Evolution of Women in the Military

The Evolution of Women in the Military Abstract Women are without doubt an integral part of the military services. It took the determination of women throughout history to pave the way for the 400,000, women that serve today. From the early years of the military to the present conflict in Afghanistan, women have made continuous progress towards equality. It is through their contributions that the military has evolved, consistently opening more jobs to women in combat. Time has proven that war does not discriminate; a successful military uses the strengths of all members despite their gender.The Evolution of Women in the Military Women in Military History Although not officially enlisted into the services, women have been a part of the military dating back to the American Revolutionary War. Throughout history, they have challenged the norms of society and pursued their dedication to the Nation, fighting for our freedom. Women in the military have fought through challenges and obstacle s in both fighting for equality and establishing their roles in combat. It is clear that the military services would not be what they are today without their contributions and sacrifices.The Early Years From the American Revolutionary War through the Civil War women contributed to the war in both conventional and unconventional ways. In serving as what we would call today Combat Service Support, they took care of the wounded, brought water to troops, provided laundry services, and served as cooks. Many women directly supported the cause by disguising themselves as men in order to fight in the war. Two such documented cases were Deborah Sampson during the American Revolutionary War and Elizabeth Newcom during the Mexican War.Sampson served in the Continental Forces for over a year, she only earned half of the pension the men received during that time. Newcom enlisted in the Missouri volunteer Infantry and marched for over 600 miles. Once discovered, the military discharged her with n o benefits. There were also several women who fought alongside their husbands with no pay or benefits. If their husbands received wounds during the conflict, they did not hesitate for a second to step in and continue the fight. One of the most well-known women of the Civil War was Dr. Mary Walker.She was unable to find a paying job in the military simply because she was a woman, She volunteered on the front lines, saving thousands of lives. Although the military did not call these women â€Å"Soldiers,† at that time, I would argue that their actions and contributions whether directly in the fight or support were that of Soldiers. From the Spanish American War in 1898 to 1908 women continued to progress. With the number of casualties from the war overwhelming the medical system, the military services were in dire need of help. They had no choice but to allow women into the services, but continued to restrict them as contract workers only.By the war’s end, the Army hired over 1,500 nurse contractors that served at hospitals throughout the world. The performance of the contract nurses was not without notice; this prompted Dr McGee to write legislation creating a permanent corps of nurses. This was a major turning point for women in the military, which resulted in the first woman appointed as the Acting Assistant Surgeon General, Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee. It was evident that the Army could not meet the demands of the war without the use of women resulting in the establishment of the Army Nurses Corp in 1901 and the Navy Nurse Corp in 1908 (â€Å"Highlights in History,† n. . ). The period of World War I and World War II brought significant advancements for women in the military although it would prove that women were expendable. After the passing of the Selective Service Act and the draft initiated, there were over 4. 8 million men served fighting in the war. This had a significant impact on the women of the nation not only were they needed to f ill the millions of jobs left on the home front, but the military needed the women to free the men of noncombatant duties. The Navy and Marines were the first to enlist women ignoring red tape from congress.The Navy enlisted over 12,000 Yeomen and 1,500 nurses and the Marines enlisted over 300 women in the reserves as telephone operators and clerks. The Army unofficially enlisted over 21,000 nurses as contract workers and volunteers. The Army Signal Corp trained over 300 bilingual telephone operators and stenographers. At the end of the war, the military did not recognize women for their service or consider them Veterans. For example, the telephone operators left the military with little appreciation, receiving no ceremonies and no formal discharge or benefits. These women erformed duties no less important than the men did and the mission would have failed without them, yet the military was able to dismiss them with no concern for their contributions. In 1979, the Army reviewed the women’s service and determined that they performed duties as any other Soldier had. They gave them full recognition; unfortunately, for many it was too late, they passed away never receiving the title of â€Å"Veteran. † As women volunteered for service for a resistant military, compared to the many men that the government drafted it was clear the military did not appreciate their commitment, sacrifices and value the worth of women.This was evident by the Army Reorganization Act in 1920, which granted military nurses â€Å"relative rank† of an officer, not receiving the same pay, benefits, and privileges as that of male officers of the same rank (â€Å"Chronicles of,† 2007). As World War II began, the military could not ignore the contribution of women during World War I and knew they could not fight another war without them. During World War II, over 400,000 women served in the military in both the United States and Overseas. We know World War II for the number of women that served; emphasizing both the need for women in the military and their commitment to duty.However, women would bear many challenges during this time. Women in the military continued to go against the norms of society that considered womens place to be at home taking care of the home and family. The majority of men in the military did not accept them as equals; although they held many positions previously only held by men. The problems with date rape and slander continued. According to Gruhzit-Hoyt (1995), a quote heard often among men in the Navy, they had â€Å"joined the navy to ride the WAVES† (Women Accepted for Volunteer Service).These challenges continue to exist even in today's military. Highly trained women were underutilized and ranked far below their duties and responsibilities. It was common