Stalin's Effects on Society and Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stalin's Effects on Society and Politics - Essay Example Further, by forging a communist bloc from Asia to Europe, Stalin helped to form the basic framework of international politics in the second half of the twentieth century (Kopstein & Lichbach: 212-213). The Soviet dictator Josef Stalin was a convinced communist as well as a staunch supporter of Lenin’s ideas about party organization. He was able to gain unprecedented political power, rising to the highest position in the Leninist party based on his better institutional supports, organizational skills, ideological concepts, his implacable loyalty to the party as well as faith in its eventual triumph. Stalin did his best to enforce Leninist principles of â€Å"democratic centralism†, of strict party discipline and control over a hostile society (Kopstein & Lichbach: 214). Several issues confronted Marxists in the Soviet Union, following their revolutionary victory, such as, how to build â€Å"socialism† in a predominantly peasant country without the support of proletarian revolutions in more advanced capitalist countries. The policies that were formulated and implemented by Stalin, ultimately destroyed millions of people and left a heavy burden of economic conditions as a legacy for post-Soviet Russia. Yet, Stalinism was the most consistent ideological position that could successfully be adopted after Lenin’s death, as compared to the three opposing positions adopted by Stalin’s opponents belonging to the Left, the Right and the Orthodox Center. The Left was headed by the famous revolutionary Leon Trotsky who incited Soviet workers to redouble their efforts to rapidly build a strong industrial infrastructure, and argued that the Bolsheviks should stive to foment revolutions throughout western Europe. However, Trotsky’s pow er and influence declined rapidly by 1924, with party members and ordinary workers tiring of revolutionary appeals after three years of world war, a year of revolution and three years of

Social Issue Essay Example for Free

Social Issue Essay â€Å"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. † As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, the world must go far beyond than our differences and we must love each other for what we are. And Afghanistan religion is not an exception. Amir is the son of Baba, a wealthy businessman and a Pashtun Muslim, he also goes to school, owns books and wears fancy outfits. Hassan, on the other side of the coin, is the son of Ali, a member of the Hazaras and Amir’s personal servant. He does not attend school and is analphabetic and wears pitiable clothes. And despite the fact they live in the same property, Amir’s dwelling is the most beautiful and opulent house in town, meanwhile the servant child lives in a humble cabin down by their garden. The Kite Runner clearly exposes the social inequality of Amir and Hassan upon the different lifestyles of the characters, the education they are given and of course the discrimination upon the ethnic groups they each belong to. The three main points already mentioned, clearly exemplify the immense social gap inside the Afghanistan culture. To begin with, the ethnic conflict and the discrimination issue in Afghanistan have been around from years in such culture. The Hazaras on one side, are the minority group among the society, they belong to the peasant class and throughout centuries, they have been persecuted and exterminated by the members of the nation’s ruling class: The Pashtuns. â€Å"Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans† (Hosseini, K. (The Kite Runner), 2003 p. 22). Nevertheless, Amir and his father Baba are members of this religious sector; in fact, they are one of the wealthiest families in North Kabul. Hassan and Ali, on the other side, were part of the Hazaras and due to their Mongol features and cultural status, they constantly tend to receive social and physical discrimination. And although these two Islamic branches tend to live together assorted inside the same land, their social disparities are enormous. And which better example to portrayed this idea, than Hassan and Amir themselves. They both live in the same location and nearly eat the same food, but the society’s views about them are completely dissimilar. The Pashtun boy is seen as a fruitful and pure soul; however, Hassan is perceived as a filthy and foolish fellow with no certain future. Second of all, the education received by Amir is completely unlike the one given to Hassan. This Pashtun lad attends an upright school in Kabul, where he is taught how to write and read. At home, he frequently enjoys reading several sorts of tales and even writes his own short stories. Hassan’s education, however, was exactly the opposite: he doesnt know how to write or to read. He works most part of the day and attends no school at all. The only kind of â€Å"education† this poor Hazara child will ever obtain, is the one given by Amir from time to time, when he teaches him the definition of a few words from the books he reads to him. Just for the fact he belongs to a social minority, Hassan will never in his life do anything but to cook or clean before others. And no matter how hard he struggles, he will never be given the chance to attend any school, will never be given the chance to read and will never be given the chance to write. â€Å"After all, what use did a servant have for the written words? † (Hosseini, K. (The Kite Runner), 