as to why there is a war on drugs. Why is marijuana the main concern? Since the time that alcohol and tobacco became legal, people wonder why marijuana isn’t legal yet. The fact that marijuana is illegal is mainly caused by the amount of money, jobs, and pride invested in the drug war. Once the government starts anything, they stick to it. At

Monday, May 18, 2020

Ethnic Conflicts And Its Effects On Post Colonial Societies

Today, it is hard to imagine how only sixty years ago the world was dominated by European empires. In 1921, 84 percent of the earth’s surface had been colonised since the sixteenth century. There were as many as 168 colonies. By the 1960s, after years of fighting, most Western colonial territories had gained independence. The following decades showed how much the ghost of colonisation still loomed over post-colonial societies though. Around the world today, conflict is found in many areas that were once colonised or controlled by Western European powers. The cause of many of these continuing and uncontrollable conflicts lies in past colonial policies, especially those regarding territorial boundaries, the treatment of indigenous people, the privileging of some groups over others, the unequal distribution of wealth and resources, local governmental infrastructures, and the formation of non-democratic or non-participatory governmental systems. It is therefore essential, if one w ants to understand the causes of these ethnic conflicts, to examine not only the contemporary issues, but also important historical factors such as past colonial policies and their lingering effects. Colonisation was motivated by the European hunger for African resources. The subsequent exploitation of the African people and the uprooting of their spiritual values by Christian missionaries would leave a permanent European stamp on the continent. Colonial states often promoted ethnic rivalry byShow MoreRelated Colonialism and Africa Essays1687 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Modern African states have several problems ranging from corruption, to armed conflict, to stunted structural development. The effects of colonialism have been offered as a starting point for much of the analysis on African states, but the question of why African states are particularly dysfunctional needs to be examined, given the extent to which they have lagged behind other former European colonies in many aspects. In the first section, I will consider the problems with AfricanRead MoreColonialism And Its Impact On Africa1206 Words   |  5 Pagesone state over another state. This establishment had one of the biggest impacts on Africa. This experience of colonialism began to take effect between the 1400s and 1800s. It started when the Europeans arrived to Africa and set up trading posts. In the late 1800s and early 1900s the increase of European power took over most of the continent. The legacy of the colonial experience will influence the history of the continent. Mid 1700s to the late 1880s the Europeans increased their involvement in AfricaRead MoreThe Effects of Colonization on Various African Countries Essay1383 Words   |  6 PagesIn trying to analyze the link between colonial rule and nationalist rule, one cannot discount the influence of the past on the present. Analyzing nationalist actions and decisions without taking into account how society got to that point, and the situation of society when power was transferred would be asinine. The effects of colonization on various African countries through border setting and defining ethnic groups, the morphing of ethnic group disputes into class-based struggles, and the stuntingRead MoreColonialism in Africa Essay example2840 Words   |  12 PagesIf questioned today about Africa in general the first reactions I would have are poor governance, poverty, conflict, economic instability and hunger. These are the major characteristics that dominate most of the states within the continent as a whole. The question would be has it always been this way? Different debates and differences have been focused on the colonial legacy for post-colonial Africa and the nature of colonialism. Various characterizations and conceptions tend to differ considerablyRead MoreA Brief Note On The Existence Of Civil War2179 Words   |  9 Pagesnation-states, there have been conflicts within the intrastate that have led to fighting between rival groups. It is puzzling to understand why there has to be violence to achieve goals. On this paper I will examine to discover what variables affect the behavior of certain countries going into civil war while other countries do not. Many nations have experienced civil war in isolating conflicts since 1945. Collier Hoeffler define a civil war as â€Å"internal conflict where there have been at leastRead MoreThe Impact Of Colonial Rule On Women s Independence Movement1240 Words   |  5 Pagesexperienced varying degrees of colonial influence. While Algeria experienced a large influx of colonists from France and experienced direct rule by the French, Tunisia was considered a French Protectorate. The impact of colonial rule has significantly shaped the post-independence politics of these countries and continue to play a role in the current political systems present in the Maghreb. Algerian national identity is heavily influenced by its history as a colonial stronghold of France and the AlgerianRead MoreEffects Of Africanization In This Side Jordan By Margret1750 Word s   |  7 PagesEffects of Africanization in This Side Jordan by Margret Laurence Post-colonial Literary Theory came in to challenge and scrutinize the European theories which were the false perception that they had the universal culture despite the fact that their culture was not able to handle the complexities in the divergent cultures as depicted in the in the postcolonial writings. Therefore, there was the emergence of the indigenous culture developed specifically to accommodate the extremes of the two culturesRead MoreCivil Wars And The Colonial Era1634 Words   |  7 Pageswars and the issues left behind the colonial era. The adversities faced by these new African nations are at the hands of their old colonial powers and the neo-colonialism that has taken place. These new independent countries were left to unify their people of different backgrounds, create a strong government and economy, and leave the post-colonial legacy behind. Nigeria would soon become a prime example of the issues with arbitrary borders and the long term effects they can create. Nigeria would gainRead MoreRole Of The Dutch Colonial Rule1410 Words   |  6 Pagesprevalent separatist conflicts in Indonesia are mainly based on resources. I will attempt to demonstrate that identity was instrumentalized in the colonial times to gain political and economic control, and that spilled over to an internal colonialism in Indonesia in contemporary times. This created the foundation for the Central government to instrumentalize constructed identities to gain economic control over the resource rich minority islands, which led to violent separatist conflicts throughout theRead MoreAfrican Countries And The Quality Of Governance1731 Words   |  7 Pagesespecially in francophone countries. The persistence of relatively poor governance in Cameroon, which, unlike some sub-Saharan African countries, have ‘technically’ had no major conflict or civil war or political turbulence calls for probing. It raises questions of whether a country with such ethnic diversity as Cameroon (over 240 ethnic groups, according to the website of the Office of the Prime Minister), historically constructed by colonialism, and cursed by its own resources (crude oil, natural gas and

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Business to Business E Commerce Free Essay Example, 6500 words

The e-procuring process can be useful for auctioning, tendering, vendor management and control management; and thus it would help companies to drive product cost down. Irrespective of the size and area of business, all profit, non-profit, and governmental organizations can get benefited from the B2B process. As Schneider (2008, pp. 228-229) states, organizations can incorporate their business activities with other organizations or governmental initiatives by promoting B2B e-commerce process. The system is not only feasible for big firms but also to small scale industries. The advanced form of groupware facilitates companies visual collaboration, group projects, and decision making which will subsequently enhance an organization s productivity, performance, and total quality management. E-procurement will help small business groups to monitor both inventory purchase and cost reduction. Furthermore, it will improve the interaction between business groups irrespective of their distance . Some other advantages of B2B method are a) Selling and buying process between companies becomes simple; b) Enables easy anticipation of demands; c) Gives detailed information of capital flow; d) Promotes centralized control; e) Easy settlement of payments and disputes; f) Fast approval of the sale and invoicing However, in order to avoid flaws, small companies with weaker economic background must develop e-procurement in a cautious way when they come to system selection, implementation, and maintenance because the expense is generally unaffordable to such segments. We will write a custom essay sample on Business to Business E Commerce or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now A simple example would best illustrate how two companies perform their business deal exclusively on the web. It resembles the conventional form of outlets that sell already manufactured products of various companies directly to customers. The only difference is that customers view products on the web and further choose what they require, place an order, pay bills using credit cards or other methods. The purchased products will reach the customer by mail or courier.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Australia Government Information Security Manual

The Australia signal Directorate (ASD) generates the Australia government Information Security Manual (ISM). The manual is the conventional which controls the protection of government ICT systems. It enhances the Safety Protection Policy Structure. The ISM can be classified into three records focusing on different levels within any company, making the ISM available to more customers and advertising information security attention across government. The Safety Protection Plan Structure (Protective Security Policy Framework) provides the appropriate control for the Australia government to secure its people, details and resources, at home and international. The diagram below represents the security organization structure Given the expanding†¦show more content†¦It incorporates 33 compulsory defensive security necessities for offices. Data security incorporates the necessity to effectively oversee security dangers connected with electronic information transmission, conglomeration and capacity. The PSPF gives the strategy structure, including recommended obligatory prerequisites, to help organizations consider the security ramifications of their ICT frameworks and to devise approaches and arrangements to guarantee the frameworks are properly ensured. The PSPF eludes organizations to the Australian Government Information Security Manual (ISM) distributed by the Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) for direction. The point of the ISM is to give a danger oversaw way to deal with the insurance of data in government ICT frameworks. It gives direction to organizations on the most proficient method to focus efforts to establish safety for their frameworks whether the administrations are overseen by the office or outsourced, and sets out specialized measures for offices to execute. The ISM likewise gives subtle elements of different associations that have a part in data security in government including the National Audit Office that embraces general execution reviews on data security in government organizations. Taking after the latest execution review on data security, the assurance and security of electronic data held by Australian Government

