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In the fifth century, the barbarians took advantage of the Roman Empire’s peak of vulnerability and weakness and plundered one region after another until they completely took over. After the fall of the Roman Empire, there was a serious decline in culture, education and in the economy, known as the Dark Ages.
Get original essayThe American Cyclopaedia describes the dark ages as an intellectually depressed time period between 400 AD and 1400 AD after the establishment of the barbarian supremacy. While the events the American Cyclopaedia describes to have happened during the Dark ages are correct, this definition of the dark ages is inaccurate because it ignores the prosperity Europe had throughout the 11th century.
In the early Eleventh century, Europe began their climb out of the Dark ages. The cause of this progress was because of available farmland tripling. Originally, villages had to be self-sufficient, isolated from the outside world because of poor roads littered with thieves. But the Feudal system and the subsiding of invasions not only brought the growth of technology and agriculture but also allowed them to re-settle previously depopulated lands. This agricultural revolution increased the food supply notably, which in turn brought up the population.
With this increase in population and beginning of security, education also developed. While education wasn’t available for everyone during this time, education for the upper class and monks were provided at monasteries or church schools by scholars. These scholars taught many things ranging from botany to logic. Education became slightly more widespread, but still very limited with the rise of universities, which eventually replaced the monastery and church schools with a new system of education. This change in education was a staple in the return of culture (architecture, art, literature,)
With education and culture, architectural innovation also came through, often showing as large gothic style cathedrals with large columns and high ceilings with ribbed vaults.. One of the most famous is Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris or Our lady of paris Cathedral. Construction on this cathedral began in 1163 and was completed in 1345. It took such a long time to be built due to the economic issues europe was still facing as it left the dark ages. However, these cathedrals showed the power of the Roman catholic church which would be another staple in the scent out of the dark ages.
The time period in which the dark ages ran through has been greatly disputed by historians. Those that argue the American Cyclopaedia definition is correct use the argument that although colleges were built, access to education was limited. They also say the economy was still struggling and Europe was not back in complete normalcy by the early 11th century. The American Cyclopaedia definition supports this, as it states the dark ages were from 400 Ad to !400 AD.
However, even though education wasn’t available to all, a great component of the dark ages is not having access to education at all, so even minimal education is a good thing. As for the economy and the fact that europe wasn’t in complete normalcy, the cultural and technological revolution of the early 11tth century helped Europe out of the period of intellectual decline, depression and cultural warfare.
In conclusion, due to the weakening of the roman empire leading to the barbarians invasion then establishing their supremacy, Europe plunged into a time of great darkness known as the dark ages. According the to American Cyclopaedia definition, the dark ages were from 400 Ad to 1400 AD which is highly inaccurate because it disregards the agricultural, technological, educational, and architectural growth of the early 11th century.
What comes to mind when you think controversial? One topic that comes to my mind is Capital Punishment, along with related topics such as abortion, gun control, and vaccines. Capital Punishment also known as the death penalty has been an ongoing controversial topic in history. Capital Punishment has always existed in various ways. It is also used in other countries other than just the United States. Individual that has an opinion on capital punishment usually have a strong stance of their side. Many advantages and disadvantages exist under this topic. A thorough analysis of the 'Death penalty violates human rights' essay must consider both its advantages and disadvantages, which have made it an ongoing controversial topic in history.
Get original essayCapital Punishment is the more humane way to say death penalty. This term according to deathpenalty.procon.org refers to “the planned killing of an individual by a government entity in response to a crime.” This punishment is only given when a crime is determined to be a safety threat to society and then is legally convicted of committing said crime. This Penalty is handed out for crimes as serious as murder, treason, espionage, drug trafficking, or attempted murder of a juror, court officer, or witness in the case. Research conducted in 2018, showed that every person sitting on death row had been convicted of aggravated murder or rape of a child. This proves that people sentenced to the death penalty have committed horrendous crimes and nothing less than.
There are several advantages to Capital Punishment. For an individual that has taken someone else’s life, the sentence to life in prison does not suffice. Capital Punishment is a way to reach as much equality as possible for what they have done to their victim(s). This does not mean two wrongs make a right, but it is a fair argument. The sentencing of an individual to the death penalty takes that violent criminal off the streets, out of society, preventing one less criminal from claiming more victims. Inflicting capital punishment will ensure the criminal has no possibility of parole or escaping. With no chance of return to society, this gives the victim(s) families complete closure and justice. The last advantage to capital punishment has to do with the increasing overpopulation in prisons. If the death penalty were implemented more often for serious crimes it would help prevent this overpopulation dilemma.
On the flip side, there are of course also disadvantages to Capital Punishment. One of the most debated over disadvantages is that when implemented, the death penalty violates human rights. Amnesty International Organization states that “The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights…It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state in the name of justice. It violates the right to life…” Another huge disadvantage is that the penalty could potentially execute an innocent individual. There are around five out of fourteen hundred cases that have ended in execution that was later found to have strong evidence of innocence after it was too late. Some things that have been linked to resulting in this is improper handling of evidence or lack of federal review. The cost of capital punishment leads to another disadvantage. Cases, where the death sentence is reached, are much more expensive than cases where other sentencings are given. The average cost of capital punishment is about 3.2 higher. Some may argue this is a waste of tax dollars, and that there are better things to spend it on.
The death penalty is not pursued in a brutal manner, in fact, the point of this penalty is for it to be carried out as quickly and peacefully as possible. The process includes a painless induced death by lethal injection. In previous U.S history, the forms of the death penalty that were inflicted included stoning, hanging, and electrocution. Many other countries still use these less “humane” ways to execute their criminals even today. The death penalty is only legal in 24 states in the U.S. Lethal injection is used to avoid violating the eighth amendment which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Lethal injection is the loophole to this because the initial drug given induces a state of unconsciousness where they can no longer register pain. When the injection is pursued it quickly slows their breathing and heartbeat to a stop. It is administered in three constant drips in both arms. The first of these is Sodium Thiopental, suppresses the central nervous system and numbs the body. Second is Pancuronium Bromide, this induces muscle paralysis. Lastly, Potassium Chloride, this is what causes the heart to stop beating. From start to finish it lasts approximately 8.4 minutes.
I personally can see both sides of this topic. Wherever you stand I respect you and your opinion, this is because I believe everyone has their own reasoning behind forming their opinions. Before researching this topic, I felt I did not have a clear understanding over the topic, therefore had not formed a solid opinion. Now after researching the topic, I think I have picked a stance. I do believe that capital punishment should be legal. I say this based off the information about crimes committed of those who sit on death row. I agree that if you commit rape of a child or take the life of another human being you deserve more than life in prison. Life in prison offers these individuals free food, shelter, and basic needs that these individuals do not deserve. I believe that Lethal Injection is the best way to give the family closure and justice that they deserve. I also think this is a good way to prevent overcrowding in prisons instead of letting criminals of lesser offenses back out on the streets without serving their complete time. My only conflict is with the possibility of executing an innocent person. The statistics of this happening are low but shouldn’t exist at all. I think if an individual is sentenced to death row, they should be undeniable without a doubt guilty of the crime they are accused of, and no hesitation should be present.
In conclusion, there are strong arguments for both sides. There are several advantages that benefit society and victims’ families. Capital Punishment does keep criminals out of society preventing the victims they would seek if free and safe and solves our prison overpopulation problem. At the end of the day, it is the process of taking someone’s life, criminal or not, so that’s one huge disadvantage. People who have religious beliefs and morals that go against the death penalty, understandably so. Of course, no one wants to see an innocent individual executed, so this also is a disadvantage. I believe capital punishment should be legal, however, there should be adjustments made in the sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has expressed concern about the increasing number of children who are engaged in alcohol and substance abuse. How can guidance counselors assist DEC to curb the problem of drug abuse?Use and misuse of drugs and substance by children has become too familiar, in spite of its consequences. A huge number of children worldwide are experiencing the effects of drug misuse and illicit substances. The undesirable effects of intoxicating substances like alcohol and drugs are very real, very serious and well documented. It very serious because children’s bodies and minds are still developing characters forming. The terms drug abuse and substance abuse sound the same in many instances, but they are not. They are said to be intoxicating substances that cause an increase of unwelcome, harmful and an inability to control their use. Business Dictionary, (2008), describes the word “intoxicant”, as a substance which, when received by the body by one means or another cause the state of someone to function less, mentally or physically.
