Thursday, August 27, 2020

How William Shatner Changed the World Free Essays

The narrative â€Å"How William Shatner Changed the World† is about the worldwide impact that the first arrangement of Star Trek had on innovation all through the world. The narrative discussions about the innovation that as of now existed when Star Trek initially turned out in 1966 and its correlation with the ‘futuristic’ innovation that was locally available the Star Trek transport the ‘Enterprise’. This ‘futuristic’ innovation installed the undertaking started a transformation in the world’s innovation and motivated numerous to make innovation like the ones on Star Trek. We will compose a custom paper test on How William Shatner Changed the World or on the other hand any comparable theme just for you Request Now Many film methods are utilized in this narrative not exclusively to make the narrative fascinating, yet humourous also. A portion of these film strategies incorporate different camera shots, recorded film and montages to give some examples. In the start of the narrative, William Shatner is talking and is driving his vehicle and while he is driving it there are many hop shots between his vehicle and portions of Star Trek. The impact of this gives you understanding of what the narrative is for the most part about. In this narrative numerous designers show up in the narrative and discussion about how Star Trek roused them to imagine their innovation e. g. Martin Cooper who was the creator of the mobile phone the shots utilized when every one of them are talking are medium shots that catch their face and upper middle. This radiates the inclination that the individuals look close and furthermore so the camera men can catch them utilizing arm motions. The utilization of authentic film is utilized a ton all through this narrative demonstrating predominantly clasps of Star Trek identifying with the point that William Shatner is describing about. This makes it simple to show what the ‘futuristic’ innovation Star Trek had at that point so we can see and contrast it with today’s current innovation that we underestimate. One of the additionally intriguing film methods that was utilized in the narrative was a segue which was utilized when William Shatner approached a monster rock, at that point an alter was utilized to show authentic film of him as a more youthful on-screen character in a Star Trek scene battling an outsider, and as an outsider tosses the stone, the current William Shatner returns into view and gets the stone. This utilization of one theme being the stone utilized in two scenes to interface each other is a marginally humourous segue. Other film procedures utilized in this narrative are camera edges where William Shatner purposely moves the camera here and there making him appear to be marginally unique from the two points. Altering is additionally utilized all through the narrative a ton for instance when William Shatner was describing and the camera had arrived, hop slices are utilized changing to various shots of him like close ups, long shots and crane shots. This altering makes William Shatner’s portrayal all the more fascinating and amusing. â€Å"How William Shatner Changed the World† is a case of an extraordinary narrative that utilizes its film methods admirably and with great planning, also the narrative has an awesome setting that interests to numerous watchers as a result of its clever diversion. Instructions to refer to How William Shatner Changed the World, Papers

Saturday, August 22, 2020

My Science Fair Project Essay Example for Free

My Science Fair Project Essay My science reasonable undertaking is about the sound transmission through various facade. A facade is the external piece of the house. It can likewise be known as a siding. The facade I utilized were block, concrete fiber, and vinyl. I utilized these in light of the fact that they were three basic facade. I thought in the event that I utilized regular facade it would make the task mean more since individuals can see sound transmission through normal sidings. The manner in which I constructed the concrete fiber and vinyl siding boxes was, I cut compressed wood sides. After I cut the sides I nailed them together to make a container. After I made the crate I enclosed the houses by house wrap. House wrap is utilized as a dampness boundary. My motivation for the house wrap isn't to prevent water from coming in, yet, I utilized it in light of the fact that most houses use it. After I wrapped the houses I nailed the siding on. I at that point utilized wood clay to fill the gaps. The block box was an alternate strategy. After I wrapped the block box I needed to construct a stage then I needed to lay the block with mortar. I needed to append the block to the pressed wood with the divider ties. I tried my structures by putting a transistor radio into the pressed wood box. After I put it in the container I turned it on at a low level, I at that point put the cover on the case and I utilized my sound level meter. This meter quantifies the measure of decibels coming out of the house. A decibel is a unit of estimation for sound. I additionally did likewise on an uproarious and a medium sound level. I did this with the entirety of the crates. The block box delivered a normal of 10.33 decibels at a (80) 43 decibel volume, a normal of 13 decibels at a (90) 53 decibel volume, and a normal of 19.66 at a (100) 63 decibel volume with an all out normal of 14.33 decibels. The concrete fiber box delivered a normal of 19 decibels at a (80) 43 decibel volume, a normal of 22 decibels at a (90) 53 decibel volume and a normal of 30 decibels at a (100) 63 decibel volume. The Vinyl box created a normal of 27 decibels at a (80) 43 decibel volume, a normal of 26.66 decibels at a (90) 53 decibel volume and a normal of 33 decibels in a (100) decibel volume. My consequences of my venture demonstrated my theory of block delivering minimal measure of sound transmission.

