Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy - Essay Example Introduction Death Penalty, also referred to as Capital punishment, entails the execution of a convicted wrongdoer by law/judicial process enforcement officers as a punishment for a particular crime(s). It is ever the most severe punishment form. The various lawful means through which death penalty is administered comprise hanging, lethal injection, firing squad, electrocution, gassing and use of the guillotine (Duhaime 1). The offences punishable via capital punishment include but are not limited to rape and other sexual crimes, murder, espionage, treason and repeated crimes. They are referred to as capital crimes. This form of punishment is also performed as part of military justice. The criminal provisions for death penalty deem such individuals (convicted offenders) as a gross menace to the existence of the society (Legal-explanations.com 1). Majority of countries around the world have banned the death penalty. Infoplease.com quotes Amnesty International which records that 137 co untries have abolished this form of punishment. Additionally, a considerable reduction in the number of executions yearly in countries that have not banned it is evident. For instance, in the year 2007, twenty-four countries put 1,252 people to death, (of which eighty-eight percent took place in Saudi Arabia, China, Pakistan, Iran and USA alone), while in the previous year, they had executed 1,591 individuals. In 51 countries that apply death penalty to particular crimes’ offenders, approximately 3,350 people received the death penalty in 2006. In the year 2009, more than twenty thousand prisoners were on death row globally (Infoplease.com 1). In the view of people who support capital punishment, the threat of executions dissuades individuals from committing capital crimes, and thus it is more effective than incarceration. While this claim is credible, numerous studies on the topic of death penalty and deterrence in addition to the rate of capital crimes in countries that app ly the death penalty yields different result – they do not support this idea. In effect, in countries that do not apply the death penalty, the rate of capital crimes is continuously lower as opposed to those countries that apply it.  For instance, of the four regions of the United States, the Southern region has the highest rate of capital crimes despite the region having more than eighty percent of all executions in the United States. Moreover, a recent study revealed that of the surveyed United States’ top criminologists, eighty-eight percent are not for the belief that capital punishment deters capital crimes (Lacock & Radelet 503). There is ample prove that capital crime rates and the death penalty lack correlation. A major study by the United Nations concluded that there lacks substantiation of the view that compared to life incarceration; death penalty has a greater deterrent effect. Findings from the United States of America in addition indicate that death pen alty does not prevent capital crime. Moreover, reports from the American Civil Liberties Union divulge that states that apply death penalty laws do not have lower rates of capital crimes than those states that do not apply it (Peikrishvili 5). What is more is that a US police chiefs’ national survey disqualifies the  claim that death penalty is an essential tool of reducing the number of capital crimes with the police chiefs

Philosophy and Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Philosophy and Technology - Essay Example Given any circumstance he would avoid confrontation and any kind of collision with an opposing party. War or aggression is the last thing on the mind of a pacifist. The author through the above statement is trying to convey that if a person who possesses the characteristics of a pacifist is made to work in a bomb factory he would still come up with a new idea to make a bomb. No matter how opposed a person might be towards the concept of waging a war, if the mind is put to work on a task that needs to be done, the task takes precedence against the principles. The chief duty is to design a bomb, and no matter how opposed the principles of the person concerned are, he would eventually end up innovating and creating a new type of bomb. According to the author technology has shaped the human mind and has been much of a latent threat to the very existence of mankind as much as it has been a boon. The author through his interpretation of the human psychology and the constant struggle betwee n the opposing forces of principle/conscience and duty has tried to convey that the human mind and its intrinsic qualities are overpowered by practicality and the reality of life. In this case the reality is the surrounding, the environment, and the opportunity to design a new type of a bomb. Human beings are thinkers, innovators and are prone to ideate. A constant undercurrent of the urge to experiment and innovate prevails on the human mind. The human psyche by nature is inclined to improvise and invent things from what it sees around it and in this example provided by the writer, he may go against his pacifism to design a new bomb within weeks. Even if this means going against his very fundamentals he would still be drawn to live a life of intellectual prosperity and independence. We live in an age where man’s lust for power and technological superiority overshadows basic principles of humanity and life. Man’s greed for machines and mechanisation is to such an exten t that he would let the machines take over and in turn be reduces to a defunct and cold vestige of sorts. In our age mechanisation and scientific leapfrogging has finally triumphed to an extent that we can actually feel the tendency of the machine to make physically and intellectually challenging human life impossible. (Orwell 193) Building and developing on the central theme of intellectual proliferation, am individual if confined to a secluded environment with a nature work that is opposed to him, he would eventually begin to put his mind over the job and end up doing the task. All the steam in the world could not, like the virgin build Chartres The second phrase is by Mont Saint Michel and Chartres. It exalts the triumph of technology and its ushering through the Industrial Revolution in the Western World. The power of the mother is represented through the phrase given above. It talks about the benefit of technology to the western world and the power of the Lady who ultimately se cures â€Å"†¦the place of woman in the Church to be the guardian of the primacy of the contemplative over the active, of persons over ideas, and of family over economy† (Mary Victrix 1) According to the author the power of technology is immense. Technology is compared to the power of the Lady, Virgin Mary. It was her power, influence and inspiration that led to the construction of the cathedral in Chartres, France. Mary Victrix 1). Technology is viewed

