Sunday, January 19, 2020

Conflicting Cultures in Louise Erdrichs Captivity Essay example -- Lo

Kidnapping colonists during the struggle for land in the early centuries of American history was a strong force influencing the images of Native Americans circulating among the Puritan pioneers. During these centuries, the battles between the natives and the Puritans cost thousands of lives on both sides, and countless stories in the forms of captivity narratives revealed truths and myths about the Native people. Although there were countless pieces of literature and propaganda published in this time period, the actual Indian captivity narratives have been narrowed down to works â€Å"that presumably record with some degree of verisimilitude the experiences of non-Indians who were captures by American Indians† (Derounian-Stodoloa, Levernier, 9). Through such a narrative by Mary Rowlandson, who was taken captive by the Wampanoag tribe in 1676, the contemporary writer and poet Louise Erdrich shows another side of history that could not have been expressed by the surviving captiv es hundreds of years ago. That recreation is her poem, â€Å"Captivity,† which uses the inner conflict of the captive woman to express both historical feelings of Native Americans and their place among whites, along with Erdrich’s conflicts within her own life.# Coming from a mixed family, with her mother being part Native American, Erdrich experiences a pull from both her European history and Native American heritage. Through her poem, â€Å"Captivity,† Erdrich exposes the inner conflict that is felt by both historical women and herself, such as the conflicting feelings and cultural pulls of the two societies through sharing experiences of removal from their known worlds and returns to the white man’s society. In order to fully understand Erdrich’s interpretation... ...rk, 1993. Erdrich, Louise. â€Å"Captivity,† in Kelly, Joseph ed. The Seagull Reader: Poems. Norton and Company: New York, 2001. Fast, Robin Riley. â€Å"Resistant History: Revising the captivity Narrative in ‘Captivity’ and Blackrobe: Isaac Jones.† American Indian Culture and Research Journal. 23:1 (1999) 69-96. Logan, Lisa. â€Å"Mary Rowlandson’s Captivity and the ‘Place’ of the Woman Subject.† Early American Literature. 28 (1993) 255-277. Namias, June. White Captives: Gender and Ethnicity on the American Frontier.University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill, 1993. Vaughan, Alden T. â€Å"Early English Paradigms for New World Natives.† American Antiquarian Society. 102:1 (1992) 33-67. Woodard, Maureen L. â€Å"Female Captivity and the Deployment of Race in Three Early American Texts.† Papers on Language and Literature. 32:2 (1996)

