Government and Politics - Americas Addiction to War Essays -- Argumen

The United States is addicted to war. In the same way that the drug addict seeks a euphoria from heroin, America seeks the thrill of war and victory. Though there are dire consequences, and certain destruction, the thrill of the high is a prize to be won, no matter the cost. The euphoria of victory and the addiction to war are comparatively recent for the United States. America was a reluctant and late participant in World War One, and before that, wars were fought for the conquest of the continent, or for hemispheric objectives. The notable exception was the Civil War, which was terribly destructive, and which took place entirely on American soil (the only one; the Indian wars were about the conquest of land belonging to others). More American combatants lost their lives in the Civil War than in any other involving Americans. The United States of America was founded by people with a distrust of a large standing army, a distrust that lingered into the twentieth century. As economically powerful as the United States was by the beginning of the twentieth century, it was not a country with a huge military. Viewed as it was then, it was easy enough to defend the country, with friendly neighbours to the north and south, and great oceans between the US and the rest of the world. As the situation in Europe and Asia tended to become more dangerous in the 1930s, there was still very strong sentiment in the United States against getting involved in wars on other continents. The country was very reluctant to enter the First World War, and the hope was that it wouldn’t be sending anyone to war abroad again. Besides, the Civil War and its horrors were still part of living memory. The coming of World War Two, and the possibility of Amer... ...ar movement today is higher; especially amongst the younger elements of the movement, there is a greater realisation of the connections between war, capitalism, and globalisation. That consciousness can be found at ground level, too. It does not manifest itself only at the level of abstraction and theory. I am reminded of the Liberation Theologians’ principle of 'praxis-reflection-praxis', and the advantage of this 'orthopraxis' over 'orthodoxy' and 'practice'. I am also hopeful because, disconnected as it seems, SUV-loving Americans do seem to have in the back of their minds that oil is both finite and bad for the environment. Moreover, as the US moves reluctantly away from the oil economy, it may not have as many of the economic rationales described above to wage war, and war may even be kicked as an addiction. These are hopeful signs, and I am always one to hope.

Relation of Crime and Family Essays -- Sociology Essays Papers Crimina

Crime is sometimes blamed on the family, with poor parenting, lack of discipline and family breakdown often associated with youth crime. A recurrent theme in academic research has been to investigate the relationship between delinquency and a range of family related factors. Early studies explored child-rearing behaviour, parental discipline, the criminal histories of parents and family size and income. Popular theories in the 1950s and 1960s related juvenile delinquency to material deprivation, broken homes and to the growing number of ‘latch key’ children who were left unsupervised after school while their mothers went to work. All of these presaged current concerns with discipline and the role of single-parent families. What has emerged from this research is that some family factors are related to the likelihood of delinquency but that they must be considered in the context of the socio-economic circumstances of the family and the others factors such as school and the peer group. The following factors have emerged as particularly important. Parental discipline and supervision Parental discipline has always been seen as a major factor underlying youth crime and it was found that inconsistent and erratic discipline are more likely to be associated with delinquency than lax or strict discipline (West and Farrington 1973, 1977). More recent studies have focused on the quality of parental supervision, often measured by whether parents know where their children are when they are not at home. A Home Office study in 1995, for example, found that supervision was strongly related to offending with higher numbers of those who were no... ...ng number of people who are able to work but choose not to, live in a ‘different world’ from others. They do not obtain good habits and discipline and their values contaminate ‘the life of entire neighbourhoods’ (Murray 1996:p123). Men in such communities cannot support families, leading to high rates of illegitimacy, and seek alternative, destructive means of proving that they are men. Whole communities are devastated by crime and young men look up to criminal role models. Whether or not the underclass exists, most agree that industrial restructuring has led to the growth of communities within which the majority of inhabitants are excluded from work and its associated benefits, and that these are also characterised by high amounts of property crime, youth crime and illegal drug use (Davies, Croall & Tyrer 1999).

