Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Oppressive Legislature and the Actions of the British Essay

The Oppressive Legislature and the Actions of the British - Essay Example Many members of the clergy were torn as to which side they should choose. In some parts of the country, religion flourished, under the banner that God with the â€Å"Patriots† side. John Butler, a writer for the Department of the Interior, discussed that other churches and denominations suffered losses in attendance and, like the Anglicans, had to begin shutting their doors.1 The Quakers were by nature pacifists. They were opposed to any kind of acts of violent warfare. However, they entirely supported the colonists when they boycotted British goods. To the Quakers, this was an acceptable form of non-violent, peaceful resistance. Some Quakers were accused of being loyalists but generally, they considered themselves to not be a part of the revolution. Minorities at the time faced difficult challenges, as well. African American slaves found themselves on both sides of the revolutionary war. Many fought on the side of the â€Å"Loyalists.† However, the reasons were most likely based on the fact that the British offered to free those slaves that abandoned their â€Å"Patriot† masters. Native Americans were, also, caught in a difficult position. The Native Americans were already focused on trying to save their homeland; they hardly wanted to be caught in between the British and the Americans. They aimed to remain uninvolved in the warfare. However, eventually, the tribes were forced to make the choice. An article, in association The National Endowment of the Arts, explained that this ultimately ended with different tribes on different sides of a war that was not  theirs.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Thy Womb Essay Example for Free

Thy Womb Essay A charming and majestic chain of islands straddling peacefully between Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea in the southwestern Philippines is the exotic Tawi-Tawi province. It is one of the southernmost parts of Philippines, which have become infamous for being the site of warring government and the Muslims terrorists. The people are peace-loving and they live there harmoniously. Their houses are built on silts near the seashore. The place is surrounding with families who are lack of needs, and they are surviving in the rain or shine weather in their everyday lives. Their culture was also shown in the movie. The wedding celebration there is very different as we celebrate the wedding here. Giving dowry to the family they want to marry and hospitality is part of their culture. The man is negotiating to the family of the woman they want to marry, not only once, but anytime they want to get married as long as they have dowry that they will give to the family of they want to get married. Although the woman, doesn’t love the man, the man can marry her as long as her family approved the wedding. Shaleha, the character portrayed by Nora Aunor is indeed the most interesting for me. It’s very unusual to see a wife go searching for another lady to be his husband’s second wife. Shaleha truly shown that her love for her husband, Bangas-An, was fascinating. She has gone to some hardships just by knowing that her husband might really turn his back to her. As I seen in the movie, there are some problems that the government should focus to improve their place. Some problems are the people have not enough clothings and their houses which reside in the sea is not safe for them especially to the children; and also they are lack in the terms of security and medical because when Bangas-an shoot a gun, there’s no justice occur and his wife, Shaleha cure it with leaves. The government should took action these problem for the sake of the people. The government should also enhance the infrastructure base of the province and improve accessibility, and generate more jobs for the people. Thy Womb is a movie that is worth watching for. This movie indeed tells the reality of living. The reality in which people do have different cultures as well as their way of living that was affected by the things or events in their surroundings. This reality is also experienced by us in our lives but in different circumstances. Upon watching it, it shown in the movie the goodness of the people in South. I was amazed in the people there how they approach each and every one. Eventhough they all suffer in poverty, they managed to give help with the other people. Also, my heart felt pity to the some olds are undressed and working despite of their ages. After I watched it, I conclude some values that were essentially portrayed, like the undying love of Shaleha to her husband Bangas-An, the couple’s faith and persistence to really make it up to the dowry required by the other family is strongly portrayed as the couple willingly sell their things and asked help from the other communities. I greatly admired Director Mendoza for bringing great honor to the people and for showing the beauty of Tawi-Tawi. I hope that the other Filipinos will appreciate his efforts as well.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Influence of Societal Expectation in Hunger and Siddhartha Essay exampl

Societal expectations play momentous roles in character development in Hamsun’s Hunger and Hesse’s Siddhartha. Societal expectations derive from the origins of the individuals in the society who create authority and code of conduct for the people to obey and follow (based on their own morals). Both novels uncover the character development of the protagonists yet the authors approach these themes in different manners. Hamsun follows the hero’s path through an unforeseen destiny of solitude and weariness allowing the hero to find no place among the society. His journey of struggle within the society faces the hero to make certain decisions that readers question as either rational or irrational decisions. Whereas in Hesse’s, the hero accepts the transformation from an aesthetic Siddhartha to a more self conscious character basing his needs on the materialistic pleasures. Siddhartha’s influence from the environment enables him to feel and un derstand his present surroundings of a society leading to his ultimate motive of Self realization and to break the cycle of life and achieve ultimate happiness. Hamsun’s hero, the unnamed narrator in the novel Hunger, is a struggling character, always contemplating over his ideas and actions and often losing his sense of reality to his own illusionary world of his conscious â€Å"my deranged consciousness ran away with me and sent me lunatic inspirations† . The effect of having to create a character struggling within his own decision making skills has the audience to believe the protagonist has in a breaking point between sanity versus insanity. Yet under the society of Christiniana, under certain laws and rules that are to be followed, Hamsun creates a paradoxical character, ... ... through a chaotic state. Yet in Hunger it is portrayed that human nature always strives to be in communities, but when a society is formed, there are always certain individuals as outcasts like the protagonist, who tend to fall under the influence of its society’s expectations. Their strive to have a place in the society follows up working too hard to reach the expectations of earning money for a materialistic value in the society, therefore allowing the protagonist to go in a state of insanity. Siddhartha follows society as a materialistic living and a need, the protagonist allows himself to go through against materialistic living, following the expectations of the society. He allows the materialism of earning money and have physical pleasures to reach his own journey to reach enlightenment through experience of having to understand how to let it out of his Self.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

