Industrial Terrorism in Modern World

Industrial Terrorism in Modern World Overview Incorrect assumption in alleviating the threat posed by industrial terrorism is the main setback in the fight against acts of terror that target industrial chemical establishments. In the past, much of the effort had been directed towards responding to disasters caused by terrorism with minimal consideration of protective measures that can be put in place.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Industrial Terrorism in Modern World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although the September 11, 2001 incidence did not target chemical plants but real human life, first responders have made significant progress strengthening capabilities needed to defend the nation against the threat of WMD (Kosal, 2006). The DHS national guidelines developed and implemented nationwide have provided a durable framework for multi-agency coordination and cooperation. This is important because terrorist attacks or major disasters often ar e beyond what a single jurisdiction can respond to effectively. However, whether levels of preparedness are adequate at all levels of government may prove difficult to assess. Many emergency response and management professionals believe that the nation is better prepared than it was prior to 11th September 2001, but still has plenty of room for improvement. For example, priority missions identified in Homeland Security Strategic Plans have associated capabilities taken from the DHS Target Capabilities List. Each capability must reach target levels of performance if an adequate level of preparedness is to be achieved. It is clear that the emergency response community benefits from national standards that allow response entities to coordinate more effectively than before. However, to reiterate, is this level of preparedness where it needs to be? If not, what are the shortfalls and how should they be addressed? The biggest challenge for achieving an appropriate level of preparedness na tionwide remains the need for continued strengthening of multi-agency capabilities. Multi-agency preparedness, in terms of multi-agency capabilities achieving target levels of performance, is critical for safeguarding the country. This paper offers a succinct overview of industrial terrorism with cross reference to regulatory measures in place and some of the loopholes that need to be sealed in fully addressing the menace. Incidents It is highly possible that close to 2.4 million people may either sustain serious injuries or be killed altogether in the event that a terrorist attack is directed in a heavy industrial plant establishment with several employees (Perrow, 2007). Secondly, it also worth to note that substantial quantities of industrial chemicals emanating from over 15,000 chemical plants are transported, stored and produced.Advertising Looking for term paper on homeland security? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is against this background that â€Å"a worst vase release† was determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1996 and established the fact that over 100 of the identified chemical facilities had the potential of jeopardizing over one million lives located near the plants. Further, it is also estimated that between100, 000 and 1,000,000 people are currently at risk of the chemical facilities should they turn to be targets of industrial terrorists. Indeed, these are staggering numbers that authorities cannot merely develop policy documents without implementing the proposals. While politics has played a significant role in aggravating industrial terrorism, the international terrorist groups targeting industrial chemical plants has been uniquely identified as a thorn in the flesh in domestic security platform. It is an urgent threat to the security of people, whether viewed in terms of loss in life or destruction of property. Unfortunately, the relative effo rts to improve the status of domestic security have not seriously embarked on setting up robust measures against safeguarding industrial plants. The chemical plants remain as potential points of ‘accidents’ yet to be caused by terrorist. Owing to this precariously dangling scenario, there are interest groups that have incessantly pressured Washington to institute safety measures. On the same note, the chemical industries themselves are fighting hard to see into it that the federal government put up measures that will protect them against organized international terrorism. Even after the September 11 attacks and the subsequent creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), critics continue to assert that security measures adopted by the Homeland Security Act f 2002 on industrial chemicals are quite weak. The Act does not fully take into account the growing technological trends in industrial terrorism. Most chemical plants do not have any robust security structure since the federal standards in place are relatively weak.