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Us Intelligence

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Title: How can the US Intelligence Community best provide accurate, relevant and timely indications and warnings of potential threats?

Course:Date: August 17, 2013

How can the US Intelligence Community best provide accurate, relevant and timely indications and warnings of potential threats?

Introduction

The intelligence community is quite important to our country and its role cannot be overemphasized. They are responsible for keeping the country safe from attacks, though not directly like the military or marines. The intelligence community stays alert on behalf of the country, and monitors threats and raises alarm when there is need to do so. Intelligence community of US keeps all other security forces updated and they play an important role in the security of the country.

For the vital role they play in the security of the country, they need to be able to provide accurate and timely information so that we can prepare to handle potential threats. This paper will suggest ways in which security bodies that make up the intelligence community need to act to be able to provide real time alerts. It will also highlight the importance of quick response and assisting the intelligence community in safeguarding national security.

Providing Accurate and Relevant information

This is the main function of the intelligence community. The information provided should be in good time to prevent a threat from turning into a disaster. If information is received by the security forces like the military when it’s too late, then the security of the whole country is compromised.

The first step towards providing accurate information is proper collaboration between the intelligence community and other security forces. The main point of interest here is to safeguard the national security all stakeholders therefore corporation and sharing of information should be a priority. Since both organizations are dealing with security, the military for example may receive threatening information that the intelligence community is unaware of. Corporation between the two bodies will ensure that they are able to get the root of such threats. Other than just sharing of information, also resource sharing is another way of collaborating for the same purpose. Resources used to train the intelligence community personnel should be accessible to major security officers. Sharing of resources will ensure that all personnel involved with security matters are well trained to handle threats and respond to risky situations.

Another way of raising the accuracy levels of the intelligence community working closely with citizens. Rather than being presented as mysterious characters who gather information regarding security threats, they should work closely with the citizens. This may make them be easily identified amongst the public which may seem as a disadvantage. However citizens in the neighborhoods are useful sources of information, they live with criminal minds and terrorists at times. Citizens are best placed in society and working with them intelligence personnel get daily updates about planned threats and attacks. This collaboration puts the intelligence community in a better position not only to provide timely warnings and information but also identify people who plan attacks.

Manage wisely the power vested to them by the constitution. At times members of the intelligence community harass innocent citizens after gathering false information about them. There are many cases of young Muslim men who have been accused and harassed after being suspected to be terrorists. When citizens hear of such cases, they tend to fear the intelligence community and security personnel in general. If citizens fear security agents, it will be hard for them to give information regarding planned attacks or suspicious people living among them. Misuse of power by the intelligence community is a barrier for collaboration and sharing of information between citizens and security agents.

Use of information technology in all operations will also help the intelligence community provide accurate information regarding the security situation. Information technology provides an avenue of resources to track criminals and implement security measures. Monitor all communication between suspected persons, this will provide a basis of accurate information. Also creation of a unique information resource center accessible through the web makes information easily accessible by security agents. Tracking emails and mobile phones belonging to suspected persons will enable them get accurate information about planned attacks. Information technology should be implemented by the intelligence community and this will enable them not only to obtain information from suspected criminals but also share information amongst themselves.

Recommendation to policy makers

The intelligence community should bring its services closer to the people. While retaining their anonymity which is important for them, they should also focus more on better relationships with the people. Citizens are the best source of information in matters of security threats because those who plan these attacks live amongst the citizens. Aim at building a close relationship between the intelligence community and the citizens. All security agencies should collaborate and share information with each other to provide national security. Information technology should be implemented in order to obtain information that is accurate.

References

Aura, Tuomas. Information security technology for applications 15th Nordic Conference on Secure IT Systems, NordSec 2010, Espoo, Finland, October 27-29 2010 : revised selected papers. Heidelberg: Springer, 2012.

Berlatsky, Noah. The U.S. intelligence community. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011.

Friedman, Lauri S.. National security. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010.

Haugen, David M.. National security. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007.

Intelligence analysis for tomorrow: advances from the behavioral and social sciences. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 20112011.

Richelson, Jeffrey. The US intelligence community. 5th ed. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2008.

Mapping the global future: report of the National Intelligence Council’s 2020 Project, based on consultations with nongovernmental experts around the world.. Washington, D.C.: National Intelligence Council : [Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., distributor, 2004.

Grance, Tim. Guide to information technology security services. Gaithersburg, MD: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology Administration, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 2003.

Treverton, Gregory F., and C. Bryan Gabbard. Assessing the tradecraft of intelligence analysis. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp., 2008.

Withrow, Denice D., and David L. Jamison. Perceptions regarding government mandated radio frequency identification human implant technology. Jackal: Pumu, 2011.

To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric. Theodor Adorno

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Introduction

“To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric” – Theodor Adorno

When one visits the Holocaust geographical areas, the crematoria and the camps, one is met with the massive wreckage and abandonment of Jewish cemeteries. It is wreckage that has found companion in drunkards, partying teenagers and even lunatic nationalists. A sense of absence lags whereby the future is not changed but inevitably abolished and gradually suffocated.

If Ardono’s witness statement is literary correct about Auschwitz, he must also be right about all genocides and inhuman practices upon all mankind. It implies that if there is no poetry after the merciless killings of Jews and Gypsies, if follows suit that the same applies to poetry after the Armenians and the Tutsis, to mention but a few. Every manmade catastrophe be it famine, slave trade or even star chamber, whose aim is the advancement of the national interest of a few is genocide. Consequently, every crime committed at the Auschwitz- rape, murder mistreatment – culminates the power possessed by a few to take human life after much suffering.

Poetry after such events makes up history. If its absence after such occurrences is the status quo, what then defines history? The integration of poetry in history or if you like history into poetry cannot be overlooked. While poetry intensifies language in the narration of events, history on the other hand is the intensification of memory. Guarding the fact that these two elements, language and memory comprise human beings, we cannot do without either of them. They are inevitably the backbone of society. As one scholar Mirko Grmek refers to the deletion of history and language as ‘memorycide’, so is the erasure of works of art after Auschwitz, specifically, Tadeusz Borowski’s short story titled, “This way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentleman”.

