Using the theory of fiscal federalism Essay Example

Using the theory of fiscal federalism Essay There is much economic literature and debate concerning the classic trade-off between a centralized versus decentralized system of local public good provision. The standard problem goes as follows. Most economies around the world are made up of geographically discrete areas. An obvious example is America, which is composed of distinct states, which are often even completely geographically isolated from the whole (Alaska, Hawaii). Each local area has a local public good, the provision of which benefits the local society. However, public goods often have a spillover effect to other districts, in which case, there are benefits accruing to wider society. The subsequent question is that given the existence of benefits to both local and general society, is it more efficient to have a centralized or decentralized system of decision-making and/or financing? The standard approach to the problem of public good provision assumes that in a centralized system, the government will adopt a standardized level of spending for each area. This is in essence a one size fits all result that doesnt show an appreciation of different local requirements. However, while a decentralized system will be able to respond to heterogeneous local needs, local governments will neglect the wider benefits, which accrue citizens and areas beyond their jurisdiction. Drawing on these assumptions, Oates Decentralization Theorem states that in the absence of spillovers a decentralized system is more efficient. Otherwise, Oates claims there will be a trade-off between the extent of heterogeneity in tastes and the degree of spillovers. 1 However, the argument for a decentralized system relies on the assumption that only a decentralized system will cater for local preferences. In fact, while decentralization may be more effective at tailoring public goods to local requirements, a centralized system in no way implies uniformity of provision across districts. We will write a custom essay sample on Using the theory of fiscal federalism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Using the theory of fiscal federalism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Using the theory of fiscal federalism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This logic is neither theoretically, or indeed empirically satisfactory. From a theoretical standpoint it is unclear, Besley and Coates question why it must be the case that a government charged with providing public goods in a centralized system cannot differentiate the levels according to the heterogeneous tastes in each district. 3 An empirical example of centralized differentiation of public good provision is that of federal highway spending in the United States. In the Federal Highway Aid Program a significant proportion of resources have been dedicated to specific projects in the legislators districts. Furthermore, Besley and Coates argue that the general spending formula has been manipulated to target spending to particular favored states. 4 Therefore, I believe that Oates Decentralization Theorem is flawed. A decentralized system may well be preferred as a more efficient arrangement to tailor goods to local needs, but this is not a clear-cut argument, and hence it is difficult and controversial to argue for decentralization solely on this basis. In fact, given that the standard approach is based on a trade-off between non-uniformity (decentralized output) versus spillovers (centralized output), once the constraint that central governments always choose uniform levels of public spending across districts is relaxed, the standard approach suggests that a centralized system will always be preferred. However there is a different case for a decentralized system of provision of local goods, which is based on the theory of fiscal federalism. The argument in this case goes as follows. In a centralized system, local public spending costs are shared creating a conflict of interest between citizens in different areas. When spending decisions are taken by a legislature of locally elected representatives, the conflict of interest for resources will take place in the legislature. Thus, Besley and Coates argue, the drawbacks of centralization stem from the basic conflict of interest among citizens of different districts working through the decision-making process. 5 Spending decisions in the legislator will be determined by a minimum winning coalition of representative, which can creates two major resource allocation problems. Firstly, there will be a misallocation of resources as spending will be skewed towards those areas who have representatives in the winning coalition. Secondly, uncertainty about the makeup of the winning coalition will mean districts are unsure of the amount of public good it will receive. Even if the legislature is committed to maximising the surplus of all its members, this would not necessarily be sufficient to achieve surplus maximizing results, as there would be an incentive for voters to elect representatives which high demand for public spending, and hence lead to overprovision. Hence, Besley and Coates say that: if decisions on local public goods are made by a minimum winning coalition of representatives, the allocation of public goods may be characterized by uncertainty and misallocation across districts. If decisions are made in a more cooperative way, then strategic delegation via elections may produce excessive public spending. 