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Industrial Terrorism in Modern World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Critical infrastructure Why then are the chemical industries considered to be critical infrastructure? It is definite that employees in chemical industries are at a higher risk exposure due to threats of industrial terrorism. It is also evident that the worst-case scenarios present staggering numbers of people that are highly likely to be either injured or killed. The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) estimated over 2,000 sustained injuries in over 2,000 facilities each year. It is important to note that these figures are drawn within the U.S borders alone. The statistics could even be higher bearing in mind that the total number of chemical establishments in United States is continually growing. Contrary to the expectation, most of t hese injuries are sustained when the chemicals are being transported, not just within the chemical plants themselves. Besides, the worst impact of industrial terrorism is felt on the performance of the economy over and above the mass causalities and injuries. Much of the export from U.S emanates from the chemical industry. For instance, the year 2001 witnessed more than 80 billion dollars of exports from the chemical industry. This accounted for slightly over 10% of the total exports from United States. Besides, the industry employs more than one million workers at the local level while Research and Development consumes over 31 billion dollars on an annual basis. It is against this background that any terror attacks on industrial chemical facilities can grossly jeopardize the economy and as such, it is considered to be a critical infrastructure. In any case, the ability to communicate risk as soon as they are noted is crucial since it marks an integral step of responding to risks as well as being strategically prepared. The fact that strategic risk management has not been visibly put in place implies that some of the safety measures put in place may not be well received by the people and especially those employed in the industrial facilities targeted by terrorists (Chess, 2001). To date, industrial facilities that are considered high risk to acts of terrorism are being safeguarded by the SARA Title III. According to this title, the task of reporting and communicating risk has been mandated to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).Advertising Looking for term paper on homeland security? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For comminutes that are located within the proximity of facilities earmarked as ‘high risk’, local Emergency Planning Committees have been formed bridge the gap between the local governments and the grass-root level. One of the fundamental roles of this committee is to set up procedures and measures for manufacturing emergencies. Additionally, the committee also serves as an open forum where concerned groups or individuals can air their concerns regarding the chemical industries located near them. For instance, health and safety officials, industry representatives, government officials as well as individual residents can make use of this committee to deliberate on safety concern issues emanating from industrial establishments within their locality. Realistically speaking, it is vital step to take. The impact would even be larger if it were replicated in the at all levels of the government namely local, state and federal. The American Chemistry Council has also been on t he forefront towards implementing the initiatives set forward by the state and federal government. For example, there are SARA Title III requirements that must be met by chemical industrial plants. In order to meet these minimum requirements, the council is proactive in creating community advisory panels. These panels provide a forum through which the community can dialogue on matters related to safety of industrial facilities within their areas of residence. Besides, the public health officials are also mandated to see into it that the manufacturing principles are not only safe enough for the exposed populations but also meet the optimum requirements for anti-terror attacks. Furthermore, the Responsible Care Security Code was incepted after the 9/11 terror attacks. The code ensures that there is re-alignment between law enforcement and industry relationships. The protection of the high-risk chemical sites is also a top priority agenda under this code. Furthermore, the chemical comp anies are required by law to safeguard information that may be lethal should they fall on perpetrators of terror alongside striving to improve the security of their environment (Linden, 2007). This requirement is contained in the Responsible Care Practitioner’s Site chapter. Hence, both the individual companies and the industry at large are redirecting their efforts in developing components crucial to combat industrial terrorism. In order to achieve this, risk communication plans have been devised and implemented by many players especially those in the explosive toxic chemical industries. Although such efforts are apparently appealing, there is lack of positive reporting on the impacts derived from these measures. For example, environmental information and how the same is communicated to citizens is still a matter of concern. There are mixed reactions on how both the councils and committees have been relaying the vital information to the highly vulnerable communities. It is f eared that although such community based organizations have existed for long, most residents seem not to be aware of their operations (Heath, Bradshaw Lee, 2002). On the other hand, the intended functions of these organizations have been approved by slightly over 60% of residents. Nonetheless, it is unanimously agreed that a communication structure