Abstract This paper demonstrates that in order to improve free trade agreements and ensure that they include adequate protection for worker's rights, food security and environmental regulation, the FTAA must be based on a new model, rather than on the failed model of NAFTA. It shows that unless this is done, the only people to benefit from these agreements will be the rich and powerful; and that the workers and traders of the poorer countries will continue to be exploited.
From the Paper "Free trade policies such as North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are widening the gap between the rich and poor in a number of ways. This is particularly true in Mexico; a country that has always been concerned with the protection issues associated with major trading countries in the world, tight controls, high tariffs and other restrictive policies. These restrictions have been revoked however in response to the demands to promote export-oriented production, eliminate obstacles to imports, and loosen corporate controls over national domains and enterprises. The result has been a blatantly inequitable distribution of wealth and power both within Mexico and between Mexico and other countries. The track record of NAFTA has raised concerns that this inequity will only be augmented by any such agreement."
From the Paper "Omar Cabezas, in Fire From the Mountain, portrays his own coming of age as a member of the revolutionary Sandinistas in Nicaragua. The book is essentially an effort to show the human side of an evolving Sandinista, to humanize the hazy and frightening image of the Nicaraguan revolutionary which is posited by enemies of the Sandinista revolution. The book is also meant to offer a non-romantic portrait of the same group, countering the image presented by those who would paint revolution as an entirely glorious and endlessly inspiring adventure.
Cabezas tells us offhandedly --- in the immediate aftermath of a description of a popular pool hall in the author's hometown of Leon --- that "I remember it was during Holy Week that I joined Frente Sandinista, right after I graduated from high school" (p. 15). The reader is unprepared for such information..."
From the Paper "Alan Riding, in Distant Neighbors: A Portrait of the Mexicans, has set for himself a highly ambitious task: "The purpose of this book is to make Mexico more accessible to non-Mexicans. It is inspired not by a desire to expose the country's vulnerabilities but by the belief that Mexico would also be better served if better understood by its northern neighbor" (p. xii). This is a highly commendable ambition, but Riding makes unwarranted assumptions when he takes for granted that the United States has any desire to understand Mexico. The history of the relationship between the two countries demonstrates that the United States has a low tolerance for understanding and a high tolerance for exploitation. The people of the United States have demonstrated a monumental indifference toward Mexico (except with respect to keeping out "illegal aliens" --- aside from those..."
From the Paper "As chronicled in Octavio Paz' masterwork, The Labyrinth of Solitude, the image of the labyrinth--with its many mazes, passages, lurking dangers, and mysteries--becomes the ultimate metaphor for study of the Mexican people. "The history of Mexico is the history of a man seeking his parentage, his origins.". In his book, Paz exposes the many sides that make up the people and culture of Mexico. The common image he uses is the mask that both hides the wearer from recognition, and yet links him or her with a deep and ancient past.
To better understand the Mexican people, Paz first takes the reader on a journey of extremes. From the relative quiet and desert of Mexico itself, to the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. Even in the 1950s and 1960s, Los Angeles beckoned to well over a million persons of Mexican descent. This relocated Mexican..."
From the Paper "This paper will discuss the Cuban missile crisis and the involvement of John F. Kennedy's administration in the crisis. The purpose of this paper is to explain what the Cuban missile crisis was as well as how John F. Kennedy and his administration handled the crisis. This paper will also address the following issues: how the Bay of Pigs invasion related to the crisis; how Kennedy and the Democratic party played an important role in the crisis; how Kennedy delegated authority during the crisis; and how Kennedy waited until after the Bay of Pigs before making a public announcement about the crisis.
Although many Americans refer to the Kennedy administration's fiasco as either the administration's fiasco as either the Bay of Pigs invasion or the Cuban missile crisis, those names are somewhat confusing. The Bay of Pigs invasion..."