6 The drawbacks of a centralized system stemming from conflicting interests over shared costs might suggest a completely decentralized system whereby decisions are made solely by local government and financed from local taxation. However, as with the standard approach, the drawbacks of the centralized system must be weighed against the benefits of improved coordination of spillovers. If interests are fairly homogenous and spillovers high then a centralized system will produce good results regardless of how the legislature is constituted. This leads Besley and Coates to conclude that, the desiderata determining whether decentralization of centralization is best are the same as under the standard approach. However, the logic is different. 7 So how does this argument relate to the empirical example of the European Union? Unions such as the EU are collectives of nations that jointly decide on the provision of certain supranational goods (such as traditional public goods like defence or legal and regulatory frameworks), which will affect and benefit all members. In a multi country union, some competences are taken away from national control and decided instead at union level. The process of European integration has become far-reaching and quickened in pace. However, Gordon Brown says that the EU must abandon old flawed assumptions that a single market should lead inexorably to fiscal federalism. 8 What is the case for keeping decentralized provision of local public goods or for greater integration in the form of a centralized system of public good provision? The case of centralized system of provision of local public goods rests fundamentally on the trade-off between the internalisation of externalities and the costs of heterogeneity. On the one hand, even when looking at the difficulties that accompany reaching compromises and solutions at EU summits, there is little debate that median preferences in EU member states vary considerably. The efficient level of output of a public good will typically vary from one local jurisdiction to another. Furthermore, there is a worry that coordination of fiscal measures will result in an increase in tax rates in all jurisdictions. However, if the union centralizes to little, it runs the risk of not benefit from externalities, which were a key motivation in the creation of a union and the purpose of attending summits. Two main areas of externality proposed in the fiscal federalism literature are firstly equalisation of welfare across countries, especially targeted at poor relief. And secondly at macroeconomic stabilization. In the case of poor relief, sub-central government will be considerably constrained by the potential mobility of the poor and crucially the tax base. Oates says that this is a basic fiscal externality that results in sub optional levels of support under a purely decentralized system of poor relief. 10 In terms of macroeconomic stabilization, the central government is in a position to influence overall levels of aggregate demand and through tax revenue and transfer payments can respond to changes in the macro-economy. However, the present picture is one where, according to Oates, the central government is not well equipped to take a leading role in addressing Musgravess redistribution and stabilization functions. 11 One response would be to enlarge central government powers, but Oates says that the costs of overall public expansion in the public sector would outweigh the benefits. Instead there is a strong case for decentralization to promote inter-jurisdictional competition to limit growth of public sector on encroaching on the private sector. At the moment, it seems to me that there is too much heterogeneity amongst the European nations, which outweighs externality gains. The integration of Europe has been relatively fast and I believe it will take a longer period for homogeneity of interests across the Union to come about, especially given the integration of the young market economies of Eastern Europe who are lagging behind in economic development. Furthermore, concerning Besley and Coates legislature worries, the EU seems to be dominated by the more powerful countries. For example, amongst the net beneficiaries of CAP (common agricultural policy) are some of the richest countries in the EU. A centralized system of provision of public goods in the EU might suffer from similar problems of a skewing of resources to favour the dominant coalition in the legislature. It seems to me, that the European Union is not yet ready for fiscal federalism.