that is fully functional is necessary so that uncertainties can be managed a lot easier. Industrial responsiveness is indeed paramount even as the integral role of risk management is being given due consideration by both the federal government and industry players. Federal regulations The Department of Homeland Security was created by the federal government in a bid to tame domestic security, this being one of the largest overhauls in security systems and structures ever experienced in a fifty-year period (Sloan, 2008). The rationale behind this monumental task was to harness and consolidate the federal government’s protective and anti-terror systems so as to ascertain that the process of deploying and coordinating security services is done in a more harmonious and effective way. The emergency preparedness and response branch takes care of disaster preparedness at the domestic level alongside offering training and capacity building to First Responders. Furthermore, this division accelerates the process of recovering from acts of terror and disasters. In fact, the key role of the directorate is to ensure that there is a high level of disaster preparedness among various teams charged with emergency response. This would be of great importance to industrial terrorism setting where mass causalities are highly likely in the event of terror attack. Hence, an emergency response plan is one of the many strategies employed by this division to cater for hazards and attacks. Under this division are FBIs National Domestic Preparedness Office and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Moreover, a national crisis managem ent system is part and parcel of the distinguishing tasks of this wing. In order to achieve this, it coordinates the working of emergency response teams using some public safety organizations located at the local and state governments. The science and technology division specifically deals with technology behind technological advances in Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) that are often used attacking industrial chemical facilities. Hence, all catastrophic acts of terrorism applying either biological or chemical warfare are under the control of this wing of DHS. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 also mandates the science and technology division to set up a national emergency strategy teams at all levels of the government (Sloan, 2008). For example, the local and state governments should be well equipped with response teams that are well versed with both the management and disaster recovery skills following nuclear attacks, radiological or chemical terrorism. The overall aim is to sy nchronize the various response plans to improve efficiency. Further, the development of diagnostics antidotes, antibodies and vaccines is under this division. Better still, the Act provides plenty of room for devising countermeasures that can be instrumental in minimizing the threats of WMD attacks. Data collection and analysis is under the docket of Information Analysis and Infrastructure Division. The data to be analyzed are obtained from relevant federal agencies like Departments Drug Enforcement Agency and National Security Agency. The Homeland Security Act 2002 also established two main units under this division. These are the Critical Infrastructure Protection as well as the Threat Analysis and Warning. As a core duty, the division ensures that all data gathered and analyzed before the September 11 attacks are not only accurate but also relevant in the actual security operation. Hence, information has been centralized by this wing of the homeland security. The given informatio n is assessed in terms of the potential threats to national security. Additionally, relevant response actions are conveyed to the right teams spread across the federal government. Disparate intelligence information is compiled by the Threat Analysis and Warning wing of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The level of vulnerability of the nation in terms of catastrophes caused by either man or natural factors is also assessed. The security information at the domestic level is evaluated by the Critical Infrastructure Protection. In particular, the internal security components of the nation are analyzed by this division of the Homeland security. While the roles of the division are far reaching, the individual officials deployed at this branch are mandated to come up with sound policies that can assist in protecting targets labeled as high risk. Apart from the provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 outlined above, this grand piece of legislation also stipulates that expl osives should not be possessed beyond certain restrictions. Further, the Act also permits training of pilots on how to defend their crew just in case they are exposed to danger of airborne terror attack. It goes further stating that airport screening can only be done by either U.S nationals or citizens. The U.S immigrants are excluded under this provision. Although the Act has addressed myriad of security concern issues on terrorism, there are latent weaknesses that cannot be ignored if the department is to fully safeguard the growing threats to industrial terrorism. For instance, the creation of Operation TIPS is strictly forbidden in the Homeland Security Act of 2002. According to critics, this controversial security organ would have transformed the Department