Agent Orange Essays (1013 words) - Aftermath Of The Vietnam War

Agent Orange In 1962, the United States Military began to use a potentially toxic chemical known as Agent Orange. The toxic chemical was used a defoliant to destroy crops and eliminate ground cover during the Vietnam War. Vietnamese troops would hide underneath the thick forest and make it impossible for United States troops to spot them. So in 1962 the Army began using Agent Orange as a way of eliminating that problem. The government had very little knowledge about the deadly chemical but went ahead and used it anyway. They had no idea of the disastrous long-term effects that it would have on men, women and children. But the hardest group hit by the chemical was not Vietnamese civilians but United States troops. In 1962, Project Ranch Hand was being deployed all over Vietnam. The idea was to destroy the forest on the battle field and make it easier for the United States troops to see the Vietnamese soldiers. The term ?agent orange? was given to the chemical because of the bright orange canisters that it was stored in. (Online, Mar 27. 1999) The orange canisters were used to distinguish the chemicals in the warehouses so that they would not be confused with anything else. During the Vietnam War, 11.2 million gallons of Agent Orange were used as defoliants throughout Vietnam and Southeast Asia. (Online, lewispublishing, Mar 27. 1999) Approximately 2.6 million United States soldiers served in South Vietnam and nearby areas during the war. (Online, lewispublishing, Mar 27. 1999) As the planes would drop the massive amounts of Agent Orange onto Vietnam, United States soldiers would unknowingly walk to certain disaster. The deadly chemical affected everyone from ground troops to pilots to seamen. The hardest hit of course were the ground troops. In some cases the defoliant was dropped almost right on top of them while in the field. At that time they may have had some idea that it might be potentially hazardous but they were not certain. As the soldiers were carrying out their orders they would inevitably breathe in the toxic fumes. The chemical would be sprayed over huge areas sometimes in a 10-mile radius destroying everything in its path. Through out the Vietnam War soldiers were beginning to complain of severe medical problems. The army was not certain of the causes but believed them to be from the people of Vietnam or the surrounding areas. By 1968, the United States army had received an estimated 4,000 reports of unexplainable illnesses. Many scientists became suspicious and began to conduct experiments to find out the causes of these illnesses. They came up with many different explanations for the sicknesses but the most important one was Agent Orange. The United States Military heard the conclusions of the tests and in 1971 decided to discontinue the use of Agent Orange forever. Between the spring of 1962 and 1971, 19 million gallons of defoliant chemicals had been dropped all over Vietnam destroying millions upon millions of acres of forest and contaminating thousands of soldiers and civilians. (Isserman, America at War 89) The period between 1971 and 1974 was a disaster. Some 15,000 veterans filed reports of Agent Orange related illnesses. Some of the illnesses are as followed: chloracne, soft-tissue sarcoma, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's disease, acute peripheral neuropathy, subacute peripheral neuropathy, porohyria cutanea tarda (PCT), respiratory cancers (lung, larynx, trachea, broncus) and prostate cancer. (Bender + Dudley, The Vietnam War 157) The most common illnesses were the different types of cancer. More soldiers were diagnosed with the many types of cancers then any other illnesses. Vietnam Veterans are not required to prove exposure to Agent Orange. The VA just presumes that all military personnel who served within Vietnam were exposed to Agent Orange. (Online, Mar 29. 1999) Even though military personal were exposed to Agent Orange that does not mean they all contracted a disease at all. My father was in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. He said that he saw Agent Orange being dropped almost everyday. He witnessed first hand the destruction that it caused on the forests and land. He did not come in direct contact with the chemical but he did see fellow soldiers come down with different diseases during his time. He's

