Leadership Career Management And Personal Development Education Essay

Individual effectivity ( Parker and A ; Stone, 2003 ) implies the methods of self-improvement expecting to better 1s individual, cultural and different settings of calling. This examination has made for drawing the central elements of agonizing example and its outcome on continuous self-improvement. This idea may help anybody to occur out their qualities and failings of every day life ; it might help to order one ‘s character and can help to pull off numerous natural variables. Improvement of conduct capabilities ( achievements ) guarantees individual effectivity. People ( Parker and A ; Stone, 2003 ) with the achievements of good misgiving, viable imparting and precise hearing and driving quality can simple do distinction by taking them towards progress. For creating self-comprehension, it is obligatory to focus on close to home distinction. Realizing thyself assists with setting significant qualities and failings that will take anybody to take the correct assurance for their in the future. Convictions and qualities help to create individual establishment. Constructive convictions will help people to take the correct conclusions for their from this point forward and contrary accepts will take them towards disarray. Blending to Robbins ( 1986 ) , to sort out people ‘ characters, establishment convictions and qualities play an of import work. Besides, orchestrating to certain theoreticians, one of the a large portion of import and ground-breaking beginnings is the conviction and this incredible start can be impacted by certain elements like guidance, confidence, imposts and development. It has other than impacted by individual ‘s encounters. There are two sorts of convictions and these are certain and negative. Conduct and open introduction can be affected by these convictions. Execution can be seriously influenced by negative convictions and the antonym should be possible by positive convictions. The positive convictions help to build affirmation. In a study, Kolb refered to by Burt ( 1995 ) referenced that past encounters can help to sort out the great beyond program what's more can help to better people. For self-improvement I do n't dissect only the triumphs however to a great extent examine the disappointments more and it encourages me to pull off my effectivity. David Kolb clarified a learning musicality with four related elements which is extremely solid in trial obtaining. Orchestrating to Kolb, appropriate investigation and utilization of past encounters assists with making on close to home effectivity. Absence of accomplishment can help to expand encounters. These encounters can play an of import capacity of be aftering for the accompanying situation what's more guide to better the individual. David A. Kolb with Roger Fry ( Mintzberg, 1977 ) accentuates viable imparting, which can manifest cognizance and achievements and is useful for self-improvement. Solidarity and higher open introduction are supported by acceptable interchanges. Realities, feelings and requests are the cardinal components of imparting. The encephalons rationale and assessments are the fundamental of realities. The non-intelligent and non-objective exercises are feelings. Central advancement requests are legitimate. Grouped sorts of interchanges help anyone to better self-improvement. To better self-awareness verbal, non-verbal and the composed correspondences play of import work. Manner of speaking and natural structure semantic correspondence other than listening are the central qualities of dynamic imparting and useful for self-improvement. By following Kolb ‘s test procurement, directing feelings is the cardinal elements for me to take the correct conclusions at right occasions. In my slant and encounters, hypotheses do non unequivocally gracefully an answer for each possibility. To utilize any hypothesis I think quick on my pess. Hypothesis gives me the balance of understanding procedures to utilize this to design all the more quickly. Past encounters and accomplished achievements help me to frontal area farther nations for readiness and advancement. Ruler and Kitchener ( 1987 ) area that, ‘the agonizing model hypothetical records help anyone to better a few achievements, assists with accepting for future exercises, helps anyone in quick and occupied condition of affairss ; consideration helps larning new things precisely, assists with sorting out new develops and help to perceive new contemplations ‘ . At the truly start of this investigation I imagined that it was truly confounded yet after once in a while I realized that it was an undertaking of accepting. Then again of lounging the examination I became angry on the grounds that its intrusiveness. Schon ( 1987 ) underscores on improvement of expert insight. The ‘reflection in real life ‘ and the ‘the examination on activity ‘ are the thoughts of Schon. Orchestrating to King and Kitchener thought has built up my intellectual capacity and for this ground I have gotten familiar with consideration and about myself. I other than believe that everyone should utilize the encounters drawn during consideration Gibbs ( 1988 ) spoke to an agonizing hypothetical record which manages the direct issue and it other than communicates the situation unmistakably. This hypothetical record is identified with emotions investigation and encounters rating. Johns ( Platzer et. al. , 1997 ) spoke to an organized consideration hypothetical record. This organized examination hypothetical record of obtaining can be utilized to comprehend the investigation of basic episode. It is all around utilized in increasingly complex issues of assurance Intelligent ( Robert, 1974 ) design causes me to larn self-improvement and it other than encourages me to build up my conveying achievements from multiple points of view which is extremely basic for my singularity. The individual singularity and sensible conveying framework help me to take any association in any condition. Agonizing example assists with sorting out driving, which impacts the thoughts and practices of grouped individuals. The spot of the pioneer might be formal or casual. Agonizing examples help to rethink, program, delegate and to gauge the headway of people. I am currently ready to flexibly a few methods which can help anyone in certain plans. For the continuous self-improvement I can take some stairss, as: Bettering a solid and legitimate vision. Structure a functioning and intense heading crew and take the crew with the guide of accomplished experient and achievements. Driving any association or any crew precisely and blending to crew bearing guidelines. I can build up the verbal and body phonetic correspondence achievements which may affect interchanges emphatically. I can flexibly helpful criticism for pull offing individuals what's more can help to pull off single ‘s characters. I can help to create interfacing achievements over any worry association what's more can help to take grouped hindrances for the impossible to miss crew. I may acknowledge negative judgment, flexibly criticism and can take any constructive contribution from learned people. Utilizing the Gibbs hypothetical record I can go truly clear about any condition of affairss and can take farther stairss for development. From John ‘s hypothetical record I have figured out how to fundamentally investigate any affair.Portfolio.2My payment cut in the understudy concern gathering was unnecessarily strong that it has had extraordinary effect on my achievements and larning new things. This first expert improvement gathering was an unwritten introduction in forepart of the entirety of our understudies. The introduction in forepart of our students was an energizing issue for the principal clasp and taking bit in this meeting I found that it was immediate and truly related and back to back to the point. Taking part in the gathering and demonstrating my work in the individual and expert advancement class my confirmation improved a clump to demonstrate my plants to other people and larn numerous things new like how body semantic correspondence assists with indicating feelings and musings what I could non thought before. From the outset cut I could non comprehend numerous frameworks identified with gathering and believed that it was simply practicing which may open the intrigue of the member and we knew better every one from the meeting. One of the moderators underlines on the introduction way and about the requests of introduction which was somewhat hard undertakings. The moderator told the best way to show the investigation, what is the essential development of the examination what's more demonstrated the mentalities identified with introduction. From this workshop cubic decimeter learnt introduction habits and arrangements simple which are truly necessary in the expert life especially in the worry segment to portray new stocks and exposures. None the less I feel that it is a decent way to give through to different students and talks in the event that it were utilized by different understudies. Roll uping data has been imperative to the class all the work that I have introduced even the examination that I ‘m making now. The gathering is an incredible way of meeting for me with the experts. From the student concern gathering I have taken in the technique of informations accumulation furthermore the way of informations introduction which was introduced by certain experts. I gained from the workshop that accumulating data from arranged beginnings and use it in accurate segment is a basic undertaking for any experts. In the wake of accomplishing the meeting I have changed my working way in any class study and looking to follow the expert habits. Presently I am doing the notes of any of import data identified with my group work to utilize it for the present and future notices. Presently I am using immediate and clear inf ormations introduction framework. I have non confronted any significant employments during my procurement in the gathering. I felt that I was capable bounty to improve of any unforeseen condition of affairss and I could larn in quicker way. In the workshop a few subjects identified with innovativeness and correspondence

Emily's defiance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emily's rebellion - Essay Example In spite of the fact that the hero in the story, Miss Emily may show up ostensibly tranquil and saved in the bounds of her home, her barefaced insubordinate individual to her family's desires and her networks fills in as an unobtrusive image for the slow decrease and inevitable rot of American's Southern gentry toward the finish of the Civil War. Miss Emily thinks that its difficult to grapple with the possibility of death. Therefore, she endures a lot of refusal. After her father’s demise, the townspeople foreseen her to be lamented however lamentably she isn't. She told the guests â€Å"her father was not dead† (Faulkner 2162). Rather, she expressed that her dad was as yet alive. From the story, obviously lamenting is better than overlooking it. The story occurs in the South, during a period described by radical political change and racial segregation. Emily’s whimsical and conflicting conduct turns out to be out and out impossible to miss. Like the townspeople , one is left thinking about how she would live and lay down with Homer Barron’s cadaver for a considerable length of time. From the start, the townspeople never thought she experienced psychological sickness; they â€Å"did not state she was crazy† (Faulkner 2162). In any case, as the story reaches a conclusion, it turns out to be certain that she was not thinking straight. It is sensible to express that Emily built up this state as a reaction to the difficult conditions she experienced as a Southern lady from a distinguished foundation. As it shows up, she couldn't create solid and versatile cautious system to assist her with adapting to life. In detail, Miss Emily was from a family supplied with tremendous riches and height in their little Southern people group yet she had consistently been troubled with the massive desires that the general public had of her. The people group considered her to be having a â€Å"hereditary obligation† (Faulkner 2160) to stay a ware of specific customs, which had been initiated various ages before her. Her dad had the command to transmit such qualities and customs. Regardless, he was inflexible in the manner in which he fortified these desires. As the storyteller states, as a man he had â€Å"thwarted her woman’s life such huge numbers of times† (Faulkner 2164). For example, he pursued all of Emily’s admirers away in light of the fact that he never observed one that was adequate for his girl. Thus, she never wedded. In spite of her father’s harshness, Miss Emily’s mental state decays even the more. As the storyteller states, Emily became â€Å"sick for a long time† (Faulkner 2162). This is the time that Emily begins to maintain a strategic distance from contact with the network. The townspeople likewise don't defy Emily about any basic issues, for example, the awful smell that exudes from her home. The smell was turning out to be â€Å"detached, supplanted, and fo rbidding† (Ruthmann 87) every day. The tale age of townspeople needs to help the possibility that they stand up to Miss Emily straightforwardly yet Judge Stevens prohibits it by saying, â€Å"will you blame a woman to her face for smelling bad?† (Faulkner 2162). He however the smell was a stench. The youthful age surrenders, and those liable for such concerns sneak into the lady’s cellar secretly to dispense with the smell by spreading lime. To finish up, unmistakably despite the fact that Miss Emily may show up apparently peaceful and held in the bounds of her home, her glaring insubordinate individual to her family's desires and her networks fills in as a

Excess Is the Birthplace of Clutter

Excess Is the Birthplace of Clutter An empty room alone cannot be cluttered; it is not until we introduce physical artifacts that our homes grow messy, slowly suffused with stuff. Minimalism, then, is not a radical lifestyle: it is simply a way to bring balance to our lives, to organize, prioritize, and discover what is appropriate. And if something is not appropriate, then it is excessâ€"the birthplace of clutter. Clutter: how  inappropriate. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.

