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Themes in the book Virgin Suicide

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Themes in the book Virgin Suicide

The book Virgin Suicides, by Jeffrey Eugenides, explores the life experiences of youths in the adolescent stage, and even talks about the extreme behaviors, they engage themselves in order to escape from reality. It portrays the unhappy times they experience as youths, which causes them to make unethical decisions about their lives. The novel investigates the deaths of five adolescents in America, and talks about the life of a typical adolescent in living in a suburb. It explores the themes of love, the tragic loss and the normal life of an adolescent youth. The writer talks about the sudden death of the five young girls, and whose deaths is heartbreaking, and looks into their lives to establish what really happened to them, or the main cause of their deaths.

The town the girls are born is full of hypocritical people, and it is in crises. Although the deaths happen in a spectacular manner, the way the narrative is presented is not progressive. As the boys go to school, the girls stay in the house as time passes by making the boys believe that, they are locked up as a result of dictatorial rules subjected upon ordinary adolescent girls. The boys equate the girls as their sister after reading the book Cecilia diary. The character the girls in the book represent the life of an ordinary adolescent girl, as they develop the notion that they are their sisters. Their deaths can not be accounted for as Ms Perl, is unable to come up with a unique documentary on the real cause of their deaths.

The book purposely brings out the ordinary life of the girls, so as to show how human beings have the habit of distancing themselves from crises. To the girls, the ordinary objects they use to end their lives are perceived by people as mere tools. The writer does this to awake an individual conscience, and emphasize that the same situation can happen to anyone at anytime. The situation is a special case and devastating. In the novel, the boys capture the deaths of the girls without deep analysis, and at the same time they talk about the times the girls were alive. The boys do not really understand the girls, and the kind of life they lived from an inner perspective. They use their sense of judgment on the surface, to present the deaths of the girls. The only perception they have about the girls is visual, as it does not go beyond their skin and into their thoughts. They describe the girls in photographic sense, and this is just the same, as having a sketch of a drawing as it lacks details. The boys ability not to understand the girls deeply, has left them with only memories of girls, who they cared deeply about and loved.

This brings about the culture of visual media, caused by televisions as people view it as an alternative rather than reading a newspaper, and taking some time to listen to news or information on the radio. This has given rise to the idea that, families in America concentrate mostly on what they see from the television than the real truth. This shows the extent of influence the media has on the people. It shows the worse kind of life the boys have found themselves in after the death of the girls. The boys have been left with memories that are devastating than the preliminary loss of the girls.

The books portray the hypocritical life Americans live, by pretending to be happy at all times even when faced with problems. The situation depicts the suburbs, as places where happiness is artificially gotten and the unrealistic life one has to go through in search of happiness. The community has been forced to live in a dream to keep up with the social class. This is reaffirmed by Mr. Lisbon actions, in that he lights up the Christmas candles, in spite of the recent death of his daughter, to show the community that he is fine as much as he is hurting and mourning. During the school organized mourning day in remembrance of Cecilia death, it is ironical how the school rates the event as a success without even mentioning her death. They try to erase the memories, and pretend like nothing really happened. To the neighbourhood, what is morally upright does not really matter to them.

The hypocritical nature of the American society is depicted by the character Lux Lisbon, and Trip Fontaine. Coincidentally, the American happiness is displayed by the characters of Lux Lisbon, and Trip Fontaine. Trip, happens to spend his time recovering in Detox, following his decision to live an unrealistic life. .At the same time, Lux immoral sexuality leads to her early death. Trip and Lux’s consistent pursuit of love, and contentment takes a negative effect on them physically and emotionally. Equally, the suburban attempts to define American happiness receive a hard blow as it is unrealistic fake, inconsistent and deadly. The book has dug deeper and talks about the effects of living a superficial life.

Work cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY l 1033 Michele T Berger, Cheryl Radeloff. Transforming Scholarship:Why women and gender studies are changing themselves and the world. London: Taylor & Francis, 2011.

The Age of Absolutism was a period during the 18the century when powerful kings ruled especially in Europe.

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Absolutism

The Age of Absolutism was a period during the 18the century when powerful kings ruled especially in Europe. The origin of the word comes from the absolute powers held by the monarchs at the time. These kings were so powerful that people treated them as God, and no one dared to oppose them (Henshall 25). The main difference between absolutism and other forms of kingship in Europe is that there were no checks to the power of monarchs. There were no other governing bodies besides the king. While in earlier models of kingship, there were other governing bodies that would provide checks and balances to powers of the kings, and the king had to consult such bodies on significant decisions. This is the main difference between absolutism and other forms of monarchy that came before.

England had an unusual form of monarchy that helped them avoid absolutism. The country had a parliament that helped to govern the country in addition to the monarchs, and this helped ensure a check on the powers of the kings. Most of the English monarchs were quite democratic and tolerant, for example, Queen Elizabeth the First. However, monarchs such as James I and others that came after him desired more power, and constantly struggled with parliament. James I and his fellow supporters on an absolute monarchy believed that their rule was divine; thus, parliament should not interfere with their powers. This struggle for power between parliament and the monarchy led to a civil war in England between 1642 and 1651. The war almost caused the monarchy to be stripped of all its powers. Today, England retains a constitutional monarchy that contributes to the governance of the country.

Works Cited

Henshall, Nicholas. The Myth of Absolutism: Change & Continuity in Early Modern European Monarchy. Routledge, 2014.

Trans-gender groups

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Date: 24/03/2019

Trans-gender groups

Reproductive rights refer to the rights of individuals to decide whether they would like to reproduce and have reproductive health. The reproductive rights generally cover the individual’s rights to plan his/her family, terminate a pregnancy, use contraceptives, accesses reproductive health services, and learn about reproduction and sex in schools CITATION Geo17 p “pg. 14” l 1033 (Watts pg. 14). Over time, reproductive rights have been treated as women’s rights especially in areas such as abortion, procreation, and adoption. However, men also have reproductive rights including issues such as paternity, frozen embryos, adoption, and abortion. The supreme court of the United States recognizes reproductive rights as fundamental human rights to procreation, family relationships, contraception, and child rearing. Also, the fourteenth amendment of the U.S constitution provides for rights personal privacy. Even as such, vulnerable populations such as individuals who are disabled, a particular racial/ethnic minority group, immigrants, individuals who are gay or lesbian, or trans/non-binary, etc. have received unequal treatment about reproduction. The purpose of this paper is to explain how trans-gender groups have received unequal treatment about reproduction and how reproductive rights and a reproductive justice framework would each address their reproductive issues.

Transgender is a term used to refer to individuals whose gender expression does not match their assigned sex at birth. The transgender people have faced both social and economic marginalization CITATION SJa15 p “pg. 1354” l 1033 (S. James-Abra, L.A. Tarasoff, d. Green, R. Epstein, S. Anderson, S. Marvel, L.S. Steele, L.E. Ross pg. 1354). These people have faced harassment, discrimination, and rejection in their own families as well as the society which has often led to them being rendered homeless and sometimes have to depend on sex in exchange for food and survival. They are denied access to proper shelters due to their sexual orientation. In the healthcare sector, the transgender groups are faced with discrimination with regards to access of insurances to cover the cost of mental health services, cross-sex hormone therapy, or gender affirmation surgery. Services such as gender affirmation surgery are quite safe and effective. Therefore, individuals should be allowed to undergo reproductive health care rather than denying them such opportunities with the hope that psychological therapy will change their sexual expression.

Reproductive rights are considered as human rights. Transgender people are human and thus should be able to enjoy the rights just like any other ordinary human. The reproductive rights, for instance in the United States, are provided for by the Supreme Court where they are recognized as the fundamental human rights. The constitution of the United States also provides for rights to privacy. Therefore, an individual’s body should be their business, and no one should stigmatize or discriminate the transgender groups.

