The Influence of the Medici Essays

The Influence of the Medici Essays The Influence of the Medici Essay The Influence of the Medici Essay In this paper I will argue that the Medici family had an influence on the art produced during the Renaissance Era. The Medici family managed to become the chief patrons of the era, going from merchant class to bankers and eventually politicians. Many of Florence’s most recognizable buildings and features exist due to the influence of the Medici. Between 1300 and 1600 the Western world was transformed. An extraordinary wave of artistic and cultural innovation shattered medieval society and brought European culture reluctantly into the modern era. This was the Renaissance. Artists discovered how to paint in the third dimension, bringing new life and realism to their subjects. Breaking away from the religious traditions of the medieval world, they created entirely new genres of art, rich emotion. Radical new techniques were invented, such as painting with oils, and perspective. Artists such as, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Donatello transformed the way we saw our world. The House of Medici or de Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house. It first began to gain prominence under the man Cosimo de Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. Gradually the family made money through illegal loaning, they were able to found the Medici Bank and rise in social ranking. The bank was the largest, most prosperous and respected institution in Europe during the 15th century. The Medici also gained political power in Florence; though officially they remained simply citizens. The Medici produced four Popes of the Catholic Church and in 1531 the family became hereditary Dukes of Florence[1]. From this, they acquired political power initially in Florence and later in wider in Italy. Since they were able to bring Florence under their familys power, this allowed for an environment where art and humanism could flourish. Also, by establishing several major institutions for artistic production and instruction they fostered the birth of the Italian Renaissance. The ways in which the Medici had an effect on culture was through sponsorship of art and architecture. The Medici was responsible for the majority of Florentine art during their reign. Their money was significant because during this period, artists generally only crafts their works when they received commissions in advance, and simply the fact that they could buy whomever’s art they wanted. Giovanni di Bicci de Medici, the first patron of the arts in the family, commissioned Brunelleschi for the reconstruction of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence in 1419. The Basilica of San Lorenzo is one of the largest and oldest churches of Italy[2]. It is placed in the city’s main market district, and the burial place to members of the Medici family from Cosimo il Vecchio to Cosimo III. For three hundred years it was the citys cathedral. One can only imagine how people were influenced by the style of architecture and art displayed by the Basilica. This form of architectural propaganda was used for promotion of themselves, their status, and of their religion. The most significant addition to the list over the years was Michaelangelo. He produced work for a number of Medici, beginning with Lorenzo the Magnificent. Lorenzo was said to be extremely fond of the young Michelangelo, inviting him to study the family collection of antique sculpture[3]. Lorenzo served as patron to Leonardo da Vinci for seven years. His support of the arts is seen as a high point in Medici patronage. Celebrated during his lifetime for his extraordinary talent as a sculptor, painter, architect, and poet, Michelangelo inspired subsequent Florentine artists and attracted the citys most powerful patrons. The Medici grand dukes patronage allowed art in all ways to flourish. In addition to commissioning portraits and decorative objects for their private enjoyment and public display, the Medici family ordered the reconstruction and renovation of numerous civic buildings and private residences. In 1505 Michelangelo was invited to Rome by the newly elected Pope Julius II, commissioning him to build the Popes tomb. Under the patronage of the Pope, Michelangelo had to constantly stop work on the tomb in order to accomplish numerous other tasks. Because of these interruptions, Michelangelo worked on the tomb for 40 years. During that same period, Michelangelo took the commission to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which took him approximately four years to complete[4]. In 1513 Pope Julius II died. His successor Pope Leo X, also a Medici, commissioned Michelangelo to reconstruct the facade of the basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. He was to adorn it with sculptures Michelangelo and the Medici grand dukes, an intellectual curiosity and an awareness of the power of images, shaped the artistic, political, and cultural identity of Renaissance Florence. [5] Michelangelo designed the Medici Chapel was told to use his own discretion to create. The Medici Chapel has monuments inside dedicated to certain members of the Medici family. Michelangelo never finished the project, so his pupils later completed it. Lorenzo the Magnificent was buried at the entrance wall of the Medici Chapel. It is not known how Donatello and Cosimo de Medici became friends1. Having a keen eye, Donatello was consulted on the quality of the antiques and texts rescued by Cosimo and his friends. In 1419, Cosimo nominated Donatello to sculpt a tomb for the dead pirate pope, Baldassare Cossa, which would be placed inside the Baptistry. Cosimo and his father provided the funding and Donatello cast a bronze likeness of the pope. With Cosimos help, Donatello built a reputation for realism. In 1434, following his triumph over the enemies of the Medici, Cosimo requested a special commission from his friend. Donatellos bronze â€Å"David† broke all the rules. A playful, sensuous, and androgynous hero, David, was the first life size nude to be cast in bronze since Classical times. To create such a homoerotic hero could have been dangerous for Donatello without the support of the Medici. Cosimo placed the statue in the center of the courtyard of the Medici Palace where it was visible to all. [6] Later, in Rome, the Medici Popes continued in the family tradition of patronizing artists. Pope Leo X commissioned works from Raphael. Born Raffaele Sanzio in 1483, Raphael came to prominence at the court of Pope Julius II, whose portrait he painted in 1512. As a boy, Raphael spent his days studying the works of the great masters like Leonardo and Michelangelo. Raphael was given commission to decorate the most private chambers in the Vatican, the rooms of the Pope. The biggest opportunity of Raphaels life brought him into direct interaction with one of his childhood idols. Down the hall, Michelangelo was engaged in one of the greatest solo projects of the Renaissance, the painting of the Sistine chapel. When Giovanni de Medici was elected Pope Leo X, he found Raphael easier to work with than the demanding Michelangelo. Raphael painted a portrait of the new Pope with his cousin, Giulio de Medici, and designed several magnificent buildings under their patronage. One of the most famous artists in the world, Leonardo de Vinci, was taken care of by Lorenzo de Medici. Leonardo was more than just an artist. It is argued that no man has ever studied more subjects or generated more ideas, than Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo, like thousands of talented boys, was drawn to Florence. He was soon employed by Verrochio, whose busy workshop served many powerful families, predominantly the Medici. Even as an apprentice, Leonardos talent was hard to ignore. His contribution to the â€Å"Baptism of Christ† was so vivid, it was said that Verrochio threatened to give up painting. Lorenzo de’ Medici saw the talent in the young boy and immediately took him under his wing. Leonardo was experimenting with oils, a radical technique previously known only in the Northern Europe. Traditionally, Italian artists had painted with tempera (pigment mixed with egg), which dried quickly, often cracked, and was considerably messy. By mixing a pigment with oil, Leonardo discovered a more versatile color, which could be built up in layers to add depth, tone, or even to cover mistakes. It was the start of an artistic revolution. Leonardo soon had come to outgrow Florence. He approached Lorenzo de Medici for help. Lorenzo referred him to his friend, the Duke of Milan, whose needs were more practical than artistic. This suited Leonardo perfectly, as he had surpassed the need for just a studio and was desperate to build his inventions[7]. Once in Milan, he couldnt resist a commission that became the most famous fresco in history, â€Å"The Last Supper. †[8] Without the aid of the Medici, Leonardo da Vinci may not have been pushed into a cerain direction as an artist or inventor. The political, social and religious actions made by the Medici have affected art history. The Medici family usage of allocating their money into art has especially affected the art produced in the Renaissance Era. By commissioning whatever artist they found to be the best at the time, they funded some of the most influential and beautiful artistic creations ever made.