Psychology of Spending Where Does Belt-Tightening Begin Free Essays

The Psychology of Spending analyzes consumer’s ideals of the scarcity principle – in which, consumers are mentally forced to buy certain brands as they have before. The high costs of their choices make no difference even after their economic status is not as unique as it was once before. For example, the Water-Diamond scenario in which we will pay thousands of dollars for a diamond, but we will not pay thousands of dollars for a bottle of water. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychology of Spending: Where Does Belt-Tightening Begin? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Our mental state of underestimating its value because it is a ‘need’ makes us consider it invaluable by numbers. Every consumer has encountered these kinds of thoughts pertaining to their buying habits in different perspectives. We could also address the issues of supply and demand. Luxury goods are in demand because of the advanced technology we are experiencing in our New Economy. We have found ourselves trapped in securing the newest trend because of the gadgets, computers, cell phones, and other accessories around us everyday. You can notice these triggering children to purchase their own cell phones because it is now a need – not a want. Cell phones have trampled into the same estate as water in the water-diamond scenario. We consider cell phones as invaluable goods for keeping in touch with our friends and family around the world. The ultimate ‘need’ comes from feeling inadequate or isolated without one so our demand increases to where we must purchase accessories as well. According to the article, the high-end wants are really needs now due to the vanity and exposure to as many choices as possible. Consumers have more than enough to consider when they want to buy products. Generic products are slowly, but surely losing the interests of these buyers. The marginal utility of large net worth has declined as more and more luxury goods are being produced. As aforementioned earlier, the demand for luxuries has increased and the suppliers are interested in increased sales – so they have given the strength of the ‘scarcity’ rule away to growth. For example, they could increase the price of their merchandise if every high-end retailer produces no more than 40,000 units of their product. The product’s marginal utility will remain at its best possible light to the consumer’s eye. A well-known factor, which was mentioned in The Psychology of Spending, is the wealthy household’s attempts to buy large amounts of land no matter what the economic status is. Other issues arise in comparison to their counterparts in the luxurious industries. Some indirect factors that corner the marginal utility of luxury goods is the quality of the resources used to produce the goods. If the quality of the resources is reduced, the probability of increased sells could remove the ‘high-end’ aspect of the products. We will be used to the products and then ‘anyone’ can get it so it will not be considered high quality or high-end anymore. Properties over the $10,000,000 are probable to a decline in net worth if more products are created with their same unique characteristics. More interest rates will appear viable to the consumers, but their efforts in securing the products will increase due to their ideal of ‘scarce’ resources available. A discontinuation of a certain production will and could, harness the power for its collectibles to cost more. According to the Psychology of Spending, the monetary means or sense of superiority means a lot to the public. We are more than anxious enough to buy the newest trends without a second thought. If the new trend costs more than our capabilities, we will have to worry about the possibility of not ‘being in style’. The article’s outline of the economy during 2000 would be changed in today’s time. Our nation is experiencing a new, inaccurate development in which prices are increased due to the war. We, as consumers, have changed our buying habits a little bit but not much compared to the purchases made in 2000. Newer, faster, and cheaper products have caught our attention and the internet’s flourishing marketplace has given all consumers – wealthy and lower income- the same opportunity to buy these goods. As a mechanism to the psychological attachment to more money means more power, we can conclude that all high-end products are being purchased about 2% from the higher-income families. A majority of these implications can trigger a more thorough understanding of why the lower-income families are attempting to buy these products as well. None the less, their ability to manufacture or overproduce these products has lost its initial marginal utility it once had. In today’s society, these products do not create a ‘high’ as they once did. The consumers know that anyone can buy it at any price. Discount retailers have placed some sophisticated names on the shelves to attract their income counterparts for more information. We can expect this to continue until many consumers decide that their labels mean nothing – naturally. Some of the best products are left to the generic manufacturers whom will need those materials for a competitive advantage. As remarkable as this change is to our society, the distinctive features of these high-end products are slowly leaving the market. Imitative strategies have stripped the meaning of ‘brand’ and consumers are still buying these products without regard to their tastes. More than enough companies are losing the whole perspective of re-establishing their economic strategy to remain at the top of their industry. We can only wish for our buying habits to sway into finding a more distinguished product to assist in our highs. Â   How to cite Psychology of Spending: Where Does Belt-Tightening Begin?, Essay examples

Elephant Noises free essay sample

Sixteen months ago, the now-retired band director handed me a black case and said: â€Å"It’s an alto saxophone. You’ll play in the marching band in September.† It was June! In the three months before band camp, I had to learn everything: key fingerings, scales, quarter notes, eighth notes and dozens upon dozens of sixteenth notes. I was overwhelmed, but I had never given up on anything and wasn’t about to start. That whole summer, I locked myself in my room and practiced until my lips bled. Eventually, instead of loud, blaring noises that sounded like stampeding elephants, I started connecting phrases and making music. I had taught myself to play the saxophone! By the last week of July, I was feeling pretty confident, but as soon as I walked into the band room, my mind went blank. In addition to being wracked with nerves, I felt left out of the â€Å"band bond† that everyone else seemed to share. We will write a custom essay sample on Elephant Noises or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I became determined to prove that I could perform as well as everyone else. During camp I worked harder than ever, this time on the drill. I analyzed each step and highlighted the drill sheets. Every measure of my music was marked with the steps. For four weeks I pushed harder than I ever thought possible. My biggest problem proved to be marching and playing at the same time, which, unfortunately, is unavoidable in marching band! While part of me was sure I would never master this, the stubborn part of me was too determined to call it quits. Then one night, I amazed myself by marching and playing at the same time! I nearly danced out of formation, I was so happy! When the last Friday in August arrived, the night of the first game, I was still nervous. You would have thought that my sax had a vibrato, I was shaking so hard. I was determined, though, and focused on what I knew I could do. When the show ended, I hardly realized it. I stood at attention, every muscle in my body doing exactly what it was supposed to, except my face muscles. I was grinning from ear to ear. It was one of my proudest moments. As the football season continued, I smoothed out my performance and bonded with the other musicians. I was satisfied, and proud of myself. As we boarded the bus after the final game, I could hardly wait for next season. I continued to play in concert band, and as school let out, I found August sneaking up on me. That summer, I worked every bit as hard as I had the year before. This summer, however, the band was told to memorize our music. Before I could even say, â€Å"I can’t!† I decided to prove myself wrong, which, after much practice, I did! With hours of perseverance, I managed to get a handle on the new material. Still, on the first day of band camp, I felt almost exactly as I had 365 days before. This year, though, I felt more a part of the ensemble, and it was easy to work together as a team. Again, the last Friday in August arrived. Then it was halftime and suddenly, there I was with the marching band ready to start the show. That field show proved a turning point in my life. Since I did not have music three inches in front of my face, I was able to see not only where I was going on the field, but also in life. By the last note, I realized how much I had grown during the past year. Until 16 months ago, I had never really struggled with anything, but having to learn something from scratch, practically on my own, made me realize that not everything will be easy. It has become clear that if I want to succeed, I will need to try new things and take big risks. Working with the other instrumentalists also taught me to be part of a team and allowed me to rely on others, which I have always been reluctant to do. I have invested boundless time, sweat, tears and heart in playing the saxophone in marching band, which has pushed me to new limits, physically, mentally and emotionally. I have learned to open myself up to every aspect of a new experience. I have learned just how far determination, dedication and embracing a goal can take me. I have learned not only to help myself, but also how to rely on others. The lessons I have learned in marching band will help me in life, and I am grateful for the chance to have learned them.

Monday, May 4, 2020

Caleb Hendren Essay Example For Students

Caleb Hendren Essay Mrs. Cupo English 2 HNRS 28 April 2016 Night Versus Life is Beautiful One more stab to the heart, one more reason to hate. One less reason to live. This quote by Elie Wiesel is almost a summary of his time through the Nazi death camps. He was starved beaten, people died all around him. The only thing that Elie had is his father. Both the memoirNightwritten by Elie Wiesel and the filmLife is Beautifuldirected by Roberto Benigni are good representations of the Holocaust, butNightis a better and more impactful portrayal of the Holocaust because it has a more realistic setting, a harsher tone, and a more impactful father/son relationship. The setting of a book or a film is extremely important to how the story is portrayed. The setting inNightis actually a real Nazi death camp. There are people dying all around him. He is put into an environment that is scary and unforgiving. On the contrary inLife is Beautifulthe setting is very censored and unrealistic. The setting of a story is important but the tone is also.Nightis a book that is very graphic, it is very hard to read. Definitely not a book for children to read. Almost the whole book is depressing. Especially towards the end when Elies father dies. Conversely the tone inLife is Beautifulis much happier. It is a more sugar-coated representation of the Holocaust. However because it is so loving and family centered it doesnt show how horrible the Holocaust actually was. One thing that both of these pieces of art share is a very well illustrated father and son relationship. In the memoirNightit is the father that first watches over the son but as time went on their roles switch and the son takes care of the father because the father was ill. When the father dies the book becomes even more depressing than it already is. InLife is Beautifulthe father takes care of the son. Because the son is so young the father shelters him from the horrors that surround them. He tells him it is all a game and that if they win first place they will receive a tank. Life is Beautifulisnot a good representation of the Holocaust. It is more or less a love story that took place during the Holocaust however it does have an impactful message, not about the Holocaust but about family. ButNightis non-fiction which gives it a harsher tone and it also has an emotionally tolling father son relationship which makes it a more impactful portrayal of the holocaust.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Current Credit Crisis in the United States Understanding the Trigger Factors

Nearly four years after the collapse of the Lehman Brothers and the subsequent financial downturn that followed, and which most financial commentators blamed on the housing bumble and subprime lending (Mills, 2009), the economic environment of the United States continue to struggle as markets continue to be embraced by fears of new setbacks, defaults and the prospect of experiencing a new double-dip recession (Gibson, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Current Credit Crisis in the United States: Understanding the Trigger Factors specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper purposes to critically evaluate the underlying causes of the current credit crisis sweeping through the United States. Behind the current credit crisis lie many factors, including the free fall of the U.S. stocks, the obstinately high employment rate in the U.S., the politically-oriented scuffle in Washington over the federal debt ceiling, a nd the decision by credit rating firms, particularly Standard Poor’s, to demote the government’s AAA rating after its aftermath (Inman, 2011; Gibson, 2011; Morales Mendes, 2011). Perhaps one of the most overbearing causes of the current credit crisis is the just-ended political scuffle over hiking the U.S. debt ceiling by $2.1 trillion, while reducing future government spending by $2.4 trillion (Gibson, 2011; Rowley Dodge, 2011). Financial analysts observe that although the raised debt ceiling made significant strides in avoiding massive default, it also rattled investors just coming to terms with a shaky U.S. economy, precipitating the current credit crisis (Gibson, 2011). It is true that a political compromise was found before the U.S. Treasury missed interest payments on U.S. debt (Peauler, 2011), but the damage had already been done in terms of low investor confidence, hence low credit flow. The cumulative effect of political indecisiveness witnessed between the Republicans and the Democrats got the investors nervous, a fact that is so well demonstrated by the dipping U.S. stocks as investors attempt to sell them off (Peauler, 2011). This is precisely the second cause that has occasioned the current credit crisis.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the 1st of August 2011, one day before the presumed deadline to raise the U.S. debt ceiling or risk missing out on interest payments (Peauler, 2011), the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed off 265.87 points, or 2.2 percent, to 11,866.62, its worst day of trading since June 1, while the SP 500 projected a new closing low for 2011 and turned negative for the year (Gibson, 2011). Such a dip in stocks, according to this author, only serves to precipitate a cloud of uncertainty over the market, thereby contributing to a further loss of confidence among investors and, consequently, triggering t he credit crisis because financial institutions lack the capacity to offer credit to businesses (Peauler, 2011). The decision by credit rating firm Standard Poor to downgrade the government’s AAA rating cannot be said to have augured well with the United States’ continuously shaky economic environment by virtue of the fact that such a decision, by its very nature and scope, is enough to put investors into frenzy of disposing whatever they might have held in U.S. Treasury securities (Peauler, 2011). Once again, available evidence have demonstrated that when investors dispose off U.S. Treasury securities, the cumulative effect is that banks will no longer have the capacity to provide credit to businesses (Levinson, 2009), triggering a spontaneous credit crisis. Lastly, it can be argued that the high level of underemployment and unemployment witnessed in the U.S. is partly to blame for the weak economic outlook in general and the ensuing credit crisis in particular. A re cent Gallup study revealed that 18.5 percent (approximately 1 in every 4) of workers in the U.S. are underemployed, including 9.1 percent unemployed (Morales Mendes, 2011). The high level of underemployment and unemployment translates into lower consumer spending – a fact collaborated by these authors when they argue that Americans’ spending has remained fundamentally dormant since it plummeted dramatically in January 2009. The overall effect of these two variables – unemployment and low consumer spending – is seen in plummeting property prices, low business volumes, and sustained uncertainty in the financial markets as people are not spending and industries are not growing (Yerex, 2011). These factors are adequate to serve as a toxic trigger to a new credit crisis.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Current Credit Crisis in the United States: Understanding the Trigger Factors specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference List Gibson, K. (2011). U.S. stocks in worst streak since credit crisis. Market Watch. Web. Inman, P. (2011). Banks are in a capital crunch again. The Guardian. Web. Levinson, M. (2009). Guide to financial markets. New York, NY: Bloomberg Press Mills, D.Q. (2009). The world financial crisis of 2008-2010: What happened, who is to blame, and how to protect your money? Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press Morales, L., Mendes, E. (2011). Three years after crisis, little sign of economic relief in U.S. Web. Peauler, R. (2011). Another credit crisis looming for business if debt ceiling is not raised. Web. Rowley, J., Dodge, C. (2011). House passes $2.1 trillion U.S. Debt-limit increase; Senate to vote Aug. 2. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Yerex, R.P. (2011). The consumer-driven economy at a crossroads. Business Economics, 46(1), 32-42. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier Database This essay on Current Credit Crisis in the United States: Understanding the Trigger Factors was written and submitted by user Emmitt B. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Free Essays on Free Speech

