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A Rumor of War
Phillp Caputo's memoir A Rumor of War documents the transformation in his views about the conflict in Vietnam. Caputo enthusiastically joined the army for idealistic-if not naively idealistic-reasons, however his experiences dealing with the army bureaucracy and fighting the Viet Cong left him largely disillusioned about the conflict and the nature of war in general.
As a young man, Caputo longed to escape his quotidian life in the Chicago suburbs. He describes:
I wanted to find in a commonplace world a chance to live heroically. Having known nothing but security, comfort, and peace, I hungered for danger, challenges, and violence (5).
After stopping at a Marine recruiting booth, Caputo had a sudden moment of realization that fighting in a war would fulfill these desires. He joined without any persuasion by the recruiters. His enlistment had several underlying motivations: the desire to prove his masculinity, the desire to defy his parents' wishes, and the desire to serve his country, however the need to be a warrior seemed to encompass them all (6-7). Throughout the Marine's brutal training regimen, Caputo's seemingly innate yearning for conflict remained unabated. He recounts
| 850 | James Buchanan's Theory of Public Choice
James McGill Buchanan was born on October 3, 1919 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he attended local schools, earning a B.A. in 1940 from Middle Tennessee State College (Boettke and Coyne 1). He went on to earn a M.S. from the University of Tennessee and after serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II, earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago in 1948. He spent most of his career as a university teacher and is widely recognized for having established the Center for the Study of Public Choice, first, at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and later at George Mason University (Boettke and Coyne 1).
Buchanan described himself as a libertarian socialist who converted to classical liberalism after having been influenced by the price theory espoused by Frank Knight while he studied under Knight at the University of Chicago. It was there that he also encountered Knut Wicksell's principle of just taxation and embarked on a lifelong project of integrating these intellectual influences into his won theory of Public Choice (Buchanan 1). Buchanan credited Knight with providing him with a basic economic theory framework while arguing that Wicksell helped him to learn that "politics needs to be understood in an exchange fra
| 1157 | Richard Lugar's Cuba Letter: Summary and Thoughts
In his letter of transmittal and accompanying report outlining the changes in U.S.-Cuba foreign policy, Richard Lugar states that Carl Meacham took a trip to Cuba to evaluate the U.S.'s policy toward Cuba. Meacham met with a variety of officials and wrote the report, and Lugar's letter introduces it by saying that the U.S.'s policy of using economic sanctions is a legitimate foreign policy tool. The letter admits that the 47-year unilateral embargo on Cuba has not achieved its purpose of "bringing democracy to the Cuban people," and Meacham's report offers recommendations on how U.S. interests in Cuba can be addressed better.
Meacham's report discusses
| 456 | W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X: Careers and Comparison of Their Ideologies, Methods and Public Reactions
Throughout American history, the Civil Rights movement has been graced with a variety of visionary leaders. Not surprisingly, each leader possessed different perspectives on the philosophical basis of the movement as well as the methods the movement should employ to overcome them. As a result, each leader met with varying reactions from their contemporaries and the American public at large. Understanding the different styles of and responses to each leader represents a crucial step in framing the Civil Rights movement in a historical perspective. This essay will examine the respective careers of W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X and compare their ideologies, methods, and public reactions.
W.E.B. DuBois
African-American historical scholar Elliot Rudwick describes W.E.B. DuBois as a "propagandist" (Franklin and Meier 63). Indeed, DuBois described himself as a "master of propaganda" in his own writing (Franklin and Meier 63). Rudwick and DuBois employ the term's original definition, which does not have the negative connotation of an individual attempting to sway opinion against a just cause. DuBois' use of propaganda served to "employ symbols to influence the feelings and behavior of an au
| 1507 | Medieval Women
In her book, "Medieval Myths", Norma L. Goodrich provides a contemporary re-telling of several medieval myths, including Beowulf, The Song of Roland, and The Cid. As implied by her introduction, Goodrich places emphasis upon a historical reading of each of these texts and attempts to trace back the origins of various European national ideals by examining the thematic concerns of medieval mythology and their influence upon modern culture. Assuming that medieval mythology has a transformative influence upon the modern psyche, an exploration of the role of the medieval woman and how it did or did not change over the span of several centuries of European history becomes an interesting area of analysis. Although collectively these stories provide textual evidence of an emerging public presence of women, unfortunately all female characters are subjected to a rigid patriarchal system that afforded them limited mobility.
