Abstract This paper looks at the issue of free speech, especially in light of many Americans' anti-war and anti-Bush positions. The paper explains that the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens the right to express their opinions openly, even if this goes against the public opinion expressed by the government. The paper refers to specific public figures, such as actor Tim Robbins, who have openly expressed opposition to the Bush government and the war in Iraq.
From the Paper "Returning to the example of the Dixie Chicks, it is noted that many radio stations condemned the group and refused to play their songs based on their "unpatriotic" comments. Dale Carter, a program director for KFKF radio station in Kansas initially refused to play their songs on the radio. After reconsidering, Carter changed his mind. He is quoted describing the basis for the decision saying, "Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are over there fighting for our rights -- and one of those is our Constitutional right to express an unpopular opinion" (Gilbert). This statement recognizes that the point is not what the actual opinion expressed is. Instead, the point is that everyone has the right to express their opinion, even if it is unpopular."
Tags: dixie, chicks, tim, robbins, war, iraq, bush, eminem
Abstract This paper looks at how the disabled have been discriminated against in the U.S., past public policy that enforced this discrimination, and recent changes to legislation and policy that are designed to eliminate discrimination and protect the rights of individuals with disabilities. Finally, the paper presents both the arguments in favor of disability policies and laws, as well as the arguments, opposed to disability policies and laws.
From the Paper "Public policy was made up of state and private/corporate policies until the middle of the 1950s, when things began to change, however, wrongheadedly by making those with disabilities ?sick.? But some recognition was better than none, and at least opened the door to a changing approach over time. With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, many thought the change was complete. They hadn"t reckoned with state's desires to circumvent paying off for their prior misdeeds. They hadn"t reckoned with the huge, although apparently temporary, outcry from business that making accommodations to facilities as required by the law would bankrupt them."
Abstract This paper briefly discusses the moral and ethical aspects of a "just war" by focusing on Alex Moseley's "Just War Theory". It looks at the concept of war from a religious point of view and discusses whether any war could truly be justified.
From the Paper "Saint Thomas Aquinas was another important person who supported the developed the concept of "just war" wherein religious sanction was accorded under certain conditions. Saint Thomas declared that, "those who are attacked, should be attacked because they deserve it on account of some fault.". [John Raymond] He proposed three conditions namely "just cause", "authorized authority" and "rightful intention" as prerequisites for approving a war. According to him, the ruler of a nation has the authority to declare war against any other nation to restore peace and protect his own nation from an internal chaos or impending danger. St Thomas explains that the divine doctrine "he who takes the sword will perish by it" is not applicable in the case of war because the use of sword is approved by the authority to defend the national integrity. He further justified his "just war" theory but pointing out to the biblical injunction "do not resist evil". Another important aspect stressed by St. Thomas is the prevalence of the common good over individual moral considerations. That is he seems to approve of two different moral codes at the individual and collective level. [John Raymond]"
This paper compares the structure of the national governments of both the United States and Great Britain, focusing on the executive and legislative levels.
Abstract The first part of this paper examines the workings of the presidential system of government in the United States. The next part then looks at the corresponding system in Great Britain, focusing on the structure of the British Houses of Parliament. The final part of this paper then compares the two systems, examining how the two countries rely on their different political systems to serve the needs of their constituents.
From the Paper "The Constitution of the United States designates three main structures of government. The judiciary is charged with the country's legal system, interpreting and upholding the country's laws. The legislature, composed of the Lower House and the Senate, is composed of representatives who write the laws of the country. Finally, the executive branch runs the country's administrative needs."
Tags: presidential, parliament, commons, senate, lower, house
Abstract This paper looks at the growing trend in human rights violations throughout the world and the need to respond to these violations. The paper argues that massive human rights violations, genocide, and repression of populations justify some form of intervention by the international community. The paper then provides a definition of humanitarian intervention and looks at the different forms it may take, its origins, and the major argument in the humanitarian intervention debate. Additionally, the paper looks at the Doctrine of Preemption, as defined by the present Bush Administration, and the principal behind the doctrine. Finally, the need for a peace-building agenda is discussed, followed by a conclusion reasserting the need for international involvement in humanitarian assistance.
From the Paper "Human rights violations have taken place from the medieval times to the present day, throughout the world. Recently, serious and widespread human rights violations and humanitarian catastrophes have rocked the world and prompted new international responses. Cambodia, Uganda, Somalia, Rwanda, Serbia, Bosnia' Cuba and other Latin American countries, South Africa's apartheid regime, East Timor, Congo and most recently Iraq - the list is never ending - have challenged the international communities to deal with these situations. The magnitude, duration, and pace of recent emergencies, as well as how to respond to them, present serious challenges to governments and the larger international community. Actions to address such humanitarian catastrophes are urgently needed."
Abstract This paper looks at the differences and the similarities in Machiavelli's famous work, "The Prince", and his lesser read work, "Discourses on Livy". The paper points out that the main difference in the two works is that "The Prince" presents a model for an aspiring autocrat, while "Discourses on Livy" presents Machiavelli's preference and belief in a republican form of government rule. The paper also points out that the primary similarity between the two works is Machiavelli's strict adherence to a pragmatic approach to government.