of the few in any way contradict or offend anyone (the majority). On August 28th 1963 250,000 people decided to use their right to peacefully assemble and ask for a redress of grievances by marching on Washington D.C. to demonstrate for jobs and freedom. This was a perfect example of the government trying to censor the speech of those who may offend it. The Kennedy administration was upset with the content of a speech to be given by John Lewis because in his speech he criticized the administration for not passing civil rights laws they had promised to pass. SNCC (the Student nonviolent coordinating comity) refused to change the s... Free Essays on Free Speech Free Essays on Free Speech Free speech is the backbone of any democratic and â€Å"free† society. One of the most fundamental parts of our own Constitution is our first amendment right to free speech. It is a vital part of what it takes for a society to be well informed and develop to its full potential. The knowledge of how to organize and fight for the rights promised to us came mostly from the â€Å"Civil Rights† and the â€Å"Chicano† movements the first of which started in the 1960’s. Groups such as the NAACP, the SCLC, and the SNCC used there constitutional right to peacefully assemble, organize, and request a redress of grievances to fight for the rights of Blacks and Mexican Americans mostly but also they indirectly fought for free speech. Their organizational techniques have been used ever since to fight for all rights including the right of free speech. The fight for free speech is a never ending battle because there will always be oppressive conservatives restricting new ideas that express the feelings of entertainers and people in general. The efforts of the government to censor any form of speech restricts the development of free society and retards its ability to reach its full potential through new ideas. The majority of people agree that freedom of expression is a good idea unless the ideas, actions, or words of the few in any way contradict or offend anyone (the majority). On August 28th 1963 250,000 people decided to use their right to peacefully assemble and ask for a redress of grievances by marching on Washington D.C. to demonstrate for jobs and freedom. This was a perfect example of the government trying to censor the speech of those who may offend it. The Kennedy administration was upset with the content of a speech to be given by John Lewis because in his speech he criticized the administration for not passing civil rights laws they had promised to pass. SNCC (the Student nonviolent coordinating comity) refused to change the s...

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Working with the nurse in charge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Working with the nurse in charge - Essay Example The attitude of this nurse led me to the realization that just like the patients, the nurses that I will be working with in the future will have different characters and dispositions that I will also need to learn to adjust to if I am to have a successful working relationship with my nurses in order to ensure the proper treatment and overseeing of my patients assigned to them. We only had one patient to take care of so I assisted the nurse with the feeding and performed a head to to assessment of the patient while also doing my part in helping to medicate the patient.   The patient was a 94-year old female who was quite nice to the nurses. Prior to my approaching her, I was warned that she was having trouble distinguishing between persons, places, and the time. However, I did not pick up on any of those traits while I was interviewing her. Rather, I found her to be quite open and entertaining as she spent some time on her phone talking to her 73 year old son who was her primary car e taker. She asked me once to assist her in increasing the volume on her phone while she was using it. She was basically a very nice and cooperative patient who, at the end of my time with her asked me to do only one thing when I asked if there was anything else I could do for her. She replied, â€Å"Yes, just leave me alone.† She asked so nicely that I found myself smiling at her as I accomodated her request.   Basically, the 94 year old patient made what could have been the worst duty day of my life one of the best.  

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Topic Responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Topic Responses - Essay Example Stem cell research entails investigations on basic cells that have the ability to create other cells. Stem cell research has always been a controversial issue, but from my perspective, I believe it will have a lot of advantages (Cohen, 2012). Stem cell research will provide a breakthrough in medicine through coming up with means of treating some of the incurable diseases present todays (Cohen, 2012). With proper advancement of this field and proper channeling of the knowledge in stem cell, management of some incurable diseases might become possible in the future when they can manage to make the stem cells regenerate newer cells (Cohen, 2012). Bacteria are unicellular living microorganisms whereas viruses are nonliving. Viruses often live in a host in order to multiply whereas bacteria can even grow on any non-living surface (Cohen, 2012). Furthermore, viruses often invade a given host’s cells and then turn the given cell’s genetic material to make their own products (Cohen, 2012). Bacteria on the other hand carry their machineries needed for growth and multiplication with them. Viruses only carry information inform of DNA or RNA packaged in a proteins coat (Cohen, 2012). The commonest method used in identification of most bacterial species is the gram staining method (Cohen, 2012). This method is often used in identifying gram positive and gram negative bacteria on their basis of their cell wall properties. The first stain applied is the crystal violet, which then the bacteria is treated with a given mordant (Cohen, 2012). Later, the bacteria is washed by a decolorizing agent like alcohol then stained with safranin (red dye). Gram positives will be stained violet while gram negatives pink (Cohen, 2012). Acid fast staining is often used for bacteria that are not gram staining. It is mostly used for acid fast bacteria like

