Saturday, May 25, 2019

The Rise and Spread of Islam

The rise and appeal of Islam can be attributed to many factors. Islam became hot because of the Quran, Muhammads personality, the immense faith among the early followers, its logical and clear principles and that those principles were consistent and logical (al-Islam). It was because of Mohammeds personality that created the interest in Islam the religion was non immediately popular when it was first introduced. It was only after Muhammad and his followers left their home for Medina, where the population welcomed Muhammad and the Muslims.Only after Muhammad became famous was he able to accumulate more followers and converts to Islam (World narration Connections To Today, 257). Islams believers increased on a daily basis because of the caliphs and their agendas. Islam exploded rapidly during the times of the caliphate through successful legions conquests. The campaigns were so successful and far-reaching, that by 750 AD, Muslims controlled land from present-day Iran in the east t o present-day Portugal in the west and in North Africa to the south (World History Connections To Today, 260). umteen people remained loyal to the religion after the empire detiorated because of the clear principle of the belief in one God. in that location were no others next to him, just prophets. There were also no conflicts within the religious teachings and the principle of treating all creatures with respect resonated within its followers. It was rare to have religious tolerance practiced toward different religions, in time the Quran celebrated it (al-Islam). Muhammads popularity was the primary attraction to Islam, but its message, principles and duties is what has kept the religion together throughout many centuries.People are still dutifully playing the requirements set forth in the five pillars which are, accepting God as the one true God, performing daily prayers, giving to the poor, fasting during Ramadan and the pilgrimage to Mecca (World History Connections To Today , 258). Many factors had to congeal to form the Muslim faith, and it will continue to be strong as long as the basic tenets of the religion are held sacred. kit and boodle Cited Guertin, Wilson H. , and, Mohammed J. Chirri. Why Is Islam Popular? al-Islam. 2 January 2009

