WW II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

WW II - Essay Example Without indulging in the conflicts, the paper simply discusses the innovations occurred during WWII. Some economists claim that WWII achieved what no one could have achieved to that extent without of the occurrence of the war. World War II was extremely profitable in terms of innovations, some of which are still in use.1 The US Navy invented the RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging) in 1940. Primarily, the Nazis were using radar successfully to steer and ground bombers at night as the British were detecting the well known German airplane with the help of the radar. However, German leaders undervalued the worth of radar and its machine part for water operation, SONAR (Sound Detection and Ranging). The British earned a noteworthy strategic reward in spotting German submarines and planes from miles away. This advanced warning system saved numerous lives and provided underdog British offensive strategies against the irresistible Germans. Jerrycan, a full-bodied container, was intended for carrying fuel. It was made up of the inheritance of Hitler to supply a way of carrying fuel by hand. The jerrycan is smart for more than a few reasons. First, it featured three handles so that it can be carried easily by one or two persons. The cross design of the sides of the can helps to strengthen it. It was easier for Germans to carry fuels during the war. In mid-1942, Japan occupied the entire Asia. They controlled almost the entire world’s delivery of natural rubber. What did actually Japan do with the rubber? It did nothing but built boots. Every single soldier, sailor, airman and marine required getting boots around for doing their job and without rubbers, it was almost impossible to do so. The United States also invented new techniques to produce synthetic rubber. GRS (government rubber styrene) is one of the gifts by the USA. Presently, most of the rubber materials that are used in various manufacturing companies worldwide are the descendents of GRS. The first worki ng jet engine was there in England just a couple of years before the war though the British did not spend much on technical innovation. On the other hand, the Germans made the â€Å"Messerschmitt Me 262† which turned into the â€Å"first jet-powered fighter aircraft†Ã¢â‚¬â€the best, most superior war plane at the time. â€Å"The Me 262† dealt with the dog fights with pokey crutch planes. The devastating invention of Americans was the atomic bomb in World War II. WWII ended up with one of the major events in the world history of science, welfare and technology. A group of US scientists, working in confidentiality, designed and structured the first atomic bomb. President Harry Truman took the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan. The use of atomic weapons introduced to an end of a dreadful conflict worldwide. But it was also the start of the contemporary nuclear age.2 It displayed the mounting significance of technology in a recent economy. The considera tion of geographic location is very important for the countries to make strategies. The USA always took the benefit of staying aloof on one side of the world. It was very difficult for other countries to target the USA by ignoring the geographical benefits it has. The success or loss from a war also depended on the topology and climatic conditions of a country. During the war with the Soviet Union, Germany tried to occupy the oil wells of the Soviet Union, but in this incident Hitler lost many of his solders as they were required to cover a long distance under unusually cold weather conditions. Germany and Japan took almost the same tactics to defend themselves against the attackers. Germany was very strong in the air forces but was

Multicultural Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Multicultural Education - Essay Example In revising this text for the paper, the researcher would conduct further research and look for empirical evidence to support the contention that the achievement gap among diverse cultures are linked to attention and engagement. The arguments presented in this text explored would have been more persuasive if researchers, their research methodologies and findings had been presented to support this statement. Attempts would have also been made to find empirical evidence of the claim that a multicultural education can engage and gain the attention of pupils and thus close the achievement gap. Certainly there must be some evidence of this outcome somewhere in the literature. In conducting further research, the researcher would revise the paper to identify possible areas of further research in the area of attention and engagement and how a multicultural education might have a positive outcome on the achievement gap. If the researcher finds nothing of value in the literature, he would rev ise the paper to reflect that the hypothesis has not been satisfactorily tested in the literature. It is also stated that a third and final revision would be the removal of direct quotes. These quotes would be removed and replaced by a synopsis of the quoted text instead. In conclusion, the researcher would also revise the text to reflect more critical arguments on the topic of multicultural education rather than a regurgitation of the theories discussed and assumptions espoused in the literature.