for higher ranking individuals to assign some women as babysitters and personal servants. The Corps of Engineers and Medical Services used their assigned w omen as â€Å"mop commandos† (Weatherford, 1990). One example is of a private named Mary McMillin. She held the womens world altitude record in parachuting, having jumped from 24,800 feet and known for her work as a daredevil in the flying circus.Her duties in the Army were to pack parachutes for young men who had never jumped before in their lives (Weatherford, 1990). The rank of women during this time was far below that of men. One such case was Oveta Culp Hobby; she was responsible for over 60,000 women, formed an organization from scratch, and took on complex missions. Her rank was Colonel, which compared to the rank of a man who would command no more than 500 Soldiers (Weatherford, 1990). These are only a few examples but women felt the inequality throughout the military for many years.Women not only had the issues of being a female in the military, but they dealt with the same issues that the men did being at war. They had substandard living conditions, which were somet imes worse than the mens, lack of supplies and fear of the Enemy. In 1942, the Japanese held sixty-seven women for over two years as Prisoners of War (POW). They also captured five Navy nurses holding them for five months and a second group, holding them for 37 months. The Japanese treated the women worse than the men POW, raping and harassing them on a consistent basis.These events further supported the view of the majority of society who believed the military service was no place for a woman. This did not stop women from fighting to be in the services. By the end of the war, the military made significant strides in establishing women into the military. All services had developed either a corps or reserve for women; the Army established the WAC, the Air Force established the Women Air force Service Pilots (WASP), the Navy established the Women Excepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), and the Marines and Coast Guard established the Women’s Reserves.It is hard to imag ine how the war would have ended without the 400,000 women that served. Nether less, it was clear that history would repeat itself and once again, the military dismissed the majority of women even if more qualified than their male counterparts. Time for Change The years following World War II through Post Korean War would bring much change and initial uncertainty for women in the services, yet would prove to be a time of positive and lasting change. In 1945, the WAC closed for enlistment, closing all training centers.The number of women in the WAC decreased from over 150,000, to barely 3,000. Although some women were happy to return home to their lives before the war, found that they had the need and passion to do more. The Army realized the need to maintain women in the regular Army, therefore, a year later the Army Chief of Staff Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower began the process of making the WAC a permanent part of the Army. After three years with Lt. Col. Mary Louise Milligan leading t he way, President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Service’s Integration Act. This was a historic time for women throughout all services.The first enlisted women entered the Regular Army was in July 1948, and the first WAC officers received Regular Army appointments in December 1948 (â€Å"Women in the,† n. d. ). This opened the door for the military to recognize women for their service and made it possible for women to make the military a career. It was through the Korean War and the years following that women would begin to understand what being part of the Regular Army would mean. The Army recalled many Officers for duty and involuntarily extended those enlisted that had planned to leave the military.More than 500 women served in the combat zone. The Koreans killed Seventeen women during the war, which was considerably less than World War II; fortunately, the military gave these women the same courtesies and benefits as the men. Following the Korean War, more positions opened to women, and training available for women increased tremendously. A true testament to women fully integrating into the services is the addition of reenlistment bonuses and pay increases and for the first time implementation of uniforms for women.Women could finally say that they were officially part of the United States military organization although the battle for true equality was far from won. The military’s expectations of women were in contradiction to the growing feminist movement in the United States during the Vietnam War but would eventually have to adhere to the expectations of the nation (â€Å"Highlights in History,† n. d. ). The military expected women to look like women. They were to dress appropriately in skirts and high heels, where make up, and use appropriate ladylike manners.These guidelines even applied to the women in Vietnam. The military spent money to retrain women to perform what they considered a womens work, such as typing a nd cooking, even if trained and proficient in other technical skills. These actions further restricted promotions for women making them uncompetitive and ineligible for promotion to Admiral or General. Eventually the military could no longer go against the demands of female service members for equality; congress voted to allow womens promotion to higher pay grades to include Admiral and General in 1967. â€Å"Women in the,† n. d. ). This movement would propel many firsts for women throughout the Vietnam War to include; first woman enlisted in the Air National Guard, promoted to Brigadier General, aircraft maintenance officer, promoted to Major General, first naval vessel sails with female and male crew, and the Army’s first woman helicopter pilot. Although this was a step in the right direction, there was still a long road to equality. The Armed Services Committee of the US House of Representatives made the following statement making that clear. †¦ here cannot be complete equality between men and women in the matter of military careers. The stern demands of combat, sea duty, and other types of assignments directly related to combat are not placed upon women in our society. †¦ It is recognized that a male officer in arriving at the point where he may be considered for general and flag rank passes through a crucible to which the woman officer is not subjected—such as combat, long tours at sea, and other dangers and isolation (â€Å"Women in the,† n. d. ). From the post Vietnam Era to the present, women continued to earn their way to the highest ranks in the military.They took on the toughest jobs and assignments and proved that they were as capable as men to complete the most complex missions. During this time, women enter into the service academies and graduate, a woman commands a major military installation, the first African-American woman promoted to Brigadier General. During Operation Just Cause in Panama, two woman Com mand companies and the list continues. Women would continue to show their relevance through Operation Iraqi Freedom and presently in Operation Enduring Freedom.Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) would prove to be both a time for women to excel and time of great challenges for women in the military. There have been more women killed in OIF than in any war since World War II with over 200,000 deployed. Unfortunately, the war itself has not been the only challenge. The biggest challenge has come from within our own ranks. According to several studies of the US military funded by the Department of Veteran Affairs, 30% of military women are raped while serving, 71% are sexually assaulted, and 90% are sexually harassed (Benedict, 2009).While deployed leadership issues women whistles, ordered them to stay with battle buddies. Is this what a Soldier deserves while fighting for her country? With the increase of sexual misconduct, the military has taken a more proactive approach to training and has given victims more options for reporting. Although not officially authorized to serve in direct combat, they are. They conduct patrol, female searches at checkpoints and serve as pilots just to name a few. This has led to the debate of womens roles in combat. Womans Roles in Combat Women’s roles in combat have been a subject of debate.Both in the military and within society, people believe that women do not belong in direct combat or on the front lines. Those that do support women in combat argue that some, not all women are just as capable as men to perform combat duties and should be afforded the same opportunities as men in the military. There are compelling arguments on both sides, but the truth is that women will continue to fight for equal treatment in all facets of the military. Although the thought of women fighting on the front lines of combat is at times difficult to imagine, it is reality.There are concerns with physical capab ility, mental ability, and effects on the unit. The opposition says that women are caretakers, nurturers, life givers and everything that combat entails goes against those roles. Combat as defined by General Robert Barrow, former commandant of the US Marine Corps, â€Å"exposure to danger is not combat. Being shot at, even being killed, is not combat. Combat is finding†¦closing with†¦and killing or capturing the enemy. It is killing, and it’s done in an environment that is often as difficult as you can possibly imagine†¦Brutality.Death. Dying. It’s uncivilized! And women can’t do it† (Muir, 1992, p. 3). This statement is very broad and stereotypes all women. However, not all women are the same and many women want the same opportunity to fight and die if need be for their country. Another common argument is that women do not have the physical strength and stamina to conduct combat missions. Most would agree that the majority of women, as wit h many men, are not physically capable to perform combat duties. Therefore, the military should develop a physical test to determine MOS eligibility.This would enable the most qualified personnel to perform in combat, regardless of sex. Is a woman mentally capable of killing, can they pull the trigger? Women may go through a different decision-making process than a man, although with training, and mission analysis, they will do what they have to do. Combat has an effect on all service members. Women will have post combat issues, but no different than men. Effects on the units can be minimal if the military develops a slow and deliberate plan to integrate women into the units.Change is difficult, but we are a Military that must adapt to a constantly changing environment. As with the repeal of â€Å"Don’t ask, Don’t tell† it is the leader’s responsibility to educate, train, and enforce changes that in the end state will only make us a stronger military. The Military Leadership Diversity Committee is currently in support of women fulfilling combat roles. It is clear that women have been serving in combat roles unofficially for years. Units have cleverly attached women to combat units instead of assigning them or simply tasking them to perform missions in direct combat.The mission will place many women not attached or tasked in direct combat with the enemy meeting the exact definition of General Robert Barrow. Therefore, the reality is that women are on the front lines, and it is time that the military opens all jobs to women. Considering the major contributions of women, and the impact they had on the military, it is imperative that the military gives women the same opportunities to serve their country as their male counterparts. Contributions of Women throughout History Many legendary women throughout military history are not well known.Early in history they did not serve in legitimate roles; therefore, nobody wrote about or recognize d them until many years later. Yet it is important to understand without their contributions things may be different today. Catherine Moore Barry was primarily responsible for General Morgan defeating Gen Cornwallis at Cowpens during the Revolutionary War, which ultimately resulted in the Colonies winning their independence from Britain. Rose O’Neal Greenhow who became one of the best-known spies during the Civil War sent a message to Gen Beauregard resulting in him taking Bull Run.Col Ruby Bradley who is the most decorated Army Nurse served for 34 years, participating in the WWII and the Korean War. More recently, Maj Marie Therese Rossi, she was the first female combat Commander to fly into battle. She paid the ultimate sacrifice when her helicopter crashed in March 1991. Finally, Sgt Leigh Ann Hester who is the first female to receive the Silver Star Medal since World War II. These are only a few examples of woman’s contributions throughout the years, but if they ha d been there where would we be today. ConclusionFrom the days of the Revolutionary War when women disguised themselves as men to fight in the war to today when women are closer than ever to equal treatment as the men they serve alongside of, they have endured through numerous challenges and obstacles. Women battled against sexual harassment and assault, rape, slander and unequal pay and benefits. During the early wars, many underestimated the value of women. Commanders in charge did not want women in their ranks. As time and war, progressed Commanders had a newfound respect for females in their units and would ask for them over the men.Although the military had