Meursault in “The Stranger” by Albert Camus Essay Essay Example

Meursault in â€Å"The Stranger† by Albert Camus Essay Paper Life is fantastic. but besides hard. We struggle to happen the significance in our lives. but we can non carry through it. There are many sorts of ideas or doctrines of life ; some think that life is already determined by God or destiny when they were born. while others think that they decide what they do by themselves. In â€Å"the stranger† . Albert Camus creates Meursault as a supporter. who does non believe about anything profoundly. Because of that. he can non truly bask his life. However. eventually. he thinks about his life when he faces decease ; he genuinely realized how to confront to the absurd universe. and therefore becomes Camus’ perfect experiential hero. We will write a custom essay sample on Meursault in â€Å"The Stranger† by Albert Camus Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Meursault in â€Å"The Stranger† by Albert Camus Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Meursault in â€Å"The Stranger† by Albert Camus Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Meursault is apathetic. and he thinks he absolutely enjoys each minute ; nevertheless. the world is he merely wastes clip and does non even know that. Meursault thinks that emotion is pathetic because people are controlled by it. and repent or experiencing sorry is a waste of clip. Therefore. even when he faces his mother’s decease. he does non experience anything. He does non hold involvement in his mother’s decease. so he does non even cognize when his female parent died. â€Å"Maman died today. Or yesterday possibly. I don’t know† ( 3 ) . Normally. one’s mother’s decease important and people think about their lives through her decease. Even though it is non his. and he knows that he can non happen it. he should believe about what his life means from the relationship between decease and life. However. it is possible that he does non care about it excessively much because he can non make anything in her decease. but he does non care about his matrimony. excessively. He has a girlfriend. named Marie. and when she asked him to acquire married with her. he was still apathetic. â€Å"Then she pointed out that matrimony was a serious thing. I said ‘No† ( 42 ) . He dos non cognize what is of import in life. It is non because he has different sense of values but because he does non care about anything earnestly. He has non had a large job in his manner. but his manner to populate is now job. When he takes Arab’s life off. he does non truly recognize what he did. Even when he was in the constabulary station. he does non understand what he did. therefore. † degree Celsius I was even traveling to agitate his manus. but I remembered that I had killed a man† ( 64 ) . He treats everything as a fact. so he does non truly hold an emotion. He thinks it is the manner to bask his life. but it makes his life more meaningless. He does non believe profoundly. Besides. he thinks decease is decease. so there is no hereafter after decease. Then. he shot the Arab four times more. but he does non cognize what it means. â€Å"Then I fired four more times at the motionless organic structure where the slugs lodged without go forthing a hint. And it was like strike harding four speedy times on the door of unhappiness† ( 59 ) . He does non experience good about hiting four more times. but it is non deserving decease at all. Taking human life is same as strike harding the door of sadness for him ; his manner to populate. which is without emotion makes his life atrocious subsequently. but at this clip. he does non understand anything. Life without emotion is easy because an emotion does non do sense. so he can do sense with everything in his life. However. it besides makes his life colorless. Because he is different from others. the society beats him ; the universe does non assist him. so he now has to make significance in his life by himself. When he is on test. he testifies candidly because he ever follows his bosom and does what he wants ; nevertheless. it does non suit the society. so people judge him from their subjective justness. @ @ When he candidly testifies about why he killed Arab. people did non listen earnestly. † curie blurted out that it was because of the Sun. Peoples laughed† ( 103 ) . Peoples do non understand him. and so they do non handle him as usual. They beat the alien ; there is cipher to assist him. Furthermore. they think they are right. so people rid from the society and do him look worse. The prosecuting officer does non desire Meursault to populate in the society. which the prosecuting officer lives and to hold the same human bosom. â€Å"He stated that I had no topographic point in a society whose most cardinal regulations I igno red and that I could non appeal to the same human bosom whose simple response I knew nil of† ( 102 ) . He denies Meursault’s human right. He should be in problem. but in the test. there are merely people who think they are normal and right. so they are the same as him. Therefore. they do non detect that the prosecuting officer is incorrect. Their personality is atrocious because there is no exclusion. Meursault thinks about this judgement and the â€Å"machinery of justice† ( 108 ) . It is precisely right. They follow their ain common sense. and treat him as a alien. The effect is a decease punishment. However. ironically. this state of affairs. which makes him confront decease and being cognizant that cipher helps him. makes him believe about his life and notice that he has to happen it by himself. Right before his decease. he realized the significance in life. Peoples do non cognize why they are populating. but they laugh at him because they think he is stupid and better than him ; nevertheless. ironically. he understands his life. When he accepts the absurd universe. he can make significance of his life ; there is no hereafter. so he has to believe about every individual minute carefully and bask it. Ironically. he does non hold clip any more. However. he thinks. â€Å"I had been happy and that I was happy again† ( 123 ) . Actually. he enjoys his life because he did non cognize that he has lived indifferently. His life is difficult for ordinary people to understand. but for him. it wholly makes sense. Furthermore. he understands everything now. so he feels felicity once more. Besides. he feels a sense of high quality because he knows that people who look down on him do non cognize. There are many thought about universe. and he wants to see the absurd universe. and demo them his manner to populate. â€Å"I had merely to wish that at that place be a big crowd of witnesss the twenty-four hours of my executing and that they greet me with calls of hate† ( 123 ) . He notices that cipher earnestly cares about him. but still they come to his executing. Playing the game is pathetic for him. but people can non populate without it. Cipher truly has a score against him. but they follow the others. Bing apart from society is chilling and entirely. so normally people can non make that. He besides feels that. so he wanted to decease in the crowd. Besides. he is proud of his life. so he wanted to demo how he lived. Now. he truly enjoys his life. The life is meaningless ; he realizes it when he faces decease. If people know that. they give up everything ; nevertheless. for Meursault. everything makes sense. There is no hint in the universe. so what he can make is making the significance by himself. Life is difficult because cipher helps him. but he decides everything and what he does has significance. He can bask his life to the full. so his life is fantastic. He has to bask his life while he is populating because there is nil after decease. There is no significance in the universe. so he creates it. Everything is to be happy.

