Machiavellis Cycle of Governance Essay Example for Free

Machiavellis Cycle of Governance Essay Ancient Rome such a stable and economically fruitful empire. Concerning the structures of governance as it was in 16th century florence, Machiavelli expressed the opinion that only six forms of government exist that maintain a perpetual cycle of short lived power before sucuming to, what he viewed as a natural end. This is brought about either due to a successful insurection and instalment of a form of government which evolved out of oppression or a form of government that eventually grew to become greedy and corrupt through generational changes. The model Machiavelli presents begins with a society in a state of nature or Anarchy that exists until the people begin to realise strength in numbers and seek leadership from the foremost individual who assumes rulership, thus evolving into a Monarchy. The good Monarch is however, succeeded by corrupt rulers who use their power for their own gain and control through Tyranny. The Tyrant is eventually overthrown by a rebellion and the rebels retain control amongst themselves collectively producing an Aristocracy. The Aristocrats are then succeeded by a generation that again, begins to use its powers to oppress the people and becomes an Oligarchy. Like the Tyrant, they are overthrown by the oppressed who then form a Democracy. As time progresses, order and control dissolve completely until we find ourselves in a state of nature or Anarchy once again. As Machiavelli saw it, because of mans propensity to greed and corruption against the collective force of the oppressed victims, the cycle of instability could only ever provide temporal security and was not an effective enough solution. Machiavelli lived in a period of insessent political conflict and social disharmony which provided him with a deep rooted motivation to ensure order and stability could be demonstrated within the system he sought. Machiavelli drew the conclusion that a balance of power shared between a monarchical figure, an aristocratic institution and a democratic institution, as the Ancient Romans had implemented, was the most benificial arrangement in the interest of the state. In order to sustain order, it is necessary to employ the method of checks and balances, meaning each faction must regulate the other to prevent the accumulation of too power in the hands of an individual or particular group. Today we use the term separation of powers to identify this form of self monitoring government. Although critics of this form of power regulation state that it slows up progress, promotes excesses of executive power and unaccountability, those who would champion the method maintain it is an effective means to ensure liberty and democracy while avoiding the possibility of tyranny.