Why Is There A Need For New Banks Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1905 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Cause and effect essay Did you like this example? It is generally accepted that greater financial system depth, stability and soundness contribute to economic growth. But beyond that, for growth to be truly inclusive requires broadening and deepening the reach of banking that helps both consumers and producers raise their welfare and productivity and build savings, make investments, avail credit, and more important, insure themselves against income shocks and emergencies.Though the Indian financial system has made impressive strides in resource mobilization, geographical and functional reach, financial viability, profitability and competitiveness, vast segments of the population, especially the underprivileged sections of the society, have still no access to formal banking services. If one takes a look at the number of bank accounts vis-Ã  -vis the entire population, 92-94% of the population in the UK has either current or savings accounts, whereas in India the figure comes down to mere 31% .In rural areas th e coverage among adult population is 39% against 60% in urban India2. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Why Is There A Need For New Banks Finance Essay" essay for you Create order The financially excluded sections largely comprise marginal farmers, landless labourers, self employed and unorganizedÂÂ  sector enterprises, ethnic minorities, socially excluded groups, senior citizens and women3. Hence, there is need for making sure that the footprint of the banking sector is much more accessible to all the citizens.Although NBFCs cater to the rural and semi-urban space,yet their scale is capped to particular segments and regions.Hence it is imperative to increase the banking licences. A larger number of banks would foster greater competition, and thereby reduce costs, and improve the quality of service. More importantly, it would promote financial inclusion, and ultimately support inclusive economic growth, which is a key focus of public policy. What are NBFCs As per RBI, a Non-Banking Financial Company(NBFC) is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 and is engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares/stock/bonds/debentures/ securities issued by Government or local authority or other securities of like marketable nature, leasing, hire-purchase, insurance business, chit business but does not include any institution whose principal business is that of agriculture activity, industrial activity, sale/purchase/construction of immovable property. Or NBFCs are financial institutions that provide banking services without meeting the legal definition of a bank, i.e. one that does not hold a banking license. Operations are, regardless of this, still exercised under bank regulation. NBFCs provide financial services that are partly fee based and partly fund based. Their fee based services include portfolio management, issue management, loan syndication, merger and acquisition, credit rating etc. and their asset based activities include venture capital financing, housing finance, equipment leasing, hire purchase financing factoring etc. NBFCs are doing functions similar to that of banks; however there are a few differences: An NBFC cannot accept demand deposits; An NBFC is not a part of the payment and settlement system and as such an NBFC cannot issue cheques drawn on itself; Deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation is not available for NBFC depositors unlike in case of banks. They are not subject to certain regulatory prescriptions applicable to banks like CRR. NBFCs can be classified into two broad categories, viz., NBFCs accepting public deposit (NBFCs-D) NBFCs not accepting/holding public deposit (NBFCs-ND) Residuary Non-Banking Companies(RNBCs) are another category of NBFCs whose principal business is acceptance of deposits and investing in approved securities1. Why should NBFCs be converted into Banks NBFC model particularly those in lending activities has been successful in expanding the reach of financial system and thus by converting to banks, this model could be scaled up to better leverage the benefits and achieve the objective of financial inclusion.As at the end of financial year 2009-10, the total assets of NBFCs were at Rs.1,09,324 crore and Public deposits were at Rs.17,247 crore4. (In Rs Crores) Profile of NBFCs Some of the sectoral credit issues, such as infrastructure and microfinance, could be better addressed if NBFCs specializing in the specified sectors can better leverage their competence by converting to banks and having access to low-cost funds. Most of the NBFCs are regulated by either RBI,NHB or SEBI and have traceable track record in terms of management and financial performance, risk management and statutory guidelines.Thus, additional requirements of statutory ratios, priority sector lending etc can be met with ease as compared to a private player who doesnot have exposure to the financial sector4. Capital Adequacy Ratio of NBFCs-D (No. of companies) The expertise of the NBFC in the financial sector could flow into the bank if NBFCs are allowed to promote banks.The NBFCs could retain their niche space and yet contribute to the financial sector through the bank they would set up.Below graph shows that NBFCs have been producing better returns on assets as compared to banks. C:UsersAnkitDesktopArticlesROA.png Currently NBFCs loose out on the front of efficient fund raising which can only be done by entities that have institutional backing like Banks, Once they are converted into banks it will help in making them all the more competitive4. NBFC to Banks : A Bumpy ride Ahead Banking Regulation Act expressly bars any business other than that permitted by the Act [Sec 6 (1)]. But for domestic NBFCs,there is no bar on non-financial business, except that on crossing of a certain barrier (50% of income or assets).Activities like Lease and Hire Purchase and Operating Lease are highly regulated or not permitted to banks, conversion of NBFCs into bank would require withdrawal from many segments of such businesses, folding up of large number of branches as well as disinvestment from subsidiaries/affiliates not engaged in businesses permitted to banks. The initial capital requirement for NBFCs is a miniscule Rs. 2 crore but if it wants to turn into a bank it has to maintain at least Rs 300 crores.Even if it raises this capital, it may not have the financial strength or parentage to support banks capital needs particularly in periods of stress.The main source of funding for Banks is low cost Retail deposits(at around 55%) but for NBFCs it is wholesale funds wh ich get repriced at a much faster rate. Thus, In situations of tight liquidity NBFCs are likely to face greater crunch in funds as compared to banks5. RBI places restrictions on commercial banks in their lending operations. Out of Rs 100 taken in as deposits, approximately Rs 30 has to be set apart as statutory requirements towards CRR and SLR. This leaves the banks with Rs 70 to lend. Out of this, 40% has to be statutorily lent towards the priority sector as defined by RBI. This leaves banks with approximately Rs 42 to lend at their own discretion .Whereas for an NBFC there is only 15% requirement for CRR and no requirement of SLR and no restrictions on priority sector lending which leaves it with Rs 85 as compared to Rs 42 for a bank. Many NBFCs would definitely find these regulations very restrictive on conversion into a bank6. Due to the maturity differences of the assets and liabilities of the NBFCs and banks, there may be possibilities of the bank funds being utilized to meet the NBFC liabilities and also of indulgence in regulatory arbitrage5. NBFCs ALM Asset Quality is a major concern in banking and restricting NPAs a pain. NBFCs have been efficient enough to maintain NPAs at 1.1% close to average for banks at 1.12%.But there is a large divergence in the way NPAs are calculated for banks and for NBFCs. For Banks any due past 90 days is characterised as an NPA and calls for provisioning.But for NBFCs as much as 12 months overdue is permitted in case of lease and hire purchase transactions and 6 months in case of loans and other exposures which means on conversion into a bank there may be a huge rise in the NPAs of NBFC and hence the need for provisioning which will again drive down the profitability. NPA data of NBFCs (Source : Reserve Bank of India) The NBFCs generally operates on the model of lending to riskier projects with interest rates higher than offered by the banking institutions. The concentrated loan-books which now allow some NBFCs to focus on lucrative niches and earn exceptional spreads may no longer be possibl e. Lending would need to become broad based.The maturity mix of the asset portfolio is also skewed towards long term and the asset mix may not be compatible to the banking liabilities. If NBFCs are converted into banks they may take a long time to align themselves to banking5. Promoter holding maintains capital stability which is important especially in intial years of operation for a financial services company. However, for a bank this could risk concentration of business decisions in the hands of a few, tilting them towards sponsor interests rather than financial inclusion.Current guidelines require promoters to bring in intial capital of 40% with a lock in period of 5 years.The possible caps after lock in period under discussion are 5-10% or 20% or retaining current approach.This means that there could be significant dilution of promoter holding in the event of NBFCs being awarded banking licence. C:UsersAnkitDesktopArticlesshareholding.png The NBFC model and the bank mo del are entirely different as NBFC model provides financial access to excluded categories without the same regulation as applicable to banks. On the other hand, the banking license gives the institution full scope to carry out full-fledged banking activities, with stricter regulatory requirements. Therefore the NBFCs may not fulfill the well established and well regulated criteria and hence the track record of an NBFC cannot be taken as an automatic eligibility criterion for conversion into banks. In addition, the conversion may entail a rejig in the branch networks of NBFCs and not all their existing branches may continue to be operational. Access to low-cost deposits would depend on the branch network and currently branch licences are scarce in metro and urban areas and expansion very expensive. Banks, with their first mover advantage, have already charted out huge branch expansion programmes which would increase the competition for low-cost deposits. In 2008-09, NBFCs accou nted for 9 per cent of the total financial system assets, while commercial banks held a dominant 70 per cent of the assets. Therefore NBFCs are currently not of a scale to threaten existing banks. C Cost of Funds Banks Vs NBFCs Conclusion NBFCs play an important role in broadening of financial services to unbanked segment, enhancing competition and bringing diversification in the financial sector. With their experienced management, knowledge of buyer behaviour, risk and NPA management and adherence to regulatory requirements and traceable track record in terms of management and financial performance, risk management and statutory guidelines,their bagging banking licences could be helpful in better leveraging the benefits and achieving the objective of financial inclusion. But there are some hindrances in their way like: adhering to stringent regulatory requirements of maintaining CRR, SLR etc, shutting down of their non-financial businesses, jump in intial capital requirement to a minimum of Rs 300 crores, Asset-Liability mismatch will need to be balanced and Lending will be required to be more broad based. Additionally restrictions like priority sector lending along with competition from existing banks for low cost deposits would severely dampen the enthusiasm of NBFCs eyeing banking licences. In nutshell, NBFCs have experience, reach, resources and expertise due to which it should enjoy preference over new private entrants at the time of allocation of banking licences but the way from an NBFC to a full-fledged bank is definitely going to be a very bumpy road.