Friday, May 24, 2019

Education and the Role of Philosophy

grooming and, the Role of Philosophy In The Journey by means of American Education Curriculum as a dramatic art of study has been characterized as elusive, fragmentary and confu criminalityg (Ornstein and Hunkins, 2009, p. 1). According to Wikipedia, cultivation is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual and is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another.This report will journey through and through the history of education, its philosophies and the philosophers that helped shape and design it. Originally American develops were defined by religion. The foundation of education was based on religious study. The schools meaning in 1620 was to work out a republic of God-fearing citizens. Women taught children to engage the bible and to write the scriptures while the men and older boys were out in the fields working.With the women as nurturers nurtureing themselves to read and write and then assuming that responsibility to nurture their childrens lesson through the teachings of the scriptures led to the establishment of women as the backbone of American education which appears to electrostatic be the case of present magazines (History of American Education Primer, p. 27). In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Protestant ideological managers sought to create a moral and God-fearing society and their goals were 1. Honor, fear, and obey God, 2. Honor, fear, and obey the father in the home and 3. Honor, fear, and obey the government.This philosophy of the Protestants was called Calvinism which is the belief that humans argon born in sin and must(prenominal) purge this sin as children grow into adults (p. 10). The Massachusetts Law of 1642 which called for all parents to assure someone to teach their children how to read the bible, write out scriptures, acquire Protestant theology, and obey the laws of the land along with The Old Deluder Satan Law of 1647 which called for all t stimulates of 50 households or more to appoint a teacher to teach reading and writing and all towns of 100 or more households to build a school and hire a schoolmaster were the first major(ip) laws of education (P. 0). As the colonies expanded, antithetical forms of schooling philosophy genuine but the Common Schools (schools that sought to bring together white children in a common school to perpetuate the goals of the dominant white culture) were still dominated by Protestant values of a moral, God-fearing society (p. 31). Over time the teaching of children began to include, along with reading, writing and ciphering, social skills such as knowledge, etiquette, and debate. Schools began to include topics to prepare children for employment and if ones family could afford it, college (p. 16).As time passed, education grew to include many different instructions and philosophies to where we are today. With the extra teachings came many more philosophies. These different philosophies determine with teaching style, instruction, and school curriculum that will be used to include Axiology, Behaviorism, Epistemology, Existentialism, Ontology, Perennialism, Eclectic, reality and Reconstructionism. According to Pratt and Collins (2001), effective teaching whitethorn be classified as transmission, apprenticeship, developmental, nurturing, and social reform. To start, William Kritsonis (2005, p. 1) defines philosophy as the human beings get to think more or less speculatively, reflectively, and systematically about the universe and the relationship to that universe. He writes that philosophy has no proof and is in that respectfore without theorems and has not questions that can be answered with yes or no. The purpose of educational philosophy is to help develop the educators thinking capacity (p. 91). The three branches of philosophy are Metaphysics (Ontology) which deal with net reality, Epistemol ogy which deals with the nature of knowledge and Axiology which is the study of values.The major schools of philosophy are Idealism which are certain universal unquestioning concepts, Realism where work is governed by non-homogeneous laws, known or unknown, Pragmatism which is primarily an American philosophy of scientific analysis or learning through experience, and Existentialism which believes that students should control much of what goes on (p. 92). Philosophy has many definitions and is hard to define. The word itself comes from the Greek meaning love of wisdom and is the belief system that a person develops concerning existence, reality in the world, rightfulness, ethics, honesty, thinking processes, aesthetics, and logic (Kritsonis, p. 8). In regards to education, philosophy is a way of examining ideas, proposals, and recommendations for learning and how best to use them in the educational setting and it is therefore, the application of ideas or idea systems to education al problems (p. 97). Educators study philosophy to help them attain a better understanding of the best way to success. Educators use philosophy for the roles in which philosophy stands for which includes to suggest election methods of thinking, to develop sensitivity to the logic and language we use in gathering solutions to problems (p. 97).Philosophy of education is the philosophical study of the purpose, nature, process and ideals of education (Siegel, 2003). As time has progressed so has the understanding of philosophy and its importance on education. The history of philosophy and education would not be complete without its fore fathers so to speak and the four ancient philosophies of Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism and Existentialism. Idealism was the main philosophy of the thinkers of western nuances during the last half of the 19th century and its believers believed that external reality must be understood through the medium of the human mind (Kritsonis, p. 03). They believe d that when humans came into contact with whatever existed, the human mind functions to grasp the nature of reality and what is real.The three key words of noble-mindedness are growth, imitation, and maturity and by imitating a model of behavior, one matures and grows toward an ideal that contains the perfection of virtues (p. 103). It applies to any theory that views the world as being made up of mind, spirit, or reason. They believe that to learn is to distinguish among values because some values are a subject area of personal preference while others are absolute regardless of time, place, and circumstance (p. 03). Plato is a major contributor of Idealism and is considered to be the first and foremost Idealist. He believed that proper education comes before law and there would be no need to dictate laws to humans of good breeding, for they will find out for themselves what regulations would be needed (p. 104). He believed that good breeding developed through a sound educational system that produces reasonable humans. The impact that Idealism has on education is that its educational philosophy focus on who should be responsible for education, who should be taught, and what should be the curriculum (p. 109).To the Idealist, education is to assist in the development of the mind and self of the pupil and help in attaining the good spiritedness of the spirit. The curriculum must be based on the idea of the spiritual nature of humans and must draw on both sources of truth and redress opinion for its subject matter. Its prime purpose is to teach student to think and to teach skills that develop conceptual ability (p. 109). The philosophy of Realism involves the act of truth being determined scientifically. It is based on absolute truth. It proclaims that objects of perception are objects and contain real existence outside the mind (Kritsonis, p. 12). Aristotle was a major contributor of Realism and he believed that a proper study of matter could lead to better and more distinct ideas. He felt that education was designed to have-to doe with the stability of the state, to create good citizenship, and to prevent revolutions (p. 115). The impact Realism had on education was to present material to students so they could become acquainted with the subject matter as a pre-established block of material and the idea that successful learning consists of understanding that material (p. 118). The philosophy of Pragmatism is the result of action.Pragmatists believe that ideas become authentic in order to get into satisfactory relations with other parts of experience (kritsonis, p. 121). John Dewey was a major contributor of pragmatism. He was one of the most influential of all American philosophers and educators and was actively interested in the reform of education (p. 122). His philosophy of education emphasized many things including experiences, experimentation, and freedom. He believed the learner must interact with that which is learned if a p roductive educational experience was to be achieved (p. 122).Other pragmatic philosophers were Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Charles Darwin. The impact that pragmatism had on education is that the childs own instincts and powers provide the material and starting point of all education and the educators knowledge of social conditions is necessary to interpret the childs powers. The philosophy of Existentialism is a revolt against other traditional philosophies. Others attempt to grasp the ultimate nature of the world in abstract systems of thought existentialists consider what it is interchangeable to be an individual human being living in the world (Kritsonis, p. 125).It is concerned with an individuals willingness truly to commit to something with intensity (p. 127). A major contributor to Existentialism was Soren Kierkegaard who believed that a humans essential self is developed in three stages Aesthetic stage, ethical stage, and religious stage. He believed that individuals are conf ronted with choices in life that they alone can make and for which they must accept complete and full responsibility (p. 127). Existentialism impact on education was to underline unique experiences in the affective and what a student hears in class is more impressive than what the teachers say.The Philosophy of education in the United States has undergone a serial of internal struggles over the past 25 years. Some of the struggle with philosophy in these modern times has been the issue of the curriculum of multicultural education. The multicultural battlefront defines the main purpose of curriculum as social improvement, particularly as it relates to peoples who have been marginalized on the bias of race, ethnicity, language, social class and other identities (English Teaching, page 122).Over time and through history philosophers have had to be adaptable to change and that change in American included a multicultural movement. This movement includes the philosophy of Reconstructio nism which involves the military strength toward change and encourages individuals to try to make life better which ultimately means every individual in all cultures (National Outlook, 2006). Philosophers of the future will have to find a way to inculcate mulitculturism into their ideas (Educational Administration Quarterly 1998, p. 236).Multiculturalism is described as focusing on how gender, race, sexual orientation, and class differences are inscribed in policy-making and cultural practices (Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 2000). Our schools are, in a sense, factories in which the raw products (children) are to be shaped and fashioned into products to meet the various demands of life. The specifications for manufacturing come from the demands of twentieth-century civilization and it is the business of the school to build its pupils according to the specifications laid down (English Teaching, p. 25). We build our curriculum based off of past philosophers beca use of the beliefs our present curriculum decision makers may possess. Philosophy is concerned with questions about the analysis of concepts and with questions about the grounds of knowledge, belief, actions and activities. The philosophy of education is then occupied with the analysis of such educational concepts as teaching, child-centeredness, ingraining of belief and curriculum.The main point of contrast between philosophy and education is the role of value judgments values and ideals are embodied and expressed in the purposes of tell knowledge, skills and attitudes (Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 2001). In conclusion, the question remains unanswered, Are our schools headed in the right direction with its curriculum? From past philosophers to present we have had a consecutive confusion take place which continues to make curriculum hard to define.References Adult Education Quarterly (1977). The Concept of Educational Need An Analysis of Selected Literature. 16- 127 American Education Through the Civil War (Chapter 2). Community College Journal of Research and Practice (2000). Student Experiences With Multicultural and Diversity Education. 531-546 English Teaching Practice and Critique (2004). comminuted Multicultural Curriculum and the Standards Movement. 122-138 Kritsonis, W (2005). Philosophies of Schooling. 82-159 Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research (2001). Some Notes on the Relevance of Philosophy to Education. 341-351 Siegel, H. (1988). Educating Reason Rationality, Critical Thinking, and Education. 369-382 http//en. wikepedia. org

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Introduction and History of Psychology

