the atomic bomb :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Atomic Bomb was used more as a weapon of surrender upon the people of Japan than it was used as a display of power towards the Soviets in 1945. The Japanese military had already shown an unwillingness to surrender throughout the war, and this feeling was made famous by their infamous use of suicide pilots, called kamikazes. They had 5,000,000 troops scattered throughout the Pacific Theater of Operations, and an American invasion of the Japanese homeland would have lasted until late 1946 at the least, resulting in no less than 1,000,000 American deaths, according to Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. Although such an invasion was the initial plan of action, after testing of the Manhattan project in New Mexico was completed, the Atomic Bomb seemed to be a quicker solution to an already drawn out war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although people such as James Byrne and General Arnold believed that the surrender of the Japanese was imminent, I don’t think that this was the case. Yes, we had done sufficient damage to their mainland already with conventional bombs, crippling their shipping routes and their military. They were in no state to continue a war, but this doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t have implemented every possible way to end American lives. I am not quick to think that a nation which is willing to go to such extremes for victory as Japan was willing to go through was on the brink of surrender. Byrne predicted that the war would have only taken 6 more months to end conventionally, but I doubt that the American military would have been able to conquer an empire with the willpower of Japan in a mere 6 months. And even if this was the case, as I stated before, American casualties would reach 7 digits in the conquest, numbers that would cripple the American economy even after the wa r was to be over.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And finally, I think President Harry S. Truman’s radio address in August 1945 basically outlines that the dropping of the bomb was somewhat morally acceptable. President Truman states that he believes that if Japan was in our position and they had the bomb, they would not have even thought twice before using it. He reminds the people that the bomb was dropped on the same people who surprise attacked us at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, and the same people who tortured so many of our P.

Mill and Harm Thesis

In this essay I shall argue that John Stuart Mill’s Harm Principle is about justice and truth.   John Stuart Mill’s argues in On Liberty that the use of the harm theory, or harm principle is that a state of government must ensure the quality of liberty just so long as the actions committed in the cause of liberty are not detrimental to the activists.   That is to say that the government may interfere in order to prevent harm.   The following paper will discuss Mill’s harm principle and its application to government in regards to restrictions and controls. Mill argues for the doctrine of liberty.   Mill means to define the role of a person in society and as such the limited amount of coercion consistent in society that should affect that individual, â€Å"No society in which these liberties are not, on the whole, respected, is free, whatever may be its form of government; and none is completely free in which they do exist absolute and unqualified†.   Mill is stating that although these qualities are liberty come at a cost in no society would they be considered free because of the forms of government in which the world adheres. Mill argues that any opinion should be voiced despite its offensive sentiments and unpopularity.   Mill did not right from a perspective in the harm theory to state that speech was not harmful, but despite this subsequent commentary, speech was an ideal freedom.   Mill believed, and stated in the Harm Principle, that the harmfulness of an act is just cause to place social control on that act through legal means.   These means included coercion. Mill advocates a style of liberalism that governs that individuals have basic rights (as is stated in On Liberty) and the apex of these is free speech.   The factors that involve Mill also include a free society in general and specific terms.   Even in this free society there are certain actions that a person in a society may be involved with and then there are counter-actions of the government against those acts.   This is interpreted to mean that such acts were harmful and the government was justifiable in their prevention or retardation of those acts being committed. Such acts by the government or society do not necessary lead to an infringement on that person’s liberty.   There are however points to consider when examining the harms theory; once such interpretation to the theory includes the ubiquitous nature of permissible interference by society or a governing body since any act committed may be a legitimate harmful act upon another person, and thus action in any definition could be interpreted in this sense.   