Globalization - Good or Bad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Globalization - Good or Bad - Essay Example As far as International Trade, the creator has portrayed globalization as the stage that sets a level play area for both rich and poor nations. The creator has likewise confirmed the less evolved nation can just improve their circumstance through the help of World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. I consent to a more noteworthy degree the statements of the creator aside from at approximately hardly any issues which I all out oppose this idea. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have been depicted by the creator as the mainstays of worldwide administration frameworks. The creator ignored the intensity of sway of states, vote based system, and the universal equity framework. The case that creating nations can just improve their circumstance through these two worldwide monetary establishments isn't exact. Wallerstein (2004) called attention to that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund is ‘training’ poor nations to rely upon them. Creatin g nations experience issues adjusting the credits they get from these associations. They wind up overburdened by the colossal loan fees and wind up getting again from different sources including inner sources. This makes a situation like the one of burrowing a gap to cover another opening. The difficult despite everything remains. In such manner, I see the two foundations as adding to the moderate development of creating economies and not as the sole way to their monetary success. Worldwide organizations in creating nations have been featured as better paying contrasted with the neighborhood firms and that outside firms are not so much persecuting their laborers. Hurst (2008) guarantee that global organizations are one of the social persecutions in less created and poor nations. They extend employment opportunities to local people at a higher compensation than neighborhood firms, yet this ought not legitimize poor people, working conditions, work weakness, or the delayed long stretc hes of work regularly saw particularly in the assembling business. The creator asserts that in the event that the laborers were not content with these organizations, at that point they would leave. Hurst (2008) clarifies that is enormous work power in creating nations and not very many openings for work which leaves numerous specialists to ‘persevere’ where they are. The explanation, in this way, why these laborers keep working for the remote firms isn't on the grounds that they are upbeat but instead on the grounds that they have no place else to search for an occupation. On the issue of remote organizations being nothing contrasted with the legislature, and not having the option to raise a military or assessments, the creator neglected to place into point of view that, on occasion, some senior government authorities for the most part have individual interests in these organizations. Revesz (1997) expressed that with regards to emergency where worldwide firms are being blamed for different reasons, ‘the states can't be trusted’ in the manner in which the issue is taken care of. He saw that in spite of immense negative exposure and allegations from both the media and people in general, the administration stays quiet and hangs tight for the ‘tide to settle’. The universal exchanging framework has been suggested by the creator as unprejudiced against creating nations. This might be valid to the extent universal exchange laws and guidelines are concerned. Yet, then again, as indicated by Wallerstein (2004), there is a progressively difficult issue of exchange awkwardness whereby created nations have a high ground because of their monetary quality favorable position, predominant

Friday, August 21, 2020

The Work Of Art In The Age Of Mechanical Reproduction Summary Essay Example For Students

The Work Of Art In The Age Of Mechanical Reproduction Summary Essay Walter Benjamins The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction is written in a new way that left me completely befuddled. In the wake of perusing the exposition, I nearly flew out the entryway to discover the closest book shop to get a Cliffs Notes to assist me with bettering comprehend the perusing. Benjamins point of view is by and large continually hindered with questionable Roman numerals which stray from thought to thought. Rather than the paper streaming normally from thought to thought the Roman numerals go about as halting focuses between each subject he discusses. The paper is by all accounts to a greater extent a documentation of statements on craftsmanship proliferation than an exposition on workmanship multiplication. His utilization of commentaries is particularly charming on the grounds that they are utilized for something beyond reporting statements or areas of the content. The commentaries on certain pages now and again appear to contain more data than the real body of the content. Maybe Benjamin expresses a thought or thought and afterward clarifies it further in the commentary as opposed to in following sentences. We will compose a custom article on The Work Of Art In The Age Of Mechanical Reproduction Summary explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now In the seventh Roman numeral Benjamin said that Earlier much pointless idea