Some people have the view that British generals like Haig were incompetent leaders Essay Example

Some people have the view that British generals like Haig were incompetent leaders Essay Example Some people have the view that British generals like Haig were incompetent leaders Essay Some people have the view that British generals like Haig were incompetent leaders Essay Essay Topic: History The First World War was a horrific war that started on the 28 July 1914 and lasted until the 11 November 1918. The two sides who fought in the War were The Triple Entente and The Triple Alliance. France and Belgium was the meeting point of these sides. And so most of the fighting that Britain was involved in took place in these two countries – across the Western Front. In order to protect them and have some private planning time, both sides dug trenches; however the trenches were overcrowded, wet and muddy, they also became the final resting place for millions of young men. These once simple shelters had transformed into complex defensive systems by 1915. Trench-foot was a common disease due to the muddy conditions; feet turned gangrenous and in many cases led to amputation. The soldiers were never alone in the trenches; many creatures also made the trenches their home. These creatures were to play a big role in the health of the fighting soldiers as they were all carriers of disease and infections and they ate the dead human bodies. Creatures include rats, mice and lice. Infantry charged replaced the cavalry charge; the main tactic used was going ‘over the top’ however defenders swept the advancing attackers with machine gun fire, and even when the attackers captured forward positions it was impossible for them to keep them. Also, artillery became more powerful compared to the old inaccurate guns that were once used. Weapons included the Bayonet, Lee Enfield rifle, hand grenades and the eight bullets a second machine gun. Tanks were another weapon used to crush barbed wire and spray the enemy with machine gunfire. However the tanks were still not developed enough; they moved very slowly and they were not most broke before reaching the German’s trenches. The Battle of the Somme was the biggest disaster in the whole of the First World War. The initial plan was an attack on the enemy by the French with British support, however the tables turned and Germany attacked Verdun. An offensive was launched around the River Somme to divert attention away from Verdun where the French were close to surrender. Sir Douglas Haig was appointed leader of this offensive. Haig was born in Edinburgh on 19 June 1861 into a wealthy family who owned a whisky business. He studied at Oxford University and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He then served as a cavalry officer for nine years, mainly in India. He also took part in the Sudan campaign (1897 1898) and the Boer War (1899 1902). The objective of the offensive was to gain territory, to ease the violence of the French and to kill as many German people as possible. The initial plan was a twelve hour bombardment which meant that thousands of Germans would be killed; barbed wire and machine gun positions would also be destroyed. On the first day of July 1916 at 7:28 am the offensive started with the explosion of 5 mines placed under German territory. At 7:30 am, thousands of soldiers were ordered b Haig and other leaders to walk up to the German frontline. The place that the infantry walked enable the German time to set up their machine guns and within hours around 60,000 soldiers were hit – a third of them killed. However Haig and the leaders did not change their tactics until the end of the war. An historical interpretation is when an event id described from different points of view. Evidence (e. g. secondary research), personal interpretation of an event and opinion all play a big role of a historical interpretation. A historical interpretation can also change with the time because new evidence always comes to light. The Battle of the Somme is one of the events that have been interpreted. Many historians argue that the Battle of the Somme was a disaster because leaders like Haig used the wrong tactics and out-of-date methods like the infantry charge which resulted in many casualties. These leaders believed that if they did it often enough and with enough men then they would wear the Germans down and eventually break through, which did happen but it cost too many lives. However other historians will interpret the event differently and say that so many lives were lost due to the weaponry used(the shells that were intended at the German lines were made by inexperienced munitions workers and only a third of them went off. ), the German tactics and inexperienced soldiers and leaders like Haig were not to blame. Interpretations about leaders like Haig have unsurprisingly changed overtime. Criticisms of leaders like Haig began to appear during the war. In July 1916, Haig was criticised by many including Winston Churchill and resentment was apparent between Prime Minister Lloyd George and Haig. At the same time everyone wanted to portray an image of leaders like Haig as an inspiring, and good commander who was a good role model for his troops. By the 1920s people wanted to forget all that happened and move on. For ten years, all the evidence seemed to support leaders like Haig, after the British did win the war. However historians began to claim that there was a government cover-up in favour of generals like Haig and by the end of the 1920s attitudes began to drastically change. Books were beginning to criticise leaders like Haig and blaming them for the horror and pointlessness of the war. By 1930s people began to realise that the First World War was not the ‘war end all wars’ as promised. The first interpretation â€Å"leaders like Haig are incompetent† is shown in source B1. This is a source written by John Laffin, a military historian that researched the war from soldiers’ viewpoint. This source clearly expresses that generals like Haig are to be blamed for large amount of soldiers that died and that these leaders should never be forgiven for the disaster. Laffin earned his living by taking people on tours around the battlefield this makes him trustworthy because he would have to teach people the right information in order to make the tour successful. The source was written in 2003 which makes the source reliable because there was a lot of evidence that Laffin could have used to produce the source. However the fact that information given to the people on tour was based on soldiers’ viewpoints makes the source unreliable because the majority of soldiers would probably have a negative viewpoint of the war because of the amount of soldiers that died. Also, in the period between the end of the war and 2003, interpretations of what happened in the Battle of the Somme significantly changed and Laffin seems to ignore them all and use the negative viewpoints of the soldiers. The source is also limited because the source, an extract from a book, could have been intended for a certain audience and will inevitably have Laffin’s opinion which is based on the negative feedback he researched. Also, the title of the book that Laffin wrote â€Å"British Bunglers and Bunglers of World War One† automatically alludes us to the opinion of Laffin, that leaders like Haig were the reason why so many men were killed. Laffin suggests that leader’s like Haig were responsible for the slaughter of many soldiers. In summary the source is useful because it helps us understand, whether true or not, why people think that these leaders were incompetent because â€Å"they knew what they were doing†, for example the leaders used out-of date methods, General Douglas Haig had insisted in using cavalry like he did on the dry African Plains. One way in which people interpret leaders like Haig are incompetent is because of his tactics; this is seen in Source B2 which describes leaders