How Do Pop Rocks Candy Work

Pop Rocks are a cool candy that pops when you put them in your mouth. They make a sizzling sound as they dissolve, the tiny explosions feel interesting, plus (in my opinion) they taste good. There was an urban legend that Mikey, the kid from the Life cereal ads who wont eat anything, ate Pop Rocks and washed them down with cola, and then died when his stomach exploded. Its completely untrue. If you swallow a handful of Pop Rocks and chug a soda, youll probably burp, but you wont die. If Mikey barely tried Life cereal, why would he eat Pop Rocks anyway? How exactly do Pop Rocks work? How Pop Rocks Work Pop Rocks are a hard candy that has been gasified with carbon dioxide using a patented process. Pop Rocks are made by mixing sugar, lactose, corn syrup, water, and artificial colors/flavors. The solution is heated until the water boils off and combined with carbon dioxide gas at about 600 pounds per square inch (psi). When the pressure is released, the candy shatters into small pieces, each containing bubbles of pressurized gas. If you examine the candy with a magnifying glass, you can see the tiny bubbles of trapped carbon dioxide. When you put Pop Rocks in your mouth, your saliva dissolves the candy, allowing the pressurized carbon dioxide to escape. Its the popping of the pressurized bubbles that makes the sizzling sound and shoots pieces of candy around in your mouth. Are Pop Rocks Dangerous? The amount of carbon dioxide released by a packet of Pop Rocks is about 1/10th as much as you would get in a mouthful of cola. Except for the carbon dioxide, the ingredients are the same as those of any hard candy. The popping of the bubbles is dramatic, but you wont shoot candy into your lungs or chip a tooth or anything. They are completely safe, though I doubt the artificial colors and flavors are particularly good for you.

Microeconomic Theory - 2302 Words

|ECON E-1010 | |Microeconomic Theory Spring, 2013 | Course Web Site: http://isites.harvard.edu/course/ext-23285/2013/spring Professor: Bruce Watson econe1010@dce.harvard.edu Lectures: Mondays 7:40 – 9:40 Science Center A Teaching Assistants: Teo Nicolais (For distance students) teo.the.ta@gmail.com Sections (On-line) at http://chat.dce.harvard.edu: To Be Announced Jodi Beggs (For in-class students) jodi@post.harvard.edu Sections: Tuesdays 6:30-8:00 (EST) Location TBA Office†¦show more content†¦We will make these calculations automatically for each student—you don’t have to â€Å"opt in† or â€Å"opt out† of one or the other weighting. We will make certain you receive the highest grade to which you are entitled. Requests for problem set or midterm exam regrades must be submitted to your grader no later that one week after your work has been returned. In order to allow for a timely and orderly response to your request, we must adhere to this policy without exception. We cannot regrade requests made after these deadlines. Grading Mechanics: Assigning Letter Grades Based on a Curve Semester grades are determined by a curve. The nature of a curve is that your grade is based on your performance relative to all other students in the class. It does not involve an â€Å"absolute standard,† e.g., 90 – 100 = A, 80 – 90 = B, etc., which you may be used to from some other courses. I believe that a curve is ultimately the fairest way to determine grades, since it does not set some arbitrary absolute standard, but judges students on their performance relative to their peers. With a curve, your grade is based on your percentile rank in the class, i.e., the percentage of students inShow MoreRelatedMicroeconomic Theory Essay1757 Words   |  8 PagesRunning head: Module 1 Homework Module 1 Homework Michael J Feller Allied American University Author Note This paper was prepared for ECN 150: Introduction to Microeconomics, Module 1 Homework taught by Dr. Dani Babb. 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Compare and contrast optimal pricingRead MoreMicroeconomics of Customer Relationships930 Words   |  4 PagesReading: Microeconomics of Customer Relationships â€Æ' Reading: Microeconomics of Customer Relationships The follow is a critique and review of the reading of Microeconomic of Customer Relationships by Fred Reichheld. I will review the article and evaluate Mr. Reachheld. I will also apply economic theories into why and how I came to my conclusions. Overview on the Reading Microeconomic of Customer Relationships by Fred Reichheld is based on a simple survey based customer-relationship metricRead MoreArticle Analysis 61110 Words   |  5 Pages It begins with a covering known as economics that leads to a multitude root system known as microeconomics only to be fed by the morsels of supply and demand. Though what seems simple in building this mountain, many factors exist waiting for their chance to cause destruction. However, to understand our quest to the top, consumers must understand the clues that are defined as economics, microeconomics, Law of supply and the Law of demand. Dictionary.com states that economics is The social scienceRead MoreSustainable Competitive Advantage Through Core Competencies in a Resource Based Approach1633 Words   |  7 PagesQuestion: The ability of some firms to sustain longer term competitive advantage relates to their capabilities according to the resource based theory of the firm. Summarise this approach to explain why some firms perform better than others in an industry. Sustainable Competitive Advantage Within all economies there have always been firms that are destined for success and firms that are doomed to failure... or have there? Is this an inevitable outcome predestined by exterior market forces