Australian Involvement In Wwi History Essay

Australian Involvement In Wwi History Essay Australia was involved in the world war one for many reasons. The most important reason was to help its mother country Britain. They thought if they helped Britain they will help them in any problem. Reasons for enlistment in 1914: In 1914, Australia became involved in world war one because of Britain declaring the war on Germany. When Britain declared the war, the Britain Empire should go to war including Australia and New Zealand. At this time Andrew Fisher (the future prime minister) promised Britain to help the in the war. Australia has entered the war for three reasons:http://web.grinnell.edu/individuals /kapilas/talks/Introduction_to_Indian_Writing_in_English_files /slide0005_image002.jpg They will be known as a nation of its own; The other countries will have greater respect for the new nation; The British Empire in 1914.Andrew Fisher promised that Australia will help its mother country. Approximately 98% of Australias population are non aborigines and most of them are from the British Empire like Scotland and Wales. Thats why the men have volunteered to go to war and help their mother country. There were other reasons to go to war cause the thought it would be a great adventure, and the will give them a great wages and the thought they will come back in Christmas.http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/images/GRG32_16_7Illust.jpg Australias relationship with Britain: After Australia was federated in 1901 it was still a part of the British Empire Australia was found by Britain and Australia language and culture has come from Britain. Australian political, justice, education, fashion and sport system are British. An Australian Poster Used to Make the Australian to Go to warAustralias import marketing is from Britain. Australia economy is to tie to Britains. Australias defence was the British Navy. Australia was scared by the Asian Hordes but British power was its defence. Australia was part of the British Empire. The Australian children learned about the England kings and queens. From 1905, Australia celebrates the queens birthday. First the children go to the school in the morning and they sing patriotic song and they have the rest of the day as a public holiday. Australias involvement with Britain in 1914 or world war one was quite all over the place, they were like rivals but not enemies, they kind of despised each other but when it came to danger they would ark up and protect each other no matter the cost. Opposition to Involvement: Many were against the war some of them are conscientious objectors from religious groups Society of Friends who defeat the human life. The conscription is forcing men to go to war even if they dont want to do there.118F824B The anti-war movement included: The Industrial Workers of the War; The Society of Friends; An extract from a letter written by F.J. Roberts in 1914 saying how he is against the war.The Womans Army Peace; The Australians Peace Alliance; The No Conscription Fellowship. Some thoughts aggravated anti-conscription: Conscription was wrong because war itself morally wrong. Its a type of injustice to force someone to go fight in the war. Some were provoked first and foremost by selfishness. The working classes would stand the load of conscription. Labour Party followers often viewed the pro-conscription entrance hall as war profiteers who in their self-interest, would happily censure others to die while they stayed home and made money. Recruitments Campaigns: With the rash of the war in Europe in 1914 the Australian government promised Britain and its allies to help them defeating Germany and its allies. First the Australian army start calling for volunteers. The army plan was to have half of the men that have experience or were in the army or served in previous wars and the other half wanted to be physically fit volunteers between the ages of eighteen to thirty five years old who were six inches and above. After the Gallipoli war news, the Australian army wanted more men to volunteer, but now one volunteered because they were scared. After the terrible Somme offensives in France with the high rates of loss of lives, the Australian government agreed to get more troops. The men were force to enlist. They said that it was their duty to join the war. Expressive and rousing addresses were given right through Victoria with speakers maintaining that Australians were forced to go to war in view of the German purpose of world control. Also, it wa s a good reason to punish the carnage dedicated by the Germans in their demonstration throughout Belgium and the finishing of Nurse Cavell. http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/allin/images/indigenous/P02140_005_150.jpg Australian men who volunteered for the WW1 Limited people at the time were not agreed about Australias participation in the war but strong moving forces were out of control in the community. Anti-German feeling was strong in the middle of many people. The Shire of Moorabbin was congratulated, by one person, for reprimanding a worker for expressing views that were careful with the pro-German. Leo Gamble reports an incidence where three young Mentone people threw rocks all the way through the weak walls of the home of Oscar Wetzel, a German settler of some years standing. Living next to the pier in Naples Road Wetzel often looked across the bay with a telescope and permitted others to do so for a money charge. He was accused of undercover work on ship activities. The three men were charged for the crime but received token fines.

