Abstract The paper discusses how Cheney proves that Tesla's work and pioneering research on rotating magnetic fields paved the way for the existence of the current, illuminated world. The paper asserts that Cheney's work is pioneering, because it rewrites invention history in many respects, stressing that the commonly embraced brand names of Edison and Marconi may need to be questioned by historians to give a full picture of history. The paper shows how this biography is an important reminder that history does not always give full credit to genius and innovation.
From the Paper "To list Tesla's innovations in scientific research would almost take more space than could be accorded by the length and span reserved for this review. Tesla's work and pioneering research on rotating magnetic fields paved the way for the existence of the current, illuminated world, more so than Edison's, according to Cheney, and gave the world everything from radios to X-rays. However, Tesla proved out of step, or out of time, with the need to establish close friendships in the technical community. He also lacked the necessary flexibility within his personality to make use of the structures of funding of American business and federal funding in an effective fashion."
Abstract This paper discusses the ethics of government secrecy in the Bush Administration. The paper discusses the Freedom of Information Act, the post-911 immigration detainees, government withholding information from the public post-911, and Cheney's refusal to disclose the names of those in his energy task force. The paper puts these actions into an ethical context by quoting Machiavelli and Hobbes.
From the Paper "United Nations analyst Ian Thomas tried to get a thirty-year old map of Africa from the National Archives in March 2002 in order to plan a relief mission. He could not get the maps because the United States government no longer makes them public. An environmentalist, John Coequyt, was denied access to an online database of listings of chemical plants that violate pollution laws from the Environmental Protection Agency. Kate Martin, a civil rights lawyer, asked for a court order the names of the foreigners detained since the September 11th terrorist attacks and was told by the Justice Department that that information was secret."
Abstract Bob Woodward's "Bush at War" depicts a confident, charismatic President Bush who knows what he wants and uses the resources of his cabinet to discover the best method for achieving his goal. This is not to say that he won't listen to his advisors, but his focus is on making reality conform to his vision rather than vice versa. The paper examines how some of Bush's advisors, such as George Tenet, Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney, are depicted in the book as taking a hard-line stance on America's war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, while others, such as Condoleeza Rice and Colin Powell, voiced concerns about the U.S. war effort. Bush listened to both sides and, although he decided to invade Afghanistan in the wake of September 11, the plan was affected by the input of those who had concerns about the war. The paper shows that ultimately, Woodward paints the picture of an administration firmly controlled by the president, but also shows that the vibrant and sometimes heated debates within the administration do ultimately affect policy.
From the Paper "The precipitating event, of course, for the invasion of Afghanistan was the September 11, 2001, attacks on America. Following a string of evidence which had mounted from previous attacks on American targets, including the previous attempt at bombing the World Trade Center, the administration decided that the terrorist force known as Al-Qaeda was responsible for the attacks and that much of the financial backing and overarching organizational structure of Al-Qaeda lay in the hands of Osama bin Laden. Since, bin Laden was known to be in Afghanistan, and since Afghanistan's ruling Islamic fundamentalist government, the Taliban, controlled the country and was known to support terrorists, the U.S. decided invasion was necessary to strike back at the terrorists in the heart of their organization."
Tags: 911, Dick, Cheney, Al-Qaeda, World, Trade, Center
Abstract This paper discusses the book, "Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush" written by John W. Dean. The paper examines the implications of the book for modern American education. The paper contends that the book provides an eye-opening look at Bush and Cheney's abuses of power and of many of the reasons they have so far gotten away with such abuses, to their greater benefit but to the detriment of other Americans.
From the Paper "The book Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush, by John W. Dean (Little, Brown, 2004) has as its central theme the excessive secrecy of what Dean calls the "Bush-Cheney presidency (xi) or the "Bush and Cheney presidency" (21)since, according to Dean, Cheney, not Bush, often makes key decisions. Dean asserts that "in many ways it is a co-presidency" (11), with Bush as the front man, and Cheney, being the actual decision-maker, preferring the shadows. Both men are excessively secretive, and their secretiveness, argues Dean, threatens democracy, liberty, and public accountability, and also encourages incompetence by allowing Bush and Cheney to escape public scrutiny (185-88). Moreover, Dean portends the potentially harmful effects the Bush-Cheney presidency has had, and may continue to have, on the rights and protections of average American citizens, and on the constitutional divisions and checks and balances of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government (ix-xvii)."
Abstract This paper analyzes and examines the multitude of issues related to the executive branch of government at the federal level. Part II examines the definition and applicability of executive privilege as seen by both the executive and legislative branches. In Part III, past and present controversial use of executive privilege in cases such as Enron and Watergate are outlined. Lastly, this paper concludes with recommendations for improving the use of executive privilege.