Thus, any action taken by the government with the umbrella statement of harm could be legitimate. Mill however was very stringent on his interpretation of Harm Theory and its application to law.   He did not for one thing want a blanketed reason for any misuse of human liberty; thus, to use the Harm Theory in regards to the prevention of free speech because it can be construed to be harmful is not legitimate according to Mill.   He was not an advocate of preventing expression or opinion.   This is shown in his absolute rejection to consider the efficacy of tolerating any particular inference against that censoring it, â€Å"†¦however positive any one’s persuasion may be, not only of the falsity but of the pernicious consequences-not only of the pernicious consequences, but (to adopt expressions which I altogether condemn) the immorality and impiety of an opinion†.   This is stated in regards to any person or legislation’s opinion that speech could potentially be harmful. Mill helped define in broad termination a tolerant perspective of accepting opinions and/or sentiments, that were made not only in private but also in public places, â€Å"†¦human beings should be free to form opinions, and to express their opinions without reserve†.   Despite this statement Mill had a firm belief in the restrictions of certain acts and believed such free speech was conditional. These exceptions of Mill were specious.   Although Mill’s harm theory does constitute legitimate ground by which to swerve the use of free speech much of On Liberty   deals with the propagating of free speech.   Mill made a distinction between qualified and unqualified liberties.   While Mill guards the use of free speech and free trade it is the former of the two that is unqualified as a liberty.   This is done by stating that free trade is not in accordance to individual rights and liberty but that speech on the other hand is a self-regarding action. This statement of free speech is however debatable.   Free speech may be considered a self-regarding action but in most interpretations of Mill this has been denied.   In this denial can be found the fact that free speech then may very lead to harm.   In this harm, the Harm Theory is cemented as a prevention that the legislating body may act upon.   In the debate of self-regarding Mill states that self-regarding is an action committed in which the outcome has no bearing of positive or negative effects on anyone else. The introduction of harm can be taken to mean either physical harm or otherwise.   In Mill’s introduction of harm the common consensus is that it means the former.   This means that speech must be attributed as becoming harmful or having the potential to become harmful to a larder body.   In the Declaration of Liberty Mill highlights his key points of liberties and the subsequent harm that should be delivered with their abuses, This, then, is the appropriate region of human liberty.   It comprises, first, the inward domain of consciousness; demanding liberty of conscience, in the most comprehensive sense; liberty of thought and feeling; absolute freedom of opinion and sentiment on all subjects, practical or speculative, scientific, moral, or theological.   The liberty of expressing and publishing opinions may seem to fall under a different principle, since it belongs to that part of the conduct of an individual which concerns other people; but, being almost of as much importance as the liberty of thought itself, and resting in great part on the same reasons, is practically inseparable from it. It is clearly stated in the above excerpt in the phrase â€Å"expressing and publishing opinions†¦concerns other people† it is devised that speech as well as the written word fall under the category of liberty which in turn, because it concerns other people is subject to the jurisdiction of Harm Theory and must be regulated by the government. The cost of the obstruction of free speech is to not have anyone commit a harmful act.   Although the thought of censorship in regards to the Harm Theory are prevalent and extensive in scope it must be realized that opinion even in its most innocent form of private discussion lead eventually to action; and these actions are not consistently without destruction. Through speech a person’s opinions are discovered.   These opinions have a domino effect that is not a contained event but becomes widespread especially in the media centered world.   Opinions of speeches are tools by which a revolution may occur or based upon the wrong assumptions of an event or theory speech and opinions that are accepted by the general public become gateways by which hysteria, chaos and harm do occur.   Thus it is behooving to place mandates on certain speeches to ensure that destruction and harm do not occur. In this essay I have argued that although Mill focuses his attention of liberty in a free society he is also a humanist and the concern over a person’s body is the main principle of his On Liberty essay, â€Å"That principle is, that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection.   