had been given to the topic of whether photography is a craftsmanship (Benjamin 85). Benjamin is muddled in his choice of whether photography is a work of art or not. He just considers the to be of reproducibility similar to a drawback to the work of art. The truth is that photography is the same amount of an artistic expression as painting and model. A picture taker decides to catch a brief instant of time in any million of potential minutes while additionally considering the point, lighting, focal point, shading, and subject. Workmanship is disputable when it comes down to what is and isnt craftsmanship. The specific way I clean a fish with exactness and ability utilizing a blade to get each part of meat can be a craftsmanship. Whos to state Im wrong. I am sick of perusing papers about craftsmanship analysis (Berger, Benjamin) that attention on what workmanship isnt instead of what it is. Benjamin expresses The sentiment of bizarreness that beats the entertainer before the camera, as Pirandello depicts it, is fundamentally of a similar sort of antagonism felt before ones own picture in the mirror. However, presently the reflected picture has gotten distinguishable, transportable, and where is it moved? Prior to general society (Benjamin 88). The kind of oddness portrayed by observing yourself in the mirror or on film is isolated by the way that a large number of individuals will see you when on film, while in the mirror your emanation is there just for you to see. The commentary following this statement expresses The change noted here in the strategy for display brought about by mechanical proliferation applies to governmental issues also. Since the advancements of camera and recording gear make it workable for the speaker to get perceptible and noticeable to a boundless number of people, the introduction of the man of governmental issues before camera and recording hardware gets fundamental (Benjamin 88). This reference thinks about a legislator utilizing film and TV to an entertainer acting before a camera. This technique permits the government official to seem overwhelming on the grounds that he is seen by such a large number of individuals simultaneously. The government officials picture has been moved before people in general.

How Can an Average Joe (or Jane) Reduce Their Tax Burden - OppLoans

How Can an Average Joe (or Jane) Reduce Their Tax Burden - OppLoans How Can an Average Joe (or Jane) Reduce Their Tax Burden? How Can an Average Joe (or Jane) Reduce Their Tax Burden?Its easy for rich folks and large corporations to reduce their tax burdens, but regular folks can do it too!There are lots of things you can buy if you’re rich or in charge of a big corporation. Private planes, for instance; private yachts; private limousines; pretty much any form of luxurious private travel.But it can also allow you to, in essence, buy a lower tax bill. The more money you haveâ€"whether youre just one rich person or one mega-rich corporationâ€"the more of that money you can spend on high-end accountants who are experts are lowering their clients tax burdens.But what about you? Unless you’re reading this on a private plane, you probably can’t afford too many fancy accountants, which means a large tax bill will be hitting you even harder. And with changes from last years tax act taking people by surprise during the 2019 tax season, you could be hit even harder-er.So what can you do about it? We spoke to t he experts to find out! Take advantage of an IRA or HSA.There are methods the average person can use to lower their tax burden. Unfortunately, it may require a bit of math and time investment.“The average Joe can take advantage of tax deductions that the wealthy may not be able to, such as a contributing to a Traditional IRA,” explained Peter G. Miles, President and Financial Advisor at St. Croix Wealth Management (@stcroixwm). “Many wealthy individuals make too much income and are unable to take advantage of Traditional IRA contributions.The most tax advantageous account is a Health Savings Account (HSA). If an individual or family has a high deductible health plan, they can take advantage of health savings accounts and their contributions are tax deductible. If the money is used for a qualified health need there are not taxes owed on those withdrawals.“Pay yourself first! If you have a medical bill, make the contribution to the HSA and turn around and pay the medical bill from the HSA. By saving for education, you may receive tax benefits on your state tax return. Each state has its own benefits, so it  varies state to state.”“Most tax return software has the ability to input different scenarios to maximize your tax returns.  Also by working with a financial advisor or a tax preparer, they may be able to point you in the right direction and answer any questions on tax advantageous accounts.”You should also research which tax credits you may be able to take advantage of.Look for extra credits.Depending on your specific situation, there are likely additional credits or deductions you’ll be able to take advantage of.“A new dependent credit is here,” advised tax expert Manisha Hansraj, a marketing specialist for Rapid Filing Services (@Prior_Tax). “If you want to claim a non-dependent, (meaning someone who is not a qualifying child under age 17) you can do so and receive $500 for this credit. The non-dependent must be either a full-time st udent or disabled. The Child Tax Credit also (CTC) increased to $2,000 per child.