Understanding French Opposition :: Economics Diplomats War in Iraq France Essays

Understanding French Opposition This essay examines the nature of French opposition to the US-led war in Iraq. In recent months this opposition has reinforced many of the negative stereotypes Americans associate with Frenchmen, and boycotts of French wines and â€Å"French† fries are now commonplace in the United States. However, writing the French off as â€Å"cowards† or â€Å"appeasers† is not only misguided but also fails to consider the complex nature of French opposition. Although inextricably linked, the opposition put forth by the French people is not the same as the opposition directed by the French government. Nonetheless, French President Jacques Chirac and other Gaullist politicians have used the popular opposition to further and justify their own agenda. While the apprehensions of the French people are largely understandable—as their attitudes are a reflection of their tumultuous and bloody past, the motivations behind France’s political actors are not so obvious and are founded in the economic realities and diplomatic-power struggles of the twenty-first century. Despite what some Americans may argue, the French are not fundamentally opposed to war. In fact France’s readiness to use ground support in both Kosovo and Bosnia outweighed that of the United States. Consequently, in October of 2001, nearly a month after September 11th, France’s popular backing of the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan was seventy-three percent in favor—the highest among Europe’s largest states. The French recognized the security threat posed by al Qaeda and the Taliban and clearly saw the connection between September 11th and the al Qaeda masterminds. Their support ran afoul only when the US tried connecting the dots between September 11th and Iraq. To say the French are opposed to war or are against fighting terrorism is both inaccurate and inflammatory. The French know first hand the implications of Islamic jihad-driven terrorism, as they have been the target of more terrorist attacks than any other European nation during t he last century. The scars of French colonialism in North Africa—particularly in Algeria—are still raw in the minds of many Muslims, and it is this resentment and antipathy that the French fear as the US wages a war in Iraq. The French worry that the short-term military and strategic victories made in Iraq will only breed more contempt and mistrust toward the US—the very â€Å"terrorist roots† that the US is aiming to destroy.

Comparison between Creon and Antigone in Oedipus the King Essay

In the Oedipus plays, two of the major characters include Creon, the brother in law of Oedipus and Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus. Although these two characters play different roles in the plays Oedipus the King and Antigone, they share a lot of similarities. Basically, one of the similarities that Creon and Antigone have is that the burdens that they carried throughout the plays were passed down to them by Oedipus following his downfall and exile. After Oedupis’s exile, Creon assumed the throne of Thebes and took control of the city. Although his intentions in ruling Thebes are pure, like Oedipus who refused to listen to the blind prophet when he told him that he was the one who murdered his father, Creon’s judgment was blinded when he initially refused to give proper burial rites to his enemy, Polynices, Oedipus son. As a result, Antigone, hanged herself, causing her lover Haemon, Creon’s son, to kill himself as well. Likewise, Antigone inherited the stubbornness of his father when she defied Creon’s order deny the corpse of Polynices, her brother, a proper burial. For her defiance, Creon had her thrown into a tomb, where she committed suicide through hanging. In short, both Creon and Antigone were affected by Oedipus’s tragic downfall as he apparently passed down his misfortunes to those who succeeded him and to his family members. Antigone herself said this in her conversation with her sister, in which she said â€Å"My own flesh and blood—dear sister, dear Ismene, how many griefs our father Oedipus handed down! Do you know one, I ask you, one grief that Zeus will not perfect for the two of us while we still live and breathe? There’s nothing, no pain—our lives are pain—no private shame, no public disgrace, nothing I haven’t seen in your grief and mine. † In other words, Antigone spoke as if tragedies are passed down in Oedipus’s family like they were family heirlooms. Moreover, both Creon and Antigone exemplified also suffered the same losses. Creon lost his son, Haemon, and his wife, Eurydice who both committed suicide while Antigone lost her father, Oedipus, and her two brothers, Polynices and Eteocles, who killed each other while fighting over who would rule over Thebes. In other words, both characters were left alone in their personal battles. However, while the two characters share several similarities, they also have various differences. For one, Antigone acknowledges the past tragedies as shown in the quote above and uses them as a motivation to move forward. Moreover, she is more bold and prudent than Creon as shown during their confrontation in which he asked her why she was defying him and she answered, â€Å"I didn’t say yes. I can say no to anything I say vile, and I don’t have to count the cost. But because you said yes, all that you can do, for all you’re crown and your trappings, and your guards—all that your can do is to have me killed. † On the other hand, Creon is a manipulative and narrow-minded person as shown in his initial refusal to believe in the blind prophet’s prediction. His personality is best shown in his description of Thebes wherein he said, â€Å"Anarchy—show me a greater crime in all the earth! She, she destroys cities, rips up houses, breaks the ranks of spearmen into headlong rout. But the ones who last it out, the great mass of them owe their lives to discipline. Therefore we must defend the men who live by law, never let some woman triumph over us. Better to fall from power, if fall we must, at the hands of a man—never be rated inferior to a woman, never. † In sum, while both characters share similarities due to their close relationship with Oedipus, they also have differences that distinguish their characters. Antigone is a realistic, decisive yet stubborn character while Creon is a person who holds himself in high esteem but later realizes he is human as well. Works Cited â€Å"Oedipus the King. † 2008. The Internet Classics Archive. 3 April 2008 . â€Å"Antigone. † 2008. 2008. The Internet Classics Archive. 3 April 2008 .