Curanderismo in South America essays

Curanderismo in South America essays The strong beliefs in the supernatural is recognized to the pagan religious practices and the integration of beliefs that were instilled by the Conquistadors in their quest to convert the natives to Catholicism. Because of the conquest by the Spaniards and their settlement in South and Central America, there were intermarriages between the natives and Spaniards. This created the race referred to as the mestizos or, in the U.S., Chicanos. Their beliefs and religious practices have survived through the generations. However, the belief in folk illnesses and curanderismo does not usually deter anyone, whether Hispanic or Native American, to seek conventional health care. None the less, supernaturalism concerning curanderismo and witchcraft is a large part of the intriguing history of the natives and Hispanics of the Southwest. A curandero is a healer. Curanderos help treat personal things that cant be healed without having faith. The word derives from the Spanish verb, curar; which means to heal. Many Mexican Americans believe in the curanderos power of healing and visit a curandero when they are sick or having family problems. Even though medical doctors are available, many Mexican Americans still choose to see a curandero in times of illness. Unfortunately, some people seek a curandero because they have little or no money to see a doctor or have no health insurance. Although known to be good some curanderos tend to take advantage of the needy. Poor who have no money and that is unfortunate, a curandero works on one or more of the three levels of healing. These three levels include the material, the spiritual and the material. There are six major historical influences that have shaped the beliefs and practices of curanderismo. The first influence is the Judeo and Christian religious beliefs, symbols and rituals. The second is early Arabic medicine and health practices. The third is medieval and European witchcraft. The fourth influ...

Emergency Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Emergency Management - Assignment Example Lastly is the fire department in each and every county that handles all types of disasters and emergencies in their county. Each of the five mentioned emergency management and disaster response agency is keen on training people about the different types of disasters and how to response in case they happen as well as how to alleviate some of the disasters. For an individual who is used to emergency management, they react very fast to disasters in terms of seeking safety and the safety of others as well as preventing the effects from spreading further and communicating with others. However, for a private citizen not used to such emergency management, they take time to react. They try to save things that are not necessary as well as forget the safety precaution steps to take and they may find themselves injured. The first step in any disaster is to seek safety and try and calm down so as to take the other necessary steps. Panicking even though is human nature only tends to worsen things and bring disorientation. Keeping calm and planning way forward to safety is what people should always remember (Hyndman and Hyndman,

Toyota international business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Toyota international business - Essay Example The decision to operate and expand in Poland compared to other EU countries is dependant on a lot of factors, however we can look at some major aspects of investment decisions. Poland has been one of the most successful transition economies of the last decade thanks to consistently sound economic policies (DTI). It has consistently produced growth in GDP which slowed down in 1999-2000 which was mitigated with the prospects of closer integration with EU. Poland has dynamically converted from state capitalist economy to privately owned market economy. Even though conversion to private market economy and focus on EU increased consistency in economic policies, unnecessary red tape still needs to be eliminated. However until Poland joins the Eurozone, which is expected approximately by 2010, companies operating in Poland will be exposed to foreign currency risks. Considering the stringent requirements that have to be met in order to become a member of EU e.g. trade deficit of less than 3% and maximum government public debt of 60% of GDP, it is expected that until Poland joins Eurozone, the exchange rate will be stable enough so as not to effect investment and trade decisions by companies such as Toyota. Since the establishment of European Union and introduction of Euro, economic environment has dramatically changed. The EU represents a market of over 450 million people with minimal barrier’s to trade and movement of factors of production. The market size is expected to be effected due to inclusion of new member states into EU, however it is expected to normalize and increase by 2010 (DTI) and not only provide a larger target market but also skilled human resource – which is available at competitive cost compared to other European countries. Owing to the market size and purchasing power of the consumers, Toyota has posted 12% YoY increase in sales in

