King Charles and the Power Struggles after the Battle of Edgehill

England- being the site of industrial revolution and subjected to several wars can be considered as more developed economically and politically. Alongside with these developments, people in England had established the Parliament as a response to the growing need of the people for an organized society apart from the ruling of the monarchy at the time. However, the decline in the power of the monarchy including that of King Charles and the rise in the power of the parliament were not without struggles.The Battle of Edgehill characterized the classic battle for power between the Parliament and the monarchy (King Charles) in their bid to show who has the most political power in England. Characteristically, the Battle of Edgehill is a power struggle between the Parliament or democracy and King Charles and the monarchy. At the time when there is an increasing acceptance and power accorded to the Parliament, the question has been raised on who can appropriate and approve funds- the King or the Parliament.This being the root cause of the Battle of Edgehill and the four (4) years that followed after an indecisive outcome of the war had been studied from the point of view of political scientists and sociologists. This paper on the other hand, seeks to provide an evaluation on the significance of the Battle of Edgehill on the power struggles of King Charles and the Parliament after the years that followed. It can be recalled that while the way was opened for King Charles' troops, no victor emerged in the war.The vagueness of the result then further pushed the power struggle and hence, put England at the theme of monarchy vs Parliament. Power Struggle: King Charles vs. The Parliament and the Battle of Edgehill The triggering factor in the Battle of Edgehill has been the conflict on who would determine the kind of rule that England would be governed with. According to the side of the Parliaments, it is they who should decide on this matter as they have the mandate of the pe ople. On the other hand, the monarchy under King Charles claimed that it is the monarchy with the divine provision who should rule England on their discretion.An important element in this disagreement is the discernment on who should appropriate funds and how to allocate them. For King Charles, the monarchy has the sole authority to use funds on their discretion; on the other hand, the parliament asserts that they have the right to deny and appropriate funds from the crown. Hence, the inability of the two opposing forces to reach an agreement precluded the Battle of Edgehill and the English Civil War. Prior to the start of the war, both sides had acknowledged and prepared for the inevitability of war.King Charles took charge of the Royal Army with about 13,000 forces together with Prince Rupert of Rhine whereas, the Parliament headed by the Earl of Essex commanded about 14,000-15,000 military men. Before the war broke, England has been divided into areas that support the Parliament and the monarchy. For instance, Wales had been considered to be the territory of King Charles whereas Parliament has control of Essex and the Midlands. The predictability of the war made the two opposing sides prepare for it. On the side of King Charles, he handed out the Commissions of Array compelling the Lords of each county to prepare the royal army.On the other hand, the Parliament signed the Militia Ordinance in order to command England's trained military personnel. The process of accumulating all the needed armed men took a few months on both sides as it was not easy to assimilate the troops necessary for battle. After Charles secured the necessary weaponry for war, he moved to Shrewsbury in order to meet up with the troops coming from Wales. On the other hand, the Earl of Essex with directives coming from the Parliament assimilated a slightly large troop in Northampton and then went to Worcester.Prior to the Battle of Edgehill, the strength of each force was tested in the Ba ttle of Powick Bridge where the Royal Army defeated the Parliament army. En route to its success, King Charles planned to march towards the center of power in England- London in order to seize power and defeat the Parliament Army. En route to London, both troops were unaware as to the location of their enemies. On their way to London, the Royal Army of King Charles had an encounter with the Parliament Army at Banbury who then sought help from the Warwick Castle. By the evening of October 22, the Parliament Army went to rescue its troops in Kineton.In October 23, 1642 by the orders of King Charles, the Royal Army trooped to Edgehill because of the threat of the Parliament Army. From there, the battle of Edgehill occurred. Scholars assert that the Royal Army was more trained, young and were predominantly gentlemen whereas the Parliament Army were experienced but are older and with less armory than the enemy(Evans, 2005). While the Royal Army was in place of the battle earlier than the Parliament Army, the Royal Army members are largely more inexperienced and when it came to foot battle, the Parliament army had the upper hand.However, due to the tactical and strategy of scattering the Royal Army, the Essex or the Parliament Army succumbed and they withdrew from the battle. Both sides stayed and camped on Edgehill for the night. What is surprising about the battle is that King Charles had not expected that the battle would have so many casualties not only on their side but also on the other camp. The unwillingness of both sides to resume battle had made some scholars declare the battle to be a draw while others assert that it was the Royal Army under King Charles who won the fight.However, King Charles was unable to patronize and seize the victory and improve his power position. Hence, the power struggle between the monarchy and the parliament went on for years. Analysis Inordinately, the Battle of Edgehill signalled the six year war that constituted the English C ivil Wars from 1642-1648. However, it should be noted that the Battle of Edgehill was not a one-time spontaneous battle but a series of disagreements between the Parliament and the monarchy on who should rule England. Hence, the lack of resolution of the battle had pushed for more wars.Consequently, it is not only the war that made the post Battle of Edgehill continues but rather the political power struggle that constituted after it had pushed for more wars in order to find resolution. Hence, the Battle of Edgehill had exposed more issues to be confronted leading for more civil wars in England. First, the power struggle between King Charles and the monarchy versus the Parliament and Oliver Cromwell (leader of the Parliamentary Army) stems from the very nature of the legitimacy of their rule. The question posited is that â€Å"who should rule England, the monarchy or the Parliament?â€Å". The long dominance of the monarchy in England ended in the Industrial Revolution when the Pa rliament was formed in response to the growing need of the people to be represented and reform the political and economic policies in the society. Add to this, the growing discontent on the rule of the monarchy and its inability to solve poverty and unemployment issues were still prevalent in the English Civil War. This was one of the primary issues why despite the century long rule of the monarchy, several states in England had supported the Parliament in their bid to out rule King Charles.On the other hand, counties such as Wales were still loyal to the monarchy and supported King Charles. Hence, the question remained after the Battle of Edgehill. King Charles whose power emanates from the Divine Rights of Kings and hence, its primary supporters were the Catholic Church and the Pope. From this power, Parliament seeking to end his arbitrary practices and refuse to be given the financial resources had a temporary agreement until King Charles dissolved Parliament in 1629 in order to pursue his goals of religious orthodoxy- Catholicism for all of the people of England.The end of the Battle of Edgehill did not end this power struggle. For instance, King Charles after the battle continued to dominate the west, southwest and north parts of England whereas the Parliament had Eas Anglia, Southeast and London as its territory. The division of the people and the question of who should rule them are therefore still prevalent after the Battle of Edgehill. Second, King Charles and the Parliament continued to rally people to support their sides even after the battle. Parliament retained the support of the army despite the seeming victory of King Charles in the post Battle of Edgehill era.Hence, lacking the necessary resources to put up his own army, King Charles was in shambles particularly because Parliament was preparing for another civil war. For instance, the Parliament allied themselves with the Scottish Presbyterian in 1643, giving the Parliament the upper hand in te rms of army and military power. Consequently, with the institution of the New Model Army, training that was lacking among the Parliamentary Army in the Battle of Edgehill was instituted in order to strengthen the Parliament troops.Thus, the struggle of power continued with King Charles and the Parliament. Third, King Charles continued to struggle with the Parliament by aligning the monarchy with Scottish Army. By this time, King Charles still considers the monarchy as the stable force that counters the instability of the parliamentary. Consequently, King Charles saw the opportunity to gain back the power when the Parliament was divided by differences between Presbyterians and the Independents. However, the war waged by Charles against the Parliament failed with the victory of Cromwell in Preston by 1648.Finally, the power struggle was ended by the Parliament when it sentenced King Charles to death in 1649 by beheading him in the Banqueting House in Whitehall, London. The decision by the Parliament rested on the premise that King Charles still holds power over some of the population in England and hence, it cannot effectively establish its power if he is still alive. However, the aspirations of the Parliament to end the Civil War by ending the life of King Charles did not succeed (Dix, 1992). England will go on for more wars concerning the power struggle between the monarchy and the Parliament.Each of these entities asserts that they are the ones who are representing the stability of England by enforcing the constitutional and social rules. Additionally, the legacy that was left by King Charles was carried on by supporters of monarchy. On the other hand, the struggle for power by the Parliament continues. King Charles death marked the beginning of another round of struggle. For the period surrounding the trial, the most powerful theme is the exaltation of form over substance: The army and its Puritan allies believed they could not execute Charles without appear ing to follow acceptable legal procedure (Roberts and Tincey, 2001).The very idea of trying a king must have appalled English citizens. They were contemplating impeaching not just the constitutional head of government, but also a hereditary monarch, who, some believed, could heal with his touch. The Cromwellians tried to overcome objections by disposing of the King through the formal legal process of a trial. After Cromwell's death, the power of the Parliament was weakened and the restoration of the monarchy was underway. However, problems concerning the emancipation of the Catholics as well as the Catholic succession had the Parliament's disapproval again.Hence, after James II fled, the Parliament seeking to reinstate the monarchy, declared William and Mary the King and Queen. From thereon, the Declaration of Rights that changed the power of the monarchy up to this day was declared. This change resulted to the delegation of power to the monarchy as merely symbolic in nature. This i mplies that legislative power and matters of the state would be the sole domain of the Parliament while the monarchy which once held power indiscriminately was relegated to the sidelines and became the head of state- a symbolic position that is relevant to the history of England.Conclusion History reveals that conflict between the political concepts of monarchy and Parliamentarism or of a Republic is fairly common. This is true in the case of King Charles and the Parliament in the Battle of Edgehill. Prior to the Battle of Edgehill, King Charles had been exposed to several power struggles that led him to the abolition of the Parliament. These acts were deemed to be indiscriminate particularly when he increased the taxes of the people and entered into wars that England has no use of.Hence, the rise in power of the Parliament was a direct result of the actions of Charles. After the Battle of Edgehill, the series of English Civil Wars follows. The same theme ensued: who holds the power to rule England? The answer was not resolved in the Battle of Edgewood and the years later would result to more casualties and wars and power struggles between the monarchy and the Parliament. However, the tactical alliance made by the Parliament secured its power over King Charles who succumbed to the Parliament.The inability of King Charles and the Parliament to enter into a common ground has historically scarred the country- but this can be considered as a necessary struggle in order to define and redefine what England is now. First, the power struggle marked the decline of the monarchy and the Divine Power of Kings and the rise of republics ruled by the people and for the people. Second, the insistence of King Charles of religious orthodoxy was unwarranted and gained him more enemies than supporters. Third, it made leaders accountable for their actions.While King Charles rested on his Divine Power, the people at the time were increasingly aware of their own power as well. The i nability of the King to address poverty and unemployment decreased their legitimacy and claim to power. Fourth, the Parliament together with Enlightenment was able to educate and introduce the people to the concepts of freedom, democracy and rule of the people. While both parties had struggled for power, their goal was the same: to uphold England. However, the means by which they have accomplished this was a result of years of power struggles of which lives were sacrificed.However, the resolution via the separation of monarchy as symbolic in nature (head of state) and the Parliament who would run the government was the good result of this political struggle. References Dix, P. (1992) The Ghosts of Edgehill, Leamington Spa, Peter Dix Press. Evans, R. (2005) The ‘Loyal Unknown Soldier': Wales and the English Civil War Robin Evans Assesses the Contribution of the Welsh to the Troubles of 1642-49. History Review. 53(1): 23-29. Roberts, K and Tincey, J. (2001) Edgehill 1642 : first battle of the English Civil War, Oxford : Osprey Military.

