Wednesday, January 22, 2020

U.S. and Russian Relations After the Defeat of the USSR Essay -- essay

US and Russia relations after the defeat of the USSR: The end of Cold War brought new challenges to Russian life, economy and politics. Actually, the post-Cold War period opened the new opportunities for Russia. Democracy made its first steps in the country. After seventy years of communism Russian people finally got a chance to live how the want, to say what they want and to do what they want. People got a chance to choose their own leader, to vote for the Congress members. And it was very confusing for the country. Russia needed somebody to come out and help in this critical situation. Probably, the first country to do that was the United States. Russians "needed and wanted effective advise and technical help from the United States" (Pickering 102). And the most amazing thing was that the United States didn't mind and, actually, wanted to help Russia. But why? Why the United States wanted to help Russians? And I think the answer to that is very simple: the United States realized that America and Russia must not think of each other as natural enemies, but must work together to make more peaceful world, even if they were ready to destroy each other not that long ago. United States needed Russia as a strong partner in the twenty first century. Russia went through many changes in its economy since the Russian Federation took over the Soviet Union. "An economy devoted almost entirely to the production of military goods was forced to begin to provide what its citizens demanded, not what its rulers ordered" (Pickering 100). But it wasn't that easy. Russian government appeared to be unexperienced in modernizing the economy. Most of the people in government came from the school of the Soviet Union, so they were unable to do anything without somebody's help. "... the United States provided Russia with massive augments of experience, delivered through government and private sector advisors as well as by bringing Russians in large numbers to the US for training and exchanges" (Pickering 102). But the help of the US wasn't just a gift; America had something they got out of the help they were providing in building the Russian economy. All big American companies went to the Russian market. "American firms are convinced of Russia's extraordinary potential as the market for US trade and as a host for investments" (Pickering 102). ... ...ometimes media writes about the United States as the country that wants to ruin Russia. "Americans who operate exchange programs and conduct research in Russia are concerned about a report attributed to a government agency there that characterized such US-sponsored activities as espionage" (Desruisseaux A44). I don't think that this is what Russians think. That is the opinion of those who had a good life during Communism. "Many Russians realize that the efforts represented by this supposed report are efforts to weaken and cripple Russia, and cut it off from the rest of the world" (Desruisseaux, A44). And this is exactly what Russians think. And I don't believe all those rumors about the next Cold War in the next century. Russia and United States have to work together to make the next century more peaceful then this one. Works Cited Desruisseaux, Paul "Report in Russia accuses US-backed programs of espionage." Chronicle of Higher Education 24 Januay 1995: A44 Pickering, Thomas A. "US - Russia relations." Vital Speeches of the Day 1 December 1994: 100-103 Zorpette, Glenn "Down the drain." Scientific American December 1996: 20, 24

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Representative democracy Essay

Representative democracy is what we have in this country. We are seen by many other countries as one of the most well run countries in the world. Our system seems to run very well and there are many advantages of using the system we do. The principal is that the people are represented through their MP who is able to put the views of the constituent to parliament. On the other hand most politicians want to be successful. and this much easier if you follow the party line. The use of the whip system means that if there is a whip to the 1st degree then the Prime Minister expects you to vote the same way as him. If you do not, this may jeopardize your chances of getting up the opportunity ladder, as you are against the decision of the elected party leader. Another advantage of representative democracy is that the elected MP for a specific area will be aware of the problems, things that could be improved and the views of the constituents in that town/s. This means that peoples needs can be met to the highest level. A disadvantage to this would be that people may not get a chance to see their MP to express their beliefs so they may often feel like their views are unwanted and be annoyed with the government e.g. if someone sent a letter to their representing MP and did not get a response. Also, MP’s are spending more and more time in Westminster. This means they are often away and this is why they may be out of touch with their constituents. Some people believe along with the Conservative Party and Edmund Burke that the general public is not intelligent enough to make decisions for themselves, so we have a government made up of intellectually superior people to do it for us so we don’t get it wrong. But the majority of the people would argue that we are all equal and we should all have an equal say in all matters. After all, democracy is defined as â€Å"A form of government in which political power is exercised by the citizens†. Another argument for Representative democracy is that it is very practical and quick. Some people think that other kinds of democracy are more efficient like direct democracy because the whole country would vote on every issue and it would be very democratic. This is not always the case e.g. in Switzerland they have direct democracy and in every referendum held in the past year, less than 50% of those eligible to vote did so. Also the government does not have to go with what the majority of the people decide so some people may say that it is pointless. Some people may say that representative democracy is not very democratic because of many reasons e.g. the whip system. Page 2 Representative democracy allows MP’s to look at all of the factors and elements that would be affected if a new policy was introduced and make an informed decision on which way to vote. This means it is reliable and there are lots of people trying to find a problem with the policy and either amend it, or vote against it. A major flaw with this is that even though the MP is supposed to represent the views of his/her constituents not all of the peoples views may not get back to the MP so they do not have all of the factors to consider. This system where the people elect MP’s to vote in matters for them seems like a very fair system. However some people say that when examined closely the system demonstrates a range of flaws which can make it unfair and undemocratic. One of these is the fact that when a party is running for election, they bring out a manifesto. This is a small booklet of the main policies that that party wishes to bring in, and the main issues they wish to tackle. This sounds excellent, but the party does not have to feature policies they don’t want to on the manifesto. This means that a party could have policies that the public may not agree with and only bring them in after they have been elected. Another problem with this system is how representative parliament actually is.. The term â€Å"representative† means the people are represented. This  includes all people such as men, women, homosexuals and ethnic minorities. In the House of Lords and the House of Commons, this is not the case. The figures for women and ethnic minority population in the two houses are below. House of Commons: Ethnic minorities: 1.4% Women 19.6 House of Lords: Ethnic minorities: 1.5% Women: 18.3% These figures demonstrate that our representative system is not as democratic as it might first appear.. In conclusion, there are several advantages and disadvantages of Representative democracy, but I have looked over them many times and every time I have analyzed the figures, points and facts I found that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages so the system we use today may not be working at the level we would expect it to be run. Now the question that is asked should be is Representative Democracy the best political system for our country to use?

