Spain and England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Spain and England - Essay Example There were frequent struggles over religious beliefs, and that culminated into the thirty years of war from 1618 to 1648. Catholic and protestant leaders manipulated the situations to befit their political interests. This paper seeks to examine the early modern rivalry between Spain and England, from the angle of the ensuing religious schism. It conspicuously shows how the rivalry strengthened each nation and explains the reasons why England emerged the dominant power by 1600, based on the accounts and examples captured in the book The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures, 3rd edition by Lynn Hunt et al. The religious war pitted France and Spain, which were predominantly Catholic and desirous of restoring Catholicism throughout Europe and England, which was predominantly protestant, under the Church of England. The rise of Church of England came under the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547). When Henry VII tried to end is marriage with Catherine of Aragon, so that he would marry Anne Boleyn, the Catholic Church opposed as result of which Henry VIII changed England’s religion, through the enactment of the Act of Supremacy of 1529. Henry VIII’s successors had different impact of the Church of England, most of which were influenced by Spanish catholic philosophy. For instance, Mary Tudor was married to Phillip of Spain, and the latter implored upon her to instill reforms at the Catholic Church in England. As a result of his role, Mary Tudor had over 300 Protestants executed (Hunt et al, 2010, 456). However, Elizabeth I (1558-1693) reestablished Protestantism, and she rejected proposals by Phillip upon the death of Mary. Therefore, as results of the differences between these 2 powers, there were internal strife and disorders in each country. For instance, in England, there was a catholic uprising in the North under the reign of Elizabeth, which she had to deal with, and because of her Protestantism policy, she faced two serious attempts to assassinate her, and there was always the threat of a Spanish invasion. To add, these powers interfered with each other’s activities, including using proxies to f ight their wars. For instance, Elizabeth I funded Dutch rebels engaged against Spain. Phillips II of Spain was determined to destroy political enemies in England, France and Netherlands. The wars took an economic toll on Spain, for by the time Phillip died; Spain could barely afford to wage wars against the Dutch, France and England. Phillip II, despite inheriting a lot of wealth, he used all his revenue to fund the conquest of France, the English protestants and the Ottoman Turks. The conflicts had escalated to a full war, in 1587, when Phillip, in response to the beheading of Mary Stuart-a catholic who was next in line to the throne and who had offered Phillip II of Spain her rights to the Scottish throne- sent his armada to attack England. His armada was heavily defeated, signaling a humiliating defeat to the Spanish Catholics while the Protestants rejoiced (Hunt et al, 2010, 457). Moreover, the two countries were faced with famine, starvation, economic recession and as results o f the constant wars between the 2 countries. For instance, in England, many people ate some bread and soup during the famine, that culminated in the passage of poor law in 1597, whose role was to order communities to support the poor. With regards to inflation, it arose out of the need for more money to support the warfare. As a result, the rulers raised taxes and depreciated the value of their money resulting to high inflation (Hunt

David and Solomon Essay Example for Free

David and Solomon Essay In 1 Kings 9:12-13, Hiram, the king of Tyre, is described as not pleased with the kind of towns that King Solomon has given him. Perhaps expecting for something that would have equaled all the pine, cedar and gold that he gave Solomon, Hiram questioned the King about the towns that he received. On the other hand, 2 Chronicles 8:2 merely mentions that Solomon reconstructed the villages that Hiram had given, after which he settled the Israelites in these villages. Following the passages in 1 Kings 9:10-28, Hiram named the twenty towns in Galilee he received from Solomon as the Land of Cabul. The word â€Å"Cabul† means ‘what does not please’ in Phoenician. The fact that the Hiram named the land Solomon has given him â€Å"Cabul† suggests that, indeed, Hiram was not pleased at all with the gestures of the King. Perhaps the reason to Hiram’s displeased reaction is that he gave all the pine, cedar and gold that Solomon wanted only to get twenty lands which did not suit his taste. It might have been the case that Hiram had high expectations in return of his gestures to Solomon. On the other hand, 2 Chronicles 8:2 suggests that Hiram gave the towns to Solomon instead of Solomon supposedly giving Hiram the twenty towns in Galilee in 1 Kings 9:11. In 2 Chronicles 8:2, it is mentioned that Solomon â€Å"rebuilt† the cities he received, implying that the cities were not in good condition. In the same passage, we are also told that Solomon eventually placed the Israelites to live in those rebuilt cities. The passage appears to point us the idea that Solomon was a king who was out to develop the undeveloped and to expand his dominion through the resources he garnered from his conquests. Moreover, Solomon’s men together with Hiram’s sailors returned home from Ophir delivering four hundred and fifty talents of gold to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 8:17-18. On the contrary, 1 Kings 9:28 narrates the same fleet of men sailing to Ophir but only delivering four hundred and twenty talents of gold to