Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Euthanasia Opposite Side Essays

Euthanasia Opposite Side Essays Euthanasia Opposite Side Essay Euthanasia Opposite Side Essay Euthanasia is a comparatively huffy capable and everyone has their ain sentiment on it. For me. I am pro-euthanasia and I believe that an individual’s right to autonomy and freedom of pick. mercy killing should be legalized in all the provinces. It is merely just to give person that right because decease is a private affair and should non be controlled by others. If a individual autonomously chooses to stop his or her life or have person else help them in making so. it should be allowed. One should be free to make so every bit long as no injury is done to others. Moreland goes further and gives an statement covering with liberty saying Since biological life is non the existent. moral issue. so life is non per se valuable or sacred merely because it is human life. He goes on stating that the more of import facet would be biological life. which deals with liberty ( Moreland ) . There are many people who are stuck in infirmary beds for months. even old ages. wired with tubings unable to travel from where they lay. They easy die in a long painful decease unable to make anything. while household members watch in torment as their loved one withers off. What an undignified manner to decease. a slow painful decease. excessively sad to watch. We can forestall this if mercy killing was in topographic point. Euthanasia can rapidly and humanely stop a p atients enduring leting them to decease with self-respect ( Euthanasia ) . Not merely does this aid patients decease a more painless decease. it besides can assist shorten the heartache and agony or the patients loved 1s. Illness can take away the ability to do picks go forthing people with no quality of life. Euthanasia allows that individual to take back the control in make up ones minding whether to populate or to decease ( White ) . A different manner to see it is to compare it to our animate beings. Most people would hold their pets put down if they were enduring. It would be intolerable to watch your favored easy die. instead than holding a speedy decease. Why can’t the same thing happen with worlds? It is about similar animate beings get a particular intervention compared to us. The statement of clemency is when a individual is allowed to end his or her life in an act of kindness ( Moreland ) . Is it morally incorrect to kill person who is terminally sick? I will give you another scenario to believe about. A patient has disseminated malignant neoplastic disease. can non travel in his bed for hurting. can non eat because of sickness and has trouble take a breathing because of the restrict ive consequence of a big measure of intra-abdominal fluid ( Gillett 62 ) . If the adult male is imploring to be killed. would you non? The statement of clemency would turn out that this is barbarous and inhumane. A quiet painless manner to decease from a fatal injection is better than being in hurting from an affliction. besides known as the aureate regulation ( Moreland ) . Freedom of pick is every bit American as the bald bird of Jove but yet do we all truly have that type of freedom? My reply is a large no. Merely three provinces have euthanasia in topographic point and they are Oregon. Washington. and Montana. But even in these three provinces it was about impossible to be granted for mercy killing. The demands that had to be satisfied before a petition could be granted were so steep that merely 2 people a month used this to stop their lives ( Pro Euthanasia Arguments ) . Some of these conditions included: patient must be terminally sick with a life anticipation of less than six months. both physicians must corroborate that the patient is capable of doing this determination. both physicians must corroborate that the patient does non hold medical status that impairs their judgement. and patient must self-administer the deadly medicine ( Pro Euthanasia Arguments ) . Is modulating euthanasia impossible? I must acknowledge it would be really hard but it is so possible. Again take a expression at the three provinces that have euthanasia. Physical assisted self-destruction is normally what would go on to patients in infirmaries if they can non make it on their ain. A physician or nurse would shoot the patient with a deadly dosage doing them to decease or some type of medicine ( Bourdeau ) . The terminally ailment will acquire the rights they want and more control of their fate. Euthanasia promotes the best involvements of everyone concerned and violates no one’s rights ( Moreland ) . The last thing I wanted to speak about was that mercy killing does liberate up scarce resources in the infirmary ( Pro Euthanasia Arguments ) . Keeping loved 1s alive in infirmaries uses up a batch of money every bit good as resources the infirmary has to supply. We can direct the equipment to person else who has a better opportunity of populating instead than a terminally sick patient who will be stuck in the infirmary. Euthanasia should be morally accepted and legalized in all provinces because of the freedom of pick that Americans have. The hurting and agony patients go through coupled with their loved 1s seeing them in a black mode can all be stopped if mercy killing is passed. Regulating mercy killing should non be excessively much of a challenge every bit good since we do hold a few provinces that already hold it. The scarce resources that are used to maintain the terminally sick hardly alive can be used to assist assistance others live a better life style. In general mercy killing should be looked at as a right we all have sing we are to the full independent. If one has the right to life does one non hold the right to decease? Plants Cited Bourdreau. Donald. MD. Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia. The Permanente Journal. N. p. . Fall 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www. thepermanentejournal. org/issues/2011/fall/50-commentary/4186-physician-assisted-euthanasia. hypertext markup language gt ; . Euthanasia. Rsrevision. N. p. . 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www. rsrevision. com/GCSE/christian_perspectives/life/euthanasia/for. htm gt ; . Gillett. Grant. Euthanasia. Leting Die and the Pause. JSTOR. N. p. . June 1988. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www. jstor. org/stable/27716689? seq=6 gt ; . Moreland. J. P. Euthanasia Arguments. CRI Euthanasia Arguments Comments. N. p. . 17 Apr. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www. equip. org/articles/euthanasia-arguments/ gt ; . Pro-Euthanasia Arguments. BBC News. BBC. n. d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www. bbc. co. u k/ethics/euthanasia/infavour/infavour_1. shtml gt ; . Smith. Candance. Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Subject of Turning Importance. The Society Pages. N. p. . 31 July 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //thesocietypages. org/sociologylens/2012/07/31/physician-assisted-suicide-a-topic-of-growing-importance/ gt ; . White. Hilary. British Medical Journal Campaigns for Legalized Euthanasia. LifeSiteNews. N. p. . 18 June 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www. lifesitenews. com/news/british-medical-journal-campaigns-for-legalized-euthanasia gt ; .

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The 11 Natural Log Rules You Need to Know

The 11 Natural Log Rules You Need to Know SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re taking a high school or college math class, you’ll likely cover natural logs.But what are natural logs? What is ln? Why does the letter e keep showing up? Natural logs may seem difficult, but once you understand a few key natural log rules, you’ll be able to easily solve even very complicated-looking problems.In this guide, we explain the four most important natural logarithm rules, discuss other natural log properties you should know, go over several examples of varying difficulty, and explain how natural logs differ from other logarithms. What Is ln? The natural log, or ln, is the inverse of e. The letter ‘e’ represents a mathematical constant also known as the natural exponent.Like π, e is a mathematical constant and has a set value. The value of e is equal to approximately 2.71828. e appears in many instances in mathematics, including scenarios about compound interest, growth equations, and decay equations.ln(x) is the time needed to grow to x, whileexis the amount of growth that has occurred after time x. Because e is used so commonly in math and economics, and people in these fields often need to take the logarithm with a base of e of a number to solve an equation or find a value, the natural log was created as a shortcut way to write and calculate log base e. The natural log simply lets people reading the problem know that you're taking the logarithm, with a base of e, of a number. So ln(x) = loge(x). As an example,ln(5) = loge(5) = 1.609. The 4 Key Natural Log Rules There are four main rules you need to know when working with natural logs, and you’ll see each of them again and again in your math problems. Know these well because they can be confusing the first time you see them, and you want to make sure you have basic rules like these down solid before moving on to more difficult logarithm topics. Product Rule ln(x)( y) = ln(x) + ln(y) The natural log of the multiplication of x and y is the sum of the ln of x and ln of y. Example: ln(8)(6) = ln(8) + ln(6) Quotient Rule ln(x/y) = ln(x) - ln(y) The natural log of the division of x and y is the difference of the ln of x and ln of y. Example: ln(7/4) = ln(7) - ln(4) Reciprocal Rule ln(1/x)=−ln(x) The natural log of the reciprocal of x is the opposite of the ln of x. Example: ln(⅓)= -ln(3) Power Rule ln(xy) = y * ln(x) The natural log of x raised to the power of y is y times the ln of x. Example: ln(52) = 2 * ln(5) Key Natural Log Properties In addition to the four natural logarithm rules discussed above, there are also several ln properties you need to know if you’re studying natural logs. Have these memorized so you can quickly move onto the next step of the problem without wasting time trying to remember common ln properties. Scenario ln Property ln of a Negative Number The ln of a negative number is undefined ln of 0 ln(0) is undefined ln of 1 ln(1)=0 ln of Infinity ln(∞)= ∞ ln of e ln(e)=1 ln of e raised to the x power ln(ex) = x e raised to the ln power eln(x)=x As you can see from the final three rows, ln(e)=1, and this is true even if one is raised to the power of the other. This is because the ln and eare inverse functions of each other. Natural Log Sample Problems Now it’s time to put your skills to the test and ensure you understand the ln rules by applying them to example problems. Below are three sample problems. Try to work them out on your own before reading through the explanation. Problem 1 Evaluate ln (72/5) First, we use the quotient rule to get: ln(72) - ln(5). Next, we use the power rule to get: 2ln(7) -ln(5). If you don’t have a calculator, you can leave the equation like this, or you can calculate the natural log values: 2(1.946) - 1.609 = 3.891 - 1.609 = 2.283. Problem 2 Evaluate ln(e) /7 For this problem, we need to remember than ln(e)=1 This means the problem simplifies to 1/7, which is our answer Problem 3 Solve ln (5x-6)=2 When you have multiple variables within the ln parentheses, you want to make e the base and everything else the exponent of e. Then you’ll get ln and e next to each other and, as we know from the natural log rules, eln(x)=x. So, the equation becomes eln(5x-6)=e2 Since eln(x)=x, eln(5x-6)= 5x-6 Therefore 5x-6= e2 Since e is a constant, you can then figure out the value of e2, either by using the e key on your calculator or using e’s estimated value of 2.718. 