A war between the United States and Iran Essay Example for Free

A war between the United States and Iran Essay Preparations for a massive military strike on Iran are in full swing by the United States of America. But will these preparations convert to actual bombing on the ground? Are the two countries going to be embroiled in a war soon? These are the questions that are being asked everywhere, in hushed tones if it is the Pentagon corridors and terrified glances if it is the streets of Tehran. With Iran defying the UN’s call for restraint in its nuclear programme openly, it has only become successful in intensifying the speculations about the war. The issue here is â€Å"Is it inevitable? † Before we get in to the nitty-gritty of the Iranian crisis, let us look into the different causes of the wars that have been raged in the recent future. The twentieth century started with World War I in 1914 and since then, it is interesting to note that the wars have a particular pattern. The causes have always been dependent on three factors: Systemic factors, domestic politics and the role of the Decision maker. Hence, we would also try to view the US-Iran issue through this prism. However, comparing the pre-nuclear wars in a pre-nuclear age with wars in post-nuclear age would be a waste of space. Instead, it would do well if we look into the causes that can trigger a war in the present times where possessing nuclear power is not only a stark reality but also the bone of contention in this particular case. It is the claim by the Iranian government that they are ready to start developing nuclear weapons is what has triggered the whole issue. And ironically, it is the very reason that is playing a deterrent in the war. Remarkable is the fact that it is only America that is concerned with Iran trying to possess the deadly weapon. The first and foremost question that would help us in determining the fate of this discussion would be: Why is America so bothered? America, the self-declared big brother of all the nations on this planet, takes up the â€Å"burden† of maintaining peace on earth. To quote Eisenhower, â€Å"Freedom is indivisible.. †. America takes it as its personal duty to ensure that â€Å"Freedom† is maintained all over the world. If it was â€Å"Communism† that was a threat against â€Å"Freedom† during the cold war, today it is the irresponsible rulers of nations that possess or aspire to possess nuclear weapons that are threatening the â€Å"Freedom† in the world. And when Truman declared that â€Å"We cannot hope to maintain our freedom, if freedom elsewhere is wiped out†, he meant it. However, the reasons why Israeli attack on Palestine killing hundreds of civilians is not wiping out â€Å"Freedom† but North Korea developing nuclear capability is has interesting reasons. History has been witness to this characteristic of America where it deems it is her right to attack any country it wills to protect the attacked country’s â€Å"freedom†. According to Jutta Welders (Pg 37, culture of insecurity), the compelling reason for America to act in this fashion is to maintain its supremacy in the world. An act of aggression under the cloak of â€Å"Freedom fighters† becomes a necessity to project itself as a strong nation which can not only defend itself but protect other countries as well. A bright example would be the Cuban missile crisis. When this â€Å"crisis† occurred, many were of the view that it was quite unnecessary for America to take up such a strong and aggressive tone. However, it did do that and according to Jutta Weldes, it is the compelling reason to showcase its power that led it to act strong. In fact, Jutta Weldes considers the Cuban missile crisis as not a crisis at all. To quote her, â€Å".. crises are social constructions that are forged by state officials in the course of producing and reproducing state identity†. She is of the view that it depends on the social construction that makes us define a situation as â€Å"Crisis†. It depends on how we view a nation that determines whether it is a crisis or not. For example, Iran possessing nukes is such a big issue and is immediately converted into a â€Å"Crisis† whereas an equally notorious state like Pakistan possessing the deadly weapons is not. It has been time and again proved that large number of terrorist activities has their funds traced back to Pakistan. However, Pakistan escaped the whip but Iraq was destroyed in the name of WMDs! The only explanation for this is the prism that US uses to define its foreign policies. Attack the nations that would give it a chance to maintain her supremacy in the world. Attacking Pakistan would back fire as it has the capability to strike back. And attacking Iraq or Iran will definitely be easier as these countries have a notorious reputation which required some policing and also are comparative weaklings. Hence, the systemic reasons for US to wage a war against Iran are quite obvious: a chance to police a nation that has a history of supporting the biggest threat world faces today, that