Paul and Women Essay

The role of women during the early Christian generation has always been contested. Until the present era, despite the increasing and growing advocacy for women rights and equality of gender, there are still a lot of issues and controversies regarding the matter. In the Gospel of Paul, written in the bible’s New Testament, the role of women in the society has been both emancipated and questioned. In Romans 16:1-7, Paul has affirmed the ministry of women by accepting the role of women as servants of the church. In addition to this, Paul has placed women in equal footing to men by mentioning Priscilla, wife of Aquila, for her high status. In the same verses as well, Paul also mentioned fellow female apostles, thus showing that women have been allowed to take their rightful places in the society during the early times (Keener, 2008). Moreover, in Galatians 3:26-28, Paul totally eliminated the distinction between men and women, along with removing the barriers between Jews and Greeks and slaves and free men (Zeolla, 2006). Through these verses, Paul has regarded women as men’s equal. On the other hand, in 1 Corinthians 11:2-15, the covering of women’s head rather put a different emphasis on gender roles and equality. In these passages, a woman is pertained to as a â€Å"glory of man. † And thus, she must cover her hair in order to prevent lustful intentions from other men. Insubordination from this rule renders a woman as an adulteress and vulgar (Keener, 2008). Despite the contradictions presented in the Corinthians verse, Paul has advocated for equality between men and women. Though the covering of women’s head has been treated as a means of women’s succumbing to men’s rule, the passages stated in Corinthians were explained as means in protecting the chastity and reputation of women in public.

The Little Rock Nine

The movie â€Å"The Little Rock Nine† is based on an event that happened in the 1950’s. The movie is based on the first time that a school allowed black students into an all white school. This event happened in Little Rock, Arkansas when a school allowed nine black teenagers into their school. In this essay you will read about the respect that the black students got at the beginning of the movie and the respect they got at the end, how society has changed today, how this relates to the Hebrews experience, how this relates to moral values, and my personal experience on this theme. In the movie the nine black students got no respected at all. The students were treated the same as every other black person at this point in time. The black students took abuse and bullying that no other person would be able to take. They got pushed, threatened, excluded from events and even spit on. This was the respect they got when they first came to the school. The guards stationed around the school didn't even do much at times. They were afraid at times, because if they tried to retaliate they knew things would only get worse. Even people outside the school tried to get the students out of the school. There were rallies and marches, mostly led by parents, to get rid of the nine black students. Then things got even worse when bomb threats started coming in. Finally on of the students named Minnijean Brown started to fight back. Minnijean Brown was the first of the students to be targeted to recieve the most abuse. It started one day when she was just heading to class and a group of girls blocked the door to her next class. She asked them politly to move and when they didn't she tried to move in between them, but she got pushed out of the way. That was the start of the incidents. Eventually Minnijean was expelled for dumping a bowl of chili on students head that was blocking her way and refused to move. Minnijean was upset by this because the white people of the community got exactly what they wanted. The next target was Ernest Green. Ernest was targeted next because he was a senior and, if he made it, would be the first black student to graduate from Central High School. The white students and parents did everything they could to prevent him from graduating. One female student even tried to get him to like her so she could say he â€Å"harassed† her,but Ernest graduated 1958. These two students are probably the most recognized two of the Little Rock Nine becausse of what happened to them. Society has changed alot since 1958 in many ways. The Central High School in Little Rock is now 50% black students. The story of the Little Rock Nine relates to the Hebrews when they are in Egypt because they are being treated just like the nine black students. They were forced into labor every day and were beaten and spat on as well. This relates to moral values because everybody should be treated equal. Alot of people back then were Catholic, but they treated people diffrently, when everyone was actually the same. This relates to my personal experience because me and a friend of mine went through a little bit of this last year. It wasn't as bad as the Little Rock Nine, but it hurt. My friend and I were excluded from games some games in P. E. , we took alot of hateful phrases, and other things. Then around graduation they stopped and things went back to normal. The Little Rock Nine is a good example of what black peolpe had to go through in that point in time. I think the Little Rock Nine was and still is a great example of how racism can destroys people and their self esteem. And It also shows how brave some people were during the Civil Rights Movement. I also think it is very important that three of the Little Rock Nine graduated from Central High School which I think this is a great accomplishment. It also proves that blacks were able to do the same school work as whites.

Vsepr Lab

Molecular Geometry A. Natural Orientation of Volumes about a Central Point. You will need 20 round balloons for this experiment. Join them together as indicated in the Balloon Arrangement column and then describe the shape in the space provided. Balloon ArrangementDescription of the Shape Two-Balloon SetLinear Three-Balloon Set Trigonal Planar Four-Balloon Set Tetrahedral Five-Balloon Set Trigonal Bipyramidal Six-Balloon Set Octahedral B. Valence Shell Pairs: Single Bonds Fill in the table below for the corresponding compounds.Reference the tables provided in the introductory comments for Lab #16 VSEPR Theory. Molecular ShapeNumber of Bonds About Central AtomShape Description BF3 3Trigonal planar BeCl2 2Linear CH4 4Tetrahedral PF5 5Trigonal bipyramidal SF6 6Octahedral C. Valence Shell Pairs: Single Bonds and Non-Bonding electron pairs Fill in the table below for the corresponding compounds. Reference the tables provided in the introductory comments for Lab #16 VSEPR Theory. Molecular FormulaNumber of Bonds and Non-Bonding PairsShape Desrciption NF3 ,1Trigonal pyramidal H2S 2,2Bent H3O+ 3,1Trigonal pyramidal PH3 3,1Trigonal pyramidal ClO2 2,1Bent D. Valence Shell Pairs: Single and Double Bonds and Non-Bonding electron pairs Fill in the table below for the corresponding compounds. The shapes and other information on pages three and four of your lab will be helpful. FormulaNumber of Bonds and Non-Bonding Electron PairsShape Description CO32- 3,0Trigonal planar SO2 2,1Bent H2CO 3,0Trigonal planar SO3 3,0Trigonal planar SO32- 3,1Trigonal pyramidal NO2- 2,1Bent PO33- 3,1Trigonal pyramidal

Chicago demographics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chicago demographics - Assignment Example It is evident that the problem of teen pregnancy is the biggest health issue in Chicago and this necessitates measures to help address this issue. Thus this paper will look at the Chicago demographics, the services offered and their effectiveness; it will then develop a marketing plan for a service/ program to address the problem of teen pregnancy in Chicago. Chicago Demographics Population and ethnic composition Chicago is the largest city in Illinois a state in the US. According to the US census bureau it has nearly 2.7 million residents and this makes it the most populous city in the Midwestern United states and is also ranked the third most populous state in the United States after New York and Los Angeles that are considered the most populated areas (Mackun & Wilson, 2011). Chicago is the headquarters of Cook County (City of Chicago, 2011) which is the second most populous county in the US coming after Los Angeles and California. Chicago is one of the first cities in the world w ith a fast growing population. Its population has continued to grow every year and this can be attributed to the many services that are available to cater for people’s needs in this city. According to the US census Bureau there were 2,695,598 people with a total of 1,045,560 households residing within the city of Chicago (CB, 2010). It is estimated that more than half of the population of the state of Illinois stay in Chicago metropolitan area. The city’s racial composition is 45.0% whites with 31.7% non-Hispanic whites (Forman & Krysan, 2008), 32.9% African American, 5.5% Asian (City Data, 2010). It has a Hispanic population of 28.9%. The population percentage from 2000-2010 stood at -6.9%. Persons under the age of 5 years are 6.5%, under 18 years are, 23.1%, persons 65 years and over are 10.3%, while the female persons percentage is at 51.5% (CB, 2010). The age distribution include below 10 are 15.2% 10s are 13.8% 20s at 18.0%, 30s at 16.6%, 40s at 13.5%, 50s 9.2 %, 60s 6.3% and above 70 at 7.4% (Zllow, 2011). Fig. 1 Races in Chicago Source: http://igpa.uillinois.edu/cas/media/pubs/Forman_Krysan_2008.pdf Education In the Education sector, the percentage of high school graduates in Chicago aged 25 and over stands at 78%, those with a bachelor’s degree or higher and who are 25 years and over stand at 31.7% (CB, 2010). The public schools are governed by Chicago public schools (CPS) while the private schools are run by two religious groups the Catholics and the Lutheran. A look at the marital statuses of people in Chicago reveal 28.27% married, 49.47% never married, 12.69% separated, 3.99% widowed and 5.57% divorced. The median household income 2005-2009 was $46.781 (Sperlings, 2010). Fig.1. Marital Status in Chicago: source: www.census.gov Health Characteristics and problems There exists a wealth of information about the heath characteristics of people in Chicago. Childhood obesity is one of the most prevalent health crisis in Chicago such that the rate of obesity among Chicago children aged 3-7 is very high estimated to be twice the national average for children in the same age group. Adult obesity is most seen in the minority communities (Whitman,

Delegation in Nursing Care Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Delegation in Nursing Care - Assignment Example As the discussion outlines, based on the scenario presented in the case, it would be prudent for Rose to begin by attending to the most pressing issues. The most pressing issue, according to the case, that Rose should attend to first is Mr. R. in Room 228 whose pain medication is already late. This is because Mr. R. is feeling a lot of pain and his health might deteriorate if not attended to immediately. Therefore, it would be very critical for Rose to leave everything she intended to do to ensure that Mr. R. receives the necessary attention to save him from his immense pain.  If the reporter were the charge nurse, the following is how I would have done the patient assignment at the beginning of the shift: Firstly, the reporter would have ensured that all the patients in need of urgent care are attended to first. For instance, it emerged that Mr. R is complaining that his pain medication is late. Therefore, to avoid such situations, I would have ensured that all patients in dire ne ed of care are attended to first. This will be followed by ensuring that all the delegable tasks are assigned to different nurse assistants to ensure that all patients are attended to on time. Delegation would ensure that I only handle tasks, which are not delegable, such as those involving patient assessment, evaluation and judgment. From the list provided, there are a number of tasks which Rose cannot delegate. Firstly, Rose cannot delegate activity. This is because activity involves an assessment of the patient. Assessment activities must be done by a registered professional nurse, thus cannot be delegated. Secondly, Rose cannot delegate activity two since the activity involves the admission of medications, which must be administered by a registered professional nurse.  

