Corruption in Colombia Essay

There has been a four-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government groups, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) who are funded by the drug trade, has escalated over the years. Since about 2002 the violence has decreased a slit amount because of the lack of the military and popular support necessary to overthrow the government. However these groups of insurgents have continued to attack civilians. Large areas around Columbia are under the revolutionary influence. By the end of 2006, more than 31,000 former governments’ officials had ceased to function as long as the formal organization the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). When this occurred criminal groups arose and members included former government officials. The Colombia Government has made efforts to advance government control throughout the country. In order to understand how corruption is affecting Colombia, we must first examine concrete economical statistics. The Colombian Peso exchange rate depreciated 6. 64 percent against the US Dollar during the last 12 months. The Colombian Peso spot exchange rate specifies how much one currency, the USD, is currently worth in terms of the other, the COP. While the Colombian Peso spot exchange rate is quoted and exchanged in the same day, the Colombian Peso forward rate is quoted today but for delivery and payment on a specific future date. Colombian pesos (COP) per US dollar: 1,869. 9 (2010) 2,157. 6 (2009) 2,243. 6 (2008) 2,013. 8 (2007) 2,358. 6 (2006) According to the CIA World Factbook, Colombia is ranked 59th in exports and 54th in imports. In May of 2011 Colombia exports were worth 4704 Million USD and imports were worth 4931 Million USD. Their major exports are petroleum, coffee, coal, nickel, gold and, nontraditional exports. Their major imports are industrial and transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, and electricity. The total population in Colombia was last reported at 45. 9 million people in 2010 from 16. 0 million in 1960, changing 187 percent during the last 50 years. Colombia has 0. 67 percent of the world? s total population which means that one person in every 150 people on the planet is a resident of Colombia. The unemployment rate in Columbia from 2000 until 2010 averaged at 14. 7 percent. The highest percentage was in January of 2001 when it was 20. 99 percent. The lowest percentage was in November of 2007 when it was 8. 91 percent. Labor force is the number of people employed plus the number unemployed but seeking work. The non-labor force is those who are not looking for work, those who are institutionalized, and those serving in the military. According to the World Bank, the Colombia Gross Domestic Product is worth 288 billion dollars or 0. 46% of the world economy. Colombia’s average GDP was 60. 55 billion dollars and reached the highest dollars in December of 2010. Colombia is a free market economy with major commercial and investment ties to The United States. Transition from a highly regulated economy has been underway for more than 15 years. Colombia’s average annual economic growth rate was of over 5% from 2002 to 2007. The inflation rate in Colombia was last reported at 3. 3 percent in August of 2011. Inflation rate refers to a general rise in prices measured against a standard level of purchasing power. The most well-known measures of Inflation are the CPI which measures consumer prices, and the GDP deflator, which measures inflation in the whole of the domestic economy. Corruption’s negative impact on Colombian Foreign Direct Investment is reflected by the poor image of Colombian government by its citizens. The Colombian government, although less developed and more corrupt, is structured similarly to the United States’ government. However unstable it may be, it is a republic and consists of three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. Also like the United States, Colombia is dominated by two major political parties, the Colombian Conservative Party and the Colombian Liberal Party. Because of the natural radicalism of the two parties, two major civil wars have resulted from their existence, The Thousand Days War and La Violencia. The Thousand Days War is a prime example of how the corruption of the Colombian government has made Foreign Direct Investment a very difficult achievement for Colombia. The Thousand Days War was a civil war fought between the Conservative Party of Colombia and the Liberal Party of Colombia, sparked by corruption. In 1898, Conservative Party member Manuel Antonio Sanclement, was elected president of Colombia. This was very controversial because it was believed that significant election fraud had made this possible. As Sanclement was an adamant Liberal Party oppose, the Colombian Liberal Party waged war. The war, which lasted 4 years, claimed an estimated 100,000 lives. As devastating of a loss as 100,000 people is, the worst outcome of The Thousand Days War may be that it did little to resolve the extreme differences between the Liberal and Conservative Parties of Colombia. The Thousand Days War was soon followed by a second civil war more commonly known as La Violencia. La Violencia was also a war founded on corruption. It was sparked by the assassination of the Liberal Party leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan. After the assassination in 1948, Conservative Party leader Laureano Gomez, was the uncontested elected president in 1950. Under Gomez’s power, there was an increased rate of violence, specifically by the liberals of Colombia who were very upset about Gomez’s rise to power. Gomez was overthrown by a military coup led by General Gustavo Rojas Pinilpla in 1953. However, Rojas proved to be just as corrupt his predecessor and was soon overthrown by the Colombian military, with the support of both the Conservative and Liberal parties. La Violencia, a time properly named after and extreme period of violence and conflict, lasted from 1946 to 1957. Within that timespan it claimed an estimated 300,000 Colombian lives. The following chart shows the number of Colombian citizens who are murdered per 100,000 people by year. What is more concerning than its high rates, is that it continued to increase even after La Violencia. These extreme rates of murder and frequent conflicts are heavily dependent on the poor image citizens have of the Colombian government. There is a lack of trust in the Colombian government. Historically, governmental corruption is common practice in Colombia, just as it is a frequent occurrence that violent rebellions and civil wars take place in order to transfer power between the two political parties. This poor government infrastructure and lack of control allows corruption to run wild in Colombia making it a very difficult place for Foreign Direct Investment. This poor image of government in Colombia did not see much improvement after La Violencia. Another violent problem emerged with narco-terrorism. Colombia has become notorious