The Patchwork of Reality and Fiction in Tim O’brien’s the Things They Carried Essay Example for Free

The Patchwork of Reality and Fiction in Tim O’brien’s the Things They Carried Essay The Patchwork of Reality and Fiction in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried Tim O’ Brien, in his recent fictional story The Things They Carried, illustrates the struggle to unravel and grasp ambiguities of the war in the most unusual way, by understanding it through the mind’s eye. He resolutely transgressed the boundary between fiction and reality, and struggles to demonstrate that the illusory dimension can frequently be more real, particularly in the events leading to the Vietnam War, than reality itself. Communicating the view of ambiguity of an ordinary soldier about what really took place in Vietnam by narrating the imagined domain as though it is the real work, and afterwards challenging these realities once more, can be viewed as a deviation of the poignant and disturbing statements American soldiers use to express their own doubt about what took place in Vietnam. They drew on these expressions to transform the inexpressible and horrifying and ambiguous into reality. Likewise, O’Brien narrates tales and realities that are merely fleetingly definite and factual. In the section ‘Notes’, O’Brien illustrated the process of merging illusion and reality (O’Brien 1990, 152): By telling stories, you objectify you own experience. You separate it from yourself. You pin down certain truths. You make up others. You start sometimes with an incident that truly happened, like the night in the shit field, and you carry it forward by inventing incidents that did not in fact occur but that nonetheless help to clarify and explain. In the above passage, O’Brien shows that impossibility of knowing exactly what took place. He urges his readers to become aware of the events in the Vietnam War that they do not know and perhaps will never be aware of. The Things They Carried brings the readers to the Vietnam War through the author’s webs of narratives. O’Brien informs us that we will never truly know what exactly happened in Vietnam. And the realities of the Vietnam War will die alongside the people who experienced the ‘real’ and ‘unreal’. References O’Brien, T. The Things They Carried. New York: Mariner Books, 1990.

Binge Drinking on America’s Campuses Essay -- College Alcohol Abuse

Binge drinking is rampant on today’s colleges and university campuses. Binge drinking is defined as, five or more drinks for a man at any one time, four or more drinks for a woman (Thompson, J.J. 63). A recent survey revealed that almost half of college students engage in binge drinking, and half of those who binge drink do so regularly (McCormick, John; Kalb, Claudia 89). It is not the half that drinks responsibly that needs programs targeting them; it is the other half of students that engage in binge drinking. This paper aims to discuss both the scope of binge drinking on the campuses of America’s colleges and universities and techniques used to combat it. At the same time America has managed to keep the same percentage of its students from drinking entirely for the last five years, binge drinking has been on the rise (Thompson, J.J. 63). While 49 percent of college students binge, only 28 percent of their non-college counterparts do (McCormick, John; Kalb, Claudia 89), clearly illustrating the divide that exists between students and non-students. These figures are upsetting in that one would expect universities to be the breeding ground for new leaders and innovative thinkers in society while these figures make today’s college campuses look like nothing more than National Lampoon’s Animal House- a drunken debauchery. Consider these facts: For women, this study found that 80% of sorority house residents had binged during the last 2 weeks prior to this study compared with 58% of non-resident sorority women, and 35% of non-Greek women. As for the men, the study found that during the previous two weeks, 86% of fraternity house residents had binged compared to 71% of non-resident fraternity men and 45% for non-Greek men (Core Institute pars. 1-2). If there has ever been a clearer cut case for reformation of the Greek system, it has never been presented. This problem was tragically brought to light in 1996 with the media attention given to the death of a Louisiana State University student who died in the fraternity house from acute alcohol poisoning. Tragically, the numbers of students dying of alcohol related causes are rising steadily each year. With the ever increasing costs of higher education, one would think that students would be committed to gaining the best education possible; but a 1996 study leaves little doubt that a student’s GPA ... .../collfact.htm Colleges and Drinking. CNN Online. February 23, 1999. http://cnn.com/US/9805/02/campus.crime/index.html New Study Finds Bingeing. Core Institute. September 1, 1999. http://www.alphaomicronpi.org/Article/alcohol02.html Drugs- Indiana University. Indiana University. February 23, 1999. http://www.drugs.indiana.edu/publications/ncadi/primer/binge.htm Iowa State Daily. February 2, 1999. http://www.daily.iastate.edu/volumes/Fall95/Dec-01-95/fr3-hw.html LA Times Website. February 28, 1999. http://peele.sas.nl/lib/latimes030196.html McCormick, John; Kalb, Claudia. â€Å"Bellying Up to the Bar; binge drinking remains a major problem on many college campuses, according to a Harvard University study.† Newsweek 21 September 1998: 89. New UNC Initiave. February 28, 1999.http://www.cspinet.org/new/aluncorn.htm Thompson, J.J. â€Å"Plugging the Kegs: students benefit when colleges limit excessive drinking; alcohol abuse by college students.† US News & World Report January 1998: 63. Internet Sources Consulted Wechsler, Henry PhD. Binge Drinking on America’s College Campuses. Harvard http://archive.sph.harvard.edu/cas/Documents/monograph_2000/cas_mono_2000.pdf

