All About Comment Clauses in English

All About Comment Clauses in English A comment clause, commonly heard in everyday speech and used in dialogue to  give it a natural tone, is a short word group, such as you see and I think, that adds a parenthetical remark to another word group. Its also called a  comment tag, a commenting tag or a parenthesis. You might not have known the name of it, but its guaranteed you use and hear it just about every day. Examples and Observations of a Comment Clause Commonly occurring examples [of comment clauses] are Im sure, Im afraid, I admit, I gather, I dare say and you see, you know, mind you, you must admit. Many comment clauses are stereotyped fillers which are inserted into running speech in order to establish informal contact with the hearer. When the subject is realized by I, their function is to inform the hearer of the speakers degree of certainty (I know/I suppose) or of her emotional attitude to the content of the matrix clause. -Carl Bache, Essentials of Mastering English (2000)As you know, the concept of the suction pump is centuries old. Really thats all this is except that instead of sucking water, Im sucking life. -Christopher Guest as Count Rugen in The Princess Bride (1987)The presentation went quite well, I believe.All time is all time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It simply is. Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as Ive said before, bugs in amber. -Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five  (1969) They [comment clauses] are so called because they do not so much add to the information in a sentence as comment on its truth, the manner of saying it or the attitude of the speaker. -Gunther Kaltenbock, Spoken Parenthetical Clauses in English: A Taxonomy (2007)Fly high above the cloudsOn the wings of a dreamI hear your whisper loud- Or so it seems. -Jackie Lomax, Or So It Seems Signals in Conversation The comment clauses you know and you see require some kind of response from the listeners, which, in a narrative turn, are more likely to be paralinguistic than vocal. Nods of the head, direct eye contact and minimal vocalizations like mm will satisfy the speaker that he still has the audiences consent to continue dominating the turn-taking. -Sara Thorne, Mastering Advanced English Language (2008) Comment Clauses and Relative Clauses In an example like Margaret Thatcher is now a life Baroness, which everyone knows, we can replace which with as with virtually no change of meaning. But unlike which, as is not generally used as a relative but as a conjunction. Note also that as everyone knows is positionally less restricted than which everyone knows: It could also be placed initially or medially. We, therefore, do not classify such an as-clause as a sentential relative clause but as a comment clause. -C. Bache and N. Davidsen-Nielsen, Mastering English  (1997)

Facts and Opinions in Opinion Essay Samples

Facts and Opinions in Opinion Essay Samples Facts and Opinions in Opinion Essay Samples In an opinion essay, the focus of attention is your own point of view, as opposed to an argumentative essay, for example, where you basically defend another persons opinion. A good opinion essay should include your point of view, stated in the introductory paragraph, reasoning for your opinion, and, of course, a conclusion, where you sum up your argument. Remember to back up your reasoning with examples. Preferably, place each opinion in a separate paragraph. You can also add opposing or supporting opinions of experts or your peers, but you have to remember that any opinion should be clearly stated. The most important part of this essay is to effectively prove your point of view. For that, you have to build a solid argument. Normally we distinguish between two main types of argument, inductive and deductive. Which one to use in your essay largely depends on your thesis statement. In this post, we will learn about the two types of reasoning and if an inductive argument is suitable for an opinion essay. Types of Argument An inductive argument basically means that your thesis statement is a projection of a more general statement, and your reasoning will increase or decrease the probability of your conclusion being true. The later depends on how strong or weak your reasoning is. For example, if your evidence is reliable, you have more chances to prove your point. This type of argument is more suited for presenting an opposing point of view, because it will give you room to refute. In a deductive argument, the truth of the conclusion is logically derived from the reasoning: if, then For example, if it rains, then the road will certainly be wet; we cannot conclude that it rains because the road is wet, there can be other reasons for that. This is a good type of argument to defend your point of view. For you the conclusion is true, by default, and you only need to break it into elements that will prove your reasoning. How to Support Your Opinion with Facts To prove your point of view, you have to build a good argument that will explain how you have come to a certain conclusion. An essential part of this is to present your facts clearly and in an easy to understand manner, so that your audience is not left guessing. It is important to understand that facts are verified pieces of information, not based on opinions. The effectiveness of your argument depends on the way you present data: define the point and present only the most valuable information; raw data is for you to analyze, not the reader. find a way to break up the text: pictures, charts, diagrams, even statistics will let the readers mind rest, but dont overload your paper with graphics. if you have a boring topic, try to make it more fun with a writing style, or couple of fun facts. The key to making the audience believe in your point of view is believing in it yourself.

