United Arab Emirates Country Profile Essay Example for Free

United Arab Emirates Country Profile Essay The Middle East stirs interest because of its important historical and contemporary role in global affairs. The region caught the interest of the United States only during the Second World War but the region has hosted and witnessed significant world events. Many of the early civilizations emerged from the region such as the Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations. Influential religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Zoroastrianism developed in the Middle East. The region also formed part of various empires, in succession, as territorial control changed from the Persian, Greek, Roman, Arab, Mongol, Tatar empires and then to the Turkish empire. The succession of empires led to the fusion of civilisations and cultures leading to various radical changes in the region and human history. (Peretz 1994) During the middle ages, Europe took interest in the Middle East in opening pilgrimage paths to the Holy Land through the Crusades. This increased trade with Western European countries and opened contact of the Middle East with Asia. Napoleon occupied parts of Palestine in the hopes of defeating the British Indian Empire growing in Asia. These expressed recognition of the region’s value as Europe’s gateway to the greater Asian region. Tsarist Russia also moved southward in attempts to take control of Iran and Turkey. (Peretz 1994) With the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Suez Canal trading route opened opportunities for various European countries establishing interest in the Middle East. Competing interests fuelled various wars and diplomatic conferences to settle control of the Turkish Straits. Nazi Germany also sought to gain a foothold into the Middle East and then into Asia. During the First and Second World Wars, weapons and supplies passed through the trading routes of the Middle East. In the 1940s, the Middle East gained more importance with the discovery of its vast oil reserves, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. The Middle East gained strategic value not only for its trading routes but also for its massive oil resources. Many foreign companies sought concessions to extract oil from the region. Oil exports supported the growth of industries in European countries and the United States since at least eighty percent of oil consumed in these western regions came from the Middle East. In the early 1960s, the states comprising the Arabian Peninsula and Iran produced one-quarter of the total global oil production with an unknown volume of reserves. During the Cold War, the clashing ideological interests sought to capture the acquiescence of the Middle East, with Russia exerting pressure from the north and the United States exerting pressure from the west. (Peretz 1994) Due to these events, the Middle East became an important region in world affairs. Middle East is the regional name given by Western European states to the block of territory located at the South Western border of Asia, North Eastern border of Africa, and Western border of South Asia. As a collective term, Middle East is a large region comprised of the countries Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. This area, previously called Far East, is located in between the European and East Asian regions. The term also connotes countries sharing a predominantly Islamic culture. (â€Å"Middle East† 2007)

Political Communication Essay -- Functions of Communication

Politics and the media have long been intimately involved with each other, with media strongly setting an agenda in which politics is very important. (Harris 1999,p.167) â€Å"Our perceived reality of the real world is largely a product of the media.† (Harris 1999,p.186) It is not known which influences more but there are definitely two sides to the story. Many studies have been done to decide but each comes out with different answers. Many say that the media has more of an impact on politics than does politics on the media. â€Å"The two have always been natural adversaries.† â€Å"Skewering each other in print and in conversation, but generally enjoying each other’s company. (Forum) It is the role of the mass media to keep the general public informed and up to date with current news and events in their community, state, country, and around the world. In politics the media can either build or damage a political figure by changing the public’s opinion. Many people depend heavily on television as their source of information where they see or hear about political issues, events, and policies because television is the single most powerful medium of global communication and nightly newscasts are the most frequently watched source of information for the public. (Forum) The mass media is everywhere we turn, from television sets, to airwaves, to print, and even the Internet. In their role, are they actually giving us the right message or is it a rumor, which you often see in tabloids in which it is created just to sell? 75% of the public believes that the top priority of the media is to find and report important information on public issues. Approximately 18% say that it is to give readers and viewers what they ask for. Less than 6% say that it should be for profit. (Forum) The Forum Magazine (September 1994) also discussed a survey done by Kees, a former executive editor of The Fresno Bee, and Phillips former chief of staff of the Republican National Committee. The survey results found many accusations were made about the media. They were more interested in sensationalism than issue, they were political insider’s who can’t report fairly, they didn’t understand the real issues facing the country, they underestimate the public’s taste, and they conspire to disgrace politicians. On the other hand the survey also accused the poli ticians of wrongful doings. It was stated that they... ...d the media. American Political Science Review. 93. 327-342. Harris, R. (1999). A cognitive psychology of mass communication. Makwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Haynes, A. & Murray, S. (1998, October). Why do the media cover certain candidates more than others. American Political Science Quarterly. 26. 420-438. Iyengar, S. (1987, September). Television news and citizen’s explanations of national issues. American Poltical Science Review. p.828. Jacques, W. & Ratzan, S. (1997, August). The Internet’s worldwide web and political accountability. American Behavioral Scientist. 40. 1226-1237. Kalb, M. & Sullivan, A. (1999, September 12). News media give politics short shrift. Greensboro News Record. p.h2. Kiousis, S. (1999, August). Candidate image attributes. Communication Research. 36. 414-428. London, S. (1999). How the media frames political issues. Pippa, N. (1996) Women, media, and politics. Oxford University. Shaw, D. (1999, June). The effect of tv ads and candidate appearances on statewide presidential votes, 1988-96). American Political Science Review. 93. 345-361. The love-hate relationship between politicians and the news media. (1994, September). The Forum Magazine.