The interaction of cultural myths Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The interaction of cultural myths - Essay Example The myth of the melting pot refers to the aspect of people originally from minority races being influenced to abandon their cultures in order for them to become ‘American’ instead of fusing their culture with the American culture. The myth of individual opportunity is also illustrated by Eric Liu in which everyone in America is given the opportunity to achieve the desired American dream through any way possible. For the Chinese, they created Chinatown in Manhattan, New York, which is significant for the Chinese because they were able to retain a bit of Chinese culture through trade as much as they were in pursuit of the American dream. With this, this essay will discuss how each of these myths coincides with Eric Liu’s essay ways in which the myths reinforce, contradict or challenge each other and the expression of the same in the text. America is not a melting pot, but rather it is a compartmentalized society with truer whites being in the biggest compartment while the other ethnic minorities fit in the smaller compartments. Essentially, the melting pot is the assimilation aspect for a person from a minority culture in the dominant culture in the hope of obtaining economic improvement, which is usually at the expense of their own culture (Chandler and Ledru 115). Eric argues that Asians in America have replaced the Jews to become the model minority based on the aspect of assimilation. Essentially, this becomes a myth because as much as the minorities claim to have undergone assimilation, they still experience first hand racism making them not to be part of the white culture that they perceive to be part of. However, in the essay Liu writes: â€Å" My parents, who traded Chinese formality for the more laissez-faire stance of this country. Who made their way by hard work and quiet adaptation† (Liu 664). Accor ding to this statement from the essay, Liu’s parents had to assimilate the American

Analysis of Lidl's advertisement strategy Dissertation

Analysis of Lidl's advertisement strategy - Dissertation Example The history of this international supermarket chain dates back to 1930s when the company was established as a grocery wholesaler with headquarters in Neckarsulm, Baden-Wà ¼rttemberg, Germany. Currently, the company is amongst the major leading grocery retailers in Europe. During the 90s, Lidl started to expand its operations across Europe stepping outside Germany for the first time; and presently, Lidl outlets can be found in the majority of the countries in Europe. The company is very well-established as a major food retailer in Europe. As far as the discount sector is concerned, an extensive network of Lidl outlets is unmatched. The company has always believed in offering superior quality products at competitive prices to their customer base across Europe. As mentioned above, the company takes pride in providing superior quality products at a very competitive price to their customer base. The company regards themselves as the best in business, as far as the discount sector is conc erned and they convey the same message through their advertisements in order to influence the buying decision of their customers. The message that the company conveys through advertising, as can be noted on its website is, â€Å"Where quality costs less.† The company has implemented a very effective and efficient international marketing strategy of pricing their product competitively (at a lower level) and at the same time, enhancing the quality of their products and services with the sole motive of satisfying customers (Lidl, 2014b).

Critical thinking Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Critical thinking - Case Study Example The bid is recorded as â€Å"one of the shock and exasperation† that could only bring jubilation among the small bid team from the tiny Gulf state that had travelled to Switzerland.    The success of the bid brought with it a mired of questions from the potential counterparts who could not make it. First was the manner in which it could have succeeded with the vast representation of big countries in the committee. The capacity to host an event of such magnitude and their inexistence in the football arena was questionable. The country itself has very hash temperatures, which could not favor any tournament of this kind. It was evident that high profile and highly influential figures like The UEFA president Michel Platini had voiced their opposition to the notion. He said, â€Å"You cannot possibly play football in Qatar.† (YANKS ABROAD 2013) One of the executive committee members Mr. Franz Beckenbauer stated, â€Å"One should think about a different solution.† It was more evident that there were some hidden tactics behind the bid when a number of senior FIFA officials with the inclusion of Qatar head of the Asian Football Confederation, Mr. Mohammed bin Hammam were suspended as a result of questioning the legitimacy of Qatar wining the bid. There are also concerns raised on the country’s commitment to Sharia law, which does not support homosexuality and the questionable human rights records. The case has been viewed as a possible reaction from the looser of the bid that controls the huge numbers of football fans in the aim to water down the tournament and get a revote. This is possible because they have millions on internet users. The temperatures were viewed to be attainable through control but would cost the country billions of cash higher that the expenses used in the South African tournament. On the bribery case, FIFA President exclaimed, â€Å"we are anxiously

