Presidential Election 2000 Essays - Hubert Humphrey, Elections

Presidential Election 2000 As generations pass, and times change, the people of the United States change as well. What may have been a major issue in the 1980 election might not even concern voters in 2000. Economic issues are continually changing with the times. Each election develops its own "personality." Despite agreeing on some issues, the four major [now just two] candidates in the upcoming 2000 presidential election hold different opinions on three major economic issues: tax reform, health care, and free trade/immigration. One of the most important issues of the 2000 presidential election is tax reform. This topic, possibly more than any other issue in the election, reflects the greatest disparity among candidates of the same party. Among the Democrats, Bill Bradley and Al Gore have contrasting ideas concerning tax reform. Perhaps the most educated candidate on this issue, Bradley is a former member of the Senate Finance Committee and one of the major contributors to the 1986 overhaul of the tax code. Bradley's position, made known in numerous debates, is that he is strongly against large tax cuts. The former senator believes that while the economy is doing well, the government should utilize tax revenues to improve schools, protect social security, and pass a national healthcare program instead of concentrating on tax reduction. Bradley recently told New York Times writer James Dao that he would veto the recently approved 792 billion dollar tax cut in "a nanosecond". The only specific tax cuts Bradley has proposed are tax breaks for health insurance payments. Concerning the budget surplus, Bradley seeks to direct most of the money to reducing child poverty as well as making health care more affordable for low-income families.1 Vice President Gore has established a position on tax reform different from that of Senator Bradley. The two candidates do share similar beliefs regarding the 792 billion dollar tax cut that Gore refers to as a "risky tax scheme." Gore has stated that, if elected president, he would implement a 200 to 300 billion dollar tax cut over the next 10 years. Gore seeks to allocate this money to reach specific goals such as expanded tax incentives, and education and retirement savings programs. Gore refers to his cut as"relatively modest," and claims his figures are more realistic than those of Republican George W. Bush. Gore however, claims that he would not hesitate to implement larger cuts in a economic slowdown but rules out tax increases in good economic times.2 Republican candidate George W. Bush presents a position on tax reform clearly different than that of either of the two democratic candidates. Much like that of the "typical Republican," Bush is calling for large tax cuts if he is elected to office. As Bush has often stated, "It's the people's money, not the governments." He has called for a 1.3 trillion dollar tax cut over the next ten years, a figure close to 4 times that of Vice President Gore. The centerpiece of Bush's tax cut is a gradual reduction in marginal tax rates, meaning everyone will be affected by his proposals. On this issue, Bush states, "if you're going to have a tax cut, everyone ought to have a tax cut."3 Offering a tax reform perspective somewhat different than that of Gore, Bradley and Bush, Republican candidate John McCain wants to implement a "flat tax," a reform that would replace the current progressive marginal rates with a single ?flat' tax. McCain claims that, in this way, the government will not be promising tax cuts from surpluses the economy might not produce in the future. In sum, McCain believes taxes should be flatter, lower, and more simple. He believes that a vast majority of Americans pay too much of their income on taxes. McCain believes his tax "pitch" is modest enough in size that it leaves funds left over from surplus tax revenues to deal with other needs of the economy. He claims this "balanced approach" is the key to tax reform in the 21st century.4 Another pivotal issue in the upcoming election is health care. Bill Bradley's health care plan calls for the replacement of Medicaid with 150 dollar vouchers per month. However, Bradley still sees problems with insufficient funding for AIDS/HIV patients. In addition to this change, Bradley feels strongly about not punishing the disabled for working. Under the current system, once disabled people begin working, they lose their federal health benefits. Bradley wants to make sure that, under his new plan, disabled people can work and still receive their needed health care.5 Unlike his fellow Democratic candidate,

Dangers of Hidden Sin essays

Dangers of Hidden Sin essays Sin is something society has had to deal with since mankind has known evil. In most circumstances, the sin only becomes a problem when it is kept within and manifests into something larger than it was in the first place. Keeping secrets is a detriment to ones life, which in a larger picture affects a whole society. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, secret sin is a predominant theme, which in this novel leads to changes in both emotional and physical being. In the early days of the Massachusetts colony, they are neither welcoming nor accepting of sin or different ideas and are wary of anything that may topple their pristine atmosphere. Evil should never be kept secret because it always leaves a mark. Hester Prynne hides a significant amount of sin inside of herself, which only adds to sins that have been made an issue of public interest. Committing adultery is Hesters announced sin, and all her secret sins are results of this one instance. A sin, which is closely related to her sin of adultery, is who the father of Pearl is. She refuses to tell even under extreme pressure, I will not speak! And my child must seek a heavenly Father; she shall never know an earthly one (47). We later learn that the father is Arthur Dimmesdale, and these miscommunications cause a barrier between them. Her refusal consequently denies any hope of reconciliation between the two for an extensive period. Hester also conceals that Roger Chillingworth is her husband. This pains her because she must helplessly watch his evil ways take toll on Dimmesdale. However, Chillingworths punishment of Dimmesdale goes against he and Hesters agreement. Hester promised to keep both Chillingworth and Dimmesdales identi ties hidden or Chillingworth would seek out Hesters secret lover, Dimmesdale, and kill him. Hester causes the townspeople to become forgiving people by her many good deeds; this changes the A&...

The Growth of China as a Political and Economic Power Research Paper

The Growth of China as a Political and Economic Power - Research Paper Example Many members of global society believe that Communist doctrines are dangerous and a threat to the stability of society, asserting that Communism ensures growing power and influence of government as a dictatorial and oppressive social regime. However, Communism is based solidly on fundamental values related to Socialism ideology, which also ensures that the top priority for society and government is to ensure the well-being and enhanced lifestyle of all citizens under a system that ensures equitable allocation of resources to all members of society regardless of their class position (Lamb & Docherty, 2006). The aforementioned Communist dogma that drove Chinese economic, social and political ideology did ultimately serve as an oppression for adopting principles of globalization that were becoming underpinning strategies to most developed and Westernized nations. Capitalistic economies which promote free-market economic policy and private ownership of business was spreading rapidly across the world during the late 20th Century (Degen, 2008). This changed the dynamics of free trade between developed and developing nations, forcing China to adopt some of the principles of capitalistic ideology in order to remain competitive, improve national GDP, and develop strong political relationships with countries that would be contributing largely to improving the Chinese economy. The transition from Communist values to ideologies that are aligned with capitalism was the major, fundamental shift that made China, today, become such a potent economic and political power in the world in contemporary society.

