International Trade, Comparative Advantage and Protectionism

Group D INTERNATIONAL TRADE, COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE AND PROTECTIONISM 1. According to the table above determine which country has the absolute advantage in corn and which in soybeans. In addition, determine which country has the comparative advantage in corn and which in soybeans. Make sure to support your answer by deriving the opportunity costs of each. Ans. A producer with absolute advantage over the other in the production of a good or service is if it can produce that product using fewer resources. Therefore; Canada has absolute advantage in Corn and Mexico in Soybean.Comparative advantage is the producer with the lowest opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is the  cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action or the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action. For example, the opportunity cost of going to college is the money you would have earned if you worked instead. On the one hand, you lose four years of salary while ge tting your degree; on the other hand, you hope to earn more during your career, thanks to your education,  to offset the lost wages. Canada O/C for corn 8/2 = 4 soybeansCanada O/C for Soybean8/2 = 0. 25 Corns Mexico O/C for corn2/10 = 0. 2 Soybeans Mexico O/C for Soybean10/2 = 5 Corns Canada has comparative advantage in soybean and Mexico has comparative advantage in corn. 2. According to the table above, would there be trade flows in both directions if the exchange rate were $1 = 1 peso? Ans. The USA would gain by exporting  plastic and importing pesos from Mexico. At an exchange rate of 1:1, it now only has to give up $1 worth of plastic to obtain 1 pesos, whereas before trade it had to give up $4 for 8 pesos.On the other hand the USA would not benefit from trade on paper because at the inception USA was getting a good rate on paper at $1 to 3 pesos. 3. If a lower exchange rate spurs exports then why wouldn’t it be a good idea of policymakers to intervene to push the ex change rate as low as they can? Ans. It is not a good idea for policy makers to intervene to push the exchange rate as low as they can because importers sometimes would not benefit or get value for their money. The exchange rate would also affect the quantity of goods received. . What is protection as it refers to international trade? Ans. Protectionism is restraining trade between countries through methods such as tariffs through imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow fair competition between imports and goods and services produced domestically. 5. Explain the law of comparative advantage and why it is important in international trade? Ans. The concept of comparative advantage is an integral part in achieving increased gains in international trade.The concept, first introduced by David Ricardo in 1817 states comparative advantage exist when a country has a â€Å"margin of superiority† in the production of a good or service, where the marginal cost of production is lower. He explained how trade can benefit all parties such as individuals, companies, and countries involved, as long as goods are produced with different relative costs. The net benefits from such activity are called gains from trade. This is one of the most important concepts in international trade.According to the principles, benefits of trade are dependent on the opportunity cost of production. Opportunity cost is measured in terms of what you give up of another other. A country with no absolute advantage in any product, i. e. the country is not the most competent producer for any goods, can still be benefited from focusing on export of goods for which it has the least opportunity cost of production. When countries specialize and trade based on comparative advantage consumers pay less and consume more and resources are used more efficiently.Countries which are open to trade grow faster over the long run that those that remain cl osed. Increased trade benefits consumers and producers, through lower prices and access to a wider variety of goods. This is due to specialization which lowers cost and competition. Trade helps countries in allocating resources as efficiently as possible; it also allows countries to accumulate resources more quickly. 6. Distinguish between a tariff and quota? Explain the effect of tariff/quota on domestic consumption, prices and output. Ans. Tariffs and quotas are tools implemented to protect domestic industries.To distinguish between both we need to explain what a tariff and a quota is. A tariff is a tax or duty placed on imported goods by a domestic government and does not apply to sales of domestically produced goods and a quota is a limit on the quantity of imported products. Base on the explanations above we can note that tariff is imposed to make goods imported from foreign countries more expensive as it raises the price of an imported good, making it more expensive than simil ar domestic goods which protects domestic producers from dumping by foreign countries.As outlines on businessdictionary. com ‘dumping is exporting goods at prices lower than the home market prices’. The rational is to increase demand for domestic products while reducing the quantity of imports. Tariffs are a benefit to domestic producers who faces reduced competition in their home market. The reduced competition causes prices to rise. Sales of domestic producers should also rise, all else being equal. With the increase in production and prices this will cause increase employment and a rise in consumer spending.The tariffs also increase government revenues that can be used to the benefit of the economy. Once the price of the good with the tariff has increased; the consumer is forced to either buy less or of some other good. The price increase will cause a reduction in consumer income. A quota sets a limit on the quantity of goods that can be imported during a particular period. Quotas are employed to protect new industries and keep market entry costs low for domestic producers. They also protect domestic jobs by ensuring that foreign products are not imported in sufficient numbers to meet current demand.This will ensures a percentage of the existing market share is retained by domestic companies. Once there is an increase in imports quotas are more protective than tariffs. Quotas benefit the government by protecting domestic corporations to keep people employed. 7. â€Å"Economists have demonstrated that imports benefits consumers while causing losses to producers and exports benefit producers while causing losses to consumers. In the balance then international trade neither benefits nor hurts a nations as a whole. † Evaluate this statement. Ans.International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders territories. The international trade accounts for a good part of a country’s gross domestic pro duct. It is also one of important sources of revenue for a developing country. The trade which exists between countries consists of buying goods that are produced at a lower cost elsewhere. Individual and countries have different abilities in producing their goods; taking the advantage of these differences in order to have efficiency will enable each to experience gains from trade. . If the Bank of Jamaica suddenly switches to a more expansionary policy, explain the effects it will have on the exchange rate and balance of payments of Jamaica. According to investopedia (2012),an expansionary policy is a macroeconomic policy that seeks to expand the money supply to encourage economic growth or combat inflation (price increases). One form of expansionary policy is fiscal policy, which comes in the form of tax cuts, rebates and increased government spending.Expansionary policies can also come from central banks, which focus on increasing the money supply in the economy. The bank of Jama ica cab increase money supply in two ways. These are; * By reducing the policy interest rate * Open Market Operations due to the purchase of certificate of deposits Reducing the policy interest rate and Impact A reduction in the interest rates will result in Commercial banks and other Deposit taking institution extending more funds to individuals and businesses.In other words the increased ability to borrow funds due to a reduction in policy interest rates will cause more Jamaica dollars to be in circulation. The excess supply of money will result in pressure on the Jamaican dollar resulting in a depreciation of the Jamaican dollar. The pressure that is exerted on the Jamaica dollar due to an expansionary policy will cause a widening of the balance of payment deficit. The Jamaica economy is heavily dependent on imports and therefore it would cost more to import product and services ******

Bus 610 Week 1

Michael Rush BUS 610 10/27/12 Complete Connect Exercise 1, Chapter 1 (p 13), 1. a. Interval b. Ratio c. Nominal d. Nominal e. Ordinal f. Ratio 2. a. Ratio b. Nominal c. Nominal d. Ratio 3. orangecountyregister. com Nominal- The sales of the Microsoft Surface allow for the measurement of Nominal data. When looking at the tablet market all of the sales are essentially a tally for the version or brand. The article looks at the sales which can be easily compared to other tablets in that market.Ordinal- The concept of ordinal measurement is directly represented in the idea of high school football. In the article it talks about the number one ranked Mission Viejo team. This is directly categorized as an ordinal unit of data. With having a clear ranking in terms of success, the first place team has a measureable gain over teams that would be in the lower rankings. Interval- Interval data can be found throughout the readings when it comes to weather. Weather is a great example of interval da ta.The temperature has a difference between values at a constant size and an easy ranking the temperatures for clear measurement. Additionally a zero does not have significance as in an absence of heat. Ratio- In the paper the Symantec Company was brought up. The article revolved around the earnings in the second quarter. This measurement is one of a ratio due to the fact that a zero value is meaningful. A company has the ability to be at zero and be factual. The data can be compared to different years or other companies. 4. a. Sample b.Population c. Population d. Sample Chapter 1 Practice Test for Part II, Problem #2 (p 20), 2. |Freshmen |Sophomores |Juniors |Seniors | |14 |18 |10 |6 | [pic] Chapter 2 Practice test for Part II, Problem 1 (p 54) 1. a. 30 b. 105 c. 52 d. 0. 190476 or 19% e. $165 f. Minimum= $120 and Maximum =$330 g. [pic] h. [pic]

Lockheed Martin Exercise Essay

Question 1: The Lockheed Martin website gives the impression that this company strives to make ethics a top priority among its employees. Lockheed has successfully integrated marketing ethics throughout its corporate culture by instituting mandatory ethics training sessions. The company requires that employees make every effort to attend in-person training; however Lockheed makes online training available to those who are unable to attend to live training. This ensures that each and every employee has the opportunity to attend the ethics training session. In addition to having training sessions and requiring employees to acknowledge their completion of the course, Lockheed also has a clearly defined code of conduct, and the company expressly states its vision and values. The message of â€Å"doing what’s right,† respecting others, and doing the very best job possible are often repeated on the corporate website. The website also lists numerous additional links and resources for employees’ use. Question 2: The current ethical minute series does seem like it would be effective in establishing an ethical culture because the videos present realistic scenarios. First, the videos describe the ethical issue along with potential consequences. Next, the characters experience a conflict in the workplace, and they must decide whether they should follow the company’s procedure and possibly face negative consequences, or simply let the incident go unreported. The video shows the characters as they go through a thought process that is very similar to the way a real Lockheed employee might react. Overall, the video series appears to be effective because it presents ethical issues to employees in a way that is informative, entertaining, and the many employees will likely understand and relate to the message that is being delivered. R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Question 1: R. J Reynolds must make many considerations when formulating a marketing strategy. The company’s website indicates that the information that has been released on health risks related to tobacco use is a large concern. The website seems to reflect that the company feels obligated to state that individuals who have ceased using tobacco and those who have never started should avoid tobacco products. There is also a statement that minors should not use tobacco under any circumstances (including exposure to secondhand smoke) and that tobacco is harmful and no tobacco product has been deemed safe. The company also states that individuals should rely on statements by the Surgeon General and the CDC when making decisions about tobacco use. These statements reflect pressure from governmental agencies and outside groups to inform the public about the serious health risks that are associated with tobacco. The company also mentions that tobacco use should be allowed in adult venues. This indicates that the company feels that recent trends in smoking regulation are unfair and far too strict and are counterproductive to the business interests of tobacco companies. Question 2: R. J. Reynolds Company has used the negative impact that increased health concerns have had on the company to portray itself as a morally and socially responsible. Not only does the website convey information about health risks, but the company also uses changes in smoking regulation laws as a basis to encourage political activism, as stated on the Smoker’s Rights page. The media page also shows that the company has made large donations to community causes. These actions serve to portray the tobacco company as socially responsible and positive, though the company sells a product that has a negative impact on health and has consequently come under fire as a result.

