United States after World War II Essay Example for Free

United States after World War II Essay The influence of the United States over political and economic affairs worldwide sharply decreased after World War II. US officials found this psychologically difficult to accept, given their country’s key role in the war. Jeffery E. Garten further elaborated on this sentiment: â€Å"Part of America’s outdated self-image is still related to the memory of the Pax Americana, the era of omnipotence for the twenty years following World War II†¦These were very special years in the American experience, to be fondly remembered, even cherished. But they were, looking back, a transition period†¦We need to find a way to put these years and what they represent behind us† (Paarlberg, 1995). As far as Garten knew, the US clearly had difficulty in coming to terms with its changing position in the world. As a result, outward-looking internationalism dominated US policymaking after World War II. This trend was most visible in the post-World War II history of US relations with other countries. After World War II, US foreign policy broke away from its historical tradition of avoiding permanent diplomatic alliances. This departure had a strong impact on American politics and economy (Paarlberg, 1995). The US Economy after World War II US foreign policy conventionally espoused inward-looking diplomatic neutrality beyond the Western Hemisphere and parts of the Pacific. In the 1930s, the US Congress passed three separate neutrality acts, which legally prohibited the US from taking sides in the military or diplomatic disputes of Europe or Asia. It was not until the Great Depression that protectionism was discredited through the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930. However, this law faced strong opposition from industrialists and political partisans. These parties believed that the domestic market was large enough to accommodate certain amounts of trade protection and corporate parochialism (Paarlberg, 1995). Unusual Economic Supremacy Right after World War II, a period when rival economies in Europe were exhausted and destroyed, the US was enjoying a strong economy and was even strengthening its technological superiority. High production demands during the war increased the country’s Gross National Product (GNP) by 50% in real terms. By 1950, the US economy was 5 times larger than that of the Soviet Union and 10 times than that of Japan. In sharp contrast, World War II reduced Western European economies by 25% (Paarlberg, 1995). The US economic boom continued after the war through unilateral military and economic policy initiatives, such as the Truman Doctrine (March 12, 1947) and the Marshall Plan (July 12, 1947). These strategies allowed the US to dominate political reconstruction in both West Germany and Japan, as well as the establishment of American naval and air forces across the Atlantic and the Pacific. Allies and defeated adversaries alike were offered economic advantages such as grants, technical assistance, credits and market access – without immediate repayment or demands for perfect reciprocity. The US dollar replaced gold as an international key currency, allowing the US to dominate international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund – World Bank (IMF-WB) (Paarlberg, 1995). The Ideology of the Cold War The US did not carry out these measures without any underlying economic or security motives. Perceived threats of Stalinism (and later Maoism) prompted the American government to secure its political, economic and military influence overseas. The relative power of the US Congress was weakened in order to give the US President unprecedented peacetime authority over the deployment and use of both conventional and nuclear weapons, as well as unsupervised clout over the clandestine operations abroad of the then-newly-established Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Nations who were previously wartime allies suddenly found themselves fighting one another simply because they were at the opposite ends of the Cold War ideological fence (Paarlberg, 1995). Communism versus Capitalism: The Consolidation of Power At the height of the Cold War, both the US and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) scrambled to find foreign allies that will espouse their respective ideologies. Countries that were allied either with the US or the Soviet Union received generous political, economic and military aid. There were even leaders from these nations that rose to power through US or Soviet backing. The Cold War was not just an â€Å"arms race† but an ideological struggle as well. The Soviet Union. Beginning in 1945, governments across Eastern Europe were characterized with â€Å"people’s democracies† or Soviet-type regimes that had a Communist form of domestic administration and whose foreign policies were dictated by the USSR. These â€Å"people’s democracies† isolated and destroyed opposing political factions, expropriated large land holdings, instituted collective farming (except in Poland) and nationalized almost all industries. Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Albania and East Germany were eventually included into the Soviet Union. With the cooperation of these countries, the USSR founded the Communist Information Bureau (Cominform). However, Yugoslavia was expelled from the Cominform in 1948 due to Yugoslavian President Josip Broz Tito’s resistance against Soviet interference in his country’s affairs (MSN Encarta, 2008). The US The US countered by establishing right-wing monarchial and military dictatorships in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America starting from the 1960s. In Africa, it backed the oppressive regimes of Idi Amin in Uganda (1971), King Hassan II in Morocco (1961) and Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire (1965). In Asia, US-engineered dictatorships included those of Ngo Dinh Diem in South Vietnam (1955), Park Chung Hee in South Korea (1961) and Pol Pot in Cambodia (1975). In Latin America, Augusto Pinochet of Chile (1973), Francois and Jean-Claude Duvalier of Haiti (1957 and 1971, respectively) and Nicaragua’s Anastacio Somoza Garcia (1937) and Anastacio Somoza Debayle (1956). In Europe, the US sponsored the governments of Spain’s Francisco Franco (1939) and Greece’s George Papadopoulos (1967) (Bernstein and Sydell, 1995). American Policies and Practices in International Relations (Late 1940s – Mid-1950s) The US radically increased its defense spending from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s due to the Cold War and the spread of Communism in Korea, Eastern Europe and China during the said period. Companies, particularly those related with the defense industry, saw this as an opportunity for immense profits. However, over-reliance of American enterprises on defense contracts resulted in the emergence of the military-industrial complex (MIC). The MIC, in turn, heavily influenced US foreign policy from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s (Schultz, 1999). The Military-Industrial Complex (MIC) The increase in the federal government’s military spending prompted enterprises to do business with the US Department of Defense. There were at least 40,000 defense contractors working for the federal government by the mid-1950s, providing services such as the manufacturing of uniforms, weapons and ammunition. Universities and technology-related firms were used as research and development departments, wherein new weapons and fighting strategies were created. By the 1970s, the US Department of Defense had surpassed the 75 largest corporations in America in terms of economic assets. This led to criticisms that the US was building a permanent â€Å"war economy† (Schultz, 1999). In order to sustain this â€Å"war economy,† the US government had no choice but keep on waging wars with other countries. When the US economy underwent a recession in 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower responded by boosting the defense budget (Schultz, 1999). He likewise staged a number of armed conflicts with other nations. Hence, Eisenhower’s administration was known for disputes such as clashes with Red China over Taiwan (1955) and the Berlin Crisis (1959) (MSN Encarta, 2008). Conclusion The US is still living under the illusion of Pax Americana – a new world order wherein every nation on earth is subservient to American interests. As a result, it used Pax Americana to get away with imperialism and violating the rights of other nations to self-determination. The US must realize that if it is entitled to liberty and justice, the same holds true for other countries. Real freedom and prosperity can never be attained through political and economic interference, as well as through military aggression. References Bernstein, D. Sydell, L. Third World Traveler. (1995). Friendly Dictators. Retrieved August 31, 2008, from http://www. thirdworldtraveler. com/Dictators/Friendly_Dictators. html MSN Encarta. (2008). Dwight D. Eisenhower. Retrieved August 31, 2008, from http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761554032/Eisenhower. html#s1 MSN Encarta. (2008). Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Retrieved August 31, 2008, from http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761553017/ Union_of_Soviet_Socialist_Republics. html Paarlberg, R. (1995). Leadership Abroad Begins at Home: US Foreign Economic Policy After the Cold War. Washington, D. C. : Brooklings Institution Press. Schultz, S. K. University of Wisconsin System. (1999). The 1950s: The Cold War and the Affluent Society. Retrieved August 31, 2008, from http://us. history. wisc. edu/hist102/lectures/lecture24. html

Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example for Free

Genetically Modified Foods Essay In the world, many people are not getting the balanced amount of nutrition-needed daily. There are many vitamin deficiencies that can lead to illnesses, malnutrition, and death. However, biotechnology has made this pandemic decrease through genetically modified foods. Many people think that these foods are unhealthy for people, and they are harmful. They think that this type of food is untraditional. I believe that genetically modified foods are good for countries that have high malnutrition rates. They are also good to help preserve food against pesticides. The purpose of this essay is to show how genetically modified foods are good for countries with malnutrition. Genetically modified foods are food that has received a segment of DNA or genes from another organism through biotechnology engineering. Biotechnology is the exploitation of biological processes for industrial and other purposes, especially the genetic manipulation of microorganisms for the production of antibiotics, hormones, and etc. The most commonly known genetically modified food is golden rice. Golden rice is engineered to contain a higher amount of vitamin A to improve the health of unskilled laborers in undeveloped countries. Golden rice is mainly used in Asian countries or countries whose staple food is rice. Originally, rice doesn’t have a high amount of vitamin A, and in those countries there are high amounts of deficiency in Vitamin A. Vitamin A plays a significant role for healthy vision, strong bones, supple skin, normal cell regeneration, reproduction, and helps the immune system fend off infections. A deficiency in Vitamin A can result in eye diseases such as Nyctalopia (night blindness), Xerophthalmia (dry eye syndrome) , and/or total blindness. Golden rice is enhanced with multiple DNA, including DNA from daffodils. Also, this rice has a higher amount of beta-carotene. In my opinion, golden rice is good for undeveloped countries whose staple is rice because this rice