ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The Tragedy of the Commons is an article about population problem resolution. In the first part of the article, Hardin talks about solutions and their context in todays and yesterdays world. He puts the argument of technical and non technical solutions in different contexts and weighs their suitability in different circumstances. Bentham’s rule of “the greatest good for the greatest number” is also discussed in the first few paragraphs where Hardin explains the two reasons why it cannot be realized. He gives the first reason as a mathematical one i.e. two variables cannot be increased at the same time and the second reason as a biological one that dictates that for any life to proceed there must be energy to sustain it; it is not sufficient to do that for the human race with growing population. The writer then tries to explain the phenomenon of ‘tragedy in commons’ using a simple example of pastoralists sharing a vast pasture. There would be an increase in the number of cattle up to the point when the cattle will start putting too much pressure on the pasture, and then there would be tragedy because each extra head would mean more pressure on the pasture which would eventually lead to conflict and even extinction (McVay 9). This system of selection, the writer explains, is used in many areas of our lives in instances where there are limited resources that are not restricted. A natural means of selection then occurs in the form of overcrowding, queues and so on naturally regulating these struggles and it is put that there is no space (Hardin 15). Hardin then goes on to relate these arguments to pollution and conscience. He brings out the fact that conscience can be used as at tool of regulation but warns that this appeals very differently between different individuals. Carefully looking at the article, Hardin tries to argue about the different means of self regulation. He focuses on general people regulation, pollution and even legislation. In my opinion Hardin simply wanted to bring out the different ways of regulation yet with a little touch of humor. He explains that even if a population does not necessarily plan on regulating itself, it is still bound to do so naturally in an order he refers to as the commons (Lloyd 82). He even refers to Charles Darwin as he explains these points although later in the article he drastically changes his views in a display of contrast in his writing. In his view, everything from politics to basic human processes like breeding can be regulated by as simple a process as appealing to the human conscience in the short term (Smith 428). There is a lot of contradiction in Hardin’s article though; he goes ahead to warn that use of conscience may be appealing in the short term but may eventually be perceived differently by the people depending on their reflections and inner beliefs (Lack 29).The need for recognition and mutual agreement has also been brought out as necessary towards the end of the article. In conclusion, Hardin writes that perhaps a simple answer to these population problems is the use of need for necessity and mutual agreement. While accepting that mutual agreement does not mean
Introduction The concept of utopia has drawn a lot of debates concerning what it entails and what it does not entail. The term utopia refers to the state of predicting a bright future and presenting issues ass best as they can be. The state of utopia brings forth hope, and big expectations even where there are few expectations. However, there are many phases of utopia, social, political and theoretical. The presentation of utopia by Benedict Anderson has brought a lot of criticism. This paper aims at bringing out the theoretical issues of utopia in relations to Anderson. The main discussion question is, “is utopia politics related to nationalism and community?” Disproportional society In a state of utopia, all the persons are made to believe that the future is promising. And as put out in the introduction, there are no benefits of doubt that are given to the systems in place or even to the visions that are there. This puts the while community at disproportion should an unprecedented event or change to the laid down structures occur. The community believes in perfect religion, community, nation, and governance. The ability to focus on the incurrence of events that may lead to negativity is alienated in utopia thus the community is not balanced in its gauging of the future (Chatterjee, 4). The saving tradition The argument in utopia discourages the saving tradition. The main purpose why the people save is to safeguard the future. When there is no danger in the future the persons in a community are made to believe that the whole system is in operation and thus they do not save. This puts the coming generations at the risk of not benefiting fully form the structures as there is no good foundation is made for them. The future generations in a utopia, as Anderson puts it, shall start from the scratches that their fore fathers started at. The ability of the community to transform the future generation is laid on the ability to save. The ability to save is in most occasions motivated by the fact that there are probabilities that the future may not present all that is there to be presented. Thus the people are determined to have a portion that will cover them from the inaccuracies (Chatterjee, 3). Security Benedict Anderson shows the state of utopia as the leading stumbling block to the development of the people. The scenario has lead many communities in believing that there are no security issues in their lands. The fact that the country is safe today is not an assurance that the country will be safe tomorrow. This then is the probability that the countries should look at. The isolation of the issue of security leads to the colonialism in most of the countries in the eightieth century. This