2003 p. 37). Pursuing this further, the Afghans kids’ lifestyles are completely unlike. When both lads get up in the morning they follow a very similar routine, however lived from utterly different perspectives. When Amir wakes up in the morning, he comfortably eats his breakfast. When Hassan wakes up, he prepares Amir’s breakfast. While Hassan makes his bed, polish his school shoes and ironed his uniform, Amir complains about homework and how tough is school. â€Å"When the sun dropped low behind the hills and we were done playing for the day, Hassan and I parted ways. I went past the rosebushes to Baba’s mansion and Hassan to the mud shack where he had been born, where he’d lived his entire life. † (Hosseini, K. (The Kite Runner), 2003 p. 24). This is one of the greatest example of the social disparity in Afghanistan, where the younger generation’s future is strictly related to the their religious group. Amir, for instance will have a successful life, crowded of opportunities and joyful moments, meanwhile Hassan will grow old enough to become dust in the wind. However, Amir and Hassan both grew under the same roof and spent the first twelve years of their lives playing together. They learned how to crawl together, they even taught each other how to ride a bicycle with no hands. They spent entire winters flying kites, running kites, watching westerns at the cinema and chasing each other between tangles of trees in Baba’s house. Never mind any of those things. Because history isn’t easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, Amir was a Pashtun and Hassan was a Hazara, he was rich and he was poor, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing. Given these points, we can conclude the differences upon Amir’s and Hassan’s education, their unlike lifestyle and the discrimination throughout The Kite Runner’s main characters are undoubtedly originated upon their ethnical position. Just for the fact Hassan is not a Pashtun Muslim, just for the fact he belongs to social minority, just for the fact he is different, he is destined to live this rotten life eternally. However, Amir will be given the chance to live his own life. He will study hard and become one of the many wealthy men in Kabul. He will drive his opulent family in an opulent car to his opulent house, where Hassan and his child will be waiting for them inside their mud shack. The same mud shack where they have live their entire miserable life. It is incredible how the religious distinctions between them, greatly affect their existence. But it is a fact. The Pashtuns and the Hazaras discrimination in Afghanistan is happening. And no matter how hard they struggle, Amir and Hassan can not escape from this reality where each of these two innocent boys stands as an example of the social inequality in Afghanistan. Reference List: -Hosseini, K. (2003). The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead.

Wake up before its too late

Wake up before its too late Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen. ‘When the well is dry, we shall know the value of water- these famous words by Benjamin Franklin vividly describe the world we live in today. It is only when we run out of things that we take for granted, that we realise how valuable and priceless it really was. Unfortunately, by that time it is usually too late to mend the damage. I would like to start with a little story that took place at a sea-side. Each time a wave washed on land, it would carry a couple of dozens of starfish, deposit them ashore and then the waves would reunite with the sea. As you all know, starfish can only survive on land for a few days. A young boy decided that this had to stop. The death of these wondrous creatures deeply disturbed him. Determined to put an end to this terrible fate, he set about trying to save them by picking up each one and throwing it back into the sea. A man came across him and curiously asked, â€Å"Why bother throwing the starfish back into the sea? Each time you throw one, a dozen more wash across the beach!† â€Å"Well,† said the boy, stooping down to pick a starfish, â€Å"At least, Im saving this one,† as he threw it back into the sea. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to address this important session at the 12th Annual International Conference on the Environment. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude towards all of you for your august presence. Today, I stand here, positive that I speak on behalf of several others, with similar concerns and hopes for the future of our planet. I am going to tell you about the three environmental issues, which, in my opinion, are the most pressing problems that need to be dealt with, to heal our Mother Earth, to save it from destruction. Let me tell you what is happening to our planet Earth, what will happen to it if we do not enact a change, effective immediately. Firstly, let me take you on a journey to todays tropical rainforests. We have cut trees to serve our personal benefits. We have cut trees to expand our agriculture. We have cut trees to exploit oil to use in our factories. We have cut trees to use in our paper, furniture and building industries, to name a few. All this has undoubtedly enabled us to have a comfortable life. However, there are always two sides to a coin. Lets sneak a peek at the other side. We have cut our single, most essential source of oxygen. Rainforests are so much more than our typical image of just trees and shrubs. They are a home to some of the most diverse