Substance abuse course Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Substance abuse course - Essay Example Many lives and families have been ruined due to alcoholism like in the case of Ben in the film under consideration. It is a common responsibility for each member of the society to face the menace of alcoholism as it translates to high cost in terms of loss of life and ill-health. The ensuing frustration from wasted life and loss of job sinks victims even deeper. This is evident in the movie which portrays Ben as having been abandoned by the wife and children, isolated by friends and eventually relocates to Las Vegas to drink to death. Finding a solution to this problem requires in-depth knowledge of the stages of its development. Understanding the source of the drinking habit can be attributed to genetic and social environment factors. However, there are appropriate measures that can help in prevention of the problem in respect of each cause. Initiation stage is critical in averting the possibility of addiction. Recovery also tends to be delicate since there are high chances of relapse. It is therefore important for the society to sustain the campaign against substance abuse. This calls for public-private partnership to consistently create awareness in attempts to mitigate the consequences of substance abuse in the

Immigration Reform Paper Essay Example for Free

Immigration Reform Paper Essay Illegal immigration into the United States has drastically increased throughout the twentieth century. There are millions of immigrants in our country who are currently living under the threat of deportation because of their undocumented status. The most considerable challenge for policymakers is distinguishing apparent immigration problems from authentic problems. Congressional members have taken an approach that focuses exclusively on border security, which has not been successful thus far. If Congress continues to pass laws without taking into consideration the fundamental contradictions of existing state affairs, then the state affairs will not undergo any change. In order to achieve results, an immigration reform must be comprehensive. The United States of America needs an immigration system that recognizes the hardships and contributions of the people migrating to the U.S., keeps families together here in this country, and creates a rational process of citizenship for new Americans. How we treat immigrants should reflect the values of fairness and equality that define the United States as a country. People come here for the promise of freedom and opportunity. However, immigrant workers are exploited and discriminated against. These so called â€Å"illegal aliens† happen to contribute to the development of our nation in many ways, such as paying taxes, creating new jobs by opening businesses, and making scientific discoveries that transform entire industries. For example, as of 2010, nearly five hundred companies had at least one founder who was an immigrant. These companies include ATT, Verizon, Kraft, Comcast, Intel, Google, Sun Microsystems, United States Steel, Qualcomm, eBay, Nordstrom, and Yahoo (â€Å"Immigration Reform† 1). Although it is true that immigrants do more contributing than anything else, many Americans refuse to believe in this fact. Usually, those seeking to reside in the United States are part of racial or ethnic groups that are minorities in this country. Therefore, anti-immigration views and behaviors are often affiliated with racism. This  effect is partially due to the fact that previous attempts to regulate immigration were based on racism or nativism. Procuring the participation of previously excluded groups is the key ending discrimination. Any policy that keeps family members apart for decades at a time should not be an American resolution. Due to our current immigration system, family members can sometimes wait ten to twenty years to be reunited with loved ones (Bruno 5). Our American values teach us that families are sacred and serve as the building block of our communities. Separating husbands from wives, sisters from brothers, and children from parents creates worthless suffering that negatively affects the prosperity of our communities. Immigrants who are waiting for the approval to come to the United States are not allowed to visit in the mean time, which means they cannot legally visit their family members who reside in the U.S. for many years. Lili Farhang, the co-director of Human Impact Partners, explains the importance of keeping families united with this statement: â€Å"The lives of children with undocumented immigrant parents or guardians in the United States are saturated with fear, fear that the people they love and depend on will be arrested and taken away from them at any moment without warning. Many of these children were born here and are U.S. citizens. But under current immigration policy, their families can be torn apart with an arrest and deportation with little regard for their wellbeing or futures† (Farhang 1). With that being said, it is clear that our country needs an immigration reform that maintains and protects family unity to reverse the damage caused by the current American policies. The United States immigration authorities often receive more visa applications than they can process within a reasonable amount of time. For the most part, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reviews each application on a first come, first- served basis. If an immigrant is an applicant for a visa or green card that does not allow unlimited amounts to be given out each year, then a certain amount of waiting will be incorporated into the process. For example, if an individual is applying for a green card as the married child of an American citizen, then he or she is placed in the third preference category of  family-sponsored visas, and can expect to wait at least ten years before receiving a visa. There is nothing anyone can do about this except to carefully monitor the progress and notify the National Visa Center (NVC) of an address change. The possibility of an immigrant’s file being misplaced is also another important reason to track the changes in progress. This happens all too often, and many times the individual is not notified of the misplacement (Bray n.p.). Many Americans do not understand the immigration process and expect all immigrants to wait their turn in line for a green card or visa. However, what they also don’t understand is that for many people who have no college degree or close relatives who are U.S. citizens, there is absolutely no way for them to migrate into the U.S. legally without reform to the legal system. For individuals living in poverty and desperate to support their families, illegal immigration is the most appealing option. Therefore, enforcement policies should focus on establishing a safe and orderly system of entry into the United States once immigrants have met reasonable requirements, such as background checks or tax payments. Immigration policies affect all aspects of American society. In one way or another, regardless of their status, immigrants have always played an essential role in the growth and development of our nation. Immigrants have contributed an estimated ten billion dollars a year to America’s economic growth (Bray n.p.). The hard-working individuals who contribute to this country should be encouraged to standardize their status. Unfortunately, the immigrants in the United States are increasingly becoming targets of discrimination. Families are being torn apart and children are being forcibly separated from their parents. In consequence, our nation’s immigration policies must be consistent with the ideals of equality and freedom that defines the American people. â€Å"Works Cited† Bray, Iona. â€Å"Why Immigration Cases Take So Long.† AllLaw. Law Topics. Online posting. Bruno, Andorra. â€Å"Unauthorized Aliens In The United States: Policy Discussion.† Congressional Research Service, 8 May 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2015. Farhang, Lili. â€Å" Family Unity, Family Health: How Family-Focused Immigration Reform Will Mean Better Health for Children and Families.† Human Impact Partners 22 June 2013. PFD file. Haugen, David. Illegal Immigration. MI: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Print. â€Å"Tackling the Toughest Questions on Immigration Reform.† Immigration Policy Center 29 Jul. 2013. PDF file.

Causes and Effects of Growing Terrorism

Causes and Effects of Growing Terrorism Chapter 1 Introduction The Threat from Terrorism There are very few humans in the world today who have not had their lives altered or affected in some way through terrorist acts or the threat from terrorism. The highly publicized terrorist attacks in the United States, London, Madrid, and Mumbai were seen worldwide and have lead to sweeping changes in the security postures of many western and developed nations, as well as to a multi-nation war in Afghanistan. For those that have not felt the direct effects by losing someone close to them, there are many life altering after-shocks have had global reach and thus have effected nearly everyone. Every person who uses public transportation, rides in a plane/train, or crosses an international border will feel the effects of international terrorism through vastly increased security measures. Terrorism has changed foreign policy for many nations and has lead to wars.[1] In all, terrorism is rewriting the geopolitical map as we see it now and in the decades to come, will continue to change t he world as we know it. Radical Militant Islamic Groups There are many religions and political factions that have terrorist cells. In fact, in this day and age, one would be hard pressed to find a country or religion that does not have some form of fundamental or radicalized terrorist group in its midst. Groups espousing terror find roots in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism.[2] This being said, in recent times, the most dangerous threat to western and developed nations comes from the Radical Militant Islamic Groups. These Islamic Militants have not only local and national reach, but can project their influence regionally and even globally (as seen with Al Qaeda and Hezbollah), and thus will be the focus of this dissertation. Shifting Sands: Since as far back as history dates, there has been war between peoples. Sometimes these peoples were evenly matched, and the battles pitted large armies against one another. Yet at other times, the odds were heavily in favor of one side, and the lesser of these groups had to resort to non-traditional warfare to inflict losses on their enemy. Sometimes these attacks were focused on the enemys military, and sometimes these attacks were focused on the citizenry of the enemy nation. The enemies could be nation vs nation or sometimes they were nation vs a non-state actor group. The pendulum has swung back and forth throughout history as to what is the root of terrorist groups. With the emergence of Al Qaeda we have seen that in the present day the non-state actor terrorist groups have taken center stage, though this may be about to change. Attempt to predict the future This paper engages the probability of predicting the future of global terrorism. This is achieved by analyzing the history of the origins and conceptual changes of terrorism over years past and current trends of terrorism as seen through the data available from the terrorism scholars of today. Though terrorism is not a completely Islamic phenomena, this paper will focus on terrorism from Radical Militant Islamic Groups, as this is the most predominant form of terrorism seen in the present day. It will attempt to lay out the evolution of terrorism to give some basis for a review of the current most important trends in terrorism. It will discuss the origins of ethno-nationalist (or state sponsored) terrorism and further discuss how this has morphed into the new transnational (or non-state actor) terrorism of today. Finally the paper will set the stage for the prediction of a future shift back to state sponsored terrorism and outline the reasons why this is going to occur. Chapter II Evolution of Terrorism – Historical Roots Mr. Speaker, I agree with those who say that the Global War  on Terrorism is actually a Global War of Ideas and that  terrorism is one of the tactics used in that War. Mac Thornberry (US Congressman) P re-Modern World: 1st Century BC to the 13th Century The history of [6] 1793: The Origins of Modern Terrorism In 1793, following the French revolution, Maximilien Robespierre instigated a reign of terror on those who opposed the French revolution.