Locke and Hobbes on Revolution

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and John Locke (1632-1706) belonged to the same generation of philosophers.   However, both philosophers viewed English Revolution differently.   Hobbes had experienced the English Revolution as a time of brutality.   Thence, the philosopher compared the revolution to what he referred to as the â€Å"state of nature† (or, a state of primitiveness). This state was ruthless and uncouth.   Hobbes believed that revolutions were similarly a negative state, and in order to guard itself against the malice of revolutions, society needed a strong king and strict governance, somewhat akin to the Panopticon state of Michel Foucault.   Locke, on the other hand, lauded the concept of revolution as a necessity during times of governmental disturbance.   In other words, the philosopher with a good view of revolution believed in dismantling the government if it does not work (â€Å"Locke and Hobbes†). Sharp (2006) explains the difference between Locke’s and Hobbes’ viewpoints on revolution thus: At least part of the difference between Hobbes and Locke can be attributed to their  historical circumstances.   Hobbes witnessed the English Civil War, which destroyed every  opportunity for happiness for many people.   His all-powerful state must have seemed like the  lesser of two evils, since it would at least be stable and life would not devolve into anarchy.  Ã‚   Locke, however, witnessed the Glorious Revolution, where the government was completely  changed without bloodshed. For him, revolution must not have seemed like such a terrible  thing.   Most likely, both views are too extreme.   Revolution is usually a costly endeavor, since  those in power rarely relinquish it willingly.   However, the possibility or revolution is a key   part of maintaining rights, since an all-powerful government could suppress our rights without  fear of repercussion. Hobbes, being senior to Locke in age and experience, had apparently seen a bloody war that Locke had not been a witness of.   Thus, the views of the philosophers differed with respect to the English Revolution.   Had Locke also lived through the English Civil War, he might have been bitter about the idea of revolution as well.   Nevertheless, it is important to note that both philosophers believed in human rights.   Locke was not a violent agitator.   Furthermore, it is clear that his philosophy on revolution was written with ultimate peace in mind. Locke wrote about â€Å"abuse of power by the government† as a reason for a revolution.   In order to serve justice, he considered it ethical for citizens to fight for their rights, even if they must fight the government for the same reason.   In Locke’s view, â€Å"rebellion† was a necessity at times of governmental corruption and dissidence.   Besides, in the perspective of the philosopher, the people could be trusted to make decisions as regards civil rights.   The important matter to consider remained, however, that people could achieve â€Å"restoration of their rights† via a revolution (Kemerling, 2000). Locke’s philosophy on revolution makes the kinds of allowances for the common people that Hobbes’ philosophy does not allow for.   In the latter’s view, revolutions are bad because they lead to bloodshed.   So therefore, governments should be strong enough to rule the people without letting them express their agitation in any form whatsoever. Locke’s philosophy can debate with Hobbes’ view quite simply by claiming that the victims of bloodshed are usually the common people; and if they are the ones taking responsibility for a revolution, they are the ones also responsible for guarding their safety at all costs during a revolution.   Governments that try to quell public rebellion through military violence are bad in any case.   Hence, the public is right in demolishing such governments.   At the same time, the public must protect itself from the agitation of the government during a revolution. Thus Locke’s philosophy of revolution allows for public liberty unlike Hobbes’ philosophy, which is similar to the Panopticon.   Michel Foucault’s (1995) Panopticism begins with a detailed description of the measures to be taken against a seventeenth century plague. The government was meant to exercise absolute control over all citizens during such time, as spaces were to be partitioned and houses were to be closed off.   Stray animals were to be killed, and human beings were to be advised that they could only leave town if they wanted to be killed too.   Moreover, guards were to be put on duty to keep a constant eye on the people.   Every guard was to be informed that â€Å"if he leaves the street, he will be condemned to death.† The government aimed to create a pure and disciplined community through these orders.   What is more, as Foucault points out, it was a â€Å"political dream† to create such an obedient community, even for a brief period of time.   Such an obedient community happens to be a model for other communities and other times.   This plagued community was further marked by: †¦strict divisions; not laws transgressed, but the penetration of regulation into even the  smallest details of everyday life through the mediation of the complete hierarchy that assured  the capillary functioning of power; not masks that were put on and taken off, but the  assignment to each individual of his ‘true' name, his ‘true' place, his ‘true' body, his ‘true'  disease.   The plague as a form, at once real and imaginary, of disorder had as its medical and  political correlative discipline.   Behind the disciplinary mechanisms can be read the haunting  memory of ‘contagions', of the plague, of rebellions, crimes, vagabondage, desertions, people  who appear and disappear, live and die in disorder. The Panopticon state is the literal embodiment of Hobbes’ philosophy of government.   Totally unlike Locke’s state of freedom, which is equal to democracy in present times, Hobbes’ is a restrictive state with police control at best.   From these two differing philosophies of government arise two dissimilar, defining concepts of revolution.   People through history have found it difficult to believe in both at the same time.   To answer their concerns, both Hobbes and Locke advise their readers and thinkers to use their reason in changing or adopting a form of government (Sharp). References Focault, Michel. (1995). Panopticism. Retrieved 20 May 2007, from c. Kemerling, Garth. (2000). Locke: Social Order. Philosophy Pages. Retrieved 20 May 2007, from http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/4n.htm. Locke and Hobbes, Two Contrasting Views of the English Revolution. Retrieved 20 May 2007, from http://www.iun.edu/~hisdcl/h114_2002/Locke%20and%20Hobbes.htm. Sharp, Robert. (2006, September 5). Hobbes Vs. Locks: A Question of Rights. Retrieved 20 May 2007, from http://philosophy.suite101.com/article.cfm/hobbes_vs__locke.      