Mandeville Analysis

Defining â€Å"Vice† To understand Mandible's claim that society is vice-driven, one needs to loosely examine The Grumbling Hive which was later included in his larger work, The Fable of the Bees: OR, Private Vices, Public Benefits. Mandible starts off by describing â€Å"A Spacious Hive well stock's with Bees, That lived in Luxury and Ease† (Mandible, 1705, lines 1-2). He states they were a large colony with science and industry and a good government, evidenced by the fact that â€Å"They were not Slaves to Tyranny† (Mandible, 1 705, line 9).The bees worked hard at their trades, which served to make the society (the hive) thrive, but he observes that this was not without consequences. He notes hat although the hive worked hard and â€Å"Millions were employed† (Mandible, 1705, line 35), there was always a separate class or group that worked harder than the rest: â€Å"And some were damned to Scythes and Spades, And all those hard laborious Trades; Where willing Wretches daily sweat, And wear out Strength and Limbs to eat† (Mandible, 1 705, lines 41-44).He also notes that there is always a group of people who will take advantage of those hard workers for their own gain, and that this deceit was wide-spread and affected all groups and trades. As evidence, he points out that people filed needless assists; lawyers would delay hearings and pocket the retaining fees like burglars looking for the best way to break in; physicians valued money and power over the health and well-being of their patients and instead chose to study â€Å"Rules of Art†; the â€Å"Priests of Jove†, although eloquent,† . Al past Muster, that could hide Their Sloth, Lust, Avarice and Pride† (Mandible, 1705, lines 74, 85, 89-90); the Kings were cheated by those who served them, and even Lady Justice dropped her scales so she could grasp her bribe of gold. (Mandible, 1705, line 142). In this description of the flourishing hive, Mandibl e paints us a picture, not of a society flourishing from hard work, sweat, and â€Å"doing the right thing', but of a society getting ahead through tricks, deceit, and greed.This is the entire basis for his concept of ‘Vice†. We do nothing out of pure altruism. In Mandible's eyes, everything is driven by Our own self-interest, our need to fulfill our own wishes, Wants, and desires through selfishness, dishonesty and indulgence on luxury goods. In the Preface of his larger work, The Fable of the Bees: or, Private Vices, PublicBenefits, Mandible clarifies his position further when he states: † so they that examine into the Nature of Man, abstract from Art and Education, may observe, that what renders him a Sociable Animal, consists not in his desire or Company, Good-nature, Pity, Affability, and other Graces of a fair Outside; but that his vilest and most hateful Qualities are the most necessary Accomplishments to fit him for the largest, and, according to the World , the happiest and most flourishing Societies† (Mandible, 1714, p. ). Mandible's views were refuted by Adam Smith in his 1759 work, The Theory f Moral Sentiments when he stated: â€Å"Every thing, according to him, is luxury which exceeds what is absolutely necessary for the support of human nature, so that there is vice even in the use of a clean shirt, or of a convenient habitation† (Smith, 1 759, p. 506). It is Smith's view that there is no vice present or intended when our actions are â€Å"honorable and noble† (Smith, 1759, p. 501).However, even Smith, who was one of Mandible's biggest detractors, later admitted: â€Å"But how destructive sever, this system may appear, it could never have imposed upon so great a number of persons, nor eve occasioned so general an alarm among those who are the friends of better principles, had it not in some respects bordered upon the truth† (Smith, 1 759, p. 508), leaving us to believe that perhaps Mandible's concept (and consequence) of â€Å"vice† is actually true.The Products of â€Å"Vice† In Mandible's hive, the society and it's economy is driven by the vices of the bees. Their wishes, wants, and desires for â€Å"things† drive the production and consumption of these commodities. An increased demand for â€Å"things† will lead to more people working to produce those items, which will lead to a argue supply available to the populace (many times at a lower cost due to mass production), and an increased consumption of those items, which leads us back to higher demand, which equals more work, and so on.Mandible also goes on to say that there is a causal relationship between this â€Å"vice† and the ingenuity of the worker, which leads to prosperity even for the poorest members of the hive (society): â€Å"Thus Vice nursed Ingenuity, Which joined with Time; and Industry Had carry's Life's Conveniences, It's real Pleasures, Comforts, Ease, To such a Height, the very Poor Lived better than the Rich before; And nothing could be added more† (Mandible, 1705, lines 97-103).It is important to pause here a moment and point out that we are not discussing those items required to meet basic, day-to-day needs (food, clothing, and housing). We are discussing those items over and above the basics, I. E. : fine clothing, fancy furniture, and expensive food and drink (what he would call luxury items). This â€Å"conspicuous consumption† (a term first coined by Thorniest Evolve in his 1 899 book entitled, The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study of he Evolution of Institutions) still drives our economy today.A large portion of our population lives well above their means. They purchase houses many times larger than they need, drive vehicles marketed to â€Å"upscale† buyers interested in â€Å"brand identification†, and take out second mortgages they can't afford so they can purchase huge Class A motherhood they use on ce a year, or install a pool which sees limited usage, all because of this need to have the â€Å"things† that project a certain image or lifestyle. These luxury items and the markets they drive were huge in our current society, until the bottom fell outOf the market and everything came crashing down. In 2005, Carol Lloyd Of the San Francisco Chronicle noted: â€Å"In the U. S. , a trend in 1 sass toward large houses began, with the average size of a home doubling over the next 50 years. This trend has been compared to the increase in SUB purchases, also often a symbol of conspicuous consumption. People have purchased huge houses even at the expense of the size of their yard, the inability to save funds for retirement, or a greatly increased commute time, up to a couple of hours.Such large homes can also facilitate other forms of consumption, in roving extra storage space for vehicles, clothes, and other objects† (Lloyd, 2005). In The Theory of the Leisure Class, Evolv e argued that social honor was originally based on ownership of private property. In earlier times, wealth was