Today, an increasing number of developed countries face the problem of a rapidly aging population. This trend is believed to be caused by two major factors, namely the growing life expectancy and a reduction in fertility rates (Jacelon, 2018). For the former, it is found that since 1960 life duration of US citizens extended from 69.7 years to 79.4 years in 2015. Moreover, that number is projected to reach a record height of 85.6 years in 2060 (Medina et al., 2020). However, the longevity distribution may differ among various sexes and racial groups. For instance, in 2020, the life expectancy of males was 75.1 years, while for females, that number was equal to 80.5 years (Arias et al., 2021). Additionally, from an ethnic perspective, Hispanic Americans have the longest forecasted life span (79.9 years); for non-Hispanic white Americans, it equals 78 years, and the black population is expected to live the least (72 years). On the other hand, fertility rates fell significantly since the middle of the previous century. For instance, women gave birth on average to 3.58 children in 1960, while in 2020, it amounted to 1.78 children (Statista Infographics, 2021). According to Jacelon (2018), such demographic tendencies would result in the situation that by 2050 there would be 60 old-aged people and just 30 children per 100 people ages between 15 and 64. The author further argues that the gradual aging of the population would lead to changes in social policies, resource allocation, business operations, marketing strategies, and community and healthcare systems. The latter raises a special concern among scholars and politicians as people’s well-being play
Issue The nuclear race between Iran and Israel have contributed to the instability and threatens the balance of power in the Gulf region, which leads to the need of creating a restraining force, hence, the UAE should reshape its nuclear policy to become this force that will bring the necessary balance of powers to the area. Background The Gulf region has been associated with several conflicts created by particular policies and doctrines adopted in some countries. For instance, Iran has long tried to become the key player in the geopolitical arena and gain significant control over other countries (“The Doctrinal Foundations of Iran’s Geopolitical Project” 43). This doctrine has religious roots as Iranian leaders emphasize that Shiites should all unite with the core in Iran where this religious group is the majority. One of the steps to achieve this aim, as seen by Iranian leaders, is the development of the nuclear weapon, which is still one of the most influential factors in the geopolitical arena. Iran has technical capabilities to develop nuclear weapons through the country “appears not to have taken a final decision” on that matter (Dalton 92). Iran stresses that they are working on the development of peaceful nuclear power, which is important for its national security as it provides the necessary energetic security. It is noteworthy that many Arab countries have opposed these efforts and the overall Iranian nuclear policies (Charbel 7). At the same time, Israel used to claim that they had peaceful nuclear power, but the existence of a significant nuclear arsenal has been proved recently (Borger par. 4). It is necessary to note that the country obtained the support of Western countries in its pursuit of the development of peaceful nuclear power, as claimed by the country’s officials. In particular, the USA and France were strategic partners of Israel in this respect. Israel constructed several nuclear power facilities. However, it turned out that the country also worked on the development of a nuclear weapons arsenal. The state is often seen as the primary opponent of the Arab world, therefore, nuclear weapons are regarded as the most efficient strategy to ensure the country’s security. The Palestinian issue is one of the most painful issues that contribute to the instability as the stakeholders involved often threaten each other (“Iran Nuclear Deal” 6). Importantly, Israel can use its nuclear arsenal as a means of deterrence as well as pressure on other countries in the Gulf region. Analysis It is necessary to note that the major theoretical framework employed when evaluating the situation in the region is the balance o
Abstract GCC is a sub-region of the ESCWA economic realm that is located in the Middle-East, and consisting of six members that include Qatar, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and the United Arabs Emirates (UAE). This region is located in the arid ecosystem and one plight that is common to the entire members is the scarcity of renewable water resources. As a result, they have resorted to investing in desalination technologies (MED, RO, MSF) to suffice the demand of the ever increasing population. Nonetheless, this journey has never been that rosy since there are a number of challenges that have come their way. Among the challenges include the unit cost (OPEX and CAPEX), environmental pollution, and also the number of contracted capacity. However, it is upon the management to frame reliable policies so as to overcome these challenges lest the problems persist. For instance, in Abu Dhabi, in order to realize Vision 2030, then there is need to recycle wastewater for use in agricultural production instead of using desalinated water that comes directly from the plants. Introduction GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) is an economic region consisting of six Middle-East economies including Qatar, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and the United Arabs Emirates (UAE). These countries are grouped together since they have a lot in common. Ideally, these nations have comparable socio-economic situation and oil exploration forms the backbone of their