B-boy the Local Scene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

B-boy the Local Scene - Essay Example The culture is also further subdivided on the locality; this is so because music and arts in general is normally a reflection of a society. The lyrics in a song or the type of facts that a movie refers to are normally borrowed from the occurrences in the society. Given the differences in the societal structure, the activities in one society may vary slightly with those of another. This is later reflected in the composition of the music in the locality (Kitwana 87). The town of Bloomington, Indiana, also has its own local hip hop culture. The culture, just like in American hip hop, is influenced by the national hip hop to a greater extent. Hip hop was a music mentality brought into existence by Americans of African descent. These people loved rapping; a type of narration in which an artist simply counts his wordings accompanied by a beat to make music. To make them stand out from any other music genre, artists of this type of music adorned unique type of attires. For instance, they dr essed in baggy and very fashionable dresses which constituted baggy trousers, most preferably jeans, baggy T-shirts, and very expensive jewelry. Besides, the culture involves a show of liking for the basketball sport. This was a culture that was specifically coined out of the preferences portrayed by the African American population in America. Given theikr big bodies, these people loved and played basketball very well. They thus incorporated the love for the sport in the music thereby succeeding in making the sport a black phenomenon. The city of Bloomington, just like many other cities in America, has a cosmopolitan population. It has both blacks and whites living together. However, African Americans tend to dominate in matters of entertainment. This thus implies that hip hop culture is a little bit more predominant in the entertainment scenes in the demography. A bigger portion of youths of the city appreciate the culture. This is a factor they portray in their mode of dressing, t heir hair styles and their speech patterns. Just like addressed earlier, the hip hop showcased in this city borrows much from the national and international hip hop scene. However, given the unique way of life in this city, the trend in music and movie creation has a variance of its own (Watkins 78). Arts and culture is strongly appreciated in the city. Bloomington is a home to a number of cultural centers which have been attributed to the growth of the hip hop culture in the region. There are a number of both professional and armature theater companies including the Indiana university department of theatre and drama. The other is the Bloomington Playwrights Project as well as the Cardinal Stage Company and even Theatre of the People. Besides, the streets of the city are dotted with clubs, cinemas and discos. This points to the fact that arts and culture are a vibrant social aspects of the people in the city. This is also a factor that has led to the development of the hip hop cultu re since very many artists in the city own their own in house production studios. Producing media content is therefore cheap and virtually anyone having interest has the ability to put his interest into practice and turn their talents into sources of livelihoods. There are a number of national arts festivals held in the city that further support the growth of arts and culture in the city. These are platforms that have been used to help promote the hip hop cultu

Generational Diversity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Generational Diversity - Assignment Example Knowing such behavioral and social characteristics of a generation make them feel represented in the system. In my opinion, the K-12 system of educators needs to take note of generational diversity. The teaching methods and learning methods should be streamlined to fit the characteristics of the students’ generation. This will enhance better understanding and a positive attitude towards learning. Educators need to fit in into current generations so as to create bonds between them and the students. The effectiveness of online courses is a key issue in the education sector. Online courses are supposed to attain the same results as face-to-face teaching. To achieve this, some areas require high attention. The educator is required to understand what the learning outcomes should be so that they can come up with the best course design. To come up with the best learning outcomes, all learning materials should be made easily accessible to the learner. Efficient accessibility should be strategic to diversity in that materials are provided through the most appropriate means for a specific student. For example, a student aged 50 would prefer a visiting a library and studying books to read while a 21-year-old student would prefer reading a pdf through their phone. Therefore, generational diversity should be taken into consideration. Online courses should implement current technologies to ease the process of learning. For example, technologies such as Skype can be used to hold a discussion between a student and a teacher.