Slaves Essays - Marxist Theory, Socialism, Slavery, Marxism

Slaves Essays - Marxist Theory, Socialism, Slavery, Marxism Slaves In what way do proletarians differ from slaves? The slave is sold once and for all; the proletarian must sell himself daily and hourly. The individual slave, property of one master, is assured an existence, however miserable it may be, because of the master's interest. The individual proletarian, property as it were of the entire bourgeois class which buys his labor only when someone has need of it, has no secure existence. This existence is assured only to the class as a whole. The slave is outside competition; the proletarian is in it and experiences all its vagaries. The slave counts as a thing, not as a member of society. Thus, the slave can have a better existence than the proletarian, while the proletarian belongs to a higher stage of social development and, himself, stands on a higher social level than the slave. The slave frees himself when, of all the relations of private property, he abolishes only the relation of slavery and thereby becomes a proletarian; the proletarian can free himself only by abolishing private property in general.

Bitcoins vs Money Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bitcoins vs Money - Essay Example Bitcoin system is entirely dependent on internet platforms, which are readily available across the globe because of the technological advancement (Rotman 1). Using Bitcoin, the average income earners can easily transact beyond border transactions without incurring extra costs in physically moving to those places. This essay examines the use of Bitcoin and money as applied in the current system. Kudlow Larry downplays the rise in use of digital currency. He cites the rapid fluctuations in prices by hundreds of dollars in the space as a key challenge that emanates from digital currency use. He outlines an example of an individual who buys an item for $500 but after the retailer processes payment, the digital currency falls to $100 in value. He resolves that both sellers and buyers make associated losses because bitcoin is not a reliable medium of exchange with dependable store of value (Kudlow 1). On the contrary, money has a store of value. Its value does not fluctuate as rapidly and frequently as in the case of digital currency. Because Bitcoin has no store of value, economists prefer the money system to digital currency. Digital money use has no border restrictions. Making cross-border transactions is easier and simpler than in the case of money. Money system is more reliable and regular fluctuations in prices do not affect it. Digital currency use will therefore not pose a significant effect on money use. The reason for this is that money system posses superior features like security and reliability that the digital currency system lacks. There are viewpoint that the rising use of digital currency like bitcoin transactions will not pose a significant impact countries’ economic progress. According to Gaulio, bitcoin transactions are easily traceable to their initiators hence American government, for instance, will fully advocate its use. In a state controlled digital economy, the taxation units will

Although consideration is often referred to as the 'badge of Essay

Although consideration is often referred to as the 'badge of enforceability' for a contract in English law, in assessing the - Essay Example However, under the doctrine of promissory estoppels, any party can recover what it has rightfully earned, or the value of detriment suffered by reliance on the agreement, even if a court decides there is no legal contract (MacMillan & Stone, 2013 p.27). Thus, consideration forms one of the fundamental elements of a legally binding agreement, and is often referred to as the ‘badge of enforceability’ for a contract in English law. However, in assessing the validity of a variation in the terms of an existing contract, consideration is but one line of argument. This is because: Consideration is regarded by the English courts as the principle way of determining the existence of a contract (MacMillan & Stone, 2013 p.34). The significance of consideration as a vital aspect of a contract in English law is that; it is through the existence of consideration, that the other essential elements of a legally binding agreement are fulfilled. ... However, while this aspect is a principal requirement in the English contract law, there are further assessments that might be made; in spite of the mere fact that consideration really existed in the contractual agreement, which then nullifies the agreement as unenforceable. Therefore, while consideration forms a fundamental building block as far as the English contract law is concerned, it has emerged that it is not indispensable, and thus there are circumstances under which the courts can regard a contractual agreement that did not entail consideration to be legally binding, while also nullifying a contractual agreement that involved consideration as unenforceable in law (Gillies, 1988 p.72). This simply means that, despite the fact that consideration is a cardinal requirement in the English contract law, it must be interpreted in the context of other principles of a binding contract, and thus consideration is but one line of argument. First, despite the fact that consideration cou ld really exist in a contractual agreement, there is limitation offered to the concept of consideration, which states that past consideration is not consideration (Busch, 2005 p.33). This legal requirement then makes consideration but one line of argument; because it clearly shows that the mere existence of consideration is not sufficient to make an agreement legally binding, since if consideration is past, the contractual agreement will be regarded unenforceable, despite the existence of the consideration (Schulze, 2007 p.49). This principle has been established and demonstrated in various case laws, which has served to show that consideration is a

ART HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ART HISTORY - Essay Example It stands in a low sculpture that looks like an uneven terrain that is in a rectangular base (Hemingway 22). Eusebio Francisco Kino was dedicated in the year 1988 in honor of the Father Eusebio of Italy. He had traveled in 1645 to Americas as a missionary where prior to his death he traveled to Pimera and established 17 missions. This statue has three copies in the world. The Padre Kinos presence in the statute in Campbell carries dignity and craftsmanship that captures every wrinkle and muscle. Its 25 foot cast concrete bronze statute done by Julian Martinez in the year 1988. It is located in the drab corner surrounded by traffic and fulfills the promise of ADOTS in bringing public art to the town (Hemingway 11). Tucson town is full of contradictions. The Pancho Villa has been very controversial for nearly 3o years. The statute has already undergone three lawsuits which it has survived which were aimed at erecting it.The city has defended the statute where it has paid almost $2,000 for a sculptor to do some touch ups in the year 2006. This shows that the sculpture of the Pancho Villa does not get support from the local administration where it has outlived its usefulness. The cost of maintaining the sculpture is also high and needs to be replaced. The Villa has lost its purpose to serve as a political tool for the Villa future legacy in Mexico. It has provided many intense arguments due to issues of cultural diversity and politics. It is seen as the Robin Hood for the poor. The Kino and Villa statutes are no longer effective in their purpose of history resemblance and create a variety of cultural differences and, therefore, there is a need to replace them with new statutes in Tucson town. There are people in the world studying the history of Mexico and would like to see the cultural art used to describe the famous missionaries like Padre Kino. Therefore, the city experiences tourists from across the globe that come to

