Universal Healthcare: The Pros and Cons

Universal Healthcare: The Pros and Cons On March 23, 2010 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed by President Obama, raising the question for many of whether this new law was going to be more helpful or hurtful. With universal healthcare, healthcare coverage would be increased tremendously, costs would be reduced, Jobs would be created, and consumers would be protected. Conversely, it will also raise taxes and wait times, lead to a smaller number of doctors, and infringe on some employers' 1st amendment rights.Presenting both arguments for and against the Patient Protection nd Affordable Care Act allows one to draw a conclusion on whether the new program will benefit or hinder the citizens of the United States. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or PPACA, will extend coverage to virtually every US citizen. It is estimated that approximately 45 million Americans are uninsured, and 45,000 of those citizens are dying each year simply because they do not h ave health care (Ireland). Once this new act takes effect, 32 of those 45 million citizens will receive coverage.Citizens whose ages range from 19 to 25 will be able to stay on their parent's insurance plans when normally they would have been forced ff the plan. Young adults who are not on their parent's insurance plans and who normally wouldn't be able to afford coverage will now be able to pay for their own health insurance. Currently, patients with pre-existing conditions can be denied coverage. However, with the PPACA, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage or stop coverage when a member becomes ill.Women will also be granted additional coverage, such as receive access to women's health services, and these new benefits are also required to have no out of pocket fees. Also, the availability of contraception, such as abortion, will be expanded (â€Å"The Patient Protection†). The cost of health care will be greatly reduced by the PPACA, and this will ha ve a chain reaction on big businesses and employees. With almost 95 percent of citizens paying for health insurance, costs for health care will decrease (Poe).Once the cost for health care declines, it will cost less for big businesses to hire employees. It is estimated that 4 million Jobs will be created over the next 10 years. The PPACA also affects the economy in another way; it will reduce the national deficit. Contrary to popular belief, the passing of this law will reduce the national debt by 210 billion ollars within the next decade. If it were repealed, the national debt would be raised by $230 billion (Poe). The PPACA also offers various other benefits to citizens.Catherine Poe states that once the law is passed, there will be † no more Freddie the Freeloaders allowed†; if a citizen can afford health insurance and does not purchase it, he or she will pay a fee of one percent of his or her household income. This fee will increase to 2. 5 percent by 2017. This wil l prevent citizens from not paying for health insurance and Just continuing to live off of the tax dollars of other citizens who do pay for their health nsurance. Also, the PPACA will protect consumers from the overcharging by health insurance providers.It will torce the providers to spend 80 percent ot their income on rebates or expenses, such as health and marketing expenses (â€Å"Obamacare†). While the PPACA will benefit citizens greatly, it also has its negative side effects. As previously discussed, the PPACA will lower healthcare costs and the national debt, but it will also hurt the economy as well. The cost of drugs is expected to rise due to pharmaceutical companies paying an additional 84. 8 billion dollars over the next decade (â€Å"The Patient Protection†).Taxes will also be raised in order to cover the additional costs brought on by the new program. The additional taxes will be charged to individuals making over $200,000 and couples making over $250,000. Additionally, families will only be able to deduct medical costs that surpass 10 percent of their annual income, compared to the 7. 5 percent that is currently allowed. It was stated earlier in this paper that big businesses would benefit from this law; however, the exact opposite is true for small businesses.Businesses will be forced to provide healthcare for their employees or pay a fine, something they may not be able to fford. This may result in employees' hours being cut or even the termination of the employee (â€Å"Obamacare†). The PPACA will also have a direct negative impact on the medical field as a whole. By 2025 there is expected to be a shortage of nearly 52,000 physicians. This, coupled with the number of office visits increasing over 100 million times, will put incredible strain on the healthcare system (â€Å"The Patient Protection†).This will cause wait times for medical treatment to be greatly increased. Patients will be more likely to go to the emer gency room for minor treatments, such as coughs due to colds, thus causing atients with real emergencies to wait even longer. Also, there will be no competition for patients. This competition is what encourages health care workers to excel in their specialties and to become better. This may even cause fewer people to choose to pursue a career in the medical profession (Ireland).One of the more controversial arguments against universal healthcare is the effect it will have on known religious-based businesses. As stated earlier, with the PPACA businesses will be required to provide health insurance for their employees that would include contraceptive services for women. The result is that religious based businesses, such as Hobby Lobby, which is owned by evangelical Christians, will be forced to essentially pay for their employees to receive contraceptives, something that goes against their religion.If a business decides to follow its religious beliefs and not provide the health insur ance it will be issued a fine, thus hurting the business for practicing their religion. This has led the government to define what religion is and what qualifies a business as a religious employer. This aspect of the PPACA goes against the 1st amendment protection of the freedom of religion, herefore making it unconstitutional (â€Å"A Case†). Weighing both sides of the universal healthcare argument, it can be concluded that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is truly more hurtful than it is helpful.It will cost citizens greatly, through increased tax dollars and being forced to pay for their healthcare. Small businesses contribute immensely to the countrys economy, and they will be hurt significantly by this program. Also, the effects it will have on the healthcare system are immeasurable. There is already a considerable shortage of doctors, and this will only increase remarkably once the PPACA takes tect Lack ot competition within the medical protession is somet hing that cannot be overlooked either.

One of the major characteristics that Beowulf and Hamlet Essay

One of the major characteristics that Beowulf and Hamlet share is the fact that they both rid Denmark of a treacherous monster who poses a serious threat to the land. Beowulf uses his warrior-like skills to fight and conquer a physical monster who literally haunts the swamps outside the state and plagues it with murderous acts. Hamlet’s monster is also one who commits murderous acts, though this is in the form of his uncle Claudius who kills the King (Hamlet’s father) and usurps the Danish throne. The two men, Hamlet and Beowulf, are thrown into these battles as youth, and both take on the challenge willingly. In fact, Beowulf travels from Geatland specifically to meet the challenge of fighting Grendel. Hamlet too takes it upon himself to kill Claudius as soon as he finds out that this man has been the agent of his father’s death. Another characteristic that both Hamlet and Beowulf share is their death and the method in which this occurs. Both are defeated in their final efforts at ridding their homelands of the evil that had infiltrated. In fact, both die though their efforts are successful. Beowulf dies at the hand of the final monster (the dragon) whom he succeeds in slaying, but who also deals Beowulf a deathly blow that eventually kills him. Hamlet also has a similar experience in that, while he is able to slay Claudius by the end of the play, he is caught with a poisoned sword and eventually expires after all his enemies have died. The two characters die by peripheral (yet fatal) blows given them during the melee. Both show bravery by continuing to fight even while they are mortally wounded. Eventually, both succumb to the serious wounds they have acquired, yet they die in the victory of knowing they have defeated their enemies. Beowulf and Hamlet also differ in many ways, one of which is the character that they show throughout the play. While Beowulf displays a warrior-like character, Hamlet shows himself to be fearful and awkward in acting out the desires of his heart. Beowulf is eager to come to the aid of the King of Denmark, and he pauses only to partake of the feast given in his honor before he sets out to kill Grendel. When he encounters the monster, he loses no time in indecision but immediately performs the actions necessary to kill the beast. In fact, Beowulf fights three ferocious beasts throughout the story with the same vivacity and fierceness. Hamlet differs from Beowulf in his character, and he displays the tendency to employ a much more subdued and stealthy course of action. Though he too determines to defend the honor of Denmark’s (former) king by killing his murderer, he demonstrates a greater portion of dalliance and indecision than does Beowulf. When he gets his first chance to kill Claudius, his idle thoughts concerning the condition of Claudius’ heart (while praying) leads him to forfeit that chance and allow Claudius to live. He fails in his pursuits far more than Beowulf does too, because in his second attempt to kill Claudius, he ends up killing Polonius instead. In these ways, Hamlet shows himself to lack self confidence in a manner that is vastly different from Beowulf the ready warrior. Beowulf and Hamlet show differences in the tenure of their lives and the fulfilment of their royal destinies. Hamlet, unlike Beowulf, fails to ascend to the throne to which he is heir. He dies before the throne falls vacant and also fails to prove King Claudius a usurper in any effort to gain his rightful place on the throne. Beowulf, on the other hand, is able to spend fifty years as ruler of his Geat kingdom. In addition to this, Beowulf differs from Hamlet in his ability to live out his live and to attain old age. He is able to demonstrate his strength as a ruler for many years and to gain the respect of his subjects. Hamlet, who dies young, is unable to do any of this. He is never able to command the subjects over whom he was destined to rule precisely because of the fact that his life ends tragically in his youth. Therefore, while both men perform in the role of princes during their youth, Beowulf becomes promoted to the level of king while Hamlet dies with all his potential. Works Cited Beowulf. The Harvard Classics, Volume 49. Frances B. Grummere (Trans. ) 1910. P. F. Collier & Son, 1993. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. London: Penguin, 1994.