of Homeland Security into a swift intelligence agency with the power and ability to efficiently handle and manages homeland security in totality including industrial terrorism. Nonetheless, the main point of concern by the A merican Liberties Union is that the integration of such legislation into the country’s constitution would grossly jeopardize civil liberties protection. According to the proposals contained in the TIPS provisions, the Liberties Union argue that it will be impossible to grant citizens and other American nationals the right to privacy as granted in the constitution. The fact that the Department of Homeland Security has express right over controlling infrastructure, a director at ACLU, Laura Murphy, maintained that the department was given superfluous powers over vital infrastructure thereby limiting the public from conducting any significant scrutiny (Sloan, 2008). According to the provisions in the Act, certain infrastructure information may not be availed to the public especially if the government presumes it unfit for purposes of national security. Indeed, one of the apparent weaknesses in the Act is the fact that any disclosure of the ‘critical infrastructure’ information by a government official may lead to heavy imposition of criminal offence on the offender. Hence, whistle blowers on certain matters directly affecting the American public may as well be branded ‘criminals’ since they will have contravened this law. The online privacy of individuals is also undermined at great length by this piece of legislation. The Center for Democracy and Technology argue that the Cyber Security Enhancement Act is a real setback to personal online privacy (Sloan, 2008). According to the provisions in this Act, the government has the right, through telecom companies, to access and retrieve personal online data such as internet transactions and emails. The government’s rationale behind this legal provision is that accessing such personal information is pertinent especially in the event that national security is at risk. For telecommunication companies, they have been quite reluctant to avail personal information unless there are cour t warrants to do so. Cyber criminals like those who hack computers may be sentenced to life imprisonment as a maximum charge. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is also permitted by this law to access and utilize intelligence materials courtesy of the office of TIA. William Safire, a New York Times columnist dismissed this legislative arrangement as â€Å"Big Brotherism†. At the same time, TIA was also limited by the Congress. The appropriations bill of the Congress also witnessed a heavily cut down of the TIA budget. In yet another separate but related developments about the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the indemnification provision has equally sparked widespread protests. This provision has it that class-action law suits filed by citizens against individual or corporate contractors are restricted up to some level. Although the provision does not favor individual citizens and American nationals interested in lodging their complaints against public health menace caus ed by contractors, the government argues that companies which manufacture lethal vaccines necessary in biological or chemical warfare should be given some incentives to continue with the tedious task of production. This, according to the government, will shield them from high liability overheads. Worse still, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 that led to the inception of the Department of Homeland Security has faced equally tough criticism from city mayors who lament that the Act failed to provide â€Å"money to cities to fight terrorism† (CNN Politics, 2002). In recap, it is pertinent to reiterate that the chemical industry is highly visible in the eyes of terrorists and is equally potentially dangerous upon attack by terrorists. It is therefore necessary for the federal government to reinforce anti-terror planning and strategies. Emphatically, It is also worth to note that there are certain pieces of ‘critical industrial information’ that may be instrumental in terrorist planning. However, rather than creating a cowed community, risky information should be utilized in such a way that it empowers the community. In spite of the growing concerns on industrial terrorism, the security status in the transportation sector is equally important since terrorists are well known to target industrial chemicals on transit. References Chess, C. (2001). Organizational theory and the stages of risk communication. Risk Analysis, 21(1), 179-188. CNN Politics (2003). Bush signs homeland security bill. Web. Heath, R. L., Bradshaw, J., Lee, J. (2002). Community relationship building: Local leadership in the risk communication infrastructure. Journal of Public Relations Research, 14, 17-353. Kosal, E.M. (2006). Terrorism Targeting Industrial Chemical Facilities: Strategic Motivations and the Implications for U.S. Security. Studies in Conflict Terrorism, 29, 719–751. Linden, V.E. (2007). Focus on Terrorism, Volume 9 New York: Nova Science Publishing Inc . Perrow, C. (2007). The Next Catastrophe: Reducing Our Vulnerabilities to Natural, Industrial and Terrorist Disasters. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Sloan, E. (2008). Continental and homeland security: From Bush to Obama. International Journal, 64(1), 191-200.