Looking At Theories Of Postmodernism Films Film Studies Essay

Looking At Theories Of Postmodernism Films Film Studies Essay Post-modern film is a term that is used to describe the portrayal of the post-modernist ideas through the medium of cinema. Post-modernism itself can be described as essentially a movement away from the modernist ideas through the use of the universal cultural narrative, the meta- narrative and the notion of the objective truth, and post-modern film only different to post-modern literature in the way that it portrays these themes, it instead displays the aesthetic features that are characteristically associated with post modern cultural practice. Such films like Synecdoche, New York and Inception are seen to exemplify post-modern themes or to offer images of post-modern society. Post-modern film is a self-conscious movement, that is to say that it is a movement that is aware of its limitations through its selected media of cinema, however in saying that post-modernism also attempts to break through this fourth wall as once one becomes aware of their own limitations; only then can they attempt to reach beyond them. As a result, many of the post-modern films become very complex and deep, with many strong themes and motifs running through them. It is for this reason that I consider Charlie Kaufmans work, Synecdoche, New York to be a very compelling asset to the post- modern film genre. Synecdoche, New York plays with the mainstream conventions of modern cinema and instead relies on its subdued logic as its real means of expressing its themes. As an artist, and a man, the main character; Caden (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman), is on what seems at times a never ending search for meaning, but this search keeps him is a suspension between that world of the play and reality and the line between the two becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish. With such a strong refernce to this theme throughout the film, it is hard to ignore the striking similarity between this theme of inability to tell reality from fantasy, and the post-modernist philosophy of hyper reality. Hyper reality is in fact considered to be the post-modern term that describes this inability of the brain to distinguish between authenticity and fantasy. What hyper reality actually shows us how we may confuse what is real in a world that is consumed with how media can alter our perception or experience of an event. Kaufmann achieves this in the film by burying Caden in his masterpiece that is this play, and blurs the line between the reality of the deterioratin g outside world, and the world that is contained n the ever expanding warehouse. Caden even goes as far as to hire doppelgangers as his cast and crew. This complicates the distinction between reality and fantasy as the audience begins to question who is who, for example, the character of Sammy Barnathan is hired by Caden to play Caden, and Sammys look-alike is cast to play Sammy. As a result of this hyper reality that is found throughout the film, Caden is sent on a constant course of self- realization, but not on what seems a regular and conventional method of self- realization within cinema, or for that matter a cultural sense either. Instead Caden only learns of his true personality and becomes more conscious of himself when he hires Sammy to play the character of Caden in the play. This is mainly noted through Cadens revival of his relationship with the character of Hazel as this re-kindling was only triggered by Sammys, while playing the character of Caden, own interest in Hazel. Cadens journey of self realization is progressed further when he replaces himself with Ellen as he becomes more aware of his female counterpart. Cadens ultimate moment of self realization seems to come at the very end of the film, as when the scene fades to white Caden finally reveals that he knows how to do the play but only when the directors voice that is in his ear gives him his final stage direction; Die- ending a long story of attempting to fulfil his life and end to his depressing physical ailments and inevitable bodily deterioration that seem to be constantly reminded to him by the doctors. This can often be seen as one of the most interesting aspects about the film is; that the film is actually a play within a play it is a performance within a performance, and it is strongly related to William Shakespeares quote; All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women are merely players., for example we can see this when Caden populates the cast and crew of his play with doppelgangers- they are merely only players, to be used. This is one of the key points in the film, as the films central concept is that Caden is attempting to re-create his entire existence through the direction of this play on the massive city sized stage. What is even more interesting about Cadens play, is that it is never performed for the public- instead the actors that make up th e cast of the play are the public themselves- reinforcing Shakespeares concept. This raises various themes for the audience to consider, for example the film first tells the audience that our life is merely a performance and we are merely acting out what we are told to do, and just like Caden relinquishes to accepting his destiny that is death, we too must accept ours. Synecdoche, New York essentially goes beyond its medium limitations and makes its audience question their own worth and how much power they have over controlling their lives. Synecdoche, New York is one of many post-modern films that avails of its ability to engage in the audience in such a unique way. Film is a powerful medium that has a very strong influence in our post-modern society. We can see similarities of the post-modern genre within; Christopher Nolans film Inception. Inception has been an extraordinary popular film for the short amount if time since it was first screened in 2010. Since then it has received an enormous amount of positive response, both in the critical sense and with the public, and has many reasons for doing so. Inception is, without a doubt one a film that must be viewed a number of times in order to fully understand its dense philosophy embedded within both the action and the ambiguity of the film itself. Inception leaves the audience unsure of what they saw and, if even just for a moment, makes them also question their own reality. In a sense Inceptions overall mood is that it is questioning our reality and worth. In fact Inception goes one step further and challenges the capitalist culture that we live in, almost to an anti-capitalist point. Boggs and Pollard state that Media culture embraces constituent elements of the liberal-capitali st order (2001. pg 171) as Inception is a film that based around the destruction of a monopoly. It would be fair to say that the entire concept of the film is based on the idea of disillusion, but what Inception shows us is that the power of disillusion is not tied down to the plot of the film, but also extends out to the form of the film, and in turn extends to the audience and a reflection of the post-modern society that we live in. For example, Inception plays with the form of the film and realises that film itself is a sort if disillusion, just like Synecdoche, New York, Inception engages with the audience with reference to hyper reality, however it does this in a very different way. Instead of immersing the audience into hyper reality, Inception instead brings the idea of hyper reality to the audiences attention so that they become aware of it. For example as the audience engross themselves in the film any emotions that we feel during a film; such as joy, sadness or fear, leaves us when the lights come back on in the cinema and return to reality, however Inception lures th e audience in with the stark resemblance to reality, but at every possible moment the film also reminds the audience that the characters are in a dream and that whatever is happening to them is not actually happening to them, and this in turn reminds the audience that none of this is really happening for them either, making the audience aware that none of the emotions that they are feeling or the event that they are witnessing are real. We can also relate this to Inceptions overall idea that our whole life and the world that we live in is nothing but an illusion, and we live in a world globalization- where vast businesses are taking over the cultural world. In short, Inception is a post modern sublime and that it breaks the fourth wall and makes us question whether our life is real and all else is an illusion, or that everything else is real and our life is an illusion. It is a film that connects aesthetics with context. Again what makes Inception a post modern sublime, as it did with Synecdoche, New York is its self awareness and knowledge of the limitations and quirks of its medium- and the power that a film can portray that a book can not achieve. Inception takes place in a labyrinth of dreams within dreams and that simply cannot be described in literature, but the real theme that the film seems to raise is that maybe the entire film is a dream, so that what we cannot distinguish when the characters are in reality or in a dream; again something that cannot be achieved by mere literature. Also it is never discussed how dream extraction was invented in the film, it seems to just exist, in this sense the film is entirely ambiguous and m aybe it is all just a dream, having no real beginning, as the film opens in a dream extraction with almost no background to who the people in the shots are, or doesnt seem to have a real end either, making the audience wonder whether the entire film is a dream. The film brings the notions of hyper reality to the audiences attention, and then the film begins to place the idea that maybe the lives of the audience are insignificant and dreamlike. It is interesting that the name of the film is Inception, and the film itself is planting ideas into the audiences mind. The ending scene is probably the most important scene, as the spinning top spins, and it does so for what seems quite an extraordinary amount of time, it with no doubt wobbles at the end but is cut off in the final shot so that we will never figure out whether he is living in reality anymore or a dream. If it is dream it is extraordinary elaborate dream, but even if it isnt a dream the idea that such an elaborate dream could possibly exist leaves us questioning that maybe we are dreaming our entire lives. According to Stuart Hall the post-modern subject, . . . is conceptualized as having no fixed, essential or permanent identity' (2000. pg 277). As a result what we are left with is the idea of subjective truth. That is to say that the film is completely subjective to the individual watching the film, and they must come to their own conclusion and truth about the film. This is what make post-modern cinema such a phenomenon, as it speaks to each individual on such a high level and raises personal concerns with both themselves and the world that we live in, which is one of the aims of the post-modern film genre. However we must be careful in the progression of the post-modern film genre as it may become a new contemporary way to produce a film and just another way for filmmakers to explore and develop their characters and plots, almost defeating the purpose of the post-modern genre itself.

