Thursday, April 30, 2020
Television Is Dangerous Essay Example
Television Is Dangerous Essay Some people argue that television is the culprit of destroying the family living and communication due to absorbing peopleââ¬â¢s time too much. People, therefore, have no time to talk to each other. I totally disagree with this opinion for the following reasons. In terms of the personal level, television can not be the family living in parallel with communication. Thanks to interesting program, more things can be shared among family members, which strikes up conversations and gossip among people. As a result, fathers and sons easily become friends of same hobbies like watching football matches in spite of different generations. In fact, television plays a role in a family life. In terms of the family level, television also proves real advantages. Mutual understanding about each other through the social programs of domestic violence or juvenile psychology is cultivated by kids and parents. In modern life, it is clear that seldom do kids and parents have much in common. Consequently, kids become rebellious. It is because of television that bridges generations to a better relationship. In term of the community level, television is likely to shorten the gap between developed nations and developing ones. With punctually broadcast documentaries, we have deeper cross-cultural understanding and find it easier to communicate with oversea people. Moreover, television serves to facilitate people entertainment life. Sitting in front of TV, people can learn how to do yoga from an Indian yoga expert in order to get a healthy life. To sum up, I reckon that television should not be blamed for destruction of family living and communication. Admittedly, television is part of human life. We will write a custom essay sample on Television Is Dangerous specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Television Is Dangerous specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Television Is Dangerous specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Using MySQL Connection Code in Multiple PHP Files
Using MySQL Connection Code in Multiple PHP Files Many website owners use PHP to enhance the capabilities of their webpages. When they combine PHP with the open-source relational database MySQL, the list of capabilities grows immensely. They can establish login credentials, conduct user surveys, set and access cookies and sessions,à rotate banner ads on their site, host user forums, and open online stores, among many other features that are not possible without a database. MySQL and PHP are compatible products and are frequentlyà used together by website owners. The MySQL code can be included directly in the PHP script. Both are located on your web server, and most web servers support them. The server-side location provides reliableà security for the data your website uses. Connecting Multiple Webpages to One MySQL Database If you have a small website, you probably dont mind typing your MySQL database connection code into the PHP script for a few pages. However, if your website is large and many of theà pages require access to your MySQL database, you can save time with a shortcut. Put the MySQL connection code in a separate file and then call the saved file where you need it. For example, use the SQL code below in a PHP script to log in to your MySQL database. Save this code in a file called datalogin.php. ?php // Connects to my Database mysql_connect(your.hostaddress.com, username, password) or die(mysql_error()); mysql_select_db(Database_Name) or die(mysql_error()); ? Now, whenever youà need to connect one of your webpages to the database, you include this line in PHP in the file for that page: //MySQL Database Connect include datalogin.php; When your pages connect to the database, they can read from it or write information to it. Now that you can call MySQL, use it to set up an address book or a hit counter for your website.
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
SAT Scoring - Find Out What Your Score Means
SAT Scoring - Find Out What Your Score Means An SAT score is the score awarded to students who have completed the SAT, a standardized test administered by the College Board. The SAT is an admissions test commonly used by colleges and universities in the United States.à How Colleges Use SAT Scores The SAT testsà critical reading, mathematics, and writing skills. Students who take the test are given a score for each section. Colleges look at the scores to determine your skill level and readiness for college. The higher your score is, the better it looks to admission committees who are trying to determine which students should be accepted to their school and which students should be rejected.à Although SAT scores are important, they are not the only thing that schools look at during the admissions process. College admissions committees also consider essays, interviews, recommendations, community involvement, your high school GPA, and much more.à SAT Sections The SAT is split into several different test sections: Reading Testà - This portion of the exam includes command of evidence, words in context, and data analysis questions.à Writing and Language Testà - The questions on the SAT Writing and Language test your ability to analyze writing and correct writing errors. Questions focus on word choice, organization, impact, evidence, and standard English conventions. Math Testà - This section of the SAT asks questions related to algebra, data analysis, and advanced math (complex equations, geometry, trigonometry). à Essay (Optional)à - Students can take the SAT or the SAT with Essay. In other words, the essay is optional. Before you decide not to do the essay, though, you should know that some colleges and universities require SAT essay scores as part of the admissions process. SAT Scoring Range SAT scoring can be very hard to understand, so we are going to take a closer look at how each section is scored so that you can make sense of all of the numbers. The first thing that you need to know is that the scoring range for the SAT is 400-1600 points. Every test taker receives a score in that range. A 1600 is the best score you can get on the SAT. This is what is known as a perfect score. Although there are some students that get a perfect score every year, it is not a very common occurrence.à The two main scores that you need to worry about are: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Score: The EBRW score combines your scores from the Reading Test and the Writing and Language Test. Your EBRW score will range from 200-800 points.à Math Score: The math score ranges from 200-800 points.à If you decide to take the SAT with Essay, you will be given a score for your essay as well. This score ranges from 2-8 points, with 8 being the highest possible score.
