Free Essays on Two Directions For America

Americans face a critical decision about the direction of our country, not just in 2004 but for the long term. One is the conservative path for America: tax breaks for the wealthy that do little for the middle class while saddling us with massive debt; government by and for corporations that is indifferent to the struggles of everyday families; and a radical and destabilizing foreign policy that has overburdened our military and left our nation less secure. The other is a progressive path for America: Middle class tax breaks, affordable health care, and increasing economic opportunities to help the middle class. The progressive path for America is one that believes every American should have the opportunity to make the most of their lives given their talents and ambitions. Government has an important role in helping people reach their potential by promoting good paying jobs at home, supporting affordable health care for all, and providing quality education as the foundation of an increasing quality of life. Honest and fair government that puts the needs of citizens above all else. The progressive path honors our democratic values by focusing on what is right and necessary for all Americans, not just those with high paid lobbyists and political or financial clout. And a strong and measured foreign policy that fights our enemies everywhere and earns respect for American values and intentions. As former President Clinton stated earlier this week, "Strength and wisdom are not opposing values." America must relentlessly hunt down and eliminate fundamentalist extremists who aim to destroy our way of life. But in doing so, we must uphold our basic values, honor our international allies and prove to the world that the American way is a just and righteous way toward global security.... Free Essays on Two Directions For America Free Essays on Two Directions For America Americans face a critical decision about the direction of our country, not just in 2004 but for the long term. One is the conservative path for America: tax breaks for the wealthy that do little for the middle class while saddling us with massive debt; government by and for corporations that is indifferent to the struggles of everyday families; and a radical and destabilizing foreign policy that has overburdened our military and left our nation less secure. The other is a progressive path for America: Middle class tax breaks, affordable health care, and increasing economic opportunities to help the middle class. The progressive path for America is one that believes every American should have the opportunity to make the most of their lives given their talents and ambitions. Government has an important role in helping people reach their potential by promoting good paying jobs at home, supporting affordable health care for all, and providing quality education as the foundation of an increasing quality of life. Honest and fair government that puts the needs of citizens above all else. The progressive path honors our democratic values by focusing on what is right and necessary for all Americans, not just those with high paid lobbyists and political or financial clout. And a strong and measured foreign policy that fights our enemies everywhere and earns respect for American values and intentions. As former President Clinton stated earlier this week, "Strength and wisdom are not opposing values." America must relentlessly hunt down and eliminate fundamentalist extremists who aim to destroy our way of life. But in doing so, we must uphold our basic values, honor our international allies and prove to the world that the American way is a just and righteous way toward global security....

25 Love Sayings and Quotations

25 Love Sayings and Quotations Love makes us do things we never thought we were capable of. Some love sayings inspire us to believe in love. Others give us the courage to tide through the tough times. Here is a compilation of love sayings that encourage and instill the spirit of love in these cynical times. Are you in love? Do you pine for your sweetheart in private? You dont have to retract into a shell every time the love of your life talks to you. Love cannot endure indifference. It needs to be wanted. Like a lamp, it needs to be fed out of the oil of anothers heart, or its flame burns low. Henry Ward Beecher People think love is an emotion. Love is good sense. Ken Kesey If you cannot inspire a woman with love of you, fill her above the brim with love of herself; all that runs over will be yours. Charles Caleb Colton The whole world loves a lover is an interesting theory, but a very bad legal defense. Keith Sullivan Let those love now who never loved before; Let those who always loved, now love the more. Thomas Parnell One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love. Sophocles Love is not something you feel. Its something you do. David Wilkerson She is the heart that strikes a whole octave. After her all songs are possible. Rainer Maria Rilke Love is always bestowed as a gift- freely, willingly, and without expectation...We dont love to be loved; we love to love. Leo Buscaglia The only love worthy of a name is unconditional. John Powell I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. Martin Luther King, Jr. Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. Martin Luther King, Jr. If you would be loved, love and be lovable. Benjamin Franklin Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love. St. Francis of Assisi We look forward to the time when the power to love of will replace the love of power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace. William Gladstone May no gift be too small to give,nor too simple to receive,which is wrapped in thoughtfulnessand tied with love. L.O. Baird There is no instinct like that of the heart. Lord Byron All you need is love. John Lennon Love conquers all. Virgil Amor vincit omnia. (Love conquers all) Geoffrey Chaucer There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved. George Sand True love stories never have endings. Richard Bach Love grows more tremendously full, swift, poignant, as the years multiply. Zane Grey Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope. Maya Angelou There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness. Friedrich Nietzsche

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Finance - Essay Example These open ended funds are still hailing the demanding curse of present age. Using the mutual fund scheme was more beneficial for the investors and was less fruitful for the manager or the body managing and investing the funds. Therefore to make more money from limited funds a newer system was stemmed into the fabric of trade. That system was to engage poor into this business by investing money in the form of blocks. This trick helped the managing body to withdraw more money out of the flow in the form of commission. On the contrary it involved less investment share which was easy to contribute by an average investors. Hence it had the characteristics of close ended mutual fund accompanied by replication of index. This system was easy to manipulate and friendly to the traders. In a nut shell the trade of funds took place in exchange of securities. It was a simple game that could be played without time limit. It had small shares than mutual funds, was more idealized and encouraged by majority of traders and investors. This scheme of investing the funds was given the name of exchange trade funds. It is the combination of index fund and close ended fund. Exchange trade system is more efficient than mutual fund system because it is easy to trade on fewer expanses and trade does not have time limits, buying and selling can be performed in same day. â€Å"ETFs have very low expense ratios, are traded intraday and are purchased from the secondary market through a broker who receives a commission†. (Rogers 108) The idea of joint or combined investment is centuries old even when there was no concept of currency. This fashion of mutual investment was started by the merchants particularly in Europe. While peeping into the past, the merchants of 17th century practiced to take their goods to the far areas where they were able to earn a handsome interest on their investment. But the urge to gain more profit forced their minds to seek some new

Concidering Aristo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Concidering Aristo - Essay Example Aristotle also opined that a hero must have a tragic flaw as this is what shows that he is not only a true human but also a true tragic hero. Oedipus’ tragic flaw was seen when he experienced a change of fortune from good to bad (Meyer & Downs 1535-1537). Oedipus was a king that was destroyed after the people learnt that he killed his own father and married his own mother and this was Oedipus’ tragic flaw. These are the qualities that Oedipus possesses and makes him qualified to be called a good but flawed king. It is therefore not wrong to classify Oedipus as a true tragic hero going by Aristotle’s notion that a true tragic hero must be a good man that also has his own flaws (Meyer & Downs). Oedipus played his role as a king effectively and appropriately and proved that he was appropriate for his position. Oedipus’ pride and arrogance is something that is typical of kings as they try to show that they are in control and the fact that Oedipus had this attribute is a pointer that he was appropriate for his position in life. If there is any attribute that should be appreciated in Oedipus, it is his self-confidence (Meyer & Downs 1532-1535). Oedipus’ confidence was seen when he summoned courage to solve the puzzle of the Sphinx in spite of the Sphinx’s threat to kill anybody that failed the puzzle. The fact that Oedipus summoned enough courage to stand up to the challenge of the Sphinx showed that he was a man that played his role as the king perfectly as he led by example. Oedipus was a courageous man that had confidence in himself and this is what makes people believe that he was arrogant. It is expected that a king should be unyielding and rigid as t hese are the true hallmarks of a great leader and the fact that Oedipus possesses these great qualities is an indication that he was a great king that could take decisions on his own without regretting them. This shows that Oedipus was a true tragic hero as he

The Groundwork of Metaphysics of Morals Essay Example for Free

The Groundwork of Metaphysics of Morals Essay Immanuel Kant’s â€Å"Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals†, argues upon the basis of morality introducing the ideals of the categorical imperative as the central concept of moral philosophy. The definition of the categorical imperative leads Kant towards the critique of pure reason arguing that without a goodwill one can’t even be worthy of being happy. Kant introduces goodwill, treating people as means rather than ends and doing the right thing for the right reason. Making a distinction between science and knowledge and eliminating common sense on a route to the philosophical, Kant defines reason as reason a practical faculty to influence will and also being essential to will. Kant argument in the Groundwork focuses upon the basic idea of what makes a good person good. It is the possession of a will that is a way determined by, or makes decision based of moral law. This goodwill is supposed to be the idea of one who only makes decisions that she holds to be morally worthy, taking moral considerations in themselves to be conclusive reasons for guiding her behavior. This sort of disposition or character is something we all highly value. Kant believes we value it without limitation or qualification. Formulated by pure reason, the categorical imperative according to Kant underscores his argument. The value of a good will thus cannot be that it secures certain valuable ends, whether of our own or of others, since there value is entirely conditional on our having and maintaining a good will. Kant’s categorical imperative argues that ones actions should be done from duty in order to obtain true moral worth. It is not the result of ones actions but rather means of that duty that leads humanity to happiness. The goodwill â€Å"of this person would sparkle like a jewel all by itself, as something that had its full worth in itself† (Kant, 1). Humanity is very much determined by strive for excellence in order to obtain the ultimate good. Kant’s hypothetical imperative stresses how indications and determination for the result are the goal for people to act. Juxtaposing with the ideals of the categorical imperative the latter is motivated by the result rather than acting from duty. Acting in such a way that ones actions can become a universal law is what I consider the road to happiness. It is not primarily doing good to oneself in order obtain a desired result. Doing good to others and treating these as means rather than ends is what I define as true happiness. Goodwill will â€Å"needn’t be the sole and complete good, but it must be the condition of all others, even of the desire for happiness† (Kant, 1). So we have to develop the concept of goodwill that is determined and esteemed as good in it without regard to anything else, judging the total worth of the actions we commit and with the entirety depending on it searching for the unconditional good.

Book VII of the Nichomachean Ethics by Aristotle Essay -- Aristotle Ni

Book VII of the Nichomachean Ethics by Aristotle Introduction In book seven of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle sets out his theory of akrasia, or weakness of will. Aristotle attempts to explain both how such actions are possible (contra Socrates), and how we can dissolve the puzzles (aporiai) generated by our most important (kurios) commonly held beliefs, which arise in response to the actions of the incontinent person. This paper will review book VII of the Nichomachean Ethics (EN), and attempt to resolve some of the remaining questions left open by Aristotle’s critique. According to Aristotle, ethika is not an exact (akribes) science, for it only provides â€Å"usual† truths (hos epi to polu), or those that are true for most, but not all, cases. Ethics is a practical discipline, which depends on the prudent person to make competent decisions with respect to various particular cases; unsurprisingly, it would be difficult (if not impossible) to determine any invariant rules of application for every ethical situation. Accordingly, Aristotle consults the opinions of the common majority as an initial starting point from which to proceed in ethical study. The beliefs of the hoi polloi are revisable, however, and in the case of incontinence, we shall see that Aristotle cannot resolve all of the puzzles resulting from them. The format of this paper will proceed as follows. First, we will attempt a rough description of Aristotle’s conception of incontinence. Next, we will survey the most salient puzzles with which he is concerned. Subsequently, we will attempt to resolve any remaining questions concerning the plausibility of Aristotle’s theory. Section One Aristotle’s conception of inc... ...ned earlier, we remain convinced that the incontinent knows the entire time that what she does is the wrong thing to do. If we think she doesn’t know, or forgets momentarily, then why is she morally responsible for her wrong-doing? Likewise, Aristotle’s own explanation lacks enough specificity as to why and how the appetite makes one â€Å"unaware† of the good conclusion. Simply put, the ambiguity interpretation is the most plausible way to account for both our pre-theoretical intuitions and our everyday practical experiences. In this respect, it remains true to the spirit of the Nichomachean Ethics. Works Cited Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics, Translated by Terence Irwin. Second Edition. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1999. Davidson, Donald. â€Å"How is weakness of the will possible?† in Essays on Actions and Events. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1980.

Nation-States in Modern Times

The natives of Waitangi in New Zealand had to give up their sovereignty to the British throne at the time that the Crown arrived in the country.   Since then, the natives have tried to fight for their right to govern their areas of New Zealand again.   If do they get this permission from the New Zealand government, which they most probably will not get in modern times, the natives of New Zealand might make their own nation-state, that is, a place that is ruled by a certain entity and occupied by people belonging to the same culture and having the same values that are unique to that group (â€Å"Nation-State,† 2007). This is the nature of the nation-state: It is a government form that may not be able to thrive in the era of globalization marked by cultural homogeneity, and featuring immigration laws, skills exchange, outsourcing, foreign direct investment and the likes. In the olden days, Greece was a nation-state.   Athens was the city-state of Greece, protecting a common culture under its own laws.   Greece was the ruler of Athens at the same time.   It had the power to dissolve Athens.   Yet, Athens was an extremely popular cultural hotbed.   It was not wise to dissolve Athens (Polopolos).   Most importantly, Greece and Athens serve as excellent examples of governance for the politicians of the modern world.   As a matter of fact, people use Greece’s example in thinking about how to develop a civilization.   Alexander the Great continues to be remembered. It is definitely possible for nation-states to develop in our day by following the example of Greece.   Weaker groups such as the natives in New Zealand represent a minority nowadays, and may not be able to form their nation-state.   At the same time, America used to be referred to as a ‘melting pot,’ even though the ‘Americanization’ of the world as a synonym for ‘globalization’ could easily have turned America into a lover of its own culture.   America could have become like Greece if it had wanted to preserve its culture; however, the nation’s political mind is very much occupied with the business sense of things. America chooses not to become a nation-state because it benefits immensely from foreigners.   What about Europe?   Can Europe become a nation-state with European Union, the Euro and its likes?   Perhaps places like France and Italy, in particular, might consider becoming nation-states with the strongest regard for their culture.   In point of fact, parts of Europe have been especially concerned in recent times with the upkeep of their traditional agricultural styles.   As an example, certain European farm products like the French cheeses have become â€Å"entwined with the national cultural identity† (Kaplan & Calzonetti, 2005).   Would globalization allow Europe or parts to Europe to turn into nation-states or city-states? – Perhaps so.   Do we expect it to happen? – Probably not. Let us turn to the Middle East.   Could it happen among the Arab nations, with the strongest ties to their culture?   Could Israel become a nation-state, with Jerusalem as its city-state?   Yes, it is possible once they stop fighting over the Middle East.   Arabs hate Americanization, apparently.   But they cannot live without America and Europe buying their oil.   They want to preserve their Islamic culture against the unIslamic behavior shown on Western television nevertheless. They also do not want American clothing to be worn in their societies.   Hijabs and extremely long skirts are still the norm in Saudi Arabia, very difficult for most foreigners to adjust to.   Perhaps Arab nations and/or Israel will be the first to turn into nation-states, if they are not already.   At this time they are not cultural states clearly because they fight too much.   At a time of peace alone will art and culture be nurtured.   Perhaps Middle East should really stop fighting now and become a nation-state if it wants to. References Kaplan, Eben, & Calzonetti, Claire. (2005, December 9). The WTO’s Troubled ‘Doha Negotiations.’ Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 27 November 2006, from http://www.cfr.org/index.html. â€Å"Nation-State.† (2007). Wikipedia. Retrieved 7 May 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation-state. Polopolus, Leonidas C. â€Å"Athens, Greece: A City-State that Grew from Optimality in the Golden Era to Excessive Urbanization by the 21st century.† University of Florida. Retrieved 7 May 2007, from http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/kapparis/AOC/ATHENS.htm.