King Baldwin I of Jerusalem essays

King Baldwin I of Jerusalem essays Baldwin of Boulogne I, brother to Godfrey of Boullion, Count of Edessa and King of Jerusalem. Baldwin was one of the eight chief lay leaders of the first Crusade (Setton 21). He died in 1118, which marked an end of an era. Baldwin was the last of the original leaders of the firs Crusade (Setton 408). He founded the first Latin state in the east, the county of Edessa. He founded and transformed Jerusalem into a monarchy state. Helped in the capture of Tripoli. Established the county of Tripoli into the fourth and last state of the east. With only small means at his disposal he accomplished many things, like founding the county Edessa with a few knights. Then he took over Jerusalem after his brother Godfrey, who had left it weak torn by factionalism and surrounded by enemies. He left Jerusalem a strong and powerful state. He revived and maintained commerce with the Moslem who he was there to fight in the first place. He never had a naval fleet but still had coastal conqu ests and protection. He had sea routes protected to the west by obtaining the help of the Italian Naval Fleet. The numbered of troops which Baldwin had can be compared to a modern day battalion, which would consist roughly of about 1,200 troops. With a small army by his side he was able to protect his small state and leave it aggressive, helping the Latin states to the north and extending his own territory (Setton 409). Baldwin was known as a conqueror to the day of his death. His worst enemies Al-Afdal of Egypt and Tughtigin of Demascus gave up hope of ever over throwing him. Before going on the first crusade Baldwin took his time before accepting to go with his brother Godfrey. Since he was the youngest of the three brothers he had no inheritance left to him. He saw this as a great opportunity to go out and conqueror his own land. In 1096 they arrived in Constantinople, Godfrey was asked to the palace to pledge his alliance to the emper...