That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others†.   It may thus be construed that Mill advocated the use of minimal censorship if the reason behind the prevention was to retard harm being done to another person or a group of people. There must however, in Mill’s theory exist a legitimate reason behind the censorship in order for drastic prevention to occur.   Although the Harm Theory suggests that   prevention is the key to stopping a destructive act there must also be extant governing rules that would prohibit the extreme exercise of government power that could turn into autocratic power which was not in the context of Mill’s theory.   The Harm Theory is regulated by the potential for harm and thus, free speech or other liberties may be interpreted and prevented by a government in order specifically to avert harm. Work Cited Bilbija, Ksenija et al.   The Art of Truth –Telling about Authoritarian Rule.   University of Wisconsin Press, 2005. David Riesman. The Lonely Crowd. 1950 Dollard John. Frustration and Agression. 1939 Freud, Sigmund. Civlilization and Its Discontents. 1930 Kessler, Sanford.   â€Å"The Review of Politics†.  Notre Dame:  Spring (64:2).   (2002).   207   31. Konrad, Lorenz. On Aggression. 1963 Laing, R. D. The Politics of Experience. 1967 MacDonald, Ross.   Socrates versus Plato.   Aspects of Education.   P9-22.   1996. Mill, John Stuart.   Utilitarianism.Social Benefit. More, Thomas.   Utopia.   Trans.   Robert Adams.   W.W. Norton and Company, 1991. Stanford Encyclopedia.   John Stuart Mill.   Online.   11 March 2008: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill-moral-political/

David Walker Appeal Paper Essay

Before David Walker’s Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World during the 1800’s, there had not been any other type of anti-slavery documents published. Although the Appeal is directed to black slaves, its powerful moral message and indictment of white America’s hypocritical society and oppressive, brutal system of slavery is a moral message that resonates to all audiences, including whites. Walker’s Appeal calls for slaves to rebel against their masters as the means of reacquiring their humanity. Walker relies heavily upon religious values of Christianity, communicating strongly with free and enslaved blacks: The man who would not fight under the Lord and Master Jesus Christ, in the glorious and heavenly cause of freedom and of God, to be delivered from the most wretched, abject and servile slavery, that ever a people was afflicted with since the foundation of the world, to the present day, ought to be kept with all his children or family, in slavery, or chains, to be butchered by his cruel enemies. (Walker Article 1) The Appeal sent out fear and terror throughout the white community as some states even passed laws that would sentence blacks, or even whites, to severe punishment if caught with the pamphlet. Finzsch cites to Eaton who points out that â€Å"in Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Louisiana and South Carolina anyone be it slave, free black or white who was caught with the pamphlet was tried and usually found guilty of inciting insurrection† and it also inspired enslaved blacks to fight for their freedom regardless of the consequences (Finzsch, 5). Walker’s purpose is a call for unity amongst slaves and to educate them as to their immediate need to fight back against their masters. In order to communicate his ideas, Walker attacks the values and the veracity of the United States history by pointing out the hypocrisy of the institution of slavery in a self-proclaimed nation that pretended to stand for constitutional equality, democracy and freedom. Walker powerfully challenges these notions by raising views that were being brought up mostly as a result of scientific racism and the idea that religion justifies slavery. Any discussion of abolition was always a radi cal, dangerous, and illegal conversation during the times of slavery. Slavery was the horrific social, political and economic system that allowed the United States to rapidly accumulate wealth, thus unjustly elevating whites to positions of immense power and privilege. When Walker  published his Appeal his document traveled throughout a political terrain that was controlled by whites, and these whites relied upon anti-black racist documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia. All of these documents systematically deemed blacks as un-human, excluding blacks from political protection, and condoned chattel slavery. Walker’s message in his Appeal resonates in the white community of that time because it directly challenges the myths relied upon by those whites in their â€Å"mythical† documents. The historical opening lines of the Declaration of Independence read â€Å"we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† This opening statement did not include black