Fool Chapter 4

FOUR THE DRAGON AND HIS WRATH[18] â€Å"Don't despair, lad,† I said to Taster. â€Å"It's not as grim as it looks. The bastard will stay Edgar and I'm relatively sure that France and Burgundy are buggering each other and would never let a princess come between them – although I'll wager they'd borrow her wardrobe were it not guarded – so the day is saved. Cordelia will remain in the White Tower to torment me as always.† We were in an antechamber off the great hall. Taster sat, head in hands, looking paler than normal, a mountain of food piled before him on the table. â€Å"The king doesn't like dates, does he?† asked Taster. â€Å"Not likely he'll eat any of the dates that were brought as gifts, right?† â€Å"Did Goneril or Regan gift them?† â€Å"Aye, a whole larder they brought with them.† â€Å"Sorry, lad, you've work ahead, then. How it is you're not as fat as a friar, with all you're required to eat, is beyond me.† â€Å"Bubble says I must have a city of worms living up my bum, but that ain't it. I've a secret, if you won't tell anyone – â€Å" â€Å"Go on lad, I'm hardly paying attention.† â€Å"What about him?† He nodded to Drool, who was sitting in the corner petting one of the castle cats. â€Å"Drool,† I called, â€Å"is Taster's secret safe with you?† â€Å"As dim as a snuffed candle, he is,† said the git in my voice. â€Å"Telling a secret to Drool is like casting ink in the night sea.† â€Å"See there,† said I. â€Å"Well,† said Taster, looking around as if anyone would want to be in our miserable company. â€Å"I'm sick a lot.† â€Å"Of course you are, it's the bloody Dark Ages, everyone has the plague or the pox. It's not like you're leprous and dropping fingers and toes like rose petals, is it?† â€Å"No, not sick like that. I just vomit nearly every time I eat.† â€Å"So you're a little chunder-monkey. Not to worry, Taster, you keep it down long enough for it to kill you, don't you?† â€Å"I reckon.† He nibbled at a stuffed date. â€Å"Duty done, then. All's well that ends well. But back to my concerns: Do you think France and Burgundy are poofters,[19] or are they, you know, just fucking French?† â€Å"I've never even seen them,† Taster said. â€Å"Oh, quite right. What about you, Drool? Drool? Stop that!† Drool pulled the damp kitten out of his mouth. â€Å"But it were licking me first. You said it was only proper manners – â€Å" â€Å"I was talking about something completely different. Put the cat down.† The heavy door creaked open and the Earl of Kent slipped into the room, as stealthy as a church bell rolling down stairs. Kent's a broad-shouldered bull of a fellow, and while he moves with great strength for his grandfather years, Grace and Subtlety remain blushing virgins in his retinue. â€Å"There you are, boy.† â€Å"What boy?† said I. â€Å"I see no boy here.† True, I only stand to Kent's shoulder, and it would take two of me and a suckling pig to balance him on a scale, but even a fool requires some respect, except from the king, of course. â€Å"Fine, fine. I just wanted to tell you not to make sport of feebleness nor age tonight. The king's been brooding all week about ‘crawling unburdened to the grave.' I think it's the weight of his sins.† â€Å"Well, if he weren't so dog-fuckingly old there would be no temptation toward mirth, would there? Not my fault, that.† Kent grinned then. â€Å"Pocket, you would not willfully hurt your master.† â€Å"Aye, Kent, and with Goneril and Regan and their lords in the hall there'll be no need to jest geriatric. Is that why the king has kept company only with you this week, brooding upon his years? He hasn't been planning on marrying off Cordelia then?† â€Å"He's spoken of it, but only as part of his entire legacy, of property and history. He seemed set on a course to hold the kingdom steady when I last left him. He bade me leave while he gave private audience to the bastard, Edmund.† â€Å"He's talking to Edmund? Alone?† â€Å"Aye. The bastard drew on his father's years of service for the favor.† â€Å"I must go to the king. Kent, stay here with Drool, if you would. There's food and drink to hold you. Taster, show good Kent the best of those dates. Taster? Taster? Drool, shake Taster, he appears to have fallen asleep.† Fanfare sounded then, a single anemic trumpet, the other three trumpeters having recently succumbed to herpes. (A sore on the lip is as bad as an arrow in the eye to a trumpeter. The chancellor had them put down, or maybe they'd just been made drummers. They weren't blowing bloody fanfare, that's all I'm saying.) Drool put down his kitten and climbed to his feet. â€Å"With grave offense to daughters three, Alas, the king a fool shall be,† said the giant in a lilting female voice. â€Å"Where did you hear that, Drool? Who said that?