Terrorism in Peru essays

Terrorism in Peru essays Peru has been plagued by terrorist groups for decades. Recent crackdowns under the leadership of President Alberto Fujimori reduced terror-related incidents and decreased the efficacy of previously prominent groups including the Shining Path and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement: two of the most notorious and powerful Peruvian terrorist organizations. However, a 2002 car bomb near the United States embassy in the Peruvian capital has reignited fears of terrorist uprisings in the nation. Neither Shining Path nor Tupac Amaru has any known ties to al-Qaeda and their efforts and casualties remain primarily isolated to the nation of Peru. Moreover, Shining Path and Tupac Amaru remain ideologically opposed: the former is formed on Maoist communist principles whereas the latter retains ties to Cuban-style Marxist communism. Support for the terrorist organizations is weak within Peru, but their communist ideology appeals to many impoverished peasant farmers in rural regions of the natio n. One potential reason for the minimal but continual support for terrorist groups in Peru is their control of the drug trade; some of Perus farmers have profited from cooperation with black market interests. The staunch political and ideological differences between Shining Path and Tupac Amaru ensure the fragmentation of the Peruvian terrorist networks but fears of rebellion remain poignant political issues within the entire region. The American media might not rate the Peruvian groups as central targets in war on terror but any uprising could trigger concern. Militancy has been the hallmark of both Shining Path and Tupac Amaru, especially during the 1980s when their terrorist activities reached a peak. Together, the two groups have been responsible for tens of thousands of deaths and billions of dollars of property damages in Peru (Terrorism). Yet the Shining Path and Tupac Amaru differ significantly in their goals, their h...

History US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

History US - Essay Example By 1939, the US unemployment still exceeded 20%. The New Deal also raised taxes such that entrepreneurs became discouraged from investing more. As such, the New Deal failed to end the Great Economic Depression. When World War II started, America hesitated to join until 1942, when about 12 million soldiers were sent overseas to fight alongside the allies to defeat Adolf Hitler. Back home in the US, about 15 million people were employed in the manufacturing of military weapons, machines and equipment. Folsom (2010) and Bohanon (2012) agree that this is the most significant moment of the New Deal because it created more jobs than ever. Many Americans got employed either in the army or the military industry. This again provided an opportunity for production to increase in the US, hence boost the economy. Unfortunately, the produced weapons were not being used by civilians at home. They were sent overseas to be used in the war field. Even the soldiers themselves could not eat weapons. They needed bread, homes and sustainable jobs. On the other hand, taxes were still high such that what people earned could not suffice. As such, life still remained miserable and the quest to end the Economic Depr ession was far from reality. According to Folsom (2010), towards the end of the war, in 1944, President Roosevelt started preparing for the post war economic recovery. He drew his vision but died six months before the war ended and before he could implement his post-war America agenda. His successor, Harry Truman, wanted Roosevelt’s agenda implemented but the opposition (Congress) refused vehemently and opted for the opposite. Finally they agreed to totally deviate from the New Deal and adopt a totally new Recovery plan which included the following: no federal program for health care, no full-employment act; only limited federal housing; and no increase in minimum wage or social security benefits. Instead, the