History of Psychology Essay

Modern psychology is a science that it continually being researched and added to. Psychology predates the 19th century and includes roots into early philosophy. Looking closely one can identify philosophers that related to the beginnings of psychology, identify major philosophers that historically relate to the beginnings psychology as a formal discipline and how the development of the science of psychology changed during the 19th century. A philosopher that could easily be called the father of modern psychology would be: Rene Descartes. Descartes was a philosopher in the 17th century that stepped outside the limits and wanted to know more. Descartes came up with 4 basic rules to arrive at the truth of whatever he was researching. These rules were basically to think clearly, logically and without bias (Goodwin, 2008). Descartes had several derived ideas and was considered a nativist and a rationalist. These ideas that he created foreshadowed one of psychology’s major topics of nature versed nurture. Descartes also fought that there was a difference between a person’s mind and body; and this difference separated us from animals. Before Descartes died he published his last of many books called: The Passions of the Soul. This book established him as a psychologist and a physiologist (Goodwin, 2008). This book emphasized on human emotions and continued on with a discussion about mind and body distinctions. He Clarified the body is a machine and responds to curtain motions, such as fear, that trigger reflexes. Descartes also determined that the pineal glad in the brain was the gland that sent messages from the mind/spirit to the body. Descartes died at just before his 54th birthday in 1650. There were several philosophers that historically relate to the beginnings psychology as a formal discipline. John Locke, George Berkeley, David Hume and John Stuart Mill are just a few to mention. Each philosopher contributed an aspect to psychology that led to its formal discipline. John Locke refused to believe in an innate mind and believed that mind is created by experiences and was not pre programmed. He stated believed that the ideas that come from our minds are due to ones sensations and reflections from experiences (Goodwin, 2008). George Berkeley added an analysis of visual perception. He disagreed with Locke’s theory of primary and secondary distinctions, but stated that our belief in God gave us a type of reality. David Hume is known for his study of impressions. This study helped research sensations and ideas the thought were due to impressions. Hume also identified the rules of association as resemblance, contiguity and cause/effect (Goodwin, 2008). There are a couple of reasons that psychology changed dramatically in the 19th century. John Stuart Mill was a big part of that change. Even though John Stuart Mill was a very young philosopher, he studied the logic of science and analyzed several methods on how to get a scientific truth. For example, Mill would look in to different genes that could produce depression. Every depressed person that he would look at would have this gene; however that did not mean that if you had the gene that you automatically had depression. In modern times we call his methods the experimental method and the correlation method. These types of methods are use today in the field of psychology. Philosophers are a big part of the modern world of psychology. They helped introduce methods that are still used today and added science to the study. Without philosophers we may still believe that the mind and body are one and that genes create thoughts and ideas and not experiences. We would not understand how visual and sensations react and create thoughts and different experiences. Philosopher Hermann Ebbinghaus once said that â€Å"Psychology has a long past, yet its real history is short† (Goodwin, 2008). This statement represents the fact that psychology is only 100 years old, but can be predated back from the time humans started asking questions. References Goodwin, C. J. (2008). A History of Modern Psychology (3rd ed. ).

Friends Definition Essay Essay

The word friend is a very familiar word among people. Some people take friends as being an advantage or others may take it as being a disadvantage. Most friendships start off on the right path, but some can end up for the worst. This leads to a friendship heading down a path of destruction. Three main reasons why two people cease being friends are losing interests in common, jealousy, and having negative influences. The first reason why two people may cease being friends is losing interests in common. Having interests between two friends can maintain a friendship. When they cease having similar interests, their friendship breaks apart. Losing interests between the two friends can cause them to quit speaking to each other then causes the bond of communication to break down between friends. Also, not sharing the same values and beliefs can cause a friendship to come apart. The second reason why two people stop being friends is jealousy. One may be jealous of the special treatment that the other friend receives. From the outside looking in, one friend may always seem to get their way, which may cause jealousy between the two. Another situation may involve one of the friends getting more attention than the other, which may cause the other friend to less important than what they already are. Also, for each friend not to be or act like themself can cause problems as well. Imitating a friend in the way that they may act or speak can cause major issues because the other friend may feel like they need to be just like their friend in order to have attention instead of just being themselves. The use of rude comments can come into play too because using derogatory words can put another friend down and lower their self-esteem. This can cause the two friends to stray away from each other. The last reason why two people cease being friends is being bad influences on each other. Not being a role model for a friend can definitely play a major part for two friends to cease their friendship. For example, using foul language and staying in trouble with the law all the time can be reasons why a friend may call off a friendship. Also, their friend may lead him or her down the wrong path. Introducing the friends to drugs and alcohol can make their friendship be a negative influence.

Anti-Social Behaviour Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Anti-Social Behaviour - Literature review Example Furthermore, there have been reports of increased problems and incidences associated with anti-social behaviour which has risen substantially over the years. It is on account of this reason that there has been a sea change in the management of housing and accommodation, with the result that the residents are now increasingly demanding a better say in the decisions especially in the areas which have a direct and/or indirect impact on their way of lives and are now demanding greater representation and participation in the local authority’s decision making process. Their overall expectations with regard to public safety have also increased greatly due to the perceived threats to their quality of life, on account of increased incidences of anti-social behaviour. The changes in the external environment has further led to a sea change in the management practices adopted and implemented by the local authorities and other public sector departments involved in provision of services within housing and accommodation sector. There have been various policies implemented at the national, state as well as local levels to ensure public safety in residential areas, thus indicating wide spread reforms brought about by the administration to enable the local, state as well as national authorities and governing bodies to combat and address the challenges posed by the rapidly changing dynamic external environment. Although there is no clear and concise definition of the term, it has been generally defined similarly by various researchers. For the purpose of this study the term anti-social behaviour is described as follows: The term anti-social behaviour has recently assumed great significance, particularly within the management of public housing and activities associated with the same. It is now increasingly being taken into consideration while framing policies and to categorically differentiate between crimes and social disorders of civil and/or

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 24

Economics - Essay Example This capital expenditure takes time which cannot be completed in the short-run. Similarly, no existing firm can leave the industry in the short-run. The reason behind this is that whenever a firm sets up in any industry it has to incur some sunk costs. In lay man terms, sunk costs are actually setup costs. These costs are barriers that do not let the firms leave the industry in the short-run as no firm wants to leave the industry without minimizing or cashing in on some of their sunk costs. As we have already discussed, that no firm can be lured into or pushed-out of the industry in the short-run. The reasons that may tempt the other businesses entering into industry are off course profits, as discussed above. There are two types of profit that firm makes in the short run based on its costs and revenue. A firm may be making large profits or break-even in this time-scale. In economic terms break-even is known as normal profit because the calculation includes implicit or opportunity co sts, which are not actual cost and hence a firm which is breaking even is making a profit in accounting terms. Normal Profits are usually denoted by AR=AC. Similarly, apart from normal profit a firm might also be making a Supernormal profit denoted by a equation AR>AC. These profits positions can be shown in the following diagrams: In figure 1 we see the condition in which the firm is making a level of profit that is just enough to persuade the firms to stay in the industry in the short-run but not enough to attract new firms. In short-run when the firm is earning normal profits, the firm is just covering total costs. Since the TC (Total Cost Calculations) also includes implicit costs like opportunity cost of capital employed, return of capital in alternative uses etc. These are not actual costs and hence breaking even would mean that firm is earning profit which it could earning in alternative businesses and hence

Visual Re-design of an Existing Logo for a Company or Product with a Essay

Visual Re-design of an Existing Logo for a Company or Product with a Series of Visual Ideas to Support a Communications Campaign - Essay Example Logo has an important role to play because it is used to represent the organization in different marketing material, in packaging, in corporate kit including business cards, letter heads, post cards etc (Verhoef, & Leeflang 2009) and therefore a unique and attractive logo would gather the attention of the most whereas a boring and a dull logo would not be able to get the attention of people (Kumar, 2009). Today as industries have become highly competitive, every organisation needs to differentiate itself from the other firms and logo has an important role in differentiating a company with others (Pavitt, 2002). A logo is able to make the company stand out in the crowd and therefore an attractive logo could help in increasing the sales of the product particularly when consumers are buying without thinking too much (Blythe, 2008). This report analyses one of today’s leading brands of the fashion industry in the world, Christian Dior. The report examines what the logo of the comp any visually reflects and communicates to the target market. Also the report comes up after redesigning the logo of the company and recommends what the logo of the company should be. ... The company offers fashion clothing and other accessories and the main target market of the company are female particularly young females. As the company offers a lot to its target market, therefore the logo of the company should be such that it would be able to get the attention of people and reflect the target market about the offerings of the company. Logo of Christian Dior The logo of Christian Dior is just the name of the company written in Black and White. The logo of the company is has been shown in the following image: Also there is another variation in the logo of Christian Dior and the other variation is in inverted colours. The logo in inverted colours looks like the following image Visual understanding of logo It is important for the company to make sure that the logo of the company clearly reflects what the company offers to its client. A well prepared logo is able to get into the minds of the consumers and it is easily remembered by them. This is one of the reasons why many companies and entrepreneurs pay a lot of attention in designing the logo however companies that do not pay a lot of attention face consequences in the long run. The right combination of colours, image, style and overall look play an important role in the overall logo of the company and what it visually reflects to the audience (Zenker, & Martin, 2011). Therefore it is important to design the logo and to work on what the customers would perceive and understand from the logo of the company as the target market of the company would be able to recognise the brand from the logo. So, once the logo of the company is approved, the management needs to think over the logo and analyse from the perspective of a consumer what the

