Saturday, October 5, 2019
Can terrorism be defeated Discuss in terms of both the military and Essay
Can terrorism be defeated Discuss in terms of both the military and non-military responses to the threat - Essay Example These conflicting opinions are now in the process of ripening and it is hoped that it will not be long before they find their application in practical terms. Discussion Older theorists have proposed that terrorism can be defeated if certain principles are followed. Terrorists often win because we respond to terrorism the way terrorists want us to respond. If our response is not in accordance with the terrorist's will, they fail to achieve their objective. So, it should be realized that the choice is ours. If we can learn to refuse to act upon the will of terrorists, we can hope to defeat terrorism, although we cannot always prevent it (Fromkin, 1975). Such ideas have dominated the minds of intellectuals of the past, but keeping in mind the present scenario of the world, we can infer that such ideas are far from reality. The previous two decades have seen a rise in the tendency to control terrorism using the military approach. The idea of intervening within states for the resolution o f military conflicts appeared prominently in the international scenario in the early 1990s, when in the Gulf war and later in Cambodia the international community played its role (Snyder, 2008). Subsequent years have seen a surge in such military measures and a collective effort on part of many countries to contain terrorism and limit it to its origins. They have, however, resulted in a growth of terrorist activities across the world, let alone stopping its spread. Our recent experiences of waging war against terrorism have only made us realize some bitter realities of the life. Most modern discoveries in neuroscience, anthropology, human evolution and paleoethnology have favored the idea that Homo sapiens are not inclined towards killing others of their own species. The similarity between a 'killer in uniform' and a 'killer without uniform' is striking. Both have to be fed with 'hatred' in the process of de-humanizing them, during which they are trained to overcome their natural te ndency to allow others to 'live' (Ram & Summy, 2008). Such discoveries have led us to believe that the military approach is, in fact, not the solution to the problem of terrorism. Theorists of insurgency have focused on the element of preserving public sympathy during military actions to gain benefit after takeover of states. Similarly, an indirect approach to contain insurgency, which is termed the 'hearts and minds' approach, emphasizes the need to gain public support by political means (Snyder, 2008). Such observations have favoured the non-military approach for the solution of terrorism. Democracy is considered by some to be the solution for terrorism. This may be true in some cases, but again it has its own limitations. In many European states where democracy is the rule, a number of terrorist groups have emerged, which not only fail to comply with the norms of democracy for their own expression but also use democracy as a tool to augment their deleterious activities (Snyder, 2 008). Such observations have led us to believe that perhaps, the non-military approach is too 'soft' for terrorism oriented mentality. So, the lesson learnt during war on terrorism is that terrorism cannot be defeated; instead, it can only be attenuated, reduced and controlled to some degree. Unrealistic hopes of completely sweeping
Friday, October 4, 2019
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - Essay Example The spoilt tower blocks can be seen not so far away in the pleeblands. Then further away, he can see the wrecked compounds where the learned and elite people used to live. This place was at one time the best place for rich men and women. There used to be a variety of activities in this place that is now wrecked beyond repair (Atwood 10). As Snowman’s world has changed, so is the climate of this environment. It has changed to the extent of creating abrupt storms that are extremely dangerous to the world. The heat levels of this environment have risen steadily and are intensely hot. Snowman uses a pair of sunglasses with only one lens to protect himself from these dangerous climatic conditions. He is exposed to dangerous monsters, and this makes him and his family and friends to be pathetically vulnerable to the monsters that were created by the human beings. He has to protect his family and his friends from these monsters; hence this leaves him to correct the mistakes that they did while making these monsters (Atwood 15). The name, Snowman is an ironic name that refers to the unpleasant creature that is widely remembered from the North American childhood not so long ago. The main character in this novel adopted this name from his past dealings with the Crakers. Craker was a group of people that were genetically modified, and they seemed to with stand any type of storms that was facing Snowman and his family and friends. They can with stand any kind of catastrophe that hit the world as they had extremely strong genes. The name Crakers was derived from the name Crake. Crake was an old friend to Snowman, and he was the one who invented the Crakers in an experiment that he performed in secrecy to develop a new race of people that could be able to