A Rhetorical Analysis of: Evil is as Evil Does Essay

PURPOSE: The famous Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, concerning the art of rhetoric, â€Å"[it] is the faculty of discovering in every case the available means of persuasion.† A suitably eloquent phrase, the definition lends itself to images of momentous speeches amongst great crowds and heated debates in which the fluent, forceful language of one person casts a shadow over the rural diction of another. Leonard Pitts’ purpose in his article, Evil is as Evil Does, is to argue that, â€Å"The events of September 11 did not happen because we did something wrong. Or because we somehow ‘deserved’ them.† Pitts feels very strongly that we were attacked on September 11 â€Å"because certain religious extremists hate us.† Pitts is writing a heated response to the arguments and comments he has heard over the past couple of weeks concerning why we were attacked. AUDIENCE: Since this article was in a local professional newspaper for the public, Pitts’ audience would consist of people in Columbus, Georgia, regions close around the city, and in Florida because he is a writer for the Miami Herald. The audience would consist of mainly middle-aged, middle class people. Pitts seems to be aiming this article particularly at those who are trying to empathize and rationalize the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington D.C. Pitts seems to feel they need to be convinced that evil cannot be rationalized and that the United States did not do anything to deserve these horrendous attacks. He says, although our â€Å"government has dirtied its hands in foreign affairs† we do not â€Å"drive planeloads of noncombatants into buildings filled with the same. And we don’t dance in the street when innocents die.† Therefore, he targets those who are trying to rationalize the motives of the terrorists because they are the people that are the most directly affected by the article, and the ones that need the most convincing. APPEALS: Pitts tries to reach his intended audience by making appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos. Throughout the article, he points out the facts of his argument, and then he relates them directly to his topic. Pitts shows ethos by making a logical argument for his own opinions, and attempting to persuade his audience to see his side. He uses logos to invent pathos for the attacks in order to draw out the emotions of the readers. For instance, he aggressively attacks those who are trying to figure out what we might have done to deserve what happened. Even his voice seems to be filled with anger and condescension. He argues, â€Å"Despite all of our transgressions, we don’t sanction the murder of those who have neither the capacity nor the intention to harm us.† Then, he reiterates that this is what the terrorists did. Pitts also argues that, â€Å"the claim that there might be some sort of moral equivalency between us and them is misguided at best, offensive at worst.† Here he relate his argument to pathos by stating that â€Å"Hell no,† we did nothing wrong and nothing to deserve these attacks. He claims that these attacks happened because the terrorists hate us. Pitts’ states that â€Å"they hate us because our foreign policy has been supportive of Israel. They hate us because we helped repel Saddam Hussein from Kuwait in 1991. They hate us because we are the biggest, the wealthiest, the most influential, and the most powerful. They hate us because we are not them, and, moreover, because they are not us.† STYLE: The style of this article is of a basic format. Pitts begins his article with a bold sentence to catch the attention of the reader. Kinneavy states in his book, â€Å"A Theory on Discourse†, that, â€Å"the distinctive function of the entrance paragraph is to introduce the subject and make clear the end and object of the speech† (Kinneavy, 266). He clearly introduces the purpose of his article in the first paragraph. He then transitions into his narrative and proof. He explains what propelled him to write this article and he proceeds with his proof as to why America is not at fault for the terrorist attacks. He concludes his article with another bold statement, which says, â€Å"We are right and they are evil. End of story.† This concluding paragraph shows the readers how strongly he feels about his argument. The reader can clearly see after reading this article that Pitts is using inductive reasoning to persuade his audience. The article was very easy to read and understand. There were no words that one would stumble over or that were hard to define and the paragraphs flowed and transitioned smoothly. The sentence structure was also varied well between long and short sentences. AUTHORITY: Pitts establishes his authority at the very beginning of the article by including his job title with his name: Leonard Pitts, Commentary. Right away, his audience is aware that he is an educated man because, otherwise, he would not be a writer for such a well-known newspaper as the Miami Herald. He is also an American, which, at this point, gives him good authority to write such an impassioned commentary concerning the recent attacks. Another thing that shows a writer to be credible is how one would define his character. Aristotle listed three aspects that would help with the credibility of a writer. â€Å"The speaker must appear to have a practical knowledge about the reality at issue, he must seem to have the good of the audience at heart, and he must portray himself as a person who would not deceive the audience in the matter at hand† (Kinneavy, 238). This is divided into good sense, good will, and good moral character. Pitts shows his good sense by showing his readers that he is well informed about the topic he is writing on. He goes through his article systematically, and reasonably refutes those people with which he does not agree. He shows his good will by explaining that we are better than the terrorists and the country they came from because we do not hurt innocent people on purpose or celebrate when they die. With his good will, he is establishing that as a fellow American, he does not, and will not empathize with the terrorists or anybody from the Middle East. Finally, Pitts expresses good moral character by showing his anger over the events mentioned. He also gives examples of the atrocities of the terrorists: flying airplanes into buildings filled with innocent people and â€Å"sanctioning the murder of those who have neither the capacity nor the intention to harm us.† He reminds those that are feeling sorry for the terrorists that Americans would never have done the evil things that terrorists do. He is expelling his good moral character by showing that he does not condone the acts of the terrorists. ORGANIZATION: Pitts starts his article with a quick and bold statement, â€Å"Let’s get one thing straight.† He then presents his thesis which states that we did not do anything wrong to deserve these attacks. He then begins to follow up with comments he has heard and e-mails he has received concerning why they believed the United States was attacked. Then he vehemently states that â€Å"In a word, no. To all of the above, to all the tortured reflection and moral distress: no. Hell no.† After this statement he proceeds to explain why he so adamantly disagrees with the empathetic reactions of the comments he has heard. First, he expresses acknowledgment that some people â€Å"might have legitimate reason for animosity toward this country.† He then transitions to state that although we might do things to cause anger in other countries, we do not respond in a violent and evil manner because of this. Pitts explains that when the United States is forced to take military action, we limit it to military targets and that we do not kill innocents on purpose. Pitts then states trying to change ourselves and the way we run this country in order to insure that â€Å"no one will ever steer a plane into one of our buildings again is foolishness.† Pitts then ties all these previous ideas together in his implications and conclusions section. He does not revisit each argument, but instead says that â€Å"they hate us† and â€Å"there is nothing about our enemies that deserves to be dignified by our moral distress.† He concludes his argument by asserting that â€Å"We are right and they are evil. End of Story.† EFFECTIVENESS: This article was a very effective argument. The author made a point by providing facts to support that point, and countering the opposition. The article flowed well, and the diction was not so complex that one could not understand. The passionate voice Pitts uses and the facts he provides clearly express his feelings on the issue at hand. I do agree with Pitts’ assertion that these attacks were not the fault of America and I also believe we did not deserve these vicious attacks. The acts of the terrorists were cowardly and evil. And in my own opinion, I believe that the attack backfired on them. Although they caused mass chaos and much pain, they also caused a revival of American pride and unity in our nation that has not been seen since World War II. Pitts’ article completely convinced me because I believe the same things that he does. We are certainly not a perfect nation and we do not always do the right things, but we do not condone the slaughter of innocent people, and there is no cause that would justify such an action. Works Cited 1. Kinneavy, James. A Theory of Discourse. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1980 2. Introduction To Aristotle. Co-Directors Sally Jackson and Scott Jacobs. San Francisco University. September 28, 2001 .

American Civil Rights Movement: A Mass Protest against Racial Segregation and Discrimination Essay

The American civil rights movement was a mass protest movement against racial segregation and discrimination in the southern United States that came to national prominence during the mid-1950s. This movement had its roots in the centuries-long efforts of African slaves and their descendants to resist racial oppression and abolish the institution of slavery. Although American slaves were emancipated as a result of the Civil War and were then granted basic civil rights through the passage of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the U.S. Constitution, struggles to secure federal protection of these rights continued during the next century. Through nonviolent protest, the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s broke the pattern of public facilities’ being segregated by â€Å"race† in the South and achieved the most important breakthrough in equal-rights legislation for African Americans since the Reconstruction period (1865–77). Although the passage in 1964 and 1965 of major civil rights legislation was victorious for the movement, by then militant black activists had begun to see their struggle as a freedom or liberation movement not just seeking civil rights reforms but instead confronting the enduring economic, political, and cultural consequences of past racial oppression. (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/119368/American-civil-rights-movement) In the time of the Civil Rights movement, lots of African American people were measured by how they managed difficult situations. The Civil rights movement had many influential leaders and events. The overall importance of the movement was the profound impact it had on American life. The Civil Rights Movement had many important leaders, like Martin Luther King Jr., Little Rock Nine, and Malcolm X, whose actions largely influenced the movement. Of the leaders involved in the Civil Rights Movement, one man stands alone; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King is known best for his contributions to the civil rights movement, for instance his policy of non violent protests and forming the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). (http://www.123helpme.com/civil-rights-movement-preview.asp?id=188121) In the 1950’s black people were discriminated and mistreated beyond belief whilst white people lived a life of luxury with cars, televisions and money. Statistics from the ‘US Department of Commerce’ state that 18% of white people lived below the poverty line whilst 56% of black people lived below

Academic Success in a K-12 classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Academic Success in a K-12 classroom - Essay Example to continue their education even after they have qualified the â€Å"continuing professional development.† Teachers may acquire a lesson plan to facilitate and help the student learning and prepare them for their future life. In short, it is the teacher who molds the personality of his/her students. (Oxford, Pergamon 1985) A teacher has an important and a significant role in facilitating the students in order to ensure their achievement goals and targets. Helping the students to achieve their long-term and short-term goals is an eloquent and rewarding responsibility. Goal setting is a process that actuates a student to stay focused and to prevent them from spending time on distractions. Once the students develop the manner of setting short-term goals they can more easily follow the path of achieving the life they wish to lead. I, in my class, implemented a few strategies which ensured that all the students achieved the objectives. I did so by making the students understand the term â€Å"critical thinking†, because to achieve different goals and objectives, critical thinking is an important factor to be acquired by the students. I implemented several critical reading strategies which would help the students to learn accordingly. This is to show the students how to implement critical reading str ategies. Similarly I also made the students practice critical thinking techniques in their homework so that they could learn from the lectures that were being delivered. Moreover I also had them to contemplate as to how the process of critical reading would affect their own learning and facilitate them in the future projects. Some students seem eager and ardent about learning, but many require their instructors and teachers to motivate and actuate them. A few strategies that I usually brought into practice to encourage the academically weak students to flourish revolved around increasing their self esteem. I provided these students with positive feedback to animate and

