Essay on Book Summary of the Bible Among the Myths

Introduction Author John N. Oswalt begins The Bible Among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature? with a concise and well-written introduction that whets the reader’s appetite, compelling one to continue reading. He begins by informing the reader that his novel has been in the works dating all of the way back to the 1960s, when he attended the Asbury Theological Seminary. Oswalt quickly points out that one of the main points that the book will focus on is determining if â€Å"the religion of the Old Testament [is] essentially similar to, or essentially different from, the religions of its neighbors.†1 Oswalt is swift to acknowledge a major difference between the Old Testament and the religions of the Israelites Near†¦show more content†¦Is it Appropriate to Classify the Bible as Myth? In this particular section, Oswalt begins by arguing that you cannot rationalize calling the Bible a myth until you have a clear definition of the word â€Å" myth.† He continues by pointing out how difficult it is to actually define what a â€Å"myth† is. Oswalt emphasizes that â€Å"Rogerson goes so far as to say that there are so many differences in opinion on the subject that no one definition is possible.†4 The definitions for the word â€Å"myth† can be divided into two distinct categories: historical-philosophical and the phenomenological, or descriptive. Regardless of the analysis of the word â€Å"myth† and its various meanings, Oswalt concludes that Bible is definitely not a myth in way, shape, form, or fashion. He writes, â€Å"Rather it is a rehearsal of the nonrepeatable acts of God in identifiable time and in concert with human beings. Its purpose is to provoke human choices and behavior through the medium of memory.†5 Continuity: The Basis of Mythical Thinking Continuity as the Ruling Concept in Myth Myths are distinctive because of their continuity. Every aspect of a myth co-exists. They are intertwined, and there is no distinction between humanity, nature, and the deity. One of the interesting aspects of myths is that they lack barriers, and as a consequence, humans can actually participate in the nature and in the divine. Furthermore, symbols are reality. Everything is connected, and the lines areShow MoreRelatedEssay about Book Summary The Bible Among the Myths2835 Words   |  12 Pagesï » ¿ INTRODUCTION The book opens with an introduction comparing the study of the Old Testament and the other religions and cultures of other peoples from the Ancient Near East. Scholars used to believe that the Old Testament was unique among other beliefs in the Ancient Near East but they now view the Old Testament as identical to other religions of its day and time. The author also discusses the vital philosophical distinction between â€Å"essence† and â€Å"accident.† When removing an essential featureRead MoreBook Summary: the Bible Among the Myths by John N. Oswalt Essay3529 Words   |  15 PagesABSTRACT John Oswalt, in his book The Bible Among the Myths, presents his position to the reader that the bible is different and separate from other writings of the Ancient Near East. He asserts the Bible is both historically accurate and theologically sound. He makes the defense the Bible was divinely inspired and revealed to humanity and unique from other Ancient Near East literature. There was a time when the Bible, and the Israelite religion was different from its neighboring societies.Read MoreMs Paul2146 Words   |  9 PagesBible Among the Myths Malcom College English 093 Ms. Smith 01/23/2012 Introduction The book is an analysis of the Biblical view of the world and compares it other works in the Ancient Near East of that time with the development of the Bible. This is done by an in-depth analysis of the underlying beliefs inherent in mythology and the Biblical text. Of primary significance is the authors portrayal of the Biblical insistence on monotheism and divine transcendence compared to the polytheisticRead MoreEssay on The Bible Among the Myths Summary3696 Words   |  15 PagesSUMMARY OF JOHN N. OSWALT’S BOOK THE BIBLE AMONG THE MYTHS David Strickland Old Testament Introduction - OBST 590 June 1, 2013 Introduction The author, John N. Oswalt, was first introduced to the subject of this book in his seminary studies in the 1960s. Oswalt introduces his book with a narrative of the similarities and differences that exist between the Old Testament and the literature of the Ancient Near East. Prior to the 1960s scholars believed that the Old Testament was unique and didRead MoreThe Cyclops Scene In Flannery OConnors Good Country People1508 Words   |  7 Pagesleg. A Bible seller named Manley Pointer comes into her life, and eventually he steals Joy’s artificial leg. Flannery O’Connor, the author of Good Country People, was a boarder of Robert and Sally Fitzgerald (Alexander 2016). Robert Fitzgerald is known as one of the best Greek translators in English, and his work includes Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Homer’s Iliad and The Odyssey (Mitgang 1985). This affected O’Connor’s Good Country People as it has similarities to the Cyclops scene in B ook 9 of TheRead MoreEffects Of Africanization In This Side Jordan By Margret1750 Words   |  7 Pageserasing the dominating culture of the white into the African culture and to clearly spell out the supremacy of the African culture. The authors during the period employed various artistic skills which enable them to put down the effaced signs, symbols, myths and the folktales of the countries that were colonized by the European powers. The writers put their focus on the on the social quandary of the communities that suffered the traumatic affiliation of the strange power and the authority of the EuropeanRead MoreThe Role Of Achievement Motivation1732 Words   |  7 PagesCHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES 5.1 SUMMARY Over the years there has been hue and cry on industrial development in Nigeria. But the focus was mainly on the governments’ contribution and its activities like intervention policies and program to realize this goal. Furthermore, huge budgetary allocation designated, and plunged into the sector notwithstanding, only modest success, if any had been recorded. Consequent upon this, this research topicRead MoreThe Myth Of Epic Of Gilgamesh 1879 Words   |  8 PagesHistory 10 Professor Chrissanthos 4 October, 2016 From Myth to Religion The Sumerian myth â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh† is known to be the oldest written fictional story of all time. The original script, discovered on 12 clay tablets in ancient Sumeria, covers the adventures of a real historical figure (Ralph): the Sumarian King of Uruk, who lived sometime between the years 2750 and 2500 B.C. (Epic) The adventures of Gilgamesh were so popular among the people of that era (the earliest written versions ofRead MoreThe Core Essence Of Servant Leadership From A Biblical Perspective1605 Words   |  7 Pages‘Servant Leadership’ from a Biblical perspective, which might be able to provide practical, theological, and hermeneutical insights in order to develop leadership competency and a healthy prosperous ministry, as oppose to the current secular ‘leadership’ myths and fascination in our church, culture and society. Admittedly, over the years I have always admired and strived to adopt a servant leader attitude in all my endeavo rs. Equally, the paper will reflect on ‘Servant Leadership’ through the lens of JesusRead MoreThe Impact of Ancient Religion on Homers Odyssey1413 Words   |  6 PagesThe Impact of Ancient Religion on Homer’s Odyssey    There has long been a fashion among critics and historians, including Sir James Frazier and Graham Hancock, to insist upon taking the account of Odysseus voyage to Hades in Book XI of the Odyssey at near face-value as a description of people and places familiar to a Greek audience of Homers day. Both linguistics and comparative history have been employed to discover exactly how accurately this originally oral epic conveys this gritty realism

A Response to Paul Rowlands Hobbes, Stirner, and Authority

A Response to Paul Rowlands Hobbes, Stirner, Authority In Hobbes, Stirner, Authority, Paul Rowland (1998) argues that while Thomas Hobbes and Max Stirner are diametrically opposed in their views of how society should be run, each philosopher sees man as a conscious egoist driven by his own desires (p. 25). Yet, where Hobbes argues that a governing person is needed to regulate the masses, Stirner contends that people should be endowed with the right to form their own union of egoists, comprised of like-minded individuals (Rowlandson, 1998, p. 26). Rowlands chief argument is that Hobbess model is more appropriate in theory and practice, since Rowlands model offers no protection against chaos. Certainly, Rowland is correct that Stirners model runs the risk of succumbing to anarchy. However, Stirners theory is in fact more appropriate because it is more psychologically astute and understands that peoples intellectual liberty is stifled when they are regulated by an authority figure that is not necessarily of their choosing. Stirners model for a union of egoists rests in the fact that people perform better when they exist within a supportive cohort. The union of egoists can be highly heterogeneous, yet the members must be united toward a common goal and share fundamental beliefs. To this end, it is worth unpacking Stirners term; on the surface, a union of egoists would appear paradoxical, since if people are egoistical, they must necessarily be