SMTP Security via Opportunistic DANE TLS

SMTP Security via Opportunistic DANE TLS SUJANA MAMIDALA ABSTRACT This paper provides an insight about a protocol designed for SMTP transport, which offers downgrade resistance. This protocol deploys as security for Domain Name System (DNS) Authentication of Named Entities (DANE) based Mail Transfer Agents (MTA). To a client who uses authenticated and encrypted transport layer security (TLS), using this protocol provides a support to the Internet email and allows incremental transition. This paper talks about a new connection security model for Message Transfer Agents (MTAs). Message Transfer Agents are responsible for the transfer of electronic mails to other computers. This connection model is based on a fact that the received end server is chosen indirectly using DNS (Domain Name System) Mail Exchange (MX) Records. This paper talks about the SMTP channel security and analyses why the current security model is inefficient and the need for a new model to protect Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) traffic. This paper elaborates on various other aspects such as Mandatory TLS security and DANE authentication and various operation considerations that are required are discussed. 1. Introduction Simple Main Transfer Protocol (SMTP) states a new connection security model for Message Transfer Agents (MTAs). Key features of inter-domain SMTP delivery inspire this model; in precise the fact that the endpoint server is selected indirectly via Domain Name System (DNS) Mail Exchange (MX) records and that with Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) to Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) SMTP the use of Transfer Layer Security (TLS) is generally opportunistic. SMTP Channel Security With HTTPS, Transport Layer Security (TLS) engages X.509 certificates allotted by one of the various Certificate Authorities (CAs) hustled with famous web browsers to allow users to authenticate their secure websites. Before we specify a new DANE TLS security model for SMTP, we will explain why a new security model is needed. In the procedure, we will discuss why the similar HTTPS security model is insufficient to protect inter-domain SMTP traffic. The sections described below are the four main key problems with applying the traditional PKI to SMTP protocol that is tackled by this specification. Since the SMTP channel security approach is not clearly explained in either the receiver address or Mail Exchange (MX) record, a new signaling mechanism is wanted to specify when channel security is possible and should be used. The publication of the Transport Layer Security (TLSA) records will permit the server operators safely signal to the SMTP clients that the TLS is available and must be used. DANE TLSA makes this possible to simultaneously determine which endpoint domains support the secure delivery via TLS and tells how to verify authenticity of associated SMTP services, affording a path forward to the ubiquitous SMTP channel security. STARTTLS downgrade attack The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is a single hop protocol in multi hop store and forward the email delivery procedure. SMTP envelope recipient addresses are not transport addresses and safety agnostic. Unlike Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and its related secured versions, HTTPS, where the use of (TLS) Transport Layer Security is signaled via URI scheme, transport security policies are not directly signaled by the email recipients. Certainly, no such signaling can work well with this SMTP since TLS encryption of SMTP protects the email traffic on a hop by hop basis while email address can only express end to end policy. SMTP relays employ best-effort opportunistic security model for TLS with no mechanism existing to signal transport security policy. A single SMTP server TCP listening end point can serve both the TLS and the non-TLS clients; the use of this TLS is negotiated via SMTP STARTTLS command. The client is supported by the server signals TLS over a clear text SMTP connection, and, if client also supports the TLS, it may negotiate TLS encrypted channel to use for the email transmission. An MITM attacker can easily suppress the server’s indication of TLS support. Thus pre DANE SMTP TLS security can subvert by simply decrease a connection to clear text. The TLS security features, such as use of PKIX, can stop this. The invader can simply disable the TLS. Insecure server name without DNSSEC The records abstract next hop transport end point with the SMTP DNS (MX) Mail Exchange and allow the administrator to specify set of targets server to which SMTP traffic should be pointed for given domain. Until and unless PLIX TLS client is vulnerable to MITM attacks it verifies that servers certificate binds public key to a name that match one of the clients reference identifiers. Servers domain name is the natural choice of reference identifiers. However, server names are taken indirectly via Mail Exchange records with SMTP. The Mail Exchange lookup is susceptible to MITM and DNS cache destroying attacks without DNSSEC. Active attackers can forge the DNS replies with the fake mail exchange records and can send email to servers with the names of their selection. Therefore, secure proof of SMTP TLS certificates matching server name is not conceivable without the DNSSEC. One could try to harden the TLS for the SMTP against the DNS attacks by using envelope receiver domain as a situation identifier and needful each SMTP server to have a confidential certificate for envelope recipient domain rather than mail exchange hostname. Unfortunately, this is impractical as third parties that are not in a position to obtain certificates for all the domains they serve handle email for many domains. Deployment of (SNI) Server Name Indication extension to TLS is no cure, since SNI key organization is operationally inspiring except when email service provider is also fields registrar and its certificate issuer; this is hardly the case for email. Since recipient domain name cannot be used as SMTP server orientation identifier, and neither can the mail exchange hostname without the DNSSEC, large scale deployment of authenticated transport layer security for SMTP needs that the DNS be safe. Since SMTP protocol security depends on DNSSEC, it is important to point out that consequently SMTP with the DANE is most traditional possible trust model. It trusts only what must be important and no more. Adding any other trusted actors to the mixture can only reduce the SMTP security. A sender might select to more harden DNSSEC for selected high value getting domains, by organizing explicit hope anchors for those domains in its place of relying on the chain of trust from root domain. Sender policy does not scale Transfer systems are in some cases openly configured to use the TLS for mail directed to designated peer domains. This needs sending MTAs to be organized with appropriate subject names digests to expect in accessible server certificates. Because of heavy administrative burden, such statically configured SMTP secure channels are used rarely. Internet email, on other hand, requires regularly contacting new domains for which the security configurations cannot be reputable in advance. Abstraction of SMTP transport end point via DNS MX records, often across society boundaries, limits the use of the public CA PKI with the SMTP to a minor set of sender configured peer domains. With the little opportunity to use the TLS authentication, transfer MTAs are rarely configured with a complete list of trusted CAs. SMTP services that support STARTTLS often deploy X.509 certificates that are self signed or distributed by a private CA. Identifying applicable TLSA records DNS considerations DNS errors, bogus and indeterminate responses SMTP client that implements the opportunistic DANE TLS per specification depends on the integrity of the DNSSEC lookups. This section lists DNS resolver requirements needed to avoid the downgrade attacks when using the opportunistic DANE TLS. SMTP clients shadowing this specification SHOULD NOT distinguishes between insecure and indeterminate. Both insecure and indeterminate are handled identically in either case invalidated data for query domain is all that is and can be available, and verification using data is impossible. In what shadows, when we say the word insecure, we also include DNS results for the domains that lie in portion of DNS tree for which there is no appropriate trust anchor. With the DNS origin zone signed, we expect that validating resolvers used by Internet facing MTAs will be configured with the trust anchor data for root zone. Therefore, indeterminate domains should be rare in rehearsal. A security aware DNS resolver MUST be able to determine whether given non error DNS response is secure, insecure, bogus or indeterminate. It is expected that the most security alert stub resolvers will not signal an indeterminate security position in the application, and will sign a bogus or error result instead. If a resolver does signal an indeterminate security status, SMTP client MUST treat this as a bogus or error result had been returned. DNS error handling When an error or bogus or indeterminate prevents an SMTP client from defining which SMTP server it should attach to, message delivery MUST be late. This naturally includes, for example, the situation when a bogus or indeterminate response is faced during MX resolution. When several MX hostnames are obtained from popular MX lookup, but a later DNS lookup failure stops network address determination for a given MX hostname, delivery may continue via any lasting MX hosts. When the particular SMTP server is firmly identified as delivery destination, a set of DNS lookups must be done to find any linked TLSA records. If any DNS queries used to trace TLSA records fail, then SMTP client must treat that server as inaccessible and MUST NOT deliver messages via that server. If no servers are nearby, delivery is delayed. Stub resolver considerations A note about domain name aliases, a query for domain name whose ancestor domain is a DNAME alias returns the DNAME RR for ancestor domain, along with the CNAME that maps query domain to the consistent sub domain of target domain of domain name aliases. Therefore, when we speak of CNAME aliases, we indirectly allow for the likelihood that alias in question is the result of ancestor domain DNAME record. Therefore, no explicit support for DNAME records is wanted in SMTP software, it is enough to process resulting CNAME aliases. DNAME records require special processing in validating stub resolver library that checks integrity of the joint DNAME plus CNAME. When a local caching resolver, rather than the MTA itself handles DNSSEC validation, even that part of DNAME support logic is outside MTA. TLS discovery Opportunistic TLS with the SMTP servers that advertise TLS care via STARTTLS is topic to an MITM downgrade attack. Also some of the SMTP servers that are not, in fact, the TLS capable mistakenly advertise STARTTLS by evasion and clients need to be ready to retry clear text sending after STARTTLS fails. In contrast, the DNSSEC legalized TLSA records must not be published for the servers that do not support the TLS. Clients can safely understand their existence as a promise by the server operative to implement the TLS and STARTTLS. SMTP client may organize to require DANE verified delivery for some destinations. We will call such a configuration as mandatory DANE TLS. With mandatory DANE TLS, distribution proceeds when secure TLSA report are used to establish an encrypted and authenticated TLS channel with SMTP server. MX resolution In this we consider next hop domains, which are subject to MX resolution and also have MX records. TLSA records and its associated base domain are derived disjointedly for each MX hostname that is used to effort message distribution. DANE TLS can validate message delivery to intend next hop domain only when MX records are obtained firmly via a DNSSEC validated lookup. MX records must sort by preference; MX hostname with worse MX preference that has TLSA records MUST NOT preempt MX hostname with better preference that has no TLSA records. In other words, stoppage of delivery loops by following MX preferences must take priority over channel safety considerations. Even with 2 equal preference MX records, MTA is not obligated to choose MX hostname that provides more security. Domains that need secure inbound mail delivery have to ensure that all of their SMTP servers and their MX records are organized accordingly. Non-MX destinations It describes algorithm used to locate TLSA records and related TLSA base domain for an input domain not subject to MX resolution. Such domains include: Each (MX) mail exchange hostname used in message delivery attempt for an original next hop endpoint domain subject to the MX resolution. Any superintendent configured relay hostname not related to MX resolution. This often involves configuration set by MTA administrator to handle some mail. Next hop target domain subject to MX resolution that has no MX records. In this case domains name is implicitly and also its sole SMTP server name. TLSA record lookup Each candidate TLSA based domain is in turn prefaced with service labels of form _._tcp. Resulting domain name is used to release a DNSSEC query with query type set to TLSA. For SMTP, destination TCP port is usually 25, but this may be dissimilar with the custom routes stated by MTA administrator in which case SMTP client MUST use appropriate number in the _ prefix in place of _25. For example, candidate based domain is mx.example.com, and SMTP connection is to port 25, TLSA RRset is gained via DNSSEC query of form: _25._tcp.mx.example.com. DANE authentications It describes which TLSA records are appropriate to SMTP opportunistic DANE TLS and how to use such records to authenticate SMTP server. With opportunistic DANE TLS, both TLS support implied by the occurrence of DANE TLSA records and verification parameters needed to authenticate TLS peer are found composed. In contrast to protocols where exclusively the client sets channel security policy, authentication via this protocol is predictable to be less prone to linking failure caused by mismatched configuration of client and the server. TLSA certificate usage The DANE TLSA defines number of TLSA RR types via mixtures of three numeric parameters. Rest of TLSA record is certificate association data field, which stipulates full value of a certificate. The parameters are: TLSA Certificate Usage field, the selector field and matching type field. Certificate usage DANE-EE (3) Authentication via certificate usage DANE-EE (3) TLSA records includes simply checking that servers leaf certificate equals the TLSA record. In particular, the requisite of server public key to its name is built on the TLSA record association. The server MUST be considered authenticated even if none of the names in certificate matches client’s reference identity for the server. Similarly, expiration date of server certificate MUST be ignored; validity period of TSA record key requisite is dogged by validity pause of the TLSA record DNSSEC signature. Certificate usage DANE-TA (2) Some domains might prefer to evade operational complexity of publishing the unique TLSA RRs for each and every TLS service. If domain employs a mutual issuing Certification Authority to create the certificates for the multiple TLS services, it might be simple to publish issuing authority as the trust anchor (TA) for certificate chains of all the relevant services. TLSA query domain for each and every service issued by same TA may then be set to CNAME alias that points to common TLSA RRset that matches TA. For example: example.com. IN MX 0 mx1.example.com. example.com. IN MX 0 mx2.example.com. _25._tcp.mx1.example.com. IN CNAME tlsa211._dane.example.com. _25._tcp.mx2.example.com. IN CNAME tlsa211._dane.example.com. tlsa211._dane.example.com. IN TLSA 2 1 1 e3b0c44298fc1c14. Certificate usage PKIX-TA (0) and PKIX-EE (1) SMTP clients cannot, without trusting on DNSSEC for safe mail exchange records and the DANE for STARTTLS care signaling, perform server identity proof or stop STARTTLS downgrade attacks. Use of PKIX CAs offers no additional security since an attacker is capable of compromising the DNSSEC is free to replace any of PKIX-TA (0) or the PKIX-EE (1) TLSA records with the records bearing any suitable non PKIX certificate usage. Certificate Matching SMTP client must use the TLSA records to authenticate SMTP server when at least one usable â€Å"secure† TLSA is found. Through SMTP server messages must not be delivered if the authentication fails, otherwise SMTP client is vulnerable to the MITM attacks. Server key management Before employing the new EE or TA certificate or public key, two TLSA records MUST be published, one matching currently deployed key and other matching new key is scheduled to replace it. Once a sufficient time has elapsed for all the DNS caches to expire previous TLSA RRset and related signature RRsets, servers may be organized to use new EE private key and associated public key certificate or may service certificates signed by a new trust anchor. Once the new public certificate is in use, TLSA RR that matches retired key can be removed from the DNS, leaving only RRs that matches certificates in energetic use. Digest algorithm agility The DANE TLSA specifies a many number of digest algorithms; it does not specify protocol by which SMTP clients and TLSA record publishers can agree on strongest shared algorithm. Such a protocol will allow client and the server to avoid exposure to any deprecated weaker algorithm that are published for the compatibility with fewer capable clients, but should be unnoticed when possible. Mandatory TLS security MTA implementing this protocol might require a stronger safety assurance when sending e-mail to the selected destinations. Sending organization may need to send the sensitive e-mail or may have regulatory responsibilities to keep its content. This protocol is not in the conflict with such a necessity, and in fact it can often simplify genuine delivery to such targets. Specifically, with the domains that publish a DANE TLSA records for their mail exchange hostnames, a sending MTA can be arranged to use receiving domains DANE TLSA records to authenticate consistent SMTP server. Authentication via the DANE TLSA records is simpler to manage, as changes in receivers expected certificate things are made on the receivers end and dont need manually conversed configuration changes. With the mandatory DANE TLS, when the no usable TLSA records are found, message distribution is delayed. Thus, the mail is only sent only when an authenticated TLS channel is recognized to the remote SMTP server.

Theology :: essays research papers

How does Christ demonstrate he would remain sacramentally present to the community in the ritual of the Last Supper?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the Last Supper, which is also known as the sacred meal Jesus spoke to his disciples with the outmost amount of trust. He let them know through his words that he would be a part or one with them through anything. He actually said to them he would remain in their human lives no matter what. This meant that Jesus would be with them whether he was alive or dead. These disciples were his twelve closest friends. â€Å"Sacred meals, expressive of the human relationship to the devine, form a part of the ritual practice of many religions†¦ they share a sacred meal with [God] as a sign of their acceptance by him through the sacrificial act† (Paul Bradshaw. Early Christian Worship, A basic introduction to ideas and practice, The Liturgical Press, 1996, p.38). This quote shows the significance of the Last Supper. It was at this time that Jesus made a impact on these disciples for eternity. The disciples truly learned at this final meal that the Lord Jesus was and forever will be the chosen one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, â€Å"Take, eat; this is my body†. Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying â€Å"Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.† (The New Oxford Annotated Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha, New York, 1973, Matthew 26:26-28).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By saying these words, and making the actions that Jesus made, we see that the disciples will forever recall the life and death of Jesus, as well as all of Jesus’ achievements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Passover relates to the Last Supper through what can be called a Passover celebration. When celebrating Passover we remember Christ’s passing over the Israelites houses. When celebrating it is the berakoth, or the head of the household that actually leads the ritual. There is actually steps that occur while celebrating the Passover. Bread is handeled, then a small blessing is said before the bread is broken.

