REL133 wk 5 contemporary issues facing the assigned Eastern religious Essay

REL133 wk 5 contemporary issues facing the assigned Eastern religious tradition - Essay Example This means that these movements have something in common with what societies understand as constituting religion. There is what can be considered as mainstream religions like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, atheism and so on. The fact that there are some movements that are implicitly regarded as religions in their very nature and characteristics is an indication that all religions share a common characteristic or a number of characteristics which can be sorted out. One such religion that shares many characteristics with other religions is Hinduism and, in this paper, the common characteristics that Hindu religion shares with other religions will be outlined and discussed. Like many other religion’s mythologies, Hindu mythology is rich, multifarious and inclusive. In this case, like many other religions, Hindu mythology is a portrayal of terrible in benevolence, triviality alongside the cosmic and sublimity in grotesque (Vaz, 2001). Many religions are based on these pi llars and are not an ordinary ideation but an ideation of powers that are beyond human understanding. Apart from Christianity and Islam, most religions draw or associate the powers with some form and in many cases, the forms are numerous and hierarchical (Vaz, 2001). Like many religions, Hinduism has many gods and each god has its own association, function, and associated shape or form. Moreover, Hinduism like many other religions such as Islam, Christianity and Jewish religions draws their inspiration and religious knowledge from texts. Christianity draws from a number of texts combined into a bible and Islam has a number of texts combined into a Quran. Hinduism has important texts such as Upanishad, Rig Veda and Bhagvad Gita; usually referred to as the four Vedas or â€Å"books of knowledge† (Beversluis, 2000, p. 52). Religion constitutes a belief in a power and Hinduism, like many religions is a power and not an ordinary ideation. Hinduism acknowledges the presence of four major goals namely material, satisfaction of desire, human position and beyond life. The acknowledgement of an existence beyond life is among all religions and entails a goal of achieving liberation from unending cycles of rebirth in which all living beings are locked. Like Christianity, Hinduism believes in the trinity of god. While Christians acknowledge God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; Hinduism believes in â€Å"Brahama the creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the destroyer† (Flood & Olivelle, 2003, p.273). Many religions integrate various heterogeneous elements and like them, Hinduism is a complex and a continuous whole with religious, artistic, social and economic aspects. These aspects inhere in the fact that Hinduism, like many other religions, covers the wholeness of life. As a result, Hinduism is not fit explained in terms of a single definition but rather a characteristic. In addition, there are countless rituals that are associated with Hin duism as in other religions. Christianity, Islam and many other religions base their belief and knowledge on various rituals, which are meant to appease their gods and spirits (Vijay, 2001). Hinduism is a religion that is associated with many gods and goddesses. Like many other polytheist religions, these gods are believed to rule the world. The three gods that are

Video Games Affecting Children Essay Example for Free

Video Games Affecting Children Essay Video games around the world have become immensely popular, a multi-billion dollar industry. An industry which revolves around the wants and desires of children and teens. An industry with a creation of unique entertainment like no other. An industry that continues to grow rapidly. Hours and hours are spent each day by youths playing these games, but are they really good for them? Are they educational? Games which educate a child’s mind exist but they wouldn’t be as popular as your top seller shooting game. Nowhere even close. Here I am today to tell, to inform, and to enlighten parents on the dangers of letting your child play these violent games. As a child, I found that my parents seemed to push away all sorts of violent games, no matter how badly I wanted them. It didn’t seem to make sense at first but as I grew older, I saw the younger generation getting addicted to games like these and without doubt, showed a different behaviour and attitude. In this modern age, a child or teen is quite likely to have a gaming console or access to the internet or a friend who does. With these, they can play or access games which may contain violent content. As youths play these games in excess, they tend to act out what they may see or hear in front of their friends and family. It gives them a tendency to act aggressive and violent. They learn new things, like bad language. They may use foul language against their friends and possibly repeat violent stunts at home. These games are full of foul language, bloody scenes and criminal behaviour. It gives them a prospect for confrontation with peers, with siblings, with parents and even with their teachers. They engage in fights which in turn could cause possible decline in their studies. They could even brush aside their school work to sit in front of a television because it’s like an addiction to them. The question is: should parents be encouraged to disallow their son or daughter to be entertained by these types of video games? The answer is up to you, as parents. It is up to you to observe whether you see a change in attitude among your kids and if in a negative way, then you should take action in order for your child to behave in an appropriate manner among people. Games like these are everywhere, so your child will grow up in an environment where they will play them. Although, it is always recommended to look at the age rating of the game before you buy it, to see whether or not your son or daughter fits into the category of restriction. You can even set limits on how long they should be allowed to play games, just so they don’t get too involved with the theme of the game. It’s absolutely paramount for a child to grow up in a positive environment. In my opinion, games that involve the likes of drugs, bloodshed, criminal behaviour, foul language and violence should not be banned, but put into higher restriction everywhere. There should be more age limitations and games that involve hostility at a lower level. So parents, do you know what games your children are playing? Have a look.