Annotated bibliographies for 3 journal articles Bibliography

Bibliographies for 3 journal articles - Annotated Bibliography Example Annotated bibliographies for 3 journal articles It is time that we take a look at some of the old social issues that still continue to plague us, in a completely new perspective, in order to solve the problem once and for all. This article by Castle gives us an insight into the world of ‘forced migration’ and the effects that it may have had on the social changes that we see around us today. Forced migration may arise from displacements owing to ongoing wars, environmental disasters, ‘failed states’, or, even from ‘developmental projects’, which causes displacement of many people (mainly the poor and ethnic people), and illegal trafficking of men for bonded labour, and women and child for sex exploitation. Such forced migration which had seen an upward surge after the end of the Cold War, has remarkably changed the social demographics of many countries (in the northern hemisphere) in the twentieth century. A large number of immigrating crowds have led to a complete change in the sociological conditions in those host countries. The author in the article explores the main reasons behind these sudden immigrations, which has causes such huge changes in the social demograp hics, in the northern part of the world. The article does a close review of the topic of social transformation that we are seeing today in this globalised world, and links it to the issue of forced migration, which had showed a sudden spurt after the end of Cold War in 1991, with the breakdown of the then USSR, resulting in the supreme reign of USA as the world power.

Short Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Short Story - Essay Example â€Å"The Lottery† highlights the fact that societies must adjust themselves to the need of changing times. Leaving behind the past beliefs, which have no meaning, is the only way to reform the society in a progressive manner. The central point about the story is the blinding faith in the past traditions and customs that these villagers would not like to change. This connects the story to the kind of superstitious values that the village people were following. An example of this can be traced to the fact that the lottery box has almost lived its life and become worn out, as this box is used every year for the ritual of conducting annual lottery draw in the village. However, the people of this village would not like to change the box as it has the pieces of wood taken from the earlier box, which was probably used for centuries. Although the lottery conductor, Mr. Summers raised the point of replacing this box, the people of the village would not listen to him as no body wanted to replace it. The draw of lottery had nothing to do with the age or construction of the box. Such blind beliefs are found in most of the countries. For example, people in India would not conduct an important business during certain period of the year, which is considered inauspicious. Like the tradition of celebrating the Halloween, which this village also enjoyed, worshipping the dead is not considered a good sign in India. Such traditions leave along-lasting image on the psyche of the people, who are not prepared to change the age-old beliefs. Such beliefs are worldwide. For example, the Irish village folks believe that ghosts will occupy the house, after they vacate it. Hence, they have the tradition of breaking the doors and windows of the house, before vacating it. Although such beliefs are followed blindly, no body has a logical explanation to justify them. However, people invoke stars and

Criminology 135 Canadian Low topic Khadr Case Essay

Criminology 135 Canadian Low topic Khadr Case - Essay Example When assessing such questions, the answers appear to require a balance between the safety of nations against the resultant infringement of the rights of individuals. But on which side should the balance fall, and when – if at all – is it tolerable to restrict the rights provided in the Charter? Khadr’s case, like so many others, raise these and many more questions, and bring to light the delicate yet fundamental problems faced by the detainment of suspected terrorist individuals. Canadian citizen Khadr, having been arrested on suspicion of involvement with Al-Qaeda, and murder of an American soldier was detained in Guatanamo from 2002, during which time he was a minor. He was denied access to counsel and family and was interrogated several times by both US and Canadian officials. When interviewed by the Canadian Government, it was alleged that the interviewer did not allow Khadr access to legal counsel and did not inform his of his right to silence. Further, the interviewer was aware that Khadr had been exposed to sleep deprivation prior to the interview – a practice held to be torturous and illegal. The information obtained by the interviewer was then exposed to the US Government; an action that affirmed Canada’s participation in the conduct of the US, held to be a violation of fundamental principles of justice (Prime Minister v Khadr [2010] SCC 3). Khadr claimed that his fundamental rights provided in section 7 of the Charter had been violate d – the right to life, liberty and security of person. Khadr’s rights were held to have been violated, although the Supreme Court of Canada instructed that the Government provide a remedy which was in coordination with the Charter, rather than order his release and return to Canada. Some would imagine that such a remedy would be his release, and many would be surprised to discover that the

Night of the Scorpion Essay Example for Free

Night of the Scorpion Essay In Vultures and Night of the Scorpion the description used is both vivid and horrific. The descriptions cause the reader to have mixed emotions throughout the poems; the poet changes his narrative perspective on things which in turn affects the reader; this is what makes the poems thought provoking and strange. The name Night of the Scorpion sounds like a scary monster film. This misleads the reader because this poem is not like that at all. Instead of the scorpion being evil, the poet describes the scorpions actions which lead us to feel sorry for it. Ten hours of steady rain had driven him to crawl beneath a sack of rice. The word driven suggests that the scorpion had no other choice. He is desperate to be safe and dry, so he crawls beneath a sack of rice. In this part of the poem, we dont see the scorpion as a monster as the title of the poems suggests. The sympathy for the scorpion is contrasted when the scorpion stings the mother. There is some mixed emotion in the reader; because we dont know whether the scorpion is innocent, because he needs somewhere to stay; or is he is evil as the title suggests, because he has unprovokedly stung the mother. Flash reflects the suddenness and sneakiness of the sting. His tail is described as diabolic, which means it is evil and devil like. The neighbours are quite selfish in that they see this as entertainment. The peasants came like swarms of flies. The mother obviously hated them coming to watch her suffer. The neighbours are sympathetic though and try to help the mother. Buzzed the name of God a hundred times to paralyze the Evil One. The idea of them buzzing is proving irritating to the mother, and refers to the idea of swarms of flies. The poet uses capital letters to describe Evil One. This makes the scorpion seem powerful, but in an evil way referring back to the title of the poem. The repetition of the letter P in the alliteration parting with his poison makes the reader feel the powerful and dangerous nature of the sting as the P sounds quick but agonizing. Similarly, the title of the poem Vultures makes the reader predict what the poem is about. In fact, the poem is not intended to be about vultures at all, the vultures are a metaphor for an idea that the poet wants to explore. The idea is that love can be found even in the most evil of beings. The descriptions of the vultures are harsh and frightening. His smooth bashed in head, a pebble on a stem rooted in a dump of gross feathers. Smooth bashed in head, is juxtaposition because it is impossible for something to be smooth and bashed in at the same time. A pebble on stem rooted in a dump of gross feathers, is a metaphor which is trying to giving the message that the vulture is just a thing with no important significance. Throughout the poem, the poet is giving the message of death, war and violence using very strong descriptive imagery. Yesterday they picked the eyes of a swollen corpse in a water-logged trench and ate the things in its bowel. The corpse in the trench is referring to a soldier who has died in a war trench. The alliteration in the first few lines helps set a negative tone. Drizzle of one despondent dawn. The drizzle brings the idea of rain, which refers to unhappiness. Despondent is bringing the idea of depression, despair, and hopelessness. Dawn is early in the day, meaning that nobody is around which brings the idea of loneliness. The hard accentuation of the D is ringing through these opening lines; the D is also referring to the idea of death, which this poem is revolving around. A vulture perching high on broken bone of a dead tree. The poet has personified the tree by giving it bones. Broken bones, is supporting the idea of war, where there are epic injuries and death. Sunbreak, means sunset. But the poet has used this word as a substitute to bring the idea of sadness; because even the sun which is stereotypical of being happy is sad and is breaking. There is no anticipation that this will be a happy or sunny poem and yet, unexpectedly, the vulture inclines his bashed in head to settle affectionately against his mate. The vulture is clearly not put off by the surrounding environment. This one description of love is immediately followed by more images of the repulsive and revolting as the eating habits of the birds are described vividly and stomach churningly. Both poems use unexpected changes of mood and dimension to engage the reader with the ideas of the poems. We start off feeling sympathy for the scorpion, but we are left thinking that this really is a diabolical creature. With the vultures, we feel that they represent something depressing and violent and yet we are surprised by the affection between the two birds. Both poets use descriptions of places and the activities carried out in them to develop the ideas explored in the poems. In Night of the Scorpion, the description of the activity of the neighbours makes the reader feel irritated by them, even though they are said to be there to help the mother. They are described in a way that makes them seem annoying like flies. The peasants came like swarms of flies This simile is continued, they buzz and fuss and click. The poet is trying to make the reader feel truly annoyed with them, by using strong imagery. This irritation is surprising to the reader because the neighbours are trying to help, but possibly a bit too enthusiastically. They bring equipment with them. More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours. The poet has deliberately made this into a type of list, because lists are annoying, which contrasts the neighbours. This repetition of more also helps the reader to feel that the neighbours are relentless and irritating as they try to help the bitten mother, because the help is gaining no results, so even more people is just plain annoying. The lack of sympathy from the poet can be shown in the repetition of they said.