An Inspector Calls Essay Example for Free (#11)

An Inspector Calls Essay An Inspector Calls is a play that investigates the social injustice of society in England. Its author JB Priestly writes a story based on the society reigned by King Edward. In this historic period the British Empire was at its peak of world colonial power. Edwardian society, as the period was known as, was split into different class groups. You had upper class, middle class and lower class. JB Priestly rights about an Edwardian upper class family, called the Birlings and how their transgressions lead to the suicide of a poor lower class factory worker known as Eva Smith. The story begins in the Birling household where the family are celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft. The celebrations are interrupted as the inspector appears, bringing the news of the suicide of Eva Smith. His inquiries reveal each member of the Birling household involvement in the case and the once respectable Birling family are revealed to be rather pathetic and immoral.  In reference to the essay question I shall now write about one member of the Birling family and how their character changes through out the play. Sheila Birling is the daughter of Author and Sybil Birling. It is at her engagement party with Gerald Croft, where the inspector reveals the family’s involvement in the Eva Smith suicide case. In the story Priestly portrays her as a young beautiful lady with a rather selfish and arrogant nature. Using her compelling personality she is able to obtain anything in which she desires through her father. At the beginning of the inspector’s inquiries she seems  somewhat curious about the reason for the inspector’s interference. Of course at this time she is unaware of her contribution to the incident and sits in the room with a feeling of impartial responsibility to the suicide of Eva Smith. After the inspector explains what’s happened and how Eva Smith dies she shows an empathetic side of her personality, which might have surprised the audience watching the play. She shows her remorse by describing her feelings towards the injustice of the case. The inspector interviews Author Birling first before moving on to Sheila. Author Birling insists for the inspector to leave his daughter out his inquiries, but the inspector points out to Mr Birling that he must speak to everybody in the house. The inspector unveils Sheila’s’ involvement by revealing her as the second link in a long chain of events leading to the death of Eva Smith. Edwardian upper class society was well renowned for their ability to exercise total power and control over lower class persons. Priestly shows a perfect example of this during the inspector’s questioning of Sheila. He reveals that after being sacked from Mr Birlings’ factory, Eva Smith found a knew line of work at a clothes shop where Sheila Birling was considered a valued customer. Eva Smith was soon left unemployed after being sacked again. The reason was for being better looking than Sheila in a dress which had Miss Birling’s best interest at heart. Using her social position she was able to influence the managers at the clothes shop into dismissing Eva Smith. Sheila is devastated after hearing the effect of her selfish act. The inspector shows another side to Sheila Birlings’ character, her gentle side. Perhaps Sheila can be separated from the rest of the family as she is the only one, apart from Eric who is able to accept responsibility for her action, unlike her father who a coward at heart made excuses for his actions.: Through the course of the play Sheila slowly changes from a spoilt little rich snob into a mature young lady. She begins to share the inspectors’ views on Edwardian society and brings about a few of her own views.  The purpose of Priestly writing ‘An Inspector Calls’ was to get his views about Edwardian society across England. Using the inspector he criticizes  The social order of Edwardian society. So any comment made by the inspector is a comment made by JB Priestly.  Conclusion  I have been able to successfully answer the essay question using Sheila Birling as my character to show how members of the Birling family changed. JB Priestly reveals the injustice that occurred in Edwardian society. He shows the audience that the upper class people of Edwardian society were consequently not the respectable upright citizens that their class positions would have implied. An Inspector Calls. (2017, Nov 07).

Law against Sexual Harassment in Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law against Sexual Harassment in Qatar - Essay Example In the referendum, held on April 29, 2003, about 97% voters approved a new constitution. The constitution gives equal rights to the women. In Qatar public protests and political demonstrations are not permissible. Trade groups, women groups and political parties have not been granted license. In 2002 the Emir ordered to establish National Committee for Human Rights to implement the aims of internation human rights charter and to report the human rights violation. The constitution of Qatar guarantees women the equal rights as citizens . Article 35 explicitly stipulates, "[A]ll people are equal before the law. There shall be no discrimination on account of sex, origin, language or religion." No doubt, the constitution gives protection to women but in reality there have been no formal mechanism to provide opportunity to women to register their complaints against gender discrimination. The government is not interested to take measures to protect the legal rights of women. Moreover, the Islamic Laws, as implemented in Qatar are discriminatory against women and women do not have the legal protection if the law of inheritance is violated. â€Å"The term sexual harassment is understood internationally as the abuse of authority by persons in positions of power with the purpose of coercing persons under their authority into granting sexual favors.† (The Arab Human Development Report, 2005 and for comprehensive review, see Paludi & Paludi,2003: Sbraga & O’ Donohue, 2000) Unfortunately Arab penal codes do not provide us the concrete definition of sexual harassment. There are laws to punish the crime of rape, sexual abuse and extorting sexual favors but Arab penal codes does not define sexual harassment as it is defined internationally. The foreigners, working in Qatar, does not have the right of citizenship, it is reported that foreign nationals employed as domestic worker face sexual harassment at their work place.  

Photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Photography - Essay Example Public disclosure of private facts would be another basis for a tort involving photography. For instance, if one takes a picture of another at an AIDS clinic, and it is clear that this picture was taken at an AIDS clinic, and this picture was published, then this would be public disclosure of private facts, and it would be actionable. Publicity that places another in a false light is another restriction. Perhaps an example of this would be to photograph a teetotaler with a beverage that resembles a beer, when it is actually a non-alcoholic beer. The fourth major restriction is that one cannot take another’s likeness or name to use for one’s own advantage (Krages, 2007). An example of this might be taking a picture of somebody, then putting this picture up on one’s own website and use it, without permission, to advertise one’s business. While the right to photograph others in public is pretty straightforward, in that, with some restrictions, there is genera lly a right to photograph individuals in public, it is different in private places. This might include residences, museums, concerts, etc. The owner of the venue or the residence has a right to restrict photography within the residence or venue. Generally they post signs stating this fact, but, even if they do not, they have the right to verbally prohibit photographers from taking photographs (Manning, 2012). In general, I think that photography laws are just right. I believe that anyone has the right to photograph anybody on the street, yet I also see the need for the restrictions. If an individual is suffering from AIDS and does not want this known, then he or she has the right to make sure that his or her picture at the clinic is not publicized. This is a basic privacy right to keep one’s illness hidden, and it is perfectly acceptable to make sure that this privacy right is not abridged. Likewise, it is a clear invasion of privacy to take pictures with long-range lenses, s o this is another excellent restriction. The false light restriction also goes a long way to protecting privacy and protecting others from defamation. In other words, I feel that the restrictions upon photographing individuals provide an excellent balance between the first amendment rights of photographers with the privacy rights of individuals. As for restrictions in private residences and venues, I wish that these restrictions would be lessened, although I understand that private places have a right to make these restrictions. Discussion 3 According to Mendelson (2007), paparazzi are denigrated by journalists, who do not consider what he paparazzi do to be in line with journalism’s ethics. This is because they are intrusive and often harass their celebrity â€Å"prey.† Not only that, their focus is often on the trivial, as opposed to the focus of a â€Å"serious† journalist. Alach (2008) takes issue with the fact that the paparazzi invade the celebrity’ s privacy. He also decries their tactics, stating that paparazzi often scare the children of celebrities, and that they often â€Å"hunt in packs,† with hordes of photographers, who have been tipped off about a certain celebrity’s whereabouts, ambushing the hapless celebrity and the family of the celebrity. Alach (2008) finds paparazzi to be exploitive, therefore their First Amendment rights

Free Essay - Mrs. Linde and Nora in Ibsens A Dolls House :: A Dolls House Essays

A Doll’s House Essay: Mrs. Linde and Nora      Ã‚  Ã‚   After reading   â€Å"A Doll’s House† by Hendrik Ibsen. I can conclude that there is both a parallel and a contrast structure in the characters of Mrs. Linde and Nora. A contrasting difference in the characters, are shown not in the characters themselves, but the role that they play in their marriages. These women have different relationships with their husbands. Torvald and Nora have a relationship where there is no equality. To Torvald Nora is an object. Hence, she plays the submissive role in a society where the lady plays the passive role. Her most important obligation is to please Torvald, making her role similar to a slave. He too considers himself superior to her. As for Kristine and Krogstad their relationship is much more open to us. It is apparent that if Kristine and Krogstad were to engage in an argument, it is more likely that that they would come to a compromise. A strong sign that Mrs. Linde brings us a better understanding of Nora is their parallel in characters. Both are willing to sacrifice themselves for values dear to their lives. This act of aiding significant loved ones gives us a better understanding of Nora. It gives us an image of who the character Nora really is. Mrs. Linde shows her loyalty to her family when she did not think that she â€Å"had the right† to refuse her husband’s marriage proposal. After taking into consideration her sick mother, her brothers, and Krogstad having money. She married for the welfare of her family. Which means that in this society family is top priority. To the women is this era, loyalty to their loved ones is highly expected. Then, we have Nora, who on the same token saves her husband (Torvald’s) life, which portrays again, the trend of women sacrificing for their families. They both (Mrs. Linde and Nora) express their feelings of pride and fulfillment in helping their significant others by sacrificing themselves. Nora’s character is made more obvious to us by Mrs. Linde’s actions. Not only did Nora open her mouth about saving her husband‘s life, but she did it with the utmost pride. Claiming to have raised all the money herself she soaks in her self-importance. In Act 1, Nora seems to thrive on the pride she gets from borrowing the money. I suppose that she is feeling useful for a change.