Describe the spatial patterns and dimensions of one ecosystem at risk, and analyse the negative impacts of human activity on this ecosystem Essay

Describe the spatial patterns and dimensions of one (1) ecosystem at risk, and analyse the negative impacts of human activity on this ecosystem. One ecosystem at risk that has been studied is the coral reef; The Great Barrier Reef is located off the East coast of Northern Queensland. It stretches approximately 2300km from Papua New Guinea to Fraser Island. Overall the Great Barrier Reef system covers an area of over 348,000km2 making a vast, very complex ecosystem. There is a long history of human activity and use on and of the Great Barrier Reef. Negative impacts on the Great Barrier Reef include climate change, oil spills, tourism, overfishing, land clearing, sewage and waste disposal, coral harvesting and dredging and sand mining. Climate change has impacted Northern Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef as it increases in sea temperature, increases in average sea level, has a change in rainfall patterns. It changes the ocean currents and circulation, which has an increase in El Nino events which cause extreme weather and can damage the reef and cause a large amount of run off from the land, causing turbidity, lowering of salinity on the reef and increased amount of sediment. Extreme weather conditions can also increase the CO2 levels which can also change the chemical structure of the Great Barrier Reef causing coral bleaching. On-going climate change will have and has already caused many consequences for the Great Barrier Reef. This change will and has directly impacted many species of fish, invertebrate, mammals and birds along with many aquatic and terrestrial plants. There are also substantial impacts on the functioning of the reef. The biggest concern about climate change and the Great Barrier Reef is the rise in sea temperature which will affect the movement of water around the reef and the nutrient cycle on the reef which also means the chemical structure which will be altered because of the increased amount of CO2 dissolved into the water. With this and the rising sea levels, may be enough to destroy the reef, collapsing of the reef ecosystem. Recreational fishing is also a common past-time on the reef. When boats anchor on the reef, the heavy metal anchors damage the reefs coral formations and dredge up the sea grass bed. These boats are also a source of pollution through oil and oil spills, rubbish and sewage. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority estimates that around 6000 large commercial ships transit through the Great Barrier Reef each year. These ships can carry anything from grain, minerals, bulk cargo (such as cars) and oil. Luckily there has not been a major oil spill on the reef. Ships also have the potential to bring with them feral aquatic species by releasing ballast water which is used to balance the ship containing these aquatic animals. Commercial fishing or overfishing has been an important economic activity for Queensland’s coastal communities. Unsustainable fishing practices in the past have left many areas of the Great Barrier Reef with decreased fish stocks. While many areas of the Great Barrier Reef are now off limits to commercial fishers, various areas of the reef can still be fished. Local fishermen are now no longer a major threat to the reef as they understand the need to protect the area’s fish stocks. However, the reef still remains threatened by illegal fishing, which is often carried out by foreign fishing trawlers, and by unsustainable recreational fishing. Tourism is one of the most important industries in Northern Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef being ranked twelfth on the ‘Wonders of the World’ list brings a lot of tourism to Australia and especially far North Queensland. The economic value of the Great Barrier Reef exceeds more than $4 billion a year. In 2005, over 1.8 million tourists visited the reef. Research conducted by the James Cook University in Cairns has shown that tourism has five main impacts on the reef ecosystem; these are coastal tourism development, island-based tourism, marine based tourism, water-based activities