Criminal Justice Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal Justice - Term Paper Example The inherent argument for the death penalty lies in retribution. In this sense, an individual attains punishment for a given wrongdoing. Death penalty, in this sense, is seen as any other type of punishment, but is meant for heavier crimes. It is essential to highlight the basic arguments behind retribution. To begin with, a guilty person deserves punishment. Furthermore, only a guilty person should receive punishment. The argument behind retribution proposes that an individual deserves punishment that is commensurate to severity of crime committed. In essence, this argument proposes that true justice should make people suffer for their wrongdoing. Win addition, a criminal should acquire punishment that their crime deserves. In close relation to the former argument, the death penalty is represented as a will of the people. It is essential to note that each society has a set of norms that it ensures its members follow, such norms, therefore, are assumed to reflect the will of every member of the community. A society consequently develops to bear particular stance against what it considers as deviation from the norm. In popular terms, deviation from norms is crime. In addition, the society develops clusters for crime and enlists others as undeserving of mercy against the individual who commits the same. The society deems such types of crime as acts that any sane individual should not commit. On committing such types of crime, therefore, the society enacts harsh punishment on the criminal. This mode of argument sanitizes capital punishment as reflective of a society’s will against certain types of behavior. Capital punishment, in this frame, manifests the society abhorrence for given forms of crime. A common disagreement about this mode of argument pertains to the idea that a society’s judgment is always subjective. Subjectivity creates significant room for bias that vilifies the lives of people who are different

'Module nursing vs centralized nursing station. Meeting the patients Research Paper

'Module nursing vs centralized nursing station. Meeting the patients needs - Research Paper Example However, on a personal basis I personally think this field has far more pros and they more then just outweigh the cons of being a part of this profession. The most positive point about being in this profession is that it gives you the power to make a positive difference in the life of the patients that you supervise. Many a times there are patients who cant even move on their own or are too lonely to discuss anything. In such times, being a nurse not only gives you the power to take care of such a patient, but it also gives you immense satisfaction to see the patient is recovering due to your efforts. This satisfaction that is derived from nursing is one of the biggest pros of this profession (American Nursing Association, 2010). Yet another factor which makes professional nursing practice so attractive is the amount of compensation it pays off. Professional nursing is one of the most well paid professions in the United States ; it allows you to make sufficient money to allow you to live a tension and trouble free life. Add to that the added advantage of having a lot of options to work as a nurse. There are many places which demand nurses but some of the most major ones include clinics, hospitals, old homes, long terms care houses and institutions which carry out clinical trial studies (Parker & Smith, 2010). There are also some legal implications which need to be followed in the field or professional nursing. To start off, the need for having a nursing license is a prerequisite for anyone wanting to perform duties as a nurse. After that there are laws designed by the parliament which need to be followed by nursing professionals and complied with. Examples of such laws include The Nurse Practice Acts and the federal statute called the ANA. The Nurse Practice Acts was designed to define the limitations of nursing practice in each state of America. Similarly, there are many other legal commandments which

Operations Strategy in a Global Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Operations Strategy in a Global Market - Essay Example The first step is for the company to know its customers by making sure consistent communication between management and customers occurs, more commonly known as a "customer-centric approach" (Longo). Second, it is important to create products where domestic production would be most beneficial for U.S. customers, and identify opportunities for products that would be best produced globally. This process, according to Longo, is known as "competencies analysis." Finally, a target consumer base must be developed in keeping with future marketing trends. Longo also suggests that it is important to evaluate the competitive intensity of companies in the same or similar fields, both local and foreign, and to involve customers in the planning stages of new products. One important factor in keeping up with Information Technology (IT) changes in the present economy is the willingness to create partnerships and mergers in order to stay ahead of progress. DuPont, long known as a scientific corporation, has now emerged as one of the most innovative companies in the technology field following its collaborative partnership with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) and Accenture. DuPont's key outsourcing objective to deliver reduced costs for its IT operations and applications maintenance has been achieved at a rate of between six and eight percent lower than the projected baseline (DuPont). Until the late 1980s, Canadian steel company Dofasco competed on price by producing as much steel as possible at the lowest possible prices. However, in 1992, it found itself in debt and losing money. The "competing on cost" strategy was not working, and the company realized it had to refocus by developing new and innovative products and providing its customers with solutions for high-quality and specialized applications. The business strategy was called Solutions in Steel and focused on operational excellence, technology, and innovations, as well as intimate customer relationships. By 2000, it was No. 1 among North American steel suppliers. McGraw Hill has included the Dofasco vignette in its sample study (Steelmaker, p. 2) as an example of the importance of formulating a successful business strategy. There is no doubt that cost and price are two important factors in succeeding in business, but they cannot be the only factors involved. As noted above, pricing strategy is dependent on innovation, cooperation, partnerships, and updating information technology. Quality In marketing, a positive public image does more for a company than offering more for less in the price field. Once the image is established, customers will be willing to pay higher prices for a dependable known brand. One example is Maytag, established for all time as the best appliance a customer can buy. Although partly due to a low-key television ad in which the Maytag repairman never has anything to do, the product has shown itself to be almost maintenance-free in operation. The words "made in Japan" were at one time indicative of low-quality products, but Japan turned things

Modern Statutory Interpretation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Modern Statutory Interpretation - Essay Example The discussion will give me a side that shall be weighed heavily on the conclusive part. The contents of this Essay will include: Ambiguity is a notorious word that affects not only most learners of law but also those who enact law, interpret law, and obey, or violate law. It is present in the most precise of words, as one classic rock song goes "sometimes words have two meanings," (Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin). And it so happened that words with two, or more meanings here being discussed are parts of the law system of which had been enacted by Parliament, obeyed or violated (although it will be already on the part of the judiciary to decide) purposely and not by the people, and with the Acts to be interpreted by the court as either lawful or not where instances had been that a prosecution is undertaken. The law is such that Lord Esher in R v Judge of City of London Court declared, "If the words of an Act are clear, you must follow them even though they lead to a manifest absurdity. The court has nothing to do with the question of whether the legislature has committed an absurdity. [However] If the words of an Act admit two interpretations, and if one interpretation leads to an absurdity, and the other does not, the Court will conclude the legislature did not intend the absurdity and adopt the other interpretation." The discussion will take off from here. Main Part For the purpose of clarifying the content of this essay, statutory interpretation is a process of interpreting and applying a legislation or a law which has been promulgated or enacted by the parliament or governing body. Legislation may refer to a single law or a collective body of enacted law, but "statute" is always referred to as a single law. At most times, the words of a statute have plain and direct meaning but ambiguity and vagueness are resolved by the judge of which he may use various tools and methods of "statutory interpretation" which may include traditional canons, legislative history as well as purpose. In the United Kingdom, there is a general presumption that legislation takes precedence in so far as there is any inconsistency or where legislation and case law are in conflict. This principle is called Parliamentary Sovereignty. The general notion is that a statute will be interpreted as consistent with all the content of the act so that the sui generis (of its won kind) rule is applied to resolve any conflict. In the interpretation of statutes, approaches to literal and purposive construction are used, and so are the intrinsic and extrinsic materials. The specific aids to interpretation includes among others: The Interpretation Act 1978 that defined many common terms to be used in construing any Act that contains the

Role of a nurse Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Role of a nurse - Assignment Example Nursing is the promotion, protection and optimisation of health, alleviation of suffering and prevention of injury and illness through treatment and diagnosis (Basford and Slevin, 2003:4). It also entails advocacy in the care of populations, communities, families and people. There are numerous roles of a nurse depending on the setting. Nurses perform physical examinations on patients and study their medical histories. They provide health promotion, education and counselling in the various sectors that they work in. They offer a number of personalised interventions including wound care and administering of medications. They interpret information about their patients, make important decisions and take action. They supervise care that is given by other health care practitioners (Basford and Slevin, 2003:35). They work in collaboration with other healthcare practitioners to promote health for their patients. Finally, they conduct research on ways to improve patient outcomes. Working in teams in the nursing sector is beneficial to both patients and staff. In addition to helping patients, teamwork promotes employee satisfaction, cooperation and retention rates. When taking into account the team nursing framework, the following benefits can be considered. To start with, team members help one another readily, if a nurse has been assigned two patients and the other is free, they will definitely step in and help out. Secondly, this model leads to an increase in employee satisfaction (Denny and Earle, 2005:45). Previous case studies have shown that the scores of employee satisfaction increased with the adoption of the model. Finally, mentoring opportunities increase as novices are paired up with novices who guide them in performing their duties. This has been observed to increase the rates of employees’ retention. On the other hand, supervision has

Significance of Structure and the Role of Marketing in Organisation Assignment

Significance of Structure and the Role of Marketing in Organisation - Assignment Example Innumerable writers have demonstrated the significance of the organisational structure along with its relation with the organisation’s size, technology, culture and environment. A few writers have mentioned the fact that if an organisation wants to achieve high performance, its structure needs to fit and match with the degree of change in its environment. It has further been pointed out that the structure plays a vital role in all the aspects of the human capital of the organisation. The organisation structure and the underlying design principles need to match with the main purpose of the organisation. Else, the organisation is deemed to fail and might not succeed in the long run. Marketing can be considered as the heart of an organization. The significance of marketing is growing in the non-commercial, public as well as voluntary sectors. The demand for the goods and services of any particular organisation totally relies upon the needs and wants along with the ability to pay. It is significant for the marketers to take these factors into consideration if they want to sell the product that focuses to be successful in the long run. (University of London, n.d.). There have been controversies in the recent years regarding the role played by marketing in the competitive strategy. By unambiguous verbalisation of the marketing capabilities, the researchers are capable of arguing the fact that marketing contributes to the theory and practice. The new researches need to focus upon the tasks those require different capabilities of marketing since they contribute to innovative along with entrepreneurial firm behaviour (Weerawardena, 2003). It has been found that the mar keters are gaining awareness of the positive impact of marketing actions with social dimensions can have upon the organisation. It has been pinpointed by American Marketing Association members that social responsibility can be considered as a significant element for enhancing the effectiveness of the organisation (Handelman & Arnold, 1999). Marketing plays a significant role in the operations of the business. With the term marketing, it is understood as satisfaction of the wants and needs of the customers. Through product, place, price and promotion strategies, the operation of the business can reflect upon the contentment of the needs and wants of the customer. Marketing links the business and the customers together. It is the duty of the marketer to provide such goods that can be liked by the consumers and they wish to buy it at such a price which customers want to pay in a proper location. Furthermore, the goods must be promoted effectively for enhancing the level of awareness of the product to the customers (Learning Edege, n.d.). It is marketing that is responsible at generation of the revenues as well as profit of the organisation. In case of non-profit organisations, the marketing takes care of attracting the customers so that the mission of the non-profit organization can be achieved. Without