“Whether you’re thinking of buying a house or if you’re currently a homeowner, the mortgage interest deduction is for you. Under the TCJA tax reform, if you purchased or improved your home after December 14, 2017, you can deduct your mortgage debt to $750,000.That being said, for taxpayers who purchased their home on December 14th or earlier can deduct interest based on the old cap which was up to $1 million in debt. Although the interest on home equity loans will no longer be available in 2019, you still have a chance to take the home mortgage interest deduction.“For the Earned Income Credit, if you have low to moderate income you are eligible to claim this credit. If you have out of pocket tuition expenses, the Education Credit is for you.”Do you own a small business?While small business owners won’t have access to the offshore tax havens giant corporations can use to lower their tax burde n, that doesn’t mean they’re totally without options.“A small business owner has plenty of resources at their disposal including tax books, self-help guides, IRS memos, and US Tax Court cases,” offered Thomas J. Williams, tax accountant and co-founder of Deducting the Right Way. “Mastering your bookkeeping, accounting, and tax issues won’t happen overnightâ€"learning the ropes demands a significant investment of time and dedication.“First, you must make peace with the fact you’ll never have the extensive knowledge gained by a licensed accountant who has spent years earning degrees and taking exams which means you will pay for consultations at one point or another.Second, know that you will become frustrated with the subject because it is dense and continually changing. Last, avoid free forums that often contain bad advice from just about anyone with a computer and an Internet connection; stick to websites and applications used by professionals.”But what if you are the business?“For self-employed taxpayers, take advantage of your business expenses even if you work from home,” Hansraj suggested. “This means that you should keep all documentation of your expenses from office supplies, client dinners, travel, rentals, licenses, and any other expenses that serve a purpose for your business.”Use that extra money wiselyHopefully, this advice will help during tax season. Maybe you’ll even get a nice refund! But if so, what are you going to do with that extra money? Because, while it might be tempting to splurge, you should take a hard look at your finances and see if it that money can be better applied elsewhere.Namely, you should take a look at your debt load and your savings. Too much debtâ€"especially higher-interest consumer debtâ€"hurts your credit score, while meager savings will leave you vulnerable the next time a surprise bill or unexpected financial shortfall strikes.Bad credit and no savings is how folks end up relying on predato ry no credit check loans and short-term bad credit loans like payday loans, title loans, and cash advances  to make ends meet during times of financial need. And while opting for an affordable installment loan  would provide a better financial solution, even the best personal loans dont compare to a well-stocked emergency fund.Lowering your tax burden means putting more money back in your pocket. The smarter you are with how you spend that money the more likely you are to have full pockets in the future. To learn more about tax-related money issues, check out these other posts and articles from OppLoans:Handy Tax Tips For FreelancersWatch Out for IRS Scams!Tax Refund Anticipation Loans Are More Dangerous Than You Think5 Smart Ways To Spend Your Tax RefundDo you have a   personal finance question youd like us to answer? Let us know! You can find us  on  Facebook  and  Twitter.Visit OppLoans on  YouTube  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  LinkedIN  |  InstagramContributorsManisha Hansraj is a Tax Expert, Content Creator, and Marketing Specialist for  Rapid Filing Services (@Prior_Tax). She has over 3 years of experience and well versed in the tax changes as well as preparing prior and current year tax returns. RFS is an online tax preparation company to file prior and current year tax returns nationwide.Peter G. Miles is the President and Financial Advisor at  St. Croix Wealth Management (@stcroixwm), which he founded with the stated mission of helping all people navigate their financial journey. After attending Minnesota State  University, Mankato, where he studied aviation, the course of Peters life changed following the events of September 11th, 2001. He changed careers and went back to school to earn his Uniform Combined State Law Examinations Series 66, General Securities Representatives Series 7 registration, along with the Minnesota Life and Health Insurance License. He has been helping people navigate their financial journey ever since. Peter lives in Woodbury, MN with his  wife, Sarah, and their two daughters; Evelyn, age 7 and Amelia, age 5.Thomas J. Williams, EA is a tax accountant, author, and co-founder of  Deducting the Right Way?, an online resource for small business do-it-yourselfers. He enjoys helping small business owners gain confidence to handle their business finances and has implemented his strategies for nearly 20 years with domestic and international clients.

