How Hiphop Has Changed the Youth in Society Essay

Throughout the past 30 years, there has been much speculation about how negative hip-hop music truly is, and how it actually affects the youth. The hip-hop music of recent years has been the foundation of many controversial issues and has been illustrated negatively by the media countless times. Issues such as gun and knife crime which has escalated heavily within younger age groups in the last 15 years, especially in the USA and UK and also drug abuse, the use of marijuana being used openly within the younger generations. Hip-hop has been accused of influencing the youth to become more misogynistic towards women by constantly having explicit content, such as racist and sexist lyrics in their music. Hip-hip has always been stereotypically associated with violence and black crime. Due to this, older generations have always had an antagonistic outlook on the entire hip-hop genre of music. Although hip-hip music is considered negative in the eyes of many people, there is to consider various questions to have a better understanding and point of view on the controversial issue. Today we speak, dress and drive what the stars do. Where we shop and eat even the types of homes we buy is dictated by what we â€Å"hear† the celebrities are doing. That is a powerful influence over an individual adult but only imagine what type of influence this has over an impressionable pre-teen. Due to the fact that hip-hop/rap music appeals to the thirteen to eighteen year old audiences and the artists performing come from very similar backgrounds of the listeners, rap music is able to control the way that youth think. Teens and pre-teens are using their part-time job pay check to buy grills (a form of jewellery worn in the mouth) and other types of jewellery and even weapons such as knives and guns are seen as metaphorical fashion accessories for the youth, as these things are incorporated into the lyrics of hip-hop and rap music. What is hip-hop music? In order to understand the hip-hop phenomena one must first create a foundation of knowledge through learning its history. Hip-hop began from a mixture of spoken word poetry, jazz drumming, and jazz instrumentations. Hip-hop is one of the most popular genres of music out today and has been steadily growing in popularity since its rise in fame from the late 1970s. With the rise of MTV in the early 1980s, early hip-hop music was constantly being shown with TV shows such as ‘Yo! MTV raps’ and since then has been known to be one of music’s most successful art forms and has remained popular to this day. With over forty years of being around, hip-hop has grown and matured and most importantly expanded from its origin of the south Bronx in New York, to worldwide. The genre and sub culture originated in the early 1970s when a Jamaican immigrant by the name of Clive Campbell aka DJ Kool Herc, first hit the scene in the Bronx. Campbell started DJ-ing his own parties, playing soul, funk as well as R&B records on his turntable set. Herc also brought his know how of the sound system and the popular dancehall/block party scene. Graffiti art had also begun to take shape in the subways of Philadelphia in the mid 1960s. A black teenager by the name of Cornbread began tagging the subways in hopes of attracting a girl he had found feelings for; from this form of youth expression came Graffiti. Fab 5 Freddy, one of the original DJs of Hip-hop, began an art from known as scratching and popularized DJing. Hip-hop consists of four elements, ‘B-boying’ or also known as break dancing. ‘Djing’, ‘Emceeing’, and street art or more commonly known as ‘graffiti’. Djing, also known as the first element of hip-hop began when disc jockeys created beats on two turntables. The way DJs created their beats was simple yet revolutionary in an essence. The DJs would first find a portion of a song that emphasized a percussive pattern, and then looped a portion of the song to form a rhythmic pattern. This procedure is now more commonly known as sampling. With the beat or instrumental now developed, the DJ decided the music needed some accompaniment to the music such as singing or poetry. This procedure is known as rapping or Emceeing. From hip-hop spawned the sub-genre ‘Rap’ in the early 1980s. More and more artists became interested in the new form of music out of New York. In 1981, Rap gained a lot of exposure through popular shows such as 20/20 and Saturday night live. The 1990s saw even more change in the hip-hop industry. Early in the decade, artists fought for permission to sell their albums since most authorities deemed them ‘obscene’ due to the explicit content within the music. A lot which expressed sexual references towards women and talked about the use of drugs. Hip-hop music also spoke strongly about politics and poverty, artists such as Tupac and Public Enemy spoke about such issues. In the 1990s the tension that had been gathering between the west coast ‘Gangsta’ and the East coast artists has exploded and resulted in the shooting deaths of Christopher Wallace and Tupac Shakur. In the present day Hip-Hop is one of the largest and fastest growing sources of capital and