Domestic Violence 3 Essay Research Paper DOMESTIC free essay sample

Domestic Violence 3 Essay, Research Paper DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Although domestic force includes sibling maltreatment and senior maltreatment, and kid abuse the focal point of my essay is on partner maltreatment. Domestic force has many names ; household force, banging, married woman whipping, and domestic maltreatment. All these footings refer to the same thing, maltreatment by a matrimonial, common jurisprudence, or a dating spouse in an confidant relationship. Domestic force is non limited to physical whippings. It is any behavior that is intended to repress and command another human being through the usage of humiliation, fright, and physical or verbal assaults. Domestic force is really of import issue in today # 8217 ; s society because it has such a profound negative affect on the abused, mentally and physically, and more demands to be done to assist the abused and prevent it from go oning farther. Even though Domestic force can be caused by either the male or the female it is normally caused by the male due to their controlling nature and physical advantage. History Since the morning of clip physical force has been used to maintain subsidiary groups in their topographic point by dominant people in society. Work forces have ever been physically larger than adult females and since mostsocieties are male dominated, excessively no surprise the adult female has about ever been the most common victim. In Roman times, a adult male was allowed to disassociate, castigate, or even kill his married woman for criminal conversation, go toing public games, or public inebriation. All of which the hubby was allowed to freely partake in. During the in-between ages it was mans right to crush his married woman or kill her for so much as giving her hubby a soiled expression. The first recorded advocators against domestic force were two writer by names of Christian Pizan and Mary Wollstonecraft. Even though the issue was being publicized, no action was of all time taken until the 1840 # 8217 ; s when the American adult females # 8217 ; s motion brought up the issu e while contending for the right to vote. No province in the U.S really passed a jurisprudence doing married woman crushing illegal until 1883. Although Torahs were passed to do it illegal, none were purely enforced. Even up until the 1970 # 8217 ; s, married woman whipping was still reasonably acceptable. The constabulary most frequently would go to calls of domestic force but would go forth things to be resolved by the household. This easiness and deficiency of enforcement allowed for the continuance of the maltreatment. The 70 # 8217 ; s became a period of protest and alteration for the adult females # 8217 ; s rights motion. By the 1980 # 8217 ; s major alterations started to take topographic point. Police no longer disregard calls of domestic force and more people were being convicted and punished for offenses of domestic force. The credence of domestic force is still seen today. It # 8217 ; s credence is reflected in popular civilization through the look # 8220 ; regulation of pollex # 8221 ; which comes from and old English regulation that a adult male could crush his married woman with any sensible instrument every bit long as it was no thicker that his pollex. Even in today # 8217 ; s society domestic force is still really common and more demands to be done to halt it. Causes Finding the grounds or causes of domestic force is a really hard. There is neer one ground for domestic force but it normally begins with a controlling nature and the demand the demand to command one # 8217 ; s partner. It begins with verbal abuses and debasement so over clip escalates into physical force. The maltreater has normally been involved in domestic force instance # 8217 ; s before. More than probably during child goon. There is normally many different stressors and factors that cause these built-in or erudite maltreaters to get down the maltreatment ; unemployment, drugs and intoxicant, different spiritual back rounds, low income degrees, and lower instruction degrees and merely different points of view.. None of these factors are non meant to be alibis, they are merely factors that come up in domestic force instances clip and clip once more. Types of Abuse/Psychology of domestic force When domestic force occurs there is several different types of maltreatment that take topographic point. The first is physical force. Physical force includes slapping, kicking, combustion, pluging, choking, locking a individual out of the place, restraining, and other Acts of the Apostless designed to wound, endanger, or do physical hurting. The 2nd type is emotional maltreatment which consists of systematically making or stating things to dishonor, abuse, ridicule, embarrass, demean, belittle, or mentally ache another individual. The 3rd type is sexual maltreatment. Sexual maltreatment is when person is forced to hold sex when he/she does non desire to. Coercing person to prosecute in sexual Acts of the Apostless that he/she does non wish or discoveries unpleasant, awful, or violent. Because some one is married to or has been seeing their spouse for a long clip does non necessitate that their must hold sexual intercourse with them. No one type of maltreatment is worse than another and they all have really emotionally detrimental effects. When it comes to domestic force the most confusing inquiry is why? Most people in today # 8217 ; s society agree that domestic force is incorrect and think that it should be stopped. We cognize that it is unsafe and emotionally destructive for kids to turn up in a violent place. We know that it is really emotionally destructive to the abused. Most societies have condemned it, we praise the attempts to assist the abused and halt the force but we still admiration why it does non travel off. The first ground is the rhythm of force which can be really difficult to interrupt. First tenseness physiques due to emphasize. The maltreater becomes critical, high-strung and cranky. The maltreater bit by bit becomes more opprobrious and more terrible incidents of maltreatment start to happen. Both parties can feel the loss of control which merely fuels the tenseness. With the 2nd phase of the rhythm comes the violent effusions with acute banging. The maltreater will wing away into a fury for no evident ground and there is entire loss of control. The 3rd phase comes after the force has stopped. The maltreater becomes contrite and excusatory. They frequently beg for forgiveness and swear it will neer go on once more. They go out of their manner to be sort and loving and they swear that they will alter. This stage explains why the abused comes back and lets the maltreatment rhythm Begin once more. The abused wants to believe the maltreater and wants to seek and do things work. They are frequently loath to go forth the opprobrious relationship because of a feeling of dependancy. The 2nd ground why this job does non travel off is the abused individual # 8217 ; s dependancy on their spouse and their # 8220 ; learned weakness # 8221 ; . Learned weakness is a psychological term foremost identified by psychologist Martin Seligman. Peoples who are abused tend to be given to believe that there is no manner out because they are so dependent on their spouse. They continue to set up with the maltrea tment and learn ways of covering to get by with it. The 3rd ground why this job does non travel off is because of the history of domestic force. It has been acted out for 1000s of old ages so there is still that credence and position that it is non a major job. Psychology of an Abuser So what makes an maltreater? Abusers normally portion common traits, back unit of ammunition factors, and behavior forms. It has been wholly agreed upon that the end of the maltreater is power and control over their spouse. These same people normally depend on their spouse for emotional support since they are missing in emotional accomplishments. The maltreater besides tend to conform the stereo typical position of the adult male and the adult females. The adult male goes out and makes the money to back up the household while adult females stays place to cook, clean, and expression after the childs. These people frequently have problem accepting duty for their behavior abusive and otherwise. They normally feel guilt or shame for their actions but they try to warrant or deny their behavior. It has been found that many maltreaters portion the same personality upsets such as deficiency of empathy, depression, general ill will, and feeling of victimization. They tend to miss societal accomplishments and they envelope themselves with their work and their household. They tend to construe guiltless state of affairss that arouse their green-eyed monster as holding been done with hostile purpose. Those who abuse big spouses frequently grew up in places marred by force between grownups, against kids, or both. However, it is of import to retrieve that turning up in a violent place does non vouch that a individual will go opprobrious. I think that it is really of import to understand and acknowledge p eople with opprobrious personalities so that they can be stopped and treated for what some would name a disease. Prevention Many psychologists believe that learning our kids that force is inappropriate and learning them better methods of job resolution, is the first measure in stoping domestic force. One of the cardinal constituents to doing the instruction of our kids work is taking by illustration by illustration and puting a positive illustration. Educating society as a whole besides a really of import key to stoping domestic force. Educating society as a whole is accomplished through alterations in public policy and patterns. Much tougher Torahs are needed since most maltreaters are given a smack on the carpus, it gives them and other people like them, the message that domestic force is non a major offense and they can acquire off with it. When communities set up compulsory apprehension and prosecution policies, a message is sent from the constabulary and the tribunals that domestic force is a offense that society will non digest. When they join with guidance plans for maltreaters, the message will be sides be that those who want to alter will be given a opportunity. Decision It has been agreed upon by all those seeking to stop domestic force that non merely the single maltreaters, but society itself needs aid. Domestic force is still subtly allowed, even encouraged some say, by assorted groups. Our media and amusement industry still glamorizes and tones down the earnestness of domestic force. There are still constabularies that ignore and trivialise domestic force. And Judgess that give weak penalty or merely allow the maltreaters off are all jobs that are blighting our society and doing it more hard to stop domestic force. I think that we are on the right path to stoping domestic force but our attempt is merely non strong plenty. Our message that domestic force is a offense is non strong plenty either. What are these opprobrious people supposed to believe when they are arrested, given a smack on the carpus, and so released the following twenty-four hours. My research has opened my eyes and made me cognizant of what is traveling on and what needs to be d one. In the hereafter I will make what is in my power to assist acquire the message across and prevent it if possible.

Paris and Menelaus Essay Example

Paris and Menelaus Paper The element that ties the violence and waste of war together in The Iliad is the imagery of fire. Almost every battle scene can be related to the wrath, anger and futility by observing these images. From the vary start of the poem Homer sets this tone with the symbol of fire:  First he went for the mules and circling dogs but then,  launching a piercing shaft at the men themselves,  he cut them down in droves-  and the corpse-fires burned on, night and day, no end in sight. (pg79, p1) In this instance Homer is commenting on the futility and waste of war by showing us the burning corpses after they have been shot with arrows of plague. He suggests, through this passage and many others, that war is not worth the price the Greeks have paid in lives. Once again, as civilization degenerates the imagery of fire grows stronger to represent the primal urges overtaking the solders. The element of fire is not only sown as the humans battle on the planes of troy but, in book twenty one, the gods of fire and water battle as well. During this battle the imagery of fire is most dominant as two immortal gods futilely fight to their death, killing anything that comes between them. Homers symbolic imagery of fire helps to guide the reader and forces them to recognize the futility and horror occurring throughout the war. We will write a custom essay sample on Paris and Menelaus specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Paris and Menelaus specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Paris and Menelaus specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Through the descriptive recounting of the horrors and futility of the Trojan War, The Iliad sends messages to the reader critiquing the society in which Homer lived. The most prominent of these messages is that human civilization becomes fragile when dealing with the horrors of war. In the case of The Iliad, Homer shows how one mans anger can be extended to whole peoples and cities to facilitate a war:  Now Paris and Menelaus, Atride loved by Ares,  will fight it out with their rugged spears for Helen,  and Helen and all her treasures go to the man who wins. (pg137 p1) This is the turning point where civilization starts to disappear. In this scene the two men, Paris, Helens captor, and Menelaus, Helens husband, who both love Helen are challenged to fight against each other. The whole concept of civilization is questioned as a campaign is mounted toward a town because its leader stole a Greeks wife. As the story continues, the civilized manor in which the solders once behaved quickly turns to savage impulses. During the first battle scene, beginning in book two, many fighters battle with honour, facing each other and duelling without interference from the rest of the army. As the poem progresses the battle scenes become more gruesome and honour and civility are forgotten. In book eleven Homer compares the armies to two rows of harvesters with sickles, cutting each other down without honour. Throughout the book Homer tells of the fragility of civilization by demonstrating how fast it can completely vanish. Another good criticism Homer makes about the world in which he lives, is that as civilization and order deteriorates, man becomes overpowered by savage animal instincts. As the battle rages on, the soldiers become less and less civilized, and no longer kill out of necessity but out of pleasure. In the first chapter we see Achilles holding back his urge to kill the king, when civilization and honour have not been replaced by instinct. A good example of civilization falling apart and savagery overtaking sanity occurs after Achilles looses his best friend: Ive dragged hector here for the dogs to rip him raw-  and here in front of your flaming pyre Ill cut the throats  of a dozen sons of Troy in all their shining glory,  venting my rage on them for your destruction! (pg560, p1)  Here civilization has crumbled and Achilles does not appear to [rise] from barbarism to an enlightened stage of development to become a civilized person (according to The American Heritage Dictionary). Instead he seems content to satisfy his primal, savage, urges of rage and revenge. Homer does an excellent job of portraying the madness and savagery that develops within the characters as the world around them becomes less and less civilized. It is no coincidence that these messages are still relevant today. Homer felt the role of his poetry was to explain and to justify the evil in human life an evil that still exists today. Helen says that Zeus has set this horrible fate upon us so that we may be the subjects of song for later generations (pg207 p1) and she is right. Homer wished to deliver timeless messages though his oral and written epics so that future generations would be able to learn from the Greeks. To a certain point he has succeeded. Men no longer wage war (only small battles) over women and rage no longer drive armies. There are also many anti-war activists that promote peace and civilized negotiations versus their bloody counterpart. Charles Rowan Beye tells the best reason why The Iliad remains popular among modern audiences in Homer:  In ages that no longer have such bloodshed as part of their daily fare, the poem remains popular because it speaks to the anguished realization of the great nothingness of death that besets the young, by whom nothing yet has been accomplished, and lays to rest the compulsion to perform. (pg8, p2) But many modern war novels still portray horrors that take place during the wars of our century and the savagery of human nature is still in existence. Although Homer and his literature have opened our eyes as to how quickly our civilization can turn to savagery, society must still learn how to control this conversion.  If there where any benefits form fighting a war that lasted over nine years, Homer did not speak of them. He did not tell of economic boosts, political gains or technological advancements. There were no tales of friends bonding during the war, or lovers re-united after it. Instead this epic poem bombarded the senses with death, carnage and killing, pausing only briefly to inform the reader of great tragedy and sadness. Throughout the six hundred page epic, Homer never lets the reader forget the horrors of fighting a futile war or the fragility of human civilization and how quickly it can transform into human savagery. As the poem resounds throughout history and mode rn society, Homers fiery message of the savagery of war has been delivered. All we must do is listen. Bibliography Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles. Penguin Books. 1990.  Muller, Martian. Fighting in the Iliad in The Iliad, George Allen Unwin. 1984.  Beye, Charles Rowan. Homer in Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 176: Ancient Greek Authors. The Gale Group. 1997.  Monarch Notes. Works of Homer: Critical Commentary. Marboro Books. 1996