Get original essayIn Zambia today, it is common to find a twelve-year child smoking or let alone drunk. Research shown that, children are the major customers of the local drug cartels. Big numbers of children coming to school under the influence of such substances, has raised a lot of concerns in the education sector as well as the Drug Enforcement Commission, DEC. This assignment aims to discuss how guidance counselors can help Drug Enforcement Commission to curb the problem of drug abuse.Established in 1989 by the Dangerous Drugs (Forfeiture of Property) Act No 7 of 1989, the Drug Enforcement Commission DEC is an institution mandated by law to stop or reduce drug trafficking and possession in Zambia. In carrying out its mandate, the commission works with other institutions at the global, regional and local level.
The key role of these agencies is to provide the commission with information of where the cultivation of the drugs is, as the DEC cannot be found everywhere. Of the institutions that DEC partner with, are schools, the reason is because of the influence that schools have on children’s attitudes, knowledge and opinions. Children suspected or found to be abusing drugs in school are referred to the guidance teacher who in turn works with the DEC.School guidance counsellors play a significant part in ensuring that children in school remain on the right track. A 2017 survey reviewed that 5.2 percent of children twelve and seventeen years have an alcohol and illicit drug dependence, with eighty thousand one hundred fifty-six, Zambian children receiving substance abuse treatment and counseling at various mental and health care facilities country wide. This fact even if it is unpalatable is a big demanding task for school guidance counselors in making it easier for children to stay out of harm’s way.
Every day, schools are confronted with unpleasant struggles of substance abuse linked events. The immoral and wicked act has caused children to undertaking various activities among them, unrests, sexual violence, damage to school assets and other instances death. There are no qualified reasons why some children engage with drugs which turns to abuse. It is also not clear why other children are not at risk of the wicked vice and succeed to avoid its pitfalls, Carlson, (2010). Different reasons for substance and drug abuse can be pain relief, depression, anxiety, weariness and acceptance into a peer group.When certain things happen to children that they believe very sad it causes them to lose determination, they start thinking of best ways to become happy once more, thereby the use of drugs, which become habits, hence the abuse that we see and hear about.
For many years, influence from members of one’s peer group, has been an active force world over. Unfortunately, a group seldom pressures its member to change to positive fashion. As an illustration, you cannot come across a group of children pressuring others to attain satisfactory grades in class. By and large, the strong feeling is unconstructive; which involves anything from smoking and consuming alcohol. Taking part in the vice seems a huge price to remain part of the group. Central to the nature of peer pressure is the plan by which any group influences its members. Those that are presented with, eventually change their behavior to comply to the standards and rules of the group.A lot of children contend with some form of an anxiety disorder, which can be social anxiety, acute stress or panic. Social anxiety is mostly the type of disorder that usually lead to drugs or alcohol misuse. Children who do not acquire appropriate diagnosis to control it are at greater risk of experiencing drug and substance abuse. Children utilize intoxicating substances as a means of self-medication to function on a daily basis, as a result addiction, making it not easy to break the circle.The death of a loved one, especially a parent, is a difficult encounter for any child to endure. Strong emotions of sadness and grief start to exist in reaction to the situation which is normal and expected. And children experiencing loss often describe themselves as being pushed down. They feel socially lonely and many adopt to drugs, this usually happens if they do not have supportive families to guide them.From a teacher’s perspective, school is the life the future of any child.
Drugs and substance abuse demonstrates itself in many ways, such as behavioral problems and poor academic performance. Many of them have settled on drug and substance abuse as a fountain of recreation and happiness not knowing that the effects are unfavorable to their health and growth.Signs that suggest drug and substance abuse comprise of redness around the eyes, sudden change in appearance such as untidy, less desire in school, slurred speech, forgetfulness, absenteeism, falling grades and uncompleted tasks. Taking a step should be every teachers foremost plan, Towers, (1987). Drugs cause a lot of consequences including habits of stealing and selling drugs to peers, memory gaps, brain damage worse still loss of life. Children need information on this important topic because they live in a country in which Alcohol and Drug (AOD) use is everywhere, if even they do not use these substances, because, alcohol and drug substances affects their lives in a number of ways including through those who use them.The use of drugs is a serious societal matter of great value and schools are considered a privileged space for the development and keeping children from using drugs, and raising them to high social standing. A healthy school helps to prevent drug and substance abuse by equipping children with knowledge and skills required to make healthy choices and providing encouragement and emotional help. However, prevention programs should not only target attitudes and knowledge to be effective.
Effective drug and substance abuse programs need to be comprehensive, able to target the attitudes and knowledge of children as well as create a supportive environment. Consistent education about drug and substance abuse is important in helping children acquire skills and knowledge needed to stop the vice. However, a school cannot work alone, Toblar, (1999).Measures to keep children off drugs and lessen drug and substance abuse has become an important component in the Zambian school curriculum since children spend much of their time in a school environment. And thus, proves to be an important place to implement prevention programs that seek to reduce and eliminate the risk of engaging in use and future delinquency, done through Drug Education Programs DEP.Drug Education can be defined as a set of educational programs, policies, guidelines and procedures that contribute to the achievement of broader health goals of stopping and lessening drug use and drug related damages to individuals and the community. It is a life skills based education for drug use prevention which has been included in the formal and non-formal curricula. While it is not possible to change behaviors, caused by circumstances beyond the influence of the school environment, it is realistic for schools to impart knowledge and skills and strengthen sound values as a foundation in line to health and drug use. On their own, schools cannot manage, thus the DEC comes into play. Harm minimization in schools accept that, despite guidance teacher’s best efforts, some children still choose to use drugs. This, however, should not imply that a school as a system should approve that use It should be made clear to children that unlawful drug use and possession in the school is not acceptable and punishable.
Formation of Anti-drugs clubs is one of the many ways that guidance teachers can work with the DEC to curb drug and substance abuse. The patrons of these clubs should be DEC officials. In these clubs, DEC officers should inform children of the consequences of using and being in possession of drugs and the adverse effects that drugs can have on their health.Participating in sports helps keep children out of trouble, though it is not guaranteed as some children still get into trouble even while taking part in sports. This could be to the children’s choice of friends, lack of parental guidance or other circumstances. Sporty life in children may cause drug abuse for different causes including performance enhancement, pressure to perform, injuries, physical pain to mention but a few. Using performance enhancers is drug abuse called doping. Doping is the use of drugs or other substances for performance enhancement in an effort to gain a competitive advantage, Baron, (2007). Schools have various games in which children are participants, and their goal is to bring glory to their schools and indeed themselves. Inasmuch as, it is not the guidance teachers wish to see children come into contact with the long arm of the law, a guidance teacher can take advantage of this event by inviting Drug Enforcement Commission officers to sensitize children on the dangers of doping. As an alternative, this can be also an appropriate time for Drug Enforcement Commission officers to carry formal and systematic inquiry into the places and persons from whom the drugs originate, which these children abuse.
The most available and alternative substances among Zambian children is marijuana and alcohol. The first level of addressing the unpleasant topic of drug and substance abuse by children in sports is prevention. Proved studies reveal that doping in children is more than an isolated choice made by individual children. In the era of performance enhancing drugs(PED) with professional sports, one can say that all of us are guilty. So if everyone is using PEDs and it is normal development in the games, then why don’t professional sport bodies and anti-doping agencies allow it? Plain and simple, it is cheating. The role of the guidance teacher and the DEC should be to help children be the best and most importantly clean competitors. It must be made known to children that, they are not allowed to dope and if they do, there are consequences and repercussions which include but not limited to health problems and destroyed personality, the game and the nation at large.The misuse of drugs and substances can negatively impact all the aspects of a child’s life like, a strong effect on his or her family, friends, community and has placed enormous hardships on the Zambian society. Drug and substance abuse show an 80% of offences that lead to confinement and imprisonment of children in Zambia. The country’s places of confinement have exploded beyond what they can contain and most children are there in large numbers, because of drug and substance abuse. Their charges are based on what is referred to as “status offences”. They are status offences because, they apply only to children and punishable under the country’s penal code, Free Dictionary, (2008).