become dependent on women to fill the noncombat positions, they immediately discharged them at the war's end until 1948 when they enlisted in the Regular Army. From this point on women had fought the uphill battle to today in 2012 when congress opened another 14,000 jobs for women closer to the front lines. Through their cont ributions, sacrifices and determination women’s relevance in the military is clear; they have challenged the norms of society and assisted in the success of the military we know today as the best in the world. References Benedict, H. (2009). The lonely soldier.Boston, MA: Beacon Press Books. Chronicle of nursing. (2007). Retrieved from http://www. asrn. org/jouranl-chronicle-nursing/207-military-nursing. html Gruhzit-Hoyt, O. (1995). They also served. New York, NY: Carol Publishing Group. Highlights in the history of military women. (n. d. ). Retrieved from www. womensmemorial. org/Education/timeline. html Muir, K. (1992). Arms and the women. London, England: Sinclair-Stevenson Limited. Weatherford, D. (1990). American women and world war II. New York, NY: Facts on File. Women in the U. S. Army. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. army. mil/women/newera. html

Libertarianism and Redistribution of Wealth

The libertarian claim that any money gained though employment or business is none that they are fully entitled to is false, therefore the claim that the redistribution of that wealth through taxation Is a form of theft Is also false based on the grounds that no one fully owns all of their wealth. The reason that no one fully owns all of their wealth is that we live in a society where many aspects of our economy that contribute to the generation of wealth are paid for by society as a whole. An example of this is a child who goes to school.This child will graduate knowing how to read, write, do math, use computers, etcetera. These are all skills required both for them to have Income and for future employers o profit from. These skills allow employers to hire them knowing that they can have a basic level of expectation of this child, and even If they are not employed, business owners can also assume a basic level of expectation in the ability to use the products being sold. To clarify, let's look at an example using Bill Gates, one of the richest men in the world.Bill Gates would never have become wealthy if he did not have the basic expectation that the majority of people in America had the education and knowledge to use computers. He did not pay for this knowledge, society as a whole did. The fact that society Is responsible for educating our people to the basic level required for the use of Bill Gates' products Is the reason why Bill Gates does not fully own all of his wealth. Again, to own something is to assume that you are fully Bill Gates owes part of his wealth to society for the education it provided which allows us to use computers.Another reason why people do not completely own all of their wealth Is that we all owe something to the government who protects our wealth and our ability to gain wealth. The government provides security from outside influence in the world, laws which govern our business practices to protect us from each other, and allows the environment in which we are able to perform business. Because of these reasons we all owe the government because we are able to take advantage of the system that our government has provided.Since the wealthy are able to take a much greater advantage of this system, It Is natural to assume that the wealthy also owe more to the government than do the poorer and middle class citizens. The fact Is that we live in a society in which we are not paid for the labor we do or for the product in which we provide to society as a whole. Instead we are paid based on how well we are able to take advantage of the systems in place. This system allows for unfair advantages for some and the only way to balance out those unfair advantages is through taxation.As I nave calmer Deter, ten wangle purpose AT taxation In ten TLS place Is as a Tort of redistribution of wealth. Services need to be paid for and the government must have money in order to run. Taxation allows the government to redistribute wealth in a fashion which should be fair (though many times is far from fair) in order to provide the necessary services for our country to prosper. If our country has too large of a gap between the wealthy and the poor it also looses the ability create new wealth. What I mean is this. The wealthy are able to create wealth by taking advantage of the poor and middle classes.This is not always a bad thing however. Since the poor and middle class make up the vast majority of the countries' population, it is also them who purchase, manufacture, and provide the majority of the products and services offered by the wealthy. The wealthy are able to make money because the rest of the countries' citizens spend money. If these citizens have o money to spend there is no money for the wealthy to make and they must begin to look outside of our country for that wealth. Again, this comes down to the advantages provided by our government which allow for overseas trade and the import and export of goods an d services.If the wealthy are to take advantage of foreign trade, they again owe extra to the government, and society as a whole, for the advantage which is provided to them. In the end however, it is simply a good idea to redistribute wealth back to the poorer in our country in order to provide all citizens at the very least an opportunity to get some of that wealth back from them. Our economy is a never ending circle of exchanges in which the most affluent are able to take the greatest advantage, thus owing the most back to their government and society.I do agree that people have a right to their own property (as long as it was obtained honestly), however, how much property does one really need and to what extent do they really own it. There must be a point at which a certain amount of wealth is too much. How many of the richest people in the world will ever be able to spend all of their money? It is basically for this reason that I am against the views hat it should not be the go vernment's responsibility to use taxation as a way to redistribute income.This is in fact the sole reason for taxation in the first place and the reason why the rich pay a higher amount of tax than the poor. This higher taxation is especially necessary in a society such as ours where the average CEO make something along the lines of 400-500 times as much as the average worker (much higher than any other country in the world). I see no reason why we can't increase taxes on the richest in order to fulfill our obligation to the poor, not only at home but across the world.