The most common short term sources of finance that corporations use to Essay

The most common short term sources of finance that corporations use to generate funds - Essay Example This study looks into the short term finances that help in making a long term strategy for the business. They can be used to pay for the salaries of the employees and other administrative costs. There are four most common short term sources of finance that a business uses to finance its expenses and they are: 1) Bank overdraft 2) Short term loans 3) Trade credit 4) Sale of unused assets In today’s modern era, every business maintains a bank account of its own where it deposits the money it receives from the sales generated by the business. As the businesses expand, the ratio of their cash sales ratio decreases to the credit sales ratio, because of which the businesses can face difficulties in paying their short term and immediate expenses such as paying salaries of their work and the heating bill. This is when the businesses ask ‘their’ bank for an overdraft so that they can pay for their expenses. Bank overdraft is a form of loan given by the bank to its customers and businesses, where the customers and businesses are charged interest on the money spent by them. Another option that a business can exercise to pay for its expenditures and administrative costs is by arranging a short term loan from the bank. Any loan taken from the bank that has to be repaid within a year can be defined as ‘short term loan’. Trade credit is the number of days in which a business has to pay for the good it has received from the supplier. The number of days in which the payment has to be made for the business entirely depends on the working relationship between the supplier and the buyer. If the buyer has been maintaining a good reputation and has always being paying on time, the supplier may also go a little easy on the buyer by giving him enough time to arrange for the funds. Most businesses only exercise this source of finance when all their sources of finance are have been used up. In this source of finance, funds are generated by selling unused fixed assets of a business or assets that the business is not making full use of, which may include extra machinery, buildings and vehicles. By selling the unused fixed assets, the business is able to generate enough funds to meet its requirements. In 2010, LukOil used four sources of finance to meet their requirements which were, Trade Credit, Sale of investments, Sale of property and Sale of its subsidiary companies. To generate funds to meet its short term obligations, LukOil had to sell its short term investments, which included bonds and other cash equivalents. In addition to that, LukOil also sold some of its subsidiary companies to generate enough cash for the company so that they don’t have to arrange for a bank overdraft or short term loans to pay for the expenses. The company also sold some of its property that it had bought long time back for expanding purposes, in order to generate cash to meet the short term obligations of the company. On the other hand, the primary sources of finance that were used by Premier oil to finance its expenses were Trade Credit, Sale of unused assets and Sale of investments. Premier oil asked their suppliers to extend the payment time given to them so that they meet their other short term expenses first, and then, when they have enough funds, the suppliers will be paid. This helped in solving the problem of meeting short term obligations for Premier Oil. Another source through which Premier Oil arranged for funds to meet its short term obligations was sale of its unused fixed assets, the assets that the company had in surplus. This included sale

