Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Fireside Chat 28 On the State of the Union free essay sample

Free Essays on The End Of History

In this paper I will compare two separate thoughts on the new look that International Relations is going to take in the future. Actually these changes have already started to take place; in â€Å"The End of History† Francis Fukuyama believes that international conflict will occur through religion and nationalism. In â€Å"The Clash of Civilizations† Samuel Huntington states that these changes will happen at the civilization level. Both theories are valid and describe each in their own way, the changes in how the world operates with international conflicts. Basically since the end of the Cold War there has been a general movement towards peace. Francis Fukuyama believes this procession towards peace is leading to the end of cultural differences. The spread of Western consumerism (free trade) has stretched nearly everywhere in the world. The end of the Cold War also brought the infiltration of Western liberal democracy. Even if a country remains non-democratic there are still hints of Western consumerism throughout. Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel first coined the term â€Å"the end of history†. Hegel stated that â€Å"mankind has progressed through a series if primitive stages of consciousness on his path to the present, and that these stages corresponded to concrete forms of social organization, such as tribal, slave owning, theocratic, and finally democratic egalitarian societies (Fukuyama, 1989).† This is the modern understanding of man. Hegel, unlike later historians, believed that history would conclude in an absolute moment. After this moment a rational form of society is formed. Hegel’s theories have gained him recognition as the philosopher who most accurately speaks of our time. This happened around the time of the French Revolution and is the key turning point in â€Å"the end of history†. Hegel said that the end of history would occur in 1806, with the fall of Napoleon’s empire to the Prussian Monarchy. His ideas spu... Free Essays on The End Of History Free Essays on The End Of History In this paper I will compare two separate thoughts on the new look that International Relations is going to take in the future. Actually these changes have already started to take place; in â€Å"The End of History† Francis Fukuyama believes that international conflict will occur through religion and nationalism. In â€Å"The Clash of Civilizations† Samuel Huntington states that these changes will happen at the civilization level. Both theories are valid and describe each in their own way, the changes in how the world operates with international conflicts. Basically since the end of the Cold War there has been a general movement towards peace. Francis Fukuyama believes this procession towards peace is leading to the end of cultural differences. The spread of Western consumerism (free trade) has stretched nearly everywhere in the world. The end of the Cold War also brought the infiltration of Western liberal democracy. Even if a country remains non-democratic there are still hints of Western consumerism throughout. Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel first coined the term â€Å"the end of history†. Hegel stated that â€Å"mankind has progressed through a series if primitive stages of consciousness on his path to the present, and that these stages corresponded to concrete forms of social organization, such as tribal, slave owning, theocratic, and finally democratic egalitarian societies (Fukuyama, 1989).† This is the modern understanding of man. Hegel, unlike later historians, believed that history would conclude in an absolute moment. After this moment a rational form of society is formed. Hegel’s theories have gained him recognition as the philosopher who most accurately speaks of our time. This happened around the time of the French Revolution and is the key turning point in â€Å"the end of history†. Hegel said that the end of history would occur in 1806, with the fall of Napoleon’s empire to the Prussian Monarchy. His ideas spu...