Drama Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Drama - Research Paper Example The theatrical form requires that even the audience in the last row catch the emotion expressed by the actor without it being rendered awkward due to the element of exaggeration involved. This is the context where physical acting can save the occasion. Also, physical action involves movement that can be weaved into the movement of the plot of the play itself to bring about a kind of doubled impact. Simon McBurney categorized human behavior into seven levels of tension, namely, coma, relaxed, neutral, alert, suspense, passionate and explosion so that there can be a level of standardisation on how the actor can express emotions in the form of physical actions on stage. Stanislavski on the other hand had much earlier developed the method of physical actions by which an actor supplements his/her emotional acting with corresponding physical actions. Both these approaches to physical acting have been lauded as systems that immensely help methodical acting yet criticized as well as constrictive to the real spirit of the total emotional experience involved. This has been a criticism raised against all kinds of physical theater. Yet, even the critics will agree that relying on facial expressions and internal feelings alone will render theater motionless and boring. While Stanislavski has more or less tried to provide just a physical actions-based loose framework corresponding to emotio nal states, the McBurney method prescribes specific physical actions for different emotions and thereby faces the risk of reductionism. Hence, Stanislavskys method of physical actions can be said to be imparting more freedom to an actor than McBurneys method. Method of physical actions was not merely a directive of physical training for Stanislavsky but the the psychological aspects of any physical action was also accounted for in this method (Chushkin, 1998, p.16). It was acknowledged by this theater maestro that the actor necessarily needed to have an â€Å"inner

Harrison Bergeron and V For Vendetta Analysis Essay

Harrison Bergeron and V For Vendetta Analysis - Essay Example In such kind of societies, it is seen that the government is to be feared by the people: it has both the authority and the armed forces to enforce its will upon the people. But McTeigue has other ideas, declaring that â€Å"people should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people,† emphasizing the concept of freedom over oppression. In this case, the researcher would try to expound the statement of McTeige through two outstanding literary pieces: the short story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† (Vonnegut Jr. n. p.) and McTeigue’s film â€Å"V for Vendetta.† The short story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron,† which was written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., tries to picture a society with absolute equality, wherein people are actually equal in all concepts (Vonnegut Jr. n. p.). As stated in the story, The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law; they were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else; nobody was better looking than anybody else; nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General. (Vonnegut Jr. n. p.) In able to ensure that all people was absolutely equal, the government actually created the office of the â€Å"United States Handicapper General,† wherein the intelligent would be handicapped by a loud noise distracting them (resulting to the fact that all people would be â€Å"averagely intelligent), athletic people would have to wear weights in order to be as fast and as athletic as normal people, and where beautiful people would have to wear masks (Vonnegut Jr. n. p.). Due to such handicaps, society actually resulted to a collection of individuals who are absolutely equal in every way, all of them stupid, dumb, and following authority without question (Vonnegut Jr. n. p.). This short story, which actually serves as a political satire, shows how the aim of governments to ensure absolute equality actually harms the natural differences of people, and how it both oppresses the rights of individuals to be who they are, harming the welfare of society as a whole. From this message, it can be seen that the freedom of individuals over oppression must be upheld, for it does not only benefit the welfare of the people, but the welfare and well-being of society as a whole. While Kurt Vonnegut Jr. used a satirical narrative to describe how oppression harms the well being of society and makes it dysfunctional, Director James McTeigue opted to use a different way to show why freedom must reign supreme over oppression, and why governments must be afraid of the people: he used the movie â€Å"V for Vendetta† (McTeigue, n. p.). This movie actually talks about the time when the government of Britain comes to be dominated by the fascist †Å"Norsefire Party,† turning Britain into a totalitarian state (McTeigue, n. p.). As the Norsefire Party takes power and gains hold of the parliament (following the bioterrorist attacks that will claim

California Should Have Stricter Divorce Laws Essay

California Should Have Stricter Divorce Laws - Essay Example This skyrocketing number of divorces has resulted in greater numbers of children being separated from one of their parents and cast into an uncertain future. More importantly, California has made divorce such an easy process that it now suffers from a culture of divorce that is void of personal commitment, places career and finance ahead of relationships, and needs to be reformed to make divorces in California a more deliberate process. A major breakdown in marriage that is caused by easy divorce is the breakdown in the trust and commitment that a couple needs to exist as equal partners. This breakdown begins way before a problem in the marriage surfaces. The easy dissolution of a marriage dilutes the traditional marriage vows and leaves them as little more than a casual agreement. When both spouses live with the anxiety created by the knowledge that the marriage can end at any time, and for no good reason, couples are less likely to invest in their relationship. They may be more reluctant to invest in property or children. A difficult, and more thoughtful approach, to divorce could help restore the belief necessary to remove the uneasiness of living with the thought that your spouse is in no way contractually bound to the you. I think it would also be a significant sign to the children that commitment, promises, and sacred vows have a purpose. It is generally held true that children suffer the most in a divorce. Initially they are impacted by the separation from one of their parents and a confused notion that it may have been their fault. Divorced couples that I have known have greater financial problems that directly impact the children. These parents sharing custody, or with single custody, find less time to involve themselves in the child's life. The child may participate in fewer outside the home activities and have less connection with their social environment. I don't believe that remarriage and step-parenting can ever replace the bond of the biological parents in the minds of the children. These difficulties will follow the child through their life and result in alienation and very little faith in the institution of marriage. While children are taught that commitment has less value in a relationship than the convenience of easy separation, the easy divorce laws reinforce the idea in the minds of adults. Making a career choice or a wish to make a geographical move may break up a marriage. If personal fulfillment outweighs the trust that the partner has invested in the relationship, the jilted spouse will be left with the haunting fear of intimacy. They have come into the institution of marriage with uncertainty and leave it with the certainty of mistrust and betrayal. I think that these issues could be addressed by making the laws on divorce stricter in its requirements that lead into the legal finalities. I think stricter laws on divorce would help insure that the intent of marriage is not at the mercy of whimsical personal preferences. Often, these career or personal preferences are a short-term divergence outside the relationship. They may offer a future that appears to be rosier than it will eventually be. Thoughts of infidelity may wane with time, counseling, or reexamination. However, a quick and easy divorce eliminates any possibility of

News Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

News Perspective - Essay Example This is the reason why online newscasts can have a better chance of placing the advertisements as and where they are required as compared to a television newscast. The marketing perspective within this online newscast served its purpose because I was able to view the advertisement for a period of 30 seconds before I could reach the exact content of the newscast. It made sense to me that the online newscast placed its advertisement right before the actual content of the newscast. The sources used in the news stories were deemed as both appropriate and credible. The sources deployed have actually brought quite a good amount of credibility and authenticity to the whole process. This is because the newscasts were seen as a form of research which exhibited true value for the advertisers and marketers. They were able to project their stories in a manner which was deemed as most fitting under the changing marketing dynamics. They believed that these newscasts could bring forward credible sources that shall make the audience perceive them as truthful at all times. It is indeed a much positive aspect related with the sources because these are viewed as credible and trustworthy. When one concerns the basis towards the television and the online form of newscasts, the onus always falls upon their source genuineness because it aims to resolve the ambiguities that exist within the relevant fore. Hence it is important to validate the sources present within the online news casts because these keep on changing from time to time. There is good enough evidence that these newscasts might have been tampered so as to attain some hidden agendas, which might be accomplished through these newscasts. The element of biasness was evident within the broadcast since one aspect was being portrayed while the other was found missing. This meant that one perspective was taking the

Closing the global digital divide A call for home grown solutions Essay

Closing the global digital divide A call for home grown solutions - Essay Example For instance, the mobile phone can be considered to have lessened the digital divide as a result of its ability to saturate the market, but one could argue that this has largely been due to lower costs being passed onto the customer. The study by Russell and Drew (2001) acknowledges the impact of the mobile phone by not including this technology in the survey. "The digital divide is also most likely to affect lone parents and those who are already at a disadvantage in the community such as individuals with disabilities and those with little or no education" (Russell and Drew 2001). Narrowing the digital divide in this instance would be particularly advantageous to these groups as such technologies would probably facilitate communication and social involvement. For example, those with mobility problems or severe restrictions on their mobility can partake in online forums and groups to reduce social loneliness. Internet technologies also enable communication in the way of video calls for those not able to travel. Local and central governments are also introducing online services such as paying for car related services (e.g. car tax, renewals and applications) online (DVLA) which reduces the need to travel thus adding convenience. The factors mentioned in this introduction suggest that a widening digital divide is related to certain social a nd economic issues, and this has driven the need to close the digital divide. Closing the digital divide is important for a number of reasons, one of which includes the reduction of poverty (Hargittai 2003). The reduction of poverty is often associated with improving basic amenities such as water and electricity, which could be said to be true of developing countries. However, when one considers the developed countries that already have such amenities in place, the reduction of poverty takes on a different meaning. In the developed countries, access to digital technologies is said to affect access to services and quality of life in some cases (Hargittai 2003). For instance, those with access to digital technologies are able to access a wider range of services and markets with ease, such as internet banking, online trading and the benefits of interactive communication; whilst those without access will remain devoid of such knowledge and will not have the opportunity to partake in this digital world in order to advance themselves or their careers. On an interna tional level, the reduction of poverty by closing the digital divide is being suggested as a means of combating of terrorism which is considered to have its roots in poverty (Hargittai 2003). For example, it is reported on local and national media that terrorist activities and plotters have their roots in parts of Asia and the Middle East which are lacking in basic amenities and technology. This lack in digital technology is said to isolate such

Answer all questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer all questions - Essay Example However, things changed soon after I discovered that my friend lied to me.1 Although I clearly told him that I need a car that should cost $4000, I was very much infuriated to find out later that the deal was actually for the car to be sold to be at the price of $6000. Since he was my friend, I had complete trust on him and I signed the documents without thoroughly going through them and this was my biggest mistake. On finding out about the correct situation, I was left in the middle of nowhere and since I had signed the deal, I had to pay 2000 extra for the car. This happened few years back when I was in studying in college and it happened to be one of my biggest mistakes in life but I learnt a lot from this experience and now I make every decision very carefully. 2 Work Cited Cash, Thomas, F., & Pruzinsky, Thomas. Body Image: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice. Guilford Press, 2004, pp 91. Rosengren, Karl, E. Media effects and beyond: culture, socialization and l ifestyles. Routledge Publishers, 1994, pp 181.

