Dehumanization of American Soldiers in the Vietnam War Essay Example

Dehumanization of American Soldiers in the Vietnam War Essay Dehumanization is, as defined by the American Heritage College Dictionary, the deprivation of human qualities such as compassion.In the film Apocalypse Now, dehumanization is shown to the fullest extent in many such cases.Whether it was the killing of an innocent civilian, the bombing of a peaceful area, or the mere use of a racial slur, dehumanization was definitely a major factor in the film.In this essay, I hope to thoroughly describe the horror (no pun intended) and dehumanization that occurred in the Vietnam War with the American soldiers. The most common and horrible form of dehumanization that occurred during the Vietnam war was the killing of totally innocent civilians.In Apocalypse Now, this was only showed in one scene but it was one of the most powerful scenes in the movie.In the scene, the boat pulls up to a small fishing boat and asks them for their papers that say if theyre authorized to be fishing.While one man is checking the boat, one of the women on the boat makes a sudden move and the soldiers kill everyone on the boat for no reason other then the woman making a sudden movement.The men didnt seem to even think about what they were doing.They acted on, what I believe to be, their fear of not knowing what the woman was going to do.The soldier whofirst started shooting simply said, She jumped for you.You find out a little later that in actuality, the woman was going to get a small puppy out of a basket.I can understand that they arent that comfortable with having to fear for their lives all the time; but after they kill five innocent people for no reason, they just pack up and leave like nothing happen.They dont even appear to be that upset about it.They check for helpful supplies and not another word is said about it. A very mild and not very harmful form of dehumanization was the very common and frequent use of racial slurs among the soldiers abou

Prescriptive Approach To Decision Making Essays

Prescriptive Approach To Decision Making Essays Prescriptive Approach To Decision Making Essay Prescriptive Approach To Decision Making Essay Moral Philosophy: the principles and rules that are used to decide what is right or wrong; a moral philosophy States an ideal respective that most people accept Prescriptive approach to decision making: Consequential/Teleological: (consequences) the morality of behavior is evaluated on the basis of its consequences; behavior or conduct is morally right if it produces some desired result pleasure, promotion, profit; as such, the ends justify the means Utilitarianism: concerned for the greatest good for the greatest number; decisions are usually made on the basis of a cost benefit analysis. Efforts are made to look at the consequences for all possible alternatives before a decision is made Construction of a new road through your community: utilitarian rationale argues whether the benefits to the community increased development and employment, reduced traffic, fewer accidents) outweigh the harm to a few property holders noise pollution Challenge: can all the facts be obtained to make proper evaluation, projection and risk? Rights of the minority can be sacrificed for the benefit of the majority Deontological: (duties, obligations, principles) bases action/behavior on the Renville of equal rights, and respect for all persons; the focus is on the rights of individuals and the intentions that are associated with behavior Rights of individuals: (integrity) freedom of conscience, consent, privacy, speech and due process But what rule, principle or right to follow, when for example the right of the investor to profit conflict with the environmental rights of a community to clean air and water? Emmanuel Cants categorical imperative: act as if the maxim of thy action were to become by thy will a universal law of tauter, that is, whether the rationale for your action is suitable to become a universal law or principle for everyone to follow Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Challenge: which duty, right, principle takes precedence?

International intercultural management Assignment

International intercultural management - Assignment Example 2. Hofstede’s Model in Relation to Cultural Aspects Every nation has its own set of standards that define the culture in terms of thinking, being and acting, and these differences have a very strong impact on the business communication and workplace values in any organization. Something that may be considered perfectly normal and natural in an organization of one country can be frowned upon and seen as offensive in another. Values will always differ across cultures. Therefore, we have to understand these varying differences in order to describe and forecast employee behaviour from various countries. Some cultures value decisions that are made in a group, while others think that the leader should take control of the decision-making. For almost all business organizations, it is crucial to be aware of how the cultures will affect the workplace values because it will provide them with a framework of assessing the different dimensions. One of the most determined studies of the cult ural differences and how they influence organizational issues was commenced by Geert Hofstede, a Dutch scholar which involved data on more than 116,000 employees of IBM representing forty countries. Many of these dimensions will be based on Geert Hofstede’s framework for assessing cultures (Brown, 2009). It is important to understand where the values across cultures stem from, or what the source is. Previous research has identified two clear forces that have an impact on the formation of values that managers who are engaged in international business possess (Ronen, 1986; Webber, 1969). These two forces can be categorized into national culture as well as business environment. Both the culture of the nation and the environment the business operates in will have a significant influence on the values that an organization will possess. Triandis et al. (1986) brings forth the proposal that a way to have an understanding of the culture is to identify the dimensions of the variations in the culture of the organization such as Hofstede (1980). In a study including more by Geert Hofstede, it was found out there were four basic dimensions along with work-related values that differed across cultures: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity, and individualism/collectivism. Later on, work by Bond presented with a fifth dimension i.e. the long-term/short-term orientation. Power Distance is related to the extent to which a culture’s members accept an imbalanced distribution of power. Hofstede’s Power distance Index measures the degree to which the less dominant members of establishments and institutions accept the unequal distribution. This will almost always represent discrimination, but defined from below instead of above. It proposes that a society’s level of variation is recognised by the followers as much as by the leaders. If we look at France, we see that the power distance index is comparatively higher than the rest of the countries; around 68. This means that in the management as well as the general lifestyle of France there is a big gap between the social classes, and there are clear definitions of status involved.