Qualitative Nursing Research Critique on the Relationship of Nursing Assignment

Qualitative Nursing Research Critique on the Relationship of Nursing Unit Structure to Patient Satisfaction - Assignment Example Qualitative Nursing Research Critique on the Relationship of Nursing Unit Structure to Patient Satisfaction In the field of medicine, most of the time patients under similar diagnoses may not have similar outcomes. This makes for the uncertainty that is commonly present under medical conditions (Lubin, Smith, Dodson, Spell, & Walker, 2010). What can be certain however is the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of both the patients and the level of engagement of the nursing staff that serves them. In a study conducted by Bacon and Mark in 2009, they were able to make a connection between the management and organization of nursing staff units and the level of satisfaction of patients and their characteristics under medical-surgical settings in 146 hospitals. By finding out how the response and availability of nursing staff could affect the satisfaction of patients in inpatient settings, the research was able to conclude that modifications in the work structure and the engagement levels of staff could give better service to patients, especially those recovering from surgeries. This is most significant to nurses that are under medical-surgical settings since most of the time they have to deal with patients who would need medications to alleviate pain (Mills, 2006). During the course of the study, the authors had a purpose of providing an improved solution to patient problems such as pain management in inpatient settings. The study was conducted in order to examine the connection of patients’ characteristics and level of satisfaction to the hospital environment that they are in, as well as the organizational structures of the nursing units and the total impact of such structure in the contentment of the admitted patients (Bacon & Mark, 2009). They focused on the numerous reports of patients who have or had problems with regards to the interaction between them and their care providers, and this is one of the leading causes of their dissatisfaction during hospital stays. The research question is apparent in their premise of finding a solution, and that in order to give patients a more satisfying stay in the hospital, factors that can affect them directly are sought out and sorted, finding a better way for nursing staff to deliver better services in the process. The study’s finding that there should also be satisfaction at the level of the nursing staff in order to deliver better services coincides with a previous report that high levels of stress and low motivation among nurses have a great impact on the mortality and the failure of rescuing patients in some hospitals in PA (Aiken, Clarke, Sloane, Lake, & Cheney, 2008). This is very significant for the field of nursing especially due to the nature of providing not just treatment but also care to all patients. By making improvements in the efficiency, technology, work processes and organizational design of the nursing staff, they may be able to increase their productivity without sacrif icing too much of their personal time. In turn, the satisfied nurses can be much more effective in delivering care safely to their patients (Hendrich, Chow, Skierczynsky, & Lu, 2008). The study design of the experiment was done according to the definitions of qualitative

Operations Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Operations Management - Assignment Example A business that has an effective management strategy is likely to have an upper hand in the market. There are diverse benefits associated with efficient operations management, including a reduction in the operational costs while enhancing customer satisfaction. Inventory management ensures that sales, customer service, and production are done effectively without interruptions, hence ensuring customer satisfaction and cost reduction. In addition, optimizations of inventory levels as well as helping in improving cash flows are major benefits derived from inventory management. Improper inventory management can lead a business to huge losses. In the modern context, several inventory management controls have been developed; some that are highly sophisticated while others are quite simplistic. Some of the available inventory management tools include ABC analysis, Economic Order Quantity (EOQ), Discounted EOQ, Vendor managed Inventory (VMI), LP, MRPII, TQM, ERP, KANBAN, and collaborative pl anning among others. Inventory management tools are very well applied in organizations for diverse purposes. A number of company operations are associated with the inventory management tools. Firstly, in the process of developing the company accounts, the accuracy is tremendously improved hence enhanced reporting of the company profits and losses (Silver 2008, p.16; Hilton1994). This is done based on the asset value that is attached to every item that is purchased, those within the company and the ones sold. Secondly, the management is able to identify flaws and ensure they are rectified before they get out of hand. The inventory management tools help track all the items in the company, thereby ensuring that flaws do not accrue until the stock taking date. Fourthly, customers are very important people as far as the company is concerned. The inventory management tools are able to identify items that are in shortage hence customers are able to make their bookings without being

Should Poor People Be Provided With Food and Shelter Essay

Should Poor People Be Provided With Food and Shelter - Essay Example There are very few people that are philanthropic enough to help such people out and bring them out of their misery. On the other hand, there are other people that refuse to help such a miserable situation, and in turn create more problems for the poorer sections of society. However, despite being caught up in such situations, it is the right of every individual to be able to have food and shelter in order to survive. Food and shelter are the two necessities a person should have in order to be able to live life properly and if these are denied, then no man will be able to survive. Most people that are poor or living below the poverty line are not even able to afford square meals and provide their family with the same. They have many mouths to feed and an unstable source of income which forces many of them to even resort to actions like begging for food. Most of them do not have a house or a roof to live under and thus are subject to the worst kind of diseases. Even food and shelter be comes a distant dream for such people and they become socially excluded from a lifestyle of being able to achieve these basic resources from society. Thus, the question lies in whether or not such people should be provided with external assistance by others in order for them to be able to gain basic food supplies and a place to live in with their families. Governments in many countries provide the socially backward classes and poor people of the society with these basic amenities. There are a number of food programs taken up in such developing and under developed countries where poor people are given food grains so that they can sustain their lifestyle and be able to feed their families. In many parts of the world, the governments also build housing societies that have basic one room shelters where poor people can dwell. In most places, these houses turn into areas that are categorized as slums because of the unhygienic conditions that they form with time. It is important for people to given food and shelter because

The Comparison and Contrast of Marijuana and other Harder Drugs Essay - 5

The Comparison and Contrast of Marijuana and other Harder Drugs - Essay Example Marijuana is different from heroin and cocaine in that it is a ‘natural’ drug, not a derived drug. It is known by many names such as pot, weed, grass, and skunk; all terms, however, refer to the â€Å"dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the cannabis plant.† (NDIC, 2003a, p.2) Heroin, on the other hand, is derived from opium; although opium itself is a natural substance extracted from the â€Å"seedpod of the opium poppy’ (NDIC, 2003b, p.2) heroin is manufactured from morphine which is an element of opium. Cocaine is derived from the coca leaf in South America and has to go through a chemical process to become cocaine. (NDIC, 003c, p.2) There are clear evidence and statistics reporting on death by overdose of pure cocaine and heroin use but I was unable to locate any such evidence of death by pure marijuana use.1 Heroin and cocaine, being powders (other than heroin sold in solid form in the west of the US) can be mixed with other substances like sugar, powdered cleaning agents and strychnine before being sold and thus create the risk of death, whereas it is difficult to dilute marijuana in any way. Marijuana is not associated with violent behavior as is evidenced by heroin and cocaine. A study conducted at the University of Victoria in British Columbia found that the use of marijuana on its own is not related to violent injuries in need of hospital attention but that the use of cocaine on its own is related. (NORML, 2007) There are also differences in â€Å"long-term differential associations of cocaine use and marijuana use on decision making† according to a study undertaken by Verdejo-Garcia et al. 2007. They investigated the connection between prolonged marijuana and cocaine use and its effect on learning.