Racial Profiling by Police Must Stop Essay - 1201 Words

The great era of civil rights started in the 1960s, with Martin Luther King, Jr.s stirring I have a Dream speech at the historic march on Washington in August of 1963. At the same time Birmingham Police Commissioner Bull Connor used powerful fire hoses and vicious police attack dogs against nonviolent black civil rights activists. Although these years proved to be the highlight and downfall of civil rights in America, even with the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act being passed, time has repeated these tumultuous events again in the present. Racial profiling has been one of many civil rights issues concerning the unnecessary stopping and arresting of people based on race,†¦show more content†¦At many times, these minorities have been stopped and arrested for illegal offenses, however we are not sure if these stories have been filed truthfully by law enforcement officers. Many police departments face issues concerning racist law enforcement officers who cause the problems of racial profiling. One such example comes from the Hillside Police Department, where several racial bias charges have been made against them. Racial slurs have become common in the Hillside district, where even the department supervisor does background checks on minorities IN the squad, even to kick them off the squad. In this department, only two officers are Hispanic and one is of African decent. The officers, many of whom are white, are encouraged to target minorities first to fill their ticket quotas for the month. Hillside officers defend themselves saying that Hillside is 40 percent black and 20 percent Hispanic. However, the actions taken by Hillside officer, such as targeting to fill quotas and background checking, seem disconcerting. The Reverend Jesse Jackson even needed to call for federal protection for whistleblowing police officers. 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On one hand, we have people who are completely against racial profiling. On the other hand, some believe that there is no problem with racial profi ling. I am very interested in finding out both sides of this argument. What are the rights and wrongs of racial profiling? I chose Jeffrey Toobin’s (2013) blog post RightsRead MoreEssay On Racial Profiling1514 Words   |  7 PagesRacial profiling is a very important issue that individuals in society face every day. This problem occurs in low income or poverty-stricken areas throughout cities and communities across the nation. Hundreds of anecdotal testimonials allege that law enforcement officials at all levels of government are infringing upon the constitutional rights and civil liberties of racial and ethnic minorities through a practice called â€Å"racial profiling (Ward, 2002). So what is racial profiling? According to theRead MoreMinority Attitudes Towards the Police and Public Perceptions Essay1179 Words   |  5 PagesLiterature Review: Minority attitudes towards the police and public perceptions Introduction-Background-Problem Individuals who seem to be more unhappy with police are African Americans. But there is little to no factors that truly engage citizens view of the police Brown and Benedict (2002). The specific parts on attitudes are reliable, but the literature seems to lead to mixed signals based on other variables Weitzer and Tuch (2002). Perceptions of the police includes factors like personal experienceRead MoreRacial Profiling1356 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: RACIAL PROFILING Racial Profiling: Are we Fighting it the Right Way? Racial Profiling: Are we Fighting it the Right Way? I would like to talk about an issue that is plaguing our community today and making the job of a Police Officer even more difficult than it already is. All for one reason, statistics!! Racial profiling to me is a lot like any other problem in our society today. Many have different opinions on why it happens, and what we should do about it if it does happenRead MoreRacial Profiling And The Criminal Justice System1204 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract Racial profiling is a major issue in American society. Its existence threatens every minority citizen of this country. Racial profiling is not fair and not effective because it relies on stereotypes and encourages discrimination. Examining cases that have occurred in the past and most recently help us fully understand this issue. Many studies and reports of racial profiling involve excessive use of force, police brutality, imposition of death penalty, traffic stops, stop and frisk issues