contains DNA from another plant. Therefore, it doesn’t have a lot of chemicals that could eventually be harmful to people’s body. There are more foods that are genetically modified such as corn, potatoes, soybeans, squash, canola, flax, and tomatoes. Corn and potatoes are modified with a gene to produce an endotoxin. An endotoxin is a toxic substance produced and stored within the plant tissue. This endotoxin protects these vegetables from corn-borer pest and the potato beetle. Likewise, soybeans can be modified with a gene from a bacterium to make it herbicide resistant. A herbicide is a type of pesticide that is used to kill unwanted plants, such as weeds. This can keep vegetables safe from harmful insects. These insects can destroy or make the vegetable harmful for digestion. Some people may say that genetically modified foods are untraditional. However, many foods that are used today are modified. The genes of many plants have been modified so much over the years that they are embedded into the DNA of the plant. Cross breeding was the first forms of modifying food through genetics. Since cross breeding was discovered, it was a large part of agricultural processes. Therefore, many vegetables, whether organic or not, have been modified somewhere down the history line of that vegetable. In conclusion, many people feel that genetically modified foods are not a traditional or healthy way to eat. However, genetically modified foods can help undeveloped countries become healthier and prevent some vitamin deficiencies, such as Vitamin A deficiency. Many vegetables are modified to help prevent them from their common pest and enemy-like plants. Also, throughout the years many plants have undergone minor genetic changes. These changes are used in vegetables today to help make them healthier and keep them fresher longer. This can make the world a healthier and better place.

Unilever Secures Its Mobile Devices Computer Science Essay

Unilever Secures Its Mobile Devices Computer Science Essay As a student of John Byrnes tutorials, I am doing the case study entitled Unilever secures its mobile devices. The primary objective of this assignment is to assess and analyze the impact wireless devices such as the BlackBerry mobile handsets are having on the company and how they are increasing productivity and performance. Another objective includes analyzing security features that Blackberry provides for its users, and what effect a security breach could have on this multi-national company. Last but not least, my objective is to make my own evaluations and make my own recommendations on what else could be done to improve this situation and also what else could be done to improve the performance of the company. Unilever is a multi-national company stretching across all the continents in the world such as Asia, Africa, The Americas and Oceania. They are well known for manufacturing brands such as Dove, Lux and Vaseline as personal hygiene products. They are also globally known for their food brands including Flora, Lipton and Streets. (Unilever, 2011).As a worldwide company, performance must be at their optimum levels to ensure operational excellence in the company. In March 2004, Unilevers senior management ordered the companys thousand top executives to be equipped with mobile handheld devices to increase their productivity. The company selected BlackBerry 7100, 7290, and 8700 handhelds from Research in Motion because they were the leader in their category and they worked with hetero- geneous e-mail servers and multiple wireless network standards, including CDMA and Wi-Fi. These handsets have allowed the executives to basically work on the move, and monitor the companys performance such as sales figures. It has allowed them to check their emails, and reply to them on time. This handset also allowed the executives to talk more with the customers. As a result of the introduction of Blackberry handsets to the company; it has increased productivity and performance. This can be shown through the companys 2005 annual report/review. The companys turnover was $49,352,000,000 USD. This was an increase from their 2004 turnover by 1,608,000,000 USD. Another interesting statistic which was found in the 2005 charts was that their net profit margins increased by 2.4 % to 10% in 2005. The companys net profit also slightly increased from $3,641,000,000 USD in 2004 to $ 4,945,000,000 USD in 2005. These figures can be used to show the affect that mobile handsets have had on the companys performance. I have attached the 2005 Unilever charts for a further understanding of the changes in the net profit margins and the net profit. For the net profit graph, the green line is the indicator for the US dollars and the light brown line in the profit margins graph is used to show the net profit margin changes. I have also included the turnover graph and the green line shows the turnover in USD. A security breach at Unilever could cause severe damage to the company in the short term and long term. A security breach can be caused through many things, including through the hacking of the BlackBerry handsets and their company computers, or it can be caused of a simple error such as misplacing your phone or leaving it vulnerable to be stolen. The BlackBerry handsets and Unilever computers and laptops have sensitive data stored in them such as customer information and confidential company information. The loss of customer information may lead to the company to be sued by the customers. It is Unilevers responsibility to ensure the protection of this data. Another danger is unauthorized users who are able to access corporate networks. This may lead to the introduction of computer viruses and worms. If this was to happen, all the information which was stored may be corrupted and destroyed. Such an event can severely cripple the companys ability to perform, and may even force them ou