Intellectuals and Revolutionary Politics Term Paper

Intellectuals and Revolutionary Politics - Term Paper Example Even though telling the half of the story, this description is perhaps among the most comprehensive ones, shedding light on such a contradictory personality and intellectual path. Another part is told by Sorel’s own ideas expressed in his writings which to one degree or another reveal his preoccupation with themes like integration and disintegration, decadence, rebirth, and decline; as well as his deepest sentiments – the aggressive and overwhelming pessimism and his strong desire of deliverance. His notion of pessimism - as a notion of an advance toward deliverance, closely connected to the knowledge gained from experience of the obstacles resisting the satisfaction of human’s imagination and to the deep conviction of human beings’ natural weakness - perhaps most powerfully reveals the breadth and width of his meandering soul (Sorel, G. 192- 226) Sorel regards pain and suffering as instrumental in riveting human beings to life, and scorns those who promis e easy solutions and rapid improvement, assuming that the natural tendency toward dissolution and decay is a universal law (Talmon, J. L. 453-454). Having embraced the theory of Marx by the early 1890s, George Sorel added some flesh to the confused blur of his ideas; the universal sinner and perpetrator of all the sufferings of the poor has been found, personified by the evils of capitalism. From that point on, the integral trade unionism, as a bearer of a new morality, became the new ‘self-sufficient kingdom of God’ (Talmon 456), whose destine is seen by Sorel ‘to enthrone a new civilization on the ruins of the decaying bourgeoisie. From here to hailing Mussolini as ‘a man no less extraordinary than Lenin’ (Talmon 451), Sorel has had a short way to go. Sorel’s roaming between Marx, trade unionism and fascism is easily explained, given his rejection of the very idea of any guidance, supervision or control, either from outside or from above; whi ch is considered to have prepared him to endorse Mussolini’s famous slogan: ‘Every system is an error, every theory is a prison’ (Talmon 467). This slogan appears to fully match Sorel’s ever seeking (though most of the time on mistaken or strange grounds) spirituality. 2. Both Jean-Paul Sartre and Frantz Fanon long for revolution – Sartre to see his country, France, destroyed, Fanon to see former French colonies liberated. Which of the two seems to want to be destroyed along with the establishment he resists? Why the one and not the other? The preface to Fanon’s book, The Wretched of the Earth, written by Jean-Paul Sartre, delivers a shocking message to the reader, as it comes from a thinker whose outlook on the then world realities and his nature (or posture) of a politically engaged intellectual indicate an emphasis on the humanist values and

Over population Essay Example for Free

Over population Essay â€Å"Whether we accept it or not, this will likely be the century that determines what the optimal human population is for our planet. It will come about in one of two ways: Either we decide to manage our own numbers, to avoid a collision of every line on civilization’s graph – or nature will do it for us, in the form of famines, thirst, climate chaos, crashing ecosystems, opportunistic disease and wars over dwindling resources that finally cut us down to size† – Alan Weisman A striking quote, if I may say so myself. It embraces and implies in one whole thought the problem of a majority of the countries all over the world are currently facing, the same problem our country has; overpopulation. First and foremost, what exactly does the term â€Å"overpopulation† mean? What does it refer to? Can it be stereotyped as something bad or is it actually a good thing? Arbitrarily speaking, like all other things, overpopulation has its pros and cons. According to the Merriam-webster dictionary overpopulation is â€Å"the condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, an impaired quality of life or a population crash† whereas according to Wikipedia, â€Å"overpopulation occurs when a population of species exceeds the carrying capacity of its ecological niche. It is a function of the number of individuals compared to the relevant resources such as, the water and essential nutrients they need to survive which can result from an increase in births, a decline in mortality rates, an increase in immigration or an unsustainable biome and depletion of resources. † Note that the prefix over applied to other word case scenarios indicate more than desirable, this may also be applied to the word overpopulation. According to Casey B. Mulligan’s article, â€Å"The More the Merrier: Population Growth Promotes Innovation† she focuses on the conclusion that population growth should not be controlled in order to combat global warming, and other world problems since other economists ignore the significant economic benefits of large populations thus implicating that overpopulation is not a burden for a country but more or less an advantage. She justifies her point by quoting the director general of UNICEF, â€Å"Family planning could bring more benefits to more people at less cost than any other single technology now available to the human race† which strongly accentuates her belief that the larger the population, the more viable advantages it brings. One of the benefits of reduced population, it is claimed, is reduced carbon emissions and therefore mitigation of climate change. This statement takes technology for granted, yet technology itself depends on population. The more people on earth, the greater the chance that one of them has an idea of how to improve alternative energy or how to mitigate the climate effects of carbon emissions. It takes only one person to have an idea that can benefit many which focuses on appeal for innovation but this may only happen when the people in said community are encouraged to become responsible and productive. Many scientists agree that the human population is quickly reaching the point at which the planet will be unable to sustain it. This growth has placed a huge strain on the planets finite resources and done serious economic damage to nations all over the world, but some people, aside from Casey B. Mulligan, believe that there are a few advantages to having an ever-growing worldwide population. Among the other advantages or benefits of overpopulation is (1) increased labour forces resulting to increase in produced goods and services thus providing an economic boost, (2) more minds or ideas that will generate greater technologies in the future and (3) increased military might. But, are these advantages enough to encourage overpopulation to just continue as it is now? There are a lot of questions and controversies linked to the fast growing issues about the population with both the Catholic Church and our government officials going on about the pros and cons we now face because of ever growing population. Recently, news about the RH Bill created a public uproar but what exactly is the RH Bill all about? The Reproductive Health bill, popularly known as the RH bill, aims to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care with a goal to help people prepare and widen up each and every individual’s mind setting about our society in all its modernized glory. There has been a debate on its proposal that we, as taxpayers, along with various private sectors will fund and undertake