Criminal Punishment Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Criminal Punishment Program - Research Paper Example In June 1972, Furman v. Georgia reduced the support for death penalty, when the Supreme Court held capital punishment to be unconstitutional and voided 40 death penalty statutes. Several more rulings questioned the constitutionality of capital punishment, though many states continue the program. This paper discusses the history and outcomes of death penalty in the U.S. It also uses applicable criminological theories that help explain the different results of capital punishment programs. Despite scholarly evidence and arguments that showed that death penalty does not deter the incidence of violent crimes, majority of Americans continue to support it and other studies prove its deterrence. History of Death Penalty in the United States The first death penalty laws can be dated to eighteenth century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which applied the death penalty for twenty-five kinds of crimes. Britain influenced American death penalty because the English brought this prog ram with them to the New World. The first person who was executed through capital punishment was Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1608 (DPIC, 2013). Kendall was put to death for being a spy for Spain. The abolition movement for death penalty began during the colonial times too. Montesquieu, Voltaire and Bentham wrote against it, although the most prominent opposition came from Cesare Beccaria’s 1767 essay, On Crimes and Punishment (DPIC, 2013). Beccaria argued that no one can justify the state’s execution of human lives. Throughout the nineteenth century, death penalty witnessed different reforms, aside from abolition in some states. Instead of being applied in all crimes, for instance, it was applied to capital crimes in a number of states. After the Civil War, new means of execution developed. The electric chair was developed and used at the end of the nineteenth century. New York made its first electric chair, which was first used on Wil liam Kemmler (DPIC, 2013). Other states followed this technology. The early and middle twentieth century witnessed the ups and downs of the capital punishment program. From 1907 to 1917, six states banned the death penalty, while three reduced it to cases concerning treason and first degree murder of a law enforcement official (DPIC, 2013). These reforms were cut short because of the Russian Revolution and World War I, where five of the six abolitionist states reapplied death penalty in 1920. The 1960s and the 1970s tested the constitutionality of the capital punishment program. In 1958, the Supreme Court ruled in Trop v. Dulles (356 U.S. 86) that the Eighth Amendment embodied an â€Å"evolving standard of decency that marked the progress of a maturing society† (DPIC, 2013). In 1972, Furman v. Georgia, Jackson v. Georgia, and Branch v. Texas led to the Supreme Court asserting that death penalty is arbitrary. In Furman, the Supreme Court created the standard that a punishment would be â€Å"cruel and unusual,† if it was too severe for the crime, if it was capricious, if it offended society's sense of justice, or it if was not more effective than a less harsh penalty (DPIC, 2013). At present, the United States numbers of death sentences are gradually falling from 300 in 1998 to 106 in 2009 (DPIC, 2013). Though execution rates are declining, Gallup poll shows that the majority of Americans continue to favor capital punishment. In its 2012 survey, 63% of those surveyed supported death penalty