Research reveals that four of every five children in these state juvenile justice system are arrested for committing a drug and alcohol related offence and majority of the offences are shoplifting, vandalism curfew violations, school truancy, kicking, fighting and hitting. The role of the Drug Enforcement Commission is to come in and emphasize to children that, the law catches up with anyone and prisons are there for children found not obeying the law, disputing the concept that, they children can do anything because they are children. The Drug Enforcement Commission can identity children that need rehabilitation.When drugs and crime spillover into the school, teaching and learning is compromised. One of the principle risk consequences of drugs and substance abuse is violence. In the course of this present day, school violence is predominant than ever. There is intimidation and persecution to those considered weaker and cyber bullying. Recently, there have been incidences of children entering school with knives. Teachers and children similarly are at risk on a near daily basis and school is no longer a safe place it was for past generations. A school is supposed to be a safe place for learning, growth and discovery and feelings of unpleasant emotions, caused by the threats of danger, pain or harm have no place. Combating the problem of violence takes concerted, vigorous and determined efforts by teachers, guidance teachers and the Drug Enforcement Commission in particular, especially so, because this vice is a result of drug and substance abuse. Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) should from time to time be offered by the Drug Enforcement Commission in schools.
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Get custom essayThe best way to convey the truth about drugs is through the words of those who have been there, so the Drug Enforcement Commission can bring in former drug addicts to tell their stories, so that by telling their stories they can pass on what they went through and children can avoid going down the same path.In modern Zambian community, substance abuse has become an easy way for children to satisfy their needs and obtain sudden feelings of excitement and pleasure. It is cardinal that guidance teachers understand the problem and have the knowledge to help children in school refrain from using drugs and live healthy and productive lives. The revelation by the Drug Enforcement Commission is evident that, there has been a significant increase in the consumption of drugs, especially the productive age, ten to thirty-five years. The age is prime because that is when people have the energy required to develop this great nation. It is unfortunate, that instead of harnessing this prime age group, it is wasting its demographic dividend. The task of making Zambia a drug-free nation should be left to the Drug Enforcement Commission alone. We have to work together in ensuring that we eliminate drug and substance abuse in our beautiful country by reinforcing drug education campaigns to raise awareness on the dangers of substance abuse.
The following work is to describe the social and economic advantages and disadvantages of the Olympic Games being held in China. The impact of this event held in China was very significant. It provided a means of job creation, improved infrastructure of medical and lodging facilities as well as roads and transit systems. China showed the rest of the world that they were major contenders via athletics, technology and progressive economics. The model used in these findings was the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Get original essayThe Olympic Games originated in Olympia many centuries ago. The first modern Olympics took place in 1896 in Athens, Greece. The man responsible for its rebirth was a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who presented the idea in 1894. His original thought was to unveil the modern Games in 1900 in his native Paris, but delegates from 34 countries were so enthralled with the concept that they convinced him to move the Games up to 1896 and have Athens serve as the first host.
The Olympic games can be considered to be one of the largest sporting events of the year. The games are held in different countries every 4 years and attract millions of people who are either spectating, competing, volunteering, or working in the Olympics. The games are divided into two events: The Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics. The events occur every four years, as previously stated, but they alternate every two years. Hosting the Olympics has tremendous advantages for a country, but it also has its disadvantages. So what impact did the Olympics have on China?
Cities which host the Olympics can be assured of a persistent increase in recognition and tourism – Barcelona, Sydney, Atlanta and Beijing have all seen this from hosting the Olympics (Champions 2016). The 2008 Olympics were held in Beijing, China due to the country’s progress from a largely rural society more open, wealthy and mainly urban society (Yambilla, 2015). According to an article written by Wasserstrom (2012), Westerners seemed so concerned about the question of whether hosting the Olympics would push China toward Western-style political reforms, and no one seemed concerned about the question of whether, instead of us changing China, China might actually change us. China hosting the Olympics helped them to gain a greater international acceptance (Yambilla, 2015). They also proved that they were a contender in sports. Olympic Summer Games provide an opportunity to demonstrate to the world how “democratic, open, civilized, friendly, and harmonious” China is. It gives the opportunity for China to benefit economically by way of tourism and created jobs. According to Sands (2008), to the Chinese government, hosting the Olympics also signified a turning point in its economic development. He further states that it provided an opportunity to begin the shift from an economy based on being the assembly platform for global manufacturing to one geared to providing goods and services for China’s growing and prosperous middle class. The Chinese government has invested billions of dollars in sports facilities, housing, roads, mass transit systems, and other infrastructure (Sands 2008). The Chinese government prioritized developing a mass transit system. Prior to this system the city only had two subway lines (Laidlaw 2008). It has been said that by the start of the Olympics, seven subway light rail lines were added (Laidlaw). This had the potential to further crowd the country. A total of thirty-seven were built in China leading up to the Olympics that can be used in future events (Laidlaw 2008). They’ve built hotels and hospitals.
The raised profile from hosting the Olympic Games in China can be important for obtaining economic benefits, such as attracting tourists and business investments. The long-term investment which comes from preparing for a major event will ensure that the city and country will have a legacy of improved sporting venues (Champions 2016). This will be important for investments in the city to cover fund infrastructure and transport to cater the mass number of potential foreigners who enter the city in the future as tourist. According to Champions (2016), there has been significant investment in public transport projects around London. This will leave a lasting legacy for residents of London, especially those in the East End.
Job creation is a major benefit of hosting the Olympics. As one can imagine, in order to pull off a major event like the Olympics successfully, years of planning, investing, building and event managing are necessary. Of these requirements jobs are created. Obviously, there would be a host of construction jobs available. Improvements to roads would be necessary for the influx of new visitors. There may be a need for more facilities or the improvement of current facilities, such as hospitals and hotels. Vendors will be needed for the sale of food and other merchandise such as t-shirts and other memorabilia. Parking officials will be in demand, chauffeurs will be needed as well as tour guides.
A major sporting event can create enthusiasm and excitement ahead of the occasion, during the event and for months or even years afterwards, says Champion (2016). He goes on to say that it can also help promote uptake of sport which has lasting benefits for the nation’s health and lead to a rise in volunteerism, which promotes civic virtues. The Olympics always see a surge in visitors and media as the greatest sportspeople on earth come to town. This will provide a sudden increase in spending and injection of money into the local economy for a number of weeks (Champion 2016).
Just as there are advantages for China to host the Olympics, there are also disadvantages. City branding is a common practice adopted by many cities in the context of intensified urban competition for mobile resources, markets, opportunities and attention (Yambilla 2015). Expenses for hosting the Olympics can run well into the billion-dollar category. The amount of money spent on the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing was an estimaded $300 million (Yambilla 2015). $22.8 billion was estimated to have been spent on game related infrastructure (Yambilla 2015). The overall expense was estimated to have totaled. $40 billion (Yambilla 2015). Host countries see a GDP decline and debt accumulation. Not only do host countries experience a decline in the GDP growth a year after the games but they also incur debt. At the time the Beijing Olympics commenced, former host cities Montreal (1976), Barcelona (1992), Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004) will still be paying off debt acquired from hosting the previous Games. A survey by the Bank of China examined 12 Olympic Games over 60 years, and assessed that most economies suffered from a post Olympics effect (Nagle 2010). According to the study, Nagle (2010) notes, ‘In nine of the 12 Olympics, including the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona, the hosts’ GDP growth in the eight years following the Games was 0.4 to 2.5 percent lower than during the eight years prior to the event.’ Those jobs that were created leading up to the Olympics are no longer secured after the event is over. The construction work on the roads and facilities is done. Foreigners return to their home countries, so tourism has declined thus declining sales from food vendors souvenir sales. Some cities have seen an increase in tax post games to finance a loss of putting on the sporting event (Pettinger 2017). The post-games cost of London is uncertain. This increase in cost has made hosting the Olympics less politically popular (Pettinger 2017).