Importance Of Ecology And Design

Importance Of Ecology And Design Ecology is focus on the interaction of living organisms with each other and with the physical and chemical environment. In particular, the relationship between human and the natural environment. Increasing the human population rapidly, limited resources supply from the earth, ecology becomes an essential topic for the human long-term survival. Ecology and design is also called Ecological design, Sustainable development, Green design, Eco-designà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦all is seek ways for reducing the impact to the environment and improving environmental health. any form of design that minimizes environmentally destructive impacts by integrating itself with living processes. from Ecological Design by Sim Van Der Ryn and Stuart Cowan. We have to change the lifestyle and need to follow these ecological principles in order to create a sustainable future. Global warming, losing biodiversity, clear-felling of forests, climate change, and desertificationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦all showing that Ecological design is the conflict of the design in the future. Designers not only consider How does it work? or How does it look?, they have to confront the challenge that make the design becomes nature. Ecological design is the main concept for all design. Architecture, Urban design, Industry, Fashion, Product, Packageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc, none of them not mention Ecology. Carbon footprint is a tool to measure the impact of the human activities on global warming. Reducing the carbon footprints, can make the earth more long-lasting. Thus, carbon footprint becomes an indication to label the green product. In my group, we chose The Body Shop which is the cosmetic industry as our presentation because they concern the environment and exert to reduce their carbon footprint from the using material, production, packaging, transportation, in store etc. It is valuable to explain the Ecology and design and how they are designed ecologically. The logo of The Body Shop changed litter bit than before. They used a root of the tree and green colour to represent their global business is against climate change and the products are nearly natural. Also, they teamed up with architects, some of them renovate to an ecological sensitive workplace. Consider the sustainable architecture and the quality of the environment, they used renewable energy such as natural light for the day lighting and the wind for the high-quality ventilations. The working condition becomes better because of sustainable design. Moreover, most of their stores refit the LED(light-emitting diode) lighting to improve the energy efficiency and certainly the energy consumption reduced by 70%. It is definitely slow down using in energy and pollution crisis and reduces the carbon footprint. In order to show they are eco-friendly, the walls in the stores were painted in green, brown and white for those are natural colours to represent their values are eco-friendly. For the product of The Body Shop, not only the ingredients, but also the packaging, they always strive to protect the planet and minimize the harm to the environment. Follow the principles of ecological design, the ingredients are grown using time-honoured techniques that means the nutrient in the land can restore naturally after harvest and wont become desertification due to the over-planting. As members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm oil (RSPO), all of their soaps are produced using palm oil sourced that is successfully audited in line with RSPO regulations. Thinking about the climate characteristics of the bioregional system, it is a positive case that can give us a healthy planet and reduce the deforestation. Many company just made a beautiful package for its product, they only consider how to attract people to buy the goods and they seldom regard the environment. However, The Body Shop advocates for reducing waste on their packaging. Neither the primary packaging nor the secondary packaging, they wont over-package. The design of the bottle is simple, not very colourful, just a transparent bottle contain some texts and simple shape. Although it is simple, it can reduce the storage space so that it can reduce the use of fossil fuels in the transportation. They only use the necessary material for the packaging to reducing the carbon footprint and it is environmentally friendly. The plastic bottles contain the natural ingredients made form PET (polyethylene terephthalate) which is 100% recycled material. Furthermore, they also used to collect the empty bottles for recycling. Especially the Hemp Heroes gift set is presented in a carton made form highly sustainable materials which are bamboo, 100% cruelty-free bristles and recycled aluminum ferrules and printed with non-toxic inks. All of these materials are helping to communicate the planet and make eco-friendly. In the secondary packaging, they have paper bag and organic cotton bag. For the Paper Bag, they replaced all plastic bags with 100% recycled paper and printed by using water-based inks which are not contain harmful solvents. It can reduce the waste and the pollution for the environment. For the cotton bag which made form 100% organically grown cotton, uses a simple font and natural green colour, some of the words are in bold to emphasis a point and it catches your eye immediately. Since the cotton bag is long-lasting, The Body Shop encourages customers to reuse the bag and give them an environmentally beneficial consumer choices form the paper bag. All of it is friendly product, they consider the relationship between production and consumption and assist consumers to greening the society. That is a good behavior for develop our desirable and sustainable environment. There are three main campaigns that The Body Shop emphasize on. Against Animal testing, protect our planet and Human rights. Animal testing is use of animals for the process in scientific experiments, this testing in the cosmetic industry had been used for thousand of years but nowadays. Although the testing is carried out for the improvement of human lives, there are serious issues and ethical issues we need to faces. The Body Shop against animal testing because they believe that animals should not be used for cosmetic testing due to the animal rights. They have never tested their products on animals, in the same way, they also require their suppliers not test the ingredients on animals for cosmetic purposes. Basically, they against animal testing just for one reason, they dont want to be a cruel corporation and dont willing to carry this inhuman practice on the animals. Without the use of animals on the cosmetics, The Body shop won the RSPCA Good Business Award for a second time, f or their commitment to animal welfare. Being a green retailer, they seek for the sustainable environment and prevent the climate change. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle are their policy. By using the renewable resources, sustainable raw ingredients can protecting the rainforests and minimize the impact to the planet. Also, finding some environmentally friendly crops can prevent erosion and improve the condition of the soil. For campaigned against injustices, The Body Shop use Community Trade ingredients in their products that means the trading is fair and the small-scale farmers can earning a fair wage and working in fair conditions. All the mentions are uphold the human rights and regarding child labour, discrimination, employee pay, hours and working conditions. Design is basic to all human activities but due to human Ecology and Social Change, many of us seek environmentally friendly and reducing our carbon footprints. People no longer just consider the products are user-friendly but also eco-friendly. Sustainable, renewable, reducing destructive of the environment..etc, all of them must be considering in the design process for develop our better future. The Body Shop is one of the industry focuses on this conflict and make their products become natural. Reducing the destructive of the environment, The Body Shop believe that beauty is as much about feeling beautiful as it is about looking beautiful.

