Was the system of alliances between European powers the main cause of Essay

Was the system of alliances between European powers the main cause of the first world war - Essay Example Britain and France had recently established treaties that provided for a more efficient use of each country’s navies. Other treaties between England and Belgium securing protection for the latter and France and Russia working toward more harmonious relations had also been established by 1911.2 To gain a true understanding of what caused the Great War, as it was known by its contemporaries, it is necessary to understand some of these alliances particularly in light of the events occurring from 1911 forward which finally brought the world to war. Much of the conflict leading to the Great War can be traced back to Morocco. A stalemate conflict between Germany and France regarding free trade in Morocco in 1905 significantly contributed to the escalation of tension throughout the Eurasian countries as Germany began to threaten violence and the other nations began to recognize signs of serious aggression.3 Armed conflict was avoided when Germany was forced, by the bulking of other nations, to abandon imperialistic intentions and leave Morocco untouched. However, in 1911, an internal issue in Morocco sent that government appealing to France for help. The appeal to France, whom Germany had already fought with earlier, resulted in another, more serious, stand-off. Germany felt that France, by sending an army to Morocco, had violated earlier agreements. Germany’s aggressive military response to France’s presence in Morocco publicly embarrassed France’s more diplomatic government, quickly causing it to be replace d with a more hostile and aggressive government.4 The standoff was settled by allowing France to maintain a protectorate over Morocco in exchange for providing German colonies with land access to the Congo in Africa, thereby providing them with greater trade opportunities. Stirred by the events in Morocco, small wars began to break out between those nations in and around the

Glory Road Film Summary and Analysis

Glory Road Film Summary and Analysis He had always wanted to coach division one basketball but he encountered some problems early on after taking the job. Being a poor university, Texas Western could not afford a lot of money to recruit players, as basketball was not even the priority sport. Determined to win, Don Haskins did what had never happened in the history of college basketball. He recruited seven black players to add to the five white players the team already had. His recruiting quote that he used to persuade the players was, I do not see color, I just see talent and that is what I put on the court. He successfully applied it to get the black players as the good white players never wanted to play for Texas Western and even the other schools did not want the black players as they used to bench them. That was just the start of the hardships that Don Haskins was to face. The other conflict was between teammates who were being forced to work together. The white players did not welcome the black players and some had never seen a black man before. His first task was to unite the players not just for the white players and black players but also among the fellow black players as they had come from different parts of the country. More so the administrators were not happy with the coach for recruiting so many black players. After weeks of hard training and learning fundamental basics of basketball and discipline, the team starts the season with a bang winning all their games. After many undefeated games, their popularity grew but it also gained many enemies who did not look kindly at black players taking over their sport. The team members were victims of hate crimes fueled by the ignorance that face and the population in general felt against black people. One player was attacked and beaten up, their hotel rooms were also broken into and words in blood were written all over their rooms forcing Haskins to acknowledge the racism. That became uncomfortable for the players and they lost the concentration and hence lost their next game. They also blamed their white teammates for being part of the threats and attacks. But this was the start of the strong unity. The coach told them that nobody could take away anything from them that they did not give and that, if they quit now they would have given them what th ey want thus they would have won. So he advised them to shake off the hate and shut them up. After that incident the team recovers and makes it to the final. Following a conversation Don Haskins over heard, he decided to play only the seven black players for the NCAA championship final something that had never happened in the history of college basketball. However the black players defied all odds and went on to win the NCAA championship to set a new trend in college basketball. That years NCAA championship is important because of who played in it. It is hard to believe looking at todays college teams that back in 1966 black players did not play college basketball. Coach Haskins decided to change that. There is a bit of contradiction and hypocrisy portrayed in the movie. At some point regarding coach Don Haskins recruitment of seven black players, it was said that black players do not respond well under pressure, that they are not calm enough or intelligent enough to play without white direction. However regarding the college rules, a team