for its cocaine production. In 2008, Colombia was the sources of 50% of the world’s cocaine. It is an industry which is very frequently held out violently, leading to what is known as narco-terrorism. In 1990, three presidential candidates were killed by narco-terrorists. With the rise of drug trafficking in Colombia, it appears that narco-terrorists have more control than the Colombian government. Although Colombian government has always struggled with corruption, there have recently been many signs of improvement towards a better country for Foreign Direct Investment. Within the past decade, several laws have been passed to weaken drug cartels and strengthen governmental control. From 2002 to 2008 Colombia has seen a decrease in many historically struggling areas. Its homicide rate dropped 44%, its kidnapping rates dropped 88%, its terrorist attacks dropped 79% and its attacks on country’s infrastructure dropped 60%. These tremendous improvements show an increase in governmental authority in Colombia. If Colombia can continue to improve in these areas and demonstrate that its government can have more control over its people, without corruption, it will become a much better candidate for Foreign Direct Investment. In August 2010, President Santos, introduced a legislation that would distribute industry incomes to Columbians who have lost their land due to violence. He also is trying to make improvements through domestic security. Columbia is third largest exporter of oil to the United States. Foreign direct investment from 2008 to 2009 went from $10 billion to $7. 2 billion. Even though records show that it has dropped $2. 8 billion, in 2010 it began to recover their losses through the oil sector. Because of their financial crisis the economy didn’t grow significant amount till 2010 then it grew 4. %. Before that the growth was a low percentage. With the challenges that Colombia’s faces it requires major improvement to sustain economic expansion. The outrageous amount of corruption in Colombia is hindering its economy and stopping it from becoming a safe and stable country. Although it is one of the oldest democracies in Latin America, Colombia has some of the most corrupt elections. An estimated 130,000 candidates are running for election at the local, regional, and national levels. 10% of these candidates have proven criminal records. About a third of their senate is currently under investigation for parapolitics and many of which are already in jail. The corrupt election are stopping Colombia from having a stable government which is stopping foreign investors from taking the risk of putting money into Columbia, meaning less jobs and poorer quality of life for the average Colombian. In 2005 the parapolitics scandal was uncovered and left the Colombian senate in chaos. The Colombian senate seats 102, and with 51 senators now being investigated and 29 in jail, they are virtually paralyzed. As each senator is arrested, it delays the agenda for legislation even more. Paramilitary leaders have confessed to hundreds of thousands of crimes including murders, abductions, rapes, narcotics, and extortion. They have also confessed to backing many politicians in an attempt to be protected outside of the law. Many members of the former president of Colombia, President Alvaro Uribe’s party were arrested for parapolitics showing the world how unstable the Colombian government is. One of the arrested politicians includes the president’s cousin Mario Uribe who has had very close ties to the president both family-wise and politically. This influenced the United States greatly and in 2007 a package of military aid destined for Colombia from the United States was blocked in the U. S. senate because of fear of election corruption. Colombia depends on the U. S. greatly, as it is number 3 in the world for U. S. military aid. The aid is used to assist in fighting the drug war and without it; more violence and corruption will take place. Paramilitary has a huge effect on the elections conducted in Columbia. There are around 20,000 paramilitary fighters in the country all growing from their creation in the 1980’s. In 2010 armed groups killed over two dozen candidates running for election and at the same time they invested large sums of money to fund their own candidates’ campaigns. Along with bribing people to run for them, these armed groups will also pay the public for individual votes. This can be as much as $40 per person in some places. Other times they will also use sheer military force to intimidate the public into voting for them. Many of the jailed parapoliticians have others running in their place as puppets while they are still in jail. Caracol news agency reported that 18 of the candidates in 2010 were â€Å"political front men† for ex-senators. There was an increase in the amount of women running for election which usually is considered a good thing. The truth is that the ones with the best chance for election were being backed by paramilitary families in an attempt to keep seats lost by jailed parapoliticians. The other big problem in Colombia its enormous drug trade and the negative effect it has on the economy. Columbia is the world’s largest cocaine producer and accounts for 43% of coca cultivation (the crop used to make cocaine). 0% of the cocaine found in the United States is Colombian. Combined, Colombian and Mexican drug cartels make an estimated $4. 6 billion exporting to the United States per year. Overall Columbia’s drug trade is about $10 billion / year which is equivalent to 25% of the countries legal exports. In 2008 81,000 hectares of land were being used for illegal coca cultivation. These are staggering numbers and makes you wonder, how is all of this being allowed to happen? If Colombia was not as corrupt as it is, this wouldn’t happen. Many of the drug lords use their influence and resources to pay off politicians, police, and military to turn a blind eye to their drug trade. Attempts have been made to stop this massive drug trafficking but so far it has only slowed it down. Colombia’s defense spending is now at $12 billion per year which is triple the average defense budget of other South American countries. Along with an increased defense budget, the United States has also committed an additional $6 billion since 2001 to help crackdown on the coca production. These are large sums of money that could be spent in other more productive ways. Such as, creating a better national infrastructure and creating jobs. $18 billion is a lot of money to invest in an economy, and currently they are losing all of that potential production because drugs are such a big problem. Drug trafficking and election corruption are both hurting the Colombian economy. Billions of dollars are being spent to stop the corruption but to this point there is still a great deal going on. In order for Colombia to have better production in a global economy, they must prove to the world they have a stable government, and reduce the risks associated with investing in them. Over