5x-6 =7.389 Now we’d add 6 to both sides 5x= 13.389 Finally, we’d divide both sides by 5. x= 2.678 How Are Natural Logs Different From Other Logarithms? As a reminder, a logarithm is the opposite of a power. If you take the log of a number, you’re undoing the exponent.The key difference between natural logs and other logarithms is the base being used. Logarithms typically use a base of 10 (although it can be a different value, which will be specified), while natural logs will always use a base of e. This means ln(x)=loge(x) If you need to convert between logarithms and natural logs, use the following two equations: log10(x)= ln(x) / ln(10) ln(x) = log10(x)/ log10(e) Other than the difference in the base (which is a big difference) the logarithm rules and the natural logarithm rules are the same: Logarithm Rules ln Rules log(xy)=log(x)+log(y) ln(xy)= ln(x)+ln(y) log(x/y)=log(x)−log(y) ln(x/y)=ln(x)−ln(y) log(xa)= alog(x) ln(xa)= aln(x) log(10x)= x ln(ex)= x 10log(x)= x eln(x)= x Summary: Natural Log Rules The natural log, or ln, is the inverse of e.The rules of natural logs may seem counterintuitive at first, but once you learn them they’re quite simple to remember and apply to practice problems. The four main ln rules are: ln(x)( y) = ln(x) + ln(y) ln(x/y) = ln(x) - ln(y) ln(1/x)=−ln(x) n(xy) = y*ln(x) The key difference between natural logs and other logarithms is the base being used. What's Next? Writing a research paper for school but not sure what to write about?Our guide to research paper topicshas over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you. Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius?We've got you covered!Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit(or vice versa). Taking the SAT or ACT?Students often struggle most with the Math section of these tests, but check out our comprehensive guides to SAT Math and ACT Math for everything you need to know to ace these math questions.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Provisions of the Corporation Tax Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Provisions of the Corporation Tax - Assignment Example While the company can claim all the business expenses incurred by it during any financial year, there are certain other provisions governing the capital expenses incurred by the company for the purposes of the business. These are called capital allowances and these allowances cover the expenses incurred for the improvement of the business of the company. By allowing these capital expenses the Corporation Tax Act promotes the working of the companies towards progress. The company can write off all the revenue expenditures incurred by the company against the income being earned by the company. These expenses are in the nature of the expenses which the company has spent on the promotion of the business of the company. For claiming a deduction, these expenses should have been incurred wholly for business purposes and during the previous year. The examples of these expenses include salaries of employees, insurance expenses and other administrative expenses like auditor fees. The company is authorized for the deduction of the interest paid by the company to the banks or other financial institutions for the loans availed by it for business purposes. The interest should have been paid actually during the previous year.The first allowance is in the nature of depreciation on all working assets including industrial buildings and plant and machinery that are being used by the company for the manufacture of products. An amount equal to 4 percent of the cost of the industrial buildings can be claimed by the company by way of writing down allowance. For claiming this deduction the company should have put to use the building in respect of which the deduction is being claimed. When the company constructs some building in an enterprise zone the company can claim the whole cost of the building as a deduction from the chargeable income. The position of the writing down allowance in respect of the plant and machinery belonging to the company is as follows: In general 25 percent on the written down value, a method is allowed as a deduction for the large companies. In the case of small and medium companies, there is a first-year allowance equal to 50 percent of the cost of plant and machinery that can be claimed as a deduction from the income of the company. The companies that spend capital expenditures on machinery which are using energy saving technology can claim the total value of the machinery in full without limits by way of enhanced capital allowance. Bu for claiming the enhanced capital allowance the technology should be one recognized by the government. The amount of capital expense can be claimed in full in the first year itself. But if the company feels that the company would be in an advantageous position then the company may choose to carry forward the deduction for the future years and claim the allowance in part.  

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES - Essay Example Expatriation of employees is very expensive due to higher salary requirements and added cost for air-fares, accommodation, allowances, and school fees. However, it is more costly if an expatriation project failed to meet the organizational goal. Since it is very costly on the part of the mother company to financially support the transfer of employees to a foreign country, a lot of HR managers are continuously searching for new ways on how they can cut down the high cost of expatriation by reducing the risk of expatriation failure. Q.2 Which three module topics do you intend to address within your answer to Assignment 2, and why have you chosen these? NB AT LEAST ONE TOPIC MUST BE FROM WEEK 6 OR LATER IN THE SCHEDULE. Aiming to determine how to lower down the cost of expatriation, topics that will be covered for assignment two includes: (1) selection considerations (i.e. financial costs, psychological costs, and ex-pat community); (2) importance of cross-cultural awareness; and (3) im portance of intercultural communication. Examining the list of selection considerations is one way to lower down the initial cost of expatriates. By learning more about the family background, educational attainment, and employee’s acceptance of work flexibility, HR management could narrow down the chances of expatriation failure. Cross-cultural awareness and the ability of expats to communicate with foreigners contribute to the success of expatriation. Therefore, these issues need to be explored in order to increase the chances of a successful expatriation. Q.3 Which academic journal articles will you examine, and why have you chosen these? To address the proposed research topic, journals that discuss the cost of expatriation including the importance of cross-cultural awareness and communication in foreign countries will be examined. Journals Reason for Journal Selection Anderson (2001) This article discussed the importance of the ability of the expatriates to adjust to the l ife and culture of a foreign country in order to increase the success rate of expatriate assignments. It also examined the difference between sending out male and female employees for expatriation assignments. Caligiuri (2000) To increase the success rate of expatriation selection process, the author examined the impact of employee’s personality on cross-cultural adjustment. Kraimer, Wayne and Jaworski (2001) Tackled the importance of top management support in increasing the success rate of expatriation projects. Toh and Denisi (2005) Identified factors that will increase expatriation’s success rate. Grainger and Nankervis (2001) Discussed new HR approaches for expatriation (i.e. flexible payments based on employees’ skills and competencies; recruitment and selection process; etc.) Harvey (1996) Talked about expatriation dilemma related to the implicit costs when an expat manager returns to domestic market, direct cost of training, relocation, and other compensa tion. It also discussed the importance of training, effective selection criteria and compensation programs, and the significance of employees’ spouses and children to the success rate of expatriation projects. Linehan and Walsh (2000) Discussed the importance of a sound family relationship with the work performance of employees. Sinangil and Ones (2003) Discussed the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Nature of globalization Essay Example for Free

Nature of globalization Essay Globalization is a term used to explain the new era just like we learn about different periods such as stone age. It entails that people around the world are more connected to one another than ever before in terms of †¢ Information flow through sophisticated means unlike in early ages where messengers and drum beating was used for communication. †¢ Money transfers and goods transportation is quicker and efficient all over the world. Goods and services produced in one part of the world are necessarily available in all parts of the world. †¢ International travel is more convenient and faster than ever. (Martin, 2004) All this changes have been as a result of advance in technology, basically the computer. This is what has enabled globalization. Globalization can be found in five different areas; economic, cultural, political, religious and social systems. Globalization therefore, can be understood as the tendency or the process of businesses, technologies or philosophies to spread throughout the world. Nature of globalization Globalization is something that is very new in the world. For the last 30 years, there was no much discoveries in computer technology although there were computers and they were only used in the developed countries. This is why we cannot say there was globalization since globalization simply means making the world a â€Å"global village† in that every information and services are available and accessible to all the people around the globe just as it is in a small village. The idea of globalization has made it possible to harmonize the cultures of people all over the world. That is because people are able to carry out businesses across boundaries without traveling, using different currencies, making instant payment and in developed countries they use a common currency for example the Euro that is used all over Europe and the US dollar that is used by many countries. It is possible therefore, that the whole world will in future be using