The law of contract demonstrates that the courts cling to an outdated Essay

The law of contract demonstrates that the courts cling to an outdated vision of the market, which privileges certainty, form and - Essay Example Equality as an opposing principle practiced under capital regimes exposes the markets to uncertainty before the courts with regard to compliance with the law of contract. Certainty is a key theme in courts of equity, which comes at a cost of overlooking relationships and fair dealings in the modern contract law setting. This implies that the government through the judiciary intervenes in various spheres of market operations by enforcing stipulated contract rules and procedures against all odds of relationships and fair dealings.4 The privilege given to certainty in contract law is seen in many cases, a case in point being Gibson v Manchester City Council.5 In the case, the Court of Appeal held that no contract had been established between the two parties, considering that the council’s letter did not present a contractual offer. In this case, there was no certainty regarding the offer. Another case that exemplifies the privilege given to certainty is Carlill v Carbolic Smoke B all Company.6 In this case, the Court of Appeal held that a contract had been formed between Carbolic Smoke Ball Company and Carlill, considering that the advert posted by the latter regarding the effectiveness of the product on offer presented all the elements of a binding contract.78 Certainty in the terms of the contract is emphasized in the words of Lord Justice Lindley ‘We are dealing with an express promise to pay $100 in certain events’.9 Freedom of contract encompasses the ideals of fairness and equality10. Equity as the main principle in contract law provides for certainty and clarity against other factors that complicate a judge’s perception of wisdom11. A formalized set of rules in the contract law jurisprudence affects the free market setting in which the modern economic procedures take place. In the description of the free market economies, application of a strict and rigid legal regime often translates into complication of freedom of contract, as th e economy requires. In this discussion, the principles of contract law in force illustrate the apparent disconnect with the freedom of contract, relationships and fair dealing. Mitigating principles under contract law implies that the parties to a contract must accept the exchange value forwarded by the other party to avoid sustaining avoidable loss.12 In terms of fairness interpretation, mitigation principles may not apply in cases where the relationship between the parties does not allow such cooperation as would reduce loss. Market setting based on business rivalry and competition may not allow such conditions as would enable the parties to partake in contractual obligations of mitigating losses even when aggrieved. In terms of remoteness as observed in Transfield Shipping Inc. v Mercator Shipping Inc. (The Achilleas),13 mitigation is particularly difficult in realization of contractual obligations. It is impossible for mitigating procedures to be distinguished from acceptance of the contract, which makes contract law unfair on

