Discrimination Against Homosexuals in the Military Essay

Since 1993 more than 14,500 service members were fired under the law of †Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† (sldn. org). In 1950, President Harry S. signed the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which set up the discharge rules for homosexual service members. People wanting to serve their country were being discriminated and discharged because of their sexuality. Then in 1982, Ronald Reagan proposed a defense directive that states â€Å"Homosexuality is incompatible with military service† and people who engaged in homosexual acts or stated that they were homosexual or bisexual were discharged. In 1992, Bill Clinton, as a presidential candidate, promised to lift the ban. Finally in 1993, when Bill Clinton was elected president, he proposed a compromise that he named â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell†. This law issued a defense directive that military applicants should not be able to be asked about their sexual orientation (Washington Post). Homosexuals being discriminated in the military have grabbed the attention of people all around the world. The question on whether or not homosexuals should have the right to serve in the military was a hotly debated topic in politics for the past few years. Even after the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, will our society be ready to accept others? The research started with searching â€Å"Homosexuals in the military†. Then â€Å"Don’t Ask Don’t Tell† and personal stories of gays in the military was found. Unfortunately, no books could be found on this topic, but articles from top newspapers became a valid choice. Documentaries and podcasts were also looked at. Good sources were easy to find because the topic was so controversial in the US, so the news articles came in handy. The repeal of â€Å"Don’t Ask Don’t Tell† was all over US news websites, and news clips from YouTube were found. Last fall, a pentagon study was released that said a majority of the US forces, more than 70%, said that serving with homosexuals would have no negative effect on them. Forces fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan had a different response. 58% of combat marines said that they would prefer not to serve with homosexuals. Since the repeal in late September, the effect has been positive on quite a lot of people. The main people who are opposed to the repeal are the military chaplains. The majority of the 3,000 active chaplains are conservative Christians. A retired chaplain, named Brigadier General Douglas Lee, is one of the 66 retired chaplains that wrote a letter to President Obama, urging him to not go through with the repeal. In a video showing the effects (positive and negative) of the repeal, shows Brigadier General Douglas Lee talking about â€Å"Don’t ask, Don’t Tell†. He says, â€Å"Homosexuality is one of a multitude of sins. Chaplains help people wrestle with the sins that bisect them and their lives. The problem with this repeal is that this particular sin is being legitimized as being normal and okay†. The problem with the non acceptance of the chaplains is that many and most conservative Christians believe that homosexuality, like all of the other sins in the bible, is a lifestyle choice (Pbs. org). According to another Pentagon Study, thirty-five other countries allow homosexuals to serve openly with no negative effect (Sldn.  org). Consider two men, both wanting to serve their country, one is gay and one is straight. They get all of the same test scores, and pass, yet only the straight guy is let in, not because of anything else other than his sexuality. If the same circumstances had happened, instead with a man and a woman, it would be sexist. If one was white and the other was black, it would be racist. All of the victims of these situations would have protection under the law and could sue, except for the homosexual. The homosexual has no legal protection from the government (Library in a book: Gay Rights). The repeal could be the first step to changing this. September 20th 2011, Obama stated, â€Å"As of today, our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members. And today, as Commander in Chief, I want those who were discharged under this law to know that your country deeply values your service†(UStoday. com). Military bases around the US have been holding sessions for service members to educate them on the repeal of â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell†. They say, â€Å"You are not expected to change your religious or moral beliefs, however you are obligated to treat all others with dignity and respect† (Pbs. org). It seems as though that our society has been coping positively since the repeal. There are always going to be some people who will not stray from their views, but the percentages are going up and more and more people are willing to except homosexuals serving freely in the US.

Review of Carson’s Gagging of God

In The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism, author D. A. Carson describes three categories of pluralism: empirical, cherished, and philosophical or hermeneutical. [i] The first deals with diversity in America and the multiplicity of beliefs. The second, cherished pluralism, describes the approval of diversity as an unquestioned virtue. Finally, philosophical pluralism, under which religious pluralism falls, posits that no religion has the right to pronounce itself true and right. In other words, no religion can advance â€Å"truth claims† that are superior to any other.Carson states that postmodernism is the outlook that birthed philosophical pluralism. [ii] While I agree that pluralism is an important subject that benefits from the kind of attention given to it in the book, I believe the length of the book and the comprehensive nature of the material presented can make it difficult to follow at times. Furthermore, on several occasions the author seemed to move to the wider margins of the topic. However, as the implications of pluralism are pertinent and its integration with postmodernism significant, the information was extremely beneficial.The Christian must recognize empirical pluralism, tolerate cherished pluralism, but reject philosophical pluralism. We must recognize the diversity that exists in modern culture as Christians have throughout history. While pluralism poses new challenges in the current day, Christians have always had to stand up for the truth of Christian believe against other religions. Scripture was both inspired and written in a pluralistic context. However, even in the Old Testament God insisted that his people turn from the worship of other gods and other religions.For example, in Joshua 24:15, Joshua gave the children of Israel a choice to either serve God or Baal. The prophet Elijah would later give Israel the same choice in 1 Kings 18:21. Throughout history, God’s people have been reminded to be faithful to God as they were constantly surrounded by foreign gods and other religions. The same phenomenon applied during New Testament times. Christians resided in cities like Rome, Corinth and Antioch, Corinth, which were centers of diversity and multicultural exchange.They were surrounded by other world views, yet were constantly reminded that Jesus was the only way. This created a clash between Christians and other world views that would come to a head with the persecution of Christians. The Apostle Paul argued in the book of Acts that the true and living God superseded all other gods and preached Christianity against the backdrop of pluralism. There has been a need for Christians to do so ever since. Yet, while we reject philosophical and religious pluralism, in some cases, Christians are willing to cherish pluralism. In todays society, we cherish ethnic diversity.We welcome new members into our churches that come from various backgrounds even as God welcomes worshippers from every natio n, tribe, people and language. Carson states his purpose for writing, to equip Christians for fidelity to the gospel and encouraging unbelievers to find Jesus as Lord: â€Å"If anything in the following pages equips some Christians to intelligent, culturally sensitive, and passionate fidelity to the gospel of Jesus Christ, or if it encourages some thoughtful unbelievers to examine the foundations again and so to find that Jesus is Lord, I shall be profoundly grateful. [iii] In the book, Carson gives a comprehensive examination of pluralism. He takes the time to communicate with great detail on his positions and provides details that demonstrate his understanding of the subject. Throughout, Carson intimates the tension between the opposing perspectives of the pluralist and the Christian. From the perspective of the pluralist, the Christian appears to be a religious bigot unless they are willing to redefine Christianity without connecting it with Scripture.Likewise, from the perspect ive of the Christian, The pluralist is a misguided idolater no matter how sincere they may be. [iv] The book is divided into four sections, which tackle the major issues affected by the three types of pluralism. In the first section, the author describes the influence of hermeneutics and how texts are invariably interpreted against the backdrop of the interpreter's social â€Å"home† and the historical conditioning of the language itself. During this process, the interpreter takes bits of the text and â€Å"deconstructs† it to fit them into their own framework, which generates fresh insight.While this section also critiques postmodernism, Carson warns against giving the impression that modernism was a correct way of analyzing either the text or the world we live in. The second section deals with the philosophies of Derrida and Foucault that form the basis for postmodern thought, which is at odds with the Christian faith. While Carson opposes the idea of postmodernism, and criticizes the work of Foucault and Derrida, theologians such as James K. A. Smith, say thatCarson has misinterpreted their ideas and posits that they actually have an affinity with the central claims of Christianity. [v] The late German theologian, Karl Rahner recommended in his writings that dialogue should be used as the method by means of which plural theologies should strive for an understanding of each other. [vi] However, Carson intimates that the Christian needs to affirm that all interpretations are not equally valid because: God has revealed Himself and spoken clearly; and God has unfolded His plan of salvation and recorded it in Scripture.The third section of the book attempts to assist Christians living in a pluralistic culture by giving an understanding of assumptions made in the public sphere and replacing those assumptions with biblical truth. As we live in a world where public morality has seemingly collapsed, religion seems to be based on feeling and not on trut h. Carson says that ethical divisions are made pragmatically, making proper Christian thought necessary in making sense of the pluralistic world that we live in. vii] The final section of the book says that the answer to philosophical tolerance is the reiteration of Christian doctrine concerning the Second Coming and the nature of heaven and hell. Christians must have confidence in spreading this message in a compassionate way. However, it must be done with a sense of urgency, as the evangelism of our communities is paramount. Christians must have a deep conviction of the infallibility of Scripture and hold that it is inerrant and sufficient in order to both live a victorious life in a pluralistic society and to increase confidence in Christian doctrine. ———————- [i] Carson, D. A. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002, 13 [ii] Ibid, 19 [iii] Ibid, 10 [iv] Ibid, 238 [v] Smith, James, K. A. Who's Afraid of Postmodernism? : Taking Derrida, L yotard, and Foucault to Church (The Church and Postmodern Culture). Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Academic. 2006, 28 [vi] Fay, William Vendley. Pluralism and the theological methods of Karl Rahner: A critical assessment. January 1, 1983. ETD Collection for Fordham University. Paper AAI8802369 [vii] Carson, D. A. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002, 404