Gender Roles and the Perception of Women Essay Example for Free

Gender Roles and the Perception of Women Essay There was a time that having a daughter born to a family evoked more pity than congratulations from the community. Sons were valued more for they were viewed to bring practical help towards augmenting the family income through physical labor, as well as ensuring that the family name lives on with his progeny. (Feminism) Daughters were valued only for the potential honor they could bring the family with a good marriage. In olden days, a good marriage was not necessarily defined by the couples happiness but rather was deemed as such if both families stand to benefit from the union. Usually benefits would be measured in wealth, alliance or business. Marriages then were basically mergers. Women were not expected to accomplish anything other than the mastery of domestic duties and union with a suitable husband. After marriage, the only duties that a woman is supposed to fulfill are to look after the needs of her husband and give birth to as many children as possible with preference to the birthing of sons. The 1920s and 30s saw a wave of feminism that sought to overturn the traditional gender role assigned to women. They viewed patriarchy as oppressive to women and advanced the thinking that women are complements of males and therefore should be treated as equals. The 1920s also saw a major victory for women in the United States with the passage of a law that allowed for womens suffrage. (Feminism) The Second World War in the 1940s also provided women with the opportunity to prove their worth outside their duties as homemakers. They started signing up as army nurses, members of womens corps and workers in factories that provided supplies and ammunition to the boys overseas. Even with this however, women still experienced discrimination at the hands of employers who believed that it was the mens role to earn money for their families. Those that were hired still had to face inequality in wages as their work were deemed easier compared to the mens. (Acker 46) It has continually been an uphill climb for women in the assertion of their rights and the fight for identity and equality. Despite the many progresses made by women since the olden days, some cultures still place more premium on males. Sandra Cisneros account (Kirszner, 96-99) of being and born and living in a traditional, patriarchal society in the 1950s show that even with the many new freedoms and rights accorded to women, their roles were still defined by marriage and domestic duties. What I didnt realize was that my father thought college was good for girls good for finding a husband. After four years of college and two more in graduate school, and still no husband, my father shakes his head even now and says I wasted all that education. (Kirszner 97) The selection further goes on to relate the attempts made by Cisneros in getting her father to acknowledge her achievements and herself as more than only a daughter. She wanted to BE his daughter in every sense of the word and enjoy the same pride her father has in her brothers achievements. I often witness the hunch posture, from women after dark on the warrenlike streets of Brooklyn where I live. They seem to set their faces on neutral and, with their purse straps strung across their chests bandolier style, they forge ahead as though bracing themselves against being tackled. (Kirszner 242) In Brent Staples observations in the Black Man effect in altering a public space (Kirszner 240), he presents the image of a woman who is determined to move forward yet remains aware of the possible challenges to her progress. While in the story the context women is defined in is couched in terms of potential threat from street violence and crimes, one could almost picture the same description as applicable to the grim and set determination of the feminists who steadfastly battles for womens rights and progress. It has been many years since women achieved a major victory in suffrage and set about to establishing their identity in society. Yet in some cases, there seem to be some women who remain oblivious or at least, not benefited by the new stature and rights women have been able to claim through years of struggle with a male-dominated society. In Anna Deavere Smiths Four American Characters monologue (2005) she shares a conversation she had with an elderly philosopher friend she had, Maxine Green. In the conversation, Smith asked Green: What are two things that you dont know and still want to know? Green replies: Personally I still feel that I have to curtsy when I see the president of our University and I feel that I ought to get coffee for my male colleagues even though Ive outlived most of them. Smith follows this up with the characterization of Maryland convict Paulette Jenkins. Paulette Jenkins represents the women in abusive relationship who suffer in silence. She never spoke out because she didnt want people to know that there was something wrong with her family. She took her husbands abuse and allowed him to do the same to her children†¦children that she had in the belief that it would soften her husband. What would make a man do such a thing? At the same time, what would make a woman stand by helplessly as her husband beats up her children and herself? Conflict in relationships between men and women are believed to stem from four main reasons: mens jealousy, mens expectation of women and domestic work, mens sense of right to punish their women, and the importance to men of asserting and keeping their authority. Women on the other hand, are kept silent due to feelings of shame and responsibility (Dobash, and Dobash 4). More often than not, the women feel that they deserved whatever the husband did to them. This acquiescence may be due to their cultural orientation of women as subservient wives. Upbringing and cultural orientation can do much to influence a persons understanding and acceptance of gender roles. (Dobash, and Dobash 4) However, there is always the freedom of choice and personal introspection, which should allow individuals to reason out right and wrong and the applicability and rationale of traditions for themselves. The case of Sandra Cisneros is the perfect illustration of this. Despite being brought up in a highly patriarchal household and culture, she chose to follow her own desire and achieve in her own right. In the end, she managed to earn her fathers respect and acknowledgment that she, as a woman, can accomplish and gain honor and pride for the family. Regardless of background, doctrine or culture, everyone, man and woman, has that same choice in choosing how their manhood or womanhood will be defined in their lives. Works Cited Acker, Joan. What Happened to the Womens Movement? -An Exchange. Monthly Review Oct. 2001: 46. Questia. 28 Sept. 2007 http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5002421932. Feminism. The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2004. Questia. 28 Sept. 2007 http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=101243850. Dobash, R. Emerson, and Russell P. Dobash. Women, Violence, and Social Change. New York: Routledge, 1992. Questia. 28 Sept. 2007 http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=107605974. Kirszner, Laurie. Patterns for College Writing 10th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martins. 2006. Mcneill, William H. Violence Submission in the Human Past. Daedalus 136. 1 (2007): 5+. Questia. 28 Sept. 2007 http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5019968515. Smith, Anna Deveare. Four American Characters. 2005 TED. com. 27 Sept 2007 http://www. ted. com/index. php/talks/view/id/60