Hrm Contribute To Organization Effectiveness Management Essay

Hrm Contribute To Organization Effectiveness Management Essay Human Resource Management plays an important role in the enhancing the performance of performance of employees in the organization. The efficient HRM policies are being designed in an organization to enhance the performance level to its maximum. Human resource management (HRM) is the process of linking the human resource functions with the strategic objectives of the organization in order to improve performance. We may call in the way that human resource management holds the central live blood role in any organization. Factor that contribute to Organization performance An important aspect of an organizations business focus and direction towards achieving high levels of competency and competitiveness would depend very much upon their human resource management practices to contribute effectively towards profitability, quality, and other goals in line with the mission and vision of the company. Talent Management One of the key for the organization success depends on its managing, attracting and retaining best people. Companies view the ability to manage talent effectively as a strategic priority, and there was a high degree of sophistication about this activity among the companies in our sample. In all companies there are systems in place which identify high potential individuals using clear sets of leadership competencies and validated assessment instruments. These individuals are given a variety of developmental activities, from training, coaching, mentoring, projects, and international assignments, and they are placed on a talent inventory that matches prospective jobs to high potential individuals. Companies have adopted multiple approaches to retain valued talent, including financial incentives, personalized career plans, mentorship programs, and flexible work arrangements, and they place great emphasis on diversity and work life balance in order to compete for the best talent and retai n high potential employees Performance management Performance management, participative goal setting, with both work and development goals, based generally around balanced scorecard initiatives, provide direct link to strategic objectives. Multiple inputs at the appraisal, with most 360approaches now managed on-line are common for at least mid-level managers and above, and with bi-annual formal reviews and constant informal feedback, often on daily basis, to ensure projects/workload is on track and to ensure adequate resources are being given where appropriate. Developmental focus in the appraisal is a given. The developmental and pay reviews are split in all cases, and the line of sight to rewards is clear in most firms through the use of performance/potential matrices. Performance appraisal (PA) is one of the important components in the rational and systemic process of human resource management. The information obtained through performance appraisal provides foundations for recruiting and selecting new hires, training and developm ent of existing staff, and motivating and maintaining a quality work force by adequately and properly rewarding their performance. Without a reliable performance appraisal system, a human resource management system falls apart, resulting in the total waste of the valuable human assets a company has. Knowledge Management Most firms today associate information systems with knowledge management. If a firm has a good system and process for entering and retrieving information electronically, they argue, and then it has a good knowledge management system. Though linked and certainly vital to effective knowledge management, information systems are nothing without appropriate incentive structures, people development programs, personal relationships, and shared vision or goals. Within the HR function, effective knowledge management of practices and systems is key to its value proposition of being able to deliver HR practices and systems that are globally integrated, locally sensitive, and comparatively innovative. Emphasis on attitudes and cultural fit in the selection process While companies have traditionally focused on applicants academic credentials and job-related skills in the selection process, many of the excellent companies within the sample have expanded their definition of â€Å"the right people in the right place† to include cultural fit as a key selection criterion. These companies try to assess applicants personality and values to determine the fit with the corporate culture, based on the assumption that formal qualification is not always an accurate predictor of job performance and those skills are easier to train or change than personality traits, attitudes and values. A comprehensive Human Resource Strategy plays a vital role in the achievement of an organizations overall strategic objectives and visibly illustrates that the human resources function fully understands and supports the direction in which the organization is moving. A comprehensive HR Strategy will also support other specific strategic objectives undertaken by the marketing, financial, operational and technology departments. In essence, an HR strategy should aim to capture the people element of what an organization is hoping to achieve in the medium to long term, ensuring that:- It has the right people in place It has the right mix of skills Employees display the right attitudes and behaviors, and Employees are developed in the right way. If, as is sometimes the case, organization strategies and plans have been developed without any human resource input, the justification for the HR strategy may be more about teasing out the implicit people factors which are inherent in the plans, rather than simply summarizing their explicit people content. An HR strategy will add value to the organization if it: Articulates more clearly some of the common themes which lie behind the achievement of other plans and strategies, which have not been fully identified before; and Identifies fundamental underlying issues which must be addressed by any organization or business if its people are to be motivated, committed and operate effectively. The first of these areas will entail a careful consideration of existing or developing plans and strategies to identify and draw attention to common themes and implications, which have not been made explicit previously. The second area should be about identifying which of these plans and strategies are so fundamental that there must be clear plans to address them before the organization can achieve on any of its goals. These are likely to include: workforce planning issues succession planning workforce skills plans employment equity plans black economic empowerment initiatives motivation and fair treatment issues pay levels designed to recruit, retain and motivate people the co-ordination of approaches to pay and grading across the organization to create alignment and potential unequal pay claims a grading and remuneration system which is seen as fair and giving proper reward for contributions made a consistent performance management framework which is designed to meet the needs of all sectors of the organization including its people career development frameworks which look at development within the organization at equipping employees with employability so that they can cope with increasingly frequent changes in employer and employment patterns Policies and frameworks to ensure that people development issues are addressed systematically: competence frameworks, self-managed learning etc. The HR strategy will need to show that careful planning of the people issues will make it substantially easier for the organization to achieve its wider strategic and operational goals. In addition, the HR strategy can add value is by ensuring that, in all its other plans, the organization takes account of and plans for changes in the wider environment, which are likely to have a major impact on the organization, such as: changes in the overall employment market demographic or remuneration levels cultural changes which will impact on future employment patterns changes in the employee relations climate changes in the legal framework surrounding employment HR and employment practice being developed in other organizations, such as new flexible work practices. Finding the right opportunity to present a case for developing an HR Strategy is critical to ensuring that there will be support for the initiative, and that its initial value will be recognized by the organization. Giving a strong practical slant to the proposed strategy may help gain acceptance for the idea, such as focusing on good management practice. It is also important to build early or quick wins into any new strategy. Other opportunities may present the ideal moment to encourage the development of an HR Strategy:- A major new internal initiative could present the right opportunity to push for an accompanying HR strategy, such as a restructuring exercise, a corporate acquisition, joint venture or merger exercise. A new externally generated initiative could similarly generate the right climate for a new HR strategy e.g. Black economic empowerment initiatives. In some instances, even negative news may provide the right moment, for example, recent industrial action or employee dissatisfaction expressed through a climate survey.