† â€Å"Pretty,† said Drool, massaging the air with his great meaty paws as if caressing a woman's breasts. â€Å"Time to go,† said Kent. The old warrior threw open the door into the hall. They stood all around the great table – round after the tradition of some long forgotten king – the center open to the floor where servants served, orators orated, and Drool and I performed. Kent took his place near the king's throne. I stood with some yeomen to the side of the fire and motioned for Drool to find a place to hide behind one of the stone pillars that supported the vault. Fools do not have a place at the table. Most times I served at the foot of the king, providing quips, criticisms, and brilliant observations through the meal, but only after he had called for me. Lear had not called for a week. He came into the room head up, scowling at each of his guests until his eye lit on Cordelia and he smiled. He motioned for everyone to sit and they did. â€Å"Edmund,† said the king, â€Å"fetch the princes of France and Burgundy.† Edmund bowed to the king and backed toward the main entrance of the hall, then looked to me, winked, and motioned for me to come join him. Dread rose in my chest like a black serpent. What had the bastard done? I should have cut his throat when I'd had the chance. I sidled down the side wall, the bells on the tips of my shoes conspicuously unhelpful in concealing my movement. The king looked to me, then away, as if the sight of me might cause rot on his eye. Once through the door Edmund pulled me roughly aside. The big yeoman at the threshold lowered the blade of his halberd an inch and frowned at the bastard. Edmund released me and looked bewildered, as if his own hand had betrayed him. (I bring food and drink to the guards when they are on post during feasts. I believe it is written in the Obfuscations of St. Pesto: â€Å"In nine cases out of ten, a large friend with a poleax shall truly a blessing be.†) â€Å"What have you wrought, bastard?† I whispered with great fury and no little spit. â€Å"Only what you wanted, fool. Your princess will have no husband, that I can assure, but even your sorceries won't keep you safe if you reveal my strategy.† â€Å"My sorceries? What? Oh, the ghost.† â€Å"Yes, the ghost, and the bird. When I was crossing the battlement, a raven called me a tosser and shat on my shoulder.† â€Å"Right, my minions are everywhere,† said I, â€Å"and you're right to fear my canny mastery of the heavenly orbs and command of spirits and whatnot. But lest I unleash something unpleasant upon you, tell me, what did you say to the king?† Edmund smiled then, which I found more unsettling than his blade. â€Å"I heard the princesses speaking amongst themselves about their affections for their father earlier in the day, and was enlightened to their character. I merely hinted to the king that he might ease his burden with the same knowledge.† â€Å"What knowledge?† â€Å"Go find out, fool. I'm off to fetch Cordelia's suitors.† And he was away. The guard held the door and I slipped back into the hall and to a spot near the table. The king, it seemed, had only then finished a roll call of sorts, naming each of his friends and family at court, proclaiming his affection for each, and in the cases of Kent and Gloucester, recalling their long history of battles and conquests together. Bent, white-haired, and slight is the king, but there is a cold fire in his eye still – his visage puts one in mind of a hunting bird fresh unhooded and set for its kill. â€Å"I am old, and my burdens of responsibility and property weigh heavily on me, so to avoid conflict in the future, I propose to divide my kingdom among younger strengths now, so I may crawl to the grave light of heart.† â€Å"What better than a light-hearted grave crawl?† I said softly to Cornwall, villainous twat that he is. I crouched between him and his duchess, Regan. Princess Regan: tall, fair, raven-haired, with a weakness for plunging red velvet gowns and another for rascals, both grievous faults had they not played out so pleasurably for this teller of tales. â€Å"Oh, Pocket, did you get the stuffed dates I sent you?† Regan asked. And generous to a fault as well. â€Å"Shhhhhh, bunny cunny,† I shushed. â€Å"Father is speaking.† Cornwall drew his dagger and I moved along the table to Goneril's side. Lear went on: â€Å"These properties and powers I will divide between my sons-in-law, the Duke of Albany and the Duke of Cornwall, and that suitor who takes the hand of my beloved Cordelia, but so I may determine who shall have the most bounteous share, I ask of my daughters: Which of you loves me most? Goneril, my eldest born, speak first.† â€Å"No pressure, pumpkin,† I whispered. â€Å"I have this, fool,† she snapped, and with a great smile and no little grace, she made her way around the outside of the round table and to the opening at the center, bowing to each of the guests as she went. She is shorter and rather more round than her sisters, more generously padded in bosom and bustle, her eyes a grey sky short of emerald, her hair a yellow sun short of ginger. Her smile falls on the eye like water on the tongue of a thirst-mad sailor. I slid into her chair. â€Å"A handsome creature is she,† I said to the Duke of Albany. â€Å"That one breast, the way it juts a bit to the side – when she's naked, I mean – does that bother you at all? Make you wonder what it's looking at over there – bit like a wall-eyed man you think is always talkin' to someone else?