with stand the sexual urges, the religious aggression and generally the aggression that is in the world. The Crakers are infantile they are multicolored, and the racism has been bred out of their culture. They regard Snowman as their mentor they also have gotten the ability to cure minor sickness and infections by sending out vibrations that helped cure people in the world that had no hospitals and was spreading all over the world at an extremely high rate. The Crakers are exceedingly polite, naive, they are not able to be jealous or violent, and they have the strange way of mating as a ritual. Snowman tells them where they came from and how they were created. He also explained what happened to their creator Crake. As the novel continues, Snowman tells how his past life was like he says about his life as Jimmy. This is done in what seems to be like in the late twenty first century. The arrogance of the human kind had led to distortion of the world and the climatic conditions of the world had gone all wrong. Mankind had managed to make holes in the atmosphere and had managed to melt the polar ice caps they had managed to desert the continents and filled the coastal cities. In Pleedlands, where t he majority of the people had moved to was filled with crimes, illness that made life to be terribly difficult for all the people who lived there, the parents of Jimmy who was scientists were living in grand estates that had elegant homes and ultra luxurious in that case. Life in these estates was a predictable one since people could work with schedules there were guards everywhere to guard these people and this made the life somehow truly easy for
Thursday, October 3, 2019
The Ottoman Empire Paper Essay Example for Free
The Ottoman Empire Paper Essay The Ottoman Empire was one of the ancient yet one of the most powerful and influential world empires. The history of this empire begins sometimes during the 13th century. In their bid to enlarge their territory they took no consideration to any limits or boundaries be it religious, tribal or otherwise. This empire is also viewed as one of the civilized empires of the modern times. The empire was more of a military administration than a state. The empire is considered to have lasted a considerably longer time than any other empire.  The rulers of this empire were known as Sultans or Hunkar or Emperors and were all Islam. Suleyman the Great was the Sultan who ruled the longest while Amurath ruled for only three months making him the shortest ruling sultan.            The sultans always emerged from the Ottoman family who were strict followers of the Quran. Honesty, hard work and charity were principles that led the Ottoman Empire. Sermons were always read in the name of the reigning Sultan at that time. Any property belonging to the Sultan was known as Royal or imperial.            Having discussed that much on the establishment and general history of the Ottoman of the empire, it is of utmost importance to now look at the empire more critically and find out impacts of the Ottoman Empire especially on the Umma Muslims.            Though the Ottoman Empire was one of the most powerful and civilized ancient empires of the world, it also had its weak points during its reign. This paper specifically focuses on some of those weak points and particularly the mismanagement that was witnessed when the empire was in power leading to division among the Umma Muslims. A critical analysis of the Ottoman Empire reveals various setbacks that the dynasty experienced and this affected directly or indirectly the unity of the Ottoman Muslims. According to the traditions of the Ottoman Empire, when a Sultan died one of his sons would become the next Sultan. However there were no proper strategies as to who would become the next Sultan. There was therefore no clear criterion of selecting a Sultan. This led to bloodshed as the one who eventually emerged victorious had to eliminate his rivals for order and calmness to prevail. This obviously went against the teachings of the Muslim religion. Some Muslims supported the method while others were totally opposed to it as it contravened the teachings of the Holy Quran. This led to division among the Muslims.            Another issue that led to the division of the Umma Muslims was the level of respect accorded to the sultans. The Sultans were almost equated to Allah the God of the Muslims. For instance during prayers sermons were read in the name of the current Sultan. Some Muslims however felt that this was blasphemous because ordinarily sermons were supposed to be read in the name of Allah the Mighty one. This therefore led to division among Muslims thereby breaking the unity between them.            As discussed earlier Sultan Suleyman served for 40 years and therefore goes down the history of books as the longest serving Sultan.  The major role of the Sultan was to ensure that justice and fairness was exercised. Cases of injustice were rare as the Sultan made sure that the laws were followed to the letter. Any injustice and unfairness called for the direct intervention of the Sultan. Scholars and theologians believe that one of the reasons why the Ottoman dynasty declined and eventually collapsed was because the Sultans who succeeded Sultan Suleyman were not keen on protecting the interests of the citizens in terms of justice. The neglect by their leaders led to Umma Muslims to lack loyalty for their leaders and thereby there was disunity among them.            