Keats’ Romantic Eco-Poetics

Ecocritics work to develop and demonstrate the connection between nature and humanity by expressing how places are connected to the people that live in them. Likewise, those places, or nature, affect the people that live within them and vise versa. John Keats’ eco-poetics often convey a Romantic adoration for nature by means of a self-conscious, philosophical imagination’s connection to nature. His enthusiasm for the philosophical as well as the corporeal scopes of nature plays an obvious fundamental role in his theory of consciousness and aesthetics. Keats has specific qualifications for truth and beauty.Truth is all inclusive, combining all experiences with nature in one’s life, whether they are affirmative or undesirable experiences, into one functional vision. However, Keats separates his poetry from nature in dominating way. He does not believe that nature only funds the aesthetics of his poetry, but rather that his poetry forces readers to recognize a deepe r meaning to existence. ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ is an excellent example of Keats’ use of nature in developing the poet’s assumptions of consciousness and philosophy. The initial use of a bird singing, in its poetic aesthetics sense, portrays the beauty and concord within nature.Keats embraces the thought of a painless death only while listening to the nightingale’s song. This is because of the bird’s ability to be free, which wills Keats’ to want a similar freedom, apart from the suffering and pain within human life. He even speaks as though the nightingale is immortal and incapable of the sorrow of death. Within the same stanza, which can be found below, Keats speaks of a magic this nightingale holds. It is as if Keats firmly believes in the nightingale’s ability to transcend the natural world, into a world free of cares and lacking death. My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness painsMy sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: ‘Tis but through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thy happiness, That though light-winged Dryad of the trees, In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease. (Lines 1-10) Though wast not born for death, immortal Bird! No hungry generations tread thee down; The voice I hear this passing night was heard In ancient days by emperor and clown Perhaps the self-same song that found a pathThrough the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home, She stood in tears amid the alien corn; Charmed magic casements, opening on the foam Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn. (Stanza VII) Likewise, the seasonal transition depicts nature’s ability to change in spite of man’s inability to look past their monotonous and speculative life. Keats focuses on the phenomena of metamorphosis in regards to the conscious self. This pattern of c ycles which can be directly connected to the process of life and human existence can be seen in the fifth stanza of ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ as well as in ‘to Autumn. Fast fading violets cover’d up in leaves; And mid-May’s eldest child, The coming musk-rose, full of dewy wine, The murmurous haunt of lies on summer eves. (Lines 47-50 ‘Ode to a Nightingale’) Where are the songs of Springs? Ay, where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,— While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue; Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn Among the river swallows, borne aloft Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies; (Lines 23-29 ‘To Autumn’)Again, Keats’ implies a connection between human existence and the fact that there would be no meaning to life without the inevitability of eventual death to the seasons, life in spring and death in winter. Along with this rend ition of life and death, Keats creates a feeling of comfort in his ecological representation of death. In ‘To Autumn,’ Keats displays a world in which fruit is ripe and flowers are budding. Colors are alive and bright. However, each season brings the death of the one preceding it. In other words, every season, as with every human existence, has the capacity of life and death.The ecology behind this declaration appears within the recurring and inexhaustible rebirth of nature’s beauty. On the other hand, I do not believe that Keats’ sole intention was to display the beauty of nature. Keats often uses the exploration of nature and its imagery as a socio-political symbol of freedom, sovereignty, and harmony. Although autumn is beautiful and Keats uses this ecology to the political and personal strife found within every human being. I believe this to be true because Keats wrote ‘To Autumn’ in September of 1819, shortly after his brother, Tom, died in December of 1818 of tuberculosis.Also the Peterloo Massacre, which occurred in August of 1819, about a month before Keats wrote ‘To Autumn,’ may have influenced his language and aesthetics within the poem. Keats was obviously pondering the concept of death and his undeniable belief in an existence after death. It is important to consider the context, both political and social, in which ‘To Autumn’ was written. This is because â€Å"ecocritics enlarge the vision(s) of texts and their role and function in our lives while challenging, the readers, to investigate and grapple with our personal understanding of humanity, texts, and nature itself (Bressler). Our understanding of humanity, text, and nature is often greatly influenced by the experiences we face from day to day. Keats is able to use his poetry to address a number of reoccurring ideas: the relationship between art and existence, the limitation of that existence and how those limitations are embrac ed by people, and the inevitability of death and loss of everything that is capable of reproduction and beauty. Although his poetry is beautiful, his ideas are somewhat tragic.

Qatar Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East Essay