Essay and short questions about western civilization - 1

And short questions about western civilization - Essay Example The high level of organized governance that is the major feature of the western civilization can for example be traced to the Greek civilization whose governance was based on political aspects. This politics developed to form an essential foundation of the western democratic based governance systems. The same effect emanated from the ancient Roman civilization. Intellectual capacity into development of technology is another aspect of the early civilization that formed foundations of western civilization. Observed, for example in the Greek civilization, intellectual potentials in conjunction with artistic abilities was the foundation of crude technologies that have been refined and modified for application in the western civilization’ high level of technological applications. Examples are the instruments that facilitated agrarian revolution. Specialization and division of labor are other characteristics of the western civilization that developed from crude concepts of ancient civilizations. The Egyptians’ civilization for instance observed specialization in roles by gender that designed specific roles to females and males. Though western civilization does not rely on gender, it has established specialization and division of labor based on individuals’ capacities and needs in work environments. The western civilization is therefore an evolution from the ancient civilizations. It incorporated characteristics of various ancient civilizations such as political governance, technology, and specialization, and refined them to higher levels of efficiency (Spielvogel, p. xiv). The early civilization developed because of advancements in agricultural practices. Its development majorly occurred between 3000 B.C. and 1000 B.C. along riverbanks with fertile soils. Examples are river Nile, river Euphrates, river Tigris, and river India (Spielvogel, p. 7). Alexander had outstanding military features. He was for example tactical and could effectively organize his

Obstacles Facing Sysco Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Obstacles Facing Sysco - Case Study Example After granting the implementation of BI software into Sysco, the company initially decided to customize it according to their business purpose and train their employees to use it properly (Harvard Business School Publishing, â€Å"Business Intelligence Software at SYSCO†). Sysco is a big company with 420,000 customers and it had employed 45000 employees in the year 2002. Sysco’s calculated sales in the year 2002 were 23.4 billion dollars. Thus, the company’s biggest obstacle is to determine the amount of software it will need to operate the firm. The company also has to consider the number of licenses they have to buy for using this software. If Sysco buys software then the vendor will provide the company a suitable discount. Thus, it was a great challenge for Sysco or only by the amount needed for the present time (Mcafee & Wagonfeld, â€Å"Business Intelligence Software at SYSCO†). With the help of BI software, the company can create a customer profile and frequently update them. The company compares the customer profile with each other with regard to ordering. After that, they can create a report which will show the sales of additional products and help to decide further prospects towards the customer. It would be tough to keep this record manually without the BI software. This way they can keep tracking the customer as they are reducing the use of certain specific products or increasing the order. This also shows whether the customer is satisfied with their service or not. It helps to recognize the fact that whether Sysco is loosing out on their customers to their competitors due to unhappiness with the provided service of Sysco. They can constantly monitor the customer from the report generated by BI software and identify which customer is valuable to them and which customer they are losing.   