Internatiomal Relations Foreign Policy Essay

Introduction The US Foreign Policy is undisputed going global, be it in the Far East, Middle East and the Asia Pacific Regions.   The governments of the world are inherent with the same positions and policies in various aspects that pertain to political and economic security. On the other hand, the so-called policy in achieving human security varies in degrees of considerations under the constitutions of different countries. As the world watch and perseveres to achieving world order and peace, the clout and competition among powerful nations are at large. The stigma of terroristic attack on US soil has spread the slogan to end up the cowardice and treacherous act of terror of Bin Laden and its cohorts. Way back in the 60’s and 70’s, the same sloganeering of foreign policy towards strategic security have echoed in the corridors of South East Asia, as the Vietnam War   wasted thousands of American soldiers’ lives. As there was the saying goes on: â€Å"don’t fight your enemy in their own backyard†. What has most recently developed in the turn of 21st century is the strategic positioning of foreign policy as changing of the guards in allied governments progressively adhere or inclined to adopting a policy of powerful nations. The magnitude of influence, motive and clout is in the frontline of global competition in the context of socio-economic, political and social development. More so, foreign policies bring forth and reach out diplomatic ties among allies as crossing borders widens and broadens powers that be. Policy on World Order The Preemptive or preventive measures particularly on war on terrorism rooted out by 9/11 attack on US soil. The cost of American lives outlived many agonies far reaching places of the World. The war on terrorism has plagued the world order. Supported by US Congress and the UN, President Bush out cried the rage and wage of war in Middle East. Economic embargo have somewhat the most outrageous assault coupled with advanced technological armament and military troops. At the height of massive legislation of policy, advocacy and military campaigns against terrorism to surviving world order, civil wars and domestic violence upsurge in other countries. Frightening issue on manufacturing of weapons of mass destructions has dubbed the North Korea, aside from known fractured pile of lethal weaponry in Iraq and Afghanistan.   Not remote to that is the continuing reign of terror of Islamic secessionist in Asia like Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the government have pledged its allied support to combating and annihilating substantial terrorist groups and potential enemies of the state. The dreaded Islamic secessionist Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in the Southern Philippines embarked on the first blow. The show of force and deployment of American troops in the Philippines’ war zones through the â€Å"OPLAN Balikatan† (linking shoulder) of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) which plays critical role to the Philippines’ armed forces. This manifests domestic implementation of foreign policy in military affairs. It cited, though, that foreign policy imposition on domestic affairs of Philippine armed forces is impartial, ever since the â€Å"OPLAN Balikatan† specifically implements only combat exercises in unfamiliar war zones or combat territories. The call of the United States to all of its allied countries and governments of the world is adhere on a policy of surviving and preserving the world order.   Thus, the US foreign policy stands on the fundamentals of international stability. National security – preemptive or preventive war strategy? The source of third world countries in achieving national security is patterned with the Protect America Act Of 2007. In which it amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)†¦ â€Å"to provide intelligence community essential tools to acquire important information about terrorists who want to harm America†. (www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/nationalsecurity/) This follows the speech of US President George W. Bush on 10th October 2007: â€Å"In August, Congress passed the Protect America Act, a bill to modernize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. This new law strengthened our ability to collect foreign intelligence on terrorists overseas, and it closed a dangerous gap in our intelligence. Since this important measure took effect, our intelligence professionals have been able to gather critical information that would have been missed without this authority. And keeping this authority is essential to keeping America safe.