The Assumptions Behind the Assumptions in the War on Terror Research Paper

The Assumptions Behind the Assumptions in the War on Terror - Research Paper Example From the research it can be comprehended that post 9/11 era is an entirely different era as it changed many dimensions of the way international politics and security issues are being perceived now. The brutality with which this event was carried out by the group of terrorists gave a wakeup call to the free world to re-examine its priorities and its security infrastructure to make world more secure. There is a growing concern now to improve the existing physical security infrastructure as well as a need for a coordinated effort to curb the financing of the terrorism at the global level. One of the key objectives of America’s war on terror was to deny sponsorship to the terrorist organizations and weaker states. This objective therefore also necessitated that systems and procedures must be developed to ensure that terrorist funding is restricted. The subsequent experience in the Iraq War signified the role of combating the financing streams of the terrorists to cut off their vit al source of survival. There is therefore a greater need to properly assess the financial threat terrorism can actually pose and how law enforcement agencies can actually achieve the objective of gathering credible financial intelligence to block the sources of finance for the terrorists. The corruption in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan is also resulting into indirect funding for the terrorists and terrorist organizations and as such... However, in order to capture maximum scenarios and comprehend a different array of risk events, it is important that a combination of both may be used. (Anderson, 2008) Financial threat assessment in the wake of the war on terrorism and how it can impact the overall effort by the world powers to curb terrorism therefore can be critical and requires a holistic approach and the involvement of different public sector entities to play their part. It is also critical to understand that this type of risk assessment should be part of the greater doctrine of the overall war. The financial threat assessment in the wake of the current war on terror therefore seems to have proper ideological backing to be carried out. (Amoore & de Goede, 2008) Methods One of the widely used financial instruments and methods of transferring funds is the use of cash as well as the negotiable bearer instruments. The use of cash is an obvious choice as it allows the terrorists to shy away from using the traditional banking channels and therefore avoid the risk of being detected. The use of cash and currency notes therefore leave no audit trail and thus virtually securing terrorists from being detected. The impracticality of holding large amounts of cash is also overtaken by the use of bearer negotiable instruments as they are easy to carry and are almost as good as cash is. One of the key features of bearer instruments is that they entitle the possessor of the instrument to receive the value written on the face of the instrument therefore bearer negotiable instruments are being easily used for the financing of terrorist activities. Not only the use of cash is

Bias in Historical Description Essay Example for Free

Bias in Historical Description Essay The article reviewed was Behan McCullagh’s Bias in Historical Description, Interpretation, and Explanation in which he gave a brief but thorough outlook on the manner to which historical accounts are peppered with biased analysis and his opinion on how historians would be able to diminish, if not fully obliterate, from the nature of recounting past events. Why History is Biased McCullagh started of his piece by constructing four reasons as to why he thought that historical writings are mainly biased. His first reason was that he believed historians misinterpreted evidences without properly asserting the truth about its justification. His second reason was that information may already have been omitted by historians in compiling such past accounts that cater to make their views balanced. The third reason was that he deems general description of any historical information may include certain facts that are possibly false due to the uncertainty of most available sources. Lastly, his fourth reason was in reference to causal explanations, concisely described in the article as events that substantially modify the likelihood of the event, which are usually focused on a few important causes that renders a misleading point of view in the reader’s comprehension of the process of events (McCullagh, 2000). McCullagh voiced out that historians who often make mistakes in incorporating biases in their interpretations are typically motivated rather than accidental. He also noted difference between personal and cultural biases, delineating that the latter is far more difficult to be rectified than the other as it is ingrained, yet maintaining that historians must still try to do away with personal bias. He then goes on to further illustrate the concept of bias in historical accounts (McCullagh, 2000). The concept of Bias in Historical Accounts: McCullagh elucidated on the point that historians choose subjects which are of interests to them, inevitably providing a more partial basis to their interpretation of historical information. Consequently, historians are said to be products of their environment or culture, which will naturally hold general notions about the past. Thus, written accounts by historians are subjected to the availability of information gathered and on the decisions made through constant debates on what gets included and what should be disregarded. Such process is said to most likely offer misleading descriptions of historical accounts that have a particular cause (McCullagh, 2000). However, McCullagh has held that preconceived notions about a historical subject that are not biased could be observed in occurrences that involves transformation within a country’s economy as well as social structures. Biases are only attached when selective causes are highlighted while others of equal importance are disregarded (McCullagh, 2000). The perception of biases in constructing history should be avoided as according to McCullagh it provides a deceptive account of the historical subject which may cause misunderstandings and unnecessary negative consequences in conflict-driven situations. McCullagh presented three reasons as to why there are some who think that there is no way to evade the prospect of bias in historical accounts. First was that the interests of historians are automatically considered in determining the historical importance of a subject, the information extracted and the word preferences to use. The second was that preconceptions of historians and their contemporaries have biased point of views and the third one is the reiterated thought that historians have ingrained cultural beliefs and principles (McCullagh, 2000). Overcoming Personal Bias: McCullagh presented his opinion on how historians could be able to avoid injecting biases in interpreting historical data. He stated that historians should be committed to standards of rational thinking that would bring about a justified description of the past. One way to impose this is through peer reviews so as to motivate historians to follow certain acceptable guidelines in rational inquiry. The role of the historian is an important factor in maintaining social responsibility and creating a fair account of historical events (McCullagh, 2000). He denotes that multiplicity in perspectives is another way to produce rational historical inquiry as it presents different views of witnesses which melds relevant information into one account (McCullagh, 2000). McCullagh also pondered upon the notion that for people to prevail over biases, historians must accept that historiography is limited within itself and that the end of the discipline should also be considered in interpreting the past in a postmodern view (McCullagh, 2000). Reference: McCullagh, C. B. 2000. â€Å"Bias in Historical Description, Interpretation, and Explanation. † History Theory 39(1): 39 – 66.