A Dirty Job Chapter 5

5 DARKNESS GETS UPPITY Hey, Ray,† Charlie said as he came down the steps into the storeroom. He always tried to make a lot of noise on the steps and usually fired a loud and early â€Å"hello† to warn his employees that he was coming. He'd worked a number of jobs before coming back to take over the family business, and had learned from experience that nobody liked a sneaky boss. â€Å"Hey, Charlie,† Ray said. Ray was out front, sitting on a stool behind the counter. He was pushing forty, tall, balding, and moved through the world without ever turning his head. He couldn't. As a San Francisco policeman, he'd caught a gangbanger's bullet in the neck six years ago, and that was the last time he'd looked over his shoulder without using a mirror. Ray lived on a generous disability pension from the city and worked for Charlie in exchange for free rent on his fourth-floor apartment, thus keeping the transaction off both their books. He spun around on the stool to face Charlie. â€Å"Hey – uh – I wanted to say that, you know, your situation, I mean, your loss. Everybody liked Rachel. You know, if I can do anything – â€Å" It was the first time Charlie had seen Ray since the funeral, so the awkwardness of secondary condolences had yet to be forded. â€Å"You've done more than enough by picking up my shifts. Whatcha working on?† Charlie was trying desperately to not look at the various objects in the shop that were glowing dull red. â€Å"Oh, this.† Ray rotated and pushed back so that Charlie could see the computer screen, where there were displayed rows of portraits of smiling, young Asian women. â€Å"It's called Desperate Filipinas dot-com.† â€Å"Is this where you met Miss LoveYouLongTime?† â€Å"That was not her name. Did Lily tell you that? That kid has problems.† â€Å"Yeah, well, kids,† Charlie said, suddenly noticing a matronly woman in tweed who was browsing the curio shelves at the front of the store. She was carrying a porcelain frog that was glowing dull red. Ray clicked on one of the pictures, which opened a profile. â€Å"Look at this one, boss. It says she's into sculling.† He spun on his stool again and bounced his eyebrows at Charlie. Charlie pulled his attention from the woman with the glowing frog and looked at the screen. â€Å"That's rowing, Ray.† â€Å"No it's not. Look, it says she was a coxswain in college.† Again with the eyebrow bounce, he offered a high five. â€Å"Also rowing,† Charlie said, leaving the ex-cop hanging. â€Å"The person at the back of the boat who yells at the rowers is called the coxswain.† â€Å"Really?† Ray said, disappointed. He'd been married three times, and been left by all three wives because of an inability to develop normal adult social skills. Ray reacted to the world as a cop, and while many women found that attractive initially, they expected him eventually to leave the attitude, along with his service weapon, in the coat closet when he arrived home. He didn't. When Ray had first come to work at Asher's Secondhand, it had taken two months for Charlie to get him to stop ordering customers to â€Å"move along, there's nothing to see here.† Ray spent a lot of time being disappointed in himself and humanity in general. â€Å"But, dude, rowing!† Charlie said, trying to make it all better. He liked the ex-cop in spite of his awkwardness. Ray was basically a good guy, kindhearted and loyal, hardworking and punctual, but most important, Ray was losing his hair faster than Charlie. Ray sighed. â€Å"Maybe I should search for another Web site. What's a word that means that your standards are lower than the desperate?† Charlie read down the page a little. â€Å"This woman has a master's degree in English lit from Cambridge, Ray. And look at her. She's gorgeous. And nineteen. Why is she desperate?† â€Å"Hey, wait a minute. A master's degree at nineteen, this girl is too smart for me.† â€Å"No she's not. She's lying.† Ray spun on the stool as if Charlie had poked him in the ear with a pencil. â€Å"No!† â€Å"Ray, look at her. She looks like one of those Asian models for Sour Apple Flavored Calamari Treats.† â€Å"They have that?† Charlie pointed to the left side of the front window. â€Å"Ray, let me introduce you to Chinatown. Chinatown, this is Ray. Ray, Chinatown.† Ray smiled, embarrassed. There was a store two blocks up that sold nothing but dried shark parts, the windows full of pictures of beautiful Chinese women holding shark spleens and eyeballs like they'd just received an Academy Award. â€Å"Well, the last woman I met through here did have a few errors and omissions in her profile.† â€Å"Like?† Charlie was watching the woman in tweed with the glowing frog, who was approaching the counter. â€Å"Well, she said that she was twenty-three, five feet tall, a hundred five pounds, so I thought, ‘Okay, I can have fun with a petite woman.' Turns out it was a hundred and five kilos.† â€Å"So, not what you expected?† Charlie said. He smiled at the approaching woman, feeling panic rise. She was going to buy the frog! â€Å"Five foot – two-thirty. She was built like a mailbox. I might have gotten past that, but she wasn't even twenty-three, she was sixty-three. One of her grandsons tried to sell her to me.† â€Å"Ma'am, I'm sorry, you can't buy that,† Charlie said to the woman. â€Å"You hear the expression all the time,† Ray went on, â€Å"but you hardly ever meet anyone really trying to sell his own grandmother.† â€Å"Why not?† the woman asked. â€Å"Fifty bucks,† Ray said. â€Å"That's outrageous,† the woman said. â€Å"It's marked ten.† â€Å"No, it's fifty for the grandmother Ray is dating,† Charlie said. â€Å"The frog is not for sale, ma'am, I'm sorry. It's defective.† â€Å"Then why do you have it on the shelf? Why is it marked for sale? I don't see any defect.† Evidently she couldn't see that the goofy porcelain frog was not only glowing in her hands, it had started to pulsate. Charlie reached across the counter and snatched it away from her. â€Å"It's radioactive, ma'am. I'm sorry. You can't buy it.† â€Å"I wasn't dating her,† Ray said. â€Å"I just flew to the Philippines to meet her.† â€Å"It is not radioactive,† the woman said. â€Å"You're just trying to jack up the price. Fine, I'll give you twenty for it.† â€Å"No, ma'am, public safety,† Charlie said, trying to look concerned, holding the frog to his chest as if shielding her from its dangerous energy. â€Å"And it's clearly ridiculous. You'll note that this frog is playing a banjo with only two strings. A travesty, really. Why don't you let my colleague show you something in a cymbal-playing monkey. Ray, could you show this young woman something in a monkey, please.† Charlie hoped that the â€Å"young woman† would win him points. The woman backed away from the counter, holding her purse before her like a shield. â€Å"I'm not sure I want to buy anything from you wack jobs.† â€Å"Hey!† Ray protested, as if to say that there was only one wack job on duty and he wasn't it. Then she did it, she quickstepped to a rack of shoes and picked up a pair of size-twelve, red Converse All Stars. They, too, were glowing. â€Å"I want these.† â€Å"No.† Charlie tossed the frog over his shoulder to Ray, who fumbled it and almost dropped it. â€Å"Those aren't for sale either.† The tweed woman backed away toward the door, holding the sneakers behind her. Charlie stalked her down the aisle, taking the occasional grab at the All Stars. â€Å"Give them.† When the woman butt-bumped into the front door and the bell over the jamb jingled, she looked up and Charlie made his move, faking hard left, then going right, reaching around her and grabbing the laces of the sneakers, as well as a scoop of big, tweedy ass in the bargain. He quickstepped back toward the counter, tossed the sneakers to Ray, and then turned and fell into a sumo stance to challenge the tweed woman. She was still at the door, looking as if she couldn't decide to be terrified or disgusted. â€Å"You people need to be put away. I'm reporting you to the Better Business Bureau and the local merchants' association. And you, Mr. Asher, can tell Ms. Severo that I will be back.† And with that, she was through the door and gone. Charlie turned to Ray. â€Å"Ms. Severo? Lily? She was here to see Lily?† â€Å"Truant officer,† Ray said. â€Å"She's been in a couple of times.† â€Å"You might have said something.† â€Å"I didn't want to lose the sale.† â€Å"So, Lily – â€Å" â€Å"Ducks out the back when she sees her coming. The woman also wanted to check with you that the notes for Lily's absences were legitimate. I vouched.† â€Å"Well, Lily is going back to school, and as of right now, I'm back to work.† â€Å"That's great. I took this call today – an estate in Pacific Heights. Lots of nice women's clothes.† Ray tapped a piece of notepaper on the counter. â€Å"I'm not really qualified to handle it.† â€Å"I'll do it, but first we have a lot to catch up on. Flip the ‘Closed' sign and lock the front door, would you, Ray?† Ray didn't move. â€Å"Sure, but – Charlie, are you sure that you're ready to go back to work?† He nodded to the sneakers and frog on the counter. â€Å"Oh, those, I think there's something wrong with them. You don't see anything unusual about those two items?† Ray looked again. â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Or that once I took the frog away from her, she went right for a pair of sneakers that are clearly not her size?† Ray weighed the truth against the sweet deal he had here, with an apartment and under-the-table income and a boss that had really been a decent guy before he went 51/50, and he said, â€Å"Yeah, there was something strange about her.† â€Å"Aha!† said Charlie. â€Å"I just wish I knew where I could get a Geiger counter.† â€Å"I have a Geiger counter,† Ray said. â€Å"You do?† â€Å"Sure, you want me to get it?† â€Å"Maybe later,† Charlie said. â€Å"Just lock up, and help me gather up some of the merchandise.† Over the next hour Ray watched as Charlie moved a set of what seemed randomly chosen items from the store to the back room, directing him to under no circumstances put them back out or sell them to anyone. Then he retrieved the Geiger counter that he'd obtained on a sweet trade for a stringless oversized tennis racket and tested each item as Charlie instructed. And, of course, they were as inert as dirt. â€Å"And you don't see any glowing or pulsating or anything in this pile?† Charlie asked. â€Å"Sorry.† Ray shook his head, feeling a little embarrassed that he was witnessing this. â€Å"Good first day back to work, though,† Ray said, trying to make it all better. â€Å"Maybe you should call it a day, go check on the baby, and make that estate call in the morning. I'll box this stuff up and mark it so Lily won't sell or trade it.† â€Å"Okay,† Charlie said. â€Å"But don't throw it out, either. I'm going to figure this out.† â€Å"You betcha, boss. See you in the morning.† â€Å"Yeah, thanks, Ray. You can go home when you finish.† Charlie went back to his apartment, checking his hands the whole way to see if any of the red glow from the pile of objects had rubbed off on them, but they seemed normal. He sent Jane home, fed and bathed Sophie, and read her to sleep with a few pages from Slaughterhouse-Five, then went to bed early and slept fitfully. He awoke the next morning in a haze, then sat bolt upright in bed, eyes wide and heart pounding when he saw the note sitting on the nightstand. Another one. Then he noticed that this time it wasn't his handwriting, and the number was obviously a phone number, and he sighed. It was the estate appointment that Ray had made for him. He'd put it on the nightstand so he wouldn't forget. Mr. Michael Mainheart, it read; then upscale women's clothing and furs, with a double underline. The phone number had a local exchange. He picked up the note, and under it was a second piece of notepaper, this one with the same name, written in his own handwriting, and under it, the numeral 5. He didn't remember writing any of it. At that moment, something large and dark passed by the second-story bedroom window, but by the time he looked up, it was gone. A blanket of fog lay over the Bay and from Pacific Heights the great orange towers of the Golden Gate Bridge jutted through the fog bank like carrots from the faces of sleeping conjoined twin snowmen. In the Heights, the morning sun had already opened the sky and workmen were scurrying about, tending yards and gardens around the mansions. When he arrived at the home of Michael Mainheart the first thing Charlie noticed was that no one noticed him. There were two guys working in the yard, to whom Charlie waved as he passed, but they did not wave back. Then the mailman, who was coming off the big porch, drove him off the walkway into the dewy grass without so much as an â€Å"excuse me.† â€Å"Excuse me!† Charlie said, sarcastically, but the mailman was wearing headphones and listening to something that was inspiring him to bob his head like a pigeon feeding on amphetamines, and he bopped on. Charlie was going to shout something devastatingly clever, then thought better of it, for although it had been some years since he'd heard of a postal employee perpetrating a massacre, as long as the term â€Å"going postal† referred to anything besides choosing a shipping carrier, he felt he shouldn't press his luck. Called a wack job by a complete stranger one day and shouldered off the sidewalk by a civil servant the next: this city was becoming a jungle. Charlie rang the bell and waited to the side of the twelve-foot leaded-glass door. A minute later he heard light, shuffling steps approaching and a diminutive silhouette moved behind the glass. The door swung open slowly. â€Å"Mr. Asher,† said Michael Mainheart. â€Å"Thank you for coming.† The old man was swimming in a houndstooth suit that he must have bought thirty years ago when he was a more robust fellow. When he shook Charlie's hand his skin felt like an old wonton wrapper, cool and a little powdery. Charlie tried not to shudder as the old man led him into a grand marble rotunda, with leaded-glass windows running to a vaulted, forty-foot ceiling and a circular staircase that swept up to a landing that led off to the upper wings of the house. Charlie had often wondered what it was like to have a house with wings. How would you ever find your car keys? â€Å"Come this way,† Mainheart said. â€Å"I'll show you where my wife kept her clothes.† â€Å"I'm sorry about your loss,† Charlie said automatically. He'd been on scores of estate calls. You don't want to come off as some kind of vulture, his father used to say. Always compliment the merchandise; it might be a piece of crap to you, but they might have a lot of their soul poured into it. Compliment but never covet. You can make a profit and preserve everyone's dignity in the process. â€Å"Holy shit,† Charlie said as he followed the old man into a walk-in closet the size of his own apartment. â€Å"I mean – your wife had exquisite taste, Mr. Mainheart.† There was row upon row of designer couture clothing, everything from evening gowns to racks, two tiers high, of knit suits, arranged by color and level of formality – an opulent rainbow of silk and linen and wool. Cashmere sweaters, coats, capes, jackets, skirts, blouses, lingerie. The closet was shaped like a T, with a large vanity and mirror at the apex, and accessories on each wing (even the closet with wings!), shoes on one side, belts, scarves, and handbags on the other. A whole wing of shoes, Italian and French, handmade, from the skins of animals who had led happy, blemish-free lives. Full-length mirrors flanked the vanity at the end of the closet and Charlie caught the reflection of himself and Michael Mainheart in the mirror, he in his secondhand gray pinstripe and Mainheart in his ill-fitting houndstooth, studies in gray and black, stark and lifeless-looking in this vibrant garden. The old man went to the chair at the vanity and sat down with a creak and a wheeze. â€Å"I expect it will take you some time to assess it,† he said. Charlie stood in the middle of the closet and looked around for a second before replying. â€Å"It depends, Mr. Mainheart, on what you want to part with.† â€Å"All of it. Every stitch. I can't stand the feel of her in here.† His voice broke. â€Å"I want it gone.† He looked away from Charlie at the shoe wing, trying not to show that he was tearing up. â€Å"I understand,† Charlie said, not sure what to say. This collection was completely out of his league. â€Å"No, you don't understand, young man. You couldn't understand. Emily was my life. I got up in the morning for her, I went to work for her, I built a business for her. I couldn't wait to get home at night to tell her about my day. I went to bed with her and I dreamed about her when I slept. She was my passion, my wife, my best friend, the love of my life. And one day, without warning, she was gone and my life is a void. You couldn't possibly understand.† But Charlie did. â€Å"Do you have any children, Mr. Mainheart?† â€Å"Two sons. They came back for the funeral, then they went home to their own families. They offer to do whatever they can, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"They can't,† Charlie finished for him. â€Å"No one can.† Now the old man looked up at him, his face as bereft and barren as a mummified basset hound. â€Å"I just want to die.† â€Å"Don't say that,† Charlie said, because that's what you say. â€Å"That feeling will pass.† Which he said because everyone had been saying it to him. As far as he knew, he was just slinging bullshit clichs. â€Å"She was – † Mainheart's voice caught on the edge of a sob. A strong man, at once overcome by his grief and embarrassed that he was showing it. â€Å"I know,† Charlie said, thinking about how Rachel still occupied that place in his heart, and when he turned in the kitchen to say something to her, and she wasn't there, it took his breath. â€Å"She was – â€Å" â€Å"I know,† Charlie interrupted, trying to give the old man a pass, because he knew what Mainheart was feeling. She was meaning and order and light, and now that she's gone, chaos falls like a dark leaden cloud. â€Å"She was so phenomenally stupid.† â€Å"What?† Charlie looked up so quickly he heard a vertebra pop in his neck. Hadn't seen that coming. â€Å"The dumb broad ate silica gel,† Mainheart said, irritated as well as agonized. â€Å"What?† Charlie was shaking his head, as if trying to rattle something loose. â€Å"Silica gel.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Silica gel! Silica gel! Silica gel, you idiot!† Charlie felt as if he should shout the name of some arcane stuff back at him: Well, symethicone! Symethicone! Symethicone, you butt-nugget! Instead he said, â€Å"The stuff fake breasts are made of? She ate that?† The image of a well-dressed older woman macking on a goopish spoonful of artificial boob spooge was running across the lobes of his brain like a stuttering nightmare. Mainheart pushed himself to his feet on the vanity. â€Å"No, the little packets of stuff they pack in with electronic equipment and cameras.† â€Å"The ‘Do Not Eat' stuff?† â€Å"Exactly.† â€Å"But it says right on the packet – she ate that?† â€Å"Yes. The furrier put packets of it in with her furs when he installed that cabinet.† Mainheart pointed. Charlie turned, and behind the large closet door where they had entered was a lighted glass cabinet – inside hung a dozen or so fur coats. The cabinet probably had its own air-conditioning unit to control the humidity, but that wasn't what Charlie was noticing. Even under the recessed fluorescent light inside the cabinet, one of the coats was clearly glowing red and pulsating. He turned back to Mainheart slowly, trying not to overreact, not sure, in fact, what would constitute an overreaction in this case, so he tried to sound calm, but not willing to take any shit. â€Å"Mr. Mainheart, I appreciate your loss, but is there something more going on here than you've told me?† â€Å"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean.† â€Å"I mean,† Charlie said, â€Å"why, of all the used-clothing dealers in the Bay Area, did you decide to call me? There are people who are much more qualified to deal with a collection of this size and quality.† Charlie stormed over to the fur cabinet and pulled open the door. It made a floof-tha sound that the seal on a refrigerator door makes when opened. He grabbed the glowing jacket – fox fur, it appeared to be. â€Å"Or was it this? Did the call have something to do with this?† Charlie brandished the jacket like he was holding a murder weapon before the accused. In short, he thought about adding, are you fucking with me? â€Å"You were the first used-clothing dealer in the phone book.† Charlie let the jacket drop. â€Å"Asher's Secondhand?† â€Å"Starts with an A,† Mainheart said, slowly, carefully – obviously resisting the urge to call Charlie an idiot again. â€Å"So it has nothing to do with this jacket?† â€Å"Well, it has something to do with that jacket. I'd like you to take it away with all the rest of it.† â€Å"Oh,† Charlie said, trying to recover. â€Å"Mr. Mainheart, I appreciate the call, and this is certainly a beautiful collection, amazing, really, but I'm not equipped to take on this kind of inventory. And I'll be honest with you, even though my father would be spinning in his grave for telling you this, there is probably a million dollars' worth of clothes in this closet. Maybe more. And given the time and space to resell it, it's probably worth a quarter of that. I just don't have that kind of money.† â€Å"We can work something out,† Mainheart said. â€Å"Just to get it out of the house – â€Å" â€Å"I could take some of it on consignment, I suppose – â€Å" â€Å"Five hundred dollars.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Give me five hundred dollars and get it out of here by tomorrow and it's yours.† Charlie started to object, but he could feel what felt like the ghost of his father rising up to bonk him on the head with a spittoon if he didn't stop himself. We provide a valuable service, son. We are like an orphanage to art and artifact, because we are willing to handle the unwanted, we give them value. â€Å"I couldn't do that, Mr. Mainheart, I feel as if I'd be taking advantage of your grief.† Oh for Christ's sake, you fucking loser, you are no son of mine. I have no son. Was that the ghost of Charlie's father, rattling chains in his head? Why, then, did it have the voice and vocabulary of Lily? Can a conscience be greedy? â€Å"You would be doing me a favor, Mr. Asher. A huge favor. If you don't take it, my next call is to the Goodwill. I promised Emily that if something ever happened to her that I wouldn't just give her things away. Please.† And there was so much pain in the old man's voice that Charlie had to look away. Charlie felt for the old man because he did understand. He couldn't do anything to help, couldn't say, It will get better, like everyone kept saying to him. It wasn't getting better. Different, but not better. And this fellow had fifty more years in which to pack his hopes, or in his case, his history. â€Å"Let me think about it. Check into storage. If I can handle it, I'll call you tomorrow, would that be all right?† â€Å"I'd be grateful,† Mainheart said. Then, for no reason that he could think of, Charlie said, â€Å"May I take this jacket with me? As an example of the quality of the collection, in case I have to divide it among other dealers.† â€Å"That would be fine. Let me show you out.† As they passed into the rotunda, a shadow passed across the leaded-glass windows, three stories up. A large shadow. Charlie paused on the steps and waited for the old man to react, but he just tottered on down the staircase, leaning heavily on the railing as he went. When Mainheart reached the door he turned to Charlie, extending his hand. â€Å"I'm sorry about that, uh, outburst upstairs. I haven't been myself since – â€Å" As the old man began to open the door a figure dropped outside, casting the silhouette of a bird as tall as a man through the glass. â€Å"No!† Charlie dove forward, knocking the old man aside and slamming the door on the great bird's head, the heavy black beak stabbing through and snapping like hedge clippers, rattling an umbrella stand and scattering its contents across the marble floor. Charlie's face was only inches from the bird's eye, and he shoved the door with his shoulder, trying to keep the beak from snapping off one of his hands. The bird's claws raked against the glass, cracking one of the thick beveled panels as the animal thrashed to free itself. Charlie threw his hip against the doorjamb then slid down it, dropped the fox jacket, and snatched one of the umbrellas from the floor. He stabbed up into the bird's neck feathers, but lost his purchase on the doorjamb – one of the black talons snaked through the opening and raked across his forearm, cutting through his jacket, his shirtsleeve, and into the flesh. Charlie shoved the umbrella with all he had, driving the bird's head back through the opening. The raven let out a screech and took flight, its wings making a great whooshing noise as it went. Charlie lay on his back, out of breath, staring at the leaded-glass panels, as if any moment the shadow of the giant raven would come back, then he looked to Michael Mainheart, who lay crumpled on his side like a stringless marionette. Beside his head lay a cane with an ivory handle that had been carved into the shape of a polar bear that had fallen from the umbrella stand. The cane was glowing red. The old man was not breathing. â€Å"Well that's fucked up,† Charlie said.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Employee Motivation: Implementing Mcclelland’s Three Needs Theory