Pressure ulcers disease Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Pressure ulcers disease - Case Study Example The Never Event Policy was generally instituted to ensure that hospitals and healthcare facilities give the very best of care to patients so that patients would not have to come out of hospitals and health facilities with new illnesses. It is for this reason that some key hospital-related conditions have been set apart under the Never Event Policy with the aim that these conditions do not happen at the health facilities. Some of these key conditions are â€Å"wrong-site surgeries, transfusion with the wrong blood type, pressure ulcers, falls or trauma, and nosocomial infections† (Torrey, 2011). There, however, remain some key components of the Never Event Policy that hospital administrators must be concerned about. One of these is false claims associated with the report of never event conditions (Morris, 2003). False claims take place in two major ways, and each of these can be curtailed by the hospital administration. The first has to do with cases of the patient transfer whe n the latter hospital is making claims of never event conditions in the patient being transferred to the former hospital. There could also be a case when a patient makes claims of never event conditions. Because never event conditions are not covered under Medicare, any claims of their existence lead to payments to be made by the accused hospital. Administrators can, on the other hand, take steps to ensure that for services for which payment is not available under applicable rules, false claims are not taken.

Oedipus Rex Essay Example for Free

Oedipus Rex Essay I believe the main point Sophocles was trying to convey in the story â€Å"Oedipus Rex† was that you have to be accountable for your actions. He shows this by the use of dramatic, situational, and many more different kinds of irony. Sophocles also uses foreshadowing to show how Oedipus needs to be accountable for his actions. Sophocles is teaching his audience an important life lesson. Sophocles shows his audience that you have to be accountable for your own actions. He does this by showing the audience that no one could have stopped Oedipus from fulfilling his life’s prophecy. In the play â€Å"Oedipus Rex† Sophocles tells the story of a man, who is now king of Thebes. He was born in a different land and was told a prophecy that he would kill his own father and wed his mother. When he heard this he fled from the land and came to Thebes where he claimed the throne and became their king. Oedipus is a head strong person. Who often doesn’t think before he speaks, such as when he says, â€Å"And for myself I pray that if he should, with my knowledge, become a resident of my house, I may suffer the same things which I have just called down on others. Oedipus says this not knowing that he himself is the murderer and that he will punish himself. Oedipus also makes judgments and decisions before he knows all the facts. One example of this is when Creon says, â€Å"Kinswoman, Oedipus, your husband, wants to do one of two terrible things to me, either thrust me from the land of my fathers or to arrest and slay me. † Oedipus is so angry with Creon that he does not think before accusing him even though Creon is trying to protect Oedipus. Since Oedipus’ character is flawed it helps support Sophocles’ point of saying that you are accountable for your own actions. This is shown the best when Oedipus tells his wife, Jocasta, that while he was traveling to Thebes he ran into a man on the road who tried to push Oedipus from the path. Oedipus, having a short temper, struck out and slayed all the men in and leading the carriage. This was not a good thing to do in the first place, but what Oedipus did not realize was that the man in the carriage was Laius. Laius was the former king of Thebes and was Oedipus’ biological father. When he killed Laius he fulfilled half of his prophecy. This fulfillment is also an example of situational irony. It is situational irony because Oedipus believed he would be the hero and banish the murderer of Laius from the land. He believed he would end all the suffering, but in fact he was the murderer. Another example of irony that supports Sophocles’ idea that you are accountable for your actions is when Oedipus says, â€Å"†¦ who declared that I was doomed to slay my father? But he is dead, and lies beneath the earth, and here I am, not having put my hand to any spear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is dramatic irony. Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows more than the characters in the story. In which case things said and events in the story take on different meanings to the characters and to the audience. In this case Oedipus thinks he has overcome his life’s prophecy because he did not kill the man he believed to be his father. But the audience knows that Oedipus’ real father is Laius. The audience also knows that Laius was the man on the road that Oedipus murdered. So to the audience this just ads to the suspense of Oedipus finding out that he is the murderer. Foreshadowing also plays a huge role in showing Sophocles’ point that you are accountable for your own actions. In the play, Oedipus Rex, foreshadowing is used in the lines said by Jocasta, â€Å"No. Soon after he returned and found you ruling in Laius’ stead, he pled with me, with hand laid on mine, to send him to the fields, to the pastures of the flocks, that he might be far from the sight of this town. † This is foreshadowing because the audience knows that the man fled because he saw Oedipus, the same man who had murdered his king, ruling the city. Oedipus though only now is starting to question the event in which he killed men on the same road that the Laius was killed on. This is a foreshadowing of Oedipus finding out that he is Laius’ son and that he fulfilled the prophecy by killing his father and marrying his mother. Sophocles was trying to convey the message that you are responsible for your actions because you never know what might happen because of your mistakes. He shows this message in â€Å"Oedipus Rex†. He uses irony, foreshadowing and the flaws in Oedipus’ character to relay his message.