people, but rather it excluded them under the term that all â€Å"men† were not human. As the rest of the United States Constitution eventually clarified enslaved black people were not recognized as human beings and therefore were not entitled to the rights, privileges, and protection of the law. Furthermore, slavery was a legal institution under these sets of beliefs. Another one of the most influential documents of the time was Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia of 1781. Although Jefferson owned slaves, he considered himself to be an opponent of slavery. Within the document Jefferson compared blacks to whites and concluded by holding that black people were inferior to whites on multiple levels. Have they not, after having reduced us to the deplorable condition of slaves under their feet, held us up as descending originally from the tribes of Monkeys or Orang- Outings? (Walker Article 1) Jefferson believed that emancipation for blacks should mean the removal of them from the United States based on the hostility that blacks would harbor to whites, Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia further entrenched the practice of the dehumanization of black people, something that Walker’s Appeal deeply emphasizes and a message that whites and bla ck could easily understand. In order to support his call for slaves to unify and revolt against their masters Walker challenges the ideas of political documents relied upon whites. Walker effectively uses religion to pursued whites and blacks that the institution of slavery was massively unjust. Walker states that God and religion actually discouraged all forms  of slavery. For example he states, Are we MEN!! I ask you, my brethren are we MEN? Did our creator make us to be slaves to dust and ashes like ourselves? Are they not dying worms as well as we? Have they not to make their appearance before the tribunal of Heaven, to answer for the deeds done in the body, as well as we? Have we any other Master but Jesus Christ alone? Is he not their Master as well as ours? What right then, have we to obey and call any other Master, but Himself? (Walker, Article 1) Walker states that God is the lone master to which all humankind must obey. On these grounds Walker shuns the idea that black people must obey a white human master. Walker stands by the fact that the only master black people have are God himself and not the white man. Furthermore, he brings light to the fact that the white community will also have to answer to God for their acts of violence. Both blacks and whites can und erstand this religious and moral message. Not only did Walker challenge racism and the idea of religion to justify slavery, he also confronted Thomas Jefferson. Walker states:Mr. Jefferson said, when a master was murdered, all his slaves in the same house, or within hearing, were condemned to death, Here let me ask Mr. Jefferson, but he is gone to answer at the bar of God, for the deeds done in his body while living, I therefore ask the whole American people, had I not rather die, or be put to death, than to be a slave to any tyrant, who takes not only my own, but my wife and children’s lives by the inches? Yea, would I meet death with avidity far! Far!! (Walker, Article 1) Walker uses vial language to get others to understand the grotesque acts of violence that the white society inflicted on the black body and states that he would rather die fighting for freedom than be a subject to slavery. He was speaking for others who were afraid and did not have a voice, and for others who just needed a backbone and needed to be supported. Douglass’s rebellion narrative, The Heroic Slave, clearly important in its own right, is vastly diff erent from Walker in many ways. Douglass bases his work on the mutiny led by rebel slave Madison Washington on the Creole in 1841. The narrative is powerful, but the organizational intent and style is vastly different from the approach taken by Walker. Douglass uses a â€Å"storytelling† method to make his points. For example, the international sea and Britain are used by Douglass in The Heroic Slave to symbolize freedom (see Sweeny generally) And, unlike the aggressive and direct language used by Walker,  Douglass uses softer language to make his points in a more sublime manner. For example, in describing Washington as a self-emancipating figure, Douglass states, Washington is â€Å"standing erect, a smile of satisfaction . . . upon his expressive countenance, like . . . one who has just . . . .vanquished a malignant foe, for at that moment he was free . . . The future gleamed . . . .before him . . . his fetters lay broke at his feet. His air was triumphant (Douglass, Part 1). Works Cited Finzsch, Norbet. â€Å" David Walker and The Fight against Slavery † 2012. Douglas, Frederick. The Heroic Slave. Sweeney, Fionnghula. â€Å"Visual Culture and Fictive Technique in Frederick Douglass’s The Heroic Slave,† Slavery and Abolition, June 2012: 305-320. Walker, David. â€Å"Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World †1830.