Defining Rotation and Revolution in Astronomy

Defining Rotation and Revolution in Astronomy Astro-Language The language of astronomy has many interesting terms such as light-year, planet, galaxy, nebula, black hole, supernova, planetary nebula, and others. These all describe objects in the universe. However, those are just objects in space. If we want to understand them better, we have to know something about their motions. However, to understand them and their motions, astronomers use terminology from physics and mathematics to describe those motions and other characteristics. So, for example, we use velocity to talk about how fast an object moves. The term acceleration, which comes from physics (as does velocity), refers to the rate of an objects motion over time.  Think of it like starting up a car: the driver pushes on the accelerator, which causes the car to move slowly at first. The car eventually picks up speed (or accelerates) as long as the driver keeps pushing on the gas pedal.   In Back to the Future a specially outfitted DeLorean was the vehicle that took the movies characters back and forth in time. One of the requirements for the trip was that it had to accelerate at high speed.   Getty Images/Charles Eshelman.   Two other terms used in science are rotation and revolution. They do not mean the same thing, but they do describe motions that objects make. And, they are often used interchangeably. Rotation and revolution arent terms exclusive to astronomy. Both are important facets of mathematics, especially geometry, where geometrical objects can be rotated and their motion described using mathematics. The terms are also used in physics and chemistry.  So, knowing what they mean and the difference between the two is useful knowledge, particularly in astronomy. Rotation The strict definition of rotation is the circular movement of an object about a point in space. This is used in geometry as well as astronomy and physics. To help visualize it, imagine a point on a piece of paper. Rotate the piece of paper while its lying flat on the table. Whats happening is that essentially every point is rotating around the place on the paper where the point is drawn. Now, imagine a point in the middle of a spinning ball. All the other points in the ball rotate around the point. Draw a line through the center of the ball where the point lies, and thats its axis.   This graphic shows Earth spinning on its axis (rotation) as it orbits the Sun (revolution). Image by Tauolunga, via Wikimedia Commons.   For the kinds of objects  discussed in astronomy, rotation is used to describe an object rotating about an axis. Think of a merry-go-round. It rotates around the center pole, which is the axis. Earth rotates around on its axis in the same way. In fact, so do many astronomical objects: stars, moons, asteroids, and pulsars. When the axis of rotation passes through the object it is said to  spin,  like that top mentioned above, on the point of the axis.   Revolution It is not necessary for the axis of rotation to actually pass through the object in question. In some cases, the axis of rotation is outside of the object altogether. When that happens, the outer object is revolving around the axis of rotation. Examples of revolution would be a ball on the end of a string, or a planet going around a star. However,  in the case of planets revolving around stars, the motion is also commonly referred to as an  orbit. The planets and comets of the solar system follow slightly elliptical orbits around the Sun. Moons and other satellites do the same around their planets. This diagram shows the orbits shapes, although it is not to scale. NASA The Sun-Earth System Now, since astronomy often deals with multiple objects in motion, things can get complex. In some systems, there are multiple axes of rotation. One classic astronomy example is the Earth-Sun system. Both the Sun and the Earth rotate individually, but the Earth also revolves, or more specifically orbits, around the Sun. An object can have more than one axis of rotation, such as some asteroids. To make things easier, just think of spin as something that objects do on their axes (plural of axis).   Orbit is the motion of one object around another. Earth orbits the Sun. The Moon orbits Earth. The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way.  Its likely that the Milky Way is orbiting something else within the Local Group, which is the grouping of galaxies where it exists. Galaxies can also orbit around a common point with other galaxies. In some cases, those orbits bring galaxies so close together that they collide.   Sometimes people will say that Earth revolves around the Sun.  Orbit  is more precise and is the motion that can be calculated using the masses, gravity, and the distance between the orbiting bodies. Sometimes we hear someone refer to the time it takes for a planet to make one orbit around the Sun as one revolution. Thats rather more old-fashioned, but its perfectly legitimate.  The word revolution comes from the word revolve and so it makes sense to use the term, although its not strictly a scientific definition. The important thing to remember is that objects are in motion throughout the universe, whether they are orbiting each other, a common point of gravity, or spinning on one or more axes as they move.   Fast Facts Rotation usually refers to something rotating on its axis.Revolution usually refers to something orbiting something else (like Earth around the Sun).Both terms have specific uses and meanings in science and mathematics. Updated and edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Gatsby and his mask Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gatsby and his mask - Essay Example We may not want to admit it but we are different in one way or another at times. We could be the obedient and hardworking son or daughter to our parents, the witty or adventurous person with our friends, or the caring and understanding individual in a romantic relationship. James Gatz realized after desperately losing his greatest love to someone well-off with a notable pedigree that he needed to be someone else, someone other than himself. He wanted to be accepted by Daisy Fay and to be taken seriously as someone worthy to be her better half. Someone better than whom he truly is in the name of the famous (or rather infamous) Jay Gatsby. It had been necessary for him to put on a mask and carry on an alternate reality just to be able to move in the same circles as her. These efforts are all in the plot to gain Daisy’s attention as he became fixated to the idea of a life he was supposed to live with her. Nick was a pawn in all of the games that he played and their first extensiv e personal conversation revealed the flaws in the lies that Gatsby has weaved to convince people of his affluence. He had been seemingly consistent in his stories but Nick had been a good judge of character in taking things with a grain of salt and relating to the reader that Gatsby was by no means a great man but there is always more to his stories and the truth reveals itself almost anti-climactically in the end. Their meeting that morning in July revealed more to Gatsby and how the audience starts to perceive him as a character. There had been plenty of gossips and assumptions as to who the man who threw extravagant parties is and as to where he came from. In this scene Gatsby himself seem to divulge more about himself. But just like Nick the reader has to read between the lines and comprehend the context accordingly. The car parked in front of Nick’s door and he jumped right in, much like the heightened anticipation the reader has into wanting to know more about this man in order to understand him. Lurching forward and not caring whatever comes next so long as the enigma somehow reveals himself more. Gatsby starts off the conversation too fittingly by asking â€Å"What’s your opinion of me, anyhow?† (Fitzgerald 70). This signifies the persona’s great regard for what people think of him. He is careful to form a perception in people’s minds of who he is and he wants them to regard him in high esteem. This question consequently took Nick for quite a surprise though it did not entirely rattle him as he knew that Gatsby must also be aware of the ideas floating around about him. Then Gatsby went on to tell about his past. That he was the son of a wealthy family from the Midwest, San Francisco to be exact and that his entire family had died already. This led him to a journey in different parts of the world and then off to war where he claimed he intended to die. These stories complete with embellishments in how he tells his stor ies and complete with evidence through articles such as a medal of valor and a photograph from Oxford with his contemporaries. Nick took this all with some sense of doubt realizing what Jordan first found to be insincerities. â€Å"He hurried the phrase ‘educated at Oxford,’ or swallowed it or choked on it as though it had bothered him before. And with this doubt his whole statement fell to pieces and I wondered if there wasn’t something a little sinister about him after all† (ibid). The study in the syntax and the intonation of Gatsby gives a deeper understanding on what Nick had established early on in his narration, that he is a good judge of character by not forthrightly concluding on their personalities and trying to understand where they are coming from. This is something which is almost

Theories of Counseling Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theories of Counseling - Term Paper Example If he gets demotivated and stops working hard his grades may even drop. The bottom line is that an individual endeavors to achieve success through hard work thereby overcoming the weaknesses. This contributes towards a personal drive to completeness. Hence, my view of the nature of people is closest to Alfred Alder’s Individual Psychology according to which people strive towards achieving success and this is referred to as a personal growth towards perfection. Also, according to Alder social interest was affected by social training and was not inborn. Unlike Freud’s theory, Alder believed that the conscious behavior was the backbone of an individual’s personal development. As a result, this theory makes an individual responsible for their perception and adaptations to the different events. An individual’s own lack of properly adjustment explains their lack of growth. If an individual is discouraged or his or her positive gestures do not result in required outcome, misbehavior occurs (University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2010). Individuals act as the components upon which the structure of family is made up of. An individual is affected by the family system very deeply as the family as a whole is a complex and dynamic collection of these individuals playing their roles (Hammond, 2010). The behavior of an individual in their family is shaped by the expectation of the family. This is the same reason why an individual may behave differently with their family members and their friends. This is because an individual is aware of what is expected of him as a brother, sister, daughter, son, parent, or grandparent. The theory which is closest to me view is the Family Systems theory according to which a family is a group of individuals, components and subparts. Similar to any mechanical system, a family can also be diagnosed by researchers and therapists so as to locate the point of repair by investigating its members (Hammond, 2010).