1. Ask your parent, grandparent, sibling, or a friend that has not taken this course what they think an industrial and organizational psychologist is? Were they close?During lunch with a friend, we began discussing how shoal was going for each of us and I thought of this weeks assignment. I asked my friend what she thought I/O psychology was. While she knew it had something to due with behaviors and work, she was unable to genuinely specify what I/O psychology actually is. She was quite surprised when I explained it to her.When asked the question, she was partially right. The word psychology gave her the impression that it was psychology, or behavior think and the word organization led her to believe it was work- tie in. I think what likely stumped her was the word industrial it is not a word most hatful would helper with psychology.2. Why do you think so few people know about this field?As mentioned previously, most people wouldnt associate industrial with psychology. organiza tional is a word that most people are familiar with and naturally assume that it refers to a job or the work target.I think most people would likely associate many of the functions of an I/O psychologist with those of those of the human resource department (HRD). Many people working in medium-to-large organizations are familiar with the evaluations, assessments and programs conducted in the HRD. It is possible that many people would not consider the functions listed on the SIOP website as areas of I/O psychologist functions, as these functions are associated with the HRD. Examples of these functions include legal, workplace health, compensation and benefits, employee behavior, employee issues, WorkLife programs and surgical operation evaluations and assessments (SIOP Brochure, sect. 5, 2006).3. Do you think it would help if we changed the name of the field to something else, like Work Psychology? If the name of the field were to change, what other names would be more descriptive of what we do?It might be helpful to change I/O psychology to a more familiar term in methodicalness to amplify familiarity with the work and services of I/O psychologists. If the name of the field was to change, I think it should encompass the services of helping employees achieve satisfaction in their place of employment. The various job titles of I?O psychologists listed on the SIOP website is an example of why people may not know of I/O psychology and related services there are so many different titles. SIOP, for example, lists the following human resource related job functionsCorporate Vice President, Director, Manager, Staff section ofOrganizational Development, Management Development, Human Resources Research, Employee Relations, Training and Development, and Leadership Development (sect. 7).Names that come to mind that may be suitable for replacing the term I/O psychology are Employee Relations Psychology Workforce and Organization Psychology Employer and Employee Developme ntal Psychology4. Let me know why you are pickings this course and what you hope to learn from this class.I am taking this course to continue learning about the various fields of psychology in order to eventually discover which field I am most interested in pursuing. I hope to learn the inner workings of an organization through and through the functions of an I/O psychologist and how an I/O psychologist can help employees improve their work experience and increase their chances for success.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Ethics of Rendition Essay