Health Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Health Project - Essay Example nd community, development of belief systems, creative and stimulating mental activities, and the benefits associated with the regular physical activities. The six Dimensions of Wellness include physical, social, emotional, occupational, spiritual, and intellectual. The social dimension focuses on people’s contribution to their environment and community (Thompson 310). As people strive to achieve wellness, they become more aware of their importance and the impact they have on multiple environments. The occupational dimension recognizes people’s orientation towards satisfying and enriching their life through work, which is personally meaningful and economically rewarding (Thompson 313). The primary goal of spiritual dimension is to recognize people’s search for meaning in and purpose for human existence. The spiritual dimension exposes human beings to various feelings such as joy, dislocation, pleasure, doubts, disappointment, happiness, and discovery. The physical dimension emphasizes on the need for regular activity to enhance physical development. Having a good physical look causes psychological benefits such as enhanced self-esteem, sense of direction, self-control, and determination (Thompson 314). Intellectual dimension recognizes that people need creative and stimulating mental activities. The principle of intellectual dimension is to stretch and challenge people’s minds using creative pursuits as opposed to leaving them become self-satisfied and unproductive. Emotional dimension is concerned with awareness and acceptance of a person’s feelings; it focuses on the extent to which people feel positive and enthusiastic about themselves. Junk food is the greatest factor fueling obesity (Lacroix and Li-Chan 66). I am interested in this health aspect because I do not want to become obese. Physically, being obese will limit my movement and constrain my self-esteem. I believe in the principle of the physical dimension, which states that it is better to be

Is China going to be the next major city caused the Global warming Essay

Is China going to be the next major city caused the Global warming - Essay Example China’s economic development has been inevitably dependent on the consumption of coal for energy. Energy consumption and economic development, and in turn environmental issues in China have been interrelated. Coal is the main source of energy and burning of coal leads to emission of green house gases. This is what has lead to the negative effects of China’s economic development on global warming. China has surpassed USA as the world’s leading emitter of green house gases (Landsberg, 2011). Globally, there has been a constant increase in the demand for energy. So is the case with China. As the population of China has been increasing so is its demand for energy. Also the economic growth is fuelled by this increase in the demand for energy. Economic growth is driven by industrialization and this leads to higher energy consumption. In china, the industrialization process is relatively young and is expected to grow. This means that the already high energy intensity in China will still increase. Therefore, as the economic growth curve goes upwards so does the energy demand and in turn energy consumption. As mentioned above, China with its huge population consumes enormous energy. This enormous energy consumption is the primary reason behind China’s negative impact on global warming. ... is the emission green house gases). According to Zhang Zhongxiang, China’s GDP will go down by 2% if there is a decrease of 10-20% in the green house gases emission. Also there will be a 1.29% increase in the emission of the green house gases when there is a 51% increase in the per capita income (Yu, 2008). This establishes the theory that China’s economic development has lead to an enormous increase in the emission of green house gases and in turn leading to global warming. Energy demand elasticity is an important factor in analyzing the relation between energy consumption or demand and the economic development. Energy demand elasticity is the ratio of energy demand growth to GDP growth. From 1978 to 2000, China’s energy demand elasticity was less than .5. But from 2001 to 2006 it rose to 1.5. This shows how the rapid economic development is associated with higher energy consumption. Another important evidence of the relationship between China’s economic development and global warming is the fact that the green house gas emissions had gone up 18 times in 1989 when compared to the 1952 emissions and the 2010 emissions is more than double the emissions in 1996. China’s economic development has been pointing upward since the reforms in 1970. Hence, there is a clear connection between economic development and global warming (gas emissions) (Hackett, 1998). Netherlands Environment Assessment Agency’s 2006 report found out that China was now the major contributor to the global greenhouse gas emissions. It has now overtaken USA and is the world’s leading emitter of green house gases with a margin of 8%. 2007 saw a 2.6% growth in the global emissions and China was responsible for

Japanese Public Broadcaster-NHK Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Japanese Public Broadcaster-NHK - Research Paper Example NHK is no different. All told, NHK has probably never been in such difficulties at any other point in its history. To begin with, it is useful to examine the recent scandal that so dented the reputation of NHK. In late 2004, NHK employed more than 10,000 people and had revenue from a viewing fee that came to almost $5 billion. But then all hell broke loose. Top executives were accused of embezzling funds, and the popular company chairman was forced to step down. NHK came under increased governmental and legal scrutiny, and competitors revved up their engines. This report neatly summarizes the situation: In Japan, the NHK viewing fee (which is something that akin to BBC’s license fee) is mandatory under the country’s broadcasting law. Although there is no penalty for those who fail to pay, almost 80% of about 46 million Japanese TV households make monthly payments of about US$12. The 2004 scandal, however, triggered waves of consumer discontent, resulting in about 1,280,000 refusals to pay. This translates into a total revenue loss of some US$42 million or 7.4% of NHK’s gross revenue for the fiscal year 2005 which ended in March 2006. The percentage of fee-paying consumers dropped by almost 10%.1 That marked only the beginnings of NHK’s financial woes. Two twin problems were approaching on the horizon that will affect NHK’s bottom line for years to come: the financial crisis and recession of 2008-09 and the huge changes in the media world brought about by the Internet. Like everyone else NHK is finding that serious journalism is in trouble. Laborious and expensive, news stories and investigative reports that reflect a passionate commitment to the public interest are being squeezed out of our media by new economic realities. Faced with decreasing advertising revenue, media companies have been consolidating rapidly in recent years, in part to take advantage of economies of scale.  Ã‚  

Modular Construction Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

Modular Construction - Dissertation Example As mentioned before, the increase in the demand for an economical and quick delivery for buildings both in the domestic and commercial scenarios, the innovation in the construction industry should be investigated. The modular construction method being an increasingly deployed method of construction in the UK, and the fact that it is an innovative method of construction to the existing methods makes it a natural choice of analysis in this research. Furthermore, the increasing demand for efficiency in management to reduce costs and loss of resources in the construction industry justifies the choice of research since the modular construction methods involve extensive use of project management methodologies, which will be discussed in the research chapters of this report. The scope of this research is restricted to the commercial and domestic building construction as the construction industry in the UK includes many segments like the road construction and other public utilities building construction. Although it is argued widely that the modular construction method can be deployed in these areas of construction as well, the limitations with the resources and time involved in this research that is academic in nature is the limiting factor to the scope of this report. 1.4: Chapter Overview: Chapter 1: Introduction This is the current chapter that presents the reader with the aim and objectives of the report along with a brief overview on the research envisaged in this report. Chapter 2: Literature Review In this chapter an overview on the construction industry is presented to the reader with the focus on the

Fight Club Essay Example for Free

Fight Club Essay In the movie â€Å"Fight Club† is about the narrator, Jack’s, fantasy of an alternate reality, his personal shadow. Tyler Durden represents Jack’s unconscious collective shadow. Jack, the protagonist, has a meaningless, boring and empty life, and suffers from insomnia. Jack tries to lend color to his insignificant life by purchasing new commodities like his furniture which are the fetish items of the narrator and they provide him with more meaningful existence. Jack has a dull life and he could not find any time for his hobbies due to his busy business life. He has no girlfriend or even a close friend. He does nothing to have fun and he suppresses all his instincts for pleasure in his unconscious. Although he is not happy about his life, every morning he wakes up, goes to work and travels frequently. He suffers from insomnia because he is suppressing his shadow. Later, he finds the idea of participating in cancer and disease support groups. Jack lacks the courage to confront his shadow. Instead, Jack indentifies with her persona, the role the world expects him to play. As the movie progresses Jack gradually begins to become aware of his shadow, and how it motivates his behavior. It is only by doing so that he begins the process of self-realization. One criticism that will be made is that the movie depicts a superficial and incomplete process of self-realization. â€Å"Jung considers the confrontation with the shadow, with one’s own evil, to be of the great psychological value. Understanding something about one’s shadow side is the beginning of self-knowledge. Without the realization of the shadow all real further psychological progress is blocked† (34). As I mentioned before, Tyler Durden is the collective unconscious side of Jack. In other words, Tyler represents the shadow of the narrator in â€Å"political confrontation†. Jack projects onto Tyler, the enemy side, which we view as hopelessly corrupt, sadistic, vindictive, and inhuman. â€Å"The collective shadow, viewed as a component of the collective unconscious, is the archetype of collective evil and can be represented by such archetypal images as the Devil, the Enemy, the Bad Guys, and the Evil Empire† (33-4). Tyler slowly begins to take control away from the narrator. The narrator gets pleasure from Tyler’s crazy, uncontrolled behaviors because Tyler does the things that the narrator imagines doing unconsciously, but was unable to do because of ociety pressure, which encouraged repressing his desires. Jung states, â€Å"Your shadow, the imperfect being in you that follows after and does everything which you are loath to do, all the things you are too cowardly or too decent to do† (35). The narrator gets pleasure from these anarchistic behaviors. Tyler also destroys the narrator’s house in order to prevent him from continuing his virtual life. Then, Tyler initiates a reaction like Jung’s shadow conception, full of violence and sexuality. He manifests his violence and forms an underground boxing club called Fight Club. Hopeless people like Bob who has testicular cancer and many other people who are not happy about their lives, which are full of suppressed emotions and societal pressures, join Fight Club. Tyler also satisfies his sexual instincts with Marla whereas the narrator fails to do so. Tyler becomes a cult hero and he even manages to get paid without ever going to work because of the shadow’s charisma, self-confidence and revolutionary aspect. However, after a while we start to realize the negative effects of the shadow. The shadow, Tyler Durden, takes control completely and he gets out of balance. Fight Club becomes an anarchistic group and Tyler prepares a big plan (Project Mayhem) for destroying all the banks, financial sector buildings. Tyler is thus transformed into a public enemy who wants to destroy the capitalist system. In the movie, Tyler says, â€Å"It is only when you have lost everything, you are free to do anything†. He wants to live in a primitive society in which everyone has nothing and everyone is equal. This feeling comes to his mind because of the influence of the shadow archetype. As Jung mentioned, archetypes are characteristics that reflect our primitive nature. Tyler rants, â€Å"You are not your job, you are not your money in your bank account†. The shadow becomes very destructive, violent and dangerous as Tyler clearly becomes a monster who threatens society. Tyler sees society and the capitalist system as his enemies. Tyler shows us exactly all the aspects of Jung’s shadow concept: violence, sexuality, self-confidence, charisma, courage, madness and a lack of balance. What makes Tyler so strong is the narrator’s error in repressing his shadow for such a long time. After a period, the narrator understands that his conscious mind was taken over for a while and he begins to fight Tyler. He gets rid of Tyler in the last scene by shooting himself and thus by metaphorically reducing the influence of the shadow, Tyler in his mind. The narrator thus achieves a new psychical balance and gets rid of his shadow Tyler Durden. Jung explains, â€Å"Consequently, the murder of the hero represents the need for change, for a ‘revaluation of earlier values,’ at midlife. The shadow figures of savage and dwarf represents the murderous energy as well as the insight, the shadow wisdom, needed to kill the hero and to transcend a youthful heroic attitude toward life†.