has a great influence on its fans. The roles that Hip-Hop and Hip-Hop artist play in America require responsibility, however, many of the performers and labels take none. By using television and other various sorts of visual media Hip-Hop portrays less than positive stereotypes and all but influences the youth to accept these stereotypes as normal behaviour. The detrimental effect that popular Hip-Hop has doesn’t stop at the visual level. Lyrical content in songs have been dumbed down and filled with violence, sex, and drugs. For example the song â€Å"Hate Being Sober† by Chief Keef condones the use of drugs at all times and gives the impression that it is ok and cool. â€Å"While many Hip-Hop songs contain messages about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, few provide an accurate portrayal of the negative consequences of substance abuse† Negative accusations and harsh criticism has always been an issue for the hip-hop genre of music. Some of these accusations include how hip-hop influences the youth to become more misogynistic towards women by constantly having explicit content, such as racist and sexist lyrics in their music. Because of this, Hip-hop music has been criticized greatly by the media accusing the music of affecting the youth that sexism and other such forms of oppression are acceptable to society. Although the media has a major impact on how Hip-hop is viewed by the masses, their is some people who view Hip-hop differently. Famous civil rights leader Al Sharpton was asked on what he believed on this particular issue and said, â€Å"The hip-hop culture is just like electricity, it can be used negatively or positively. The same electric current that lights up your house can also electrocute you. It is the misuse of hip-hop culture to attack our women and promote violence. We must encourage the proper use of hip-hop culture. We are all influenced by the hip-hop generation. † (â€Å"Is hip-hop culture,† 2000) On a survey done to twenty-five people in the 17- 60 yrs of age range, twenty people know someone that is exposed to the Hip-hop culture and twenty-one of them believed that Hip-hop isn’t a negative art form. In Figures 1, 2, and 3 show the results from the survey done. On Figure 2, it shows that most of the people surveyed do believe that Hip-hop music has the most influence on the youth. Rap music generally depicts the lives and souls of many under privileged youths, citing depression and violence during upbringings. The youth of today’s society and in the past, take this music as a way of expression, a way of overruling everything they believe is corrupt and in their own way become corrupt themselves by not caring about the rules. Rap music can be transparently seen as a striking negative influence on today’s youth just by listening to certain songs which praise violence and the use of drugs. Take rapper Wiz Khalifa for instance. This artist is a prime example of being a huge negative influence to today’s society by the extensive amount of marijuana use, portrayed within his lyrics. The artist mentions marijuana in his songs and speaks about it in a positive way, speaking about the stimulating effects it has on him and almost making the drug sound ‘cool’ to the younger generation, making them think that smoking this drug is cool and acceptable as rapper Wiz Khalifa openly smokes it and mentions it. The number of drug references in rap music has raised six fold since the genre revolutionised pop music. Researchers who analysed the lyrics of hundreds of songs say rap has been transformed from one which warned against the dangers of drug abuse to one that routinely glorifies it. And because many of the references are coded, many parents are unaware what their children are listening to.

Optimal LDL cholesterol levels Essays

Optimal LDL cholesterol levels Essays Optimal LDL cholesterol levels Paper Optimal LDL cholesterol levels Paper Dyslipidemia came from the words â€Å"dys-â€Å" plus â€Å"lipid† which means fat and â€Å"-emia† which means in the blood. Altogether it means essentially, disordered lipids in the blood. According to Merck Co. 2008, Dyslipidemia is a disorder of lipoprotein metabolism, including lipoprotein overproduction or deficiency. Dyslipidemias may be manifested by elevation of the total cholesterol, the bad low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and the triglyceride concentrations, and a decrease in the good high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration in the blood. Dyslipidemia is a condition wherein it comes under consideration in many situations including diabetes, a common cause of lipidemia. For adults with diabetes, it has been recommended that the levels of LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol, and triglyceride be measured every year. Optimal LDL cholesterol levels for adults with diabetes are less than 100 mg/dL (2. 60 mmol/L), optimal HDL cholesterol levels are e4qual to or greater than 40 mg/dL (1. 02 mmol/L), and desirable triglyceride levels are less than 150 mg/dL (1. 7 mmol/L). Dyslipidemias were traditionally classified by patterns of elevation in lipids and lipoproteins. A more practical system categorizes dyslipidemias as primary or secondary and characterizes them by increases in cholesterol only (pure or isolated hypercholesterolemia), increases in TGs only (pure or isolated hypertriglyceridemia), or increases in both cholesterol and TGs (mixed or combined hyperlipidemias). This system does not take into account specific lipoprotein abnormalities (eg, low HDL or high LDL) that may contribute to disease despite normal cholesterol and TG levels. Dyslipidemia is a condition marked by abnormal concentrations of lipids or lipoproteins in the blood. (Merriam- Webster’s Medical Dictionary 2006) The Primary cause of dyslipidemia are single or multiple genetic mutations that result in either overproduction or defective clearance of TG and LDL cholesterol, or in underproduction or excessive clearance of HDL Primary lipid disorders are suspected when a patient has physical signs of dyslipidemia, onset of premature atherosclerotic disease less than 60 years old, a family history of atherosclerotic disease, or serum cholesterol 240 mg/dL ( 6. 2 mmol/L). Primary disorders, the most common cause of dyslipidemia in children, do not cause a large percentage of cases in adults. The names of many reflect an old nomenclature in which lipoproteins were detected and distinguished by how they separated into ? (HDL) and ? (LDL) bands on electrophoretic gels. The Secondary cause of this disease contributes to most cases of dyslipidemia in adults. The most significant secondary cause in developed countries is a sedentary lifestyle with excessive dietary intake of saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fatty acids (TFAs). TFAs are polyunsaturated fatty acids to which hydrogen atoms have been added; they are commonly used in many processed foods and are as atherogenic as saturated fat. Other frequent secondary causes include diabetes mellitus, alcohol overuse, chronic renal insufficiency and/or failure, hypothyroidism, primary biliary cirrhosis and other cholestatic liver diseases, and drugs, such as thiazides, ? -blockers, retinoids, highly active antiretroviral agents, estrogen and progestins, and glucocorticoids. Diabetes is most common significant secondary cause because patients tend to have an atherogenic arrangement of high TGs; high small, dense LDL fractions; and low HDLs (diabetic dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemic hyperapo B). Patients with type 2 diabetes are especially at risk. The combination may be a consequence of obesity and/or poor control of diabetes, which may increase circulating FFAs, leading to increased hepatic VLDL production. TG-rich VLDL then transfers TG and cholesterol to LDL and HDL, promoting formation of TG-rich, small, dense LDL and clearance of TG-rich HDL. Diabetic dyslipidemia is often exacerbated by the increased caloric intake and physical inactivity that characterize the lifestyles of some patients with type 2 diabetes. Women with diabetes may be at exceptional risk for cardiac disease from this form. B. Signs and Symptoms Dyslipidemia itself can cause no symptoms but can lead to symptomatic vascular disease, including coronary artery disease and peripheral arterial disease. High TGs ( 1000 mg/dL [ 11. 3 mmol/L]) can cause acute pancreatitis. Extremely high levels of LDL can cause eyelid xanthelasmas; arcus corneae; and tendinous xanthomas found at the Achilles, elbow, and knee tendons and over metacarpophalangeal joints. Patients with the homozygous form of familial hypercholesterolemia may have the above findings plus planar or cutaneous xanthomas. Patients with severe elevations of TGs can have eruptive xanthomas over the trunk, back, elbows, buttocks, knees, hands, and feet. Patients with the rare dysbetalipoproteinemia can have palmar and tuberous xanthomas. Another one is severe hypertriglyceridemia which is ( 2000 mg/dL [ 22. 6 mmol/L]) it can give retinal arteries and veins a creamy white appearance (lipemia retinalis). Extremely high lipid levels also give a lactescent (milky) appearance to blood plasma. Dyslipidemias are usually asymptomatic; it may cause xanthelesmas and xanthelamata, and after a prolonged period it may result into Ischemic heart disease, Peripheral vascular disease, Cerebrovasular disease and kidney disease C. Physical Exam Findings It is usually diagnosed by measuring serum lipids, though it may be suspected in patients with characteristic physical findings. Routine measurements also known as lipid profile, includes total cholesterol (TC), TGs, HDL, and LDL. TC, TGs, and HDL are measured directly; TC and TG values reflect cholesterol and TGs in all circulating lipoproteins, including chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, LDL, and HDL. TC values vary by 10% and TGs by up to 25% day-to-day even in the absence of disease. TC and HDL can be measured in the nonfasting state, but most patients should have all lipids measured while fasting for maximum accuracy and consistency. Testing of the disease should be postponed until after resolution of acute illness, because TGs increase and cholesterol levels decrease in inflammatory states. Lipid profiles are generally reliable within the first 24 h after an acute MI but then change. LDL values are most often calculated as the amount of cholesterol not contained in HDL and VLDL, where VLDL is estimated by TG ? 5; ie, LDL = TC ? [HDL + (TGs ? 5)] (Friedewald formula). VLDL cholesterol is estimated by TG ? 5 because the cholesterol concentration in VLDL particles is usually 1? 5 of the total lipid in the particle. This calculation is valid only when TGs are 400 mg/dL and patients are fasting, because eating increases TGs. The calculated LDL value incorporates measures of all non-HDL, nonchylomicron cholesterol, including that in IDL and Lp(a). LDL can also be measured directly using plasma ultracentrifugation, which separates chylomicrons and VLDL fractions from HDL and LDL, and by an immunoassay method. Direct measurement may be useful in some patients with elevated TGs to determine if LDL levels are also high, but these direct measurements are not routinely necessary. The role of apo B testing is under study because values reflect all non-HDL cholesterol (in VLDL, VLDL remnants, IDL, and LDL) and may be more predictive of coronary artery disease (CAD) risk than LDL alone. (Brunner Suddhart’s Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing 10th edition 2004) A fasting lipid profile (TC, TGs, HDL, and calculated LDL) should be obtained in all adults ? 20 yr and should be repeated q 5 yr. Lipid measurement should be accompanied by assessment of other cardiovascular risk factors, defined as diabetes mellitus, cigarette use, hypertension, and family history of CAD in a male 1st-degree relative before age 55 or a female 1st-degree relative before age 65. A definite age after which patients no longer require screening has not been established, but evidence supports screening of patients into their 80s, especially in the presence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Indications for screening patients 20 yr are atherosclerotic risk factors, such as diabetes, hypertension, cigarette smoking, and obesity; premature CAD in a parent, grandparent, or sibling; or a cholesterol level 240 mg/dL ( 6. 2 mmol/L) or known dyslipidemia in a parent. If information on relatives is unavailable, as in the case of adopted children, screening is at the discretion of the health care practitioner. Patients with premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular disease with normal or near-normal lipid levels, an extensive family history of heart disease, or high LDL refractory to drug therapy should probably have Lp(a) levels measured. Lp(a) levels may also be directly measured in patients with borderline high LDL to determine if drug therapy is warranted. C-reactive protein and homocysteine measurement may be considered in the same populations. Tests for secondary causes of dyslipidemia- including measurements of fasting glucose, liver enzymes, creatinine, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and urinary protein- should be performed in most patients with newly diagnosed dyslipidemia, and when a component of the lipid profile has inexplicably changed for the worse. D. Treatment Prognosis The prognosis of this disease varies with lipid levels and other cardiovascular risk factors. Treatment for dyslipidemia is indicated for all patients with cardiovascular disease (secondary prevention) and for some without (primary prevention). The National Institutes of Healths National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII) guidelines are the most common reference for deciding which adults should be treated The guidelines focus primarily on reducing elevated LDL levels and secondarily on treating high TGs, low HDL, and metabolic syndrome (see Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome: Metabolic Syndrome). An alternate treatment guide (the Sheffield table) uses TC: HDL ratios combined with presence of CAD risk factors to predict cardiovascular risk, but this approach probably leads to undertreatment. E. Bibliography Anne Hackman, MD; Yasunori Abe, MD; William Insull, Jr, MD; Henry Pownall, PhD; Louis Smith, PhD; Kay Dunn, PhD; Antonio M. Gotto, Jr, MD, DPhil; Christie M. Ballantyne, MD; 1996 Levels of Soluble Cell Adhesion Molecules in Patients With Dyslipidemia; Circulation. 1996;93:1334-1338 Brunner Suddhart’s Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing 10th edition 2004 Frick MH, Elo O, Haapa K, Heinonen OP, Heinsalmi P, Helo P, Huttunen JK, Kaitaniemi P, Koskinen P, Manninen V 1987 Nov 12;317(20):1237-45. Helsinki Heart Study: primary-prevention trial with gemfibrozil in middle-aged men with dyslipidemia. Safety of treatment, changes in risk factors, and incidence of coronary heart disease. et al. 1: N Engl J Med. Haffner SM 1998 Jan; 21(1):160-78. Management of dyslipidemia in adults with diabetes. PMID: 9538988 [PubMed indexed for MEDLINE] Jonathan Valabhji, Robert S Elkeles 2003; Dyslipidemia in Type 2 Diabetes: Epidemiology and Biochemistry Medicine Net, Inc. 1996-2008; Dyslipidemia definition: medterms. com/script/main/art. asp? articlekey=33979 Merck Manual Professional 1995-2008; Dyslipidemia: Lipid Disorders: merck. com/mmpe/sec12/ch159/ch159b. html Merriam- Webster’s Medical Dictionary 2006

Analyzing The Oregon Study In Regard To Medicaid For American Citizens

Analyzing The Oregon Study In Regard To Medicaid For American Citizens This article challenges the originally widely praised concept of the famous Oregon experiment; a study conducted in 2011 claiming that having Medicaid was significantly better than being uninsured, which directly refuted various studies claiming that individuals are no better or worse off with Medicaid than without it. The public response to its’ preliminary, flimsy, and uncertain results in 2011 was driven by media hype and premature over eagerness—headlines such as â€Å"A new, rigorous study from Oregon confirms that Medicaid does, indeed, save lives,† (Roy) and â€Å"What we found in a nutshell is that having Medicaid makes a big difference in peoples’ lives† (Roy) flooded front pages; the Oregon experiment had ignited national, growing faith in Obamacare that was previously unseen. The day prior to publishing of this article, May 1st 2013, the authors of the original Oregon study released their updated two year results— â€Å"Medicaid g enerated no significant improvement in measured physical health outcomes.† This article analyzes the staggering results, critiques the experimental methods used, and questions the $450 billion/year spent on a seemingly futile program. The structure of the Oregon study was centered around the comparison between the health outcomes of individuals enrolled in Medicaid, versus the health outcomes of the uninsured. The outcomes examined for comparison were levels of elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated HbA1c levels, and long-term cardiovascular risk (measured by Framingham scores). The main question the authors wanted to answer: Did Medicaid improve the health of its enrollees? Before analyzing the statistical data of the experiment, it is crucial to understand the flawed structural setup that introduced massive bias and even possibly skewed the results. The Medicaid population was partially self selected, making it an inaccurate representative sample of the common population. The Medicaid users were consciously and knowingly aware that they were receiving the benefits of Medicaid, and the uninsured were well aware that they were uninsured—this concept could potentially favor the Medicaid population due to prevalent bias. In much more accurate clinical trials, both the doctor and patient should be unaware whether the patient has received the placebo or the test drug in order to achieve an unbiased, accurate answer. The Oregon authors also only measured the baseline health status of the uninsured group, not the baselines of the Medicaid group. This massive flaw doesn’t allow for accurate results within the Medicaid group by offering no definiti ve method of comparison when analyzing the data. The process of creating the Medicaid group was also driven by massive bias. Of the 35,169 residents who â€Å"won† the lottery to gain Medicaid enrollment, only about 30% actually enrolled, and 60% of those selected out of the 30% physically filled out the forms to receive benefits. The 60% who signed up are clearly more likely to need the treatment and benefits compared to the other 40%, who didn’t bother to fill out paperwork. (Roy) Those who chose to enroll were therefore sicker and more in need of treatment; making them more likely to benefit from treatment than the control group, or the uninsured. The final element of bias introduced, and perhaps most significant, is how the state of Oregon individually manages their Medicaid program compared to the national average. In Oregon, Medicaid pays primary care physicians approximately 62% of what private insurers pay. Our national average pays 52%, and many blue states pa y well under 40%. (Roy) Because the state of Oregon pays their health care professionals more, their beneficiaries have better access to doctors; better access to doctors should lead to better health outcomes for beneficiaries than we’d likely see in other states, making the state of Oregon an unsuitable host for this experiment. As for the data, the authors found no statistically significant differences in elevated blood pressure, HbA1c levels, high cholesterol, or long-term cardiovascular risks between the insured and the uninsured. The sole, significant difference between the two groups in this study was the amount spent and the utilization of services. Medicaid patients spent an average of $1,172 more than the uninsured, with zero statistically supported data leading to better health outcomes. (Roy) These findings are extremely significant; the flaws within the setup of the experiment introduce extreme bias and inevitably lead to inaccurate data. I am convinced of the validity of this article due to the meticulous research, critique, and analyzation on the flaws of the Oregon experiment as a whole as conducted by the author. He raises a notable point that should be seriously considered by American citizens, government officials, and policy makers alike. With the heavy reliance on Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, this experiment questions the major flaws within the system in its entirety, making us ask ourselves: Is it worth it?

Racism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Racism - Term Paper Example One time in history, when the Portuguese discovered the sophisticated African tribes, they were impressed as well as threatened by their complex societies. These same tribe were later transferred to America as slaves. From the civil war to the 1920's there was very little racial uprising. Lynchings were a common practice but the Blacks kept to themselves. In Tulsa Oklahoma, in 1921, the Black responded to a white mob, this was the first riot to be noted in a newspaper. When oil was discovered both whites and blacks became prosperous. As there was much migration from other cities, crime and poverty were rampant. The "poor white" felt that the colored people did not have the right to be wealthy as they were inferior. Individual harassment or everyday racism started well before a young colored man was wrongly accused of having touched a white girl in an elevator, the impetuous for a group of white men to join together with a common idea. Each generation uses the same principal of the us e of everyday racism transferred into group racism. Introduction Each decennia has had it's own personal face of racism. It has changed depending on the social, political, historical arena. What is important to note, there is always a weaker group and a dominant group which is determined by prejudice, financial differences or inequalities. The 1920's has been chosen as a starting point of this document as it is a turning point in the political arena of the 20th century in racial discrimination. The first significant riot occurred in the 1920's for the first time since the Civil War. This is a historical analysis of the many different faces of racism in the United States since the 1920's. One example will be taken from each generation to be analyzed and a conclusion will be drawn as to how it has been carried into the next generation. A final conclusion will be made showing by comparing examples of racism in over 100 years, one can conclude that it is as much a phenomena of society a s it is a human behavior to want to differentiate from the other and make yourself feel superior. Racism is as individualistic as is group orientated. Definition The initial definition of the word racism implied that each individual group showing a differentiation from the general population was divided into a separate group. The group could be based on geography, ethnic, origin, religion or any other specific criteria. The sociological definition of the word racism is the hatred of one person or group by another or the profound belief that the group you represent has an ethnic superiority over another group.(Ekhart 2007) Any factor can provoke another person or group into racism. The significance of racism in the United States has changed the political arena and helped change the Constitution.(Rubel) The turning points of the 1920's The 1920's newspapers reported that the Tulsa Race Riot was set off by a mob of 100% Americans on a wild rampage. Nothing was reported in the newspaper at the time as to the reasoning or what actually happened. It was only recently that the president of the National Association of Colored Peoples, Walter F White published The Eruption of Tulsa analysis giving the reasons for one of the first riots since the Civil War. The population of Tulsa changed from a sleepy western town to a vibrant rich oil town over night. From 18 000 people ,the population grew to 90 000. As a

The key international trading factors between the European Union and Research Paper

The key international trading factors between the European Union and the Middle-Eastern countries. Specifically the countries in - Research Paper Example The European countries consists of religions like Roman Catholicism,  Orthodox Christianity, Protestantism,  Sunni Islam, Shia Islam,  Judaism and Buddhism. All these religions entities are different in their traditions, beliefs and ideologies. Catholic Christians are concentrated mainly in countries like, Italy, Vatican, France, Hungary, Poland etc. Turkey, Syria, Algeria like countries have Islam as the major religion Orthodox Christians are heavily populated in countries like, Russia, Ukraine, Rumania, Bulgaria, Greece whereas Protestant Christians are staying in mainly in countries like Denmark, Germany, Finland, Sweden etc. Even amidst these extremely diverse cultural diversities, most of the European countries were able to assemble under the flag of EU for improving their bargaining power in the global trade activities. Common currency Euro is introduced in order to improve the integration process further. Middle East, especially the gulf countries are traditionally goof trading partners of Europe. In fact most of the gulf countries are engaged in more trade activities with the Europe than with any other region in the world. Majority of the gulf countries are Muslim countries and even then they have less political problems with the European world. On the other hand, America’s foreign policies and activities were watched suspiciously by the Gulf countries because of America’s unholy tie up with Israel. Thus most of the Middle Eastern countries took the EU as their best friend in trade activities. However, the trade activities between the gulf countries and the EU have witnessed lot of ups and downs in the recent times because of various reasons. This paper analyses the success and failures of EU’s trade tie ups with Middle East over the years. Relations between the European Union and the GCC date back to the mid-1980s. In 1989, the two organizations signed a cooperation agreement, which included a wide range of sectors: agricultu re, fisheries, industry, energy, sciences, technology, investment, environment, and trade. Over the years, dialogue between the EU and GCC has been characterized by ups and downs and has mainly focused on trade cooperation. During the 1990s, trade flows between the two blocks were actually very low, and only since 2001 they have began to intensify, thanks to the increase in oil prices rather than to the intensification of trade volumes. Negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) have been part of EU-GCC cooperation, but after 20 years, this goal is still elusive (Talbot, p.13) Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are the major GCC countries which have strong trade tie ups with the Europe. These six countries formed a regional organization; The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) in May 1981. â€Å"The major objectives of this cooperation are to enhance coordination, integration and inter-connection among its Member States in di fferent spheres†(The EU & the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)). â€Å"All these six GCC countries currently benefit from preferential access to the EU market under the EU's Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)†(Gulf region 2010). Even before the formulation of European Union,

Advantages of the constitutional system of the United States Essay

Advantages of the constitutional system of the United States - Essay Example Such anomaly in law can be answered only when there is a practical guide who helps identify the basis of all laws formulated. Being a developed country, there is bound to be a shift in government from time to time. In contrast to a monarchy, it ensures that there is change in the ruling government after every fixed period. However, each government has its own notions and ways of working. Therefore, whenever there is a shift in government, the policies which it follows is bound to change and as such new legislation is introduced time and again. This poses a great threat to the American population, because the â€Å"greatest good for the greatest number† theory is bound to hurt somebody’s rights and interests. To jeopardize even a single person’s rights is to question a whole systematized form of governance. To check this illegal infringement, the constitution in its written form is a policing authority which safeguards the extent of change that can be brought about. Whatever is a written word is not easily erased off the face of an independent nation’s bill of rights. To be written is to be laid and accepted. To alter any such stance any individual or body will need to follow due procedure followed by law. This entails a lot of questions and answers about the new alterations, making the entire procedure tedious and hectic and thus affording no scope for unnecessary intrusion. Being a world power, the US will in all probability have one form of tiff with one country or another from time to time. The written constitution helps define the extent of the rights recognized by such state and limits of both national as well as state authority. The constitution holds the authority and declares the United States as a republic, free from all encumbrances of any sort. This means that it gives to its people a free form of government where citizens are free to elect as well

Iraq and afghan veterans Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Iraq and afghan veterans - Research Paper Example The emotions and images of war may remain in the souls and minds of returning soldiers for decades or even lifetimes after the wars. This is usually due to a fundamental reshaping of important human characteristics, especially those related to the soul. The characteristics include â€Å"how we perceive; how our minds are organized and function; how we love and relate; what we believe, expect, and value; what we feel and refuse to feel; and what we judge as good or evil, right or wrong† (1). As a way to deal with the emotions and images of war that still linger in the souls and minds of returning soldiers, most of them suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) and engage in substance abuse. This paper is a discussion on the effects of war on returning soldiers, with a particular focus on Iraq and Afghan veterans. The use and abuse of substances such as alcohol and narcotics for most soldiers usually begins with the beginning of military life. Ruiz and Strain point out that â€Å"the armed services have experienced problems with alcohol abuse from the earliest days of military service, in part because heavy drinking has been an accepted custom and tradition that continues today† (926).To this day, military outlets sell alcohol beverages at reduced prices. On top of this, alcohol is part of the work culture in the military as it is used to encourage camaraderie and unit solidarity, ease interpersonal pressures and reward hard work. Just like alcohol, illegal drugs or narcotics and nonmedical prescription drugs have been used by soldiers to help cope with panic or boredom, increase alertness and reduce fatigue, as well as to reduce pain from wounds. The use and abuse of these substances have over time been discouraged in the military and policies have been developed to help eliminate the problem. According to Ruiz and Strain, â€Å"urine tests, which are conducted randomly or when an individual is suspected of