t of business if they dont have a backup system in place. The loss of confidential company information such as sales figures and sales forecasting data can result in a loss of revenue and allow competitors to use this information to a full extent to gain an upper advantage in the market. Finally, security breaches also have the capability to tarnish a companies reputation and put the business under scrutiny. So far, Unilever has not been affected by a security breach. In 2004, the Unilever executives were equipped with BlackBerry handsets in a bid to increase the companys performance. If the security measures are too harsh, then executives will not be able to use the device efficiently, which means that this will have a negative impact on the businesses ability to conduct business thoroughly. Using this example, a management factor that must be taken into consideration is that to make sure that the security policies and procedures dont interfere with the companys ability to do business. Both of these issues must be kept balanced. In this workplace, some executives know that they have a device which is linked with the companys information and database and know what the impacts can be if the device gets into some unauthorized persons hands. On the other hand, there are executives who are not aware of the consequences this can have. Therefore, an organization factor that must be considered is the lack of knowledge. Many steps can be taken to ensure t his doesnt happen. Some steps may include offering a training program to the executives regarding the proper use of the BlackBerry handset and so forth. A technological factor that needs to be addressed is determining the specifications of the wireless handheld device required. These specifications must strike a balance between its security features, how user friendly the device is as well as its cost. Unilever determined that couple of BlackBerry models best suited their needs. Each company will have different needs and priorities. Management, organization and technological factors that need to be taken into consideration will be based on those needs and priorities. BlackBerry Enterprise Solutions allows you to mobilize your workplace, your workers can make timely decisions based on the best information available, increasing their productivity and boosting your business performance. The BlackBerry Enterprise Solution allows mobile users to access communications and information wirelessly, including email and text messaging, corporate data and the organizer. It has provided Unilever with many benefits that include flexibility and lowest total cost of operation of mobile enterprise solutions. For flexibility, this solution supports all leading enterprise email platforms, back-end systems and applications from a wide range of vendors. It also allows you to manage multiple wireless network technologies, devices, messaging servers and enterprise systems with a single BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The BlackBerry Enterprise Solution allows organizations to keep their employees connected to the information and people that matter, while still benefiting from a low overall total cost of operation.This solution offers very good wireless data security and stored data security. For wireless data security, end to end encryption and rsa secur-id two factor authentications are used. In end to end encryption, the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution offers two transport encryption options, advanced encryption standard (aes) and triple data encryption standard (triple des), for all data transmitted between BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry smartphones. Private encryption keys are generated in a secure, two-way authenticated environment and are assigned to each BlackBerry smartphone user. Each secret key is stored only in the users secure enterprise account such as Microsoft Exchange and on their BlackBerry smartphone and can be regenerated wirelessly by the user. (Research In Motion, 2011), Data sent to the BlackBerry smartphone is encrypted by BlackBerry Enterprise Server using the private key retrieved from the users mailbox. The encrypted information travels securely across the network to the device where it is decrypted with the key stored there. Data remains encrypted in transit and is never decrypted outside of the corporate firewall. Rsa secur-id two factor authentications provides organizations with additional authorization when users access application data or corporate intranets on their BlackBerry smartphones. BlackBerry mds Services (mobile data system) utilize rsa ace/agent authorization api 5.0 to interface to rsa ace servers. Users are prompted for their username and token passcode when navigating to a site or application requiring authorization. Other security features include https secure data access and code signing and digital certificates. (Research In Motion, 2011) BlackBerry mds services act as a secure gateway between the wireless network and corporate intranets and the internet. They leverage the BlackBerry aes or Triple des encryption transport and also enable https connections to application servers. BlackBerry smartphones support https communication in one of two modes, depending on corporate security requirements: Proxy Mode: An ssl/tls connection is created between BlackBerry Enterprise Server and the application server on behalf of BlackBerry smartphones. Data from the application server is then aes or Triple des encrypted and sent over the wireless network to BlackBerry smartphones. End-to-End Mode: Data is encrypted over ssl/tls for the entire connection between BlackBerry smartphones and the application server, making end-to-end mode connections most appropriate for applications where only the transaction end-points are trusted. BlackBerry smartphones applications created using the BlackBerry java development environment (jde), whic h have certain functionality such as the ability to execute on startup or to access potentially sensitive BlackBerry smartphone application data, require developers to sign and register their applications with Research In Motion.This adds protection by providing a greater degree of control and predictability to the loading and behavior of applications on BlackBerry smartphones. Additionally, the BlackBerry signing authority tool can help protect access to the functionality and data of third party applications by enabling corporate developers or administrators to manage access to specific sensitive Application Programming Interfaces and data stores through the use of server-side software and public and private signature keys.  