seen as evidence of the instinct of workmanship, but more recently wealth itself is worthy of praise. Originally, the leisure class sought to demonstrate its wealth by not working. But as industrial society evolved, conspicuous consumption became the best way to demonstrate one's wealth.The leisure class is expected to consume the best in food, drink, shelter, argotic, services, ornaments, apparel, amusements, and so on, and because the leisure class stands at the top of this ranking system, it is incumbent on all classes that rank below them to follow their example (Evolve, 1899, Chi. 4). When Vice is Removed So what happens when â€Å"vice† is removed from society? In Mandible's â€Å"hive†, the bees eventually get tired of living in greed and injustice, so they call on Jove to bring virtue to their society. But, Oh ye Gods! What Consternation, How vast and sudden was the Alteration! In half an Hour, the Nation round, Meat fell a Penny in the Pound† (Mandible, 1 705, lines 242-245). Even the lawyers were affected in this new society: â€Å"The Bar was silent from that Day; For now the willing Debtors pay On which, since nothing less can thrive, Than Lawyers in an honest Hive† (Mandible, 1705, lines 250-251 256-257). Justice returned, physicians tended the ill, the clergy ministered, but yet, the hive was still collapsing.Virtue has been restored, but the society begins to self-destruct. With the drive for self-interest gone, economic development dies and the bees become lazy and unmotivated. The bees are now selling off â€Å"Stately Horses by whole sets; And Country Houses to pay Debts† (Mandible, 1705, lines 325-326); they are moving to other trades where they feel they can make a living, only to find that those trades are â€Å"o'er-stocked accordingly† (Mandible, 1 705, lines 342). Their lands and houses aren't worth what they paid for them, work is scarce, all, it seems is lost.So, they resolve to go about everyday life, living as simply as they can to get by: â€Å"And, when they paid the Tavern Score, Resolved to enter it no more† (Mandible, 1705, lines 357-358). The Haughty Chloe has to sell her furniture from the Indies, she goes longer before buying new clothes, and the rare fruits she previously enjoyed are now a thing of the past (Mandible, 1705, lines 367-381). It seems that by seeking honesty and virtue, the society destroyed itself. The bees start to abandon the hive.The few that remain take shelter in â€Å"a hollow tree, Blest with content and Honesty' (Mandible, 1705, lines 407-408), In the last part of the doggerel, Mandible presents ‘The MORAL†: â€Å"Then leave Complaints: Fools only strive To make a Great an honest Hive. Tendon the World's Conveniences, Be Famed in War, yet live in Ease Without great Vices, is a vain Utopia seated in the Brain. Fraud, Luxury, and Pride must live; Whilst we the Benefits receive† (Mandible, 1705, lines 409-416).Mandible commented in the preface to Fable Of the Bees that he wrote The Grumbling Hive â€Å"to show the Vileness of the Ingredients that all together compose the wholesome Mixture of a well-ordered Society†. He further stated that: â€Å"For the main Design of the Fable †¦ Is to she [show] the Impossibility of enjoying all the most elegant Comforts of Life that are to be met with in an industrious, lathe and powerful Nation, and at the same time be bless's with all the Virtue and Innocence that can be wished for in a Golden Age† (Mandible, 1714, p. ). We can apply this notion that vice is the foundation of national prosperity and happiness to the economic mess in the United States today. There came a point in our current economy that people began to realize they were in debt too deep. Many times, applications for credit were â€Å"doctored† so that a consumer could take out more credit than they could really afford. The result was that consumers over-extended and bought multitudes of ‘things† hey did not need and could not pay for in pursuit of â€Å"status†.Once this realization set in, people began to back away from the excesses of the previous decade: they spent less and tried to save more, they started to sell off their expensive purchases, and they tried to cut back, settling for the day- to-day items necessary to sustain life. Some economists say this sudden frugality actually made things worse, because when people stopped spending, the economy shriveled up. The price of land and houses plummeted, new building stopped, workers in all kinds of industries lost their bobs, factories closed, and the unemployment rate skyrocketed.People started defaulting on loans at an alarming rate. The market was flooded with used motor homes and people were stuck with houses they couldn't afford, but couldn't sell. Forec losures were (and still are) at an all-time high. It seems the American dream has vanished. While Mandible believed the ‘Vice† that causes us to buy â€Å"things† in excess is part of the downfall of the hive: â€Å"Great wealth and foreign treasure,† Mandible wrote, â€Å"will ever scorn to come among men unless you'll admit their inseparable companions, avarice and usury: where trade is considerable, fraud will intrude.To be at once well- bred and sincere is no less than a contradiction; and therefore while man advances in knowledge, and his manners are polished, we must expect to see at the same time his desires enlarged, his appetites refined, and his vices increased† (Mandible, 1714, p. 201 it is interesting to note that the Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Denmark and Norway) have remained relatively stable. In these countries â€Å"where many people pay 50% of their income in taxes† to support their high-benefit welfare system, these â⠂¬Å"systems eve been acting as stabilizers to their economies.If you lose your job in Sweden, you can expect to receive of your wages for the first 200 days of inactivity, up to 680 kronor (EYE) per day, dropping to 70% for the following 100 days. If you lose your job in Norway, you will receive 62% of your previous salary for up to two years† (Pouches', 2009). Kristin Halverson, Narrator's finance minister, states: â€Å"In these days, we see that a strong welfare state, together with free education and healthcare, has acted as a buffer that stabilizes the economy† (Pouches', 2009).Perhaps this is why the Scandinavian entries were affected much less than the United States during the recent recession. I doubt it's because Scandinavia is much less prone to Mandible's concept of';CE†. It is much more likely that in a country like the United States where the welfare state has such strong disapproval, the competitive, â€Å"get ahead at all costs† and â€Å"ke ep up with the Joneses† mentality of the American consumer is at fault. It is the â€Å"do anything, say anything† mentality that people are willing to employ to get what they want when they want it, whether they can afford it or not.