species of plants and animals and we are thoughtlessly destroying it. Our tree cutting is also causing soil erosion, flooding and global warming. We have been seeking ways to make our life comfortable. Our comforts have created d iscomforts for our Mother Earth. We have, instead, forgotten it for own convenience, for our immediate wants and needs. Trees can not be cut down one day and then be expected to grow back the following day. So let us wake up before it is too late! Now, let us venture from the rainforests to the vast oceans and seas. Since the beginning of mankind, water has been the key source of civilization. It has been our heritage and we owe everything to it. As you all know, water covers about 70% of the Earths surface. However, only 3% of it is fresh which can be used for drinking or irrigation. Recently, during my visit to a seaside, my eyes were opened to the sheer amounts of discarded waste, stretching from the beaches to the sea. I was appalled by the amount of unexpected litter strewn across the beach. People ruthlessly throw syringes, rubber slippers, plastic bottles, bags and tins on the beach. Wastewater from factories and industries, and insecticides from farms had also ended up in the sea. This results in the endangering of marine ecosystems and also makes the water harmful for human consumption. As the world population grows, the need for water also increases. Approximately 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to safe water; this is roughly one sixth of the worlds population. If we do not act fast to prevent water pollution, it wont be long before our Earth will turn from a blue planet to a dirty blue planet. So let us wake up before it is too late! Finally, let us take a trip to the upper atmosphere and get a close-up of what is actually happening there. Rain- our source of water- has also become dangerous. There is an increasingly high concentration of pollutant gases worldwide from power stations, factories and cars. These gases have dissolved with tiny droplets in the clouds to form acid rain. The proof of this is the famous site in India- the Taj Mahal. The effects of acid rain have taken toll and weathered away the beautiful marble. That is not all! The ozone layer- the shield which protects the Earths surface from the dangerous rays of the sun is being destroyed due to air pollution. Today, there is a massive hole over the Antarctica. The list of such follies is just endless. As a society, we need to understand that our actions have major implications on the environment that can be virtually irreversible. So let us wake up before it is too late! Remember back to the forest fires in Scandinavia, to the dying coral reefs in Fiji, to the flooding in Manila and then remember all the stories that we hear of philanthropy and humility displayed by humans all over the world every week. All of this is proof that we care, that we are perfectly capable of defining what is right and wrong and thereafter standing up for what is right, standing up for each other, and standing up for the environment. In spite of all our selfish acts, we all have a sense of compassion treasured within us. Together, let us cultivate this compassion towards making a fruitful future for our planet. The question is how. How can you as an individual enable a change to help the environment? How can you ensure that you will never have to walk out on the streets to face a never-ending landscape of bareness? The truth is that we can not resolve this problem without a joint effort. The truth is that we have the ability to make a change, all we need is willpower. The truth is that it may be challenging, but it will also, most certainly, bear the fruits of the seeds we have sown. The fruits that will be enjoyed, not just by us or our children, but also, the children of the future- those who are not yet born, those, who we will never know and never meet, they are the ones who need us the most. If we as individuals take the initiative to create a clean environment nothing is impossible. We must start with the little things such as saving energy and disposing of litter properly, which, on its own, can make a huge difference. A consciousness should be cultivated in us. It is only then that we shall be able to advance to working on major issues. If we all work together from a local scale, to a national scale and eventually a global scale we will most definitely be able to re-create a beautiful earth to live in, for not only the generation of today but also for many more generations, yet to come. We must join hands to protect our environment, join hands to secure its future and join hands to ensure a better place for our future generations. Together, we can make a change, a change for the better; we can make a change today. It is never easy to accept defeat, to accept failure and to admit that we didnt do enough. Let us hope that the day never comes when we regret our actions. Let us act now to prevent our very own despair, remorse and resentment for what we may lose because of what we didnt do. Lets not give us a chance to ask ourselves- ‘How did we get to this? I urge you now to do every little bit you can to benefit the environment. Let us not wait till its too late. On this note, I would like to end by saying that every little action will make a difference. Every little action counts. Just like the little boy at the seashore, we too must save every little starfish that we can. Thank you very much for your kind attention, ladies and gentlemen.