To help protect BlackBerry mds Studio applications from tampering, corporate developers can sign an application bundle with a digital certificate. (Research In Motion, 2011) They can use either a trusted certificate authority or a generated certificate. BlackBerry mds studio generates and signs applications with certificates that are in line with the public key infrastructure (X.509) standard. For stored data security, The BlackBerry Enterprise Solution extends corporate security to the wireless device and provides administrators with tools to manage this security. To secure information stored on BlackBerry smartphones, password authentication can be made mandatory through the customizable IT policies of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. By default, password authentication is limited to ten attempts after which the devices memory is erased. Local encryption of all data (messages, address book entries, calendar entries, memos and tasks) can also be enforced via IT policy. And with the Password Keeper, advanced encryption standard (aes) encryption technology allows password entries to be stored securely on the device. Additionally, system administrators can create and send wireless commands to remotely change BlackBerry smartphone passwords and lock or delete information from lost or stolen BlackBerry smartphones. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server Security also is a form of security. BlackBerry Enterprise Server does not store any email or data. To increase protection from unauthorized parties, there is no staging area between the server and the BlackBerry smartphone where data is decrypted. Security is further enhanced by allowing only authenticated, outbound-initiated connections through port 3101 of the firewall. No inbound traffic is permitted from sources other than the BlackBerry smartphone or the email server, meaning unauthorized commands cannot be executed on the system. Only communications that can be decrypted with a valid encryption key are permitted between the server and the wireless network. (Research In Motion, 2011) The three pictures I have attached give a further insight as to how the security works. ( BlackBerry security,2011) Flow diagram for end-to-end encryption (BlackBerry security,2011). http://uk.blackberry.com/ataglance/security/secure_data_access.gif (BlackBerry security,2011) http://us.blackberry.com/ataglance/security/bes-diag_large.jpg BlackBerry tools provide effective anti-virus protections for a BlackBerry deployment. They use containment methods that are designed to prevent malware that might gain access to the BlackBerry smartphone from causing damage to the BlackBerry smartphone, its applications and its data, and also to the corporate network. BlackBerry smartphone applications include inherent virus protection and spyware protection that is designed to contain and prevent the spread of viruses and spyware to other applications. Application controls are available on BlackBerry smartphones that are running on a BlackBerry Enterprise Server or on the BlackBerry Internet Service. BlackBerry smartphone users can use the application controls on their BlackBerry smartphones to prevent the installation of specific third-party applications and to limit the permissions of third-party applications. See the BlackBerry Internet Service Security Feature Overview for more information on using BlackBerry smartphone applica tion controls to protect a BlackBerry smartphone running on the BlackBerry Internet Service against malware. (Research In Motion, 2011) The BlackBerry Enterprise Solution is designed to provide anti-virus protection through its malware protection. The BlackBerry Enterprise Solution includes tools that provide against all malware. Administrators can use IT policy and application control policies on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, and BlackBerry smartphone users can use application controls on BlackBerry smartphones to contain malware by controlling third-party Java application access to BlackBerry smartphone resources and applications. (Research In Motion, 2011) Finally, Unilever uses various mobile services in their current business operations. In 2010, Vodafone was selected as Unilevers provider of all mobile communication needs. Various mobile services that are being used are mobile e-mail, sms texting (short message service) and mms (multi-media service), and also the basic phone call. Other mobile services include voicemail and just using integrated content such as calendars applications. All of these services are play crucial role in creating an agile and cost competitive organization that operates in a sustainable way. Unilever, using Vodafones information on trends in mobility, will slightly give them an upper edge and allow Unilever to develop innovative ways to stay closely connected with our consumers and customers. (Flash, 2011) I personally think that the mobile handsets have had an effect on the companys performance in a positive way. It has allowed more interaction with the customers and has allowed e-commerce to be done efficiently on the go. WORDS : 2,282.