Slavery Essay - 1127 Words

Slavery vs. Economics We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness --Declaration of Independence Slavery is a societal institution based on ownership, dominance, and exploitation of one human being by another and reciprocal submission on the part of the person owned. The owner may exact work or other services without pay and virtually without restriction and can deny the slave freedom of activity and mobility. Slavery is one of this countrys most debated topics. In Americas history slavery and economics go hand in hand. Most people think that the ban of slavery was†¦show more content†¦The economic systems that dominated slavery reflected the transitions in Americas economic system. Initially, mercantilist views characterized the conduct of the slave trade. The primary purpose of mercantilism, an economic system that developed during the transition of America from colonies to states, was to unify and increase the power and financial wealth of a nation through strict government regulation of the national economy. According to Carl Abbott, in the years following the American Revolution, slavery, which had never been so prevalent or economically important in the North as in the South, became the Souths peculiar institution. Between 1774 and 1804 all the northern states undertook to abolish slavery. In some states emancipation was immediate, but more often--as in New York and New Jersey--it was gradual, freeing slaves born after passage of the states emancipation act when they reached a given age, usually in their twenties.(Abbott) Nevertheless, despite widespread questioning of its morality and a surplus of private liberations in the Upper South during the revolutionary era, bondage actually expanded in the southern states. The spread of cotton production following the invention of the cotton gin in 1793 sharply increased the demand for slave labor and made possible the emergence of a vast new slave empire as southerners moved west. At the outbreak of the Revolution, the United States contained about half a million slaves. Between theShow MoreRelatedSlavery And The Slavery Of Slavery Essay2080 Words   |  9 PagesThere has been an ongoing debate on whether Christianity condoned or condemned slavery. In this essay, I will discuss how slave owners used biblical context to uphold the institution of slavery. I will begin analyzing scriptures in the bible that pertain to slavery. It is in my belief that the Bible did not condone slavery in the way that slave owners upheld slavery. I do not argue against that ther e were not slaves by bondage but they were not enslaved against their will but through the will ofRead MoreSlavery And Its Effects On Slavery Essay1202 Words   |  5 Pages This was the period of post-slavery, early twentieth century, in southern United States where blacks were still treated by whites inhumanly and cruelly, even after the abolition laws of slavery of 1863. They were still named as ‘color’. Nothing much changed in African-American’s lives, though the laws of abolition of slavery were made, because now the slavery system became a way of life. The system was accepted as destiny. So the whites also got license to take disadvantages and started exploitingRead MoreSlavery And Its Effects On Slavery999 Words   |  4 Pagesresearch and taking the Slavery footprint quiz I realized just how much my life and lifestyle depended on slavery. I, like most people, do not think about where my clothes came from or where the diamond in the engagement ring came from; subsequently, I alone depend on 43 slaves. 43 individuals somewhere in the world are being forced to work or work for little to nothing. I cried after reading about prese nt time slavery because like most people in today’s age, I believed slavery ended in President Lincoln’sRead MoreSlavery And The Slavery Of Slavery933 Words   |  4 Pages Slavery, up to this point has progressively gotten weaker. In 1787 slavery is made illegal in the northwest territory. In 1793 Eli Whitney made the cotton gin making the demand for slaves increase. In 1820 the missouri compromise was written to ban slavery in all states above the northern missouri border. In the year 1831 Preacher Nat Turner starts a rebellion that is known to be the largest slave uprising in American History. also that year William Lloyd Garrison started publishing the LiberatorRead MoreSlavery And The Slavery Of Slavery Essay1742 Words   |  7 Pagesto resist their masters, and the institution of slavery in a subtle or a suicidal way. The visions of freedom varied throughout time periods and regions; in 1739, you have the Stono Rebellion, people used laws to argue their cases o f injustice, such as Emanuel Pieterson and Dorothy Angola, who fought for the freedom of their child and David Walker, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacob who used literature to speak against the institution of slavery. Another aspect was that freedom had a differentRead MoreSlavery And The Abolition Of Slavery1166 Words   |  5 Pagesmain issue of controversy that contributed to the split of the Union: slavery. Lincoln explicitly expressed that slavery should be abolished for several reasons, recognizing the practice as an extreme violation of human rights and American republicanism. Despite his advocacy for abolishment, Lincoln’s politics on racial justice were still problematic. While Abraham Lincoln recognizes basic human rights, and advocates that slavery is an obvious violation of these basic principles, I argue and characterizeRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Slavery1128 Words   |  5 PagesSlavery is one of the most inhumane acts the world has ever known. African s were kidnapped and forced into slavery by Europeans; they were separated from their families and forced to work on plantations. They were placed in unbearable conditions and the prevalent racism attached onto this system fueled the mistreatment and oppression of black people for years to come. The origins of the widespread African slavery in America as we know today started in early colonial America when people needed cheapRead MoreSlavery, Racism, And Slavery Essay1779 Words   |  8 PagesSlavery began before racism in North America. To prove this I will provide an analysis of chronological events that displayed acts of slavery and racism. With that being said, Initially I will be delving into the earliest implementations of slavery in North America. That being Jamestown Virginia 1619. Secondly, analysing an extract from 1655, where an African man named Anthony Johnson claimed to own another black individual, John Casor as his property. Subsequently, moving onto Winthrop D Jord anRead MoreThe Slavery Of Slavery And Slavery944 Words   |  4 Pagescondemn slavery. The South also used religion as their argument, but instead, they used the Bible to argue that slavery was an acceptable part of life. People have questioned whether it was right or wrong of the South to use the bible to support their beliefs in slavery. Some would say that pro-slavery southerners had every right to use the Bible to support their beliefs. When Northerners began to use the Bible against slavery, southerners used this same argument to support it. Slavery was a practiceRead MoreSlavery : Slavery And Slavery901 Words   |  4 PagesSlavery in America started in 1619 when settlers brought over African Americans to Jamestown, Virginia. The slaves came to Jamestown to work on the tobacco plantations. The slaves were also sent to other colonies such as South Carolina to work on the cotton plantations. Slaves were people who worked for no pay. This caused the land owners to make more profit from their plantations because they didn’t have to pay their workers. Southern slave owners, specifically in South Carolina, relied on slavery

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 8 Sunmaster Free Essays

SUNMASTER FOURTEEN-†¦ A leader of the Mycogen Sector of ancient Trantor†¦ As is true of all the leaders of this ingrown sector, little is known of him. That he plays any role at all in history is due entirely to his interrelationship with Hari Seldon in the course of The Flight†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 35. There were just two seats behind the compact pilot compartment and when Seldon sat down on padding that gave slowly beneath him meshed fabric came forward to encircle his legs, waist, and chest and a hood came down over his forehead and ears. We will write a custom essay sample on Prelude to Foundation Chapter 8 Sunmaster or any similar topic only for you Order Now He felt imprisoned and when he turned to his left with difficulty-and only slightly-he could see that Dors was similarly enclosed. The pilot took his own seat and checked the controls. Then he said, â€Å"I’m Endor Levanian, at your service. You’re enmeshed because there will be a considerable acceleration at lift-off. Once we’re in the open and flying, you’ll be released. You needn’t tell me your names. It’s none of my business.† He turned in his seat and smiled at them out of a gnomelike face that wrinkled as his lips spread outward. â€Å"Any psychological difficulties, youngsters?† Dors said lightly, â€Å"I’m an Outworlder and I’m used to flying.† â€Å"That is also true for myself,† said Seldon with a bit of hauteur. â€Å"Excellent, youngsters. Of course, this isn’t your ordinary air-jet and you may not have done any night flying, but I’ll count on you to bear up.