The History of WWI Hospital Ship, the HMHS Britannic

The History of WWI Hospital Ship, the HMHS Britannic In the early 20th century an intense competition existed between British and German shipping companies which saw them battle to build larger and faster ocean liners for use in the Atlantic. The key players including Cunard and White Star from Britain and HAPAG and Norddeutscher Lloyd from Germany. By 1907, White Star had given up the pursuit of the speed title, known as the Blue Riband, to Cunard and began focusing on constructing larger and more luxurious ships. Led by J. Bruce Ismay, White Star approached William J. Pirrie, head of Harland Wolff, and ordered three massive liners which were dubbed the Olympic-class. These were designed by Thomas Andrews and Alexander Carlisle and incorporated the latest technologies. The first two ships of the class, RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic, were laid down in 1908 and 1909 respectively and were built in neighboring shipways in Belfast, Ireland. Following the completion of Olympic and launching of Titanic in 1911, work began on the third vessel, Britannic. This ship was laid down on November 30, 1911. As work moved forward in Belfast, the first two ships proved star-crossed. While Olympic was involved in a collision with the destroyer HMS Hawke in 1911, Titanic, foolishly dubbed unsinkable, sank with a loss of 1,517 on April 15, 1912. Titanics sinking led to dramatic changes in Britannics design and to Olympic returning to the yard for alterations. Design Powered by twenty-nine coal-fired boilers driving three propellers, Britannic possessed a similar profile to its earlier sisters and mounted four large funnels. Three of these were functional, while the fourth was a dummy which served to provide extra ventilation to the ship. Britannic was intended to carry around 3,200 crew and passengers in three different classes. For first class, luxurious accommodations were available along with lavish public spaces. While the second class spaces were quite good, Britannics third class was considered more comfortable than its two predecessors. Assessing the Titanic disaster, it was decided to give Britannic a double hull along with its engine and boiler spaces. This widened the ship by two feet and necessitated the installation of a larger 18,000-horsepower turbine engine in order to maintain its service speed of twenty-one knots. In addition, six of Britannics fifteen watertight bulkheads were raised to B deck to aid in containing flooding if the hull was breached. As a lack of lifeboats had famously contributed to the high loss of life aboard Titanic, Britannic was fitted with additional lifeboats and massive sets of davits. These special davits were capable of reaching lifeboats on both sides of the ship to ensure that all could be launched even if it developed a severe list. Though an effective design, some were blocked from reaching the opposite side of the ship due to the funnels. War Arrives Launched on February 26, 1914, Britannic began fitting out for service in the Atlantic. In August 1914, with work progressing, World War I began in Europe. Due to the need to produce ships for the war effort, materials were diverted from civilian projects. As a result, work on Britannic slowed. By May 1915, the same month as the loss of Lusitania, the new liner began testing its engines. With the war stagnating on the Western Front, the Allied leadership began looking to expand the conflict to the Mediterranean. Efforts to this end began in April 1915, when British troops opened the Gallipoli Campaign at the Dardanelles. To support the campaign, the Royal Navy began requisitioning liners, such as RMS Mauritania and RMS Aquitania, for use as troopships in June. Hospital Ship As casualties at Gallipoli began to mount, the Royal Navy recognized the need to convert several liners to hospital ships. These could act as medical facilities near the battlefield and could transport the more severely wounded back to Britain. In August 1915, Aquitania was converted with its troop transport duties passing to Olympic. On November 15, Britannic was requisitioned to serve as a hospital ship. As suitable facilities were constructed on board, the ship was repainted white with a green stripe and large red crosses. Commissioned at Liverpool on December 12, command of the vessel was given to Captain Charles A. Bartlett. As a hospital ship, Britannic possessed 2,034 berths and 1,035 cots for casualties. To aid the wounded, a medical staff of 52 officers, 101 nurses, and 336 orderlies was embarked. This was supported by a ships crew of 675. Departing Liverpool on December 23, Britannic coaled at Naples, Italy before reaching its new base at Mudros, Lemnos. There around 3,300 casualties were brought on board. Departing, Britannic made port at Southampton on January 9, 1916. After conducting two more voyages to the Mediterranean, Britannic returned to Belfast and was released from war service on June 6. Shortly thereafter, Harland Wolff began converting the ship back into a passenger liner. This was halted in August when the Admiralty recalled Britannic and dispatched it back to Mudros. Carrying members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment, it arrived on October 3. The Loss of the Britannic Returning to Southampton on October 11, Britannic soon departed for another run to Mudros. This fifth voyage saw it return to Britain with around 3,000 wounded. Sailing on November 12 with no passengers, Britannic reached Naples after a five-day run. Briefly detained in Naples due to bad weather, Bartlett took Britannic to sea on the 19th. Entering the Kea Channel on November 21, Britannic was rocked by a large explosion at 8:12 AM which struck the starboard side. It is believed that this was caused by a mine laid by U-73. As the ship began to sink by the bow, Bartlett initiated damage control procedures. Though Britannic had been designed to survive taking heavy damage, the failure of some watertight doors to close due to damage and malfunction ultimately doomed the vessel. This was aided by the fact that many of the lower deck portholes were open in an effort to ventilate the hospital wards. In an effort to save the ship, Bartlett turned to starboard in the hope of beaching Britannic on Kea, approximately three miles away. Seeing that the ship would not make it, he ordered abandon ship at 8:35 AM. As the crew and medical staff took to the lifeboats, they were aided by local fishermen and, later, the arrival of several British warships. Rolling on its starboard side, Britannic slipped beneath the waves. Due to the shallowness of the water, its bow hit the bottom while the stern was still exposed. Bending with the weight of the ship, the bow crumpled and the ship vanished at 9:07 AM. Despite taking similar damage as Titanic, Britannic only managed to remain afloat for fifty-five minutes, approximately one-third the time of its older sister. Conversely, losses from the sinking of Britannic numbered only thirty while 1,036 were rescued. One of those rescued was nurse Violet Jessop. A stewardess before the war, she survived the Olympic-Hawke collision as well as the sinking of Titanic. HMHS Britannic at a Glance Nation:  Great BritainType:  Hospital ShipShipyard:  Harland Wolff (Belfast, Northern Ireland)Laid Down:  November 30, 1911Launched:  February 26, 1914Fate:  Sunk by mine on November 21, 1916 HMHS Britannic  Specifications Displacement:  53,000 tonsLength:  882 ft., 9 in.Beam:  94 ft.Draft:  34 ft. 7 in.Speed:  23 knotsComplement:  675 men Sources WebTitanic: HMHS BritannicHMHS BritannicLost Liners: HMHS Britannic