Creating a Successful Community Service Project :: Community Service Essays

Introduction Our class at State University has been tasked with creating and implementing a community-service project. A community-service project refers to a service that a person or group performs for the benefit of his or her local community. The team which I was part of decided to sponsor a Mother’s Day spaghetti dinner for the athletic department at a local Christian school. The funds would be used exclusively to build dug-outs for the girls softball team at a small private Christian school located in our town. The Christian school serves our community by providing a preschool program for children 3 and 4. It also conducts school for K-5 through 12th grade. Our team is made up of four people. The team began the decision making process by first exploring the parameters involved in a community project and the possibilities to work towards a worthy cause, while applying organizational behavior principles. The spaghetti dinner seemed perfect for our purpose of collecting money to build the girls softball team some dugouts. We wanted to engage in a community project that included certain characteristics such as an activity that would produce long-lasting benefits for the community. The team also wanted an uplifting and positive experience for all involved and a process that included a variety of challenges which would demonstrate our individual talents. As a team we all participated in the decision making for the entire project. Each participant showed leadership and demonstrated motivation to get the project underway and completed with a successful turnout.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once the team came up with a general consensus for the project, the decision making was shared at all levels. Sometimes, the team had to rethink certain approaches quickly, for example by becoming more persistant and persuasive with merchants. As the dead line for the dinner approached we needed to take into consideration all factors surrounding the cause and try and get as much as possible from each merchant. In most cases, there was reluctance about donating something to a group that was not very well known and in other cases there was resistance in general to donating at all. Many merchants wouldn’t donate without first receiving a request in writing, so we created a letter designed to overcome this obsticle. We have included a copy of this letter at the end of this paper for your review. The team had multiple different personality types and traits that would allow us to pull on multiple strengths from different team members. Creating a Successful Community Service Project :: Community Service Essays Introduction Our class at State University has been tasked with creating and implementing a community-service project. A community-service project refers to a service that a person or group performs for the benefit of his or her local community. The team which I was part of decided to sponsor a Mother’s Day spaghetti dinner for the athletic department at a local Christian school. The funds would be used exclusively to build dug-outs for the girls softball team at a small private Christian school located in our town. The Christian school serves our community by providing a preschool program for children 3 and 4. It also conducts school for K-5 through 12th grade. Our team is made up of four people. The team began the decision making process by first exploring the parameters involved in a community project and the possibilities to work towards a worthy cause, while applying organizational behavior principles. The spaghetti dinner seemed perfect for our purpose of collecting money to build the girls softball team some dugouts. We wanted to engage in a community project that included certain characteristics such as an activity that would produce long-lasting benefits for the community. The team also wanted an uplifting and positive experience for all involved and a process that included a variety of challenges which would demonstrate our individual talents. As a team we all participated in the decision making for the entire project. Each participant showed leadership and demonstrated motivation to get the project underway and completed with a successful turnout.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once the team came up with a general consensus for the project, the decision making was shared at all levels. Sometimes, the team had to rethink certain approaches quickly, for example by becoming more persistant and persuasive with merchants. As the dead line for the dinner approached we needed to take into consideration all factors surrounding the cause and try and get as much as possible from each merchant. In most cases, there was reluctance about donating something to a group that was not very well known and in other cases there was resistance in general to donating at all. Many merchants wouldn’t donate without first receiving a request in writing, so we created a letter designed to overcome this obsticle. We have included a copy of this letter at the end of this paper for your review. The team had multiple different personality types and traits that would allow us to pull on multiple strengths from different team members.

