ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The implications of globalization/geopolitical ‘unipolarity’ in regards to international law The controversy, surrounding Israel’s adherence to the principle of ‘strategic ambiguity’, on the one hand, and Iran’s unwillingness to heed to U.N. Security Council demands to give up uranium enrichment, on the other, can be best discussed within the context of how the realities of post-industrial (globalized) living affect the concept of international law, as we know. It is important to understand that, up until very recently, this concept used to be heavily embedded in the provisions of the Peace Treaty of Westphalia (1648), signed between European countries that participated in the Thirty Years War. According to this Treaty, it represents every country’s sovereign right to define its form of government and its state religion, without the involvement of a third party: “Peace of Westphalia… made the sovereign state the legitimate political unit. It implied that basic attributes of statehood such as the existence of a government with control of its territory were now, along with Christianity, the criteria for becoming a state” (Philpott 2005, p. 360). The legitimacy of nationhood, as the actual source of geopolitical sovereignty, was fostered even further during the 18 th -19 th centuries, because the process of bourgeoisie rising to its prominence as the new social class (Industrialization), created objective preconditions for people to be referring to their self-identity in terms of a ‘nation’. Nevertheless, by the end of the 20 th century, it started to become increasingly clear to many Western politicians that, due to the process of Globalization and due to the fact with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the world had ceased being bipolar, it is no longer appropriate to refer to the ‘nation’ as the only legitimate political unit. For example, at the time of its founding in 1957, European Economic Community was expected to function as a solely consultative body, with the main purpose of its existence being assumed the standardization of trade tariffs between the Community’s members. However, as of today, E.U. has been turned into nothing short of a quasi-state of its own – it now has its flag, its currency, its own Parliament, its own President. Moreover, it is just a matter of very short time, before it will have its armed forces and police (Europol). It also started to dawn upon intellectually hon
The rise in the use of social media has created ample opportunities for sharing information, which has led both to positive and rather questionable outcomes. While it has defined the increase in the extent of knowledge sharing and cultural exchange, it has also amplified the voices of those that have been spreading misinformation, either due to ignorance or out of malice. In his essay “The Kind of World We All Want: Maybe, Just Maybe, We Can Stop the Greatest Propaganda Machine in History,” Sasha Baron Cohen speaks of his fears about the impact that social media may have on the promotion of conspiracy theories and prejudices. Fearing that these ostensible changes will foster racist and homophobic attitudes among the general audience, Cohen encourages his audience to be cautious and critical of the claims made on social media. Specifically, Cohen raises the concerns regarding the lack of control over the spread of conspiracy theories and discrimination within social media. Although Cohen’s fears could be seen as farfetched, the overall tone of the essay allows keeping the focus on an important social issue, namely, that one of the misuse of social media as the tool for fueling the social divide. What makes the essay stand out is the careful balance between its ethos, pathos, and logos. Cohen’s rejection of his authority at the beginning of the essay might seem as counterintuitive. Namely, Cohen diminishes his role as a public speaker: “I’ve spent most of the past two decades in character” (Cohen, 2019, para. 2). However, the pathos in his speech as the appeal to the audience’s moral values juxtaposes the perceived lack of ethos as he continues to appeal to the audience’s need for social justice. For example, he mentions the threat to democracy in the modern community: “Democracy, which depends on shared truths, is in retreat” (Cohen, 2019, para. 5). Thus, Cohen’s essay conveys the significance and urgency of the need to address a global ethical issue. Finally, the logical part of Cohen’s essay remains moderately strong. Providing evidence and inferring possible outcomes for the global community, Cohen proves his point concerning the dangers of social media. Additionally, the essay features several essential major literary devices. For example, Cohen uses irony extensively in his speech: “some of my comedy, OK probably half my comedy” (Cohen, 2019