Salmon essays

Salmon essays What species would travel over 2000 miles just to have young and then die? It has been said that anyone who has not seen a wild salmon has not seen what a fish should be. Salmon was the common name applied to fish characterized by an elongated body covered with small, rounded scales and a fleshy fin between the dorsal fin and tail. In this paper I will be discussing history of studying salmon, the life cycle, spawning and mating behaviors; which has much to do with the total reproduction of salmon. Salmon were studied earlier than some may think. Experiments were done by men that date back to the mid-1600s. These experiments involved catching salmon in fresh water, tagging them, and then catching them again when they return to the same place, around six months later. These experiments were doubtful and it was not until the beginning of the 1900s that proof was available that the salmon returned home. (Shearer) Although usually drab in color before the breeding season, which varies with the species, members of the salmon family develop bright hues at spawning time. The male, during this mating season, usually develops a hooked snout and a humped back. "In many diverse taxa, males of the same species often exhibit multiple mating strategies. One well-documented alternative male reproductive pattern is 'female mimicry,' whereby males assume a female-like morphology or mimic female behavior patterns. In some species males mimic both female morphology and behavior. We report here female mimicry in a reptile, the red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). This form of mimicry is unique in that it is expressed as a physiological feminization. Courting male red-sided garter snakes detect a female-specific pheromone and normally avoid courting other males. However, a small proportion of males release a pheromone that attracts other males, as though they were females. In the field, ma ting aggregations of 5...

Free Essays on Dorothy Parker

â€Å"Leave me to my lonely pillow† Notorious for her sharp-tongued humor and cleverly amusing prose, Dorothy Parker accomplished more in her lifetime than the general public could hope for in one year. Her poetry consists of tributes to loves lost and life lessons. The poem that best illustrates her views on the issues which affected her most is titled â€Å"Men.† I find that this work, having been written after many troublesome and confusing experiences, shows the reader that there is a comedic view of everything in the world (Parker viii). â€Å"They’ll hail you as their morning star / Because you are the way you are,† refers to the way she felt early on in her many relationships. If there would ever be an expert on lost loves and life lessons it would be Dorothy Parker. During the 1920s, she had extra-marital affairs, drank heavily, attempted suicide three times, was married numerous times to two men, and wrote volumes of poetry and short stories in reflection. Yet in the line â€Å"And once they have you safe and sound / They’ll want to change you all around,† Parker shows unhappiness in her situation and perhaps shows that her reasoning for rocky relationships was not her own fault but possibly failure on the men’s part (Teacher 115). â€Å"Your moods and ways they put a curse on† alludes to the marriage she had to her second husband, whom she was married to a few times. He swept her off her feet, soon after they were estranged and then reconciled, and shortly thereafter he apparently committed suicide. Her poetry from that period is reflective much of her attitude towards him and their situation. â€Å"They make of you another person.† The poem â€Å"Men† is a collaboration of all of Dorothy Parker’s thoughts and experiences with males, and overall how she has become a stronger person for realizing and admitting this in the line â€Å"They influence and educate.† But towards the end of the poem, much similar to ... Free Essays on Dorothy Parker Free Essays on Dorothy Parker â€Å"Leave me to my lonely pillow† Notorious for her sharp-tongued humor and cleverly amusing prose, Dorothy Parker accomplished more in her lifetime than the general public could hope for in one year. Her poetry consists of tributes to loves lost and life lessons. The poem that best illustrates her views on the issues which affected her most is titled â€Å"Men.† I find that this work, having been written after many troublesome and confusing experiences, shows the reader that there is a comedic view of everything in the world (Parker viii). â€Å"They’ll hail you as their morning star / Because you are the way you are,† refers to the way she felt early on in her many relationships. If there would ever be an expert on lost loves and life lessons it would be Dorothy Parker. During the 1920s, she had extra-marital affairs, drank heavily, attempted suicide three times, was married numerous times to two men, and wrote volumes of poetry and short stories in reflection. Yet in the line â€Å"And once they have you safe and sound / They’ll want to change you all around,† Parker shows unhappiness in her situation and perhaps shows that her reasoning for rocky relationships was not her own fault but possibly failure on the men’s part (Teacher 115). â€Å"Your moods and ways they put a curse on† alludes to the marriage she had to her second husband, whom she was married to a few times. He swept her off her feet, soon after they were estranged and then reconciled, and shortly thereafter he apparently committed suicide. Her poetry from that period is reflective much of her attitude towards him and their situation. â€Å"They make of you another person.† The poem â€Å"Men† is a collaboration of all of Dorothy Parker’s thoughts and experiences with males, and overall how she has become a stronger person for realizing and admitting this in the line â€Å"They influence and educate.† But towards the end of the poem, much similar to ...

Critical Appraisal of Business Planning Process Essay - 1

Critical Appraisal of Business Planning Process - Essay Example This report describes the importance of strategy, market research and analysis, financials, competitive strategy and generating ideas as fundamental outcomes of proper business planning. Idea generation and strategy External market conditions change rapidly in certain industries, thus driving a need for innovation in order to compete with other businesses operating in the same market environment. Products and services both from an entrepreneurial business and the competitive environment have a specific life cycle by which it generates profitability and consumer adoption patterns. A product or service will move from growth to maturity, a period where sales decline and thus new product development becomes a critical internal activity of the organisation. This is why generating new ideas becomes a paramount objective in the planning process, usually requiring the input of executive leadership and managers to determine how best to introduce a new product whilst still recognising costs. I n generating new product ideas, the business leadership must determine whether compromises will be made, opportunity costs or trade-offs, in order to launch a new product or service on the market. ... Innovations, however, are critical to maintaining a stable market position. Strategy formulation determines the objectives necessary to achieve a long-term market position. Strategy defines sustainability over the long-run or whether growth is an expectation related to revenue-building. An entrepreneurial dimension of strategy is persisting to find a better fit in the competitive market or developing a vision by which the organisation founds its values and organisational structure against (Majumdar 2008). Developing a long-term orientation is necessary in business planning as it determines the strategic direction the business intends to pursue and thus resources are allocated toward meeting this purpose. Market analysis and competitive strategy Michael Porter identifies five competitive forces that impact business success, including threat of new entrants, the availability of substitute products, supplier and buyer power in the market, and concerns over what types of competitive stra tegies are being developed by other businesses operating in the same market (Porter 2010). It is necessary to scan the external environment in order to understand what socio-economic and socio-cultural trends are observable in key target markets in order to develop a service or product plan designed to properly fit these attitudes or financial predictors. Market analysis identifies all of the fundamental hindrances or advantages that are linked to strategic intention and competitive strategy, thus the planning process must include market research. Businesses that are heavily reliant on consumer revenues must understand what drives buyer behaviour, and this is best performed through surveys, questionnaires or focus groups. Consumers either favour or disapprove of a particular

New venture opportunity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

New venture opportunity - Essay Example The main aim of ESS Designs will be to provide a simple, classy and well-tailored look for all our clients. We not only want to provide a distinctive look but we also want to be recognized as a trendsetter in the clothing industry. To start with the new company, the first range of product that ESS Designs will focus on will be a collection of jackets for women, men and children. Based on the research that the appointed team members of ESS Designs have conducted, there have been a lot of customer’s requests that have been made by various customers on the scarcity of jackets’ design. Therefore, building upon this, the first range of product that ESS Designs will focus on will be on a collection of jackets for all our targeted clientele. As a start-up company, ESS Designs will first operate in a small geographical region. However, it is evident that with the inception of technology our client reach may go beyond the borders. The company will be located in the United States in Pennsylvania. This is where our headquarters will be. Nevertheless, ESS Designs will embrace the use of advertising and public relation to make our new range of product known and also to build upon the image of the company. It is also worth noting that the prices of our products will be quite pocket-friendly thus aside from quality will strive to ensure that our targeted consumers are well catered for with regards to the pricing range. In order to examine the impact of this new venture, a thorough SWOT analysis will be conducted on ESS Designs.