Solomon. The discrepancy in the amount of gold delivered suggests at least two ideas: one is that Solomon was either exceedingly triumphant or not in his exploits and two is that he was either a well-respected ruler or not by his subjects. In essence, the accounts provided in 2 Chronicles 8:1-18 suggest that Solomon was a king who was exceedingly triumphant so much so that Hiram was compelled to give him cities which Solomon then rebuilt. On the other hand, the accounts provided in 1 Kings 9:10-28 suggest that Solomon was a ruler who, in general, did not give the appropriate dues to people who expected much from him insomuch as he was a ruler who the royal subjects can easily steal from due in part to a lack of honesty and respect. I think the two accounts differ with respect to the descriptions of the character and the actions of Solomon because of differing perceptions towards Solomon. I think the inclusion of the displeased reaction of Hiram in 1 Kings 9:12-13 may suggest that some people saw Solomon at the time of his rule as someone who could only care less about how other people may see him and react against his actions. On the contrary, the omission of Hiram’s reaction in 2 Chronicles 8:2 may suggest that how people viewed Solomon with regard to his actions was irrelevant since he may have been seen as a righteous ruler who provided for his subjects their necessities. In general, the description of Solomon’s reign in 1 Kings is not only â€Å"based on a variety of sources with a different provenance† but also â€Å"displays traces of different stages of redaction† (Talshir, p. 233) or the combination of multiple source texts, thereby suggesting that the differences in the accounts can be largely attributed to their respective writers. In both 2 Samuel 8:1-18 and 1 Chronicles 18:1-17, the triumphs of David in all of his wars are narrated. In all of the wars revealed in the two accounts, David is portrayed as an able leader who is very much capable of invading territories and still not forgetting to make offerings to God such as the gold and silver exploits. Both accounts agree that the Lord helped David wherever he went, indicating that the Lord was pleased with the efforts of David. However, one major difference between the two accounts is that, in 2 Samuel 8:2, David is described as having been able to defeat the Moab forces which was followed by the execution the few remaining Moabites. In the selection process, the Moabites were made to lie on the ground in a line and those who were within two lines were put to death while those in the third length were given the chance to live under the rule of David. Apparently, nothing about the process of the execution was mention throughout 1 Chronicles 18:1-17. The inclusion of the description of the execution of the Moabites in 2 Samuel 8:2 gives a rough image of how David was supposedly ruthless towards his conquered subjects. The passage gives us the impression that, although David was kind enough to â€Å"randomly† allow some of the Moabites to live, he was nonetheless a leader and a warrior who showed little mercy towards those who have survived the onslaught of his armies. The seemingly detailed account of the execution of the Moabites creates an eerie mental environment, appearing as a visual reminder that David was a conqueror who displayed his authority and power with little mercy. And yet, David is still portrayed in the same passage as an abiding servant of the Lord who never forgets to provide his offerings to God. It signifies that, since the Lord helped David wherever he went, nothing can stand against the way and the disposition of David. In essence, it appears that the position of the writer in 2 Samuel 8:1-18 is that David was a devout servant of the Lord while being a ruthless conqueror who can easily take the lives of his conquered subjects according to his will. On the other hand, the writer of 1 Chronicles 18:1-17 seems to suggest that David was blessed by the Lord and that he was a leader who piously served and gave offerings to the Lord without the hint of ruthlessness revealed in 2 Samuel 8:2. The two accounts differ primarily because David, I think, was a ruler hated in his time by those who became victims of his military actions. It is therefore not surprising that at least one account pertaining to David’s military advances gave several details about how people were executed depending on the decision of David. However, those who saw David as a righteous ruler and those who benefitted from his triumphs are more inclined to put David on a more positive regard. Roddy L. Braun suggests that the Chronicler—the writer of the book of Chronicles—presents David’s kingship as â€Å"greeted by the mixed multitudes of Israel with immediate and enthusiastic unanimity† (Braun, p. 503) unlike the respective writers of Samuel and Kings. Such variations in writings can hardly be reconciled almost entirely and that the only way to avoid the vicious circle that can commence from the failure to reconcile the accounts, as Sara Japhet suggests, is â€Å"by studying the matter from its positive aspects—not from what is omitted, but from what is existent† (Japhet, p. 206). Thus, it is not necessarily the case that the differences in the accounts mean that one account is true and the other is not. While Solomon may be portrayed in Kings quite differently from Chronicles or while David may be portrayed in Samuel differently from Chronicles, the differences may not essentially signify the truthfulness or falsehood of either one of the accounts. Rather, the presence of additional details in the each account provides more insight into the lives of Kings David and Solomon. Works Cited Braun, Roddy L. â€Å"Solomonic Apologetic in Chronicles. † Journal of Biblical Literature 92. 4 (1973): 503-16. Japhet, Sara. â€Å"Conquest and Settlement in Chronicles. † Journal of Biblical Literature 98. 2 (1979): 205-18. Talshir, Zipora. â€Å"The Reign of Solomon in the Making. † Vetus Testamentum 50. 2 (2000): 233-49