The Third And Final Continent Essay

The Third And Final Continent Essay The character I have chosen for analysis from Jhumpa Lahiri short story, The Third and Final Continent, is the narrator, a very dynamic character who adapts to the traditions and lifestyles of the continents he travels to especially America. The narrator exhibits the most characteristics than any other character in the story because he is talking about his life and the actions that he takes when encountering a certain obstacle. The narrator also shows the most change than any other character. Living from one continent to another continent and then to another continent again can dramatically change how a person lives, thinks, and even eat. Despite all the changes that he experiences he still retains some traditions from his culture of origin with the help of a stranger that he meets. This is a positive characteristic that distinguishes the narrator from any other character in the story. The narrators life contrasts somewhat to other immigrants because they must all undergo a certain t ype of change and must worry about the passing of traditions to their American born children. The life of the narrator is a clear example of what most immigrants must go through when living in a new continent. The tone of the narrator sounds somewhat non enthusiastic or plain due to the fact that both of his parents have passed away. He shows strong love and respect for his parents. Before we cremated her I had cleaned each of her fingernails with a hairpin. I had assumed the role of eldest son, and had touched the flame to her temple; to release her tormented soul to heaven (Jhumpa Lahiri 654). The narrator is also a very well educated man, a graduate from LSE (London School of Economics), and he also has a knack for learning new things. I attended lectures at LSE. I read every article and advertisement, so I would grow familiar with things, and when my eyes grew tired I slept (Lahiri 650-651). The narrator faces an internal conflict: how can he be a modern American Indian and retain some of the old traditional Indian ways at the same time? His quest continues with the birth of his son, afraid that his son will forget his Indian traditions. So we drive to Cambridge to visit him, or bring him home for a weekend, so that he can eat rice with us with his hands, and speak in Bengali, things we sometimes worry he will no longer do after we die (Lahiri 662). The narrator tells to his son the journey of himself surviving in three totally different continents as a way for his son to gain the morale that he needs to overcome any obstacle. There is evidence in the story which suggest that the narrator is trying to find solutions for his problem because he tries to retain some of his old traditional ways by eating egg curry and walking barefoot in the house and being modern by telling his wife that she does not have to wear her sari all the time. And took turns cooking pots of egg cur ry, which we ate with our hands on a table covered with newspapers (Lahiri 650). There is no need to cover you head, I said. I dont mind. It doesnt matter here (Lahiri 660). Cooking egg curry is his main way of keeping Indian tradition alive. He cooks egg curry in India, in the crowded room in London, and even in his new home in America. He can never abandon his roots and obeys every aspect of his Indian culture. I regarded the proposition with neither objection nor enthusiasm. It was a duty expected of me, as it was expected of every man (Lahiri 654). The neutral remarks that he makes towards his arrange marriage shows that he is a very religious man, keeping alive some aspect of his tradition to allow him to survive the toughest of times. The narrator is astounded when he finds out from Mrs. Crofts daughter Helen that his land lady is over a century years old. I was mortified. I had assumed Mrs. Croft was in her eighties, perhaps as old as ninety (Lahiri 657). He could not bare the fact of a widow living all alone by herself because he once had close encounters with a widow before which drove her insane, his mother. Widowhood had driven my own mother insane. What pained me the most was to see her so unguarded And so it was my job to sit by mothers feet (Lahiri 657). When he realizes that Mrs. Croft is very old and also a widow for so long he starts to take care of her as if she was his own mother. At times I came downstairs before going to sleep, to make sure she was sitting upright on the bench, or was safe I her bedroom (Lahiri 658). This shows the narrators strong bond between stranger and stranger which later strengthens his relationship with Mala. His encounters with his land lady, Mrs. Croft guided him with his new life in America. He shows admiration for Mrs. Croft because she has survived for so long while keeping all of her old traditions intact and passing them on to her children. She added that it was also improper for a lady of Helens station to reveal her age and to wear a dress so high above the ankle (Lahiri 657). This paves the way for how the narrator should live his life and teach his son about Indian traditions. Mrs. Croft also symbolizes the narrators mother saying that Maya is a perfect lady! (Lahiri 662), as though she is approving of Maya to be the narrators wife. For immigrants, the challenges of exile, the loneliness, the constant sense of alienation, the knowledge of and longing for a lost world, are more explicit and distressing than for their children. On the other hand, the problem for the children of immigrants, those with strong ties to their country of origin, is that they feel neither one thing nor the other (Lahiri 663-664). This quote from Lahiri herself is basically what the theme of The Third and Final Continent is all about. It strongly interprets the narrators character in the story as an immigrant and the emotions that he feels when he enters a new country. It also explains the inner conflict in which he is trying to overcome of being a modern Indian and a traditional Indian at the same time, while explaining to his son how important it is to keep a little bit of tradition alive within you. Although not every immigrants life in America can relate to the narrators, it is true however that they all must undergo some type of chan ge when living in a new country for the very first time. Works Citied Lahiri, Jhumpa. Chapter 20/Fiction For Further Reading. Literature Reading, Reacting, Writing. 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. 650-64. Print.

Merchant of Venice Essay examples -- Merchant of Venice Essays

Mercy v. Justice – Old Testament v. New Testament While the conflict between justice and mercy plays a key role in determining the outcome of The Merchant of Venice, this conflict is even more important because it provides a setting for the contrast between the rigid law and rules of the Old Testament and the concepts of mercy and forgiveness as taught by Christ in the New Testament. It is in the climactic trial scene that The Duke, hoping Shylock will excuse Antonio's penalty, asks him, â€Å"How shall thou hope for mercy rend'ring none?† He is referring to expectations of judgment in the afterlife. However, so is Shylock, when he counters, â€Å"What judgment shall I dread doing no wrong?† This exchange perfectly presents this conflict between of the Old Testament and the New, in which the former is seen to emphasize strict obedience as mankind’s obligation to God while the latter stresses God's grace and mercy. The laws and rules of the Old Testament insisted on strict justice, â€Å"An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth† (Exodus 21:23, 24; also see: Leviticus 24:19, 20; and Deuteronomy 19:21) while the New Testament calls for mercy, â€Å"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy† (Matthew 5:7) said Christ in the Sermon on the Mount. He later added â€Å"Ye have heard that it hath been said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’; but I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.† (Matthew 5:39). Shakespeare’s version of â€Å"An eye for and eye† is found at the end of Shylock’s great speech in the trial scene of Act IV, â€Å"If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.† His demand for vengeance is made more understandable in this famous speech as he lays open the years of pain and anger caused by the anti-Semitic treatment and abuse from the likes of Antonio and the rest of Venetian society. But, while he is more a victim than a villain, he's not blameless. What turns Shylock into a ruthless avenger is his daughter’s elopement with a Christian and her rejection of the religion of her family. It is this betrayal by his own flesh and blood that renders Shylock seemingly merciless towards ... ...s and forgiving herself. One of the great ironies of this play happens when Shylock calls Portia, "A Daniel come to judgment, yea, a Daniel!" Daniel was the Old Testament judge of Susanna, a woman accused of being unchaste by the elders. The story is pointed because Daniel rules in Susanna's favor, thus rescuing her from her fate. After freeing her, he then in turn convicts the elders. Shylock's mistake is that while he is right in calling Portia a Daniel, he fails to recognize that he is the one who represents the elders and Antonio is the rescued Susanna. In the end, Shylock is prevented from cutting a pound of Antonio’s flesh from very near the merchant’s heart, but in a sense it is the Christians who cut Shylock’s heart out of his body without shedding a drop of his blood. While the Christians preach mercy when Antonio is at risk, the Christian court is happy to opt for Old Testament vengeance itself in exacting a punishment which leaves Shylock feeling that he might as well be dead-- â€Å"Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that, You take my house, when you do take the prop / That doth sustain my house: you take my life / When you do take the means whereby I live.