like Haig as murderers, and this source could’ve been used by Laffin to generate his interpretation in the previous source. The source is a diary written by a Private who fought in the Battle of the Somme. Diaries are not intended for public use, therefore the writer will write his true opinions in the diary entry, however the opinion will obviously biased, and his opinion is clear in the source that leaders like Haig should be â€Å"hung, drawn and quartered†. The fact that he was a solider fighting in the Somme makes the source reliable because he witnessed what had happened on July 1916; he had to witness the people he had fought alongside being killed because of the instructions that were given by leaders like Haig therefore he would have an instant negative opinion of leaders like Haig. The date that the source was written, 1916, makes the source reliable because it was at the exact time that the battle of the Somme happened therefore it would be accurate portrayal of what was happening at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme. In conclusion the source is useful and reliable because it is from a soldier who actually fought in the devastating battle therefore the opinion would be a valid one; he actually witnessed all the killing and was probably instructed to follow the same fate as the rest of the men. Laffin would have used Smith’s opinion to his advantage in order to come up with his own interpretation because it supports his opinion. Next, it’s not just historians that criticise Haig’s competence as shown in source B4 where British Prime Minister David Lloyd George says that General Douglas Haig was a â€Å"second-rate commander†. The source is reliable because the Prime Minister wrote the source during World War One – he would have been given information about the vast numbers of those who died especially on the first day of the battle of the Somme; thus, the negative attitude towards leaders like Haig is not surprising. According to some research I have undertaken, Lloyd George was a successful political journalist and the information in the book was well-researched; one of his sources being the Cabinet Minutes in which he looked over the military details. However the fact that the Prime Minister David Lloyd George was talking about his war-time experiences is very ironic because he didn’t fight during the war and didn’t know about the other conditions that the soldiers had to live through e. g. trench foot. The source is also limited because it is evident that the source was intended to portray a certain message; the book seems to establish Lloyd George’s reputation as a war leader and at the same time destroy the reputation of Haig and leaders like Haig. In conclusion the source is reliable and useful because Lloyd George’s interpretation of events, whether true or not, seems to come from a good source i. e. the Cabinet Minutes. This source could have been used by Laffin as the source is the opinion of one of the most important men at the time of the war and this opinion supports the interpretation generate by Laffin. Next, leaders like Haig were known to stay in the communication trenches, which were miles away from the front line, whilst the soldiers lived in trenches near the front line. Also, it is obvious that these commanders did not fight in the battle but just gave the orders. This is shown in source B6, a cartoon about World War One leadership published in 1917 by a satirical magazine. The source clearly explains that leaders like Haig were absent during â€Å"the real thing†. The source is reliable because it was written during the war and by 1917 criticisms of leaders like Haig were beginning to surface. The source is also reliable because a lot of research would have been undertaken in order to confidentially publish this article especially because leaders like Haig were still seen as inspiring awe-commanders. However, the magazine will have to be sold and therefore have to entertain the audience; the purpose of the source makes the source unreliable because the source is inevitably exaggerated. The date in which the source is written also limits the source because February 1917 was only 6 months into the battle and therefore the whole picture is not given in this illustration. Overall the source is reliable and useful because it helps us understand that some people thought that the absence of the leaders could have been one of the most important factors which led to so many deaths; a lot of people blamed it on inexperienced soldiers yet the experienced generals were kept hidden. Laffin could have used this source to come up with his own interpretation because this viewpoint because it shows that leaders like Haig were not as inspiring and awe commanding as they were perceived to be but people who didn’t follow their own old tactics. In conclusion, source B1, B2, B4, and B6 are all useful and reliable in helping me understand why leaders like Haig were labelled as incompetent. Firstly, source B1 is a direct interpretation itself which blatantly expresses that leaders like Haig were incompetent. Secondly, source B2 tells me that leaders like Haig were viewed as incompetent because of the tactics he used. This backs up my knowledge; leaders like Haig used old tactics. On the 1st of July 1916 leaders like Haig enforced the tactic that led many to their deaths: infantry. This made sure that the men slowly walked across to the German trenches after heavy bombardment, which itself was a failure, this slow pace allowed the Germans to re-establish themselves and launch their defence. Source B4 also alludes to the opinion that leaders like Haig’s tactics were not good and were useless on such an â€Å"immense battlefield†. Source B6 suggests that the inexperienced soldiers had a part to play in the disaster but it was not their fault but of the fault of the experienced leaders like Haig who were not willing to join in the fighting. These sources increase my understanding as to why so many historians argue that leaders like Haig were incompetent. From the sources I have chosen, I am able to understand that historians believe that if leaders like Haig tried other tactics and participated more in the battle then it wouldn’t have ended in such a disaster. I think based on the amount of people who died just on the first day that this interpretation is a valid one. However, other historians have interpreted that leaders like Haig are competent and believe that leaders were not to blame for the Battle of the Somme. This interpretation is shown in source B9, it explains that leaders like Haig were not incompetent and the reason why so much people died was due to other factors. This source is reliable because of the date in which it was written; this allowed the author, John Terraine, to use enough evidence that had been researched throughout the years up until 1980. Terrain is a historian which means he is able to analyse and assess sources well, this makes the source reliable because Terrain would have analysed each source and I assume that Terraine used reliable and most useful ones to come up with his interpretation. The source is also unreliable because it is intended for people to buy the book and therefore a certain level of exaggeration and entertainment will be present. In the source Terraine says that leaders like Haig â€Å"rose to challenge after challenge† however leaders like Haig remained in the communication trenches whilst the privates fought the blood stained war, thus they didn’t rise to any challenge. Also between the war and 1980 many different interpretations have arisen yet Terraine seems to ignore all of these new interpretations, he has focused on the interpretation that these so called war heroes were not to blame and the fault was due to the other contributing factors which worsened life for the soldiers in the trenches like trench foot. Source B1 is an example of an interpretation which supports the interpretation that leaders