A Ghost Of Post-Cold War Era - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2145 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/04/11 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Cold War Essay War Essay Did you like this example? In the early 1990s, the condition of the world was more desirable than ever. The Cold War concluded and the forces of liberal democracy and free market capitalism had prevailed over communism. Intellectuals did not hesitate to bourgeon visions of optimistic forecasts about the future, such as Francis Fukuyamas daring claim that the world was on the verge of the end of history, where liberal democracy would prevail as the supreme ideology indefinitely. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Ghost Of Post-Cold War Era" essay for you Create order Amid this enthusiasm came an ominous warning from Samuel Huntington. Huntingtons thesis was simple: conflict in the post-Cold War order would chiefly occur along cultural lines, primarily focusing on religion. Huntington speculated that the West would find itself pitted against Sinic, Orthodox, and Islamic civilizations, and that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world [would] not be primarily ideological or economic, (Huntington) a fact that contains strong merit today. Therefore, I argue that there is, indeed, a clash of civilizations (COC) in the post-Cold War age. This essay will begin by defining civilization, subsequently present examples to support the argument, and lastly provide a counter argument and conclusion. Huntington defined a civilization as the highest cultural grouping of people and the broadest level of cultural identity defined by language, history, religion, customs, institutions, and self-identification of the people (Huntington). He saw a strong correlation between culture and religion, with religion playing the most vital role in bonding a group together within a civilization. Religion is central because society and government is structured by it, and it shapes values at the most fundamental level. Each civilization is hermetically sealed with a traditional set of values and beliefs that exist within it. For instance, Islam maintains a shared religion, language, and ethnicity to form a strong identity. Also, as people define their identity in ethnic and religious terms, they are likely to adapt an us vs. them position between those from a different civilization; hence, resulting in a clash because of major tectonic conflicts. Because of this, conflicts tend to predominantly fa ll along cultural lines between different civilizations (Sakwa). Firstly, the most noteworthy example of a COC is the rise of Islamic extremism, which has been the champion security concern for the West. Recently, Islamic gunmen attacked the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo over a sardonic cartoon of Prophet Mohammed, leaving 12 people dead because of a religious-related avenge (Cassidy). Anger and unrest over the cartoon has spread throughout the Islamic world against the West; hundreds of protestors in Gaza tried to overrun a French cultural center and rioters in Niger burned numerous buildings and killed 10. At times like this, there is a propensity to view things in Manichean terms, and to believe, as Huntington postulated, that the event was the result of a COC, with the division of the West on one side and the Islam[ic] bloody borders (Huntington) on the other. Next, ISIS has brutally suppressed any cultural outlets that do not fit within its strict interpretation of Sharia. ISISs culture war has taken even more extreme dimensions: in 2015, the group executed 13 teenage boys for watching soccer because it violated Sharia law (Steinbuch). Obviously, there is a strong religious element in ISISs behavior. Nonetheless, ISIS extremism might be the most eye-catching element of COC but hardly the only one. The violent zealotry occurring in Nigeria amidst the transformation of the countrys politics is evidence of a COC. The driving force of Boko Haram is religion, with Islam violently questioning Western values. In Nigeria, Boko Haram (whose name translates into Western education is forbidden) has killed thousands of people and kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls. Targeting schoolgirls shows that the group is largely motivated by culture and religion rather than politics. Even Buddhists, long renowned for their pacifism, have been slaughtering Muslim s by the hundreds in Myanmar and Sri Lanka for not adhering to like-minded religious practices. Like the Islamic world, the Sinic civilization believes itself to be superior to the West, seeking to challenge the West for global influence. Perhaps the largest COC is occurring between the United States and China. China has modernized without Westernizing, creating tensions with the western values and cultures of the United