† Merchant of Venice Essay examples -- Merchant of Venice Essays Mercy v. Justice – Old Testament v. New Testament While the conflict between justice and mercy plays a key role in determining the outcome of The Merchant of Venice, this conflict is even more important because it provides a setting for the contrast between the rigid law and rules of the Old Testament and the concepts of mercy and forgiveness as taught by Christ in the New Testament. It is in the climactic trial scene that The Duke, hoping Shylock will excuse Antonio's penalty, asks him, â€Å"How shall thou hope for mercy rend'ring none?† He is referring to expectations of judgment in the afterlife. However, so is Shylock, when he counters, â€Å"What judgment shall I dread doing no wrong?† This exchange perfectly presents this conflict between of the Old Testament and the New, in which the former is seen to emphasize strict obedience as mankind’s obligation to God while the latter stresses God's grace and mercy. The laws and rules of the Old Testament insisted on strict justice, â€Å"An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth† (Exodus 21:23, 24; also see: Leviticus 24:19, 20; and Deuteronomy 19:21) while the New Testament calls for mercy, â€Å"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy† (Matthew 5:7) said Christ in the Sermon on the Mount. He later added â€Å"Ye have heard that it hath been said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’; but I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.† (Matthew 5:39). Shakespeare’s version of â€Å"An eye for and eye† is found at the end of Shylock’s great speech in the trial scene of Act IV, â€Å"If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.† His demand for vengeance is made more understandable in this famous speech as he lays open the years of pain and anger caused by the anti-Semitic treatment and abuse from the likes of Antonio and the rest of Venetian society. But, while he is more a victim than a villain, he's not blameless. What turns Shylock into a ruthless avenger is his daughter’s elopement with a Christian and her rejection of the religion of her family. It is this betrayal by his own flesh and blood that renders Shylock seemingly merciless towards ... ...s and forgiving herself. One of the great ironies of this play happens when Shylock calls Portia, "A Daniel come to judgment, yea, a Daniel!" Daniel was the Old Testament judge of Susanna, a woman accused of being unchaste by the elders. The story is pointed because Daniel rules in Susanna's favor, thus rescuing her from her fate. After freeing her, he then in turn convicts the elders. Shylock's mistake is that while he is right in calling Portia a Daniel, he fails to recognize that he is the one who represents the elders and Antonio is the rescued Susanna. In the end, Shylock is prevented from cutting a pound of Antonio’s flesh from very near the merchant’s heart, but in a sense it is the Christians who cut Shylock’s heart out of his body without shedding a drop of his blood. While the Christians preach mercy when Antonio is at risk, the Christian court is happy to opt for Old Testament vengeance itself in exacting a punishment which leaves Shylock feeling that he might as well be dead-- â€Å"Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that, You take my house, when you do take the prop / That doth sustain my house: you take my life / When you do take the means whereby I live.†

Was the Spanish-American War Truly as John Hay Said, a “Splendid Little War”

Was the Spanish-American war truly as John Hay said, a â€Å"splendid little war†? Why or why not? The Spanish-American war was for the American government the first step on the road to becoming a â€Å"global, police power†, for the Spanish it was the dissolution of Cuba and their empire, from said conclusion is it fair to name such a war a success, an aforementioned â€Å"splendid little war†? [1] This essay hopes to examine the limitations of Hay’s statement, the war was to irreversibly â€Å"shape relations between the United States and the rest of the globe for the coming century†, and it was the trigger that ultimately taught the U. S. the cost of World imperialism. It is impossible to label such a conflict as totally triumphant and simplistic, it was fraught with diplomatic complications, both domestic and colonial, as is written herewith. The situation in Cuba before American intervention had always been precarious; Cuban rebels had continually opposed Spanish rule throughout the 19th Century, such was the animosity between the Cubans and Spanish that it culminated in the erection of some of the first Spanish concentration camps (reconcentrado). Dubbed â€Å"Butcher Weyler† by the American press, Spanish general Valeriano Weyler sought to curtail the uprisings, thus causing numerous deaths and epidemics among the Cuban inhabitants. [2] This onslaught erupted both the Cuban population and the American press into a fierce frenzy; American readers experienced a â€Å"battle of gigantic proportions† between two rival newspapers, (New York Journal and New York World), â€Å"in which the sufferings of Cuba merely chanced to furnish some of the most convenient ammunition†. 