The Role of Women in Arthurian Romances Essay Example for Free

The Role of Women in Arthurian Romances Essay It is a popular format that a woman is the lead character in contemporary romances. But not in stories form the middle ages. They are typically dominated by men and women are but damsels in distress. Kings and knights are more likely the words that come to mind when discussing about stories from the middle ages. Also, the middle ages is an era known for gender bias against women. They were usually depicted as helpless damsels in distress in need of help from a knight. Even the women of high status such as queens are portrayed with weakness in character and dependency on men. A kingdom is a male dominated-social setting, that’s why they are aptly called king-dom. Women have been mistreated as man’s property during this time. They were treated as rewards for battles and can be used for payment of a man’s debt. Of course, it is a usual observation that women are obviously not more glorified than men in these stories. Some were portrayed unfaithful and impure. It is easy to conclude that the women were mere companions and damsels-in-distress. In many cases, these women were subjected to violence and exploitation. In some occasions, some women were even treated as property by men that can be used as payment for a man’s debt (Gravdal 141). In â€Å"The Knight with the Lion†, thirty of the fairest maidens, each year, were used as payment for a young king’s freedom (Troyes 270). In Arthurian romances, women are given roles that differ from typical middle age stories. The roles maybe different, but all are crucial in Arthurian romances (Fester 59-61). Women are more empowered and are given much important roles in the stories. They are more evenly distributed within the plot. In Chretien de Troyes’ â€Å"The Knight of the Cart†, a woman is always present and interacting with the hero, Lancelot, in every scene. In â€Å"The Knight and the Lion†, of the same author, all of Yvain’s knightly deeds were requests from maidens. A very logical speculation why Chretien de Troyes depicted women in such an empowered manner is because he dedicated these stories to a woman, to Marie, countess of Champagne. The countess was a patron of his works at that time. She supplied him some sources for the stories. (Troyes 170) The presence of women in Arthurian romances highlighted the knight’s admirable courtesy to women. There is an instance in â€Å"The Knight in the Cart† that Lancelot was seduced by a woman to sleep with her. He refused the offer because he was focused on his quest to rescue Guinevere (Troyes 87). A knight seems to always help a maiden without question. In this sense, women have some sort of authority over men. In the first part of â€Å"The Knights of the Cart†, Kay announced that he wanted to leave court. King Arthur begged him to him not to go, but failed. King Arthur asked Queen Guinevere for help. We can see that the king feels powerless in this particular situation. He has no person in mind that can help him in this dilemma other than Queen Guinevere (Troyes 171). With this, Chretien de Troyes had already incorporated empowerment to Queen Guinevere’s character right from the very start of the story. The significance of women is probably most expressed in â€Å"The Knights of the Cart. † Queen Guinevere is probably the most popular among the women in the realm of Arthurian romances. Guinevere could be easily accused of being weak in character because she is very susceptible to being kidnapped. She was entangled in a love triangle with King Arthur and Lancelot and had easily fallen for Kay request of taking her with him that resulted to her abduction (Troyes 172). But being weak in character is very far from what is Guinevere’s role in this story. She has a certain power over the king that he asks her opinion about issues. She has also unexplainably, if not for the word â€Å"love†, inspired the knight Lancelot into a quest wherein no ordinary man can accomplish. Lancelot was finding it hard to defeat Meleagant in a swordfight. But when he took sight of Guinevere, he fought with renewed energy and defeated his opponent. There are some instances that Lancelot was on the brink of giving up his quest. But when he thinks of Guinevere, he is renewed with strength and determination (Fenster 229-34). I a certain angle, we can view Guinevere’s affair with Lancelot as a form of woman empowerment. King Arthur, like most kings, had taken other women after Guinevere. What she did was only giving justice to what his husband did. She didn’t choose to be passive of what is happening.

Title IX: Leveling the Playing Field Essay -- gender equity in sports

How does one define the success of a high school and college? Is it through standardized test scores, graduates, and college applicants? Is it through winning games and playing beyond the school? Yes, in fact it’s all of these things. America is based on freedom and equality. America is created with â€Å"Liberty and Justice for All†. America is only now starting to treat women as the equals they are. Although Title IX has improved athletic opportunities for women, the ratio of women to men athletic funds is uneven because of the revenue main stream men’s sports bring to the schools. As colleges grew in people and pride, football became the new sensation. With the predominant â€Å"football schools† nationwide, female athletic programs weren’t given much thought. Football provides the schools funding through its massive packed stands. The revenue made funneled back into the football programs and left little funding for any other sport, male or female. In 1972, the nation finally decided to make a stand, and force schools to create and sponsor other athletic teams for females, besides cheerleading and square dancing. Title IX was enacted in 1972 by President Richard Nixon. It â€Å"requires† gender equity for boys and girls in every educational program that is federally funded. Many people do not even know that Title IX exists, or if they do, that it applies to more than sports. However it applies to sports, access to higher education, career education, education for pregnant and parenting students, employment, learning environment, math and science, sexual harassment, standardized testing and technology. It forced schools to even the playing field and implement women’s sporting teams. Before Title IX, it was nearly impossible to get a f... ...011. Davis, Paula M. "Imagine Fund Will Offer Race and Gender-based Scholarships in Response to 2006 Anti-affirmative Action Law." MLive. Michigan Live LLC, 20 Aug. 2008. Web. 06 Feb. 2011. Grant, Christine. "A Title IX Presentation." Bailiwick. The University of Iowa Libraries, 25 Sept. 1995. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. Lopiano, Donna. "Title IX Q & A - Women's Sports Foundation." Title IX. Women's Sports Foundation, 26 May 2005. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. Rhode, Deborah L., and Christopher J. Walker. "Gender Equity in College Athletics: Women Coaches as a Case Study." NCAA. National College Athletics Association, 26 Mar. 2008. Web. 6 Feb. 2011. Weistart, John. "Equal Opportunity? Title IX and Intercollegiate Sports." Wilson Web, Fall 1998. Web. 2 Feb. 2011. "Christine Grant | Sports Management Resources." Our Consultants. Sports Management Resources. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.