Social work critical thinking essay. book-Blaming The Victim by Essay

Social work critical thinking . book-Blaming The Victim by William Ryan - Essay Example The child’s upbringing is brought up repeatedly as an excuse for the lower educational levels of the minorities. The article mentions the influence of the home environment and the lack of experiences as a reason for hindered learning. It goes on to say that these differences in the home environment cause a barrier to education by not teaching the black student with, â€Å"inadequate preparation for the reality of the modern urban school.† (37) Integration became the solution for the poor educational system. So rather than facing the true problem, the victim is blamed and, â€Å"Uneducated parents, crowded living quarters, absence of books, family disinterest in education—all combine to handicap the poor black child as he enters the school system.† (33) Thus not only blaming the victim, but also instilling a belief in negative stereotypical beliefs about the victims. So not only is the child and his upbringing blamed for the lack of education, the inequality is justified by finding defects in the child while blaming. One instance of finding defect is that it was believed that being poor led to a â€Å"functional inferiority.† The Coleman Report was considered comprehensive. Coleman’s studies found that â€Å"blackness and low achievement are highly correlated†. This research blamed the victim by assuming that because white children learn more, black children learn less. Repeatedly, the blame returns to the home environment, blaming the victim for an upbringing. Researchers based findings on how far a student would go based on number of newspapers in the home, educational level of father and mother, books in the home, etc. (51) The research determined that there were more opportunities, more preparations for college and more resources available for whites. According to the author, the Coleman Report blames the victim based on the family background, treating it as â€Å"a cause-and-effect

Sampling and production Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sampling and production - Essay Example 69558 million in the year between 1996 and 1997 (Priyadharshini 2012). Today, Indian leather industry is recognized in the international markets which has led to it being ranked in India’s one of the top seven earning industries of foreign exchange (Priyadharshini 2012). India is suitable as a destination for the sampling and production of leather garments because leather industry in India has seen a massive transformation and development since the sixties. Today, it not only exports raw materials, but also exports value added finished products. More importantly, the liberalized trade and economic policies combined with the globalization of Indian economy make its leather industry poised for more growth and expansion in the future and increased share in the global trade. Leather industry is also flourishing in Turkey, which makes it a suitable country to sample and export leather products from. SF Leather is a potential leather sampler and producer based in Izmir, Turkey’s free trade zone. Specialized in leather handbags’ production, SF Leather is quite popular among the clients as an alternative exporter of leather products to East Asia primarily because of the efficiency of its delivery and more competitive prices than what are charged by vendors in Eastern Europe (SF Leather n.d.). Another major company that qualifies for consideration is Moda Sourcing Solutions based in Istanbul, Turkey (modasourcing.com 2014). China has been chosen as the country for sampling and production of all other fabrics because Chinese exports of fabrics is reaching new height in the contemporary international markets. Places like Hangzhou have plentiful small garment makers that produce anywhere between 20,000 and 30,000 suits every year (Brown et al 2005, p. 81). A very noticeable and appreciable aspect of Chinese trade is that the country is capable of producing all varieties of fabrics customized to the needs of its customers. Thus, we find some of the most