An Analysis of The Allegory of the Cave Example For Students

An Analysis of The Allegory of the Cave The Allegory of the Cave is Platos explanation of the education of the soul toward enlightenment. He sees it as what happens when someone is educated to the level of philosopher. He contends that they must go back into the cave or return to the everyday world of politics, greed and power struggles. The Allegory also attacks people who rely upon or are slaves to their senses. The chains that bind the prisoners are the senses. The fun of the allegory is to try to put all the details of the cave into your interpretation. In other words, what are the models the guards carry? e fire? the struggle out of the cave? the sunlight? the shadows on the cave wall? Socrates, in Book VII of The Republic, just after the allegory told us that the cave was our world and the fire was our sun. He said the path of the prisoner was our souls ascent to knowledge or enlightenment. He equated our world of sight with the intellects world of opinion. Both were at the bottom of the ladder of knowledge. Our world of sight allows us to see things that are not real, such as parallel lines and perfect circles. He calls this higher understanding the world abstract Reality or the Intelligeble world. He equates this abstract reality with the knowledge that comes from reasoning and finally understanding. On the physical side, our world of sight, the stages of growth are first recognition of images (the shadows on the cave wall) then the recognition of objects (the models the guards carry) To understand abstract reality requires the understanding of mathematics and finally the forms or the Ideals of all things (the world outside the cave). But our understanding of the physical world is mirrored in our minds by our ways of thinking. First comes imagination (Socrates thought little of creativity), then our unfounded but real beliefs. Opinion gives way to knowledge through reasoning (learned though mathematics). Finally, the realization of the forms is mirrored by the level of Understanding in the Ways of Thinking. The key to the struggle for knowledge is the reasoning skills acquired through mathematics as they are applied to understanding ourselves. The shadows on the cave wall change continually and are of little worth, but the reality out side the cave never changes and that makes it important. The ideals are mainly our concepts of courage, love, friendship, justice, and other unchanging qualities. I know this is a bit tricky, but it is how I see the allegory, and most of it is in the preceding and following books of the Republic. I think you should read those chapters, think about what I have said and zero in on what the allegory means to you. CAVE Plato, the most creative and influential of Socrates disciples, wrote dialogues, in which he frequently used the figure of Socrates to espouse his own (Platos) full-fledged philosophy. In The Republic, Plato sums up his views in an image of ignorant humanity, trapped in the depths and not even aware of its own limited perspective. The rare individual escapes the limitations of that cave and, through a long, tortuous intellectual journey, discovers a higher realm, a true reality, with a final, almost mystical awareness of Goodness as the origin of everything that exists. Such a person is then the best equipped to govern in society, having a knowledge of what is ultimately most worthwhile in life and not just a knowledge of techniques; but that person will frequently be misunderstood by those ordinary folks back in the cave who havent shared in the intellectual insight. If he were living today, Plato might replace his rather awkward cave metaphor with a movie theater, with the projector replacing the fire, the film replacing the objects which cast shadows, the shadows on the cave wall with the projected movie on the screen, and the echo with the loudspeakers behind the screen. The essential point is that the prisoners in the cave are not seeing reality, but only a shadowy representation of it. The importance of the allegory lies in Platos belief that there are invisible truths lying under the apparent surface of things which only the most enlightened can grasp. Used to the world of illusion in the cave, the prisoners at first resist enlightenment, as students resist education. But those who can achieve enlightenment deserve to be the leaders and rulers of all the rest. At the end of the passage, Plato expresses another of his favorite ideas: that education is not a process of putting knowledge into empty minds, but of making people realize that which they already know. This notion that truth is somehow embedded in our