† â€Å"Hush, fool,† Albany said. He is nearly a score years older than Goneril, goatish and dull, methinks, but somewhat less of a scoundrel than the average noble. I do not loathe him. â€Å"Mind you, it's obviously part of the pair, not some breast-errant off on a quest of its own. I like a bit of asymmetry in a woman – makes me suspicious when Nature's too evenhanded – fearful symmetry and all. But it's not like you're shaggin' a hunchback or anything – I mean, once she's on ‘er back it's hard to get either one of them to look you in the eye, innit?† â€Å"Shut up!† barked Goneril, having turned her back on her father – which one is never supposed to do – in order to scold me. Bloody clumsy etiquette that. â€Å"Sorry. Go on,† said I, waving her on with Jones, who jingled gaily. â€Å"Sir,† she addressed the king, â€Å"I love you more than words can say. I love you more than eyesight, space, and liberty. I love you beyond anything that can be valued, rich or rare. No less than life itself, with grace, health, beauty, and honor. As much as any child or father has loved, so I love thee. A love that takes my breath away and makes me scarcely able to speak. I love you above all things, even pie.† â€Å"Oh bollocks!† Who had said it? I was relatively sure it was not my voice, as it hadn't come from the normal hole in my face, and Jones had been silent as well. Cordelia? I scooted out of Goneril's chair and scampered to the junior princess's side, staying low to avoid attention or flying cutlery. â€Å"Bloody buggering bollocks!† said Cordelia. Lear, refreshed from his shower of flowered bullshit, said, â€Å"What?† I stood then. â€Å"Well, sirrah, lovable as thou art, the lady's profession strains credibility. It's no secret how much the bitch loves pie.† I crouched again quickly. â€Å"Silence, fool! Chamberlain, bring me the map.† The distraction had worked, the king's ire had turned from Cordelia to me. She took the opportunity to poke me in the ear-lobe with her fork. â€Å"Ouch!† Whispered, yet emphatic. â€Å"Tart.† â€Å"Knave.† â€Å"Harpy.† â€Å"Rodent.† â€Å"Whore.† â€Å"Whoremonger.† â€Å"Do you have to pay to be a whoremonger? Because strictly speaking – â€Å" â€Å"Shhh,† she said, grinning. She poked me in the ear again, then nodded toward the king, that we should pay attention. The king pointed to the map with a bejeweled dagger. â€Å"All these lands, from here to here, with rich farmlands, bounteous rivers, and deep forests, I do grant to Goneril and her husband, Albany, and to their offspring in perpetuity. Now, we must hear from our second daughter. Dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall. Speak.† Regan made her way to the center floor, looking down at her older sister, Goneril, as she passed, as if to say, â€Å"I'll show you.† She raised her arms out to her sides, trailing the long, velvet sleeves down to the floor so she described the shape of a grand and bosomy crucifix. She looked to the ceiling as if drawing inspiration from the heavenly orbs themselves, then pronounced: â€Å"What she said.† â€Å"Huh?† said the king, and verily â€Å"huh† was echoed around the room. Regan seemed to realize that she should probably go on. â€Å"My sister has expressed my thoughts exactly – as if she may have looked at my notes even before we here entered. Except I love thee more. In the list of all senses, all fall short, and I am touched by nothing but your love.† She bowed then, looking up a bit to see if anyone was buying it. â€Å"I'm going to be sick,† said Cordelia, probably louder than was really necessary, as were the coughing and gagging noises she perpetrated thereafter. Deflecting, I stood and said, â€Å"She's been touched by a bit more than his majesty's love, I dare say. I mean, in this very room I can name – â€Å" The king shot me his best Must I chop off your head? look and I fell silent. He nodded and looked to the map. â€Å"To Regan and Cornwall I leave this third of the kingdom, no smaller or less valuable than that bestowed upon Goneril. Now, Cordelia, our joy, who is courted by so many eligible young nobles, what can you say to receive a third more opulent than your sisters?† Cordelia stood at her chair, not making her way to the middle of the room as her sisters had. â€Å"Nothing,† she said. â€Å"Nothing?† asked the king. â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"You'll get nothing for nothing,† said Lear. â€Å"Speak again.† â€Å"Well, you can't blame her, really, can you?† I interjected. â€Å"I mean you've given all the good bits to Goneril and Regan, haven't you? What's left, a bit of Scotland rocky enough to starve a sheep and this poxy river near Newcastle?† I'd taken the liberty of going over to the map. â€Å"I'd say nothing is a fair start for bargaining. You should counter with Spain, majesty.