Changes in the Business Environment of Shell and Subsequent Strategy

Changes in the Business Environment of Shell and Subsequent Strategy The main objective of this assignment deals with business environmental changes of Shell Company (Petroleum Company) from last 5 years. PESTEL analysis was applied in the following assignment, in order to present Shell Companys present status in all aspects and the changes that have taken place in the company. Moreover, the various types of strategies formulated were outlined and discussed. Introduction An organization is an entity that provides goods and services to consumers who need or want them and it does not function in isolation. Therefore, it is imperative to identify and understand all the factors within its environment that could potentially affect it. The environment of a business is normally divided into two categories, the micro environment and the macro environment. Below we shall discuss in details what each category means. Micro-environment: Internal factors like suppliers, competitors and employees are volatile and influence transformation of a business process and often it leads to undermining the current balance within the system. Suppliers: A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. www.overstockuniverse.com http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/A_company%27s_supply_chain_%28en%29.png/300px-A_company%27s_supply_chain_%28en%29.png Company should have a social responsibility towards their suppliers, as they transform the natural resources and raw materials into finished goods which are delivered to the end consumers. They also play a vital role during product shortage. They are the combination of all types of business practice and ethics. www.overstockuniverse.com Customers: A  Client, buyer or purchaser, is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the  products  of an individual or  organization, called the  supplier,  seller, or  vendor. Slogans for the Customer: the customer is king or the customer is god or the customer is always right. www.rajputbrotherhood.com Competitors: Competition  is a  contest  between individuals, groups, nations, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. Competition arises whenever two or more parties strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Humans compete for  wealth, prestige, and  fame so that they met deep rivalries often arises over the pursuit of. Business is often associated with competition as most companies are in competition with at least one other firm over the same group of customers. Macro-environment: Decision making by managers are influenced by many factors that constitutes the macro environment in a business. The examples for the macro environment are Tax changes, trade barriers, demographic change and government policy changes. http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.htm The following factors are: Political factors: Political environment is an unpredictable element which effect specific organizations badly due to instability in government and rules passed by the political parties. Factors like political stability in the country, party in power, ideology of government and foreign policy greatly influence the business in political environment of the country. Example: Indian Government restricted coca-cola sales during late seventies following policy of restricting the growth of multinationals in Indian markets. But coco-cola was allowed after some years under the New Industrial policy of 1991. Under this new policy, government liberalized licensing, imports and exports, inflow of foreign capital and technology on more liberal terms. www.rajputbrotherhood.com Economic forces: Interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates are all comes under economic forces. Foundations of Economics book economic change is a major impact on a firms behavior. Some of the examples are it has been difficult to export due to higher cost of raising finances, strong domestic currency makes it difficult to compete with that foreign prices. Social/cultural: The availability and willingness to work, and the demand of a product has lot to do with the social trends around which the firm is operating in. Cultures and attitudes towards work are varied from country to country. A firm may forced to wind up operation if it hurts intentionally or unintentionally the religious belief of a religion. http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.htm Especially in Indian culture eating beef is against the religion they are e.g. When McDonalds opened their chain of restaurants in India; they were opposed by religious activists as McDonalds were serving beef in their menu which forced McDonalds to change their menu. Technological factors: Technology makes the human life simple; by using technology we can create new products and new services in the market like usage of Internet for online banking transactions and upgrade the old products. Technology helps firms to store customer data to their data base by using different data base tools like IBM data base software tool which helps for top brand companies to track their privileged customers and simultaneously it provides lot of employment opportunities for service based IT companies. http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.htm Example: Few years back in India people were going to ICICI bank and had to fill the deposit form and they have to stand in line to deposit amount (its a time consuming process) but after up gradation of technology