Galveston: A History and a Guide Essay

Galveston: A History and a Guide is primary a reading that introduces the history of this Texan territory as well as to how that particular history affect the said area’s present status. It also correlates it to the direct effect of the said history towards the entire American society today. Likely, the cultures and traditions of the said area in Texas had been clearly shown though this reading in an aim of bringing Texas towards the others who may have never known it yet. A clear picturesque of the Galveston is hosted through this reading through the use of pictures, maps and other overwhelmingly descriptive phrases that aim to make a connection between people who know the place and all the others who do not. Author Information Who else would be able to describe a certain area other than the one who has actually experienced living in it? This is the actual case of David McComb. As a professor of history, McComb managed to author four major books that are pertaining to the Texan past accounts. His constant connection with the historical events that make up a particular place made him rather much competent in handling the narration for the books that he has authored with regards Texas. His undoubted understanding of not only the place but also the people of the areas that he concentrates in, make his books an enjoyable and informative read for many. His enthusiasm in presenting everyone with the knowledge that he particularly has with regards the people who are living within the area makes the narration of the different sections of the books more realistic and imaginatively creative on the part of the ones reading the said written pieces. Thesis of the Book More than identifying Galveston as one of the primary areas the identify the reputation of Texas within the American society; the book of McComb intends to introduce the people living within the said area. The camaraderie among the people living within the said place has been pointed out by the author as a primary factor that characterizes the rapid growth of the small town towards progress. Galveston’s plight towards continuous improvement on its economic, social and even political aspects of progressive social contemplation of growth has actually been the main capturing idea of the reading that McComb created for his readers in this particular material. Through research and narrative approach, the author was indeed able to capture the most significant points that needed consideration on the part of relating to the readers about the truth behind the beauty of Galveston. He points out further that the reason why Galveston never cease to make development on its systems of existence is that its people also never cease to make way for better changes for their society. If there is one thing that is considered by McComb as a primary difference that Galveston has from the others, it is its people. Mc Comb never forgot to take notice of how the said group of communities making up the entire Galveston population continues to establish cooperation even in the middle of change that needs to be implemented to within the traditional norms of the said community. Likely, there are those who might have been giving the idea of change a hard thought, but it could never be denied that majority of the said population remains prepared for the changes in search of benefits that the said changes may offer them and their entire society later on. Most especially, these people, although different and individualistic in character always try to adjust to others living within their community. They themselves make it at least possible that their community would be much welcoming to all others regardless of their differences. Of course, nobody is saying that Galveston is by far the best community there is, although McComb believes that the people making up this particular community makes it quite different from the others. The beauty of the area itself characterizes the people that reside in it. Methodology of the Author With an aim to both inform and entertain readers, Galveston particularly tries to press the readers with bits of informations that he thinks would be most useful for their needs with regards the knowledge that they need to incur about Texas. As he particularly aims that everyone be a part of the audience that he caters to, he uses a narrative voice to entice the readers regardless of their age and their gender. Likely, he used this approach to keep the interest of his primary readers and give them a glimpse towards the full view of the ideas that he wants to share with regards the informations that he know about Texas. Further more, to make the reading more than just the usual text book, he placed in several pictures and maps as well as several important pieces of art that makes the characterization of the Galveston history and present a more vivid image on the minds of the readers. Through these materials, the author was able to create a time-capsule like approach in insisting the informations and messages about Texas that he primarily wants to address to his target readers. Other Book Reviews Some readers have found the book a rather interesting find that makes it a much reasonable piece of writing that should be read through the ages. To quote one, he said about the book: â€Å"The book is short, and $10 is way too much to pay for it. Still, if you can find a used copy, it does provide solid facts about events and people from Galveston’s colorful past. Cabeza de Vaca, Karankawa Indians, Michael B. Menard, Jean Laffite, The Bolivar Ferry, the Galveston harbor, William L. Moody, Battle of Galveston (civil war), 1900 Hurricane, the seawall, the raising if Galveston Island, the Maceo crime family, Prohibition and various tourist attractions are briefly touched on. There are several black and white photographs, including maps and an interesting â€Å"then and now† section about historical landmarks. † (J. Brundige. Amazon. com. http://www. amazon. com/Galveston-History-Guide-Cotten-Popular/dp/0876111789/ref=sr_1_1? ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215011282&sr=8-1) Clearly, as noted from this review, many would find the book a fine read about the history of Texas. More than informative, it could also be noted for being entertaining through the presentations that it features. Bringing the past of Galveston into reality at present is rather a very interesting approach in presenting the truth behind the history of a place that is now recognized as a part of a simply larger region. Conclusion Everything, every place and every person has its own history. It could not be denied that many believe that whatever that history is, it characterizes the attitude and the being of a certain thing or person that it creates a background of. In the reading authored by McComb with regards Galveston Texas, the provision of such a historical fact actually makes the readers more wonderfully acquainted with the area thus making it a more enjoyable and informative read for everyone who intends to learn about history and how it etches progress within a place towards its present status in the human community. References: J. Brundige. Amazon. com. http://www. amazon. com/Galveston-History-Guide-Cotten-Popular/dp/0876111789/ref=sr_1_1? ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215011282&sr=8-1. (July 2, 2008) David G. McComb. (2000). Galveston: A History and a Guide (Fred Rider Cotten Popular History Series, No. 15). Texas Christian University Press.

Chapter1 Inventory System of G-Erb Construction Supply

Chapter 1 1. Introduction In just half a century man’s way of life has drastically changed from black and white to vivid colors, for simplicity to complexity, and from laborious tasks to an easy click of the mouse. All these were brought about by the advent of modern technology, specifically with the invention and advancement of computers. High technology such as computers and other mediums is now in demand. Man is concerned on how to consume time wisely. They learned to explore and discover something new and tried to solve questions that pump up in their mind. Most of the establishments and institutions are using computer programs for business transactions. It helps employees to work efficiently in more comfortable way. New application is being developed to solve society’s problem. In this connection, computerized inventory is needed for G-ERB Construction Supply. Manual operation of inventory would cost a lot of effort and time; however, through a computerized inventory system everything would be better. This research is trying to establish a computerized inventory system. 1. Background of the Study Companies use information as a weapon in the battle to increase productivity, delivery quality products and services, maintain customer loyalty, and make sound decisions. In a global economy with intense competition, information technology can mean the difference between success and failure. Information technology has revolutionized the phase of business around the world. It helped business in advertising and in customer services. Accessibility of files also has become an easy task with series of password keys and shared folders. Cash transactions are asily made. Many companies are using inventory systems for their success and growth. Inventory systems have a variety of functions purposes in business such as promoting the sales functions of inventory. Promoting the sale function deals with availability of sufficient products for the customer whereas shrinkage control function deals with monitoring the occurrence of damage less or theft, etc of the products. The G-ERB Construction Sup ply was established by Engineer Gregorio Valdez and managed by his wife Michelle O. Valdez. His main branch is located at Cuartero Highway, Jaro Iloilo City. The business started in December 2000 with 10 employees at main branch and 15 at the other branch making his business more successful. As we all know, technology is obviously of help by saving money, time and effort. The purpose of this study is to create a computerized inventory system for G-ERB Construction Supply. The research will develop a software application which could be able to meet the needs of the company when it comes to their inventory management. 2. Statement of the Problem . 2. 1 General Problem After thorough gathering of data through investigation, the group was able to determine the inventory system for G-ERB Construction Supply which needs to developed a better inventory management and eliminate or reduce risks of errors and fraud. This study will seek to answer what enhancement and design the construction supply can adopt for a more effective and efficient inventory system. 1. 2. 2 Specific Problem According to the information gathered, it has obviously identified the specific problems: a. Inaccurate inventory report This affects the stock control and recording and the reliability of records and supply management system. Also, error in recording and computation was encountered by the manager. b. Unsecured stocks information Manual inventory slip has and often been lost because it was only written in a piece of paper. It might be an unauthorized person can intrude and freely changed any possible information anytime they want. c. Unorganized stocks information Due to unorganized stocks information, the manager cannot keep up to date records of the stocks that may lead to over buying of unneeded stocks. . Objectives of the Study The study aims to give a solution to the existing problem in the current inventory system of G-ERB Construction Supply. 1. 3. 1 General Objectives of the Study After identifying the problems of G-ERB Construction Supply, our group was able to establish the objectives. The main goal of the study is to evaluate the current manual inventory system of G-ERB Construction Supply a nd come up with computerized inventory system for a better inventory management. 1. 3. 2 Specific Objectives of the Study a. Accurate inventory report Specifically, the aim of the study is to acquire a systematic flow of item inventory that will lead to accurate recording and reliability of records and supply management. It also aims to provide an easy and reliable access and storage of data for the present and future purposes. b. Secured stock information To create and implement a program that could store and manage a wide variety and amount of products that can be easily retrieved. To provide better security for the records that only authorized personnel could have access to it by creating a secured password and also to eliminate data redundancy. . Organized stock information To develop a monitoring inventory which could process inventory items that are not time consuming, in order for the owner to retrieve data more efficiently compared to their manual inventory. 4. Significance of the Study The main focus of the study is to create system software that will develop, enhance and improve the current inventory system of G-ERB Const ruction Supply. Give an organized and systematic flow in order to lessen time, effort, expenses through the use of computerized inventory system. Establishment. Adoption of the system enables the G-ERB Construction Supply to be more competitive and earn advantages than other businesses with the help of high technologies today. It also keep an accurate count of stocks. Management. Inventory system is an application used in monitoring and tracking sales on the store shelves. It reduces the storage of the product, and most importantly the competitive edge of having an efficient management of supply that reduces time and correct report of inventory levels, hereby, cause reduction in error. Overall, it helps to minimized the storage, labour and handling cost. It is easy to manage and record all the incoming and outgoing supplies and can generate report retrieve data faster, so that they can avoid losing and misplacing data. Personnel. The system helps the personnel to do the job easier without pressure and hassle in doing it â€Å"on the spot†, and the system helps to do their job better without much time and effort, lessening their stres s. Students. The students may gain valuable knowledge rom the study since they may be future managers and programmers of different companies. This may enhance the students capabilities and potentials in applying different principles and theories they learned inside the classroom. Researchers. The researchers may gain knowledge for future studies. Through the proposed system, they would be able to improve the system for a better use. 1. 5 Scope and Limitation This study was conducted to determine and monitor records for the stock on hand and supply that are being sold and also, to keep the records updated and accurate. This study was conducted at G-ERB Construction Supply last November 26, 2011 together with the manager Ms. Michelle O. Valdez and the members of the research team. It focuses only on the stocks inventory and keeping the records updated and accurate in order for the owner to be well informed about the situation of her business. This study was only limited because it does not cover the whole operations of their accounting and billing department. It does not include ordering and saving customer’s records. It is more focus on updating the records of stocks or the inventory of stocks. This system will not function without electricity.

