Critical Analysis of Uncle Toms Cabin Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Stowe’s family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio on the banks of the river of the same name just across Kentucky, a slave state. Consequently, she came across many a story from across the river, tales that also formed the foundation of the Abolitionist discourse in Ohio. However, though it seems rather inconceivable when one reads the brilliant portrayal of the slave community in the chapters of the novel like ‘ An Evening in Uncle Tom’s Cabin’, Stowe did not have any first-hand knowledge about them. She did visit the towns of Kentucky occasionally but had never been to any plantation run by slaves. (Hedrick, 112) But what she lacks in the field of practical experience, Stowe makes up with her unquestionable passion for the great cause of the long-suffering children of humanity. Her humanitarian creed is splendidly displayed in the novel especially in the parts where she rises even over the specific context of the slave-system to identify the suffering of her characters with the universal misery of mankind: elevating the specific suffering of Eliza to the universal suffering of motherhood, Stowe writes: If it were your Harry, mother, or your Willie, that were going to be torn from you by a brutal trader†¦how fast could you walk? We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Analysis of Uncle Tom's Cabin or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now How many miles could you make in those few brief hours, with the darling at your bosom, - the little sleepy head on your shoulder – the small soft arms trustingly holding on to your neck? Although Stowe’s motivation for writing the novel was declaredly, a propagandist one, her methodology of voicing the multifarious discourses about the slave-trade prevalent in the country with relative impartiality saves the novel from being a mere propaganda for the abolitionist cause. She works with a huge canvas and each and every character in the novel has his or her unique position in the debate over slavery that broke the country down into pieces. This honesty and sincerity in the voicing of the multitude of discourses, leaving the judgment in the hands of the readers, allows her to explore the subtle shades of her subject. The America she portrays is not a black and white world of the Civil War days. Side by side with the dark and explicitly d evilish characters of Tom Loker and Haley (in fact Tom Loker takes a comparison with the devil as a complement and the true nature of these slave traders is underlined precisely by the author in the profusion of the animal imagery in the chapters dealing with them e. g. ‘a bull-dog come unto man’s estate’, ‘lithe and catlike in his motions’ etc. ) we also find some brilliant characters who are neither pristinely white nor devilishly black.

Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism, Modernism, and...

Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism, Modernism, and Postmodernism Literature: the enlightenment, romanticism, realism, modernism, and postmodernism†¦. Where does one begin? To some, those words can be as scary as the word computer is to others. This essay is designed to help you become a great literary interpreter. Getting the motivation is three fourths of the battle to getting into the heads of the artists. To begin, an outline of some of the literary movements has been provided. The enlightenment was also called the Age of Reason. It spanned from 1660-1770. The central idea behind the enlightenment was using reason to understand nature and guide the human existence. Some of the popular writers from that time period were Voltaire†¦show more content†¦Everyone could relate to realism because it was more realistic. Realism lasted through the mid 19th century and included writers such as Flaubert, Zola, and Dickens. Rolling into the late 19th and early 20th century, modernistic literature became the style of writing. Modernistic thinking was a rebellion against realism, in which the literature was very abstract. The writers of that time period were experimental and used unusual techniques. There were four sub-categories of modernism: surrealism, cubism, existentialism, and dadaism. Surrealism and existentialism were the most popular of the four. Surrealism was very dreamy-like writing, such as the work done by an artist named Daly. Existentialism dealt with the belief that the human existence had free will- there were no gods and humans had control of there own philosophy. Writers such as Camus were existentialists. The final literary movement that will be discussed is postmodernism. Postmodernism was an attempt by many artists to arrive at a united, global culture. Postmodernists had optimistic views that things could get better. Instead of concentrating on the fragments of destruction, they ga thered all of the fragments together and made an optimistic outlook. Now that you have the basic idea on each of the time periods, we at Poetic Justice hope you can put to use some of your newly acquired knowledge. By knowing the literary movement in which an author is writing in,Show MoreRelatedAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 PagesAmerican Literature through Time To find out more about a particular literature time period, click on the links below: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · Puritan Times Rationalism/Age of Enlightenment American Renaissance/Romanticism Gothic Realism Naturalism Modernism Harlem Renaissance Postmodernism Contemporary Puritan Times period of American Literature - 1650-1750 Content: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · errand into the wilderness be a city upon a hill Christian utopia Genre/Style: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · sermons, diaries personalRead MoreIndian English Novel17483 Words   |  70 Pagesfrom the colonial literature. Hence the post colonial literature in India witnessed a revolution against the idiom which the colonial writers followed. Gradually the Indian English authors began employing the techniques of hybrid language, magic realism peppered with native themes. Thus from a post colonial era Indian literature ushered into the modern and then the post-modern era. The saga of the Indian English novel therefore stands as the tale of Changing tradition, the story of a changing India

