A Short History of the Nazi Party

A Short History of the Nazi Party The Nazi Party was a political party in Germany, led by Adolf Hitler from 1921 to 1945, whose central tenets included the supremacy of the Aryan people and blaming Jews and others for the problems within Germany. These extreme beliefs eventually led to World War II and the Holocaust. At the end of World War II, the Nazi Party was declared illegal by the occupying Allied Powers and officially ceased to exist in May 1945. (The name â€Å"Nazi† is actually a shortened version of the party’s full name: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP, which translates to â€Å"National Socialist German Workers’ Party.†) Party Beginnings In the immediate post-World War I period, Germany was the scene of widespread political infighting between groups representing the far left and far right. The Weimar Republic (the name of the German government from the end of WWI to 1933) was struggling as a result of its tarnished birth accompanied by the Treaty of Versailles and the fringe groups seeking to take advantage of this political unrest. It was in this environment that a locksmith, Anton Drexler, joined together with his journalist friend, Karl Harrer, and two other individuals (journalist Dietrich Eckhart and German economist Gottfried Feder) to create a right-wing political party, the German Workers’ Party, on January 5, 1919. The party’s founders had strong anti-Semitic and nationalist underpinnings and sought to promote a paramilitary Friekorps culture that would target the scourge of communism. Adolf Hitler Joins the Party After his service in the German Army (Reichswehr) during World War I, Adolf Hitler had difficulty reintegrating into civilian society. He eagerly accepted a job serving the Army as a civilian spy and informant, a task that required him to attend meetings of German political parties identified as subversive by the newly formed Weimar government. This job appealed to Hitler, particularly because it allowed him to feel that was still serving a purpose to the military for which he would have eagerly given his life. On September 12, 1919, this position took him to a meeting of the German Worker’s Party (DAP). Hitler’s superiors had previously instructed him to remain quiet and simply attend these meetings as a non-descript observer, a role he was able to accomplish with success until this meeting. Following a discussion on Feder’s views against capitalism, an audience member questioned Feder and Hitler quickly rose to his defense. No longer anonymous, Hitler was approached after the meeting by Drexler who asked Hitler to join the party. Hitler accepted, resigned from his position with the Reichswehr and became member #555 of the German Worker’s Party. (In reality, Hitler was the 55th member, Drexler added the 5 prefix to the early membership cards to make the party appear larger than it was in those years.) Hitler Becomes Party Leader Hitler quickly became a force to be reckoned within the party. He was appointed to be a member of the party’s central committee and in January 1920, he was appointed by Drexler to be the party’s Chief of Propaganda. A month later, Hitler organized a party rally in Munich that was attended by over 2000 people. Hitler made a famous speech at this event outlining the newly created, 25-point platform of the party. This platform was drawn up by Drexler, Hitler, and Feder. (Harrer, feeling increasingly left out, resigned from the party in February 1920.) The new platform emphasized the party’s volkisch nature of promoting a unified national community of pure Aryan Germans. It placed blame for the nation’s struggles on immigrants (mainly Jews and Eastern Europeans) and stressed excluding these groups from the benefits of a unified community that thrived under nationalized, profit-sharing enterprises instead of capitalism. The platform also called for over-turning the tenants of the Treaty of Versailles and reinstating the power of the German military that Versailles had severely restricted. With Harrer now out and the platform defined, the group decided to add in the word â€Å"Socialist† into their name, becoming the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) in 1920. Membership in party rose rapidly, reaching over 2,000 registered members by the end of 1920. Hitler’s powerful speeches were credited with attracting many of these new members. It was because of his impact that party members were deeply troubled by his resignation from the party in July 1921 following a movement within the group to merge with the German Socialist Party (a rival party who had some overlapping ideals with the DAP). When the dispute was resolved, Hitler rejoined the party at the end of July and was elected party leader two days later on July 28, 1921. Beer Hall Putsch Hitler’s influence on the Nazi Party continued to draw members. As the party grew, Hitler also began to shift his focus more strongly towards antisemitic views and German expansionism. Germany’s economy continued to decline and this helped increase party membership. By the fall of 1923, over 20,000 people were members of the Nazi Party. Despite Hitler’s success, other politicians within Germany did not respect him. Soon, Hitler would take action that they could not ignore. In the fall of 1923, Hitler decided to take the government by force through a putsch (coup). The plan was to first take over the Bavarian government and then the German federal government. On November 8, 1923, Hitler and his men attacked a beer hall where Bavarian-government leaders were meeting. Despite the element of surprise and machine guns, the plan was soon foiled. Hitler and his men then decided to march down the streets but were soon shot at by the German military. The group quickly disbanded, with a few dead and a number injured. Hitler was later caught, arrested, tried, and sentenced to five years at Landsberg Prison. Hitler, however, only served eight months, during which time he wrote Mein Kampf. As a result of the Beer Hall Putsch, the Nazi Party was also banned in Germany. The Party Begins Again Although the party was banned, members continued to operate under the mantle of the â€Å"German Party† between 1924 and 1925, with the ban officially ending on February 27, 1925. On that day, Hitler, who had been released from prison in December 1924, re-founded the Nazi Party. With this fresh start, Hitler redirected the party’s emphasis toward strengthening their power via the political arena rather than the paramilitary route. The party also now had a structured hierarchy with a section for â€Å"general† members and a more elite group known as the â€Å"Leadership Corps.