Critique of British Foreign Policy in Regard of Libyan Revolution 2011 Essay

Critique of British Foreign Policy in Regard of Libyan Revolution 2011 - Essay Example It also involves the analysis of the influence implied by the International community and the British Government. The Economy One of the interesting policies implored include the two primary sources of revenue for Libya’s transitional government being unfrozen assets and revenues from the oil industry. The role of the British Government and the international community become helping the Libyan authorities to develop the transparency and accountability mechanism necessary to ensure that the public finances in Libya are spent equally and in a rational manner.1 Another priority going forwards will be the development of Libya’s economy beyond its oil industry. In addition to creating employment, economic diversification is pertinent to ameliorating democratic accountability which is realized when a government is incapable of solely drawing on revenues accrued from natural resources for its income, but must also rely on the enterprise of its citizens. 2 Security Rival militi as continue to operate beyond the control of the National Transitional Council (NTC), in multiple areas including in the capital Tripoli. The holistic make-up of the nouveau transitional cabinet has unequivocally channeled it efforts towards ameliorating the sentiments of militia which gravitate towards their community/area being adequately represented at the decision-making table. The NTC’s declare interest in integrating militia into the defense forces of the state is indisputable in tandem with security concerns of the state. Concurrently, this will result in accomplishing the twin objectives of availing militiamen with opportunities for employment and bolstering the country’s underdeveloped security capabilities.3 The role for the British Government and the international community in Libya’s Domain is split in two. The assisting in the equipping and training of the Libyan security and the police force regardless of the fact that the NTC remains reticent to i nclude outsiders in its security affairs at the present state. The second part is assisting the Libyan authorities to secure the huge number of weapons including chemical weapons, which are unsecured.4 The Tripoli authorities are trying effortlessly to get the situation in the nation’s capital under control. An ultimatum has been issued to the brigades that insist that they should leave by 20th December. This was done in conjunction with the Tripoli Military council insisting that the streets would be barricaded if the external militias had not conceded by then. The NTC’s interim prime minister contradicted to the councils implying that confrontations were not the best way around the situation. Regardless of this, an announcement was made that a major militia group of freedom fighters alien to Tripoli had agreed to leave. He decided not to mention the identity of the militia group though leading to slight speculation on the validity of the statement.5 Others members of the interim government further portrayed their support for believing that militias could be persuaded to leave or disarm from the capital though this was made with no profound deadline. Future Role of Islamist movements in Libya The function of Islam in Libya’s public and political life is highly likely in its future structure. However, the aspiration for democracy in Libya is legit and almost no Libyan is interested in the entrenchment of a theocratic state.

Social responsibility in finance decision making Essay - 1

Social responsibility in finance decision making - Essay Example Further, Monsanto CSR initiatives, the influence they have had on stakeholders and company image, with recommendations provided for improvement of CSR at Monsanto. Monsanto failed to meet CSR needs in two instances that seriously affected the business and formed the platform for more CSR initiatives that have allowed the business to receive global recognition, win back the confidence of the consumers, and achieve success in environmental conservation. Monsanto is a leading seed company globally specializing in biotechnology and genetic manipulation of organisms for the development of cheaper and resistant food and crops. Monsanto inserts genes to existing plant genes as a measure of augmenting disease resistance and yields. The effect is the production of drought resistant, more productive, and disease resistant plants known as genetically modified organisms GMO. Monsanto has achieved global success in terms of the supply of Agent O, saccharin, vanilla flavouring, artificial sweeteners, petroleum, packaging Roundup herbicides, petroleum, and GMO seeds. Despite the success, Monsanto faced CSR issues that seriously affected the firm and realized the importance of CSR taking several initiatives in correcting the situation and making several gains in the end. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) at Monsanto was not at the forefront of the company’s operations in the past, as is the case in recent years. For example, there are instances where Monsanto inflicted harm on a number of stakeholders for the sake of the firm’s profits that was the main aim of the firm at the time. Monsanto was not very cognisant of the CSR it had on a number of stakeholders. Monsanto’s production of Agent Orange in 1970’s for the deforestation of Vietnamese jungles forms the case where the company neglected its CSR responsibilities in favour of profit making (Ferrel et al., 2013). Agent Orange, as it was later discovered, contained a carcinogenic