† He was enmeshed too, but Seldon could see that his arms were entirely free. A dull hum sounded inside the jet, growing in intensity and rising in pitch. Without actually becoming unpleasant, it threatened to do so and Seldon made a gesture as though to shake his head and get the sound out of his ears, but the attempt to do so merely seemed to stiffen the hold of the head-mesh. The jet then sprang (it was the only verb Seldon could find to describe the event) into the air and he found himself pushed hard against the back and bottom of his seat. Through the windshield in front of the pilot, Seldon saw, with a twinge of horror, the flat rise of a wall-and then a round opening appear in that wall. It was similar to the hole into which the air-taxi had plunged the day he and Hummin had left the Imperial Sector, but though this one was large enough for the body of the jet, it certainly did not leave room for the wings. Seldon’s head turned as far to the right as he could manage and did so just in time to see the wing on his side wither and collapse. The jet plunged into the opening and was seized by the electromagnetic field and hurtled along a lighted runnel. The acceleration was constant and there were occasional clicking noises that Seldon imagined might be the passing of individual magnets. And then, in less than ten minutes, the jet was spewed out into the atmosphere, headlong into the sudden pervasive darkness of night. The jet decelerated as it passed beyond the electromagnetic field and Seldon felt himself flung against the mesh and plastered there for a few breathless moments. Then the pressure ceased and the mesh disappeared altogether. â€Å"How are you, youngsters?† came the cheerful voice of the pilot. â€Å"I’m not sure,† said Seldon. He turned to Dors. â€Å"Are you all right?† â€Å"Certainly,† she answered. â€Å"I think Mr. Levanian was putting us through his paces to see if we were really Outworlders. Is that so, Mr. Levanian?† â€Å"Some people like excitement,† said Levanian. â€Å"Do you?† â€Å"Within limits,† said Dors. Then Seldon added approvingly, â€Å"As any reasonable person would admit.† Seldon went on. â€Å"It might have seemed less humorous to you, sir, if you had ripped the wings off the jet.† â€Å"Impossible, sir. I told you this is not your ordinary air-jet. The wings are thoroughly computerized. They change their length, width, curvature, and overall shape to match the speed of the jet, the speed and direction of the wind, the temperature, and half a dozen other variables. The wings wouldn’t tear off unless the jet itself was subjected to stresses that would splinter it.† There was a spatter against Seldon’s window. He said, â€Å"It’s raining.’ â€Å"It often is,† said the pilot. Seldon peered out the window. On Helicon or on any other world, there would have been lights visible-the illuminated works of man. Only on Trantor would it be dark. Well, not entirely. At one point he saw the flash of a beacon light. Perhaps the higher reaches of Upperside had warning lights. As usual, Dors took note of Seldon’s uneasiness. Patting his hand, she said, â€Å"I’m sure the pilot knows what he’s doing, Hari.† â€Å"I’ll try to be sure of it, too, Dors, but I wish he’d share some of that knowledge with us,† Seldon said in a voice loud enough to be overheard. â€Å"I don’t mind sharing,† said the pilot. â€Å"To begin with, we’re heading up and we’ll be above the cloud deck in a few minutes. Then there won’t be any rain and we’ll even see the stars.† He had timed the remark beautifully, for a few stars began to glitter through the feathery cloud remnants and then all the rest sprang into brightness as the pilot flicked off the lights inside the cabin. Only the dim illumination of his own instrument panel remained to compete, and outside the window the sky sparkled brightly. Dors said, â€Å"That’s the first time in over two years that I’ve seen the stars. Aren’t they marvelous? They’re so bright-and there are so many of them.† The pilot said, â€Å"Trantor is nearer the center of the Galaxy than most of the Outworlds.† Since Helicon was in a sparse corner of the Galaxy and its star field was dim and unimpressive, Seldon found himself speechless. Dors said, â€Å"How quiet this flight has become.† â€Å"So it is,† said Seldon. â€Å"What powers the jet, Mr. Levanian?† â€Å"A microfusion motor and a thin stream of hot gas.† â€Å"I didn’t know we had working microfusion air-jets. They talk about it, but-â€Å" â€Å"There are a few small ones like this. So far they exist only on Trantor and are used entirely by high government officials.† Seldon said, â€Å"The fees for such travel must come high.† â€Å"Very high, sir.† â€Å"How much is Mr. Hummin being charged, then?† â€Å"There’s no charge for this flight. Mr. Hummin is a good friend of the company who owns these jets.† Seldon grunted. Then he asked, â€Å"Why aren’t there more of these microfusion air-jets?† â€Å"Too expensive for one thing, sir. Those that exist fulfill all the demand.† â€Å"You could create more demand with larger jets.† â€Å"Maybe so, but the company has never managed to make microfusion engines strong enough for large air-jets.† Seldon thought of Hummin’s complaint that technological innovation had declined to a low level. â€Å"Decadent,† he murmured. â€Å"What?† said Dors. â€Å"Nothing,† said Seldon. â€Å"I was just thinking of something Hummin once said to me.† He looked out at the stars and said, â€Å"Are we moving westward, Mr. Levanian?† â€Å"Yes, we are. How did you know?† â€Å"Because I thought that we would see the dawn by now if we were heading east to meet it.† But dawn, pursuing the planet, finally caught up with them and sunlight-real sunlight brightened the cabin walls. It didn’t last long, however, for the jet curved downward and into the clouds. Blue and gold vanished and were replaced by dingy gray and both Seldon and Dors emitted disappointed cries at being deprived of even a few more moments of true sunlight. When they sank beneath the clouds, Upperside was immediately below them and its surface-at least at this spot-was a rolling mixture of wooded grottos and intervening grassland. It was the sort of thing Clowzia had told Seldon existed on Upperside. Again there was little time for observation, however. An opening appeared below them, rimmed by lettering that spelled MYCOGEN. They plunged in. 36. They landed at a jetport that seemed deserted to Seldon’s wondering eyes. The pilot, having completed his task, shook hands with both Hari and Dors and took his jet up into the air with a rush, plunging it into an opening that appeared for his benefit. There seemed, then, nothing to do but wait. There were benches that could seat perhaps a hundred people, but Seldon and Dors Venabili were the only two people around. The port was rectangular, surrounded by walls in which there must be many tunnels that could open to receive or deliver jets, but there were no jets present after their own had departed and none arrived while they waited. There were no people arriving or any indications of habitation; the very life hum of Trantor was muted. Seldon felt this aloneness to be oppressive. He turned to Dors and said, â€Å"What is it that we must do here? Have you any idea?† Dors shook her head. â€Å"Hummin told me we would be met by Sunmaster Fourteen. I don’t know anything beyond that.† â€Å"Sunmaster Fourteen? What would that be?† â€Å"A human being, I presume. From the name I can’t be certain whether it would be a man or a woman.† â€Å"An odd name.† â€Å"Oddity is in the mind of the receiver. I am sometimes taken to be a man by those who have never met me.† â€Å"What fools they must be,† said Seldon, smiling. â€Å"Not at all. Judging from my name, they are justified. I’m told it is a popular masculine name on various worlds.† â€Å"I’ve never encountered it before.† â€Å"That’s because you aren’t much of a Galactic traveler. The name ‘Hari’ is common enough everywhere, although I once knew a woman named ‘Hare,’ pronounced like your name but spelled with an ‘e.’ In Mycogen, as I recall, particular names are confined to families-and numbered.† â€Å"But Sunmaster seems so unrestrained a name.† â€Å"What’s a little braggadocio? Back on Cinna, ‘Dors’ is from an Old local expression meaning ‘spring gift.’ â€Å" â€Å"Because you were born in the spring?† â€Å"No. I first saw the light of day at the height of Cinna’s summer, but the name struck my people as pleasant regardless of its traditional-and largely forgotten-meaning.† â€Å"In that case, perhaps Sunmaster-â€Å" And a deep, severe voice said, â€Å"That is my name, tribesman.† Seldon, startled, looked to his left. An open ground-car had somehow drawn close. It was boxy and archaic, looking almost like a delivery wagon. In it, at the controls, was a tall old man who looked vigorous despite his age. With stately majesty, he got out of the ground-car. He wore a long white gown with voluminous sleeves, pinched in at the wrists. Beneath the gown were soft sandals from which the big toe protruded, while his head, beautifully shaped, was completely hairless. He regarded the two calmly with his deep blue eyes. He said, â€Å"I greet you, tribesman.† Seldon said with automatic politeness, â€Å"Greetings, sir.† Then, honestly puzzled, he asked, â€Å"How did you get in?† â€Å"Through the entrance, which closed behind me. You paid little heed.† â€Å"I suppose we didn’t. But then we didn’t know what to expect. Nor do we now.† â€Å"Tribesman Chetter Hummin informed the Brethren that there would be members from two of the tribes arriving. He asked that you be cared for.† â€Å"Then you know Hummin.† â€Å"We do. He has been of service to us. And because he, a worthy tribesman, has been of service to us, so must we be now to him. There are few who come to Mycogen and few who leave. I am to make you secure, give you houseroom, see that you are undisturbed. You will be safe here.† Dors bent her head. â€Å"We are grateful, Sunmaster Fourteen.† Sunmaster turned to look at her with an air of dispassionate contempt. â€Å"I am not unaware of the customs of the tribes,† he said. â€Å"I know that among them a woman may well speak before being spoken to. I am therefore not offended. I would ask her to have a care among others of the Brethren who may be of lesser knowledge in the matter.† â€Å"Oh really?† said Dors, who was clearly offended, even if Sunmaster was not. â€Å"In truth,† agreed Sunmaster. â€Å"Nor is it needful to use my numerical identifier when I alone of my cohort am with you. ‘Sunmaster’ will be sufficient.-Now I will ask you to come with me so that we may leave this place which is of too tribal a nature to comfort me.