one common currency. This is what is referred to as economic globalization. According to Sachs (2005) technology in information has made transfer of information and especially educational information to be available across the globe. This is what has brought the idea of e-learning through the Internet. The changes in culture of the people is being felt especially in the African societies which had very stronghold in their traditions but today this has little or no influence on peoples ways of life especially in the young generation, for example changes in sexual inequality. This is as a result of globalization, people copy the lifestyles or cultures of others from the developed countries due to interaction, travels and high speed information transfer. For this same reason people are able to change their religious believes because the gospel has taken a new line, i. e. it is global reaching every corner of the globe. Conclusion When we talk of globalization we definitely have to think about the major participants in this idea. The United States dominates in this global traffic in information and ideas. (www. globalpolicy. org) The American music, movies, television and software’s are so dominant , so sought after by everybody and so visible that they are now available in every corner of the earth, including the developing countries in sub-Sahara Africa. References Raskin. P. T(2002), The Great Transition Boston Tellus Institute p31-42. Alex MacGillirray (2006) A Brief History of Globalization. New York. p122-127. Sachs,T. (2005), The end Poverty New York p 13-23 Martin, W. (2004), why globalization works, New York: Yale University Press, pg 210-235 Global policies, Available from, www. globalpolicy. org (Retrieved December 14, 2007) What is globalization, Available from, www. globalisation101. org (Retrieved December 14, 2007)

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy In Our Blood Supply :: Mad Cow Disease BSE

The well-being of the blood supply has always been a vital component of human existence. It is common knowledge that the existing blood supply is deficient to the increasing usage of blood and blood products. Ironically, as the topic of blood donation arises in society, fears and doubts as to how sanitary and healthful the blood of blood donors often surface. For instance, there is much criticism over allowing foreign travelers to Great Britain the opportunity to donate their blood. This criticism stems from the belief that the Great Britain endemic of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or "Mad Cow Disease") can be physiologically related to the lethal Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Although there is hardly any scientific evidence that supports this allegation, the United States Department of Agriculture and the FDA have introduced strict restrictions concerning the importation of British cattle products and the blood donation of British travelers. Critics, politicians, and the general public often utilize the conjecture of illegitimate facts and myths to shape their opinions concerning BSE. This is fine and great, but I believe a valid opinion on the subject must be backed by significant facts entailing the clinical epidemiology and history of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, its relation to other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), possible transmission to the human species, the causes of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and any relationships between BSE and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. My opinion, based on the facts, is what I offer to you.Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is a fatal brain disease of cattle. BSE is most common in dairy cattle, but not rare in beef cattle either. Cattle affected by BSE experience a progressive degeneration of the nervous system. Infected animals may show changes in behavior such as nervousness or aggression (hence the term "mad co w disease"), abnormal posture, lack of milk production, anorexia, and excessive licking. All cattle affected with BSE either naturally succumb or are euthanized. BSE is most often found in the Holstein-Fresian of cattle, although all breeds are suseptible. The disease usually is introduced to the cattle near puberty (12-15 months), and the incubation period of the disease is 5 or more years. The period of actual infection to death is frighteningly brief; the animal is usually dead within 4 months of showing symptoms.BSE belongs to a group of animal diseases term Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE). Different forms of TSE diseases can affect felines, rodents, and other ruminant animals.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Crime rates in the United States during World War II Essay

Crime in the United States is a fascinating phenomenon. It has changed throughout time and history. It evolved and progressed. There are visible waves in crime rates in the American history; this is often caused by changes in the economy, political situation as well as unemployment rate. Crime rates can also depend on the demographics of the area being studied. These are the several variables which can alter the outcome of crime rate measurement. The crime statistics in the United States, as well as the methods of their measurement, have changed in the past era very dramatically. After the considerable rise in crime in the 1920s, during the prohibition era, the United States government decided to develop a system for gathering crime statistics. â€Å"The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program was conceived in 1929 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police to meet a need for reliable, uniform crime statistics for the nation. In 1930, the FBI was tasked with collecting, publishing, and archiving those statistics. Today, several annual statistical publications, such as the comprehensive Crime in the United States, are produced from data provided by nearly 17,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States.† (Federal Buerau of Investigation-Uniform of Crime Reports) The advantage of the UCR is that, it provides us with data from over seven decades ago. This allows us to compare the rates from 1930 to the present times. It is a great tool in the study of crime patterns and trends through time. It can also aid in its prevention. Wartime can be especially straining on the societies morale and spirits. Poverty caused by instability in the country can contribute to the number of criminal incidences. War brings the ideas of bad political leadership, fear and uncertainty. Living in fright can be a great motivator; it can influence one to act a certain way, even to commit a crime. World War II was one of the most horrible events in history; it brought change to Europe as well as the United States. With it came new crime rate statistics and crime trends. It has been previously established that most crimes are committed by teenage males or adult men. â€Å"In the United States in 1940, about 55 percent of all the boys and men who were finger-printed for crimes were between the ages of 18 and 35. In this age group fell 60 percent  of those charged with criminal homicide (killing), assault, and theft, and 70 percent of those charged with robbery and homicide.† (historians.org) The draft enrolled 10,000,000 men in the age between 18 and 35 into duty; this was one of the main reasons for the fall in the crime rate in the years 1939 to 1945 from 10.0 to 8.7. These rates were based on one crime committed per 100,000 people in the community. The men who stayed behind, unable to serve for health reasons or because of age restrictions caused the unemployment to disappear. Higher pay checks made the public more confident and positive, they also attributed to lower rate of crimes against property. They had fewer reasons to commit crimes such as robbery or larceny. Economic growth and stability typically contributed to the rise of crimes such as aggravated assault, which jumped from 46.5 in 1939 to 54.8 in 1945. This was most likely caused by overconfidence of the criminals. â€Å"Improved economic conditions usually lead to an increase in crimes of violence, such as assault and manslaughter. † (historians.org)†In the United States at least 90 percent of the recorded crimes are the work of males.† (historians.org) This statistic did not change during World War II. It is safe to conclude that even though women became empowered by occupying traditional male roles during the War, it did not influence their willingness or ability to commit crime. â€Å"Women commit only a small proportion of crimes in normal times. Murder is almost the only crime of violence in which they are likely to figure. There are almost no women robbers or burglars.† (historians.org) Most likely women’s participation in crime during World War II did not change from the previous years. Not much data is available on the topic of crime against women such as rape or sexual assault during the years of 1939 to 1945. Our society’s mentality was very different in that time period. Sexual offenses were not discussed frequently. Furthermore, many of these crimes were disbelieved or more often, not reported. Juvenile delinquency was clearly visible during the World War II. It was a problem caused by the absence of the fathers and brothers, who usually  served as discipline enforcers to the children and youths in their families. Many children left without the direction of their male role models, engaged in criminal behavior. After 1938 there was a steady increase in boys’ as well as girls’ criminal cases reported to the court systems. This information was based on the Juvenile Court Statistics. † The Children’s Bureau (within the U.S. Department of Labor) tabulated the information on each card, including age, sex, and race of the youth; the reason for referral; the manner of dealing with the case; and the final disposition of the case.† (Juvenile Court Statistics) This became very costly, therefore after 1940’s the statistics were based on the annual case counts. â€Å"In 1943, the number of boys under 18 who were fingerprinted was 23 percent greater than in 1942; in 1944, it was 21.5 percent above the 1942 figure. Both years showed a progressive increase in homicide and assault charges against boys of this age group.† (historians.org) The rate of juvenile offences committed by boys was significantly growing during this time. Interpreting the data leads us to the conclusion that crime rates such as criminal homicide, robbery, burglary and larceny decreased during World War II. The rate of aggravated assault rose, most likely due to economic growth. Children and youths were left to their own devices, which resulted in delinquent behavior. Juvenile offences became a big problem, even among girls. The amount of crimes committed by women did not change greatly. Ergo, these statistics translate to one thing, and that is the fact that the instability brought on by war time and the unsteadiness of the economy were the biggest influences on crime rates in the United States during World War II. With time came great changes, not only to the economy, societal factors, and politics but also to the trends in crime in the United States. As mentioned earlier, crime rates fluctuate do to many specific factors. The differences in crimes committed during World War II, and present times are undeniable and clearly visible. Homicide is of interest not only because of its severity but also because it is a fairly reliable barometer of all violent crime. At a national level, no other crime is measured as accurately and precisely. Homicide rate rose in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s to a peak in 1991 of 9.8 per 100,000. From 1992 to 2000, the rate declined sharply. Since then, the rate has been stable. Today the rate is at a low seen last in the 1970’s. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics; Males represent 77% of homicide victims and nearly 90% of offenders. The offending rates for males were 8 times higher than the rates for females†¦Approximately one- third of murder victims and almost half the offenders are under the age of 25. For both victims and offenders the rate per 100,000 peaks in the 18-24 age group.( (buerau) This data is very similar to the one from the years 1939-45. It is safe to assume that the age and gender statistics of homicide offenders did not change significantly throughout time. More so, they have been parallel through history, exhuming the same characteristics. The reasons for the sever decline in the homicide rates in recent years, are debatable. Some, credit it to the standard of living in the United States. The poverty rates have gone down in recent years therefore many scientists believe that, it has influenced the homicide rate. It has been recorded that with the decline of poverty the homicide rates decline appropriately. The Bureau of Justice Statistics released a â€Å"Cross-National Studies in Crime and Justice,† in 2004 which examined what might have been responsible for the decline in crime rates. â€Å"With respect to murder, for example, the cross-national study found that between 1981 and 1999 the U.S. justice system increased the severity of punishment – doubling the actual number of days served in prison — and as severity increased, the homicide rate fell.† ( Telling America’s Story). Therefore, the degree of punishment might decrease the homicide rate in the United States. What is more interesting is that even though the homicide rates have fluctuated since World War II, the demographics of the offenders stayed very similar. To this day, just as it was in 1939, 90% of all crime offenders are males, between the ages of 18-24. Another significant difference in crime trends between the recent years and 1939-45 are the rates in rapes. There is not enough significant data from the World War II years regarding the trends in rape to compare to the present. Fortunately, the statistics concerning rape in the last decade are easily obtainable to anyone interested. The United States has the highest rape rate among the countries which report such statistics. The United States Crime Index notes that for every 100,000 Inhabitants in the country, 30.0 become the victims of sexual crime. Women are much more likely to become the targets of sexual assault. â€Å"Women are 10 times more likely than men to be victims of sexual assault (National Crime Victimization Survey, 1997).† A study among college women has shown that 1 out of every 5 college age women report being forced to have sexual intercourse. (1995 National College Health Risk Behavior Survey). These are only the incidences which have been reported, therefore it is reasonable to assume that the actual rate is much higher than the statistics may display. Only 16% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported to the police. In 1995 there were 97,460 rapes reported to law enforcement officials. At a 16% reporting rate, this means that there were actually closer to 649,733 rapes in the United. (Rape in America: A Report to the Nation. 1992). What is more unsettling is the fact that most of the perpetrators are known to the victims, 78% of women raped or physically assaulted since they turned 18 were assaulted by a current or former husband, live-in partner or date. 17% were victimized by an acquaintance, 9% by a relative other than a husband and only 14% were assaulted by a stranger. (National Violence Against Women Survey, 1998). These numbers are terrifying. What is even more disturbing is the outcome of a rape because it causes indescribable damage to those unfortunate ones who had experienced it. Most rape victims suffer from chronic psychological and physical conditions following the incident. Rape is not the crime that sparks the most ferocity and anger in society. That description is reserved to a sexual abuse of children. Over the past 25 years, the problem of child sexual victimization has received significant attention from researchers, clinicians, and policymakers. Yet underreporting  of sexual offenses against children has made it impossible to gauge either the frequency of such incidents or the size of victim and offender populations. In addition, deficient research methodologies have yielded incompatible or contradictory findings with regard to the characteristics, motivations, and recidivism rates of offenders. As a result, critical decisions about offender dangerousness, control, and treatment have been made in the absence of a sound knowledge base. (Robert A. Prentky, 1997). Most abused and neglected children never come to the attention of government authorities. This is particularly true for neglected and sexually abused children, who may have no physical signs of harm. In the case of sexual abuse, secrecy and intense feelings of shame may prevent children, and adults aware of the abuse, from seeking help. Therefore, official government statistics do not indicate actual rates of child abuse. Government statistics are based on cases that were reported to social service agencies, investigated by child protection workers, and had sufficient evidence to determine that a legal definition of â€Å"abuse† or â€Å"neglect† was met. Therefore using self-report surveys to measure the number of child focused sexual behavior became an alternative in the Child Sexual Molestation: Research Issues Report published by the United States Department of Justice. â€Å"Perhaps the most dramatic offender self-report data on victimization rates come from research in which investigators recruited 561 subjects through a variety of means (e.g., health care workers, media advertising, and presentations at meetings).† (Robert A. Prentky, 1997) The offenders were given a lengthy structured clinical interview covering standard demographic information as well as history of deviant sexual behavior. The 561 subjects reported a total of 291,737 â€Å"paraphilic acts† committed against 195,407 victims under the age of 18. The five most frequently reported paraphilic acts involved criminal conduct: Nonincestuous child molestation with a female victim (224 of the 561 subjects reported 5,197acts against 4,435 victims). Nonincestuous child molestation with a male victim -153 of the 561 subjects reported 43,100 acts against 22,981 victims. Incest with a female victim -159 of the 561 subjects reported 12,927 acts against 286 victims. Incest with a male victim -44 of the 561 subjects reported 2,741 acts  against 75 victims. Rape -126 of the 561 subjects reported 907 acts against 882 victims. Child molestation has rapidly become a great concern not only to law makers but also to care givers and parents of young children. (Robert A. Prentky, 1997). In the beginning of the nineteenth century many educated people believed that child molestation was not an issue. Furthermore, most of them blamed the children, concluding that they were seductive and not as innocent as others believed them to be. â€Å"In the early part of the century, psychoanalytical writers maintained steadfastly that sexual abuse was the fault of the child, not the adult that it occurred because aggressive children â€Å"seduced† innocent men. (Salter, 2003) Salter brings up and example of a psychiatrist Lauretta Bender who wrote in 1937, that sexual assaulted children derive fundamental satisfaction from the relationship, and do not completely deserve the cloak of innocence with which they have been endowed by moralists, social reformers and legislators.As proof she offered her conclusion as to the children being â€Å"unusually charming and attractive and asked that society view the children as â€Å"the actual seducer rather than the one actually seduced†. (Salter, 2003) In my opinion the difference between the years 1939- 45 and the present time is in the perception of what child molestation is. Today every one (who is not a sexual offender) agrees that sexual offences against children are especially gruesome and cruel. No one blames the victims, because they are guilty free. Their offenders are the ones that are being held responsible for the crime. The way sexual predators were seen in the past has changed dramatically. Not many believe anymore, that the victimized child was being â€Å"seductive† toward their offender. A type of crime that is very common in all societies is aggravated assault. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program defines aggravated assault as an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. The Program further specifies that this type of assault is usually accompanied by the use of a weapon or by other means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. Attempted  aggravated assault that involves the display of-or threat to use-a gun, knife, or other weapon is included in this crime category because serious personal injury would likely result if the assault were completed. When aggravated assault and larceny-theft occur together, the offense falls under the category of robbery. There were an estimated 855,856 aggravated assaults in the United States during the year 2007. An examination of the 10-year trend data for the rate of aggravated assaults revealed that the rate in 2007 declined 21.5 percent when compared with the rate for 1998. The rate of aggravated assaults in the Nation was estimated at 283.8 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants in 2007. In 2007, 21.4 percent of the aggravated assaults for which law enforcement agencies provided expanded data involved a firearm. The use of firearms during aggravated assaults decreased 2.8 percent when 2007 data were compared with 2006 data. (Federal Buerau Of Investigation, 2007). The percentage of aggravated assault is undeniably very high, but in comparison to the data available from previous years it has been dropping noticeably. Numerous organizations have applied various risk factors such as â€Å"personality traits like impulsivity, family factors like poor parental supervision, school experiences like poor grades and peer factors like gang membership† as to the probability of one committing aggravated assault. I am certain that, every one of us has witnessed, assaulted someone, or became very close to committing assault. It sounds terrifying, but unfortunately it is