Drug Abusers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Drug Abusers - Research Paper Example The abuse of drugs started from experimentations in efforts to establish their effectiveness and psychological effect. After recognizing the punitive nature of these drugs, people began to use them for other purposes other than the intended medicinal purpose. Drug abuse is a major cause of problems in public health. It has either direct or indirect effect on the health of an individual. Drug abuse and addiction have an impact on the society’s well being. Drug abuse leads to cancer, heart diseases, HIV and AIDS prevalence, and death in severe cases. All these have a direct effect on the health of the victim and the public health in general. The government directs most of its funds to the drug addicts and the victims that could otherwise have been used in other programs of that benefit the entire society (Slobodan, 2005). Drugged driving has been the cause of the thousands of accidents that occur on the roads and result in deaths of millions of people per year. Drug abusers beco me violent, hence, engage in crime acts like homicide, theft, and assaults. This can amount to their arrests or conviction over crime levels. Drug using exposes an individual to continued stress. Drug abusers can harm or misuse children leading to advanced maltreatment effects over them. Addiction has adverse effects on the health of the public and the society as well. For example, women addicts give birth to underweight babies and increase its chances to have hyperactivity disorder and child obesity. Child abuse is common on instances where the perpetrators are drug addicts. Incidences of homelessness, crime, education deterioration are common in incidences where drug abuse is common. Drug users are more likely to fail attend and work an event that translates to their... According to the study findings drug abuse is a major cause of problems in public health. It has either direct or indirect effect on the health of an individual. Drug abuse and addiction have an impact on the society’s well being. Drug abuse leads to cancer, heart diseases, HIV and AIDS prevalence, and death in severe cases. All these have a direct effect on the health of the victim and the public health in general. The government directs most of its funds to the drug addicts and the victims that could otherwise have been used in other programs of that benefit the entire society. This essay stresses that drugged driving has been the cause of the thousands of accidents that occur on the roads and result in deaths of millions of people per year. Drug abusers become violent, hence, engage in crime acts like homicide, theft, and assaults. This can amount to their arrests or conviction over crime levels. Drug using exposes an individual to continued stress. Drug abusers can harm or misuse children leading to advanced maltreatment effects over them. Addiction has adverse effects on the health of the public and the society as well. For example, women addicts give birth to underweight babies and increase its chances to have hyperactivity disorder and child obesity. Child abuse is common on instances where the perpetrators are drug addicts. Incidences of homelessness, crime, education deterioration are common in incidences where drug abuse is common. Drug users are more likely to fail attend and work an event that translates to their sacking or demotion.

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

Summary - Assignment Example being a platform of sharing both, professional and personal information, has become a place to reunite with old friends, keeping in touch with current ones and keeping track of the updates in lives of friends and family. Not only that, but it has also helped people to get in touch with relatives who were somehow separated in emergency circumstances. Facebook is also helping in social causes, which is evident from the fact that 12 million Facebook users marched around the globe against the FARC rebels in Colombia. With changing times and growth of the company, the founder Mr. Zuckerberg has adopted a more professional image and has become media savvy, aiming at having every person in the world on Facebook one day. However, with recent changes in the interface design of the site, some members are disappointed. Facebook homepage now displays more information and recent updates from the friends. It has also introduced terms which give them control over the content. This has irritated members and hence, 2 and half million members have joined the group called â€Å"Millions against Facebook’s New Layout and Terms of Services† on Facebook. However, the Facebook officials say that the terms are necessary to protect themselves from lawsuits from users if they later regret the sharing of personal information. The Facebook officials are confident that Facebook users will get used to new changes as after all, it is a social communication and bonding site. The bonding has become so strong, that despite of not liking the changes, the users are still glued to