widespread distribution of family planning devices such as birth control pills and IUDs which the Catholic Church strongly opposes against usage since it goes against the unwritten law of life. Hence, usage of these controversial pills is considered an immoral crime. Whereas, the Government reasons that the Philippines is in dire need of this bill since overpopulation is unhealthy for a country like ours. Overpopulation manifests growth. Growth may either be good or bad but for a majority of the public, growth in terms of the human population, is bad. People have been brainwashed into believing that all growth, unless it pertains to cancer, is unquestionably a good thing. But let’s really dwell and think about this cautiously. Would we want our population to grow until people standing in a mall end up shoulder to shoulder? Would you want that? I wouldn’t want that! That itself is an indication that we’ve recognized that the population growth must stop at some point, and not just slow down, either. Though most scientists and researchers argue that global warming is the big thing to worry about, they have completely neglected the root cause. At this point in time, it doesn’t even matter if humans are responsible for global warming even if we are so clearly the cause of the events unfolding right now. Too many mouths to feed and less natural resources on hand can have a devastating effect on the economy. Our country faces the problem of overpopulation and we are subject to disadvantages such as (1) more mouths to feed, (2) lowered standard of living, (3) increased problems pertaining to poverty, (4) overcrowded public areas, (5) sickness and spreading of diseases, (6) insufficient natural resources to provide adequate goods and services, (7) inadequate facilities such as housing, medical etc. Problem of starvation and malnourished population, (9) education facilities may not meet the requirements of the entire population, (10) unemployment, (11) higher crime rate due to unequal distribution of wealth and insufficient financial resources, (12) environmental pollution, trees are felled to make space for housing facilities, (13) agricultural production is insufficient to meet the requirements of the entire population, which results in higher prices, (14) money is diverted to ensure that the population is fed, rather than carrying out fundamental research, (15) lower life expectancy, (16) large number of people live in unhygienic conditions, (18) heightened birth rate and so much more. The list goes on! All the world leaders are concerned about how to feed, clothe, and supply water and energy to the growing multitudes but all these efforts will prove futile if world population continues to grow. We live on a finite planet. Growth will simply overwhelm the attempted remedies. The effects have been stated but what exactly are the causes of overpopulation? Some of the causes of overpopulation are as follows: Decline in death rate: the fall in death rates that is also known as decline in mortality rate is one of the fundamental causes of overpopulation. Owing to the advancements in medicine, man has found cures to the previously fatal diseases. This has resulted in an increase in population. Rise in birth rate: thanks to the new discoveries in nutritional science, we have been able to bring in increase in the fertility rates of human beings. Medicines of today can boost the reproductive rate in human beings. There are medicines and treatments which help in terms of conception. Thus, science in one way or another has led to an increase in birth rate. Migration: Immigration is a problem in some parts of the world. If the inhabitants of various countries migrate to a particular part of the world and settle over there, the area is bound to suffer from the ill effects of overpopulation. If the rates of emigration from a certain nation do not match the rates of immigration to that country, overpopulation is therefore present creating an imbalance in the density of the population. Lack of education: illiteracy is another important cause of overpopulation. Those lacking education fail to understand the need to prevent excessive growth of population. They are unable to understand the harmful effects that overpopulation emits. They are unaware of the ways to control population. Lack of family planning is commonly seen in the illiterate areas of the world which constitutes as a major factor leading to overpopulation. So, does our planet benefit from overpopulation or does it cause more harm than it does good? Once again, we are left to contemplate and ponder whether overpopulation can be considered a plausible advantage or a disadvantage. Taking into careful consideration the growth of the population in the Philippines which is expected to reach a hundred million this year putting a strain on the country’s resources, the Commission on Population (Pop-Com) said. â€Å"Definitely in the third or fourth quarter of this year, we will be more than 100 million,† Pop-Com executive director Juan Antonio Perez III told The STAR in a recent interview. In 2014, the National Statistical Coordination Board estimated the country’s population to be around 97. 35 million. Studies show that over a period of time, the increase of population slowly increases but in the span of 30 years, we could probably hit over a billion in number. And if that isn’t alarming, I don’t know what is! Viewing the issue of increasing population optimistically, one may say that overpopulation means the increase in human resources. This may be true but we cannot ignore the fact that the increase in the number of producers implies an increase in the number of consumers. Greater number of people requires a greater number of resources which our nation is not capable of providing at the very moment. The Philippines as slow progressing country must acknowledge that the Earth has finite resources. Our current population increases and economic growth mentality bear all the hallmarks of a country still locked into colonial thinking. Population and personal consumption are two sides of the same coin. The logical conclusion is that we can’t keep consuming these resources indefinitely, either through increasing per capita consumption or the number of us consuming. And yet, how we balance two options remains a subject of contention. This is where consumption and sustainability play a role. The population issue is fraught with moral positions, confusion and unexpected connections. We cannot talk about population growth without also discussing decline; or immigration, without climate and business; or contraception, without faith and medical technology. It is the mother of cross-cutting issues – at the intersection of economics, environment, gender roles, culture, politics and religion. The population question is about the possibility and necessity of balancing the needs of nature and human civilization and this must take place as soon as possible before what we dread happens, depletion and insufficiency of our environmental resources. The worst enemy of life is too much life, the excess of human life. But think again will life kill life or we just need to think how life can help other life even in the edge of overpopulation. You cannot stop overpopulation you need to maintain it or accept it make it an advantage even everybody thinks it is a disadvantage, nobody really know what overpopulation can bring let just help each other to make this overpopulation an advantage.