Blood Diamonds: The Conflict in Sierra Leone Essay -- A Level Essays

Blood Diamonds: The Conflict in Sierra Leone History of Diamonds: The name "diamond" comes from the Greek word, "adamas" meaning unconquerable. Fittingly diamonds are made of pure carbon, and diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man.[1] Diamonds have long been a sign of wealth and fortune. Kings and queens have worn these forms of concentrated carbon and even more countless millions people over time have lusted after them. These gems can be transparent, truculent white, yellow, green, blue, or brown. To understand the value of these stones, and ultimately their role in war, it helps to first understand their origins and where they come form. Diamonds are the most frequently used form capital by the rebels in Angola, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of Congo use to purchase weapons. The earliest gem diamonds were found in India and Borneo, were they were found in riverbeds. In the early eighteenth century, deposits similar to those in India were found in Brazil. The story of diamonds in Africa began between December 1866 and February 1867, when a 15-year-old found a transparent stone on his father's farm, on the south bank of the Orange River. Within the next fifteen years, African diamond mines produced more diamonds than the India, the previous leading producer, had in the last 2,000 years. This increase in production occurred at the same time as the diamond mines in Brazil experiences a sharp decline in their production. The depletion of mines in Brazil assured that supply would remain stable and diamond prices would not fall as they previously had when Brazil over produced in the 1730s.[2] Diamonds are the pure form of carbon in a transparent state, that ... ...fer, Stefan. The Last Empire: De Beers, Diamonds, and the World. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1993. Tamm, Ingrid J. Diamonds in Peace and War: Severing the Conflict-Diamond Connection. Cambridge: World Peace Foundation, 2002. Web Sources: Allafrica.com: www.allafrica.com Amnesty International: www.amnesty.org CNN: www.cnn.com De Beers: www.debeers.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] www.debeers.com [2] Kanfer, Stefan. The Last Empire: De Beers, Diamonds, and the World. [3] Hirsch, John L. Sierra Leone: Diamonds and the Struggle for Democracy [4] Hirsch, John L. Sierra Leone: Diamonds and the Struggle for Democracy [5] Hirsch, John L. Sierra Leone: Diamonds and the Struggle for Democracy [6] Tamm, Ingrid J. Diamonds in Peace and War: Severing the Conflict-Diamond Connection