Environmental Sustainability Practices with ICT

Environmental Sustainability Practices with ICT MGDI60701 Implementing Environmental Sustainability Practices in Developing Countries through ICT Wordcount: 4370 (excluding references) Introduction An outstanding attributes of ICT (information and communications technology) is its crosscutting aspect and its speed, with regards to quick adaptation (Pohjola, 2003). For instance, about four decades ago television broadcasting, landline telephone and postal deliveries were the key mediators in the flow of information, but this flow of information occurred only on one direction. User-generated content was very minimal. However, in the current day and age, countries around the world have been more interconnected via several facilities of ICT and the flow of information happens in multiple directions, with very heavy influence of user-generated content especially through social media (Yin et al., 2012). ICT has not only emerged to be a significant industry on itself but has pervaded all aspects in day-to-day life. Studies have indicated that ICT has a remarkable impact on socio-economic development generally, and environmental sustainability specifically. Whereas this could be true, in developing countries such as Nigeria little research has been achieved in pinpointing the approaches through which ICT could be harnessed for environmental sustainability. There exists no consensus on the definition of developing country from the United Nations or the World Bank, and this study has adopted the definition of developing country that has been offered by Library of Congress, which is a country whereby: the majority of population makes far less income, and has significantly weaker social indicatorsand often lacks basic public services-than the population in highly-industrialized countries (LOC, 2016, p. 1).This paper is based on literature review and it investigates how ICT can be harnessed in implementing environmental sustainability practices in developing countries. Overview of environmental crisis One global reality existing today is environmental crisis. The International Telecommunications Union, a specialized agency of the United Nations, has made the affirmation that the existing increasing concern about life on planet earth is heavily influenced by the impact of humans on the environment, particularly natural environment (Schwabach, 2006). In that manner, improving resource management practices, raising awareness, getting to sustainable development as well as enhancing the environmental performance makes up the key issues which require worldwide attention. International community has asserted this point by encompassing environmental sustainability to be part of MDGs (Millennium Development Goals). Achieving environmental sustainability nonetheless demands strategies that are innovative. In light of this, awareness of the nature of environmental challenges in developing countries is a key requirement. With regards to developing countries, environmental crisis happens to be a real occurrence and the impact has been widely felt physically, economically and socially. In the Fox (2004) study assessing environmental degradation in one developing country, Tanzania, the study observed that there are big environmental disasters in that country to affect that big rivers were drying up. Practices leading to this included severe deforestation and clearance of natural vegetation for agriculture purposes. Apart from drying up of rivers and increased river sedimentation, reduced rainfall has also impacted on the health of the citizens in the region and has undermined the possibility of sustainable development. Tanzania has been shown to be requiring a number of approaches so as to address these challenges that have been posed by such an environmental crisis. Affirming a capacity of ICTs in enhancing the environmental sustainability in developing countries, ICTs have been contended to be having the capability of playing a significant role in developmental and economic sectors (Kapurubandara Lawson, 2006). Nonetheless ICT has been demonstrated to be complex and multifaceted, and its environmental impact could both be beneficial or adverse. This implies that a careful planning on how to integrate ICT in environmental sustainability practices of the developing countries is highly important. As a result of this, the following section analyses whether and how ICT can assist in delivering the environmental sustainability goal in developing countries. ICT for environmental sustainability practices in developing countries Houghton (2009) as well as Minasyan (2006) observed that an intricate relationship exists between ICT and the environment. This is due to the observation that ICTs could have both positive and negative roles with regards to the environment. Some of the positive roles have been demonstrated to be better energy efficiency, recycling and substitution for travel/transport; negative roles have been demonstrated to be energy consumption, increasing amounts of e-waste such as from discarded CRT monitors and low life cycle of the products (ITU, 2008). Being a medium for networking and information, it has been demonstrated that ICT has the capability of enabling citizens in the developing countries to adopt the role of environmental enforcement agents and alert the authorities to acts of environmental infringement. A host of important environmental aspects have been identified whereby ICT could be used and as such enhance environmental sustainability. Environmental studies The possible role of ICT in environmental sustainability practices starts with the usefulness of ICT in environmental studies. International Telecommunications Union has reiterated that ICT offers an unprecedented capability to collecting and processing environmental data which far outweighs the capability of any person and may encompass the whole terrestrial system. From the complex environment, ICT could assist in simplifying and understanding impact of mankind on environment. This can be achieved through the aid of increasingly interconnected and powerful platforms of computing which have been combined with large information databases. Moreover, ICT has been identified as a significant tool for carrying out empirical studies relating to environmental issues. It has previously been observed that new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) may represent appropriate tools to support environmental research and its transmission to policy-makers and the general public (Chiabai et al., 2013, p.89). In aggregate, using ICT to carry out environmental studies is associated with a host of economic and scientific benefits as well as having a political implication. Some of the scientific benefits have been shown to be enhanced multidisciplinary studies. Political implications of using ICT are that interface with the policy-makers can be created, and citizens can participate in the decision-making processes concerning environmental sustainability practices. Environmental observation ICT can be used for environmental observation in the developing countries (Houghton, 2009). Generally, the environmental systems are made up of terrestrial and aquatic categories. The terrestrial component is made up of forests, grasslands, mountains and so forth whereas the aquatic components is made up of marine, freshwater, wetlands and so forth. Tools of ICT that can be employed in these developing countries include remote sensing, telemetric systems among others. This observation can lead to better monitoring of the environmental practices. The e-monitoring systems can be used as environmental screening tools as well as mapping tools which offer the relevant authorities reliable data with which to highlight pollution issues, and these can then be applied for further evaluating and analysing the environmental concern. E-monitoring could offer both summary data and detailed data in the developing countries for both environmental and demographic attributes. For example, ICT has been applied in monitoring the deforestation of the Amazon forest in Brazil; satellite imagery is used in identifying deforestation and this is then mapped on a geographic information system (GIS). Data from this GIS has been made public in Brazil in recent years and this offers greater public awareness on the environmentally destructive practices. Data from this GIS has been identified to have been very instrumental in effecting policy changes in Brazil, which have included crafting, implementing and enforcing legislations for controlling deforestation, and gazetting more protected areas. It is common for forest rangers to go to areas showing deforestation activity from the satellite imagery received in combination with Global Positioning System (GPS), and then take necessary action to prevent further deforestation activity. Nonetheless some challenges have been identified in this approach: the GIS offer low resolution and thus offer only a rough identification concerning the deforested area; the Amazon is big but the rangers have limited capacity as such the data from the system is not used in real time (Hayes Rajao, 2011). Moreover, in developing countries where the internet penetration is low, radio calls and mobile telephones could be applied in reporting environmental degradation activities and for facilitating community mobilization to confront such activities. Mitigation of climate change Activities to mitigate against climate change are targeted at minimizing the negative impacts of the climate change on the environment. Several manners exist which ICTs can be applied in mitigating against environmental impacts in developing countries, such as through observation and monitoring as previous mentioned, through enabling better efficiency in utilization of resources, via dematerialization for example e-books instead of paper-printed books, through substitution for transport for example video conferencing instead of travel. A number of studies such as Patt Schrotter (2008) exist showing how ICT can assist in mitigating against climate change. Developing countries face a host of challenges with regards to providing infrastructure as the economies grow. The challenges in meeting the growing demands have been shown to be driving the investments in these developing countries towards solutions that present more energy efficiency. For example, limitations on the capacity of electricity generation and the transmission have resulted into more development of smart grid in China and India. This has led to an improved energy efficiency level and has reduced the expansion rate of the coal-powered electricity plants. These smart grids have been shown by Boccaletti et al. (2008) to have resulted into reduced carbon emissions as a result of lower use of the coal-powered plants. ICTs have played a major role in improving the efficiency in addition to controlling and managing power grids. The impact that ICT plays in the smart grids has been detailed in studies that have been issued by Bolton and Foxon (2011). With the investments in infrastructure for the next three decades taking place currently, this presents opportunities for developing countries to jump into the smart grid bandwagon, minimise power loss and gain from greater energy efficiency. For instance, in India, North Delhi Power has invested in smart grid (Balijepalli et al., 2010). However, some concerns have been raised; increased efficiency might result into more use of the ICT-enabled energy saving features, which consequently leads to more energy being used and this cancels out the previous gains. Recognizing this challenge, the government of China, has recently come up with the China Motor Systems Energy Conservation Program which would assist in meeting the targets of energy efficiency (McKane et al., 2003). Easing environmental pressure After the collection and storage of the environmental data via observation, a number of ICT tools could be used in computing and processing so as to carry out analysis. For instance, environmental modelling software as well as grid computing has been of assistance in the awareness of how the ecosystems function as well as the environmental complexities. Developing countries, especially in Africa, are highly dependent on agriculture even though the modes of farming are largely inefficient. Managing, monitoring and mapping waterways, forests and lands are some of the important actions that improve the sustainability of the environment and efficiency of practices in such countries (Longley, 2005). Geographic information systems offer significant opportunities in waterway and land management and monitoring in Africa, Himalayan region and South East Asia (Minasyan, 2006). Just like everywhere else, information is very important in making it possible for people to undertake choices that are more sustainable and get the benefits from their activities, in addition to support, awareness and education. In developing countries there are various examples on how mobile phones as well as wireless connection can offer a massive opportunity in handling environmental pressure where fixed telephone lines are not developed (World Bank, 2012). For instance, initiatives include using geographical information system in Lake Victoria of East Africa, to offer support to the management of natural resources (Scheren et al., 2000). In the Pearl River Delta of China, it is common to have an integrated ecosystem modelling, sensing and monitoring (Weng, 2001). By observing how vulnerable the rural commu nities in developing countries are, Tyler Fajber (2009) observed the significance of having information access. For instance, in the Philippines, one mobile service provider SMART partnered with Manila Observatory to offer telemetric rain gauge and telephones in areas which are prone to environmental disasters like landslides. The local farmers assess the rain gauge and submit the information to the Manila Observatory, whereas the Manila Observatory could also utilise these telephones to give the farmers early warnings (Houghton, 2010). Adaptation to climate change Offering early warnings as well as monitoring of events that are induced by climate change, such as tsunami or drought, plays a very significant role. In developing countries, ICT has enabled a number of initiatives. One example is a network that has been funded by USAID called Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). This network brings together national and regional partners in offering information concerning the arising and changing issues on food security. The FEWS NET participants in developing countries analyse and monitor the information concerning the climate so as to understand the possible threats and effects on livelihoods. After they have been identified, the FEWS NET utilizes a host of ICTs in aiding the decision makers (Verdin et al., 2005). A second example is the PreventionWeb which caters to the information demands of the community seeking disaster risk reduction. The ICT-enabled activities under PreventionWeb include tools for exchanging information. ICTs have also been utilized in coming up with impact models, that have been used by decision makers