The Palestinian Question Essay Example for Free

The Palestinian Question Essay Introduction Moses, one time prince of Egypt turned escaped murderer, was tending his flock when one day he saw a ‘Burning Bush.’ The burning bush boomed with the voice of God and told him to â€Å"Lead my people out of Egypt, and deliver them to the land of Milk and Honey[1]† the land of Cannan. These famous anecdotes from the books of Exodus and Genesis are possibly two of the oldest and most definitive claims Israelites have to their lands. Ever since their independence in 1948 the state of Israel has weathered conflict after conflict against its Arab neighbor who would like nothing better than to see them driven into the sea. For instance, in the Yom Kippur War of 1973 a multi-national host from Egypt, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Jordan and many other Arab nations banded together to crush the fledgling state. The failure of these efforts to destroy Israel and the mutual hatred it has inspired has led to a severe refugee problem for the displaced Palestinian Muslims. To this day there are tens of thousands of Palestinians who hold themselves to have been driven from their homes and will not rest until they take it back. But to do so they must contend with an Israel that holds a thousands year-old claim on the realm. History of Palestine   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The land of Israel is located along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. The land has changes names many times but since biblical times it have been a contentious territory. The Pharaoh’s armies passed through from Egypt to make war further west. Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian armies marched over Israel to make it to Egypt and beyond. Alexander’s Macedonians, and Caesar’s Romans also took Israel as just another part of their campaigns of world conquest. The Crusader braved thousands of leagues of hostile lands to make it to the land of Christ’s birth. War and bloodshed has been the fate of the land where three of the world’s major religions were born. The Land of Cannan Abraham, Isaac and Israel When Abram, a nomad from Ur, was asked by God to abandon his father’s lands and go east he began the migration that would eventually end with Abraham and Sarah living with honor among the Cannanites. God promised him that he would be his children would be as numerous as the stars and as plentiful as the sands in the beach. Yet he only had two sons Isaac  and Ishmael. Muslims, claim descent from Ishmael, while the Jews are the heirs of Isaac’s son Jacob who would later be known as Israel. Israel had twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel claimed descent. One of the youngest was sold to Egypt as slave. Joseph would soon be high in the favor of the Egyptian Pharaoh and would welcome his brothers to Egypt following a terrible famine that he had predicted. Since then the Hebrews and the Sons of Israel left Cannan and lived in Egypt. Moses and the book of Exodus After some time the Hebrews prospered in Egypt and soon became a worrying minority for the Pharaoh. He began one of the first pogroms against the Hebrews by oppressing them with more work and less rations. He murdered their children and ordered all male babies killed. However his persecution was to be his own bane, Moses was saved by his mother and eventually found his way to the gates of Pharaoh’s palace where he would be adopted by the Pharaoh’s daughter. Moses would later kill an Egyptian he saw oppressing a Hebrew slave. The shock of the murder would force him into exile in the Sinai  where he had his fateful encounter with the burning bush. As mentioned earlier it was there that God gave him his mission to free the Hebrews from their oppression and bring them back to Cannan where Israel and his sons abided before they came to Egypt.  After more than 40 years of wandering in the desert the Hebrews finally returned to Cannan under the leadership of Joshua. There they found the Cannanites, the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and the Jebusites already living in relative peace for centuries. Ironically, when the Zionist Jews returned in the 20th Century they found Cannan in similar circumstances. Except that instead of biblical, possibly mythological tribes occupying it they found the grandfathers of the present day Palestinians. Jesus, the false Messiah and the Diaspora Jesus of Nazareth, the messiah of the Christian faith warned the people of Israel that a false messiah would come and lead them astray. He would show such signs as to make the people believe that he is indeed the messiah. This occurred in around 70AD when the Jews rose up in revolt. It was hopeless cause, we Nero finally found about the revolt he sent ordered several legions to suppress it. By the time of the fall of Jerusalem some 60,000 professional legionaries were in the Palestine suppressing the desperate Zealots. A later revolt in 135AD led to the complete annihilation of the Jewish state in Judea. The reign of Hadrian was especially tragic for the Jews because all Jews were exiled from Jerusalem and the other Palestinian cities. Many Jews were sold as slaves or transported as prisoners to other regions to joint other previously exiled Jews. Although most were accepted in the communities they were sent too, the Jewish people had ceased to exist as a political entity. Henceforth, they were merely small minority groups where ever they lived. Their lot was certainly better than the Christian Gentiles who often found themselves in the coliseum facing hungry lions. The Holy Land   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the rise of Christianity and Islam Palestine gained fresh importance. For the Christians this was the land where Jesus lived and began his ministry while the Muslims believed that the Mohammad ascended into heaven on the very same rock where Abraham tried to sacrifice his son Isaac. It was known as the Holy Land. Much blood would be shed by the Cross and the Crescent in the trials for its possession. The Crusades In1095 it was held by Muslims. Outraged Christian Europe under the leadership of Pope Urban II send a vast army against the Turkish Muslims. As an added incentive Poper Urban II promised that whoever died in the Crusades would receive immediate remission of their sins. The crusader army was successful. However, in their zeal against the Muslims they performed a large number of atrocities that are remembered to this day. For example, when Jerusalem was taken the Crusaders slaughtered the entire population.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Crusaders were successful in establishing several small Christian Kingdoms. However, these were tiny islands trapped in a sea of foes. Almost as soon as they were established, the Christian Kingdoms were attacked continuously by Muslim Jihadis leading to the fall of quite a few of them in rapid succession. The movie Kingdom of Heaven was about Saldin’s retaking Jerusalem and the dramatic extremes men of both faiths would go for the sake of possessing the Holy Land.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ultimately Three Major Crusades and several smaller ones were launched for the conquest of the Holy Land. For over a century Christian Europe bled itself white sending the flower of its chivalry to war in a hostile land with little hope of success. Yet just as the cause seemed hopeless thousands of young knights and noblemen gladly came forth in hopes of gaining glory in the name of their God. Saladin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Saladin a Kurdish born Muslim noble  who ruled Egypt and later Syria  was like most Muslim ruler could not accept that infidel Christians were now lording over some of the holiest places of the Muslim faith. At first he was not strong enough to oppose the Crusaders because his hold on Egypt was still fragile and he was often at odds with neighboring Muslim states.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After he had finally consolidated his hold on the Muslim world, Saladin would launch a bloody and often atrocious Jihad against the Christian Kingdoms. Atrocity was met with Atrocity, as the two faiths strove with each other for master of the Holy Land. For example, after the Battle of Hattin Saladin ordered all members of the Military orders such as Teutonic Knights and the Knights Templar beheaded on the spot  the Crusaders were no less cruel against Muslim prisoners. One example of their own cruelty was the practice of blinding Muslim prisoners allowing only every fifth man the use of one eye to lead the rest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ultimately, the bloodshed ended with the terrible battles of the Third Crusade. There Richard Couer De Leon of England, Philip II of France and Conrad of the Holy Roman Empire led the vast armies of the Third crusade against Saladin. After many battles Richard and Saladin agreed to the Treaty of Ramala where Jerusalem would remain in Muslim hands but Christians would be free to go there on pilgrimages. The founding of Israel   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the Saladin, the Holy Land remained in Muslim hands for centuries. Saladin’s realm ended almost immediately after his death. Within a few short decades the Ottoman Turks were the new owners of Palestine. It was not until Lawrence of Arabia led his army of Arabian nomads to victory in World War I that the Ottoman’s were overthrown. However, instead of independence for the Arabs, the British took over Palestine and established their authority over them. Palestine in the early 20th century was a British territory populated by Arab Muslims. However an increasing trickle of Jews were arriving from all over the British Empire and the rest of the world. The Zionists were coming home. Zionist movement   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Named after Mt Zion were Jerusalem was built, Zionism is an international political movement for the creation of a homeland for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel. Also known as diaspora nationalism  It was formally established by Jewish Journalist Theodor Herzl in the late nineteenth century. The movement is highly successful having created the first and only modern jewish state in the world. These ultra-nationalistic Jews are the result of centuries of frustration of not having a home land and the discrimination they suffer all over the world at the hands of Christians, Muslims and others simply because they are a minority that has a different faith. Ironically, despites its origins as a movement to oppose racism and racial discrimination against Jews the U.N. has branded Zionism as a form of racism and racial discrimination    As mentioned earlier Zionism as a nationalist ideology arose as a response to anti-Semitism which was a form of heavy handed discrimination against Jews. For centuries, especially in the 19th and 20th Centuries the Jews had been victims of racial and religious discrimination. Christians persecuted them as the murders of Christ and forced them to convert. In fact, one of the prayers of the old Latin mass is a missive for the conversion of Jews. Communists also persecuted them for being true to their faith in when a communist state was supposed to be one that was free from religion which was the opiate of the masses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At heart the Zionists justified themselves as being one distinct nationality unified by their faith. Seeing other minorities in Europe struggle for self-determination emboldened them to seek for a home land of their own. After all, if the European minorities were entitled to a free country of their own why not the Jews?.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first congress of Basel in 1897  was the meeting where the major agitators behind Zionism met for the first time and formally established the World Zionist Organization. At that congress the Basel Program was completed and its manifesto provided that; Zionism seeks to establish a home for the Jewish people in Israel secure under public law. To attain this goal they set about on four programs; first, the promotion by appropriate means of the settlement in Israel of Jewish farmers, artisans and manufacturers. Second, the organization and uniting of the whole of Jewry by means of appropriate institutions, both local and international, in compliance with the laws of each country, third the strengthening and fostering of Jewish national sentiment and national consciousness, foruth, preparatory steps towards obtaining the consent of governments, where necessary in order to reach the goals of Zionism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, there was little interest in the rest of the world for the sake of the Jews. The world simply did not care. It was not until Hitler unleashed the Holocaust upon the helpless Jews that international sympathy for Zionism catalyzed into actual action. After World War Two’s horrors more and more Jews came to Palestine in fulfillment of Zionism’s goals. There they found the land much as Joshua’s Hebrew found it. Full of Palestinians who were occupying land that, they felt, rightfully belong to the Jews. 1948 War   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By 1947 the tension between the Jews and Arabs had reached fever pitch. The Jews were naturally interested in self-propagation and often held themselves apart from the Arabs when they could. They did not hire Arab workers if they could find help among other Jews. Their settlers were increasing in number and quite soon were a significant bloc of the population. The UN mandated that separate enclaves for Jews and Arabs would be created within Palestine in order to lessen the friction between the two groups. The Zionist leadership accepted the partition plan as the indispensable minimum, glad as they were with the international recognition, but sorry that they didnt get more. Unfortunately the arbitrary partition was the spark for an already explosive situation. Thousands of Jews and Palestinians were displaced by the mandatory and arbitrary partition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Stage was set for war. The Zionists were ready, they had trained both under British rule and in underground camps for the day when they would have to fight for independence. Despite the tiny population of the fledgling Jewish state thousands of Jewish men and women formed a committed fighting force under the aegis of the Yishuv, all told some 35,000 Jews took up the cudgels for independence although only about 10,000 of these were actually fit for frontline duty. They also had the elite Palamch commandos to spearhead their attacks. The Palamach and its wartime exploits   After the defeat of the Arabs in Palestine, the entire Arab World was stirred to wrath. Quoting the ancient victories of Saladin against the marauding Crusaders, the Arabs united to crush these new usurpers of their Holy Land. Like the Crusaders of old the young state of Israel was faced with a tide of foes many times their number and driven to fanaticism by their common faith. It went down to a test of wills, on who wanted the Holy Land more. The Arabs, driven with Jihadi fanaticism were determined to overthrow the Jews from the Holy Land. The Jews, had nowhere else to go. Ultimately, with a combination of superior tactics and training, not to mention the internal squabbling between the Arab leaders, the Jews prevailed. For the first time since the days of Rehoboam son of Solomon son of David, the Children of Israel had a land of their own independent and free.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unfortunately it would not be the end of its struggles. Israel would face wave after wave of invaders from its Neighbors who simply refused to accept their existence in Palestine. Nevertheless, they stood their ground and have staunchly defended their territories ever since.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They were also not above launching preemptive strikes, In 1967 After much saber rattling by their enemies, especially Egypt the Israeli government became convinced that war was eminent. Rather then be attacked again the Israeli’s struck first. Led by the formidable Hel HaAvir, the Israeli air force, The Israelites began the Six-Day war. The Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian forces were utterly defeated. By the end of the fighting Israel stretched from Suez Canal in the East to the Golan Heights in the west effectively trebling their land area. One of the most significant results of the war was that Israel now controlled all of Jerusalem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Simply, put after centuries of frustration and discrimination, the Zionist movement had come of age. Despite many trials and set backs they succeed in bringing the Jews home. Verily, every Jewish family in Israel can look to its past and claim that a relative fought heroically in defense of Israel in one of the many wars of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Invested with generations of blood and suffering, and mandated by God himself. The Israelis are loath to concede so much as an inch of their territory to those who would take it from them. In fact, every Israeli soldier, whether elite commando, foot solider or simply citizen reservist, takes an oath â€Å"Masada (the ancient fortress where the last Jewish freedom fighters died resisting the Romans) shall not fall†. By their vigilance it has not fallen. The Palestinian Dilemma   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story of the Israeli struggle for self-determination spans centuries. It makes for dramatic reading. However, the events have left a certain group of people in a lurch. The Palestinians who originally held the territory before the Israelites arrived. Dispossession of Palestinian settlers after 1948 Al Nakba (The Catastrophe) The years following the 1948 conflict are known as the lost years. Disorganized Palestinian militias were no match for the determined and well trained Yishuv forces. Many former Palestinian enclaves fell under the power of the Jews. The few that remained free of Jewish domination were taken over by Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. Having just fought a blood civil war with their Jewish neighbors the Palestinians were bitter and resentful. There was little love between the two people. Many chose to flee or were driven away by the Israelis as both were unwilling to abide with each other. However, by the 1950s a new generation of Palestinians formed nationalist groups that were organized clandestinely gathering strength before revealing themselves in the 1960s. The original Palestinian elite who had negotiated with the British and the Zionists during the mandate years were held accountable of Palestine and were replaced by these groups. Many members of these groups came from the middle-class who recently graduated from universities in Cairo or Damascus and imbibed in the ideals of Pan-Arabism put forth by Nasser.