Essentials for good customer service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Essentials for good customer service - Essay Example Listen to your customers carefully .There is nothing more exasperating than telling someone about your problem and what you require and then discover that he hasn't been paying attention and you will need to explain again. Let your customer know that you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as saying 'Alright' and 'I understand' and suggesting how to solve the problem. Remember to make eye contact and listen with a genuine interest. Deal with complaints. No one likes to hear complaints but you should always try to solve it yourself instead of saying that you cannot assist him in anyway or sending him to the manager .Become an active listener and don't try to dominate the conversation, instead say "I apologize" and "I am sure we can find a solution to your problem." If you give the complaint your attention, you may be able to please him and position yourself to reap the benefits of good customer service such as creating good relations with people and improving your reputation as a skilled worker in your store. Make the information that your customers want easily available to them. When a customer comes to you with a query on an item, try to give him all the information verbally rather than handing him a brochure with all relevant information. People always prefer to shop at places where they can find their required items and necesarry information easily . Treat every customer like... Remember that satisfying customers is the main aim of your profession so treat them with importance and respect. Do not try to attach yourself personally to the customers but make then feel that they are valuable to you and to do that, you must believe it yourself and then put that belief into action. Whatever you do, don't interrupt the customer while he is speaking, this will make him feel offended. Incase you interrupt, apologize and ask them to continue. Take the extra step. For example, a customer approaches you and asks for a product, instead of just giving him the directions on where to find it by saying "You will find it in Aisle 5", go with him yourself and show him the desired product. You should wait and see if he has any queries or further needs and make sure it is the exact product that he truly requires. You can guide him to the product which best fits his description of the desired object. If you want to provide good customer service, make sure to do this. They may not ask you for this service, but customers notice this extra effort and will let others know about it. Throw in something extra. Provide you customer with free extra information while deciding on a product or give him directions on how to use it with polite and friendly gestures. People love to get more than they thought they were getting. These small gestures make a massive impact and are highly appreciated by the customer. He won't be able to think of any other place to go when he requires to buy something about which he is not very certain. Don't make things complicated for your customer. For instance, if your customer requires a certain item, don't make him talk to different salespersons in almost every aisle. By doing this, you are