† â€Å"Comfort is for all of us,† said Seldon, perhaps a little more loudly than was necessary, â€Å"and we will not budge from this place unless we are assured that we will not be forcibly bent to your liking against our own natures. It is our custom that a woman may speak whenever she has something to say. If you have agreed to keep us secure, that security must be psychological as well as physical.† Sunmaster gazed at Seldon levelly and said, â€Å"You are bold, young tribesman. Your name?† â€Å"I am Hari Seldon of Helicon. My companion is Dors Venabili of Cinna.† Sunmaster bowed slightly as Seldon pronounced his own name, did not move at the mention of Dors’s name. He said, â€Å"I have sworn to Tribesman Hummin that we will keep you safe, so I will do what I can to protect your woman companion in this. If she wishes to exercise her impudence, I will do my best to see that she is held guiltless.-Yet in one respect you must conform.† And he pointed, with infinite scorn, first to Seldon’s head and then to Dors’s. â€Å"What do you mean?† said Seldon. â€Å"Your cephalic hair.† â€Å"What about it?† â€Å"It must not be seen.† â€Å"Do you mean we’re to shave our heads like you? Certainly not.† â€Å"My head is not shaven, Tribesman Seldon. I was depilated when I entered puberty, as are all the Brethren and their women.† â€Å"If we’re talking about depilation, then more than ever the answer is no-never.† â€Å"Tribesman, we ask neither shaving nor depilation. We ask only that your hair be covered when you are among us.† â€Å"How?† â€Å"I have brought skincaps that will mold themselves to your skulls, together with strips that will hide the superoptical patches the eyebrows. You will wear them while with us. And of course, Tribesman Seldon, you will shave daily-or oftener if that becomes necessary.† â€Å"But why must we do this?† â€Å"Because to us, hair on the head is repulsive and obscene.† â€Å"Surely, you and all your people know that it is customary for others, in all the worlds of the Galaxy, to retain their cephalic hair.† â€Å"We know. And those among us, like myself, who must deal with tribesmen now and then, must witness this hair. We manage, but it is unfair to ask the Brethren generally to suffer the sight.† Seldon said, â€Å"Very well, then, Sunmaster-but tell me. Since you are born with cephalic hair, as all of us are and as you all retain it visibly till puberty, why is it so necessary to remove it? Is it just a matter of custom or is there some rationale behind it?† And the old Mycogenian said proudly, â€Å"By depilation, we demonstrate to the youngster that he or she has become an adult and through depilation adults will always remember who they are and never forget that all others are but tribesmen.† He waited for no response (and, in truth, Seldon could think of none) but brought out from some hidden compartment in his robe a handful of thin bits of plastic of varying color, stared keenly at the two faces before him, holding first one strip, then another, against each face. â€Å"The colors must match reasonably,† he said. â€Å"No one will be fooled into thinking you are not wearing a skincap, but it must not be repulsively obvious.† Finally, Sunmaster gave a particular strip to Seldon and showed him how it could be pulled out into a cap. â€Å"Please put it on, Tribesman Seldon,† he said. â€Å"You will find the process clumsy at first, but you will grow accustomed to it.† Seldon put it on, but the first two times it slipped off when he tried to pull it backward over his hair. â€Å"Begin just above your eyebrows,† said Sunmaster. His fingers seemed to twitch, as though eager to help. Seldon said, suppressing a smile, â€Å"Would you do it for me?† And Sunmaster drew back, saying, almost in agitation, â€Å"I couldn’t. I would be touching your hair.† Seldon managed to hook it on and followed Sunmaster’s advice, in pulling it here and there until all his hair was covered. The eyebrow patches fitted on easily. Dors, who had watched carefully, put hers on without trouble. â€Å"How does it come off?† asked Seldon. â€Å"You have but to find an end and it will peel off without trouble. You will find it easier both to put on and take off if you cut your hair shorter.† â€Å"I’d rather struggle a bit,† said Seldon. Then, turning to Dors, he said in a low voice, â€Å"You’re still pretty, Dors, but it does tend to remove some of the character from your face.† â€Å"The character is there underneath just the same,† she answered. â€Å"And I dare say you’ll grow accustomed to the hairless me.† In a still lower whisper, Seldon said, â€Å"I don’t want to stay here long enough to get accustomed to this.† Sunmaster, who ignored, with visible haughtiness, the mumblings among mere tribesmen, said, â€Å"If you will enter my ground-car, I will now take you into Mycogen.† 37. â€Å"Frankly,† whispered Dors, â€Å"I can scarcely believe I’m on Trantor.† â€Å"I take it, then, you’ve never seen anything like this before?† said Seldon. â€Å"I’ve only been on Trantor for two years and I’ve spent much of my time at the University, so I’m not exactly a world traveler. Still, I’ve been here and there and I’ve heard of this and that, but I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this. The sameness.† Sunmaster drove along methodically and without undue haste. There were other wagonlike vehicles in the roadway, all with hairless men at the controls, their bald pates gleaming in the light. On either side there were three-story structures, unornamented, all lines meeting at right angles, everything gray in color. â€Å"Dreary,† mouthed Dors. â€Å"So dreary.† â€Å"Egalitarian,† whispered Seldon. â€Å"I suspect no Brother can lay claim to precedence of any obvious kind over any other.† There were many pedestrians on the walkways as they passed. There were no signs of any moving corridors and no sound of any nearby Expressway. Dors said, â€Å"I’m guessing the grays are women.† â€Å"Its hard to tell,† said Seldon. â€Å"The gowns hide everything and one hairless head is like another.† â€Å"The grays are always in pairs or with a white. The whites [also] walk alone and Sunmaster is a white.† â€Å"You may be right.† Seldon raised his voice. â€Å"Sunmaster, I am curious.† â€Å"If you are, then ask what you wish, although I am by no means required to answer.† â€Å"We seem to be passing through a residential area. There are no signs of business establishments, industrial areas-â€Å" â€Å"We are a farming community entirely. Where are you from that you do not know this?† â€Å"You know I am an Outworlder,† Seldon said stiffly. â€Å"I have been on Trantor for only two months.† â€Å"Even so.† â€Å"But if you are a farming community, Sunmaster, how is it that we have passed no farms either?† â€Å"On lower levels,† said Sunmaster briefly. â€Å"Is Mycogen on this level entirely residential, then?† â€Å"And on a few others. We are what you see. Every Brother and his family lives in equivalent quarters; every cohort in its own equivalent community; all have the same ground-car and all Brothers drive their own. There are no servants and none are at ease through the labor of others. None may glory over another.† Seldon lifted his shielded eyebrows at Dors and said, â€Å"But some of the people wear white, while some wear gray.† â€Å"That is because some of the people are Brothers and some are Sisters.† â€Å"And we?† â€Å"You are a tribesman and a guest. You and your†-he paused and then said-â€Å"companion will not be bound by all aspects of Mycogenian life. Nevertheless, you will wear a white gown and your companion will wear a gray one and you will live in special guest quarters like our own.† â€Å"Equality for all seems a pleasant ideal, but what happens as your numbers increase? Is the pie, then, cut into smaller pieces?† â€Å"There is no increase in numbers. That would necessitate an increase in area, which the surrounding tribesmen would not allow, or a change for the worse in our way of life.† â€Å"But if-† began Seldon. Sunmaster cut him off. â€Å"It is enough, Tribesman Seldon. As I warned you, I am not compelled to answer. Our task, which we have promised our friend Tribesman Hummin, is to keep you secure as long as you do not violate our way of life. That we will do, but there it ends. Curiosity is permitted, but it wears out our patience quickly if persisted in.† Something about his tone allowed no more to be said and Seldon chafed. Hummin, for all his help, had clearly mis-stressed the matter. It was not security that Seldon sought. At least, not security alone. He needed information too and without that he could not-and would not-stay here. 38. Seldon looked with some distress at their quarters. It had a small but individual kitchen and a small but individual bathroom. There were two narrow beds, two clothes closets, a table, and two chairs. In short there was everything that was necessary for two people who were willing to live under cramped conditions. â€Å"We had an individual kitchen and bathroom at Cinna,† said Dors with an air of resignation. â€Å"Not I,† said Seldon. â€Å"Helicon may be a small world, but I lived in a modern city. Community kitchens and bathrooms.-What a waste this is. You might expect it in a hotel, where one is compelled to make a temporary stay, but if the whole sector is like this, imagine the enormous number and duplications of kitchens and bathrooms.† â€Å"Part of the egalitarianism, I suppose,† said Dors. â€Å"No fighting for favored stalls or for faster service. The same for everyone.† â€Å"No privacy either. Not that I mind terribly, Dors, but you might and I don’t want to give the appearance of taking advantage. We ought to make it clear to them that we must have separate rooms-adjoining but separate.† Dors said, â€Å"I’m sure it won’t work. Space is at a premium and I think they are amazed by their own generosity in giving us this much. We’ll just make do, Hari. We’re each old enough to manage. I’m not a blushing maiden and you’ll never convince me that you’re a callow youth.† â€Å"You wouldn’t be here, were it not for me.† â€Å"What of it? It’s an adventure.† â€Å"All right, then. Which bed will you take? Why don’t you take the one nearer the bathroom?