This ingest begins by stating that nulla poena sine lege, import that no person whitethorn be punished except in unanimity with the law. In every instance, there must be a law governing and prescribing punishment. Further to that non omne quod licet honestum est, meaning that non everything that is permissible or even lawful is honest or honorable. There ar limitations in respect of this maxim. Finally, it would as well like to state that apices juris non sunt jura or non congruit de apicibus juris disputare, meaning that legal principles must not be carried to their most extreme consequences, regardless of equity and good sense.This study deems it fit to address the issue of rendition in spite of appearance the three maxims mentioned there above. It is worth while to note that rendition is not only a legal issue but also an respectable issue, so to speak. Therefore this study will take into consideration several ethical theories to enrich the theoretical perspective of this study. The section on findings and discussion will appoint a critical synthesis between law and morality discussed in this study. This will also be the part where this study will give its have got stance regarding moral philosophy of rendition.Research Questions Q. To what extent can rendition be justified? Q. Is it justifiable in law and in morality? Literature freshen This section will explore in depth the notion of rendition and its impact on coeval society. It will look at how different governments retrieve ab bulge it especially in the United States. Rendition is defined as the act of shifting a person from one nation to an new(prenominal) for captivity and interrogation through the use of throe, which would not be permissible if they remained in a certain country.Extraordinary rendition involves the transportation of suspected fo loom terrorists or other persons suspected of discourtesys, to other countries for interrogation and imprisonment. Looking at the above def inition one can already dismiss the rationale of rendition off-hand. still sooner even getting to the aspect of torture in it, why would a government take advantage of another countrys laws? wherefore is it hard for such a government to enact laws friendly to rendition in their own country? There are so many other queries that call for to be addressed here.It is believed that the aim of extraordinary rendition is to make suspects provide intelligence information by torturing them. These suspects are either move to facilities sponsored by the US government or can be left in the hands of foreign governments. As mentioned earlier, suspects are transported to countries whose laws do not annihilate torture and abusive treatment. In this regard, extraordinary rendition allows acts of torture towards detained suspects notwithstanding the fact that torture is an offensive, at least, under international law no librate the cost.This confide is believed to have begun back in 1990s but gained its momentum following the September 9/11 attacks on US. It is also believed that this policy re-appeared during the reign of Bill Clinton although it grew in strength during the reign of George Bush. It is estimated that 150 foreign nationals have been victims of torture as a result of rendition in the last fewer years alone. In most cases this foreign nationals have purportedly been suspected for terrorist acts.After their transportation, detention and interrogation takes perplex in countries like Jordan, Egypt, Diego Garcia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt and Guantanamo. Robert Baer, the former CIA agent, is on record for having said that if one wants a serious interrogation then the culprit should be sent to Jordan. If the aim is to torture them then the best place would be Syria and if the aim is to make a victim disappear and never to be seen again, then the best place would be Egypt. There are allegations that US intelligence agencies have sent terror suspects for interro gation by security officials in different countries.By so doing, they put them in a bit where they cannot be protected by the American Law. Some persons confess that they were flown to countries like Syria and Egypt by CIA agencies where they were tortured. The US government and its intelligence agencies believe that their operations are lawfully justified. Even though US officials agree that terror suspects have been transported to other countries for interrogation, they vehemently deny that acts of torture take place when they get there.The former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is on record for having said that all American interrogators act within the UN Convention on Torture. She went further to state that they rive to this Convention while exercising their duties in US or in another country. There are several documents that detail human flops legislation, for instance (a)Third and fourth part geneva Conventions (b) Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) (c) United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) and (d) US Constitution. Surprising enough is that US government is a signatory of each(prenominal) of these treatises.This study believes that by the fact that United States identifies with the principles in each of these documents it should be the first nation to safeguard victims against acts of torture. Nonetheless, the impression is that US promotes extraordinary rendition in the name of war on terror. Then why would one not accuse US government of hypocrisy or cynical relativism in hurt of its commitment to human rights and civil rights laws? Moreover, the fact that US are a signatory to the abovementioned documents it needs to terminate programs that violate human dignity.The Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions The Geneva Convention set the standards for international law as far as humanitarian issues are concerned. Its central concern was the treatment of civilians as thoroughly as prisoners of war. Its principles safeguar d against human rights violations and establish universally acceptable standards and mountes relating to detained victims in times of war. The Convention forbids any form of physical or mental torture or any other kind of coercion towards suspects in a bid to gather information from them.It further states that even if the prisoners fail to open up during the interrogation process they should not be intimidated or abused or mal hardened for that matter. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights The fifth article in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that no person shall be put to torturous acts or inhuman treatment or punishment. Apart from providing an instruction against torture it further restricts the utilization of degrading treatment or punishment.In the sixth article, it states that every person has a right to recognition before the law no matter where the person is or could be. The eighth article invalidates the CIAs practice of extraordinary rendition. This a rticle states as follows Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law. This study believes that whenever prisoners are transported to other countries chances that this communications protocol will be observed are quite minimal.The ninth article set asides the arrest of persons with no proper justification, including detention or exile. This provision prevents United States from carrying out extraordinary rendition activities. The tenth article essentially invokes what in Latin can be termed as habeas corpus which literally means that one may have the body. It is a writ ordering a person to be brought before a court or judge so that the court may ascertain whether his detention is lawful or not. United Nations Convention against TortureThis convention has an international scope on human rights protection. This Convention is greatly endorsed by the United Nations and its observance is extremely mandatory for all the member states who are signatory to it. As mentioned earlier, United States is a signatory of this document so it has no option but to adhere to its provisions. This Convention states that all signatories