Putin And Yeltsin Foreign Policy Applications Politics Essay

Putin And Yeltsin Foreign Policy Applications Politics Essay Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin who was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999 and Vladimir Putin who served as the second President of the Russian Federation from 2000 to 2008 had similarities and differences in their foreign policy implementations. Yeltsin was dealing with chaotic economic conditions and a decreasing public support and failing reforms inside, while his successor Putin benefited from economic rise, rising oil prices and successful domestic reforms. Different conjunctures had different reflections in the Russian foreign policy of the presidents. In this paper, firstly, I tried to describe the conditions that Putin and Yeltsin encountered, then I made a comparison between the two leader in their foreign policy applications. Background In 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Russia lost control over 5.3 million km2 of territory and 139 million citizens which included over 17% of the ethnic Russian population. Invaluable natural resources, historical and cultural sights, and some of the most advanced Soviet military infrastructure and equipment were also out of Moscows reach.  [1]  The world politics has turned to unipolarity from bipolarity. Russia was restricted with a shrinking economy and transition policies to free market economy. Moscow was in a disastrous chaotic economic situation after the collapse of communism. The Russian economy fell dramatically; experiencing goods shortages in 1991 and 2500% hyperin ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ation in 1992. In the 1990s, the dynamics of Russian foreign policies shifted considerably. In the Yeltsin era, Russia gradually withdrew from its global military and political role to focus its foreign policy on the transformation of the former superpower relationship with the United States and its relationship with Europe, and on the development of relations with the other states immediately on its borders.  [2]  But Russia lost the capacity to continue providing financial aids to the other states of the former Soviet Union and thus to maintain its economic attraction.  [3]  At the same time, there were NATO expansion and new European Union memberships were being made among nations of the former Soviet bloc in Eastern Europe. There was again the threat of dissolution of Russian territory. US led international investment started to get advantage of economic spaces in energy sector in the Caspian Basin in Central Asia. Russias economy deteriorated more badly when devolution occurred in 1998 . Russian energy power declined in the late 1980s and 1990s, due to low oil prices, the dislocations of the collapse of the USSR, and the privatization of many oil companies. Oil production decreased from 600 to 300 million tons per year between 1990 and 1995. However, Russias ample resources and extensive network of pipelines ensured that its petro-power was ready to re-emerge under President Putin.  [4]   After a noticeable decline under Yeltsin (starting from Gorbachev), the Putin era saw a resurgence of Russian power. Putin focused on recovery after a great economic depression. Russia, having the world largest energy resources, benefited positively from the increasing energy prices due to prevailing international concern about energy security, instability in the Middle East since 1999. This increase in prices gave great support to the Russian economy. Since 1999, Russias annual GDP growth was averaged between 6 and 7 percent. The government boasted a healthy budget surplus and record currency reserves.  [5]   Since 2000, having the advantage of improving economic power which was in chaotic condition in Yeltsin era, Putin started to use soft power to influence neighboring states to implement its regional policies and he also evaded from using its military power to ensure its geopolitical position. Russia has turned itself from a dead military superpower into a new energy superpower in Putin Era by using soft power. Energy revenues no longer supported a massive military-industrial complex as they did in the Soviet period. As Fiona Hill underlines, new oil wealth has been turned more into butter than guns. Russian natural gas, technology, culture, consumer goods, and job opportunities became a Russian power in Ukraine, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.  [6]  And energy-rich countries like Kazakhstan benefited from the same oil price increase as Russia. As Eurasian economies started to recover and grow, Russias neighbors began to look to it as a market for their exports.  [7]  Since then dependency on Russia grew increasingly. The emergence of new transnational threats to US and Western interests, especially terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and the Middle East, shifted international priorities. It was also evident that, with the notable exception of the three Baltic states, none of the other states of the former Soviet Union was likely to be a viable candidate for membership of either NATO or the EU in the near term.  [8]   Similarities in Foreign Policy Implementations Russia doesnt want world domination as it did in Soviet times, but plan to rebuild itself as a great power. Russian foreign policy implementation of both presidents is different from Soviet Era and Tsarist Era policies. For Moscow, in general Eurasian politics are no longer priority. Ideology doesnt exist and military power is hardly appealing. Multipolarity is a key concept of Russias foreign policy both in Yeltsin and Putin era, which aims to secure Russian position as a great power on the world arena and to help to keep the balance of power. Russia is a member of the Mediator Quartet for the Israel- Palestine conflict along with the United States, the United Nations and the EU, and it has become a participant in the six-nation talks concerning North Koreas nuclear programme with the USA, South Korea, China and Japan. Russia has participated in the G-8 summits since 1997, both in two era. Both presidents tried to utilize multipolar staretegy in their foreign policies. Russia both in Yeltsin era and especially in Putin era, gave special importance to the UN Security Council, where it has a veto right with other 4 powerful member countries in the world politics. Russia within this platform opposed to the invasion of Iraq which was brought to the table by United States. In addition, Russia accepted the US intervention in Afghanistan in 2001. Cooperation against terrorism with US in Afghanistan improved relations and contributed to the decision to accord Russia a seat on the G-8 and to create the NATO-Russia Council. In order to exert influence and be recognized as a major power, Putin, as Yeltsin before him, relies on so-called strategic partnerships with the most important western states, especially the United States, the only indisputable superpower in the world.  [9]  EU is the main trade partner of Russia. The EU states were Russias main trading partners, and some of them are quite dependent on Russian oil and gas. Russia prefers to develop relations with EU members separately, with Germany, France, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, rather than as a group. In addition, although that Russia left the vision of Common European Home aiming to share common European values which was forwarded by Gorbachev, Europe is still the region where Russia wants to see itself. Judged by any criterion-level of political commitment, economic involvement, and security engagement, human and cultural contacts-Moscows world-view continues to be overwhelmingly Westerncentric.  [10]   Differences in Foreign Policy Implementations Yeltsin, during its presidency, was dealing with chaotic economic conditions and a decreasing public support and failing domestic reforms inside, while his successor Putin benefited from economic rise, rising oil prices and successful domestic reforms. Energy power set a big advantage both in domestic and foreign politics. Putin managed to use it as a foreign policy tool, while being experienced improvements in economies of Russia and Eurasian countries. In Yeltsin era, Russian interests were not purely aiming to enhance regional security but also to restore the post-Soviet space under Russian leadership. Knowing that it was beyond Moscows economic capacity, Yeltsin aimed to build common threat assessments as well as having strong mutual ties between Russia and individual countries. Russian actions during Yeltsin can be better understood as being opportunist. Putin was more pragmatic. Putin ceased to thinking of a new reintegrated Eurasia. Russia became a stronger actor in the international system but had no ambition to reassert itself as a Cold War global power. Putin put Russias sovereign interests as a priority in foreign policy. Putin was also more pragmatic in its assessment of threats than Yeltsin. For Putin, the key threats do not come from the United States, but from terrorist activities and those nations falling behind in economic development. Although the Kremlin is wary of US policies and intentions, it prefers engaging with Western partners rather than the balancing tactics implemented in Yeltsin era.  [11]   Putin gave more importance to the use of soft power in the near abroad which means using cooption rather than coercion in foreign policy. Soft power speaks to people and societies rather than governments and elites.  [12]  The absence of pro-Russian governments in Georgia, Ukraine and elsewhere, the task of mobilising ties amongst peoples, rather than with governments, is seen as especially important for preserving in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence. This is a key lesson learned by the Kremlin from its defeat during the Orange Revolution in Ukraine.  [13]  Russia gave start to policies as a tool of soft power such as spreading of Russian mass media, fostering the use of Russian language, giving financial support to Russian diaspora, increasing economic interdependence and creation of a special department for Interregional and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries at the Kremlin. The Kremlin aimed to integrate Russia into regional structures and processes. Soft power which speaks to people and societies, rather than governments and elites can be divided into three components: political legitimacy, economic interdependence, and cultural values.  [14]  Relating political legitimacy aspect, Russia, in Putin era, was considerably more con ¬Ã‚ dent than the Russia of Boris Yeltsin.  [15]  According to the assessment of Economic Development and Trade Minister GermanGref, the GDP almost tripled from 1999 to 2005 and it continues to grow at the annual pace of 4 6%.  [16]   Putin conducted a marked Asianization of Russian foreign policy. Unlike Yeltsin, for whom Asia served mainly to counterbalance the United States, Putin has pursued closer relations with China, Japan, the Koreas, and the ASEAN member- states both for their own sake and as building blocks in a larger challenge to American unipolarity.  [17]  Ceasing the endeavors to integrate central Asia as a whole, gave importance to bilateral relations. Private sector was used as a soft power. On the February 2003 an agreement were made to create the Common Economic Space with Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, to eliminate trade barriers and provide shared energy transport policies. In the security area, by the foundation of mutual security institution, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2010, Russia strengthened its counter terrorism and security policy in Central Asia with members countries China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. In addition to this, Russia signed an alliance treaty with Uzbekistan In November 2005, concering peace, security and stability in the region. In addition, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia- created the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in 2003, with the aim of  ¬Ã‚ ghting terrorism in the area. The Kremlin stepped up efforts to integrate Russia into regional structures and processes. Bilateral strategic partnerships have been supplemented by membership of, or increasing interaction with, organizations such as APEC, the ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN, the East Asia Summit, and the Organization of Islamic Conference. In the area of economic interdependence, Putin increased its economic presence in the economies of the former Soviet republics. Russia participated in energy privatization in the former Soviet region, and as a result of bilateral negotiations, the Kremlin asserted control over the strategic property and transportation of the former republics. As a result of soft politics conducted by Putin, Turkmenistan has turned out to be an energy partner. Russia obtained the right to be the main electricity provider in Georgia. Russia obtained a nuclear power station and became main gas provider in Armenia. Finally, in the area of cultural values, Putin allocated more financial support for Russian diasporas in the post-Soviet area. For instance, in 2003, the government allocated R210 million towards this goal, and in 2004 such funds grew by 20%. Russia has devised the Russian language federal programme led by Lyudmila Putin, the presidents wife.  [18]   Conclusion Although that the two presidents faced with different conditions during their presidencies, both of them conducted a multilateral and multivectoral policy in the international relations. Their policies were without ideology and they didnt have any ambition of world domination as were in Soviet era. In Putin era, there was a more self-reliant and pragmatic Russia in the foreign policy, who got the benefit of Russian soft power more intensively.