could play three black players if the team is losing. What does this mean? Could it be that the black players were recognized as very good players that you only need them when a team is losing so that the team can recover and win some games? Or that black players were only featured in losing teams? The movie also shows a team of players whose desire and passion to succeed supersedes some of the most grueling and difficult challenges during a period of massive cultural and racial turmoil in the history of the country. The coach always had the desire to win but the last game was more of a social statement than anything else. He wanted to make things right hence he played only the black players. Issues This game was broadcasted on television and it gained a lot of popularity because of the entire road that the players and the coach from Texas Western University had to go through in order to get to the finals. After winning the final game, they gained more than a national title; they won respect and were able to pave the road for future generations regarding the use of black players in a league that was thought to be mainly for white people. We found it incredible to think that so many years after slavery was abolished in the United States, there were still many people that thought of black people as being inferior and were not given their right place in a society. We also liked how this small group of men was able to change the way of thinking of many others and their contribution to our modern society should not be forgotten. Analysis The movie is the perfect example of how sports can be very helpful in some ways and detrimental in others. The detrimental part was the violence experienced by the Texas Western players and coach plus his family. They were a target to violence, discrimination, verbal abuse, death threats and more. Basketball was in a way, promoting this against them. If they had not played basketball they would not have experienced that abuse, at least not at that level. It is also important to note that this violence could have escalated even more if other externalities would have been present. Thankfully this was not the case though, the players came out alive and victorious. The beauty of the sport prevailed, and talent and logic excelled. In this particular case, basketball was helpful as it revolutionized an entire society. This team and the coach, as Coubertin said, became an instrument to transform economy and politics, and this society as a whole. We can think that the incorporation of African Americans to basketball seems only obvious because of their physical characteristics, but back in those years it was not logical at all. They were considered not smart enough, lacking leadership and being weak-willed. It is important to denote that coach Haskins was not trying to change the world or create a revolution, he only wanted to play division basketball against the best teams. Given that, he was left with little or no resources. He went for what was available: raw talent. He was smart by acknowledging that no matter the color of their skins as long as they were good, he could use them. He did the evident and played with the best. A man with no prejudices decided he did not care about what the other people thought, if it was legal he could do it. Sports can do that, bring the best out of people, in this case it did for Don Haskins. The passion for basketball gave him the courage to play with five blacks in the final game. The love for the sport also inspired the players to continue playing and not give up. This is the positive side of sports and if the right conditions are met, sports move, inspire and change the world. In the end of the movie we see how because of that game, Adolph Rupp the coach of the University of Kentucky recruited his first black player in history before stepping down. This shows how even someone so reluctant to the idea of black players, changed his mind. Universities all across the states realized that there was nothing wrong with recruiting black players, and that if any, they were really talented and could help them win championships. As it states in the movie, in 1997 the University of Kentucky hired Tubby Smith, the schools first black head coach who lead them to a National Title the first year. This also proves how the former stereotypes of blacks not being able to lead was completely wrong. Again, basketball helped everybody realize this. As colleges continue recruiting black players, the NBA was able to spot better players and ultimately the entire history of basketball was modified. Society changed, it started accepting and even embracing the idea of watching mixed g ames. The economy changed, by black players being offered more scholarships and even NBA contracts, that social group started acquiring more power. Moreover the outcome became a very strong ground that changed the basketball dynamics in the United States. Prejudices were broken in a great way because of that one game called the most important game in college history, all for this sport. In a way, the final game can be seen as the game against racism. It was subconsciously a game to prove a point. Black players can also play, they can lead, they can think, and they can do every single thing white players could; and they proved it in that game. If Texas Western had lost, we do not know how many years or how much time would have needed to pass for society and rules to change. But they did win, so the game, and the