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The humiliation of Nasser and his movement during the Six Day war further dimmed the hopes of the Palestinians. Not only had the Arab armies failed to liberate Palestine from the Jews but they lost even more territories and the Palestinians were further displaced. With many of their organizations in ruins and the people once again exiled from their homes, the Palestinians pinned their hopes of on the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Palestinian people are a point of consternation for the Israeli because before the arrival of the Jews and their independence in 1948 there really was, in their opinion, no Palestinian state or Palestinian people just a group of settlers from various other Arab regions Golda Meir herself said; It was not as though there was a Palestinian people in Palestine considering itself as a Palestinian people and we came and threw them out and took their country away from them. They did not exist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With such an attitude from a former head of state it is no wonder that Israel is loath to deal with the Palestinians as anything more than a refugee problem. Simply, put the Israelis believe that the only reason the Palestinians banded together was in opposition to the Zionists. Even their text books are written in such a way as to disavow a unique Palestinian identity. The books describe them as Arabs in the land of Israel instead of calling them Palestinians.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The refugee problem is aggravated by the refusal of other Arab countries to accept the Palestinian refugees. Rather than welcome their fellow Muslims the Arabs have forced the Palestinians to remain marginalized and desperate for a land to call their own. In summary the heart of the problem is a refusal of the Israeli state to grant the same right to self-determination that they claimed for themselves in 1948. Worsened by a refusal of the Arabs to grant asylum to the Palestinians. As a result the Palestinians are increasingly desperate and with national governments unwilling to offer help they have turned to terrorist groups like Al-Quaeda. Palestine Today   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The United Relief Works Agency estimates that there are just under 4.5 Million  Palestinian refugees. They are defined as those â€Å"whose normal place of residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948, who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict†. Given that many of these are dead by now the number is made larger by the inclusion of those who were born to people in such circumstances.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many Palestinians live in abject poverty, they are discriminated by the Israelis who will often hire them at below mandated wages. The numerous terrorist organizations who recruit from Palestinians have created a heavy suspicion on all of them. Virtually every Palestinian is seen as a potential terrorist or suicide bomber. Two major rebellions and the failure of the Palestinian Authority to address problems ranging from Peace and Order to wages of PA employees have made the people even more frustrated and desperate. Is it then any wonder that many young Palestinians would rather strap on bombs on their bodies and blow themselves up to kill a few Jews instead of living lives of drudgery and disenchantment? III. Analysis â€Å"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.† Begins the Universal Declaration of Human rights. The International Covenant for Civil and Political rights offers this rejoinder â€Å"All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.† It is regrettable that these rights are denied to The Palestinian people. Unfortunately, these rights are extreme difficult to implement given the geo-political structure of Israel today. As late as 2006 the Palestinian Terror group known as Hezzbollah was firing rockets into Israel causing random destruction of property and lives. They also kidnapped several Israeli solider and killed others in surprise attacks and raids. The Israelis reacted by attacking Lebanon. Palestinians are treated with suspicion where ever they go within Israel’s borders. The Palestinian Authority, already questionable to the Israeli was completely discredited by the death of Yasser Arafat and the lack of a worthwhile successor. Worse, the conflict has since spread to far beyond the border’s of Palestine. Part of Bin-Laden usually inflammatory spiels is to remind the Muslim world that the U.S. has been sponsoring the Zionist state of Israel and that without their aid the Israeli state would long be gone. Harkening to the mass airlift of supplies the U.S. made to Israel during the Yom Kippur. As a result the Israeli affair has become a cassus belli for Muslims to legitimize their attacks on those who seek to support Israeli. An older example of this was the Oil embargo that OPEC pulled back in 1973 when it was obvious that the Arabs were losing the Yom Kippur War. However, this support of Israel is not the only grief the Arab world has against the U.S. they are called the Greater Satan for more reasons. Among them are the invasion of Afghanistan, Somalia and more recently Iraq all in pursuit of their self-proclaimed mandate as protectors of the free world. Sovereignty, International perspective One of the most critical arguments about the Israeli – Palestinian conflict is the issue of Sovereignty over Palestine. Naturally, the two sides have almost completely diametrically opposed interpretations of events with respect to this. The 1920 San Remo conference was held between the British, the Zionists and the Arab settlers of Palestine and was done mostly to ease rising tensions with respect to the Jews mass immigration. The Jews hold the the San Remo conference explicitly granted them the mandate for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. As a result, their claims are valid not only by de facto, since by the end of 1948 they controlled the land by force of arms, but also de jure by virtue of the treaty. Jewish legal experts also believe that Israel had the right to sovereignty over the territories since Jordan and Egypt had no clear legal sovereignty over those areas and the Israel, acting in self defence, was entitled to enter those regions to fill the vacuum.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Naturally, the Arabs hold that the San Remo conference conferred no such right to the Jews. Not only did it not offer them sovereignty but it also did not identify which parts of Palestine were going to be subject to this alleged Jewish Home land. To further their point they also insist on the right to self-determination of national groups which has long been recognized under international law. The same right enshrined in Art 1 of the ICCPR   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, most Arabs and Israelis agree that the armistice line of 1949 is not a valid international border. Both groups also agree that a two state solution is best to end the conflict between the Israli and Palestinian people. The two states will be demarcated by the 1949-1967 armistice lines. This would provide the best solution because the Palestinian authority has been an abject failure. It was never strong enough to assert itself over the average Palestinian citizen and was plagued with problem from the beginning. The fact that its civilian authority was often over shadowed by Israeli military garrisons did not help its credibility.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The international consensus it that the Annexation of the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem is illegal and should not be recognized under international law. The occupation of the West Bank and Gaza strip has the status of an illegal occupation because they were conquered via force of arms and against the will of the populations Also, the people were rendered stateless by the attacks and the Israeli’s put the territory under military rather than civilian administration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the Six-Day war the UN stepped in with UN resolution 242. Adopted unanimously, it called for the Establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East which was to be achieved by following two principles; First, the Withdrawal of Isreali forces territories occupied in the conflict and second, termination of all claims or states of belligerency. Also included were respect for the of every state in the region to live in peace within secure and recognized borders. All state parties in the Six day war agreed, in principle,   to UN Res 242 with the exception of Syria which granted it conditional acceptance in 1972   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, the state of belligerency remained deeply rooted amongst the Arabs. The heads of Arab states adopted their own resolution in a conference held at Khartoum, in September 1967. The famous three Nos; no recognition of the Israeli conquests, and no negotiations and most importantly no recognition of the Israeli state. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Israel fought long and hard to achieve independence. For centuries they were a down trodden minority oppressed and discriminated upon by their neighbors. However, it would appear that they are doing to the Palestinians exactly the same thing they endured. By forcing the Palestinians to remain stateless and poor they are driving them to desperate ends.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A war for to conquer Israel is out of the question, time and time again the IDF has shown itself a competent army. The oath â€Å"Masada shall not fall† burns in the heart of every Israeli tanker and reservist, they are determined never again to be conquered by force of arms. Short of nuclear weapons no Arab army will defeat the Jews in battle. The Yom Kippur war is the best expression of this, despite the element of surprise the Arabs were ultimately defeated by an Israel surrounded and with little more than moral support from the outside world. The best solution to the problem would be simply to allow the Palestinians true autonomy under Palestinian leaders. After all the right to self determination is guaranteed by the UDHR and the ICCPR. The cost of securing the Palestinian enclaves is a drain on Israeli manpower and finances. Letting them live their lives on their own is going to be best course of action. By granting them true independence the Palestinians would only have themselves to blame if they failed and this would take the wind of the â€Å"Freedom!† slogan being sold them by terror groups. With out the justification of, allegedly, liberating the Palestinians from the Oppressive Jews Islamic extremists would lose much of their popular support in Palestine for their terror attacks   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Israel has been recognized by her neighbors only recently, although her armies are competent, this does not mean she can run roughshod over her neighbors. By ridding itself of the legal monkey known as the Palestinian Question it would unburden itself of unneeded pain. The Palestinians enclaves are enclaves precisely because they are territories that Israel and her neighbors care little for. With the possible exception of the Gaza Strip, losing the territories the Palestinians hold would be a small loss. There is plenty of room in Israel for her Seven Million citizens. After all, did not Israel make the desert bloom?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the Arabs, they must match their talk with action. They bleed for the Palestinians yet more aid comes to them from working illegal jobs in Israel than from humanitarian aid from their Arab brothers. Arab countries rich with oil could certainly provide subsidies to help the Palestinians get back on their feet if they are granted independence. If Bin Laden can afford to spend millions to fund his terror initiatives why can’t the Arab states spare a little of its petrol money to help their Muslim brothers? Is not Charity part of the Muslim commandments? References The book of Exodus 3:7-8 in Holy Bible The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version 1978 Book of Genesis in Holy Bible The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version 1978 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/urban2-5vers.html#Fulcher (Last accessed 14 Dec 07) Fulcher of Chartres, Medieval Sourcebook. Available at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/urban2-5vers.html#Fulcher (Last accessed 14 Dec 07) Vladimir Minorsky, The Prehistory of Saladin, Studies in Caucasian History, Cambridge University Press, 1957, Malcolm Lyons and D.E.P. Jackson, Saladin: The Politics of the Holy War United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 session 30 on 10 November 1975 Arjun, Sethi Zionism The British in Palestine January 2007, available at http://fusion.dalmatech.com/%7Eadmin24/files/zionism_in-britishpalestine.pdf (Last accessed 12 Dec 07 The Basle Program. Resolutions of the First Zionist Congress available at http://www.mideastweb.org/basleprogram.htm (last accessed 10 Dec 07) Morris, Benny (2001). Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001. El-Nawawy, Mohammed (2002), The Israeli-Egyptian Peace Process in the Reporting of Western Journalists, Ablex/Greenwood, Gelber, Yoav. Palestine 1948. WAr, Escape and the Emergnece of the Palestinian Refugee Problem. Sussex Academic Press. (2006) Karsh, Efraim. The Arab-Israeli Conflict. The Palestine War 1948. Osprey Publishing. (2006) Khalidi, Rashid (1997). Identity:The Construction of Modern National Consciousness. New York, NY: Columbia University Press p 190 Cooley, John K Green March, Black September, Frank Cass, London 1973 pp.196f Zionist Aspirations: Dr Weizmann on the Future of Palestine, The Times, Saturday, 8 May, 1920 Weizmann â€Å"The missing Revisoner: reflections on the Status of Judea and Samaria† 3 Israel law review (1968) Blum, Yehuda, â€Å"The Juridical Status of Jerusalem† (1974) United Nations Security Council Resolution 497 (December 17, 1981), about the Golan Heights. United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 (August 20, 1980), about East Jerusalem. United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 (S/RES/242) Hinnebusch, Raymond A.; Drysdale, Alasdair. Syria and the Middle East Peace Process. New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, (1991)   See Exodus 3:7-8 in Holy Bible The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version 1978 See Genesis 12:1-2 in Holy Bible The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version 1978 See Genesis 21:1-8 in Holy Bible The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version 1978 See Genesis 16:1-114 in Holy Bible The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version 1978 Genesis 46:1-33 in Holy Bible The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version 1978 Exodus 1:8-16 in Holy Bible The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version 1978   Exodus 2:1-8 in Holy Bible The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version 1978 Exodus 2:11-16 in Holy Bible The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version 1978   Exodus 3:7-8 in Holy Bible The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version 1978   Fulcher of Chartres, Medieval Sourcebook. Available at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/urban2-5vers.html#Fulcher (Last accessed 14 Dec 07)   Vladimir Minorsky, The Prehistory of Saladin, Studies in Caucasian History, Cambridge University Press, 1957, pp. 124-132. Malcolm Lyons and D.E.P. Jackson, Saladin: The Politics of the Holy War p 2   Beha ad-Din, The Life of Saladin, pages 278-281   Gellner, Ernest. Nations and Nationalism (First edition), p 107-108.   United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 session 30 on 10 November 1975   Arjun, Sethi Zionism The British in Palestine January 2007, available at http://fusion.dalmatech.com/%7Eadmin24/files/zionism_in-britishpalestine.pdf (Last accessed 12 Dec 07 The Basle Program. Resolutions of the First Zionist Congress available at http://www.mideastweb.org/basleprogram.htm (last accessed 10 Dec 07) l-Nawawy, Mohammed (2002), The Israeli-Egyptian Peace Process in the Reporting of Western Journalists, Ablex/Greenwood, p 1-2   Morris, Benny (2001). Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001. p 190   Gelber, Yoav. Palestine 1948. WAr, Escape and the Emergnece of the Palestinian Refugee Problem. Sussex Academic Press p. 73, also; Karsh, Efraim. The Arab-Israeli Conflict. The Palestine War 1948. Osprey Publishing. (2006) , p. 25.   Khalidi, Rashid (1997). Identity:The Construction of Modern National Consciousness. New York, NY: Columbia University Press p 190 Cooley, John K Green March, Black September, Frank Cass, London 1973 pp.196f Art 1 UDHR ICCPR Art 1 Zionist Aspirations: Dr Weizmann on the Future of Palestine, The Times, Saturday, 8 May, 1920; p. 15.   3 Israel Law Review p190 All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development United Nations Security Council Resolution 497 (December 17, 1981), about the Golan Heights. United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 (August 20, 1980), about East Jerusalem.   Hinnebusch, Raymond A.; Drysdale, Alasdair. Syria and the Middle East Peace Process. New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, (1991) p 105

