American foreign policy Essay Example for Free

American foreign policy Essay Foreign policy refers to the strategies that governments employ to guide their actions towards other countries. The U. S. foreign policy is founded on the principles of democracy and tenets liberalization (Goldstein, 2003). The U. S. foreign policy takes into account issues of human rights, economic growth and development, terrorism and environmental degradation and addresses them as challenges that can best be addressed through democracy in countries and institutions throughout the world (Goldstein, 2003). The U. S. foreign policy has undergone significant transitions that match different historical periods in the world that include the World War I, the World War II, the Cold War, the post Cold War period and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The United Nations and the United States are arguably the most influential players in the international system as well as in the global political economics as a whole. Having been formed with the main objective of promoting and achieving sustainable peace in the world, the United Nations remains the most dominant and most influential International Governmental Organization in the world (Roberts Kingsbury 1994). In theoretical terms, the fundamental significance of the United Nations as well as the operational challenges faced by the institution are illustrated in the theory of realism which states that â€Å"there is no world government, or political authority above the state, a situation that ultimately reduces the international system to absolute anarchy with the absence of any overarching political body with the capacity to enforce law and order among its members or nation states† (Roberts Kingsbury 1994). The realism theory stresses on the centrality of the state, or nation state as the ultimate political authority in the politics of the international system. As such, the overriding motive of all states is self-preservation through maximization of power, a characteristic that effectively transforms the international system of a war of all against all (Goldstein, 2003). The realism theory further argues that stability is best achieved in the balance of power which can be achieved through increased interactions among states, with the most powerful country playing the role of a balancer (Goldstein, 2003). Today, the U. S. is the most powerful country in the world and has effectively assumed the role of a balancer in the international system, with the United Nations serving as the overarching political body with capacity to enforce law and order among its member states. Domestic Public Attitudes toward Foreign Policy in the United States At the domestic level, the U. S. foreign policy enjoys a lot of support among the citizenry. According to a report by World Public Opinion. org, a strong majority of U. S. citizens support of the U. S. involvement in the world. However, the number of U. S. citizens who feel disgruntled by the country’ foreign policies is growing steadily. The World Public Opinion. org has established that Americans overwhelmingly support the continued leadership role that the U. S. plays in the world. These findings were based on a 2006 GMF poll which indicated that 84 percent of those polled saying it was desirable for the U. S to exert strong leadership affairs, with 43 percent having been quoted as expressing a US global influence as being very desirable, and only 14 percent expressing their concerns about the U. S. global influence. However, the overwhelming support of the U. S foreign policy by its citizenry does support the role of the U. S. in global affairs as a hegemony, but rather supports the idea of shared leadership roles with other players in the international system. A significant segment of the U. S population believes that the U. S security has been threatened by the way the U. S. has been using the threats of military force as leverage in the international system. In a poll conducted by the World Public Opinion. org, 63 percent of the respondents were of the view that the U. S. military threats prompt other countries to be protective by developing and acquiring weapons of mass destruction. In another survey that was carried out in 2003 by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, majority of the U. S. citizens faulted the war in Iraq, with 66 percent of the respondents believing that the war has had negative effects on the relations between the U. S. and the Muslim world. According to the survey, 64 percent of the respondents expressed concerns that the war will not promote democracy in the Middle East while a further 61percent expressed fears that the war will not reduce the threat of terrorism. International Public Attitudes toward Foreign Policy in the United States There has been a growing disdain for the U. S. foreign policy in many countries throughout the world. The September 11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent U. S. war on terror are seen as having particularly caused dramatic shifts in U. S. foreign policy (Grant, 2004). The military operations in Afghanistan that have been ongoing since October 2001 to date and the U. S. invasion of Iraq have taken toll on the image of the United States with people from around the world and those in the Muslim countries in particular showing the lowest ratings for the U. S foreign policy. According to the Pew Global Attitudes Project that is run by the Washington DC based Pew Research Centre, America’s image relative to the country’s foreign policy has dropped immensely over the years. According to the report of the project, the United States is trailing many countries in favorability ratings. Countries such as France, Germany, China and Japan are more popular than the U. S in the European Union countries and Muslim countries. The study showed that while the ratings of the U. S were highest in Asian countries such as India, the favorability ratings of the country dropped by 15 percent in India between 2005 and 2006. The study further indicated that levels of negative attitudes that the populations of Western Europe have towards America are even higher than they were in 2002 before the Iraq invasion. The Pew Global Attitudes Project report also showed low ratings for President George Bush both domestically and internationally, with the confidence in bush to make the right decisions in international affairs having dropped in seven of the eleven countries in 2005 as provided by the data that tracked the trends. The report further indicates a steady slump of rating for George Bush in European countries and among predominantly Muslim populations. George Bush registered the largest slump of ratings in the U. S. from 62 percent in 2005 to 50 percent in 2006. In regard to the War on Terror, the Pew Global Attitudes Project reported an overwhelming decrease in international public support for the U. S led war on terrorism. With Muslim countries having obviously registered the highest levels of criticisms against the war on terror, Spain and Japan also registered almost virtual collapse of support for the counter-terrorism war. As of 2006, the support for war on terror in Spain had reduced to 19 percent from 63 percent in 2003 while Japan registered public support of 26 percent from 61 percent in 2002, according to information provided by the Pew Global Attitudes Project.