is, terrorism and simultaneously reaffirm its image as the superpower which it seems to be losing to China. If attacking Iran salvages some pride for US, the role of domestic politics in the whole affair plays another important role. US, the strongest nation in the world today, are also the most vulnerable to attacks by various terrorist outfits. After 9/11, it has taken its goal of fighting terrorism quite seriously. However, the path it has chosen to fight it is not very often appreciated. The aftermath of 9/11 saw it attacking Afghanistan and driving out the Taliban ruthlessly. Afghanistan was the target because it sheltered the most dangerous terrorist outfit in the world, Al-Qaeda. Their slogan was a regime change is essential for to â€Å"smoke out† the terrorist and the whole war was essentially to capture one man – Osama Bin Laden. The attack resulted in the killings of thousands of innocent Afghanistan who were already tired by the war torn politics of Taliban. America could never capture the villain. However, it overthrew Taliban and today, a â€Å"democratically† elected government exists in place of it. Is Afghanistan a changed country today? Has America finally left its shores after the war? Both the answers are No! Terrorism has been controlled and yes, America is still â€Å"guarding† Afghanistan with its air raids on civilians. The failure of capturing Osama in Laden was quite frustrating for the Bush administration and it was in search for a new scapegoat. And they found the perfect one in the form of Saddam Hussain. Suddenly, Iraq, the starving nation which was already bogged down by various sanctions and its citizens further troubled by the tyrannic rule of Saddam Hussain finds itself in the line of fire. The reasons given are quite fishy. America is suddenly in possession of confidential information that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussain should be relieved of his responsibility of taking care of them! The reasons were uttered in the same chilling tone of how Iraq, which can’t survive without taking aid from UN, poses the danger of destroying the whole world. The solution that is needed is again a â€Å"Regime Change†. America reasoned introduction of democracy in the country will solve the problem. Thus, despite the worldwide protests that marked the growing contempt against America and the UN Security Council voting against a military attack, America single-handedly went about with its â€Å"war on terrorism†. After 3 years of war, a executed Saddam Hussain, uncountable civilian deaths and threats of civil war ( not to forget the daily suicide attacks by shiities), no one found alleged WMDs. Today, it has been almost accepted that the report on WMD was wrong! The flak US received for the irresponsible behavior is enormous and its image in the middle east has gone for a beating as today, many believe that US is waging war on Islam rather than Terrorists. Its belief that a regime change is the only solution that can solve the problems of the world is quite naive. It proposes the same thing when it comes to Iran. Seymour M. Hersh, in journal â€Å"Fact: Annals of national security† had mentioned his conversation with Patrick Clawson, an Iran expert who is the deputy director for research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and who has been supporter of President Bush, who clearly spoke of regime change the ultimate solution. He said, â€Å"So long as Iran has an Islamic Republic, it will have a nuclear-weapons program, at least clandestinely. The key issue is therefore, how long will the present regime last? † This archaic view that regime change or toppling of government in another country and forcing them to â€Å"democracy† has never worked in bringing the much desired goal of the war – peace. In fact, statistics have shown that the transition period from any kind of rule to democracy has always been bloody and nations become quite war-prone (Democratization and war). The most recent examples are, of course, Afghanistan and Iraq, which are facing gruesome infighting among themselves. So why is America so bent upon making a regime change in those countries? Apart from the apparent reasons of dismantling the network of terrorism, experts are of the view that it is also the question of who controls the oil in the future that has been a major driving force behind the American policy. Middle East is the home for oil throughout the world and it is the control of oil that is US after. With its fast disappearance and soaring prices (reasons partly because the war that US is waging), the control of the oil fields will definitely be beneficial for America. In fact, the one who controls oil in the future is the undisputed king. This goes in line with the policy of US for whom displaying its authority is very important as it seems to be losing the crown to the exponential growth of China. Therefore, attacking Iran is also a desperate attempt by US to reiterate that it is America that is still calling the shots. However, attacking