In the introduction of her contemporary telling of Beowulf , Goodrich tells us that the myth reflects early Germanic notions of manhood (16). If the virility of a character such as Beowulf can help us to understand masculinity in an early European context, what is to be said of the muted portrayal of Queen Weal
| 1221 | Linguistic Psychology
The connection between psychology and language was first explored most explicitly by Noam Chomsky. Chomsky was a pioneer in the field of psycholinguistics who asserted that people have a "universal innate ability" to understand language ("Noam Chomsky," 2001). He named this concept "language acquisition device," or LAD ("Noam Chomsky," 2001). His view was that we have an inherent ability to recognize "underlying syntactical relationships" within a sentence ("Noam Chomsky," 2001). He demonstrated this by showing that children could understand a sentence whether it was in declarative, interrogative, or some other form ("Noam Chomsky," 2001).
We express ourselves through language by choosing words that signify the thoughts we wish to convey. In doing so, we are limited by the richness of the particular language we are using. For example, English is notorious for offering few choices, while Greek offers many variations of meaning. In English, there is only one basic word for "love," while Greek has at least five.
Williams Syndrome is a genetic disorder that creates mental retardation or learning difficulties along with physical and physiological abnormalities ("NINDS Williams Syndrome Information
| 854 | Literary Criticism
John Gay never seemed to have achieved much in life, other than The Beggars Opera. This work is usually overshadowed by other more impressive works of fiction and theatre in Britain during the first half of the Eighteenth Century. Times were difficult and the gulf between the rich- the aristocratic- and the poor, just as the Industrial Revolution would soon poke its head through the London fogs. There was time for something that was both a comedy as well as a satire and, yet, in many ways, a tragedy as well. Added to the fact that Gay composed and improvised music to enhance his story of Macheath, Jenny and other characters that, had they been real and on the streets, would surely have frightened the wealthy who came to see the show.
What was fairly novel was the incorporation of music into the continuum of the story line, which, in truth, could be considered more a patchwork than a solid beginning, middle and end of a routine theatrical play. Yet, the fact that there was political satire and a comedy of manners as well as music all rolled up into one ante-0dated the eventual success of Sheridan and, much late
| 761 | Averages - Central Tendency
Measures of central tendency used to describe the average income of people across the United States have both strengths and weaknesses. On the plus side, they provide a good general idea of incomes in a particular geographical area. This can be useful for making generalizations for decision-making purposes. For example, knowing that the mean income in the area is $25,000 immediately identifies that it is a relatively low-income area. However, on
| 308 | Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: Tests His Ability to Hide His Feelings
In Chinua Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart, he recounts the story of Okonkwo, an African villager whose primary goal in life is to outshine his father. Okonkwo's father, Unoka, is known in the village as being lazy and unaccomplished, and Okonkwo endeavors to distance himself from his father and his lackluster life by becoming an achiever. Unoka constantly borrows money but never pays it back, so Okonkwo prides himself on his wealth but also on his courage and strength. In a display of what Americans might call "macho pride," Okonkwo hides his true feelings all the time and shows only a brusque demeanor that he thinks demonstrates real masculinity.
A key event in the novel tests his ability to hide his feelings effectively. He has been chosen to ac
| 522 | Meryl Streep Biography
Meryl Streep, the actress with the most Oscar nominations in history, is a compelling case study. Her on-screen prowess is considerable; her ability to elicit emotional responses from the audience is uncanny. But her influence on American culture renders her star power worthy of even keener analysis. This paper will examine how the various persona Streep has assumed have both represented the concerns of vast swaths of American society and in turn shaped new concerns for them, especially in the realm of womens issues.
Streep's protean career has allowed her to form a varied and salient relationship to American culture by taking on roles that reflect the issues of the day. She excels in adaptability, often taking on roles that have defined the way Americans viewed the zeitgeist of the times. Streep was iconic playing a woman fighting for her right for custody of her son in Kramer v. Kramer at a time when women's rights were at the forefront of the culture war debates.