When Sultan died his son Selim II took over the leadership of the dynasty. His behavior was absolutely intolerable and contributed a great deal in causing disunity among the Muslims. He was an addict of alcohol and would spend most of his days drinking therefore forgetting his administrative role. He was also a lover of women and a sex addict vices that are heavily condemned in the Holy Quran. Due to his negligent nature, he completely disengaged himself from making decisions that affected the common people directly or indirectly. This made the Muslims to be disloyal to the Sultan and thereby led to a lot of division. As a consequence the Ottoman dynasty came tumbling down marking the end of the great dynasty. (Paul, 1971)            At the end of the sixteen century Ottoman was still a very strong dynasty and influential too. However the Sultan style of leadership was slowly becoming unpopular thus losing ground. In its place was the bureaucratic power method of ruling. However this method of power was actually the pathway to the decline and collapse of the world’s most influential empire.  This was so because bureaucracy led to corruption neglecting the needs and interests of the people. As a result, there was a lot of unpopularity of the government among the common people. This led to division among the Muslims and eventually the dynasty collapsed. (Leslie, 2003)            Historians also believe that another major contribution to disunity among the Ottoman Muslims was inequality by successors of Sultan Suleiyman. As discussed earlier during the reign of Sultan Suleiyman the Central government was accessible so that any person who had grievances would present them before the leaders. However with the change of leaders, the new leaders ranked themselves so highly that they were not accessible. The Muslims lost faith in their leaders; consequently there was disunity and eventual collapse of the dynasty. The leaders promoted people to power without using the right criteria. There was gross unfairness and this brought about strife among the common people. This in turn led to divisions among the Muslims as some felt that they were discriminated against in their own country. At some point the leaders exuded high level of negligence as far as matters pertaining people were concerned. The common people revolted and as a result there was disunity. This led to internal attacks.            Another major issue that brought about division due to poor management of power by the leaders was the issue of succession upon the death of a Sultan. As already discussed if the deceased Sultan was without an heir or that he had several sons there was stiff contest that always led to bloodshed. Scholars strongly believe that this may have played a major role in division of the Umma and the eventual collapse of the kingdom.            A notable distinction between the Ottoman Empire and other empires was that they were during the Ottoman Empire there was freedom especially for the non-Muslims to practice their own religion. This brought division among the Muslims as some felt that other religions were equated to their religion and this they found to be very offensive. As a result there were massacres and discrimination.  This led to a great division among the Muslims most of whom felt that though no religion should be equated with the Muslim religion Massacre was a sin as it contravened the Holy Quran.            There was also an element of divide and rule that leaders in power used in attempt to gain popularity. The leaders would therefore incite the people against their own. The people fought each other over small disputes but this was the plan of the leaders in order to rule them more easily. This was a great power mismanagement that saw the Muslims divide into big factions depending on whose side they actually belonged. (Shaw, 1977)            There was great self-centeredness and selfishness among the leaders which again brought division. This was especially so when it came to sharing of resources. There was unfair sharing and distribution of resources that brought hatred and thus division among the Muslims. The leaders only considered themselves and their families forgetting the rest of the people. Some people felt sidelined and as a result there were factions and consequently these groupings led to division among the Umma Muslims.            Another challenge that the Ottoman Empire faced was classification of Muslims. The Shia Muslims, the Umma and other classifications. Every class felt that they dominated the rest. This again brought about division because all classes of Muslims felt that they would want to be considered superior to the rest. This eventually brought about division among the Muslims as no group agreed to be treated as lesser of the other. The major division came about when some groups demanded that the rest of the groups must convert and become one of their own.            Division also arose when the dynasty made arrangements to fight other kingdoms. The empire could not reach an agreement as to who would go to the war. This again brought division because those not selected felt that they were not given an opportunity to fight for themselves thus there were differences on these grounds.            