The Decline and Fall of the Soviet Union Essays

The Decline and Fall of the Soviet Union Essays The Decline and Fall of the Soviet Union Essay The Decline and Fall of the Soviet Union Essay Almost sixty-nine years after it was founded, the Soviet Union came to an end. In 1985 Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev became general secretary of the Communist Party, and in 1988 he became President of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). However, six years later on December 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigned. It was at this time that the Soviet Union ceased to exist. Most Russians today, still suffering through a difficult transition, believe Gorbachev changed their nation for the worse. Most foreigners think he changed the world for the better. It may take decades before Mikhail Sergeyevichs place in history can be fully evaluated.Boris Yeltsin became the first elected president of the Russian Federation on June 12, 1991.Countless problems and unfulfilled expectations plagued Yeltsin as the first elected leader of the newly independent Russian democracy. His attempts at drastic reforms, which were to transform Russia into a prosperous market-based econo my, were met with public disapproval. As president of Russia, Yeltsin played a pivotal role in the dissolution of the USSR. Despite assurances from Yeltsin that reform would yield dividends within a year, the economy contracted steadily from 1992 to 1997, dwindling to less than half its previous size. Millions of ordinary people suffered great privation because of declining output, reduced and often delayed wage and pension payments, and unemployment. President Boris Yeltsin, at age 68, resigned as president of the Russian Federation on December 31, 1999, roughly six months before the end of his term. The Soviet Unions stormy political battles took place against a broader background of other unsolved and growing problems. Minority nationalities continued their pressure for greater freedom from Moscow. This trend went the furthest in Lithuania. President Gorbachev responded with a variety of measures, including an economic blockade to force the Lithuanians to reverse the

Tiger Facts

Tiger Facts Tigers (Panthera tigris) are the largest and most powerful of all cats. They are extremely agile despite their large size. Tigers are capable of leaping 26 to 32 feet in a single bound. They are also among the most recognizable of cats due to their distinct orange coat, black stripes, and white markings.   Tigers are native to South and Southeast Asia, China and the Russian Far East, though their habitat and numbers have dwindled rapidly. Fast Facts: Tiger Scientific Name: Panthera tigrisCommon Name: TigerBasic Animal Group:  MammalSize: 3–3.5 feet tall at shoulders, 4.6–9.2 feet long including head and body, 2–3 feet tail lengthWeight: 220–675 pounds depending on sub-species and genderLifespan: 10–15 yearsDiet:  CarnivoreHabitat:  South and Southeast Asia, China and the Russian Far East.Population:  3,000–4,500  Conservation  Status:  Endangered Description Tigers vary in color, size, and markings according to their subspecies. Bengal tigers, which inhabit the forests of India, have the quintessential tiger appearance, with a dark orange coat, black stripes, and a white underbelly. Siberian tigers, the largest of all the tiger subspecies, are lighter in color and have a thicker coat that enables them to brave the harsh, cold temperatures of the Russian taiga. Gannet77/Getty Images Habitat and Distribution Tigers historically occupied a range that stretched from the eastern part of Turkey to the Tibetan plateau, Manchuria and the Sea of Okhotsk. Today, tigers occupy only about seven percent of their former range. More than half of the remaining wild tigers live in the forests of India. Smaller populations remain in China, Russia, and parts of Southeast Asia. Tigers inhabit a wide range of habitats such as lowland evergreen forests, taiga, grasslands, tropical forests, and mangrove swamps. They generally require habitat with covers such as forests or grasslands, water resources, and enough territory to support their prey. Diet Tigers are carnivores. They are nocturnal hunters that feed on large prey such as deer, cattle, wild pigs, rhinoceroses, and elephants. They also supplement their diet with smaller prey such as birds, monkeys, fish, and reptiles. Tigers also feed on carrion. Behavior Tigers are solitary, territorial cats. They occupy a home range that is generally between 200 and 1000 square kilometers. Females occupying smaller home ranges than males. Tigers often create several dens within their territory. They are not water-fearing cats; in fact, they are adept swimmers capable of crossing moderately sized rivers. As a result, water rarely poses a barrier to them. Tigers are among only four species of great cats that are capable of roaring. Reproduction and Offspring Tigers reproduce sexually. Although they are known to mate year-round, breeding usually peaks between November and April. Their gestation period is 16 weeks. A litter usually consists of between three to four cubs which are raised alone by the mother; the father plays no role in the upbringing. Tiger cubs generally leave their den with their mother at about 8 weeks old and are independent at 18 months. They stay with their mothers, however, for over two years. 4FR/Getty Images Conservation Status Tigers are listed as an endangered species. Fewer than 3,200 tigers remain in the wild. More than half of those tigers live in the forests of India. The primary threats facing tigers include poaching, habitat loss, dwindling prey populations. Although protected areas have been established for tigers, illegal killings still take place mainly for their skins and use in traditional Chinese medical practices. Although most of their historical range has been destroyed, research suggests tigers living in the Indian sub-continent are still genetically strong. This indicates that, with appropriate conservation and protection in place, tigers do have the capacity to rebound as a species. In India, it is illegal to shoot tigers or trade in their skins or other body parts. Subspecies There are five subspecies of tigers alive today and every one of these subspecies is classified as endangered. The five subspecies of tigers include Siberian tigers, Bengal tigers, Indochinese tigers, South China tigers, and Sumatran tigers. There are also three additional subspecies of tigers that have gone extinct during the past sixty years. The extinct subspecies include Caspian tigers, Javan tigers,  and Bali tigers. Tigers and Humans Human beings have been fascinated by tigers for millennia. Tiger images first appeared as a cultural symbol nearly 5,000 years ago in the area now known as Pakistan. Tigers were part of the games in the Roman Colosseum.While tigers can and will attack a human being if they are threatened or unable to find food elsewhere, tiger attacks are relatively rare. Most man-eating tigers are older or incapacitated, and thus unable to chase down or overpower larger prey. Evolution Modern cats first appeared about 10.8 million years ago. The ancestors of tigers, along with those of jaguars, leopards, lions, snow leopards, and clouded leopards, split off from the other ancestral cat lineages early in the evolution of the cat family and today form what is known as the Panthera lineage. Tigers shared a common ancestor with snow leopards that lived about 840,000 years ago. Sources â€Å"Basic Facts About Tigers.†Ã‚  Defenders of Wildlife, 10 Jan. 2019, defenders.org/tiger/basic-facts.â€Å"Tiger Facts.†Ã‚  National Geographic, 2 Aug. 2015, www.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/tiger-facts.aspx.â€Å"Where Do Tigers Live? And Other Tiger Facts.†Ã‚  WWF, World Wildlife Fund.