Monday, January 27, 2020

Ebola Virus Symptoms and Diagnosis Methods

Ebola Virus Symptoms and Diagnosis Methods 1.1 Introduction to Ebola Virus Ebola virus is a combative pathogen that causes a fatal hemorrhagic fever syndrome in humans and animals, which was first identified near the Ebola River Valley in Zaire, Africa, in 1976 (Sullivan, Yang and Nabel, 2003). The Marburg virus and the Ebola virus formed the family Filoviridae (Peters, 2005). The outbreak of Ebola fever in 2014 is in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone which has affected the entire country; also in Kayes- Mali; Madrid-Spain; Dallas, Texas, New York City- United States without wide spread transmission and countries with no current transmission are Nigeria and Senegal (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, 2014c). The general mortality rate of Ebola hemorrhagic fever is 57% 90% (McElory et al., 2014). Mortality rate in pregnant women is 95.5%, which is not outstanding the overall death toll (Mupapa et al., 1999). The number of cases reported in multiple countries are as follows 1976- 603, 1995-315 and in 2014(March)-5481 (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, 2014c). The virus is transmitted through direct physical contact (WHO, 2014). Ebola fever remains an epidemic for the people of equatorial Africa, with an increase in the cases of outbreak since 2000 (Feldman and Geisbert, 2010). History of Ebola Virus The illness caused by a negative stranded RNA virus is known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Pourrut et al., 2005). It is an acute and serious illness and can be fatal if untreated (WHO, 2014). The Ebola virus is aboriginal to East Africa and belongs to the Filoviridae family (Chippaux, 2014) .Ebola virus disease first appeared in Nzara, Sudan and in Yumbuku, Democratic Republic of Congo, simultaneously (WHO, 2014). It was in the year 1976 and the disease got its name because it occurred in a village near the Ebola River (WHO, 2014). Since the time of outbreak of the disease, the mortality rates ranges from 50% to 90% in Africa (Sullivan, Yang, Nabel, 2003). The first outbreak in Sudan caused infection to over 284 people, with a mortality rate of 53% (Waterman, 1999). Figure 1: illustrates the historical view of the outbreak (Pourrut et al., 2005). Figure 1: Human EBOV outbreaks in Africa (Pourrut et al., 2005). Throughout 1994 to 1996, not less than five individualistic active sites of Ebola virus transmission were recognised: Cote d’lovire in 1994, Democratic Republic of Congo in 1995 and Gabbon in 1994, 1995, 1996 and furthermore the sites were found in or near tropical forests (Peters and Peters, 1999). The 2014 Ebola outbreak is the first outbreak in West Africa and the largest outbreak in the history of the disease, with a total case count rate of 6263 and a total death of 2917 ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014d). The first human case to be diagnosed in Africa was a female Swiss entomologist who became ill few days later, autopsying a chimpanzee dead in Tai National Park, situated in the ivory coast and this took place during the period of 1994 (Pourrut et al., 2005). Characteristics of Ebola Virus The Ebola virus is a thread like, single stranded RNA virus with an uncommon, inconstant length and a branched histology (Paustain, 2013). When Ebola virus nucleoprotein (NP) enters mammalian cells it congregates into helical structures (Noda et al., 2010). The nucleoprotein which is a recombinant is correlated with non-viral RNA (Noda et al., 2010). The complete set of genes or genetic material present in the Ebola is 19 kb long and has seven reading frames (Sullivan, Yang and Nabel, 2003).The frames conceal structural proteins including the virioa envelope glycoprotein (GP), nucleoprotein (NP) and matrix proteins VP24 and VP40 and also non structural proteins, including VP30 and VP35 and the viral polymerase (Sullivan, Yang and Nabel, 2003). A soluble 60 to 70-K Da protein (s GP) and a full- length 150 to 70 K Da protein (GP) are two genes produced by the open reading frame of the Ebola virus and these proteins insert into the viral membrane through transcriptional editing (Sulliva n, Yang and Nabel, 2003). Figure 2: demonstrates the crystal structure of the Ebola virus. Figure 2: The crystal structure of an Ebola virus GP which reveals a three lobed chalice like structure. The three GP1 subunits mediate attachment to new host cells and are tethered together by the three GP2 subunits (Lee et al., 2008). Immunohistochemistry and Electron microscopic analysis revealed that endothelial cells, mononuclear phagocytes and hepatocytes are major targets of infection (Zaki et al., 1999) .The virus is carried by animals and is transmitted to humans, this spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission (WHO, 2014). Handling of ill or dead chimpanzees can also be a cause for the transmission of the virus, among humans Ebola can be transmitted by contact with infected bodily fluids, blood secretions or tissues (Jaax et al., 1995). Symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease When the Ebola virus enters the mammalian cells and infects a person, symptoms start to show between 2 to 21 days, or usually appear after 5 to 7 days after infection (NHS Choices, 2014). It begins with a fever accompanied by severe headache, joint pains, muscle pain, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, low back pain and fatigue (National Library of Medicine, 2013). These symptoms are shown between the incubation period of the virus (National Library of Medicine, 2013). Unfortunately, primary symptoms of Ebola virus disease are nonspecific (Willey, 2014). Patients may develop other serious symptoms, as the disease progress and signs such as eye redness, rash, hiccups, cough, chest pain, internal and external body bleeding (for example: mucosal surfaces) and difficulty in breathing and swallowing (Willey, 2014). There can also be signs and symptoms of coma, disseminated intravascular coagulation and shock (National Library of Medicine, 2013). Diagnosis Methods for Ebola Virus Disease The infection, caused by Ebola in the out breaks are confirmed by diverse laboratory diagnostic methods (Saijo, et al., 2006). The Ebola fever is difficult to be diagnosed, as the early symptoms and signs are similar to other diseases such as typhoid and malaria, but if the doctor suspects they use blood samples to identify the virus, including Enzyme- linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) and Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Mayo clinic, 2014). Currently only the geographic origin of the specimen may give some identification as to recognize the virus involved (Pattyn, 2014). Laboratory tests used in diagnosis include virus isolation which is done within few days after the symptoms begin, later in the disease course or after recovery the test of antibodies IgM and IgG is done and retrospectively in decreased patient’s immunohistochemistry, PCR and virus isolation are performed (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014a). Ebola virus is classified as Risk Group 4 which needs safety methods of diagnosis (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2014). Blood specimens are generally used to distinguish specific antigens or genes of the virus (Pozos, 2014). One of the methods used to detect Ebola is through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and in this method some doubted Ebola virus undergoes replication and the results are analyzed using electrophoresis (Pozos, 2014).Test done to diagnose the fever also include liver function test, test of how well the blood clots and C.B.C (The New York Times, 2014). Treatment Methods for Ebola Virus Disease Ebola virus fever has no known cure and antiviral medicines do not work well against the disease (The New York Times, 2014). Brincidofovir, the modified version of the drug Cidofovir inhabits replication of DNA viruses and this drug is used to treat Ebola patients (Rancaniello, 2014). In most cases the patient is hospitalized and will ostensibly need intensive care (The New York Times, 2014). The treatment given for a patient deteriorating from shock includes medication and fluids given intravenously (Pozo, 2014). The chance of survival can be significantly improved if the following basic involvements are used at the start: providing intravenous fluids and balancing body salts, maintaining the oxygen levels and treating other infections if they occur (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014b). An experimental treatment, known as ZMapp which is a combination of three antibodies can be tried, even though it has not yet been experimented on humans for effectiveness (NHS Choices, 2014). If they have bleeding problems he or she might require transfusion of platelets or blood (National Library of Medicine, 2013). Oxygen therapies and pain medications can be given to ease the pain (Kivi, 2012). Supportive treatment methods for Ebola Virus Disease also include medications to control fever, help the blood clot, to control blood pressure and antibiotics to prevent secondary infections from bacteria (Clinaero, 2014). Conclusion The deadly Ebola virus is killing thousands of naive people worldwide. No known successful treatment is found for cure. Filoviruses, Arenaviruses, Flaviruses and Bunyaviruses are the viruses responsible for causing viral hemorrhagic fever including Ebola which starts from mild symptoms to death. The Ebola virus spreads through the blood and replicates in organs including the liver, lymphatic organs kidneys ovaries and testes .Prevention is only option for the moment. First step of prevention is the spread of knowledge worldwide about the Ebola virus and its efficiency. In order to eradicate the disease the chain of infection can be identified and comprehended as well as further research can be conducted and a particular medicine can be found to cure the disease. Isolating the patient, practice of cautious hygiene and avoiding coming in contact with body fluids can reduce the spread of the disease. In conclusion, one has seen the facts of Ebola hemorrhagic fever as dreadful and grueso me as they are, but instead a more comprehensive approach is required which must include a global perspective and improved healthcare acquired from socioeconomic betterment is vital, which would protect the individual as well as those around the world. Reference List Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014a). Diagnosis of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever CDC. [Online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/diagnosis/index.html (Accessed: 10 October 2014). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014b). Treatment of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever CDC. [Online] Cdc.gov. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/treatment/index.html (Accessed: 10 October 2014). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014c). Outbreaks Chronology: Ebola Virus Disease CDC. [Online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/history/chronology.html (Accessed: 1 November 2014). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014d). Ebola Outbreak in West Africa,CDC [Online] Cdc.gov. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/index.htmL (Accessed: 1 November 2014). Clinaero, I. (2014). Ebola Treatment. [Online] ‘Health Information Brought To Life’. Available at: http://ebola.emedtv.com/ebola/ebola-treatment.html (Accessed: 10 October 2014). Chippaux, J. (2014). ‘Outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in Africa: the beginnings of a tragic saga’. Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Disease, 20(1), p.44. [Online] DOI: 10.1186/1678-9199-20-44 (Accessed: 11 October 2014). Feldmann, H. and Geisbert, T. (2011). ‘Ebola hemorrhagic fever’. The Lancet, 377(9768), pp.849-862. [Online] DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60667-8 (Accessed: 1 November 2014) Fernando, M. (2014). ‘No Sri Lankan infected by Ebola in West Africa Ambassador Ratnapala’. [Online] Sundayobserver.lk. Available at: http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2014/08/17/fea05.asp (Accessed: 1 November 2014). 2014). Jaax, N., Jahrling, P., Geisbert, T., Geisbert, J., Steele, K., McKee, K., Nagley, D., Johnson, E., Jaax, G. and Peters, C. (1995). ‘Transmission of Ebola virus (Zaire strain) to uninfected control monkeys in a biocontainment laboratory’. The Lancet, 346(8991-8992), pp.1669-1671. [Online] DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(95)92841-3 (Accessed: 11 October 2014). Kivi, R. (2014). ‘Ebola virus and disease’ [Online] Available at: http://www.healthline.com/health/ebola-hemorrhagic-fever#Overview (Accessed: 10 October 2014). Mayo Clinic. (2014). ‘Ebola virus and Marburg virus Tests and diagnosis Diseases and Conditions’. [Online] Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ebola-virus/basics/tests-diagnosis/con-20031241 (Accessed: 10 October 2014). McElroy, A., Erickson, B., Flietstra, T., Rollin, P., Nichol, S., Towner, J. and Spiropoulou, C. (2014). ‘Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever: Novel Biomarker Correlates of Clinical Outcome’. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 210(4), pp.558-566. [Online] DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiu088 (Accessed: 1 November 2014). Mupapa, K., Mukundu, W., Bwaka, M., Kipasa, M., De Roo, A., Kuvula, K., Kibadi, K., Massamba, M., Ndaberey, D., Colebunders, R. and Muyembeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Tamfum, J. (1999). ‘Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever and Pregnancy’. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 179(1), pp.S11-S12. [Online] DOI: 10.1086/514289 (Accessed: 1 November 2014). National Health Service. (2014). ‘Ebola virus disease NHS Choices’. [Online] Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ebola-virus/pages/ebola-virus.aspx(Accessed: 10 October 2014). National Library of Medicine. (2014). ‘Ebola hemorrhagic fever’. [Online] Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001339.htm (Accessed: 10 October 2014). Noda, T., Hagiwara, K., Sagara, H. and Kawaoka,Y. (2010. ‘Characterization of the ebola virus nucleoprotein-RNA complex’. Journal of General Virology, 91(6), pp.1478-1483. [Online] DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.019794-0 (Accessed: 11 October 2014). Pattyn, S. R. (2014). ‘Ebola Virus Hemorrhagic Fever’. [Online] Available at: http://www.itg.be/internet/ebola/ebola-20.htm (Accessed: 10 October 2014). Paustian, (2014). ‘Ebola is a filamentous virus with a single-stranded RNA genome’. The Microbial World: A look at all things small. [Online] Microbiologytext.com. Available at: http://www.microbiologytext.com/index.php?module=Bookfunc=displayarticleart_id=494 (Access: 11 October 2014). Peters, C. (2005). ‘Marburg and Ebola — Arming Ourselves against the Deadly Filoviruses’. New England Journal of Medicine, 352(25), pp.2571-257. [Online] DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp058109 (Accessed: 1 November.2014). Peters, C. J. and Peters, J.W. (1999) ‘An introduction to ebola: the virus and the disease’, Journal of Ebola, (1999)179, pp. ix-xvi. [Online] DOI: 10.1086/514322 (Accessed: 13 September 2014). Pozos, J. (2014). ‘Ebola’. [Online] Austincc.edu. Available at: http://www.austincc.edu/microbio/2704w/ev.htm (Accessed: 10 October 2014). Public Health Agency of Canada, (2014). Ebola virus Pathogen Safety Data Sheets. [Online] Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/lab-bio/res/psds-ftss/ebola-eng.php#footnote1 (Accessed: 10 October 2014). Pourrut, X., Kumulungui, B., Wittmann, T., Moussavou, G., Dà ©licat, A., Yaba, P., Nkoghe, D., Gonzalez, J. and Leroy, E. (2005). ‘The natural history of ebola virus in Africa; Microbes and Infection, 7(7-8), pp.1005-1014. [Online] DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2005.04.006 (Accessed: 11 October 2014). Rancaniello, V. (2014). ‘About Viruses and Viral Diseases’. Virology. Available at: http://www.virology.ws/ (Accessed: 11 October 2014). Saijo, M., Niikura, M., Ikegami, T., Kurane, I., Kurata, T. and Morikawa, S. (2006). ‘Laboratory Diagnostic Systems for Ebola and Marburg Hemorrhagic Fevers Developed with Recombinant Proteins’. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, [Online] 13(4), pp.444-451. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/cvi.13.4.444-451.2006 (Accessed: 10 October 2014). Sullivan, N., Yang, Z. and Nabel, G.J. (2003). ‘Ebola virus pathogenesis: implications for vaccines and therapies’. Journal of Virology, (2003) [Online] 77(18), pp.9733-9737. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jvi.77.18.9733-9737.2003 (Accessed: 2 November 2014). The New York Times, (2014). ‘Ebola hemorrhagic fever’. [Online] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/health/ guides/disease/ebola-hemorrhagic-fever/overview.htmL (Accessed: 10 October 2014). Waterman, T. (1999). ‘Brief general history of ebola’. [Online] Web.stanford.edu. Available at: https://web.stanford.edu/group/virus/filo/history.html (Accessed: 11 October 2014). Willey, J. (2014). Ebola Virus: Facts on Symptoms and the Latest Outbreak. [Online] Medicinenet.com. Available at: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/mobileart.asp?articlekey=160898page=6 (Accessed: 10 October 2014). World Health Organization (2014). ‘Ebola virus disease’. [Online] WHO Fact Sheet. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/ (Accessed: 11 October 2014). Zaki, S., Shieh, W., Greer, P., Goldsmith, C., Ferebee, T., Katshitshi, J., Tshioko, F., Bwaka, M., Swanepoel, R., Calain, P., Khan, A., Lloyd, E., Rollin, P., Ksiazek, T. and Peters, C. (1999). ‘A Novel Immunohistochemical Assay for the Detection of Ebola Virus in Skin: Implications for Diagnosis, Spread, and Surveillance of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever’. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 179(s1), pp.S36-S47. [Online] DOI: 10.1086/514319. (Accessed: 11 October 2014). 1

