Abstract William F. Pepper, in Orders to Kill, presents the argument that the United States government conspired to assassinate Martin Luther King, Jr. and to cover up the plot afterwards by framing James Earl Ray for the murder.
From the Paper "William F. Pepper, in Orders to Kill, presents the argument that the United States government conspired to assassinate Martin Luther King, Jr. and to cover up the plot afterwards by framing James Earl Ray for the murder. Although such a conspiracy may be difficult to accept for those readers who believe that the government of the United States would never commit such a horrible act, Pepper presents his case step by step and detail by detail until the open-minded reader slowly begins to see that the case was not the simple matter that the government has tried to say it was.
Basically, Pepper argues that King was assassinated by a conspiracy which included the military of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, members of organized crime, members of the executive branch of the government, as well as the ..."
Abstract This paper explains that the FTC acts as a watchdog to protect Americans from abuses otherwise possible in our free enterprise system; by preventing monopolies and price-fixing, the FTC encourages free trade and a fair marketplace. The author describes the case against the Wisconsin Chiropractic Association, which represent 90% of the chiropractors in Wisconsin, of conspiring to force health care providers to pay higher rates for chiropractic services than they had previously paid. The paper relates that the settlement forbids the WCA from participate any further in any kind of price fixing, as well as telling others to engage in price fixing.
From the Paper "Specific limits were placed on what the WCA could and could not do, including careful control of any surveys taken, since a survey had been used to help the conspiracy meet its goals. Specific protections were put in place to make it easier for the FTC to make sure the WCA complied with the terms of the agreement. It should be noted that the fact that the parties agreed to the FTC ruling did not mean that any individual acknowledged any actual guilt."
Abstract This essay studies William Shakespeare's play, "Julius Caesar". It approaches the antagonism of both Caesar and the conspirators and the motivations of the conspirators. The themes of political achievement and popular responsibility are also discussed.
From the Paper "Caesar was popular on the streets. His popularity was his source of power. Manipulation is a vice of politicians; on the converse side, influence is a political virtue. These are characteristics of Caesar. Because of his popularity, he can do anything he wants, as the Plebes rule Rome indirectly. This sets the stage for the political statement of the play. As there is an order set, this pure democracy of Rome is one of a kind. The people cast no votes as a whole, but only the elite. However, the approval of the Plebes is the primary concern of all politicians in Rome. This power of the people, however, is flexible in an uneducated society, as is most of Rome. Those who ran the politicians could easily be persuaded by those they ran (i.e. the politicians), who offered supremacy to Caesar."
Abstract This paper discusses the motivations of John Wilkes Booth and the conspirators which are based upon their belief that Abraham Lincoln was a tyrant who was intent upon subjecting the South to black domination. It explains that Lincoln's emancipation of the slaves, promotion of black equality, and recruitment of tens of thousands of blacks into the Union Army convinced the conspirators that Lincoln and his Cabinet advisors had to be assassinated in order to prevent the South from being dominated and ruled by blacks and radical abolitionists intent upon revenge.
From the Paper "The motivations of John Wilkes Booth and the conspirators were based upon their belief that Abraham Lincoln was a tyrant who was intent upon subjecting the South to black domination. Lincoln's emancipation of the slaves, promotion of black equality, and recruitment of tens of thousands of blacks into the Union Army convinced the conspirators that Lincoln and his Cabinet advisors had to be assassinated in order to prevent the South from being dominated and ruled by blacks and radical abolitionists intent upon revenge. In order to understand these motivations, it is necessary to recognize that the pressures of the Civil War had created a huge and powerful central government in Washington D.C. McPherson (1989) notes that one of the reasons why the Southern states seceded from the Union in 1861 ..."
Abstract A paper discussing the "American Dream," and how it has been denied to certain people throughout history. The author relies on literary quotes to make the case that, in various points in American history, racism, poverty, and many other factors have conspired to deny the American Dream to groups of people.
