Material religion

Connection with the material world is inevitable for a person with all senses in tact.   Upon rising at 5:30am, one can watch the sun rise over the land, eat breakfast, listen the news, shower, and dress, put on jewelry, and maybe even find a few minutes to establish a connection with the Divine.   One great dialogue among contemporary social scientists today, is determining the place religion occupies in the material world: i.e., how does it influence the culture of a people?   Within the body of this paper, we will explore the influence of Buddhism on Chinese Culture, Christianity on American culture, and the role of the physical senses in one’s experience of the divine. For many years, spirituality and the material world were seen as two different spheres†¦one is governed by the tides of commerce while the other is inhabited by mysterious supernatural beings.   In the twentieth century, the rise of the natural sciences and Communism pushed religion into the background, however with the terrorist attacks of 9/11, conservative governments in many Western countries, and movies like The Passion of the Christ, the question of religion’s place in society had once again come to the foreground. Since the enlightenment period, sensory data was used to dispute claims of the existence of a super-natural world beyond this one.   Because one cannot hear, see, smell, or feel God, the angels, ghosts, or draw tears of blood from a statue through any normal means, many, especially in the academic community, dismissed these possibilities.   Is religion not extrasensory by its very nature, requiring the faculties of human intuition and faith?   Some might say that these human sensory deprivation entities have more spiritual advantages because they are not tempted by the physical world.   However, Clark argues that religion cannot exist without the input of the same senses used to disprove it. Calling upon the readers to imagine living without the imagery, musical, and gustatory rituals surrounding many religious ceremonies, she says that such a spirituality would never come into being, â€Å"Close your eyes and imagine a life without mediation.   You are blind, deaf, dumb, and unable to touch or smell anything in your environment.   The majority of us would find it difficult to cope with the loss of even just one of these senses.   Now pause and consider a religious life without mediation.   Even the least overtly sacramental faiths depend on visual, oral, and material culture in everyday life†(Clark, 123-4). Apparently, it is her argument that the religious and the material work together in a symbiotic relationship to form a coherent vision of reality for adherents.   Paintings of saints, prophets, angels, the crafting of temples and cathedrals, and symbols such as the Cross, Star of David, and swastika (in Buddhism) help to forge a material link to the spiritual realm. When Buddhism was first introduced to China, many of its symbols were adopted into the mainstream of Chinese culture.   For example, elaborate circular paintings called mandalas, had become objects of meditation, as did swastikas.   Many important figures such as Kuan Yin were venerated as bodhisattvas, enlightened beings that returned to the world repeatedly to help liberate all other beings from the wheel of death and birth before claiming this liberation for themselves.   These Bodhisattvas were extremely popular in China before the rise of Communism. The robes monks and nuns used to adorn themselves were immediately indicative of the Buddhist order, and the laity would support them, and visit the monastery for instruction in meditation,  Ã‚   â€Å"Images and relics allowed the ordinary person to experience Buddhism in a manner that was at once powerful and intimate, without the immediate intervention of learned intermediaries explaining what should be felt, what should be understood.   Sacred objects, perhaps more than any of the other types of Buddhist objects, rendered the religion tangible and proximate for any who wished it, from the most erudite of monks to the illiterate devotee†(Kieschnick, 24). Today, Asian philosophical systems such as yoga and Zen are marketed to American consumers through fitness classes, clothes (containing Sanskrit script such as the OM symbol), and books promising to help the reader with relationship dilemmas and career moves.   Today, more Westerners are embracing Eastern philosophy because of its dissemination through the popular culture of the Internet and the bookstore scene. Even in Christianity, a religion that traditionally eschews the trappings of materialism to embrace a life of simple service, iconographic images aids the faithful not only in making their religion more practical, but helping to connect strangers that share the same beliefs, â€Å"Religious objects function within complicated networks of beliefs, values, myths, and social structures. Clerical elites articulate the proper use of objects based on their understanding of scripture and religious traditions.   People relate to objects as if they were sacred characters, in spite of warnings against idolatry.   Religious artifacts may also function like tools they help Christians to acknowledge common commitments, delineate differences, express affection, or socialize children†(McDannell, 57). In the modern age, many people buy jewelry, t-shirts, and bumper stickers to share their beliefs with the world.   For example, since the 1980s, Christian Rock had gathered quite a following, and there are many radio stations in the area dedicated to playing Christian music.   To many children and young adults, attending religious institutions is a boring way to spend a Sunday (Friday, or Saturday) afternoon.   With the introduction of religion into pop-culture, people are viewing spirituality as a more socially desirable phenomenon. Works Cited Clark, Lynn. Religion, Media, and the Marketplace. NJ: Rutgers UP, 2007 Kieschnick, John The Impact of Buddhism on Chinese Material Culture. NJ: Princeton UP, 2003 McDannell, Colleen. Material Christianity: Religion and Popular Culture in America. CT: Yale

Lal Bahadur Shastri

Achievements: Played a leading role in Indian freedom struggle; became Parliamentary Secretary of Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant, the then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh; became the Minister of Police and Transport in Pant's Cabinet; appointed as the Railways and Transport Minister in the Central Cabinet; also held the portfolios of Transport & Communications, Commerce and Industry, and Home Ministry in the Central cabinet; became Prime Minister of India in 1964; led India to victory over Pakistan in 1965 war. Lal Bahadur Shastri was the second Prime Minister of independent India. Though diminutive in physical stature he was a man of great courage and will. He successfully led country during the 1965 war with Pakistan. To mobilize the support of country during the war he coined the slogan of â€Å"Jai Jawan Jai Kisan†. Lal Bahadur Sastri also played a key role in India's freedom struggle. He led his life with great simplicity and honesty and was a great source of inspiration for all the countrymen. Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on October 2, 1904 at Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh. His parents were Sharada Prasad and Ramdulari Devi. Lal Bahadur's surname was Srivastava but he dropped it as he did not want to indicate his caste. Lal Bahadur's father was a school teacher and later on he became a clerk in the Revenue Office at Allahabad. Though Sharada Prasad was poor, he lived a life of honesty and integrity. Lal Bahadur lost his father when he was only one. Ramdulari Devi raised Lal Bahadur and her two daughters at her father's house. There is a very famous incident regarding Lal Bahadur Shastri's childhood which took place when he was six years old. One day, while returning from school, Lal Bahadur and his friends went to an orchard that was on the way to home. Lal Bahadur Shastri was standing below while his friends climbed the trees to pluck mangoes. Meanwhile, the gardener came and caught hold of Lalbahadur Shastri. He scolded Lal Bahadur Shastri and started beating him. Lal Bahadur Shastri pleaded to gardener to leave him as he was orphan. Taking pity on Lal Bahadur, the gardener said, â€Å"Because you are an orphan, it is all the more important that you must learn better behavior.† These words left a deep imprint on Lal Bahadur Shastri and he swore to behave better in the future. Lal Bahadur stayed at his grandfather's house till he was ten. By that time he had passed the sixth standard examination. He went to Varanasi for higher education. In 1921 when Mahatma Gandhi launched the non-cooperation movement against British Government, Lal Bahadur Shastri, was only seventeen years old. When Mahatma Gandhi gave a call to the youth to come out of Government schools and colleges, offices and courts and to sacrifice everything for the sake of freedom, Lal Bahadur came out of his school. Though his mother and relatives advised him not to do so, he was firm in his decision. Lal Bahadur was arrested during the Non-cooperation movement but as he was too young he was let off. After his release Lal Bahadur joined Kashi Vidya Peeth and for four years he studied philosophy. In 1926, Lal Bahadur earned the degree of â€Å"Shastri† After leaving Kashi Vidya Peeth, Lal Bahadur Shastri joined â€Å"The Servants of the People Society†, which Lala Lajpat Rai had started in 1921. The aim of the Society was to train youths that were prepared to dedicate their lives in the service of the country. In 1927, Lal Bahadur Shastri married Lalitha Devi. The marriage ceremony was very simple and Shastriji took only a charkha (spinning wheel) and few yards of Khadi in dowry. In 1930, Gandhiji gave the call for Civil Disobedience Movement. Lal Bahadur Shastri joined the movement and encouraged people not to pay land revenue and taxes to the government. He was arrested and put in jail for two and a half years. In jail Shastriji became familiar with the works of western philosophers, revolutionaries and social reformers. Lal Bahadur Shastri had great self respect. Once when he was in prison, one of his daughters fell seriously ill. The officers agreed to release him out for a short time but on condition that he should agree in writing not to take part in the freedom ‘movement during this period. Lal Bahadur did not wish to participate in the freedom movement during his temporary release from prison; but he said that he would not give it in writing. He thought that it was against his self-respect to give it in writing. After Second World War started in 1939, Congress launched â€Å"Individual Satyagraha† in 1940 to demand freedom. Lal Bahadur Shastri was arrested during Individual Satyagraha and released after one year. On August 8, 1942, Gandhiji gave the call for Quit India Movement. Lal Bahadur actively participated in the movement. He went underground but was later arrested. Lal Bahadur Shastri was released in 1945 along with other major leaders. He earned the praise of Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant by his hard work during the 1946 provincial elections. Lal Bahadur's administrative ability and organization skills came to the fore during this time. When Govind Vallabh Pant became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, he appointed Lal Bahadur Shastri as his Parliamentary Secretary. In 1947, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Minister of Police and Transport in Pant's Cabinet. Lal Bahadur Sastri was the General Secretary of the Congress Party when the first general elections were held after India became Republic. Congress Party returned to power with a huge majority. In 1952, Jawahar Lal Nehru appointed Lal Bahadur Shastri as the Railways and Transport Minister in the Central Cabinet. Lal Bahadur Shastri's contribution in providing more facilities to travelers in third class compartments cannot be forgotten. He reduced the vast disparity between the first class and third class in the Railways. Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned from Railways in 1956, owning moral responsibility for a railway accident. Jawaharlal Nehru tried to persuade Shastriji but Lal Bahadur Shastri refused to budge from his stand. By his action Lal Bahadur Shastri set new standards of morality in public life. In the next general elections when Congress returned to power, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Minister for Transport and Communications and later the Minister for Commerce and Industry. He became the Home Minister in 1961, after the death of Govind Vallabh Pant. In the 1962 India-China war Shastriji played a key role in maintaining internal security of the country.