A Comparison of Death in The Scarlet Letter and My Antonia Essay

Importance of Death in The Scarlet Letter and My Antonia       It is universally acknowledged that one who comes into this world must also leave. Just like everything else, even life and death is a binary composition. You cannot have one without the other. Although not many people like to think about it, death is a very important factor not only in life, but also in literature. Most often, death is portrayed as evil or gruesome, especially in commercial fiction. However, there are literary texts, which portray death through other factors. Through the depiction of the deaths of Arthur Dimmesdale and Mr. Shimerdas in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Willa Cather's My Antonia, respectively, the reader is able to associate the significance of such issues as guilt, revenge/murder, religion, and the consequences of the two deaths. It may seem odd that instead of concentrating on the central female characters to portray these important issues, I have chosen two male characters. However, it is through the deaths of the male chara cters that the central females, Hester and Antonia are able to shine as women.    In both these novels, the death scenes of the characters are ambiguous. In relation to one issue or another there is always something vague or missing, which leaves the readers to judge for themselves. The death scene in The Scarlet Letter is very powerful and full of remorse .    Arthur collapsing into the arms of his loved one, after pleading with the people to look at Hester's scarlet letter once again, showing Roger how he had sinned as well, acknowledging Pearl and relieving her of her "...errand as a messenger of anguish" (Hawthorne 222) by kissing her, and fin moil and keep her father's past alive. Both deaths also imply more than what meets the eye. While Arthur's death is surrounded by the possibility of revenge, Mr. Shimerdas' death is encircled by the likelihood of murder. The two deaths also highlight the importance of religion. Arthur, being a Reverend, is given the strength by God to confront his sins, while Mr. Shimerdas, also a Reverend of sorts, is buried and forced to live an afterlife of uncertain paths due to his faith. Lastly, the aftermaths of these deaths, is what makes The Scarlet Letter and My Antonia two great works of literature. Through Arthur's death, Hester is once again able to display her inner strength by making her own choices and standing by her love, whereas Antonia through the death of her father is able to excel in a man's world, while not forgetting her womanhood.

Week 3 dq's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 3 dq's - Essay Example Even though the number of shares increase, the total value of these shares remains the same thus resulting in no direct benefit. The benefit of stock splits is said to only lie in the future. A lower share value can bring the market share price to â€Å"an acceptable trading range† (Stickney, 2004, p. 545). The resulting higher trading volumes, more investors and continuing good performance of the company can potentially result in a higher stock price. Dividend Policy: The dividend policy varies from company to company. A company can give dividends in form of cash or more stock for each share owned, have a stock repurchase offer, a combination of both, or to retain earnings and not announce any distribution of profits. Each has its merits and demerits. Cash dividends incur higher tax rates and usually appeal to investors who are low-end taxpayers. Stock dividends, in which additional company shares are offered at a proportion of existing shares dilute the shares and bring no immediate benefit to the shareholder. They only allow the investor to merely have a potential of future higher net value. Purely from the shareholder’s perspective, stock repurchase can offer higher value to a large percentage of investors as the stock price increases after repurchase and if the investor sells, the money they gain by selling stocks falls in the lower capital gains tax bracket (Bierman, 2001, p. 112). Finally, companies that retain their earnings offer value by gaining shareholder confidence in its growth and thus a higher stock price. Sources of Venture Capital: Venture capital is offered by investors looking for unusually higher returns. They are willing to work with higher risks and invest in companies with perceived profits or growth. The money can come directly from these investors, specialized venture capital firms, investment banks or other financial or brokerage institutions with similar investment policies. VC’s Due Diligence: Venture capitalists,

A rose for Emliy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A rose for Emliy - Essay Example The first such symbol is the idea of decay in terms of the image of Ms. Emily, her family and her house. Once the best house in the most important part of the city, it became an eyesore as times and tastes changed. The character of Emily also presents a symbol of decay as the townspeople give her respect but it is only due to her old family name and her somewhat aristocratic family ties. As such she becomes a link to the traditional values that have all but gone from the town. As the story progresses, we get continual hints how Emily might have had difficulties in letting go of relationships and at the very end of the tale we are shown that Emily not only killed her lover when he wanted to leave her but she also kept his rotting body in the house. Even worse, she slept next to it for many years until she herself died and her secret was eventually revealed. The voice of the town, i.e. the society formed by the town shares the blame for making her this way. Additionally, her father also shares the blame since it was he who thought of her to be socially higher than anyone else to the point that he rejected the men who wanted to marry her. Sad as it may be, the dead body for Emily could have been a symbol for love and human emotion which she could never have in her real life due to social pressures. Amongst these pressures, the voice of the town i.e. the demands of society mixed with the voice of her father to put her in constant conflict. She fought against the will of her father while she was trying to be a good daughter. She fought to keep the man she loved from going away and could only do so by killing him. She engaged in a battle with the whole town to keep them outside her head and outside her house so that her secret could not be revealed. With her life, she won all those battles simply because she outlived her father, did not let go of her lover and kept the city outside her house. At the same time, she lost all those

In what ways and why did the character of the nineteenthcentury Essay

In what ways and why did the character of the nineteenthcentury Scottish economy and society differ from that of the rest of Britain - Essay Example "Treaty of England" held a year earlier, and was put into action by the "Acts of Union", which was passed by the Parliaments of both of the kingdoms. Scotland witnessed a lot of pretest across the country, due to this union1. After the union, Scotland maintained to have their separate legal system, from England, Wales and Northern Island. Not just legal system, Scotland kept its education system, and Church of Scotland separate and it is the reason that Scotland maintained its uniqueness in all these times. It helped in keeping the Scottish culture and Scottish national identity since the union2. Though, it is not a separate country now, but still they tried to maintain their national identity. Scotland has a large abundance of natural resources from fertile land, and this land is suitable and considered best for the cultivation. Other than cultivated land, it also produces minerals and there are resources of different minerals in Scotland, such as coal, zinc, iron and oil shale etc. and the reservoirs of coal seams beneath central Scotland, and in the areas of Ayrshire and Fife. These reservoirs of coal contributed a great share in the industrialization of Scotland, during the 19th century. The mining of coal was a huge employment generator in the 19th century, though it declined now, due to the cheap coal, which is imported from the other countries. The Industrial Revolution was witnessed heavily in Scotland, as the Scottish Economy is well known for its heavy industries in 19th century. The heavy industry includes the shipbuilding, coal mining and steel industries, these industries attracted a lot of people from the neighboring states and countries, who came in search of jobs and finally settled here. The growth of Scottish economy is also due to the fact that British Empire had allowed Scottish economy, to export their goods throughout the world and it was due to the presence and participation of Scottish people in the British Empire. No doubt, Scotland left behind the England and the other states at that time. The Scotland witnessed a great political and industrial change during the nineteenth century. Industrial revolution was the talk of town and Scotland was taking full advantage of it, and heavy industries were making their way not only in the country but also in the world, as the Scottish products were being exported throughout the world. These industries generated a lot of employment opportunities and hence many poor people from the neighboring countries, such as Ireland, came in search of jobs and in the same way, labour movements begin to form. This development lead the Scotland to improve the living standard of their citizens and like this, proper measures were taken, which made a base to improve the situation of poor people in the country and also few new laws were introduced, such as poor laws. Laws were passed in the parliament, which demands the betterment of the poor people in the country and they were approved by the parliament and like this, the living standard of the poor was improved, and they started living a better and safe life. Laws introduced at that era were, poor laws, sanitation and education. Though, these changes were