Law questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law questions - Essay Example This law also applies to situations which consist of an individual entering into contracts to represent a firm which has been established under law. Applying the law to the facts, we understand that Barkley was not eligible to enter into Contract with Chetum. Along with this, Barkley is not eligible to represent the firm of his father in his absence. Therefore, looking at the overall perspective of Contractual Obligations, Barkley could not have entered into a contract with any other party. In case a contract has been entered upon between a minor and some other party, then such contract happens to not be legally binding on the parties although the work of the contract may be carried out and performed by the parties. Issue 2 Whether Knarles is criminally liable for sending a plumber whose license had not been renewed Knarles was aware that the plumber’s license had not been renewed in the current year, and in spite of that his firm had sent the plumber to Chetum’s buildi ng to do the repair work. The question which arises here right now is whether Knarles and his firm are criminally liable under the criminal jurisdiction for engaging a workman whose license had not been renewed. Under the criminal jurisprudence, there is nothing explicitly mentioned with regard to the renewal licence as a criminal liability. However, on the other hand, it is a civil liability the employer should have taken enough precaution to undergo the renewal process. IN this case, Knarles had not renewed the licence of his employee, and therefore on this point the plumber was not eligible to go and work in Chetum’s building. Whether Chetum is liable for Negligence When Barkley had sent the plumber to do the job at Chetum’s building, there were two options present for Chetum to execute: 1. To change the entire Boiler 2. To repair the Boiler When the plumber had gone there to check for the boiler, he had informed his boss Barkley that the boiler needs to be replaced and not repaired. Let us analyse the facts to get a clearer understanding. â€Å"While inspecting the non-operating boiler at Chetum’s building, the plumber notices that the boiler is one that has been recalled by the manufacturer, Housewarm, because of a defect that does not allow all the carbon monoxide produced by the boiler to vent properly. This boiler was purchased by Chetum at a salvage yard and replaced another non-operating boiler. Further, the boiler has been improperly installed, according to the plumber. The plumber notifies Barkley of the problems with the boiler and Barkley immediately notifies Chetum. Chetum tells Barkley that he does not want to purchase a new boiler. He asks if the existing boiler can be fixed to get through the winter months. Barkley calls his plumber who is still at the Chetum site and asks the plumber about a quick fix for the winter. The plumber tells Barkley he would not recommend the quick fix for the winter as this boiler is defectiv e and has been recalled.† Looking at the facts, it can be directly inferred that the boiler which was in the building was defective and should have been replaced. However, to save costs and other expenditures, Chetum did not want that to happen and therefore asked for the boiler to be repaired. It is pertinent to note that the boiler which had been installed int the building was not only improperly installed but also was defective. Therefore there was an urgent need to replace the boiler, which was concurred by the plumber but not approved by Chetum. The

The Threat Of Nuclear Weapons Politics Essay

The Threat Of Nuclear Weapons Politics Essay Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction which are capable of wiping out an unimaginably large number of people. Today, five member nations, the United States of America, Russia, United Kingdom, France and the Peoples Republic of China are internationally recognized as nuclear weapons nations by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and are thus permitted to possess nuclear weapons. Two non-signatory members, India and Pakistan also possess these weapons and have conducted nuclear weapon tests. In addition to these seven members, Israel is strongly suspected of possessing nuclear weapons although it has neither confirmed it nor denied it. There is also speculation the Iran might be running a covert nuclear weapons program. Finally, North Korea has publicly declared itself to be in possession of nuclear weapons but this fact has never been confirmed as it has not conducted any substantial nuclear tests. There is an urgent need to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons across the world as they pose a great threat to international security and their usage could lead to catastrophe. Today, this issue is especially relevant to North Korea and the Middle East where the lack of agreements and the prevalence of ambiguities regarding nuclear programs is becoming an issue of global concern. Countries associated with nuclear weapons3 Definition of Key Terms Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) The NPT is a treaty that came into force in 1970, in order to limit nuclear proliferation. It prohibits non nuclear weapon states from developing, possessing or acquiring nuclear weapons or explosives. The three pillars of the treaty are non proliferation, disarmament and the peaceful use of nuclear