like Haig are incompetent. The author of this source, John Laffin, researched the war from soldier’s viewpoints and has been able to come with a negative interpretation. However, source B11 is written by a former soldier who was gassed during the Battle of the Somme and brought to Britain because of it. Liddell Hart, writing to the Daily Express, says that the leadership was excellent and â€Å"flawless†. The source is reliable because Liddell Hart was actually present during the Battle therefore his opinion should be based on what he witnessed and leadership skills of leaders like Haig. The source is also useful because it helps us think of the other factors that caused the soldiers to die if it wasn’t because of the leadership. Both sides did not know how to use the new weaponry correctly, for example gas. Gas was a new form of defence, it was a very deadly weapon and it killed alot of people; mustard gas ensured that the lungs had dissolved in a matter of hours causing a slow and painful death. On the other hand, the source is limited because Liddell Hart was invalided back to Britain in December which means he did not witness the whole war therefore we are not getting the whole picture of how leadership was. We can infer the source and say that the purpose of the source can somewhat make the source unreliable. In more depth, the Daily Express would publish this letter and in order to keep the British morale high nothing negative would have to be published. The British public want to know that their loved ones are in the safe hands of good leaders and therefore this source helps achieve this for them. Overall, the source is useful and reliable because it helps us understand why others do not blame leaders like Haig for the vast amount of deaths. Terraine could use this source to create his own interpretation because it clearly states that leaders like Haig were great therefore alluding to the opinion that the leaders like Haig were not to blame for the disaster. Some historians believe that the inexperienced soldiers should be blamed for the vast majority of deaths. Source B13 are diary entries that belonged to Haig himself which he used as the bass for his reports to the War Cabinet. The diary entries are dated the 31st of June and 1st of July 1916 which makes the source the source reliable because it is a day before and the actual date of the first day of the Somme. Haig says that on the men are in â€Å"splendid spirits† which suggests that the soldiers were unprepared the soldiers were for the disaster that was going to happen and how much they underestimated the German army. Perhaps these soldiers are the inexperienced ones; a lot of soldiers at the time were inexperienced due to conscription and propaganda; people just wanted to fight for their country. Haig also says that the soldiers â€Å"have never before been so instructed and informed† which suggests that the leadership was so good that no-one was in doubt of the upcoming task. The source is also reliable because a diary contains someone’s inner thoughts and feelings that aren’t really revealed to anyone, assuming that these diary entries are Haig’s real thoughts and feelings (a leader wouldn’t want to send many to their slaughter without feeling bad even if it was for the right reasons). According to research, Haig was a brilliant self-publicist that was recognised throughout the nation, if we infer the source we can say that the diary entry was just another means of propaganda. The source is also limited because Haig says that the attack on the 1st of July 1916 was a â€Å"very successful attack† however he does not mention the reasons as to why it was such a success. Overall, the source is not very useful or reliable because the person behind the source is the actual person who different historians argue for and against. Haig would obviously want to perceive himself as a great leader therefore making this source unreliable. Historians who share the same interpretation as Terraine could use this source to form their interpretation that support leaders like Haig because this source shows that the leadership was good enough and the men seemed happy with the instructions they were given, therefore it is not the fault of the leaders. Terraine could have also used this source because it suggests that the German defences lost more men than the British because they were â€Å"short of men† whereas the British troops were â€Å"full of confidence†. Many historians argue that if leaders like Haig were to blame for the disasters, why were there so much people welcoming them home. This is shown in source B15, a photograph which shows the welcoming of Haig home in 1919. The fact that it is a photograph makes the source reliable because it is a still image of time that cannot be changed, and they did not have the technology at the time to edit the photo to such detail. The source is also useful because it shows that alot of people did not think that leaders like Haig were incompetent hence the large amount of people that were there to welcome home their so called ‘hero. However, the provenance of source is unknown therefore this makes the source unreliable – for all we know this photograph could have been taken by the government for propaganda purposes. The source is also limited because it does show any other interpretations after 1919; by the 1930s people began to question the competence of leaders like Haig but by the 1960s balanced arguments had formed. In summary the source is reliable and useful because it outlines the interpretations from straight after the war even if they did begin to change. Terrain could of used this source to aid him create his own interpretation because the source clearly illustrates that leaders like Haig were generally respected and were seen as war heroes, and as a result of them adaptingâ€Å" themselves to constant change with astonishing success† so many people turned up to welcome them home. In conclusion source B9, B11 and B15 are all useful and reliable in helping me understand why historians believe that leaders like Haig were good leaders. Source B9 suggests that leaders like Haig fought their part of the war just as much as all the other soldiers, however all other evidence argues against this idea. Although leaders like Hag might not have fought the war physically, I think that the job of trying to come up with a good enough plan in order to win the battle and then instructing the men to do it would have been hard itself, and to be fair to leaders like Haig, the British people did eventually win the war – just like Haig had promised. Source B11 suggests that the leaders like Haig were good leaders and that they could not be faulted. Source B15 is reliable because it is a photograph that clearly illustrates that leaders like Haig were not seen as the fault of the losses. Maybe this is due to the lack of evidence that was published at the time (against Haig) or people simply sympathised with Haig because with the decisions he was faced with. However the same cannot be said about source B13. In my opinion source B13 is unreliable because the provenance of source is untrustworthy. I can assume that Haig would obviously try to show himself as a good leader therefore anything he says could just be exaggerated and untrue. All of these sources help me understand that there were other factors that caused the vast number of deaths and the fault wasn’t only in the hands of leaders like Haig. It makes me think about the other factors that made war life difficult for the soldiers. For example, the rats and lice which carried disease around the trenches or the trench foot which disabled alot of soldiers from fighting. Other contributing factors could be the underage, inexperienced soldiers or the misuse of the new weaponry. I also think that this interpretation is valid based on the sources that I have evaluated because each source gives a reason as to why leaders like Haig were not incompetent.