[7] This reign of terror is conventionally known as the birthplace of the word Terrorism.[9] Robespierres sentiment is the keystone in the beliefs of many modern terrorists, who consider violence the best and most efficient way to get to their desired outcome. As decades passed, the categorization of terrorism as a state action has blurred, as the idea of terrorism as an attack against an existing political order became more prominent. 1950s: The Rise of Non-State Terrorism Terrorism in the 1950s got its start from the guerilla warfare tactics popular with many insurgent groups of the time. This rise of guerrilla tactics by non-state actors in the last half of the twentieth century was due to several factors. These included the blossoming of ethnic nationalism (e.g. Irish, Basque, Zionist), anti-colonial sentiments in the vast British, French and Dutch empires, and new ideologies such as communism. In near recent times, terrorist groups with nationalist agendas have sprung up in every part of the world. For example, the Irish Republican Army grew from the desire of Irish Catholics to form an independent republic, and break their ties with Great Britain.[10] Similarly, the Kurds, a distinct ethnic and linguistic group in Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq, have sought national autonomy since the beginning of the 20th Century.[13] 1970s: The International Turn of Terrorism International terrorism came to the forefront as a prominent issue in the late 1960s, when hijacking of large airliners became a favored tactic. In 1968, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine became the first group to hijack an aircraft.[18] 1990s: 21 st Century: The Rise of Religious Terrorism Though an argument can be made that the rise of religiously motivated terrorism got its modern day start in Iran and Afghanistan to counter the political issues of the Shah and the Soviet Union, it came to the forefront with many highly visible violent acts committed during the 1990s. Groups that justify their violence on Islamic grounds Al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah come to mind first. But Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and other religions have given rise to their own forms of militant extremism.[19] In recent years RMIGs have taken center stage for their astoundingly violent acts perpetrated against the citizenry of non-Muslim cultures. Chapter III Trends in Terrorism When you give religiously inspired zealots weapons of mass destruction and you promise them that if they kill innocent people they will go to heaven, imagine what the consequences are. Major Changes are Ahead There are major changes coming to terrorism in the years ahead. These changes can be seen from the trends of today, and will deeply change the threat to marked nations by terrorists and the terms on which we must fight the war against RMIGs. The top trends that will influence the changes in Terrorism Globally are summarized below. Fertility rates will lead Western Countries to come under Islamic rule In contrast to the developing world, many industrialized countries are currently, or will soon, see fertility rates below the replacement level and hence significant declines in populations, excluding the effects of immigration[22] Militant Islam continues to grow in both membership and power It has been clear for years that many Islamic nations face severe problems with religious extremists who are dedicated to advancing their political, social, and ideological views by any means necessary.[23] Nearly all of the Muslim lands are overcrowded and short of resources. Many are poor, save for the oil-rich states of the Middle East.[27] The Terrorist Ranks Are Growing The post 9/11 invasion of Afghanistan that lead to the unseating of the Taliban regime deprived Al Qaeda of a safe haven, striking a major blow against the global terrorist movement, yet by not following up effectively on that initial success, a great deal of benefit that could have been solidified was squandered. Additionally, with the invasion of Iraq, Al Qaeda and its sympathizers now have new grounds from which they can unite their members and, more importantly, recruit new ones.[32] At the heart of the Middle East fundamentalist movement are the wahabists of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has recently been forced to enact a program designed to keep Muslim men from going to Iraq to wage war against the coalition forces in a global jihad.[35] In this way, the foundation for terrorist cells are built which are independent of Al Qaeda but resolutely committed to the same objectives. Examples of this have been seen in the Madrid railway bombings which were carried out by Al Qaeda inspired Moroccan terrorist cell who were motivated by the Iraq invasion.[39] It is clear that RMIGs have significant sympathy among Europes Muslim population. The French riots of October and November 2005 affected at least twenty cities in that country, resulting in 2,888 arrests, leading to a further spill over of violence in Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, and Switzerland.[40] It has been proven that Saudi Arabia continues to fund and maintain connections with a broad group of religious schools, stretching from Pakistan to New York, and from the Philippines to India.[44] Individuals from Europe and the Middle East are embracing the extremist teachings, traveling to Afghanistan, Kashmir and Iraq to fight, and returning to their own countries, with the rights of western citizens to carry the fight against the very nations they were born to. RMIGs Will Gain Access to Weapons of Mass Destruction It must be assumed that tomorrows terrorists will make every effort to ensure that they have more than unconventional amounts of conventional explosives with which to make their violent point.[46] Pakistan represents by far the greatest opportunity for would-be nuclear terrorists to become nuclear terrorists. If Muslim extremists cannot gain access to stolen weapons from the former Soviet Republics, Islamabad may be their provider. Thankfully, this seems not to be a guarantee that terrorists will use nuclear weapons against the potential western targets. RMIGs will most likely receive large, hard to conceal, low-yield devices that will be difficult to smuggle to their target. Though one can be certain that terrorist organizations will try anyway, other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) look to be a much more likely option. Clouds of toxic gas or incompletely weaponized bacteria could find their way into New York City, London or Paris. Even more likely is the chemical weapon threat. As the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo, demonstrated in a Tokyo subway in 1995, chemical weapons are available to essentially anyone who wants them badly enough to put in a modest effort to make or buy them.[47] The Home Grown threat from Muslim extremists is on the rise A 1994 terrorism study by the US Department of Defense predicted that by 2020 a majority of the worlds most important Muslim lands could be controlled by extremist religious governments.[52] Beyond that, for the first time, an Islamic country, Pakistan, has nuclear weapons. As previously mentioned, Islamic extremists view this technology as an Islamic bomb that could be used to promote their apocalyptic ideology, making nuclear terrorism a realistic threat. This threat will grow as Iraq, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and other countries establish fundamentalist regimes that are willing to back the cause of jihad against the West. Saudi Arabia is well on the path to be taken over by a fundamentalist regime, and to attempt to postpone this, the Saud family will continue to provide more support to extremists and endeavor to direct the RMIGs attention to the West.[53] The overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq have strengthened the global jihadist movement, given them a training ground and built up the contacts for future terrorist acts. The gap between the Haves and the Have Nots will continue to increase The growing gap in wealth between the rich and poor countries looks as if it will further destabilize the world order, continuing to encourage prospective RMIGs in the less developed nations to foment violence against the rich in their own countries, or when available against western targets. This rising gap in wealth within many prosperous nations has the possibility to set off discontent among the less well-off, possibly helping to inspire random violence and acts of domestic terrorism in the West. The growing gap in wealth and income between the rich and the poor also may inspire conversion to Islam in the West, principally among the underprivileged. As seen in England and Australia, this can be a source of violent extremism among both immigrant and native populations.[54] Population growth is highest in those countries least able to support the growth The greatest fertility rates are found in those countries least able to support their existing populations: the largest population increases projected between 2000 and 2050 include the Palestinian Territory (217 percent), Niger (205 percent), Yemen (168 percent), Angola (162 percent), the Democratic Republic of Congo (161 percent), and Uganda (133 percent).[55] The Muslim world is reproducing at an extremely high rate, with fertility rates of 7.5 in Afghanistan, 6.0 in Yemen, and 4.9 in Iraq.[57] Even these estimates appear to be on the low side. According to CSIS, most official projections underestimate both the fertility rates and age of mortality, as well as making the assumption that life expectancy will grow more slowly in the future, which seems unlikely as world healthcare only continues to get better. Growing Western prosperity relative to other countries with rapidly growing populations and overburdened economies will continue to make the developed nations a target for terrorism. Shortages of food could help to motivate extremism unless the industrialized nations make a determined, visible effort to provide for the worlds poor. (Food production in the next 40 years will need to be significantly higher then ever before in the worlds history to keep the exploding world population from starvation).[58] Urbanization, will continue to increase rapidly According to the Population Reference Bureaus 2006 World Population Data Sheet, Forty-eight percent of the worlds population currently lives in cities. By 2030 that figure is expected to grow to 60 percent, as approximately 2.1 billion more people move to the worlds urban centers.[59] In industrialized nations, on average, more than three-fourths of the population lives in urban areas (urban areas are defined differently for each country).[62] Right now, there are billions of people who live in urban areas who lack adequate clean water, shelter, toilets and hygiene areas, and/or electricity.[63] The problems this raises with reference to crime, violence, and religious extremism is readily apparent. Concentrating the poor, oppressed and powerless in large cloistered urban centers produces conditions ideal for the spread of crime and the type of religious extremism that lends itself to violent ideologies. Chapter IV Old Terrorism Any government that supports, protects or harbours terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent and equally guilty of terrorist crimes. George W. Bush Old Terrorism – Ethno -nationalist or Ideological, and state sponsored What are the differences between the legitimate tactics used by authorities in the quelling or defence of terrorism, and terrorism itself? Nations at times will use violence to control or manipulate parts of their populace, or use intimidation to get what they desire.