Essay on The Pardoner of Chaucers Canterbury Tales :: Pardoners Tale

The Canterbury Tales - The Pardoner The Canterbury Tales is a poetic story of a group of people, who were going to pilgrimage. They were going to the tomb of St. Thomas a Bechet in Canterbury, which is about sixty miles from London in England. In that group, there were clergy and laity people. And in the poem Chaucer described all of them so well that we can easily see the picture of how they lived and how they behaved in manners of work and other ways of life. And while he was describing, he also criticized some members of the clergy position, because of their abusing of their position and doing things that they were not supposed to do, or not doing something they were supposed to do in their position. Among those people whom Chaucer criticized very much were the Friar and the Pardoner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the medieval society, where people were very religious, illiterate and superstitious, the Friar was respected as God himself. The Friar’s job in the church was to help people, who committed crime, by giving them a guide to pray for a certain time so that they can receive absolution. But the Friar in the Canterbury Tales was not honest and dedicated in doing his job. He abused his position by taking money from people who came to confess. He told them that they would get absolution if they pay him and thus broke the vow of obedience because it is against the Catholic Church. He broke the vow of chastity by having adulterous relationships with other women. By wearing expensive clothes, spending his time with wealthy people rather than helping beggars or sick lepers, he broke the vow of poverty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Pardoner is a person who says prayer for dead people so that the sins they had committed in life would   be forgiven. The Pardoner of The Canterbury Tales abused his position by selling some papers which he claimed if people bought, their time in purgatory would be shortened after death; he sold them for very high price. He also claimed that he had Virgin Mary’s veil, which would have been 1330 years after Mary died. He also claimed that he had St. Peter’s sail and said the pig bones, he always carried with him, were relics of St. Peter. Chucer also criticized him by implying him as a homosexual by referring him to a gelding or a mare.