U.S. Border Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

U.S. Border Security - Essay Example We pride ourselves on our profound and almost unique commitment to liberty, and the legal institutions and civic culture that have made America probably the freest society in history" (Herman Schwartz, Security and liberty in an age of terrorism). Immediately after September 11, President George W. Bush proclaimed a "war on terrorism" that would be global struggle and would continue far into the future. After hours of the attack, Attorney General John Ashcroft made the Department of Justice prepare legislative proposals. Prosecutors denied their old wish lists and created a large proposal, which, with other provisions, became the 342-page USA-Patriot Act. When it was forced through just six weeks later, not many members of Congress had read this bill, and many voted for it with doubts. So great was the pressure to take some protective action against terrorism, however, that only one senator and 66 House members voted against it. The most important point of the proposal was dedicated to United States Border Security; and after the eleventh of September some measures have been taken. The author of this research is going to descry the situation of United States border security, clarify the advantages and weaknesses of American security system. I would like to concentrate on United States Mexico and Canadian borders. The United States Mexico barrier The United States Mexico barrier is in fact several separation barriers planned to prevent illegal immigration into the United States from the territory of neighboring Mexico. Its key target is Mexican nationals and other Latin Americans, though in recent years other groups (for instance Asians of different nationalities) have also been using the porous Mexican border to make safe access to the USA. The barriers were designed as part of three larger "Operations" to prevent illegal immigration, Operation Gatekeeper in California, Operation Hold-the-Line in Texas, and Operation Safeguard in Arizona. The purpose of these barriers is to make immigrants cross the border with numerous difficulties, in order to reduce migration. Several scholars, who scrutinized this subject, state that these operations are just a public relations strategy used to persuade U.S. citizens that the border is "secure", while the economy benefits from the continuing flow of cheap labor across the border. The 3140 km (1,951 mile) border between the United States and Mexico crosses a variety of terrains, including urban areas and deserts. The barrier is situated in the urban sections of the border; actually the great number of migrations took place in this location. These urban areas include California, Texas, San Diego and El Paso. The success of the barrier led to a noticeable increase in the number of people trying to cross the Sonoran Desert and the Baboquivari Mountains in Arizona. Such migrants

Customer Satisfaction and the Banking Industry Essay

Customer Satisfaction and the Banking Industry - Essay Example Other important reports include those by P Carrol and F Reichheld, titled The Fallacy of Customer Retention, as well as the paper by M S Krishnan et al, titled Customer Satisfaction for Financial Services: The Role of Products, Services and Information Technology. These papers have important notes on not just acquiring customers but also retaining them - which is where customer satisfaction comes into play. This paper is based on the case study of ICICI Bank in India. Therefore, the information found on its website was used as well. In this case it is important to note that most of the texts used are journal articles are this is a very topical theme and it requires special classification which most books are not able to offer. With a variety of other papers that revolve around the theme of customer satisfaction and banking services, it is imperative to mention that there is still a lot of scope for research in terms of finding niche markets and catering to customers from these areas with a focus on need specific programs. Customer Satisfaction - Conception and Implications Customer satisfaction may be defined as that sphere within an organisation's operational area where the transmission of information and services with a focus on time and quality takes place. Customer satisfaction is an important tool with which it is easy to harness the potential of expanding one's customer base manifold. In the banking sector, this theory has special importance owing to growing competition and the fact that it is a service based industry where there is maximum human interface. The tools for measuring customer satisfaction include surveys as well as applying statistical analysis like the customer satisfaction index to which essentially... Customer satisfaction may be defined as that sphere within an organisation’s operational area where the transmission of information and services with a focus on time and quality takes place. Customer satisfaction is an important tool with which it is easy to harness the potential of expanding one’s customer base manifold. In the banking sector, this theory has special importance owing to growing competition and the fact that it is a service based industry where there is maximum human interface. The tools for measuring customer satisfaction include surveys as well as applying statistical analysis like the customer satisfaction index to which essentially measures market share and profitability. This will help provide an empirical base for any hypothesis on the basis of which models and programs may be formulated. Factors influencing customer satisfaction in Retail Banking in UK, author Anita Chakrabarty has pointed out how the last two decades have been seeing an increase in competitiveness in the retail banking sector in UK. This has a strong connection with the various activities that have been triggered in the banking industry all over the world. ICIC is a bank that has taken this conception one step forward by applying it in the context of the loyalty business model. Thus, one will find that the banks are now in a race towards consolidation of their positions and mergers. In this regard, they have realized that the primary focus of their activities must be on the optimum satisfaction of the customers.