Iran-Iraq War Essay Example for Free

Iran-Iraq War Essay The Iran-Iraq War is considered as one of the longest and most violent battles in history. This eight-year long armed conflict was actually the result of many events. The rivalry between Iran and Iraq can be traced from the seventh century. It was a rivalry grounded on the antagonism between Persians and Arabs, just as it was based on the conflict between Sunni Muslims and Shi’a Muslims. These ethnic and religious divisions were further intensified by territorial disputes, which would continue until the 20th Century. In addition, politics played a role in initiating the war itself. The rivalry existed many years ago, but the war was aggravated by the changes in governance in both countries. The Iran-Iraq War was a violent combat between the aforementioned nations from September 1980 until August 1988. The conflict was only stopped with the intervention of the United Nations. The battle proved to be a long and tedious one, as the tension between the countries extended for years. There were also countless casualties as a result of the disastrous occurrence. When the war ended, neither nation could truly be declared the victor. Both Iran and Iraq did not succeed in gaining new territories or political advantages. It is important to note that Iraq was the nation responsible for starting the war. However, the aggression of Saddam Hussein was not the main cause of the war’s occurrence. In fact, there is no single cause to be blamed for the war. The origins of the Iran-Iraq War are deeply rooted in ethnic, religious and territorial conflicts which date back from the seventh century; it was exacerbated in the modern era due to ambitions of dominance. This term paper aims to discuss the reasons behind the Iran-Iraq War on two accounts: the dispute over the Shatt al-Arab river and the political tension caused by the Islamic Revolution and the rise of Ba’ath regime. The Iran-Iraq War occurred because of various reasons. The conflict between the two nations involved was characterized by other conflicts. The tension that had long persisted between Iran and Iraq were caused by differences in religious beliefs and political positions, as well as disagreements on the borders (Iran Chamber Society [ICS], 2009). The problem between the countries was fueled by the problems between the following opposing parties: Sunnis and Shia Muslims, Arabs and Persians, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Saddam Hussein (Ehteshami Hinnebusch, 1997). Moreover, both Iran and Iraq sought to gain supremacy in the region (Brown, 2008). The Iranian-Iraq War which started in September 1980 was a testament to the extended conflict regarding the boundaries of their territories and their share in the Shatt al-Arab river (Hunseler, 1984). The war was also a result of the struggle of both parties to become the most dominant and influential in the region. However, it is important to point out that there is a significant difference between the 1980 war and the conflicts prior to it. The early conflicts between Iran and Iraq were settled with the interference of European countries which only meddled to safeguard their respective interests. As for the 1980 war, both sides fought to preserve their own interests. No external power intervened with that war. Two main reasons why the conflict became prolonged are the mutual disputes over territory (especially the Shatt al-Arab) and the involvement of both sides in the domestic problems of the other (Hunseler, 1984). The Beginning of the Persian-Arab Conflict The origins of the conflict between Iran and Iraq started many centuries before both nations were established. It is important for one to be familiar with the history of the conflict why the 1980 war began in the first place. According to Hunseler (1984), the Iran-Iraq tension had its roots in the seventh century with the Arab-Persian conflict. It was this centuries old rift which ignited the battle over the Shatt al-Arab. Persia stood out from the others because despite being under the control of the Arabs, it retained its national identity (Hunseler, 1984). In AD 636, the Sassanids of Persia lost to the armies of Arab General Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas at the Battle of Qadisiya. Meanwhile, the Persian Empire became dissolved in AD 642 due to the Battle of Nihawand. While they held on to their state’s culture and territorial honor, the Persian population embraced Islam in the aftermath of the collapse of the Persian Empire. The Arabs and the people they conquered viewed Islam and Arabism as a union. However, despite being under the influence of Islam, the culture of Persia cannot be restrained (Hunseler, 1984). An important thing to consider in understanding the history of Persia and its political and social existence is what Hunseler (1984) called the â€Å"juxtaposition of Persia and Islam† (p. 8). The principle was said to have been derived from the notion of the state based on Zoroastrianism. According to the Zoroastrian notion of a state, it must have the following: â€Å"a secularly-legitimized kingship, the survival of the Persian language and the proud awareness of a distinct Persian history† (Hunseler, 1984, p. 8). After two centuries, the Sunni-Arab Abbasid caliphate had become interested in the Persian literature (Hunseler, 1984). In time, the Persian families which belonged to the caliphate of the Abbasids began to assume control by grabbing power repeatedly. From AD 954 until 1055, the Buyid dynasty possessed enough authority to manipulate politics in the western portion of Persia and Iraq. In addition, they also had the power to strictly limit the function of the caliphs of Abbasid to religion only. This was the reason why the legacy left by the Buyids in Iraq was considered as the conflict between Persianism and Arabism (Hunseler, 1984). In the 17th century, the Safavids in Persia declared Shi’ism as the state religion (Hunseler, 1984). The Safavids exerted influence on Persia for 15 long years; they stayed in the state from 1623 to 1638 (Hiro, 1991). The declaration was seen as Persia’s attempt to establish its boundaries and separate itself from Arab nations while keeping the matters under the influence of Islam. Shi’ism became a crucial part of Islamic history, as it was the first to present a rift in the unified world of Islam. This was because Shi’ism founded itself in a separate state. The kings of the Safavids considered themselves as mainly secular leaders; they assigned the religious functions to the theologians. In turn, the Shi’a ministers did not want to give up their posts which were assigned to them under the Safavid rule. Most especially during the time of the Qajar leaders, the clergy were given money and land. The awarding of such gifts allowed them to be financially independent from the king; it also gave them the opportunity to exert political influence. Meanwhile, no such similar progress had occurred in the Sunni Arab states (Hunseler, 1984). The Sunni-Shi’a Problem The existing Persian-Arab conflict had taken a complicated turn with the addition of yet another conflict: the Sunni-Shi’a problem (Hunseler, 1984). The problem was not exactly about tension between the differing branches of Islam. Instead, there was antagonism due to the amount of influence that a particular religion has on the development of political power in the state. The conflict continues at present day, as there are still areas wherein the Arab communities consist of both Sunni and Shi’a factions (Hunseler, 1984). Those who head the Shi’a clergy in Arab countries such as Iraq and Bahrain found difficulty in assuming certain social positions (Hunseler, 1984). In Persia, the Shi’a clergy had no problems exerting influence in society because Shi’ism was revered with national significance. In addition, Shi’a leaders faced with two issues regarding loyalty. First, they encouraged the spread of Shi’ism in states whose population were not exclusively Shi’a. Therefore, they became involved in the centuries-old conflict between the Shi’a and Sunni. Second, they were victims of the suspicions of Arab rulers who thought they were submitting to the influence of non-Arabs (Persians). They were often seen by their Arab counterparts as promoting non-Arab causes. This situation caused the Arab Shi’as to be constantly detached from their political leaders. The separation was also caused by doubt on secular leadership, as well as Shi’a millennialism (Hunseler, 1984). The Persian-Arab conflict and the attempts of both sides to become more dominant and influential than the other in the Middle East became evident in areas where the Sunni and Shi’a groups, and the Arabs and Persians, fought against each other (Hunseler, 1984). Even though the Persians and Arabs in the Arabian peninsula had the Persian-Arab Gulf to set them apart in terms of geography, the conflict eventually made itself apparent on the boundaries on land. This was the primary reason why the conflict persisted for many years; both sides incessantly tried to acquire the territories of the other and the quest for a mutual border dragged on (Hunseler, 1984). The Origin of the Conflict over the Shatt al-Arab The conflict between Iran and Iraq over the Shatt al-Arab river originated in the 17th century and began as the rift between the Ottoman Empire and Persia (Hunseler, 1984). The sultan of Turkey, Murad IV, captured Baghdad in 1638 and the initial resolution regarding the boundaries with Persia was drafted a year later. The Kurds and the Armenians occupied the north while the Arabs dominated the south. The boundary fell on areas wherein the tribes did not consider either the Persians or Turks as their masters. As a result, the border settlement was drafted with consideration to the tribes and the names of the places. The agreement also took in consideration the intention of both parties to unite the tribes of Istanbul or Esfahan. The Kurdish-Armenian boundary caused many conflicts after it was established, but order was always restored in reference to the 1639 resolution. Unfortunately, the 1639 agreement proved lacking in setting the boundaries in the Shatt al-Arab region. On one hand, Persians believed the river itself was a natural border. On the other hand, the Turks upheld the claim that the river belonged to the Ottoman Empire. According to the Turkish point of view, the Arab tribes which occupy both sides of the river are considered a single entity from Arabistan. Arabistan is part of the Ottoman Empire. Hence, the Shatt al-Arab was to be considered as under the possession of the Ottoman Empire (Hunseler, 1984). In the 19th Century, boundary problems continued. In 1823, a boundary problem surrounding the Muhammarah surfaced and