From the Paper "Indeed, a letter written by Machiavelli was discovered in 1810, which suggested that he wrote The Prince for the simple fact that he wished to end the senseless and ceaseless invasion of Italy by foreign powers and he felt that ?[t]o liberate Italy from the influence of foreign governments, Machiavelli explains that strong indigenous governments are important, even if they are absolutist?; meaning that, although Machiavelli was a staunch and firm believer in the validity and benefits of governance based on the republic model, he nonetheless considered it more important to set up an indigenous Italian rule first."
Abstract This paper explains that the legal standard applied by the courts in deciding whether the Army's combat exclusion violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution is the Intermediate Scrutiny Standard, which the Supreme Court used in "Craig v. Boren" as the test for deciding discrimination based on gender. The author believes that the Army should repeal its combat exclusion rule and allow qualified women, who have gone through extensive ground combat training and have passed the physical and mental tests, to join direct ground combat troops. The paper relates that, although there are many cases supporting women's equality in the Army, "Rostker v. Goldberg" supports the Army in exercising its rights under Congress, which may be seen as its only legal argument.
From the Paper "'Women In The Armed Forces", a study which was conducted to get a better understanding of the impact of employing women in the most demanding close combat roles, found that "differences between women and men in their capacity to develop muscle strength and aerobic fitness are such that only approximately one percent of women can equal the performance of the average man"[1]. The study also reported that in that finding, lifting and such tasks as carrying on average women would have to work fifty to eighty percent harder to achieve the same results, and that this puts them at greater risk [1]. In load marching, which are another fundamental task, and other simulated combat tasks, women were found to perform worse than men and the greater the load, the greater the discrepancy. The physiological aspect of the study concluded that, "about 0.1% of female applicants and 1% of trained female soldiers would reach the required standards to meet the demands of these roles"[1]."
Discusses the conflict between civil obedience and moral freedom (free will and personal conscience) in the discourses of Henry Thoreau, Martin Luther King, and Plato.
Abstract The theme of social dysfunction through civil disobedience is thoroughly discussed in political discourses written by famous philosophers and writers like Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King, and Plato. This essay analyzes and studies the similarities and differences among the literary works of these three writers, relating their works to the main theme that studies the conflict between civil disobedience and moral freedom (through free will and personal conscience). The texts that are presented in this paper show a comparative analyses of the writers? works, in which the stance that Thoreau's and Luther's works promote is individual free will and personal conscience, as compared to Plato's pro-government stance in his literary work, "Crito".
From the Paper "Thoreau and King's stance regarding the conflict between civil disobedience and moral freedom differs with that of Plato's pro-government/State stance in Crito. Influenced by 19th and 20th century radical thinking, Thoreau and King conduct a more humanistic, yet rational argument for civil disobedience. Plato, on the other hand, subsists to the belief that Laws imposed by the government should be respected, using Law as its subject to bring back the "social contract" agreement, where civil disobedience is equivalent with "overturning" this social contract agreed upon by all members of the society."
Abstract This paper explains that there have been many efforts to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, with many of leaders of countries signing several different treaties, but nothing can stop the production of such destructive weapons. The author points out that the majority of the nations and organizations, such as our allies, rogue nations, and terrorist groups, have some sort of a weapon of mass destruction. The paper stresses that, as destructive as chemical weapons are, far bigger threats to international security are biological weapons, which, if not decreased, can cause more causalities than chemical weapons.
From the Paper "The variations of the different types of chemical weapons hurt a nation's chances of a defense or readiness against a chemical weapon because chemical weapons are hard to stop spreading. As mentioned by the government document, chemical weapons have been used before when ?Chlorine gas and mustard gas were widely used during World War I.? Many countries can produce chemical weapons on a mass scale and have the resources that are necessary to produce the chemical weapons. A nation's only defense would be retaliation, which could mean an all out nuclear war which will meet any human's fear or global destruction. With this risk of global chaos existent, many of the world's leaders should be put at blame. If world leaders such as the United States established treaties to decrease or even eliminate chemical weapons, this problem would cease to exist because other nations would follow along."
Abstract This paper looks at how, as more and more people of different races and cultures enter the United States, and how, as the ethnic composition of the country changes, immigration becomes a more intensely debated issue. It examines how some Americans favor tighter immigration restrictions and argue that immigrants take jobs away from U.S. citizens, drain social services, and resist learning English, and how others, however, point to America's historic commitment to immigration and believe that immigrants keep the nation strong, economically competitive, and culturally rich. It provides a timeline of policies from the purchase of Ellis Island in 1808 to the 1994 Proposition 167 in California, which would deny illegal aliens all public social services, public non-emergency health care based on financial needs, and public education.
From the Paper "During the later part of the twentieth century, U.S. immigration policy has addressed specific modern-day problems. In some instances, the federal government has set limits on the number of immigrants"who fall into certain classifications, such as refugee"who are allowed to reside in the country. The Refugee Act of 1980 legally defined a refugee as someone who flees a country because of persecution "on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion" (U.S. Immigration Policy 1995). The act allows the president to admit refugees in a time of emergency and also places a limit on the number of refugees allowed to enter."
Tags: aliens, ellis, island, refugees, restrictions