This paper discusses the roles of women in the 1910 Mexican Revolution: Soldaderas, history, lifestyle, relationship with male soldiers, types, motivation, persecution of and leadership.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 11 sources, 1994, $ 55.95
From the Paper "Women soldiers (soldaderas) played an important role during the Mexican Revolution which began in 1910. It has been noted that "practically every soldier" in that war was "accompanied by his soldadera". These women were found in the rebel bands of Emiliano Zapata, Francisco Villa and Venustiano Carranza, as well as in the troops of the regular Mexican army (federales). For the most part, the soldaderas held traditional feminine roles during the Revolution. As such, their main functions were "to cook and care for the men".The soldaderas also served an important purpose by raising the morale of the male troops. In the words of the American journalist John Reed, "the soldadera served as more than a modern commissary, she provided the comfort and companionship that kept the soldier on the move for so many ... "
From the Paper "In the novel Famous All Over Town, Danny Santiago writes about the barrio in East Los Angeles, a whole world away from the experience of most of the residents of the city. The author details the life of this subculture, how it has developed as a reflection of the culture of Mexico and how the original culture is challenged and altered in the American context. The life of the barrio is presented here as difficult and even dangerous, producing generation after generation of angry and defiant youth who strike back at all of society for the world into which they have been born. One of the themes in this novel related to the production of these angry young people is parenting and the way young people come to see their parents in a new light as they (the children) grow up and measure their reality against the ideal they have been taught and against the image projected by ... "
From the Paper "Mayan civilization rose and fell over the course of 2,000 years. By the time of the European invasion of Central America, many Mayan cities had long been abandoned. Though the last Mayan outpost was not taken by the Spaniards until 1697, Mayan high culture had ended centuries earlier. The Aztec civilization was of more recent origin and reached its height in only a few centuries. The Aztec decline was the direct result of the Spanish conquest. Mayans and Aztecs had many cultural similarities, but they differed in fundamental areas such as the structure of the state and their relations with other peoples. The primary difference between them, however, is that the term Mayan refers to a large number of Maya-speaking peoples whose cultural and political cohesion "was quite extraordinary for any time or place."1 Despite the general cohesion of Mayan culture ..."
This paper explores the current realationship between the United States and Mexico, focusing on the role of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement).
1,340 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 2 sources, 2002, $ 45.95
Abstract The paper begins by presenting a synopsis of U.S./Mexico relations, focusing on the two major issues of trade and immigration. It then turns to the NAFTA organization, claiming that its main goals were intended to be the bolstering of the Mexican economy by creating more manufacturing jobs south of the border, and the opening up of trade from the US to Mexico. The paper studies the beneficial effect of NAFTA on the U.S., Canada and Mexico; looking, in particular, at U.S. import crops. The paper explores the viewpoint of opponents of NAFTA as well as U.S. public opinion about the agreement. The issue of fluidity of the U.S./ Mexican border is discussed as is the impact of 9/11 on the Americans? feelings about border control. The paper concludes with a discussion on the Mexican image of Bush with and recommendations on what the president can do to enhance U.S. relations with Mexico.
From the Paper "At present, although the United States and Mexico are embraced in an atmosphere of cooperation that is unprecedented, there are still potential areas of conflict that could chill relations between the two countries if they are not handled with great diplomacy. The tricky part here for President Bush, Mexican President Fox and other leaders is that these issues are more about perception than they are based on reality. The two major issues that come up the most are directly related to one another. These two issues, trade and immigration also touch on other politically sensitive issues which include environmental concerns, worker conditions, economic parity, political freedom, and governmental control."
Abstract In 1999, Columbia negotiated a three-year stabilization agreement named "Plan Columbia" with the International Monetary Fund, which established certain policy targets that it had to achieve in order to borrow money. The paper examines that although this money was given to resolve the civil conflict, curb drug trafficking, modernize legal and military institutions and strengthen the economy, in fact most of the money goes to the military in order to fight the FARC rebels who control vast areas of the coca fields. The paper examines the reasons behind the United States' eagerness to aid the Columbian government, despite the fact that most of the money is obviously not being used for "anti-drug" programs.
From the Paper "However, statistics show that Colombian police and military are not fighting a drug war but rather a civil war against leftwing rebels that are rapidly gaining strength. However, the U.S. is completely aware that the money is not going to drugs and actually has an interest in the civil war because Colombia is strategically located, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. In addition, it has plentiful oil and mineral reserves that multinational corporations have been exploiting for years, often under the armed guard of the Colombian military. Therefore, the U.S. is supplying aid in the name of drugs but the money is used to keep control of the territory of Colombia."
Abstract This paper explains the process which occurs in the environment which makes rain forests such an important element to the balance of the earth and the air we breathe. It explains the causes and effects of deforestation and how this is developing into a worldwide concern. The paper also suggests some solutions to the potential disaster.
From the Paper "From all types of habitats on the earth, rainforest provides a perfect shelter for millions of species. The forests commonly occur in tropical countries, where annual rainfall reaches over 400 cm and some between 200 and 400 cm every year (Bryant, 2000). Frequent rainfalls, combined with the warm temperature throughout the year, provide the plants and animals good condition to grow and increase their population. Many associated species grow from the food provided by the tree, creating special multifarious communities of the tropical countries. Bryant said, about "half of all species" on earth occupies the remaining 3.6 million square miles of the rainforest left nowadays, which only counts for seven percent of the earth's land surface.