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Essay Battle Royal, by Ralph Ellison - 1341 Words

Ellison’s Powerful Battle Royal I felt a wave of irrational guilt and fear. My teeth chattered, my skin turned to goose flesh, my knees knocked. Yet I was strongly attracted and looked in spite of myself. Had the price of looking been blindness, I would have looked. (Ellison 939) These insightful words written by Ralph Ellison in the powerful short story Battle Royal, which later became the first chapter in the critically acclaimed novel Invisible Man, convey the repressed desires of the maligned African American spirit, in an age of oppression ruled by ignorance and fear. In Battle Royal Ellison utilizes remarkable powers of perception to deliver a shocking and thought-provoking dissertation on the†¦show more content†¦The narrator delivers a well-received discourse at his graduation, which he describes by saying, On my graduation day I delivered an oration in which I showed that humility was the secret, indeed, the very essence of progress. (Not that I believed this -- how could I, remembering my grandfather? -- I only believed that it worked) (Ellison 938). The acceptance of the narrators speech affords him the opportunity to address an assembly of prominent members of the white community, but first he must survive the Battle Royal, a boxing war in the ring against fellow African Americans. The Battle Royal is symbolic of the fight that many blacks wage against themselves to gain money, position, and prominence. The narrator is forced to participate in a battle against blacks before he speaks. This conflict illustrates a powerful tool used by the southern white man, by encouraging infighting, the African American community is kept from uniting, in unity, freedom could be gained. The narrator is an excellent speaker who remarks about his talent saying, In those pre-invisible days I visualized myself as aShow MoreRelatedBattle Royal, By Ralph Ellison963 Words   |  4 Pages Battle Royal Interpretive Essay Battle Royal is a short story that metaphorically address many such issues such as racial discrimination. The Author, Ralph Ellison, uses symbolism such as blindness and the concept of initiation to compare the world to a real life battlefield. Ellison intended to emphasize, both passive and aggressive elements of battle is necessary to achieve the American Dream. There is much symbolism used in the story. The protagonist’s grandfather is a symbol in himself.Read MoreBattle Royal By Ralph Ellison989 Words   |  4 PagesIt is undeniable that the short story by Ralph Ellison entitled â€Å"Battle Royal† is an intense one. 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Through theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Battle Royal By Ralph Ellison1383 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"The Battle Royal† by Ralph Ellison Life is full of obstacles, but no matter what it is we must struggle for survival. In the short story â€Å"The Battle Royal† by Ralph Ellison, the narrator talks about the clash between the African-American and white and the segregation issues. It features a young black man who has recently graduated from high school, and he is invited to give a speech to a group white gathering. While delivering the speechRead MoreAnalysis Of Battle Royal By Ralph Ellison1508 Words   |  7 PagesUnrelenting Perseverance Ralph Ellison’s excerpt â€Å"Battle Royal† from his novel â€Å"Invisible Man† reveals the African American’s struggle for social equality. It was written during the Cold War and Civil Rights movement and made an impact in the literature world and won an award. Ellison never provides a name for the narrator who refers to himself as the invisible man. The story begins with the narrator’s grandfather on his death bed instructing on how to deal with white people. The narrator felt thisRead MoreAnalysis Of `` Battle Royal `` By Ralph Ellison1405 Words   |  6 Pagesleads people to misunderstand what segregation truly did. Karen and Barbara Fields are two sisters who wrote Racecraft together to discuss serious racial issues of the past, present, and future. These issues are present in â€Å"Battle Royal†, a short story written by Ralph Ellison. A major theme in this story is the differentiation of class. White men seem to live the life and are able to obtain whatever they desire; the black teenagers in the story are set up to brawl each other to entertain the whiteRead MoreEssay on Battle Royal, by Ralph Ellison728 Words   |  3 Pages Triumphing Over Challenges The story â€Å"Battle Royal†, by Ralph Ellison is about a young black man who has to overcome racial inequalities. The story opens with his grandfather dying words and leaving the family with words that stick with the main character for life. The main character, whose name in not mentioned, is very intelligent and because of this the prominent white businessmen ask him to give a speech at a hotel. Upon his arrival, the white men put him through many humiliating acts for