Persians settled in the city (Hunseler, 1984). Both Russia and Great Britain extended their assistance on the matter. On May 15, 1843, a boundary committee was formed and gathered in Erzerum, a city in Turkey. The committee consisted of representatives from Turkey, Persia, Russia and Britain. A treaty was created on May 31, 1847, and contained three major guidelines. First, Muhammarah and its harbor, as well as Khidhr Island, were awarded to Persia. Meanwhile, Turkey was granted admission to Zuhab and Sulaymaniyah. Second, the committee was designated â€Å"in situ† to delineate the specific course of the boundary (Hunseler, 1984, p. 11). Lastly, the Ottoman Empire was given the entire Shatt al-Arab extending to the marker on the east, except for the territories mentioned above (Hunseler, 1984). The treaty of 1847 was rather ambiguous, and its inherent vagueness proved to be its biggest flaw (Hunseler, 1984). The treaty did not address the question of which nation had the responsibility over the eastern shore. While the Shatt al-Arab was placed under Turkish jurisdiction, the specifications of the border were not indicated. Turkey wanted to resolve the issue over the treaty’s vague statements regarding Arabistan/ Khuzistan. As a result, Russia and Great Britain included an â€Å"explanatory note† to assert that the problem raised by Turkey was not compromised by the treaty’s lack of clarity (Hunseler, 1984, p. 11). Turkey declined to approve the treaty until Persia acknowledged the note as part of the treaty (Hunseler, 1984). Mirza Muhammad Ali Khan acknowledged the note and signed the treaty as a delegate of the Persia. After the Persian administration discovered the inclusion of the added note, it nullified the treaty and failed to approve it. They argued that the Persian representative had no power to sign the document (Hunseler, 1984). To address the issue, the boundary committee inspected the Turkish-Persian border from 1850 until 1852 (Hunseler, 1984). Unfortunately, the commission was not able to do its job properly because of the opposing claims of Turkish and Persian commissioners. Persia maintained that they were given the entire expanse found east of the Shatt al-Arab, while Turkey opposed the claim. The committee was unable to provide a definite proposition to solve the problem. While the committee continued its efforts in the northern area of the Shatt al-Arab, the determination of the boundaries of the river’s region was postponed indefinitely (Hunseler, 1984). Persia was relentless in its efforts to claim territories and continued to bring up its border issues in the succeeding years. Persia sought Russia and Britain to mediate on the border problem (Hunseler, 1984). Persia wanted to share control of the Shatt al-Arab with Turkey; the state also wanted to discuss the rights with regards to the harbor. Unfortunately, Britain and Russia were not in agreeable terms since the mid-19th Century. Hence, both nations were not prepared to mediate in behalf of the Shatt al-Arab tension. On August 31, 1907, the Anglo-Russian convention had an agreement. This agreement divided Persia into three separate zones. In the northern part of Persia, Russia maintained a sphere of influence. In the southern area, Britain had its own sphere. Meanwhile, the middle area was considered as neutral ground. It was not until after this division was established that the Anglo-Russian concern for the Turkish-Persian border was revived (Hunseler, 1984). Russia became once again involved with Persian-Turkish affairs because it was specifically interested with the province of Azerbaijan in Persia (Hunseler, 1984). The interest was the result of strategic and economic factors in relation to Turkey. On the contrary, Britain was different from Russia because its interests were not limited to Persia alone. Britain was also focused on the Turkish territory of the Shatt al-Arab because it played a crucial part in British interests in the Gulf area. In July 1911, an Anglo-Turkish mediation in attempt to come up with a resolution that would define the territorial claims and rights in the Arab-Persian Gulf region began. On July 29, 1913, the resolution was signed by Turkey and Britain. The agreement included the decisions regarding the status of Arab sheikdoms. The resolution also included the agreements about the Shatt al-Arab and its significance to the increasing British authority in Arabistan and Iraq. The resolution proved to be beneficial for Turkey, but only because Britain acted on it for its own advantage. Meanwhile, Russia was outraged by the Anglo-Turkish agreement and initially renounced it. Britain caught Russia by surprise by awarding the Shatt al-Arab in its entirety to Turkey. Russia had its own interests to protect in Shatt al-Arab and the Gulf area, and the agreement served as a hindrance to the Russian cause. However, Britain gave Russia the guarantee that it would offer assistance in the latter’s interest in the northern section of the Turkish-Persian border. After Britain gave its guarantee, Russia acknowledged the Anglo-Turkish agreement (Hunseler, 1984). On December 21, 1911, Persian Foreign Minister and Turkish representatives from Tehran gathered in Istanbul to create a boundary commission to resolve the Turkish-Persian border problem (Hunseler, 1984). The commission began to meet in March 1912; by August, the commission had convened a total of 18 times. In the beginning, the efforts of the commission seemed futile due to Persia’s disapproval of a specific â€Å"note explicative† of April 26, 1847 (Hunseler, 1984, p. 13). However, Russia exerted influence and Tehran was forced to agree on the note on August 15, 1912. The early progress of the Turkish-Persian commission was accompanied by statements already found in the Four-Power Protocol of Constantinople dated on November 17, 1913. With regards to the area of the Shatt al-Arab, the definition of the border was determined in conformity with the Second Treaty of Erzerum of 1847. According to the treaty, the Shatt al-Arab is considered as a Turkish territory excluding the limitations concerning Abadan and Muhammarah. By November 1913, two-thirds of the border assignment was completed. The task of settling the complete boundary was given to a Four-Power Delimitation Commission. This commission had to define the border based on what was 1869’s â€Å"carte identique† (Hunseler, 1984, p. 13). The commission started working in 1914. Unfortunately, the First World War broke out. The emergence of the war hindered Persia and Turkey from acknowledging the border (Hunseler, 1984). The Aftermath of World War I: The Iranian-Iraq Disagreement on the Shatt al-Arab The conflict and rivalry between Iran and Iraq officially started after the First World War (Hunseler, 1984). The outcome of the war significantly altered the issue over the borders concerning the Shatt al-Arab. Hunseler (1984) explained: â€Å"The British mandate of Iraq, which had come about in Mesopotamia, entered into the Turkish boundary claims against Iran, although it also impinged upon British navigational privileges on the Shatt al-Arab† (p. 14). The aftermath of the Great War also allowed Iran to experience a dramatic political transformation. In 1921, Muhammad Reza Khan came into power. Under his reign, Iran became resistant to the established agreements regarding the Shatt al-Arab (Hunseler, 1984). It was also in 1921 when Khaz’al, the Sheik of Muhammarah, lost. Khaz’al was a known supporter of the British cause. With his defeat, Iran was granted the opportunity to fervently defend its own interests on the Shatt al-Arab conflict. Due to the new found empowerment of Iran, Britain was suddenly placed in a position wherein it should implement its rules without putting its Iranian interests in jeopardy (Hunseler, 1984). Meanwhile, Iraq asserted its control over the Shatt al-Arab (Hunseler, 1984). Due to the claim, Iran declined to recognize the state of Iraq. In 1929, Iran did give diplomatic recognition to Iraq, but only because it sought to gain the attention of Britain. Iran hoped that by acknowledging Iraq as a state, Britain would be sympathetic towards the Iranian cause. Britain was still interested in Iran because of economic reasons; the former is involved with the latter through the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. Moreover, Britain was still interested with the Shatt al-Arab issue. This was because it could provide the British complete access to the refineries located in Abadan. On August 11, 1929, the Iranian and Iraqi governments had interchanged several notes. This exchange gave way to the establishment of a temporary arrangement to manage the relations between the two states involved. The arrangement included settlements on trade and navigation. However, the negotiations failed because Iraq and Britain refused to recognize the jurisdiction of Iran on the half of the river (Hunseler, 1984). When Britain decided to remove its authority on Iraq and break away from their alliance in 1930, it imposed the right of the British navy to pass through the Shatt al-Arab anytime, regardless if it was wartime or peacetime (Hunseler, 1984). However, Iran had no intention in being involved in a peaceful settlement. The Iranian government also declined to accept the legitimacy of the border. On March 25, 1924, Iran announced its non-acceptance of determination of the boundary as stated in the Constantinople Protocol. The Iranian government also refused to recognize similar settlements created on September 20 and December 2 in 1931. The situation worsened when Iran sent four gunboats to pass through Shatt al-Arab and proceed until Muhammarah. Due to this incident, problems regarding the pilot and the flags of the ships were added to the already intense conflict (Hunseler, 1984). The boundary issue as well as the flag and pilot inquiries which remained unanswered increased the tension surrounding the conflict (Hunseler, 1984). On November 29, 1934, the Iranian government was forced to seek assistance from the League of Nations in an effort to address the problem. Unfortunately, the League of Nations and the representatives it sent failed to bring any positive change in the current situation. The only thing which provided temporary resolution to the problem was the Middle East pact of 1935, which Iran had introduced with the help of Turkey. The pact presented an opportunity wherein all points of disagreement could be settled. On July 4, 1937, a treaty on the Iranian-Iraqi border was agreed upon in Tehran. The treaty upheld the conditions indicated in the 1913/14 Protocols of Constantinople. According to the treaty, the Iran-Iraq border would remain along the east bank of the Shatt al-Arab. There were specific considerations made for