Roles Of Armed Forces In Disaster Management Environmental Sciences Essay

Roles Of Armed Forces In Disaster Management Environmental Sciences Essay 1. Disasters are of various types caused by natural phenomena as well as compounded by human error. Natural disaster may be of various type such as earthquakes, cyclone, tornado, flood etc. and other events such as drought, crops failure, etc. whereas man made disasters may include radiation accidents, gas leakage accidents bomb explosion, war time rioting, firing etc. Natural Disasters are unlike anything else in human experience. These are largely beyond control of human being resulting quick changes in the lives of the victims. On the other hand, the cost of man made disaster like war is borne by the entire population. The socio-economic consequences of all these disasters have always been highly alarming and devastating. 2. Many countries of the world are frequently struck by adverse natural calamities. The magnitude and severity of such disasters are be alarming. The loss of life, damage to property and stripping off the resources are common features. However, the topology of natural disasters is multiple, based on meteorological, topographical and geological conditions such as cyclones, floods, earthquake etc. and its effects also vary from country to country. 3. Like many countries of the world, natural disasters are very common in Bangladesh, because of its geographical, atmospheric, environmental and fast changing ecological reasons. Bangladesh may be described as one of the most disaster prone countries of the world. Almost every year she experiences one or the other type of disaster. The most common disasters that generally occur in Bangladesh are floods, cyclone, storm surge, tornado, norwester, drought, earthquake etc. Bangladesh is a developing country having one of the lowest per capita income in the world, cannot afford to have a big standing organization with equipment exclusively to meet the requirements of pre, during and post disaster activities. 4. The contribution which the armed forces can make in dealing with such disaster need not be over emphasized. This contribution has usually been made under some form of official arrangement for aid to civil power, as laid down in the standing operating procedures.Experience has shown that military forces are fully effective in counter-disaster role. The flexible organizational structure, capability of sustained operation in all weathers by day and night and well trained management system of the armed forces make them particularly well-suited for effective disaster relief operations. In addition, many of their normal activities parallel to those in public emergency services. Thus armed forces can offer assistance to the victims with invaluable support in engineering, communications, transport, rescue, emergency medical services, field sanitation, water supply and so on. 5. Therefore, whenever Bangladesh faces any natural disaster it becomes imperative for the Armed Forces to respond quickly with its own management, communications and administrative machineries to assist the Civil authorities to provide humanitarian relief to prevent further loss of lives and property. In this paper an attempt will be made to identify the types of different natural disasters and the role of the Armed Forces in handling them, effects of disaster in general those of the new disaster threats and Disaster management system in other countries The study is confined to the natural disasters that commonly occur in Bangladesh and its handling by the armed forces. It is assumed that the definition of disaster, its pattern and nature, the principle causes are well-known to the reader and therefore, not discussed here. The paper is laid out in the following order : a. Types of disaster; and its Effect on Bangladesh. b. Nature of Military Assistance and the capabilities of the Armed Forces to combat the Disaster. c. Existing Disaster Management System in Bangladesh. d. Contribution of the Armed Forces in Disaster Management- a Historical Review. e. Disaster Management System in other Countries. f. Future Role of Armed Forces in Disaster Management. AIM 6. The aim of this paper is to analyse disaster management in general and recommend measures/systems for disaster preparedness and mitigation in Bangladesh by the Armed Forces. TYPES OF DISASTER, AND ITS EFFECTS ON BANGLADESH. 7. General. Disaster includes such events produced by a variety of natural and manmade destructive agents, including earthquake, volcanic eruption, tropical cyclone, flood, landslide, drought, epidemic, fires and war time bombing attacks. According to Kates (1980) roughly 90 percent of the worlds disaster are due to four hazard types. a. Floods (40 percent) b. Tropical Cyclone (20 percent) c. Drought (15 percent) d. Earth Quakes (15 percent) 8. Types of Disaster. Except earthquakes (Though the country experienced a mild trauma in 1988) other three hazards are common in Bangladesh. The most common disasters for which the Armed Forces may be employed in aid of civil power are. a. Natural Disasters. (1) Flood. (2) Tropical cyclone (typhoon). (3) Earthquake. (4) Landslide. (5) Epidemic. (6) Drought. (7) Famine. (8) Storm surge. b. Man made or Artificial Disasters. (1) Major Accidents. (2) Civil Unrest. (3) Man made floods. 9. The New Disaster Threats. The new disaster threat which has developed since World War-II besides the traditional disaster threat need to be considered and dealt with as a challenge with more effectively . The new disaster threats, may cause endless sufferings win far-ranging effects, and at the same time be difficult to counter. Some of these kinds of disasters are listed below : a. Social Violence. Social Violence like hijacking, terrorism, communal riots, civil unrest and conflicts with conventional arms affect many nations. The Armed Forces can help the government remove such social violence. b. Hazardous Material. Hazardous materials or substances can be as new disaster threat. The tragedy of Bhupal in India in 1985 ranks paramount in this category, with its estimated toll of 2500 killed and 100,000 affected in various ways. c. Atomic and Nuclear Threat. The explosion in 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Russia highlighted the extent and severity of this problem. Radio active effects from the disaster area were measured as far way as 1600 miles and more. Even if country was not directly involved in nuclear conflicts or terrorism, it could well suffer severely from the radio active side-effects. 10. General Effects of Disaster. The causes of disaster may be varied, the major effects of disaster tend to be : a. Loss of Life. b. Injury. c. Damage to and destruction of property and nationalInfrastructure. d. Damage to and destruction of subsistence and cash- crops. e. Disruption of production, life style and essential services. f. Loss of livelihood. g. Destabilization of National Economic Development. h. Sociological and physiological after effects. j. Political Instability. k. Crisis related to national security. 11. Effect of Major types of Disaster in Bangladesh. The effect of major types of disasters are given at Annex `A. 12. Impacts on Macro-Economic Adjustment of govt. The impacts of the natural Disasters on macro-economic adjustment are: a. Impact on central govt revenue. b. Impact on availability of Extra-budgetary resources. c. Impact on central govt development budget. d. Impact on foreign aid and over all growth. NATURE OF MILITARY ASSISTANCE AND THE CAPABILITY OF ARMED FORCES TO COMBAT THE DISASTER. 13. Military Assistance. The nature and extent of military assistance in disaster will depend on the combination of the forces prevailing in the country. Following assistance may be rendered by the Armed Forces to fight disaster. a. Air, land and sea survey and assessment, specially to ascertain levels of casualties and damage. b. Reconnaissance in the disaster zone and identification of routes within and leading towards it. c. Organized and mobile manpower for rescue operation. d. Well trained and equipped Engineers. e. Signal / communication units to provide emergency radio and telephone links. f. Supply / Logistic units to handle, store and transport goods and people over all types of roads. g. Emergency / Immediate medical support to the civilian services. h. Helicopters and aircrafts for reconnaissance and transport duties. j. Provision, by Naval forces, of transport support in harbour; also electrical power, mechanical engineering, water purification, long distance radio communication, cooking and backing facilities. 