States. Chinas resistance to Western supremacy stems from its Confucian values, which emphasize the importance of hierarchy, authority, consensus, and the states dominion over society, which clash with American beliefs of liberty, equality, democracy, and individualism. The chasm between the two makes a Western-style political structure incompatible with Chinese civilizational traditions. As a result, the relationship between the two civilizations has become increasingly confrontational, especially as Chinas economic and military power expands to pursue a role as a global hegemon. Moreover, a COC exists between Muslims and the Han Chinese in Xinjian. Most Uighurs are Muslim and Islam is an important part of their life and identity. Their language is related to Turkish, and they regard themselves as culturally and ethnically close to Central Asian nations. Recently, major development projects have brought prosperity to Xinjiangs big cities, attracting young and technically qualified Han Chinese from eastern provinces. While the situation is complex, many say that ethnic tensions caused by cultural factors are the root of the recent violence. The Uighurs and the Han are in constant conflict because the central Chinese government is also often accused of suppressing the expression of Uighur cultural and religious identity. Such means include banning Muslim government officials from fasting during Ramadan and limiting the number of religious activities; therefore, Uighurs fear the erosion of local identity by the Han Chinese. China has reportedly embarked on an ag gressive Sinification campaign to recast various foreign religions to reflect the regimes priorities and unique culture. Yet, ongoing efforts of Sinification of Islam will likely only intensify deep ethnic-religious faultiness in modern China, such as the 2013 showing of terror when several Uighurs-using an SUV- ploughed through visitors at Beijings Tiananmen Square. Thus, the recent incidents in Xinjiang emphasize cultural clashes. Restrictions on Islamic religious practices incite anger among Muslims elsewhere as well. Muslims in Turkey often condemn Chinas authoritarian measures over the Uighur population. Even the Iranians, who are close allies to the Chinese, often express criticism against China over heavy-handed policies conducted in Uighur-populated areas (Ramani). The Xinjian question will remain a black mark on China with regards to its conduct of Muslim-populated cities, which could erupt a potentially wider COC conflict between the Sinic and the Islamic civilizations. Across the pond, the current situation in Ukraine is an example of COC between Orthodoxy and the West. The mostly Orthodox east of Ukraine and the mostly pro-Western west side of the country have inevitable conflict with each other. Moreover, a deeper religious situation exists in Ukraine, where the stand-off between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Patriarchate of Constantinople have reached new heights. This situation is currently taking place after the events of 2014 when a largely pro-Western demonstration forced the largely pro-Eastern government out of power, replacing it with a pro-Western coup government. In the Donbass and other eastern parts of Ukraine, nationalists are bitterly resisting the coup-government in Kievs ongoing attempt to join NATO and the EU. Accordingly, the clash is culturally-motivated between two groups of people fighting over what identity and what civilization they want to identify Ukraine with. In a separate but related point, the predominantly Orthodox Armenia and mostly Muslim Azerbaijan declared war over Nagorno-Karabakh, and both sides received outside support from patrons within their civilizational categories: the Turks backed their religious and cultural brethren in Azerbaijan, and the Russians came to the aid of their Orthodox comrades in Armenia. This is explained by Huntingtons kin-country syndrome, where one state that is in a war with another in a different civilization rallies up support within their own civilization (Huntington, 15). This can be seen gradually emerging in the post-Cold War conflicts in the Persian Gulf, the Caucasus, and Bosnia. Each involved some elements of civilizational rallying and may provide a foretaste of future COC. Whats more, statistics point to an accretion in religious conflicts. A study by the Pew Foundation found that countries with an extensive level of religious hostilities reached a six-year high in 2012 (Global). In that same period, religious terrorism rose from merely 9 percent of countries to 20 percent (Global). Overall, the report found that 40 percent of countries have some form of religious conflict or discrimination. These countries include China, India, and Russia and account for 76 percent of the worlds population (Global). A COC between the West and Islam is a staggering figure: in a