Oedipus the King Essay

In the play written by Sophocles â€Å"Oedipus the King,† is depicted as one who is blind to his own ego, pride stubbornness, anger and lack of knowledge. First written in Greek mythology this play is about a King of Thebes whose ego overshadowed his ability to focus on his the necessary things to stabilize his kingdom; his anger and pride eventually led to his down fall. Having solved the riddle of the Sphinx, (an evil creature) King Oedipus was able to succeed as the new king of Thebes and became the new husband of the queen Jocaster, not knowing that she was his biological mother. Oedipus son of king Laius and Queen Jocaster was doomed from birth, fearing that their son Oedipus will take his father’s life Jocaster give him (Oedipus) to a herdsman to be killed, he was then given to another herds man in the fields In a twist of faith who then returned him to Corinth where he was adopted by King Polybus and his wife Queen Merope, who raised him as their own. It would seem the gods will have their fun day with Oedipus. Blinded by ego as a king Oedipus seeks only to please his people, his city and himself. Plagued with sufferings throughout his kingdom in which famines, diseases animals becoming extinct, and the women who were stricken with bareness were becoming a desaster. With no end to their sufferings the people of Thebes turned to the king for guidance and to help appease their discomfort. Obligated to his people, his city, and himself the king in his search for answers, summons Creon his brother in law and uncle to provide him advice from the wise council of the Oracle in Delphi. Creon learns from the oracle that the kingdom was plagued by a series of unfortunate events and revealed it to the King. According to Creon the plague in the land must be driven out by bringing the murderer of the previous king to justice. â€Å"I will tell you, then, what I heard from the God. King Phoebus in plain words commanded us to drive out a pollution from our land, pollution grown ingrained within the land; drive it out, said the God, not cherish it. † (Sophocles 105-110). The plague was as a result of the murder of King Laius (Oedipus’s biological father) whose killer was never found and brought to justice. Oedipus felt it was his duty to find the killer and have justice served. Not satisfied with the answers he had gotten from Creon, Oedipus sent out for Tiresias a prophet. â€Å"Tiresias you are well versed in everything, things teachable and things not to be spoken, things of Heaven and Earth – creeping things. You have no eyes but in your mind you know with what plaque our city is afflicted. †(Sophocles 315-320). Again Oedipus’s ego drives him to pursue answers to which the end result will only destroy himself; the gods must be laughing now. Oedipus points out the fact that Tiresias is blind, but he fails to see that he himself is blind to the events taking place within his kingdom. Oedipus acknowledges that although Tiresias is physically blind he has discerning capabilities that allow him to see what others cannot, moreover he knows of the plaque in the city. It is Oedipus’s pride that compels him to seek the truth in order to bring freedom to the people of Thebes in hope of gaining more power from them. As Tiresias became hesitant and refuses to speak what he knows Oedipus became angry. There is no fairer duty than helping those in distress. † (C & B 301-302). Oedipus made this remark because he wants to be the savior of the city, the man who will bring it out of distress and misery. He sees Tiresias as hard headed individual and a man with no feelings; making reference to his eyes being cold (C & B lines 307-308). Oedipus continues to accuse Tiresias of his faults, finally! Tiresias decides to speak the truth behind Oedipus’s own blindness to which he is blind and thus cannot see the nature of his own wrong doings (C & B Lines 324). Tiresias revealed that Oedipus himself was the pollutant of the land because he (Oedipus) is the murderer of King Laius. It would seem the gods got their wishes in spite of Oedipus unknowingly killed his biological father. Oedipus stated,† it has but not for you; it has no strength for you, because you are blind in mind and ears as well as in your eyes. †(Sophocles 400-410). Oedipus refuses to believe Tiresias words and continues to provoke him, exclaiming: â€Å"your life is one long night so that you cannot hurt me or any other who sees light,† (Sophocles 410-420) although it is he Oedipus who cannot see the light. The irony here is supported by the metaphor of knowledge as vision. Tiresias though being sightless discerns the truth through wisdom, while Oedipus is essentially in a sense, blinded by his anger and cannot see the truth. Oedipus secret of killing his father is no longer remaining unknown for the Shepard, and Tiresias know of Oedipus hidden past. Blinded by lack of knowledge towards his past he accused his brother in law Creon of treason and plot to destroy he (Oedipus) an argument between Oedipus and Creon lures Jocasta towards Oedipus in which she tries to calm him down. Jocasta goes on to say that the oracle cannot be trusted. Throughout the story of her former husband death, she mentioned he died on the three way crossroads just before Oedipus arrive to Thebes. After Jocasta has mentioned how Laius died, Oedipus realized that he may be the one who murdered Laius (his father). Hoping that he is not identified as Laius’s murder, Oedipus sends for the shepherd that survives the attack. As he Oedipus finds out the truth about himself, his past, his biological father and mother his physical and spiritual eyes became opened. In his conviction as well as guilt he then blinded himself, the irony here, is just when he saw the light, he took his own sight, â€Å"what use are my eyes if I cannot see? † Oedipus was blind towards the past, not knowing his real parents, the present, putting pride ego and anger before rationalization, and the future, physically taking his own sight away by blinding himself. The play begins with the praise and love for a king, Oedipus is praised at the beginning of the play and is looked up to by the people, Tereisais refuses to speak the truth and Oedipus refuses to see the truth. Finally Oedipus went from being a blind man with seeing eyes to a man with sight, but his real eyes destroyed. This hero fell because his pride and ego made him blind to the truth that was right before his eyes. The gods got what they desired did they desire more?