in ICICI everything changed no need of standing in line to deposit the amount, just deposit the amount directly in to automated teller machine and enter account number details. Environmental factors: It includes both weather and climatic change. Change in climatic conditions affects the farming and tourism industries directly. These climatic changes are mainly due to global warming .Firms should aware on environment changes , in fact people from different parts of the world are aware of the fact how important to preserve our planet and they shows more interest to minimize wastes and maintain healthy and hygienic environment. http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.htm Example: Especially London government takes lot of care to maintain healthy and hygienic environment by creating recyclable products, using recycled materials and sustainable timber, minimize packaging, buying locally to save fuel costs, creating an efficient distribution network, working with suppliers and distributors who take steps to minimize environmental risk. Case Study The Royal Dutch Company was established in the year 1890 in the Netherlands, East Indies and after some years it abbreviated as Royal Dutch Petroleum Company in the year 1949. Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. Its headquarters is located at Hague, Netherlands. Royal Dutch Shell plc is the parent company of the shell group, which is incorporated in England and Wales(www.shell.com). Shell is responsible for Manufacturing, Selling and distributing of oil products across the globe and is positioned as a global leader in oil and gas industry. Shell helps in meeting global energy demand economically, environmentally and socially responsible ways. www.shell.com Challenges that Shell has dealt with the last 5 years Political factor is one of the important factor which affect all types of business directly and indirectly because so many political party people keep on changing the rules and regulations, instability in the political power and the price of oil keeps on increasing its a major threat for oil and gas companies with international operations. The following are the political changes and threats which are faced by the shell in the last 5 years: Majority of shells operations is in Nigeria. Due to militant activities in Nigeria Shell is facing lot of political issues, which resulted in closure of 4 production facilities for the safety of their employees which resulted in loss of production by 400,000 BPD. In June 2008 there was a militant attack and Shell had to close their operations in Bonga field which resulted in reduction of production by 225,000 BPD. Shell has shutdown his Soku gas plant in Nigeria in November 2008 because thieves have damaged the gas pipelines at the Soku plant. Due to rise of illegal activities Shell was forced shut down of the gas plant which produced 40 percent of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for Nigeria and produced 10 percent LNG throughout the world. Shell published a warning to Nigerian government in the year 2009 as it helps by giving support to the local forces to lower the gas and oil prices. Shell lent $1.69 billion to the Nigerian government to solve the debts for the covered cost on gas project from 2009-2011.The source of income for shell investments in the Nigeria delta region depended on capability of controlling the violence by the Nigerian government in the delta region. Due to the continuous violence and explosions, Shell had to shutdown their pipe lines which were damaged. In 2009 5 theft incidents were reported, they siphoned oil from oil wells in Niger delta, even fire incidents were also reported but production was not effected as those oil fields were already closed due to lack of security in that area. 100,000 barrels of crude used to get stolen almost every day which means that is equal to 5% of Shells production in Nigeria. Increase in violence lead to decline of oil production by 20%. Shell faced the problems with both the Nigeria and Iraq governments .Especially in the case of Iraq government said that they were not in a position of consuming or exporting the gas which lost $40 million in day but shell tried to change this, due to the Iraq war led to terror attacks and instability in the government. Even though Shell settled a deal with Iraq government in oil production share and owned 49% of its venture to obtain the natural gas during the production of oil. Even now also shell operating the same venture even it is dominating by the sectary violence. Technology is most powerful factor for any manufacturing and oil based companies to stabilize their products in the market and to compete with other company products. In fact many companies must maintain good relationship with the customers to know the basic needs of the customers and be proactive to volatile behaviour of customer which is at times caused by introduction of new technology and its market impact. The Technology used by shell is in situ process which is very expensive and environmentally troublesome mining operation and would create thousands of tons of waste in the form of spent shale, as the mining method does and process is complicated due to the usage of this process it prevents groundwater from flowing into production area and this leads to raising pollution and scatters the more heat in the underground. After some years around 2008 Shell start using advanced EP technology not only helps to reduce the cost on oil goods and services by producing maximum quality at the same time it shows that how an organisation can take advantage of new technology by creating innovative products. Shell not only using EP technology but also using three other more technologies to minimize the global warming effect