† Admission into the latter group was through a special invitation from Hitler. The party re-structuring also created a new position of Gauleiter, which was regional leaders that were tasked with building party support in their specified areas of Germany. A second paramilitary group was also created, the Schutzstaffel (SS), which served as the special protection unit for Hitler and his inner circle. Collectively, the party sought success via the state and federal parliamentary elections, but this success was slow to come to fruition. National Depression Fuels Nazi Rise The burgeoning Great Depression in the United States soon spread throughout the world. Germany was one of the countries to be most affected by this economic domino effect and the Nazis benefitted from the rise in both inflation and unemployment in the Weimar Republic. These problems led Hitler and his followers to begin a broader campaign for public support of their economic and political strategies, blaming both the Jews and communists for their country’s backward slide. By 1930, with Joseph Goebbels working as the party’s chief of propaganda, the German populace was really starting to listen to Hitler and the Nazis. In September 1930, the Nazi Party captured 18.3% of the vote for the Reichstag (German parliament). This made the party the second-most influential political party in Germany, with only the Social Democratic Party holding more seats in the Reichstag. Over the course of the next year and a half, the Nazi Party’s influence continued to grow and in March 1932, Hitler ran a surprisingly successful presidential campaign against aged World War I hero, Paul Von Hindenburg. Although Hitler lost the election, he captured an impressive 30% of the vote in the first round of the elections, forcing a run-off election during which he captured 36.8%. Hitler Becomes Chancellor The Nazi Party’s strength within the Reichstag continued to grow following Hitler’s presidential run. In July 1932, an election was held following a coup on the Prussian state government. The Nazis captured their highest number of votes yet, winning 37.4% of the seats in the Reichstag. The party now held the majority of the seats in the parliament. The second-largest party, the German Communist Party (KPD), held only 14% of the seats. This made it difficult for the government to operate without the support of a majority coalition. From this point forward, the Weimar Republic began a rapid decline. In an attempt to rectify the difficult political situation, Chancellor Fritz von Papen dissolved the Reichstag in November 1932 and called for a new election. He hoped that support for both of these parties would drop below 50% total and that the government would then be able to form a majority coalition to strengthen itself. Although the support for the Nazis did decline to 33.1%, the NDSAP and KDP still retained over 50% of the seats in the Reichstag, much to Papen’s chagrin. This event also fueled the Nazis’ desire to seize power once and for all and set in motion the events that would lead to Hitler’s appointment as chancellor. A weakened and desperate Papen decided that his best strategy was to elevate the Nazi leader to the position of chancellor so that he, himself, could maintain a role in the disintegrating government. With the support of media magnate Alfred Hugenberg, and new chancellor Kurt von Schleicher, Papen convinced President Hindenburg that placing Hitler into the role of chancellor would be the best way to contain him. The group believed that if Hitler were given this position then they, as members of his cabinet, could keep his right-wing policies in check. Hindenburg reluctantly agreed to the political maneuvering and on January 30, 1933, officially appointed Adolf Hitler as the chancellor of Germany. The Dictatorship Begins On February 27, 1933, less than a month after Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor, a mysterious fire destroyed the Reichstag building. The government, under the influence of Hitler, was quick to label the fire arson and place the blame on the communists. Ultimately, five members of the Communist Party were put on trial for the fire and one, Marinus van der Lubbe, was executed in January 1934 for the crime. Today, many historians believe that the Nazis set the fire themselves so that Hitler would have a pretense for the events that followed the fire. On February 28, at the urging of Hitler, President Hindenburg passed the Decree for the Protection of the People and the State. This emergency legislation extended the Decree for the Protection of the German People, passed on February 4. It largely suspended the civil liberties of the German people claiming that this sacrifice was necessary for personal and state safety. Once this â€Å"Reichstag Fire Decree† was passed, Hitler used it as an excuse to raid the offices of the KPD and arrest their officials, rendering them nearly useless despite the results of the next election. The last â€Å"free† election in Germany took place on March 5, 1933. In that election, members of the SA flanked the entrances of polling stations, creating an atmosphere of intimidation that led to the Nazi Party capturing their highest vote total to-date, 43.9% of the votes. The Nazis were followed in the polls by the Social Democratic Party with 18.25% of the vote and the KPD, which received 12.32% of the vote. It was not surprising that the election, which occurred as a result of Hitler’s urging to dissolve and reorganize the Reichstag, garnered these results. This election was also significant because the Catholic Centre Party captured 11.9% and the German National People’s Party (DNVP), led by Alfred Hugenberg, won 8.3% of the vote. These parties joined together with Hitler and the Bavarian People’s Party, which held 2.7% of the seats in the Reichstag, to create the two-thirds majority that Hitler needed to pass the Enabling Act. Enacted on March 23, 1933, the Enabling Act was one of the final steps on Hitler’s path to becoming a dictator; it amended the Weimar constitution to allow Hitler and his cabinet to pass laws without Reichstag approval. From this point forward, the German government functioned without input from the other parties and the Reichstag, which now met in the Kroll Opera House, was rendered useless. Hitler was now fully in control of Germany. World War II and the Holocaust Conditions for minority political and ethnic groups continued to deteriorate in Germany. The situation worsened after President Hindenburg’s death in August 1934, which allowed Hitler to combine the positions of president and chancellor into the supreme position of Fà ¼hrer. With the official creation of the Third Reich, Germany was now on a path to war and attempted racial domination. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland and World War II began. As the war spread throughout Europe, Hitler and his followers also increased their campaign against European Jewry and others that they had deemed undesirable. Occupation brought a large number of Jews under German control and as a result, the Final Solution was created and implemented; leading to the death of over six million Jews and five million others during an event known as the Holocaust. Although the events of the war initially went in Germany’s favor with the use of their powerful Blitzkrieg strategy, the tide changed in the winter of early 1943 when the Russians stopped their Eastern progress at the Battle of Stalingrad. Over 14 months later, German prowess in Western Europe ended with the Allied invasion at Normandy during D-Day. In May 1945, just eleven months after D-day, the war in Europe officially ended with the defeat of Nazi Germany and the death of its leader, Adolf Hitler. Conclusion At the end of World War II, the Allied Powers officially banned the Nazi Party in May 1945. Although many high-ranking Nazi officials were put on trial during a series of post-war trials in the years following the conflict, the vast majority of rank and file party members were never prosecuted for their beliefs. Today, the Nazi party remains illegal in Germany and several other European countries, but underground Neo-Nazi units have grown in number. In America, the Neo-Nazi movement is frowned upon but not illegal and it continues to attract members.