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Minimum Wage in Malaysia

Minimum wage in Malaysia: need for it and its’ possible effectiveness 1. 0. Introduction Background Information There has been growing debates concerning the minimum wage in Malaysia, with strong opinions from both sides of the arguments. In 1979 edition of their introductory textbook, William B. Aumol and Alan Blinder explained, â€Å"The primary consequence of the minimum wage law is not an increase in the incomes of the least skilled workers but a restriction of their employment opportunities† (p. 7). On the other side of the debate, social activists, policymakers and other non-economists often argue for an increase in the minimum wage. Advocates of the minimum wage have included Franklin D. Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, A. Philip Randolph, Walter R. Reuther, Edward Filene, Beatrice and Sydney Webb. Finally, Malaysia took its stance and made its first legislative attempt at putting in place a national minimum wage on twenty first June 2011 . Introduced by Human Resources Deputy Minister, Maznah Mazlan in Parliament, the National Wages Consultative Council (NWCC) bill was tabled for its first reading. Most significantly, the general public does not widely share the negative opinion of the minimum wage, according to surveys. What questions us, is whether there is a need for minimum wage, and if there, how effective it might be. Statement of the Problem This paper will investigate on the need and the effectiveness of the yet to be minimum wage bill among security guards, cleaners with its current value of RM720. The idea of having a national minimum wage in Malaysia has been proposed more than 12 years ago by the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC), when Tun Mahatir was still the Prime Minister, and has been continuously rejected, until more recently, the current prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib has stated in the Malaysia Budget 2011 speech â€Å"Businesses must embrace the minimum wage as a business strategy†. A minimum wage theoretically, is planned to affect the low-skilled workers such as janitors, cleaners and security, who are paid with low wages which affect their standards of living. With a minimum wage in effect, they were supposed to be able to raise their standards of living and live a more comfortable life. Conversely, Orrenius and Zavodny (2008) and Ragayah Haji mat Zin(2007) argue that the effect of a minimum wage may just put these low skilled workers out of employment because of economic conditions in country, putting the low-skilled workers in an even worse situation: unemployment. Research Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether or not Malaysia is in need for implementation of a national minimum wage, based on the reviews of recent developments in the literature pertaining to the overall effects of a minimum wage, and the opinions of the janitors, cleaners and security guards. The focus is on the perceptions of low-paid workers as mentioned earlier and their satisfaction with the amount they are being paid and whether or not it covered their day to day expenses. Analysis can be made on whether or not these workers were exploited by the absence of a minimum wage and that a minimum wage is indeed can end such situations. To answer the questions surveys will be done and literature review will be made that will analyze on how are salaries are appointed and later on the consequences of implementing the minimum wage. This paper aims to answer the following questions: 1)Is there any need for Malaysia to implement national minimum wage? 2) As for now are low-paid workers are paid enough to cover their daily expenses? )Does the law bring a tangible change? Significance of the Study There are lots of studies pertaining to the issue of minimum wage around the globe, however, only few had focused on the issue being practiced in Malaysia, like Rohayu Abd. Ghani in her article† Salary and Wages in Malaysia† and David Lim in his article â€Å"†Sweet Labor† and Wages in Malaysian Manufacturing† . Referring to the history of an alysis, some have focused on developing countries that have already implemented the minimum wage, like P. Jones, where he discusses issues pertaining Ghana; or first world countries, like M. Bowey and A. Lupton where comprehensive explanation about implementation in United Kingdom was done or D. Neumark and W. Wascher analyzing the situation in USA. This brings us to the conclusion that more studies need to be done to find out the conditions of so-called â€Å"black workers†: janitors, cleaners and security guards in Malaysia. Ironically, many newspaper articles have addressed the economic conditions in Malaysia, the effects of those on citizens of Malaysia. But never the question of implementing the minimum wage policy was taken any further. Findings of the investigation will be helpful in determining if the minimum wage needs to be implemented, to analyze whether it would be actually successful in improving the lives of janitors, cleaners and security guards, and whether or not their current salaries will be sufficient for them to live a comfortable life, as concerning this issue Shireen (1998) has shown that poverty in Malaysia officially seen s as a situation of relative rather than absolute deprivation. By understanding their conditions, a better decision of how the minimum wage could be implemented can be recommended and the proximity of the issue can be understood. 2. Literature review Bowey and Lupton (1982) has discussed that wage and salary administration is complex and subtle, and littered with techniques designed to reduce the complexity for the administrator and cope with the subtleties. The explanations that are brought together are the descriptions of the most important techniques that are available for coping with the principal tasks of wage and salary administration, and shows how and when these may be used. They propagate that there are many systems of payment which attempt to relate earnings to the work done and before any such system can be used it is necessary to assess that work in some way by comparing the nature of the work (eg. Is it heavy work? Does it carry a large amount of responsibility? ), it may also involve assessing the rate at which the employees are working and rewarding them according to their different rates of performance. The first method is job evaluation while latter is work measurement. Regarding this matter they outline that â€Å"Job evaluation and work measurement are two subjective areas which are of crucial importance to the operative and the manager as they radically affect the payback and the quality of work† ( Bowey & Lupton, 1982, p. 159). And here is the issue that we have, why is that in some instances, wage amounts differ, regarding the fact that it’s one country, one sector of work, but yet, some workers are abused and get to be paid a very low salary. The inform us that there are three different consideration while salary is being allocated to each job. First, the mechanics of assigning different amount of money to different positions is the job hierarchy and different standards of performance. Second, consideration of the absolute levels of pay which should be given when pay in other organizations is taken into account. Third, the process of negotiation between the management and the union about levels of payment. And exactly the third consideration appears to be quite an issue. Why is that we require the workers to give the just amount of performance, finishing the assigned work, but we aren’t just in giving enough reward for the effort contributed. It appears, that using the power as an upper- manager who hires, the abundance of work supplying the market, especially with the flow of illegal immigrants, workers will have to agree on terms offered. Do we consider the undue influence and abuse of situation as an ethical act? Bowey & Lupton(1982) stated that: With management by objectives, the employee and his superior agree a set of objectives for the coming year, and the individual is given salary increase at the end of the year, which is partly determined by how well he has succeeded in achieving those targets (p. ) Theoretically, the wage systems seems just fine. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Malaysia. Plantation workers are initially paid RM350 and can achieve RM700 with bonuses. Would that be enough for an average Malaysian citizen to cover rent, food expenses? They argue that â€Å"If we give equal rations to everyone, who do we designate to carry out the most onerous tasks-and on what basis do we make this choice? † ( Bowey & Lupton, 1982, p. 159). In the end, whether we like it or not management has to make decisions about the worth of the contribution comparing different levels of jobs and finally assigns the salary, even if the appointed salary makes it cheaper than in other place as starting amount of salary differs from the budget of one institution to another. Journal Business Asia has analyzed the ambivalent attitude of government to foreign labor. Before the crisis 2. 5 million immigrant workers were regarded as â€Å"undesirable but necessary encumbrance†( Business Asia,2000,p. 2) . It is a very degrading attitude toward human being, be he from first world country or third, but what matters is that, in the end, we can’t change much. Laws and bills are issued, but these workers still are considered cheap workers for black jobs. This type of attitude is problematic, as the accountability and dignity of an employee disappears, especially when allocating the salary. Wikipedia (2011) states that the minimum wa ge that Malaysia has stated for plantation workers is RM350 and that even may reach RM700 with bonuses! The article explains further â€Å"Officially-orchestrated- and mostly employer-funded-repatriation programmes saw the number of registered foreign workers drop below 700,000 by end 1999, from peak of 1. 2million in 1997†(Business Asia,2000,p. 12) . Though, after the pressure from exasperated employers, the government announced the lifting of a freeze on the recruitment of foreign workers, but yet, â€Å"the grudging nature of the concession was underlined by an accompanying list of 138 categories of job† for Malaysians only (Business Asia, 2000,p. 12). And ironically, all these statement are done by those who â€Å"stated an intention to transform Malaysia from a production to a knowledge- based economy† (Business Asia, 2000, p. 12). Employers complain that â€Å"Instead of encouraging the free-thinking innovators needed to help realize such a lofty ambition, the education system seems expressly programmed to eliminate them† (Business Asia,2000, p. 12). All of the above had lead to the core of the issue, the rise of salary. The fear among employers is that a rise in wages will eventually begin â€Å"outstripping productivity gains† (Business Asia,2000, p. 2). Despite the increase of GDP by 3. 7% wages by relative modest grew by 2. 7%. The question is what should stand above, a just increase in wages, which a company can afford, or the increase of the profits at the expense of exploitation of decent workers. As Annil Netto reports at Indian-Malaysian Online â€Å"The Malaysian Trades Union Congress, an umbrella for private sector unions, threatened by nationwide strike if its request for a minimum would be ignored, even so, the Malaysian government gave a cool response †. In March 2000 a national survey by MUTC and International Labor Organization has revealed that some 2 million workers earned less than a poverty- line income of RM600, MTUC demanded at least RM1,200, which we still do not have in 2011. Further, Jones (1997) examines the impact of minimum wage legislation in developing countries with incomplete coverage, using the case of Ghana. Her extensive research has proved that the implementation of the minimum wage was not an efficient policy for reducing the incidence of poverty in a situation where coverage of the minimum wage legislation is partial. The reason is that people working outside of the wage sector e. g. Farmers who survive by selling and consuming their own output are not covered by the minimum wage, and they are the ones who are in need of the minimum wage. Thus, the implementation of the minimum wage becomes non-effective. Her results have shown that the minimum wage in Ghana had a negative impact on employment; there were significant job losses due to the policy. Although the study is based on the case of Ghana, it can be deduced that if Malaysia were to implement the minimum wage, it should cover a large proportion of the population, and not just those working in the public sector, to increase coverage. Ghana and Malaysia are two different countries of different cultures and mentalities, government structure, though communality are the social problems that each faces. But the differences might tell us that policies implemented in one will not necessarily give the same results if applied in the other. The main key point that could be inserted is that the minimum wage should have a large coverage, in our research cleaners and guards. Saget (2001) examines the relationship between the level of minimum wage and employment and between the level of minimum wage and poverty through literature survey and also empirical evidence. The response of employment and poverty to changes in the minimum wage on more than twenty countries was tested in the research, and â€Å"†¦ he data analysis had given strong support to the proposition that the minimum wage may bring positive results in poverty alleviation by improving the living conditions of workers and their families. † (Saget, 2001,p. 31). The literature survey however, had differing opinions, for example some papers mentioned that raising the minimum wage in developing countries may contribute to a widening of the gap between the covered and uncovered sector, similar to Jones (2007), generating relative poverty. Unlike Jones (2007), Saget's (2001) analysis proved that minimum wage had no negative results on employment whereas Jones had shown that the minimum wage policy had caused significant job losses. This is because Jones’ study was focused on incomplete coverage of the minimum wage while Saget looked into the minimum wage in general, cross country to see the effects it had on poverty and employment. Therefore based on Jones’ study, if Malaysia were to implement the minimum wage, then up till now there would be a reduction in poverty, which is positive and one of the goals of Malaysia in becoming