Photography Themes and Issues

Photography Themes and Issues Photography Themes and Issues Essay Describe how a greater understanding of the social and historical context of a body of photographic work can be useful in interpreting its meaning. You should refer to the work of an individual photographer, or of an organisation using photography, to justify your argument. In this essay I am going to look at the photographic work of Craig J Barber and his unique approach to post-war Vietnam and Havana, Cuba using the medium of pinhole photography. I will explore how Barbers approach to photographing Vietnam through the use of pinhole cameras, tells a unique story of its own in terms of post-war Vietnam, the atmosphere and life after the war and also the alternative route he has taken compared to the work of other photographers who have looked at Vietnam as a subject. I will also look at Barbers view of a modern day Havana and how the countries past issues with politics has shaped Havana and how its future is deconstructing the Socialist ideal. The Vietnam War began in 1959 and continued until 1975, the war was fought between the Northern Communists and the Anti-Communist South. The Vietnam War had a profound impact not only on the countrys political shift but also on the surviving population as the death toll reached over 4 million Vietnamese dead by the end of the war. The Vietnam War was well documented photographically and produced some of the most iconic images of war of the past 100 years, most notably Nick Uts famous image of Phan Thi Kim Phuc as a young girl, running towards the camera whilst screaming in pain due to injuries sustained from a napalm attack by Southern Vietnam. Another iconic image of the Vietnam war was Eddie Adams ‘General Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a Viet Cong prisoner in Saigon depicting a Vietnamese police chief executing a war prisoner in a street. Both of these famous images are stark statements of the brutal and inhumane nature of war and symbols that helped boost the anti-war movement s during that period and subsequent periods of conflict. Craig J Barber served as a marine in the American armed forces during the 1960s stationing him in Vietnam during the war at the age of 18. Thirty-five years later, Ghosts of the Landscape: Vietnam revisited is Barbers attempt to re-visit and document the aftermath of the devastating war and the country that so deeply affected his life forever; â€Å"This was an opportunity to be able to revisit a land that had a profound effect upon my life and to be able to come to terms with it. I always remembered it as a beautiful land that I wanted to return to.† The pinhole photography of Ghosts of the Landscape is a very different account of the country compared to the photojournalistic style that covered the war itself. Due to the nature of the pinhole camera, the images are given a softer focus that feels like the landscapes of Vietnam are nothing but memories left over from before the country experienced such devastating bloodshed. Another characteristic element of pinhole photography that has helped to separate Barbers work from the likes of Adams and Ut is the longer exposure times for each image. Working with pinhole allowed Barber to observe his subject more closely helping him forge a working relationship with the subjects while he waited and observed; â€Å"For me it is important to get to know a place in an intimate way. When I work I am very slow, I like to look around the corners and behind the doors at the small, quiet details that make up the cultural landscape.† A standard SLR or medium format camera used by many photojournalists will decrease down to f22 in aperture size, whereas when working in pinhole the aperture can take an f-stop down into the hundreds. In many of Barbers Ghosts images, he has chosen to include a human presence, often that of children (Plate.2 and Plate.3) which then gives these images a distinct difference in meaning to the desolate landscapes in his other images. When we see a post-war Vietnamese village, obviously populated, but with its inhabitants obscured and blurred almost into the background itself, it starts to invoke thoughts of the aforementioned ghosts and memories for Barber of the country he first saw in his youth. The inclusion of children in these images then provokes thought at whether or not this is an homage to the dead or perhaps something deeper, for example this could be Barbers way of telling the viewer that the people who live in Vietnam today are still plagued by the after-effects of war and that pride, hope and dignity is still yet to make its way back into the lives of every Vietnamese person. It would be worth noting that during the Vietnam war, The US inflicted a deadly toxin ‘Agent Orange onto Southern Vietnam resulting in 400,000 deaths and subsequently causing half a million children to be born with such birth defects as; cleft palate, mental problems, hernias and extra toes and fingers. So Barbers inclusion of children as blurred semi-human shapes could also be a message to the world about the continued suffering and miserable conditions that are a day to day occurrence in this country. If Barber had used standard photography equipment, he would have needed to document this aftermath either literally or by including a body of text with his image to give clarity to the viewer, whereas pinhole has given him freedom to simply create his image and let it speak its own story through stripping away individualism and showing that it is not just an isolated problem to any one group of people. Almost all of the images included in Ghosts in the Landscape include views of rural villages made up of primitive