Emergence and Impact of Regional Parties Essay Example for Free

Emergence and Impact of Regional Parties Essay It is raining acronyms in politics and the vibrant Indian political landscape is flooded. Well, almost so as Regional parties gain ground with amazing alacrity in a diverse India where a fast-transforming political map now promises a never before variety. SAD in Punjab on one side, SP, BSP in Uttar Pradesh on the other, RJD, JD(U) in Bihar as also DMK, AIADMK, PMK, MDMK and DMDK in the deep South and TMC, AGP and others in North-East —they seem to be flowing in from all nooks and corners to lend a different hue, their own hue, to the political waters as they flow in our country today. Though the experiment with regional politics first succeeded in the late 1960s when many parties won against the Congress, it was only post-1989 that regional politics really became a phenomenon, here to stay, courtesy the National Parties themselves. The alphabet-soup illustrating the striking transformation of Indias politics over the past two decades, brewed on the fire provided by the space vacated by National Parties to be wedded to the cause of regional issues, local aspirations and territorial priorities. Also, shrinking space of the National Parties led to creation of a vacuum which the Regional parties were happy to fill. They sprung up and marched ahead as a consequence of the leanings of the public to advance its aspirations. Essentially individualistic, personality-driven parties bound by a lose chain of thought rather than a cohesive coordinated ideology, these pandered to regional populism with a much narrower vision of things sans any broad-based National consensus on ideology and issues. But, then, what did the mushrooming of these regional parties, finally, find reflection in? While it strengthened the federal structure with assertion by the States of the Union for its share in power, privileges, taxes, revenues and benefits of micro-macro schemes, it also led to a certain amount of healthy competition inter se states, making us the republic that we really are. It also gave rise to the concept of shared sovereignty, marked by an increase in the capacity of the state to influence its own development performance while enhancing the representative character of India’s democracy. The relentless rise of these regional home-grown parties, sharing the one common attribute of having a mass base in only the state of their birth, led to a spate of constitutional and legislative reforms in terms of judicial, administrative and centre-state relations. Not only this, it weaved together an interplay of forces, prompting National parties to not only rope them in for support but also brought about a dependence which lent a Regional flavor to National Policies. Then, it is in this that emerged the beauty of the dove-tailing of the National and these Regional entities. But, then, since beauty is never blemish-free, there is a flip side too. Given their â€Å"strategic† positioning, the Regional parties have not only exploited this dependence of the National Parties for their own advantage but, at times, even arm-twisted the latter to get their way. There’s a way out of this of labyrinth in which National Parties find themselves lost in and it does not lie in a top-down approach which, in the present times, seems not only inadequate but also outdated. We have an India defined by mobilization of a plethora of identity and interest groups which have taken the shape and form of Regional parties to diffuse real power from the Centre to the states. The National Parties need to wake up and smell the coffee. The crutches of dependence on Regional parties have to go and they have to not only learn to stand on their own feet but even walk that extra mile to fulfill regional aspirations to show that each one of the 28 states matters as much. For this, they must permit regional units to function at the local level as semi-independent units with adequate flexibility for leadership-building at the regional level. This will help balance the regional interest with the National interest which many a times end upconflicting with each other. Besides, a cohesive National party with semiindependent regional strait-jacketed unit to cater to regional interests is the only guarantee for ensuring continuous unification within India’s multi-ethnic diversity which weaves the many strands of region, religion, culture and politics into one social fabric we call India.

Now and Then :: Technology Media Essays

Now and Then Once upon a time, there were friendly places near and far... Boy is that an understatement in today's society! Today's society depends upon fighting for you and you alone. Not caring what the other person wants, needs or deserves. Fifteen years ago a small community, such as the one Jen's grandmother lives in today, was very friendly. Small communities pulled together in times of need. If your neighbor ran out of sugar, she didnt care to come knocking on your door with a measuring cup, instead of going all the way to the store to get more, simply because you were her friend. In todays society, if you run out of sugar, you hop in your car and drive 25 minutes to get 5lb of sugar in order to drive 25 minutes back home. You dont know your neighbors, and your neighbors dont know you. There is no hope in wanting to know them and vice versa. Our society has changed drastically over the past twenty years. We have become an information society. Relying on our televisions, radios, and computers to obtain information that was once obtained by going to the local beauty parlor or stopping for a cup of coffee and chatting with the judge executive of your town. Cell phones have also become a major source of information. Instead of going out and having a nice serene sit on your front porch in the afternoon of a warm day, people would rather sit in front of their television and watch Oprah, Judge Judy, and The John Walsh Show. Could the reason that we dont leave our homes as much as we used to, be because of all the violence that today's society has brought with it? The local news on television has publicized roughly five murders in the past week. All these murders have been in the state. Is the television shaping societys view of the world, causing citizens to become couch potatoes? Television is one of the biggest society shaping effects that there is in todays world. There are various cable companies and numerous channels within each company. The view you take on life all depends on what channel you are going to watch on television. If you watch the presidential debate on one channel, that channel may make Mr. Snuggles, whose platform is terrific, and who is an all out good guy, look like a cruel and evil villain in a bad comic book, while another channel shows his true identity.