Abadan and Muhammarah. Iran was also awarded an anchorage zone in Abadan which was four miles long. In addition, the treaty rendered the river as open territory, as it allowed access to naval ships of Iran and Iraq and traders of all countries. A transit fee was imposed, but this would be utilized for purposes of maintenance as well as the development of the shipping lanes in the river. In another decision, both sides agreed to accept the protocol within two years after the agreement had been reached (Hunseler, 1984). The adoption of the covenant was not implemented (Hunseler, 1984). On December 8, 1938, the commission in charge of the Iranian-Iraqi boundary started working on the confluence of the Shatt al-Arab and the Khayeen. The efforts of the commission were stalled by opposing translations of the treaty and the definite determination of the border. The Iranian government submitted suggestions regarding the balance of power between Iran and Iraq with regards to supervising and safeguarding the Shatt al-Arab shipping lanes. Meanwhile, the Iraqi administration saw this move as a threat to the sovereignty of the Iraqis on the river (Hunseler, 1984). In the 1950s, Iran and Iraq had another opportunity to resolve their issues regarding the Shatt al-Arab border (Hunseler, 1984). In 1955, both countries, along with Britain, Pakistan and Turkey agreed upon the Baghdad Pact (Karsh, 2002). This pact was initiated by the West and was established to strengthen defense and security in the region. In October 1957, King Faisal of Iraq paid a state visit to Iran (Hunseler, 1984). In this encounter, both nations reached an agreement regarding the Shatt al-Arab problem. Iran and Iraq agreed on two points. First, there will be a commission to be based in Baghdad which is assigned to work out the details of the joint supervision of the Shatt al-Arab. Second, a Swedish adjudicator will be in charge of delineating the border; this arbitrator is to be situated in Tehran and must work with the joint commission. Once again, an agreement between Iran and Iraq was hindered by yet another occurrence. On July 14, 1958, a revolution broke out in Baghdad (Hunseler, 1984). The change in Iraqi governance eventually disrupted the recently resumed development of Iranian-Iraqi ties (Hunseler, 1984). Also, the political change once again awakened the border conflict on the Shatt al-Arab and the land borders. Four short months after General Abd al-Karim took control, the revolutionary administration of Iraq declared that they would extend their claim on the river to 12 miles. On November 28, 1959, Iranian Shah Reza Pahlevi revived their request to have the border line of the river drawn along the middle. He justified his demand on grounds of Iraq’s clear violation of the 1937 treaty. He also argued that because they were already in the 20th Century, a river which served as a boundary such as Shatt al’Arab cannot be attached to the absolute sovereignty of either nation. General Qasim addressed the demand of the shah with another demand. Iraq sought to regain the anchorage zone awarded to Iran in the 1937 treaty. Despite their counter demand, Qasim still wanted to resolve the dispute through peaceful means. Iraq was willing to withdraw their claim of the anchorage zone if Iran would acknowledge the Iraq’s demands on the river and the treaty of 1937. The peaceful settlement was not reached. On December 10, 1959, Abbas Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aram declined Iraq’s offer. Nine days later, General Qasim reasserted Iraq’s legal right to the anchorage zone without insisting on its return. He also appealed for Iran to value the early treaties. General Qasim suggested that they could address the problem with the help of the United Nations. However, Iran provoked Iraq again when the local newspaper Ettelaat stated that â€Å"the existence of Iraq was in any event a historical misunderstanding and the whole of Iraq a Persian province† (as cited in Hunseler, 1984, p. 17). An armed struggle between Iran and Iraq was quelled before the further tension could develop. On March 5, 1959, Iran became involved with the United States in a defense settlement (Hunseler, 1984). Soon after, Iran felt coerced by Russia. Iran had reasons to be concerned. It was threatened by Soviet influence and the possible circulation of further revolutionary ideals. Meanwhile, Iraq was also concerned with the threat of the United Arab Republic, a state established in 1958 as a result of the merger between Syria and Egypt. Abd al-Karim Qasim was frightened that Syria might provide assistance to Iraqi Nasserites if and when a war with Iran occurs. Hence, there was no real war between both parties at that time. The tension manifested itself through a media war between Iran and Iraq (Hunseler, 1984). In 1967, Britain declared its wishes to pull out from the Gulf area. Prime Minister Harold Wilson expressed the desire of the British administration to remove its military troops located ‘east of Suez’ (as cited in Hunseler, 1984, p. 17). With this announcement, Iran wanted to replace British forces with their own troops on the moment of the latter’s departure (Hunseler, 1984). The 1967 blockage of the Suez Canal was a welcome development, as it prevented Soviet activity in the Gulf region. In terms of security concerns, Iran wanted to unify and lead the Arab countries in the region. The supposed partnership had the goal of preventing the spread of Soviet control and power of revolutionary nations and factions, such as South Yemen and Iraq. The Arab countries in the Gulf were cautious in dealing with Iran. While they were hesitant to collaborate with Iran which was associated with Israel, they did not want to create a rift among the states (Hunseler, 1984). Iran continued to strongly pursue its ambition of becoming an unshakeable force in the Gulf region (Hunseler, 1984). In 1969, it condemned the 1937 treaty. The shah knew that if Iran wanted to govern and manipulate the shipping lanes in the Gulf, it must have exclusive control of the river. This move would also liberate the Iranian ports on Abadan and Khorramshahr from Iraqi jurisdiction. On one instance, an Iranian vessel sailed despite the absence of an Iraqi pilot. It departed from the Khorramshahr port with the assistance of Iranian patrol vessels and successfully arrived at the Persian-Arab Gulf. Iraq was aware of the violation, but it did not wage a war against Iran due to the weakness of the military (Hunseler, 1984). After 1972, the shah became more determined to cripple Iraq. After the completion of the Iraqi-Soviet friendship treaty, the Shah approached American President Richard Nixon to ask for assistance in the Kurdish cause in Iraq (Hunseler, 1984). This action was done with the objective of weakening the Iraqi army through an attack on its internal disputes. In August 1972, another uprising emerged in Kurdistan. The Iraqi administration and Kurdish chief Mullah Mustafa Barzani met in March 1970 and agreed on the autonomy of Kurdistan beginning in 1974. However, the agreement was threatened by the support of Iran and the United States for Barzani. Because of this, the Kurdish insurgents continued to hold on to their weapons and proceed with the civil war. Meanwhile, the Iraqi forces benefited from the Iraqi-Soviet friendship treaty, for it allowed for a steady supply of ammunition from Russia. The weapons were instrumental in guaranteeing the military success of Iraq. Nevertheless, the malfunctioning of the army’s weapons and the failure of the Soviet Union to provide more ammunition endangered the progress Iraq had in its fight against the Kurds. In the early part of March 1975, the Iraqi government was prompted to consider Iran’s proposition that it would refrain from supporting the Kurds if the former would approve the latter’s suggestion to resolve the border issue by placing the border line along the thalweg (Hunseler, 1984). On June 13, 1975, Iran and Iraq agreed on yet another treaty in Baghdad (Hunseler, 1984). The treaty consisted of four crucial agreements. First, the boundaries will be definitely marked based on the Constantinople Protocol of 1913 and the 1914 proposal created by the committee regarding the establishment of the boundary. Second, the river boundaries would be situated in the middle, or the thalweg. According to Willet (2004), the thalweg was the â€Å"central deepest part of the river† (p. 7). Third, there are two things to be rebuilt: the mutual trust between both nations as well as the security of the land boundaries they shared. Also, the invasion on both sides will be stopped. Lastly, the problem will be settled upon with the acknowledgement of the aforementioned points. When Iraq signed the treaty, the country accepted the thalweg agreement for the first time. After five years, it became evident that the said recognition was merely the result of coercion from Iran’s side. The acceptance of Iraq was also caused by the failure of the Soviet Union to provide weapons. Nonetheless, the compromise made regarding the Shatt al-Arab paved the way for the Kurdish civil war to stop. Meanwhile, the relevance of the river in terms of Iranian strategy was relatively reduced. This was because Iran transferred its navy from Khorramshahr to the Bandar Abbas port in August 1978 (Hunseler, 1984). The Iran-Iraq War from a Political Perspective The dispute over the borders and boundaries of the river of Shatt al-Arab was instrumental in the emergence of the war between Iran and Iraq in 1980. While the territorial conflicts played a crucial role in causing the war, the political conditions in both countries must also be considered as initiators. The transition in the governments helped influence the leaders on how to deal with the Shatt al-Arab issue. In Iran, there was a dramatic shift in leadership as the Shah was removed from power through a revolution led by a radical Muslim. In Iraq, several coups have altered governance while the rise of the Ba’ath Socialist Party to power resulted in the domination of Saddam Hussein. Both countries longed to dominate the other and emerge as the most powerful in the region (Jacoby, 2008). The Iranian-Iraqi situation under the Rule of the Shah In the 1970s, the tension between Iran and Iraq was heightened (Karsh, 2002). This was because of the Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, became aggressive and tried to present Iran as the dominant force in the Persian Gulf. The Shah had been governing the Iran for decades. However, he was temporarily overthrown from power. In 1953, the head of the Iranian Parliament started a coup to remove the Shah (Willett, 2004). The coup succeeded and Pahlavi vacated the Iranian leadership for a brief time. However, the United States