E-business system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

E-business system - Essay Example On a broad analysis, the effect of e-commerce in people’s life has not been only in one dimension but through a wide spectrum of use, internet has been widely adopted for use in matters of shopping and transacting almost all bank procedures. Online shopping for various goods as well as services have not left consumer goods and services unattended to and according to the ‘Nielsen Global Consumer Report June 2010’ shopping for goods and services have had great evolution in the onset of online shopping (The Nielsen Company, 2010, p. 2). The advent of online stores through which sellers displays their goods and services and through which consumers shop for their consumer goods characterizes today’s commerce industry. Debates have however shaped the discussions about the topic of e banking; why the modern day banking institutions are adopting the e-commerce practices through adoption of such technologies as the internet for performing the transactions as against the traditional physical banking practices. Supporters of the practice of physical/manual banking procedures (who often are the older generation (Madden, 2010, p. 2), and who are opposed to the electronic banking practices, reasons that banking physically is easy and entails little logistics. It only gives one opportunities to conduct the banking procedures physically/manually where one-one interactions are preferred to the electronic practices. On the other hand, the supporters of the online banking practices affirm that the practice is more convenient than the physical banking in that one would have access to banking services such as withdrawals, transfers as well as transacting other complex banking transactions without physically visiting a banking facility (Hazel and Raphael, 2001, p. 4). The decisions to offer the online banking services by banking institutions may therefore stem from various reasons such as the convenience to customers, the good returns in use of internet fo r the procedures (which reduces the human labor costs incurred) and the general advancement of technology as is widely acknowledged in the current era. However, the evaluation of the advantages as well as associated factors that influence the adoption of online banking methods by different banking institutions takes to cognition that these services adopted vary from one region to another and from one country to another (Diniz, Porto and Adachi, 2004, p. 41-42). Institutional frameworks and culture within countries and the governments may have influence on the choice of methods of banking practices such as the internet banking. For instance, among some cultures, technological advancement is not appreciated and hence the effect to adoption of online practices such as banking would be unfavorable (Tan and Teo, 2000, p. 1-4). 2.0 DISCUSSION There has been noted evolution within the practice as necessitated by the

