The Leaders Challenge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Leaders Challenge - Essay Example Career decisions are based on many factors, not just salary alone, some even have multiple careers. Church leadership models have changed over time as society continues to have increasing interest in religious issues and churches. The business model of a secular CEO has infiltrated many churches. Pastors of churches using a CEO model measure success by numbers, money, attendance and building projects, while other leaders consider that if the truth of Christ is ignored, the motive is wrong from the very start and adopt His model in areas of church, politics, and business. States Matthew 6:33, â€Å"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well†. The external links you have provided for our learning experience are very helpful. There are so many new sites to explore that I have never seen. I look forward to exploring all of the links. The three links I found helpful that I currently use are Biblegateway.com. This site is extremely helpful in studying the Word of God. As we know, faith comes by hearing the Word. I take notes while the Word is being spoken by the reader. This style of learning, for me, allows the Word to sink deep into my conscience. The second link I enjoy is Dr. David Jeremiah, Turning Point. I enjoy expository preaching. Dr. Jeremiah is an extremely effective vessel for the Holy Spirit in teaching and dissection of the Scripture. Listening to the effective expository teaching of the Scripture allows students to mature in their walk with Christ. Thanks and God bless.

Syncretizing Christianity with Confucianism Essay - 2

Syncretizing Christianity with Confucianism - Essay Example Confucius pointed out that heaven and the life after death were very complicated and were beyond human understanding, therefore, each and every individual should focus on doing the right thing while still alive. Brook (13) defines syncretism as the attempt of combining disparate and opposing beliefs together. Christianity is one of the oldest forms of religion with the highest number of believers in the world today. Madsen affirms that Christianity as a religion becomes the hardest to syncretize with Confucianism because Christianity is a religion which has its own doctrines that are all written down and followed by all Christians in the world today. Christians believe in the bible as the only source of the word of God. They believe that the divine God talks to them through the Bible (482). Combining the beliefs of Confucianism with those of Christianity will only serve to cause instability in the church since the base of the belief system will be shaken. Christians believe that there is life after death and therefore God will come back to the end of life on earth and bring justice to the people. Kato points out that according to Christianity good people will go to Heaven while those who were involved in evil deeds will be burnt eternally in hell (10). Syncretism imperils interfaith discourse by trying to detach Christianity from the doctrines and historical core. It will become very difficult in combining the two belief systems because it will be more complicated for Christians to drop their belief system where they strongly believe that God is omnipresent.The doctrines of Christianity does not tally with those of any other religion in the world today, therefore, combining the beliefs of both religions will only serve to bring wrangles and misunderstanding in the world today.

Tesla Motors Essay Example for Free

Tesla Motors Essay The Global Business Community The first macroenvironmental factor that Tesla Motors faces is the society and subcultures. In this day in age consumers worldwide have increased their knowledge and sensitivity about its environment. Numerous companies have catered to this need of becoming more environmentally responsible by offering products that are â€Å"green† or environmentally friendly. This new growth amongst people and organizations alike of becoming more environmentally conscious has created an opportunity for Tesla Motors with its brand of product. Tesla Motors produces and sells fully electric cars as well as electric vehicle powertrain components that give off no tailpipe emissions. Also Tesla motor vehicles cut CO2 emissions in half compared to gas burning automobiles that currently dominates the roads today. Environmental consciousness is what Tesla Motors is built on and its pursuit of diminishing dependence upon a diminishing resource for their consumers is what the company values most and depends on most for increasing revenue. The second macroenvironmetal factor that Tesla Motors runs into is the demographics. The demographics factor may pose as a major problem for Tesla’s success in the future as its product only appeals to those that are able to afford their vehicles. Although Tesla Motors offers a first-rate vehicle when it comes to performance, efficiency, and class the price for the fairly new automobile company is not economically friendly. Currently Tesla’s prices can range from the base vehicle Model S which currently costs roughly $58,000 up to its â€Å"signature edition† which is estimated at $105,000. With its above average cost of the high end fully electrical cars Tesla must integrate a more concentrated segmentation strategy in targeting the correct demographics to foster the company’s success. Tesla Motors should also take into consideration of tackling demographics in regions with higher gas prices compared to others. According to the American Automotive Association California, Hawaii, Alaska, Connecticut, and New York are among the states with the highest gas prices (Kurtzleben, 2011). In accomplishing this Tesla will be able to market to demographics that can offer a higher incentive in purchasing their fully electric vehicles. The third macroenvironmental factor Tesla faces is in regards to the economic factors. One economic factor that can possibly affect the Tesla would be the prices of petroleum dropping to a low cost for consumers and possibly staying at an affordable price. With an affordable price on gasoline, consumers would be less likely to look for alternatives to combat rising gas and oil prices that we see today, making the high-priced fully electric Tesla vehicle even more unattractive. The economic downturn can also be an ailing factor for Tesla Motors as well. The economic collapse has caused the buying capacity of consumers to dramatically decrease making individuals across the country a lot more conscious about the spending their hard earned dollar. The automobile industry as a whole has struggled overall with battling record losses in revenue and waiving workers. Being that it is a fairly new competitor within the industry Tesla will find it very difficult for selling and staying above its break-even point with its high-end luxury fully electric vehicle. The forth macroenvironmental factor Tesla faces is the natural and physical factors. The increased usage of oil and fossil fuel which is mainly being used for transportation and the decreasing of the resource globally play as an opportunity and advantage for Tesla Motors. â€Å"Petroleum currently fuels 95% of the United States transportation sector, a sector that demands nearly 28% of total usage† (Musk, 2012). With Tesla Motors’ fully electric vehicles offer consumers a substantially alternative towards saving money from not ever relying on purchasing gas at an ever increasing price due to its low supply and high demand of petroleum. Minimizing the dependence on petroleum not only reduces emissions, but also will help build a stronger energy economy (Musk, 2012). The fifth macroenvironmetal factor Tesla faces is in consideration of political and legal issues. Tesla has already been involved in several lawsuits. One that has been most notarized is the lawsuit filed against its competitor Fisker Automotive in early 2008 for stealing design ideas and confidential information such as business plans, technology, and trade secrets. Henrik Fisker was hired by Tesla to design its WhiteStar model vehicle in 2007. After gaining access to designs and confidential information which is Tesla’s competitive advantage he then used the information which enabled Fisker to develop his own high-end electric car which was called Karma. After consulting with an arbitrator Tesla lost its case 7 months after filing the suit due to the finding an interim award in Fisker Automotives favor. The sixth and final macroenvironmetal factor Tesla Motors faces is technology. Tesla holds a technological advantage over all of its competitors in comparison with to the overall performance of the vehicle. Tesla’s electric powertrain found in each vehicle allows higher driving efficiencies. With Tesla’s understanding of using energy efficiently the company has created vehicles with superior design by improving technologies of vehicle road-load which encompasses wind resistance, mechanical friction, and tire rolling resistance; energy conversion losses, as well as electric vehicle efficiency. Overall the driving efficiency is 88% compared to 20-25% for traditional gas-powered cars (Musk, 2012). Although hybrids also increase the total efficiency of internal combustion they are still less efficient than Tesla vehicles (Musk, 2012). Another technological advantage Tesla’s has is its affordability in fueling the vehicle with electricity rather than gas, making it a sound financial decision for consumers. â€Å"Tesla vehicles cost as little as $5 to charge; equivalent to $0. 02 per mile. Alternatively, a gasoline-powered car that is rated at 20 mpg cost $0. 15 per mile† (Musk, 2012). Tesla’s has a competitive advantage in regards toward its technology used within its product. However, the main concern is how long Tesla Motors will be able to hold its competitive advantage in regards toward its technology over time. The Market Heading into the microenvronmental analysis of the paper the first factor that Tesla Motor’s faces is the collaboration. Collaboration with other companies can be beneficial and viewed as a positive for both parties if performed properly. With Tesla Motors’ technological advancements for its electric cars the company has teamed up with major automobile company Toyota towards supplying the company with control systems, batteries, and motors Toyota’s new electric vehicle the RAV4 SUV (Bullis, 2012). Tesla has also recently agreed to provide similar electric car supplies for Mercedes-Benz in a similar deal (Bullis, 2012). The collaboration microenvironmental factor can be turned into an opportunity for Tesla Motors as leverage. If the company manages to not succeed as an independent automobile manufacturer, Tesla still can have the ability to produce the proper technologies needed in developing an electric car for larger manufacturers. Through collaboration Tesla can also develop itself in become an attractive company to be acquired by larger automobile companies such as Toyota and Mercedes-Benz respectfully. The second microenvironmental factor Tesla Motors faces is in regards to competition. With nearly every major automobile manufacturer gearing up plans to roll out with their very own electric car Tesla now has to compete with the likes of General Motors, Ford, and Nissan. However these companies will be indirectly competing with Tesla for market share within the niche. Companies that will be directly competing with Tesla are Mercedes and BMW in the market for high-performance luxury electric vehicles (Bullis, 2012). Competition has been expanded into a much broader scope for Tesla Motors since the company was founded back in 2003. Along with other smaller automobile manufacturers that Tesla must compete with, Tesla has to also compete with companies that provide other energy efficient alternatives such as hybrids, hydrogen powered, flex fuels, and compressed natural gas. The third microenvironmental factor Tesla Motor must account for is its suppliers. It is imperative for companies to have a positive relationship with suppliers in order for the procurement process to be run efficiently and effectively especially when there is more than one supplier needed to fulfill the completion of the overall product. Procurement is a series of steps that a company takes to obtain or acquire necessary materials (Magal Word, 2009). It is vital that Tesla stays in complete control of its product lifecycle process as the company deals with many suppliers from different countries all over the world. Besides the company’s powertrain which is built at Tesla’s at headquarters in California, car parts for design such as body panels are produced in France, as well as battery cells shipped from Japan (Musk, 2012). Tesla can use strategies such as locking in lower prices for different supplies to ensure savings overtime if prices were to be raised. The fourth and final microenvironmental factor that must be taken into consideration on behalf of Tesla Motors are the regulators. Tesla has to be aware and make proper adjustments to its business plans once government regulation occurs. In January of 2012, California, adopted the strongest new clean-air regulation in the United States. California will mandate that one out of seven cars sold in 2025 are plug-ins or full electrics (Woodyard, 2012).

The India-Pakistan Relationship

The India-Pakistan Relationship India Pakistan relationship has been marred with conflict ever since their independence and both the nations have been involved in three major wars till date in1947-48, 1965 and 1971. In 1998, both countries conducted nuclear tests to enter the nuclear powered nations club. This led a few number of experts to profess that the nuclear deterrence would lead to stabilization of conflict in the sub continent and result in establishment of peace. This kind of deterrence was witnessed by the world for the second time, the first being nuclear deterrence between the cold war foes of NATO and Warsaw Pact countries and to be more specific the US and USSR. Experts from the field of international relations who applied the theories developed in the cold war era Europe to the South Asian rivalry professed that the chances of conventional conflict using regular forces are a thing of the past in case of these two nations. This theory was further reinforced by the Kargil war and the standoff subsequ ent to the attack on Indian Parliament in 2001. In 1999 Pakistan occupied a large number of posts after crossing the LOC in the Kargil sector, threatening the crucial Srinagar Leh highway using regular troops in the guise of Mujahids. The Indian Army reacted to the situation by regrouping and launching Operation Vijay, and started to recapture the posts by forcibly removing Pakistani troops occupying the posts. This operation was also accompanied by a full scale mobilisation of its military forces by India; however despite the tough posturing by India the war remain limited to the Kargil sector. This was primarily because of tremendous pressure mounted by the international community, especially the US fearing that this conflict may escalate to a nuclear plain. In 2001 the same massive mobilisation was witnessed by both the countries when they had their forces deployed against each other ready for combat. This time in December 2001 following the attack on the Indian parliament by a group of militants trained in Pakistan. The situation reached a flash point when on 14 May 2002, when another terrorist attack on the Indian Army camp in Kaluchak threatened to start a war between the two nuclear neighbours. In this instance also, as seen in Operation Vijay, India despite posturing did not take any punitive offensive action against Pakistan despite having all its forces in a completely mobilized state. The above incidents did reflect a situation where in Pakistan had effectively used the nuclear deterrence to attain strategic parity with India negating a conventional disadvantage and thus supposedly giving it immunity to conduct sub conventional operations without the fear of any retribution. Thus India to face major challenges in conducting sub conventional spectrum in Kashmir, which Pakistan initiated after covertly attaining the nuclear technology in the late 1980s. Its conventional strength negated, and with no option to retaliate India find itself in a position where it will have to work its way around this nuclear parity, so as to be able to stifle the Pakistan supported terrorism. Therefore, we need to carefully study the nuclear capability and doctrine of Pakistan in conjunction with the theories of nuclear deterrence, to work out ways for India to exploit its massive conventional superiority by utilizing it to escalate the conflict spectrum, such that it remains under the level of Total War. METHODOLOGY STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM To analyze nuclear deterrence in India Pakistan relations. Explore the possibility of use of conventional forces by India to counter the sub conventional threat faced from Pakistan, while avoiding a nuclear war. HYPOTHESIS Having attained nuclear capability Pakistan has been acting with a presumption that Indias conventional superiority has been totally negated by the nuclear symmetry and has encouraged the Pakistani military elite to intensify the ongoing Proxy War in Jammu and Kashmir. This has had catastrophic consequences for India, which though enjoying substantial conventional superiority, is unable to use it to counter Pakistans sub conventional threat. It is therefore important to study the interaction between conventional and nuclear deterrence on the India Pakistan relations and generate credible conventional responses to the sub conventional conflict India finds itself embroiled in Jammu and Kashmir. JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY Indian armed forces along with paramilitary forces are deeply committed in counterinsurgency operations in Jammu Kashmir, which is fallout of the sub conventional operations by Pakistan in the state. This has been possible due to the fact, that Pakistan has been able to achieve strategic parity with India by attaining nuclear capability which affords it certain degree of immunity from direct retaliation through conventional means by Indian forces. Off late, the thought process in higher echelons of Indian leadership has been to ascertain What should be Indias response, should Pakistan continue with its sub conventional campaign? While a majority of international relation theorists who studied the nuclear deterrence during the cold war, suggest that the likelihood of a conventional conflict between two nuclear armed rivals are slim, as it leads to a situation of mutually assured destruction (MAD). However, it would be injudicious to apply these theories in their entirety in the Indo Pak context, as the conditions and realties that exist in South Asia are considerably different than that of the cold war. Thus there exists a window for vertical escalation of the ongoing sub conventional engagement which is below the nuclear threshold. This would however depend on Pakistans response to a conventional threat, as it the weaker party. Thus any suggested response for India should also carefully consider the Pakistani nuclear capability and doctrine as well, so as to work out practical options for use of conventional military and allow India to effectively counter its asymmetric threat. This study is thus aimed at ascertaining the possibility of a conventional war between India and Pakistan without it getting escalated to a total war. SCOPE The paper concentrates on analysing the effect of nuclear deterrence on India and Pakistan relations, applicability of various international relation theories on this relationship and possibility of use of conventional forces by India as counter to proxy war waged by Pakistan while staying below the nuclear threshold. METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION The methodology employed in this investigation to gather information and data was as follows: Scanning of literature on nuclear capability and doctrines of India and Pakistan. Study of various International Relation theories worked out to explain the superpower relations during the cold war. Scanning various articles and books by authors concerning the nuclear situation in South Asia. A bibliography of sources studied and referred has been appended at the end of the text. ORGANISATION OF THE DISSERTATION (CHAPTERISATION) The dissertation has been carried out in the following parts:- Chapter I Introduction. The background, introduction to the subject and methodology will be covered in this chapter. Chapter II Deterrence In Context Of India Pakistan Relations. This chapter will cover the theoretical aspects of deterrence and its applicability in the context of India Pakistan relationship. Chapter III Nuclear Peace Hypothesis : Manifestation in India Pakistan Relations. This chapter will study the hypothesis of nuclear peace as propounded by academic experts of international relations and analyse the India Pakistan relations in its light. Chapter IV Pakistans Nuclear Weapons Capability And Command Control Setup. This chapter deals with the nuclear weapons capability that Pakistan possesses, to include its weapon system and delivery platforms, as well as the nuclear command and control setup. Chapter V Nuclear Weapon Use by Pakistan : Probability and Scenarios. This chapter will concentrate on the probability of nuclear weapon use by Pakistan and the various scenarios in which they are likely to be used. Chapter VI Options Available To India For Use Of Conventional Forces. This chapter will study the options available with India to use conventional force to deter Pakistan from undertaking sub conventional operations in Kashmir. Chapter VII Conclusion. The conclusion of the paper and appropriate recommendations will be made in this chapter. CHAPTER II DETERRENCE IN CONTEXT OF INDIA PAKISTAN RELATIONS We will not prematurely or unnecessarily risk the costs of worldwide nuclear war in which even the fruits of victory would be ashes in our mouth. John F. Kennedy The word deterrence comes from the latin verb deterree, which means to frighten. It is an attempt to influence how and what an enemy thinks and does  [1]  . Thus deterrence is a state of mind that prevents a deterree from acting in a way a deterror considers harmful. In a simplistic form, deterrence is a crucial factor in the mind of someone trying to decide the benefits of executing a crime versus the likelihood and consequences of getting caught  [2]  . The success or failure of deterrence also depends upon how the message is conveyed by the deterror to the deterree. In order to elucidate this aspect, the situation before the two Gulf Wars needs to be considered and understood which highlights the importance of how the deterrence message is framed and understood, as well as how disastrous it can be to fail to understand the thinking of the other side. Before Saddam Hussain invaded Kuwait in August 1990, the US diplomatic and political positioning was such that it failed to give a clear message that it would react strongly to any Iraqi invasion. Hence failure to clearly convey deterrence between the sides, ultimately lead to the war. The example brings into play the lesser known twin of deterrence which is compellance  [3]  . Deterrence can also be defined as the prevention of action for fear of the consequences, brought about by the existence of a credible threat of unacceptable counteraction. Thus, it is designed to prevent something. Compellance on the other hand involves threat of consequences designed to cause the other party to reverse or to stop carrying out some unwanted action or activity, which has already occurred, the result is war. Similar analysis could be applied to the Cuban Missile Crisis, where initial misunderstandings lead to the failure of both deterrence and compellance. One could also use the word coercion to cover both deterrence and compellance. Another associated question  [4]  with the concept of deterrence which arises is How much is enough? Since deterrence is essentially a psychological phenomenon, it is not surprising that how much punishment is sufficient to deter another state, which has always been a controversial and an elastic standard. Types of Military Deterrence Military deterrence are of two kinds defensive (conventional) and by punitive (nuclear)  [5]  . Effective deterrence is a matter of convincing an opponent that certain harm to him will accompany the act one wishes to deter. Thus it amounts to the imposition of a calculus of risk and value on an opponent, such that the value of the act sought to be deterred does not exceed the risk, which is an assessment of the likelihood and the extent of harm. For deterrence to succeed, the enemy has to be persuaded that the deterror has the capacity to act, in a manner that it inflicts greater cost than the advantages to be won by attaining the objective, and that it would actually undertake the act if it is required to. However if the deterror takes the threat of retaliation into account, he can no longer deter all objectionable acts. Thus making it obligatory on the deterror to distinguish between those objectives of indispensable value such as national survival, and objects of relatively l ess importance/value. While in the overall gambit of geopolitics there are large number of instruments of state power which work to deter an adversary, to include but not limited to, political, economic, diplomatic, military power. However in purely military terms deterrence is of two types:- Conventional Deterrence. This is the deterrence accrued by a nation owing to it possessing a higher military strength, which would mean quality and quantity of hardware as well as trained military force. This spectrum of military power will include land, air and naval forces. This type of deterrence can be easily achieved by the nation which has a larger resource base both in terms of population as well as economic capital. Therefore, in a bilateral conflict the country which is larger in size tends to be the nation which generally has more deterrent potential (militarily), as it is assumed that it can not only maintain a larger force but would also be able to sustain the conflict much longer. Nuclear Deterrence. This is the deterrence accrued by a nation when it possesses a nuclear weapon, and is studied separately because nuclear weapon exchange is likely to have such substantial effect to both the parties that it would force any nation irrespective of its size to ponder on the effects of such an engagement, hence forcing the dilemma of cost-benefit ratio in the minds of leaders of both the sides. Thus a weaker/smaller nation which faces a superior nation always opts for a nuclear deterrence, as was evident after the end of the Second World War, wherein the United States laid emphasis on developing its nuclear arsenal to counter the numerical superiority of the erstwhile USSR. Nuclear deterrence theory consists of six key elements  [6]  , which have to be satisfied to be of any effect, these are:- The assumption of a very severe conflict. The assumption of rationality. The concept of retaliatory threat. The concept of unacceptable damage. The notion of credibility. The notion of deterrence stability. Conventional Deterrence in Relation of India Pakistan India as a nation possesses all ingredients to effectively deter Pakistan in as far as conventional deterrence is concerned. However, this was not always the case, as after independence being of roughly comparable size both in economic and military strengths, India had limited deterrent capability. Although India did enjoy numerical superiority in its armed forces it was hardly sufficient to act as a deterrent for its new neighbour, coupled with the fact that Pakistani military leadership wrongly hypothesised that there soldier were better than their Indian counterparts and any advantage accrued due to numerical superiority was more than compensated. Their belief of superiority was further fortified when as part of its alliance with the US they received technologically advanced weaponry hence achieving qualitative edge over India. This myth carried by the Pakistani elite for a considerable period of time, manifested in the various wars which the two nations have since fought. However this misconception of its superior relative strength came crashing on the Pakistani leadership in 1971 when facing the full potential of the Indian military, it was not only defeated convincingly but also lead to it being bifurcated. Post 1971 there was no conventional conflict as India successfully deterred Pakistan, which till then was always the aggressor. This deterrence that India possessed was for the following reason:- Conventional superiority of the Indian military infrastructure both as quantitatively well as qualitatively. Economic superiority, considering the size of Indian economy vis-à  -vis that of Pakistan. Diplomatic strength wherein India had a larger clout in the comity of nations including Islamic states, being considered a peace loving nation which is actively involved in various international forums. Effectiveness of Conventional Deterrence Against Pakistan India Pakistan relationship is going through a period during which no conventional conflict has occurred between them for a long time. However, this period does not signify that of peace as India has been facing a heightened level of sub conventional threat in Kashmir from Pakistan. So the question which arises is that has India been able to achieve effective deterrence against Pakistan or not? The extent and severity of the sub conventional threat that India faced in Kashmir is clearly brought out by the figure 1. FIGURE 1 : FATALITY LEVELS IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR  [7]   The details given above make it clearly evident that though India may have deterred a conventional conflict but the same may not hold true for the sub conventional spectrum. This can be attributed to the attainment of nuclear weapons capability by Pakistan as the threat of conventional conflict reduced Pakistan adopted an aggressive policy of sub conventional operations against India  [8]  . Thus providing a political lever to the Pakistani ruling class to be exploited in international as well as national arena, while reducing the efficacy of Indian Army by embroiling it in asymmetric warfare leading to a classical case of Stability Instability Paradox, which is defined as under:- To the extent that the military balance is stable at the level of all out nuclear war, it will become less stable at lower levels of violence  [9]  . Another expert elaborates; nuclear weapons can generate risk taking because they presumably provide an insurance policy against escalation  [10]  . 23. Hence it is pertinent to note that while India enjoys substantial conventional deterrence the same seems to be ineffective when faced with a nuclear adversary which is undertaking a sub conventional operation against it. Therefore, a thorough analysis would be necessary to ascertain whether India can utilize its conventional superiority and come out of the stability-instability logjam, thus leading to the end of strife in Kashmir. The only example which can be studied to derive suitable future courses of action would be the nuclear deterrence between the NATO and the Warsaw pact countries during the cold war. This nuclear relationship was studied extensively and a number of international relation theories formalized to explain the interaction between the two parties. The most prominent of these hypotheses, forwarded by international relations experts, in as far as conflict involving nuclear states are concerned is the Nuclear Peace Hypothesis which may shed some light on the stat us of the current relations between India and Pakistan. However the theories evolved in a different set of situations may not be fully applicable to India Pakistan relations and thus require suitable modifications to be relevant. And is it possible, at least theoretically, for India to escalate the conflict to conventional level. CHAPTER III NUCLEAR PEACE HYPOTHESIS : MANIFESTATION IN INDIA PAKISTAN RELATIONS No explanation for the current strategic situation is satisfactory without a definition of the nuclear situation; no definition of the nuclear situation is possible without knowledge of the laws that rule deterrence. Andre Beaufre Do nuclear weapons reduce the probability of war? From the starting days of the nuclear weapon development, proponents of nuclear deterrence argued that these weapons have the capacity to reduce the probability of conventional war resulting in what may be called as the Nuclear Peace. Studying the dynamics of the Cold War, some scholars have argued that this is indeed what happened. Despite large number of crises and several proxy wars, the US and USSR avoided a direct military confrontation as both feared an escalation to a nuclear plain. They suggest that unlike conventional deterrence, nuclear deterrence is extremely robust because even irrational or unintelligent leaders are likely to recognize the exceedingly high cost of nuclear war. Therefore, proponents of nuclear deterrence claim with a high degree of confidence that the probability of major war among states having nuclear weapons approaches zero. Although Cold War was fierce but it never did escalate to World War III. Indeed, some experts argue that Cold War can be thought of as the Long Peace. And despite the collapse of Eastern Block and the end of Cold War the relative period of peace continues. However, other forms of warfare (sub conventional, asymmetric warfare, etc.) have been seen in various parts of the world but no major war has broken out. So what is responsible for the absence of major wars between great powers after WWII? The three main schools of international relations (IR) theorists have each offered answers to this question  [11]  . Neo-Liberalism. As per Neo-liberals democracy, trade and international organizations are the key causes of peace. Constructivism. While constructivists view democracy, trade, and international organizations as important factors, argue that the main facilitator of the Long Peace are the evolving norms and the social construction of identity. Neo-realism. They attribute peace during the Cold War to bipolarity and nuclear deterrence. Robert Rauchhaus has quantitatively evaluated the nuclear peace hypothesis and his findings indicate that the impact of nuclear weapons is more complicated than is conventionally appreciated  [12]  . He further theorizes that when nuclear asymmetry exists between two states, a greater chance of military disputes and war exists. In contrast, when there is symmetry and both states possess nuclear weapons, then the odds of war drop drastically. When combined, these findings provide support for the existence of the stability instability paradox. Evidence suggests that while nuclear weapons promote strategic stability, they simultaneously allow for more risk-taking in lower intensity disputes. He thus gives out the following hypotheses:- Hypothesis 1. The probability of major war between two states will decrease if both states possess nuclear weapons  [13]  . Hypothesis 2. The probability of crisis initiation and limited uses of force between two states will increase when both states possess nuclear weapons  [14]  . Hypothesis 3. The probability of major war between two states will decrease or remain constant if one state possesses nuclear weapons  [15]  . Hypothesis 4. The probability of lower level conflicts will decrease or remain the same if one state possesses nuclear weapons  [16]  . Applicability of Nuclear Peace Hypothesis in India Pakistan Relations Having studied the various nuclear peace hypotheses, it will be clear that the first two would be applicable in the context of India Pakistan relations, as both countries are nuclear states. These hypotheses do hold considerably well, when we see them in relation to India Pakistan conflict, the same has been discussed in subsequent sub paragraphs:- Hypothesis 1. The probability of major war between two states will decrease if both states possess nuclear weapons  [17]  . Relations between India and Pakistan have repeatedly reached flashpoints wherein they were dangerously close to an all out war ( Kargil 1999, Op Parakaram 2001) but they somehow manged to avoid escalating the conflict into an open war, hence maintaining strategic peace. This hypothesis may also apply to the pre 1998 era where in both the nations had acquired nuclear capability but had still not come out in open. India although having conducted its first nuclear test in 1974 is said to have acquired operational capability only in early 1980s, while Pakistan is said to have attained the capability somewhere between 1986 and 1990. Hypothesis 2. The probability of crisis initiation and limited uses of force between two states will increase when both states possess nuclear weapons  [18]  . If we study the trend of sub conventional operations by Pakistan in Kashmir it would be clearly evident that the same was initiated by Pakistan on covertly acquiring the nuclear capability during the period mentioned  [19]  and then again given a fresh impetus after the 1998 nuclear tests. Thus it may be theorised, that Pakistan has used nuclear deterrence to negate Indias conventional superiority, while engaging in a sub conventional conflict. This hypothesis is also called the Stability Instabilty Paradox which was first discussed in detail by Mr Snyder in an essay in 1965. The situation is such that terrorism has become the foremost issue, which divides India and Pakistan  [20]  . And while a cursory study of the above hypotheses may lead one to conclude that the probability of fighting a conventional war is bleak, it must be understood that though the hypothesis says that a major war is unlikely between India Pakistan, a major war is defined as when one of the nation wants to completely subject the other to its will  [21]  . This is in contrast the thinking of the present military leadership, which misunderstands it with any conflict in which conventional forces are used. Thus as per the hypothesis a repeat of 1971 war may be unfeasible, but a repeat of 1965 may be a possibility, till the time the aims of the conflict are limited and both the parties are clearly aware of the same. This does have a historical example, the Sino-Soviet dispute of 1968, where both the sides had nuclear capability but since the aims of the war were limited neither parties used a nuclear weapon even when faced with an adverse outcome. Therefore there is a case for India to utilise its conventional forces, to counter the Pakistan initiated proxy war, by initiating a punitive limited objective war with Pakistan, with the sole aim of deterring it from continuance of the sub conventional war in Kashmir. Applicability of Cold War International Theories in South Asia While there may have been the Long Peace during the cold war because of nuclear deterrence, but is it applicable to the Indo Pak relation? The answer to this question is more likely to be negative for the following reasons  [22]  :- While Pakistans security concern is India centric, those of India extend beyond South Asia. Thus the relation is not a standalone interaction but is subject to pressures from external factors, which are unpredictable. This is contrary to the relation dynamics of the cold war. India Pakistan also do not enjoy the same degree of independence of action, as was available to the US and USSR. This is due to the fact that, unlike the cold war rivals who were at the top of the power hierarchy, India and Pakistan will be subject to interference/influence in their policy and decision making processes. Geographical proximity of the two countries is also a facet which did not exist in the cold war and thus both countries will be affected by wind movements and fallout in case of a nuclear attack on the other. However, the foremost reason for non applicability of the theories in South Asia is because unlike the cold war where both the sides were led by satisfied powers i.e. the powers had accepted the status quo in Europe which was concretized by the Helsinki process, Pakistan is a revisionist state. Wherein Pakistan wants to change the status quo in South Asia w.r.t. Kashmir  [23]  . However to postulate feasibility for use of conventional forces for punitive action against Pakistan, it would be prudent to study Pakistans nuclear capabilities and command control setup besides the international relation theories. are feasible not only as per international relations theories but also practical in view of the nuclear weapons capability that Pakistan possesses and the nuclear command control structure it has in place to use a nuclear weapon against India. This is because to have an extremely low nuclear threshold, as Pakistan professes to have, it requires certain capabilities and infrastructure to be in place which is still deficient. Hence it is necessary to study the nuclear capability and command control setup of Pakistan. CHAPTER IV PAKISTANS NUCLEAR WEAPONS CAPABILITY AND COMMAND CONTROL SETUP Deterrence is greatest when military strength is coupled with the willingness to employ it. It is achieved when one sides readiness to run risks in relation to the other is high; it is least effective when the willingness to run risks is low, however powerful the military capability. Henry Kissinger The foundation for the India Pakistan conflict is complex, Pakistans fears about India are not only because of the imbalance of power and Indian ambition for regional power status, but also because of the pre Partition conflict and divergent ideas of nationalism  [24]  . Since independence the relations between the two countries have never been normal or even

Fear and Loathing in the Creative Process :: essays papers

Fear and Loathing in the Creative Process A student at Illinois Wesleyan University recently confessed to holding a morbid fear of parked cars. He said, â€Å"I’m terribly afraid one of them will roll right over me† (Hamel). The actual odds of a parked car suddenly rolling over him are extremely slim; however, that does not alleviate his fears. It takes this poor boy a great amount of personal will power just to walk across a street where there are parked cars. As senseless as a fear of parked cars may be, people constantly allow their lives to be manipulated through fears. Political figures fret for days, sometimes weeks, over the wording of a tiny passage from their acceptance speech; poets spend decades of their lives search for that one word to give an infinite amount of meaning to a poem no one will ever read; and authors hold back some of their most inventive creations due to fear of public response. The key is that people must be willing to set aside public opinion and write of the things in their hearts. Into the Waste Land In 1922, T. S. Eliot published a poem that sent critics into a fury. Attacking everything from structure to meaning, the public response was a far cry from good. However, this poem went on to become regarded as the most influential English poem of the twentieth century. The poem was entitled â€Å"The Waste Land†. Eliot was not without reservation in writing his poem, however. When first written, he was so displeased with the result that he scrapped the bulk of the poem. It wasn’t until several years later, not to mention several drafts later, that he was content enough to publish (Eliot, 35). How would modern poetry be different had Eliot not released â€Å"The Waste Land†? What would poets today be writing if Eliot had let his fears of public rejection persuade him not publish? It is not as if Eliot couldn’t have known how his poem would be received. A variation upon a theme is accepted; total rewriting of the theme is not. Eliot did what few writers are ever able to, namely, publishing a piece that was radically different from anything the world had ever seen. Despite initial criticism, people soon saw the work as more than a failure; they began to see it as the beginning of a new poetic era. Fear and Loathing in the Creative Process :: essays papers Fear and Loathing in the Creative Process A student at Illinois Wesleyan University recently confessed to holding a morbid fear of parked cars. He said, â€Å"I’m terribly afraid one of them will roll right over me† (Hamel). The actual odds of a parked car suddenly rolling over him are extremely slim; however, that does not alleviate his fears. It takes this poor boy a great amount of personal will power just to walk across a street where there are parked cars. As senseless as a fear of parked cars may be, people constantly allow their lives to be manipulated through fears. Political figures fret for days, sometimes weeks, over the wording of a tiny passage from their acceptance speech; poets spend decades of their lives search for that one word to give an infinite amount of meaning to a poem no one will ever read; and authors hold back some of their most inventive creations due to fear of public response. The key is that people must be willing to set aside public opinion and write of the things in their hearts. Into the Waste Land In 1922, T. S. Eliot published a poem that sent critics into a fury. Attacking everything from structure to meaning, the public response was a far cry from good. However, this poem went on to become regarded as the most influential English poem of the twentieth century. The poem was entitled â€Å"The Waste Land†. Eliot was not without reservation in writing his poem, however. When first written, he was so displeased with the result that he scrapped the bulk of the poem. It wasn’t until several years later, not to mention several drafts later, that he was content enough to publish (Eliot, 35). How would modern poetry be different had Eliot not released â€Å"The Waste Land†? What would poets today be writing if Eliot had let his fears of public rejection persuade him not publish? It is not as if Eliot couldn’t have known how his poem would be received. A variation upon a theme is accepted; total rewriting of the theme is not. Eliot did what few writers are ever able to, namely, publishing a piece that was radically different from anything the world had ever seen. Despite initial criticism, people soon saw the work as more than a failure; they began to see it as the beginning of a new poetic era.

Journey to the Harlem Renaissance Essay -- Harlem Renaissance African

Journey to the Harlem Renaissance As America moves into a more cultural and diversified era, more people are taking the time to learn about the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was the foremost form of freedom for African Americans. It showed blacks that they were becoming equals in American society. The talents of African Americans soared in art, music, literature and especially poetry. The main writers embodying the Harlem Renaissance were Claude McKay, Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. Claude was born in Jamaica, in 1898. He got his education from his older brother, who â€Å"possessed a library of English novels, poetry and scientific texts.† (Callahan, 784) Claude was a little older when he created his first piece of literary work. He published a book called Songs of Jamaica. It was a â€Å"record of his impressions of black life in Jamaica.† (Callahan,783) In 1912, he finally got to America, where he wrote Harlem Shadows; â€Å"his most important book of poetry.† (Callahan 784) While there, he attended the Tuskegee Institute. In 1914 he moved to Harlem, â€Å"the center of black culture in the U.S.† (Anderson, 704) He later published two sonnets, â€Å"The Harlem Dancer† and â€Å"Invocation†, in 1917. He â€Å"would later use the same poetic form to record his reactionary views on the injustices of black life in America.† (Callahan, 785) In addition to social and political concerns, McKay wrote on a vari ety of subjects, â€Å"from his Jamaican homeland to romantic love, with a use of passionate language.† (Callahan, 785) During the twenties he developed an interest in Communism, so he visited Russia to meet the architects of Russian Communism, Lenin and Trotsky. He also lived in France. When he came back to the U.S., he moved back ... ...hree for the new millennium? Bibliography: Works Cited Anderson, Robert, et al. â€Å"Langston Hughes: 1902-1967.† Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Austin: Holt, 1989. 706 Callahan, John F. â€Å"A Long Way From Home†: The Art and Protest of Claude McKay and James Baldwin.† Contemporary Literature 34.4 (1993): 783-785. Countee Cullen. 7 Feb. 2002 http://members.aol.com/hynews/cullen.htm. Hampson, Thomas. I Hear America Singing. 7 Feb. 2002 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ihas/poets/hughes.html. Jackson, Steven. Father of Jazz. 14 Feb. 2002 http://www.redhotjazz.com/hughes.html. Johnson, James Weldon, ed. The Book of American Negro Poetry. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1992; BoondocksNet edition, 2001. Reuben, Paul P. â€Å"Chapter 9: Harlem Renaissance-Langston Hughes† http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap9/hughes.html

Home Reading Report Essay

1. Could this story be true? yes  Why? State your reason in two or three sentences. This story could be true because in our lives now we have to fight for our love ones and that we have to protect them. Even though if we have to give up something we have to do in order for us to prove to the people that we can live together with our family and that our family is more important. 2. List three major characters and delineate each. a)Elizabeth Bennet – The econd of the Bennet daughters at twenty years old, she is intelligent, lively, attractive, and witty. b)Mr. Darcy – Twenty-eight years old and unmarried, Darcy is the wealthy owner of the famous family estate of Pemberley in Derbyshire. Handsome, tall, and intelligent. c)Jane Bennet – Twenty-two years old when the novel begins, she is considered the most beautiful young lady in the neighbourhood. She is sweeter, shyer, sensible but not as clever as Elizabeth. 3. Name the character that you like best. Give your reason in not less that 60 words. I like Elizabeth Bennet because I can see myself in her. I am so protective when it comes to my family I always defend them from rumors about us. I always want my family to be happy and no problems at all I want them to live happily. Just like Elizabeth Bennet she cares so much for her family especially whe it somes to the love affairs of her sibling and especially Jane Bennet towards Charles Bingley. She was willing to do anything in order for her sister and her family to be happy and she was willing to sacrifice her love for Mr. Darcy so that they will live all happily. 4. Pick out beautiful lines from the book and be able to explain them. â€Å"Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.† I choose this beautiful line from the book because this line also describes myself. Everytime something bad happens or im scared I just close my eyes and try to remember the happy moments I had with my family and with my friends. I just look back to those happy moments so that I can still move on and try to be after. Everytime I try to remember all the Happy moments I had encounter I just start laughing by myself and it really gives me pleasure when I remember those because those happy moments I had will be part of my treasured moments and I will always treasure them no matter what. I always want to be happy so that i won’t grow old so fast and just keep living and make more adventures with you friends and family so that when you grow old you still have so much memories to share with your family. And everytime you remember those you ould laugh and laughter is the best medicine. 5. Give the synopsis of the story. Pride and Prejudice is the story of Mrs. and Mr. Bennet and their five daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine and Lydia, especially Elizabeth. The story focuses on various romantic adventures these young girls encounter at their residence. Their parents are strikingly contrasting to each other. Mr. Bennet comes across as a wise and witty gentleman, while the issue of marrying off her daughters has absorbed Mrs. Bennet completely. The arrival of the young and wealthy bachelor Charles Bingley and his friend Fitzwilliam Darcy in the neighborhood adds a new twist to Austen’s tale. While Jane Bennet, the oldest and most beautiful of the Bennet sisters, attracts Mr. Bingley’s eye and sparks fly, Darcy upsets another sister, Elizabeth, with his proud behavior and arrogance. She is now looking for every opportunity to demean Darcy and see him down. However, as fate would have it, Darcy finds himself drawn to Elizabeth’s liveliness and independent spirit, when she comes to visit Jane at Netherlands, Bingley’s residence. This doesn’t set well will Bingley’s sister, Caroline, and her jealousy becomes quite apparent. In the mean time, Elizabeth meets a young and charming military officer, George Wickham.Wickham who tells Elizabeth about his past mistreatments at the hands of Darcy. This grows Elizabeth’s disdain for Darcy. As the story progresses, even Elizabeth finds herself attracted to Darcy. Darcy proposes to her, much to her surprise. He tells Elizabeth that he had been fighting and trying to overcome his feelings for her, due to her family’s inferiority. Feeling insulted, she rejects the proposal saying that she dislikes Darcy as he mistreated Mr. Wickham and is also responsible for separating Jane and Bingley. The next da,y she receives a letter from Darcy, narrating an alternate version of events.Things once again go sour between the duo, due to certain misunderstandings. Some time later, they meet again and Elizabeth comes to know that Darcy is a kind and generous man and that he has played a major role in bringing Jane and Bingley together. Darcy musters the courage to propose her once again and this time, Elizabeth accepts the proposal. Jane and Bingley also clear their misconceptions and come together as the climax unfolds. ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is the story of the various fondness, mannerisms and engagement pranks that develop due to Mrs. Bennet’s insistent matchmaking and the dashing Darcy’s passionate relationship with Elizabeth Bennet. 6. What morals did you learn from the story? Describe a significant human experince to illustrate the moral (s) learned. From the story Pride and Prejudice I learned that no matter what problems we encounter our family will always be there to support one another and that our family always comes first and that I also have to protect thema dndefend them no matter what will happen because our family has always been there ever since we our little kids and that they know whatis right or wrong for us. They know us better than our friends does. If my sister encounters a problem i will always be here to defend her and always stay at her side and that no matter what she will always be my sister, same goes with my family. I love my family so much.