Overview And Causes Of Pica Disorder Biology Essay

Overview And Causes Of Pica Disorder Biology Essay Pica Disorder is the affliction that causes people to have a sudden urge to consume non-food related items (1). This disorder has baffled scientist for decades, and research has yet to come up with a clear reason or cause (1). Pica disorder can be found in literature as early as Hippocrates, and has been classified by many ancient scholars during the middle ages and Renaissance times (1). Many explorers, missionaries, and colonist have also written accounts about pica disorder in their journeys (1). Many of these early descriptions placed pica disorder as an intense desire to consume non-food related items, and has been described as a cultural phenomenon with no physiological cause(1). The word pica comes from the Latin word Pica pica which is the name of the magpie, a bird that is described to have an erratic appetite (1). Other names include cachexia Africana (named by doctors who took care of the African slaves), citta, mal destomac, and malacia (1). Pica disorder is prevalent among pregnant women and young children because they are the most biological vulnerable, and can also be found in people that are undergoing renal dialysis, have celiac disease, and those who have a red blood cell defect such as sickle cell anemia (1). The disorder can cause many different affects on the body with both positive and negative results (1). Some negative effects include: metal poisoning, damage to internal organs, and some weight gain (1). Positive effects may include: providing important micronutrients that the body lacks (Fe, Ca, or Zn), possible relieving stress on the gestational tract, and preventing harmful pathogens and bacteria from entering the blood stream (1). Several explanations have been provided to explain what causes pica disorder such as: psychological stress, dyspepsia, general hunger, protection against toxins and pathogens, and a side affect of iron deficiency which can cause anemia (1). In medical literature the definition of pica is, the craving and purposive consumption of substances that the consumer does not define as food with symptoms lasting longer then one month. (1). This clarification indicates that pica cannot be classified as the accidental ingestion of dirt or other non-food items, and the individual must voluntary consume the substance (1).The urge for pica can be compared to the addiction of tobacco, drugs, or the consumption of alcoholic beverages (1). The list of pica substances is countless, but a few of the major items include the consumption of: dirt, raw starch (uncooked pasta), ice, paper, chalk, eggshells, coffee grounds, matches, and in extreme cases needles or other sharp pointed items (1). Body Major Forms of Pica Disorder The consumption of dirt, clay, and chalk for the nutritional value that they might contain is called geophagy (1). This practice is prevalent among pregnant women, and in some communities might reach up to 60% of the population (1). The soil can be prepared by baking or frying, and the amount of dirt ingested ranges from 20-40g, and can range from consuming pieces of pottery, or eating beans that have a high concentration of dirt found in them (1). Most of these items include some type of clay in them, which contains a compound called kaolin, which is ingredient found in some anti-diarrhea medications (1). Another alternative to eating soil or clay is found in the consumption of other non-nutritional foods such as raw starch which is known as amylophagy (1). Most of these starches come in the form of raw foods such as uncooked rice, pasta, and starchy rubbers (1). The consumption of these starches ranges from a couple of grams per day to 1kg (1). One other major form of pica disorder can be found in pagophagy which is the consumption of ice (1). Unlike the average person that might suck on an ice cube or two, someone who practices pagophagy consumes several glasses of ice a day (1). Several Hypotheses There are several hypotheses that explain the environmental factors that might cause the onset of pica. These hypotheses can be broken down into three sub-categories: hunger, micronutrient deficiency, and protection against toxin (8). Researchers, however, have found little to no information on the genetic basis or mechanism that is associated with pica disorder. This lack of data is associated with researchers not having acknowledged that pica disorder is prevalent among many populations of the world today, and the belief that pica is just a mental ailment (8). Conducted Research on Anemic properties and Pica Disorder The main hypothesis concerning pica disorder is the association between pica and anemia (1). Some researchers have hypothesized that pica is a symptom which is developed when one becomes anemic (1). In two different studies, pregnant women were tested for several different variables. In the first study, researchers took a group of 823 pregnant women from Turkey and analyzed their relationship between anemia and pica (5). The second study consisted of pregnant women found in Tanzania that were tested to see picas involvement with immunodeficiency diseases (HIV), iron deficiency, soil transmitted helminth infections such as malaria, and the potential danger of infection of parasites (7). The demand for iron in a pregnant woman is much greater then the average human because of the increasing amount of blood cells needed for the mother and the fetus (7). The lack of iron can result in iron-deficiency anemia, abortions, false labors, and multiparity (5). In a worldwide study it was found that 20% of all maternal deaths resulted from anemia, and can also lead to premature births, underdeveloped infants, increased infant fatality, and a decrease in fertility (5). In the study done in Turkey, researchers were able to find that out of the 823 pregnant women studied, 1 out of 10 exhibited pica behavior (5). Most of these women were illiterate and were in a lower social class that resulted in less consumption of animal protein, and the lack of funds to take iron supplements during their pregnancy which resulted in deficient amount of iron, folate, and vitamin B12 during their pregnancy (5). In the study done in Tanzania, researchers found that 82.6% of the women studied had anemia where about 29% ate soil on a regular bases (7). Those that consumed soil were 75% more likely to have severe anemia when compared to those that didnt (7). Women that showed signs of iron deficiency (such as a decrease number of hemoglobin) were also more likely to consume pica substances (7). T here was no correlation between HIV and geophagy, and women that had malaria did not consume soil which could be a result of soil containing traces of iron which makes the conditions of malaria worse (7). The amount of Ascaris lumbricoides (round worm) found in the pregnant women was much higher in those who practiced geophagy (7). Geophagy became more prevalent as the pregnancy progressed (7). This could be the bodys response of supplying more iron to form more hemoglobin (7). Another purposed hypothesis is that when an individual practices in consuming non-food related items this can result in anemia (1). This hypothesis states that the intake of non-nutritional elements does not result in a positive result or a decrease in this deficiency (1). The mechanism behind this phenomenon is found to be caused by tissue enzyme deficiency and this includes Fe and Zn deficiencies which play a role in appetite regulating brain enzymes (1). In one study, three subjects were tested that exhibited different types of pica (4). One subjected consumed at least two super-sized McDonald soda cups filled with ice a day which resulted in heavy bleeding during her menstrual cycle (4). Another subject would drink iced water three to four times a day which resulted in the formation of colonic polyps which caused bleeding (4). The third and final subject would chew on rubber bands with a specific color and diameter (4). All three of the individuals were mentally stable, and had no history of mental ailments (4). After treated with iron supplementation, one subject was able to stop their pica condition while the other two were still undergoing treatment (4). It has been suggested that the reason why individuals that have developed pica eat ice in an abnormal amount is because glossal pain on the tongue can develop because of iron deficiency, and the ice actually soothes the pain (4). It has also been suggested that stress that is formed in the upper gastrointestinal tract (such as heartburn or nausea) brings on the urge of consuming pica elements (1). This is because some pica elements contain high traces of alkaline which can act a suppressor and reduce the gastric pH in the gastrointestinal organs which would reduce the pain induced by heartburn or nausea (1). This however does not take into account for the individual that chewed on rubber bands (4). In another case report, a 22-year old African woman was diagnosed to have severe anemia (6). The woman had complained of immense fatigue, and it was found that she had been consuming a stone that was high in kaolinite and quartz for the past 15 years (5). After removing traces of the stone in her body and providing iron supplements, the woman was able to recover from her sever anemia, and a check up 3 months later showed a satisfactory blood count and stable iron levels (6). A possible reason to why this stone made the woman develop severe anemia is because of the high levels of kaolinite found in the stone (6). Kaolinite is a compound that is able to absorb concentrations of Fe2+ and Fe 3+ in the duodenum, which is where iron is absorbed by the body (6). This could have caused her to develop a deficiency in iron which could have led to her having severe anemia (6). In many cases of pica, iron deficiency or anemic properties are present in the individual (1). There have been positive results that show livestock that have developed iron deficiency and have engaged in pica activity have shown improvement in their iron deficiency (1). However, sodium is the only known nutrient that is craved in humans, and some data shows that most pica substances have little to no iron in them except for soil, which the iron content of is less known although some acid base tests have been taken which resulted in some pica substances containing nutritional elements such as Fe, Zn, Cu, and Ca (1). These tests however do not take into account the pH of the intestine, and the site of these nutritional elements such as Fe (1). Overall this hypothesis is an intriguing one, but does not have any current data that suggests that consuming pica elements actually help elevate iron deficiency or other nutritional deficiencies (1) Pica used as protection against pathogens and toxins A recent hypothesis that has come up in the scientific community is that pica substances are consumed to protect against harmful chemicals and pathogens (1). Clay is shown to exhibit toxin-binding properties, and kaolin (found in some clay) is an active ingredient found in some anti-diarrhea medications (3).These toxins can come from plants, which produce toxins as a protective measure against predators (1). These toxins can cause dizziness, muscle pains, and other unwanted side effects (1). Other chemicals can enter food via bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (1). Viruses and parasites can also enter the body and cause damage (1). In a study done with rats, the rats were injected with a chemotherapy agent (cisplatin), and then given doses of kaolin (3). The rats that were given kaolin showed less acute symptoms then the rats that were injected with cisplatin which exhibited a decrease in appetite, and weight loss (3). Kaolin could have played a role in decre asing the anxiety felt by the rats, and possibly sped up the recovery process (3). The mechanism on how clay and kaolin work on the body is still a mystery, and does not solidify the hypothesis that pica substances play a role in elevating pain from toxins or other chemicals (3). Conclusion Although pica disorder has been known since the time of Hippocrates, it is still a mystery to many researchers (1). The next step to further the knowledge about pica is to take a multidisciplinary approach, and to shift the idea of pica just being a mental ailment to pica also playing a physiological role in individuals (8). It is not fully understood to whether pica plays a role in the onset of anemic properties or if pica is a side effect of anemia (8). There is also the possibility that pica can contribute to the prevention or relief of toxins and pathogens from entering the blood stream (1). Although pica is not fully understood, it still must be taken seriously, as the effects are still not fully understood and could result in many complications that can lead to suffering for individuals that experience pica symptoms (1).