Many scholars would want to state that Adorno did not mean poetry. In essence, further elaborations of the same ultimately define sentimentality, or at other times, confession. Poetry embarks on the society indulging in a state of “Self-satisfied contemplation” whereby our eyes are opened to the moral inferiority and barbarity of Hitler’s rule is seen in the practices at Auschwitz (Horkheimer, & Theodor, 16). A character in Sarte’s play titled Morts Sans Supulture, asks, “Is there any meaning in life when men exist who beat people until the bones break in their bodies?” This question begs to inquire into the legitimacy of the existence of art, whether committed literature is not an offspring born out of intellectual regression in humankind. The Auschwitz is barbaric statement must be refuted as it is an expression of negativity with regard to committed literature.

This way for the gas, ladies and gentleman

Tadeusz Borowski wrote his short stories based on his experiences in Auschwitz and Dachau where he luckily survived. They are literary works published in Poland but have proved their enormity with regard to literary communication to earn a place in world literature. He describes in his writings being confined in this concentration camp as a world whereby compassion for the jailed individuals overrides one’s own will to live. Further, he describes the camp as uninhabitable area whereby prisoners eat, work and sleep while watching their colleagues being murdered. He sees the deletion of human dignity whose distinction from those who are already dead is defined by a thin line- a second bowl of soup, a blanket and a pair of shoes. He views the situation as one with an absence of normality.

Adorno’s statement with regard to an analysis of the short story “This way for the gas, ladies and gentleman” must be refuted. There is definitely poetry, for that matter art, after Auschwitz. However, it must be noted that a higher requirement from both the creator and the audience of the particular piece of art are required. For Borowski to survive the mistreatment in Auschwitz and also in Dachau, he had no option, but to do what he had to do- write about his feelings. Even after he survived the Auschwitz, he was frustrated by the communist government which led to his successful third attempt suicide. His works were critically scrutinized by the communist government officials, not because they were barbaric, but they rubbed them the wrong way. The officials considered them brutal.

There seems to be no morality in Adorno’s statement in the fact that Borowski even acknowledges that the survival of a few from confinement camps must not be seen as heroism or even a positive occurrence. He views his survival with such sadness to the fact that it was only a demonstration of how far individuals renounce their humanity for the sake of survival. The irony in the turn of Borowski’s life proves further that it was not about survival in the concentration camps, but of priding oneself in humanity, away from mistreatment and unjust practices. He states, “The world is ruled by neither justice nor morality; crime is not punished nor virtue rewarded, one is forgotten as quickly as the other. The world is ruled by power and power is obtained with money. To work is senseless, because money cannot be obtained through work, but through exploitation of others. And if we cannot exploit as much as we wish, at least let us work as little as we can. Moral duty? We believe neither in the morality of man nor in the morality of systems” (Bernstein, 37). Although he survived the camps and even the gas chambers, he eventually kills himself through more or less the same means that he survived from, in 1951 even before he reached thirty years of age.

Borowski writes in a way that suggests that he feels that the segregation between the Jews and the non-Jews in the camps was justified. However, there is some guilt in his thought processes seem to imply that he felt that such a feeling that he was better than those murdered was just a mechanism that one adopted in order to survive.

At one point, he states that he now loathes Plato, who had liked and admired earlier. In fact, he calls him a liar. “You know how much I used to like Plato. Today I realize he lied. For the things of this world is not a reflection of the ideal, but a product of human sweat, blood and hard labour. It is we who built the pyramids, hewed the marble for the temples and the rocks for the imperial roads, we who pulled the oars in the galleys and dragged wooden ploughs, while they wrote dialogues and dramas, rationalized their intrigues by appeals in the name of the Fatherland, made wars over boundaries and democracies. We were filthy and died real deaths. They were ‘aesthetic’ and carried on subtle debates” (Sofsky, 298). He therefore believes that all states of human existence have been built by human kind and the eventual destruction of human dignity is ultimately in the hands of the same human being. This is a reality that must be told to the audience by one who has suffered under such atrocities as witnessing killings and murders through all kinds of means. This renders therefore Adorno’s statement of poetry after Auschwitz as barbaric as inconsistent with human truths and a contributor to human regression and ultimate suffering of the majority in the hands of just a few political endowed with power.

Borowski works and therefore poetry after Auschwitz is indeed a necessity because it presents a certain aspect of honesty (although not confession) and such deep compassion as it opens more questions to the audience on the inhumane aspect of the humankind. He proves to the audience that in fact, all humans face the same atrocities – whether in death, heading for the gas chambers, love encroachment and even future dreams – the emptiness of the soul after the eventual loss of dignity (Bernstein, 52).“Between two throw-ins in a soccer game, right behind my back, three thousand people had been put to death” (Sofsky, 296). This is one of the statements in Borowski’s short story that describe the haunting experiences that he went through in the camp.

Discussion

Ardono’s quote that to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric reminds many scholars of Heine’s aphorism in one of his works, “Almansor”, “Where books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too”. Implications of such a statement involve the reader in a mind discussion on the impact of literary works throughout human history. It is in consensus with the fact that literary works serve ethical purposes with regard to human existence and the ultimate observation of human dignity and morality. Adorno’s thoughts are embedded in an illusion that to think that life shall go back to normalcy after war is utter idiocy (Horkheimer, & Theodor, 18). He believes that human dignity and therefore existence has gone down the drain with the death of the Jews.

However, a critical and keener analysis of Adorno’s imperative statement brings the reader to underscore on the importance of humankind to push its efforts on making sure that nothing as big as this catastrophe ever happens. It therefore brings us back to our earlier discussion on the connection between language and history. In essence, this quote serves to remind the audience that history and literature that touches on Auschwitz can be the solid reminder of a terrible past. In Adorno’s perspective, this is a good thing as it shall ultimately enable human race to build on principles that ensure that the same does not happen again (Horkheimer, & Theodor, 16). However, Adorno views it with such pessimism and therefore declares that it is only barbaric and will ultimately serve no purpose to make art based on Auschwitz, or any other genocide act, for that matter.

Conclusion

Adorno’s imperative statement that to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric is evidently refuted by the implications of Borowski’s short story, “This way up the gas chamber, ladies and gentleman” with regard to the moral and ethical reflections in the reader. It is evidently overridden by the ethical obligation and hence responsibility that the reader visualizes and attempts to achieve through Borowski’s experiences at the concentration camp in Auschwitz.

However, one must acknowledge that the fact that there is a high price to pay with regard to both the writer and the reader if the objectives of writings after Auschwitz are to be achieved. Borowski’s disappointment and frustration even after his survival lies in the fact that the communist government is still oppressive, a practice that makes him conclude that human dignity has ultimately been taken away from the society. In other words, justice does not exist. The concentration camp is a situation that has been rendered as humane and just by the existing law. It therefore follows that literary writings must be written even after such events for the purposes of taking back human dignity from oppressors and therefore morality as portrayed by Borowski. In its entirety, this paper seeks to allude that poetry must be written even after Auschwitz, but there is higher price to pay by both the writer and the reader.