Soapbox on Chavs Free Essays

Don’t even get me started on chavs! CHAV: Council House Anti-social and Violent. We’ve heard about them all before, and we see them on the streets all the time. We all hate them and I’m here to explain why they should all be banned †¦ and preferably incarcerated. We will write a custom essay sample on Soapbox on Chavs or any similar topic only for you Order Now They are well known for their advanced linguistics and decent attire. The first thing we notice when seeing a chav are their tracky bottoms – or should I say their underwear, because their trousers usually hung down in the ankle region. They are usually aged about 16-22, and their stereotypical dress code would probably be wearing the famous snapback facing in a 90 degree angle, of course, wearing baggy fake adidas tracksuits with tonnes of fake gold jewellery which they can barely carry. These people are in gangs acting as if they’re 8 foot tall and built up like a rugby player, in the corner of the McDonald’s car park. I once unfortunately came into contact with one of these ‘gangsters’ on my way walking back home from my friend’s house. I was half way there when I just looked to my left and saw some filthy unwashed scum in a hoodie. I was trying my best to avoid when he shouted at me ‘Yo fam, ya got a cig on ya mate’. ‘Fam’ is an urban abbreviation for family; I was thinking to myself that how could this pathetic, low-life imbecile even think that I am his family or related to him in any possible way, whilst I didn’t even bother turning his way. If you haven’t already seen one, they are easy to spot, just look for people with a gangster limp. Don’t get me wrong, I mean I’m not a judge a book by its cover kind of guy, I have reasons for why I despise these people. Anyway it’s their own faults for why they are in that situation because they’ve all dropped out of high-school, and ran away from home living off on government benefits. Why should we constantly pay our unnecessarily high taxes for a bunch of self-homeless townies? And I’m not being sexist about this either because there are also female chavs or better known as ‘chavettes’, which quite frankly aren’t any better. These anti-social group of ugly teenage girls, black and white, who usually hang around near shopping centres, waiting for someone to p*** them off. There are the stupid teenage girls who hang out in groups of threes on their phones, chewing gum obnoxiously loud, with 1 earphone in acting as if they are 10 men shouting at a little kid two or three years younger than them. Then there are the 14 year old pregnant girls who will ram their pushchair right into the back of your foot, and give you a menacing glare, like wat u gna complain. They try to make a name out of themselves by starting fights and causing riots to get in the news to frighten the innocent people at home. Most people are afraid of getting out of their houses after sunset due to these ‘bad men’ as they like to address themselves. Isn’t it funny how the majority is scared by the minority? I suppose it adds to their gangster factor though, and also assists in making them look hard. I mean, come on, if we saw their un-matured, baby face walking down an alley, we wouldn’t exactly be scared would we? Even though they might be carrying a knife in their pocket waiting to shank you, more than half of them I bet won’t even know how to use it. It is quite obvious where these people get the idea from, it is all these disgusting celebrities; the teenage girls obviously follow celebs like Nicki Minaj and the boys attempt to imitate 50 cent and lil’ wayne. With all this in mind, I hope you will come to an agreement that they are a waste of space and this contagious disease should be dealt with before more of the youth in today’s society catches it. So please, friends join me in my rebellion and together we can make chavs history. How to cite Soapbox on Chavs, Papers

Personal Failure Essay Example For Students

Personal Failure Essay When I was 14 years old, my friend, his mom and I went to an Oklahoma City Thunder game. We were walking to our seats and suddenly a lady approached us. She asked my friend if he wanted to go on the court and play a game at the end of the first quarter and he said no. So then she turned and asked me if I would be interested in participating in the game and without hesitation I said, Yes! Then, she further explained the game, letting me know that I would have to put on a jersey, a pair of shorts, and a pair of Ronald McDonald shoes. Next, I would have to run to the end of the court, grab a basketball, dribble back to the other end of the court and make a lay-up before the other person did the same things that I had to do. So I accepted the challenge and then she told me how to get down to the court and to make sure that I was down there 5 minutes before the end of the first quarter. When the first quarter ended, two staff members escorted my opponent and myself to the court and introduced us to the crowd. One of them explained to the crowd what we were about to do. I started to look around and I couldnt believe how many people were in attendance and it felt like all eyes were on me. So then we went down to the starting point and he asked us if we were both ready and we both said yes. I was kind of nervous because I was on the right side of the goal, which meant I had to do a left handed lay-up coming back and Im not very good doing lay-ups with my left hand. Next, the announcer started the count down from three and the next thing you know we have started the game. I put on the really big jersey,the shorts and the shoes and I grabbed the basketball and the other guy was right behind me. I started to run faster but I was trying not to trip with those big shoes on. I made it to the end of the court and did a left handed lay-up and I missed it! Right when I missed it, the other guy did a right handed lay-up and made it and he won the game. It affected me a lot at that time because I dont like losing. I was disappointed in myself for missing the shot and not getting to experience everyone clapping and cheering for me because I won the game. I was embarrassed for missing in front of eighteen thousand people. That was the first time and possibly the only time I will have the chance to perform in front of that many people. It is a whole different perspective being on the court and looking up at the crowd than being in the crowd looking down at the court. When I went back to my seat, the lady sitting next to me told me to keep my head up and that there are a lot of people here that would have loved to do what I just got to do even if they didnt win. After that, I began to realize that I should be thankful for the chance that I got to do that because how many people can say that they have done that in their lifetime? Not that many. Even though I didnt win and get a $50 McDonalds gift card, I still got a $25 McDonalds gift card, a McDonalds basketball, and a McDonalds backpack. So instead of denying my failures, I have learned to accept them and to work on them to become a better person.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Book Report free essay sample