From the Paper "In the world today and throughout the past three centuries, millions of people have turned to America as the "land of promise" where happiness is guaranteed and dreams are realized. The "American dream" differs somewhat for all people but is built around the principles of being financially successful and having the opportunity to meet one's goals in life. As this ideal has become more prevalent throughout the world, it has also become more elusive and difficult to obtain. This dream and guarantee that America supposedly offers is too often smothered by societal structure and philosophies, which impose limitations upon and create barriers against those seeking a better life; consequently, millions are left hopeless with their burning passion for life nearly extinguished."
Abstract The paper discusses the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy and examines the possibility of either the Mafia or the CIA to conspiring to kill President Kennedy. he author writes that the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, discrepancies in the Warren Report, use of different firearms and ballistic information and key things missing in autopsy photographs all suggest a cover-up.
From the Paper " On November 22, 1963, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated. Seven days later on November 29, 1963, the newly sworn in President, Lyndon B. Johnson, formed a commission that would investigate the assassination. The Warren Commission, as it would later be known, was to evaluate all leads and facts surrounding both the assassination of the President and the assassination of his alleged assassin. After the investigation was complete, the information found was to be reported to the President. The Commission gave their findings to the President in the form of the Warren Report, as the chairman of the Commission was Earl Warren. President Johnson had appointed Warren, the former chief justice of the United States, to head up the Commission. The Commission was able to compile much of its information with the help of Federal agencies, the city of Dallas, and thousands upon thousands of testimonies from people associated with the case. The Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin of President Kennedy and that Jack Ruby had killed Lee Harvey Oswald."
Abstract This paper analyzes and compares four historians' responses to the article in the October 2001 issue of the the history journal "William and Mary Quarterly" entitled, "The Making of a Slave Conspiracy" which focused on the historical issues about black slavery in America particularly the Denmark Vesey insurrection conspiracy in Charleston, South Carolina in 1822. The articles reviewed include a review essay penned by Prof. Michael Johnson, entitled, "Denmark Vesey and His Co-Conspirators" which offered a new interpretation of the famous (and foiled) uprising of the Negroes in Charleston in the early 19th century.
From the Paper "Of all his criticisms of Johnson, Egerton said that the historian's biggest error is when Johnson failed to consult sources other than the Official Report and Evidence. Egerton said that Johnson became too focused in spotting differences between the two documents that he failed to recognize the importance of some small but significant and helpful sources such as "church records, city directories, and newspapers in St. Domingue", and most importantly, correspondence among people of Charleston during the time of trial and execution of the blacks. These "common biographer's technique" should have been helpful in his study of the issue. He also refuted Johnson's claim that the court punished heavily those who did not admit their guilt and pardoned those who did by giving an example. Sandy Vesey, Denmark's son, was also implicated in the insurgency plot, but unlike his companions who confessed and turned against them, Sandy Vesey did not admit his guilt, and as punishment, he was "transported to Spanish Cuba in 1822"."
An analysis of the historical book on the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy, "The Plot to Kill the President" by George Robert Blakey and Richard Billings.
Abstract This paper presents an overview of the book, "The Plot to Kill the President" by George Robert Blakey and Richard Billings. It critiques the book and describes the authors' theory that organized crime conspired to assassinate President John F. Kennedy in the 1960's.
From the Paper "The last four decades have been filled with discussions and theories about the assassination of American president John F. Kennedy. While some believe it was a plot planned and carried out by the government's own CIA others hold steadfast to the belief that the president was indeed killed by a lone gunman on the knoll that day. While these two theories are well known and often discussed on talk shows as well as dinner parties there is another theory that is not as well known but every bit as intriguing. The book by George Robert Blakey and Richard Billings titled "The Plot to Kill the President"presents a new and intriguing possibility about who and what was behind the presidential assassination. "
Tags: cia, lone, gunman, mob, organized, crime, 1960, assassinate, political
Abstract The paper discusses the case of Jose Padilla, arrested on May 8, 2002 because it was believed that he was conspiring with Al Qaeda Terrorist to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" within the U.S. The paper shows that Padilla's arrest and subsequent imprisonment has been the subject of an on-going legal debate and at the present time Padilla is being held as an enemy combatant, which means that he is subject to Military Tribunal instead of the civil court system and can be held without being charged until the War On Terrorism is over. The essay discusses both sides of this legal debate and determines which viewpoint is the most constitutional and credible.