[67] A government that is an adversary of Country B may apply terror tactics in an effort to make up for real or perceived inadequacies in conventional warfare capabilities. Repression through terror of the indigenous population of their own country may occur to stop the dissent or violent uprising inside the country that Country B might exploit. Special Operations forces, paramilitary forces and state intelligence assets could conduct terrorist operations against Country B interests both inter-regionally and as far outside the countries borders as the abilities of their external security apparatus will allow to destabilize Country B and bring desired visibility to the sponsoring governments issues. Finally, attacks on Country B on their home soil may be conducted by RMIGs of the state or by other domestic proxies.[68] This is being seen today in Iraq with the Iranian involvement to destabilize Iraq and kill coalition servicemen, as well as Pakistans efforts to destabilize the Jammu and K ashmir region of India. Forms of State Terror Governmental or State terror State involvement in terror State sponsorship of terrorism Turning a blind eye to the harboring/funding of terror groups in their borders[69] Governmental or State terror Governmental or State terror is normally seen when a regime uses threats or outright terror to its own populace to exert power over or suppress them.[73] These weapons were not used against the majority Muslim population in the southern 2/3 of Iraq, where he accomplished his goals using conventional state terror methods. State involvement in terror State involvement in terror includes the activities where government personnel perform operations using terror tactics that are directed against other nations interests, individuals or private groups that have opposing or controversial opinions/actions viewed as counter to that of the state. In essence, it is governmentally authorized terrorism, though these sanctions hardly ever come to public light. Some past examples of this governmentally authorized terrorism are the assassination include the Soviet and Iranian assassination operations aimed at state dissidents who moved abroad for fear of their lives. Additionally, the targeting and destroying (through a covert bombing campaign carried out by Libyan and North Korean intelligence officers) of international airliners was another past example of this form of terrorism.[75] A further form of state involvement in terror is pro-state terror. This is a terror campaign carried out by small groups or individual people who have no authorized status in the system. These type of attacks generally are lacking in official support as well. Pro-state terror may have the end result of a desired outcome which the government wants. In these cases, with official use of violent crime tacitly supported by the authorities, even though the groups or individuals have gone outside the rule of punishment of the terrorists is rare. State sponsorship of terrorism State sponsorship of terrorism, also referred to as state supported terrorism, represents a situation when non-state terrorist organizations are trained, equipped and operationalized by an authorized national governmental agency. A very productive aspects of this support is the providing of safe havens for terrorists organizations.[78] Examples of state sponsorship of terrorism are the overt support by the government of Syria to Hamas as well as Lebanons overt support and backing of Hezbollah. Syrian funding and the providing of safe havens facilitate many training areas in the Beka Valley territory.[81] Chapter V New Terrorism Terrorism is carried out purposefully, in a cold-blooded, calculated fashion. The declared goals of the terrorist may change from place to place. He supposedly fig problems his only solution is the demolition of the whole structure of society. No partial solution, not even the total redressing of the grievance he complains of, will satisfy him until our social system is destroyed or delivered into his hands. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, International Terrorism New Terrorism – Transnational or Global Jihadism The first efforts to describe a new form of terrorism began to occur in the 1990s, when scholars of terrorism attempted to make sense of a phenomenon they were seeing that did not fit into the previous model of terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s. Attacks such as that of the religious cult Aum Shinrikyo did not make sense without a reconsideration of the old model. In reality, the term new terrorism truly came into its own only after the September 11, 2001 attacks.[82] In a short comparative of the new and old terrorism, it has been stated that: * The new terrorism is justified on religious and apocalyptic grounds, while the old terrorism was rooted in political ideology.[83] * The new terrorism aims at destruction as an end in itself, while the old terrorism used violent destruction as a means to a political end;[84] * The new terrorism is organizationally distinct from the old terrorism. It is hierarchical (has many equally authoritative points of leadership) and horizontal, rather than hierarchical and vertical; it is decentralized rather than centralized;[85] * The new terrorism aims at as much destruction as possible, whether through devastating forms of weaponry or techniques such as suicide terrorism, whereas the old terrorism sought to create a dramatic spectacle with as little damage as possible;[86] More recently, those who write about new terrorism have focused on a perceived new threat of mass casualties caused by chemical, biological or other agents.[89] On the counter point, when one looks holistically and historically at Terrorism, there seems to be no old or new terrorism, just a Darwinistic evolution of violence for political purposes. Even Martha Crenshaw, the noted terrorism expert who is a staunch advocate against the use of the term New Terrorism states the following in comparing and contrasting the goals, methods, and organization of New and Old Terrorism: Goals The new terrorism model assumes uniformly that religion, primarily of those groups with millennial and apocalyptic ideologies, is the main precipitating factor. The new terrorists are said to have ambiguous goals on the systemic level and to value destruction for its own sake (i.e., the means are the ends). By contrast, the old terrorism is seen as comprehensible, limited, more specific, and often tied to territory – thus making the grievance more susceptible to negotiation. How well does the new terrorism model fit the historical record? Crenshaw observes that the religion behind various groups (e.g., Aum Shinrikyo versus Al Qaeda) differs, as do their goals (i.e., local or global). She also notes that some of the old terrorist groups (e.g., the 19th century anarchists and the Red Army Faction) had broad, transnational goals.[90] Means According to the new terrorism model, groups seek to kill as many people as possible and are particularly drawn to weapons of mass destruction, whereas the old terrorism approach assumed that the groups were limited in their means as well as goals. Crenshaw acknowledged that the new terrorism model best fits with respect to this criterion. [91] Organization and structure The new terrorists are decentralized and networked, are inspiration-driven, and often include amateurs. By contrast, the old terrorists are centralized, top-down, professional organizations that are often state sponsored. The new terrorism distinction only partly meets this criterion as many of the old terrorist groups, such as the Red Army faction, were not so monolithic. The bottom line seems to lend itself to seeing terrorism as not new in kind, but in degree and structure.[92] The new terror groups of today (Al Qaeda being the most well known) center mainly around religion as a core for recruitment and promulgation of ideology. Islam is the religion of choice and has found a massive following in Middle Eastern Arab Muslims, especially the Wahabists of Saudi Arabia, but the splinter groups, or those groups loosely associated, have worldwide reach.[93] These organizations differ significantly from more traditional terrorist organizations of past decades. The groups of today do not depend on the sponsorship of a political state, and, unlike the PLO or the IRA, they are not defined by a particular conflict. Instead, these groups operate analogous to the businesses McDonalds or Starbucks. Al Qaeda is the franchise owner, providing financial and logistical support, as well as name recognition, to local, regional and transnational terrorist groups operating in such diverse places as the Philippines, Algeria, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Tajikistan, Somalia, Ye men, and Kashmir. Local groups may carry out acts in the name of al-Qaeda in order to bolster their own reputation—even if they are not receiving support from the organization. This is possible because the ideology that al Qaeda has developed and promulgated focuses their concepts to stress a few main tenants to ensure the survival and spread of the movement. Ensuring the perpetuity of the fight.[94] Obeying the individual obligation to fight Islams enemies regardless of the apparent outcome of battle[95] Institutionalizing a culture of martyrdom[96] Pinpointing Islams enemies through the refining process of jihad, and thus maintaining its identity[97] Establishing pride, brotherhood, and unity in the face of threats to the ummah[98] Creating a parity of suffering with Islams enemies—especially the Jews and Crusaders[99] Victory is seen in the maladies afflicting Gods enemies, especially economic recession and natural disasters[100] Observing miracles and dreams in jihad, which foretell of divine guidance and ultimate victory for the mujahedeen[101] As long as groups follow these main tenants, and focus their violence against the common enemy, then they are supporting the common cause. Due to this, Scott Atran argues that it is not religion, but group dynamics based off of social needs that fuels the Global Jihadist movement but small-group dynamics involving friends and family that form the diaspora cell of brotherhood and camaraderie on which the rising tide of martyrdom actions is based.[102] As mentioned by Crenshaw above, one of the main improvements of New terrorism is that of decentralized execution of actions that may or may not have been planned by some higher authority. As stated in the United States Air Force Defense Doctrine publication 1, Decentralized execution is, the delegation of execution authority to responsible and capable lower-level commanders to achieve effective span of control and to foster disciplined initiative, situational responsiveness, and tactical flexibility.[103] Chapter VI New Old Terrorism In todays wars, there are no morals. We believe the worst thieves in the world today and the worst terrorists are the Americans. We do not have to differentiate between military or civilian. As far as we are concerned, they are all targets. Osama Bin Laden Time magazine profile (16 September 2001) The Pendulum Swings Back For better or worse (and this author believes it is worsemuch worse) the pendulum is swinging back in the direction of state sponsored terrorism. For nations like Pakistan and Iran, the pendulum never moved, as these countries have been manning, training, equipping, and operationalizing terrorist groups for decades.[108] Iran has consistently been described by the United States as the worlds foremost state sponsor of terrorism. It actively supports terrorist groups, most prominently the Lebanese group Hezbollah.