There is also clear mismanagement of the empire by the leaders when they did not give ample protection to their own. Most of the promises made by their leaders were never fulfilled or honored. The leaders who took after Suleiman put their interests first and forgot the people. The people were neglected and those who were treated well were just a small group. This discrimination resulted to obvious indifferences thereby there was disunity among people who were once united.(Donald,2005) As discussed earlier, after the death of sultan Suleyman, so many things changed. Corruption was very rampant especially when it came to provision of basic social amenities to the people. Services that were normally offered free had to be paid for and as result there was agitation and revolt among the people leading to division.            There was a gross alteration of rules, laws and policies that governed the people. The leaders made alterations in their favor. The common people were very disappointed and began to rebel. The rebellions and revolts ended up in bringing divisions among the once united Umma Muslims community.            The other major cause of rift was education in that there are those who were provided with good quality education while the rest could only access the traditional education. This in turn was reflected in terms of development so that those with high quality education were seen to develop more than the rest. This led to social classification and thereby division.            From the various issues discussed it is very clear that decline and eventual collapse of the Ottoman kingdom was caused by issues affecting them internally and not attacks and conquest by Europe and other world powers. It is the mismanagement by their leaders that led to the division of the Umma Muslims and finally the most powerful and influential dynasty in the ancient times collapsed. Works Cited Quartaert Donald. The Ottoman Empire. London, Cambridge University Press, 2005 Peirce Leslie. Law and Gender in the Ottoman Court, New York. University of California Press, 2003 Shaw Stanford. History of the Ottoman Empire. London, Cambridge University Press, 1977 Wittek Paul. Rise of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, B. Franklin, 1971
Economic impact of tourism in the Mauritian economy
Economic impact of tourism in the Mauritian economy 4.1 Introduction Tourism is a major pillar of the Mauritian economy. According to estimates for 2010, the tourism industry has contributed Rs 39,456 million to the Mauritian economy and has provided direct employment to 27,161 workers. The contribution of tourism to GDP at basic price stands at 7.4% in 2010. This fact is indicative of the importance of the tourism sector to the Mauritian economy. To evaluate the impact of tourism on economic growth in Mauritius, a log-linear model will be estimated. However, economic growth may not be influenced only by tourism, but there are also other macro economic factors which may have an effect on growth. As such, these factors will be taken into consideration in the model. The model consists of standard variables such as Investment (INV), Exports (EXP) and Inflation (CPI), as well as one variable (TRP) which will be used to quantify the impact of tourism, such as tourism receipts. Real GDP per capita is used as a reference variable in order to demonstrate the impact of tourism on economic growth. 4.2 Types of Data 4.2.1Primary Data Primary data is collected on source and is not been subjected to processing or any other manipulation. The most common methods to collect primary data consist of surveys, interviews and focus groups. As such, primary research entails the use of immediate data and is collected by the researcher particularly to meet up the research objective of the subsisting project. Making use of primary data implies that researchers are collecting information for the specific purposes of their study. As such, the questions the researchers ask are tailored to extract the data that will help them with their study. However, it is time consuming and costly to collect such data. 4.2.2 Secondary Data Secondary data consists of pre-existing information which is not gathered for the purpose of the current research. Secondary data is readily available and inexpensive to obtain. In addition, such data can be examined over a longer period of time. Secondary data includes information from the census, a companys financial position and safety records such as their injury rates, or other government statistical information such as the number of workers in different sectors. In secondary data, information relates to a past period and as such, it lacks aptness and has unsatisfactory value. The drawback is that often the reliability, accuracy and integrity of the data is uncertain. However, it is easier to collect such data and longitudinal study may be possible. 