Key Points Of Adam Smith David Ricardo Economics Essay

Key Points Of Adam Smith David Ricardo Economics Essay The classical writers of the eighteen and nineteen century when offering definitions of their science expressed themselves about the nature of the economic in two distinct ways. They could define the subject known as political economy. Or having defined the political economy as the science of wealth, they could proceed to set forth the nature of that wealth with which it was maintained that economics is concerned. (Israel M. Kirzner, The Economic Point of View, p 13). The earliest classical economist adopted the description of the economic side of affairs in terms of wealth, but developments narrowed down the concept of wealth to the idea of material wealth of mankind. The attitude toward the utility of economic inquiries in elevation of wealth became an object of scientific study. Investigations that aims finding the means of enriching people and the sovereign; discovering laws of governing and to make the nation wealthy. From the beginning alternative suggestions were made by the e conomists themselves about what should and what should not be included under the heading of wealth. Adam Smith in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, 1776, explains that the free market, while appearing chaotic and unrestrained, is actually guided to produce the right amount and variety of goods by a so-called invisible hand. He argued that self-interested competition in the free market would tend to benefit society as a whole by keeping prices low, while still building in an incentive for a wide variety of goods and services. An often-quoted passage from The Wealth of Nations is: It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages.(Adam Smith, p.  18). Smith believed that economic development was best fostered in an environment of free competition. Smith saw no role for government in economic life but believed that the government should enforce contracts and grant patents and copyrights to encourage inventions and new ideas. He also thought that the government should provide public works, such as roads and bridges that, he assumed, would not be worthwhile for individuals to provide. Interestingly, though, he wanted the users of such public works to pay in proportion to their use. Value theory was important in classical theory. Smith wrote that the real price of one thing is the labor and difficulty of acquiring it as influenced by its scarcity. Smith also believed that the main cause of prosperity was increasing division of labor. It would affect a great increase in productivity, one example he used was the making of pins. One worker could probably make only twenty pins per day. However, if ten people divided up the eighteen steps required making a pin, they could make a combined amount of 48,000 pins in one day (Adam Smith, ch. 1). Smith claimed that an individual would invest a resource-for example, land or labor-so as to earn the highest possible return on it. Consequently, all uses of the resource must yield an equal rate of return (adjusted for the relative riskiness of each enterprise), otherwise reallocation would result. Smith used this insight on equality of returns to explain why wage rates differed. Wage rates would be higher, he argued, for trades that were more difficult to learn, because people would not be willing to learn them if they were not compensated by a higher wage. Similarly, wage rates would also be higher for those who engaged in dirty or unsafe occupations, such as coal mining and butchering. In short, differences in work were compensated by differences in pay. David Ricardo another classical economist wrote his famous work Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, (1817). Ricardo continued to work on value theory (ch. 1). He explains the labor theory of value that the relative price of two goods is determined by the ratio of the quantities of labor required in their production. He demonstrates that prices do not correspond to this value; he retained the theory, however as an approximation. His labor theory of value, however, required several assumptions: 1- both sectors have the same wage rate and the same profit rate; 2- the capital employed in production is made up of wages only; 3- the period of production has the same length for both goods. Ricardo himself realized that the second and third assumptions were quite unrealistic and hence admitted two exceptions to his labor theory of value: 1- production periods may differ; 2- the two production processes may employ instruments and equipment as capital and not just wages, and in very different proportions. In his book, Ricardos concept of rent is laid out. Due to variation in scarcity of land, some land pays a higher monopoly value due to its scarcity than other land. Ricardo labels Rent as the portion of individual benefit, that accrues to scarce, resources such as land or gold or houses that is over and above any socially beneficial exchange (ch. 2). If all land were equally situated, however scarce, one could determine that all market exchange of the produce thereof was free and equal and that the exact value of the trade was conveyed simultaneously to both parties and to society. Ricardo extrapolates the problem of monopolistic rent to other situations/resources that are fundamentally scarce: land or gold. Like Adam Smith, Ricardo was also an opponent in the field of a nations trade protectionism policy. In this book Ricardo introduces the theory of comparative advantage (ch. 28). According to this theory, even if a country could produce everything more efficiently than another country, it would reap gains from specializing in what it was best at producing and trading with other nations. The benefits of comparative advantage are both distributional and related to improved real income. Ricardo believed that wages should be left to free completion. . Another idea developed by Ricardo is Ricardian EquivalenceArtComComputers2010-09-04T09:20:00 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardian_equivalence#Introduction, is an economic theory that suggests consumers internalise the governments budget constraints and thus the timing of any tax change does not affect their change in spending. Consequently, Ricardian equivalence suggests that it does not matter whether a government finances its spending with debt or a tax increase, the effect on total level of demand in an economy being the same. Ricardo believed that in the long run, prices reflect the cost of production. The price of an object is determined by the sum of the costs of the resources that went into making it, and referred to this long run price as a Natural price. The natural price of labor was the cost of its production that cost of maintaining the laborer. If wages correspond to the natural price of labor, then wages would be at subsistence level. In his Theory of Profit, Ricardo stated that as real wages  increase, real profits decrease because the revenue from the sale of manufactured goods is split between profits and wages. He assumed in his Essay on ProfitsArtComComputers2010-09-03T16:28:00 http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/ricardo/profits.txt, 1815 that profits depend on high or low wages, wages on the price of necessaries, and the price of necessaries chiefly on the price of food. We will treat the economic definitions of another classical writer John Stuart Mill in his writing Essays on Some Unsettled Questions on Political Economy, 1844 as below. -If a country produces both commodities with greater facilities or both with greater difficulty in exactly the same degree, then there will be no motive for exchange. On the other side if they have advantage in producing some commodities, then through commerce the nations can benefit both if each one will specialize in producing those commodities. So a country, by devoting all inputs in the production of goods which their advantage is greatest and give for exchange to the foreign country, would obtain a greater return from labor and capital. But in what proportion the two countries would share the advantage of trade? The problem is concerning about of proportion of goods in exchange, thus exchangeable value or price, regulated by the demand and supply to respective importing and exporting countries. The costs of carriage, tariffs, and taxes are deductive to gain advantage. So two countries would have equal shares of benefit of trade if cost of transportation and other barriers would not exist, otherwise the gross gain is divided in unequal ratio. So a country through the legislative policy can affect the benefits from foreign commerce. As conclusion we may say that a country gains most from the foreign commerce as much as are the foreign needs for its products (Essay I: On the Laws of Interchange Commercial Between Nations and Gain of Commerce Among of Commercial World). A great and rapid consumption leading to an extensive demand, fast circulation and big spending of money was conceived to be the great conditions of prosperity. But consumption is of two kinds: reproductive and unproductive and the first augments to the national wealth while the second weaken it. What is consumed for unproductive is gone for present enjoyment, but what is consumed for reproductive consumption leaves commodities of equal value, commonly with addition of a profit (Essay II: Of the Influence of Consumption on Production). -The phrases productive labor and productive consumption has been used by writers of political economy considering all the labor which serves for useful purposes and consumption which is not waste- in a limited sense productive of wealth. When it is uncertain to which of the two classes (productive and unproductive) an object belongs then should be distinguished characteristics and usage of it. All workmen that work in producing or giving value to things and functionaries positions who have invested to their skills are included in productive labor. The settled classification definitions were used for determining their consequences in economy. A country is enriched in proportion to the amount of the productive labor and consumption and impoverished in proportion of unproductive labor and capital (Essay III: On the Words Productive and Unproductive). -Profit is the surplus which remains to the capitalists after replacing his capital in a gain purpose process. The rate of profit depends on the ratio between the price and proportion of labor, materials, tools and the produce of them; upon the proportionate share of the produce of industry. David RicardoArtComComputers2010-08-11T16:32:00 On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, 1817 said that profits depend upon wages: it increases when wages fall and decreases when wages rise. When he says rise of wages it is meant an increase in the cost of production of wages or an increase in the number of hours. So as we can see it is strictly true, that the rate of profits varies inversely with the cost of wages. Rate of profit can increase if: there is an increase of population beyond the capital; improvements in labor efficiency and new entrance successive technologies. The producer, who borrows capital to employ in his business, will pay for the use of it (the interest). There are variations in the market-rate of interest from day to day establishing the actual rate from the movement of demand and supply. The rate of interest has the increase tendency if there is a big demand, low supply, low security individual loan or industry and specific situations. The difference between the profit which can be made by the u se of capital and the interest which will be paid for it is characterized as wages of superintendence (for the risk and labor for carrying business). Interest and wages of superintendence are in the same inverse relation as wages and profits are (Essay IV: On the Words Profit and Interest). -Adam SmithArtComComputers2010-08-11T17:39:00 Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. gives a definition that Political Economy is a science which teaches or gives the means and laws of making a nation rich. It has included individual decisions connected with the ideas and feelings in man- forming part of a union or aggregations. John S. MillArtComComputers2010-08-11T17:53:00 Essays on Some Unsettled questions of Political Economy. gives another more complete definition of Political Economy: -The science which treats of the production and distribution of wealth so far as they depend upon the laws of human nature, or -The science relating to the moral or psychological laws of the production and distribution of wealth. Under the influence of this desire it shows operations of: accumulating wealth, employing that wealth, producing other wealth under the influence of competition, governed by laws, sanctioning by mutual agreements, establishing laws etc. The science proceeds to investigate the laws which govern several operations on acquisition of wealth (Essay V: On the Definition of the Political Economy and on the Method of Investigation Proper to it).