[115]. Iran and Hezbollah Hezbollah, a radical Shiite militia based in Lebanon, is a direct product of funding and training by Irans IRGC (QF). It was formally established in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, aimed at uprooting the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) bases there.[119] RMIG takeover of Islamic Nations For other nations that have not been wholly engaged in state sponsored terrorism, there are growing dangers as well. There are two types of new and developing state sponsored terrorism which may very soon roll a number of these nations into the terrorist state fold. The first one, unfortunately, we are all familiar with, as the most accurate example being the Al Qaeda infiltration of Afghanistan. After the Soviet Union finally withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 the communist Afghani government hung on for three more years, and then was finally overrun by RMIGs.[121] These services and practical, day-to-day contributions to the lives of ordinary citizens will provide a legitimacy and underpinning for future political activities by terrorist organizations. This RMIG sponsored ground root social support, combined with the reality that in almost every country in the Muslim world, western focused terrorism already has the sympathy of a majority of the population and the strong allegiance o f many, will in the near future give rise to terrorist based governments in many middle-eastern countries. The second development in state sponsored terrorism is focused at the western nations, with Europe directly in the crosshairs and North America soon to follow. The most dangerous and most likely future development in the spread of terrorism is that caused by population growth and immigration of Muslims into western lands. The bottom line is that there is a near irreversible trend in the expansion of Islam into Europe and Canada.[125] In essence, Europe in the next 50 years will be of a very different demographic makeup as it is now. Of all population growth in the EU in the last 20 years, 90% has been from immigrants, much of which were Islamic.[126] In France, though the statistics vary, the Islamic fertility rate is considered much higher than the 1.8 of native Frenchmen, as Islamic immigrants make up only 7.5% of the population yet account for 20% of the fertility rate.[128] It is not just France. As of 2001, the Muslim population in Great Britain rose from 82,000 in 1991 to 1,600,000 (Estimated at 2,500,000 today).[131] Compared to the decline in population of a majority of the industrialized nations, The United States (thanks to Latino immigration) will maintain the current fertility rate of 2.11 children per couple, thus providing the body pool to maintain strength in the global economy, as the European Union falls to third place behind the United States and China.[132] Whether it be by overthrow in an unstable middle-eastern country, or out-breeding the populations of western nations, it can be assumed that RMIGs will gain control of (or at least strong influence over) a functioning country in the next half century. If the terrorists do gain control of a country with a fully functioning and stable government, the nature of the game changes drastically. When terrorists becomethe government, all terrorism is state-sponsored The nations wealth, scientists, laboratories and research facilities can be focused to develop weapons of mass destruction of all types for use in the global jihad. Even in the absence of WMD, by gaining the status and legitimacy of a national government, radical Islamists will present western and developed nations with a difficult problem. We have seen in Afghanistan and Pakistan the benefits that a sovereign safe-haven has provi Causes and Effects of Growing Terrorism Causes and Effects of Growing Terrorism Chapter 1 Introduction The Threat from Terrorism There are very few humans in the world today who have not had their lives altered or affected in some way through terrorist acts or the threat from terrorism. The highly publicized terrorist attacks in the United States, London, Madrid, and Mumbai were seen worldwide and have lead to sweeping changes in the security postures of many western and developed nations, as well as to a multi-nation war in Afghanistan. For those that have not felt the direct effects by losing someone close to them, there are many life altering after-shocks have had global reach and thus have effected nearly everyone. Every person who uses public transportation, rides in a plane/train, or crosses an international border will feel the effects of international terrorism through vastly increased security measures. Terrorism has changed foreign policy for many nations and has lead to wars.[1] In all, terrorism is rewriting the geopolitical map as we see it now and in the decades to come, will continue to change t he world as we know it. Radical Militant Islamic Groups There are many religions and political factions that have terrorist cells. In fact, in this day and age, one would be hard pressed to find a country or religion that does not have some form of fundamental or radicalized terrorist group in its midst. Groups espousing terror find roots in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism.[2] This being said, in recent times, the most dangerous threat to western and developed nations comes from the Radical Militant Islamic Groups. These Islamic Militants have not only local and national reach, but can project their influence regionally and even globally (as seen with Al Qaeda and Hezbollah), and thus will be the focus of this dissertation. Shifting Sands: Since as far back as history dates, there has been war between peoples. Sometimes these peoples were evenly matched, and the battles pitted large armies against one another. Yet at other times, the odds were heavily in favor of one side, and the lesser of these groups had to resort to non-traditional warfare to inflict losses on their enemy. Sometimes these attacks were focused on the enemys military, and sometimes these attacks were focused on the citizenry of the enemy nation. The enemies could be nation vs nation or sometimes they were nation vs a non-state actor group. The pendulum has swung back and forth throughout history as to what is the root of terrorist groups. With the emergence of Al Qaeda we have seen that in the present day the non-state actor terrorist groups have taken center stage, though this may be about to change. Attempt to predict the future This paper engages the probability of predicting the future of global terrorism. This is achieved by analyzing the history of the origins and conceptual changes of terrorism over years past and current trends of terrorism as seen through the data available from the terrorism scholars of today. Though terrorism is not a completely Islamic phenomena, this paper will focus on terrorism from Radical Militant Islamic Groups, as this is the most predominant form of terrorism seen in the present day. It will attempt to lay out the evolution of terrorism to give some basis for a review of the current most important trends in terrorism. It will discuss the origins of ethno-nationalist (or state sponsored) terrorism and further discuss how this has morphed into the new transnational (or non-state actor) terrorism of today. Finally the paper will set the stage for the prediction of a future shift back to state sponsored terrorism and outline the reasons why this is going to occur. Chapter II Evolution of Terrorism – Historical Roots Mr. Speaker, I agree with those who say that the Global War  on Terrorism is actually a Global War of Ideas and that  terrorism is one of the tactics used in that War. Mac Thornberry (US Congressman) P re-Modern World: 1st Century BC to the 13th Century The history of [6] 1793: The Origins of Modern Terrorism In 1793, following the French revolution, Maximilien Robespierre instigated a reign of terror on those who opposed the French revolution.[7] This reign of terror is conventionally known as the birthplace of the word Terrorism.[9] Robespierres sentiment is the keystone in the beliefs of many modern terrorists, who consider violence the best and most efficient way to get to their desired outcome. As decades passed, the categorization of terrorism as a state action has blurred, as the idea of terrorism as an attack against an existing political order became more prominent. 1950s: The Rise of Non-State Terrorism Terrorism in the 1950s got its start from the guerilla warfare tactics popular with many insurgent groups of the time. This rise of guerrilla tactics by non-state actors in the last half of the twentieth century was due to several factors. These included the blossoming of ethnic nationalism (e.g. Irish, Basque, Zionist), anti-colonial sentiments in the vast British, French and Dutch empires, and new ideologies such as communism. In near recent times, terrorist groups with nationalist agendas have sprung up in every part of the world. For example, the Irish Republican Army grew from the desire of Irish Catholics to form an independent republic, and break their ties with Great Britain.[10] Similarly, the Kurds, a distinct ethnic and linguistic group in Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq, have sought national autonomy since the beginning of the 20th Century.[13] 1970s: The International Turn of Terrorism International terrorism came to the forefront as a prominent issue in the late 1960s, when hijacking of large airliners became a favored tactic. In 1968, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine became the first group to hijack an aircraft.[18] 1990s: 21 st Century: The Rise of Religious Terrorism Though an argument can be made that the rise of religiously motivated terrorism got its modern day start in Iran and Afghanistan to counter the political issues of the Shah and the Soviet Union, it came to the forefront with many highly visible violent acts committed during the 1990s. Groups that justify their violence on Islamic grounds Al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah come to mind first. But Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and other religions have given rise to their own forms of militant extremism.[19] In recent years RMIGs have taken center stage for their astoundingly violent acts perpetrated against the citizenry of non-Muslim cultures. Chapter III Trends in Terrorism When you give religiously inspired zealots weapons of mass destruction and you promise them that if they kill innocent people they will go to heaven, imagine what the consequences are. Major Changes are Ahead There are major changes coming to terrorism in the years ahead. These changes can be seen from the trends of today, and will deeply change the threat to marked nations by terrorists and the terms on which we must fight the war against RMIGs. The top trends that will influence the changes in Terrorism Globally are summarized below. Fertility rates will lead Western Countries to come under Islamic rule In contrast to the developing world, many industrialized countries are currently, or will soon, see fertility rates below the replacement level and hence significant declines in populations, excluding the effects of immigration[22] Militant Islam continues to grow in both membership and power It has been clear for years that many Islamic nations face severe problems with religious extremists who are dedicated to advancing their political, social, and ideological views by any means necessary.[23] Nearly all of the Muslim lands are overcrowded and short of resources. Many are poor, save for the oil-rich states of the Middle East.[27] The Terrorist Ranks Are Growing The post 9/11 invasion of Afghanistan that lead to the unseating of the Taliban regime deprived Al Qaeda of a safe haven, striking a major blow against the global terrorist movement, yet by not following up effectively on that initial success, a great deal of benefit that could have been solidified was squandered. Additionally, with the invasion of Iraq, Al Qaeda and its sympathizers now have new grounds from which they can unite their members and, more importantly, recruit new ones.