Human Domination :: Essays Papers

Human Domination Humans have changed nature in many ways since their existence on the earth. Some of these changes were good, but many were not. People have made the world easier for themselves to live in, but harder for other animals. In â€Å"Buffalo Gals, Won’t You Come Out Tonight† by Ursula Le Guin, the main theme was the domination of the world by the human race. Gal experienced firsthand how the animals lived before the humans took over. Chickadee explained to her â€Å"When we lived together it was all one place. But now the new people (humans) live apart. They weigh down on our place, they press on it, draw it, suck it, eat it, eat holes in it, crowd it out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Le Guin 43) Myra also saw how humans had forced the animals into isolation. She saw the wickedness of human nature when the farmers shot at Coyote on sight, and then set a trap to poison her. Since the Neolithic Revolution, humans have domesticated animals. The positive effects of this are that the animals are fed and kept clean. Despite this, the animals must sacrifice their freedom as wild creatures. For example, cows were kept and bred to provide milk, food, and clothing. Chickens must live in small coops and lay eggs; only to have their babies stolen from them and cooked for breakfast. Horses are forced to bare a human’s weight on their backs, and carry the human where he or she pleases. In â€Å"Buffalo Gals† Horse said that his kind were used to bring the â€Å"new people† to the animals’ land (Le Guin 37). These domesticated animals had no free will and were virtually slaves to humans throughout history. Animals today can be trained for specific tasks, such as a Seeing Eye dog or a talking parrot. Dogs are kept by homeowners for protection and used by law enforcement to sniff out drugs or bombs. This type of human-animal relationship onl y benefits the people; the animals’ abilities are just being taken advantage of. Another form of domestication is the pet. Humans have kept pets for many years and the pets are usually better cared for than a cow or flock of chickens. One reason is to train the animal for a specific task, such as a Seeing Eye dog or a talking parrot. Another reason to keep a pet is companionship. Someone who is lonely or disturbed may find emotional comfort in owning and taking care of an animal.

Disorder Analysis

â€Å"Me Myself and Irene† is a movie about a Rhode Island State Police trooper named Charlie Baileygates who has a mental disorder. The disorder that can be evidently seen in the movie almost creates the whole essence of the story. Charley Baileygates' (Jim Carrey) is found to have a Dissociative Identity Disorder or more commonly known as multiple personality. In the movie, Jim Carrey's character changes from Charley to Hank, who is the other personality, that somehow is the complete opposite of Charlie.During the course of the movie, this Dissociative Identity Disorder of Charley terrorizes his condition and his interaction with other people, especially with Irene (Renà © Zellweger). As the movie assessed Charlie's condition, it showed that this disorder was caused by the anger that has been kept inside for years due to other people who took advantage of him. Raising three African-American kids that are sons of his wife and a black dwarf limo driver, who eventually stole h is bride, Charlie accepted it but has kept this unconscious anger deep inside him.This eventually led to Hank, who is the other personality inside his brain. Hank is the rude, violent and cocky persona that is completely the opposite of Charlie.DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDERAs defined by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), â€Å"Dissociative Identity Disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a condition in which a single person displays multiple distinct identities or personalities, each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment.†(American Psychiatric Association, 2000).The requirements of the diagnosis suggests at least two personalities consequently gaining control with regards to a person's demeanor and actions. With regards to its possible causes, epidemiology, appearance across cultures, and existence, this disorder is controversial. Interaction of several factors are c auses that lead to Dissociative Identity Disorder. Possible symptoms that suggests a demonstration of Dissociative Identity Disorder ranges with wide variations during the course of time.Symptoms that can be included are distortion or loss of subjective time, depersonalization, depression, amnesia, headaches and other body pains. People with this condition may even suffer auditory hallucinations with regards to the two personalities' discussions and might even result to misdiagnoses that may falsely conclude a psychotic issue. People with DID often display an array of indications that can match those of other mental health disorders and many physical disorders as well. Chronic and potentially disabling or fatal, patients with Dissociative Identity Disorder are prone