Harry Potter has to spend a miserble summer with his only remaining family, the Dursleys. During a dinner party hosted by his uncle and aunt, Harry is visited by Dobby, a house-elf. Dobby warns Harry not to return to Hogwarts, the magical school for wizards that Harry attended last year with his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Harry politley ignores the warning, and when Dobby causes havoc in the kitchen, the Dursleys think it was Harry. The Dursleys angrily lock Harry in his room for the rest of the summer. Luckily, Harry’s friend Ron Weasley steals Harry in a flying car, and Harry spends the rest of the summer at the Weasley home. When Harry gets to Hogwarts he starts to hear a voice. He hears it first during his detention and second during a party. Students have also been found around the school petrified. Everybody in the school is scared. We will write a custom essay sample on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Book Report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page By doing some research Harry, Ron and Hermione learn that fifty years ago a chamber at Hogwarts was opened by the heir of Slytherin. and a student was killed. Harry, Ron and Hermione suspect that Draco Malfoy (Their enemy) is the heir of Slytherin. Harry, Ron and Hermione brerw a potion called Polyjuice which allows them to transform into Slytherins for an hour to question Malfoy on the Chamber of Secrets. They find out that Malfoy is not the heir of Slytherin. Harry finds a diary in a broken toilet in the girls restroom. The diary belongs to a former student, from 50 years ago. Harry writes in the diary, which responds by writing back. Using the diary, Harry meets Tom Riddle. Hermione and a Ravenclaw girl are petrified. A few days later, Ron and Harry discover a piece of paper with a description of a basilisk on it in Hermiones frozen hand. They assume the Chamber monster is a basilisk. Before the boys can do anything about what they know, the teachers announce that Ginny Weasley has been taken into the chamber. The boys find the secret entrance to the Chamber of Secrets using Harry’s special gift and when they find out who is the Sytherin heir Harry is faced head on with his parents killers.

Free Essays on The Allegorical Goodman Brown

should not be overlooked as this also leads to the realization that a man (a good one) can deal with the devil and possibly win. At this stage in the story the reader still has hope for the goodman who must now deal with what he feels is his duty honor-bound. A "good man" in Hawthorne's day was a person who came from a proper lineage. This very lineage Hawthorne exploits as he begins the goodman's discourse with the devil. The goodman claims that he is from a family of good men that have never been into the forest on such an errand to meet the devil; Hawthorne depends upon this defense to criticize the patriarchal lineage upon which a person places his worth. This view is quickly derailed as the devil himself states that all of his ancestors were with him as they tortured women in Salem or burned t... Free Essays on The Allegorical Goodman Brown Free Essays on The Allegorical Goodman Brown The Allegorical Goodman Brown Gilberto Segura The story about Young Goodman Brown centers around the allegory of a man pitted against his past and his desires to reach beyond that which his benighted heaven would put before him. The allegory is Christian due to the references in Young Goodman Brown to the devil and Satan; it only seems logical that the crux of the story is based upon the religious imagery of Hawthorne's New England in the times of Salem and active religious strife. The beginning of the story mentions the goodman's wife, Faith. The names of the characters alone serve as an indication of what Hawthorne puts as an obvious religious allegory with the goodman and faith soon to be pitted against an unspeakable evil. The goodman even swears that after this night he will "cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven." The devil awaits Young Goodman Brown as he states that the clock of the old south was striking but a few minutes past (Hawthorne is stating how quickly the devil can moveintensifying the airs of the preter natural). Young Goodman Brown replies to the devil that faith was keeping him awayHawthorne's play on words should not be overlooked as this also leads to the realization that a man (a good one) can deal with the devil and possibly win. At this stage in the story the reader still has hope for the goodman who must now deal with what he feels is his duty honor-bound. A "good man" in Hawthorne's day was a person who came from a proper lineage. This very lineage Hawthorne exploits as he begins the goodman's discourse with the devil. The goodman claims that he is from a family of good men that have never been into the forest on such an errand to meet the devil; Hawthorne depends upon this defense to criticize the patriarchal lineage upon which a person places his worth. This view is quickly derailed as the devil himself states that all of his ancestors were with him as they tortured women in Salem or burned t...

The cost of racial profiling on our future Research Proposal

The cost of racial profiling on our future - Research Proposal Example The paper throws light on racial profiling as what occurs when a member of law enforcement or society uses a person’s ethnic or racial heritage as a means of deciding their guilt in regards to criminal activity. Profiling is used in other areas as well, for instance major corporations use profiling techniques to market products and more. Racial profiling reaches to all parts of our modern society. In addressing the problem it is important to understand what may be the root of that problem. History does a wonderful job of showing us what leads up to a problem and at times what encompasses this problem. Throughout history man has enslaved those whom he conquered, this was accepted as normal when one tribe warred against another and lost. However, over time slavery became more of a business arrangement then a dispute resolution. In the United States and Great Britain slavery was accepted as a necessary factor in operating profitable business ventures. Eventually Great Britain out lawed slavery; however, until the Civil War the United States still had many slaves, both black and white. It was not until after the Civil War that the racial prejudices began to grow exponentially. Whereas before slaves (typically African Americans) were simply thought of as property, now these same slaves were to be accepted as equals this led to segregation laws throughout the South. Various laws were passed on a federal level that utilized a crude method of racial profiling with regards to marijuana usage which at the time of the Harrison Act was thought of as a black man’s drug and problem.... ous laws were passed on a federal level that utilized a crude method of racial profiling with regards to marijuana usage which at the time of the Harrison Act was thought of as a black man’s drug and problem. (Brecher) Following the Civil War in 1882, there were the approaches to the influx of Chinese laborers and the constant references to â€Å"yellow skin, slanted eyes and use of opiates† One approach in particular was the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, this act of congress barred additional immigration for a period of ten years, this act was followed by another extension of ten years and eventually it was made permanent. (Chinese Exclusion Act) Over the years there have been other advances in the use of racism and race based preferential treatment. Specifically there were actions taken against Japanese American citizens during World War II, as well as additional actions taken recently regarding Arab Americans and now the appeal to â€Å"Americanismâ €  and the use of prejudicial legislative attempts regarding Mexican Americans. Regardless of color of a person’s skin they are all still humans, and as members of the same race we should be striving together to surpass ourselves and conquer disease and energy related problems. It is important to first understand that this is wrong, the use of a person’s race against themselves is fundamentally wrong. Race while allowing the statistics driven data bases of the criminal justice system yet another point that can be used as a guide, is not by default a factor. In fact race is simply an aspect of the criminal and not a contributing factor as some who promote racial profiling would have you believe. In the current United States there has been much work done regarding the termination of the use of racial