14. Capabilities of the Armed Forces to Combat Disaster. The well planned organization and management system of the Armed Forces make them capable to effectively handle, manage and tackle natural calamities and disasters under any serious condition. The members of the Armed Forces are selected personnel, disciplined and are well trained in leadership qualities. They are great organizers of any given task with honesty, sincerity, co-operation, discipline and above all patriotism. They can handle and manage any catastrophe with success. 15. Armed Forces have specialized training institutions to impart training to their members on various fields. They have expert hands such as doctors, engineers and other professionals to meet the differents need . These experts become extremely necessary to meet any emergency and for conducting relief and rehabilitation work. The role of the Armed Forces in various disaster management fields is briefly narrated below : a. Rescue Operation. The Armed Forces are quite capable of rescuing water bound people from flood affected areas using different kinds of water transport and also helicopter. b. Relief and Rehabilitation Work. Members of the Armed Forces with their better mobility can reach at every corner of the country rapidly to start relief and rehabilitation work in disaster and crisis ridden areas. c. Medical and Sanitation Services. Members of Army Medical Corps immediately start providing all kinds of emergency and general medical services including vaccines and setting up of sanitation facilities through active participation , wherever possible of the affected people. d. Supply of Pure Drinking Water. The Armed Forces are assigned the task of ensuring the supply of through water bowsers/trailers. Besides, they also assist in sinking tube-well for this purpose. e. Repair and Maintenance of Communication. Restoration of normal communication becomes a very important task of the Armed Forces in flood affected and cyclone hit areas. They also perform this important task in areas where sabotage or subversive activities are carried out. Members of the Signal Corps undertake this responsibility and urgently rebuild the communication system. The Crops of Engineers of the Armed Forces undertake emergency repair and reconstruction work of the roads and bridges damaged by flood, tidal bore and help restore effective and workable communication system. f. Provision of shelter. Armed Forces also in sometimes participate of construction of shelters in areas severely hit by natural disaster. Mostly this is done through the active participation of the affected people. g. Transportation of Relief Materials. Armed Forces render great help in transporting relief materials to the affected areas. For this purpose, they quickly use their different kinds of transport vehicles. h. Loading Unloading of Food Grain Relief Materials. Armed forces may be employed for loading and unloading and guarding of food grains and relief materials in sea-port and different river ports. EXISTING DISASTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN BANGLADESH 16. General. Disaster relief and its managements is one of the prime national responsibilities. The Bangladesh Government Bangladesh has outlined the duties and responsibilities of the various Governmental institutions and of different ministries, including the Armed Forces in two Standing Operating Procedures (SOP). These SOPs are : a. Emergency standing orders for flood. b. Standing order for cyclone. 17. Based on these two SOPs Armed Forces have formulated their own SOPs up to unit level. SOP at all level has clearly spelt out the detail tasks with regard to pre, during and post disaster activities. More so, when a disaster is anticipated, selected military units and personnel with vehicles, transport aircrafts, helicopters, naval vessels and other water crafts remain in complete readiness to take part for immediate rescue and relief operations. 18. Existing System. Armed Forces play a pivotal role in complementing Government effort to restore normalcy in disaster affected areas. The system which are followed in disaster management is briefly stated below : a. Preparedness to Face Calamities. Natural calamities like cyclone and flood are recurring phenomenon Bangladesh but In recent times the intensity and magnitude of these natural calamities have given rise to the need for organizing the whole nation in preventing, fighting and understanding this calamities. b. Organizations Dealing with Preparedness. Government (govt) of Bangladesh has formed various committees/ bodies/cells at the national level to advise the government as to how to be prepared for facing natural calamities and to execute the Government decision and action programmes to fight the disasters. These committees have specific tasks and mission during a disaster period. The committees/cells are : (1) National Disaster Prevention The policy making Council. body. (2) National Co-ordination The co-ordinating Committee. body. (3) Disaster Management and The operation Relief Activities Co-ordination Group. and Monitoring Cell. (4) Prime Ministers Relief Go-down. 19. Armed Forces in Disaster Management. Armed Forces Division (AFD) is the highest Military Organization in Bangladesh. Disaster Management and Relief Activities Co-ordination cell operates at the Prime Ministers Office with support from Armed Forces Division. The cell functions under the directive of the Honorable Prime Minister. Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division acts as the Chief Co-ordinator of all relief and rehabilitation activities through this cell. All the three services, ie Army, Navy and Air Force are ordered by this Division prior to an anticipated disaster. 20. Co-ordination and Monitoring Cell. In the event of post disaster management, day to day operation coordinated by a cell within the Prime Ministers office under the Principal Staff Officer (PSO). This is commonly known as Disaster Management and Relief Activities Coordination and Monitoring Cell, more widely known as the PSOs Cell. The functions of the Cell are : a. Collection and compilation of damage assessments. b. Assessment of relief requirements. c. Management of Prime Ministers Relief Fund and related Storage facilities. d. Receipt, storage and distribution of locally and foreign donated relief supplies. e. Coordination of air supply drops. f. Coordination of transport. g. Public relations including briefing of the media and donors. 21. In the aftermath of any disaster, the Cell functions round the clock. The tasks that military personnel are to undertake in an emergency period are : a. Evacuation. b. Rapid damage assessments (specially logistic support to mixed assessment teams). c. Search and rescue. d. First aid/medical treatment. e. Handling of relief. f. Logistical support (land, sea and air) for the delivery of relief goods. g. Placing of relief storage and distribution. h. Clearance of debris. j. Emergency repairs. k. Burial of human bodies and animal carcasses. l. Setting up/ restoration of Telecommunications. m. Provision of Temporary shelters. CONTRIBUTION OF THE ARMED FORCES IN HANDLING DISASTERS A HISTORICAL REVIEW 22. Armed Forces of Bangladesh traditionally have an additional role to meet any sort of national emergency. For any severe disaster Armed Forces is called for providing necessary emergency support and assistance. Besides this, on humanitarian ground an organized force feels obliged to participate in alleviating human sufferings. In recent past during the severe disasters military organization worked side by side with Civil Administration. This remarkable contribution of the Armed Forces as explained below has earned the confidence and respect of the people. a. Cyclone of 1985 and 1988 and Great Cyclone of 1991. It is well remembered that on 25 May 1985 the ferocious cyclone accompanied by tidal