Tuesday, January 28, 2020

War On Iraq And The Bombing Of Pearl Harbor Essay Example for Free

War On Iraq And The Bombing Of Pearl Harbor Essay In July of 1941, Japanese assets were frozen in America, and the consequent cessation of shipment of oil, scrap iron, and other goods from the United States, Japans economy was in most severe straits and her power to wage war directly threatened and her ability to make war was becoming severely threatened by the ongoing embargoes against her. Japanese military planners estimated that reserves of oil, painfully accumulated in the late 1930s when the risk of just such a squeeze became evident, would last at most two years by which time it would be far too late to make a stand, militarily, against the United States in China or elsewhere. Somehow, Japan had found its way to a no good choices scenario, with acquiescence to American demands dooming Japan to a less than coequal status with the worlds dominant powers, or war with the United States sooner than later before supplies dwindled below practical abilities to make war. (Russett, 1997, p. 46). Diplomatic efforts proved useless when The United States, and the British and Dutch, would end the embargoes only as a response to Japanese withdrawal from air and naval bases in Indochina; and at this time the Japanese military began to consider war with the U. S. inevitable. Most of the Japanese elite were opposed to any settlement which would in effect have meant withdrawal from China which would also mean the increase of Western, particularly American influence, in precisely those ares which Japans ruling castes believed were the natural provinces of the Japanese Empire. (Russett, 1997, p. 47). While the Japanese military planned for war, the American government also planned for an escalation of hostilities: By autumn 1941, however, opinion was crystallizing in the highest levels of the American decision-making system this process was leading to war. Roosevelt informally polled his cabinet on the question of whether the country would support war against Japan and the result was that All members responded in the affirmative; with public support behind the war, conflict with Japan seemed immanent. (Russett, 1997, p. 50) By the beginning of December their attack was irrevocably set in motion. The Japanese conviction that war could not be limited to the British and Dutch had to be based wholly on inference. Yet it was a correct analysis and a solid conviction, as shown by the otherwise inexplicable risk they took at Pearl Harbor the attack ensured American popular support for the war in the Pacific, just as the moral argument against Hitler in Europe worked to fuel public support for the American entry into World War Two. (Russett, 1997, p. 51) Although ambiguity persists in the public perception of the contribution of the United States intelligence services to the build up toward the Iraqi War, official statements by high-ranking intelligence officials who served during the time period in question maintain a specific position: that the U. S. possessed credible information that Iraq maintained an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and these weapons posed a potential threat to America. In point of fact when classified intelligence reports surfaced in 2002 which seemed to indicate that the United States had no reliable evidence before hostilities that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. (Official Rebuts Story of, 2003, p. A03). The question as to whether or not the war can be considered a fall-out of bad intelligence then, would seem to be a non-starter. The simple facts, despite leaked report of 2002, are that the intelligence agencies, including the CIA and the DIA posited and maintained the position through the buildup and afterward that Iraq posed a threat to the U. S. and that Iraq possessed illegal weapons of mass destruction. Since no weapons were found, there was obviously and most tragically a profound failure of intelligence. A failure so profound, in fact, that the blame for a catastrophe involving potentially hundreds of thousands of deaths and untold trillions of dollars should lie squarely on the intelligence gathering agencies who so grossly mishandled their responsibilities and led America into an unnecessary and dearly costly war. Works Cited Decosse, D. E. Authority, Lies, and War: Democracy and the Development of Just War Theory. Theological Studies, 67(2), 378+. (2006). Official Rebuts Story of Iraq Intelligence Shortcomings; Says Leaked Classified Report Was Misread regarding Weapons Program. The Washington Times, p. A03. (2003, June 7). Russett, B. M. No Clear and Present Danger: A Skeptical View of the United States Entry into World War II. Boulder,Colo. : Westview Press. (1997).