mere 17 years since the 9/11 attacks, practically every major Western city has suffered some sort of Islamic attack (Marche). New York City, Washington, D.C., London, Paris, Amsterdam, Glasgow, Boston, and Ottawa have tasted the bitter brew of jihad. Granted, there is a high probability that strolling through the greatest centers of Western civilization, citizens can now expect Islam-inspired ma ss shootings, bombings, stabbings, hostage-takings, hijackings, and vehicular manslaughters- all of which since the start of the new millennium, have taken place on Western streets. On the other hand, tremendous diversity within the Islamic world serves as an important counterargument to Huntingtons theory. Islam is a faith with more than 1.3 billion followers around the world (Lipka). They live under kings and presidents, prime ministers and caliphs, and in many cases, they have less in common with each other than they do with their non-Muslim counterparts. One could argue that countries such as Tunisia, Malaysia, and Turkey have more in common with the West than with Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia. Another rebuttal of the COC is that it assumes, for example, there is a single, unified West and a single, unified Islam, however, the distinctions and variations within both worlds are myriad. George W. Bush was ardent to emphasize that not all Muslims were to blame for 9/11, and fought two wars to try and bring democracy to the Middle East, viewing it as an ideological war rather than a cultural war. However, after the initial war on terror, it is precisely the idea of a COC that Islamists embrace because it frames the conflict as one against all of Islam and its culture, not just the jihadists (Hirsh). The kin-country syndrome also serves as evidence that all countries within the Islamic civilization will gather to protect their identity and cultural values. In 2016, the COC claim was vindicated because the ideas that the West would find repugnant permeate across the Muslim world making the spread of western liberalism difficult. For example, in Afghanistan, roughly 70% of Muslims find honor killing acceptable (Worlds), which is quite the contrary of Western ideals. Spreading democracy, then, to Muslim countries is impossible because of cultural inconsistencies and the war on terror has very much been a cultural conflict. In conclusion, taking the evidence together, it must be concluded that post-Cold War clashes are culturally-driven: the ongoing Western conflict with the Islamic world, clashes in Ukraine, and the Sinic battles with the Western/Islamic world all prove that there is a COC. Undoubtedly, these clashes occur around Huntingtons prescribed fault lines. What are the current ongoing conflicts in the world? The Council of Foreign Relations lists Islamist Militancy in Russia, Destabilization of Mali, and the violence in Myanmar, to name a few. There is a pattern: they involve Muslim groups in conflict with non-Muslims. Religious elements contribute significantly to the intensity and longevity of the conflicts (Holt). The current and future policy problems? Uncontrollable African and Middle Eastern mass migration to Europe, mostly though North Africas coastline. Where is the migration causing a rift? Between the conservative and Orthodox Eastern and Central Europe and the comparatively more soc ially liberal Western and Northern Europe. These observations exhibit that a COC is very much alive in the post-Cold War period. Why are cultural and religious groups fighting so much? Globalization. Our world has become vastly interconnected, bringing various groups into contact through trade, immigration, and travel where previously these groups were hardly aware of each other. Rather than focus on common ground, they tend to highlight the differences between one another, especially when they have fundamentally different ideas values, ultimately resulting in a COC. With an eventful and volatile 2018 behind us (almost) and an unpredictable 2019 ahead, President Trump anticipates that Americas political and intellectual battles support that a COC exists and points to modern conflicts. In fact, higher profile for religion in international relations has manifested because of growing COC conflicts, including an increasing presence at the United Nations. The UN itself instituted a new entity in 2005: The Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), whose name was a direct riposte to Huntingtons argument about the inevitability of civilizations clashing in the post-Cold war world (Haynes). The UNOAC prioritizes building cross-cultural relations between diverse nations and communities (UNOAC). This showcases the need for different civilizations to work assiduously to achieve improved inter-civilizational dialogue and engage in bridge building to replace the modern confrontation rhetoric of an overbearing COC.