Works Cited

Bernstein, J.M. Adorno: Disenchantment and Ethics New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Chaps. 8-9, pg. 32- 54

Horkheimer, Max & Theodor W. Adorno, Dialectic of Enlightenment, trans. Edmund Jephcott Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2002, 11-18

Wolfgang Sofsky, The Order of Terror: The Concentration Camp, trans. William Templer. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1997. 294-299

The causes of the Great Depression

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The causes of the Great Depression

This economic disaster was not caused by one factor but a number of related factors. Historians and economists have compiled a large list of the agents of The Great Depression, but most of them agree on the following as the main causes.

The stock market crash of 1929

In the 1920’s, the United States Stock market was the subject of rapid expansion that peaked in 1929. During this period, “wild speculation and weak regulatory frameworks were the characteristics of the bourse” (Gunderson, 16). By 1929, unemployment had risen due to decreasing production leaving much of the stock with inflated values. This caused the market to collapse aided in part by a struggling agricultural sector, the proliferation of the national debt, and low wages. In addition, many banks had excess loans that could not be liquidated.

On October 1929, after a month of rapidly falling stocks prices, the collapse of the US stock market began. This culminated in a panic gripping the masses of investors who proceeded to trade more than 12.894 million shares on October 24th, 1929 also known as Black Thursday. Investors and large banks tried to remedy the situation by purchasing large amounts of stock easing the economy out of free fall. However, the same returned again the next day eventually leading to Black Tuesday on October 28th when 16million plus shares were traded. On this day, thousands of investors were completely wiped out, and billions of dollars lost. The events of 1929 were just the beginning of a series of events that combined later to compound into the Great Depression. By 1933, almost a third of America’s workforce was out of their jobs, and nearly half of America’s banks had failed.

The reduction in spending across the board

After the stock market had crashed resulting in panic and economic frustration, the people’s confidence in their economy waned. This caused them to reduce expenditure by ceasing almost all forms of purchasing. This sharp reduction in purchases negatively affected the production companies that already had liquidity problems forcing them to either reduce costs by cutting jobs or completely close down.

The resulting unemployment led to people’s assets they had bought on payment plans getting repossessed as they could not pay for them due to unemployment (Hall and Ferguson, 75). This resulted in banks and other lenders accumulating inflated inventories that also negatively affected their already cash-strapped balance sheets. The result was that a quarter of the US working class lost employment.

The widespread banks failures

In the early 1920’s, the United States had a well-developed banking system in terms of operational reach. The average banking system catered for most of the country’s rural and urban regions. Nebraska, for example, had over 1.3 million people back then. As a thriving but relatively rural area, the region still enjoyed the privilege of a bank for every 1000-1500 people. Though most of the banking activity in those days was poorly regulated, it provided the main services every bank was supposed to – depository and interest rate controlled loans.

As the economic hardship seeped through society and infiltrated into the rural areas, farmers had less money to spend. This meant even less money to save a situation that rendered banks redundant and even useless. Without their deposits, financial institutions were unable to operate and eventually forces to close down. In the early 1920’, they failed at a rate of 60 to 75 per year, but the number grew ten-fold to 744 in first two-thirds of 1930 alone. On total, it is estimated that almost 9000 banks failed during The Great Depression (Knoop, 253). With the closures, many people lost their life savings aggravating an already dire financial situation.

International trade and economic policies

As a result of the increased economic growth experienced in the early 1920’s, European and Latin America countries increased their borrowing from United States. However, foreign lending to these countries fell sharply in the 1928-1929 period due to higher interest rates and a booming stock market’s influence. This affected many borrower countries especially those in Europe, which was only just recovering from the devastation of World War One. Some of the economies actually almost collapsed just before The Great Depression affected the US.

An already dire situation was aggravated with the US enactment of the Smoot-Hawley tariff. This was meant to protect the US agricultural production by creating an unfavorable market for European agricultural imports through prohibitively high taxation. However, this backfired when Europe and Latin American countries adopted protectionist countermeasures resulting in almost no international trade between the major trade partners in the world. This worsened the situation by affecting major global producers, causing major balance-of-payment problems and major contractionary issues in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Major drought in the US

While not considered a major cause of The Great Depression, the great drought that affected the Mississippi Valley in 1930 contributed greatly – at least from a US perspective. Most of the people back then relied on their land and its products for both sustenance and monetary gain. Agricultural activity was suddenly affected over a larger area by drought resulting in millions being unable to pay loans at their lending firms and banks. In addition, this major source of primary raw materials was suddenly unable to provide the large industrial raw material needs of the US at a time when unfavorable international trade policy was the norm, namely the Smoot-Hawley tariff. In addition, tax revenues for the government’s spending reduced greatly. Banks repossessed farms from defaulting farmers while other opted to sell theirs at a loss. They moved to cities further worsening the already dire unemployment situation.

Why The Great Depression lasted so long

The Great Depression has come under great scholarly interest recently as economists and scholars seek to find out the reason such a bad economic situation persisted even as the governments of US and European countries input restorative efforts. The main culprits appear to be government policies that hindered fair competition.

The forces of demand and supply should have reduced wages, lowered business costs and increased employment and output. However, the National Industry Recovery Act (NIRA) prevented this from occurring. As a policy passed in 1933 to aid the process of restoring national prosperity by giving industry players the opportunity to collude, this policy sanctioned other activities that would have triggered antitrust practices(Bernanke, 73). These included minimum price formation and formation of restriction on expansion within the industry. The only trade-off the government put in place for this arrangement was these cartels share their large profits with workers creating employment through large wage increases.

Many industry players passed off fair prices under the NIRA leading to increased wages and prices. However, not all industries were able to agree on the prices as per the NIRA codes making growth in their areas stunted. Any economic development was pulled down by this situation of uneven policy implementation leading to some areas experiencing price and wage increases while others remained stagnant.