Employee Motivation: Implementing McClelland's Three Needs Theory Fundamentals of Management MGT 3371 September 30, 2010 ABSTRACT What motivates employees to perform? Is it money? Power and prestige? Camaraderie? Personal achievement? On the surface, it is logical to assume that money motivates people to work. Money is needed to meet the basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. The more money you make, the more things you can afford to buy. Yes, money is a great motivator. But is it THE motivating factor that drives employees to perform? What about power and prestige?Is that â€Å"atilla the hun† type executive more influenced by his big paycheck or is it his need for control, recognition and status symbols that drives him? What about camaraderie? Some workers excel in work environments where there is a lot of human interaction and harmony within the group. Others prefer to work alone, rarely having to deal with other people. What about personal achievement? Take for e xample, two employees who go to work for the same company at the same time, same job, same pay. One stays on the same job for 20 years content with where he is.The other, over the same 20 years, advances within the company to more and more difficult jobs with more and more responsibility until he reaches upper management where he finds himself not nearly as happy as the other guy. He is making much more money, yet he is unhappy. Perhaps, he never was â€Å"suited† for a management position. Is there a way to know which employees are better suited for which jobs? David McClelland thought there was. He believed that if we could identify what it was that motivated employees then we could put them into the appropriate jobs to meet those needs.This in turn would produce a motivated workforce contributing to economic growth (Nohria ; Groysberg, 2008). McClelland developed a theory known as the three needs theory or the learned needs theory. He proposed that an individual's needs ar e acquired over time and are shaped by our life experiences. Most of these needs can be classified as either achievement, affiliation, or power. Motivation and effectiveness on the job are influenced by these three needs. Achievement The first of the three needs is achievement (nAch).People who are achievement-motivated tend to look for ways of doing things better, making improvements. They are not gamblers, but do like some moderate risk. They enjoy tasks that are not too hard nor too easy. In their eyes, if it is too difficult, they risk failure. Too easy and they don't feel a sense of accomplishment, anybody could do it (Dowling, 1972). To the high achiever, achievement is more important than financial reward. Meeting goals is more rewarding than praise and recognition. Feedback is essential to achievement motivated employees.It can be in a number of different forms. Meeting and/or exceeding goals and expectations (such as sales goals) is one way. Money is also a form of feedback , as it let's the person know that they are performing well. They see financial rewards as a measurement of success rather than a means to an end. They prefer feedback about their work over comments about their personal characteristics. People who are assessed as high achievers are likely to be the employees who get things done. They are the ones who make things happen and get results.They prefer jobs in which their success depends on their own efforts and abilities rather than chance and factors beyond their control. Achievement-motivated people are well suited for jobs in sales, real estate, business management and entrepreneurial roles such as owner of a small business. Affiliation The second of the three needs is affiliation (n-Affil). Affiliation-motivated people have a need for friendly relationships and prefer interaction with other people. They like atmospheres that are cooperative, supportive, and friendly.A sense of belonging and group conformity is preferred to working al one. The affiliation-motivated employee is your team player. They work well in customer service and client interaction situations (Yukl, 1989) People who score low in affiliation tend to be loners and may be uncomfortable in social situations. They often lack motivation to maintain social contacts so important in networking, group presentations, public relations, and maintaining personal relations with peers and subordinates. Therefore, low n-Affil do not make the best managers. Power The third of the three needs is power (nPOW).Power, or authority-motivated people have a drive to be influential, effective, and make their mark. Personal status and prestige are important to them. There are two types of power included in the â€Å"need for power† category, personal power and institutional power. People who are driven by a need for personal power have a desire to be in control, to direct others. They may exercise their power impulsively. There is also tendencies toward being rud e, drinking excessively, sexual harassment, and collecting symbols of their power such as fancy cars, big offices, etc. faculty. css. edu). Institutional or social power motivated people have a need to organize the efforts of others and further the goals of the company or organization. They make great leaders. They tend to use their power in ways that benefit others and the company rather than for personal gain. Money is secondary to the need for power. Institutional power motivated people can be found in top management positions. Measuring Needs How do we find out where we fall on the needs scale?McClelland used the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) to measure the needs of individuals. During the test, the subject is presented with a picture and they have to come up with a story that explains the picture. The idea is that the person will inject his or her own needs into the story they come up with. For example, in McClelland's book â€Å"The Achieving Society†, a picture is s hown that depicts a boy sitting at a desk with an open book in front of him. To a low achiever, the picture may appear to be a boy who is just daydreaming or reading.To a high achiever however, they may see a boy who is taking a one hour exam. He is almost finished and trying to think it through. He is upset with himself because he studied hard but still can't come up with all of the answers. This anxiety would indicate someone who cares a lot about achievement. The TAT has been shown to give fairly reliable results in assessing the needs for achievement, affiliation, and power. It can be a very effective tool to use for identifying what types of jobs are suited to different people.For example, if you are looking for someone to fulfill the role of management in a large organization, look for someone who scores high in nPOW, moderate in nACH, and moderate in nAFF. Owner/managers of small businesses typically will have scores of nACH-high, nPOW- moderate, and nAFF- low (faculty. css. edu). Conclusion Using David McClelland's â€Å"Three Needs Theory† can be a useful tool in identifying strengths and weaknesses of employees. By identifying those strengths and weaknesses, employees can be placed in roles that not only meet their needs, but the company's as well.Happy employees perform better and produce more. They will stay with the company rather than going elsewhere to meet their needs. In today's economy, companies are under pressure to reduce costs and ensure that their employees have the necessary skills to not only compete effectively, but to ensure the companies survival (Derven, 2008). Assessing employee's needs is certainly one way to meet that goal.References Derven, M. (2008). LESSONS LEARNED: Using Competency Models to target Training Needs. T+D,62(12), 68-73. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database. Dowling, W. (1972). Conversation†¦ with DAVID McCLELLAND. Organizational Dynamics,  1(1), 56-72. Retrieved from Business Source Prem ier database faculty. css. edu/McClelland. html. Retrieved September 30, 2010. McClelland, D. , ; Burnham, D. (1976). Power is the Great Motivator. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from ERIC database. Nohria, N. , Groysberg, B. , ; Lee, L. (2008). Employee Motivation. Harvard Business Review,  86(7/8), 78-84. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Media Brief Essays