to harming themselves.There are various treatment methods to cure this disorder such as Psychotherapy, medications and behavioral treatments. A psychiatrist or psychologist may use specially designed interviews such as t he SCID-D and personality assessment methods to evaluate an individual with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Integrating the personalities into a single personality is the main goal of treatments. Drug therapy can alleviate some particular symptoms but does not heal the disorder itself. Psychotherapy on the other hand is emotionally painful and difficult.In general , two or more psychotherapy meetings a week for at least 3 to 6 years are essential. Helpful also may be Hypnosis.CONCLUSIONAs seen in the movie, this condition is not actually a psychotic disorder. But despite this, there is danger among people with this condition, as seen in Charlie and Frank's battles, if not properly treated. Integrating the personalities might be hard, but keeping them in tune and coexisting might help. Psychotherapy is the best option for treatment of DID.

Designing Customer Driven Marketing Strategy

Designing Customer Driven Marketing Strategy: Now-a-days companies recognize that they can not appeal to all buyers in the marketplace or at least not to all buyers in the same way. Buyers are too numerous, too scattered, and too varied in their needs and buying practices. Moreover, the companies themselves vary widely in their abilities to serve different segments of the market. There are 4 steps of designing customer driven marketing strategy. They are described below: (i) Market Segmentation:Buyers in any market differ in their wants, resources, locations, buying attitudes, and buying practices. Through market segmentation, companies divide large heterogeneous markets into smaller segments that can be reached more efficiently and effectively with products and services that match their unique needs. Market segmentation is of two types: A) Segmenting consumer market: There is no single way to segment a market. A marketer has to try different segmentation variables, alone and in comb ination, to find the best way to view the market structure. There are four segments of consumer market: . Geographic Segmentation: It calls for dividing the market into different geographical units such as nations, regions, states, provinces, cities or even neighborhoods. ECONO DX mainly does their business in villages. They are also supplying their pens in big cities of Bangladesh but, in few amounts. 2. Demographic Segmentation: It divides the market into groups based on variables such as age, gender, family size, family life cycle, income, occupation, education, religion, race, generation and nationality. Demographic factors are the most popular bases for segmenting customer groups.One reason is that consumer needs, wants and usage rates often vary closely with demographic variables. Another is that, demographic variables are easier to measure than most other types of variables. As example, old people will buy ECONO DX because; memorable events are related to it. Another example is lower income people uses ECONO DX pen as it is cheap. 3. Psychographic Segmentation: It divides buyers into different groups based on social class, life style or personality characteristics. People in the same demographic group can have very different psychographic makeups.Mainly middle and lower class people are the target customers of ECONO DX. 4. Behavioral Segmentation: It divides buyers into groups based on their knowledge, attitudes, usage or response to a product. This grouping is done depending on occasion, benefit sought, user status, user rate, loyalty status etc. As example, patriotic people will want to buy ECONO DX Ball pen because, it is an old brand and they are using this brand may be from the time of liberation war. B) Segmenting Business Market: Consumer and business markets use many of the same variables to segment their markets.Yet, business marketers also use some additional variables, such as customer operating characteristics, purchasing approaches, situati onal factors, and personal characteristics. By going after segments instead of the whole market, companies can deliver just the right value proposition to each segment served and captured more value in return. When ECONO DX was first introduced in the market, the owner of the company was very cleaver to grab the market for his product. He made a contract with BD government that- in all government official sectors ECONO DX will be the only ball pen to be used as official accessory.Requirements for effective segmentation: Clearly there are many ways to segment a market, but not all segments are effective. To be useful, market segments must be- 1. Measurable: The size, purchasing power and profiles of the segments can be measured. 2. Accessible: The market segments can be effectively reached and served. 3. Substantial: The market segments are large or profitable enough to serve. 4. Differentiable: The segments are conceptually distinguishable and respond differently to different market ing mix elements and programs. 