Resting Easy! 5 Top Tips for Beating Student Insomnia

Resting Easy! 5 Top Tips for Beating Student Insomnia Resting Easy! 5 Top Tips for Beating Student Insomnia If you’re a student, there’s a good chance you’re tired while you’re reading this. After all, there’s a lot you have to pack into your life: studies, a social life, a part-time job, extracurricular activities Finding time to sleep amidst all this can be hard! Add to that the high rates of insomnia caused by stress and bad sleeping habits, and we have a lot of exhausted students out there! Scenes like this can be seen in college libraries across the world. [Photo: Shanghai killer whale/wikimedia] But a lack of sleep can affect your grades, as well as your long term health. So it might be time to put sleeplessness to bed (PUN ALERT! PUN ALERT!) using our top five tips for beating insomnia! 1. Have a â€Å"Bedtime† You probably remember â€Å"bedtime† as something you resented as a child. But now that you’re old enough not to have to be told when you should rest, setting a regular time at which you go to bed can ensure healthier sleeping habits. 2. Beware Screens We’re all glued to our smartphones, tablets and laptops these days, but did you know that the blue light these screens emit can trick your brain into thinking it is daytime when it isn’t? Not likely to sleep any time soon. [Johan Viirok/flickr] If you need to use your computer or smartphone in the evening, you should use a filter that removes the blue light produced by many electronic devices so it doesn’t affect your sleeping patterns. 3. Diet and Exercise As much as you might hate to hear it, a diet of beer, coffee and junk food (all celebrated parts of the student lifestyle) is unlikely to help you sleep. Particularly important is cutting back on caffeine, alcohol and fizzy pop before bed. Likewise, some vigorous exercise around six hours before you sleep will burn up excess energy and help ensure a peaceful night. 4. De-Stress Yo’ Self! Stress is a cause of insomnia and lack of sleep can cause stress, so it’s easy to get stuck in a vicious circle of not sleeping and worrying about feeling exhausted. As such, it’s vital to know the signs of stress and to relax whenever possible. If you don’t feel like you have time to chill, it might be a good idea to cut down on non-essential activities so that you have chance to rest. 5. Manage Your Sleep Environment Make sure your bedroom is a suitable sleeping habitat. Ideally, your room will be cool, dark and quiet throughout the night. And a good mattress is an investment you won’t regret. If you still need convincing, try spending several months sleeping on an inflatable mattress in a tiny box room in a busy, noisy part of town and see how tired you feel at the end of it. In our experience, this is enough to make anyone appreciate the value of a proper bed. These guys have it right. Be more like these guys.

The importance of politics in young generations Research Paper

The importance of politics in young generations - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the relationship between young people and politics cannot be ignored. This relationship is set under examination in this paper. Emphasis is given on the criteria used by young people when deciding to be involved in politics. The involvement of young people in politics is explained using relevant examples; in this way, the practical aspects of the relationship between politics and young people are made clear. Also, the importance of politics in young generations is explained analytically taking into consideration both the personal perceptions of young people – the most common ones – and their environment. In order to identify the aspects of the relationship between young generations and politics it would be important to understand the reasons for which young people are likely to be involved in political decisions and initiatives. ... iew is the following one: young people who participated in favour of the current security system decided on the basis of the interest of their parents – who are most favoured by this system – and not on their own interests (reference is made to the Social Security System of US); however, the above decision is explained as the result of the evaluation of interests involved: ‘the benefits for the parents were more compared to the loss for their children’ (Persson & Tabellini 17), a fact that used by young people as a criterion in order to act in this way. In accordance with the above view, politics can be important for young people at the level that the interests of the latter or their families can be promoted; in other words, the relationship between young people and politics is considered to have a compensative character. From a different approach, Rosenau (2006) notes that the relationship between politics and young people has been changed under the influe nce of the development of technology. More specifically, it is explained that through the media and, especially, the Internet young people can be informed on the political views of different social teams, including ‘elites, activists and thoughtful citizens worldwide’ (Rosenau 159). The level at which each young people will accept these views is depended on his/ her own perceptions and experiences but also on the relevant views of his/ her environment (family, friends, colleagues). The above view sets a series of crucial issues in regard to the relationship between politics and young generations: a) each young man is exposed to different political and social messages, b) the response of young people to the political messages received through the media and the Internet is not standardized – being

Pause for thought............. How does Pinter's use of language and Essay

Pause for thought............. How does Pinter's use of language and rhythm influence his subtext - Essay Example ally gives meaning to the plays, enhance tonalities, brings out the element of characterization, and helps in developing and strengthening of the major themes in the subtexts. The language Pinter uses is highly performative, and this serves as a reinvention to subtext. The Birthday Party is Pinter’s play that mainly explores the absurd, mysterious, secretive, and insidious forces that underlie the lives of the main characters and their relentless efforts to find peace, normalcy, and acceptance in the natural order (Raby 41; Pinter 752). Therefore, Pinter makes sure to use a language form that will bring out the state of the characters as they are. To achieve this, Pinter uses language aspects such as description, repetition, and syntax. All these in the subtext serve the purpose of bringing out the absurd and confusing elements of the main characters in the play (Pinter 750). By basing on syntax, as an element of language, the play achieves good description of the relevant scenes. For instance, the playwright uses a combination of both short and long sentences in different scenes of the play. The conversation between Petey and Meg is primarily composed of short sentence: â€Å"What?, Is that you?, Yes, its me., What? Yes,† (Pinter 751). This aspect of language use impacts on the subtext in different ways. First, it helps establish the atmosphere in the couple’s house. To an extent, one might read tension in this kind of conversation. Secondly, this aspect of language depicts the nature of relationship between Petey and Meg, in addition to the calm or mundane nature of their existence. The deceptive calm and tranquility is effectively brought out through language in order to be contrasted by the disruption and chaos that is to follow (Pinter 750). Moreover, the short sentences enhance the steady and relaxed rhythm of language, which enhances the description of the characters and the uninterrupted nature of their setting as the play unfolds. Today, most