Iran has its own dangers. The most important and the immediate is the image of US in the Islamic world. Its continuous attacks on Islamic nations has made it poised against Islam and has become quite unpopular in the Middle East. If not anything else, America through these attacks is only getting successful in inviting the wrath of the people living there. In a conversation with Seymour M Hersh, Richard Armitrage was echoing the same sentiments – â€Å"What will happen in the other Islamic countries? What ability does Iran have to reach us and touch us globally – that is, terrorism? Will Syria and Lebanon up the pressure on Israel? What does the attack do to our already diminished international standing? And what does this mean for Russia, China and the U. N Security Council? † Yet how many in Washington will consider these questions? According to Seymour, there are people out there who believe it is the way to operate! If domestic politics are reasons enough to wage war, the role of the decision maker is of paramount importance. It is the head who declares wars and in this case Bush has quite a penchant for declaring wars. It is widely believed that Bush will declare war against Iran before leaving the White house. In fact, President Bush believes that â€Å"He must do what no democrat or Republican, if elected in the future, would have the courage to do, and that saving Iran is going to be his legacy†. The personal ambition of Bush also seems to make the fear of turning Teheran in to a sea of fire in to reality. Moreover, with the failure of Iraq where they achieved instant victory but not a decisive one, Bush administration is looking out for scapegoats in a large way. Iran with its close proximity with Iraq is believed to be a supplier of arms and ammunitions to the Shiite attackers in the troubled Iraq. Those attacks are not only killing innocent Iraqis but also resulting in the death of hundreds of American troops out there. In short, it is a personal failure for Bush as a president as he forced his military in to war for no reasons. It becomes very important for him to fathom some pride and Iran seems to be a ripe case. One House member told Seymour when speaking of Bush â€Å"The most worrisome thing is that this guy has a messianic vision†. Therefore, you have President Bush waiting to bomb Iran at the slightest pretext. But how can attacking Iran solve the Iraq problem? The strategy that is being followed by the Americans is to start infighting in Iran and force it to take some irresponsible action like an up in the activities along the Iraqi border. The first response to any of American disturbance in Iran is believed to be given across the Iraq border which presently houses many American troops. The white house hopes to take advantage of that situation and make it an excuse to attack Iran. This reason is widely believed to work as the blame of first strike can always be switched to Iran and America will only be fighting for â€Å"Safeguarding† its citizens. Combining the above reasons, America declaring war on Iran seems to be a matter of time. The systemic, domestic politics and decision maker reasons a need for another war. The attack on Iran will accomplish three important factors for America. 1. America is believed to be the favorite target for the terrorists and its war on terrorism is necessary to protect itself as a nation. Moreover, this would give the image of the departing super power the much needed boost. An attack on Iran will give the masculine quality to the nation that it believes will spread â€Å"awe† across the world. 2. The second and more compelling reason for the attack is the role that domestic politics plays in this issue. Attack on Iran will bring about a regime change which will help America post â€Å"Freedom† there. This in other words means another puppet government that would act on the whims of US. This is quite beneficial as this gives it direct control over the oil fields of Iran along with Iraq’s, thanks to the WMD ghosts. So, that means with a single strike, not only do they believe that terrorism and nukes will be taken care of but also the oil fields. 3. The third reason is President Bush. His stint as President of America has mainly been marred by Wars. If in the past it was Afghanistan, now it is Iraq. Apparently, both have them have been failures as there have been no decisive victories. The victories have only been fast as is expected from a war between the super power and a starving nation. Iran war will give him the much needed boost to his image as this war can be a golden opportunity to pass the blame on Iran for the Iraq fiasco. Taking all these reasons into considerations, attack by America on Iran for possessing Nukes is quite imminent. Experts say Iran is still five to ten years away from developing any kind of weapon. However, America is bent upon going ahead with its plans. Therefore, nukes or no nukes, Iran is the golden opportunity to accomplish a lot many tasks. Nuclear disarmament is just one of the small ones.