The reproductive justice framework is a subset of reproductive rights. When dealing with reproductive justice, transgender people are faced with double discrimination, social stigma, and health care related complications. However, that should not be a case. The transgender people should be included in the reproductive justice campaigns as well as gender services in the medical facilities. All genders should be treated equally since the medical procedures for transgender groups are safe and effective. The surgery does not change the way an individual function. Many critics tend to suggest psychological therapies which in the long run cannot help reverse the sexual expression of an individual.

Works Cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY S. James-Abra, L.A. Tarasoff, d. Green, R. Epstein, S. Anderson, S. Marvel, L.S. Steele, L.E. Ross. “Trans people’s experiences with assisted reproduction services: a qualitative study.” Human Reproduction (2015): 1365-1374.

Watts, Geoff. “Sexual health and reproductive rights at a crossroad.” The Lancet (2017): 1-24.

Local government meetings

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Date: 15/04/2019

Local government meetings

America is a federal republic in which the president, Congress, and federal courts share the national government’s powers as stipulated by the constitution. The federal government shares sovereignty with state governments. Both the federal government and the state governments consist of three branches; the judiciary, legislature, and executive arms. The only distinction between them is that the state government can make laws such as a contract or family laws that are not granted to the federal government. The United States is comprised of 89500 local governments. The purpose of the local governments is to serve the needs of people including housing, health care, transportation, education, and security directly (Vile). City governments form a vital part of local governance across the nations since most people live in the cities. States charter the city governments and often feature nonpartisan elections. The city governments cooperate with both the state governments and the federal government to ensure that the needs of its residents are met dully. In the United States, there are three types of city governments; the mayor-council, the commission, and the council-manager. Often, cities combine the following types of governance. In this paper, I will focus on discussing what the local meeting of Edinburg city government tells us about American politics.

According to my report from the meeting of the city of Edinburg I found the following elements associated with the American politics and the form of governance employed throughout America from the federal government to the state governments and even through to the local governments in the cities and various counties, townships, municipalities, districts, and special districts in different states.

The first element is the political structure and hierarchy. In the American political system, there is a separation of power. Power is separated into the three arms of government that is the judiciary, the executive, and the legislature (HierarchyStructure). Each arm carries out its specific functions, that is, the legislature is concerned with making laws, and the executive, on the other hand, enforces the laws while the judiciary interprets laws and ensures the laws are followed well. Within each arm, there are departments with various titles held by different persons who perform different tasks within the government. All departments work together towards better governance in the different departments. In the city of Edinburg as well, hierarchy exists. A mayor, Richard Molina heads the city. The other council members include; David Torres, the city mayor preterm, Juan G. Guerra, the city manager, Omar Ochoa, the city attorney, Ludivina Leal, the secretary, Jorge Salinas, Gilbert Monriquez, and Homer Jasso Jr. Together, they former the governance basis of the city of Edinburg as a mayor-council form of city government.

Also, the city government of Edinburg has gender inclusiveness. American politics have been overtime inclusive of the females even in the federal governments (Jones). Women such as Hillary Clinton have held prominent positions in the Senate. The politics of the United States do not discriminate against gender equality in governance. Still, with the example of Hillary Clinton, she was nominated under a major party, the democrat, to run for the presidency seat. As much as no woman seats in the council members of the city of Edinburg, according to my report women have participated in major sports such as basketball.

Also, they have participated in citizenship were 13 ladies passed the citizenship test. The local government is active in the provision of such platforms for the women in the city of Edinburg. The women are empowered through such practices. Women are no longer confined to the family matters and home keeping but rather are out there exploiting the opportunities just like their male counterparts in modern-day America.

The system of governance furthermore focuses on different functions at a different level of governments. The federal and state governments deal with the most important issues concerning the entire nation whereas the local governments are mandated with the task of ensuring that the needs of Americans are provided for at lowest levels. The federal government deals with issues of national importance while the local governments focus on the small picture encompassing their specific counties, townships, cities, or districts. In my report, the city government of Edinburg covers all the activities such as organizing and hosting city events. Events such as community day to be held on 13th, UFO festival scheduled for 5th, and all American city awards are organized at the city government level.

All the social activities concerning the population of the city is a function of the mayor-council of Edinburg city. The mayor-council not only focuses on events to be held within the city but also the events outside the city to be attended by people from its city. For instance, my report features an event to be held in Denver in June. The local government has to feed the needs of its citizens residing in the cities, townships, districts, and the municipalities.

Lastly, according to American politics, the local governments are discharged with the responsibility of ensuring that its citizens access health care facilities, public infrastructure, education, etc. The local governments are responsible for the welfare of the residents based in the townships, cities, municipalities, and districts in the various states of the United States. According to the report I submitted, the mayor-council of Edinburg city has provided for the educational needs of the residents of the city. The Edinburg library is among the top libraries in Texas, and the city observes the national library week whereby books are given out free of charge. The library also offers GED. The mayor-council also has schools such as Flower Power/ Kristen Academy Champs and Memorial Middle School dedicated for educational purposes.

Apart from education, there are also recreational facilities in the city such as the Edinburg theatre which is open for all the residents and the Edinburg parks and recreation. The residents use such facilities for enjoyment and recreation for instance during the weekends and public holidays. The city also caters for sports. In my report sports are denoted by ladies basketball team and the Rampage team. A festival is scheduled to be hosted in the city.

In conclusion, the city of Edinburg employs the mayor-council type of city governments. The government caters for the needs of the residents of the Edinburg city including the provision of educational facilities such as schools and libraries and provision of recreational facilities such as parks and theatres. The government also actively participates in the events scheduled to happen within and outside the city such as the festivals and awards events. The city also offers citizenship classes whereby women are also enrolled as candidates and can sit for the citizenship exams.

Works Cited BIBLIOGRAPHY

HierarchyStructure. “American Political Hierarchy.” 14 November 2017. Hierarchy Structure. <https://www.hierarchystructure.com/american-political-hierarchy/>.

Jones, Bryan D. The New American Politics. New York: Routledge, 2018.

Vile, M.J.C. Politics in the United States. London and New York: Routledge, 2007.

Limiting the Negative Effects of Football on players

Limiting the Negative Effects of Football on players

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Introduction

Safety among football players has long been a concern for everybody involved: Parents, players, coaches, and spectators. While both changes to the rules and improvements in player gear have increased the sport’s safety, degenerative neurological diseases are still a common topic among the football community. Examples of these diseases are Alzheimer’s disease, Spinal muscular atrophy, and the most commonly discussed, CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy). (Garner, 2019). There is currently a vast amount of research being conducted on this topic to create a more enjoyable, safer experience for all levels of football, beginning as early as elementary school. However, more concern is surrounding the players that continue onto the collegiate level and eventually professional. The main reason for this is that the longer a player is involved in football, the higher the chance of developing these degenerative neurological diseases. Likewise, physical injuries are just as much of a problem, if not more of a problem, than mental injuries.

The three most common injuries occurring on the football field relate to the knee, ankle, and leg muscles (Hamstring, Quadricep, and Calf). Football, being a full-contact sport, can undoubtedly begin to cause breakdowns to the body over time no matter the precautions taken; however, yielding to this standard is not an option. It may seem that there are countless seemingly unfixable dangers regarding football; however, this does not mean there is no solution. The progress made over the last decade has done wonders for football and immensely diminished players’ lasting physical and psychological injuries. Further research can only continue to help eliminate all injuries. It would be foolish to think that risk of injury can be fully removed, but the question remains: How can we limit the negative effects of football?