† He sat down on the other. â€Å"There’s something else that bothers me. As long as we’re here, we’re tribespeople, you and I, as is even Hummin. We’re of the other tribes, not their own cohorts, and most things are none of our business.-But most things are my business. That’s what I’ve come here for. I want to know some of the things they know.† â€Å"Or think they know,† said Dors with a historian’s skepticism. â€Å"I understand they have legends that are supposed to date back to primordial times, but I can’t believe they can be taken seriously.† â€Å"We can’t know that until we find out what those legends are. Are there no outside records of them?† â€Å"Not that I know of. These people are terribly ingrown. They’re almost psychotic in their inward clinging. That Hummin can break down their barriers somewhat and even get them to take us in is remarkable-really remarkable.† Seldon brooded. â€Å"There has to be an opening somewhere. Sunmaster was surprised-angry, in fact-that I didn’t know Mycogen was an agricultural community. That seems to be something they don’t want kept a secret.† â€Å"The point is, it isn’t a secret. ‘Mycogen’ is supposed to be from archaic words meaning ‘yeast producer.’ At least, that’s what I’ve been told. I’m not a paleolinguist. In any case, they culture all varieties of microfood-yeast, of course, along with algae, bacteria, multicellular fungi, and so on.† â€Å"That’s not uncommon,† said Seldon. â€Å"Most worlds have this microculture. We have some even on Helicon.† â€Å"Not like Mycogen. It’s their specialty. They use methods as archaic as the name of their section-secret fertilizing formulas, secret environmental influences. Who knows what? All is secret.† â€Å"Ingrown?† â€Å"With a vengeance. What it amounts to is that they produce protein and subtle flavoring, so that their microfood isn’t like any other in the world. They keep the volume comparatively low and the price is skyhigh. I’ve never tasted any and I’m sure you haven’t, but it sells in great quantities to the Imperial bureaucracy and to the upper classes on other worlds. Mycogen depends on such sales for its economic health, so they want everyone to know that they are the source of this valuable food. That, at least, is no secret.† â€Å"Mycogen must be rich, then.† â€Å"They’re not poor, but I suspect that it’s not wealth they’re after. It’s protection. The Imperial government protects them because, without them, there wouldn’t be these microfoods that add the subtlest flavors, the tangiest spices, to every dish. That means that Mycogen can maintain its odd way of life and be haughty toward its neighbors, who probably find them insupportable.† Dors looked about. â€Å"They live an austere life. There’s no holovision, I notice, and no book-films.† â€Å"I noticed one in the closet up on the shelf.† Seldon reached for it, stared at the label, and then said in clear disgust, â€Å"A cookbook.† Dors held out her hand for it and manipulated the keys. It took a while, for the arrangement was not quite orthodox, but she finally managed to light the screen and inspect the pages. She said, â€Å"There are a few recipes, but for the most part this seems to consist of philosophical essays on gastronomy.† She shut it off and turned it round and about. â€Å"It seems to be a single unit. I don’t see how one would eject the microcard and insert another. A one-book scanner. Now that’s a waste.† â€Å"Maybe they think this one book-film is all anyone needs.† He reached toward the end table that was between the two beds and picked up another object. â€Å"This could be a speaker, except that there’s no screen.† â€Å"Perhaps they consider the voice sufficient.† â€Å"How does it work, I wonder?† Seldon lifted it and looked at it from different sides. â€Å"Did you ever see anything like this?† â€Å"In a museum once-if this is the same thing. Mycogen seems to keep itself deliberately archaic. I suppose they consider that another way of separating themselves from the so-called tribesmen that surround them in overwhelming numbers. Their archaism and odd customs make them indigestible, so to speak. There’s a kind of perverse logic to all that.† Seldon, still playing with the device, said, â€Å"Whoops! It went on. Or something went on. But I don’t hear anything.† Dors frowned and picked up a small felt-lined cylinder that remained behind on the end table. She put it to her ear. â€Å"There’s a voice coming out of this,† she said. â€Å"Here, try it.† She handed it to him. Seldon did so and said, â€Å"Ouch! It clips on.† He listened and said, â€Å"Yes, it hurt my ear. You can hear me, I take it.-Yes, this is our room. No, I don’t know its number. Dors, have you any idea of the number?† Dors said, â€Å"There’s a number on the speaker. Maybe that will do.† â€Å"Maybe,† said Seldon doubtfully. Then he said into the speaker, â€Å"The number on this device is 6LT-3648A. Will that do?-Well, where do I find out how to use this device properly and how to use the kitchen, for that matter?-What do you mean, ‘It all works the usual way?’ That doesn’t do me any good. See here, I’m a†¦ a tribesman, an honored guest. I don’t know the usual way.-Yes, I’m sorry about my accent and I’m glad you can recognize a tribesman when you hear one. My name is Hari Seldon.† There was a pause and Seldon looked up at Dors with a longsuffering expression on his face. â€Å"He has to look me up. And I suppose he’ll tell me he can’t find me.-Oh, you have me? Good! In that case, can you give me the information?-Yes. Yes.-Yes.-And how can I call someone outside Mycogen?-Oh, then what about contacting Sunmaster Fourteen, for instance?-Well, his assistant then, his aide, whatever?-Uh-huh.-Thank you.† He put the speaker down, unhooked the hearing device from his ear with a little difficulty, turned the whole thing off, and said, â€Å"They’ll arrange to have someone show us anything we need to know, but he can’t promise when that might be. You can’t call outside Mycogen-not on this thing anyway-so we couldn’t get Hummin if we needed him. And if I want Sunmaster Fourteen, I’ve got to go through a tremendous rigmarole. This may be an egalitarian society, but there seem to be exceptions that I bet no one will openly admit.† He looked at his watch. â€Å"In any case, Dors, I’m not going to view a cookbook and still less am I going to view learned essays. My watch is still telling University time, so I don’t know if it’s officially bedtime and at the moment I don’t care. We’ve been awake most of the night and I would like to sleep.† â€Å"That’s all right with me. I’m tired too.† â€Å"Thanks. And whenever a new day starts after we’ve caught up on our sleep, I’m going to ask for a tour of their microfood plantations.† Dors looked startled. â€Å"Are you interested?† â€Å"Not really, but if that’s the one thing they’re proud of, they should be willing to talk about it and once I get them into a talking mood then, by exerting all my charm, I may get them to talk about their legends too. Personally, I think that’s a clever strategy.† â€Å"I hope so,† said Dors dubiously, â€Å"but I think that the Mycogenians will not be so easily trapped.† â€Å"We’ll see,† said Seldon grimly. â€Å"I mean to get those legends.† 39. The next morning found Hari using the calling device again. He was angry because, for one thing, he was hungry. His attempt to reach Sunmaster Fourteen was deflected by someone who insisted that Sunmaster could not be disturbed. â€Å"Why not?† Seldon had asked waspishly. â€Å"Obviously, there is no need to answer that question,† came back a cold voice. â€Å"We were not brought here to be prisoners,† said Seldon with equal coldness. â€Å"Nor to starve.† â€Å"I’m sure you have a kitchen and ample supplies of food.† â€Å"Yes, we do,† said Seldon. â€Å"And I do not know how to use the kitchen devices, nor do I know how to prepare the food. Do you eat it raw, fry it, boil it, roast it†¦?† â€Å"I can’t believe you are ignorant in such matters.† Dors, who had been pacing up and down during this colloquy, reached for the device and Seldon fended her off, whispering, â€Å"He’ll break the connection if a woman tries to speak to him.† Then, into the device, he said more firmly than ever, â€Å"What you believe or don’t believe doesn’t matter to me in the least. You send someone here-someone who can do something about our situation-or when I reach Sunmaster Fourteen, as I will eventually, you will pay for this.† Nevertheless, it was two hours before someone arrived (by which time Seldon was in a state of savagery and Dors had grown rather desperate in her attempt to soothe him). The newcomer was a young man whose bald pate was slightly freckled and who probably would have been a redhead otherwise. He was bearing several pots and he seemed about to explain them when he suddenly looked uneasy and turned his back on Seldon in alarm. â€Å"Tribesman,† he said, obviously agitated. â€Å"Your skincap is not well adjusted.† Seldon, whose impatience had reached the breaking point, said, â€Å"That doesn’t bother me.† Dors, however, said, â€Å"Let me adjust it, Hari. It’s just a bit too high here on the left side.† Seldon then growled, â€Å"You can turn now, young man. What is your name?† â€Å"I am Graycloud Five,† said the Mycogenian uncertainly as he turned and looked cautiously at Seldon. â€Å"I am a novitiate. I have brought a meal for you.† He hesitated. â€Å"From my own kitchen, where my woman prepared it, tribesman.† He put the pots down on the table and Seldon raised one lid and sniffed the contents suspiciously. He looked up at Dors in surprise. â€Å"You know, it doesn’t smell bad.† Dors nodded. â€Å"You’re right. I can smell it too.† Graycloud said, â€Å"It’s not as hot as it ought to be. It cooled off in transport. You must have crockery and cutlery in your kitchen.† Dors got what was needed, and after they had eaten, largely and a bit greedily, Seldon felt civilized once more. Dors, who realized that the young man would feel unhappy at being alone with a woman and even unhappier if she spoke to him, found that, by default, it fell to her to carry the pots and dishes into the kitchen and wash them-once she deciphered the controls of the washing device. Meanwhile, Seldon asked the local time and said, somewhat abashed, â€Å"You mean it’s the middle of the night?