waves devastated Urirchar and badly affected Swandip and Hatia. On 29 November, 1988 another devastating cyclone rolled over Bagerhat, Satkhira, Khulna and Sundarban areas. The cyclone that crossed the Bangladesh coast on 29-30 April 1991 can only be described as a Great Cyclone. All these cyclones caused indescribable damage to the lives, livestock, crops and properties of the affected areas. The destruction of property caused by 1991 cyclone alone was estimated to be about $4 billion (US). The cyclone that affected Bangladesh since 1960 are shown at Annex `B and the official statistics of 1991 cyclone are shown at Annex`C. b. Immediately after the cyclone warning orders were issued by the Govt to all the services Headquarters, to undertake anticipated relief and rescue operations, Armed Forces provided the following support during the cyclone. (1) The Armed Forces Quickly mobilized troops and moved them to the cyclone affected areas by the Naval vessels, boats, other available Water crafts along with the relief goods, medicine, drinking water etc. (2) Rescued the affected persons/families. (3) They helped sinking tube-wells and re-excavated ponds for pure water where necessary. (4) A good number of small medical team with life saving drug deployed in affected areas to treat the injured persons. (5) They established radio communication between the affected areas and concerned headquarters. (6) They prepared temporary shelters. (7) They rendered assistance in restoring the public services. (8) Army engineers with the assistance of Roads and Highway and Railway authorities repaired bridges and culverts as well as roads within the shortest possible time. (9) Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) employed substantial number of its air assets for dropping food into the cyclone affected areas. They also evacuated serious patients to the base hospital. (10) Bangladesh Navy was mainly deployed in Chittagong and Khulna area. Its sailors had been worked day and night to provide emergency assistance to relief/ reconstruction operations. 23. Flood of 1987 and 1988. The floods of 1987 and 1988, that which inundated about 39.9% and 67% of the land area respectively were also unprecedented in the history of Bangladesh. The entire international community was not sure how Bangladesh will over come this disaster. But by the grace of Almighty, the Govt, could tackle the situation within very short period of time in an organized manner. The military organization earned confidence nationally and internationally. Total 350 camps were established to carry out relief activities. Official estimates of loses and damage by floods in 1987 and 1988 are shown at annex D. and major floods in Bangladesh since 1954 are shown at annex E . DISASTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN OTHER COUNTRIES 24. General. Most of the countries of the world are facing disaster in some form or other but the type and magnitude differ from country to country. Each country has a National level disaster plan in which there is provision for military assistance. Organization and the procedure of handling disaster of some of the countries are discussed below : 25. Australia. a. Types of Disaster. Cyclone is a common natural disaster in Australia. The cyclone season extends from November to April. The two major cyclones are TRACY which devastated Darwin on Christmas Day of 1974 and the TRIXIE that devastated western Australia in February 1975. Australia did suffer from floods normally caused by cyclonic rain falls. b. Organization. The Federal Civil Defence Authority under Department of Defence is the central authority to coordinate relief activities. Each state and community has its own local Counter Disaster Organization. The Defence Forces of Australia have their own role to play in disaster management. They coordinate with all levels of disaster activities i.e. the National Level, the state and community level and the Local level. In the local level the chief Executive officer (CEO) may be the local Chief of the Police. c. Disaster Planning Group (DGP). Besides, the DGP is to provide policy guidance for the CEO in planning disaster counter measures and during the conduct of disaster relief operations. The DPG consists of representatives from the following : (1) Police. (2) The local State or Territory Emergency Service Organization. (3) The major Medical/Hospital facility. (4) Local government. (5) The communications/telecommunications authority. (6) The major non govt welfare Organization. (7) Others in accordance with any priority local need. d. The Emergency Committee. The CEO is the chairman of the committee, consists of the leaders of all local organizations, including the Police. e. Defence Forces. When Defence Force units assist in counter disaster operations, a Defence Force liaison officer is to be attached to the CEO during the period of operations. All matters relating to the allocated Defence Force elements or resources can then be channelled through this officer. 26. Malaysia. a. The Types of Disasters. Malaysia experiences flood almost every year.17 The major causes for this are constant and heavy rainfall, erosion and siltation of river beds. b. National Security Council. National Security Council (NSS) It is primarily responsible for disaster management. At the national level it is the NSC that decides on the policy and conducts relief operations. They have the National Disaster plan and a Disaster Organization at all levels to mobilize and coordinate all activities connected with disaster. The plan also includes the participation of the Armed Forces. The use of military in National Disasters is within the scope of the Malaysian Armed Forces. This is one of their defined rolls. The major operational control machineries of the Relief operational plan includes: (1) National Security Council (NSC). (2) National Flood Relief Committee (NFRC). (3) Working committee for supplies. (4) Working committee for transport and communication. (5) National Security Council Flood Relief Operation Centre. (6) Defence Operation Room. (7) State Flood Relief Coordination Control Centre. (8) District Flood Relief Coordination Control Centre. All these committees and centres include all three services of Armed Forces i.e. Army, Navy, and Air forces. Philippines 27. Types of Disasters. Typhoons-high winds, storm surges, landslides and floods are the major disasters in Philippines. 28. Organization. The national govt is responsible for disaster operations. The main body in charge of mitigating the impact of natural disaster is the National Disaster coordinating council (NDCC). The secretary of Defence convenes the council with the representatives of govt. the office of the president, the Armed Forces and the phillipine National Red cross (NRC). The role of the philippines Armed Forces is to establish communication links and make this available for disaster operations, to assist in reconstruction of damage rods/ bridges and to assist in providing transportation for relief and evacuation. 29. Analysis. From the above discussions, It may also be observed that in almost every country of the world Armed Forces, form the core of different national disaster management bodies and in any catastrophic, all these bodies work shoulder to shoulder. In the light of their experience following suggestions can be made for Bangladesh for effective National disaster management. a. Bangladesh may also form a body like one of those countries. In such effort our Ministry of Relief and Rehabilitation may be placed under Prime Ministers Secretariat as a Division. This will enhance the coordination capability of the proposed division to effectively handle the crisis arising out of disaster. b. In case of Australia they have a National policy making body on disaster management. Their main job is policy formulation for better disaster management and help the Govt. This can be very much practicable in case of Bangladesh. Noted Scientists, intellectuals and peoples representation from all walks of life can formulate better policy for ensuring peoples participation at all levels. c. As Armed Forces are often called for disaster management, standing cell may be formed in every service so that they can distribute the work in advance, train and motivate the forces under their command to ensure quick response and rapid deployment to the disaster affected areas. 