Why The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Should Not Be Banned Essay

The decision to ban the novel Huckleberry Finn from classrooms and libraries has been an ongoing controversy. The presence of the 'n word' and the treatment towards Jim, and other blacks in general, has made many readers uncomfortable. Despite this fact, Huckleberry Finn has been and remains a classic read. I do not believe the novel should be banned or sanitized because it is a part of American history whether it is good or bad, also we have no right to change someone's writing simply because we do not like how it is written, Mark Twain's writing should not be penalized because of the ideals of today. Sanitizing Huckleberry Finn would be ignoring America's past and history. Revising the original version of the book is not staying true to the period in which Twain was writing. The language of the book depicts America's past(Rawls 1). The language used is appropriate for this specific time period. People would not have referred to slaves or African Americans in any other way. Altering Huckleberry Finn and changing the racial slurs would make the novel lean towards a more fictional direction. Erasing racial labels does not erase race or racism. Wanting the world to be less racist does not give anyone the right to change someone writing. Being less racist would mean that the world could recognize words and their meanings as a sign of how much we have evolved(Dawkins 1). It is wrong to ignore the past simply because we don't know how to explain it. A large part of moving forward in the world depends on addressing problems and difficult situations. People have been reading "Huck Finn" and "Tom Sawyer for over a century and it has not stopped us from evolving and moving past slavery and racism for the most part. Why should we all... ...t"(Mullen 1). We need to remember and acknowledge the fact that these young people are juniors and seniors who differ in ages from 16 to 18 and in some cases are halfway to legal adulthood. The students reading this novel can make decisions for themselves based on what they know as right or wrong. Reading Huckleberry Finn one time in their literature class will not change that. Huckleberry Finn should not be banned or sanitized because it is a part of American history whether it is good or bad, also we have no right to change someone's writing simply because we do not like how it is written, Mark Twain's writing should not be penalized because of the ideals of today. If you find the book offensive, don't read it or buy it. There are countless amounts of offensive books that people find no interest in, however that does not mean we change them or rewrite them.

A Midsummer Nights Dream - Hermia And Helenas Relationship Essay

Hermia and Helena's relationship has changed greatly after the intervention of Puck with the love potion. Once best friends, they have become each others enemies, and all for the love of Lysander and Demetrius. Hermia and Helena were best friends when they were at school. "All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence?" (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 201, Helena) They had complete trust in each other, telling each other their deepest secrets. "Is all the counsel that we two have shared, The sisters' vows, the hours that we have spent," (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 198 - 199, Helena) They worked together on everything they did including sewing and singing. "Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion, Both warbling of one song, both in one key," (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 205 - 206) To some people, Helena and Hermia became the same person, saying the same things, thinking the same thoughts and having the same morals and principles. "As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds Had been incorporate. So we grew together," (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 207-208) Behaving in the same way, they spent as much time as possible together. This time passed quickly, whilst the time spent apart was slow and seemed pointless. "When we have chid the hasty-footed time For parting us-O, is all forgot?" (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 200 - 201, Helena) Although Helena and Hermia were two separate people, they were, "a union in partition", compared to a ...

SPORT Essay -- essays research papers

Professional Athletes Salaries: Are they paid too much? What should athletes deserve to be paid? Many players have risen to stardom by becoming a professional athlete. Athletes have come from many different backgrounds; some from wealthy and some from poverty raised backgrounds. Salaries are continuing to rise, and money doesn’t seem to be an issue. Athletes are getting what they want from the owners by negotiating through their agents. Athletes’ salaries aren’t just from their owners, but they come from other sources also. Athletes get paid an enormously high salary for the work they do. Really all they do is entertain us. We should consider the value of their work and pay them accordingly. They do not deserve the extreme amount they get paid and something should be done about it. Wouldn't it be great to make twenty million dollars a year and an additional ninety million dollars in endorsements simply to play a game that you are supposed to love to play? Lebron James, who has no college degree and hasn’t worked a day in his life, along with many other professional athletes thinks so. Lebron makes close to 100 million a year and probably will soon make much more. Yes, he is one of the best basketball players in the world, but paying somebody that much money for a game is ridiculous. All he had to do was just put a little round ball in a hoop. He didn’t save nobody’s life or make something that would benefit society. He entertained us for eighty two games and now has more money than he can spend. In today's society, one is supposed to be paid more if their job is more economically important. Doctors make more than factory workers; teachers make more than people who work at Wendy’s and so on. Still, professional athletes make more than what a teacher makes. Some professional athletes will make more money in one year than a teacher will make if he/she teaches all of their life. Is entertaining people more important than teaching them? The future of our society relies on the education of its youth and still teachers are paid less than these professional athletes. Even President Bush gets paid less than what most professional athletes are making. Here is a guy who makes decisions that affects everybody in our society everyday and we are saying entertainment is more important because we pay these athletes more. These games are supposed to be played for fun, not... ...plays a sport that they say they love is getting paid ten times as much as a doctor, police officer, or a fire fighter. Police officers and fire fighters protect our lives and save them, but they do not get close to the amount of money a player who plays professional sports. I am not just talking about the superstars in professional sports, but also about the players who never get to play and just sit on the bench. They still get hundred of thousands a dollars a year. I know to make it to the professional ranks in any sport is very difficult and these athletes train all of the time, but so do other professions. In other professions it might not be as physically demanding as sports, but they still have to train and stay on top of their game. I really find it hard to believe that in our society, we value entertainment more than almost anything else. There are people right now in this world dying because they do not have enough money to eat and we give athletes more money than they can spend because they are good at their sport. Professional athletes are extremely good at what they do, but do they really deserve millions of dollars because they can throw, kick, hit, or shoot a ball.