Beyond Budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Beyond Budgeting - Essay Example Traditional budgeting is no longer valid in the emerging information age that is why hospitality industry needs to move ‘beyond budgeting.’ This is an alternative management model that promotes flexibility, devolution, and value maximization. This suggestion is supported by empirical investigation of hospitality budgeting mostly in the United Kingdom and United States. It is believed that Beyond Budgeting fits the progressive N-form organizational structure wherein full potential of the organization and the people are being liberated. Nowadays, most organizations are facing considerable barriers in managing their performance capabilities particularly in the areas of budgeting. Hospitality industry is one of those industries that desperately need to experience a new management structure and performance budgeting system in the emerging information age. Traditional budgeting model is said to be universally disliked because the concept is expensive, it takes too long to respond, and a minimized value. Shareholders as well as customers are pressuring the industry to consider an alternative management model that is designed to eliminate conflicts in the organization as well as the reduction of costs and bureaucracy. Aside from being cost effective and strategic, the new management model must also coincide with the business goals of the twenty-first century. This vision is a great challenge to every organization because it requires â€Å"a new set of management process and new style of leadership...a new coherence amon g these management process and leadership principles to liberate full potential of the organization and its people† (Hope & Fraser, 2003, p.17). Beyond Budgeting is the model that has a capacity to manage performance and at the same time control the organization without budgets. However, the success of this concept is still doubtful to many organizations considering that

Castle bingo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Castle bingo - Essay Example CRM integrates marketing, service and supply-chain functions in order to achieve greater efficiency in delivering greater value to discriminating customers. Consequently, CRM improves customer services, facilitates better integration of marketing tools, increases organisation revenues and reduces costs associated with customer services by a significant level (Richards & Jones, 2008). Castle Bingo and Benefits of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) The three primary elements of CRM have been described hereunder. Operational CRM Operational CRM consists of software packages that are used to efficiently arrange inbound and outbound customers interactions. Operational CRM aid in processes related with sales, customer service, marketing and automating communications. Service automation helps an organisation to manage service operations delivered through web, contact centre and face to face. Some of the significant benefits of operational CRM to Castle Bingo may include: Sales Force Aut omation Enterprise marketing Automation Customer Service and Support (Bhatnagar, 2012). Analytical CRM Analytical CRM involves analysing customer vital information in order to effectively meet the marketing and customer service goals and deliver appropriate message to the right customer at right time through appropriate channel. The significant benefit of Analytical CRM to Castle Bingo may involve Customer retention Segmentation and targeting Development of new products according to the customer’s specifications (Bhatnagar, 2012). Collaborative CRM Collaborative CRM comprises the system that facilitates customers to perform various services on their own through variety of interaction channels. It renders people process as well as data together and further facilities in channelling the data along with customer related information for ensuring proactive decision making. It ensures timely sharing of information and results in enhanced customer services. The major benefits of Col laborative CRM to Castle Bingo may involve: Providing effective customer communication across different channels, Increases the efficiency of online services and help in reducing customers service costs associated with offline services and Facilitate in better access to customers data during the time of interaction with customers (Bhatnagar, 2012). The Principles of Big Data and Metrics The data driven decision-making is currently being widely recognized and is viewed to be an increasing enthusiastic aspect related with the notion of ‘Big Data.’ Big Data refers to traditional enterprise data which comprises valuable information regarding the nature of the customers that is ascertained through CRM systems, web store transactions, ERP data as well as general ledger data. Furthermore, it also includes social data such as customers’ feedback streams, micro blogging internet sites like Twitter and social media like Facebook (Dijcks, 2012). The perception of Big Data c an primarily be attributed with four principles that have been discussed below. More Granular Information or Micro Segmentation The principle of micro segmentation can be

Ethical Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical Issues - Essay Example Ethics can also constitute a framework of co-operation between individuals who depend on each other, which is referred to as a kind of symbiosis, wherein both politics and economics are advanced symbiosis. Ethics was primarily concerned with relations between individuals, like the Mosaic Decalogue, which later evolved into relation between individual and society and the Golden Rule tries to find a mean between these two. Man's relation to land has not been studied ethically, and so humans enjoy the privileges without fulfilling their obligations. In the use of natural resources is found the greatest question of ethics, since it is a resource on which all individuals can claim ownership. The conservation movement of our times is the beginning of the understanding of our relation with land. Man, on account of this communal living, is being seen as a member of the land community and thus it is binding on him to respect this individual, called land. Men have been shaped by the characteristics of the land on which they live. The Mississippi Valley would have been different if the land had not yielded bluegrass, while the pioneers in the South-west, due to livestock grazing caused land deterioration. This plant succession turned the course of history and that is why, land as community is invaluable. When humans live in ... In southern Wisconsin, in spite of the farmers being offered lucrative deals to conserve the environment, were found to apply their knowledge only in those areas, which gave them monetary gains and failed to practice those which may have profited the community. When asked to frame laws in exchange for community help, in maintaining their lands, they failed to do so, because it might impede their economic progress. They lacked the ecological conscience which alone can improve the environment. Land Ethics and the government Attempts at conservation generally fail because of their lack of economic value. Wild flowers and songbirds are tossed aside in spite of being an integral part of the biotic community. Many animals which may have been hunted down to extinction were saved by attaching economic importance to them. Trees which fail to give monetary returns are cut down, but in Europe, ecological enlightenment recognizes non-commercial trees as natives of the forest, hence guaranteeing their preservation. In America, government agencies promote conservation, but private landowners alone can bring about better land ethics. Men whose industries are land or forest based decry governmental regulations in land conservation. The other alternative would be that more obligation should be assigned to the private land owner so that improvement could be brought about in relation to ownership of land. Population and Land Health The density of population has an adverse impact on land health which results in exploitative agriculture. Wastage is rampant in many areas and the blame is placed on climatic changes. The soil that was once rich is depleted of nutrients which results later in poor

Environmental Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Environmental Law - Essay Example As per RCEP ( Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution) , pollution is one, which has been introduced by human being into the environment of energy or substances, which is responsible to create an injury to health of human beings , hazards to ecological systems and living resources , harm to amenity , structure or interference with the lawful uses of the atmosphere2. Pollution is related with harms to health of humans, plants, property, habitats, animals and ecological structure. Pollution is not limited to the effect of chemical materials either on the environment or on human beings3. If chemical energy or substances are released into environment unauthorisedly, it would be tantamount to pollution under the environmental law. Thus, pollution can happen in the following ways. If a person or a legal person (company) releases energy or chemicals into the atmosphere in violation of its licence stipulations; If a person or a legal person (company) releases energy or chemicals into the atmosphere without obtaining any valid licence4. As per Keith Hawkins, pollution is a conception by the administration, and the regulator manages the issue of licenses, and it is having authority to decide, which discharge tantamount to pollution and if the discharge surpasses the licence conditions, then, that will be regarded as unlawful5. Offences under UK environmental laws fall under strict liability offences, and thus it minimises the onus on the prosecutor, and the defendant has to prove that there has been no infringement from his side to escape from the offence. In the early nineteenth century, when it was found that enforcement officials were lacking capability to assess the internal intricacies of business operations, the strict liability is introduced for environmental offences6. In UK, the environmental offences will fall under the category of strict liability offence. One of the salient features of strict liability offence is that it facilitates the prosecutor to puni sh a company for any environmental offences where the infringement was due to inaction or action of its employees, or due to failures of mechanical systems or other equipments7. In UK, there are about twenty-five environmental statutes specifically provide for initiating action against officers with regard to about 175 separate punishable offences under UK’s environmental law ,which may be perpetrated by the companies. For instance, the National Rivers Authority can recoup reasonable costs of mitigating or remedying pollution in groundwater or surface from the persons who have knowingly permitted or caused the threatened pollution or the pollution. The Environment Act 1995 authorises the costs to be recouped from the â€Å"appropriate persons† who have permitted or caused such pollution. Thus, the term â€Å"persons† include of course both the officers and the directors of the company8. Oil and Gas production and exploration is to adhere to its own environmental regulations. Environmental safeguard provisions are introduced in the exploration and development licences itself under s.4 of the Act9. Oil pollutions offences like releasing of oil mixture or oil into territorial waters of UK is a punishable crime under the above Act10. For instance, the US Environmental Protection Agency levies administrative penalties whereas the Department of Justice award criminal punishments for the most serious infringement. Likewise, under German laws,