the past few years, foreign direct investment in Colombia has been gradually increasing as their country has been fighting the corruption and violence that had been prominent. Some of the most advantageous areas for FDI are technology, fuels – such as coal, oil and natural gas — and infrastructure. One reason that fuel is a wise choice for FDI is because Colombia has much more oil than is being used by its population: This excess would allow foreign companies access to enough oil to run more plants at a cheaper cost. Infrastructure is also important because Colombia’s current ease of transportation leaves much to be desired. If a company decided to invest in Colombia’s transportation, it would draw more investors in as said transportation costs decreased. The Colombian government has been actively working to encourage local companies to develop the roadway systems across the country to attempt to make Colombia more attractive to foreign investors. While several countries are investing in Colombia, the United States is the lead investor by over 30%. It is certainly beneficial to have a strong investor, however it can be problematic for one country to control so much of Colombia’s foreign direct investment. Having investments in Colombia is helpful for the United States because Colombia is a relatively close population of cheap labor without many of the highly-regulated working conditions that are found in more developed, less corrupt countries. As a surprisingly strong investor, Anguilla contributes 20% of Colombia’s foreign direct investment. For a country whose economy is largely based on tourism, it is interesting to see their commitment to a local country that has very little tourism because of its reputation for violence, drugs and corruption. Foreign direct investment has been increasing in the recent years due to Colombia’s higher regulation of corruption and desire to control the violence in the streets. Many businesses are beginning to trust Colombia to protect their product rights and property, although Colombia is still far from stable and dependable. While crime rates are slowly decreasing in Colombia, most businesses still avoid investing in Colombia because of its reputation for extensive riots and drug wars. If Colombia can decrease their reputation for instability and corruption, they have every opportunity to successfully draw in investment and provide a safer, better future for their citizens. As stated throughout this extensive research paper, corruption can cause a country many problems. One aspect that it affects the most is trade. Countries and corporations are less attracted to corrupt governments opposed to more stable governments. According to Mauro, who analyzed 94 corrupt countries, GDP increased by four percent with a decrease of 2. 38 on his teen point scale; GDP per capita increased by . percent. Mauro contributed to the book, The State in a Changing World, World Development Report 1997. Columbia has had corruption problems for an extended period of time now. Parts of the government have tried to stop such corruption but cooperation from all parts is needed to progress. In order for Columbia to progress they must start at the root. They must analyze what causes corruption and approaches other countries took to successfully start eliminating corruption. A few of the reasons corruption is practiced are to avoid penalties for illegal actions or to get around legal regulations. One overwhelming problem in Columbia, that is no secret to most, is drug trade. Drug cultivating and trade in Columbia is evident due to its geological location and ideal climate. In order to transport these drugs and have farms some drug lords may need to pay off government officials so they can â€Å"turn their eyes† on such activities. In this case both the drug lords and government officials benefit. Corruption will be hard to fight in Columbia due to the fact that the drug industry is estimated to be valued in the billions and whenever there is such a significant amount of money on the line, people are willing to do anything. Regardless of the reason, usually it is for an individual’s personal gain, companies included. Institutional corruption usually arises when government officials have a significant amount of power but little accountability. Most of the time, the officials must have their own financial incentives in order to partake in the corruption. The more control government officials have to regulate corporations the more corruption is likely to occur. If the probability of being caught or punished is low, people will tend to risk dealing with corruption. There are two approaches that must be taken to fight corruption, the first approach must be an institutional approach and the other must be a social approach. To begin an institutional reform towards corruption, Columbia must limit authority. Columbia has a questionable democratic government. With all the corruption going on, the polls could be altered. This is where the social approach comes into play later on. There most prominent branch is the executive branch. This supports the fact that Columbia’s authorities may have too much power. Privatization is believed to be able to reduce corruption by limiting the amount of government interaction with companies. In order to be successful there must be certain regulation put into place. The only problem with this approach is that it has already been taken by Columbia, and while it did improve corruption, it was not notable enough. Columbia has gone as far as privatizing its water supply and while it had many critics at first, it turned out to be a good decision by their part due to the correct regulations put into place. Other suggestions are to increase liberalization by reducing tariffs. This will lead to officials having less access to 1bribes. Competition among public services can also reduce corruption by eliminating monopoly type organizations. By increasing accountability, corruption can be decreased. Accountability includes stricter enforcement and easier detection mechanisms. Accountability can be increased through many ways. Freedom of information legislation can help. To better explain freedom of information legislation, and example would be the Ugandan government began posting prices for services and activities such as registering a car or starting a small business. This eliminates questionable pricing and increases transparency. Another tactic to increase transparency is to implement financial disclosure among government officials. This tactic makes government officials income and assets public. Some South American countries have already began this practice; countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Government expenditures and income can also be made public for transparency purposes. This way money won’t go missing and if it does the people will know; this is known as an open budget process. Legislative oversight can benefit Columbia greatly in terms of eliminating corruption. Since Columbia must give more power