A short period later, NIRA was declared unconstitutional leading to the National Labor Restrictions Act. This greatly empowered the labor unions’ bargaining power as the driving force of the economy – its labor force – took on a more proactive stance. This body implemented policy that saw an increase in wages up to the 1938-39 recessions. In a different context, the National Labor Restrictions Act was able to introduce changes by the late 1930’s that saw the number of hours workers could work increased. That growth in the labor and wage structure was sustained to the late 1940’s when the National Labor Restrictions Act was replaced by the Taft-Hartley Act. Growth in the economy’s major factors, wages, and labor-force, continued to fuel national economic recovery until the US was finally out of The Great Depression.

Works Cited

Bernanke, Ben. “The Gold Standard, Deflation and Financial Crisis in the Great Depression: An international comparison.” Essays on the Great Depression. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2000. 73. Print.

Gunderson, Cory G. “The Roaring Twenties.” The Great Depression. Edina: ABDO Pub, 2010. 16. Print.

Hall, Thomas E, and J D. Ferguson. “Sowing the seeds of disaster.” The Great Depression: An International Disaster of Perverse Economic Policies. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 1998. 75. Print.

Knoop, Todd A. “Business Cycles in the United States.” Recessions and Depressions: Understanding Business Cycles. Santa Barbara: Praeger, 2010. 253. Print.

Speech communication.

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Speech communication.In its use to communicate, electronic media has many negative effects which hinder its effectiveness. The ability to communicate gestures and tones, along with more subtle body language such as eye movements renders this form of communication useless in times when all contact is needed. This often leads to various feelings, some of which are depersonalization and isolation among its users as outlined by Sproul & Keisler (1502). With regard to these inefficiencies, many instances might necessitate use of other types of communication, in order to ensure a complete communication process is achieved.

This effect or influence of electronic media on communication has a largely negative impact on the process. The inability to communicate fully might lead to total lack of, or partial comprehension. It might also reduce the effectiveness of feedback as gestures and body language form a large part of this, as well as being inappropriate for some circumstances. Formal communication for example, can be seriously affected by electronic media. As much as it forms a large part of this type of communication, its effects could negate any benefits especially if social media habits and traits are assimilated. In light of this, Lengel & Daft (199) suggested avoiding this type of media for certain types of communication.

Research as recent as 2010’s, points to frequent use of computing devices and internet as debilitating on the human brain’s functions. The ability of the human brain to focus on a particular task is greatly undermined by the deluge of information we get from all these computing and communication devices especially when coupled with the internet. All these information has been demonstrated to invoke the brain’s centers responsible for responding to threats and opportunities hence sudden bursts of anxiety. Anxiety triggers the release of the hormone dopamine in the brain, without which we just feel bored.

As demonstrated by numerous researchers from the universities of Utah, California both in Irvine and San Diego report that the effects of computer use and the internet are mostly negative. These range from increased stress due to too much information to process, to less social development due to a total dependence on electronic rather than social interactive method. In some cases, an addiction has been shown to be present in heavy users of these technologies especially if they form part of whole livelihood making structures. This was shown to result in increased aggression and venting out on close family and/or friends.

However many the negatives are, the benefits of computers and internet use combined far outnumber them. From medical imaging to entertainment and defense, these benefits clearly demonstrate innovations here to stay. Its positive impacts on the brain being; increased reaction and multiple processing capacities, as demonstrated by game players have been extensively studied. Eyal Ophir, a Stanford researcher showed how all these increases in information and load has lead to tiny adaptations in certain human brains to help them better filter out distractions and juggle problems. This demonstrated the human brain’s ability to rewire itself and attend to changes in its environment, something previously thought nonexistent. All these research is convincing that computers have a profound impact on us in both a negative and positive manner.

Thomas Kuhn Critiques

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Thomas Kuhn Critiques

Thomas Kuhn is considered to have changed the perspective with which the scientific community and public viewed science completely. Once, the history of science used to be viewed as a defined progression from theory towards fact by the addition of more facts until the later was achieved, but afterwards things changed. Kuhn proposed a series of changes, resulting to revolutionary transformations characterized by the views of one scientific period having very little to do with those of the previous. He went forth to question the possibility of science ever finding the truth hence the emergence of what came to be popularly known as Kuhn’s concept of paradigm. This was generally regarded as a rejection of the positivistic notion of progress of knowledge.

Thomas differentiated between different kinds of science based on his concept of paradigm, resulting in two kinds of science; normal and revolutionary science. Normal science is that that was pursued by a group of scientists who shared a paradigm, this being a general consensus among a large group of scientists on concrete solutions to a central problem in their field. These solutions, called ‘exemplars’, formed the basis of their arguments and commitment that wasn’t based on critical testing. It relied upon their training and general experience in the same field. Normal science was also proposed to be rather isolated from outside influences and the paradigms of other scientific fields as well as non scientific values.

Kuhn’s views were criticized mainly for being insufficiently leftist at a time most scientific processes were geared towards a greater social welfare and towards more military and global might than their own repute. In the era of the race to the moon, the Cold War and penicillin as well as DNA, advancing such theories put Thomas Kuhn in the wrong side of public interest, as demonstrated by the heated debate and condemnation directed to his work by Steve Fuller and James Bryant Conant.

In his 1949 book ‘The Origins of Modern Science’, Herbert Butterfield compared the advancement of scientific theory as an optical illusion or visual gestalt, an image that depicts either a rabbit or a duck depending on its viewer. Butterfield’s perspective on the shifting paradigms in science that lead to scientific theory advances were characterized in his statement about ‘picking up sticks’. Here, he described how ‘handling the same bundles of data as before, but placing them in a new system of relations with one another by giving them a different framework’, was comparable to the earlier mentioned visual gestalt. As much as this rabbit-duck example poses a danger to the view of differences in scientific theory advancement as purely based on changing perceptions, it can still be seen how Butterfield’s views were supportive of Kuhn’s concept of paradigms.

In history, as was discussed in class, the first scientific revolution from Galileo to Newton led to an explanatory model of the world as a machine subject to the influences of physical laws under physics and astronomy. Newton’s concept of absolute time and space were later replaced by Albert Einstein’s space-time relativity model and generated a logical contradiction to the claim that any transcendence outside the traditional Newtonian-Galileo ‘closed world’ system would be a miracle or reincarnation itself. As this demonstrates, Einstein’s paradigm provided a crisis acknowledging the concept of paradigmatic revolution by Thomas Kuhn.

A good illustration of Kuhn’s theory of paradigm revolution is found in Biblical studies. In addition, there is a difference between his concepts of ‘paradigm’ and later narratives, including Bacon whose classical scientific methods he rejects. He simply denies that scientific advances were merely a step-by step inductive approach to discovery of the underlying fact. To him, scientific research always takes an approach that is defined by received presupposition or paradigm and convictions produced by previously existent scientific findings. In its received form, the cluster of beliefs and values or standards forming the basis of research while forming the provided framework advance to a whole field of study.