Money Over Power Beyond its Fate Essay

Money is the root of all evil. It is the most powerful thing in the world besides love. Sometimes money can ruin love in a friendship, relationship, or even worse family. Money can even decide the fate of a human’s life. â€Å"There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I’m going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts.† (Elizabeth Gilbert). In the movie, â€Å"No Country for Old Men,† A character by the name of, Llewelyn Moss, is caught in the cross fires of money, his actions, his thoughts, and most of all his own fate. Throughout the movie he is in a constant rat race with a man who goes by the name of, Anton Chigurh, who is a hit man that was hired to get the money that moss had stumbled upon and taken. Ofcourse Moss did not have to take this money and if he didn’t he wouldn’t be dealing with money, power, or the very predetermined fate of himself throughout the movie. Chigur also acts an officer of fate making up his own rules as he sees fit. Although Moss’s character may represent free will he also represents the fate that people make on their life after making one poor decision. Not only does this money ruin the fate of moss but it always toys with the fate of Moss’s wife, the owner of the gas station, and the children who were paid off to keep quiet. Some may say that it is not money that is the root of all evil but it is power. So does money and power go hand in hand? With money you have the power to control whatever you want, and with the most power you gain fear in others as well as continue to gain money from those who fear you. In â€Å"No Country for Old men† there is a constant battle between the power money holds on oneself as well as the fate of a life through money. The first time money determines a person’s fate is  during the coin flip at the gas station. When Chigurh realizes that the man working at the counter knows where he is from, he now becomes a witness of who Chigurh is and where he may be from. Maybe if the man would have just been quiet in the first place instead of trying to use the small talk and be friendly Chigurh would have never even have to have the thought of killing the man in the first place. But because the man is the person he is and just wanted to help â€Å"time pass† it pulled a spark and brought the whole conversation in another direction. Chigurh then begins to question the man. What time do you close? Do you stay out back? What time do you go to sleep? The Owner knew he was in some type of trouble and quickly tries to hurry the man out of his store so that he can reach some type of safe zone between him and Chigurh. The conversation continues and that’s when it starts to get a little interesting. Chigurh finds out that the man was married into the business. He didn’t want it nor did he save his earnings but fate brought him to that gas station and Fate would determine his life in a coin toss. â€Å"It is interesting, however, to note the way Chigurh and the Proprietor discuss the stakes of the game. The Proprietor is no doubt aware of the danger he’s in, but is carefully trying to determine the nature of the danger. They both avoid talking about the stakes of the game directly — the Proprietor, because if he says it, it might happen; Chigurh, because he considers himself an agent of Fate. Discussing it directly would make him responsible, and he’s not; the evil swirling through the film is bigger than this one man† (goodreasonblog.blogspot.com). Fate had played a life saving role in this man’s life but so did money. The flip the coin would determine his fate and that is when we right back on the subject of how which played a bigger role? The coin had all the power, although it was an instrument of the fate the man would determine on his own it still had the power. So can we really say that his fate was the reason this man is still alive? In the owners good graces he won the coin coin flip and his life was spared. But what if he had lost that coin flip? Do you really think Chigurgh would have killed an innocent man just because he noticed where he was from? Well that question could have been answered at the end of the movie when Chigurgh shows up at Moss’s wife, Carla Jean’s, house. Carla Jean finds herself seated across from the emotionless Chigurh. Chigurh had promised Moss that he would allow Carla Jean to live if the money was returned to Chigurh. He  assures Moss that it is the best deal he has to offer. Moss would have died either way but Chigurh promises Moss that he would not harm his wife as long as Moss listened to him. But of course determining the fate of himself and his wife Moss chooses not to listen to Chigurhs orders. It is really heartbreaking at this point in the movie because we all know Carla Jean is going to die. The power money has on a person is quite disgusting in this movie because we see that Moss truly chose his money over his wife. Chigurh tells Carla Jean that Moss could have saved her but the power of money had taken over Moss’s mind and moss made a decision for them both to suffer. â€Å"You don’t have to do this† Carla jean tells Chigurh. Chigurh then chooses to offer her the same coin flip option that he had previously offered the lucky old man at the gas station. Unlike the old man, Carla Jean refuses to call it when asked, even after the coin had been flipped and was just waiting to be called â€Å"The coin don’t have no say in it – it’s just you.† Chigurh again points out that he â€Å"got here the same way as the coin did.† Fate brought him to her house because of her husband and the power of money is what would kill Carl Jean in the end. Not only doe Chigurh try determining the fate of others, He also tries to determine the fate of himself. At the end of the movie when Chigurh is hit he pays a boy to keep quiet and act like nothing ever happened. Why would Chigurh do this? He is using his money to determine his fate. Chigurh knows that the lower his profile the less chances he will have of getting caught and going to prison for the illegal activity he has had going on. All in all none of these people had to do what they did. These were the choices they made and because of that, fate had a new twist on their life. Moss did not have to steal the money but he knew with more money came the happiness him and his wife had been working for. Maybe he did it out of love or maybe he was just being greedy we will never really know. Even Chigurh had the choice to not kill all those people because of Moss. All of those people who had died was a predetermined fate that was out of their control. Fate, in this movie, obviously came in more than one sub category. The money meant power and the power controlled ones fate. â€Å"Every moment in your life is a turning and every one a choosing. Somewhere you made a choice. All followed to this. The accounting is scrupulous. The shape is drawn. No line  can be erased. I had no belief in your ability to move a coin to your bidding. How could you? A person’s path through the world seldom changes and even more seldom will it change abruptly. And the shape of your path was visible from the beginning.† (coen 259) http://goodreasonblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/no-country-for-old-men-coin-toss-scene.html http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/fate

Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory

Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive theory is highly important in understanding the processes and elements that influence human learning. One perspective of Bandura’s theory is the innate capacity of human beings to be agents of change and human processes. With this in mind, Bandura presented some human internal and external factors that influence the process of being an agent of change. Social Cognitive theory, under the agentic perspective, relies on human intentions as a means to establish one’s connection to social structures based on three modes of agency: direct personal agency, proxy agency, and collective agency. These three modes of agency acknowledge the role of interdependence on how human beings will be able to manage human learning and processes that constitute life. Human agency necessitates the willingness and intentions of human beings to accomplish things through highly motivated thinking and actions. The results of an individuals’ thinking and actions under the perspective of human agency will assist individuals to undergo self-development and reconstruction in order for them to adapt to various life concerns. According to Bandura, human agency constitutes various core features: intentionality, forethought, self-reactiveness, and self-reflectiveness. Intentionality requires the willingness of human beings to do something in order to achieve desired results. Social functions give birth to desirable, mutual, and advantageous relationships if individuals are willing enough to become part of it. Collaborative activities, for instance, work out well if individuals take into account the desirable outcomes that might come out of it. Forethought complements intentionality, as it is concerned with looking and planning ahead. Bandura suggested that if forethoughts are motivating and desirable enough for individuals, then it will wield the intention of doing things that will eventually lead to its realization. For instance, an individual works with another for a cause but perceives that the relationship will be hostile and unproductive. His non-motivating view will not contribute to intentionality to invest time and effort to nurture the relationship. To continue, self-reactiveness talks about being able to motivate, but at the same time regulate oneself in terms of thinking and taking action. On the other hand, self-reflectiveness is established on the concept of introspection where one is able to evaluate actions and behaviors and determine how to fortify or change them. Aside from the core features of human agency, the three modes of agency influence the process of social cognition. Direct personal agency looks into the unswerving involvement of the individual to arrive at desired results. Intentionality, forethought, and self-reactiveness come into play to motivate individuals to influence the social structure. However, when individuals are unable to control it, they rely on proxy agency. The proxy agency constitutes other individuals or means to achieve the desired result, as the individual’s inability to influence the birth of the outcome is unperceived. Moreover, when direct personal agency and proxy agency do not seem to accomplish desired results within social structures, the collective agency gives off its value. The collective agency looks into the combined efforts to achieve goals and objectives. The collective agency relies on group functioning to harbor desired results. The nature of social structures is highly dependent on how individuals are able to perceive and establish it. At some points, social structures are reliant on the intentions, perceptions, and motivations of individuals to commit to actions and behaviors that will influence how these social structures will be shaped. Aside from the internal influences that might bear weight on the nature of social structures, modes of agencies will also affect how the process will be accomplished. Establishing social structures, under the three modes of agency, will depend on the direct influence of an individual, the dominance of other individuals and means to accomplish results, and the efficiency of group functioning to realize social structural goals and objectives.