Leadership and innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership and innovation - Essay Example This was supposed to be the case in innovation system that my group was supposed to come up with and present to hospitals (Northouse, 2012). However, team work does not always work out as one would like it to be and with this, there is bound to be friction between the members of the team. Furthermore, there is the possibility that, despite the urgency of the task, there is always bound to be the one person that would be considered as dead weight to the team. The aim of this paper is to act as a reflective diary to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of team work and the best way to deal with conflict in a team. To effectively analyze the strengths and weaknesses of team working and conflict management, I visited various hospitals, and this visit was part of an innovation trip that was supposed to be carried out as a team to make sure that the findings that were collected were to be compiled and presented to the different team members. However, this was not the case. When the team members met for the first day, there was a lot of friction between my team members due to the fact that some of the team members did not exhibit any of their findings or an interest in the task because they had not done anything. The fact that there were different people who had carried out the task at hand and others had not, caused tempers to flare and soon one team member was gunning for the others head. However, the point that arose was that there were different viewpoints on the same topic. This gave me as a leader whose team comprised of people of multidisciplinary backgrounds an opportunity to lead diverse people, and this was proving to be a problem in the long run. In a bid to curb the ensuing anger and conflict among the team member, I opted that the team members that had a background in nursing help those who were not as familiar with the topic. This put a spanner into the progress that the team was supposed to