Evaluate the current applications of nanotechnology in medicine Essay - 2

Evaluate the current applications of nanotechnology in medicine. Discuss the potential future of nanomedicine based on current issues - Essay Example Nanotechnology is hence an important innovation in medicine and is essential since it has solutions to the technology demanding medicine field. Nanotechnology has been successfully launched in medicine although it holds much potential in the future that what has already been implemented. Delivering of medicines and drugs has been made possible using the technology whereby the nanoequipments are used and they have zero degree of harming the other parts of the body (Bhushan, 2004, p.3). In the fight against cancer, nanoparticles have been found very effective since it is easy to detect the cancerous cells and put anti-cancer gold nanoparticles in them. The Nano shells are very effective in fighting cancer since they have the ability to absorb radiations of high wavelength (Ferrari, 2005, p.366). The Nano shells are inserted into the tumor cells and radiation treatment is applied and they absorb the radiations and heat up killing the cancerous cells (Ferrari, 2005, p.392). This success story of nanotechnology has given heat to other ongoing researches on the utilization of the technology in medicine. In surgery, nanotechnology has been used although a lot is yet to come. Small surgical instruments are been used to perform microsurgeries in any body part without damaging the surrounding cells (Bhushan,2004, p.3). It has an advantage over normal surgical methods since it is precise an accurate and has improved visualization due to Nano cameras in the Nano instruments. Such technology has been used only in a few hospitals all over the world and has proved very accurate and can even be done to tissue and gene levels Nanotechnology has been applied in antimicrobial coatings to dress wounds so that further infection is reduced by formation of biofilms on the wound. This technology has helped fast healing of wounds from accidents or from surgical procedures (Cleaveland, 2007). Medical

Boston Tea Party Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Boston Tea Party - Research Paper Example This one single act is still quite clear in the minds of many Americans and is continuously taught in the educational institutes. This single event was regarded as the Boston Tea Party and is recognized as one of the main events that finally led to American Revolution that took place during the period of 1775 (Ayers, 2009). The event of Boston Tea Party can be said to be one of the responses to the war that took place during 1754 to 1763 and the war occurred between the French and the Indians. Several wars had taken place between the nation of France and England, but the war between the French and the Indians was the most expensive of all (Allison, 2007). The English government was of the idea that since they were at war to safeguard the colonists of America from their Native as well as Canadian French friends, the colonists should reimburse the expenses. They even believed that more money will be spent in order to protect the Western frontier and they planned to pay all these expenses by heavily taxing the colonists. But the colonists believed that it was a waste to pay for all these expenses. Since the English government wanted the natives to pay for the cost of protecting the frontier and to relieve themselves from the national debt, they passed several acts and levied several taxes on the colonists during the era of 1760s (Volvo, 2012). These acts included the Stamp Act that was passed during 1765 and as a result of this act taxes were levied on any form of paper that was used by the natives (Volvo, 2012). These taxes were never accepted by the colonists and to stop the government from obtaining these taxes, they started threatening those who collected taxes and even held various protests with huge amount of people. These protests and acts to make the British government stop taxing the colonists were quite well organized and constant pursuit provided them fruitful results as the English government had to back away. Due to

Eat Drink Man Woman Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Eat Drink Man Woman - Assignment Example A father remains emotionless, because he wants to seem a strong person and stay invulnerable. A conflict of generations, different problems of communication among family members are mistreated by family members and it is of great importance to have an ability to deal with the challenges of family life. Chu as the head of the family is positioned as a typical head of the Chinese family, but his ability of self-development enabled him and his family to be successful. Authority in the family There is a dynamical development of the family. Actually, this film is focused on depiction of daily affairs, emotions and feelings of every family. Sihung Lung is represented by the director as Chu, a master chef who cannot save his sense of taste. He had a business of his life and a feeling of taste is the way to earning money and living his life. His wife died and he has to take care about his 3 daughters. Jia-Ning (Yu-Wen Wang), the youngest one, makes many attempts to steal a boyfriend from her friend; Jia-Chien (Chien-Lien Wu) the Cosmo girl, who has no time for her own family; and the oldest, Jia-Jen (Kuei-Mei Yang), spends all her time with her father and sacrifices her own happiness in the name of his life. There is a great problem among all family members, because they cannot identify themselves. When love from outside interferes in their lives they do not know what to do and how to support their used way of living. There are so many emotional points and themes covered in this film that every viewer finds his own tunes of soul, which are harmoniously repeated by the director. Sihung Lung takes care about his daughters and the audience feels a great sympathy to this caring man. He knows that his family is tearing apart, and being a head of the family, he tries to put the family together. In accordance with a model of traditional Chinese family, where the father is responsible for education of their children and having the last word in the family meetings, Chu is more tolerant and emotional in relation to his daughters. A man makes many attempts to transmit his feelings to his daughters, but he cannot find appropriate words, but rather impresses them by cooking. A concept of food is one of the central integrative parts of the family life. In case family members are displeased with each other, they do not express negative emotions directly, but they make attempt commenting on food. Culinary arts is on the way of development in china and the director Lee makes an attempt to show culinary arts as a way of family unification. Traditional form of Chinese family To express a father’s love through cooking is an unusual form of feelings’ expression, because in the Chinese family a father plays a role of emotionally stable and a strong brave man, a head of the family. The situation is different in the film, because the father does not have his wife, he is a master chef and he has no son, but only three daughters. Communication in the family is mediated by means of culinary arts of the father. In such a way the director of the film expressed his unusual vision of an ideal Chinese family. Nevertheless, there is an evident emotional gap and a conflict of generations cannot be resolved by means of keeping silence only. The daughters and the father are united by invented family values. Eating dinner together in the kitchen is the most

Analyzing Criteria on Online Reporting Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analyzing Criteria on Online Reporting - Article Example On the other hand, the website (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304898704577482650368103084.html) has employed the art of short sentences that nail the case to the bone (Maher, 2012). In other words, website information is easy and quick for understanding than other media forms in information dissemination. Furthermore, the avoidance of what people said in unlike in the latter website is an indication of a narrative writing technique that appeals to a mass readership. On that note, if compared to print media, there are some differences. For instance, the reportage of the sex abuse case in local papers delved into the smaller details of the case that did not feature in the online articles in the aforementioned websites. In conclusion, this means that information included in the websites are not always comprehensive as compared to print media (Craig, 2010). Alternatively, I think websites enhance a story with its visual information such as the websites described above. Additionally, the hyperlinks they provide give an element of human touch because of its visual

Homework Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homework - Research Paper Example Innovation also calls for employment of qualified personnel, who brainstorm to come up with better products and ensuring excellent services to consumers. Companies achieve innovation through creation of new goods or services that disrupt consumers buying patterns or through incremental improvements on the existing products thereby increasing their life. This paper discusses the crucial role balanced scorecard plays in communicating organisation strategies and hence achieving innovation and competitive advantage over other companies. ... et targets and get above it Every two weeks Operations metrics It establish whether operations are flowing as scheduled and avoid last minute surprises on orders Every day Learning and growth (Employees) perspective Employees satisfaction Evaluate employees to establish their level of satisfaction Every month Employees turnover or retention Get a report from HR of recruitments and exits of employees Every six months Level of organisation capability Empowering employees through training and encouraging them to further their education improves an organisations capability Make it a policy for employees to engage in learning activities Nature of organisation culture or climate Enables employees to coexist harmoniously with one another, create a satisfied team, and motivated team Maintain a motivated team Technological innovation Reward employees for invention of new products and introducing new ideas Every time it happens A balanced scorecard is the face value of an organization that con nects strategic objectives to one another. According to balanced scorecard institute website, â€Å"A balanced scorecard identifies the connection between creative capacity, efficient product development processes, improved customer and stakeholder value, and financial outcomes† (â€Å"Balanced scorecard institute,† 2000.) The above score card incorporates the mission and vision statements of a company, which form part of the strategic objectives. A vision statement of a company explains the reason for being. It inspires people to achieve more that they actually thought possible, allows stretching of resources to increase profitability, and unite employees towards a common goal. A vision statement forms the foundation of an organization values and influences its strengths and weaknesses. On

Coca Cola Companys Organization Challenges Essay - 1

Coca Cola Companys Organization Challenges - Essay Example The Coca Cola Co. is an American beverage corporation that is multinational. It delves in the manufacturing, retailing and marketing of non-alcoholic beverage drinks all over the world. It has its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia (Anders, 2013 p 43). The multinational company is renowned for flagging the Coca-Cola product that was invented in 1889 by a pharmacist known as John Stith Pemberton. The formula of Coca-Cola was developed by Asa Griggs Candler in 1889 and has since then been discrete in the company. Coca-Cola Co. operates what is referred to as a franchised distribution system (Anders, 2013 p 43). The company is responsible for the production of the syrup concentrate that is sold and distributed to the numerous bottling companies spread all over the world that holds exclusive territories. Coca-Coca Co. happens to be an identifiable company. Being attractive is one of the superior strengths that it has. It happens to be known worldwide with a powerful brand. It has a clear logo that is also acknowledged with ease (Anders, 2013 p 47). With no doubt, there is no drink company that meets the heights of Coca-Cola’s social status. Some people buy Coke drink not because of its unique taste but because of the need to conform to the global society that uses Coke. In spite of these advantages, Coca-Cola Co. still encounters challenges. These setbacks are essentially a threat to the popularity and the expansion of the company. The challenges threaten the business. Loss of trust has been a recurrent problem that has rocked the Coca-Cola Co. for a very long time. Each day, the company strives to earn respect from the consumers (Anders, 2013 p 73).