Free Essays on Rwanda

â€Å"The triumph of evil occurs when good men do nothing.† This quote was said by the modern day political philosopher, Edmund Burke. This quote means that it is when good people don’t take action that bad things are allowed to happen. This relates to the recent genocide in Rwanda, when the Hutus massacred the Tutsis over a period of 100 days in the summer of 1994. Three major ways in which good men did nothing is the UN’s avoided action, the soldiers who abandoned the Tutsis, and the United States’ refusal to use the word â€Å"genocide,† and took no action to prevent it. The UN did a large deal of procrastinating during the ordeal in Rwanda. At first, they wouldn’t even address that there was a problem, since no one stepped forward to say that there was one. They simply ignored it when the Rwanda ambassador told them that it was just a â€Å"civil war.† When the UN finally did admit to the fact that there was a problem, they made several promises of action. These promises were hollow. Few actions were actually made to defuse the problem. Now the UN had already broken its most sincere promise in only 50 years, to never allow the extermination of a single group of people. A promise made immediately following the end of the holocaust. All the UN really did was to send troops over there but that did little, the number of troop at one point was only a couple hundred, not nearly enough to stop the Hutu army. They also asked the US military to send in several APC, (Armored Personnel Carriers) only a few of which were sent into Rwanda . The rest, when they were finally finished after a long process, were sent to Uganda, the neighboring country. The soldiers sent in by the UN also displayed non-action during the genocide. At first, they managed to hold off the Hutus, even though they were outnumbered. It seemed as though the fact that the soldiers were there managed to drive them off. If they had kept the troops t... Free Essays on Rwanda Free Essays on Rwanda â€Å"The triumph of evil occurs when good men do nothing.† This quote was said by the modern day political philosopher, Edmund Burke. This quote means that it is when good people don’t take action that bad things are allowed to happen. This relates to the recent genocide in Rwanda, when the Hutus massacred the Tutsis over a period of 100 days in the summer of 1994. Three major ways in which good men did nothing is the UN’s avoided action, the soldiers who abandoned the Tutsis, and the United States’ refusal to use the word â€Å"genocide,† and took no action to prevent it. The UN did a large deal of procrastinating during the ordeal in Rwanda. At first, they wouldn’t even address that there was a problem, since no one stepped forward to say that there was one. They simply ignored it when the Rwanda ambassador told them that it was just a â€Å"civil war.† When the UN finally did admit to the fact that there was a problem, they made several promises of action. These promises were hollow. Few actions were actually made to defuse the problem. Now the UN had already broken its most sincere promise in only 50 years, to never allow the extermination of a single group of people. A promise made immediately following the end of the holocaust. All the UN really did was to send troops over there but that did little, the number of troop at one point was only a couple hundred, not nearly enough to stop the Hutu army. They also asked the US military to send in several APC, (Armored Personnel Carriers) only a few of which were sent into Rwanda . The rest, when they were finally finished after a long process, were sent to Uganda, the neighboring country. The soldiers sent in by the UN also displayed non-action during the genocide. At first, they managed to hold off the Hutus, even though they were outnumbered. It seemed as though the fact that the soldiers were there managed to drive them off. If they had kept the troops t...