Construction of gender and sexual identities Essay

Construction of gender and sexual identities - Essay Example It has aptly been observed that every culture of the world maintains some specific characteristics and traits, which distinguishes it with the rest of the cultural groups and communities at large prevailing within the same natural and physical phenomena. This distinction is generally dependent of several sub-cultures existing under one culture, which not only divide the individuals into factions and groups, but also provide them with identification on the basis of their likes and dislikes, and priorities and aversions as well. Consequently, the sub-cultures of society work in an active and effective way by not only uniting the like-minded people under one platform, but also helping them in respect of winning their rights and privileges particularly at the time when the majority of the population appears to be standing at the opposite side, censuring and condemning the minority group in one way or the other. It is especially the case with the homosexuals, which have established their specific sub-culture, and have invented and introduced particular terms and jargons in order to convey their messages to their community members on one hand, and conceal it from the members of outer groups on the other (Warren 1998). The present paper aims to concentrate upon the gender and sexual identities with reference to the homosexuals in order to get acquainted with their sub-culture and mode of communication while living in the societies, an imperative majority of which still regard same-sex relations as perversion and deviant behavior (Macionis 2007). Sexual identity and the terms related to it, according to Ponse (1978), are applied in quite a different way in gay and lesbian environment to the dominant mainstream social set up. In addition, there also exists a sub-culture within the gay environment, which could only be comprehended with by the members of homosexual community, as well as the individuals interested in the same. As a result, an imperative proportion of the m ajority population remains almost unaware of the terms to be applied in order to express some specific action, performance or identity in general. For instance, the term gay had frequently been applied in order to demonstrate the individuals carrying jolly and care-free disposition in past; though, the same adjective has become entirely confined to defining homosexual males and females, and the previous usage of the word focusing jovial people has ceased to exist in main culture and homosexual sub-culture as well (Sherwin 2006). However, some of the terms are exclusively applied to identify homosexuality. Unger & Crawford (1993) argue that the feminists have articulated various terms in order to make division between sex and gender, determining the biological characteristics, and social traits and qualities of the homosexuals respectively. For instance, the notion lesbian explains a female engaged in a homosexual relationship, though in past it was donated to the individuals belongi ng to the Greek island Lesbos (248). Similarly, the notion active simply describes a vigorous and energetic person, though in homosexual acts, the same defines the person playing dominant part in homosexual relationships by penetrating into the recipient or passive partner; the terms dominant and top also define the penetrating partner, while submissive and bottom signify the receiver respectively. Hence, Ponse (246-47) appears to be justified in her claim that the terms used by the majority of the population are applied interchangeably in gay culture, and hence display the meanings that are quite different to the actual application of the same in their nature and scope. On the contrary, the essentialists strictly confine sexual behavior on the basis of the biological characteristics of males and females. As a result, males and females should always play dominant and submissive roles as per the demand of their sex organs and biological traits.

Free

Free Writing Essay Many annoying habits exist and bother so many human beings on earth. This is because there are so many people who are forgetting the importance of having good manners and do not practice it at all (Granato). One of these people is my friend whom I treasure like a family. However, despite her annoying habit, I still remain a true, loving and loyal friend to her. While friends are one of the most important people in one’s life, there are times when they do some things that can be really exasperating and annoying, such as habits that they cannot get rid of which can make one’s nerves and blood boil. In the case of my friend, she has this habit of burping for no reason at all. For instance, she burps while watching a movie, shopping or strolling in the mall, talking, and worst, while and after eating. She considers it as an amazing talent and not a disgusting behavior. On the contrary, she laughs and always feels proud of herself every time she does it. It bothers me a lot, and I feel ashamed of her whenever people around us hear her burp. Thus, I confronted her about her disgusting habit. I told her that having good manners is one of the most important values, and it is something that people should always bring with them wherever they go and whatever they do in their lives. However, it seems that it does not affect her at all. She just said that if I am a true friend, then I would just have to accept her and deal with her annoying habit. After all, I have some habits that annoy her too. Fair enough, I think that she has a point and that she is right on what she said. I probably have a habit that annoys her too or other people and that I am not really aware of. In that sense, having good manners rarely can be found on people, or only a few value it and think that it is still important these days. After all, true friends accept each other’s attitude, manners or behaviors no matter how good or bad it is because true friends never judge nor deny their friends for who they are and what they have or do not have. Consequently, I realized that no matter how annoying the habit of my friend is, I should just accept and deal with it if she really cannot get rid of the habit because for me, friendship is more important than any annoying habits in the world. Works Cited Granato, Sherri. â€Å"11 Highly Annoying Habits of Rude People. † Associated Content. 8 January 2007. 20 January 2009 http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/112207/11_highly_annoying_habits_of_rude_people. html? cat=47.

Nature and Logic Essay -- essays research papers

Philosophy 103: Introduction to Logic The Nature of Logic Abstract: Some of the uses of logic are illustrated, and deductive arguments are briefly distinguished from inductive arguments. I. Logic is the study of the methods and principles used in distinguishing correct from incorrect reasoning. B. Logic differs from psychology in being a normative or a prescriptive discipline rather than a descriptive discipline. 1. I.e., it prescribes how one ought to reason; it's not concerned with how one actually does reason. 2. Logic is concerned with laying down the rules for correct reasoning. 3. Consequently, logic seeks to distinguish good arguments from poor ones. II. How Logic helps reasoning: A. "Practice makes better." Some examples of how this course can help reasoning about the world are as follows. 1. Consider this syllogism: All followers of Senator Jones are in favor of higher taxes. All communists are in favor of higher taxes. All followers of Senator Jones are communists. It will become easy for us to recognize the fallacy in this argument as the fallacy of the undistributed middle term. 2. Consider this informal argument: In spite of the large number of UFO spottings that can be attributed to weather conditions and known aircraft and other factors, there are hundreds of sightings that cannot be accounted for. Hence, we can safely conclude that UFO's exit. Consider this counter-example: In spite of the large number of quarters put under kid's pillows which can be attributed to sneaky parents, brothers, sisters, and so forth, there are hundreds of cases which cannot be accounted for. Therefore, the tooth fairy exits. B. As well, this course can help with "the negative approach"—that we avoid errors by being aware of them, e.g., being aware of common formal and informal fallacies. 1. Consider the passage, "Napoleon became a great emperor because he was so short." In this short argument, the fallacy of false cause (or non causa pro causa) occurs. If this argument were good, all or most short persons would become great emperors. 2. Consider the passage, "People in developing countries get old as an earlier age, because the average life expectancy is so short in those countries." Due to infant mortality, people do not get older more quickly; the fallacy of division occurs. C. Methods, criteria, and t... ...t bottom I did not believe I had touched that man. The law of probabilities decreed me guiltless of his blood, for in all my small experience with guns I had never hit anything I had tried to hit and I knew I had done my best to hit him." 3. Or consider extrapolation techniques used in stock market prediction, e.g., the wedge formation. V. What logic is not: A. Logic is not the science of the laws of thought--in which case it would be a descriptive science like psychology. 1. Sometimes people can come to conclusions reliably without being able to know or explain how the conclusion was reached. E.g., the so-called intuitive type of personality. 2. Often people can come to the right conclusion for the wrong reasons. Logic is the study of the modes of correct reasoning as shown in an interpersonal manner. B. Logic is not really the science of reasoning either because the logician is not interested in the psychological processes of reasoning. 1. The logician is interested in the structure of arguments. 2. People infer statements and statements entail other statements. 3. We want to say that the entailment is there even though someone does not at this time understand it.

You Might Want to Do Some Introspection

You might want to do some introspection. For each of the eight intelligences in the Howard Gardner list, think about your own level of talents and performance. For each intelligence, decide if you have an area of expertise that makes substantial use of the intelligence. For example, perhaps you are good at music. If so, is music the basis of your vocation? Students can also do this type of introspection, and it can become a routine component of PBL lessons.Students can come to understand that they are more naturally gifted in some areas than in others, but that they have some talent in all of the eight areas identified by Howard Gardner. Curriculum and instruction can be developed to help all students make progress in enhancing their talents in each of these eight areas of intelligence. Robert Sternberg Many teachers have provided testimonial evidence that PBL encourages participation on the part of their students who do not have a high level of â€Å"school smarts. They report that some of their students who were not doing well in school have become actively engaged and experienced a high level of success in working on projects. These observations are consistent with and supportive of the research of Robert Sternberg. As noted earlier in this chapter, different researchers have identified different components of intelligence. Sternberg (1988, 1997) focuses on just three main components: Practical intelligence–the ability to do well in informal and formal educational settings; adapting to and shaping one's environment; street smarts.Experiential intelligence–the ability to deal with novel situations; the ability to effectively automate ways of dealing with novel situations so they are easily handled in the future; the ability to think in novel ways. Componential intelligence–the ability to process information effectively. This includes metacognitive, executive, performance, and knowledge-acquisition components that help to steer cognitive processes. Sternberg provides examples of people who are quite talented in one of these areas but not so talented in the other two.In that sense, his approach to the field of intelligence is somewhat like Howard Gardner's. However, you can see that Sternberg does not focus on specific components of intelligence that are aligned with various academic disciplines. He is far more concerned with helping people develop components of intelligence that will help them to perform well in whatever they chose to do. Sternberg strongly believes that intelligence can be increased by study and practice. Quite a bit of his research focuses on such endeavors. Some of Sternberg's work focuses specifically on â€Å"street smarts† versus â€Å"school smarts. He notes that some people are particularly talented in one of these two areas, and not in the other. This observation is consistent with the work of Lev Vygotsky (Fosnot, 1996) who argues that the type of learning that goes on outside of s chool is distinctly different than the type of learning that goes on in school. While some students are talented in both informal and formal education, others are much more successful in one rather than the other. A teacher who is skillful in developing PBL can help students to design projects that are consistent with their learning abilities and interests.David Perkins In his 1992 book, Smart Schools, David Perkins analyzes a number of different educational theories and approaches to education. His analysis is strongly supportive of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. Perkins' book contains extensive research-based evidence that education can be considerably improved by more explicit and appropriate teaching for transfer, focusing on higher-order cognitive skills, and the use of project-based learning. Perkins (1995) examines a large number of research studies both on the measurement of IQ and of programs of study designed to increase IQ.He presents detailed arguments that IQ has three major components or dimensions. Neural intelligence. This refers to the efficiency and precision of one's neurological system. Experiential intelligence. This refers to one's accumulated knowledge and experience in different areas. It can be thought of as the accumulation of all of one's expertises. Reflective intelligence. This refers to one's broad-based strategies for attacking problems, for learning, and for approaching intellectually challenging tasks. It includes attitudes that support persistence, systemization, and imagination.It includes self-monitoring and self-management. There is substantial evidence to support the belief that a child's neural intelligence can be adversely affected by the mother's use of drugs such as alcohol and cocaine during pregnancy. Lead (such as from lead-based paint) can do severe neural damage to a person. Vitamins, or the lack thereof, can affect neural intelligence. Moreover, there is general agreement that neural intelligence has a â€Å"use it or lose it† characteristic. It is clear that neural intelligence can be maintained and, indeed, increased, by use.

Macroeconomics Final

Course name: Macroeconomics FINAL 1. The two large macroeconomies I selected are China and the United States. 2a. GDP and GDP growth rate Found on http://www. tradingeconomics. com/Economics/Interest-Rate. aspx? Symbol=CNY ChinaU. S. GDP per capita 2000-94934606 2001-102134518 2002-110634747 2003-120935318 2004-132336272 2005-145237050 2006-161237757 2007-181138138 2008-196338206 2009-NANA China U. S. GDP growth rate (avg) 2000- 7. 684. 15 2001- 7. 451. 08 2002- 8. 051. 83 2003- 9. 432. 48 2004- 9. 503. 58 2005- 10. 083. 08 2006- 10. 982. 65 2007- 12. 082. 13 2008- 9. 130. 43 2009- 7. 63-3. 55 2b. Exchange Rates used http://www. x-rates. com/cgi-bin/hlookup. cgi to find info US Dollar to Chinese Yuan 2000 -1 to 8. 2795 2001 -1 to 8. 2775 2002 -1 to 8. 2766 2003 -1 to 8. 28 2004 -1 to 8. 2767 2005 -1 to 8. 2765 2006 -1 to 8. 0702 2007 -1 to 7. 8051 2008 -1 to 7. 2946 2009 -1 to 6. 8295 2c. Inflation rates Found on http://www. tradingeconomics. com/Economics/Inflation-CPI. aspx? Symbol=USD CHINAUS JAN/DECJAN/DEC 2000- -0. 20/1. 502. 70/3. 40 2001- 1. 20/-0. 303. 70/1. 60 2002- -1. 00/-0. 401. 10/2. 40 2003- 0. 40/3. 202. 60/1. 90 2004- 3. 20/2. 402. 00/3. 30 2005- 1. 90/1. 603. 00/3. 40 2006- 1. 90/2. 04. 00/2. 50 2007- 2. 20/6. 502. 10/4. 10 2008- 7. 10/1. 204. 30/0. 10 2009- 1. 00/NA0. 00/NA 2d. Interest rate on short term government debt Found on http://www. treas. gov/offices/domestic-finance/debt-management/interest-rate/yield_historical_2000. shtml and http://www. tradingeconomics. com/Economics/Interest-Rate. aspx? Symbol=CNY China (JAN at 1 year on all)U. S. (JAN at 1 ye ar on all) 2000 – 5. 856. 09 2001 – 5. 855. 11 2002 – 5. 852. 28 2003 – 5. 311. 42 2004 – 5. 311. 31 2005 – 5. 582. 79 2006 – 5. 584. 38 2007 – 6. 125. 00 2008 – 7. 473. 17 2009 – 5. 310. 40 2e. Unemployment rate Found on http://www. radingeconomics. com/Economics/Unemployment-rate. aspx? Symbol=USD ChinaU. S. (MAR) on all 2000- NA4. 00 2001- NA4. 30 2002- 4. 30 (DEC)5. 70 2003- 4. 10 (MAR)5. 90 2004- 4. 30 (MAR)5. 80 2005- 4. 20 (MAR)5. 20 2006- 4. 20 (MAR)4. 70 2007- 4. 10 (MAR)4. 40 2008- 4. 00 (MAR)5. 10 2009- 4. 30 (MAR)8. 50 2f. Trade deficit Found on http://www. tradingeconomics. com/Economics/Current-Account. aspx? Symbol=USD ChinaU. S. 2000- 20519. 2-417. 4 2001- 22503. 9-398. 3 2002- 49051. 8-459. 2 2003-56995. 2-521. 5 2004- 76124. 5-631. 1 2005- 228081. 8-748. 7 2006-341448. 9-803. 6 2007-534691. 0-726. 6 2008-617825. -706. 1 2009-134459. 9-203. 2 3. Trends in each variable, What do they mean for econo mic conditions in each country? The trends shown in the GDP for China from 2000 to 2009 shows an increase from 949 to 1963, while the United States grows from 34,606 to 38,206. This shows that both countries are increasing which is good, and since the United States is already high, China will show more growth percentage also known as the catch-up effect. This is proven in the GDP growth rates calculated, where China holds a 7 to 12 percent increase, while he United States shows increases of 4 percent to decreases up to 3. 5 percent. Another fact proving China’s growth is their trade deficit. The trade deficit has remained positive and only gotten better over the years, while the United States has always had negative deficits. The exchange rate proves through the years that China is moving to an equilibrium with the United States dollar, but is still lower in the value of their yuan. Some of the credit for achieving this can be contributed to the fact that China maintains lowe r inflation rates than the United States. Other interesting facts is that China’s interest rates on short term debt remain stable while the United States was high in the early 2000s, low in the mid 2000s, and high in the late 2000s, until present at an all time low. China’s job unemployment rate also remains stable while the United States has recently risen quite a bit. 4. Analysis of strengths and weaknesses. My analysis of strengths shows that the United States overall per capita is wealthier than China. The United States currently has no inflation and interest rates are low. Another strength for the United States is that the value of a dollar is significantly higher than the value of a Chinese yuan. Strengths for China show that they are a trade powerhouse. China continues to grow and show improvements in their economy. They are currently undergoing the catch-up effect, and technologically they are advancing daily. Weaknesses show that the United States is struggling in 2009. Unemployment is on ongoing struggle with the economical lows we face. China is still per capita at a much lower GDP than the United States and still has quite a ways to go before their yuan is equal to a dollar. China also has much higher interest rates than the United States. 5. What conclusions can you draw from your analysis. My conclusion that I have drawn from this study is that for the United States, we are still doing well considering the economy today. Having a lower trade deficit than the average over the last ten years, keeping inflation out of the equation, and keeping a solid GDP is key when you are economically well off. My conclusion that I have drawn from this study for China is that they are a work in progress. China continues to grow in a positive direction on all the data I have collected. The per capita for China’s GDP has more than doubled in the past ten years, and the growth rate has been steadily increasing until recent years. The Chinese yuan continues to lower exchange rates. Though interest rates on short term government debt are higher than that of the United States, 2009 shows that it is at the lowest rate it has been in recent years. Unemployment for China has not risen, even with the economy suffering. Lastly for China, trade is continually growing, having risen over six times that of ten years ago! Overall China and the United States together have a lot of positive data to analyze. The United States main concerns over China are to keep unemployment low and trade deficits low as well. Also the United States needs to lower interest rates on short term government debt in order to grow. China’s main concerns should be to lower interest rates and inflation rates, while continuing to grow in GDP and lower exchange rates. Both countries are vital to the overall world economy. China is a leading exporter to the world. The United States is a leading importer to the world. Without trade and the rest of the world, China would have no one to buy their goods and the United States would have no one to buy from so cheaply.

Abortion Essays (1350 words) - Reproductive Rights, Abortion

Abortion Essays (1350 words) - Reproductive Rights, Abortion Abortion In our society, there are many ethical dilemmas that we are faced with that are virtually impossible to solve. One of the most difficult and controversial issues that we are faced with is abortion. There are many strong arguments both for and against the right to have an abortion which are so complicated that it becomes impossible to resolve. The complexity of this issue lies in the different aspects of the argument. The essence of a person, rights, and who is entitled to these rights, are a few of the many aspects which are very difficult to define. There are also issues of what circumstances would justify abortion. Because the issue of abortion is virtually impossible to solve, all one can hope to do is understand the different aspects of the argument so that if he or she is faced with that issue in their own lives, they would be able to make educated and thoughtful decisions in dealing with it. The definition of a person is an aspect of the abortion issue which raises some very difficult questions. Is an unborn baby a person? When does the unborn baby become a person? This is a difficult question because in order for one to answer it, he must define the essence of a person. When describing the essence of something, one needs to describe the necessary and sufficient conditions of that thing. So how does one define the essence of a person? Kant describes a person as a rational being. Some people define the essence of a person from more of a biological standpoint. Nevertheless, defining the essence of a person is a very difficult thing for a group of people to agree on. Ones own definition of a person would most likely greatly impact his opinion on whether abortion is morally justified or not. This becomes even more complicated when one takes into account potentiality. This raises the question of whether the fetus is an actual person or a potential person. Many would argue that a fetus is a potential person because it is has the potential to become what it is not yet. However, does a potential person have potential rights? An example was used: does a potential doctor have the rights of a licensed doctor? When one is describing potentiality, All he is really describing is what that thing is not. By declaring that a fetus is a potential person, one is also stating that a fetus is not a person. As one can see, this issue of the essence of a person and whether a fetus is a person is a very complicated one. This becomes seven more complicated if one takes into account the issue of rights. Now, the concept of human rights, that is to say, what American society dictates as human rights, conflicts heavily with itself. On one hand, we form a deep and heavy opinion on ones right to life. On the other, we hold an equally strong opinion on ones freedom to live that life as they please. American society by and large has a firm belief in an individuals right to live. Therefore, if one comes to the conclusion that a fetus actually is a person, then that fetus should receive the protection to its right to live, as much as you or I. This society also holds the firm belief in ones right to the sovereignty of his or her own body, equal to that of ones right to live. In this case, it is imperative that we understand what liberties we can and cannot take upon ourselves concerning our lives. Case in point, suicide. Society dictates what we are allowed to do, and how we are allowed to live, by law. Most of American laws are written to preserve ones rights to individuality, and ones right to take the liberty to live their lives as they see fit. However, laws are also written to undermine those whos actions compromise the liberties and freedoms of other individuals, thus protecting the concepts and ideals of agency and liberty. Based on our societys laws, essentially, we believe that what you do to yourself is your choice, and is accepted by law, so long as it doesnt stop or impede the lives and freedoms of others. The difficulty in this dilemma lies within the question of whether an abortion falls into a category of protection of a womans rights over the sovereignty of her own body, or whether it