Summary of Dr. Faustus Essay Example for Free

Summary of Dr. Faustus Essay ?Christopher Marlowe was an older contemporary of William Shakespeare. The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is his best known work. Christopher Marlowe based his play Doctor Faustus on stories about a scholar and magician, Johann Faust, who allegedly sold his soul to the devil to gain magical powers. Born in 1488, the original Faust wandered through his German homeland until his death in 1541. In 1587, the first story about his life appeared in Germany. What Marlowe creates out of the story is a Medieval morality- play with a late Renaissance temper. In Doctor Faustus, Marlowe has made good use of a conventional Christian doctrine. Faustus strives against human limitation to the point of selling his soul. He is not only a seeker for power but also a knower and a desirer to know. The play begins with Dr. Faustus shown in his study, where he is deciding upon which field to specialise in- Analytics or Logic. Dissatisfied with his human status, he would like to have magical powers of making men live eternally and bringing back the dead to life. He rejects divine learning also, because it is based on a recognition of man’s morality and fallibility. For most of the play, the chorus sets the motion of the drama. The first Act establishes the unscholarly attitude of Faustus and also the base for his tragedy- a poor bargain eventually made with the devil that will leave him devastated in the end. The subplot of Wagner, the scholars and the clown dramatises Faustus’ predicament in very crude terms and have certain comical elements in it. Act 2 outlines the tragedy with greater depth. Faustus’s rebellion against human nature is quite desperate, because it loses more than it gains. But Faustus is â€Å"resolved† and shall â€Å"never repent†. He finally signs the pact with the devil, giving away his soul in return for the services of limitless knowledge. Acts 3 and 4 are basically about the kind of life Faustus is now leading with the help of Mephistophilis and other minions of the devil. Faustus seeks and Mephistophilis plans, rather a series of comic indulgences mainly to distract the former’s mind from the tormenting religious awareness. The final Act brings a climatic end of Faustus. The 24 years of the agreement comes to an end and with that, the sad realisation that all knowledge, wealth and power of the world were futile in comparison to having an everlasting place in heaven. The keynote of the final monologue of Faustus, before the devil takes him, is a feeling of pity and terror which all great tragedies are expected to arouse. Marlowe had a twofold aim in the play. He would write a morality play and hence the substantial stasis can be highlighted along with the comedy and the undramaticality of the play associated with the morality tradition. J. P. Brockbank observes, that the play serves a purpose for the audience- â€Å"In fear we acquiesce in the littleness and powerlessness of man, and in pity we share his sufferings and endorse his protest. †

Spirits and Abraham Lincoln: Letters to President Lincoln Concerning S

In the late nineteenth century, American spiritualists maintained that Abraham Lincoln had been a spiritualist too. Whenever they drew up lists of prominent believers, Lincoln was foremost among the reformers, judges, governors, senators, and scientists whose stature lent credence to their movement. In this paper, I look at letters written to President Lincoln by spiritualists or about spiritualism, but it is not my aim to determine whether or not Lincoln was a spiritualist. Instead, I use these letters to reflect on spiritualism as a cultural phenomena. It captured the imaginations of many Americans in the years leading up to the Civil War, drawing them to sà ©ance rooms, to mediums, or to their family parlors to commune with the dead. The letters to Lincoln reveal how spiritualism evolved from older cultural traditions and what it came to mean for spiritualists. Letters to Abraham Lincoln are available on the World Wide Web, part of the Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. The Lincoln Papers include a large number of incoming letters from a variety of correspondents: friends, political figures, and regular people. Most of the letters have been transcribed and annotated by scholars at the Lincoln Study Center . Very few letters—only ten—deal with spiritualism at all. The authors, however, represent the full spectrum of letter writers, from Lincoln ’s closest friend, to a well-known New York judge, to ordinary people—that is, ordinary people who received messages from spirits. Five of these ten letters came from avowed spiritualists, four men and one woman.[1] One man denied being a spiritualist, and another sent a tongue-in-cheek introduction to two mediums, leaving his sentiment... ...ttp://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/alhome.html, accessed [30 December 2014]. [16] The relationship is described in an annotation. Joshua F. Speed to Abraham Lincoln, February 13, 1849. Transcribed and annotated by the Lincoln Studies Center , Knox College , Galesburg , Illinois . Available at Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division ( Washington , D.C. : American Memory Project, [2000-01]), http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/alhome.html, accessed [30 December 2014]. [17] Joshua F. Speed to Abraham Lincoln, October 26, 1863. Transcribed and annotated by the Lincoln Studies Center , Knox College , Galesburg , Illinois . Available at Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division ( Washington , D.C. : American Memory Project, [2000-01]), http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/alhome.html, accessed [30 December 2014].