world changed for good and forever. Nowadays basketball is a sport that is predominately played professionally by black players. It is more than normal now to see black players in the NBA, we could not have guessed that before Texas Western and Don Haskins this was not a reality. Talent does not differentiate between race, color, sex or age and at least in this movie and in real life sports contribute to the betterment of the world and the promotion of peace. What is even more impressive is that even today there are still many people that think in a similar way, racial discrimination is a serious problem in many societies. But we were able to appreciate through this film and the re-enactment of the team members, basketball was used as a tool for social change. Different sports can also be used in order to achieve similar changes in the way people think a society. It does not have to necessarily aim at racial discrimination, it can also help to end gang violence, social re-integration in a post conflict zone, or even empowering women. The concept of competitiveness that is inherent in almost every sport draws people together and this gathering of people can be very helpful if correct combinations of strategies are used to achieve the specific goals. We believe that using sports as a tool for peace building can be very effective if used in the correct way. This movie uses breakthrough methods that shook the very foundations of a sport that was overrun by a majority of white players. In situations were the social foundations are so embedded in the peoples mind that revolutionary methods served better to achieve the goal. Using a similar approach, sport can be used, with the aid of different projects, to engage is social turmoils. From gang wars, to nation building in post conflict areas. Direct interaction between opposing party members can create a process of humanization and ultimately decrease tension amongst them. These techniques have already been used in post conflict zones like Rwanda, were UNICEF organized an initiative in the country to introduce sport as a reunification tool in school as a way to recover from the genocide. A similar strategy was used in Colombia, were soccer was used as a way to increase gender equality in the country. Co-ed teams of children were created and no goals would count unless a girl was involved in the play that lead to the goal. Conclusion Glory Road showed that enough exposure and bonding can defeat racism. A team formed out of nothing stood against all challenges and triumphed. The self- discipline and importance of hard work and team work imposed on the team by coach Haskins was portrayed. This marked the beginning of new things to come in the history of USA college basketball. Many doubted, others ridiculed and laughed at the team and coach but i guess you could say they had the last laugh.

Setting and Theme in Barn Burning Essay -- William Faulkner American L

All stories, as all individuals, are embedded in a context or setting: a time, a place, and a culture. In fact, characters and their relationship to others are better understood in a specific context of time, place and atmosphere, as they relate to a proposed theme or central point of a story. Abner is revealed as a sadistic character who confronts his son with the choice of keeping his loyal ties to the family or parting for a life on his own with no familial support. Sarty is Abner's son, a young boy torn by the words of his father and the innate senses of his heart. Sarty is challenged by an internal conflict, he wants to disobey his father, yet he knows that if he leaves he will have nowhere to go and no one to turn to. We will take a look at the setting, specifically the era in which William Faulkner's "Barn Burning" took place. The circumstances surrounding Abner's barn burning also play a crucial role in finding the underlying message or the theme seeing as how it is no t always the obligation of an individual to support another family member when his or her choices do not morally coincide with one's own ethical choices. Setting plays a vital part in establishing the background for the events that take place in any piece of literature. "Barn Burning" was set in the 1930's, a time when the Great Depression produced great social and economic problems among the people of the era. The economy was not stable. National wealth was not spread evenly. Instead, most of the money was in the hands of the wealthy. Lowly farmers like Abner were forced to grow crops as a source of food during this time of unemployment and overpriced goods. Abner had a difficult time providing for his large family, which was why he went abo... ... Sarty could never again return home. Richard Bach put it best when he said, "The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life," which represents Sarty's deviance from his father's wishes. Although everyone was affected by the Great Depression, they did not have to live like savages. Abner could have farmed a larger variety of crop and established a reputable name for himself to become one of the leading salesmen of the area. Sarty was conflicted with keeping his loyalty to his blood ties or leaving. Sarty made an intelligent choice of disobeying his father and abandoning his family for a legitimate life on his own, one in which he did not have to steal, destroy, or lie to live a meager life. Sarty probably left in hopes of some day becoming like Major de Spain, a man of intelligence and wealth.