New York Town And Washington - 1086 Words

TripAdvisor has proclaimed its list of prime museums within the U.S. for 2016, together with some you’ll in all probability wish to feature to your bucket list. New York town and Washington, D.C. account for half the highest ten, however the others area unit from coast to coast, Sunshine State to New Orleans, Chicago and California. â€Å"The winners area unit supported the standard and amount of reviews and opinions of museums from travelers on TripAdvisor,† representative Ellie Botelho told ME. Reviews were collected in 2015, thus some position openings last year like the Broad in la and also the new Whitney in the big apple weren t on the list. 1. Metropolitan depository of Art – New York town TripAdvisor’s prime depository within the world for 2 years currently, the Metropolitan depository of Art is America’s largest, as TripAdvisor says, â€Å"home to over 2 million works that span over 2 million sq. feet† together with â€Å"can’t-miss works from old master, Degas, van Gogh, Renoir, Manet, Monet, Picasso and a lot of.† Go currently and you ll see transmutation Object (PsychoBarn) by Cornelia Parker, that is what it sounds like: a mashup of a classic red barn with the Bates mansion from psychotic, the classic Hitchcock thriller; see it through day, naturally. 2. Art Institute of Chicago – Chicago, Ill. In the heart of the city, the Art Institute is home to such recognizable masterpieces as Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, Grant Wood’s yankee Gothic and Georges Seurat’sShow MoreRelatedDiedrich Knickerbocker Essay1585 Words   |  7 PagesDiedrich Knickerbocker Washington Irving created a pseudo historian for the purpose of bettering his own work and to entertain his readers. In 1809 Irving wrote A History of New York through a persona known as Diedrich Knickerbocker. This was Knickerbockers first appearance in Irvings work, but it sure wouldnt be his last. Although he was not real, Knickerbocker was a historian that seemed to be in love with the people and landscape of the northeast, particularly New York. 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