3] With so much public attention, the Cuban crisis became a great exhibition of jubilation; there was much desire for intervention in the affair. Said exaltation was further prompted by the events of February 15th 1898, when the battleship USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor killing 266 American sailors. Demands for war with Spain were imminent and colossal, the â€Å"yellow journalism† and its fabrication of news intoxicated the †Å"whole Country with war fever†, slogans of â€Å"Remember the Maine! To Hell with Spain! † became very popular. 4] Theodore Roosevelt, assistant secretary of the navy, had always been of a militaristic nature, having commented that â€Å"This country needs a war†, and proclaiming President William McKinley as â€Å"white-livered† with â€Å"no more backbone than a chocolate eclair†, had proclaimed the disaster â€Å"an act of dirty treachery on the part of the Spaniards†. [5] The longing for war by the public and certain members of government following the atmosphere of hostility prompted, reluctantly, McKinley to declare war on Cuba. Having blockaded Cuba on April 22nd, Spain then subsequently declared war on April 24th. The Spanish-American war was initially a â€Å"splendid little war† as described by Hay; it was an â€Å"unbroken series of American victories† within only 10 weeks of combat. [6] The major campaign of the war occurred at San Juan Hill, where a unit of newly formed Rough Riders under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt along with two regiments of African American soldiers stormed a position atop Kettle Hill. So successful was the battle that Roosevelt â€Å"would rather have led that charge than served three terms in the U. S. Senate†, that he had been â€Å"revelling in victory and gore†. The combination of defeat at San Juan Hill and around the port of Santiago in which â€Å"474 Spanish were killed†¦while only one American was killed and one wounded† initiated the surrender of Santiago on July 17th, and the capitulation of Spain on July 26th 1898. [7] The Treaty of Paris of 1898, signed on December 10, 1898, ended hostilities between the Spanish and the U. S. The Treaty of Paris deemed that Cuba would become an autonomous country, and the U. S. acquired Puerto Rico and Guam with the understanding that Spain be paid twenty million dollars for the Philippines. The scandalist treaty was the subject of much debate in the US Senate during the winter of 1898-1899, which was finally resolved on February 6th, 1899 by a one-vote margin of 57 to 27 with only two Republicans opposed: George Frisbie Hoar of Massachusetts and Eugene Pryor Hale of Maine. How was it that the U. S. a traditionally isolationist nation, become involved in such conflict. Nationalist historians argue said involvement to have been directed in accordance with constitutional diplomacy and the democratic principle of projecting liberty and national spirit; in essence the American Dream. George Brown Tindall argues that the U. S. involvement in the war was initiated out of a â€Å"sense of outrage at another country’s imperialism†; It is true to say that until 1899 Spain had acquired substantial influence over the sugar industry, territory held equated more than the fifty millions that the U. S. held in Cuba. Tindall also argues the impact that public opinion and ferocity had on the declaration of war; â€Å"too much momentum and popular pressure†. Indeed said impact was so great that Tindall argues â€Å"the ultimate blame for war, if blame must be levied, belongs to the American people†. 8] Indeed â€Å"many†¦were heavily influenced by the view that western imperialism was justified by the (alleged) superiority of Anglo-Saxon and Nordic ‘races’†, that it was warranted for the U. S. to spread her idealism and the American Dream to other civilisations. [9] There was however more imperialistic interests that influen ced the coming of war, Revisionist historians proclaim the level of U. S. involvement corroborates with desire to defend its own interests that political expansion was in aid of guarantying economic control. Indeed McKinley favoured said intervention and the establishment of a government made up of the â€Å"wealthy Cuban planter class†, as he believed it could be controlled economically and â€Å"incorporated into the American Sphere†. [10] In the short-term the ‘prizes’ of victory over Spain were appealing, not least politically, for many economic advantages came with the acquisition of territory in Cuba and the Philippines. These incentives therefore substantiate Hay’s statement of the American-Spanish conflict as a said â€Å"splendid little war†, an easy and cost-effective method of amassing a greater economy and furthering the American dream. The overriding advantage for the U. S. was that it was a â€Å"little war†, it was also cheap, â€Å"its cost was relatively slight†, the fact that it took ten weeks and the lives of ‘only’ 5,462 U. S. soldiers (379 in actual combat) painted a popular picture of ease in what was the first U. S. campaign. [11] Politically the advantages came from the influence the U. S. gained through becoming a new major world power. With the precedent of waging and ultimately winning a foreign war, the U. S. had the potential of authority over future entanglements. Flushed with the easy victory over Spain, inflamed by the vision of a colonial empire, many were caught by the propaganda for a naval power†. [12] Roosevelt stressed â€Å"we must strive in good faith to play a great part in the world†, and by doing â€Å"the world’s work by bringing order out of chaos†¦from which the valor of our soldiers and sailors has driven the Spanish flag†. [13] Moreover the U. S. obligation â€Å"to take up the White Man’s burden† further exacerbated United States political intentions in the global theatre, indeed imperialists such as Senator Albert J. Beveridge and Henry Cabot Lodge, â€Å"stressed America’s moral obligation to extend the benefits of Anglo-Saxon civilization to a backward people†. [14] Indeed individuals such as McKinley commented on how â€Å"to educate the Filipinos and uplift and civilize and Christianize them as our fellowmen for whom Christ also died†. [15] Missionaries became increasingly involved in colonial affairs; they pursued the chance to convert the â€Å"little brown brother† to Christianity for the â€Å"sake of their souls†. [16] Economically the advantages of the war for the U. S. were of paramount importance, and were of major influence in the initial reasoning for a declaration of war. Cuba in the 19th century was the â€Å"sacred cow of American diplomacy†¦Cuba in American history has often been synonymous with sugar†¦which has the power of stirring more political devils in Washington than any other elixir†. Sugar was a major export of America and therefore Cuba became a major concern for economists in a time of unrest and conflict, a potential acquisition for the â€Å"the Sugar Trust†¦the most hated trust in America†. 17] Big Business also profited from the notion of expanding global markets, with the new access to China and its multitude of consumers, businesses such as the American Tobacco Company foresaw the new opportunity, naming the â€Å"Philippines (as) the key to the Far East†. [18] Indeed U. S. involvement in Cuba was startling; Frank M. Steinhart of the National City Bank of New York (NCB) became leading e conomic leader, and was therefore able to ascertain all of Cuba’s resources under the NCB with their 24 Cuban branches. One governmental individual commented no how â€Å"Cuba is no more independent than Long Island†. 19] Colonial empire really did suit the U. S. A. How then could such a â€Å"splendid little war† be so farcical, why were said consequences of war so detrimental to opinion concerning United States diplomacy? In essence there were three major complications, whose effects brought about severe limitations to Hay’s statement. In short imperialism and the desire for expansion of economy and territory contradicted with U. S. tradition of ‘isolationism’, and that the idea of a nation with democratic values holding colonial control was unpalatable by many people. The acquisition of territory far overseas put a great amount of strain upon U. S. administrative and defensive concerns, not least because of their practical distance, but also due to constitutional contradictions. It gave the potential for continental warfare between the Great Powers, and the reality of guerrilla warfare in unfamiliar civilisations. The empire also brought about a further internal conflict, with both governmental and influential individuals, which sparked off following the condemnation of U. S. imperial stature. The U. S. ad only recently acquired an empire of colonies, she was naive and inexperienced with the policing and protection of lands outside of direct U. S. jurisdiction. The activities of rebellious peoples soon exacerbated such concerns, initiating a period of guerrilla warfare, requiring a sharp adaptation of U. S. occupational forces to facilitate a war of counter-insurgency. February 1899 marked the beginning of open hostility and aggression towards the U. S. occupational forces by the Filipino insurgents. The U. S. now had to follow the precedent set by the British, that an empire was a mixed-bag of complications and benefits. Proclaiming the slogan â€Å"No hay derecho a vender un pueblo como se vende un saco de patatas† (â€Å"There is no right to sell a nation like a sack of potatoes†), Filipinos launched vicious attacks on the forces of Aguinaldo and Mabini to oppose the â€Å"new colonial masters†. [20] The U. S. soon discovered they were running a counterinsurgency every bit as brutal as anything that â€Å"Butcher Weyler† had done in Cuba. Regular army soldiers, many of them veterans of the U. S. Indian wars, undertook â€Å"marked severities† (as one termed it) against these new â€Å"Indians†. One U. S. rmy officer wrote: â€Å"We must have no scruples about exterminating this other race standing in the way of progress, if it is necessary†. Many questioned the point of attempting to hold such alien territory, when there were ongoing domestic problems, one newspaper editor commented that it was â€Å"a sinful extravagance to waste our civilizing inf luence upon the unappreciative Filipinos when it is so badly needed right here in Arkansas†. During July 1902, the U. S. declared the Philippine Insurrection over, 200,000 to 220,000 Filipinos had died, and of whom only 15,000 were actual combatants, which suggest that U. S. forces consciously made war on the enemy's entire society that the concept of total war occurred fifty years earlier than 1939. [21] Critics of expansionism were another annoyance for the U. S. government. Those in office found the idea of dependency incredibly taxing, that the foreign acquisitions would perpetuate existing domestic problems. Other member foresaw that the ruling of said overseas dependencies would contradict, even violate, the â€Å"premises of republican government and the values of classical liberalism†. Although he failed to fervor his stance on U. S. imperialism in the presidential election of 1900, William Jennings Bryan became a high profile contester of expansionism; as a result, the election did not provide a clear mandate for or against overseas empire. Opponents of the U. S. Empire even more fervent than Bryan established the Anti-Imperialist League in Boston to oppose the Philippine Insurrection and colonialism. Erving Winslow, Edward Atkinson, Moorfield Storey, William James, Andrew Carnegie, and former President Grover Cleveland added their voices to the anti-imperialist chorus. However due to their narrow upper-class and governmental social base, the â€Å"antis† were unable to generate much support for their arguments, indeed Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov Lenin described them as â€Å"the last of the Mohicans of bourgeois democracy†. [22] Despite the apparent failure to change U. S. foreign policy, the Anti-Imperialism League became a major concern of the government, not least because its foundation was made of some actual political personalities thus creating the rifts of viewpoint shown, but it also caused embarrassment in the face of public and international scrutiny into the affair and the consequences of it thereafter. Indeed such was the strain of the opposition that the government even suppressed the delivery of three anti-imperialism pamphlets to Manila written by, vice president of the Anti-Imperialism League, Edward Atkinson. Economists too were somewhat discouraged by the U. S. involvement in foreign relations, indeed the firm Gompers recognized the problematic nature of overseas economic development. These economists feared the possible conflict of competition regarding the expansion of existing U. S. monopolies and conglomerates, foreseeing their impact on foreign society in the pursuit and carving up of land, resources, and profit. Foreign competition was also of major concern, believing the â€Å"menace of cheap oriental labor† as detrimental to the U. S. proletariat. [23] The fabled China market and political engrossment of overseas markets meant the establishment of an â€Å"open door† in China and to the protection of the territorial integrity of China. This therefore threatened war, a political tool to be reluctantly used if other powers obstructed U. S. entry into China market, only war could sustain the policy. The rising sun of Japan and Tsarist Russia therefore threatened future U. S. non-entanglement. In conclusion it is inaccurate to deem the 1898 war and Philippine Insurrection as â€Å"splendid little† wars; in reality each was fraught with so many conflicting problems and consequences. To many individuals the concept of colonial expansion was exciting, not least as it perpetuated U. S. power and influence but many sought to gain economically, spiritually and personally from said imperialism. The cost of empire was of higher significance however, as its political costs were severely detrimental to the McKinley administration, its effects on physical practicalities of defense and economy damaging, and the diplomatic portrayal of the U. S. A embarrassing. Eighty years previously John Quincy Adams had predicted the outcome of U. S. involvement in global conflict, â€Å"no matter how righteous the initial cause†¦her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force†¦She might become dictatress of the World†. Hay was wrong, 1898 was never a â€Å"splendid little war†, never a war â€Å"on behalf of people other than its own†. [24] Bibliography B. Bailyn, The Great Republic: History of the American People Vol. II; Toronto, DC Heath Canada, 1998 J. L. Bates, The United States 1898-1928 – Progressivism and a Society in Transition; New York, McGraw-Hill Book Co. , 1976 H. Brogan, The Penguin History of the United States; London, Penguin, 2001 H. Underwood