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Philosophy: The Power of Ideas Essay

 · Is it more common for people to make decisions regarding religion based on reason or by faith? Explain your answer. Considering the development of religious philosophy, it commonly appears that people make decision regarding their religion based on their faith. People create their religious doctrines, idealism, and theology based on the faith towards the existence of God wherein they argue that these principles are given with divine intervention and provision. In the aspect of religion, people decide matters within their institution as their approach for developing and strengthening their relationship towards their God through the medium of faith. Indeed, people pursue their religious interest based on faith rather than their own reasoning as an influential part of their religious philosophy is their faithful submission towards the divine being. As part of their religion, people make decisions as inspired by their faith thus, putting much more interest and significance on their religious teachings rather pursing their own idealism. In general, people put much more emphasis on faith towards the idealism of the divine being rather than the philosophy of the human beings.  · Considering the historical development of religious philosophy, whose philosophies do you think most advanced Western religious thought? Explain your answer. In the course of religious development in the world, most religious philosophies originated from the western culture though only some has full advanced and realized the western thought. Under this aspect, that the philosophy of the Roman Catholic religion manifests much representation of the western thoughts. Their teachings have promoted the monotheistic view towards divine existence and have strengthened the relationship of the human beings with their divine creator. Because of the significant foundations laid by their philosophy, the western thoughts were widely accepted by the other culture giving the western idealism much influence to the world. Because of the contribution of this specific religious philosophy, the world has realized the western thoughts regarding the existence of the divine being and has established their own religious relationship in relation to the western idealism