† Now Cordelia moved to the center of the room. â€Å"I'm sorry, Father, that I can't heave my heart into my mouth like my sisters. I love you according to my bond as a daughter, no more, no less.† â€Å"Be careful what you say, Cordelia,† said Lear. â€Å"Your dowry is draining away with every word.† â€Å"My lord, you have sired me, raised me, and loved me. I return those duties back, as is proper: I obey you, love you, and most honor you. But how can my sisters say they love you above all? They have husbands. Don't they have to reserve some love for them?† â€Å"Yes, but have you met their husbands?† said I. There was growling from various points around the table. How can you call yourself a noble if you'll just start growling for no reason. Uncivilized, it is. â€Å"When I shall marry, you can rest assured that my husband will get at least half my care and half my love as well. To say anything else I'd be lying to you.† This was Edmund's doing, I was sure of it. Somehow he'd known that Cordelia would answer this way and had convinced the king to ask the question. And she did not know that her father had been wrestling with his own mortality and worth for the week. I hopped over to the princess and whispered, â€Å"Lying now would be the better part of valor. Repent later. Throw the old gent a bone, lass.† â€Å"So this is how you feel?† asked the king. â€Å"Aye, my lord. It is.† â€Å"So young and so untender,† said Lear. â€Å"So young, my lord, and true,† said Cordelia. â€Å"So young, and so bloody stupid,† said the puppet Jones. â€Å"Fine, child. So be it. Let your truth be your dowry, then. For by the radiance of the sun, the dark of the night, all the saints, the Holy Mother, the orbs of the sky, and Nature herself, I disown you.† In his spirituality Lear is – well – flexible. When pressed for a curse or a blessing he will sometimes invoke gods from a half-dozen pantheons, just to be sure to catch the ear of whichever might be on watch that day. â€Å"No property, land, or title shall be yours. Cannibals of darkest Merica, who would sell their own young in the meat market, shall be closer to me than you, my used-to-be daughter.† I wondered about that. No one had ever seen a Merican, being as they are mythical. Legend goes that in the name of profit they did sell the limbs of their own children as food – that was before they burned the world, of course. Since I didn't expect a state visit from the merchant cannibals of the apocalypse anytime soon, it appeared my liege was either herniating the metaphor or speaking the tongue of a frothing nutter. Kent stood then. â€Å"My liege!† â€Å"Sit down, Kent!† the king barked. â€Å"Come not between the dragon and his wrath. I loved her the best, and hoped that she would take care of me in my dotage, but since she doesn't love me enough, only in the grave will there be peace for Lear.† Cordelia looked more confused than hurt. â€Å"But, Father – â€Å" â€Å"Out of my sight! Where is France? Where is Burgundy? Finish this business! Goneril, Regan, your younger sister's share of the kingdom shall be divided between you. Let Cordelia marry her own pride. Cornwall and Albany shall divide the power and property of a king evenly. I shall retain only my title and enough of a stipend to maintain one hundred knights and their carriers. You shall keep me from month to month in your own castles, but the kingdom shall be yours.† â€Å"Royal Lear, this is madness!† Kent again, now making his way around the table to the center floor. â€Å"Careful, Kent,† said Lear. â€Å"The bow of my anger is bent, don't make me loose the arrow.† â€Å"Loose it if you must. You'd kill me for being bold enough to tell you that you're mad? The best of loyalty is that a loyal man has the courage to speak plainly when his leader moves to folly. Reverse your decision, sir. Your youngest daughter doesn't love you least because she's quiet, any more than those who speak loudest are the most sincere.† The older sisters and their husbands were on their feet at that. Kent glared at them. â€Å"No more, Kent,† the king warned. â€Å"On your life, not another word.† â€Å"What has my life ever been, but a thing I risked in service for you? Protecting you? Threaten my life as you will, it will not stop me from telling you that you do wrong, sir!† Lear started to draw his sword then and I knew he had truly lost all sense of judgment, if turning on his favorite daughter and closest advisor and friend hadn't shown it already. If Kent decided to defend himself he'd go through the old man like a scythe through a wheat straw. It was unfolding too fast, even for a fool to stay the king's blade with wit. I could only watch. But Albany moved quickly down the table and stayed the king's hand, pushing his sword back down into the scabbard. Kent grinned then, the old bear, and I saw that he wouldn't have drawn blade on the old man at all. He would have died to make his point to the king. What's more, Lear knew it, too, but there was no mercy in his eye and the madness had gone cold. He shook himself free of Albany's grasp, and the duke backed away. When Lear spoke again his voice was low, restrained, but palsied with hate: â€Å"Hear me, thou traitorous ferret. No one challenges my authority, my decisions, or my vows – to do so on British land is death, and in the rest of the known world is war. I'll not have it. Your years of service noted, I give you your life, but only your life, and never again in my sight. You have five days, Kent, to provision yourself, and on the sixth day, turn your back on our kingdom forever. If twelve days pass and you are still in the land, your life is forfeit. Now go, this is my decree and it shall not be revoked.