should create appropriate measures to safeguard against torturous acts within their territories and prohibits countries from transferring persons to other countries so that they might torture them.clause two states that every state ought to exercise appropriate legislative measures, administration and judicial measures to fight any elements of torture under its jurisdiction. It further states that under no circumstances can torture be justified. The circumstances could be a state of war or a threat of war or exoteric emergency. It also does not matter whether such orders come from the top officers, torture remains unjustified. In article three it states that no person may be transported to another state to be interrogated or to rtured simply because that countrys laws allow it.The Constitution of the United States It is quite impressive to discover that the practice of extraordinary rendition is not only prohibited as seen in the three Conventions discussed above, but the US constitution is against it as well. The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments are a clear indication that US holds a no-policy towards extraordinary rendition. These amendments prohibit arbitrary search and seizure of individual and/or property it also invokes the right to due process of law, as in, the concept of habeas corpus mentioned above.In this light, US government contradicts the spirit of its constitution whenever they indulge in extraordinary rendition. Deontology versus Utilitarianism Deontological moral possibility is also a Non-Consequentialist moral theory. While consequentialists believe that the end ceaselessly justify the means, deontologists assert that the rightness of an action is not simply qualified by maxim izing the good alone, it must be that the action fulfils what is considered moral. It is the inherent nature of the act alone that determines its ethical standing.Or better still, utilinitarianism believe that one should always exploit the good in his/her actions while deontologism believes that it is not the pursuit of the good but it is the moral worthiness in the act. Virtue Ethics is not overmuch concerned with rules, consequences and specific acts but it puts more emphasis on the subject of the actions. In other words, it is interested with the person who is responsible for acting. It holds that acting in accordance with given rules or analyzing the good outcome of the actions is not what should only count.The most primary thing is whether the subject of the actions, in this case the individual, exhibits elements of good character or moral virtues or not. Unlike utilitarianism which is concerned with the maximization of the good in performing a given act, virtue ethics instead , focuses on the moral theatrical role exhibited by the agent of the actions. Therefore, the dictum that the end justifies the means has no place in virtue ethics. On the other hand, deontologism is somehow a normative approach to ethics which typically evaluates the actions of an individual in relation to moral standards in the objective order.Both utilitarianism and deontology focus on the actions of the agent contrary to virtue ethics which is a complete turn to the subject that is acting. Findings and Discussion Throughout this study it can be seen that there is no where that extraordinary rendition has been justified. The reader taking part in this study can clearly ascertain that rendition has no place either in law or in morality. Furthermore, it cannot be justified no matter the circumstance. This study however believes that persons who destabilize peace and stability should be dealt with accordingly.In any way, they should be eliminated in the society. Looking at the inte ntion of extraordinary rendition, it stands justified in that it serves as a deterrent kind of punishment. Literally, it makes the culprits pay for the wrongs they have committed. In the contemporary society crime cannot be something that anybody will brush under the carpet, it is important that preventive measures be put in place. The Conventions discussed in this study clearly indicate that extraordinary rendition is an offence in law.Now, the problem is that this study does not understand to what extent each of these Conventions applies. It was stated very clearly that signatories to these Conventions are bound by them so do these same Conventions apply to countries like Syria, Jordan or Egypt which are clearly the preferred destinations for acts of interrogation and torture. This study cannot fail to mention that most countries, or instance, Syria or Egypt are sovereign and with authentic constitutions. Could it be that their constitutions allow extraordinary renditions?Or is it that their laws do not care about such practices? This means that a country need not legalize torture but the fact that its laws say nothing about acts of rendition it becomes a reason to practice them. From a utilitarian ethical viewpoint, the end qualifies the means so long as the acts brings desirable end. This means that utilitarianism supports extraordinary rendition insofar as it will eliminate same crime occurring in the future. On the contrary, deontological ethical viewpoint believes that what should be investigated is the act itself not the consequences.As such, torture is immoral whether a nation recognizes it in law or not. This study confidently declares torture an immoral thing and something that should not be used as a form of punishment. Finally, this study would like to reiterate that the contemporary world needs to enact stiff measures to ensure that all criminals have been completely wiped out. No person should disturb another persons peace. It also believes that due process of law is the best way to deal with criminals. Imprisonment in itself is maximum punishment since it denies such criminals opportunities for further commitment of crime.Conclusion This study has explored the meaning of extraordinary rendition and its implications. So far, there is no where in this study has it been justified. Much of its practice has been adopted by the United States government in its war on terror. From the Conventions it is clear that the practice of torturous acts remains entirely prohibited no matter the cost. It has also been indicated that the major proponents of extraordinary rendition, the United States for this matter, prohibit such practice in their constitution.This study has also highlighted two ethical standpoints namely deontologism and utilitarianism. Inasmuch as utilitarianism justifies the means due to the perceived good it does not spell any justification for extraordinary rendition. So, human dignity should be upheld at all times. Th is study invites persons with malicious intentions to reconsider their attitudes and evade practices that would make them be treated inhumanly. Bibliography Alfred W. McCoy, (2006). A Question of Torture CIA Interrogation from the Cold War to the War on Terror (New York, Metropolitan Books) p. 60.Craig R. Ducat, (2000). Constitutional Interpretation Rights of the Individual, Vol. II (Belmont, Wadswoth/Thomson Learning), E33. 18 noggin T. (2005). Virtue Theory. London International Committee of the Red Cross, International Humanitarian Law Third 1949 Geneva Convention. http//www. icrc. org/ihl. nsf/FULL/375? OpenDocument Jeremy Brecher et al. (2005). eds. , In the Name of Democracy American War Crimes in Iraq and Beyond, (New York, Metropolitan Books) p. 304-5. Korsgaard, Christine M. (2003). Punishment & Legality Extraordinary Rendition. New York Cambridge UniversityNoam Chomsky, (1999). The Umbrella of U. S. Power The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Contradictions o f U. S. Policy (New York, Seven Stories Press) p. 71. blot of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, http//www2. ohchr. org/english/law/cat. htm Schumpeter J. (2006). The Understanding of Deontology righteous Theory. Oxford University Press Stephen Grey, (2007). Ghost Plane The True Story of the CIA Rendition and Torture Program. New York.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Can Military Force Promote Humanitarian Values?