The most prominent of these negative effects football imposes is the injuries. As a result of football, an estimated 455,449 high school football injuries occurred in the 2018-2019 school year alone. (Injury Claim Coach, 2021). Repeated trauma can often stem into other concerning issues involving degenerative conditions and injuries incapable of fully healing. Just under 500,000 injuries a year only in high school football; this leaves football at the elementary, middle school, collegiate, and professional injuries unaccounted for. It is clear this number is staggering and far too high and therefore why we need a solution. Physical contact is always going to be a cause of injury and difficult to control, so it’s important to focus on the factors of the game that we can control. Among these factors are the stadium and the conditions players play the game in. Weather, playing surface, and type of stadium seem to have noticeable impacts on player injuries. Playing on natural grass instead of astroturf has shown decreased chances of injury relating to the ankles and knees.

It is no surprise that weather can have a significant effect on the playing conditions of football and consequently the injury rates, however, attempting to shield every football field from the elements is unachievable and irrelevant; the sport is far too popular, and there are far too many fields to accommodate the vast number of players with luxuries such as domed and cooled fields to reduce such injuries. Unlike warmer and dry weather, cold and wet weather also has a lower risk of injury to players, specifically the ankle, knee, and ACL regions. (Orchard JW, Powell JW, 2003). For decades, it seems that physical injuries were the primary discussion regarding injuries caused by football; however, the mental side of the injuries has gained tremendous traction. With cognitive research on the incline, attention to neurological diseases has become arguably the top focus of the football community. As mentioned prior in the introduction, Alzheimer’s disease, Spinal muscular atrophy, and the most commonly discussed CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) are all proven neurological degenerative diseases common amongst football players. (Garner, 2019). The primary cause of these life-altering diseases is repeated head trauma. Because physicality is a foundational aspect of the game, rule changes regarding contact may not be easily accepted. Pairing with the mental changes of cognitive diseases comes behavioural effects. The behavior of athletes can vary tremendously if brain function slows in parts of the brain and increases in other parts. Many football players have expressed their concerns about the game and its threats to their health, especially physical health (Folland et al., 2018). A large percentage of players wish they had more information about the game before they involved themselves in it. They wished they had not participated in the game because of the negative effects and the long-term and short-term risks that come with it. On the other hand, some footballers are driven by their passion and still wouldn’t mind the consequences of playing the game.

Despite being the most popular sport in America, football continues to threaten the lives of its players. The long-term health damages force some of them to end their careers before their time. According to a statement released by the Bloomberg Political Poll, many parents are against their children playing football for fear of their long-term health concerns (Swales, 1987). The biggest fear for most players, parents and fans is head injury. According to the Health Research Funding Organization, concussions occur with ablow to the head through contact and cause brain damage. If the concussion is undiagnosed and treated early enough, it will likely cause permanent brain damage. Repeated blows to the head during a game by players can also negatively affect a player besides brain damage (Garner, 2019). It can lead to the primary Chronic Traumatic Encelophathy, CTE. This brain disease is degenerative and progressive and mostly affects athletes with a repetitive history of persistent brain trauma.

An American-Nigerian forensic pathologist and physician, Bennet Omalu, discovered the CTE in 2002. According to him, any force transmitted to the brain is termed as a concussion, and a repetition of the same eventually leads to CTE (Webster TA, 2015). Alongside other medical experts, Bennet agrees that it has not yet been determined whether concussions and CTE are a cumulative effect of head injury due to the introduction to football since childhood. The aggressive tendencies normalized between players during the football games need to be evaluated and measures taken before most players fall victim to it and leave the field earlier than anticipated (Francis et al., 2020). The long-term effect of these physical and emotional injuries inflicted by the football game will see the game lose its valuable players and consequently the loyal fans hence dying down.

Footballers are likely to suffer the long-term physical effects of the game. The direct and forceful interactions among players create additional health risks for ligaments and joints damaged. The pain after the impact may be short-lived and mild, making the player believe they are okay. However, repetitive hits on the same spots on the player’s body result in neurological problems (Orchard et al., 2003). Over time, the players develop very weak elbow, hip and knee joints. As players grow older, they have difficulties moving, walking, stretching their arms out, bending and making simple body movements. Due to the negative impacts of the nature of the game, it becomes difficult to conduct their routines without a strain as their flexibility has been interfered with. According to the 2009 Annual Survey of Catastrophic Football Injuries, seven cervical cord injuries with incomplete neurological recoveries were reported from high schools and college institutions (Folland et al., 2018). Most of the cervical cord injuries that players suffer occur during the game followed closely by practice off the pitch.

Professional footballers who have been in the football world for a long time may hide their mild injuries for fear of being viewed as inferior or criticized by the fan. They are afraid of losing relevance in the market. For this reason, they ignore the need to see a specialist for their mild injuries and resort to taking pain medications secretly. This move is very dangerous for a player because it plays out in different negative ways. The pain medications might numb the injury and allow players to finish their game successfully. However, the injury continues to worsen with time and affects the functionality of other body parts (Webster TA, 2015). Moreover, the pain medications are highly addictive and might leave the respective players dependent on them for a lifetime. Such players risk losing their careers and potential mental health instability.

Many coaches in the football world are aware of the popularity of the game and the significance of introducing fresh and talented football players to the field. They are aware of the advantages and the benefits they are likely to get from such moves in football. For this reason, they go after very young players who just discovered their talents and are more ambitious to utilize and maximize them. They urge these young players to focus and specialize in one aspect of the game they feel they are really good at. The truth is that specialization in one area increases the exposure of a player’s body to injuries (Injury Claim Coach, 2021). Most football players suffer injuries in the body parts that give them the most advantage against their opponents when playing the game. According to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health research, coaches to most footballers underestimate the injuries and their effects on the players. They chose to ignore the burnouts and the injuries that result from playing the game because they are driven with a much greater goal of staying relevant and profiting from the football world.

Young players suffer the most because they are confused and don’t comprehend the stakeholders and their intentions in the football world. Coaches take advantage of this situation and sell dreams to the players and their parents. Administrators promise college sponsorships and a stable football career while subjecting them to excessive practice and pitch time without considering their physical and mental health. They eventually blow away the potential of most players and drop them for fresher, new skilled and healthy players. This cruelty in the football world, especially young players, leaves them in a bad physical and mental state. Injuries leave players feeling helpless and unproductive. This condition is quite dangerous as it can easily result in mental instability, depression and impaired judgment.

Football is very engaging and time-consuming for the players. The football schedule is quite tight, and it goes all year round. Footballers travel a lot for matches and tournaments across the world. For this reason, professional footballers have little time to spend with their families. Being away from family and friends can be harmful to one’s mental health. It leaves them feeling lonely, sometimes disengaged from the family and a lack of sense of belonging. These aspects might interfere with the player’s concentration and performance during a match. Furthermore, players are always under constant pressure to put up the best performance to meet the team’s expectations, coach, and fans. This feeling can be overwhelming to the players and might destabilize their mental state if not properly handled. Post career physical pains, career dissatisfaction, and the bad relationship between coaches and teammates threaten football players’ wellness.

Conclusion

It is undeniable that football jeopardizes the safety of its players, both long-term and short-term. It is a crisis that requires full attention from all the stakeholders. The leaders in this sector refuse to adopt safety measures that would otherwise protect players against physical harm because they believe these protective measures will interfere with the traditional football game. Policies that allow protective measures, including protective gears, should be developed and implemented as soon as possible. The government needs to intervene and secure the lives of football players. Football agencies need to be transparent and honest with their players while recruiting them to understand what is at stake. The wellness of younger players should also be considered because they also struggle with their physical and mental health like professional players.

References

Garner, D. (2019). Effects of football practice on blink reflex parameters in Division I

football athletes. Neurology.

https://n.neurology.org/content/93/14_Supplement_1/S21.2Injury Claim Coach. (2021). U.S. High School Football Injury Statistics. Injury Claim

Coach.

https://www.injuryclaimcoach.com/high-school-football-injury-statistics.html#:~:text=This%20article%20will%20review%20statistics,the%202018%2D2019%20school%20year.