The Tests That Can Determine an Entire Future Essay Example for Free

The Tests That Can Determine an Entire Future Essay Albert Einstein once said, It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. How, though, may teachers follow these wise words, when they must constantly worry about educating their students so they can pass just one of the many standardized tests thrust upon them? John Dewey, an American philosopher, also said, The real process of education should be the process of learning to think through the application of real problems. How, though, can students possibly learn critical thinking if they are forced to learn through relentless memorization and worksheets in order for them to pass one test upon which their futures so highly depend? This phenomenon of accountability testing and holding teachers accountable for scores has swept across the country, creating a negative approach to educating the youth of America. Due to the lack of validity of these tests and the negative effects on teachers and students, standardized testing is ruining the public education system. With accountability for standardized testing being a new trend in America, today, many do not realize how long ago they were actually used and why they are being used now. Dan Fletcher wrote in a Time magazine article that China was the first country to ever develop standardized tests, which were used to test government officials (4). This new idea began to move westward, but writing essays was still the favored method of testing. However, in 1905, America began to conform to the new trend, and Alfred Binet developed the IQ test, which emerged as an easy way to test large numbers of students quickly(Fletcher 5). Today, standardized tests have become the sole measure of not only student success, but also the success of the school and teachers. A few years ago, in 2001, George W. Bush passed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which [expanded] state-mandated standardized testing as means of assessing school performance (How Standardized Testing). The passing of this law brought about an enormous wave of change. Schools now use standardized testing to determine if children are ready for school[to] diagnose for learning disability, retardation and other handicaps; and to decide whether to promote, retain in grade, or graduate many students (How Standardized Testing). Obviously, there have been many changes made to the idea of standardized testing. Society has gone from using them to test government officials to now using the tests as a means of judging a students knowledge. Yet, are they actually helping America? Research, from the present and the past, has shown that education in America has seen no improvement since the spread of standardized testing. In 1999, according to the National Research Center, In comparison with students from 143 other countries, American students finished in the lowest quarter in geometry and ranked second from the bottom in algebra (Sykes). Ten years later, America is still experiencing low stats, even with the passing of the NCLB Act. There are many statistics showing the decline of the United States in the global rankings: U.S. students slipped from 18th in the world in math in 2000 to 31st place in 2009, with a similar decline in science and no change in reading (Is the Use of). It is ironic that this decline became noticeable not long after Bushs NCLB Act was passed, with the intended purpose of bettering the education of Americas students. One reason for this digression is the fact that the tests favor not only white Americans, but also the wealthy. There have been many critics who have said that standardized tests are racist because of the difference in performance: Evidence of such differences in test scores raise the issue that perhaps these tests are discriminating. Tests do not recognize that students of different cultures may have different learning styles (Hudson 52). For this reason, Hispanics, African-Americans and foreign exchange students do not experience high success rates on these tests. Furthermore, the tests tend to favor the wealthy, rather than the less fortunate students: There is no question that students with greater resources and economic opportunities perform better as a general rule on standardized testsstandardized tests are unfair because the questions require a set of knowledge and skills more likely to be possessed by children from a privileged background. (Hudson 50) In a country where discrimination is ruled unconstitutional, would one not think that government officials would work to eliminate this? Not only are these tests favorable to certain people, but it does not help that accountability tests have become the sole determinant of students knowledge and their readiness to move on with their education. It is now to the point where [schools] require students to pass an exit exam before they can graduate from high school. Even if the students pass all their courses, they can be denied their diplomas (Hudson 57). It is completely incomprehensible that a student can pass every single one of his or her high school courses needed to graduate, but he or she will not receive a diploma because of one, single, measly test score. Not only does this issue occur with high school, but there is even more pressure on students when it comes to getting into a college: The ACT and its counterpart, the SAT, have become one of the largest determining factors in the college-admissions process, particularly for elite schools (Fletcher 4). So, now students cannot even get into the college of their choice without meeting the required standards on one of these ridiculous tests. Making matters worse, there are so many things that can go wrong on the day of that one test that can decide a students future: Studies have documented that how students fare on standardized tests can be greatly influenced by a host of external factors, including stress over taking the test, amount of sleep, distractions at the testing site, time of day, emotional state and others (French 64). If this is so, then why do government officials continue to falsely judge Americas knowledge by basing its success on the performance of one test? It is already bad enough that these outrageous tests are the sole basis of a students educational progress, but they also insult the students intelligence. These tests consist of absolutely no curriculum whatsoever, and do not involve one bit of critical thinking: [The NCLB Act] bypass[es] curriculum and standardsit demand[s] that schools generate higher test scores in basic skills, but it require[s] no curriculum at all, nor [does] it raise standards (Ravitch 16). Therefore, all of the classes that students are required to take in high school, in reality, are not really helping them with these oh so important tests. They are completely excluding history, civics, literature, science, the arts, and geography (Ravitch 16). Instead, they test how to read graphs, reading comprehension, grammar, and other ridiculous things that do not really test a students full capability or creativity. For these reasons, a different approach to reform is needed-one that focuses on helping students develop high-levels of proficiency in the real-world and competencies they will need to succeed in the workplace tomorrow (Reha 46). By doing this, America would be significantly helping its youth by preparing them for the future, rather than preparing them for a single test with no critical thinking at all. Unfortunately, there have been no changes made since the spread of standardized testing evolved; positive changes, that is. As an effect of this phenomenon, there have been many changes in the way teachers must teach, and the way the environment must be within their classrooms. Now, teachers find themselves teaching to the test, rather than getting their students involved in real-life decision making: They are forced to teach in ways that are not developmentally appropriate and do not promote critical thinking and decision-making (Solley 53). What good is it doing a student by filling out multiple choice essays, rather than learning how to problem solve and make good decisions? Now, it is all rote learning, [and] less real learningkids fill out more worksheets, answer more questions at the end of textbook chapters, and participate in more drills (Reha 45), than ever before. It is no surprise that teachers are very opposed to this method, and are often fighting against it. David Berliner and Sharon L. Nichols, authors of Has No Child Left Behind Been Good for Education, wrote that they often found teachers and administrators repeatedly telling them that they were being held responsible for their students performance regardless of other factors that may affect it. [They] found teachers concerned about their loss of moraleand the undercutting of their professionalism (49). Apparently, teachers feelings do not matter in this country. America has made it obvious that teachers no longer have a say in how they teach and the way they run their classrooms, which only causes an inevitable chain of negativity leading to the students, themselves. With all of these negative changes that must be made by the teachers, it is no wonder why students are becoming less motivated to learn. People cannot expect students to honestly want to sit through a boring lecture about the facts and statistics that they must memorize just so they can pass one, single test: Schools no longer strive to create informed citizens; instead, they focus only on teaching children what is essential for them to know to pass the government-mandated standardized tests. As a result, childrens motivation and learning suffer (Solley 41). As previously said, teachers must have students fill out more worksheets and multiple choice exams than ever; how could that possibly be fun for a child? Bobbie A. Solley, author of Education, wrote that children are now under increased pressure to perform on demand, memorize mundane facts and figures, and sit for long periods of time while listening to the teacher and/or filling in circles on a worksheet (49). How could a student feel motivated to go to school knowing that this is what he or she will be doing for the entire day? Think about it. Think about what the futures of students could look like without standardized testing. Picture how stress free their lives could be, without any added pressures of performing well on these ridiculous tests. Imagine them being able to engage in critical thinking and decision-making that will help them in the real-world, rather than engaging in learning just for one test. If only people would see how successful the youth of America could be without the use of standardized testing.