Kuhn’s second preposition, published in his second edition of his then famous literature, was the phrase ‘disciplinary matrix’. Problem solving from a scientific perspective for Kuhn was divided into three types; the paradigm disciplinary matrix, working on those areas that were most directly definitely experimental checks on the theory. All these experiments were still closely controlled by the matrix. Normal science was the second concept that matures when a group of scientists forwards a fundamental theory, inclusive of supporting evidence or data. This according to Kuhn defines the whole scientific revolution. The final concept was that of ‘extraordinary’ science, characterized by anomalies in a certain field that can’t be ignored easily. These anomalies were observed to fall into patterns that followed their own order.

Thomas Kuhn advanced many examples for each of the aforementioned concepts. The most interesting however, was that of the study of electricity where up to the first half of the 18th century, there was no standard theory of electricity. This is shown by the existence of many views back then on the same topic in men like Gray, Hauksbee, DeFay and Watson. Soon however, the theory of electricity became a ‘normal science’ when Benjamin Franklin combined all past theories. Kuhn mentions how James Clark Maxwell introduces a revolution in the second half of the 19th century via his electro magnetism theory, which among others was difficult for contemporaries to comprehend.

 

Sociology of popular culture.

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Sociology of popular culture.

Question 1

Structural forces form part of the larger structure that contains or consists of the interaction of different individuals at different levels of the society. Therefore, structural forces can be defined as the factors that influence change at different levels of the society’s interactive activities. Some scholars have come up with the idea that seeks to denounce these factors as forces since their schools of thought negate the probability of society being under the influence of its subjects, but most of the rest seem to support the existence of structural forces within the society and their effects on the interactive activity of man.

The emergence and use of slang as distinct and accepted forms of communication among the youth in society is a good example of a structural force changing the role of these young people in the same set up. Slang is a combination of various aspects of language, including mother tongue and definitive phrases that the youth come up with to ease communication among them, make messages discrete, share ideas on common platforms. As a form of communication, this force has led to the identification of the ability of the youth as communicators especially in music and other forms of expression, As such, the inclusion of the youthfulness and its attributes into major processes such as politics is usually done through language hence changing the role of youth from that of a dormant subject in the society, to the active member involved in driving change in the society (Schennig 45)

Social changes in the society, especially among the youth, are been made more and more open and public. Another structural force that has been instrumental in the change of social roles of the youth is attitude. This being the general expression of liking or disliking towards people, places, actions, or things, makes one of the most important forces acting as evidence of shifts in the roles of youth in society. Traditionally, attitudes formed a major definitive aspect of the teenager and youthful person, but the recent attention to these young people by the society has changed their place in same environment. Leaders want to hear out the views of youth concerning their policies and activity while in government. The church is also putting more effort into trying to marry the attitudes of the youth with their teaching as based on religion making these young people more instrumental in the general societal shifts and activities.

Cultural norm is yet another example of a structural force that is changing the roles of youth in society. Their way of life, regardless of geography and disposition, has been attributed to rebellion and disarray at the mercies of hormonal and mental growth, but this is being embraced as a way of understanding their hardships, views, and roles in life. The training and mentorship of youth leaders shows a change in the public’s ability to trust these young and often disorganized or rebellious members of the society, and entrust them with positions that require responsibility and an acute sense of logic. As more established vehicles of societal change, such as policy making, administration, and government, recognizes the ability of the youth and their non-conformist attitudes to drive positive growth, the roles of these same youngsters in the society’s interactive activities keep changing.

Question 3

The influence of the media on crime rates has been one of concern and extensive research for a long time. Murders such as the ones in Littleton, United States, seemed to have been orchestrated as gaming scenes as their perpetrators were aficionados of violent games. Unfortunately, many lives were lost and even more altered, but the question lingered as to whether indeed these games, and other forms of media, were directly related to these crimes.

Sternheimer gives numerous examples of the relationship between media – in its various forms – and crime in her book, ‘It’s Not the Media: The Truth about Pop Culture’s Influence on Children’. Crimes ranging from abuse and assault, to cold-blooded murder are reportedly linked to music, computer games, and television games (111). Her feeling regarding the same are laced with a clear understanding of the influential nature of media on the minds, actions, and attitudes of the youth, but she clearly states that there is no comprehensive proof to link the two.

While the Columbine shootings might easily provide an example that contradicts her views, she is quick to point out the difference between aggression and violence, in as much as the two are closely related in this context. Violent computer games and hard rock music might infuse aggressive behavior in the individuals that consume these forms of media, but venting this aggression is another thing altogether. In her opinion, the public is heeding to the calls from the government through its various instruments to view the media with fear so that they fail to see a true representation of the economic and political failures of their governments. In other words, the public has no need to fear the media or attach the current manifestations of social – political, and socio-economic failures, as evidenced by murders and suicide. Rather, they should embrace the media as a source of information, entertainment, and a form of expression.

Social entrepreneurs are individuals or organizations who use social panic to propagate innuendo and selfish ideologies, and are responsible for much of the current media’s negative image. These individuals have used the recent spate of school shootings, musical artist suicides, and others to advance a largely negative image. Their actions have resulted in the portrayal of media as an aid to crime in its various forms, leading to public confusion and unnecessary bias in the consumption of media by the public. Many share the view that television is harmful to children in terms of growth and intellectual development, games cultivate a predisposition for violence, and certain music corrupts the mind of listeners.

Question 6

Social panic is defined as a situation where a person, place, or event, is escalated by definition to the level of being viewed as a threat to the ideals and well being of the society (Cohen 52). In the realms of politics, the use of social panics has been documented as widespread phenomena, as individuals seek to raise concerns and worry to levels that might play into their strategies. By doing so, these individuals cultivate the right amount of concern as to warrant the inception of new means to change the perceived problematic issue or situation, thus optimizing their chances at success.

A lot of research into the sociology behind this phenomena points at the natural tendency of man to follow the individual, or people, who identify a problem, point it out, and publicly declare to solve it for the sake of social welfare. However, on most of these occasions, that same individual has motives that might be either ulterior or otherwise, but the masses have already identified with him/her. This clearly explains the rampant use of the social panic by politicians in their campaigns to try and woo as many supporters as they can. Tobias states how they achieve this through the “creation of non-existence social problems, the exaggeration of existent one in terms of magnitude, and the ever-present promise to solve them” (65). A good example of this kind of social manipulation is seen in the Australian Prime Minister’s election campaign. Julia Gillard uttered some controversial statements as a form of social panic aimed at escalating the influx of illegal immigrants into the country as a problem. She said, “Stop the boat people getting on boats”, and relied on the social perception created by her potential electorate to improve her position in the run for office.

As expected, the social panic concept‘s application in politics usually has moral ramifications. Issue of human right infringement and other evils have come up each time this concept gets mention. A good example is Julia Gillard’s statements regarding illegal immigrants, which though placing her in the social panic beneficiary’s seat, raised the touchy issue of racism. Social panic and morality are practically inseparable in the eyes of politics as many of the issues raised during use of social panic tend to be immoral. Some politicians have in exercising social panic to their advantage deprived the society of its basic rights. The detention of prisoners in Australia has for long been a selling point for Prime Ministers claiming it strives to separate criminals and the righteous in society. These incumbent politicians find favor with the masses who view this as a method of ensuring their security in country ravaged by violence and crime. What many fail to realize is that after the completion of his/her sentence, an individual’s continues detention is in direct contravention of their rights to freedom once again demonstrating the ability of social panic a misused tool.

Society has high regard for the welfare of children and their protection from all sources of harm. The proliferation of pornography and harmful content via the internet has come up as a recent source of harm from which political figures seek to fuel their campaigns. The welfare of children is a sensitive issue, and in trying to capitalize on this, some of this winning politician inadvertently, or otherwise, infringe on some human rights. The use if internet filters, content espionage programs, bans on a large scale intended to protect the plight of children harms the other members of society as it is goes against their right to accessing information. This exemplifies another instance where regimes use social panic to impose their rule on the society, yet the underlying situation is opposite of the intended end.

Question 7

Sociology is a social science aimed at a generalized study of human interaction (Anderson et. al 2). Some aspects of human interaction go beyond the concept of interaction, whereby human behavior becomes subject to more complex concepts. Aspects related to communication and leadership would be better understood while undertaking more detailed, scientific, and detailed characteristics if man from the perspective if psychology. In essence, sociology only scrapes the top of human interactive activity which has been demonstrated to be a deep, complex, and detailed affair.

The ability of sociology to explain the dynamic at play during complex human behavior portrayed during politics is therefore governed by this principle. In addition, the ability of media to transcend the barriers of time, age, and generation overpowers the capability of sociology as a discipline in trying to understand various aspects of the same. A good example is the inability of sociology to explain the tendency of certain individuals to blur the line between truth and lies because of ulterior motives. Therefore, sociology should refrain from attempting to understand complex human behavior and restrain its scope to its definition – the continued study of human interaction and its various aspects.

Works Cited

Andersen, Margaret L, and Howard F. Taylor. “Developing a sociological perspective.” Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2008. 2. Print.

Attorneys, Lawyers. “What is Moral Panic and why does it occur?” LAW INFORMATION. WordPress.com, 5 Jan. 2011. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.

Cohen, Stanley. “Opinion and attitude themed.” Folk Devils and Moral Panics: The Creation of the Mods and Rockers. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2011. 52. Print.

Sternheimer, Karen. “Fear of video games.” It’s Not the Media: The Truth About Pop Culture’s Influence on Children. Boulder, Colo: Westview Press, 2003. 111. Print.

Structural forces form part of the larger structure that contains or consists of the interaction of different individuals at

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Sociology of popular culture.Question 1

Structural forces form part of the larger structure that contains or consists of the interaction of different individuals at different levels of the society. Therefore, structural forces can be defined as the factors that influence change at different levels of the society’s interactive activities. Some scholars have come up with the idea that seeks to denounce these factors as forces since their schools of thought negate the probability of society being under the influence of its subjects, but most of the rest seem to support the existence of structural forces within the society and their effects on the interactive activity of man.

The emergence and use of slang as distinct and accepted forms of communication among the youth in society is a good example of a structural force changing the role of these young people in the same set up. Slang is a combination of various aspects of language, including mother tongue and definitive phrases that the youth come up with to ease communication among them, make messages discrete, share ideas on common platforms. As a form of communication, this force has led to the identification of the ability of the youth as communicators especially in music and other forms of expression, As such, the inclusion of the youthfulness and its attributes into major processes such as politics is usually done through language hence changing the role of youth from that of a dormant subject in the society, to the active member involved in driving change in the society (Schennig 45)

Social changes in the society, especially among the youth, are been made more and more open and public. Another structural force that has been instrumental in the change of social roles of the youth is attitude. This being the general expression of liking or disliking towards people, places, actions, or things, makes one of the most important forces acting as evidence of shifts in the roles of youth in society. Traditionally, attitudes formed a major definitive aspect of the teenager and youthful person, but the recent attention to these young people by the society has changed their place in same environment. Leaders want to hear out the views of youth concerning their policies and activity while in government. The church is also putting more effort into trying to marry the attitudes of the youth with their teaching as based on religion making these young people more instrumental in the general societal shifts and activities.

Cultural norm is yet another example of a structural force that is changing the roles of youth in society. Their way of life, regardless of geography and disposition, has been attributed to rebellion and disarray at the mercies of hormonal and mental growth, but this is being embraced as a way of understanding their hardships, views, and roles in life. The training and mentorship of youth leaders shows a change in the public’s ability to trust these young and often disorganized or rebellious members of the society, and entrust them with positions that require responsibility and an acute sense of logic. As more established vehicles of societal change, such as policy making, administration, and government, recognizes the ability of the youth and their non-conformist attitudes to drive positive growth, the roles of these same youngsters in the society’s interactive activities keep changing.

Question 3

The influence of the media on crime rates has been one of concern and extensive research for a long time. Murders such as the ones in Littleton, United States, seemed to have been orchestrated as gaming scenes as their perpetrators were aficionados of violent games. Unfortunately, many lives were lost and even more altered, but the question lingered as to whether indeed these games, and other forms of media, were directly related to these crimes.

Sternheimer gives numerous examples of the relationship between media – in its various forms – and crime in her book, ‘It’s Not the Media: The Truth about Pop Culture’s Influence on Children’. Crimes ranging from abuse and assault, to cold-blooded murder are reportedly linked to music, computer games, and television games (111). Her feeling regarding the same are laced with a clear understanding of the influential nature of media on the minds, actions, and attitudes of the youth, but she clearly states that there is no comprehensive proof to link the two.