to its legislative branch rather than its executive branch. A recent example has been one of Columbia’s neighbors, Brazil. The congressional impeachment of President Fernando Collor de Mello demonstrated the strength of the legislative branch. The Brazilian senate has also set up a special committee to investigate potential fraud in selling government bonds. Columbia’s senate should take initiative and also set up some sort of committee to investigate corruption charges. These methods won’t completely eliminate corruption and none will come close to even making an impact if it’s the only method used but if they are combined corruption and decrease considerably. An incentive to avoid corruption would be stricter sanction. By increasing the severity of the punishments people face a higher risk factor when participating in corrupt actions, thus leading them to think twice about their actions. Sanctions may include but are not limited to minimum sentences for taking part in corrupt activities or denying public services for any entity offering bribes, this includes people or companies. Columbia was already on somewhat of a right track when it comes to strengthening their judicial branch’s power. In 1991 Alfonso Valdivieso was appointed attorney general. In Colombia the Attorney General cannot be dismissed or reappointed and he is given investigatory powers. Valdivieso gained world recognition for prosecuting high ranking drug lords and government officials. I would recommend Columbia to ask Valdivieso for help, knowing that he is a reliable source when it comes to corruption. He can’t be Attorney General again but if special unit is formed to combat corruption, he is definitely a guy that should be taken in mind. This concludes possible ways to avoid and reduce corruption from an institutional view point, reducing corruption from a social approach is rather different. The way people are raised and their surroundings affect their views on many things including corruption. If children are raised in a corrupt environment, they will view it not only acceptable but almost necessary. It’s a top down effect where government officials and corporation leaders are at the top. They must set an example for the public to look down on corruption and not endorse it. Public Relations Campaigns can be put into effect to better inform people on the consequences and harm done by corruption that is not too clear. Campaigns can be executed through mass media, community activities or school programs. A few key points that should be emphasized are the effect that corruption has on things such as public services, investments, and inequality. All of these aspects are affected in a negative way. Columbia’s unemployment rate is 11. 8% and its Gini index is 58. 5. These numbers could improve with by decreasing corruption but this fact isn’t evident to most of the population. If people feel like they have a say in the situation and can make a change, they will be more actively supportive. These campaigns should aim towards making people feel as if every little bit of help counts. In Argentina a non-government organization was formed to inform the public about corruption. The organization consists of television and radio ads. Another positive use of media to combat corruption is investigative journalism. Investigative journalism increase transparency greatly. It helps uncover corrupt officials and acts. The truth is what drives investigative journalism rather than just a story. Investigative journalism poses a threat of being exposed towards anyone that is participating in corrupt acts. It is a risky job due to the fact that people being uncovered may have a lot of power. Workshops should be set up to train such journalist. Countries such as Uganda and Tanzania have just that. In a country like Colombia with all the guerilla forces and drug cartels, this is a very important part to investigative journalism. Journalist run the risk of being targeted, so they must be careful and smart in the ways they go about reporting and accessing their findings. Lastly Columbia could search for outside help. Help can come from individual countries or organizations. Organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank could offer guidelines to help. Both organizations are pretty much powerless but they can help establish treaties that could improve anti-corruption efforts. Individual countries that wish to invest in Columbia could also take initiative and further influence Columbian anti-corruption movements. To recap corruption is mostly if not solely negative towards Columbia’s economic development. It makes Columbia look risky to outside investors hoping to make a Federal Direct Investment. Investors prefer stability rather than turmoil. Due to its geological position, Columbia has faced drug problems for a few decades now. In order to transport these drugs and grow them, bribery and corruption is needed. Columbian citizens and officials should notice that corruptions cons outweigh the pros when it comes to the Columbian economy as a whole. Officials must lead by example and the power of the executive branch should be reduced.

Israeli-Hezbollah Conflicts: The Insensibilities of War Essay

The world has witnessed again the hostilities of war this year. The terrorist group Hezbollah initiated the spate of violence in the Middle East by sending raiders into Israel from Lebanon. This attack killed eight Israeli soldiers and two others kidnapped, while they launched missiles into northern Israel. Not taking this action sitting down, Israel retaliated by bombing Beirut’s airports, roads and Hezbollah hangouts, killing innocent civilians in the process. It was in June this year that the Hezbollah gained 80 percent of the votes in the Lebanese parliamentary elections in southern Lebanon. This will mean that the group will cover 35 seats in the 128-member national assembly. Despite their popularity in Lebanon, Hezbollah had been involved in the 1982 Israeli invasion and the subsequent U. S. military intervention, engaging in a series of kidnappings and assassinations of Americans as well as the deadly truck bombings of the U. S. embassy and a Marine barracks (Zunes 21). As an organization, Hezbollah essentially means â€Å"Party of God†. Their history emanated to help the Islamic Revolutionary Guards fight active opponents who demonstrated in the streets. The name was used as early as 1973 by Ayatollah Mahmood Ghaffary in Iran. It was resurrected in 1978 in one of the revolution’s slogans: â€Å"Our Party Is the Party of Allah and Our Leader Is Ruh Allah. † The so-called party consisted of a thousand young thugs who infested Tehran’s poor neighborhoods. For a modest monthly allowance, they waged street battles against members of more sophisticated political groups. In contrast to its beginning, the â€Å"party† today boasts a membership of more than one million adherents in Iran alone. Its offshoots in Muslim countries, Europe, and America act as operatives and as a vanguard for the Islamic Republic