Rhetorical Analysis Of Native American Poverty Politics Essay

Rhetorical Analysis Of Native American Poverty Politics Essay Despite the alarming data used to convince the reader that the plight of the Native Americans in poverty is due to government neglect, inattention and lack of aid, Tom Rodgers fails to succeed in his argument for more support. This rhetorical analysis, using a number of sources will counter Rodgers arguments that the government has failed to support and protect the Native Indian and provide more than adequate aid for the success and betterment of this group of indigenous peoples. Introduction Driving through virtually any Native American reserve, one can see the poverty that this group faces. Despite the beauty of this culture and the sense of community, it is not an easy existence. Nowhere has the distance between the haves and have-nots been more evident than on the native reserves of North America. Native Americans are suffering from a dearth of jobs, high poverty rates, and little education. The poverty rate among Native Americans is 28.4%. For the nation as a whole, the corresponding rate was 15.3 percent (United States Census Bureau, 2011). With this poverty have come the inherent poor housing, inferior education, lack of jobs, poor health conditions, and host of other problems typically seen in struggling communities. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was established to promote agricultural and economic development, provide health programs, social services and Native American schools. However, in recent years Native Americans have begun actively protesting their dissatisfaction with the bureau and have accused the government of mismanaging the monies to be given to the tribes and directly contributing to the dire poverty on the reservations. In Tom Rodgers piece, he declares that Poverty is both the cause and consequence of all the ills visited upon Native Americans. Failure to address poverty causes deprivation and hardship in these communities today, and robs the next generation of any opportunity to succeed and thrive tomorrow (Rodgers, 2008). Rodgers, a Native American and member of the Blackfeet tribe, is an advocate who works on the behalf of tribal governments, and a previous congressional staffer to a senator. Rodgers has declared that Native Americans are living in untenable situations and that it is time for the US government to make good on its promises of support. His piece goes on to say that although we have moved beyond wanton neglect and violence, our national response to the problem of poverty in Native American communities remains woefully inadequate (Rodgers, 2008). Rodgers tells us that Native Americans are some of the poorest in the entire nation and feels that support is needed for basic services an d that the United States, although one of the wealthiest nations of the world, has not adopted the United Nations proposal for adoption of the Declaration on the Right of the Indigenous Peoples (Rodgers, 2008). Rodgers deems that there is a need to expand formal rights and a better federal performance. Essentially Rodgers decries the level of awareness and recognition of Americans and the need for more aid. While one would never suggest that historically the Native Americans did not lose much when they were stripped of their lands, one could submit that ongoing government subsidies have perpetuated the cycle of poverty seen today on native reserves. In this piece, Rodgers neglects to show that funds given to tribes have been woefully mismanaged, fraudulently spent by the native councils, and have directly contributed to a general decline. Government officials designed many programs to alleviate conditions of desperation and poverty among Americas indigenous populations (Thompson, 2005). The result of Rodgers ignoring the fact that Native Americans have historically been one of the most funded groups in North America undermines his suggestion that more aid is the answer. Rodgers taps into our moral outrage and tries to evoke our sympathy using pathos by citing an example from 1862. In a time of starvation in a Dakota Sioux tribe, members were told, when the U.S. government failed provide the money owed to them by an Indian Agent, If they are hungry, let them eat grass or their own dung (Rodgers, 2008). While anyone would agree that this is a most heinous statement in response to rampant starvation, it is taken from a statement made 152 years ago! This is in no way a current sentiment, and just manages to underline Rodgers use of past transgressions to absolve natives from responsibility for the situation they are in today. This non sequitur, while shocking, does nothing to explain the situation as it exists today and leaves the reader wondering if this substantiates or gives credence to any argument that natives are not well funded and thereby neglected by The US government. In fact, in a piece written by John Stossel, he maintains that Yes, the gove rnment signed treaties with the tribes that make Indians special. But that specialness has brought the Indian socialism. Its what keeps them dependent and poor (Stossel, 2011). Rodgers argues that it is the due to Native Americans for more aid. He reasons that ethically and historically it is their appointed right. Yet, it is interesting to note that Africa, a nation amongst the poorest in the world, has adopted a new tradition of trade not aid. On the Good African website it states, We passionately believe that Trade is the only viable strategy for Africas economic and social development. Africa has received over US$ 500 billion in Aid over the last 50 years and yet despite these huge inflows, the continent remains mired in poverty, disease, and systemic corruption. There are many problems in using Aid as a vehicle for development. This is because handouts have never been an effective way to achieve economic transformation (Good African, n.d.). The website explains that aid undermines independence, erodes accountability and leads to dependency on donors. Whoever can say they have pride in something they did not earn? Rodgers does not take the time in his article to examine the generations who have received aid, and why despite the monies received, this society has been seemingly irrevocably broken down. By only stating that more aid is needed, it does not address the reasons why, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦when tribes as virtual wards of the state, and who have a government that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ manages their land, provides their healthcare, and pays for housing and child care, still manages to have the highest poverty rate, nearly 25 percent, and the lowest life expectancy of any group in America (Stossel, 2011). His part for the whole argument cannot stand when we see that while Africas solution of no longer relying on aid seems counterintuitive, its working, while the standard of giving aid to the natives in North America is not. Socialism will destroy America the same way it has destroyed the American Indian. If we are going to learn anything from the tribes and nations, it should be that the experiment h as failed (American Indian Tea Party Nation, 2010). Rodgers rally cry in his missive is his statement that The invisibility, silence, and neglect must end (Rodgers, 2008). His belief that Native Americans have no recognition of their plight bears no witness. The article further expresses his wish that as Barack Obama ascends to the White House, now is the significant moment to address the many problems Native Americans endure, including systematic poverty (Rodgers, 2008). This provokes the reader to believe that there is simply no recognition of the problem at hand, however, if one reads John Stossels depiction of the treatment of North American Natives; he debunks Rodgers statement with, The US government has helped no group more than it has helped the North American Indians. It stuns me when President [Barack] Obama appears before Indian groups and says things like, Few have been ignored by Washington for as long as Native Americans (Stossel, 2011). Clearly, the Native American issue has not only been recognized, it has been acknowl edged by government as high as the President of the United States. To state that there is no awareness or recognition as Rodgers has done is a fallacy and one that falls flat as the reader realizes that Rodgers has not succeeded in his argument and in fact only magnifies the embarrassment of riches that the Native American has received by comparison of any other group of people in the United States. Tom Rodgers does manage to evoke thought and compassion in the Natives plight. It awakens the reader to become more informed in regards to the extreme poverty issues surrounding this group of peoples. Where he fails to convince the reader that society is basically ignorant to the issues, and would have us believe no aid is forthcoming, he would have bettered his argument by relying on facts rather than playing on our sympathies. No one would deny the problem, but perhaps this piece would have been better received if solutions were put forth, rather than blame. There is and has always been aid provided, the tribes have been recognized, and every level of government has conceded that there are problems which continue to perplex. Rather than divisive argument to what devolves into finger pointing, it would behoove us to be creative in our solutions and continue to work together despite Rodgers conviction of our current inaction.