Portfolio Project Part 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Portfolio Project Part 5 - Essay Example Nonetheless, the general requirements of this job description include certification of an accountant by a professional accountant agency especially after the person training for the same has attained the basic college accounting and finance degree (Mason and Tarling, 2009). Despite the underlying specifications and different requirements, all accountants must be having fundamental principles including strong analytical and mathematics skills as well as vast accounting education. Hence, the first step to train an accountant is for them to attend basic college courses that provide them with basic accounting concepts. Accountants working for the small firms are usually responsible for keeping all books and financial records. Some of the records that are handled in the small firms include counts payable, payroll information, retail sales, account receivables, and the company investment information. This information is usually organized and kept in ledger form (Fulford, 2000). They must b e updated so that they reflect the financial health of the organization at all times. ... ached training will help the training accountant to understand and know importance of keeping company secrets especially financial secrets (Bragg and Roehl-Anderson, 2011). The training acquired in small firms will help the training accountant to improve in his accounting management skills and can apply the same in large firms as an accountant. The training accountant should know that there are slight differences in handling financial records of different firms, different in size. The accountants working in the large firms usually conduct internal audits to ascertain the accuracy of the company’s financial records. Notably, the larger firms usually have same degrees of biasness; thus, the accountants who handle such company financial materials regularly never handle such company audits. In this case, the company usually or it is advisable for the company to contract an outside accountant to audit such company material. This will reduce or eradicate the conflict of interest (Fu lford, 2000). Therefore, with different financial needs of different companies, the training accountant will be trained in different firms to have knowledge on how to handle different firms depending on size and financial needs. Other than the general roles of accountants, accountants usually tend to specialize within particular fields. In other words, accounting profession is vast and needs specialization. An accountant may decide to specialize in line with book keeping, taxation, or auditing (ACCA†¦, 2007). However, in most cases, some accountants usually venture in wide and different accounting fields in order to have vast and varied skills in managing accounting problems such accountant with varied skills and knowledge to serve their clients successfully and satisfactorily in different

Managerial communication; Proposal Report Assignment

Managerial communication; Proposal Report - Assignment Example However when employees are promoted to managerial ranks they are obliged to quickly learn and create a rapport more efficiently to maintain their position. Business leaders can improve their communication skills through practice and commitment applying crucial approaches that will determine how effective they communicate with their juniors. Communication defines most businesses resulting into efficient marketing campaigns, great customer service and improved employee employer relationship, Wardrope (2005) . Because recipients need different communication at different situations and locations, business leaders need to master the art of effective communication suitable for each audience. Poor communication is regarded to have a negative effect into the way businesses operate. For example, poor communication can cause employee conflict thereby harming the influence on organizational culture. The aim of this paper is to look at three business communication models, outline and offer usefu l advice relevant to business communication for a managerial position. Intercultural communication has been a topic of several research and studies over the last decade. The significance of understanding the interactions and associations between individuals from several places has grown due to globalization. Businesses, Information Technology and the Internet have made the world a global village. Intercultural communication occurs when people persuaded by several cultures discuss common ideas in association. Globalization has connected the world closer than before. Business operations across cultures occur daily. To enable business run smoothly inter cultural communication is very vital. Interactions are in most times intercultural when distinct groups are most prominent in establishing the language, non verbal behaviors, values, relational styles and prejudice with which those people relate Kim (2001). When people from different cultures share experiences, their