technology. Currently, it has not been signed by India, Pakistan and Israel. Nuclear weapons Nuclear weapons are extremely destructive and explosive weapons that derives its force through either fission reactions or both fission and fusion. Nuclear Proliferation Nuclear proliferation is a term now used to describe the spread of nuclear weapons, fissile material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information, to nations which are not recognized as Nuclear Weapon States by the NPT. 1 Nuclear weapons free zone A Nuclear weapons free zone is a geographical area recognized by the United Nations that has banned the use and development of nuclear weapon technology and has put measures into place to check its implementation. Nuclear Disarmament Nuclear disarmament is a proposal to dismantle nuclear weapons in order to reduce the possibility of the occurrence of a nuclear war. Background Information The first nuclear weapon was invented by USA, Britain and Canada during the Second World War. USA remains the only country to have ever used it. Soon after, during the Cold War, the world saw the beginning of the nuclear arms race. Following the Second World War, Korea was divided into two geographical regions: the northern controlled by the Soviets and the southern controlled by USA. Also, Israel is believed to have begun investigating the nuclear field soon after it was founded in 1948. In the 1950s the nuclear program in Iran was established for peaceful purposes under the supervision of the United States. The Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) was signed in 1963 which banned the test of nuclear weapons underwater, in the atmosphere or in outer space. This treaty was not signed by China and France who are both nuclear weapons states today. The conflict between the communist North Korea and the capitalist South Korea has been going on since 1950 and there have been repeated failures to consolidate the two as one unified nation. Even today, the two countries have not officially made peace. Hence, ever since the 1970s, North Korea began its pursuit of acquiring nuclear weapons. In 1967, a CIA report claimed that Israel had the materials required to construct a bomb. In 1979, a US satellite reported a flash in the Indian Ocean that was similar to a nuclear denotation and could have possibly been a nuclear test conducted by Israel. It is speculated to be one of the apparently few joint nuclear tests conducted by South Africa and Israel. Minimal progress was made in nuclear disarmament until 1991 and the Comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty (CTBT) was adopted in 1996 which banned all nuclear explosions in all environment for military or civilian testing. It was signed by 182 countries and ratified by 153 and was aimed at stopping the nuclear arms race. Iran ratified the NPT in 1970s which subjected it to IAEA inspections. Today, the main reason for suspicion of Irans nuclear program is its failure to declare sensitive enrichment and reprocessing activities to the IAEA. In 1992, North Korea entered a safe guards agreement under Article 3 of the NPT which allowed IAEA inspectors to inspect North Koreas nuclear materials. In 1993, North Korea threatened to withdraw from the NPT which it had acceded to earlier. However, this did not ultimately happen as USA and North Korea came to an agreement by which North Korea would suspend all nuclear reactors in exchange for in exchange for alternative energy resources. North Korea withdrew from the IAEA in 1994 and launched a missile over the Sea of Japan in 1998 which caused USA to review its policies towards the country. Relations between the two countries remained turbulent. In 2002, the North Korean Deputy Secretary apparently acknowledged the existence of a covert nuclear-weapons development program. North Korea withdrew from the NPT in 2003 and in response; the US launched six way talks about the issue with North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia. North Korea, once again, agreed to abandon all nuclear weapon activities. However, like previous agreements, North Korea did not commit to it. It declared that it had nuclear weapons and withdrew from the six party talks in 2005. In October, 2006 North Korea announced plans for its first nuclear test. North Korea did conduct an explosive underground test but there are doubts as to whether it really was a nuclear test since the magnitude of the blast was less than expected. As far as Iran is concerned, in March 2010, Iran declared itself as a nuclear state and president Ahmadinejad announced I want to announce with a loud voice here that the first consignment of 20 percent enriched uranium was produced and was put at the disposal of the scientists. However, Iran reiterated that it will use this only for peaceful purposes. We have the capability to enrich uranium more than 20 percent or 80 percent but we dont enrich (to this level) because we dont need it. Evidently, there has been a great turn of events regarding the development and legitimacy of nuclear weapons in North Korea, Iran and Israel. A clear agreement in the case of all three countries has yet to be formed. General Overview Nuclear Deterrence The argument of those who possess nuclear weapons is that it enables them to ward off or deter nuclear or conventional attack through threat of disastrous retaliation. This could be incentive to possess nuclear weapons. DPRK has been accused of