Cuneiform :: Egyptian Writing Essays

Cuneiform The earliest writing in Mesopotamia was a picture writing invented by the Sumerians who wrote on clay tablets using long reeds. The script the Sumerians invented and handed down to the Semitic peoples who conquered Mesopotamia in later centuries, is called cuneiform, which is derived from two Latin words: cuneus , which means "wedge," and forma , which means "shape." This picture language, similar to but more abstract than Egyptian hieroglyphics, eventually developed into a syllabic alphabet under the Semites (Assyrians and Babylonians) who eventually came to dominate the area. In Sumer, the original writing was pictographic ("picture writing"); individual words were represented by crude pictorial symbols that resembled in some way the object being represented, as in the Sumerian word for king. The first symbol pictures "gal," or "great," and the second pictures "lu," or "man." Eventually, this pictorial writing developed into a more abstract series of wedges and hooks. These wedges and hooks are the original cuneiform and represented in Sumerian entire words (this is called ideographic and the word symbols are called ideograms, which means "concept writing"); the Semites who adopted this writing, however, spoke an entirely different language, in fact, a language as different from Sumerian as English is different from Japanese. In order to adapt this foreign writing to a Semitic language, the Akkadians converted it in part to a syllabic writing system; individual signs represent entire syllables. However, in addition to syllable symbols, some cuneiform symbols are ideograms ("picture words") representing an entire word; these ideograms might also, in other contexts, be simply syllables. For instance, in Assyrian, the cuneiform for the syllable "ki" is written. However, as an ideogram, this cuneiform also stands for the Assyrian word irsitu , or "earth." So reading cuneiform involves mastering a large syllabic alphabet as well as a large number of ideograms, many of them identical to syllable symbols. This complicated writing system dominated Mesopotamia until the century before the birth of Christ; the Persians greatly simplified cuneiform until it represented something closer to an alphabet.

Was Anne Hutchinson a Threat to Puritan Elite?

â€Å"Was Anne Hutchinson a threat to the Puritan elite? † LaToya McSwain US History 1 November 20, 2012 Believing that the Church of England had strayed too far from its original doctrine, disgruntled group of churchgoers decided to withdraw from the church. In an effort to escape persecution they fled to America. This group became known as the Puritans. Though, in their opinion, the church had strayed from God’s word, they held firm to their position that the Bible was God’s blueprint for daily living.The Puritans believed the church of that day was too saturated with irrelevancy; therefore, in an effort to purify religion, they felt the need to peel off those irrelevant formalities. Hence, the name Puritans-purifying their religion, as well as, their lives. Their strong spiritual convictions served as both a blessing and a curse. It served as a blessing in that it unified them and provided hope during hardships. It served as a curse in that they developed a so mewhat judgmental view of others as worldly if their actions didn’t coincide with the Puritan faith.There is also the idea of â€Å"pre-destination†. Each individual’s lifestyle indicated your standing with God. If you were well off, it was assumed you were in good standing with God. If you were poor, you obviously were not in good standing with God. Placement in heaven and hell was already pre-determined by God and no one knew their destiny. This is uncertainty is what kept the Puritans on the straight and narrow path. If the way of Puritan life is not strictly adhered to, individuals face harsh criticism and discipline-both by the church and society.One of the first American feminist, Anne Hutchinson, believed each individual should have the right to freedom of worship, speech, and thought. She did not deviate from her beliefs, ethics, or ideas no matter what it would cost her. There was never any intention to make anyone angry or hurt anyone’s feelings with her beliefs. Anne Hutchinson was born in a town called Alford, Lincolnshire, England in July, day unknown, 1591. Her birth name was Anne Marbury. She was born to Francis Marbury, a deacon, and Bridget Dryden.Her father, a deacon at Christ Church, Cambridge, was arrested due to his open deplore of the clergy’s lack of competence. He was in jail for a year for his ideas and abrasive words. Because of Anne’s father’s beliefs, she took a strong liking to religion very young in her life. By age 21, she was married to Will Hutchinson. During her life, she bore 15 children with her husband. She and her family followed the word and teaching of John Cotton, Protestant minister. John Cotton had some of the same ideas her father had when she was growing up, but now these same ideas and teachings were accepted by Puritanism.