[32] At the heart of the Middle East fundamentalist movement are the wahabists of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has recently been forced to enact a program designed to keep Muslim men from going to Iraq to wage war against the coalition forces in a global jihad.[35] In this way, the foundation for terrorist cells are built which are independent of Al Qaeda but resolutely committed to the same objectives. Examples of this have been seen in the Madrid railway bombings which were carried out by Al Qaeda inspired Moroccan terrorist cell who were motivated by the Iraq invasion.[39] It is clear that RMIGs have significant sympathy among Europes Muslim population. The French riots of October and November 2005 affected at least twenty cities in that country, resulting in 2,888 arrests, leading to a further spill over of violence in Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, and Switzerland.[40] It has been proven that Saudi Arabia continues to fund and maintain connections with a broad group of religious schools, stretching from Pakistan to New York, and from the Philippines to India.[44] Individuals from Europe and the Middle East are embracing the extremist teachings, traveling to Afghanistan, Kashmir and Iraq to fight, and returning to their own countries, with the rights of western citizens to carry the fight against the very nations they were born to. RMIGs Will Gain Access to Weapons of Mass Destruction It must be assumed that tomorrows terrorists will make every effort to ensure that they have more than unconventional amounts of conventional explosives with which to make their violent point.[46] Pakistan represents by far the greatest opportunity for would-be nuclear terrorists to become nuclear terrorists. If Muslim extremists cannot gain access to stolen weapons from the former Soviet Republics, Islamabad may be their provider. Thankfully, this seems not to be a guarantee that terrorists will use nuclear weapons against the potential western targets. RMIGs will most likely receive large, hard to conceal, low-yield devices that will be difficult to smuggle to their target. Though one can be certain that terrorist organizations will try anyway, other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) look to be a much more likely option. Clouds of toxic gas or incompletely weaponized bacteria could find their way into New York City, London or Paris. Even more likely is the chemical weapon threat. As the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo, demonstrated in a Tokyo subway in 1995, chemical weapons are available to essentially anyone who wants them badly enough to put in a modest effort to make or buy them.[47] The Home Grown threat from Muslim extremists is on the rise A 1994 terrorism study by the US Department of Defense predicted that by 2020 a majority of the worlds most important Muslim lands could be controlled by extremist religious governments.[52] Beyond that, for the first time, an Islamic country, Pakistan, has nuclear weapons. As previously mentioned, Islamic extremists view this technology as an Islamic bomb that could be used to promote their apocalyptic ideology, making nuclear terrorism a realistic threat. This threat will grow as Iraq, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and other countries establish fundamentalist regimes that are willing to back the cause of jihad against the West. Saudi Arabia is well on the path to be taken over by a fundamentalist regime, and to attempt to postpone this, the Saud family will continue to provide more support to extremists and endeavor to direct the RMIGs attention to the West.[53] The overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq have strengthened the global jihadist movement, given them a training ground and built up the contacts for future terrorist acts. The gap between the Haves and the Have Nots will continue to increase The growing gap in wealth between the rich and poor countries looks as if it will further destabilize the world order, continuing to encourage prospective RMIGs in the less developed nations to foment violence against the rich in their own countries, or when available against western targets. This rising gap in wealth within many prosperous nations has the possibility to set off discontent among the less well-off, possibly helping to inspire random violence and acts of domestic terrorism in the West. The growing gap in wealth and income between the rich and the poor also may inspire conversion to Islam in the West, principally among the underprivileged. As seen in England and Australia, this can be a source of violent extremism among both immigrant and native populations.[54] Population growth is highest in those countries least able to support the growth The greatest fertility rates are found in those countries least able to support their existing populations: the largest population increases projected between 2000 and 2050 include the Palestinian Territory (217 percent), Niger (205 percent), Yemen (168 percent), Angola (162 percent), the Democratic Republic of Congo (161 percent), and Uganda (133 percent).[55] The Muslim world is reproducing at an extremely high rate, with fertility rates of 7.5 in Afghanistan, 6.0 in Yemen, and 4.9 in Iraq.[57] Even these estimates appear to be on the low side. According to CSIS, most official projections underestimate both the fertility rates and age of mortality, as well as making the assumption that life expectancy will grow more slowly in the future, which seems unlikely as world healthcare only continues to get better. Growing Western prosperity relative to other countries with rapidly growing populations and overburdened economies will continue to make the developed nations a target for terrorism. Shortages of food could help to motivate extremism unless the industrialized nations make a determined, visible effort to provide for the worlds poor. (Food production in the next 40 years will need to be significantly higher then ever before in the worlds history to keep the exploding world population from starvation).[58] Urbanization, will continue to increase rapidly According to the Population Reference Bureaus 2006 World Population Data Sheet, Forty-eight percent of the worlds population currently lives in cities. By 2030 that figure is expected to grow to 60 percent, as approximately 2.1 billion more people move to the worlds urban centers.[59] In industrialized nations, on average, more than three-fourths of the population lives in urban areas (urban areas are defined differently for each country).[62] Right now, there are billions of people who live in urban areas who lack adequate clean water, shelter, toilets and hygiene areas, and/or electricity.[63] The problems this raises with reference to crime, violence, and religious extremism is readily apparent. Concentrating the poor, oppressed and powerless in large cloistered urban centers produces conditions ideal for the spread of crime and the type of religious extremism that lends itself to violent ideologies. Chapter IV Old Terrorism Any government that supports, protects or harbours terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent and equally guilty of terrorist crimes. George W. Bush Old Terrorism – Ethno -nationalist or Ideological, and state sponsored What are the differences between the legitimate tactics used by authorities in the quelling or defence of terrorism, and terrorism itself? Nations at times will use violence to control or manipulate parts of their populace, or use intimidation to get what they desire.[67] A government that is an adversary of Country B may apply terror tactics in an effort to make up for real or perceived inadequacies in conventional warfare capabilities. Repression through terror of the indigenous population of their own country may occur to stop the dissent or violent uprising inside the country that Country B might exploit. Special Operations forces, paramilitary forces and state intelligence assets could conduct terrorist operations against Country B interests both inter-regionally and as far outside the countries borders as the abilities of their external security apparatus will allow to destabilize Country B and bring desired visibility to the sponsoring governments issues. Finally, attacks on Country B on their home soil may be conducted by RMIGs of the state or by other domestic proxies.[68] This is being seen today in Iraq with the Iranian involvement to destabilize Iraq and kill coalition servicemen, as well as Pakistans efforts to destabilize the Jammu and K ashmir region of India. Forms of State Terror Governmental or State terror State involvement in terror State sponsorship of terrorism Turning a blind eye to the harboring/funding of terror groups in their borders[69] Governmental or State terror Governmental or State terror is normally seen when a regime uses threats or outright terror to its own populace to exert power over or suppress them.[73] These weapons were not used against the majority Muslim population in the southern 2/3 of Iraq, where he accomplished his goals using conventional state terror methods. State involvement in terror State involvement in terror includes the activities where government personnel perform operations using terror tactics that are directed against other nations interests, individuals or private groups that have opposing or controversial opinions/actions viewed as counter to that of the state. In essence, it is governmentally authorized terrorism, though these sanctions hardly ever come to public light. Some past examples of this governmentally authorized terrorism are the assassination include the Soviet and Iranian assassination operations aimed at state dissidents who moved abroad for fear of their lives. Additionally, the targeting and destroying (through a covert bombing campaign carried out by Libyan and North Korean intelligence officers) of international airliners was another past example of this form of terrorism.[75] A further form of state involvement in terror is pro-state terror. This is a terror campaign carried out by small groups or individual people who have no authorized status in the system. These type of attacks generally are lacking in official support as well. Pro-state terror may have the end result of a desired outcome which the government wants. In these cases, with official use of violent crime tacitly supported by the authorities, even though the groups or individuals have gone outside the rule of punishment of the terrorists is rare. State sponsorship of terrorism State sponsorship of terrorism, also referred to as state supported terrorism, represents a situation when non-state terrorist organizations are trained, equipped and operationalized by an authorized national governmental agency. A very productive aspects of this support is the providing of safe havens for terrorists organizations.[78] Examples of state sponsorship of terrorism are the overt support by the government of Syria to Hamas as well as Lebanons overt support and backing of Hezbollah. Syrian funding and the providing of safe havens facilitate many training areas in the Beka Valley territory.[81] Chapter V New Terrorism Terrorism is carried out purposefully, in a cold-blooded, calculated fashion. The declared goals of the terrorist may change from place to place. He supposedly fig problems his only solution is the demolition of the whole structure of society. No partial solution, not even the total redressing of the grievance he complains of, will satisfy him until our social system is destroyed or delivered into his hands. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, International Terrorism New Terrorism – Transnational or Global Jihadism The first efforts to describe a new form of terrorism began to occur in the 1990s, when scholars of terrorism attempted to make sense of a phenomenon they were seeing that did not fit into the previous model of terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s. Attacks such as that of the religious cult Aum Shinrikyo did not make sense without a reconsideration of the old model. In reality, the term new terrorism truly came into its own only after the September 11, 2001 attacks.