Call Of The Wild :: essays research papers

Call of the Wild The Call of the Wild has a very interesting plot. It is centered around a St. Bernard and Scotch Shepherd mix, named Buck. At home, which was a large house in the sun, he ruled over all dogs. Buck was Judge Miller's inseparable companion, until a man named Manuel, who was the one of the gardener's helpers, committed a treacherous act. Manuel, to cover his Chinese lottery gambling debts, stole Buck from his sound sleep and brought him to a flag station called College Park. There, the exchanging of money took place. It was simple. Manuel needed money to pay off his gambling debts, and Buck was a prime candidate. Buck was loaded onto an express car to Seattle. When he got there, he was bought by two men named Perrault and Francois. He was loaded onto a ship called the Narwhal and taken to the Yukon, where he was to be trained as a sled dog. There were other sled dogs that Buck came to know well, each with their own unique personality. After only a short time of training, Buck was a sled dog, traveling with the team of huskies and mix breeds from Dyea Beach, to the town of Dawson. After several trips with Perrault and Francois, Buck was traded to a gold seeking family. They knew nothing, or hardly nothing, about managing a sled team. There trip began with a very bad start. The family had loaded up their wagon with too much unneeded baggage, and it was top heavy. As the dogs began to pull away and pull around a curve, the baggage tipped over along with the sled and thus the unnecessary baggage was discarded, and the trip was barely completed because of harsh weather, wrong supplies, and poor management skills of the dog handlers. All except a man that went by the name of John Thornton, perhaps the only sane one in the group. After one of the men repeatedly beat on a dog, Thornton became enraged. He threatened to kill the man. A few minutes later, the rest of the family that left Thornton behind fell through some

Chapter 2-the Great Gatsby

Chapter 2 In chapter two of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses many methods of narrative. In this essay I will analyse three: Character, Setting and Voice each in detail. In the opening sentence of chapter 2, Fitzgerald uses imagery to create a setting of almost like a limbo with never-ending roads and barren land. This theme continues throughout the first setting in the chapter. â€Å"This is the valley of ashes-a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges† Fitzgerald uses the word ‘ashes’ twice which re-inforces how dead and desolate the ‘valley of ashes’ is.Secondly, Fitzgerald uses an oxymoron with the connotations of ‘ash’ and ‘wheat’: death and life. This is like a microcosm of the fact that many people (in the book) came to New York to achieve ‘The American Dream’ and many failed. However, it could also represent Gatsby and how there are hints in the book that he came from nothing but h as worked his way to the top. In chapter 2, Fitzgerald introduces a few new characters to the reader. The character that stood out most for me was Myrtle. Myrtle is Toms mistress and is characterized as the complete opposite as Daisy.She is described with a ‘thickish figure’, ‘sensuously’ and ‘smouldering’, whereas Daisy is slender, kind and loving. Further on in the scene, Myrtle changes her outfit quite often. â€Å"Mrs Wilson had changed her costume† The word ‘costume’ suggests that Myrtle is just playing a part in her own fairytale with Tom. It is ironic because the reader later learns that Tom has no interest in Myrtle apart from her being a distraction. Also, the quality of her dresses as we read deeper into the scene become more and more rich as the first dress is described as ‘crepe-de-chine’, the second is ‘muslim’ and the final dress is ‘chiffon’.She changes her ‘costume ’ to give people the impression that she is wealthy because it is the life that she wants to live. Lastly, the use of ‘Mrs Wilson’ instead of Myrtle infers that is more important than when she was with her husband and it also underlines the fact that she is married. Fitzgerald uses the change of structure in the narrative voice to portray the state of Nick. â€Å"I have only been drunk twice in my life and the second was that afternoon† We already know from chapter 1 that Nick is apologetic and likes to think he is honest. Therefore it is almost like he is apologising for what is about to come.This is most likely to be because alcohol was illegal then and he is obviously embarrassed by his state. Later on in the scene, the narrative voice then changes to a more drunken state for example, he rants and uses repetition of ‘then’. Later on, as the evening progresses Nick wipes off â€Å"a spot of dried lather that had worried me all afternoonâ₠¬  from Mr McKee’s cheek. If Nick was sober he would not have done this but obviously feels the need to due to the alcohol. Lastly, the whole scene is told in a strange order and it seems like he is looking back and piecing it all together.