Monday, January 20, 2020

True Lust Essay -- Essays Papers

True Lust Romantic love is both an inward and an outward admiration and investment in another person. When a person loves another person, he or she displays admiration and respect for that person’s body, personality, emotions, and desires. On the other hand, when a person’s only admiration for another person is for their body, such desire cannot be defined as love. For example, a rich, middle-aged man may truly admire and enjoy his prostitute’s body, but his investment in her aesthetic beauty does not equate to love for her as a person. His fixation is purely visual and tangible, yet his regard for the prostitute’s personality and emotions is, most likely, almost non-existent. Final diagnosis: the rich man does not love his prostitute, but lusts for her. Vladimir Nabokov’s novel, Lolita, portrays this distinction between love and lust through a morally complicated and controversial story. The story consists of many layered themes, which a reader must first sort through in order to make sense of the question of love. The subject most explicitly present in Lolita is pedophilia. Because we live in world of pre-conceived and ingrained societal norms regarding what is â€Å"morally acceptable† and â€Å"kosher,† and because pedophilia is generally considered one of the most heinous and immoral of crimes, many readers cringe at the very mention of such a topic and, therefore, fail to recognize the underlying and essential question of love verses lust present in the novel. In order to achieve a true understanding of Lolita, a reader must set aside such societal norms and pre-conceived notions. Gaining a true understanding of Nabokov’s novel requires an open and unbiased mind. Through objective eyes, then, pedophilia is nothin... ...sely acquainted with Dolores Haze by the end of the novel, despite the lengthy descriptions offered about her. Humbert never offers the reader a true portrayal of Dolly as a person with life and feelings, but only a distorted physical portrait of the nymphet, Lolita. Aside from the controversial pedophilia issue, Lolita still remains a lust story. Nothing proves this point more effectively than Humbert’s own statement: â€Å"You see, I loved her. It was love at first sight, at last sight, at ever and ever sight† (Nabokov 270). Works Consulted - Nabokov, Vladimir. Lolita. New York: Random House, 1997. - Ostermiller, Marcus. â€Å"Love: a disguise for Lust.† 2005. - Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1996. - Warner, Jennifer. â€Å"Is there a ‘Gay Gene’?† WebMD Medical News. ONLINE. http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/100/105486.htm.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Is Gatsby Really Great

For some, greatness is something they are born with naturally, but for others it is something they themselves must achieve in order to have. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Jay Gatsby with admirable qualities, a mysterious persona covering up his truths, superficial faults, and a loyal innocence dedicated to fulfilling his dream. Mr. Gatsbys traits entitle him to being labelled ‘great'. Gatsby has admirable qualities that contribute to defining his excellence.Jay's first encounter with the narrator, Nick Carraway, focuses deeply on his smile, explaining how: â€Å"It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in a life.. † (Fitzgerald 48). Along with his captivating appearance, Mr. Jay Gatsby has a superior perspective to compliment it. His generosity is proven after one of his extravagant parties when Lucille accidentally tares her dress on a chair. She mentions that: â€Å"he asked me my name and address- inside of a week I got a package from Crorrier's with a new evening gown in it. (43). The dress Mr. Gatsby delivers is not just any dress Lucille explains, it was a value of Two hundred and sixty-five dollars. With his money, surprisingly, does not come arrogance as shown afterwards when Nick fails to recognize that he is already conversing with the mysterious man himself. Gatsby modestly responds by saying: â€Å"I thought you knew, old sport. I'm afraid I'm no a very good host,† (48). Gatsby's reaction reveals the humbleness in his character, even though this mishap is arguably not his fault. Jay's features of excellence earn him to be classified as great.The illusion Gatsby expresses in his persona gives off a sense of greatness in the aspect of magic and make-believe. Nick attends his first party at the Gatsby residence and eventually finds himself in the Library of the mansion. Alongside Jordan, ‘Owl Eyes' explains to him the truth beh ind the crowded bookcases: â€Å"It's a bona-fide printed matter. It fooled me.. Knew when to stop, too- didn't cut the pages.. † (46). Owl Eye's investigating proves the books to be real. However, he also discovers the pages of the book have not been cut, thus, have not been read.Aside from the physical props he uses, Gatsby as a person is really just an invention. At age seventeen, James Gatz is given the opportunity to become his dream by recreating himself. He escapes his unworthy past because, â€Å"His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people- his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all. † (99). Thanks to the yacht owner, Dan Cody, James Gatz has the privilege to transform himself into the prestigious Mr. Jay Gatsby. Now Gatsby lives the cookie cutter life of the American Dream, which in the end is just another illusion.The obsessive need to capture his dream develops his relationship with past love, Daisy, for the most part as a fantasy. Near the end of chapter seven, the glorified image of Gatsby and Daisy is suddenly shattered when she tells him: â€Å"Even alone I can't say I never loved Tom,† (133). The devastation Gatsby faces leaves him in denial, blinded by the pursuit of his dreams. The false impression Gatsby illustrates is something the average human being is not capable of doing. Perfection is never achieved within Gatsby, though his faults are only that of superficial matter.Tom outs Gatsby's past crime life in front of Daisy, revealing that: â€Å"He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. † (134). Though illegal at the time, it is hardly and immoral crime against foolish illegitimate laws. Truthful accusations are also made about truth telling, or lack thereof. Essentially, Gatsby lies in spite of his dreams. The faith he devotes to making Daisy a primary part of his life is the explanation behi nd his dedicated lies.The whole reason â€Å"he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, (99) is to innocently stay loyal to Daisy, without harmful intentions. Gatsby's faults are that of depth-less incidents and should not be used against his nobleness. Gatsby's sense of hope towards his dream and pure optimism is really what separates him from everyday people. His unmistakable smile: â€Å"understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey. (48). These feelings are brought to Nick with a simple, yet intriguing, flash of his grin. Originally, Gatsby's life begins as a poor man, in love with a woman born from old money, but his unmitigated belief allows him a fighting chance against social differences. Though, â€Å"he let her believe that he was a person from much the same stratum as herself- that he was fully able to take care of her. As a matter of fact, he had no such facilities-† (149) he enforced this security into his life mainly because he never yields to cynicism. Even after Mr.Gatsby passes, optimistic thoughts still roam throughout Nicks head; â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms farther†¦ † (182). Gatsby's presence undoubtedly affects Mr. Carraways final thoughts of The Great Gatsby, substantiating his life changing positivity. In final analysis, the creation of Jay Gatsby makes him fitting to be labelled as ‘great'. Mainly, this dubbing is deserving because of his confidence he uses to make his vision a reality.Similarly, the ‘mistakes' he makes on this journey are not those of evil behaviour, only occurring because he is so absorbed in his own dream. N evertheless, greatness can be looked at as an illusion, which Gatsby significantly portrays as well. Finally, because his qualities in general are admired by most and held in high respect. Greatness is not usually looked for following a format; it can not specifically define who is and who is not, but when it is recognized it is commonly the simple things that distinguish it.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Amory Blaines Mirrors in Fitzgeralds This Side of...