Qatar is located in Arabian Peninsula in boarders with Saudi Arabia, with only 225,000 citizens in a population of 1. 7 million. Qatar follows a conservative religious ideology, Wahhabism. While some refer to Qatar as the â€Å" Second Wahhabi Emirate,† it is traditionally known as â€Å"the most boring place in the gulf† or â€Å"the country known for being unknown (Roberts, 2012). † However, Qatar emerged as a strong state actor with extended networks of alliances in the world. The mediator role that Doha plays today is crucial in the region, particularly after the Arab Spring (HRW, 2013). Indeed, Qatar supported the Arab Uprisings across the region in 2011. In addition, Qatar invested between $65 billion and $100 billion to the FIFA world cup that it will be hosting in 2022. The Emir founded a number of humanitarian projects in Sudan, South of Lebanon, Gaza and Asia. In this paper, I attempt to answer the question of what are the driving motives of Qatar’s foreign policy in the Middle East? And why, unlike its neighboring countries, Qatar’s leadership supported the Arab appraisals of 2011? Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Al Thani, stated, â€Å"we support those who demanded justice and dignity,† when asked about his country’s role in the Arab revolutions in an interview in 60 Minutes . In response, President Barak Obama thanked the Emir for promoting democracy in the Middle East (Al Thani, 2012). Ironically, Qatar is an absolute monarchy described as an â€Å" authoritarian regime† that is ranked 138th out of the 167 countries by Democracy Index 2011. In addition, the Freedom House lists Qatar as â€Å" not free† (freedom house), (Democracy Index, 2011). Therefore, Qatar’s lack of rule of law, freedom of speech and political rights contradict â€Å"the Emir’s efforts to promote democracy† and delegitimizes his political statements. In relevance to this hypocrisy, Qatar’s foreign policy in general and its support of democratic transitions in the Arab region in specific serves its ambitions to secure itself from threats, maintain its status quo of an independent state and take a leadership role in the region. Political Emancipation and the Saudi Threat: Al Thani family ruled Qatar for more than 150 years. Qatar attained its independence in 1971, when the British-mandate came to an end and after its refusal to join the United Arab Emirates federation. Since that date until the 1990s, Saudi Arabia acted as the de facto protector of Qatar. Consequently, the Emir took policy directions from Al Saud. However, this relationship witnessed a change in the early 1990s as tensions in bilateral relations between the two countries began to arise. After the invasion of Kuwait and Sadam’s threat to attack the Suadi kingdom, Saudi quickly reached out to western coalitions in aim of protection. As Suadi presented itself as weak and unable to defend itself, the Qataris began to doubt Saudi’s ability to protect the Qatari entity and decided to pursue a strong alliance with the US. Therefore, between 1990-1992, Qatar signed a military agreement with the United States to host its military base in Al-Odead. In response, Saudi worked to block Qatar’s pipeline exports of gas to United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Oman. As a result, tensions between the two countries intensified. Later, in 30 September 1992, Saudi attacked the Qatari boarders leaving three soldiers dead (2012). However, the clashes did not stop there. In1995, Shiekh Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince back then, seized power after a bloodless coup d’etat against his father. Of course, Saudi Arabia did not welcome the coup d’etat because of Hamad’s known strong motives to maintain his country’s autonomy. Instead, Saudi financially supported another coup against the current Emir. Then, Qatar detained a number of Saudi and Qatari citizens who cooperated with the Saudi government to bring the ousted prince back into power. These tensions led the Saudi-Qatar relations into a deep freeze until rapprochement happened in 2008 (2012). Since then, Shiekh Hamad Al Thani led the modernization process to create a brand name of Qatar. In its foreign policy, Qatar adopted diplomacy as a foreign policy tool that allows it to take on the mediator role in a number of regional disputes. In addition to its diplomatic activism and small size, the Qatari wealth that is invested in mediation efforts paves the way for Qatar to be a head in the political game today. A Theoretical approach on Qatar’s Mediation: The tribal nature of the Qatari society and the hierarchal system of the government lends the leadership absolute power to form the country’s economic-political agenda and foreign policy. The major two agents that determine the political strategies of Qatar’s foreign policy are its national security and its desire to establish a brand name for itself. Hence, the main key element of Qatar’s foreign policy is mediation, which is apparently is not a new political tool as the â€Å"early Al-Thanis were forced to become experts negotiators quickly in anarchic corner of the Middle East (Roberts). According to Jacob Bercovitch in his book, Studies in International Mediation, countries engage in mediation for various reasons that include â€Å"(a) a genuine desire to change the course of a long-standing conflict to promote peace, (b) a desire to gain access to major political leaders and open channels of communication, (c), a desire to spread one’s ideas and enhance standing and professional status, (d) the wish to preserve intact structure of which they are part, (e) viewing mediation as a way of extending and enhancing their own influence and gaining some value from the conflict (Roberts). Therefore, from this perspective, Qatar’s employs mediation for the enhancement of its professional status and the acquirement of power. From here, Qatar mediated a number of disputes in the region including the Hezbollah dispute with the Lebanese government, the rebellion disputes with the Northern Sudanese government and the Huothis dispute with the Yemeni government. Moreover, Participation in mediations between states is of great advantage to Qatar. Internationally, it promotes a peaceful image as a peacekeeping state in an attempt to gain worldwide respect (Roberts). Peterson argues in his work, Qatar and the World, â€Å"The fundamental advantage, however, is that it assures the legitimacy of the micro state. This in turn leads to the single most important factor: increased awareness of and legitimacy accruing to Qatar- in domestic and external terms- enhances the prospects of the states’ survival†(Roberts). Qatar neutral position and its small size makes non-threatening to other state to except negotiation with compare to Saudi which has interests in regional conflict, which leads political parties to refuse its negotiation, e. . Saudi support of the government in Yemen and rivalry with Hezbollah. On the other hand, Qatar established diplomatic relations with almost everyone. Qatar’s