Analysis on All the pretty Horses Essay

The title of Cormac McCarthy’s novel – All the Pretty Horses, reflects the significance and variance of roles that horses play in this coming-of-age story, as they relate to John Grady Cole who is the focus of the novel. The horse, which was the social foundation of Western American culture then, is described as an economical and practical asset to the boys – John Grady and Lacey Rawlins. However, the author also describes horses’ abstract qualities using idyllic and impassioned diction, depicting them as animals of a highly advanced spiritual nature, similar to humans in some ways. John Grady has an intimate relationship with all horses and understands the world of horses extraordinarily well. On his journey from Texas to Mexico, he learns that the world of men is very different from that of horses and is forced to rethink about the relationship between humans and horses. John discovers that his preconceived notions about men and human society are false. He finds that they do not live in a romantic world, as he had believed. Therefore, the title that McCarthy has chosen is ironic and symbolizes the change that John experiences. The author uses the title to represent John’s initial perspective on the world, which turns out to be the opposite later on. John’s life, like all of Western American society during the timeframe of the story, revolved around horses. In fact, I think that he is able to understand the horses more than he does about men. The horses in the novel represent strength, untamed passion, and most importantly, freedom of spirit. The veneration that the vaqueros have for horses is apparent in the tales Luis tells the boys. â€Å"†¦ the old man only said that it was pointless to speak of there being no horses in the world for God would not permit such a thing† (111). I feel that this quote demonstrates to the readers very well on the strong feelings of passion of the vaqueros, cattle-ranchers, that they value horses so highly that they are able to regard themselves as nearly divine. It also reinforces John’s romantic notion that horses are highly spiritual beings. Like the vaqueros, the boys respect the horses, and these animals play large roles in their lives. The boys use horses in many ways throughout the novel, such as companions and as means of transportation or escape. John even has dreams about horses, as â€Å"his thoughts were of horses†¦still wild on the mesa who’d never seen a man afoot and who knew nothing of him or his life yet in whose souls he would come to reside forever† (118). This style of expression used in referring to horses here â€Å"wild† and â€Å"souls† is idealistic and almost poetic. Furthermore, the fact that John dreams about horses in this way and that he wants to â€Å"reside forever† in their souls shows that he, like the vaqueros, thinks of them very highly. Throughout the novel, the author does not fail to use romantic and emotional language to describe horses and their connections to humans. By using venerating diction in describing the horses, the author portrays these animals as noble being with wild spirits. Besides that, with vivid imagery, the author is able to paint us a poignant picture of horses. â€Å"The painted ponies and the riders of that lost nation came down out of the north with their faces chalked and their long hair plaited and each armed for war which was their life†¦When the wind was in the north you could hear them, the horses and the breath of the horses and the horses’ hooves that were shod in rawhide† (5). This introduction of horses in the beginning of the novel demonstrates the passion and dedication that the author attributes to horses. The mood created by words such as â€Å"painted ponies† and â€Å"the breath of the horses† is passionate and emotionally charged. The author also continues to describe the raw energy and life that flows through the horses. â€Å"John Grady†¦was holding the horse†¦with the long bony head pressed against his chest and the hot sweet breath of it flooding up from the dark wells of its nostrils over his face and neck like news from another world† (103). These metaphors such as â€Å"the dark wells of its nostrils† and â€Å"news from another world† create a forceful likeness of mysterious animals with a nature that is foreign to humans. The horse’s â€Å"hot sweet breath†¦flooding up† displays the life and energy that fill the horses. This mysterious energy is also apparent later, when the author writes, â€Å"He rode the last five horses†¦the horses dancing, turning in the light, their red eyes flashing†¦they moved with an air of great elegance and seemliness† (107). This imagery of â€Å"red eyes flashing† and â€Å"horses dancing† is very mysterious yet still striking. The descriptive detail is very cinematic, and any of these scenes could easily be made into a movie. These extremely in depth  descriptions are so exaggerated that they are almost unrealistic, but they are able to create the desired effect in making horses seem mystical and bizarre. These are the romantic creatures that John sees, the â€Å"pretty horses† that can be taken off the title. John Grady’s connection with horses is as mystical as the horses themselves. He is one way or another, able to communicate with all horses on a deeper level than any other character in the story. This is evident on the Hacienda in the scene in which John and Rawlins are breaking some new horses. John â€Å"cupped his hand over the horse’s eyes and stroked them and he did not stop talking to the horse