The War Play Dilemma Essay Example for Free

The War Play Dilemma Essay As violence in the media and media-linked toys increases, parents and teachers are also seeing an increase in childrens war play. The authors have revised this popular text to provide more practical guidance for working with children to promote creative play, and for positively influencing the lessons about violence children are learning. Using a developmental and sociopolitical viewpoint, the authors examine five possible strategies for resolving the war play dilemma and show which best satisfy both points of view: banning war play; taking a laissez-faire approach; allowing war play with specified limits; actively facilitating war play; and limiting war play while providing alternative ways to work on the issues. New for the Second Edition: * More anecdotal material about adults and childrens experiences with war play, including examples from both home and school settings. * Greater emphasis on the impact of media and commercialization on childrens war play, including recent trends in media, programming, marketing, and war toys. * Expanded discussion about the importance of the distinction between imitative and creative war play. * Summary boxes of key points directed at teachers or parents. * New information about violent video games, media cross feeding, and gender development and sex-role stereotyping. * A more extensive list of resources and further reading for adults and children. Here is a short pdf article by one of the authors on some of these themes: Beyond Banning War and Superhero Play http://www.lionlamb.org/young%20children-war%20play.pdf A few key ideas from the book: The deregulation of childrens media during the early 1980s (Reagan administration) led to an alliance of media companies and toy companies and other companies (like food companies); the result of this is an immersion for many children in an interlinked experience of seeing media about violence, purchasing related action figures and toys and video games, and  having these items promoted every place they go (whether to buy fast-food or just in other kids homes). This is a big change from the media environment from the 1960s and 1970s that many of todays parents grew up in. The authors point out that the behaviors promoted by this alliance tend to be very sex-role stereotypical, as in boys need to be fighters and girls need to be princesses. For many children, the authors suggest they can get locked into a pattern of endless cycling through stereotyped behaviors. While it is true that knights and princesses have long been important parts of many childrens play (so this is not intended to dismiss that), what has changed for some children is the tone and extremeness of those experience because of the high degree of continual interrelated media/toy/game/food saturation. Rather than children being able to express themselves building on those knight/princess themes in their own unique ways, because of the integrated marketing, for many children there becomes only one way to be a knight or a princess (as defined by some media and accompanying purchased toys to be used in only very precise and narrow ways). The book focuses mainly on the boy part of this equation. One of the authors has writings on the female stereotyping aspect of media and other issues, described here: http://www.dianeelevin.com/writing.html The dilemma is about a fundamental conflict parents face when dealing with war play. On the one hand, most parents want children to grow and develop by working through developmental issues (like learning to deal with conflict, learning self-control, and learning respect for themselves and others through play, including play involving conflicts as hands-on-learning). On the other hand, most parents want to convey social values related to their beliefs about violence and war as ways to solve social conflicts. The authors clearly do not say all war play is bad, and they also point out that even a cracker can be turned into a gun with one bite. The authors say there are no easy general answers to this dilemma in all situations, but provide a range of options. They suggest younger kids have trouble distinguishing between fantasy and reality, and when children are getting hurt, they suggest pointing out to the children what is obvious to any adult, that some other child is just pretending to be a bad guy and they are not really a bad guy. (It can also helps to try to break out of the bad guy / good guy  mindset entirely, to talk about bad actions instead of bad people.) There are a variety of things one can say and do for children who have gotten locked into a repetitive cycle of war play. They give examples of questions to ask to try to help children broaden their behavioral options in regard to war play. These range from asking how the weapons are supposed to work, asking what if the weapon did some other thing (like sprayed foam instead of bullets), to asking what the bad guy does when he is not fighting. As an example of expanding behavioral possibilities, perhaps an interest in, say, light sabers might eventually lead to an interest in math and physics. Here are some funny related web pages: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/lightsaber.htm Have you ever wondered how these remarkable weapons work? Where does the energy come from, and how are they able to contain that energy in a rod-like column of glowing power? In this article, you will have a chance to look inside a lightsaber and discover the source of its incredible characteristics. Lets get started! And an interest in light sabers might lead to imagining other non-stereotyped uses for one, also from that site: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/lightsaber3.htm If you are lucky enough to acquire a lightsaber, you are probably purchasing it for personal defense purposes. A lightsaber completely blows away a can of pepper spray as a deterrent in muggings or robberies. However, many new owners are pleasantly surprised by the many domestic uses of a lightsaber around the home or office. Lets examine a few of the more common applications here, and then you can use your imagination to come up with others. One example there is how a lightsaber can both cut and toast a bagel at the same time. 🙂 From the table of contents, here is the list of topics in their Guidelines for Resolving the War Play Dilemma (each topic has a few pages of explanation and suggestions): * Guideline 1: Limit Childrens Exposure to Violence * Guideline 2: Help Children Engage in Creative and Meaningful Dramatic Play * Guideline 3: Learn as Much as You Can [about the media scenes kids view] * Guideline 4: In Childrens War Play, Address the Issues * Guideline 5: Work to Counteract the Lessons About Violence and  Stereotyping * Guideline 6: Make Keeping the Play Safe You Highest Priority * Guideline 7: Limit the Use of Highly Structured Violent Toys * Guideline 8: Work to Counteract Highly Stereotyped and Limiting Gender Roles * Guideline 9: Create an Ongoing Dialog Between Educators and Parents In my own life, I grew up being taught in public school that I lived in a modern day Athens. As Ive grow older, and paid more attention to politics and where taxes go, it feels more to me more like I live in a modern day Sparta. 🙠 Here is a long list of where many of our tax dollars have gone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_history_events I was surprised to learn how long that list is, regardless of how one feels about the value of any specific event. Ive come to agree with the late Major General Smedley D. Butler (USMC Retired), based on his decades of combat experience, that War is a Racket: http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm Major General Butler talks about what war means for adults in our society in his essay. He starts: War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes. And it seems that, even while The War Play Dilemma book does not address that sort of global issue, a related profit motive seems to have seeped down over the past couple of decades into the media and toy environment that shapes part of our childrens lives (even against our wishes). It seems a few people are making a lot of money at the expense of our childrens balanced lives, to the degree war play has changed over the past few decades to become more and more commercially driven in all pervasive integrated ways (as documented in The War Play Dilemma). So, sadly, Id suggest War Play is a Racket, too. 🙠 And it is easy to say Well, if you dont believe in war play, just say no, but the fact is that just saying no is difficult in a culture saturated both in real war and in war play (without total isolation). The book talks about that difficulty.  