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Determining Effectiveness - Free Essay Example

Introduction: After the September 11 attacks, the United States sought to eliminate terrorism around the world. Has the United States been effective in reducing terrorism? The answer is not straightforward. For every effective counterterrorism effort, there is another ineffective effort. This essay will explore the United States use of active and passive counterterrorism strategies and under which circumstances, they are effective. Whereas active policies, such as preemptive strikes, military raids, and covert operations are often viewed favorably in the United States, passive policies of deterrence, conciliation, and instituting laws are often more successful in quelling terrorism because they do not radicalize moderates. That is not to say that active counterterrorism strategies are not useful. While effective passive strategies prevent groups from growing, effective active strategies protect the United States from immediate threats and can eliminate an isolated group. Neither strategy is superior per se. Both active and passive strategies are useful in certain circumstances, but the circumstances in which each will be useful must be known. Without detailed knowledge of the political, cultural, and social situation of the area where the United States is fighting, any strategy will fail. Determining effectiveness: To determine the effective of counterterrorism strategies, criteria for effectiveness must be laid out. There are currently a wide number of measures of effectiveness in counterterrorism strategies; however, these measures are often problematic. They often leave out important factors necessary in determining if strategies are working. Measures of effective counterterrorism strategy should include the number of terrorist attacks, victims, and number of arrests. These are all reasonable measures of effectiveness that use hard data to determine effective counterterrorism strategies. However, data alone does not provide a complete picture. While it answers the question of effectiveness firmly yes or no, the numbers themselves do not provide the full picture. Some important counterterrorism issues are not quantifiable. A more detailed measure of effectiveness must be put in place that considers both national security and the inner-workings of the terrorist organizations themselves. Proponents of using the number of terrorist attacks as a measure for effectiveness argue that a decrease in attacks signals counterterrorism strategies are effective and an increase in attacks signals ineffective strategy. This is one of the easier measures of effectiveness to assess given the availability of data of terrorist attacks. However, an increase in attacks does not necessarily mean that counterterrorism strategies are ineffective, and vice-versa. A struggling terrorist group or a group with new leadership can launch terrorist attacks to show credibility and attempt to attract support. Simply counting the number of terrorist attacks from year to year does not consider how terrorist organizations are organized or where they are targeting. A terrorist organization killing political leaders or heads of states is more damaging than groups of civilians, which is why number of victims is also a lacking measure of effectiveness. The death of Yitzhak Rabin is a good example of this. Assassinating Rabin in 1995 was much more damaging than if the assassin had chosen another target to protest the Oslo Accords. If a governments securities policies become too effective in which the terrorist group cannot target places they would typically such as embassies, they may target areas they deem easier like schools or populated areas. Targeting the vulnerable can decrease support for terrorist groups and can drive away moderates who may have eventually sided with the group. A frequent measure of effectiveness used by the Bush administration is the number of terrorist arrests. This measurement is only positive, however, when terrorist organizations are declining and have no outside support. In this case, arresting more and more will deplete the groups resources. Otherwise, terrorists are easily replaceable. In addition, arrests can have negative consequences and can draw moderates into the terrorist organization. Arrests can also create a power vacuum where new leaders seek to prove their credibility by attempting attacks. These quantifiable statistics are certainly helpful in determining if counterterrorism strategies are effective and they should be used to some extent. However, they are most useful when terrorist groups are in decline and lack the resources to recruit new members. Therefore, effective strategies must seek to arrive at this point where terrorist organizations are isolated from the general population and unable to radicalize moderates to join their cause. Effective strategies must also dismantle terrorist networks so that terrorists cannot find sanctuary or assistance. These make up an improved measure of effectiveness. Once terrorist groups are at this point where they are unable to recruit new members and links between other terrorist organizations are broken, the measures above that use data are more relevant in determining to what extent terrorism poses a problem to the United States. Otherwise, effective counterterrorism strategies aim to maintain strong national security, separa te the radicals unwilling to concede from the general population, and dismantle terrorist networks. Both active and passive strategies have weaknesses; however, they