Speech on Tobacco Use Essay - 447 Words

Speech on Tobacco Use Fellow Students, We all know that tobacco kills. In this speech, I want to tell everyone that tobacco kills non-smokers as well. Let us be clear about it. Second-hand smoke also kills. It is well documented through solid science that exposure to second-hand smoke causes cancer and contributes to various lung and heart diseases. It can cause asthma and other†¦show more content†¦Reality however, is different. We are all exposed to second-hand smoke nearly everywhere we go; in cafes, in airports, in shopping centres, often in the workplace. In countries where there are no controls on smoking, people are exposed to it all day, every day. So are people who work in restaurants or bars. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 700 million, or almost half, of the worlds children are exposed to second-hand smoke. In spite of what science tells us, however, in many places it is considered so acceptable to smoke, and so rude and unaccommodating to protest, that we dare not speak out against second-hand smoke. The time has come for us to speak out. We have a right to breathe clean air. We have a right to good health and to protect our friends and family. We need to clear the air of second-hand smoke. Today, we are calling for a ban on smoking in public places. Such a ban offers a comprehensive solution to keeping the air clean and safe for all people, both smokers and non-smokers. It puts the emphasis on peoples right to health and helps to make smoking the exception rather than the norm. From Canada to Thailand, Australia to South Africaand Ireland, wherever smoking bans have been put into effect they have also been shown to help people quit smoking. 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Construction Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements

Question: Discuss about the Construction Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements. Answer: Introduction: The Capital Maintenance Doctrine is said to be a tool that companies use to retain its capital. It is stipulated in the company law that every firm must hold a certain amount of capital so that when debts arise, the company can resort to its capital to settle them. Normally, the companies obtain loans from creditors such as banks and other financial institutions. Given the critical role that these entities play, they must be given priority in such incidences of uncertainty. The Capital Maintenance Doctrine therefore was created to cater for the interests of the institutions as well as to maintain the welfare of the companies. The doctrine can be discussed from two perspectives as it has been seen in the above sentiments. One of them is the creditors demands and secondly is the manner in which the company property can be dissipated in the event that a conflict has come up. To enforce this doctrine, the courts have been given the mandate to provide an interface between the companies and the funding agencies. The judicial interpretations are vital in that the creditors would receive their compensation from the existing company capital. For this reason, the directors of companies are advised to pay their shareholders from the investment returns and not the company capital. Jessel M. R. in Flitcrofts Case contends that there have been cases across the world whereby companies have been taken to account for repossessing shares from the shareholders. In one of the suits filed by a shareholder, the courts ruled that the company taking back its shares must compensate that shareholder even more because it was not advisable for the company to do so. Such action would reduce the capital which would further compromise the position of the creditors. the decision by the court also indicated that a company can only take back its shares when it has made the decision to wind up, and in this case the funding agencies are always given priority. The Capital Maintenance Doctrine has been adopted across the whole world but countries such as Australia have a different perspective of the same. The regulatory agencies have no strict measures regarding the amount of capital that a company should retain. The law society of Australia has developed argumentative propositions to determine whether capital retention is essential in any economy. Instead they contend that crucial matters should first of all be addressed before putting in place such a doctrine. Some of the pertinent issues to be examined first include the solvency of the company and the material factors that constitute a company. Therefore, Australia is a liberal economy which has given a free hand to the companies to operate at their own disposals. However, one would opine that the government should consider adopting the doctrine and its ideologies because Australia is a large investment hub that hosts many people from other countries. Other investors who wish to do business in the country have a desire that they get protection from the doctrine. The country must design a policy that will incorporate the Capital Maintenance Doctrine for the sake of investors. Bibliography McChesney W.A (2012). The New Generation of Risk Management for Hedge Funds and Private Equity Investments. Cengage Learning. Boston, Massachusetts Monk, E.W. (2009). Monopoly-Finance Capital and the Paradox of Accumulation. John Wiley and Sons Ranganathan, C.I. (2013). Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements. Cambridge University Press, New York Spillane, J.B. (2010). Forms of Capital and the Construction of Leadership. European Operational Research Jessel M. R. in Flitcrofts Case (1882) 21 Ch. D. 519. Shashi Bala v. CIT, (1964) 34 Com Cases 985 (Guj).