Themes Of Fate And Destiny

Themes Of Fate And Destiny Oedipus as a major victim of fate have tried to evade his fate when he realized that he was going to kill his father and sleep with his mother. His shocked and dreadful emotions made him run away from his parents to evade this fate, but he was actually walking right into his fate. It seems that Oedipus overheard this prophecy by accident but we may wonder that all this was planned by the gods so that Oedipuss fate can carry on as planned. This later became a turning point that led the glorious and miserable life that follows Oedipus in his future. Oedipus tried to evade his fate, but for him fate was not easily evaded. In his case fate seemed to be decided from the begging of his life, and from birth his leg was scared leaving three marks, which may foreshadow the choice he had to make at the cross road in future. Through this Sophocles is trying to show the idea that our destiny might not be controlled by ourselves and this shows how powerless humans are. The Shepherd who was ordered by the king to kill Oedipus may seem to be an irrelevant person in the play, but he plays a key role that led to Oedipuss final fate. He saves Oedipus and allowed the prophecy to happen. His sympathy caused Oedipus to curse him in the end when the shepherd reveals the truth about Oedipus, because if Oedipus died as a baby he wouldnt be suffering and have an ending which seemed like a living hell for him. I think we cant blame the shepherd for saving Oedipus. The truth about Oedipus was brought on by himself as he insisted to reveal the truth. This expresses a human behavior of wanting to know the truth that can be related to our daily life. If a friend has some secret which he/she didnt want to share, we would be eager to ask them what it was about since we want to know the truth. The more they refuse to reveal the truth the more we want to know. Oedipus from nature has an unyielding desire to uncover the truth about everything and in this case, he wanted to find the murder of King Laius and also want to uncover the secret mystery of his own birth. This desire then led him to realize what he has done. Many characters such as Tiresias and Jocasta in the play tried to stop Oedipus from revealing the truth, but Oedipus was driven by his fate to uncover everything. This could be seen when Jocasta urged Oedipus that Stop-in the name of god, if you love your own life, call off this search! My suffering is enough.  [1]  She begged Oedipus to leave the mystery unsolved, as at that point she might have realized what was really happening but she didnt want Oedipus to suffer. But Oedipus reply, Listen to you? No more. I must know it all, must see the truth at last.  [2]  This was used by Sophocles to further illustrate the characteristics of Oedipus. His curiosity made him unable to stop pursuing the truth, which was the reason for him to solve the sphinx riddle, so even when his wife was pleading from him to stop, he still insisted on uncovering the mystery that seemed to be a riddle, which ends up to be his final riddle, the riddle of his own life. The quote A stranger you may think, who lives upon you, he soon will be revealed a native of Theban  [3]  Foreshadows that the killer who seemed to a Stranger actually have a long bond with Thebes and at the time Oedipus didnt realize that it was him who had long ties with Thebes. Again this is related with the theme of fate and destiny since this was said by the Tiresias who revealed the prophecy which eventually became true. In the play the Prophet says that, Blind who now has eyes, beggar who now is rich, he will grope his way towards a foreign soil, a sick tapping before his step by step.  [4]  This foreshadows what will happen to Oedipus in the future. Oedipus does really take notice of what the prophet says because he was angry and believed that everything the prophet said was a conspiracy. What he doesnt realize is that this is a significant prophecy the prophet made for him. As we see further in the play on how cruel he blinded himself and how he left Thebes. This relates to the theme of fate, since the prophet actually knows what will happen to Oedipus, which makes us wonder whether god really plans our destiny in advance. In the play the quote, He solved the famous riddle with his brilliance, he rose to power, a man beyond all power. Who could behold his greatness without envy? Now what a black sea of terror has overwhelmed him.  [5]   shows that although Oedipus is a smart and mighty king he could still not reverse his destiny and had to end up living in misery alone. This causes the reader to sympathize with him for why is life so unfair to him, that such a good man ends up with such an ending. Then in the quote Revealed at last, brother and father both to the children he embraces, to his mother son and husband both-he sowed the loins his father sowed, he spilled his fathers blood!  [6]  Sophocles gave the reader a feeling of sorrow for both Oedipus and all the people related to him. Since everyone who is blood related to him will live in misery. Oedipus, no matter what he may try to do to avoid his fate. All his actions were pulling him right back to his final destiny, although revealing the truth surrounding his birth was his wish, but also believed to be the plan of the gods. His curiosity and intelligence which brought him fame and glory have also brought his downfall. Oedipus was too eager to end the suffering of his people, thus sending Creon to bring the prophet that led to the tragedy. I think that even when the prophet hinted that the killer was a stranger to the land and all this might be a plan of fate. It just encouraged him to be more eager to find the killer of King Laius instead of cooling himself done to think about it. If he did he might have realized what was happening. So it all seemed to happen as the fate guided and the gods were manipulating the minds of the man. And it seemed that the people are just chess pieces and are expendable when needed, thus they dont have control over their fate. This all started with a prophecy and the results of it was disastrous. So we ask ourselves are we supposed to know the will of god or should we be ignorant. If the old King of Thebes did not know of the prophecy then he would not have tried to kill Oedipus, then the family would have lived happily together, but due to the prophecy it turned into a disastrous event. This raises the question of whether the prophecies of gods there to help us or to cause problems for us? It is ironic how things could have turned out to be differently. It seems that it is not fair for Oedipus or anyone to have their final destiny decided, without giving them a chance to change it, and for Oedipus his fate was determined to end terribly even at the beginning of his life.