Application of ICT in Classrooms in Rural Area

This survey aims at placing the jobs faced by school in Jada local Government Area ( LGA ) . The quality of instruction in schools in the rural country is less compared to the quality of instruction in the urban centres. A study and an interview were conducted in order to, place what the jobs are. From the consequences, the undermentioned jobs were identified ; deficiency of substructure, low quality of instruction, unqualified instructors and deficiency of financess to keep the school. As consequences of these jobs the pupils in such schools are neglecting there external scrutinies therefore they do n't acquire admittances into universities conveying a halt to their instruction. This paper suggests the execution of information and communicating engineering ( ICT ) to work out the jobs faced by the School in Jada with the aid of the authorities and private organisations. Introduction Education is a really of import facet in the development of a state. An educated person can carry through so much for himself and his state. Education empowers people to follow their dreams, to do alterations in their lives and the lives of others. In an article published in Onlinenigeria the missionaries foremost introduced instruction to Nigeria in the fiftiess. The first instruction section established was in the southern Nigeria in the twelvemonth 1887 ( Education, 2010 ) . Ibadin a professor in University of Benin mentioned that â€Å" between 1960 and 1998, primary and secondary school registration increased from 2,912,619 to 17,942,000 or 516 per centum rate addition † ( 2010, p.87 ) . This shows the fast turning figure of educational institutes in Nigeria. Both rural and urban countries have turning Numberss of educational institute. Despite the addition, the educational position in rural countries is much less compared to that in urban centres, it is just to state tha t instruction in rural countries have non yet run into the needed educational criterion. For illustration, the quality of instruction in urban topographic points like Jimeta in Adamawa province is more than that of rural topographic points like Jada Local Government Area. The public presentation of school in Nigeria is measured by how good they do in external scrutinies. Schools in Jimeta are executing much more than schools in Jada. The schools in the rural countries have unqualified instructors. Furthermore, the authorities merely concentrates on the urban countries while pretermiting the rural countries. Because of this carelessness, the rural schools do non hold the necessary substructure in making a good acquisition and healthy environment. The execution of information engineering would assist in developing the educational criterion in rural countries. Methodology The range of this research was based on Jada Local Government Area and Jimeta in Adamawa province. The methods used in garnering information were, interviews, studies and internet research. Thirty people answered the study, 15 from Jimeta and 15 from Jada Local Government Area. Two people were interviewed ; the local authorities president of Jada and a instructor from Jada secondary school. Consequences of Findingss The study was in two subdivisions. The first subdivision focused on the condition/state of the school, while the other subdivision focused on how many people have entree to computing machine and in what ways has the computing machine affected them. Most of the people in Jimeta agreed with the fact that there are good qualified instructors and the acquisition environment is a healthy 1. The entire antonym was the consequence in Jada, from the study it showed that the schools in Jada local Government do non hold adequate tabular arraies and chairs, text editions are out dated and they lack other learning stuffs. From the consequence above it did non come as a daze that merely 5 per centum of the people who took the study knew what a computing machine was. In add-on, from that 5 per centum none of them own or have used a computing machine before. They have no thought, that the usage of computing machine can help them to be more efficient in their work. The contrary was the instance for the people surveyed in Jimeta ; 85 per centum have used a computing machine before and 60 per centum have entree to a computing machine. From the 60 per centum that have entree to the computing machine all agreed that it has made their work less feverish and it has besides made them more efficient. In an Interview with the Chairman of Jada ; Alhaji Usman Bamanga mentioned that the ratio of instructors to pupils is 1 to 70, which is really bad. In add-on to that, he besides stated that the instructors are largely unqualified. The Chairman besides stated that most of the times you would happen pupils seated on the floor because there are no tabular arraies and chairs in the schoolrooms. Furthermore, some of the text editions available are outdated and the instructors are the lone people who have entree to them. When asked if there are any computing machines available in the school, the president said â€Å" In a topographic point where there are no chairs for the pupils to sit on, do you anticipate them to hold computing machines. The merely available computing machine in this topographic point is in my office. † Harmonizing to the president, the ground why the school is in a really bad status is because the authorities do non supply plenty support to instruction in rural countries. The sum of money provided by the authorities merely helps pay the wages of the instructors and the school can non afford to purchase other larning stuffs needed for learning. In add-on, the sum paid by the pupils for their tuition fees is really undistinguished compared to the financess need to upgrade the criterion of the school. Interview with the instructor ; a instructor from the school was picked because he would cognize more about the jobs traveling on in the school. One of his major concerns among few others was, the pupils do non like coming to school and that the parents are non making anything about the state of affairs. In add-on, even if they are in school the pupil happen it difficult to concentrate in category because of the conditions of the schoolroom. The instructors besides complained that the figure of pupils in the category, he pointed out that he can non separate the chopper pupils and those that need excess attending. Those that needed the excess attending would stop up non larning anything at the terminal of the session. He besides complained that most of the clip the school does non supply them with larning stuff. For illustration, sometimes the instructors use their ain money to purchase chalks and other composing stuffs in order to learn their category while in some state of affairs w hen the instructors do non purchase the stuffs larning does non happen. Problems Faced by Classrooms in Jada Local Government Area From the study and interviews conducted, it is clear that schools in the rural country are confronting so many jobs. These jobs are: Low figure of schools in the country ; as motioned above, there is merely one school in Jada available to the population of 1000 pupils in the country. Because of that, the categories are overcrowded doing it impossible for the instructor to command the pupils. If there are excessively many people in a room with hapless hygiene, this makes it easier for the spread of diseases. In add-on, in a category where there are about 70 people in a room, would do it easier for the spread of diseases. In an article published by the World Resources Institute it stated that â€Å" Overcrowding and insanitary family conditions favor the transmittal of the disease, which is spread by droplets from a cough or a sneezing or common custodies ( Airborne, 1999, P. 4 ) . † Furthermore, excessively many pupils to a instructor, causes larning to be limited to little figure of pupils. The higher the figure of pupils in a category the more hard it would be for the instructor to command the category. With a crowded schoolroom, it would be hard for the pupils to be attentive. The crowd would besides increase noise doing deflecting other pupils ready to larn. Another, job faced by this school is the quality of instruction given to them. Most of the instructors in the school are unqualified ; they can non be accepted by other urban school so they come to the rural countries where they have no pick but to use them. The rural schools such as the one in Jada have no pick because they do non hold the money to pay for qualified instructors. The deficiency of qualified instructors has affected the public presentation of the school in external scrutinies such as Western African Examinations Council ( WAEC ) , and the National Examinations Council ( NECO ) . Supporting this statement is Vincent.O.Ibadin saying that aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦the ultimate quality of instruction is determined by the instructor, as he transmits the value of instruction to the pupil. In line with this, Merton ( 1957 ) in a paper titled â€Å" The Self Fulfilling Prophecy † , pointed out that, â€Å" a instructor ‘s outlook can and does rather literally affect a pupil ‘s academic public presentation. † Similarly, Aghenta ( 1998:44 ) emphasized that, â€Å" what the instructor does and how he does it are of import in the finding of quality of instruction. The instructor is every bit of import in the finding of measure of instruction. † Hence, possibly the National Policy on Education ( FGN, 2004:39 ) . ( 2010, p.89 ) The quotation mark above shows how the making of a instructor has a batch to make with the public presentation of their pupils. As a consequence of unqualified instructors, the pupils do highly hapless in external scrutinies, and because of their public presentation, they do n't acquire admittances into third establishments. The pupils therefore end up remaining at place making what their grandparents have been making, taking them back to where they started. This discourages the parent from seting their kids into schools and it encourages the figure of dropouts in schools. They feel that instruction is a waste of clip ; they instead send their kids to work and lend to the household income. In add-on to all the jobs, the school does non acquire adequate money to run the schools. The environment in which the pupils survey is really bad, the school does non hold adequate money to purchase up-to-date text editions and other substructures such as tabular arraies. How ICT Can Help Solve the Problem. The execution of computing machines and the proviso of cyberspace installation would assist work out some of the jobs faced by Jada secondary school. The job of outdate information and text edition: With computing machines and the cyberspace, the instructors and pupils can hold entree to information they need. The demand to purchase a text edition is non necessary. There are so many e-books, e-libraries and so much more out at that place that are free and unfastened for the populace to utilize. Distraction doing larning to be limited to few Numberss of pupils: The computing machine can assist pull the attending of the pupils. For illustration, in a category where there are three people to a computing machine, their attending would be on what is on the computing machine, ( the computing machine here is like a mini instructor to them ) . The computing machine provides a fun manner of acquisition, through educational games and multimedia, this makes the pupils to be excited and willing to larn more. The article Computers in the Classroom: How Information Technology can Better Conversation Education, it acknowledged that â€Å" It is possible to do a talk more piquant and entertaining by utilizing the presentation tools available to us with computing machines and associated package ( 2003, P. 2 ) . † Unqualified instructors: The instructors can foster their instruction by inscribing in universities that offer on-line grades. They can besides educate themselves with resources out at that place and happen out what is new and learning techniques that would assist them in their instruction. Problem of pupils dropping out: When ICT is implemented in the school it would function as a incentive for larning to the pupils. The pupils would be willing to come to school and larn about what is go oning in the universe. Implementing ICT can assist upgrade their external scrutiny consequences, which would acquire them admittance into the university. This would in bend encourage parent to set their kids in school, because they can now see advancement. Quality of instruction: To sum up how information and communicating engineering can work out the jobs of Jada secondary school, it would in the procedure addition the quality of instruction of the school. Harmonizing to the curate of instruction he stated that vitamin E acquisition could assist work out, the job the state ‘s instruction is confronting ( Sam ) . Government Roles in Solving the Problems For the job of unqualified instructors, authorities policies should be implemented to guarantee that merely qualified staffs are employed to learn. In add-on, those instructors that are already in the school system should travel back to school to foster their instruction to the criterion required. Government can besides put a policy to turn to the issue of overcrowding. A policy can be created that states â€Å" A instructor should hold non more than 40 pupils in a schoolroom. † When the execution of these policies is successful, it would turn to the issues of overcrowding and unqualified instructors learning in rural schools. The last and the most of import job is the issue of money, which generated most of the jobs. As identified by the president of Jada Local Government, the fund given by the authorities does non supply the basic demands needed to run the school. The authorities should concentrate on instruction in the rural countries as they do the urban countries. The authorities can non be the lone beginning of financess for the school ; there are other private persons and organisations that are willing to supply the aid. An illustration of a non-profit organisation aimed at assisting