30. Problems being faced during the Management of Disaster. Disaster management is the national responsibility. But to combat the it effectively all social agencies and establishments should work unitedly. Whenever Bangladesh faces any natural disaster the Armed Forces is called to fight the disaster. However, Armed Forces work under many constraints like shortage of officers and other skilled personnel, fixed and rotary wing aircraft, naval vessels, equipment etc. It is also not possible to solve and overcome this problem within short time. Even then these constraints/limitations, Armed Forces shall have to work with dedication and in full cooperation with the civil administration. However, there are some constraints which are forced particularly during day to day operation at the time of actual disaster management. These constraints if not addressed in time many greatly affect the disaster management operation and thereby reduce the capability of the organizations/ agencies includi ng the Armed Forced. a. Inter Agency/ Departmental Statuesque. Some times over conscious official with regard to his rank, status or title stand in the way of effective cooperation and thereby delays the progress of crisis management. b. Personal rather than Collective Concern. Individual attitude of thinking may not be the same. But in Case of disaster management which works on group decision imposition of individual decision can delay the attainment of common goal. c. Absence of Common Forum. In our country, there is not much opportunity to exchange views among parties involved. Meeting common forum generate mutual understanding and strengthen cooperation. d. Lack of Communication between Two Parties. Lack of proper and effective communication between two parties creates a gap which decreases the effectiveness of co-operation and after creates confusion. e. Lack of Co-ordination. Sometimes the work of different parties are not well Co-ordinated. Co-ordination is essential for any type of joint venture to avoid mismanagement or disorder. Without proper coordination, any good venture or attempt may turn into an utter failure. f. Confusion about Jurisdiction of Work. In all situations, the role of each party should be clearly defined. Interference to other partys role is harmful. It destroys the congenial atmosphere. g. Lack of Mutual Respect. In most cases officers of civil and military administration suffer from ego-centric complexities. These create rigidity and hinder smooth functioning. 31. Ways to Overcome the Problems. To overcome these problems few suggestions are discussed below : a. Mutual Respect. All civil agencies and military administration must have respect for each other. In practical field it is often deliberately over-looked. Mutual respect ensures effective co-ordination and success in a given task. b. Sense of Duties and Responsibilities. Both civil and military administration must be aware about their own duty and responsibility. This is a pre-condition for any successful disaster management. c. Sense of Team work. Civil and military administrations should jointly work for all nation of peoples sufferings. They are complementary to each other. If anybody considers otherwise, then it will create undesirable situation. d. Avoid Rumour. Rumour may create misunderstanding between civil and military administrations. Direct communication diminishes the danger of rumour. e. Proper Communication and Co-ordination. Communication gap between civil and military administrations often crops up during crisis management. Proper and timely communication between each other help achieve the goal. f. Sense of patriotism. Both civil and military administrations must work together to achieve common goal ie to serve the nation. Deviation from this goal meets with failure. FUTURE ROLE OF THE ARMED FORCES IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT 32. RATIONALE. Since disasters such as cyclones, tornadoes, tidal surge, etc. are sudden, severe and overwhelming in nature, an organized and trained institution with the necessary manpower, materials and other logistic supports are required to respond to crises and prevent further human suffering. The Armed Forces being the only institution with all the necessary requirements may fulfill this role. On the basis of this rationale, the following organizations may be set up.The organogram is at annex G. 33. National Disaster Management Council . This would be the highest level decision and policy making body related to natural disaster management in Bangladesh which will be acted upon by National Emergency Response Committee (NERC). The Prime Minister (PM) will be the chair person of this council with following members. a. Key Ministers of. (1) Home Affairs. (2) Relief and Rehabilitation. (3) Information. (4) Cabinet Affairs. (5) Foreign Affairs. (6) Finance. (7) Communication. b. Chiefs of the Three Services. c. Principal Staff Officer of AFD. 34. National Emergency Response Committee (NERC). NERC may be consisted of the following members : a. PSO as Chief coordinator. b. Secretaries of Following Ministries. (1) Relief and Rehabilitation. (2) Home Affairs. (3) Information. (4) Communication. (5) Cabinet Division. (6) Director General Metrology office (Weather Forecasting). c. Director General, NGO Affairs Bureau. d. Task. (1) To report to the Pri

The Glass Menagerie: Existentialist Responsibilities Conveyed Through t

The story of a young Tennessee Williams is poetically portrayed through a 1945 Broadway Play, The Glass Menagerie. The main character, Tom Wingfield, lives in his family’s apartment with his mother, Amanda Wingfield, and sister, Laura Wingfield. Their father left the family, and he remains a silent character appearing as a portrait on the apartment wall. Throughout the seven scenes, the immaturity of each family member is revealed. In search of adventure, Tom has dreams of being a writer and wishes to leave his family and factory job, like his father, to join the Merchant Marines. Laura lets her disability, a braced leg, hinder her finding a job or a husband, while Amanda stays in denial of her children’s failure by living in the past with her â€Å"gentlemen callers.† Tom’s main responsibilities, created by Amanda, are to take care of Laura and the family. Amanda and Tom are constantly fighting about their different views of what they wish the futur e to bring. To cope with his problems, every night Tom ventures off to probably a bar, gets drunk, and then tells his family he was at the movies ("Plot Summary: The Glass Menagerie"). Williams tries to express a personal struggle about trying to leave his family with out feeling guilt (John Lahr) through fictional characters paralleling his family. These struggles are seen as failed responsibilities in the view of an existentialist. The responsibility of being an existentialist is conveyed through Tennessee Williams’ autobiographical character Tom and his failed responsibilities, guilt of the past, and denial of reality in The Glass Menagerie. The play takes place during the Great Depression in the 1930s, but America was in World War II when Williams wrote the play. The ... ...ge. "Sartre's Philosophy through 1945: Phenomenology and Ontology." Jean-Paul Sartre. Boston: Twayne, 1983. 36-38. Print. Clinton, Craig. â€Å"The Glass Menagerie: Tennessee Williams." The Facts on File Companion to American Drama. Ed. Jackson R. Bryer and Mary C. Hartig. New York: Facts on File, 2004. 178. Print. Crowell, Steven. "Existentialism." The Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.Winter 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. "Existentialism-A Philosophy." AllAboutPhilosophy.org. AllAboutPhilosophy.org, 2012. Web. 03 May 2012. The Glass Menagerie. Drama for Students. Ed. David Galens and Lynn Spampinato. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale Research, 1998. Print. Lahr, John. "Telling It Like It Isn’t." The New Yorker. 06 May 2010. Web. 2 May 2012. "Plot Summary: The Glass Menagerie." DISCovering Authors. Detroit: Gale, 2003.Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 17 Apr. 2012.