Foreign affairs minister, Shiekh Hamad bin Jasem Al Thani, in an interview on Al –Jazeera, was asked by Ahmed Manosur, Al Jazeera presenter, â€Å"I just want to understand one thing! In Qatar you have relations with the devils and the angels, with the Iranians and the Americans, with the Israelis and Hamas, he continued, how can we understand this policy? (Mansour, 2012). Today, Qatar unlike other state in the region, calls Tehran in the morning and Tel Aviv in the afternoon â€Å"(Roberts). It was the first state in the gulf to host trade office of Israel, established good relations with Hamas, opened communications with Hezbollah, the Emir of Qatar was the first to invite Ahmadinejad to attend the 28th Gulf Cooperation council summit in 2007. While other Arab states alienated Islamists, Qatar was in good terms with Arab oppositions, particularly Islamic groups. For example, Yusuf Al Qaradawi is an influential Islamic leader, resident of Qatar since 1960s is the main guest who taken the Qatari citizenship is Al Jazeera chief religious show. Also, other Arab political dissidents were welcomed and took Qatari citizenship such as Mohammed Hamed Al Hamari from Saudi Arabia who organized Youth Role in Change in the Arabic Gulf; young activists from across the gulf attended the conference (Al Qassemi, 2012). Al Jazeera as foreign Policy tool Part of â€Å"Brand Qatar† project, is to spread ideas and enhance Qatar’s status. The establishment of Al-Jazeera in 1996 came to serve that goal. Al Jazeera is an important tool of Qatar foreign policy, with its slogan the â€Å" The Opinion and the other Opinion† and the channel shameless criticisms to Arab leaders and programs on democracy and political rights. Al Jazeera soon gained the respect of Arab public compare to other media alternatives that are state sponsored (Khtib, 2013). The channel broadcasted the revolutions across the Arab spring countries – except the appraisals in Bahrain . The spread of revolutions were feared by Arab states, yet Qatar seemed to support the revolutions through Al Jazeera. That is said to be reason that inspired the youth in Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen to rebel against their governments and demand freedom and dignity. Nevertheless, The channel neutrality was under question, during the Egyptian elections, Al Jazeera hosted members of MB like Khirat Al Shater, and Moahhmed Mosri. Sultan Al Qassimi, a, wrote about Al Jazeera’s Arabic love ffaires with MB, he discussed some of his observations, that Muslim Brotherhood supports were given the chance to express their views on through the channel while critics towards Muslim Brotherhood were barely heard in the channel (Al Qassemi, 2012). Recently, Waddah Khanfar the director – general of Al Jazeera was replaced with Shiekh Ahmed bin Jasem Al Thani, who holds degree in petroleum (Al Qassemi, 2012). This suggests that Al Jazeea is becoming less free to represents Qatar’s government preferences and its support to Muslim brotherhood. Apparently, Qatar calculations towards the Arab spring were opposite to its neighbors who supported Mubarak regime. It saw an opportunity to ally itself with revolutions to promote for its image as â€Å"Pro- Arab public † and play regional role in Arab-Arab relations despite the policy risks its taking incase these revolutions were not successful. Through Qatar’s Money, Al-Jazeera, regional mediations and international pressure, Doha was successful in making the Arab Spring an opportunity so that it plays valuable role and take a leadership role in the region. Qatar in the Arab Spring: Qatar natural position had to be changed when it realized that change will topple the former leaders to stay at the head of the game head of Saudi, After Mubarak’s fall, Qatar supported Muslim brotherhood in Egypt. Shiekh Hamad Al Thani, the foreign minster of Qatar state that his country won’t allow Egypt to go bankrupt, Doha transferred five billion dollars to Egypt to meet its financial obligations. In addition to the financial support, Al Jazeera members’ Muslim brotherhoods are regularly interviewed to spread their influence. Middle Ease Scholar, Alain Gresh calls Al Jazeera the mouthpiece of Muslim brotherhood (Khatib, 2013). Furthermore, Rashid Al Ghanushi of Al Nahdha party of Tunisia, stated in an interview with Al Arab newspaper that Qatar is a major partner of the Arab spring revolutions hence it’s also a partner in next period of democratic transition and development since it offers development projects to support the economy of the Arab spring states (2012). Qatar had to intervene in Libya and Syria to sustain its leading regional position. It was the first country to lead the international action against Gaddafi. Qatar supplied the rebels with total US$2billion. On the other hand, Qatar involved in arming Syrian rebels like the Free Syrian Army. Also, it was successful in unifying the Syrian opposition. The importance of Qatar involvement in the latter is to counter Iranian influence by allying with opposition while Assad regime is backed by Iran (Khatib, 2013). In contrast to this, Al Jazeera was silent towards the uprisings in Bahrian. Qatar has been selective in backing uprisings there. The reason behind that, is Saudi Arabia influence that views the situation as â€Å"Shi’a uprising â€Å" and regional rivalry with Iran, hence any intervention from Qatar’s side in Bahraini issue would result tensions (Roberts, 2012). In conclusion, Qatar had different view towards the Arab Spring compare to its neighbors. Its objective to play a valuable role in the region, made Doha change its position as neutral state and take foreign policy risks. Although the question of weather Qatar made the right policy decisions or not remains unanswered yet. However, Doha succeeded in playing regional role a head of regional power like Saudi and influenced the Arab countries to take collective action towards Libya and Syria. In addition, Qatar foreign policy faces challenges; among these challenges is the reliance on money donations to support Post Arab Spring countries that would hinder progress in Qatari diplomacy. On the other hand, the lack of democracy and rule of law domestically puts Qatar legitimacy to promote for democracy under question. Moreover, making policy changes internally such as guarantee of political and civil rights to citizens hold parliamentary elections and protection freedom of speech will give Qatar legitimacy and enhance its image in international community.