While the Columbine shootings might easily provide an example that contradicts her views, she is quick to point out the difference between aggression and violence, in as much as the two are closely related in this context. Violent computer games and hard rock music might infuse aggressive behavior in the individuals that consume these forms of media, but venting this aggression is another thing altogether. In her opinion, the public is heeding to the calls from the government through its various instruments to view the media with fear so that they fail to see a true representation of the economic and political failures of their governments. In other words, the public has no need to fear the media or attach the current manifestations of social – political, and socio-economic failures, as evidenced by murders and suicide. Rather, they should embrace the media as a source of information, entertainment, and a form of expression.

Social entrepreneurs are individuals or organizations who use social panic to propagate innuendo and selfish ideologies, and are responsible for much of the current media’s negative image. These individuals have used the recent spate of school shootings, musical artist suicides, and others to advance a largely negative image. Their actions have resulted in the portrayal of media as an aid to crime in its various forms, leading to public confusion and unnecessary bias in the consumption of media by the public. Many share the view that television is harmful to children in terms of growth and intellectual development, games cultivate a predisposition for violence, and certain music corrupts the mind of listeners.

Question 6

Social panic is defined as a situation where a person, place, or event, is escalated by definition to the level of being viewed as a threat to the ideals and well being of the society (Cohen 52). In the realms of politics, the use of social panics has been documented as widespread phenomena, as individuals seek to raise concerns and worry to levels that might play into their strategies. By doing so, these individuals cultivate the right amount of concern as to warrant the inception of new means to change the perceived problematic issue or situation, thus optimizing their chances at success.

A lot of research into the sociology behind this phenomena points at the natural tendency of man to follow the individual, or people, who identify a problem, point it out, and publicly declare to solve it for the sake of social welfare. However, on most of these occasions, that same individual has motives that might be either ulterior or otherwise, but the masses have already identified with him/her. This clearly explains the rampant use of the social panic by politicians in their campaigns to try and woo as many supporters as they can. Tobias states how they achieve this through the “creation of non-existence social problems, the exaggeration of existent one in terms of magnitude, and the ever-present promise to solve them” (65). A good example of this kind of social manipulation is seen in the Australian Prime Minister’s election campaign. Julia Gillard uttered some controversial statements as a form of social panic aimed at escalating the influx of illegal immigrants into the country as a problem. She said, “Stop the boat people getting on boats”, and relied on the social perception created by her potential electorate to improve her position in the run for office.

As expected, the social panic concept‘s application in politics usually has moral ramifications. Issue of human right infringement and other evils have come up each time this concept gets mention. A good example is Julia Gillard’s statements regarding illegal immigrants, which though placing her in the social panic beneficiary’s seat, raised the touchy issue of racism. Social panic and morality are practically inseparable in the eyes of politics as many of the issues raised during use of social panic tend to be immoral. Some politicians have in exercising social panic to their advantage deprived the society of its basic rights. The detention of prisoners in Australia has for long been a selling point for Prime Ministers claiming it strives to separate criminals and the righteous in society. These incumbent politicians find favor with the masses who view this as a method of ensuring their security in country ravaged by violence and crime. What many fail to realize is that after the completion of his/her sentence, an individual’s continues detention is in direct contravention of their rights to freedom once again demonstrating the ability of social panic a misused tool.

Society has high regard for the welfare of children and their protection from all sources of harm. The proliferation of pornography and harmful content via the internet has come up as a recent source of harm from which political figures seek to fuel their campaigns. The welfare of children is a sensitive issue, and in trying to capitalize on this, some of this winning politician inadvertently, or otherwise, infringe on some human rights. The use if internet filters, content espionage programs, bans on a large scale intended to protect the plight of children harms the other members of society as it is goes against their right to accessing information. This exemplifies another instance where regimes use social panic to impose their rule on the society, yet the underlying situation is opposite of the intended end.

Question 7

Sociology is a social science aimed at a generalized study of human interaction (Anderson et. al 2). Some aspects of human interaction go beyond the concept of interaction, whereby human behavior becomes subject to more complex concepts. Aspects related to communication and leadership would be better understood while undertaking more detailed, scientific, and detailed characteristics if man from the perspective if psychology. In essence, sociology only scrapes the top of human interactive activity which has been demonstrated to be a deep, complex, and detailed affair.

The ability of sociology to explain the dynamic at play during complex human behavior portrayed during politics is therefore governed by this principle. In addition, the ability of media to transcend the barriers of time, age, and generation overpowers the capability of sociology as a discipline in trying to understand various aspects of the same. A good example is the inability of sociology to explain the tendency of certain individuals to blur the line between truth and lies because of ulterior motives. Therefore, sociology should refrain from attempting to understand complex human behavior and restrain its scope to its definition – the continued study of human interaction and its various aspects.

OConnors a good man is hard to find.

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O’Connor’s ‘a good man is hard to find’.

The Gospel of Mark shows how much attachment man has for material things and the obstacles this attachment presents in his quest for moral uprightness and eternal life. The case in mind is that of a morally upright man who approaches Jesus and requests him to explain what else he can do to since he obeys all Ten Commandments. Jesus knowing the implication of material possession even to the morally upright and righteous, instructs him to rid himself of all his material possessions since these are bound to erode his morals.

O’Connor’s story has a similar thematic approach only it goes on to prove that indeed a good man is hard to find. The Misfit was wrongly accused of murdering his father and faces serious legal action, which he chooses to escape from since he feels to be innocent. The only problem Bailey’s mother had not factored in her bid to avoid a confrontation with this evil man is reflected in the Gospel of Mark. Here, Jesus tried to show how even the most upright and righteous of men was susceptible to the machinations of material things in the world, hence his requesting the man who had approached him to sell everything and follow him.

In advancing the themes of good and evil, O’Connor uses two very different characters. . The grandmother represents society’s righteous and The Misfit shows the exact opposite. Here, we find how O’Connor tries to exemplify the righteous by demonstrating a caring loving attitude towards family and kin, exemplified by the grandmother’s futile attempt at trying to direct the family away from danger, as. Again, her caring and loving attitude is demonstrated in how she cannot bear to leave the cat, Pitty Sing’ in the house alone while there is a convict on the loose. This theme is shown all the way to her tragic end when in act of compassion she touched The Misfit, whose reaction was to kill the begging old woman. Although critics argue on this act of compassion being the cause of her death (Gentry, p. 36, 2006), it seems to be the case. In his actions, The Misfit himself advances the theme of evil by killing a whole family with his accomplices. He won’t even listen to an old woman who braves impending death by touching him in an act of compassion, instead shooting her severally while uttering sarcastic remarks.