American Dream Is Still Alive

American Dream is Still Alive My whole life I grew up believing that there is such thing as the American Dream. The last couple years my faith in that has been tested for sure. Today there are many problems with the economy; there are many people out there who think there's no such thing as the American Dream anymore. â€Å"The creation of a government that is out of control, and thus out of touch, robs every citizen, preventing fulfillment of the original American Dream (Thomas 569). I agree with this, however I am still proud to be an American and I believe that no matter how hard it is, you can do anything you put your mind to. It's not going to be easy; in fact it will be much more challenging than it used to be when the economy was different. But that doesn’t mean that the American Dream has been lost forever. The American dream may not be exactly what it used to be, and it may be harder to achieve than ever before; however, it is still alive. One reason the American dre am is harder to achieve is because America is in a financial crisis.Costly war after costly war is being fought. Our men and women are fighting wars in other countries and are gone for years on end†¦many don’t return at all. Our economy has taken a nose dive, and at a rate that many wonder if there is any hope of it ever coming back up. It seems that more people are unemployed than working, and even those who were highly employable before can’t seem to find a job anymore. The top 4 percent of Americans hold the largest amount of money, and is not trickling down. Many believe we are going through another depression. Children are starving and standards of living are lowering. Wherever you choose to look—at the economy and jobs, the public schools, the budget deficits, the nonstop warfare overseas—you’ll see a country in sad shape (Herbert 564). † It is evident that things need to change. The American Dream may be buried, but we can dig it up and find ways to make it live long and prosperous once again. The news shows that unemployment is slowly dropping, but I can’t help but wonder if that is because those people who receive unemployment benefits are no longer receiving benefits, not necessarily because they have a job, but because their money has run out.In order to make it at all we need to be earning an income. Not to mention the fact that when we are working, most people aren’t even earning a living wage; but what makes matters worse, unemployment is so high these days, just finding a job is becoming next to impossible. The high unemployment makes things so difficult these days. So many people are scrambling to make a living or to make ends meet. With the economy as fallen as it is, even highly educated people are without a job. Many people are finding out that you can be too educated for a regular job.Others are finding that employers don’t want to hire you if you are unemployed. Again, othe rs are highly trainable and would make excellent employees, but employers don’t want to take the time or spend the money to train. During a recession like this, many people need to be working two jobs just to make ends meet. But even fast food restaurants have raised their standards to high that they expect a resume before the consider you. With so little people hiring and those hiring having such high standards, people are becoming desperate just to find a job. State and local governments, faced with fiscal nightmares, are reducing services, cutting their work forces, hacking away at health and pension benefits, and raising taxes and fees. In many cases, the austerity measures are punishing some of the most vulnerable people, including children, the sick, and the disabled (Herbert 565). † These cutbacks have had many ramifications on the American Dream. People who were well on their way to achieving it had their dreams snatched out from under them as employers let peop le go, lowered wages, took away bonuses, and raised the fees on benefits or cut it all together.Suddenly new grads needed more experience and education to get their foot in the door while earning barely enough to pay their rent, let alone their student loans. America has recently fallen into a great recession, and though some claim we are no longer in a recession, our country and has never quite bounced back. Our economy is fragile and unstable. â€Å"In June 2009†¦. native born workers lost 1. 2 million [jobs] (Herbert 565). † Businesses are afraid to hire more workers; for fear that consumers aren’t comfortable spending money quite yet.Consumers are afraid to spend money for fear that they won’t be earning any more. People who were once financially stable are barely getting by, some even homeless. This recession has been said to be equal to, if not worse than, the Great Depression. â€Å"The human suffering in the years required to recover from the reces sion will continue to be immense (Herbert 565). † Recovery may be happening, but is definitely an unstable process. Jobs are still hard to come by and a living wage is still almost unheard of. â€Å"The U. S. needs to develop a full-employment economy that provides jobs for all ho want to work at pay that enables workers and their families to enjoy a decent standard of living (Herbert 565). † In this day and age, it is as much about earning a wage that pays the bills as it is to have a job. What’s the point of working 45 hours a week if it doesn’t pay all your bills? Many people are willing to work the jobs that they may have never considered before, but those jobs don’t come close to paying a living wage. Potential small business owners are having a hard time starting up, as banks are uneasy about giving business loans, slowing job growth even more.Another hindrance in the comeback of our beautiful country is the enormous gap between our wealthiest and our poorest. â€Å"As long as income and wealth keep concentrating at the top, and the great divide between America’s have-mores and have-lesses continues to widen, the Great Recession won’t end, at least not in the real economy. Weak national real estate markets, sluggish job growth, and slow recovery of liquid assets lost during the recession are obstacles to a full recovery (King 574). † There was once a time where you could not exactly be