† Kent was shaken. This was not the blade he had braced for. He bowed then. â€Å"Fare thee well, king. I go, for I dare to question a power so high that you give it away for a flattering tongue.† He turned to Cordelia then: â€Å"Take heart, girl, you've spoken truly and done nothing wrong. May the gods protect you.† He turned on a heel, putting his back to the king, something I'd never seen him do before, and marched out, pausing only a second to look at Regan and Goneril. â€Å"Well lied, you spiteful bitches.† I wanted to cheer the old brute, write a poem for him, but the hall had fallen silent and the sound of the great oaken door closing behind Kent echoed through the hall like the first thunder of a world-breaking storm. â€Å"Well,† said I, dancing to the middle of the floor. â€Å"I think that went about as well as could be expected.†

Alternative Medicine Essays

Alternative Medicine Essays Alternative Medicine Essay Alternative Medicine Essay In this century, a wide rang of people choose alternative and complementary medicine to help alleviate their diseases or improve their general health. According to the World Health Organization (1996, p. 1), â€Å"The term complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to ways of protecting and restoring health that existed before the arrival of modern medicine†. Instead of taking a pill, some patients are opting for alternative medicine, such as yoga, tai chi and massage therapy. Other patients would prefer Chinese traditional medicine, which has no side effects, but is necessary to continue with long term treatment. However, critics argue that patients who receive CAM treatment expose themselves to high potential risks, such as medication interactions. This essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of unconventional therapies. The benefits of the CAM include relief of pain and help with psychological illness with few known side effects. On the other hand, the drawbacks of these medicines are that they are inappropriate for many conditions and lack of medical instructions. One of the key benefits of the complementary and alternative therapies is they can ease pain and relieve mental illness. The movement asserts that more than 600 surveys have demonstrated the benefits of it. Most experts hold it can ease stress, high blood pressure and insomnia. According to Regg (1997, p. 25), studies have shown that half the population uses complementary therapies annually and twenty percentages of those people using CAM are workers. For instance, patients can choose massage, yoga and chiropractors comforting their daily pressure. It is also available that CAM therapies can primary health care without chemicals or doctors. Furthermore, some suffers can relieve their mental stress or help alleviate mental psychological diseases through the CAM treatments. Donarski states that in the past two decades, children and adolescents,who have increased suffering from depression (i. e. , psychopharmaceuticals), are usually using the treatment of conventional medicine. Some studies, however, have shown that CAM is more effective in alleviating mental diseases. For example, they can do exercise, followed by meditation and orthomolecular supplements. Another advantage of unconventional medicine is the absence of side effect. Some surveys illustrate that a wide range number of alternative medicine is safer than conventional drugs. Nowadays, a large number of people who choose herbal products a lieu of prescription medication assume that these products are safe due to their natural features. In some developing countries, patients still continue to use traditional medicine because their primary health care are always associated with a variety of species of plants and animals. Medicine plant plays an important role in potent therapeutic agents. During 1950-1970 about 100 plants are introduced in American market (Verma, 2008, p.345-350). According to some Chinese history records, ancient people often used herbal medicine to alleviate or cure their illness. CAM, however, is inappropriate for a number of conditions. Compared with CAM, modern medicine therapies are more effectively in the serious illnesses and accidents. Complementary drugs are not able to treat serious trauma, such as broken leg, acute peritonitis and heart attack. These diseases should associate with modern diagnostic tests, medical