Amory Blaines Mirrors in Fitzgeralds This Side of Paradise In F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel This Side of Paradise, Amory Blaine searches for his identity by mirroring people he admires. However, these mirrors actually block him from finding his true self. He falls in love with women whose personalities intrigue him; he mimics the actions of men he looks up to. Eleanor Savage and Burne Holiday serve as prime examples of this. Until Amory loses his pivotal mirror, Monsignor Darcy, he searches for his soul in all the wrong places. When Monsignor Darcy dies, Amory has the spiritual epiphany he needs to reach his paradise - the knowledge of who Amory Blaine truly is. Amory appears to be a rather vacuous choice for a†¦show more content†¦Eleanor and Amory hate each other after this realization, but the hatred has a good quality in that Amory understands that he had loved himself in Eleanor, so now what he hated was only a mirror (218). Choosing to emulate Eleanors dementia proved to be a bad decision along the course of Amorys search for himself. He sees his own defunct image in this mirror, and it frightens him. It causes him to temporarily loathe himself as well as Eleanor, but it also teaches him that he needs to become an individual. While this idea exists in Amorys mind, it does not strike him full force until the death of Monsignor Darcy. Monsignor Darcy seems to be an odd choice for a role model for Amory since Amory continually refers to himself as a paganist (209). However, it is not surprising that Amory idolizes the Monsignor not only because his pagan talk is superficial, but also because Beatrice held the Monsignor in the highest regard. Amory does not mean he believes in paganism when he refers to himself as paganist; he does not know himself well enough to know whether or not he believes in God. Rather he means he experiences what could be called a paganism of the soul: he has no soul, therefore nothing exists for him to, figuratively, worship, or technically, with which to worship. Amory looks up to Monsignor Darcy because he epitomizes what Amory wishes he could be; passively heShow MoreRelatedThe Roaring Twenties By F. Scott Fitzgerald1263 Words   |  6 Pagesmedia and events surrounding this time period greatly impacted the carefree, extravagant lifestyle. This era was one of the most dramatic and energetic times in American history. To many, the symbols of the roaring Twenties were F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, due to their tales of the young and the wealthy (Hanson 96). The Roaring Twenties influenced many literary works, throughout the 1920s such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and This Side of Paradise. At the start of the 1920s, prohibitionRead MoreResearch Paper F Scott Fitzgerald2343 Words   |  10 PagesThe Unsatisfied American Dream As Florence King once said, â€Å"People are so busy dreaming the American Dream, fantasizing about what they could be or have a right to be, that theyre all asleep at the switch. This quote symbolizes the simple fact that the American Dream is impossible for someone to ever attain because people are to busy dreaming about what others have, that they fail to recognize what they themselves already have attained. The American author F. Scott Fitzgerald has had an unprecedented