In discussing how Streep's performances galvanized the nation into caring about the often ignored plight of females, Rachel Abramowitz writes, "In the early part of
| 770 | School Safety Survey: Bullying
Survey research is applied to collect data, the analysis of which will facilitate the understanding of a problem, an issue, or an activity. In order for survey research to accomplish these goals, the data collected through the administration of the survey instrument must be valid and reliable (Babbie, 2003). One factor that is of overriding importance in the development and in the administration of a survey instrument is the need to assure that the people to whom the survey instrument is administered are capable of providing the information that is required (Leibowitz, 2009).
When the issue is school safety, a number of factors must be considered in the development of an appropriate survey instrument. If, as example, the focus is on the identification of deficiencies in facility structure or the
| 549 | On Liberty - John Stuart Mills
In On Liberty, John Stuart Mills sets out the utilitarian proposition that societies should grant individuals certain freedoms of action. To the extent that these freedoms do not hurt others or the society at large, Mill believes that people of sound mind and who are adults should be granted the right to make their own decisions.
In the case of a patient in need of a heart transplant (Mr. Doe) who wishes to pay a willing healthy man (Mr. Donor) to donate his heart, so that Mr. Doe may live, the ideas of Mill can be evaluated in a hypothetical scenario. Mr. Donor is assumed to be of sound mind and he is not a child who should be watched over. His decision to donate his heart and thus die in the process is made for a rational cause: he believes that in doing so, he will be able to support his family. Is this decision grounds for a doctor or governing body to step in and prevent Mr. Donor from going through with the exchange?
To many,
| 637 | Askia Muhammad - Iranian Ruler
One of the greatest rulers in Iranian history prior to 1500 was Askia Muhammad. Askia Muhammad was a devout Muslim who gained rule by driving Sunni Ali's son from power and replacing him (Beck 417). Ruling for 37 years, Askia Muhammad brought organizational structure to the Songhai Empire's government and promoted scholarly studies (Beck 417). His many enhancements to the Empire's civilization might have resulted in a strikingly different outcome for modern-day Africa had his rule not climaxed in military defeat in 1591 at the hands of Moroccan fighting forces. This paper will examine the changes made by Askia Muhammad in the Songhai Empire and explain why his military defeat in 1591 cost the African people the civilized society, and ultimately the prosperity, that they would have enjoyed had he been able to continue in rule and develop a lasting, civilized African society.
Askia Muhammad brought improved government structure and administration and higher learning to the Songhai Empire that-had they continued-would have made of Africa a civilized nation that could have competed successfully with other developed nations of its time. Building upon Sunni Ali's centralized government, he established an efficient tax
| 1323 | A Modest Proposal
In "A Modest Proposal," British satirist Jonathan Swift (1729, p. 2) argued that the problem of famine and starvation in Ireland could be solved by making excess children under the age of two available as a food source, thus preventing "those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent among us!" Additionally, given that Swift (1729)
| 268 | American Auto Companies' Future
Introduction
The American automotive industry was a cornerstone of the American economy for much of the twentieth century. The automobile transformed the United States not only in terms of the personal freedom that it introduced through affordable personal transportation, but also in the quality of life that it made possible for the millions of workers employed directly and indirectly by the industry. Labor unions, management theories, retirement planning, and home ownership were all greatly influenced by the growth of the American automobile industry, and the influence expanded around the world. Today, America's three largest automobile manufacturers are facing financial challenges that could lead to bankruptcy, a situation that was unimaginable in the middle of the twentieth century. This research considers some of the problems that have landed the companies in this situation and evaluates some of the alternatives that could help save the industry.
The Quality Gap-Real and Perceived
American car manufacturers suffer from a quality gap with European and Japanese automakers, especially with Japanese cars that tend to be price competitive with American vehicles. In its annual car issue, Consume
| 2416 | Police and Crime: Analysis of Intelligence-Led Problem-Oriented Policing Strategies in Reducing Crime and Disorder
Introduction
Law is widely recognized as a function of the society that creates it and is only as good or bad as those who make it, enforce it, and administer it. Law and law enforcement activities reflect the values of lawmakers and the dominant political and economic forces in a society (Calvi and Coleman 332). The law enforcement or police function is itself an outgrowth of the basic values, norms, and mores that shape a society and its definition of what constitutes criminality and deviance. Policing is often a controversial issue and function that has been subjected over time to enormous scrutiny with many interest groups charging that police strategies for crime control and reduction disproportionately affect minority or other groups in society (Maguire 317).