using nuclear weapons as a political tool to normalize relations with USA, Japan, and South Korea and to end the embargo against North Korea. North Korea will thus be unwilling to give up nuclear weapons without substantial concessions from USA and South Korea, among others. On the other hand, Iran has entirely denied seeking nuclear weapons for retaliation or nuclear deterrence. Transfer One of the greatest concerns with nuclear weapons is that it could end up in the wrong hands. Not only could countries possessing them sell them to others, thus encouraging nuclear proliferation, but nuclear weapons could also be sold to or stolen by non-state actors. If such a situation were to arise, it would have severe implications on the national security of several countries. For instance, DPRK has refrained from selling its nuclear weapons and materials. However, in the case of harsh sanctions being imposed on the country, it could retaliate and sell its nuclear weapons. Out of this fear, China has prevented the Security Council from authorizing the use of force or imposing truly harsh sanctions on the country. Similarly, in 1975, there were rumors that Israel offered to sell its nuclear weapons to South Africa. Israel has vehemently denied the claim. Israel-Iran Relations The turbulent relationship between Israel and Iran dates back to the Islamic Revolution in the 1970s. Both countries are suspected of having a nuclear weapons program and blame each other for threatening the security of the Middle East by doing so. Irans extreme hostility towards USA and Israel is probably the reason that has caused many to consider Iran to be the greatest threat in the Middle East. Iran itself is not a democracy and does not recognize the right to freedom of speech and expression. In addition, it refuses to acknowledge Israel as a country and refers to Israel as an occupied territory. However, many are angered at the fact that although there is no proof that Iran plans on developing nuclear weapons it is being faced with threats of dire consequences by the USA and Europe where as there is comparatively less pressure on Israel which is practicing opacity as far as its nuclear plan is concerned. On the other hand, seeing as Israel is a democracy, people believe that it can be trusted with its power. Israel also has a reputation of being relatively more reliable and predictable. It is considered less likely to misuse its nuclear weapons through and arbitrary attack. However, Israels intentional ambiguity regarding nuclear development in the country could be considered as a catalyst for the prospect of a nuclear arms race in the region. There are rumours that Israel may have up to 400 nuclear warheads. Egypt and 17 other Middle Eastern countries want Israels nuclear capabilities to be discussed with the IAEA since they have all signed the NPT and believe that Israels accession to the NPT is essential to establish regional peace. Israels current status is considered by some to be a provocation of nuclear proliferation. Israel refuses to sign the NPT without a comprehensive regional peace agreement as until then it requires its ambiguity about its nuclear weapons capability as a deterrent. It is important to note that although the world is split regarding who is to be blamed, both Israel and Iran are in a situation that can possibly lead to a destabilizing arms race in the Middle East and are key players in the possibility of establishing a nuclear free zone in the Middle East. Thus any agreement that does not involve the two countries will result in stalemate. Major Countries and Organizations Involved Israel Israel is the only country in the Middle East that is not a part of the NPT and is suspected by the IAEA to have nuclear weapons. Israel refuses to admit or deny possessing nuclear arsenal, or developing nuclear weapons and is using this ambiguity about its nuclear weapons capability as a deterrent. It is a good ally of USA and a hostile enemy of Iran. Iran Iran is a part of the NPT and strongly asserts that its nuclear technology, including enrichment is solely for civilian purposes but the IAEA has been unable to verify it. It is strongly suspected that the program is concealing the development of nuclear weapons. Iran claims that Israel is the only obstacle to establishing a nuclear weapons free zone and has stated its intentions to wipe Israel of the map. Iran has been subjected to four rounds of sanctions by the Security Council of the United Nation in order to urge it to halt its nuclear program. USA USA, today, has the largest quantity of nuclear weapons in the world but is trying to gradually cut them down under the Obama administration. It strongly condemns both North Korea and Iran for their nuclear program and is unwilling to accept either of the two as nuclear powers. China China has been reluctant to back the sanctions against Iran as it supports the Irans nuclear program for civilian use. It is believed to have helped Iran with its missile development programs. It is North Koreas most important ally, biggest trading partner and main source of food, arms and fuel. China has not expressed outright defiance against USA in order to protect its relations with the country and has supported some UN sanctions against Iran. Russia Russia believes that every nation has the right to self defense and therefore sees Irans nuclear program as legitimate. It has strong ties with Iran and has opposed