equipments and related drugs, which are not appropriate using CAM to mend patients’ diseases. Buzescu emphasizes that unconventional medicine is more dangerous to cure acute peritonitis than conventional drugs are (2011, p. 127-132). In addition, non-conventional medicine has no medical instructions, including lack of dosage instructions and no regulation. Some traditional medicine has high potential risks because patients can self-dose with herbals. The studies show that the general population, who excessive dosage of this drug can result in allergic reactions (Anonymouse, 2009, p. 624). Moreover, the non-conventional medicine is also lack of regulation. For example, Acupuncture, an old therapeutic method, includes both needle and nonneedle acupuncture. They are absence of controlled studies. Some needles are not disinfected with alcohol, which is not diasostic for patients’ health because of bacterial infections. In conclusion, complementary and alternative medicine has benefits and drawbacks. According to Buzescu (2011, pp. 127-132), conventional and nonconventional are difficult to compare due to the various needs by the patients. Unconventional medicine has some advantages including alleviating Prev Page patients’ physical and psychological pain, and having less or even no side effects. Their disadvantages, however, are inevitable because they are not appropriate for a number of situations and lack of regulation. In recent years, a great number of people have begun to choose the CAM treatments, but others are still worried about their safety. Some experts advocate that when using alternative therapies, it is essential to educate yourself about the cure or system you want to use. Keep the alternative and complementary medicine’s pros and cons in mind. That can make the difference between you having positive experiences or not. Reference List Buzescu,M (2011). Advantages and disadvantages of complementary medicine in otitis media in children . Brasov,Romania. Retrieved from http://gateway. library. qut. edu. au/login? url=http://search. proquest. com. ezp01. library. qut. eduau/docview/1010816657? accountid=13380 Donarski, Janene M (2007). Medical and mental health practitioners perceptions of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments for depression in children and adolescents. Retrieved from http://gateway. library. qut. edu. au/login? url=http://search. proquest. com. ezp01. library. qut. edu. au/docview/304699018? accountid=13380 Mark,R (1998). Good medicine. In H. Kaye (Ed. ), Alternative medicine (pp. 24-25). Balmain,N. S. W. Schafer, Lisa M. , Hsu, Clarissa. , Eaves, Emery Rose. ,Ritenbaugh, Cheryl. , Turner, Judith. , Cherkin, Daniel C. , Sims, Colette. , Sherman, Karen J. (2012). Complementary and alternative medicine(CAM)providers view of chronic low back pain patients doi:http://dx. doi. org. ezp01. library. qut. edu. au/10. 1186/1472-6882-12-234 Verma,Sheetal. ,Singh,S,P (2008). Current and future status of herbal medicines. Veterinary World, 1(11), 347-350. doi:10. 5455 /vetworld. 2008. 347-350 Prev Page

Jim Crow and Industrialization in essays

Jim Crow and Industrialization in essays The Connection between the Industrialization Era and Jim Crow in relation to Denise Giardinas Storming Heaven Industrialization in the United States came about late in the 19th century immediately following the era of post-Civil War reconstruction. It was a time in which everywhere one turned, industry was successful. By the end of the 19th century, the U.S. was producing one-third of the worlds industrial goods. The railroad systems in America stretched from sea to shining sea. More immigrants were flooding into America (specifically cities) than they had in centuries in search of the American Dream. Like any other important eventin in this case erain history, the right ingredients were needed for this vast industrialization to fall into place. After all, other countries had experienced industrialization well before the U.S. had. So what made Americas unique and successful industrialization possible? The most significant aspect of Americas industrialization was transportation (specifically, the railroad system). By the turn of the century, nearly every state in the union had a railroad running through it. This immediately made every industry, regardless of location, a nationwide industry. Even the meat industry reaped the benefits of the railroad system with the invention of the refrigerated railroad car. The turnover time improved dramatically. As a result, products could be shipped from Boston to San Francisco without having to endure a long journey on a ship. Other facets of American industrialization were important, such as the U.S. social system. This system held that, with a certain amount of hard work, you, too, can experience the American Dream. This type of rags to riches attitude was expressed through Horatio Alger stories. In America, it was thought, nothing can hold you back. Certainly new technology i...