From the Paper "After Vietnam and Watergate, the issue of executive privilege had not registered much of a blip on the radar. However, the recent Enron scandal has allowed Congress to question the validity of the executive privilege argument. In January 2002, Comptroller General David Walker, head of the non-partisan Government Accounting Office, announced that he would sue Vice President Dick Cheney in order to obtain information about the National Energy Policy Development Group that Cheney chaired last year. Walter contended that the unprecedented lawsuit was made necessary by Cheney's refusal to cooperate voluntarily."
Abstract The paper discusses the different forms of political humor available and the range of media now available, from newspaper cartoons to digital clips sent by e-mail. The paper examines how political humor has become an increasingly influential force in the American political scene, with high profile politicians, such as the President, often becoming the main target of jokes. The paper portrays such humor as a useful tool in keeping citizens lighthearted in tense situations.
From the Paper "In the United States, political humor has become a very popular entertaining form of entertainment, and is used as a way to make light of political situations and poke fun at the politicians that have been elected and are in the national spotlight. Political humor has been in newspapers and other forms of mass media since the elections of some of the first politicians. However, unlike the comedians of the French Revolution Era, political humorists today will not be beheaded for making jokes about the president."
Abstract This paper argues that President Bush's decision to go to war against those responsible for the 9/11 attacks was a moral decision free from a personal agenda. The paper argues against the prevailing assumption that Bush did not did not make a "rational" decision via a rational process. The paper attempts to make the comparison between a rational process and the actions of our President without this underlying assumption.
From the Paper "Onlookers often assume that a man who has a firm mindset, and a strong will does not go through what onlookers would consider a "traditional decision making process". Men with strong minds, and a sense of moral right and wrong often take much more time considering a course of action than others who make decisions based on personal agendas. Men with moral mindsets are simply not easily persuaded once a new decision is firmly made on the basis of what the decision maker considers moral grounds. For the moral decision maker, the moral right and wrong of a situation dictate the course of action once the somewhat rigid boundaries are crossed. It is the moral absolutism which the on looking world does not understand."
Abstract This paper analyzes weekly newspaper articles from four papers over a 10-week period. The analysis finds a strong liberal bias in the print media, overwhelmingly in favor of John Kerry, during the 2004 presidential election. The paper proves its point with quotes and an analysis from many articles.
From the Paper "The numbers are determined by reoccurring themes throughout the seven weeks of articles reviewed. George W. Bush and his administration are liars. George W. Bush and his administration mislead the American people. The war in Iraq is the wrong war, due to the lack of judgment by George W. Bush. Did I say George W. Bush was a liar? This is proven by a ratio of 4-1 in articles defaming George W. Bush and his administration. I took the eighty pre-election articles and found instances in thirty that brought these points up, some that were irrelevant to the article. Most would continue to quote Kerry or Edwards challenging the credibility of George W. Bush and his administration. Those articles never challenged Kerry nor Edward's evidence to their claims, nor did the author attempt to refute the claims."
Abstract This paper explains that Halliburton, its subsidiaries, and subcontractors play a prominent role in Iraq by providing a wide range of services, including fighting oil fires, pumping oil, supplying soldiers with hot meals, shelters and beds, and transporting materials across dangerous stretches of road. The author points out that, while the company offers incentives for employees to work in Iraq, it is experiencing a high rate of employment turnover due to the dangers many employees face on a daily basis. The paper relates that, although the company has come under scrutiny in recent years due to its involvement with Vice-President Cheney and its accounting practices, it has still managed to win billion-dollar military contracts due to its expertise in the oil service industry.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Halliburton Oil
Providing Services
Kellogg, Brown, and Root
Private Over Military
Fighting Fires
Improving Oil Production
A Year of Hard Work
The Price of Danger
The Most Dangerous Job
High Turnover
Code of Business Conduct
Chow Billing
Overcharging for Oil
War for Profit?
Conclusion
From the Paper "Halliburton Oil is a "service firm for the oil and gas industry that currently has more than 24,000 employees and subcontractors in Iraq." The company, which was established in 1919, is based in Houston, Texas and "describes itself as one of the world's largest providers of products and services to the petroleum and energy industries."
The company was "headed by Vice President Richard Cheney before he accepted Bush's invitation to be his running mate in the 2000 presidential election. Cheney is credited with dramatically expanding Halliburton's operations by bringing in billions of dollars in new contracts, but has repeatedly denied any role in company operations after his departure."
Abstract This paper shows that John Dean's book about the current Bush administration encourages its readers to question, challenge, think and explore an administration whose 'No Child Left Behind' policy has left, alas, many children behind in its wake. The paper explains how the book relates current administration policy to policies and American history of the recent past and can thus be a successful textbook in the teachings of civics or current history.