This story shows the multifaceted modern man who presents himself as immensely righteous while in truth being not. Today many people act and pretend to be morally upright while in real sense they are far from that. Acts of violence and corruption best exemplify this pretence that seems to know no boundaries, even afflicting those expected by society to uphold righteousness. The failure of man in moral uprightness is best exemplified in Priests accused of molesting young children, fathers accused of murdering whole countries and countries going up in arms against less able countries all show how ‘ a good man is hard to find’ indeed. Spirituality is especially rife with examples of how modern man has sunk beneath the expectations of his beliefs as illustrated by all the adultery, murder, lying and backbiting as well as theft and sexual perversion. Many will openly claim to follow the scriptures of their faith and act in a contradictory manner.

Works cited.

Gentry, M. (2006). Flannery O’connor’s Religion of the Grotesque. Mississipi: Univ. Press of Mississippi.

Eder, K. (2011). Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” – an Analysis. Munich: GRIN Verlag.

Spread of communicable diseases

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Introduction

Communicable diseases have been cited to cause several deaths as well as suffering to a huge populace in the underdeveloped world. These diseases may be spread through contact, ingestion of contaminated food or water, inhalation of contaminated air as well as through vectors. Vectors spread the communicable diseases through biological as well as mechanical means. In the latter case the vector picks up the infectious agent from a contaminated source and carries it outside its body to another media such as food or water where the agent is deposited. Consumption of such food therefore results in an infection. Flies are good example of mechanical vectors as they passively transmit infectious agent causing cholera to humans through the aforementioned media. On the other hand, vectors may also spread the diseases trough biological means where pathogens are harbored in the body of the vectors and transmitted in an active manner to the potential host. This may be exemplified by the spread of rabies from rabid animals to man through bites. Some communicable diseases may be spread through a variety of means such as cholera which can be transmitted through flies, feces, water as well as food. Such diseases require a multiple approach of control encompassing a continuum of food, water, air, personal hygiene, insects as well as sewage disposal (Munson, 2009).

It is always important to define the means of transmission of an infectious agent in an attempt to fully understand the biology of a disease so as to control the disease. Communicable diseases are spread through a variety of media including water, food, air, insects as well as contaminated objects. To begin with humans have contributed highly to such spread by providing a suitable environment for the growth and spread of the infectious agent. For instance, the generation and poor disposal of human wastes such as feces in the public have provided food source to vectors such as flies which thereafter transport the infectious agents from the wastes to the media such as food and water in human residence prior to consumption. The subsequent consumption of such infected food or water may cause diseases such as cholera, dysentery as well as typhoid. Ingestion of fecally contaminated water may enhance the spread of Giardiasis. On the other hand, food provides a suitable growth media for the vectors when poorly kept. High degree of hygiene is necessary in preventing the spread of diseases such as salmonellosis whose causative agent thrives well in a poorly preserved food and may be ingested upon consumption (Munson, 2009).

Vector-borne diseases may also be spread through formites. These are contaminated objects that provide a suitable resting place for vectors. For instance, objects such as paper or money may harbor infectious agents that can easily be transferred by vectors from one person to the other when such objects are shared among individuals. The spread of diseases such as TB is necessitated by formites especially when individuals put such contaminated objects in their mouths. Communicable diseases may also be spread by vectors through biological means. The transmission of diseases such as rabies and the bacillus of bovine TB from animals to humans follow the aforementioned transmission mode. For instance, rabies is transmitted to humans when bitten by a rabid animal. This is an active transmission and may therefore be lethal especially when such bites are executed in delicate such places as head, face or even neck (Acha et al, 2003). Typhus fever is also transmitted by body louse which has fed on the blood of a patient suffering from the fever and transferred rickettsia from their excreta to the new host. This can be avoided by enhancing body hygiene and general sanitation to keep away the louse.

Conclusion

Communicable diseases cause high rate of mortality and morbidity especially in the third world countries where comprehensive control measures are not well established. The diseases may at times be spread through a variety of media including water, food, air, formites as well as insects. It is therefore important to establish environmental control strategies that entail multiple facets encompassing continuum of food, water, air, personal hygiene, insects as well as sewage disposal. Personal hygiene as well as general sanitation is fundamental to the control of communicable diseases. According to Acha et al (2003) control of vector-borne diseases should be directed to the vector itself followed by the rodents.

Reference list:

Acha, P.et al (2003). Zoonoses and Communicable Diseases Common to Man and Animals:

Chlamydioses, rickettsioses, and viroses. 3rd Ed. New York: American Health Org

Munson, F. (2009). Hygiene of Communicable Diseases; A Handbook for Sanitarians, Medical

Officers of the Army and Navy and General Practitioners. New York: General Books LLC.

Letter to the Editor, Wall Street Journal

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Letter to the Editor, Wall Street Journal

The debate on competition instigated by Peter Thiel’s article ‘Competition is for Losers, Review September 13’ begs some comments. It is an accepted economic truth that competition drives down profits. However, the company that wishes to make profits develops a cost strategy that maximizes the sales of its products to attract as many consumers as possible. A company must address the issue of cost structures among other things, if it is to be competitive. Thus, it is altruism to generalize the issue of competition based on low price only. Those companies which position themselves at a high price level do not fair better on profitability than those that embrace the low price approach. Capitalism reigns over the most efficient economy and offers the widest choices for consumers. After all, it is the consumers who drive the profits. The enterprises that continuously innovate in order to lower costs and remain competitive will always win in the long term.

Thiel’s claim that competition and capitalism are opposites, is fallacious. Competition is the foundation of capitalism. Lack of competition, in any economy, leads to mediocre products since there are no incentives to innovate. It is one of the reasons why socialist and communist economies failed. Thiel also confuses market power with monopoly. Monopoly is a theoretical construct used by economists to describe a market where there is only a single player. Market power, on the other hand, is the measure of the ability of the enterprise to increase its prices without affecting sales and, hence, increase profits. Google is more profitable not because of the monopoly, but because it can attract more consumers, and, consequently, gain bigger market share.

In conclusion, the views presented in Thiel’s article are incorrect. Stating that competition is for losers is misguided and unsubstantiated. Competition is healthy and is embraced by large and small economies and businesses alike.