The Balfour Declaration Influence on Formation of Israel

The Balfour Declaration Influence on Formation of Israel Few documents in Middle Eastern history have had as consequential and controversial an influence as the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which has been at the center of the Arab-Israeli conflict over the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The Balfour Declaration   The Balfour Declaration was a 67-word statement contained within a brief letter attributed to Lord Arthur Balfour, the British foreign secretary, dated November 2, 1917.  Balfour addressed the letter to Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, a British banker, zoologist and Zionist activist who, along with Zionists Chaim Weizmann and Nahum Sokolow, helped draft the declaration much as lobbyists today draft bills for legislators to submit. The declaration was in line with European Zionist leaders hopes and designs for a homeland in Palestine, which they believed would bring about intense immigration of Jews around the world to Palestine. The statement read as follows: His Majestys Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country. It was 31 years after this letter, whether willed by the British government or not, that the state of Israel was founded in 1948. Liberal Britain’s Sympathy for Zionism Balfour was part of the liberal government of Prime Minister David Lloyd George. British liberal public opinion believed that Jews had suffered historical injustices, that the West was to blame and the West had a responsibility to enable a Jewish homeland. The push for a Jewish homeland was aided, in Britain and elsewhere, by fundamentalist Christians who encouraged the emigration of Jews as one way to accomplish two goals: depopulate Europe of Jews and fulfill Biblical prophecy. Fundamentalist Christians believe that the return of Christ must be preceded by a Jewish kingdom in the Holy Land). The Declaration’s Controversies The declaration was controversial from the start, and chiefly due to its own imprecise and contradictory wording. The imprecision and contradictions were deliberate- an indication that Lloyd George did not want to be on the hook for the fate of Arabs and Jews in Palestine. The Declaration did not refer to Palestine as the site of the Jewish homeland, but that of a Jewish homeland. That left Britains commitment to an independent Jewish nation very much open to question. That opening was exploited by subsequent interpreters of the declaration, who claimed that it was never intended as an endorsement of a uniquely Jewish state. Rather, that Jews would establish a homeland in Palestine alongside Palestinians and other Arabs established there for almost two millennia. The second part of the declaration- that â€Å"nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities†- could be and has been read by Arabs as an endorsement of Arab autonomy and rights, an endorsement as valid as that proffered on behalf of Jews. Britain would, in fact, exercise its League of Nations mandate over Palestine to protect Arab rights, at times at the expense of Jewish rights. Britain’s role has never ceased to be fundamentally contradictory. Demographics in Palestine Before and After Balfour At the time of the declaration in 1917, Palestinians- which were the â€Å"non-Jewish communities in Palestine†- constituted 90 percent of the population there. Jews numbered about 50,000. By 1947, on the eve of Israel’s declaration of independence, Jews numbered 600,000. By then Jews were developing extensive quasi-governmental institutions while provoking increasing resistance from Palestinians. Palestinians staged small uprisings in 1920, 1921, 1929 and 1933, and a major uprising, called the Palestine Arab Revolt, from 1936 to 1939. They were all quashed by a combination of British and, beginning in the 1930s, Jewish forces.