of Iran. In Lebanon, the party also has a powerful military wing that has bombed Israel and given assistance to militant groups like Hamas in the Gaza Strip (Hoveyda 94). Acclaimed for their notoriety, Zune indicated that: For more than a decade, however, the Hezbollah militia had restricted its armed activities to fighting Israeli occupation forces, initially in southern Lebanon and then — following Israel’s withdrawal in 2000—in a disputed border region with Syria still under Israeli control. Attacks against foreign occupation forces have traditionally been recognized as legitimate acts of self-defense and not as acts of terrorism, a term usually restricted to deliberate attacks against civilian targets (21). Hezbollah’s leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah declared war on Israel because had no option. They could disarm and participate more fully in Lebanon’s government, but that would have meant giving up â€Å"the resistance,† the ideology so central to Hezbollah that it functions as a national founding myth. Their resistance is, first and foremost, an ongoing guerrilla war against Israel, which occupied southern Lebanon until its withdrawal in 2000. Hezbollah had weapons to defend their land—rockets, Iranian-made missiles, and drones. It is the source of fierce pride for Hezbollah, the only Arab force to succeed in ousting Israel from its land. But, before anything else, the resistance was a political movement, born decades ago, of empowerment for Lebanon’s eternally despised Shia. In Hezbollah’s collective mind, the Shia have finally emerged on top after being put down for so long, and now they want to prove that they can do what no other Arab country has done: defeat Israel. â€Å"You do not know today who you are fighting,† declared Nasrallah on July 14. â€Å"You are fighting a people who possess strength of faith that no one else has on the face of this Earth† (Ciedlo 14). Due to their own misgiving, Israel is now dealing with crises on two fronts. First, it was carrying out an operation in the Gaza Strip to rescue Corporal Galid Shalit, who had been captured by Palestinian militants. This triggered an ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants taking place in Gaza. After that, a second operation into Lebanon was launched to rescue Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev — the two soldiers captured by Lebanon-based Hezbollah. Nevertheless, despite the overwhelming task of fighting on two fronts, Prime Minister Olmert ruled out any negotiations with Hezbollah, just as it had foreclosed the discussions with Hamas. Additionally, his government filed a complaint with the United Nations, calling on the Security Council to enforce an existing resolution that required the Lebanese government to disarm militias (Coleman, 29 July 2006). In fairness to the Lebanese government, it denied that they had no previous knowledge of Hezbollah’s activities and would not take responsibility for the abduction of the two Israeli soldiers. To this end, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said, â€Å"The government was not aware of and does not take responsibility for, nor endorses what happened on the international border† (Al Jazeera, 7 July 2006). Experts on the ground in Lebanon also pointed to the fact that despite the existence of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559, the country simply was not in the position — politically or militarily — to disarm Hezbollah on its own. With the ongoing scuffles, Lebanese government represented by Social Affairs Minister, Naila Mouawad, called for the two Israeli soldiers to be returned home. She also reiterated Lebanon’s previously-noted position that her government was neither aware of Hezbollah’s plan, nor supported it. With that statement, Mouawad criticized Israel’s response for being too heavy-handed, particularly with regard to the lives of Lebanese civilians. She warned that Lebanon was experiencing a catastrophe and explained that her government could not disarm Hezbollah by force (Coleman, 29 July 2006). Naturally, the reaction around the globe was intense woes that these conflicts might sprout in something bigger, many countries already had requested for restraint from all parties involved. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan condemned both the abduction of the Israeli soldiers as well as the resulting offensive by Israeli forces into Lebanon. Russian, France and the European Union expressed the view that Israel’s response to the capture of two soldiers was disproportionate. But Israeli spokesman, Mark Regev, said that Israel was simply responding to an â€Å"unprovoked act of aggression. † Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, voiced out that Israel should ensure its own security, it should do so in a way that avoided civilian deaths. The Vatican later added its condemnation of the situation – calling for the release of the soldiers by Hezbollah and decrying Israel’s strikes against the sovereignty of Lebanon. On the U. S. government’s part, President George W. Bush characterized Hezbollah as terrorists and supported Israel’s right to defend itself. However, he also warned that whatever action Israel took, it should be mindful of the stability of the Lebanese government. With all these bombings here and there, the head of the emergency relief agency for the United Nations, Jan Egeland, characterized the damage caused by Israeli strikes on Beirut as â€Å"horrific. † He lambasted the demolition job caused by Israel’s retaliatory action against Hezbollah, calling it excessive. He also condemned Hezbollah for â€Å"cloaking itself among the civilian population†, which is causing the rise in civilian casualties. With damages continuing to heighten, Egeland called on both sides to cease their attacks and noted that humanitarian aid would begin arriving shortly in Lebanon. In that latter regard, he appealed for safe access of all civilian evacuees caught between the warring parties. He also said that the United Nations would be launching an appeal for humanitarian aid amounting to $150 million dollars (USD). Egeland arrived in Beirut on the heels of an Israeli strike against the Hezbollah-dominated portion of Lebanon’s capital city. In Beirut, there were four injuries when one strike hit a mosque. While Hezbollah said the facility was used only for prayer, Israel contended that it was one of several legitimate targets used not only for conventional purposes, but also by Hezbollah for its activities (Coleman, 29 July 2006). Israel’s aerial bombing of southern and eastern Lebanon continued. The Israeli strikes had already caused Lebanese engineers, who had been attempting to repair impassable roads, to retreat for safety reasons. The southern town of Sidon several people seeking safety were hit by Israeli strikes. Not spared, the historic city of Tyre was the site of action from both sides. It was one of several places from which some Hezbollah militants were firing missiles and, as such, Israel made it a target