Nasa Mars Missions Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"The United States is justified in spending billions of dollars on NASA space missions to Mars.† Throughout the course of history, man has dreamed of stepping foot on another planet. The advances in technology in the 20th century have allowed man to do what at one time was considered unthinkable for millenniums before. With the advent of the modern space program in the early 1950’s, NASA has performed many inconceivable feats. They have sent and returned men to space. They’ve set up space stations orbiting the earth. They have allowed men to land on the moon, collect samples, and then return to the earth. They have sent spacecraft to explore comets and other planets. They have even sent space probes outside the known walls of this solar system. Recently, NASA has been spending billions of dollars in researching our second nearest planet, Mars. In understanding the scientific importance that such research can mean, the United States is justified in spending this money on NASA space missions to Mars. President John F. Kennedy said in 1961 that he believed that the United States could put a man on the moon before the end of the decade. Unfortunately, he never lived to see this prophetic feat performed. But in July of 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon before live audiences around the world. As he stepped out on this extraterrestrial surface, he stated the now famous words, â€Å"That was one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.† But why was Kennedy so adamant about sending men to the moon? What significance could such a feat serve in our lives? Of course, we lived in a different time then. Many believed our effort to send a man to the moon was just an attempt to display the philosophical superiority of capitalism over communism during the height of the Cold War. If America could send a man to the moon before the Soviets, then perhaps, it was thought, that the world would come to understand that our capitalistic form of government allows scientific advancement much faster and better than a communist or socialist form of government. No doubt, the United States was involved with a â€Å"space-race† that was much more political in nature than technological. But perhaps President Kennedy saw something else. Perhaps he saw the benefits of such a feat in realms other than just political or philosophical. While signing the authorization bill of the N... ...worlds. Mars is just the second â€Å"giant leap† in our knowledge of the universe. Who knows what discoveries will be found on our research of other planets? To give up on space exploration due to financial restraints is like giving up on science in general. Just like the world is much bigger than our neighborhood, city, state and even country, so is science bigger than our planet. We must continue to reach out to other planets to find knowledge that may make our life on this planet more meaningful and better. The science fiction of yesterday always seems to become the science of today. Television shows like Star Trek and Star Wars have elements that are just now being developed within our lifetime. Technology begins with a dream – a concept – that is realized with greater technological advances. And these advances are developed through steps. It is impertinent that the United States continues to fund the exploration of Mars. We must not fall behind or lose this opportunity that we have to discover great new truths for the sake of economic or political reasoning. When all rationale are considered, it makes social, technological, and ecological sense to continue these great missions.

Thomas Becket vs Henry II :: European Europe History

Thomas Becket vs Henry II The High Middle Ages was a time of power struggles between the Church and the State. Increases in royal power and expeditions like the Crusades symbolized the teeter-totter of the balance of power between the two foundations, and a prime example of the fight for power is the conflict of Henry II, King of England, and Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry II gained his throne thanks to the efforts of his mother, who fought to maintain her family's stature in the royal family tree. Thomas Becket was the son of a wealthy London merchant, and lived a life of no worries. Theobald, the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, recognized Becket's intelligence, and he was put under Theobald's church tree. There, Becket gained experience and serious attention from his great successes as the Archbishop's trusty servant, and King Henry II laid an eye on him also. Seeing Becket's potential intelligence, Henry II appointed Becket to the position of Chancellor of England. In England, the Chancellor was second-in-command only to the King. Any man of this stature was given great power, and any man placed in this position must be able to match his expectations. Henry's instincts were accurate, and Becket performed amazingly at his new position. He revolutionized how England's government was run, and turned the quiet castle into a busy place of work. Becket's fame rose instantly, gaining attention from all over England, and quickly gained the reputation of being Henry's greatest loyal worker. Becket, aside from being Henry's most trustworthy servant, also became Henry's greatest friend. Henry frequently visited Becket for dinner, and the two would discuss issues and exchange ideas almost every night. Henry was able to derive one conclusion from their dinner sessions à  Thomas Becket was the most intelligent man in all of England. At this point in time, the Church and State of England fought mainly for power over the judicial system of England. Henry II wanted to enforce common law in his country, a system of justice with a jury that accuses suspects and royal judges that determine the sentence on the criminals. The Church, headed by the archbishop of Canterbury, wanted to keep their traditional system of canon law. The huge flaw in canon law was apparent to all of England, but the church was not willing to back down to the State. In the church's court system, the two greatest concerns were the immunity granted to church officials and the immunity granted to those who sought sanctuary.

Founding Brothers Essay

The book, Founding Brothers, tells about the struggles of the American leaders after the revolution to establish a new government and the events that occurred during this time. Famous Americans such as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams along with their opposite points of view about the Constitution are given equal focus. The author brings to light the amazing ability of the colonies to come together, bring about change and break away from England to establish a nation built on democracy. This story is one that every American will have a stake in, as it forms the backbone of our national history. The author of Founding Brothers is Joseph Ellis, who has degrees from Yale and the College of William and Mary. His writing centers on American history, and he won the National Book Award in 1997 for his work American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson. One of his other works is titled Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams (Ellis, 2000, title page). Ellis goes right into the details of the debate that was fueling between the two sides in reference to the new American Constitution. He talks about James Madison who, with Alexander Hamilton, wrote the Federalist Papers. Madison was pushing for compromise on the Constitutional question and was doing his best to create a middle ground (2000, p. 52-53). Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and many of the others were already seeing a small example of the legacy they were creating, but didn’t fully understand it yet. The author points this out by saying: Men make history, and the leading members of the revolutionary generation realized they were doing so, but they can never know the history they are making (2000, p. 4). Ellis also points out how important that the decade in which the Constitution was written was to American history. According to him, these ten years of dealing with many of the issues that face the nation set the stage for future events to come, such as the Civil War (200, p. 9-10). During the debate of the Constitutional convention, slavery was a major obstacle and one that would not be settled completely here. The debate that took place in 1790 between those for and against slavery shows not only the struggle to create a new nation but also the fact that these leaders were considering what would happen as the nation grew and changed (200, p. 88). Another major aspect of this time period that the author addresses is the presidency of George Washington and the political divide that began to form among the nation’s leaders. Throughout his role as the first president, Washington was seen as an immortal figure that was beloved and respected. When he decided to retire as president in 1796, he left a strict warning for those he was leaving in charge: to avoid breaking apart and political parties in taking sides against each other. He wanted the nation to be united as one, and also to have its leaders be united as well (Ellis, 2000, p. 128-129). The author gives the reader an interesting view of these major characters by providing behind the scenes details that is often opposite to the stereotypes they are seen as now. For instance, Ellis goes into detail about George Washington’s character during his time as president. For instance, the author says: First, it is crucial to recognize that Washington’s extraordinary reputation rested less on his prudent exercise of power than on his dramatic flair and surrendering it. He was, in fact, a veritable virtuoso of exits (2000, p. 129-130). Along with relevant details about Washington’s health and personality, the reader sees a different side of this famous individual. Throughout the entire novel, Ellis organizes the book in a way that makes it easy to follow the events that occurred right after the revolution up to the time when the Constitution was being written. He provides personal quotations and references from those involved that gives the reader a deeper understanding of how they felt and what they were thinking when living through this time. He also provides the reader with enough information on the historical events that were going on in the country that helped to frame the interactions of the founding fathers. Founding Brothers adds to other his storable writing of this time by giving an inside view of not only the events but also the people who helped to create America during the revolutionary period. He makes it clear how certain obstacles, such as slavery, were not completely agreed upon or settled and how this affected the nation later on in its history. Ellis is able to explain both the short-term view of the founding fathers and the long-term view of the Constitution that they were trying to take. The debates and compromises that made up the writing of the Constitution and the establishment of a new government are laid out to support these points. As a history book, this novel will give the reader a good understanding of what was going on behind the scenes as the nation was born. Its clear explanations and interesting takes on the first leaders will hold the reader’s attention throughout the book. It is a valuable addition to the many writings that have been done on the revolutionary war and the writing of the Constitution. References Ellis, Joseph. (2000). Founding Brothers. New York: Vintage Books.

Aboriginal Health in Canada: Historical, Cultural, and Epidemiological Perspectives Essay