Compare and contrast the critiques and solutions proposed by the Essay

Compare and contrast the critiques and solutions proposed by the reformers of the progressive Era to those of the New Deal Era to the problems posed by political and economic inequity - Essay Example The drift toward direct democracy throughout the period, allowed women to vote, professionalized rule, allowed voters more voice in selecting and evoking political officials, and even the freedom to vote in referenda on explicit matters. Similarly, the new deal era happened when America was facing one of its darkest moments in history. This is the period when president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, inherited a government that needed serious intervention on one of the most difficult and critical periods of American history. The economy was in total subside, unemployment rose to 30%, inflation skyrocketed, and GDP fell by 50%. This period was referred to as the Great depression, and it reached its peak in 1933. This was there Roosevelt took over office and people anticipated fast answers from him. To react to the people’s expectations, he and the FDR called an emergency session for congress and drafted the new deal legislation the first weekend of his inauguration (Gordon, 221). After America overcame the 1890s depression, the economy embarked upon an epoch of relatively swift growth. The growth was outstanding although blemished by infrequent downturns (Polenberg, 9). The lasting in industry continued to decrease the farm share of employment while attracting numerous new migrants into the mines ad industries in America. This growth in commerce also was allied with speed development in the dimension of manufacturing enterprises. Economic intensification and shifts in the organization of the economy often gave rise to new difficulties. Every downturn revived the fears of the repeat of the ruthlessness of the Depression of the 1890s thus resulting for people advocating for better techniques these recessions and assist those affected by the outcomes. Conversely, during the new deal era legislations were formulated to address issues dealing with

International law discussion 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International law discussion 2 - Essay Example The OAS can directly trace its roots to these meetings. World War II convinced the leaders of the American nations that they needed to come together to guard against outside aggression and to contain conflicts within the hemisphere. In 1948, meetings were held in Bogota. Not only did the attendees sign the Charter of the OAS, it resulted in their pledge to fight communism in the Americas and in the adoption of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, the world’s first human rights agreement. Like many international treaties, the Charter of the OAS was developed as a response to outside forces—first, to fight imperialism and secondly, to guard against outside aggression, most significantly, communism. With the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s, as well as the return to democracy in Latin America and the increase of globalization in the 1990s, the way in which the OAS has enforced its Charter has changed. There has been some criticism of the OAS and t he Charter as being an arm of the United States, especially after the OAS expelled Cuba in 1962 and Honduras in 2009. One thing that has remained, however, is that in the case of the Charter of the OAS, it was created in response to outside forces and threats. 2.