† â€Å"Indeed, tribesman,† said Graycloud. â€Å"That’s why it took a while to satisfy your need.† Seldon understood suddenly why Sunmaster could not be disturbed and thought of Graycloud’s woman having to be awakened to prepare him a meal and felt his conscience gnaw at him. â€Å"I’m sorry,† he said. â€Å"We are only tribespeople and we didn’t know how to use the kitchen or how to prepare the food. In the morning, could you have someone arrive to instruct us properly?† â€Å"The best I can do, tribesmen,† said Graycloud placatingly, â€Å"is to have two Sisters sent in. I ask your pardon for inconveniencing you with feminine presence, but it is they who know these things.† Dors, who had emerged from the kitchen, said (before remembering her place in the masculine Mycogenian society), â€Å"That’s fine, Graycloud. We’d love to meet the Sisters.† Graycloud looked at her uneasily and fleetingly, but said nothing. Seldon, convinced that the young Mycogenian would, on principle, refuse to have heard what a woman said to him, repeated the remark. â€Å"That’s fine, Graycloud. We’d love to meet the Sisters.† His expression cleared at once. â€Å"I will have them here as soon as it is day.† When Graycloud had left, Seldon said with some satisfaction, â€Å"The Sisters are likely to be exactly what we need.† â€Å"Indeed? And in what way, Hari?† asked Dors. â€Å"Well, surely if we treat them as though they are human beings, they will be grateful enough to speak of their legends.† â€Å"If they know them,† said Dors skeptically. â€Å"Somehow I have no faith that the Mycogenians bother to educate their women very well.† 40. The Sisters arrived some six hours later after Seldon and Dors had slept some more, hoping to readjust their biological clocks. The Sisters entered the apartment shyly, almost on tiptoe. Their gowns (which, it turned out, were termed â€Å"kirtles† in the Mycogenian dialect) were soft velvety gray, each uniquely decorated by a subtle pattern of fine, darker gray webbing. The kirtles were not entirely unattractive, but they were certainly most efficient at covering up any human feature. And, of course, their heads were bald and their faces were devoid of any ornamentation. They darted speculative glances at the touch of blue at the corners of Dors’s eyes and at the slight red stain at the corners of her lips. For a few moments, Seldon wondered how one could be certain that the Sisters were truly Sisters. The answer came at once with the Sisters’ politely formal greetings. Both twittered and chirped. Seldon, remembering the grave tones of Sunmaster and the nervous baritone of Graycloud, suspected that women, in default of obvious sexual identification, were forced to cultivate distinctive voices and social mannerisms. I’m Raindrop Forty-Three,† twittered one, â€Å"and this is my younger sister.† â€Å"Raindrop Forty-Five,† chirped the other. â€Å"We’re very strong on ‘Raindrops’ in our cohort.† She giggled. â€Å"I am pleased to meet you both,† said Dors gravely, â€Å"but now I must know how to address you. I can’t just say ‘Raindrop,’ can I?† â€Å"No,† said Raindrop Forty-Three. â€Å"You must use the full name if we are both here.† Seldon said, â€Å"How about just Forty-Three and Forty-Five, ladies?† They both stole a quick glance at him, but said not a word. Dors said softly, â€Å"I’ll deal with them, Hari.† Seldon stepped back. Presumably, they were single young women and, very likely, they were not supposed to speak to men. The older one seemed the graver of the two and was perhaps the more puritanical. It was hard to tell from a few words and a quick glance, but he had the feeling and was willing to go by that. Dors said, â€Å"The thing is, Sisters, that we tribespeople don’t know how to use the kitchen.† â€Å"You mean you can’t cook?† Raindrop Forty-Three looked shocked and censorious. Raindrop Forty-Five smothered a laugh. (Seldon decided that his initial estimate of the two was correct.) Dors said, â€Å"I once had a kitchen of my own, but it wasn’t like this one and I don’t know what the foods are or how to prepare them.† â€Å"It’s really quite simple,† said Raindrop Forty-Five. â€Å"We can show you.† â€Å"We’ll make you a good nourishing lunch,† said Raindrop Forty-Three. â€Å"We’ll make it for†¦ both of you.† She hesitated before adding the final words. It clearly took an effort to acknowledge the existence of a man. â€Å"If you don’t mind,† said Dors, â€Å"I would like to be in the kitchen with you and I would appreciate it if you’d explain everything exactly. After all, Sisters, I can’t expect you to come here three times a day to cook for us.† â€Å"We will show you everything,† said Raindrop Forty-Three, nodding her head stiffly. â€Å"It may be difficult for a tribeswoman to learn, however. You wouldn’t have the†¦ feeling for it.† â€Å"I shall try,† said Dors with a pleasant smile. They disappeared into the kitchen. Seldon stared after them and tried to work out the strategy he intended to use. How to cite Prelude to Foundation Chapter 8 Sunmaster, Essay examples

Weapons of Mass Deception the Uses of Propaganda in Bushs War on Iraq Essay Example

Weapons of Mass Deception: the Uses of Propaganda in Bushs War on Iraq Essay Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bushs War on Iraq By Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber As the Bush Administrations rationales for going to war with Iraq continue to unravel, questions are ‘finally’ being asked about how they got into the mess in the first place. How could an invasion of Iraq based on administration-orchestrated misinformation, disinformation and outright lies have been sold to the American people? Who did the selling? And what are its ramifications for democratic discourse and/or future American overseas adventures? These are just some of the issues tackled in â€Å"Weapons of Mass Deception. † Weapons of Mass Deception, gives a deconstruction of the layers of a complex propaganda machine that transcends administrations and political parties and profoundly shapes our perception of reality. This book is dangerous; Rampton and Stauber see through the spin and the spin around the spin. They run PR Watch (www. prwatch. org), an on-line publication that documents how governments and corporations daily insinuate themselves into our psyches—or try to. In this remarkably equitable, well-documented book, one learns about the people and the motivations behind the multiple messages, repeated phrases, and battles for global hearts and minds that make up a huge part of the War on Terrorism. While most Americans assume that the truth is slippery in the hands of politicians, few realize the role of public relations firms, doublespeak, and branding enumerated in this book. Yet the corporate-style marketing, Disney- designed sets, and Hollywood-influenced messages that work so well to sell products—the buying of which is sold to us as patriotic—aren’t working so well on the global stage. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century,† write Rampton and Stauber, â€Å"attempts to market the United States [abroad] as ‘brand freedom’ came into conflict with a U. S. tendency to talk rather than listen, combined with U. S. support of undemocratic regimes whose own political objectives contradicted A merica’s stated principles. † One may be familiar with some of the issues discussed in Weapons of Mass Deception, but the books drops the veil on a number of stories that have not been covered adequately or not reported at all by the mainstream media. We will write a custom essay sample on Weapons of Mass Deception: the Uses of Propaganda in Bushs War on Iraq specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Weapons of Mass Deception: the Uses of Propaganda in Bushs War on Iraq specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Weapons of Mass Deception: the Uses of Propaganda in Bushs War on Iraq specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Of particular interest is the books focus on the critical role of public relations companies hired by the government to sell the war. For starters, Rampton and Stauber remind readers about the PR campaign masterminded by Hill Knowlton for the first war in the Gulf. Though the babies-torn-from–incubators story has become infamous within the PR community, few Americans understand how (much less why) their perceptions were managed at that time and how their perceptions about various Islamic states and leaders have been managed ever since. As recently as January 2003, for example, in an opinion poll conducted by Knight-Ridder newspapers, half of the people surveyed still believed that one or more of the September 11 terrorist hijackers were Iraqi citizens. In fact, none were from Iraq. The Rendon Groups information war Weapons of Mass Deception takes a close look at the Rendon Group, a relatively unknown yet powerful public relations outfit that has had its imprint all over U. S. -Iraqi affairs for more than a decade. Founded by John Rendon, a former consultant to the campaigns of Democratic Party politicians Michael Dukakis and Jimmy Carter, the company has worked uring the past decade on behalf of clients including the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency. In 1996, Rendon boasted to an audience of cadets at the U. S. Air Force Academy that during the first Gulf War he had been responsible for providing the hand-held American flags and flags of other coalition countries to the people of Kuwait City so they co uld greet the U. S. Marines when they arrived. Saddam Hussein was the beloved ally of the senior Bush Administration right up until the point he decided he could go in and take over the oil fields in Kuwait, John Stauber told Amy Goodman, in a recent interview. Part of the PR campaign against Saddam twelve years ago was, the relatively easy task of, turning him into an