The Chinese Occupation during 2 decades Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Chinese Occupation during 2 decades - Essay Example However, the revolution was faced with great resistance from the colonial powers of the central people’s government. The central people’s government deployed police officers who arrested, tortured and detained many of the Tibetan people who were thought to be the reason behind the revolt. Moreover, the extremities of the Chinese oppression on the Tibetans heightened with the police opening live fire and killing scores of protesting Tibetans. This paper therefore intends to carry out an analysis of the Chinese occupation amidst the Tibetans in India within the two decades in mid 20th century. Great interest will focus on the mistreatment leveled against the Tibetans and which saw many arrested, detained and tortured while many others were killed. Discussion Immediately after the independent republic of China got internal governance, it embarked on a hasty mission to claim backs other territories, which belonged to her among which Tibet was. Chinese People’s libera tion army was then tasked with the task to propel the newly formed state in the missions to liberate other territories. However, the sovereignty of such a country as Tibet was not taken with the dignity it deserved and as such was one of the targets to be claimed by the Chinese army. Tibetan sovereignty had well been understood due to the reason that the country had never been taken captive by any political administration of a foreign country1. However, with initial peaceful approaches by the Chinese government to take over Tibet, the motive later turned out fatal with resistance from the Tibetan people who resisted the captivity. The reaction is what best describes the bloodshed and the mass deaths witnessed by the Tibetans. China was successful in taking over Tibet though they subjected the native Tibetans to untold sufferings and deprived them of the human rights as prescribed within the international human rights provisions by the UN. The 1950 invasion of the Tibet by an estimat ed thirty thousand Chinese troops marked the start of a painful ordeal to the people of Tibet. Their government of Tibet was toppled over and the Chinese took over control under the leadership of Dalai Lama since when many other troops of Chinese origin were deployed into the region. The onset of 1951 saw the Tibetan and Beijing counterparts sign into treaties, which pointed to national regional autonomy. Among other fundamentals in the agreements were that the central authority would observe the sovereignty of the governance structures governing Tibet as well as the already established status quo. Freedom of religion as well as the autonomy of the education system of the native Tibetans was to be safeguarded and developed2. However, the Tibetan revolt set in 1954 as resistance towards the failure of the Chinese government to honor the written agreement persisted. The Chinese started imposing collectivism to the Tibetans while at the same time destroying the Tibetan monasteries. As a result, the voluntary defense army of the Tibetan was born which facilitated and coordinated the rebellion against the central people’s government. 1959 and 1961 mark a milestone within the history of the Tibetans as it was the period in which the Chinese destroyed many the monasteries of the Tibetan people. Moreover, a severe famine swept across the Chinese territories killing thousands of the Chinese and many other Tibetans as well. After a mass revolt erupted in Lhasa because of bleach to the 1951 agreement by the

The marketing communications plan for ultime HP TV Essay

The marketing communications plan for ultime HP TV - Essay Example The marketing communication plan will be divided into two critical sections or stages, of which the first stage spells out the objectives of the plan in terms of the marketing and communication objectives. The second stage of the plan spells out the strategies that will be used in the segmentation, targeting, and positioning processes. Additionally, this report will provide an estimate budget for the marketing communication plan, which will only run for a period of one year and it will only cover the United Kingdom market. According to Malone, the technology industry is busting with innovations in an un-choreographed time schedule, which means that failure to innovate timely product is likely a recipe for failure by the technological companies. The competition is high such that manufacturers in the industry have to continually research and create new products that are more suited to customers’ needs and expectations. Hewlett-Packard Company is a perfect example of a successful company in the global technological industry. The company specializes in the providing technologies, products, software services and solutions for consumers, small and medium term enterprises, and large enterprises.

Critical dairy entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical dairy entry - Essay Example From the initial scenario that was presented in the noted lecture, one was so engrossed on the potentials for applying psychology in promoting children’s and young people’s inclusion into social circles. Theoretical Framework Spurring Interest In the course of pursuing one’s academic program, an article written by Fallon, Woods and Rooney (2010) entitled â€Å"A discussion of the developing role of educational psychologists within Children’s Services† provided the impetus for spurring enthusiasm in this endeavor. The authors initially presented a brief historical background on the origin of the role of educational psychologists (EPs) in the public educational system in the United Kingdom. Likewise, various other researches on the role of EP as it evolved were mentioned; in conjunction with reportedly increased core functions and work contexts (Fallon, et al., 2010, p. 4). In addition, with increasing news and events that focus on disturbing violence and abuse afflicted on children (either directly or indirectly), there is a paramount concern for EPs to intensify applying psychological frameworks to immediately identify the need for intervention and to prevent serious repercussions that could lead to injuries or even death. Other readings that provided greater interest and understanding on the subject included the following: (1) Robinson & Dunsmuir’s (2010) â€Å"Multi-professional assessment and intervention of children with Special Educational Needs in their early years: The contribution of educational psychology† which was published in the Educational and Child Psychology focused on delving into ways in which EP’s â€Å"participation in multi-agency teams in Children’s Centres presents opportunities to extend involvement with young children and contribute to high quality assessment and intervention† (Robinson & Dunsmuir, 2010, p. 11); (2) Byrnes’ (2012) study which was published in t he Educational and Child Psychology, and entitled â€Å"Educational psychologists in the community: Supporting parents of children with Down syndrome through times of transition† presented concerns in â€Å"six subtasks, all of which had a focus on engaging with parents at times of transition: transition from education, transition between schools, development of a database, early years groups, youth groups, and parent forums† (Brynes, 2012, p. 82); and (3) Hobbs, et al. (2012) article entitled â€Å"The professional practice of educational psychologists: Developing narrative approaches† also published in the Educational & Child Psychology and presented pertinent issues relative to providing a â€Å"a brief overview of narrative therapy and then sets out to illustrate how narrative approaches have been applied by Darlington Educational Psychology Service (DEPS) using examples of work with individuals, groups and systems† (Hobbs, et al., 2012, p. 42). Throu gh the concepts, applications, cases, and scenarios learned from these studies, in conjunction with the theoretical framework appreciated in Cline and Frederickson’s (2009) Special Education Needs, Inclusion and Divesity, the subject enabled one to gain an in-depth understanding on the relevance of EP in addressing distinct and special needs of diverse children in varied scenarios and challenging cases. Issues Raised in the Lecture There were immensely relevant issues raised in the lecture categorized as follows: (1) multiple roles for applied psychologists; such as consultants, assessors, advisers,