and practitioners in making predictions on the agricultural effects of the climate change. Such impact models have been used in developing countries such as South Africa, whereby it was shown that there exists a correlation between a lowered production of dry land staple and heightened historical temperature (Dube Jury, 2000); in Nigeria whereby an EPIC model was used in giving forecasts on the crop yields in the twenty first century (Adejuwon, 2008); in Egypt whereby the production of crops under the existing climatic conditions was compared with the conditions that were modelled for the year 2050 (Abdel-Gawadh et al., 2004), as well as the Thornton et al. (2009) study which mapped African regions in terms of their vulnerability to climate change. In the same manner, GIS as well as remote sensing are used by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to investigate the patterns of rainfall in Africa and Asia. By identifying the vulnerable areas, ICTs make it possible to implement various responses, whereby information networks have a significant role to play. Technology transfer for environment sustainability practices ICTs play a key role in technology transfer for environment sustainability practices. The Bali Action Plan entailed that developed countries assist the developing countries to pursue mitigation activities appropriate to each nation with regards to sustainable development, and at the same time not compromise the growth of those countries, through a transfer of technology and finance from the developed countries. One such technology transfer is through a clearinghouse for technology information called TT:clear. This provides an internet-based platform for information sharing in order to access a number of information sources such as case studies (Houghton, 2009). An objective is in offering information that is valuable to the various stakeholders on matters related to technology transfer, in order to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The TT:clear platform targets developing countries to consider the opportunities regarding technology transfer by assisting such countries gain an awa reness of the available technologies. The platform also makes it possible to exchange views and experiences on developing and transferring technology. Another platform that exists is called GIS Development. This refers to a Geospatial Communication Network promoting the utilization of GIS applications and the GIS technology in developing countries. GIS Development aids the governments and communities in the developing countries to enhance their management capabilities, policies and productivity through facilitation of knowledge transfer. Moreover, GIS Development fosters increasing network of persons interested in geo-informatics, encouraging a scientific know-how exchange (Ramachandra Kumar, 2010). By fusing the information provided with education and research, these platforms offer experience, expertise and information touching on adapting to environmental changes. Such flows of information play significant roles in the transfer of technology into the developing countries. Planning and environmental strategy Good decision-making needs to happen using the information that is available. As such, environmental information which has been picked by observing and has been evaluated by using the technology happens to be relevant in the decision-making, planning and formulation of policies. By utilizing ICTs, such a process entails classifying a host of environmental issues (Houghton, 2009). For instance, the environmental information that can be applied in agriculture could be elicited via using ICTs. The International Telecommunications Union has argued that the monitoring systems which use ICTs could be created to predict the effect of the manmade and natural disasters in developing as well as developed countries. For example, one important tool in the environmental planning is the Environmental Impact Assessment (Hayes Rajao, 2011). A developing country seeking for loans from World Bank needs to demonstrate environmental planning which is produced via an Environmental Impact Assessment. Thi s shows that ICTs could be of assistance in this respect by, among other things, enhancing the communications between the different stakeholders in the collection of the environmental information. Apart from this stakeholder engagement, ICTs could also assist in making informed decisions, delivery of policy, learning and feedback as well as capacity building in the institutions (Ospina Heeks, 2011). The Resilience Assessment Benchmarking and Impact Toolkit (RABIT) framework One framework that can be applied is the Resilience Assessment Benchmarking and Impact Toolkit (RABIT) which has recently been used by Ospina Heeks (2016) to gauge the effect on resilience of ICTs in two developing countries, Uganda and Costa Rica. Instead of trying to be a kind of cross-country benchmarking, the RABIT framework can be applied on a country-specific basis, and it would get the specific countrys representatives to undertake a discussion on the link between ICTs and the sub-properties of resilience which are rapidity, equality, diversity and flexibility, scale, self-organization, robustness, learning and redundancy. From this, the developing country representatives can derive relevance, meaning, priority and so forth, for their specific country. This can emerge to be a productive approach forward in looking to strengthen the link between ICTs and the resilience in developing countries. The RABIT framework is especially appropriate for developing countries since they ar e most vulnerable to the impacts of stressors and external shocks, including being the first to be affected by climate change as a result of lacking mitigating infrastructure. Some of the key characteristics or markers of resilience are shown in table 1 below: Table 1: Markers of resilience according to the RABIT framework Attribute of resilience Markers Attributes that are foundational Learning Reflective thinking; Capacity building Self-organization Local leadership; Consensus-building and collaboration Robustness Institutional capacity; Physical preparedness Attributes that are enabling Equality Accountability and openness; Participation and inclusiveness Flexibility and diversity Mechanism for innovation; Decision-making that is adaptable Scale Networks that are intra-level; Networks that are multi-level Rapidity Resource mobilization; Rapid detection and assessment of issues Redundancy Functional overlap; Substitutability of resource Adapted from: Ospina Heeks (2016, p.20) The markers are equally applicable in developing countries down to the community level. The RABIT framework can be implemented through document review followed by conducting focus groups, semi-structured interviews and surveys on the communities in developing countries (Ospina Heeks, 2016). ICTs could be used to strengthen the resilience in the developing countries. In 2012, a report by the World Bank highlighted the roles that ICTs play in preventing the impacts of emergencies induced by climate change in the developing countries of Africa (World Bank, 2012). The report sought to achieve an understanding of the trends of ICTs impacts that could be existing in developing countries that had analogous structures of political economy, in relation to leveraging the ICT in the public sectors. From this World Bank report, GIS aids the local governments to identify on a map, the zones that are at flood risk, gauge the vulnerability of the community towards the floods and plan for new infrastructure that would prevent floods. Some ICTs tools used include Early Warning Systems which were used in simulating patterns of weather and predicting disasters (World Bank, 2012). In this way, ICTs can be said to have the potential of strengthening the resilience in the developing countrie s. This is also referred to as e-resilience. This can be done through improving each of the attributes of resilience as noted by (Ospina Heeks, 2011): rapidity, equality, diversity and flexibility, scale, self-organization, robustness, learning and redundancy. For instance, with regards to redundancy, mobile phones or other ICTs could be used in delivering resources whereas with regards to robustness, GIS can utilised in planning where physical defences such as dykes can be located. The future and potential challenges of using the Resilience Assessment Benchmarking and Impact Toolkit (RABIT) framework for implementing environmental sustainability practices in one developing country, Tanzania Governmental as well as non-governmental organizations in Tanzania report that some of the environmental problems in the country include unsustainable and illegal deforestation as most Tanzanians rely on firewood for energy needs; overgrazing an unsustainable management of range due to large cattle sizes putting pressure on the natural carrying capacity of the land; high levels of water and air pollution; as well as unsustainable and illegal exploitation of wildlife (Mniwasa Shauri, 2001). The RABIT framework can be applied to improve environmental sustainability practices in Tanzania. The RABIT framework helps in building resilience and this presents huge opportunities for introducing considerable and lasting changes across Tanzania with regards to environmental sustainability practices. ICTs can support the relevance of the RABIT framework in Tanzania. There is an increasing penetration of mobile phone usage in Tanzania, more than any other ICT in the country (Van Genuchten, 2012; Fox, 2004). There has also been a rise in social media use in Tanzania, and this has especially helped with the rapidity attribute of the RABIT framework. Users can generate the content on where they see environmental degradation activities. The fast pace of the uptake and penetration of mobile telephony in Tanzania has supported many breakthrough ideas in environmental sustainability, as was observed by Fox (2004). However, these developments have been accompanied by considerable challenges and potential threats to the efficacy of ICT in supporting the implementation of environmentally sustainable practices, in Tanzania. One such challenge lies in the scale and sustainability of the programs initiated. The initiatives are relatively ad-hoc and happen in individual isolated regions of Tanzania, such as the study by Fox (2004) which concentrated the initiatives in only in the regions of Usangu Catchment, Ihefu Wetland and Great Ruaha River Ecosystem. As such, thus there are very limited large-scale and sustainable ICT-supported initiatives taking place in Tanzania. In order to bring out the total potential of ICT in the country, there needs to be a new inter-regional collaboration in order to enlarge the scale of the impacts. A second challenge in Tanzania is in the pace of change of ICTs. Technology is a very dynamic concept, and one thing that might work perfectly today may be rendered obsolete in few years (Chiabai et al., 2013). For instance, mobile telephone calls have largely replaced radio calls in regions of Tanzania that had inexistent telephone landlines (Van Genuchten, 2012), and in turn mobile phone calls are increasingly being replaced by instant messaging apps such as Whatsapp (Shearman, Olomi, Patel, 2013). This has happened in a space of less than ten years, all with the aim of achieving better efficiency. Similarly, radio communication which was popular in Tanzania where landline infrastructure was non-existent has increasingly been replaced by mobile telephony (Balijepalli et al., 2010). The costs involved in replacing the obsolete ICTs could be challenging to a poor country like Tanzania, especially if incurred on a large scale. Conclusion and Recommendations The paper has observed that an intricate relationship exists between ICT and the environment. This is due to the observation that ICTs could have both positive and negative roles with regards to the environment. Some of the positive roles have been demonstrated to be better energy efficiency, recycling and substitution for travel/transport; negative roles have been demonstrated to be energy consumption, increasing amounts of e-waste such as from discarded CRT monitors and low life cycle of the products. Being a medium for networking and information, it has been demonstrated that ICT has the capability of enabling citizens in the developing countries to adopt the role of environmental enforcement agents and alert the authorities to acts of environmental infringement. A host of important environmental aspects have been identified whereby ICT could be used and as such enhance environmental sustainability. ICT plays significant role in environmental studies as it offers an unprecedented capability to collecting and processing environmental data; environmental observation through tools such as remote sensing, telemetric systems among others; mitigating climate change through activities such as developing smart grid in China and India; easing environmental pressure through environmental modelling software as well as grid computing; adaptation to climate change through tools such as Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET); technology transfer as a result of the Bali Action Plan; planning and environmental strategy through tools such as the Environmental Impact Assessment, and building resilience through rapidity, equality, diversity and flexibility, scale, self-organization, robustness, learning and redundancy. In future, the technologies that are likely to support these ICT activities in developing countries with respect to environmentally sustainable practices include mobile telephony, internet, social media, digital data, cloud computing and increasing pres ence of smartphones. Challenges lie in the scale and sustainability of the programs initiated as well as the rapidly shifting technology that may be expensive for the ICT initiatives in the long run. Moreover, ICT has been demonstrated to be complex and multifaceted, and its environmental impact could both be beneficial or adverse. ICT can assist in delivering the environmental sustainability goal in developing countries but there needs to be a new multi-national collaboration level in order to enlarge the scale of the impacts of the ICT initiatives in environmental sustainability practices. One framework that can be applied is the Resilience Assessment Benchmarking and Impact Toolkit (RABIT) which has recently been applied successfully in two developing countries. References Abdel-Gawadh, S.T., Kandil, M. and Sadek, T.M. (2004). Water scarcity prospects in Egypt 2000-2050. In Environmental Challenges in the Mediterranean 2000-2050 (pp. 187-203). Springer Netherlands. Adejuwon, J.O. (2008). Vulnerability in Nigeria: A national-level assessment. Climate Change and Vulnerability, pp. 198-217. Balijepalli, V.M., Khaparde, S.A., Gupta, R.P. and Pradeep, Y. (2010). SmartGrid initiatives and power market in India. In IEEE PES General Meeting (pp. 1-7). IEEE. Boccaletti, G., LÃ ¶ffler, M. and Oppenheim, J.M. (2008). How IT can cut carbon emissions. McKinsey Quarterly, 37, pp. 37-41. Bolton, R. and Foxon, T.J. (2011). Governing infrastructure networks for a low carbon