Even just going to a local 5 10 store near where we live, about half the prominently displayed toys are war-themed action figures or weapons of various sorts an entire wall of them. Also, many types of media may start off non-violent or less-violent but turn more violent over time (whether Harry Potter as the series progresses or the Wall-e video game which about a third of the way through starts requiring inten tionally killing other robots to make progress, unlike the movie). And then there is the fact that what may be tolerable for older kids may not be so good for younger kids, so any family with two children of different ages faces another set of difficulties. Also, just saying no ignores the dilemma the fact that children do need to learn how to deal with conflict, and many do need to physically work through various issues in their growing lives in some way. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles concept was one of the first big profitable ventures in integrating violent-themed media with toy sales and other sales: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles#Toys_and_merchandise That theme has made over a billion dollars for some, as described on that page: Much of the Turtles mainstream success is owed to a licensing agent, Mark Freedman, who sought out Eastman and Laird to propose wider merchandising opportunities for the offbeat property. In 1986, Dark Horse Miniatures produced a set of 15 mm lead figurines. In January 1988, they visited the offices of Playmates Toys Inc, a small California toy company who wished to expand into the action figure market. Accompanied by the popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 TV series, and the subsequent action figure line, the TMNT were soon catapulted into pop culture history. At the height of the frenzy, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Turtles likenesses could be found on a wide range of childrens merchandise, from PEZ dispensers to skateboards, breakfast cereal, toothpaste, video games, school supplies and cameras. How can you avoid something when it is in all those places? Again from Wikipedia: For many parents in the late 1980s, the Ninja Turtles phenomenon represented the latest in a series of shrewd cartoon-toy marketing strategies, a trend that had proven very profitable with Masters of the Universe, Transformers, and a host of other good vs. evil  action-adventure franchises. Parents often found themselves at odds with children who demanded scads of toys and accessories after being subjected to so-called 30 minute commercials delivered via after-school television. That Turtle concept is one of the obvious successes which has fueled a huge child-focused industry trying to repeat that financial gain by inventing the next violent characters with weapon merchandising tie-ins. Star Wars is another franchise which has been a similar success marketing to kids, in part because, while George Lucas signed away the distribution rights to the first Star Wars movie, he managed to retain the marketing rights to related products (in part because no one thought Star Wars would be very valuable as a media property). See: http://www.supershadow.com/starwars/history.html Growing up, I saw Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Star Trek, and so on on TV, and Star Wars several times in theaters, but the level of integrated marketing was much lower then, and there were many other shows for kids as well that were slower paced and generally resolved conflicts non-violently (Mr. Ed, Green Acres, Sealab 2020, the Andy Griffith Show, etc.). Even Lego now has ties to violent media. And also it was not easy to see the same episode more that once, so there was less channeling of behavior into repetitive acts. Im not saying getting lost in violent play did not happen to some kids, just that is was harder back then to be that immersed in a violent media world continuously, especially as a pre-teen (not impossible, just harder). The book explains why is a more difficult situation to deal with these days. Reading that book gave me some more perspective on the situation as a parent, and why it is so hard to come up with useful approaches, especially given the tension between a desire to help children learn by working through conflicts and a desire to pass on social values. Some other related resources Ive found useful: A book: No Contest: The Case Against Competition by Alfie Kohn http://www.amazon.com/No-Contest-Case-Against-Competition/dp/0395631254 He persuasively demonstrates how the ingrained American myth that competition is the only normal and desirable way of life from Little Leagues to the  presidency is counterproductive, personally and for the national economy, and how psychologically it poisons relationships, fosters anxiety and takes the fun out of work and play. He charges that competition is a learned phenomenon and denies that it builds character and self-esteem. Kohns measures to encourage cooperation in lieu of competition include promoting noncompetitive games, eliminating scholastic grades and substitution of mutual security for national security. Here is a small family run company that sells non-competitive games: http://www.familypastimes.com/ It amazes me it took me forty plus years before playing a board game where you help each other instead of try to virtually hurt each other. Here is another related book to understand the seductiveness of war play, both for adults and children: http://www.amazon.com/War-Force-that-Gives-Meaning/dp/1400034639 The communal march against an enemy generates a warm, unfamiliar bond with our neighbors, our community, our nation, wiping out unsettling undercurrents of alienation and dislocation, writes Chris Hedges, a foreign correspondent for the New York Times. In War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, Hedges draws on his experiences covering conflicts in Bosnia, El Salvador and Israel as well as works of literature from the Iliad to Hannah Arendts The Origins of Totalitarianism to look at what makes war so intoxicating for soldiers, politicians and ordinary citizens. That seductiveness in one reason that selling violent media about good versus evil is such a profitable thing in our culture. It is seductive to think all of lifes problem would go away if we could identify all the bad people responsible for making trouble and then kill them all(*) but that unfortunately all too often leads to genocide: The Eight Stages of Genocide http://www.genocidewatch.org/eightstages.htm All cultures have categories to distinguish people into us and them by ethnicity, race, religion, or nationality: German and Jew, Hutu and Tutsi. Bipolar societies that lack mixed categories, such as Rwanda and Burundi, are the most likely to have genocide. The main preventive measure at this early stage is to develop universalistic institutions that transcend ethnic or racial divisions, that actively promote tolerance and understanding, and  that promote classifications that transcend the divisions. The Catholic church could have played this role in Rwanda, had it not been riven by the same ethnic cleavages as Rwandan society. Promotion of a common language in countries like Tanzania or Cote dIvoire has also promoted transcendent national identity. This search for common ground is vital to early prevention of genocide. And an alternative view on infinite game playing from one of my wifes favorite books by James P. Carse: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite_and_Infinite_Games In short, a finite game is played with the purpose of winning (thus ending the game), while an infinite game is played with the purpose of continuing the play. And of course, there is Mister Rogers: What do you do? (with the Mad That You Feel) http://pbskids.org/rogers/songlist/song7.html Anyway, whatever one may think about the political necessity of past or current US wars, the fact is that even for the most dedicated military families, having their own children learn diplomatic options for resolving conflicts is important, as is learning how to contain the expression of violence to whatever is deemed socially appropriate for the situation (including the difficulty of coming home after being in a war zone). While it is true that a big part of military basic training involves desensitizing people to killing other people, another big part of military training involves learning to only kill on command according to rules of engagement. For many kids playing at war, even being able to learn rules of engagement like dont shoot unarmed civilians would be an improvement. Even the top military brass advocate alternatives to violence: U.S. Military Chief Urges More Diplomacy