Importance of Human Capital in Economicdevelopment

The modern economists are of the view that natural resources i†¦ e forest minerals, climate, water power etc. play in important role in the economic development of an country. A country which has abundant natural resources is in position to development more rapidly than a country which is deficient in such resources. They here how ere emphasize that the presence of abundant resources is not a sufficient condition of economic growth.Physical factures they say are passive factors of economic growth. They are to be combined with human resources of a country who are active facture of economic development. Human resources of a country are the size of population rate of growth of population urban rural distribution of people and quality of population. The quality of population as measured by health standards educational levels and technology is vitally important in influencing a nation's cultural and economic progress.A country which has developed the skills and knowledge of its peopl e can exploit natural resources, build social economic and political organizations and can carry forward national development. The less developed countries of the world are now making investment in human persons for increasing their skills abilities ideals health on the job training programmers. These productive investments have a strong bearing upon increasing human capabilities which is called human capital. 2. What is human capital? Its Role in Economic Development?Human capital can be described as the skills training and health acquired through on the job training and education Michael Pakistan Park in defines it as: †The skill and knowledge of human beings. † It is also defined as: â€Å"The endowment of abilities to produce that exists in each human being. It can be increased through formal education, on the job training and improved health and psychological well being. To be more precise. If the people of a country are well educated, well nourished, skilled and h ealthy, they are said to have more human capital. 3. Human capital formation: Human capital formation as described by Professor Harrison as †the process of acquiring and increasing the number of person who have the skills, education and experience which are critical for the economic and political development of a country. †Human capital formation is the act of increasing the productive qualities of labor force by providing more education and by increasing skills, health and notarization level. According T. W. Schultz, there are five ways of developing human capital. i) Provision of health facilities which affect the life expectancy, strength, vigor and vitality of the people. (ii) Provision of on the job training which enhances the skill of labor force. (iii) Arranging education at the primary, secondary and higher levels. (iv) Study and extension programmer for the adults. (v) Provision of adequate migration facilities to families to adjust to changing job opportunities . 4. Importance of human capital: Human capital is the fundamental source of economic growth. It is a source of both increased productivity and technological advance.In fact the major difference between the developed and developing countries is the rate of progress in human capital. The under developed countries need human capital to staff new and expanding government services to introduce new system of land use and new methods of agriculture, to develop new means of communication to carry forward industrialization and to build the education system. Prof. Galbraith is right in saying that †we now get larger part of economic growth from investment in men and improvements brought about by improved men. ‘ 5. Problems of human capital formation in LDC's: The main problems of human capital formation in less developed countries (LDC's) including Pakistan in brief are as under. (i) Faster increase in population: The population of almost all developing countries of world includi ng Pakistan is increasing faster than rate of accumulation of human capital. As a result thereof, these countries are not making the satisfactory use sector expenditure on education is about 2. 5% of GDP for the last over five years. ii) Defective pattern of investment in education: In the developing countries of the world, the governments are giving priority to primary education for increasing literacy rate.Secondary education which provides critical skills needed for economic developed remains neglected. Another problem related to investment in education is that in the public and private sectors there is a mushroom growth of universities without trying to improve their standard of education. There are also mass failures at primary, secondary & higher levels of education resulting in wastage of the scarce resources of the countries. iii) More stress on the provision of building and equipments: Another major problem of investment in human capital in developing countries of the world is the politicians and administrator lay more stress on the construction of buildings and provision of equipments than on the provision of qualified staff. It has been observed that foreign qualified teachers and doctors are appointed in rural areas where there is little usefulness of them. (iv) Shortage of health and nutrition facilities: In the less developed countries of the world there is shortage of trained nurses qualified doctors medical equipment, medicines etc.The less availability of health facilities pose threat to the millions of the people living there. The people are faced with unsatisfactory sanitary conditions, polluted water, high fertility and death rates urban slums, illiteracy etc. All these deficiencies affect the health of the people reduce their life expectancy. (v) No facilities of on the job training: On the job training or in service training is very essential for improving or acquiring of new skills to the persons employed in various importance is given o n the job training for the employees.The result is that the efficiency and knowledge of the workers remains technicians etc. is therefore of utmost importance for the efficient use of human resources. (vi) Study programme for adults: Study programme for adults can also be introduced for improving literacy rate. Programme for adults was introduced in many under developed countries of the world including Pakistan for providing basic education. increasing skills farmers and small industrialists. The scheme has miserably failed as no interest was shown by the adults in getting such training. (vii) Half earted measures for promotion of employment: In most of the world the ratio of unemployed or under employed persons is very large. For increasing employment and reducing under employment proper investment in human capital is required which is visibly lacking in LDC's. The govt. of Pakistan has taken a number of steps for increasing employment opportunities in the country such as establish ment of SME Bank for the promotion of self employment at the grass root level, encouraging domestic and foreign investment for increasing employment opening of technical and vocational training centers etc. tc. (viii)No manpower planning: Due to non availability of reliable data there is little manpower planning in less developed countries of the world including of course Pakistan. As a result thereof, there is no matching of demand and supply of different types of skills. The result is that large number of skilled and highly qualified persons remain underemployed. The frustration and discontentment among the unemployed or underemployed graduate and post graduates result in brain drain from the country. It is a huge loss to resources of developing countries. ix) Neglect of agriculture education: In LDC's where agriculture is the major sector of the economy. , very little attention is paid for educating the farmers to the use of modern agricultural practices. Unless the farmers are p rovided agricultural education and training on the fields, they will not be able to raise the agricultural the outlook of the farmers. 6. IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN CAPITAL ON SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTP: In today's world production of goods and services on large scale are knowledge intensive.Knowledge can be imported and increased by making investment in education and provision of better health services to man. which is called investment in Man' or Human Capital Formation. The modern economists are of the view that a dollar invested on education bring a greater increase in national income than a dollar spent on dams, roads, bridges or other tangible capital goods. In the words of Professor, Galbraith, we now get the larger part of our industrial growth not from more capital investment but from investment in men and improvement brought about by improved men. ‘ The importance of human capital on economic and social development is now disused in brief. (i) Human Capital as a creat ive and productive resource: In all the developing countries of the world physical capital is invested in the construction of roads, dams, light and heavy industries, schools, hospitals etc. For proper investment and operation of these projects at low cost, you need the services of technicians, engineers, administrators, etc. If priority is not given to human investment and adequate resources are not invested in a man, the physical capital cannot be properly used.It will remain unutilized, underutilized, and misutilized. (ii) Rise in Marginal Efficiency of Capital: Human capital is now regarded as the most potent source of economic growth. It is a way of increasing output by increasing not the quantity of lab our but its quality. Investment in human capital improves the skills of work force and helps in raising marginal efficiency of capital. (iii) Utilization of foreign loans: The advanced countries of the world are assisting the developing countries by providing them grants, loans food supplies and technical expertise etc.The better education, the provision of knowledge, skills, expertise helps in proper utilization of foreign loans. (iv) Utilization of surplus manpower: The underdeveloped countries in general have abundance unskilled and untrained manpower. There is widespread under-employment and disguised unemployment in the urban and rural areas. The investment in right type of education, training, skill, health and nutrition sound manpower planning, on the job training programs etc. can go a long way in absorbing the surplus labor force and developing job opportunities. v) Effect on Health and Nutrition: Human capital formation also calls for investment in health and nutrition. If is a common knowledge that poverty, ill health, illiteracy and low productivity constitutes a vicious circle of poverty. If proper investment is made in health, nutrition drinking water etc. there will be improvement in the health of the people. There will be a desire of the p eople to work and increase production. The improvement in health status of the people thus helps in reducing population growth raising income and higher economic growth in the country. (vi) Social Change:Investment in human capital makes a positive contribution towards improving and brining fast changes in the economic and social life of the people of developing countries. Investment in human capital raises the general living standard of the people in less developed countries, it improves the quality of population i. e.. health and nutrition, literacy, skill, knowledge, desire to work. The surplus manpower is better mobilized and utilized for economic development. There is also a change in social climate of the people. The rate of social mobility increases. There is increased urbanization and industrialization.