5. Actionable: Effective programs can be designed for attracting and serving the segments.ECONO DX fulfills all these five criterions. (ii) Market Targeting: Market segmentation reveals the firm’s market segment opportunities. The firm now has to evaluate the various segments and decide how many and which segments it can serve best. In evaluating different market segments, a firm must look at three factors: segment size and growth, segment structural attractiveness, and company objectives and resources. Firstly, the company must collect and analyze data on current segment sales, growth rates and expected profitability for various segments.But â€Å"right size and growth† is a relative matter. The largest, fastest-growing segments are not always the most attractive ones for every company. Smaller companies may lack the skills and resources needed to serve the larger segments. Secondly, the company also needs to examine major structural fac tors that affect long-run segment attractiveness. For example, a segment is less attractive if it already contains many strong and aggressive competitors. The existence of many actual or potential substitute products may limit prices and the profits that can be earned in a segment.The relative power of buyers also affects segment attractiveness. Buyers with strong bargaining power relative to sellers will try to force prices down, demand more services, and set competitors against one another- all at the expense of seller profitability. Finally, a segment may be less attractive if it contains powerful suppliers who can control prices or reduce the quality or quantity of ordered goods and services. Even if a segment has the right size and growth and is structurally attractive, the company must consider its own objective and resources.Some attractive segments can be dismissed quickly because; they do not mesh with the company’s long-run objectives. Selecting Target Market Segmen ts: After evaluating different segments the company must decide which and how many segments it will target. A target market consists of a set of buyers ho share common needs or characteristics that the company decides to serve. Market targeting can be carried out at several different levels- Undifferentiated marketing strategy, Differentiated marketing strategy & Concentrated or Niche marketing.ECONO DX is following undifferentiated marketing strategy. Undifferentiated marketing: Using an undifferentiated marketing or mass marketing strategy, a firm might decide to ignore market segment differences and target the whole market with one offer. This mass marketing strategy focuses on what is common in the needs of consumers rather than on what is different. The company designs a product and a marketing program that will appeal to the largest number of buyers. (iii)Differentiation and Positioning:A product’s position is the way the product is defined by consumers on important att ributes- the place the product occupies in consumers’ minds relative to competing products. Products are created in the factory, but brands are created in the mind. Consumers are over-loaded with information about products and services. They cannot reevaluate products every time they make a buying decision. To simplify the buying process, consumers organize products, services, and companies into categories and â€Å"position† them in their minds.A product’s position is the complex set of perceptions, impressions and feelings that consumers have for the product compared with competing products. They must plan positions that will give their products the greatest advantage in selected target markets, and they must design marketing mixes to create these planned positions. Choosing a Differentiation & Positioning Strategy: Some firms find it easy to choose a differentiation and positioning strategy. The differentiation and positioning strategy of ECONO DX is, â€Å" ECONO DX in different generation†. Competitive Advantage:To build profitable relationships with target customers, marketers must understand customers needs better than competitors do and deliver more customer value. To the extent that company can differentiate and position itself as providing superior customer value, it gains competitive advantage. The competitive advantage of ECONO DX is it’s lower price. Selecting an Overall Positioning Strategy: The full positioning of a brand is called the brand’s value proposition- the full mix of benefits upon which the brand is differentiated and positioned. It gives the answer to the customers that why they will buy this brand.Overall positioning strategy can be of five types. Among them ECONO DX follows â€Å"More for the Same Strategy†. This strategy says about, companies can attack a compititor’s more-for-more positioning by introducing a brand offering comparable quality but at lower price. From past til l present, time has changed a lot. Sometimes it was hard to pass the time, and sometimes time became a matter of joy. So, as shown in our video advertisement- by the side of type-writer or keyboard using, ECONO DX ball point pen became something that supports all the time.