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Getting Away with Torture

Global Governance 11 (2005), 389–406 REVIEW ESSAY Getting Away with Torture Kenneth Roth The Bush administration’s use of torture and inhumane treatment has undermined one of the most basic global standards governing how governments can treat people under their control. Contrary to the efforts of the administration to pass this abuse off as the spontaneous misconduct of a few low-level soldiers, ample evidence demonstrates that it reflects policy decisions taken at the highest levels of the U. S. government.Repairing the damage done to global standards will require acknowledging this policy role and launching a genuinely independent investigation to identify those responsible and hold them accountable. The creation of regulated exceptions to the absolute prohibition of torture and mistreatment, as suggested by several academics, will not redeem the tarnished reputation of the United States or restore the global standards that the Bush administration has so severely dama ged. KEYWORDS: torture, Abu Ghraib, Guatanamo, interrogation, cruel treatment.B’Tselem, â€Å"Legislation Allowing the Use of Physical Force and Mental Coercion in Interrogations by the General Security Service,† B’Tselem Position Paper, January 2000, 80 pp. Mark Danner, Torture and Truth: America, Abu Ghraib, and the War on Terror (New York: New York Review of Books, 2004), 592 pp. Alan M. Dershowitz, Why Terrorism Works: Understanding the Threat, Responding to the Challenge (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002), 288 pp. Karen J. Greenberg and Joshua L. Dratel, eds. , The Torture Papers: The Road to Abu Ghraib (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 1,284 pp. Philip B. Heymann and Juliette N.Kayyem, Preserving Security and Democratic Freedoms in the War on Terrorism (Cambridge: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, 2004), 195 pp. Human Rights Watch, The Road to Abu Ghraib (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2004), 37 pp. Sanford Levinson, ed. , Torture: A Collection (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 328 pp. 389 390 Getting Away with Torture ho would have thought it still necessary to debate the merits of torture? Sure, there are always some governments that torture, but they do it clandestinely. Torture is inherently shameful—something that, if practiced, is done in the shadows.In the system of international human rights law and institutions that has been constructed since World War II, there is no more basic prohibition than the ban on torture. Even the right to life admits exceptions, such as the killing of combatants allowed in wartime. But torture is forbidden unconditionally, whether in time of peace or war, whether at the local police precinct or in the face of a major security threat. Yet, suddenly, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, torture and related mistreatment have become serious policy options for the United States.Academics are proposing ways to regulate the pain that can be inflicted on suspects in detention. Overly clever U. S. government lawyers have tried to define away laws against torture. The Bush administration claims latitude to abuse detainees that its predecessors would never have dared to contemplate. Washington’s new willingness to contemplate torture is not just theoretical. The abuse of prisoners has flourished in the gulag of offshore detention centers that the Bush administration now maintains in Guantanamo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the secret dungeons where the U. S. government’s â€Å"disappeared† prisoners are held.Hidden from public scrutiny, shielded from legal accountability, the interrogators in these facilities have been allowed to flout the most basic rules for the decent and humane treatment of detainees. Yet torture remains the despicable practice it has always been. It dehumanizes people by treating them as pawns to be manipulated through their pain. It harnesses the awesome power of the state and appl ies it to human beings at their most vulnerable. Breaching any restraint of reciprocity, it subjects the victim to abuse that the perpetrator would never himself want to suffer.Before looking at why Americans are suddenly confronting the torture option, it is useful to clarify what, exactly, torture is. The word torture has entered the vernacular to describe a host of irritants, but its formal meaning in international law is quite specific: the intentional infliction of severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, for whatever reason. Torture as defined in international law is not done by private actors but by government officials or those operating with their consent or acquiescence. 1 Torture exists on a continuum of mistreatment.Abuse just short of torture is known in international law as cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The lines between these different degrees of mistreatment are W Kenneth Roth 391 not crystal clear—lesser forms are often gateways to tort ure—which is one reason why international law prohibits all such forms of coercion. 2 Torture as well as cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment is flatly prohibited by such treaties as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), and the Geneva Conventions.All of these treaties are widely ratified, including by the United States. None permits any exception to these prohibitions, even in time of war or a serious security threat. Indeed, these prohibitions are so fundamental that the Restatement of the Foreign Relations Law of the United States, the most authoritative U. S. treatise on the matter, lists them as peremptory jus cogens norms, meaning they bind governments as a matter of customary international law, even in the absence of a treaty.Breach of these prohibitions gives rise to a crime of universal jurisdiction, allowing the perpetrator to be prosecut ed in any competent tribunal anywhere. Yet it is precisely because of the fundamental character of the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment that the Bush administration’s deliberate disregard for it is so damaging. If this basic human rights protection can be cast aside, no right is secure. Moreover, the Bush administration is not just any government. When most governments breach international human rights law, they commit a violation—the breach is condemned or prosecuted, but the rule remains firm.Yet when a government as dominant and influential as the United States openly defies that law and seeks to justify its defiance, it also undermines the law itself, and invites others to do the same. That shakes the very foundations of the international system for the protection of human rights that has been carefully constructed over the past sixty years. This unlawful conduct has also damaged Washington’s credibility as a proponent of hum an rights and a leader of the campaign against terrorism. The U. S. government’s record of promoting human rights has always been mixed.For every offender it berated for human rights transgressions, there was another whose abuses it ignored, excused, or even supported. Yet despite this inconsistency, the United States historically has played a key role in defending human rights. Its embrace of coercive interrogation—part of a broader betrayal of human rights principles in the name of combating terrorism—has significantly impaired its ability to mount that defense. As a result, governments facing human rights pressure from the United States now find it increasingly easy to turn the tables, to challenge Washington’s standing to uphold principles that it violates itself. 92 Getting Away with Torture Whether it is Egypt justifying torture by reference to U. S. practice, Malaysia defending administrative detention by invoking Guantanamo, Russia citing Abu Ghra ib to blame abuses in Chechnya solely on lowlevel soldiers, Nepal explaining a coup by reference to America’s postSeptember 11 excesses, or Cuba claiming the Bush administration had â€Å"no moral authority to accuse† it of human rights violations, repressive governments find it easier to deflect U. S. pressure because of Washington’s own sorry counterterrorism record on human rights.Indeed, when Human Rights Watch asked State Department officials to protest administrative detention in Malaysia and prolonged incommunicado detention in Uganda, they demurred, explaining, in the words of one, â€Å"With what we are doing in Guantanamo, we’re on thin ice to push this. †3 Washington’s loss of credibility has not been for lack of rhetorical support for concepts that are closely related to human rights, but the embrace of explicit human rights language seems to have been calculatedly rare.In his January 2005 inauguration speech, President Bush spok e extensively of his devotion to â€Å"freedom† and â€Å"liberty,† his opposition to â€Å"tyranny† and â€Å"terrorism,† but hardly at all about his commitment to human rights. 4 The distinction has enormous significance. It is one thing to pronounce oneself on the side of the â€Å"free,† quite another to be bound by the full array of human rights standards that are the foundation of freedom. It is one thing to declare oneself opposed to terrorism, quite another to embrace the body of international human rights and humanitarian law that enshrines the values rejecting terrorism.This linguistic sleight of hand—this refusal to accept the legal obligations embraced by rights-respecting states—has both reduced Washington’s credibility and facilitated its use of coercive interrogation. Because of this hypocrisy, many human rights defenders, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, now cringe when the United States comes t o their defense. Reformers in the Middle East speak of â€Å"the hug of death†Ã¢â‚¬â€the ill effects of Washington’s hypocritical embrace.They may crave a powerful ally, but identifying too closely with a government that so brazenly ignores international law, whether in its own abuses or its alliance with other abusers, has become a sure route to disrepute. At a time when the Bush administration is extolling itself as a champion of reform in the Middle East, as the catalyst behind recent democratic developments, however modest, in Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian territories, it is a sad irony that so few reformers welcome its support.That weakening of Washington’s moral authority in the Middle East is particularly tragic, because that region is where effective counterterrorism efforts are most needed. Open and responsive political systems Kenneth Roth 393 are the best way to encourage people to pursue their grievances peacefully. But whe n the most vocal governmental advocate of democracy deliberately violates human rights, it undermines democratically inclined reformers and strengthens the appeal of those who preach more radical visions. Instead, U. S. buses have provided a new rallying cry for terrorist recruiters, and the pictures from Abu Ghraib have become the recruiting posters for Terrorism, Inc. Many militants need no additional incentive to attack civilians, but if a weakened human rights culture eases even a few fence-sitters toward the path of violence, the consequences can be dire. Why is the United States taking this approach? To vent frustration, to exact revenge—possibly—but certainly not because torture and mistreatment are required for national security or protection.Respect for the Geneva Conventions does not preclude vigorously interrogating detainees about a limitless range of topics. The U. S. Army’s field manual on intelligence interrogation makes clear that coercion underm ines the quest for reliable information. 5 The U. S. military command in Iraq says that Iraqi detainees are providing more useful intelligence when they are not subjected to abuse. In the words of Craig Murray, the United Kingdom’s former ambassador to Uzbekistan, who was speaking of the UK’s reliance on torture-extracted testimony, â€Å"We are selling our souls for dross. 6 Moreover, coercive interrogation is making us less safe by effectively precluding criminal prosecution of its victims. Once a confession is coerced, it becomes extremely difficult to prove, as due process requires, that a subsequent prosecution of the suspect is free of the fruits of that coercion. As a result, the Bush administration finds itself holding some suspects who clearly have joined terrorist conspiracies and might have been criminally convicted and subjected to long prison terms, but against whom prosecution has become impossible. In February 2005, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) began openly fretting about the problem.What happens, it worried, when continuing to detain suspects without trial becomes politically untenable, but prosecuting them is legally impossible because of taint from coercive interrogation? 7 None of this is to say that the United States is the worst human rights abuser. There are many more serious contenders for that notorious title, including governments that torture more frequently and more ruthlessly. But the United States is certainly the most influential abuser, making its contribution to the degradation of human rights standards unique and the costs to global institutions for upholding human rights incalculable.It is not enough to argue, as its defenders do, that the Bush administration is well intentioned—that they are the â€Å"good guys,† in the 394 Getting Away with Torture words of the Wall Street Journal. 8 A society ordered on intentions rather than law is a lawless society. Nor does it excuse the administrati on’s human rights record, as its defenders have tried to do, to note that it removed two tyrannical governments—the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Ba’ath Party in Iraq. Attacks on repressive regimes cannot justify attacks on the body of principles that makes their repression illegal.So, how did we get here? How did the United States, historically perhaps the most vigorous governmental proponent of human rights, come to undermine through its own actions one of the most basic human rights there is? Several books, both new and old, provide insight into this sorry state of affairs. Cover-Up and Self-Investigation When the photos from Abu Ghraib became public, the Bush administration reacted like many abusive governments that are caught redhanded: it went into damage control mode. It agreed that the torture and abuse featured in the photographs were wrong but sought to minimize the problem.The abusers, it claimed, were a handful of errant soldiers, a few â€Å"bad a pples† at the bottom of the barrel. The problem, it argued, was contained, both geographically (one section of Abu Ghraib prison) and structurally (only low-level soldiers, not more senior commanders). The abuse photographed at Abu Ghraib and broadcast around the world, it maintained, had nothing to do with the decisions and policies of more senior officials. President Bush vowed that â€Å"wrongdoers will be brought to justice,†9 but as of March 2005, virtually all of those facing prosecution were of the rank of sergeant or below.To some extent, the sheer outrageousness of the sexual and physical depravity featured in the Abu Ghraib photographs made it easier for the administration to disown responsibility. Few believe that President Bush or his senior officials would have ordered, for example, Lyndie England to parade about a naked detainee on a leash. Yet behind this particular mistreatment was an atmosphere of abuse to which the Bush administration, at the highest l evels, did contribute. The ingredients of that atmosphere are described in several new books.The most comprehensive compilation of the documentary record is contained in The Torture Papers, a book edited by Karen Greenberg and Joshua Dratel, which includes all of the administration’s notorious â€Å"torture memos† available by late 2004. Mark Danner’s book, Torture and Truth, includes many of these same documents, as well as his insightful analysis, drawn from his articles in the New York Review of Kenneth Roth 395 Books, of the policy decisions that lay behind them. The Human Rights Watch report, The Road to Abu Ghraib,10 details how this atmosphere played out on he ground, as American interrogators deployed â€Å"stress and duress† interrogation techniques and then covered up the cruel and occasionally deadly consequences. Torture: A Collection, a new set of essays on torture edited by Sanford Levinson, contains thoughtful essays from a range of scholar s, including a vigorous debate about how to limit torture in the post-September 11 environment. The key to the administration’s strategy of damage control was a series of carefully limited investigations—at least ten so far.The reports of several of these are reprinted in the Greenberg and Dratel compilation. Most of the investigations, such as those conducted by Maj. Gen. George Fay and Lt. Gen. Anthony Jones, involved uniformed military officials examining the conduct of their subordinates; these officers lacked the authority to scrutinize senior Pentagon officials. Typical was the most recent investigation, conducted by Vice Admiral Albert T. Church III, who said he did not interview senior officials such as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld or draw conclusions about their individual responsibility. 