economies, spanning four decades back. Importantly, merchandise in oil-related products dominates their export markets, accounting for more than 90% of their total exports. One major resource that has been impeding the faster development of this region has been the scarcity in natural water resources at the backdrop of increasing demand (Al-Rashidi, 2008). The increasing demand is a consequence of population growth, and as such, the surface water resources are now exhausted. In some countries, the aquifers are already drained. To this end, to supplement the declining fresh water resources, the GCC countries have resorted to investing, massively, in desalination plants much to their success. The desalination plants invested in GCC countries typify a successful project that has lived up to its expectation of serving its population with continuous supply akin to economies that are sufficiently endowed with natural and renewable water resources (Hanbury, 2010). According to a research conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), this region, located within an arid e
Introduction The writers do not indicate the criteria used to select the hospital and where the study was conducted. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study and there is a need to clearly outline the methodology, but the article failed to do so. Even though one hospital was selected, there should be a reason to justify its selection. No sampling technique was used but instead, the study used the entire population in the emergency ward at the time of the study. The good thing about such an approach is that it is due to a lack of sampling bias but on the other hand, it is more tiring and time-consuming compared to when small sample size is used. Including a large study population that is not clearly defined is cumbersome. In any research study, the age element is usually clearly defined to avoid misconstruction but in this study, their age groups are mixed up. The writers have given a distinct inclusion criterion as a basis for the target group “patients presenting to the ED and were subsequently admitted to a medical-surgical unit or the ICU” (Denby & Rowlands 2010, 36). This has been substantiated by the exclusion criteria. The study, therefore, has clearly stated the subjects that it intends to target. The characteristics of the study population ought to be indicated in the methodology section but this was not the case. It is only after reading the results section that one gets to understand the characteristics of the study population. Methodology The methodology presented in the abstract is not a clear representation of the methodology in the text. To begin with, unlike in the abstract, the methodology does not seek to establish an association between variables. Secondly, the length of stay in the Emergency Department was used to define hospital-acquired pressure ulcers during data collection. Therefore it does not qualify to be a variable under study as stated in the abstract, “to examine the relationship between ED length of stay and hospital-acquired pressure ulcers for patients directly admitted from the ED” (Denby & Rowlands 2010, 35). The writers have tangled up their variables and looking at the research question, there is a need for clarity on what is to be investigated in the body of the article. The methodology fails to give the timeline of the study. While comparing the methodology and the results section of this article, it is as if they are communicating different messages. Under the methodology section, the writers have operationalized their definition of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, but the results section shows that hospital-acquired pressure ulcers have been defined based on CDC findings as given in the introduction. The writers have failed to give a choice of the methodology used. In the abstract, the study is descriptive, later in the text, it is cross-sectional exploratory. As earlier mentioned, an exploratory study design usually takes up a qualitative approach aimed at establishing the existence of a problem by obtaining people’s views or reviewing secondary literature. This study is not at all exploratory because the problem of pressure ulcers is already established. Since this study aims at getting the pe
Introduction Many people tend to take art and design for granted yet it is prevalent in our everyday lives. Art is the use of imagination, an individual’s perception and expression of something special. This can be in form of fine arts such as paintings and sculptures, visual such as television, advertisements and logos, and architecture. Design incorporates simplicity and effectiveness; it tries to solve the difficulties faced by man in the day to day life. Factors such as cost effectiveness, materials, negatives (environmental) and function are well-thought-out by designers. Together, designers and artists play a vital role in the society. Through their innovative pursuits, they portray a picture or a reflection of the world we live in. They help represent our culture, agriculture, social custom, beliefs and religion. Art and design is everywhere, from our phones, laptops, pens, bottles, clothing, roads, vehicles, trains and aero-planes (Davidson, 2000). One of the most significant pieces of art is the Nok art, a testament of the Nok culture. The Nok culture appeared in the region of West Africa in Nigeria. It describes the Nok Sculpture of northern Nigeria which date from 500BC to 200AD. The Nok sculptures, the terracotta statues, are considered as the earliest traces of the remarkable tradition of sculpture south of Sahara. Discovery of the sculptures in 1943 indicate the use of iron, the practice of smelting for tools and forgery. The Nok sculptures varied in sizes from miniature statu