† Exchange of information in the parlance of clandestine sourcing involves method or techniques of achieving the so-called â€Å"intelligence network†. Whereas, nations or countries and even communities that shares the same information in order to preempt, prevent, circumvent a potential enemy attack or heist that put the state and its citizenry into woes and chaos are considered to be one in the intelligence community. The community has envelopes the security of the nation that spends the cost of peaceful life by way of ensuring and securing politically, economically and socially. Capitalism – free trade or imperialism? Free trade is a growing issue of critical importance particularly to the third world economies. Like in the Philippines, the so-called global competitiveness is over dependent on the efficiency of agriculture and the development of industries in the rural areas. It meant to be, as the open markets freely soar into sky-high pricing and inflation, the US and European markets are the major stakeholders and consumers. However, the quality and production standards are the sharp end in order to compete globally. The General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was established in 1994.   The WTO conducted negotiations through the â€Å"Uruguay Round† from September 1986 to April 1994 in Punta del Este, Uruguay. The main objectives of the Uruguay Round, according to WTO, were: â€Å"to reduce agricultural subsidies to put restrictions on foreign investment and to begin the process of opening trade in services like banking and insurance† (WTO). With the most recent conference (round of talks) in June 2007, negotiations within the Doha round broke down at a conference in Potsdam, New York, a major impasse occurred between the US, the EU, India and Brazil. The main disagreement was over opening up agricultural and industrial markets in various countries and also how to cut rich nation farm subsidies. Among the countries in South East, like the Philippines, exporting of raw materials is a major breakthrough to compete in the open market and trade. But the setback relies on achieving the quota on export volume as provided in GATT. The efficiency of production of the Philippine agriculture does not mainly rely on the efficient hardship of the farmers and other sectors in fishery and livestock. Therefore, while a third world country is unable to compete and perform its stake in the open market, the means and least it can get is the surplus technology in post-harvest equipment, manufacturing, food processing and the exploits of cheap labor force. Capitalism has long been embedded in the history of monarchies, empires and dynasties. The ploys to developing the so-called bowl of economy have been brought about by war, famine, embargo and GATT.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The capitalists’ countries pour on investments to producing raw materials which the 21st century method calls it as â€Å"out-sourcing or outbound†. The out-sourcing or sourcing out is holistic as it invests directly in labor and raw materials. The greatest leap is to amass the power and influence of governments or bureaucracy. Democracy – continuities and contradictions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The popular democracy and democratic reform amongst governments are but a manifestation of people’s sovereign and constitutional rights. Democracy is basically upholding the freedom of will and expression where the rule of law applies. Democracy sometime becomes the scapegoat of hostility where common people are compromised. The US war on terrorism, as outlined in its National Security Strategy of 2006 (NSS 2006), merely defines the democratic will to uphold a just and peaceful state. Meaning to uphold the rule of law, preserve the people’s sovereignty, and secure the state and its citizenry from external and internal hostile forces. Again the 9/11 incident have broadened the US National Strategy of 2006 to cross borders– as it reached out attack in Afghanistan and Iraq. Meanwhile, the facades of military force have shown in selective countries of the world in trail of terrorists. Over the past years after September 11th 2001, the world has witnessed the sword of Damocles unleashed in Middle East and countries in Latin America and South East Asia. The common understanding of allied countries to the US claims upheaval of human security and protecting democracies. It may be presumed with etymology that democracy is symbiotic to chaos or tyranny. The societal perception of having democracy is attained after a long dictatorial regime has reigned to power. In the Philippines, the 20-year old rule of the Marcos dictatorship has ended through a military-civilian-back revolt in 1986. The restoration of the so-called â€Å"popular democracy† have been labeled or seconded from the popular will of the Filipinos as the non-violent response dismantling the regime. Democracy can be also defined as to representing the collective and major stronghold of a sovereign people. People as it mean humans. Therefore, democracy is people, humanity and sovereign will. World peace – contributing or detracting? World peace is every man’s dream and every nation’s hope. The attainment of world peace can be perceived by attaining a world order. The world order where every nation has resolutely achieved the essence of democracy based on just and lasting peace. A government enjoys the fundamentals of peaceful co-existence with its people. The rule of law harnesses the execution of justice. The abundance of life does not show in the