Hamlet: Hamlet The Idealist :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Hamlet: Hamlet The Idealist In Hamlet, Elsinore is a society which people are seen acting in a deceitful manner in order to gain personal measures and prestige. These people mask their true in intentions to acquire selfish desires. In doing so they develop a theme of the discrepancy between the way things appear and their true realities. Hamlet, on the other hand, is an honest, moral individual trapped in this deceitful society. Hamlet is faced with the dilemma to either lower himself to their level by utilizing deception, or leave wrongs unrighted by remaining true to himself. In Hamlet, the theme of appearance versus reality is prevalent in Hamlet's decision between his morals and his father as he decides to utilize the deceit of his society, starts recognizing it in others and finally in using it to avenge his father. When Hamlet is introduced he is seen acting as he feels and this is what prevents him from repaying in kind for his father's murder. Hamlet grieves over the loss of his father so long and intensely that no one understands, for Gertrude and Claudius tell him he needs to move on like they have done, yet Hamlet can't understand this. His actions are reflections of his true feelings while the rest of his peers seem to be ignoring their grief. When Hamlet finds out that he is supposed to kill Claudius for his father he becomes distraught. This is because Hamlet's morals won't allow him to kill even if it releases Old Hamlet from his purgatory. He later realizes that he must start appearing differently than usual in order to carry out his father's word. Hamlet decides to put on an "antic disposition" and in doing so has started becoming deceitful. He is trying to mask his true feelings in order to prepare himself for his dilemma. When Hamlet starts being deceitful he starts to recognize the deceit in others and how they make themselves appear differently from their realities. Hamlets decision to put on an "antic disposition" was not honest to himself but he felt that he must appear differently than he feels to fulfill his needs. Hamlet first recognizes the deceit in Claudius after his father visits. Claudius committed the sin of fratricide (especially horrendous in this Christian society); but was now enjoying the fruits of his sin at the cost of his community. He tricked Elsinore into thinking he was a good king who stepped in to save the kingdom, yet in reality he was the cause of all the trouble. Claudius knew he had done wrong, for he later laments his action, but was now

Communication Studies Interal Assessment Essay

It is no secret that females are excelling in education and leadership at a faster rate than males. Our boys are being marginalized and girls are being considered more brilliant. This has personally grabbed my interest and consequently i have chosen to examine how well the GSAT prepares our males for high school level. For this Internal Assessment my attention will be centred on the extent to which the Grade Six Achievement Test prepares male students for academic progress and achieve in the future schools, and if the examination itself caters to their learning style. In the reflection of this assessment i will highlight some of the issues faced by males in preparation the GSAT and in the expository section of this i will discuss the issues and challenges brought out in the story, thus all contributes in achieving the purpose. Education is related to my academic interest as personally it pains my heart to see how boys in the Rockfort area and even the society at large are being marginalized. Even now, I teach a math class of about 10 students and not one of them are mails. In the future by whatever means possible i would like to make a difference in that. Having had this experience I now would like to help to offer my time and skills in assisting males preparing for GSAT or any other examination as a work related interest. Having gone through the system and being a high achiever myself I know there is a lot I have to offer which will eventually help even my own development. In all that, the purpose of the topic is t let my readers and listeners know that there are weaknesses in the GSAT that are affecting our males. Preface The purpose of the reflection is ultimately to highlight the some of the weaknesses in the GSAT that are affecting our males. It will also show the lack of preparation on getting male students ready to sit the examination. It will further look at the limitations to the curriculum in meeting the learning styles of males. The Ministry of Education on a broad scale will be the target in this story of the poor performance of the boys. The GSAT curriculum developers also will be targeted as to the reason for the poor performance of boys in the examination; they being the ones to set the structure of the examination. The setting of the story will take place in the community of Rockfort (Kingston 2). This is inclusive of a school known as the Windward Road Primary and Junior High school. Characters in the Story will communicate mainly interpersonally, but there may also be intrapersonal communication and small group communication in its minority. The point I wish to bring across in this story is that, the GSAT is not doing enough for our boys. It doesn’t meet the requirements of some the males sitting the examination. Males are rather more practically inclined, and oral in their expression. These things are to be taking into consideration when making the GSAT curriculum. Thus my final point is the GSAT is unsophisticated.