Media Brief Essays Media Brief Essay Media Brief Essay I have been set the task to advertise and promote a fictional film through a trailer or poster. I have chosen to produce a poster, as I believe it is less time consuming and my work would be more flexible as I already have a digital camera at work.My advertising will consist of a teaser poster and a main poster. I will advertise my movie in Newspapers such as the Sun to attract my primary target audience, which according to my research are teenagers between the ages of 15-18.To attract people from an older generation, who are my secondary target audience, I will advertise in newspapers such as The Guardian and The Times which due to my research is read by people aged between 20-45 and above.The movie will have a certificate of 15 as the features in the movie consist of a violent action and an overdose of blood, due to its action/thriller genre thus is inappropriate for children under the age of 15.I also produced a survey as part of my market research, which helps me to focus on my t arget audience and meet their requirements. As my research indicated teenagers enjoy horror and action genres above any other and that is why I kept to that genre.I will use a brand image as a technique to sell my product, as I will not just be selling Disillusioned Minds but it will help to sell a set of values. So my aim is to make my movie a brand image which people will be able to relate to especially teenagers at this very delicate time when they pick everything up as my movie has a deeper level which could relate to many teenagers.I also have to think very hard when creating a title for my movie as I want to intrigue and keep the audience interested though not make it predictable such movies as Scream.The title of the movie can be a vital point in attracting people. In my title I will try to hold some intrigue and make the audience think, as my survey revealed that viewers like to be challenged and get bored quickly with predictable movies.Word of mouth advertising will also h elp in my advertising because it can be more effective than other resources of advertising. This is because the audience is more likely to take into account the views of their family and friends. Consumers will watch this movie; tell their friends about it and then this will hopefully influence others to go and watch it.My movie Disillusioned Minds is about a gang of youth in the suburbs of New York. It will portray their way of life and the pain and suffering they have to endure everyday of their lives. Then we fast foreword 20 years and see how their childhoods have affected the rest of their disillusioned lives. I feel many teenagers in particular can relate to this way of life and by watching this movie they can start thinking about improving their ways of life so they dont end up as homeless beggars but actually make something of themselves.My poster will be very different to most posters as I will portray my title in the poster thus see it from the teenagers point of view, and this will give us an idea of their lives and suffering.Firstly I have to decide the location to take my photos for two posters. I have chosen to take the pictures in the afternoon when the sun is setting so I can take a beautiful shot of the sky, which will be my main focal point of the poster. I will not use any lightning but just work with the original light.I will make a time plan which I have to strictly follow to complete my project on time. I have decided to take the photos when I go on a trip to a concert and will sleep outside in a tent, which will be the perfect time to see a sunset.After taking several photos I will pick two, which will be my teaser poster and my main poster. When I have chosen two I will use Photoshop 7 to personalise it and create my poster. Firstly I will do my teaser as it will set the ground for my main and I can get ideas for the main poster while creating the teaser.After completing my posters I will evaluate my work and see what I could have done differently to make my work better and suggest improvements I could have made to it.The research which I have carried out has helped me immensely in creating the poster I could to accommodate my target audience. In my research I found that the cast and title of the movie are vital points to attract people.