My Last Duchess Essays (833 words) - My Last Duchess,

My Last Duchess My Last Duchess By Robert Browning In Robert Browning's monologue poem ?My Last Duchess,? the author employs many literary techniques to convey the overriding jealous, controlling demeanor of the persona, the Duke. The poem, through the Dukes careful words, illustrates that appearances can indeed be deceiving. In the first line Browning immediately withdraws the persona from the poem, saying directly to the envoy, and thus the reader ?there's my last Duchess painted on the wall? (1). Only four lines later, we are politely invited to admire the painting: ?Will't please you sit and look at her (5). By jumping right into the Duke's comments to the envoy regarding his ?last? wife's portrait Browning effectively draws the reader in, as we are enthralled by the Duke's courteous demeanor. Fr? Pandolf' by design? the Duke says, trying to impress his audience. Browning invented the name of the artist, and thus the Duke's efforts to impress are foiled, since the name is unfamiliar. One explanation for Browning's reasons behind the invented name could be to illustrate that the Duke had been duped. He may have hired the artist under the pretense she was well known. This is the first major hint towards Browning's underlying theme?the Duke may appear to be of haute couture, but we are beginning to suspect we have been deceived. Later, after having eloquently spoken, the Duke comments, ?Even had you skill / In speech?which I have not? (35-36). The false modesty corresponds with his forged politeness a few lines before. Then, after much discussion of how certain things his Duchess did ?disgusts? (38) him, and how she would ?miss / Or exceed the mark? (38-39), the Duke collects himself, and brings us back into his control by adjusting his almost constant fa?ade. ?Will't please you rise (47) he asks, in the same breath complimenting ?master's known munificence? (49). The circle is complete and we once again almost believe his superficial mask to be true. Through the diction of the Duke, Browning is able to show how easily one can be blinded by an allusion. The Duke shows obvious jealousy and resentment towards his belated wife. She was ?too easily impressed? (23) and she ?thanked men,?good! But thanked?as if she ranked / My gift of a nine-hundred-year-old name / With anybody's gift? (31-33). The Duke was simply jealous of the Duchess love of life; he wished that she would smile only for him. Finally, filled with envious rage, he ?gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together? (45-46). By this, Browning gives the initial impression that the Duchess is now under the control of the Duke, like ?Neptune?/ Taming the sea-horse? (54-55). Even if one has caught on to the Duke's falseness through observance of his diction, superficial understanding of the poem stops with the belief that the Duke finally has his prize?drawn behind a ?curtain? for only him, and a few choice people to view on the wall. However, Browning drives the theme that appearances can be deceiving even deeper. The Duke places a ?curtain? around the painting to shield the eyes of the acrylic face from wandering. After all, there is more to the world than a view of the Duke. ?Fr? Pandolf? (6) attempted to convince the Duke that the only thing that could be wrong with the Duchess's portrait is the impossibility to ?reproduce the faint / Half-flush that dies along her throat? (17-18), or that ?Her mantle laps / Over my lady's wrist too much? (17). But what the Duke is haunted by is now a flaw in artistry, but his wife's enduring, yet unendearing, gaze. He himself admits, that she looks ?as if she were alive? (2) in the portrait he must shield from the world, as well as from himself. The portrait ?stands? (4), unsupported, mimicking how the Duchess stood, independently, in life. Much like the bronze god in the statue of ?Neptune?/ Taming the sea-horse? (54-55), the Duke is frozen forever, trapped by his inability to ever completely control the Duchess. One may think that the Duke has ?won? and conquered all by finally having her ?smiles stopped together? (45-56), but much like the image of himself he tries so hard to convey, the