David Abram Ecology of Magic

Humans are born from and return to earth at death; human beings and nature are bound up each other. Yet, the technological modern world has shaped humans to be oblivious of nature and the ethnocentrism has positioned human beings above all other things. Nature has become resources for people and nothing more than that. David Abram, the author of the Ecology of magic, travels into the wild, traditional land in search of the relation between magic and nature; the meaning nature holds in the traditional cultures. Abram intends to communicate his realization of the magical awareness of the countless nonhuman entities and the necessity of the balance between the human communities and the nature to the readers, hoping the Western technologized people to regard nature with respect and wonder. The perceptional differences Westerners and the traditional people hold in regard of nature should be transcended to achieve equilibrium and consequently bring about a healthier society. What is it that Abram experiences in the traditional land of Indonesia? Abram is also one of the Westerners who lived all his life in the modern technological world; he once was a person who did not know the true value of nature. However, in the traditional, oral land, the author succeeds in overcoming the perceptional differences and realizes the importance nature holds in his life. During the travel, Abram purposefully encounters and befriends the traditional magicians or sorcerers with his sleight of hand magic that buys interest from them. As the author states, â€Å"For magicians – whether modern entertainers or indigenous tribal sorcerers – have in common the fact that they work with the malleable texture of perception† (Abram, 3), the common ground of ‘working with the malleable texture of perception’ has let Abram to look more closely into the activities the magicians perform in the traditional oral land. As Abram works his hands to trick the audience, thereby working with the perceptions of the audiences, the magicians engage in shedding the accepted perceptual logic to enter into relation with other entities. The primary objective of the magicians, at first, seems to be healers as they participate in treating the sicknesses; however, Abram learns that the magicians hold a more important role in the human communities. They act as the intermediaries between the human world and the nature. The diseases that circulate the village originate from the imbalance between the nature and the human world and the magicians work with the primary cause of the sicknesses. The basic concept of treating the illnesses differs from the Western doctors who perform surgeries as the magicians, living at the periphery of the human communities, sought to communicate with the nature, consequently striving to achieve equilibrium. The prayers, praises and the propitiations given to the nature in return for the nourishment and sustenance it provides to human communities do not seem forthright at first, even to Abram; the magician’s primary role only seems as formal traditions that hold no meaning for the villagers who only yearn for visual and direct treatment of the diseases. Yet, as Abram suggests, â€Å"†¦and it was only gradually that I became aware of this more subtle dimension of the native magician’s craft† (8), while living in the remote traditional land and experiencing the diverse, rather different performances, the author was able to notice and learn seeing and hearing things in different manners. ‘To see and hear in a manner I never had before’ (15) was not something that Abram learnt with his head, but rather a feeling obtained with his skin. By shifting out human’s awareness to other various nonhuman beings and thinking in the perspective of those intelligences’ (7), Abram was able to hold respect and awe for nature and realize the importance of the balance. Just by staring into the spiders, the birds, the river and the wind, Abram was able to communicate with these nonhuman entities and see the importance these beings hold in human beings’ daily lives. The basis of the perceptional difference lies in the mere difference in how the traditional and the Westerners regard the relation between magic and nature. In the Western world, magic is defined as the ability to alter one’s consciousness at will. The magicians perform hand tricks to startle the senses and free the audience from the outdated and restricted thoughts by inspiring awe and surprises within the individuals. This is the common image that we bring up when thinking of the word magic and magician. Westerners find