can be used complementarily to overcome these flaws. As Peter Sederberg argues, the negative effects of immediate concessions may be offset by increased defensive or repressive measures. The negative effects of immediate repression may be offset by a long-term strategy of concessions. This points to the idea that effective strategies are not passive or aggressive. While they may lean a certain way, the type of strategy doesnt determine its effectiveness. Effectiveness depends on the situation in which a strategy is implemented. Origins of the Moro conflict in the Philippines: The foundation of violent separatist conflict in the southern Philippines began in 1971 when Nur Misuari founded the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) with the goal of obtaining an autonomous region for Muslims in the Mindanao region of the Philippines. Throughout the early and mid-1970s, the MNLF conducted guerrilla attacks against the Philippine government. Internal conflicts existed within the group. A leader of the MNLF, Hashim Salamat, disagreed with Misuaris dictatorial leadership and divergence from what he considered truly Islamic goals. When Salamat challenged Misuari for leadership of the MNLF in 1977 and lost, Salamat abandoned the group along with several thousand others loyal to him and renamed the new group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, these two groups diverged in their strategies. While the MNLF negotiated with the Philippine government as the representative of the Moro people, the MILF focused on developing grassroots support and attracting new members. The Philippine government has accused the MILF of engaging in terrorist activities such as bus and airport bombings and hostage takings. These claims may be exaggerated as the government has incentive to blame attacks on the terrorist organization and undermine their legitimacy. There is a legitimate known history of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front conducting bombings and attacking the government. In 2000, President Joseph Estrada ordered military attacks against the terrorist organization and within four months, government forces had taken control of the MILFs main base. The MILF is currently the largest of the Philippine separatist groups. The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the final group in the Moro conflict, split from the MNLF in 1991. They are widely considered to be the most radical of the Islamic separatist groups in the southern Philippines and both the MNLF and the MILF have condemned their actions. The Abu Sayyaf Group has carried out bombings and kidnappings within the Philippines. They primarily target Christians and foreigners. In the late 1990s up to 9/11, the group had financial troubles and strayed away from terrorist activities toward kidnappings for ransom to raise funds. United States involvement in the Philippines: Why did the United States get involved in the Philippines when the groups in the Philippines were focused only on an independent state in the Philippines? All three groups were interconnected with Islamic extremist groups of the Middle East. Moro Islamic Liberation Front members fought in Afghanistan against the Soviets during the 1980s. At Osama bin Ladens request, the MILF opened its base camp to al-Qaeda jihadists. The Southeast-Asian and al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiah has also trained members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on fighting tactics and has provided financial support to the group. The United States sought to intervene in the Philippines to cut off the terrorists network to other groups. Abu Sayyaf members also fought in Afghanistan in the 1980s and have ties to al-Qaeda and bin Laden. Notable al-Qaeda members Ramzi Yousef and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed traveled to the Philippines and collaborated with the ASG in a failed plot to bomb twelve airplanes in the Bojinka Plot. Due to its interactions with prominent members of al-Qaeda, the Abu Sayyaf Group was well on the radar of the United States after the September 11 attacks. It was not, however, until two Americans, along with dozens of others, were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf Group in mid-2001, that the United States decided to work with the Philippine government to rescue the hostages. Active counterterrorism strategies in the Philippines: The Abu Sayyaf Group used the hostage situation as Kydd and Walters strategy of provocation to involve the United States in its conflict. This method is effective for the ASG because they seek territorial change. The heavy response of the government to their actions will convince moderate citizens that their government needs to be replaced or that independence from the central government is the only acceptable outcome. In the case of the Abu Sayyaf Group, the latter is the primary goal. They want the United States to cooperate with the Philippines to inflict indiscriminate violence among the Filipino Muslims so as to radicalize moderates into the group and force the government to install an independent state. In early 2002, the United States and the Philippines coordinated in Operation Balikatan to send 1300 U.S. troops and 3000 Philippine soldiers to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf Group and free the two American hostages and one Filipino hostage. The mission failed. One American hostage was rescued; the other two killed. Several hundred members of the Abu Sayyaf Group were killed but its leaders were unharmed. Not only did the