William Shakespeares Sonnet 18

William Shakespeares Sonnet 18 is part of a group of 126 sonnets Shakespeare wrote that are addressed to a young man of great beauty and promise. In this group of sonnets, the speaker urges the young man to marry and perpetuate his virtues through children, and warns him about the destructive power of time, age, and moral weakness. Sonnet 18 focuses on the beauty of the young man, and how beauty fades, but his beauty will not because it will be remembered by everyone who reads this poem. Shakespeare starts the poem with a metaphoric question in line one asking if e should compare the man to a summers day. This asks if he should compare the beauty of a summers day to the beauty of the young man about whom Shakespeare is writing. Line two of this poem states Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Temperate is used as a synonym for moderate by the author. In line two the speaker is describing the man as more lovely and more moderate than a summers day. This emphasizes the mans beauty and how the man is viewed by the speaker. Line three, Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, tells hy the mans beauty is greater than that of a summers day. Shakespeare uses rough winds to symbolize imperfections. The speaker is implying that there are no imperfections in the young man, but there are in the summer, so the man cannot be compared to a summers day. In line four the speaker adds to this thought by saying that the summer also does not last as long as the mans beauty therefore it cannot be compared to it. Line five states another imperfection of the summer. Shakespeare uses the eye of heaven as a metaphor in this line to describe the un. In line six Shakespeare uses the phrase gold complexion dimmed to describe the sun again which means that sometimes the sun is not hot enough, and that, as said in line five, sometimes the sun is too hot. In lines seven and eight the speaker ends the complication by describing how nature is never perfect. Line nine starts the resolution of the poem by using the conjunction but.. Eternal summer in line nine is referring back to the mans eternal beauty, using summer to symbolize beauty, and saying that the mans beauty will never fail like he summers beauty. In lines ten, eleven, and twelve the speaker says that the man, When in eternal lines to time thou growst (line 12) or when he grows old, will not lose possession of what is fair to him, and Nor shall Death brag thou wanderst in his shade (line 11) or he will not be poor in health and close to dying. Lines thirteen and fourteen say that as long as this poem is read, the mans beauty will never go away, because every time someone reads the poem they will be reminded of his beauty. This poem that Shakespeare wrote, in the octave, describes how all beauty fades except for the man about whom Shakespeare is writing. The octave also tells of how great the mans beauty is compared to everything else that is beautiful. In the sestet, the poem tells about how the mans beauty stays alive and out lives all other beauty. The poem is written in iambic pentameter. Shakespeare makes use of much symbolism and many other figurative devices in this poem that contribute and emphasize to the overall theme of the poem.

Films Of The Mid-Seventies Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Films Of The Mid-Seventies Era - Essay Example In the film, the character of Bobby Dupea is the archetype of numerous heroes from that period. Bobby is stuck in two worlds. He is a man who cannot fit into the American society and is making efforts to find a place which he truly belongs to. One of the outstanding features of the 1970s films was the character’s struggle to deal with the problem of alienation that was prevalent in America at that time. This emerged from the sixties when there was the rejection of both the working class and leisure class values. The film portrays how an individual is trying so hard to deal with the alienation problem without being a counter-culture hippie. The post-sixties era mostly exhibited the theme of alienation - a theme that defined the mid-seventies era. However, the films of the 1990s and 1980s era extremely reflected the alienation theme with the so bloody and violent action genre. The heroes in these movies are violent, anti-social and alienated. They generally have no societal respect. The first scenes of â€Å"Five Easy Pieces† show the main character Bobby as a typical oil mine worker. Bobby puts a lot of energy in his work to get his money. He spends his leisure time drinking beer, playing cards, watching television and bowling. He stays with his girlfriend, a beautiful waitress named Rayette Dipesto. At the beginning of the film, Bobby is reflected as a happy person, but further progress of the movie reveals a man dissatisfied with his life. Rayette clingy mature annoys Bobby so much. He loathes country music and dislikes the way his girlfriend lives her life through Tammy Wynette songs. Rayette seems to play songs for every occasion of her life. When they go out with their friends Stoney and Elton, Bobby could not enjoy the bowling. He is angry and highly competitive at Rayette’s inexperience in the game. At some point, he later cheats on his girlfriend with a woman named Sally Struthers.

Curriculum Vitae Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Curriculum Vitae - Essay Example You should have solid network & Server support skills predominantly in the 2k/2k3 arena. You should be heading towards the MCSA/MCSE or at least have the relevant level of skill to carry out daily duties (The qualification itself is not necessary although would be beneficial). You will also need strong skills in networking protocols, Citrix, Active Directory & Exchange 2000/2003. If you have experience of anti-virus/byware/backup (Veritas) &/or Cisco Routers & Switches it would be advantageous to your application. You will be a hard working, have a passion to succeed & a get it done attitude. This position will help develop your skill-sets & advance your career in the long-term as the firm is a well established, financially successful enterprise. Send me your CV now. Spare Time Interests: My favourite past time would be sports particularly watching Football. I enjoy keeping fit and am a regular visitor at my local gym. I also endeavour to travel however; I have only had the opportunity to visit the Asian sub-continent and North America as yet. I am an honest, trustworthy, hardworking individual who has the ability to adapt to any environment and acquire the skills necessary to ensure this. A responsible individual with the ability to engage in detail planning and possess good organisational skills.