Design and Build Procurement Method

Design and Build Procurement Method If the potential readers of this dissertation within the Middle East region are going to get a better appreciation of the Design and Build procurement method, initially they must understand the advantages and/or disadvantages of this type of procurement method from both the Clients and Contractors perspective. 4.2 Arguments for Design Build Both Ndekugri and Turner (1994) argue that the Design and Build contract is often completed in a shorter duration because of the integration of the design and construction phases of a project. From a Clients perception this is one of the most important benefits this type of arrangement has to offer. Because the design/build Contractor is both designing and constructing the proposed facility, procurement and the construction phase can begin sooner than the more traditional design/bid/ and then build type of procurement arrangement. This time savings tends to results from the project being designed in phases which enables the Contractor to begin the construction works earlier. With the traditional design/bid/ construction arrangement, the Contractor does not normally start building until the Designer has completed the design and the project has been awarded. Both Saxon (2000) and the RICS Iconsult (no date) support this argument; both agree that one of the main benefits of this Design and Build arrangement is that it tends to reduce the design and construction time because they are being done concurrently and allows the Client to start earning revenue sooner than had he elected to use the traditional procurement method. According to Ndekugri and Turner (1994) another important benefit of the DB procurement method is the broad responsibility of the design/build Contractor. In traditional construction projects, problems often occur when the Designer blames the Contractor and vice versa for problems in the operation of the facility. On occasions in traditional construction projects, protracted litigation is necessary to resolve any dispute between the Designer and Contractor when they continue to blame each other for the problems. In design/build contracts, the Design and Build Contractor is responsible for both the design and construction of the project and retains the full responsibility for the outcome of the project, except for matters for which the Client retains responsibility. The Designer and Contractor are the same entity, so blaming each other does not excuse the Design and Build Contractor. The design/build Contractor is completely responsible for both construction and design defects. The Cl ient can recover directly from the design/build Contractor for deficiencies in either design or construction of the project. Therefore, the Client need not determine initially whether a defect was caused by an error in design or construction. In a more traditional construction contract, this issue must be determined so that the Client can establish whether the design professional or the Contractor is at fault. Haskell (no date) believes that another benefit of the Design and Build arrangement is that where the design and construction personnel work together and communicate and solve problems as a team, the Client will benefit from the continuity between Designer and Contractor. In a Design and Build project the same entity has the expertise to design the project as well as the expertise to build the project. Therefore they are unlikely to suffer communication problems, and because they are working as a team, they are better able to optimize the design and better able to evaluate alternative materials and construction methods efficiently. In addition to this, the RICS Iconsult (no date) believes that because the design team and the Contractor are working together as a team, the design is more likely to be buildable. Hughes (1992) argues that Design Build offers a high degree of cost certainty, encourages economical solutions, and enables value to be considered as well as price. The RICS Iconsult (no date) agrees with Hughes, and confirm that providing that the Client does not change their design brief, the Design and Build procurement method is more cost effective and provides more cost certainty than the traditional methods of procurement. Shapiro Hankinson Knutson Law Corporation (no date) also believes that another favourable feature of this arrangement, is that the design/build Contractor is liable for any additional cost that he may incur due to errors, omissions or ambiguities in his drawings and/or specification. In traditional contracts the Client warrants the sufficiency of the specification and drawings, and the Client becomes liable to the Contactor for any increased costs because of deficiencies in the drawings and specifications. In a design/build contract, the design/build Contractor is responsible for design as well as construction. The situation minimises claims for extra payment and the design/build Contractor cannot request extra compensation on account of their own mistakes or assumptions. In some instance, the design/build concept has been taken a step further, thus providing the Client with more options and/or advantages. For example, the design/build Contractor, might offer a turnkey procurement solution, this generally means that they will offer the Client a full package which includes the testing and commissioning of the facility, as well as the training of the Clients staff in the operation of the facility. The concept is that when the facility is finished and ready for handing over, all the Client has to do is turn the key. In some instances the design/build Contractor may also include in their proposal a financing deal for the project. Alternatively the design/build Contractor may offer a BOLT type arrangement i.e. they will build the project, then they will operate the facility for a given amount of time, in consideration for this, the Client will then leases the facility for the defined term and cost, then after the expiry of the term, the ownership of the fa cility is then transferred back to the Client. Schiff Hardin LLP (ii) (no date) argues that only with design/build contracts, is the Client able to obtain performance warranties because the Designer and Contractor are not in a position to blame each other because technically they are a single entity. For example it is common for the design/build Contractor to warrant that a proposed facility when completed will yield a predetermined output (e.g. process 2000 cans of coke per hour). This requirement can then be linked to the liquidated damages clause in the event that the output falls short of the predetermined output for the facility. According to the RICS Iconsult (no date), because the Design and Build Contractor has total responsibility, there will be less claims from the Contractor for the late delivery of information, particularly design information. In most design/build contracts, the contract price is fixed price/lump sums, this gives the Client some degree of price certainty. In summary, some of the proclaimed advantage of the design/build procurement include inter alia:- (i) Clients with limited access to technical consultants or their own in-house technical departments may find such contracts attractive. Similarly it is also perceived that because the design/build Contractor is responsible for design, and construction inclusive of quality, the Client will benefit from the reduced cost of third party inspectorates and contract administration, However you could argue that this is an disadvantage to the Client, because at the end of the day, Contractors and design consultants are profit driven and this situation could lead to a compromise in the quality of the project; (ii) Because the design and construction are integrated and the personnel are working together for a common goal. They are better able to optimise the Design and Build ability of a project. They are better able to evaluate alternative materials and methods of construction. Innovation and team work should result in cost savings. This could be construed to be a disadvantage to the Client, especially if all the innovation occurs during the design development stage, because it is generally only the DB Contractor that will get to see benefits for the cost savings at this stage of a project; (iii) The design/build Contractor is a single-point and both the Designer and builder are jointly and severally liable and/or responsible; (iv) In the event of a latent defect and/or litigation by the Client, the joint financial resources of a design/build Contractor will be greater than those of the individual Designer and builder; (v) Most design/build arrangements will tend to be lump sum in nature, meaning that they will usually offer greater certainty in respect of cost to the Client; (vi) Payment by fixed instalments at certain milestone stages, rather than by evaluation method, may be preferential to both Design/Builder and/or Client; (vii) In the event of a post-completion failure of the project, the Client will not be concerned to discover whether the failure is due to the design on the one hand or defective work or materials on the other; viii) From the design/ build Contractors perspective, due to the increase in risk that is inherent of a Design and Build contract, the reward will be greater i.e. more profit. However with more risk, comes more pain when things go wrong for a Design and Build Contractor; ix) From the perspective of a Design and Build Contractor, due to the specialised nature of a Design and Build arrangement, not all Contractors have the required skill set to undertake projects with the design responsibility. The consequence of this is less competition. However, from a Clients perspective this could be a disadvantage because of the likely hood of higher prices due to the reduction in competition; x) There is no need to wait until the design is 100% complete, therefore the Client will benefit from the speed at which the design gets translated into construction; xi) Theoretically there should be less of an involvement by the Clients consultants, therefore the fees from Consultants should be less. 4.3 Arguments against Design Build Clients should stop thinking that Design and Build arrangements need less input from third parties than the traditional method. Some Clients believe that because they have appointed a design/build Contractor who ultimately has a single point of responsibility, there is no need to appoint a third party inspectorate and/or cost advisor. This belief can compromise the quality of the project, as the Design and Build Contractor will attempt to complete the project as cheaply and quickly as possible. Schiff Hardin LLP (i) (no date) argues that because the Designer is no longer employed directly by the Client, the Client may find it more difficult to access information that would have ordinarily been available to them under a traditional project. The Client may feel that he has less control over the design phase and design intent because the relationship between Designer and Client is not the same had it been in a more traditional project. Similarly the Client in a traditional contract retains the services of the Designer during the construction phase to act as a watch dog for compliance with the drawings and specification. But in a Design and Build contract, the Designer no longer works for the Client and the Designer allegiance is with the DB Contractor Hanscomb (2004) confirms that one of the disadvantages of a Design and Build arrangement, is that disputes often occur when the Employer Requirements are not specific enough and left open to the interpretation of the parties. As a result the Client may perceive that he is getting X, but the design/build Contractors interpretation is Y. As a result the Client may not get what they envisaged. This may also lead to litigation if the parties cannot mutually resolve the difference in interpretation of the Employers Requirements. As confirmed before and by Schiff Hardin LLP (i) (no date), due to the specialised nature of the Design and Build arrangement, the Client may find it difficult to obtain competitive quotations. In addition, this form of procurement method quite often excludes smaller companies who do not necessary have the in-house technical ability to undertake a Design and Build. It is also common for design/build contracts to negotiated rather than be competitively bid because Clients tend to find it difficult to induce Contractors to produce preliminary designs unless they are compensated for their costs. All of these factors could be construed as a disadvantage to the Client because they may not get value for money. Appelbaum et al (2012) argues that the principal disadvantage of traditional Design and Build is that the owner loses control of the design process, since the design professionals primary legal and practical allegiance is to the design-builder rather than the owner. This can create severe conflicts of interest during both the design phase and construction administration. From a design/build Contractors perspective and especially in a competitive tender situation, they are at risk of spending a substantial amount of money on a preliminary design and/or concepts and there is no certainty if they will recover this cost. From a Client perspective they could be perceived as an advantage in a competitive bidding situation because they do not need to compensate the Contractors for their preliminary design costs. It is also commonly believed that it is almost impossible to make any genuine appraisal and/or comparison of the cost of a competitively bid Design and Build tender, especially where their designs differ significantly. Schiff Hardin LLP (no date) maintains that if a Client puts a Design and Build tender out to bid, this inevitably results in a competition to under-design a facilitate without any regard to quality, functionality, and maintainability. It could also be argued that where both the design/build Contractor and Clients lack experience in this type of delivery approach, this could have a huge detrimental impact on the delivery of the project and the expectations of the parties. In other words, if a naive Client and/or DB Contractor believes that the other party is responsible for any deliverable associated with the project, and later it transpires they are not, then an unexpected cost might arise that was not anticipated. Rowlinson (1988) also argues that from the Clients perspective, it is difficult to make a comparison of the various preliminary design proposals submitted by Design and Build Contractors. Each Design and Build Contractor will each develop a concept design that satisfies the Employers Requirements albeit using lots of different methods and/or techniques. According to the RICS (no date), from the perspective of a Design and Build Contractor, the extent of the design responsibility is generally fitness for purposes unless the contract states otherwise. This is more onerous than the normal duty of reasonable skill and care imposed on a design consultant when they are employed by the Client in the traditional role. Conversely, and in my opinion, from the perspective of the Client, this could be construed to be an advantage in the event of a design defect. During the course of this study, it has become evident that here in the Middle East, a Contractor and/or Designer is generally only registered with the concerned authorities to either undertake construction works or design works. It is rare for one entity to be registered to undertake both work classification i.e. designer and builder. Therefore for any organisation that wants to participate in the Design and Build field, they will have to form a consortium of Designer and Contractor; which can be a lengthy and complicated process for the parties, especially