Legal Compliance with Un Directives

Beyond Bricks : A report on a new proposed business plan in the field of renewable energy 2013 Strategy Builders Consulting Inc. 2/5/2013 Introduction Sustainable development and renewable energy are among the most talked about topics at the moment. Renewable energy is the concept that the think tanks are throwing their weight behind, and the same is true for the European Union (EU, henceforth) The business model that we are going to propose, deals with promoting renewable energy resources, and has a lot of other elements to it, which are all in compliance with the vision that the EU has in place.The existing real estate agency in question is functional in both the residential as well industrial sectors. As a result of your operations, you have a strong and commendable network in place, which can be utilised in furthering our recommended business model. According to the ‘Energy 20:20’ vision of the EU, every new building must comply with renewable energy standards, set b y regulations. The existing and old buildings will also have to modify their installations to meet the new requirements.Considering that improving energy efficiency is high on importance for the EU, and for the entire developed world, we anticipate that the authorities are going to be fairly stringent on the issue of compliance of the said regulations. In approximately 7-9 years from today, it is going to be mandatory for buildings to meet the new set of criteria. Since we are still some distance away from the 2020 milestone, there is a fair chance of exploiting the time and reaping benefits. The Concept We propose to set up a model, wherein we facilitate installation as well as replacement of efficient and renewable energy components.We will have to tie up with providers of renewable energy sources and provide their services and products to our customers, who buy property from us. This service will also include our previous customers who would be looking to replace their current el ectricity system with renewable energy. In addition to promoting and facilitating use of renewable energy, we also propose to set up a carbon capture and storage unit and mechanism for our industrial installations. We will form alliances with small scale providers of these mechanisms and provide their services and goods to our customers.In addition to the task of acting as an intermediary, we also propose to employ and train a team of technicians, who will provide maintenance and after sales services to the customers. For this maintenance team, we will hire young, unemployed people from lower sections of the economy, who will be trained by our energy providing partners, and this initiative will hence, help in improving their societal placement. We also propose to tie up with an energy efficiency certification agency, so that our customers can easily obtain certifications.Rationale behind the concept The Commission says that EU must embrace renewable sources, not only to slow the cli mate changes but also because the EU's reliance on imported gas that is set to increase from 57% currently to 84% by 2030, and on imported oil from 82% to 93%. Hence the EU sets the goal of 1. Increasing renewable energy's share of the market to 20% by 2020, from around 8. 5% today. 2. Energy consumption is to be cut by 20% by 2020 through improved energy efficiency compared to 1990 levels. 3.Green house gas emissions are to be cut by 20% by 2020 compared with 1990 levels. The commission says states aid can legitimately be used to promote emissions cuts and increase take-up of renewables, so long as it does not breach EU competition rules. The commission has come up with new proposals for the EU to co-finance national and local schemes to promote energy-efficient housing. The EU will help member states install double glazing, wall insulation and solar panels in housing, especially targeting low-income households. The customersThe target group of customers for this business will be o ur own existing and new customers. Evidently, since renewable sources of energy are more expensive when compared to their non renewable counterparts, there might be an initial reluctance from the customers, to shell additional Euros. To educate them about the benefits of cleaner energy, their carbon footprint, as well as the impending EU regulations, we propose to have an â€Å"Energy Consultant†, who will lay out plans, a cost-benefit analysis and answer any questions that the customers might have.The existing customers will actually be a more vital part of this proposed business model, because they will be the ones who will be replacing their existing electricity systems into renewable sources, and they will form a bigger proportion of the revenue pool, because their numbers will exceed the number of new buildings coming up. The new business concept will have to be communicated to the existing customers using our contact database, and then the consultant/s will be functiona l in bringing them onboard with the new ideas.Scope of the Model: Target Market France’s real estate environment is in perpetual change from the classical renting to owner/occupant system and the trend is visible from the 1960’s to date whereby 45% of the people rented v/s 42 % owned to 38 % (renting) and 57% (ownership). The renting environment is currently made of 54 % of private sector housing and 46 % of social housing. Furthermore, out of the 9. 8 million private sector residences for rental purposes, 4. 5 million are HLM (habitation a loyer modere) or project housing.With these housing projects housing most of the poor populations, the costs of energy by legacy providers such as EDF is high and hence the costs of electricity and heating is an additional burden. The available housing is also relatively old (40%) of private rental properties built before 1948 and the needs for upgrading these properties to comply with EU regulation is tremendous. 60% of the rental property is also located in metropolis of 100000+ inhabitants with most of the rural housing being privately owned.The remote locations have lesser choices in terms of energy providers as the small scale providers are only present on part of the territory. The lack of competition drives prices high and slows the implementation of cleaner energy. As for the low income housing projects, most of them were built between 1950-1970 (50%) and due to high density and low maintenance, they require even more urgent upgrades to both comply with regulation and help the government in its housing policy making.By pairing up with smaller scale energy providers across the board from wind power harvesters like Planete Oui to solar energy providers like Direct Energy, we are creating a partnership with smaller scale EU based energy producers (as opposed to EDF) and we are encouraging competition, hence lowering costs for customers. Besides, this partnership can lead to training of young unemployed pe ople in the housing projects in electrical engineering/maintenance, hence contributing to fight unemployment. Besides, he youth know their neighborhood needs better and by outsourcing routine maintenance, the energy providers can save a lot in terms of travel costs for their maintenance teams. The Suppliers: Our role in this business model will be that of a facilitator, a middle-man of sorts. We will bring about the connection between renewable energy providers and willing buyers. We will focus on producers of wind power and solar power. We wish to focus on the smaller players in the market, because not only will in promote them, it will potentially increase competition in the energy market in France, where EDF is the largest supplier now.It will also be easier logistically for us to tie up with smaller producers. Our alliance will be based on a commission based system, where we will receive a commission based on the business volume from the producers, as we will be functional in en hancing their reach, network and business. Minimum Compliance Requirements: The states are obliged to comply with the above methodology in order to achieve cost-optimal levels. The level of these requirements is reviewed every 5  years.When setting requirements, Member States may differentiate between new and existing buildings and between different categories of buildings. New buildings  shall comply with these requirements and undergo a feasibility study before construction starts, looking at the installation of renewable energy supply systems, heat pumps, district or block heating or cooling systems and cogeneration systems. When undergoing major renovation,  existing buildings  shall have their energy performance upgraded so that they also satisfy the minimum requirements.When new, replaced or upgraded technical building systems such as heating systems, hot water systems, air-conditioning systems and large ventilation systems are installed, they shall also comply with th e energy performance requirements. Building elements that form part of the building envelope and have a significant impact on the energy performance of that envelope (for example, window frames) shall also meet the minimum energy performance requirements when they are replaced or retrofitted, with a view to achieving cost-optimal levels. Calculating energy performance:At the national or regional level, the buildings are evaluated by a methodology for calculating the energy performance which takes into account certain elements, specifically: * The thermal characteristics of a building (thermal capacity, insulation, etc. ); * heating insulation and hot water supply; * the air-conditioning installation; * the built-in lighting installation * Indoor climatic conditions The Finance Our research and analysis shows us that the initial start-up investment in the business will be â‚ ¬ 5 million. Out of this sum, we already have â‚ ¬ 1 million at our disposal.Out of the rest, we propose to send an application to the EU, with a request for funding under the EEPR or European Energy Programme for Recovery. We expect the EU to fund between 20% – 50% ( 1 mn – 2. 