Thucydides and Homer: Cultures Essay -- Cultural Greece Thucydides Hom

Thucydides and Homer: Cultures Thucydides and Homer, though they lived a relatively short 300 years apart, wrote about very different Greek cultures. While the Greeks who Homer wrote about in The Iliad were, in many respects, dissimilar to the Greeks in Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, this stands in marked contrast to the profound similarities that exist between contemporary cultures and those that Thucydides wrote of. There are, however, similarities between modern cultures and those in Homer’s writing, as well as differences between modern ones and those in Thucydides’ writing. Thucydides’ history is, therefore, a relational bridge between the cultures of ancient Greece and modern ones. One of the most recognizable differences in the cultures written of by Thucydides and Homer is what people are respected for. In the world of The Iliad, aretà © determines an individual’s merit, and it is largely determined by physical triumphs over opponents. The importance of victory to these people’s honor is indicated in Hector’s defeat of Patroclus. â€Å"Hector†¦ seeing [Patroclus] trying to stagger free,†¦ came rushing into him right across the lines and rammed his spearshaft home, stabbing deep in the bowels†¦ Down he crashed—horror gripped the Achaean armies.† (Homer, 439) Patroclus’ fall not only represented Hector’s superior might, but the publicity of aretà ©; for every Achaean soldier became demoralized by the death of Patroclus. Whereas in the aforementioned culture a person’s status was public and largely based on strength, Thucydides wrote about a culture that valued beauty through the intellect and art forms. When Corcyra and Corinth are poised to go to war with each other... ... Peloponnesian War is neither romantic nor poetic; rather, it is an (relatively) objective account of what he considered to be the most devastating war. Based on his observations, Thucydides used logic to infer things about human behavior and historical events. It could well have been this abandonment of romanticism that allowed Thucydides to so accurately explain history in terms of human nature, which is based very much on the human condition. If this is the case, then it is certainly not surprising that Thucydides describes many familiar ideas and is able to relate values and principles from cultures older than his own to modern ones. Works Cited 1. Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. Trans. Rex Warner. New York: Penguin Books, 1954. 2. Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1990.

Charlemagne’s Will: Church, Empire, and Intellect :: Essays Papers

Charlemagne’s Will: Church, Empire, and Intellect â€Å"†¦and [I] shall first give an account of his deeds at home and abroad, then of his character and pursuits, and lastly of his administration and death, omitting nothing worth knowing or necessary to know.† – Einhard, The Life of Charlemagne Charlemagne—Charles, King of the Franks—obviously has a fan in Einhard. His powerful work, The Life of Charlemagne, details the king’s life from the building of his empire, through the education of his children, and culminating in his final living words: the division of his possessions and the instructions for the preservation of his kingdom. At first glance, the inclusion of Charlemagne’s will seems an odd choice to end an essay that demonstrates thoroughly the specifics of the great man’s life. After all, who needs to know which child gets his gold, and which archbishop he favored the most. Einhard reveals the ignorance in this assumption by doing just the opposite: using Charlemagne’s will as the final and most convincing illustration of the king’s life and character. Einhard divides his discussion of Charlemagne into three distinct sections, perhaps in imitation of the king’s will, which is also partitioned into the same three underlying themes: church, empire, and intellect. Throughout his essay, Einhard makes constant references to Charlemagne’s piety. He notes that the king â€Å"cherished with great fervor and devotion the principles of the Christian religion.† Charlemagne built the basilica at Aix-la-Chapelle, and â€Å"was a constant worshipper at this church.† (Einhard, 48)†¦. He embodied the Christian doctrine to give to the poor, and had close relationships to the popes in Rome. A pessimist might find reason to believe these actions were purely opportunistic or at least had mixed motives—his relationships with the Vatican were monetarily beneficial—but Einhard’s inclusion of Charlemagne’s will removes all doubt. â€Å"In this division he is especially desirous to provide†¦the largess of alms which Christians usually make.† (Einhard, 52). In death, Charlemagne gave much of his wealth to the Church via the archbishops of each city in his empire, and further stipulated tha t upon the death of one of them, a portion of the remaining inheritance should go directly to the poor, as should the profit of the sale of his library. Charlemagne’s Will: Church, Empire, and Intellect :: Essays Papers Charlemagne’s Will: Church, Empire, and Intellect â€Å"†¦and [I] shall first give an account of his deeds at home and abroad, then of his character and pursuits, and lastly of his administration and death, omitting nothing worth knowing or necessary to know.