Divorce and the Bible Essay -- essays research papers

The law defines divorce as  ¡Ã‚ §a legal dissolution of the marriage contract by a court or other body having competent authority. This is properly a divorce, and called, technically, divorce a vinculo matrimonii. ``from the bond of matrimony.'' (b) The separation of a married woman from the bed and board of her husband -- divorce a mensa et toro (or thoro), ``from bed board.'' ¡Ã‚ ¨ Does this definition follow that of the Bible? Mark 10:1-12 ¡X  ¡Ã‚ ¥Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking,  ¡Ã‚ §Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? ¡Ã‚ ¨  ¡Ã‚ §What did Moses command you? ¡Ã‚ ¨ He replied. They said,  ¡Ã‚ §Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away. ¡Ã‚ ¨  ¡Ã‚ §It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law, ¡Ã‚ ¨ Jesus replied.  ¡Ã‚ §But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate. ¡Ã‚ ¨ When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered,  ¡Ã‚ §Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery. ¡Ã‚ ¦ According to Mark, Jesus was not only against divorce but he detested the actions of man to allow it against the word of God. He is trying to explain what divorce means to God. Apparently, it is the joining of two people ¡Xminds, bodies, and souls. These people are no longer people. They are a person. He also states that Moses only made the law to solve the problems that humankind was having. It seems that Moses was without patience when making his declaration. The crowd was already going against God, and their religion had taken a step down their priority list. Moses was just giving his people what they wanted to hear. He only allowed the man to give a statement of divorce. He allowed them to take from that what they did. He was still serving his religion with this decision. He was not allowing them to separate their souls. I believe Jesus was only reiterating, or clarifying, this act of Moses. He explained to the masses that Mose... ...owever, in this case, the union of souls is not stressed. How can an unbeliever expect the God that they do not believe in to unite them? Once the unbeliever is saved, the souls will be united and a divorce is not allowed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, if the unbeliever never does accept God, then the he/she is permitted to cut off the marriage. A believer is to stand by the side of his beloved. He/she is held to all the rules of marriage and divorce. This, of course, meaning that the believer calling for divorce does not separate the couple in God ¡Ã‚ ¦s eyes. If the unbeliever calls for a divorce, then it is as if the marriage never took place. They are free to remarry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of these authors hold the same views. Divorce is an accepted thing before man, but not before God. Then, divorce only means that you are allowed to live in separate homes. As far as remarriage goes, it is adultery on the behalf of all involved. The exception from this rule is only applicable if one of the marriage partners is an unbeliever and, as such, calls for the divorce. Then the divorce is a complete divorce and remarriage is allowed without being considered adultery.