The Legacy of the Mafia Minstel Show :: Essays Papers

The Legacy of the Mafia Minstel Show After my Grandfather died in the late 1960's, my Grandmother came to live with us for a short time. It was a wonderful way to learn about my heritage and I got to listen to her stories about when my Father was growing up in San Francisco. I remember a story she told me about when my Dad was around eight years old, about the same time Little Caesar was in the movie theaters. One day he came home from school and told my Grandmother that some kid at school told him that all Italians were cutthroats. My Grandmother got very upset and told him to ignore comments like that, that all it did was reveal the ignorance of the person making that remark, and to always take pride in who you are and your Italian heritage. My Dad looked at my Grandmother and very innocently asked her, "Ma, what's a cutthroat?" Zoom forward around 70 years. My daughter comes homes from school, about the same time The Sopranos was released on HBO, complaining that some kids at school were teasing her and calling her "Mafia Girl." I wish I could say that things have gotten better for Italian Americans and how they are portrayed in popular television and film in the last 70 years, but unfortunately I think it has actually gotten worse. What I call the Mafia Minstrel Show, actors in olive skin face playing mobster for the benefit of those people who lust for violence and racism, is now as insidious as lice. Thanks to our friends at HBO, the Mafia Minstrel Show has been legitimized as a mainstream genre, not unlike westerns or love stories. So why has the Mafia Minstrel Show survived for the past 70 years? It is very simple, IT MAKES MONEY!!!!! I remember reading the obituary for Mario Puzo. It listed the sales of his books, his wonderful novel about Italian American immigrants, The Fortunate Pilgrim, ha d sold maybe 10,000 copies and The Godfather, a novel that featured the Mafia Minstrel Show, had sold 15 million copies. Mario Puzo, a man who admitted he had never known a gangster before he wrote The Godfather, obviously was given a lot of cash to write a novel about the Mafia Minstrel Show.

Supporting Health And Wellbeing Education Essay

Every school and baby's room in Scotland are on a journey to excellence, all schools and early old ages scenes are at different phases of implementing a new Scottish course of study, entitled Curriculum for Excellence, where there are three nucleus topics, one of which is wellness and well-being. The experiences and results of this topic are listed under the headers mental, emotional, societal and physical well-being, be aftering for picks and alteration, physical instruction, physical activity and athletics and nutrient and wellness. As stated in the Curriculum for Excellence â€Å" Children and immature people will develop their acquisition in wellness and well-being by developing the cognition and apprehension, accomplishments, capablenesss and properties which they need for mental, emotional, societal and physical well-being now and in the hereafter † . In readying and during the digest of this undertaking, I have taken history of university readings and notes, literature, statute law, authorities guidelines, local authorization and the baby's room betterment program. The first reading which influenced my undertaking was â€Å" Promoting Health a Practical Guide by L Ewles and I Simnett † I realised wellness has to be promoted in a holistic position and all facets of wellness are interrelated and mutualist. ( See appendix one ) I will associate the theory of wellness and well-being within the country of physical exercising for the kids, parents and staff in Abronhill Nursery School. At present turn toing wellness and well-being, the baby's room have already received the gold award for wellness publicity. The manner frontward here is to guarantee all experiences and results, at the early degree are being addressed. Taking history of the guideline which is supported by The World Health Organisation, kids should hold at least one hr of moderate activity most yearss of the hebdomad. In â€Å" Let ‘s Make Scotland More Active † it is emphasised that this hr will merely hold a positive result if it is choice clip, hence my planning for the acquisition experiences in physical exercising had to be thought out and implemented to guarantee kids benefit from them. I knew that I had to pull off my clip in order to accomplish the 10 experiences with the kids and discussed this with the caput instructor and the two members of staff assigned to be my wise man. My chief focal point in each experience was the results and experiences from the Curriculum for Excellence, in add-on to this I researched and read relevant readings. As detailed in be aftering grid one ( Appendix two ) , I read the Curriculum for Excellence and the Health publicity and nutrition ) ( Scotland ) Act 2007. I