Major sporting events increasingly have to implement higher levels of security. This is both costly and can restrict freedom of movement of local citizens during games (Pettinger 2017). Increased crime was also an issue. In August of 2008 in the People's Republic of China, two American tourists and their Chinese tour guide were stabbed at the historic Beijing Drum Tower; one of the tourists was killed (Gregory 2008). Todd Bachman, of Lakeville, Minn., his wife Barbara and their female Chinese tour guide were stabbed by a man identified as Tang Yongming, at a popular tourist spot, the Drum Tower, a Dynasty-era building once used to tell time (Gregory 2008).
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Get custom essayChina’s recent remarkable economic achievements have earned it considerable respect as a global power with the fastest growing economy and holding the largest foreign reserves(Sands 2008). As a consequence of economic success, the 2008 Olympics were offered to Beijing because the city had built sufficient infrastructure and accumulated ample resources to make the event magnificent (Lee 2010). The Olympics being held in china created an ample amount of jobs and helped to initiate brand new infrastructure in a country that will continue to reap the benefits (Lee 2010). Under the slogan “One World One Dream” the Games passed as China’s successful coming out party, despite intense scrutiny, speculation and setbacks (Lee 2010). Broadly, the Olympic event was used to portray China as a new and modern nation with a glorious past; emerging global leader in economics, technology and environmental issues; and an improving human rights record (Sands 2008). China’s economy is only beginning to feel the positive impact of many projects associated with the Olympics. A successful Olympics accelerated China’s opening to foreign investment, foreign ideas, and internationalization (Sands 2008). Though it is difficult to measure human rights and human freedom, China is unquestionably more open and accessible than ever before in its history.
The first interview that I conducted involved one of my neighbor Jack who is 74 years old who I consider as my grandfather considering the fact that we are very close and he is a very interactive person who enjoys company of young individuals and keeps on talking about the existing differences during his time and current times. The interview involved a face-to-face interaction, which ensured that I was able to have an understanding on key activities during his youthful days. The conversation was very educative and interactive since I focused on a lot diverse elements involving social interactions. The interview focused on the entertainment scene based on sound recording, radio, movies and television development.
Get original essayThe general understanding that I received from my interview with Jack is that a lot has really changed although their exist different understanding on whether the society has changed for the better for worse depending on an individual preferences. The interviewee listens to jazz music highlighting its soothing benefit. Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington was his favorite artist. The interviewee asserts that idolizing someone back in the time was based on significant achievement in the society and the teen idols at the time were mostly singers who had made remarkable success.
Jack Wild was his teen idol, back then it was very difficult to won a thing and the family owned thus most of the properties. The family owned a gramophone and this meant that his father only operated it at specified time. During this time, the records were being sold at approximately $1.5 in specific shops in our local town. The interviewee highlights that they grew up not knowing CDs until in the 1980s where the world was undergoing significant transformation in all aspects.
The development over the years have been blinding especially the development in the entertainment scene, it was not possible to have high definition images on the screens since the screens that they used in 1950s were very small and displayed less clear images although they learnt to use them at the time. The interviewee highlighted that based on the changes that have been taking place it is very difficult to imagine the past since it seems like nothing would have been functioning.
The programs that were being aired on both radio and Television had almost a similar pattern and watching or listening to different radio or television stations made no significant sense. The movie industry was always evolving and there are some important movies that were produced back in the days although the excellent ones have been reproduced to promote the ideas. The key aspect in the 50s and 60s was the thought process among producers that was out of this world. The interviewee highlights the level of creativity in the 60s and 70s as key which has been unmatched by current producers who focus on improving on the already available idea.
The second interview that I conducted involved my uncle who is my father’s elder brother. I chose him because he seems to have more experience than my father when it comes to the development within the entertainment and communication industry having been grew up in the 80s a period when there were significant innovations and development which changed the global focus on a number of things especially technology. The interview was conducted face to face where it was easy to allow the interview have an understanding on the purpose and what I wanted to achieve through his responses.
His most preferred type of music was country music. Country music was very huge during this time with many artists opting for it and it gained global fame. His favorite artist was and still Kenny Rodgers who is one of the legends in music industry as well the pioneers of country music that has been significantly adopted over the year. Kenny Rodgers was his idol growing up and wanted to do everything he saw Kenny Rodgers used to do. He also attended some of Kenny Rodgers concerts as a young adult.
Vinyl Record player was the only music system that our family owned and the interviewee provides an understanding on the fact that his father was very strict with the system and was only used for important occasions. He was afraid for it to be damaged since there was no service center in the nearby. The cost of LPs were averaging at $2 although the innovation of CDs created a significant environment under which they were more engaged and had more information regarding these developments.
There was diversity within the system where movies and television images were clearer and the programing on the radios and Televisions stations began being managed by professionals considering the fact that there were changes in the market due to increased completion levels. The first family color television was bought at $450 in 1981. The interviewee highlights that there are no significant changes during his time growing up and current environment although technology has taken significant control almost on everything creating a very complex environment for development. The key measures that were put in place earlier on have been significantly forgotten in favor of sophisticated technology.
Since the 1970’s, China has experienced a time of rapid expansion and growth at a scale not seen before (Bremner, 2006). The processes China has used to grow were widely popularized many years ago during the industrial ages of Europe and America, however, the amount of people China can use in its workforce, but must also feed, provide housing, and other basic needs too has been greatly increased in regards to the population numbers in Europe and America during their industrial ages. For China to stay in its position of economic power, they are causing significant harm to their environment as well as the environments of their surrounding neighbors (Stalley, 2009). This harm is dealt in different form of pollution, such as the heavy layer of smog in many of China’s cities, the expelling of industrial waste into river streams and lakes, and the tearing down of trees and other plant shrubbery to create more buildable land, which in turn promotes desertification and dust storms. These three different forms of pollution are very destructive to a natural environment and if left unchecked, will make the lives of Chinese citizens very difficult. The destruction of the environment seen in China and the consequences they face can be explained with the somewhat new term of ecological debt (Roberts and Parks, 2009).
Get original essayIn simple terms, ecological debt is the point a country will pass when the consumption of their resources within their ecosystem, or territories, exceeds that system’s ability to regenerate its natural resources (McKibben, 2011). This is also true for non-renewable resources, where the consumption of said resources outweighs the production and acquisition of the non-renewable resources. This concept is mainly based on the biophysical carrying capacity of an ecosystem by measuring the ecological footprint of the human society; one can determine the rate at which the country or society is depleting its natural resources (Goeminne and Paredis, 2010). The carrying capacity is the maximum population size the environment can sustain of a certain species. In regards to China, many speculate they are causing so much damage to their natural environment that they will not be able to recover and repair their natural environment (Goeminne and Paredis, 2010). The main cause of China's environmental damage is their rapid growth and their use of coal to power their country (Roberts and Parks, 2009).
Today, China has a growing economy estimated to be around $12.6 trillion (Bremner, 2006). This growth was achieved by rapid expansion in their money supply, loan growth, and fixed investment. Their economy has also shifted from being a closed, command economy to a market-oriented economy that now plays a greater role than 1970’s China. Some evidence of China’s growth is China’s position since 2010 as the world’s largest exporter and the second largest economy, right behind the U.S. Similar to most developing countries; the coastal areas are developing faster than the inland cities. However, with this growth come some daunting environmental problems, such as the degradation of China’s mangrove forests and coral reefs, desertification, deforestation, industrial river pollution, and increased levels of smog in the atmosphere (McKibben, 2011).