and wildlife interactions. Coastal tourism development is explained as tourists mainly visit and stay at mainland Hotels, Motels and Resorts, where this places a strain on coastal environments, including estuarine river systems. Island-based tourism is the growth of tourism on islands throughout the Great Barrier Reef, which creates problems associated with sewage and rubbish discharges. Marine based tourism is where tourist boat companies make thousands of journeys out to the Great Barrier Reef each year, which brings rubbish and a potential for oil spills. These boats also require mooring points or anchor points on the reef which can destroy the coral. Water-based activities for explain diving and snorkelling are the most popular water-based activities on the reef. Most divers are very careful and usually cause no damage to the corals. However, studies have shown that a small proportion of divers swim too close to the corals, breaking them. The more fragile corals are susceptible to this. Wildlife interactions is the interactions with aquatic animals that live on the reef, most tourism operators are very careful to ensure tourists are well informed and to be strict with these rules and make sure that the tourists do not get too close to the wild animals that live on the reef, However, once again research shows that there are still a small portion of operators and tourists that are careless and disrupt wildlife which can impact on breeding cycles and natural interactions. Other impacts of tourism on the Great Barrier Reef include trampling of coral. This is a common occurrence where people walk on the reefs and the coral that become exposed at low tide. Souveniring of coral, shells and other elements of the reef ecosystem was also a major problem. In the past tourists and some commercial traders took large amounts of materials such as corals, mostly from the inner reef, which has now been constituted as being illegal unless the collector is correctly licensed. There are 26 major river systems that flow into the waters of the Great Barrier Reef from mainland Queensland. Approximately 25% of the land area of Queensland drains onto the reef. This runoff represents a major impact on the reef. Coastal development on land adjacent to the reef is expanding rapidly. Tourist developments such as those found between Cairns and Port Douglas, result in large amounts of land that is being cleared. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has information and research that the clearing of wetlands is another major issue impacting on the sustainability of the reef. Intertidal wetlands provide important habitats and nurseries for many of thousands of species that liv eon or near the reef. These wetlands also hold a large amount of water reducing the amount of fresh water the Great Barrier Reef receives each year which keeps salinity levels stable. Aquaculture is becoming a more popular form of commercial farming. Prawns, a number of fish species and pearl and edible oysters are commercially farmed throughout the Great Barrier Reef and in ponds near or next to the reef. These farms can sometimes release chemicals and diseases that impact and cause damage to the other species of aquatic life on the reef which can also cause pollution. Conventional agriculture on the coastal plain adjacent to the reef has been of great concern for reef ecologists and marine biologists. The use of chemical fertilisers in the farming areas of the reef can increase nutrients that promote algae growth. The algae can and already has been smothering the reef which causes a decrease in light penetration for the corals to perform photosynthesis to grow. A type of agriculture that can dramatically harm the reef includes land clearing which results in the erosion of topsoil and an increase in turbidity levels in the water. There are a large number of negative impacts on the ecosystem at risk studied, but the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, along with other smaller groups including the Aboriginal Culture have been enforcing a number of ways to protect and create awareness to tourists, fishers and all people on or visiting the reef or surroundings to keep the ecosystem as stable as they can.