Why Do We Need Global Governance Politics Essay

Why Do We Need Global Governance Politics Essay Ruling the world has been the main aim for every major leader throughout history. It is the feeling of power and achievement that makes one feel superior to any other citizen with older examples such as Alexander the Great to later (1900s) ones such as Hitler and Lenin who eventually aimed for the same concept. However, the consequences of the actions of these leaders also resulted in corruption and revolution. Not only conflicts between average citizens were created, but also nation states prepared themselves to fight back. Since the Second World War, organizations and unions have been created to maximize global governance and interference in order to prevent unbalance between states. Not only should one country have a say towards world issues, but decisions should rather be taken together and internationally which is the main characterization of global governance. Global governance derives from local democracy. The local laws further expand to national law where unions or organizations such as the European Commission unite the local and national votes into one. Today, global governance is at a point where it is being observed by not only statesmen but also its citizens. It has reached a peak where the involvement and cooperation of all societies is vital. The world situation is worsening where jobs have been lost; most farmers have been replaced due to globalization and environmental issues have cost billions. Yet, the biggest test (since the formation of UN) that global governance has been put to is the major economic crisis during these past recent years. It has experimented the boundaries and abilities on how states have taken action in the direction of governance and responsibilities towards world issues. It is therefore vital for such issues to be acknowledged, understood and spoken out about and by applying the three points, decent coope rations between states are created, debated upon discussed on how to tackle these issues. State-building With global interference and governance, new states that dont have the ability to nationally build themselves up get the aid needed to sustain their state (e.g. Kosovo) from international movements and organizations. This concept also applies to failed or collapsed states for legitimate reasons. An example of this is the post colonial states. It was after the Second World War when states were being de-colonized and were gradually attaining independence from the help of the UN trusteeship council that assisted them to attain and stabilize their independence. This illustrates and proves that without global governance, that would not have been possible. A federation of all humanity together with a sufficient means of social justice to ensure health, education, and a rough equality of opportunity, would mean such a release and increase of human energy as to open a new phase in human history. H.g Wells  [1]   It is a key role to have international involvement for a sustainable working economy and fair global politics. With globalization, one of the most important factors is the functioning and facilitation between borders and governments cooperating. By standing united, countries have more capacity through joint efforts than they most likely individually both economically and politically. An economical example is taken with the agricultural subsidies in France. Today millions of Euros of Frances GDP goes to agricultural farmers as subsidies every year, it is most likely that this would not be a possibility if it was not for the common policies which it is heavily dependent on of the European Union and the cooperation of countries such as Germany (being called the core countries, with France of Europe  [2]  ) -a major supplier of French subsidies. Schengen By referring to the Schengen Zone, one can clearly see how global governance has turned to work out for the best. It is kept as a foreign policy where it first (of many reasons) make travel exceptionally simple. Another byproduct with the Schengen Zone though is that it also controls criminal movements. E.g. one may believe that it is very simple for criminals to pass around borderless countries without being checked at borders and sent back to their original location. Yes, indeed this is true, though at the same time it is very difficult for them to hide. When looking back before the creation of Schengen, if a criminal had illegally left and fled a country, due to judiciary policies and processes, these two countries (the original country and the one where the criminal fled to) would have to go through legal negotiations and procedures to be able to send people with such criminal records back. However, today due to being in a joint venture or an agreement, such issues do not occur. Instead of each country being very compact with its rules and borders, zones such as the Schengen have become stronger as a whole and less harsh internally. So yes, it may be very difficult to become part of the Schengen, but once you are in, you are free to go wherever within the border. WTO World Trade Organization EU is aiming for a good common market between all nations including fair trade, therefore many organizations have been created to to keep issues such as trade and production of supplies arranged and fair between all countries. The World Trade Organization is the only global international organization that deals with the rules of trade between nations  [3]  . Although the system has various flaws, the core values or the principles are important in bringing countries and policies together. The way of cooperation may be strong; however the idea behind it is to establish fair rules and trades so that countries unlike e.g. the US can as well compete in the global market. This was a main aim of global governance which has proved to have some succession. An important factor to keep in mind though is the comparisons of how the globe is today compared to the past. These days, the problems we face are different to the ones before. There is more terrorism (as people go by such means to get their voices heard), there is a more rapid climate change, financial problems and also pandemics such as HIV, which cannot be tackled easily and will be in need of global efforts. It is therefore very difficult as an individual state to face these problems and tackle them than it is more likely with the help of the trusteeship of other countries. Global governance is a vital key towards mitigating conflicts and wars. Before the League of Nations, there was barely a platform for nations to meet and do decisions together. It was basically only individual states and the congress of Vienna and the Council of Europe. In other words, today, if a state wants to go into war, she can be stopped by its membership partners and together they will deal with the problems not having to use armed forces. If you compare this to the times before global governance was so important and played a role, then this country would already be preparing for this war. This proves that trusteeship is based on respect towards one another. It is like the second voice that makes you double think and council to before taking it a step further. The League of Nations (1900-1924) The League of Nations was an important breakthrough after the First World War with one main task: to maintain a war from happening again. It was after the chaos that erupted from the treaty of Versailles that people looked for hope in this league and mainly wanted stability. This international body was created by Mr. Woodrow Wilson, who also was the president of the United States. What is ironic though is that the US decided they would not join this league, being as powerful as they were and as isolating as they were becoming. The idea behind the League of Nations was very bright and many were keen on how it worked. Britain and France were the two most important nations that had joined this league as neither Germany nor Russia was allowed into it due to its internal problems. Germany who is claimed (by the Treaty of Versailles) to have started the war was not seen a as a part of the international community and was therefore not allowed to join the decision makers in the League of Nations. In one way though, this was a great relief to the league as it did not have to finance the country in bad times. In spite of the joining of these two nations, the league was a good idea and it was a kick-off for global governance. It aided countries economically though not militarily (as in what the United Nations is doing today) due do its lack of weapons after the World War. The league has been proven to be successful and given a great push towards global governance, the members together have prevented wars from occurring and by this cooperation, communication between the members has been enhanced. Which reforms are needed in the UN for global governance? Following the current economic situation in the world; booming of sub-national communities, the rise of strong nation states, successful regionalism and no compatibility in the globalization, things are bound to go on as long as there is no democracy and compromises triumph at all levels, so it was the responsibility of the UN to step in and make the difference (Reforms at the UN). The UN is also charged with the responsibility of addressing governance challenges in sub-national and national frame work being one of the major international community organizations and has to take the role of supporting national governments democratic reforms. They have been claims on a major disconnect between the management of the international communities and the reforms that are associated with them. Gupta (p346) says that due to the above conditions, the UN had to do something and tackle those pending reforms. Though it had very many topics to be addressed, the main areas of concentration were sugg ested to be economic issues, security and legal affairs. It should be noted that the UN role in the mentioned issues vary and differ from each other. Calls for reforms were also received from world leaders such as the French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Felder (p36) asserts that he warned the UN that time was running out for them to make