The Outsider (Of Mice and Men) Essay Example for Free

The Outsider (Of Mice and Men) Essay However, we then find out that she has a dream of her own, revealing the ambitious side of her. She indulges in a different fantasy, far less likely of fulfillment. As many young women do, she aspires to stardom in films. She claims to have met an actor when she was 15, and was being told that she was a natural in acting, but her mother forbade her to pursue her dream. This is shown when she says Well, a show come through, an I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show. But my ol lady wouldn let me. She says because I was ony fifteen. But the guy says I coulda. If Id went, I wouldnt be livin like this, you bet. From this it shows how unsatisfied she is with her mothers decision and how she really wished she had been able to pursue her dream. She thinks her talent is merely waiting for an opportunity and that her mother has stolen the letter which represents her chance for fame. Steinbeck describes precisely the small grand gesture with which she demonstrates to Lennie her supposed talent. This shows how nai ve she is to believe that her mother has stolen her contract, which was obviously never written. When she received no letter from the actor, she married Curley. However, she has always wanted to make some accomplishments and loved attention. Throughout the novel she constantly wanders around the ranch, creating trouble. When she was killed by Lennie, her dreams ended. Lennie, Candy and Curleys wife were not capable of having their dreams come true but stayed hopeful. From the many incidents that the characters in the novel encounter, it is shown how big dreams often cause tragedies and are sometimes unrealistic. In the novel as a whole, she is represented as the marginalized and disempowered part of society. She uses her status and power to intimidate people in the ranch. Overall, Curleys wife is presented as a flirtatious, lonely young woman who is very discontented with life. Readers who read the book would evoke sympathy for her because of her sad situation and cruel husband, but also dislike her because of her flirtatious and mean attitude. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section. Download this essay Print Save Heres what a teacher thought of this essay 4 star(s)