From the Paper "Many legal experts believe that the U.S. does not have grounds to hold him as an enemy combatant. They contend that his imprisonment is unconstitutional because he is being held even though he has not been charged with a crime. Padilla's lawyer believes that he is in custody based on information that is circumstantial and that he should be released. They also believe that his detainment is based on the idea that he may be able to provide investigators with important information about forthcoming terrorist attacks on the country."
Tags: Attorney, General, John, Ashcroft, Quirin, Posse, Comitatus, Act
Abstract In this essay, the author persuades the reader that Socrates was a man of great moral character and uses excerpts from Plato's "The Trial and Death of Socrates" in order to prove this. It also demonstrates how the people of Athens took Socrates to be a threat to their static day to day lives and saw to it to conspire against him and ultimately eliminate him. Using his argument in his defense, this paper shows that Socrates would certainly admit that he is a menace to the people of Athens, but only to stir them up into an intellectual frenzy. The paper shows that Socrates demonstrates through logic that he would never try to spoil the minds of the youth intentionally. The paper argues that Socrates died as a martyr because he held to his moral beliefs even in the face of an unfair death.
From the Paper "Today we mark the day in which a part of Western thought died. For when the great philosopher, Socrates, died yesterday at sundown, he took with him a way of thinking that will never be quite duplicated. But let us not grieve for what we may miss out on in the future; let us instead celebrate the gifts we have received from this great thinker. For with the advent of the spoken language and the written word, we are able to record and remember Socrates? contributions to the citizens of Athens and the world. In effect, they will reverberate through the ages and continue to affect the way philosophers think for centuries to come. Unfortunately, Socrates? unorthodox nature earned him a number of enemies, enough to warrant death wishes. Certainly one could believe this statement when one looks at the circumstances of his unnatural death. Unfortunately, those who persecuted him were superstitious individuals, who shall remain unnamed. They persecuted him under the false pretense of impiety. Truly, however, they were simply frightened that someone might not only question the current propaganda and dogma of the time, but also have the audacity to persuade others to do the same."
Abstract This paper shall compare and contrast the book "Nickled and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich and the work "Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison" by Michael Foucault. This paper shall compare and contrast the theme of "disappearance" within these two works, where both Foucault and Ehrenreich suggest that modern society conspires to remove the significance of the unwanted individual. For Foucault, this is the prisoner and for Ehrenreich this is the female working class individual.
Abstract This paper compares Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" and Plato's "The Republic" to determine how both texts still have important messages for us today because the same concerns about the nature of state, human nature, and the ways in which these two interact with each other, have not changed greatly since the classical world and certainly not since the beginnings of the modern era when Shakespeare was writing.
From the Paper "One of the most important messages in both of these works is the warning that the authors give about how easily those in power lose track of the realities of the world. Both authors argue that many leaders begin to believe that goodness is just the same as to weakness. Plato, and Socrates as he is represented in this text by his student, argues that a leader must understand the nature of goodness, that his or her actions must be informed by knowing how good and evil are different from each other. I would agree with these great philosophers. This does not mean that a leader may never do something wrong or even evil: There is a difference (as we all know from our personal experiences) between knowing what is right and actually doing it all of the time."
Abstract Aaron Burr is significant to American history for many reasons. As a soldier, a distinguished lawyer, an attorney general, and vice president of the United States, Burr's life is colored with mystery and controversy. This paper explains how his tie results in the presidential election of 1800 made the country realize the electoral system was flawed and in need of repair. It also looks at how his duel with Alexander Hamilton was a first in American history and how, through deed and action, Burr proved himself to be one of the nation's greatest conspirators.