minds was also powerfully influential for many centuries. A report I had to do on Platos Allegory of the Cave. Plato was born 427 B. C. and died 347 B. C. He was a pupil under Socrates. During his studies, Plato wrote the Dialogues, which are a collection of Socrates teachings. One of the parables included in the Dialogues is The Allegory of the Cave. The Allegory symbolizes mans struggle to reach understanding and enlightenment. First of all, Plato believed that one can only learn through dialectic reasoning and open-mindedness. Humans had to travel from the visible realm of image-making and objects of sense to the intelligible or invisible realm of reasoning and understanding. The Allegory of the Cave symbolizes this trek and how it would look to those still in a lower realm. Plato is saying that humans are all prisoners and that the tangible world is our cave. The things which we perceive as real are actually just shadows on a wall. Just as the escaped prisoner ascends into the light of the sun, we amass knowledge and ascend into the light of true reality: ideas in the mind. Yet, if someone goes into the light of the sun and beholds true reality and then proceeds to tell the other captives of the truth, they laugh at and ridicule the enlightened one, for the only reality they have ever known is a fuzzy shadow on a wall. They could not possibly comprehend another dimension without beholdin! g it themselves, therefore, they label the enlightened man mad. For instance, the exact thing happened to Charles Darwin. In 1837, Darwin was traveling aboard the H. M. S. Beagle in the Eastern Pacific and dropped anchor on the Galapagos Islands. Darwin found a wide array of animals. These differences in animals sparked Darwin on research, which lasted well up to his death, culminating in the publishing of The Origin of Species in 1858. He stated that had not just appeared out of thin air, but had evolved from other species through natural selection. This sparked a firestorm of criticism, for most people accepted the theory of the Creation. In this way Darwin and his scientific followers parallel the escaped prisoner. They walked into the light and saw true reality. Yet when he told the imprisoned public what he saw, he was scoffed at and labeled mad, for all the prisoners know and perceive are just shadows on a wall which are just gross distortions of reality. Darwin walked the path to understanding just like the escaped prisoner in The Allegory of the Cave. Platos parable greatly symbolizes mans struggle to reach the light and the suffering of those left behind who are forced to sit in the dark and stare at shadows on a wall. Allegory of the Cave Plato illustrates his dualistic theory of reality by his famous Allegory of the Cave, at the beginning of Book VII of the Republic. Now then, says Socrates, as he introduces the allegory, imagine mankind as living in an underground cave which has a wide entrance open to the light. Manifest Destiny EssayIn the â€Å"Allegory of the Cave,† the people in the cave are chained to see just the shadows on the wall to which they perceive to be real. As one of these prisoners escapes, they walk into the light to find that what he once saw in the cave was actually just an illusion of what the truth is. In â€Å"Existentialism,† there is no God so every man is free to make their own choices and give their own meaning of life; however, the choices men make are what they consider all men to do, causing men to be responsible of their actions. Anguish is a similarity in both essays because both the escaped prisoner in the â€Å"Allegory of the Cave† and all men in â€Å"Existentialism† have a moral responsibility to their fellow man. The escaped prisoner is responsible for going back and informing the rest of the captives of what he saw. He has to explain to them that the ultimate reality is not the shadows on the wall but what is seen once you’re in the light. He then experiences anguish because the captives will not believe him. The essay states that: â€Å"Men would say of him that up he went and down he came without his eyes; and that it was better not even to think of ascending; and if any one tried to loose another and lead him up to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death† (p. 1185). The cave is their world and what they see is their truth. The escaped prisoner is now an outsider and suffers because the other captives could not comprehend that what they are really seeing is just a bad distortion of reality. In â€Å"Existentialism,† man experiences anguish because he would not be able to get away from his responsibility of his actions and his choices because the decisions he makes not only affects him but those around him too. The narrator states that: â€Å"Every man ought to say to himself, ‘Am I really the kind of man who has the right to act in such a way that humanity might guide itself by my actions? ’ And if he does not say that to himself, he is masking his anguish† (p. 1292). Every man