Castor & Pollux

Castor and Pollux Nationality/Culture Roman Castor and Polydeuces (Greek), the Dioscuri, the Tyndaridae Appears In Homer's Iliad, Hyginus's Fabulae Lineage Sons of Zeus and Leda Character Overview In Greek and Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux (known as Polydeuces to the Greeks) were twin brothers who appeared in several prominent myths. The twins were worshipped as gods who helped shipwrecked sailors and who brought favorable winds for those who made sacrifices to them. The Romans considered Castor and Pollux the gods who watched over horses and the Roman horsemen known as equites (pronounced EK-wi-teez).There are many stories about the twins and numerous versions of those stories. According to the Greek poet Homer, Castor and Pollux were the sons of Tyndareus (pronounced tin-DAlR-ee-uhs) and Leda, the king and queen of Sparta. For this reason, they are sometimes called the Tyndaridae (sons of Tyndareus). Another account identifies the twins as the sons of Leda and Zeus, from whom they received the name Dioscuri (sons of Zeus). Still another legend says that Castor was the son of Leda and Tyndareus†and therefore a human†while Pollux was the son of Zeus†and therefore a god.This difference became significant later in their lives. All tales about the twins agree in portraying Castor as a skilled horse trainer and Pollux as an expert boxer. Inseparable, the brothers always acted together. In one of the earliest myths about the twins, Castor and Pollux rescued their sister Helen after she had been kidnapped by Theseus (pronounced THEE-see-uhs), king of Attica. Helen would later gain fame as the queen whose abduction by Paris, a Trojan prince, launched the Trojan War. The twins also accompanied Jason and the Argonauts on their voyage in search of the Golden Fleece.During that expedition, Pollux demonstrated his boxing skills by killing the king of the Bebryces. When a storm arose during the voyage, the Argonaut Orpheus prayed to the gods and playe d his harp. The storm immediately ceased and stars appeared on the heads of the twins. It is because of this myth that Castor and Pollux came to be recognized as the protectors of sailors. Another story concerns the death of Castor. According to one account, the twins wanted to marry their cousins Phoebe and Hilaria. The women, however, were already promised to two other cousins, Idas Page 212 | Top ofArticleand Lynceus. Castor and Pollux carried the women away to Sparta, pursued by their male cousins. In the fight that followed, the twins succeeded in killing both Idas and Lynceus, but Castor was fatally wounded. St. Elmo's fire is a natural phenomenon that occurs during certain stormy weather conditions. It appears as a glow on the top of tall pointed objects, such as the masts of ships, and is often accompanied by a cracking noise. When stars appeared on the heads of Castor and Pollux during the voyage ot the Argonauts, the twins became known as the protectors ot sailors.From hat time, sailors believed that St. Elmo's fire was actually Castor and Pollux coming to protect them during a storm. In another version of this story, the four men conducted a cattle raid together. Idas and Lynceus then tried to cheat Castor and Pollux out of their share of the catde. The twins decided to take the cattle themselves, but were caught as they started to sneak away. A fght broke out in which Castor, Idas, and Lynceus were all killed. This story also has several different endings. In one, Castor's spirit went to Hades, the place of the dead, because he was a human.Pollux, who was a god, was so devastated at being separated from his brother that he offered to share his immortality (ability to live forever) with Castor, or to give it up so that he could Join his brother in Hades. Taking pity on his son Pollux, Zeus declared that the brothers would take turns dwelling in Hades and with the gods on Mount Olympus. On one day, Castor would be with the gods and Pollux would be in Hades; on the next, the two would change places. In another ending, Castor remained in Hades, but Pollux was allowed to visit him every other day.Most versions of the myth say that Zeus placed the brothers in the heavens as part of the constellation†group of stars† known as Gemini. Today the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini are named Castor and Pollux. Castor and Pollux in Context The Romans developed a strong cult†a group that worships a specific god or gods above all others within a religion†around Castor following a military victory by the Romans over the Latins at Lake Regillus in 499 Page 213 | Top of ArticleBCE. When the Roman infantry failed to hold its ground in the battle, the dictator AulusPostumius decided to send in the cavalry (the horsemen of the military) to help. Castor's association with horsemen prompted the dictator to make a vow to build a temple to Castor in exchange for his Page 214 | Top of Articlehelp, and the Romans we re victorious. The Romans completed the temple in 484 bce. Pollux Joined his brother in the cult much later, but never had quite the same level of honor. The images of Castor and Pollux appear on many early Roman coins. The Romans celebrated the Theoxenia Festival each year on July 1 5th in their honor, with the Roman cavalry riding in a ceremonial parade.