global governance reforms on economic, political and environmental crises. He stated that the world was facing a lot of challenges like global warming, recession, poverty and nuclear proliferation and said that the world is getting impatient of waiting for the reforms. He mentioned some specific areas that he felt really needed to be reformed like the expansion of it membership, restructuring of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, equal rights of voting among nations and the curbing of the green house gases. The Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi also called for reforms in the Security Council so as to make the body more representative and effective and economic reforms that would take into account the voices of more countries. Reforms needed in the UN for global governance Most of the panel members were for the idea of the reforms being undertaken by the United Nations but some still said that no reforms were needed. Though there were some disagreements here and there on some specific issues like the World Health Organization and the Food and Agricultural Organizations, the call for reforms was clear both from inside the UN and the outside world. The reforms cut across several areas and agencies and differed from one to the other depending on the importance and the how adverse the area was affected. On July, Kofi Annan released the Maurice Strongs plan who was the Executive Coordinator to begin reforms of the United Nations which at that time was considered as a sprawling system. The reforms mainly involved the implementations of the many recommendations that were brought forward by the commission on Global Governance (Klingbeil, p349). The UN had appointed a Commission to look at the global economic and financial crisis and it had come up with its own recommendations reforms. The reforms covered areas such as; The International trade in Agriculture and the Right to Food. As a branch of the right to live, the right to food was aimed at guaranteeing every human being to be free from hunger. To achieve this, the Agricultural trade policy had to be formed to help fulfill this right. This was not obvious as it could also serve as a hindrance if it was conceived but in neglect of the human rights (Bongang, p86). It called for all the states to respect all the human rights while entering trade agreements. Basing on the report from the commission, especially the part covering the World trade Organization and the right to food suggested the strengthening of the special role of agriculture in trade agreements. This would ensure that the two are compatible with the states responsibility to fulfill its populations Food rights. The commissions came up with the possibilities to reconcile the human rights requirements and trade policies (Global Policy Forum). The commis sion also had recommendations towards a Socially Responsible and Democratic Global Economic system. It suggested for transparency, accountability and governance in central banks, national governments and international financial institutions. These institutions had rushed blindly with efforts to rescue the global financial system and the reforms were to step in and check on this urgent pace. The commission then came up with proposals and principles which would strengthen these reforms and enable the institutions move towards a more democratic global economic system and socially responsible. The proposal faced challenges as these institutions denied some of the allegations on transparency and accountability (Zifcak, p50). Like the Central Bank claimed that it would be transparent only if it followed simple and previously policy goals particularly on commitment to use monetary policies in fighting the price inflation on commodities and not asset bubbles. The policy asserted that the as set inflations can be ignored considering the consumer price inflation and at the same time the asset deflations also cut into profits. The Security of Council also came to question and the commission suggested a new approach to it. This was not the first time the Security Council had come under scrutiny as the UN members had been discussing reforms on it over decades but nothing had really come out of the discussions. The suggestion was that a council which was newly forged and one that had a common ground on which progress could be easily made. The Security Council is charged with the responsibility to maintain peace and security internationally. The council comes up with resolutions that bind all members the UN Member States. The responsibility needed a lot of reforms in order to become more democratic, transparent and accountable to the UN member States and to the public. The reforms are as delicate as they are political in nature and the situation worsens when it gets to enlargement and debates covering regional political rivalries. The procedural issues also make the reforms more complicated as there are some w hich can be implemented while others require voting which will need amendments in the UN charter and changes in the council composition. The proposals may result to the Member States holding on to their old positions although they will be given the freedom to change (Oxford Journals). Members are also going to find other avenues to address their issues and the reforms will remain a national interest issue that have strategic interest regionally and global power ambitions. The International Financial System also needed reforms according to the commission as it was at the peak of financial crisis hence something had to be done to avoid such situations in future. It advocated for the repudiation of the US dollar to be the key international currency and that it should be able to bear responsibilities that come along (Herman, p213). The commission also insisted on the importance of adjusting mechanisms that will solve the imbalances in the international payments and how the capital controls stabilizes the international financial market. It directed most of its efforts on the role of the regional monetary cooperation. The reforms faced challenges from the US which was against any changes that would result to the dollar loosing its standards though it accepted to adjust the voting shares between European countries and Asia. There was a strong call for sustainable Governance for the 21st centaury. To attain this, the UN had to address economic and environmental crises and the changing geopolitics. The UN was running out of time to position itself in a way that it could effectively manage the new global changes that included the financial and economic crisis, energy and food crises and climate change. Hence the commissions recommended the transformation in policies governing human resource and provide findings for UN research. It also came up with ways of improving the leadership policies by Secretary -General especially in times of crises and the establishment of an institution that was independent analytically. The UN was asked to improve its own policies on research capacities, planning and better division of labor between other multilateral organization and the UN. The UN also had to check on its democratic support and it was challenged to come up with a new beginning democratically. The financial cri sis was believed to be the opening for democracy support and to achieve a democratic future, the UN was supposed to respond directly to crisis especially concerning economic vulnerable, it should direct specific focus on young democracies and support them and come up with ways of strengthening international organizations. Which model should we use in global governance and why? When it comes to governance, all aspects should be included so as to come up with a government that is efficient, democratic and meets all the needs and expectations of the people it governs. This is to say that in governance, the executive, legislature and judiciary should not be divided into separate and independent bodies. Such divisions limit the proper working of the government and the excesses by the government since all these three are required for making, executing and administering laws. This not only applies to a nation but cuts through even for global governance hence the best method that can be used in global governance should be a model that includes all the three branches of government. With the incorporation of all the three, then we will achieve the global governance that we need. With the prevailing world situations and crisis, we need institutions and governances that are democratic, transparent, accountable and those that can work properly with the civil societies and the NGOs. All these are beyond what a single country can achieve no matter how powerful it may be to solve all these and still be responsible enough to cater for the responsibilities of all the mankind. Trenkov (p90) says hence the need for a world institution which has the legitimacy, clout and the caliber to handle effectively all these weaknesses and enact the possible reforms. An organization that can be fit to do such is the UN. We need a government that will ensure that international cooperation grows stronger despite the rise in the number of rifts and divides, global governance that will provide solutions to the increasing security concerns, come up with policies that will strengthen the c ivilians and not the military. One which has policies that protect and conserve nature and also addresses all the causes of insecurity clearly providing good solutions. All these are just but some of the roles the UN. The UN considers dialogue and diplomacy in handling military parties, pass resolutions and sends peacekeepers to solve disputes. The UN has peacekeeping troops and personnel in more than 110 countries which are normally send all over the world for peace keeping missions. Some of the organizations that have exercised global governance include International Criminal Court, MDGs and Kyoto. The NGOs and civil societies have also been working globally without biases. They have worked together in issues like protecting the environment, helping the poor in fighting HIV/AIDS and have taken part in prosecution for crimes against humanity. Treaties such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty have contributed in large extent to