wooden huts (Plate.5) and other areas of grand French architecture (Plate.16) Barber is documenting the lack of technology in some areas and the lack of change that has occurred since his first days in Vietnam in 1960. It shows the innocence among the people and stays true to the anti-capitalist ideals that they held. Barbers combination of the platinum process and his focus on documenting his own past and the past of the Vietnamese serve to take the viewer back to a time in history through a beautifully contrasted and toned path of desolation and despair. Craig Barbers pinhole work went on to a project ‘Havana Passage which looked at Cuba, a country that following a revolution in 1959 became a Socialist republic and has been under a trade embargo from the United States since 1962. Barber, perhaps unbeknownst to him, makes several connections between his Vietnam and Cuba photographic work; Both of these countries have been in conflict with the United States, both countries share the same radical political stance and both countries have experienced revolutions during the 1960s and transitionary periods that have left the contemporary culture at a slight economic and social disadvantage. â€Å"In the late 1990s I ventured to Cuba for the first time and visited a land that has remained a forbidden mystery for most American citizens. Unspoiled by mass consumerism and global trademarks, Cuba remains a unique blend of Spanish colonial and 1950s Americana with not a Starbucks in sight.† Cuba began its revolution with Alberto Kordas iconic image Guerrillero Heroico and ended up at Barbers Cuban lament through a series of images depicting the final ghosts of Communism roaming the streets of Havana. Barber chose Havana as a subject for his pinholes because he wanted to document the fading culture of Cuba as it started to lose its revolutionary ideals. Once again, pinhole manages to create mystery and despair through its long exposure times of Havanian streets and public spaces although this time we see well built Spanish architecture and people who are busily working at street stalls or having a moment to themselves. The photograph Cabbages tells Cuba that they are moving away from the world of the local grocery stall where there might be a friendly face, conversation and fresh produce and moving towards a corporate atmosphere where buying pesticide or genetically-engineered riddled produce will strip away the intimate moment of conversation and interaction with a local farmer or street stall-worker. The cabbages are forced into the eyes of the viewer pleading for the time when Cuba provided for itself, where the cabbage was grown with love from the farmer and for the country. Memories is another photograph from the ‘Havana Passage set, this image depicts an outdoor bar in a beautiful setting. There is a distinct lack of human presence here, no bar staff and no patrons and it could even be considered a ghost town with its neglected paint work and no typical bar products in sight. Memories looks at the imminent loss of freedom, an outside bar is where people go to relax and socialise while enjoying the world around them, but with the Capitalism creeping in, these people might instead be stuck in their new office job miles away in the heart of Havana creating new areas of desolation among the beauty. In juxtaposed, Barber creates a Fritz Lang style scene of Havana. The foreground consists of an almost empty street scene with subtle hints of neglect to the road and the paintwork of the buildings, there are some people dotted around in the foreground only, and they seem to be unaware of the looming Modernist building creeping up in the background. The photograph looks almost like a photomontage, there is such a contrast between the rough, textured neglected street scene and the smooth perfect curves of the new Modernist architecture. There is a car that contextualises Cubas lack of consumerism and Capitalism and lets the viewer see Cubas antiquated way of life in motion. It looks like a car from the 1950s around the same time that Cuba underwent its revolution. The Modernist building is a direct symbol of the times moving forward, from the patchy street that contains a community, stories and families to the high rise apartment blocks for the wealthy and the sterile office environme nts. Craig Barber shows the photography world that pinhole is so much more than just a niche for experimentalists, pinhole could be the next stage of documentary photography tailored specifically to documenting the slow demise of one country after another; perhaps employed by prospective government parties during elections to show the public where it is heading as a propaganda tool for their own ‘revolutionary office. Bibliography Books Craig J Barber Alison Devine Nordstrom (2006) 1st Edition Ghosts in the Landscape: Vietnam Revisited. New York: Umbrage Editions Websites http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara_(photo) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._embargo_against_Cuba http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Korda http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana http://www.robinricegallery.com/pastexhibitions/craig_barber/index.html http://withoutlenses.com/view/a-conversation-with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguy%E1%BB%85n_V%C4%83n_L%C3%A9m http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hu%E1%BB%B3nh_C%C3%B4ng_%C3%9At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Adams_(photographer) http://www.eastmanhouse.org/exhibits/container_60/index.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_orange http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara_(photo)

