The Ethics Of War Essays - Applied Ethics, Catholic Social Teaching

The Ethics Of War Root Entry MatOST MatOST Microsoft Works MSWorksWPDoc Jason Bennett Ethics I 5-11-98 Paper #2 The Ethics of War Discussed I choose to do my paper on the ethics of war, and plan to discuss the morality and rules of war. One of the biggest reasons that I chose this topic is that I was in the Army for a few years, and therefore have some insight and concern on the subject of war. I do not think that my opinions will be biased as I can still take an objective look at the arguments, but I do plan to argue that the morality of war is relative to the situation. I am generally in agreement with the author's of the articles in our textbook, and have read and understand their arguments. In Morality of Nuclear Armanent, Connery discusses when it is and is not permissible to use nuclear weapons to resolve a conflict. He starts out with several statements that set the tone for his argument. He says that Wars of aggression are always impermissible and The only just war is a defensive war.... This means that it is never permissible to attack another country, unless they have attacked or provoked you. Now this could be argued because there are many situations that I believe would warrant military aggression, that would not require an actual prior show of force. For example, the situation in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. Sadam Hussien did not attack the United States, nor did his actions threaten the lives of U.S. citizens. I strongly believe however, that the U.S. had every right, if not an obligation to intervene with military force. The U.S. had economic interests to protect, as well as the defense of a small country that could not defend itself against the hostile attack. Connery also discusses the amount and type of force that is permissible. He says, In a defensive war, only proportional responses are permissible to answer aggression. An exception is possible if the enemy is extraordinarily well-armed and likely to use dis-proportionate force. For instance, if my enemy were in possession of nuclear bombs which I had good reason to believe he would use, it would be suicidal for me to choose the more leisurely precision bombing. This means that if the situation could be resolved with a limited display of military force, then it is not necessary or permissible to exceed this level of aggression in the attack. However, if the enemy you are facing has superior weapons or is willing to use devastating force against you, then you are permitted to use whatever actions necessary to resolve the situation and save your own country. The majority of Connery's argument focuses on the morality of waging indiscriminate warfare on non-combatants, i.e. non-soldiers, civilians. In his article he says: Moralists agree that the noncombatant may not be the direct target of any destructive weapon, large or small. This means that one may neither deliberately aim his attack at noncombatants nor drop bombs without distinction on combatants and noncombatants alike. Such bombing would be contrary to sound moral principles, even if resorted to only in retaliation. But granted a sufficiently important military target which could not be safely eliminated by any less drastic means, nuclear bombing would be morally justified, even if it involved the resultant loss of a large segment of the civilian population. It is presumed, of course, that the good to be achieved is at least equal to the expected damages. I would tend to agree with this argument, that it would be morally permissible to bomb civilians as long as the end justifies the means. But what justifies the merciless slaughter of innocent people? Connery says, But to be justified, the loss of civilian life must be unavoidable and balanced by a proportionate good to the defender. This view is not shared by Ford, who in his article The Hydrogen Bombing of Cities, he argues that it is never permissible to kill noncombatants. It is never permitted to kill directly noncombatants in wartime. Why? Because they are innocent. That is, they are innocent of the violent and destructive action of war, or of any close participation in the violent and destructive action of war. It is