Natural Born Killers & Capitalism

Natural Born Killers Natural Born Killers (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1994) is a film directed by Oliver Stone. The story is about Mickey and Mallory Knox, two serial killers that travel across America on a killing spree which elevates them from criminals into international media celebrities. The story sounds like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1967), however Mickey and Mallory's crimes are much more severe and without cause. Stone intended the film to be a critique on a culture obsessed with violence and the media’s glorification of violence.In Chaos Rising: The Storm Around Natural Born Killers’ (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1994) Stone explains â€Å"What I was doing was pointing the finger at the system that feeds off violence, and at the media that package it for mass consumption. † Unfortunately, many people perceived the message of Natural Born Killers as a glorification of violence. The film even inspired several copycat killings. The film Na tural Born Killers was intended to critique a culture obsessed with violence, yet inspired murders.The reason this film was decoded so differently by some viewers was due to social stereotypes imposed by capitalist ideology. How an audience perceives a message from a text is through the process of decoding. Those who produce a text encode it with messages and meanings through the use of semiotics. When the audience receives a text, they then decode and identify these meanings through the signs and signifiers. Morley (1992, p. 53) explains that meaning in a text is generated through two main factors. The first factor is the way a text is encoded through semiotics.This can invite certain readings and block others. The second is the social background of the receiver, which can be studied sociologically. The interaction of these two constraining structures will define the notion that a text can be interpreted in an infinite number of individual ways. Stuart Hall’s work on the rol e of social positions in the interpretation of mass media texts also helps explain this. His work was based around the three different ways a viewer can decode a text. The first is the dominant reading.This is when the reader shares the text’s code and accepts the intended reading. The second is the negotiated reading, which is when the reader partly accepts the intended reading but not completely. The reader then modifies it in a way that reflects their own position, experience sand interests. The third is the oppositional reading, which is when the reader’s social situation causes them to oppose the dominant code. They understand the intended reading but don’t agree with the code and reject the intended meaning, causing them to develop their own interpretation of the text.On March 6th 1995, teen couple Ben Darras and Sarah Edmondson shot a local businessman in Oklahoma. They then drove to Louisiana where they also shot a store store clerk. After their arrest, the couple said that they had been taking acid and watching Natural Born Killers several times. Upon Darras’s arrest he also shouted the words â€Å"I’m a natural born killer man†. Since the release of Natural Born Killers it has been linked to 8 murders. Each of the murderers shared the same lower class social position, and passion for the film.What can Hall and Morley’s work tell us about how this film was decoded so differently from its intended meaning by these adolescents? Hall (1977, p. 182) explains that texts are polysemic, meaning they may be read differently by different people depending on their identity, cultural background and personal opinions. Traditionally in film, those who commit acts of violence are villains who get punished for their crimes, while the police are seen as heroes. In this film the police are violent; one being a murderer himself.Throughout the film, Mickey and Mallory slaughter without reason yet by the end of the film th ey gain sympathy and likeability from the audience. An oppressed lower class audience may see Mickey and Mallory as lower class heroes as they overcome the oppressing system. Some may sympathize and relate with Mallory's abusive upbringing. An example of this is shown in the film when Mickey and Mallory leave Mallory's house after murdering her parents, the wallpaper displayed is an open bird cage, signifying that she is now free.In this scene the fact that they have just murdered two people is completely overshadowed by Mallory’s escape from an abusive environment. The viewer’s own personal situation, experiences and beliefs heavily influence how they decode the message of this film. Each of the individuals who committed copycat crimes after watching Natural Born Killers came from lower class social backgrounds. This implies that the social conditions that the lower classes endure under capitalism have a direct relation to why these individuals received the opposition al reading of the text.Natural Born Killers dwells on the fact that the two protagonists come from a lower class family, are uneducated, and how capitalist society associates people in this situation with crime. In the film Mickey calls himself a ‘natural born killer’ as he was born into the lower class, therefore society assumes he is a natural born criminal. He explains, â€Å"I was thrown into a flaming pit of scum, forgotten by God. † In this instance, Mickey refers to society and the members of it collectively as ‘God’. The use of semiotics to express this point is quite strong.Signs such as the way Mickey and Mallory speak, the way they dress, how they are groomed and the families that they come from signify that both are a part of the lower class. Other important characters in the film, such as officer Scagnetti, warden McClusky and reporter Wayne Gale wear suits, speak well and are also well groomed. Several shots in the film such as Wayne Ga le trimming his nose hairs and McClusky combing his moustache are used to emphasize their appearance and social status. These characters are portrayed like this to signify that they are higher within the capitalist social hierarchy.All three seek control over Mickey and Mallory for personal gain, implying that the higher classes seek to control the lower class. As the film addresses the difference in occupation of classes in a capitalist society, it also addresses the aspiration levels of the lower class. As revealed previously, Mickey explains that society turned its back on him. He also states â€Å"I came from violence, it was in my blood. My dad had it, his dad had it. It’s just my fate. † Here Mickey is saying that he came from a lower class, as did his father and grandfather.He is also saying that to remain in this social status is just his ‘fate’, meaning the social norm. Hollingshead (2007, p. 285) explains that children have limited their horizons to the class horizon, and in the process they have unconsciously placed themselves in such a position that they will occupy the same levels as their parents. This being a direct effect of the capitalist ideology as Reissman (1953, p. 233) puts it, the proletarian can have no aspirations under capitalism, but instead must come to identify with their own class and aspire to an entirely different system of values. This entirely different ystem of values Reissman is referring to is that in many cases the lower class youth will pursue the quick rise to success and fame. In Natural Born Killers, Mickey and Mallory become international celebrities through their actions, they have fans and fame by taking the ‘short route’, regardless of the means used to get there. Williams and Mcshane (1993 p. 52) state that the lower class youth may be associated with and aspire to become a â€Å"policy king†: â€Å"I want to be a big shot†¦ have all of the guys look up to me. H ave a couple of lincolns, lots