experiences anguish because they have the freedom of choice but the responsibility of all men. Therefore every choice that man makes must be a good one. Both Plato and Sartre have many different views in their essays and one opposing view is about the good and the bad. In Sartre’s essay, good decisions or choices are made because it is what is good for every man and that , â€Å"to choose to be this or that is to affirm at the same time the value of what we choose, because we can never choose evil. We always choose the good, and nothing can be good for us without being good for all† (p. 1291). Every man then does not choose the evil because what is evil for him will be evil for all; therefore, when man has to make a decision, he values each choice on how much good will come out of them. Although in â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave,† good is not considered first but last and to get there is a long and tortuous journey. Once the good is seen, they will see everything of a higher realm which is the true reality and be aware that goodness is the origin of everything that exists. The narrator states, â€Å" whether true or false, my opinion is that in the world of knowledge the idea of good appears last of all, and is seen only with an effort; and, when seen, is also inferred to be the universal author of all things beautiful and right † (p. 1185). Instead of carefully making every decision of what is good, the very thought of goodness comes last. In Plato’s essay, to reach the goodness you have to find the enlightened path. Another difference between the two essays is the thought of the limitations of the unlighted and enlightened path and subjectivity. In â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave,† the prisoners have to struggle to understand and reach enlightenment. The escaped prisoner had to travel through the journey of the visible, image-making realm of the cave to the intelligible realm of reasoning and understanding. He was subject to transform between these two realms. At first he had to reason with what he saw outside the cave. It was hard for him in the beginning because, â€Å"when he approaches the light his eyes will be dazzled and he will not be able to see anything at all of what are now called realities† (p. 1184). It was difficult for him to go through the transition of dark to light or unlighted to the enlightened. But once he got used to the light, he could see the truth and understand that what he saw and what the other unlighted captives still see in the cave are actually an illusion. Although in â€Å"Existentialism† men are subjected to more than two sort of realms. Since an existentialist creates their own meaning of life there is no limit like there is in Plato’s essay. The meaning of life is then changed with every decision made because there is no God or enlightened path to goodness. This leaves existentialists left with no excuses for their actions. Once they have made a choice there is no going back and he lives with his choices and blames no one but himself. The essay states: â€Å"Subjectivism means, on the one hand, that an individual chooses and makes himself; and, on the other, that it is impossible for man to transcend human subjectivity. Since there is no unlighted or enlightened path he is responsible for what he chooses and he can not turn back once a mistake is made. The views of goodness, limitations, and subjectivism binds together to explain the different views of human existence between Plato and Sartre. A man confined to life in a cave like Plato’s essay, is restricted to what he sees in the dark and what he will perceive as his reality and truth. While those who go into the light will have an opposing idea of what reality is and have an understanding of what the truth really is. The narrator states that: â€Å"he will first ask whether that soul of man has come out of the brighter life, and is unable to see because unaccustomed to the dark, or having turned from darkens to the day is dazzled by excess of light† (p. 1186). In Sartre’s essay, existence precedes essence where every man is free to lead his life the way he wants to. The essay states that: â€Å"Man is nothing else than his plan; he exists only to the extent that he fulfills himself; he is therefore nothing else than the ensemble of his acts, nothing else than his life† (p. 1297). Every man chooses where he wants to be in the future and his life will only go as far as he plans it to go and not restricted to any certain places or ideas like the men in the cave are in â€Å"Allegory of the Cave. † In conclusion, there are moral responsibilities in both essays, â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† and â€Å"Existentialism. † Plato and Sartre both imply that anguish are felt among all men but their views of goodness, limitations and subjectivism of life and the human existence vary in their essays. Whether it is best to believe in God or not, moral responsibility is placed on every man.