evil dictator. According to the book, after the war, during the first year of Rendons post-war contract with the CIA It spent more than $23 million, producing videos, comic books ridiculing Saddam, a traveling photo exhibit of Iraqi atrocities, and two separate radio programs that broadcast messages from Kuwait into Iraq, mocking the regime and calling on Iraqi army officers to defect. The Rendon Groups most significant project was helping to organize the Iraqi National Congress (INC) in 1992. The INC is described as a coalition of Kurds and Arabs, Sunnis and Shiites Arabs, secularists and Islamists, liberal democrat s, old-style nationalists and ex-military officers. Ahmed Chalabi, the colorful Rendon protege was appointed to head the group in October 1992. ABC News Peter Jennings reported in 1998 that the Rendon Group not only came up with the [groups] name, but also passed along more than $12 million of CIA money to the organization. In the fall of 2001, barely a month after 9/11, the Pentagon gave the Rendon Group a four-month, $397 thousand contract to handle PR aspects of the U. S. military strike in Afghanistan. Within a few months Rendon was assisting the Pentagons new propaganda agency, the Office of Strategic Influence (OSI). Although the OSI was forced to disband over a spate of bad publicity, Rendon kept its Pentagon contract. Rendon Group staff refused to discuss its Pentagon work with the press, claiming it was operating under a confidentiality/nondisclosure agreement. One incident during the war itself provided a rare breach in the wall of secrecy. The incident involved the murder of TV cameraman Paul Moran by a suicide bomber in northern Iraq in late March. His obituary, published in his hometown of Adelaide, Australia, noted that Morans activities included working for an American public relations company contracted by the U. S. Central Intelligence Agency to run propaganda campaigns against the d ictatorship. John Rendon attended Morans funeral in Adelaide. September surprise From a marketing point of view, you dont introduce new products in August, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card Jr. told the New York Times in September 2002. Rampton and Stauber write: Card was explaining what the Times characterized as a meticulously planned strategy to persuade the public, the Congress and the allies, of the need to confront the threat from Saddam Hussein. â€Å" From that point forward, the administration rolled out a heavy arsenal of misinformation, disinformation, and highly dubious intelligence to sell the war to the American people†. The late-March invasion of Iraq was clearly the culmination of this campaign of â€Å"perception management. † Post-war planning was obviously not nearly as attentive to details. After manufacturing pre-war consent, the administration has been confronted with a number of unexpected challenges including chaos and instability, a burgeoning guerilla resistance, and mounting U. S. casualties. At home, the Bush Administration continues to receive criticism about ginned up intelligence and the failure to find Saddam Husseins weapons of mass destruction. Among the lessons gleaned from Weapons of Mass Deception is how this administration readily pulls together a dream team of spin masters and storytellers government agencies, highly paid public relations firms, political hacks, and a willing media to market its message. Effective Public Relations In their eye-opening new expose, Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush’s War on Iraq, Rampton and Stauber reveal — headline by headline, news show by news show, press conference by press conference — the deliberate, aggressive, and highly successful public relations campaign that sold the Iraqi war to the American public. April 9th seemed to confirm what Washington and pro-war pundits had been saying for months: that the Iraqi people would eventually come to see America as their liberator, not their enemy. Yet the American media chose to focus on headlines such as Iraqis Celebrate in Baghdad (Washington Post) rather than on a Reuters long-shot photo of Firdos Square showing it to be nearly empty, or the Muslim cleric who was assassinated by an angry crowd in Najaf for being too friendly to the Americans, or the 20,000 Iraqis in Nasiriyah rallying to oppose the U. S. military presence. We’ve always known what good PR and advertising could do for a new line of sneakers, cosmetics, or weight-loss products. In Weapons of Mass Deception, Rampton and Stauber show us a brave new shocking world where savvy marketers, information warriors, and perception managers can sell an entire war to consumers. Indeed, Washington successfully brought together the world’s top ad agencies and media empires to create Operation: Iraqi Freedom — a product no decent, patriotic citizen could possibly object to. With meticulous research and documentation, Rampton and Stauber deconstruct this and other true lies behind the war:  ·Top Bush officials advocated the invasion of Iraq even before he took office, but waited until September 2002 to inform the public, through what the White House termed a product launch.  ·White House officials used repetition and misinformation — the big lie tactic — to create the false impression that Iraq was behind the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, specially in the case of the alleged meeting in Prague five months earlier between 9/11 hijacker Mohammed Atta and Iraqi intelligence officials.  ·The big lie tactic was also employed in the first Iraq war when a 15-year-old Kuwaiti girl named Nayirah told the horrific — but fabricated — story of Iraqi soldiers wrenching hundreds of premature Kuwaiti babies from their incubators and leaving them to die. Her testimony was printed in a press kit prepared by Citiz ens for a Free Kuwait, a PR front group created by Hill and Knowlton, then the world’s largest PR firm. In order to achieve third party authenticity in the Muslim world, a group called the Council of American Muslims for Understanding launched its own web site, called OpenDialogue. com. However, its chairman admitted that the idea began with the State Department, and that the U. S. government funded the group.  ·Forged documents were used to prove that Iraq possessed huge stockpiles of banned weapons.  ·A secretive PR firm working for the Pentagon helped create the Iraqi National Congress (INC), which became one of the driving forces behind the decision to go to war. What Rampton and Stauber would like Americans to know is that the freedom of speech that is seen to be the essence of democracy also grants the freedom to lie. Thus, a necessary skill for those who aspire to a better, livable world is to be able to discriminate between fact and fabrication. Weapons of Mass Deception also makes it clear that it is important to know who is footing the bill for the vast amount of misinformation that is broadcast—be it the Pentagon, the CIA, a client state, multinational corporation, or other entity. The authors also take us on a tour of the propaganda tactics used by the U. S. government on its own people. This effort has been more effective than its propaganda abroad, thanks to a largely docile domestic press. They make clear that the 2003 Iraq war (as well as the one in 1991) was sold to the public based on questionable distortions and sometimes outright lies planted by public relations firms. Once these lies are repeated in the echo chamber of the media, they become â€Å"truth. † Conclusion While the book is a meticulous snapshot of what lay beneath the surface of Operation Iraqi Freedom, it invites further exploration. It gives citizens—including those who may disagree with the authors’ assumptions—useful tools to understand the war on terrorism and its relationship to products such as SUVs, marketed as â€Å"urban assault luxury vehicles† to make the reptilian part of our brain feel more safe, even though the vehicles are not so safe, and even as our increased gas guzzling fuels the terrorism we say we’re fighting. The book invites viewers, listeners, and readers to examine how various media filter points of view, and whether media actually offer opportunities for dialogue between multiple points of view. It notes how many â€Å"experts† tend to be from think tanks sponsored by corporations or foundations whose allegiances give them a common perspective on current power structures. After a description of government secrecy (even between government agencies which â€Å"need to know† if they are to protect us) and the fear-based (and fear-inducing) Patriot Act, Rampton and Stauber conclude: â€Å"Democracy and the free sharing of information †¦ may offer our best protection against future terrorist threats. Paradoxically, this is precisely what we may surrender if we allow fear to rule our lives. † As we figure out for ourselves what it means to be â€Å"we the people† fighting terror that comes from inside and outside our government in these dark days, books like this cut through the misinformation haze to help us determine our own best take on truth—by exploring multiple perspectives and learning from each other’s experience. The new information environment, exploited to a limited degree by government and corporate propagandists, can be wielded by citizens to find our way out of our current propaganda quagmire. Reviews Weapons of Mass Deception is the first book to expose the aggressive public relations campaign used to sell the American public on the war with Iraq, why and how the American public was made to buy the war. Reviews:  ·No more bed-time stories hese guys are here to wake you up. Greg Palast  ·A major contributions for those who want to take control of their own future not be passive subjects of manipulation and control. Noam Chomsky About the book  ·Publisher: Jeremy P. Tarcher (July 1, 2003)  ·ISBN: 1585422762  ·Average Customer Review: ***** based on 51 reviews.  ·Amazon. com Sales Rank in Books: #50,736 References:  ·www. amazon. com  ·www. prwatch. com  ·www. inthesetimes. com