4.3 Model Specification A simple log-linear Cobb-Douglass production function is used to measure the impact of tourism on economic growth in Mauritius. The equation is as follows: GDP = f (INV, TRP, CPI, EXP) Consider the following model, known as an exponential regression model: GDPt = ÃŽ ²0 INVt ÃŽ ²1 TRPt ÃŽ ²2 CPIt ÃŽ ²3 EXPt ÃŽ ²4 e ÃŽ µt (4.2.1) which may be expressed alternatively as lnGDPt = lnÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²1lnINVt + ÃŽ ²2lnTRPt + ÃŽ ²3lnCPIt + ÃŽ ²4lnEXPt + ÃŽ µt (4.2.2) where ln is the natural log (i.e log to the base e, and where e = 2.7183) Equation 4.2.2 can be written as: lnGDPt = C + ÃŽ ²1lnINVt + ÃŽ ²2lnTRPt + ÃŽ ²3lnCPIt + ÃŽ ²4lnEXPt + ÃŽ µt (4.2.3) where C = lnÃŽ ²0 Therefore, the transformed model is: ln GDPt = C + ÃŽ ²1 ln INVt + ÃŽ ²2 ln TRPt + ÃŽ ²3 ln CPIt + ÃŽ ²4 ln EXPt + ÃŽ µt Where ln GDP: Log of real gross domestic product per capita ln INV : Log of investment ln TRP : Log of tourism receipts per capita ln CPI : Log of consumer price index used as a proxy for inflation ln EXP : Log of exports C : Constant term ÃŽ µt : White noise disturbance term In the above log-linear model, the dependent variable, GDP, is expressed as a linear function of four other independent variables, also known as the explanatory variables, namely INV, TRP, CPI and EXP. It is often assumed for such log-linear model that the causal relationships which may exist, flow only in one direction, namely from the explanatory variables to the dependent variable. The parameters of the model can be estimated by using the Ordinary Least Square method, if the assumptions of the classical linear regression model are fulfilled. As such, GDPt* = C + ÃŽ ²1 INVt* + ÃŽ ²2 TRPt* + ÃŽ ²3 CPIt* + ÃŽ ²4 EXPt* + ÃŽ µt where GDPt* = ln GDPt, INVt* = ln INVt, TRPt* = ln TRPt, CPIt* = ln CPIt, EXPt* = ln EXPt The coefficient of each of the four explanatory variables measures the partial elasticity of the dependent variable GDP with respect to that variable. As such, each of the partial regression coefficient ÃŽ ²1, ÃŽ ²2, ÃŽ ²3 and ÃŽ ²4 are the partial elasticities of GDP with respect to variables INV, TRP, CPI and EXP respectively. 4.4 Explanation of Variables 4.4.1Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Gross Domestic Product is used to assess the market value of all final goods and services produced during a given period of time within an economy. It also measures the total income of an economy and as such, it is often correlated with standard of living. GDP is used as a reference variable in order to assess the impact of tourism on economic growth in Mauritius. GDP is an important factor used to analyse the development of the tourism sector. As such, in case the tourism sector brings huge foreign earnings, there will be an increase in GDP, suggesting that the economy is flourishing. The GDP figures that are used for the regression have been adjusted for inflation using the GDP deflator. 4.4.2 Investment (INV) Investment, which is a major component of the gross domestic product of an economy, refers to the acquisition of new capital goods. A positive change in investment may lead to a positive change in income and output of an economy in the short run. Higher level of investment may contribute to aggregate demand while higher level of income may indirectly impact on consumer demand. Investment, which is an injection in the circular flow of income, is a useful tool to analyse the impact of tourism on the economy of Mauritius. Investment is expected to have the same impact on economic growth as propounded by empirical literature, such as Sargent and James (1997) who found a positive impact of physical capital and investment on growth in Canada over the period from 1947 to 1995. 4.4.3 Tourism Receipts (TRP) Tourism receipt is a major indicator of the contribution of the tourism sector to the local economy. Tourism receipt represents an inflow of foreign currency in the economy. Such receipts account for a major contribution to the gross domestic product of the Mauritian economy. As such, an increase in tourism earning is expected to have a positive impact on GDP. Most governments in developing countries encourage international tourism because such tourists bring capital to the country. Earnings of currencies permit governments to finance, at least in part, their development efforts. Tourism receipt is expected to impact positively on economic growth as postulated by Balaguer and Cantavella-Jorda (2002) or Dritsakis (2004) who claimed that economic growth and tourism are interrelated and established tourism as a driver of economic growth. 4.4.4 Inflation (CPI) Inflation is defined in economics as a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. As such, it is a sustained increase in the price level and it may be the consequence either of constant falls in aggregate supply or recurring increases in aggregate demand. As a result, inflation erodes the purchasing power of money, that is, there is a loss of real value in the internal medium of exchange and unit of account in the economy. An important measure of price inflation is the inflation rate, which can be calculated by taking the annualised percentage change in a general price index over time. This is referred to as the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In Mauritius, the Consumer Price Index is measured by computing the average change over time in the cost of a fixed basket of consumer goods and services. It represents changes over time in the general level of prices of goods and services acquired by Mauritian consumers. Inflation is then calculated by comparing the average level of prices during a 12-month period with the average level during the preceding 12-month period. One of the most fundamental objectives of macroeconomic policies of many countries, whether industrialised or developing, is to sustain high economic growth together with low inflation. Inflation can bring about uncertainty about the future profitability of investment projects particularly when high inflation is also linked with increased price variability. This would in turn generate more conservative investment strategies, which would ultimately result in lower levels of investment and economic growth. Inflation is expected to have a negative effect on growth as claimed by Barro (1995) who explored the inflation-economic growth relationship using a large sample covering more than 100 countries from 1960 to 1990. 