In the 1970’s, China was a closed, centrally planned economy, since then, China has grown to be one of the major powers in the world. However, they are facing problems only faced by more developed and larger countries, such as ecological debt and a growing ecological footprint. The term ecological debt can mean many things, such as the date in a year where the world’s natural resources have been used up that they can no longer be replenished by the end of the year (Roberts and Parks, 2009). The term is also used to explain in quantitative and tangible numbers the amount of damage done by countries to their surrounding environment (Roberts and Parks, 2009). The main idea behind this is that a country will need to spend the same or more time in repairing their natural environment while they acquire the needed natural resources (Roberts and Parks, 2009).
In order to mirror the prosperity and growth of the West, China has rushed to create their own industrial revolution by becoming leaders in many of the major industries that polluted America, Germany, and other Western countries during their own industrial revolutions (Bremner, 2006). Chinese companies, with the help and support of the state, are the leading producers of steel, coke, aluminum, cement, chemicals, leather, paper and other goods that would normally face high costs and tougher environmental regulations in other parts of the world. But these mills expel large particulates, smog, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and other forms of air pollution into the atmosphere that are very difficult to remove (McKibben, 2011). This is where the idea of ecological debt comes into play. While China is experiencing this huge growth in their economy, at what cost does this growth incur? It will take years, possibly decades, to remove the pollution in China’s atmosphere and to repair the damage already done.
The use of coal to power China has led to a cornucopia of problems relating to air pollution and the health of China’s citizens. According to the Energy Information Administration, China accounts for 47 percent of the world’s consumption of coal, which is almost equal to every single country on Earth, combined (Stalley, 2009). Compared to 2011, China’s coal consumption has grown by 9 percent. This growing use of coal as an energy source comes from the 200 percent increase in demand of electricity compared to early 2000 (Stalley, 2009). Also, most of the coal is used during the winter months in China’s north to help heat houses. As discussed below in the section regarding air pollution, the cities in China’s north have some of the worst air pollution due to the cold, even though the cities are considerably smaller than China’s capital Beijing. However this does not take Beijing out of the loop for air pollution. Beijing is in the middle of an industrial belt of coal-burning factories, which no doubt produces many of the smoggy days that greatly surpass the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality scale. For background purposes, an air quality index rating above 300 means the air is unsafe to breathe (Zarroli, 2013). It is advised that everyone stays indoors with a running air purifier and remain as still as possible. For a growing a developing country like China, this is impossible to do.
In January of this year alone, there were nineteen days in Beijing that went above the 300 threshold; the average of all nineteen days worked out to be a rating of about 500. Incredibility, on January 19th, the index reached 886, which is the same as living inside a smoking lounge (Stalley, 2009). Manufacturing industries, the mills mentioned above involving the production of steel, coke, aluminum, cement, etc., and Beijing’s five million plus cars all add to the air pollution that is slowly taking over the skies of China. Also, it is important to note Beijing is not the most polluted city in China. That role goes to the city of Urumqi in the far west of China; where as mentioned above, the increased use of heating apparatuses greatly affects the air pollution of China (Zarroli, 2013).
Similar to Russia’s problem of controlling a vast country, China is having a difficult time imposing new rules and regulations regarding air pollution in the western regional area of China. A great example of this is with the Qingtongxia Aluminum Group in Qingtongxia, China (French, 2007). In 2005, China announced a nationwide campaign to reduce the overall energy consumption of the country by raising electricity prices to discourage growth. China’s west relies on companies like Qingtongxia Aluminum Group, which accounts for ten percent of Qingtongxia’s gross domestic product (French, 2007). To get around the regulations set by Beijing, Qingtongxia removed the Qingtongxia Aluminum Group from their city’s national electrical grid and instead were directly supplied with electricity from the local company. This removed the chance of the company being charged with increased fees and it also let the city of Qingtongxia still receive their needed electricity at a low price (French, 2007). This is recurring problem in China where the local level has conflicts with the regulations set out by the state level, which leads to many local governments not following state regulations.
A more personal example of China’s problem with air pollution and smog is the case of the eight year old girl in the province of Jiangsu who, according to The People’s Daily, became the youngest person in China to be diagnosed with lung cancer (Duggan, 2013). Her doctor suspects the lung cancer developed from the increasing levels of smog and her location to a busy road. She was exposed to PM 2.5 pollution that contained fine particulates that can lodge themselves deep in the lungs of humans and then enter the blood stream, making this level of pollution very dangerous for humans (Duggan, 2013).
The pollution of rivers and lakes by the industrial actors of China is also a huge problem in China’s fight to be more environmentally friendly. Most of the effluent released into the rivers of China is untreated and is not naturally dispersed by the rivers of China (Lallanilla, 2013). Some of the effluent contains cancer causing contaminants like cadmium. Not only are the rivers polluted, but this pollution travels to the wells many Chinese citizens use for drinking water. Testing done in July of 2009 by BioMed Central, a UK based scientific publisher, found that the well in Shangba, a city in the Southern Guangdong province, contained large amounts of cadmium and zinc, which both can lead to liver cancer (Lallanilla, 2013). The groundwater that fills these wells is also used for about 40 percent of farming in China. According to Reuters, about 90 percent of China’s groundwater is polluted, while an estimated 60 percent of all groundwater is severely polluted.
One effect of China’s air and water pollution is the creation of “cancer villages.” These villages are so polluted, that even living inside the city runs a huge risk of being diagnosed with cancer (Lyn, 2009). High rates of stomach, kidney, colon, and liver cancer appear in certain areas spread out across China; usually this area of high cancer risk is right next to a heavy industrial complex. Shangba, the city mentioned above in the water pollution section involving polluted well water, is on example of China’s “cancer villages.” According to local citizens, the river that runs through the town changes color from white to orange depending on the different types of industrial effluent (Lyn, 2009). Some of the contaminants in the river include cadmium and zinc, which is known to cause cancer. He Shuncai, a thirty-four farmer from Shangba has this to say about the pollution of his towns river, “All the fish died, even chickens and ducks that drank from the river died. If you put your leg in the water, you'll get rashes and a terrible itch. Last year alone, six people in our village from cancer and they were in their 30s and 40s," (Lyn, 2009). The Chinese government has relatively ignored these areas; one example is in last December, where Jin Zengmin offered a $32,000 reward to any local died environmental officer to swim in a hometown river that Zengmin once swam as a young boy. His reward still stands to this day (Lyn, 2009).
While there are many types of air and water pollution occurring in America and other parts of the world, the pollution is of greater consequence in China due to their lax regulations and almost non-existent response to critical areas of pollution and accidents involving pollution, such as spills (Lallanilla, 2013). In the end, this excessive pollution will slowly kill off many Chinese people. If one were to play devil’s advocate, while the excessive air and water pollution of their cities and towns is completely a negative consequence, it does indirectly solve another area of pollution in China, which is overpopulation. While this does not justify the killing of innocent people, it is similar to idea set forth by the authors of Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. In chapter four, Steven Levitt explores the role of legalized abortion in reducing crime, where children who are unwanted or whose parents cannot take care of them are more likely to become criminals and children born in these conditions are usually less fortunate. In a way, pollution in China is reducing the amount of people that require food, electricity, and heating.
One major effect of China’s disregard for the natural environment is desertification and the coinciding dust storms. In the past decade, about 400 million people in and around China have been and continue to be affected by desertification (Tudela, 2001). Desertification is defined as the process of turning arable, farmable land into desert. This is one of the main environmental problems facing China since it affects transportation, food security, and their international relations with the surrounding countries due to the excessive problem of sandstorms, which can blow into South and North Korea, Japan, and even across the Pacific into North America (Tudela, 2001).
In central China, the Gobi Desert converts about 3,500 square kilometers of arable land into desert each year (Tudela, 2001). There are many causes to desertification, some being deforestation, population increases, overgrazing, abusing water resources, city building, mining, and the destruction of vegetation (U.S. Forestry Department, 1997). While the population of China is increasing, they do not need to lose more space to desert where it is difficult to build types of things needed for their citizens, such as farmland and housing.