Edgar Allan Poe’s Influence on Literature Essay

Edgar Allan Poe’s influence on American literature was nothing short of great; not only was he the creator of the detective story and the horror thriller, but he also influenced many great writers, among those William Faulkner and Fyodor Dostoevsky. While Poe is best known for his horror thrillers, being the creator of that particular genre, he has also fashioned two other literary genres, like the detective and the science fiction genre. Throughout his life, Poe read, reviewed, and critiqued many books for various magazines and papers. Poe did not hesitate to attack what he deemed inferior. â€Å"Is purely too imbecile to merit an extended critique,† he once wrote of a novel. Because of his readiness to attack what he believed to be unworthy, Poe helped set high standards for American literature (Meltzer 64). Poe had an influence on both American and non-American writers, like William Faulkner, and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Faulkner, who is considered to be the South’s most renowned novelist, will be forever linked to Poe. Both writers were fanatically obsessed with what made mankind good and what made it evil. Their writings also dealt with common elements, like narcissistic doubling, vengeance, and violence (Wyatt-Brown). In Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, the incestuous relationship between two of the characters, Quentin and Caddy Compson, draws a parallel between Poe’s own incestuous relationship with his first cousin, Virginia (Wyatt-Brown). Fyodor Dostoevsky, a Russian novelist, was also greatly influenced by Poe. Dostoevsky’s novel, Crime and Punishment depicts a man who commits murder and becomes increasingly guilty throughout the novel because of it, until he is finally urged to confess by the woman he loves. The novel’s plot was prefigured in Poe’s A Tell Tale Heart, which portrays a man who commits a murder and is driven insane by the guilt as he hears the heart beating from underneath the floorboards, where he had stored the body. Dostoevsky once declared that Poe: â€Å"almost always takes the most exceptional reality and endows it with such details that the reader is convinced of its possibility, of its reality, when objectively the event or situation is impossible. † (Wyatt-Brown) Dostoevsky’s opinion on the matter relates exceptionally with Poe’s A Tell Tale Heart. One would not believe the story to hold even a semblance of reality, as Poe has infused the short story with the most absurd of details that make it so obviously impossible; however, while reading one becomes entirely immersed in the story that it does not seem so absurd anymore. According to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, writer of the famous detective series, Sherlock Holmes, Edgar Allan Poe is the father of the detective story (Meltzer 83). Doyle was of the opinion that Poe had covered the genre’s limits so completely, that he could not see how his followers could find any fresh ground of their own (83). Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s very own character, Sherlock Holmes, was inspired by C. Auguste Dupin, the detective of the stories who began the detective genre (Binns 114). Among many of Edgar Allan Poe’s writings is The Murders in the Rue Morgue, one of the Dupin stories. This story was the first ever detective story to be printed, which made it the archetype for the modern detective story (Meltzer 83). Although The Murders in the Rue Morgue was the first ever detective story to ever see print, Poe did incorporate new elements into other works that writers of detective fiction still make use of. For example, in The Purloined Letter and Thou Art the Man, Poe introduced post-mortem examinations, ballistic evidence, and the frame-up (104). Many believe Poe had begun the science fiction genre (Binns 114). His first attempt was Hans Pfall, a story in which a man travels to the moon on a revolutionized balloon. Poe included actual facts into his story, mixing it with entirely false scientific â€Å"facts† to make the story believable (Meltzer 64). Poe’s innovations would later expand the modern science fiction genre. His vivid imagination veered off from scientific facts to create believable details to incorporate into his stories. These details anticipated later discoveries in both geography and astronomy (64). Science fiction writers like H. G. Wells and Jules Verne learned a great deal from Poe, which they integrated into their own writings. The belief that Poe began the science fiction genre may also be attributed to Poe’s complicated piece of writing which explained his own view of the universe. Eureka: A Prose Poem was published in March of 1848, and in it, Poe introduced his theory, a mixture of science, theology, and intuition. Poe theorized that: â€Å"God existed before matter. God created the first atoms. They scattered to create the universe. They are all trying to join back together, but when they do, they will be scattered again. † Poe’s theory caused an upset in society, as it was not Christian; however, others believed it to be brilliant, as it showed both insight and clear thought (Binns 100). Poe’s influence has not limited itself on just literature. Alfred Hitchcock, director of classic suspense films like Vertigo and Psycho has stated that Poe was the reason he began directing films (Burlingame 100). And, as Hitchcock has become an influential being himself, with many other directors using elements from his films, Poe has indirectly influenced them as well. Aside from literature and films, Poe’s name and lyrics have been used among many musicians. Thirty Seconds to Mars uses a quote from The Raven: â€Å"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. at the end of their video for Hurricane. The quote seems entirely fitting, as the video, which embraces some of Poe’s own elements, like vengeance and violence, is entirely surreal and evokes a sense of fear as they’re being pursued by masked men. However, they fight back, not letting the men take control of them, refusing to become martyrs. Like many of Poe’s writi ngs, the video seems ambiguous, open for many interpretations. Although Poe has long passed away, he still continues to influence today’s society. Writers will continue to use the elements he created in their stories. Film directors will continue to use his stylistic elements to portray a sense of Poe into their films. Musicians will continue to use Poe’s lyrics in their music, as well as use different aspects of his writings in their videos. Not only will Poe continue to influence them, but he will also continue to communicate with people through his works. People will continue to connect with Poe, just like previous generations have, through the themes of his writings, and through the understanding that Poe was just as misunderstood and criticized as the rest of us.