At issue in this analysis is an overview of problem-oriented policing strategies which can be successful in reducing crime. This essay will explore intelligence-led problem-oriented policing strategies, arguing that such strategies not only are effective in reducing crime and disorder, but also in fostering greater transparency and accountability in terms of policing itself.
Discussion: Problem-Oriented Policing
Calvi and Coleman (333-334) note that
| 1836 | Iraq War Veterans Treatment and Returning Home
Veterans of the war in Iraq are being treated better upon their return to the United States than veterans of the Vietnam War primarily because of the attitude of Americans toward the respective wars and the information available about the troops.
Currently more than sixty percent of Americans oppose the war in Iraq (PolingReport.com 1). By contrast, in 1971, only twenty-eight percent of people thought the Vietnam War was not a mistake (Gallup, The Gallup Poll 299). Thus, a significantly larger segment of society opposed the Vietnam War. In addition, opposition was more organized into protests and demonstrations and permeated the subculture movement in its music and attitudes. So powerful was this societal movement that some even credit it with contributing to the nation's failure in the war. According to two political scientists, the reasons for the United States' failure were "primarily socio-political, first and foremost the fundamental lack of legitimacy of the superpowers' objectives in the war ... among the superpowers' citizens and allies and in the world community at large" (Ar
| 738 | Sacks and Darwin on the Universe
Introduction
The process of natural selection as advanced by Charles Darwin and the concept of evolution as defined by Oliver Sacks have something foundational in common; both are admittedly theories, not intended to be scientific fact but to stimulate scientific thought and research. Other than this broad similarity, however, the two articles are not readily comparable, given that Sacks' article discusses the origin of life, which would have been comparable to another of Darwin's works, "Origin of Species," while Darwin's article talks about natural selection. Both authors attempt to connect the dots and fill in the gaps in scientific knowledge, in Sacks' case regarding life on other planets and in Darwin's case in terms of how species adapt to their environment. Sacks' article has more of a cosmic focus, while Darwin's has a particular focus on certain species. Neither author claims to have all the answers of the universe and both readily admit that there is room for speculation, but each has theories that he is testing and some strong opinions that he expects to find further supporting evidence for.
What can be compared, however, are the authors' attempts to identify the implications of their obse
| 1182 | Gatsby and Hamlet Distinctions
One
The references to poison at work in Denmark are significant to Hamlet. Prince Hamlet is of the younger generation but must "set it right" in a world of corruption among the older generation (Shakespeare I.v.38). His father, the former King, was killed by his uncle Claudius, the new King. His mother quickly married her dead husband's brother. Polonius is corrupt to win the favor of Claudius. In this way, a poisonous atmosphere pervades Denmark and the Court. Everything is wrong in Denmark. A usurper of the throne is poisoning the entire kingdom, as Claudius works his wiles to maintain power and the throne. Hamlet recognizes this and also shows that Denmark is a distinct place because poisonous things occur there as business as usual. As Hamlet says of Claudius, "O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! / My tables,--meet it is I set it down, / That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain; / At least I'm sure it may be so in Denmark" (Shakespeare I.v.113-116). In this way, Hamlet is aware of the poison that runs through Denmark, from the top down. Ironically, the ending of the play will end in a slaughter due to poison killing Laertes, Claudius, Gertrude, and Hamlet. There could be no more overt sta
| 979 | Airplane Industry Duopoly
Boeing's market structure is a duopoly. This is a market structure in which there are two equally dominant firms that produce or sell the same product ("Competition in Markets," n.d.). A duopoly is a specific type of oligopoly in which a small number of sellers-oligopolists-dominate a particular market or industry (BlurtIt, 2008). In Boeing's case, the equally dominant firm that it competes with in the global aircraft market is Airbus ("Competition in Markets," n.d.). A duopoly is similar to a monopoly except that two equal firms monopolize the market instead of just one all-encompassing firm (Lotterman, 2005). The difficulty of a duopoly is that when either of the two firms makes a decision, it has to consider how the other competitor is going to react (Lotterman, 2005). In the Boeing-Airbus duopoly, "U.S.-based Boein
| 561 | Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