The Canadian native aboriginals are the original indigenous settlers of North Canada in Canada. They are made up of the Inuit, Metis and the First nation. Through archeological evidence old crow flats seem to the earliest known settlement sites for the aboriginals. Other archeological evidence reveals the following characteristics of the Aboriginal culture: ceremonial architecture, permanent settlement, agriculture and complex social hierarchy. A number of treaties and laws have been enacted amongst the First nation and European immigrants throughout Canada. For instance the Aboriginal self-government right was a step to assimilate them in Canadian society. This allows for a chance to manage cultural, historical, economic, political and healthcare of the indigenous people communitiesCITATION Asc11 p 21 l 1033 ( Asch 21). The aboriginal people of Canada make up 4.3 percent of the total country population. This population is evenly spread amongst recognized 700 first nation bands that have divergent language and culture. The aboriginal population plays a great role in upholding Canada’s cultural heritage. History of Assimilation The history of assimilation of the Canadian Aboriginals trace back to the 18th century when Canada was still under the French rule. The call then was the urge to the Aboriginals to get assimilated into the Canadian culture. The attempts for assimilation climaxed in the early 20th Century that led to the eventual integration of the Aboriginals into the Canadian culture. It is believed that Canada was in violation of the human rights when they forced the aboriginals to get assimilated into a Eurocentric society. â€Å"There were instances of children being forced from homes into Christian schools. CITATION Asc11 p 22 l 1033 ( Asch 22)† This was violation of human rights. Different laws like the Indian Act and other treaties played an outstanding role in shaping Aboriginal relationship in Canada. The Indian Act led to a huge conflict of interest following its effect on the Indians living in Canada during its implementation. The Indian Act was a mechanism that strengthened the eviction of Indians ad also a means of displacing Indians from their tribal lands. On the onset of the 19th Century, land hungry Canadian settlers clustered in the coastal south of Canada and slowly moved into the neighboring statesCITATION Ngu11 p 238 l 1033 (Nguyen 238). Since most of the tribes occupying that area were the Indians, the Canadian settlers petitioned the Canadian government to remove them as they perceived them as an obstacle to expansion towards the west. The rationale for the Indian Act was that the southeast Indian tribes had no attachment to any particular land. However, this rationale ignored the fact the Indian tribes had vast crops of corn and lived in set tlements. Those who benefited from the Indian Act are the Canadian settlers who had immense hunger for Indian land. The Canadian Settler lured the Indian tribes into signing the treaty by guaranteeing them peace and integrity within the Indian territories. They primarily assured them that their lucrative fur trade would continue without any interruption. This in return improved Canada economy as it gave Canadian settlers access to southern lams that were rich in cotton. In addition, it also boosted Canada and global economy as it accelerated the industrial revolution. Canada was able to pay back its debts to its global partners through the improved efficiencies in cotton production and transportation for the large country. In general, Canadian citizens gained through improved living conditionsCITATION Not94 p 78 l 1033 (Notzke 78). There were many problems with the Indian Act. The treaty had many flaws and was based on indigenous foundations. Consequently, as the aboriginals lost their land, so did Canada lose its native culture? There was a substantial increase in slavery due to increased crop production and introduction of slave states occupied by aboriginals. The Act allowed the government to control most aspects of Native American life: resources, land, band administration and education. This treaty was based on the argument that Indians were stereotypes, barbaric, hostile and wandering people. The Act was a tragedy that caused thousands of aboriginals to leave behind their homes, crops and livestock and homes that had spiritual significance to them. This act spelt the end of aboriginal rights to live in Canada under their own traditional laws. The aboriginals were forced to concede and assimilate the law of Canada or leave their native lands. Forced to move out of their homelands, the aboriginals ended up in Oklahoma. Any attempts by the Indians to file for petitions turned futile as none of the courts ruled in their favor. The Government sent troops to force them out without giving them a chance to gather their belongings. The Canadian settlers tricked the Native Americans out of their land with false promises that they would live on their land in exchange for protected ownership of the remaining landCITATION Asc11 p 43 l 1033 ( Asch 43). Aboriginal Issues The forcefully introduction of the Western culture to the aboriginal people led to a cycle of physical, social and economic destruction of these people. Some of these issues include poverty and spiritual destruction as seen in modern day. The root cause of poverty amongst the Aboriginals started in as soon as they were relocated from their native land. The distribution of wealth among individuals in the world clearly shows the looming inequality with some people at the top of the income economy structure while some at the bottom. This translates into poor health, poverty, low levels of education, starvation and reduced levels of life expectancies. As soon as they left the reserves for the urban centers the aboriginal people were met with a new type of discrimination of racism that alienated them further hence condemning them to poverty levelsCITATION Fri02 p 29 l 1033 (Friesen and Friesen 29). â€Å"Statistical evidence show that half of the Aboriginal populis in Canada live below p overty†CITATION You06 p 83 l 1033 ( Young, Herring and Waldram 83). However there have been tremendous efforts by the Canadian public who have offered help to the growing Aboriginal people through initiatives that are meant to remove them from poverty Healthcare The arrival of the European settlers into Canada brought several foreign diseases that had a devastating effect on the Aboriginal people. Due the traditional society setting of the Aboriginal people healthcare was left for those who were felt to be deserving the chance the White settlers. The aboriginal medicine was way inferior to the newly developed medicine. With the growing racism in Canada the aboriginals lacked access to the requisite health that they needed. Federal and jurisdictional disputes have denied the Aboriginal people the necessary access to health care. There have been several reported incidences of infectious diseases that spread fast amongst the Aboriginal people. Employment The white settlement into the native’s lands resulted in the Aboriginals having a feeling of distrust and hate towards the white settlers. The white settlers on the other hand treated the Aboriginals with some kind of distrust and loathe and hence could not trust them with job opportunities. This resulted in an increased rate of unemployment amongst the Aboriginals. The increasing case of poor health was also contributory to the unemployment levels of Aboriginals. â€Å"From a 2001 Canadian statistic record, it revealed that the chances of Aboriginal youth getting employment opportunities was twice low in comparison to other Canadian youths†CITATION You06 p 173 l 1033 ( Young, Herring and Waldram 173). This highlights the plight of the aboriginal youths as regards to availability of employment opportunities for them. Community Problems Lack of Awareness on the disease and its effects on the lives of Aboriginals are the leading causes of the high rate of disease amongst Aboriginals. As a result of this, there have been numerous large scale campaigns raising awareness on this. The Canadian government’s vision is to discuss healthcare countrywide through the media. The lack of trust of the system and how it works is also contributory to woes the aboriginal people face. They do not trust the judicial system and the employment sector this leads to them falling as victims of the system. The distribution of wealth among individuals in the world clearly shows the looming inequality with some people at the top of the income economy structure while some at the bottomCITATION Ngu11 p 230 l 1033 (Nguyen 230). This translates into poor health, poverty, low levels of education, starvation and reduced levels of life expectancies. As soon as they left the reserves for the urban centers the aboriginal people were met with a new type of discrimination of racism that alienated them further hence condemning them to poverty levels. Conclusion It is critical for the Canadian government to step up its efforts in an endeavor of saving the aboriginal communities from extinction. Given their rich cultural background they could contribute positively to the economy in form of tourism. References Asch, Michael. Aboriginal and Treaty Rights in Canada. UBC Press, 2011. Young, T Kue, Ann Herring and James Burgess Waldram. Aboriginal Health in Canada: Historical, Cultural, and Epidemiological Perspectives. University of Toronto Press, 2006 . Cook, Eung-Do and Darin Flynn. â€Å"Aboriginal Languages in Canada.† Contemporary Linguistic Analysis (2008): 318-333. Friesen, Virginia and John W Friesen. Aboriginal Education in Canada: A Plea for Integration. Brush Education, 2002. Nguyen , Mai. â€Å"Closing the Education Gap: A Case for Aboriginal Early Childhood Education in Canada, A Look at the Aboriginal Headstart Program.† CANADIAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION (2011): 229-248. Notzke, Claudia. Aboriginal Peoples and Natural Resources in Canada. Captus Press, 1994. Source document

College Gap Year Essay

Graduation is the time when young students become liberated from the daily grind and gain freedom to choose whatever they want to do with their lives. Some students decide to go directly to college, while some prefer to go to the workforce. A gap year, or a year off of school between high school and college, is another option for graduated students. In 2009, The Chicago Tribune published an article titled †Should Teens Take a Gap Year or go Straight to College?† by Cory Marchi claiming that a gap year is used to postpone a student’s future because they want to sightsee. He thinks that students won’t benefit from a year off of schooling, and doesn’t acknowledge the real world experience that can be gained from working or learning valuable life lessons during that time. A gap year after high school can help students determine what they want to pursue as their major, and what they desire out of their career. Marchi believes that because tuition is very expensive, increasing an average of eight percent or more annually, students should directly go to college in order to keep tuition costs down. However, if students aren’t sure what direction they want to take in life, they might benefit from year out of school to carefully consider their options. If they proceed with college before they know what they want, they may make a choice of major that they will regret later on, and they will then have to change their major, which could add another year’s tuition, exhausting limited college funds. During a gap year, students can take time to â€Å"soul search† and find what they really want out of their life. If the young graduates need another year to determine what career will make them the happiest in years to come, it is worth an eight percent penalty. During a gap year, students can find employment while determining their major and career. College is very expensive, and some students need an extra year of savings to put toward the cost of their education in order to keep their debt manageable. Although students may lose roughly eight percent in tuition from one year to the next, they would be able to save money to pay for that eight percent and the extra could be applied toward the rest of their tuition. Responsible students wouldn’t use a gap year as â€Å"a year of sightseeing,† like Marchi suggests, but instead would use it to help pay for their higher education. Marchi feels that students may not be motivated enough to continue with college after a gap year, but students who choose to take a gap year have the relaxation of a full year before they have to continue their education in college, and can recharge their batteries after twelve straight years of schooling. Students who are forced to attend college will get less out of their college education than those who work hard during their gap year. If a young adult doesn’t want to put in the effort toward their education, then they won’t be able to reap the rewards. If any student wants to attend college and is willing to put forth the effort, it will not make a difference if they take a gap year or if they don’t. Marchi also states that â€Å"delaying college can also delay the start of a career,† which may be true. However, a single year won’t be a handicap that can’t be overcome after graduation. The average job search lasts for about six months, and can take much longer. If students start their job search right after their graduation from college, they might have to wait until the next year to find a job. If gap year students start their search in the beginning of their senior year, and have a job lined up for after graduation, they could be only months behind the class they graduated high school with. They would also have a year of real-life experience in the work force to add to their resume that the non-gap year students wouldn’t have. Students can do whatever they want during their year off of school, but many get jobs and learn valuable life lessons that look good on a resume, helping them stand out in the crowd of applicants. A break from the daily grind of school can help students determine what career they want to pursue for four or more years of college. Cory Marchi believes that gap years do nothing for students other than hold them back, but gap years can help students find their ambitions, save money for tuition, and use their college years more effectively.

Geography Was the Primary Factor in Shaping the Development of the British Colonies in North America

Throughout the course of human history, geography has always played an essential role in the migration and development of various civilizations. It influenced the way people lived, the food they ate, and their entire life. For some colonies, the geography was perfect to live in, while others had to endure harsh conditions. When the Quakers first arrived to Pennsylvania, they were able to establish a successful colony through hard work, but their geography was what determined the success. The warm climate and fertile soil made it an excellent place to grow wheat, bread, and other profitable crops to supply more than enough for everyone. The Middle Colonies (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware) did not only have fertile land, but they also had rivers and the sea for hunting fish and establishing ports. The ports made it accessible for the Middle Colonies to easily trade goods with Great Britain and other colonies, enticing foreigners such as the Germans and Scots Irish to settle down. On the other hand, the New England Colonies did not fare off as well as the Middle Colonies did, since the land wasn’t as fertile and the colonies was located on a rocky region, making it hard for plants to grow. When Jamestown was first established, the colonists faced a very difficult time because they were unprepared for the cold weather and lacked food to survive through the harsh climates. However, they were able to prevail and utilized the sea and abundance of trees, and eventually grew tobacco to become rich and successful. While geography played a significant factor in the development of colonies, one should also consider the influence of religion. People that wanted to escape religious persecution from the Anglican Church established colonies and soon, people flooded into the Americas. However, within these religious communities were those that had their own beliefs, and these people created their own colonies. For example, Roger Williams and Thomas Hooker had differentiating views of how the community should be run, and they were banished. Despite this banishment, Roger Williams eventually established Rhode Island, where he allowed complete religious tolerance and Thomas Hooker created Connecticut for much more lenient voting right requirements. Geography surely was a primary factor in the development of British colonies in North America as it determined the success or failure of the colonies, but religion also greatly influenced the development of the British colonies.