Monday, October 21, 2019

George Orwell and Animal Farm A Critical Analysis

George Orwell and Animal Farm A Critical Analysis George Orwell is one of the most celebrated English writers in the 20th century (George 1). Orwell’s literature is committed to telling the blatant truth about the violation of people’s freedom and the injustices against the common person (Dedria and Hall 479). Such phrases from his works such as â€Å"some animals are more equal than others† have become so popular especially in political dialogues and has shaped peoples opinions regarding the kind of society we live in (Kerala 36).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on George Orwell and Animal Farm: A Critical Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More George Orwell was born as Eric Arthur Blair in India in 1903, where his British father worked as a civil servant. He had gone to school like any other normal child and graduated at Eaton. He worked in the Burma police force and later unsuccessfully tired his hand in a few business ventures but failed. He left for Spain where signed to fight in the Civil War. His experience at the civil war de-motivated his views abut communalism so much that he decided to live a life of voluntary poverty (Dedria and Hall 479) . This was a deliberate effort to â€Å"experience want and the suffering of the oppressed.† He wanted to feel how poor people fell to help in shaping his own theories on socialism. At this time, he had changed his name to P.S. Burton. His first novel Down and out in Paris was published as a response to his life in voluntary poverty. This was soon followed by Burmese Days and several other essays that questioned the capitalist state. His best novel so far is The Road to Wigan Pier which was published in 1937. It highlighted the pathetic life of the poor. By this time, he had started gaining prominence as a writer and his works were starting to draw attention. He continued his writing with such other publications as Keep Aspidistra Flying and Coming up for Air followed in 1936 and 1939 respectively. His novel The Animal Farm is his most popular. It is a satirical piece that portrays a society that fully embraces totalitarian rules, much to the chagrin of those who want â€Å"individual freedom† (Kerala 36). All of George Orwell’s novels seem to defend one main theme: socialism. Socialism is a means of production whereby everything is owned communally or by the government. Every one has equal opportunities to everything. The kind of socialism that George Orwell’s socialism advocates for has real life significance as it portrays â€Å"revolutionary idealism experienced in Russia and other countries which was betrayed by the revolutionaries themselves, who continue to pat lip service to revolutionary ideas† (Pierce para 6). His novel then Animal Farm brilliantly employs satire in highlighting shameless betrayal by leaders who promised change (Dedria and Sharon 479). Orwell continues to portray authoritarianism as an enemy to individual freedoms.Advertising Looking for critical writing on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There were concerted efforts to bring in a revolution that would save the people but always the new leaders upon tasting power, would betray this revolution. The new leaders would start to dictate what the same people whom they were fighting to save would do, or not do. Such betrayal was the end of socialism in the 20th century. In this light, this paper will analyze one of his prized novels The Animal Farm. The story begins in Mr. Jones’ farmhouse one night. Old major, a fatherly and respected pig, gathers the animals and informs them that they had endured deplorable conditions for a long period under the leadership of human beings and therefore a rebellion was necessary. Unfortunately, Old Major succumbs to old age. This leaves the other pigs to lead the fights for animal rights (D arell Para 1). Two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball lead a successful revolution and after Mr. Jones and his family is driven out, Manor Farm is renamed The Animal Farm (para 2). Other farm owners try to attack the Animal Farm but Snowball lead a successful defense in the battle of the Cowshed and gains much worship amongst the animals (para 4). This is the beginning of his downfall. False rumors are spread by Squealer about him and when the conflict heightens he chased off the farm by Napoleons’ guard dogs (para 6). Squealer is adopted as Napoleons spokes animal, and proposes the construction of a windmill, an idea that Napoleon takes credit for. Unfortunately the windmill is destroyed in a storm but Napoleon blames Snowball and sentences him to death, together with his sympathizers (para 6). Napoleon and the other pigs begin engaging in anti animalism behavior, such as doing business with men and drinking whiskey. To add to this, the food rations to other animals are reduced sig nificantly (para 6). To concur with his message that new and old leadership is alike; pigs begin to walk on two feet just like humans. They also start claiming, â€Å"All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.† The novel culminates in the farm being renamed The Animal Farm while napoleon and other pigs initiate friendship with the human owners of the neighboring farm, and they become just like humans (para 8). It portrays the betrayal of the initial comradeship, and the pessimism of revolutionary movements (Hall and Poupard 348). George Orwell creates characters carefully to fit in the roles that he needs them to play. Some characters play a major role in this novel. Mr. Jones is a tyrant who represents the old corrupt order. In the real world George Orwell model 20th century dictators such as Stalin in Mr. Jones (Novelguide para 1). Snowball and Napoleon are the two pigs who lead a successful revolution. They were ambitious of leadership and courageou sly fought Mr. Jones out of the farm (NovelGuide para 7-12). The pigs are symbolic of the calculating leaders who benefit from tyrannical leadership. They are opportunists who do not spare any chance afforded to them to exploit their advantaged position in the society (Hall and Poupard, 348).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on George Orwell and Animal Farm: A Critical Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Squealer is Napoleons manipulative tool in the farm. The dogs are a symbol security only that this security is used negatively. They are also another group of loyalist who are misused by the system to gain advantage over the common person (NovelGuide para 20- 22). However, other characters only play minor roles. Old major represents the good father figure in the society who can be relied upon to give concrete advice. He is respected by other animals who take to his advice without question (NovelGuide pa ra 4). Boxer and Clover in contrast are dedicated workers who spent all their life serving the society (They are also foolishly gullible in that they believe in all the propaganda spread by Squealer who is a â€Å"manipulative and persuasive figure† (Hall and Poupard 348). Just like Squealer, Moses is another manipulative and cunning character in the novel (NovelGuide para 7, 8; 13, 14). Benjamin is an enigmatic character who continues to do his work without care of what is happening (NovelGuide para 17). The Animal Farm is a classic example of how governments exploit and deny citizens of their basic rights. At the beginning of the novel, the animals are united under the banner of exploitation by Mr. Jones. They manage to fight and install their own leaders in Napoleon. However, Napoleon turns to be worse that Mr. Jones and â€Å"perverts the first commandments he helped make† (Pierce para 7). For example, he reduced food rations for the other animals other than the fe llow pigs. Some animals as Boxer worked so hard, believing in their leaders but instead of being rewarded, were exploited for the benefit of the same leaders they served (Grade saver para 15-17). These governments use totalitarian rules, to stay in power and subvert justice. The pigs lead a revolution against Mr. Jones totalitarian rule, but ends up worse. They not only â€Å"end up in Mr. Jones House and position but also in his clothes.† Some critics have used this evidence to explain that The Animal Farm is another successful attempt by the society to kill dissent (Hall Poupard 349). Propaganda is also used to intimidate those who question the abuse of human rights. Napoleon manipulates information and deceives the animals when he gains full power. He spreads false accusation against snowball leading to his expulsion from the farm. Squealer, Napoleons spokes animal, is the face of propaganda in this novel. He represents governments’ spokes people who are responsibl e of spreading rumors that help their government to gain a tighter grip on power (Grade saver para 9-11). As a last result, totalitarians use violence and terror, to silence the rebels. Its effect I that it makes people submit to such government. These who do not are either forcefully exiled or killed. Such excesses were practiced against Snowball and his sympathizers. Terror can also be propagated through propaganda. Squealer instills fear into anyone who tries to question napoleons unethical conduct, with Mr. Jones return (Grade saver para 12-14). Another major theme highlighted with importance is Education. Unfortunately, it is present in a very negative light. In its essence education is supposed to enlighten people. However in this novel, those in power â€Å"manipulate those that are governed† by the use of education.Advertising Looking for critical writing on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Take the case of the pigs as an example. They realize the intellectual vulnerability of the other animals and take advantage of it by manipulating the seven commandments to their advantage. Napoleon also uses education negatively when he teaches new pigs his oppressive doctrines (Grade saver para 7, 8). This mis-education cast the other animals deeper into oppression. In conclusion, George Orwell manages to highlight the fact that the biggest political problem is not capitalism but authoritarian rules. Whether under capitalism of socialism authoritarianism is inevitable this is because of the insatiable nature of human beings. The novel The Animal Farm will continue to be relevant for eons to come it. It explicitly portrays the â€Å"class struggles and exploitation in the human society† (Hall Poupard, 348). New leaders, like Napoleon, who assume power on the platform of change, abandon the idea as soon as they come to power. Most of them end up being worse of than the ones they replaced. They are just turn coat revolutionaries who take advantage of people’s naà ¯vetà © to fulfill their selfish personal ambition. Because of the effect his works have achieve he one of the best authors in the 20th century. Darrell, Victor. Plot Summary: Animal Farm, by George Orwell. N. d. Web. Dedria, Bryfonski Hall, Sharon.Twentieth century literary criticism: George Orwell. Michigan: Book Tower. 1979. Print. â€Å"Grade saver.† Animal Farm Themes. 2010. Web. Hall, Sharon Poupard, Dennis. Twentieth Century Literary Criticism. Michigan: Book Tower,1982. Print. Kerala, Calling. From Eric Blair to George Orwell, Biography. London: Sage, 2003. Print. â€Å"NovelGuide.† Novel Analysis: Animal Farm, Characterization. 2010. Web. Pearce, Robert. ‘Orwell, Tolstoy, and Animal Farm. The Review of English Studies, 1998. Web. Storgaard, Claus. Opinion Essays : George Orwell, Socialist, Anarchist or  what? 2004. Web.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Overview of Sociobiology Theory