AbstractRecent years have seen an increase in humane preventives which have involved war machine trading trading operations. However is it feasible that the two operations, phalanx and addition atomic number 18 compatibleThis stem investigates whether this is the case and, to do so, assesses soldiery force in terms of the values which underpin additionism. This writing utilises a case study from the Libyan conflict to assess whether thither is a politicised nature in the push for military light-emitting diode humanitarian operations, and examines whether there is a semipolitical undert angiotensin-converting enzyme in the increase usage of military forces. It is argued that this undertone serves to undermine the possibility that military forces female genitalia crusade humanitarian launchFor several decades, humanitarian intervention has been a factor in military operations. This paper examines whether military forces burn d avouch promote the values of humanitarianism during aid operations. To do so this paper lead examine a number of elements and seeks to define humanitarianism. In doing so, the question of what post military forces can play is considered. This includes, for example, where military forces argon deployed to affected regions or states and the role which they have been asked to conduct. This paper investigates whether the underlying aims of military forces are compatible with that of humanitarianism. This paper argues that they are not and that recent years have seen developments where military reach has been wrongly justified on the grounds of humanitarian intervention.What is improverism?The concept of humanitarian intervention which utilises military force can be classed as a subjective one. Whilst some commentators class military led humanitarian interventions as being the use of military force to protect foreign populations from mass atrocities or revenue human rights abuses (Waxman, 2013), former(a)s such as Marjanovic (2012) define the action as being a state victimisation military force against another state when the chief publicly declared aim of that military action is ending human-rights violations being perpetrated by the state against which it is directed. Yet despite the subjectivity, there is a series of components which can be extracted from these various definitions. These components include a form of war or conflict, the potential that non-combatants will be negatively affected by this conflict and where human rights abuses are considered to be taking fixIn essence, there are a number of factors which should be present when military led humanitarian assistance is being considered. Weiss (2012 1) argues that there is an underlying notion of a responsibility to protect and that this has a tilt to hulk modern geo-political thinking, except instead it is arguable that the global community can be impeach of cherry picking where it seeks to intervene. Weiss had previously argued that any intervention should incorporate aspects of post conflict redevelopment program (Minear & Weiss, 1995), yet since the perpetuation of military led humanitarian interventions, he has reconsidered his perspective to argue that such actions should at one time constitute activities undertaken to improve the human condition (Weiss, 2012 1). This latter inclusion indicates that the shift in conflict dynamics, from one which is largely based on conventional warfare to the usage of non-state actors and combatants in an asymmetric conflict district has been a party to Weisss new perspective.Where values are considered, the Interlanded estateal Committee of the scarlet continue (ICRC) (2013) argue that these incorporate aspects of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. Essentially, therefore, it can be argued that where military forces are deployed to support humanitarian operations that it is essential they act according to these guiding principles.Role of the Military in humane InterventionsRecent years, specially since the end of the Cold War (Pattison, 2010), have seen military operations to support humanitarian interventions in a number of collapsed or failed states. These include, but are not limited to, Iraq, post-Gulf War One (1991 2003), Bosnia Serbia (1995), Kosovo (1999), East Timor (1999) Somalia (2002), Haiti (2004), and Libya (2011) whilst other humanitarian interventions which have required military assistance can be considered to have taken engineer in post conflict Iraq and Afghanistan (Pattison, 2010). Weiss (2012) argues that the concept of humanitarian intervention has increased the potential for interventions into states in orderliness to protect non-combatants from conflict. Contrary to this, the earlier reference to cherry picking set asides a casing point when the political discourse which took place at the United Nations (UN) Security Council in relation to the ongoing conflict in Syria can be considered to be a c ase where the window of opportunity for intervention has now closed, especially since this conflict has led to the involvement of Islamic advance and the Kurdish Peshmerga (Dagher, 2014).Increase in Military led Humanitarian OperationsAs stated, recent decades, particularly since the end of the Cold War, have seen a bound in the numbers of ethnically charged conflicts and where humanitarian interventions have been considered as necessary (Kaldor, 1998). In a review of this era, Kaldor far-famed that there had been a change in the dynamics of conflict and that the underpinning issue was of a series of belligerents and combatants which were not constrained by international regulations, such as the Geneva Convention protocols, Laws of fortify Conflict or relevant United Nations Charters (Kaldor, 1998). This changed dynamics has perpetuated and has spread to a number of conflict zones slightly the world, but has too seen a rise in the usage of conventional forces to support non-go vernmental organisations (NGOs). Similarly, Christoplos, Longley, and Slaymaker (2004) also observe a changed emphasis in humanitarian aid provision during this era. They argued that the underpinning programmes have been utilised to create a tripartite system of humanitarianism which incorporates rehabilitation (for both state and society), development of state and social infrastructures and sculptural computer backup programmes which provide for maintaining civil society during crisis periods. This particular perspective reinforces a belief that military interventions can serve well NGOs deliver aid by providing security (Seybolt, 2007). Nevertheless the incorporation of military activity into this mix has also resulted in a further complication since military operations deploy to aid zones with a preposition of maintaining working(a) security. This includes the potential for combating belligerent forces where such a need exists (Davidson, 2012).Stability OperationsGlobal Huma nitarian assist (GHA) (2013) argues that the first decade of the twenty first century has seen a near trebling of military support for NGOs in countries which have been affected by war, natural disaster or where the state infrastructure has been affected sufficiently that it is unable to assist with recovery programmes. GHA also note that peacekeeping operations have increased at a similar rate, particular in the years discussed earlier by Kaldor (1998) to the present day. UK military philosophical system emphasises that any military activities which has a humanitarian focus should incorporate stability operations (Ministry of Defence, 2011). In explicate this position, the UK Ministry of Defence added that The peacekeeper fulfils a mandate with the strategic consent of the main warring parties, allowing a degree of liberty to fulfil its task in an impartial manner, while a sustainable peace settlement is pursued. (Ministry of Defence, 2011 1.1). much(prenominal) a perspective indicates that the simple inclusion of additional personnel to assist NGOs is not the primary role of military forces but instead is indicative of a more political role which is intended to contour line the political landscape of the affected region or state where assistance is being provided. This aspect does not sit comfortably with the principles of humanitarianism as espoused by NGOs such as the ICRC (2013). This perspective is further compel when it is noted that the Ministry of Defence cannot rule out military action during humanitarian operations.Doctrinal papers express that military operations will also incorporate war fighting components as well as security duties. This was the case in Afghanistan, which was a stabilisation operation