Skepticism Philosophy Essay Essays

Skepticism Philosophy Essay Essays Skepticism Philosophy Essay Essay Skepticism Philosophy Essay Essay Essay Topic: The Peloponnesian War Incredulity: It comes from the Grecian word skeptikoi which means â€Å"seekers† or â€Å"inquirers. † It refers to the critical attitude wherein a adult male inquiries different things including the well-known absolute truth or cognition. Note that incredulity ( philosophical that is ) should be contrasted with philosophical bigotry wherein the latter is the direct antonym of the former. Philosophic bigotry refers to an attitude wherein a adult male believes to hold absolute truth/knowledge ( â€Å"dogma. † intending rigorous regulations ) . Short History of Skepticism Classical Skepticism. Gorgias A Sophist who believed that nil truly exists. He lived from 483-376 B. C. ( Leontini. Italy ) . He went to Athens to carry through his mission as an embassador. He was a pupil of Empedocles. In Greece. he was the wise man of Thucydides ( writer of the Peloponnesian War ) and Isocrates. His issue with respect to the doctrine of being can be understood by holding a full clasp on the logical contradiction. His whole thought of being commences from the premiss that nil exists. Or. if something exists. it must come from another beginning. The beginning of the being of â€Å"something† is said to be unknowable. Besides. Gorgias postulated that a â€Å"being† should come from another being. It is impossible for this being to come from nil. We can see Gorgias as a Sophist instead than a skeptic. It should be noted. nevertheless. that early incredulity came from the early sensed doctrine. and that is Stoicism. Philosophical Skepticism The followers are the philosophical enquiries of the sceptics: 1. Epistemology Can adult male attain absolute cognition? Where does the absolute cognition come from? How does feel perceptual experience operate in the service of accomplishing cognition? 2. Metaphysicss What is/are the composition/s of the existence? What are the separating characteristics of human nature? Does God be? 3. Ethical motives What should be the measure uping factors to measure human behavior? Is it possible for adult male to find whether an action is morally right or incorrect? 4. Metaphilosophy Is Philosophy important to human life? What are the proper purposes and ends of philosophical enquiry? Phyrro and Stoicism He is considered as the earliest philosophical sceptic in Western doctrine. He lived from 360 to 270 B. C. Some bookmans find a political beginning of Phyrro’s incredulity in this: on the theory that traumatic periods produce disenchantment and surrender. the souring and obsolescence of traditional beliefs. a retentive relativism of beliefs. virtuousnesss. and habits that will non delegate absolute high quality to any. and a demand for new methods of get bying in a feverish universe. Taught that peace of head was the highest terminal of life and that cognition of truth was required to achieve and keep it. Phyrro consequently sought truth. nevertheless for every philosophical inquiry that the Stoic doctrine replies ; it is being contradicted by several other schools of idea. What was worse was that each place had grounds and grounds to back up itself and to overthrow and rebut its oppositions. He gave up in desperation and admitted to himself that he could non make up ones mind among them and did non cognize what was true. The Stoics were accused by the Greeks as advocates of bigotry: It is the direct antonym of incredulity. A doctrinaire is certain that cognition is possible. because he is certain that he hold some. A individual is still a doctrinaire even if he is non certain. but still asserts something to be true. whether on a intuition. an intuition. and a sensed plenty of grounds. mystical urges. blazing bias. or crackbrained repeat. A. Academic Skepticism Asserts that at least some truths are wholly unknowable. Cicero postulated that: â€Å"Nothing could be known except the place that nil else could be known. † B. Empirical Skepticism An empirical sceptic is person who refuses to accept certain sorts of claims without first subjecting them to a series of scientific probe. Difference between an empirical sceptic and philosophical sceptic: a philosophical skeptic denies the really being of cognition while an empirical skeptic simply seeks for cogent evidence before accepting a claim. C. Scientific Skepticism A subdivision of empirical incredulity that addresses scientific claims. It uses scientific techniques in order to formalize the acquired cognition. D. Religious Skepticism It refers to incredulity towards religion. Religious sceptics based their claims harmonizing to immortality. Providence and disclosure. A spiritual sceptic is non needfully an atheist or an agnostic. David Hume: He was born in Edinburgh. Scotland. David was merely two old ages old when his male parent died. He was fond of analyzing Mathematics. History. Ancient and Modern Philosophy and Science. His major philosophical plants are: o A Treatise of Human Nature ( which he completed from 1739-1740 ) O Enquiries Concerning Human Understanding ( 1748 ) o Refering the Principles of Morals ( 1751 ) O Dialogues Concerning Religion ( 1779 ) He is besides considered as one of the best British empiricists along with George Berkeley and John Locke. His doctrine was partly influenced by Adam Smith ( his stopping point friend ) and Cicero ( ancient philosopher ) . David Hume’s Skeptic View on Reality and Human Belief David Hume is one of the greatest sceptics in the history of Philosophy. He besides influenced the development of the two philosophical schools of idea: empiricist philosophy and incredulity. Hume’s View on Reality Harmonizing to Hume. there are two differentiations of mental construct. to humor. feelings and thoughts. Impression – refers to the direct. vivid. and forceful merchandises of immediate experience. Ideas – these are simply lame transcripts of these original looks. It should be emphasized that these two differentiations should be treated individually with each other. Hume’s View on Human Belief Relations of Ideas/Priori – beliefs grounded on associations formed within the head. Matters of Fact/Posteriori – beliefs that claim to describe the nature of bing things. _____________________________________________________________________________ GROUP FOUR: UTILITARIAN PHILOSOPHY Basic Concepts ( Formal Definitions ) Etymologically talking. the word â€Å"utilitarianism† comes from the Latin word utilis. which means â€Å"useful. † In Ethics. utilitarianism is a philosophy that what is utile is good. and accordingly. that the ethical value of behavior is determined by the public-service corporation of the consequence. Utilitarian philosophers believe that it is normal for human existences to execute activities which lead towards felicity ( that is. to maximise felicity and to avoid hurting ) . This theory is under the normative political theory. Normative Political Theory – this theory asks a peculiar inquiry as â€Å"what is ought to be† as compared to the inquiry â€Å"what is† in political life. It is non confined on the scene or building moral theories. nevertheless. it analyzes the effects of the constructed moral theories in the political life of an person and how it is being applied/practiced in the existent political sphere. This attack of the normative political theory is spearheaded by Jeremy Bentham. He is a extremist nineteenth century societal reformist. who is seemingly a useful. Bentham argues that the nature of human existences is to obtain felicity ( complacency ) and to avoid hurting. In this respect. the morally right political determinations are based on the corporate felicity of the society. This corporate felicity may be characterized in the signifier of public-service corporation. This public-service corporation could be of any sort that would convey felicity to the society ( i. e. belongings. advantage. chance. goods. services etc. ) . Bentham did non supply theories or methods on how to achieve societal public-service corporation or maximization of felicity. Harmonizing to him. the attainment of felicity depends on how an single defines his/her felicity. In connexion to this. every member of the society which comprises the whole society should consolidate their definition of felicity in order to obtain societal public-service corporation. It should be emphasized that Bentham was focused on the involvement of community/group. The supreme aim of moral action and the foundation on which all morality should be grounded is the accomplishment of the greatest happiness/satisfaction of the greater figure. Nature of Utilitarianism Because this doctrine is greatly focused on the accomplishment ( or maximization ) of felicity. it doesn’t matter whether the consequence of the effect is good or bad. Remember the celebrated axiom of Niccolo Machiavelli: â€Å"the terminal justifies the agencies. †  · Hedonism It refers to an political orientation wherein felicity can be found between pleasance and hurting. Utilitarian philosophers besides use â€Å"hedonistic calculus† wherein they believe that a moralist could easy find the unit of pleasance and of hurting. O Bentham’s â€Å"hedonistic calculus† has similar construct with the theory of Epicurus. O The hedonic concretion is used to find the entire sum of pleasance and hurting of an person. O Moral agent –person who conducts hedonic concretion. Historical Traces of Utilitarian Philosophy It is believed that Utilitarian doctrine flourished in England. We can presuppose the fact that utilitarianism came from English doctrine. Some historiographers argued that Richard Cumberland originally perceived the thought of utilitarianism. He was an English philosopher and theologian ( bishop of Peterborough ) . Afterwards. a British â€Å"moral sense† philosopher clearly defined the useful doctrine. Francis Hutcheson did non merely explicate the philosophical position of utilitarianism which is â€Å"the greatest felicity for the greatest numbers† but he besides provided for a mechanism for ciphering the appropriate effects of the activities to achieve such felicity. This mechanism is called â€Å"moral arithmetic. † Jeremy Bentham. a outstanding figure in useful doctrine. admitted that he found the rule of public-service corporation from the Hagiographas of the following eighteenth century minds: O Joseph Priestly – a priest who was known for his find of â€Å"oxygen. † o Cesaria Beccaria – an expert in legal affairs ( Italian legal theoretician ) . o Claude-Adrien Helvetius – writer of a doctrine of â€Å"mere esthesis. † John Gay ( scriptural bookman and philosopher ) – he considered God’s will as the greatest modification factor for virtuousness. Furthermore. he argued that God’s goodness is the beginning of human felicity. Utilitarian Philosophers 1. Jeremy Bentham ( Developer of Utilitarian Philosophy ) Life: Bentham was a legal theoretician. linguist. societal philosopher and political militant. He came from a affluent household from England. Bentham was sent to Westminster School ( one of the esteemed school in England ) and Queen’s College Oxford. He was besides a practicing attorney ; nevertheless. he showed an firm involvement in doctrine. o He examined the philosophical plants of David Hume. Helvetius and Beccaria. Finally. he started to organize his ain thought of utilitarianism. o Bentham argued that the turning away of hurting and the chase of pleasance are the natural thrusts of human activity. as recognized by the â€Å"principle of public-service corporation. † 2. William Paley Life: Paley was born in July. 1743 ( Peterborough. England ) . He attained his spiritual grade ( Anglican priesthood ) at Christ’ College in Cambridge. He became a coach of Christ College three old ages after he graduated from the declared school. Harmonizing to Paley. utilitarianism is a combination ofindividualistic hedonism ( average between pleasance and hurting ) and theological dictatorship. 3. James Mill Life: Mill was born in April 6. 1773 ( Forfarshire ) . He was a boy of cobbler in Montrose. He was sent to the University of Edinburgh in 1790 and his instruction was financed by Sir John Stuart. James Mill received his M. A. grade in Edinburgh. He was a full pledged sermonizer. However. Mill bit by bit lost his religion and decided to reassign in Scotland until John Stuart invited him to populate in London. He became a author of the Literary Journal in London. It can be said that the closing of the Literary Journal had made him write assorted essays. articles and other literary plants such as his reappraisal on the history of Corn Laws and etc. He was the male parent of John Stuart Mill. another useful philosopher. Harmonizing to Mill. the turning away of hurting and the chase of pleasance are the two primary motivation forces behind human actions. He besides justified the being of the authorities in the society. He stated that the establishment of the authorities exists to guarantee these twin purposes ( maximization of pleasance and turning away of hurting ) are fulfilled for the greatest figure of people possible. Effectss of Utilitarianism in Other Disciplines Utilitarian doctrine has been so of import to the Fieldss of political relations. jurisprudence and economic sciences. Its theories are still relevant in the modern-day times particularly in rendering of import political determinations. care of societal stableness ( chase of pleasance and turning away of hurting ) and etc. A. Law For case. some viewed penalty as tantamount to â€Å"retributive theory. † This theory merely states that a condemnable ( i. e. convicted raper. liquidator or robber ) should be punished to pay for his offense. Harmonizing to the useful doctrine. penalty is served non to ease retribution/retaliation but to reform the felon and insulate the society from him. B. Politicss V Harmonizing to the useful philosophers. the best signifier of authorities is democracy. Social contract. natural rights and natural jurisprudence are the bases of authorities authorization and importance of single rights. V â€Å"Democracy† comes from the Grecian word demos which means â€Å"people. † It coincides with the philosophical purpose of useful doctrine wherein the general involvement of the people ( and maximization of their felicity ) should be the footing of the government’s political determinations. V Utilitarian doctrine is besides known for its comparative positions on socio-political issues. Harmonizing to this doctrine. a strong authorities should be needed to keep the selfish involvements of its topics. As mentioned before. one of the chief duties of the authorities is to keep the stableness of political order. Based on this rule. the useful statement is on the side of conservative/authoritarian place.  § Nazi Germany ( Adolf Hitler )  § Soviet Union ( Joseph Stalin )  § Cuba ( Fidel Castro ) On the other manus. William Godwin ( laminitis of philosophical anarchism ) had an optimistic position of human nature ( parallel to the philosophical theory of John Locke with respect to human nature ) . Harmonizing to him. the chase of greatest felicity may take into â€Å"philosophical anarchism. † Philosophical anarchism – Godwin emphasized that values must be profoundly imbibed in every person. Furthermore. he argued that sufficient supply of goods ( economic resources ) should be every bit distributed to guarantee that the economic demands of the society are decently fulfilled. He hoped that authorities governments must explicate Torahs to equalise the unjust distribution of wealth. Furthermore. Godwin stated that the authorities should minimise its engagement to advance academic freedom. C. Economics. Early useful philosophers argued that the authorities should non tamper on economic personal businesss of the society. Subsequently on. they admitted that the authorities has a important function in the economic system. Jeremy Bentham’s Mode of Thinking Theory of Psychological Hedonism Harmonizing to Bentham. human behaviour can be explained by mention to the primary motivations of pleasance and hurting. Pleasure and hurting – it is believed that nature has placed mankind under the administration of these two motivations. Utilitarian philosophers ever ask inquiries affecting â€Å"what we ought to do† and â€Å"what we shall make. † Bentham argued that the human person is the basic unit of societal domain. An individual’s relation with others is unneeded of being what he is. He defined â€Å"relation† as a fabricated world. Community. on the other manus. refers to the amount of the involvements of the persons who composed it. However. there are some cases that the involvements tend to collide with each other. Such happening diminishes the chief construct of â€Å"community† ( amount of the involvements of the persons ) . Bentham argued that the authorities and statute law should work together to harmonise the aforesaid struggle. Bentham’s Moral Theory The followers are the features of Bentham’s moral doctrine:  · Principle of public-service corporation It is synonymous to the â€Å"greatest felicity rule. † It concerns the involvements of the people who are in inquiry ; it can be the whole community. an person or a little part of the group. Bentham enumerated the advantages of the rule. to humor: O The rule should non be consulted to metaphysics philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. Thus. the chief kernel of the rule can be easy grasped. O The useful rule offers nonsubjective standard of right and incorrect – application of hedonic concretion  · Universal egoism or selflessness Assuming that the said establishments ( authorities and statute law ) successfully harmonized the involvements of every person in the community. the people may be given to work selflessly to prosecute the common good. O Altruism – it refers to the unselfish concern to the general public assistance of others. Determination of common involvement Hedonistic Ethics Utilitarian moralss can be defined as an art in which man’s action is geared towards maximal measure of felicity. Bentham’s Political Theory Harmonizing to Jeremy Bentham. one can understand jurisprudence and political relations if he/she has a good appreciation of human nature. On Liberty Bentham defined autonomy as a freedom from any external control. A individual can be considered as â€Å"free† if he/she is non under the influence of another individual. In his theory on autonomy. Bentham argued that there is no such thing as a â€Å"state of nature† and societal contract. He postulated that the latter is merely historical and fresh literature. On Law Bentham viewed jurisprudence as a restriction/limitation of autonomy. It can be considered as hurting ( a Prima facie evil ) to those whose freedom is restricted. The regulating jurisprudence within the society can non be considered as a â€Å"natural law† because it is harmonizing to the will of the Sovereign ( swayer ) . Bentham proposed that the jurisprudence should be in conformity with the natural jurisprudence. that is. it should be paralleled with the common involvement of the people. The followers are the positive maps of good Torahs ( although Bentham still regarded Torahs as limitation to autonomy ) :  § Good Torahs are indispensable to good authorities.  § Good Torahs are necessary to keep societal stableness.  § Good Torahs develop and protect the people’s personal and material resources. On Rights Bentham’s position on rights can be rooted on his doctrine about natural jurisprudence. Harmonizing to Bentham. rights are produced by Torahs. and as affirmed before. Torahs can be attributed to the will of the Sovereign. Socio-political organisation must be formed in order for these two to be. Bentham related his position on the societal contract theory with the being and usage of rights. Harmonizing to him. it is impossible that rights exist before the constitution of the authorities. Harmonizing to Jeremy Bentham. the theory of societal contract is impossible ( if non historical ) because in order for the said contract to adhere. there must be an constituted authorities to implement such contract.  § In contrary. the authorities must be before the definition of different rights. This would once more. take into the issue with respect to jurisprudence and autonomy ( where the Sovereign dictates the sum of autonomy and rights that should be given to the people ) . John Stuart Mill’s Mode of Thinking Moral Theory J. S. Mill’s two distinguishable attacks to moral theory: Intuitive Approach – cognition is attained without holding an entreaty to see. Inductive Approach – cognition is gained through observation and experience. J. S. Mill’s Utilitarian Philosophy Mill believed that actions are right if they tend to advance felicity and incorrect if they tend to present the antonym of it. For him. felicity can be associated with rational and animal pleasance. He besides stated that everything we desire can be considered as felicity. The followers are some of the illustrations of felicity: Virtue Love of money Power Fame He besides enumerated two sorts of motive: External Motivation – this arises from hope of pleasing or fright of displeasing God and other worlds. Internal Motivation – this arises from responsibility. Duty – it refers to the subjective feeling which develops through experience. Furthermore. worlds have an natural feeling of integrity which guides the development of responsibility towards greater felicity. Mill’s Proof of the Principle of Utility:  · The lone manner to turn out that general felicity is desirable is to demo that people really desire it.  § For case. if X is the lone thing desired. so X is the lone thing that ought to be desired. General felicity is the thing desired. On Justice Apparently. J. S. Mill’s construct of justness is paralleled to the useful doctrine. There are two indispensable elements on justness. to humor: Punishment – it is a combination of societal understanding and retribution Violation of someone’s rights – violation of rights. There are differences in the impression of justness when analyzing theories of penalties. just distribution of wealth and etc.  ¦ Political and Social Philosophy On Individuality – J. S. Mill prescribed two standards to find the best sort of single. to humor: Person who is separately responsible for his ain beliefs and actions. Person who will non merely be happy in his ain instance but will be concerned with and lend to the felicity of others. Social Institutions that Contribute to Individuality: Free and uncensored argument. J. S. Mill regarded autonomy as a cardinal human right. Democracy and representative authoritiess encourage freedom and address.