of broads and all of the coppers licking my shoes.As Natural Born Killers points the finger at the media for the glorification of violence, it also points a finger at capitalism for restraining the lower classes aspirations and confining them to a life of crime. Tshiwula (1998, p. 27) also shares this theory as she explains â€Å"capitalism is the root for the cause of much criminal behavior, particularly in crimes committed by the lower class. † Stuart Hall and David Morley’s work suggest that an individual’s social status can greatly influence how a text is decoded and the message they receive from it, regardless of the intended meaning.This suggests that people in a lower social status may see the antagonists as lower class heroes as they can relate to their situation. Semiotics in the film was used to signify the social gap between Mickey and Mallory, Wayne Gale, warden McClusky and officer Scagnetti. This explores the stereoty pes of social status in capitalist ideology. The film’s references to the lower class being confined to a life of crime and having restricted aspirations inform us that these factors are imposed by capitalism.Unfortunately, these points are still valid in modern society. Many people who come from low income families believe that having the occupation they desire is unachievable due to their social/financial status. This isn’t necessarily true, however people in this situation may think this due to what the rest of society thinks of them. Not only is the intended message of Natural Born Killers important in making people realize the media’s glorification of violence, but also the message of lower class stereotypes and how they affect the individuals within that class.This text also provides us with an extreme example of how a text can be decoded by different individuals. It’s safe to say that the oppositional reading of Natural Born Killers was a direct re sult of capitalist ideology and its influence on lower class individuals. References Hall, S. (1977) Culture, The Media and the ‘Ideological Effect’. America: Open University Hollingshead, A. (2007). Elmtown's Youth – The Impact of Social Classes on Adolescents. Chicago, America: Case Press Morley, D. (1992). Television Audiences and Cultural Studies.New York, America: Routledge Penn, A. (Director) Newman, D. (Writer) (1967). Bonnie and Clyde [Motion Picture]. America: Warner Bros. Pictures Reissman, L. (1953). American Sociological Review: Volume 18. America: American Sociological Association Stone, O. (Director/Producer) Tarantino, Q. (Writer) (1994). Natural Born Killers [Motion Picture]. America: Warner Bros. Pictures Tshiwula, L. (1998). Crime and Delinquency. Pretoria, South Africa: Kagiso Publishers Williams, F. P. , & McShane, M. D (1993). Criminology Theory. America: Anderson Publishing Co Natural Born Killers & Capitalism Natural Born Killers Natural Born Killers (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1994) is a film directed by Oliver Stone. The story is about Mickey and Mallory Knox, two serial killers that travel across America on a killing spree which elevates them from criminals into international media celebrities. The story sounds like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1967), however Mickey and Mallory's crimes are much more severe and without cause. Stone intended the film to be a critique on a culture obsessed with violence and the media’s glorification of violence.In Chaos Rising: The Storm Around Natural Born Killers’ (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1994) Stone explains â€Å"What I was doing was pointing the finger at the system that feeds off violence, and at the media that package it for mass consumption. † Unfortunately, many people perceived the message of Natural Born Killers as a glorification of violence. The film even inspired several copycat killings. The film Na tural Born Killers was intended to critique a culture obsessed with violence, yet inspired murders.The reason this film was decoded so differently by some viewers was due to social stereotypes imposed by capitalist ideology. How an audience perceives a message from a text is through the process of decoding. Those who produce a text encode it with messages and meanings through the use of semiotics. When the audience receives a text, they then decode and identify these meanings through the signs and signifiers. Morley (1992, p. 53) explains that meaning in a text is generated through two main factors. The first factor is the way a text is encoded through semiotics.This can invite certain readings and block others. The second is the social background of the receiver, which can be studied sociologically. The interaction of these two constraining structures will define the notion that a text can be interpreted in an infinite number of individual ways. Stuart Hall’s work on the rol e of social positions in the interpretation of mass media texts also helps explain this. His work was based around the three different ways a viewer can decode a text. The first is the dominant reading.This is when the reader shares the text’s code and accepts the intended reading. The second is the negotiated reading, which is when the reader partly accepts the intended reading but not completely. The reader then modifies it in a way that reflects their own position, experience sand interests. The third is the oppositional reading, which is when the reader’s social situation causes them to oppose the dominant code. They understand the intended reading but don’t agree with the code and reject the intended meaning, causing them to develop their own interpretation of the text.On March 6th 1995, teen couple Ben Darras and Sarah Edmondson shot a local businessman in Oklahoma. They then drove to Louisiana where they also shot a store store clerk. After their arrest, the couple said that they had been taking acid and watching Natural Born Killers several times. Upon Darras’s arrest he also shouted the words â€Å"I’m a natural born killer man†. Since the release of Natural Born Killers it has been linked to 8 murders. Each of the murderers shared the same lower class social position, and passion for the film.What can Hall and Morley’s work tell us about how this film was decoded so differently from its intended meaning by these adolescents? Hall (1977, p. 182) explains that texts are polysemic, meaning they may be read differently by different people depending on their identity, cultural background and personal opinions. Traditionally in film, those who commit acts of violence are villains who get punished for their crimes, while the police are seen as heroes. In this film the police are violent; one being a murderer himself.Throughout the film, Mickey and Mallory slaughter without reason yet by the end of the film th ey gain sympathy and likeability from the audience. An oppressed lower class audience may see Mickey and Mallory as lower class heroes as they overcome the oppressing system. Some may sympathize and relate with Mallory's abusive upbringing. An example of this is shown in the film when Mickey and Mallory leave Mallory's house after murdering her parents, the wallpaper displayed is an open bird cage, signifying that she is now free.In this scene the fact that they have just murdered two people is completely overshadowed by Mallory’s escape from an abusive environment. The viewer’s own personal situation, experiences and beliefs heavily influence how they decode the message of this film. Each of the individuals who committed copycat crimes after watching Natural Born Killers came from lower class social backgrounds. This implies that the social conditions that the lower classes endure under capitalism have a direct relation to why these individuals received the opposition al reading of the text.Natural Born Killers dwells on the fact that the two protagonists come from