when they attempt to agree who has responsibility for each risk and which entity is best equipped to handle the risk. Unless the Client incorporates a mechanism in the contract that gives them the opportunity to have an input into the detailed design, the Clients input into the detailed design will be limited and this may result in the finished article not being as they previously envisaged, which then could then lead to disputes. Conversely, and again in my opinion, if the Client employs a Designer to carry out the detailed design and then by novation, the Client transfers the design liability to the Design and Build Contractor, this could result in higher costs for the Client. This could also have a detrimental effect on the ability of the Design and Build Contractor to optimise the design and construction of the project and to evaluate the merits of alternative materials and construction methods. Schiff Hardin LLP (i) (no date) also believes that from the perspective of the Client, the terms of a Design and Build contract generally favour the Design and Build Contractor. Therefore it is recommended that any Client thinking of using the design and built procurement methods should work closely with a lawyer experienced in construction law and in particular the Design and Build contracts. Conversely, and again in my opinion, the Design and Build contract will generally consider this to be an advantage because the terms of the contract are in their favour. Shapiro Hankinson Knutson Law Corporation (no date) argues that under a lump sum Design and Build arrangement, it can get confrontational on how to determine what money is due to the Design and Build Contractor. The main difficulty is the ability to assess the design/builders progress, particularly where there is no independent party that can arbitrate between the parties and make independent assessment. To overcome this problem it is suggested that milestones stone be incorporated into any contract together with a predetermined sum for payment when the respective milestone are achieved. Generally the Design and Build Contractor will prepare a document to accompany his tender known as the Contractors Proposals. This document sets out his methodology of how they intend to satisfy the performance specifications set out in the Employer Requirements. The Joint Tribunal Council in the UK (2008) warns Clients that in the event of conflict between the Employers Requirements and the Contractors Proposals, the latter are stated to prevail. They further advise Clients that when evaluating tenders, adequate time must be given to checking these proposals, particularly as the contract conditions refer to the Employer having satisfied himself that the Contractors Proposals are acceptable. Similarly the Client should allow adequate time for checking the proposals to ensure that they are getting what they envisaged. Conversely, this could be looked upon as an advantage to the Client, for the DB Contractor may have optizmed the Employers Requirements by introducing innovation and ben eficial alternatives and methods into the Contractors Proposals. An Unknown Author (no date) argues that another disadvantage of the Design and Build contract is that it is not flexible enough to accommodate change. Therefore Clients are advised, that they should avoid change. If is often found that when foreseen and/or unforeseen changes occur, the Clients budget cannot accommodate the additional costs and they are left with no alternative but to either reduce the scope of works and/or comprise on the quality of the project in order to reduce cost. This will inevitably lead to a product that is not what the Client envisaged at the start of the project. Schiff Hardin (ii) (no date) wrote that issues relating to insurance and bonding affect the relationship between the Design and Build parties. Errors and omissions by the Designer are generally excluded from the Contractors insurance policies, and errors and omissions by the Contractor is generally exclude from the insurance policies of the Designer. Surety bonds can also lead to similar problems, for example, performance bonds may not cover design services. Satisfactory bonding or insurance obligations are likely to be either commercially unobtainable or prohibitively expensive. In summary, some of the proclaimed disadvantage of the design/build procurement method include inter alia:- (i) In the traditional Design and Build situation, only if the Client employs third party inspectorates and/or cost advisors at his expense will he be able to safe guard his interests. By doing this, and in my opinion. this appears to be at odds with the concept of a Design and Build contract i.e. the Design and Build Contractor is a single entity that are jointly and severally responsible for both defects in design and workmanship. (ii) Because of the specialist nature of the Design and Build contract, there are only a limited number of Design and Build Contractor that are capable of undertaking work using this arrangement. This consequently results in less competition and ultimately less competition will result in higher prices (iii) From the Clients perspective, compared with the traditional design/bid and construct arrangement, the Client inevitably loses control of both the design and construction phase. Even if they were to engage independent advisors, they have limited influence over the whole process; all they can do is monitor for compliance with the Employers Requirements. (iv) It has been suggested that where it has been possible to compare both forms of delivery methods i.e. Design and Build verse design/bid and the construct; there was little evidence that the optimisation of design and the evaluation of alternative materials and methods of construction have yielded a cost saving for the Client. In my opinion all benefits that occur due to the innovative ideas generally occur post contract and the cost benefits remain with the Design and Build Contractor (v) Particular attention should be given to the drafting of design/build contracts and Employer Requirements because of it bespoke nature. The Client should seek legal advice particularly from a construction lawyer who are well versed in the field of Design and Build projects. This legal advice invariably increases the total cost of the project for the Client. (vi) Where Clients elect to competitively tender a Design and Build project, from the Contractors perspective, the cost of preparing preliminary designs and the tender are generally substantial because the Contractor will have to engage the services of a design professional. This cost will need to be recovered in all subsequent tenders if the Contractor is not successful. In some instances, some Design and Build Contractors will decline to bid and this will unavoidably result in a less competitive environment. vii) Where the Client has elected to appoint a Designer to undertake a relatively detailed design. After which the Client decides to novate both the Designer and their design to the Design and Build Contractor. From a Contractors perspective, this will limit their ability to optimise the design and construction as well as review alternative methods and materials. Conversely from the Clients perspective, he regains control over the design and construction phase of the project. viii) All Clients have a duty to conduct some investigation into the capabilities and experience of the Design and Build Contractor. Particular attention should be paid to the track record of the preferred Contractors. Design and Build Contractors who are relatively new to this form of delivery method can themselves become a problem because of their lack of experience. Wardani et al. (2006) concluded that resourcing is influential to the success of design/build projects where a higher knowledge and understanding of the design-build processes can reduce problems within the combined design and construction phases ix) The Client should where possible avoid changes once the concept design and tenders have been fully evaluated and the Design and Build Contractor has been appointed. If required, any decision for change should be made as quickly as possible. Xiao and Proverbs (2003) argue that variations during the construction stage are risk factors that are disruptive to the achievement of project goals. 4.4 Outcome As stated in 1.4, the objective of this chapter was to critically analyse the benefits of Design and Build procurement method. Having looked at various sources of literature from books, internet websites and journals regarding the Design and Build procurement method, the writer believes that this has been achieved. The next chapter of the report will attempt to ascertain the feelings and attitudes of the construction professionals in the Middle East region to the Design and Build procurement method and to gauge whether there is a future for this procurement method. Chapter 5: Design and Build Case Study 5.1 Introduction To gauge the knowledge, feelings and attitudes of the construction professionals in the Middle East to the Design and Build form of procurement. A survey has been conducted using a 5 page questionnaire (See Appendix xxxxx for a blank copy of the survey). A covering letter accompanied the questionnaire setting out the objective of the study. The response rate to this Questionnaire was a favourable 62%. As stated in 2.6 on this report, the data received from the respondents was collated and analysed using the descriptive statistic method. Bar charts and/or histograms accompanied with the corresponding narrative have been used to present some of the data gathered from the respondents. Questions 1 to 4 Inclusive Initially a series of participant background questions were asked of the respondents, particularly where they lived within the Middle East, and what discipline best described their role in the industry i.e. construction management, commercial. Furthermore, the respondents were asked how many years had they been in the industry, and which sector of the industry they preferred. Approximately 60% of the respondents had been in the industry for more than 20 years. 63% of the respondents favoured the sector of roads and bridges. The respondents all came from a variety of disciplines i.e. 32% from a construction management background, 23% from a commercial background and 14% from a consultants background. With reference to Fig 6 below, 56% respondents respondent came from the Sultanate of Oman, 24% from the United Arab emirates, 4% from Kuwait, 8% from Bahrain, 4% from Saudi Arabia, 4% from Qatar. The purpose of these questions was to ensure that the data provided by the respondents was re liable and could be construed to be representative of the industry in the Middle East region as set out in the objectives contained in 1.4 of this report. Questions 5 to 7 The next series of question was intended to gather data on the type and nature of the organisations that the respondents work for. Again, the purpose of these questions was to ensure and verify that the respondents all came from diverse background and /or disciplines and/or organisations. With reference to Fig 7 below, 25% of the respondents came from a consultants backgrounds and 63% came from a variety of contracting backgrounds, 4% came from developers and 8% came from other sectors within the construction industry. Questions 8 to 13 inclusive To test my preconception that the traditional form of construction procurement method is the most extensively used in the Middle East, and to test peoples attitudes to the various types of procurement methods. The respondents were asked a number of quantitative questions i.e. Q8 Which procurement method did their current project follow? Q9 Which procurement method had they used the most extensively? Q 10 Which procurement method did they prefer? Q 11 Which procurement method did they think is the most extensively used in the region? Q 12 Which one of the Design and Build procurement methods did they want to gain further experience? Q 13 Which procurement method was used the most extensively within the respondents organisation? The surprising result of the data collected for Q8, was that 21% of the respondents confirmed that their current project had followed the Design and Build procurement method. This result is not too dissimilar to Handscomb (2004) findings detailed on page 11 of this report i.e. the use of Design and Build had grown to more than 30% today. The result to question 8 is also in line with the Contracts in Use 2007 Survey undertaken by RICS for the United Kingdom i.e. 21.7% of contracts were procured using the DB procurement method just for the economical down turn. However, this response was contrary to the writers preconception of how extensive the Design and Build procurement method is currently being used in the region. The writer was not expecting the actual use of the Design and Build method of procurement to be so high. The writers preconception was more in line with the results gained from Q11 (see Figure 8 below) i.e. 92% of the respondents believed that the traditional method of procurement was the most extensively used in the region with only 4% of the respondents saying that the Design and Build method was the most extensively used. The factual 21% of projects currently following the Design and Build procurement method (Q8) and the perceived 4% use of the design and built (Q11) is completely at variance with each other, thus indicting that people are not as narrow minded as previously thought, and are more open minded than to the use of alternative procurement methods in the Middle East region, particularly Design and Build. With reference to Fig. 9 below, it was also surprising to see that 44% of the respondents favoured Design and Build method of procurement, and 40% favoured the traditional method of procurement (Q10). Again this response was not in line with the writers hypothesis that professionals in the region are not open to change and other forms of procurement methods other than the traditional construction procurement methods. In response to Q13, 83% of the respondents confirmed that the traditional method of procurement was the most extensively used procurement method by their organisation and 14% confirmed Design and Build. When compared to the answers given in Q10, it could be argued that it is the Employers in the region that are comfortable with the status quo and are not willing to consider change, the answers given by the respondents to Q10 would suggest that there is an appetite for change amongst the workers as they favoured the Design and Build procurement method. Questions 14 to 20 In order to gauge the attitudes of the respondents to the various procurement methods available, the respondents were asked which procurement method was most suited to a particular sector of the construction industry (See Results in Table 1 below). With reference to Table 1 above, the majority of the respondents favoured the Design and Build contract over the traditional form of procurement in all but one scenario. Again these results are at variance to the writers preconceived ideas of people attitudes to the Design and Build procurement method in the Middle East. These result indicate that construction professional in the Middle East are in fact open to the idea of new procurement methods and in particular the Design and Build. This is contrary to the hypothesis contained in 1.2 of the report. Question 21 88% of the respondents confirmed that they had gained some form of experience with the Design and Build procurement method, and only 12% had gained no experience at all (See Figure 10 below). This appears to reinforce the emerging idea that construction professionals in the Middle East would indeed be open to using different procurement methods in the region. Question 22 to 24 inclusive