The Story Behind The Atomic Bomb :: essays research papers

The story behind the atomic bomb Atomic Bomb August 6th, 1945, 70,000 lives were ended in a matter of seconds. The United States had dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Today many argue over whether or not the US should have taken such a drastic measure. Was it entirely necessary that we drop such a devastating weapon? Yes, it was. First, look at what was going on at the time the decision was made. The U.S had been fighting a massive war since 1941. Morale was most likely low, and resources were probably at the same level as morale. However, each side continued to fight, and both were determined to win. Obviously, the best thing that could have possibly have happened would have been to bring the war to a quick end, with a minimum of casualties. What would have happened had the A-bomb not been used? The most obvious thing is that the war would have continued. U.S forces; therefore, would have had to invade the home island of Japan. Imagine the number of casualties that could have occurred if this would have happened Also, our forces would not only have to fight off the Japanese military, but they would have to defend themselves against the civilians of Japan as well. It was also a fact that the Japanese government had been equipping the commoners with any kind of weapon they could get their hands on. It is true that this could mean a Japanese citizen could have anything from a gun to a spear, but many unsuspecting soldiers might have fallen victim to a surprise spear attack! The number of deaths that would have occurred would have been much greater, and an invasion would have taken a much longer period of time. The Japanese would have continued to fight the US with all of what they had; spears, guns, knives, whatever they could get their hands on, just as long as they continued to fight the enemy. As mentioned before, it is a fact that some civilians had been ready to fight our military with spears! What made it possible that the Japanese would resort to using spears? Why wouldn't they use guns or other weapons? Well, the truth was, the government just didn't have the resources to give out a gun to just any citizen. US naval blockades are one of the major reasons that Japan was so low on resources, and a main point opponents of the decision to drop the bomb constantly bring up. Japan obviously was very low on resources.

“Dawn is at Hand” by Kath Walker Essay

In the poem ‘Dawn is at Hand’ by Kath Walker, the author attempts to change people’s thinking about aboriginal people. The poem talks about a better future for all aboriginal people and letting go of their past. The author uses many poetic devices such as theme, repetitions and metaphor to enhance her message and inspire the audience. The main theme of this poem is that aboriginals will be discriminated no more, and they will be equal to white Australians. In the mainstream Australian society Aboriginals are ofter looked down upon, discriminated against and marginalised. This poem is trying to change the attitudes of both Aborigines and the white people of Australia. At the beginning of the poem the author addresses her people as the ‘Dark brothers first Australian race’ she talks about their struggle for justice and when all hope for a brighter future seemed ‘folly’. The author changes the tone of the poem and talks about a brighter future for all of them. She talks about her vision of a future Australia where ‘dark and white upon common ground’ describing equal standing for both black and white Australians. The poems message is a hopeful one for a better future for all aboriginals. The author tells her aboriginals people it is time to leave their shameful past and enter this ‘brand new day’ where they will be welcomed mate ship wise in industry and enterprise. They will stand a better chance in accomplishing their dreams because they will ‘feel a friendly land’ and will receive a ‘grip of the hand’ which emphasise on the fact that the future Australian society will learn to be more accepting of the aboriginals and will learn to treat them with equal respect. ‘The grip of the hand’ is a metaphor that signifies that the hand shake between the white Australians and aboriginals will be powerful, stronger and meaning full. It won’t just be a split second touch between the two hands, as proven in line ‘fringe dwellers no more.’ The author often repeats the line ‘fringe dwellers no more,’ by this she means the aboriginals will no longer be outcasts of society left to themselves and ignored. As the first line of the poem states ‘first Australian race’ the aboriginals are the original people of Australia, but  yet they feel outcast in their own land. The author repeats this line to emphasise their rightful belonging and their move to mainstream everyday Australians. The author even repeats this is line as the last line of her poem to show all Aboriginals and white Australians that Aboriginals will be a part of the new and better Australia. Therefore author Kath Walker’s aim was to change people’s thinking about Aboriginals people through the use of poetic devices such as theme, repetition and metaphors. She made a clear statement that the future Australian society will not be the same shameful past, and Aboriginals will be just as important as the white Australians.