Overview of Sociobiology Theory While the term sociobiology can be traced to the 1940s, the concept of sociobiology first gained major recognition with Edward O. Wilson’s 1975 publication Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. In it, he introduced the concept of sociobiology as the application of evolutionary theory to social behavior. Overview Sociobiology is based on the premise that some behaviors are at least partly inherited and can be affected by natural selection. It begins with the idea that behaviors have evolved over time, similar to the way that physical traits are thought to have evolved. Animals will, therefore, act in ways that have proven to be evolutionarily successful over time, which can result in the formation of complex social processes, among other things.​ According to sociobiologists, many social behaviors have been shaped by natural selection. Sociobiology investigates social behaviors such as mating patterns, territorial fights, and pack hunting. It argues that just as selection pressure led to animals evolving useful ways of interacting with the natural environment, it also led to the genetic evolution of advantageous social behavior. Behavior is therefore seen as an effort to preserve one’s genes in the population and certain genes or gene combinations are thought to influence particular behavioral traits from generation to generation. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection explains that traits less adapted to particular conditions of life will not endure in a population because organisms with those traits tend to have lower rates of survival and reproduction. Sociobiologists model the evolution of human behaviors in much the same way, using various behaviors as the relevant traits. In addition, they add several other theoretical components to their theory. Sociobiologists believe that evolution includes not just genes, but also psychological, social, and cultural features. When humans reproduce, offspring inherit the genes of their parents, and when parents and children share genetic, developmental, physical, and social environments, the children inherit the gene-effects of their parents. Sociobiologists also believe that the different rates of reproductive success are related to different levels of wealth, social status, and power within that culture. Example of Sociobiology in Practice One example of how sociobiologists use their theory in practice is through the study of sex-role stereotypes. Traditional social science assumes that humans are born with no innate predispositions or mental contents and that sex differences in children’s behavior is explained by the differential treatment of parents who hold sex-role stereotypes. For example, giving girls baby dolls to play with while giving boys toy trucks, or dressing little girls in only pink and purple while dressing boys in blue and red. Sociobiologists, however, argue that babies do have innate behavioral differences, which trigger the reaction by parents to treat boys one way and girls another way. Further, females with low status and less access to resources tend to have more female offspring while females with high status and more access to resources tend to have more male offspring. This is because a woman’s physiology adjusts to her social status in a way that affects both the sex of her child and her parenting style. That is, socially dominant women tend to have higher testosterone levels than others and their chemistry makes them more active, assertive, and independent than other women. This makes them more likely to have male children and also to have a more assertive, dominant parenting style. Critiques of Sociobiology Like any theory, sociobiology has its critics. One critique of the theory is that it is inadequate to account for human behavior because it ignores the contributions of the mind and culture. The second critique of sociobiology is that it relies on genetic determinism, which implies approval of the status quo. For example, if male aggression is genetically fixed and reproductively advantageous, critics argue, then male aggression seems to be a biologic reality in which we have little control.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Unilever Group - analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Unilever Group - analysis - Essay Example Unilever Group - analysis Dove gives equal attention to the skin care needs of men and women alike. Unilever is a proponent of hygiene and well being and due to this it targets house wives in order to make them believe that their families are safe and healthy with Unilever products. It’s ice cream brands such Ben & Jerry’s and Wall’s are for all age groups (children, young and elderly). Knorr’s noodles are enjoyed children mostly. St. Ives is a beauty products line that has scrubs, lotions and proteins etc. and caters to women of 18 years plus. Lipton is consumed in the Asian region majorly and so people from the age of 20+ are catered here, as children are not very fond of tea. Unilever targets its customers through its principles of health, hygiene, personal care and nutrition. It focuses on hygiene and personal care specifically and for this the average housewife is targeted (Brand Source, 2009). One of the Unilever’s founding companies was Level Bros and in 1980’s William Hesketh came up with the idea for Sunlight Soap, which later proved to be his revolutionary product in Victorian England in terms of hygiene and cleanliness. The idea was to promote cleanliness, make women’s work easier, and promote a culture of health and personal attractiveness in order to convey the message that people who used Unilever products were living a better life. Around this time, the term Corporate Mission was not there but these ideas would have come under it had it been there. The fact only women are responsible for doing housework has become trite and obsolete. Unilever USA is a subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate, The Unilever Group (which has 10 companies operational as of now in the USA). Unilever USA is the largest company among the ten subsidiaries of the Unilever Group in USA and is primarily a consumer goods company distributing well known branded product s through grocery, drug, mass merchant and club channels. It has revenues worth $4 billion and if one of the top-notch fast moving consumer goods companies in the USA. However over the past ten years, profits for Unilever USA have not been very great. Due to an accounting change only, there was a profit last year (ConsultingCase, 2012). Unilever has a history that is three centuries old and remarkable events like economic boom, depression, world wars, changing consumer lifestyles and technological advancements have played an important role in it. This history is also marked by Unilever’s efforts to make life easier and enjoyable for its consumers by helping them save time (by reducing time spent on house work, nutritional concerns etc.). Besides that Unilever has also been able to balance its profits with care and social responsibility. During the 19th century, the founding companies of Unilever were the most charitable among others. They designed projects especially to impro ve their workers and their products were also designed in a manner such that they had social benefits. These products prioritized hygiene, personal care, and nutrition (was improved by adding vitamins to staple foods). Up till now, Unilever is a socially

Friday, October 18, 2019

Intrapersonal Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Intrapersonal Communication - Essay Example Intrapersonal communication serves as the foundation for interpersonal communication since interpersonal communication involves intrapersonal communication. It is when another person is considered in the transaction, it is that interpersonal communication takes place. Conversation, dialogue and interview are examples of this level of communication. Another form of interpersonal communication is that which occurs within a group of persons (examples of this are focused group discussions, symposium, and debate). It may also be for a group of persons or commonly known as public communication. These communicative acts may be conducted in a face-to-face situation in a specific context or situation, or with the intervention of a medium, such as the television, radio, etc. The latter form or level of communication refers to mass communication. Individuals engage in a communicative act for several reasons, namely: to get acquainted with others, to express emotions to others, to share information, to influence others' views or to build relationships. In a sense when individuals communicate, a common ground is established, where personal differences such as point of views meet. Hence we can say that communication is inevitable and vital for everyone's existence. We engage in a communicative act whether we like it or not, hence it is essential that we understand the different elements involved in the communication process. This paper will delve much on the interpersonal level of communication. Some the techniques or interpersonal skills that will help an individual to be a more sensible communicator ensuring an active exchange of ideas hence, promoting a stronger and deeper relationship with other individuals involve in the transaction or the communicative act will be discussed along the way. After giving you a brief explanation on the different levels of communication and the functions that communication serve in human existence, we shall now go into the details of the interpersonal level of communication. Interpersonal communication is humanity's most important characteristic and its greatest accomplishment. It is an individual's ability to turn meaningless grunts into spoken and written words, through which they are able to make known their needs, wants, ideas and feelings. It is a process aimed at creating a

Short answers Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Short answers - Coursework Example So under such situation the seller will pass the entire tax burden on the consumer and will remain unaffected himself. If the price elasticity of demand (PED) of a product is 0.75, then it means that the product has an inelastic demand. This means a percentage change in price is not followed by a significant change in quantity demanded. If the firm decides to increase the price by 20 % then quantity demand will be negligibly affected and the total revenue will increase. Total revenue increases if either price increases or QD increases. Here price is increasing by a greater proportion then the decrease in QD, therefore the overall total revenue for the firm will also increase. The above shows that after the price change, the marginal utility per dollar spent on pretzels is higher than the marginal utility per dollar spent on beer. Under such circumstances the consumer should spend more on pretzels and less on beer. He should continue to do so until the marginal utility per dollar spent on both the goods become equal. If by hiring additional labor the total output increases with the decreasing rate, then the labor can said to have diminishing returns e.g if a firm hires 4th unit of labor, then the total output increases by 10 units. However when the firm hires 5th unit of labor, then the total output increases by 8 units only. So under such situation the total output is increasing but with a decreasing rate, this is known as diminishing returns. Similarly if a firm currently has 4 labors and they were producing 300 units per day. Now if the firm hires 5th unit of labor, but they manage to produce only 270 units per day, then this is known as negative returns, as the total output decreases with additional labor. The good produced under perfect competition are homogenous i.e goods of an individual firm is exactly identical to the goods of the other firm, they are perfect substitutes. So if an individual firm tries to charge a higher price on the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Cross Culture Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cross Culture Management - Case Study Example On the contrary, masculinity refers to the distribution of emotional roles between genders. Japan has the lowest score of 46. Japanese are more cooperated at work, and they are likely to have a good relationship with their boss. A job promotion is done on merit basis, which are associated with lower job stress. Germany has a score of 66 thus considered to be masculine societies. United Kingdom and United States have the highest scores of 89 and 91 respectively. Both countries have private people because they believe personal fulfillment is the root of the happiness. Both countries have higher masculinity index that is characterized with numerous challenges and jobs recognition. They also believe in their own decisions, have higher job stress, and prefer to work in large companies. Long-term orientation is a score that measures the philosophy related with Confucianism: perseverance and thrift, personal stability, respect for tradition, honor of ancestors, and have a duty of financial support of parents. Japan has the highest score at 80. U.S, U.K and Germany have relatively low score of 29, 25 and 31 respectively. The type of managerial types in business negotiations among the Japanese is hierarchal in its power structure. In Japan, not everyone is allowed to speak during the negotiations. In most cases, they are represented by a team of experts; also they take longer time during negotiations because they see business as a lifelong commitment to trust and loyalty. The cultural differences also have a significant impact on leadership. The British emphasize on charismatic leadership, on the contrary, the Germans managers are rather more systematic and routinized with the individuals working towards a similar goals. While comparing between the British and Japanese managers, the British are more likely to take risks, and Japanese pay attention to the details. These differences

Psychological support for breast cancer women and mastectomy Essay

Psychological support for breast cancer women and mastectomy - Essay Example Addie Gilbert, 51, saw the final straw while trying on her favorite red dress whose front was adorned with stylish criss-cross straps, thinking she might never have to wear it again. Following her mastectomy, the heavy prosthesis underneath was clearly visible. She said, â€Å"I was so depressed that I sat on the floor of my bedroom and cut the dress up into little pieces with scissors† (Boughton, 2000). After her mastectomy, she was not only worried about her inability to wear her favorite clothes in the future, but was also troubled by the trauma brought about by the diagnosis of breast cancer every time she saw her reflection and the scar over her chest in the mirror. Gilbert thus decided to have her breast reconstructed. Her breast was molded by taking skin and tissue from her abdomen. Addition of an areola and nipple three months later with an office procedure made her whole again. Different women respond to the surgery of breast cancer in different ways depending upon th eir psychology, self-perception, age, and whether or not the surgery is accompanied by such adjuvant therapeutic procedures as chemotherapy and radiation. Mastectomy can be hard to come to terms with for women like Gilbert, though it is an acceptable alternative for many other patient of breast cancer. Women undergoing surgery for breast cancer commonly experience major regrets because of severe emotional trauma, complications of surgery, lack of postoperative psychological support, complications of reconstruction, phantom pain, and dissatisfaction with the procedure’s cosmetic outcome. Frost et al. (2000) performed a detailed research to investigate the overall social and psychological well-being and long-term satisfaction in women that have undergone prophylactic mastectomy. The researchers found a 74 per cent reduction in the emotional concern regarding the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Cross Culture Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cross Culture Management - Case Study Example On the contrary, masculinity refers to the distribution of emotional roles between genders. Japan has the lowest score of 46. Japanese are more cooperated at work, and they are likely to have a good relationship with their boss. A job promotion is done on merit basis, which are associated with lower job stress. Germany has a score of 66 thus considered to be masculine societies. United Kingdom and United States have the highest scores of 89 and 91 respectively. Both countries have private people because they believe personal fulfillment is the root of the happiness. Both countries have higher masculinity index that is characterized with numerous challenges and jobs recognition. They also believe in their own decisions, have higher job stress, and prefer to work in large companies. Long-term orientation is a score that measures the philosophy related with Confucianism: perseverance and thrift, personal stability, respect for tradition, honor of ancestors, and have a duty of financial support of parents. Japan has the highest score at 80. U.S, U.K and Germany have relatively low score of 29, 25 and 31 respectively. The type of managerial types in business negotiations among the Japanese is hierarchal in its power structure. In Japan, not everyone is allowed to speak during the negotiations. In most cases, they are represented by a team of experts; also they take longer time during negotiations because they see business as a lifelong commitment to trust and loyalty. The cultural differences also have a significant impact on leadership. The British emphasize on charismatic leadership, on the contrary, the Germans managers are rather more systematic and routinized with the individuals working towards a similar goals. While comparing between the British and Japanese managers, the British are more likely to take risks, and Japanese pay attention to the details. These differences