11The one investigation with the theoretical capacity to examine the conduct of Secretary Rumsfeld and his top aides—the inquiry led by former secretary of def ense James Schlesinger—was initiated by Rumsfeld himself and seemed to go out of its way to distance Rumsfeld from the problem. At the press conference releasing the investigative report, Schlesinger said that Rumsfeld’s resignation â€Å"would be a boon to all America’s enemies. † The Schlesinger investigation lacked the independence of, for example, the September 11 Commission, which was established with the active involvement of the U.S. Congress. 12 As for the CIA—the branch of the U. S. government believed to hold the most important terrorist suspects—it has apparently escaped scrutiny by anyone other than its own inspector general. Meanwhile, no one seems to be looking at the role of President Bush and other senior administration officials. As for criminal investigations, there has been none independent of the Bush administration. When an unidentified government official retaliated against a critic of the administration by revealing th at his wife was a CIA agent—a erious crime because it could endanger her—the administration agreed, under pressure, to appoint a special prosecutor who has been promised independence from administration direction. Yet the administration has refused to appoint a special prosecutor to determine whether senior officials authorized torture and other coercive interrogation—a far more serious and systematic offense. So far, prosecutors 396 Getting Away with Torture under the direction of the administration have focused only on the little guy. The Policies Behind Abu Ghraib What would a genuinely independent investigation find?It would reveal that the abusive interrogation seen at Abu Ghraib did not erupt spontaneously at the lowest levels of the military chain of command. It was not merely a â€Å"management† failure, as the Schlesinger investigation suggested. As shown in the collection of official documents organized by Greenberg and Dratel and Danner, Danner ’s analysis, and the Human Rights Watch study, these abuses were the direct product of an environment of lawlessness, an atmosphere created by policy decisions taken at the highest levels of the Bush administration, long before the start of the Iraq war.They reflect a determination to fight terrorism unconstrained by fundamental principles of international human rights and humanitarian law, despite commitments by the United States and governments around the world to respect those principles even in times of war and severe security threats. These policy decisions included: †¢ The decision not to grant the detainees in U. S. custody at Guantanamo their rights under the Geneva Conventions, even though the conventions apply to all people picked up on the battlefield of Afghanistan.Senior Bush officials vowed that all detainees would be treated â€Å"humanely,† but that vow seems never to have been seriously implemented and at times was qualified (and arguably eviscera ted) by a selfcreated exception for â€Å"military necessity. † Meanwhile, the effective shredding of the Geneva Conventions—and the corresponding sidestepping of the U. S. Army’s interrogation manual—sent U. S. interrogators the signal that, in the words of one leading counterterrorist official, â€Å"the gloves come off. †13 The decision not to clarify for nearly two years that, regardless of the applicability of the Geneva Conventions, all detainees in U. S. custody are protected by the parallel requirements of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture. Even when, at the urging of human rights groups, the Pentagon’s general counsel belatedly reaffirmed, in June 2003, that CAT prohibited not only torture but also other forms of ill treatment, that announcement was communicated to interrogators, if at all, in a way that had no discernible impact on their behavior.Kenneth Roth 397 †¢ The decision to interpret the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment narrowly, to permit certain forms of coercive interrogation—that is, certain efforts to ratchet up a suspect’s pain, suffering, and humiliation to make him talk. At the time of ratifying the ICCPR in 1992 and the CAT in 1994, the U. S. government said it would interpret this prohibition to mean the same thing as the requirements of the Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the U. S. Constitution.The clear intent was to require that if an interrogation technique would be unconstitutional if used in an American police station or jail, it would violate these treaties if used against suspects overseas. Yet U. S. interrogators under the Bush administration have routinely subjected overseas terrorist suspects to abusive techniques that would clearly have been prohibited if used in the United States. That the use of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment was intentional was suggested by Att orneyGeneral Alberto Gonzales during his confirmation process.In his written reply to Senate questions—after the administration had supposedly repudiated the worst aspects of its torture memos—he interpreted the U. S. reservation as permitting the use of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment so long as it was done against non-Americans outside the United States. 14 That makes the United States the only government in the world to claim openly as a matter of policy the power to use cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.Other governments obviously subject detainees to inhumane treatment or worse as a matter of clandestine policy, but the Bush administration is the only government to proclaim this policy publicly. Reflecting that policy, the Bush administration in late 2004 successfully stopped a congressional effort to proscribe the CIA’s use of torture and inhumane treatment in interrogation. †¢ The decision to hold some suspects—eleven known15 and r eportedly some three dozen—in unacknowledged incommunicado detention, beyond the reach of even the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).Many other suspects were apparently temporarily hidden from the ICRC. Victims of such â€Å"disappearances† are at the greatest risk of torture and other mistreatment. For example, U. S. forces continue to maintain closed detention sites in Afghanistan, where beatings, threats, and sexual humiliation are still reported. At least twenty-six prisoners have died in U. S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2002 in what army and navy investigators have concluded or suspect were acts of criminal homicide. 16 One of those deaths was as recently as September 2004. The refusal for over two years to prosecute U. S. soldiers implicated in the December 2002 deaths of two suspects in U. S. custody in Afghanistan—deaths ruled â€Å"homicides† by U. S. Army pathologists. 398 Getting Away with Torture Instead, the interroga tors were sent to Abu Ghraib, where some were allegedly involved in more abuse. †¢ The approval by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld of some interrogation methods for Guantanamo that violated, at the very least, the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and possibly the ban on torture.These techniques included placing detainees in painful stress positions, hooding them, stripping them of their clothes, and scaring them with guard dogs. That approval was later rescinded, but it contributed to the environment in which the legal obligations of the United States were seen as dispensable. †¢ The reported approval by an unidentified senior Bush administration official, and use, of â€Å"water boarding†Ã¢â‚¬â€known as the â€Å"submarine† in Latin America—a torture technique in which the victim is made to believe he will drown, and in practice sometimes does.Remarkably, Porter Goss, the CIA director, defended water boarding in March 2005 testimon y before the Senate as a â€Å"professional interrogation technique. †17 †¢ The sending of suspects to governments such as Syria, Uzbekistan, and Egypt that practice systematic torture. Sometimes diplomatic assurances have been sought that the suspects would not be mistreated, but if, as in these cases, the government receiving the suspect routinely flouts its legal obligation under the CAT, it is wrong to expect better compliance with the nonbinding word of a diplomat.The administration claimed that it monitored prisoners’ treatment, but a single prisoner, lacking the anonymity afforded by a larger group, would often be unable to report abuse for fear of reprisal. One U. S. official who visited foreign detention sites disparaged this charade: â€Å"They say they are not abusing them, and that satisfies the legal requirement, but we all know they do. †18 †¢ The decision (adopted by the Bush administration from its earliest days) to oppose and undermine the International Criminal Court (ICC), in part out of fear that it might compel the United States to prosecute U.S. personnel implicated in war crimes or other comparable offenses that the administration would prefer to ignore. The administration spoke in terms of the ICC infringing U. S. sovereignty, but since the ICC could not have jurisdiction over offenses committed by Americans in the United States without Washington’s consent, the sovereignty argument actually cuts the other way: it is a violation of the sovereignty of other governments on whose territory an atrocity might be committed not to be free to determine whether to prosecute the crime themselves or to send the matter to the ICC.The administration’s position on the ICC was thus reduced to an assertion of exceptionalism—a claim that no international enforcement regime should regulate U. S. criminality overseas. Kenneth Roth 399 That signaled the administration’s determination to protect U. S. personnel from external accountability for any serious human rights offense that it might authorize. Since, in the absence of a special prosecutor, the administration itself controlled the prospects for domestic criminal accountability, its position offered an effective promise of impunity. The decision by the Justice Department, the Defense Department, and the White House counsel to concoct dubious legal theories to justify torture, despite objections from the State Department and professional military attorneys. Under the direction of politically appointed lawyers, the administration offered such absurd interpretations of the law as the claim that coercion is not torture unless the pain caused is â€Å"equivalent to the pain that would be associated with serious physical injury so severe that death, organ failure, or permanent damage resulting in a loss of significant body function will likely result. Similarly, the administration claimed that President Bush has â€Å"command er-in-chief authority† to order torture—a theory under which Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam Hussein may as well be given the keys to their jail cells, since they too presumably would have had â€Å"commander-in-chief authority† to authorize the atrocities that they directed. The Justice Department, in a December 2004 memorandum modifying the definition of torture, chose not to repudiate the claim about commander-in-chief authority to order torture but instead stated that repudiation was unnecessary because, it said, the president opposes torture as a matter of policy.These policy decisions, taken not by low-level soldiers but by senior officials of the Bush administration, created an â€Å"anything goes† atmosphere, an environment in which the ends were assumed to justify the means. Sometimes the mistreatment of detainees was merely tolerated, but at other times it was actively encouraged or even ordered. In that environment, when the demand came from on hi gh for â€Å"actionable intelligence†Ã¢â‚¬â€intelligence that might help stem the steady stream of U. S. asualties at the hands of Iraqi insurgents—it was hardly surprising that interrogators saw no obstacle in the legal prohibition of torture and mistreatment. Nor did these basic human rights rules limit the broader effort to protect Americans from the post-September 11 risks of terrorism. To this day, the Bush administration has failed to repudiate many of these decisions. It continues to refuse to apply the Geneva Conventions to any of the more than 500 detainees held at Guantanamo (despite a U. S. court ruling rejecting its position) and to many others detained in Iraq and Afghanistan.It continues to â€Å"disappear† detainees, despite ample proof that these â€Å"ghost detainees† are extraordinarily vulnerable 400 Getting Away with Torture to torture. It continues to defend the practice of â€Å"rendering† suspects to governments that torture on the basis of unbelievable assurances and meaningless monitoring. It refuses to accept the duty never to use cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment anywhere. It continues its vendetta against the ICC. It has only selectively repudiated the many specious arguments for torture contained in the administration lawyers’ notorious â€Å"torture memos. And long after the abuses of Abu Ghraib became public—at least as late as June 2004—the Bush administration reportedly continued to subject Guantanamo detainees to beatings, prolonged isolation, sexual humiliation, extreme temperatures, and painful stress positioning, all practices that the ICRC reportedly called â€Å"tantamount to torture. †19 In selecting his cabinet for his second presidential term, President Bush seemed to rule out even informal accountability. Secretary of State Colin Powell, the cabinet official who most forcefully opposed the administration’s disavowal of the Geneva Conventions, left his post.Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who ordered abusive interrogation techniques in violation of international law, stayed on. White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales, who sought production of the memos justifying torture and who wrote that the fight against terrorism renders â€Å"obsolete† and â€Å"quaint† the Geneva Conventions’ limitations on the interrogation and treatment of prisoners, was rewarded with appointment as attorney general. 