Political Ideology Essay Example for Free

Political Ideology Essay Abstract: Are these heady days for Nigerian political parties? This is the main question, which this paper addresses with emphasis on political ideology, being the first and most important vehicle of a political party. It is argued that despite all pretences to the contrary through their manifestoes, as much as the superficial classifications as the â€Å"left† and â€Å"right†, â€Å"progressive† and â€Å"conservative†, Nigerian parties seem to be bereft of clear ideological commitments. This conclusion is predicated upon the relegation of politics of issues to the background across the various republics, and in its place the ascendancy of identity and money politics. Other factors include the rising magnitude of political vagrancy on the basis of selfish and parochial interests, the high level of party indiscipline, absence/weakness of party cohesion and internal democracy, and the high mortality and turnover of party leadership. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of this for Nigeria’s democratization and democratic consolidation, before concluding with some recommendations. 1. Introduction. Are these heady days for Nigerian political parties? It does not seem so. Although, the decade of the 1990s witnessed the massive spread of what Huntington (1991) referred to as the â€Å"third wave† of democratization to Africa, including Nigeria, leading to an unprecedented resurgence of multiparty politics, there is no controversy about the fact that the mere adoption of party pluralism will not automatically advance the cause of democracy without the institutionalization of certain institutional parameters to promote and sustain due process in theory and practice (See, Bratton and Van de Walle, 1992; 1997; Sorensen, 612 J Shola Omotola, MS. , Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria 1993). One of the most complex and critical institutions of democracy is political party. Political parties, as â€Å"makers† of democracy, have been so romanticized that scholars have claimed that neither democracy nor democratic societies are thinkable without them. They not only perform functions that are government related, such as making government accountable and exercising control over government administration; and electorate related functions such as political representation, expression of people’s demand through interest articulation and aggregation as well as structuring of electoral choices; but also linkage related functions, playing an intermediary and mediatory role between the government and the electorate (see, Moore, 2002; Lapalombara and Anderson, 2001; Simon, 1962). Following Omotola (2005a) and Egwu (2005), Saliu and Omotola (2006) have pointed out that political parties can only cope effectively with these responsibilities to the extent of their political institutionalization in terms of structure, internal democracy, cohesion and discipline, as much as their autonomy. The element of party autonomy is very crucial. For, as Alli Mari Tripp has argued, and rightly so, those organizations that have asserted the greatest autonomy have generally been able to â€Å"select their own leaders, push for far-reaching agendas, and involve themselves in politics to a greater extent than organizations that have been tied to the regime/or dominant party, either formally or through informal patronage networks† (Tripp, 2001:101). A note of caution is necessary here to avoid confusion. The relationship between political parties and the state is a complex one. This is because it is the party that forms the government, the latter being the institution of the state. To now talk of a hard-line demarcation between the two may be unrealistic. Yet, the relationship should be well defined such that political parties, especially the one in power, as a critical segment of both the state and society, can enjoy some reasonable degree of â€Å"societal autonomy†, the absence of which poses serious threats to â€Å"political liberalization, democratization and democratic consolidation† (Tripp, 2001:105). In such a situation, multiparty democracy can be adapted for the â€Å"politicization of ethnicity and further 613 J Shola Omotola, MS. , Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria elite enrichment encouraging a confrontational and divisive system† (cf Dicklitch, 2002:205). The import of the foregoing discussion, to take a cue from Saliu and Omotola (2006:2), is that the level of political institutionalization of political parties and their institutional strengths are directly correlated to their ability to discharge their ascribed responsibilities, and by extension, the strengths of democracy. When well institutionalized, political parties can serve as a set of mediating institutions through which differences in ideas, interests and perception of political problems at a given time can be managed (Olagunju, 2000; Omotola, 2005a). However, when the reverse is the case, the democracy project and the general system stand the risk of perversion and eventual breakdown. Whatever the case, it is important to note that at the very heart of the success or otherwise of political party is the important question of political ideology. The issue of ideology has been so central to the activities of political parties across time and space that Anson D. Morse (1896:76) has argued that ideology, being the durable convictions held in common by party members in respect to the most desirable form, institutions, spirit and course of action of the state, determines the natural attitude of a party towards every public question (cf. Iyare, 2004:81). In an incisive piece on â€Å"political party convention†, Richard Davies and Vincent J. Strickler (1996:1025) similarly argue that â€Å"ideology functions as planks†, that is, single issue statements within the platform, the exact ideological orientation of which is often used as a bargaining chip in seeking party unity. Here, the platform connotes a statement of the official party position on a variety of issues. Okudiba Nnoli (2003:177-82) also concludes that ideology is a very crucial aspect of politics, not only by serving as a cognitive structure for looking at society generally and providing a prescriptive formula, that is, a guide to individual action and judgement, but also as a powerful instrument of conflict management, selfidentification, popular mobilization and legitimization. It may, therefore, be correct to assert that the first and most important vehicle of a political party, under an ideal situation, should be its ideological stance. 614 J Shola Omotola, MS. , Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria In reality, however, this is seldom the case. Perhaps, due to the shallowness of democratic roots especially in the developing countries, other forces of identity particularly ethnicity and religion would appear to have taken the place of ideology. The rising influence of money politics represents another crucial limiting dimension (see, Nugent, 2001a: 2001b; 2001c; 1999; 1995; Gros, 1998; Omotola, 2004). What is the situation with Nigerian parties? Put differently, do Nigerian parties have ideology? How has its ideological condition shaped and influenced the course of party politics in the country? The main thrust of this chapter is to critically engage these questions with a view to suggesting ways of reviving and raising the consciousness of Nigerian parties with regard to the centrality of ideology to party activities and effectiveness. The paper is organized into a number of sections. Firstly, it will analyze the place of ideology in political theory. The second substantive section situates Nigerian parties in historical perspectives, tracing briefly their origin and growth as a precursor to the analysis of the place of ideology in Nigerian parties across different epochs. The last substantive part of the paper, drawing on its immediate preceding section, engages the central question of whether Nigerian parties have ideology or not. It is argued that despite all pretences to the contrary through their manifestoes, as much as the superficial classifications as the â€Å"left† and â€Å"right†, â€Å"progressive† and â€Å"conservative† parties, Nigerian parties seem to be bereft of clear ideological commitments. This conclusion is predicated upon the relegation of politics of issues to the background across the various republics, and in its place the ascendancy of identity and money politics. Other factors include the rising magnitude of political vagrancy on the basis of selfish and parochial interests, the high level of party indiscipline, absence/weakness of party cohesion and internal democracy, and the high mortality and turnover of party leadership. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of this for Nigeria’s democratization and democratic consolidation, before concluding. 615 J Shola Omotola, MS. , Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria 2. Ideology and Political Theory. Ideology represents a typically crucial element of political parties and their activities. It is a set of ideas about politics, all of which are related to one another and that modify and support each other. Though relatively enduring, it is yet a dynamic phenomenon, capable of being modified by new issues. It was in this light that Philips W. Shively (1997) defines an ideology as â€Å"a continually developing, organized set of ideas about politics that helps us to make sense of the myriad of political questions that face use†. For Okudiba Nnoli, ideology typifies â€Å"a systematized and interconnected set of ideas about the socio-economic and political organization of society as a whole† (Nnoli, 2003: 178). The concept of ideology, is, historically, deeply rooted in political theory. As a concept, it was coined by the late eighteenth century French philosopher, Destutt de Tracy (1754 – 1836). According to Nnoli (2003:177), Destutt de Tracy used it to describe a new scientific discipline that systematically studies ideas, emotions and sensations – the science of ideas. This conception has since changed and ideology has come to embody the ideas themselves. As a result of the changes, ideology has come to be presented as a subject representing two contradictory realities – the good and the bad, the former depicting ideology as â€Å"a system of thought that animates social or political action†, and the latter as a â€Å"misleading, illusory or one-sided criticism or condemnation† (cf Nnoli, 2003:178-79). This was the kind of debate that dominated political discourse in the midnineteenth century. For instance, in their: The German Ideology, Marx and Engels (1960) took a swipe at Hegel and his-co-travelers, describing them as ideologists of the bourgeois system, not articulate about the material conditions of social and political life. Yet, they went ahead to articulate another conception of ideology based on class analysis as a device for articulating the conflicting interests of different social classes (Nnoli, 2003:178). 616 J Shola Omotola, MS. , Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria. From whatever perspective one looks as it, the reality of political life across political systems, developed or developing, is the fact of multiple political options from which inevitably, choice(s) must be made. At such critical crossroads, ideology provides a ready guide for appropriate action. Philips W. Shively posits that ideology is useful to people, both for their own personal ease and satisfaction and for their public political activities. At the individual level, ideology helps to make sense reasonably easily and quickly of the varied political questions that come to one’s attention. In terms of its public utilities, it helps people to make persuasive arguments convincingly to enlist popular support for a given public policy (Shively, 1997:46 – 47). On the whole, therefore, ideology is an indispensable element of politics. It does not only serve as a major instrument of state power, playing major role in the acquisition, use and consolidation of power, but also functions as political lifeline for the animation of politics, forcing individuals and groups alike to make political judgment, especially in the face of competing and conflicting divides, as between capitalism and socialism, during the Cold War. On these notes, Nnoli (2003:181-83) summarizes the functions of ideology as that of providing: A cognitive structure for looking at society generally, be serving as an explanatory and justificatory category for societal realities; A prescriptive formula – a guide to individual action and judgment as a basis for the legitimization of public polities when in conformity with popular belief; An instrument of conflict management and the integration of society by limiting the basic values and issues over which societal members and disagree; A means of self-identification for the satisfaction of specific personality needs, a means of self-evaluation and social solidarity; A dynamic force in both individual and collective commitment action for or against the ruling class or decision. That is, it provides a powerful basis for mobilization; 617 J Shola Omotola, MS. , Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria Enhancement of the political appeals of a political party, by differentiating one party from another; and Negatively, may serve not only as a serious impediment to national integration and suppress the underprivileged, but also to disguise authoritarian rule. This is because, it tends to provide individuals with â€Å"imaginary avenues of escape from the harsh realities of social life† (Nnoli, 2003:183). It is important to note that ideologies do have certain defining attributes. Most notable among these include the fact that they are not simply the creation of those who hold them. Rather, they tend to take on a life of their own and guide the political views of their holders in unanticipated ways (see, Price and Sullivan, 1980; Freeden, 1996). In most cases, ideologies originate from seemingly irreconcilable antagonistic settings, tend to be exclusive, absolute and universal in character; and can be personalized and turned into a sacred belief similar to religious beliefs. While it is not entirely permanent, it is, however, resistant to fundamental changes (see, Sibley, 1970; Nnoli, 2003; Enemuo, 1999). Some illustrations suffice. Across time and space, various forms of ideologies have emerged at different times, Marxism and not in the least, African socialism. For space constraints, we can not examine each of these here. It is however important to note that most of these ideologies do fit correctly to the aforementioned attributes. For instance, almost all such ideologies such as conservatism and socialism emerged in situation of acute social strain, in response to liberalism and capitalism respectively. While liberalism emphasizes individualism (freedom, liberty), conservatism harps on collectivism characteristic of welfarist states. Despite their long history, attacks and counterattacks against each other, both liberalism and conservation still remain prominent ideologies in western democracies particularly the United States of American and Great Britain (see, Rudolph, Jr. , 1996; Kay, 1976). Today, the emphasis in political theory is predominantly on democratic ideology. David Howarth 618 J Shola Omotola, MS. , Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria defines a democratic ideology as one involving the classification and analysis of different types of democratic ideologies, as they are articulated and function in concrete societies. It includes various democratic forms and institutions as capitalist/liberal democracy and radical democracy. It also reflects on the differences within a given type such as direct and indirect variants of liberal democracy (Howarth, 2001: 191-94). Essentially, democratic ideology centers on the way in which the language and rhetoric of democracy function as a tool of ideological justification and legitimization by political elites and ruling classes. It also focuses on cultural and ethnical conditions for the proper functioning of liberal democratic states and societies, requiring in the least, a belief in or at least an acceptance of democracy (see, Putnam, 1993; 1995; 1996). Above all, democratic ideology typifies the use of democracy by social groups and political forces to constitute their identities and advance their interests. Here, according to Howarth (2001:193), â€Å"democracy is itself a key ideological element in political mobilization and struggle, and is used to create political frontiers between differently located social groups and agencies. Democratic ideology therefore captures the whole essence of our theoretical postulations on the centrality of ideology to the exploits of political parties. What needs to be added is that an umbrella party (Catch-All Party) that seeks to appeal to diverse interests, usually by adopting a general or vague platform, may not necessarily stick to only one ideology and vice versa. This is the case in the United States where in the two dominant parties – Democrats and Republican – there are Liberals, Moderates and Conservatives. The reverse is the case in Great Britain where the Labour and Conservative parties are each highly centralized and less catch-all in nature than American parties (see, Rudolph, Jr. , 1996: 1021). Yet, in either case, the parties are known for their well-defined and distinct ideologies. 