Another problem with desertification, deforestation, and loss of vegetation is the increased chance of a sandstorm occurring in China (Tudela, 2001). Not only does this affect the country of China, the sandstorm has a good chance to blow over into the Korean Peninsula and Japan due to deforestation and the loss of vegetation that is also occurring in China (Tudela, 2001). Kim, the exchange student for South Korea’s Maritime Academy brought this idea to the attention of the GSMA major when he presented the effect these dust storms have on South Korea. During the sandstorm, people are not able to walk or function outside without the proper protection on. What this means for China is a constant disdain for their economic growth from the surrounding nations since they are the ones who are also feeling the environmental problems caused by China. Not only is the dust a problem, some fear the sandstorm may also carry large particulates that stay in the atmosphere and pollute the air of the different nations in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Also, China’s dust storms could quite possibly be the nail in the coffin in regards to other East and Southeast Asian countries grouping together under one or more goals to disrupt the monopoly China has on power and trade. Not only is it a problem faced by main Asian countries, it greatly disrupts their economies and could potentially shut down cities, such as what happened in the city of Harbin, China, where the smog pollution was so bad the city shut down so people would not have to go outside.
In the end, China is doing irreplaceable damage to their environment and the environment of the surrounding nations, as seen with the creation of sandstorms. However, China is trying to lay out different laws, regulations, and programs to hopefully reduce the pollution of their natural environment as well as renew their environment. One program is the removal of old junk cars that pollute the atmosphere with their decrepit technology (Wong, 2013). Another is the creation of the “Green Wall of China” which is long line of trees planted by the government and various environmental groups to stop the desert from concreting arable land into desert (Roberts and Parks, 2009). While this practice has sound evidence and research behind it, they are apparently only planting one or two species of trees. This will lead to a grey sparse "forest" which will not lead to bio-diversity.
The air pollution and water pollution in China will most likely cause the most damage to their natural environment, due to the severity of the chemicals and pollutant and because the pollution from China is being somewhat ignored by Chinese officials. Not only will the pollution cause damage to the health of the citizens of China, it will also disrupt China’s growth and prosperity that has happened in the recent decades. The different types of pollution affect transportation in China, hurts the day to day operations of businesses and even cities, decreases the amount of biodiversity and life of animals in the area, and most importantly the pollution affects the fish stocks of China.
With dwindling resources and a resource hungry population, China has looked elsewhere for natural resources, such as oil and fish. One place China is looking for more raw materials is Africa. Fishing operations are popping up around West Africa’s coast and many boats are doing terrible damage to their fish stocks. China and other nations are able to fish in the EEZ’s of many African countries due to the lack of infrastructure and a Coast Guard. While this helps China met the needs of their own people, their practices are still destroying the environment and even the livelihood of other people (Wong, 2013).
Unfortunately for the environment, the people of China and other nearby countries, the smog pollution of China is a natural step in rapid economic development. If China was to enforce more environmentally-friendly production methods on their factories and mills, they will lose their export advantage. It will be safe to roll out new environmental regulations when their middle class has grown and can be more self-sufficient. However, their middle class is still growing and China will need to keep their production costs cheaper than the rest of the world to stay on top.
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Get custom essayIn the end, China is causing immense damage to their environment and more importantly, they are causing an increasing level of damage to their surrounding neighbors. The smog that is surrounding many of China’s cities is slowly choking the citizens of China as well as the businesses operating in China. There is also the pollution of rivers by Chinese businesses and organizations. These pollutants are killing off many of China’s natural resources, such as fish and plant life. Lastly, the expansion and growth of China is causing desertification to run rampant across Northern China and causes dust storms to also increase number and severity. The dust storms are causing trouble not only in China, but also in the surrounding neighbors of China. To stave off the ecological debt, China will have to significantly cut down the damage they are causing their environment by reducing the number of coal plants, switching to more renewable forms of energy, roll out new regulations, rules, and laws to keep businesses from polluting in China’s air and water, and to create a barrier of trees and other shrubbery to hold off the effect of desertification. If China does not reduce the damage they are causing to their environment, China will slowly start to implode on itself since the people of China will no longer be able to function in the lands of China.
The Hollywood Blacklist was initiated in November 1947. It involved the denial of employment to actors, directors, musicians, and screenwriters who sympathized with the communists or had any ties with them. The events leading to the initiation of this list were 10 directors and writers who supposedly refused to stand before the House Un-American Activities Committee and testify. The directors and writers were openly defying the investigative committee because they did not agree with the methods used for investigation. This open defiance resulted in a jail term for the 10 Hollywood entertainers. They were also banned from Hollywood studios. These events gave birth to the Hollywood Blacklist which saw several other Hollywood entertainers banned from working in Hollywood.
Get original essayThe relationship between the U.S and Soviet Union was very much strained. The two countries had different systems in which the U.S. was capitalist and the Soviet Union was communist. The U.S. had made its stand clear. It was extremely opposed to the communist system of governance. The sympathy of the 10 Hollywood writers and directors made the U.S. Government not only angry but paranoid as well. They were afraid of the influence these men had in Hollywood (“Effects”). The Hollywood Blacklist brought a lot of tension in the entertainment industry. People started telling on their colleagues and the blacklisted entertainers could not find decent work because no one in Hollywood was willing to hire a blacklisted entertainer. Another effect was the censoring of American films which were produced to portray the U.S. ideals of democracy (Humphries xx).
Famous actor Charlie Chaplin was forced out of the U.S. after being named in the Hollywood Blacklist. His name was only one of many names listed in the list. The other famous Hollywood 10 consisted of famous names such as Lester Cole, Albert Maltz, Adrian Scott, Herbert Biberman, Dalton Trumbo, Samuel Ornitz, Edward Dmytryk, John Howard Lawson, Ring Lardner Jr, and Alvah Bessie ( “Why did the Hollywood Blacklist Happen?”).
These ten people faced severe backlash and their families had it worse. After serving time in prison, they were released only to face a hostile community. A person like Dalton Trumbo started creating pseudonyms because no employer would draw a check to any individual in the blacklist. Dalton adopted a new name which he used to sell his work. He could not use any of his friends’ names because some had left town, others were under the watchful eyes of the law and some of them had also been blacklisted.
In 1957, John Henry Faulk was fired from his work after an investigation by AWARE, a private firm that investigated people suspected to be sympathizers. As a result, John decided to sue AWARE. His campaign was supported by several other individuals (“Inc. John Henry Faulk V. Aware et al: 1962- Faulk Leads Fight against Blacklisting.”) In 1962, John Henry won the lawsuit.
The Hollywood Blacklist affected a lot of people and changed many lives. The people involved in blacklisting the Hollywood entertainers were put on notice by the courts and they were held legally accountable for the damage they caused. Years later, Hollywood has healed from this historical event and today, the establishment enjoys the freedom of expression.
The exponential growth of the drug trade during the 1950’s in South America was heavily influenced by the rapid globalization happening in the world. There were two main cartels that controlled the drug trade in Mexico and Columbia. The Guadalajara cartel controlled most of Mexico’s cannabis and soon after cocaine trade. It was headed by Felix Gallardo and his business partners. The cartel that had control of Columbia’s trading routes was the Medellin Cartel, led by Pablo Escobar who had started selling cocaine and even ran for president. According to Peterson Institute for Economics, globalization is the growing interdependence between countries with their cultures and economies. For the illegal drug trade across the world this had a positive effect on it growth and relevancy. In terms of international security it was impactful, it resulted in billions of dollars and resources spent to attempt to stop it. “It can be argued that the apparently successful global securitisation of drugs constitutes one of the greatest threats to international and human security.”
Get original essayGlobalization has resulted in the easier flow of goods, services and movement of people across borders. This brings along an evolution in technology as a consequence which means that transnational activities have become easier, faster and cheaper. Although the economic growth and interdependency has been positive, the rapid growth had not been supported by governing bodies and this allowed an opportunity to organised crime to spread across borders. “Consequently, when combined with the breakdown of political and economic barriers after the end of the Cold War (which provided access to global transportation) globalization has had the negative effect of facilitating the expansion of transnational crime such as global terrorism, people and drug trafficking, immigrant smuggling and money laundering”. Most of the world’s cocaine is produced in the Andean region of Columbia but the markets targets has changed over time. The shift is due to the fact that supply and demand are the biggest role layers on the drugs success. The easier mediums f transport and drop in prices has seen a balloon affect in the 21st century. Substantial achievements in reducing the area used for coca cultivation through the U.S.-funded Plan Colombia, coca cultivation in Colombia decreased by 58% between 2000 and 2009. However, it then increased considerably in the 6 Plurinational State of Bolivia (doubling to 75% of its 1990 peak) and to a lesser extent, in Peru. These changes are consequences of globalization and shows the liberalization and change of shape of narcotic trade. To understand the link between globalisation and the growth of the narcotic trade it is crucial to understand the change in law for trade and the effect that trade liberalization has on illicit drugs being sold.