[82] In a short comparative of the new and old terrorism, it has been stated that: * The new terrorism is justified on religious and apocalyptic grounds, while the old terrorism was rooted in political ideology.[83] * The new terrorism aims at destruction as an end in itself, while the old terrorism used violent destruction as a means to a political end;[84] * The new terrorism is organizationally distinct from the old terrorism. It is hierarchical (has many equally authoritative points of leadership) and horizontal, rather than hierarchical and vertical; it is decentralized rather than centralized;[85] * The new terrorism aims at as much destruction as possible, whether through devastating forms of weaponry or techniques such as suicide terrorism, whereas the old terrorism sought to create a dramatic spectacle with as little damage as possible;[86] More recently, those who write about new terrorism have focused on a perceived new threat of mass casualties caused by chemical, biological or other agents.[89] On the counter point, when one looks holistically and historically at Terrorism, there seems to be no old or new terrorism, just a Darwinistic evolution of violence for political purposes. Even Martha Crenshaw, the noted terrorism expert who is a staunch advocate against the use of the term New Terrorism states the following in comparing and contrasting the goals, methods, and organization of New and Old Terrorism: Goals The new terrorism model assumes uniformly that religion, primarily of those groups with millennial and apocalyptic ideologies, is the main precipitating factor. The new terrorists are said to have ambiguous goals on the systemic level and to value destruction for its own sake (i.e., the means are the ends). By contrast, the old terrorism is seen as comprehensible, limited, more specific, and often tied to territory – thus making the grievance more susceptible to negotiation. How well does the new terrorism model fit the historical record? Crenshaw observes that the religion behind various groups (e.g., Aum Shinrikyo versus Al Qaeda) differs, as do their goals (i.e., local or global). She also notes that some of the old terrorist groups (e.g., the 19th century anarchists and the Red Army Faction) had broad, transnational goals.[90] Means According to the new terrorism model, groups seek to kill as many people as possible and are particularly drawn to weapons of mass destruction, whereas the old terrorism approach assumed that the groups were limited in their means as well as goals. Crenshaw acknowledged that the new terrorism model best fits with respect to this criterion. [91] Organization and structure The new terrorists are decentralized and networked, are inspiration-driven, and often include amateurs. By contrast, the old terrorists are centralized, top-down, professional organizations that are often state sponsored. The new terrorism distinction only partly meets this criterion as many of the old terrorist groups, such as the Red Army faction, were not so monolithic. The bottom line seems to lend itself to seeing terrorism as not new in kind, but in degree and structure.[92] The new terror groups of today (Al Qaeda being the most well known) center mainly around religion as a core for recruitment and promulgation of ideology. Islam is the religion of choice and has found a massive following in Middle Eastern Arab Muslims, especially the Wahabists of Saudi Arabia, but the splinter groups, or those groups loosely associated, have worldwide reach.[93] These organizations differ significantly from more traditional terrorist organizations of past decades. The groups of today do not depend on the sponsorship of a political state, and, unlike the PLO or the IRA, they are not defined by a particular conflict. Instead, these groups operate analogous to the businesses McDonalds or Starbucks. Al Qaeda is the franchise owner, providing financial and logistical support, as well as name recognition, to local, regional and transnational terrorist groups operating in such diverse places as the Philippines, Algeria, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Tajikistan, Somalia, Ye men, and Kashmir. Local groups may carry out acts in the name of al-Qaeda in order to bolster their own reputation—even if they are not receiving support from the organization. This is possible because the ideology that al Qaeda has developed and promulgated focuses their concepts to stress a few main tenants to ensure the survival and spread of the movement. Ensuring the perpetuity of the fight.[94] Obeying the individual obligation to fight Islams enemies regardless of the apparent outcome of battle[95] Institutionalizing a culture of martyrdom[96] Pinpointing Islams enemies through the refining process of jihad, and thus maintaining its identity[97] Establishing pride, brotherhood, and unity in the face of threats to the ummah[98] Creating a parity of suffering with Islams enemies—especially the Jews and Crusaders[99] Victory is seen in the maladies afflicting Gods enemies, especially economic recession and natural disasters[100] Observing miracles and dreams in jihad, which foretell of divine guidance and ultimate victory for the mujahedeen[101] As long as groups follow these main tenants, and focus their violence against the common enemy, then they are supporting the common cause. Due to this, Scott Atran argues that it is not religion, but group dynamics based off of social needs that fuels the Global Jihadist movement but small-group dynamics involving friends and family that form the diaspora cell of brotherhood and camaraderie on which the rising tide of martyrdom actions is based.[102] As mentioned by Crenshaw above, one of the main improvements of New terrorism is that of decentralized execution of actions that may or may not have been planned by some higher authority. As stated in the United States Air Force Defense Doctrine publication 1, Decentralized execution is, the delegation of execution authority to responsible and capable lower-level commanders to achieve effective span of control and to foster disciplined initiative, situational responsiveness, and tactical flexibility.[103] Chapter VI New Old Terrorism In todays wars, there are no morals. We believe the worst thieves in the world today and the worst terrorists are the Americans. We do not have to differentiate between military or civilian. As far as we are concerned, they are all targets. Osama Bin Laden Time magazine profile (16 September 2001) The Pendulum Swings Back For better or worse (and this author believes it is worsemuch worse) the pendulum is swinging back in the direction of state sponsored terrorism. For nations like Pakistan and Iran, the pendulum never moved, as these countries have been manning, training, equipping, and operationalizing terrorist groups for decades.[108] Iran has consistently been described by the United States as the worlds foremost state sponsor of terrorism. It actively supports terrorist groups, most prominently the Lebanese group Hezbollah.[115]. Iran and Hezbollah Hezbollah, a radical Shiite militia based in Lebanon, is a direct product of funding and training by Irans IRGC (QF). It was formally established in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, aimed at uprooting the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) bases there.[119] RMIG takeover of Islamic Nations For other nations that have not been wholly engaged in state sponsored terrorism, there are growing dangers as well. There are two types of new and developing state sponsored terrorism which may very soon roll a number of these nations into the terrorist state fold. The first one, unfortunately, we are all familiar with, as the most accurate example being the Al Qaeda infiltration of Afghanistan. After the Soviet Union finally withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 the communist Afghani government hung on for three more years, and then was finally overrun by RMIGs.[121] These services and practical, day-to-day contributions to the lives of ordinary citizens will provide a legitimacy and underpinning for future political activities by terrorist organizations. This RMIG sponsored ground root social support, combined with the reality that in almost every country in the Muslim world, western focused terrorism already has the sympathy of a majority of the population and the strong allegiance o f many, will in the near future give rise to terrorist based governments in many middle-eastern countries. The second development in state sponsored terrorism is focused at the western nations, with Europe directly in the crosshairs and North America soon to follow. The most dangerous and most likely future development in the spread of terrorism is that caused by population growth and immigration of Muslims into western lands. The bottom line is that there is a near irreversible trend in the expansion of Islam into Europe and Canada.[125] In essence, Europe in the next 50 years will be of a very different demographic makeup as it is now. Of all population growth in the EU in the last 20 years, 90% has been from immigrants, much of which were Islamic.[126] In France, though the statistics vary, the Islamic fertility rate is considered much higher than the 1.8 of native Frenchmen, as Islamic immigrants make up only 7.5% of the population yet account for 20% of the fertility rate.[128] It is not just France. As of 2001, the Muslim population in Great Britain rose from 82,000 in 1991 to 1,600,000 (Estimated at 2,500,000 today).[131] Compared to the decline in population of a majority of the industrialized nations, The United States (thanks to Latino immigration) will maintain the current fertility rate of 2.11 children per couple, thus providing the body pool to maintain strength in the global economy, as the European Union falls to third place behind the United States and China.[132] Whether it be by overthrow in an unstable middle-eastern country, or out-breeding the populations of western nations, it can be assumed that RMIGs will gain control of (or at least strong influence over) a functioning country in the next half century. If the terrorists do gain control of a country with a fully functioning and stable government, the nature of the game changes drastically. When terrorists becomethe government, all terrorism is state-sponsored The nations wealth, scientists, laboratories and research facilities can be focused to develop weapons of mass destruction of all types for use in the global jihad. Even in the absence of WMD, by gaining the status and legitimacy of a national government, radical Islamists will present western and developed nations with a difficult problem. We have seen in Afghanistan and Pakistan the benefits that a sovereign safe-haven has provi

Personal Narrative- Victim of Robbery Essay -- Personal Narrative

Personal Narrative- Victim of Robbery My story started about a week ago. I was heading to bed early, because I was tired from a long day with plans to wake up a few hours before class to review for a test. As I closed my books for the evening and headed to bed around midnight, little did I know something was going on outside. A little later that night someone entered my garage, which was so conveniently unlocked. They first rummaged through my dad’s van outside and I think they stole his coat, a tape and a few rolls of film. They also sifted through my mom’s car looking for something to steal, only to find a few motivational tapes. Surprising enough they passed those including one on "Getting Rid Of Guilt." When they got into my car however, they decided to take most of what I had. They stole my CD player, taking part of my dash with it. They also took most of my CD collection and the liner to my new Columbia coat. They even took my flashlight. They then vanished as quickly as they had come. My mom woke me the following morning. She had decided to bring me breakfast in bed...