schools in Nigeria is â€Å" SchoolNet Nigeria is a non-profit administration created to turn to the usage of ICT in Nigerian secondary schools with the support of several authorities ministries. ( Agyeman, 2007, p.6 ) † Decision In decision, when ICT is implemented in Jada secondary school it would upgrade the criterion of instruction in that country. The alterations would non merely be limited to the school and its pupils but to the hereafter of Jada Local Government Area. The pupils would come out with consequences that would take them to any university in the state and compete with other schools in the urban countries. The kids Jada Local Area would hold control of what they want to be in the hereafter. As instruction makes you who are and what you ne'er believing you can go. If this is excessively be successful in every rural country in Nigeria so the jobs of Nigeria are solved Application of Ict in Classrooms in Rural Area This project is focused in implementing ICT in rural area, and the case study is on fufore local government in Yola. As we all know rural areas in Nigeria lack quality and basic education, when you talk about education in rural area what comes to our head is low standard of learning, poor education, not well equipped class rooms for student’s education or lack of proper infrastructure suitable for education. An article defined rural education as: There is little dispute that basic education1—often characterized as the reading, math, and other skills and knowledge taught in the first four years of primary school—is critical to economic and social development. Without basic skills, according to one definition, a person cannot comprehend the instructions on a bottle of medicine or a bag of fertilizer or read a government notice. Neither can the person compute a bill or write a letter. Without basic skills, it is impossible to develop one’s potential or to contribute in anything more than a rudimentary manner to society (Greaney, 1999). (Moulton, 2001) Fufore Local Government is settled area in the southern part of Adamawa with five major languages known as Fulani (largest), Bata, Verre, Laka and Pere, it consist of 1500 people that live there, most of them engage in cattle rearing, poultry, farming etc. When i went to observe these schools i noticed there were at least 300 children that went to both nursery and secondary schools, but the problem is they lack facilities that will make these students feel they are learning which makes some students even drop out of schools and start engaging in house work activities. This project focuses on schools in fufore that need ICT services to improve student’s knowledge and ability to learn in order for these schools to have equal education as the students in urban schools, if students in the rural area are not given equal education as students in the urban area there is a result of inequality. Unequal tools in an unequal environment create unequal results† (Ukpe, 2010). Implementation/ Application of ICT in class rooms in rural area is going to benefit the society as a whole, and both the teachers and students. It goes a long way to help the society, because when students start using ICT in classrooms some of their friends at home will also find it interesting this will make them also want to start schooling and know what school is about. This study will also be used as a case study to many parts of rural areas in Nigeria, making them aware of how value ICT is in our generation and also making these local students to fit into any schools they find themselves in in urban schools because this implementation of ICT will not only make these students concentrate on just computer and information studies they will also learn how to apply the knowledge in their various courses. Methodology In order to have reasons for the implementation of ICT in classrooms, i will have to compare this primary/secondary schools in rural area with the once in urban. The methods i used are personal observation, interview and online research (internet). We can see most urban schools have well functioned classrooms with well equipped IT services such as using projectors in class rooms, computers, wireless LANs, File management using databases. In order to convince these organisations we have to state the reasons why we think ICT is important for these locals in rural area. Just looking at an example of an urban schools such as Abti Academy in Yola, Capital science in kuje, El-Amin International school in Minna; we can see they all have what it takes for them to have a well knowledge of what IT is all about, they do class interactions, they submit their works in timely manner especially the senior students, it broadens their minds which they can relate to other courses and apply them when necessary, The students have full access to the lab to do research, take courses in computer education, type documents and gather information on relevant topics for their coursework and from every observation i noticed that schools in the urban area have high rankings in their external and internal exams such as mock exams, WEAC exams . In order to know what is really the problem of these schools towards their lack of ICT knowledge an interview was taken with most principals in these rural schools shown below. 1. Do you know what a computer is? 2. Do you intend to learn how to use it and do you intend to teach these students if you have the chance to? 3. Do you own a computer? And do you know how to surf on the internet with it? 4. What do you think about implementing ICT in classrooms? 5. How do you think it will affect the students? Interview Summary: Results The interview was conducted with three different principals of three different areas in fufore, but all their answers were closely the same. They stated they’ve had an experience using a computer, that it would be great to have such an opportunity to use computers and other IT services in their schools, it will surely help the students and enlighten them about what the world is all about now. They stated that they’ve all being provided by the school with just one computer and an internet connection, and in a rural place like fufore I believe there is a limited amount of power supply which makes it even more difficult to use this computer by anyone. They stated students in their area are in need of ICT in classrooms in order to making teaching easier for both the teachers and students, they also have a problem with their teachers who don’t acquire computer skills, it will be difficult for them to teach and guide these students through. ICT will greatly affect and have a positive influence on these students, they will have an opportunity to be going for national competitions because these services will not only improve them in one area, they will also have the ability to speak proper and fluent English, they can also learn how to type by doing their course works on their computers and doing research on the internet which will even help the senior students in history classes. They also mentioned that students in this area are always willing to learn, so it won’t be a problem for them to get used to it. Development and Implementation of ICT in class rooms in rural area: Fufore LGA Through ICT in rural schools it will expand the access to student’s education, now that technology is one of the things that help us develop in this world. So we have to make the rural schools aware of that which will greatly affect both the students and their lectures, it will also make them aware of what is happening in our world today (News) by browsing on the internet, also help them improve interactions in terms of video conferencing and distance learning; through video conferencing it will enable to share ideas and know about other courses that are not offered in the school. ICT is an extensively strong technology for extending and expanding educational opportunities in formal and informal ways, in this case rural schools. ICT is a technological development that reflects the new society and has its place within education. However, as with many new initiatives, ICT obviously has its problems that over time will be addressed. Meantime, ICT should continue to be promoted to assist with education and learning. I will heartedly agree with anyone who states that ICT is a valuable tool for both teaching and learning – speaking as someone who got the last lessons plan for my teaching from the Internet- but I can’t help feeling that the emphasis on the use of ICT detracts from other current ‘sexy’ education issue – socialisation. I believe that developing teachers’ social and counselling technique is a greater priority than their ICT skill (Sime & Mark, 2005). Access to remote learning resources: when this implementation is done, with the use of internet, teachers and students will no longer have to depend on textbooks for learning or even buy them due to how expensive they can be, they teachers can just find textbooks on the net and direct the students to access them too. With the use of Internet services you will find a means of learning materials or tools in almost every subject and can be accessed every day at anytime and also by unlimited number of people that can use it. This is significant for many schools in developing countries. Students will have control towards self learning: For example, teachers can just give a research paper as an assessment for the students, during that research they also learn a lot through searching and browsing different articles. This also broadens their minds to also think fast, observe the situation of the research, allowing their minds to take over and have control of what they are doing and also making their own opinions and what they think. Motivation to learn: the use of multimedia computer software that include sound effects, pictures can be used in learning process for people in rural areas, also as interactive radios and other performance. This will motivate the locals to learn because it’s new to them and then i believe that some locals tend to understand pictures or graphics rather than reading them that way they understand better. Use of modern teaching tools: in rural areas they still have an old way of teaching their students; some don’t even have notebooks, or other writing materials. Through ICT, students can learn how to manage their files on computers rather than writing notes in their notebooks, also teachers have PowerPoint to present to the class by that they can just write short notes on what the teacher is talking about. In order to improve the school from my own point of view it needs these requirements for students to have a basic idea of ICT is about. 1. Provision of hardware resources for internet connectivity such as WAN, LAN, MAN. 2. Software packages for learning or academic related CDs which they can install in their computers to improve self learning. 3.  Television for the nursery school students because children in nursery school learn faster with images rather than using books, and Projectors for the primary and secondary students. 4. A well functional and equipped computer that contains at least 15 computers. 5. Power supply via solar energy, because electricity isn’t that reliable and effective in rural areas, and besides this implementation is based in fufore which is always sunny every day. So solar would be a good source of electricity. These implementations can be done with the help of private organisations and even the government, we all know nothing is free; these organisations can get profit out of this successful implementation and project. They will keep implementing ICT and improving other schools in this area. Since i noted that not all teachers have enough computer skills to handle the students learning or to control these equipments, the organisations also have to supply the schools with well trained teachers/experts to show them how to take care of things just for some time. This is an expensive and vital project due to many resources that are needed, power supply because without power supply these resources are just going to end up being there without no one using it and also this is the future of our children to enlightened them and making them have a knowledge of IT, making them have the same and equal education the urban schools are having so they won’t feel left out. After these resources have been implemented and are already in use, in observation we are going to experience and expect these changes in the schools: †¢ The students should have the ability to think as fast and be smart like the students in urban schools and also their results will likely match up. †¢ An increase in the students that will enrol in schools because most students in rural areas don’t really care about education, some are drop outs and with a new system it will motivate them to also learn like their friends. †¢ Will be able to compete in national competitions with other schools. †¢ Know how to use these ICT services provided to them and also apply them when necessary Conclusion From all observations we can see how value education is and rural education cannot be compared to the urban because they have more experience in ICT than the locals have. ICT in class rooms has a lot of advantages and benefits to our daily life now, makes students acquire skills, skills that will take them to the next level, skills that will improve their way of thinking and will also change their lives because after school they can go to these urban areas and get a good job instead of staying in their area and doing the basic occupation such as farming. Technology is part of our world now and its used in our daily activities, with the aid ICT in class rooms they will have access to distance learning which will enhance their learning skills and ability, not only within the class room but globally or worldwide. In order for these students to be equal with students from other developed schools, they need to be given a chance; they need to be given the opportunities that are being given to the more fortunate schools/students. Nigerian Government, private organisations and private sources have to come together to make this possible for our generation and also to help the nation.