Biography of William Lloyd Garrison, Abolitionist

Biography of William Lloyd Garrison, Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison (December 10, 1805–May 24, 1879) was one of the most prominent American abolitionists and was both admired and vilified for his unwavering opposition to slavery in America. As the publisher of The Liberator, a fiery antislavery newspaper, Garrison was at the forefront of the crusade against slavery from the 1830s until he felt the issue had been settled by the passage of the 13th Amendment following the Civil War. Fast Facts: William Lloyd Garrison Known For: Abolitionist crusaderBorn: December 10, 1805 in Newburyport, MassachusettsParents: Frances Maria Lloyd and Abijah GarrisonDied: May 24, 1879 in New York CityPublished Works: Publisher of The Liberator, an abolitionist newspaperAwards and Honors: Boston has a statue of Garrison on Commonwealth Avenue. The Museum of African American History’s â€Å"Living Legends Awards†Ã‚  recipients are given a replica of a silver cup that was presented to William Lloyd Garrison in 1833 by black community leaders. Garrison has a  feast day  (Dec. 17) on the  liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church.Spouse: Helen Eliza Benson (m. Sept. 4, 1834–Jan.25, 1876)Children: George Thompson,  William Lloyd Garrison Sr.,  Wendall Phillips,  Helen Frances (Garrison) Villard,  Francis Jackson.Notable Quote: If the State cannot survive the antislavery agitation, then let the State perish. If the Church must be cast down by the strugglings of Humanity to be free, the n let the Church fall and its fragments be scattered to the four winds of Heaven, never more to curse the earth. Early Life and Career William Lloyd Garrison was born to a very poor family in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on Dec. 10, 1805. His father deserted the family when Garrison was 3 years old, and his mother and his two siblings lived in poverty. After receiving a very limited education, Garrison worked as an apprentice in various trades, including shoemaker and cabinet maker. He wound up working for a printer and learned the trade, becoming the printer and editor of a local newspaper in Newburyport. After an effort to operate his own newspaper failed, Garrison moved to Boston, where he worked in print shops and became involved in social causes, including the temperance movement. Garrison, who tended to see life as a struggle against sin, began to find his voice as the editor of a temperance newspaper in the late 1820s. Garrison met Benjamin Lundy, a Quaker who edited a Baltimore-based antislavery newspaper, The Genius of Emancipation. Following the election of 1828, during which Garrison worked on a newspaper that supported Andrew Jackson, he moved to Baltimore and began working with Lundy. In 1830, Garrison got into trouble when he was sued for libel and refused to pay a fine. He served 44 days in the Baltimore city jail. While he earned a reputation for courting controversy, in his personal life Garrison was quiet and extremely polite. He married in 1834 and he and his wife had seven children, five of whom survived to adulthood. Publishing The Liberator In his earliest involvement in the abolitionist cause, Garrison supported the idea of colonization, a proposed ending of slavery by returning slaves in American to Africa. The American Colonization Society was a fairly prominent organization dedicated to that concept. Garrison soon rejected the idea of colonization, and split with Lundy and his newspaper. Striking out on his own, Garrison launched The Liberator, a Boston-based abolitionist newspaper. On Jan. 11, 1831, a brief article in a New England newspaper, the Rhode Island American and Gazette, announced the new venture while praising Garrisons reputation: Mr. Wm. L. Garrison, indefatigable and honest advocate of the abolition of slavery, who has suffered more for conscience sake and independence than any man in modern times, has established a newspaper in Boston, called the Liberator. Two months later, on March 15, 1831, the same newspaper reported on the early issues of The Liberator, noting Garrisons rejection of the idea of colonization: Mr. Wm. Lloyd Garrison, who has suffered much persecution in his efforts to promote the abolition of Slavery, has commenced a new weekly paper in Boston, called the Liberator. We perceive he is extremely hostile to the American Colonization Society, a measure we have been inclined to regard as one of the best means of effecting the gradual abolition of slavery. The blacks in New York and Boston have held numerous meetings and denounced the colonization society. Their proceedings are published in the Liberator. Garrisons newspaper would continue publishing every week for nearly 35 years, only ending when the 13th Amendment was ratified and slavery was permanently ended after the end of the Civil War. Supports Slave Rebellion In 1831 Garrison was accused, by Southern newspapers, of involvement