Examine the management opportunities and challenges associated with the use Of a named global vegetation system

The global vegetation system that I am going to be using is the tropical rain forest. Tropical rain forests (TRF) are usually found along or near the equator. These are equatorial climates and inn these climates there are no seasons. The TRF has a very large range of species. There are a lot of tropical hardwoods here, such as mahogany, Oak, Ipe and many more. The direct use for people is to burn the wood that they cut down from the tropical rainforests. An indirect use would be to sell the wood on. There are three scales of how humans affect the TRF, small scale is shifting cultivation, on a medium scale there would be plantations and on a large scale the is deforestation. Equally there are challenges caused as a consequence of how we use it. There a number of environmental challenges that humans face. Firstly the climate here, it is hot wet and humid. These conditions make it hard for humans to live there. There can also be disease here, and pests such as spiders, snakes etc. These become a physical challenge for people to over come. The surface of the TRF can become very swampy in places, this means that it can be very hard for people to move around in the TRF. The density of the TRF is immense, it is incredible difficult for people to get into and to move about in there. Shifting cultivation has opportunities for local people. These local people will use the slash/burn method for making a clearing, here they will grow some crops (usually yams). They have hunters/gatherers who will go out and get food from the area surrounding the clearing they have made. They will live in this clearing for around 4 years, by this time the nutrients start to become depleted, this is one of the challenges that they face. Now they have to move several kilometres away and make sure that they are not in the area where they sent their hunters/gatherers. The clearing that they left will start to grow back. These people have now become part of the eco system and are challenging to become the top carnivores. The population has started to explode in these places and has significantly increased. This practise how now become less viable and there is now less opportunities for the clearings to re grow and therefore there is going to be more and more clearings made in the TRF and they wont be getting the chance to grow back. This is one of the big challenges that they will now face. Plantations are on a medium to large scale of how humans will affect the TRF. Plantations are set up by colonies (MEDC's), and multi national companies. They aim to grow the same crop over large areas of land that would have naturally grown there any way such as tea, coffee, rubber etc. A very large area has got to be cleared so that the plantations can operate. The opportunities for a plantation are huge. They can use the plantation all year round due to the climate being ideal (hot, wet, humid) and there being no seasons. They are able to exploit the forest and use it economically by selling off the crops that they produce. And as they produce a large amount they will make big profits. One big challenge that plantations face is the fact that the diversity of species has been replaced and is now a mono culture. Where there was once area of many species, they are now dominated by single crops on large areas of land. Pests and disease in a TRF are controlled, but in a plantation all the plants are the same so if a disease gets in there all the plants are going to be infected. Also the nutrient cycle is going to be affected by plantations. Growing the same crop over and over again uses the same nutrients and we get soil depletion. Plantations are a manipulation of the eco system. Deforestation has a phenomenal affect on the TFF. The tropical hardwoods have a big demand around the world and this is where they get them. They generate good income for the people who are selling them. The demand for these woods leads to a devastating affect on the TRF. The diversity of species inside the TRF is phenomenal, and this causes a big problem. In 1sqkm there may only be one mahogany tree, if this is the tree that is needed the people are not able to just go and get that one. The forest is so dense they have to pull down all the trees in that area to get to that one. This is mass clearance and has a devastating affect on the TRF. When a tree is chopped down it is going to wipe out a lot of trees in the process. As an affect of this deforestation there is going to be soil erosion. When the trees get pulled down the soil is left exposed to the elements. Afforestation is a process, which should take place after deforestation happens. This is where trees are re planted. To conclude what I have written, there is always going to be management opportunities in a tropical rain forest whether it is on a small scale or on a large scale. The affects that these opportunities have on the tropical rainforest varies. On one hand the affects can be minor as in the local moving land in shifting cultivation due to soil depletion. But the affects can also be devastating, as in deforestation where there is mass clearance and an area of the tropical rain forest is destroyed. So there are opportunities but they can come at a big cost to the environment.

Restructuring Costs Essay

Pharma Co. is a U.S. subsidiary of a U.K. entity that prepares its financial statements in accordance with (1) U.S. GAAP for reporting to its U.S.-based lender and (2) IFRSs in reporting to its parent. Pharma Co. is considering the relocation of a manufacturing operation from its present location to a new facility in a different geographic area as part of the restructuring a business line. The relocation plan related to the following facts: Facts Financial affection Dec 15, 2010, issued a press release to terminate the lease of the old facility. Jan 31,2011,at which time it will sign the lease termination agreement, Pharma Co. plans to vacate the Plant A facility. The lease is an operating lease with termination fee is $1.3M. The lease was entered into in Feb 2004 with a term of 10 years. The written notice is required for early termination. Dec 27, 2010, communicated the main features of a one-time, nonvoluntary termination plan to its employees. The reduction includes approximately 120 employees, which represents 10 percent of workforce without identified the specific employees. The workforce reduction is expected to be completed by Jan 31, 2011, and is expected to cost approximately $3 million. Pharma Co. has entered into irrevocable contracts with certain other relevant parties to affect the restructuring plan. Relocation cost: $500,000 Staff training cost: $1.5M. Pharma Co. stated its intention to dismantle the existing operation. The cost to dismantle the existing manufacturing operation is estimated to be $1M. There is no legal obligation for dismantling plants when abandoned. Issue How should Pharma Co. account for the restructuring program for the year  ended Dec 31, 2010 under U.S. GAAP? Analysis FASB Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Subtopic 420-10 Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations presents the relevant guidance on cost obligations. Per ASC 420-10-25-12, Contract Termination Costs include: â€Å"A liability for costs to terminate a contract before the end of its term shall be recognized when the entity terminates the contract in accordance with the contract terms ( for example, when the entity gives written notice to the counterparty within the notification period specified by the contract or has otherwise negotiated a termination with the counterparty)† Although Pharma Co. issued a press release to terminate the lease at Dec 15, 2010, this fact did not reach an agreement. So Pharma Co. do not need record the $1.3 termination fee until Jan 31,2011, which was the date sign the termination agreement. One-time employee termination benefits Under ASC 420-10-25-4 requirement, an arrangement for one-time employee termination benefits should meet all the following requirements: â€Å"a. Management, having the authority to approve the action, commits to a plan of termination. b. The plan identifies the number of employees to be terminated, their job classifications or functions and their location, and the expected completion date. c. The plan establishes the terms of the benefit arrangement, including the benefits that employees will receive upon termination (including but not limited to cash payments). In sufficient detail to enable employee to determine the type and amount of benefits they will receive if they are involuntarily terminated. d. Actions required to complete the plan indicate that it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be withdrawn.† Pharma Co. already approved the employee termination plan in the appendix B with 120 employees at current location. This wo rkforce reduction was expected to be completed by Jan 31, 2011. Although there is no details in appendix B, employees still can information of termination benefit from communication with CEO. Since this is a nonvoluntary termination plan, we are sure that Pharma Co. should recognize the one-time employee termination benefits for the year ended Dec 31, 2010 under GAAP requirement. One-time employee termination benefitsAs the appendix B posted, the employees are not terminated their service or received their benefits. According to the ASC  420-10-30-5, â€Å" If employees are not required to render service until they are terminated in order to receive the termination benefits (that if, is employees are entitled to receive the termination benefits regardless of when they leave) or if employees will not be retained to render service beyond the minimum retention period, a liability for the termination benefits shall be measured at its fair value at the communication date.† Therefore, $3M approximately cost could not record instead of its fair value at Dec 27, 2010. Relocation Cost and Staff Training Cost Although Pharma Co. has entered into irrevocable contracts with certain other relevant parties, since they do not mention the specific time to start the relocation program, it is not need to recognized those future expense until it is really paid. Dismantling Cost As ASC 420-10-25-15 notes about associated costs, â€Å"The liability shall not be recognized before it is incurred, even if the costs are incremental to other operating costs and will be incurred as a direct result of a plan. A liability for other costs associated with an exit or disposal activity shall be recognized in the period in which the liability is incurred (generally, when goods or services associated with the activity are received).† So the main point here is whether the dismantling activates happened, not what it is related to. Therefore, Pharma Co. should not recognize the dismantling cost for the year ended Dec 31, 2010.

Dinosaurs at the National Museum of Natural History

Dinosaurs at the National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History The Smithsonian Institutions National Museum of Natural History is comparable in size to New York’s American Museum of Natural History, but less of its floor space is devoted to dinosaurs. Even so, youll find a considerable number of dinosaur skeletons herenot fabricated reproductions, but actual fossils, including the famous roadkill Triceratops that (until the 1990s) was the most complete in the world, the tyrannosaur Gorgosaurus, and the sauropod Diplodocus. Most of these reconstructions can be viewed in the exhibit The Last American Dinosaurs: Discovering a Lost World, along with lesser-known genera like Thescelosaurus and Sphaerotholus. One of the oldest dinosaur museums in the world, the National Museum of Natural History has had to periodically remove its exhibits from display in order to restore or refurbish them (or, in some cases, to completely repose them according to the latest theories of dinosaur physiology). For example, the Triceratops mentioned above has been given a complete facelift, as has the museums famous Stegosaurus (which has been reoriented so that it appears to be reacting to the Allosaurus skeleton directly behind it, which clearly intends to eat it for lunch). If youre interested in any fossils over and above dinosaurs, youll unfortunately have to wait until 2019, as the National Museum prepares the National Fossil Hall for the public. If you simply cant wait, though, you can access a live view of the hall-in-progress at the museums website.