American History Since 1877 Essay

While it may be the case that a popular and misinformed view of the entry of the United States into World War Two has displaced that of historical accuracy for the majority of casual observers of history, those with a deeper immersion in the historical facts recognize a more complex and perhaps more profound set of reasons and circumstances that led to the US entry into the war. The casual and uninformed observer no doubt believes that Hitler’s conquests in Europe along with the terror-inspiring Nazi-sponsored U-boat warfare in the North Atlantic and beyond, along with the imperial Japanese invasion of China are the reasons for the US entry into the war. These ideas are sound enough, but they tell only a partial story, the exterior of the issues and events. Admittedly, the concrete reason for war was the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, a single event which demonstrated the intention of the Axis powers to rule the earth. However, this surprise attack gave rise to one of the war’s most enduring and over-riding myths: that America’s entry into the war was precipitated primarily on moral grounds. This idea proves to be particularly specious given the historical evidence: although moral obligation might be given as the reason for US entry into the war, one, with study can easily â€Å"rejects the purely moral justification of American entry into the war against Hitler,† (Russett, 1997, p. 44) and it is equally as thorny, although just as tempting,, to frame US conflict with Japan on purely moral grounds. While it is true that the Japanese, â€Å"were often unkind conquerors,† (Russett, 1997, p. 44)they were also â€Å"welcomed in the former European colonies of Southeast Asia, and Japan† (Russett, 1997, p. 44) and they were able to keep some good relations native rebels; so Japanese territorial expansion and influence was in no way one-sided or always regarded as brutal. Whether or not moral justification was desired or necessary for the US to declare war on Japan, it is â€Å"Hitler, not Tojo, who is customarily presented as the personification of evil† and therefore it is Germany, not Japan, which carries most of the weight of â€Å"moral justification† for the US entry into World War Two,† (Russett, 1997, p. 44) although even this position is tenuous weighed against the very real historical ambivalence displayed by the American government during Hitler’s rise to power and Germany’s subsequent campaign of European conquests. When Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933 he had already divulged most of his far-reaching plans for war in Europe and especially for war in the east, against Russia. Also divulged was his violent antisemiticism and his ambition to attain global German and Nazi hegemony. In his celebrated â€Å"autobiography† Mein Kampf, Hitler made clear to whomever was paying attention (presumably the world) his â€Å"attitudes and plans which were the basis of the Nazi government and of his foreign policy. † (Goldston, 1967, p. 60) The policies and ambitions were â€Å"frankly stated for all the world to read† (Goldston, 1967, p. 60) and it is to the sorrow and pity of millions that Hitler’s blatant pronouncements went unheeded by politicians and generals throughout Europe. In fact, if a moral imperative played any role in the mind-set of the Western, future-Alllied, powers during this time, it was an imperative of peace. And it was precisely this imperative toward preserving peace: for Britain to prevent another Great War in Europe and for America to refuse involvement in another European war, which led to the tragic escalation of what began as a localized conflict into a global catastrophe. This mistake would be repeated at least three more times as the world sped toward World War Two. On at last three occasions: during the Anschluss when Hitler integrated Austria into the German Reich, again during Hitler’s military conquest of the Sudentland and, once more, when Hitler engineered the political conquest of Czechoslovakia at Munich, the post-war Treaty of Versailles had been broken. From the base of 100,000 troops permitted under the Versailles Treaty, Hitler, on 1 October 1934: ordered a trebling of army size, as well as the creation of an air force, which had been illegal under the Versailles terms. On 7 March 1936, troops were sent into the Rhineland, unilaterally abrogating the demilitarization of Germany’s western frontier provided for under the Locarno Pact† (Black, 2003, p. 4). Later, after this initial violation, â€Å"troops were sent into the Rhineland,† which broke the Treaty of Versailles openly. (Black, 2003, p. 4). In each of these cases, military intervention by France, Britain, and Russian was not only lawful, it was indicated by treaty: and, as is obviously the case looking back on history, each of the chances provided an opportunity for the Allied powers to prevent World War Two. During the invasion of the Sudentland, Hitler’s true ambitions lay elsewhere, he desired to invade Czechoslovakia, and in doing so, secure the German flank for an eventual invasion of the Soviet Union. Clearly, Germany was heading in the direction of war. So, any argument that Hitler or Germany’s were hidden or hard to understand is weak, if not plainly foolish. This fact, however, seemed to have little influence of the European policy of appeasement, which allowed not only human rights abuses in the Reich to continues unchallenged, but allowed for blatant military conquest of sovereign nations by Germany. Meanwhile, America’s isolationist vision towards continued, leaving Hitler with a free hand after his shrewdly engineered â€Å"Pact of Steel† had been concluded with his sworn enemy the Soviet Union. The US entered World war One slowly, and after â€Å"the conclusion of hostilities there was a wave of revulsion against war and military activity, † (Aldcroft, 1997, p. 8) which resulted in a public unwillingness to support intervention which might lead to military conflict. Though the pattern of appeasement followed by France and Britain in the wake of Hitler’s string of highly-visible conquests is difficult to understand, the apprehension toward war which had been seeded in the aftermath of World War One, â€Å"pacifism was strong in both Britain and France, in large part in response to the massive casualties in World War One† (Black , 2003, p. 4). as well as serious problems with the ensuing Treaty of Versailles are the best explanation for the malaise of the Allies. Instead of â€Å"responding forcefully against the successive breaches of the Versailles settlement,† (Black , 2003, p. 4). France and Britain decided to take a pretty much passive position in regards to Nazi Germany. Clearly these actions â€Å"encouraged Nazi expansionism† (Black , 2003, p. 4). even though the British and French governments were blind to the dangers of Nazism and believed that they were averting a war through their diplomatic efforts. Meanwhile, everyone concerned hoped Hitler’s conquests would be limited and that he would spend his time â€Å"ruling Germany† and not seeking conflict or expansion throughout Europe. Of course, these hopes turned out to be foolishly placed because â€Å"†Hitler’s aim–as he had set it down in Mein Kampf[†¦ ] was an expansion of Germany† (Jarman 206) and the outbreak of the war made those who had sought to make diplomacy the leading idea for dealing with Hitler had to admit that his diplomacy was merely a smokescreen to his desire to make war on those he believed were his enemies or those who opposed his plans for expansion for Germany. That he had already made all of his ambitions clear in his book was not important to the European leaders who dealt with Hitler initially; they just believed whatever he said to the loss of territories and thousands of peoples lives. (Jarman). Nothing seem to limit or stop the Allied policy of appeasement at Munich, which sacrificed the nation of Czechoslovakia to Hitler and the Nazis without a shot being fired. Hitler was also â€Å"determined to destroy Czechoslovakia, a democratic state that looked to other great powers for support† (Brown, 2004, p. 40); this would be a demonstration of the Reich’s power and intentions to expand its territories in the face of European opposition. Later, just â€Å"six months before the start of the Second World War, Czechoslovakia had ceased to exist,† (Brown, 2004, p. 40). and was incorporated into the Reich. Munich provided the most dramatic, and obvious, representation of Hitler’s ambitions and yet the irony is Germany would have been unable to match the military forces of the Allies during any of the three conquests outlined above. At the time of Munich, the German army could â€Å"muster only 31 divisions or regular troops and 7 reserve divisions;† (Brown, 2004, p. 40) this in contrasted with Allied powers â€Å"the French could hurl over 100 divisions and simply walk to Berlin. † (Brown, 2004, p. 40). In fact, the Czech army itself might have provide for its own protection had it been allowed to fight. Instead, Hitler was allowed to digest his conquests and plot his eventual war with the Soviet Union. No matter how considered the overwhelming historical evidence is that the Allies could have prevented the rise of global Nazism and the eventual outbreak of World War Two by abandoning their policies of appeasement and confronting the Third Reich with overwhelming military force. If moral justification had been lacking, one might interpret the Allied non-response to Hitler’s early acts of conquest and aggression as an act of graciousness — in sparing not only the soldiers but civilian populations from needless bloodshed. After-all, Germany had, her self only recently emerged from a terrible ravishment in the fiery end of World War One and her suffering under the Treaty of Versailles and the extraction of war-debts had brought Germany nearly to collapse. Even the Germans deserved better than a second war so closely following upon the Great War. If this had been the reasoning, in the absence of moral imperative, in the absence of signed treaties, and in the absence of military superiority, then even the Allied appeasement at Munich might have been at least understandable. Although the the Hitler-Stalin pact of August 1939 offered Germany protection from Soviet military retaliation and allowed the proposed invasion of Poland to take place without fear of Soviet reprisal. The Wehrmacht defeated the Polish army in just over 25 days and later when Spring allowed a more forceful and aggressive campaign strategy, the Wehrmacht descended upon the ‘low countries:† Denmark, Belgium, Norway, and the