Definition and Examples of Anti-Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Anti-Rhetoric In argumentative speech and  writing, anti-rhetoric is  the act of disparaging an opponents use of language by characterizing it as rhetoric or oratory, with the implication that eloquent language is inherently meaningless (mere words) or deceitful. Also called straight talk. As Sam Leith has observed, Being anti-rhetoric is, finally, just another rhetorical strategy. Rhetoric is what the other guy is doing- whereas you, youre just speaking the plain truth as you see it (Words Like Loaded Pistols: Rhetoric From Aristotle to Obama; Basic Books, 2012). Examples and Observations My opponent gives speeches. I offer solutions. (Hillary Rodham Clinton in a speech to General Motors employees in Warren, Ohio, Feb. 14, 2008) We think this journal may at least be justly commended for its comparative freedom from high-flown rhetoric. We recently rejected a somewhat elaborate paper on an important topic chiefly on account of its stilted and turgid style, and our pen often makes sad work with the fine passages which adorn (?) the contributions sent us by young writers. (E.E. White, editorial in The National Teacher, Volume 1, 1871) Taffeta phrases, silken terms precise,Three-piled hyperboles, spruce affectation,Figures pedantical; these summer-fliesHave blown me full of maggot ostentation:I do forswear them; and I here protest,By this white glove- how white the hand, God knows!- Henceforth my wooing mind shall be expressdIn russet yeas and honest kersey noes.(Lord Berowne in William Shakespeares Loves Labours Lost, Act 5, scene 2) Palin vs. Obama: Cravin That Straight TalkBarack Obama has been denounced again and again as a privileged wordsmith, a man of mere words who has authored two books (to use Sarah Palin’s verb), and done little else. The leathery extremist Phyllis Schlafly had this to say, at the Republican Convention, about Palin: I like her because she’s a woman who’s worked with her hands, which Barack Obama never did, he was just an à ©litist who worked with words. The fresher-faced extremist Rick Santorum, a former Republican senator, called Obama just a person of words, adding, Words are everything to him. . . .†Sarah Palin . . . may claim, as she did in last Thursday’s Vice-Presidential debate, that Americans are cravin’ that straight talk, but they are sure not going to get it from the Governor- not with her peculiar habit of speaking only half a sentence and then moving on to another for spoliation, that strange, ghostly drifting through the haziest ph rases. (James Wood, Verbage. The New Yorker, October 13, 2008) The Anti-Rhetoric of Presidents and Prime Ministers   It is in their trenchant opposition to rhetoric, oratory, and their corresponding celebration of rhetorical simplicity that presidents have been most explicitly anti-intellectual. Here, the link between rhetorical simplicity and anti-intellectualism . . . is manifest. President Eisenhowers definition of an intellectual displays this link: the intellectual . . . [is] a man who takes more words than are necessary to tell more than he knows, he once proposed. A Nixon speechwriter echoes this statement when he observes: the people who are most eloquent are often the least wise. As a Regan speechwriter observes, One of the great myths of the modern age in particular is that great speeches and effective leadership [are] about speaking cleverly. (Elvin T. Lim, The Anti-Intellectual Presidency: The Decline of Presidential Rhetoric from George Washington to George W. Bush. Oxford University Press, 2008)In October 1966, knowing that the Labour Minister (and one-time Fellow of New College, Oxford) Richard Crossman would be winding up a debate on prices and incomes, [Margaret Thatcher] took the opportunity to discredit her opponents eloquence in advance. We are all used to the right hon. Gentlemans ebullient, effervescent style, she said. It is always extremely attractive. It is often something of an Oxford Union style. Responding to some laughter in the Chamber, she went on: I assure hon. Members that I am making no blandishments. The right hon. Gentleman has the kind of style which sounds tremendously impressive and which is most agreeable to listen to, but I find that one never believes a word of what he says because one knows that he is quite capable of making just as attractive an ebullient and effervescent speech tomorrow entirely contradicting all he has said today. . . .Of course, her own plain speaking is as much a rhetorical construction as the grandest of styles, and it is a relatively simple task to show that, knowingly or not, many of her assertions of plain political sincerity are figuratively produced. We say what we mean and mean what we say, is one of many examples of her use of antimetabole, where, ironically, the circular and self-validating structure of the figure is asked to create an impression of straight talking. (Christopher Reid, Margaret Thatcher and the Gendering of Political Oratory. Oratory in Action, ed. by Michael Edwards and Christopher Reid. Manchester University Press, 2004) Anti-Rhetoric As a Strategic Act: Mark Antony,Silvio Berlusconi, and Donald Trump [T]he I just want to tell it like it is maneuver is a familiar one in the annals of rhetoric. It’s what Mark Antony is up to when he says to the Roman crowd in Julius Caesar, I am no orator, as Brutus is; / But, as you know me all, a plain, blunt man,† in the midst of his â€Å"Friends, Romans and countrymen† speech, one of the most cunning displays of technical rhetoric, not only in Shakespeare, but in the English language. Rhetoric  is the language Rome’s elite used to debate; by denying that he knows the first thing about it, Mark Antony is in effect tearing up his gold membership card and reassuring his plebeian audience that, though he may look rich and powerful, he is really one of them. Nearly four centuries after Shakespeare wrote those words, Silvio Berlusconi successfully struck the same pose in modern Italy. If there’s one thing I can’t abide it’s  rhetoric, he told the Italian public. All I’m interested in is what needs to get done.But for all its protests,  anti-rhetoric  is just another form of rhetoric and, whether Mr. [Donald]  Trump is conscious of it or not, it has its own  rhetorical  markers. Short sentences (We have to build a wall, folks!) that pummel the listener in a series of sharp jabs. . . .Anti-rhetoric  also uses I and you  constantly, because its central goal is not to lay out an argument but to assert a relationship, and a story about us and our struggle against them. It says the things society has deemed unsayable, at least in part to demonstrate contempt for the  rhetorical  conventions imposed by the elite- and if that elite then cries out in horror, so much the better.(Mark Thompson, Trump a nd the Dark History of Straight Talk. The New York Times, August 27, 2016) The term rhetoric of anti-rhetoric refers to the fact that many public speakers, in politics and law courts, self-consciously distance themselves from perverse uses of deceitful rhetoric, while presenting themselves as courageous truth-tellers. They use this topos in their self-presentation to align themselves squarely with public interest, and that would obviously give them an edge in a competitive environment. Speakers demonstrate in this way that they are aware of the importance of speeches as a vehicle for deliberation and of the dangers posed by deceptive communication [Jon Hesk, 2000:pp. 4-5]. The topos not only functions as a strategic act of self-authorisation, it is also inherently antagonistic in that one distances oneself from ones adversaries, who are, it is implied, likely to engage in illicit rhetorical maneuvering (ibid. pp. 169, 208). (Ineke Sluiter, Deliberation, Free Speech and the Marketplace of Ideas. Bending Opinion: Essays on Persuasion in the Public Domain, ed. by Ton Van Haaften, Henrike Jansen, Jaap De Jong, and Willem De Koetsenruijter. Leiden University Press, 2011) Anti-Rhetoric in the Human Sciences Where is rhetoric to be found in the development of the human sciences? Boeckhs Enzklopadie includes rhetoric in the chapter on the empirical human sciences and understands it as a theory of stylistic speech form . . .. According to Boeckh, . . . [rhetoric] finally relapsed into insubstantial and affected verbosity. In the modern period, however, the theory of rhetoric made no progress, indeed it had been neglected and almost forgotten because attention is directed more towards intellectual substance than to form. Boeckhs statement indicates the three-fold aspects of anti-rhetoric apparent in the human sciences. First, form is considered as external, as something imposed upon the intellectual content; second, rhetoric is devalued as an unphilosophical artistic skill; and third, as a persuasive art it is subordinated to the dialectical theory of knowledge.(Walter Rà ¼egg, Rhetoric and Anti-Rhetoric in the 19th and 20th Century Human Sciences in Germany. The Recovery of Rhetoric: Persuasive Discourse and Disciplinarity in the Human Sciences, ed. by R.H. Roberts and J.M.M. Good. University  Press of Virginia, 1993) Anti-Anti-Rhetoric The invitation to rhetoric is not, I emphasize, an invitation to replace careful analysis with rhetoric, or to abandon mathematics in favor of name-calling or flowery language. The good rhetorician loves care, precision, explicitness, and economy in argument as much as the next person. . . . The suspicion of rhetoric is as old as philosophy itself: we cannot use mere plausibility because an eloquent speaker could fool us: Socrates: And he who possesses the art [of rhetoric] can make the same thing appear to the same people just, now unjust, at will?Phaedrus: To be sure.( Phaedrus 261d) We need something, it has been said, besides the mere social fact that an argument proved persuasive.To such an objection the answers, then, are two. Science and other epistemologically pure methods can also be used to lie. Our defense must be to discourage lying, not to discourage a certain class of talk. Secondly, talk against talk is self-refuting. The person making it appeals to Anti-Anti-Rhetoric a social, nonepistemological standard of persuasiveness by the very act of trying to persuade someone that mere persuasion is not enough. (Deirdre N. McCloskey, The Rhetoric of Economics, 2nd ed. University  of Wisconsin Press, 1998)