Computer H Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Computer H - Essay Example The statutes and charters in these industries do not distinguish the variations in such technologies. This advocates for the frequent lawsuits between companies and transnational organizations. Moreover, the patent laws in the industry emphasis on flexibility due to the vast growth and development of new technologies (Jordan, 2012). Competition is always a significant element in all industries but in computer technology production sharing ideas on areas such as graphic user interface and operating systems is not a major issue because novelty and innovation are the key determinants of success in such an industry. Relatively, the flexibility aspect of the patent laws and system in general only give protection on a neutral perspective hence making it easy for a company such as Apple to sue Samsung (Grandoni, 2013). Due to the constant lawsuit in the last decade, some of the recent advancements in the computer industry entailed the expansion of a wide scope of the patent laws in different technologies. A good example is on software development where firms like Apple, Microsoft or even Google have no idea on the patents they overstep because they operate at an international level (Goldman, 2012). The patent laws in the United States might not be the same in places like India or Japan. Currently, statistics show that software patents are in hundreds of thousands especially with over 30,000 new ones developed in 2014 alone. With such as wide scope, most of the infringement companies involve in is usually unintentional (Jordan, 2012). Additionally, the multi-billion dollar companies such as Google, IBM and Microsoft have their own patents based on their products; not software development. This patents or charters act as a threat towards their competitors and it is the duty of all these companies to know the regulations/ patents set by competing rivals in the industry or else it can lead to lawsuits (Megan, 2012). For instance, Yahoo has around a thousand patents

Battle of Okinawa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Battle of Okinawa - Research Paper Example a period of 80 days, the â€Å"Typhoon of Steele† as it was referred to, raged on as the Allied Forces made headway in the battle to make Japan surrender. The attack itself took place on April 1, 1945. The Americans had sent in two United States Marine and Army Divisions to land via amphibious vehicle on the island of Okinawa. The Japanese troops were thought to number at least 150,000 covering ground, air, and naval troops. 10th U.S. Army Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. was in command of the Allied troops that consisted of III Amphibious Corps and XXIV Army Corps. Even though the Allied Forces had sent a formidable troop assignment to the island, the Japanese still felt that the war was going to end with them as the victors. After all, the Japanese were fighting on their home territory, 350 miles from the Japanese homeland. However the Americans had other plans for this battle as they pulverized the island of Kyushu. The Japanese by this point knew that the battle was lost and yet they soldiered on. The Japanese soldiers fought based upon honour and military logic. But the bombings of the American planes coming from the Marianas Islands would soon conquer Japan. Truth be told, there was too much land coverage in Okinawa for the troops that were first sent to cover. Thanks to the Army, the new 6th Marine Division, the war became a winnable battle for the Americans. Eric Hammel, noted Pacific War historian recounted the battle as follows: Coming to put their defense arrangement to the test was the Tenth Army. The new 6th Marine Division (1st Provisional Marine Brigade plus the 29th Marines and attachments) would land over the northernmost beaches on the western side of Okinawa a little south of the islands midpoint. It was to strike across the island, then turn north to pacify a little more than half of Okinawa on its own. To the right, the 1st Marine Division was also to strike across the island, then become part of the Tenth Army reserve.

German Defeat in the First World War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

German Defeat in the First World War - Essay Example 1999). Things however turned out differently and this was the very first factor that led to Germany's eventual defeat. This article identifies and discusses this and other key factors that led to Germanys defeat in the First World War as well the reasons and impact of the United States entry into the war. Even though the defeat at Marne came very early into the war, its importance as a factor that led to Germanys defeat cannot be undermined. This is because it meant the failure of the Schlieffen's plan and a smash to any hopes of a quick victory and therefore a short war. The German force was not prepared for a lengthy war and by eliminating the possibility of a short war the chances of winning began to decrease. This was general and Helmuth Vou Mottke' biggest mistakes. Initial strategy of the Germans was to take France before Russia could mobilize effectively and then move by railroad and use united and excessive force on Russia. This would have allowed the Germany forces to take their enemies one by one. The Schlieffen plan had not anticipated later developments such as the three-day resistance by Belgium. The fast move by British authority to enter into war and the fierce resistance by the French army. All these factors slowed Germany's progress significantly and the effects of a lengthy war eventually wore them down. The war put a lot of strain on the Germany economy that heavily relied on external trade. Trade activities were strained to an extent that Germany experienced short supply of essential goods. These shortages led to the riots and the German mark devaluated greatly. The labor market was not left unscathed as the armed forces scrambled for all available human resources. All this could not be sustained in the long term. Increasing defeats. As the war progressed the German force continued to lose more and more manpower starting with the battle of Morne through to the battle of Verdun in February 1916. By 1918 the losses were monumental. This greatly affected the momentum of the war and morale of the German soldiers. The allies now outnumbered the earlier flamboyant German army. Starvation at home. As the war progressed Germany became more and more isolated in terms of external trade. This resulted in shortages of foodstuff especially wheat flour for bread. This problem became acute as the German mark devalued so much that the ordinary people could hardly afford to feed themselves. This put a lot of strain on the people and they began to be very discontent with the war. This discontent reached to the peak in 1918 and the government could no longer ignore the voices but was at loss as to the decision to take, whether to heed to the pressure from civilians mainly women or to continue holding on to the benefits of war and the status quo. Mutiny in the navy. Initially the Germany navy was largely underutilized. They used cruisers to launch a tax on the allied civilian ships. Later on in 1916 a battle called the battle of Jutland (battle skagerrak in German) turned into a full-scale naval war where German navy was pinned down by the superior British naval fleet. This left the Germany navy inactive