unilateral sanction imposed on it by USA. However, Russia has urged Iran to change its stance. Russia has also been accused of assisting North Korea and Iran with their nuclear program. IAEA The IAEA is an international organization that promotes the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The IAEA believes that every nation has the right to an authorized and monitored nuclear program for peaceful purposes; however, nations should not attempt to pursue nuclear weapons in any form. Timeline of Events Date Description of event 1945 USA conducts its first nuclear test 1946 Russia conducts its first nuclear test 1952 UK conducts its first nuclear test 1964 China conducts its first nuclear test 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty 1968 NPT signed 1974 Indias first nuclear test 1985 North Korea accedes to the NPT 1990 Frances first nuclear test December 31, 1991 North and South Korea sign the South-North Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. March 6, 1992 US imposes sanctions upon North Korea for missile proliferation activities September, 1992 IAEA inspectors discover discrepancies in North Koreas initial report on its nuclear program and ask for clarification on several issues, including the amount of reprocessed plutonium in North Korea. February 9, 1993 North Korea denies IAEA inspections of two sites believed to store nuclear waste. 1993 North Korea threatens to withdraw from the NPT 1994 Agreed Framework June 13, 1994 North Korea withdraws from NPT 1996 Comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty (CTBT) adopted 1998 Pakistans first nuclear test Feb 15, 1994 North Korea permits IAEA inspections in 7 of its sites May 24, 1996 The United States imposes sanctions on North Korea and Iran for missile technology-related transfers April 25, 1999 The United States, South Korea, and Japan establish the Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group to institutionalize close consultation and policy coordination in dealing with North Korea 4 2002 President G W Bush names North Korea as a member of the Axis of Evil October 16, 2002 US announces that North Korea has admitted to possessing nuclear weapons January 10, 2003 North Korea withdraws from NPT October 9, 2006 North Korea conducts an underground explosive test 2009 North Korea conducts another test Previous Attempts to solve the Issue Sanctions on Iran The Security Council has imposed four rounds of sanction upon Iran in its resolutions 1737, 1747, 1803 and 1929. The UN Security Council began imposing sanctions on Iran since 2006, when it failed to comply with IAEA requirements and continued uranium enrichment activities. The sanctions have included bans on exports of nuclear, missile, and dual-use technologies; limiting travel by dozens of Iranian officials; and freezing the assets of forty individuals and entities, including Bank Sepah and various front companies.2 In addition, USA and EU have individually imposed further sanctions on Iran which have targeted its trade, finances and energy sector. Russia has supported the weaker Security Council sanctions against Iran but opposed the stronger ones imposed individually by the USA. It is against any unilateral sanctions and although a fourth round of sanctions was imposed, it faced resistance from Russia and China, both of which maintain strong economic ties with Iran. They opposed it due to their individual economic and political interests. According to critics, the lack of support from these two nations could have weakened the overall affect of the sanctions. The sanctions imposed are believed to have had limited success as Iran still holds an aggressive stance as to continuing its nuclear program and asserts that is it permitted to do so for civilian use as per the NPT. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said: The Iranian nation will not succumb to bullying, invasion and the violation of its rights.5 Talks with DPRK Several attempts have been made to establish a nuclear free Korean-peninsula but all efforts until today have been unsuccessful and DPRK has withdrawn from all treaties it has acceded to. This is probably because DRPK has only been signing treaties out of international pressure, not voluntarily. Agreed Framework The United States and North Korea signed the Agreed Framework on October 21, 1994 by which DPRK agreed to freeze operation and construction of nuclear reactors in exchange for two light water reactors and the relaxation of economic sanctions. The Agreed Framework resolved the ongoing 18 month crisis during which DRPK threatened to withdraw from the NPT. However, there were difficulties regarding the financing of reactors caused the plan to be behind schedule. Infuriated, DPRK violated the agreements which caused USA to persuade KEDO suspend shipments to the country. This marked the end of the agreement. In comparison to other attempts, this one probably had the greatest chance of success as it offered DPRK to end its nuclear program in exchange for realistic concessions made by other countries. Six Party Talks The six party concerning DPRKs nuclear program involved United States, North Korea, China, Japan, Russia and, South Korea as was a result of North Korea withdrawing from the NPT in 2003. Until today, six rounds of the six party talks have been held. Due to the conflicting aims of the members involved, minimal progress was achieved. During the third phase of the fifth round, North