Folland, J., Behan, F., Willis, S., Pain, M. (2018). Effects of football simulated fatigue on

neuromuscular function and whole‐body response to disturbances in balance.

Scandinavian Journal of Medicine, Science, and Sports. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29981192/Francis, J., Sameer K., Hasegawa, R., Weiss, J., Small, D. (2020). The association

between adolescent football participation and early adulthood depression. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229978Orchard JW., Powell JW., (2003). Risk of knee and ankle sprains under various

weather conditions in American football. Medicine Science Sports

Exercise. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12840631/Swales, J., (1987), Approaching the Concept of Discourse Community, University of

Michigan, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED286184.pdfWebster TA. (2015). No pain, no gain: American football players’ attitudes towards

help-seeking and barriers to mental health service utilization. []Alliant International University.

https://www.proquest.com/docview/1689890605?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true

Paradise Lost” by John Milton

“Paradise Lost” by John Milton

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“Paradise Lost” by John Milton

“Paradise Lost” is a poem which was written by John Milton-an English poet in the 16th century. The original edition of the poem was published in the year 1667 (Martindale, 1986). The work created a stable stand for the author since it is one of his most significant works. The poem is a ‘Christian epic of humanity.’ The epic draws its origin from a common and simple biblical story of Adam and Eve. It focuses on the events which led to the fall of man due to their disobedience to God. In his story, Milton holds that Lucifer (who later became the devil) was thrown into hell by angels from heaven. The events came after he could not accept that God was supreme. Lucifer stayed in a lake of fire for nine days before he arose and declared that everything had not been lost. He decided to take revenge on God and aroused allies. He brought allies in the form of spirits and started working towards his purpose which was to deceive and influence God’s creation into disobedience. The devil (Satan) organized a meeting with his allies to deliberate on the actions they would take against God. Satan got into a snake inform of a spirit and influenced Eve to eat a fruit which was forbidden by God. The act was sinful and led to disobedience of God. Through his unique way of writing, the reader understands how people can easily fall into evil and the outcome of the sin.

Milton uses a simple story in his epic. The story of human ‘fall’ blends well with different ideologies such as puritan ideas, domestic and political ideals, and Renaissance humanism (Martindale, 1986). At the beginning of the epic, Milton prays to God to help him write well. The epic has several themes. One of the major themes is explained in the justification of the disobedience of God which leads to the fall of man. God’s actions and his later decision to bring salvation to people depicts that God is right. The author explores the events that led to the disobedience of man. The primary cause of the fall is disobeying God which is caused by Eve. Although Eve cannot justify her reasons for revolt, Adam disobeys God for a mare reason that he wants companionship from Eve. Through this justification, he holds on the reasons as to why people must act rationally.

The decision by Adam to eat the forbidden fruit justifies the free will of a person. A person should be able to make choices whether they are good or bad. However, people should take responsibility for their actions. Milton does not hold that God had all the plans on the destiny of the man before his creation. Milton is a humanist who has faith in the adventure and faith of man. He believes that God was right to leave Adam and Eve alone for a while so that their reasoning would be free. By exposing them to evil, He justified that people are creatures that can take care of themselves. His punishment to Adam and Eve was also justified. Milton also believes in the orthodox views of the second redemption. He argues that the redemption of human beings through Christ will bring a better outcome than paradise. Therefore, he believes that Adam and Eve act of sinning was useful towards the redemption of humanity.

Paradise Lost can be seen as a mental pilgrimage. Losing the first paradise leads to finding another one within our lives, which may have better results in the future. Garden of Eden restricts Adam and Eve. Although God may have been impressed by their way of living, Adam and Eve could never have developed spiritually. God withheld knowledge from Adam and Eve, and thus their obedience can be seen as insignificant. The fall of man and the loss of Paradise can be seen as a result of ignorance and innocence. Men, therefore, can attain a rebirth spiritually through the ability to control their passions. Milton uses an engaging writing style in the Paradise Lost. The style presents ideas in a way that is well-crafted, elevated, and unique from that styles used by other authors. Some analysts and readers are fascinated by the language which is used in the epic. His poetry has a lot of Latin influence, and some critics argue that the author compromised the English language. However, the poem has contributed to crafting of English language as a literary tool. Milton unique style is seen through different aspects; the theme, music and rhythm, figures used in the speech, dignity, diction, and syntax.

Milton rhythm or meter in his poem is known as the blank verse. Although it is not an ordinary black verse like in other literary works, he uses several lines which do not rhyme. Analysts hold that he uses the blank verse for his purpose as well as convenience. In his epic poem, Milton uses lines which contain ten syllables. However, the lines do not have a specific number of stresses. The lines have a minimum of three and a maximum of eight stresses. His style does not, therefore, follow the traditional style of variation in poetry. Stresses’ position and degree also vary in the poem. Another crucial feature in the poem is the caesura or the pause. Milton uses a style whereby; the caesura is found in different positions of each line. The weight of the pause falls also vary with the shorter and lighter as well as long or heavy breaks bringing out a different effect to the storyline of the poem. In his poem, Milton uses diction which is more of Latin. Some of the English words also have connotations which are Latin. The language and the words are carefully chosen. There are also English words which are pedantic and unfamiliar. The English and Latin words have both literal as well as symbolic meaning. Milton uses images and pictures to bright specific themes and changes tone with the change of setting and description.

In Paradise Lost, Milton uses a simple and familiar story of Adam and Eve to explain how the fall of man comes happened. The story focuses on sin and the implications of the sin. Through his theme of disobedience to God and its outcome, the reader can understand how people can easily fall into evil.

References

Martindale, C. (1986). John Milton and the transformation of ancient epic (p. 131). London: Croom Helm.

Tool Use Of Chimpanzees

Tool Use Of Chimpanzees

I chose this topic because of all of the living primates, I would say that chimpanzees are the closest to ourselves. They are the most advanced of the living primates and have the most extensive tool use. I also chose it because I think the tool use of primates is the easiest way to distinguish between their cultures. I believe that through generations of trial-and-error tool discovery, and passing down behaviors, they have developed more advanced cultures then any other species, next to humans.It is interesting to me to think that this is how the evolution of humans started out with just a few primitive tools used for nutrition, grooming, intimidation, and defense. In a few million years, they could be evolved to our level. With that, where might we be at that point.One of the most interesting aspects but less common of their tool use is their ability to defend themselves with clubs, missiles, or stones. Some use theses just as show but some really mean business. It has been observed that only savanna chimpanzees are capable of any really effectiveness and accuracy while forest chimps while poorly aimed attempts of throwing are only used for show.It has been speculated that African apes are dehumanized descendents of savanna hominoids that were forced to retreat into the forests in the wake of hominid hunters who had invented spears. This brings the question of weather those were our early ancestors and if that chimps are nearly at that point in their evolution.

During thunderstorms , Gombe chimps get excited, break off or pick up and brandish branches a dash around precipitately in defense as if being alarmed at something. Occasionally, they would strike another chimp or another animal with their stick, often releasing just before striking. This, to me, seems to be a sign that they are ready to defend themselves from whatever danger is coming their way. During periods of excitement in banana feeding grounds, they threw sticks, stones, or handfuls of vegetation as part of displays directed towards other chimpanzees, baboons and humans. Less then half of the males that participated exhibited signs of actual aiming and rarely hit their target. They tried throwing both overhand as well as underhand. During the banana episode observed, as the frequency of aggression increased, more males engaged in it as well as youngsters as well as one adult female chimp. As it went on the ration of hit per miss increased as well.