According to Claudia Costa Storti and Paul De Grauwe the decline in retail prices for cocaine is a result of the cut in a concept called “intermediation margin” which is the difference between the retailers and the producer’s price. The cut can be explained by globalization. The harder to do jobs that have a high risk (such as smuggling and selling) have become easier from the evolution of transport and more free cross border trading laws. The less risk jobs such cultivation have become easier. Tools to cut and produce the drug has improved the efficiency of growth and this impacts the trade positively as more product can be transported to the consumer. Communication between the parties have improved and moreover, new financial systems have allowed money laundering to occur more easily therefore allowing cartels and drug traffickers to go undetected despite many authorities efforts to crack down on the problem. All these factors contribute to the cost of the current drug distribution patterns.
“The open-borders effect of globalization allowed millions of poor and low skilled workers to engage more easily in transporting and distributing drugs. Most of these workers were willing to take the risks involved because they had little to lose, while others were attracted by the still relatively high intermediation margins of the drug market.” This means that there would always be a surplus of workers ready to do the high-risk jobs required by the drug cartels.
Money laundering exceeds over $1 trillion a year. Investments contribute a big role to networking and the laundering of funds in the drug trade. Banks are offering offshore accounts and find it hard to verify every transaction made by all the accounts they hold. This allows an opportunity for criminals and drug traders to use this loophole to operate and conduct their sales. “It is hard for banks to verify that all wire transfers, checks and other financial transactions are “clean”. There is no doubt that illegal drugs is an international security problem. Many third world countries ad fragile states are being exploited in the involvement from producer to consumer. Globalization can be proved to have impacted this again. Illegal human trafficking in third world countries have become a major problem for international security because of the ease of access to different methods of transportation. Many citizens that live in third world and fragile states are used to transport the drug to the industrialised countries where low levels of wellbeing among the youth are common. “It can be argued that the apparently successful global securitisation of drugs constitutes one of the greatest threats to international and human security.” – Danny Kushlick, 2011.
The increasing diversity and intensity of the influx of new people from around the world are one of the main ways globalisation has had a large impact on drug markets. To prove this European drug markets can be used to show this. Many of the plant-based material and chemicals used in prior production is produced outside of Europe and are smuggled into the continent. Each vehicle and foot path is a chance to bring in the illegal product and with exponential growth of vehicles in use (such as planes, cars, ships etc.) has made it much harder for authorities to stop and identify the guilty parties. “The port of Rotterdam receives 30 000 sea vessels and 110 000 inland vessels every year and is Europe’s largest, and the world’s eighth largest, container port”. Another area that shows the impact of globalisation on the narcotics trade is air passenger traffic that has increased in Europe and globally. It is estimated that the number of annual passengers coming into Spain (South American entry to Europe) has increased from 166million in 2004 to 196 million in 2014.
Another area that globalisation’s impact on narcotics markets can be seen by looking at changes the chemical industry has undergone in the past 20 years. The precursors used to manufacture most of the traditional illicit drugs are generally made legally by legitimate firms and then only channelled to illicit ends, new psychoactive substances are predominantly produced in Asia, particularly China and to a lesser extent India. Firstly, the global chemical industry has experienced a huge expansion and growth during the last 20 years and is still continuing to grow. Chemicals are now produced in most countries around the world and global production of the chemicals industry almost doubled between 1990 and 2010, it grew quicker than global GDP. Secondly, international trade of chemicals has grown even more than their manufacturing, thirdly a massive part of international trade of chemicals is built up on re-exports, emphasising the role played by other intermediaries. This means that more chemicals are traded between more countries through more intermediaries than ever before, this results in the jobs of authorities being harder as more networks are created and can go unnoticed.
The drug trade has grown immensely in the last 100 years and it can be said that it is directly linked to globalisation. The easier access to almost every product and service across the world has allowed major drug cartels like the Guadalajara cartel and Medellin cartel to move illicit drugs across the world without being detected. The use of desperate people from poor countries has been made easier with human trafficking on the rise as well as violent transnational organised crimes. The international expansion of financial institutions have made it hard to track every transaction and therefore illegal funds can be moved around easier recently. The rapid growth of industries has allowed illegal substances to reach consumers globally as trade liberalisation has made it possible and international security is struggling to keep up with the world becoming a smaller place. I chose this topic because it interested me in seeing how the drug trade is still growing rapidly even though law enforcement and security forces have developed modern technologies and methods to confront the problem and put a stop to it. They have been tracking and investigating the problem for many decades now and have struggled to find a solution to the increasing problem.
The topic I’ve chosen was very hard to find sources to work from because a lot of the statistics were outdated or the articles and journals that were found did not relate to the topic chosen but rather the side effects of drugs and its effect on us as individuals. Many sources were not credible for the fact that they were often an opinion of the writer and what the write/author predicts about the future in terms of global security. The sources that were found credible had a lot of information that could be extracted and helped in understanding how each area of the drug trade was effected by globalisation and what it means to international security. A lot of the statistics that was needed were there and are accurate because they come from international companies that specialise in this area of research.
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Get custom essayWhat fascinated me was how each individual that plays a role in illegal trafficking has to adapt to changes in law and policies around the world. The use of hiding techniques and the patterns of globalisation that allows these drug cartels and all parties involved to be successful from evading the law. Upon research it became very clear that many pieces of information on this topic could lead to the wrong idea of how dangerous the illegal drug trade is. It makes third world countries seem like there is no control in any of them and moving people (human trafficking) and drugs is easier than it seems. These articles and written pieces also make the idea of tackling the drug trade an easy task but it in fact it actually depletes many resources and money to completely eradicate the problem as a whole.
In the short story, “Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot”, Robert Olen Butler tells the story of a man reincarnated as the pet parrot of his previous wife. The man’s strange predicament, which well portrays a life of a prisoner, demonstrates the negative affects that incarceration may have on people. Although much of the man’s situation was of his own doing and in his control, he still lives a life feeling trapped and constantly yearning to escape it. Because the man never fully understands that he is the sole reason he is “imprisoned”, he is never able to be free.
Get original essayThe man, stuck living with his past-life wife in parrot form, finds himself in his very own idea of a prison. He illustrates his experience from inside the cage: “When she keeps the bedroom door open I can see the space at the foot of the bed but not the bed itself…I watch the men go in and I hear the sounds but I can’t quite see. And they drive me crazy” (Butler). Forced to live with his old wife and watch her bring a different man home each day, there are not many worse places for the old husband to find himself trapped in. Worse, he is without even a voice to express himself, where his wife cannot and “does not understand all that is behind [his] ‘hello’” (Butler). If there is a hell, this man has found it.
Even before the man finds himself trapped as his widow’s pet parrot, he feels imprisoned by his emotions and his fear to express himself to his wife. Due to never-ending paranoia, the man lives a miserable life believing he has an untrustworthy spouse who has no love for him. He even mentions his suspicious and jealous tendencies, always “[looking] for little black hairs on the sheets when [he’d] come home on a day with the whiff of somebody else in the air” (Butler). To add to his issues, he refuses to confront her out of fear that she will leave him. The man does mention challenging her on occasion, and then immediately feeling “like a damn fool [for] saying anything” (Butler). In addition to being too self-conscious to express himself to his own wife, the man also rejects the idea of ever leaving his wife himself because he “[is] whole with her”; without her, he believes to have no worth (Butler).