mission itself fail, but the Abu Sayyaf Group afterward directed its efforts towards the United States military with a series of bombings, killing a U.S. Green Beret. While the U.S. itself was not the initial enemy of the Abu Sayyaf Group, their cooperation with the Philippine government gave the Abu Sayyaf Group the reaction they desired. The United States using aggressive tactics caused resentment among both members of Abu Sayyaf and moderate Muslims who believed the U.S. may occupy their homeland permanently as had been the case prior to 1992. This aggressive action may have also had negative consequences in the United States counterterrorism efforts past the Abu Sayyaf Group targeting the U.S. military. By killing several hundred members of the group, moderate members were likely radicalized and pushed to join the Abu Sayyaf Group. As Ethan Bueno de Mesquita and Eric Dickson have found in their research, terrorist groups can increase political support by provoking governments to cause significant losses on a group of moderates or people who do not support the current regime, who then turn towards the terrorist group with support. This occurred after the United States intervention. In 2003, the ASG retaliated with two simultaneous bombings killing 48 and wounding 204 in total and in 2004 killed 116 in a bombing of t he ferry SuperFerry 14. The United States use of force against the Abu Sayyaf Group not only did not accomplish its mission of rescuing American hostages but worsened the terrorism situation in the Philippines as well. While the use of force is understandable against a group unwilling to negotiate with the Philippine government as the ASG is, the use of force must be within reason and must be followed by security measures to prevent attacks if leaders are not eliminated in military raids. Another problem of using active policies like the military raids is that they fuel terrorist networks and lead to organizations cooperating with one another where groups can interact, obtain resources, and get training. Effective counterterrorism efforts seek to isolate terrorist organizations from the general population and dismantle networks between other terrorist groups. Neither of these were successfully done against the Abu Sayyaf Group. Instead of separating the group from the general population, the United States engaged in military efforts that radicalized moderates and brought more members into the group. Given that the ASG is the smallest of the three separatist groups, it should not have been difficult for the United States to develop a strategy that would allow for others not to be brought into the group. Using force was not the solution. Passive counterterrorism strategies in the Philippines: The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is not as radical in their beliefs as the Abu Sayyaf Group, and has even engaged with the Philippine government over the last twenty years. This opens the door for the United States to use more passive strategies in dealing with the MILF. The military action ordered by Estrada in 2000 caused major suffering and displacement of civilian populations. These events radicalized moderate members and established the group as the largest separatist group in the southern Philippines. When Gloria Arroyo assumed the presidency, she shifted counterterrorism policy from the active policies of Estrada to more passive policies seeking to negotiate with the group. Also, three weeks after 9/11, the Philippine Congress passed the Anti-Money Laundering Act to locate and freeze terrorists financial assets. These actions demonstrate the Philippines pursuit of fighting terrorism through passive strategies. The United States also decided to pursue a more passive strategy toward the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in an effort to discontinue the groups links with Jemaah Islamiah. Instead of using military action, the United States threatened to take away funding and aid to the Moro communities unless the group cut its ties to Jemaah Islamiah. This was not the first time threats had been made to the group, as the U.S. and EU had made similar threats for years. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front caved to the demands and cut its ties to Jemaah Islamiah and denounced the actions of the Abu Sayyaf Group, although there were supposedly still links between members of the group and the other terrorist organization after Salamat agreed to the United States terms. All three terrorist groups in the southern Philippines are simultaneously engaging in outbidding strategies. Since the three groups all have almost identical goals of an independent state, each group uses violence to convince the public that the terrorists have greater resolve to fight the enemy than rival groups, and therefore are worthy of support. The MILF has the greatest advantage given they are the largest of the three separatist groups. They also have a history of a willingness to negotiate with the Philippine government. Together, these facilitate a passive counterterrorism strategy of deterrence. Whereas the ASG has stated they are unwilling to negotiate with government and will only create their independent state through violence, the MILF is open to discussion. This also provides an opportunity for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to cooperate with the Philippine government. Since 2002, the group and the Philippine government have coordinated in working to bring down the Abu Sayyaf Group. Since the MILF is more moderate than the ASG, the governments goal is to bring the group