This observation means to me that they might be conscious that they are tapping into a possible breakthrough but cannot yet realize the possibilities of what regular spear throwing could bring. I believe it is yet generations from possibly their true realization of the usefulness of the spears or “missiles”. It is becoming instinctive however but not yet as refined yet as is their tools for fishing termites.In a rare instance, a Gombe adult male, Mike, threw a sizeable rock (25cm x 10cm x 10cm) at a group of brush pigs, striking one. He and his companions had surrounded the pigs and when the pigs retreated into the brush, Mike and his companions caught a piglet and ate it. In an earlier observed instance, Mike had used a 4 gallon kerosene can to display and bluff his way into the pinnacle of the group, past the before leader, Goliath. Since that instance, he has been knocked from his position of power.

This tells me that there are chimps with a higher capacity to understand weapons and the abilities of them. He however didn’t fallow up on this as much as he could have. It is puzzling that they fear things like that but cannot grasp it enough to consistently use weapons for hunting and some other purposes.

In one observation in Bossou, chimps threw underhand sticks of 100-400 cm in length at their observers. Their effectiveness and accuracy unfortunately was evident on the observers. They would climb a branch into a position nearly right above the observers and hurl them underhand. After further observation, when the chimps were further accustomed to the human observers, they stopped throwing sticks at them. The only ones that still threw sticks at them were the younger chimps, throwing less menacing sticks of only 40-100 cm in length.This seems to be a good example of cultural diversity in chimps due to tool use. It seems to have been a more prominent part of their lives because they seem to have developed an actual technique to throwing their spears. It is unknown why they had become more accustomed to using spears or what they had been exposed to.

In a study of Zaire chimps, observers confronted them with large caged felines and a dummy stuffed leopard. When sticks and clubs were available, they would brandish clubs or throw the sticks at the potential attacking cats. I think that one of the most important traits that all chimpanzees could catch onto would be the use of weaponry. It could also cause them to branch off between the chimps who had developed spears and clubs. Those brandishing spears and clubs could run the more primitive chimps out of their area. It would be a big step in their evolution as it could have been a large step in our evolution.

Another important “branch” in the tool use of chimpanzees is their use of sticks as probes for fishing out insects as well as other things. This is an important part of most chimp’s daily lives with the exception of the chimps in Budongo who have not exhibited any tool use at all. I don’t believe that this has anything to do with their intellectual capacity but more to do with their need. The needs of their lives have been met and there is no need for growth of their culture. When the need comes to adapt, it will be survival of the fittest.Chimps have been observed using sticks, stems, slender twigs, strips of bark fiber, and vine sections to fish for alate termites. The average length being between six to twelve inches. Out of 145 tools measured in a study, their average length was 30.7 cm.

The chimps inspect the mounds on their daily rounds. Tools are inspected variable before, during, and after mound inspection. They searched no further then ten meters away to find a new tool to use as a probe but were noted to have brought used tools from old mounds up to 100 yards away. This tells me that they have a conscious plan and definitely know where they are going. Various tools are sometimes used sequentially to find the best ones. Their tools were modified; stems were denuded of leaves, wide grass or bark was divided longitudinally, frayed or bend ends were nipped off. They apparently have an idea of their tool and know what they are making.

Fishing tools aloud chimps first helpings on the termites. Birds, other monkeys, and baboons wait until time for their migration and they fly out of their mounds. This is a sign of the advanced intelligence exhibited by chimpanzees.

Gombe chimps were also observed using sticks to extract two species of ants from subterranean and arboreal nests. These sticks were observed to be between 1.5 and 3.5 feet in length and ripped off nearby vegetation or picked up off the ground.The chimps observed the previously raided nests and fallowed ants to pristine nests. When they spotted surface perturbations that indicated the presence of unraided subterranean nests, they dug rapidly into the nests with their hands and ants rapidly swarmed to the entrance in defense of their nest. To avoid being bitten, they would sit on logs, branches or saplings. They dash in, insert the smaller end of the probe in and twist it down tightly, then move away. They pull out the stick when it is about three quarters covered by the ants. The chimp then holds the ant covered end to their mouth and with their other hand, swiftly sweep the ants into their mouth and chew rapidly. The bunch is about the size of a hen’s egg and contains upwards three hundred ants.

This is an important trait of chimps because it is probably the most widely used tool throughout Africa. Probing ant and termite hills is one of the only tools uses observed in chimps in both eastern and western Africa.The drinking sop is another observation made in chimps. They insert wads of masticated leaves into tree holes and suck out the steeped liquid. This is observed in Gombe chimps to such the oil from palm oil trees.A very interesting behavior observed in chimps is the use of tools for hygene. It is hard to believe that any animal is conscious of their hygiene. I believe that chimps are however the closest thing to a human being that there is.

Several chimps in captivity were observed using sticks for oral hygiene. Infant chimps were observed using sticks as picks to clean out their noses. Other mature chimps used sticks as picks to clean out their teeth. The most interesting of these was a 9 year old female named Belle who became the regular dental hygienist for 4 other chimps. She employed her fingers as well as an assortment of handy wooden tools, one of which being a piece of red cedar denuded of leaves, used for picking foreign particles from the teeth. She even extracted a deciduous molar from the mouth of a patient supine male.Oral hygiene isn’t the only thing that chimps worry about. They also use leaves for various grooming purposes and toiletries. They were observed using plucked leaves to wipe mud, blood, feces, urine, and sticky food residue from honey and fruit juices from various parts of their bodies.

It is interesting that chimps are conscious of such things as grooming because some things just don’t seem practical. It seems that some of those behaviors could be pure vanity. I don’t see the hazard that could be caused by some things.Interest lies in another use of tools in the daily life of some chimps. Cracking nuts adds a new dimension to their intellect it seems, multiple tool use. The use of “hammer and anvil” is a more advanced behavior then it seems. It employs a cooperation of tools.

In the Sapo forest of Liberia, chimps are observed cracking 4 species of nuts: Coula edulis, Panda oleosa, Parinari excelsa, and Sacoglottis gabonensis. They pound with stone hammers of about 3.3 pounds on boulders and tree roots.On the Tiwai Island researches found cracked shells around hard tree roots with lacerations. They didn’t observe any chimps fleeing with stones in their hands and found no stones nearby that would be effective hammers but found several serviceable clubs nearby. They also found stone anvils with cracked shells scattered around them.

An interesting fact is that Gombe chimps are not observed cracking nuts. One of the most highly eaten nuts are the ones that come from the oil palm trees and the pulp from these trees make up a significant part of their diet. As well as the palm trees providing a good anvil for cracking the nuts.Due to the lack of hazard, younger chimps have been observed fishing for termites, wipe for toilet use, and sponge with leaves. They however do not get into ant dipping until later age. Their tool use is shown to be a learned trait from parents of chimps, primarily the mothers. This backs up my idea of cultures evolving through generations within their specific groups.At six months of age, the infant chimps are noticed reaching for twigs and leaves but are making no use of them, only mimicking their mothers. It is not until 8 months that they manipulate possible crude use but still do not use them. They don’t begin their termite dipping until they reach the age of 2. At 2 years of age, they select inappropriate tools and use them crudely and inefficiently. At three to four years of age, the novice termite fishers are improving but not yet as persistent as mature adults. It as at this age that they also develop into successful leaf spongers.

While their mothers are dipping for ants, they cling tightly to their mothers and watch intently but stay as far away from danger as they can. They have been observed practicing the ant dipping method away from ant hills. They aren’t usually successful ant dippers until they reach adolescence at 7 years of age. The youngest successful ant dipper, however, was observed at 46 months of age.An interesting observation made in captivity was that when face with problem solving situations to be solved with tools, the more mature and older chimps were more successful. Probably due to their practice with using tools throughout their life in non-problematic situations.