To what extent was Soviet foreign policy ideologically consistent in the 1930s Essay Example

To what extent was Soviet foreign policy ideologically consistent in the 1930s? Essay In order to deal with the question of ideological consistencies in Soviet foreign policy in the 1930s, one has to consider the underlying aims of Stalins foreign policy directives. This will be dealt in the initial stage of the essay and followed through with every subsequent argument. It is also crucial, in attempting to answer the problem, to note the significant apparent changes that emerged during the distinct periods such as the early 1930s of the Soviet isolationism as opposed to the 1933 1937 phase of anti-Nazism, as well as the post Munich Agreement time period before the German invasion in 1941, during which Stalin reversed his foreign policy moves to align the Soviet Union with Germany. While engaging in such an observation based on the changes in Stalins strategies, though, one must realise the reason for or the driving factor behind, such transitions that the Soviet Union was put through, first in siding with the West and then swaying to the Fascist Germany when tides were against the Soviet Union in the course of the 1930s leading up to the Second World War. The following will be an attempt to prove, despite the limited literature available on the issue, that Soviet foreign policy was ideologically consistent in the 1930s to a large extent. Despite the seemingly fickle-minded, sides-shifting and perhaps even indecisive moves by the Soviet Union, represented by its leader Joseph Stalin, such will in fact be revealed to be intimately, AND persistently, abiding by the seminal foreign policy objectives of security for the Soviet Union that was not prepared for another war. In addition, as some historians argue, one also needs to heed the observation that ideological, and also strategic, dimensions of Soviet foreign policy were but a public mask, or rather a effective tool, to attain a more urgent and fundamental goal of achieving and maintaining security for the Soviet Union as sweeping as this may sound. We will write a custom essay sample on To what extent was Soviet foreign policy ideologically consistent in the 1930s? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on To what extent was Soviet foreign policy ideologically consistent in the 1930s? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on To what extent was Soviet foreign policy ideologically consistent in the 1930s? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer On the surface, the discussion should pivot around the main ideological motives championed by Stalin and how successful Soviet Union at large was in constantly following through with its ideology in the tumultuous age of the 1930s. This ideology, then, simply put, is to spread Communism in the world and abolish other ideological blocs such as Capitalism and Fascism so as to allow for the Soviet hegemony as the worldwide Communist champion and leader. However, before the ideological layers involved in the Soviet foreign policy directives comes the crux of Soviet Unions foreign policy aim in the 1930s, which was to ensure that Soviet Union is spared from any external invasion given the pressures created by the Great Depression. For the purpose of facilitating the flow of the argument, the essay will be signposted by the various turning points throughout the 1930s marking either an alteration or the reversal of Soviet stance on European affairs, particularly where Germany is concerned. The first of this should undoubtedly be the Great Depression of 1929 that kick-started the unstable age of the 1930s. In the crucial setting the Depression sets up for us in understanding the context of the 1930s, the world is in disarray, especially notable in the West, from 1930 to 1933. The resultant destruction of world trade and the loss of jobs leading to a slump in the quality of living brought about the fertile ground for extremist political agitation from both Right and Left.1 Although the instability somewhat allowed for some much needed respite to the Soviet Union in its bid after an economic revolution, the augmenting international tensions intensified by the prospect of the Depression engendering a new war necessitated the Soviet Unions bracing of an ulterior objective. This was none other than the fact that to insulate fortress Russia from the threats of outside powers in the event of a predicted war, according to Haslam in his writing in The Bases of Foreign Policy under Stalin, which is immensely useful in aiding the understanding that one has to seek for the matter in discussion. Su ch a threat was what stimulated the Soviet leadership to embark on the five-year plan of industrial construction in 1929. The five-year plan was essentially anchored on Stalins conception of the countrys needs, his overriding aim being to make the Soviet Union impregnable to assault from abroad. The note-worthy speech Stalin made in February 1931 succinctly captures the overarching aim that will govern the foreign policy in all dimensions, including the ideological one. Stalin leaves a clear message in it the promise of the plan that would in the long term fortify Soviet power in order to deter the rest of the world from even pondering on an attack on the Soviet Union, thus obliged to leave it alone, even in the case of a war between multiple outside powers, a notion which turned out to be much of Stalins liking in the course of the period concerned, if chances allowed, as it had been a vital element in Soviet foreign policy since its earliest days under Lenin, to exploit, wherever possible, the tensions and antagonisms which beset relations amongst the capitalist Powers. The ideological ground for the comparison of the progress throughout the