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Summary on Asian Security Class Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary on Asian Security Class - Article Example However, this was not to remain so as it was being adversely affected by the 1969 tearing of the Berlin wall and the collapse of the USSR; that is, the Soviet Union. This meant that it was no longer receiving the support of both the USSR and China as it used to. Also, its boycott on the 1988 Seoul Olympics became a set back as it boosted South Korea by bringing it to limelight. Thus, North Korea’s previous supporters such as Russia and china started giving more attention to South Korea and opened up diplomatic relations with it. In addition, its economical downfall was accelerated by its adamancy in letting go of its juche (self-reliance) economic system Chalmers 120). In an attempt to stabilize its economy, the North Korea government in the early 1990s decided to build up relations with its neighboring nations like Japan. This is evidenced by the 1990 Pyongyang visit of the then Japanese vice president Kanemeru. However, his visit was never acknowledged by the Japanese government (Chalmers 121). One of the major crisis that faced North Korea was the shortage of fuel oil since china its leading supplier had increased its oil prices. Hence, North Korea resorted to establishing nuclear facilities on the basis that it needed them to generate the much needed electricity to curb its fuel shortages. The Unites States of America has had severe ties with North Korea. In fact, the U.S. refers it as a rogue state whereas its late leader Kim Jong-il was referred to as a mad prince. However, unlike in the case of communist Cuba where the U.S. employed severe boycott and embargo on the Cuban government, it still opened up to North Korea. This interest in North Korea is ascribed to the fact that North Korea posses as a threat because it has a nuclear weapon program. Owing to this, the U.S. has continually monitored North Korean’s actions and has even deployed land forces from East Asia in the Korean

Monday, October 14, 2019

The people around him Essay Example for Free

The people around him Essay These two poems are written about very different subjects but they both explore the theme of betrayal. In the first poem ‘Havisham’, the poet Carol Anne Duffy uses Mrs. Havisham, a fictional character from the well know novel ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens, as her extended metaphor for betrayal. In the second poem ‘Kid’ by Simon Armitage, the poet presents the theme of betrayal from a slightly different perspective using ‘Batman and Robin’ as his literary conceit. Both Havisham and Kid feature literary conceits through which the poets convey the characters thoughts to the reader. In Havisham, Duffy uses her chosen metaphor as the title. This makes the theme of betrayal known to the reader from the very start of the poem. Duffy asexualises the main character in the title through the absence of the pronoun â€Å"Mrs†. This puts extra emphasis on Mrs. Havisham’s metaphoric significance. In kid, Armitage uses the extended metaphor (Batman and Robin) to sarcastically influence the speakers’ role reversal of his childhood relationship with his stepfather who left him and his mother, to be in a relationship with another woman. Both poems use strong plosives in the opening line of the poem. Havisham starts off with the phrase â€Å"Beloved sweetheart bastard†. The repetition of the letter ‘b’ gives the poem an immediate aggressive tone and evokes anger. This phrase is also an oxymoron; the poet is expressing the characters unhealthy state of mind through the polarisation of feeling. This is a result of these two feeling, love and hate, are irreconcilable, and yet both experienced by the speaker to their extremes. Simon Armitage in kid also employs plosives to emphasise the anger and violence expressed throughout the poem examples include, â€Å"Batman, big shot† and â€Å"punching the palm of your hand†. Therefore, both poems use plosives in order to gain the same effect, emphasis on aggression and anger. Clothing is another common device used by both poets to express the characters state of mind. In Havisham the speaker seems to use clothing to convey a deeper meaning to the reader. â€Å"Loves hate behind a white veil† This oxymoron presents two overwhelming contradictory emotion. This shows that although the speaker is angry there is also a more sophisticated side to her. However in kid, the description of clothing is far less sophisticated; â€Å"now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulder / Sherwood-forest-green and scarlet number for a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper† . The speaker in kid evaluates his adulthood through his clothing, which shows that he does not operate well in society. The clothes that belong to childhood is the â€Å"Sherwood-forest-green and scarlet number† and the â€Å"pair of jeans and crew neck jumper† belong to adulthood. The speaker shows immaturity by describing his adulthood in terms of external virtues. This would seem fairly mundane in contrast to Havisham, which refers to clothing as part of an intelligent literary device, which subsequently has an effect on the reader. Enjambment is used in both poems, with each poet using this technique to create different effects on the reader. In Havisham, Duffy uses enjambment to build up dramatic tension in the poem. The enjambment used in Havisham goes against normal structure in poetry; â€Å"who did this / to me?†, the effect that is created by the thoughts of the speaker running over from one line to the other, emphasises the great anger felt by the speaker at this point. This use of enjambment is doubly useful, in this case as the overall effect of the enjambed lines is that the idea takes the form of a rant. Armitage creates a mood of aggression in Kid, partly caused by the structure of the poem. Kid is presented in four long periodic sentences with multiple sub-clauses, enjambed over nearly every line. One of the many examples can be seen on line one over to line two were the speaker says â€Å"when you gave the order / to grow up†. The emjabments used in kid also add to the menacing tirade in the poem. In Havisham the structure of the poem resembles that of natural speech. This results in the poem being more naturalistic. At the end of the poem Duffy uses the breakdown in rhythm, â€Å"b-b-b-breaks† to emphasise the speaker’s emotions. By adding in this caesura Duffy shows the disintegration of language, which connotes the breakdown of mind and the unstable mental state of the speaker as a result of the betrayal. Similarly in Kid, Simon Armitage also uses caesura’s to emphasise some key words and themes within the poem, â€Å"I’m taller, harder, stronger, older†. As well as adding greater emphasis to the words, the use of commas between each word breaks up the rhythm of the poem and similarly to Havisham makes the poem exceed the boundaries of normal poetry. This causes the poems to take on the form of a rant. Language devices are used in both poems to enhance the build up of tension. In Havisham, Duffy uses alliteration to build up tension and as stated above, show the unhealthy state of mind of the speaker. The example of this is â€Å"b-b-b-breaks†, this shows the feelings of the speaker mounting up inside her, and she has difficulty getting them out. Her hesitancy in this case could also allude to the speaker’s shamefulness of herself and the state she is in. Duffy also uses sibilance to enhance this effect, â€Å"Spinster, I stink†, this also could allude to the same effect as previously in which the speaker is ashamed of herself. The term spinster refers to unmarried women of marriageable age, and unlike bachelor has negative connotations. This use of sibilance crates a very real effect to the poem the reader can hear, see and smell Havisham in their mind. The assonance found in the second stanza, â€Å"cawing Nooooo at the wall†, implies that Havisham has been re-living in her mind the past events in her life, something that is often not psychologically healthy. The significant literal device found in Kid is the use of repetitive assonance which in this case is all the lines ending in ‘r’: â€Å"order wander yonder rather corner †. These assonances conjures up an ‘index finger pointing belligerently at the interlocutor’. The resulting effect is that of mounting anger and violence in the speaker. In conclusion Duffy lends pathos and a tragic dimension to her character. In order to have a tragic dimension in a character, the character needs to have experienced some sort of tragic event. For Havisham this was the betrayal which causes her to be totally self-aware. As a result this event will manifest itself in to the character of the speaker. This will cause the reader to sympathise with the speaker. In Kid, Armitage presents a character who seeks to measure himself favourably at someone else’s expense. This makes it much harder for the reader to sympathize with the speaker in Kid than in Havisham. As a result of this I feel that the speaker in Havisham is far more captivating than the one in Kid. This is mainly due to the effect the tragic event of betrayal suffered by the reader, has affected her behaviour. This in conjunction with the various stylistic and linguistic features in the poem make Havisham a more powerful and effective poem.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Concept of Easy War