Reimbursement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reimbursement - Essay Example Over time, these products have brought about major health challenges to their users ranging from addiction to cancer of the throat and lungs. â€Å" As a result, health expenditure by the government has only been going up without easing.† (Jost, 1). Tobacco companies should help finance the healthcare costs associated with the use of their products. This is because they make profits while the government incurs expenses that could be avoided by simply putting the companies out of business. In order to be appealing to the consumer, companies use enticing words that attract more users. The enticements are in the form of low tar content, mild cigarettes, flavoured cigarettes and misrepresented information on tobacco. This information is widely misleading and depicts the irresponsible nature of tobacco companies, thus, the need to make them accountable for their deeds. These practices are blatantly deceptive, fraudulent, and aimed at misleading active consumers and other potential consumers. This can be done making them refund to the government funds used to treat and cater for tobacco related ailments. Also, tobacco companies go out of their way to make aggressive campaigns to women, youth and minority groups. These funds could, instead, be used in preventing ailments and expenses that result from tobacco use. â€Å"Still on accountability, tobacco companies should reimburse the government because they are the reason that tobacco related ailments are prevalent† (Janofsky, Para. 2). They, therefore, should shoulder the blame for the part they play. Apart from this, tobacco companies, as a result of reimbursement, will have to bare their documents to the public. This will allow scrutiny by the public in order to understand how the tobacco industry functions. It will also expose the malpractices that these companies engage that are outside the normal business rules and standards. Thus, â€Å"...to ensure accountability, tobacco companies should be given a choice to either reimburse the government for healthcare expenses, or conduct anti-tobacco campaigns, which use up the same profits they make† (â€Å"Benefits in Tobacco Deal†, Para. 5). With this, reimbursement promotes transparency in the business where they work towards ridding the country and society of tobacco addicts and especially smokers. In return, the companies provide less reimbursement and make sufficient profits for themselves. Health and financial benefits Reimbursement of the federal government by tobacco companies should be done in order to improve the health of the citizens. It should also be done to reduce the load that the taxpayer has to bear. Calls to reimburse the government have an opportunity to pave the way for the creation of new laws. By passing legislation that controls and regulates the tobacco industry, usage of tobacco and tobacco products will see a decline. This legislation will be very crucial because, the number of people using toba cco products will go down significantly and, thus, those exposed to second hand smoke will also benefit. Of all the people exposed to second-hand smoke, children and pregnant mothers form the bulk. Putting into consideration the effects that cigarette smoke has on children and unborn babies, reimbursement is set to put issues into perspective for tobacco companies. Therefore, reimbursement will promote improved health by reducing occurrences of smoking related

Foundations of cognitive grammar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Foundations of cognitive grammar - Essay Example Therefore, there is a need to fill in the gap and discuss adjectives in terms of cognitive grammar. Moreover, there is an essential gap in discussion about boundedness in adjectives. This research paper is focused on consideration of two characteristics of adjectives: boundedness and gradability. A contextual modulation is suggested as the means to consider a problem of adjectives in cognitive grammar in a broader context. It is also suggested to focus on functionality of adjectives. A study of boundedness and gradability is conducted on the basis of constructing schematic domains comprising gradability as the main characteristic of adjectives (Paris, 1997). Schematic domains as a background of further study are justified, because content of adjectives is often neglected. A focus on schematic domains is justified in terms of cognitive linguistics, because content of adjectives or other parts of speech ‘set up’ in minds of humans. Nevertheless, it is possible to suppose t hat a stability of boundedness applied for adjectives may be manipulated under certain conditions; this is the prospect of the future study. The issue of boundedness in adjectives is discussed further on in a broader context. The range or point on a scale taken by bounded and unbounded adjectives. On the basis of theoretical framework basing on the works of contemporary linguists ranging from 80s till nowadays, the issue of boundedness is considered. In spite of the fact that boundedness has been considered as a rigid characteristic of nouns/verbs/ adjectives our study is focused on a possibility to consider boundedness as a more flexible feature. Unbounded adjectives reflect a range on a scale and bounded adjectives reflect point-like conceptualization on a scale. Moreover, cognitive frames are essential for human understanding and interpretation of different situations. In order to fill in the gap in the studies focused on human cognition and language it is relevant to discuss sch ematic domains. Furthermore, cognate base of boundedness is considered from a perspective of cognitive grammar. A different connection between superlatives and comparatives is discussed on the foreground of the schematic mode. Gradability is a factor influencing on the cognate base in the schematic domain. Thus, it is relevant to consider the way human cognition perceives and produces schematic domain modes. Boundedness illustrates the process of schematic domains reflection in human cognition. Therefore, this study brings in an innovative vision on boundedness in adjectives relevant to theory of lexical semantics and cognitive grammar. Table of contents 1.0 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 2.0 Background †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 3.0 Methodology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.......7 4.0 Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...8 4.0 Discussion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.12 5.0 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..20 1.0 Introduction Cognitive grammar is currently becoming popular among researchers and learners of any language. This discipline

Greek tragedy Essay Example for Free

Greek tragedy Essay A view from the bridge was written by Arthur Miller in 1947. Arthur Miller uses a range of dramatic techniques effectively throughout the play to create tension and suspense, but particularly in the climax at the beginning of Act 2. These dramatic effects consist of; Stage direction, Greek tragedy, Foregrounding, Scenery, actions such as tension and climax and finally dramatic irony. In a view from the bridge, the central themes are, love, justice, family, the law and codes of honour. Together, they increase the characters development, so as an audience we empathise with the characters personal views, thoughts and opinions. Dramatic irony, is when the audience knows what is going to happen before the Protagonist is embedded within the text. An example of dramatic irony in the play is when Eddie returns home drunk whilst Catherine and Rodolpho are upstairs in the bedroom making love. This creates tension and suspense between the characters and also the audience, as we already know of Eddies hatred for Rodolpho because of Catherines loving feelings towards him. Arthur Millers use of the specific elements of a Greek Tragedy make the play extremely intense. The rules of a Greek tragedy consist of; A protagonist which dies at the end of the play The protagonist is clearly Eddie, as he is the central character and also sadly dies at the end of the play, he is brutally killed by Marco. A chorus is also needed in a Greek tragedy, The chorus explains and narrates the plot The chorus in the play is Alfieri as he is the commentator, he sets the scenes dramatically and also informs you what is going to happen in the upcoming scene/section. The protagonist is essentially good but his/her fate is sealed by a central flaws in character This is briefly reflected towards Eddie, as he was loving caring and protective over Catherine to start of with. He states-Now dont aggravate me Katie, your walking wavy! - This makes Eddie seem secretly obsessed with Catherine as it looks like Eddie does not want Catherine to grow up, by not letting her dress up like a normal eighteen year old girl would. Before the death of the hero, he has a moment of self understanding-Eddie gets stabbed by Marco in the end of the play, but before he dies he has a personal moment of self-understanding and forgiveness. Eddie, Beatrice and Catherine share their last goodbyes, publicly. Eddie finally states-My B! It sounds as if he wants her to forgive him for all the trouble and rebellion he has caused, Over something he could of easily let go of, but sadly didnt. This is an emotional time for the cast and audience as Eddies death was not expected, especially by Marco. The audience feels both empathy and dislike for the hero at different points. -At times Eddie can release anger, frustration and annoyance towards the audience and characters, by doing this Eddie loses his empathy from the audience. Eddie starts off with physical conflict with Rodolpho. This creates a lot of tension, with each scene of conflict becoming more intense than the one that preceded it. The tense atmosphere during the boxing scene at the end of Act One expresses Eddies secret jealousy towards Rodolpho, which results in Eddie releasing his frustration by physical violence. Eddie fires at Rodolpho-You cant hurt me [Rodolpho more seriously, jabs at Eddies jaw] The audience will not approve if Eddie interfering in Catherines and Rodolphos relationship which includes physical tension. There are also times when the Audience empathise with Eddie, as he is being loving and caring and trying to do the right thing, whereas Catherine acts selfish and ignores him. The character Alfieri has a very important role in the play A view from the bridge. Alfieri acts both as a narrator and commentator but his main function is to offer ideas to the audience to set them thinking about the message of the play. Alfieri also divides each act into unofficial scenes, and inform the audience on any missed action. Alfieri is a character in the play and yet his advice is objective and sympathetic. Alfieri is the first character to speak in the play; he therefore sets the scene and informs the audience the background to the action. He is a lawyer but in this area of Brooklyn the people distrust the law, he tells us-A lawyer means the law, and in Sicily, from where their fathers come, the law has not been a friendly idea since the Greeks were beaten. This speech immediately sets up tension between Alfieri, a representative of written law and the Italian immigrant community, who prefer to follow their own law. Alfieri understood Eddies love for Catherine was impossible to control. Alfieri empathised with Eddies in a way Beatrice could not. It aint nice Eddie This shows Beatrice confronts Eddie more than she actually Comforts him, whereas Alfieri states-Yes but those things have to end Eddie. This shows Alfieri understands Eddie psychologically whilst slowly and persuasively trying to steer him out of his unbearable dilemma. Stage Directions are very important in drama and this is evident in Arthur Millers A view from the Bridge. Stage directions give actors and directors character motivation and this allows actors to create believable characters and explain a characters actions and feelings. They also highlight characters emotions that are indirectly portrayed through stage directions, especially when describing the main focus of the play. , Eddie Carbone. In the beginning of act one, Catherine appeared to be an extremely friendly, confident little girl. I just got it, you like it? Catherine projects herself in this scene as a young, timid girl who does not have much knowledge of the outside world as she has been over-protected by Eddie all her life. [She turns for him]- Arthur Miller uses a variety of stage directions to develop Catherine as a character. The stage directions in the beginning of act one are secretly intimate and kind of shows a hint of sexual tension between Catherine and Eddie. [wipes her hand over her skirt]-Not many nieces do these flirty flexes with their uncles, but for Catherine this seems as it is normal to be twirling and flirting. When Rodolpho arrives, Catherine seems to be getting stronger and braver towards Eddie. She feels as if she is independent and superior. [She frees her arm, steps back into the bedroom] Catherine frees her arms from Eddie, Arthur Miler uses stage directions effectively in this section as it is building Catherines character from a Shy, inferior, tiny girl into a strong-minded, selfish, superior woman. This dramatically changes the audiences impression of Catherine. Catherine has always had an innocent fondness toward Eddie, but Eddie takes it the wrong way which makes their father and daughter relationship seem more sexual and possessive. [As she strives to free herself, he kisses her on the mouth] Eddie was obviously drunk when this stage direction was performed, but when your drunk your true feelings come out and Eddies passionate love for Catherine had finally been . sexually released. This had a massive impact on the audience as Arthur Miller created suspense in this section. Whilst Eddie is sexually obsessed over Catherine, Catherine just wants unconditional, parental love from Eddie and Romantic sexual love from Rodolpho. Catherine later bursts out Ill Kill you- If Catherine was secretly in love with Eddie like Eddie was with Catherine, she would have not threaten to kill him. When Catherine and Rodolpho are home alone, there is tension building up. Catherine starts curiously questioning Rodolpho, Suppose I wanted to live in Italy. She is testing his love for her, as Eddie had informed Catherine that Rodolpho is most l;likely using her just to be an American Citizen. Catherine refused to believe this but Eddie might of got the better side of her. Catherine later exploded with-You dont know, nobody knows! - This is showing Catherines neglect and isolation from Rodolpho and Eddie. She Presumes that no one understands her, but the audience thinks shes only confused as she does not know who to trust.

The Effective Leadership Of Adolf Hitler

The Effective Leadership Of Adolf Hitler From 1939 to 1945 the world was involved in a war that would change history. It is safe to say that World War Two was one of the most prominent wars throughout history. Many of the worlds powerful countries were involved. The Allies fought together to defeat an evil dictator. The Big Three included the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. Other countries were involved but these three countries were credited for liberating the Jews. Germany was not a powerful country when Hitler decided to take control. The Nazis claimed they rescued the country from becoming absolute chaos. The Allies, who included the Big Three, and Axis Powers, who were Germany, Italy, and Japan battled generally in Eastern Europe. What is impressive is that a miniscule country was able to annex many parts of Europe. After six treacherous years, Germany was finally defeated. During World War Two, Germany was under the control of Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler was born in 1889, in Austria and took over Germany in 1933. He dropped out of school to become an artist but soon figured out it wasnt a fit career, eventually leading him to rule Germany. He had a specific vision for the future of Germany and it did not include Jews. He believed the Aryans were the pure race and should not integrate with other races. Not only was he anti-Semitic, he detested homosexuals, blacks, handicapped, and gypsies. His vision was to destroy the parasites of Germany by vastly executing them. Hitler was great leader because he deceived world leaders, used Aryan youth to his advantage, and took absolute control of mass media. It is said that World War Two could have been completely avoided if the Allies did not appease Hitler. Neville Chamberlin, who was appointed Prime Minister of Britain, felt appeasement was an urgent necessity and he followed this policy with a single-minded determination lacking in any of his predecessors (Wistrich, 98). An agreement was signed in the early morning of 30 September under the terms of which the Germans were to occupy the Sudetenland between 1 and 10 October. Britain believed that money should not be spent on war, but on social welfare programs benefiting the country. Since the Prime Minister of Britain felt it was necessary to appease and avoid any confrontation, other countries followed his lead. Although Chamberlain believed that the United States were isolationists, and did not like the Soviet Union, he felt they would support him with the decisions he made with Germany and Italy (Buchanan, 65). Hitler would not have gained the power that he did if the countries con fronted him when they had the opportunity. Chamberlain felt that Hitler and Mussolini were at heart equally practical men with whom it was possible to negotiate in good faith (Granatstein, 234). Hitler took advantage of the Prime Ministers ignorance. Chamberlain and the rest of the world would soon discover the degree of immorality Mussolini and Hitler had possessed. The world was blindsided with the discovery that Hitler was persecuting Jews in Germany. It is obvious that leaders around the world knew about the suffering in Germany, but not to the certain extent that they later discovered. Photographs of mass graves and mass murder, smuggled out under the most dangerous of circumstances, were also classified as secret. (Darity) Is it possible that the Allies were unaware? Â  Ignorance is the excuse they will use forever. The fact that Hitler kept the suffering of his country a secret was part of his master plan. Even Benito Mussolini who was the leader of Italy, and working very closely with Germany did not understand the extent Hitler took the Holocaust. The Allies were too busy fighting the war to remember that minorities in Germany were suffering the consequence of being different. The mass murders of approximately six million Jews were overlooked for six years. The United States were so unaware about the situation in Germany that even American corporations were working with the Axis Powers. An American company named International Business Machines or IBM was founded in 1911. When Hitler decided to start persecuting Jews, he needed an immediate way to organize them. A massive and complex task that Hitler wanted done could they be targeted for efficient asset confiscation, ghettoization, deportation, enslaved labor, and, ultimately, annihilation (Black, 117). Since computers did not exist at the time, Hitler used IBMs Hollerith punch card technology. There is no way to be certain that if corporations were fully aware of the situation in Germany, that they would still provide their services to the Axis Powers. However, if corporations knew that the mass murders of millions of people depended on their punch cards, it would have been less likely for them to do business with Germany. Nevertheless, it is true that if IBM did not supply the Nazis with their Hollerith punch card technology, they would have potentially saved hundreds of thousands of lives. The technology basically made it faster to record and organized Jews. If the Nazis were to record and organize Jews manually, the process of exterminating the Jews would have taken longer, implicating more lives would have been saved. Hitler discovered it was becoming very simple to manipulate the world as well as his own country. Easily influenced children were something Hitler was determined to take advantage of. The idea of using children in politics was an intelligent scheme. His motive behind using children was both for cultural and political reasons. Culturally, using children was more effective because they would already have racism instilled into their brains and they would have the ability to teach their own children for generations to come. Children are far more likely to follow directions and are effortlessly brainwashed. Hitler had been quoted saying, Youre child belongs to us already, in a short time they will know nothing else but this short community (Duke). By choosing children of a very young age, one could see the easy manipulation tactics the Nazis had used. Children are influenced easily and will do what theyre told. Hitler always emphasized the child belonged to the country and no longer belonged to the parent. He wanted the new generation to follow his ideals of the perfect world. The most useful strategy Hitler used was the Adolf Hitler schools. The schools provided Aryan children to learn without any outside distractions. After Aryan high school children graduated, they would go to a college called Ordensburgen. The main objectives of these colleges were to focus on physical education as well as political education (Mazower, 113). The physical education was significant because they would soon join the army. The political education was in order for the children to learn about their enemies. Gaining knowledge on their enemies allowed for Aryans to gradually despise Allies and Jews. Not only did Hitler separate Aryans into different schools, the curriculum also changed. Schools were teaching subjects like German history but spent more time embedding ideas of nationalism and militarism (Vincent, 345). Schools also put more emphasis on gender roles and race science. The reason for this was to implant racist ideas into a childs head, forcing them to have hatred to wards other races. The Aryan race became the elite and was required to destroy any other race. Hitler informed Aryans that they were the privileged race, allowing them to depend on him in their time of need. The only way Hitler could posses control was if he gained trust from the Germans. Germany was in the middle of a depression. That was the perfect opportunity for Hitler to take advantage of the nation. Nazis claimed they saved Germany from the depression, especially reducing unemployment rates (Wright). When Nazis told the nation that they liberated the country from experiencing more pain from the depression and embarrassment, Germany was easier to manipulate. Since Germany lost World War One, they were forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles and pay ridiculous amounts of money for damages. The country was very deprived because of debts and also a world depression. He used the depression and suffering of the Germans as a way for them to have confidence in his racist ideas. Once they had faith that Hitler was able to have the country obey him without question. He needed an outlet to express his xenophobic views. The most effective way to control your nation is controlling mass media. The two most important forms of propaganda were the radio and the press. Both were successfully controlled by the Nazis. When the Nazis first came into power, one of their first duties was to replace all radio and press employees with ones that believed in Nazi ideology (Duke). The important decision was made in order for Germany to understand the message. Hitlers obvious message was conformity. He believed that the Aryans were the pure race, and they should think very similarly. The problems with conformity were the Jews. Since Hitler detested them, he needed an immediate way to exterminate them. Hitler used many strategies to hold them responsible for Germanys financial situation. With replacing many of the media staff workers Hitler showed the significance of the Nazi ideology and consequence of not following it. One of the strongest points of the Nazi ideology was that they were utterly opposed to social and economic equality towards women. (Darity) Media workers and feminists who had different opinions on how the country should be run did not have a voice anymore. With the media now being very one-sided it created turmoil between Jews and Aryans. The success of the Nazis controlling media was a significant component to the suffering the Jews encountered during the Holocaust. Increasing propaganda posters and radio advertisements changed German perspective on Jews. Once seen as contributing members of society, turned into enemies of Germany. Hitler forced Germans to view his anti-Semitic philosophy. He used Jews as a scapegoat as the reason to why Germany was in distress. By using propaganda he vilified Jews and made Germany believe Jews were to blame for all the stressful issues they was faced with. Although anti-Semitic views existed in the past, Hitler used nationalism as inspiration to betray Jews (Cook). Not only did the Nazis use propaganda, they used pieces of art, literature, music, and cinema. When dictating which art pieces could be displayed to the public, he understood that the citizens paid attention to any form of media and would be influenced by discriminatory art. Besides controlling media, the Nazis were controlling culture as well. They banned over 20,000 books during the burning of the books to promote German values. All degenerate art was destroyed. Books that were destroyed included liberal, left-wing, pacifist or Jewish elements (Todd, 210). Aryans were becoming very accustomed to being the privileged few. Hitlers reign proved to be very successful while he was in power because his many accomplishments. The techniques Hitler used which included manipulation of world leaders and controlling youth and media were evidence that he was a substantial leader. By looking at how he gained power and maintained it for many years, one would see he clearly instilled fear in his country. Although his scheme may have been unethical, Hitler changed the perspective on a whole race. He gained the trust of the whole nation and they were willing to sacrifice their innocent children and betray neighbours. He skillfully persuaded his country to follow him blindly into war. Although Germany lost World War Two, and millions of deaths were documented from all of the countries involved in the war, Hitler will be recorded in history not only for his immoral actions but also for his ability to gain and maintain power while his people followed adoringly.

Trench Warfare In 1914

Trench Warfare In 1914 World War I began in 1914 and lasted up until 1918; the war involved two sides which were entitled the Central Powers and the Allies. The Allied powers consisted of: France, the British Empire, the Russian Empire, Italy, United States, Japan, Romania, Serbia Belgium, Greece, and Portugal. The Central Powers consisted of: the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. Many factors led up World War I such as nationalism, imperialism, and the assassination in Sarajevo. The Western Front was quickly lined with trenches producing a stalemate for most of the war. With the introduction of these deadly trenches it soon brought new devastating tactics such as poison gas, hand grenades, tanks, and heavy mortar attacks.  [1]  During World War I trench warfare had significant and lasting effects on soldiers due to the devastating and horrid conditions. Over two hundred thousand men died in the trenches during World War I.  [2]  Trench warfare was first started during the development of rapid firing small firearms and artillery strikes. With these new developments it made infantry charges a lot less effective and impracticable, thus bringing stalemate to both sides. Trench warfare was a type of fighting were soldiers on both sides stayed in trenches to avoid enemy fire. The soldiers built their beds into the side of the trenches. They dug holes in the ground to use as bathrooms. In order to get around in the trenches they needed to walk on boards to keep from sinking in the soft soil. If a solder should lift his head above the trench he would risk being shot by an enemy sniper. The trenches that were constructed were made in a zigzag pattern, never being in a straight line, and were approximately twelve feet deep. By being dug in a zigzag pattern it made it so it was not possible to see more then ten feet down the trench. The re ason being was so that if the trench was infiltrated with enemies the enemy would not be able to gain access to the hole trench, but rather only one point Another reason for the zigzagged trenches was to compress a bomb or bomb shell if it landed in the trench. Death within the trenches was a continuous cycle that never ended, even with the absence of any raids that were launched by the enemy. Nonstop artillery attacks were set out by the enemies directed at the trenches brought unsystematic death to men that were either relaxing in the dugout and laid flat down in the trench.  [1]  New soldiers that had never been in trenches were often killed due to curiosity while looking over the trenches into no mans land. Millions of rats infested trenches of World War I. With so many rats infesting the trenches they were eventually classified into type types of rats, the brown rat and the black rat. The rats could grow up to the size of a cat by crawling into the corpses of dead bodies and eating their internal parts, completely changing the dead soldiers appetence.  [2]  Soldiers, becoming exhausted and afraid of the rats, tried many different ways to kill them such as hitting them to death, shooting them, and even using the bayonets at the end of their guns. Rats could produce up to nine hundred offspring a year which would later on spread infections within the trenches and contaminate foods. Lice were among many of the other problems faced in trench warfare. Lice would breed and lay eggs in fine seem of the soldiers clothing, causing them to start to itch. Although clothes were washed from time to time this did not stop the spread of lice eggs. As soon as the clothes were washed the eggs would still remain hidden in the seams and hatch because of the steamy weather. Trench Fever was a diseased caused by the lice. The disease first started off with excruciating pain and then progress into a high fever. To recover from Trench Fever soldiers had to be sent away from the trenches to recuperate, which took around twelve weeks. It was not until the end of the war until lice were finally identified as the cause of Trench Fever. Another diseased cause by trench warfare was Trench Foot. The cause for Foot Fever was the unhygienic conditions of the trenches and the cold, wet ground. If it got worse enough the foot many times, would have been amputated. By 1915 the sanitary conditi ons of trenches improves and the cases of Trench Foot went down.  [1]   The soldiers were under heavy watch by snipers and enemy look outs during the day which required them to keep their heads down and limit activity. When nightfall arrived men continued on with their assigned duties, once done they were aloud to go and concentrate on more personal issues. Soldiers would writer letters home, write diaries and read books to cure their boredom in the trenches. No synopsis of trench warfare can skip generalization of the deadly smell in the trenches in which the soldiers first encountered when they got to the trenches for the first time. There were thousands upon thousands of dead bodies lining the battlefield rotting giving off a horrible stench. For instance, two hundred thousand bodies lay out in No Mans Land after the Battle of Somme. The feet were told to give off the most horrific smell of all, because men most times, did not have shoes that were in good condition, if they had a pair at all. Areas designated for the soldiers to go to the bathroom were overflowing, consequently giving off a horrible order. Soldiers who had not been able to have the comfort of bathing themselves would give off a reeking smell of dried sweat. The smell of creosol and chloride of lime, used as disinfectants, stained the disgusting air. Include the smell of cordite, the persistent aroma of poison gas, rotting sandbags, heavy mud, cigarette smoke and cookin g food even though it overwhelmed the newcomers to the trenches, many of the men soon got use to it. Along with these few examples consisted the smell of gun powered, poisonous gas, cigarette smoke, cooking food, mud, and rotting sandbags all of which turned the smell of the air into a common enemy for both sides.  [1]   Each morning after breakfast each man would be inspected by a superior commander. Once inspection was done thee commanders would then assign each soldier their daily chores, except for men who had a medical excuse or various excuses.  [2]  Many chores within the trenches consisted of refilling the sandbags, repairing the trench boards that lined the floors in the inside, and draining the trench of an access of water. Especially after rain downfall the trenches consumed a lot of muddy rain water; this made the trenches very weak and the walls unstable. To solve this problem men were assigned to use the pumping equipment, if the damage was too bad then a group of men would be told to actually repair the trench. With the arrival of dusk the cycle of stand off was started to protect the trenches from any attacks during the night in the dark. During this time the trenches become enlightened with activity as men executed various activities. Although the enemy would always be on the look out and it was still fairly dangerous maintained and supply activities were performed To get their rations of food, the soldiers would be sent to the back of the lines to gather the little food they were given. In addition soldiers would be assigned fire step duty. Fire steps were mounds of dirt used to boost up the soldiers to peer over the sandbags. A man was generally expected to be on duty guarding for attacks for two hours. The reason men were only expected to serve two hour shifts would be because the commanders didnt want to risk a man falling asleep while on duty. If on fire step duty and a soldier were to fall asleep then the penalty would be death by firing squad. The system in which the trenches were made had a specific order in where they were placed and why. The Allied had a main system of four different types of trenches. The first lines of trenches were located 50 yards to a mile from the German front line of trenches, often called the attacking or firing trenches.  [1]  Positioned in the rear, the front trenches were the support trenches, which were usually several hundred yards away. The support trenches had the job to provide the front trenches with more men and supplies. Behind the support trenches contained another line of trenches called the reserved trenches. The reserve trenches were several hundred yards away further behind support trenches. The meaning for the reserve trenches was for it to be supplied with men and emergency supplies incase there was an invasion of the first two rows, the front and support trenches. The fourth type of trench, the communication trenches, was used to transport messages, men, and supplies betwe en the various trenches. To attach the bunkers and gun storages the trenches often had underground networks to join them to the communication trenches. The trench system in which the Germans adopted was a lot more glamorous so to speak. The Germans built complex and more refined tunnels and trench structures.  [1]  Some living quarters within the trenches could be over fiftieth under the ground. The trenches in which the Germans occupied consisted of electricity, beds, toilets, and needs in which was the total opposite of the Allied trenches. To break the deadlock of the war British came up with idea of a tank and started to develop plans to make them to break the stalemate of the war. During the Battle of Somme tanks were first used but only in limited numbers. Tanks, at first, were shown to be unreliable and ineffective largely because there was poor strategic and tactical planning. Some of the bad strategies involved were that the tanks were being spread too thinly on the ground. Also huge shell explosions made big holes within the ground and it created a great problem for the tanks of the time, they were still in the early stages of development and not that maneuverable.  [1]  Towards the end of World War I more improved concepts of tanks and strategys made them able to get through enemy lines and become an important component of war. Although trench warfare brought many negative aspects into World War I, it also had a few positively out looked specifics as well. The more modern idea, at the time, of open field fighting was soon lost due to the trenches. Mens lives wouldnt be simply washed away in open field combat where they lined up waiting for their lives to be taken. Although gruesome, trenches gave the men somewhere to sleep, eat, and have cover from open fire. After World War I the tanks design continued to get better and began to bring back the more mobile part of war once known before trench warfare. The use of tanks is still used up to this day with improved designs and tactics. The devastating conditions of trench warfare proved to be a major catastrophe in World War I. The construction of these huge holes in the earth was a long and very heavy labor required job. Conditions in these unsanitary trenches were infested with rats and lice which killed off two hundred thousand men alone in the Great War.  [2]  The feet were told to give off the most horrific smell of all, because men most times, did not have shoes that were in good condition, if they had a pair at all. Diseases plagued through the trenches from soldiers to soldier from lice and the wet cold floor of the twelve foot pits. Stand-off and other agonizing duties made life in the trenches hell on earth. The small rations of food were given to them and gave them barley anything, just enough to survive. A combination of air attacks, mortar bombardment, and tank invasions soon overcame trench warfare.  [3]  On the battlefield water was often found and depended on from contaminated water that collected in shell-holes and other hollow spaces which caused dysentery.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Students, faculty, family, friends, on this exciting day, I speak to optimism, laughter, and grins. As I was gathering input for this graduation speech, several people suggested including a profound quote offering â€Å"encouraging advice to the young graduates†, and then there were others who said, â€Å"eh don’t worry about it, no one listens to those anyway.† Fortunately, I was actually able to take from both suggestions and found a happy balance. You see, I won’t tell you today to: â€Å"Dare to dream† or â€Å"Find your own vision† or even to â€Å"Strive for excellence,† or any trite clichà © that’s ever been said in a graduation speech. So this might not be your typical commencement. I have no list of â€Å"Do’s and Don’ts† for you. I don’t have any funny stories about politicians or teachers. I don’t have any jokes, nor do I have any interesting quotes from real famous people. And so you may be wondering. Why? Because there are only a few times in life where you can really have time to sit, relax, and at least pretend to be interested in another kid’s advice on what works for them. This is one of those times where I get to fill you in on what has kept me going, trusting that you can relate. First, in attempt to take the advice to include a symbolic quote, it became quite clear that no matter what, life is an endless stream of contradictions and inconsistencies. You see, they tell us that â€Å"haste makes waste,† but then, â€Å"the early bird gets the worm.† And â€Å"don’t put off until tomorrow what you can get done today,† but we’re supposed to â€Å"stop and smell the roses†? When do we have time to smell the roses when we’re busy doing everything today? And how do you â€Å"shoot for the moon† when you are being told to â€Å"wish upon a star†? I mean come on.... ... and be proud of all you have accomplished here at McNeil. Sure it’s long, sure we have tons of kids in our class, but stare at everyone’s shoes or something. Laugh it up at the kid who is wearing flip flops. Chuckle at the girl who is only 4’11† and takes 5 strides for each of your 2. Er, wait, that’s me. Enjoy this moment. Don’t rush through these motions. This is a significant event. It does deserve grins, laughter, and an optimistic attitude. Life will run you by if you don’t take time to enjoy all the small things. And remember, it’s those little things that make life funny. People should laugh at most of the things in life, cry at a few, and be neutral at hardly anything. Guys, I thank you. It has been an honor to serve as your class president. Good luck. Now, I am going to make like America Online Instant Messenger and sign off with an L-O-L. Good bye.

Anti Abortion - The Truth of Abortion :: social issues

Anti Abortion - The Truth of Abortion "And, behold, one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And He said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but One, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto Him, which? Jesus said, THOU SHALT DO NO MURDER, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." ~ Lord Jesus Christ Quote, Matthew 19:16-19, King James Version Bible †¢ Introduction : To know and feel truth is essential to understanding. You may say, "...not another religious person..." but I say unto you, I come about this conclusion through pure reason. Of course, this is a tender subject, but that goes to reason. For it is essential for truth and feeling to come together in the expression and beholding of understanding. †¢ Abortion and Choice : We have freewill to either magnify goodness or not. We have freewill, as has been given to us by our Creator, to do good or evil. Hence, I nor anyone else – not even God – has the right to deny another from any course of action – in this case, abortion. †¢ Abortion Stance : Truth is eternal regardless of situation. Though, as I have clarified above, do not have the right to deny another of choice, I do and will utilize my right in voicing my stance against it – that abortion is murder. I understand there are pregnancies by rape, and I know it is wrong to, not only, forbid an abortion, but it would also be cruel. Still, I remain with belief that abortion is murder. I understand there are pregnancies that endanger the mother's life, and I know it is wrong to, not only, forbid an abortion, but it would also be cruel. Still, I remain with belief that abortion is murder. I understand there are pregnancies that are unwanted, which have occurred by the voluntary engagement in the activity of reproduction. Whatever the case may be, which results in an unwanted pregnancy through voluntary engagement in the activity of reproduction, the couple has acted irresponsibly. For when a couple engages in the activity of reproduction, it comes with the possibility of responsibility in assuming parenthood.

Grammar Practice Test

| | | I. Identify the clause elements in the following sentences (20 points, 2 point for each blank). 1. Saturn is one of the most beautiful planets to look at through a telescope because of the many rings that surround it. A. Complement:_______________________________________________________ B. Adverbial:________________________________________________________ 2. The boy scouts teach their members an â€Å"Outdoor Code† before they camp. A. Direct Object:_______________________________________________________ B. Indirect Object:______________________________________________________ 3.The direction a hurricane’s spiral moves is counterclockwise. A. Subject:____________________________________________________________ B. Complement :_______________________________________________________ 4. These criminals might have been guilty of murder. A. Predicate Verb: _____________________________________________________ B. Complement: ______________________________________________ ________ 5. Hurricane winds can blow as fast as 180 miles (290 kilometers) an hour. A. Predicate Verb: ____________________________________________________ B.Adverbial:_______________________________________________________ | | | II. Choose the best answer from the four choices marked A,B,C and D (80 points, 2 point for each multiple-choice question). 1. Recently, he has lost all his _____ at cards. A. wages and saving B. wages and saving C. wage and savings D. wages and savings. 2. That magnificent _____ temple was constructed by the Chinese. A. eight-centuries-old B. old-eight-centuries C. eight-century’s-old D. eight-century-old 3. Why is there _______ traffic on the streets in February than in May?A. fewer B. less C. little D. fewer 4. The students spent ________ their time working in the field. A. both B. most C. more D. half 5. There is a truck ____ the classroom. A. in the front of B. in front of C. in front D. at the front of 6. â€Å"What is he? † â€Å"He is _____. † A. a poet and novelist B. a poet and a novelist C. poet and novelist D. the poet and novelist 7. I am determined to go there ____ instead of taking a bus. A. on the foot B. on foot C. by foot D. on two feet 8. ___ Air and Space Museum has the highest attendance record of all the museums. A. A B. An C. The D. / 9. I don’t take John’s pen because I don’t like ____. A. that pen of his B. that his pen C. his that pen D. that pen of him 10. Our home is finer than ____. A. yours and him B. your’s or his C. you and he D. yours and his 11. We consider ____ logical that not all plants can be put into practice. A. it B. that C. what D. which 12. It is a pity that ____ of her two husband has been capable of understanding her. A. either B. neither C. both D. each 13.It is one thing to enjoy listening to good music, but it is quite ____ to perform skillfully yourself. A. any other B. another C. other thing D. some other. 14. At least he was there in ti me to tell his adventures to Jim while Jim did ____ of the work. A. three-fourths B. three-fourth C. threes-fourths D. threes-fourth 15. The wheels of the old wagon are nearly ____ those of a modern car. A. three times the size of B. three times size of C. three times D. threes times the sizes of 16. He ____ on me his own ideas about the novel. A. composed B. proposed C. imposed D. pposed 17. At the present system, state enterprises ____ all profits to the government. A. turn down B. turn up C. turn out D. turn in 18. Very few scientists ____ completely new answers to the world’s problem. A. come up with B. come round C. come out D. come up to 19. Important people don’t often have much free time as their work ____ all their time. A. takes away B. takes over C. takes up D. takes in 20. This article ____ more attention to the problem of cultural interference in foreign language teaching and leaning. A. cares for B. allows for C. applies for D. alls for 21. When a fire __ __ at the National Exhibition in London, at least ten priceless paintings were completely destroyed. A. broke off B. broke down C. broke out D. broke up 22. He got word that a delegation____. A. soon has arrived B. soon arrived C. is soon going to arrive D. would soon arrive 23. It has been about 7 years since they _____. A. got married B. got marry C. get married D. have married 24. He left home in the 1970s and ____ heard of since. A. hadn’t been B. wasn’t C. not has been D. has not been 25. He ____ TV when I dropped in last night. A. as watching B. had watch C. watched D. have been watching 26. If one ____ by vanity, he will be very particular about other’s clothing and appearance. A. overcomes B. will be overcome C. is overcome D. has been overcome 27. By promoting more even income distribution in a developing country, a lower birth rate would ____. A. be achieved B. achieved C achieve D. be achieving 28. It is important that the hotel receptionist ____ that guests are registered correctly. A. has made sure B. must make sure C. made sure D. make sure 29. Had he worked harder, he ____ the exams.A. must have got through B. would get through C. would have got through D. could get through. 30. I don’t mind ____ the decision as long as it is not too late. A. you to delay B. your delaying making C. your delaying to make D. you delay to make. 31. The Dream of the Red Chamber is said ____ into dozens of languages in the last decade. A. to have been translated B. to translate C. to be translated D. to have translated 32. Silver is the best conductor of electricity, copper ____ it closely. A. followed B. to following C. following D. eing followed 33. All things ____, the planned trip will have to be called off. A. considered B. be considered C. considering D. having considered 34. It was essential that the application forms ____ back before the deadline. A. must be sent B. be sent C. would be sent D. were sent 35. ____ for your laziness, you could have finished the assignment by now. A. Had it not been B. Weren’t it C. It were not D. Had it been not 36. The suggestion that the mayor ____ the prizes was accepted by everyone. A. would present B. present C. ought to present D. presents 37.I don’t think it advisable that Tome ____ to the job since he has no experience. A. is assigned B. be assigned C. will be assigned D. has been assigned 38. ____ such a good chance, he planned to learn more. A. To be given B. Having been given C. Having given D. Giving 39. I wish I ____ longer this morning, but I had to get up and come to class. A. could have slept B. should have slept C. slept D. have slept 40. It’s already 5 o’clock now. Don’t you think it’s time ____? A. we are going home B. we went home C. we go home D. we can go home. ———————–

Explain how you would perform the role of Ismene in her first appearance in the play to engage the sympathy of the audience Essay

In order to engage sympathy I would perform Ismene as a 30 – 40 year old woman (at least 10 years older than Antigone) who is quite business-like and appears to the audience as if she can handle herself. The first signs of beauty have just faded from her face and she has developed a little fat around her stomach. The play would be set in a fictional place and as such there would be no set era of human history, because of this I would have Ismene dressed in an unbecoming suit, which looks very masculine and only has stock colours of black and white. In scene one I would have entered first, looking quite purposeful, seemingly prepared for whatever was to come. Then I would stand center stage for about thirty seconds, gradually getting more and more agitated, constantly looking at a pocket watch in my left pocket. Then there would be a noise heard in the distance and I would hurry over to downstage right and hide behind one of the pillars so that the audience would be able to see me but anyone who entered would not. At this point Antigone would flounce in from upstage right. Antigone would be around the age of 18, dressed also in a suit, however her suit would be much more feminine and vibrant colours, she would have a skirt which was hitched up too high and her jacket would be open exposing a top which exposed slightly too much skin. She would have blood red lipstick on and far too much makeup on her face. After hearing Antigone enter I would take a moment to prepare and try to calm myself. I would then reveal myself from behind the column but I would remain nearer to the column than Antigone herself. There would be a few moments of silence where we just looked at each other and then Antigone would speak. In her first line Antigone’s tone would be quite calm and composed. However I would be trying not to make eye contact with her as she was talking about an aspect of our past, which neither of us was proud of. However Antigone would add a hint of venom on the word â€Å"care† in the final sentence of her line at which point I would finally look her in the eye, almost defiantly and take a moment to consider what I would say next. Throughout the scene I would be trying to convince Antigone that what she was doing was going to get her killed and that even though what she was doing was morally right it was not worth her loosing her life over. Also I would be trying to bond with Antigone and trying to keep us both together. While Antigone would constantly keep rejecting me, or even attempting to make me suffer. For example in the speech on page 5 I would emphasize every time it says â€Å"we† in an attempt to show Antigone that we are on the same side. In reply to this Antigone would just brush this off and put even more emphasis on saying â€Å"I† Her tone would also seem very righteous and full of herself. There are many lines that I would use to gain the sympathy of the audience, for example. When Antigone says, â€Å"Yes I want to frighten you† I would look taken aback and hurt and shocked all at once, mirroring how the audience would have reacted to such an unexpected line. Also when I say, â€Å"we are ruled by the more powerful† I would say that as if it was fact and there was nothing we could do to help it, I would also at that point seem very helpless and exposed. At this point Antigone would see this and would drive the knife in deeper saying her next line with such venom that it leaves me speechless. Throughout the scene I would be getting more and more desperate, almost pleading with Antigone at some points. While Antigone would be almost reveling in the fact that she made me feel so terrible. And finally on page seven I would compose myself, stand up straight, look Antigone straight in the eyes and say my final line before finally allowing a single tear to roll down my face as I watch Antigone storm off downstage right and I would exit upstage left.

American War effort in Vietnam Essay

The Vietnam War is viewed by the majority as one of the worst periods in American history. The Americans moved into Vietnam in 1954 under the pretence of fighting against an â€Å"evil and aggressive Communist regime†1. The government stated the Domino Theory as a reason for involving themselves in someone else’s war, whereby if America did not stop Vietnam from falling to Communism then other countries would follow, and American liberty, free enterprise and security would be put at risk. It is hard to define one important reason for the American’s defeat in Vietnam. There are many factors that explain it: restrictions on the military and tactics that the American army employed, coupled with the strength of the North Vietnamese Army. The war also cost a lot of money, which meant inflation, tax rises and America’s economy suffering. The collapse of the home front and the lack of support from the media was cause for the presidents to retreat and was another reason for the undermining of the war effort. This information from home often leaked to the front line and caused the deterioration of troops’ morale, also, the government was often criticised for not understanding the political nature of Vietnam, where no-one really understand or cared about the term democracy. The general consensus by most historians is that the military tactics employed played a large part in determining the outcome of the war. Justin Wintle’s ‘The Vietnam Wars’ concentrates on the military aspects, and suggests that while the Americans had a superior military and equipment, the tactics they used were useless due to the environment in Vietnam – Westmoreland’s search-and-destroy operations would have been an effective opposition to guerrilla combat, ‘or would have done had they been able to take place in a sealed environment ventilated by the Ho Chi Minh Trail’2, proving that the tactics used were inappropriate and not well thought out by the army generals. Even Major John Fenzel in the US Army agreed that defeat was due to tactical failures, which meant that they could not compete with the ‘multi-faceted strategy of insurgency and protraction’3 of the North Vietnamese army. General Bruce Palmer Jr. stated that Vi etnam was ‘†¦a devilishly clever mixture of conventional warfare fought somewhat unconventionally and guerrilla warfare fought in the classical manner’4. It was not just that the American strategy was ineffective; it was ineffective  in the conditions and against a strong North Vietnamese army perfectly adapted to their environment. Due to the absolute strength of American air power, the Americans were lucky enough to keep a good death ratio where the number of Vietnamese deaths heavily outnumbered their own, however the fact that the war dragged on for so long greatly deteriorated the troops’ morale. Obvious tactical failures were the Phoenix Program under Nixon where troops agents infiltrated into Vietnamese peasant districts to detect activists, and while its effect was obvious, its methods were seen to be violent and news of innocents being murdered soon reached home. Operation Apache Snow, where American soldiers attacked Vietcong taking refuge on Ap Bia, now more commonly known as ‘Hamburger Hill’. Troops attacked with fire-fight, hand-to-hand combat and aerial bombardment, however this only served to increase opposition to the war, so ‘Hamburger Hill’ was abandoned, which impelled Senator Edward Kennedy to label the operation as ‘senseless and irrseponsible’5. Morale among the troops was also decreasing. When tactics looked successful, morale was high. But as strategies resorted to a degree of barbarism with innocents being killed and bombing raids, news of lack of support from the home front reached the front line and the drawn out nature of the war ensured that morale soon deteriorated. Also, the experience of war was reasonably comfortable, as Saunders points out in ‘Vietnam and the USA’; soldiers spent a considerable amount of time away from the front line and in Japan or Saigon for ‘Rest and Recuperation’, this obviously led to an ‘air of  unreality and disorientation’6, where drug abuse was common. This lack of morale led to  even more barbarism, one marine unit was known to say- ‘our emotions were very low  because we’d lost a lot of friends†¦so†¦we gave it to them†¦whatever was moving was going  to move no more – especially after (our) 3 days of blood and guts in the mud’7. There were other factors, which led to this low morale. It was often frustrating for some soldiers as men in authority were not always as experienced as them; this meant that there appeared to be little structure to strategies, leading to confusion. They also could not capture the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese, with the hamlet programme set-up by Diem, and the bombing of Vietnam by Americans, the Vietnamese peasants disliked American troops. However, it is easy to understand the Americans lack of reaction to the Vietnamese, as the circumstances of the war were obviously frustrating, and they felt that they were fighting someone else’s war, resenting the American government for sending them. This dislike for those who they were supposed to be helping meant that it was a difficult task for the American troops to win the war. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) on the other hand were very well suited to the surroundings and made the most of their environment. The situation in Vietnam appeared to be, as James Cameron stated, ‘from the moment the US prepared its first bomb in the North of Vietnam, she welded the nation together unshakeably. Every bomb was a bonus for Ho Chi Minh’8. It seemed that whatever hindered the American army only strengthened the Vietnamese. What the Americans did not realise was that the blitzes from firepower united the North Vietnamese. Chinese and Soviet aid meant that the NVA could enjoy modern  hardware: rocket launchers, anti-aircraft batteries, mortars and flamethrowers. The view shared by many historians is that ‘they could be defeated but they could never be vanquished’9, they had great perseverance and their tactics were clearly laid out, in summary: Americans attack and NVA retreat Americans camp and NVA raid Americans tire and NVA attack Americans retreat and NVA pursue The structure of the army also seemed more advanced than that of the Americans. Someone carrying supplies and ammunition maintained each unit. Structure was built upon the idea of ‘cells’ of three or ten men, so if they were discovered or captured, they would not lose large numbers of troops. This also meant that they could move around more stealthily and communication around the cell was easier. The NVA became expert at setting booby traps and it became hard for Americans to effectively fight them as they attacked enemy units and then quietly disappeared into the jungle. The communists were also better at winning over the Vietnamese population. Their combination of brutality and kindness allowed them to gain the support of the Vietnamese peasants. This obviously gave them an advantage over the American Army. The actions of the American Presidents also went some way in undermining the war effort. Eisenhower had restricted involvement in the war, rejecting any idea of bombing the country –  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœyou boys must be crazy. We can’t use those awful things against Asians for the second time in less than ten years.’10. While he did give support to the French in their Vietnam battle,  Eisenhower saw that sending troops in would be unwise. When Kennedy became president, he increased America’s commitment to Vietnam, needing a more adventurous foreign policy  and bigger defence expenditure. The war is seen as ‘Johnson’s War’ as it was Johnson who  started major escalation. With the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, it appeared that the population  was behind Johnson and his efforts to send more troops to Vietnam, but towards the end of his term, public opinion had swayed and their was  pressure to start bringing soldiers back home. Nixon had initially supported the war, but soon he was under a lot of pressure to allow fewer troops out, and bring more back. Nixon soon began to organise secret bombing campaigns so that he could fulfil his own wishes concerning Vietnam without losing the public’s confidence. Nixon was able to manipulate the situation by making announcements of troop withdrawals at times so that it would decrease opposition. Eventually, Nixon ended the war due to public opposition, the realisation that the war was not winnable, the need for a vote-winning action, and opposition from Congress. The main problem with the presidents is that they seemed to have their own personal agenda for Vietnam, knowing little about the actual situation. After a meeting with, Johnson and Kennedy, a State Department expert said – ‘†¦I was asked to say something at the end of the meeting and they looked at me absolutely helpless, the whole group of them. There was not a single person there who knew what he was talking about†¦They simply did not understand the identification of nationalism and Communism’11, this issue was also brought up at a National Teach-In, ‘the obsession of American policymakers with what they see as monolithic Communism has blinded them to the fact that Communism in Asia has adapted itself to nationalism’12. Those in power often fooled the public and therefore undermined American involvement in the war, as there was a good kill ratio, where it looked like the American forces were winning, officials could fool themselves into believing it would be a victory; however the Tet Offensive showed the reality of the situation. Presidents seemed to be set on destroying Communism, being blind to the  fact that building a feasible South Vietnam was outside of America’s power, what was needed was for them to understand Vietnam and ‘work with rather than against this powerful forceâ₠¬â„¢13. The majority of Vietnamese did not ‘even know the difference between communism and democracy’14. The Vietnam War was the first war with free press, so the media played a huge part in undermining the war effort, undermining public opinion and demoralising American troops in Vietnam. The media had started off supporting the American presidents and their decisions about the war,  however, their support soon decreased as news of the brutal reality of the war and the campaigns that had been covered-up leaked to the press. Press coverage was a major factor in ensuring lack of public support, and therefore the retreat of presidents from Vietnam. One notable example is the issue of ‘Life Magazine’, which saw a full edition with two hundred and forty-two photographs of the soldiers killed in Vietnam during just one week of fighting. As well as showing the hardships which Americans had to endure in Vietnam, the media showed ‘footage of the bulldozing of human carcasses into mass graves, the napalming of children, and the ravaging of villages by American soldiers’15, so that the public began to dislike soldiers, causing many men to try to dodge the draft. Not only did the media allow public opposition to spread, it also undermined the military; less people were drafted into the  war, low morale, and secrets were leaked to the press from troops in Vietnam which the media was able to exploit. The NVA would then be able to see this and could expect attacks. The images that were on television were so powerful that they have been used as one of the main reasons why America was defeated due to the impression left on the public. Although, Riddick argues against this analysis – ‘while the media can influence public opinion, inVietnam media reportage merely reflected, and did not create the national mood of  disillusionment’16. The government, however, understood how influential the loss of media  support could be. In February 1968, a CBS reporter, Cronkite, left an aside not meant for broadcast – ‘what the hell is going on? I thought we were winning this war?’ President Johnson supposedly said – ‘If we’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Mr. Average citizen’. In order to cope with the expansion in Vietnam, US financial aid was greatly increased, Washington had, for example, sent out approximately $2billion worth of aid in the time running up to the Paris Peace Agreement. The war was costing money, and started to interfere with the economy. Johnson,  however, would not admit to the extent of expenditure in case Congress decided to cut budgets on his domestic programmes. In 1965 the government deficit was $1.6billion, in 1968, it was $25.3billion, Johnson had not requested the required wartime tax increases. This resulted in inflation, and eventually taxpayers became indignant and they increased the pressure on Johnson to put an end to the war, or to take a different approach. The war was a great hindrance on America’s economic stature. It denied funds to America and other needs, such as hospitals and education. In the early sixties, Vietnam was popular; patriotism was strong in a confident nation, who assumed that they had the necessary weapons and firepower to assure victory. Opinions on the war differed according to geography and age. The Southern and Mid-West counties were conservative and patriotic whereas coastal counties were liberal and democratic. The older generations supported the war because of the effect of World War II, which had brought prosperity. The younger generations had more liberal attitudes. They were concerned with freedom of speech and self-expression. Conscription also made the war unpopular with young adults, which resulted in low morale in the army and a fall in the number of troops as draft papers were torn up. Further into the sixties, anti-war sentiment was growing in America, the turning point was the Tet Offensive, where the public was able to see the reality of the war and the fact that they were not winning. Soldiers returning home were jeered at and called ‘baby-killer’, and trust in the American government was lacking. At the onset of war, those who opposed it could be split directly into three categories: ‘people with left-wing political opinions†¦pacifists who opposed all wars†¦liberals who believed that the best way of stopping the spread of Communism was by encouraging democratic rather than authoritarian governments’17. The fact that presidents had decided to use chemical warfare especially upset the public as they saw images and heard stories of innocent men, women and children dying as a result. The mid-sixties was also a time of black rights. There were disproportionate numbers of blacks fighting in Vietnam, and it seemed unfair for America to expect blacks to fight this war for ‘freedom’ when they enjoyed little of this at home. Historians saw the blacks as ‘comparing themselves with the Vietnamese: both were, in their view, victims of a  racist government’18. An International War Tribunal was set up and they, along with other critics, claimed that ‘US behaviour in Vietnam is comparable to the atrocities committed by the Nazis in WW2’19. In 1967, the ‘Vietnam Veterans Against the War’ was formed, one member stated ‘I hope that someday I can return to Vietnam and help to rebuild the country we tore apart’20. Also, anti-war leaders claimed that if troops were not withdrawn from Vietnam, the government might  need to bring them home to stop a revolution. Apart from these comments to the government, several protests were taking place. By 1965, organised rallies were being held in approximately forty American cities and a few foreign capitals. There were a lot of students  protests as the younger generations refused to accept the authority of the government. Groups  against the war were dedicated to protesting for the withdrawal of troops, putting a lot of pressure on the government. Violent protests started to become more common as more  atrocities became apparent in the press, specifically the incident of My Lai where about 400  innocents were murdered, which damaged the morale argument about the need to save Vietnam. In November 1965, Norman Morrison imitated the actions of Buddhist monk in Saigon by setting fire to himself out side the Pentagon. A protest at Kent University where four students were killed by open fire brought the message to the public that ‘loss of life as a result of the Vietnam War†¦was no longer confined to Indchina’21. There was still a considerable amount of support for the governments policies, however, even a minority in America can protest vociferously and make a huge difference, especially when figured of respect and authority  speak out. For example, Senator J. William Fullbright spoke out against ‘that arrogance of power which has inflicted, weakened and in some cases destroyed great nations in the past’22, Martin Luther King also spoke out about how ‘the Great Society has been shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam’23. Public pressure meant that in 1968, Johnson had lost confidence in his decisions and his war and he announced he was calling of bombing raids and was prepared to open discussions on the possibilities of peace talks. However, the war was prolonged into Nixon’s term as president, which served only to strengthen the disquiet against the war. As C. Reich stated, ‘the War seemed to sum up the evils of our society: destruction of people†¦environment†¦war by the rich and powerful against the poor and helpless, justification based on abstract rationality, hypocrisy and lies’24. The presidents knew that unless public opinion was swayed towards them and the war, they would not be able to stay in power. By the time Vietnam ended, it was clear that a major reason for withdrawal was down to public opinion. There is no doubt that public opinion went a long way in ensuring that presidents retreated and the war effort undermined. Opposition resulted in a decline in troops and protests throughout America which demonstrated the unrest which politicians had to act on. However, there are other factors which add to this to explain America’s defeat, the failure of the American army against a strong Vietcong force, the role of the media, the economic situation due to mass expenditure, and the blindness of the government to the real situation in Vietnam. Saunders – ‘The USA and Vietnam’ (p.2) 2 Wintle – ‘The Vietnam Wars’ (p. 136) 3 Major John Fenzel – ‘Vietnam: We Could Have Won’ 4 General Bruce Palmer Jnr. – ‘The 25-Year War: America’s Military Role in Vietnam’ (p.176) 5 Wintle – ‘The Vietnam Wars’ (p.165) 6 Saunders – ‘The USA and Vietnam 1945 – 75’ (p.85) 7 Ibid. (p.89) 8 James Cameron – ‘Witness’ 9 Wintle – ‘The Vietnam Wars’ (p.165) 10 Saunders – ‘The USA and Vietnam 1954 – 75’ (p.32) 11 State Department Report 1963 12 National Teach-In – Gettleman – ‘Vietnam: History, Documents, and Opinions on a Major World Crisis’ (p.411) 13 Gettleman – ‘Vietnam: History, Documents, and Opinions on a Major World Crisis’ (p.411) 14 Vietnam Veterans Against the War Statement – John Kerry to the Senate Committee of Foreign Relations – 1971 15 Franklin H. Bruce – ‘From Realism to Virtual Reality: Images of America’s Wars’ (p.441) 16 Riddick – ‘The Vietnam War’ 17 A Vietnam Overview – www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/VietnamWar.htm 18 Higgins – ‘Vietnam’ (p.101) 19 A Vietnam Overview – www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/VietnamWar.htm 20 Ibid. 21 Wintle – ‘The Vietnam Wars’ (p.168) 22 Ibid. (p.157) 23 Ibid. (p.161) 24 C. Reich – ‘The Greening of America’ (p.194)