streets where vagabonds and beggars dwell. The ecology returns its greens and life of the wilderness from extinction. Thus, world peace shall be harmoniously shared among nations. As the United Nations (UN) calls on the world order in accord of achieving world peace, the US foreign policy, together with its strategic security programs, remains as a predominating entity with the so-called vacuum of power. The continuing effort of the United Nations to halt global hostilities, the domestic conflict and foreign aggression have transformed into different level. The US foreign policy â€Å"has an overarching policy framework that comprehends the fundamental factors shaping our world, in practice, foreign policy typically is local. In other words, foreign policy is not designed to deal with different forces separately or on a global scale, but rather with how they come together and interact to create concrete problems or opportunities in specific regions and countries† (Richard N. Haas, published article: Policymakers and the Intelligence Community Supporting Us Foreign Policy in the Post-9/11 World, CIA posted document). It can be interpreted at a layman’s understanding that the US foreign policy has a leverage to be dealt with or not. At a glance, the influence of foreign policy in the domestic political and economic affairs of a country can be superficial. It is for that particular country to be anointed with a foreign policy guideline to interact on its implementation or pattern its governmental functions. In other words, a country that adheres and implements the foreign policy complicates the fundamentals of its governance as well as the political will, economic condition and above all the lives of people. To which, the third world countries in general are in fragile condition as benefactors of foreign policy, the disarray in governmental functions and helplessness for empowerment are only fractions of cumulative result. The avenues to achieving world peace with the continuing proliferation of a foreign policy in variable methods, situations and functions of people and government is a path to a long walk home. Human rights – helping or hurting? It says that the essence of becoming a man is being human. Human right is the preservation and dignity of life, liberty, the freedom of thought and expression, the equality before the law. As the war on terrorism escalates, a large number of casualties and refugees continue to grow. Starvation is a result of dislocation from economic source or absence of food supply by economic embargo. Those are only a few result of sub-human condition in a world at war although some experts would refer to ethical parameters but still the essence of being human have denied. The Human Security Act in the Philippines have been legislated and on its infantile enforcement. The clout of enforcement have been claimed by defiant civil society groups in the Philippines as experimental and patterned to US National Security Strategy of 2006. According to reports, â€Å"a case scenario of human rights violations has risen and growing from approximate 8-10 percent in years 2006 and 2007 breaking the similar reported cases at the time of martial law from 1973 to 1986 during the Marcos government† (Philippines, Commission on Human Rights). With the clout of foreign policy in the third world countries, collateral damage in the face of the world order took place in small and starving populace. Man made disasters equals its fury to natural calamities. As though, foreign policy may not mean or intend to harm the steward of the land, the complicating effect settles its residue on the stewardship. This means the system of execution becomes hurting to the core of the society that represents community, people, family and humans. III.   Ã‚   Conclusion A thorough review on available source or reference concludes that foreign policy influences much on the context of political, economic and social function of people and its government. The reaching out to influence external or domestic affairs of allied governments is adherent and cognizant to interpretation, studies and value assessment on impact to particular governance. The sympathy, cooperation, collaboration are among the vital faculties which the foreign policy inculcate among ally countries. The strategic positioning towards world domination is to win over supporters and the like in a rallying point of waging war on terrorist. The disturbing issue on â€Å"human security†, aside from â€Å"acquiring a strategic security measure or preemptive response against terrorism†, make a distinction to the latter. However, a common understanding to safeguard the lives and property of innocent people reconcile the distinction between â€Å"human security† and â€Å"strategic security measure against terrorism†. In retrospect, the effects of US foreign policy to the third world politics and economy can be implied as a domestic affair or concern at the point of view of direct control or internal aggression over governance. What can be safely question is the coherent application of a foreign policy in an unspecified territory, characteristic in governance of an allied government, the politico-economic and politico-military condition. The magnitude of US foreign policy is characterized by its dominance towards world order. However, the resistance and defiance among other powerful nations implicates