the global security and economic development. What are the main difficulties when achieving global governance? The issues and difficulties with global governance usually start at the same point which is state sovereignty. The Westphalian system the concept of nation-state sovereignty based on two principles: territoriality and the exclusion of external actors from domestic authority structures   [4]  is widely popular and accepted worldwide. Any kind of attempt of an external interference with any kind of domestic issue is usually not widely welcomed. States can feel this comes with a loss of their independent decision making. However what one must always consider is that all states are involved in the decision making process and that means that the outcome selected is a product of their thinking as well. It does not mean that a state can be governed by a third power and that it can interfere in its issues without their permission. Other than the actual issue of loosing the concept of self decision making and sovereignty, the concept of the ruling system of global governance itself is often considered a problem. This is mainly related to the way of how for example the United Nations system is carried out. As it is the largest decision making body in terms of the global governance issue, it can be used as an example for any further innovations of the system. Overall the main difficulty to overcome in the UN is the system of votes and the share of power. There are two main problems with this topic. Firstly the system of votes gives every country the same vote no matter what size, political and economical characteristics it might have. As this may seem like a rather fair system, which is how it was initially meant, in real daily basis of decision making in the UN it means that states much smaller in size and economical power can decide on issues which do not relate to them at all or will not influence them at such a large scale. The second problem the UN might have in terms of its power sharing is the widely criticized Security Council and overall the fact that a few set selected states with rather larger amounts of power, govern the UN and have a bigger say in the decision making process which is then unfair because no matter what issue comes up a hand full powerful countries in the world will always be at the centre of the decision makin g, often rather than those who would be influenced by this issue in the future. Another major issue of global governance comes down to the characteristics of a democratic process. In an ideal democratic discussion as all parties should be heard and considered and a debate over all the concerning aspects should be carried out, the process of decision making through global governance can be longer as compared to the one on only a national or regional scale. As the duration of the decision making process grows the effectivity of the policy implemented declines. To conclude the major points that make it difficult for achieving global governance these would include : fears of losing state sovereignty, criticism of the vote share both in the General Assembly and the Security Council and the speed of decision making and its effects on implementing various policies. How to overcome these difficulties of global governance The reason behind why some states are threatened by global governance and fear the loss of sovereignty is due to the fact that either they feel excluded from the decision making and fear that they will be ruled by another power or that there are issues which tackle topics that might be considered as nationalist. To improve this a different system of voting sharing could be imposed. If decision making only touches a few countries than these countries should have a bigger say in the process as it will concern only them and no one else. However it is important to somehow maintain the process as of course countries may be biased. Therefore this policy would usually not be helpful if only one country is concerned by a topic as naturally it would just defend its stand without any need to compromise. On a regional scale of a few countries that all understand the issue and might bring something new into a collective debate, it would be more progressive to only apply regional governance rather than global. Another positive aspect of this solution would be the fact that countries that are not involved with such an issue what so ever would not spend on time on such things and would be able to focus on other important issues that need to be solved. The fact that certain issues may concern topics that touch the nationalist side is widely known. As the sense of nationalism usually varies across the world it is very difficult to point out exactly what topics should be off limits when it comes to the decision making. While topics such as culture are very obvious, other aspects vary as different countries take pride in different areas and losing the power to fully ad solely decide in such areas would mean losing a sense of national pride. Such topics that should be off limits should be discussed and decided by the general body of the global governance to avoid any sense of misunderstanding and unnecessary pressure in the future. A reform in the Security Council has been widely discussed. It is obvious that this system does not fully support democracy but on the other hand benefits few and takes away power from the small states. The main problem with Security Council seems to be the fact that the setting we practice now in the UN can be rather permanent. Some suggest a rotating presidency would bring more efficiency in the Un as the decision making would then be balanced. However this on the other hand might not be the most effective solution as any kind of mistake could be blamed on the ruling circle before the present Security Council. One of the greatest improvements global governance needs is interconnectedness. As global governance is an aspect of globalization it should stand up to the standards of growing interconnectedness of the world. This means it should connect its public and private sectors, regional and global aspects and encourage citizenship participation. A greater interconnectedness of public and private sectors be it in the economical, educational or medical sector would not only help to improve these areas by bringing in new aspects and a broader view on things but would work in a greater stabilization of the sectors and most importantly it would possibly prove more efficient in implying certain policies and would make it a faster process when implementing various policies. A more cooperative regional and global approach would help focus on the areas really needed in regions in turns rather than trying to generalize a solution which may not be as efficient at times. If regions were able to present a unified solution in the start it would mean that the issue of single votes would not be as problematic as before. An encouraged citizenship participation could bring in new ideas and aspects and again a more focused approach on certain ideas. A citizens view might bring in new insights and ideas which on a greater scale if they are unified can serve the populations specific needs rather than generalized policies. It should be a vital point in the decision making of global governance which is only highlighted by this quote of Listening to what citizens have to say is the surest way of meeting their needs. And the organization of world governance needs to be founded on the satisfaction of these needs. The principles of citizenship are therefore a necessary condition in the creation of any new model for managing the planet.  [5]   It is important to understand why achieving global governance is so important, what it would bring to world citizens and what are the criteria for overcoming difficulties with global governance. For this it seems rather appropriate to quote Dr. Rajesh Tandon, president of the FIM  [6]  (Montreal International Forum) and of PRIA (Participatory Research in Asia) and his works on Democratization of Global Governance for Global Democracy: Civil Society Visions and Strategies (G05) conference. Democratic policy at the global level requires legitimacy of popular control through representative and direct mechanisms. Citizen participation in decision making at global levels requires equality of opportunity to all citizens of the world. Multiple spheres of governance, from local to provincial to national to regional and global, should mutually support democratization of decision making at all levels. Global democracy must guarantee that global public goods are equitably accessible to all citizens of the world  [7]   Conclusion So to conclude it is important to understand the points mentioned above fully as without legitimacy and control of power, equal opportunities to all world citizens, democracy and accessibility of public goods and services a reform of global governance is not possible as it needs the basic criteria to develop. Fears of losing state sovereignty, issues of nationalism, criticism of the vote share both in the General Assembly and the Security Council and the speed of decision making and its effects on implementing various policies all have to be dealt with through a changed voting system in the UN, areas restricted to global governance and areas that are off limits and should only be dealt with on a national scale, a reform of the Security Council and very importantly a greater need of interconnectedness on all levels. The UN would not have managed to meet its expectations and the requirements of the 21st century without reforming several aspects of its governance. Its responsibility is to protect the ordinary people against poverty, conflicts, diseases, hunger and erosion of the natural environment. With the reforms at place, the organization is now in the best position to carry out these global governance issues that happen to be under the jurisdiction of the organization, it is independent and indispensable to the international community and has all it takes to handle global governance issues. Hence we can see that the UN is the best global governance we can have to promote peace, rule of law, protection of human rights and development of the poorest regions in the world. Bibliography/Sources