Sex also plays an important role in dietary tool use. Seventy-five percent of females engage in dietary tool use whereas only forty-five percent of males use tools for dietary purposes. Females engage in slightly longer bouts of termite dipping on average then do males. They also engage in more ant dipping sessions that last for more then one hour.The question of efficiency posses an interesting question. I believe that females will make more advancements in tools then will males because of more practice that they have at tool use. This clashes with some facts that it is the males that are making more advancements in tool use for weapons because nearly all males will pick up a weapon before a female. This poses an interesting question. I believe that the answer is in male aggression. The males are more aggressive then females and as such will be more likely to pick up a weapon.I believe that the tool use of chimps is what divides their specific cultures from one another. Some say that it is the feeding habits of them but that ties in directly with tool use. I believe that the dominant cultures of chimpanzees will be those that develop advanced weapons and those that don’t develop weapons will be pushed out or maybe not even survive. I believe this because it is what seems to separate our cultures in human civilization. It seems to be all about the ability to adapt to one another and built the better tools. That is what divides the men from the beasts and I believe that chimps are narrowing that gap more then any other primate or any animal.

Bibliography

Primate Behaviors, by Bernstein, Irwin S.; Academic Press; 1970

Apes of the World, by Tuttle, Russel H.; Noyes Press; 1986

www.cnn.com

www.wildchimps.org

Strategic goals for the Hospital

To: Professor Alteri

From: Briana Young, HR Manager

Date: September 22, 2019

Subject: Strategic goals for the Hospital

Summary: Lately my hospital has gone through technology problems and with the merging of two hospitals. My hospital wants to take care of our patients. With these 10 different organizational units. Patients receive care in all different areas of the hospital, so their care needs to be coordinated across these units. When a smaller hospital merges with a bigger, better-equipped hospital system, patients in a smaller hospital can gain better access to experts and sophisticated medical technology, such as high-tech imaging and electronic medical recording devices. I recommend to the hospital that they should write down all the strengths and weakness of their hospital and what they should improve on.

New Strategic Intent. The Strategic intent I selected for the hospital is Organizational collaboration. More cooperation and team unity are crucial to achieve high quality patient care, excellent service, and organizational efficiency. Employees must use the same book to operate and pull in the same direction. Teamwork is vital to enhance the efficiency of hospitals in critical operating fields. Employees, doctors and other stakeholders want to know that the organization has a bright future and what the vision will look like once it is achieved. They want to understand where the organization is going and how it’s going to get there, in other words. In the case of staff, this dedication applies to their general career as well as their day-to-day work, and may result in enhanced productivity and a greater level of workplace involvement. In the case of patients, this commitment is about trusting their health or even their very lives to the hospital.

Structural dimensions of organizational design for this hospital. The dimension would be Centralization because it refers to hierarchical level and decision making which the organization is centralized. The hospital has to establish goals and deciding marketing territories. Formalization explains about different documentation and job descriptions and also regulations. Specialization explains how organizational tasks are divided into separate jobs. The specialization has to be high because if it becomes low the employees will perform a wide range of takes in their jobs. Hierarchy explains on who to report to like the president or a manger. The hierarchy of authority will be low and short. Complexity explains how the number of departments within the organization.

Effectiveness approaches. I think the hospital approach should be to expand market share around different organizations

The collapse of the Soviet Union

The collapse of the Soviet Union

Name

Institution

Date

Introduction

The collapse of the Soviet Union’s historic moment gained the attention of different groups of people in society. Many have perceived it to stem from the lack of the Soviet Union to embrace technology and keep up with its pace, the cold war, and the arms race. However, the manipulation of the Russian presidency by Boris Yeltsin and the rise of the Soviet national republics contributed massively to its collapse. The disintegration of the Soviet Union can be attributed to various factors as well. This research aims to examine the factors that led to the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

Marples (2016) suggests a multitude of events that caused the collapse of the Soviet Union but first discussed the different perspectives of other analysts. Marple explains how the end of the U.S.S.R. signaled the end of the Cold War and resulted in a victory for the United States. However, this did not signify that the United States was responsible for the collapse of the U.S.S.R. Marple highlights how the pressures of the arms race with the U.S. were not the cause of the economic collapse of the U.S.S.R(Marples, 2016). The disintegration of the Soviet Union and the consequent end of the U.S.S.R. resulted in a drastic improvement of the relationship between Western countries and the former northern Eurasian empire.

One of the factors that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union was the economic instability brought about by the fluctuation of global fuel prices. According to Marple theory, the communist party politician Mikhael Gorbachev took over the U.S.S.R. when its economy stagnated. Kramer (2003) differs from Marples’ school of thought by focusing on the market condition during the reign of the Soviet Union. He claims that the economy of the Soviet comprised of hoarding and consequent shortage of consumer goods, which acted as setbacks to the progressiveness of the economy. Kramer further argues that ten percent of the country’s G.D.P. originated from the black-market economy of the Soviets. For this reason, the country experienced an economic stagnation that worsened by the day. Mikhael Gorbachev developed two policies hoping that they would revive the economy. The two policies adopted are the perestroika and the glasnost policies. Under the perestroika policy, the Soviet Union shifted to the communalist-capitalist hybrid economic system under the command of Gorbachev. Kramer (2003) further states that Politburo, the policy-making committee of the capitalist movement, was in charge of the economy. Marple (2016) states that despite the economy’s underperformance, the government still allowed the market to influence the development decisions and production processes. Both Marples (2016) and Kramer (2003) agree that the establishment and implementation of the perestroika reforms to combat the effects of economic stagnation worsened the market condition. The government printed money to support wage hikes, an action that led to the inflationary spiral. A sharp drop in global oil prices threatened the Soviet Union (Kramer, 2003). In addition, the failure by the key players to develop and manage fiscal policies that would otherwise enhance the economy made the country vulnerable to external factors.

Marples notes that in the 80s and 90s, the Soviets ranked as one of the largest energy resources producers, producing natural gas and oil, which played a crucial role in its market dominance and being the world’s largest economy command (Marples, 2016). However, Zlotic disagrees with Marples’ argument and states that in March 1986, the oil prices experienced a drastic drop from 120 dollars per barrel in 1980 to 24 dollars a barrel. Therefore, the external capital fueling the Soviet Union economy was limited. Consequently, oil prices skyrocketed in 1990, when Kuwait was invaded by Iraqi. The Soviet Union’s economic constraints contributed to its collapse as it had already shown cracks in the economy and signs of instability and at the verge of collapsing.

Marples’ theory surrounding the collapse of the U.S.S.R. revolves around what he calls a coup from within. Marples states the collapse of the U.S.S.R. was partly due to the rise of national republics versus the central Moscow Soviets. He suggests this ideology was initiated by introducing the Glasnost policy. Gorbachev aimed to achieve political openness with the Soviet people through the Glasnost policy. The policy addressed personal restrictions on the people of the Soviet by eliminating the Stalinist repression remaining traces. He banned books like the Nobel-winning prize book, Dr. Zhivago, written by Boris Pasternak (Marples, 2016). The much-loathed secret police, the fall of many communist regimes in eastern Europe, and the refusal from Gorbachev to counter the fall of these with considerable force created an undermining of Gorbachev’s authority. Marples also explains how the economic collapse of 1990-1992 also played a crucial role but states the most critical event was the rise of a new Russia under the elected president Yeltsin. Yeltsin had the backing of his party members that became spiteful of previous encounters with Gorbachev and the policies introduced into Russia. He explains how it was a revolt from within instead of a civil conflict, with evidence from the composition of post-soviet leadership where all of the newly independent states had former communist leaders. With Marples giving the example of Belarus and their elected leader, Alyaksander Lukashenka, in which he openly stated that the collapse of the U.S.S.R. was an act of ‘treachery.’ Marples describes how many of these party leaders transformed from communist to nationalist to maintain their power. The only leader to not do this was the Georgian leader, later termed power-hungry and consequently lost his leadership. He explains how the main factor attributing to the collapse of the U.S.S.R. was the rise of nationalist republics and the coup from Yeltsin that caused a severe undermining of Gorbachev’s power. Ultimately it was the rise of a new Russia, separate from the Soviets.