rich, but not exactly be poor.You could afford to live, have a decent job, and even go on vacation. Maybe you couldn’t afford to own two brand new vehicles and put your children in expensive private schools, but you had a savings account that had money in it and were happy with where your hard work had taken you. That, my friends, is what used to be called the Middle Class. It is quickly becoming something of the past, and without those striving for the American Dream, may become a mythical fairytale that we tel l our children and grandchildren about. The importance of education has fallen to the back burner as cuts to public school become greater.As the saying goes, children are our future. They are the people that will be, one day, running our government. When cuts are constantly being made to public schools, children aren’t getting what they need to get the kind of education that allows them to grow up to be critical thinking adults. â€Å"A monopolistic government school system keeps the poor from achieving their dreams, as many remain locked, producing graduates who lag behind other nations in subjects that matter (Thomas 569). † The subjects children are taught were chosen with care.Every child has different talents, and those talents need to be fostered. When subjects get cut from schools, many children miss out on learning what they need to learn in order to grow and become who they are supposed to do. â€Å"There was a time when the United States understood the impor tance of educating its young people and led the way in compulsory public schooling. It also built the finest higher education system in the world. Now, although no one will admit it publicly, we’ve decided to go in another direction (Herbert 566). † This is sad but true.Somewhere down the line, we must have forgotten that a poor education creates a poor society. There is only one teacher per classroom, but each classroom has over two dozen children, each having separate learning needs, and each having different learning styles. With funding being directed places other than public education, the result is schools closing. All over America school after school after school is being closed. This puts hardworking teachers out of business and crams the classrooms even more with children who require a proper education that consists of one-on-one time. Public figures talks endlessly about ‘transformative changes’ in public education, but the years go by and we see no such thing (Herbert 566). † Lately, it seems the only changes we’ve seen have not been what are best for our education system. â€Å"School systems around the country are being hammered with dreadful cutbacks and teachers are being let go in droves, not because they are incompetent, but strictly for budget reasons (Herbert 566). † This leaves kindergartens with waiting lists and parents who have to pay upwards of $300 a month kindergarten fees.Some children are put in part time daycare, while others get full time. However, both go to first grade. I can’t help but wonder if one is more prepared than the other? But I believe there is a silver lining to all of this. The American dream is still alive there is always hope for a better future. The fact that there hasn’t been an overturn of government proves that we are strong. We can adapt to new challenges that come our way. We may get knocked down a time or two, but it’s that light at the end of the tunnel—the one some call the American Dream—that get us back up to try again. As a nation, we have dealt with economic downturns in the past, and the American Dream has faced trials and tests before†¦We have adapted the values contained within the American Dream to meet new challenges (King 577). † Many people have been hit hard with the economic changes. They acclimated to new situations, new ways of living, reinvented themselves, and in doing so, they have found their way back on top. One way we can help bring back the American Dream to its full potential, is to support local business and buy locally.Entrepreneurs create businesses, hire people; people get paid, people shop. People have nice things and money in their pockets, they aren’t so scared to help pay taxes and fund good schools. â€Å"I believe it is necessary and imperative to continue to support the business mechanisms that sustain our economy (King 577). † Without a booming economy, we don’t have a functioning society. We need to support our brothers and sisters. We need to help those around us, and not let it burden us. All this will help create more jobs, and will in turn help the community.If anyone works hard enough, they can â€Å"climb out of hardship and achieve success (King 577). † Hard work is key. It pays off. Sometimes it takes longer than we want it to, but if we don’t give up, we will reap the reward. If we have proven anything in this day and age, it is that we are persistent. â€Å"Despite the recent recession, many have faith that as long as people believe they have a chance of becoming better off than they are today, then the American dream is intact (King 577). † We all have the American Dream inside us, and we will work to achieve it, doing whatever it takes.I believe the American Dream is very much alive. It may not look exactly like it did 50, 60, or 70 years ago, but it is here to stay. Society has ad apted and changed, and so has the American Dream. No longer is it about becoming as rich as one possibly can, but about being financially secure, having a job that pays a living wage, as well as having a savings. Stability is more important that material wealth. It’s a good dream. It may not be so easy to obtain, but it is within reach. With hard work and a positive attitude, I believe it is much closer than we realize.Work Cited Herbert, Bob. â€Å"Hiding from Reality. † They Say, I Say with Readings. 2nd ed. Eds, Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russell Durst. New York: WW. Norton Company, 2012, 564-67. Print. King, Brandon. â€Å"The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold? † They Say, I Say with Readings. 2nd ed. Eds. Gerald Graff et al. New York: Norton, 2012. 572-79. Print. Thomas, Cal. â€Å"Is the American Dream Over? † They Say, I Say with Readings. 2nd ed. Eds, Gerald Graff et al. New York: Norton, 2012. 568-70. Print.