Faulkner, A History of American life Vol. XI – The Quest for Social Justice 1898-1914; New York, The Macmillan Co. , 1961 S. Foner, The Spanish Cuban American War and the Birth of American Imperialism 1895-1902. Vol. I; New York, 1972 L. B. Francisco, and J. Shepard Fast, Conspiracy for Empire – Big Business, Corruption and the Politics of Imperialism in America, 1876-1907; Quezon City, Philippines, Foundation for Nationalist Studies, 1985 E. Cobbs Hoffman, and J. Gjerde, Major Problems in American History. Vol. II Since 1865; Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2002 M. A. Jones, The Limits of Liberty – American history 1607-1980; Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1983 T. Mahan, Lessons of war with Spain; London, Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. , 1899 J. B. Moore, Four Phases of American Development; New York, Balt, 1912 C. S. Olcott, Life of McKinley – Vol. II; Boston, Houghton M ifflin Co. , 1916 J. R. Stromberg, The Spanish-American War: The Leap into Overseas Empire; U. S. A, The Future of Freedom Foundation, 1999 G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition; New York, W. W. Norton & Co. , 2004 ———————– [1] E. Cobbs Hoffman, and J. Gjerde, Major Problems in American History. Vol. II Since 1865, p. 98. [2] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition, p. 759 [3] Ibid [4] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition, p. 760 [5] Ibid [6] M. A. Jones, The Limits of Liberty – American history 1607-1980, p. 402 [7] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition, p. 764 [8] Ibid, pp. 759 and 762 [9] L. B. Francisco, and J. Shepard Fast, Conspiracy for Empire – Big Business, Corruption and the Politics of Imperialism in America, 1876-1907, p. 135 [10] Ibid, p. 141 [11] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition p. 764 [12] J. B. Moore, Four Phases of American Development, pp. 147-148 [13] E. Cobbs Hoffman, and J. Gjerde, Major Problems in American History. Vol. II Since 1865, p. 100 [14] M. A. Jones, The Limits of Liberty – American history 1607-1980, p. 403 [15] C. S. Olcott, Life of McKinley – Vol. II Boston, Houghton Mifflin co. 1916 [16] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition, p. 765 [17] L. B. Francisco, and J. Shepard Fast, Conspiracy for Empire – Big Business, Corruption and the Politics of Imperialism in America, 1876-1907, p. 33 [18] H. Underwood Faulkner, A History of American life Vol. XI – The Quest for Social Justice 1898-1914, p. 310 [19] H. Underwood Faulkner, A History of American life Vol. XI – The Quest for Social Justice 1898-1914, p. 313 [20] J. R. Stromberg, The Spanish-American War: The Leap into Overseas Empir e, p. 2 [21] Ibid [22] J. R. Stromberg, The Spanish-American War: The Leap into Overseas Empire, p. 2 [23] H. Underwood Faulkner, A History of American life Vol. XI – The Quest for Social Justice 1898-1914, p. 310 [24] E. Cobbs Hoffman, and J. Gjerde, Major Problems in American History. Vol. II Since 1865, p. 97

Stonehenge essays

Stonehenge essays The History and Mystery of Stonehenge One of the most mysterious and intriguing pieces of architecture is the design of stones at Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, named Stonehenge. Its purpose still remains unclear, but historians and archaeologists have speculated that is was used for either a grounds for the worship of ancient deities or an astrological observatory in order to mark significant events on the calendar used at the time. Today the area has been believed to be more of a celebration of the living and the heavenly bodies, more than a tribute place for the dead. The effort, time, and income used to build Stonehenge makes the modern observer believe that it was most definitely built for an important and special purpose. Many believe that the construction was built by the Druids between 3000 and 1500 BCE. The stones that remain in tact today simply represent the original design of Stonehenge. There is little that is interpreted from the design that remains today. Scholars and historians have to deduce the original meaning of the design of the stones from what remains today. Many of the stones have fallen over or were removed by other generations for use in other purposes. There has also been much damage to the large stones due to close public contact and damage due to the elements over time. The construction of Stonehenge has traditionally been classified into three different stages. In the first period, dating to approximately 3000 BCE, the area now viewed as Stonehenge was merely a large circular ditch with an elevated area in the middle. The circle was roughly 320 feet in diameter, one entrance leading to the interior and a large number of holes around the edge of the circle, and a wooden sanctuary in the middle. The circle was aligned with the midsummer sunrise, and the midwinter sunset. It was also inline with the rising and setting of the moon. It was situated evenly with the most southerly...