Netherlands. After two and a half months, the French surrendered. And even though the majority of the British expeditionary force to the continent escaped at Dunkirk, the British experienced the loss of their heavy equipment† (Russett, 1997, p. 25). Ultimately, Mussolini decided to launch Italy into the war only a fear days after France’s surrender. Meanwhile, America’s involvement in the war was limited to the implementation of the â€Å"The Lend-Lease Act, which was to pour billions of dollars of supplies into Britain† (Russett, 1997, p. 26) and also, pave the way for military involvement. Not only did US forces occupy Iceland, but â€Å"President Roosevelt had agreed that American ships would escort convoys–including British ships† (Russett, 1997, p. 26) to Iceland. This convoying was not entirely peaceful, it meant that â€Å"if German U-boats approached the American escorts were to â€Å"shoot on sight† (Russett, 1997, p. 26) to insure that the goods got through. These were steps to protect Britain and also steps toward total war. However, the role of â€Å"Lend_lease† itself proclaimed a total lack of moral imperative on the behalf of the American people regarding Hitler’s conquests in Europe. While Hitler was gobbling up Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland — and even before his physical conquest, during his rise to power — the same ethical and moral reasons for making war against the Nazi Regime existed as would exist many months later, after the destruction and deaths of millions of Europeans, Africans, Russians, Americans, and Japanese was assured by the conflagration of a World War. If there was a time when a moral imperative should have played a role in the events which ed to America’s involvement in World war Two, Munich makes much ore an apt case than Pearl Harbor. Looking back over the vents which preceded the invasion of Poland, there seems to be no moral impediment for American intervention in Hitler’s rising Nazi state. Meanwhile, in the Pacific war, where America’s ambitions and motivations toward war were much less ambiguously articulated, Japan continued with an â€Å"exhausting and seemingly endless war† (Russett, 1997, p. 45) which started with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, and was â€Å"greatly escalated by the clash at the Marco Polo Bridge which expanded into severe open warfare with China in 1937† (Russett, 1997, p. 45); such considerations were deeply incongruous with American ambitions in Southeast Asia. The imperative, however, was not one of moral obligation but one of geopolitical power. The same can be said for the Hobson’s choice ultimately faced by the Japanese. Although the attack on Pearl Harbor appeared to the American public as an act of ruthless aggression; to the Japanese, given the dwindling options for an Imperial future, as we will discuss directly, the act might easily have been viewed as a defensive military act of aggression. The friction between the US and Japan over the â€Å"China Incident† stemmed basically from an opposition of geopolitical ambitions. Japan considered itself and Imperial power, one which was as entitled to territorial expansion and expansion of influence as Britain or the United States and it viewed Southeast Asia and China as residing within its natural spheres of influence. To give up ambitions in China would be admitting that Japan was a second or third-rate world power and the elite of Japan’s military and civilian leaders found such a decision impossible because it gave in entirely to American demands. Faced with such a choice, the Japanese began to orbit around diplomatically and then join into the Nazi-led Axis, since it was obvious that the British? American alliance was likely headed toward a Allied war in Europe anyway. In July of 1941, Japanese assets were frozen in America, and â€Å"the consequent cessation of shipment of oil, scrap iron, and other goods from the United States, Japan’s economy was in most severe straits and her power to wage war directly threatened† (Russett, 1997, p. 46) and her ability to make war was becoming severely threatened by the ongoing embargoes against her. Japanese military planners estimated that â€Å"reserves of oil, painfully accumulated in the late 1930s when the risk of just such a squeeze became evident, would last at most two years† (Russett, 1997, p. 46) by which time it would be far too late to make a stand, militarily, against the United States in China or elsewhere. Somehow, Japan had found its way to a â€Å"no good choices† scenario, with acquiescence to American demands dooming Japan to a less than coequal status with the world’s dominant powers, or war with the United States — sooner than later — before supplies dwindled below practical abilities to make war. Diplomatic efforts proved useless when â€Å"The United States, and the British and Dutch,† (Russett, 1997, p. 47) would end the embargoes only as a response to â€Å"Japanese withdrawal from air and naval bases in Indochina† (Russett, 1997, p. 47); and at this time the Japanese military began to consider war with the U. S. inevitable. Most of the Japanese elite â€Å"were opposed to any settlement which would in effect have meant withdrawal from China† (Russett, 1997, p. 47) which would also mean the increase of Western, particularly American influence, in precisely those ares which Japan’s ruling castes believed were the natural provinces of the Japanese Empire. It is impossible to view the preceding acts perpetrated against the Japanese as anything other than aggressive, if falling short of actual military warfare; it was clear that Japan was being pushed just about as far to the brink of war as any nation could be pushed. It is impossible to extract from the American non-intervention in Europe coupled with its seeking intervention by economic and diplomatic means in Manchuria and Southeast Asia a policy which is driven by moral, rather than global-poltical, imperatives. In fact, positing American neutrality throughout the early days of Hitter’s conquests with American proactive intervention in Japanese Imperial expansion requires one to admit very little in the way of moral imperative. While the Japanese military planned for war, the American government also planned for an escalation of hostilities: â€Å"By autumn 1941, however, opinion was crystallizing in the highest levels of the American decision-making system† (Russett, 1997, p. 50) this process was leading to war. Roosevelt â€Å"informally polled his cabinet on the question of whether the country would support war against Japan† (Russett, 1997, p. 50) and the result was that â€Å"All members responded in the affirmative† (Russett, 1997, p. 50); with public support behind the war, conflict with Japan seemed immanent. By the beginning of December their attack was irrevocably set in motion. The Japanese conviction that war could not be limited to the British and Dutch had to be based wholly on inference. Yet it was a correct analysis and a solid conviction, as shown by the otherwise inexplicable risk they took at Pearl Harbor â€Å"the attack ensured American popular support for the war in the Pacific, just as the moral argument against Hitler in Europe worked to fuel public support for the American entry into World War Two† ; so, in effect, where the brutality and obvious territorial ambitions of Hitler had failed to ignite American sentiment for war, the attack by Japan ignited an inferno that would draw the US into the most notable global conflict of the twentieth-century. (Russett, 1997, p. 51) In conclusion, the US entry into World War Two when studied at more than a popular â€Å"mythic† level, is a story which combines the global-political ambitions of many nations with the propagandistic impulse which is necessary to â€Å"sell† even just wars to the soldiers who must fight them and to the publics which must support them. The US entered World War Two not so much as an agent of moral â€Å"good† or to stop a great evil which was recognized as emerging from the Third Reich. As we have seen, if this had truly been the motivation for a US war against Germany, moral justification had been provided as early as 1933 when Hitler rose to power declaring his ambitions to shirk off the Treaty of Versailles, wipe out Soviet Russia and destroy the Jews. Certainly, by the time of the Munich agreement, Nazi Germany was a recognized threat to both world order and world morality. The facts of history, while deepening and shadowing the more broad strokes of myth, fail to eliminate altogether the essential ideas contained within the myth. While it is true that the US entered World War Two in what could properly be described as a â€Å"tardy† fashion, and failed to seize the opportunity to help to push the European Allies to a timely confrontation with the burgeoning Reich before the loss of millions, the fact remains that US involvement in World War Two was the triumph of good over evil adn did provide a victory for freedom, democracy, and humanism which did not exist in the Nazi state. However, it is important also to realize that one of the key Allies, Soviet Russia, stood as perhaps an even more corrupt regime than the Nazis, slaughtered as many, if not more, Jews, political prisoners, and Russian citizens, combined as the Nazi regime — the truths of history provide the seeds of myth and from those seeds, often, the fruit of what is essential can be tasted. If history shows that the US entry into World War Two was based less in moral grounds than myth would have us belive, it is also true that American morality and strength of character provided an indelible asset in claiming victory against both the Nazis and the Japanese during the Second World War. References Aldcroft, D. (1997). The Versailles Legacy. History Review, (29), 8+. Black, J. (2003). World War Two.New York: Routledge. Brown, M. D. (2004, December). The S. O. E. and the Failure of the Slovak National Uprising: Martin D. Brown Tells the Little-Known Story of How British and American Soldiers Disappeared in Slovakia’s Tatra Mountains during the Remarkable Episode of Slovakia’s National Uprising against Its Nazi-Supporting Government during the Second World War. History Today, 54, 39+. Jarman, T. L. (1956). The Rise and Fall of Nazi Germany (1st ed. ). New York: New York University Press. Russett, B. M. (1997). No Clear and Present Danger: A Skeptical View of the United States Entry into World War II. Boulder, Colo. : Westview Press. Goldston, Robert. (1967). The Life and Death of Nazi Germany. New York, Fawcett Premier. Payne, Robert. (1973). The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler. New York