a high income nation by 2020. Jones did not manage to find a significant link between unemployment and the minimum wage thus, this means that a minimum wage would not cause unemployment to increase significantly. However, the results could also mean that countries that implement the minimum wage are more committed to reducing the level of poverty in the country thus leading to results which imply that setting a higher minimum wage would reduce poverty. Lo (2010) in his paper titled ‘The case for a minimum wage in Malaysia† is a highly passionate in support of the minimum wage. It is perhaps due to the fact that the writer is the secretary of the MTUC which is the very same organization that has been pushing for minimum wage legislation in Malaysia for over 12 years now. Malaysian workers suffer from suppressed wages because of the influx of cheap foreign labor, but having a minimum wage according to the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) would hurt Malaysian’s competitiveness due to the increase in costs firms will have to incur. However this is countered by Lo (2010), â€Å"If a firm cannot even provide a decent living wage to its workers – one that is enough to meet their basic needs – it has no business being in business†(p. 3). He also suggested that Malaysia can’t always depend on cheap foreign labor forever. Although now it would be expensive to invest in research and development to develop tools that would improve productivity, it would be cheaper in the long run to use these machines. Furthermore, higher wages lead to higher productivity. It would encourage employers to invest in research and development to increase overall productivity and efficiency. Malaysia has not been spending much on research and development, especially private sector, but this would change if there was minimum wage legislation, and more on research and development would give Malaysia a better future. According to this, Malaysia should implement the minimum wage, because of the effects it has in reducing social poverty and also its potential in enhancing economic growth and productivity improvements. â€Å"There is a growing view among economists that the minimum wage offers substantial benefits to low-wage workers without negative effect. Although there are still dissenters, the best recent research has shown that the job loss reported in earlier analyses does not, in fact, occur when the minimum wage is increased† (Fox, 2006, p. 1). Also, over 650 economists, including five Nobel Prize winners and six past presidents of the American Economic Association, recently signed a statement stating that federal and state minimum wage increases â€Å"can significantly improve the lives of low-income workers and their families, without the adverse effects hat critics have claimed† (EPI, 2006). Although the paper focused purely on the evidences from the USA, the effects of minimum wage are still similar if it were to be implemented in Malaysia. However, there could be major differences as Malaysia would be implementing the minimum wage for the first time, while the USA has been doing it for much longer and their case is to do with raising the minimum wage. Malaysia would face lots of opposition in the beginning as t he adjustment process would take time. Card and Krueger (1995) extensively describe the effectiveness of minimum wages of each sector of US population. As stated by CIA World Factbook (2011) US GDP for year 1995 was 2. 51 and 3. 7 for year 2006, and current GDP of Malaysia is 3. 9,hence we can conclude similarities in the phase of economical development. Card and Krueger present us a new body of evidence showing that recent minimum wage increases have not had the negative employment effects predicted by the textbook model. Some of the new evidence points toward a positive effect of minimum wage on employment most show no effect at all. Moreover, a reanalysis of previous minimum wage studies finds little support for the prediction that minimum wages reduce employment, like Richard Lester during the 1940 or Card and Krueger initial work in 1988, California state as a case study. If accepted, the findings will call into question the standard model of the labor market that has dominated economists’ thinking for the past half century. They have showed us the empirical findings which result in later: first of all, a study of employment in the fast- food industry after the increase in New Jersey minimum wage was not affected adversely by law, stating that â€Å"modest increases in the minimum wage have no adverse effect on the employment outcomes of low-wage workers† (Card & Krueger, 1995, p. 114) as Lo ( 2010) and Saget (2001) had argued above. The results were gathered from 400 restaurants. Relative to restaurants in Pennsylvania, where the minimum wage remained unchanged, they found that â€Å"employment growth within New Jersey was higher at restaurants† (Card & Krueger,1995, p. 46). Second, a cross-state analysis finds that the 1990 and 1991 increases in the federal minimum wage did not affect teenage employment adversely. Thirdly, an increase in the minimum wage leads to a situation in which workers who previously were paid different wages all receive the new minimum wage. Card & Krueger(1995) ar gue that once there is an increase in the minimum wage it would result in a â€Å"ripple effect†, leading to pay raises for workers who previously earned wages above the new minimum. Surprisingly, increases in minimum wage do not appear to be offset by reductions in fringe benefits. Increase of such kinds has decreased the minimum dispersion, partially reversing the trend toward rising wage inequality that has dominated the labor market since the early 1980s. Finally, as a fact minimum wage is a blunt instrument for reducing poverty. It’s â€Å"an amount that is smaller than most other federal antipoverty programs, and that can have only limited effects on the overall income distribution† (Card & Krueger,1995, p. 3). They also note, that â€Å"more than 60 percent of all workers have worked for the minimum wage at some time during their careers(Card & Krueger,1995, p. ). References Anonymous (2000). No staff, no skills, Business Asia, Vol. 32 Issue 14, p12, 4/5p Card D. , Krueger A. B. ,(1995). Myth and measurement. The new economics of the minimum wage. Fox, L. (2006). Minimum wage trends: Understanding past and contemporary research. Retrieved from http://www. epi. org/publications/entry/bp178/ Jones, P. (1997). The Impact of Minimum Wage Legisl ation in Developing Countries where Coverage is Incomplete. Retrieved from http://www. bepress. com/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? article=1066=csae- redir=1#search=†jones+ghana+wage† Lo, A. 2010). The case for a minimum wage. Retrieved from http://www. mtuc. org. my/andrewminimumwageaug2010. pdf M Bowey,A. , Lupton, T. (1982)Managing Salary and Wage systems,Great Britain: Gower Publishing Company Retrieved from http://www. indianmalaysian. com/minimum_wage. htm Retrieved from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/ html Saget, C. (2001). Poverty reduction and decent work in developing countries: Do minimum wages help?. International Labour Review, 140. Retrieved from http://www. ingentaconnect. com/content/ilo/ilr/2001/00000140/00000003/art00002

Friday, January 3, 2020

Essay on Utopia - 2087 Words

Utopia nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Utopias are generally said to be societies in which the political, social and economic troubles hampering its inhabitants has been done away with. Instead the state is there to serve the people and ensure the peacefulness and happiness of everyone. The word utopia, which means quot;no placequot; in Greek, was first used to mean a perfect society in 1516 in the publication of Saint Thomas Mores story quot;Utopiaquot;. The story depicted life as it was with its people and social institutions on an imaginary island. Mores Utopia gained critical acclaim and a wide audience. The term was subsequently used by all prominent social thinkers and visionaries to define other concepts of this kind.†¦show more content†¦Most comes by way of literature with stories such as a way to expose modern societies social ills. Some prominent examples of this type of writing include George Orwells 1984 and Aldous Huxleys Brave New Worldquot;. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The places mentioned in those stories were all imaginary. Such a place does not exist in the world as we know it today. Therefore the word imaginary comes into play. I have heard of places that have experimented with the concept of a utopian environment but none have truly succeeded. One example is the community in Chicago which George Pullman attempted to control. He attempted to create a community in which every person was taken care for, all had adequate housing, medical attention and so forth. In return everyone would work for Pullmans company. The better he provided for his workers, the better he expected their attitude towards working for him would be. Not everything turned out as planned though. A panic in 1893 lead to Pullman lowering the employees wages, he did not however lower the employees rent and other charges in the company town. This lead to what was called the Pullman strike. The anticipated utopia had turned into a dystopia. (A dystopia would be the exact opposite of a utopia.) Federal troops arrived on July 4th to try to control the unrest. Rioting broke out and several strikers were killed. It wasnt until July 10th that theShow MoreRelatedA Dystopia Or Utopia Or A Utopia?933 Words   |  4 PagesEvery society has the makings to be either a Dystopia or a Utopia. Thomas More outlines why he thinks his society is corrupt, and identifies the causes for its corruptness and suggests possible solutions. More talks about the differences in citizens and thievery, corrupt governments, and the problem with equality as a result of private property, between his society and the Utopia. However, many of the problems faced in More’s society still cause problems today. One problem faced by the people isRead MoreUtopia By Thomas More s Utopia1350 Words   |  6 PagesMore’s Utopia Thomas More’s book, Utopia, was constructed to criticize aspects of European life during the 1500s. One issue that More evaluates is the subject of politics and war. War during this time was used to gain territory or increase the ruler’s power. The Utopians are a peaceful group of citizens that rarely have any altercations occurring upon their island. They have a strict daily schedule that provides a minute amount of time for leisure, resulting in a low rate of problems. So why doesRead MoreUtopia By Thomas More s Utopia1927 Words   |  8 PagesIn Thomas More’s Utopia, the character Thomas More writes a letter to Peter Giles of this island nation Raphael told him about called Utopia. At this point Thomas more is in Denmark (?) making negotiations when he meets Raphael who introduces him to the thought and place of Utopia. More heard that it is a wonderful place ruled entirely by logic, but in the end he tells Peter Giles that he does not know how well that wou ld actually work. In Utopia, everything is perfect because the Utopians use logicRead MoreBelief in a Utopia795 Words   |  3 Pageshave laid in bed late at night thinking of how if only we had some magic power to change the world how much better the world. Even thinking about what we would change about the world. Many have tried to achieve a perfect society or in other words a utopia. Possibly the most famous utopian civilization was the Oneida Society built solely for the purpose of everyone being equal. Ultimately though the Oneida people collapsed under the greed of the people who used their metal making skills to create aRead More Utopia Essay1183 Words   |  5 PagesUtopia The text Utopia was written by Sir Thomas Moore in 1516, just before the outbreak of the Reformation. More’s life flourished through the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which were influential years in the Renaissance, a flowering of art and thought that began in Italy and flooded through Europe and England. Humanists often stressed the dignity of man and the power of reason while remaining deeply committed to Christianity. Their thought and writings helped to break theRead MoreThe Prince and Utopia2005 Words   |  9 PagesThe Prince and Utopia The Prince and Utopia are honored as masterpieces that show two differing styles of government. Both books have many similarities and differences in the governments that are in the their respective stories. Many ideas from the governments they portray have profound impacts on our modern government such as various political principles like the military, economy, and religion. The Prince and Utopia are both interesting novels that show creative styles of government. TheRead MoreEssay Utopia4252 Words   |  18 PagesUtopia In the year 1515, a book in Latin text was published which became the most significant and controversial text ever written in the field of political science. Entitled, ‘DE OPTIMO REIPUBLICATE STATU DEQUE NOVA INSULA UTOPIA, clarissimi disertissimique viri THOMAE MORI inclutae civitatis Londinensis civis et Vicecomitis’, translated into English would read, ‘ON THE BEST STATE OF A COMMONWEALTH AND ON THE NEW ISLAND OF UTOPIA, by the Most Distinguished and Eloquent Author THOMAS MORERead MoreEssay on Utopia785 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican nation. In Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs and Utopia by Thomas Moore, we are presented two life styles, which some might consider very similar in various ways. Both authors focus on a peaceful living lifestyle, to better the people of the nation. Although some of their specific details are different, I believe that Jacobs would definitely approve of the features that More develops in Utopia. Utopia occupies a crescent-shaped island that curves in on itself, enclosing aRead MorePystopia Vs Utopia1382 Words   |  6 Pagesidea of utopia or a perfect society seems so unattainable or impossible. Both Ursula Le Guin’s â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas† and Ben Winters’ Underground Airlines take place in different realities - the former exists in a place where all seems too good to be true, while the latter takes place in a United States wherein slave-based practices still exist; it is through these realities that the authors point out the flaws of their imagined societies and, possibly, critique aspects of utopia. ThisRead More`` Utopia `` By Thomas More1493 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout human history, Utopia is a word that have been eulogized as a community or society possessing highly desirable or perfect qualities. This idea has been promoted by Thomas More via his fiction work and political philosophy in 1516. Utopia, then, becomes a final goal of many wealthy people around the world, who are seeking for the happiest and the most secure place to maintain their property. However, most of individual prefer to keep benefits for themselves rather than sharing with others

Thursday, December 26, 2019

A Brief Note On The Culture Of Terrorism - 1518 Words

Culture of Terrorism The Culture of Terrorism The thesis of this paper is that the attacks of 9/11 were the catalysts of a world culture of terrorism that is used by propaganda and censorship to blur the politics of globalization and technology, and restructure a totalitarian society. This paper will argue that the businesses of â€Å"the U.S. media shill factory† (Borjesson, 2004, p.165), the plottings of the â€Å"brand based† (Klein, 2000, P.421) corporations, and the multi-national oil giants influence sectors of government by using deliberate strategies of censorship and propaganda to discredit government effectiveness, alienate populations, and seize control. What is the correlation between censorship and propaganda? â€Å"Intelligent men must†¦show more content†¦A new social order can only be reconstructed by a flow of chaos that compels a populace to request and even accede to such a change. It is essential to this paper that this began to surface publicly during â€Å"the mass popular movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s† (Chomsky, 1988, p.39-40). It was evident in the social activists who protested against the culture of violence that erupted. It was seen in the youth, in the universities, and in the government that had presided over the baby-boomer, white middle class economic boom between 1945 and 1963. This quiet center of American society floated unaware of the iceberg that lurked below, the â€Å"military-industrial complex† that Eisenhower warned of just before he left office in 1961 (â€Å"The Avalon Project†). Eisenhower also noted that â€Å"until the latest of our world conflicts, the U.S. had no armament industry† (â€Å"The Avalon Project†), but society was about to be torn apart. National leaders were assassinated. Kent State students protested Nixon’s unauthorized invasion of Cambodia, which he concealed from Congress. The Vietnamese War also brought the violence of arms directly to the American people along with â€Å"massive amounts of heroin being smuggled into the States in the bodies and body bags of GI’s killed in Vietnam† (Borjesson, 2004, p.165). Although â€Å"it was clear to us that CIA protection of international narcotics traffickers depended heavily on the

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

John F. Kennedy Moon Speech - 1744 Words

Caleigh Meyers 8GH 4/29/15 John F. Kennedy Moon Speech On September 12th, 1962, President John F. Kennedy rose a platform before a vast group assembled at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and arranged to give a discourse that would significantly shape the course of the United States endeavors over the accompanying decade. For sure, his discourse would stamp the start of a strong new time for mankind; a period of investigation and development in space. The connection and circumstances of President Kennedy s we go to the moon discourse, conveyed close to the stature of the Cold War and toward the start of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, were hugely critical. The Soviet satellite Sputnik had been beeping overhead for a long time, and one and only year earlier Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin had turned into the first individual in history to enter space. The United States was quickly losing the race into space, and thusly a rival in innovative matchless quality and eminence, to its Cold War foe. The American open was very nearly freeze over the ramifications of a Red Moon. President Kennedy expected to fashion a new course for the United States, one that would energize and stimulate the American open and restore American prominence in worldwide issues. Thus, on that day in September, 1962, he did simply that, effectively announcing that the United States would go to the Moon before the decade was out. The enduring centrality ofShow MoreRelatedJfk s Rhetorical Masterpiece Of John F. Kennedy s Moon Speech Essay1118 Words   |  5 PagesLivingston English 1101 27 Sept. 2016 JFK’s Rhetorical Masterpiece John F. Kennedy’s â€Å"Moon Speech† is a rhetorical masterpiece, which painted a vivid picture of America’s upcoming role as being a world leader in space exploration. The 1962 â€Å"Moon speech† was delivered by John F. Kennedy at the Rice University stadium in the midst of the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States. Kennedy’s ultimate goal with the â€Å"Moon Speech† was to get the Nation on board to support the NASA space programRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of John F. Kennedy s Speech1405 Words   |  6 PagesJessica Madinger Composition 1 26 October 2015 We Choose to go to the Moon Rhetorical Analysis There are many things that a speech must contain to make it a well written and spoken speech. John F. Kennedy s speech he gave on September 12th 1962, titled â€Å"Address at Rice University on the Nation s Space Efforts†, better known as â€Å"We Choose to go to the Moon† contains many of the important factors of a successful speech. Kennedy used rhetorical strategies and skills to help him influence the AmericanRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy1675 Words   |  7 Pagesday that a choice was made by the USA. â€Å"We choose to go to the moon. 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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Ethical Treatment of Prisoners free essay sample