Personal Statement Identity And Identity - 1495 Words

The goal of this case study is to help me get a better understanding of identity in an adolescent, particularly the idea of identity roles (future career and education). I believe that for my case, the 15 year old will have a general idea of their identity. Identity according to Erik Erikson is having a sense of who and what you want to be as well as coming to terms with yourself, such as the way you look. To do this case study, I intend to do an interview because it’s better to have that one on one with an adolescent. This is the better choice because I can also see into their cognitive thinking, what they don t show in person or physically, doesn’t even make up for half the things going on in their head. Personally it would be hard to follow this student around the high school and gain consent from all of their teachers, which why I chose to do an interview instead. The interview questions that I used were all from the Internet because I could not think of any questi ons off the top of my head. This was very useful because I was able to give my interview very quickly because I had everything in front of me. The questions ranged from â€Å"what do you want to be when your older?† to â€Å"if you can change one thing about yourself, what would it be?† These are just a couple of the questions used to help me get a better understanding of the 15 year old. During this interview the 15 year old was very quick to answer these questions it was motivating and positive. There wasn’t muchShow MoreRelatedPersonal Statement : Personal Identity1470 Words   |  6 Pagesis it in virtue a person can persist over time? In discussing these questions, we are approaching the subject of personal identity. Philosophically speaking, personal identity is concerned with the qualities that define and make up the persistence of our personhood (Olsen, â€Å"Personal Identity). In An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke offered his theory of personal identity. In which, he believes that consciousness alone, not the soul or the body, constitutes self-identification. In theRead MorePersonal Statement : Personal Identity1501 Words   |  7 PagesPersonal identity is a valued sense of oneself as it sets us apart from any other one individual. Time transpires, yet we are capable of identifying who we are because of the personal identity we m anage to sustain. Personal identity is a significant and strong factor that allows us to lead our everyday lives, separating us from everyone else in the present, past, and future. Individuals day in and day out are subject to rapid change internally and externally and coming across obstacles that canRead MorePersonal Statement : Personal Identity1267 Words   |  6 PagesPersonal Identity Many ancient philosophers were fascinated with the idea of the personal identity. This is often referred to as the â€Å"self†. The â€Å"self† is considered to be something that is not physical, therefore the search to discover the â€Å"self† is not concrete. With the â€Å"self† being something that has no physical element, many philosophers have different opinions on what the â€Å"self† is and how it functions. â€Å"Someone s personal identity in this sense consists of those features she takes to â€Å"defineRead MorePersonal Statement On Personal Identity1389 Words   |  6 PagesLocke talks about personal identity. In additionally, he also speaks of the survival of conscious after the demise of an individual. Locke also examines the criterion of personal identity though time. The norm specifies insofar. Locke maintains that personal identity is a matter of psychological continuity. Locker vividly considered personal self to be founded un der consciousness, instead of substance of the soul or the body. Introduction The matter of personal identity as well as its determentsRead MorePersonal Statement On Personal Identity1150 Words   |  5 PagesPersonal Identity Identity criteria is a main component of who a person really is, central elements of how someone sees who they are and essential properties are argued to determine a person’s identity. How philosophers view the soul is essential one’s personality. The dualists believe that wherever the soul goes, that’s where the mind goes. The dualists view is based off of the fact that there is more to our brain and ourselves than just the physical aspect, the soul strongly supports this claimRead MorePersonal Statement On Personal Identity2340 Words   |  10 Pageswill be writing on the topic of personal identity. Personal identity is the issue whether a person whose growing, changes and life experiences changes one self’s. 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Since my birth, IRead MorePersonal Statement On Social Identity Essay1491 Words   |  6 PagesSocial identity is most commonly explained as a person’s awareness of who they are according to groups they assign themselves with (social class, teams, family, etc.). When I think about my own soc ial identity I ask myself, â€Å"What defines me?† Social identities allow us to have a sense of belonging in a hectic world. For my own social identity I know that I am a white young adult. I am able to acknowledge that I am female and I also identify as a woman. I practice Christianity, am a heterosexual andRead MorePersonal Statement : Cultural Identity982 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is my cultural identity? I had to do some research to figure out exactly what â€Å"Cultural Identity† meant. I looked at several essays and websites that explained what cultural identity means. I learned that cultural identity is how you feel when belonging to a group. It is how you perceive yourself and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, or any kind of social group that has its own culture. I decided to focus on the three things that culturally identifiedRead MorePersonal Statement : Our Identity1538 Words   |  7 PagesOur Identity in Christ With given a choice of what to write this paper, I could not get past the subtle nature of who we are as God’s creations. This fundamental truth of our identity is simplified with the truth of our identity in Jesus. We are created in God’s image with a purpose here on earth to display all of God’s greatness, His beauty, and to reveal all of His character aspects. Best of all, we are completely dependent on God. This new enlightenment of my identity in Christ as God’s creation