during which the UK military had the consent of the host nation government but no other warring party (Afghanistan Taliban 2001 present) A military force whitethorn decide in such situations that the defeat of a specific enemy is essentia l to the success of the operation. (Ministry of Defence, 2011 1.1). Essentially, therefore, there is a political perspective which can serve to undermine any literary arguments of altruism during a humanitarian operation which is supported by military efforts.Should Military led Humanitarian Interventions be justified?The UN support military operation in Libya during its recent uprising and civil conflict was arguably mandated via humanitarian intervention based upon aid relief and assistance (United Nations, 2011). However it is arguable thatthat this particular intervention was politically actuate since it is evident that the Gaddafi regime had previously irked those states (USA, UK & France) which were at the forefront of the military aspect of intervention (Boulton, 2008). The argument devote forward by the trio of states sought to ensure a quick resolution to the conflict and that a perpetuation of the conflict would lead to a humanitarian crisis. Kuperman (2011) notes that Resolution, 1973 allowed for a number of additional practices by military forces. These included, for example, allowing intervening forces to stabilise the Libyan conflict, to assist the undermining of the authority of the Gaddafi regime and to help bring the conflict to a swift conclusion. To achieve this Kuperman (2011) notes that Libyan state financial and economic assets were frozen, the regime was also subjected to an arms trade stoppage (Kuperman, 2011). It is also to be noted that the USA, France and the UK also operated outside of the mandate provided by the UN by deploying private military contractors to fight alongside insurgents seeking to overthrow the Gaddafi regime (RT News, 2012). That said, the Libyan conflict has not ended and continues to dominate local Libyan politics and society. This outcome serves only to undermine the utilitarian role of humanitarianism.It is fair to mention that the actions by military forces were more political than humanitarian and served only to perpetuate the US led form _or_ system of government of regime change. This is a factor which Williamson (2011) argues has resulted in military planners utilising military force within humanitarian relief efforts and which has served only to muddy the political and societal dynamics of any affected zone. Williamsons (2011) argument can be considered in tandem with the British military doctrine which refuses to rule out combat efforts but in relation to the post-Cold War era which has seen non-state combatants realign the battlefield to one which compares directly to a return insurgency warzone (US Government, 2012).Legal IssuesWhere the Libyan case study is considered, it is worthwhile noting that, previously, Goodman (2006) had argued that there is a clear contradiction between military interventions into any state using a guise of humanitarian purposes. Goodman (2006) furthers his argument by stating that there is no legal justification for a unilateral humanitarian in tervention into another country, and that it is highly unlikely that such a move will ever be likely. The rationale behind this argument is that states then have the potential to militarily intervene in other states using humanitarianism as a justification for regime change or some other ulterior motive. It is to be noted that Goodman bases his arguments upon the dynamics of recent interventions in Kosovo and Iraq as well as the refusal to intervene in the Sudan or in Rwanda (Goodman, 2006). Similarly when attempts were made to intervene militarily under the auspice of humanitarianism in Syria, this was rebuffed by the UN General accumulation since it was suggested that those who sought to intervene (again, the USA, UK and France) were doing so out of a political motive which involve a war fighting phase as opposed to relieving suffering on the ground, indeed a part of the proffer was to arm anti Assad militias which were aligned to the al Qaeda franchise (Benotman and Blake, 2013 ). The outcome of this particular policy has been the phylogeny of Islamic State.ConclusionIn conclusion, the incorporation of a military force to benefit humanitarian operations can serve to benefit the potential for aid relief via the provision of security escorts for NGOs when operating in hostile environments. However with recent decades seeing a vast increase in the preference for military led humanitarian operations, the potential for a conflation between humanitarian principles and the advancing of political aspirations of donor states cannot be denied. This has been the case in Libya where humanitarianism was presented as a causal justification for military interventions which were mostly politically or ideologically led. With the vales of humanitarianism incorporating impartiality and neutrality it is hard to see how military forces can promote humanitarian values, particularly when their presence may result in engaging with potential belligerent forces in order to stabili se a country or region so that NGOs can conduct their own operations successfully. Essentially, therefore the aims of military forces (and their political masters) are vastly different from aid agencies, this serve to provide confirmation that military forces cannot promote humanitarian values, purely by virtue of their own activities and nature of their work.BibliographyBenotman, N., and Blake, R. (2013) Jabhat al-Nusra A Strategic Briefing, London Quilliam Foundation.Boulton, A. (2008), Memoirs of the Blair Administration Tonys Ten Years, London Simon & Schuster.Christoplos, I., Longley, C. and Slaymaker, T., (2004) The Changing Roles of Agricultural Rehabilitation Linking Relief, phylogeny and Support to Rural Livelihoods, available at http//odi.org.uk/wpp/publications_pdfs/Agricultural_rehabilitation.pdf, (accessed on 13/11/14).Dagher, S., (2014) Kurds Fight Islamic State to Claim a Piece of Syria, (online), available at http//online.wsj.com/articles/kurds-fight-islamic-state-t o-claim-a-piece-of-syria-1415843557, (accessed on 13/11/14).Davidson, J., (2012) Principles of Modern American Counterinsurgency Evolution and Debate, Washington DC Brookings Institute.Global Humanitarian Assistance, (2013) Counting the cost of humanitarian aid delivered through the military, London Global Humanitarian Assistance.Goodman, R., (2006) Humanitarian Intervention and Pretexts for War, (J), American Journal of International Law, Vol. coulomb 107 142.International Committee of the Red Cross, (2013) Humanitarian Values and Response to Crisis, (online), available at https//www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/57jmlz.htm, (accessed on 13/11/14).Kaldor, M., (1998) New and Old Wars Organized Violence in a Global Era, Cambridge Polity Press.Kuperman, A., (2011) put on Pretence for war in Libya, available at http//www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2011/04/14/false_pretense_for_war_in_libya/accessed on 13/11/14).Marjanovic, M., (2011) Is Humanitari an War the Exception?, (online), available at http//mises.org/daily/5160/Is-Humanitarian-War-the-Exception, (accessed on 13/11/14).Minear, L and Weiss, T.G., (1995) mildness Under Fire War and the Global Humanitarian Community, Boulder Westview Press.Ministry of Defence, (2011) Peacekeeping An evolving Role for the Military, London HMSO.Pattison, M., (2010) Humanitarian Intervention and the Responsibility To Protect Who Should, Oxford Oxford University Press.RT News, (2012) Stratfor Blackwater helps regime Change, (online), available at http//www.rt.com/news/stratfor-syria-regime-change-063/, (accessed on 13/11/14).Seybolt, T., (2007) Humanitarian Military Intervention The Conditions for Success and Failure, Oxford Oxford University Press.United Nations, (2011) Resolution 1973, (online), available at http//www.un.org/press/en/2011/sc10200.doc.htmResolution, (accessed on 13/11/14).US Government, (2012) Counter Insurgency, Virginia Pentagon.Waxman, M., (2013) Is humanitarian military intervention against international law, or are there exceptions?, (online), available at http//www.cfr.org/international-law/humanitarian-military-intervention-against-international-law-there-exceptions/p31017, (accessed on 13/11/14).Weiss, T., (2012) Humanitarian Intervention, Cambridge Polity Press.Williamson, J., (2011) apply humanitarian aid to win hearts and minds a costly failure?, (J), International Committee of the Red Cross, Vol. 93, (884) 1035 1062.