Should We Bow to Louis XIV? Essay -- French History King Louis XIV Ess

Should We Bow to Louis XIV? Louis XIV, ruler of France for 72 years, is known for stabilizing France and making the country a strong European power. However, many of his projects were costly and caused economic problems for the nation. His personal lavish luxuries also were a financial burden to France. By the end of his reign, nearly all of the land he had acquired through warfare had to be returned, thus wasting enormous sums of French money. King Louis XIV reigned in France from 1643-1715. For 54 of these years, he reigned without the help of an official Prime Minister. Therefore, he personally controlled the French government. This created an absolute monarchy that became a model for much of Europe. Louis’ involvement in the War of Devolution with Spain, the Dutch War, the War of Palatinate and the War of the Spanish Succession had a vast impact on France. By 1677, Louis had expanded the French navy from a fleet of 20 ships to 270 ships. During his reign, the arts flourished and French culture blossomed. Along with this came the construction of the exquisite, extravagant Versailles palace. Louis’ policy on religion produced the Edict of Fontainebleau, which revoked the former Edict on Nantes. These policies and events had both positive and negative effects on life in France during the 17th Century. It could be argued that during his reign, Louis XIV established France as a dominant European power by expanding the French borders and advancing the arts. History shows that during his reign, France achieved a new dominant power throughout Europe. Through his careful, deliberate planning, France acquired much new land. France stunned Europe when Louis invaded the Spanis... ... engaged France in numerous battles and because many of his greatest marshals were now dead, France began to lose many of the lands it had acquired earlier in his reign. By 1697, France had to return Lorraine, Flanders, Luxembourg and the area around the Rhine River. Louis continued to lose battle after battle, and these defeats hurt the economy of France. The cost of these defeats became a huge financial burden on the country. The public debt increased, and taxes were raised. In short, Louis XIV should not be referred to as a glorious ruler. His projects were costly and were often fruitless. After his closest advisors died, he seemed incapable of making good decisions anymore. His personal luxuries, and his desire to be looked upon as a godlike figure, caused economic problems and a severe national debt that took France centuries to overcome.