Rainforest plays an important role to create a climate and energy balance all over the earth. In "Rainforests and Global Warming" (2000), it is explained that the forest equalizes the carbon dioxide amount and the biomass of the vegetation. The world receives high capacity of carbon dioxide from volcanic activities and another human-activity related emission. The vegetations in the forest help taking up the gas and ?convert it into cellulose and release oxygen through photosynthesis.? "
Abstract Describes his vital role in defending the indigenous peoples of the New World. His life as a missionary, historian and theologian. How his writings exposed the evil mistreatment of Indians by the Spanish. How his writings created The Black Legend. Criticism of his one-sided view of Indians and Spaniards.
From the Paper "This study will explore the vital role played by Bartolome de las Casas (1474-1566) in defending the rights of the indigenous peoples of the New World. While it is not accurate to say that he was the "savior of the Indians from Spanish cruelty," he certainly played a role in limiting that cruelty, risking much in doing so. Historical controversy continues to swirl around his life and works centuries after his death. While some critics argue that he was not the radical reformer he is pictured as being by his admirers, it is nevertheless clear that considering the harsh colonial era in which he lived, in which indigenous peoples were conventionally seen as less than human, de las Casas was indeed a brave supporter and defender of those people. One of the most compelling aspects of de las Casas's story is the learning process he himself went through as he awakened to ..."
Abstract Compares the political cultures of the two countries. Problems of scarce resources, extensive poverty and inequality, and a weak position in the international economic system. Weak economices. Lack of opportunity for the majority of the population. Class stratification in urban Brazil. Threat of rural land reform. Caste system of India.
From the Paper "COMPARATIVE POLITICS OF BRAZIL AND INDIA
INTRODUCTION
Scarce resources, extensive poverty and inequality, and a relatively weak position in the international economic system, shapes the politics and government of all less-developed states.
In reviewing the political cultures of Brazil and India, it would appear that the issue of scarce resources as regards these states is more involved with the inability to get at and distribute the resources that exist in these countries. This is in both cases due to the extensive poverty and inequality that exist in these two countries.
In both countries, this situation is the result of traditional political and social cultures, and the fact that their economies are relatively weak in comparison with the more dominant ..."
Examines Jacques Soustelle's book "Daily Life of the Aztecs" about the splendor, mystery and majesty of the Mexica people on the eve of Spanish conquest.
1,583 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 0 sources, 2002, $ 51.95
Abstract This paper focuses on the various and varied sources used by Soustelle in his book in which the author provides a multi-perspective account into the daily life of the Aztecs. Soustelle draws upon original source documents from surviving texts and materials. He cites surviving Aztec documents such as the Codex Azcatitlan, Cronica Mexicayotl, and the Mapa Tlotzin; Soustelle also cites numerous Spanish sources written at the time of conquest.
From the Paper "The Introduction to Daily Life of the Aztecs provides historical context and background to the ideas, issues, and facts Soustelle presents in the book. The author begins by reminding the reader that the Aztecs were only one of many Mexican civilizations that flowered since the third millennium, BCE. Furthermore, Soustelle notes that the Aztecs themselves conquered other cultures on Mexican soil to eventually attain dominance of the region. The area in question is Mexico-Tenochtitlan, or the valley now known as Mexico City. Because Aztec life during the fifteenth century was largely urban in nature, Soustelle is also able to hone in on the specifics of city life. This makes the material extremely accessible to modern readers, who can relate to many of the aspects of daily life depicted in Soustelle's book. The introduction also clarifies the source documents. The Aztecs were dedicated to chronicling their culture, as they were proud and self-conscious people. Their language was a sophisticated set of figurative and phonetic pictographs. Unfortunately, after conquest, most of the Aztec writings were destroyed. The Spaniards, when they first encountered the Aztec people, deemed them immoral savages incapable of producing anything of true worth. Soustelle does a great job of emphasizing the horrendous nature of the conquest, even as he is able to describe some of the more brutal activities the Aztecs themselves engaged in. Soustelle's account is honest but not without opinion"
Abstract This research takes a look at the U.S. Social Security system, and asks the question whether privatization would provide a better approach to retirement for Americans than the current structure. It then examines social security system in Chile by way of contrast and analyzes the two for their effectiveness.
From the Paper "The so-called "baby boomers," one of the largest generational groupings in American history, are nearing the age when they will be able to collect Social Security benefits. When that happens, the ratio between those individuals contributing to Social Security and those receiving it will decline significantly. As a result, many have expressed concern about how Social Security can be funded over the long-term, and several different proposals have been made by politicians and economists alike."