Pierre Trudeau Essay Example for Free

Pierre Trudeau Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pierre Trudeau an eternal Canadian nationalist could be rightfully ascribed for building the strong foundations of federalism in Canada in the turbulent period of the 1970’s and the 1980’s. He represented the quintessential Canadian liberal politician of his times, hobnobbing with the likes of John Lennon and Yoko Ono while imposing what some say the draconian War Measures Act in 1980 to quell the wave of terrorism unleashed by the separatists in Quebec. Unafraid to speak and act as per his personal proclivities in a World which was adjusting to the rise of Communism, Trudeau prevented its backlash into Conservatism and ultra nationalism as seen in Quebec, affect the country as a whole. His vision of nationalism included acceptance of plurality in a multi cultural state, represented by introduction of bilingualism in Canada at his behest. The force of his personality supported the strength of his ideas thereby making him a strong object of worship as well as revulsion. It was thus but natural that Trudeau would be finding many detractors particularly amongst the Francophone of Quebec. Pierre Trudeau is seen as a villain in French Canada due to his vitriolic contrarian personality, his espousal of the liberal ideology representing the virtual counter culture of the 1970’s and his strong espousal of federalism which came in direct confrontation with Quebec nationalism. Contrarian   Personality Trudeau’s flamboyant personality, his disrespect for formal authority represented by the famous pirouette behind the Queen of England’s back provided reasons to his detractors to run down his achievements. Trudeau born in a French Scottish background and educated in the College Jean-de-Brebeuf perhaps was well set to be a nationalist as well as a clerical fascist.[i] Fortunately the vistas of his personality opened as he traveled widely and came into intellectual contact with liberals as Jacques Maritain and John Locke. The influence of these years of travel and study, in France, UK including the London School of Economics and the United States bore an undefinable imprint of political liberalism on his personality. It also strangely brought him closer to figures as the British pop band Beatles. His rejection of the Second World War did not go too well with nationalists and believers who continued to have faith in the values for which the War was being fought. He is also reported to have spoken at an anti draft rally thus being expelled from the Canadian Officer’s Training School for indiscipline.   All this was not suited to endear him universally and provided fodder to the French Canadians.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the War he became the leading dissident against the ideas of conservatism from both sides of the Anglo French divide in Canada which was expanding each day. This along with his dabbling in trade unionism with a Marxist touch was anathema to the political class of the times. The Marxist leaning was evident with the ban imposed on him in the United States for attending a conference in Moscow. However his extreme liberalism and cantankerous personality led him to even throw a snow ball at the statue of Stalin in the Russian capital much to the chagrin of his hosts. The oddities in his personalities were evident when he continued to criticize the Canadian Liberal party despite being one of its ideological supporters for arming missiles in Canada with nuclear warheads. The wave that swept him to the leadership of the Liberal party in 1968 perplexed many as a left wing politician with liberal ideas, people were quite skeptical about his approach. Yet the need for   sweeping changes in a nation which was shaping its identity found him heading the Liberals in 1968. The predominant support of the nation’s youth also resulted in an antagonism developing against him in the older, more conservative generation. His defiance of the rioting mobs on the Annual Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day parade in 1968 moved many voters to bring him to the centre stage in national politics. The fiery personality was one reason for the large body of antagonists that developed against the liberal, youthful, defiant and unafraid Prime Minister of a nation in the midst of a crisis of identity in people of two highly dominating cultures, the Anglophonic and Franco phonic, as if the supremacy in Europe post Second World War was being fought in Canada.   Pierre’s invocation of the War Measures Act in the crisis riven month of October 1970, won him detractors even within the Liberal Party, such were the strong reactions that were invoked by his personal leanings and proclivities. Trudeau’s detractors frequently called this behavior as a deliberate attempt to grab the attention of the media. Thus his personality had a major role to play in Pierre’s unpopularity amongst the French Canadians. Liberal Counter Culture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As a leader of the political and social counter culture in Canada, Trudeau was well poised to invite many detractors. Truadeau’s liberal antecedents can be traced back to his days in the University of Montreal as an associate professor of law, where he developed his personal proclivities to support individual rather than state rights. Persuaded by friends, Pierre Trudeau was elected to the Canadian house and soon became a Minister for Justice in the Liberal cabinet of Pearson. The liberal in him saw repealing many conservative laws such as on homosexuality and divorce, earning the ire of the conservatives some of them influential personalities as the Quebec Premier, Daniel Johnson, Jr.   His left leanings were a permanent stigma that he had to carry in a Western country which was attempting to fight Communism through out the World.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The contrarian liberal in Trudeau however was seen doing an about turn, when confronted with the problem of separatist terrorism in October 1980. The firm action to quell terrorism through invocation of the War Measures Act was anathema to liberals, who never seem to have forgiven him. The creation of a multicultural society has been frequently construed as the creation of a British society with a Canadian identity. The other cultures in Canada including the French were deemed to be assimilated within this primarily anglophile culture of the country.[ii] This facet has rankled many French liberals, who deem that such a society has not emerged naturally but some how created by the likes of Trudeau. Some liberals even accuse him of creating stereo types with a view to construct an over arching structure of a nationalist government in the garb of liberalism.[iii]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However Pierre’s strongest opposition came from the Francophone of Quebec, who saw in him the principal opposition to their movement.   During the October Crisis of 1970 when the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ) carried out a series of kidnappings in the province including the British Trade Consul and the Quebec Labor Minister, Trudeau did not hesitate in invoking the War Measures Act to give the government powers to ensure that the movement was brought under check by arrest and detention without a trial. This was an affront to the liberals but Pierre found it sound policy instead of giving in to the demands of radical elements in the country. While it was Trudeau who introduced official bilingualism in Canada, giving equality to French and English in all official services of the Federal government, the Francophiles saw it to be a measure towards a multi cultural society which was seemingly anathema to them. The liberals continued to ignore the fact that Trudeau ensured through his personal charisma and espousal of free ideals that the social transformation in Canada was brought about without causing revolutionary change.[iv] It is this social dynamism represented by Trudeau that could alter the polity in the country without any civil war. Quebec’s Sovereignty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The final issue which created antagonism against Trudeau amongst the French is the immensely emotive issue of Quebec’s sovereignty.   As a champion of federalism and being in the office of the Prime Minister, Trudeau was able to influence the course by championing the cause of federalism against the call for Quebec nationalism given by Parti Quebecois led by Rene Levesque. While it goes to his credit that he ensured that the issue of sovereignty was resolved through the democratic process, it was his call for a new constitution in case Quebecois stayed with Canada that is said to have gone in favor of a majority vote for sovereignty. The Quebec nationalists could never forgive Pierre, especially so when his background was French. Moreover many believed that it was due to his forceful oratory, bilingual approach and clever articulation he had caused the mood swing even against an opponent as tough as Rene Levesque. However this was the enduring legacy that he was to provide to Canada at the cost of personal popularity amidst the French in the country. Pierre Trudeau saw in his mission a need to assimilate the French and British aspirations within the Canadian national structure by reducing inter community hostilities and provide the country an effective government.[v]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This antipathy of the French in Canada towards Pierre was to remain and has somehow emerged as his lasting legacy in Quebec, obfuscating his major achievement in creating a federal structure which prevented fracturing of the nation, which would have proved disastrous for Quebec reducing it to a minority state. The French Canadians ascribe his strong measures by invoking the War Measures Act as central to break up of FLQ. However they frequently ignore, that the other options were hardly viable, return of chaos and mayhem of terrorism in the country which would have been detrimental for Canada’s political and economic growth. The route of democratization provided by him to the French Canadians and a peaceful path to their aspirations is frequently forgotten. Thus these detractors of Trudeau ascribe their defeat by democratic forces to the force of his personality, which may to an extent be partially true, but the birth of great nations has seldom taken place without the efforts of leaders of his caliber. The support that Pierre’s federalism had been consistently receiving in Quebec was frequently ignored by the French. This was evident with the capture of a majority of seats in the federal elections of 1980 by the Liberal party, though provincially the Parti Quebecois continued to remain dominant. The Quebecois also feel that it was Trudeau’s ultra nationalism which destroyed their ambitions of seeking a unique relationship with the mainstream Canadians without necessarily renouncing their rights for sovereignty of Quebec.[vi] The War Measures Act is also seen as going against the principles of democracy. However Trudeau was a realist liberal with a reality rooted strain of liberalism which decreed that tough times required hard measures and the results achieved of suppression of FLQ in its nascence proved the righteousness of Trudeau’s cause. The Constitutional Act of 1982 has also been one of the causes of his downfall amongst the liberals in Quebec. They ascribe their inability to win elections in Quebec after the Act was introduced at the behest of Trudeau. Ironically the bilingualism introduced by Turdeau some how rankled the Francophone as well. It was a sound basis for the creation of a multi cultural society, giving the strongly predominant French voice in Quebec extension to other parts of the country. Here again the aspirations of the Franco phones were not fully met as they found that they could not really use French in all parts of the country as freely as they did in Quebec, thereby they continued to bear a grudge against him in this sphere. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada, overlapping the critical period of over a decade from 1968 to 1984, with a brief interregnum of over nine months, Trudeau had an important role to play in the country’s dilemma of seeking a cultural identity.   Trudeau was primarily responsible for seminal national charters such as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which preserved Canadian identity and virtually single handedly redefined the national agenda.   Above all he provided the moral foundations to the Canadian nation state denoted by LaSelva, roots of   which will only add to its superior nationalist character as the years go by.[vii] [i] McCall,   Christina. Clarkson, Stephen. Trudeau and Our Times Volume 1 (Paperback). Toronto, McClelland Stewart.1997. [ii] Legare, E. Canadian Multiculturalism and Aboriginal People: Negotiating a Place in the Nation. Identities 1 (4), 1995. [iii]   Larocque, E. Racism Runs Through Canadian Society. In O. McKague (Ed.), Racism in Canada., Saskatoon: Fifth House Publishers. 1989. [iv] P. Russell, Constitutional Odyssey: Can Canadians Become a Sovereign People?, 2d ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 1993. [v] R. Cook, Canada, Quebec and the Uses of Nationalism, 2d ed. Toronto: McClelland Stewart. 1995. [vi] Laforest, Guy. Translated by Paul Leduc Browne and Michelle Weinroth Trudeau and the End of a Canadian Dream.Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1995. [vii] Samuel V. LaSelva, The Moral Foundations of Canadian Federalism: Paradoxes, Achievements and Tragedies of Nationhood. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1996. Bibliography    Butler, Rick, Jean-Guy Carrier, eds. The Trudeau decade. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 1979. Butson, Thomas G. Pierre Elliott Trudeau. New York: Chelsea House, c1986. Clarkson, Stephen. Trudeau and our times. Toronto: McClelland Stewart, c1990 c1994. 2 v. Cohen, Andrew, J. L. Granatstein, eds. Trudeaus shadow: the life and legacy of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Toronto: Vintage Canada, 1999. Couture, Claude. Paddling with the current: Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Étienne Parent, liberalism and nationalism in Canada. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, c1998. Issued also in French: La loyautà © dun laà ¯c. Griffiths, Linda. Maggie Pierre: a fantasy of love, politics and the media: a play. Vancouver: Talonbooks, 1980. Gwyn, Richard. The northern magus: Pierre Trudeau and Canadians. Toronto: McClelland Stewart, c1980. . Laforest, Guy. Trudeau and the end of a Canadian dream. Montreal: McGill-Queens University Press, c1995. McDonald, Kenneth. His pride, our fall: recovering from the Trudeau revolution. Toronto: Key Porter Books, c1995. McIlroy, Thad, ed. A Rose is a rose: a tribute to Pierre Elliott Trudeau in cartoons and quotes. Toronto: Doubleday, 1984. Peterson, Roy. Drawn quartered: the Trudeau years. Toronto: Key Porter Books, 1984. Radwanski, George. Trudeau. Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, c1978. . Simpson, Jeffrey. Discipline of power: the Conservative interlude and the Liberal restoration. Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, 1984. Stewart, Walter. Shrug, Trudeau in power. Toronto: New Press, 1971. Vastel, Michel. The outsider: the life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, c1990. 266 p. Translation

Comparing US-Canadian Healthcare Systems

Comparing US-Canadian Healthcare Systems Health care in many parts of the world is considered a basic right that should be given to people. Access is crucial in order to ensure the efficient delivery of basic health care services. In general, health care systems are organized in order to provide treatment of diagnosed health care problems and these systems are usually government-run, meaning they utilize the peoples taxes. Though most of the health care systems differ, they share common goals and outcomes as well as features that identify them with the universal health standards. Since the end of the Second World War, universal health coverage remained a contentious public issue in the United States. Today, it is the only wealthy nation in the world to not yet adopt universal health coverage. The debate is often framed by comparing the efficiency of the U.S. healthcare system with that of other affluent nations. Though practically joined to the hip in terms of history and geography, the health care systems of the U.S. and Canada are always basis for comparison because they offer two contrasting models. Canada, like many developed countries in Europe, follow a universal and single-payer healthcare system while the U.S. has decided to retain a limited and multi-payer system of health care. A comparison of the health care systems of both countries reveal that in terms of accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and health care outcomes, the Canadian health care system may be a better model from which the U.S. could learn from. Public Policy, Coverage and Access: It is presumed that the government, being the sole purveyor of public policies must address the aspect of health issues and its impact on the citizenry. There is an extensive involvement in the medical market place including financing, direct supervision, regulation, and subsidization (Henderson 2008). In addition, 45 percent of health care spending comes from government sources such as Medicare, Medicaid and various health plans for both civilian and military (Henderson 2008). The United States remained to be the only economically developed country that has not provided universal health care access to its population so that today, millions of Americans remain uninsured (Brown and Lavarreda 2007). Moreover, because there is no universal access to health care services, not all Americans are entitled to even the routine and basic health care services (Shi and Singh 2009). The issue of health insurance coverage remains to be a contentious point because it is the principal financial means where people can obtain their health care services. Its importance is noted on several studies that compare the access of insured and uninsured people as well as in the studies that validates over time the effects of losing or acquiring insurance and its health status. Since absence of the universal health care access is present in the United States, several subsystems have evolved from either through market forces or the need to take care of certain population segments (Shi a nd Singh 2009). In Canada, a single-payer system is managed by the government for the delivery of healthcare. This entitles every citizen to have a universal access regardless of the ability to pay (Howard-Hassmann and Welch 2006). The universal single-payer system differs from what is being employed in the United States privately funded system. Here, every citizen carries a health care card that can be used in seeking medical intervention without the burden of paying the bill immediately (Howard Hassmann and Welch 2006). The funding is generally from the federal government but certain provisions vary depending on the province. It was in 1962 that a major reform in the health care delivery policy of Canada was done starting with the province of Saskatchewan, which was subsequently adopted in the whole country (Kendall 2008). Reform attempts in the United States during Clintons administration faced a strong opposition from insurance companies who held most of the funding (Howard Hassmann and Welch 2006). In addition, various obstacles such as political and ideological factors, the complexity of the proposed reform plan and the diverse opinions in all the fifty states all militated against the passage of much-needed health care reform (Howard Hassmann and Welch 2006). Until present, the problem persists and more than 40 million Americans are not covered by health insurance (Shi and Singh 2009). The Price and Quality of Health Care: The concept of quality of care in the booming health care industry is more than just an idea. It entails essential details for patient care and the ability to cover up the finances. According to the Institute of Medicine (1990), quality is defined as the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes (quality principles) and are consistent with the current professional knowledge (professional practitioner skill) and meet the expectations of the healthcare user (the marketplace) (Cohn and Hough 2008). This view suggests that good clinical quality produces quality outcomes because the efficiency of the medical practice reduces medical malpractice liability and ultimately enhances financial viability (Cohn and Hough 2008).The National Quality Forum (NFQ) as a non-profit organization seeks to promote new guidelines, standards and quality measures to resolve serious and persistent quality deficiencies; it also seeks to re concile the superfluous and often incompatible guidelines, standards and measures of reporting be various health care organizations dedicated to the improvement of quality health care management (Jonas, Goldsteen and Goldsteen 2007). The issue of regionalization that started in Saskatchewan was seen by others as a way of redirecting the responsibility of budget and funding allocations from the Cabinet down to the provinces regional board (Beach, et al. 2006). This leads to the major advantage of the Canadian health care system over the United States reflected in the reduction of administrative costs. Administrative costs reach 20 percent of the U.S. health care dollar while Canada covers only 10 percent (Kendall 2008). Altogether, with the introduction of the publicly funded system, the cost is well controlled and the Canadian health expenditure per capita increased from 1975 to 1991 but significantly declined by 0.3 % per year (Rapoport, Jacobs and Jonsson 2009). From an economic perspective, the price of health care should equal to the marginal cost of production where most of this scheme prevails in competitive free market ensuring fair profit (Marchildon, et al. 2004). Since 1960, the United States healthcare expenditures increased yearly in both absolute and relative terms and in 1980, the annual rate of increase was always in the double-digit range (Jonas, Goldsteen, and Goldsteen 2007). Uncontrolled health care cost and spending accounts much of the reason for increasing costs of health insurance in the United States plus a decline in the employment based insurance reflected a fundamental flaw in the current health care system (Andersen, Rice and Kominski 2007). Health Care Outcomes: Health of the population is a concern for governments and certain goals and standards must be met to ensure a better quality of life. Based on health indicators used to evaluate the effectiveness of services rendered, a study concluded that the current health care system delivery of the United States resulted to poor outcomes (Henderson 2008). A health indicator reflects more than the health care delivery as it either praises or fault a system where life expectancy and infant mortality rate indicates whether aspects such as environment, lifestyle choices, and social problems are properly addressed. In the U.S., male life expectancy at birth was lower at 75.2 years and female life expectancy at 80.4 years. In Canada, male life expectancy was 77.8 and 82.6 years for females. The infant mortality rate in the U.S. is also higher by 5.3 percent than in Canada (Henderson 2008). The poor performance of the U.S. healthcare system could mean that the higher investment in health services does not generate an equal return for its consumers and the consumption of health services is not really value driven (Cohn and Hough 2008). The assessment of the quality of care faced two key challenges and these reflects the involvement of varied factors outside the health care system (Andersen, Rice and Kominski 2007). Adequate methods in managing the variations in health profile and severity of illness must be compared in using the first key challenge in comparison of health plans and providers (Andersen, Rice and Kominski 2007). Moreover, the second challenge is the issue of attribution in using the outcomes data where the determination of the extent to which the health plans or physician that is being evaluated is responsible for the observed outcomes. Despite the use of several indicators to assess the effectiveness of health care systems, several factors can affect the health outcomes and not all of these can be modified by the health care delivery system (Andersen, Rice and Kominski 2007). This could mean that the lower infant and mortality rate in Canada reflects the quality of care and tells us more about the social conditions rather than the quality of health care delivery itself (Weitz 2009). Impact on the Economy: Economic evaluation is an important tool to gauge the impact of the healthcare outcomes because it considers both the financial and the social attributes of the health care system delivery. The most prominent and widely-used technique for analysis in the economic evaluations of health care systems is cost-effectiveness (Henderson 2008). Cost-effectiveness is integrated into the healthcare policies in Canada, Australia and Europe but the increasing value of it must not be rendered the sole factor in funding for a treatment project (Henderson 2008). Based on spending, Canada and the U.S. allot a significant percentage of their GDP to healthcare, higher than most industrialized nations. Canadas healthcare spending comprises 10 percent of its economy while the U.S. spends as much as 16 percent on healthcare. This big gap on spending between the two nations is due to the difference in overhead. Because of its single-payer system, Canada does not require the service of actuaries who set premiums or lawyers who deny care as the U.S. does. Nonetheless, the contribution of the health industry to the U.S. economy in many levels is a major factor why attempts toward major healthcare reforms have faced difficult opposition. In addition, the health sector makes major contributions in the overall income and employment in the United States (Cohn and Hough 2008). It was predicted that 16 percent of all new jobs created in the year 2012 will be in the health service industry with 10 of the 20 of the fast increasing job will be from the health care sector (Cohn and Hough 2008). Moreover, a ripple effect is created in the continuously growing healthcare industry due to its interconnectedness with the U.S. economy. Beyond its economic impact, there are plenty of qualitative reasons why healthcare is important. A strong healthcare infrastructure plus a leading health care organization would likely increase a community to be settled as a permanent residence for many individuals. Also, the presence of a healthcare facility in a community is important in business because of the industrys economic stability (Cohn and Hough 2008). Analysis: The comparison between the two countries respective health care system has presented knowledge about the differences in terms of public policy, coverage and access, price and the quality of healthcare, health care outcomes and the economy. The aforementioned literature has noted that government involvement played a major role in healthcare as governments have direct supervision, control, and regulation of the health care industry. Public policies addressed towards the need for universal access and coverage of healthcare differed in U.S. and Canada. All Canadians have a health care card that enables them to have access to basic health care services without the burden of directly paying because the government allocated a certain portion of their budget for the subsidization of health care costs. In the United States, there is no universally accessible health care delivery system because such service is restricted to the elderly and the most disadvantaged. The fact that most of the Amer icans do not have insurance is a problematic feature that drives calls for major reforms in the industry. What the Americans have are profit-centered insurance companies. This is the primary reason why the cost of health care in the U.S. is much higher than in Canada. Though reforms have been attempted, the issue is still unresolved as the healthcare industry threatens economic consequences should the private insurers and pharmaceutical companies start losing its profits. These companies, along with political pressure from anti-reform legislators have blocked the way for a major healthcare reform in the United States. Canada however was successful in the implementation of health care reform beginning in Saskatchewan in the 1960s In terms of expenditures, the literature also pointed to the high administrative costs make up bulk of healthcare cost in the United States. In Canada, this is properly subsidized by the government utilizing the decentralization of their public funding releg ated to their provincial governments. In terms of healthcare outcomes, the United States has a relatively poor performance in the most important evaluative tools of measuring the efficiency of its health care delivery. Infant morality rates scored high in the U.S. than in Canada along with the lowest years in both female and male life expectancy. This indicator reflects the kind of environment and the kind of sociopolitical issues the country is facing characterized with a high prevalence certain lifestyle diseases. Though not the sole reason for measuring quality of care, it is indeed a factor in the overall outcomes of health for both countries. In addition, the results of the health indicators for both countries emphasize not only the quality of care but also the social conditions present in each of their environment. Such conditions are very important aspects in the area of business of health care. People tend to choose their residence in a place where there is a visible and quality infrastructure such a state-of-the -art healthcare facilities. From an economic point of view, the health care industry proves to be a recession-proof industry as the need and demand for health care services are in constant in the community. The multibillion health care industries in the United States contributed much to the stability of the national economy of the country and this is also the reason for the failure of healthcare reform to materialize. Jobs and revenue generation constitutes a major issue in tackling health care in the United States, as with Canada. However, the subsidization is in effect in the Canadian health care system whereas in the U.S., some features of subsidization are being emulated in certain U.S. states, such as the value of cost-effectiveness in the measurement of their services over the price of services over time. Conclusion: Although the United States and Canada lie close to each other in terms of geography, the difference in their health care delivery system is unmistakable. In evaluating the various literature comparing the health care system of both countries, the Canadians seem to have a better health care delivery system than the United States based on three grounds. First, Canadas universal accessibility and coverage among its citizens to acquire basic health care services allows for the greater enjoyment of health rights than the restricted coverage offered in U.S. health care. Second, the health care outcomes that measures and evaluates the quality of care rendered among the healthcare consumers is relatively better in Canada than in the U.S. Lastly, the cost-effectiveness of the single-payer healthcare delivery system in Canada makes it a suitable model for other countries to follow.

Cognitive Turn and Linguistic Turn :: Philosophy Symbols Papers

Cognitive and Linguistic Turn My first goal is to question a received view about the development of Analytical Philosophy. According to this received view Analytical Philosophy is born out of a Linguistic Turn establishing the study of language as the foundation of the discipline; this primacy of language is then overthrown by the return of the study of mind as philosophia prima through a second Cognitive Turn taken in the mid-sixties. My contention is that this picture is a gross oversimplification and that the Cognitive Turn should better be seen as an extension of the Linguistic one. Indeed, if the Cognitive Turn gives explicit logical priority to the study of mind over the study of language, one of its central features is to see the mind as a representational system offering no substantial difference with a linguistic one. However, no justification is offered for the fundamental assimilation of the nature of a mental representation with that of a linguistic symbol supporting this picture of the mind, although the idea that a system of mental representations is identical in structure with a system of linguistic symbols has been argued over and over. I try to demonstrate this point through a close critical examination of Fodor's paradigmatic notion of 'double reduction.' My second claim is that the widespread contemporary assimilation of a mental representation with a symbol of a linguistic kind is no more than a prejudice. Finally I indicate that this prejudice cannot survive a rigorous critical examination. 1. Introduction: linguistic symbol and mental representation A good deal of that important branch of contemporary philosophy which goes by the loose term of Analytical Philosophy lives, in my opinion, with a distorted representation of its own past, and consequently, with an inaccurate appreciation of the nature of its own achievements. As a matter of fact the belief is widely spread among analytical circles that the birth of Analytical Philosophy is the result of a Linguistic Turn taken by its founding figures G. Frege and B. Russell and then expanded into various directions by their notorious or less notorious followers. (1) To put it in a nutshell, the Linguistic Turn — of which historians give in fact conflicting accounts — (2) can be characterized by saying that it turned (better said, intended to) every philosophical problem — and most of all every psychological and epistemological one — into a problem about language, or at least into a problem dependent upon problems about language.

Crazy Lanie :: essays research papers

Katie Lanie transferred to Seton Catholic high school during our junior year. Katie’s reason for leaving Carl Isle high school centered around one shadowy statement, â€Å"No one in that school understood me.† Katie said this to me almost every day and I produced only mixed reactions to her claim. I thought it would take more than a few short years of high school to completely understand a person. And frankly, not everyone cares about another’s problems, especially high school kids—most of them care about themselves and their status only. Sadly, I admit I fell into this group and didn’t get out until I found my appreciation for Katie. Throughout the year I kept Katie’s words in mind and they started to make sense.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Seton Catholic was a small high school, so it wasn’t too long before everyone knew â€Å"Crazy Lanie†. That’s the nickname the boys at school gave her. Katie’s physical appearance and loud-mouth intimidated the young Catholic school boys, but her oblivious attitude caused her to be unaware of this. Katie was very opinionated and spoke out in class on a daily basis. These habits were annoying when you were trying to learn, but they came in handy in our Economics class. There was one word that every Seton Catholic student used to describe the Economics teacher—torture. Then Katie came and turned that class around. Her first love is talking, then politics and current issues. So she talked up a storm in class, eventually strayed away from the subject at hand, and turned our class into a current issues debate team. A lot of us appreciated Katie’s unintentional deeds and some didn’t. One guy in particular who didn’ t take pleasure in Katie’s existence was Mike Reckliss. Mike was an on the edge type of guy who only cared about his motorcycle and class—that’s where he got most of his shut-eye. Katie, Mike, and I had Business Law together every day after lunch. By the time we got to class, Mike’s stomach was full and he was ready for his afternoon nap. But with Katie there, baby Mikey was a crabby pants. On one particular day, we were discussing a person’s rights to property. Our teacher explained that his neighbor’s tree branches were hanging over onto his property, so technically he was entitled to cut down the branches that extended beyond the property line. Before our teacher could finish his story about property, the light in Katie’s head turned on.