War and peace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

War and peace - Essay Example The Zionist argument is that they appeared in Palestine in the late 19th century with the intention of reclaiming their ancestral land. Jews purchased land and started putting up the Jewish community. Palestinian Arabs with violent opposition tried to force the Jewish out of the land, but the Zionist reacted with force to defend themselves. This same case exists up to date. The Zionist movement, from the start, desired to completely dispossess the indigenous Arab inhabitants so that Israel could be completely a Jewish state (Bennis 58). The land purchased by the Jewish Fund was in custody of the Jewish and could not be sold or leased to Arabs. The Arab population, as it became aware of the Zionists’ desires and intentions, it opposed further immigrations of the Jewish. The Arab population also opposed further sale of land to the Zionists. The sale of land to the Zionists exerted an immense danger to the existence of Arab community in Palestine. Because of the opposition, the w hole project of Zionist could not be realized without the backing of the British military. The Zionists did not mind about the real inhabitants of the land they believed in colonialist view that the rights of the original inhabitants did not matter. All that the Zionist wanted was total or partial entitlement to the land. On the other hand, the Arab’s opposition to the Zionists was not based on anti-Semitism, but on a reasonable fear of dispossession of their populace. Because of these two oppositions, the conflict continues. Palestine became an Arab and Islamic state by the end of the seventh century. Its boundaries and characteristics became known almost immediately. The occupants of the land at the time believed that they lived in a land known as Palestine. However, after the establishment of Israel in 1948, everything changed. The land, which the inhabitants of Palestine referred to as Palestine, part of it, was now Israel. The Palestine and the Israelis oppose each other regarding the land. Each group seeks to fight for the land, which they believe is theirs. This opposition increases daily and deepens as the two groups engage in the fight and kill one another’s group. The fight could have been halted a long time ago if there existed no opposition to the land. For a very long time, the ancient Arabs who have been existing on the land were the majority as the Zionist came to purchase land and establish their community. In this case, when the Arabs discovered the intentions of the Zionists of forcing out of the Arab community, the Arabs gained opposition to the move since they wanted to retain their ancestral land and at the same time, the Arabs were the majority. There was no way; the Arabs could have allowed a minor community to force them out of their inherited soil. On the other hand, the Zionist could not give up gaining ownership of the land for their benefit. As the two sides oppose each other, the conflict continues to exist between th e two communities (Tessler 73). According to the founder of Zionism, the aim of the Zionist was to split the penniless population, who were the Arabs, across the border through procuring employment in transit countries. The process of expropriating and removing of the poor was to be carried out circumspectly and discreetly. However, at

UK insurers can no longer safely insure the risk of flood within the Essay

UK insurers can no longer safely insure the risk of flood within the UK and home and business owners will have to look out fo - Essay Example The rapid development of the insurance industry borrows from the fact that inhabitants have the wealth and can readily afford to ensure that their security is vastly cared for hence resorting to investment in their security and that of their wealth. The insurance industry undertakes a wide range of covers from fire, accidents, and financial loss agricultural risks and to the extreme floods risk policies which were developed recently to cover the risk of floods on property owners, businesses as well as home-owners. Need for flood insurance The current debate on whether insurers should continue providing covers to flood and flood related cases has become very fierce. UK citizens see it as a necessity for their security and hence demand for such covers as well as advocacy for the government to regulate the industry through policies that suite the consumers of the product. On the contrary the insurers argue that despite introduction of the flood and flood insurance products its nature po ses very great risk and high costs in its insurance. Choosing your flood insurance or insurance cover is an important decision that you should not be rushed into or about. So much has to be considered before making a choice on an appropriate cover is made. Time should be taken by the buyers of covers to ensure that they are exposed to all the available flood insurance covers. This information is available from several sources ranging from insurance firms, government all through to the various media sources. Shopping around various information sources is done to ensure that the consumer of the products get well- priced and competitive flood insurance policies (Evans, 2005). In the UK getting a flood zone insurance policy will help you feel at ease when emergencies like floods arise. Whatever the state of your house is, whether bought or undergoing the payment of mortgage, you should get adequate insurance so that if your house is damaged beyond repair, your insurance policy will cove r the replacement price or cost of rebuilding a new and similar house incase its completely destroyed. Requirements for a better flood insurance cover When a consumer makes a choice where to get a flood zone insurance cover, the consumer can then just fill the forms sent by the insurer providers and may even do enquiries on more information to ensure that no mistake is made as the form is being filled as this may be all against the consumer himself. The buyer of a product must also take into consideration the price quotes included in your flood insurance cover. There may be expensive quotes that may include cover for risks that that are irrelevant to the needs of the consumer hence not actually needed, therefore should be avoided buy the buyers hence choice of the price quotes that cover vital things relating to the risk of floods (Gammell, 2009). Honesty with your flood zone insurance cover providers should be highly maintained. Tell the insurers about the contents of your home ful ly if for example it is contents cover you are taking. Your future insurance claim may be at loggerheads when you become dishonest with your insurance company. Honest and full discloser of information is done during the assessment phase by the insurance support staff. But as it’s the practice, the Insurance companies will usually ask buyers of covers to get a policy for both their buildings including the contents of your property, the same requirement are demanded from the business