Some people believe the history of corrections shows continuous movement toward more humane treatment of prisoners as society has progressed. In the beginning punishments for prisoners were considered a corporal punishment which was whipping, beheading, dismembering, torture or even death. There was fines, dispersion of property were common which was more common than the physical torture. Execution was the economic and corporal punishment as the estate was forfeited. The economic and physical sanctions have given way of imprisonment less depreciation in the liberty of parole and probation.When there are thousands of crimes incarcerated throughout the United States, the ethical treatment of prisoner’s rights must be analyzed. Throughout the years many modifications have been made to accommodate inmates and preserve their basic human rights. Have we as a society done enough regarding the ethical treatment of prisoners or have we made their lives in prison too easy that it is no longer a punishment for them? There are many people in the United States who have strong feelings of what is right and wrong and fall on both sides of this question. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Treatment of Prisoners or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Utilitarianism is the belief that moral rules should be choices made by a society to promote the happiness of its members Mosser (2010). Through the utilitarian view the argument could be made that these prisoners are being treated to good and not good enough. Utilitarianism gives an understandable, theoretical foundation for moral decision making. Prior to coming to a decision upon a course of action, the utilitarian is asked to consider its effects on the entire population over an infinite period of time Mosser (2010).One problem with this method of decision-making is that many people might not agree with the premise that maximization of happiness should be the basis for morality. An example of this is an eye for an eye; if you kill someone in my family then I will have your life. In earlier history like the cowboy era this is how criminals were treated. Now, this is no longer accepted in our society. Our society’s ethical values have changed. For hundreds of years, prisoners had no rights. That is until 1909 when the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that although convicts have lost their freedom; they do have civil rights Davenport (2009).During this era, institutions were legally immune in state and federal courts from lawsuits, also called the hands-off doctrine, wardens ran their facilities as they felt necessary and were not held accountable for the conditions that existed in their facility Davenport (2009). Prisoners were beaten regularly and denied the basics such as food, medical care, and protection from staff or other inmates. These types of incidents continued for many of years. In the 1960’s several legal avenues opened for prisoners. Prisoners would now have the ability to have their grievances heard in state and federal courts.One of the major changes that enabled this is the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the Eighth Amendment; another is the civil rights provisions of Section 1983 of Title 42 of the U. S. Code Davenport (2009). The Eighth Amendment asserts that excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted Davenport (2009). The cruel and unusual punishment clause was not intended for prisoners; rather the focus was on punishment outside the law. The clause also did not apply to state prisoners.The Supreme Court heard very few cases in this era. In the 1960’s, the Supreme Court began to incorporate the Bill of Rights to state laws. This meant the cruel and unusual punishment clause now included prisons and prisoners. Prisoner’s then began to file suits to change the way prisons operated, citing cruel and unusual punishment, inadequate healthcare, demanding more access to courts and due process. People who are employed in the justice system have to exhibit strength of mind and body to prove they are worthy to be in charge of those who may be a danger to society.This fact alone places these individuals in a position of power, and without a personal and professional code of ethics to live by; this power could be taken out of context. This could lead to damage within the system, as well as out on the street. For these people must make moral decisions everyday. A personal set of ethics can often be hard to define. Ethics are not on a person’s mind as they make various choices throughout the day. When a person sub-consciously makes one judgment or another, they are not aware that ethics plays a role in the decisions that are made.In examining ethical egoism and utilitarianism my personal view is definitely closer to utilitarianism than ethical egoism. Utilitarianism is an exceedingly, even extremely demanding moral view for most people. If we have a duty to always bring about the best outcome, than any time we can increase the well-being of others, we have a moral duty to do so. I believe it is morally better to help the most people at a time than to serve the self interest of one person. The thousands of crimes incarcerated throughout the United States had their day in court and are now housed in a penal institution to serve out their sentence.As a society we have passed ethical laws to protect the prisoners against harm from others and to make sure they are treated with respect. Through the eyes of utilitarianism arguments are made that these prisoners are being treated to good by some and not good enough by others. Regardless of which theories or ethical beliefs a person chooses to believe in they must follow the law or they could end up as a prisoner in the United States. Those in the justice system sworn to protect prisoners can not choose to follow their own beliefs but they must follow the laws and regulatio n set forth before them. Ethics as a form of intellectual inquiry does not provide answers to moral questions. People with beliefs about right and wrong do. Societies are built upon those beliefs. As we have analyzed the ethical treatment of prisoners with theories of ethics we can argue that society’s views of right and wrong coincide with reality, are representative of the objective moral order, and encompass the will of the people with regards to their treatment. Davenport, A. U. (2009). Basic criminal law: the constitution, procedure, and crimes (2nd Ed. ). Upper Saddle River: Pearson