Stephen Crane and Red Badge of Courage essays

Stephen Crane and Red Badge of Courage essays Stephen Crane was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1871. He was the fourteenth Child of a Methodist Priest. Unfortunately, Cranes father died when he was only nine. In his youth, Crane never cared for schooling, and basically, he slacked off at his college, Syracuse University. He only stayed one semester and became well renowned on the baseball field rather than for academics. He lived a callous and penniless life on the streets, although he became known as a critic, dramatist, journalist, poet and a realist. One of the most important novel that Stephen Crane wrote, The Red Badge of Courage An Episode of the American Civil War, demonstrates Cranes fascination with human psychological struggles. At twenty, in 1891, he started writing and quit going to college. Once out of College he moved to New York and wrote free hand, a style of writing gifted in Crane, in which he embellished fact with fiction. After four years at the tribune, Crane then wrote one of Americas best war novels: The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War. Stephen Crane grew fascinated with war. When writing Red Badge, he had no actual war experience, however, he later did become a foreign war correspondent. Stephen Crane portrays Henry, the protagonist in the book, as a lover of war like Crane himself. Crane utilizes Psychological Realism, a genre of writing that emphasizes the internal mental struggle of a character, to depict Henrys transformation from the youth to a man. With vague names, such as the youth, the tall one, and loud one, Crane brings the reader into the Civil War. The use of vague names suggests that Henry is synonymous to other youths, which means that Henrys psychological battle to face fear is universal, shared by all youths. Thus, Crane depicts each persons individual psychological war as of a greater importance to an...