From the Paper "Dean also states that history has shown that what our government does to others today, it will do to Americans tomorrow, a repeat of Santayana's famous answer to why we study history, as not to repeat the past. He states that when our government denies basic human rights to citizens of other nations, it has no standing to demand that other nations afford such basic rights to Americans. Simply stated, by treating other nationals, as we would want to be treated, only then do we realize our humanity and follow our Constitution but protect ourselves in the long run."
Abstract This paper explains that Bob Woodward's "Bush at War" consists largely of day-by-day juxtapositions of accounts of what American leaders, such as President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and others, were, according to Woodward, thinking and saying about the war in Afghanistan compared with what was actually occurring. The author points out that Woodward uses a distinct approach to writing non-fiction in that (1) he tries to obtain the maximum amount of information on his subject through interviews, documents, transcripts and recordings and (2) then uses this information to re-create the event in the form of a story with an omniscient narrator, present tense events and dialogue; thereby, his books read like fiction novels featuring strong characterization. The paper relates that some of Woodward's critics accuse him of abandoning critical inquiry to maintain his access to high-profile political actors; others praise his detached and evenhanded style for allowing readers to absorb the facts and come to their own conclusions.
From the Paper "In a series of articles published in January 2002, Woodward and Dan Balz described the events at Camp David in the aftermath of September 11. These articles later became the basis for this book. Woodward has spent more time than any other journalist with President George W. Bush while in office, interviewing him four times for more than seven hours total. His most recent two books, Bush at War (2002) and Plan of Attack (2004), are detailed accounts of the Bush presidency, including the response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq."
Abstract This paper analyzes the role of presidential surrogates in shaping and influencing U.S. foreign policy, as well as in garnering public support for policy decisions. The paper defines surrogates as presidential spokespeople. In particular, the paper examines the following figures from 2003: Laura Bush, Dick Cheney, John Ashcroft, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfield and Colin Powell.
From the Paper "The president of the United States functions as the head of government but his views, programs and policies are often articulated by members of the Executive Branch. Included in the Executive Branch are the various Cabinet members..."
Tags: presidential surrogates Bush Administration, COlin Powell, DOnald Rumsfeld
Abstract This paper describes the public relations approach of the Bush administration. The author points out its attempt to restore credibility and legitimacy to the American image with respect to the war in Iraq. The paper evaluates this media approach.
From the Paper "In October of ... , the White House embarked on a public relations campaign that represented a new approach in trying to bolster public support in the U. S. for the Iraq War. Absent any discovery of Weapons of Mass Destruction WMDs, White House public relations have focused on a media approach that is an attempt to sidestep the White House press corps. The new public relations approach focuses on local media including newspapers, speeches and local television broadcasts. The new public relations approach was implemented due ..."
Tags: local media, President Bush, military, Condoleezza Rice, Dick Cheney, Bill Clinton, press
This paper explores incidences of government corruption, focusing on those cases that are well defined beyond reasonable doubt as corruption, as well as some less obvious cases.
Abstract The paper relates that one of the most prevalent problems associated with leadership today is the problem of government corruption at every level of the spectrum. The paper discusses the Watergate scandal of government abuse of power and corruption. The paper looks at President Bill Clinton's impeachment and the corrupt business deals surrounding the Iraq war that have implicated President George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney. The paper also examines the corruption involved in the United Nations Oil for Food Program. The paper contends that the global community must be bold in the pursuit of bringing political bandits to justice by establishing independent investigatory bodies.
Outline:
Introduction
The Media and Government Corruption
From the Paper "As globalization leads us towards a world economy, it becomes necessary to consider leadership in the world community. One of the most prevalent problems associated with leadership today is the problem of government corruption at every level of the spectrum. Corruption is not a problem that is unique to any one government, but often times depending on the resources at stake, such as conflict diamonds, becomes indicative of the corruption and level of the corruption associated with the resource."
Tags: Watergate, Nixon, Clinton, scandal, Oil, for, Food, conflict, diamonds
Abstract This paper explains that Bob Woodward's book "Plan of Attack" skillfully and with limited elucidation chronicles the decision-making process that lead up to the War in Iraq. The author of the paper then argues, based on his interpretation of Woodward's book, that the Iraq war was caused by a number of factors: 1) the desire of a core group of advisors to oust Saddam Hussein 2) the belief that ousting Hussein could be done with relative ease, 3) the events of September 11, and 4) the opportunity for a grand strategic play to democratize the Middle East.
From the Paper "Even before President George W. Bush took his oath of office, the Vice President-elect Dick Cheney was focused on Iraq. In early January 2001, Cheney asked outgoing Secretary of Defense William Cohen to brief Bush on issues of national security, "adding that he wanted a serious 'discussion about Iraq and different options.' The president-elect should not be given the routine, canned, round-the-world tour normally given to incoming presidents. Topic A should be Iraq." A few days later, Bush received another critical national security briefing from CIA director George Tenet."