Monday, December 2, 2019

Sibling Rivalry free essay sample

Any person, average or unusual, who obtains the unfortunate blessing of having siblings most likely acknowledges the complexity of American family dynamics that are attached among them. In general, families are anything but easily comprehended in one’s mind. Because of this, it is necessary to recognize and identify these alienable creatures we all know as â€Å"brothers and sisters† in order to know how to handle every day situations one may experience at any given time. Chiefly, apparent species of siblings have been divided as follows into these five groups: the Annoyances, the Invisibles, the Mini-Me’s, the Iconics, and of course, the Loveables. The Annoyances take the primary ranking of all siblings due to the fact that they are the most universal species of the five. It is not unusual to see an Annoyance in a typical household and simply put, they are no more than the meddlesome little boys and girls regularly displayed on reality television one grows up being familiar with. We will write a custom essay sample on Sibling Rivalry or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Their conversations consist of mediocre third-grade days at the dinner table and their maturity limits to insisting that the opposite gender is nothing but a cootie-infested nature of some sort. Hair-pulling and pointless screaming are fairly ordinary behavioral acts for this species, also. As far as specialty skills are concerned, jump rope and dodge ball take the ultimate ranking, along with hopscotch and four-square. An Annoyance adores frustrating those around them through giggles, pranks, and other shenanigans of the sort. It is important to remember that Annoyances are a rather ill-behaved cluster that most definitely should not be confided in. Secondly comes the rather dull and dim Invisibles. Being sad, mournful-like creatures, Invisibles are those fellow members that live under the same roof as you, but rarely go past a distant look across the room. If one is lucky, a series of twelve or so words might be exchanged every now and again, but for majority of the time, Invisibles enjoy tending to themselves and themselves alone. To witness an Invisible out and about the home is exceedingly rare, because they tend to be self-governing and independent towards their own affairs. Invisibles take pleasure in an assortment of comic books, video games, and additional activities as such. Despite their seemingly innocent facade, Invisibles tend to be suspicious beings with an almost hidden side. Let it be forewarned now: Be cautious around Invisibles, for their actions and thoughts are almost always unknown. Next are the Mini-Me’s. Ah, an emotional sect of the species indeed. Those young ones who esteem just about anyone for anything and get under the skin in sheer annoyance can be identified as Mini-Me’s. Though they are annoying, one cannot help but love a Mini-Me in some sort of way. Mini-Me’s often times have their older siblings looking out for them regardless if they know of it or not. Respecting a Mini-Me is essential, for they simply reflect the actions of those around them and fail to realize their behaviors often. Ordinarily, these beings morph into well-built individuals with a set vision of the future that lies ahead of them. One should look upon a Mini-Me with admiration and nobility. The Iconics place fourth among the world of brothers and sisters. These children are the stereotypical siblings one reads about in inspirational stories and sees in posed photographs on magazines. Between the perfectly-fitting attire, pearly white smiles, combed back hair, and overall groomed appearance, Iconics live in fantasy realms only. Being severely fictional, Iconics are unfortunately inexistent and not real. Iconic children tend to have plain and straightforward names such as Bob, or Joe, or John; Mary, Kate, or Sue. Iconics are uninteresting and bluntly stated, bland people that lack personality, and are the definition of â€Å"normal†. Consideration should be taken when encountering an Iconic of any sort. Finally, the most astounding beings in the sibling realm arrive; the Lovables. These beings were created to love and be loved, no matter what the situation. Dimples, a crooked smile, missing teeth, or even a disability can be characteristics of a Loveable, and these attributes make it extremely difficult to hate one. Their innocent beauty ranges, and the sole trait Loveables necessitate is TLC itself from those around them. When this thirst is not quenched, the Loveable will slowly fade away; much like a flower. It is for this exact reason that a person must be primarily empathetic and humble toward a Loveable. By performing such a simple task, a Loveable will be compassionate and kind-hearted in return. Taking into account all the siblings on the face of the planet, whether it be of African culture or European descent, all siblings can be identified as an Annoyance, Invisible, Mini-Me, Iconic, or Loveable. By being informed of the different sibling types among the world, one can begin to understand, recognize, and appreciate the complexity of siblings.