The main aim is to provide an argument on the collapse of the U.S.S.R. The collapse was mainly a result of two interconnected factors: the rise of the Soviet national republics and the manipulation of the new Russian presidency by Boris Yeltsin in what became a direct power struggle between Yeltsin and the Soviet leader, Gorbachev. Marples follows a clear outlay in which he explains how the national question became a dominant topic in Soviet politics. He provides an analysis of the economic crisis in the late 1980s, explanations of the referendum to reform the Soviet Union, and how it led to the termination of the U.S.S.R. In addition, he addresses the final discussion of the two conflicting powers, Yeltsin and Gorbachev.

Marples’ chapter on the economy supports his main argument. Through his detailed explanation of Gorbachev reforms and Mining strikes, Marples explains how the economic crisis created growing discontent among the republics of the Soviet with Marples. He highlights Gorbachev’s leadership limitations, which revolved around his lack of delegation to experts and consequently a period of great economic regression.

Barnes (2014) produces a piece of work titled ‘Unpacking the “Collapse” of the Soviet Union.’ In his work, Barnes’ argument explains how the fall of the U.S.S.R. can be explained as a combination of regime change, state decline, and territorial disintegration. Barnes states how this allows scholars to make a formal judgment on other potential explanations. In his work Barnes (2014) explains how many people see the collapse of the U.S.S.R. as a single phenomenon and states that his article disaggregates the event into three separate though interconnected processes. Barne’s attribution of the collapse of the Soviet Union to a combination of events is similar to the work of Marples (2016). However, there is a difference in their approaches on the contributing factors to the collapse. While Marples (2016) and Barnes (2014) have differing arguments, they both have similarities in the argument. Marples’ rise of national question can be seen as similar to the territorial disintegration that Barnes talks about. With the rise of national republics, many Soviet republics sought independence, and therefore, once independent, they were no longer a part of the territory belonging to the U.S.S.R.

The work from Barnes (2014) allows for an understanding of the events from 1985-1991. It provides explanations in which we can reject arguments from other scholars, such as an economic decline or major faults with the Soviet system. It also highlights how the three factors mentioned could not single-handedly cause the collapse of the Soviet Union but only in conjunction with one another have the power to destroy the U.S.S.R. However, Barnes’ work seeks to explain the collapse of the Soviet Union to apply a framework for future political campaigns and predict political movements. This argument places a different perspective on his work, focusing on political reasoning. It fails to provide adequate information about the contribution of the people to the collapse of the U.S.S.R. Some of the contributions include but are not limited to the pressures to improve working conditions and the increase in goods prices, which created growing discontent among the general public.

Gorbachev believed that the explosion of the nuclear bomb over a year after he had taken over power contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Seliktar (2015) claims that the nuclear bomb explosion at the Chernobyl power station caused massive distraction and cost people’s lives. Seliktar explains that Gorbachev’s official response to the disaster was a test of his glasnost policy of openness. The communist party committees did their best to cover the severity of the bombing to reduce tension among the people and renounce any doubts on the leadership and integrity of Gorbachev. According to Seliktar (2015), one of the mechanisms adopted by the officials to suppress the disaster information was the proception of celebrations and Mayday parades in the affected areas despite the risk of exposure to harmful chemicals. He confirms in the article that the western reports regarding the severity of the explosions and the chemical exposure were downplayed and termed as gossip. The people’s trust in the Soviet system gradually reduced and shattered as more people dealing with the radioactive poisoning increased. Yet, the communalist party officials were spreading propaganda about the issue. The people’s lost faith in the Soviet system contributed to its collapse. (Soliktar 2015) coverage of the Chernobyl explosion gives adequate information regarding the events and its influence on the people’s perception of the Soviet Union. It outdoes other scholarly sources and makes scholars question their credibility.

In Suny’s article ‘The revenge of the Past: Nationalism, revolution, and the collapse of the Soviet Union,’ he states that the referendum to reform the Soviet Union in 1991 is the first in the history of Russia. It aimed to maintain the U.S.S.R. as a renewed federation. It was one of its kind because it came in place of the renewed federation prevented by a coup in August. It resulted in the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991. 80% of voters approved the referendum in question. Matlock (1995), on the other hand, believes that the referendum intended to give Gorchabev the popular mandate to pressure the newly elected Baltic state legislatures and the soviet republics who sought greater sovereignty. Gorbachev attempted to undermine the outcome of democracy using democratic methods. According to Matlock (1995), the Helsinki Commission sent its staff to monitor the Soviet republics and Baltic states’ parliamentary elections, in line with the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act. They aimed to gather substantial reports about Baltic states and perestroika as a way of representing the soviet politics democratization. In December 1990, a compendium report of the Baltic States and Soviet republics elections was documented and published.

Matlock (1995) claims that the observations made by the staff members of the Helsinki Commission in the soviet and the elections of the Baltic state reports showed that the international media and the soviet republics paid little attention to the historic referendum. Marpels (2016) supports Matlock’s point of view by affirming that the lack of attention from this partis reflected the referendum’s minimal impact on the people. The jurisdictional battles in U.S.S.R. between the republics and the center indicated that the statement was flawed and irrelevant as a policy. Matlock (1995) further explains that the referendum helped generate the ‘April Pact’ between the leaders of the nine republics and Gorchabev. He claims that these consequences displayed a referendum’s failure in causing the impact initially thought about the establishers, which was a historic contribution to soviet politics. According to Suny (1993), pushing the referendum and advocating for it, Gorchabev demonstrated his interest in using it as a weapon against his political enemies and the lower government bodies in the federal structure. The referendum application by Boris Yeltsin and Mikhail Gorbachev impacted the usage of the device after communism in the post-soviet states. The collision between Yeltsin, the president of Russia, and Gorbachev contributed massively to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The two statemen had a strained relationship, and none took the other seriously. The passionate dislike of the two political leaders accelerated the collapse of the Soviet Union.

According to Zlotnic (2003), The failure of the coup in 1991 December was a clear indication that Yeltsin had more control and an upper hand in the whole situation. Their different personalities were perhaps the main cause of their rivalry. Kramer (2003) concurs with Zlotic’s (2003) argument and points out that their relationship was more of an intense rivalry than a competition. According to Yeltsin, Gorbachev was born for compromise and diplomacy. On the other hand, Yeltsin was perceived as reckless, impatient for negotiations, and preferred brinkmanship risks. Despite Gorbachev being the first to alter the Soviet political rules, Yeltsin was quick to play by the rules and consequently defeated Gorchabev. Yeltsin was able to convert his political career to and extend his rule that would have otherwise ended in 1987, thanks to the alterations introduced by Gorchabev into the political system.

Unlike Marple and Barnes, Seliktar (2015) focuses on how the involvement of the Soviet Union in the Afghanistan war and its financial budget for the military troops resulted in the collapse of the Union. The Soviet army settled in the Graveyard of Empires as they took over their role in World War II and repressed the Prague spring and the Hungarian revolution. Seliktar (2015) further adds that millions of Soviet troops took part in occupations for ten years. In the line of duty, over fifteen thousand troops lost their lives. More than a million Afghanistan civilians were also killed in the battle. Since the government controlled the press, the information about the war remained muted until the glasnost created an opportunity to vocalize the Afghanistan war-weariness. With this move, Gorbachev reform efforts opponents lost their leverage against him. The Afghan conflict veterans in Soviet republics were agitated against the Moscow war.

According to Suny (1993), protests broke in Asian republics in support of Afghanistan because many soldiers felt more closely attached to Afghanistan regarding their religion and ethnic background. The cleavage with Moscow by the European republics was more dramatic. The Baltic republic’s opposition forces resulted in the Anti-war demonstrations held in Ukraine. In 1990, the secessionist movements fueled by the Baltic Republics saw the independence declaration of three Baltic states. Sunny (1993) claims that the west was not responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union. Despite the rigors and pressures of the arms race, it didn’t suffer economic collapse due to the competition. Barnes (2014), however, argues that the regionalism, nationalism, and ethnic tension experienced during this period originated from the economic decline witnessed in the Soviet nation. Contrary to Barne’s argument, Suny believes the war in Afghanistan contributed massively to the collapse of the U.S.S.R compared to other factors.