20 As for the broader Bush administration, the November 2004 electoral victory seems to have reinforced its traditional disinclination to serious self-examination.It persists in its refusal to admit any policylevel misconduct in the treatment of detainees under interrogation. The Twisted Logic of Torture The Bush administration’s policy of abusive interrogation has received important support in the United States from three Harvard professors: Alan Dershowitz and Phil Heymann of Harvard Law School and Juliette Kayy em of Harvard’s Kennedy School. Rather than reinforce the absolute prohibitions of international law, each would seek to regulate exceptions to the prohibitions on mistreating detainees.Ostensibly their aim is to curtail that mistreatment but, by legitimizing it through regulation, they would have the opposite effect. Dershowitz, in his book Why Terrorism Works and in his chapter in the Levinson compilation, typifies this regulatory approach. In his view, torture is inevitable, so prohibiting it will only drive it underground, where low-level officials use it in their discretion. Instead, he would subject torture to judicial oversight by requiring investigators who want Kenneth Roth 401 to use it to seek the approval of a judge—to procure a torture warrant, much like they would seek a search warrant or an arrest warrant.This independent scrutiny, he posits, would reduce the incidence of torture. Dershowitz’s argument is built largely on faith that forcing tortur e into the open would reduce its use. But he simply assumes that judges would have a less permissive attitude toward torture than do the senior members of the Bush administration. The available evidence is not encouraging. Since torture would presumably be sought in connection with investigations into serious criminal or national security matters, the information behind the request for a torture warrant would presumably be secret.As in the case of a search warrant or a wiretap, that would mean an ex parte application to a judge, with no notice to the would-be victim of torture and no independent counsel opposing the request. How rigorous would judicial oversight be in such cases? We can derive some sense from the record of the courts used to approve foreign intelligence wiretaps, and the picture is not impressive. According to the Center for Democracy and Technology, between 1993 and 2003, courts operating under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) were asked to approve nearly 10,000 wiretaps of foreign sovereign agents.Of those, all but four were approved. When an intelligence agent claims that life-and-death matters of national security are at stake, there is no reason to believe that the scrutiny by Dershowitz’s torture courts would be any more rigorous. In the meantime, by signaling that torture is at least sometimes acceptable, Deshowitz would reduce the stigma associated with its use. Torture would no longer be a despicable practice never to be used, but merely one more tool in the law enforcement arsenal.Torture specialists eager to practice their trade would appear, international prohibitions of torture would be undermined, and America’s credibility as an opponent of torture would be deeply tarnished. Dershowitz points out that accepting clandestine torture also legitimizes it, but he seems never seriously to consider the alternative: vigorously trying to stop, and prosecute, anyone who breaches the absolute ban on torture. He ymann and Kayyem take a slightly different approach in their monograph, Preserving Security and Democratic Freedoms in the War on Terrorism. They foreswear torture but would allow a U. S. resident to order cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment so long as he or she certified to Congress that American lives were at stake. Again, the theory is that such treatment would be rare because the president would be reluctant to invoke that power. But since the president has already claimed â€Å"commander-in-chief authority† to order even torture, and since his attorney general claimed the power as recently as January 2005 to 402 Getting Away with Torture order cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment so long as it is used against non-Americans overseas,21 Heymann and Kayyem are probably overestimating presidential inhibitions.Making the defense against cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment depend on the man who has made such treatment a central part of U. S. counterterrorism strategy i s truly asking the fox to guard the chicken coop. Heymann and Kayyem take a similar regulatory approach to coercive interrogation short of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The U. S. Army’s field manual on intelligence interrogation makes clear that coercive interrogation is unnecessary, unreliable, and wrong.That’s because, as most professional interrogators explain, coercive interrogation is far less likely to produce reliable information than the time-tested methods of careful questioning, probing, cross-checking, and gaining the confidence of the detainee. A person facing severe pain is likely to say whatever he thinks will stop the torture. But a skilled interrogator can often extract accurate information from the toughest suspect without resorting to coercion. Yet Heymann and Kayyem would abandon that bright-line rule and permit coercive interrogation so long as the president notifies Congress of the techniques to be used.However, setting American interroga tors free from the firm mooring of the U. S. Army field manual can be dangerous, as we have seen so painfully in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. If mere coercion (itself a violation of the Geneva Conventions in wartime) does not work—and, given that the suspect is supposedly a hardened terrorist, often it will not—interrogators will be all too tempted to ratchet up the pain, suffering, and humiliation until the suspect cracks, regardless of the dubious reliability of information provided in such circumstances.In this way, coercion predictably gives way to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, which in turn gives rise to torture. The proposals from Dershowitz and Heymann and Kayyem suffer from the same fundamental defect: they seek to regulate the mistreatment of detainees rather than reinforce the prohibition against such abuse. In the end, any effort to regulate mistreatment ends up legitimizing it and inviting repetition. â€Å"Never† can not be redeemed if allowed to be read as â€Å"sometimes. † Regulation too easily becomes license.Behind the Dershowitz and Heymann and Kayyem proposals is some variation of the â€Å"ticking bomb† scenario, a situation in which interrogators are said to believe that a terrorist suspect in custody knows where a ticking bomb has been planted and must urgently force that information from him to save lives. Torture and inhumane treatment Kenneth Roth 403 may be wrong, those who talk of ticking bombs would concede, but the mass murder of a terrorist attack is worse, so in these supposedly rare situations, the lesser evil must be tolerated to prevent the greater one.The ticking bomb scenario makes for great philosophical discussion, but it rarely arises in real life, at least not in a way that avoids opening the door to pervasive torture. In fact, interrogators hardly ever learn that a suspect in custody knows of a particular, imminent terrorist bombing. Intelligence is rar ely if ever good enough to demonstrate a particular suspect’s knowledge of an imminent attack. Instead, interrogators tend to use circumstantial evidence to show such â€Å"knowledge,† such as someone’s association with or presumed membership in a terrorist group.Moreover, the ticking bomb scenario is a dangerously expansive metaphor capable of embracing anyone who might have knowledge not just of immediate attacks but also of attacks at unspecified future times. After all, why are the victims of only an imminent terrorist attack deserving of protection by torture and mistreatment? Why not also use such coercion to prevent a terrorist attack tomorrow or next week or next year? And once the taboo against torture and mistreatment is broken, why stop with the alleged terrorists themselves?Why not also torture and abuse their families or associates—or anyone who might provide lifesaving information? The slope is very slippery. Israel’s experience is in structive in showing how dangerously elastic the ticking bomb rationale can become, as described by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem in its report on interrogations by Israel’s intelligence agency, the General Security Services (GSS). In 1987, an official government commission, headed by former Israeli Supreme Court president Moshe Landau, recommended authorizing the use of â€Å"moderate physical pressure† in ticking bomb situations.As B’Tselem describes, a practice initially justified as rare and exceptional, taken only when necessary to save lives, gradually became standard GSS procedure. Soon, some 80 to 90 percent of Palestinian security detainees were being tortured until 1999 when the Israeli Supreme Court curtailed the practice. Dershowitz cites the court’s belated intervention as validation of his theory that regulating torture is the best way to defeat it, but he never asks whether the severe victimization of so many Palestinians c ould have been avoided with a prohibitory approach from the start.Notably, Israel’s escalation in the use of torture took place even though a ministerial committee chaired by the prime minister was supervising interrogation practices—a regulatory procedure similar to the one proposed by Heymann and Kayyem. Indeed, in September 1994, following several suicide bombings, the ministerial committee 404 Getting Away with Torture even loosened the restrictions on interrogators by permitting â€Å"increased physical pressure. † Heymann and Kayyem never explain why, especially in light of the abysmal record of the Bush administration, we should expect any better from high-level U. S. officials.The Way Forward Faced with substantial evidence showing that the abuses at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere were caused in large part by official government policies, the Bush administration must reaffirm the importance of making human rights a guiding force for U. S. conduct, even in figh ting terrorism. That requires acknowledging and reversing the policy decisions behind the administration’s torture and mistreatment of detainees, holding accountable those responsible at all levels of government for this abuse (not just a bunch of privates and sergeants), and publicly committing to ending all forms of coercive interrogation.These steps are necessary to reaffirm the prohibition of torture and ill treatment, to redeem Washington’s voice as a credible proponent of human rights, and to restore the effectiveness of a U. S. -led campaign against terrorism. Yet all that is easier said than done. How can President Bush and the Republican-controlled U. S. Congress be convinced to establish a fully independent investigative commission—similar to the one created to examine the attacks of September 11, 2001—to determine what went wrong in the administration’s interrogation practices and to prescribe remedial steps?How can Attorney-General Gonz ales, who as White House counsel played a central role in formulating the administration’s interrogation policy, be persuaded to recognize his obvious conflict of interest and appoint a special prosecutor charged with investigating criminal misconduct independently of the Justice Department’s direction? These are not steps that the administration or its congressional allies will take willingly. Pressure will be needed. And that pressure cannot and should not come from only the usual suspects.The torture and abuse of prisoners is an affront to the most basic American values. It is antithetical to the core beliefs in the integrity of the individual on which the United States was founded. And it violates one of the most basic prohibitions of international law. This is not a partisan concern, not an issue limited to one part of the political spectrum. It is a matter that all Americans—and their friends around the world—should insist be meaningfully addressed and changed.It is an issue that should preoccupy governments, whether friend or foe, as well as such international organizations and actors as Kenneth Roth 405 the UN Commission on Human Rights, Human Rights Committee, High Commissioner on Human Rights, and Special Rapporteur on Torture. Taking on the world’s superpower is never easy, but it is essential if the basic architecture of international human rights law and institutions is not to be deeply compromised.As Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the March 2005 International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security: â€Å"Upholding human rights is not merely compatible with successful counter-terrorism strategy. It is an essential element. †22 There is no room for torture, even in fighting terrorism; it risks undermining the foundation on which all of our rights rest. Notes Kenneth Roth is executive director of Human Rights Watch. 1. See Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Art. 1. . Ibid. , Art. 16. 3. See â€Å"Malaysia: P. M’s Visit Puts Spotlight on Detainee Abuse,† Human Rights Watch News, 19 July 2004, available online at http://hrw. org/english/ docs/2004/07/19/malays9097. htm. 4. Fifty-fifth Inaugural Ceremony, 20 January 2005; see www. whitehouse. gov/inaugural. 5. Headquarters, Department of the Army, Field Manual 34-52 Intelligence Interrogation, Washington, D. C. , 28 September 1992, available online at http://atiam. train. army. mil/portal/atia/adlsc/view/public/302562-1/FM/3452/FM34_52. PDF. 6. ‘Torture Intelligence’ Criticized,† BBC News, 11 October 2004, available online at http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/uk/3732488. stm. 7. Douglas Jehl, â€Å"C. I. A. Is Seen as Seeking New Role on Detainees,† New York Times, 16 February 2005. 8. â€Å"Red Double-Crossed Again,† Wall Street Journal, 2 December 2004. 9. Remarks by President Bush and His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite K ingdom of Jordan in a Press Availability, 6 May 2004, available online at www. whitehouse. gov/news/releases/2004/05/20040506-9. html. 10. Available online at http://www. rw. org/reports/2004/usa0604/. 11. Josh White and Bradley Graham, â€Å"Senators Question Absence of Blame in Abuse Report,† Washington Post, 11 March 2005. 12. The 9/11 Commission Report, see http://a257. g. akamaitech. net/7/257/ 2422/05aug20041050/www. gpoaccess. gov/911/pdf/fullreport. pdf. 13. Testimony of Cofer Black, former director of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center, before a joint session of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, 26 September 2002, available online at www. fas. org/irp/congress/ 2002_hr/092602black. tml. (â€Å"All I want to say is that there was ‘before’ 9/11 and ‘after’ 9/11. After 9/11 the gloves come off. †) 14. â€Å"A Degrading Policy,† Washington Post, 26 January 2005; â€Å"U. S. Justifying Abuse of Detainees,† H uman Rights Watch News, 25 January 2005. 406 Getting Away with Torture 15. Human Rights Watch, The United States’ â€Å"Disappeared†: The CIA’s Long-Term â€Å"Ghost Detainees† (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2004), available online at www. hrw. org/backgrounder/usa/us1004/index. htm. 16. Douglas Jehl and Eric Schmitt, â€Å"U. S.Military Says 26 Inmate Deaths May Be Homicide,† New York Times, 16 March 2005. 17. Douglas Jehl, â€Å"Questions Are Left by C. I. A. Chief on the Use of Torture,† New York Times, 18 March 2005. 18. Dana Priest, â€Å"CIA’s Assurances on Transferred Suspects Doubted,† Washington Post, 17 March 2005. 19. Neil A. Lewis, â€Å"Red Cross Finds Detainee Abuse in Guantanamo,† New York Times, 30 November 2004. 20. Memorandum to the President from Alberto R. Gonzales, 25 January 2002, available online at www. msnbc. msn. com/id/4999148/site/newsweek. â€Å"In my judgment, this new paradigm [the war aga inst terrorism] renders obsolete Geneva’s strict limitations on questioning of enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of its provisions requiring that captured enemy be afforded . . . [listed] privileges. †) 21. â€Å"A Degrading Policy† and â€Å"U. S. Justifying Abuse of Detainees. † 22. Keynote address to the Closing Plenary of the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security, â€Å"A Global Strategy for Fighting Terrorism,† Madrid, Spain, 10 March 2005, available online at www. un. org/apps/sg/ sgstats. asp? nid=1345.