Characteristics of Gothic Literature Essay

The Gothic In 1798 an anonymous author published a commentary that revealed exactly how some writers received the Gothic during this time: â€Å" Take—An old castle, half of it ruinous A long gallery, with a great many doors, some secret ones. Three murdered bodies, quite fresh. As many skeletons, in chests and presses. An old woman hanging by the neck; with her throat cut. Assassins and desperadoes, quant. suff. Noises, whispers, and groans, threescore at least. † (1-7) After reading many of the selections in the anthology, I found this poem on a Gothic’s â€Å"recipe† to be quite true (602). However, in the case of this anonymous writer, he considers all of these characteristics to be negative. I, on the other hand, find it very intriguing that this type of novel developed in a time ruled by writers whose main focus was politics and poetry. Many influential writers including Coleridge and Wordsworth criticized the characteristics, morality, purpose, and significance of these novels; however, I believe many of the features they disliked actually broadened the scope of literature. The Gothic novel was often attacked for being too formulaic. Although the specifics of the plot changed from novel to novel, the characteristics were often similar, which is something that is pointed out repeatedly by the Gothic’s critics. The similarities encountered in the characteristics of these novels include the setting, mystery, and characters to name a few. The setting of this type of novel is usually in a castle of sorts, or in some other mysterious place that produces suspense and terror within the reader. Although these settings were often alike, they â€Å"exist to convey the atmosphere† and are used â€Å"for ends that are fundamentally psychological† (Hume 286). This characteristic is one that set up the entire feeling of the novel, one of suspense, horror, and mystery. The setting of various novels was not uniform because it was the easy or obvious choice like many critics believed, but because it created a certain atmosphere that was needed for the plot. If the story had been set on a sunny beach, the atmosphere would have been much different and the reader would not get the same affect. Like the settings, the mysteries that develop within Gothic novels are usually somewhat similar. From what I have come across, many include a murder or deep, dark secret that is unraveled by an ordinary person. While this may support Wordsworth’s claim that these novels are â€Å"sickly and stupid German tragedies† because of their straightforward plot, I find them to be quite interesting (266). These mysteries create suspense, and were the first â€Å"page-turners† that were ever written. Readers no longer had to decipher long and complicated meanings from pieces such as the â€Å"Lucy Gray† poems; instead, they could sit back, relax, and enjoy these novels that created an escape into a mysterious world. Another piece of the â€Å"formula† that was important to the genre were the characters that were used throughout the novels. The characters were often simple people who were thrown into a situation that required extraordinary actions. While the simplicity of the characters was often criticized by writers who considered themselves to be â€Å"high culture,† these characters had the ability to â€Å"involve the reader in special circumstances† (Hume 286). Unlike the pieces that came before them, the Gothic novel had the capacity to draw the reader in, and put them in the shoes of the main character. For me, it was very hard to feel for the personas in earlier poems that we came across. I think the main reason for this is that the characters tended to be somewhat generic, but interesting. They allowed for anyone to understand the character and immerse themselves within the character’s thoughts. They also allowed for people to sink in to a particular character and feel the terror that they were feeling. Another aspect of the Gothic that was often called into question was the morality of the characters and authors. There are many instances in which these novels incorporated grotesque scenes that included rape and murder among many other things. In The Monk by Matthew Lewis the main character, Ambrosia, is a virtuous and ethical man who seduced by the demon Matilda. In one scene â€Å"his desires were raised to that frantic height by which brutes are agitated†¦ and [he] hastily proceeded to tear off those garments which impeded the gratification of his lust† (598). Ambrosia is obviously an immoral character, and he is criticized for not being so. To me, it seems like critics were getting to the point where they were trying to find anything and everything to criticize about the Gothic novel. While this genre may involve some unseemly characters, they are needed in order to create an interesting plot. Having some sort of villain is necessary in any type of writing that has a mystery or murder involved. Without villains, we cannot have heroes, and both are very important aspects of literature. Coleridge, for example, not only attacked The Monk as a novel but also attacked Lewis as a person for having the ability to create such an immoral character. He believed that â€Å"the merit of a novelist is in proportion†¦ to the pleasurable effect which he produces (604). I highly disagree with this statement because I believe controversy affects change, and change is needed in order to forward society. Novelists and poets were no longer writing poems that had the sole purpose of making a person feel good or empowered; instead, they were writing for entertainment. Also, many of the writers before The Monk addressed political issues that were not considered pleasurable, but controversial and hard to confront. Coleridge’s statement seems to contradict everything that literature stands for. Authors and the literature they create are unpleasant at times, and that is not wrong—it is merely a necessity for the forward movement of society and evolution of literature. Another important issue to address when it comes to these novels is their specific purpose. It seems that every literary movement in history had some sort of motive or driving force behind them. For the Gothic, this driving force or purpose seems to be to induce terror while entertaining. Before this movement, we never really encountered works of literature that were straightforward, suspenseful, and enjoyable all at the same time. In an essay by Aikin and Aikin, they claimed that people would â€Å"rather chuse to suffer the smart pang of a violent emotion than the uneasy craving of an unsatisfied desire† (584). By this, they mean that terror is pleasurable, and that is exactly what these novels delivered to their readers. It was not an emotion that was regularly produced when readers came into contact with the typical works of this time. For a piece of literature to induce such error was something novel and interesting that affected many of their readers. Because terror is an emotion that is hard to come by, these novels were, like I said, an escape for readers. Terror is not something that a person wants to encounter in their real life, but is something they can enjoy and acquire through reading these novels. Their purpose was not to confuse the reader with complicated meanings full of allusions. Instead, these terrifying novels have the ability to â€Å"render the poorest and most insipid narrative interesting when once we get fairly into it† (584). Although many of the authors of Gothic novels may not have been the best composers compared to standards during this time, they were still able to draw in a huge audience because they gave the people what they wanted. I would not consider the narratives â€Å"insipid,† but compared to the works that came before them, they were much simpler and used language that was not considered to be as articulate. This simplicity that is encountered when reading a piece of Gothic work, though criticized, says much about how society was changing during this time. These novels significantly altered the way in which literature was composed and whom it was available to. Instead of being read by the elite few, it was accessible to pretty much anyone who could read. During this time, the percent of literate people was rising rapidly, especially in the middle class. These books appealed to these people, and sold millions upon millions of copies because of this. I think that much of the distaste that so-called â€Å"high culture† writers had for these novels is because of their success. They were extremely popular, more so than the most popular of the poets during this time. For example, Wordsworth was said to be a commercialized version of â€Å"real† poetry because it was easier to understand than many other pieces out during this time. However, he never even came close to selling as many copies of Lyrical Ballads as the Gothic writers did with their own works. For Wordsworth to criticize a genre that feeds off of the readers’ ability to comprehend seems to be extremely hypocritical of him. Also, I think that when something appeals to the masses, it is a good thing. Change cannot occur unless everyone is on the same page, and that is what the Gothic provided to the people. Finally, I would like to confront just how significant this movement is to the literature we have today. This was the first time we encounter a genre that is similar to the types of genres we see today. The Gothic genre was criticized because the novels were too alike—but that is exactly what a genre is, according to today’s standards. One could argue that the novels that are published today are not of the same caliber as novels published 50, 100, or 200 years ago. And maybe that is true, but is it necessarily bad? In my opinion, having novels that are more accessible to more people makes for a better, more unified society. Having works of literature that are too complicated, wordy, or abstract leads to more ambiguity, and eventually creates a divide among social classes. I am not saying that all written works should be easy to understand, but I do think that the Gothic novel was the first in a wave of works of literature that helped society grow more literate. Finally, scholars and everyday people were able to read and talk about the same kinds of things. Although scholars who thought they were better writers were constantly criticizing it, they could not appeal to the masses. Gothic literature had the ability to do this, and you can still see its influence in novels on shelves today. It has a definite place in literary history, and should not be overlooked. It may not have had the deepest plots or the most complicated characters, but the genre had an impact during the 18th century, and continues to have an impact today.

War on Poverty Poverty Problem in US

War on Poverty Poverty Problem in US More than three decades ago, it was discovered that a big percentage of people in the United States were living in abject poverty. This discovery prompted policy makers and other Americans to come up with federal programs and other initiatives from the private sectors to try to deal with the problem.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on War on Poverty: Poverty Problem in US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Many leaders who have taken over the mantle of leadership in the United States have not been committed towards eradicating poverty in the United States. However, President Lyndon Johnson addressed the Nation in 1964 and said that there was the need of an unconditional War on Poverty. In a bid to deal with this problem of poverty, a number of initiatives were started. The first initiative that was taken to fight poverty is referred to as in This Affluent Society. In this initiative, President Lyndon decided to treat poverty as one of the problems that he was supposed to focus much on. In the State of the Union address which was delivered in 1964, he pronounced unconditional war on poverty. After this declaration, he launched many initiatives intended at eradicating poverty forever. The strategies that were going to be used were not welfare or creating job opportunities but by rather increasing the opportunities for the poor people by providing them with sound education and training. This declaration was timely since it was during a period that the government was experiencing an admirable prosperity. The economic and industrial well being that followed the First World War had made America one of the wealthiest nations in the world but not every American was enjoying the benefits of this economic well being. This initiative was effective in the fight against poverty because it left the poor empowered. By educating them and training them, they could secure good jobs that guaranteed them good pay. Without education and training, this was not possible and people were bound to remain in poverty. The other initiative that was taken on the fight against poverty is the initiative dubbed My Brother’s Keeper. Most of the Americans who have been members of the American Welfare System that was established in 1968 by President Roosevelt in his endeavors of eliminating poverty have never benefited from the program. A large number of Americans remained living below the poverty line. War on poverty has been focusing on education and training but there has been a crisis on welfare which has clearly showed that Americans were not satisfied with the system.Advertising Looking for assessment on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In response to the above mentioned crisis, The National Welfare rights Organization was formed to reduce the impact of the crisis. This is an effective initiative in the war again st poverty because the crisis emanates from the fact that there is still a debate on the population living in poverty. When the welfare of the poor is looked at with great concern, then it would be possible to address the problem of poverty without bias. Apart from the two initiatives discussed above, another important initiative that can be used in the war against poverty is to engage the poor in programs of fighting poverty. Community participation in anti-poverty programs is crucial in fighting poverty as it gives the community members a chance to embrace the programs and learn more. The programs equip the community members and enhance self reliance. A combination of these initiatives will result into remarkable decrease in poverty levels among American poor population.

Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana in the U.S

Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana in the U.S According to a  2017 poll,  52% percent of American adults have tried marijuana at some point in their lives. The dried blossom of cannabis sativa and cannabis indica  plants, marijuana has been used for centuries as an herb, a medicine, as hemp for rope-making, and  as a recreational drug. Did You Know? Before the 20th century, cannabis plants in the U.S. were relatively unregulated, and marijuana was a common ingredient in medicines. As of 2018, the U.S. government claims the right to, and does, criminalize the growing, selling,  and possession of marijuana in all states. This right is not given to them by the  Constitution, but by the  U.S. Supreme Court, most notably in their 2005 ruling in  Gonzales v. Raich, which again upheld the right of the federal government to ban marijuana use in all states, in spite of the dissenting voice of Justice Clarence Thomas, who stated: By holding that Congress may regulate activity that is neither interstate nor commerce under the Interstate Commerce Clause, the Court abandons any attempt to enforce the Constitutions limits on federal power. Brief History Recreational use of marijuana was thought to have been introduced in the U.S. early in the 20th century by immigrants from Mexico. In the 1930s, marijuana was linked publicly in several research studies, and via a famed 1936 film named Reefer Madness to crime, violence, and anti-social behavior. Many believe that objections to marijuana first rose sharply as part of the U.S. temperance movement against alcohol.  Others claim  that marijuana was initially demonized partly due to fears of the Mexican immigrants associated with the drug. In the 21st century, marijuana is illegal in the U.S. ostensibly due to moral and public health reasons, and because of continuing concern over violence and crime associated with production and distribution of the drug. In spite of federal regulations, nine states have voted to legalize the growth, use, and distribution of marijuana within their borders. And many others are debating whether or not to do the same. Pros and Cons of Legalization Primary reasons in support of legalizing marijuana include: Social Reasons Prohibition of marijuana  is unwarranted government intrusion into individual freedom of choice.Marijuana is no more harmful to a persons health than alcohol or tobacco, which are both legal and widely used, and regulated by the U.S. Food Drug Administration.Marijuana has proven medical benefits for patients suffering from a  host of ailments and diseases, including cancer, AIDS, and glaucoma.Crime and violence, both within the U.S. and at the U.S.-Mexico border, are greatly increased due to illegal selling and buying of marijuana. Legalization would logically end the need for such criminal behavior. Law Enforcement Reasons According to the  FBI Unified Crime Statistics,  587,700 people were arrested in 2016 for marijuana-related crimes, more than for all violent crimes like murder and rape combined. As a result, marijuana arrests  place an undue burden on our judicial system.Drug busts of youth for marijuana offenses often carry harsh penalties that can cause undue  social harm with lifelong consequences. Fiscal Reasons Marijuana is one of Americas top-selling agricultural products. According to the  Colorado Department of Revenue, combined four-year sales of marijuana for that state since it legalized cannabis in 2014 has now topped $4.5  billion.... mainstream pundits like Fox News  Glenn Beck  and CNNs  Jack Cafferty  have publicly questioned the billions spent each year fighting the endless war against drugs,  per the San Francisco Chronicle  in 2009. If marijuana was legalized and regulated, an estimated $8 billion would be saved annually in government spending on enforcement, including for the FBI and U.S.-Mexico border security. Primary reasons against legalizing marijuana include: Social Reasons Much in the same way that pro-life advocates seek to make abortion illegal for all based on moral grounds, so too do some Americans wish to make marijuana illegal because they believe its use is immoral.Long-term or abusive use of marijuana can be harmful to a persons health and well-being.Second-hand smoke from marijuana can be harmful to others.Many allege that regular marijuana use can lead to the  use of harder, more harmful drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Law Enforcement Reasons Some opponents of legalizing marijuana believe that individuals involved in illegal buying and selling of the drug are more likely than average to be involved in other crimes  and that society is safer with marijuana offenders incarcerated.Law enforcement agencies dont want to be construed as supporting drug use. There are no significant fiscal reasons against U.S. legalization of marijuana. Legal Background The following are milestones of federal marijuana enforcement in U.S. history: Prohibition, 1919 to 1933:  As the  use of marijuana became popular in response to alcohol prohibition, conservative anti-drug campaigners railed against the Marijuana Menace, linking the drug to crime, violence,  and other bad behaviors.1930, Federal Bureau of Narcotics  established:  By 1931, 29 states had criminalized marijuana.Uniform State Narcotic Act of 1932: This act pushed the states, rather than federal authorities, to regulate narcotics.Marijuana Tax Act of 1937:  People who sought certain medical benefits of marijuana could now do so freely, provided they paid an excise tax.1944, New York Academy of Medicine:  The esteemed institution bucked current thinking by putting out a report finding that marijuana does not induce violence, insanity or sex crimes.Narcotics Control Act of 1956:  This piece of legislation set  mandatory prison sentences  and fines for drug offenses, including for marijuana.1960s Counter-Culture Movement:  U.S. marijuana use grew rapidly during this time. Studies commissioned by Presidents Kennedy and Johnson concluded that marijuana use did not induce violence. 1970: Congress repealed mandatory penalties for drug offenses. Marijuana was differentiated from other drugs. Per PBS,  It was widely acknowledged that the  mandatory minimum sentences  of the 1950s had done nothing to eliminate the drug culture that embraced marijuana use throughout the 60s... 1973, Drug Enforcement Agency:  President Nixon created the DEA to enforce the controlled substances regulations and laws of the United States.Oregon Decriminalization Bill of 1973: In spite of federal regulations,  Oregon becomes the  first state to decriminalize marijuana.1976, Conservative Christian Groups:  Led by Rev. Jerry Falwells Moral Majority, rising conservative groups lobbied for stricter marijuana laws. The coalition grew powerful, leading to the 1980s War on Drugs.The Controlled Substances Therapeutic Research Act of 1978: By passing this act in its legislature, New Mexico became the first state in the Union to legally recognize the medical value of marijuana.Anti-D rug Abuse Act of 1986:  Pushed for and signed by  President Reagan, the act raised penalties for marijuana offenses  and established harsh mandatory three strikes  sentencing laws. 1989, New War on Drugs:  In his Presidential Address of September 5, George H.W. Bush outlined a new strategy to combat the evils of drug use and trafficking, led by Bill Benett, the nations first-ever drug policy director.1996 in California:  Voters legalized marijuana use for cancer, AIDS, glaucoma,  and other patients, via a doctors prescription.1996 to 2018, nationwide: The war on drugs continues, yet marijuana is either legalized for consumption, legalized for medical use, or decriminalized in 42 states.February 25, 2009:  Attorney General Eric Holder  announced that federal agents will now target marijuana distributors only when they violate both federal and state laws, which effectively meant that if a state had legalized marijuana, the Obama administration would not override state law.  Cole Memorandum of 2013:  US Attorney General James M. Cole conveys to  federal prosecutors that they should not expend resources prosecuting state-legal marijuana businesses, except in the case of one of eight law enforcement priorities, such as distributing pot to minors or  across state lines.   2018:  Vermont becomes  the first state to legalize recreational cannabis by way of the state legislature.January 4, 2018:  Attorney Jeff Sessions rescinds a trio of Obama-era rules, including the Holder and Cole memorandums,  which had adopted a policy of non-intervention in marijuana-friendly states. Moves to Legalize On June 23, 2011, a federal bill to fully legalize marijuana was introduced in the House by Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA.)  Ã‚  Said Congressman Frank  to the Christian Science Monitor of the bill:   Criminally prosecuting adults for making the choice to smoke marijuana is a waste of law enforcement resources and an intrusion on personal freedom. I do not advocate urging people to smoke marijuana, neither do I urge them to drink alcoholic beverages or smoke tobacco, but in none of these cases do I think prohibition enforced by criminal sanctions is good public policy. Another bill to decriminalize marijuana across the country was introduced on February 5, 2013,  by Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). Neither of the two bills made it out of the House. The states,  on the other hand, have taken matters into their own hands. By 2018, nine states and Washington, D.C. had legalized recreational use of marijuana by adults. Thirteen additional states have decriminalized marijuana, and a full 30 allow its use in medical treatment. By January 1, 2018,  legalization was on the docket for another 12 states. Federal Push Back To date, no U.S. president has supported the  decriminalization of marijuana, not even President Barack Obama, who, when asked at a  March 2009 online town hall  about marijuana legalization, laughingly demurred,   I dont know what this says about the online audience.† He then continued, But, no, I dont think that is a good strategy to grow our economy.† This in spite of the  fact that Obama told the crowd at his 2004 appearance at Northwestern University,  I think the war on drugs has been a failure, and I think we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws. Almost one year into Donald Trump’s presidency, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in a January 4, 2018  memo  to United States Attorneys, rescinded the Obama-era policies discouraging federal prosecution of marijuana cases in those states where the drug was legal. This move outraged many pro-legalization advocates on both sides of the aisle, including conservative political activists Charles and David Koch, whose general counsel, Mark Holden,  blasted  both Trump and Sessions for the move.  Roger Stone,  President Trump’s former campaign adviser, called the move by Sessions a â€Å"cataclysmic mistake. If any president were to publicly support the nationwide decriminalization of marijuana, he or she would likely do so by granting states the  jurisdiction to decide this issue, just as states decide marriage laws for their residents.