Just War Doctrine And The Gulf Conflict Essay -- essays research paper

Just War Doctrine and the Gulf Conflict   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In evaluating US involvement in the Iraq conflict in terms of the Just War Doctrine - jus ad bellum and jus in bello - it is my opinion that the US adhered to the Doctrine in its entirety. The US acted justly both in its entering into the Gulf conflict (jus ad bellum) and in its conduct while in the conflict (jus in bello). To support this opinion I will individually address the co parts that constitute the Just War Doctrine and show how US participation in the Iraq war abstained from violating the tenets of either co-part. Jus Ad Bellum Jus Ad Bellum, the justness of entering into conflict consists of six primary tenets: legitimate authority, just cause, proportionality, right intention, chance of success, and last resort.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Legitimate Authority - Only those of legitimate authority may justly lead its country into war. This tenet disqualify revolutionaries, radicals and/or subversives who seek to justly initiate war. War is to be the decisions of the head of state and is to be subject to their guidance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Just Cause - A just conflict may not be initiated void of just cause. This tenet disallows justifying war for the purpose of economic gain, land acquisition, or strategic position. If war is to be justly initiated just cause, usually humanitarian, must first exist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Right Intention - This relates to the tenet of just cause. Just cause must be followed by right intention. It would be unjust seek a goal devoid of the just cause.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4. Proportionality - Also in relation to just cause is the tenet of proportionality. Proportionality must exist between the cause and the decision to go to war. For country (a) to initiate a total war with country (b) because of a minor violation that country (b) was responsible for would be unproportional and unjust. There is not cause enough to warrant country (b) being subjected to a total war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5. Chance of Success - War must be initiated with a chance of success. It would be unjust to lead people into a war they have no chance of winning. It would more just to bow to superiority and fight another day than to commit to a policy of suicide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6. Last Resort - This is probab... ... possible. Though the US possessed immense destructive capabilities they employed only that necessary to get the job done. The most effective aspect of the coalition forces was their air assault. The various jet-fueled fighters and bombers the US employed were more than capable of turning Iraq quite literally into a parking lot. They did not. Instead bombing occurred only where enemy forces or enemy armament was suspected to be stored. Civilian areas were not fired upon unless a threat, such as an anti-aircraft gun, was placed in a civilian area, and in these instances pin-point missiles were used to eliminate the threat with as little destruction to the surrounding area as possible. This adheres to the moral means doctrine which finds indiscriminate weapons unjust. Though the US was authorized to use any and all means they employed nothing more than what was necessary to complete the job adequately.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I stated above UN Resolution 678 left the door wide open to possible violations of International Law. Despite this US went beyond the call of duty to assure that its role in the Gulf conflict was just. Risking their own well being, US pilots often gav