decade would be thus set in the early 1930s aims that Stalin embraced, given the changed economic and political environment, thus the need to delve into this period further. One can observe, through Stalins fears of potential Western aggression toward the Soviet Union, aggravated by the crisis in Anglo-Soviet relations in 19272, a defensive Soviet Union desperate to ensure its own security. When these exaggerated fears placed too much burden on the Soviet Unions inadequate defences, the Soviets responded with a combination of firmness and diplomacy3. While the Soviet Union retaliated against the French move at trade restrictions, the commissar of foreign affairs, Maksim M. Litvinov, also advocated the traditional offering of the non-aggression pact in novel form: economic non-aggression in 18 May 1931. This demonstrated to the Western public the more cooperative and less harsh image of the Soviet Union. The five -year plan also had a notable effect of raising the regimes prestige in the eye of friend and foe alike (Haslam, as quoted in footnote). At this juncture, one can notice how Stalin orchestrated his foreign policy in a way as to complement it to his strenuous domestic policies. To heighten the urgency of his demands for modernization, Stalin portrayed the Western powers, especially France, as warmongers eager to launch an attack on the Soviet Union. The diplomatic isolation adopted by the Soviet Union in the early 1930s thus seemed ideologically justified by the Great Depression; world capitalism appeared fated for a downfall. To assist the triumph of Communism, Stalin resolved to weaken the moderate social democrats of Europe who were the communists rivals for working-class support. Conversely, the Comintern ordered the Communist Party of Germany to aid the anti-Soviet National Socialist German Workers Party (the Nazi Party) in its attempt at gaining power in the hopes that a Nazi regime would exacerbate social tensions within Germany and thereby produce the conditions that would lead to a communist revolution. Here, we can see the shared responsibility that Stalin takes on in bringing Hitler to power in 1933 and its tragic consequences for the Soviet Union itself and of course to the rest of the world. Hence, in light of the early 1930s before the rise of Hitler, the foreign policy pursued by the Soviet Union can be deemed to be ideologically consistent. Even in the case where the Soviet Union initiated the economic non-aggression pact with the Western capitalist powers, it was done so under a certain mask and veil since Soviet leaders deceitfully continued to let their capitalist adversaries misinterpret the new Soviet economic move as a return to capitalism, resulting in the dwindled hostility displayed by the Western powers as a result. In addition, in the issue of the threat posed by Japan in the Manchurian Crisis of 1931, the underlying philosophy in Litvinovs foreign policy is illustrated in the fact that the Soviets not only chose to conceal the ongoing war preparations (for the war in the Far East) from the public but also decided to attend the world disarmament conference when it opened in February 1932. It cannot be stressed more, therefore, that this was a period when ideological foundations and more fundamentally the cardinal foreign policy aims were closely followed by. The year 1933, when Hitler rose to power in Germany, brought about what Haslam calls a dramatic volte-face in the direction of Soviet foreign policy, ushering in the most pro-Western era Moscow has ever experienced4. This is also dubbed the Litvinov age of Soviet diplomacy. Once again, in this observation of 1933 to 1937 Soviet pursuit of its foreign policy, it was the fundamental aim of Soviet security and safety that Stalin was after, as far as appearances were concerned. This is because from the turn of the events, it might seem as though the Soviet Union was abandoning its ideological motive of Communist dominion when it cooperated diplomatically with the Western capitalist powers. However, it has to be reinforced that the new German Government threatened the peace of Europe and thereby the security of the Soviet Union. Peace was not just a necessary condition for Stalins industrialisation plans but mainly for the very purpose of not plunging the Soviet Union into a war. Where dual track policy, or a two pronged approach, is concerned, it is the underlying strategic aims that were more fundamental than the ideological ones, since the primary driving factor when it came to Stalins decision making was the fear of an outside invasion of the Soviet Union. It was more the maintenance of the status quo and protection of the incumbent territory that Stalin was interested if we follow his line of foreign policy moves, rather than an aim to spread Communism as far as the 1930s were concerned. This is because the Soviet Union, in its economic weakness and vulnerability in the face of a precedent worldwide economic combustion and foreseeable threats in the scale of another major war, simply was not allowed the mental and strategic space for an expansionist scheme. Yes, it can be argued that such a Communist-domination notion never actually left Stalins objectives and lurked in the background through which some ideological influences were seen in the foreign pol icy directives (SUCH AS?), but pivotal would be to realise that because it was centrally the immediate or perceived threats directed at the Soviet Union that brought about the key foreign policy moves by either Litvinov or Molotov, thus justifying the argument that by observing the consistencies of the underlying strategic aims one can also deduce that such were also ideologically consistent, although it is more the former than the latter dimension that steered the Soviet camps foreign policy directions.

Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American Peop essays

Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American Peop essays Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People The motives behind the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 remained unclear to many people throughout the world. Shortly after the attacks waged upon New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, President George W. Bush delivered his speech, Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People. This speech successfully explained the United States stance on terrorism. He also educated us on exactly who the terrorists are, discussed Americas plan for resolution and attempted to dissolve any fear in which Americans may have felt. In the following paragraphs I will explain the strategies, advantages and barriers President Bush faced while delivering this highly successful and motivational speech. This speech is unlike any other that President Bush has had to deliver. President Bush says, In the normal course of events, Presidents come to this chamber to report on the state of the Union. Tonight, no such report is needed. It has already been delivered by the American people(Bush, p.1). The goals of this speech are clearly outlined. He speaks about our freedom being attacked and assures us that justice will be brought to terrorists. The president wants to make sure every American understands what happened on September 11th. He wants to state whom these terrorists are, why they committed these crimes, Americas plans toward achieving justice and hopes to urge the American people to go on about their normal lives. In the beginning of President Bushs speech, the audience to whom he is speaking is clearly announced. Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tempore, members of congress, and fellow Americans are among the groups listed. These Americans can clearly be listed as advantages. Almost every American show's support for President Bush and our fight on terrorism. Also listed are a number of countries that have showed suppor...

Democratization and Egyptian Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Democratization and Egyptian Revolution - Essay Example Democratization refers to a process, which promotes or upholds democracy in the society. Historians believe that quest for civil freedom played a great role in institutionalizing democratic societies (Brown 45). The power of the people defines the system that is suitable at each instant in any democratic society. Civil rights movements usually advocates for governmental systems, which would promote the greater interest of the common person. A focus into the Arab nations would create a different picture in ones mind because it seems as if the government of the day does not respect the basic freedom of the people. It is probable that failed governments are likely to face an internal revolt. Bodies advocating for rights of humanity play a vital role in influencing the thinking of the people. For example, Muslim Brotherhood has played a protracted role in influencing the beliefs of many Muslims in Egypt (The Future of Egypt’s Democracy). There presence and influence has a stake in the current situation of Egypt. In order to understand the role of Muslim Brotherhood, it is important to explore the root of Muslim Brotherhood. Hassan al-Banna formed Muslim Brotherhood in 1928 (The Muslim Brotherhood). ... However, the movement has endured the test of time to remain viable for very many decades. Muslim Brotherhood met its first rejection by the Egyptian government after the Israel-Arab war. Muslim Brother has participated actively in political activities in Egypt. For instance, in 2005 the movement was able to clinch 88 of seats in the parliament through its â€Å"illegal† members (The Muslim Brotherhood). It became apparent that Muslim Brotherhood was a party that had influence on the lives of the Egyptians. The activities of Muslim Brothers in the last six months include active involvement political system of the country and sensitizing people to take an active role in uprising. The move by Muslim Brotherhood to take an active role in Egypt uprising aimed at changing autocratic system of governance that characterized Egypt system of governance. Arguable, political freedom occurs when the public have a stake in forming and participating in political deliberation that influence social life of the people. It is not surprising, that despite calls by human right activists in Egypt and the world, the previous regime did not acknowledge respect to human rights. History records atrocities and execution of activists that fought for democracy. The Egyptian society has embraced the teaching and objectives of Muslim Brotherhood, which have influenced the lives of Muslims across the Arab world. Currently, Muslim Brotherhood has issued threats to other Arab nations about the revolt that is eminent when democracy does not find an opportunity in the society (Brown 49). Muslim Brotherhood has a lot of influence to the politics in Palestine. Largely, the movement believes that it would influence the termination of peace treaty between Israel and Egypt if the Israelites do