Comparison of Healthcare Systems: Russia and the US

Comparison of Healthcare Systems: Russia and the US Joel Adewuyi Madalyn Arnott Stephanie Armstrong Lauren Ball Russian federation has 17 million km2 of land surface area, making it the largest country in the world. The country has major deposits of coal, timber, oil, and assorted minerals and is thus perceived by many as a rich country who can provide universal healthcare to her citizens. Today, the healthcare system in Russia unlike in the United States is universal but has been plagued with poor quality and deficient services and thus in the process of being reformed by the Russian government. It is a universal system only in theory but the poor quality has made many Russians result to paying under the counter-bribes in order to get their necessary treatments (Russian, 2017). Recent government reforms, and measures to increase efficiency such as increase in funding have begun to address the ongoing problem in the healthcare sector. However, even with the new reforms in place, since the 1990s, there has been no significant improvement in the healthcare system (Russian 2017). The biggest problem confronting this system has been attributed to lack of funding by the government. Historical Perspectives The end of the Soviet Union gave birth to the Russian Federation in 1991 and since then the health status of the Russian population has been on a dramatic decline. Rates of medical conditions like cancer, heart disease, and tuberculosis are the highest compared to any other industrialized country. Government spending on healthcare which was 7% of Gross National Product (GNP) in the 1960s before Soviet Unions breakup was reduced to 3% after the breakup (site wide, 2017). Most of the government funding started going to industrial and military developments and lesser priority given to the healthcare system and by the end of 1995 less than 1 percent of Russias budget was allocated to public health in comparison to more than 12 percent in the United States (site wide 2017). With this, the public health delivery system in Russia went into the crisis with poorly trained medical personnel, lack of modernized equipment, poor payments for the medical personnel, poor personal hygiene and diet, lack of exercise, virtually nonexistent preventive medicine etc. The lack of accessibility to national health system facilities, with most patients standing in line at clinics for an entire day before receiving treatments coupled with non-affordability prescriptions drugs, has encouraged them resulting into unorthodox alternatives such as herbal medicine, mysticism, and faith healings. Russian Healthcare System Today There are several issues that can be observed in the modern Russian healthcare system. For example; there is limited access to healthcare facilities, and the sanitation in the facilities is below United States standards. The Healthcare system in the United States is often viewed as the best in the world, but it has several flaws as well. There is limited access for veterans and several hospitals charge as much as three times what others charge. There are also several benefits to the United States healthcare. Virtually on every corner of any town in the U.S there is access to a hospital or an emergency room. Also in the U.S., there are several payment plans individuals can use. In the Russian healthcare system one of the main problems is limited access to healthcare facilities. Only four percent pay their doctors when they have a medical procedure (Allianz, 2009 p 5). This causes a shortage of medical professionals. The lack of medical professionals causes individuals to rely on themselves for medical treatment. Several problems arise when individuals rely on their own knowledge. Another major issue with this system is the unsanitary working conditions of medical practices and medical professionals themselves. The lack of sanitation in facilities causes individuals to be more susceptible to diseases and other types of infections (Antonova, 2016 p3). The Russian healthcare system has several flaws that we do not have in the United States healthcare system. In the United States, there are hospitals around every corner. This allows individuals to have access to healthcare no matter where they live, but this can have some repercussions. Although hospitals are easy to find some individuals cannot afford this care. In 2010 the Affordable Care Act was signed so everyone has access to healthcare, but individuals need to have insurance for this Act to apply to them. This although seems beneficial to all, some individuals feel that they are forced to buy insurance. One positive aspect of the United States healthcare system is the amount of insurance options available. Most individuals use insurance through their employer, and some have medical cards. One negative aspect of the healthcare system is there is little to no coverage to for veterans. Tricare only covers veterans when they are in active duty, once they retire the insurance no longer covers them. Future of Healthcare System in Russia The Russian healthcare system for sure needs improvements due to many problems. Russias population is more than 6 million lower than it was nearly two decades ago (public health, 2015). Sadly, birth rates are lower and mortality rates are higher. Over half of the deaths are due to cardiovascular disease. Other problems include cancer and external causes such as accidents and traumas. However, since 2005 the Russian healthcare system have been trying to turn things around positively. In 2006, the Russian government launched the National Priority Project (NPP) to try and change the system for the better (public health 2015). The budget for this project was over than 400 billion rubles (Russian dollars) which was granted between 2006 to 2009 (public health 2015). Many activities have been planned and accomplished through the NPP. The NPP has increased salaries of primary and emergency care physicians, purchased more primary care equipment, provided more vaccination programs, providing free medical examinations to the public, increased the promotion of fertility, and made more high-tech centers for tertiary care. These activities have increased the quality of the system and bettered it for the citizens of Russia. There have recently been very bad financial troubles in Russia yet the NPP has managed to improve the system through these ways. Fertility rates are higher, mortality rates are lower, and life expectancy for both women and men have risen. However, not all the healthcare problems have been addressed. Basic healthcare is still unfunded, there are many problems with Russias healthcare insurance, and there is little effort to face and fix the population health behavior. Until the Russian citizens take these problems into their own hands the future of Russias health will be a problem. The citizens need to stop smoking, binge drinking, and bad habits in order to enjoy better health. The Russian public needs to be able to provide healthy air, water, better food quality, safer roads, and safer work environments. Until these problems are addressed, the health challenges that Russia faces will not be fixed and will follow to the years ahead. Russias health care system has taken a turn for the worst. Consequences of a failing healthcare system have fed to declining health among the Russian population. Inefficient funds have led to cost cuts, this already damaging a weak system. Numerous medical staff had to be laid off because of this, when healthcare workers were already at a minimal amount. At this point in time Russia suffers from a high death rate, low birth rate, and low life expectancy. The total population is decreasing by 700,000 people each year (Aarva 2009). The average life span for a male is statistically shown to only reach 59 years old (Aarva, 2009). Compared to the United States, a typical average life span for men is 78 years old (Aarva, 2009). Women in Russia overall only average to 72 years old (Aarva, 2009). The fertility rates in Russia cannot meet the declining rate of population. The decline in health statistically shows to only get worse within the next 50 years, declining by 30 percent (Aarva 2009) . In Russia, the number one leading cause of death is cardiovascular disease, this is followed by alcoholism and tobacco use. The World Health Organization accounts for more than 1.2 million deaths per year from these. A growing health issue in Russia is disease, such as HIV/AIDS, a little over 1 percent of Russias population test positive (Aarva, 2009). Lancet 2012 study showed that 57 percent of those affected acquired this from drug use (Aarva, 2009). Although over looked, Russias health care system has led them to have a lot in common with 3rd world countries. Numerous factors have led to Russias health care decline; however, many believe lack of education is the number one reason for the decline. Public health policies and information is less easy to access in Russia then the United States. Russia is also lacking in resources such as a lack in medication. Russias health care doesnt have the ability to give the citizens proper health care, if this situation continues their population will significantly continue to decline. In conclusion and in fairness to the Russia federation, the truth is that despite the relatively poor health statistics and healthcare situations, Russia is not dependent on any international assistance for her healthcare funding and is nondependent on any of the developed countries. Even though, they are independent, the governments duty of a guaranteed full range of free healthcare services to her citizens has not experienced any setback, but rather has been confirmed through the newly implemented Russian constitution and the new healthcare financing laws. References Russian health care: A healthy future? (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2017. Site-wide navigation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2017. Public Health: Russia is Sick. The Globalist. N.p., 04 Oct. 2015. Web. 23 Feb. 2017. Landed, S. J. (2014, May 04). Overview. Retrieved February 22, 2017. Allianz. (2017). Healthcare in Russia support. Retrieved February 23, 2017. Aarva, P., Ilchenko, I., Gorobets, P., Rogacheva, A. (2009). Formal and informal payments in health care facilities in two Russian cities, Tyumen and Lipetsk. Health Policy and Planning, 24(5), 395-405. doi:10.1093/heapol/czp029 Antonova, N. (2016). Access to Healthcare in Russia: A Pilot Study in Ekaterinburg. Central European Journal of Public Health, 24(2), 152-155. doi:10.21101/cejph.a3942 O. (n.d.). Weve Got You Covered. Retrieved February 23, 2017. Dairy Products: Physio-chemicals and Microbiology Dairy Products: Physio-chemicals and Microbiology Agriculture is the single largest sector in the Pakistan, contributing 21. 8 to the gross domestic product and employing approximately 44. 7 of the workforce. Livestock is playing a vital role in the economy of Pakistan and account for 51. 8 % of the agriculture value added and 11. 3% of the national Gross Domestic Product. The milk production in country increased by 35. 6% from 1996 to 2007 (Anonymous, 2008). Pakistan dairy sector is producing 41. 3 million tons milk and is the fifith largest milk producing country in the world. Its massive herd of 60. 8 million cows and buffaloes produced 40. 76 million tons of milk in the year 2007-2008. while 56. 70 million goats produced 0. 70 million ton (Anonymous, 2008). The role of livestock sector in the rural economy of Pakistan is important as 30-35 million rural population of the country derive their livelihood from livestock production as a primary or secondary activity (Anonymous, 2008), Milk is defined as the whole, fresh, clean, lacteal secretion obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy milk animals excluding that obtained within fifteen days before or five days after the calving or such period as may be necessary to render the milk practically colostrums free and containing the minimum prescribed percentage of milk fat and sold not fat (Goff and Griffth, 2006). Milk is a dynamically balanced mixture and is also a perishable food. It is one of few foods consumed in the natural form throught the world. Milk contain 87% water 3. 9% fat, 3. 3% protein, 5% lactose and 0. 7% ash. Milk supply body building protein, bone forming minerals, health giving vitamin and energy giving lactose and milk fat. Besides providing certain essential fatty acids it contain all essential amino acid. All the properties of milk make it an important food for growing children, adults, adolescents, invalid, convalescents and patients (Khan et al., 2005). There is a great potential for dairy industry but the sector operates mostly in the informal economy and needs a constituents effort to formalize and be able to contribute better to the national economy. There are nearly 5. 5 million small scale rural units owing less than 6 dairy herds. These small dairy holders produce 65% of all buffalos and cows milk. Out of total milk produced, 97% is in the informal sector (i. e. loose milk consumed in the village and or sold in the cities through Gawalas in unhygienic condition and without any quality standard). The small scale milk collector collect 200-400 kg milk per day from different villages. Medium scale milk collectors collect 400-800 kg milk per day in a manner similar to the small milk collectors, but on a large scale, Large scale milk collectos collect 5-to 10 tons milk per day and supply milk the dairy factories (Garcia et al, 2003). There are hardly 15 milk processing plant (mainly UHT fluid milk, milk powder and yoghurt in Pakist an). Only about 3 % milk is being processed and 97% is consumed as a raw milk (Malik, 2008). Milk and milk products are one of the most important food products with livestock origin which enjoy special significance in terms of its various nutritional properties such as protein, lactose, fat, minerals and vitamins. Many studies have been made on its constituents and physiochemical characteristics (Walstra et al,  1999). Adulteration of milk and dairy products is one of the most serious issues in the dairy industry and causes economic losses and major health problem to consumers. Due to the limited number of large dairy farms, milk handling process in the traditional system are unhygienic and there is insufficient enforcement of standards, resulting in poor quality of milk products. In order to keep the milk safe, middleman add ice to the milk, in addition microbiological contamination occur due to addition of ice in the milk. The middleman increases the milk quality by adding water, vegitable oil, whey powder and other ingredients to increase the soilds of milk. Antibiotics and Hydrogen peroxide are often used as a preservatives (Garcia et al,   2003). The adulterants in milk include water, starch, whey poxder, vegetable oil and hazourds substance such as antibiotics, caustic soda, urea, formaline, detergents and other chemicals preservatives. Adulteration in milk is a very serious issues in Pakistan. Keeping in view these facts, the present will be planned. Objectives: To study the Physio-chemicals and microbiological quality of dairy products. To determine the adulterants and residues in the dairy products. To determine the relationship of physio-chemical parameters with adulterants. To make recommendation to the Govt of Punjab in the control of adulterants in milk and other food products. Review of Literature: A study conducted on physiochemical quality of UHT milk produced from whole milk powder and stored at 4 °C and 25 °C for 48 hours. They observed that non protein nitrogen content of UHT milk increased while pH decreased with storage and the rate of change being greater at higher storage temperature. Sediment increased with longer storage period, but independent of storage temperature. With longer storage at both 3+-1 C and 25-+ 1 °C, greater sediment and lower pH were observed in UHT milk processed from older milk powder. The development of off flavors increased in UHT milk with a prolong storage period (Ernani et al, 1997). Kuo et al. 2001 studied the effect of heat treatments on the meltability of cheese. They studied cheddar cheese of different composition and low-moisture. Cheese samples were heated to 60 °C and held for 0, 10 and 20 min before allowing the melted cheese to flow. Mean meltabilities, over all ages of both Cheddar and Mozrella cheeses decreased significantly as holding time increased. Meltability of young cheese was scarcely affected by the holding time, in contrast to that of the old cheese where increasing the holding time greately reduced meltability. Khan (2004) studied the physio-chemicals changes in UHT bottled milk and found that effect of treatments and storage on sedimentation, fat, pH, acidity and SNF was highly significant. Maaximum sedimentation was observed after 12 weeks of storage, pH gradually decreased and minimum value were found after 12 weeks. Maximum acidity was found after 12 weeks and minimum was noted in the first week. Kumar and Mishara (2004), studied the effect of stabilizer addition on physiochemical, sensory, textural properties and stater culture counts of mango soy milk fortified yoghurt (MSFY). Three stabilizer namely gelatin, pectin and sodium alginate were used. The addition rate of stabilizer was 0. 