International regimes are platforms for the complex interaction of ideas, principles, and interests at a global level, which work towards the achievement of common goals. They include “specialized arrangements about well-defined activities, resources, or geographical areas and often involving only some subset of the members of the international society” (Burkitt, 13). They comprise of states co-operating with each other to bring about changes whose effects are of common interest. In this sense, the summit on global warming is an international regime in that it seeks to address issues of concern to almost every nation of the world. A lot of literature has been written about the emergence and working of international regimes. Most of them, however, take theoretical approaches in defining the nature of kind of inter-state cooperation. The realist school of thought posits that international regimes exist because nations get concerned about their position about others on a given front. On military issues, for instance, states may decide to co-operate when division threatens their very existence or security agenda. The International Atomic Agency fits in this perspective, as it aims to prevent the uncontrolled proliferation of nuclear weapons. The position of Iran and North Korea in their unwillingness to cooperate with the nuclear regulatory body reflects the circumstances under which an international regime is impossible. Tehran and Pyongyang contend that any cooperation aimed at limiting their weaponization ambitions is against their military agenda. On December 5, 2009, Reuters reported that Iran had resolved to divulge little information about their nuclear projects. The West, on the other hand, believes that the nuclear armament drive by these nations is a threat to the rest of the world, hence their collective efforts to avert such a crisis. The war in Iraqi is perhaps the most recent form of an international regime of a military nature. The states that offered their soldiers into the US-led invasion must have projected individual gains in terms of power or diplomatic relations from the adventure. Similarly, the NATO allies have pledged to send more troops into Afghanistan in another US-led war. It is not that these nations are directly threatened by Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan, but bound by the rules of the international regime that is NATO. The neo-liberal approach argues that regimes are formed when states see a gain in such cooperation. Their primary concern, as it were, is not a common goal, but rather a specific benefit that is targeted. We have witnessed the maneuvers the Kyoto Protocol elicited from international players. As much as the fight against global warming is desirable, it is not that welcome to all economies of the world. If carbon emissions were to be reduced to the le
Customer Satisfaction and Expectations Aramex Company is an international service provider whose service provisions are characterised by the pursuit of quality as an overall organizational goal. Therefore, an analysis of its services affords an understanding of the service quality, expectations of customers, and the quality gap quality gap model. The company is one of the case studies that are successful in service provision. However, the need to analyse and identify quality gaps based on the gaps model is vital in its pursuit of business goals. Based on the Aramex Company case study, the management and sales executives handle customer complaints promptly once they are raised. They have good listening abilities and communicate effectively (Lovelock, 99). Sales agents make after sales follow-ups and continuously inform the customer on new changes in the product, creating customer value. Promises made by the company executives and sales agents are always true, thus inculcating a sense of customer satisfaction, confidence and always strive to provide customers with alternative services that targeted at meeting their needs and expectations. Customer satisfaction is a key component in their business operations. One such incident that illustrates the approach to the integration of the quality component in its services is discussed hereafter. A customer enquired at the sales and marketing department with one of the representatives, the Aramex Company representatives aggregated their efforts to attend to the customer complaint about the customer’s bag that had been misplaced. Shortly after, the customer was kept waiting for a few minutes before a satisfactory response was given to the customer. Every effort was made to track the bag that was eventually handed over to the customer, to the customer’s satisfaction. Departmental employees exerted a synergistic pursuit in search of the lost item, to the satisfaction of the customer, and meeting customer expectations (Lovelock, 23). Lovelock argues that justice, and fairplay are fundamental elements to consider in service provision activities, with compensation plans integrated into the system in the event of failure to deliver products according to customer needs and expectations (24). Therefore, distributive justice formed an important asset in the administration of justice (Lovelock, 50). Performance enhancement plans are laid down by the company’s management which outline standards and expectations from employees in service provision, focused at customer satisfaction and expectations. The company incorporates employee education on the need for quality service provisions while closely monitoring their productivity in the service industry. Effective Communications across departments, vertically, and horizontally is another aspect that drives the organization to its success (Lovelock, 40). Highly trained and skilled personnel are assigned duties that require skilled manpower. These include employees like Mohammed who are well skilled in the provision of services. Customers remain a key asset in any business organization. It’s through customizers