Essay on the Growth of Nora and Kristina Linde in Ibsens A Dolls Hous

The Growth of Nora and Kristina Linde in A Doll's House      Ã‚  Ã‚   A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, is a play that was written ahead of its time. In this play Ibsen tackles prevailing social norms by presenting two strong-willed women. Both Kristina and Nora chose the men they married by an intellectual rather than an emotional process: Kristina gave up the man she loved (Nils Krogstad) to provide economic security for her mother and her two younger brothers; Nora married Torvald Helmer at a time when he could have prosecuted her father for financial activities which were wrong if not simply illegal.1 Whether she married him out of thankfulness or to influence him during the time of decision is not clear, but one doubts that this timing was mere coincidence; if Nora married Torvald Helmer to save her father, we have reason to doubt that she was ever as empty-headed a "doll" as she claimed to be.    Neither woman knew how to convey her thoughts and feelings to the man she loved: When Kristina broke off with Nils Krogstad, she believed she would spare him grief by ending the relationship ruthlessly and, necessarily, crushing the love he bore her. She was badly mistaken. In making him believe that she had thrown him over for a richer man, she drove him into crime. When she comes to visit Nora she has been on her own for three years and learned how to support herself. Moreover, she has become so aware of her own motivations and such an understanding of his that she comes to the town with the deliberate intent of speaking with her now-widowed lover, and she is so beyond society's concept of what a woman should do and say in a courtship that she can begin the discussion of love and marriage with him. The audience can see that ha... ... 2. The best description of this subplot and love story is Davies (1982:33-34).    Works Cited and Consulted: Brandes, Georg. 1964. Henrik Ibsen. A Critical Study. New York: Benjamin Blom. Reprint of 1899 edition. Clurman, Harold. 1977. Ibsen. New York: Macmillan. Davies, H. Neville. 1982. "Not just a bang and a whimper: the inconclusiveness of Ibsen's A Doll's House." Critical Quarterly 24:33-34. Heiberg, Hans. 1967. Ibsen. A Portrait of the Artist. Coral Gables, Florida: University of Miami. Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House. Dover Thrift Edition, 1992 Koht, Halvdan. 1971. Life of Ibsen. New York: Benjamin Blom. Meyer, Michael. 1971. Ibsen. A Biography. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Company. Northam, John. 1965. "Ibsen's Search for the Hero." Ibsen. A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.