Semantics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Semantics - Essay Example According to Juniper (2013), he suggests that arguing that nature does not contain intrinsic value is like supporting the idea that without nature life will still remain the same (pg. 2). It is therefore a vital and unconfirmed reasoning at its worst. Mill describes nature as everything in the universe, he goes ahead and cautions us not to take nature as a guide in our daily life. Edwin Pister proved the existence of intrinsic value in nature by asking ‘what good are you?’ he compares the importance of human and that of the pupfish. The ‘what good are you?’ question seeks to bring forth the human being intrinsic value into consideration. Pister dubbed the evidence as The Phenomenological Proof. In addition, The Teleological Proof presented by Val Routley and Richard stated that everything has its sole purpose. They attest to these proofs by giving the importance of wrench, wheelbarrow, spade and many others to having great importance to human (Vilkka, 1997, pg.21). In conclusion, complete reliance to science for our understanding of nature makes us empty, and the value of nature should be highly appreciated. Nature is indeed value in itself, hence it is not detachable to the existence of

ACCOUNTING CASE STUDY- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ACCOUNTING - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Case Study Example Since CCL is an existing client for GE Capital, it should approve the loan at a lower interest rate of 4% and, on the other hand, extend the loan payment period to ten years. By doing this, it will achieve their strategy of keeping existing customers. The CCL financial statements indicate that it generates sufficient cash flow of a net earnings of $97.120 that is able to finance the interest payment of the new loan on a monthly basis. On the other hand, the CCL debt to equity ratio will not exceed 4: 1 when the new loan is included as required by CEF (Dirubbo). Loan disapproval to CCL: Disapproving loan to CCL will not favor the company’s strategy of keeping existing customers. In case the company loses CCL, It will have to find a new client to replace, and this requires the company to incur some costs hence not economical in the end. Hence, the cost of replacing existing clients could enable the company to find and win new businesses. The cost of losing existing clients as compared to finding new ones outweighs in the end. Therefore, to minimize the impact of losing CCL as well as the extra costs of finding new businesses, the company should approve the loan (Plumlee et al.). Short-term plan: The loan approval for $ 306, 000 to CCL to finance the trucking contract between Ford and the supplier is recommendable. The company should reduce the rate of interest from five percent to four percent and extend the period of payment to ten years. This will reduce the monthly payments facilitating provision of monthly reports of financial activities of CCL for the first year of loan repayments. The implementation of the loan approval on an immediate time is required since CCL meets the company’s requirements. This will motivate CCL to continue being clients and even attracting new businesses as well. Medium Term Plan: After the first year, the payments are separated to quarterly submission until the first loan of $ 36,000 is financed within the period of 8 years

DB Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DB Assignment - Essay Example The medical staff must be vigilant in providing both medical and nursing services being careful not compromising the patients dignity through deliberately ignoring the patients information and by extension causing harm to the patient Medical malpractice entails failure to provide care as stipulated by the codes of professional ethics in both nursing and medicine. For example, Rob Burton who was a basketball coach developed severe abdominal pain after his training session. He sought medical care at Norton Brownsboro Hospital; a nurse who did not carefully to obtain relevant subjective information regarding his pain attended to him. She did not get detailed information on the nature of illness leading to a misdiagnosis. Evoking a complete patient history through questioning and active listening in most cases saves time alongside offering critical clues to the diagnosis. Rob was given some oral antibiotics as treatment to his pain that proved ineffective; he was later admitted in the same hospital with acute diverticulitis that was approaching its fatal stage. He underwent an emergency surgery to prevent further complications of the condition. He was found with a perforated bowel and it was compulsory that a colost omy bag was to be fixed to aid egestion. Rob took this act of misdiagnosis as a form of negligence and sued the hospital for not according him the required care. It was considered a case of medical malpractice since the nurse did not take his case seriously and she did communicate as a team. Burton believes had his complain of abdominal pain been treated with seriousness he would not have undergone the surgery that left him uncomfortable with the colostomy bag. The fault lies with the nurse not communicating the patients complain as well as not considering patients complain as crucial in providing care. In treating dizzy patients, 90% of the cases are treated

Business to Businesss Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Business to Businesss Marketing - Essay Example The aim of the report is to provide an analysis of the potential market segment and also evaluates the business potential of the particular target market and the segment in which the firm plans to enter. The report also highlights the marketing strategy which the company performs in order to understand the target market and formulate strategy accordingly to suit the business perspective of the country and the company together. Selection and evaluation of Target Market Business to business marketing differs from that of consumer marketing. In B2B marketing, the volume of purchase are much higher than consumer marketing and as a result the target market must be selected based on the economic growth rate and the number of industries in that particular region. The organizations are of prime concern in case of B2B marketing and not the customers and thus the market selected is UK. UK chemical industries are among those industries which generate profit and are able to increase the economic growth rate of the country. ... The European chemical market involves chemicals such as inorganic, petrochemicals, fertilizers and industrial gases along with fine and specialty chemicals. The market size of Europe alone was estimated to be about USD495billion in the year 2003. Major chemical market includes France, Italy and Germany. If we look at the whole of UK market which covers the base chemicals segment including both organic and in organic chemicals along with specialty and consumer chemicals. UK manufactures a wide range of products and forms one of the largest manufacturing industries and ranks 7th globally in terms of consumption. In the same year 2003, the UK chemicals market was estimated to be USD 40.9billion and was expected to grow even more in the future (ReportSure, 2012). In UK the chemical industries is run and managed by the Chemical Industries Association (CIA) which is regarded as the largest organization which aims to represent pharmaceuticals and chemicals business in UK and across UK (CIA, 2012). LumiCore intent to deal in specialty chemicals such as paints, coating and pigments and according to reports specialty chemicals in the UK covers a market that generates revenue from sales of value added chemicals. Thus the UK specialty chemicals market constitutes of total revenue of $19.3billion in the year 2011 and represented a â€Å"compound annual growth rate† of about 3.2% in between 2007 and also 2011. The performance of the chemical industry in UK is forecasted to accelerate CAGR of about 4.9% for the next five year financial period from 2011 to 2016 which in return are expected to drive in value of the particular market of $24.6billion by 2016 (Business Wire, 2012). The specialty

AALC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

AALC - Essay Example This has resulted to mistrust among the people in the country and community at large (Robert, 09) the vice has been rocking the community at an alarming rate. Many people are losing their lives, and critical injuries are being encountered since the inception of this dreadful act. To curb this menace, proper mitigation has to put in place. By providing viable information in agency board or committee, can lead to the arrest of these terrorists. Through well establish networking within the committees in the community, monitoring all suspicious movements within the community can be must easier. Through participation in community organization and agencies, gathering intelligence information and alerts for the police can aide to curb the problem. Voguish all terrorist occurrences the police are more concerned with the Big Fish. It is obligatory to come down hard on the supporters of the assassins. These personalities must be punished quickly and made to pay the price. The rationale behind this logic is to bring to a halt the terrorists from their followers owing to fear of retribution by the state this can only be done efficiently through community

Corporate finance 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Corporate finance 2 - Essay Example Last but not the least the third group lauds large dividends as positive signal to shareholders that all is well. So where does the modern shareholder satisfaction stand in relation to dividend policies? Another query which relates to this discussion is how signaling models attempt to explain the proportion of equity retained by an entrepreneur, the type of financing used for an investment and the amount of equity issued or repurchased. The issue then pertains to information asymmetry (availability of information).Firstly if we look at Dividend policy it was well put by Black 1976 (cited by Frankfurter 2002), â€Å"That the nearly universal policy of paying substantial dividends is the primary puzzle in the economics of corporate finance.† Thus the proposition leads us to the query whether shareholders should be paid sufficient dividends whether or not they are making sizeable profits on the stock market. Over the last half century academics have spoken in great depth over this issue and suggested conflicting theoretical frameworks to explain their point of view.(Frankfurter 2002).The problem is that these assertions often lack empirical depth to the criticism and stumble upon self contradictions in an attempt to explain corporate dividend behaviour.(Frankfurter 2002).Today academic opinion is divided as to whether dividends are attractive to shareholders and will have a positive impact in stock prices.(Fran kfurter 2002 )Another school of thought contends that prices are negatively correlated with dividend payout levels.(Frankfurter 2002).The third view is that firm dividend policy is irrelevant in stock price valuation. (Frankfurter 2002).My paper will discuss and try to reconcile all these views towards a better theory and understanding of this issue.These views are best summed up as being based upon,the tax effect ( Litzenberger and Ramaswamy