The author presents a fascinating account of the overthrow of the Aztec Empire under the leadership of Montezuma by the radical Hernan Cortes and his supporters. In the book, Bernal notes that he is one of Cortes’ soldiers, and he explains the manner in which the Spanish settlers landed in Mexico in 1520. Once in the city, the author observes that the Spanish embarked on a mission to develop the cities and establish its administrative authority. The colonialists went on to exploit the poor by forcing them to work in the mining fields without compensating them. The foreigners were simply interested in extracting valuable ornaments and other treasures, something that the locals were highly opposed forcing them to launch a formidable resistance that threw out the Spanish. However, the foreigners regrouped and fought a tough war that en enabled them to recapture the Aztec capital once more, forcing the locals to obey foreign laws failure of which would result in stern punishment. In his analysis, Bernal talks about human sacrifice repeatedly by observing that many people were willing to lose their lives to achieve what they wanted. Again, he notes that Hernan Cortes was a great soldier who was determined to spread Christianity in the region. Unfortunately, he exaggerates the capability of the Spanish and their interest since they were never focused on helping the locals but instead acquiring the much-needed resources and human labor. The author makes the reader believe the Spanish civilization was advanced. He goes on to portray the Mesoamerican civilization as weak and destructive. The author goes on to refer to the conquering of Aztec by the Spanish as heroic while their real mission was to spread the gospel and extract gold. A critical analysis reveals that this assertion is misleading because it is non-objective in the sense that it is detrimental to the interpretation of the entire process of conquest. The writer shows that the Spanish were simply adventurers with the major aim of becoming heroes, but he does not consider the fact that they had specific economic and political intentions to accomplish. In one of the statements, Bernal observes, “After spending three fruitless years in Tierra Firme and Cuba, about a hundred and ten of us, settlers from Tierra Firme or Spaniards who had come to Cuba but received no grant of Indians, decided to make an expedition to seek new lands in which to try our fortunes and find occupation.” The statement means that the Spanish had other objectives apart from visiting the region for explorative reasons meaning that they were searching for wealth and this could only be achieved through the enslavement of the locals. Bernal keeps on referring the Spaniards as redeemer gods, and the locals had predicted the same, but he does not dedicate even a single sentence to quote the locals admitting that the foreigners would rule over the land one day. In one occasion, he claims that the locals called the Spanish Teules, which refers to either demons or gods. He admits later that it would be difficult to know whether the locals treated them as gods or demons. Concerning the Mes
Introduction Nowadays rapidly changing world sets new opportunities and challenges in the field of business development, where a precise attention should be paid to economic and social changes. Modern theories of corporate social responsibility elaborate new strategies in order to meet the customers’ expectations. In this regard, the paper examines the concept of Quadruple Bottom Line (QBL) including its sustainability, validity, and applicability resulting in the analysis of its implementation in ASEAN. QBL Concept In order to uncover the notion of QBL, it is essential to pinpoint that it is based on the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) concept. The TBL concept assumes building a business, according to which entrepreneurs and managers should take into account not only the financial performance but also the social and environmental performances. The purpose of the company component was added to the QBL concept to form the fourth pillar that is the future generations. In particular, this business concept focuses on four pillars of sustainable development such as planet, people, profit, and purpose. As a rule, it is used not only as a management tool but also as a tool for accounting. Sustainability and the QBL Concept This future-oriented approach determines a long-term sustainable development of the company. In terms of the development, the QBL sustainability might be understood diversely. The core lays in the fact that it the QBL concept is a way of planning the strategy, in which the goal is achieved in the future and, at the same time, it should meet the requirements of current situation. There are various tools to achieve the sustainable development decision making including carbon footprint, lean manufacturing, and others. However, Waite (2013) states that “recent emphasis has been placed on the green economy and the circular economy as a way to attain sustainability” (p. 36). The majority of leading corporations all over the world comprise the focus on future and practice in their social responsibility due to the changing internal and especially external environments. From the above observations, it becomes obvious that the connection between the QBL concept and sustainability is strong and reflected in the provision of clear, socially acceptable, and environmentally friendly development in the future. Validity and Applicability Before the implementation of QBL, it is essential to identify both its validity and applicability. According to Fonseca (2015), the survey conducted among Portuguese Organizations to examine the relation of the QBL concept and sustainability showed that internal context, stakeholder orientation, external context, and managers’ satisfaction correlation statistically validated the corporate social responsibility. In other words, Fonseca (2015) understood the validity of the given concept as a driving force of organizations. In this connection, it might be applied throughout companies to