2%, 0. 4% and 0. 6% w/w. Significant effect of type and addition rate on acidity, msture content and total solids ofMSFY were observed. Syneresis and acetaldehyde content of MSFY was reduced significantly. Lightness and yellowness of MSFY increased with gelatin and decreased with pectin and sodium alginate. Gelatin gave better effect on appearance and color, body and texture, flavor and overall acceptability in comparision with other stabilizer at 0. 4 % addition rate. Hardness, cohesiveness and adhesiveness of MSFY increased up to 0. 4 % stabilizer addition, while springiness and gumminess did not follow any trend. There was a significant effect of stabilizer addition on Streptococcus thermop hillus and lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus counts. Griffiths et al 1988, manufactured low heat skim milk powder from raw farm bulk tank and creamery silo milk which had been stored at 2 °C for 24 and 72 hours. During the storage period psychrotroph count increased by about 1log cycle after 24 hour aand 2 log cycle after 72 hours. There was no increase in thermoduric or spore counts of the milk under these storage condition. The powder manufactured from these milk was good bacteriological quality and conformed to ADMI recommendations regarding moisture content, titratable acidity and solubility. They concluded that storage of raw milk at 2 C had no deterintal effect on the heat stability of the powder manufactured from it when reconstituted to both 9 and 22% total solid concentrations. Molska et al 2003 studied the microbiological quality of kefir (61 samples) and yoghurt (92 samples) purchased in retail network in Warsaw. The total number of bacteria in at least 90% of yoghurt and 73% of kefir was in the range of 10(7)-10(9) cfu/g. The domestic group of bacteria in kefir were mesophilic lactic acid streptococci and in yoghurt S. thermophillus. The number of L. delbrueckii in 40 % of sample was less than 10(7) cfu/g. More than 86 % of kefir and 97 % of yoghurt analysed were free from coliform bacteria., B. cereus, mould and yeast. About 48 % of kefir samples did not fulfilled the FAO/WHO requirements concerning the number of yeast. Kessel et al 2004, determine the test for standard plate count (SPC) and fecal coliforms in the bulk tank milk in the inited state. As part of the 2002 survey, 861 bulk tank milk sample were collected from farms in 21 states, coliform were detected in 95 % samples. There were no apparent relationship between SPC and incidence of salmonella or L. monocytogenes. Although the prevalence of L. monocytogenes and salmonella was low, these pathogens represent a potential risk to consumers of raw milk and raw milk products. Nero et al 2004 condcted a study to avaluate the microbiological quality and the presence of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. In the raw milk produced in 210 small and medium farms located in four important milk producing Brazilian states. In 66% of the selected farms the milkng was manual. In 33 % of them, the milking was semi-automatic and only 1 % were equipped wit hfully automatic milking systems. All raw milk samples were negative for L. monocytogenes and salmonella spp. Mesophilic aerobes counts were higher than 10^5 CFU /ml in 75. 7% of the samples. In 80. 4%, coliforms were over 10^2CFU /ml. Escherichia coli were detected in 36. 8% of the samples. Aygun et al 2005 purchased 50 randomly selected samples of Carra cheese, raw milk cheese, from different retail markets in the Antakya region and were investigated for microbiological quality and some chemical analyses. In their samples, the number of microorganisms were found as follows : Staphylococcus aureus 2. 51* 10^3 cfu/g, coliform 1. 02*10^4 cfu/g, E. coli 4. 27*10^3 cfu/g, Salmonella were not detected in any of the samples. Mean moisture, salt and fat content of Carra cheese were found as 41. 26%, 7. 82% and 26. 77% respectively. The pH value of the samples varied b/w 4. 53 and 6. 32 with the mean of 5. 24. The microbiological finding showed the presence of high counts of microorganisms investigated and the poor hygienic quality of Carra cheese. Little et al 2008 determined the microbiological quality of two retail fresh ripened and semi hard cheeses made from raw, thermized or pasteurized milk. Raw or thermized milk cheeses were of unsatisfactory quality due to level of Staphylococcus aureus st 10^4 cfu/g, E. coli at 10^5 cfu/g, whereas pasteurized milk cheeses were of unsatisfactory quality due to S. aureus at 10^3 cfu/g and E. coli at 10^3 cfu/g. Salmonella was not detected in any samples. They emphasize the need for applying and maintaining good hygeinc practices throught the food chain to prevent contamination and bacterial growth. Labelling of cheeses with clear information on whether the cheese was prepared from raw milk also requires improvement. Sheppard et al 1985 demonstrated the application of various analytical methods to the detection, identification and quantitation of vegetable oil adulteration o ice cream. Total fat content, sterol, long and chain fatty acid, vit E, Reichert à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Meissle values and Polenske values were measured in ice cream. All method except total fat determination were capable of detecting vegetable oil adulteration. Sterol determination was the most effective and versatile measurement because it provided information not only on the detection and extent of adulteration but also on the possible identity of the adulterant. Fox et al 1988, described a test for routine screening of Mozzarrella Cheese and butter for vegetable fat adulteration. Fat is extracted and sponified. The potassium salts of the fatty acids are measured through direct gas chromatographic analysis. A ratio, calculated from the concentration of butyric acid and oleic acid is used to avaluate the puroty of the samples. The test offers good precision and can detect less than 10% partially hydrogenated vegetable fat. Kumar et al 2002, reported that adulteration in milk and milk products has reached an alarming stage. Milk fat is being mixed or replaced with cheaper vegetable oil. Therefore, often more than one test has to be employed to confirm the purity of milk fat. The various method for the detection of adulteration in milk at is based on the physical properties, chemical properties and presence or absence of specific constituents of either milk fat or adulterant fats. Jha and Matsuoka 2004, conducted a study on the adulteration of natural milk by synthetic milk, prepared by mixing appropriate amount of vegetable oil, urea, detergent powder /shampoo, caustic soda, sugar /salt and skim milk powder to water. Detection of adulterants is difficult by a single method and sometimes more than two methods are required to confirm the presence. The potential of near-infrared spectroscopy were investigated (NIRS) in the wavelength range of 700-1124. 8 nm. Material And Methods: Collection of Samples: The dairy products samples will be collected from the market and then analysis will be performed at Dairy Laboratory, National Institute of Food Science Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Butter: Butter samples of three different brand namely Gourmet, haleeb and Nurpur Dairies will be collected. Three samples from each brand will be collected. Youghurt: Yoghurt samples of three different brands namely Gourmet, haleeb and Nurpur Dairies will be collected. Three samples from each brand will be collected. Cheese: Cheese samples of three different brands namely Adams, Military dairy Factory and Nurpur Dairies will be collected. Three samples from each brand will be collected. Milk Powder: Milk Powder samples of three different brands namely Gourmet, haleeb and Nurpur Dairies will be collected. Three samples from each brand will be collected. UHT milk: UHT milk samples of three different brands namely Gourmet, haleeb and Nurpur Dairies will be collected. Three samples from each brand will be collected. Sampling Procedure: Dairy product samples will be collected in clean sterilized container and put in ice chest, whereas milk powder will be collected in zip polyethylene bag. These samples will be transported for analysis to the Dairy Laboratory, National Institute of Food Science Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Sterilization: All glassware like pipette, test tubes, petri dishes, beaker and flasks will be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized in an oven at 180 C for 2 hours. All media and solution will be prepared in distilled water and autoclaved at 121 C at 15 Ib pressure for 15 min using the procedure of AOAC (2000). Physiochemical Test: The samples will be subjected to different physic-chemical test which are detailed as under. Melting Resistance and Melting Quality: Melting Resistance and Melting Quality will be determined by the method as prescribed by Bhadari(2001). Fat: Fat will be determined by using Gerber method as described by the Kirk and sawyer (1991). pH The pH of all the treatments will be determined according to AOAC (2000) method no. 981. 12. Moisture and ash All the treatments will be analyzed for moisture and ash according to their respective methods mentioned in AOAC (2000). Total solids Total solids called percent residues will be determined by drying the sample in hot air oven according to method described in AOAC (2000). Protein: Protein content will be determined by using Kjeldhal method as described by AOAC (2000). Microbiological Test: Dairy products samples will be tested for total plate counts, Coliform counts, Staphyloccus aureus and Yeast and Mould count by the method prescribed by AOAC (2000). Chemicals Adulterants Detection Test: Dairy products samples will be tested for the adulterants namely Formaldehyde, Boric acid, Hydrogen peroxide, Starch, Neutralizers (Sodium carbonate, bicarbonates, Sodium hydroxide by the method prescribed by AOAC (2000). Statistical analysis Results will be analyzed statistically to determine the level of significance (Steel et al., 1997). Literature Cited: Anonymous, (2008). Economic survey of Pakistan. Ministry of finance, economics advisers wing Islamabad. AOAC, (2000). Official Method of Analysis International. 17th edition. Association of office analytical chemists Washington, DC. AOCS, 1990. Official Methods and recommended practices of the American Oil Chemist Society. Atlas, R. M. 2004. Handbook of Microbiology Media 3rd ed. New York. Pp 345-356. Aygun, O. O. Aslantas and S. Oner, 2005. A survey on the microbiological quality of Carra, a traditional Turkish cheese. J. Food Eng 66(3): 401-404. Bandyopadhyay, A. K. and P. K. Ghatak, 2007. Practical Dairy Chemistry. ISBN. 13 Kalyani Publishers, Iyall. book depot. New Delhi, India. PP 25-74. Battu, S. R. B. Singh and B. K. Knag 2004. Contamination of liquid milk and butter with pesticides residues in the Ludhiana Distt. Of Punjab state, India. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Saftey, 59: 324-331. Bhandari, V. 2001. Ice cream manufacture and technology. Tata McGraw Hill pub. co. Ltd. New Delhi. Blake, A. J. , J. R. Powers, L. O. Luedecke and S. Clark 2005. Enhanced lactose cheese milk does not guarantee calcium lactate crystals in finished cheddar cheese. J. Dairy Sci. 88: 2302-2311. Cheesebrough, M. 2002. District laboratory practice in tropical countries. UK. Cambridge Univesity Press. Pp: 382-389. Ernani, L. , M. Lyer, Celestino and H. Roginski 1997. Reconstituted UHT treated milk, effects of raw milk, powder quality and storage condition of UHT milk on its physio-chemical attributes and flavor. Intl. Dairy J. , 7 (2) :129-140. Fleet, G. H. , M. A. Mian 1987. The occurance and growth of yeast in dairy products. J. Food Micro. , 4(2): 145-155. Flint, S. , J. L. Drocourt, K. Walker, B. Stevenson, M. Dwyer, I. Clarke and D. McGill 2006. A rapid, two hour method for the enumeration of total viable bacteria in samples from commercial milk powder and whey protein concentrate powder manufacturing plants. Intl. Dairy J. , 16(4):379-384. Fox, R. J. , A. H. Duthie and S. Wulff 1988. Precision and sensitivity of a test for vegetable fat adulteration of milk fat. Journal of Dairy Science, 71 : 574-581. Garcia, O. , K. Mahmood and T. Hemme 2003. Areview of milk production in Pakistan with Particular emphasis on small scale producer. International Farm Comparision Network FAO, Pp 11-21. Griffiths, M. W. , J. D. Phillips, I. G. West, A. W. M. Sweetsur and D. D. Muir 1988. The quality if skim milk powder produced from raw milk stored at 2 C. Food Microbiology, 5(2) :89-96. Guler, Z. 2007. Level of 24 minerals in local goat milk, its strained yoghurt and salted yoghurt (tuzlu yogurt). Small Ruminant Research, 71 (3): 130-137. Kuo, M. I. , Y. C. Wang, S. Gunasekaran and N. F. Olson 2001. Effect of heat treatments on the meltability of cheeses. J. Dairy Sci. , 84(9): 1937-1943. Leea, j. , H. J. Kima, Y. Yoona, J. Kima, J. S. Hamb, M. W. Byuna, M. Baekc, C. Jod, M. G. Shine 2009. Manufacture of Ice cream with improved microbiology safety by using gamma irradiation. 78 (7-8): 593-595. Lin, T. Y. , C. W. Lind, C. H. Leeb 1999. Conjugated linoleic acid concentration as affected by lactic cultures and added linoleic acid. Food Chem. , 67 (1): 1-5. Little, C. L. , J. R. Rhoades, S. K. Sagoo, J. Harris, M. Greenwood. , V. Mithani, K. Grant and J. McLauchlin 2008. Microbiology quality of retail cheeses made from raw, thermized or pasteurized milk in the UK. Food Micro. , 25 (2):304-312. Malik, A. H. 2008. Dairy sector lacks policy focus. Net, Ed. Daily Dawn, Jan, 28. Mayer. , H. K. 2001. Bitterness in processed cheese caused by an overdose of a apecific emulsifying agent. International Dairy Journal. 4(7): 533-542. Molska, I. , R. Nowosielska and I. Frelik 2003. Changes in microbiological quality of kefir and yoghurt on the Warsaw market in the year 1995-2001. Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. , 54 (2):145-152. Murtaza, M. A. , M. Din, N. Huma, A. Shabbir, S. Mahmood 2004. Quality evaluation of ice cream prepared with different stabilizers /emulsifier blend. Inter J. Agri Bio. (1): 65-67. Nero, L. A. , M. R. Mattos, V. Beloti, M. F. Barros, D. P. Netto, J. P. Minto, N. J. Andrade, W. P. Silva, Bernadette and D. G. M. Franco 2004. Hazards in non-pasteurized milk on retail sale in Brazil, prevalence of Slmonella spp, Listeria monocytogenes and chemicals residues. Braz. J. Microbiology. , 35 (3) :478-486. Otero, J. L. , M. H ermida and A. Cepeda 1995. Determination of fat, Protein and total solids in cheese by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy. J. AOAC. 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The Importance Of Taiwan To Us China Relations Politics Essay