gained a cognition and apprehension and was able to take the appropriate results for my planning. When frontward planning, I took into history that physical exercising is critical for physical development, but besides cognitive development, which I learned in one of my talks. This is highlighted in The Helping Young Children to Learn Through Movement Programme by Celia O Donovan who points out that â€Å" Children learn through motion and have a better opportunity of going successful scholars if they develop, organic structure consciousness, musculus tone, balance control, clasp and finger motion and manus to oculus co-ordination † , this in bend links to th e five major constituents of wellness, â€Å" cardio-respiratory, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibleness and organic structure composing † . ( Powers and Dodd 2009 ) In my first learning experience, I planned an experience that related to nursery planning and took history of kids involvements. On contemplation I know that I provided an activity where the kids were to the full engaged, extremely motivated and interacted good, but in treatment with my wise man, it was pointed out that I must concentrate more on the results I wanted the kids to accomplish, this was constructive unfavorable judgments. I will concentrate on the kids ‘s advancement and I will measure suitably. My self-evaluation allowed me to be after my following experience successfully. â€Å" Self-evaluation has become increasing stratified across Scots instruction and has contributed good, to bettering accomplishment for all kids † ( HIME, 2007 ) With mention to The Child at the Centre, quality index 2.2 â€Å" The extent to which parents, carers and households are committed to and actively involved in the life of the Centre † . My following planned experience larning grid three ( Appendix two ) takes history of parents and carers who where encourage to take portion in a Zumba category. It promotes a cognition and apprehension of what I am seeking to accomplish with the kids and involves the parents in physical exercising. I have read parents as spouses and I know that in Abronhill nursery school â€Å" Parents and carers will be encouraged to take portion in the service with staff set uping effectual partnership and maintaining in regular communicating † ( National Care Standards, 2002 ) . This experience besides takes history of â€Å" Young Children ‘s Health and Wellbeing by Underdown A † which states â€Å" Parents are the most important resource in advancing kids ‘s wellness and well-be ing, and they should be valued, respected and supported † . On contemplation I can clearly see how this has been put into pattern and how to include parents in their kids ‘s acquisition. I have included exposure of the wall show I created, utilizing parent ‘s remarks ( See appendix three ) . Within this experience I had a duty to run into the demands of an single kid. I was specifically asked to back up her in the afternoon zumba category, as she had already participated in the forenoon. Her keyworker felt support was necessary as she attendances nursery all twenty-four hours. As my observation notes show alternate support was offered. I closely monitored her advancement and attended to her single demands. My uninterrupted planning for physical exercising within the nucleus topics of wellness and well-being, I am really cognizant of doing certain I plan a assortment of activities to turn to the results. The kids have to be excited and motivated by the challenge set within the activity and this clip I planned an obstruction class. Planing grid four ( Appendix two ) . As my observation notes show the kids where a spot over excited at the beginning, but I was able to settle them, by calmly speech production to the kids and including them in the presentation. It was of import for the kids to listen to the regulations and remain safe. On contemplation in conversation with my wise man I was cognizant of pre-positional linguistic communication and she specifically asked me to listen for kids who used this, as she will farther develop this linguistic communication and take the kids ‘s larning frontward. I now understand that during activities there can be really of import links to other countries of the course of study. The experience I planned for Monday 8th November larning grid figure five ( Appendix two ) was to be held out-of-doorss. This experience was included in nursery planning. ( See Appendix four ) On contemplation I feel the conditions was a factor that influenced the kids ‘s enjoyment, it was stop deading cold and the kids did non profit from this experience, even though they had appropriate vesture on and I am cognizant if the importance of out-of-door acquisition in all conditions conditions. With mention to ( Appendix two ) experiences numbered six and seven, I feel the equipment ( See appendix five ) played a large portion in the kids ‘s acquisition and promoted physical exercising. The difference was evident with all of the kids, in one instance a male child demand a drink of H2O from being on the Wii tantrum and said to me â€Å" I will be back for another spell † . I noticed this in contrast to see figure five, did nil to excited them or desire them to carry-on . I truly learned from this experience how equipment, conditions and motive truly affects the kids ‘s battle and acquisition, in future I would will measure these factors and have another experient planned as a dorsum up. I feel the Wii tantrum is relevant up-to-date, educational and popular with the kids and the experience can be linked from place. On contemplation I used congratulations suitably to actuate the kids and promoted independency, the kids enjoyed the chance to exert. In wellness and well-being, during this arrangement I have addressed and been successful in supplying many chances for the kids to develop a â€Å" positive experience of healthy life activities to larn to get by with ambitious state of affairss and assist them to get down to â€Å" get the capacity to prolong physical, emotional and societal well-being † ( Curriculum for Excellence ) Within this baby's room puting the caput instructor and staff are advancing healthy instruction to each other, visiting staff, kids and parents. My work fitted in the overall properness in the baby's room betterment program and I successfully addressed physical exercising in the early old ages puting. Relevant readings and farther surveies made me cognizant of how other factors influence the wellness and well-being of kids e.g. fleshiness, poorness, attitude of parents and environmental factors. In the hereafter I will be able to confidently utilize the cognition and accomplishments I have gained in the country of physical exercising. I shall widen my cognition of the other factors by reading and research. I will be able to travel in to other early old ages scenes and set my cognition into pattern, but I besides need to analyze the others two countries entitled diet and nutrition and mental wellness and wellbeing as they are interlinked.

Lenins Contribution to Marxism up to 1905 and the...

Lenins Contribution to Marxism up to 1905 and the Consequences Karl Marx was a German philosopher who wrote the Communist Manifesto, which encouraged workers to unite and seize power by revolution. His views became known as Marxism and influenced the thinking of socialists throughout Europe in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Marx believed that history was evolving in a series of stages towards a perfect state - Communism. These stages started with Feudalism - with the aristocrats controlling politics. Next would come Capitalism - with the bourgeoisie in control of politics. Finally the perfect state would arrive Communism - with the proletariat in control of politics. Marx†¦show more content†¦The idea of the paper was to establish it as the leading underground revolutionary paper that would push forward the revolutionary movement. In 1902 he published a pamphlet called What is to be done? This pamphlet contained his radical ideas towards the nature of a revolutionary party. In this pamphlet, there were three main points that Lenin made in relation to the role of a revolutionary party. An organisation of revolutionaries must contain primarily and chiefly people whose occupation is revolutionary activityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This organisation must necessarily be not very broad, and as secret as possible. This idea was stating that he wanted the party to consist of activists. He wanted people to go out and do something for the party rather than sit around and do nothing to help the cause of the party. This idea was later to contribute towards the split of the RSDWP. Lenin also stated; The one serious organisational principle for workers in our movement must be the strictest secrecy, strictest choice of members, training of professional revolutionaries. Lenin wanted the party to be professional and didnt want the country to know that there was a revolutionary party being constructed that was to revolt against the current government. The third major point that Lenin made in his pamphlet was; We must break completely with the tradition of a purely workers orShow MoreRelatedtfw natty gyno Essay4016 Words   |  17 Pagesï » ¿nonoIN THE CONTEXT OF THE PERIOD 1905-2005, HOW FAR DO YOU AGREE THAT STALIN WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL LEADER OF RUSSIA At first, it seems unlikely that Stalin was the most successful leader of Russia in the whole of the 100 years. In order to perceive success, it is necessary to consider how the leaders were able to maintain themselves in power, their popularity, their contribution towards economic success, concern for the welfare of the people and whether the gains, indeed out weight the costs