Community-Based Prevention Programs Community Description Miami-Dade is a county in southeast Florida that is unique in many ways. According to the county’s official website, the estimated population in 2016 was 2,712,945, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most populous county in the United States (“About Miami-Dade County”). The average per capita income is $41,883, and more than half of the population is foreign-born (“About Miami-Dade County”). Additionally, it is the fourth largest public school district in the US making school-based prevention programs very effective (“About Miami-Dade County”). However, the county stretches for more than 2,000 square miles, making it difficult to address people in remote places (“About Miami-Dade County”). In short, community characteristics can facilitate or obstruct addiction awareness programs depending on the utilized strategy. Addiction Prevention Programs As the county is sizeable with a relatively large population, the most effective way to address the community is through public schools and healthcare facilities. For the present paper, three addiction prevention programs that seem the most rational and effective were chosen. Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) is a youth organization that promotes a healthy lifestyle and provides education to the community about the adverse effects of smoking (“Students Working Against Tobacco”). It utilizes the strategy of improving decision-making skills, helping to resist social pressures to start smoking through education and strengthening self-esteem. According to Das et al., the most effective method used by the SWAT initiative is the digital platform, as students often use online resources to communicate (S71). However, the program might be missing strategies to reduce stress and anxiety. In short, even though the program lacks some features, it is effective in addressing youth. In high schools, the To Reach Ultimate Success Together (TRUST) program aims at preventing all kinds of substance abuse. It offers an approach to educating children about possible adverse effects, provides methods to improve self-efficacy, and focuses on decision-making and communication skills. The program pro
Table 1. Stock Portfolio Company       Ticker symbol  Price of the stock  Beta Amazon        AMZN           $312.20             0.64 Sirius XM     SIRI           $3.77               2.0  FEDEX         FDX            $104.49             1.18 Sprint Corp.  *S             $5.77               4.08 USAA          USISX          $16.33              0.55  Market Watch (2013). Investing . Web. For the given portfolio, the amount of $10K was used in order to invest into the stock and shares of the companies in question. It is noteworthy that, after the financial operations had been carried out, a sufficient amount of money was left for making further financial decisions. Among the other solutions that have been considered as an option for the given portfolio, the concept of diversification was chosen to be utilized. The choice of the companies to invest in predetermined the necessity in the use of diversification. As one might have noticed, the companies listed above belong to completely different fields. With Sirius XM is widely known as a broadcasting company, Amazon is famous for its being a multinational e-commerce firm, FEDEX offers courier services, Sprint Corp. is an Internet carrier, and USAA deals with banking, it is extremely hard to handle the shares bought from each of the companies with equal competence. Therefore, an efficient system of diversification had to be adopted in order to make sure that the shares are going to remain profitable. The means of diversification that have been used in the portfolio can be described as a vertical one. Indeed, when considering the companies in question, one is likely to find out quickly that they belong to different spheres of services. The choice of the diversification strategy was predetermined by the lower risk rates. Indeed, when buying the shares from the companies that facilitate the same sphere of services, one is likely to turn bankrupt once people start losing their interest in what the specified sphere has to offer. Consequently, the companies that are related to completely different branches of business have been chosen. It is reasonable to stress, however, that the choice of the spheres that the companies belong to was deliberate and was based on the current trends within the business sphere, as well as the news regarding the recent technological innovations and the way in which the latter is going to reinvent society. Since modern society can be referred to as the information society, the effects of media on the business sphere must not be underrated; therefore, it was crucial that the shares of such a major broadcasting company as Sirius XM should be bought. The reputation of Amazon, as well as its customer base, has grown considerably over the past few years due to the surge in popularity of e-commerce, which will also open new opportunities for Amazon investors. The same reasoning can b