Conclusion

The disengagement of the Soviet Union had a huge impact on the post-soviet states and the communist afterward. It is undeniable that the coup’s failure led to the demise of Soviet communism. The collapse of the Soviet Union did not necessarily commerce when the coup failed. Other factors shook the Union’s stability gradually and facilitated its collapse. This collapse brought about political stability and continuity for its people. It allowed for a well-functioning, industrialized, well-planned economy for the Soviet Republics. Therefore, it is right to conclude that the collapse of the Soviet Union benefited the Soviet Republics and the Baltic states.

References

Barnes, A. (2014). Three in One: Unpacking the “Collapse” of the Soviet Union. Problems of Post-Communism, 61(5), 3-13.

Kramer, M. (2003). The Collapse of the Soviet Union (Part 2): Introduction. Journal of Cold War Studies, 5(4), 3-42.

Marples, D. R. (2016). The collapse of the Soviet Union, 1985-1991. Routledge.

Matlock, J. (1995). Autopsy on an Empire: The American Ambassadors Account of the Collapse of the Soviet Union (1st ed.). Random House.

Seliktar, O. (2015). Politics, Paradigms, and Intelligence Failures: Why So Few Predicted the Collapse of the Soviet Union: Why So Few Predicted the Collapse of the Soviet Union. (1st ed.). Routledge.

Suny, R. (1993). The revenge of the past (1st ed.). Stanford Univ. Press.

Zlotnik, M. (2003). Yeltsin and Gorbachev: The Politics of Confrontation. Journal of Cold War Studies, 5(1), 128–164. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26925263

Telling Truth Autonomy and Confidentiality.

Telling Truth Autonomy and Confidentiality.

Name of Student

Institutional Affiliation

Introduction.

The truth has a way to defend itself, as it is commonly understood. A reality with absolute discretion will auger well with the recipient as much it may hurt sometimes. Health institutions prepare nurses and doctors to be truthful as they handle patients. Governments, through their legislative chambers, have developed bills touching on elevating and maintaining the nobility of the medical profession, especially the code of ethics. In recent times before employment, medical practitioners do swear to uphold and protect the code of ethics as they discharge their duties. Telling the truth to the patient on their health status and maintaining the confidentiality of the patient are some of the ethics that medical practitioners swear to protect. This paper looks at the intrigues of either telling the truth in some situations or telling a lie whenever its necessary to save the patient.

Does informed consent matter in a medical context?

Informed consent is the primary step in medicine. The patient should be willing and cooperating with the doctors for them to be treated. However, permission should be mutual so that both the doctor and especially the patient, can make an informed decision. For instance, a patient who has cancer, such kind of patients, should be given enough information on the type of cancer they are suffering from. The patient should be given information on prognosis and diagnosis and the various treatment stages, according to Robert (2009). This information helps the patients to prepare psychologically and mentally for treatment. Therefore, this may result in the patient responding better to treatment.

Also, the truth should be given according to the patient’s discretion. Some patients may require hearing the truth themselves, and others let their next of kin or health practitioners deal with it. Although, the other person to receive such information should as well as be prepared while it may harm them as well. In such a scenario, then the doctor can discuss with the patient’s caregiver for medication to begin. The patient’s autonomy should always be respected, which includes the right not to know their medical condition if they deem so.

Should it be adhered to in an absolute way?

The patient’s privilege and right to informed consent should be respected and observed. This is due to the benefits and pre-disposed values that accompany it. Informed consent provides the patient with prior information which they can use to make informed and well-thought decisions concerning their health. It also provides vital information economically that the patient can be able to meet for their medication. Failure to informed consent is a severe health breach, which, for instance, may lead to the patient deteriorate health-wise or die. Without permission, it contradicts the principles of patient-centered care, patient empowerment, and shared decision making. A patient may not make a conscious and informed choice without truthful information shared with them, according to Craig M. et al. (2018).

Moreover, informed consent has both psychological and physical benefits. Psychologically, the patient settles having the knowledge of what they ail from and the possible diagnosis and prognosis. The patient with the exact information on what they are suffering from tends to respond well to treatment as they already have a knowledge of what to expect during treatment. It also prevents mental torture to patients without any anxieties since they already have information on the diagnosis and prognosis. The patient also can undergo the procedure as painful it maybe since they have truthful information, and they understand likely scenarios.

Furthermore, informed consent enables the patient to build trust in the health practitioner and believe in the process. Positive energy from a patient is an excellent stride towards the patient recovering. Informed consent fosters a patient-health practitioner relationship, which may, in turn, lead to the patient opening up on their medical history, which can help the doctor to handle the condition of the patient better. As Yusrita {2018} notes that competent patients should handle the truth, and painful truth is only but an “accident,” but a lie cannot be concealed since, in the fullness of time, it will come out. The fact helps patients to make informed decisions.

Informed consent should be adhered to considering the facts above, and also the moral principle of sharing the truth with the patient so that they can make informed decisions. There is more good than harm in having informed consent between a doctor and patient than not.

Is it ethical to disregard it sometimes?

As the paper has discussed above, informed consent is almost necessary, and it is the right thing to do legally and ethically. However, some cases dispel the notion that informed consent is a necessity, and morally they are right. Sometimes, telling the truth is a prima facie obligation whereby sometimes one duty can override the other. For instance, if lying means life can be saved to telling the truth, then the medical practitioner must lie. The doctors can also hold any information from the patient if it may cause harm.

We consider a case study; Yusrita (2018), in the paper, gives an example of a critically ill patient in ICU and has just gained consciousness after a road accident in which the family members perished. The man then decides to ask about the whereabouts of the family it would be most appropriate that the medical practitioner withholds such information because of his health condition and that it will do him more harm. The lie will give him hope to fight for his life so that he can unite with his family; therefore, the myth is morally justifiable. The primary duty of the doctor is to save the patient’s life, and if it requires a lie, it’s worth a life. Clinical analysis should be conducted by the medical practitioner before such a decision, with proper documentation to prove that a lie was necessary.

Also, when new doctors come on board, they need to be given a platform to learn and gain experience to handle patients. Most patients will most likely object to the fact that a fresh graduate doctor treats them; therefore, such information is held so that the medical profession can continue. Also, the patients who are anti-tablets sometimes can be tricked, and the tablets are smashed into their drinks without their consent. This is wrong to have a patient take pills without their permission, but again it helps to make their dose and finally morally acceptable recovery.

It is necessary to note that it’s not all the times that a medical practitioner should withhold information, but when they deem it appropriate, and it’s for the sake of protecting a patient’s life. Therefore, a medical practitioner should clinically assess the patient and weigh the impacts to make a decision.

In conclusion, the oath of telling the truth should be respected by the doctor as it is the right of the patient to have a piece of information to determine their health problems. Undoubtedly, telling the truth is the right thing any human being should do. However, some medical cases give an impression that not always. Thus, doctors should understand the circumstances in which they have to lie. It is necessary that lying should be the last thing a medical practitioner should do but for the noble cause of saving humanity.

References

Zolkefli, Y. (2018). The ethics of truth-telling in health-care settings. The Malaysian journal of medical sciences: MJMS, 25(3), 135.

Veatch, R. M. (2009). Case studies in biomedical ethics: Decision-making, principles, and cases.

Klugman, C. M., Dunn, L. B., Schwartz, J., & Cohen, I. G. (2018). The ethics of smart pills and self-acting devices: Autonomy, truth-telling, and trust at the dawn of digital medicine. The American Journal of Bioethics, 18(9), 38-47.