Internet Connecting Point A to Point B Essay

How should an Internet connection be made for the current campus? Why did you select this option over the others? AT&T is the carrier providing service to the existing campus as well as the new campus. Examine the offerings for Internet access to select the one that should be used. (10 points) ST which is made by at&t is the most popular connector for multimode networks, like most buildings and campuses. It has a bayonet mount and a long cylindrical ferrule to hold the fiber. Most ferrules are ceramic, but some are metal or plastic. And because they are spring-loaded, you have to make sure they are seated properly. If you have high loss, reconnect them to see if it makes a difference. 2. How should the existing and new campus locations be connected to each other? (10 points) The Existing campus locations should be connected to each other via fiber optic cable. Fiber optic cables are less expensive, there is less signal degrading, Non-flammable, and last but not least extremely lightweight compares to the competitors. 3. Should the two locations share an Internet connection? (10 points) Yes. Paying for two separate internet connection methods would be pointless for this scenario. Sharing one connection is more cost effective. 4. Compare the advantages, disadvantages, and cost of fiber optic cable, 5 GHz wireless bridges, and free space optics as a means to interconnect the campus buildings to the IT wing of the Administration Building. (10 points) Fiber optic cable is more expensive of hardware and installation overall, but it is the fastest connection currently. Wireless bridges provide wireless connection, however if the proper precautions are not put into place there may be additional interference and signal loss. Free space  optics is perfect for smaller networks and cheap 5. What would be required to interconnect the existing campus and the new campus to each other using fiber optic cable laid within the hiking trail right of way? (10 points) Outdoor cables and enclosures such as Central tubes are definitely necessary.The central tube design consists of one Thermoplastic PBT buffer tube encasing individually colores fibers. These fibers are surrounded by gel for moisture resistance. The central buffer tube is also surrounded by water swellable fiberglass yarn for overall water resistance and added strength. 6. Examine the data shown on the DSL Line Utilization Report found in Doc Sharing. This is a typical bandwidth utilization report for ADSL line used to connect each building on the campus to the Internet. Keeping in mind that there are eight of these DSL lines connecting the campus buildings to the Internet will a higher speed connection be needed when these are consolidated into one connection? (10 points) Yes. A higher speed connection will be needed when everything is consolidated. The Utilization report shows bandwidth but doesn’t take into account the 8 lines. 7. If the two locations share an Internet connection will a single connection suffice for both sites? (10 points) It would be feasible but not comfortable or ideal. Ideally you would want one connection per site.

Eras of Policing

There are three specific periods of policing that the 19th and 20th centuries embraced: political era, reform era, and community era. During the political era (1840s-1930s) the functions of law enforcement were controlled by the local politicians. This era was characterized by five points–authority was coming only from politicians and the law, it was a very broad social service function, the organizational design was decentralized, law enforcement had a very intimate relationship with the community, and there was an increased usage of foot patrol.Authority from politicians posed a problem during this time. Since most of the power was given to politicians the selection of good law enforcement was not a priority. During this era law enforcement wore no type of uniform which made it difficult for citizens to recognize an officer when one was needed. The reform era (1930s-1980s) was the second era in law enforcement. The characteristics of this era recognized the authority coming from the law and professionalism.Crime control became the primary function which made for a more centralized, efficient organization. It also provided the community with a more professional agency that used preventive patrol measures and a more rapid response to crime. During this time a managed hierarchical pyramid of control was established for police officers. When specific problems rose law enforcement created special units to take care of these issues instead of using patrol officers. The third era of law enforcement is the community era (1980s-present).This era is characterized by the authority coming from the support of the community, law, and professionalism. A broad range of services provided a better hold on crime control in the community. Having a decentralized organization gave more authority to patrol officers and let them become more intimate with their community relationships. This era also increased the use of foot patrols and an increased knowledge of problem-solvin g. Law enforcement became more concerned over citizen satisfaction.