on the environment even though it is inevitable. http://www.isa.org/InTechTemplate.cfm?Section=Automation_Update1template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfmContentID=72109 Out of those GTL (Gas to Liquid: produced a clean burning fuel from natural gas) is one of the best technology which is used by the shell to minimize the emission of gases .GTL technology had create a lot of demand in 2006 due to increase in transport in the world, pollution norms were becoming stricter and stricter and it demanded for clean burning transport fuel , this forced Shell to introduce GTL technology. With the use of this technology Audis diesel car became the first car to win the Le Mans 24 hour race. GTL technology was also successfully tested in buses and taxi fleets in highly polluted cities. Introduction of this GTL technology will increase in the air quality we breathe. http://www.faoi.shell.com/2008/reviewoftheyear/technology/downstreamtechnology.html http://www.faoi.shell.com/2008/alternativeenergy/biofuels.html Social factors: Shell uses different strategies to maintain healthy relationship with industry experts as well as focus on its people. Company wants to maintain a good relationship with the society to improve goodwill of the company. According to Haney, Shell has been working with other companies and institutions to improve the competitiveness of local industry and develop more competition in Brazil, which will bring more jobs to the country. The pressing challenge is recruiting talented people and Shell has been successful in this, as the industry is still attractive to new graduates worldwide. Finding experienced people is a challenge, Haney says. We have a mix of expats here who volunteered to fill these gaps. Thats primarily on the technical side. Shell does employ local Brazilians to staff its finance, legal and external Affairs departments among others. Shell attracts their local people by providing transport fuel to around 10 million customers each day through our 44,000 service stations worldwide. Environmental factors: This is the main factor which is faced by the shell at present environment. Environmental Challenges and problems faced by company: In 2006 Shell faced an environmental challenge which caused environmental damage and also financial damage to the company. This happened due to negligence by a contractor who forgot to tighten the bolts of oil supply pipe. Oil which was supposed to be in harbor containment system was leaked through pipeline, this wasnt discovered until oil started floating in water, though the refinery employees started taking action to stop the oil leak already much of damage was done to hull of 75 boats. The California Department fish and Games of spill prevention and Response team investigated the cause of oil leak and they also claimed that it didnt cause any damage to sea life. Shell worked with US Coast guard and cleaned the entire oil spill. Shell had paid 300,000 pounds as fine for the negligence of their contractor. http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=15202 A detailed study by PFC ( Trusted advisor for energy companies and government) showed that Shells carbon emissions was relatively higher than other oil companies, its report showed that it ranked high in carbon emission. This report was published in their annual report and was publicly available and which made stakeholders think about the companys performance and its position in the competitive market. Emissions disclosure study puts Shell bottom of the big oil class In 2010 Shell refineries reach Clean Air Act settlements; Shell companies are agreed to 6 million dollars for installing pollution reduction equipment at two oil refineries under clean Air Act settlement with the federal government to reduce harmful emissions. Shell Chemical LP and chemical Yabuco, units of Royal Dutch Shell PLC had installed new pollution control equipment at shell oil refineries. This settlement was announced by the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. http://royaldutchshellplc.com/2010/03/31/3-3-million-penalty-imposed-on-shell-for-clean-air-act-violations/ http://www.shell.com/home/content/environment_society/environment/ http://www.shell.com/home/content/environment_society/environment/biodiversity/shell_biodiversity/ Conclusions: In this report we discussed some challenges faced by Shell these include Political, Social, Environmental, and Technological among others and how Shell dealt took pre-emptive actions. Shell has faced many penalty and criticism from various governments regarding various Shells activities including Extraction, Processing, Production, Handling, transportation, storage of hazardous petroleum and chemical products. Shell has been constantly working on technological advancements to reduce carbon emission to the environment; Shell came up with innovations that help produce more eco-friendly environment. One such example is GTL Technology Producing clean burning fuel from natural gas which greatly reduces the emissions of the pollutant gases and hydrocarbon in the air. Shell is working towards CSR to build relationships with the society its running its business in. Attracting talent industry experts, and encouraging local talent to join forces and providing employment to the local community. Recommendations: Due to negligence of an employee Shell had to pay huge amount in the form of fine this shows that they need to conduct frequent training on risk associated to safety, training on new technology when any up gradation is taking place. Give a brief idea of what climate risk is. Shell also needs to some in depth risk analysis before starting a new project in demographic location. They need to work more on Marine safety and hygiene near their oil fields.