Moral Quandary of Race Essay

In his book, â€Å"I am not a Racist, But†¦The Moral Quandary of Race,† Lawrence A. Blum, a professor of Philosophy and Liberal Arts, ventures into unrecognized and little known aspects of racism. His definition and analysis of racism and its implications, projects the vastness of the subject, which had generally been regarded as just a white attitude. Blum describes racism as antipathy towards individuals of a racialized group, stemming from â€Å"inferiorization† or the idea that the group is inferior in relation to other groups. Blum considers a person to be a racist only when he intentionally makes racist comments or jokes, driven by racial antipathy. He feels that the moral significance of the term ‘racism’ seems to be losing its value, as it is being overused or too commonly used. Today, in practical life, any direct or indirect references which affect feelings of racial groups are considered racist. This not only dilutes the very meaning of racism but also weakens its power of ethical condemnation. The word ‘racism’ and its related terminology needs to be more clear, due to its relevance in personal racism, racist, racist beliefs at various levels. The author feels the term ‘racism’ is being more used out of context, like black students intending to sit with other black students for lunch or white teacher being uncomfortable talking with the black parents, which are all regarded as racism. The book also emphasizes the need to report race-based statistical data with greater care and concern as they influence individual perceptions. The statistical differences among the views of racial groups must be projected without any overracialization (p35). Overstating the differences of such views would only reinforce A book review 3 an individual’s racist opinion and close them to persuading arguments or rational conversation. Opposing the general notion that racial groups have a common agenda with regard to their group, Blum emphasizes the need to recognize the existence of internal diversity within social groups. Racial groups with a sizable population cannot have a single opinion or viewpoint. Several factors including age, gender, religion, culture etc. influence the formation of a viewpoint of an individual (p55). Blum therefore attributes it to misrecognition or inadequate recognition rising from ignorance, when any single viewpoint is attributed to an entire race. Although Blum feels that whites should not forget their relevance and association with racism, he adds that racism is not confined only to the whites. For instance Chinese, Japanese, and blacks too exhibit racist attitude to other colored people and whites. The belief of their racial superiority is developed by colored people, which makes them regard other groups inferior (p33). In this book, Blum indicates our hypersensitivity to the word ‘racism’ and suggests that racist insensitivity and subconscious racial intolerance are indeed acts, which need to be eliminated, but need not be tagged as ‘racist’. Blum is of the opinion that racial prejudice is an unavoidable consequence of cultural diversity. Our view and way of life today is associated with racist ideologies, which we have inherited. The concept of race had developed from the sixteenth century, A book view 4 reaching its peak in the late nineteenth century. History holds the key for our present interpretation on human diversity in terms of similarity, differences and superiority among races (p109). Blum explores the idea of doing away with the concept of race, but warns that it should be only after all associated wrongdoings are fully addressed. The book covers all vital aspects of racism including its history and, what we actually mean and think of race. It incorporates much useful information on the topic, carefully thought and reasoned, illustrated by suitable examples. â€Å"I am not a Racist, But†¦The Moral Quandary of Race† is indeed an important book not only to scholars but also to the common man in quest of understanding racism.

Army Essays - Digital Technology, Internet, New Media, Free Essays

rmy ntroductionAll of my life I have been around technology. I have always strived to learn more about it and become more competent. I have been building and fixing computers for as long as I can remember. Its been my life to work with computers. I encounter new issues every day that I solve one way or another. Whenever someone has an issue with technology they come to me first, and Im always glad to help. Its what I do, I help people in the only way I can. However, in more recent times there has become an issue that really cant be solved by any one person. Its how the world is losing its privacy online. BodyPeople use the internet every day and night. Theres no stopping that, its what people have become accustomed to. Its a part of our culture now, something that is unchangeable. However, the internet brings to us more than just the information we want. It also sends the information they want about us. Its almost impossible to avoid it, it happens as soon as you start your browser. hey're watching you. Each time you view a Web page, enter an online contest, complete a Web site survey or purchase items they take note. Who are "they"? Often they are Internet Service Providers (ISPs),' marketers, and businesses.' These entities want information that will let them know who you are, what type of products you buy, when you are most likely to buy them, and why. By using your consumer profile, entities can determine how to effectively advertise to you and sell you ...