Scavenging for Food as Early Hominid Activity

The article â€Å"Scavenger Hunt† by Pat Shipman takes a look at the activities of Early Hominids in terms of food hunting and gathering, specifically in the African plains of Kenya. To her surprise, early hominids portrayed a somewhat unusually trait rather than the established fact about early hominids as well-established hunters. It seemed that the foundations of early humans of the Neolithic age, that were built around hunting and gathering may collapse and be replaced with something that we cannot be proud of. However, it is a possibility since some still exhibit such trait in the modern world. Scavenging is a well-known activity of many mammalian carnivores in Africa. However, some are still pure or nearly pure in terms of hunting and scavenging. Nonetheless, a lot of the well-known carnivores such as pack hunters or the big predators practice a hybrid of strategies in order to fill their stomachs. Much to her surprise, Pat Shipman discovered that early hominids (Homo Habilis, Australopithecus africanus, A. Robustus) practice scavenging more often than hunting. There were many evidences to this claim that early men who utilized stone tools were scavengers rather than established hunters. In the same sense, bipedalism also suggested that early hominids practiced scavenging, as their bodies were suited for such activities. Bone marks also suggested such an activity by Early Hominids. It may have been much later when hominids became established hunters—much in the time of Homo Erectus and the invention of fire. However, being a scavenger was not all bad as it had advantages that involved energy efficiency; as many mammalian predators would agree to. They would scavenge what they can and hunt when they must (Shipman 115). It is somewhat an interesting fact to discover an unusual early hominid activity, as it quickly reassembled my knowledge that all early bipedal hominids were established hunters rather than scavengers (I would not argue that they were not gatherers). It does not really come as a shock but much more like an interesting surprise. Well, it was supported astoundingly by Pat Shipman and her colleagues. There is nothing wrong with scavenging as it was a risky but brilliant strategy done by most predatory mammalians, which apparently includes early hominids with Neolithic tools. I would not say that I was quite disappointed in discovering such a characteristic belonging to early hominids—the supposed achieved hunters of the African plain, or of any other plain. Scavenging is actually an effective strategy as it ensured the survival of many early hominids without the expense of immense energy from hunting and killing the prey. Carcasses provided them with skin or hide for their clothing, and meat (of course). The scavenging trait of early hominids are still much present to a lot of modern humans today—especially those who are unable to provide themselves with proper food. That discovered fact from the article helped me clear some things up about modern humans possessing characteristics similar to a scavenger—like a vulture perhaps, minus the flying. It made me realize that the source of such trait may have occurred as an instinctive practice by early humans—to grab what they can from their surroundings—which was not bad at all since it enabled people to survive this long. Possessing the hunting-scavenging trait, humans have become a well-known survivor that can adapt to any condition. Pat Shipman took a different angle in analyzing early hominid activity, in terms of food gathering and their diet. The results were not all bad as scavenging provided a lot of things for early hominids, and ensured their survival for quite a long time. This trait may have been carried over to this date. â€Å"We scavenge what we can and hunt if we must,† should very much explain early hominid activity.