of retaliatory strikes. There were eight deaths reported across Lebanon. They included a young boy, a photographer, three people fleeing in a minibus, as well as three Hezbollah fighters. On the other side of the border, two Israelis died in Haifa and over twenty people were injured as a result of repeated Hezbollah rocket attacks. United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in July 24, 2006 for talks regarding the crisis in between Lebanon and Israel. Before arriving in the Middle East, Rice mentioned to reporters that the United States still had an embassy in Syria. Her statement was interpreted by some as a reminder that the United States and Syria still shared diplomatic relations that could be leveraged, if necessary. Her first stop was Lebanon where she met with Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. In that meeting, she expressed concern for the Lebanese people, while also making clear that Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel from within Lebanese territory could not be permitted to continue. In the backdrop of these developments, the White House announced that it had authorized humanitarian aid to be sent to Lebanon. Secretary Rice, and later President Bush, both conveyed the view that the only possible solution to the conflict was a sustainable ceasefire and enduring peace. The United States’ stance has been that a ceasefire might result in only Israeli compliance, thus subjecting Israel to future attacks. Clearly, this view has not been shared by many world leaders and foreign policy chiefs who have called for an immediate ceasefire, arguing that continued hostilities were untenable, regardless of optimal long-term objectives. Many Middle Eastern experts have further said that no long-term objectives can be achieved, at all, without addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Coleman, 29 July 2006). In an article in the New Republic, Lawrence Kaplan declared that Bush has spent many more hours encouraging Israel than constraining it. This could be analyzed as the US government seems has no more use for Hezbollah than Israel does. â€Å"And, while the organization may not pose the existential threat to the United States that it does to Israel, the administration views it as a crucial proxy for Iran. Critics delight in faulting the Bush administration for viewing the international scene through a ‘state-centric’ lens. But, when it comes to Hezbollah—which boasts verifiable return addresses in Tehran and Damascus—what other lens is there? † In my opinion, the Israeli government is doing more harm than good. Rescuing two soldiers, while endangering hundreds of lives is really irrational. They should have sought the U. N.’s help rather than waging a war that intruded the normal living conditions of innocent Lebanese civilians. War should be the last option rather than an initial response. Now, Israel is seemingly suffering the brunt of all of its actions because of the retaliatory attempts that the Hezbollah troops are waging in Israel’s areas. The U. N. , on the other hand, as well as countries like the U. S. , should have taken proactive measures to put a stop in these conflicts. As stated above, long-term solutions should be delineated from their mediation to avoid the further destruction of both countries. As we all know, there is no long term solution that could be resolved through bombs and guns. We cannot, of course, repeat history by neglecting these conflicts that are costing the lives of many people. Countries cannot repeat the errors in history, where wars had lost not only lives, but properties and the freedom of people. War could not fully reconstruct people’s experiences. We certainly cannot feel other people’s sufferings, although we can empathize with them because we have general knowledge, and many unfortunately have some experience of suffering. The suffering of the victims, especially the innocent ones, is enough reason why Israel and Hezbollah should hold a ceasefire and negotiate about their scuffles. If they cannot understand the destruction they are causing, people around the globe should knock some sense out of these leaders who cannot feel the suffering of the victims. Works Cited Al Jazeera Website. â€Å"Hezbollah Captures Israeli Soldiers,† (July 12, 2006). Acquired 30 July 2006 at http://www. aljazeera. com/me. asp? service_ID=11629 Ciedlo, Anna. â€Å"Entombed† (cover story). New Republic, 235. 5 (July 31, 2006): 13-15. Coleman, Denise Youngblood. â€Å"Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah Mired in Violent Conflict,† CountryWatch Forecast, (July 29, 2006). Acquired 30 July 2006 at http://forecast. countrywatch. com/fc_moreon. aspx Hoveyda, Fereydoun. The Broken Crescent: The â€Å"Threat† of Militant Islamic Fundamentalism. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1998. Kaplan, Lawrence F. â€Å"Other Means,† New Republic, 235. 5 (July 31, 2006): 12-13, Zunes, Stephen. â€Å"U. S. Rhetoric about Hezbollah Blurs Reality. † National Catholic Reporter, 41. 33 (July 1, 2005): 21-21.

Indians and English essays

Indians and English essays Indians and English: Facing Off in Early America. By Karen Ordahl Kupperman. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2000. In Indians and English, Karen Ordahl Kupperman contends that... When the class was first prompted to read and then analyze Karen Ordahl Kuppermans latest book, Indians and English, a wave of apprehension rushed over my mind. A 300 page book about the historical accounts of our European ancestors and Native American Indians is not my idea of a good time. I was taken by great surprise immediately after I opened the book and delved into the web of stories which Kupperman had so creatively constructed. I went deeper and deeper into each account and soon found myself not wanting to put the book down. I was amazed at the content of the piece and began to realize my first assumption was entirely wrong. After completion I was brought back to my original state of mind, knowing full well what I was about to do. At this point in time I will go on to write a review of Kuppermans latest masterpiece. There are many paths I can take at this time to accomplish my goal. In my opinion, the best way to construct such a review is to break down and transla te the main ideas of the book and how they relate to each other. Indians and English, in a brief summary, closely looks at the relationships between the first English settlers and the Algonquin- speaking Indians they encountered while seeking pilgrimage in present day America. While a large emphasis is put on the English perspective, Kupperman examines the emotions felt by both the colonists and the Natives, all the while focusing on how they relate to the English culture. She then goes on to describe how the English responded to the new people they had come upon. This response was one of mixed emotions. While the English were fascinated, and perhaps uneasy with the Natives way of life, they gave the interaction a very good report back h ...