619 J Shola Omotola, MS. , Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria 3. Origin and Growth of Nigerian Parties Philips, W. Shively (1997:200) observed that although political party had turned to be useful for a variety of tasks that require control or communication, it was first invented for more limited and self serving purposes. This observation aptly captures the Nigerian reality. At its inception in 1923, precisely 24 June, 1923, following the introduction of the elective principle by the Clifford constitution, Nigerian parties had very limited and self-serving objectives. The main objective was perhaps, that of buying legitimacy for the colonial government through very limited franchise restricted to Lagos and Calabar. Richard Sklar, in his seminal work – Nigerian Political Parties – demonstrates articulately how the emergence of political associations such as the People’s Union, was only in response to the prevailing realities of colonial administration (Sklar, 1963; Coleman, 1958). Little wonder, when the first political party in Nigeria, the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) emerged in 1923, under the leadership of Herbert Macaulay, its activities were restricted to contesting elections into the Lagos city council. For years, the UNDP was hegemonic in its dominance in electoral politics in the country. This was to be challenged by the Lagos Youth Movement latter Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM)- formed in 1934 and defeated the NNDP for the three seats allocated to Lagos that year. By 1944, the increasing tempo of nationalist agitation had resulted in the formation of another political party – the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon (CNCN), under the leadership of Herbert Macaulay and later Nnamdi Azikwe (see, Sklar, 1968: 46-50). This was followed, in quick succession, by the transformation of the Egbe Omo Oduduwa, a Yoruba sociocultural organization, into a political party, the Action Group (AG) in 1950 under the leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the Northern People Congress (NPC) in 1959 with dominance in the northern region. By 1951, a breakaway faction of the NPC consisting mainly of radical youths based in Kano formed the Northern Element Progressive Union (NEPU). These parties dominated the political landscape of the country particularly in their respective regions in the 620 J Shola Omotola, MS. , Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria march towards independence and in the First Republic (see, Dudley, 1973; Sklar, 1963). Although the Second Republic (1979 – 1983) witnessed the emergence of more political parties, there was no much difference with what obtained under the First Republic. Rather, what happened was the reincarnation of parties of the First Republic under different nomenclatures with some additional parties. The parties included the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) replacing the NPC, AG and NCNC, respectively. Others were the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Great Nigerian Peoples Party (GNPP), and later Nigerian Advance Party (NAP), which was registered in 1982, after failing the first round in 1978 (Osaghae, 1998). These parties constituted major actors in the Second Republic. Under the aborted Third Republic, there was a fundamental change in the mode of party formation in Nigeria. This pertains to the official formation of parties by the state after a series of experiments with different political associations (see, Oyediran and Agbaje, 1991). The parties were the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC), the former being a little to the left and the latter a little to the right (see, Olagunju, et al, 1993:216; Omoruyi, 2002). This development, executed after the dissolution of the thirteen associations that applied for registration has been as part of the grand design to execute a â€Å"hidden agenda† to perpetuate the military regime in power (Osaghae, 1998:220). The eventual annulment of the 12 June 1993 presidential election by the military regime of general Babangida lends some credence to this claim. The country once again returned to multi-party democracy in 1999 following the transition inaugurated and successfully completed by General Abdulsalm Abubakar. Initially, three political parties – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Peoples Party (APP), later All Nigerian People Party (ANPP), and the Alliance for Democracy (AD) were registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). By December 2002, the number of registered parties rose to thirty (30), while additional three 621 J Shola Omotola, MS. , Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria political parties were registered in January/February 2006 (see, Simbine, 2005; Onu and Momoh, 2005). This presupposes the opening up of the political space for democratic opportunities and development. But in reality, the opportunities associated with such openings are yet to be positively exploited for the political development of the country. This may not be unconnected with the poverty of ideology that characterizes Nigerian parties, as will be demonstrated in the next section. 4. Nigerian Parties and Ideological Dispositions Let us begin with parties of the First Republic, that is, the NPC, NCNC and AG. Ideologically, the NPC was an essentially conservative and elitist party, while the AG and NCNC appeared to be progressive and welfarist, predicated upon socialist ideology. Even at that, it may be difficult to delineate the very ideological orientation of these parties. They, however, share a common feature of ethno-regional ideology, seeking to capture and consolidate power in their respective spheres of influence/region. They were also driven by a commitment to the nationalist struggle, though in varying degrees, against colonialism. The ambiguity as regards their ideological disposition can further be gleaned from the pattern of alignment between/among the parties. For example, the resolve of the NPC and NCNC, two ideologically incompatible parties, the former to the right and the latter to the left, to enter into the alliance that formed the government during the First republic attests to this. Scholars have pointed out that the alliance was a â€Å"marriage of inconvenience†, and would have been better between the AG and NCNC. Because the alliance was not informed by a commitment to a belief system and principles espoused by party ideology, it crumbled, sooner than expected, like a park of cards (see, Dudley, 1993; Post and Vickers, 1973; Olaniyi, 1997:87). In terms of ideological orientations, parties of the Second Republic would appear, safe for the GNPP, to be the reincarnations of the parties of the moribund First Republic. 622 J Shola Omotola, MS. , Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria For this and related reasons, there were no fundamental differences in party politics and activities, as the country was â€Å"once again mired in a vituperative and vicious politics† (Yaqub, 2002; 125). This was graphically captured by the unprecedented pace of intra and inter-party factionalization and conflicts. Political vagrancy permeates the political landscape, leaving in its wake major realignments and coalitions among the parties (see, Osaghae, 1998:139 – 44). Notably, the formation of the so-called forum of the â€Å"progressive† governors consisting of PRP, GNPP, NPP and UPN was unable to survive long, as the ruling NPN used its federal might and patronage to attract decampees from other parties. Eventually, it succeeded in wooing the NPP of the East, in a manner reminiscent of the First Republic into an alliance, which like the earlier one, collapsed sooner than expected. The eventual breakdown of the alliance marked the beginning of internal crisis for the NPP, following the refusal of some of its top leaders particularly Mathew Mbu and Professor Ishaya Audu to resign their appointments in government (Osaghae, 1998:140). Logically, it may be argued that if the parties had been guided by a clear commitment to a particular belief system and principles, much of the crisis and contradictions that characterized party politics under the Second Republic could have been averted. But, since the parties were motivated largely by ethnic competition for power through their respective ethnic champions, nothing more could have been expected. As Osaghae has argued, while the instrumentalist†, to the attainment of this feat (1998:144). The degeneration of party politics through political vagrancy, elite factionalization and weak institutionalization led to the military coup of December 31, 1983 that brought the Second Republic into an abrupt end. Yet, the NPP and GNPP appeared to be liberal in ideology with a strong belief in mixed economy; the NPN conservative with emphasis on free market system and respect for traditional institutions. The PRP, a leftist and most radical party had a populist, antineocolonial agenda and advocates social revolution and income redistribution; and the UPN; the most disciplined, socialist/welfarist in orientation was based on the 623 J Shola Omotola, MS., Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria philosophy of free education and heath care delivery (see, Ujo, 2000:91-102; Osaghae, 1998:118-122). The aborted Third Republic witnessed a new experiment in party formation, when for the first time in the history of party politics in Nigeria; the government created and imposed two political parties on the system. Ordinarily, the existence of two political parties should represent two different ideological camps, as has been the case between the Labour and Conservative parties in Britain and Democrats and Republican parties in the USA. This was not the case with respect to the SDP and NRC in Nigeria. Although, while one was a little to the left and other a little to the right, nothing much differentiates the parties, at least not in ideological dispositions (see, Jinadu, 1995; Lewis, 1994; Oyediran and Agbaje, 1991; Adejumobi, 1997). Yaqub (2002:128) had written about party politics under the Third Republic that: The way incompatibility had been manifested in the two parties †¦ was not fundamentally due to serious ideological divisions (in any case, the manifestoes of the parties, despite phrase – mongering of â€Å"a little to the left†, and â€Å"a little to the right†, did not articulate much programme differences), but to assert, that even if we are to borrow Babangida’s words, the â€Å"old lines of cleavages and primordial loyalties† once again simply asserted themselves. If parties of previous republics were found wanting on ideological stance and commitment, those of the Fourth Republic are obviously worse. Omoruyi (2002:8) has noted that the manner of origin of the parties does not fit into what we know from literature, their composition fluid and unstable, and can be viewed as mere instruments of transition from military to civil rule. And for the future and with the prospect for more parties, â€Å"they raise more questions than answers to the lingering political problems for Nigeria†. According to him, the PDP, for example, draws its founders from â€Å"all and sundry political persuasions: conservatives, radicals and progressives† (Ghali – Na’bba, 624 J Shola Omotola, MS., Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria 2001: cf Omoruyi, 2002:8), most of whom supported the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and flirted with the military during the annulment and in the post-annulment period; including some serving as ministers or members of the ING or as member of the Abacha undemocratic constitutional conference or as leaders of some of the five political parties set up and managed by General Abacha’s aides that finally endorsed him as the sole presidential candidate in April 1998 (Omoruyi, 2002:8-9). The APP did not differ in any respect as its founders also served as ministers or as aides in different parts of the country under Abacha. The AD that looks different was, however, affected by its inability to meet the federal character clause in the constitution and up till today remains essentially a Yoruba party. It was perhaps the foregoing faulty origin and precarious foundations of these parties that have been largely responsible for their seeming ideological barrenness. Although, the PDP and APP (ANPP) were status quo parties, given their capitalist and conservative dispositions; and the AD progressive and radical in appearance, none of them seems to have clear policy positions as a basis of popular mobilization and legitimacy of their actions. Judging by their activities, it has been observed that â€Å"there’s almost nothing to chose, between PDP and other parties in terms of ideological learning† (Iyare, 2004:92). Simbine (2002:2005:23) has also observed that the manifestoes of the first three political parties were â€Å"essentially the same in content†, as they were not crafted differently, and the strategies for achieving objectives did not differentiate parties from each other. In a seeming self-indictment passage, Jerry Gana, a former Minister of Information and PDP stalwart observes: In terms of cohesion and firm ideological learning, there is a problem but PDP will be transformed, PDP will be strong, PDP will be strengthened ideological, PDP will be more organized, PDP will be in power for 30 years (quoted in Iyare, 2004:94). 625 J Shola Omotola, MS. , Redeemer’s University, Move, Ogun State, Nigeria Given the obvious poverty of ideology that characterizes the first three political parties of the Fourth Republic, PDP, APP and AD, it should not be surprising that almost all the other parties that sprang up or broke away from them did no do so because of ideological disagreements. Neither was it that they have articulated alternative views of governance for sustainable democracy and development as a viable basis of popular mobilization to wrestle power from the incumbent party. Rather, they were products of adversarial elite behaviour taken to the points of irreconcilability. Little wonder, these parties also have no ideological stance on major national questions other than the transformation and manipulation of forces of identity particularly ethnicity and religion (see, Simbine, 2005). The implication is that the â€Å"so-called political parties are not in competition with one another. They are in factions; these factions are more in competition within themselves than with another party† (Omoruyi, 2002:17). An informed observer and consistent scholar of Nigerian politics captures the scenario thus: Unfortunately, the succeeding generations of party leaders, despite having their forbearers’ legacies to draw from and better educational background into the bargain, have not demonstrated this perspicacity.