At the same time the U.S. maintains it has a humanitarian duty to militarily intervene in other nations such as Serbia and Darfur to prevent ethnic cleansing, Britain engaged in its own form of ethnic cleansing of thousands of Indian Ocean Islanders from Diego Garcia, one of 64 coral islands of the Chagos Archipelago. No moral justification was given for the removal of these islanders. Instead, Britain cooperated with America to "sweep" and "sanitize" the islands to make it suitable for building an American military base (Pilger 1). A British High Court ruling criticized the behavior of previous British governments, opening a route for the islanders to return to Diego Garcia. However, the Foreign Officer circumvented the ru
| 497 | Logic and Fallacy: Affirming the Consequent and Analogy
Affirming the Consequent
The affirming the consequent fallacy represents an invalid form of the conditional argument. The conditional argument begins with an "if-then" statement i.e.) "If LeBron James stays healthy, then the Cavs will win the championship." These statements have two parts: the antecedent or "if" clause and the consequent or "then" clause. A valid conditional argument takes one of two forms. The first form-affirming the antecedent or modus ponens-occurs when the truth of the antecedent is used to conclude the truth of the consequent. In this case, "If LeBron James stays healthy, then the Cavs will win the championship. LeBron stays healthy. QED: The Ca
| 461 | Adolescents with Disabilities: Article Review, Gender Matters in Transition to Adulthood
Article review - Gender matters in transition to adulthood: A survey study of adolescents with disabilities and their families
Introduction
A review of a survey study is provided in this paper. The survey study is reported in the journal article, "Gender Matters in Transition to Adulthood: A Survey Study of Adolescents with Disabilities and Their Families" (Powers, Hogansen, Geenen, Powers, & Gil-Kashiwabara, 2008). The review of the article is presented in several related discussions.
The first discussion considers the purpose of the survey study that is reported in the article. This discussion also reviews the relevant background information concerning the nature of the study. The second discussion is a review of the population and the sampling procedure applied by the researchers. The third discussion is a review of the data collection procedures that were followed by the researchers. The fourth discussion is a review of the data analysis procedures that were used by the researchers. The fifth discussion includes a review of the study findings. This discussion also includes an overall critique of the study.
Purpose of the Study and Background Information
In this discussion, the p
| 1179 | Wave Power
I'm standing on the grayish-white sands of Malibu Beach in Southern California, watching autumn waves crash upon the wet tide-line. It's early morning and a damp mist hangs over the blue-grey waves. The sun has come up, but the world is solemn on this overcast day. I sniff the salt-brine air and gaze out to sea where a few sailboats straddle the sharp line between the water and sky.
Suddenly, I feel my heart jump. I've just spotted a pod of dolphins two hundred yards off the coast. A dozen slick gray bodies effortlessly arc in and out of the water. I can almost hear them crashing into the foamy waves. They remind me of a procession of dancers leaping across a stage. It's like a scene out of some Discovery Channel nature show, only this is real. For a inland-born person like me, seeing live dolphins in their natural habitat for the first time is thrilling. On this somber morning, I feel happy to be alive. In a few minutes the dolphins exit, stage right, and I'm left listening to the waves and the squawks of seagulls calling to each other on the morning breeze.
This is the world of the ancient waters. For hundreds of millions of years the ocean has followed a strict imperative. It is continuously pulled and pushed by
| 1285 | Dark Humor in "Little Miss Sunshine"
Upon Little Miss Sunshine's release, critics immediately billed the film as a comedic triumph. A Newsweek review trumpeted that "there's been no more satisfying American comedy this year," while the San Francisco Chronicle averred that the film "dropped from celluloid heaven." Audiences agreed. The film won two Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor and received nominations for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress. Despite the brightly innocuous title, the movie contained a great deal of darkness. The success of the film represented a new level of recognition for the dark comedy, the conceptual cousin of the horror film. In this light, Little Miss Sunshine bears examination in the context of the genres of dark comedies and horror movies. The similarities between the two genres and the ways in which Little Miss Sunshine follows and deviates from their conventions bear examination.
Critic Wes D. Gehring comments that "black humor was once considered a form of 'sick comedy' on the fringe," but as standards have changed, "the genre has become more representative of the modern world." Horror movies have largely followed the same trend-violence and concepts once decried as sick have bec
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