Pollution Essay: Don’t Blame Me for Global Warming -- Environment, Clim

More than 17,000 scientists have signed a petition saying human activities do not threaten to disrupt the climate. This overwhelming amount of people has been told to be wrong by one body of people. This body is our government, for many years now they have spoke of the horrendous situations stemming from global warming. This makes no sense; with the facts and information that we have received over the years they still support this preposterous idea. Humans do nothing to contribute to global warming; the irregular climate events are just natural occurrences. These occurrences are no stranger to our history either. (â€Å"Global Warm Up†)(â€Å"An Inconvenient Truth†) The most recent case of significant warming was between the years 1850 and 1940. Most scientists say this rise in warmth was not caused by greenhouse gasses. If this was not caused by greenhouse gasses, it proves that there are times of irregular warming of the world. There have been other occurrences of irregular warmth. The biggest and most influential occurrence is called the MWP. (â€Å"The Real 'Inconvenient Truth'†) (â€Å"Medieval Warm Period†) The MWP, or Medieval Warm Period, occurred between AD 950 and AD 1250. It was a period of warmth, exceeding the temperatures of the late 20th century. People for global warming have said that human activities contribute to causing global warming. Using the MWP as proof, we know that we humans were not contributing to greenhouse gasses. Supporters of global warming say that we contribute to greenhouse gasses which in turn affect the temperature. If this is true, why would the temperature rise 1000 years ago if we didn’t even create greenhouse gasses? It’s because what is happening right now, is just a natural event. To counteract this sta... ...eenhouse effect. I know that people have their opinions, some educated and some not, my opinion is that we do not cause the greenhouse effect which in turn means we don’t cause global warming. Works Cited Barry Wigmore â€Å"Global warming? It’s natural say experts† DailyMail. 13 September 2007. Web. 22, 2010. Gore, Albert. An Inconvenient Truth: the Crisis of Global Warming. New York: Viking, 2007. Print. Gore, Albert. Our Choice: a Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2009. Print. Manav, Tanneeru â€Å"Global warming: A natural cycle or human result?† CNN. 11 June, 2007. Web. 22 Nov, 2010. Morgan, Sally. Global Warming. Chicago, IL: Heinemann Library, 2003. Print. â€Å"Global Warm Up† A Round Table. N.d.Web. 22 Nov, 2010. â€Å"The Real 'Inconvenient Truth'† Junk Science. N.d. Web. 22 Nov, 2010. â€Å"Medieval Warm Period† Wikipedia. N.d. Web. 22 Nov, 2010.

Victimless Crime

Victimless crime is a term that is used to refer or to explain the behavior that is illegal but does not violate or threaten the rights of anyone else. It means that one person may be involved who is the person committing the crime on his own without affecting anyone else in the process. It can also include acts in which two or more persons agree to commit a criminal offense in which no other person is involved. Sometimes in situations of victimless crimes society has grown to call these events consensual crimes. One good common example that describes victimless crimes could be considered prostitution. Prostitution is described as offering sexual favors in exchange for money and is considered a crime in many places. Both the solicitor which is the person asking for the favor or the offering, and the prostitute can be arrested for violating public decency laws. If both people involved are deemed to have committed the illegal act consensually or willingly, then neither person may be considered victims in the eyes of the law and police officials. â€Å"While prostitution may contribute to other domestic problems or personal vices, the act itself, if entered into consensually, is usually considered a victimless crime† (Liberal Democrat Party). Victimless crimes are not always so weighty or so bad in the sense that it has to be as punishable but still breaks the law. Some examples of low level victimless activities or crimes on the states eyes that may be criminalized could simply include riding a motorcycle without a helmet. In some states, for example Florida it is not illegal to do, but as for the California it is against the law to ride a motorcycle without a helmet and the person will be cited for the act. Even tho that person is not harming or endangering anyone else but his own self the law still holds it as a crime in which breaks the law. Same as Mexico, it is legal to ride in the back of a truck without seat belts or other safety harnesses but here in California it is illegal. Another example is base jumping off of buildings. this is no harm to society or anyone else but the jumpers own life. a very common example of victimless crimes which could be punished by fines or even incarceration is the individual buy and consumption of recreational drugs. Here in the United States it is against the law to smoke marijuana and yet so many people still seem to do it. The law prohibits people from doing the act even though its being consumed by the individual himself, the individual is only harming his own body but the law sees it as a violation of the constitution and its law. â€Å"The idea of a victimless crime often plays a role in the proposed repeal of certain laws, especially the criminalization of drugs, prostitution and other vices† (Halexandria). The argument that has been presented by civil libertarians is that such laws only serve to punish citizens for personal lifestyle decisions in which none of these acts violate the legal rights of others. A citizen should be allowed to buy and smoke marijuana legally because its that persons private consumption in a private home and it does not affect anyone else. Decriminalizing certain victimless crimes would reduce the prison population and take significant pressure off an overworked judicial system (Liberal Democrat Party).