Colonization of Slavery essays

Colonization of Slavery essays The colonies prospered from transatlantic commerce during the eighteenth century. There was a greater abundance in goods in involving an enlarged market along with lower prices offered. As a result of the economic improvement and higher standards of living, common people were able to enjoy the goods that they barely had access to prior to the economic boost (Taylor, 310). They were in a huge demand of cheap labor to help them in plantations. Indentured services were introduced in the first place but it was later proved to be short-termed and less profitable. Slavery, on the other hand, was cheaper, stronger and had a much higher survival rate in harsh conditions. Their skin color was discriminated and everyone, even the judges considered themselves as more superior. The increasing import of slaves from Africa was thought to be more profitable, socially approved act in their self-centered, discriminating minds. In the early eighteenth century, colonial America prospered as the slave trades expanded from Europe to the colonies. The Englishs consumption in tea from other neighboring countries such as India increased the need for sugar from the West Indies. In the amount of sugar consumed, they were imported to Britain from the West Indies, where plantations acquired thousands of slaves across the Atlantic through Europe. British America had gone through a conspicuous economic boost. Living expenses and operating costs were far less than those of England. Colonists were able to produce enough harvest for their own utilization as well as trading within the local communities and neighboring colonies (Taylor, 311). Many English emigrants entered the indentured services upon arriving British America given that colonial emigration did not guarantee professions for each person. Felons were sent to colonial America for indentured services as compensations for their committed crimes. The rapidly grow ing economy encouraged desperate explo...

Unctuous, A Humpty Dumpty Word

Unctuous, A Humpty Dumpty Word Unctuous, A Humpty Dumpty Word Unctuous, A Humpty Dumpty Word By Maeve Maddox A reader alerted me to a new use of the word unctuous that has escaped me until now: When did â€Å"unctuous† start having a positive connotation?   Watch any cooking show lately and it’s likely you’ll hear someone describe a dish as â€Å"unctuous,† as if that’s a good thing. Many celebrity chefs seem to now use the word to suggest a dish is rich, smooth, or maybe even creamy.† Like the reader, my reaction to hearing the adjective unctuous applied to food is one of disbelief and gagging repugnance. Unctuous derives from a Latin word meaning ointment. The earliest meaning of the word in English is â€Å"of the nature or quality of an unguent or ointment; oily, greasy.† Like so many other words, unctuous is and has been used with multiple meanings. For example, applied to soil, unctuous refers to the presence of organic matter and fertility. OED citations from 1495-1821 show the word used to describe meat that was â€Å"greasy, fat, and rich.† The OED labels this use â€Å"archaic.† For me, the chief meaning of unctuous is â€Å"smarmy and hypocritical.† This figurative meaning developed in the 18th century from the religious use of the noun unction in reference to religious ritual. Anointing with oil is a symbolic act indicating that a person is being prepared for something serious. For example, the Catholic sacrament Extreme Unction is equated with preparing a gravely ill person for death. Anointing is part of ceremonies associated with the crowning of a king and the ordination of a priest. The noun unction can be used literally to mean â€Å"anointing† or figuratively to mean â€Å"a spiritual influence acting upon a person or the manifestation of such a feeling in language.† In a spiritual context, â€Å"an unctuous person† is one who displays a manner suggestive of religious earnestness. Unfortunately, not-so-religious people often see religious earnestness as hypocrisy. Also unfortunately, hypocrisy frequently takes the form of false humility or religiosity. These human realities led to the use of unctuous to describe hypocrites. Literature abounds with such characters. Iago, Tartuffe, Uriah Heep, Mr. Brocklehurst, and Elmer Gantry are characters who talk a good game, pretending to a spiritual superiority and/or humility they do not possess in order to manipulate people. The literal meaning of unctuous only adds to the aptness of this figurative use: such characters are â€Å"oily and slippery,† like ointment. English speakers familiar with unctuous in the sense of greasiness and hypocrisy are understandably repelled to hear the word applied positively to food. Many food writers, however, have embraced the term. A writer at The Kitchn [sic] calls it a â€Å"favorite food word.† The word is especially popular in headlines above pork recipes: Braised pork belly is an unctuous treat Unctuous Carmelized Chinese Braised Pork Belly Aware that many English speakers object to the use of the word as if it meant succulent, food writers dismiss their critics with Humpty-Dumptian disdain: If you’re a food writer, and you’re doing a review or article about pork belly, you have to use the word unctuous or unctuousness whether you understand what it means or not. (Food Wishes blog) Words acquire different connotations according to the experiences of the people who use them. I’ve read that many modern speakers are grossed out by the use of the word moist to describe cake. To my generation, a moist cake is a good thing. It’s possible that food writers who find unctuous a suitable word to describe palatable pork may be repulsed by the word succulent. The Humpty Dumpty Theory of Language: â€Å"When  I  use a word,† Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, â€Å"it means just what I choose it to mean- neither more nor less.† â€Å"The question is,† said Alice, â€Å"whether you  can  make words mean so many different things.† â€Å"The question is,† said Humpty Dumpty, â€Å"which is to be master- thats all.†- Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll. Note: The reader whose question prompted this post also wonders about the pronunciation of unctuous: â€Å"Does unctuous have three syllables or only two?   I always thought it had three, but many of the folks on these [cooking] shows pronounce it with only two syllables. The preferred pronunciation is with three syllables: unk-tju-us. Merriam-Webster gives the three-syllable pronunciation first, but also acknowledges a two-syllable pronunciation: unk-tchus. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your Story50 Types of PropagandaHow to Style Titles of Print and Online Publications

Explication Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Explication Paper - Essay Example By use of the penny symbolism, the author shows that whites in that period prefer that blacks depended on them. The hat symbolism, however, does not have defined positive implications on the authors attempt to make it look that whites and blacks were now equal. In my view, it has a more profound reflection on the Africans reaction to the integration as described bellow. Morality: this theme tries to justify the reactions of the characters in the event of change which is the driving force behind the author’s ideas. Julian’s mother is condescending, as most white people with a conscience were during the days of slavery. However, she no prejudices towards any child even black ones. She maintains this stand even in the face of conflict. Caroline, Julian’s mother’s nanny, is a true representation of the ideal black women before the integration. When Julian’s mother calls out to Caroline, it is perhaps the author’s way of portraying the security and comfort whites derived from the past state of blacks. This reflects on the types of whites the author chose; she picked poor whites to represent her ideas. On another level, it can be the author’s way of portraying whites as the victims. In retrospect, the author tries to point out that the impact of wealth on social class. Julian represents the present American; he is hiding, behind the faà §ade of education, to justify his support for change. The black woman is a representation of black people in recent times. Her aggression against condescending whites is a reflection of black people’s feelings towards slavery and segregation. Back to the hat symbolism, it reflects the blacks need to be not equal to but like the whites. Style: third person narration is a style that stands out in this text as much as racial integration. This technique in my view gives the text a futuristic tag. Though debatable, this writing is still relevant