The Dangers of Religious Freedom essays

The Dangers of Religious Freedom essays In her novel, Domestic Manners of the Americans, Fanny Trollope makes a bold statement on the affairs of the new found country and its inhabitants. Of particular distaste to the author was the spectacle of evangelical religious practices. She made much, throughout her writing, over the role that the various religions played in the lives of the citizens and the fact that the division of the churches was a real problem in America. The consuming role that religion and church played in the lives of the women also concerned and intrigued Trollope. Likewise, the English womans view of the popular evangelical camp meetings and the activities there were highly critical. She viewed this toxic environment in the light of her stolid English back ground and was convinced that it would be the undoing of the young nation and its citizens. Trollope makes no secret of the fact that she believes that the lack of a single national religion in America was at the root of a very real problem. With so many different religious groups being allowed to practice, there could be no common government of the church that would insure that the leaders would be knowledgeable and learned men. ...this does not prevent my seeing that the object of all religious observance is better obtained when the government of the church is confided to the wisdom and experience of the most venerated among the people, than when it is placed in the hands of every tinker and tailor who chooses to claim a share in it. (85) She goes on to state that it also seems problematic that, since there are no set provisions for the clergy, the services are confined to those who can pay them. (85) Fanny, in her travels through America, finds that in smaller cities and towns, the job of marrying, christening and burying are carried out by the common folk. In these places, she fears, the American citizens I was much struck wi...

Free Essays on Teenage Alcoholism

Teenage Alcoholism Are today’s teenagers drinking more than their parents did 20 or 30 years ago? Are there reasons for drinking any different? Is teenage drinking, a problem that has suddenly spiralled out of control? Teenage alcoholism is a significant problem in contemporary culture that concerns me. For this reason, I am going to discuss some of the leading questions that were questioned commonly among New Zealanders. What are the effects of alcohol in the body? What are the causes of teenage alcoholism? What are the problems of teenage alcoholism in New Zealand? What are the possible preventive measures and treatments for alcoholics? There is a tendency in New Zealand to discuss the bad effects of alcohol use, largely in terms of its health hazards. Mitchel R. Hayley, author of the book "Teen Alcoholism", suggests that alcoholism is a chronic usually progressive disease that includes both a psychological and a physical addiction to alcohol. Alcohol is a mood- altering substance; when we drink it enters our brain and affects the chemicals there, and this changes the way we feel and the way we respond on the amount that we drink, and the state of mind we are in. Alcohol is also an intoxicating substance; this means that if we drink to excess it becomes toxic or poisonous to us. Gradually with more alcohol, our brain activity becomes more depressed and our lead of consciousness is reduced. Consequences of alcohol addiction can cause damage to every organ system of a patient’s life. It will cause liver disease (Cirrhosis), pancreatic disease, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal problems, neurological diso rders and reproductive system disorders. (Source: â€Å"Teen Alcoholism†) These are clearly depicted in the figure below. Teenagers pass through a time of turbulence. Intense pressures to perform and succeed are felt by many youths, according to the book "Alcoh... Free Essays on Teenage Alcoholism Free Essays on Teenage Alcoholism Teenage Alcoholism Are today’s teenagers drinking more than their parents did 20 or 30 years ago? Are there reasons for drinking any different? Is teenage drinking, a problem that has suddenly spiralled out of control? Teenage alcoholism is a significant problem in contemporary culture that concerns me. For this reason, I am going to discuss some of the leading questions that were questioned commonly among New Zealanders. What are the effects of alcohol in the body? What are the causes of teenage alcoholism? What are the problems of teenage alcoholism in New Zealand? What are the possible preventive measures and treatments for alcoholics? There is a tendency in New Zealand to discuss the bad effects of alcohol use, largely in terms of its health hazards. Mitchel R. Hayley, author of the book "Teen Alcoholism", suggests that alcoholism is a chronic usually progressive disease that includes both a psychological and a physical addiction to alcohol. Alcohol is a mood- altering substance; when we drink it enters our brain and affects the chemicals there, and this changes the way we feel and the way we respond on the amount that we drink, and the state of mind we are in. Alcohol is also an intoxicating substance; this means that if we drink to excess it becomes toxic or poisonous to us. Gradually with more alcohol, our brain activity becomes more depressed and our lead of consciousness is reduced. Consequences of alcohol addiction can cause damage to every organ system of a patient’s life. It will cause liver disease (Cirrhosis), pancreatic disease, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal problems, neurological diso rders and reproductive system disorders. (Source: â€Å"Teen Alcoholism†) These are clearly depicted in the figure below. Teenagers pass through a time of turbulence. Intense pressures to perform and succeed are felt by many youths, according to the book "Alcoh...