† – Einhard, The Life of Charlemagne Charlemagne—Charles, King of the Franks—obviously has a fan in Einhard. His powerful work, The Life of Charlemagne, details the king’s life from the building of his empire, through the education of his children, and culminating in his final living words: the division of his possessions and the instructions for the preservation of his kingdom. At first glance, the inclusion of Charlemagne’s will seems an odd choice to end an essay that demonstrates thoroughly the specifics of the great man’s life. After all, who needs to know which child gets his gold, and which archbishop he favored the most. Einhard reveals the ignorance in this assumption by doing just the opposite: using Charlemagne’s will as the final and most convincing illustration of the king’s life and character. Einhard divides his discussion of Charlemagne into three distinct sections, perhaps in imitation of the king’s will, which is also partitioned into the same three underlying themes: church, empire, and intellect. Throughout his essay, Einhard makes constant references to Charlemagne’s piety. He notes that the king â€Å"cherished with great fervor and devotion the principles of the Christian religion.† Charlemagne built the basilica at Aix-la-Chapelle, and â€Å"was a constant worshipper at this church.† (Einhard, 48)†¦. He embodied the Christian doctrine to give to the poor, and had close relationships to the popes in Rome. A pessimist might find reason to believe these actions were purely opportunistic or at least had mixed motives—his relationships with the Vatican were monetarily beneficial—but Einhard’s inclusion of Charlemagne’s will removes all doubt. â€Å"In this division he is especially desirous to provide†¦the largess of alms which Christians usually make.† (Einhard, 52). In death, Charlemagne gave much of his wealth to the Church via the archbishops of each city in his empire, and further stipulated tha t upon the death of one of them, a portion of the remaining inheritance should go directly to the poor, as should the profit of the sale of his library.

media Essay -- essays research papers

Media Manipulation There is a very subtle, yet powerful force at work on our world today. It is trying to control what woman and young girls do say and believe, especially about their own appearances. The media portrays unrealistic images that affect the way people, particularly woman, feel about themselves. And there is no way to avoid it. The media acts as a transmitter of potentially dangerous, socially desirable values and norms. Anyone can become a victim without even realizing it. Woman are told to believe distortions, inaccuracies, and bias on a daily basis. Somehow in that all the madness thinness has become synonymous with attractiveness. It is the media's job to surround us with slogans and pictures that are able to etch themselves into brains. (Stevens 44) Television, movies, magazine ads, commercials and billboards all attribute to the growing influence the media has on women. (www.rethinkingschools.org). Young girls are the most influenced by the media and its manipulation.(www.ed.gov .ERIC...). However, society as well as the media, has put forth dangerous and concentrated images, that have a strong impact on the lives of woman of all ages. Society has always placed a great emphasis upon the importance of a woman's appearance, and through that emphasis woman have been taught to measure their self worth in terms of the image they present, even more so than their own intelligence. They have been given rigid and challenging standards to live up to, standards that are usually unrealistic, unattainable, and disheartening. Many woman spend the majority of their lives suffering just trying to reach these standards. The ideal body image in this country today seems to be the long haired 5' 7", 110 lb. female found in every fashion magazine and television show. However, many woman at Johns II 5' 7" could starve themselves their entire life and never reach the so called "ideal".( Rushkoff 27). The persuasive and intrusive ... ... dangerous role model, that may even defy their biology, and when this societal and media pressure leads to severe eating disorders among women who believe that they cannot otherwise attain this perceived "ideal" state. The media plays a major role in setting the standard as to what "beauty" is, as the About.com site notes, in finding that, "the average person sees between 400 and 600 ads per day -that is 40 million to 50 million by the time she is 60 years old. One of every 11 commercials has a direct message about beauty." There is abundant evidence that by communicating unhealthy or infeasible goals for appearance, the media can directly cause an increase in eating disorders among women. A Hofstra University research group reported that: "A study examined over 4,000 TV ads. On the average, 1 out of every 3.8 ads had an "attractive-based" message. (www.cdc.gov.nccaphp/teen.html). These results were used to estimate that women are exposed to over 5,000 of these ads a year, (www.cdc.gov.nccaphp/teen.html) and each one adds to women's body dissatisfaction and the desire to be thin and "beautiful."

A Book Review on “Under a Cruel Star” Essay

A narrative memoir of the author Heda Margolius Kovaly given in her book Under a Cruel Star depicts the tragic history and stories of various chaoses including the Czechoslovakia turmoil and Soviet Union. In here, she tells how their lives moved through dilemma just to adapt in certain situations where her religious practice, gender, social and economic status are relevantly part in her way of living. Heda Kovaly’s narration is made up of her observations, lessons learned, experiences, ideas, and some of her justification towards her decisions made, in which we can conclude that some are without the presence of her willingness or should we say just an act of woman’s submissiveness to her husband. As a brief recapitulation of the book, Heda opened up telling that the three forces shaped in the past history also formed her life as a whole. She recounted every episode of their lives although not in details. It started up from Heda Kovaly’s experiences in 1941 before he got married to Rudolf Margolius during the turmoil in Prague, Czechoslovakia under post-Nazi regime. Her deportation from Prague to Lodz ghetto in Auschwitz opened up disruption of her supposedly peaceful life. She mentioned how she managed to escape from the marching prisoners of war heading to Reich, Germany. Right after Prague chaos, she met his childhood sweetheart Rudolf and got married to him. Rudolf was a survivor of Nazi government’s several concentration camps; however, unlike other Nazi victims who utterly opposed communism ideals, Rudolf embraced this thought and therefore got a life out of it. Heda became a follower of her husband’s beliefs and principles. It ended up when Rudolf got arrested in 1951 with the reason of advocating his ideology, and it followed his execution after the Stalinist trials in which Heda herself witnessed. Just imagine how painful and helpless it is on Heda’s part to see his husband dying in the prosecution, and this feeling of Heda has shared with her readers as it magically brought by her narration. Hardships and sufferings pushed Heda to live despite harassment of the society as a result of just being Rudolf’s wife and partner. Heda remembered how the society persecuted her and her son by means of forced evacuation from their rented house, hastily and rudely dismissal from the hospital amidst necessary medication, and religiously losing her job one after another. Such difficulties ran for five more years following Rudolf’s death. However, Heda’s willingness to live continued as she believes that their journey did not stop on Rudolf’s imprisonment and execution. Instead, it opened up another episode of her life where she survived really hard to be able to support and augment their child’s basic needs. More than a decade after that nightmare, Heda received an invitation from the Czech government as the latter said revocation of Rudolf’s name in the Stalinist show trial. Heda insisted total absolution of Rudolf’s name and a publicly retrial of the case. She also radically demanded that the Czech government has to admit solely the guilt that it has to make a public apology for the victims including Rudolf and his family. Thus began Heda’s open advocacy opposing Communism as well as Stalinism, and to encourage everyone to stop anti-Semitism views whether in Czechoslovakia, in Europe, or in the world as a whole. Heda wrote the book basically with the purpose of enlightening the readers about such experiences of a Jewish family, specifically a Jewish woman in Czechoslovakia under Nazi government and Communism though she mentioned dedicating the book for her son to Rudolf Marqolius. Her audience could be anyone who is interested in historical topics such as political and social evolution in Europe and their impacts on the world history in general. Though the book failed to follow proper formatting as it is only a narrative of Heda’s own story and experiences and that it is transcribed in an informal way, it also fails to meet historical analysis and proper illustration. However, the help and information it could bring to the students who are known being idealists are quite immeasurable. They will surely love reading this book again and again as it inspires their modern principles and ideals. Under the Cruel Star is not designed to be a university textbook but it helps in a way educating the students especially of History courses such as History 101 which tackles Themes in Modern History like ours. Surely, Heda Morgolius Kovaly’s story could be a glass of cold water poured on fire. It means that a communist believer who happens to read this book would change his belief reading this. It makes possible as the testimony entails drastic impact to the lives of innocent ones in the past. On my part, the book signifies peaceful victory over chaotic ambiance having Heda’s view of love over hate. Like Heda who happens to forgive the tragic past, and use it to advocate equality through her text irregardless of many difficulties including her religious beliefs being a Jew. To conclude, I should say that I have learned through this book that what really important is how a victim of a wary world remains peaceful at heart in the end. R E F E R E N C E Kovaly, Heda Margolius. Under A Cruel Star: A Life in Prague 1941-1968. Holmes and Meier Publishing Company, 1997.