Monday, February 17, 2020
Wal-Mart's German Misadventure - case study Term Paper
Wal-Mart's German Misadventure - case study - Term Paper Example Indeed, proper global marketing if implemented correctly has theà abilityà to guide a company to the next level. Differentà strategiesà are employed based on each specific region whereà the company is operating (Ocampo, 1). For example, McDonald's varies its operation and attitude towards business based on their restaurantsââ¬â¢ location. The company identifies the popular items within a given country and then focuses on marketing the same. Global marketing is particularly important for business organizations that provide products as well as services possessing a universal demand. McDonaldââ¬â¢s success story can be well illustrated through the presentation of some simple statistical evidences: in fact, ââ¬Å"McDonaldââ¬â¢s is now the ââ¬Å"leading global food service retailerâ⬠with 33,000 local restaurants and serving almost 68 million people in119 countries each day (Introduction to McDonaldââ¬â¢s)â⬠. ... The following report illustrates the case of Wal-Mart, the worldââ¬â¢s biggest retail chain that struggled to concrete its feet in Germany, incurring huge loss and experiencing successive obliteration from the German market. Overview and Background of the case company- Wal-Mart Stores, INC is an American public stock company, which is into a business that runs a chain of warehouse stores and discount departments worldwide. Sam Walton founded it in 1962 and since then, the company hasnââ¬â¢t stopped growing, increasing its stores number from 24 in 1967 to 276 in 1980. Nowadays, the company operates in 4400 stores in the US only and has expanded its activities internationally. The company integrated the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) in 1972. Moreover, Wal-Mart has all over 8500 stores in the entire world under 55 different names such as in Mexico where it operates as Walmax, in Britain it operates as Asda likewise Seiyu in Japan and as Best price in India. It has been successful in implementing their concept globally, ranking among the top retailers in the various countries they operate in. In act, after it has started its globalization plans in the 90s, Wal-Mart became by 2003 the largest retailer in Mexico, Canada, Argentina and Puerto Rico. The organization was started as a single store, which soon became the largest retail shop of the world. Thanks to its prolific success, the organization is called the ââ¬Å"TREND SETTERâ⬠in retail chain shops by some researchers. Furthermore, Wal-Mart operates each store from the product, which they have in stocks. Wal-Mart has a philosophy of providing lowest price everyday or EDLP and superior customer support. This company uses its unique cross-docking inventory system, which reduces the
Monday, February 3, 2020
Fall of the House of Usher Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Fall of the House of Usher Journal - Essay Example Homosexuality is an implied vice in the story. In their first meeting, Roderick Usher greets him with energetic warmth that creates a sense of an overdone cordiality. The association of the Narrator and Roderick is not entirely elaborated, the narrator describes Usher as a boyhood friend and further elaborates that they were intimate during their childhood. Usher writes the Narrator a letter asking him to accord him company during the distressful time, implies sexual attraction between the two friends. Despite being terrified by the house of Usher and his illness, the narrator cannot resist the attraction to the twisted world of Roderick (Poe and David 61). There is an implication that Roderick and Madeline are inseparable. Madeline coming back after being buried could be perceived as a ghost coming back for revenge or simply hallucinations of Roderick, to help him remember her. The possibility that Madeline and Roderick are halves of the same person, who can only co-exist together. When Madeline dies, Roderick prefers to entomb her inside the house as opposed to using the family`s
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Environmental Factors to Improve Individual Development
Environmental Factors to Improve Individual Development Nicoline Bromwell Scenarios 1) A 65-year-old female, recently diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease. She has previously been a very active and vibrant woman, living on her own since her husband of 35 years died 5 years ago. 2) A 14-year-old minority female, facing the very real possibility that she may be pregnant. She has always struggled in school (she has been failed a grade already), and is currently a freshman in high school. Address the following questions/issues for each of the two scenarios you selected: 1) How would you design an environment to improve this persons situation and future development? 2) What kind of environmental factors would hinder this persons development? In other words, what environmental issues would make their situation worse, or what would you hope not happen in this persons world? 3) Discuss how the person is affected in the three domains of development (Biosocial (Physical), Cognitive, and Psychosocial). How might decreases or increases in development/maturity/ability affect the person? Basically, do several If/then discussions for each of the three domains. For example, If this woman has a poor psychosocial support network (like have no family or having an unsupportive family), then I would think that she may experience A love one diagnosed with Alzheimer can be very troubling for a family. Alzheimerââ¬â¢s disease can be a challenging journey, for all those who are involved both family members and loved ones.Taking care of someone with Alzheimers is overwhelming at times, but the more knowlegde and support the individual has, the better he/she will be prepared for the challenging road ahead and is able to seek the best long-term care options for a loved one. The best environment to help the individual development as time progresses would be one that provide loving care whether at home or in a designated facility for Alzheimerââ¬â¢s patients. Firstly, if she is still lucid enough, since sheââ¬â¢s recently diagnosed I would encourage her family to get her wishes down on paper so theyââ¬â¢ll be preserved and respected by all members of the family. I would then recommend that the family discuss the situation with her doctor , keeping in mind her wishes , see what would be the best treatment for her. They would then be armed with the knowledge of how to care for that love one. She will at some time need around-the-clock care and family members usually have their own health issues, jobs, and responsibilities. I would advise them to communication with each other to make sure that the wants and needs of the Alzheimerââ¬â¢s patient is met. If they cannot provide the care at home, since she was living alone, she could be relocated to live with a family member, which I would recommend, although it may be difficult, a care giver could be employed to care for her and that the caregiver would have the support of the family member to meet her needs. It will be diificult for her and her family as they have to watch her deteriorate slowly, but at home she will be monitored by love ones and most likely get the care she needs, although as the disease progresses, she may need to be hospitalized in a facility, if it becomes too hard for the family and caregiver. However for now the home environment is best. I would suggest that a sense of structure and familiarity is kept. A daily time for activities such as waking up, mealtimes, bathing, dressing, sharing family time, and bedtime. Keeping these things at the same time and place can bring a sense of familiarity to her. Let her know what is going to happen even if there is no certainty that sheââ¬â¢ll truly understands. Use cues to start the various times of day. For example, when she wakes up you can say, ââ¬Å" Rise and shine Mary , itââ¬â¢s another wonderful day.â⬠At bedtime, you can play some quiet music or read to her, to indicate its bedtime. Also get her involved in daily activities as much as possible, as long as it is safe. For example, water the plants, folding clothing, or any other simple thing that she can do. These things will not improve her condition. But it will aim in making her more comfortably as she struggles with this disease The most that can be done for her is to make her feel loved. The worse care scenario would be if her family members are not able to get her a caregiver or put her in an institution for Alzheimerââ¬â¢s patient and they have to take care of her, with little or no training or knowledge of her condition. This would definitely worsen the situation. As her Alzheimerââ¬â¢s progresses, there will be changes in her communication skills, sheââ¬â¢ll have trouble finding words, her hand gestures will increase, sheââ¬â¢ll be easily confused, sheââ¬â¢lldisplay behavior you never would have thought possible. Alzheimerââ¬â¢s will cause substantial changes in how she behaves, such as embarrassing or inappropriate outbursts, wandering, hallucinations, and violent behavior. Everyday tasks like eating, bathing, and dressing can become major challenges. This will become frustrating for the family members, as they donââ¬â¢t know how to deal with it. Imagine watching your mother change before your eyes, worsening daily and you cannot do anything about it. The family member offering care can become overwhelm and depress, he/she may even start blaming him/herself and may become too embarrass to go out, so he/she may isolate himself, or even harm the patient not willingly but as a result of being overwhelm. At some point, the care giver wonââ¬â¢t be able to leave her one alone. Nighttime behaviors may not allow the care giver to sleep, confrontational or aggressive behaviors may exceed her ability to cope or feel safe. As the disease progresses help will definitely be needed and possible placing her in a facility that is better able to take care of her. Therefore, if this canââ¬â¢t be done the situation would not be hopeful. Alzheimerââ¬â¢s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Cognitive, physical, and psychosocial development is decreased. There is decline in memory and other aspects of cognition, such as word-finding, vision/spatial issues, and impaired reasoning or judgment, getting lost, trouble handling money and paying bills, repeating questions, taking longer to complete normal daily tasks, using poor judgment, and having some mood and personality changes. Sheââ¬â¢ll have problems recognizing family and friends. Sheââ¬â¢ll be unable to learn new things, carry out tasks that involve multiple steps (such as getting dressed), or cope with new situations. People with severe Alzheimerââ¬â¢s cannot communicate and are completely dependent on others for their care. Taking all of this in consideration whether if she has a strong or poor psychosocial support, it woul d not make much of a difference to her as all her cognitive skills are declining and will soon be gone. Physically sheââ¬â¢ll may soon be bed ridden, Knowing no one and not able to take care of herself. The disease takes everything away from her. A student who is 14 years old facing a real possibility that she is pregnant and struggling in school faces many challenges. On her own itââ¬â¢s a frightening struggle. She needs supports, guidance and education, At this time family is very important. Therefore, the prefect environment for her would be one where she feels love and support. She needs someone she can talk to and trust, who can offer guidance and support. Sometimes the father is not present and this is usually the case. She is now frightened at the fact that she now has to face this alone, the realization that a new is life growing inside of her is quite unsettling as she is not prepared and she doesnââ¬â¢t know how to cope. She questions herself, ââ¬Å"How am I going to take care of a child?â⬠, ââ¬Å" What are my peers going to think about me?â⬠, ââ¬Å"How are they going to treat me?â⬠, ââ¬Å"Should I keep the baby?â⬠, ââ¬Å"I am failing in school, How can I take care of a child?â⬠, ââ¬Å"Who is going to take care of me?â⬠She has so many questions; she needs help getting those answers. She needs help finding herself and moving into the right direction. The environment that would be ideal for her would have to help her deal with the situation she is in and help with her future development. Firstly I would encourage her to make sure she is pregnant before doing anything else, and if she is then I would help her find someone she can trust and is able to talk to, such as a counselor, a family member or a teacher, so that she can make informed decisions. She would now need to tell her parents and if they are willing to help her, we can start from there. If they were not, she would need someone who is willing to offer support, for example an organization for pregnant teens, where she can relate with others in her own situation, or a supporting relative. When this is accomplished, She now needs to continue school, which will be difficult, but quite necessary, and she needs to decided whether or not she is able to keep the baby, and if she chooses not to, she can have an abortion or give the child up for adoption, which I would encourage, then continue on with her schooling.Hopefully, she will learn from her mistakes and get help in order to improve her grades ,therefore doing better in school. If she is with a supportive relative, she can get an after school job to help herself and through education sheââ¬â¢ll have a better future. However, if she chooses to keep the child, which would not be wise at 14, with her social situation, sheââ¬â¢ll need to also finish school and get help in improving her grade. Sheââ¬â¢ll also need a job to help support herself and her child. However if her parents offer to help sheââ¬â¢ll have some support in taking care of the child. Otherwise keeping the child would be a very hard task for 14 years old on her own. Therefore, she would need to make an informed decision taking into consideration what is best for herself and the child.This she would do with the help of a responsible adult. I would advise her if she has no help to give up the child for adoption because at 14 she is a child herself. She is not physically, socially, or emotionally ready to be a mother. It is obvious that she is not able to make responsible decisions on her own, at her age; her cognitive skills are still developing. Throughout the entire process, I would ensure that she has someone to talk to because she needs this kind of support to get through the situation emotionally. As she is being prepared to deal with her situation and faces the coming obstacles in her pathway, I would hope she learns from her mistakes and realize that this is not the ideal situation for her .If she doesnââ¬â¢t then this could have devastating impact on her future taking in consideration the fact that she is failing in school. This could be as a result of lack of parental guidance, if they are too busy working or doing something else to see what is happening in their daughters life, she has no extrinsic motivation to excel, and she is obviously not intrinsically motivated , she just does what she wants,or is influenced by her peers and at this age teenagers naturally want to explore and try new things, this could be why she is pregnant. Now being faced with and adult issue at an early age,she has to be the one to take her future in her own hand, if she does and decide to move on , she will face , criticism from her peers, and she will stuggle with the fact that she has to g ive up her first child, she is pregnant at 14, and she faces the danger of herself and the baby being malnourished, or being born with illness and deformity as a result of not having adequate medical care. She also faces a higher risk for postpartum depression than adults who give birth, and if left untreated, postpartum depression in a teen can affect her development and her infantââ¬â¢s quality of care, if she keeps the child. Sheââ¬â¢ll have to misses school for doctors visit, and she is already failing.. She has to deal with these situation daily, using her teenagers abilities. Hopefully, she is able to overcome these struggles with help from an adult and effectively continue with her life. However if she cannot, she may end up pregnant again not having any education. A Guttenmacher Institute study found that a large percentage of teen moms often find themselves homeless, in non-permanent living situations, as they move between the homes of friends, siblings, other family members and babyââ¬â¢s father. So now she may seek the support of the first person offering her kindness, and this may not necessarily be a good thing, she could end up being used and abused with little hope for the future. Living on the streets, or living with an older man at an early age, prostitution and so much more may result from her situation. Her situation now greatly impacts her Physical, Cognitive, and Psychosocial development. .During this time the mother is still developing physically, she needs proper nutrition in order develop properly, now with a baby growing inside her sheââ¬â¢ll need more food from every food group so that the baby can develop properly, if this is not done them they both could be malnourish causing problem with the baby and placing extra stress on her body. If she drinks alcohol this can cause the baby to develop fetal alcohol syndrome which occurs when alcohol passes through the placenta, causing potential physical and mental defects. However if she is properly nourish then most likely she will develop fine and her baby will be healthy. Also her cognitive development will be hampers as she will miss school,even drop out and during this stage cognitive development is marked by an increase and missing out will impact the teenagers advancement in knowledge and understanding. Research has shown thatââ¬Å"The dropout rate among teen mothers in the U.S. is high, and this population represents a large percentage of the total high school dropouts. Only about half of teen mothers earn a high school diploma by the time they turn 22, and earning a diploma may be more difficult for teen moms who have a second child.â⬠As a result the teenager is not educated, cannot hold a good job and lives in an impoverish condition.Statistics have shown that this behavior is usually repeated with the teenagers children. Psychosocial development is also hampered as during this stage of psychosocial development, according to Erickson, teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity. Success leads to an ability to stay true to yourself, while failure leads to role confusion and a weak sense of self.Being pregnant at this stage , the teen as no sense of self or personal identity, she is struggle with the situation, She is identified as a teenage mother, her sense of self is distorted. She is confused, and frustrated and easily mislead into situations that may be worse for her. However if she has support and someone to offer good council this situation may change, her self-esteem can be build and she will not look at herself through the eyes of others, but she will see her potential and see the present situation as a learning experience.
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Debunking the Democratic Peace Theory Essay
The development of the democratic peace theory started with the writings of has its roots in the writings of German Philosopher Immanuel Kant. In 1795 Kant went talked about ââ¬Å"perpetual peace based partially upon states sharing ââ¬Ërepublican constitutions.ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ He then said, ââ¬Å"that a republican form of government, exemplifying the rule of law, provides a feasible basis for states to overcome structural anarchy and to secure peaceful relations among themselves.â⬠Kant continues to argue that ââ¬Å"once the aggressive interests of absolute monarchists are tamed and once the habit of respect for individual rights is engrained by republican governments, wars would appear as the disaster to peopleââ¬â¢s warfare,â⬠rather than an instrument for growing a state, as it was used for many centuries. This was the true beginning of what we now know to be the Democratic Peace Theory. This theory remained dormant in the minds of realists and neo-realists that strongly influenced the field of international relations for centuries leading into the Cold War. In 1972, American sociologist Dean Babst published an article in which he reported ââ¬Å"no wars have been fought between independent nations with elective governments between 1789 and 1941.â⬠This enlightened the worlds of political science and international relations and ever since studies have followed this theory, constantly supporting it and positive relationships between democracies. Expanding on Kantââ¬â¢s original idea of democratic peace, political science professor Bruce Russett a very hot topic, exclaiming, ââ¬Å"democracies had rarely if ever gone to war with each otherâ⬠as a fact. With this simple statement, Russett made political scientists either accept or oppose the democratic peace theory and countless attempts to support each point of view with historical evidence. Democratic peace theorists have long asserted that all democracies are not only more peaceful than other governments, but are prone to fight against countries ran by other forms of government when they are engaged in war. These theorists and political science buffs argue that democratic peace is supported by a long history of peace and civility between democracies versus military action elsewhere. However, the democratic peace theory is problematic because it prematurely takes a stance on the grounds that a correlation between democratic status and incidence of war is proof of an ally relationship between nations opposed to a statistical anomaly. Does a historical anomaly excuse the desire for mutual democratic passivity? Ph.D. Sebastian Rosato of the University of Chicago argues, ââ¬Å"Democracies do not reliably externalize their domestic norms of conflict resolution and do not trust or respect one another when their interests clash.â⬠Rosato makes a very accurate observation , democracies tend to be rather secretive or even circumvent surrounding conflict resolution particularly with other democracies. Having a democratic government does not assure universal peace, and different forms of democracy assure disputes and clashes between governments between exceedingly democratic societies. In reality, some of the most thorough liberal democratic end up in war with non-democratic nations, justifying combat with the claim of spreading democracy. Though economic interests are typically apparent and the underlying motive for warfare, media throughout democratic countries end up not only tolerating, but also accepting and normalizing war as if it was a trending topic that came and went. Representative democratic systems lead to monolithic party structures that initiate war and still get elected to new terms and positions in government. Advocates of the democratic peace theory often fail to discuss colonial wars and civil wars, as they do not support the theory and its ultimate goal of widespread peace. The histories of many democratic countries have proven to not hold up with the democratic peace theory. Democratic countries have repeatedly fought colonial and civil wars which critics show to make the democratic peace theory false. Political Scientists Ravlo, Gleditcsch, and Dorussen expand upon the colonial war aspect of opposing the Democratic Peace Theory in ââ¬Å"Colonial War and the Democratic Peaceâ⬠in 2003ââ¬â¢s The Journal of Conflict Resolution. They elaborate on reasons suggested to explain why colonial wars do not invalidate the democratic peace argument, saying, ââ¬Å"First, although democracies rarely, if ever, fight one another, they participate in war as much as non-democracies. Thus, mixed political dyads have the greatest propensity for war. Second, the nature of colonial conflict has changed over time. Finally, a correct assessment of the democratic peace argument needs to rely on a multivariate model.â⬠The trio makes great points regarding colonial wars and how they work against the democratic peace theory. Regarding the first point, if non-state rivals were perceived to be nondemocratic, democratic states would regularly engage in colonial wars. Also, the nature of colonial conflict has indeed changed over time, and the relationship between democracy and colonial war is tested in imperialist, colonial, and postcolonial eras. With appropriate control variables in place, it is apparent that the positive relationship between democracy and war begins to vanish. History also shows us that in the post-World War II period, democracies begin to fight colonial far less than non-democracy states. There are various reasons why this occurred other than a simple theory that universal democracy equals world peace without question. Primarily this may have occurred due to changes in the views non-European peoples, typically in non-democracies outside of the primarily Caucasian western world. Legendary Political Scientist and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee stresses, ââ¬Å"It is primarily democracies that h ave made colonial conquests and fought wars to prevent the liberation of colonies,â⬠and, ââ¬Å"Preferring to deal only with ââ¬Å"coherent,â⬠ââ¬Å"mature,â⬠and ââ¬Å"stableâ⬠democracies, when these varying regimes prevent coherence, maturity, and stability abroad, is clearly ethnocentric.â⬠Excluding the civil and colonial war histories form democratic governments from the study and validation of the democratic peace theory not only makes the affirmative point of view on the theory inaccurate, but also does come off very ethnocentric. In short, civil and colonial wars expose some of the bloodiest and most dysfunctional, corrupt eras in the governments of democracies around the globe. In the published piece, ââ¬Å"Democracies are Their Own Enemies,â⬠Political Science Professor Dr. Gilbert N. Kahn claims, ââ¬Å"In watching the events throughout the world over the past few weeks, one is struck by how profoundly challenged democracy has become. In the United States, Great Britain, and even Israel, fundamental democratic values appear to be undermined by the political behavior of elected leaders. All of this is occurring at a time when the West is trying to sell democracy to the world.â⬠While America is being criticized for starting war through attempting to sp read democracy with clear economic motives, Israel is realizing the extent of its social and economic disparities as a few rich families have their hands in much of the government, and The United Kingdom is seeing regular revolts and terror attacks in its economic centers. Democracies are becoming their own enemy in promoting a democratic government, and showing how they react when under social and economic pressure. Democratic nations rarely engage in wars of aggression against other democratic nations, absent substantial provocation or dire necessity. Nations tend to go to war mainly based upon: Expansion of territory or ideals, defense and pre-emptive strike upon a threatening nation, or conflicts of interest that are inexplicable through diplomacy. These other vital conflicts are worth further consideration. Two democracies could still find themselves inexplicable conflicts of interest. If both two democracies required resources in a border region to prevent their economic turmoil, economies from collapsing, and there wasnââ¬â¢t enough resource in that border region to share between the two of them, that just may force them against each other. Under conditions when democracies are in competition under the pressure of economy, the democratic peac e theory supplies no explanation for why widespread democracy would work equally peacefully for all nations. Democratic Peace Theory harps on the idea that democratic nation-states wonââ¬â¢t go to war because its citizens would vote against heads of government for re-election for putting the nation in conflict. No one likes the idea of war despite whatever government they live under, or the idea of family members being sent off for extended periods of time without a promise of returning. According to Dr. Hebert West, ââ¬Å"correlation does not equate to causation is one of the first and foremost rules of the social sciences, and causality requires several alternative explanations to be proven wrong.â⬠The fact that the correlation between democracy and war does not equate to causation proves that though correlation between democracy and peace is strong by many accounts, sufficient evidence to prove that a causal relationship exists in the desired direction by democratic peace theorists, without the influence of other variables, has yet to be published. This disproves a key part of the democratic peace theory: that the need for the face of government discourages igniting war. The field of International Relations has always debated when and why democracies would go to war with one another. Debaters disagree that liberal ideas in democracies help them avoid war. The over legitimacy of empirical evidence typically used to defend democratic peace also comes under fire in most political fields. Using historical evidence to prove that widespread democracy bring world peace is a very far fetched comment without examining all the details that make it possible for democracies to engage in war internationally with having the action always take place within the non-democratic state. The theory has been difficult to prove empirically, which is why it remains a theory. While the idea of democratic peace is enticing, it does not allow for the error that occurs even when international democracy is accomplished. When looking at the face of historical circumstance the democratic peace theory may appear to be true. However, when one uses this historical anomaly as a predictive tool for future behavior of states seems ill-informed when no one field of politics can agree on one side of the argument, or give solid evidence that democratic peace would be successful even if applied. The longevity of democratic peace is strongly unlikely as no two democracies have ever been the same. Difference in ideals encourages nations to force their form of democracy on other countries. Democratic peace theory takes advantage of circumstance. This debunks the idea that if all nations were liberal democracies, there would be no war because no two democracies are the same and the urge to spread one nationââ¬â¢s ideals will always cause conflict. A strong example of a democracy that helps break down the democratic peace theory is South Africa. On April 26, 1994, South Africans of all heritages voted like never before to mark the symbolic end of apartheid and the beginning of South Africaââ¬â¢s rough transition to democracy. In nearly two decades, South Africa has achieved greater political stability and greater economic freedom and growth, lowering public debt. While major political parties hold on to democratic ways, more South Africans now receive education and have access to electricity and clean water. However, South Africa still has major challenges ahead such as extremely high HIV/AIDS rates and government corruption. South Africa is a democracy in that it is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. South Africa is rather peaceful with its neighboring countries (Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Mozambique and Namibia), bei ng that the last official war South Africa has engaged in was the Boer War (1899-1902). The war was supposedly based on British expansion with ââ¬Å"an underlying cause being the presence in the Transvaal territory of the largest gold-mining complex in the world, beyond direct British control.â⬠This sounds familiar, that the United Kingdom, a democracy, would kill and pillage for economic, monetary benefit. South Africa is a perfect example of why universal democracy would not manifest into long-term world peace. South Africa is a representative democracy; in that itââ¬â¢s current government is a variety of democracy, opposed to direct democracy. South Africaââ¬â¢s Legislative Branch consists of the National Council of Provinces where there are 90 seats are occupied by 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms, and the National Assembly where 400 seats are occupied by members elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms. South Africa also has a common judiciary system where The Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Appeal and High Courts have the power to protect and regulate their own processes, and to develop the common law. However, South Africaââ¬â¢s executive branch is unique In that the people to not vote directly for their president, Jacob Zuma, instead South African citizens only have the power to elect members of the National assembly, which in turn ends up choosing the next president for the country. In a world where the democratic peace theory is put into action, South Africaââ¬â¢s different way of running a government while still under the title of democracy would certainly clash with democracies of the western world. The Peopleââ¬â¢s Republic of China is a huge world player and has seen an incredible economic boom since the 1990ââ¬â¢s. Chinaââ¬â¢s Legislative Branch has a National Peopleââ¬â¢s Congress where the level of Congress directly below them indirectly chooses them. The Judicial court has a typical high court and smaller courts. However the executive branch is run by Communist Party of China (CPC), ââ¬Å"whose power is enshrined Chinaââ¬â¢s constitution.â⬠Local politicians are voted for but a hierarchical electoral college chooses higher officials and the president, Hu Jintao, a position that was officially created in Chinaââ¬â¢s 1982 constitution. Though Chinaââ¬â¢s Communist Party has modernized its authoritarianism to fit the times, it is still certainly an authoritarian government. As a communist country that runs on a social organization characterized by submission to authority and its administration, which is, compared to the size of the country, concentrated in a small group of politicians. China isnââ¬â¢t engaged in war, and hasnââ¬â¢t been since the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979. Also China still owns Tibet after invading the territory in 1950. Given this information, China maintains relationships with many of itââ¬â¢s neighbors so that the two nations never reach the point of war, but cannot be classified as non-violent wit neighboring countries Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam. The Islam Republic of Afghanistan is made of one of the worldââ¬â¢s oldest nations. Afghanistan is certainly a totalitarian country, being that the Islam Republic of Afghanistan is a political where the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life. Afghanistanââ¬â¢s judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court, High Courts, and Appeal Courts. The legislative branch consists of a National Assembly, which consists of an upper and lower house. The executive branch, however, is run by the president, which is voted in by the public through a run off majority vote. President Hamid Karzai is the head of the executive branch, serving as the head of state and the Command-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is currently in a war with the United States. In fact, the War in Afghanistan began on 7 October 2001, as the armed forces of the United States, the Kingdom, France, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. America has tried to introduce democracy to Afghanistan while fighting the war on their land and killing their citizens, a common action of democracies around the world. Hence, Afghanistan is currently not in good peaceful with its neighbors, which include Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran. Indubitably, the democratic peace theory is simply just that, a theory. It is doubtful that democracies are less violent that other countries, despite not having militarized disputes with other democracies. With that in mind, the tendency for democracies to attack fledgling democracies has shown to stand out among the observed pattern that democracies do not fight with each other if the hegemonic or economic or hegemonic benefits are high enough. This debunks the claim that democracy determines the level of peace between any given states. Perhaps relationships between democracies are simply just a facade and raise the question of alternative explanations, such as a spurious relationship. Political Science Professor Erik Gartzke proposes that, ââ¬Å"it is capitalism, and not democracy, that is the independent variable which causes peace and war.â⬠Despite the validity of this claim, one would doubt that the state of international war and affairs would depend upon one single variable regardless. It is much more likely that a combination of variables between nations, under specific conditions, creates one of countless outcomes necessary for the potential for war. The spread of democracy is relatively new compared to other widespread forms of government and statehood, providing far too few examples to weigh its statements on. Works Cited ââ¬Å"British Military & Criminal History in the period 1900 to 1999.â⬠Stephenââ¬â¢s Study Room. http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/boer_war.htm (accessed November 29, 2012). Chan, Steve. In Search of Democratic Peace: Problems and Promise. Mershon International Studies Review 41 (1997): 59-91. Chan, Steve. ââ¬Å"In Search of Democratic Peace: Problems and Promise.â⬠Mershon International Studies Review 41 (1997): p. 60 ââ¬Å"CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLEââ¬â¢S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.â⬠People. English.people.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html (accessed November 20, 2012). Dorussen, Han, Nils Peter Gleditsch, and Hilde Ravlo. ââ¬Å"Colonial War and the Democratic Peace.â⬠The Journal of Conflict Resolution Vol. 47, no. No. 4 (2003): 520-548. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3176207 (accessed November 20, 2012). Doyle, Michael W. ââ¬Å"Kant, Liberal Legacies, and Foreign Affairs.â⬠Debating the Democratic Peace. Eds. Michael E. Brown, Sean M. Lynn-Jones and Steven E. Miller. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 1996, p.24 Gartzke, Erik A. ââ¬Å"Erik A. Gartzke, Associate Professor, University of California, San Diego.â⬠UCSD. Haas, Michael. 1995. ââ¬Å"When Democracies Fight One Another, Just What is the Punishment for Disobeying the Law?â⬠Paper presented at the 91st annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, August, Chicago. 7. Haas, Michael. 1995. ââ¬Å"When Democracies Fight One Another, Just What is the Punishment for Disobeying the Law?â⬠Paper presented at the 91st annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, August, Chicago. 14. Khan, Dr. Gilbert. ââ¬Å"Democracies are Their Own Worst Enemies.â⬠The New Jersey Jewish News, August 17, 2011. http://www.njjewishnews.com/ (accessed November 20, 2012). Russett, Bruce. Grasping the Democratic Peace: Principles for a Post-Cold War World. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1993: p. 4 Sebastian Rosato (2003). The Flawed Logic of Democratic Peace Theory. American Political Science Review, 97, pp 585-602. West, Dr. Herbert. ââ¬Å"The History of ââ¬ËCorrelation Does Not Imply Causationââ¬â¢ .â⬠Slashdot. October 3, 2012. http://news.silobreaker.com/the-history-of-correlation-does-not-imply-causation. (Accessed November 20, 2012).
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