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Final - Essay Example The report also contains the objectives of business according to the social, economical, technological and political factors influencing the business. The objective for the competitive position of the business is also defined. The report will also define the segments which need to be addressed by the Apollo group in order to enhance its business. Apollo Group headquartered in the US has a multinational network of institutes. The main aim of formation of the Apollo group was to cater the education needs of working adults. The group undertakes its business through subsidiaries. Listing few of them are: the University of Phoenix having its online campus also, the College for Financial Planning, and Western International University etc. The courses offered at the institutes are innovatively designed according to the needs of 21st century. Apollo Group experienced improved financial performance in 2008 having consolidated net income of $476.5 million, or $2.87 per diluted share, on consolidated revenue of $3.1 billion, a 15% increase. The degree enrolments reached at the record highest levels at 362,100 which were 12% more than 2007. The Group is progressing through its aggressive marketing techniques and continuous expenditure on research and development in the field of new teaching techniques. The group has gained accreditation with the prestigious Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). SWOT or strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis is a technique used by business analysts to identify and analyze environmental factors that influence a business organization’s performance in a variety of ways, including its decision making and corporate behavior (Mello, 2003, p.40). â€Å"The Threats-Opportunities-Weaknesses-Strengths (TOWS) Matrix is an important matching tool that helps managers develops four types of strategies: So Strategies, WO strategies, ST Strategies, and WT Strategies. SWOT analysis enables the organization

The Bird Flu in the United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Bird Flu in the United Kingdom - Essay Example Sturcke and Batty (2006) report stated that as many as 46 countries have recorded bird flu cases in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Aside from being a health risk, the bird flu is also a massive economic threat. Freeman (2005) stated that "the UK has about 120 million poultry, including chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese, worth 1.3 billion a year. About 25 per cent of the egg-laying flock are kept outdoors and about 10 per cent of chickens raised for meat are free-range." (Sturcke, J. & Batty, D., 2006. Q&A: Bird flu [online], The Guardian, 27 April, viewed 14 May, 2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,,1591620,00.html) Boseley and Watt (2005) reported that after a meeting of EU veterinarians on the problem of bird flu, the British Veterinary Association's President stated that bird flu is inevitably going to arrive in the UK[and] there is a small but real danger that migrating wild birds could bring us a highly dangerous strain of the virus. (Boseley, S. & Watt, N., 2005. Vets say arrival of bird flu in UK is inevitable [online], The Guardian, 26 August, viewed 14 May, 2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,14207,1556846,00.html) In a 2006 report, Sturcke and Batty stated incidents of the bird flu virus in the United Kingdom. A dead swan was found in Cellardyke and a parrot died in an Essex quarantine zone. Both incidents occurred in 2005, and both birds were found to have died from the H5N1 virus. In a farm west of Norwich, a number of chickens were found to have tested positive of the less deadly H7 strain of bird flu, which also infects humans. (Sturcke, J. & Batty, D., 2006. Q&A: Bird flu [online], The Guardian, 27 April, viewed 14 May, 2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,,1591620,00.html ) Needless to say, the alarm and threat of a widespread bird flu infection has prompted the UK government to take various measures in an attempt to prevent such a pandemic. BBC News (2006) reported that one such step was the UK's ban on imports of live chickens from Croatia, Turkey, Romania, Russia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Laos, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Malaysia, South Africa, and North Korea, where bird flu outbreaks have occurred. (BBC News, 2006. Britain's bird flu preparations [online]. viewed 14 May, 2006, .) The finding of dead swans in Fife and in Scotland prompted government to create a huge exclusion zone to prevent any further spread of the bird flu virus. Henderson, Macleod and English (2006) reported that a 1,000 square mile exclusion zone was set up, stretching from the Forth Road Bridge, north of Edinburgh, to Stonehaven in the north east and Perth in the north west. It greatly expands the 3km (1.8 mile) radius protection zone and 10km (6.2 mile) surveillance zone established around Cellardyke. (Henderson, M., Macleod, A., & English, S., 2006. 1,000 sq mile exclusion zone set up to combat risk of virus spreading [online], The Times, 07 April, viewed 14 May, 2006, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25149-2122749,00.html) Within that exclusion zone, there are found around 3.1 million domestic birds kept on about 175 poultry farms and would require that owners of 48 free-range farms will have to bring their