a lower class family, are uneducated, and how capitalist society associates people in this situation with crime. In the film Mickey calls himself a ‘natural born killer’ as he was born into the lower class, therefore society assumes he is a natural born criminal. He explains, â€Å"I was thrown into a flaming pit of scum, forgotten by God. † In this instance, Mickey refers to society and the members of it collectively as ‘God’. The use of semiotics to express this point is quite strong.Signs such as the way Mickey and Mallory speak, the way they dress, how they are groomed and the families that they come from signify that both are a part of the lower class. Other important characters in the film, such as officer Scagnetti, warden McClusky and reporter Wayne Gale wear suits, speak well and are also well groomed. Several shots in the film such as Wayne Ga le trimming his nose hairs and McClusky combing his moustache are used to emphasize their appearance and social status. These characters are portrayed like this to signify that they are higher within the capitalist social hierarchy.All three seek control over Mickey and Mallory for personal gain, implying that the higher classes seek to control the lower class. As the film addresses the difference in occupation of classes in a capitalist society, it also addresses the aspiration levels of the lower class. As revealed previously, Mickey explains that society turned its back on him. He also states â€Å"I came from violence, it was in my blood. My dad had it, his dad had it. It’s just my fate. † Here Mickey is saying that he came from a lower class, as did his father and grandfather.He is also saying that to remain in this social status is just his ‘fate’, meaning the social norm. Hollingshead (2007, p. 285) explains that children have limited their horizons to the class horizon, and in the process they have unconsciously placed themselves in such a position that they will occupy the same levels as their parents. This being a direct effect of the capitalist ideology as Reissman (1953, p. 233) puts it, the proletarian can have no aspirations under capitalism, but instead must come to identify with their own class and aspire to an entirely different system of values. This entirely different ystem of values Reissman is referring to is that in many cases the lower class youth will pursue the quick rise to success and fame. In Natural Born Killers, Mickey and Mallory become international celebrities through their actions, they have fans and fame by taking the ‘short route’, regardless of the means used to get there. Williams and Mcshane (1993 p. 52) state that the lower class youth may be associated with and aspire to become a â€Å"policy king†: â€Å"I want to be a big shot†¦ have all of the guys look up to me. H ave a couple of lincolns, lots of broads and all of the coppers licking my shoes.As Natural Born Killers points the finger at the media for the glorification of violence, it also points a finger at capitalism for restraining the lower classes aspirations and confining them to a life of crime. Tshiwula (1998, p. 27) also shares this theory as she explains â€Å"capitalism is the root for the cause of much criminal behavior, particularly in crimes committed by the lower class. † Stuart Hall and David Morley’s work suggest that an individual’s social status can greatly influence how a text is decoded and the message they receive from it, regardless of the intended meaning.This suggests that people in a lower social status may see the antagonists as lower class heroes as they can relate to their situation. Semiotics in the film was used to signify the social gap between Mickey and Mallory, Wayne Gale, warden McClusky and officer Scagnetti. This explores the stereoty pes of social status in capitalist ideology. The film’s references to the lower class being confined to a life of crime and having restricted aspirations inform us that these factors are imposed by capitalism.Unfortunately, these points are still valid in modern society. Many people who come from low income families believe that having the occupation they desire is unachievable due to their social/financial status. This isn’t necessarily true, however people in this situation may think this due to what the rest of society thinks of them. Not only is the intended message of Natural Born Killers important in making people realize the media’s glorification of violence, but also the message of lower class stereotypes and how they affect the individuals within that class.This text also provides us with an extreme example of how a text can be decoded by different individuals. It’s safe to say that the oppositional reading of Natural Born Killers was a direct re sult of capitalist ideology and its influence on lower class individuals. References Hall, S. (1977) Culture, The Media and the ‘Ideological Effect’. America: Open University Hollingshead, A. (2007). Elmtown's Youth – The Impact of Social Classes on Adolescents. Chicago, America: Case Press Morley, D. (1992). Television Audiences and Cultural Studies.New York, America: Routledge Penn, A. (Director) Newman, D. (Writer) (1967). Bonnie and Clyde [Motion Picture]. America: Warner Bros. Pictures Reissman, L. (1953). American Sociological Review: Volume 18. America: American Sociological Association Stone, O. (Director/Producer) Tarantino, Q. (Writer) (1994). Natural Born Killers [Motion Picture]. America: Warner Bros. Pictures Tshiwula, L. (1998). Crime and Delinquency. Pretoria, South Africa: Kagiso Publishers Williams, F. P. , & McShane, M. D (1993). Criminology Theory. America: Anderson Publishing Co

German Jews During The Holocaust - 1869 Words

Siyu Song Dr Arms Valaries English 307 German Jews During The Holocaust When the Nazis settled that the Jews were the primary cause of Germany’s problems in the Second World War, they launched a mission aimed at torturing and killing them (Rosenfield 28). In particular, they sought to wipe all the Jews out of the surface of the earth. To gain political mileage, Hitler faulted the Jews for Germany’s economic woes following the First World War. This further created a lot of negative feelings required for Hitler to come and rule Germany. He embarked on a mission geared towards imprisoning the Jewish people in concentration camps. In January 1937, 214,000 Jews by religious definition lived in Germany. The persecution of the Jews in 1940s took†¦show more content†¦The needy Jews would on some occasions be given hand-me-downs of neighbors who had taken committed suicide or had been summoned for deportation. Getting such hand-me-downs was illegalized because the government confiscated all the Jewish possessions (Kaplan 145). Besides withh olding food and clothing from the Jews, the Nazis turned rendered the Jews into refugees within Germany. Government bodies compelled Jews out of their homesteads and into new ones on short notices, keeping them migrating from one point to another. Jews had to sell more furniture with every successive migration to tighter and tinier areas of residence. Normally a whole family would be squeezed into a compact room. In some cases, total strangers were jammed together. Renowned poet Gertrud Kolmar, who shared an apartment with her father and some strangers, said that since her bed was in the dining section, she no longer had refuge, no space for herself, and the feeling of homelessness had become more painful. In addition, the new lodgings reserved for the Jews were under-heated and dilapidated. During winter, frost would develop inside the rooms, because fuel deliveries were insufficient. Normally, in old and abandoned buildings, the rooms were infested, especially with bedbugs and oth er parasites (Kaplan 145). An integral component of the Jewish life in most of the Judenhauser residents was feared spot checks carried out by the Gestapo to look for