into the political sphere while promoting the isolation and disintegration of the remaining extremist faction, in this case the Abu Sayyaf Group. This reduces the number of enemies the regime has and brings in an ally in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front who, for their own interests, wants to eliminate the ASG. The deterrence strategies used by the United States and the Philippines proved effective. In 2002, the MILF promised to help local authorities arrest about 100 suspected [operatives] of al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiah. The counterterrorism strategies also brought the group back into the political sphere, reducing tensions and allowing for deliberation. Since 2010, the Moro Islamic Liberation Fronts leaders have frequently engaged in talks with the Philippine government. Legislation has been proposed to establish a Moro state with regional autonomy after the MILF discarded its demands for an independent state. While minor conflicts have still arisen between the group and the government, they are infrequent and a formal agreement is likely to be passed in the near future which gives Muslims control over the Mindanao region. While the ASG and MNLF reject these agreements for different reasons, the nearing agreements show the progress being made by the Philippine government and the MILF in their efforts to reconcile differences. The use of passive strategies of deterrence and conciliation demonstrate the pinnacle of an effective counterterrorism strategy. The United States and the Philippines dismantled the network between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and other terrorist organizations without having to resort to forceful measures that would radicalize moderates. While passive strategies do not always work as will be explained further below, when they are a viable option, the strategies can be more effective than active strategies. Active strategies tend to be short-sighted, especially when the group has the ability to expand or if strong security measures are not in place but can be useful as complementary parts to passive strategies. Active counterterrorism strategies in Afghanistan: Given that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front was willing to negotiate with the Phillipine government shows that there is a difference in methods between the MILF and other terrorist groups, particularly radical Islamic groups. The passive counterterrorism strategies may have only been effective against the MILF because they were willing to be accepted back into the political system. Their demands were reasonable, and the government was willing to sit down and concede various issues so long as the group cut its ties to other terrorist groups and moved away from violent acts. This is not the norm, however. As seen by U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, passive strategies do not work in all situations.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Wedding Speech - Original Writing - 985 Words

â€Å"Mary!† â€Å"Time for dinner!† My mother’s harsh voice rang through the halls. She did this every night, called me down without ever warning me when. Anita, our maid couldn’t do this either. She was†¦ different. Unlike my family. Anita has silky, dark brown skin and midnight black hair. She sleeps in the guest bedroom With only a small twin bed, and a bedside lamp on a small nightstand. She also has a small closet for her tiny assortment of clothing. My dad explained to my sisters and I, that she is a disgrace to us. She works with little pay for my family of six. There was something about her. Something that we shouldn’t hate her for, but I couldn’t recognize it. It’s 1963, and I’m finally going to be 15 in August. August 28, to be exact. Every day, I go to a private school for girls. I love school. I love my friends, and I actually like some of the homework. We have uniforms; navy A-line dresses, and black satin shoes. Nothing too fancy. At school, we learn the basi c academics, algebra, literature, geography, and chemistry. There are very few girls of color. No one really likes them because we are all taught to dislike them. That they were used as slaves back then. However, that doesn’t really matter to me because I know that all of them are good people on the inside. â€Å"Mary,† Anita calls questioningly as I am working on homework. â€Å"What?† I ask. â€Å"Having trouble?† â€Å"No, I’m fine!† I yell back. â€Å"Well, if you just add the 6 and 8 you have your answer!† she said confidently. â€Å" IShow MoreRelatedWedding Speech - Original Writing1232 Words   |  5 PagesI skipped through the gardens, my large eyes darting back and forth at all the new things I had never seen before. It was a big move, from a constant summer state to one with all seasons. There were different plants and animals and I intended to find them all. I lift up my skirt, making sure the hem doesn t become dirty. 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It s not like I didn t come to that suddenRead MoreWedding Speech - Original Writing2575 Words   |  11 Pageseager for her wedding day. As she drinks water to get rid of the bitter taste she had in her mouth she thinks, â€Å"Is all this really worth it?† Did part of her and her groom’s life savings really have to be spent on a party? She asked herself is she was nervous about the wedding, excited about this new stage in her life, or was she uneasy of all the money that was spent. She shook her head trying to stop overthinking and continued to get ready. Introduction We all know that a wedding is a ceremony