The Importance Of Taiwan To Us China Relations Politics Essay Does Taiwan Matter? An Analysis of the Strategic Importance of Taiwan to the U.S.-China Relations. à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Abstractà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ËœThere is no doubt that the relations between Peoples Republic of China and the United States is crucial to the world. In economic aspect, China and America are so intertwined that their symbiotic relationship is described as Chimerica; however divergence always emerges between the two on political issues, in particular, the Taiwan issue. This essay analyses the strategic importance of Taiwan to the Sino-U.S. relations by answering the question- what role Taiwan plays in the relations of the PRC and U.S.? and the essay covers four points: 1) Taiwan issue is at the core of this bilateral relations, 2) it is an intractable issue, 3) it is also a contentious and most potentially dangerous issue, 4) but it is not always the most important one troubling the two countries at ALL times since common economic interests between the three still exist. à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Key Wordsà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ËœTaiwan; China; the United States; strategic importance; U.S.-China relations; Taiwan issue; the rise of China INTRODUCTION There is no doubt that the relations between China (PRC)the largest developing country and the United Statesthe largest developed country is crucial to the world. In economic aspect, China and America are so intertwined that their symbiotic relationship is described as Chimerica; however divergence always emerge between the two on political issues, in particular, the Taiwan issue. On January 29, the U.S. pass of a $6.4 billion weapons sale to Taiwan followed Chinas furious response froze the bilateral relations. Does Taiwan matter? Of course, it does and it is the core issue in the Sino-U.S. relations. What role Taiwan plays and how it influences the two countries relations? This essay will assess Taiwans strategic importance to the U.S.-China Relations by answering those questions. WHAT ROLE TAIWAN PLAYS IN THE U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS? Assessing Taiwans Strategic Importance to the U.S.-China Relations Taiwan matters a lot to both China and the United States who have common interests but also divergence. In this part, the author analyses three roles it plays in the two countries bilateral relations. It is one of the core issues in the U.S.-China relations Taiwan issue could not be avoid or overlooked as it is the central question in almost every meeting between Chinese and American officials, in every academic gathering that includes Chinese scholars, and in many private conversations with Chinese visitors to the United States (Halloran,2003). Why both countries attach so much importance on this issue? This section offers some explanations of why Taiwan issue lies at the core of the U.S.-China relations from the perspectives of both the PRC and the U.S.. à ¢- The PRC: Taiwan question touches the core interests of China The PRC never ceases its effort to reunify with Taiwan which is regarded by mainlanders as part of their sovereign territory. Following four factors amplify why Taiwan has such a strong hold on the Chinese leaderships psyche. Taiwans historic importance and Chinese nationalism Taiwan is the island off mainland Chinas southeastern coast and was long a backwater of the Chinese empire for over a thousand years before it was colonized by Japan in 1894. When Japan surrendered in 1945, the Republic of China (ROC) acquired sovereignty over Taiwan under Cairo Declaration. Although recently, the advocates of Taiwan independence claim that the Cairo Declaration was not a legal document, and Taiwan has not been officially returned to the ROC, it is neither a part of Japan nor China, most Chinese elites still believe it is a province of China even after the Chinese Communist Party seized power and Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan in 1949. Moreover, some Chinese scholars who place great emphasis on history as a barometer for Chinas future think the reunification of Taiwana former colonial possession and a relic of the Cold Waris the strong demand of the whole Chinese nation (Thompson and Zhu, 2004). Chinese scholar Chen (2002) also notes that it is hard for Americans, wh o have a shorter history than China, to appreciate its {Taiwan} importance to the Chinese people. The view that taking Taiwan which is the last vestige of the humiliation by Japan and the West during the colonial period would complete the trilogy after China has reclaimed Hong Kong and Macau in 1997 and 1999 respectively is widely shared among Chinese mainlanders (Halloran, 2003; Business Monitor, 2010). And some mainlanders even see continued arms sales to Taiwan by the United States as an example of foreign powers trying to hinder Chinas rise as they did before. Taiwans political importance to the mainland Due to a large majority of the Chinese people hope to reunify the motherland, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) does not have any route of retreat regarding the Taiwan issue. The CCP has placed Taiwan issue at a high place on its agenda, linking the Partys success or failure to reunification. As Thompson and Zhu (2004) have noticed no Chinese leadership group can afford to be the one who lost Taiwan since Taiwan problem could potentially disrupt the first peaceful, institutionalized transfer of power in China. Furthermore, the loss of Taiwan could spur dissent in other provinces with separatist tendencies, such as Xinjiang and Tibet. Thompson and Zhu further argue that losing Taiwan could upset the regional long-term plans for incremental integration that have been relatively successful to date and foreign influence in Taiwan also sets a dangerous precedent for Xinjiang and Tibet. Additionally, Taiwan issue could exacerbate domestic social and political tensions, as some analysts bel ieve that CCP plays up the Taiwan issue to divert attention from Chinas political struggles and social instability such as the corruption and unemployment (Halloran, 2003). In essence, Taiwan could become an excuse for dissidents and activists in China to oppose the ruling Communist Party. Economic significance of the island Absorbing Taiwans vibrant economy and technological prowess, especially in electronics, would be a plus for the Chinese economy (Halloran, 2003). China has already benefited from Taiwanese investment and trade, and the economic ties between the two are strengthened: since the mid-1980s, Taiwan companies have come to regard the mainland as their key lower-cost production platform and a potential market; for the PRC, Taiwan companies bring capital and management experience and create a lot of jobs. According to Taiwans Ministry of Economic Affairs, more than three-quarters of Taiwans companies have an investment on the mainland, reaching $60 billion in more than 50,000 ventures (Bush, 2002). The islands geo-strategic importance According to Halloran (2003), Chinese leaders see Taiwan as a crucial link in a chain of the U.S. containment that begins in South Korea and Japan and runs south through Taiwan to the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia, nations with which the United States has security treaties. If Beijing seeks to break that chain and to project power into the Pacific, controlling Taiwan would be the best way. A similar view is shared by Thompson and Zhu (2004), as they believe that Beijing worries about the U.S.s intention of integrating Taiwan into a de facto alliance with Japan and South Korea to contain its rising power in Asia since Taiwan could be used as a perfect foreign military base. Furthermore, China has become increasingly dependent on energy resources in the Middle East. In this case, a hostile or even independent Taiwan has the ability to cut off Chinese energy supply lines, and that also worries Chinese leaders. à ¢- U.S.: Taiwan is important to maintain its hegemony in Asia Since the PRC puts Taiwan issue at such a high position, the United States could never ignore its importance when interacts with China. More importantly, the U.S. attaches great importance to Taiwan because the island could help to maintain its hegemony in this region. According to a RAND (2001) report, the U.S.s pivotal long-term objective to East Asia is to prevent a worsening of the security situation in this region. Central to this objective is to preclude the rise of a regional or continental hegemon that could challenge the U.S.the current hegemon of East Asia (Khalilzad et al., 2001; Bush, 2005:255). At the moment, no nation in Asia is close to becoming a regional or continental hegemon as the U.S., but there do exist some potential rivals that could challenge the U.S.s dominance and China is number one on the list. And the Taiwan issue which not only could be a tool to contain China but also could be a bomb to harm the regions stability attracts much of the U.S. attention. In this section, Taiwans strategic importance to America will be further analyzed from three perspectives: Taiwans geo-strategic importance to the U.S. Taiwans geo-strategic importance lies in maintaining American hegemony in East Asia. Early in mid-1850s, on his way to Japan, Commodore of the U.S. Navy-Matthew C. Perry anchored off in Formosa, to investigate the potential of mining the coal deposits in that area. Later he emphasized in his reports that Formosa provided a convenient mid-way trade location and it was also very defensible providing a good base for exploration for America. Though his suggestion was declined by the president, his point of view that occupying Formosa, controlling Asia was inherited by generations of policymakers in the U.S. (Zhao, 1997; Zhou, 1995). In the East Asian security context, Taiwan becomes the focal point of clashing strategic interests between the United States and some East Asian countries. Its geo-strategic significance arises from its lying astride the Western Pacific sea lanes of communication (SLOCs) which run from the Straits of Malacca to Japan, South Korea and eastwards, and its being adjacent to the Taiwan Strait which connects the South China Sea to East China Sea in the northeast(Kapila,2006). Taiwan therefore commands the East Asia waterways and also the Chinese domestic waterway linking South China Sea to East China Sea. These waterways are the most strategic waterways in the world and witnessed competing strategic interests of super powers like U.S., Japan and former Soviet Union (Kapila, 2006). If Taiwan were under Beijings control, these transportation routes would become vulnerable to be interrupted by China (Tucker, 2002). In precise, occupation of Taiwan means control of the northern entrance of the South China Sea. Then, the large part of the South China Sea would become a kind of Chinas inner water, and which particularly worries the U.S. ally-Japan who sees the SLOCs as its lifelines. Also, as for China who once lacked deep waters on its East China Sea coastline where its important naval bases are located, it could utilize Taiwanese ports for submarines to operate freely throughout the Western Pacific after controlling the island (Okazaki, 2003). Furthermore, as for the United States who once views Taiwan as its unsinkable aircraft carrier off the coast of China (Taiwan along with Japan and the Philippines provides the outer shield of defense of mainland for the U.S.), the control of Taiwan by China seriously influences its military capability in East Asia (Kapila, 2 006). In a word, Taiwans geo-strategic location offers United States and Japan an option to block China at its gates. As Taiwans President Chen Shui-bian once declared: Taiwan is the key locking in Chinas military and preventing any westward expansion. So as U.S. ambassador to China James R. Lilley has noted that Taiwan is the cork in Chinas bottle (Tucker, 2002). 2) Taiwans political significance On one hand, after years of political reform and democratization, Taiwan has shifted from hard authoritarian regime (since 1949) to soft authoritarian regime (since 1970s) and finally to a democracy (since late 1980s) (Halbeisen and Ferdinand, 1996). And as a vibrant democracy, in Kapila (2006)s view, Taiwan is a powerful alternative model to the Communist political model of mainland China, and a beacon and reminder of democracy for the over one billion Chinese on the mainland. Some American scholars, such as Bush (2005:246), point out that the islands democratization in the late 1980s and early 1990s closed the gap between congressional liberals and conservatives in the U.S. over islands political system and thus created a broad and sympathetic coalition. Thus as an established democracy, Taiwan gains the U.S. congresss support as Americans feel that they must support democratic nations or it would severely undermine the U.S. position as a defender of democracy if it failed to save democratic Taiwan from the invasion of authoritarian China(Bush,2005:246). On the other hand, if PRC controlled Taiwan, a significant change of international relations might take place in Pacific regime. Under Okazaki (2003)s hypothesis, there would be important political impact of PRCs annexation of Taiwan on Southeast Asian countries who have vital interest in the South China Sea. Okazaki further argues that the entire control of the regional nations outlet to the sea would be one of Chinas useful tools of finlandizing these nations. There still exists a more important question: the overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia are now divided into pro-Beijing, pro-Taiwan, and neutral groups. Chinas control of Taiwan would make this division which is utilized by some Southeast Asian governments to govern the oversea Chinese disappear. Also in his point of view, finlandization of Southeast Asian nations by China will undermine not only Japans vital interests, but also the U.S.s. The economic importance of Taiwan For one thing, Taiwan is one of the major buyers of the U.S. arms. Under a 1979 treaty in which the U.S. switched recognition of China to Beijing from Taipei, Washington is obliged to sell the island defensive weaponry and Beijing gets furious every time the U.S. president passed the arms sales to Taiwan. One current issue mentioned at the beginning of this essay is the announcement of the $6.4 billion U.S. arms sales package to Taiwan by president Obama and it marks a low point of the Sino-US relations(Cooke, 2010). According to a congressional report this year, the value of deliveries of U.S. defense articles and services to Taiwan totaled $3.7 billion in the 2001-2004 period and $3.9 billion in 2005-2008. Among customers worldwide, Taiwan ranked 3rd (behind Egypt and Saudi Arabia) in 2001-2004 and 4th (behind Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia) in 2005-2008. In 2008 alone, Taiwan had agreements for arms purchases that totaled $1.3 billion from the U.S. (Kan, 2010). For another, Taiwanthe major producer of electrical requirements and information products in the worldis one of the major suppliers of the U.S. IT industry. If China tried to control Taiwan by force, for the Western companies that have built their fortunes on the mainland or in Taiwan, the damage would be a direct hit to the global economy and the Digital Age (Einhorn et al., 2005). To conclude this part, as for the PRC, Taiwan holds historic importance, both stemming from the civil war and the legacy of foreign intervention. Chinese leaders see bringing Taiwan into the PRC as a crucial step in strengthening the Chinese Communist Partys leadership in China and establishing Chinese influence over East Asia and in driving the United States from the Western Pacific. In addition, Taiwan has economic importance as it could be a plus for the Chinese economy, and it holds strategic importance, straddling sea lanes and potentially serving as a base for foreign military forces. As for the U.S., from an optimistic perspective, Taiwan could be a partner in the engagement of China and foster China to play a modest role in shaping a new structure in East Asia. If, on the other hand, the more negative scenario takes hold, the Taiwan Strait issue likely becomes the main arena for the contest between the U.S. and China for supremacy in Asia. Therefore, the U.S. also attaches gr eat importance on Taiwan. It is one of the most difficult issues to solve in the U.S.-China relations The Taiwan problem has been existing since the founding of the PRC, and it has always been the single most important and sensitive issue at the core of China-U.S. relations and it will still be one of the most intractable issues in the bilateral relations. The reasons for this can be perceived in three factors: firstly, the PRC will never cease the effort to reunify Taiwan since it is its core interest as mentioned in last section. The pass of the Anti-Secession Law in 2005 shows Beijings resolution; but, secondly, as for Taiwan, a sense of Taiwanese identity or Taiwanese nationalism is increasing among new generations, which might result in a strong demand for independence; lastly, the U.S.s strategic ambiguity which turned out to be quite successful in maintaining the stability of the Taiwan Strait for the most part of last century, has become the major cause of some Taiwan leaders aggressive actions that threaten the peace of the region. The following section will focus on the las t two factors: à ¢- Taiwans rising Taiwanese nationalism After more than half a century of self rule and democratic evolution, popular support for political reunification among the islanders is declining, and the proportion of Taiwan residents who think of themselves as Taiwanese (not Chinese) is increasing. Copper (1999:116) explains this phenomenon by saying that, in the twentieth century, Taiwan was part of China for only four years therefore in terms of its economy, society and political system, the gap is growing larger [and] divergenceis the trend. Rigger (2006:4, 57) calls this phenomenon the rise of Taiwanese nationalism which means the islanders lose of their sense of connection to mainland China and their growing tendency to identify Taiwan as their homeland.And this is assumed to be particularly common among young Taiwanese. Some current surveys on Taiwanese nationalism also indicate that there is a rising proportion (nine out of ten) of Taiwan residents who call themselves Taiwanese as opposed to Chinese. However two decades ag o, surveys show that an overwhelming majority of Taiwan residents called themselves Chinese, while this percentage fell sharply during the 1990s (Rigger,2006:4,6). Because Taiwan is a democracy, the profound shift in public opinion on the island of 23million could seriously influence the decision of its government. Therefore, a more assertive posture of its authorityeven a declaration of independenceif that is what the voters demanded could be possible. For example, Taiwans former President Chen Shui-bians Democratic Progressive Party has long advocated Taiwans independence. Even the pro-unification Kuomintang has muted at that point since it could not resist the opinion of the majority Taiwan residents; it began to regard independence as one of the possible future for Taiwan. And Taiwanese nationalism has become the focus of so much anxiety in Beijing and Washington because for Beijing, it means its reunification course is more difficult; and as for Washington, the more provocative actions of Taiwan seriously challenge the relatively stable status quo of Taiwan Strait. à ¢- U.S.s strategic ambiguity Strategic ambiguity marked American policy which is intended to keep Beijing and Taipei guessing about how the United States would respond to hostilities across the Taiwan Strait (Halloran, 2003). The essence of this concept is that the U.S. does not state explicitly whether it will come to Taiwans defense in the event of an attack by the PRC. The uncertainty about U.S. intentions shapes the intentions of the other two actors: it constraints China from making an unprovoked attack by raising the possibility that Washington will intervene, and it constrains Taiwan from taking provocative steps by suggesting that Washington would not intervene (Bush,2005:256;257). However, ambiguity was sometimes a tool for ensuring dual deterrence but sometimes an obstacle. As Yang (2004) has stated that the self-contradictory U.S. dual policy is the major cause of Chen Shui-bian and his aggressive action of pushing Taiwan farther and farther to independence during the Bush administration. Two reasons may explain the adoption of this strategic ambiguity policy by the U.S.: first is the contending views in the U.S. toward China. As stated by Halloran (2004), there are four schools among U.S. decision makers: panda huggers who assert that America must accommodate Chinas emerging power, even at the expense of Taiwans freedom; entrepreneurs, who pursue the age-old dream of selling toothbrushes to 1.2 billion Chinese and most of who are care little about what happens to Taiwan; balancers who say the United States should engage and deter China at the same time and Taiwans fate is to be determined by the Taiwanese; and demonizers who demand that China be confronted at every turn. Therefore, when refer to the rise of China; there are contending views in the United States. On one hand, panda huggers have hoped sincerely that through economic interdependence and political engagement, the PRC will become a great power that accumulates national power not for its own sake but to us e it, as the United States does, to preserve international peace and security. On the other hand, there is a growing concern in the United States represented by those balancers and demonizers (some also call them the blue team(Jia, 2008)), that China is accumulating power, including military power, not to serve an internationalist agenda but in order to make China the dominant power of East Asia, instead of the U.S., and a change of a hegemon may lead to regional instability. Further, a more powerful China will inevitably be more assertive about its interests regardless of whether they are compatible with those of the United States (Tucker, 2002). These different views toward China make a clear policy of the U.S. toward the Taiwan issue to be impossible. Second reason is that ambiguity could be a retreat for the U.S. to avoid a war. Layne (2001) points out that the U.S. does not actually want to get involved in a war for defending Taiwan. Because for one thing, if Washington goes to defend Taiwan and against Beijing, it almost certainly will do so alone since its European and Asian allies have no interest in picking a quarrel with China over Taiwans fate. For another, by defending Taiwan, the United States runs the risk of armed confrontation with China who holds nuclear power. And it would be, as he believes, a geopolitical act of folly for the United States to risk nuclear war with China for the purpose of defending democracy in Taiwan, which at stake simply would not justify the risks and costs of doing so. In sum, Taiwan issue typifies the complexity of Sino-U.S. relations. Because Beijing has showed its determination of taking Taiwan back; while in Taiwan, Taiwanese nationalism is rising and it seems that the island has no intention to reunify with the mainland and will not cease its effort to be independent in short-term; and some shortcomings of U.S.s strategic ambiguity policy are also emerging. All these factors demonstrate that an acceptable solution of Taiwan issue (here the author means the reunification or independence) is impossible in the short-term. 3. It is the most potentially dangerous issue in the U.S.-China relations The Taiwan issue is also the most contentious problem in the bilateral relationship. Although there are quite a few disputes between the two countriesincluding disputes on human rights, trade imbalances, currency controls and so onit seems that no dispute except the Taiwan issue is likely to lead to confrontation that may trigger a war between the two countries with nuclear powers. In retrospect, there were three Cross-Straits crises: namely, the 1955, 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis and 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis. During those crises, intimidating military exercises such as firing missiles were conducted by the PRC, and U.S. aircraft carrier groups were dispatched to the Strait. Though every time the two governments managed to handle the crises, the Taiwan Strait crises, observed by Jia(2008:49), still highlighted the potential for military conflicts between the two countries in the future. To some extent, the Taiwan issue is just like a ticking time bomb as no one is sure when it will exp lode (Chen, 2002). Its sensitivity can be further perceived from the following three aspects: First is the increasing provocative actions of Taiwans pro-independence, and the reason for this has mentioned in last section. The Taiwan authorities began to change their previous policy stance of reunification to an independence course when Lee Teng-hui administration was in power in 1990s (Jia, 2008). Lees successor-Chen Shui-bian and his government has pursued even more aggressive policies, such as de-Sinification, the once proposed independence referendum in the 2004 presidential election as well as the planned constitutional revision before 2008 which tried to bolster Taiwans independent identity in the world(Zhang, 2008:87).These provocative actions or policies of Taiwans leadership and policy-makers come from the belief that the United States is on its side, although these policies have invited criticism from the U.S. which sees them a potentially threat to stability in the Taiwan Strait. Rigger (2006:2) points out that the U.S. policymakers are worried about the possible mi sunderstanding of Taiwans leadership toward the U.S.s intention and its negative effect that may provoke a military response from the PRC. Second is the PRCs incremental national defense spending and its growth military power which worry the U.S.. Taiwan problem generates security dilemma: infuriated by the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and their joint military exercise and also worried by the increasing military power of the island, Chinese government decisively reprioritized national defense development and began to make effort to develop its military means in order to prevent independence by force if necessary, after the 16th Party Congress in 2002 (Yang, 2003). Since Beijing has stated its willingness to pay any price to resolve the Taiwan issue on terms favorable to Chinese interests, or at least to prevent a worsening change in the status quo, Chu and Guo (2008) suggest that the Chinese government has made preparation for conflict over Taiwan the fundamental task for military development in the early 21st century, and to this end, the government has increased national defense spending for now over five years. Some Chinese strategists suggest that China has been pursuing a systematic modernization of its strategic nuclear forces that will enhance its second-strike capability versus U.S. in the next 10 to 15 years(Zhang, 2008:98). In particular, China has had some significant breakthroughs with its nuclear modernization in recent years, include its successful tests on the sea-based JL-2 strategic missile in 2005; the 094 Class strategic submarine launched in 2004. Zhang (2008:98) mentioned in his article that this new strategic weapon system will increase the number of warheads capable of striking the U.S.A. from the current 20 to 30 to a much higher level. Whats more, in recent Chinese discussions of the Taiwan issue, the No First Use nuclear doctrine which refers to a policy not to use nuclear weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by an adversary using nuclear weapons is increasingly under criticism especially from the hawks in the Chinese leadership. Many of those believe t hat due to its vast conventional disadvantage against the U.S., China has to rely more on its nuclear weapons to prevent American intervention in the Taiwan Strait, and China could even launch a preemptive war on this issue. Washington has noticed these changes and has become increasingly alarmed by Chinas military modernization. In the Pentagons 2006 report, the US government shows its serious concerns for both Chinas emerging strategic capabilities and the potential changes in Chinas nuclear doctrine. Also according to the last annual reports of the U.S. Department of Defense on the military power of the PRC, the U.S. thought that China was elevating capabilities in sea, land, and air ballistic missile, space, and integrated command systems and so on, and the growth of Chinas military power could pose a credible threat to other modern militaries operating in the region(Chen Xiaodong, 2008:65). Third, historically U.S. has intervened to protect the island, so there is a great possibility Washington will join in the conflict if a hot war happens between the PRC and Taiwan. Though its still ambiguous policy makes it unclear how the United States response to a China-Taiwan conflict, as mentioned in last section, it is safe to predict that there would be strong domestic political pressure in favor of American intervention since ideological antipathy toward China and support for a democratizing Taiwan would be powerful incentives for American intervention (Layne,2004). One example may offer some clue for this is what the U.S. did in the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis: the United States displayed its resoluteness when in 1996 China fired ballistic missiles over Taiwan. The United States immediately dispatched two aircraft carrier battle groups into the Taiwan Strait, forcing China to back off (Bush, 2005). And with the rise of the blue team who believe the U.S. should start to contain China rather than facilitate its development in the U.S. government, it is likely that the U.S. could behave tougher when handling the Taiwan issue (Jia, 2008). CONCLUSION This essay analyses the strategic importance of Taiwan by answering the questionWhat role Taiwan plays in the Sino-U.S. relations? And it offers the answer by saying that the island has three roles in the two countries relationsfirstly, it is one of the core issues in the U.S.-China relations; secondly it is one of the most difficult issues to solve in the U.S.-China relations and last but not the least, it is the most potentially dangerous issue in the relationship. Although the Taiwan issue is the most sensitive, divisive problem in Sino-U.S. relations, it is not necessarily the most important one troubling the two countries at ALL times. Besides differences and disputes, China and the United States still shared some common interests. For instance, in the 1970s, they shared common strategic interests against Soviet expansion. Since the end of the cold war, they have shared common interests in the maintenance of stability in the East Asia and they also promote economic cooperation (Chen, 2002). Echoing the general theme of the extended hand in his inaugural address, the current U.S. president Obama struck a tone of cooperative engagement in his initial approach to China, inviting Beijing to join Washington in global co-leadership in the field such as climate change and counter-terrorism (Cooke, 2010). And the recent global economic recession has also bound the two together again. As for the relations between Taiwan and the mainland, these same global tectonics have been reshaping relations between the two across the Taiwan Strait. With Chinas emerging economy having roared back with around 10 percent projected GDP growth rate per year since 1990s, Taiwan businessmen have began to seek opportunities on the mainland. This mainland fever has been strengthening the economic ties between China and Taiwan for more than a decade, recently have multiplied and deepened. On Cross-Strai