Definition and Examples of Display Question

Definition and Examples of Display Question A display question is a type of rhetorical question to which the questioner already knows the answer. Also called a  known information question. Different from erotesis questions, display questions are often used for instructional purposes. Theyre used to determine if students are able to display their knowledge of factual content. Examples and Observations So as I have just demonstrated, children, he was saying now, grass is very nice to sit on, but be careful because it can tickle. Now,  can anyone tell me  the name of this handsome creature over here?Is it a rhino, sir? said a girl called Caroline.Very close, Caroline, said Alan Taylor kindly. Actually, it is known as an ant. Now who can tell me- (Andy Stanton,  Mr. Gum and the Cherry Tree. Egmont, 2010)In 1930, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, in an effort to alleviate the effects of theanyone? anyone?- the Great Depression, passed theanyone? anyone? The tariff bill? The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act? Which, anyone? Raised or lowered? Raised tariffs in an effort to collect more revenue for the federal government. Did it work? Anyone? Anyone know the effects? It did not work, and the United States sank deeper into the Great Depression. Today we have a similar debate over this. Anyone know what this is? Class? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone seen this before?(Ben Stein as th e economics teacher in Ferris Buellers Day Off, 1986) The [drivers education] class was taught by an old and embittered veteran of the New York City public school system who had the looks and the attitude of, come to think of it, me these days. His form of instruction was Socratic, relentlessly so.What is the purpose of the steering wheel? he asked.The elderly Jewish ladies looked at their shoes. The Chinese stared into space. The black guys continued slanging each other.What is the purpose of the steering wheel? the teacher asked again and got the same response. . . .And so it went for a month and a half. The teacher asked a painfully simple question. Nobody said anything. The teacher repeated the painfully simple question. Nobody said anything.(P.J. ORourke, Driving Like Crazy. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2009) The Purpose of Display Questions Something that the media interview and the classroom interaction have in common is the use of display questions. . . . The purpose of a display question is to put knowledge or information on public display. In the classroom, this is an important way of transmitting and testing knowledge for teachers and students. In these display question situations such as classrooms and quizzes, the questioner follows up the answer by stating whether it is the correct one or not. However, in media interviews, . . . the follow up is very often left to the listener or viewer.(Anne OKeeffe, Michael McCarthy, and Ronald Carter, From Corpus to Classroom: Language Use and Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press, 2007) The Lighter Side of Display Questions Texas Ranger: The teacher asked me what was the capital of North Carolina. I said Washington, D.C.Cal Naughton, Jr.: Bingo.Ricky Bobby: Nice.Texas Ranger: She said, No, youre wrong. I said, You got a lumpy butt. She got mad at me and yelled at me and I pissed in my pants and I never did change my pee-pants all day. Im still sitting in my dirty pee-pants.Cal Naughton, Jr.: I wet my bed until I was nineteen. Theres no shame in that.(Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, 2006)

Representations of Islam in the media Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Representations of Islam in the media - Article Example The issue of Islamophobia has been the subject of media reporting, especially since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the USA, which shifted the war on terrorism and terrorist activities from just mere focus on terrorists and their ideologies, to delve further into the issue of Islam as a religion, and how its doctrines are in line with the holy war, normally referred to as the Jihad. The articles are meant for the benefit of both the Christians and the Muslims, acting as a basis through which the two religions should engage in constructive dialogue, towards reverting to their earlier cordial relationship. According to (Ridgeon & Schmidt-Leukel, 2006), in both Christian and Islam religions, â€Å"there were and are times of peaceful existence† p137, meaning the same can coexist today peacefully. Thus, the articles are in the best interest of both the Islam and Christian religions, and the texts serve to present a view that the world can be peaceful. These texts are po sitioned to enable the readers to respond to the present media reporting regarding Islam, through presenting the knowledge that despite the differences occurring in both religions, they can still coexist (Pratt, 2005). However, the texts points to the existence of gap, in the understanding of the Islam doctrine, especially regarding Jihad, and the relationship of Muslim teachings with the radicalization of the youth. Since the September 11 occurrence, the reporting on the subject of Islam has changed both in quality and quantity, with every stream of the media highlighting or even carrying huge perks of news regarding Islam (Swindler, Duran & Firestone, 2007). The frequency and the bulk of news reporting regarding Islam since the 9/11 attack has served to create the fear or hatred of Islam as a religion on the one hand, while there has been more attempts to create a positive image regarding Islam religion on the other hand. Nevertheless, the negative reporting and stereotyping of Is lam as a religion has definitely outdone the positive painting of this religion (Ridgeon & Schmidt-Leukel, 2006). The language use reinforces stereotyping, which elicits a reaction of anger and fury from the Muslims, who may in turn be motivated to react in the way that the media has stereotyped them. This has created an opportunity for diverse interpretations of the news and media reports regarding Islam. For example, the cartoon by Nicholas from the â€Å"Australian Newspaper† shows an individual reacting to the stereotyping mooted against him, through blowing up the individuals who seem to have stereotyped them (Nicholas cartoon, n.d.). Therefore, the terrorism activities might also be sparked off by the media stereotyping against the Muslims. However, while the media has been involved in extensive reporting regarding the issue of Islam and its perceived relationship to terrorism, there has been a wide support for dialogue by the Muslim world, to create an understanding of what Muslim religion is all about. According to the (World Council of Churches, 2013), a dialogue between Muslims and Christians is essential, not for the purposes of establishing religious supremacy, but as a â€Å"process of mutual empowerment of both Christians and Muslims† p6. This notwithstanding, there is a perceived roadblock that has been placed