Monday, May 20, 2019

The Tally Stick

The Tally Stick ENLT 121-2 It is not always feasible to deliver unrivaleds be intimate for another human being simply done words or ordinary actions. Jarold Ramsey wrote a rime that demonstrates how simple markings and items can have priceless substances to them. The Tally Stick is a poem that explains the symbolic intricacies of a stick that he has created for his wife of many years and more(prenominal) to come. The poem begins showing the analogy amidst their nuptials and the general physiology of the stick itself.Ramsey carved their lives in secret (2) to show that his endure of art and their memories should carry on mysterious. Both the stick and their marriage argon beautiful to the public eye, unless he only wants the deuce of them to know the details of why it is so precious. The stick is carved in mountain mahogany (3) which is both(prenominal) very durable and free of voids present in common woods. This quality of both wood and bed is exemplified by hard and r atomic number 18 (3) to comprise the strength and preciousness of both.Line 5 makes the transition from Ramsey discussing the quality of their passionateness to positively reminiscing their lives together by touching and handling (5) the stick as opposed to observing it. This is what makes the run up stick so meaningful a couple would ordinarily revisit their marriage by push throughset a scrapbook, whereas Ramsey has created an artifact that can be felt in addition to observed to stir up more powerful emotions. The almost beloved parting of the marriage to Ramsey is the actual ceremony itself.The intricate strait (6) at the beginning of the stick, which he explains is our wedding (7), demonstrates how much he values the matrimonial ceremony between them. This intricacy is created where grains converge and join (6) which can be personified to a man and woman becoming onetheir convergence making them larger and more whole than they were as individuals. He values this moment so dearly that he can give specific details of the wedding such as who danced (9). Because he can recall so many details of this day, the details of the stick are readable notwithstanding with a thumb (9).This deep grain was chosen to bet this occasion to symbolize its significance, but more importantly because those grains are permanent in the wood just as their love is permanent. There are two specific symbols that Ramsey etched into the stick symbolizing two unavoidable events life and death. The first symbols carved were little arrowheads (10), and Ramsey explicitly says they symbolize the births of our children (11). Arrowheads were essential for the sustainment of life in ancient cartridge take toers, therefore Ramsey chose them to represent his children that bring life to him and his wife.Along with the arrowheads are heavy crosses (12) which also explicitly represents the loss of their parents and friends. In the bible, Jesus was squeeze to suffer by carrying his own h eavy cross before crucifixion the crosses on the stick symbolize both the suffering of Ramsey and his wife and the deaths of their loved ones. Not only does Ramsey include the influential moments of their lives through etchings, but uncontrollable events are also present on the stick. He included Events, History (15) because occurrences outside marriage do have a slight impact on how a couple lives together.These events affected them much less than those such as the birth of their children, and he symbolizes this by marking them as random hashmarks (15). These bantam scratches were placed sporadically against the swirling grain (16) the swirling grain is more precious and has a direction and purpose on the stick, whereas the hashmarks were chiseled randomly simply to present a reminder to him and his wife. Ramsey goes into detail about two historic events represented by the hashmarks.The Year the World Went Wrong (17) refers to around 1961 the year the United States sent multitud e into Vietnam which eventually escaladed into the Vietnam War including China, Russia, and France. Other hashmarks on the stick are the Great Men fell (18). This is mentioned subsequently the Year the World Went Wrong which means that these days occurred after 1961, yet were relatively close to that time period. It is possible that men who fell (died) included Kennedy in 1963, Malcom X in 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.All four of those men profoundly impacted America and it is likely Ramsey and his wife grieved over their deaths together. In spite of these horrible events occurring, the love between Ramsey and his wife run through it all (19) both in reality and in the grains on the stick. We know that their marriage persevered because their lengthening runes (19) ran through the hash marks (19), meaning their growing characteristics and companionship as a couple were not affected by these tragedies but instead continued on their natural cour se.The final stanza returns to the present time and describes the unfinished state of the tally stick. Ramsey believes that he and his wife are approaching death by indicating the stick is whittled nearly end to end (20). date the stick is almost completely whittled, there is in fact still space left, showing his intrust to create more memories with his wife so they can be carved on. Although the stick was carved out of hard (4) mahogany, the current state is delicate as scrimshaw (21) because of the amount of wood carved away by memories.It is so delicate that it would not bear you up (21), simply emphasizing the sticks strong-arm weaknessnot even able to support the weight of his wife if she used it as a cane. The final stanza is the first time that Ramsey admits his marriage is realistic and not perfect. Outside of the beautiful carvings is wood that has been smoothen simply by handling it. The phrases Regrets have polished it (22) and hand over hand (22) are both used to symb olize times of dispute in the marriage.The effort and friction required to hold the stick by hand while carving it has polished it, which is analogous to the effort needed to work through hardships and regrets of the marriage. In addition to the Tally Sticks current state, the final stanza expresses Ramseys desires for the remainder of his marriage and life. Ramsey only wants to reminisce meaningful life events with his wife, which are represented by their unforgotten wonders (23). The fingers testament feel sign after sign (25) on the stick, which have already been established as memorable events earlier in the poem.Ramsey wants this remembrance to be innocent and enjoyable as children on a booster cable (24), like kids playing on a trail in the forest. He does not wish to rag about the hardships in his marriage, as seen through the phrase talk softly (26), clearly indicating a imperturbable conversation that would not include any regrets. The final phrase of the poem is the ey es go ruse (27). The most provoking thought of this last line does not refer to simply losing vision, but instead is an analogy to dying together so that neither of them has to experience life without the other.Ramsey ends the poem with this desire to express how dearly he loves his wife. The Tally Stick demonstrates how Ramseys love for his wife can be objectified through an artwork that he has created. The medium for the masterpiece and the symbols on it are carefully selected so that every part of the stick is significant. The marriage, the milestones, and the hardships of their lives together are engraved on the stick, yet Ramsey makes it clear which parts are of most importance to him through detail and emphasizes that he truly believes in the phrase until death do us part.

Sunday, May 19, 2019

The New Testament Times

The Jewish sacred gentlemans gentleman is considered to be one of the major themes during the new(a) will times. In order to fully understand the New Testament, one must have a clearer fellow feeling of what are the possible similarities or possible differences between the Jewish spiritual world and non-Jewish religious world during the time of Christ.The core focus during the instant of the Old Testament was the law and the covenant, but during the time of the New Testament, it was Jesus Christ. Let us first consider the non-Jewish religious world as the Christian world.The main(prenominal) similarity between the Jews and the non-Jew, particularly the Christians, is that they believed in the same God and both groups have acknowledged the power of the Old Testament. However, one of the main differences between the Jews and the Christians lies in each clusters perception of the the Nazarene. It has been said that long before the time of Jesus Christ, most Jews have already ho ped for the coming of the messiah, a powerful, successful conquering king from the blood lineage of King David.This king is said to be the one who would lead Israel to the peak of glory, with peace and victory all over the state. However, during Christs time, his disciples had already acclaimed Him as the Messiah. Consequently, Christians regarded the messiah as their means of spiritual salvation because of Christs constitution as Son of God. Contrasting to what the Jews have believed, Christ had not lived to be a great political figure but a sacrificing, crucified individual who made radical statements, some of which is contradictory with the Jewish religious world.These radical statements lead to the acceptance of Gentiles or non-Jews into the community. Jesus taught that the basis for Gods acceptance is faith. The church service embraces Jews and non-Jews alike. Conflicting with the idea, the Pharisees believed that God is particular with obedience of the law from the Old Testa ment. They supposed that the practice of high chaste ideas will make them rightfully religious. Thus, they considered themselves as holier than non-Pharisees.During the New Testament times, Christianity disperse to Asia Minor and Greece. The Jews also spread and had large populations in cities around the world.With the Christians and the Jews compared and contrasted, let us now consider the non-Jewish religious world as the Greco- roman letters religious world, also during the same period.One great difference between the Jewish religious world and the Greco-Roman religious world is the number of gods in which each religious world recognizes. The Jews believed in only one God, the same God of the Christians. However, the Greek and the Romans have venerated a number of deities. The Greek and Roman religion is said to have merged during the time of the New Testament. This resulted to different cults with one god or goddess being patronized. Contradictory with the high moral standards of the Jewish religious world, these cults are said to conduct festivals in honor of their god or goddess in which they engage in immoral activities.The Cult of Attis, as an example, involves many orgies. Another example is the Cult of Bacchus in which its followers, during the festive days, engage in drunken frenzies to commemorate the acquaint of life.ReferenceGrolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge. Vol. 3. USA Grolier Incorporated. 2002. pp.102-106Key Elements of the Background to the New Testament. Available May 6, 2006