When the husband finds himself stuck in a cage in his old wife’s house with wings and a beak, he describes his feelings on the situation, stating:
“But now all I can do is try to let it go. I sidestep down to the opposite end of the cage and I look out the big sliding glass doors to the back yard. It’s a pretty yard. There are great placid maple trees with good places to roost. There’s a blue sky that plucks at the feathers on my chest. There are clouds. Other birds. Fly away. I could just fly away.” (Butler)
The man’s thoughts and emotions in the passage perfectly represent imprisonment. Like most prisoners, freedom can seem so close, but so far away at the same time. Given all the time in the world to think, there is not much the man thinks about aside from his misery and his strong desire to be free.
When the man is human, he feels just as trapped as he does as a parrot even though he is as free as a man can be. He creates the prison he is living in as a man, mentioning how he “was working on saying nothing” to his wife about his true concerns “even if it meant locking [himself] up” (Butler). It takes him being reincarnated as a parrot and being caged with his wife to realize this, however. As a man, he feels speechless. As a parrot, he is speechless. As a man, he feels caged. As a parrot, he is caged. In either scenario, he is imprisoned: one by his own will, one by fate. In the end, both of his “prison” terms lead to his demise.
What the text is ultimately implying is that in order to find freedom, a prisoner must escape his or her prison. This may seem way too self-explanatory of a theory, but those who create their own prison often let this fly right over their heads. In his human form, the man’s prison was his jealousy and self-worth issues. Had he tackled them, he surely could have found freedom and lived a meaningful life. However, he let his emotions get the best of him, which ultimately led to his demise. In his parrot form, he has fewer options to escape from his prison, and therefore finds suicide to be the only option. In addition, the text also clarifies just how crippling this imprisonment can be. In both human form and parrot form, the man’s “prison” completely destroys him and, in both lives, he loses his life due to it.
As a human, the man was a prisoner to his emotions. As a parrot, the man was a prisoner both emotionally by his bitter feelings toward his wife and physically by his cage he was placed in inside his old home. In both circumstances, the man lets his prison get to him and sacrifices a perfectly meaningful life because of it. If a man refuses understand the control he has over his prison, mental or physical, and the power he has to free himself, it can be detrimental to him and ultimately consume him to a point of no return.
The League of Nations was an organization there to maintain the peace in our world by solving disputes. However, have they really achieved their aim? Were they successful? According to historical facts, the League of Nation has achieved six major successes in compromises of disputes, known as the SAMBOK; the Bulgaria event was one of the successes. On the other hand, there were six main failures, the VIMCOD that included Corfu. But was this really the case? Was Bulgaria really a success or was Corfu truly a failure? Having solved these problems increased the League's reputation or diminishes it? Personally, I believe the two events have both gained and diminished the League's reputation, mostly depending on whose eyes you are looking through. Each country has a different opinion about the way the League solved the problem. The one who had earned the most advantages will obviously favor the League of Nations more and will add to their reputations, wise visa the country that were not being favored will not be keen on the adding the Leagues reputation.
Get original essayThe most successful time for the League of Nations was during the 1920's. The actions in Bulgaria and Corfu did improve the reputation of the League, which in these times, was not really impressive. They proved that it is possible to create a peaceful world and that there is always another way to solve a problem, not only fighting. And this is why I believe that the actions in Corfu and Bulgaria did add the League's reputation more than diminish it.
During the action in Corfu in 1923, the Italian general has been killed in Greece. The Italians, in anger, did invade Greece. The problem was that one of the ideas of the League was to create a peaceful world. So when Mussolini sent his army to Greece, he broke the most important rule. The League had no chance to fight with Italy, because it didn't have its own army that could force Italy to leave Greece and also, they would break its reputation about creating the peaceful world. The League made a conference and the result of it was that Greece had to apologize Italy, and also pay them. When Greece followed the League's decision, Italy left. This decision of, obviously, not fair for Greece because Italy is the one that should be punished, but at least, there was no war between the members of the League, they solved the problem very peacefully and it did add a lot to its reputation. They showed to the other countries that they do can solve every problem without having wars.
What factors have caused the dispute in Corfu? In 1923, there was a dispute between Italians and Greeks. Beginning with an Italian general named Tellini was murdered in Greece while doing a job for the league of nation, this caused Mussolini (the leader of Italy) to be furious, he invaded Greece and took over Corfu (a small island in Greece). The Greeks turned to the League of Nations for help. The decision was first made, having condemned Mussolini, and ordered him to leave Corfu. Greeks were made to pay the league some money. Mussolini ignored the Leagues order, and did not leave Corfu. There was a change in decision because of the Conference of Ambassadors who over ruled the League. The problem ended up being the Greeks having to pay the Italians and apologize for them to leave. The Greeks did what they were told by the League, so Mussolini left. Corfu was being returned to Greek. The way the problem was solved is fairly acceptable because the Greeks were the ones who started this conflict. (Murdering Tellini). Though, the Ambassadors probably have favored the Italians over Greeks. Another fact was the general who was killed, was there to do a job for the League of Nations, which means the League should be partly responsible for his death. Nevertheless, the Italian were too ambitious, using the excuse of having one of their general being murdered extended to occupying over Corfu.
Even though, the way the League solved the dispute seemed unfair to the Greeks. However if the problem wasn't solved that way, Mussolini might even command a war to the Greeks and take over more land. According to historical facts, this event was considered as a failure and has diminished the reputation of the League. There wouldn't be another way to make Mussolini leave Corfu, unless the Greeks apologize and pay for the death of their general. The way the problem was solved seemed to be fair. However many people thought the way the League treated the Greeks was very unkind. In 1925, the Greeks complained that there is a set of rules for small countries like them, and another for tougher countries such as Italians. The main problem was the way Mussolini ignored the leagues order, but ended by having the Greeks apologize to him. This will make other countries think the League will always stand up for the stronger countries and ignore the small ones. It was a major reason, which reduced the reputation of the League.
Later in 1925, the Bulgaria incident occurred. The action in Bulgaria in 1925 was also a success of the League. On the border of Greece and Bulgaria some of the Greek soldiers were killed. Because of that, Greece invaded Bulgaria. When Bulgaria asked the League for help, the League required Greece to leave Bulgaria. And also the Bulgarian government required to not fight back to the Greeks, to lessen the conflict between them. Greece did do what the League ask them to do, finally they left Bulgaria. And after this event, which also finished peacefully, more and more countries started to trust the League of Nations. They really did believe them that they really might build a world full of peace.
The problem was one Greek captain and two soldiers were killed on the border between Greek and Bulgaria during an inter-frontier war. This angered the Greeks, and Theodoros Pangalos instructed invasion to Bulgarian territory. The relations between Greece-Bulgaria were particularly strained ever since the 20th century. After their invasion the Bulgarians did not fight back but turned the league for help. After a thorough research finding that Bulgaria only had a limit of military supply. The league condemned the Greeks, and ordered them to leave Bulgaria. The Bulgarian government commanded their army to not fight back, because they did not want any further conflict with the Greeks. The incident settled in peace. It was considered as one of the success lead by the league of nation, a big success in Bulgaria. The reputation of the League increased after the resolution of this problem. Many countries started to trust the League and joined. The number of the countries in the league rose continually, ever since.
Over all the League of Nations had been gaining its popularity and increasing it reputation. The Corfu and Bulgaria incidents were both settle in peace causing no war. This is why there were so many countries joined the league in the future years. The reputation of the league has been increasing day by day, until today there are 205 countries in the league today.
This were the reasons that made me believe that the actions in Corfu and Bulgaria during the 1920s did add to the Leagues reputation. During the Corfu's action they showed that even though they could force Italy to move out from Greece using force- lack of army, they still had another way to made Italy finally leave Greece. Even though it was not very unfair for Greece, but the most important reason was that they showed that to solve a problem, you don't need to fight. The action in Bulgaria was pretty much the same. They did ask Greece to leave Bulgaria, and after all they did leave, without having a war. They did prove that they can make a peaceful world so countries started to trust them and this is why I think that the actions during the 1920s did add to the League's reputation.