Korea agreed to shut down its nuclear facilities in exchange for fuel aid the normalization of relations with Japan and USA. These talks eventually ended when North Korea launched a satellite despite international pressure not to do so. It was believed to be a test of its prototype Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). In February 2005, North Korea declared that it had nuclear weapons for self defense and pulled out of the six party talks. DPRK expelled all nuclear inspectors and resumed its nuclear weapons program. Possible Solutions As evident from the past, Iran has been adamant about its position and the authenticity of its nuclear program. For any further progress to be made Iran and the West need to cooperate. Prior to creating any framework for agreements, Iran must be given recognition for its right to exist as an Islamic Republic, and its minimum security concerns must be acknowledged as legitimate. Thus, military strike either by USA or by Israel against Irans possible nuclear program would be disastrous as it would possibly cause Iran to retaliate which is a concern of global security and lead to regional catastrophe. The underlying problem in the Middle East crisis is the lack of trust and the increasing hostility between Iran and Israel. Solutions to resolve this issue should focus on reduce the fears of existential destruction that the two nations harbor towards each other. Iran must recognize the importance of moderating its bellicose stance whereas Israel checks its threats to attack Iran. In order to moderate any development of the negotiations between Israel and Iran, the Security Council should provide security guarantees to both countries and assess their concerns of security risks. Another way of addressing the issue would be to provide financial incentives to Iran; large enough to buy up the nuclear energy specialized for civilian use, if Iran completely halts its current nuclear program. One way of addressing the issue of North Korea would be to provide it with concessions such as providing it with substitute forms of energy for its civilian nuclear program and cutting back economic sanctions based on any agreement that has been reached upon. However, these are only possible if North Korea agrees to comply with any solutions reached upon. Although diplomacy is a great tool to resolve conflicts, many believe that as North Korea has repeatedly proved itself to be unreliable as far as agreements are concerned, a more aggressive option might be appropriate. However, it is important to note that any aggressive military action could possibly worsen matters. Constructive solutions would include measures to normalize relations between North Korea and all other states. As of today the most viable solution would be to establish a nuclear free zone in North Korea but it is difficult to implement. All problems that arise as a consequence of implementing such a solution must therefore also be addressed.

A Historical Overview of the Geography, Politics, and Culture of Montserrat :: Essays on Politics

A Historical Overview of the Geography, Politics, and Culture of Montserrat Montserrat is a small Caribbean island with an interesting geographical, economic, political, and cultural history. Montserrat was inhabited by a succession of Amerindian groups before being discovered by Spanish explorers in the 1400s. In the seventeenth century, Montserrat was claimed by Great Britain, and settled by an English ruling class, and their Irish indentured servants and African slaves. These new inhabitants created a plantation economy in order to grow sugar cane, thereby significantly changing the landscape. The combination of English, Irish, and African residents also created a unique culture and a form of English Creole. Politically and economically, Montserrat has depended on Great Britain for nearly four centuries. In the late-1990s, a volcanic disaster devastated Montserrat and changed the island’s geography, economy, and political relationship with the United Kingdom. Montserrat’s culture was also affected, as many people fled the isl and, and those who remained were forced to drastically alter their lifestyle. Geography Montserrat is a small, Leeward Island in the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles, located 27 miles southwest of Antigua, at 16 45’ N, 62 12’ W. The island is roughly 12 miles long by 7 miles wide, with a land area of 62 square miles. The climate is tropical, with a mean temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and only slight daily and seasonal temperature variation. The average relative humidity is 75%, and average rainfall is 35 to 40 inches a year. The wet season lasts from June to December and the dry season stretches from January to May, but droughts can last close to a year. Like many of the other islands in the crescent of the Lesser Antilles, Montserrat was formed by volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago. This volcanic formation resulted in Montserrat’s rugged, mountainous landscape, and inspired Columbus to name the island after a mountain in northeastern Spain. Until 1995, the lay of the land was as follows. In the Northern part of Montserrat lie the oldest volcanic structures, the Silver Hills. These hills have undergone much erosion, with strong northeastern breezes constantly blowing on them. They are less than 1,000 feet in elevation, with rounded slopes and broad ghauts.