at all, speaking in a low steady voice and telling it all that he intended to do and cupping the animal’s eyes and stroking the terror out† (103). John’s ability to â€Å"stroke the terror out† of the horses is just like in a case of a parent calming a frightened child. Obviously, he must have some natural tie with these animals if he is able to do this. Indeed, the author has already unambiguously stated that such a bond does exist between John Grady and the horses earlier on when he writes, â€Å"The boy who rode on slightly before him sat a horse not only as if he had been born to it which he was but as if were he begot by malice or mischance into some queer land where horses never were he would have found them anyway† (23). This passage shows that John’s relationship with horses extends into the metaphysical range, a view that is reinforced throughout the novel as more is revealed about John Grady and the horses. As Luis says, â€Å"the horse shares a common soul†¦if a person understood the soul of the horse then he would understand all horses that ever were† (111). It seems like as if the author is trying to tell us that John Grady has this ability to be familiar with the soul of the horse, and that is why his relationship with horses is so unique. John’s reliance on his knowledge of horses as a guide in the world of men eventually reveals to him that the two species are actually very different. When John starts out on his journey, he has very little knowledge about the inner workings of the human society, but he has superficially assumed men and horses to be similar. As the author writes in the opening of the novel, â€Å"What he loved in horses he loved in men, the blood and the heat of the blood that ran them. All his reverence and all his fondness and all the leanings of his life were for the ardenthearted and they would always be so and never be otherwise† (6). John knows that horses are â€Å"ardenthearted† and believes that men must be the same too. He thinks that his journey will be a romantic and passionate one, like the horses he loves, and will strengthen his view of the world. However, he soon learns that his assumption is not what the reality is. Before anything unfortunate happens to him, John hears from Luis that â€Å"among men there was no such communion as among horses and the notion that men can be understood at all is probably an illusion† (111). The first doubts then began to creep into John’s mind, and eventually, he finds out about this personally. Instead of â€Å"pretty horses,† John’s journey is filled with murder and stealing, prison and broken hearts. His ill-fated journey proves clearly about Luis’ point, and totally destroys John’s belief that the world of men is at all an understandable thing. Finally, when it is all over, he returns home disappointed, only to find that both his father and his Abuela have died. John’s fanciful concept of the world of men now has been completely replaced by a â€Å"world that†¦seemed to care nothing for the old or the young or rich or poor or dark or pale or he or she. Nothing for their struggles, nothing for their names. Nothing for the living or the dead† (301). The world of â€Å"all the pretty horses† is nothing to him now but a distant memory. This reveals the title’s irony, a story titled All the Pretty Horses would apparently never involve the death and violence that is included in John’s travels. Indeed, John has come â€Å"full circle† and realized that his original assumptions about men were false. The title of McCarthy’s novel All the Pretty Horses is not meant to be taken literally. Before he runs away, John Grady believes in the world of â€Å"all the pretty horses,† because he has never known anything else. However, his time in Mexico disheartens him and forces him to believe otherwise, that the real world is not so simple, carefree, or innocent. John learns that the romanticism that he ascribes to horses cannot be applied to men. John respects horses and experiences the praise of these animals in the folklore of the day. His relationship with horses exists on many levels, by being his  transportation, his friends, and his spiritual companions. Furthermore, the author illustrates the horses with emotional diction creating almost a motif of passion whenever horses are described. John’s unusual understanding of the fervent spirit of horses leads him to believe that men are the same. However, on his bleak and disappointing journey, he learns that men do not have the same passion of spirit as horses. Instead, they are unpredictable, violent creatures, and their world is certainly not always pretty. I think that it is utterly important for us as readers to understand what the author is trying to tell us by looking at the title and try to understand deeper with the details that the author provides us. Initially I thought that this novel is just going to give details of various horses that man uses in many different ways. However, I was completely wrong on making the judgment by its cover – title. This novel teaches us about the reality in human world that no one will be able to predict what is going happen. He illustrates the morals and ethics that have survived throughout the ages, while ending up with nothing else is left, leaving only memories to be reminders of the mysterious and naturally beautiful time period. I am sure after reading this novel, one would never be able to forget the pain, suffering, romance, and above all loyalty inscribed on its pages or in the memories of those who lived through it.