Maria Mitchell :: essays research papers

MARIA MITCHELL The person that I chose for the Womens History Month report is Maria Mitchell, who was a self- taught astronomer. She discovered Comet Mitchell and made amazing achievements throughout her life. Maria Mitchell was born on August 1, 1818 on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket to William and Lydia Mitchell. When Maria Mitchell was growing up in the Quaker community, few girls were allowed to study astronomy and higher mathematics. Even though the Mitchell's weren't rich Maria's father, a devoted amateur( most astronomers of that time were amateurs) astronomer, introduced her to mathematics and the night sky. He also encouraged her toward teaching and passed on a sense of God as in the natural world. By the time Maria was sixteen, she was a teacher of mathematics at Cyrus Pierce's school for young ladies where she used to be a student. Following that she opened a grammar school of her own. And only a year after that, at the age of eighteen she was offered a job as a librar ian at Nantucket's Atheneum during the day when it opened to the public in the fall of 1836. At the Atheneum she taught herself astronomy by reading books on mathematics and science. At night she regularly studied the sky through her father's telesscope. For her college education even Harvard couldn't have given her a better education than she received at home and at that time astronomy in America was very behind as of today. She kept studying at the Atheneum, discussed astronomy with scientists who visited Nantucket (including William C. Bond), and kept studying the sky through her father's lent telescope. In the mid-nineteenth century, new developments in astronomy were expanding the field at an fast and exciting rate. The Mitchells were aware that the King of Denmark awarded a gold metal to anyone who discovered a "telescopic" comet. No one in America had won that award yet. On the night of October 1, 1847 Maria Mitchell discovered a comet just above the North Star. But by the time her letter of discovery reached William Bond (director of the Harvard Observatory) Father de Vico at the Vatican Observatory in Rome had already announced his discovery of the same comet on October 3. Professor Bond began a campaign to get Maria her rightful award. On October 6, 1848, a year and five days later the King of Denmark decided to award the prize to Maria.

Venezuela

There have been many current events that have violated human rights, one of them is that Venezuela is suffering from lack of food and medicine they are given and their leader isn't doing anything about this but other leaders are trying to help out Venezuela , there are many things that are being done in order to Prevent future events like this, because this can't start happening around the world, Colombia, Cuba, and Argentina are already starting to have problems like this and this could get out of control. Venezuela use to be one the the wealthiest countries until the 19th century, that's when they started to have economic and political crisis. Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro is denying the fact that Venezuela people are staring and not having access to good health care. Many people are starving and others are in the hospital, and not having enough medicine for everyone because the hospitals are getting filled with injured people. Since the hospital doesn't have enough supplies for everyone they ask patients to bring their own medicine and which most patients can't afford. According to † Venezuela's health care crisis † the video states that even when their own patients bring in their own medicine, they are stolen inside the hospital.This Hospital use to have staff 24/7 working on surgerys and helping other patients while now there are people that have been waiting to have surgery for days. The Violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is Article 7 which is â€Å"You have the right to be treated by the law in the same way as everyone else.Everyone has the right protection against violation of their human rights† and Article 8 â€Å"If your rights under law are violated , you have the right to see justice done in court or tribunal.† This is saying that every person in Venezuela should be treated the same and have the same health care. People in venezuela are dying and starving because of the lack of food and medicine and health care they are given. According to CNN, this crisis that is happening in Venezuela had started around 2015 where people were having less than one meal a day. It's sad to see that newborns are being put in cardboard boxes after their mother give birth. According to FP people have been use to having one meal a day while others are hunting for dogs pigeons and cats. People In Latin America would feel rich with just one dollar or maybe some clean water while people here in America are wasting food and aren't grateful for one dollar. This rich Country is suffering because of one person which is their leader Nicolas Maduro. We can start helping Venezuela by just donating one dollar, because that would mean a lot to them. Donald Trump is also helping out with this situation.According to U.S.NEWS president Donald Trump he states that he promises â€Å"strong and swift economic actions† to counter Maduro's antidemocratic measures.† What Donald Trump is doing is he is restricting the revenue that Nicolas Maduro planned and benefit from oils form the United States. In Conclusion, Venezuela is struggling in food and health care because of their bad Leader Nicolas Maduro. People are dying faster and families are starving because they don't have food. This is a huge crisis, this was one of the wealthiest countries but now is the one leaving in poverty, people are eating pets and birds which is not usual. President Donald Trump and other leaders in Latin America for example Mexico they are trying their best to help out venezuela because everyone is supposed to be treated the same way, and in a way people in America can be helping out by donating one dollar which to them means a lot .