5 mn Euros ) of our project, and the rest will be sourced from angel investors and bank loans. The EEPR funds projects in three main areas of the energy sector: †¢Gas and electricity infrastructures †¢Off-shore wind energy †¢Carbon capture and storage This Regulation also establishes a financial instrument the aim of which is to support initiatives related to energy efficiency and renewable energy.The programme finances interconnection projects with a number of objectives, out of which, our business model complies with the following objectives: * Diversification of sources of energy and supplies * Optimisation of the capacity of the energy network and the integration of the internal energy market * Developmentof the network * Connection of renewable energy sources In addition to the se objectives, our model also includes carbon capture and storage, and this should facilitate the funding of our project, because it ticks a lot of check boxes on the EU list.Our project is aligned with the 2020 vision of the EU, The new concept goes beyond the classical real estate agent business, as it promotes clean energy use, it promotes SMEs, and it also increases employment among unemployed youth also. Appendix: Objective: Nearly zero-energy buildings By 31  December 2020, all new buildings shall be nearly zero-energy consumption buildings. New buildings occupied and owned by public authorities shall comply with the same criteria by 31  December 2018.The Commission encourages increasing the numbers of this type of building by putting in place  national plans, which include: * The Member State’s application in practice of the definition of nearly zero-energy buildings; * The intermediate targets for improving the energy performance of new buildings by 2015; * The information on the policies and financial measures adopted to encourage improving the energy performance of buildings. Financial incentives and market barriers Member States shall draw up a list of the existing and potential instruments used to promote improvements in the energy performance of buildings.This list is to be updated every three years. References http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/europe/7765094. stm http://europa. eu/legislation_summaries/energy/energy_efficiency/en0021_en. htm http://eur-lex. europa. eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ. do? uri=OJ:L:2010:153:0013:0035:EN:PDF http://europa. eu/legislation_summaries/environment/sustainable_development/l28075_en. htm http://ec. europa. eu/clima/policies/g-gas/index_en. htm http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/%C3%89lectricit%C3%A9_de_France http://europa. eu/legislation_summaries/energy/energy_efficiency/l27021_en. htm http://www. territoires. gouv. fr/spip. php? article1173

Age of Exploration- Spain, Portugal, England Research Paper Example

Age of Exploration Age of Exploration- Spain, Portugal, England Paper Age of Exploration- Spain, Portugal, England Paper Q 6 Compare and contrast the early colonial empires of Portugal, Spain, and England in terms of motives, economic foundations, and relations with Africans and Indians. What factors explain the similarities and differences in the two ventures? The Age of Exploration was a period from the early 1600’s to the 1700’s during which Europeans explored the world, searching for trade partners and desirable goods. During this time, the three most influential European nations were Portugal, Spain, and England. If fingers had to be pointed at which country started the Age of Exploration, it would be Portugal, because if it had not been for the carrack and then the caravel, Atlantic trade would not have been started. However, the Spanish had the first global empires, rivaling the English’s largest empire. Each country had different motives for acquiring these colonies, different economic backgrounds, and different relations with the Africans and Indians. They also went about creating relations with the Africans and Indians in different ways. However, despite these differences, the same basic goal was accomplished, to discover new trade. The first English attempt at colonization was in Newfoundland. This collapsed when the promoter died at sea. However, this was only the start of English exploration and colonization. As the seventeenth century began, the population of England was skyrocketing to about 4 million and England’s economy was in ruins. Thousands of farmers were kicked off their farms and were unemployed. It was these unemployed people that would sail to the Americas. Years later, in 1606 Englishmen set sail on a ship headed towards Virginia. The people received a charter from King James I of England. The attraction that drew men was gold with a desire to find a new passage through America to the Indies. Later that year, the settlers from the Virginia Bay Company were attacked by Indians. This forced them to move the location of their colony up the James River. Their new location was called Jamestown. Two years later, an Englishmen was captured by local Indians and was almost executed, had he not been saved by a woman Indian. However, it was later found out hat the Indians never intended on killing him, but they wanted to prove to the English their power and desire for peaceful relations. Two years after that, the English had decided to use aggressive military action against the Indians. Relations remained tense between the Indians and English, especially when the English raided their food supply. To the English, the Indians had no value or valuable commodities, so they could be â€Å"disposed† without harm to the colony. When colonizing, the English did not think of anybody but themselves. All they wanted to do was get rid of the unemployed in their own country, send them off to acquire a system of mercantilism (a colony for the sole purpose of trade with the mother country) with spices, gold and silver, and would do this at any cost (i. e. murder of Indians and stranding sick Englishmen). Portugal invented two devices that were vital for the Age of Exploration to be made possible, the carrack and the caravel. The Portuguese hoped that with the use of these ships and further exploration, they would be pulled out of their current recession. The current recession proposed the problem of finding people to sponsor these expeditions. However, spices and silk were in such a high demand that people and companies came forth to sponsor. The first wave of expeditions by Portugal were launched by Prince Henry, or Henry the Navigator. His primary project was off the coast of West Africa where established trade routes brought slaves and gold. Over time the Portuguese state proved to be too small and did not have efficient funds to keep up the colonies and empire. They could not compete with larger nations and therefore was not a long-term successful colonizer of the New World. Spanish Conquistadors are known for rapidly colonizing the Americas at a pace that could not be rivaled by another nation. The purpose of these colonies was to spread the word of G-d to other parts of the world and to attain gold. While achieving this, the Spanish Conquistadors completely destroyed the culture of the native people. The Spanish were said to have hit so hard with their culture and everything they had, that no trace of what was previously there stood. When the Spanish arrived in the Incan empire, the European disease of smallpox had wiped out mass amounts of Incas, including the emperor, inciting a civil war. The Spanish used the Indians that were left, putting them to work in mines and had traded gold and silver with them. Even some of the Spanish Conquistadors described their conquest as â€Å"pure destruction†. When people currently learn about the Age of Exploration, it is looked at as a positive thing. However, that is because our country sprouted as a result of it. But, many disastrous things occurred as a result of it too. In the Americas, the Indian civilizations were destroyed and used for their resources and sometimes raided for food. In Africa, explorers worked with the Africans to catch slaves and mine for gold. However, this would not last, as eventually the greedy Europeans would take over the slave trade in Africa putting Africans out of work. Regardless of what the Europeans did to the people there before them, they all had the same goals in mind and a similar economic background. They were all in search of spices, gold, and permanent trading partners and all of Europe was in recession. Some countries were able to pull out of that recession, unlike Portugal who was too small to sustain their colonies through the recession. In total, the countries discovered new lands, established new trade lines, and without the Age of Exploration, the world would not be remotely similar to how it is today.