Reverend Dimmesdale Essays - English-language Films, Free Essays

Reverend Dimmesdale Essays - English-language Films, Free Essays Reverend Dimmesdale "Life is hard, but accepting that fact makes it easier." this common phrase has been proven true in many people's lives, but is also a harsh fact that Boston's Rev. Dimmesdale, a key character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter, had to face. In this twisted story of deception and adultery set in the Puritan era, Hawthorne introduces Dimmesdale as a weak and cowardly man who refuses to take responsibility for his actions. Yet, he transitions to a person who accepts his sins and the consequences, before it is too late, ultimately finding happiness. At the beginning of the novel, Dimmesdale has established quite a reputation for himself. In discussing individual members of the magistrate, the towns people describe Dimmesdale as a "God fearing" gentleman, "but merciful overmuch (49)". Due to his actions, all of the people respect and look up to the Reverend. Throughout the story, Dimmesdale desperately tries to confess, envying Hester, for her courage, he says, "Happy are you Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! (188)" Even at the end of the novel, when finally attempting to confess, people are compelled by his final sermon, raving that "never had a man spoken in so wise, so high, and so holy a spirit, as he that spake this day (p.243)". Proving that he was a very loved and influential man in the small town. In further developing Dimmesdale's character, Hawthorne portrays him as a hypocrite. His outward demeanor deceives the villagers, appearing as a completely holy man. However, before the action of the novel begins, he stumbles into sin, by committing adultery with Hester Pryne, an attractive young woman whose husband has been long absent on a journey, and presumed dead. His cowardly outlook on his sins only causes his troubles to snowball. Abandoning Hester and her illegitimate daughter Pearl, also augmented his problems. Forcing Hester to go and find work around town, an obviously hard task for a single parent. He also abandons them emotionally and physically, rarely there when Hester and Pearl needed him. Innocent little Pearl wonders why Dimmesdale is so afraid of public displays of affection, yet when they are alone, he takes notice of her and Hester; talking to him, Pearl asks" 'Wilt thou stand here with Mother and me, tomorrow noontide?' (p.149)". A question whose answer is unclear for Pearl. In fact, the only way Hester and Pearl receive any kind of support from Dimmesdale is when Hester threatens to tell the truth about his sins. The fact that Dimmesdale is a hypocrite causes him to experience increased torment due to his guilt. Hawthorne's point is beautifully illustrated by Dimmesdale, because if he was not such a highly religious man, then he would not care about his crime. However, he does care, and he inflicts torment on himself, including long periods of fasting, in addition to hours of staring at himself in the mirror, he could also be caught numerous times in his closet, whipping himself and burning the letter "A" on his chest, or at the scaffold in the wee hours of the morning, practicing how he is going to confess the next day. Deluding himself by pretending that his private punishment is adequate. Similarly, there are also some things that go on that are out of Dimmesdale's control. For example, bizarre thoughts and hallucinations take over him. His outward appearance also reflects this. To illustrate, "...his cheek was paler and thinner, and his voice more tremulous than before-when it had now become a constant habit....to press his hand over his heart.. (118)". "He thus typified the constant introspection wherewith he tortured, but could not purify, himself (141)". Proving, once again, that no good came out of his self-inflicted punishment. Even though he was privately repentant at home, his ministerial duties were carried out, attempting to keep his personal life out of the church. Dimmesdale refuses to confess, rationalizing that if he did, he would not be able to continue preaching and doing good deeds for the people; attempting to balance the scale. " 'These men deceive themselves' ", as stated by Dimmesdales's doctor, referring to people who believe that they can balance the scales by "doing good deeds (129)". However, at the conclusion of the novel, Dimmesdale takes an enormous load off of his back when he swallows his pride and finally confesses. After he sees himself transformed into a man that wants to teach children blasphemous words, and to sing and get drunk with visiting

Gold Alloys in Colored Gold Jewelry

Gold Alloys in Colored Gold Jewelry When you buy gold jewelry, it isnt pure gold. Your gold is really an alloy, or mixture of metals. The purity or fineness of gold in the jewelry is indicated by its karat number 24 karat (24K or 24 kt) gold is as pure as gold for jewelry gets. Gold that is 24K is also called fine gold and it is greater than 99.7% pure gold. Proof gold is even finer, with over 99.95% purity, but it is only used for standardization purposes and is not available for jewelry. So, what are the metals that are alloyed with gold? Gold will form alloys with most metals, but for jewelry, the most common alloying metals are silver, copper, and zinc. However, other metals may be added, especially to make colored gold. Heres a table of the compositions of some common gold alloys: Gold Alloys Color of Gold Alloy Composition Yellow Gold (22K) Gold 91.67%Silver 5%Copper 2%Zinc 1.33% Red Gold (18K) Gold 75%Copper 25% Rose Gold (18K) Gold 75%Copper 22.25%Silver 2.75% Pink Gold (18K) Gold 75%Copper 20%Silver 5% White Gold (18K) Gold 75%Platinum or Palladium 25% White Gold (18K) Gold 75%Palladium 10%Nickel 10%Zinc 5% Gray-White Gold (18K) Gold 75%Iron 17%Copper 8% Soft Green Gold (18K) Gold 75%Silver 25% Light Green Gold (18K) Gold 75%Copper 23%Cadmium 2% Green Gold (18K) Gold 75%Silver 20%Copper 5% Deep Green Gold (18K) Gold 75%Silver 15%Copper 6%Cadmium 4% Blue-White or Blue Gold (18K) Gold 75%Iron 25% Purple Gold Gold 80%Aluminum 20%

Age of Nationalism, Realism (1850-1871), and Age of Progress Essay

Age of Nationalism, Realism (1850-1871), and Age of Progress (1871-1894) - Essay Example While Napoleon III sought to preserve the most famous medieval buildings which had been disregarded since the French revolution, he directed the flattening of Large sections of the city and the replacement of old winding streets with broad avenues and large thoroughfares. This rebuilding was very significant as it turned Paris into a city of broad tree-lined boulevards and parks that are major tourists’ attraction sites today. Another positive legacy of Napoleon in France was the development of infrastructure. Under him, the French railway network was built. This greatly contributed to the development of steel industry and coal mining in France and radically changed the nature of the economy into the second largest in the world. Coal mining and steel companies issued stocks, which saw the French stock market expand enormously. The country entered the modern age of large-scale capitalism. Tycoon such as Eugene Schneider and James de Rothschild are symbols of the period. Frances largest banks founded during that period exist even today. Napoleon III was the first French ruler to have taken great care of French economy. His restructuring of Paris made the city to be what it is today as it determined a new type of urban setting and has had a great positive productive impact on the daily lives of Parisians. In fact, all posterior trends and powers referred to these renovations to either adapt or reject them or to recuperate certain of France’s elements. However, politically, Napoleon left a negative legacy, as his martial escapades were sometimes a fatal blow to Europe’s performance. Even when it involved radical and potentially revolutionary changes in politics, Napoleon III attempted to rearrange the world map to the favor of France. He was overambitious and he had gone too far and committed severe mistakes. He entered in wars that were not necessary for instance, the war with Russia and with Prussia that led

Film Reaction Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film Reaction - Movie Review Example Sauri replaces his father as leader and Kumaglak's favorite Tulimaq is cursed. The film illustrates how lust for power and personal advancement can divide a community and cause pain, suffering, and untimely death. It demonstrates the law of attraction, how humans can bring evil on themselves and others by harboring bad thoughts. The role of a shaman is not necessarily always a good one in terms of having positive intentions and effects. The film illustrates the nature of the spirit world which also reflects the thoughts, emotions and actions of those living in the physical world. Kumaglak's wife Panikpak takes pity on Tulimaq's poor family. After years of discontent and discord under Sauri's despotic leadership, Tulimaq's sons Amajuaq, the Strong One and Atanarjuat, the Fast Runner, grow up to be skilled hunters and rebels. Atanarjuat falls for Atuat, the betrothed of Sauri's ill-tempered, jealous son Oki. The plot is full of intrigues and the seed of discontent and malice is passed down to the next generation. Oki loses a head punching competition to which he challenges Atanarjuat. But the two young men's battle is also a battle of spirits. The deceased shaman Kumaglak's spirit, summoned by the elder Panikpak, protects Atanarjuat and brings him victory. This is an example that death does not end spirit matters; the power of the spirit persists beyond the physical world and can traverse across world to make its influence felt. The story addresses taboos and breaks them, telling of Puja, Atanarjuat's troublesome second wife, sleeping with her brother-in-law Amajuaq. This causes a deep rift between the brothers. The lack of forgiveness is another spiritual wound, both for the person who refuses to forgive and the one who is refused forgiveness. Puja sets the two brothers up and they are attacked while they sleep by Oki and his friends. They murder Amajuaq, who urges Atanarjuat to flee. There's a parallel here to other myths and spiritual traditions, the lesser brother is elevated to spiritual heights just as Joseph was after being sold by his jealous brothers, or Jacob, or even young David who killed Goliath and became king. Atanarjuat is helped by a spirit to soar over a wide crack and escape Oki. He is aided by Qulitalik, Panikpak's brother who escaped the evil camp with Kumaglak's rabbit foot, the symbol and embodiment of the shaman leader's spirit. This is a good example of the material instruments and p ower objects that shamans use. Qulitalik recognizes Atanarjuat's need to heal spiritually and emotionally and sends him on a spiritual path, collecting animal droppings in a shit bag and with the aid of the rabbit foot, Kumaglak's tool. Qulitaik's role is much like the assistants who help apprentice shamans find their path and accept their destiny. Picking up feces is like holding on to emotional refuse. It is senseless and unhealthy. Atanarjuat has troubling visions, but finally comes to terms with his past and forgives his brother. Forgiveness is the key to his healing and opens the way to healing for the community, too. Atanarjuat has a vision in which his heart is pierced by the evil shaman. This is a highly symbolic event. The piercing of the heart represents deep spiritual pain and potentially fatal suffering. The heart

A case study on Harley-Davidson.Com Essay Example for Free

A case study on Harley-Davidson.Com Essay I. Statement of the Problem Although Harley Davidson dominates the market in North America, it has been the smallest in Europe and the 4th in Asia/Pacific region which is dominated by Japanese brands. One reason for Harley’s smaller market share in Europe and Asia region is that the company cannot produce enough motorcycles to meet demand and its prices tend to be higher than competitive models. Shortages of Harleys lead many consumers to purchase competitive bikes as there are 2-year waiting lists for some Harley models. The researcher of this study seeks to answer the following questions: 1. What is the best way to advertise or market Harleys in the Europe and Asia/Pacific region? 2. What improvements shall be done in Harley-davidson. com website? II. Objectives of the Study This study seeks the following objectives: to be able to understand the market share of Harley Davidson from the case study to determine which advertising is best for Harley Davidson in Europe and Asia to know whether the official website of Harley is good enough and competitive enough to give the best solution to increase market share and sales of Harley in Europe and Asia/Pacific region III. Scopes and Limitations of the Study. The study includes the current situation of Harley Davidson Company, the nature of the company, the background, its market share in different countries and the effect of its official website on consumer behavior. The study however, is limited with only secondary data available from the text and from the official websites of Harley and its competing brands. This study has recommendations and points of view that are based from my own perspectives and thinking as a marketing student. IV. Nature of The Research A. Harley Davidson Harley-Davidson, often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression. Harley-Davidson also survived a period of poor quality control and competition from Japanese manufacturers. The company sells heavyweight (over 750 cc) motorcycles designed for cruising on the highway. Harley-Davidson motorcycles (popularly known as Harleys) have a distinctive design and exhaust note. They are especially noted for the tradition of heavy customization that gave rise to the chopper-style of motorcycle. Except for the modern VRSC model family, current Harley-Davidson motorcycles reflect the styles of classic Harley designs. Harley-Davidsons attempts to establish itself in the light motorcycle market have met with limited success and have largely been abandoned since the 1978 sale of its Italian Aermacchi subsidiary. Harley-Davidson sustains a loyal brand community which keeps active through clubs, events, and a museum. Licensing of the Harley-Davidson logo accounts for almost 5% of the companys net revenue. B. Global Competitors Honda motorcycles, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha are some of the major competitors of Harley Davidson. C. Motorcycle Buyers The demographic profile of motorcycle buyers has changed over the years. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, 61% of buyers are over 35 years old whereas in 1980, only 27% has reached this age. In 1980, only 2. 4% of motorcycle buyers had incomes of $50,000 or higher, whereas in 1998, over one third were in this income group. White-collar professionals are the largest group of new bike riders, accounting for 36%. Many are former riders now stepping up to their dream machines and state that motorcycle riding helps reduce stress in their lives. D. Motorcycle Company Websites. H. D. management believes that the Internet is a powerful marketing tool. Its website is affectionately called the â€Å"anti-websites† since it encourages visitors to get offline and onto their Harleys. The website includes detailed information on the company and its products. It has nearly 1. 5 million visitors in 1997 alone. V. Areas of Consideration A. Competition All of Harley’s major competitors have products other than motorcycles on their websites including cars (Honda, Suzuki, and BMW), outboard motors (Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki), and jet skis, snow mobile, boats, generators and power equipments. However, Harley’s website is devoted exclusively to motorcycle-related information about its products, experience and the company itself, including financial data. This may be a competitive advantage for Harley because it illustrates that the company is focused only in the motorcycle industry. B. Market Share The following table shows the market share of Harley and its global competitors in different regions: |COMPANY |NORTH AMERICA |EUROPE |ASIA/PACIFIC | |BMW |2. 70% |13. 40% |4. 30% | |HARLEY |48. 50% |6. 4 |15. 6 | |HONDA |20. 5 |24. 1 |28 | |KAWASAKI |10. 2 |10. 7 |22. 1 | |SUZUKI |10. 3 |17. 2 |7. 9 | |YAMAHA |4. 8 |16. 3 |16. 6 | |OTHERS |3 |11. 9 |5. 5 | VI. Alternative Courses of Action/Recommendation A. Harley Davidson should invest in Market Penetration in the regions where it is very sluggish. The company should supply enough units in the countries of Europe, Asia and the Pacific with competitive and affordable prices. B. The official website must be improved with good brand image through the use of better marketing colors and especially with cultural influences for Europe and Asia and not just for American consumers. VII. SWOT Analysis Recommendation: Market Penetration †¢ Strengths increase of market share in Europe and Asia availability of supplies in Europe and Asia more name recall increase of good brand image †¢ Weaknesses risky fast production of supplies for the regions is costly defects upon production are inevitable †¢ Opportunities H. D. may be the most popular brand of motorcycles in the world May and will conquer the highest/largest market share of Motorcycle Industry in the whole world †¢ Threats outcome may be negative sales may not meet expenses. production of supplies may be time-consuming VIII. Conclusion After carefully analyzing the case of Harley Davidson, the best solution I can give is to go on Market Penetration. Even if the company has already established its name and brand, most European and Asian countries still prefer those brands that are most available and affordable in their areas. One very relevant reason why H. D. has a small market share in these regions is its being expensive. While there are a lot of competitive brands mostly made from Asia, H. D. still has an edge and an advantage among these brands. Unlike the others, H. D. specializes on motorcycles alone and this may be a competitive advantage for Harley because it illustrates that the company is focused only in the motorcycle industry. The improvement of its website through the use of better colors and images might be a very good idea to increase sales and brand consciousness on consumers. But the best improvement for the website that I could suggest is to add cultural touches from Asian and European cultures. With that, consumers from all countries may be able to relate with the brand.

Death of a sales man Essay -- essays research papers

No one has a perfect life. Everyone has conflices that they must face sooner or later. The ways in which people deal with these personal conflicts can differ as much as the people themselves. Some insist on ignoring the problem as long as possible, while some attack the problem to get it out of the way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book of a Salesman, is written by Arthur Miller. It takes place at Willy Loman’s - A 63 year old once popular salesman who’s lost his popularity and sales, not to mention his mind, small house in New York surrounded by apartments. Biff, a thirty-four year old son of Willy who has been searching for himself while working on farms in the west to the dismay of his father, returns from the west to visit his family although he doesn’t know how long he’s going to stay. Happy, the younger brother of Biff who tries in all he can to please his father and attempts to continue his father’s dream after he dies, is glad to see him, but Willy seems strangely irritated. Willy has a flashbacks time to time. Biff and Happy were promising high school students. Charley, a father who is fairly successful and offers Willy a job which Willy refuses on the basis of pride, comes to Willy’s house at night complaining of not being able to sleep . Charley and Willy play cards, but at the same time, Willy hold a conversation with his imaginary brother. Charley has no idea what’s going on and leaves. Linda tells Biff that Willy has attempted by crashing the car several times. Willy comes out of his reverie and speaks with his family about their jobs. Happy has an idea of starting a line of sporting goods so Biff decides to go to Bill Oliver to ask to borrow money. Willy decides to go to Howard the next day to ask if he can work in New York so that he wouldn’t have to drive 700 miles to work.. The next day Willy goes to Howard and Biff goes to see Oliver. They decide to celebrate their success by going out for dinner at night. Biff confronts Willy about his attempts and Willy denies everything. He tells Biff that he did not get any money from Oliver and has no hope go get any money. He accuses Willy of not know who he really is. However, after this, Biff cries and leaves. Willy realizes that Biff loves him and de cides to celebrate by himself by crashing the car which would give his family twenty-thousand dollar in life insurance. No one but his family and... ...f, when he couldn’t even afford to buy his wife new ones. Another secret is when Linda finds out that Willy’s trying to kill himself. She doesn’t let Willy know that she found out, so she’s letting the problem go on, instead of fixing it. In Act One, page 59, Linda states, â€Å"I was looking for a duse. The lights brew out, and I went down the cellar. And behind the fuse box---it happened to fall out--was a length of rubber pipe--just short......And sure enough, on the bottom of the water heater there’s a new little on the gas pipe....Everyday I go down and take away that little rubber pipe. But when he comes home, I put it back where it was.† Happy lies constently about everything and anything. An example is when they were at the resturant and he met some s. He told the s that Willy wasn’t his father. Charley’s family has an open relationship. Charley taught Bernard to be honest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Third, there’s appearanceWilly’s family shared the need to be well liked, and wanted to have the personalities to â€Å"win friends and influence people,† Willy tried to make sure his â€Å"image† presented an air of leadership and success, but was more passive than he wanted to appear.