the bell jar :: essays research papers

The book â€Å"The Bell Jar† by Silvia Plath was different from other books assigned through-out my time at high school. Most of the other books, including for example â€Å"Of Mice and Men†, Lord of the Flies†, and â€Å"The Heart of darkness† were stories about mostly men and how they all turned against each other in some way and acted like animals instead of humans, and in the end of all of them someone dies. The book â€Å"The Bell Jar† though is without a doubt my favorite so far because it is about a female and about all the pressures of everyday life that run through her head. This is something that I can relate to because I too think about some of these same worries such a as virginity, looks, and morals to name a few. I am claiming that the theme or the meaning of this book is that in order to stay sane in this world, you can’t let the pressures and worries run your actions and decisions and your life or else you will not be able to function. I feel that this is what happened to Esther. I think that these pressures to Esther are what set her over the edge and made her think the way that she did and made her think that something was wrong with her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sylvia Plath portrayed a lot of meaning in this book. The main idea and meaning that she, as a writer, was trying to portray to the reader, is to understand how the worries, burdens, and pressures of being a young, mature adult are enough to put someone, like Esther in a depression so deep that it gives the illusion to the reader that she is insane and not in touch with reality. I believe that it is a matter of her being depressed and not of her being insane because of all that is on her mind she cant think clearly which makes her seem insane because if the strange things that she talks of such as not being able to sleep or eat, or even write. I think that the author did a very good job of making her seem depressed to the point of â€Å"insanity† because of how she Esther feel like she wasn’t sleeping when really she was sleeping for hours upon hours when she was put into the institutions. At an earlier

The Namesake Clash of Culture

The thing about The Namesake is not that it is a great movie (although most avid movie-goers will be satisfied), but that it treats universal themes with such clarity that anyone who has been through the experience of leaving one’s land should be able to relate, even if not from India. Directed by Mira Nair and with Kal Penn leading a great cast, the movie follows the lives of an Indian couple coming to New York in the 70s and raising children in this context.I have a number of friends that are second generation to Indian immigrants for which reason I believe my understanding of their culture is above average, but even if that was not the case I’m sure these themes would not be lost on me: Abandoning the comfort of family life in the quest for better opportunities Struggling to make a living without help, in a culture where all values are different All the sacrifices that parents make for the sake of their children.I’ve always said that migration is cruel to our ancestors but selfless to our children. The agony of loosing loved ones being far away and the constant fight with the irrational thought that it could be avoided. The temptation of multiracial relationships The intimacy of the father/son dialog when the entire future of their lineage depends on them The cultural pride that one feels even after leaving the country behind, assuming all great achievements from our people as our own.In many ocassions this only happens once we leave our countries. The quiet professional triumph that occurs almost in the background to all the other events in our lives. The crude attempt to follow tradition even if this means to butcher them once in a while The cultural mix that is driven by well adapted â€Å"second generation† kids and their loose interpretation of their heritage in the context of their daily lives. Go see it or continue reading the chatter at one of the Indian blogs I follow.