The Coca Cola Company and Its Myths

The Coca Cola Company and Its Myths Free Online Research Papers Research shows that The Coca Cola Company has become a prominent corporation, with branches in over two hundred countries. An analysis has been conducted to identify the elements that have made this company successful. The findings vary from the approach of its employees to the cultural issues, to the company’s marketing strategies. The myths that have surrounded Coca Cola through the decades will also be explored with the intention of finding the impact they have had in the company’s growth. The Coca-Cola Company and its Myths Introduction Coca Cola products can be found practically anywhere in the world, such as on the tables of people in Tanzania, one of the poorest countries, and on the tables of the wealthiest people in the United States, where the company was founded. The success of this worldwide organization can be attributed to more than just its flavorful beverages. The following elaborates on the company’s mission, product line, organizational structure, and its marketing strategies. A brief overview of some of the myths that have surrounded Coca Cola will also be helpful in finding out how a backyard operation evolved into a multi-million dollar business. Coca-Cola’s Background Coca Cola has been linked to American culture for many years. John Pemberton, who invented the formula in his own back yard, founded Coca Cola in 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia. The first serving of Coca Cola was sold at a pharmacy in Georgia on May 8, 1886. This company has since grown into a multi-million dollar industry, in large part due to their mission and goals. One of the major strengths of Coca Cola is their capability to conduct business on an international scale while sustaining a local approach. To date, this company now produces nearly 400 brands, expanding to over 200 countries worldwide. Coca Cola’s vision involved adapting and evolving to the business conditions of each day. They also embodied employees who upheld strong ideals, commitment, and integrity. The Coca Cola Company believes that there are many experiences in the world and in life to rejoice, enliven, reinforce, and care for (Coca Cola, 2004). One of the missions of the Coca Cola Company is to dev elop a higher quality of life in communities. They are greatly involved in methods and programs, which promote improving individual opportunity through education. Programs that they support and contribute to include: scholarships for aspiring students, encouragement to young people of the importance of staying in schools, and the development of cultural understanding and appreciation (Coca Cola, 2004). Organizational Structure and Targeted Consumers The Coca-Cola Company exists to benefit and refresh everyone it touches. The company is the worlds leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, used to produce nearly four hundred beverage brands. The corporate headquarters are in Atlanta, with local operations in over two hundred countries around the world. (www.2cocla-cola.com) The basic proposition of the business is solid and timeless. When bringing the refreshment, value, joy and fun to the stakeholders, then they successfully nurture and protect the brands, particularly Coca-Cola. That is the key to fulfilling the ultimate obligation to provide consistently attractive returns to the business owners. The company is committed to manage business with a consistent set of values that represent the highest standard of quality, integrity and excellence. Through actions as local citizens, they strive everyday to refresh the market place, enrich the work place, protect the environment, and strengthen the communities (www.2cocla-cola.com). The company’s target is to reach everyone’s home, from young children to the older public. It is the most recognized trademark in the world. The reputation of the Coca-Cola Company is built on trust. They seek to develop relationships with suppliers and share familiar values and conduct business in an ethic al manner (Leith, S. 2002). Marketing and Advertisement Strategies When it comes to marketing, â€Å"The objective of Coca-Cola’s advertisements is to strategically position their product in people’s minds in order to maximize its acceptance. This strategy would in some way or another have a correlation to the changing social values of the period. Trying to keep step with each generation and era has been an important factor in advertising for Coke.† (oppapers.com) The marketing view must penetrate all other views to make a firm successful in the marketplace. Marketing forecasts and plans are multi-factor calculations and predictions, where holistic approaches are needed. Coke uses careful marketing research to discover the trends and desires of target markets, creates products to meet those needs, and then plans ad campaigns to lure in the targeted market segments. It would be ideal if the information gleaned through this process was exclusive, but eventually other soft drink companies pick up on Coke’s trends and try to use it to their advantage as well, at which time Coca-Cola starts the process over. The format in which the information is delivered to decision makers is not as important as the way they then use the information in the effort to win or keep customers. An example of Coca-Cola’s use of marketing is evident in the new advertising campaign, which the company believes, â€Å"reflects genuine, authentic moments in life and the natural role the brand plays in them.† Chris Lowe, North America’s Coca-Cola chief marketing officer explained that, â€Å"consumers today are telling us they want brands that are genuine, authentic and real and these are values they associate more strongly with Coca-Cola than any other brand. Authenticity, originality and ‘real’ refreshment are part of our heritage, and what the brand has always stood for.† (Coca-Cola Website) â€Å"Coca-Cola’s goal is to make their costumers think of their product and this commercial whenever they are reminded of a sentimental and enjoyable event† (www.louisville.edu/~rljohn10/pepsi.html). Cocaine Myth It will be inevitable for The Coca Cola Company to reach a global market without having myths associated with its name. The most widely known myth about Coca Cola is that it contained extract of coca leaves. In fact in 1886, when it was introduced in the market, it did. Exactly how much cocaine was in the formula itself has not been determined, but Coca-Cola did contain some cocaine when it was first developed. What researches do know is that in 1902, 1/400 of a grain of cocaine per ounce of syrup was in the drink. Apparently in 1929, Coca-Cola became cocaine free. â€Å"By Heaths calculation, the amount of ecgonine [an alkaloid in the coca leaf that could be synthesized to create cocaine] was infinitesimal: no more than one part in 50 million. In an entire years supply of 25-odd million gallons of Coca-Cola syrup, Heath figured, there might be six-hundredths of an ounce of cocaine. So, yes, at one time there was cocaine in Coca-Cola.† (Mikkelson, B. snopes.com/cokelore/c ocaine.asp) Ethylene Glycol Myth Another myth basically states that Cola-Cola used ethylene glycol in their soft drinks. People have apparently confused ethylene glycol with polyethylene. Ethylene glycol is a compound that is used to make antifreeze and de-icing solutions for cars, airplanes, and boats; to make polyester compounds; and as solvents in the paint and plastics industries. Polyethylene glycol is non-toxic and is used in a variety of products. In fact, it is the basis of a number of laxatives (e.g. macrogol-containing products such as Movicol ®). As far as Coca-Cola is concerned, polyethylene glycol is not an added ingredient in soft drinks. However, polyethylene glycol is safe and suitable for use in foods and beverages, according to the U.S. FDA and other Regulatory authorities. (Coca-Cola Website. Source: http://www2.coca-cola.com/contactus/myths_rumors/ingredients_antifreeze.html) Risquà © Myth One of the myths that were discussed back in the 1980’s was the Coca Cola an advertising poster due to a risquà © image hidden within. The poster was released in the mid 80s and provoked a total argument because of the picture painted in ice-cubes, a woman performing a bad action. The graphic artist who designed the picture put this as a joke and it went unnoticed. This artist lost his job and was sued for a lot of money. All the posters and advertisement was destroyed and new ones and to be made. The poster shows a cartoon version of a coke bottle sitting on a bed of ice under the words â€Å"Feel the Curves†. The president of the Australian Marketing Rep, Coca-Cola South Pacific, Mr. Mike Bascle said the action of the artist was â€Å"quite irresponsible and not amusing†. The company had lost millions of dollars in revenue as a result of this careless pornographic advertisement, but later recreated new glossy posters (â€Å"The Adelaide Advertiser† ) snopes.com/cokelore/poster.aspp) Santa Claus Myth The likeness of Santa Claus has, for many years, been attributed to the image that Coca Cola embodies during their holiday advertisements. Myths have implied that Coca Cola created the representation of Santa Claus being in a red and white suit as a marketing ploy to promote sales. In actuality, the real history of Santa Claus predates Coca Cola’s introduction of him during the 1930’s. The earliest records of Santa Claus reflect that he was actually an evolutionary invention resulting from two religious people, St. Nichols and Christkindlein (Snopes, 2001). St. Nichols was a patron saint known for bearing gifts. Adults who clothed themselves in furry attire and visited children while they were awake to put on a scary performance represented Christkindlein. Once the children awoke, they found gifts and believed Christkindlein left them; hence the story behind Santa Claus involving his attire and gift giving beliefs. Coca Cola however, capitalized on the belief of Santa Claus. In 1930, the Coca Cola Company was looking for a way to encourage sales during the winter months, which was normally a slow sales period for the soft drink market. Haddon Sundblom, a cartoonist, was contacted to create a marketable image on behalf of the company (Snopes, 2001). After much deliberation, he invented a vision of Santa Claus wearing a red and white suit, drinking and enjoying coca cola. The success of this invention was enormous and his ingenious creation was just the marketing ploy Coca Cola needed to catapult their sales during this slow season. Conclusion The Coca Cola Company has come a long way from selling a few servings of carbonated beverages in a pharmacy, to an international scale business. The company has accomplished that objective thanks to dedicated people who have collaborated through the years with the mission to attain high quality standards. Their product line has grown with the approach of cultural appreciation and understanding, which has been a key factor in the introduction of the products in over 200 countries. Coca Cola’s commitment to remain at the forefront of the changing social values in developing their marketing strategy has proven to their advantage. The negative myths that have targeted Coca Cola might have had a harmful impact on the sales at the time of their circulation. On the other hand, the creative idea of dressing Santa Claus in the company’s red and white colors proves that some myths can be very beneficial to a corporation. Undoubtedly The Coca Cola Company has developed all th e elements necessary to run a multi-million, worldwide enterprise and refreshes all the people that come in contact with their products. References A Tale of Two Colas: The Cola Wars, Retrieved September 08, 2004 from: oppapers.com/print.php?id=41272idenc=GVZFVAx0QBK2o9e And the Cola Wars Continue, Retrieved September 08, 2004 from: louisville.edu/~rljohn10/pepsi.html Bellis, M. (2004) The History of Coca Cola, From About.com Website Retrieved September 09, 2004 from: www.inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcocacola.htm Coca-Cola Website. Retrieved September 08,2004 www.cocacola.com Inventors Website. Retrieved September 08, 2004. From www.inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcocacola.htm Leith, S. ( July, 2002)â€Å"Coke Website Debunks Myths† retrieved info from Apollo Library Infotrac Onefile/Knight Tribune Business News on September 8, 2004 Snopes Website. Retrieved September 08, 2004. 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Discussion Topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Discussion Topics - Essay Example (The Gilder, 2009) The Civil Rights Movement is very important in American history because it consequently put a stop to obvious discrimination and abuse of people who helped America gain freedom and prosperity. Despite the optimism of the times, African Americans were still being looked down on in American society. I have chosen Rosa Parks as someone who played a very significant role in post-war America. Rosa Parks was just a civilian but what she did on the bus in Montgomery, not giving up her seat in the colored section of the bus for a white person, sparked much needed reform. Mrs. Sparks had paid the right fare and was seated in the right section of the bus. However, because preference was given to white people that time, Mrs. Sparks was ordered to move. The simple act of Mrs. Sparks, even if she got arrested for it, helped bring about tremendous change in the life of African Americans. Thanks to Mrs. Sparks and other like her who fought for the recognition of black people, the white people stopped treating African Americans as lesser individuals and instead, the â€Å"white† society started treating â€Å"black people† as equals. African Americans were given the rightful privileges due to them as citizens of the United States. The Gilder Lehrman Insitute of American History. (Producer). Anthony Badger on the Civil Rights Movement. Historians on Postwar America. Podcast retrieved from