A Lesson Before Dying Essay Example for Free

A Lesson Before Dying Essay The economic downturn of the past several years has been devastating to local economies and, by extension, their local law enforcement agencies. According to a report by the National Institute of Justice, the United States is currently experiencing the 10th economic decline since World War II (Wiseman 2011). The impact of this downturn will result in a change of how law enforcement services are delivered. As has been discussed by the COPS Office Director, Bernard Melekian, in a series of recent articles published in the Community Policing Dispatch, expectations will not be lowered just because an agency now has fewer officers, or because the budget is limited. Simply doing less while waiting for local budgets to recover to pre-2008 levels is not a viable option. Law enforcement leaders are faced with budget contractions that are in need to identified in different ways to deliver police services and, perhaps more importantly, articulate what the new public safety models will look like to their communities (Melekian 2011a). The effects of the economic downturn on law enforcement agencies may be felt for the next 5–10 years, or worse, permanently. These changes could be permanently driven not just by the economy, but by local government officials who determined that allocating 30–50 percent of their general fund budgets for public safety costs is no longer a fiscal possibility (Melekian 2011b). While it appears that the economy is beginning to recover on the national level, most economists agree that local jurisdictions are still in decline and will continue to be so, at least in the short term. Due to the decline of tax revenues because of Foreclosures County and municipal budgets tend lagging behind the general economy, which is one of the main source of funding for local agencies. Agencies are also faced with the budget realities, the current model for service delivery—which has been with us for the last 50 years—is already starting to change, and will be forced to continue to change dramatically and rapidly in the next 3–5 years. Police departments have been one of the affected by the current economic climate. Restricting revenues nationwide have forced local governments to make cuts in spending across the board, which has affected everything to include public safety operating budgets. However, while these budget cuts are threatening law enforcement jobs the responsibility to serve and protect remain. There has been no methodical way of measuring the effect the economic downturn has had on police agencies across our nation. A good example is how Nigeria has been experiencing difficulties in Budget implementation. The objective of the article was to present alternative forms of budgeting and after exposition on them, to recommend one that could mitigate budget implementation problem for Nigeria. Two types of budgeting addressed are incremental and zero-base. Under incremental budgeting, a certain percentage is added or subtracted from previous periods figures to arrive at new periods budget. Under zero bases, every program is reevaluated for its merits, as if previous budgets never existed. The starting points are the results hoped to achieve, and every debate about budget implementation is done prior to passage. Zero base budgeting is analogous to marketing concept in terms of information requirement and zeroing in on customized needs. To the extent that zero base budgeting plans, executes and controls, it serves as a management tool. Nigerias budgeting has been incremental, overly politicized and not carried out by experts, but merely based on benchmark price and quota of daily oil production. Factors militating against proper budgeting in Nigeria are distortions in fiscal transparency. Budget implementation in Nigeria is a critical problem. Many have blamed our poor socio-economic and infrastructural development on low degree of budget implementation, which is a result of incremental budgeting process. The paper therefore recommends zero based budgeting to Nigeria at all levels (GJSS, 2012). Sometimes inefficiencies result due to poor integration of the finance and strategy. Budgeting and performance are typically overseen by the finance department, whereas planning s coordinated by strategy department. Often, the two processes arent well integrated, resulting in strategies that are often dictated by the budget process instead of vice versa (Gary 2003). The reason for this could be that everyone involved may be attempting to accomplish the same goals, but also trying to make sure that the outcome will be beneficial to them, such as a substantial bonus or a reward. A budget cycle refers to the whole process from the commencement of developing a budget to the execution of the final charge on the budget. Since the majority of the budgets are prepared for a one year period, budget cycles cover the costs and expenditures for a period of one year. However, there are budget cycles that run for more than one year period. Government budgets have a budget cycle of at least 18 months from the conception of the various departments’ budgets to the time the appropriation bills are signed into law (Hyde, 2001). The initial steps of the budget cycle take place in the various departments and agencies. The program officers in the various departments compile all information that is necessary in the preparation of the budget. The budget cycle culminates with the president’s budget application to the Congress. This often takes place in February (USDOJ, 2011). A budget refers to a list of premeditated revenues and expenses. It represents a tool for savings and expenditure. A budget can also be defined as an organizational plan that is stated in monetary terms. It is used as a road map for conducting the activities, objectives, assumptions, and strategies of an organization. A budget cycle is comprised of various stages. Budget planning for the new fiscal year marks the first step of the budget cycle, while closing and carry forward activities mark the end of a budget cycle (Hyde, 2001). The steps outlined below are steps of a sample government’s budget cycle: Budget submissions: this entails the submission of the budget plans to the respective Budget Offers in various government departments. The budgets are reviewed and approved. Budget approval: this entails the executive committee approving the budget. The Initial Budget Authorizations are then submitted to the respective supervisors who address the respective cost items. Global Changes: the salaries are adjusted so that they reflect salary increases that are permitted by the Salary Subcommittee and the Human Resources Department. Closing: this entails the closure of the budgets at the end of the fiscal year. Carry forwards: it entails carrying forward all the unspent money to the following fiscal year. This marks the last step in the budget cycle. In most instances, law enforcement management prepares master budget for the coming year. The master budget includes the projected expenses and maintenance which is incorporated in the master budget and other smaller budgets such as training, overtime, marketing, administrative, and departmental budgets. By establishing an operating and financial budget for a future period, management can identify problems in advance. This can be maintained by forecasting for future predictions. A forecast is a reflection of the future. When forecasting is taken into account, two key aspects to consider are cash budgets and expenditure forecast. In most instances, budgets are and should be prepared for a future period such as an oncoming accounting or financial year. They are detailed by quarters or months. Typically, annual budgets are not altered once the year begins. However, budgets should not be rigid so as to prevent timely actions if need arises. Instead, budgets should only act as a guide rather than a restriction. However, there are rare circumstances when an annual budget should be revised such as due to a radical change in the business environment. Budgets are also important for obtaining funding since they portray an organization’s capacity to the lending institutions and financiers. Additionally, budgets are important management tools, they aid in setting milestones that need accountability to achieve, and aid an organization in identifying risks and establishing benchmarks. Thus, budgets facilitate the process of making adjustments to avoid risks, and to measure the benchmarks. Understanding the significance of budgeting marks the first step towards successful financial planning. It plays a significant role in the strategic planning process by an organization. It outlines the future financial goals and needs of an organization such as technological needs, overhead needs, financial requirements, and capital improvements. I have a very strong opinion that budgeting should not be scrapped, rather be modified to meet the current business environment. Organizations would have to restructure compensation programs so that managers no longer have an incentive to favors short-term goals over the longer-term. Budgeting will have to be flexible to be able to be adjusted from time to time to reflect changes in organizational goals and the economic environment. Again, accounting department should be responsible for compiling only budget information; they should not determine the budgeting process. Management, through the planning process should determine the budget, and all departments should be included in the process. Budgeting should be both top down and bottom up; i. e. upper level management and middle level management will both work to finalize a budget. We can streamline the budgeting process by developing a financial model. Financial models can facilitate what if analysis so we can assess decisions before they are made. This can dramatically improve the budgeting process. One of the biggest challenges within financial planning and budgeting is how do we make it value-added. Budgeting requires clear channels of communication, support from upper-level management, participation from various personnel, and predictive characteristics. Budgeting should not strive for accuracy, but should strive to support the decision making process. If we focus too much on accuracy, we will end-up with a budgeting process that incurs time and costs in excess of the benefits derived. The challenge is to make financial planning a value-added activity that helps the organization achieve its strategic goals and objectives. In order for department to compensate for dwindling budget, many law enforcement officer have had to learn how to focus on what can they can sacrifice from their normal lifestyle in order to offset the reduction in available spending. Some of these sacrifices have included families foregoing summer vacations, or shopping in discount stores instead of department stores they are accustomed too. However, today law enforcement agencies are faced with the difficult task of maintaining the same service that their communities expect despite the extreme reduction in available resources. And, in order for them to deliver the same high level of protection and emergency responsiveness that the communities depend on, law enforcement agencies must find new and inventive techniques to address those needs in cost-effective and maintainable way. Agencies must have a good understanding of how budgeting marks the first step towards successful financial planning. Budgeting has a significant role in the strategic planning process by any organization. It provides the framework for future financial goals and the needs of an organization such as technical equipment like laptops, radios, and side arms. It also shows the overhead needs, and departmental financial requirements. It can also outline the costs involved in order to get the resources that are required to meet their financial goals. Developing a budget is an important tool for determining the department’s performance, in motivating the upper-management, other members of staff, and measuring the results towards accomplishing the organization’s financial goal. References Gary, L (2003) Breaking the Budget Impasse. Pg 3, Retrieved September 30, 2013, Idio, U. S. (2012). THE BUDGET AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL: ZERO BASE BUDGETING, PANACEA TO BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION IN NIGERIA. Global Journal of Social Sciences, 11(1), 1-7. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/1036581432? accountid=32521 http://www. cops. usdoj. gov/files/RIC/Publications/e101113406_Economic%20Impact. pdf Melekian, B. , (2011a). Director’s Message. Community Policing Dispatch vol. 4, no. 3. http://cops. usdoj. gov/html/dispatch/03-2011/DirectorMessage. asp. Melekian, B. , (2011b). Director’s Column: July 2011. Community Policing Dispatch vol. 4, no. 7. http://cops. usdoj. gov/html/dispatch/07-2011/DirectorMessage. asp. Wiseman, J. , (2011). Strategic Cutback Management: Law Enforcement Leadership for Lean Times. Research for Practice, Washington, D. C. : U. S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, NCJ 232077.