Brett Farve Bio Essay -- essays research papers

Brett Favre   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have chosen Brett Favre for my biography paper. The name of the biography was Brett Favre and it was written by Martin Mooney. If you love football you should read this book. I chose Brett Favre because he is a great quarterback and role model to children everywhere. I also chose him because he is a football legend   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brett was born in a small town called Kiln, Mississippi, on October 10, 1969. He was given the name Brett Lorenzo Favre. He also grew up in this small town where he was as the second oldest of his family. His parents were Irvin and Bonita Favre. Both his parents worked at Hancock North Central High school. Irvin, being a teacher, baseball coach and football coach, and Bonita was a special education teacher. Brett loved to play football all his life. In fifth grade he decided which position he wanted to play when he went out for wide receiver and landed on the football after a catch and lost his breath. He told his father, the coach for his team, â€Å"I don’t want to play wide receiver no more.† Ever since that day he has been a quarterback after his dad put him as one, and scored 4 touchdowns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a teenager Brett grew up about the same as anyone else. Since he grew up in a totally football enclosed family, with his brother playing football in college and his father being a coach, he loved the game. He has the same posters, and the same dreams and heroes as most k...

Do Illegal workers help or hurt the economy Essay

While growing up in Mexico, I heard many stories of people who were going to work in the United States, some illegally, so they could provide a better life for their families. To them, they were going to the land of opportunity, where jobs were plentiful for people who were willing to work hard. They planned to go to the United States and do the work that Americans didn’t want, while getting paid more than they could make in Mexico. Many of them sought work in construction, where their lower pay would mean cheaper homes and buildings for Americans. Although there was the risk of getting arrested and deported, it seemed like a risk worth taking to many people. Now that I live in the United States, I have seen the other side of the story. I have seen the economic difficulties that Americans face in their own country. It is even harder for someone like me, who came here legally, but faces challenges that many Americans don’t. I have met people here who are working illegally, and see their daily struggle to survive. I have also met Americans who were born here and have difficulty finding work. Instead of plenty of jobs for everyone, good jobs are scarce with many people fighting to get them. I see the resentment some people have toward those who are here illegally, and working for lower wages, making it harder for others to complete. These observations have made me wonder; do illegal workers help or hurt the economy? Dr. George Borjas, Professor of Economics and Social Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, found that the earnings of US born workers were reduced by an average of 3.7% by immigrant workers, both legal and illegal. The greatest effect was to US born workers without a high school degree as well as young workers. In his research, published in the paper Increasing the Supply of Labor Through Immigration, Dr. Borjas writes â€Å"The 10 million native-born workers without a high school degree face the most competition from immigrants, as do the eight million younger natives with only a high school education and 12 million younger college graduates.† In the study entitled The Economic Logic of Illegal Immigration by Gordon H. Hanson, Professor of Economics at University of California, Gordon discovered that immigration has a modest impact on the economy, pushing incomes slightly lower for low-skilled native workers, and pushing incomes slightly higher for highly-skilled native workers. However, because legal immigrant workers encounter more restrictions and delays in entering the work force, it is illegal immigrations that provide a fluid, low-skilled workforce that is needed during economic booms. Gordon states â€Å"It (Illegal immigration) provides U.S. businesses with the types of workers they want, when they want them, and where they want them. If policy reform succeeds in making U.S. illegal immigrants more like legal immigrants, in terms of their skills, timing of arrival, and occupational mobility, it is likely to lower rather than raise national welfare.† In June of 2011, the state of Alabama passed the strictest anti-immigration law in the United States, known as HB 56. Alabama is an unlikely state for such a law, since only 120,000 of the country’s 11 million illegal immigrants live in Alabama. However, politicians painted illegal workers as an epidemic, contributing to budget shortfalls and high unemployment. Included in the law, is a requirement for police to validate a person’s immigration status if they have â€Å"reasonable suspicion†. The law penalizes anyone who employs, transports, or rents to an illegal immigrant. As a result of this law, Alabama farmers, who opposed the law from the beginning, saw their workforce disappear. In an article appearing in Mother Jones magazine entitled Help Not Wanted, by Paul Reyes, Alabama farmers expressed their frustration with HB 56. Their problem is that the work they have is difficult and requires experience and training that most native workers don’t have or are unwilling to do. In the article, Jerry Spencer, who runs Grow Alabama, a community-supported agriculture (CSA) project, is quoted. During a single month, Spencer employed 75 Alabamians to work on a farm, picking tomatoes. Of the 75 workers, 15 of them showed up more than once and only 3 lasted for the whole month. Spencer says â€Å"A Mexican can honestly make $300 a day at the height of tomato season, but that’s based on $3 per box. The (Alabamian) workers we took up there couldn’t come close. I’m going to be generous and say $20 a day was average. I actually was proud to see how hard they did work, but they couldn’t live up to the efficiency, and therefore the speed and production, that Mexicans could† An earlier law that prohibited employers from hiring illegal workers was the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which was passed by congress in 1986. This act created penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. However, illegal workers have found a way to counter this by obtaining fake Social Security numbers and green cards, which can be purchased easily in most immigrant neighborhoods for a small fee. These false documents allow employers to claim ignorance if caught hiring an illegal worker. This also means that the illegal workers are paid the same way as other workers, along with tax deductions. In an article appearing in Generations magazine entitled Not on the Radar: Illegal Immigrant are Bolstering Social Security, author Eduardo Porter provided the following statistic, â€Å"The estimated seven million or so illegal immigrant workers in the United States are now providing the system with a subsidy of as much as $7 billion a year.† It is important to note with this statistic, that illegal workers are not eligible for Social Security benefits. Their Social Security deductions are being paid to retired legal workers. While illegal workers with false documents are paying taxes and contributing to the Social Security system, illegal immigrant workers also add a financial strain on city and state budgets. For example, in states like California, where one third of foreign born people in the United States live, children of immigrants are affecting public schools. In the book Immigration in a Changing Economy: California’s Experience, authors Kevin F. McCarthy and George Vernez advocate that more education needs be provided in California public schools for English proficiency for immigrant children â€Å"lest they, and California with them, fall behind the rest of the country† warns McCarthy and Vernez. Illegal workers may have dreams of making lots of money while working in the United States, but the truth is that they will face low-level jobs with the likelihood of exploitation. In a study of illegal Mexican workers, which is documented by Francisco L. Rivera-Batiz in the study Undocumented workers in the labor market: An analysis of the earnings of legal and illegal Mexican immigrants in the United States, published in the Journal of Population  Economics, it was found that 93.2% of male illegal workers and 87.4% of female illegal workers worked in service occupations. Furthermore, they made significantly less income than legal workers performing the same functions. Although some of the pay discrepancy is due to their time spent in the United States and English proficiency, it does not explain all of the pay discrepancies. Rivera-Batiz writes, â€Å"The large proportion of the gap in wages between legal and illegal immigrants unexplained by differences in the measured characteristics of these two groups strongly suggests the presence of systematic discrimination against undocumented workers.† After conducting my research, I have been surprised to learn that illegal immigration has a minimal impact on the overall US economy. The most negatively affected are young, low-skilled, less educated native workers, who experience slightly lower wages due to illegal immigrant workers. Highly-skilled native workers actually receive a slightly higher income due to illegal immigrant workers. Illegal workers benefit of course, but they are also easy targets for exploitation, since they are often not paid the same as legal workers performing the same job functions, and do not receive the same benefits that legal workers do. The real winners from illegal immigration are the businesses that knowingly employ illegal workers. They receive a workforce willing to work for minimal wages, and perform jobs that many native workers are unwilling to do. Government agencies also benefit by receiving tax payments from illegal workers, while not having to pay out such benefits as Social Security. For these reasons, I foresee little change in Immigration laws, since the current situation benefits those with the most power and money. Works Cited (1) Borjas, G. J. (2004, May). In Increasing the Supply of Labor Through Immigration: Measuring the Impact on Native-born Workers. Retrieved Mar. 29, 2013, from http:// www.cis.org/articles/2004/back504.html (2) Hanson, G. H. (2007, Apr. 26 ). In The Economic Logic of Illegal Immigration. Retrieved Mar. 29, 2013, from http://www.cfr.org/content/publications (3) McCarthy, Kevin F., Vernez,  George. â€Å"Immigration in a Changing Economy: California’s Experience.† Rand, 1997: 338 EBSCOhost. Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota. 19 April 2013 http://www.ebsco.com (4) Reyes, Paul. â€Å"Help Not Wanted.† Mother Jones March/April 2012: EBSCOhost. Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota. 19 April 2013 . (5) Rivera-Batiz, Francisco L. â€Å"Undocumented workers in the labor market: An analysis of the earnings of legal and illegal Mexican immigrants in the United States† Journal of Population Economics (1999) 91-116 EBSCOhost. Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota. 29 March 2013 . (6) Porter, Eduardo. â€Å"Not on the Radar: Illegal Immigrants Are Bolstering Social Security.† Generations Spring 2005, Vol. 29 Issue 1: 100-102 EBSCOhost. Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota. 29 March 2013 .

Utopia: Not Possible

If one were to ask 100 different people a subjective question, one is likely to elicit 100 different answers. This shows that everyone is different and has a wide range of views. Knowing this, one can assume that each one of their views on utopia must be equally as varied. Therefore, achieving a common utopia is near impossible. A utopia is a perfect place where everyone is happy both in society and in oneself. Motivation; an element of life that gives someone the drive to achieve a certain goal. Motivation is the adrenaline rush to life without which humans cannot progress as a civilization.It allows for the betterment of society, thus gaining some common ground between people which although does not constitute a utopia, will make a majority of people happy. Achieving utopia in society is impossible, but by using utopia as a goal or as a motivation, society will grow into a happier and more utopian like place, even though it can not reach actual utopia. A society similar to a utopia is possible through America’s motivation, and due to this, we have fruitful land, both agriculturally and socially.Ignorance, the opposite of motivation, leads to a dystopia, a place or environment in which people are miserable, unhappy or uncomfortable in, instead of a utopian-like society. This shows us that ignorance will not make society happy, thus deviating from the track to societal transcendence; the metamorphosis of society into a state of well-being. Due to each person having unique wants and necessities, the scope of a utopian society, is broadened and stretched until it can no longer be perceived. This adds to the number of reasons why utopia is not possible.Motivation is quintessential to attain near utopianism; a society that takes into account everybodys general view of utopia. Without motivation, society would suffer a dystopian lifestyle. Dreamers and visionaries alike possess the fire needed for success. This fire is known to us as motivation. An essential driving force in the creation of America, motivation at it’s finest can be seen in many instances. David Brooks, a New York Times writer, shows us that America is one of the hardest working countries on this planet.â€Å"The average American works 350 hours a year — nearly 10 weeks — more than the average Western European. † (Brooks 2004). One-upping the rest of the countries, America harvests some of the hardest workers. This hard work pays off in the long run because according to Christopher Matthews, â€Å"[America] leads the world in labor productivity. † (Matthews 1). This hard work translates into society’s progress through time. The American Dream is the dream of being able to make a successful living out of nothing.This dream prevailed in both the recent and earlier years. For example, the dispersal of America. Attracted to the city life, Americans saturated many of the popular cities in America, like Pittsburgh, for example. Althoug h this is true, over time we see a dispersal. â€Å"†¦ population of metropolitan Pittsburgh has declined by 8 percent since 1980†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Brooks 2004). This expansion resulted from the drive to explore and conquer. After quenching this thirst, Americans have seen that they are much happier in the suburbs and exurbs, shown in their productivity.These families are happy because of their success. This success is a direct result of motivated minds, minds that surpass odds which pose as threats, minds that feed off of the burning fire which incites progress, minds that envision utopia. Minds that simply do not care and are ignorant to societal problems achieve, rather, receive dystopia as opposed to utopia. Ignorance; that lack of knowledge or information. Those who are oblivious to problem solving and believe that ignoring all that is bad are considered ignorant.In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Lenina Crowne visited a Savage Reservation, which was a place for Nati ve Americans that were not â€Å"civilized. † They led normal lives, but Lenina was disgusted by it because she had no previous understanding of the world before their god like idol Henry Ford â€Å"civilized† the place. He implemented a factory line way of doing things such as conceiving babies, the term parent was alien to them. She begged for her soma which was a drug that releases stress from the consumer and makes the consumer forget about all their problems.This is ironic because the accused savages that stay on the savage reservation are not actually savage, it is in fact the â€Å"civilized† people of the World Sate (their home). They rely on drugs and ignorance to be happy. â€Å"A gramme is better than a damn. † (Huxley 89). She explicitly shows how she would much rather take drugs than face her problems. Hiding the problems instead of solving them creates a dystopia in which ignorance is key. Their soma driven society knows no problems, because stability was given in exchange for individualism.Instead of self-understanding, the humans of the World State are organized under a caste system ranging from the Alphas (highest) to the Epsilons (lowest). They rarely know solitude, but in those rare occurrences, soma quickly fills it with dreams and ignorance. Huxley satirizes utopia as a goal that is out of one’s reach by showing how ignorance and â€Å"fake† happiness is ephemeral and does not solve any real problems. George Orwell, a former student of Aldous Huxley and now famous writer, in the book 1984, mentions the Party slogan; â€Å"†¦War is peace[,] Freedom is slavery[,] Ignorance is strength. † (Huxley 26). The people of Oceania are brainwashed to believe that war is peace, freedom is slavery, and the most shocking, ignorance is strength. Ridiculing society’s problem of blind trust, Orwell shows the reader that ignorance leads to a more Orwellian society than societal strength. There is a dearth of sleep, food, creation of ideas, procreation, and yet society ignores this and continues to believe that there is in fact an abundance of sleep, food, et cetera.Due to the society being more dystopian, we can attribute ignorance to a major role in the creation of such a dark place. David Brooks quotes a philosopher named George Santayana; â€Å"†¦ Americans doesn’t solve problems; we just leave them behind. † (Brooks 2004). Mr. Santayana is saying that Americans are ignorant and cretinous in our knowledge of the world. Not having any worldly information can lead to a withdrawal from society, removing from society’s pool of ideas, knowledge, and people that push for near-utopianism.This leads to a lack of problem solving and degradation of a society at large. A society is composed of people, people each with their own taste and outlook on everything because according to science, no two are the same. Uniquity is prevalent which means that everyones needs and wants are widely dispersed. The common ground between people is limited. â€Å" Bathroom tile is their cocaine: instead of white powder, the blow their life savings on handcrafted Italian wall covering from Waterworks. † (Brooks 2004).Instead of wasting money on drugs like other people, some people prefer bettering  the finer things like, in this case, bathroom tiles or Italian wall covering. This backs up the statement, to each, their own. Due to everybody wanting different things, everybody’s utopia is different. So even if one were to set everybody in motion, society would just become even more choppy and divided. Where is the utopia now? Although self transcendence; the reconstruction of oneself into a higher being, is a huge part in creating utopia, this society has not progressed further than the selfish values it has already harvested within it’s people.To be able to implement this action into society would create a place where everyone is hap py. If near-utopia was set as a common goal in society, people would come together to achieve this, creating a happy place with a lot of common ground between people. This is true in many instances, for example; war and protest. In Greensboro, North Carolina around 1939, a sit-down strike took place. The blacks protested the segregation of color in buildings. Hundreds of other black Americans came to protest this together.The amalgamation of protesters there show that common goals lead to accumulation of support and eventual achievement. Making utopia a common goal between all will result in near success; achieving something along the lines of common utopia. Reaching utopia is not pragmatic because there is a wide range of interests between humans which expands and ambiguates the concept of utopia, making it harder to reach, and also because ignorance is prevalent throughout society, making it more difficult to solve societal problems and attain true happiness as opposed to proxies of happiness i. e. Soma from Brave New World.A characteristic that Americans possess which may assist on the journey to collective happiness is our niche for working hard. If instead we were to use the idea of having a place where everyone is at peace with their surroundings as a common goal throughout society, motivation would permeate and take control. It is only instinctual to act upon something one feels passionate about. If happiness is what is being offered, then I am certain that this will evoke many people to work side by side to achieve this goal. While working side by side with people passionate about the same goal as one is, one will be happy.Hungry for more happiness, the people would continue to work at the goal, even though it is impossible. This leads to an infinite cycle in which society is constantly bettering itself, creating some type of near-utopia, but no one realizes it. Lying amidst the motivated crowd is utopia, but the minute the crowd loses motivation, the utopia vanishes. So let the idea of utopia tailgate the crowd because after all, the crowd is working towards something greater; societal transcendence, the evolvement of society into a common happy place, not perfection. This is the true utopia.