Introduction Each cigarette smoked, shortens life by 11 minutes. It can affect the strength of bones and the color of teeth. Stamina gets reduced, owing to decreased blood circulation. Smoking is the root cause of different kinds of cancers, the most common being lung & throat cancer. It also decreases our body immunity i.e. the power of body to resist illness. It also reduces fertility in men as well as women. It deprives the skin of oxygen and as a result, the skin loses its texture. Hence, a smoker will appear to be 5 years older than his/her non-smoking counterparts. Tobacco consumption is an addiction similar to the addictions of alcohol, drugs or even sex for that matter. An addict of such habits cannot come out that easily. While efforts should be made to discourage such an addiction, such measures should be taken that keep the new generation spaced out. Then, we know that the problem is not incessant and the focus of the approach can be centralized. This would make the job a lot easier. The main culprits of spreading this addiction are the tobacco products manufacturing companies. They should maintain some code of conduct. But their profits are based on the sufferings of others. I am saying this because an addict doesn’t buy the product out of choice, but out of compulsion and addiction. The companies are to blame for promoting the tobacco products in a deceptive manner. If at all any tobacco manufacturing company wants to promote its products, it should be based on facts. The hazardous side effects of smoking should be highlighted in their advertisement campaigns. A simple mention of “Smoking kills” or “Smoking is injurious to health” on the packs is not enough. Moreover, they should respect the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). But despite restrictions to entice teenagers, their marketing is such that the youngsters are allured to try out smoking. The “cowboy” campaign of Marlboro cigarettes is a paradigm. Due to this campaign, the sales of the company increased manifolds. Smokers’ diseases and higher death rate by smoking Smoking has an ill effect on almost all the parts of a human body. In general, smoking leads to deteriorating health conditions of smokers. According to reliable sources, smoking has lead to “269,655 deaths among males and 173,940 deaths among females in the United States” (Adhikari et al, 2008, par. 3). Ira Ockene claims that, “As many as 30% of all coronary disease (CHD) deaths in the United States each year are attributable to cigarette smoking, with the risk being strongly dose-related. Smoking also nearly doubles the risk of ischemic stroke” (Ockene, par
Sigmund Freud and Eric Erikson made a huge contribution to the understanding of ourselves. Due to their theories, the way of perceiving the personality and its social-emotional development was greatly changed (Ahmed, 2012). However, some of the theories that were put up, especially by Freud, were very controversial. The theories of these two great men are mainly centered on the social and emotional changes that occur at different stages of life (Bergen, 2008). Therefore, this essay will discuss the similarities and differences between the theories of Freud and Erikson. Additionally, it will describe the strengths and weaknesses of both theories. The theories include psychosexual theory by Freud and psychosocial theory by Erikson. As much as Erikson found some faults in the work of Freud, he still viewed him as a very influential person. Erickson said that in his “Freud” arguments, he misjudged various aspects of human growth and development. However, Erikson still used the arguments of Freud in his work; this contributed to the occurrence of great similarities in the views of these two men. Freud argued that human beings developed following certain stages, with each one including their own experience and knowledge. However, if an individual at a certain stage fails to complete it fully, there will be some changes in his growth. Freud says that humans have the conscious and unconscious mind, therefore if one does not complete a certain stage, a fixation will occur in the unconscious mind (Lothane, 2006). The fixation results in a relentless psychosexual stage which if not resolved, causes the development of unhealthy personality. Similar to Freud, Erikson believed that personality develops in stages. However, he differs from Freud regarding the area that is involved in the stages. Freud’s argument
The modern age poses numerous threats to young people. The blistering evolution of society combined with the appearance of new opportunities resulted in the significant deterioration of moral and values which determine the nature of human actions. For this reason, the youth faces numerous challenges that could be considered ethical questions that appeared due to the reconsideration of the traditional values. Moral, faith, dignity, and other crucial concerns become less significant and impact the behavior of young people no more. The lack of spirituality results in an increase in the level of violence and undermines the basis of our society. That is why it is vital to take several steps to find an efficient solution to the existing problem. As mentioned above, faith is one of the significant concerns that has always been an integral part of society. Traditionally, faith and religion have been contributing to the increase in the importance of moral values and highlighting the necessity of adherence to them. However, at the moment, these institutions are not so significant, and they are not able to compete with such phenomena as the Internet, or television. On the contrary, there is a tendency to correlate the faith actor with various risk behaviors (Eklin & Roehlkepartain, 2005). It results from the lack of understanding of the nature of faith and the wrong priorities. The youth attending Church remains at the risk group as the institution does not take advantage of their potential and do not address the essential young peoples needs (Eklin & Roehlkepartain, 2005). The scale of the problem is so significant that the necessity of the initiation of the change process becomes obvious. Such social institutions as family, school, church, etc. should participate and make certain steps to create the environment beneficial for the development of personal qualities of young people. First, it is vital to building the value base which could serve as the background for f