Importance Of Internet Communication Virtual Way Of Life Media Essay

Importance Of Internet Communication Virtual Way Of Life Media Essay The essay states the importance of internet, communication, virtual way of life and peculiarities of the modern world. The Internet opens large opportunities for work, leisure, communication, and sharing diverse information. Internet has changed the world and society consistently because the creation of internet and its growing popularity contributed to the consistent change in the life of people. They have opened the new, virtual world and a new effective means of communication- internet which have started to replace the traditional means of communication, to the extent that online communication has started to replace the live, real, physical communication between people. As well, essay shows to the audience the advantages and disadvantages of such way of life, the opportunities and interest in everything new. Today, staying online for the majority of people, who have computers at home, means more than staying offline. In actuality, people are relying too much on internet and on th e virtual way of life. Such a change has occurred under the impact of internet and innovation it brought into the life of people and their social relationships. The essay also states, that Internet era has changed the perception of having rest or relaxation for many people, as the unknown world of virtual reality seems to have something special. People tend to use internet as the means to escape from reality, from problems they have in the real life. Running from reality has become one of the most simplest ways to avoid problems, to postpone them, to try to forget and to involve in something that brings joy and happiness. The essay context is aimed to show the trends of the society, of the business and of the future. The essay also described that people prefer share their problems with strangers in their blog, as this way they are unknown in the internet and this fact helps people to communicate, inventing new ways of solving problems, communication and also fun. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦blo gs help people to talk to someone, without revelation of their personality. In such a way, people can make a sort of confession and receive feedback from users that relieves them and encourages people to carry on writing about issues which important for them in their blogs. The essay shows the counter arguments of people who have different opinion from the majority. People can live without technology, having other interests, probably more interesting than the online world. For instance, many people have little ideas of advanced information technologies and they are quite happy in their non-technological world. Some people do not admit the existence of the virtual world, considering it as a game, or something not serious and that will pass soon. They do not take it seriously and do not take into consideration all the advantages it brings, that is why there are claims that staying in the virtual world means just killing of time. For instance, Guillermo Gomez-Pena in The Virtual Barrio @ the Other Frontier refers to the example of Mexicans, who live next to the US, with its advanced information technologies, and local people are still simple and maintain traditional social relationships instead of virtual ones [Mexicans] are simple people. They are happy w ith the little they gotà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ They are not ambitious and complex like us. They dont need all this technology to communicate. Sometimes I just feel like going down there and living among them. (p. 555). Counter argument can exist, but they should not hide the reality and the important technologies along with the technological progress that has its advantages. Nevertheless, technologies keep progressing and affect more and more people. Technology has definitely changed humanity, as nowadays people devote a lot of time to the online way of life, exploring it, reading, watching, listening and communicating. Some people can balance and live in harmony with the technologies, but some people become addicted to the technologies, to the computer especially. Some people do not have the limit, as described in the essay. Some people create their own virtual world of online friends, of the websites to visit, of the places to spend time, of the games to play, of the videos to download. People no more want to share their thoughts, their dreams or ideas with their friends offline; instead they choose the options to write about all that in their blogs and micro blogs and social networking sites. There is the reasoning of a counter argument and there should be found a balance to be able to depict everything useful from the online world and to live happily in the offline world. The essay ethically responds to the reasoning of a counter argument and shows the both sides of the issue. Communication offline has become something challenging especially for youngsters these day, as it is much easier to respond or to give ideas when a person is at home and he does not fear to see the reaction of another person who will read his message. The more people get involved in the virtual world, the more challenging it is to get out of there. The essay about violence addresses counter argument and arguments reasoning. It includes the description of the problem, the different views on it, the possible solutions and different opinions of the experts. When analyzing the problem of violence and its impact on individuals, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that violence is a fundamental part of the life of people. In regard, it is possible to refer to history, when cruel and violent acts were considered to be a norm. The essay also includes the major claim considering the fact how violence is widely- spread and how many people suffer from it. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦cases of domestic violence were a norm in the past, because the violence in relation to children, for example, was considered to be essential to raise them up as good people. Others would argue that this kind of violence is still practiced. I would totally agree, but what is beginning shown by me side is that it used to be a norm that people did not see it anything more than a tool used to bring up good disciplined kids. Whereas, nowadays, it is considered a crime, at least in our society, and so, people have distanced from it to an extent. Reflective essay claims concentrate on the facts that some believe that by using violence they can solve all their problems and gain the respect of their social environment. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦they are unconscious of the negative effect of the violence on their own personality because the violence has a destructive impact on the behavior and psychology of individuals. Some would argue this, Many people like to use Mohandes Ghandi as an example of non-violent protest winning the day. But the only reason Ghandis tactics worked is because he was using them against a civilized adversary, the British Empire. Had he tried to use them against someone else, like Nazi Germany, he would have ended up with a bullet to the back of the head or in one of the cremation ovens after being worked to death in a concentration camp. There are also counter arguments present in the essay to highlight the opinions from different people with different points of views.Violence does solve things. It has ended brutal dictatorships, saved citizens from the predation of criminals, prevented injustices on a small and large scale, and prevented wars. Perhaps the old saying needs to be modified. Instead, it should be Violence never solves anything if it is used at the wrong time in the wrong place. Violence in and of itself solves nothing. It is the proper use of violence under the right circumstances that solves problems (Farm). Essay context is aimed to show the importance of the issue, the key problems and claims. There are a lot of factors that provoke the violence and that increase the risk of the violent and aggressive behavior from the peoples side. At the same time, people are vulnerable to a consistent impact of their environment and different situations in their life which make them choosing the violent model of behavior as the only effective way of behavior. The essay also described the solutions to the problem for the audience. People often have an alternative to the violent model of behavior but they do not always use them because they need much more efforts and they are not as widely-spread as violent methods, which have always accompanied the mankind in the course of its development and evolution.

New Forms of International Conflict Essay -- International Politics

The conflicts of the last few centuries have been dominated by the West. The two world wars and the subsequent Cold War were dominated by Western states and ideals. It is posited that as the USSR collapsed and the Cold War ceased, the conflict of the West subsided and allowed conflicts of other nations and factions have come to the fore. As the bipolar world system became unipolar, other issues emerged or gained prevalence, the economy seeped back into world economy, technology has advanced at a rapid rate completely changing the way wars are fought and America pursued its goal of democratisation. America became the dominant superpower in 1989, as the world moved into a unipolar system; thus changing the country’s foreign policy. Instead of fighting the ‘evil empire’ (Reagan: 1983) the foreign policy changed to protecting international stability and leading a worldwide movement for democracy. This policy has portrayed figures, arguably rightly, as modern-day Hitler’s. Saddam Hussein, Colonel Gadaffi and Hosni Mubarak have seen this treatment, until the pretence of forming a ‘new world order’ (Carpenter: 1991: 24) The US has been seen to have become the world police. This has created anger amongst many Arab states as the US attempts to force democracy on countries with mixed results; Grenada and Panama were successful whilst Lebanon and Iraq proved costly, in terms of money and human lives, and the failure to establish an effective democracy. Lebanon saw 250 American casualties whereas Iraq has seen 4483. (iCasualties.org:2011) This chang e in conflict has been brought on by nearly global acceptance of democracy and the lack of a significant opponent to challenge the US. China may be where the world is looking to rival the US but ... ...Order (2002) 7. B Gokay and R B J Walker (eds), 11 September 2001: War, Terror and Judgement (2002) 8. Ronald Reagan, ‘Evil Empire Speech’, March 9th 1983. http://www.nationalcenter.org/ReaganEvilEmpire1983.html 9. Icasulties details the casualties occurred during the Iraq war. http://icasualties.org/iraq/index.aspx, 07.12.2011 10. Geohive, a website, 2011, that gives estimated world population numbers. http://www.geohive.com/ 11. Google public date explorer, 2011, gives information about various economic statistics about world states http://www.google.co.uk/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=ny_gdp_mktp_cd&idim=country:CHN&dl=en&hl=en&q=china+gdp#ctype=l&strail=false&bcs=d&nselm=h&met_y=ny_gdp_mktp_cd&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=country&idim=country:CHN:USA:GBR&ifdim=country&hl=en&dl=en 12. M. Van Creveld (1991) On Future War. London: Brassey’s.

Self-government in the Early Colonies :: American Independence

How were the seeds for self-government sown in the early colonies? Why was this important when England started to enforce rules (such as the Intolerable Acts)?   Please give specific examples. Self-governance was a primary idea of the settlers in North America. Once English settlers began to come to the new world in the 1600s, they knew they needed to have their own freedom for themselves, after all that is why they left Great Britain in many cases. Self-governance is most notable in the earliest form of the Mayflower Compact in 1620 for Virginia. Great Britain began to deteriorate the self-governing nature of the colonies in the mid-1700s through various acts it deemed to be necessary. The enforcement of these acts caused the colonists to be unhappy with the actions Great Britain was taking and so the phrase â€Å"taxation without representation is tyranny† came. The Mayflower Compact, signed by some of the earliest settlers of Virginia including John Carter in 1620 was an example of early self-governance in that they established a â€Å"frame such just and equall laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices..for the generall good of the Colonie.† They had left Great Britain with the intention to care for themselves and govern themselves. The Mayflower Compact is one of the earliest examples of people coming together to govern themselves and take control of their future and well-being as a colony without Great Britain. Many others followed suit after them in a manner very similar.4 In the 1760s King George III enacted the Sugar Act and the Stamp act to gain extra revenue from his colonies. King George III decided to enact heavier taxes to put money back into the empire that had been lost after the French and Indian War. This act levied heavy taxes on sugar imported from the West Indies. The Stamp Act in 1765 required that many items have a stamp to prove that the owner had payed for the taxes on the item. The problem the colonists had with it was that it increased the presence of English troops in the Colonies and they felt it was unneeded and only meant to put more control into Great Britain's hands.