true. For the sake of argument, let’s just take these examples under consideration: in a daily commute to work or school one may encounter an agitated driver on the brink of developing road rage; While shopping during the holiday season it is not unusual to observe a stream of threats and menacing gestures between store patrons and employees; At sporting events such as a basketball scuffle between players and spectators or coaches; Social activities such as bars or parties where inebriated individuals often threaten or engage one another. Elementary and Junior High Schools also find themselves with a disproportionate number of schoolyard violent acts. The reality is that, we are surrounded by incidences ready to advance to  assault and most of us do not even realize it. It is very important that, we understand when to accept defeat in an argument with a stranger, because in most cases we underestimate the capabilities of another human being. Although the rates of aggravated assault have declined in recent years, it is not unlikely to suffer from an attack of another member of the society. Aggravate assault will occur anywhere, where tensions run high. This type of crime has existed since the beginning of time and will continue to, regardless of the changes in the societal factors. The Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report contains reliable data and relevant research to provide a comprehensive and insightful view of juvenile crime across the nation in recent years. Citing FBI and other data sources, the Report demonstrates that the rate of juvenile violent crime arrests has consistently decreased since 1994, falling to a level not seen since at least the 1970s. However, during this period of overall decline in juvenile violence, the female proportion of juvenile violent crime arrests has increased (especially for the crime of assault), marking an important change in the types of youth entering the juvenile justice system and in their programming needs. As in the past, most future murders will probably be committed by males. However, the average age of the perpetrators is declining, and today the doer of the crime is more likely to be a teenager than ever before in history. â€Å"In 1995, at least 3,800 teenagers between the age of thirteen and eighteen were formally arrested for murder in the United States. That number represented approximately 20% of all murder rates for that year.† (D.Kelleher, 1998) As disturbing as that is, it is not as unsettling as the fact that in 1995, well over 2 million juveniles under the age of eighteen were arrested on a variety of charges that ranged in seriousness from curfew violation to murder. (Federal Buerau Of Investigation, 2007)In 1999 juveniles comprised only 17 percent of all arrests and 12 percent of all violent crime arrests. In 1999 the juvenile murder arrest rate fell 68 percent, to the lowest level since the 1960s, and juvenile arrests for violent crime dropped 23 percent from 1995 to 1999. In 1998, 23 percent of the juvenile court caseload involved crimes of violence, females committed  28 percent of the violent crimes, and children under age sixteen accounted for 64 percent, and 62 percent were committed by white youth and 35 percent by African-American children. Thus the juvenile population of violent offenders in 1998 was comprised of more females, more white children, and younger juveniles then in the years prior. The biggest problem the juvenile court system is faced with is gang violence. Juvenile gang members are responsible for a very large number of crimes against property as well as homicide. Many of children who enter gangs are under the age of twelve. â€Å"The number of cities reporting youth gang activity rose from 300 in the 1970s to nearly 2,500 in 1998.† (DEWEY G. CORNELL)In the 1970s only nineteen states reported gang problems, but in the 1990s all fifty states reported gang crimes. It is obvious that the problem of gang association has been visible for three decades. Still not many laws have changed to accommodate underage gang offenders. In 1999 there were approximately 26,000 gangs and 840,500 gang members in the United States. Also, the average age of gang members increased; gang members aged fifteen to seventeen decreased 8 percent from 1996 to 1999. (DEWEY G. CORNELL) Youth gangs continue to be a major problem that the juvenile justice system has not yet begun to control. The World War II juvenile offenders differ from the ones presently active. The juvenile offenders who are in the system, have a greater accessibility to weapons, they have a greater source of information in the form of the internet. They are smarter and more experienced, with greater knowledge of the consequences of their actions. The delinquents of our times have an obvious advantage over their victims as do all of the criminal in comparison to their predecessors form the 1939-45 years. Another advantage of the criminals of our times is their knowledge of the criminal system. They have the knowledge and understanding of the cost of crime and are willing to do anything not to pay for their actions. The ultimate goal of crime prevention is to develop a highly reliable method for forecasting future crime trends and problems. If we can predict crime,  we can develop prevention and reduction measures. But like reliably forecasting the weather, there are many errors in our methods and gaps in our skills. Crime is a phenomenon which has excised since the beginning of time. Even though we have had more than 2000 years to observe study and predict it, we are still learning what it might become in the future. As I mentioned earlier, many things can influence crime patterns and rates. The most obvious are: demographic factors, such as age, sex and race, do have effect on crime. Generally, this method involves looking at changes in the crime-prone age categories (adolescents and young adults). Economic environment, such as recession or high levels of unemployment may also be compared to changes in crime. Further, the growth in female and juvenile participation in crime is accounted for by the increased participation of women in activities outside the home and by the decline of an established role for juveniles in society. When trying to predict the future of crime rates and patterns in the United States, we must take all of the above in to consideration and draw our own conclusions. In recent years the abortion rates have dropped to all time low. If we take that under consideration we come to the conclusion that the drop in the number of abortions attributes to a larger number of births. Abortion has become a very expensive procedure and therefore a large percentage of women cannot afford the procedure. This ultimately leads to a larger number of unwanted children being born and consequently contributing to the rise in crime. I also believe that, criminals’ accessibility to transportation will ultimately shift crimes from the neighborhoods to rural areas. Crime will become free of geography. The numbers of cars are increasing every year, thus giving the future criminals more options. The crimes committed in the past were highly concentrated in the cities because of the dependence on means of transportation. Today, the amount of cars will contribute to the rise in crime rates and larger area of their occurrence. Another, in my opinion, very obvious and important reason for which the numbers of crime will increase in the next 10 to 20 years are the advances in technology. As much as new technology aids law enforcement, it also helps the offenders. Until few decades ago, no one anticipated sending photos, receiving videos or hacking into federal data bases through computers. Today, computers have become a necessity in most homes. There are also many facilities which allow anyone to use a computer at their leisure. For just a few dollars, anyone can access the internet at a place other than their home. This not only allows criminals to use technology to their advantage, as an aid in criminal act, but also helps them stay anonymous. Pedophiles, hackers and identity-thieves are just a click away from their next crime. In recent years, internet access has been offered through mobile phone companies. This fact has made criminal acts easier to commit. Future technology may be used as tools in the commission of crime. For example, cordless power cutting tools in burglaries. Technology makes our lives much easier, but it also gives criminals more, advanced opportunities. Experts say the recent mild decline in crime is due to the aging of the Baby Boom generation. If we take this fact under consideration, we will have to agree that the next generation will have a significant impact on the increase in crime rates. In the future the number of 15-25 year olds males will increase and with that, so will the number of crimes. As mentioned earlier 90% of all crimes are committed by males in that age group, therefore the conclusion is clear. Aging of the baby boomers will cause an increase in crime rates in the next 10 to 20 years. My conclusion is that crime rates will increase significantly in the future due to new technologies; more means of transportation, aging baby boomers and lower abortion rates. The solution is one. Our society must put all of its resources and efforts into the prevention of future crimes. This means  more prisons and harsher punishment for chronic offenders. I strongly believe that we should abandon early release from correction facilities because it this sends the wrong message to future criminals. We should also focus on the education of law enforcement and the public. We should try to prevent crimes rather than suffering their effects on our reality. â€Æ'Bibliography Telling America’s Story. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2008, from http://www.america.govD.Kelleher, M. (1998). When Good Kids Kill. Westport: Praeger. Dewey G. Cornell, D. C. (n.d.). Answers. Retrieved October 4, 2008, from http://www.answers.com/topic/juvenile-justice-systemFederal Buerau Of Investigation. (2007). Retrieved October 4, 2008, from http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/Justice, U. D. (n.d.). Buerau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved October 4, 2008, from Office of Justice Programs: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance.htmRobert A. Prentky, P. A. (1997). Child Sexual Molestation: Research Iissues. National Institute of Justice Research Report. Salter, A. C. (2003). Predators, Rapists, and Other Sexual Offenders. New York: Basic Books. Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, Criminal Victimization 1996, (November 1997)Rape in America: A Report to the Nation. 1992. National Victim Center and Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, University of South Carolina, Charleston. 1995 National College Health Risk Behavior Survey.† Journal American College Health (Sept.1997)Federal Buerau of Investigation-Uniform of Crime Reports. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2008, from Federal Bureau of Investigation: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htmhistorians.org. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2008, from http://www.historians.org/projects/giroundtable/CrimeWave/CrimeWave3.htmJuvenile Court Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2008, from National Criminal Justice Reference Service:

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Battle of Stalingrad

The Battle of Stalingrad was fought from August 23, 1942 to February 2, 1943. Hitler’s attempt to capture the city ended when the Soviets trapped the 300 000-German 6th army under General Friedrich Paulus. The destruction of the mighty 6th army gave the Soviets a psychological lift and military initiative.For the Germans, the battle signaled the end of the Russian conquest; that is, from a war of conquest to a war of survival. Background On August 1938, Hitler shocked the world by signing a non-aggression pact with his most hated enemy, the Soviet Union.Both powers agreed not to attack each other for a period of 10 years. A secret protocol called for a division of Eastern Europe between the two powers. Confident that the Soviets would not intervene with his military plans, Hitler proceeded to attack Poland. On September 1, 1939, German armored formation, supported by the Luftwaffe, smashed into the Polish borders, trapping thousands of Polish soldiers before they could organiz e a general retreat into Eastern Poland. Two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Two weeks later, Soviet forces occupied Eastern Poland, as part of the Nazi-Soviet Pact.Poland was obliterated from the map of Europe. Hitler now turned his attention to the West. After eight months of interregnum, German forces aided by the powerful Luftwaffe, struck at France, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The British were trapped at Dunkerque. French forces were defeated in a matter of four weeks. With France defeated, Hitler now turned his attention to his hated ally, the Soviet Union. On June 22, 1941, three German army groups, numbering about 3. 1 million men struck at the Soviet Union. The Soviets were caught by surprise.On the first day alone, 1 million Soviets were either killed, capture, or injured; 1400 aircraft were destroyed, 500 guns were either destroyed or captured. After three days, the Soviets lost almost 80% of their armored formations in the East. Four Panzer armies drove towards Moscow. The arrival of the so-called ‘Siberian units’ (numbering about 1 million men) and the harshness of the 1941 winter finally drove the Germans from the outskirts of Moscow. Both sides rested. Hitler, however, planned another campaign in the Southern sector of the front. Operation BlueOn May 1942, German forces smashed across the Southern sector of the Eastern Front. Again, Soviet forces were caught by surprise. The Germans drove into the river Don, and prepared a massive assault on the river Volga (where Stalingrad was located). Two German panzer armies took the Caucasus on the following month. The 2nd and 4th Romanian armies as well as the 8th Italian army aided the German Sixth army in the crossing of the river Volga. By the 1st of August, additional armor was transferred to the 6th Army for the final capture of the city of Stalingrad.Marshal Georgy Zhukov anticipated this and ordered Soviet forces to encircle the 6th Army. Sett ing the Stage for the Battle In the Southern sector of the front, Hitler possessed superior forces. German forces numbered about 1. 7 million men, or about 76 divisions. Operation Blue called for the use of 3 panzer armies; two of which would drove into the Caucasus. One panzer army would drive straight into Stalingrad (refer to map1). On the eve of Blue, Germany still retained the element of surprise. For the Soviets, the defense of Stalingrad and other key cities around the Volga rested on the newly formed Soviet army reserves.Much of the Don steppes (refer to map2) were ideal for armored maneuvers. Field Marshal Fedor von Bock once argued to Hitler that the best way to destroy the Soviet army is to launch a massive attack around the river Volga. Hitler, however, insisted that the main thrust of the attack should be around the Caucasus Mountains. Much of the strength of the Soviet army laid on its newly formed armored formations and the reserve armies, and of course, the channels of defenses around key cities in the Volga region (refer to map 3). Stalin allocated only about 20% of the whole Soviet forces to the Southern sector, expecting an attack around Moscow.At the start of Blue, 10 Soviet armies were hastily sent to the South to counter the 3 panzer armies and the 7 German infantry and satellite armies. It can be argued that whilst the Soviet held the upper hand in the northern and central sector of the front, in the south, the German initially outnumbered the Soviets by almost 3:1. At the start of the battle of Stalingrad, all Soviet reserves were thrown into Stalingrad in a bid to encircle the German 6th army. When the German 6th Army entered the city on August 23, about 5 Soviet tank armies were massing around the river Volga.Only the 4th Panzer Army was in proximity to support the 6th Army in case of a major Soviet offensive. Most of the armor were allocated to the army group in the Caucasus region. The Battle The first phase of the battle of Staling rad involved the direct assault of the German 6th Army and the German 4th Panzer Army to 8 Soviet armies of the Stalingrad front (refer to map4). Fighting in the Don steppes reached its height on the end of July when 2 Soviet tank armies tried to outmaneuver both the 6th Army and the 4th Panzer army. It would take 4 weeks before the German army could liquidate the 2 tank armies.The Soviet army retreated into the interior of the Volga region in preparation of a massive German attack on the Stalingrad. Stalin now reorganized the Stalingrad front. Two infantry armies were reassigned as tank armies. The second phase of the German drive into Stalingrad involved the crossing of the river Volga. The Romanian and Hungarians armies provided the flanks of the 6th Army. The 4th Panzer Army provided the spearhead of the attack. Some armored formations were reallocated to the 6th Army from von Kleist’s 1st Panzer Army. The Soviets retreated to the outskirts of Stalingrad.Consequently, Sta lin ordered the Soviet armies to hold the 6th Army in Stalingrad. He allowed no further withdrawal of the Soviet forces. Between the Don and the Volga, a huge salient was formed occupied by the 62nd and 64th Soviet armies. On August 29, 4th Panzer Army smashed into the southern junction of the 64th Army and headed towards Stalingrad. The 6th Army drove into the northern junction of the 62nd Army (refer to map5). The pressure made by the Soviet 4th Tank Army in the north slowed the progress of the 6th Army, enabling the two Soviet armies to escape encirclement (refer to map6).The third phase of the battle involved a major German assault on the southern sector of the city. The Luftwaffe dropped thousands of bombs in the city. Paulus ordered the 6th Army to make a frontal assault of the city (which was now surrounded on three sides). German artillery pounded on the Soviet defenses on the Volga. Meanwhile, Soviet reserves continued to pour on the Stalingrad front allowing Zhukov to moun t local counterattacks against the 6th Army. As the fight for the city intensified, Stalin reorganized the Soviet fronts, creating the Southwest and Don fronts.Zhukov’s plan for a major counterattack was simple yet ambitious. Three Soviet armies from the Southwest and Don fronts would drive towards the left flank of the German 6th Army. Two Soviet armies from the Stalingrad front would drive towards the junction of the 6th Army and the 4th Panzer Army (refer to map7). This strategy was designed to trap the 6th Army in Stalingrad. On October 1942, storm was unleashed on the Romanian and Hungarian armies (which served as flanks of the 6th Army). They were easily destroyed. The Soviets pounded the city into rubble.Although Hitler promised to airlift supplies to the 6th Army, only 100 tons reached daily, far from the 400 tons daily supplies promised by Hitler. From December 1942 to January 1943, the Soviets reduced the Stalingrad pocket by 50%. Hitler’s insistence for the 6th Army to hold out added to its own destruction. Paulus never ordered a major break out of the 6th Army. On February 1943, the headquarters of Paulus was captured by the Soviets. Paulus surrendered to the Soviets on the day of his promotion as field marshal. Weapons/Advantages/AlliancesMost of the German armor used in Blue and the battle of Stalingrad were Mark III and Mark IV, equipped with 50 and 80 mm. guns. Armor ranged from 80 to 100 mm. The famous 88 mm gun was used both as anti-tank and anti-aircraft gun (it was the only anti-tank gun that could destroy the mighty T-34). German airpower relied on two famous aircrafts: the bomber Junker and the Messerschmitt Bf109 (a powerful fighter). German soldiers were highly trained, far from their Soviet counterparts (also in comparison with Germany’s allies: Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Italy).The Soviet tank armies relied on two powerful tanks: the T-34 (with its 75 mm gun) and the KV100 (a heavy tank). The T-34 tank was su ited on all types of weather and could reach a speed of about 70 miles an hour. The Soviets also employed the IL28, a powerful fighter that could in some cases outfought the mighty Bf 109. The advantages of the Germans were as follows: 1) the efficiency and effectiveness of the German General Staff in operational and strategic planning, 2) the level of training of individual German soldiers, 3) the close coordination of German mechanized units and the air force, and 4) flexibility in command structure.The advantages of the Soviets were as follows: 1) the large size of the Soviet reserve armies, 2) its powerful tank designs (T-34), 3) determination, almost fanatical, of the Soviet armies in defending key cities, and 4) high production of armaments. Situation Report The defeat of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad signaled the end of Hitler’s war of conquest in the East. It initially destroyed the capability of the German to launch another massive operation (except at Kursk). In essence, the defeat gave the Soviets a psychological lift; that is, it was possible for the German army to be defeated.The strategic victory of the Soviets at Stalingrad allowed Stalin to press for a major Allied counterstrike at North Africa. German pressure in the East was partially relieved. Hitler was now faced a war on two fronts, which he initially prevented by signing the non-aggression pact with Stalin. On the area of operations, much of the German activities after the battle of Stalingrad focused on minor offensive posture, in contrast to the Soviets which could mount major operations (Bagration for example).In any case, the battle of Stalingrad shifted the favor of war to the Allies, as did in the battle of El Alamein in North Africa. Bibliography Battle of Stalingrad. BBC. PolyGram Video International, 1994. Beevor, Antony. Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege 1942-1943. New York: Viking, 1998. Irving, David. Hitler’s War and the War Path. London: Parforce, 2002. Seaton, Albert. The Russo-German War, 1941-1945. New York: Praeger, 1971. Toynbee, Arnold. A History of the World. London: London Publishing House, 1964. Wells, Herbert. The Outline of History. London: Garden City Books, 1956.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Is Britain a Meritocratic Society