Universalist and impartialist about Utilitarianism Essay

Universalist and impartialist about Utilitarianism - Essay Example The scholarly consensus as of date is that Utilitarianism is a partial system of morality and is somewhat inadequate on account of its authors’ reluctance to front up to complexities of ethics. Utilitarianism asserts that 'It is morally good to act for the general happiness.' As this assessment is taken at face value by most, the salient critical question is ‘What is it that is morally not good,   which stands in opposition to this?’ In answering this question proponents say, ‘acting for unhappiness’. (Grote 123) Utilitarian moral philosophy thus has for its subject the ascertaining of what happiness is, which is placed in polar opposition to unhappiness. Having found what constitutes happiness, the philosophy strives to device methods to achieve that end. But real life experiences and events are not strictly broken into these clear-cut dichotomies and therein lie the major objection to Utilitarianism’s veracity as a ethical theory. The follo wing passages will explain the two central concepts of ‘impartiality’ and ‘universality’ and identify their shortcomings for application in practical ethics. The founding texts of Utilitarianism think of it as inherently ethical. For example, deriving from post-revolutionary French thought, especially that of Helvetius, Godwin asserted that â€Å"Morality is that system of conduct which is determined by a consideration of the greatest general good.† (Godwin, as quoted in Scarre 67) The founding doctrine also makes it clear that the two pillars of ‘impartiality’ and ‘universality’ especially add to its ethical soundness. Utilitarianism espouses the principle of impartiality, to the extent that it places the happiness of all individuals in the community on par with each other. Moreover, it encourages constituent individuals in a group to see the virtue of valuing the happiness of others as much as theirs own. In other words, t he expectation is to rise above the consideration of one’s own individual interests. Put as such, this principle sounds laudable. But as critics point out, there is plenty of scope for incorrect application of this principle, which could lead to adverse outcomes. For example, â€Å"In an action then which, in the truest and widest sense, we should call right or good, there is more than one sort of goodness. And unless we treat rightly this variety of rightness or goodness, our moral philosophy, whatever side we take, must be partial: and we shall not be able to argue against opponents of it without being in danger of arguing against something which, it is probable, an impartial and practical reader will consider morally proper.† (Grote 124) Even actions by individuals are mediated by this consideration for the greatest common good. The agent’s actions are never to enhance his/her own happiness, but that of all concerned. As John Stuart Mill himself clarifies in his treaties, â€Å"As between his own happiness and that of others, utilitarianism requires him to be as strictly impartial as a disinterested and benevolent spectator. In the golden rule of Jesus of Nazareth, we read the complete spirit of the ethics of utility. To do as you would be done by, and to love your neighbour as yourself, constitute the ideal perfection of utilitarian morality.† (Mill, as quoted by Grote 86) One of Utilitarianism’s notable critics is the famous legal theoretician, John Rawls. Rawls’ objection to the notion of impartiality arises from the philosophical system’s blanket application of its principles to the entire social

Assessing General George Thomas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assessing General George Thomas - Essay Example In his early days, George would show his feelings towards the disenfranchised, despite the consequences present at the time. In this case, "George Henry Thomas was born July 31, 1816, at Newsom's Depot, VA. Growing up on a plantation, Thomas was one of many who violated the law and taught his family's slaves to read," ("About.com", p.1). From a personal standpoint, Thomas' desire to help those despite the presence of existing laws against such help at the time, would show a sense of character and consideration for those around him. At a point in time, George would seek to pursue a career in law. Such a career path choice, would last for only a short period of time. It would be at this period in time that George would elect to enroll at West Point. While at the academy, one of his associates would be William T. Sherman, who shared a room with the young Thomas. At this point in time, "Becoming friendly rivals, Thomas soon developed a reputation among the cadets for being deliberate and cool-headed. Graduating 12th in his class, Thomas was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned to the artillery," ("About.com", p.1). By having a mentality of sharp thinking and level headedness, it would enable Thomas to effectively execute his responsibilities to the men and his unit and better serve the cause. The com The commanding officer which George would have had during the Second Seminole conflict that took place in Florida, described him in this manner, "I never knew him to be late or in a hurry. All his movements were deliberate, his self-possession was supreme...," ("About.com", p.1). By taking into consideration the appraisal of George Thomas by his commanding officer, it would further outline a man who would possess an attitude towards structure and a conviction for steadfast behavior. General Thomas' career would essentially begin with the Mexican American War. During this conflict, Thomas would be provided with the opportunity to increase his held rank not once, but in fact would do it twice. With regards to the Civil War, George Thomas would see his career begin in one area and then shift to another as time would go on. He would take part in the conflict known as the First Battle of Manassas but in the end, would be transferred to what would be referred to as the western theatre for the remainder of the war. In reference to the time after Thomas would arrive in the western region of the battle front, "Thomas began his time in the Western Theater by commanding an independent force in eastern Kentucky, which defeated Confederate forces at Mill Springs in early 1862," ("George Thomas", p.1). As one of the battles that Thomas would be a part of, this battle would provide to be essential. In these terms, "This battle is seen as one of the first important Union victories in the war," ("George Thomas", p.1). For this battle to have been considered an important aspect of the victories seen by the union movement that would only serve to elevate George Thomas, to an even higher standing within the military hierarchy of status and importance. It would be during the same year as the victory seen at Mill Springs that George Thomas would see another increase in rank. This time, he would in fact become a Major General and would take, "..command of four divisions from Grant's former Army of the Tennessee and one from the

Oedipus and the Sphinx Essay Example for Free

Oedipus and the Sphinx Essay Know Thyself is sage advice. All Things in Moderation is also a wise saying. King Oedipus, subject of the most tragic story ever written, brought about his own downfall because of his excessive obsession to know himself. And, try as he might, the more he tried to escape his tragic Fate, the closer it got Thus, some say that the moral of the story is, Even if you try to thwart your destiny, you wont succeed. The concept of predestination plays a large role here. For example, if the gods know what will happen, and events are pre-ordained, how can people make free choices or have any semblance of free will? If the gods put challenges in our way that we fail to rise to, are we responsible for the consequences? Would knowing the future, as Oedipus does, cause us to act or behave any differently? The ancient scribe Sophocles wrote Oedipus the King (between 441-427 B.C.E.) for the annual festival where playwrights competed for prizes. These festivals were major civic occasions, with attendance expected of all noted writers. In his play Sophocles goes out of his way to present Oedipus as an extremely capable, beloved ruler. It should be noted that Sophocles never suggests that Oedipus has brought his destiny on himself by any ungodly pride (hubris) or tragic flaw (hamartia), common themes in Greek tragedies. Sophocles also makes a special effort to explain that Oedipus killed King Laius in self-defense, and a major theme in the tragic play is whether one can believe in oracles and seers. The title of the play, from which is derived the story, is often given in its Latin translation (Oedipus Rex), rather than in its original Greek (Oedipus Tyranneus), since the Greek term for king is the English tyrant, which means a monarch who rules without the consent of the people. THE TRAGEDY BEGINS Laius and his wife Jocasta (or Iocasta) were King and Queen of Thebes, a prosperous and famous city state in ancient Greece. King Laius, as many people did those days, consulted Apollos revered oracle of Delphi for advice and to find out what the future held for him. What the oracle announced shocked the royal couple The Delphic oracle said that the Kings son would grow up and kill him! To make matters worse, it was prophesized that the son would marry his mother and produce offspring by her. King Laius and Queen Jocasta were understandably aghast! A short time later Queen Jocasta became pregnant and gave birth to a darling little baby boy. Remembering with fear the oracle of Delphis words, the royal couple of Thebes had the infants feet pierced and tied together thats the meaning of the name Oedipus, swollen feet. (Myth Mans note: this mythical detail makes no sense. It must have been introduced to explain the heros name. (Hold everything, I stand corrected. Here is an informative note sent by reader Adam Johnston on July 1, 2011.) Hey there, Just thought Id let you know that the pointless mythical detail about Oedipus feet being pierced and tied together actually has dual function. It was to ensure that the baby would not survive when exposed to the wilderness. But, more importantly, it is a detail that helps him decipher the answer to the sphinxs riddle later in life. He is a crippled man who walks with a cane, and scholars see this as the assistance he needed to understand the part of the riddle regarding the 3 legs. Just thought you should know! ~Adam (Many thanks to Adam for taking time to bring this to my attention.) Laius and Jocasta knew that their baby son had to be destroyed, but they didnt have the heart to do so themselves. They instructed their most trusted slave to expose the hapless baby on Mount Cithaeron, a wild and beast-filled place where the infant surely would perish. In those days, it was usual to leave an unwanted or defective baby in the wilderness. However, the slave glanced down at the innocent child and took pity on it. Knowing that the royal couple of the nearby city state of Corinth was childless, and desperately desired a son, the slave left the crying infant, its feet still pierced and bound by a pin, in a place sure to be found. Sure enough, a kindly shepherd discovered the baby and brought the foundling for adoption to King Polibus and Queen Merope of Corinth. Oedipus was raised as a son by Polibus and Merope and grew to be a handsome, clever and brave young man, even though he walked with a slight limp from the wounds he suffered when his real parents pierced his feet. One day, while playing with his adolescent friends, he got into an argument with them. They insisted, as mean children sometimes do, that he was a fake son, and not the real child of Polibus and Merope. When Oedipus confronted his parents about this, they denied that he was adopted and swore that he was their legitimate child. They told Oedipus to forget what the mean kids had said, but now he was intrigued. To discover the truth for himself, Oedipus journeyed to Delphi and asked of the oracle, Who am I? The oracle, cryptic as always, replied: You are the man who will kill his father and breed children by his mother. Confused and devastated, the young man started to head back home. Nearing the crossroad, Oedipus decided never to return to Corinth and go to Thebes instead. He dearly loved his parents and thought that by never returning home he would keep them safe and thus overcome his Fate according to Apollos oracle. As he was approaching the crossroad between Delphi, Thebes and Corinth, distraught and deep in thought, Oedipus came upon an old man in a chariot, escorted by a few attendants. It was a narrow passage between two rocks and hard to navigate safely. The crabby old man in the chariot shouted: Get lost! Go away! Get off this road!, striking Oedipus with his long scepter. Adding further injury, the rude, regal old man ran over the young mans sore foot with his chariot wheel. Oedipus angrily grabbed the staff from his tormentors hands and hit him on the head, killing the old man. The same fate befell the attendants, who tried to attack and arrest Oedipus he valiantly fought and killed them too, save for one servant, who ran away in panic when the battle broke out. Hey, he just wanted to cross the narrow passage, thats all! Besides, Oedipus was simply defending himself, and he got there first! Little did Oedipus suspect that the old man he had just slain was his own father, and that the first part of the oracles prophecy had come true