Postmodernism Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Postmodernism Cinema - Essay Example The essay "Postmodernism Cinema" states postmodernism and cinema. This paper also analyzes Andrew Tudor’s work â€Å"From Paranoia to Postmodernism: The Horror Movie in the Late Modern Society.† The term postmodernism has been widely applied in contemporary horror films. Various discussions regarding the applicability of the term started in the past century. In 1986, Tania Modleski managed to establish the relationship between the present developments in the horror film industry and postmodern theory. In 1989, the Tudors study about â€Å"Monsters and Mad Scientists† showed that particular aspects affiliated with modern horror is linked to at least some social changes, which can be considered as postmodern. In 1990, Noel Carroll made a similar point in a subtle manner. He stipulated that horror genre in the contemporary world serves as an exoteric expression portraying similar feelings that are evident in the case of intelligentsia based on the concept of postmod ernism. The arguments reveal that it is vital for humans to diagnose the current society with regard to postmodernism. As such, it is challenging to resist the cultural resonance, which reflects postmodern horror. In this case, the term can be regarded as descriptive in an unproblematic manner. It should not be aimed at making few attempts to evaluate the proposition that reveals there is something regarding modern horror movies which creates a need for illustration. It is possible to stipulate that they live in a period characterized by ‘postmodern’ horror.

Concert Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Concert Review - Essay Example Notably, the performers were a combination of instrumentalists and vocalists. Indeed, Mateusz Wolski played the Violin; Inon Barnatan played the Piano, and Julian Schwarz played the cello while Mid-Columbia Mastersingers provided the vocals under the leadership of Jeremy Briggs Roberts. The first to perform was Jeremy Briggs Roberts conducted the live performance while the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers provided the vocals. The performance of Piazzolla’s â€Å"Four Seasons of Buenos Aires† was fascinating and soul fulfilling courtesy of a calm tone, harmonious melody, and smooth texture presented by the vocalists. According to their general expressions, the band appeared prepared to entertain the audience. Although the melody of the set was highly syncopated, I managed to count the 12 bars. The sweet rhythm provided by Mateusz Wolski, the violinist, complemented the melody. The pianist harmonized the performance with a moderate tempo, cool tone, and harmonious melody that rhymed well with the cello played by Julian Schwarz. The performance marked the climax of the concert with high tones, sweet melodies, and precise rhymes. Notably, the live performance corresponds to the classical stylistic period learnt in class. The second performance on stage featured Mateusz Wolski the violinist. The following piece was included in the performance: â€Å"Maracanzo† and â€Å"Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.† Indeed, the combination of the vocalists and instrumentalists in the performance of â€Å"Maracanzo† and â€Å"Four Seasons of Buenos Aires† was so fascinating and entertaining. The form employed was AABB. Specifically, I enjoyed the part played by Mateusz Wolski the violinist since it was melodious, high-pitched, had a moderate tempo, and was so clear and coordinated. Moreover, as a football fan, I identified with the terrific performance of â€Å"Maracanzo† that created a stadium feeling. The performance depicted the memorable 1950

Traditional Marriages vs. Arranged Marriages Essay

Traditional Marriages vs. Arranged Marriages - Essay Example In this type of marriage, the individuals do not value their traditions and can adopt any lifestyle provided they are comfortable with it. On the other hand, in arranged marriages, the individuals do value their traditions of family and social life; hence there is restriction as to whom they should marry. This kind of marriage is very common in Middle East and part of Asia and Africa. It is also very common among the royal families and unification movement. Those practicing arranged marriages are mindful of their family traditions and social values and for this case; they ensure that they get a spouse within their castle. For the case they ensure the marriage partner comes not only from the same caste but from the same sub-castle. Traditional marriage has many options as there are many ways that those marrying might have come across each other. They might have across each other in college, in church or even social gathering and developed a liking in each other thereby developing a relationship leading to marriage. On the other hand, in arranged marriage it has only one option as the parents are the ones in charge of finding a matching partner for their son/daughter. In this case, the parent identify a matching partner for their son/daughter and then approaches the parents for negotiation even before the marrying partners have met. In traditional marriage because it can be done hurriedly, they do not emphasize on finding the most suitable partner hence leading to a high number of divorce rates among the marrying couples. The partners might have met in college, church or even social gathering and developed a liking in each other thereby think they can marry. This might be done in a hurry without investigating the family background of the partner or even the past life, only to realize later on that the relationship can not work. This leads to divorces now and then in the society. On the other hand, in arranged marriages, a lot of emphasis on the matching partner is taken and the family background scrutinized whether it has a good reputation or not. The parent take time before they can finally approve that the partner can marry their son/daughter and then give a go ahead their daughter/son to meet. In these situations, these individuals have so much faith with their parents such that they would not like to disappoint them; hence they ensure the marriage last. The couple respect each other and they always know that their parent have chosen the best partner for them. In traditional marriages, the marrying partners have a variety of people and lifestyle to choose on terms of marriage partners. For this case, they are free to marry from anyone they feel they can cope with. This is unlike in arranged marriage whereby the parent chooses the partner for their son/daughter hence no freedom at all in terms of choosing a partner in terms of likeness of lifestyle. In arranged marriages, the parents have to look at so many factors before they approves that the partner can fit in their family or not. Some of the factors they do consider are the family background, education, social life, age, height and beauty. For this case, t

Social Media Individual Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Social Media Individual Assignment - Essay Example It is away to communicate with people, share feelings, photos, knowledge, politics, hobbies, lifestyles and other interests. Social networking enables individuals to stay connected with each other irrespective of geographical distances, culture, bindings etc. Thus social networking work as an online community. An access to social networking sites enables one to socialize. However, as every technology has pros and cons, social networking also possesses positive and negatives with it. Yes, I do have social networking site. I have an account on Facebook. It allows me to establish new relationships, reunite with friends and other relatives and strengthen relations. My friends with common interests come on the common platform, i.e. Facebook and can share their thoughts and ideas to march ahead. Social networking facilitates free messaging, gaming, invitations, blogging, sharing events, photos, help either related to some personal matter such as health or some meaningful advice. We share our views, frame opinion and concerns. Yes, I would not like to share my personal pictures, videos and important files on social network sites as they may be accessed from any corner of the world and could be used/ misused. Hence, I take care while uploading anything on my social network sites. As social media enables its users to access the information uploaded on the social networking sites from any corner of the world it poses numerous problems. The companies must set policies on regulation of social media use which should be amended from time to time especially in the discussions what to share through social networking sites and where to stop else facility like social media network will do more destruction than good Social networking sites as other computing sites are prone to the attacks of hackers, they may inject malicious codes into most popular social networking sites, either through advertisements or through third-party apps. Numerous

How and Why Do Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood Display the Female Essay

How and Why Do Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood Display the Female Body Clothing - Essay Example The author of the essay "How and Why Do Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood Display the Female Body Clothing" makes a comparative analyzis of both designers views. Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood are reputed to be two of the most prominent female-clothing fashion designers in the modern world. Although they both celebrate the female form with a modern theme on an old world base, Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood each manage to blend their cultural and personal backgrounds to produce very different effects. In the end the author concludes that two designers are totally different in how they get things done, but there is no doubt in the minds of the fashion world about their talent and ability to portray the female body in unique and beautiful ways. They each grew up with different backgrounds, and both of them have developed a fresh modern wave of fashion in the art world. Although it is undeniable the two differ in style, you could say they share the same intent. They each are working to help expand the modern art styles in fashion and design by incorporating many new techniques, materials and breakthroughs in the fashion world, while still focusing on the idea of the feminine strength and old world values. Where Miyake has succeeded in introducing Asian art to the modern French movement by using traditional styles, Westwood has succeeded in gaining social acceptance for a rising group of the sexually active populace. Through the work of both designers, one can see how many cultures ar e beginning to mix.

European Integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 3

European Integration - Essay Example It was through this European Integration Roundtable of Industrialists is that the transnational corporations tried to influence the European integration process, the nineteen eighties. It was this ERT forum from where a number of industrialists of Europe helped in the forming of agenda and the re-launching of the single market program. This also led to the development of transnational elite capitalists you brought in a number of neo-liberal concepts and ideas which eventually helped the formation of a single market program. Adriaan H. Dierx(2004, p. 237) states ‘The process of European integration and the past decade has been closely associated with the single market program (now evolved into the internal market strategy) and economic and monetary union. This process has been pushed forward by highly publicized deadlines and target dates giving the first impression of abrupt change in the economic environment. In practice, however, businesses and consumers tend to anticipate such change and modify their behavior even before the formal change is made. On the other hand, often the full impact of the economic reform is felt only years after their introduction. This implies that European integration as a continuous process, one in which the speed of progress may be affected by policy initiatives such as the SMP and the EMU and which takes place in conjunction with other events influencing the behavior of economic agents and the performances of the economy, such as globalization or the ICT revolution.à ¢â‚¬â„¢ The ERT can be viewed as an elite comprising of trans-national capitalists who have neoliberal concepts and who occasionally takes part in the social struggle for dominance in the European culture. Europe is not is becoming a part of the global economy, politically and financially. Therefore the businesses in Europe are transforming to globalized and transnationalised businesses. There are basically three large economic blocks in the world:  USA, Japan, and Europe.  

How and Why Do Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood Display the Female Essay

How and Why Do Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood Display the Female Body Clothing - Essay Example The author of the essay "How and Why Do Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood Display the Female Body Clothing" makes a comparative analyzis of both designers views. Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood are reputed to be two of the most prominent female-clothing fashion designers in the modern world. Although they both celebrate the female form with a modern theme on an old world base, Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood each manage to blend their cultural and personal backgrounds to produce very different effects. In the end the author concludes that two designers are totally different in how they get things done, but there is no doubt in the minds of the fashion world about their talent and ability to portray the female body in unique and beautiful ways. They each grew up with different backgrounds, and both of them have developed a fresh modern wave of fashion in the art world. Although it is undeniable the two differ in style, you could say they share the same intent. They each are working to help expand the modern art styles in fashion and design by incorporating many new techniques, materials and breakthroughs in the fashion world, while still focusing on the idea of the feminine strength and old world values. Where Miyake has succeeded in introducing Asian art to the modern French movement by using traditional styles, Westwood has succeeded in gaining social acceptance for a rising group of the sexually active populace. Through the work of both designers, one can see how many cultures ar e beginning to mix.

Relations between states Essay Example for Free

Relations between states Essay Winston Churchill famously lamented, â€Å"It may be that we shall by a process of sublime irony have reached a stage in this story where safety will be the sturdy child of terror, and survival the twin brother of annihilation. † In the wake of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a new nuclear age was ushered in with mushroom clouds and unimaginable destruction. Suddenly, humankind had invented a weapon powerful enough—if used in sufficient quantity—to destroy the Earth’s capacity to sustain human life. For the world, the menace of nuclear winter was terrifying. To social scientists, it was equally frightening, but also presented a new paradigm of international relations. Technology has evolved throughout history, but never before had an advancement in weapons fundamentally shifted anything more than battlefield tactics. Nuclear weapons, on the other hand, brought a tremendous shift in the relations between states. Suddenly, the stakes of war were different; suddenly, war between two states had implications for the planet that wars had never produced before. John Mueller, in his article â€Å"The Irrelevance of Nuclear Weapons,† disputes the idea that nuclear weapons actually fundamentally changed the landscape of international relations. Instead, Mueller argues, the horrors of World Wars I and II already escalated the stakes of warfare to a tipping point level, where the costs were so high that warfare was naturally deterred between stable, developed states. Specifically, Mueller cites the memory of World War II, superpower contentment with the postwar status quo, Soviet ideology, and a fear of escalation as the primary four reasons that nuclear weapons did not fundamentally change the nature of war deterrence. Mueller’s argument, while logically sound, has not held up to the tests of empiricism. Mueller’s first argument—that nuclear deterrence had little impact because all nations were already so horrified by the devastation wrought by World War II that they would never repeat its destruction—is weak. Certainly, World War II is the most tragic and destructive event of the twentieth century and probably is unrivalled in human history for its breadth of brutality and human loss of life. Yet, as Mueller admits, World War I was enough to convince the world of the maxim â€Å"never again,† only to have a similar conflict erupt twenty years after the guns of World War I were silenced. On top of the similarity between World War I and World War II, the wake of World War II was not free from conflict. For the United States, even, the Korean conflict broke out less than a decade after World War II and was quickly followed by Vietnam. Both conflicts brought about staggering casualties. Clearly, World War II was worse, but it was not enough of a deterrent to stop many wars in its aftermath. In other words, Mueller’s argument that nuclear deterrence did not fundamentally shift the landscape because World War II’s horrors took care of doing so, does not stand up to the test of facts; conflicts erupted regardless. More importantly, however, nuclear war would be substantially different than World War II. World War II was immensely devastating because it was fought by enormous armies of many different countries for several years. Nuclear war could not be more different; it could be carried out with little more than a small air force, the right bombs, and could last days. Once the Soviet Union and the United States acquired nuclear weapons, it was a different ballgame. Entire cities could be wiped off the map in a second. For policymakers, that changed the incentive structures. Undertaking a war with the Soviet Union prior to the nuclear age would have enlisted the entire nation’s resources, citizens, and finances. On the other hand, when there was an asymmetry of power—between 1945 and 1949 specifically—the American government could have eliminated a Soviet city from existence with little more than a single jet and a small aircrew. That skewed the playing field heavily in the favor of the United States. But, that changed when the Soviets acquired nuclear capability. Suddenly, both countries faced the same incentives and the same disincentives to go to war; each was assured that a nuclear attack by one would prompt a retaliation—perhaps a disproportionate one—from the other. This created a paradox—without having to deploy armies or finance massive military campaigns, war was much closer; it simply took an order from Washington or Moscow. Yet, the stakes were also higher. With nuclear weapons in play, escalation was simultaneously much closer and much less desirable. The fact that conventional conflicts between states raged on in the post-war era but nuclear conflict has never arisen speaks volumes about the unique power of a nuclear deterrent. Thus, Mueller’s argument about the deterrence of conventional conflict does not hold up to analytical scrutiny given history’s contradiction. Moreover, Mueller’s argument that the superpowers were already unlikely to go to war (with or without nuclear weapons) because they were content with the status quo is equally vacuous. Certainly, the superpowers never engaged directly in combat. But nuclear weapon deterrent theory posits that nuclear weapons impedes escalation to the highest levels because the costs associated are simply unbearable for all involved parties. In other words, if Mueller is correct that the post-war status quo already acted as a sufficient deterrent, then the superpowers should have been peaceful throughout the Cold War. Far from it, they instead engaged in many proxy wars—wars specifically designed to allow low-level conflict as each vied for further control of the globe, but simultaneously to ensure that the conflict would never rage out of control and risk bringing nuclear weapons to the table. Cold War flare ups between communist and capitalist powers prove Mueller’s theory to be false; the post-war status quo was repeatedly altered as the Soviets and Americans each sought to expand their power and gain a strategic advantage over their enemy, without inviting the use of nuclear weapons precisely because of nuclear deterrence. Mueller’s third argument—that Soviet ideology was a sufficient deterrent that is often mis-attributed to the myth of nuclear deterrence—is simply a red herring. Mueller makes a strong case, certainly, but it does not address the fundamentals of nuclear deterrence theory. Simply because the Soviets in particular may have been less likely to engage in a full-out war with another hegemonic power, that does not negate the validity of nuclear deterrence theory. Simply stated, nuclear deterrence theory is an idea that applies to all states, and invoking the Soviet case to disprove the entirety of the rule is a weak attack that falls flat. Mueller’s fourth argument—that a fear of escalation was already in place and did not need nuclear weapons to operate—is equally flawed. Fear of escalation is precisely the heart of nuclear deterrence theory: nuclear weapons prevent war because provoking a nuclear power is likely to yield unspeakable horrors. Mueller suggests that the threat of war alone is horrific enough to produce a similar deterrent and that as a result, nuclear weapons did little to change deterrence dynamics. But empirical research disagrees. According to Robert Rauchhaus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, â€Å"When a nuclear asymmetry exists between two states, there is a greater chance of militarized disputes and war. In contrast, when there is symmetry and both states possess nuclear weapons, then the odds of war precipitously drop. † Rauchhaus’s research, which draws upon many decades of empirical research, quantitatively validates the importance of nuclear weapons. Even though, as Rauchhaus points out, nuclear weapons are not universally positive in their deterrent effects (asymmetrical nuclear capabilities can promote rather than deter war, for example), they inevitably have an impact (and a substantial one at that) on international affairs. This study flies in the face of Mueller’s claim that nuclear weapons are simply tangential deterrents running parallel to a larger deterrent growing out of the desire to avoid large wars. On all four fronts, Mueller’s claims are flimsy. His article is nonetheless important because it challenges the premises of deterrent theory and suggests an alternative viewpoint. In the end, however, it seems that nuclear weapons do make a difference: conventional wars continue at regular intervals, but no nuclear weapon has been dropped in warfare since the horrors of Nagasaki and Hiroshima jolted the world into a stunned realization that nuclear warfare was simply unacceptable and needed to be avoided at all costs.