no relation between magic and nature as the two are thought as two distinct concepts. However, people of the oral, traditional land conjure up different idea in regard of magic and nature. The two are correlated concepts as magic can be defined as â€Å"humans experience their own consciousness as simply one form of awareness among many others† (7). Magic is shifting out one’s consciousness to put it in others shoes. The others indicate the many beings regarded to have intelligence, the components of nature. By thinking in the perspective of other nonhuman entities, as Abram succeeded in doing in the traditional land, the magicians communicate with the nature. As the author mentions, â€Å"Countless anthropologists have managed to overlook the ecological dimension of the shaman’s craft, while writing at great length of the shaman’s rapport with supernatural entities† (6), the Western people simply fail to recognize the relationship between nature and magic because they have been raised to think of what is beyond human’s will as the â€Å"supernatural† rather than in the dimensions of nature. Human beings, in the technological, modern world, stands above all other things as the ethnocentrism has shaped people to think in human-based terms; the surrounding environment, including the rocks, mountains, and the animals, have been placed there for human use and nothing more than that. They are entities with no senses, no thoughts, and no feelings. Humans are the only beings with intelligence. The busy daily lives formed due to the advanced technology have shaped people to simply deny the existence of other entities and perceive things other than humans as non-meaningful. Abram, too, adjusts to the modern world and returns to his original life as a Westerner who fails to regard nature with respect when he goes back to his homeland from Indonesia. Despite all the feelings and knowledge gained in the traditional land, because of the technology and the ethnocentrism Abram fails to continue his communication with the nature. Yet, the importance of respect for nature and the balance between nature and human beings should be comprehended by the modern society people. As the author has witnessed, â€Å"The sad results of our interactions with the rest of nature were being reported in every newspaper – from the depletion of topsoil due to industrial farming techniques to the fouling of groundwater by industrial wastes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (20), the damages spurred on the nature due to human’s endless desires result in dire situations of extinction of animals and the rapid destruction of the tropical forests. The broken equilibrium causes diseases to circulate the society. Constant advancements in technology do not work out to correct the damages done to human beings and the nature. What should be taken for human use should be compensated for to the nature; balance is the most fundamental way to end the vicious cycle that constantly damages both human beings and the nature. Modern people should not disregard the relation between magic and nature. Understanding the importance nature holds for human beings would arouse the magical forces of the equilibrium.

Integrating An Individualistic Person Into A Team Player...

Integrating an Individualistic Person into a Team Player It’s almost impossible to avoid group projects or team activities in today’s society. Most people have been a part of a team. Nearly everyone has had to complete a group project for a class. Now within these situations, many have experienced one person in the group that did not contribute to the project or team and there was another person who took over the entire project and wanted to do everything on the team. The many consequences of this is the disruption of team cohesion and holding the team back, inhibiting them from completing the task at hand. This can definitely transfer over to the workplace. This is the cause of an individualistic attitude. You can find them giving excuses for why they do not work in teams or be in a group for their work, they can say â€Å"I do not work well with others,† â€Å"I am too busy to meet with a team,† â€Å"I do not want to be stuck with a procrastinator,â₠¬  and â€Å"I’ll wind up doing all the work anyway.† Although these are very undesirable circumstances the point of working in a team is to be effective and efficient. Managers are searching for quality and quantity as a result of and employees work and they believe working in a group or within a team will generate quality work at a faster pace. 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