Homeless Americans Essay -- essays research papers fc

In our current time of economic prosperity in the United States, many people are enjoying greater wealth, higher earnings, and profitable investments. Unemployment rates are reported to be low, and wages high. Yet there is still an extraordinary amount of homeless people living in the United States. In an article entitled â€Å"The Criminalization of Homelessness† Celine-Marie Pascale tries to convey how the homeless are being treated unfairly by society. Criminalization might be a little too strong a word to apply to the punishment of homeless people, but Pascale is trying to make a statement about the homeless situation in the United States today. I would like to take a closer look at this article and examine the points she is trying to make. Pascale begins her article by stating that many U.S. cities are enacting laws which would punish homeless individuals for doing things many ‘ordinary’ people do all the time. For instance, loitering or sleeping in public (320). She states that the California Homeless and Housing Coalition estimates that there are around a million homeless people in California alone. Eight self governed cities in southern California and at least one city in northern California passed anti-sleeping laws, says Pascale (320). Another law in the city of San Francisco states that it is â€Å"illegal to linger for more than 60 seconds within 30 feet of an automatic teller in use† (321). The city of San Francisco spent a lot of time and money to arrest 15 people for begging in 1993 and Pascale alleges that there are several other major cities in the U.S. with similar laws (321). According to Pascale, Berkeley uses trespassing laws and loitering laws to keep people off the sidewalks and away from places like parks and laundromats. And in Santa Cruz you can be arrested for sitting on a sidewalk, sleeping outside, or even sleeping in a car (321). Pascale asserts that the reason for these laws is to protect the businesses located around these areas. She also says that â€Å"no one wants to run a guantlet of panhandlers to get to a boutique or step over people sleeping on the sidewalk to buy a cappuccino† (321). And for that reason, most business owners think it reflects badly on them if there are homeless people loitering or sleeping in front of their store (321). Pascale points out that, in general, most people believe that it is the individual’s fault tha... ... people who can’t seem to handle life’s challenges turn to crime just so they can go to prison because prison is an easy way out for them. You get free housing and free food for as long as you are there. Although this is not the case in many situations, there are some who would find this arrangement appealing. In â€Å"The Criminalization of Homelessness,† Pascale does a fair job of showing her audience that homeless people are not being treated very well. She informs us of the problem by giving cited statistics and specific examples, but she could have included more details to make her point stronger. Webster’s dictionary defines a criminal as someone who is found guilty of a serious offense by violating the law. Homelessness is far from a serious offense, and it is far from being treated as a serious offense. But she is right that we need to change the way we handle the homeless. In my opinion, Pascale’s article was more of an informative essay on the laws of some cities than a serious article about the problem in this nation concerning homelessness. Works Cited Begrens, Laurence; Rosen, Leonard J. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 7th ed. New York, Longman, 2000. 320-322.

Rosalind and the Masks in Shakespeares As You Like It :: Shakespeare As You Like It Essays

Rosalind and the Masks In this essay I would like to focus on Rosalind's - or rather Ganymede's - preoccupation with the outward show of things. Whether this is a result of her cross-dressing, the reason for the same, or the playwright's way of revealing his presence is not as yet clear to me, but Rosalind's constant insistence on the truth of masks and on the other hand her readiness to doubt this same truth fascinates me. When she decides to dress up as a boy, Rosalind seems to think a mannish outside sufficient to convince the world at large (I.iii.111-118). She is "more than common tall" and therefore all she needs is a "gallant curtle-axe", a "boar spear" and a "swashing and a martial outside" to hide her feminine anxiousness. Taking it for granted that noone will have the hunch to look beyond her male costume, she reasons that since cowardly men are able to hide these feminine qualities, she should be able to pass off as a man, simply by behaving mannishly. Being so totally dependent on her own disguise not being found out, it is funny how she proceeds to doubt anyone who does not put on an outward show fitting to their claims to feeling. The first to be put on the stand in this fashion is Orlando. As Ganymede Rosalind refuses to accept Orlando's claim to being the desperate author of the love-verses (s)he has found hanging on the trees on the grounds that he has no visible marks of love upon him. A lean cheek, which you have not; a blue eye and sunken, which you have not; an unquestionable spirit, which you have not; a beard neglected, which you have not (...) Then your hose should be ungartered, your bonnet unbanded, your sleeve unbuttoned, your shoe untied, and everything about you demonstrating careless desolation. (III.ii.363-371) He is, in other words, not exactly the picture of the despairing suitor. Neither does Jaques measure up to Rosalind's expectations of the melancholy traveller. She greets him with a "they say you are" (IV.i.3), and sends him off with the order of: Look you lisp, and wear strange suits; disable all the benefits of your own country; be out of love with your nativity, and almost chide God for making that countenance you are; or I will scarce think you have swam in a gondola.

General Structure of Comedy and the Importance of Being Earnest by Osca

General Structure of Comedy and the Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde GeneralStructure of Comedy: * Things start out badly and end well * The deeper aim is broadly social: the kingdom or other city space is at first badly ruled or in turmoil for some reason--perhaps the values and institutions of the citizens and/or rulers are in need of some re-examination. * Next, the main characters leave (willingly or otherwise) the city setting and wind up in the countryside, in a pastoral setting. This setting allows for the necessary re-examination of values and social roles. * Magical transformations of characters occur; they are put in situations that could not occur in the city or the kingdom; the forest or countryside's magic opens up new possibilities to them. * After this reappraisal and readjustment period has been completed, the main characters come together--the young by marriage, the foundational institution of the civil order and its only hope for regeneration. * Finally, the characters return to the "kingdom" proper or are about to return when the play ends. Comedy of Manners: This kind of comedy is the one that best describes The Importance of Being Earnest. English comedies deal with "the relations and intrigues of men and women living in a polished and sophisticated society, relying for comic effect in great part on the wit and sparkle of the dialogue--often in the form of repartee, a witty conversational give-and-take which constitutes a kind of verbal fencing match--and to a lesser degree, on the ridiculous violations of social conventions and decorum by stupid characters such as would-be-wits, jealous husbands, and foppish dandies." The Impor... ...y ideal to love someone by the name of Ernest." One view among critics is that Wilde is saying that marriage based on class by birthright is no less stupid that marriage based on something else a baby cannot control: say, his name. In the play many other examples occur of things that cannot be controlled but people act as if they could be: "Some aunts are tall, some aunts are not tall. That is surely a matter that an aunt may be allowed to decide for herself." "I think it is high time that Mr Bunbury made up his mind whether he was to live or die." The play also trivialises other things, like religion, death, customs and manners, etc. For instance, when Algy tells his Aunt Augusta that his friend Bunbury died when his doctors told him he could not possibly live, her only concern is that he acted under the proper medical advice of his physician.