The Opposing Goals of Comfort and Power in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Opposing Goals of Comfort and Power in Macbeth  Ã‚  Ã‚   People have a hard time getting what they want; in fact, the things they want can be incompatible with each other and any attempt to reach one of these goals hurt the other.   In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1606), the protagonist is lured to murder the king, Duncan, by the desire for power, an appetite whetted by witch’s prophecies and his wife’s encouragement. But when he reaches the kingship, he finds himself insecure. He attempts to remove threats that decrease his security, including his companion Banquo and his son Fleance, prophesied to be king. His lords grow angry and revolt successfully, after witches lure Macbeth into a false sense of security by further foretelling. In Macbeth, we see that, despite appearances of paradox, man’s goals of comfort and power are forever opposed in increment, though the two may decline together. The power from knowledge causes discomfort. As often has been said, ignorance is bliss. After Macbeth is promised the throne, Banquo asks why Macbeth is less than ecstatic. "Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear / Things that do sound so fair?" (Act I, Scene 3, p. 332) Macbeth’s new knowledge makes him uncomfortable, as he realizes the implications. His first thoughts considering murdering Duncan appear, and he is scared. After he commits the murder, Macbeth says, "To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself." (Act II, Scene 2, p. 347) Knowing that has committed such a vile act makes him uncomfortable. It will be difficult to act innocent and to deal with his guilt. When he later decides to murder Banquo and Fleance, he tells his wife, "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, / Till thou applaud the deed." (Act III, Scene 2, p. 359) Hecate sets Macbeth up for his final fall, explaining her strategy, "As by the strength of their illusion Shall draw him on to his confusion. He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear. And you all know security Is mortals' chiefest enemy." (Act III, Scene 5, p. 365) The security provided by the second set of predictions is only fleeting. Feeling there is no threat to his power, Macbeth acts wildly, bringing his downfall and loss of both comfort and security. The problem with knowledge was that it was power resulting in a decline in comfort. The Opposing Goals of Comfort and Power in Shakespeare's Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework The Opposing Goals of Comfort and Power in Macbeth  Ã‚  Ã‚   People have a hard time getting what they want; in fact, the things they want can be incompatible with each other and any attempt to reach one of these goals hurt the other.   In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1606), the protagonist is lured to murder the king, Duncan, by the desire for power, an appetite whetted by witch’s prophecies and his wife’s encouragement. But when he reaches the kingship, he finds himself insecure. He attempts to remove threats that decrease his security, including his companion Banquo and his son Fleance, prophesied to be king. His lords grow angry and revolt successfully, after witches lure Macbeth into a false sense of security by further foretelling. In Macbeth, we see that, despite appearances of paradox, man’s goals of comfort and power are forever opposed in increment, though the two may decline together. The power from knowledge causes discomfort. As often has been said, ignorance is bliss. After Macbeth is promised the throne, Banquo asks why Macbeth is less than ecstatic. "Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear / Things that do sound so fair?" (Act I, Scene 3, p. 332) Macbeth’s new knowledge makes him uncomfortable, as he realizes the implications. His first thoughts considering murdering Duncan appear, and he is scared. After he commits the murder, Macbeth says, "To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself." (Act II, Scene 2, p. 347) Knowing that has committed such a vile act makes him uncomfortable. It will be difficult to act innocent and to deal with his guilt. When he later decides to murder Banquo and Fleance, he tells his wife, "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, / Till thou applaud the deed." (Act III, Scene 2, p. 359) Hecate sets Macbeth up for his final fall, explaining her strategy, "As by the strength of their illusion Shall draw him on to his confusion. He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear. And you all know security Is mortals' chiefest enemy." (Act III, Scene 5, p. 365) The security provided by the second set of predictions is only fleeting. Feeling there is no threat to his power, Macbeth acts wildly, bringing his downfall and loss of both comfort and security. The problem with knowledge was that it was power resulting in a decline in comfort.

Tlc Analysis of a Drug Component

To: Wesley Clark From: Lizzie Heath Date: March 4, 2013 Subject: Thin-Layer Chromatographic Analysis of Drug Components (Experiment #15) The purpose of this experiment is to determine the components of an unknown drug and identify it as one of six (6) commercial drugs by using thin-layer chromatography. I added approximately a quarter of a tablet of acetaminophen, aspirin, caffeine, ibuprofen, salicylamide, and the unknown (#19) to separate test tubes containing 2. 5mL of dichloromethane. I noticed that my unknown was a coated tablet.Each test tube was swirled until the greatest amount of each solid was dissolved. Each solution was spotted along a labeled starting line on the silica gel TLC plate. The TLC plate was put into a developing chamber containing 200:1 acetic acid and allowed to developed until the solvent reached almost to the top of the TLC plate, which took about 10 minutes. When the TLC plate finished developing, I observed the plate under UV light and noticed that the s alicylamide was the only spot that fluoresced purple while all the other spots fluoresced blue and I also noticed that the unknown had 2 spots.I traced around the spots for each solution on the TLC plate, the only spot that I did not see was the one for the ibuprofen. I then placed it into an iodine chamber and noticed that the acetaminophen turned a yellowish color. I measured that the solvent traveled 64mm up the TLC plate by using the starting line as a reference, and, by using that information, I was able to calculate the Rf value of each solution by using: Rf= distance traveled by the spotDistance traveled by the solvent I used that formula to get the following information for the table below: Commercial DrugRf Value Acetaminophen0. 500 Aspirin0. 781 Caffeine0. 125 Ibuprofen0 Salicylamide0. 719 Unknown0. 109 & 0. 734 I am able to determine that my unknown substance contains aspirin, but I am not sure what the other substance is. I can speculate that the other substance is the c oating from the tablet of the unknown.

Women and Alcohol

One important bother that requires attention in the society is alcoholic drinkic drinkism. by the course of history, it had been noned that alcohol breathing in had established prevalent stance in the society, which is mainly in relation to gatherings and well-disposed make.Most cases of drink argon attri moreovered to men instead than women. Limit of alcohol intake, though, defines the cordial replication on deglutition. In this fast changing world, even women flatadays are binging in alcohol when at that place are make and during problems and distress. Too much consumption of alcohol leads to alcoholism. When abuse comes in, alcohol then becomes a threat non only to the mortal himself but to the community as well.Due to the item that the issue on alcoholism covers any gender of the society both presently and indirectly, problems can be identified at different levels and subgroups. The issue on alcoholism that threatens the women creation is the main focus i n this study. The reasons that were viewed are in relation to chemise role of the women in the society. They are now occupying roles of increasing importance. This issue had generated mend out-of-pocket to more serious returns of alcoholism in women as compared to the male population as ascertained ailments and even death.This newspaper aims to discuss the effects of alcohol in women as compared to men. A clearer understanding of how the tangible, genial and affable well being of women were alter by alcohol give be given. Further remedies and answer to the problem allow for as well be tackled.Identifying the components where recovery will be made possible is also given in the end. This includes the alcoholic individuals, their family and social network, the community and other related environment. Achieving health for the whole population is the key towards advantage and this can be done by overcoming the problem related to alcohol.Alcohol as a threat to the corporea l, mental and social well-beingMany mint nowadays consider alcohol as an important changeless companion during social gatherings. People can be gear up drinking alcohol whenever there are occasions, parties and even on dates. Women are anticipate to take more care of themselves rather than men. On the other achieve drinking alcohol in a master way has been a subject of controversy. This is because the natural and mental health has been put into sample due to rampant alcohol drinking.Attaining a physically fit body and a stabilized mind is now demanding for women who drink alcohol. It has numerous disadvantages aside from the passing enjoyment that they received during socializations. Women are exposit as the weaker sex and this makes the situation harder as compared to men who are usual alcohol drinkers.Drinking in moderate amounts during special occasions is not exactly harmful. What actually poses as a problem is the ex aspiration for great deal to abuse their drinkin g behavior. Seeking solution to the problem of alcoholism, thus, require the cooperation of every genus Phallus of the society due to the feature that it is not only the alcoholics that become the target of the injurious effects of alcoholism.Alcoholism and its SymptomsAlcoholism is considered as one health problem which has usual symptoms like liberation of control, appetency, physical dependence and tolerance.Craving manifests in the constant and strong compulsion to drink. More ofttimes women wanted to feel a reason of equality with men. This will make their impulse towards alcohol be the same with men. It results to departure of control by exhibiting lack of conception of limitation when alcohol is already in front of them.Tolerance on the other hand is the need of the person to drink in bulk to get their groove. Once the physical and mental state is consumed by alcohol, physical dependence leaves the alcoholic with the withdrawal symptoms of sweating, foreboding or na usea if they are not able to drink for a retentive period.These symptoms are the main reasons that can catch about problems in the family and society. This is due to the fact that in their search for the probable solution, they tend to consider giving the alcoholics what they are craving for, thus, escalating the problem and intensifying the possible effects.The tendency for men and women to be alcoholic is a genetic trait but there may be differences in the genes and psychosocial inclination of an orbit involved. This can be related to the differences in not only the physical but also emotional and mental objurgate that results into the varying reactions to particular stimulus.The effect of alcohol on women drinker causes great concern due to the fact that it has tremendous effect in the family and in the society as well. Women have an important role that populate of inculcating values to the family and weaken their role as the model in the family.