4.4.5 Exports (EXP) Export entails the sale of goods and services produced in one country to other countries. There are two types of exporting: direct and indirect. For national accounts statistics, exports consist of transactions in goods and services from residents to non-residents. As such, an export of a good represents a change of ownership from a resident to a non-resident; this does not necessarily imply that the good in question physically crosses the frontier; while an export of services consists of all services rendered by residents to non-residents. The relationship between export growth, foreign direct investment and economic growth in both developed and developing countries is a question that continues to be of considerable interest. Cross-country trade and capital flows and interpreting the significance of these activities towards economic growth lie at the heart of the debate on economic development policy since the early literature on export and economic growth. Export is expected to impact positively on growth as postulated by Feder (1982), who mentioned that exports contribute to economic growth in a variety of ways: economies of scale and incentives for technological improvement. Thus, marginal factor productivities are expected to be higher in export industries than in non-export industries. 4.5 Data Sources For the purpose of this study, time series data has been used. A time series is an ordered chain of values of a variable at equally spaced time intervals. Time series analysis is used for economic and sales forecasting, budgetary analysis, inventory studies or stock market analysis. It encompasses techniques to investigate data in order to extract meaningful statistics and other characteristics of the data. A time series model indicates that observations close together in time will be more closely correlated than observations further apart. As such, time series models use the natural one-way ordering of time so that values for a given period can be expressed as deriving in some way from past values. Data has been collected for the period 1976 to 2009. Figures for the explanatory variables namely investment and exports and that for the dependent variable real gross domestic product were obtained from the Central Statistical Office. Data for inflation and tourism receipts was obtained from annual reports of the Bank of Mauritius. 4.6 Software The analysis of data will be done using the Microfit 4.0 software. Before carrying out the regression, the stationarity of the variable should be tested in order to avoid spurious results and invalidity of the model. The ARDL model will be evaluated. Furthermore, a co-integration test shall be performed to determine if an Error Correction Model (ECM) must be used.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Teaching Children :: Education, elementary education
In my opinion, I think children that age learn best with hands on activities. Being outside the classroom learning from natures elements and their own surroundings, instead of sitting inside all day and learning from books. While learning from text books is a must, teachers can always make it fun. By doing internet activities, with the growth of technology younger children are learning how to operate computers. Also, by doing board games meant for learning numbers and letters, puzzles in order for the children to learn shapes and sizes. There are so many things available today that teachers can use to teach younger children many different of learning and having fun with it. It is important for the children to understand and use what they learn in class on a daily bases. Not only in the classroom but at home also. This is where the parents come in at. The parent and teacher relationship should be on good terms when I child is this young. Keeping the parent updated on their kids behavior and academic status in the classroom should be a key point to the teacher. if the teacher and parents do not have this relationship then the child may not be able to learn to the best of their possibilities, like the other children in the class. On the other hand the teacher and pupil relationship should also be very important for the teacher. Understanding what a child needs in the classroom and how certain children learn and interact with each. There are many different kinds of children that learn different ways. Some need visual, audio, readers, or a combination of all of these. I feel a teacher needs to learn what kind of learner a student is, and learn how to met there needs to learn. If a teacher fails to do this then some of the children may be left in the dust to say, when learning a certain way. The most important thing a child could learn while in pre-kindergarten is their social skills. These skills are a major part that everyone needs to strive in this society. Social skills that are learned early in life have a big impact on them and can take them far in life. When this skill is learned in school the children are more at ease and considerate of others. This can be found in playing with each other children, sharing their toys,and being able to control their anger that other children might cause.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Paul Simon?s The Sound of Silence :: essays research papers