Food Safety Illness

Jeremiah went grocery shopping on a hot summer day. He bought food for an upcoming family BBQ; ground beef for hamburgers, a couple of steaks, and the ingredients for making potato salad.When he left the store, he put his groceries in the trunk and stopped by the sports outlet store to pick up a Frisbee and croquet set. It took about 10 minutes at the sports store, and then Jeremiah headed home to prepare the food. He was concerned that it had been too hot in the car, but everything was still cold when he got home.Jeremiah took the groceries home and put everything in the refrigerator. The meat fit well on the top shelf, right above the potato salad ingredients.Later on, he got the groceries out to prep everything for the BBQ. He cooked the potatoes and used a sharp knife to trim some excess fat off of the raw steaks. Then he cut up the rest of the vegetables for the potato salad with the sharp knife on a cutting board.Jeremiah formed the hamburger patties, seasoned the steaks, and f inished making the potato salad. With only about 45 minutes to go before leaving for the BBQ, Jeremiah left everything sitting out on the counter while he showered and got ready.When he arrived at the BBQ, he set the potato salad on the picnic table and went to grill the steaks and burgers. He cooked both to about medium doneness, meaning both were pink in the middle.Jeremiah enjoyed one of the steaks he prepared and gave one to his cousin. The other family members enjoyed the burgers and potato salad; in fact, Jeremiah didn’t have a chance to try the salad. A couple of days after the BBQ, Jeremiah learned that everyone at the BBQ, with exception of himself and his cousin, experienced a bout of flu-like symptoms the following day.Write 50- to 150-word responses to each of the following questions. Be clear and concise, use complete sentences, and explain your answers using specific examples.1. Based on Scenario 1, what are the possible sources of food-borne illness? The possib le sources of food-borne illness could be cross-contamination from Jeremiah cutting off the fat from the steaks and cutting up the vegetables for the potato salad. If the same knife was used or if the same surface was even used to prepare both the meat and vegetables it could have contaminated the vegetables or the ground beef.2. Although Jeremiah did not get sick, there were several areas throughout Jeremiah’s day that could have led him to a serious case of food-borne illness. Point out these areas and briefly explain why they are of concern and what Jeremiah could have done differently. One time that a food-borne illness could have been obtained when Jeremiah put the groceries in the trunk of his car, typically the trunk of a car is the hottest part of a vehicle, so the groceries could have gone below the appropriate temperature to store it at.If Jeremiah would have been in the store more than twenty minutes, all depends on the temperature outside; it could have spoiled th e meat. Secondly, if Jeremiah bought mayo or any type of dressing for the potato salad it could have spoiled and therefore made the guest sick. Also Jeremiah never got to eat any of the potato salad so if it was cross contaminated than he would have not gotten sick.3. Why is it safe for steak to be pink in the middle, but potentially dangerous for a hamburger not to be cooked all the way through? It is safe for steak to be pink in the middle compared to the hamburger due to the hamburger being processed through a machine and being handled human beings  so therefore the meat can be contaminated more easily. With cooking the hamburger to being well done with no pink than it can kill some bacteria. For example some companies do not cleanse or clean their machines to cut down on the bacteria and any contamination that might have occurred.Scenario 2:After enjoying a delicious dinner of lasagna, Martha cleaned up the kitchen and left the covered tray of leftover lasagna on the counter t o cool. Since the lasagna was so dense and thick, it took about 4 hours for it to feel cool enough to go into the fridge for the night. The next day, Martha served leftover lasagna for lunch. She heated the lasagna thoroughly and it was finished.Within about 2–3 hours, everyone who ate the lasagna developed stomach cramps, fever, and nausea; most eventually started vomiting. The illness was pretty awful, but thankfully relatively short-lived.Write 50- to 150-word responses to each of the following questions. Be clear and concise, use complete sentences, and explain your answers using specific examples.1. How could this illness have been prevented? The illness could have been prevented by having the lasagna uncovered while it was cooling so that condensation would have not built up on the cover. Then the water went into the lasagna, which was bacteria, and made the employees sick that ate it. The other thing that could have been done is had the lasagna put into the oven until it was thoroughly cooled.2. Based on the incubation period and symptoms of the illness, what is the most likely microorganism responsible for this illness? E-coli would be the most reasonable reason for the illness. Because Martha did not reheat the lasagna properly for the second time around the bacteria was never killed off. If she would have reheated the lasagna in the oven at the proper temperature the bacteria would have been killed off.3. Describe the temperature danger zone. It would have to cook at a certain temperature to cook all the bacteria and the microorganisms out of the lasagna. Harmful bacteria such as E-coli contaminate food without physical signs, smells or tastes. Temperatures hotter than 165 °F not just the outside but making sure the inside is also cooked correctly.4. How could Martha have sped up the cooling process of the lasagna? If she would have left the lasagna uncovered on the counter it would have cooled down a lot faster. As soon as it would have bec ame room temperature she could have covered it and put it in the refrigerator.5. If the leftover lasagna was thoroughly reheated, (which it was), how did it still lead to food-borne illness? When Martha put the lasagna into the microwave it wasn’t hot enough for the bacteria to be cooked out of the lasagna. If she would have reheated in the lasagna would in the stove instead all the bacteria would have been cooked out and no one would have gotten sick.Scenario 3:Sally was making marinated shish-kabobs to grill for dinner. She made a beautiful marinade and then cut up the raw chicken on a cutting board. She put the chunks of chicken in the marinade and let it sit on the counter for about 3 hours until it was time to cook.While the chicken was marinating, Sally prepared the vegetables. She cut them using the same cutting board and knife; she rinsed both off with warm water between cutting the chicken and the vegetables.Once the chicken had marinated, Sally put the chicken and v egetables on skewers to be grilled. She also started rice in the rice cooker to go with the shish-kabobs.As the shish-kabobs were grilling, Sally put the marinade in a serving dish for extra sauce to put over the rice.Several hours later, Sally and her family members all developed nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, headache, and abdominal pain.Write 50- to 150-word responses to each of the following questions. Be clear and concise, use complete sentences, and explain your answers using specific examples.1. What could be the cause of Sally and her family members’ illness? Would be improper food preparation by leaving chicken out on the counter more than allotted time as it developed bacteria and salmonella. She also prepared vegetables on the cutting board without proper cleaning with hot water and soap. Also reusing the marinated sauce on the rice, she should have been cooked so all the bacteria could have been cook out.2. How could this illness have been prevented? This illn ess could have been prevented with proper cleaning of all preparation and utensils materials. With proper washing with soap and hot water it would not cross contaminate the chicken, vegetables and the marinate. The illness could have also been prevented if she would have properly stored the chicken in the kitchen to make sure that bacteria would have not been growing.

The Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace

Most people would think that wars are launched because a country needs more territory, or because a country's borders are threatened, or because of appeasement. The real reason for war is that countries begin to feel that their honor is threatened; they feel that other nations are not giving them the worth and dignity they deserve, and so they take to the battlefield. On the Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace, Dr. Kagan is a classical scholar who hopes to get politicians and statesmen to understand history so as not to repeat it. He reminds that this was the intention of Thucydides of ancient Greece who wrote a history of the Peloponnesian Wars for â€Å"those who wish to have a clear understanding both of events in the past and of those in the future which will, in all human likelihood, happen again in the same or a similar way. † His book starts with the Peloponnesian War of the fifth century B. C. – -the subject of a four-volume history Kagan finished in 1987–and ends with the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. He also analyzes the Second Punic War of 218 to 201 B. C. World War I, and World War II. War usually arrives over long distances and long stretches of time. For instance, in 226 B. C. Rome was by far the most powerful state in the Western world, but it concluded a treaty with Carthage which was expanding its influence in what is now Spain. The treaty sought to preserve the peace. Eight years later, after many twisting and turnings and concessions by Rome, it led to war. Rome limited the expansion of Carthage to the area south of the Ebro River, and it looked like an order delivered by Rome, not a concession. Actually, Kagan writes, â€Å"†¦ it was an attempt at appeasement in a moment of weakness and fear, the effect of which was to neither soothe nor deter but to inflame and encourage the Carthaginians. † The aftermath included events, which almost destroyed Rome's fortunes: Hannibal's arrival at the head of a powerful army in Italy itself and the beginning of the 18-year Second Punic War. Two wars, the First Opium War 1839-42 and the Second Opium War 1856- 60, waged by Britain against China to enforce the opening of Chinese ports to trade in opium. Opium from British India paid for Britain' s imports from China, such as porcelain, silk, and, above all, tea. The First Opium War, between Britain and China, resulted in the cession of Hong Kong to Britain and the opening of five treaty ports. Other European states were also subsequently given concessions. The Second Opium War followed between Britain and France in alliance against China, when there was further Chinese resistance to the opium trade. China was forced to give the European states greater trading privileges, at the expense of its people. 839-42 and 1856-60, two wars between China and Western countries. The first was between Great Britain and China. Early in the 19th cent British merchants began smuggling opium into China in order to balance their purchases of tea for export to Britain. In 1839, China enforced its prohibitions on the importation of opium by destroying at Guangzhou (Canton) a large quantity of opium confiscated from British merchants. Great Britain, which had been looking to end China's restrictions on foreign trade, responded by sending gunboats to attack several Chinese coastal cities. China, unable to withstand modern arms, was defeated and forced to sign the Treaty of Nanjing (1842) and the British Supplementary Treaty of the Bogue (1843). These provided that the ports of Guangzhou, Jinmen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai should be open to British trade and residence; in addition Hong Kong was ceded to the British. Within a few years other Western powers signed similar treaties with China and received commercial and residential privileges, and the Western domination of China's treaty ports began. In 1856 a second war broke out following an allegedly illegal Chinese search of a British-registered ship, the Arrow, in Guangzhou. British and French troops took Guangzhou and Tianjin and compelled the Chinese to accept the treaties of Tianjin (1858), to which France, Russia, and the United States were also party. China agreed to open 11 more ports, permit foreign legations in Beijing, sanction Christian missionary activity, and legalize the import of opium. China's subsequent attempt to block the entry of diplomats into Beijing as well as Britain's determination to enforce the new treaty terms led to a renewal of the war in 1859. This time the British and French occupied Beijing and burned the imperial summer palace (Yuan ming yuan). The Beijing conventions of 1860, by which China was forced to reaffirm the terms of the Treaty of Tianjin and make additional concessions, concluded the hostilities. The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a dangerous and volatile situation that has attracted American attention for some decades. The conflict is a sensitive subject that produces strong emotions in people. This conflict deals with Jewish nationalism, distribution of resources, and politics. About a hundred years ago, Jews underwent a drastic change in their view of themselves. At first a few, and then more, began to call themselves Zionists. Zionism is a term that in its broadest and early sense meant simply the â€Å"return† of Jews to their ancestral homeland. That homeland was called Zion (or Israel) and its heart was Jerusalem, known as the â€Å"City of Zion. Early Zionists were simply pious, nonpolitical, religious Jews who thought they could best practice their faith in the Land of Zion. Some went primarily to pray, to study their religious books, and to await the arrival of the Messiah. Politics played an influential role in their thinking. By the beginning of the 20th century, however, Zionism came to have a political meaning: that Jews were not just a religious or ethnic group but were a nation of people who should have their own state. Today Zionism is the term for Jewish nationalism. Not all Jews agree upon what Zionism is, but to a point there is agreement, it is upon three things: there should be a Jewish state; it should be permanent, independent, and secure; and Jews who are threatened anywhere in the world should be able to go there to be safe. All other issues-the boundaries of the state, the nature of government, relations with the Palestinians, relations with American Jews, religious law-are in dispute. It is important to understand the Palestinian views . Keep in mind two points. First, people respond to the circumstances in which they live. If one is rich, one sees problems one way; if one is unemployed, one sees it a second way; if one owns a small shop, one sees it a third way. One must understand the circumstances in which Palestinians live if we are to understand their positions and actions. Second, there are about five million Palestinians. Like Americans, they disagree on political issues. They also change their minds as new circumstances develop. It is wrong to think Palestinians have a common view that remains unchanged. Their view changed considerably over the years. They view that the Israelis are taking the land rightfully theirs, and are being â€Å"bullied† by Israelis. They are the ones who had their land taken away from them and are left with no where to live. In 1948, there were approximately 860,000 Palestinians inside today's Israel. About 700,000 were driven out or fled during the fighting that followed the declaration of Israeli statehood. The Palestinian population of Jerusalem went from 75,000 to 3,500; of Jaffa from 70,000 to 3,600; of Haifa from 71,000 to 2,900; of Lydda-Ramle from 35,000 to 2,000; of Tiberias from 5,300 to zero. All refugees lost their property (about 800,000 acres were taken for Israeli use. ). The 160,000 Palestinians still in Israel in 1949 when the fighting stopped lost another 250,000 acres. The Palestinians in Israel were left without resources or strong leaders. When the Likud Party took power in 1977, it intensified colonization, pouring some $1 billion into settlement building over the next seven years. Today, land taken from the Palestinians and earmarked for military purposes or Jewish settlements amounts to more than 52% of the most fertile areas of the West Bank and 40% of the Gaza Strip. Only a very small percentage of this land was sold willingly by Palestinians. Most of it was confiscated, and is held to be for Jews only-not-just Jews from Israel, but Jews from anywhere in the world. Many newly arrived immigrants from the United States and Russia are given heavily financed housing in the settlements built on seized Palestinian land. 1990, according to Israeli estimates, will divert 83% of the water from the West Bank to Jewish settlements and Israel. The indigenous Palestinians will get only 17% of their own water. This taking of natural resources from the Palestinians, are the reasons for the rise in conflict. To a large extent Jews and Palestinians are geographically concentrated. Most Jews live in Israel and most Palestinians live in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. There are exceptions of course. Many Jews live in the new ring of suburbs around East Jerusalem and in the new settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. And many Arabs live inside of Israel, particularly in Galilee, including Nazareth, and in the Negev Desert in the South. The first comprehensive peace talks between Israel and delegations representing the Palestinians and neighboring Arab states began in October 1991. After Likud lost the parliamentary election of June 1992, Labor party leader Yitzhak Rabin formed a new government. Rabin took a more conciliatory line toward the Palestinians and imposed strict limits on new Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. In 1993, after decades of violent conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, leaders from each side agreed to the signing of an historic peace treaty. Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat and Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin met in the United States on September 13 to witness the signing of the treaty, which paved the way for limited Palestinian self-rule in Israeli-occupied territories. The Gaza-Jericho Agreement was signed in Cairo on May 4, 1994, and applies to the Gaza Strip and to a defined area of about 65 square kilometers including Jericho and its environs. The Gaza-Jericho agreement addresses four main issues-security arrangements, civil affairs, legal matters, and economic relations. The document includes agreement to a withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza and Jericho, a transfer of authority from the Israeli Civil Administration to a Palestinian Authority, the structure and composition of the Palestinian Authority is a Palestinian police force, and relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. After intensive diplomatic efforts by the United States, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Yasser Arafat agreed on September 29, 1996 to go to Washington the following week to seek ways out of a war that has put the entire Israeli-Palestinian peace in jeopardy. Despite the historical tensions of the Middle East, recent issues have arisen to intensify the conflict. Angry Palestinians protested Israel's decision to open an archeological site, the issue becoming one more in a growing number of Middle East tensions. The Muslim crowd feared the excavation of an ancient tunnel, right beside the foundations of Jerusalem's al Aqsa Mosque compound, would undermine what is the third-holiest shrine in Islam after Mecca and Medina. The tunnel excavation dispute is only the latest indication of rising tension between Arabs and Israelis. And the latest death count is 76 (as of October 1, 1996). In conclusion, this is an issue that deals with politics, uneven distribution of resources, and nationalism, and will take a great effort to come to an agreement. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a â€Å"battle† that has a long history that will continue till a mutual understanding and agreement is settled. Until the Israelis and the Palestinians can settle their differences and cooperate with each other, the â€Å"battle† will continue on. â€Å"No new taxes. This is a quote that most all of us remember from the1992 presidential election. Along with it we remember that there were new taxes during that presidents term in office. There are a myriad of promises made and things done in a presidential election year that have questionable motives as to whether they are done in the best interest of the people or in the interests of the presidential candidate. These hidden interests are one of the biggest problems w ith the political aspects of government in modern society. One of the prime examples of this is the Vietnam War. Although South Vietnam asked for our help, which we had previously promised, the entire conflict was managed in order to meet personal political agendas and to remain politically correct in the world's eyes rather than to bring a quick and decisive end to the conflict. This can be seen in the selective bombing of Hanoi throughout the course of the Vietnam War. Politically this strategy looked very good. However, militarily it was ludicrous. War is the one arena in which politicians have no place. War is the military's sole purpose. Therefore, the U. S. Military should be allowed to conduct any war, conflict, or police action that it has been committed to without political interference or control because of the problems and hidden interests which are always present when dealing with polite United States involvement in the Vietnam War actually began in 1950 when the U. S. began to subsidize the French Army in South Vietnam. This involvement continued to escalate throughout the 1950's and into the early 1960's. On August 4, 1964 the Gulf of Tonkin incident occurred in which American Naval Vessels in South Vietnamese waters were fired upon by North Vietnam. On August 5, 1964 President Johnson requested a resolution expressing the determination of the United Sates in supporting freedom and in protecting peace in southeast Asia (Johnson). On August 7, 1964, in response to the presidential request, Congress authorized President Johnson to take all necessary measures to repel any attack and to prevent aggression against the U. S. n southeast Asia (United States). The selective bombing of North Vietnam began immediately in response to this resolution. In March of the following year U. S. troops began to arrive. Although the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution specifically stated that we had no military, political, or territorial ambitions in southeast Asia, the interests back home were quite a different story (Johnson). The political involvement in Vietnam was about much more than just promised aid to a weak country in order to prevent the spread of communism. It was about money. After all, wars require equipment, guns, tools and machinery. Most of which was produced in the United States. It was about proving America's commitment to stop communism. Or rather to confine communism in its present boundaries But most of all it was about politics. The presidential political involvement in Vietnam had little to do with Vietnam at all. It was about China for Eisenhower, about Russia for Kennedy, about Washington D. C. for Johnson, and about himself for Nixon (Post). The last two of which were the major players in America's involvement in regards to U. S. Troops being used (Wittman). The military involvement in Vietnam is directly related to the political management of the military throughout the war. The military controlled by the politicians. The micro management of the military by the White House for political gain is the primary reason for both the length and cost, both monetary and human, of the Vietnam War (Pelland). One of the largest problems was the lack of a clear objective in the war and the support to accomplish it. The predominant military opinion of the military's role in Vietnam in respect to the political involvement is seen in the following quote by General Colin Powell, â€Å"If you're going to put into something then you owe the armed forces, you owe the American People, you owe just you're own desire to succeed, a clear statement of what political objective you're trying to achieve and then you put the sufficient force to that objective so that you know when you've accomplished it. The politicians dictated the war in Vietnam, it was a limited war, the military was never allowed to fight the war in the manner that they thought that they needed to, in order to win it (Baker). To conclude on the Vietnam War, the political management of the war made it unwinnable. The military was at the mercy of politicians who knew very little about what needed to be done militarily in order to win the war. There is an enormous difference between political judgment and military judgment. This difference is the primary reason for the outcome of the Vietnam War (Schwarzkopf). The United States policy of Vietnamization was a good idea, but the time was not ripe for it to best be used. Nearly all experts in South Vietnam as incapable of handling a combined threat rated Saigon's military strength. True, Vietnamization was not what led to the total withdrawl of troops from Vietnam, but the opinions pressed by Laird had somewhat of an affect on our agreeing to sign a cease-fire agreement. Also, if we had used Vietnamization's program of building up South Vietnam's armed forces more extensively, South Vietnam might still be in existence today. The Gulf War in the Middle East was almost the exact opposite in respect to the political influence on the war. In respect to the military objective of the war the two are relatively similar. The objective was to liberate a weaker country from their aggressor. The United Nation's resolution was explicit in its wording regarding military force in the Persian Gulf. The resolution specifically stated â€Å"by all means necessary. â€Å"(Schwarzkopf). The President was very aware of the problems with political management of warfare throughout the war. He was very determined to let the military call the shots about how the war was conducted. He made a specific effort to prevent the suggestion that civilians were going to try to run the war (Baker). Painful lessons had been learned in the Vietnam War, which was still fresh on the minds of many of those involved in this war (Baker). The military was given full control to use force as they saw fit. Many of the top military leaders had also been involved in the Vietnam War. These men exhibited a very strong never again attitude throughout the planning stages of this war. General Schwarzkopf made the following statement about the proposed bombing of Iraq in regards to the limited bombing in Vietnam, â€Å"I had no doubt we would bomb Iraq if I was going to be the Military Commander. † He went on to say that it would be absolutely stupid to go into a military campaign against his, Iraq's, forces who had a tremendous advantage on us on the ground, numbers wise. It would be ludicrous not to fight the war in the air as much, if not more, than on the ground (Schwarzkopf). The result of the Gulf War in which the military was given control, as we know, was a quick, decisive victory. There were many other factors involved in this than just the military being given control, particularly in contrast to Vietnam, but the military having control played a major part in this victory. In conclusion, although there are some major differences between the two conflicts one fact can be seen very clearly. That is the fact that the military is best suited for conducting wars. Politicians are not. It is not the place of a politicians to be involved in the decision making process in regards to war or military strategy. The White House has significant control in military matters. That control should be used to help the military in achieving its goals, as it was in the Gulf War where George Bush said specifically to let the military do its job. The only alternative to this is to use political influence in the same way that it was used in Vietnam. If we do not learn from these lessons that are so obvious in the differences between these two conflicts then we are condemned to repeat the same mistakes. Lets just pray that it does not take the death of another 58,000 of America's men to learn that the politician's place is not in war but in peace (Roush).