Business Ethics issues involved in insider trading Essay

Business Ethics issues involved in insider trading - Essay Example company leaking information to outsiders on the deals and handshakes taking place inside the firm and with the firm and parties outside the firm. If insider trading is prevalent, why must we consider the ethical aspects of insider trading? According to Joseph Des Jardins, â€Å"unlike some business disciplines, there is no single answers in ethics, no single body of information, nor even a single framework for thinking about ethics† (9). ... It will make business ethics beyond definition thereby depriving businessmen of a tool with which to marshal their companies along line that will promote profitability and business sustainability. Businessmen are neither philosophers nor academics although they have to study philosophy and the academic sides of a business. They are not individuals who muse by the hour and become contented and fulfilled with their musings. They are not philosophers who simply reflect on life and derive satisfaction the longer the hours they spend on reflection. Businessmen are not academics out to grasp theories and advance knowledge: businessmen thirst for knowledge just like academics but they are principally users of knowledge. Businessmen may advance knowledge as they advance their business in the same way that computer, internet, and information technologies have advanced as a result of business activity. However, advancing knowledge is not the businessman’s objective but making a profit. Of course, businessmen derive satisfaction as his or her business grows, take a leading role in the industry, employ an increasing number of employees, become recognized in society, and becomes a power or at least influential in society as his or her business shape society’s lifestyle, and outlook in the same way that the businesses of Bill Gates transformed the lives of people in the 21st century. Businessmen are individuals out to make profit and survive in the competition of business. Therefore, the appropriate or relevant perspective on ethics is that one that should enable them to make profit, survive in the competition, survive in society, and if possible be ahead of the competition if not society as a whole. On the other hand consumers are becoming critical of

Architecture in the Arab and Islamic world Article

Architecture in the Arab and Islamic world - Article Example This is evident in the current magnificent structures dotting Abu Dhabi in UAE that symbolize ultra-modern architectural design that blend Arab and Western culture. The assertion of the author on the historic attachment of Arab architecture on religion bears significant truth. A critical assessment of most of the ancient and some modern Middle East architecture shows indisputable homogeneity in terms of architectural design. In fact, western nations and ancient civilization discusses more architectural borrowing from the Muslims as evidenced in the widespread application of arcs and domes. However, despite geopolitical factors, the pressure of globalization has promoted a paradigm shift towards a culturally tolerant architectural design in Middle East. In this article, the observed architectural techniques that deviate from the traditional Arab style that is increasingly dominating the Middle East is a reality. In regard to the captivating architectural set pieces in Abu Dhabi like The Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, obvious questions need to be answered in regard to the conservative Arab culture. This has been facilitated by increasing multicultural interaction in the wake of increased campaign for environmental care, space economy and technological explosion as noted by the

The Performance Appraisal Meeting and Performance Diagnosis PowerPoint Presentation

The Performance Appraisal Meeting and Performance Diagnosis - PowerPoint Presentation Example tly by checking whether they have accomplished their goals but only after a year.  Effective performance management in ACME is illustrated under the leadership of managers who apply various techniques in dealing with performance management. If performance management is treated as a complete system not leave any parts, and if there is success with performance planning and ongoing performance communication, there can almost be guaranteed success during the performance meetings. There are two reasons for this: First, the employee will understand appraisal process is a partnership. Second, there will be no surprises in the appraisal meeting (Bacal, pg.102). During the appraisal meeting the most crucial tasks for the managers is to evaluate and relate the output of the employee with their targets. The managers carry out a regular overview of the progress of each employee in relation to the tasks assigned to the employee. In return, the management expects each employee to meet the set goals in their working area, and this ends up being a collective objective that can enhance an organizations success. During the appraisal meeting, the manager should take on role of helper, problem solver, rather than evaluator, employee is in partnership and is a self-evaluator, employee should understand what to expect, in terms of content and process, manager should treat meeting as important, and most importantly, both manager and employee should understand why of the apprai sal. At ACME Healthcare Inc. there seems to be a need to integrate the need to prepare the employee for the appraisal meeting without a conversation of what is expected. Managers should let the employee understand purpose of meeting. Performance Diagnosis is the process that should be used with an employee to determine the causes of his or her success and/or difficulties. Performance is affected by the interaction of the work environment and the individual, and not by one or the other alone. ACME Healthcare Inc.