From the Paper "After the war both men returned to practicing law, often meeting each other in the courtroom. Isaac Cox describes Burr as being noted for "clarity and conciseness of utterance. He never ranted nor lost his temper" (Cox) Melton adds that he "came across as a smart and straightforward lawyer, and he was good at listening" (Melton 30). He became incredibly successful and popular as an attorney but always with an eye on politics. It is also important to note that during these years Burr and Hamilton appeared to be moving in two different directions when it came to politics. Hamilton "cultivated" Washington while Burr "antagonized" him. (31) Hamilton was gearing himself to become a national figure forming what would soon become the Federalist Party, while Burr focused his attentions on politics in New York."
Abstract This paper explains that the play, Sophocles's "Oedipus, the King", has a more episodic structure than a climactic one because of flashbacks and prophecies introduced as episodes throughout. The author points out that the "rising action" is when Oedipus threatens that he will have Creon killed or exiled for conspiring with Tiresias. The paper contends that tragedy is better as a work to be read than as a drama to be performed and watched on stage. The reason given by the writer is because there is much more to perceive and understand from the reading than in the watching and listening, although visuals and sounds enhance or intensify the underlying messages in the play.
From the Paper "The setting is Thebes around the fifth century. The "inciting incident" right away turns up with the plague that now afflicts the citizens, whom King Oedipus calls the ?new blood of ancient Cadmus.? Cadmus was the founder of the mythological Thebes. These citizens crowd at the king's palace for his action on the feared plague, and as was the custom at the time, the king has already sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to consult with the Oracle (or diviner/fortune-teller) at Delphi (Sophocles c 430 BC) for advice and he tells this to the people. Creon returns to relay the Oracle's message to Oedipus that the plague will end only if the murderer of the former king of Thebes, Lauis, is caught and driven out. The message also says that the murderer is still in Thebes. King Lauis was killed by thieves while on the way to consult an oracle.To pacify the people and bring peace to Thebes, Oedipus promises to find that murderer and drive him out. This part represents the "point of attack".
Abstract This paper describes the format of the original talk shows, as well as how the format has evolved over time to become more of a provocative freak show that harms the guests appearing on the show and promotes negative stereotypes of American society. The paper also describes how the guests are manipulated and antagonized on the show into exhibiting extreme reactions.
From the Paper "More than half a century ago, in November 1947, the first talk show in entertainment history was broadcast on American television. Named, "Meet the Press," it had first started two years earlier as a radio show that combined news and chat (Halter). The 'chat' aspect acquired immediate popularity, motivating television producers to concentrate more on this characteristic and to produce more focused chat shows. The first of these specialized chat shows, aired in 1950, was named "The Tonight Show," (Halter). Hosted by the popular media personality, Steve Allen, this show took on "a more relaxed, conversational approach," with the guest list including both famous celebrities and ordinary citizens (Halter). Its popularity was based on the fact that viewers felt that the show appealed to their human and sociable side, in addition to informing them about the real problems of both ordinary and famous people. That is, it communicated the very simple message that life was both fun at times and difficult at others but, the important thing was to accept life as it was (Halter). This show, as with those that came later, was extremely popular among American viewers and, did present a positive and realistic picture of American society, in addition to entertaining and advising people. Despite the solid and positive foundations of the talk show, a great majority of those currently aired can only be described as unrealistic and negative, to the extent that they apparently focus on scandal and sex alone. Even though currently popular talk shows appear to be based on genuine emotional reactions and stories, they are based on extreme emotional reactions that guests are manipulated into displaying through the provocative nature of the questions asked. Guests are coached to lie and the audience is manipulated into incorrectly believing that they are watching 'real life.' The consequence is the promotion of negative stereotypes of American society."