Is the ACT Getting Harder Over the Years

Is the ACT Getting Harder Over the Years SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Is the ACT of today the same test that was given years ago? According to students and test experts, the ACT has gradually been getting harder over the years, both in the level of its questions and its fast pace. So what does the ACT have to say about these claims? Is the ACT hard now more than ever before? And what exactly do people think is getting more difficult on this already challenging test? The Times: Are They A-Changin'? So ACT, Inc. hasn't said the test has gotten more difficult over the years. But students and ACTexperts beg to disagree. Jed Applerouth of Applerouth Tutoring Services, for instance, says that the changes are so pronounced as to make the ACT, and especially the Science section, a completely different test. According to Applerouth, the Science section is much more time intensive and features multi-phase questions like never before. For instance, older questions would direct youto a specific piece of data within a graph, table, or chart. Newer questions, on the other hand, have additional steps. After finding the information, youthen have to apply it to a chart and use another value to determine youranswer. Rather than quick questions that get to the point on the Science section, there are a lot of these kinds of questions with multiple steps that require youto combine skills and concepts from various fields. While these questions used to stand alone and apart from one another, now there are lotsthat are intertwined. This style has mostly shown up in the Science section, making it harder to answer all the questions before time is called, but harder questions have also been seen in Reading. Some ACT Reading sections have featured double passages, similar to the ones on the SAT. Older ACT practice tests usually don't prepare youfor these paired passage questions, where you have to compare, contrast, and interpret authors' perspectives relative to each other. In addition to these increasingly complex questions, the ACT will feature some other changes soon. The optional essay will be 40 minutes long and will ask you to analyze different perspectives and present and support your own argument. The Science section may feature more data representation questions, or at least make the numbers of each question type unpredictable. The ACT used to always ask the same number of data representation, research summary, and conflicting viewpoints questions in Science, a consistency that helped a lot of students feel prepared. Future tests will be less predictable. Finally, the Reading section will incorporate paired passages, which feature questions that may take you more time to answer. So if, as most people agree, the ACT really has been getting harder and more fast-paced in the past few years, what would be the reasons behind this change? Hint: it has to do with the ACT getting super popular. Why Would the ACT Be Getting More Difficult? The main reason the ACT may have undergone changes in the past few years is its increasing popularity among students,both in the U.S. and internationally. Historically, more students in the Midwest took the ACT, and it usually lagged behind the SAT as the admissions test of choice. But for the first time in 2011, more students took the ACT than the SAT (of course, then the SAT added another test date to up its numbers). As more highly achieving students internationally and across the US (especially on the East and West coasts where test prep is especially popular) tookthe ACT, the score distribution was affected. The curve became steeper, meaning that missing just a question or two would bring down your score a lot more than it would in the past. To smooth out the curve, it seems that the ACT made the test more difficult and harder to finish. While these changes don't necessarily affect average scorers all that much, they make it more difficult for top scorers to place at a score of 31 or above. Another possible reason for making the ACT harder, as you'll see in ACT's official statement below, is to further align the test with college courses. The ACT is an admissions test meant to measure student ability and college readiness. If college classes are getting more challenging, then the ACT wants to increase its rigor to match them and ensure students' results are predictive of their success in college level courses. Let's take a look at how ACT has responded to the general consensus that the test has, in fact, gotten harder in the past few years. Spoiler: they don't say much. What ACT Says About Changes to the Test According to Brian Eufinger, the co-owner of Edison Prep, the ACT responded to his queries about the changes in the test in the following way (emphasis mine): "ACT continues to measure college and career readiness in a way that is consistent with the past. The ACT is designed to reflect the knowledge and skills that are taught in schools and deemed necessary for success in first-year college courses and workforce training courses. When those skills and constructs become more complicated and difficult over time, the ACT reflects that. Those changes tend to occur very gradually, however, not usually within a two to three year span. So we would disagree with the statement that the ACT has been slowly and steadily changing the difficulty level of the test over the past two to three years." The ACT says that the test hasn't been changing over the past two to three years, yet they also say that it will reflect when college "skills and constructs become more complicated and difficult over time." It seems like the ACT doesn't publicize big changes, like College Board is with the new SAT for 2016, but perhaps makes subtle, gradual changes over time. Apart from revealing a possible gap between what the ACT is saying and what the ACT isdoing, what does this apparent increase in difficulty level mean for your test prep? What ACT Changes Mean For Your Test Prep Since the recent ACT tests seem to be harder than those from five or so years ago, youshould be cautious with the pre-2010 practice tests that are in the Real ACT Prep Guide, or the "Red Book." They are still useful practice, but they might not be the truest representation of what you'll get or how you'll score on the real thing. Most ACT experts agree that they are easier than what you'll seetoday. Practice tests 4 and 5 will give you a more accurate sense of the test you'll be taking. The biggest changes have been seen in the Science and Reading section, so make sure to focus a good dealof yourtest prep, and especially your practice with time management, on these sections. Be discerning about the multi-step questions types and paired passage questions, and try out strategies for saving time and improving your efficiency. If you're deciding between the SAT and ACT, it's a good idea to note how you do on these sections, whether they'll be a boost to your score or a drawbackas compared to the SAT. If you're aiming for a top score, continue to be diligent about your test prep. Try to develop an intuition for how much time you spend on various questions, and make sure you're not wasting your time and energy on questions that should be answered quicklyor that won't earn youmany points. All questions contribute equally to your raw score, so focus on answering the questions you can and dividing up your time in a way that will maximize your score. Since difficulty level of questions vary, a lot of students benefit from mixing up the order of questions rather than answering them in the same order they're given. Again, practice testing will help you try out various strategies, like mixing up the order of the Reading passages, to figure out which ones are most effective for you. To sum up, let's quickly go over the most important takeaways for current and future ACT test-takers. What Are the Takeaways? Is the ACT hard? I think so. The ACT tests given today seem to be harder and more time intensive than ones given before 2010. (Lucky you.) Most of the changes are seen in the Science and Reading sections, where the questions are getting more complex and time-consuming. The ACT is not advertising any changes, so it's up to you to keep a discerning eye when you take practice tests from various years and adjust your test prep accordingly. Since the ACT is getting harder to finish, focus on trying out different strategies for pacing yourself and managing your time. Finally, if you're still deciding between the SAT and ACT, familiarize yourself with both tests and take practice tests to determine which one will help you achieve the stronger score for your college applications.Both tests are undergoing some serious changes now and in the near future. Get ahead of the game by staying on top of these changes and knowing what you, the test-taker, should expect and how you can prepare. What's Next? Not to brag, but PrepScholar has an exceptionally thorough and helpful series of study guides for the Science section of the ACT. Check out our Ultimate Study Guide to ACT Science for content review, strategies, and the overall structure you need to know. Since the ACT Reading section is getting more fast-paced, you want to show up on test day armed with a speed reading strategy. Check out our full guide on how to read the ACT Reading passages. Are you aiming for perfection on the ACT? This full 36 scorer shares his tips and inspiration for how he studied his way to a perfect score. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points?We have the industry's leading ACT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and ACT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: