Why Religious People May Have Problems with Transplant Surgery :: Papers

Most Christians concur with transplant medical procedure anyway some are restricted to transplant medical procedure. They can't help contradicting utilizing organs from dead individuals however acknowledge utilizing organs as gave by living family members. Jews have a comparative view to Christians on this issue. Muslims anyway are completely restricted to it a few Muslims do permit transplant medical procedure utilizing organs from a living benefactor as long as the giver is a nearby family member. A bigger number of Hindus are for transplant medical procedure than against and principally will convey benefactor cards. Christians that are against transplant medical procedure accept that transplants can disregard the sacredness of life, God made us in his picture so transplanting organs implies you meddling with what God planned and in this way â€Å"playing God†. Organs can't be paid for since this is misusing poor people which is carefully prohibited in the Book of scriptures. Most of Muslims are against transplant medical procedure on the grounds that the Muslim confidence in the holiness of life implies that all life has a place with God and that God is the main on who has the option to take life. In the Qu’ran the Muslim holly book, it says that God has made the whole body so to take parts or organs from one body and transplant it into another is to go about as God. To go about as God is the best sin in Islam so you can perceive how most of transplant medical procedure is carefully taboo. Just as this the Shari’ah another Muslim holly book instructs that after death nothing ought to be expelled from the body. They are additionally completely restricted to post-mortems. Muslims have unmistakable demise ceremonies this is the reason this is critical and accordingly organs ought not be expelled from Muslims that have died. Due to Muslims being so restricted to transplant medical procedure they would likewise concur with any none strict contentions against transplants. The couple of Jews, which are against transplant medical procedure, have comparative motivations to Muslim convictions. They likewise accept that we’ve God has made the whole body so to transplant organs is playing God.

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Reasoning - Essay Example America’s Visions Different landmasses on the planet have divergent fantasies about human character. For example, in America, the primary story is on Emergence, which expresses that all individual originated from an alternate world and settled in the one they are right now living. The other world, which is the belly, is considered as the earth mother. This rise is frequently alluded to as conceiving an offspring. The maternity specialist for this situation is a female who resembles an insect lady. In this rise story, the male individuals are not included anyplace. For this situation, the arrangement of people is regularly done in different phases of development and change. This is required by internal powers in the belly, lastly the individuals rise up out of an opening and in the long run settle in their current homes. The ex nihilo story is found in numerous societies, America notwithstanding, which implies â€Å"out of nothing†. Human character is realized by the ide a of a maker who through his fantasies and breath had the option to shape an individual. Through the creator’s substantial emissions, they accepted that a being would be framed therefore. This is exclusively from inside the maker who doesn't exist in the physical world. Another story is the world parent, which portrays the association of two guardians when they are both detached from each other. These two guardians are alluded to as the Sky and the Earth, which portrays the male, and female individually. ... East Asia In East Asia, and especially Japan, their vision of human character was like the American and Central Asian societies. From the outset, there was disarray, and out of it came light that shaped the sky. It later framed the earth. Both the sky and the earth shaped different manifestations and it is right now that the foundations of two individuals Yang and Yin who were male and female separately started to develop in the sky and the earth. As of now them two were joined and they began isolating to make a man and another light brought someone else who resembled him and he instructed him to make garments to cover himself since he was stripped. Another form is of how a winged animal was sent under the water to make a land inside the water where individuals can live. The fledgling at that point went sprinkling water separated with its feet simultaneously making the earth when individuals will live. They accept that their predecessor was a bear due to their shaggy bodies. They add itionally accept that two individuals a male and a female were sent to the earth and had a child from where they started. Australia and the Pacific vision A dream on the Australian legends was tied in with investigating each creature and its highlights, which included why the emu has long legs, why the snake has no legs and the motivation behind why the koala has no tail among others. They recount the arrangement of the Milky Way and the movement of creatures to Australia. They recount how the main people appeared in the mainland and how the start appeared. They had faith in a wondrous being that went everywhere throughout the world making trees, creatures and everything on the planet and in conclusion made people. African Vision In

What Re-Reading 50 Books in a Hurry Taught Me About Reading Slowly

What Re-Reading 50 Books in a Hurry Taught Me About Reading Slowly This is a guest post by our current Rioter in Residence, Kevin Smokler. Kevin  is the author of the essay collection  Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books you Haven’t Touched Since High School  (available now from Prometheus Books) and the editor of  Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times, A San Francisco Chronicle Notable Book of 2005. His work has appeared in the LA Times, Fast Company, Paid Content, The San Francisco Chronicle, Publishers Weekly and on National Public Radio. Follow him on  Twitter  @weegee. Far and away, the question I get asked the most about my project to spend a year rereading books I was assigned in high school is How? Politeness keeps too many people from asking Why? What has thus far been code for Why didnt MY favorite book from high school make your list? But everyone with a paper castle of books threatening to turn their home into a fire hazard would like to know how? How did you read 50 classics in 10 months? Answer: Not ideally. Its the only bit of sadness I have about this project, which I once described to my friend Patrick as 100% positive concentrate. Kool-Aid, no water. I didnt want to stand in judgement of high school books. I didnt want to arbitrate what you should or should not be reading. And I certainly didnt want my endorsement of reconsidering classics to be seen as a rebuke in the form of .because watching television or checking Facebook is turning you into a drooling stupidhead with the attention span of a slot machine. But I wished I had more time. I had to read 50 books in 10 months. That meant not only making some tough choices, but writing Practical Classics in the exact opposite way from what it offers: An invitation to slow down, to savor, to treat books as a luxurious feast instead of a handful of peanuts horked down while running out the door. To say that, ideally, the act of reading should be a reminder that we actually have more time than we think. Practical Classics had to be finished, snout to tail, in 10 months. That meant no hefty books (Middlemarch, Moby-Dick) no matter how much I wanted to read them, no books whose density made reading them like swimming in peanut butter (hello, the brilliant, maddening Mr. Nabokov. Hello, Mr. Chekov with your 9 dozen unpronouncable Russian-named characters). Out of fear of not finishing on time, I even had to cheat once or twice and move into the queue books I had reread many times already and therefore knew by heart. All of which left me slightly guilty, but thats just the way books are made. You get an assignment and a deadline, and you write to meet your deadline. It may actually take longer, or you can flitter-flatter around and make excuses for why its taking longer. I being Kevin Smokler, who has yet to win a Pulitzer, get tenure at Yale, or invent a boy wizard, did not conclude that flitter-flattering was in my best interests. But now that Practical Classics is real, Im softening a little on flitter and her twin brother flatter. I, like you, have a baby elephant-sized stack of books next to my side of the bed, everything I wanted to read during the 10 months I had to stay focused on reading the 50 classics Id assigned myself. I want to get to everything in that stack. I also, despite the pressures of time and self-doubt, had so much fun rereading classics that Id like to go back and read some more. Imagining that turns that baby elephant into an entire zoo. We all know this is the fate of every reader: Too many great books, not enough time. And thats a good thing. I dont want to be around the day I dust off my hands and say, Well I guess theres no more to read. That isnt any different than the day I dust off my hands and say, Well I guess thats it for sunsets, and hugs, and joyous laughter. Whats next? At war with sinking in and deeply enjoying reading is not the number of books out there but our pathological delusion that we will someday finish them all. We will not, and we know this. But our entire system of culture consumption is set out around queueslists of books, movies, songs, and news articles wed like to remember and get to. Its a great service to have these reminders for what we want to read, listen to, and see. But their very nature creates a completely false urgency that everytime we finish something theres a long line of other somethings waiting, tapping their feet impatiently and saying get on with it. The only answer I have is one you probably already know. That slowing down and taking the time to savor what you read makes it that much better. It wont spin garbage into gold (a lousy book is lousy at any speed) and you will, in aggregate over the course of your life, read less. But it will be the equivalent of having 6 good friends instead of 60 acquaintances whom you would not feel comfortable calling on the day a loved one has died. I couldnt slow down to write this book that I hope encourages slowing down, and that feels a little dishonest to me. So I cant say my example will be most representative. I just have to assume that my advocating reading slower is a premise youll have to choose to accept (or not) on faith. I saw it as a great compliment when my friend Rob said to me, Be sure to tell everyone that Practical Classics will not beep at you, will not insist on a status update or an @reply. It will not text you and ask where you are. It invites you to take some time. Even though I cannot say I followed my own advice in writing it, and probably cant in promoting it. Instead Im banking its message for a little bit later, in the meadow between the two mountains of this book and the next one. Where I will need the time to not feel hurried, to exhale, to read longingly and fully, to be ready for whats next. Ill meet all of you there in time. I know I will. Sign up to Unusual Suspects to receive news and recommendations for mystery/thriller readers.

The Other Boleyn Girl By Anne Boleyn - 2145 Words

The Other Boleyn Girl is a 2008 feature film based on the ambitious rise and fall of Anne Boleyn and her family. The two sisters Anne and Mary Boleyn fight for the heart and bed of King Henry VIII of England only to find heartache and betrayal in their path. Becoming with child as well as becoming Queen of England was the beginning of Anne’s descent. Having a miscarriage of a son and trying to convince her brother George to have carnal relations with her to get her re-pregnant was high treason, she along with her brother were found guilty and beheaded (1:41:25-1:41:39/1:48:00-1:48:30). Anne Boleyn’s refusal of Henry causes him to force himself upon her in a fit of rage. The history of Anne and Henry’s courtship is well known, there is no evidence of this rape ever occurring. We will be looking at historical facts to see if the rape of Anne Boleyn occurred and to see if the movie portrayed the relationship between Henry and Anne accurately. There is not much history on Anne Boleyn as a child, there is even a debate amongst historians as to when she was actually born and which Boleyn property she was actually born at. History shows sometime between 1501 and 1507 while the birth of her sibling are under the same confusion(Schmid). The Other Boleyn Girl portrays an adult Anne being exiled to France for her non-permissible and consummated marriage to Henry Percy; who was already contracted to young Mary Talbot. According to the movie Anne was only inShow MoreRelatedThe Light Of The Labyrinth By Wendy Dunn1498 Words   |  6 Pagesgood rhetorician. I believe that Anne Boleyn is a prime example of someone who has a wide set of views about herself. Throughout this course we have been given different texts and films about Anne Boleyn, and they have all shown Anne from a different perspective. These different outlooks of Anne allow readers to form their own opinions and decide for themselves who Anne Boleyn really w as. We’ve been able to see her character portrayed in the documentary Henry and Anne: The Lovers Who Changed HistoryRead MoreThe Other Boleyn Girl1843 Words   |  8 PagesThe Other Boleyn Girl It is said that we are doomed to repeat history if we do not learn from it. Let us hope that history does not repeat itself with the era of the Tudors. King Henry the VIII ruled according to his own wants and desires. He would favor people with great gifts or on a whim take their life. His rule was a time of tip toeing and avoiding displeasing him or The Church. Unfortunately, in order to learn from history, its stories and facts must retold truthfully and accurately.Read MoreThe Other Boleyn Girl1812 Words   |  8 PagesThe Other Boleyn Girl The two adaptations after the controversial novel â€Å"The Other Boleyn Girl† by Philippa Gregory present a historical fictional story of the Boleyn sisters, Anne and Mary. This is a ravishing, emotionally intense story of love, loyalty and betrayal in the chase for power and social position, portraying the human desires and flaws in a beautifully described historical background at the English court. The private life of the historical figures from the XVIth century and the intriguesRead MoreAnne Boleyn950 Words   |  4 PagesAna Bolena – Anne Boleyn 1501(1507)-1536 Queen of England 1533-1536 Mother of Elizabeth I Information about the early years of Anne Boleyn is almost non-existence; her birth has been dated from 1501 to 1507. Although information about her parents is abundant. Her father, Sir Thomas Boleyn, was named Sir in 1503. He was fluent with the languages, which allowed him to travel through Europe under the King’s orders and be part of important meetings. He was one of the bodyguards that took theRead MoreThe Other Boleyn Girl1698 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..3 Plot Segmentatin†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4-7 Sequence Anylysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7-8 Introduction „The Other Boleyn Girlâ€Å" is a historical drama based on the novel of Philippa Gregory and tells the tale of romance, intrigues and betrayal of a defining moment in English history. It is set in the 16th century when the two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn are driven by their father and uncle to advance the family’s power and status. They are expected to divert the King of EnglandRead MoreThe Other Boleyn Girl Analysis1425 Words   |  6 PagesThe film, The Other Boleyn Girl, written by Peter Morgan, and produced by Alison Owen, is about the many relationships of King Henry the Eighth, who is the antagonist, his involvement with the Boleyn family, and his many children. This story is set in England in the early to mid- 1500’s. King Henry the eighth ascended the throne of England in 1509, succeeding his father, Henry the seventh. (There als the sixth, the fifth, the fourth, and so on. Clearly the Kings were all very original when it cameRead MoreHenry Viii And Henry Vi : Why Did Shakespeare Do This !?1510 Words   |  7 PagesWolsey had a house party and Henry VIII was in a disguise but Cardinal Wolsey seen right through it. That is when Henry VIII met Anne Boleyn at that party. Then every body heard about the divorce of Henry VIII s first wife Katherine of Aragon, but Henry VIII demoted her to â€Å"Princess Dowager†, but while they were still in the divorce process, he secretly got married to Anne Boleyn. Then he asked Cardinal Wolsey if he was trying to take the throne from him. He said no, but Henry VIII had papers that heRead MoreKing Henry Viii Of England2253 Words   |  10 Pageschild who was stillborn on the 31st of January,1510. Catherine also gave birth to Henry on the 1st of January,1511 who died seven weeks later. Catherine had another stillbirth in 1514. On the 18th of February,1516 Catherine gave birth to a healthy girl, Mary[Later Mary I]. The inability of Catherine of Aragorn to provide a healthy male heir strained their relationship. Henry invaded France on the 30th of June, 1513 and defeated the French armies under the command of Louis VII at the Battle of SpursRead MoreEssay on Queen Elizabeth841 Words   |  4 Pageswould have been heir to the throne, but that was stripped from her when Henry VII divorced her mother, Catherine of Aragon. Anne Boleyn, Elizabeths mother, failed to provide Henry VII with a male heir he desired. She suffered two miscarriages, and was suspected of having an affair. Anne Boleyn was arrested, and on May 19, 1536 she was beheaded. After the death of Anne Boleyn, Henry VII married Jane Seymour, and gave birth to Prince Edward. Jane Seymour died twelve days after the birth of her sonRead MoreThe Monarch : King Henry Viii1792 Words   |  8 Pagesinfancy. Without a male child, Henry became very frustrated and began keeping mistresses at his summon. One of the mistresses, Mary Boleyn, introduced him to her sister Anne Boleyn. Anne had been a lady in waiting to his first wife, Catherine. Henry and Anne soon enough started seeing each other and fell in love. Eventually Henry became infatuated with Anne Boleyn and wanted to officially leave his wife, Catherine. â€Å"I beseech you now with all my heart definitely to let me know your whole mind as

The And Measure Of Juvenile Delinquency - 2330 Words

In the midst of finding different strategies to tackle the claims and measure of juvenile delinquency, the Department of Justice will tackle the constant struggle of drugs, violence, and gang relation within our youth. In sequence presented in our studies there will show correlations within crime itself and modern day teens. Alongside our fellow departments, since September 7, 1974 in which the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act took place to reconcile states and communities to know how and what measures to take in helping the youth so close to juvenile delinquency. Some amending can be done to ensure that our communities are still obligated for the correct upbringing of the future. To begin, according to crimesolutions.gov, â€Å"The U.S.†¦show more content†¦Although, minor they could become subject to one day being a gateway to other crimes. Knowing that children are raised in different types of environments as well as learn how to behave on different standards. There are some ways that can demonstrate how someone is put together. It can best be described in a short text from David Ferrington, â€Å"Children will tend to become delinquent if parents do not respond consistently and contingently to their antisocial behavior and if parents behave in an antisocial manner. Attachment theory was inspired by the work of John Bowlby and suggest that children who are not emotionally attached to warm, loving, and law-abiding parents will tend to become more delinquent (cf. Carlson Stroufe, 1995)†(Ferrington, pg 209). In the short segment of what Ferrington was getting across was that basically children learn from actions that they see, they view and they direct. That is why that as parents it is the first call to take care of what needs to be done and solved. Furthermore crimesolutions.gov states that, â€Å"Child protective services agencies investigated nearly 2 million reports of maltreatment involving more than 3.5 million children in 2010† (n.d.). It becomes self-evident that parents play a vital role into a childs social life and who they become in the future. As an organization we know reasons why such things occur and how parents do play a key fact in the future of their children, but how can we get to a point

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Role in Advancing the Black Civil Rights Free Essays

Looking back at the advancement of civil rights throughout the period 1865-1968, it is understandable to see Martin Luther King as the major player and leader. He was seen by many as a figurehead of the campaign, with his ‘mesmerism’s oratorical ability he gave a lot of people inspiration and a man to lead the line to the end of racism in the United States. Undoubtedly, Martin Luther King did a lot to advance lack civil rights until his death in 1968, namely the 1964 Civil Rights Act. We will write a custom essay sample on Martin Luther King Jr.’s Role in Advancing the Black Civil Rights or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, many historians until around the sass were too easy to go for the king centric approach in which black civil rights started in 1955 and ended in 1968. Not to take any credit away from King, the civil rights movement far exceeded of that during this period. Of curse and with great reason, resistance to race discrimination had been developing ever since the start of race discrimination itself, but it arguably only darted to pick up real pace with the 1863 Emancipation proclamation and the passing of the Fourteenth Amendment of 1868. This gave black people De Cure rights across all stated, But, discrimination continued throughout this period with Jim Crow legislation and the ASK among other things, the fight continued for De facto rights. In response, many organizations emerged. These organizations attracted widespread attention and support with their mostly non-violent action, fighting for not only legislation but to gather public support. These organizations and Individuals existed ND made valuable progress long before Martin Luther King and continued long after his death, as cited by veteran civil rights activist Ella Baker, ‘Martin didn’t make the movement, the movement made Martin’. Outside factors cannot be understated with the media, politicians and Judges being some of the few also Involved. But It Is natural to want to put Individuals responsible for great moments In history, It Is questionable whether Martin Luther King was the most Important facto towards the advancement of Civil Rights between 1863 and 1968. How to cite Martin Luther King Jr.’s Role in Advancing the Black Civil Rights, Papers

All New People By Anne Lamott Essay Example For Students

All New People By Anne Lamott Essay I believe All New People by Ann Lamott was chosen for the Independent Thinkers Ser Sex, drugs, presidential scandals, all this and more is to be found in the magnificently written novel All New People by Anne Lamott. Probing into a timeless array of chaos and personal tragedy, Lamott manages to tie the story together with a mixture of personal experiences and documented historical references creating an almost nostalgic, dreamy tone. As Naddy Goodman, the narrator and main character of the saga is introduced, she is undergoing a series of hypnosis sessions which reveal many painful childhood memories. While none too extreme, the sheer simplicity of her emotional problems is ironic. After a lifetime of longing for emotional and physical acceptance from others, she has come full-circle to the realization that she must first accept and love herself. I especially enjoyed the way the author expresses her feelings about the breakdown of morals in society. This, to me, was best exemplified when the neighborhood fathers, including Naddys, decided the world held more fascinating things for them than they could find within the boundaries of their own, settled lives. Before this time it was almost unheard of for a father to leave his family because he was ?tired of it.? Lamott clearly and loudly states the meaning of her book in the title, All New People. This book was written for anyone who has ever looked back on his or her life with regret. Whether a pessimist or an optimist, ?In a hundred years? -All new people.?

Potential Risk and Risk Management Strategies

Free Essays on Hindu Caste System

The principle of Varnasrama Vindaloo Dharma, also known as Yachti, or caste, is one of the most fundamental aspects of Hinduism. Its origins may be traceable back as far as 6000 BC, when during the course of the tribal warfare that was prevalent in the region, the complex hierarchy was devised as a system to facilitate the subjugation of the conquered people. It is thought by some that even today, the members of the lowest castes are descendents of those conquered tribes. (Wikipedia: Georges Dumezil) The caste system is based upon the principle that human society is like a huge, complex machine, with the individuals and communities being like its parts. If the parts are weak and broken, the machine will not work. The body can only work efficiently if its parts and organs are in sound and strong condition. And lubricated. But if there is pain in any part of the body, if there is disease in any organ or part of the body, this human machine will go out of order. It will not perform its usual function or work. Likewise, no organ can fulfill any other organ’s function. And thus it is that Hindu society traditionally was divided into four main castes, with those castes themselves being divided into literally hundreds of subcastes. The function of these names is to quantify how close a person was to freeing himself from the cycle of death and rebirth. Being born to a higher caste was an indication that one had lived one’s previous lives in a holy manner. Likewise, the higher castes had to be careful to live holy lives themselves, less they regress to a lower caste in the next reincarnation cycle, or even worse, reincarnate as some kind of animal. The highest class is the Brahmans, the priestly class. Their dharma is to study and understand the Vedas, Hindu’s holy texts, and bring this knowledge to others. The second class is the Kshatriya, the warrior class, who acted as the protectors of the peace. I made a doody. Vaishya, the ... Free Essays on Hindu Caste System Free Essays on Hindu Caste System The principle of Varnasrama Vindaloo Dharma, also known as Yachti, or caste, is one of the most fundamental aspects of Hinduism. Its origins may be traceable back as far as 6000 BC, when during the course of the tribal warfare that was prevalent in the region, the complex hierarchy was devised as a system to facilitate the subjugation of the conquered people. It is thought by some that even today, the members of the lowest castes are descendents of those conquered tribes. (Wikipedia: Georges Dumezil) The caste system is based upon the principle that human society is like a huge, complex machine, with the individuals and communities being like its parts. If the parts are weak and broken, the machine will not work. The body can only work efficiently if its parts and organs are in sound and strong condition. And lubricated. But if there is pain in any part of the body, if there is disease in any organ or part of the body, this human machine will go out of order. It will not perform its usual function or work. Likewise, no organ can fulfill any other organ’s function. And thus it is that Hindu society traditionally was divided into four main castes, with those castes themselves being divided into literally hundreds of subcastes. The function of these names is to quantify how close a person was to freeing himself from the cycle of death and rebirth. Being born to a higher caste was an indication that one had lived one’s previous lives in a holy manner. Likewise, the higher castes had to be careful to live holy lives themselves, less they regress to a lower caste in the next reincarnation cycle, or even worse, reincarnate as some kind of animal. The highest class is the Brahmans, the priestly class. Their dharma is to study and understand the Vedas, Hindu’s holy texts, and bring this knowledge to others. The second class is the Kshatriya, the warrior class, who acted as the protectors of the peace. I made a doody. Vaishya, the ...

Criminological Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Criminological Theory - Essay Example The biological perspectives on criminality holds that criminal behavior is caused by physiological factors that are rooted in an individual , the Sociological Development theory provides an integrated approach on the cause of crime in society as an interaction between an individuals and the societies social structures and the Psychological perspective on crime views deviancy and deviant behavior as the product of dysfunctional personalities in an individual. I have utilized the strain theory by Robert Merton as an example of sociological perspective on crime, the Somatotype theory by William Sheldon for the case of biological perspective and the Psychoanalytic theory by Sigmund Freud as an example to Psychological perspective on crime. All this theories will seek to exemplify what cause crime and deviancy in society. This paper will look into various theory of crime in the society that have been put forward to explain causes of crime and deviant behavior and provide an example for each category presented .The theories that seek to explain crime and causes of criminal behavior in society are categorized in biological, sociological or psychological theories of crime. Sociological theories of crime are categorized into four groups namely, the social process theory, the rational theory, the social conflict theory and the social structure theory. The four theories are further categorized as social disorganization theory and the strain theory. The social disorganization theories focus on conditions prevailing in urban centers that influence crime. This theory presupposes that high unemployment, low income levels, large number of single parent households and high college drop outs contributes to crime. The strain theories on the other hand stresses that crime is caused by the existence of conflict between the goals and the legal means that

Community Health Advocacy Project Part Five Essay

Community Health Advocacy Project Part Five - Essay Example Another key observation from the result of the questionnaire was that after the research was done to Belle Glade community was leading in number of the individuals infected, with 447 (73%) of the addresses randomly selected found with HIV as compared to Western Palm Beach Country which had HIV prevalence of 7/447 (1.6%, 95% CI: 0.4, 2.7) and 5/286 (1.7%, 95% CI: 0.2, 3.3) in Belle Glade (p = 0.2 in comparison with 1986). My aim, therefore, is to bridge the depravity gap, ascertaining the needs, and helping to decrease HIV/AIDS in the Glades area For the aforementioned objective to be met that is intensifying and mobilization of resources, both the Government and the Non-Governmental organization has to play a vital role in achieving this, the government should come into partnership with world-wide anti-HIV organization such as the Chevron as these organizations accumulate funds, from charity organizations, donation, these funds can then be channeled into the three levels of prevention to our aggregate’s health concern, Belle Glade Community. Another intervention, is by the social media, the social media should stress and emphasis the importance of abstaining, and having protected intercourse, that is for the primary level of the disease, and for the tertiary level of the disease, the media should advocate for the use of retroviral drugs, encouraging the victims, to use them, â€Å"it should advise the youths on substantial abuse, making it well-known that it is one way through which they can acquire the Immune Deficiency Virus† (James, 2008). Following the results, it will be rather prudent for men themselves to take care for their lives, by taking care of themselves, abstaining from unprotected sex, and attending regular medical checks in case of any suspicion. Towards my next objective that is, ascertaining the needs, and helping to

Preventing Piracy and Terrorism in Shipping Industry

Preventing Piracy and Terrorism in Shipping Industry Can the shipping industry overcome the challenges it faces with Piracy and Terrorism? Although many think that pirates went out of circulation with sailed ships and swords, piracy is becoming an increasingly serious global problem. These range from small thefts to complex hijacks, and while taking place globally, tend to be concentrated in a few geographically restricted shipping channels. The breadth and complexity of the piracy problem makes it almost impossible to address in simple terms. The first factor is the enormous scope of the shipping industry. An estimated 90% of world trade moves by sea, in over 50,000ships each supposedly governed by the laws of the nation whose flag it bears (Crawford 2004). There is no one place for information concerning piracy, nor any distinct entity to police the oceans. To further complicate the matter, piracy-type acts are now also committed by terrorists, either for political results or as a way to fund their operations. This research first undertakes a review of available literature on the piracy issue, including types and motives of piracy attacks, ahistorical and current summary of pirate activity, and a consideration of terrorist attacks on shipping concerns. Two particularly volatile areas of pirate activity are then reviewed, the Malacca Straights in Southeast Asia, and the waters off the coast of Nigeria, Africa. Combining best practise findings from the literature reviewed with these case studies then provides a foundation for recommendations on how the piracy issue can best be addressed, by individual shipping concerns, individual countries, and the international community. Countermeasures will be weighed and analysed on the basis of feasibility. Of particular focus in this research is addressing some of the underlying factors contributing to the rise in piracy, in addition to defensive and offensive measures. These are typically overlooked in studies of effective countermeasures to the maritime piracy / terrorist problem. It is anticipated that this research will reveal the need to address this complex issue holistically and internationally, with greater unity and coordination than currently exists in the maritime community. Hypothesis This study considers piracy as a result of other underlying issues, and considers countermeasures from a prevention rather than combative perspective, although all types of piracy countermeasures are addressed. Specifically, it is anticipated piracy will be found to be heavily influenced by economic, political, and ideological factors. Its further anticipated that a truly effective response to the growing piracy problem in international shipping will include measures to combat the causes of increased piracy, in addition to the pirates ’actions. Literature Review Piracy Defined One of the initial difficult factors in a study of piracy is the wide range of definitions. What constitutes piracy, what constitutes robbery, and what constitutes terrorism? National and international organisations disagree on the parameters of piracy, as opposed to thievery or terrorist activity, and all agree the lines between are blurring more and more (Langeweische 2003). The International Maritime Bureau (IMB), an organisation of the International Chamber of Commerce, has some responsibility for piracy and legal considerations on the high seas (that is, areas of the ocean not controlled by a particular country, typically more than twelve miles from the country’s coast)(Hawkes 2001). Therefore, where the attack occurred in relation to the coast is of high importance. This is reinforced by the United Nations ‘Law of the Sea, which has been ratified by almost every nation except the United States (Hawkes 2001). The IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, however, defines piracy as â€Å"any act of boarding an vessel with the intent to commit theft or any other crime and with the intent or capability to use force in the furtherance of that act† ((Liss 2003, 55). While only attacks that take place on the high seas are registered with the PRC, they continue to maintain a broader definition of piracy (Chalk 1998). Forth purpose of this research, attacks against shipping vessels at port, in national waters, and on the high seas will be considered piracy if committed with a primarily economic motive. Acts committed from apolitical or ideological motive will be considered terrorist activities. Most recently, an organisation called the Comate Maritime International (CMI), composed of a number of shipping and law enforcement organisations such as the IMB, The Baltic and International Maritime Council, and Interpol, drafted a Model National Law on Acts of Piracy and Maritime Violence, which expands the definition of piracy to include national waters and the high seas (Hawkes 2001). Types of Piracy Pirate attacks also can be categorised according to the location, scope and violence involved. Non-violent hit-and-run attacks are widespread and often unreported. According to Liss (2003)â€Å"the vast majority of pirate attacks today are simple hit-and-run robberies, committed by what can best be described as common sea-robbers† (59). This attack can occur while the ship is in harbour or at anchorage. The IMB would define these attacks as low-level armed robbery. These are usually quick, low sophistication attacks where thieves make off with cash and portable personal valuables. The average theft in this type of attacks between $5,000 and $15,000 US dollars (Chalk 1998). These pirates are typically groups of men from poor areas who have known each other for quite some time, and steal for economic reasons. Outside of ports, these pirates tend to target smaller vessels (Liss 2003). The men will speak on board a ship, usually at night, and take valuables, electronics, the ship’s equipment, or any other easily transportable and saleable item they can find. These raids often last less than thirty minutes, and rarely have any violence, except in the rare instance when a pirate is confronted by one of the crews (Liss 2003). Violent hit-and-run attacks typically target yachts and other smaller vessels on the open sea. These are typically a heavily-armed group with some planning and training involved. Attacks in territorial waters or on the high seas have a higher level of sophistication, and are categorised as medium-level armed robbery by the IMB (Chalk 1998). In these attacks the pirates board the ship and again take any valuable or saleable items. However, they are unafraid to confront the ship’s occupants or crew, and have injured or killed in a number of cases(Liss 2003). In neither of these two types of attacks is the pirate gang organised or sophisticated enough to also consider stealing the boat (Liss 2003). Ship-seizing attacks require a much higher level of planning and sophistication, including participation in some wider crime network in order to be able to move the ship’s cargo and the ship itself quickly. Not surprisingly, these types of attacks are usually carried out by professional pirates funded by syndicates (Liss 2003). In temporary seizures, the pirates board the ship and restrain the crew; on rare occasions they may also be held for ransom. The ship is diverted to safe location and its cargo off-loaded, after which the ship and crew are released (Liss 2003). Pirates in this type of attack typically work from a â€Å"mother ship,† and may also take portable personal valuables (Chalk 1998). In the most violent and sophisticated attacks, permanent seizures, the ship itself is hijacked at sea, considered a major criminal hijack byte IMB (Chalk 1998). The crew may be abandoned at sea, but in many of these instances they are simply killed. These attacks usually occur in busy narrow shipping channels, and often at night (Langeweische 2003). The ship is typically repainted and its name changed. It then becomes what is called a phantom ship, changing its name and flag regularly(Liss 2003). Permanent seizures occur almost exclusively in the FarEast (Liss 2003). The phantom ship may be used as a pirate ship, but is more often used for a sophisticated type of robbery (Liss 2003). The ship takes on aloud of cargo for a legitimate business, but both the ship and the cargo disappear. The legitimate business loses both its cargo and the shipping fees it invested, and the thieves sell the cargo on the black market, paint the ship and change its name, and repeat the process(Langeweische 2003). A convincing phantom ship can draw in shippers and reroute their cargo quickly, often making up to pounds 30 million a year (Lewis, M. 2004). A Historical Perspective When most people think of piracy, they do so from a historical perspective. Blackbeard, Captain Kidd and their compatriots, swashbuckling, sword-carrying figures aboard tall ships with patches over one eye, supposedly once looted and pillaged the high seas and buried their treasure on deserted islands. In reality, however, piracy has historically been tied to national political and economic concerns. There is evidence that this continues today (Langeweische2003). The â€Å"pirates† in Southeast Asia during the colonisation period, for example, typically undertook slave raiding and robbery activities to strengthen and with the support of their local chiefdoms or sultanates. What the colonising powers considered piracy was seen by locals as state-sponsored means of enriching the local community at foreign powers’ expense (Liss 2003). In the early 1800s, pirates in the Mediterranean were supported by the Barbary States of northern Africa, but primarily for economic gain Loft and Koran 2004). These pirates would typically take over merchant ships and demand ransom for their crews. The United States responded with the Barbary Wars, which eventually successfully addressed the piracy problem with military intervention (Loft and Koran 2004). In various times of economic downturn, particularly when the economic difficulties were localised in areas near popular shipping channels, piracy has historically increased. Piracy experienced a surge with the opening of the Americas, and later Australia (North 1968). On the Atlantic Ocean, these were typically rogue European ships operating for personal profits. However, local residents of Africa, South America, and Asia have also been historically inclined to piracy at various periods. The important historical conclusion from a study of such activity is that piracy rose substantially in and around areas experiencing economic difficulty and which cargo-laden ships passed through, and decreased with economic upturn (North 1968). In recent decades oil shipments have been an increased target of pirates, particularly during periods of high crude prices. For example, tankers were frequently attacked in the Strait of Hormuzduring the mid-1980s (Loft and Koran 2004). As shipments were rerouted and insurers began to pull out from ships in the area, global oil prices were effected. Shipping in the Persian Gulf dropped by almost twenty-five present, and was not restored until the United States intervened, sending military vessels to regain order in the region(Loft and Koran 2004). The decade of the 1990s was also a historical turning point in the piracy saga. Worldwide piracy tripled over the period, escalating from just over one hundred annually in the beginning of the decade to a high of 469 in 2000 (Halloran 2003). Geographically, piracy was high in the early 1990s in the Malacca Straights, but increased policing in the1993 to 1995 period reduced incidences there. The area again fell victim to a high number of attacks in the closing years of the decade(Anon 2005). Piracy also developed from its random, unorganised thievery practise in the late 1800s and much of the 1900s, to sophisticated and highly trained criminal activity, facilitated by the increased number in crime syndicates and terrorist groups becoming involved in piracy activities (Anon 2005b). Many pirates joined â€Å"organized crime syndicates comprising corrupt officials, port workers, hired thugs, and businessmen,† developing into sophisticated networks that could gain intelligence on particular ships, plan attacks, and dispose of the stolen property or ships (Loft and Koran 2004, 68). The problem was compounded by the gross underpayment of maritime security in high piracy (and typically economically depressed) areas throughout the 1990s, who become more susceptible to bribes and in some cases even took part in piracy attacks (Loft and Koran 2004). Piracy Today Piracy today is a global disaster. Statistics on piracy do not accurately paint the current picture. As many as half of attacks are estimated to go unreported (Anon 2005b). Ship owners are reluctant to detain their ships to participate in an investigation, as doing so costs them significant loss. Incidents of piracy can also make it more difficult for them to recruit high-quality crew members (Clark 2004). Reporting piracy would also cause an increase in their insurance premiums, often costing more in the long-term than simply absorbing the loss (Armstrong 2004). â€Å"Since many shipping companies do not report incidents of piracy, for fear of raising their insurance premiums and prompting protracted, time-consuming investigations, the precise extent of piracy is unknown â€Å" (Loft and Koran 2004, 64). Various international and shipping organisations make the attempt, however, and can at least document trends in piracy events that are reported. Both attacks and their violence are reported to be on theorise. International Maritime Bureau, in its annual piracy report, recorded 325 piracy attacks and thirty deaths in 2004, a decrease in attacks (from 445) but increase in deaths (from 21) in 2003 (Anon2005b). â€Å"The number of seafarers taken hostage last year almost doubled to 359, while 311 ships were boarded and 19 vessels hijacked†(Akbar 2004, 27). Armstrong (2004) similarly lists piracy as growing at twenty present annually. Armed attacks increased by nearly fifty present in 2003, with the death count more than doubled from 2002(Akbar 2004). 644 incidents of violence to crews were reported overall, including six on UK-flagged ships and twenty-one on vessels owned or managed from the UK (Akbar 2004). These attacks tend to be clustered in and near some of the busiest Third World ports, particularly off the shores of Indonesia, Malaysia and Nigeria(Mihailescu 2004, Halloran 2003). In two incidents receiving high media coverage in the UK, pirates executed Sir Peter Blake, the Greenpeace activist, off the coast of Brazil in 2002. Alan MacLean was similarly killed by pirates off the coast of Somalia during an adventure-related trip (Akbar 2004). The financial impacts are huge. Loft and Koran (2004) report a loss of ships, loss of cargo, and increased insurance costs the shipping industry in excess of sixteen billion US each year. This trainslates to a weekly cost of pounds 300m per week (Akbar 2004, Reynolds 2003). As much as 10 billion US of this loss is to the insurance industry alone, with the true amount being significantl y higher due to underreporting (Crawford 2004). Pirates today are additionally too broad a group to truly generalise. However, technological advances have allowed pirates to become better equipped and have greater information as to their targets, which contributes to an increased number of attacks on larger ships (Lewis. 2004). In addition, the end of the Cold War has reduced the number of sea patrols in certain areas of the world while simultaneously making a tremendous volume of weapons and munitions available on the black market, often at relatively inexpensive prices (Armstrong 2004). Meanwhile, exponential in global trade has greatly increased the amount of highly valuable and saleable goods moving across the seas. This combination of more to steal, less policing, and greater easy in theft has led to a significant rise in piracy activity (Liss 2003). Attempts to regulate shipping have led to the development of the flags of convenience problem. The practice began after World War II, but did not become widespread or a problem in the international maritime community until the 1990s (Langewiesche 2004). A number of impoverished countries, such as Malta, Panama, and Liberia, began to sell their flags for a fee, with little concern for the legitimacy of the ship’s owners (Loft and Koran 2004). This allowed ship owners to literally choose under which country’s laws they wanted to sail their ship, regardless of their home port of call (Liss 2003). Today, according to Langewiesche (2004), â€Å"no one pretends that a ship comes from the home port painted on its stern† (50). This has greatly facilitated the operation of phantom ships, previously described. The massive Tsunami that devastated much of the South Asian coast in December 2004 has had a particular impact on piracy. It is believed many pirate syndicates and individual pirate groups lost ships in the disaster, as did many legitimate ship owners. In addition, changes to the Malacca Straights have reduced shipping in the region and left piracy there almost non-existent (Bangs erg 2005). It will be of note to see if piracy rebounds as issues with passage through the Straights are resolved, or whether piracy increases in some other area or areas. Terrorism: The New Threat On top of all the above, groups operating from a political motive, terrorists, have entered the piracy trade. Following September 11,terrorism has become a worldwide concern. The maritime community had already experienced a number of terrorist actions and threats, such as when Islamic militants bombed the side of the Cole, an American warship, in 2000 (Anon 2004). Since 9/11, the Limburg, a French oil tanker, has been similarly bombed, while â€Å"Abu Soya, a terrorist outfit from the southern Philippines, claimed responsibility for bombing a ferry in Manila Bay earlier this year† (Anon 2004). While most countries can provide at least reasonable protection for land targets, â€Å"the super-extended energy umbilical cord that extends by sea to connect the West and the Asian economies with the Middle East is more vulnerable than ever† (Loft and Koran 2004, 64). Ninety perceptive the world’s trade is transported via ship, with 4,000 slow and difficult to defend tanker ships moving sixty present of the world oil supply. These ships have little or no protection, and are frequently alone on open water with nowhere to hide (Loft and Koran 2004). Current International Maritime Organization regulations prevent firearms on vessels, even for self-protection, leaving ships’ crews to face terrorist and pirate threats with spotlights and high-powered firehouses (Mihailescu 2004). Interestingly, Russian and Israeli ships ignore the IMO regulations, allowing their crewmembers to be armed, and subsequently have a lower incident of successfully attacks from either pirates or terrorists (Loft and Koran 2004). As Armstrong (2004) contends, â€Å"the world economy relies on the seamless delivery of trade via the worlds seaways† (7). This gives the terrorist threat immediate international implications. The international community has attempted to address terrorist concerns with acts such as the International Ship and Port Security Code, implemented in July 2004, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, and the Container Safety Initiative. However, the terrorist threat remains â€Å"a function of the terrorists will, the terrorist’s capability, and the targets perceived importance† (Armstrong 2004). Terrorists are separated from pirates by motive. While pirates attack for purely economic reasons, terrorist groups strike for political or ideological reasons, sometimes with economic considerations an additional cause (Anon 2005). â€Å"Unlike the pirates of old, whose sole objective was quick commercial gain, many of todays pirates are maritime terrorists with an ideological bent and a broad political agenda† (Loft and Koran 2004). There is, of course, a connection. Terrorists sometimes act as pirates, usually to finance their political or ideological activities. â€Å"Pirates claiming to be members of the Free Aceh Movement, who take ships crews hostage for ransom, have started to blur the lines between terror and piracy† (Hand 2004, 5). They show no interest in the ship or its cargo, but simultaneously achieve economic gains while embarrassing the government they oppose (Hand2005). In addition, as pirates become more sophisticated, they may be through their very success revealing to the terrorists where opportunities for successful destruction exist (Anon 2005). â€Å"Terrorism is imitative and adaptive, learning from other groups and wider trends† (Armstrong 2004,7). In addition, â€Å"the apparent lack of concrete evidence linking pirates and terrorism has not stopped senior Singapore government officials from publicly making this link on a number of occasions†(Hand 2004, 5). One possible terrorist target is blocking a major shipping lane. Six major shipping channels geographically lend themselves to such an attack (Armstrong 2004). The Malacca Straights are considered the most vulnerable, as the area suffers from lack of funds for policing by its littoral nations yet carries as much as one-third of the world’s total trade and one-half of the world’s oil supply (Anon 2005). â€Å"One ship sunk in a strategic right spot has the potential to block much of the Straight and cripple world trade† (Anon 2004, 37). Fourteen present of world trade moves through the Suez Canal, with the Panama Canal, thebe-el-Man dab, and the Strait of Gibraltar also carrying significant percentages of world trade. All are narrow, busy channels where well-planned terrorist strike could partially or completely block passage (Armstrong 2004). The Strait of Hormuz, connecting the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, is only two kilometres at its most narrow point, yet accounts for over fifteen million barrels of oil transport daily(Loft and Koran 2004). One well-placed scuttle could physically block these channels, crippling trade, as could refusal of insurance carriers to cover vessels in the area, if the terrorist situation became too severe(Armstrong 2004). Either would have devastating global economic impact. Oil and raw materials would be blocked, soon crippling manufacturing and transportation industries. Targeting energy infrastructure is increasingly recognised as terrorist intention. â€Å"Indecent years, terrorists have targeted pipelines, refineries, pumping stations, and tankers in some of the worlds most important energy reservoirs, including Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen† (Loft 2004). â€Å"Given al-Qaedas understanding of the sensitivity of Western economies to the price of oil, the oil and gas industry represents particularly tempting target, where a single terrorist incident could have a huge ripple effect† (Armstrong 2004). The damage would be heightened by today’s just-in-time logistics systems. Companies reduced inventories and capital structures, made possible by international outsourcing and trade, would cause an almost immediate shortage of some goods (Armstrong 2004). This would be compounded if multiple attacks were to occur on vulnerable shipping conduits simultaneously. Terrorists could also hijack ships and make them into floating bombs, which in addition to closing a shipping lane could be deployed against ports, oil refineries, or other critical infrastructures (Anon 2004). Last year in Singapore, supposed pirates hijacked a chemical tanker in the Malacca Straights, and then abandoned the ship after only an hour, fuelling speculation that terrorists were practising for a just such an attack (Anon 2004). This could cause severe damage, also with global impact in the case of a major port of oil refinery, in addition to having a potential devastating environmental impact on the targeted area. The threats â€Å"posed by the environmental impact of a deliberate tanker spill or a gas or chemical tanker being used as a floating bombard sobering yet very real scenarios (Crawford 2004, 9). Case Study: The Malacca Straights The Malacca Straights will be considered in this case study in inspire-December 26, 2004 condition. The channel was devastated by the earthquake and Tsunamis in the region. Several thousand navigational aids have shifted out of position, and at least two deep areas of the channel have filled in dramatically, with one previously over 1,000metres deep now only thirty metres (Bangs erg 2005). Old wrecks were also shifted and joined by ships downed by the waves, which will all need to be charged, and possibly moved or salvaged. London’s International Maritime Organisation is partnering with the United States to re-chart the area and plan for any needed channel modifications, with complete re-charting and dredging where necessary expected to last at least a year (Bangs erg 2005). The Malacca Strait is to the south and west of Singapore and Malaysia, north of Indonesia. It is a narrow channel, approximately 900kilometres long; at one point it narrows to less than two kilometres wide. (Anon 2005, Anon 2004). Over twenty-five present of total world trade, half of the global oil transport, and nearly two-thirds of the international supply of liquefied natural gas pass through the Straight(Loft and Koran 2004). Last year the Straight recorded over 62,000passages, including 3,300 crude oil tankers and 3,280 natural gas carriers (Hand 2004). Other freighters carry a variety of deadly substances, such as nuclear waste from Japan headed for European reprocessing facilities. The majority of the raw materials for China’s extensive manufacturing activities and products for its growing economy move through the Straight (Loft and Koran 2004). According to the IMB, the Strait of Malacca is the most dangerous shipping passage in the world (Hand 2004). The Strait is â€Å"almost entirely made up of territorial waters belonging to the three littoral states† (Hand 2004). This has been a historical point of collapse in addressing piracy in the region, as only recently have these three countries been able to coordinate activities to address shipping safety. In addition, while Malaysia and Singapore are better of financially than Indonesia, none of the countries has the full range of resources needed to confront the problem (Anon 2004). The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been unable to promote cooperation and a common strategy to deal with piracy in the area, and Indonesia and Malaysia have strongly rejected offers from the United States to dispatch the US Navy to patrol the area (Halloran 2003, Anon2004, Lewis, L. 2004). Of the three countries, Indonesia has done the least to fight piracy. However, it is not surprising that in such an economically disadvantaged country piracy is far down on its list of priorities. â€Å"The vast majority of shipping it is being asked to protect provides noneconomic benefit for the country† (Hand 2004, 5). In addition, Indonesia has faced significant political turmoil. The simultaneous political and economic crises have left the country unable to address piracy adequately, even if it wanted to (Armstrong 2004). The Indonesian Navy was dispatched to combat piracy near Singapore at that country’s insistence, but in the long-term â€Å"Indonesia lacks both the resources and the political will to maintain security across the entire length of the strait; it is a poor country with deep economic and political problems† (Hand 2004). The Indonesian navy is nearly bankrupt and has, at best estimate, perhaps twenty seaworthy boats appropriate for use on patrol. With these resources they attempt to guard the waters surrounding nearly 17,000 islands (Anon 2004). Singapore and Indonesia attempted to work bilaterally on the problem in the 1990s, but coordination disintegrated (Chalk 1998). Malaysia has been more aggressive in addressing piracy. Pre-Tsunami, the government even planned to enhance security with a24-hour radar system covering its areas in the Straight (Anon 2005a). The IMB credits Malaysian vigilant policing and anti-piracy activities as directly leading to the drop in piracy at the western end of the Straight. In 2000, seventy-five attacks were reported in that area, but by 2002 the number had dropped to sixteen (Halloran 2003). Unfortunately this number was tempered by increased attacks in the eastern areas of the Straight, such as the area above the impoverished Indonesian Port Clang, where the sea lanes initially widen (Anon 2004). Following this success, Singapore joined with Malaysia to launch anoint offensive. Seventeen ships were dispatched by the two countries to hunt pirates and terrorists in the Malacca Straight. The countries-ordinated patrols, allowing suspect ships to be pursued across national sea boundaries (Lewis, L. 2004). This led to a further decrease in pirate activity throughout the Straight. However the Indonesian waters of the Straight continue to report the highest number of pirate attacks globally, although the number has dropped from 121 in 2003 to 93 in 2004 (Anon 2005b). Thesis more than twenty-five present of pirate activity worldwide (Anon2005b). Indonesians had recently joined with Malaysia and Singapore,pre-Tsunami, to address piracy. The countries have agreed to allow each other’s policing and patrol ships to pursue suspected pirates and terrorists into each other’s waters (Lewis, L. 2004). While each country remains responsible for its own section of the Straight, any reported pirate or terrorist activity will be immediately reported to cooperating the other countries, allowing for multi-national response where needed (Lewis, L. 2004). Armstrong (2004) points out that increases in piracy typically follow economic crises, and â€Å"flourish in a political / security vacuum†(7). â€Å"The growth in incidents in the Malacca Strait, for example, follows the Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s† (Armstrong 2004,7). Ideologically, the Muslim religion remains prominent in the region. This has encouraged Muslim extremists to establish bases near the Straight, from which they attack ships for political or economic gain (Kokand 2004). The recent natural disasters in the region have only intensified economic and political problems. It is therefore unlikely that the Straight will remain pirate-free once the Tsunami effects on the shipping lanes are dealt with, unless the economic and political instabilities of the region, particularly in Indonesia, are addressed. Case Study: Nigeria The high seas and territorial waters off the coast of Nigeria are another hotbed of pirate and terrorist activity. The country is on the western coast of Africa, bordered to the north and west by Benin and Cameroon, and to the south by the Gulf of Guinea (Nigeria 2005). The river Niger flows through Nigeria to its delta in the gulf. The county is Africa’s most populous, but the vast majority of Nigerians live at below-poverty levels, surviving through subsistence farming (Anon2004b). Petroleum and petroleum products account for ninety-five present of the nation’s exports, making departing tankers a prime target for pirates and terrorist groups (Nigeria 2005). The Nigerian government has been going through massive changes. Constitution was enacted in 1999 following sixteen years of corrupt and poorly managed military rule (Nigeria 2005). Agricultural productivity has plummeted, causing what was once one of Africa’s leading agricultural producers to import food supplies. The economy has been allowed to become over-reliant on petroleum, without the creation of diverse economic interests or investment in infrastructure (Nigeria2005). Nigeria is home to over 250 ethnic people groups, leading to religious and ethnic dissention within the country (Nigeria 2005). While not having as high an incidence of strikes as the Malacca Straight, attacks in the region are significantly more violent (Clark2004). In the first half of 2004, Nigeria had thirteen attacks, compared with fif Preventing Piracy and Terrorism in Shipping Industry Preventing Piracy and Terrorism in Shipping Industry Can the shipping industry overcome the challenges it faces with Piracy and Terrorism? Although many think that pirates went out of circulation with sailed ships and swords, piracy is becoming an increasingly serious global problem. These range from small thefts to complex hijacks, and while taking place globally, tend to be concentrated in a few geographically restricted shipping channels. The breadth and complexity of the piracy problem makes it almost impossible to address in simple terms. The first factor is the enormous scope of the shipping industry. An estimated 90% of world trade moves by sea, in over 50,000ships each supposedly governed by the laws of the nation whose flag it bears (Crawford 2004). There is no one place for information concerning piracy, nor any distinct entity to police the oceans. To further complicate the matter, piracy-type acts are now also committed by terrorists, either for political results or as a way to fund their operations. This research first undertakes a review of available literature on the piracy issue, including types and motives of piracy attacks, ahistorical and current summary of pirate activity, and a consideration of terrorist attacks on shipping concerns. Two particularly volatile areas of pirate activity are then reviewed, the Malacca Straights in Southeast Asia, and the waters off the coast of Nigeria, Africa. Combining best practise findings from the literature reviewed with these case studies then provides a foundation for recommendations on how the piracy issue can best be addressed, by individual shipping concerns, individual countries, and the international community. Countermeasures will be weighed and analysed on the basis of feasibility. Of particular focus in this research is addressing some of the underlying factors contributing to the rise in piracy, in addition to defensive and offensive measures. These are typically overlooked in studies of effective countermeasures to the maritime piracy / terrorist problem. It is anticipated that this research will reveal the need to address this complex issue holistically and internationally, with greater unity and coordination than currently exists in the maritime community. Hypothesis This study considers piracy as a result of other underlying issues, and considers countermeasures from a prevention rather than combative perspective, although all types of piracy countermeasures are addressed. Specifically, it is anticipated piracy will be found to be heavily influenced by economic, political, and ideological factors. Its further anticipated that a truly effective response to the growing piracy problem in international shipping will include measures to combat the causes of increased piracy, in addition to the pirates ’actions. Literature Review Piracy Defined One of the initial difficult factors in a study of piracy is the wide range of definitions. What constitutes piracy, what constitutes robbery, and what constitutes terrorism? National and international organisations disagree on the parameters of piracy, as opposed to thievery or terrorist activity, and all agree the lines between are blurring more and more (Langeweische 2003). The International Maritime Bureau (IMB), an organisation of the International Chamber of Commerce, has some responsibility for piracy and legal considerations on the high seas (that is, areas of the ocean not controlled by a particular country, typically more than twelve miles from the country’s coast)(Hawkes 2001). Therefore, where the attack occurred in relation to the coast is of high importance. This is reinforced by the United Nations ‘Law of the Sea, which has been ratified by almost every nation except the United States (Hawkes 2001). The IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, however, defines piracy as â€Å"any act of boarding an vessel with the intent to commit theft or any other crime and with the intent or capability to use force in the furtherance of that act† ((Liss 2003, 55). While only attacks that take place on the high seas are registered with the PRC, they continue to maintain a broader definition of piracy (Chalk 1998). Forth purpose of this research, attacks against shipping vessels at port, in national waters, and on the high seas will be considered piracy if committed with a primarily economic motive. Acts committed from apolitical or ideological motive will be considered terrorist activities. Most recently, an organisation called the Comate Maritime International (CMI), composed of a number of shipping and law enforcement organisations such as the IMB, The Baltic and International Maritime Council, and Interpol, drafted a Model National Law on Acts of Piracy and Maritime Violence, which expands the definition of piracy to include national waters and the high seas (Hawkes 2001). Types of Piracy Pirate attacks also can be categorised according to the location, scope and violence involved. Non-violent hit-and-run attacks are widespread and often unreported. According to Liss (2003)â€Å"the vast majority of pirate attacks today are simple hit-and-run robberies, committed by what can best be described as common sea-robbers† (59). This attack can occur while the ship is in harbour or at anchorage. The IMB would define these attacks as low-level armed robbery. These are usually quick, low sophistication attacks where thieves make off with cash and portable personal valuables. The average theft in this type of attacks between $5,000 and $15,000 US dollars (Chalk 1998). These pirates are typically groups of men from poor areas who have known each other for quite some time, and steal for economic reasons. Outside of ports, these pirates tend to target smaller vessels (Liss 2003). The men will speak on board a ship, usually at night, and take valuables, electronics, the ship’s equipment, or any other easily transportable and saleable item they can find. These raids often last less than thirty minutes, and rarely have any violence, except in the rare instance when a pirate is confronted by one of the crews (Liss 2003). Violent hit-and-run attacks typically target yachts and other smaller vessels on the open sea. These are typically a heavily-armed group with some planning and training involved. Attacks in territorial waters or on the high seas have a higher level of sophistication, and are categorised as medium-level armed robbery by the IMB (Chalk 1998). In these attacks the pirates board the ship and again take any valuable or saleable items. However, they are unafraid to confront the ship’s occupants or crew, and have injured or killed in a number of cases(Liss 2003). In neither of these two types of attacks is the pirate gang organised or sophisticated enough to also consider stealing the boat (Liss 2003). Ship-seizing attacks require a much higher level of planning and sophistication, including participation in some wider crime network in order to be able to move the ship’s cargo and the ship itself quickly. Not surprisingly, these types of attacks are usually carried out by professional pirates funded by syndicates (Liss 2003). In temporary seizures, the pirates board the ship and restrain the crew; on rare occasions they may also be held for ransom. The ship is diverted to safe location and its cargo off-loaded, after which the ship and crew are released (Liss 2003). Pirates in this type of attack typically work from a â€Å"mother ship,† and may also take portable personal valuables (Chalk 1998). In the most violent and sophisticated attacks, permanent seizures, the ship itself is hijacked at sea, considered a major criminal hijack byte IMB (Chalk 1998). The crew may be abandoned at sea, but in many of these instances they are simply killed. These attacks usually occur in busy narrow shipping channels, and often at night (Langeweische 2003). The ship is typically repainted and its name changed. It then becomes what is called a phantom ship, changing its name and flag regularly(Liss 2003). Permanent seizures occur almost exclusively in the FarEast (Liss 2003). The phantom ship may be used as a pirate ship, but is more often used for a sophisticated type of robbery (Liss 2003). The ship takes on aloud of cargo for a legitimate business, but both the ship and the cargo disappear. The legitimate business loses both its cargo and the shipping fees it invested, and the thieves sell the cargo on the black market, paint the ship and change its name, and repeat the process(Langeweische 2003). A convincing phantom ship can draw in shippers and reroute their cargo quickly, often making up to pounds 30 million a year (Lewis, M. 2004). A Historical Perspective When most people think of piracy, they do so from a historical perspective. Blackbeard, Captain Kidd and their compatriots, swashbuckling, sword-carrying figures aboard tall ships with patches over one eye, supposedly once looted and pillaged the high seas and buried their treasure on deserted islands. In reality, however, piracy has historically been tied to national political and economic concerns. There is evidence that this continues today (Langeweische2003). The â€Å"pirates† in Southeast Asia during the colonisation period, for example, typically undertook slave raiding and robbery activities to strengthen and with the support of their local chiefdoms or sultanates. What the colonising powers considered piracy was seen by locals as state-sponsored means of enriching the local community at foreign powers’ expense (Liss 2003). In the early 1800s, pirates in the Mediterranean were supported by the Barbary States of northern Africa, but primarily for economic gain Loft and Koran 2004). These pirates would typically take over merchant ships and demand ransom for their crews. The United States responded with the Barbary Wars, which eventually successfully addressed the piracy problem with military intervention (Loft and Koran 2004). In various times of economic downturn, particularly when the economic difficulties were localised in areas near popular shipping channels, piracy has historically increased. Piracy experienced a surge with the opening of the Americas, and later Australia (North 1968). On the Atlantic Ocean, these were typically rogue European ships operating for personal profits. However, local residents of Africa, South America, and Asia have also been historically inclined to piracy at various periods. The important historical conclusion from a study of such activity is that piracy rose substantially in and around areas experiencing economic difficulty and which cargo-laden ships passed through, and decreased with economic upturn (North 1968). In recent decades oil shipments have been an increased target of pirates, particularly during periods of high crude prices. For example, tankers were frequently attacked in the Strait of Hormuzduring the mid-1980s (Loft and Koran 2004). As shipments were rerouted and insurers began to pull out from ships in the area, global oil prices were effected. Shipping in the Persian Gulf dropped by almost twenty-five present, and was not restored until the United States intervened, sending military vessels to regain order in the region(Loft and Koran 2004). The decade of the 1990s was also a historical turning point in the piracy saga. Worldwide piracy tripled over the period, escalating from just over one hundred annually in the beginning of the decade to a high of 469 in 2000 (Halloran 2003). Geographically, piracy was high in the early 1990s in the Malacca Straights, but increased policing in the1993 to 1995 period reduced incidences there. The area again fell victim to a high number of attacks in the closing years of the decade(Anon 2005). Piracy also developed from its random, unorganised thievery practise in the late 1800s and much of the 1900s, to sophisticated and highly trained criminal activity, facilitated by the increased number in crime syndicates and terrorist groups becoming involved in piracy activities (Anon 2005b). Many pirates joined â€Å"organized crime syndicates comprising corrupt officials, port workers, hired thugs, and businessmen,† developing into sophisticated networks that could gain intelligence on particular ships, plan attacks, and dispose of the stolen property or ships (Loft and Koran 2004, 68). The problem was compounded by the gross underpayment of maritime security in high piracy (and typically economically depressed) areas throughout the 1990s, who become more susceptible to bribes and in some cases even took part in piracy attacks (Loft and Koran 2004). Piracy Today Piracy today is a global disaster. Statistics on piracy do not accurately paint the current picture. As many as half of attacks are estimated to go unreported (Anon 2005b). Ship owners are reluctant to detain their ships to participate in an investigation, as doing so costs them significant loss. Incidents of piracy can also make it more difficult for them to recruit high-quality crew members (Clark 2004). Reporting piracy would also cause an increase in their insurance premiums, often costing more in the long-term than simply absorbing the loss (Armstrong 2004). â€Å"Since many shipping companies do not report incidents of piracy, for fear of raising their insurance premiums and prompting protracted, time-consuming investigations, the precise extent of piracy is unknown â€Å" (Loft and Koran 2004, 64). Various international and shipping organisations make the attempt, however, and can at least document trends in piracy events that are reported. Both attacks and their violence are reported to be on theorise. International Maritime Bureau, in its annual piracy report, recorded 325 piracy attacks and thirty deaths in 2004, a decrease in attacks (from 445) but increase in deaths (from 21) in 2003 (Anon2005b). â€Å"The number of seafarers taken hostage last year almost doubled to 359, while 311 ships were boarded and 19 vessels hijacked†(Akbar 2004, 27). Armstrong (2004) similarly lists piracy as growing at twenty present annually. Armed attacks increased by nearly fifty present in 2003, with the death count more than doubled from 2002(Akbar 2004). 644 incidents of violence to crews were reported overall, including six on UK-flagged ships and twenty-one on vessels owned or managed from the UK (Akbar 2004). These attacks tend to be clustered in and near some of the busiest Third World ports, particularly off the shores of Indonesia, Malaysia and Nigeria(Mihailescu 2004, Halloran 2003). In two incidents receiving high media coverage in the UK, pirates executed Sir Peter Blake, the Greenpeace activist, off the coast of Brazil in 2002. Alan MacLean was similarly killed by pirates off the coast of Somalia during an adventure-related trip (Akbar 2004). The financial impacts are huge. Loft and Koran (2004) report a loss of ships, loss of cargo, and increased insurance costs the shipping industry in excess of sixteen billion US each year. This trainslates to a weekly cost of pounds 300m per week (Akbar 2004, Reynolds 2003). As much as 10 billion US of this loss is to the insurance industry alone, with the true amount being significantl y higher due to underreporting (Crawford 2004). Pirates today are additionally too broad a group to truly generalise. However, technological advances have allowed pirates to become better equipped and have greater information as to their targets, which contributes to an increased number of attacks on larger ships (Lewis. 2004). In addition, the end of the Cold War has reduced the number of sea patrols in certain areas of the world while simultaneously making a tremendous volume of weapons and munitions available on the black market, often at relatively inexpensive prices (Armstrong 2004). Meanwhile, exponential in global trade has greatly increased the amount of highly valuable and saleable goods moving across the seas. This combination of more to steal, less policing, and greater easy in theft has led to a significant rise in piracy activity (Liss 2003). Attempts to regulate shipping have led to the development of the flags of convenience problem. The practice began after World War II, but did not become widespread or a problem in the international maritime community until the 1990s (Langewiesche 2004). A number of impoverished countries, such as Malta, Panama, and Liberia, began to sell their flags for a fee, with little concern for the legitimacy of the ship’s owners (Loft and Koran 2004). This allowed ship owners to literally choose under which country’s laws they wanted to sail their ship, regardless of their home port of call (Liss 2003). Today, according to Langewiesche (2004), â€Å"no one pretends that a ship comes from the home port painted on its stern† (50). This has greatly facilitated the operation of phantom ships, previously described. The massive Tsunami that devastated much of the South Asian coast in December 2004 has had a particular impact on piracy. It is believed many pirate syndicates and individual pirate groups lost ships in the disaster, as did many legitimate ship owners. In addition, changes to the Malacca Straights have reduced shipping in the region and left piracy there almost non-existent (Bangs erg 2005). It will be of note to see if piracy rebounds as issues with passage through the Straights are resolved, or whether piracy increases in some other area or areas. Terrorism: The New Threat On top of all the above, groups operating from a political motive, terrorists, have entered the piracy trade. Following September 11,terrorism has become a worldwide concern. The maritime community had already experienced a number of terrorist actions and threats, such as when Islamic militants bombed the side of the Cole, an American warship, in 2000 (Anon 2004). Since 9/11, the Limburg, a French oil tanker, has been similarly bombed, while â€Å"Abu Soya, a terrorist outfit from the southern Philippines, claimed responsibility for bombing a ferry in Manila Bay earlier this year† (Anon 2004). While most countries can provide at least reasonable protection for land targets, â€Å"the super-extended energy umbilical cord that extends by sea to connect the West and the Asian economies with the Middle East is more vulnerable than ever† (Loft and Koran 2004, 64). Ninety perceptive the world’s trade is transported via ship, with 4,000 slow and difficult to defend tanker ships moving sixty present of the world oil supply. These ships have little or no protection, and are frequently alone on open water with nowhere to hide (Loft and Koran 2004). Current International Maritime Organization regulations prevent firearms on vessels, even for self-protection, leaving ships’ crews to face terrorist and pirate threats with spotlights and high-powered firehouses (Mihailescu 2004). Interestingly, Russian and Israeli ships ignore the IMO regulations, allowing their crewmembers to be armed, and subsequently have a lower incident of successfully attacks from either pirates or terrorists (Loft and Koran 2004). As Armstrong (2004) contends, â€Å"the world economy relies on the seamless delivery of trade via the worlds seaways† (7). This gives the terrorist threat immediate international implications. The international community has attempted to address terrorist concerns with acts such as the International Ship and Port Security Code, implemented in July 2004, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, and the Container Safety Initiative. However, the terrorist threat remains â€Å"a function of the terrorists will, the terrorist’s capability, and the targets perceived importance† (Armstrong 2004). Terrorists are separated from pirates by motive. While pirates attack for purely economic reasons, terrorist groups strike for political or ideological reasons, sometimes with economic considerations an additional cause (Anon 2005). â€Å"Unlike the pirates of old, whose sole objective was quick commercial gain, many of todays pirates are maritime terrorists with an ideological bent and a broad political agenda† (Loft and Koran 2004). There is, of course, a connection. Terrorists sometimes act as pirates, usually to finance their political or ideological activities. â€Å"Pirates claiming to be members of the Free Aceh Movement, who take ships crews hostage for ransom, have started to blur the lines between terror and piracy† (Hand 2004, 5). They show no interest in the ship or its cargo, but simultaneously achieve economic gains while embarrassing the government they oppose (Hand2005). In addition, as pirates become more sophisticated, they may be through their very success revealing to the terrorists where opportunities for successful destruction exist (Anon 2005). â€Å"Terrorism is imitative and adaptive, learning from other groups and wider trends† (Armstrong 2004,7). In addition, â€Å"the apparent lack of concrete evidence linking pirates and terrorism has not stopped senior Singapore government officials from publicly making this link on a number of occasions†(Hand 2004, 5). One possible terrorist target is blocking a major shipping lane. Six major shipping channels geographically lend themselves to such an attack (Armstrong 2004). The Malacca Straights are considered the most vulnerable, as the area suffers from lack of funds for policing by its littoral nations yet carries as much as one-third of the world’s total trade and one-half of the world’s oil supply (Anon 2005). â€Å"One ship sunk in a strategic right spot has the potential to block much of the Straight and cripple world trade† (Anon 2004, 37). Fourteen present of world trade moves through the Suez Canal, with the Panama Canal, thebe-el-Man dab, and the Strait of Gibraltar also carrying significant percentages of world trade. All are narrow, busy channels where well-planned terrorist strike could partially or completely block passage (Armstrong 2004). The Strait of Hormuz, connecting the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, is only two kilometres at its most narrow point, yet accounts for over fifteen million barrels of oil transport daily(Loft and Koran 2004). One well-placed scuttle could physically block these channels, crippling trade, as could refusal of insurance carriers to cover vessels in the area, if the terrorist situation became too severe(Armstrong 2004). Either would have devastating global economic impact. Oil and raw materials would be blocked, soon crippling manufacturing and transportation industries. Targeting energy infrastructure is increasingly recognised as terrorist intention. â€Å"Indecent years, terrorists have targeted pipelines, refineries, pumping stations, and tankers in some of the worlds most important energy reservoirs, including Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen† (Loft 2004). â€Å"Given al-Qaedas understanding of the sensitivity of Western economies to the price of oil, the oil and gas industry represents particularly tempting target, where a single terrorist incident could have a huge ripple effect† (Armstrong 2004). The damage would be heightened by today’s just-in-time logistics systems. Companies reduced inventories and capital structures, made possible by international outsourcing and trade, would cause an almost immediate shortage of some goods (Armstrong 2004). This would be compounded if multiple attacks were to occur on vulnerable shipping conduits simultaneously. Terrorists could also hijack ships and make them into floating bombs, which in addition to closing a shipping lane could be deployed against ports, oil refineries, or other critical infrastructures (Anon 2004). Last year in Singapore, supposed pirates hijacked a chemical tanker in the Malacca Straights, and then abandoned the ship after only an hour, fuelling speculation that terrorists were practising for a just such an attack (Anon 2004). This could cause severe damage, also with global impact in the case of a major port of oil refinery, in addition to having a potential devastating environmental impact on the targeted area. The threats â€Å"posed by the environmental impact of a deliberate tanker spill or a gas or chemical tanker being used as a floating bombard sobering yet very real scenarios (Crawford 2004, 9). Case Study: The Malacca Straights The Malacca Straights will be considered in this case study in inspire-December 26, 2004 condition. The channel was devastated by the earthquake and Tsunamis in the region. Several thousand navigational aids have shifted out of position, and at least two deep areas of the channel have filled in dramatically, with one previously over 1,000metres deep now only thirty metres (Bangs erg 2005). Old wrecks were also shifted and joined by ships downed by the waves, which will all need to be charged, and possibly moved or salvaged. London’s International Maritime Organisation is partnering with the United States to re-chart the area and plan for any needed channel modifications, with complete re-charting and dredging where necessary expected to last at least a year (Bangs erg 2005). The Malacca Strait is to the south and west of Singapore and Malaysia, north of Indonesia. It is a narrow channel, approximately 900kilometres long; at one point it narrows to less than two kilometres wide. (Anon 2005, Anon 2004). Over twenty-five present of total world trade, half of the global oil transport, and nearly two-thirds of the international supply of liquefied natural gas pass through the Straight(Loft and Koran 2004). Last year the Straight recorded over 62,000passages, including 3,300 crude oil tankers and 3,280 natural gas carriers (Hand 2004). Other freighters carry a variety of deadly substances, such as nuclear waste from Japan headed for European reprocessing facilities. The majority of the raw materials for China’s extensive manufacturing activities and products for its growing economy move through the Straight (Loft and Koran 2004). According to the IMB, the Strait of Malacca is the most dangerous shipping passage in the world (Hand 2004). The Strait is â€Å"almost entirely made up of territorial waters belonging to the three littoral states† (Hand 2004). This has been a historical point of collapse in addressing piracy in the region, as only recently have these three countries been able to coordinate activities to address shipping safety. In addition, while Malaysia and Singapore are better of financially than Indonesia, none of the countries has the full range of resources needed to confront the problem (Anon 2004). The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been unable to promote cooperation and a common strategy to deal with piracy in the area, and Indonesia and Malaysia have strongly rejected offers from the United States to dispatch the US Navy to patrol the area (Halloran 2003, Anon2004, Lewis, L. 2004). Of the three countries, Indonesia has done the least to fight piracy. However, it is not surprising that in such an economically disadvantaged country piracy is far down on its list of priorities. â€Å"The vast majority of shipping it is being asked to protect provides noneconomic benefit for the country† (Hand 2004, 5). In addition, Indonesia has faced significant political turmoil. The simultaneous political and economic crises have left the country unable to address piracy adequately, even if it wanted to (Armstrong 2004). The Indonesian Navy was dispatched to combat piracy near Singapore at that country’s insistence, but in the long-term â€Å"Indonesia lacks both the resources and the political will to maintain security across the entire length of the strait; it is a poor country with deep economic and political problems† (Hand 2004). The Indonesian navy is nearly bankrupt and has, at best estimate, perhaps twenty seaworthy boats appropriate for use on patrol. With these resources they attempt to guard the waters surrounding nearly 17,000 islands (Anon 2004). Singapore and Indonesia attempted to work bilaterally on the problem in the 1990s, but coordination disintegrated (Chalk 1998). Malaysia has been more aggressive in addressing piracy. Pre-Tsunami, the government even planned to enhance security with a24-hour radar system covering its areas in the Straight (Anon 2005a). The IMB credits Malaysian vigilant policing and anti-piracy activities as directly leading to the drop in piracy at the western end of the Straight. In 2000, seventy-five attacks were reported in that area, but by 2002 the number had dropped to sixteen (Halloran 2003). Unfortunately this number was tempered by increased attacks in the eastern areas of the Straight, such as the area above the impoverished Indonesian Port Clang, where the sea lanes initially widen (Anon 2004). Following this success, Singapore joined with Malaysia to launch anoint offensive. Seventeen ships were dispatched by the two countries to hunt pirates and terrorists in the Malacca Straight. The countries-ordinated patrols, allowing suspect ships to be pursued across national sea boundaries (Lewis, L. 2004). This led to a further decrease in pirate activity throughout the Straight. However the Indonesian waters of the Straight continue to report the highest number of pirate attacks globally, although the number has dropped from 121 in 2003 to 93 in 2004 (Anon 2005b). Thesis more than twenty-five present of pirate activity worldwide (Anon2005b). Indonesians had recently joined with Malaysia and Singapore,pre-Tsunami, to address piracy. The countries have agreed to allow each other’s policing and patrol ships to pursue suspected pirates and terrorists into each other’s waters (Lewis, L. 2004). While each country remains responsible for its own section of the Straight, any reported pirate or terrorist activity will be immediately reported to cooperating the other countries, allowing for multi-national response where needed (Lewis, L. 2004). Armstrong (2004) points out that increases in piracy typically follow economic crises, and â€Å"flourish in a political / security vacuum†(7). â€Å"The growth in incidents in the Malacca Strait, for example, follows the Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s† (Armstrong 2004,7). Ideologically, the Muslim religion remains prominent in the region. This has encouraged Muslim extremists to establish bases near the Straight, from which they attack ships for political or economic gain (Kokand 2004). The recent natural disasters in the region have only intensified economic and political problems. It is therefore unlikely that the Straight will remain pirate-free once the Tsunami effects on the shipping lanes are dealt with, unless the economic and political instabilities of the region, particularly in Indonesia, are addressed. Case Study: Nigeria The high seas and territorial waters off the coast of Nigeria are another hotbed of pirate and terrorist activity. The country is on the western coast of Africa, bordered to the north and west by Benin and Cameroon, and to the south by the Gulf of Guinea (Nigeria 2005). The river Niger flows through Nigeria to its delta in the gulf. The county is Africa’s most populous, but the vast majority of Nigerians live at below-poverty levels, surviving through subsistence farming (Anon2004b). Petroleum and petroleum products account for ninety-five present of the nation’s exports, making departing tankers a prime target for pirates and terrorist groups (Nigeria 2005). The Nigerian government has been going through massive changes. Constitution was enacted in 1999 following sixteen years of corrupt and poorly managed military rule (Nigeria 2005). Agricultural productivity has plummeted, causing what was once one of Africa’s leading agricultural producers to import food supplies. The economy has been allowed to become over-reliant on petroleum, without the creation of diverse economic interests or investment in infrastructure (Nigeria2005). Nigeria is home to over 250 ethnic people groups, leading to religious and ethnic dissention within the country (Nigeria 2005). While not having as high an incidence of strikes as the Malacca Straight, attacks in the region are significantly more violent (Clark2004). In the first half of 2004, Nigeria had thirteen attacks, compared with fif

Dbq: Us Constitution

From 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation failed to provide the United States with an effective government. It acted as though a loose confederation, or â€Å"firm league of friendship. † The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government that linked the thirteen states in common problems such as foreign affairs, and a judicial arm. Although, there was no executive branch, which meant no leader to enforce laws. Also, the Congress was weak (it was designed that way), and therefore the government could merely advocate and appeal.The United States faced two main problems: the lack of the central government’s power, and its inability to collect and/or create revenue. Each state was in fact not very coherent with the central government. Nor were the states coherent with each other. The states possessed more control than the central government, as the Articles of Confederation forbade the government to command, coerce, or control. It could not act directly upon the individual citizens of sovereign states. Also, the government could only recommend laws, taxes, and other pieces of legislation to a state.Most often, when the government advocated for a law to be passed in a certain state, the state would reject the recommendation, like Rhode Island had done in 1782 (Doc. A). Moreover, the central government had no power to regulate commerce. This is due to how reluctant the states were to hand over control of taxation and commerce, after they had just won it from Great Britain. Without a central power to control these two aspects of the economy, the states were free to establish different, and often conflicting laws regarding tariffs and navigation. This led states to become only farther apart from each other, rather than more unified.Additionally, despite the weak, unsuccessful government, to make any change to the Articles of Confederation required unanimous ratification. Unanimity was near impossible, meaning that the Articles could ne ver be amended. With a government this weak, people would lose confidence in it, and won’t realize the benefit of the liberty they won from the British (Doc. G). Next, the Articles of Confederation failed to allow the central government to collect revenue. In addition to the central government already being weak, it could not effectively collect taxes.Congress, dealing with a large war debt, could not even pay its own soldiers their promised money (Doc. C). Congress needed some form of revenue to get out of debt, so it established a tax quota for each of the states. It then asked each of them to contribute to their share on a voluntary basis. The government, lacking a president (executive branch), had no way to enforce this tax. Congress was lucky if they received one-fourth of their desired tax amount. Furthermore, Congress could not tax trade or any commerce; as for they did not set the regulations for it.Despite not fully â€Å"paying federal taxes†, states still sc rambled to get money, and some ended up having to foreclose farms of debtors. Events like this in Massachusetts (along with the high taxes issued by the state), caused Shays’s Rebellion. This was occurred when a group of debtors demanded that the state issue paper money, lighten taxes, and suspend property takeovers. Even though the rebellion was crushed, it was a sign that in order for the United States to survive, a new constitution with a stronger federal government must be created.With a government so weak and ineffective, it is clear that the United States could not survive without a new constitution. This is evident through the lack of the central government’s power, and its inability to generate revenue. As time went by, more and more people began to realize this, which soon began the pursuit of the U. S. Constitution. Therefore, it is obvious that from 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation did not provide the United States with an effective government. (Am erican Pageant was textbook used)