Juvenile Delinquency and Reoffense Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Juvenile Delinquency and Reoffense - Essay Example As the discussion stressers after serving the punishment handed down by the juvenile justice system, the juvenile delinquent is released from custody or supervision. The interest in the effectiveness of the justice system in reforming the individual gave rise to a wealth of literature particularly in the subject of re-offense. This paper aims to determine and discuss the nature of troubled youth re-offense and evaluate the policies aimed in addressing them. In reading this paper, one will come to know that re-offense is more commonly referred to as recidivism and that several socio-demographic, legal and policy-related factors are involved in its dynamics. From this paper it is clear that reoffending is more commonly known as recidivism and is legally taken to refer to the act of an individual committing an offense after being released from a correctional facility. The interest in determining the tendency of an individual to commit a crime again has given rise to several studies concerning recidivism. Maltz conducted a literature review and was able to identify at least 14 working definitions with the most prominent being re-arrest, resentence and readjust/reconviction. An individual is re-arrested once he is taken into custody after being released from custody or supervision after a certain time. This measure is argued to be dubious due to the fact that the arrestee may have been arrested for a delinquent behaviour that he did not commit. In short, the mere act of being arrested is taken to be indicative of recidivism. A child or an adolescent is considered to have been resentenced once he is subjected to a period of custody or superv ision.  

American Occupation in Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Occupation in Japan - Essay Example On a realistic echelon, the prime intention of this occupation was to defuse the military, restructure the educational scheme, grant power to the local level, and offer suffrage to women. To commence with, the tremendous success of this occupation was primarily the constitution (Tsutsui 268). The writing of the Japanese constitution occurred during this occupation and presently, it remains wholly unchanged. It is imperative to state that this served as the initial step of the occupation in democratizing Japan. The greatest predicament in the Meiji constitution (Tsutsui 270) was that it did not comprise a system of balance and checks since every component of the government would perform prior to the emperor’s name. Therefore, the constitution had to delineate the roles of the government with apparent responsibility lines. There was the creation of the House of chancellors, the House of Representatives, the cabinet, and judiciary with conventional purposes and responsibilities. The emperor reduced to a rank of common citizenship and the Japanese could no longer be submissive to him (Tsutsui 272). It is worth denoting that this was another mode of democratization. Moreover, this occupation attempted to reorganize the authority relationships in Japan. The Americans strived to break up bureaucracy, develop a sturdy labor movement and union, and finally reallocate resources throughout the economy (Tsutsui 275). Another goal of this occupation was social liberalization. The Americans strived to inculcate the human rights values into Japanese politics and societal ideas. It is imperative to state that the Japanese citizens had a fuzzy idea of human rights, but the Americans strived to delineate them in terms of liberty to dialogue and political freedom. It is worth denoting that this occupation founded a democratic model for Japan and laid the basis for many institutions. It was a successful operation as it ensured an indefinite excellent relationship between Ja pan and America (Tsutsui 278). However, this occupation had some limitations. Some points arise particularly from the American relationship with Japan. Despite the persistent application of mutual pressure by America on the policymakers of Japan, it is debatable on the extent of achievements. Concerning the wide adoption of American norms and practices, the record proves to be ambiguous as the market-oriented reform has been partial and inadvertent. Sino-American relation This relation mainly involved the Sino-American crises, mainly related to military affairs. They include the prime crisis that precipitated the involvement of the two nations in the Korean War, and the Taiwan crises in the 1950s (Swaine & Zhang, 133). A principal distinctive feature, of these crises is that they happened at a time when there was antagonism in the Sino-American relations. The nonexistence of any prime crisis during this lengthy interval clearly outlines that both Beijing and Washington saw a similar threat and did not view each other as latent adversaries. Moreover, they could reach a prompt understanding in order to prevent the emergence of another crisis, but these two sides hardy took management measures (Swaine & Zhang 133). The consistent invoked enemy image is another feature of the Sino-American crisis. Both sides shaped each other’s image before the Korean War in 1950 (Swaine & Zhang 134). The leaders in both countries immensely shared this