Is Britain a Meritocratic Society It was determined by history that people need a belief based upon which they would build their present and future. Here is where the need for formulating various concepts of society derives from. One of the popular approaches to defining society is that of the meritocratic society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is Britain a Meritocratic Society? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More First coined by Michael Young in his 1958 book named The Rise of Meritocracy, this conception is a combination of merit and aristocracy. Merit, broadly speaking, is a prominent value distinguishing one between the others and a will and hard work to use them as a tool for achieving success in life, and aristocracy is the upper class of the society who are the most privileged. In general, meritocracy is an aristocracy based on merit and ignoring kinship1. That said, meritocracy or a meritocratic society is a type of society in which those who have talents and extraordinary intellectual abilities and skills will achieve success in life and, what is more, reach the leading and ruling positions in their community regardless of their family ties and background2. According to the postulates of this approach to defining society, those who are the brightest and the most hard-working and persistent will occupy the highest positions in the society whether it be ruling a little group of people, an organization or a whole country. Generally speaking, meritocracy is: A principle of allocation of people to positions in the socio-economic hierarchy, typically jobs. †¦ The theory is that meritocracy offers a ‘ladder of opportunity’, on which everyone has an equal chance to climb as far as their ‘merit’ permits.3 Meritocratic society operates based on several principles, as initially defined by Michael Young in his book. First of all, meritocracy requires administrative tool controlling the redistribution of human talent. That means that there should be specially authorised organization testing people’s unique abilities and skills before they occupy their positions in the society. Generally speaking, it means that there should be a special network of examinations and that certain position requires a certain set of skills, so prior to entering it, the potential occupant should be tested for having such skills. Second, the skills mentioned above should be fixed and unchangeable.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It does not mean that they remain the same over centuries; instead, they change once in a while so that they correspond to the needs of certain historical epoch but what remains unchangeable is the high level of knowledge and talent required for taking up higher appointments. Third, there is no place for competition in a perfect meritocracy. This principle ma y sound a little weird if thinking about the very essence of the meritocratic approach but it is believed that administrative procedures have no defects thus eradicating competition as such. It may be explained by the fact that people are redistributed according to their abilities and talents so that they believe that they are exactly where they deserve to be thus there is no need to compete with others and prove that they are better than others4. Such a conception of society is a source of particular problems. First and foremost, meritocracy as such leads to socio-economic inequality in the society. From the theoretical perspective, it is viewed as the path towards equal opportunities but the practice has proven that society cannot operate when based on merit. Instead, family ties and the background, not intellectual abilities or unique skills, are the criteria for determining chances for success. It may be easily explained by one simple fact – those who have already occupie d high positions in the society do not want their children to hold lower ones thus blocking access to the talented people without the similar background5. The second challenge is the problem of defining the merit as such. As the times have changed, one new element was added to the concept of merit. It is that of kinship as it was already mentioned above. That said, as long as society values prestige and family ties instead of creative and intellectual potential, it cannot function and develop as a meritocracy in its traditional sense. The third problem of such a conception of the society is that living in the meritocratic conditions people are taught that inequality is justifiable. The reason for this belief lies in the definition of merit as such6. As long as people believe that they do not have the opportunity to obtain certain positions without certain skills or talents and that they deserve to be exactly where they are, they do not have the desire to change this reality, self-ev olve, and reach new horizons. Many may believe that meritocracies are as dead as Julius Caesar but, in fact, they are not the tales of the past. Nowadays most developed societies consider themselves to be meritocratic, as they believe that there are equal opportunities to succeed in life for everyone who has talent and works hard.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is Britain a Meritocratic Society? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, they claim that the harder you work, the higher you get, and, of course, your talent and intellectual and creative potential are the only things that limit you in climbing the ladder. Together with that, people in the developed societies stress that they totally ignore the person’s background and family ties if he or she demonstrates yearning to succeed in life and has unique skills. Britain in this sense is not an exception, and it is a meritocratic society. In general, mos t people stick to a concept of merit. What is more, today, it almost does not matter what class you come from or what your ethnic background is because if you are talented and persistent, the possibility of achieving success is high. More than that, you are most likely to achieve the position your skills allow you to, so everyone in the society occupies exactly the right place. What is more prominent is that there have been many positive shifts in the movement towards perfect meritocratic society such as elevating a barrier of class. That means that birth in a working-class family, for example, does not preclude a talented person from gaining higher education and becoming a citizen of high-status. Regardless of the positive developments mentioned above class still matters in the overall setting of one’s life. It originates from the parents’ love and their desire to help their children find the best possible place in life not from stressing that class is a barrier to in tellectual and creative development. That said, parents might want to let their kids attend the most prestigious schools they can afford thus granting them certain merits in life7 as education has become one of them. What is more, they may help their children occupy particular positions thus inverting the natural course of meritocracy. Parents’ interference with their children’s lives is what is one of the main preclusions to perfect meritocracy. It should be said, however, that this statement is only fair in the case of high-status families, especially those occupying the highest ruling positions in the society. In most cases today, those who hold them cannot make a boast of their social status as they have it due to their background. It does not mean that they do not have any merits at all; it only means that, in the case they had not had the status of their family, they would not have been where they currently are since their skills and talents do not correspond to it. That said, the desire of the parents especially those who are involved in politics and ruling the country to prevent their children from falling is what keeps British society from achieving a state of perfect meritocracy.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Together with that, universal access to education including school and higher education is what is often viewed as a preclusion to build a perfect meritocratic society in its traditional sense. There is a point of view that the ability to obtain education should not be universal, as it inverts the natural course of the development of meritocracy because it is a primary source of inequality in the society8. The main argument in favour of this statement is that there is inequality in the ability of families to help their children with gaining the education and that the one with more prestigious education occupies better positions of higher status regardless of the level of knowledge, skills, and talent. I am strongly inclined to believe that even though there are many problems deriving from the meritocratic concept of society, there is one promising opportunity of the present times that can help return to the meritocratic society in its traditional sense. With the outburst of informat ion and communication technologies and the overall shift to the knowledge-driven world, those without family ties with the highest circles of the community have gotten their chance to succeed in life with the help of their skills and talents. Since higher education has become available to nearly anyone and is no longer a prerogative of the privileged ones, the educational system has become that administratively authorised unit that can control the redistribution of talent. I do believe in it because education leads to inequality in society not in the case of different level of the college prestige but in the case if some people had the opportunity to obtain the higher education because of their family’s status in the society, and others had not. When everyone is equal in access to education, even though the level of prestige differs, there emerges the possibility of equality because all that as the end results matters is not the name of the college indicated on the diploma bu t the level of knowledge and whether a person has skills needed for feeling the position. That said, the level of education has become one more merit. Of course, those enjoying the advantage of kinship will occupy most ruling positions but people with high intellectual abilities and robust creative potential will find their way to attaining a high place. One more argument in favour of the meritocracy of British society is the Queen’s Honour system9. It may be considered to be out in the left field but, in fact, meritocracy is about being rewarded for unique skills and persistent work. With this in mind, Queen’s system of Honours proves that there is some other way to reward people rather than the career, power, and money and that those who work for the good of their country should