How the Romans Voted in the Roman Republic

How the Romans Voted in the Roman Republic The vote was almost a side issue. When Servius Tullius, the sixth king of Rome, reformed the tribal system of Rome, giving the vote to men who had not been members of the three original tribes, he increased the number of tribes and assigned people to them on the basis of geographic location rather than kinship ties. There were at least two main reasons for the extension of the suffrage, to increase the tax body and to add to the rolls of young men suitable for the military. Over the next couple of centuries, more tribes were added until there were 35 tribes in 241 B.C. The number of tribes remained stable and so new citizens were assigned to one of the 35 no matter where they lived. So much is pretty clear. Details are not so sure. For instance, we dont know whether Servius Tullius established any of the rural tribes or just the four urban ones. The importance of the tribes was lost when citizenship was extended to all free people in A.D. 212 by the terms of Constitutio Antoniniana. Posting Issues Roman assemblies were called to vote after notice of issues had been publicized. A magistrate published an edict in front of a contio (a public gathering) and then the issue was posted on a tablet in white paint, according to the University of Georgias Edward E. Best. Did Majority Rule? Romans voted in a couple of different groupings: by a tribe and by centuria (century). Each group, tribe or centuria had one vote. This vote was decided by majority vote of the constituents of said group (tribe or tribe or centuria), so within the group, each members vote counted as much as anyone elses, but not all groups were equally important. Candidates, who were voted on together even when there were multiple positions to fill, were counted as elected if they received the vote of one-half of the voting groups plus one, so if there were 35 tribes, the candidate won when he had received the support of 18 tribes. Polling Place Saepta (or ovile) is the word for the voting space. In the late Republic, it was an open wooden pen with probably 35 roped-off sections. It had been on the Campus Martius. The number of divisions is thought to have corresponded with the number of tribes. It was in the general area that both tribal groups and comitia centuriata held elections. At the end of the Republic, a marble structure replaced the wooden one. The Saepta would have held about 70,000 citizens, according to Edward E. Best. The Campus Martius was the field dedicated to the war god, and lay outside the sacred border or Pomoerium of Rome, as Classicist Jyri Vaahtera points out, which is significant because, in early years, Romans may have attended the assembly in arms, which didnt belong in the city. Voting was also held in the forum. Centuriate Voting Assembly The centuriae may also have been started by the 6th king or he might have inherited and augmented them. The Servian centuriae included about 170 centuriae of foot soldiers (infantry or pedites), 12 or 18 of equestrians, and a couple of others. How much wealth a family had determined which census class and therefore centuria its men fit in. The wealthiest infantry class had close to a majority of the centuriae and were also allowed to vote early, just after the cavalry whose first position in the metaphorical voting line (may have) earned them the label praerogativae. (It is from this use that we get the English word prerogative.) (Hall says that later after the system was reformed, the first [selected by lot] centuria to vote had the title of centuria praerogativa.) Should the vote of the wealthiest (infantry) first class and that of the cavalry be unanimous, there was no reason to go to the second class for their vote. The vote was by centuria in one of the assemblies, the comitia centuriata. Lily Ross Taylor thinks the members of a given centuria were from a variety of tribes. This process changed over time but is thought to have been the way the vote worked when the Servian Reforms were instituted. Tribal Voting Assembly In tribal elections, the voting order was decided by sortition, but there was an order of the tribes. We dont know exactly how it worked. Only one tribe might have been chosen by lot. There might have been a regular order for the tribes that the winner of the lottery was allowed to jump over. However it worked, the first tribe was known as principium. When a majority had been reached, the voting probably stopped, so if 18 tribes were unanimous, there was no reason for the remaining 17 to vote, and they didnt. The tribes voted per tabellam by ballot by 139 B.C., according to Ursula Hall. Voting in the Senate In the Senate, voting was visible and peer-pressure-driven: people voted by clustering around the speaker they supported. Roman Government in the Roman Republic The assemblies provided the democratic component of the mixed form of Roman government. There were also monarchic and aristocratic/oligarchic components. During the period of kings and the Imperial period, the monarchic element was dominant and visible in the personage of the king or emperor, but during the Republic, the monarchic element was elected annually and split in two. This split monarchy was the consulship whose power was deliberately curtailed. The Senate provided the aristocratic element. References The Centuriate Assembly before and after the Reform, by Lily Ross Taylor; The American Journal of Philology, Vol. 78, No. 4 (1957), pp. 337-354.Literacy and Roman Voting, by Edward E. Best; Historia 1974, pp. 428-438.The Origin of Latin suffrÄ gium, by Jyri Vaahtera; Glotta71. Bd., 1./2. H. (1993), pp. 66-80.Voting Procedure in Roman Assemblies, by Ursula Hall; Historia (Jul. 1964), pp. 267-306

Meeting the Challenge of Deafness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Meeting the Challenge of Deafness - Essay Example However, Cooper's will and passion for flying won out. For Chevy, his love of flying has been hitched to his need to be involved. After graduating from college in California, he sought out a new home. Chevy states, "Something about Hawaii attracted me. It wasn't the tradewinds or sun. It was something about the deaf community". The challenge of the deaf is to find support from the world around, through friends, family, and community. Being hearing impaired is a challenge in today's world. Often, the deaf are limited not by what they can do but by the perceptions of what the world thinks they should do. Cooper's family initially discouraged him from trying to be a pilot, yet he was able to persist and learn to fly. However, he did not do it alone. As he said in the article, "At 14, every Saturday I snuck out and would go to flight school, learning how to fly. A very sweet man named Charley took me under his wing." In spite of the challenge, someone was there to help him face it and guide him through it. For the hearing impaired, a little help sometimes goes a long way. Though Cooper and Chevy are unusual in their quest for flying, the common bond of deafness may entice others to join in their challenge. Both men have shown an interest in starting a club for deaf pilots and the concept of support groups may be a great benefit.

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 183

Summary - Essay Example Theorists expected the opposite to happen i.e. they expected the wealth gap between countries to reduce as a result of technological exchange and globalization. But the wealth gap increased because the rich in the poor countries invested their money in richer countries for security, thus making the poor countries poorer. The rich in any society benefit from new technology the most because of their capacity to absorb the risks it entails. Likewise, richer countries benefit more from technological development compared to poor countries, most of which have a higher rate of population growth than the rate of economic development. Although the wealth gap between the rich and the poor countries has overall increased ever since the Industrial Revolution, yet people generally enjoy a better lifestyle than people did in the past. The human development index computed by the United Nations suggests that from 1970 to 2010, almost all countries have experienced improvement and greater equality wi ll bring further improvement in the future. The vast expanse of the Amazon Forest sustains many indigenous cultures and 20% of the world’s flora and fauna. The Amazon Forest reduces global warming and contributes to moisture in the atmosphere. The reduction in rainfall caused by global warming will endanger the Amazon Forest. Human intervention has caused many tropical forests as well as many Amazon forests to disappear. The hardwood trees in large number in the Amazon forest are very desirable for domestic and commercial purposes which has led to rapid cutting off of the trees. Not only the depletion of forests in Asia and Africa has increased the load for the Amazon forest, but also the Amazon Development Agency in Brazil has encouraged cattle ranching to facilitate fast-food restaurant business. Although the rapidly reducing land has endangered the indigenous tribes and their traditional economies, yet the idea of