Negative in foreigners worker in the uae Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Negative in foreigners worker in the uae - Essay Example United Arab Emirates is geographically located along the desert and mountains in the east. The system of the governance in the United Arab Emirates is federal type of government; this means that the government is composed of legislative, executive and the judicial. The powers are delegated to the United Arab Emirates federal government and the rest of powers are reserved for its members. The president in the United Arab Emirates is the head of the state and the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates is the head of the government. United Arab Emirates is known for stable economic growth, this is due to open market economy in which the prices of commodities (goods and services) are always determined in free price systems and this makes United Arab Emirates to stabilize its economy. Like other states world wide where they have to associate themselves with trade organization, United Arab Emirates is a member of council of Arab economic unity (CAEU). United Arab emirate (UAE) is known for high and rising oil prices and good economic growth in the market. The economy of United Arab Emirates from 1999 to 2008 has been growing at a rate of 10%. This gives other states challenges since with a growth of 10%; it indicates UAE is going to offer stiff competition in the international market. Today, the United Arab Emirates is not only relying on the rich oil fields but the country invests in private sectors and infrastructure system so that it can support other programs for example education and health issues. However, even though their economic growth of United Arab Emirates is seen to be stable, the emirates still experience challenges in social, economic, and even environmental areas. This paper discusses how United Arab Emirates have experienced challenges from the foreign workers who reside in the region. How foreign workers are changing the United Arab Emirates culture Due to the high number of foreigners in United Arab Emirates, their culture is being changed and this is posing a great danger to their generation. Again the use of modern technology is still a challenge to them since technology is changing the old norms to digital era. The United Arab Emirates considers its traditions no matter whether the foreigners will change it or the technology. United Arab Emirates is built on generation of Islamic traditions which is passed from generation to generation, Islamic culture is firmly rooted in United Arab Emirates and tribal heritage is considered by the civilians. Today the foreigners who come from many part of countries are changing the traditions and demographics of emirates. For example, the number of foreigners who resided in United Arab Emirates in the year 2005 to date has continued to increase. Foreign workers by nationality and their population nationality Number of foreigners India 1 million Pakistan 650, 000 Philippines 250, 000 Sri lanka 150, 000 Source-(UAE National Bureau of Statistics) United Arab Emirates is considered as t he most state preferred by foreigners who come to invest or who come to seek employment. Those who normally come to invest are professional migrants. The government of United Arab Emirates is trying to come up with a knowledge based economy (Park et al 2006). This means that the demand for foreigners who are more skilled and those foreigners who are professionally educated will double the number of foreigners in United Arab Emirates. (Maurice 17). Islamic religion is not considered much by the foreigners and United Arab Emira

Heroin addiction Vs cancer support groups Term Paper

Heroin addiction Vs cancer support groups - Term Paper Example Their curiosity has given rise to a culture where people strive to help one another in any way they can. Social dealing and networking is one of the most fundamental ways in which people gain knowledge and awareness about common issues and learn how to deal with them. One such form of social networking is a support group. Support groups are such organizations or agencies that help people suffering from a common condition (usually disease) deal with their condition (Hunter, 2011). Support groups offer help to the needy both personally through appointments, and generally on-line. Preference of forum: There is considerable difference between the preference of forum for the support group between the Cancer patients and the Heroin addicts. Cancer is a disease that may be acquired because of any reason without the personal involvement or fault of the patient in his/her condition. There is generally, a lot of respect for Cancer patients in the society and they are looked at with sympathy an d affection. The case is not alike for Heroin addicts. Heroin addicts are visualized as useless members of society and are looked at with hatred. They are known as the cause of frustration and various social upsets in the society. People tend to keep their children away from the company of Heroine addicts. Many Heroin addicts are socially excluded. The society does not accept them.