be titled and remembered. Together with the system of rewards, it also demonstrates the hierarchy in the society with being knighted as a symbol of reaching the highest ladder of it or the hi ghest rank possible. So, British society is just one little step away from becoming a perfect meritocracy. Since the end of World War II, there have been many positive shifts in achieving social justice and equality such as carrying out various reforms aimed at eradicating barriers keeping talented and skilled people away from becoming successful and obtaining high status in society. It should be said that taking one last step towards transforming in a perfectly meritocratic society may be even harder than all those previous ones that have already been taken, as it would mean that those occupying the highest ruling positions would let their children live their lives by means of their own unique character traits, knowledge, and persistence, i.e. their merits. Bearing in mind everything that was mentioned above building a society based on meritocratic approach is only possible in the case if every next generation forgets about the success and status of the current generation and start s its way from the very beginning with their intellectual and creative potential as the only criteria for achieving set objectives. It, to my mind, is impossible due to the human’s nature, as the parents always want their children to have the best conditions for living their lives. The only option that might be possible in such case is creating conditions for fair competition in the society even though it is contrary to the postulates of the meritocratic society. I can explain it by providing the statement that without the competition there is no opportunity for achieving equality, as there are people who might have similar skills and talents so there should be a way of choosing it. So, developing competitive atmosphere together with education may become that administrative tool for redistributing human talent that is necessary for meritocratic society in it traditional sense. Reference List Allen, Ansgar, ‘Michael Young’s The Rise of the Meritocracy: A Philosoph ical Critique, British Journal of Educational Studies, vol. 59, no. 4, pp. 367-382. Bloodworth, James, Meritocracy is a Myth, Independent (2014). Web. Duru-Bellat, Marie., Tenret, Elise., Whos for Meritocracy? Individual and Contextual Variations in the Faith’, Comparative Education Review, vol. 56, no. 2, p. 223-247. Gelman, Andrew, â€Å"Meritocracy Won’t Happen: The Problem with the Ocracy†, Washington Post (2014). Web. Lister, Ruth, ‘Ladder of Opportunity of Engine of Inequality?’, The Political Quarterly, vol. 77, no. 1, 2006, pp. 232-234. Saunders, Peter, Meritocracy and Popular Legitimacy, The Political Quarterly, vol. 77, no. 1, 2006, pp. 183-194. Strong, Roy, Englands Class System is a Meritocracy, The Telegraph (2014). Web. Wooldridge, Adrian, Measuring the Mind: Education and Psychology in England C. 1860-c.1990 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008). Footnotes 1 Adrian Wooldridge, Measuring the Mind: Education and Psychology in En gland C.1860-c.1990, p. 166. 2 Peter Saunders, Meritocracy and Popular Legitimacy, The Political Quarterly, vol. 77, no. 1, 2006, p. 183. 3 Ruth Lister, ‘Ladder of Opportunity of Engine of Inequality?’ The Political Quarterly, vol. 77, no. 1, 2006, p. 232. 4 Ansgar Allen, ‘Michael Young’s The Rise of the Meritocracy: A Philosophical Critique, British Journal of Educational Studies, vol. 59, no. 4, pp. 370-374. 5 Andrew Gelman, †Meritocracy Won’t Happen: The Problem with the Ocracy†, Washington Post. 6 Marie Duru-Bellat Elise Tenret, Whos for Meritocracy? Individual and Contextual Variations in the Faith’, Comparative Education Review, vol. 56, no. 2, p. 223. 7 Peter Saunders, Meritocracy and Popular Legitimacy, p. 183. 8 James Bloodworth, Meritocracy is a Myth, Independent. 9 Roy Strong, Englands Class System is a Meritocracy, The Telegraph.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Best Examples of Palindromes in the English Language

Best Examples of Palindromes in the English Language What do the words â€Å"madam,† â€Å"mom,† and â€Å"rotor† have in common? They are palindromes: words, phrases, verses, sentences, or a series of characters that read the same both forwards and backwards. A palindrome can be as short as three characters (mom, for instance), or as long as an entire novel. Take this multi-sentence palindrome as an example: Are we not pure? â€Å"No, sir!† Panama’s moody Noriega brags. â€Å"It is garbage!† Irony dooms a man - a prisoner up to new era. From dad to kayak, you likely encounter many palindromes in your daily life. In addition to everyday speech, this feature of language has applications from literature to classical music composition to molecular biology.   The History of Palindromes â€Å"Palindrome† derives from the Greek word palà ­ndromos, meaning â€Å"running back again.† However, the use of palindromes was not exclusive to the Greeks. Since at least 79 AD, palindromes appeared in Latin, Hebrew, and Sanskrit. English poet John Taylor was hailed as one of the first palindrome writers when he wrote: â€Å"Lewd did I live, evil I did dwel.† In the following centuries, palindromes increased in popularity, and by 1971, the Guinness Book of World Records began to officially recognize the worlds longest palindromes. Between 1971 and 1980, the winner grew from 242 words to 11,125 words. Today, palindromes are celebrated on Palindrome Days, when the numerical date is itself a palindrome (e.g. 11/02/2011). With palindromes, the same rules of punctuation, capitalization and spacing don’t apply. For example, the word â€Å"Hannah† is a palindrome, even though both â€Å"H’s† aren’t capitalized. And what about words that spell another word backwards, like â€Å"live† becoming â€Å"evil†? That’s called a semordnilap, which happens to be itself a semordnilap of palindrome. Record-Breaking Palindromes Youre probably familiar with some of the most famous palindromes in the English language, like Madam, Im Adam and a nut for a jar of tuna. How many of these lesser-known, record-breaking palindromes do you know? The longest palindromic English word, according to the Guinness Book of World records: detartrated. The Guinness Book of Records bestowed the honor of longest English palindrome to detartrated, which is the preterit and past participle of detartrate, meaning to remove tartrates, or organic compounds. Unlike most English palindromes, which usually have seven letters or fewer, this has 11- impressive, except that Finnish palindromes easily rival it, with two having 25 letters.   The longest palindromic English word, according to the Oxford English Dictionary: tattarrattat. Coined by James Joyce in his 1922 novel Ulysses, the word is an onomatopoeia. It has been used to describe the sound of someone knocking on a door. The most recognizable palindromic poem: â€Å"Doppelgnger† by English poet James A. Lindon. At the poem’s midway point, each line is repeated backwards. The use of the device has literary significance: the concept of a doppelgnger involves a ghostly reflection of oneself, and the palindromic structure means that the latter half of the poem serves as a reflection of the first half.   The best palindromic place name: Wassamassaw. Wassamassaw is a swamp in South Carolina   The best Finnish palindrome: saippuakuppinippukauppias. This is the Finnish word for a soap cup trader, one of the longest palindromes in the world The longest palindromic novel: Lawrence Levine’s Dr. Awkward Olson in Oslo. In 1986, Lawrence Levine published the 31,954-word Dr. Awkward Olson in Oslo. Like Stephen’s letter, the novel is primarily gibberish. The history-based palindrome: Able was I ere I saw Elba. This palindrome related to French leader Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile to the island of Elba.   The best album title: Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas (Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas). In 1991, American rock band Soundgarden included this bonus CD with some editions of Badmotorfinger, their third studio album.   The longest letter: David Stephen’s Satire: Veritas. Published in 1980 as a monograph, the letter is 58,706 words long. The ancient Roman palindrome: In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni. Like the Greeks, the Romans were also fans of palindromes, and this translates to â€Å"we enter the circle after dark and are consumed by fire,† which was believed to relate to how moths circled a flame. Palindromes in Math, Science, and Music Palindromic strands of DNA can be found in molecular biology, and mathematicians may look for palindromic numbers that have unique properties. Classical, experimental, and humorist composers have integrated musical palindromes into their work, including Joseph Haydn and Weird Al Yankovic.  Hadyns Symphony No. 47 in G Major was nicknamed The Palindrome since the Minuetto al Roverso and the Trio are both written so that second part of each piece is the same as the first, only backwards.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Aspects of sustainable transport mode. ( buses in scotland ) Thesis

Aspects of sustainable transport mode. ( buses in scotland ) - Thesis Example In any case, the success of such initiatives requires the active participation of governments. The above issue has been made clear in the case of Scotland where the private bus operators have introduced a series of schemes aiming to align their firms’ activities with the principles of sustainability. The success of this effort is examined in this study; the support of the Scottish Government towards these efforts seems to be important; it should be updated, though, in order to meet the needs of these firms in the terms of sustainability. It is proved that private bus operators across Scotland have made significant efforts in order to promote sustainability their firm’s daily activities; however, often the principles of sustainability are not fully applied; measures need to be taken in order for sustainability to become an actual part of bus industry in Scotland. Sustainability is a concept widely developed internationally; the increase of this concept’s power is mainly related to the deterioration of environmental conditions globally; sustainability can help to the limitation of the effects of human activities on the environment. However, the above target can be achieved only if the principles and the mission of sustainability are clearly understood by the initiators of the relevant projects. The needs of sustainability can be identified in the definition of Hakkinen (1997, 138): ‘the ecological criteria for sustainable development are the preservation of biodiversity and adaption of human activities to the natural resources and tolerance of nature’. The aspects of sustainability explored in this paper are related with a specific industry, the bus industry; therefore, it is in this context that sustainable policies in Scotland will be evaluated and criticized. Bus is an essential means of transport in Scotland; because of its importance for the