Anabolic Steriods Essay -- essays research papers

Amber Lee Smith Weight Lifting Mrs. Registar February 12, 2001 Anabolic Steriods Anabolic Steroids are synthetic compounds formulated to be like the male sex hormone testosterone. Many athletes use anabolic steroids male and female alike, such as body builders, weightlifters, baseball players, football players, swimmers, and runners. They do so because they mistakenly believe that they will gain strength and size. In a male, testosterone is released by the leydig cells in the testes. The testosterone has two main functions androgenic and anabolic. Androgenic is the development of male sex characteristics. Anabolic is the development of muscle tissue. To treat patients who suffer from a natural lack of testosterone pharmacoligists alter one form of testosterone slightly, increasing the length of time the drug is active. Testosterone was first isolated in 1935; soon forms of testosterone such as dianabol, durabolin, deca-durabolin, and winstrol were produced. One of the main effects of anabolic steroids is to increase the number of red blood cells and muscle tissue without producing much of the androgenic effects of testosterone. There are only four legal uses for steroid treatment for certain forms of cancer, pituitary dwarfism, and serious hormone disturbances. There are two forms of anabolic steroids those taken orally and those injected. The immediate effects of both are mood swings of many different kinds. In one study, physicians Ian Wilson, Arthur Prang , Jr., and Patricio Lara found that four out of five men suffering from depression when given a steroid suffered from delusions. A research team from Great Britain Found that a patient given steroids became dizzy, disoriented, and incoherent. It was stated that they â€Å"had a case of a young man who was diagnosed as schizophrenic, and Smith 2 took steroids to help with his weightlifting. After taking these drugs he suffered severe depression and anxiety and had trouble sleeping†(Layman and Annitto 126). Most people who use steroids do not have side affects this severe. Steroids make changes in the electroencephalogram (an image of brain el... ... steroids. I read from the researchers that anabolic steroids show few if any effects at all and I read from athletes that there is a very large effect on muscle gain and endurance. I came across only one book though that addressed this issue between researchers and athletes. The book said that The American College of Sports Medicine stated â€Å"a report on the use and abuse of anabolic steroids. It stated that for many people any benefits of anabolic steroids are small and not worth the health risk†(Hutson). Yet almost all the athletes who use anabolic steroids feel that the steroids had a great effect and that they would not have been successful without them. The big gap between researchers and athletes has caused a big controversy. Athletes say one thing and researchers say another. The researchers have found a reason that maybe is the cause that anabolic steroid users see effects that researchers say are not possible they call it the "placebo effect". The pl acebo effect works by the power of suggestion athletes believe that the steroids will improve their performance so they do. The placebo effect is real the performance is Smith 5 improved and the gains are not image

Contrasting “Conflict in Things Fall Apart” and “Heart of Darkness” Essay

Heart of Darkness by Josef Conrad and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe are two novels that are written to make a statement. Both are meant to stir the emotions of the reader, whether those emotions be anger, hope, frustration, joy, despair, or enlightenment. Both novels take place in the same location and same time period and involve the same groups of people. Both novels depict European imperialism in the African Congo in the 1800s. The obvious distinction between the two is that Heart of Darkness tells a tale from the European point of view while Things Fall Apart tells one from the Native African Tribe point of view. Both authors use extremely well developed characters to manifest and exhibit controversies and bring to light critical aspects of human nature and propensity. Both authors use conflict of various types to ascertain an overall theme. Although the novels use similar settings in the expression of their ideas, the underlying themes Conrad and Achebe choose to focus on are very different. Chiefly, the ultimate conflict in Heart of Darkness is one of Man vs. Himself, while the ultimate conflict in Things Fall Apart is one of Man vs. Man. To begin, both Conrad and Achebe wish to make statements on the negative consequences of Imperialism with their novels, but choose to emphasize completely unrelated and extremely different issues. In Heart of Darkness, the conflict has to do with the destructive consequences of the self-discovery and internal turmoil that goes with segregation from society in an untamed, ruthless, savage place such as the African Congo. Years of life in the jungle drove the brilliant Kurtz to near insanity: â€Å"the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a terrible vengeance for the fantastic invasion. I think it had whispered things to him about himself which he did not know, things of which he had no conception till he took council with this great solitude† (98). For Marlow, the dark and hollow core inside himself and all mankind is also exposed during his conquest into the unfamiliar land, and he too comes very close to being pushed into insanity by his realizations: â€Å"The most you can hope from it is some knowledge of yourself — that comes too late — a crop of  inextinguishable regrets†¦ Since I had peeped over the edge myself, I understand better the meaning of his stare†¦ he had made that last stride, he had stepped over the edge, while I had been permitted to draw back my hesitating foot† (119). Obviously, Conrad chose to focus his novel not on the conflicts that arise between people in societies that try to impose on each other, but rather how a new environment and point of view can lead to self-discovery and internal conflict within oneself. On the other hand, Achebe’s obvious focus was on the falling apart of a culture that can occur with a more powerful culture’s abrupt influence. He emphisizes throughout his novel many directly contrasting aspects of European society and the Ibo people, and the conflict this causes both between the two group and among the Ibo people themselves. As the wise Obierka observes, â€Å"he [the white man] has put a knife on the things that hold us [the Ibo people] together and we have fallen apart†. The use of the words he and we implies that the conflict exists between individuals; between whites and blacks, Europeans and natives, believers and non-believers, loyalists and traitors. More specifically, one can observe the trials of the two novels’ main characters. Both main characters are tragic heroes and develop such dreadful internal conflict that in the end both are led to destruction, this conflict is rooted very differently for each of them. In Heart of Darkness, inner station manager Kurtz is found by Marlow in a state of essential insanity; an intellectual and economic genius turned delusional, raving, fanatical, and savage. As Marlow explains, Kurtz’s â€Å"intelligence was perfectly clear and concentrated, it is true, upon himself with horrible intensity, yet clear; †¦ his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself, and, by heavens! I tell you, it had gone mad† (113). Kurtz’s downfall was one that had developed from within himself. In Things Fall Apart, former tribal leader and respected warrior Okonkwo ends up losing the admiration of his people and eventually hanging himself. The self-loat hing hopelessness that led to his suicide came primarily from the discord that had developed between himself and the people of his tribe and the hostility of the whites.

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Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright The Failure to Prevent 9/11 Introduction Lawrence Wright’s book The Looming Tower Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 is aimed at examining at the origins of Al-Qaeda, the development of this terrorist organization, and the main events that preceded the September 11 attacks. To a great extent, this text can show why intelligence agencies failed to avert this threat.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright: The Failure to Prevent 9/11 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This text can also illustrate the inefficiencies of many law-enforcement organizations. The readers can understand the underlying causes of their inability to respond to potential risks as quickly as possible. Moreover, the examples offered by the writer can show what kind of roles that intelligence agencies should play, especially in the world in which globalization becomes more and more important. Overall, this book contains many examples which are import ant for describing the work of intelligence agencies. However, this work can throw light on the individual narratives of people who were involved in these events. Much attention should be paid to such people as John O’Neill or Ali Soufan. These narratives can have an indelible impression on the readers who may want to learn more about the underlying causes of the September 11 attacks. These are the main aspects that can be identified. The failure to prevent the September 11 attacks The central question which the author explores is the failure of various governmental organizations to recognize the threat and avert the attack which took a great number of lives. One of the main problems that the writer identifies is the lack of cooperation between agencies that could possess information about the activities of Al-Qaeda or its supporters. It should be kept in mind that the people, who perpetrated this attack, did not go completely unnoticed by the intelligence officers. In partic ular, they knew that in 2000, some members of Al-Qaeda had a meeting in Malaysia (Wright, 2007, p. 310). Moreover, two of these people, named Hazmi and Mihdhar later went to the United States (Wright, 2007, p. 312). In their turn, CIA officers failed to inform FBI about the arrival of these people in to the country. The main tragedy is that Hazmi and Mihdhar were the terrorists who were directly involved in the September 11 attacks. There were several factors that contributed to this fateful error. It is important to speak about the conflicts between such agencies as FBI and CIA. The senior officers were unwilling to share information with one another because these organizations had slightly different roles and priorities. For instance, CIA officers regarded Hazmi and Mihdhar as potential sources of information about Al-Qaeda. This is why they did not want them to be arrested immediately. Nevertheless, they were not aware about the intentions of these people. This is the main mistak e that they made while planning their operations. To a great extent, they failed to assess the danger that these people could pose. Furthermore, very often they treated the FBI agents as inferiors.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They did not believe that their colleagues could cope with Al-Qaeda (Wright, 2007). So, the lack of cooperation is probably the main problem that can be distinguished. It seems that Lawrence Wright provides in-depth insights into the bureaucratic inefficiencies and personal conflicts which resulted into the eventual catastrophe which changed the lives of many people. This is why this book is worth attention. On the whole, these bureaucratic problems become even more evident if one looks at the frantic struggle of John O’Neill. This person was able to evaluate the potential threat that could be posed by Al-Qaeda. Nevertheless, he did not possess the necessary information and authority that could enable him to pinpoint the source of threat. This is the man difficulty that he had to cope with. By focusing on the experiences of this person, Lawrence Wright is able to highlight the destructive nature of bureaucracy. Moreover, it is possible to mention the story of Ali Soufan who was an FBI undercover agent. He was working hard to learn the names of Al-Qaeda members in the United States. He had to work only this task only because the CIA officers failed to inform FBI about Hazmi and Mihdhar. The main problem is that his efforts proved to be fruitless because he found the necessary information when it was too late. Furthermore, Soufan was virtually destroyed when he learned that the names of some terrorists had been familiar to intelligence officers for a long time (Wright, 2007, p. 362). The stories of John O’Neill and Ali Soufan can produce a very strong impression on the readers since they show how individua ls may be forced to struggle with organizational deficiencies and bureaucracy. This is why these problems should not be overlooked. Moreover, John O’Neill and other law-enforcement officers were working in an environment when criminal groups began to operate at an international level. These groups did not work within the jurisdiction of a single country. In turn, governmental agencies were not ready for this change because they did not have the authority to transcend national borders. So, they did not adjust to the process of globalization. This is one of the underlying factors that should be taken into account. The September 11 attacks prompted many countries to join their efforts in order to cope with terrorism. One can say that this book can be important for understanding the nature of organized crime and the struggle against it. This challenge can be effectively overcome only if intelligence and law-enforcement agencies become less bureaucratic. They have to maintain clos er contacts with one another; otherwise, they may not respond to potential dangers as quickly as possible. This is one of the most important themes explored by Lawrence Wright in his work. It seems that the author’s discussion is detailed and interesting.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright: The Failure to Prevent 9/11 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The role that should be played by intelligence and law-enforcement agencies Additionally, this book can demonstrate the roles that intelligence agencies should play in order to protect the national security. First of all, they should closely monitor every person who can be related to any terrorist organization. This task has to be one of their topmost priorities because this surveillance can reduce the risk of potential attacks. This is one of the aspects that can be identified. The officers should keep in mind that terrorist organiz ations have become very complex. For instance, Al-Qaeda is a decentralized institution in which agents and coordinators have the capacity to plan operations and choose the methods that are most optimal for some terrorist attack (Wright, 2007, p. 318). In other words, these individuals are relatively independent of their commanders. Overall, in his book Laurence Wright examines the organizational structure of Al-Qaeda, and his comments are insightful. One should not assume that by arresting or killing the main leaders of terrorist organizations, they can eliminate possible threats. Such a view can only lead to the delusion of security. Thus, one should not assume that the assassination of Osama bin Laden can render Al-Qaeda harmless. In his book, Lawrence Wright illustrates the complexity of terrorist organizations. This issue should be considered by policy-makers who attempt to ensure the security of American citizens. This issue is relevant to the governments of other countries tha t are exposed to the threat of terrorism. Moreover, in this book, Lawrence Wright shows that the activities of terrorist organizations cannot be easily localized. For instance, the author shows that the bank accounts of Al-Qaeda could be found in various places such London, Khartoum, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Dubai, and so forth (Wright, 2007, p. 186). Furthermore, many terrorist are closely familiar with the western culture. In this case, one can speak about internationalization of crime. Thus, they have derived benefits from the process of socialization. One can effectively struggle against such organizations if, there is cooperation between intelligence agencies of various countries. The necessity of this cooperation is emphasized by Lawrence Wright who notes that CIA received valuable inside information from the intelligence services of other countries such as Saudi Arabia (Wright, 2007, p. 315).Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is one of the points that can be made. This issue remains relevant nowadays. At present, many countries have to struggle with the threat of terrorism. If the law-enforcement agencies of these countries share information with one another they can be more effective in their struggle against these militant groups. This is one of the tasks that policy-makers need to take into account. Additionally, intelligence officers must focus on individuals or states that provide funding to terrorist organizations. It should be taken into account that Al-Qaeda as any other terrorist group is dependent on the availability of financial resources. Bin Laden was able to assume the positions of authority because he achieved significant results as a fund-raiser for Al-Qaeda (Wright, 2007, p. 97). Thus, it is important to limit the flow of money to terrorists. Financial assets are essential for recruitment and training of terrorists, housing, ammunition, and many other things without which these grou ps cannot function effectively. Lawrence Wright is able to demonstrate that this aspect of counter-terrorism must not be overlooked. When speaking about Lawrence Wright’s book, one should pay attention to the powerful and authentic narratives created by the writer. The author speaks about the life of people who played an instrumental role in planning the September 11 attacks. Among them, one can distinguish Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. These people began to express anti-American views long before the September 11 attacks. Moreover, it was clear that these people could pose a potential danger to the national security of the United States. In this case, one can speak about the bombings of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi (Wright, 2007, p. 270). Moreover, Ben Laden declared a fatwa against the United States in 1996. In other words, he began to position himself as the enemy of America. Thus, every step taken by Al-Qaeda should have been scrutinized with great caution. This a rgument may appear to be self-evident, but this principle is often overlooked even by experienced officers. As it has been mentioned before Hazmi and Mihdhar were allowed to enter the country. So, it is critical to mention that intelligence officers should timely identify such individuals and render them harmless. This is the most crucial task that they have to cope with. It is essential for averting potential terrorist attacks that may be staged by people who can act as skillful administrators and coordinators. Much attention should also be paid to the ideological aspects of terrorism. For instance, it is possible to speak about the role played by Sayyid Qutb who supported the idea of jihad against the United States. This person attempted to give ethical and rational justifications for killing American people. Much attention should have been paid to his book called Milestones which is important for justifying Islamic fundamentalism (Wright, 2007, p. 29). To a great extent, his hatr ed of the United States can be explained by the irrational fear of every society that can differ from his highly ideals. His writings influenced the worldviews of Osama bin Laden. Thus, one could assume that the danger of this person could not be underestimated. Besides, it is vital to understand the ideological motives which can influence the actions of a militant group. In his book, Laurence Tower attaches importance the ideological dimensions of terrorism. So, it is important to mention that intelligence agencies have to perform the following roles and functions: 1) surveillance of people who can be related to terrorist activities; 2) cooperation with other law-enforcement agencies; 3) limiting or eliminating the funding that can be available to terrorist groups; 4) arrest of people who pose a threat to the United States or its allies. These functions are critical for the protection of American citizens. In the book, Lawrence Wright does not try to offer step-by-step solutions to the challenges faced by intelligence and law-enforcement professionals. Nevertheless, the examples that he offers are very eloquent and thought-provoking. The problems discussed by the writer have profound implications for international relations and the functioning of many governmental agencies, especially those ones that are responsible for the prevention of crime. This is why this text can be of great use to many officials who must safeguard the homeland security. Conclusion Thus, one can say that Lawrence Wright identifies very important problems which remain relevant to many contemporary societies which can be exposed to the threat of terrorism. There are several aspects that can distinguish this book among others. First of all, the author gives a detailed analysis of the inefficiencies that could have made the September 11 attacks possible. However, the examples provided by Lawrence Wright can illustrate the roles that intelligence and law-enforcement agencies should play. Th ese are some the main issues can be singled out. Overall, Lawrence Wright’s book can be of great interest to many readers. For instance, it can of great value to people who want to learn more about the work of law-enforcement organizations. However, this text is also a powerful narrative of people who were directly or indirectly involved in the September 11 attacks. These are the main arguments that can be put forward. The main strength of this book is it combines detailed analysis with interesting stories. Reference List Wright, L. (2006). The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

The Early Chesapeake and New England Regions essays

The Early Chesapeake and New England Regions essays While both the New England and Chesapeake regions of America were settled by Englishmen, each developed into two very different regions with their own cultures, laws, and ideas. The three main differences in each region were economy, living conditions, and religious fervor. First, the two regions differed economically. In Maryland and Virginia, settlers began to establish large tobacco plantations during the 1610s and started exporting large tobacco crops after 1617, as they were a more wealth-driven society than New England. In contrast, New Englanders established small farms, on which they raised corn and wheat, sheep, beef cattle, vegetables, and dairy cattle. Moreover, unlike Virginia and Maryland, New England teemed with small shopkeepers. New England also created towns with a sense of togetherness, whereas the Chesapeake region was made up of loosely scattered independent tobacco plantations. Second, living conditions differed in the Chesapeake and New England regions. In the Chesapeake, hot, humid summers, the grueling trip over from England, and the poor water supply all facilitated the spread of diseases. Moreover, landlords overworked beat and even killed their indentured servants. Consequently, the lifespan in the Chesapeake region was somewhere under 40 years. In contrast, New England's weather made it less likely to house disease. Furthermore, the labor requirements of New England were much less than that of the indentured servants of the Chesapeake, thus limiting fatigue. In New England, one would expect to live to the age of 60. Third, the degree of religious fervor differed in New England and the Chesapeake regions. The Pilgrims came to Massachusetts in 1620 to establish an ideal Christian community. Likewise, in 1630 John Winthrop and other Puritans had settled in the Massachusetts Bay are to establish a "City upon a Hill," which Winthrop hoped would be a pious and ethical community. To serve in the ...

Comprehension Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Comprehension Strategies - Essay Example Systems that are openly distributed can be sources of information whose reliability is not certain. More so, the process of looking up for information in large masses of given data can prove to be a hectic and difficult process. In this life, we are often faced with similar situations calling for the need to make judgments on the reliability of information and the most effective method of accessing such information. Most people depend on the Internet as their main source of information but the uncertainty and complexity associated with the expanding Internet has made the users experience several problems. The problems include; how reliable the information they obtain from the Internet is. Most of the information from the Internet are on pages identified with queried keywords. This is meant to easily get at the information required but it ends up failing to qualify the information obtained with the data on the information sources themselves (George, 2006). Every person has his or her credibility standards when it comes to information they need. In most cases, this depends on the application of the information. This calls for the need to get it right every time one needs to evaluate different sources and settle on a judgment call. Most people depend on the Internet as their main source of information thus they have to be guided against the uncertainties and complexity associated with the expanding Internet. It is also close to impossible for any Internet user to sieve through all the available information from the Internet and pick out the best suited information. Following this situation, it is evident that reputation and trust play an important role in determining the credibility of a particular source. Some of the ways of determining if an Internet source is credible and can be trusted include The other problem is the issue of sematic mapping; the use of key words to locate information from different sources from the Internet can be misleading as the keywords used may have several meanings in relation to the language used or the context. It is also close to impossible for any Internet user to sieve through all the available information from Internet and pick out the best suited information. Following this situation, it is evident that reputation and trust play an important role in checking on such problems. It’s the nature of every human being to put more weight to the ideas and opinions of the people they trust and know well. Hence, by having the process of retrieving information be guided by trust , chances are that such information will end up being more reliable than the information obtained from arbitrary sources. This approach also checks on the information overload issue now that the internet users will only reach out to sources they trust. One can have the confidence to regard a source to be credible if the author of the source has a degree or a better credential on the subject. In a situation where the source has no autho r or the organization is not named, then there are high chances that the source is not credible. More so, there are sources where the authors are named but they end up not being credible (George, 2006). If the work is original, the ideas presented are the ones that have to be evaluated and not the author’

Health Benefits of Yoga Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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