Lessons Learned from Notes to a Native Son Essay -- James Baldwin

Realizing What Society Really Is Born in 1924, James Baldwin grew up in Harlem during harsh racism and the infamous Jim Crow laws. In addition to being surrounded by hate crimes and riots, Baldwin had a rough relationship with his father, who died when Baldwin was only nineteen. Twelve years after his father?s death, Baldwin wrote an essay, entitled ?Notes of a Native Son,? which described the events that took place around the time of his father?s death. Being one of his trademark talents, he also inserted periods of analysis while narrating the story. These insights, often reflections on his life and actions, illustrate the importance of learning to truly understand the society in which one lives in order to react appropriately to one?s current situation in life. James Baldwin noted at the beginning of his essay that he really began thinking about his life and his father?s life when his father passed (63). Just like most rebellious teenagers, he did not always understand his father?s intentions when he was being warned about drugs, white people in general, and other activities that he was specifically warned about and kept away from. Arguments were of course inevitable, and their relationship worsened because James Baldwin kept silent. In fact, the one time that he can remember when they had a real chat together was when his father asked him if he really wanted to write instead of being a preacher, like his father (80). Looking back on his childhood, James Baldwin realized that he did not really take any time to get to know his own father, and once he died it was too late. Baldwin also added some analysis about father and son relationships, noting that ?It seems to be typical of Ameri... ...is a commonplace? (84). Back in the forties and fifties, and still today, life isn?t fair, and there still exists strong hatred between certain groups of people. Denial of the way society was or is prevents people from taking control of their lives and growing to become better people despite their respective situation. Baldwin described that personal growth as a continuing fight against those injustices by pushing for complete equality amongst everyone in one?s own life (84). Hatred and discrimination still exist today, but because so many people fought for equality over the past sixty years, changes have occurred to make the pain of realizing how society really was, and how it has become, more bearable. Works Cited Baldwin, James. ?Notes of a Native Son.? 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 63-84.

Tobacco Smoking and Legal Marijuana

Marijuana vs  cigarettes See also: Smoking Marijuana does not cause lung cancer Top anti drug researcher changes his mind: says legalize marijuana Marijuana and your lungs: recent studies Pot is not like tobacco The Effects of Marijuana Smoke There are many reasons why marijuana is  not  worse for you than smoking cigarettes. You may have heard that â€Å"one joint is equal to ten cigarettes† but this is exaggerated and misleading. Marijuana does contain more tar than tobacco — but low tar cigarettes cause just as much cancer, so what is that supposed to mean? Scientists have hown that smoking any plant is bad for your lungs, because it increases the number of ‘lesions’ in your small airways. This usually does not threaten your life, but there is a chance it will lead to infections. Marijuana users who are worried about this can find less harmful ways of taking marijuana like eating or vaporizing. (Be careful – marijuana is safe to eat — but tobacco is not, you might overdose! )  Marijuana does not cause cancer  the way tobacco does, though. Here is a list of interesting facts about marijuana smoking and tobacco smoking: o Marijuana smokers generally don’t chain smoke, nd so they smoke less. (Marijuana is not physically addictive like tobacco. ) The more potent marijuana is, the less a smoker will use at a time. o Tobacco contains nicotine, and marijuana doesn’t. Nicotine may harden the arteries and may be responsible for much of the heart disease caused by tobacco. New research has found that it may also cause a lot of the cancer in tobacco smokers and people who live or work where tobacco is smoked. This is because it breaks down into a cancer causing chemical called `N Nitrosamine’ when it is burned (and maybe even while it is inside the body as well. o Marijuana contains THC. THC is a bronchial dilator, which means it works like a cough drop and opens up your lungs, which aids clearance of smoke and dirt. Nicotine does just the opposite; it makes your lungs bunch up and makes it harder to cough anything up. o There are benefits from marijuana (besides bronchial dilation) that you don’t get from tobacco. Mainly, marijuana makes you relax, which improves your health and well-being. o  Scientists do not really know what it is that causes malignant lung cancer in tobacco. Many think it may be a substance known as Lead 210.Of course, there are many other theories as to what does cause cancer, but if this is true, it is easy to see why  no case of lung cancer resulting from marijuana use alone has ever been documented, because tobacco contains much more of this substance than marijuana. o Marijuana laws make it harder to use marijuana without damaging your body. Water-pipes are illegal in many states. Filtered cigarettes, vaporizers, and inhalers have to be mass produced, which is hard to arrange `underground. ’ People don’t eat marijuana often because you need more to get as high that way, nd it isn’t cheap or easy to get (which is the reason why some people will stoop to smoking leaves. ) This may sound funny to you — but  the more legal marijuana gets, the safer it is. It is pretty obvious to users that marijuana prohibition laws are not â€Å"for their own good. † In addition to the above, legal marijuana would be clean and free from adulterants. Some people add other drugs to marijuana before they sell it. Some people spray room freshener on it or soak in in chemicals like formaldehyde! A lot of the marijuana is grown outdoors, where it may be sprayed with esticides or contaminated with dangerous fungi. If the government really cared about our health, they would form an agency which would make sure only quality marijuana was sold. This would be cheaper than keeping it illegal, and it would keep people from getting hurt and going to the emergency room. (source) FACT: Studies have shown that smoki ng marijuana does NOT increase your chance of getting cancer and may even lower it slightly! Of course, vaping or eating cannabis are still considered the safest methods of ingestion especially for daily consumers. Early on, when our research appeared as if there would be a negative impact on lung health, I was opposed to legalization because I thought it would lead to increased use and that would lead to increased health effects,† Tashkin says. â€Å"But at this point, I’d be in favor of legalization. Tobacco smoking causes far more harm. And in terms of an intoxicant, alcohol causes far more harm. UCLA’s Tashkin studied heavy marijuana smokers to determine whether the use led to increased risk of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.He hypothesized that there would be a definitive link between cancer and marijuana smoking, but the results proved otherwise. â€Å"What we found instead was no association and even a suggestion of some p rotective effect,† says Tashkin, whose research was the largest case-control study ever conducted. Listen to Tashkin’s full video  here UPDATE Source  A new study, published in this month’s  Journal of the American Medical Association, tested the lung function of over 5,000 young adults between 18 and 30.After 20 years of testing, researchers found some buzzworthy results:  regular marijuana smokers (defined by up to a joint a day for seven years) had no discernible impairment in lung activity from non-smokers. In fact, researchers were surprised to find marijuana smokers performed slightly better than both smokers and non-smokers on the lung performance test. Why? The most likely explanation seems to be that the act of inhaling marijuana—holding each puff in for as long as possible—is a lot like a pulmonary function test, giving marijuana smokers an edge over their igarette smoking counterparts. For most of human existence, cannabis has bee n considered a medicine. Queen Victoria used it to alleviate her menstrual cramps. Extracts were prescribed by doctors and available at every pharmacy in the U. S. According to  Fast Food Nation  author Eric Schlosser, attitudes toward cannabis only shifted when Americans began to notice and object to its use by immigrants around the turn of the 20th century. More  here

Progressive Movement Essay

I am intended to indite my research paper of forward-looking accomplishment i.e. a movement pronounced by an all-encompassing and intensive remove in all spheres of American bread and butter videlicet political, economic and social and how Theodore Roosevelt, Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson contributed toward it.ThesisThe diaphragm from 1890 to 1917 in the history of United States is know as Progressive era. This period is marked by an all-encompassing and intensive change in all spheres of American life viz. political, economic and social. The progressive leaders with faith in the traditional American ideals of democratic government, individual liberty, rule of integrity and protection of private rights and property, felt that grace advance was marked by corruption. They throw out felt that due to the policies and practices of the previous regimes, a privileged wealthy class has been created that had looted the national wealth and resources.Supporting Arguments What is Pr ogressivism?A A Reaction to Gilded Age?B Manifestation of Mature American Ideology?Ideological Roots of Progressive crusadeProgressive ReformsA Progressivism at local levelB Progressivism at State LevelC Progressivism at Federal LevelProgressive leader and their contributionsA Theodore RooseveltB Howard TaftC Woodrow WilsonD La Follette.ConclusionReferencesEkirch, Arthur A. Progressivism in America. A study of the Era from TheodoreRoosevelt to Woodrow Wilson. invigorated York clean Viewpoints. 1974.Filene, Peter G. An Obituary for The Progressive Movement. American Quarterly. Vol.22, No. 1(Spring, 1970). pp. 20-34Nevins, Allan& Commager, Henry S. A short history of the United States New York, A.Knopf, 1966.Parkes, Henry B. The United States of AmericaA History. New York, Knopf, 1959PBS. The Progressive Era 1900-1918.Retrieved on March 07, 2007 fromhttp//www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eleanor/peopleevents/pande08.html