And Sun Also Rises Essay

This paper discusses Ernest Hemingway’s novel And Sun Also Rises (1926) and takes an in-depth analysis of the development of the female character Lady Brett Ashley in trying to come up with better understanding of the character’s role in the novel. Hemingway’s And Sun Also Rises is widely regarded as Hemingway’s best novel. It became the overnight Bible of the postwar generation. (Barrett, 724) The novel revolves the theme of damage done to Hemingway’s generation by the violence of World War I. All the main characters of the novel are to certain extent scarred by war. Some of them suffer physical injuries like Jake or Count Mippipopolous and others bear the psychological trauma of â€Å"lost generation† (the phrase belonged to Hemingway’s friend Gertrude Stein and became the novel’s first epigraph). Among those psychologically deteriorated individuals Lady Brett Ashley is a controversial character that evokes different readers’ and critics’ reaction. This paper explores the path by which Lady Ashley’s character develops through the novel. With the first meeting with Brett Ashley her individual female sexual appeal and exceptional general attractiveness is revealed. From the beginning of the book, men find her irresistible. When Jake, as narrator, first introduces Brett, he says, â€Å"Brett was damned good-looking. She wore a slipover jersey sweater and a tweed skirt, and her hair was brushed back like a boy’s. She started all that. She was built with curves like the hull of a racing yacht, and you missed none of it with that wool jersey† (Hemingway, 22). Robert Cohn, too, is immediately captivated by Brett, and a short time later, he says, â€Å"She’s a remarkably attractive woman† (Hemingway, 38). She is a strong and independent woman and probably these are the features that attract men more than her physical beauty. Her real tool is her charisma that strikes the men around her. Every significant male character in the novel, at one time or another, comments on Brett’s female attractiveness. When he is introduced to Brett, Bill Gorton says, â€Å"Beautiful lady† (Hemingway, 74); Mike Campbell says, â€Å"Brett, you are a lovely piece. Don’t you think she’s beautiful? † (Hemingway, 79) These compliments are like a refrain that is reiterated through the rest of the novel. Despite the abounding attention on men’s side Brett rejects to become committed to a single man, at least physically. Neither the affluence of attention nor her independence makes Brett a happy woman. Having first appeared as a careless free woman Brett Ashley turns out to be an unhappy and miserable creature just the same as all those who lived through the war. Brett is often described in the literary criticism as sexually promiscuous, or even a nymphomaniac, which seems extreme given that in the course of the story she has sexual relationships with, at most, three men – her fiancee, Mike Campbell; Robert Cohn; and Pedro Romero. Some critics, like Edmund Wilson, assess Brett’s conduct as â€Å"bitch-like†; Wilson interprets Brett Ashley as â€Å"an exclusively destructive force† (p. 238). This interpretation, plausibly, is directly related rely to Brett’s own assertion that she makes to Jake after she leaves Romero: â€Å"You know it makes one feel rather good deciding not to be a bitch† (Hemingway, 245). Nonetheless it is difficult to agree with such interpretation of Brett’s character. First of all it is known that she is one of the â€Å"lost generation†, the people whose youth fell on the post-war period when the relationships and responsibilities were loose and disordered, and so Brett’s behavior merely reflects this time. Furthermore, though Brett never stayed with any man longer than she wanted, she never displayed cruelty in attitude toward men, so she could not destruct them to any degree. And the most important thing which explains Brett’s character is again related to the time of the novel. Brett Ashley belongs to those people whose thoughts are confused being affected by the war. So while looking for her way in life she fails in finding the lull for her psychological disturbances therefore continues her self-abusive conduct. Brett can be profoundly careless of the feelings of others. She scatters cigarette ashes on Jake’s rugs, and when Romero gives her a bull’s severed ear after a successful bullfight, she leaves the gift behind, stuffed in a hotel drawer. Cohn calls her a sadist when she is unmoved by the plight of the horses gored in the bullring. Certainly she uses Jake heartlessly at times, expecting him to introduce her to a man she desires, put