Comparison of ASUS and HP Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparison of ASUS and HP - Coursework Example Recently Hp has launched its Slate 500 Tablet PC which is the product which would evolve the electronic world forever; the perfect substitute for the large desktops and a more stylish and trendy substitute for a laptop. Its multi touch display can browse spread sheets , applications , documents and so much more and now comes with a pen to write on your screen which makes it all the more easier to write and edges it closer to perfection . It includes 2 cameras, the first a VGA camera for web conferencing and the other a three megapixel camera to take still shots and it comes with accessories such as a keyboard, mouse and a printer. So technically we fit a whole desktop into a tiny 8.9 inch screen (Crocker, 2010). Meanwhile ASUSTeK Computer Incorporated is a multinational computer product manufacturer; traditionally Chinese in origin and ASUS also produces components for other companies which also include HP. ASUS has been included in "InfoTech 100" and "Asia’s Top 10 IT Companies" and has a total brand value of US$1.324 billion The Slate 500 Tablet PC now sees a competitor in the face on ASUS's Eee Pad Transformer TF101. The Eee Pad comes with a more powerful 2.1 GHz processor and but has an in built memory of 1 Gb in contrast to the 2 Gb provided by the 500 Tablet PC and a. The Eee Pad also has better quality cameras with a 5 mega pixel and a 1.3 mp video conferencing camera and has a superior battery life. There are also various differences in the specification of both the products but perhaps the most startling one is that of the price, The Eee Pad Transformer TF101 supposed to be cheaper than the HP Slate 500 Tablet PC by at least a hundred and fifty dollars (Gadgetian, web). The HP slate comes at 799$ which includes all accessories which targets a more upper-class audience so the focus is more on brand loyalty and product image than that to see elasticity of demand . The demand for the product should be inelastic but considering the fact that Transformer TF101 can be bought for a starting price of $ 3 99, the only advantage HP has in the international computers market is that of a superior brand image. Product The  ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is at the end of the Introduction stage but has quickly moved on to the growth stage. This can be largely attributed to the market penetration pricing that the    used which resulted in more than five hundred thousand pieces being sold in a couple of months and due to the product being in the growth stage the demand is still increasing to quite a large extent .    While the HP Slate 500 Tablet PC was launched at around proximity of six months, it may not have accomplished the point in the growth stage that the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer has. The product has recently been introduced and due to its low prices the product has been an instant hit and has seen increasing sales ever since. The other more notable difference is that the Transformer is using more widespread extension strategies to increase the extent of the growth stage and they see m to be working as the predicted sales are increasing by the day. The only reason why the Tablet PC is still in the growth stage is due to its superior brand image, but it can only do so for so long. HP faces the risk of its product reaching the saturation / maturity stage more quickly than desired as undesirable reviews and cheaper substitutes have seen the products credibility decrease. This problem lies only with Hewlett-Packet and ASUS have been smart enough to understand the problem and the product is at the most desirable and profitable stage of the Product life

Heat and Temperature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Heat and Temperature - Essay Example Whether the matter is in the form of solid, liquid or gas, it consists of molecules. These molecules are in constant movement bombarding each other like billiard balls. Such characteristic of motion is responsible for the production of heat. However, the amount of heat produce depends on the speed of collision produced by the molecules. The faster the motions of the particles are the higher the thermal energy is enough to change the state of the matter from solid to liquid or to gas. With this, it is inevitable not to relate heat with the kinetic theory of matter. Heat is defined as the transfer of energy from an object with higher temperature to an object with lower temperature (Freeman, 2005). For instance, if you touch a hot iron, you feel the heat as the thermal energy enters your hand because the iron is warmer than your hand. Consequently, if you touch a cold drink, the energy passes out of your hands and into the cold drink. The heat which passes from the hot iron to a colder hand originates in the internal energy of the hot object. The internal energy is the sum of the kinetic energy of the molecules called the molecular energy. The kinetic energy is called the thermal energy. Both kinetic and potential energies of the molecules provide the ultimate source of heat which is only appreciated when there is a difference in the temperature of objects coming in contact together until equilibrium is reached. With this, it is important to note that when one is exposed outside the cold winter, there is a need to wear a coat to slow down the fl ow of the heat from the body. Temperature is the state of coldness and hotness of an object measured with a device called thermometer. The expansion and contraction of the mercury within the thermometer is compared in a scale to measure how much thermal energy is present in certain molecules of an object.