in the slave rebellion of Nat Turner. He had nothing to do with it. And, in fact, it is unlikely that Turner had any involvement with anyone outside his immediate circle of acquaintances in rural Virginia. Yet when the story of the rebellion spread in northern newspapers, Garrison wrote editorials for The Liberator praising the outbreak of violence. Garrisons praise of Turner and his followers brought him attention. And a  grand jury in North Carolina issued a warrant for his arrest. The charge was seditious libel, and a Raleigh newspaper noted that the penalty was whipping and imprisonment for the first offense, and death without benefit of clergy for a second offense. Sparks Controversy The writings of Garrison were so provocative that abolitionists dare not travel into the South. In an attempt to circumvent that obstacle, the American Anti-Slavery Society undertook its pamphlet campaign in 1835. Dispatching human representatives of the cause would simply be too dangerous, so antislavery printed material was mailed into the South, where it was often intercepted and burned in public bonfires. Even in the North, Garrison was not always safe. In 1835, a British abolitionist visited America and intended to speak with Garrison at an antislavery meeting in Boston. Handbills were circulated that advocated mob action against the meeting. A mob assembled to break up the meeting, and as newspaper articles in late October 1835 described it, Garrison tried to escape. He was captured by the mob and was paraded through Boston streets with a rope around his neck. The mayor of Boston finally got the mob to disperse, and Garrison was unharmed. Garrison had been instrumental in leading the American Anti-Slavery Society, but his inflexible positions eventually led to a split in the group. Conflict With Frederick Douglas His positions even brought him into conflict at times with Frederick Douglass, a former slave and leading antislavery crusader. Douglass, to avoid legal problems and the possibility that he could be arrested and brought back to Maryland as a slave, eventually paid his former owner for his freedom. Garrisons position was that buying ones own freedom was wrong, as it essentially verified the concept that slavery itself was legal. For Douglass, a black man in constant peril of being returned to bondage, that type of thinking was simply impractical. Garrison, however, was intractable. The fact that slavery was protected under the U.S. Constitution outraged Garrison to the point that he once burned a copy of the Constitution at a public meeting. Among the purists in the abolition movement, Garrisons gesture was seen as a valid protest. But to many Americans, it only made Garrison appear to be operating on the outer fringe of politics. The purist attitude always held by Garrison was to advocate resisting slavery, but not by use of political systems that acknowledged its legality. Later Years and Death As the conflict over slavery became the central political issue of the 1850s, thanks to the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and a variety of other controversies, Garrison continued to speak out against slavery. But his views were still considered out of the mainstream, and Garrison continued to rail against the federal government for accepting the legality of slavery. However, once the Civil War began, Garrison became a supporter of the Union cause. When the war had ended and the 13th Amendment legally established the end of American slavery, Garrison ended publication of The Liberator, feeling that the struggle had ended. In 1866 Garrison retired from public life, though he would occasionally write articles which advocated equal rights for blacks and women. He died on May 24, 1879. Legacy Garrisons views during his own lifetime were commonly considered extremely radical and he was often subjected to death threats. At one point he served 44 days in jail after being sued for libel, and he was often suspected of participating in various plots considered to be crimes at the time. Garrisons outspoken crusade against slavery led him to denounce the United States Constitution as an illegitimate document, as it institutionalized slavery in its original form. Garrison once sparked controversy by publicly burning a copy of the Constitution. It can be argued that Garrisons uncompromising positions and extreme rhetoric did little to advance the antislavery cause. However, Garrisons writings and speeches publicized the abolitionist cause and were a factor in making the antislavery crusade more prominent in American life. Sources â€Å"Tidbits About William Lloyd Garrison His Statue on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.†Ã‚  BostonZest.â€Å"William L. Garrison.†Ã‚  Battle of Lake Erie - Ohio History Central.Goodison, Donna, and Donna Goodison. â€Å"African-American Museum Honors Two Living Legends.†Ã‚  Boston Herald, Boston Herald, 17 Nov. 2018.

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