up with her affairs, remain steadfast in his devotion to her, and faithfully run to her rescue on short notice when she finds herself at loose ends in another country. Yet she is also deeply unhappy and emotionally fragile. Viewed more sympathetically, she can be seen as a self-destructive woman, traumatized by the ugly and unromantic loss of her first love to dysentery in the war: â€Å"Brett hurts no one in the novel as severely as she hurts herself. Her nymphomania, her alcoholism, her constant fits of depression, and her obsession with bathing are all symptoms of an individual engaged in a consistent pattern of self-abuse† (Whitlow, 56). All in her misery she often complains to Jake, her only true friend, about her aimless existence and unsatisfying life. Her vagrancy from relationship to relationship is assimilated with Jake and company roaming around bars. As the novel unfolds one observes how Lady Ashley transforms from the self-confident independent woman into one who seems extremely awkward being by herself. That is why she is searching for the shelter in more or less stable though platonic relations with Jake. As with the other characters, World War I obviously played the determinative role in the formation Brett Ashley’s character. Having lost her true love during the war she elaborated the pattern of random relations, especially with regard to men. Her skepticism and lost faith in search for true love symbolizes the search of the whole lost generation for their decayed values. Unable to find support in the traditional convictions that imposed certain meaning to her life Brett feels morally lost. Having lost belief in anything Brett together with her friends is trying to escape the reality and fill her empty life with careless wandering from bar to bar, living night life, drinking and entertaining, doing everything that fits into the notion escapist activity. The character of Lady Brett Ashley is developing through the novel from the initial impression of careless but happy woman into the typical representative of post-war generation with aimless way in life. Parties, free love and other kinds of merry-making are only the futile distraction for concealing the sorrow and insecurity that filled her soul.

Islam and Religious Group Essay

†¢Religious groups (based on http://religions. pewforum. org/pdf/affiliations-all-traditions. pdf) oChristianity †¢Evangelical Protestant †¢Mainline Protestant †¢Historically Black Churches †¢Roman Catholic †¢Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) †¢Jehovah’s Witnesses †¢Orthodox (Greek, Eastern) oJudaism (Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform) oBuddhism (Theravada or Mahayana) oIslam (Sunni, Shia, Sufism) oHinduism †¢Ethnic groups (based on divisions in U. S. Census Bureau documents) oAsian (Asian descent) oBlack (African descent). oHispanic and Latino (South or Central American descent) oPacific Islander (Polynesian descent) oWhite (European descent) Part III Answer the following questions in 150 to 250 words each about the religious group you selected: †¢How does your selected religious group differ from other religious groups (such as in their beliefs, worship practices, or values)? †¢What has been the experience of your selected religious group with others that do not share its beliefs or practices? †¢In what ways has the religious group you selected contributed to American culture? †¢Provide specific examples of prejudice or discrimination your selected religious group has experienced. †¢What were the sources of this prejudice or discrimination? †¢Does what you’ve learned about this religious group help you understand it? In what ways? Answer the following questions in 150 to 250 words each about the ethnic group you selected: †¢How does your selected ethnic group differ from other ethnic groups (such as differences in ancestry, language, or culture)? †¢What has been your selected ethnic group’s experience with other ethnic groups? †¢In what ways has the ethnic group you selected contributed to American culture? †¢Identify some specific examples of prejudice or discrimination that your selected ethnic group has experienced historically. †¢What were the sources of this prejudice or discrimination? †¢Does what you’ve learned about this ethnic group help you understand it? How? Part IV Answer the following questions in 150 to 250 words each: †¢How are the prejudice and discrimination experienced by your selected religious group and ethnic group similar? †¢How are they different? †¢Can you draw any conclusions about discrimination from this comparison.