Paul Simon’s The Sound of Silence A poem, like all other works of art, may appear as an inter-subjective truth, an intricate thread of images, a surreal yet realistic expression, and as a â€Å"creative fact†according to Virginia Woolf. In canon literature, a good poem is usually that which has fine structure, imagery, meaning and relevance; an art, which has sprung out not only of personal necessities but out of socio-cultural quagmires. Paul Simon’s The Sound of Silence transcends the mediocre. It creates a bombarding mood that runs through the whole text, thus, transforming the readers to a reality it is presenting. The poem starts with the use of a device called apostrophe (a figure of speech where one talks to or addresses an inanimate object). Here the â€Å"I†persona talks to his â€Å"old friend.†Hello darkness my old friend I’ve come to talk with you again Because a vision softly creeping Left its seeds while I was sleeping And the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains Within the Sound of Silence Apparently, this is not the first time that the speaker talks with his â€Å"old friend,†darkness. He had had â€Å"talks†with it since a time unspecified, suggesting a perpetual moments of seclusion by the speaker. Talking with silence would mean solitude, loneliness if not ennui. The reason for this resort to solitude was a vision that keeps on bothering him. He was looking for solace which he found being alone; no one seems to understand Him. Here we can see him regressingâ€â€a defensive reaction of the human psyche to flounce away, by retreating to earlier stages of life, a threatening stimuli, which in this case is the vision. The â€Å"seeds†that was bequeathed to him while unaware symbolize a burgeoning message that will soon sprout in the â€Å"fullness of time†(Gal. 4:4). Nevertheless, it was still imprisoned â€Å"within the sound of silence.†In restless dreams I walked alone Narrow streets of cobblestones Beneath a halo of a street lamp I turned my collar to the cold and damp When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light, That split the night And touched the Sound of Silence. The speaker dreams of escape from this listless weariness brought about by the creeping vision. He walked the â€Å"narrow streets of cobblestones,†symbolizing oppression as was suggested by the narrowness of a street made up of cobblestones, indicative of it’s ancientness, or the â€Å"old ways.
Arts and Politics in Fifth Century Athens
The 5th century proved to be the height of cultural and intellectual progression in Athens. Athens, during the 5th century, is an emerging powerful city-state whose military and organized political system is recognized by the world. At the pinnacle of democratic government within Athens there has been an undergoing active exchange of intellectual activities hailing from the philosophers and the artists which includes poets, tragedians, sculptors, etc. The cultural and intellectual achievements that happened in Athens are equated with its political institution – democracy (Join Association of Classical Teachers, 2003, p. 284).This struggle is an apparent purpose of influencing the masses through public participation whether in debates, tragedies, or any form of rhetoric to be able to persuade people. Philosophers and poets alike became involved in a politically active environment aimed for political power through intellectual influence. Intellectuals such as Aristotle, Sophocle s, Plato, and Socrates became successful in propagating their respective wisdom in different medium such as tragedies or impromptu debates. The latter is most commonly used by Socrates in which he initiated questions about morality, truth, and freedom to a common man.When most thinkers used rhetoric to get political power and influence, Socrates concentrated on the ethical and morality within debates and critical-thinking. In Plato’s Crito, Socrates has criticized the way intellectuals have run the political unit of Athens. He emphasized that is the men who ruled and implemented the laws who are wrong and not the law itself. From this perspective, the intellectuals who run Athens under corrupt ways can be the reason why Socrates did not participate in the politics of Athens.Instead he reached to the ordinary men to ignite debates and makes them realize how it is to be a good citizen behaving under the laws of morality and the laws of the state. This intellectual struggle betw een the philosophers and the poets might have been the glamorous side of Athens, but it also became the cause of its downfall, as intellectual men clouded by self-interests interpreted the Athenian laws in their own hands, thus, even bringing down their wisest thinker of all time. Reference Joint Association of Classical Teachers. (2003). The World of Athens. UK: Cambridge University Press.
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