competition resulting to conflicts, political and economic sabotage. This becomes an alarming situation that threatens the life and dignity of men, women and children, as well as the economic base. A critical perception and analyses on US foreign policy can be more effectively attained deducing the roles and executions of allied countries. The criticism on influencing the governance and mandate of an allied country that patronize the foreign policy is an issue at large. â€Å"As critics of US global domination should pause and consider the alternative. If the United States retreats from its hegemonic role, who would supplant it? Not Europe, not China, not the Muslim World—and certainly not the United Nations. Unfortunately, the alternative to a single superpower is not a multilateral utopia, but the anarchic nightmare of a new Dark Age† (Ferguson, N., July/Aug. 2004, A World Without Power, Foreign Policy, Page 32-39). What sources tells about on the issue of US foreign policy is to what extent or magnitude of influence have taken place? The efforts on achieving a world order in the 21st century is deeply entangled in the history of the world where people converge in a common way of life, be it Western, Asian, Islamic. The convergence can be taken back before the development of society from its primitive communal state. The freedom or liberty of humankind, the practices and traits of people, the social order and democratization are the consistent fundamentals of a world order. Therefore, the US foreign policy is cognizant to the fundamentals and potentialities of stability in its international relations, diplomatic values amongst nations. The only way that the political will of a foreign policy is a mighty sword and sharpened by the challenges it confronts. Bold and daring as it is intact of historically inherited dominion from the battle frontiers of France, Great Britain and Germany to the Pearl Harbor, Iraq and Afghanistan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The casualties in the effects of war on terrorism can be assessed as a pragmatic result of human and technical error. The debris from the destruction was fragments of reality in order to regain. The critical issues on national security, economy, governance and peoples’ democracy progressively draws conscience and awareness among leaders of nations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The consensus on US foreign policy in developing countries has much drawn critical importance to minimize the adversity in political, economic aspects and human suffering. That is for allied governments to make use the influence of foreign policy in the objective condition of its governance, mandate and the sovereign will of the people. REFERENCES Excerpt: speech of US president George W. Bush, October 10th 2007; The Uruguay Round, General Agreement on Tariff and Trade, World Trade Organization (WTO); Policymakers and the Intelligence Community Supporting Us Foreign Policy in the Post-9/11 World,     Richard N. Haas, CIA posted document; Commission on Human Rights, Philippines, September 2007; Published Article, US National Security Strategy of 2007;

Global Warming And Its Effects - 1512 Words

Global warming is one of the most alarming and pressing issues that the world faces today. Global warming is the rise of the earth’s temperature over time. The damaging effects of global warming have become more and more apparent, with more tropical storms and hurricanes causing massive destruction, more animal species losing their habitats and coming under threat, rising sea levels, etc. According to NASA, the hottest year on record was 2005, which was the same as 1998. In the last ten years, twice we’ve had record temperatures ever recorded in our planet’s history. The past nine years have all been among the 25 warmest years on record. 2 WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING? Global warming is the gradual rise in average surface temperature of the†¦show more content†¦Thomas Stocker, co-chair of the report, called climate change â€Å"the greatest challenge of our time†, and warned that without decisive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many of the impacts of global warming will not only continue, but accelerate. 2.1 WHERE IS IT? Global warming affects everyone although some countries suffer more than others due to geographical factors such as being low lying, coastal, etc. The countries that usually suffer from climate change are usually least developed countries or developing countries. The developed countries are the main countries causing climate change but it is not effecting them as much. 2.2 WHERE DOES IT EFFECT? Global warming everyone to some degree. Some countries are hit harder than others. Bangladesh is an example of a country which climate change effects immensely. According to National Geographic, Bangladesh is at the top of the list of countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change in the years. Each year 30-75 percent of the country is flooded by increasing glacial melt from the Himalayan ranges as a result of rising global temperatures. The country receives too much rain during the monsoons and too little water in the dry season. As shown by this picture graph Bangladesh is ranked number 1 most vulnerable to climate change. The graph also shows that the least developed countries are most vulnerable to climate