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Billy Collins   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Billy Collins was born on March 22, 1941 in New York, NY and is married to Diane Collins. He is the son of Katherine M. Collins and William S. Collins. Collins received a Bachelors Degree at the College of the Holy Cross in 1963 and also received a Ph.D. in romantic poetry in 1971. He has been a writer-in-residence at Sarah Lawrence College and also was a Literary Lion of the New York Public Library. He is an English Professor at Lehman College for CUNY, where he has been teaching for over 30 years. In June of 2001, Collins was appointed United States Poet Laureate (2001-2003). In January of 2004, he was named New York State Poet Laureate 2004-2006. Collins has been able to put together high critical acclaim with such broad popular appeal which is something no poet has done since Robert Frost. His last three collections of poems broke sales records for poetry. His audiences include people of all ages and backgrounds. Collins published eight collections of poetry. He also edited two anthologies of contemporary poetry: Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry and 180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day. His work has also appeared in such periodicals as The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Atlantic Monthly, and The American Scholar. Critical Essay on  ¡Ã‚ §The Afterlife ¡Ã‚ ¨ by Chris Semansky Chris Semansky claims that Billy Collins serio-comic book Questions about Angels, addresses religious questions without being religious. Semansky evaluates Collins ¡Ã‚ ¦ poem  ¡Ã‚ §The Afterlife ¡Ã‚ ¨ and emphasizes that Collins draws a relationship between imagination and belief. Semansky claims that  ¡Ã‚ §imagination is at the root of belief. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Semansky calls Collins a relativist which is a philosophical position which asserts that the belief of each individual is relative to his or her own belief. Semansky believes that Collins description of the afterlife, and the images of the journeys of the dead, draw a relationship between an individual ¡Ã‚ ¦s imagination rather than a religious standpoint. Semansky sums it up by saying that Collins is not trying to send a religious message to his readers but rather he is trying to inform his readers to find the meaning of life ¡Ã‚ ¦s experiences rather than waiting for the rewards of the afterlife. Chris Semansky,  ¡Ã‚ §Critical Essay on The Afterlife ¡Ã‚ ¨, in Poetry for Students, Vol 18, Gale, 2003. Collins, Billy by Tod Marshall Tod Marshall describes Billy Collins as both philosophical and comical. He also claims that Collins is not only intellectual but accessible.