Concept of Easy War Key Judgments Easy War, the conception that war has minimal impact on Western states and their citizens, provides a useful analytical framework in order to critique and study how Western states become involved in military conflicts. In using this framework, it is understood that the over reliance on technologically advanced military capabilities, and omission of serious review of military doctrine, will lead to Western militaries continuing reliance on methods that make wars Easy due to allowing the state to easily become involved in conflict. However, easy war overlooks that while it is easier for states to commit to conflict, the burdens on citizens have not all but disappeared, but have intensified in certain cases or The concept of easy war revolves around the ability of Western states to sell the idea of waging war to its citizens due to its minimal impacts on them, thereby increasing the ability of Western states to commit war by limiting domestic opposition to it. The ability to commit to and persuade the public that an impending conflict is an easy war largely functions on the basis of the revolution in military affairs (RMA) that developed in the 1980s, culminating in the 1991 Gulf War, and continuing throughout the 1990s. The success that Western militaries have had from these the wars of the 1990s has led to a cognitive dissonance associated with current military capabilities and doctrine, whereby many strategic thinkers and policymakers ignore the failures in these wars and believe that because their militaries are technologically superior, victory is certain and cheap. While there is some truth to the precepts of Easy War, by and large citizens are still affected in significant ways, but changes in how Western states conduct warfare has changed how they are affected and increased how critical citizens are to certain variables. The repercussions of the United States (US) wars shows the fallacy of easy war when taking into account: decreased spending on infrastructure and social programs, massive national debt, ambiguity about the righteous cause of its actions, and an increased sensitivity to causalities in war. Introduction The success of military operations by Western states throughout the 1990s has led to a reliance on the use of technology and concepts of RMA whereby governments can sell war to its citizens as easy. The ability to sell a war as easy to a states population is a result of the systemic change in how Western states organize their military, technological advances, and society interacts with the military. Due in large part to the overwhelming victory in the 1991 Gulf War, many policy makers incorrectly believed that advancements in military technology would allow Western states to ignore the supremacy of politics in war and win with overwhelming force.[1] It took until the invasion of Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq that convinced Western states that technology does not always mean victory when you have to acknowledge the politics of the situation. However, there remains a risk that Western states will not learn from these wars, but rather remain committed to easy war with the us e of air and sea power as a means to limit costs and lives. In such an event, there would be little to no chance of true success or resolution to these conflicts. Easy war has two problems that must be addressed. The first problem is that military advancements and change means citizens are not adversely affected by the war and can be sold to them as easy of cost, conscious, and effort.[2] Second, subordinate to Western ways of war making it easy on citizens, the reduced impact on citizens then limits or removes a significant amount of public pressure on the government when seeking to enter into a conflict, thus allowing Western states greater freedom to conduct war. Background Easy war is described by Paul Starr as a war that is easy in the sacrifices it demands of us, easy on our consciences, easy on our pocketbooks.[3] The primary attributes of easy war include: not having to face the adverse effects of mass mobilization, rationing, increased taxes or economic burden, rationing, few causalities, and being guaranteed of our righteous cause while still minimizing civilian deaths.[4] All of these variables are then sold to the public to show that the government not only should conduct war, but that the state is so effective that the citizenry can go about their lives without a worry, knowing that their government is doing good abroad. Easy war is contrasted with the major wars of the 20th century; largely that of the total war environments of World War 1 and World War 2 where citizens had to make significant sacrifices for the good of the country and to ensure full effort by the state in these conflicts.[5] Easy war is a result of the obsession in RMA that emerged from the 1991 Gulf War and Post-Gulf War where the primary military technological innovations were in the areas of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); advanced command, control, communications computer applications, and intelligence processing (C4I); and precision fire.[6]ÂÂ   The result of these advancements in military technology meant that the fog of war became easier to overcome, that communication between all levels of the military became quicker, and that targets could be hit with pinpoint accuracy from safe distances.[7]ÂÂ   With the overwhelming victory that these advancements helped to achieve in the 1991 Gulf War caused the belief that focusing purely on advancing military technology would not only ensure that the US and Western states would have dominance in war, but that adversaries would not even threaten the West.[8] The culmination of this thinking led to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Iraq in particular was described and sold as being an easy war where the US military would be in and out of Iraq in 90 days, but these conflicts overlooked that military hardware is not everything.[9]ÂÂ   These wars ignored what some strategists argued that military preeminence without an appropriate strategy to shape and utilize it is both dangerous and fleeting.[10] The result of ignoring the strategy to understand the political components of warfare led to protracted and costly wars that were in no way the easy wars the public was sold on. Substantiation Although the critiques on the Western ways of easy war are well founded and offer good critiques, it broadly overlooks the changing landscape of warfare in general and its overall effects on the state and its citizens.Western states have done away with some of the major mechanisms to support states in conflict that disproportionately affects citizens, ie mass mobilization, rationing, drafts, but these are not the only ways that citizens can be affected. These mechanisms are equated with and closely tied to total war, which is not the dominant type of warfare in the 21st century. Rather, warfare for Western states in the 21st century has thus far been largely focused on addressing asymmetric and unconventional threats. To face these new threats Western states have relied upon technology in order to avoid the costs of total war, but with these methods come with new costs of non-traditional war. While Western states sell the public on minimal costs of wars, this is no such thing as cost free. By August 2016 the total costs of the US wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria have amounted to $4.79 trillion.[11] Complicating this further is that most of these costs add to the US debt. Interest costs from this debt will at least be $7.9 trillion as a result of these wars, which has been shown to have directly affected the ability of the US to in infrastructure and tens of thousands of jobs.[12]ÂÂ   Comparatively, the cost of the US involvement in the NATO intervention in Libya cost approximately $1.1 billion.[13] Though this shows that a reliance on air power alone, and working with NATO allies, can significantly lower the costs of war, it is by no means free and was only possible due to NATO supporting rebel forces on the ground in Libya. Second to cost, but no less important or severe, is that there are no such thing as bloodless wars and Western states must recognize there are human costs to every war. Despite promises of minimal loss of life that is associated with selling easy war, causalities in Iraq and Afghanistan were in no way low. US military casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq from initial invasion up to March 3rd 2017 have amounted to 6,766.[14] Compared to the total wars of WW1 and WW2, this seems minor, though in the age of professional and small Western militaries, causalities are more significant. A possible result of this as the public becomes accustomed to limited or no casualties, the public will become hyper-sensitive and less accepting of deaths, thus providing a public pressure on the state to not seek war. In addition, what must be accounted for are the short and long term effects on civilians. In its intervention of Libya, NATO had no casualties and limited civilian casualties to 72 deaths.[15] However, the intervention directly led to Libyas current Civil War that has caused over half a million people to flee the country, ongoing fighting, and the Islamic State to gain a foothold in the country.[16] Once it is recognized that there are serious costs in war, it must be acknowledged that the advancements in military technology does not replace strategy or replace diplomacy and political settlement. These facts were once again overlooked in Western states involvement in Libya and currently in Iraq/Syria where the focus is to bomb first and consider the political repercussions afterwards. While Western states may no longer view that a state can be rebuilt in 90 days, there still remains an overall lack of attention to politics. General H.R. McMaster succinctly stated: Be skeptical of concepts that divorce war from its political nature, particularly those that promise fast, cheap victory through technology.[17] Not only are politics essential to avoiding and ending conflict, but can minimize the intensity of the conflict by addressing grievances of communities.[18] Ultimately, even when addressing the political situations of emerging conflicts is essential to the resolution of unconv entional conflicts; Western states will continue to struggle with unconventional enemies in their effort to reconcile its Western values while meeting its security needs. Outlook Despite the heavy investments and advancements in military technology to achieve it, there is no such thing as an easy war. War remains a costly, deadly, and complex affair that requires the recognition that technology cannot solve everything. The cognitive dissonance of this fact whereby Western states are ignoring politics and diplomacy to pursue war to solve complex political problems is evident from conflicts more than from the past five years, but since 2001. More recently, from Libya to Syria, Western states still believe in easy war, but the public is finding this less and less persuasive. As the public increasingly becomes critical of the heavy debt and costs of war, the impact on lives, and the moral ambiguity associated with being involved in such wars, governments will no longer be able to persuasively argue that a war is easy. References Casualty Status. United States Department of Defense. March 03, 2017. Civil War in Libya. Council on Foreign Relations. Accessed March 01, 2017. CNN Wire Staff. CNN Fact Check: Comparing costs of Iraq, Libya missions. CNN. Accessed March 01, 2017. Crawford, Neta C. US Budgetary Costs of Wars through 2016: $4.79 Trillion and Counting Summary of Costs of the US Wars in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan and Homeland Security. Costs of War, September 2016. Mcmaster, H. R. The Pipe Dream of Easy War. The New York Times. July 20, 2013. Accessed March 01, 2017. Owens, William A. The Emerging U.S. System-of-Systems. National Defense University Strategic Forum, Institute for National Strategic Studies, No. 63, February 1996. Starr, Paul. The Easy War. The American Prospect. Accessed March 01, 2017. Unacknowledged Deaths: Civilian Casualties in NATOs Air Campaign in Libya. Human Rights Watch. October 19, 2015. Accessed March 02, 2017. [1] H. R. Mcmaster, The Pipe Dream of Easy War, The New York Times, July 20, 2013, accessed March 01, 2017. [2] System of systems [3] Paul Starr, The Easy War, The American Prospect, accessed March 01, 2017. [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid. [6] Owens, William A., The Emerging U.S. System-of-Systems, National Defense University Strategic Forum, Institute for National Strategic Studies, No. 63, February 1996, p. 1-2. [7] Ibid. [8] H. R. Mcmaster, The Pipe Dream of Easy War, The New York Times, July 20, 2013, accessed March 01, 2017. [9] Paul Starr, The Easy War, The American Prospect, accessed March 01, 2017. [10] Strategy and RMA page 2 [11] Neta C. Crawford, US Budgetary Costs of Wars through 2016, Costs of War, September 2016. [12] Ibid. [13] CNN Wire Staff, CNN Fact Check: Comparing costs of Iraq, Libya missions, CNN, accessed March 01, 2017. [14] Casualty Status, United States Department of Defense, March 03, 2017. [15] Unacknowledged Deaths, Human Rights Watch, October 19, 2015, accessed March 02, 2017. [16] Civil War in Libya, Council on Foreign Relations, accessed March 01, 2017. [17] H. R. Mcmaster, The Pipe Dream of Easy War, The New York Times, July 20, 2013, accessed March 01, 2017. [18] Ibid.